Returning after some time

[freddfranca]

Hello guys how are you doing? I hope everyone is ok.

I played a lot some time ago, but for bigger reasons I had to stop and couldn’t complete any run.

Now I’m back and I want to finish the game. I always consider first to try a solo run, but I don’t know if it’s the best choice for a first run. My idea was to restart with my Druid/Troubador Lich King, but in a party I think he would be boring.

any suggestions for a class build that could be versatile and fun in a party? Not a glass cannon, but someone who can dish some damage and resist by myself at the most fights?

[Not So Clever Hound]

Good to see you back Fred! So you want to finish a first playthrough with a party - fun, versatile, damage-dealer, durable. That leaves a lot of options on the table . Do you have more criteria: are you still looking for mostly a caster? caster/melee? particular classes of interest?

Druid/Troubadour (Theurge) is really not boring IMO, but I can't recall how you wanted to build your WoW Lich King impersonator. @thelee is the lord of the Theurge, between the Disruptor Theurge and the more recent Big Game Hunter - I think it's actually a very dynamic class, very party friendly (but doesn't have to be) very versatile, fun, tons of damage and incredible CC which help durability. But of course there are plenty of other strong options too.

[dgray62]

One of the most fun and relatively low micro party runs was with a berserker/devoted wielding Amra. You just need some chanters in your party to summon skellies. @Boeroerrecommended this build in this thread. It's loads of fun and very sturdy. Just make sure that the rest of your party is ranged, because anyone who gets too close in melee will be permanently destroyed with this build. Alternately, any caster is great in a party if you're not in the mood for melee. Also, @Not So Clever Houndposted a SC trickster build that's great in a party, but for some reason I cannot find it.

[Not So Clever Hound]

3 minutes ago, dgray62 said:

Also, @Not So Clever Houndposted a SC trickster build that's great in a party, but for some reason I cannot find it.

There it is   

[dgray62]

Thanks! I was searching for "Man of Mystery"!

Also, if you missed @Constentin Lévine's discovery regarding the Effort great sword check out this link. A theurge would make great use of this weapon and the mayhem it can inflict with the right build.

Edited June 1, 2022 by dgray62
additional info. added

[Boeroer]

Having played Tekehu with Effort (pun intended) as an SC Druid - which was great - I also tried an Assassin/Bloodmage + Effort, Arkemyr's Brilliant Departure and some pulsing CC spells like Binding Web etc. plus Ajamuut's Stalking Cloak and that was even more impressive imo. Especially because if you also bring a Druid with Entropy all hits will get converted to crits on the enemy with Entropy while the "stacks" of entropy won't get removed (bc. no damage, only CC). With this you can perma-stun whole groups of enemies and very tough single enemies in particular. Of course not the MIG-resistant or -immune enemies, but still... 

[mjo2138]

@freddfranca I have done 2 solos runs, and they are fun. The first is a swashbuckler (Devoted /Streetfighter), it is fun, but you have to do some metagaming to make sure your streetfighter passive are up; if i did it again, I would focus on a trickster/devoted for higher deflection. The build really relies on Riposte, and Full Attacks from Mob Stance. It gets into a 'sweet zone' where you are killing mobs as they surround you;  at the same time, use a pet that gives +20 healing per kill. The build,however, does rely on consumables.

 

Then I did a SC Bloodmage based on the build Bleeding Arcanist 2.0 by @NotSoCleverHound . It is really fun and versatile.  Check it out! 

[freddfranca]

Thanks guys for all the ideas. Probably I will do two runs (don’t know how I will have time to this ), one solo and one party.

The solo I am thinking in a rogue caster MC, maybe assassin/evoker ?

And the party I want to go with an Unbroken MC, don’t know if a crusader full tank or a combine with a class that brings more versatility to the party.

[dgray62]

Have you considered the possibility of an Assassin/bloodmage combo? The renewable resources from BM is really great, IMO, and the downside (reduced defenses against bloodied opponents) is not a problem since you can go invisible when threatened.

[Boeroer]

There's another downside that is more impactful in the later game imo: a Bloodmage (even as multiclass) has no access to Empower and therefore also cannot profit from abilities and items that work with empowering abilities (for example the empowered Missile Salvo + Least Unstable Coil + Wall of Draining combo). 

Edited June 8, 2022 by Boeroer

[dgray62]

9 hours ago, Boeroer said:

There's another downside that is more impactful in the later game imo: a Bloodmage (even as multi lass) has no access to Empower and therefore also cannot profit from abilities and items that work with empowering abilities (for example the empowered Missile Salvo + Least Unstable Coil + Wall of Draining combo). 

This is true. Personally, if I wanted to empower spells I would go with vanilla wizard because you lose out on too many great spells with a specialist wizard. But bloodmage's fantastic ability to regenerate spells outweigh the loss of empowering spells IMO.

[NotDumbEnough]

It's a non-downside if you're doing a no rest run though. You can cure injuries without resting but I don't believe you can restore Empower points or per-rest abilities without actually resting.

[Not So Clever Hound]

2 hours ago, NotDumbEnough said:

 

It's a non-downside if you're doing a no rest run though. You can cure injuries without resting but I don't believe you can restore Empower points or per-rest abilities without actually resting

 

You can actually if you’re a Loremaster. As a Wizard/Chanter you can use an empower point to replenish all your spells (2/PL for most PLs) if you quickly switch to the Grimoire of Vaporous Wizardry and use the point then, then switch back to your favorite grimoire (or use Vaporous the whole time). You can do this several fights in a row, which in certain cases is strictly better than Blood Sacrifice. Then any following easy fight, empower Her Revenge or Her Tears with Sasha’s and refill your empower points pool instantly to the max. 

Edited June 7, 2022 by Not So Clever Hound

[dgray62]

Yes, with a Loremaster I would definitely go with vanilla wizard. Otherwise, I personally prefer BM.

[Constentin Lévine]

For solo perspectives, rogue-cipher can be nice to play too, beguiler to debuff and charm the enemies freely, or Soulblade to prevent interrupt and Soul Annihilation. Good melee damages, versatility, goos draining self buff (borrowed instinct on top), but wizards have better damaging spells and can target also reflex.