Help Me Build My Party (Round 2)

[Chaospread]

Troubadour is the best subclass for chanter, -50% phrase duration makes invocation casted pretty earlier. A tank/damage dealer chanter could be a Skald, but it is not your case. If you don't wanna experiment anything, go for Troubadour.
I'm playing a Ghost Heart now and Arcane Archer is totally another subclass, and mine is a MC but I think Stunning Shots is a great passive, and you could play around Distraction Training and Vengeful Grief a little maybe.
For actives ones, Shadowed Hunters can be used somehow almost as cheese, and other can be managed to build interesting characters, such as Whirling Strikes and Bonded Fury.

Others are interesting but too much expensive and choosing lesser level abilities is better.
But a SC Arcan Archer has also the advantage to cast imbue with large power level, it is very good. I should be curious how a imbue: death ring spell can be with great ranger accuracy and so many power levels

[Boeroer]

Troubadour is the best pick for a support Chanter. With only 20 INT you can have 100% overlap of two chants (like Ancient Memory + Mercy and Kindness) or switch to invocation mode (Brisk Recitation) if you feel you need that - or for a lot of Many Lives skeletons. 

Livegiver/Troubadour is a good healer, especially once you combine Mercy and Kindness with the Druid's healing spells such as Moonwell etc. +7 Power level while shifted (or +4 not shifted with Spine of Thicket Green or Xoti's Lantern) in combination with Physiker's Belt and Practiced Healer has a massive impact on the potency of healing. 

Normally Druid summons aren't that great, but the Ancient's Sporelings are very good. In combination with Wild Growth (Robust inspiration on the Sporelings as long as they exist, no duration) they become excellent. Their duration scales very well because it has a rather long base and it's only PL1.

An Ancient/Chanter can also put Wild Growth on other summons like drakes, oozes or the bigger spores.

If you have a brilliant priest in the party you can prolong the summons' duration with Salvation of Time, too. Theoretically you can create endless summons who are Robust forever. 

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IF one has a summon-heavy party then also a SC Kind Wayfarer is a great spot- and AoE healer with potentially unlimited Zeal in the late game (if summons die he gets +2 Zeal from Divine Retribution). He can use White Flames + Divine Immolation endlessly. The White Flames heal his self damage easily while Divine Immolation AND White Flames heal his surroundings big time. Cherry on top: deals great damage that way, too. Perfect if your backline gets swarmed. I love this guy with dual pistols. Imo it's the best weapon pick for such a specialized Kind Wayfarer. Very fast White Flames, good range, cancelable reloading (great reactivity) great unique pieces. 

If you want to profit from Divine Retribution twice per summon you can kill skeletons yourself with Grave Calling (turning then into imps) or any summon with Essence Interrupter (turning into whatever). When the skeleton/first summon dies: Paladin +2 Zeal. When the imp/other summon dies: again +2 Zeal. But that usually isn't necessary if you use Many Lives and/or Ancient Brittle Bones because you'll have more Zeal that you can spend. 

Edited 23 hours ago by Boeroer

[Boeroer]

13 minutes ago, Chaospread said:

I should be curious how a imbue: death ring spell can be with great ranger accuracy and so many power levels

Imbue: Death with Watershaper's Focus (Ondra's Wrath) or Fire in the Hole (Chain Shot) + Driving Flight is pretty epic. Ultra high ACC also for the Death Rings with maxed Arcana. 3 procs of Death Ring and also the chance to proc Ondra's Wrath (WS's Focus) in combo with the weapons' own AoE. And also: everything there's foe-only which is very nice. For non-imbue shots I would switch to either Essence Interrupter or Frostseeker (no ACC penalty for Arcane Archer). Or Spearcaster (gains way more ACC from Arcana than you lose by the Arcane Archer penalty). 

Edited 23 hours ago by Boeroer

[Yosharian]

6 minutes ago, Boeroer said:

Imbue: Death with Watershaper's Focus (Ondra's Wrath) or Fire in the Hole (Chain Shot) + Driving Flight is pretty epic. Ultra high ACC also for the Death Rings with maxed Arcana. 3 procs of Death Ring and also the chance to proc Ondra's Wrath in combo with the weapons' own AoE. And also: everything there's foe-only which is very nice. For non-imbue shots I would switch to either Essence Interrupter or Frostseeker (no ACC penalty for Arcane Archer). 

I don't understand any of this lol

[Yosharian]

1 hour ago, Boeroer said:

Imbue: Death with Watershaper's Focus (Ondra's Wrath) or Fire in the Hole (Chain Shot) + Driving Flight is pretty epic. Ultra high ACC also for the Death Rings with maxed Arcana. 3 procs of Death Ring and also the chance to proc Ondra's Wrath (WS's Focus) in combo with the weapons' own AoE. And also: everything there's foe-only which is very nice. For non-imbue shots I would switch to either Essence Interrupter or Frostseeker (no ACC penalty for Arcane Archer). Or Spearcaster (gains way more ACC from Arcana than you lose by the Arcane Archer penalty). 

Ahh I see you mean Frostseeker/Essence Interrupter are considered 'Imbued attacks' by the game?  Umm why though?

[Chaospread]

1 hour ago, Yosharian said:

Ahh I see you mean Frostseeker/Essence Interrupter are considered 'Imbued attacks' by the game?  Umm why though?

They are frost / shock / elemental attacks, so no penalties

[Yosharian]

I see. Neat

[Yosharian]

I'm toying with the idea of using a Nature Godlike merc for my Theurge (Druid/Chanter).  However, this class doesn't have an easy way to produce an Inspiration to trigger the Godlike ability, other than throwing down a couple of specific spells/invocations - which is fine, but I was wondering if there's an item that I could use that would give me a long-lasting Inspiration?  I know about Least Unstable Coil and that's fine for lategame, but I was looking for something else.  Anyone got any ideas?

[Boeroer]

8 hours ago, Yosharian said:

I don't understand any of this lol

Arcane Archer's imbue shots trigger the spell effect with every projectile impact. So if a weapon has two bounces it has 3 impacts: initial hit, first bounce, second bounce. Watershaper's Focus and Fire in the Hole both can have a build-in bounce and Driving Flight adds a second one.

So Imbue: Death will trigger a Death Ring with every bounce: boom, boom, boom. The Death Rings will also have bonus accuracy from Arcana (o much higer accthan a wiazrd would have when he would cast this spell). 

On top every bounce will also proc the AoE of the weapon. And in case of Watershaper's Focus you can also trigger Ondra's Wrath (also AoE dmg).

So combined a single Imbue: Death shot with Watershaper's Focus will do:

• 3* single target rod dmg (bounces get a but less dmg)
• 3* AoE Death Ring damage
• 3*AoE rod's Blast damage
• 0-3*Ondra's Wrath damage. 

With Fire in the Hole is basically the same but without Ondra's Wrath but with 1*Powder Burns if you wish. 

7 hours ago, Yosharian said:

Ahh I see you mean Frostseeker/Essence Interrupter are considered 'Imbued attacks' by the game?  Umm why though?

Arcane Archer gets no penalties for imbue OR elemental attaks. Frosteeker carries the frost keyword and Essence Interrupter the shock keyword. I believe Dragon's Dowry has the fire keyword so that might work as well. I personally prefer Spearcaster. overall best ACC - and the modal of Arbalests is just great in general. 

[Boeroer]

22 minutes ago, Yosharian said:

I'm toying with the idea of using a Nature Godlike merc for my Theurge (Druid/Chanter).  However, this class doesn't have an easy way to produce an Inspiration to trigger the Godlike ability, other than throwing down a couple of specific spells/invocations - which is fine, but I was wondering if there's an item that I could use that would give me a long-lasting Inspiration?  I know about Least Unstable Coil and that's fine for lategame, but I was looking for something else.  Anyone got any ideas?

Nature's Balm ist good. With a Lifegiver (bonus PL) and decent INT (should aim for 20 anyway for the Chanter) the duration of the Robust inspiration increases quite a bit - and you want to cast it early in most fights anyway I guess.

Lover's Embrace has an enchantment that eventually gives you Frenzy on hit. It works with spell-hits and chant-hits, too. If you use a pulsing spell (Tanglefoot or whatever) or/and an offensive chant the chance is high to become frenzied at some point. This Frenzy stacks with all other speed buffs by the way (like Cat Flurry) because it's from a weapon. Obviously you cannot trigger it while shifted though (no Dagger in hand then). It has no per-encounter limit. Frenzy is Strong + Fit. It should trigger Wellspring of Life.

I think I would keep the Spine of Thicket Green and stick to Nature's Balm though.   

Edited 14 hours ago by Boeroer

[Yosharian]

25 minutes ago, Boeroer said:

Nature's Balm ist good. With a Lifegiver (bonus PL) and decent INT (should aim for 20 anyway for the Chanter) the duration of the Robust inspiration increases quite a bit - and you want to cast it early in most fights anyway I guess.

Lover's Embrace has an enchantment that eventually gives you Frenzy on hit. It works with spell-hits and chant-hits, too. If you use a pulsing spell (Tanglefoot or whatever) or/and an offensive chant the chance is high to become frenzied at some point. This Frenzy stacks with all other speed buffs by the way (like Cat Flurry) because it's from a weapon. Obviously you cannot trigger it while shifted though (no Dagger in hand then). It has no per-encounter limit. Frenzy is Strong + Fit. It should trigger Wellspring of Life.

I think I would keep the Spine of Thicket Green and stick to Nature's Balm though.   

I'll probably just use the Invocation that grants all those inspirations to the team. Thanks though. 

That Ondras Wrath thing seems insane!

[Yosharian]

7 hours ago, Boeroer said:

 

Any ideas on which pet to pick? Not sure what to go for

[Chaospread]

I change pet depending on the encounter. Default pet could be one that give you int, dex and maybe stride or healing effect, like Bubble, Cajux, Freja, Lil'Babs.
Baby boar is also good but you can achieve same effect with personal abilities.
You have many ranged characters, so also pets which improve ranged attacks are good: Harley above all, Retina, Sky Dragon wurm if you manage to get it, Atlas, Bernhard...
But many are good with you party, you can also choose to increase area of effect, accuracy... I'd try many of them and then switch to the best who make me feel OK.

[Yosharian]

18 minutes ago, Chaospread said:

I change pet depending on the encounter. Default pet could be one that give you int, dex and maybe stride or healing effect, like Bubble, Cajux, Freja, Lil'Babs.
Baby boar is also good but you can achieve same effect with personal abilities.
You have many ranged characters, so also pets which improve ranged attacks are good: Harley above all, Retina, Sky Dragon wurm if you manage to get it, Atlas, Bernhard...
But many are good with you party, you can also choose to increase area of effect, accuracy... I'd try many of them and then switch to the best who make me feel OK.

Sorry I meant Ranger animal companion lol