[Class Build] The Ice King - Witch (Barbarian/Beguiler)

[Theosupus]

The Ice King

This was a build I put together for fun and it ended up working out very well with support.
The main synergy targeted is witch debuffs + icefall’s dispersed suffering to keep everything near you debuffed practically infinitely.

Game version 5.0
Difficulty: PotD
Solo: Untested

Race: Any (Coastal Aumaua was what I used for testing)
Class: Witch (Barbarian: No-sub /Cipher: Beguiler)
Home: Your choice (White that wends is min/max combat choice, Deadfire gives extra conversation options)
Background: Your choice (Deadfire + aristocrat provides extra conversation options.)

Stats (w/ BB)
Mig: 18 (20)
Con: 8 (10)
Dex: 8 (10)
Per: 18 (20)
Int: 18 (20)
Res: 8 (10)

Skills Active:
Athletics 5
Arcana 15

Skills Passive:
Your choice (I went high intimidate)

Weapon Proficiencies:
Mace
Hatchet
Your choice on rest

Abilities:
Frenzy, Eye strike
Lingering Echoes
Iron Will
Thick skin, Biting whip
Barbaric blow
Two weapon style
One stands alone, hammering thoughts
Bloodlust
Bloody Slaughter
Spirit Frenzy, Body attunement
Greater focus
Savage defiance
Interrupting Blows, Borrowed instinct
Barbaric smash
Leap
Brute Force, Mind plague
The Empty Soul
Improved Critical
Spirit Tornado, Ancestor’s memory
Bloodthirst

Equipment

Weapon set 1:
Frostfall (Dispersed suffering & shattering head)
Acolyte’s frostbite (Vengeful Cold & Freezing Gust)

Weapon set 2:
Frostfall (Dispersed suffering & shattering head)
Barditto’s luxury -or- magistrates cudgel -or- Grave calling

Helm of the White Void
Strand of favor
Guardian’s plate
Kuaru’s Prize
Footsteps of the beast (not essential but leaving ice on the ground while you move is very thematic)
Shroud of the phantasm (unlimited resources is nice)
Whispers of Neriscyrlas
The Left hand of the obscured
Ring of prosperity’s Fortune
The undying burden (sub in upright captains belt if you will be using pull spells)

Pet:
Pes

Gameplay:

Open up with borrowed instinct then leap in and tornado and start laying waste.

Get plague and body attunement out between kills as soon as you can and just try to make some killing blows w/ barbaric smash. You will see lots of cold cones from the hatchet and shatters from the mace while adding duration to all the afflictions near you.

 

Notes:

1. This will NOT work with berserker. You will die horribly, but fast, to yourself normally. Spreading afflictions then stacking duration on your self gets bad quickly. Being hobbled 24/7 while wearing the boots doesn’t help either. I tested as a berserker because I wanted to use the armor’s “while afflicted” abilities w/ frenzy but it really made me WAY too squishy; the second tornado will terrify yourself then if you keep auto attacking and each time you kill something that terrified will get extended.

2. This build works exceedingly well with a small party including the will-breaker. If you also use Eder’s pet unlock BB you can put Nalvi on him and get better action speed. Grave calling is really good for the stacking freeze damage and is superior to the hatchet for single target fights (or vessels since the chill fog proc that Frostfall will extend the blind for). 

3. The armor is more for looks than the abilities on it and could be swapped out for Casità Samelia Legacy or DoC (although I had DoC on Will-breaker so it was unavailable for this guy).

Edited January 13, 2021 by Theosupus
Updating skill selection

[danielbda]

How did you get 13 PEN on that mace?

[Theosupus]

4 hours ago, danielbda said:

How did you get 13 PEN on that mace?

Enchanted to Legendary = 12 and then cipher's "Hammering Thoughts" ability is another +1.

You should see a devoted/soulblade estoc build if you want to see real crazy pen.

[Haplok]

Wouldn't Furyshaper Barbarian be a good fit here?

[Boeroer]

Absolutely imo. I really like Witches with Furyshapers. The mace's enchantment and Lingering Echoes don't work with Fear Ward (because it's its own "character" or entity) but still nice.

Edited January 5, 2021 by Boeroer

[dgray62]

This is a really interesting build, Theosupus. Thank you for sharing it. I was wondering, why do you suggest picking Penetrating Visions? As far as I can tell, you do not recommend any of the Cipher powers that would benefit from it.

[Theosupus]

2 hours ago, dgray62 said:

This is a really interesting build, Theosupus. Thank you for sharing it. I was wondering, why do you suggest picking Penetrating Visions? As far as I can tell, you do not recommend any of the Cipher powers that would benefit from it.

Out of habit.
I need to do some other tweaks too.
I was just playing around with pieces of gear I "never" use.

[dgray62]

I've been trying out your build, largely for the same reason as you. I've never really used Frostfall and Acolyte's Frostbite, but I can see that they have very intriguing possibilities. Magister's Cudgel and Grave Calling look great too, and seem like good weapons to rely on until you get the former.