New Player - Can someone ELI5 how to use a Chanter?

[CholupaBatman]

I've played many games but never one that had something like the chanter before.  I've got one running around with me in my party now and I just have no clue how to use him.  I feel like I'm wasting his abilities because I just don't understand.
Am I too old to get new things?

[globalCooldown]

First of all: I approve of your choice of forum avatar. Just wanted to get that out of the way.

 

Now, as for chanters, the big thing about them is that their "chants" happen automatically over the course of the battle. Some are buffs, some are debuffs, some are weird shenanigans. Chanters should focus on maximizing the AoE of their chant coverage, and position themselves so they can buff/debuff the most allies/enemies at a time. But as long as a chanter is, in fact, chanting, they're doing their job.

If you select your chanter, you should see a choice of prepared chants, and the ability to Edit Chants, which lets you throw together verses (the buffs/debuffs/shenanigans) in a particular order. In battle, the chanter will then recite those verses (cast the buffs/debuffs/shenanigans) in that order. For added flair, I recommend naming your new chant a name that is indicative of the kinds of verses in that chant, and/or a highly amusing name (I delight in every start of combat, where the log informs me "Kana begins chanting and hip-thrusting vigorously".)

 

Anyway, the second part of Chanters is their invocations. As the Chanter recites verses in their chant (in my example, the "and hip-thrusting vigorously" chant), a little gold counter will be accumulating in the corner of their character portrait. When this number gets high enough, you can use that little number to power the invocations. These can be buffs, debuffs, damaging effects, summons, or other crazy effects. Be aware, a lot of invocations are cone AoEs, so position your Chanter to make the most of that cone!

 

While chanting, Chanters can do other useful stuff like use items or scrolls, or auto-attack to their little pixel-y heart's content.

[CholupaBatman]

First of all: I approve of your choice of forum avatar. Just wanted to get that out of the way.

 

Thanks!  PCMR for life all the way! 

 

Thanks for the explanation, it totally clears up my confusion.  Seems like a Chanter has the potential to be a pretty powerful member of your group if you manage them properly. 

[globalCooldown]

 

First of all: I approve of your choice of forum avatar. Just wanted to get that out of the way.

 

Thanks!  PCMR for life all the way! 

 

Thanks for the explanation, it totally clears up my confusion.  Seems like a Chanter has the potential to be a pretty powerful member of your group if you manage them properly. 

 

Indeedily do, fellow member of the PC Master Race. I have at least one save file where I have Kana and a PC Chanter stacking their tasty buffs.

[daver]

I had the same problem when I first started playing and picked up Kana as a companion. Until I finally figured out how to edit chants and when he could cast spells. Extremely useful during long battles, as a chanters spells take awhile to become available. I also agree with globalCooldown that the positioning of the chanter is crucial to the type of spell they cast.

[CynicalP]

The Problem with chanters is by the time you get to the invocation phase the battle is usually over. I guess their little buffs and debuffs are okay.

[MunoValente]

I personally like Chanters as passive tanks.  No matter how heavy your armor and low your dex, the chants go off at the same speed, and placing in them in the front line, puts them in good position for their chants and invocations to effect both allies and enemies as needed.

 

I really like the level 4 chant from the expansion that gives you +20 to will and +20 to mind attacks, I hate mind control attacks.  I just set that one and the level 3 damage chant on loop at the end of my last game and didn't even really care much about invocations. I gave them the paladin cross class skill as well for another passive effect.

Edited September 10, 2015 by MunoValente

[KDubya]

The tip I have is to decide what is important for the chant in a particular battle and stick to that.

 

If you're in melee have the chant be the one that frightens the enemy for -10 accuracy, maybe add in the -10% slash damage one but don't throw the running speed and the will booster chants in there as well, it'd only delay the parts of the chant that you need then.

 

If you have multiple gun users just sing the one gun speed chant as that is what is important.

 

Have one chant be only the shortest ones in situations where you want to get to your invocations or summons in the shortest time frame.

 

Sometimes you can suicide scout with summons at the end of the battle. Cast your summon as far away as you can and have them go look for more enemies. As long as they get into combat before the main combat ends or the time expires they will continue to be around. Sometimes the first group will still be alive when you can summon another group to back them up.