Rogue build for pure damage/picking off priority targets?

[JoshuaNLG]

Just a quick question, I'm planning to do my first run on POTD that I actually finish, as i normally get about half way and get sidetracked by other games, this time though I'm commited and I'm looking to build up a rogue as my Watcher, purely based on dipping into combat, taking out priority targets, such as high damage mages and whatnot, before dipping back out and finding a new target.
What would be the best way to build this stat/multiclass (if any) wise? The only subclass I'd like to stay away from is Paladins steel garotte, as while I'm playing a sort of assassin, I'd still like to play as a relatively benevolent/fair balanced character.

If companion choice would affect my build, I'm only 100% set on Eder and Maia as my companions, though I'm unsure which of the remaining companions would be the best fit for the last 2 slots. Any help would be greatly appreciated! This is my first POTD run that I genuinely want to try and complete the game with, so any help with companion choice would also be great.

Edited October 24, 2022 by JoshuaNLG

[Exanos]

1. Assassin/bellower : grab the soulbound arquebus (phrase back on kill) let tank aggro, go in invisible, cast "tear....", watch everything explode, get phrase back, stun the survivor (if any), shoot them down with finishing blow;
2. Assasin/fighter, same but get 25 might, the 2h axe arma, and clear out the pack;
3. Assassin/monk : monk goodies are not fair, so much great things..
4. Edit : assassin/ranger with takedown combo should be nice too...

Edited October 24, 2022 by Exanos

[Constentin Lévine]

With your party, as additional comapnion, a priest/ chanter to buff everyone and a cipher(not seraphen)/wizard / priest to debuffs enemies could be nice, but with these 2 roles in different characters (multiclassed or not).

A beguiler/psion-transmuter (access to illusion and conuration) is really a good debuffer and a priest-lifegiver can really buff and heal the party, with on top some offensive possibilities. Priest of Woedica-chanter is also nice as debuffer, if that can help you.

[Exanos]

I really love psion/blood mage or beguiler/chanter for debuff. For healing/buff priest is really nice, a kindwayfarer/chanter (or SC) dualwielding is a really good passive/active healer (and hard to kill). Druid are good healer/debuffer/damage dealer, but no instant heal.

[JoshuaNLG]

Thank you for the reply both, it's greatly appreciated. Apologies also for not specifying, but I'd like to stick with the pre-set companions, so I'm restricted to the class combos that they have.

[dgray62]

Assassin/monk is incredible; wielding Mohora Tanga you can one short almost anything if you attack from stealth.

[Exanos]

7 hours ago, JoshuaNLG said:

Thank you for the reply both, it's greatly appreciated. Apologies also for not specifying, but I'd like to stick with the pre-set companions, so I'm restricted to the class combos that they have.

I will probably take either Xoti/vatnir as SC priest and Konstanten as barbarian/skald, or Tekehu as druid/chanter and Serafen as SC barbarian. You can look on youtube for sin tee build's, old videos but still nice to watch. Some mods can change companion class, or you can use the console to do it yourself (not hard at all but disable achievement)

[Okkes]

What you want is trickster/soul blade. Good defensive abilities and offensive tricks. Soul annihilation does around up to 300 damage after you get deathblows.

Edited October 25, 2022 by Okkes
Edit

[JoshuaNLG]

Would it not be possible to make a sort of assassin build focused on stealth work, while utilizing two daggers? Was hoping for something where I start the fight with my tank engaging, my rogue sneaks around to the backline and picks off the weak targets before dipping back into stealth and picking a new one, if that's even a viable playstyle that is.

[Exanos]

It can totally work but if you want to use dagger its better if you use the community patch and the balance polishing mod. In vanilla game, backstab is good with hight base damage weapon only (2h, and especially arquebuse). I would then multi with a monk for swift furry, lash, and bonus might/pen. You can also use your fist  roleplaying your mc as a neck breaker from shadows.

[dgray62]

Yes, it's definitely viable. Assassin builds are among the easiest to play solo, but work in a party too. You'd want a tank to draw aggro and then can zip around the battlefield attacking from stealth. You'd want escape for mobility and smoke screen for invisibility. If you use mods, Balance Polishing Mod is great as it reduces the cost of the latter to one guile, making it easier to maintain this style of gameplay. But if you don't prefer this style of gameplay then trickster/FF monk is a great alternative, for better melee survivability. As for the monk subclass, FF is by far the best due to being able to dish out unlimited procs of the enfeebled affliction, which is devastating for enemies, reducing their health, fortitude defense (great for monks!) and blocks all healing, and also extends the length of all afflictions, keeping them set up longer for sneak attack & deathblows.

[Boeroer]

A dual dagger Rogue build is totally viable and very fast if you use Lover's Embrace + Pukestabber. Very good against high armor targets as well if you combine the high attack speed with abilities that apply (raw) damage over time (DoT) that doesn't rely on the weapon damage (Arterial Strike + Gouging Strike + Ring the Bell + Toxic Strike).

An Assassin/Whatever can apply two neverending DoT instances from stealth to a hihg priority target: True Love's Kiss from Lover Embrace + Gouging Strike. That target will surely die (but it may take some time).

 

 

[Exanos]

1 hour ago, Boeroer said:

An Assassin/Whatever can apply two neverending DoT instances from stealth to a hihg priority target: True Love's Kiss from Lover Embrace + Gouging Strike. That target will surely die (but it may take some time).

[JoshuaNLG]

4 hours ago, Boeroer said:

A dual dagger Rogue build is totally viable and very fast if you use Lover's Embrace + Pukestabber. Very good against high armor targets as well if you combine the high attack speed with abilities that apply (raw) damage over time (DoT) that doesn't rely on the weapon damage (Arterial Strike + Gouging Strike + Ring the Bell + Toxic Strike).

An Assassin/Whatever can apply two neverending DoT instances from stealth to a hihg priority target: True Love's Kiss from Lover Embrace + Gouging Strike. That target will surely die (but it may take some time).

 

 

This sounds very interesting and exactly what I'm after, would you happen to be able to provide me with some more information? I'm not familiar with the Pukestabber weapon, but after looking it up on the Wiki, would it not be more of a hinderance causing my watcher to vomit every 12 seconds? Or am i misunderstanding how it works, also what would you recommend stat wise?

Thanks!

[NotDumbEnough]

For absolute single target burst damage Streetfighter/Soulblade is highest imo. With your streetfighter passive you can easily hit for hundreds of damage.

[Exanos]

Kinda disagree on streetfigther for this particular setup, if he go on the backlane for picking hight priority target while invisible he won't trigger the bonus speed/damage and only have malus recovery. Assassin fit better the gameplay he want. For pukestaber, you can get a ring giving immunitie to it in the island temple south of neketaka, work wonders with it

[Boeroer]

13 hours ago, JoshuaNLG said:

but after looking it up on the Wiki, would it not be more of a hinderance causing my watcher to vomit every 12 seconds? Or am i misunderstanding how it works

That vomiting only occurs if you are hungover. You only get a hangover if you drink a beverage during one rest and then the nex rest you don't. So there's two ways to prevent hangover:

1. always use a beverage instead of food during rests (is a must to unlock Pukestabber anyway)
2. during rest, wear the Ring "Drunkard's Regret". It prevents hangovers if you wear it while resting with alcohol. You don't need to wear it after resting, only during.

Pukestabber is a very good weapon if you use alcohol instead of food. I'd say it's the best dagger in terms of dps because its speed buff also works for any dagger in the other hand. 

14 hours ago, JoshuaNLG said:

what would you recommend stat wise?

I would put an emphasis on DEX and PER, then INT, then MIG, then CON and then RES. High accuracy is important for an Assassin because you don't want to miss or graze with your attacks from stealth or invisibility - instead you want to critically hit if possible. 

A nice second class for an Assassin who works with DoTs like True Love's Kiss and Gouging Strike can be a Paladin - because he has access to Brand Enemy which also ist an endless DoT and even is an auto-hit, meaning you cannot miss, graze or crit with it. It doesn't do an attack roll - it just always hits like so. It also is an instant, long rnge cst with no recovery. So you can apply it to a bunch of enemies in a very short time. 

But other classes can also work well as combo, for example Wizard or Monk. 

[Okkes]

15 hours ago, NotDumbEnough said:

For absolute single target burst damage Streetfighter/Soulblade is highest imo. With your streetfighter passive you can easily hit for hundreds of damage.

Did you activate great sword modal btw constantin discovered that modal also give SA extra damage as well, and 30 percent is huge.

Edited October 26, 2022 by Okkes
Edit

[Boeroer]

2 hours ago, Okkes said:

Did you activate great sword modal btw constantin discovered that modal also give SA extra damage as well, and 30 percent is huge.

Depends. If your hit quality suffers then it's not good. And it will suffer most of times.  

[Okkes]

5 hours ago, Boeroer said:

Depends. If your hit quality suffers then it's not good. And it will suffer most of times.  

[Okkes]

Yeah you right ofc but with borrowed instinct i neer had much problem, and good thing with SA even if you graze you do full damage its great.