Melee Hierophant (cipher/wizard)

[lawlmangriff]

I have relatively low experience with the game and I was wondering about the viability of this build relative to popular options like Inquisitor. Looking at the wizard low-level spell selection I get the impression that it would actually be pretty strong for increasing survivability in melee via the various +armor, +deflection, and Concelhaut draining spell options while also giving a decent boost to focus generation via Alacrity.

Anyone have any experience with how this plays out in practice versus pairing cipher with dedicated combat classes? Are active attack abilities too important to focus generation to give up?

[Shai Hulud]

8 hours ago, lawlmangriff said:

I have relatively low experience with the game and I was wondering about the viability of this build relative to popular options like Inquisitor. Looking at the wizard low-level spell selection I get the impression that it would actually be pretty strong for increasing survivability in melee via the various +armor, +deflection, and Concelhaut draining spell options while also giving a decent boost to focus generation via Alacrity.

Anyone have any experience with how this plays out in practice versus pairing cipher with dedicated combat classes? Are active attack abilities too important to focus generation to give up?

I used a blood mage / soul blade for the ultimate and am a big advocate of the build. It is extremely strong with good defenses and super high DPS once you hit L13 and get citzal's spirit lance plus borrowed instinct. It does so much DPS because the lance both collects focus from multiple enemies and distributes soul annihilation to multiple enemies (I've hit as many as 10, but usually you hit about five). So once you have the lance you can typically refill your focus in one attack.

Here is the build I used. Since it was an ultimate run I used cheese like strand of favor but it isn't necessary on normal runs and the build picks should still apply, though I'd recommend taking wall of draining at L19 and pull of eora at l10 or l11 in place of secrets of rime. I took secrets of rime mostly because I stole watershaper chill fog, but it isn't really needed. Also I'd take phantom foes and not heart of the storm. So the picks are the same except L11 - pull of eora, L12 - phantom foes, L19 - wall of draining and echoing horror. And I'd probably take whispers of treason at L1.

In general you hit things with the lance to build focus rapidly, then use soul annihilation with the lance to do tons of damage, while using llengrath's martial mysteries wizard buffs and cipher buff / debuffs (mostly borrowed instinct, but also psychovampiric shield, phantom foes, and secret horrors) to greatly buff yourself and debuff enemies. Before you get the lance you can use the parasitic quarterstaff, or any weapon really, but you'll see a huge dps spike once you get the lance due to it hitting multiple enemies.

I went coastal aumaua in this build for the might affliction resistance, but you could go anything but godlike. Could even go godlike if you don't mind losing the nifty hats. Probably nature godlike would be the best choice if you go that way. My top picks for race would probably be pale elf, human, wild orlan, coastal auamaua, wood elf, and mountain dwarf. 

Let me know if you have any questions

And here is another thread discussing hierophants, mostly blood mage / ascendant but also blood mage / soul blade in my posts. 

And another thread talking about hierophants, with me rambling about blood mage / soul blade some more

 

Edited June 5, 2023 by Shai Hulud

[dgray62]

As @Shai Hulud points out, it's a great combo with tremendous synergy. I'd recommend Whispers of the Endless paths prior to getting the lance; it works in similar manner but isn't quite as effective as the lance. Probably worth keeping in a weapon slot, however, in case your lance is ever dispelled.

[Shai Hulud]

1 minute ago, dgray62 said:

As @Shai Hulud points out, it's a great combo with tremendous synergy. I'd recommend Whispers of the Endless paths prior to getting the lance; it works in similar manner but isn't quite as effective as the lance. Probably worth keeping in a weapon slot, however, in case your lance is ever dispelled.

Good point. Yeah I thought about mentioning WOTEP, it is pretty good pre-lance and can distribute soul annihilation with the cone. One thing to be aware of though, making the sword forces a rest for some reason, so you can't get it in no-rest runs (which I always advocate) without a no-forced-rests mod. I'd install the mod but an alternative solution would be to skip the per-game buffs like dawnstars until you get WOTEP, then rest with chosen food and swing back to port maje to pick up the blessing. Xoti has to be alive though or no blessing for you (found this out in a recent iron run with a fury, waenglith was pretty mad and cursed me). 

https://www.nexusmods.com/pillarsofeternity2/mods/354

If you don't care about stacking as many buffs as possible don't worry about it, just be aware it forces a rest with no bonuses. 

[dgray62]

Very true. I used to rush to Neketaka to get it before I installed the no-rest runs mod.