POTD: Druid or Wizard?

[TimEnchant]

Hello everyone.  I'm an Infinity Engine veteran and am really enjoying Pillars so far.  I have been playing through the game on normal to get a hang of the mechanics, but I decided to reroll and do a POTD playthrough. I was hoping to get some advice from those of you who have played POTD already. 

 

I have some min-max tendencies, so I plan on creating a full party of 6.  My current planned party looks like this:

 

Chanter (tank)

Fighter (tank)

Cipher (ranged)

Rogue (ranged)

Priest (support/heal)

Druid or Wizard (nuker/disabler)

 

So my question for you guys is this: should my 6th party member be a Druid or a Wizard?  

 

My general understanding is that Druids have better damage nukes, and that Wizards have better control/debuffs.  So I guess another way to phrase the question is: will I have enough control/debuff with Chanter/Cipher/Priest/Druid?  Or is the Wizard control in POTD too good to pass up (especially considering I have a sneak attack Rogue in the mix)?

 

Thanks in advance for your responses.

[Shadenuat]

You'll stomp everything either way. Wizard has a slight edge in controls and debuffs as they are easier to use (although it's still debatable because druid also gets prone spell, even if later, but then he gets a spell with petrify on it a level earlier than wizard), but remember that druid also comes with extra heals, party buffs, better summons and a save-from-combat spell.

Edited April 6, 2015 by Shadenuat

[FranklinsTower]

Sorry to bump this, but I had his exact question.  Have the same party set up as the OP and everything.  Debating between Druid and Wizard for the last slot.

[Psychevore]

Ditch the Chanter, use both Wizard and Druid.

Ditch the Rogue, use Paladin, Barbarian or Monk.

Ditch the Fighter, use Paladin, Barbarian or Monk.

 

Don't double Paladin, Barbarian or Monk though, that's a waste.

 

Hell while I'm at it... perfect party, imo:

 

Paladin

Monk/Barbarian

Priest

Druid

Wizard

Wizard/Cipher/Druid

Edited May 22, 2015 by Psychevore

[MadDemiurg]

Druid is generally better at AoE nuking. Wizard is better at CC and has more survivability with the right spells. Main selling point of wizard is wider array of available CC/debuffs and ability to target all saves in my experience. Most druid CC targets fortitude and damage targets reflex of fortitude (with a few deflection spells), which is not optimal vs many enemies. I'd roll a Wizard but both are good. Psychevore's party comp is also good (although chanter with level 3 chants is pretty cool too). If you're open to party changes definitely ditch the ranged rogue and then you can go with both wizard and druid. Paladin is tankier than a fighter if PC.

Edited May 22, 2015 by MadDemiurg

[Vorad]

Both are viable as many people claimed already. I would say that maybe wizard has a bit "better" cc early game. At 1st level you get both Chill Fog(aoe damage + blindess + snare) and Slicken (aoe prone) as a Wizard. Druid has an aoe damage + blindness as well and an aoe hobble but I'd say fog is better due to duration then on 2nd level again you get Miasma(great aoe debuff) + aoe Blind spell with long duration 20+ sec with wizard while with druid you get some nuke spells. So overall druid has slightly better nuke potential early game while wizard got slightly better cc. At lategame they start to even up. HOWEVER at lategame you will be spamming 1st and 2nd level spells with your spellcasters and since in my personal opinion ( this is purely subjective) wizard early spells are a bit better especially when in a group I would lean towards wizard more.

 

In my own party I had both wizard and druid so I didn't really had to pick sides  

[FranklinsTower]

Druid is generally better at AoE nuking. Wizard is better at CC and has more survivability with the right spells. Main selling point of wizard is wider array of available CC/debuffs and ability to target all saves in my experience. Most druid CC targets fortitude and damage targets reflex of fortitude (with a few deflection spells), which is not optimal vs many enemies. I'd roll a Wizard but both are good. Psychevore's party comp is also good (although chanter with level 3 chants is pretty cool too). If you're open to party changes definitely ditch the ranged rogue and then you can go with both wizard and druid. Paladin is tankier than a fighter if PC.

 

Thanks!  My PC is a melee rogue - that's the only difference.  So I think I will stick with a fighter as my main tank as opposed to a paladin and just go with the wizard

[LordHellscream]

you don't need 2 tanks, just an off-tank with good dps potential. I think Barbarian or Monk will be good.

Priest is a must, Wizard vs Druid? I think wizard spells are easier to use especially the earlier spell levels, you can also have decent DPS early game (before you can spam spells) using implement + blast. I would go with the wizard.

[Exoduss]

Melee Rogue and Wizard spells on the ground + PoE Pathfinding is asking for a treat :D

[taek]

Druid's CC is pretty minimal IMO.

 

For the first 3 spell spell levels there isnt anything that reallly stops enemies, you mainly get debuffs like Blind & Hobble.

You get hard CC at spell level 4...but then not much else at 5 & 6.

 

TBH, my even my priest is more effective at CC. The level 2 AE knockdown can last like 12 seconds, is Foe only, and has high accuracy as a trap. As a L2 spell it's eventually per encounter.

 

Personally I would not rely on a druid as my main and only CC. But you have a Cipher & Priest as well as a chanter so you've got CC spread all over your party anyway.

 

 

 

 

[Razorchain]

you don't need 2 tanks, just an off-tank with good dps potential. I think Barbarian or Monk will be good.

Priest is a must, Wizard vs Druid? I think wizard spells are easier to use especially the earlier spell levels, you can also have decent DPS early game (before you can spam spells) using implement + blast. I would go with the wizard.

Priest is by no means a must. I'm finishing up a potd run without a priest and druid and there are only couple of fights where I have missed a priest and that is more because of buffs than healing.

 

But I agree with you that there is no need for a fighter tank, I'd go with a good monk any day

[Exoduss]

All tanks are boring and bad , choice usually should depend on the rest of your party , Is your party ranged focused? Paladin and Chanter is way to go ,

Melee Focused? Well you need those 5 Engagement Slots from fighter then etc . etc.

[Manty5]

 

Priest is by no means a must. I'm finishing up a potd run without a priest and druid and there are only couple of fights where I have missed a priest and that is more because of buffs than healing.

 

But I agree with you that there is no need for a fighter tank, I'd go with a good monk any day

 

 

How are you handling conditions without a priest?  I know druid has healing easily as good as priest, but if there's an equalvelent to suspending conditions, I don't know of it.

[Razorchain]

 

 

Priest is by no means a must. I'm finishing up a potd run without a priest and druid and there are only couple of fights where I have missed a priest and that is more because of buffs than healing.

 

But I agree with you that there is no need for a fighter tank, I'd go with a good monk any day

 

 

How are you handling conditions without a priest?  I know druid has healing easily as good as priest, but if there's an equalvelent to suspending conditions, I don't know of it.

 

 

Worst fights I end in are with Domination or Confusion as I have rather limited ways to deal with it.  There are fights I have lost just because an enemy is spamming confusion and it sticks to 4 out of 6 and then my backliners get ganked.  My way of dealing with this is an Cipher Assassin in cahoots with a Ranger.  The Cipher paralyzes the caster and then they shoot him to death with arquebuses.  I still have nightmares from fighting 5 Spores at once though.

[Portrait]

I'd go with a wizard, you can't get to choose what specific spells a druid can have, and I don't really use much of the druid spells. Confusion for a wizard is a good dis-abler.