seer build?

[s002wjh]

is Seer a good Range DPS or DPS/support build?  if not whats good multiclass for cipher or ranger for range dps or range dps/support?

Edited June 23, 2019 by s002wjh
add

[Elric Galad]

Seer is the class with the most accuracy of the game vs single target, as it combine the stacking bonus from ranger with Borrowed instinct.

It helps landing the powerful single target crowd control and damages effect of the Cipher such as whispers of treason, puppet master, and disintegrate.
Takedown Combo and driving flight will help generate more focus.
Ghost heart helps summoning your pet behind ennemy lines, which is quite fun with Ectopsychic Echo (and Echo powers in general). 

I think it's a multiclass with a lot of potential.

[QuiteGoneJin]

17 hours ago, Elric Galad said:

Seer is the class with the most accuracy of the game vs single target, as it combine the stacking bonus from ranger with Borrowed instinct.

Stacking bonus? You mean hunters Claw? Isn't that melee only?

[Elric Galad]

I meant Marked Prey, Stalker's Link and Survival of the Fittest (+20/+30 stacking accuracy). Marksman also stack, but only with ranged weapons.

Hunter's Claw may be an option too if you go melee, but I don't use it so I can't tell how convenient it is.

[QuiteGoneJin]

Ah my bad read stacking and i thought you meant the hunters claw mechanic. 

 

How is this for level progression? Ghost Heart/no subclass elf. 

 

1- Eye Strike/Marked Prey
2- whispers of treason
3- Iron Will
4- Biting Whip/2 handed Style
5- recall agony
6- phantom foes
7- hammering thoughts/ marked for the hunt
8- protective companion
9- take-down
10- take-down combo/penetrating vision
11- stalkers link
12- concussive shot
13- Driving Flight/ Detonate
14- Borrowed instinct
15- ringleader or puppet master depending on focus issues (30/50)
16- disintegrate/concussive tranq
17- 
18- 
19- 
20-

 

Any glaring mistakes? 

[Elric Galad]

11 minutes ago, QuiteGoneJin said:

Ah my bad read stacking and i thought you meant the hunters claw mechanic. 

 

How is this for level progression? Ghost Heart/no subclass elf. 

 

1- Eye Strike/Marked Prey
2- whispers of treason
3- Iron Will
4- Biting Whip/2 handed Style
5- recall agony
6- phantom foes
7- hammering thoughts/ marked for the hunt
8- protective companion
9- take-down
10- take-down combo/penetrating vision
11- stalkers link
12- concussive shot
13- Driving Flight/ Detonate
14- Borrowed instinct
15- ringleader or puppet master depending on focus issues (30/50)
16- disintegrate/concussive tranq
17- 
18- 
19- 
20-

 

Any glaring mistakes? 

Missing Ectopsychic Echo, great with Ghostheart.

Biting Whip is bad unless using Community Patch Mod. Draining Whip doubles focus generation.

I would go Mental Binding instead of Phantom foes, especially if you go Eyestrike.

Maybe pet damage buff if you like them ? Predator Sense is tempting with Recall agony and Disintegrate.

Not 100% about the rest, but it sounds good.

[s002wjh]

cool thanks for the tips.  how cipher/chanter combo, is it dps or support?  i'm looking for range dps or range dps/suppor  but not the wizard kind dps. prefer use bow/rifle at range type

[Cogumerlim]

I always thought the Seer multiclass had lots of potential. My only concern is that it's really hard to make a balanced point progression (if you want to use your ghost pet) because of the amount of skill points you need to properly build a ranger... But I think it can be done very well, and wreak havoc in PotD.

Now, Ghost Heart is the obvious subclass in Ranger, but what is the best config for Cipher? No subclass, Beguiler or Ascended? Beguiler COULD be perfect if the bonus was on shred spells instead of mind confusion (forgot the proper keyword name)... But it's very easy to proc flanked between the debuffs and the pet. Ascended can be great, but the point of the class is weapon damage, so I think no subclass would be the most well-rounded option indeed.

Now as for the weapon, I understand it should be using either hunting bows or longbows, right? That makes the damage bonus from two-handed style get added to the soul whip bonus, which together with all the accuracy available should be amazing.

Why is Biting Whip bad without the community mod? I understand it raises damage bonus from 20% to 30%, isn't it so? This makes the point expenditure more "expensive" than 2-handed style, but 10% more damage doesn't sound bad. Is Draining Whip always better? What does the community mod do?

Skill wise, because you have the shred DoTs from the cipher side, then you don't really need the PL1 shot skill from ranger, right? Then focus on getting DoTs, debuffs/buffs, Accuracy, Penetration and Damage (for you and the pet) and it should work pretty well.

[Boeroer]

Direct damage bonuses are only additive and only apply to the base dmg of the weapon (the damage a regular, normal Hunting Bow has for example). Let's just assume it's 10-20 or 15 on average. Now every direct damage bonus (Sneak Attack, Biting Whip bit also Fine, Exceptional etc.) uses that base damage as the... well base of calculation. So... 10% is 1.5 more dmg per hit. No matter how awesomely enchanted your weapon is. 10% direct dmg bonus for weapons is pretty pathetic. It's a bit better if you use weapon abilities (the base dmg scales with Power Level then) but still not great. 

Soul Whip uses all damage you dealt and generates focus from it. Not only the direct weapon damage but also the damage from lashes and so on. Thus, the bonus of Draining Whip is multiplicative. You will gain a lot more focus than before. 

Of course Draining Whip isn't worth anything if you only want to use weapons and never use focus (which wouldn't work anyway because Soul Whip bonus turns off of focus is full unless you are an Ascendant). But why use a Cipher in the first place then and not a... Rogue or so?

Community Patch turned the Biting Whip bonus into a lash instead of a direct damage bonus. Lashes are multiplicative dmg bonuses which take stuff such as crits, Overpenetration, Exceptional, Might and all other direct dmg bonuses into account and then calculate the bonus lash dmg based on that dmg roll (and not on the weapon's base dmg alone as direct dmg bonuses do). So a x% lash for your weapon is much more valuable than a x% direct dmg bonus. And lashes also generate focus.

Before CP, Draining Whip was a no-brainer pick. With CP it's more balanced. 

---

Main selling point for the Seer is the incredible accuracy imo. Best potential (and practical) accuracy in the whole game - which is great to have with stuff like Puppet Master or Disintegrate - or crit-based weapons like Frostseeker and so on.

---

I personally think Stalker/Soulblade with Sun&Moon + Tuotilo's Palm (or Magran's Blessing or Best Defense), spamming Soul Annihilation with deadly accuracy is the nicest combo, but Ranger/Beguiler is also nice, as is Ranger/Ascendant - both with bows, esp. Frostseeker. 

 

[Kaylon]

I would say the Ascendant/Arcane Archer with Frostseeker/Essence Interrupter and bear companion is easily one of the most versatile, fun and powerful builds in Deadfire. With cipher's buffs, the bear  becomes very sturdy while also dealing good damage. Frostseeker is great for AoE dps, while Essence Interrupter (with modal) is the perfect backup weapon for high AR/single targets - for tougher fights you can always use scrolls of Avenging Storm and unleash mayhem. At high level you can refill your focus in 1-2 shots which means you will be ascended 90% of the time, allowing you to switch at leisure between spells and bow. The full package becomes complete once you get Pull of Eora which is the ideal CC for your AoE dmg.

[Shai Hulud]

Seers are also very strong in melee. Stalker/soul blade

Melee seer is a crit machine, I like weapons with on-crit effects like sungrazer or grave calling with vessels. Kapana Taga is decent to debuff will. Cast Pain Block and Echoing Shield on pet, so your role is striker while pet tanks. Bear and boar are good choices. I prefer boar as it has a bit more HP and regen but bear has better armor.

Though really I prefer generic Ranger / soul blade so in those fights you need to keep more distance and use bows you don't get bonded grief.

I go into more detail on a seer build in this thread. I think in retrospect I'd change stat spread slightly though, probably more like 13/9/15/20/18/3. Ranger side doesn't need high INT but cipher side benefits a lot.

 

 

Edited March 19, 2023 by Shai Hulud