[Class Build] 5 Cipher

[MasterCipher]

v3.02.10008 WM2

 

Cipher

Wood Elf

Old Valia

Colonist

 

MIG 15

DEX 19

CON 3

INT 19

PER 18

RES 3

 

TALENTS

greater focus!

drain whip

bite whip

bloody slaughter

outlander's frenzy

shock boost

apprentice sneak attack

weapon focus hunting bow

 

ABILITIES

mindwave, eyestrike

confusion

phantom foes, mental binding

whisper of treason

dominate, ectopsychic crush

recall agony

stunning scream, pain block

go between

tactical meld, wild leech

borrowed instinct

amplified wave, mind plague

pain link

detonate, speed steal

stasis

reaver blades, defensive mindweb

antipathic field

 

SKILLS

Stealth 8 (+1)

Athletics 3

Lore 0 (+1 class)(+3 boots)

Mechanics 0 (+1 class)

Surivival 10 (+2 background)

 

Slot Item

R Hand haste warbow

L Hand n/a

R Hand 2 stormcaller

L Hand 2 n/a

R Hand 3 twinsting for alacrity 1/rest then weapon switch

L Hand 3 n/a

Armor 2 PER mirror image robe

Armor2 alacrity light armor 1/rest

Head 4 MIG unbending

Neck 2 INT focus

Hands 5 acc

Waist 5 acc under 50%, bonus movement above

Ring 1 4 INT - AoE Daze under 80% end

Ring 2 overseeing ring

Feet 4 DEX

 

scroll: ray of fire

scroll: binding web

potion: alacrity for hard fights because the recovery helps spam cipher abilities

caro golan: 20% focus gain 10 deflect 20 reflex

 

Rationale:

 

Ciphers can do a lot of damage, especially if you set up the beams, but they are even better at neutralizing the enemy.

They also have some unique buffs and debuffs; pain block, go between, phantom foes are superb.

 

Build Choices, sequence matters:

 

Contrary to description, greater focus gives +10 to starting focus! This allows you to open with higher level abilities.

At lvl 16, you start with 55 focus instead of 45. A single bow shot from 12m and you can follow with amplified wave or mind plague.

Stormcaller is even better on ciphers than rangers because duel damage types lets you reliably generate focus at range.

However, haste durgan warbow is even better in terms of focus generation, so Stormcaller is the alt weapon for pierce immune.

Pyschic thrust used to generate focus, but this was probably unintended and was nerfed.

**Confusion is amazing! In addition to starting combat, you can set up free disengagement attacks when mob randomly runs around.**

The brutal raw/AoE crush damage from detonate is/was fast way to fill your focus, but it can also wreck your party - given psychic thrust nerf, the focus gain on this could be nerfed too.

The crush damage occurs when you kill an enemy with the raw damage that is already below 50% health.

Reaver blades isn't acquired until lvl 15, but it's hard to use the focus faster than you get it.

Blind mobs are easier to hit than prone.

Stasis and speed steal are worth mentioning that there are no immunities to them, 30 second disable and -50%! recovery.

Recall agony is effective on high HP, high DR boss types.

Antipathic field has a buff component that boosts damage of ectopsychic crush by 20% and ray of fire scrolls.

Wild leech is interesting but unreliable. -10 CON lowers mob max hp by 50%, MIG damage lowered by 30%, INT AoE 60%/duration 50% lower mob raise yours, DEX recovery 30%, 4 of the 6 possible stats can have a big impact.

Defensive mindweb with fighter deflection boosts rogue deflection significantly for riposte.

Edited June 14, 2016 by MasterCipher