Help needed with turn-based build choice

[Rev7718]

Hi guys.

I really need help deciding which build is actually better along the way. I'm currently back and forth between these two:

Primordial Warden (Fury/Devoted)

I love the Firebrand ability and the potential of CC with shock spells. I'm still wondering if there is actually any viable way to make this fire/shock character good for dmg as well as CC.

Spirit Lancer (Shattered Pillar/No subclass wizard)

This I see as a awesome build with some very cool abilities, but I'm ultimately not sure if it can compete with the Warden build in terms of DPS. And I think there is basicaly almost no chance to cast offensive spells efficiently.

Can someone please tell me up And downs in comparison of these two builds? I'm really curious which one is ultimately better and why. In terms of DPS, casting potential and survivability.

Thank you very much.

 

[Carys]

I can't offer any insight on the first.  I can offer a little on the second.

In my first turn based playthrough, I ran with two geomancer (ranger/wiz).  One was Maia, and her role was ranged damage naturally.  The other was a custom adventurer who had the off-tank role.  While ranger is not the same as monk, assuming you are planning on using the Shattered Pillar/Wiz as melee focused, I can offer some insights.

First, wiz has a lot of free action buffs.   That means on round one you can use almost every buff you have before - or even after - you make your attack.  So, you should always have all the buffs of your choice.  Now, you can buff pre-attack in RTwP, too, but there you lose attacks, in a way, while buffing.

Second, you open up the easy use of short range and touch spells.  While I rarely used those, when I did, they were effective.

Third, nothing keeps you from staying back and nuking with powerful AoEs, and given monk's ways to improve Might and Int, they would pack a larger punch for you than they would for me with a Geomancer, and I never felt that AoEs lacked impact.

[Rev7718]

Thank you very much for your insight. It was really helpful. I've eventually rolled the second option and it was worth the while.

[Haplok]

Even if Lance is cool, ultimately I think that in Turn Based mode attacking with a weapon rather then casting is inefficient. Both actions will take the same chunk of time (round), but a spell tends to be more impactful then a single attack, even with the coolest weapon.