Character Creation Dilemmas

[Suhiir]

I'm more the "Light Utility" type player so will probably go rogue as my first character.

From what I've gleened from various posts and vids I'll probably stress Perception, then Dexterity, and finally Intellect as attributes; and Stealth and Mechanics as skills.

Still not sure if dual wielding will be preferable to "Sword & Board", nor if it's really worthwhile to have a ranged weapon as a secondary weapon but I'll give it a try.

[DarkWanderer]

I have a dillema as well. Originally I planned to go as a warrior, because I love characters cladded in heavy armor, with a big shield. But from what  you're saying it seems that there is no restriction to armor and weapon of choice in Pillars of Eternity, so I think about paladin, chanter and priest as well. In wikia all three are summed up as "leader". What does it mean? They are benefiting the team as a whole with their abilities?

Well the restriction is that heavy armor prolongates your casting time, so its usually better to equip casters with the lightest clothing. I love heavy armors, but i love dealing massive dmg fast even more, so i think the only person im my party with h. armor will be tank (warrior probably, but paladin isn't bad option either) and the rest will stick with robes/light armors.

[Kal Adan]

True, but I think about it this way: if I don't want to spend too many spells (or abilities, or whatever equivalent) on encounter, then having heavier armor can be more beneficial to me over having lighter armor that allows to cast spells faster. I will probably show restraint in using abilities due to their limited nature, so I will not gain much by being able to use spells more often and I will gain advantage in combat due to armor as enemies will hit me for less. And I will still be able to cast spells if needed.

 

It's just an idea. I hope Pillars of Eternity can support that.

[Gromnir]

I have a dillema as well. Originally I planned to go as a warrior, because I love characters cladded in heavy armor, with a big shield. But from what  you're saying it seems that there is no restriction to armor and weapon of choice in Pillars of Eternity, so I think about paladin, chanter and priest as well. In wikia all three are summed up as "leader". What does it mean? They are benefiting the team as a whole with their abilities?

don't think of classes in d&d terms.  the poe priest can be played a few different ways, but making a heavily armoured priest actual makes less sense than a heavily armoured wizard.  wizards got a few powerful defensive spells that when coupled with armour allows the spellcaster to wade into the front-lines clad in plate.  such defensive spells is largely absent from the priest catalog.  the priest does have some powerful damage causing offensive spells, but they is having far smaller aoe for such spells than the other casters, so generating aggro appears to be less o' a concern for priests. also, for obvious reasons, there is a rather keen motivation for wishing your primary healer (if your priest is your primary heals) to be able to cast and cast quick, particularly in hard mode wherein the combat is typical frenetic.

 

most casters can be built to benefit from heavy armour, although doing so may not be the most efficacious use of the character's abilities.  however, we have yet to see a particular useful priest-in-plate character... which is kinda ironic seeing as how cadegund were the first poe priest character the obsidian developer's revealed.

 

http://pillarsofeternity.gamepedia.com/Cadegund

 

HA! Good Fun!

[Kal Adan]

In truth I was thinking about a frontline wizzard, but the videos I watched showed him quickly falling down when attacked by some enemies and if I have to use spells to make wizzard at least competent in combat, then it's fewer spells used for something else just to make that wizzard competent. Unless spells you mention are per encounter, not per rest I am not sure if that's a good choice for what I am trying to accomplish.

 

Chanter sounds like he'd suffer the most from wearing heavy armor due to increased casting times, because he has to "cast" his chants and they work best when they overlap and "stack".

 

That's why I was thinking about priest - someone who cast spells when needed, but don't have to do it quickly or "stack" them and is proficient in combat enough to fight on his own. Paladin is somewhat obvious choice here, but I was trying to think a little "out of the box" with some other possibilities. I am not trying to power game here, but at the same time I don't want to handicap myself too much.

Edited March 3, 2015 by Kal Adan

[Gromnir]

our experience with the priest and chanter is reversed from yours.  build up invocations can be painfully slow... you almost wish combat would last longer just so that your genuine benefits from invocations and layering o' chants would have had a chance to manifest.  the casting time for priest spells is much quicker, with heals being some of the quickest casts in the game.  a fraction o' a second difference in casting times is far more meaningful when applied to a short cast time than a long one. chanters also have better deflection and accuracy than priests.  yeah, you can makes a priest o' skaen that will dual-wield stilettos, but regardless o' the combat build, chances are that heavy armour won't be particularly efficacious.

 

*shrug*

 

HA! Good Fun!

[DarkWanderer]

True, but I think about it this way: if I don't want to spend too many spells (or abilities, or whatever equivalent) on encounter, then having heavier armor can be more beneficial to me over having lighter armor that allows to cast spells faster. I will probably show restraint in using abilities due to their limited nature, so I will not gain much by being able to use spells more often and I will gain advantage in combat due to armor as enemies will hit me for less. And I will still be able to cast spells if needed.

 

It's just an idea. I hope Pillars of Eternity can support that.

If you want to play wizard (or any caster) and not rely on his spells why create such character in the first place? You can create melee fighter who would be much more effective in this case xP

Edited March 3, 2015 by DarkWanderer

[Kal Adan]

I want to use his spells, but I don't want to have to use them needlessly and if character will need them during each encounter - forcing me to rest more often that I'd like - then ideed such character design is pointless. Melee fighters are a failsafe I will go back to when my concepts prove useless, but from an RPG I expect to be able to create characters that are useful regardless of not being model for their chosen class (like warrior-wizzards).

[DarkWanderer]

This game can be played with less than 6 characters so even if you have 6 and you wont use one of them you should be fine -> you can create wizard with light armor and dont use him if you dont need to ( stay far away from combat) at all or use him just as a magic projectile caster from wands/scepters/rods - which still would be better to do in light armor. 

[Gromnir]

I want to use his spells, but I don't want to have to use them needlessly and if character will need them during each encounter - forcing me to rest more often that I'd like - then ideed such character design is pointless. 

well, am not complete sure we understand what you are saying about using spells needlessly, but there are poe spellcasters that do not require vancian rest-to-recall spells.  ciphers are a prime example. however, ciphers has poor deflection and accuracy on par with priests and unlike priests, ciphers' do not have a favored weapon ability to boost accuracy.  ciphers is a poor choice to put in heavy armour and melee.  

 

oddly enough, chanters is likely the one "caster" that would most close achieve what you is saying you is looking for in a character that can wear heavy armour and dish out some hurt while also having spellcasting powhaz that ain't vancian.  chanters get some bonuses to endurance and have higher deflection, so even w/o heavy armour they is a bit more durable.  am not 100% sure what you are looking for, but am admitting some confusion given your comments regarding chanters as they do seem to most closely fit your desires if not your expectations.

 

HA! Good Fun!

Edited March 3, 2015 by Gromnir

[Voss]

I have a dillema as well. Originally I planned to go as a warrior, because I love characters cladded in heavy armor, with a big shield. But from what  you're saying it seems that there is no restriction to armor and weapon of choice in Pillars of Eternity, so I think about paladin, chanter and priest as well. In wikia all three are summed up as "leader". What does it mean? They are benefiting the team as a whole with their abilities?

Leaders, in terms of MMOs and 4th edition D&D are buffers/healers.  Sometimes debuffers as well.

PoE seems to be using this model, along with damager dealers/DPS; Tanks and Crowd Control, though as is often the case, CC is mixed with Damage to some degree (as always, more on the spellcaster side than non-spellcasters, because mundanes can't have nice things). 

Edited March 3, 2015 by Voss

[Lephys]

Well the restriction is that heavy armor prolongates your casting time, so its usually better to equip casters with the lightest clothing. I love heavy armors, but i love dealing massive dmg fast even more, so i think the only person im my party with h. armor will be tank (warrior probably, but paladin isn't bad option either) and the rest will stick with robes/light armors.

Just remember that it's not specific to casting. It's your Recovery Time between actions. So, even your Warrior with heavy armor will attack/act less frequently. I think as of the current beta build, most people agree that it's not really worth it to have many people at all in heavier armor. But, hopefully some numbers will be tweaked before release so that it's actually a choice worth considering.

[DarkWanderer]

Yea i know - so just as i said - for now the only classes worth of putting heavy armor are warrior and paladin - warrior main role is being a tank so as much protection as possible and paladins greatest asset are auras which are after one cast constant till the rest of the battle. Chanter in the middle, and the rest are either "heavy" casters or dps which are better with light armor.

[Gromnir]

the impact of heavy armour on chanter's chants and invocations is negligible.  chants work much as do paladin auras and is unaffected by armour recovery time, yes?  invocations are used infrequent.  therefore, armour concerns for chanters is almost identical for chanters as they is for paladins.  paladins have better health than chanters, but deflection and accuracy for paladins and chanters is identical.  

 

am admitting we haven't played a chanter in a few months, but unless something has changed dramatically...

 

*shrug*

 

chanter is one o' the few classes we can imagine that could benefit from sword & shield style, unlike virtual every priest build we might consider.  if you is less concerned with chanter doing melee damage, give him a hatchet and go sword and shield route.  personally, we would likely use a morningstar or some other 2h weapon if we went the heavy armour route. regardless, a heavy armoured chanter is gonna suffer fewer deleterious effects related to armour than any other caster.  

 

HA! Good Fun!

[Lord of Riva]

On that Matter, when we are talking about armor atm.

 

i want to play a Barbarian in my playthrough, i think i would like to stick with Hide armor (because style) and want to use Greatswords (and maybe a ranged weapon, the arquebus is in the same specialisation talent right? ).

 

Since the barb is lacking Armor anyway he more of a damage dealer than a Tank if i understood that correctly.

 

What would you guys suggest, is the Hide armor appropriate or should i switch to tougher (or even lighter) Armor?

[TheSteadfast]

From these discussions I'm considering a Chanter instead of a Paladin because I can put him in heavy armor and make him an off tank and still have plenty of abilities or effects in battle.  I am still not sure though.  In real life I want to be both a story teller and a knight! 

 

Only 22 days to make this all-important decision!

 

On a side note...  Really disappointed with the weapon sets because I only like one type in each group.  I want a sword, rapier, and spear/pike.