Still can't decide on a build to play for my first and only play through

[Jae Addison]

Hey for the forbidden Fist/cipher combination how would you distribute the stats for the other stats besides resolve, also I'm using beraths blessing?

[Boeroer]

I would go mediocre on MIG because the curse can be really nasty before you get some more "-x% hostile duration" and +RES abilities and gear - and it scales its dmg up with MIG of course.

You don't need to have superhigh INT because of the same reasons and you'll get Duality oMP/Turning Wheel (up to +10 INT) later. 

With the Berath Blessings vendor in Port Maje you can get an Amulet of Greater Health which makes things more easy-going in the early game - so you don't need high CON either. Later I would try to get some regeneration gear which helps to counter the health loss from the curse and Hylea's Talons (which I recommend for wound generation). While the durations of those hostile DoTs will get reduced by RES and -x% hostile effects stuff (e.g. Clarity of Agony), regeneration gear's effects will not. Voidward Ring also helps.

Usually high DEX is always good - but in this case it's not too bad to have a somewhat mediocre DEX score that prevents you from spamming Forbidden Fist too quickly.

I like high PER on MC if I go with official companions because none of them has very high PER which can mean you will miss some secrets/traps etc. It will be difficult to get it very high though if you don't want to really dump some other attribute. 

With Forbidden Fist the attribute distribution is tricky since you want to go max RES but also some other attributes are nice to have. Points are scarce and you'll have to make some sacrifices.

Berath Blessings extra stats are especially nice in this case.

 

 

[dgray62]

I am currently playing a forbidden fist/soulblade and I started out with STR 15, CON 10, DEX 15, PER 17, INT 15, RES 18, with Berath's Blessings. The relatively low CON isn't a problem so long as you are careful not to stack multiple forbidden fist curses. And once you get optimal equipment as the various buffs (food, etc.) it is a very strong melee build.

[elbe]

Attributes for Forbidden Fist / Cipher are tricky because just about every stat is important. I usually go with the following with the Berath's Blessing bonus (using Savanah Folk Human from the Ixmatil Plains (Philosopher background) because it works perfectly for a monk from an RP perspective and the +1 resolve lets you get to 20 base RES which is the most important stat for a FF monk):

MIG: 10 + 2BB = 12

CON: 8 + 2BB = 10

DEX: 12 + 2BB = 14

PER: 16 + 2BB = 18

INT: 12 + 2BB = 14

RES:  20 + 2BB = 22

Is you use custom companions then you can drop perception a few points if you have another character with high perception.  If you run with the custom companions I like to have at least 18 PER to detect some of the high level traps in the DLCs.

RES is the most important stat as a FF so I always get it as high as possible. Also higher RES means faster wound generation with FF, which means getting the INT bonus faster with Duality (hence why you can exchange INT for RES).

I don't find might that noticeable unless you really stack it, and having it low helps mitigate FF self damage.  Low-ish DEX can be compensated with Swift Strikes and I usually wear either Cabalist Gambeson (with -10% hostile effect duration) or Devil of Caroc breastplate + eat Mohora Wraps so my recovery is pretty low anyway.  If you use Rannig's Wrath rapier until you get Seeker's Fang then that also gives +10% action speed.  Low-ish INT can be offset with Turning Wheel or Enlightened Agony if you prefer Iron Wheel for a more tanky character.  Strand of Favour also works perfectly with the build and gives another +1 INT.

Even though I use community patch I still prefer Beguiler over Ascendant for the Cipher sub-class.  Beguiler still gets focus and +20% whip from attacks against sneak attack vulnerable targets and Forbidden Fist applies enfeebles which activates sneak attack, so it is effectively always active.  I don't really spam cipher spells with this set-up anyway so the Ascendant seems mostly wasted (plus low INT until I get duality means low ascended duration).   The synergies between some of the deception spells (charms, dominates, secret horrors) and the FF enfeebled is also really nice.

An alternative build is to just run a no-subclass or Nalpasca Monk instead of FF and drop RES to 8+2 with BB and pump up Might and Int.  Works just as well but your disintegrates will be a little shorter but tick for more damage with the higher might.  Sometimes that might be better if your disintegrates usually kill the target before expiring anyway.

Edited March 14, 2021 by elbe

[Boeroer]

Sounds like a reasonable attribute distribution. I guess I'd put 2 points from DEX to INT but that's mostly cosmetic I guess.

7 hours ago, elbe said:

An alternative build is to just run a no-subclass or Nalpasca Monk instead of FF and drop RES to 8+2 with BB and pump up Might and Int.  Works just as well but your disintegrates will be a little shorter but tick for more damage with the higher might.  Sometimes that might be better if your disintegrates usually kill the target before expiring anyway.

Just keep in mind that if you play with a party the Enfeeble effect is not only useful for your own effects (and stuff like Stunning Surge, Whisper of Treason, Puppet Master etc. won't even profit from MIG but only from INT and Enfeeblement) but also for all the time-limited effects of your whole party. 

Edited March 14, 2021 by Boeroer

[Haplok]

Ascendant is the strongest user of the Seeker's Fang. Admittedly late game, but something to look forward to. 

A well placed Spider's Flurry is usually enough to Ascend. 

[Boeroer]

I find the one raw DoT on it which increases with focus just nuts. It ticks for 30+ dmg easily when ascended iirc. And it's not even the only raw DoT on the weapon...

 

Edited March 14, 2021 by Boeroer

[dgray62]

16 hours ago, elbe said:

RES:  20 + 2BB = 22

In my experience it's not necessary to take RES so high. If you wear the various +RES gear and get Nature's Resolve, etc., via a no rest run or the mod that makes them permanent, you can get your RES up to 30 if you start at 18, and then rely on a RES inspiration, such as from Psychovampiric Shield, to bring you to 35. This gives you a few extra points to distrubute back to other stats.

[Jae Addison]

Hey, I was curious how good are psyblades or warden, are they able to complete the whole game as well as all dlc content?

Edited March 18, 2021 by Jae Addison
Added more

[Boeroer]

With a party?

Every class combination is able to complete the whole game including DLCs just fine. There's not a single one that wouldn't work. Fighter/Cipher or Fighter/Druid are no exception. 

 

 

[StigZord]

On 3/14/2021 at 10:24 AM, Boeroer said:

Sounds like a reasonable attribute distribution. I guess I'd put 2 points from DEX to INT but that's mostly cosmetic I guess.

Doesn't INT increase FF curse duration too? I wonder in Ascendant/FF build, how much INT would be too much? 
I'm on my first playthrough, I noticed everyone is using Berath Blassing in their build, what stats distribution would be good without it? Or should I just edit the achievements and get it anyway  

[Boeroer]

Yes, INT increases the duration of the curse. But maluses like from RES have a bigger impact than the numbers suggest (due to some mathematical shenanigans under the hood) so it's not too bad as long as you have a lot of "-x% hostile effects" going on.

Without Berath Blessins you can simply substract 2 from every stat and be good. 

[freddfranca]

I am in the same boat, trying lots of builds and couldn’t stay with no one. My new project is something like a WoW DK, any ideas?

[asnjas]

They are all good. You can literally beat the game with one character. 

Anything normal difficulty or below you can beat the game with who cares. 

Pick a character that looks fun on paper. They all work dude. Youre not investing in stock market.