[COMPANION BUILD] Aloth Scepter, Secrets of Rime

[Jaryn]

Aloth is the first companion you can recruit in the game. Well, Aloth can actually be considered as two companions. Iselmyr counts too.

 

Difficulty: PotD
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Class: Wizard
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Game Version: 3.0+
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Race: Wood Elf
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Background: Aedyr - Gentry
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Skills: Lore 12 (Base 8, +2 Wizard, +2 Gentry), Survival 6 or 12, Athletics the rest

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Aloth can be found in Gilded Vale near Black Hound Inn.

You start leveling Aloth from level 2 onwards. Every wizard gets Arcane Assault at level 1.

Level  1: Arkemyr's Dazzling Lights, Fan of Flames, Minoletta's Minor Missiles, Wizard's Double
Level  2: Chill Fog, Blast
Level  3: Combusting Wounds, Curse of Blackened Sight
Level  4: Merciless Gaze, Penetrating Blast
Level  5: Deleterious Alacrity of Motion, Minoletta's Bounding Missiles
Level  6: Expose Vulnerabilities, Weapon Focus: Noble
Level  7: Minoletta's Concussive Missiles, Confusion
Level  8: Dimensional Shift, Marksman
Level  9: Malignant Cloud, Llengrath's Safeguard, Mastery - Eldritch Aim
Level 10: Blast of Frost, Penetrating Shot
Level 11: Gaze of the Adragan, Ninagauth's Freezing Pillar, Mastery - Curse of Blackened Sight OR Combusting Wounds
Level 12: Minoletta's Precisely Piercing Burst, Secrets of Rime
Level 13: Tayn's Chaotic Orb, Delayed Fireball, Mastery - Deleterious Alacrity of Motion
Level 14: Ninagauth's Killing Bolt, Interrupting Blows OR Apprentice's Sneak Attack
Level 15: Kalakoth's Freezing Rake, Wilting Wind, Mastery - Ninagauth's Shadowflame
Level 16: Caedebald's Blackbow, Interrupting Blows OR Apprentice's Sneak Attack

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I use Aloth's grimoire the whole game and eventually learn all the spells I want from other grimoires.

My spell selection for Aloth is:

1st level spells - Eldritch Aim, Chill Fog, Spirit Shield, Minoletta's Minor Missiles or Slicken
2nd level spells - Combusting Wounds, Curse of Blackened Sight, Merciless Gaze, Infuse With Vital Essence
3rd level spells - Deleterious Alacrity of Motion, Minoletta's Bounding Missiles, Expose Vulnerabilities, Arcane Dampener or Arduous Delay of Motion
4th level spells - Minoletta's Concussive Missiles, Ninagauth's Shadowflame, Confusion, Dimensional Shift
5th level spells - Blast of Frost, Malignant Cloud, Ninagauth's Bitter Mooring, Llengrath's Safeguard
6th level spells - Gaze of the Adragan, Ninagauth's Freezing Pillar, Minoletta's Precisely Piercing Burst, Arcane Reflection
7th level spells - Tayn's Chaotic Orb, Delayed Fireball, Ninagauth's Killing Bolt, Concelhaut's Crushing Doom
8th level spells - Kalakoth's Freezing Rake, Wilting Wind, Caedebald's Blackbow, Wall of Many Colors or Minoletta's Piercing Sigil

Mastery - Eldritch Aim, Curse of Blackened Sight OR Combusting Wounds, Deleterious Alacrity of Motion, Ninagauth's Shadowflame

My last playthrough I chose Secrets of Rime talent. My spell selection reflects that. You can choose very differently, both talents and spells, and still have a lot of fun. Wizards are very powerful and versatile.

You will need Ninagauth's Black Pages grimoire and The Ironclasped grimoire for some of the unique spells in my selection.

 

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Weapon Set 1: Engwithan Scepter, later Gyrd Háewanes Sténes or Puitènte med Príncipi
Weapon Set 2: Melee weapon from Weapon Focus: Noble

I like how Scepters look, so I use Scepters. But Wands and Rods are perfectly viable. Gyrd Háewanes Sténes has a chance to Dominate your target on Hits or Crits. It annoys me to no end. I use Engwithan Scepter and wait all the way for Puitènte med Príncipi.

Head: +Int or +Per
Armor: Aloth's Leather Armor
Neck: +Int or +Per
Hands: Gauntlets of Accuracy
Boots: Glanfathan Stalking Boots
Belt: +Dex or +Mig
Rings: Ring of Protection, Ring of the Selonan

None of these items are essential. You are looking for Intellect, Perception. Some Might and Dexterity, if you have items to spare.

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Arcan Assault is a pretty good per encounter ability in the early and mid game.

Lore 12 gives Aloth the opportunity to cast all the scrolls in Eora. For Aloth I usually choose from these: scroll of Revival, scroll of Confusion, scroll of Defense, scroll of Protection, scroll of Valor, scroll of Paralysis, scroll of Moonwell.

With masteries, starting from level 9, Aloth should cast Deleterious Alacrity of Motion and Eldritch Aim at the start of every fight.

Confusion, Gaze of the Adragan and Ninagauth's Shadowflame are very strong spells. If things get out of hand, these spells can save you.

I think Dimensional Shift is underrated.

[Chaospread]

2 hours ago, Jaryn said:

Well, Aloth can actually be considered as two companions. Iselmyr counts too.

[masterty66]

Pretty similar to how I tend to build Aloth. I often find myself giving him Golden Gaze though as his weapon. Expose Vulnerabilities is a nice spell and it fires two projectiles. 

But the weapon choices you picked are all very good as well. 

Ninagauth's Shadowflame is hilariously overpowered. It's so good that they nerfed it in Deadfire (no longer instant cast) and paralyze affliction isn't as devastating in Deadfire and that spell is still really good in 2. But in Poe1 it tends to be an "I win" button in a lot of fights.