Optimizing skills

[Archaven]

It's so nice of maxquest to give it all out on just 1 post . Which I needed to learn from hundred of hours playing and also reading threads from vets *thumbs*

[MaxQuest]

Wait so Companion passive skills cannot be checked at all? They can ONLY assist?

Speaking of passive skills: I have definitely seen Survival and Religion checks during scripted interactions (when you can send 1 party member).

 

But I haven't seen such a check for Streetwise.

 

As for dialogues: afaik they only assist.

Edited December 30, 2018 by MaxQuest

[Yosharian]

 

Wait so Companion passive skills cannot be checked at all? They can ONLY assist?

Speaking of passive skills: I have definitely seen Survival and Religion checks during scripted interactions (when you can send 1 party member).

 

But I haven't seen such a check for Streetwise.

 

As for dialogues: afaik they only assist.

Hmm.

[MaxQuest]

^ I have updated the p.4) of my first post, which could cause this confusion, since I forgot to mention scripted interactions there.

[Yosharian]

^ I have updated the p.4) of my first post, which could cause this confusion, since I forgot to mention scripted interactions there.

The problem is, my Watcher is dumping everything into Metaphysics to maximise damage from Chromoprismatic Qstaff.

 

So I can't really do the whole dabbling in lots of skills thing on him...

 

I suppose I could abuse respec.

Edited December 30, 2018 by Yosharian

[Yosharian]

^ I have updated the p.4) of my first post, which could cause this confusion, since I forgot to mention scripted interactions there.

 

Does the skill assist that companions give to the Watcher apply at all times?

 

I.E. if my companions give my Watcher a +10 assist bonus to Metaphysics, will that boost the effectiveness of Chromoprismatic Qstaff?

[MaxQuest]

^ Afaik it's viceversa. You usually benefit only from your own skills. But in certain dialogues and scripted interactions you also get assisted by party members.

 

 

As for Prismatic Quarterstaff - you get only +0.5% damage and action speed per 1 metaphysics point. Going to 20 instead of just 12 gonna give you only +4%. So if you want to invest more in the chit-chat stuff, you can invest only 12 points into metaphysics (get 3 more from assist) and put the rest in diplomacy/streetwise/whatever

Edited December 30, 2018 by MaxQuest

[srulz]

@MaxQuest

 

Thanks a lot for the summary! Can you kindly confirm the minimum amount of skills which have an actual effect in-game, instead of purely flavour/background info please? Thanks!

[omgFIREBALLS]

For the record, this is the one Explosives check I could think of:

 

[MaxQuest]

Can you kindly confirm the minimum amount of skills which have an actual effect in-game, instead of purely flavour/background info please? Thanks!

That's a good question. But I don't have complete info on this.

 

On the other hand, I have quickly looked through gamepressure guides (for BoW and main game), and when combined with what I recall of my last 2 runs... majority of checks seem to be for flavor. Especially Insight. Sure it pops up a lot, but mostly it displays some information that is either not needed in order to continue the quest, or you can get that info later or via using other checks.

 

I have noted a few notable checks from those guides here:

 

 

Bardatto:

- Stop duel: 16 points in Resolve, 5 points in Bluff or 18 points in Might.

- Duel till first blood: Diplomacy 3 or Bluff 3

- Get closer/distract: insight/streetwise

- Other1: Diplomacy 2 / Bluff 2 / Streetwise 2 / Intimidation 2

- Other2: Streetwise 4

- Convince sailors to leave: Bluff 4

 

Old City:

- Dereo: 12 int 6 insight

- Gwenfyn (Dereo's assistant): 6 streetwise

- Old city well diving: 16 con (no athletics?)

- Other1: Insight 4 / Bluff 6 / History 7

- Other2: History 4 or Diplomacy 4

 

Neketaka:

- Aenalys: Diplomacy 4 / Streetwise 3 / Intuition 4

 

Arkemyr Mansion

- Entry Passage: 500 gold or use Intimidate 4 / Bluff 4

- Main Door: 10 mech or Fassina's key

- Imp: Bluff 8 / Diplomacy 9 or wearing robe

 

Shrine: 6 surv and 5 religion

 

Nemnok:

- Convince Kaali: Diplomacy 8

 

Eder quest:

- Get related info: Bluff 7 / Diplomacy 7 / Religion 7

- Bring Bearn back to life: Survival 6, Alchemy 6 (or alch 4 + ingredients?)

 

 

Ori o Koiki:

- Enter the village: Diplomacy 8 or Bluff 9 or 1500g

 

Motare o Cozi:

- Avoid combat with rotten lady: thicket staff + Diplomacy 4 or Alchemy 4

- Keep the map: Bluff 5 or (Intimidation 5 and Sleight of Hands 4)

 

Ashen Maw:

- Entering without killing Rathuns: Metaphysics 5 / Religion 5 / Insight 5 / Magran priest

- Avoid combat at shrine: Diplomacy 5 / Intellect 15

 

Beast of Winter:

- Damaged Rime Construct: Mechanics 12 or Dexterity 15

- Get the bomb: having Betrayal accessory OR being Priest of Magran (with Holy Fire) OR Explosives 17 / Sleight of Hands 15 OR Detonate

 

---

Endings:

 

Solo Path:

- no skill checks?

 

RDC Path:

- no skill checks?

 

Pirates Path:

- Convince Furrante (and exile Aeldys?): Surv 7 or Diplomacy 7

- Convince Furrante (and have mercy on Aeldys): Int 16 or Insight 12

- Or kill Aeldys and read her soul

- Or ally with Aeldys and pick a lock: Mechanics 13

 

Convince Lucia Rivan: Diplomacy 17, Metaphysics 15 or Bluff 16

Or just fight Lucia)

 

VTC Path:

- Keep Castol / expell Alvari: Bluff 6 / Insight 6 / History 6

 

Huana Path:

- Guards: either kill or use Bluff 12

- Lock: high? mechanics

 

 

 

So to answer now your question:

 

It looks that MC can unlock majority of more-or-less important stuff (in main game and BoW) with just:

- Diplomacy: 8-9

- Bluff: 6-7

- Intimidation: 2

- Streetwise: 4-6

- Insight: 5-6

^ These are including party assist

 

And it's a good idea to have some party member with:

- 5 Religion for shrine detection.

 

One party member with:

- 6 Survival, 4 Stealth and high Perception - for scouting.

 

One anti-trapper, with:

- Mechanics: 16?

- Stealth: 4-6

- preferably frontliner - because he's closer to the traps

- and either have high PER, or let the scout detect, and disarmer - disarm.

 

 

And generally everyone having:

- Stealth: 2+

- Athletics: 3-5 (to avoid injuries from failed climbing and stuff like that)

 

 

---

Also would like to note (kinda obvious info, but anyway):

- characters get 20 skill points as they level up

- characters start with +2 in 5 predefined skills. Or if they multi-class: +1 in 5 predefined skills per class.

- with Berath's Blessing they get +2 for every class skill. (but never +4)

- background provides extra 2-3 predefined skill points

- MC can get +1 in each skill via training (there are 8 trainers that give +1 in two skills)

 

So at level 20, MC can have 69 skill points just from those above.

Edited January 1, 2019 by MaxQuest

[Yosharian]

Thanks Max, that's some extremely useful information there.