Playthrough idea - The Regular Joes

[Frog Man]

all - reposting a run idea I had from the Pillars subreddit. I’ll post OPs thoughts and then mine below that.  Would love feedback and or ideas. 
———————————————

(redditors post) 
 

POE2: Recommend me the best settings to have a FUN + EXCEPTIONALLY HARD Potd Run

Hi guys, 

Seeing so many people still playing this game, as well as all the new people joining our community, I have decided to try another run of POE2. 

I've played this game so much and have beat it on the POTD multiple times. Solo, Various magran's challenges, Trial of Iron. 

The problem I faced when doing the various max difficulty challenges was that I found myself really not enjoying the game as much. I think my solo run was the worst in terms of having fun. It was literally just me, kiting, managing aggro, creating the most optimal minmax builds, and then getting a hollow victory. 

So this time I want your help in creating some rules that will keep the game fun yet hard af. The only things I want to keep standard is that I will be running a 5 man party (because solo is not fun), on POTD, and no tedious magran's blessings (like abydon, or woedica, which just innately make the game boring).

On top of that I would like your suggestions for additional settings I should run, as well as any extra rules I should follow.

This is my way of filling the void, while waiting for Baldur's Gate 3

 

———————————————
(Frog man) 

I’m a backer and yet I’m playing another playthrough right now! Also I hear you on wanting it to be hard without mind-breakingly difficult. I’ll be watching this thread closely for new ideas, however I’ll share with you what I’m plotting for my next run - a Regular Joes run.  

The idea is playing through Deadfire as 5 regular old dudes who don’t have cosmic power, they just have muscles and bone and steel and grit and courage, punching whatever the Deadfire throws at them in the f***ing face. 

No spells. No magical classes. No named weapons or  armor (best you can use is generic exceptional and superb blue gear). No scrolls.  No figurines. Explosives traps and potions are all fair game. I’m cool with whatever accessories you want (rings, gloves, boots, necklaces). I’d recommend grabbing REGEN gear and heavy as **** armor since you won’t have access to healers (upgrade athletics as well!)

Classes - use your best judgment. As an example, priests ciphers wizards are definitely out.  Paladins and Chanters could be admissible, but I plan on excluding them to double down on the theme. Rangers are in, but I wouldn’t use ghost heart or arcane archer (too fantastical). 

My squad will be 5 deep and will include single classes and multi-classes of fighters, rogues, Rangers, barbs and monks. 

I’ll take any suggestions to up the difficulty and/or adhere more closely to the theme!

[asnjas]

A monk/ranger is about as regular joe as it gets. Just a dude and his companion. The class is the wanderer o believe. Pick a dog or wolf and use a staff weapon. Just his fists and animal buddy fighting and clawing for justice.

You might go the drugg monk version like some lowlife wanderer. You might go the sharpshootin ranger like some keen eyed rebel that doesnt take any shht. Maybe even the ghost heart crybaby that lost it all due to misfortune and wanders with nothin to lose.