Looking advice for a PotD Run

[Fab3686]

Hi everybody,

I'm trying to do a new PotD uptated run with DLC and Mega Bosses but still hesitating with differents choices for my party.  I would like to keep this three-men choice (using mods and console)

Eder Unbroken/ Trickster

Pallegina Paladin/Berserker

Aloth Wizard

But I can't decide for the last two :

MC Hellwaker / Skald

Xoti Gaun / Troubadour

 

MC Psion/Troubadour

Xoti Gaun / Hellwaker

I already played a SC Monk and it is very difficult to ignore his high levels abilities but I would to try something different and still efficient. Two MC Chanters seems redondant ? A cipher is really needed for a PotD run ? Which one is the most interesting (MC) to use Weyc Gear + Unstable Coil ? And the most dynamic and fun to play ?

Thanks for your advices

Edited August 29, 2022 by Fab3686

[thelee]

1 hour ago, Fab3686 said:

A cipher is really needed for a PotD run

if you plan on doing megabosses, then to avoid having to rip your hair out in frustration you definitely need either a chanter or a cipher. If it's a chanter, you'll definitely have to have high-level summons (dragon or animated weapons). if it's a cipher, it's the brilliance buff (and do not take the retaliation lash). a priest is also effective for salvation of time.

it is definitely possible to do the megabosses without either (the first couple of times i did it w/out), but having recurring resources or summons takes the difficulty down by a gigantic amount.

 

of your two choices, i think the MC psion/troubadour + gaun/helwaker is the better choice. gaun + helwalker is much more synergistic than gaun + troubadour, and a psion + troubadour will just carry your party in terms of support.

[Boeroer]

Cipher's Disintegrate is also very convenient when fighting Hauani O Whe. But I wouldn't say any class is mandatory if you play with a full party. 

Refreshing resources are very helpful though. 

I played Psion/Troubadour in a party - and it's one of the most enjoyable, flexible and sustained class combinations I know. The combination of endless charm/dominate with endless summons alone is enough advantage already - and there's so much more in terms of support, crowd control and even damage. So I would second what @theleesaid. Also Xoti as Gaun/Helwalker sounds better to me thematically. 

 

[dgray62]

5 hours ago, thelee said:

and do not take the retaliation lash

What is that? Do you mean Recall Agony or Pain Link?

[thelee]

29 minutes ago, dgray62 said:

What is that? Do you mean Recall Agony or Pain Link?

Psychic/Brutal Backlash.

It messes up trying to take on Sigilmaster Auranic. The infinite range effects of the sigils will cause you to ineffectively retaliate against the terror one iirc, which will defeat any attempt at staying stealthed or de-aggroed while you try to take a breather.

I had a cipher that had the backlash and had to end up rotating them out for a level 19 merc for auranic.

[dgray62]

Got it, thanks. I always used to take that combo in POE 1, where it was OP, but not in Deadfire, since it seems it give much less for two precious ability points.

[Fab3686]

Thanks for your advices, I started with spiritualist and contemplative. I'm reading topics about those builds

[Vasvary5050]

Hey Fab, which mods are you using to modify the classes and subclasses for the companions. I wanted to do this myself but concluded that there was more to it than just console, and I tried a couple of mods that change the classes for the companions but the game wouldn't work with them installed (the mods were old and the game crashed out when I recruited the modified companions).

As an aside, I started a POTD upscale run yesterday and have gone with Eder (Fighter), Xoti (Priest), Ydwin (Rogue), a Chantadin (Kind Wayfarer/Troubadour) and a Mindstalker (Beguiler/Assassin). Not sure if this is a good party composition. It's doing fine so far but some fights are a bit of a slow grind. Eder feels like a bit of a liability with his low PER/DEX and just being a fighter; would love to change him to Unbroken/Trickster as you plan. Would love to squeeze a Druid into the party somehow, and for the end-game a Wizard, but not sure who I would substitute out.

Edited August 30, 2022 by Vasvary5050

[Fab3686]

i use "Alternate Class Feature" and "PoE2 Deadfire Tweaks", or using Unity Console to change subclass but you will need to remove some abilities manually.

[Boeroer]

  

If anybody wonders about the (vanilla) console commands to do this (no mods required):

After every <enter> you have to reopen the console.

First type

iRoll20s <enter>

Xoti (Gaun/Helwalker)  - pick the Monk/Priest multiclass in game

setSubclass Companion_Xoti(Clone) Monk Monk_Helwalker <enter>
removeAbility Companion_Xoti(Clone) Sister_Of_The_Reaping_Moon <enter>
addAbility Companion_Xoti(Clone) Helwalker <enter>
addAbility Companion_Xoti(Clone) Helwalker_passive <enter>

 

Edér (Unbroken/Trickster) - pick the Fighter/Rogue multiclass in game

setSubclass Companion_Eder(Clone) Fighter Fighter_Unbroken <enter>
addAbility Companion_Eder(Clone) Unbroken <enter>
addAbility Companion_Eder(Clone) Unbroken_passive <enter>
setSubclass Companion_Eder(Clone) Rogue Rogue_Trickster <enter>
addAbility Companion_Eder(Clone) Trickster <enter>
removeAbility Companion_Eder(Clone) Sneak_Attack <enter>
addAbility Companion_Eder(Clone) Sneak_Attack_ArcaneTrickster <enter>
addAbility Companion_Eder(Clone) Arkemyrs_Dazzling_Lights_Trickster <enter>

 

Pallegina (Paladin/Berserker) - pick the single class Paladin in game

setClassLevel Companion_Pallegina(Clone) Barbarian <current level> false  <enter>
setSubclass Companion_Pallegina(Clone) Barbarian Barbarian_Berserker <enter>
addAbility Companion_Eder(Clone) Berserker <enter>
addAbility Companion_Eder(Clone) Carnage <enter>
addAbility Companion_Eder(Clone) Frenzy_Berserker <enter>
# repeat with other abilities you would have picked at the current level, like Blooded or whatever fits

after it's all done type

iRoll20s <enter>

to disable cheats again.

Edited August 30, 2022 by Boeroer

[Vasvary5050]

Hi Fab. Do "Alternate Class Feature" and "PoE2 Deadfire Tweaks" work without problems with the latest version of Deadfire? I know Deadfire hasn't received any updates for a long time, but both of those mods were last modified a long time ago: 2018 (Alternate class features) and Jan 2019 (Deadfire Tweaks)?

HI Boeroer. Thanks for this as I wasn't sure how to do this in Console. Do you know if doing this turns off achievements? I got 50/55 achievements in Deadfire just playing vanilla +DLCs, and hoping to get the remaining 5 achieves in this run. I think I read somewhere that using console to make changes turns off achievements.

And to both of you, do you if it is too late to use these approaches (mods/console) once you have selected the companion, picked their class and started to level them? 

Best wishes, Vas.

[Boeroer]

12 minutes ago, Vasvary5050 said:

HI Boeroer. Thanks for this as I wasn't sure how to do this in Console. Do you know if doing this turns off achievements? I got 50/55 achievements in Deadfire just playing vanilla +DLCs, and hoping to get the remaining 5 achieves in this run. I think I read somewhere that using console to make changes turns off achievements.

That is correct. Achievements for that run would be disabled. It wouldn't touch the achievements you already gathered though - just the ones you would potentially gain during that run.

If you use the UnityConsole mod the achievements will not be disabled.

12 minutes ago, Vasvary5050 said:

And to both of you, do you if it is too late to use these approaches (mods/console) once you have selected the companion, picked their class and started to level them? 

Console can always be used to do this at any stage of the game. There's no limit (other than the achievements getting disabled for the rest of the run then). I don't know about the mods. Depending what you did with the companions it would need more typing though. The easiest way might be to go retrain that companion in an inn and cancel the level-up process. This will automatically remove all the abilities except he ones you get at lvl 1 - just means you won't have to type as much "removeAbility" commands in the console.  But you totally can transform a companion without retraining with the help of the console. If you need help with something like that just tag me with @Boeroer.

Edited August 30, 2022 by Boeroer

[Fab3686]

Mods work very fine for the last version

[Vasvary5050]

@Boeroer Thanks! I really appreciate all this information and the offer of help. For now I'm going to try to stick to not using console so I can work on the missing achievements. If necessary I can put Eder on the reserves bench and create a custom replacement. I do love Deadfire - I think it's amazing - but I wish they had implemented it with more flexibility for the companions. So many amazing multi-class/sub-class combinations to try and would love to try them whilst still keeping the companion dialogue. This is one of the few things I prefer about the Pathfinder games, you have more choice about classes for the companions (though their early levels are still restricted).

[Boeroer]

As long as the mods work for what you want I would also recommend to use them instead of the console.

[Vasvary5050]

@Fab3686@BoeroerThanks. I will try the mods.

[Fab3686]

Hi guys,

I  going to plan an another run with some multiclass I have never played and using the most of the classes available. Thinking for : 

MC Forbidden Fist/Trickster

Rekke Devoted/Berserker

Fassina Sorcerer (Wizard/Ancient)

and still hesitating for the last two choices : 

Pallegina Inquisitor and Xoti Celebrant, I don't know if Inquisitor can fit for the main tank role associated with a shadowdancer ? I want to use WotP and Inquisitor presents a good synergy with this weapon.

Pallegina Herald (Troubador Subclass ) and Xoti Mystic (Gaun/Psion) : Herald is one of the best tank but I find him too passive and with this choice, I will not have the possibility to use Weyc items / Sasha Scimitar combo, but it is a quite late game combo. Maybe to obsessed for those items...

Edited October 3, 2022 by Fab3686