[Class Build] Cipher: A beginner's guide to GUNMAGE

[Wolken3156]

Cipher: A beginner's guide to GUNMAGE

 

Introduction

This guide merely exists as an example on how to build a ranged Cipher, and isn't strictly the only way to build one. As such it may a bit wordy here. This guide is intended for Path of the Damned, but there's no reason why it couldn't work on lower difficulties.

 

Races

Personally the race choice doesn't really matter too much, though some races are a lot more useful than others. Wood Elf is the race chosen for this build, it doesn't hurt to explore the other races as some can possibly offer more.

 

Human

A ranged Cipher typically want to avoid damage whenever possible, so the Human's racial ability isn't particularly something you want to rely on, and the ability itself is pretty weak compared to what the Godlikes have to offer. On the other hand, unlike Godlikes, you can still wear a hat which may be significant.

 

Wood Elf

Typically the race of choice for a ranged Cipher, since just by being 4m away from an enemy you'll gain damage and accuracy bonuses. This does however restrict your power selection a tad bit, as you'll most likely want to avoid powers that move you close to an enemy, such as Ringleader.

 

Pale Elf

Resistances to burn and cold damage is never a bad thing. Cold damage resistance in particular is very helpful when dealing with Shades early in the game. Both types are also very useful to have in Cragholdt as the numerous casters in the area favor those two elements. Overall, I'd say its a pretty strong pick.

 

Mountain Dwarf

Poison and Disease resistances are alright I guess. Most of these types of attacks usually come from melee attacks, however enemy Druids are very trigger happy with spells of these types. Its not a bad choice for a melee Cipher, but for a ranged I'd probably look at other options.

 

Boreal Dwarf

Accuracy bonuses to Wilders and Primordials is actually better than you think, since a lot of the most dangerous enemies in the game are of these types! Adragans and Ogre Druids are among these, and we all know how much of a pain those two are.

 

Coastal Aumua

Not too many enemies will be using Prone attacks on a Cipher, assuming you're able to keep them away from melee attackers. Ranged Stuns though can come from Cean Gŵla, Greater Wind Blights and a majority of enemy Druids. Stun however is mostly deadly for frontliners due to their greatly reduced Deflection, though it is an annoying status effect as a whole.

 

Island Aumua

An extra weapon set can provide some utility. One strategy is to equip two guns and fire one shot from each to generate a large amount of Focus and then switch to 3rd faster attacking weapon like a War Bow. Obviously if you plan on taking advantage of their weapon sets, you'll want the Quick Switch talent to minimize the amount of time you take swapping weapons around. Overall, this race's usefulness ultimately hinges on your play style; personally I think an extra weapon slot is quite useful.

 

Hearth Orlan

An excellent race, Ciphers love crits and this race helps increase your chances of getting them. Not much else to add really, enjoy getting those crits!

 

Wild Orlan

Getting a bonus to all defenses upon being hit by a Will attack is pretty good, as enemy casters (In particular other Ciphers) will likely aim their spells at you. This will also work on fear auras which can be very useful when fighting dragons or drakes.

 

Nature Godlike

Functionally, their ability is similar to a Human's, though it packs much more of a punch. You do lose the ability to use a helmet though.

 

Death Godlike

Death's Usher is a pretty good damage dealing talent when paired up with damage over time effects or AoE. The Cipher however does have a fairly limited number of them available. Its still a pretty good race overall though.

 

Moon Godlike

Blah blah Silver Tide. This ability is great on any class and Cipher is no exception.

 

Fire Godlike

These make very potent melee Ciphers... but since we're talking about ranged... they're not really an option.

 

Attributes

The attribute spread I would recommend is:

MIG 18

DEX 18

CON 3

PER 18

INT 18

RES 3

 

With Deadfire Archipelago - Drifer chosen as the back ground. This is min/maxed of course and isn't always the optimal spread, as such you may choose to add extra CON or RES to help with your squishiness. Just a few guidelines though:

 

Might

A primary stat for the Cipher and one of the most important. Might affects all damage you deal, and as Ciphers are designed to primarily deal damage, this is obviously important. Perhaps more important however is that the amount of Focus you gain is directly based on the amount of damage you deal. As such, the higher your Might, the more Focus you'll generate with each attack, making this stat perhaps even more important to the Cipher than it is to any other class.

 

Dexterity

Dexterity affects your attack speed and casting speed. With the 3.0 changes, Ciphers don't have as many powerful slow casting powers as they used to, so this stat is slightly less important. Its still however very useful for Focus generation as this will affect your attack speed with your weapons, and faster attacks means quicker Focus generation.

 

Constitution

Extra endurance never hurts as damage is ultimately unavoidable. A ranged Cipher though will most likely opt to dump this, as if they're getting swarmed they're gonna die regardless of how much Endurance they have.

 

Perception

Accuracy is paramount for a Cipher, as missing or grazing with your weapon is extremely costly as it'll have a powerful effect on your Focus gain. Also a lot of the Cipher's powers have much shorter duration than the spells coming from a Wizard or Druid, as such Ciphers value crits a lot for their duration bonus. With high perception it becomes significantly easier to score crits with your various powers. Keep in mind that the value of this stat decreases as you get further in game; especially if you have a Priest.

 

Intelligence

As mentioned above, the duration of powers is a little on the short side compared to spells. Having a high Int though, will make your powers have much longer durations. Int also affects the AoE size, however Ciphers do not have too many AoE powers, and some of them like Mind Lance or Mind Blades, are unaffected by Int.

 

Resolve

A lot of what I mentioned in Con also applies to Resolve. It should be noted though that Resolve will have an effect on concentration. If you plan on running low Resolve, consider making Potions of Spirit Shield when fighting enemies that utilize a lot of interrupting effects (Such as the Ogre Druid's Insect Plague).

 

Talents

I recommend the following:

2 - Biting Whip

4 - Draining Whip

6 - Penetrating Shot

8 - Weapon Focus: Ruffian

10 - Apprentice's Sneak Attack

12 - Gunner or Outlander's Frenzy

14 - Marksman

 

You can of course take them in any other order you choose. Or even take other talents, just a "quick" rundown on them:

 

Psychic Backlash and Brutal Backlash

Enemy Ciphers commonly pack these two, which is part of the reason they're annoying. These two talents though are highly situational, so its hard to recommend giving up a talent slot for these. I am almost certain these do however work on fear auras, which would make them very useful when dealing with dragons and drakes.

 

Biting Whip

Probably a given, but being able to hit harder equates to more Focus generated, so you will always want to grab this.

 

Draining Whip

Another obvious one to take, as this will increase the amount of Focus you generate with your attacks.

 

Greater Focus

The main reason to grab this is the fact that it can increase your starting Focus, which means its possible to use your higher level powers at the start of combat. This is especially useful during early game as your starting Focus pool is very small. Late game however, you'll have much more sizable Focus pool, as such this power may be slightly less useful depending on your playstyle.

 

Weapon Focus

Accuracy boosts are always welcome. Once you've decided on the weapon you want for your build, you'll want to grab the appropriate talent.

 

Marksman

For ranged Ciphers you get another accuracy boost to play with.

 

Envenomed Strike

Not a bad talent actually, the raw damage is very strong. However, its hard to justify picking this over other talents. If you have a free talent slot though, by all means go ahead and grab this.

 

Gunner

If you plan on using a firearm (And not swapping weapons) this talent is a must-have. Reloading is the bane of any gun user, and being able to quicken it is always a welcomed ability.

 

Dangerous Implement

Implements aren't very good at generating Focus, however you may want to use them when dealing with pierce immunes. One weapon however worth considering is the Golden Gaze, which hits multiple times and generates a solid amount of Focus. If you want to use that, then you'll want this of course.

 

Beast Slayer/Primal Bane/Ghost Hunter/Sanctifier/Wilder Hunter

They're not bad talents but they're very situational. You could grab one of these and pair them up with a camping bonus to get a huge bonus against one type of enemy, but still you usually have better choices to pick. If you had to grab one of these though, I would say Ghost Hunter is the best choice, as Spirits are incredibly common and are very dangerous.

 

Interrupting Blows

Compared to other classes, Ciphers are actually terrible at generating Interrupts, so I wouldn't recommend this.

 

Penetrating Shot

The ability to ignore DR means you'll be able to deal a lot more damage. This is especially important in PotD, as a majority of enemies have good DR values.

 

Bloody Slaughter

Not a bad talent actually, typically you use this to power up DoT or AoE effects. You could however fire an attack at a enemy low on endurance and generate a slightly larger amount of Focus. This ability also works with Death's Usher, so a Death Godlike with this ability can be quite fearsome on low Endurance enemies.

 

Snake's Reflexes/Bear's Fortitude/Bull's Will/Superior Deflection

A bonus to defenses is always welcomed. Grabbing these if you have talent slots to spare if often a very good idea.

 

Quick Switch

Swapping around weapon sets brings a lot of utility to your Cipher. If you plan on swapping around weapons a lot, this talent is a must-have. Otherwise you can probably ignore this. Its worth noting there's also a belt in the game that has this talent on it, which can allow you avoid using this on a talent slot.

 

Apprentice's Sneak Attack

An easy way to boost damage. You should ideally be setting up the conditions for this to kick in, especially since a lot of the Ciphers powers are good at doing this.

 

Outlander's Frenzy

This is a very potent talent, giving you a damage boost and attack speed boost, which can do wonders with your Focus generation. Keep in mind though that the attack speed boost does not stack with Time Parasite, and if you're using a Gun, this will do nothing to your reloading animation.

 

Powers

Finally we hit the section we've been waiting for, the Powers. There's gonna be a lot to cover here, of course first up we have the one my build uses:

1st - Antipathetic Field, Mind Wave, Soul Shock, Whisper of Treason

2nd - Mental Binding, Phantom Foes, Psychovampiric Shield, Recall Agony

3rd - Ectopsychic Echo, Secret Horrors, Soul Ignition

4th - Body Attunement, Pain Block, Silent Scream, Wild Leech

5th - Borrowed Instinct, Tactical Meld, Detonate

6th - Amplified Wave, Disintegrate

7th - Time Parasite

8th - Reaping Knives, Defensive Mindweb

 

And of course I'm gonna sum them all up, hoo boy. Lets get started.

 

1st-level Powers

Antipathetic Field

This is a very powerful tether based power, dealing more damage than the Wizard's Ray of Fire! Its does have the limitation of being forced to move around to position it, plus you must avoid getting your allies caught in it as this will destroy them in no time flat.

 

Eyestrike

Blind is a very powerful status effect and being able to freely use it in each encounter makes this extremely useful during the early parts of the game. This also affects Will as well, which a lot of enemies during Act 1 have a low value in that area. If you have a Wizard or Druid though, this power does become less useful during a skirmish they may decide to toss out a spell or once Spell Mastery is available, as their sources of blind are much more effective overall.

 

Mind Wave

Knocking a group of enemies Prone has a lot of applications, especially if you run a lot of other casters. It can help with being swarmed and it can allow Reflex and Deflection based attacks land much easier.

 

Soul Shock

A potent and extremely spammable AoE power. It deals decent damage and has no affect on your own allies. This power alone will decimate a majority of early game encounters. I find myself using it less later in the game, but its still a pretty good AoE attack, especially if you have someone running the Stormcaller.

 

Tenuous Grasp

Its very hard to recommend this over Whisper of Treason now, due to its average cast speed and less powerful overall effect. The Frightened effect though has a very long duration, which can really help out with landing a majority of your powers.

 

Whisper of Treason

The signature move of a Cipher and with good reason too, as this power is just incredible now. It has a fast cast speed and it also inflicts Charmed which has numerous applications. A Charmed target will distract enemies, and also attack them too. Charm also lowers all defenses by 25 points, which makes them very easy to kill.

 

2nd-level Powers

Amplified Thrust

Much like Soul Shock, another early and powerful source of damage. This power though gets outclassed a tad bit quicker than Soul Shock though as you start to get more powerful weapons and powers.

 

Mind Blades

A decent AoE power, this move does less damage than Soul Shock however, but it does affect a much broader area.

 

Mental Binding

Paralysis is an excellent effect and is a good way to stop a dangerous enemy in its tracks. Paralysed enemies also make the best Focus generation targets. As such an ideal use of this power would be to open with it and then fire a shot at them and generate a huge chunk of Focus in return.

 

Another thing that makes this power really stand out is that any enemies near the paralysed target get inflicted with Stuck, making this useful even for controlling groups. Its duration though is very short, but its still there.

 

Phantom Foes

This power has a very long duration and a very large radius. Its very useful for triggering Sneak Attacks, especially in areas where setting up flanks is difficult due to the narrow space, like a lot of indoor battles. However, this does get suppressed by other afflictions that lower Deflection, including Blind.

 

Psychovampiric Shield

Oh hey I wrote about this recently. Copy/Paste

 

+25 Deflection is pretty nice, but I've always preferred this Power for its -10 Resolve.

 

-10 Resolve from Psychovampiric Shield is a great way to lower an enemy's deflection and will defense. It also lowers their Concentration as well which great for Interrupting. This also doesn't get suppressed from Miasma of Dull Mindness which means you can get a -16 Resolve on one enemy target. It also doesn't get suppressed by Wild Leech either which could potentially lead to a very tasty -20 Resolve, however Wild Leech does pick a random attribute so it isn't exactly reliable

 

Wild Leech doesn't get suppressed by Miasma either, so in theory you could stack all three and potentially get an incredible -26 Resolve! But I haven't actually tested it, and it would be difficult to test since Wild Leech is so random.

 

Recall Agony

The Cipher's equivalent Combusting Wounds, though it unfortunately only affects a single target. Functionally though, you would use this in the same manner as you would use Combusting Wounds by pairing it with a lot quick rapid hitting attacks. This power also stacks with Combusting Wounds, though ticks from Combusting Wounds won't trigger any damage from this and vice versa.

 

3rd-level Powers

Ectopsychic Echo

The most famous (infamous?) power in the Cipher's arsenal. Much like Antipathetic Field, this power deals enormous amount of damage, rivaling the likes of the Wizard's Bitter Mooring! However what makes this power even better is that you can tether to an ally with it, and this power has no friendly fire attached, making it much more user friendly. Attaching this to a melee character at the start of a combat and having him move around behind the enemy lines is an effective use of the power, and can potentially make this the Cipher's best source of AoE damage even.

 

Fractured Volition

This power is a massive debuff to enemy defenses, making it a pretty ideal power to make use of against major targets. If you have other sources of Hobbled and Weakened though, you may want to pass on this.

 

Pain Link

Basically the Fire Godlike's racial ability made into a power. Its pretty underwhelming and generally not worth the Focus to cast unless you're up against a really large group, and they're all targeting one character.

 

Puppet Master

Whisper of Treason will usually be a better use of Focus since Charmed does nearly the same thing as Dominate, costs significantly less Focus and has a much longer range. Puppet Master does have a few things going for it though; for one it has longer duration than Whisper of Treason. Dominate also doesn't incur a massive penalty to accuracy and defenses like Charmed does, making a Dominated target much more of a potent threat to their own allies.

 

Secret Horrors

This power inflicts Sickened and Frightened in a wide area, which excellent for lowering enemy defences. This power is really good if you're packing a lot of casters as this will make Fort-based spells much easier to use. Frightened is also good since it lowers Will, so this power can also work as an accuracy boost for your Cipher.

 

Soul Ignition

Strong DoT affect; though it only affects a single target.

 

4th-level Powers

Body Attunement

Lowering enemy DR is always a good to have. This is also gives you sizable boost to your own DR which can be handy in some situations.

 

Mind Lance

This is a very damaging AoE attack, it is however a line based AoE so you'll most likely have to adjust your positioning in order to avoid damaging your own allies with this. As a line AoE, this also puts it at slight odds with Ectopsychic Echo and Antipathetic Field.

 

Pain Block

This is the Cipher's one and only healing power, its a pretty good one though. It heals for a decent amount and also gives a delicious +10 DR to the affected ally.

 

Silent Scream

This power may seem less impressive than Mind Lance until you realize that this baby deals Raw damage. Which means it flat out ignores DR, making this an incredibly deadly AoE attack. It also inflicts Stunned on the primary target as well, which you can also use to gain back the Focus you spent on this power too.

 

Wild Leech

This power can seem unreliable since it affects a random attribute so you don't have too much control over it. It is however a -10 to a random attribute so the effects will still be felt regardless of what it affects. This also in turn gives you a +10 bonus to random attribute which can be very powerful since it has a fairly good chance of affecting one of your primary attributes.

 

5th-level Powers

Borrowed Instinct

What an incredible power. -8 to Intelligence and Perception is pretty dang good, but to add to it you also get all kinds of accuracy and defensive bonuses as well!

 

Ringleader

AoE Charmed and Dominate is as good as it sounds. The range of this is painfully short however, so caution is advised when using it.

 

Detonate

Yep, that's a lot of raw damage. It also deals a sizable amount of Crush damage should you kill a target with this, making it an incredible source of AoE damage. This does have friendly fire attached, so make sure your allies are either out of range or well defended.

 

Tactical Meld

Fairly unerwhelming since Borrowed Instinct is overall a better use of Focus. It is useful as an opening against some of the toughest fights though, where getting Borrowed Instinct to land isn't guaranteed.

 

6th-level Powers

Amplified Wave

This deals a decent amount of Crush damage and affects a wide area. The real reason you want to use this though is the fact this also inflicts Prone. Coupled with its massive AoE, this is an excellent CC tool. It does cost an enormous amount of Focus however.

 

Disintegration

Quite possibly the most powerful DoT effect in the game, this power deals colossal amounts of raw damage.

 

Mind Plague

AoE confuse is pretty good and this power disperses in a wide area too. However 60 Focus is hard to justify for it, especially when you can just use Scrolls of Confusion or even just a Wizard for similar effects.

 

7th-level Powers

Stasis Shell

This power can be used to lock out an enemy from combat, they won't be able to take any damage however. This makes it highly situational, and with a 70 Focus cost, its almost not worth even using.

 

Time Parasite

A combination of Deleterious Alacrity of Motion and Arduous Delay of Motion. Not a bad combo by any means but it does cost an enormous 70 Focus; but if you're running a Dex heavy build, the benefits can outweigh its cost.

 

8th-level Powers

Reaping Knives

One of the best summoned weapons in the game. It deals excellent damage, can be used by martial classes like Monks and each hit with it gives you Focus. Highly recommended if you have a dual wielder of any kind.

 

Defensive Mindweb

The best spell for turtling. This is a game changer, as having a Paladin or Fighter in range makes this into a massive defence boost. Suddenly, now your entire party can tank a dragon (Or at least attempt it).

 

Equipment

This I confess is an area I'm not very good at. What I typically run though is:

Weapon 1: Scon Mica's Roar

Weapon 2: Golden Gaze

Head: Helm of Darksee

Body: Vengiatta Rugia

Neck: Talisman of the Unconquerable

Hands: Pilferer's Grip

Feet: Glanfathan Stalking Boots

Waist: Girdle of Maegfolc Might

Ring 1: Ring of Protection

Ring 2: Ring of Thorns

 

Which decent but I'm sure many of you can think of better builds then that. I won't really delve into this though, as there's a ton of items and I'll be here forever trying to cover them all. So here's a brief list on some other good choices.

 

Weapon 1: Scon Mica's Roar, Lead Splitter, Dulcanale, Fellstroke, Persistence, Stormcaller, The Rain of Godagh Field, Borresaine, Lenas Êr, Stormcaller

Weapon 2: Golden Gaze, Pretty Pretty's Rib

Head: Helm of Darksee, Hermit's Hat, Stag Helm, Azalin's Helmet, Tempered Helm

Body: Vengiatta Rugia, Starlit Garb, Raiment of Wael's Eyes, Angio's Gambeson, just plain boring enchanted Clothing

Neck: Talisman of the Unconquerable

Hands: Pilferer's Grip, Bracers of All-Consuming Rage, Gauntlets of Swift Action, Gauntlets of Accuracy, Ryona's Vambraces, Gloves of Manipulation, Rabbit Fur Gloves

Feet: Glanfathan Stalking Boots, Boots of Speed, Boot of Stealth, Malina's Boots

Waist: Girdle of Maegfolc Might, Broad Belt of Power, Sentinel's Girdle, Belt of Stelgaer, Coil of Resourcefulness

Rings: Ring of Protection, Ring of Thorns, Ring of Searing Flames, Ring of Unshackling, Pensiavi mes Rèi, Sigil of the Arcane, Frigid Claim, Bartender's Ring

 

Conclusion

I have probably missed a TON of things. So go yell at me for anything I missed or anything I may be unaware of.

Edited April 29, 2018 by Wolken3156

[Raven Darkholme]

Nice guide.

Couldn't find anything I don't agree on.

[Boeroer]

Nice, profound... and elaborate.

 

This will certainly work - I would be a bit afraid of getting swarmed because of low DR, RES and CON. You will need some bodyguarding or even babysitting, don't you think?

 

I wanted to try a different approach:

 

For a gun cipher I would take Island Aumau, Arms Bearer and Quick Switch or use the Coil of Resourcefulness (if you use both and switch right after the shot, before the recovery bar appears, you won't even have recovery).

That way you could lower DEX and put the points elsewhere (Island Aumau can reach 21 MIG from the start for example). I would pump Resolve a bit because then AI doesn't target you all the time and if it does you won't get interrupted all the time. Then you could also skip the Gunner Talent. If you also take Greater Focus you can fire four hefty shots in very quick succession at the beginning if a fight (after the initial CC power you released when encounter started) - this will generate enough focus for the rest of most fights and the risk of focus overflow is minimized. This would (in theory) increase your DPS a lot because you don't have to wait for gun shots to happen for the rest of the fight. Another plus: most of the time one or two enemies are dead anyway from your 4 gun shots (preferably casters). I would also use a bit thicker armor just to prevent getting targeted by AI. The Wayfarer's Hide is great because it not only has a lot of DR with low recovery penalty, but also protects against all the things a ranged squishy doesn't want to catch: Paralyze, Hobbled, Stuck. The Night Runner is also good  for running away - combined with Boots of Speed. Kerdhed Pames is also nice because of the +3 RES - you could then dump RES a bit more and put the points elsewhere. Best gloves for a Blunderbuss cipher are Ryona's Vembraces. Combined with blunderbuss-inherent DR penetration and Penetrating Shot you will have a total DR penetration of 12 (15 with Lead Spitter). Since blunderbusses have the highest weapon damage output per attack against zero DR, this would be very effective. Ryona's mean a flat damage increase of 6*3 = 18 damage per shot if you meet foes with DR 12 or higher. If you use other guns you don't need them of course.

 

Ok, this is a totally different build now. But thanks for the great read and inspiration!

When I have time I will try out that idea an tell you what happened.

[AndreaColombo]

Great work!

[Abalon]

Great guide on a side note is it virtually impossible to get gloves of mechanics now they removed the ability to rest at rodrica keep

[AndreaColombo]

^ console?

[Dr. Hieronymous Alloy]

Overall seems good. I'd have never had the patience to write out an eval of each race and each power like that, I'd have just stopped at "wood elf good" and "these powers good, other powers bad"

 

My first thought was "you aren't really discussing equipment" but then I got to the end and you admitted that section needed work.

 

Leadspitter is definitely preferable to Scon Mica because they just changed Disorienting and it doesn't stack with itself any more, so now Scon Mica just gives -5 all defenses instead of -30. So yeah use Leadspitter if you're going blunderbuss. (You can also go bow or pistol but that's a whole other discussion). 

 

Most guides ignore equipment in the early game, but the early game is the most important. Big Tip: you can get all the components for a basic Accuracy enchant by the time you reach the tree in Golden Vale. Drop that basic enchant on The Disappointer and it wipes the "terrible" enchant, giving you a very effective pistol in Act 1. 

 

I disagree a little with the stat spread just because going full glass-cannon con/res 3 on PotD will lead to a lot of problems getting one-shotted (or at least it would for me). Personally I don't like going below about 6 Con. Of course if you do that you have to take those points out of a primary and thus have to choose a more specific role (damage or CC), and that in turn effects which powers you'd pick. 

 

Talents:

 

I think it's important to recommend a specific order. Lots of talents are not-bad at some point but most are best taken at specific levels. You touch on this with greater focus but it applies to a lot of other talents also -- for example, I generally find it best to take Penetrating Shot around 8th level (when you first start running into enemies with really high DR) and I like to take the weapon skill talents like Ruffian around 4th or 6th (which is generally the time you're hitting Act II and start to have real choice in gear instead of just using whatever you find). 

 

As to powers:

 

1) I would suggest you try playing with the new-and-improved puppet master. I think it's now preferable to Whisper of Treason even given the higher cost. It lasts  significantly longer, especially with a high Int, and it casts faster, and thus it's *very* useful for getting rid of aggro or monsters running past your front line to tag your squishy, squishy cipher.

 

2) Depending on your party composition a few of the powers you recommend are a lot less useful. For example, if your party includes a chanter, the Chanter's fear phrase is going to be a much better source of Frightened than Secret Horrors. On the other hand, some status effects like Blind are so good it's worth doubling up on them. 

Edited February 9, 2016 by Dr. Hieronymous Alloy

[Wolken3156]

I disagree a little with the stat spread just because going full glass-cannon con/res 3 on PotD will lead to a lot of problems getting one-shotted (or at least it would for me). Personally I don't like going below about 6 Con. Of course if you do that you have to take those points out of a primary and thus have to choose a more specific role (damage or CC), and that in turn effects which powers you'd pick.

Its never really been a problem for me. My party is pretty melee heavy (And by that I mean melee Chanters, Druids and Priests XD) though, with only the Cipher and (kind of, not really) the Wizard being the only back line characters, so keeping enemies off my Cipher isn't terribly difficult since I have 4 front liners to work with. Obviously with less it can be a tad more difficult but still very doable, I was able to run it just fine with only two front liners.

 

But as I said, its not the only way to allocate attributes. If you feel more comfortable with more Res and Con, then by all means feel free to invest in them. Assuming you're running with a firearm, an example of a more durable spread would probably look like this:

MIG 18

DEX 13

CON 3

PER 18

INT 16

RES 10

 

You'll still have rubbish Endurance however you now have a very decent Deflection stat, which can be boosted with Psychovampiric Shield. You could also run a 1-handed weapon and a shield in your 2nd weapon slot should you be forced in engagement.

 

1) I would suggest you try playing with the new-and-improved puppet master. I think it's now preferable to Whisper of Treason even given the higher cost. It lasts  significantly longer, especially with a high Int, and it casts faster, and thus it's *very* useful for getting rid of aggro or monsters running past your front line to tag your squishy, squishy cipher.

I already listed my thoughts on Puppet Master, it is a very good power, but everything it can do can be substituted with Whisper just fine IMO. Puppet Master does have a slightly quicker cast time though. But I rather save the 20 Focus and use it for another power, maybe even a 2nd Whisper.

 

Great guide on a side note is it virtually impossible to get gloves of mechanics now they removed the ability to rest at rodrica keep

Pretty sure you can hit the magical 13 number if you just invest only in mechanics. It does mean losing out on Survival points, and you'll probably want to get at least 4 in it for those lovely racial accuracy bonuses.

 

... Also I knew I forgot an item =/

 

I also forgot the Coil of Resourcefulness even though I explicitly mentioned it at one point of the guide... how embarrassing!

Edited February 9, 2016 by Wolken3156

[MaxQuest]

Good guide

Although I have to second that 3 CON / 3 RES might be a problem. When I have started the first play-though (on normal, with 5CON / 8RES cipher) ogre druids (from Od-Nua 4th level), were one-shooting my MC (which was also level 4) with Talon's Reach. I didn't know of the endurance amulets at the time, and had to reload until druid has rng-selected to one-shot Aloth

 

Also I would mention in the guide that there are more than one possible build for Cipher (i.e. cipher is not required to be strictly with a gun), and maybe some comparison (math/numbers) between different types of ranged weapons.

And.. correct me if I am wrong, but war bow seems to be a quite decent weapon: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1WcgHNkpy-JDuJUhPe4fJc6yilxZaaDET1DKwch19yK4/edit#gid=0

Edited February 9, 2016 by MaxQuest

[Wolken3156]

Also I would mention in the guide that there are more than one possible build for Cipher (i.e. cipher is not required to be strictly with a gun), and maybe some comparison (math/numbers) between different types of ranged weapons.

And.. correct me if I am wrong, but war bow seems to be a quite decent weapon: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1WcgHNkpy-JDuJUhPe4fJc6yilxZaaDET1DKwch19yK4/edit#gid=0

I did mention a few bows here and there, War Bows are actually a very strong weapon choice in general.

 

I'm not much a number cruncher, so I can't really do mathematical comparisons between the weapons. This is mostly meant to serve a basis guide for making your own Cipher rather than list an absolute way to play them anyway.

[Raven Darkholme]

War bows have no good uniques.

Huntring bows are quite good on the other hand.

[AndreaColombo]

War bows have no good uniques.

 

Sabra Marie is not good?

 

The Rain of Godagh Field is also good, as you don't need Sky Dragon Eyes to make it Superb and has the Speed enchant which enables you to reach 0 recovery.

[Abalon]

Puppet master is invaluable at higher levels simply because a instanew cast dominate is so useful

 

Follow up question, does the dot on persistence generate focus?

Edited February 9, 2016 by Abalon

[Boeroer]

War bows have no good uniques.

Huntring bows are quite good on the other hand.

The fact that there are very nice unique hunting bows doesn't make the unique war bows bad.

 

Cloudpiercer (rending + jolting touch), Sabra Marie (confusing), Rain of Godagh Field (speed) and Borresaine (draining, stunning) ar all very good in my opinion. Ok - I also always go for Stormcaller of Persistence, but still...

 

Stormcaller is very good for building focus because of the -6 shock DR. I would choose it for my bow cipher - if had no ranger in the party of course.

Edited February 9, 2016 by Boeroer

[Boeroer]

Puppet master is invaluable at higher levels simply because a instanew cast dominate is so useful

 

Follow up question, does the dot on persistence generate focus?

Nope - no DoT effect does.

[Abalon]

Ciphers have reclaimed there spot as min of 2 for anyone of my parties I'm running the cc build 12 might, 7 con, 19 dex, 19 perc, 18 int 3 resolve works pretty well with my updated ranger run! Goal is to get storm caller asap, wonder if I can get it at level 6 on potd....

[Elric Galad]

Is stormcaller that good for a cipher ? I wonder if Soulshock could even be close to returning storm bolt generated by Ranger's version.

 

Do you require the electrical damage talent to make it work ?

[id3a]

Ranger's version is by far a better option for me because the stunned effect.
And I doubt the effectiveness of AI on choosing the foe to activate the soul shock.

The shock damage talent does help

Edited February 10, 2016 by id3a

[Boeroer]

It's not only about the soul shock. It's about the focus because you lower DR by 6. That's like 6 more damage per shot. 11 if you took Penetrating Shot. Soul shock will not trigger too often because you don't have Twinned Arrows nor Driving Flight.

Edited February 10, 2016 by Boeroer

[Elric Galad]

6DR bypass is good. It's more or less 2 rending mods.

Pierce/electrical damages is nice too.

 

But is it better than Lenas Er (rending, lash, disorienting) that can also benefit from Durgan refinement ? (Sure, at party level, Durgan refinement has opportunity cost)

 

Without Durgan steel, Stormcaller is about the same level as Lenas Er IMHO.

 

While, for ranger, because of returning storm, I think it is actually better.

[Raven Darkholme]

 

War bows have no good uniques.

Huntring bows are quite good on the other hand.

The fact that there are very nice unique hunting bows doesn't make the unique war bows bad.

 

Cloudpiercer (rending + jolting touch), Sabra Marie (confusing), Rain of Godagh Field (speed) and Borresaine (draining, stunning) ar all very good in my opinion. Ok - I also always go for Stormcaller of Persistence, but still...

 

Stormcaller is very good for building focus because of the -6 shock DR. I would choose it for my bow cipher - if had no ranger in the party of course.

 

If you have more than one cipher, sure war bow might be an option.

[ottffsse]

6DR bypass is good. It's more or less 2 rending mods.

Pierce/electrical damages is nice too.

 

But is it better than Lenas Er (rending, lash, disorienting) that can also benefit from Durgan refinement ? (Sure, at party level, Durgan refinement has opportunity cost)

 

Without Durgan steel, Stormcaller is about the same level as Lenas Er IMHO.

 

While, for ranger, because of returning storm, I think it is actually better.

If you go hunting bow on cipher there is no reason not to use lenas er (which you may get much later than stormcaller) in the second weapon slot. It's great debuffing against bosses (a full - 10 to defenses is huge) but dps wise the stormcaller is more damage against most mob encounters when it matters like wm and cragholdt. It's a question of damage vs utility. Vs bosses I prefer to debuff them to that my rogue can do more damage to them which he is very good at. Yeah and in last party setup I played I had a ranged rogue instead of Ranger as single target specialist. With Ranger in the party I'd probably just go good old guns on a ranged cipher.

[Boeroer]

I think party composition also influences that. If I already had a ranger with Stormcaller my bow cipher would use war bows I think. At least that was the case last time I played a cipher. I had two rangers (Stormcaller & Persistence) and a cipher (Borresaine/Cloudpiercer, later Sabra Marie). That way I could also get ok focus from higher DR foes. Rending plus Penetrating Shot (=8 DR bypass) and the higher base damage are good for that.  

[id3a]

Ranger (w/ stormcaller) and cipher (w/ cloudpiercer) makes things very interesting. Jolting touch can be devastating with 6 DR bypass

[Raven Darkholme]

I think party composition also influences that. If I already had a ranger with Stormcaller my bow cipher would use war bows I think. At least that was the case last time I played a cipher. I had two rangers (Stormcaller & Persistence) and a cipher (Borresaine/Cloudpiercer, later Sabra Marie). That way I could also get ok focus from higher DR foes. Rending plus Penetrating Shot (=8 DR bypass) and the higher base damage are good for that.  

Except for people who will never touch a ranger.^^

Oh wait, never is the wrong word, my first PoE character was a ranger.