"Best" class for new player who likes using magic?

[crine]

Hello.

 

I realize a lot of this may come down to personal preference but I am looking for some advice on a class to pick for my player character when I start playing this game. I know you gain companions of different classes and can also somehow recruit/create more custom companions so maybe the PC class doesn't matter so much but in my past playing of RPGs I have found that I usually have the most fun with spell casting classes.

 

I am not looking for min/max "best" class advice, more like what a fun/useful/user-friendly class to focus on for my PC would be keeping in mind that I will obviously need to learn this game's unique mechanics as I play.

 

From reading the manual it seems like there are many classes that could fall into a caster category (chanter, cipher, druid, priest and wizard). I also imagine that the developer created companions you can obtain are probably more interesting to have in my party than additional generic hirelings I can create, right?

 

Finally (for now), I am also a little confused by the attribute point descriptions because it sounds like for a caster almost every stat is important/useful and I am more used to games where there are one or two clear stats that are important to focus on for casters:

 

• Might for spell damage/healing amount
• Dexterity for action speed which I assume includes speed of casting/recovering from casting spells
• Perception for accuracy/hitting with spells and also their range
• Intellect for AoE size and longer spell/effect durations
• Resolve for concentration

 

I appreciate any advice or clarification you can provide.

[lameover]

Hello!

Perception doesn't affect your accuracy.

Might, Dex, Int - is the main stats for casters.

Resolve is good for speech options.

IMHO, Druid and Wizard is the best caster-classes for fun game.

Playing Druid myself.

[magritte]

I'll leave it to people who've really learned the system to advise you on attributes, but I've been playing a Cipher and it's pretty fun and gives you some interesting conversation options.  Wizard and cleric are fine, but not very unique, but cleric is mostly a buffing caster and wizard is more difficult at first because of friendly fire.  Chanter is probably not what youre looking for because you don't actually do much spell casting as a chanter; mostly you chant for three or four rounds while fighting normally and then fire off one spell.  Admittedly, you can't cast every round as a cipher, either, but focus doesn't tend to take quite as long to build.  I haven't actually had any druids in my party yet but their spells are PAINFUL to defend against, so that might be a good option too.

[Nobear]

Welcome,

 

First, let me link my advice on this thread. That player was primarily interested in ranged DPS but also wanted magic. Well, a Cipher is also the class I'd recommend for someone primarily interested in magic who wants a "fun/useful/user-friendly class." One of the reasons for this is that wizards, priests and druids start with Per Rest spells, and only their level 1 spells become Per Encounter at character level 9, and their level 2 spells become Per Encounter at character level 11. So, if you don't want to have to rest all the time, because of RP considerations or convenience (resting requires Camping Supplies and wipes your temporary buffs including Inn resting bonuses), you might feel like you're holding back a lot in the early levels with those traditional casters. Conversely, a Cipher's magic is based on Focus, a resource you always start an encounter with some of, and which you also generate in combat by shooting stuff.

 

Pay attention to the bit in the bottom paragraph of that link, which mentions the gameplay advantage you probably wouldn't guess of having a priest or paladin be your PC, if you're planning to have one at all in your party of six. For a paladin, the advantages of it being your PC compared to the companion are up to +6/12/12/12 to your defenses, as well as having access to additional talents based on your chosen order, which the companion paladin lacks. Aside from this unusual detail, the only other difference your PC class makes is that only your PC learns certain talents and abilities by progressing the main quest, choosing a faction to align with in Act 2, and other game content. The differences won't be astronomical, but it means your PC can become slightly more powerful than anyone else. In practice, in a party of six, I can't think of how your PC class would make a huge difference with this overall.

 

Oh, companions are definitely more interesting if you enjoy backstories, little interjections in dialogue, and occasional banter between two companions as you adventure. Some of this is quite funny! Each companion also has a quest that you have to have him/her along to complete. There are more than five companions, but you can switch one out if you want to complete its quest and then switch it back for one you normally prefer. The only downside to companions is that they have non-optimal preassigned stats that are meant to make RP sense. However, you can certainly beat the game with all companions besides your PC even on the highest difficulty. Just make sure you have the option off that auto levels companions. That way, only their level 1 abilities are preassigned and possibly "wasted," and you have complete control beyond that.

 

As for stats, you have them mostly right, except for Perception. In some game versions, Perception is inaccurately listed as increasing accuracy instead of deflection. This was an unintended leak for planned changes to the expansion. It still raises deflection, not accuracy, but it definitely does NOT increase spell range. It increases your chance of interrupting an enemy, which is generally not considered worth building for in this game. A well-balanced party will have much more powerful CC effects than interruption. Between interrupting your enemy and avoiding interruption (which Resolve > concentration does), I consider the latter generally more valuable. And you are correct that Dexterity does affect all actions including spells.

 

So, depending on the caster's class and role in your party, people tend to rank stats in a slightly different order, but generally it's best to max Str, Dex, and Int on a caster if you're min-maxing. Str probably ranks highest for a Cipher, since your Focus generation is a % of the damage you deal, where high Int is especially crucial if you're focused on CC. After those three stats, I'd go Res > Per > Con, where min-maxers often dump Con entirely. Note that the value of Per for casters will shoot through the roof with the expansion, but I'd personally recommend starting the game and having fun. Fortunately, I find that PoE has high replay value, especially if you're increasing the difficulty or trying out a new party composition in a later play through.

 

Cheers!

[Nobear]

Hello!

Perception doesn't affect your accuracy.

Might, Dex, Int - is the main stats for casters.

Resolve is good for speech options.

IMHO, Druid and Wizard is the best caster-classes for fun game.

Playing Druid myself.

 

Yes, speech options are an important consideration I left out of this discussion. A main point here is that only your PC's stats affect the options available in dialogue, but they can be buffed through items and certain temporary buffs. For more detailed information about this, and for other details about game mechanics I have put in one place with the new player in mind, check out this thread.

 

It is true that other casters can be fun too, and I have both the wizard and cipher companions in my PoTD party. I can vouch that the wizard is strong if you don't mind resting left and right, and this inconvenience is partially eliminated at levels 9 and 11.

Edited July 20, 2015 by Nobear

[MalVeauX]

Heya,

 

You've got the right idea. Depending on the kind of caster you're wanting to play, will determine the attributes that will be important.

 

You can play an "off tank" caster, which is a durable front line caster that drops AOE's. You may just want Per/Res/Int/Dex in that order. You may want to just play a caster that drops conditions, and focus on Int and Dex, less so much on Mig or anything else, so it's much wider open. You may want to be a pure damage dealer, or big healer, in which case, push Might and follow it with Int or Dex depending on whether you're planning to wear heavy armor or use AOE's a lot.

 

Wizard - More damage dealing spells than any of them, more variety, you get spells as you find grimoires and when you level up. Mix of condition, buff, debuff, and damage.

Druid - Mix of damage dealing spells, buffs & debuffs, heals, get your spells as you level up.

Priest - Mostly heals, buffs, debuffs, and a few damage dealing spells, get your spells as you level up.

 

Ciphers & Chanters are more partial casters than primarily casters, they have totally different stats too if you look. Neither of them are pure casters, they still need to utilize weapons and do other stuff before they "cast" their spells.

 

Very best,

[alexis13]

Ciphers known to be OP, I'm more of a mage at heart but.

 

Wizards can be amazing, even early I've learned from my experience (but I didn't know too early) one thing you must know that in this game even spells can miss, and they can be devastating and u could potentially easily win many fights on a wizard, even solo if your spells hit 100% of the time, but the grazes and misses really cripple you.

 

Something I learned from Ghakill that guy with the picture of the scene that scares me from lord of the rings is that ELRITCH AIM (level 1 spell) is TRULY amazing.

 

The 15+ accuracy really is great and worth it, it basically makes your spells gaurentee'd hits, I'd even craft tons of potions of it if I were you, you can at level 1 and the ingredients arn't too costly (infact ull be overloaded with ingredients basically the whole game so u may aswell craft them)

 

With this you can pretty much hit all your spells and this makes you really good.

 

Wizards really lack defensive spells early, but chill fog (level1) which causes blind constantly over as a ground effect does great damage, has a lot of ticks so is good incase you miss one, the blind basically lets you aoe tank, think of it is a defensive spell but it debuffs your enemy.

 

Slicken is simple aoe knockdown but it can hit you aswell so im not so sure how worth it is, I really like to just use another chill fog if I'm honest.

 

Concelhaut's Staff is quite amazing, its incredibly powerful, more so than any weapon you can actually collect in the game and it heals you on hit and its pretty fast too.

 

Lastly Fan of flames for damage as it does as much dmg as some level 6 spells, its pretty epic, but it can miss a lot, so eldritch.

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

I'd say essential level 1 spells (Eldritch Aim!!! chill fog and fan of flames)

 

You only need I think level 2 or 3 to get level 2 spells, and after this you are pretty much all set to do some epic soloing, let alone with a party.

 

Level 2 spells, You definitely want Concelhaut's Corrosive SIphon, its an AOE dot that ignores DR like all dots do, does great damage, and heals you each tick from each enemy, its unbelievably healing and damage aoe, the main trouble I had with this but making me feel like wizard was sucky was so many misses or grazes, inconsistency early when you only got 2-3 casts sucks.

 

And Ray of fire.

 

So ALWAYS eldritch aim before this, its basically what eldritch aim is for, and you should always be saving 1 for this spell, unless you got pots.

 

 

So yeah get Arcane Veil talent at this level 2 for emeargencies, it can be used off recovery time timer and instantly whilst in many forms of CC.

 

Eldritch AIm, Concelhauts, Ray of Fire(or save this cast for another elritch + concels with its done), Fan of flames repeat can pretty much handle anything solo.

[Nobear]

its an AOE dot that ignores DR like all dots do

 

DoTs don't ignore DR, they are affected by a % of DR per tick (I've read 25%, I don't know if this a universal %), which is still very significant because each tick of a DoT does relatively little damage.

[Boeroer]

25% DR is for lashes. Does that also apply to DoT generally?

[Raven Darkholme]

25% DR is for lashes. Does that also apply to DoT generally?

I don't think it does, but I might be wrong.

[Nobear]

 

25% DR is for lashes. Does that also apply to DoT generally?

I don't think it does, but I might be wrong.

 

 

Pedroelm might know for sure, but he hasn't been active on these forums for a while.

[alexis13]

 

its an AOE dot that ignores DR like all dots do

 

DoTs don't ignore DR, they are affected by a % of DR per tick (I've read 25%, I don't know if this a universal %), which is still very significant because each tick of a DoT does relatively little damage.

 

 

 

its an AOE dot that ignores DR like all dots do

 

DoTs don't ignore DR, they are affected by a % of DR per tick (I've read 25%, I don't know if this a universal %), which is still very significant because each tick of a DoT does relatively little damage.

 

My concelhaut's corrosive siphon does 11 damage a tick to the adra dragon like it does to everyone else =/ *shrug*

[Nobear]

My concelhaut's corrosive siphon does 11 damage a tick to the adra dragon like it does to everyone else =/ *shrug*

 

Ok, maybe I was wrong about this one. In-game testing like this is compelling evidence, and useful to know.