Companion builds

[Boeroer]

It used to work because chants used to apply an "item buff" for some reasons.

But with 2.03 that was not the case any more and still Swift Aim and Sure Handed Ila stacked. Or am I completely mistaken?

[Boeroer]

On a different note ... can anyone think of an Aloth build that concentrates on Kalakoth's Minor Blights?

Sure, why not? Use the Golden Gaze as your standard weapon and cast Minor Blights after Expose Vulnerabilities triggerd - if you need more damage. I would use Alacrity as Spell Mastery option and not Minor Blights then.

[Stargazer55]

What about Outlander's Frenzy instead of Alacrity?

[Dr. Hieronymous Alloy]

Modals and spell don't stack usually.

Cautious attack don't stack with any deflection buff spells.

Paladin modals don't stack with priest armor of faith and blessing (that's why they added graze to hit/hit to graze effects).

Even rogue reckless assault melee accuracy buff doesn't stack with devotion of the faithful one.

 

This is not a bug, dudes.

I don't say it is a wise design choice by the way.

 

 

Right, exactly. I was just using swift aim as an example. The same issue comes up with paladins  and priests etc.

 

It's not necessarily a bad or good design decision but it does add another layer of complexity to planning out party builds. Include Durance in the party, you build Pallegina a different way from if you don't, etc.

Edited January 31, 2016 by Dr. Hieronymous Alloy

[Boeroer]

What about Outlander's Frenzy instead of Alacrity?

Also works of course. But it lasts much shorter and only provides half of the speed (+25% instead of +50%). It gives you some bonus MIG but doesn't boost your move speed. And hopefully it becomes 1/encounter as all the other cross class talents.

[Elric Galad]

 

What about Outlander's Frenzy instead of Alacrity?

Also works of course. But it lasts much shorter and only provides half of the speed (+25% instead of +50%). It gives you some bonus MIG but doesn't boost your move speed. And hopefully it becomes 1/encounter as all the other cross class talents.

The main interest of outlander frenzy instead of alacrity is that it saves your mastery for another good lvl 3 spell like Kakaloth's, blur, fireball, etc...

 

Lvl 3 is one of the best spell lvl IMHO.

[Wolken3156]

On a different note ... can anyone think of an Aloth build that concentrates on Kalakoth's Minor Blights?

Recommended Talents:

Arcane Veil (Optional, but it never hurts to have. Can upgrade to Hardened Veil if you wanted)

Blast (You can grab Penetrating Blast if you want, but this mainly used for causing Interrupts)

Dangerous Implement

Interrupting Blows

 

For the last three talents any choice between Secrets of Rime, Scion of Flames, Weapon Focus: Noble and Bloody Slaughter.

 

Spell Choice is up to you, but for my personal picks:

1 - Chill Fog, Minoletta's Minor Missiles, Eldritch Aim, Arkemyr's Dazzling Lights

1M - Chill Fog

2 - Concelhaut's Draining Missiles, Miasma of Dull Mindness, Merciless Gaze, Binding Web

2M - Combusting Wounds

3 - Expose Vulnerabilities, Kalakoth's Minor Blights, Minoletta's Bounding Missiles, Llengrath's Displaced Image

3M - Deleterious Alacrity of Motion

4 - Wall of Flame, Confusion, Ninagauth's Shadowflame, Minoletta's Concussive Missiles

5 - Ninagauth's Bitter Mooring, Malignant Cloud, Ryngrim's Enervating Terror, Call to Slumber

6 - Ninaguath's Freezing Pillar, Gaze of the Adragan, Citzal's Martial Power, Arkemyr's Capricious Hex

7 - Substantial Phantom, Concelhaut's Crushing Doom, Tayn's Chaotic Orb, Wall of Draining

 

I'll confess, a lot of these spells are chosen just to build up Combusting Wounds damage, so its kinda more like a Combusting Wounds Wizard than a Minor Blights focused one with these spells. Some of the damaging spells (Like Wall of Flame) might struggle to get through DR though since Aloth's Might score isn't exactly the best, so those could easily be changed around. But as I said, spell choice is really up to you in the end. The Wizard's spell list is probably the most balanced at the moment, with every spell being viable for use.

Edited January 31, 2016 by Wolken3156

[DreamWayfarer]

But as I said, spell choice is really up to you in the end. The Wizard's spell list is probably the most balanced at the moment, with every spell being viable for use.

Even the touch spells? I didn't check to see if they were buffed.

[Wolken3156]

 

But as I said, spell choice is really up to you in the end. The Wizard's spell list is probably the most balanced at the moment, with every spell being viable for use.

Even the touch spells? I didn't check to see if they were buffed.

 

Eh, only Sunless Grasp is terrible. Jolting Touch deals decent damage, and Draining Touch is a decent way to heal yourself. Both spells are only useful if you're going in melee heavy though.

Edited January 31, 2016 by Wolken3156

[Elric Galad]

...

3 - Expose Vulnerabilities, Kalakoth's Minor Blights, Minoletta's Bounding Missiles, Llengrath's Displaced Image

3M - Deleterious Alacrity of Motion

...

 

 

I would swap Minoletta's for Alacrity for capital fights.

You never know how much time they could last, having additional Alacritys is probably a good idea...

 

Only paranoids survive.

[Dr. Hieronymous Alloy]

ACtually, what I would really appreciate is a good build for Hiravias, ideally a PotD one that fit him the second rank as support. I don't really "get" druids and I haven't kept track of the class changes.

 

An updated Eder build would be good to see too, I've just been going with Defender etc. like I did before and he still works ok but I feel like he's a missed opportunity.

Edited January 31, 2016 by Dr. Hieronymous Alloy

[Elric Galad]

For Eder, I'll do something like this :

 

Hybrid Tank DPS with strong alpha strike

 

Lvl 1 : Knockdown (it's not like if you had choice ))

Lvl 2 : 2 Handed Style

Lvl 3 : Confident Aim

Lvl 5 : Weapon Specialization : Soldier

Lvl 6 : Weapon Focus : Soldier

Lvl 7 : Armored Grace

Lvl 8 : Weapon Mastery : Soldier

Lvl 9 : Critical Defense

Lvl 10 : Superior Deflection

Lvl 11 : Unbroken

Lvl 12 : Runner's wounding shot

Lvl 13 : Sundering Blow

Lvl 14 : Apprentice's sneak attack

 

Get a 2-Hander and an arquebus / Arbalest. Open fight with a Runner's wounding shot from range. Switch to melee 2-hander and hit.

For melee weapons, I would go Tidefall or Grey Sleeper, with St. Ydwen's Redeemer as a backup for vessels.

 

Alternatively, take ruffian weapons with dual wielding syle and pistols/blunderbuss. (Soldier or ruffian are the best for alpha strike.)

 

Get also a good armor (35%+ penalties, I would say Coat of Ill Payment.). 

 

Fighters have good bonuses with ranged weapons, so it is a good way to benefit from something that your Juggernaut Monk doesn't do as well.

Edited January 31, 2016 by Elric Galad

[Boeroer]

ACtually, what I would really appreciate is a good build for Hiravias, ideally a PotD one that fit him the second rank as support. I don't really "get" druids and I haven't kept track of the class changes.

 

An updated Eder build would be good to see too, I've just been going with Defender etc. like I did before and he still works ok but I feel like he's a missed opportunity.

I had a pretty good time when I used my druid as a tank. I think that approach also works for Hiravas. Look up the "Batsh!t Crazy" build. It's quite simple and not too weird.

 

Eder would work quite well as Engineer I guess. With the new Constant Recovery his regeneration in the first 45 seconds of combat will be stellar. You could even try to switch the shield for a sabre dual wielding approach - Knock Down is a full attack now.

Sundering Blow + Penetrating Shot + Lead Spitter and all the Ruffian specs is devastating. DR bypass of 20 - your Blunderbuss will hit so hard...

Edited January 31, 2016 by Boeroer

[Elric Galad]

I think it's easier to make Melee Companions more or less optimal.

Melee NPC benefit from all stats including Constitution and Resolve.

For Ranged NPC, you would like to drop Resolve and stay around 10 constitution.

 

How do you benefit from 12 constitution from Sagani ? Or 13 Resolve from Aloth ?

It's not strictly worse, but I feel that it is clearly suboptimal.

 

For my next run, I consider taking Eder, Kana and Pallegina but I have trouble to complete my team if I choose to go with 5 Companions.

I can't go with 5 melee and a ranged PC, I fear a "melee traffic jam" effect.

Yeah, I have a "rather powergaming" approach.

 

 

Devil of Caroc is a special case : the problem is her stupid dexterity which happens to be the most important stat for a rogue, alongside with heavy armor which makes her even slower.

At least she has a lot of unique features...

[Boeroer]

She's a good frontliner with a shield and a sabre. Still great damage - combined with good survivability.

[Elric Galad]

It would even make sense to make her a tank since the last thing you want is a tank getting mind-controlled.

 

Maybe with Riposte and a paladin dropping Reinforcing exhortation ?

[Dr. Hieronymous Alloy]

 

 

I had a pretty good time when I used my druid as a tank. I think that approach also works for Hiravas. Look up the "Batsh!t Crazy" build. It's quite simple and not too weird.

 

 

 

 

 

So far this approach seems to be working great, thanks -- I even had most of the items already just by chance. He's a tough little guy. I just run him up to the front and cast returning storm and wheeeee

[limaxophobiacq]

Should work even better in 3.0 with survival giving you DR.

 

I had good results using Hiravias to tank/off-tank wearing Sanguine Plate. A frenzied druid is no joke.

 

Nature's Vigor per-encounter helps a lot.

Edited February 1, 2016 by limaxophobiacq

[Boeroer]

@Dr. H.: Just like that.

 

@EricGalad: I did a lot of Riposte related tests and I think even in the best case it's not very good. 20% of misses is just too low. 50% would be ok. The best case is high deflection, a heavily debuffed mob with two afflictions and gimped ACC and a hard hitting weapon. Retaliation Items are great however. All the +melee dmg mods (even sneak and deathblows) and Vulnerable Attack work with it and also Deep Wounds(!). Ryona's Vembraces, too (8 DR bypass in total). With Garodh's Chorus and Sura's Supper Plate you can stack two retaliations and have a pretty good frontliner who does good damage even while getting hit.

 

Torm51 used Reinforcing Exhortation on his Devil a lot and said it works great.

Edited February 1, 2016 by Boeroer

[Stargazer55]

Should work even better in 3.0 with survival giving you DR.

 

I had good results using Hiravias to tank/off-tank wearing Sanguine Plate. A frenzied druid is no joke.

 

Nature's Vigor per-encounter helps a lot.

 

ARGH! Now I want to play a druid again. This decision is killing me .

[limaxophobiacq]

Just find something new in 3.0 beta that might help duids tank even more: Woodskin now also increases Slash DR by 6 in addition to Pierce, Burn, and Shock. (I think this is new to 3.0 or I guess I look a bit silly.)

 

Once your druid is level 11 you can have it + Nature's Vigor per-encounter to help you tank and protect those around you.

Edited February 3, 2016 by limaxophobiacq

[Boeroer]

That's new. And good.

 

Druids have OK base deflection. So making them a tank is not that weird. They don't have lots of self buffs or any class talents that boost their tankyness further - but at the same time they have good CC spells. They only have to tank until their first CC sets off. My druid tank had all defenses over 100 at lvl 14 (with items, without MC talents, resting bonuses and consumables). He was a pretty useful tank.

 

It was a good tactic to wear the Blaidh Golan hide armor and other stuff that helps against prone (or raises your defense if you got proned), let the enemy gather around you and then cast "Calling the World's Maw" on yourself.

Edited February 3, 2016 by Boeroer

[Stargazer55]

Does anyone know if Sure-Handed Ila works with implements and/or Minor Blights?

[Boeroer]

It should. As far as I know it works with every ranged weapon.

[Stargazer55]

Okay, do you think this party might work?

 

Myself (front line druid, weapon/shield, not as tough as Hiravias, though, because I can't squeeze out more than CON 8 )

Kana (front line, weapon/shield)

Edér (front line, two-handed weapon) ... maybe he'll be swapped for Devil/Zahua/Menhea

Pallegina (back row, blunderbuss and missiles, 2nd set weapon/shield in case the back row needs protection)

Sagani (back row, hunting bow) + Itumaak (front line)

Aloth (back row, implements and Minor Blights)

Edited February 4, 2016 by Stargazer55