Weapons for Cipher Serafen?

[MortyTheGobbo]

I'm just finishing The Forgotten Sanctum and thus the whole game, but I still find myself dissatisfied with Serafen's performance. I gave him a pair of pistols, but it just feels like he doesn't do much damage or build up focus very well with those. To say nothing of the ubiquity of pierce-resistant enemies. So I have him a pair of scepters instead... which attack quicker but deal piddly damage. Maybe I could respecialize him to let him use the modal and find a better scepter than a genetic Exceptional one for his off-hand. But I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong or if that's just how it is.

[Taudis]

You made sure to pick Draining Whip and not Biting Whip, right?

 

AoE weapons are usually best for quick focus, and Serafen's Hand Mortars are the best AoE weapons. Other strong options are the Watershaper's Focus w/modal and Frostseeker. It's only 1/encounter but the Kitchen Stove Thunderous Report can do a couple hundred damage that fills your focus.

 

Non-AoE, Essence Intterupter is my favorite, followed by dual wielding Swords or Warhammers. Dual-Damage types are pretty useful. I've got Ydwin dual wielding Modwyr and Griffin's Blade and she fills focus pretty fast.

[MortyTheGobbo]

I'm afraid I did pick Biting Whip, so I guess that's part of the issue. I've tried to have him use his hand mortars, but it felt like he's not actually doing any kind of damage with them. No Pen, and even if they manage to penetrate they dealt scratch damage.

[Taudis]

They should be good enough on PEN with Hammering Thoughts, 11 at legendary and best of two types. Ring of the Marksman helps with PEN too if you got it. You'll definitely get a lot of underpen notifications from them no matter what but if you're aiming at groups, you should be able to PEN something.

 

Definitely respec for Draining Whip. That's your biggest issue. It's wildly better than Biting Whip.

[Yougottawanna]

My Serafen is a charm/dominate bot, so I have him dual wielding a club and magistrate's cudgel. With the debuff from club, the magistrate's cudgel debuff, and the trait that gives abilities that target will +10 accuracy, he casts dominate at a cumulative +45 accuracy, meaning he can dominate anything that isn't immune to intellect afflictions.

 

It probably works slightly better with the barbarian/cipher multiclass (which is what I use), but I imagine it would work on a single class cipher as well.

[MortyTheGobbo]

They should be good enough on PEN with Hammering Thoughts, 11 at legendary and best of two types. Ring of the Marksman helps with PEN too if you got it. You'll definitely get a lot of underpen notifications from them no matter what but if you're aiming at groups, you should be able to PEN something.

 

Definitely respec for Draining Whip. That's your biggest issue. It's wildly better than Biting Whip.

 

I'm not sure if I can upgrade them to Legendary or even Superb, since I'm always missing some components. I had no idea about Ring of the Marksman, though. And by now the guy who has is probably gone.

 

Still, respecializing to Draining Whip is in order either way.

 

My Serafen is a charm/dominate bot, so I have him dual wielding a club and magistrate's cudgel. With the debuff from club, the magistrate's cudgel debuff, and the trait that gives abilities that target will +10 accuracy, he casts dominate at a cumulative +45 accuracy, meaning he can dominate anything that isn't immune to intellect afflictions.

 

It probably works slightly better with the barbarian/cipher multiclass (which is what I use), but I imagine it would work on a single class cipher as well.

 

It's something I've considered for my Witch Serafen in another playthrough. He's using axes there for now.

[Taudis]

WRT to enchanting, you should be able to buy everything but Adra Ban. The Treasure Trove in Dunnage stocks Emeralds if you're high enough level, Reagent is sold by both ingredient stores in Periki's Overlook as well as the animancers in Sacred Stair. Both the Treasure Trove and the jeweler in Serpent's Crown should have all the other gems. If you don't have enough Adra Ban, you're SOL, no one sells it. There should have been a ton in FS, though.

 

WRT to the ring, Shrimp & Co are over by the cobbler in Queen's Berth listening to the musical brother if you did it peacefully. Shrimp has the ring and you can pickpocket it if you don't wanna kill them. Not sure what happens to them if Maia dealt with the situation. If you killed them and sold the ring, you just gotta remember what shop you sold it to - unique items don't disappear from inventory.