Is Priest necessary?

[Zaruthustran]

I'm playing Pillars on normal difficulty. I enjoy building characters, so have created a Barbarian and a Rogue. I just got the Keep and found Kana. This puts me over the max party size of 6; someone has to go.

 

So my question is, is a Priest mandatory?

 

Here's my party composition:

Cipher (PC)

Fighter (Eder)

Wizard (Aloth)

Custom barbarian

Custom rogue

X (either Kana or Durand)

 

The Cipher and Wizard are about enough micro-management for my taste. I like the appeal of Kana's "hand's off" Chanter gameplay; Durand seems to demand too much attention. And once a party member other than Eder or the Barbarian gets hurt, it seems they drop almost instantly--no chance to heal.

 

So... am I just playing Durand incorrectly? Can I get away with using Kana? Is a Priest mandatory?

[Climhazzard]

With a that party composition you're definitely going to want Durance.

[Raven Darkholme]

I prefer to totally leave out classes which are heavily rest dependent, so I never use priest OR mage. Even in Potd you can get away with ANY party so on normal you should be fine.

[Luckmann]

Durand

D

[Concordance]

You can complete this game on the hardest difficulty solo (though using cheesy tactics), so I wouldn't worry about your party composition much.

 

From a story perspective, Durance is a much more interesting character than Kana, in terms of party interactions and personal quest. 

[Kilrach]

Necessary for my rogue - I can hit 120 accuracy with his buffs and I'm still lvl 9

[Anthile]

No, a priest is not necessary but it helps. Generally, the more often you expect to get hit, the more useful a priest becomes. Besides from heals and buffs, the priest also offers powerful debuffs as well as decent if limited offensive spells. Magranite priests also make for decent fusiliers.

In my opinion there's basically there's two ways to spend talents as a priest. The first is to pick your deity's special talent and pick other talents that compliment the use of your favored weapons. This usually means turning the priest into an off-tank but pure melee DPS is also possible if not exactly spectacular. Priests make poor frontline fighters but most of their spells have only a short range so just standing back and using a bow or gun isn't optimal either. Magranite and Waelite priests are an exception due to them actually having ranged weapons favored. A reach weapon would be the best choice but the only such weapon is the quarterstaff, favored by Waelites, but the magic quarterstaffs in the game are rather poor.

The alternative would be to pick talents that boost your holy radiance and interdiction abilities, and concentrate on casting while using some kind of ranged weapon to take potshots when you don't cast spells. In that case you probably want to take Scion of Flame as well since almost all of your offensive spells are fire based.

What is more effective will depend on the rest of your party. If you have, say, two tanks and a barbarian then a melee priest would get in the way more often than not.

[Tigranes]

Nobody's mandatory, go with what feels good to you.

[b0rsuk]

I'm completing the game on Hard without a priest. I still find more camping supplies than I use. Monk, Eder, Kana, Aloth, Grieving Mother, Sagani.

[omgFIREBALLS]

I think priests are amazing at buffing up your team's accuracy, and they seem to have a nigh-monopoly of doing so. Paladins have an aura and there are some consumables, but nothing stops you from stacking it all, and I find it's difficult to ever have too much accuracy, at least against bosses. For my priests, buffing is a job and healing is a hobby.

[b0rsuk]

Priests may have good buffs, but I think they're actually inferior at healing. Druids are better. Not that you need healing to complete the game anyway.

[cavemandiary]

Priests may have good buffs, but I think they're actually inferior at healing. Druids are better. Not that you need healing to complete the game anyway.

what?

Moonwell is great, but still.

 

Anyway, no class is mandatory. Priest is great though, both early, mid and lategame. Lvl 1 Blessing+armor in a bossfight is a gamechanger, and lategame devotions for the faithful gives a huge advantage to your party.

 

He also have a bit of CC as well as damaging spells, just like the druid, making him rather versatile.

 

I personally never go without a priest, because I like support classes.

[b0rsuk]

Druids have their own buffs. lvl2 Woodskin is not just +6 DR vs pierce, it's also vs fire and lightning. So you can clear Searing Falls, for example. Not saying Priest buffs are worse, but Druid's are good enough.

Edited April 29, 2015 by b0rsuk

[Blovski]

I beat it on Hard without a priest. I'm doing OK on PotD without one but I'm aware that one would help a lot.

[fgalkin]

I like Durance from a story perspective, but I don't use him so much except for heals and some debuffs. Mostly, I just let him sit at the back and shoot at things. 

 

Have a very nice day.

-fgalkin 

[mystang89]

I like Durance from a story perspective, but I don't use him so much except for heals and some debuffs. Mostly, I just let him sit at the back and shoot at things.

 

Have a very nice day.

-fgalkin

Same. With my style of play I need his heals but most of the time he just sits there and sits things. I will turn on his aura at the beginning of battle just because it's an easy click

[Crucis]

I prefer to totally leave out classes which are heavily rest dependent, so I never use priest OR mage. Even in Potd you can get away with ANY party so on normal you should be fine.

 

A class is only as rest dependent as you make it based on how heavily you use their spells.  If you are unable to ration your use of wizard spells when their use is not strictly necessary, then it's really you who are making the wizard more rest dependent than may truly be necessary.  Frankly, I've found that in many battles, one can get by with very few wizard spell castings and rely more on them using a magical implement to do damage between castings.  I realize that this may not appeal to some, but I find that it can really extend the time between "recharge your spells" rests.  (Ditto for priests.)

 

Of course, if you're the sort of player who cannot resist having your wizards and priests casting at every opportunity, then you're forcing them to be rest dependent due to your style of play.  And I can see why a cipher, for example, may appeal to you more than a wizard. 

 

 

Side note:  I'm using Grieving Mother in place of Aloth in my current party, but not because of rest dependencies.   I did it for the change of pace.  My only gripe with GM is that ciphers don't get the entire spell selection at each "spell" level, which means that GM's selection of spells prior to picking her up is very important.  (It's annoying me that she doesn't have the level 2 spell Mental Binding and I'm not going to give up picking a high level spell at a level up just so I can "go back" and pick up a measly level 2 spell.)

[Crucis]

 

I like Durance from a story perspective, but I don't use him so much except for heals and some debuffs. Mostly, I just let him sit at the back and shoot at things.

 

Have a very nice day.

-fgalkin

Same. With my style of play I need his heals but most of the time he just sits there and sits things. I will turn on his aura at the beginning of battle just because it's an easy click

 

 

I mostly do the same thing as well.  There are a number of good reasons for doing so. 

 

First, as a priest of Magran, Durance gets access to a class talent that gives him +10 Acc for swords and arquebus. So just give him an Arquebus and park him in back.

 

Secondly, he can act as a bodyguard to whatever squishier mage or cipher you may also have hiding in back.

 

Third, he can go into melee and fill gaps, if need be.  But his accuracy isn't all that spectacular, so it seems like a waste to not keep him available to cast spells from a position of relative safety, while passing the time blasting away with his rifle ... err, arquebus.

 

 

[Zaruthustran]

Thanks for the feedback. If he's not necessary, then it comes down to which dialogue and personal quest is more interesting. And I keep hearing that Durance's quest is superior. So, I think I'll keep Durance.

 

Sorry Kana. Your Skeletons are cool, but you're just not compelling enough to boot my Fire Godlike Barbarian, or little Rogue. I'm totally taking your gun, though.

Edited April 29, 2015 by Zaruthustran

[Slapstick87]

But... but... Durance is the coolest character IMO. In addition, a priest makes life a lot easier, while Chanters can go dig their own graves slowly while whistling their own funeral song for all I care.

[perilisk]

A priest isn't as mandatory as they would be in an old IE game -- they can't do much for your health, and in terms of endurance, if you can survive long enough to win the encounter, you're good. Healz-wise, their only use is to keep people on their feet for as long as they can contribute to the fight. Potions can help with harder encounters, and the right tactics are often enough to mitigate damage. If you really want a traditional spellcaster, a druid is a decent replacement for both a priest and a wizard. Petrify is about the only thing wizards are bringing to the table, and that's almost too awesome.

[Mr. Magniloquent]

There are a few items which grant Suppress Affliction, the most important Priest spell. This can make the priest superfluous, but no more than any other class really. Once they get to level 9, spamming Halt with a high Int/Dex build can be quite useful though. As far as Durance goes, I didn't care for his arrogant antagonism, but I took him along given how obvious his significance to the region's events are.

[drumther]

I don't think there is a must-have Class. However, if you're not playing Solo, I think Priests (maybe Chanters) are the coolest to party with -yay!-.

 

Lots of buffs, healings, can revive, boost defenses, all kind of debuffs on enemies, traps, decent damage on their own. More so if you have a couple of melee guys. You'll end up loving your priest no doubt! :D

[Jimmysdabestcop]

Priests are pretty flexible. Durance a little less so because awful Dexterity. You can turn your Priest into a 2nd line fighter with reach weapon. 1st line fighter. A Ranged Cannon.

 

Durance specific god/religion talent gives +10 to Acc with Swords or Arquebuses. And I feel swords are a little underwhelming compared to other unique weapons.

I like custom priest with Skaen +10 to clubs and stilettos and clubs have built in +5 extra.

 

But back to Durance. I would say 2 options are make him a gunner with the Arquebuse. Robes and back of the line. He can heal, buff, and debuff. But I think his best spells are the trap spells. I mean 2nd level trap spells still work on Sky Dragon and other bosses. Just use them as an AoE spell and select the enemy the trap is instantly sprung.

 

Other option is Durance can Defend on 1st line. Focus on shield and all of the defense talents. Even give him the hatchet for +5 deflection. Don't even bother with weapon focus. He will really only be getting damage from his spells and scrolls.  Best shield. Best Armor. Something with second chance. Maybe some Dex or Con boosting Items. Get the priest ring for him. His job is to tie up the enemy. Since you are going for max defense his Con won't really be an issue. And its lot easier to buff/heal and sling traps and pillars around from the 1st line.

 

But necessary, Nah. I however couldn't stand Kana. After 1st play through I leave him looking the the walls the entire game. I think he is the worst character. Chanters are cool though just not him. Even by end game I couldn't stand Aloth and swapped him out for Druid.