I won the game just once with Eder, Aloth and  Durance, but want to go once with only adventurers hired for money... Will it work. has anyone tried?

People have finished the game solo.  If you don't want inter-party dialogue and interaction, go for an all mercenary party.  :Cant's smile with one raised eyebrow icon:

It's even more easy than using the "official" companions because you can built exactly the party that fits your playstyle. And you can profit from great synergy effects like a barb with Brute Force + Threatening Presence (causes Sickened debuff) and another char that does an aoe Weakened debuff (priest, wizard and so on) plus a cipher with Amplified Wave (targets fortitude) or a monk (Torment's Reach and Force of Anguish target fortitude). Sickened plus Weakened will lower fortitude by nearly 40 - letting the barb crit most of the time even with carnage. The Amplified Wave will crit and the monk's special attacks too. Plus: you can build characters around special unique items like Tall Grass, Forgemaster gloves and so on.

Just be sure to collect as much money at the beginning of the game (sell everything to Heodan as long as you can- his prices are hilarious) so you can buy 5 hirelings as soon as possible. Then the XP-gap won't be so huge. Companions have your lvl, but hirelings start with one lvl less than yours, that's why.

So... long story short: is's easier.

Edited October 21, 201510 yr by Boeroer

Thank you all for advice!!!

People have finished the game solo.  If you don't want inter-party dialogue and interaction, go for an all mercenary party.  :Cant's smile with one raised eyebrow icon:

 

 

What is this red backer icon that you have?

What is this red backer icon that you have?

It's for the Lords of the Eastern Reach, a game based on Pillars of Eternity. You can access its forums right here:

 

https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/82631-the-portal-opens/

 

I've pledged for the game, which is coming out soon, but go take a look and see if it interests you, Anaeme!

Whooha - I just realised that I also have that fancy icon. Sweet - never saw that before because I nearly always use the mobile version of this forum.

It's even more easy than using the "official" companions because you can built exactly the party that fits your playstyle. And you can profit from great synergy effects like a barb with Brute Force + Threatening Presence (causes Sickened debuff) and another char that does an aoe Weakened debuff (priest, wizard and so on) plus a cipher with Amplified Wave (targets fortitude) or a monk (Torment's Reach and Force of Anguish target fortitude). Sickened plus Weakened will lower fortitude by nearly 40 - letting the barb crit most of the time even with carnage. The Amplified Wave will crit and the monk's special attacks too. Plus: you can build characters around special unique items like Tall Grass, Forgemaster gloves and so on.

Just be sure to collect as much money at the beginning of the game (sell everything to Heodan as long as you can- his prices are hilarious) so you can buy 5 hirelings as soon as possible. Then the XP-gap won't be so huge. Companions have your lvl, but hirelings start with one lvl less than yours, that's why.

So... long story short: is's easier.

Lower Fort save = more crits?

 

It's even more easy than using the "official" companions because you can built exactly the party that fits your playstyle. And you can profit from great synergy effects like a barb with Brute Force + Threatening Presence (causes Sickened debuff) and another char that does an aoe Weakened debuff (priest, wizard and so on) plus a cipher with Amplified Wave (targets fortitude) or a monk (Torment's Reach and Force of Anguish target fortitude). Sickened plus Weakened will lower fortitude by nearly 40 - letting the barb crit most of the time even with carnage. The Amplified Wave will crit and the monk's special attacks too. Plus: you can build characters around special unique items like Tall Grass, Forgemaster gloves and so on.

Just be sure to collect as much money at the beginning of the game (sell everything to Heodan as long as you can- his prices are hilarious) so you can buy 5 hirelings as soon as possible. Then the XP-gap won't be so huge. Companions have your lvl, but hirelings start with one lvl less than yours, that's why.

So... long story short: is's easier.

Lower Fort save = more crits?

 

 

The Barbarian's Brute Force ability targets the lower of Fortitude or Deflection, so lowering Fortitude by 40 will effectively give you a huge boost to accuracy and cause more of your attacks to be criticals. Using a weapon that has a stun or prone on crit will then be activated more often as well as the affliction attack itself will benefit from the lowered Fortitude.

 

The Barbarian's Carnage will apply the same stun or prone on crit to anyone that also suffers a crit from the carnage attack. Together this can result in basically any enemy within a few meters of your Barbarian being knocked prone or stunned and kept that way until they are killed. The stun or prone also makes it easier to hit them in the first place and will also increase the chance to cause criticals.

Exactly! Well said. Because Barbs have quite low base accuracy and carnage attacks are even more inaccurate you need some kind of acc buff and/or defense debuff to make him crit a lot. And this tactic is easy and effective.