DR bypass talents & complete list of affected spells

[Silvaren]

I did some test to verify old data because I'm writing guide for Pillars of Eternity (but it's in my native language). I will share results of optional means for increasing spells damage (via DR bypass talents):

PENETRATING SHOT

Chanter: Seven Nights She Waited While the White Winds Wept (3), So Singt thy Biting Winds o' Eld Nary (4)

Cipher: Mind Blades (2), Mind Lance (4)

Druid: Stag's Horn (3), Overwhelming Wave (4), Firebug (5), Avenging Storm (8), Tornado (8)

Priest: none

Wizard: Minoletta’s Minor Missiles (1), Thrust of Tattered Veils (1), Necrotic Lance (2), Rolling Flame (2), Crackling Bolt (3), Minoletta's Bounding Missiles (3), Minoletta's Concussive Missiles (4), Chain Lightning (6), Tayn's Chaotic Orb (7), Kalakoth's Freezing Rake (8), Minoletta's Piercing Sigil (8)

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Pallegina: Wrath of the Five Suns

Talents: Prestidigitator's Missiles

 

VULNERABLE ATTACK

Cipher: Amplified Thrust (2)

Druid: Sunlance (5)

Priest: Barbs of Condemnation (1), Divine Mark (2), Pillar of Faith (3)

Wizard: Jolting Touch (1), Kalakoth's Sunless Grasp (1), Flame Shield (4), Concelhaut's Crushing Doom (7)

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Abilities: Grimoire Slam

Edited January 14, 2020 by Silvaren

[Boeroer]

Cool. Thanks!

May I add Pallegina's "Wrath of the Five Suns" (works with Penetrating Shot)? Not really a spell but... 
Did you also test spell-like stuff from other classes e.g. Chanter invocations? I have the feeling that maybe stuff like Seven Nights could work with Penetrating Shot...?

I have a question: I thought Grimoire Slam worked with Vulnerable Attack but I might be mistaken. Do you have info on this as well?

I think I once knew the answer to my own questions but I seem to have forgotten a lot of the details of PoE...

[Silvaren]

Chanters! I knew I had forgotten something! I will test invocations tomorrow. I will check Wrath of the Five Suns too but I wouldn't be surprised if it won't benefit from Penetrating Shot. Eg. Minoletta's Precisely Piercing Burst has inherent 10 DR Bypass and don't gain addiiotnal 5 from DR bypassing talents. I will check Grimoire Slam too - anyone use that? I remember first gameplay demo of PoE at Gamescom (iirc). It was set in Cliaban Rilag and Josh showed Grimoire Slam for the first time and I thinked - wow, that's pretty cool move! Now? Meh.

My knowledge is rusty too. I didn't play Pillars last year. I have only 800h in both games combined. I'm digging up old posts from the forum and compile something like ultimate guide with all that hidden secrets and things which the game doesn't explain. I'm half way through (and I would like to make separated guide for each class). Meanwhile I will catch up on Deadfire and compile second guide.

[Boeroer]

Wrath otFS def. works with Penetrating Shot. Used that several times with Pallegina as alpha-striker together with FoD and Prestidigitator's Missiles (also work afair).

I used Grimoire Slam on a monkish Wizard once (Novice's Suffering and all the "melee" spells like Draining Touch, Jolting Touch and also Grimoire Slam). It's 1/encounter and has fairly high base dmg (25 - like Firebrand or Concelhaut's Staff) so it scales ok-ish with high MIG (Citzal's Martial Power - that doesn't turn it off since it's not a spell I presume) and enhanced crit damage (like Merciless Hand + Dungeon Delver etc.). And because it's an ability it gets +1 ACC per level which lets if crit fairly often later in the game (esp. if combined with Martial Power and Merciless Gaze). I stacked MIG into the sky anyway because of Novice's Suffering weird mechanics that work garbage with dmg bonuses (Wizard doesn't have any anyway) but scales its flat dmg bonus with MIG. Which leads to respectable melee dps for a Wizard (who doesn't use summoned weapons).
All in all it's comparable with Runner's Wounding Shot: a 1/encounter attack that can do decent damage - but you might only take it because you a) don't know what else to take or b) it fits your theme. It's not bad if you build around it but surely not a gamechanger either. Was fun though. Especially after you get spell mastery and can use touch spells like Jolting Touch, Sunless Grasp, Draining Touch per encounter. That was my PoE version of Wizard/Monk multiclass before it was even a thing in Deadfire.

 

Edited January 14, 2020 by Boeroer

[Silvaren]

Cool idea about that monk-wizard! Put on Stag Helm and use Binding Web + Ryngrim's Repulsive VIsage and he could go into the fray. That's why both PoE games are awesome. There are so many posibilities.

I have updated first post.

 

Btw. Your Cauterizer's trick about killing summoned skeletons for triggering Blood Thirst works with paladin's Inspiring Triumph

Edited January 14, 2020 by Silvaren