The best frontman

[Slack83er]

Umm sorry to disturb you one more time... no way I can get all those stat to 15 right at the start... It will be something like:

 

Mig 15

Con 10

Dex 10

Per 15

Int 15

Res 13 ... or I can exchange this with Per/Int but one stat has to be lowered to 13 or two stats to 14.

 

I guess I can get any bg I like?

[Livegood118]

Umm sorry to disturb you one more time... no way I can get all those stat to 15 right at the start... It will be something like:

 

Mig 15

Con 10

Dex 10

Per 15

Int 15

Res 13 ... or I can exchange this with Per/Int but one stat has to be lowered to 13 or two stats to 14.

 

I guess I can get any bg I like?

Sorry miscalculation from me. Drop the Per to 10 and then pump that in to might, int and res. Fighter has high base Accuracy anyways. You'll miss out on some Per based dialogue options but that's not a big deal imo. Edited May 15, 2017 by Livegood118

[Slack83er]

I started with Mig 15 Dex and Con 10 Per 14 Int 15 Res 14. If you tell me I can drop Per a bit, then I'll go like:

 

Mig 16

Con 10

Dex 10

Per 12

Int 16

Res 14

 

Would it be fine? I'd like to leave something into Per for further utility and to have some Reflex save...

[rheingold]

I'd say rogue or chanters would fit the bill. Resolve ends up arguably the most important dialogue stat, and both chanters and rogues can push resolve without impacting to much on their other functions. Both get bonuses to mechanics, and more importantly from a rp point of view they seem to be a more natural fit for all things mechanical than other classes. If you want more of a tank like character go chanter, if you want damage and stealth go rogue.

[Belfaldurnik]

Mig 16

Con 10

Dex 10

Per 12

Int 16

Res 14

 

Really don't worry about the fighting aspects of your base attributes, if you're planning to play on anything other than Path of the Damned mode. With anything from Easy to Hard difficulty (and for a long time PotD mode, too, if you know what you're doing), you can play without using food, potions, enchantments or resting bonuses. The requirements for PotD mode are somewhat different, especially if you want to slay dragons and similar boss enemies.

 

If reducing attributes below 8 and playing PotD, it can get funny. A Fighter with CON 8, for example, doesn't have enough Endurance during the first levels to survive critical hits from some enemy casters and should take precautions. Careful playing that's not needed with the easier difficulty modes.

 

Anyway, with that said, you're still on your search of the holy grail it seems. Without hands on experience, you will never decide on base attributes to begin with. I mean, you don't know yet whether high INT will be helpful at the beginning of the game, or whether you will benefit only from the values the attributes governs, such as Will defense or duration of effects. MIG 16 is plenty, potential to reduce it even. Else, it will be a long time before you will find +2 or +3 items to increase attributes, and you will need to apply level 5 crafting to items for +2 attribute bonuses. By the time you run into the first attribute checks during conversation, maybe you've decided on retraining your character already.

 

Sure, you could reduce PER and still graze/hit well, but perhaps not do crits often, unless you receive support or drink potions. That doesn't mean you will be a bad fighter, but it may influence your choice of talents (to boost Accuracy). If you like fighting, it's so much nicer to hit/crit reliably, benefit from the full/increased duration of effects and damage instead of facing misses/grazes more often. Similarly, starting with increased DEX for increased action speed is more fun, especially if using two-handed weapons. And two-handed weapon fighters can be frontliners, too.

Edited May 15, 2017 by Belfaldurnik

[Slack83er]

Alright, I'm on my way to Caed Nua right now, so I'll have Kana in party soon. Right now I'm kinda tanky, it's difficult to put me down, and I've got three of the Fulvano pieces on me. I got a greatsword, it's not very fast for now, but it hurts, and it's fire-enchanted by me. I play easy, so everything is kinda...well...easy. Might retrain to follow your advices about per and dex...still thinking on it, I'll see how it goes in Caed.

 

See ya tomorrow! (2 am here...he he)

[Livegood118]

The stats that I recommended weren't really offensively optimal, they were written is such a way that you'd have access to the majority of the dialogue options in the game (e.g. 18 in Per, Int and Res after getting some items) while being able to access stealth/mechanics.

 

A more offensively oriented variant of the same build would be 16M-10C-17D-10P-15I-10R, which would do about 15% more damage on auto-attacks (assuming all hits) and with more investment in Survival/Lore rather than stealth and Mechanics.

 

But hey, who's to say that the extra points in Res aren't the thing that saves you in a tough fight, or the points in to Per mean you land a hit before something would have otherwise killed you.

 

It's best not to get tied up in knots about attributes in Pillars as they all confer different benefits under different circumstances. If dialogue options are your priority, then go for it. 

 

The only true god stat IMO is Intellect, as the benefit it gives you for duration based and AoE effects on casters is huge. Not so much on auto-attacking classes, but still nice on a fighter because of their buffs and duration based abilities. Offensively, an extra ten points in intellect (x duration by 1.5) is equivalent to landing a crit every single time on opponents (crit on duration based effects = multiply duration by 1.5).

[Slack83er]

Ok party is complete atm. Took kana and sagani. I'm a frontman, but take more damage than eder.. but he has shield so i guess it's OK. What great sword should I look for? Almost 5th level now..

[Blades of Vanatar]

Tidefall or Hours of St. Rumbalt. I like Tidefall. You might want to level again before attempting to defeat the Drake to get it. Do some quests in DB first to gather experience and level up.

[Belfaldurnik]

http://pillarsofeternity.gamepedia.com/Great_sword - be sure to get and unlock the St.Ydwen's Redeemer, if you will play The White March.

 

Eder doesn't need a shield on Easy mode. If you are going with Soldier weapons, let Eder specialized as a Ruffian - for Sabres, Clubs. For a Fighter wielding two-handers, it's also viable to learn Weapon Focus Soldier and Adventurer, since then you can use also Estocs and other adventurer weapons with a +6 Accuracy bonus.

[masterty66]

Boerer's Golden Dragon is a terrific PC for this purpose. He talks well thanks to high resolve/perception and he's an excellent tank who is extremely difficult to kill once he gets a few levels under his belt. Even in the early going I found the build quite survivable on potd once he got a large shield + shield talent.

 

Eventually you start doing good damage with him too thanks to heart of fury.

 

It's been a nice change for me as I tend to focus more on all-offense type builds. This one has actually been the easiest run I've had yet I think though. I didn't properly appreciate before just how nice high deflection is. Once you get around 100 deflection plus 80+ other defenses you're real hard to kill. And like I said the dps is still nice too thanks to hof.

 

Prior to level 11 you're more of just a pure tank though admittedly (though will contribute some dps thanks to carnage) but after that you're a god. 

[Slack83er]

Boeroer is a genius in this game, but we have... opposing attitudes. He's a min-maxer, I'm not. He's very skilled in playing low-con character even in PotD, while I love enjoying the story without worrying too much of combats.. let alone low hit points. So now that I'm playing a very intelligent fighter I'm kinda ok... I'm in DB right now, poking around and making experience in order to slay the dragon at the waterfall or do Od-Nua.

[masterty66]

Boeroer is a genius in this game, but we have... opposing attitudes. He's a min-maxer, I'm not. He's very skilled in playing low-con character even in PotD, while I love enjoying the story without worrying too much of combats.. let alone low hit points. So now that I'm playing a very intelligent fighter I'm kinda ok... I'm in DB right now, poking around and making experience in order to slay the dragon at the waterfall or do Od-Nua.

There's certainly nothing wrong with that approach, and honestly most of his builds will still work even if you don't min max the attributes. The barb build in question would still be pretty good with non minmaxed dex, it'd just be a little bit worse at everything. But by high levels and with the gear you find in POE that just doesn't matter much. Like driving a chevy instead of a mercedes. Both will still get you where you need to go effectively, one's just a bit more streamlined. 

[smjjames]

 

Boeroer is a genius in this game, but we have... opposing attitudes. He's a min-maxer, I'm not. He's very skilled in playing low-con character even in PotD, while I love enjoying the story without worrying too much of combats.. let alone low hit points. So now that I'm playing a very intelligent fighter I'm kinda ok... I'm in DB right now, poking around and making experience in order to slay the dragon at the waterfall or do Od-Nua.

There's certainly nothing wrong with that approach, and honestly most of his builds will still work even if you don't min max the attributes. The barb build in question would still be pretty good with non minmaxed dex, it'd just be a little bit worse at everything. But by high levels and with the gear you find in POE that just doesn't matter much. Like driving a chevy instead of a mercedes. Both will still get you where you need to go effectively, one's just a bit more streamlined. 

 

 

Yep, those builds are still really good for showing in general how to build a character well.

[Raven Darkholme]

I never understood how an optimized character would work less well on easier difficulties, but since many people seem to think so, there must be something to it.

[Slack83er]

Yep, those builds are still really good for showing in general how to build a character well.

No doubt about it. It's Character building school!

 

I never understood how an optimized character would work less well on easier difficulties, but since many people seem to think so, there must be something to it.

I can explain you my point of view:

It's optimized for a player who CAN play this game as it should be. There's some place in which I've had difficulties with my character even in easy mode with Con 11 (atm). Imagine if I had 3..

Edited May 16, 2017 by Slack83er

[Raven Darkholme]

Well you kinda got a point there but that is because always going with 3 Con is NOT optimized.

There is situations where you just need more. :D

[Belfaldurnik]

CON 3 is not an optimization at all, because the high risk from reduced Health/Endurance and Fortitude defense is anything other than an "optimal" choice. Even if you're very familiar with the various encounters in this game and have learned how to keep such a character out of trouble, either with the help of companions that compensate the character's shortcomings or with extra micro-management - such as keeping increased distance to enemies or joining combat later.

 

CON 3 is a borderline customization to cater someone's specific playstyle.

[Raven Darkholme]

CON 3 is not an optimization at all, because the high risk from reduced Health/Endurance and Fortitude defense is anything other than an "optimal" choice. Even if you're very familiar with the various encounters in this game and have learned how to keep such a character out of trouble, either with the help of companions that compensate the character's shortcomings or with extra micro-management - such as keeping increased distance to enemies or joining combat later.

 

CON 3 is a borderline customization to cater someone's specific playstyle.

That OR characters like barbarians, paladins, fighters who only need more CON in very specific situations, but even they can't play 3 CON in every encounter.

 

If you don't want to go around respeccing all day 3 CON is even worse.

[Slack83er]

Things are plain simple for me. Since I'm not an experienced player I just can't afford such type of stats..

[Raven Darkholme]

Things are plain simple for me. Since I'm not an experienced player I just can't afford such type of stats..

You don't need to.

Stats aren't verything in this game and as long as you know to get as many points as possible in the stats that greatly help your character (for most it's MIG and PER) you're doing fine.

In this game you get great bonuses to stats and if you want to travel around a bit for those you can run around with +4 to MIG and CON all game by using one of the inns that give +2 to those and the dwarven whore in the Salty Mast.

[Slack83er]

I know this it's just..I don't feel like going back and forth to the inn just for the bonus. I just get frustrated even every time the game tells me that I can't rest in this area.. and I must go back to the inn.. such a nuisance.

[smjjames]

I know this it's just..I don't feel like going back and forth to the inn just for the bonus. I just get frustrated even every time the game tells me that I can't rest in this area.. and I must go back to the inn.. such a nuisance.

 

I rarely use the inns just for the bonus, so, you're not alone there. Pretty much the only times I've deliberately used the resting bonuses is the Dyrford Wurm's Nest (for the +6 burn damage resist) when I'm doing Searing Falls and the Caed Nua bonus when I was trying to get a particular result with either the Alpine Dragon (he attacks you no matter what it seems) or the Adra Dragon.

[Raven Darkholme]

If you have high Survival the bonuses of the camping supplies are far better than the inns, but ofc that only applies to higher leveled chars.

@Slack83er

I'm not trying to say you're doing anything wrong, I'm trying to say your playstyle is right and don't worry too much about being optimized, just enjoy the game.

Before I ever visited this forum I had my 1st pt done and my solo cipher was already almost thru the game but then I needed help with Sky Dragon on my cipher and many people here gave me super useful advice.

The build section is more for replaying the game and not necessarily for first pts.,

Edited May 17, 2017 by Raven Darkholme

[Slack83er]

Approaching Level 8. Gone down to Od Nua 7. I'm tanky as hell. What I can't understand is why Pallegina keeps getting punished hard. She's not very far from my stats, except for health recovery, but she just doesn't seem to mitigate damage. She has a tougher plate than I have, has shield and all...

My group is made of:

Me, Pallegina, Sagani, Aloth, Durance, Kana. Should I look for some particular object so far?

 

Let's hear you!