Party for upscaled PotD

[Boeroer]

As I said: no problem with shifting some points here and there. Tht build is not minmaxed in terms of attributes (because you can't dump anything). But since you have Durance you shouldn't have problems with afflictions at all. Just use his prayers and litanies and you don't need high fortitude. 

 

Having two marking paladins is a bit too much for my taste. But yes, the marking of both could be used to support different team members. But marking/coordinated attacks of two paladins won't stack on one single ally (just saying). However - if you have some kind of Ploi-build with the Whisper of Treason + Zealous FOcus + Sworn Enemy and another marking paladin who marks for Ploi then of course you could increase his crit rate with FoD and mind controls even further.

 

Marking works well with casting as well. The nearest party member who is currently attacking/casting at the same target gets the bonus. Casters immediately stop attacking/casting after a spell was delivered in no-AI mode - and thus free up the ACC bonus for the next nearest party member who also attacks that enemy.

If you time it right (not very hard), then all casters who target the same "marked" enemy can use the ACC bonus for their casts. Usually this works automatically if their casts don't hit the target at the exact same time.

 

Also note that Durance's Inspiring Radiation and his Devotions will stack with all universal ACC buffs like Zealous Focus and also with Marking+Coordinated Attacks. That way you can get +30 ACC for the whole party and +60 for single allies (if you use Darcozzi, otherwise +50).

Also note that dual wielding marking weapons works, too. You will give +30 ACC to a single ally with dual marking weapons + Coordinated Attacks. +40 as Darcozzi with Insp. Lib. But since you would have to use Shame or Glory and Cladhaliath on the same paladin (those are the only two one-handed marking weapons) it would look really weird.

 

Usually I use my marking paladin to flank a dragon and then comes my Knockdown-Fighter or monk with Force of Anguish and prones the dragon. Even though dragons have tremendous fort. and also restistance to prone (+20) I never missed a Knockdown/Force of Anguish because the ACC boost from Inspiring Radiance, Marking, Coordinated Attacks and Devotions is so high that the dragon falls.

You can take it to the extreme if you mark-buff a cipher who casts Tactical Meld on you. He will get +20 ACC on top (stacks) and can then hit or crit everthing in this game that's not immune.

Edited September 15, 2017 by Boeroer

[r2d23]

Thanks for the info. I've already gathered that one can stack indecent amounts of accuracy on a frontman with the help of a paladin and a priest.

 

Well as a main character Paladin with Deep Faith he's not going to have bad Fortitude. I think he'll have 98 unbuffed and without gear at level 16.

 

 

And what about before he hits level 16 along with Deep Faith and max bonus from Faith and Conviction? I am always more worried about mid-game scenarios rather than late game ones. In any case, I can always shift some points from RES to CON as Boeroer suggested.

[JerekKruger]

I am always more worried about mid-game scenarios rather than late game ones.

 

Of course. Well for non-Deflection saves he'll have +10 from the very start of the game, the equivalent of 5 points of Might or Constitution, and he'll gain +4 quite quickly from getting the first rank in each of his favoured dispositions (you can get Diplomatic and Honest 1 by doing a few easy side quests in Gilded Vale). This gives him comparable or better saves most non-Paladin classes would have and they're just going to get better as you level up.

 

In any case, I can always shift some points from RES to CON as Boeroer suggested.

 

This is true. I'm not entirely sure why the build has such (relatively) high Resolve. I'd probably go with a Resolve of 10 and pump his Might to 18 and use the other two points on Intellect and Perception, or perhaps Constitution.

Edited September 15, 2017 by JerekKruger

[Boeroer]

High RES for da dialogues, man!

[JerekKruger]

High RES for da dialogues, man!

 

I never thought I'd see you advocate attribute choices based on dialogue options Boeroer 

[Boeroer]

Sure, why not? In most of my builds I try at least to somehow explain the attribute spread from a rp-perpective (even when it means I have to make up really weird background-stories).

I also seldomly recommend the latest high end gear but rather gear that fits the style and "vibe" or the char. Else they all would wear Maegfolc Skull.

 

I don't enjoy playing superpowerful characters if the rp-part is totally bonkers - or non-existent.

Edited September 15, 2017 by Boeroer

[JerekKruger]

No reason why not, for whatever reason I just didn't think that was you.

 

I have to admit I always feel a little bad that my characters almost exclusively have low (usually Resolve. There's always this feeling that they'd all be really easy to tempt, or they'd all have addictive personalities. Resolve just seems so unimportant though.

 

EDIT: I hope they improve Resolve in Deadfire.

Edited September 15, 2017 by JerekKruger

[Lampros]

Sure, why not? In most of my builds I try at least to somehow explain the attribute spread from a rp-perpective (even when it means I have to make up really weird background-stories).

 

I also seldomly recommend the latest high end gear but rather gear that fits the style and "vibe" or the char. Else they all would wear Maegfolc Skull.

 

I don't enjoy playing superpowerful characters if the rp-part is totally bonkers - or non-existent.

 

Yup. Maegfolc Skull looks so terrible that I declined to use it when I looted it.

[JerekKruger]

Yup. Maegfolc Skull looks so terrible that I declined to use it when I looted it.

 

You can use the console to turn off helms without removing the ability to get achievements.

[Lampros]

 

Yup. Maegfolc Skull looks so terrible that I declined to use it when I looted it.

 

You can use the console to turn off helms without removing the ability to get achievements.

 

 

I like Achievements

 

Edit: Oh, wait. You say I can still get Achievements?!!!

Edited September 15, 2017 by Lampros

[JerekKruger]

Edit: Oh, wait. You say I can still get Achievements?!!!

 

Yup. Achievements are only disabled if you enter "iroll20s" into the console. The command "HelmetVisibility false" doesn't require that command to be entered to work.

 

Note that this command will only remove the graphics for helmets worn by those characters you currently have selected when you enter it, so you can mix and match which headgear you remove. It also might be the case that you have to reenter this command each time you load a game (I'm not actually sure as I've never used it).

[Lampros]

 

Edit: Oh, wait. You say I can still get Achievements?!!!

 

Yup. Achievements are only disabled if you enter "iroll20s" into the console. The command "HelmetVisibility false" doesn't require that command to be entered to work.

 

Note that this command will only remove the graphics for helmets worn by those characters you currently have selected when you enter it, so you can mix and match which headgear you remove. It also might be the case that you have to reenter this command each time you load a game (I'm not actually sure as I've never used it).

 

 

Thanks so much! It's so much chore to mix gameplay efficiency and RP immersioN!

[JerekKruger]

Thanks so much! It's so much chore to mix gameplay efficiency and RP immersioN!

 

I can understand that. Glad I could help (if only a little).

[Boeroer]

Maegfolc Skull looks better on female characters, especially female dwarfs. It's not that bulky on them and looks more like a real skull instead of a Halloween foam mask. Like it on priestess of Berath, making her think she's a champion of Berath.

[r2d23]

How does chanter's burning lash chant affect monk's retaliation and paladin's FoD? And any other spells or weapons, for that matter?

 

I've been thinking that having two paladins might be too much (and too dull). So I considered taking a retaliation-based fire godlike monk instead. I'd still have an alpha strike team of Eder + Pallegina for taking out priority targets and a crazy monk in the middle of trash mobs taking care of everybody else. If Pallegina's FoD and Sacred Immolation and Monk's fire-based retaliation were to be affected by the chant, Kana would be an ideal support companion here with his regeneration aura, chanting and extra fire from scrolls and stuff like rings of searing flames. I'd give him a Scion of Flame too, figuring that he might interleave both Dragon Thrashed and the burning lash chant due to linger time.

 

Then there's Aloth and Durance as well...

 

All this sounds too good on paper

Edited September 16, 2017 by r2d23

[Boeroer]

Everything that deals direct damage (so, no damage over time effects, but several spells) will get a +25% burning lash. Retaliation effects that deal damage are included (Battle Forged, Retaliation, Barbaric Retaliation and so on). You Monk's stuff and paladin's FoD as well as Sacred Immolation will benefit.

[r2d23]

Sounds good. I'm giving it a go. Is there a recommended order for selection of abilities to achieve optimum performance? I already took swift & lightning strikes + torment's reach. Fighting with bare hands at the moments appears to be more effective, but I'm considering picking WF next and switching to weapons in order to boost the accuracy. And then Turning Wheel since it's one of the core abilities for the build. Somewhere soon after that should come Scion of Flame, Heart of the Storm and dual-wielding.

 

By the way, did anybody ever notice how monk's wound-based abilities behave in a weird manner sometimes? I press a hotkey and the character sort of stands there doing nothing, the ability is highlighted as if about to be activated but it doesn't happen. Sometimes the character just loses the given order to activate the ability. AI is off. Very strange.

[Lampros]

Also - forgot to mention - Rogue is one of my favourite classes,  and while I find them very good on any other difficulty, they take strain on Potd. Not saying that they are unplayable, just not a huge amount of fun. The extra mobs and toughness that happens on Potd really hurts rogues the most.

 

How much of a stat buff do PotD mobs get precisely? I have heard that much of online sources on difficulty scaling - including the one on the Wikia - is out-dated. So any latest, precise info would be appreciated.

[JerekKruger]

How much of a stat buff do PotD mobs get precisely? I have heard that much of online sources on difficulty scaling - including the one on the Wikia - is out-dated. So any latest, precise info would be appreciated.

 

They get +15 Accuracy and +15 to all of their Defences. They might also have higher Endurance pools, though don't quote me on that fairly certain they don't actually, I think it's just Accuracy and Defences.

 

By the why, whilst the Wiki is still far from perfect, it seems that someone(s) have been doing a lot of work improving it recently. It's nowhere near as incomplete as it was a few months ago.

Edited September 18, 2017 by JerekKruger

[Lampros]

 

How much of a stat buff do PotD mobs get precisely? I have heard that much of online sources on difficulty scaling - including the one on the Wikia - is out-dated. So any latest, precise info would be appreciated.

 

They get +15 Accuracy and +15 to all of their Defences. They might also have higher Endurance pools, though don't quote me on that.

 

By the why, whilst the Wiki is still far from perfect, it seems that someone(s) have been doing a lot of work improving it recently. It's nowhere near as incomplete as it was a few months ago.

 

 

15 Accuracy and Defences are tolerable. But what I read also was that their damage and HP were significantly higher - something along the 33-50 percent range - in one of the posts I recall reading. If that is old news or plain false, then perhaps I might give it a go.

 

I have been just traumatized by playing the last Elder Scrolls game in that mode. It wasn't even hard. It was just tedious beyond relief - as well as completely immersion-breaking and downright stupid.

 

Edit: Also, I assume that the in-game encyclopedia won't reflect the PotD values when I check?

Edited September 18, 2017 by Lampros

[JerekKruger]

There damage will be higher as a result of grazing less and critting more thanks to the increased Accuracy, and their health will seem higher due to you critting less and grazing more due to the increased Deflection, but as I understand it their damage and health aren't directly buffed.

 

The big difference you'll find in PotD is you have to focus more on buffing Accuracy and debuffing enemy Defences than you do on lower difficulties. This makes the early game harder, since you have relatively few such tools, but it becomes more manageable by the mid-late game.

[AlexKidd]

Edit: Also, I assume that the in-game encyclopedia won't reflect the PotD values when I check?

 

Quick check shows effective PotD values.

 

Also, insert random rant about flat scaling and front-loaded challenge.

Edited September 18, 2017 by AlexKidd

[Lampros]

 

Edit: Also, I assume that the in-game encyclopedia won't reflect the PotD values when I check?

 

Quick check shows effective PotD values.

 

Also, insert random rant about flat scaling and front-loaded challenge.

 

 

Thanks much. So Endurance is up 9 from default values. So that's about 25 percent? I am not good at math, so I could be off on the numbers. Damage seems same.

 

So more Accuracy, Defenses, and Endurance.

[JerekKruger]

I just check the stats for Young Wolves and they have 46/58 Endurance on Hard/PotD respectively so yeah, it looks like they get +25% Endurance on PotD.

 

Xaurips are armed with spears which do 11-16 damage which, when modified by their 7 Might is 10.01-14.56 so yeah, that's the same damage. It might be different for enemies that don't use standard weapons e.g. wolves.

[Torm51]

 

 

How much of a stat buff do PotD mobs get precisely? I have heard that much of online sources on difficulty scaling - including the one on the Wikia - is out-dated. So any latest, precise info would be appreciated.

 

They get +15 Accuracy and +15 to all of their Defences. They might also have higher Endurance pools, though don't quote me on that.

 

By the why, whilst the Wiki is still far from perfect, it seems that someone(s) have been doing a lot of work improving it recently. It's nowhere near as incomplete as it was a few months ago.

 

 

15 Accuracy and Defences are tolerable. But what I read also was that their damage and HP were significantly higher - something along the 33-50 percent range - in one of the posts I recall reading. If that is old news or plain false, then perhaps I might give it a go.

 

I have been just traumatized by playing the last Elder Scrolls game in that mode. It wasn't even hard. It was just tedious beyond relief - as well as completely immersion-breaking and downright stupid.

 

Edit: Also, I assume that the in-game encyclopedia won't reflect the PotD values when I check?

 

I agree I had the same issues with the way the Elder Scrolls did it.  It was stupid crushing away with a mace at a bandit 25 times.  POE does it in a much more believable way.  I like it.