Who is the best companion to train as a lock picker?

[Aurora Paradox]

I started a game with my PC as a fighter.  I have picked up the companions who are a chanter, priest, fighter, ranger, and wizard.

 

I'm running into problems of being unable to open locks.  I'd rather avoid wasting gold on custom characters if I can help it.  I checked the wiki and there isn't a rogue companion.

 

I just reached Defiance Bay but I still have some quests at Gillded Vale.

 

Who is the best companion to train as a lock picker and trap dectector?

[Tartantyco]

Durance starts off with 3 or 4 points in Mechanics, so building off that might be a good idea.

[Voss]

I started a game with my PC as a fighter.  I have picked up the companions who are a chanter, priest, fighter, ranger, and wizard.

 

I'm running into problems of being unable to open locks.  I'd rather avoid wasting gold on custom characters if I can help it.  I checked the wiki and there isn't a rogue companion.

 

I just reached Defiance Bay but I still have some quests at Gillded Vale.

 

Who is the best companion to train as a lock picker and trap dectector?

They're all pretty poor choices at it.  I tend to put points into Eder as he's naturally in front, but Mother (once you find her) should be a good choice, as ciphers get a bonus.   Durance sadly is the best choice in the time being, as levels can have significant distance between them, especially if you're killing people or familiar things. 

[Tigranes]

Durance has that head start as mentioned, so can be good for locks and traps early on.

[Fen(rir)tastic]

I ended up using Aloth as I got him significantly sooner than all my other companions. However as mentioned Durance is probably your best option.

[termokanden]

I think Aloth is the obvious choice for lore. It's sky-high and I think his background adds a bonus, which means it'll be cheaper to get to high levels.

 

Personally I'm just using my player character Cipher with the Laborer background for it, and I haven't come across anything I couldn't handle so far.

[Aurora Paradox]

 

I started a game with my PC as a fighter.  I have picked up the companions who are a chanter, priest, fighter, ranger, and wizard.

 

I'm running into problems of being unable to open locks.  I'd rather avoid wasting gold on custom characters if I can help it.  I checked the wiki and there isn't a rogue companion.

 

I just reached Defiance Bay but I still have some quests at Gillded Vale.

 

Who is the best companion to train as a lock picker and trap dectector?

They're all pretty poor choices at it.  I tend to put points into Eder as he's naturally in front, but Mother (once you find her) should be a good choice, as ciphers get a bonus.   Durance sadly is the best choice in the time being, as levels can have significant distance between them, especially if you're killing people or familiar things. 

 

 

 

I'm considering going back to an earlier save and buffing up the mechanics on Kana.  I just hate the idea of wasting points. 

 

Given that I have already reached Defiance Bay would I stand a chance of reaching the area where Mother is located?  My PC fighter is currently level 4 and a have full party.

 

I'm trying to avoid going backwards or starting over.  Right now hiring a Rogue doesn't sound like a bad investment.

[PIP-Clownboy]

Durance. Making him skulkier just fits his personality. With his high fort I like him on the frontline to for holy radiance anyway.

[Urthor]

J/s, giving Aloth lore has had exactly ZERO out of combat benefits for the party and I'm a good 30 hours in.  Mechanics, Stealth, Athletics are the major ones you should be getting your companions to focus on, save the main character for lore so he can use it for in dialogue bonus.

 

That said what you say is true, companions skill choices are not great and it's hard to get a mechanics set up going.  Ultimately I think the fact that mechanics is so important means you have to give it to the main character, and have the MC put every single skill point in mechanics, since the other characters are going to have it less than optimal, meaning you'll be missing traps and potentially loot.  

[Gromnir]

 

Who is the best companion to train as a lock picker and trap dectector?

trick question.  the answer is: none o' the companions is best.

 

sure, durance starts better, but w/o the innate class boost, he don't have a genuine advantage over the other companions.  

 

*shrug*

 

pick between otherwise terrible options is not having a genuine "best."

 

HA! Good Fun!

[PIP-Clownboy]

 

 

Who is the best companion to train as a lock picker and trap dectector?

trick question.  the answer is: none o' the companions is best.

 

sure, durance starts better, but w/o the innate class boost, he don't have a genuine advantage over the other companions.  

 

*shrug*

 

pick between otherwise terrible options is not having a genuine "best."

 

HA! Good Fun!

 

 

Well the best option is just hiring a mechanic monkey. But Durance can be recruited at lvl 2 and starts with 3 mechanic so he does have advantage over Alotrash. 

[Gromnir]

the point is that the advantage durance has begins to disappear.  aloth and kana is paying for skill points in mechanics at a cheaper rate than durance.  skill level 2 costs aloth 1 skill point.  skill level 3 costs aloth 2 points stead o' three, and so on.  

 

*shrug*

 

they all suck, but durance only has an advantage early... til level 8?

 

HA! Good Fun!

Edited March 29, 2015 by Gromnir

[ErlKing]

I picked Aloth because I was not sure that I ll stick with Durance in long run.

Mathematically its pretty close:

 

Aloth 

 

Lvl - cost (stacking with previous ones)

1 - 0 (have 1 from background)

2 - 1

3 - 3 (2+1)

4 - 6 (3+2+1)

5 - 10

6 - 15

7 - 21

8 - 28

9 - 36

10-45

 

Durance

 

1 - 0

2 - 0

3 - 0

4 - 4

5 - 9 (5+4)

6 - 15 (6+5+4)

7 - 22

8 - 30

9 - 39

10-49

Edited March 29, 2015 by ErlKing

[termokanden]

J/s, giving Aloth lore has had exactly ZERO out of combat benefits for the party and I'm a good 30 hours in.  Mechanics, Stealth, Athletics are the major ones you should be getting your companions to focus on, save the main character for lore so he can use it for in dialogue bonus.

I agree, but he's the obvious choice for a a scroll-user if your main character does not have lore. Mine does not, for example. On the other hand, I have mechanics which I'm quite happy with so far.

[PIP-Clownboy]

the point is that the advantage durance has begins to disappear.  aloth and kana is paying for skill points in mechanics at a cheaper rate than durance.  skill level 2 costs aloth 1 skill point.  skill level 3 costs aloth 2 points stead o' three, and so on.  

 

*shrug*

 

they all suck, but durance only has an advantage early... til level 8?

 

HA! Good Fun!

 

Level 8 is basically end game, you will have plethora of options by then. Being able to grab Durance at lvl 2 with already 3 mechanics is much more useful especially when Aloth is pretty garbage without slicken.

 

Kana with his might/int/lore makes him the ideal scroll user. Also fits his personality.  

[Whosdriving]

lvl 8 end game? wow im still in the Beginning of act 2 and im lvl 8  

[Urthor]

 

J/s, giving Aloth lore has had exactly ZERO out of combat benefits for the party and I'm a good 30 hours in.  Mechanics, Stealth, Athletics are the major ones you should be getting your companions to focus on, save the main character for lore so he can use it for in dialogue bonus.

I agree, but he's the obvious choice for a a scroll-user if your main character does not have lore. Mine does not, for example. On the other hand, I have mechanics which I'm quite happy with so far.

 

 

Yea I guess.  Scrolls generally suck though idk, the thing about IE games was that scrolls let you throw out really high level spells as a get out of jail free card, this is sorta not the case in PoE because of all the level restrictions, but maybe I'm just not appreciating them enough on first playthrough.  

 

Granted he's pretty awful at all the other options.  Usually I just give all my party members stealth first, athletics second.  

 

Yea tbh it might just be me not appreciating subsystems on the first playthrough.   

 

Back on topic, maybe consider Hiravias?  If you beeline down the critical path, dodge combat you could probably get to Stonewall Gorge at like lvl 4 or 5, which will give you the option to make intelligent skill choices before the AI dumps all his points into survival.  

[Gromnir]

 

 

the point is that the advantage durance has begins to disappear.  aloth and kana is paying for skill points in mechanics at a cheaper rate than durance.  skill level 2 costs aloth 1 skill point.  skill level 3 costs aloth 2 points stead o' three, and so on.  

 

*shrug*

 

they all suck, but durance only has an advantage early... til level 8?

 

HA! Good Fun!

 

Level 8 is basically end game, you will have plethora of options by then. Being able to grab Durance at lvl 2 with already 3 mechanics is much more useful especially when Aloth is pretty garbage without slicken.

 

Kana with his might/int/lore makes him the ideal scroll user. Also fits his personality.  

 

within 10 minutes o' getting aloth, we were able to level.  so, what were the first spell you chose?

 

on the other hand, all the companions is teh suck at mechanics.  even if you put all points into mechanics from 3 onward, they is still missing the tougher disarms... and we would much rather be having better mechanics at the end than the start.  durance is best 'cause he gots a 1 point advantage for a few levels over kana?  and yeah, with kana's 7 starting lore, he already got a useful second skill. 

 

regardless, a we already noted, they all is terrible.  were a trick question.

 

HA! Good Fun!

[Voss]

 

the point is that the advantage durance has begins to disappear.  aloth and kana is paying for skill points in mechanics at a cheaper rate than durance.  skill level 2 costs aloth 1 skill point.  skill level 3 costs aloth 2 points stead o' three, and so on.  

 

*shrug*

 

they all suck, but durance only has an advantage early... til level 8?

 

HA! Good Fun!

 

Level 8 is basically end game, you will have plethora of options by then. Being able to grab Durance at lvl 2 with already 3 mechanics is much more useful especially when Aloth is pretty garbage without slicken.

 

Have you not gone down into the Endless Paths?   I had to stop at level 8(?) for a locked door I couldn't open (mechanics 10), and the levels above that had traps I couldn't disarm...with a custom adventurer with a mechanics bump from background.  Granted my party is still level 5, but having a good mechanic is pretty important as you go deeper.

 

As for slicken on Aloth... well, you do get spell choices on level up.  There are a couple spellbooks in your path with good level 2 spells, so it isn't like you'll miss out by spending a pick on one of the best spells in the game. 

[Aurora Paradox]

 

 

the point is that the advantage durance has begins to disappear.  aloth and kana is paying for skill points in mechanics at a cheaper rate than durance.  skill level 2 costs aloth 1 skill point.  skill level 3 costs aloth 2 points stead o' three, and so on.  

 

*shrug*

 

they all suck, but durance only has an advantage early... til level 8?

 

HA! Good Fun!

 

Level 8 is basically end game, you will have plethora of options by then. Being able to grab Durance at lvl 2 with already 3 mechanics is much more useful especially when Aloth is pretty garbage without slicken.

 

Have you not gone down into the Endless Paths?   I had to stop at level 8(?) for a locked door I couldn't open (mechanics 10), and the levels above that had traps I couldn't disarm...with a custom adventurer with a mechanics bump from background.  Granted my party is still level 5, but having a good mechanic is pretty important as you go deeper.

 

As for slicken on Aloth... well, you do get spell choices on level up.  There are a couple spellbooks in your path with good level 2 spells, so it isn't like you'll miss out by spending a pick on one of the best spells in the game. 

 

I haven't gone down into the Endless Paths yet.

 

Given that none of the available companions is a perfect choice to be a lock picker and trap dectector.  I was suprised that Obisdian didn't make one of the companions a rogue.

 

Would I be better off starting over and rebuilding my fighter to have more mechanics or should I hire a rogue and be done with it?

[PIP-Clownboy]

Just use Durance? You can also set his warding seals (while stealth) right next any traps he sets which is an amazing combo. 

[HozzM]

Mechanics is the single most important skill, bar none, nothing else is even close.  So you really need to put this skill on your PC and choose a background that has +1 Mechanics like Merchant or Laborer or whatever else.  Don't think there is one that is +2 Mechanics.

[Whipstitch]

 

Yea I guess.  Scrolls generally suck though idk, the thing about IE games was that scrolls let you throw out really high level spells as a get out of jail free card, this is sorta not the case in PoE because of all the level restrictions, but maybe I'm just not appreciating them enough on first playthrough.  

 

You're underestimating them. The value of scrolls isn't the high level effects, it's sneaking relatively cheap and powerful effects onto classes that normally don't have access to such things. For example, Fan of Flame is a very nasty wizard spell but the cone can be a bit awkward to use with such a flimsy class. However, if you get Eder up to Lore 4 and give him a shield and a pile of Fan of Flame scrolls you end up with a tank capable of spitting out a 50+ damage AoE on demand. Yes, it costs money, but then, so does crafting a top end weapon and the scrolls are often more effective overall.

[Viperswhip]

Durance starts off with 3 or 4 points in Mechanics, so building off that might be a good idea.

I would also go with Durance, because he doesn't really need lore, and while Athletics may serve to keep him alive, I think you can nice focus on Mechanics and Athletics.

[daammyy]

Mechanics is the single most important skill, bar none, nothing else is even close.  So you really need to put this skill on your PC and choose a background that has +1 Mechanics like Merchant or Laborer or whatever else.  Don't think there is one that is +2 Mechanics.

 

As someone who is just getting into the game, why do you feel that Mechanics is so important?