new player with some questions on builds

[Boeroer]

Infuse with Vital Essence and the potion of Infuse with Vital Essence are your friends. The health-healing gets influenced by MIG and other effects that boost healing, too.

[demon72]

what is the best decision with Maerwald?

[Boeroer]

There's no "best". It depends what you want to do. If you release his soul your stronghold will get +2 prestige which increases the taxes and quality of positive events (unique item merchant, prestigious visitors and so on). If you bind his soul to the stronghold you get +2 security which reduces tax robbery and the frequency of bad events (attacks on stronghold and so on).
If you siphon knowledge you can get a unique sabre names "Flames of Fair Rhîan" which is an exceptional weapon with a burning lash and 3 Fireball casts per rest.

For example if you ar a character who likes to use spellsbindings - maybe a Rogue with Deathblows - you might want to use the sabre. If you want lesser attacks on the strnghold because you are annoyed by those then bind his soul. If you want good stronghold events earlier release his soul. 

[demon72]

are there any recommendations what to do first with Od Nua?

...or better not spending any copper on Od Nua until you bought better items?

[Boeroer]

If you want some of the potential unique items from the stronghold adventures then better build quickly. But otherwise you can take your time. I personally try to up the security first because those stronghold attacks are quite annoying.

[Desmodeus]

6 hours ago, Boeroer said:

But otherwise you can take your time

I dare to say even if you do not particulary care about Caed Nua its worth to get Curio shop and botanical garden asap. Preferably on the first stronghold turn. Free body parts and plants are useful

[demon72]

as I didn't found any information on this:

how long is a stronghold "turn"?

[Desmodeus]

It is not based on time. One progressed quest = one turn

[demon72]

Some more Questions:

 

1. killing both, Raedric and Kolsc?

...after I came to the conclusion , that both are not worthy to rule:

• will I miss something in the game or run in any bigger problems that way?
• will you find anyone else in the later game, who can rule Gilded Vale?

 

2. What should be the next quests to get more experience?

after finishing...

• Valewood
• Gilded Vale (without Temple)
• Esternwood
• Magran's Fork
• Anslög's Compass
• Black Meadow
• Temple Gilded Vale
• Caed Nua
• Raedrics Hold

...my MC is L4, rest of the party is L3, what would you recommend as next steps?

• side quests: Dyrford
• main quest: never far from the queen
• Endless Path: desperate measures
• other?

Bounties are a little bit to strong right now, final battle from "desperate measures" is hard, but might be doable with some luck...

 

3. Reputation (MC):

1. does the reputation of the MC has just an effect, if the MC is Priest or Paladin?
2. does a Palaladin/Priest (Merc/Companion) get affected by the reputation of the MC?
3. how much should you care about the "right" and the "wrong" reputation if the MC is Priest or Paladin?
4. does all reputations that are not favored or disfavored have any effect?

 

4. Party Reputation:

1. what effect has the party reputation?
2. what is the difference if I'm "hero" in Gilded Vale or not?
3. are there any places where the reputation really makes a difference?

 

5. Adventures:

1. I read somewhere, that a Compagnion will get between 15% and 50% additional XP - will that Compagnion gain more XP that way, as a Compagnion in the party?
2. could I also use Mercs for Adventures or only Compagnions?

 

6. Pets:

• what are pets good for?
• will there be any pets that have boni or effects?

 

Edited February 27, 2021 by demon72

[demon72]

...as Raedrics Hold and some Dyrford Side-Quests were quite easy, I'm somehow stuck with my L5 party meanwhile...

...don't know if I should go for "never far from the queen", but as crossing Aedelwan-bridge seems to end Act I, I'm not sure if this should be done that early...

 

Dyrford Ruins, seems to be designed for a L6 or even L7 party and I would guess that "desperate measures" alone wouldn't give enough XP for L6...

Am I missing some quests that should be done early?

 

[Blades of Vanatar]

Caed Nua. Do a few levels, there is good XP and great loot!

[demon72]

does Concelhaut's Parasitic Staff get a bonus from weapon-focus peasant? 

same question for Citzal's Spirit Lance - does weapon-focus soldier give a bonus?

Should a melee wizard change to Citzal's at L5 as main weapon?

 

If a wizard is equipped with a shield when casting a spell-weapon - does the shield works with a two-handed cast-weapon?

I'm a little curios why several melee-wizards-builds use "weapon and shield style"...

Edited March 8, 2021 by demon72

[Boeroer]

1 hour ago, demon72 said:

A) does Concelhaut's Parasitic Staff get a bonus from weapon-focus peasant? 

B) same question for Citzal's Spirit Lance - does weapon-focus soldier give a bonus?

C) Should a melee wizard change to Citzal's at L5 as main weapon?

A: All sommoned weapons (and also all soulbound weapons) work with any weapon focus. No matter which weapon focus you pick: it will work with summoned weapons. Multiple weapon focus will not stack though, so just pick one.  Preferably the one that is best for your backup weapon. I would suggest something like Durance's Staff because it's the only quarterstaff with dual damage (crush/burn). Llawran's Stick is also good because of speed. So Weapon Focus Peasant is not a bad pick.
So yes: Parasitic Staff will (also) get a bonus from Weapon Focus Peasant.

B: Yes, but as I said above any weapon focus will work.

C : Imo yes. Summoned weapons do not scale in PoE. Parasitic Staff "only" has exceptional quality (which is awesome at level 1) but the Lance has superb quality AND has speed. The AoE attack is great, too. Of course you can have Parasiticv Staff as backup against pierce-immune foes if you wish. But your main weapon should become the lance imo. 

Edited March 8, 2021 by Boeroer

[demon72]

A: as long as I have at least one weapon-focus?

 

What still confuses me is the following:

you can have both weapon-focus and weapon style - as long as you have any weapon-focus this will give the weapon-focus boni to all summoned and soulbound waepons, no matter if this is the fitting one or not - right?

But what about the "weapon-style" talent? Do I need two-weapon-style for Parasitic Staff or will any weapon-style work?

 

The question about shield was a little bit misleading - if my wizard is equipped with a shield in the moment as he casts Parasitic Staff - will he keep the deflection bonus from the shield when using Parasitic Staff?

 

Without taking "arms-bearer" you will never get a 3rd weapon-set?

The 4th set is just for the combination: Island Aumaua AND arms-bearer?

[Boeroer]

30 minutes ago, demon72 said:

A: as long as I have at least one weapon-focus?

Yes, correct.

30 minutes ago, demon72 said:

as long as you have any weapon-focus this will give the weapon-focus boni to all summoned and soulbound waepons, no matter if this is the fitting one or not - right?

Right

31 minutes ago, demon72 said:

But what about the "weapon-style" talent? Do I need two-weapon-style for Parasitic Staff or will any weapon-style work?

If you want a weapon style for your summoned weapons in the first place then you need Two Handed Style (because the staff is a two handed weapon). It's not like with Weapon Focus. With the style it is different: here you have to actually pick the right one wich fits your summoned weapon. But no problem, because Parasitic Staff and Spirit Lance both only work with Two Handed Style anyway. So if a melee Wizard wants to use his summoned melee weapons he should pick Two Handed Style.

By the way: Ranged weapons don't work with any of those styles at all - only melee weapons.

Generally speaking: if you swing ia weapon with two hands then you take Two Handed Style. If you swing it with one hand and nothing in the offhand then you pick One Handed Style. If you swing with two weapons then pick Two Weapon Style. If you are using a shield then pick Weapon and Shield Style.
Bashing shields are a bit like an offhand weapon - but they do only work with Weapon and Shield Style but NOT with Two Weapon Style.  

40 minutes ago, demon72 said:

The question about shield was a little bit misleading - if my wizard is equipped with a shield in the moment as he casts Parasitic Staff - will he keep the deflection bonus from the shield when using Parasitic Staff?

Nope. If he summons the staff it's like switching to another weapon set. Your normal weapons will get unequipped and kept somewhere in the game's "memory" and the summoned weapon will be equipped (automatically). All bonuses from the former weapon set (weapon and shield) will be gone. Once the summoned weapon expires your normal weapon set will get reequipped automatically and you will profit from its bonuses again (like higher deflection and so on).

45 minutes ago, demon72 said:

Without taking "arms-bearer" you will never get a 3rd weapon-set?

If I remember correctly you can only get additional weapon sets from Arms Bearer and Island Aumaua.

51 minutes ago, demon72 said:

The 4th set is just for the combination: Island Aumaua AND arms-bearer?

Indeed. 

[demon72]

1.

does it make any difference which faction you choose in defiance bay?

if it makes a difference, what would be the recommendation?

 

2.

is the Ring of Protection and the Ring of Deflection combi that superior, that almost no build here uses any other rings?

especially as there seems to be some nice ring giving additional spell uses?

 

[Boeroer]

4 hours ago, demon72 said:

1. does it make any difference which faction you choose in defiance bay?

 

Yes, it will not only have an effect on the ending slides once you finish the game but also ever faction gets you a special unique item and a special talent.

4 hours ago, demon72 said:

if it makes a difference, what would be the recommendation?

That depends on the class/build  you are playing. The Doemenel faction gives you higher crit damage (+30%) and a unique stiletto named Misery's End, Crucible Knights give you +2 DR and the sword Shame or Glory (which is the only way to ever dual wield two marking weapons) and the Dozens give you +5 ACC if you attack the same target as an ally as well as the spear Cladhaliath (but you can get that one later with every faction - just way later). 

4 hours ago, demon72 said:

is the Ring of Protection and the Ring of Deflection combi that superior, that almost no build here uses any other rings?

 They are just universally useful if you play a somewhat defensive character and they are easy to get. If you want more spell uses you can use the those other rings of course. But resting is cheap and there's also spell mastery - so those rings lose a bit of their appeal later in the game. For some builds rings like Ring of Searing Flames make a lot of sense, some want a ring with Preservation - it depends a bit. It wouldn't say there's one ring you always should wear. 

[demon72]

11 hours ago, Boeroer said:

That depends on the class/build  you are playing. The Doemenel faction gives you higher crit damage (+30%) and a unique stiletto named Misery's End, Crucible Knights give you +2 DR and the sword Shame or Glory (which is the only way to ever dual wield two marking weapons) and the Dozens give you +5 ACC if you attack the same target as an ally as well as the spear Cladhaliath (but you can get that one later with every faction - just way later). 

...with the Schemer's Needler as MC, Doemenel seems to be the best choice, although Misery's End seems to be rather useless.

...on the other hand Cladhaliath would be a great weapon for my druid, who is much more involved in melee as the priest right now...

 

other question concering reputation: is "slight" more or less then "minor" ?

 

Edited March 12, 2021 by demon72

[Boeroer]

With Scheemer's Needler I would pick Doemenel as well. Fits 100%. Misery's End is not good, but you also get a big pile of money in addition (forgot to mention that).

You can get Cladhaliath later with every faction - after once Act III is unlocked. So your Druid can still use it if he wants. But if he's in melee a lot I personally would train him around Shifting/Wildstrike. As long as a Druid is shifted he has the potential to do even more melee dps than a rogue while still being able to cast all his stuff. I mean unless you want to use him with shield etc. and be more tanky. 

[demon72]

2 minutes ago, Boeroer said:

You can get Cladhaliath later with every faction - after once Act III is unlocked. So your Druid can still use it if he wants. But if he's in melee a lot I personally would train him around Shifting/Wildstrike. As long as a Druid is shifted he has the potential to do even more melee dps than a rogue while still being able to cast all his stuff. I mean unless you want to use him with shield etc. and be more tanky. 

definetly - but right now battles take that much time, that after initial casting and shapeshifting, there is still much battle left after the druid shifts back...

...while Schemer's Needler does that much casting (as the only priest in the party), and will join melee very late therefore - that I'm not sure, if all the investments in melee will pay off.

 

...other question concering reputation: is "slight" more or less then "minor" ?

[Boeroer]

Slight is less than minor.

[demon72]

White March:

...early before Act III?

...after finishing Game?

...or what would be the best point from your point of view?

 

...gameplaywise, not which way is easier...

...after getting past the druid-trolls in endless paths (a battle that was really hard keeping all alive with a low CON-party),...

...PoE is already that easy in PotD, that's almost no fun anymore (guess I took one Level to much before starting Act II)...

[Boeroer]

2 hours ago, demon72 said:

White March:

...early before Act III?

...after finishing Game?

...or what would be the best point from your point of view?

 

...gameplaywise, not which way is easier...

...after getting past the druid-trolls in endless paths (a battle that was really hard keeping all alive with a low CON-party),...

...PoE is already that easy in PotD, that's almost no fun anymore (guess I took one Level to much before starting Act II)...

I would try it from lvl 8 on. That would usually be before Act III. At lvl 8 it should still be a challenge. Some of the later White March maps my even be a bit too hard.

But you can go and leave there whenever you want. You don't have to "solve" the White March in one go. See it as an addition to the open world map, not as a separate expansion.

You cannot play it after finishing the game. Once you beat the main game's end boss it's game over --> ending slides. So please do not finish the main game first. It's even said in the DLC description when you buy it.

PS: Cräghold Bluffs is extremely hard for a lvl-8 party. It's late game material. Don't try to solve it before WM.

 

Edited March 19, 2021 by Boeroer

[demon72]

if you give a talent like "heart of the storm" (+20% shock damage) to a druid...

...which types of damage will be increased?

• just melee (including shapeshift)?
• also spells, and if so all spells?
• damage from storms?
• or only +20% if the basic damage is "shock"?

[Boeroer]

Only direct shock damage will increase. That includes:

• Lashes like Wildstrike Shock or a shocking lash on any weapon (melee or ranged doesn't matter). For example a 25% lash will increase by 20% which means 25% * 1.2 = 30% lash.
• spells like Relentless Storm, Nature's Terror, Jolting Touch etc. They simply do +20% dmg (base dmg + base dmg * 0.2).
• weapons that have shock as primary damage type. I only weapon like that is Stormcaller iirc. It doesn't matter what the second damage type is, the weapon will always do +20% damage even it it does pierce damage: base dmg + base dmg * 0.2.

DoTs wouldn't increase (in cas of Scion of Flame: Dragon THrashed will not profit). I know no shocking DoT though.