Party Optimization for PotD; 1st Attempt

[Boeroer]

Speaking of high INT on a fighter (which I like): Clear Out is amazing with high INT but only mediocre with lowish INT. Dragon's Maw is a nice shield and is also good for Charge because Charge will add an invisible Full Attack with weapon + bash to the target of Charge + additional to the crush damage Charge itself does.

 

In my opinion you have to use Charge with a fighter. It is so good. Instant cast, tons of crush damage which is independent from your weapon, gives you crazy battlefield movement and is very useful to help out friends in need as well as to take out certain annoyances asap.

Edited September 29, 2017 by Boeroer

[Boeroer]

Fearless is redundant if you use Steadfast (also gives you Fearless).

[Boeroer]

If you still want to use Take the Hit and avoid mind control you can give your wizard The Golden Gaze (more damage than Gyrd because two projectiles = two blasts from each attack) and take WF Noble. Kalakoth's Minor Blights is universal and works with any WF.

[Boeroer]

Maybw with Overbearing Guard but only one engagement slot you might want to give Shatterstar to your fighter as long as there's no Steadfast. It has guarding and is annihilating which is a good combo for a fighter with Overbearing Guard.

Edited September 29, 2017 by Boeroer

[Boeroer]

Lesser Invulnerability Spell Heuristics only exists in the Wiki... At least I never saw that in the game.

Edited September 29, 2017 by Boeroer

[Boeroer]

Phew that seems to be all I can add so far.

 

It's your fault - shouldn't offer me those shrimps in the closet...

Edited September 29, 2017 by Boeroer

[Lampros]

Ascaloth,

 

I cannot string quote properly on this forum. So I cannot directly respond to you quote-by-quote. Sorry. Anyways, regarding your direct questions to me - and regarding other points I've noticed in your dialogues with others:

 

On the Paladin Attributes distribution: Yes, 12 Resolve and 18 Might/Intelligence break-down is a reasonable template for an off-tank type of Paladin. It is likely enough for a main tank as well - given how much Defense you will gain from Faith and Conviction boni alone, with just Deep Faith level-up and maxed Dispositions. I am not a math whiz, but I think you get a whopping +8 Deflection and +17 Fortitude/Reflex/Will? And all that from a measly one level-up Talent investment. It's basically 6 or so level-up talent investment worth for other classes.

 

The above arithmetical reality is one of the reason why I think most veterans would recommend you to make the Paladin the main tank, rather than the Fighter as well. Ceteris paribus, the Paladin can boost his Defenses to higher levels than the Fighter with less level-up Talent investment. True, the Fighter has more tools to grab and maintain "aggro" (so to speak) better, but the boss fights in this game - the only instances where you are actually main tanking anything - are not about maintaining aggro. But above all, the Paladin can contribute in other ways while being a static tank - whereas the Fighter cannot. For instance, the taking Paladin will still provide various support functions, whereas the tanking Fighter will - well - just "tank." Even more critically, after level 13 the tanking Paladin will do stupendous DPS, whereas the tanking Fighter will do minimal DPS.

 

The problem with the DPS picture provided by the vanilla game is that DoTs are not properly recorded in the damage recording, so it discounts massive AoE DoTs like the Paladin's Sacred Immolation or the Chanter's Dragon Thrashed. But a static Paladin or Chanter can in fact be the top DPS in the group by a mile by activating these passive attacks alone in PotD. If you download MaxQuest's mod that properly records DoTs, then you will see what I am talking about. A Paladin DPS after level 13 is beyond belief - as is the Chanter's DPS after level 9. Even if they are sitting there and literally doing nothing. This is why so many veterans like to use either the Paladin or the Chanter as a tank. They can tank and still out-DPS everyone in the group, once their passive (or quasi-passive) uber AoE attacks are acquired. In contrast, by making the Fighter a stationary tank, you are taking away so much of his niche skills that require a more active, mobile approach.

 

On the utility of Interdiction: While you may feel that the Daze effect from the vanilla Interdiction may not be worth much, I think the combination of the Daze AND the Weakened effect from Painful Interdiction is indeed quite potent. I would strongly recommend it. It's not like the Priest class skill arsenal is overflowing with goodies the way, for instance, its Paladin counterpart emphatically is (this is why, by the way, I like to take two Paladins; one Paladin cannot utilize everything the class offers).

 

On the utility of Veteran's Recovery: This thing is golden, and I think required on all melees for players who are new to PotD and do not want to live in a micro-Hell of constantly pausing to heal. I would be bald after pulling out all my remaining hair without it.

Edited September 29, 2017 by Lampros

[Lampros]

Ascaloth,

 

To give you a picture of what a Chanter passive AoE DPS can do, here's what happened when my Chanter acquired it at level 9 in my last PotD run. You will see that the Chanter did almost THREE TIMES as much damage as the next best guy once he got his uber AoE toy:

 

Pre-level 9:

 

Paladin MC (1st line/main tank) (Shame & Glory/Outworn Buckler): 22,511

Fighter (1st line/off-tank) (Shatterstar & Sura's Supper Plate): 32,561

Chanter (2nd line/DPS) (Tall Grass) 28,143

Rogue (3rd line/DPS/CC?) (Borresaine) 34,978

Wizard (3rd line/DPS/CC) (Gyrd) 33, 320

Priest (3rd line/buff/DPS) (Grudge Keeper) 15,983

 

Pre-level 10:

 

Paladin (1st line/DPS) (Tidefall): 33,485

Fighter (1st line/DPS) (Shatterstar/Hearth Harvest): 43,631

Chanter (2nd line/DPS) (Tall Grass) 56,880

Rogue (3rd line/DPS/CC?) (Borresaine) 41,581

Wizard (3rd line/DPS/CC) (Gyrd)  42,291

Priest (3rd line/buff/DPS) (Grudge Keeper) 19,915

 

And the Paladin's Sacred Immolation will increase your damage around the same ballpark number after level 13.

Edited September 29, 2017 by Lampros

[Ascaloth]

I like FoD + Intense Flames on a paladin, but only with decent MIG and a hard hitting weapon. As somebody else said you can take away RES and pump up the MIG.

 

I love Blood Thirst. You should check out Redeemer + Blood Thirst on vessels: Carnage works with the destroy property and you'll get kill-norecovery-kill... all the time. I always give the Redeemer to a barb if I have one. You can give the paladin another two hander for FoD or even two battle axes because of the FoD's Full Attack (both weapons will strike). You don't need Two Handed Style for that,doesn't do anything for FoD. After FoD switch to Shame & Buckler.

 

I also like Barbaric Blow + 2 annihilating sabres on a barb. The Full Attack with the enhanced crit damage (+150% instead of just 50%) is great when you use it on disabled crowds (like after a Shadowflame). But that's maybe just me..

 

Noted. I'll be reworking the Paladin over the weekend, and will redistribute points from RES to MGT when all is said and done.

 

In that case, what can the Redeemer do for the Barb that Abydon's Hammer can't? They're both 2H weapons after all, neither benefits from the dual-wielding talent. Or is it simply because the Barb can wield either one, while the Priest can only wield one of these?

 

Cloak of the Frozen Hunt + Beast Slayer talent + Beast Slaying enchantment on weapon all stack.

 

Excellent. That really narrows down the final loadout the Ranger will get when the time comes.

 

 

If you still like Mourning Gloves (they are nice and the speed bonus does at least stack with Bloodlust) then I would leave Interrupting Blows in. It stacks with the Gloves' increased interrupts.

 

Maybe leave out Greater Frenzy? It's not that awesome in my opinion.

 

Well, that much stacked interrupts could be useful for when the enemies are tough enough to withstand the first salvo from the Barb. I'll have to think on this one.

 

Take the Hit is very good if you combine big self healing with good INT. But I'm not sure if it works with Guarding Stance?

 

Take the Hit is awfully bugged when you use mind control like confuse, charm and dominate: controlled enemies will transfer half of their damage to the fighter and it will NOT stop when mind controlled ends!

 

If you don't use any mind control then it's a good pick.

 

Oh man, that's just bad. Looks like I'll have no choice but to drop Take The Hit from the Talents list.

 

Speaking of high INT on a fighter (which I like): Clear Out is amazing with high INT but only mediocre with lowish INT. Dragon's Maw is a nice shield and is also good for Charge because Charge will add an invisible Full Attack with weapon + bash to the target of Charge + additional to the crush damage Charge itself does.

 

In my opinion you have to use Charge with a fighter. It is so good. Instant cast, tons of crush damage which is independent from your weapon, gives you crazy battlefield movement and is very useful to help out friends in need as well as to take out certain annoyances asap.

 

 

Fearless is redundant if you use Steadfast (also gives you Fearless).

 

 

If you still want to use Take the Hit and avoid mind control you can give your wizard The Golden Gaze (more damage than Gyrd because two projectiles = two blasts from each attack) and take WF Noble. Kalakoth's Minor Blights is universal and works with any WF.

 

 

Maybw with Overbearing Guard but only one engagement slot you might want to give Shatterstar to your fighter as long as there's no Steadfast. It has guarding and is annihilating which is a good combo for a fighter with Overbearing Guard.

 

Yup, I knew I overlooked something like the redundancy of the Fearless ability with Steadfast. Thanks for catching it.

 

That said, since Maegfolc Skull gives Unbending and Siegebreaker Gauntlets gives Clear Out, I think I'll go three for three, and keep Steadfast as the Fearless substitute. And since that means I'm not taking Fearless or Take The Hit, that gives me the space to take Armored Grace and Charge instead.

 

Now I have a Fighter amongst Fighters, one with more of the Fighter Abilities than any other of her kind.

 

 

Lesser Invulnerability Spell Heuristics only exists in the Wiki... At least I never saw that in the game.

 

Well, drat. I'm going to have to check that one over myself.

 

 

By the way, another question. What happens if two weapons with the Marking enchantment - like say, Shame or Glory and Pliambo per Casitas - are used on the same target at the same time? Do they stack?

 

Ascaloth,

 

I cannot string quote properly on this forum. So I cannot directly respond to you quote-by-quote. Sorry. Anyways, regarding your direct questions to me - and regarding other points I've noticed in your dialogues with others:

 

On the Paladin Attributes distribution: Yes, 12 Resolve and 18 Might/Intelligence break-down is a reasonable template for an off-tank type of Paladin. It is likely enough for a main tank as well - given how much Defense you will gain from Faith and Conviction boni alone, with just Deep Faith level-up and maxed Dispositions. I am not a math whiz, but I think you get a whopping +8 Deflection and +17 Fortitude/Reflex/Will? And all that from a measly one level-up Talent investment. It's basically 6 or so level-up talent investment worth for other classes.

 

The above arithmetical reality is one of the reason why I think most veterans would recommend you to make the Paladin the main tank, rather than the Fighter as well. Ceteris paribus, the Paladin can boost his Defenses to higher levels than the Fighter with less level-up Talent investment. True, the Fighter has more tools to grab and maintain "aggro" (so to speak) better, but the boss fights in this game - the only instances where you are actually main tanking anything - are not about maintaining aggro. But above all, the Paladin can contribute in other ways while being a static tank - whereas the Fighter cannot. For instance, the taking Paladin will still provide various support functions, whereas the tanking Fighter will - well - just "tank." Even more critically, after level 13 the tanking Paladin will do stupendous DPS, whereas the tanking Fighter will do minimal DPS.

 

The problem with the DPS picture provided by the vanilla game is that DoTs are not properly recorded in the damage recording, so it discounts massive AoE DoTs like the Paladin's Sacred Immolation or the Chanter's Dragon Thrashed. But a static Paladin or Chanter can in fact be the top DPS in the group by a mile by activating these passive attacks alone in PotD. If you download MaxQuest's mod that properly records DoTs, then you will see what I am talking about. A Paladin DPS after level 13 is beyond belief - as is the Chanter's DPS after level 9. Even if they are sitting there and literally doing nothing. This is why so many veterans like to use either the Paladin or the Chanter as a tank. They can tank and still out-DPS everyone in the group, once their passive (or quasi-passive) uber AoE attacks are acquired. In contrast, by making the Fighter a stationary tank, you are taking away so much of his niche skills that require a more active, mobile approach.

 

On the utility of Interdiction: While you may feel that the Daze effect from the vanilla Interdiction may not be worth much, I think the combination of the Daze AND the Weakened effect from Painful Interdiction is indeed quite potent. I would strongly recommend it. It's not like the Priest class skill arsenal is overflowing with goodies the way, for instance, its Paladin counterpart emphatically is (this is why, by the way, I like to take two Paladins; one Paladin cannot utilize everything the class offers).

 

On the utility of Veteran's Recovery: This thing is golden, and I think required on all melees for players who are new to PotD and do not want to live in a micro-Hell of constantly pausing to heal. I would be bald after pulling out all my remaining hair without it.

 

So when all the numbers are in, the Paladin would still be better when it comes to face-tanking the big bastards than the Fighter ever will be. That's really good to know, thanks. I guess that's what she'll be doing when the time comes, while the Fighter goes back to her original purpose of turning the trash mobs around the big bosses ass over teakettle.

 

And I'm well aware of how much damage the Chanter's Dragon Thrashed can do; I've had one of those in my previous Hard playthroughs after all, I've seen what it does. That said, this time round I have plenty of DPS between the Paladin and the Barb, but I know first-hand how enemies in PotD likes to go for the squishies, and I need someone who can stop them before they can get that far.

 

What I'm saying is, maybe I wasn't being entirely accurate when I characterized the Fighter as the tank of the group; she's actually more of a CC Fighter, as evidenced by her having Overwhelming Wave, Clear Out, and Overbearing Guard. And now, thanks to Boeroer, I can add Charge to that list of tools as well.

[Lampros]

Ascaloth,

 

Fighters can get there in terms of tanking bosses in PotD - and arguably exceed the Paladin in this role - but you would need a lot more investment in level-up Abilities/Talents. So it's a matter of opportunity cost. If you want to use the Fighter as a melee DPS/CC - which is in fact the right way to go, and how I use him - then you don't really have enough level-up Abilities/Talents to do both. But the Paladin can in fact DPS and do a whole lot of other things while tanking.

Edited September 29, 2017 by Lampros

[Boeroer]

Marking from two different weapons only stacks if you dual wield those weapons. That leaves you with Shame or Glory + Cladhaliath or a clone of them via Helwax Mold. Like two Shame or Glories or two Cladhaliaths.

 

Marking on two different chars does NOT stack.

 

Armored Grace is one of the best abilities a fighter has. Of course you'll take it.

 

You can't have enough Clear Out uses if your INT is decent. So I would keep Clear Out and wear the Gauntlets. If you drop them: Another great thing about fighters: Confident Aim's damage bonus (raises min damage) is one of the few multiplicative damage bonuses. It's a lot better than it sounds because not the min base is raised but the damage after all dmg mods apply. If you combine it with Comtessa's Gage it's a bit like eliminating the damage dice roll (always roll max). I know that from Kaylon.

Edited September 29, 2017 by Boeroer

[Torm51]

Your most important stats on a Paladin are Might and Intellect.  You can leave Resolve at 10.  That being said since I am mix of good character building and LOL RP guy I always have it above 10.  A Paladin with average or below resolve is just odd although it works well.

 

Might 15

 

Con 10

 

Dex 10

 

Per 15

 

Res 13

 

If you follow the 5 points and what you want to do and 3 in your "minor" attribute it will be fine. 

 

Secondly, Fortitude defense in the end game is as or more important then deflection.  So a 10 Might and 10 Con would give you no Bonus Fort...meh granted even with 10s in those stats it will be higher then everyone else but You want to get as many graze and misses to that defense as possible.  Get the bonus through Might.  Plus it helps your Sacred Immolation.

 

Lastly, your weapon focus isn't going to do much.  Paladins get no ability that increases their melee auto attack damage.  Flames of Devotion is therefore more powerful on high base damage weapons like, Arqebus, Arbalests, in some cases duel wielding and 2handers.  Not when just using a weapon.  I would grab weapon focus soldier and have an Arbalest to Alpha Strike then switch back to marking and your buckler.

 

PS a 10 Res Paladin can tank extremely well.  Because his Fort, Dex and Will is better then everyone else.  In the late game that is whats important.

Edited September 29, 2017 by Torm51

[Torm51]

Secondly, the Paladin with just Faith and Conviction, weapon and shield style and Outworn Buckler will out tank a Fighter speced to tank and be able to do more offensively.  The fighter will get better Deflection but he will be CCed a lot more because his saves will be lower.  When you are paralyzed or Petrified Deflection is pointless.  Like others have said I think a fighter is tough enough as a front line damage dealer.  With Recovery and its upgrade and shod in faith boots you are good.  and he contributes with consistent damage thanks to his high ACC he/she can hit even difficult to hit targets.

 

DW or Two handed works.

[Ascaloth]

Ascaloth,

 

Fighters can get there in terms of tanking bosses in PotD - and arguably exceed the Paladin in this role - but you would need a lot more investment in level-up Abilities/Talents. So it's a matter of opportunity cost. If you want to use the Fighter as a melee DPS/CC - which is in fact the right way to go, and how I use him - then you don't really have enough level-up Abilities/Talents to do both. But the Paladin can in fact DPS and do a whole lot of other things while tanking.

 

Okay yeah, I got that the first time. Paladin is the better outright tank for bosses, yes? But I'm trying to build the Fighter to specialize in locking down the swarms of trash mobs, instead.

 

Marking from two different weapons only stacks if you dual wield those weapons. That leaves you with Shame or Glory + Cladhaliath or a clone of them via Helwax Mold. Like two Shame or Glories or two Cladhaliaths.

 

Marking on two different chars does NOT stack.

 

Armored Grace is one of the best abilities a fighter has. Of course you'll take it.

 

You can't have enough Clear Out uses if your INT is decent. So I would keep Clear Out and wear the Gauntlets. If you drop them: Another great thing about fighters: Confident Aim's damage bonus (raises min damage) is one of the few multiplicative damage bonuses. It's a lot better than it sounds because not the min base is raised but the damage after all dmg mods apply. If you combine it with Comtessa's Gage it's a bit like eliminating the damage dice roll (always roll max). I know that from Kaylon.

 

Thanks. So if I rebuild the Paladin as a full Forward Observer, the Magran Priest's utility as a ranged Marker drops by that much. I think I'm starting to see why you'd recommend Abydon's Hammer for the Priest instead, but if that's the case, then there's no real need for the Priest to be a Magranite, or a Wood Elf for that matter. I wonder what I should go with instead...

 

I'll like to be able to slot Clear Out into the Fighter's talent list, but first I'd have to find a vacant spot for it. That might not be so easy to do. Also, good to know about Confident Aim, would consider it if and when I'm planning for a DPS Fighter.

 

Comtessa's Gage was one of the candidates I was considering for the Barb's gloves, actually. I eventually went with Mourning Gloves because Solitary seemed too conditional to be used used easily, but still.

 

Your most important stats on a Paladin are Might and Intellect.  You can leave Resolve at 10.  That being said since I am mix of good character building and LOL RP guy I always have it above 10.  A Paladin with average or below resolve is just odd although it works well.

 

Might 15

 

Con 10

 

Dex 10

 

Per 15

 

Res 13

 

If you follow the 5 points and what you want to do and 3 in your "minor" attribute it will be fine. 

 

Secondly, Fortitude defense in the end game is as or more important then deflection.  So a 10 Might and 10 Con would give you no Bonus Fort...meh granted even with 10s in those stats it will be higher then everyone else but You want to get as many graze and misses to that defense as possible.  Get the bonus through Might.  Plus it helps your Sacred Immolation.

 

Lastly, your weapon focus isn't going to do much.  Paladins get no ability that increases their melee auto attack damage.  Flames of Devotion is therefore more powerful on high base damage weapons like, Arqebus, Arbalests, in some cases duel wielding and 2handers.  Not when just using a weapon.  I would grab weapon focus soldier and have an Arbalest to Alpha Strike then switch back to marking and your buckler.

 

PS a 10 Res Paladin can tank extremely well.  Because his Fort, Dex and Will is better then everyone else.  In the late game that is whats important.

 

Thanks for the tips. I'm all but certain of what the new stats for my Paladin should be, now.

 

 

Secondly, the Paladin with just Faith and Conviction, weapon and shield style and Outworn Buckler will out tank a Fighter speced to tank and be able to do more offensively.  The fighter will get better Deflection but he will be CCed a lot more because his saves will be lower.  When you are paralyzed or Petrified Deflection is pointless.  Like others have said I think a fighter is tough enough as a front line damage dealer.  With Recovery and its upgrade and shod in faith boots you are good.  and he contributes with consistent damage thanks to his high ACC he/she can hit even difficult to hit targets.

 

DW or Two handed works.

 

Alright. But what if I want to build the Fighter as a CC specialist?

 

I'm going for the concept of the Barbarian and the Fighter working together as a unit; the Fighter as the CC specialist, and the Barb as the DPS specialist. Basically the Fighter knocks them Prone, and the Barb takes the opportunity to wipe them out while they're immobile. That's why the Fighter has the Overwhelming Wave gear like White Crest and Swaddling Sheet, and Siegebreaker Gauntlets for the Clear Out amongst others. I also went with Coastal Aumaua with Boots of Stability so that she herself is resistant to being Proned, and maxed MGT so that enemies won't try to Disengage so easily, since I know they will do so if they don't see the Fighter as enough of a threat.

[Lampros]

Secondly, the Paladin with just Faith and Conviction, weapon and shield style and Outworn Buckler will out tank a Fighter speced to tank and be able to do more offensively.  The fighter will get better Deflection but he will be CCed a lot more because his saves will be lower.  When you are paralyzed or Petrified Deflection is pointless.  Like others have said I think a fighter is tough enough as a front line damage dealer.  With Recovery and its upgrade and shod in faith boots you are good.  and he contributes with consistent damage thanks to his high ACC he/she can hit even difficult to hit targets.

 

DW or Two handed works.

 

Did you factor in Vigorous Defense? It alone can exceed the Faith & Conviction plus Deep Faith boni. Of course, it's temporary - so if you cannot burn down the encounter quickly enough, you'd need to sink more level-ups on stuff like Superior Deflection, Bear's Fortitude, and so forth. But anyways, I think a Fighter out-tanks a Paladin, if he goes full bore on taking every available defensive Fighter Abilities/Talents. Of course, then he'd be a total gimp masochist - which brings us back to our mutual agreement about the Fighter being a better off-tank/DPS.

 

Also, Ascaloth,

 

Clear Out is rather great with high Intelligence (which I tend to boost on most characters anyways, since I tend to take a lot of hybrid classes like Paladins and Chanters who need the duration and the area of effect boosts). I'd really try to sacrifice something else and incorporate it.

Edited September 29, 2017 by Lampros

[Torm51]

A physical controller like that is really cool and does work cause of your high ACC. Good deal I like the concept

[Torm51]

 

Secondly, the Paladin with just Faith and Conviction, weapon and shield style and Outworn Buckler will out tank a Fighter speced to tank and be able to do more offensively. The fighter will get better Deflection but he will be CCed a lot more because his saves will be lower. When you are paralyzed or Petrified Deflection is pointless. Like others have said I think a fighter is tough enough as a front line damage dealer. With Recovery and its upgrade and shod in faith boots you are good. and he contributes with consistent damage thanks to his high ACC he/she can hit even difficult to hit targets.

 

DW or Two handed works.

Did you factor in Vigorous Defense? It alone can exceed the Faith & Conviction plus Deep Faith boni. Of course, it's temporary - so if you cannot burn down the encounter quickly enough, you'd need to sink more level-ups on stuff like Superior Deflection, Bear's Fortitude, and so forth. But anyways, I think a Fighter out-tanks a Paladin, if he goes full bore on taking every available defensive Fighter Abilities/Talents. Of course, then he'd be a total gimp masochist - which brings us back to our mutual agreement about the Fighter being a better off-tank/DPS.

 

Also, Ascaloth,

 

Clear Out is rather great with high Intelligence (which I tend to boost on most characters anyways, since I tend to take a lot of hybrid classes like Paladins and Chanters who need the duration and the area of effect boosts). I'd really try to sacrifice something else and incorporate it.

That is a good point clear out stands out with high int and

Might.

[mosspit]

 

Secondly, the Paladin with just Faith and Conviction, weapon and shield style and Outworn Buckler will out tank a Fighter speced to tank and be able to do more offensively.  The fighter will get better Deflection but he will be CCed a lot more because his saves will be lower.  When you are paralyzed or Petrified Deflection is pointless.  Like others have said I think a fighter is tough enough as a front line damage dealer.  With Recovery and its upgrade and shod in faith boots you are good.  and he contributes with consistent damage thanks to his high ACC he/she can hit even difficult to hit targets.

 

DW or Two handed works.

 

Did you factor in Vigorous Defense? It alone can exceed the Faith & Conviction plus Deep Faith boni. Of course, it's temporary - so if you cannot burn down the encounter quickly enough, you'd need to sink more level-ups on stuff like Superior Deflection, Bear's Fortitude, and so forth. But anyways, I think a Fighter out-tanks a Paladin, if he goes full bore on taking every available defensive Fighter Abilities/Talents. Of course, then he'd be a total gimp masochist - which brings us back to our mutual agreement about the Fighter being a better off-tank/DPS.

 

Also, Ascaloth,

 

Clear Out is rather great with high Intelligence (which I tend to boost on most characters anyways, since I tend to take a lot of hybrid classes like Paladins and Chanters who need the duration and the area of effect boosts). I'd really try to sacrifice something else and incorporate it.

 

Great thing about Paladins they can also get access to Vigourous Defense via Ryonna's Breastplate. And a possibility of triggering it more than once a battle albeit rng controlled. I think it is almost unfair that Unbending, Triggered Immunity and Vigorous Defence is accessible to other classes.

 

Both Fighters and Paladins tanks can function at about the same level I think.

Edited September 29, 2017 by mosspit

[Ascaloth]

So I've rebuilt the entire party based on the suggestions and tips offered here so far, and have more or less finalized the stats and loadouts for the upcoming PotD run. So I'm posting it here for a final look for everyone, and last comments if anyone feels like it.

 

---

 

The Watcher of Caed Nua

Race: Ocean Folk

Class: Paladin (Darcozzi Paladini)

Culture: Old Vailia

Background: Aristocrat (+2 Lore)

Attributes

MIG: 19

CON: 10

DEX: 10

PER: 10

INT: 19

RES: 10

Abilities

Flames of Devotion

Zealous Focus

Liberating Exhortation

Aegis of Loyalty

Righteous Soul

Reviving Exhortation

Sacred Immolation

Coordinated Attacks

Talents

Fires of Darcozzi Palace

Critical Focus

Inspiring Liberation

Weapon and Shield Style

Deep Faith

Scion of Flame

Intense Flames

Weapon Focus: Knight

 

Weapons

1. Shame or Glory (Valiant, Marking) - Outworn Buckler (Herald)

2. St. Ydwen’s Redeemer (Soulbound, Destroys Spirits)

Armor

Argwes Adra (Grants Second Chance, Lore +2)

 

Equipment

Head - +3 MGT: Garodh’s Chorus (Retaliation)

Neck - +3 RES: Shroud of Mourning (+3 DR against: Corrode, Freeze)

Finger - Gathbin Family Signet (Overseeing, Lord’s Authority)

Finger - +3 DEX: Ring of Thorns (Reflex +5, Preservation)

Arms - Ryona’s Vambraces (+5% Misses to Grazes, 3 DR bypass, +5 DR: Slash)

Waist - +3 CON: Girdle of Eoten Constitution

Feet - Boots of Zealous Command (+20% Zealous Aura AoE)

 

 

The Watcher is now a full Darcozzi Forward Observer worth the name, and has maxed MGT and INT to do her share of the AoE DPS once Sacred Immolation comes. Frankly, I was honestly tempted by the suggestion to put St. Ydwen's Redeemer on the Barb, especially given that he's the most likely member of the party to complete the criteria for the Redeemer's final upgrade. But I eventually decided that neither of my main melee guys should have to deal with weapon sets that aren't optimized for their talent list, and so decided against the Redeemer for the Barb in the end. On the other hand, the Paladin isn't so dependent on her weapons for what she does in the party, so she retains the Redeemer in the end.

 

I also gave her Argwes Adra in place of He Carries Many Scars, so that now all three frontliners - the Paladin and Barbarian with Second Chance, the Fighter with Unbroken - are able to get up and back at it should they be taken down. Plus the Lore bonus helps the Paladin too, as I plan to develop her Lore so she can handle the scrolls.

---

 

The Blood Will Fly

Race: Savannah Folk

Class: Barbarian

Culture: The Living Lands

Background: Colonist (+2 Survival)

Attributes

MIG: 20

CON: 10

DEX: 10

PER: 10

INT: 18

RES: 10

Abilities

Frenzy

Savage Defiance

One Stands Alone

Threatening Presence

Vengeful Defeat

Heart of Fury

Bloodlust

Blood Thirst

Talents

Accurate Carnage

Greater Frenzy

Stalwart Defiance

Weapon Focus: Ruffian

Two Weapon Style

Veteran’s Recovery

Savage Attack

Vulnerable Attack

Weapons

1. Resolution (Annihilation, Reliable) - Purgatory (Annihilation, Draining)

2. Bittercut (Damage Types: Corrode/Slash, Spellbind: Infestation of Maggots, Vile Thorns - The Flames of Fair Rhian (Spellbind: Fireball)

Armor

Sanguine Plate (Spellholding: Frenzy, Survival +2)

Equipment

Head - +3 MGT: Tempered Helm (for 20s/kill, +5 DR and -5 Deflection for 20s/kill, +25 Defense against: Hobbled, Stuck, Paralyzed, Charmed, Confused, +10 Defense against: Dominated)

Neck - +2 RES: Lost Periapt of the Winding Path (Spellholding: Consecrated Ground, +20 Concentration)

Finger - +4 INT: Gwyn’s Band of Union (Blessing, Spellstamina: Instill Doubt)

Finger - +1 CON, +1 RES, +1 MGT: The Ring of Wonder (Second Chance)

Arms - Mourning Gloves (+20s/kill: All Defenses +5, +10% Attack Speed, +10 Concentration, +15 Interrupt, -1 RES, +15 Endurance)

Waist - Ryona’s Buckle (+5 ACC when <50% Endurance, +20 Defense against: Disease, Poison)

Feet - +4 DEX: Viettro’s Formal Footwear (+3 Lore, Grants Carouse)

Now that I've firmed up the Barb's role as pure melee DPS, I've decided to remove all but one of his CC options so he can focus on doing damage; the Fighter can handle the bulk of the melee CC. He now packs quad unique sabers, which I plan to enchant to cover as wide a range of situations as possible; the two Annihilating sabers will be Durganized and enchanted to Superb, with Resolution getting Wilder-Slaying and Freezing Lash while Purgatory gets Kith-Slaying and Shocking Lash, serving as his main weapons. He also gets an 'undead hunting' set of Bittercut with Corroding Lash and Vessel-Slaying, and The Flames of Fair Rhian with Burning Lash and Spirit-Slaying, which can be used at points when the main set isn't doing the job.

 

---

The Last Woman Standing

Race: Coastal Aumaua

Class: Fighter

Culture: The Living Lands

Background: Mercenary (+1 Athletics, +1 Lore)

Attributes

MIG: 21

CON: 10

DEX: 10

PER: 10

INT: 15

RES: 12

Abilities

Knock Down

Guardian

Weapon Specialization: Knight

Overbearing Guard

Armored Grace

Unbroken

Clear Out

Triggered Immunity

Talents

Rapid Recovery

Weapon and Shield Style

Hold the Line

Superior Deflection

Weapon Focus: Knight

Weapon Mastery: Knight

Snake’s Reflexes

Bull’s Will

Weapons

1. +1 RES: Steadfast (soulbound, Will +5) - Dragon’s Maw Shield (soulbound, Bashing 3, Guarding)

2. We Toki (Overbearing) - The Last Tower (+1 Move Speed, Spellbind: Armor of Faith)

Armor

White Crest Armor (-1 Move Speed, Grants Overwhelming Wave, Dancing Bolts)

Equipment

Head - +4 MGT: Maegfolc Skull (Unbending when <50% Endurance)

Neck - Swaddling Sheet (Spellbind: Recall Agony, Spellholding: Overwhelming Wave)

Finger - +4 CON: Iron Circle (Burden, +15% Armor DR when <26% Endurance)

Finger - Orlan’s Bramble Ring (+25 Defense Against: Stuck, Paralyzed, Hobbled)

Arms - +4 RES: Siegebreaker Gauntlets (Spellbind: Clear Out)

Waist - Arthek’s Cord (+1.8 Move Speed while Endurance >75%, +21 Interrupt while Endurance <75%)

Feet - Boots of Stability (+30 Defense against Prone, +15 Defense against Push)

Now that her role as the CC specialist has been firmed up, I changed up her Attributes, Abilities and Talents somewhat to reflect accordingly. She has slightly higher RES than the Paladin, and high enough INT to make her CC tools last reasonably long. Disciplined Barrage was replaced by Knock Down, for those times the Fighter needs to smack that one guy in particular down on his ass right now, but didn't want to waste a Clear Out just for that. And I really wanted to try and fit Charge in there, but finally decided that she needs as many Clear Out uses available as is possible.

And since I didn't want to waste her W&S Style, that necessitated a 1H weapon with the Overbearing enchantment. Turns out there's only one of those in the whole game, necessitating the change to WF, WS and WM Knight. Doesn't hurt that it means I can give her The Last Tower as well, to offset the Move Speed malus from White Crest Armor. The only question is whether that would stack with Arthek's Cord, but more Interrupt is always helpful nevertheless.

 

---

The Blizzard Wizard

 

Race: Wood Elf

Class: Wizard

Culture: Old Vailia

Background: Artist (+2 Lore)

Attributes

MIG: 17

CON: 3

DEX: 19

PER: 10

INT: 19

RES: 10

Abilities

Spell Mastery: Spirit Shield

Spell Mastery: Bulwark Against The Elements

Spell Mastery: Llengrath’s Displaced Image

Spell Mastery: Ninagauth’s Shadowflame

Talents

Arcane Veil

Blast

Penetrating Blast

Hardened Veil

Weapon Focus: Adventurer

Marksman

Dangerous Implement

Secrets of Rime

Weapons

1. +3 RES: Gyrd Haewanes Stenes (soulbound, Raw Lash)

2. Forgotten Tear of the Beloved (Spellchance: Dazing, Spellbind: Prayer Against Treachery, Suppress Affliction) - Ilfan Byrngar’s Solace (Preservation)

Armor

Elardh Dwr (+30 Defense against Prone, +15 Defense against Push, Fortitude +5, +3 DR: Crush)

Equipment

Head - +2 INT: Hermit’s Hat (Immune to Confused)

Neck - Cape of the Master Mystic (Spellholding: Invisibility, +12 Deflection, Major Spellbind: Minor Arcane Reflection)

Finger - Ring of the Selonan (Ring of Wizardry)

Finger - Telda’s Ring (Ring of Wizardry)

Arms - Bracers of Spiritual Power (x1.2 Spell Damage)

Waist - +3 MGT: Girdle of Maegfolc Might

Feet - Shod-in-Faith (Spellholding: Consecrated Ground)

There weren't too many suggestions for the Wizard, which resulted in her being the least-changed of the whole lot. I did realize that I tended to favor Freezing spells with the Wizard - between Chill Fog and Ninagauth's Shadowflame - so I figured might as well go all the way and take Secrets of Rime, and use even more of the Freezing spells than I have already. I did consider making her a Pale Elf on top of it for the Freeze DR bonus, but she does need to cast offensive spells and contribute to the ranged DPS on occasion, so Distant Advantage may still be useful for that.

---

 

The Slayer of Dragons

Race: Wood Elf

Class: Ranger

Culture: The White That Wends

Background: Hunter (Survival +1, Stealth +1)

Attributes

MIG: 18

CON: 9

DEX: 19

PER: 20

INT: 3

RES: 9

Abilities

Marked Prey

Wounding Shot

Stalker’s Link

Driving Flight

Revive Companion

Stunning Shots

Twinned Arrows

Defensive Bond

Talents

Resilient Companion

Accurate Wounding Shot

Weapon Focus: Peasant

Marksman

Beast Slayer

Shot on the Run

Bull’s Will

Strengthened Bond

Weapons

1. Stormcaller (soulbound, Damage Type: Pierce/Shock)

2. Captain Viccilo’s Anger (Dessicating) - Badgradr’s Barricade (Bashing 1, 10% of Ranged attacks reflected, Spellholding: Thrust of Tattered Veils)

Armor

Wayfarer’s Hide (Spellbind: Nature’s Vigor, +15 Defense against: Stuck, Hobbled, Paralyzed)

Equipment

Head - +3 RES: Argwes Adra’s Helm

Neck - +4 PER: Mantle of the Excavator (+2 Survival, +25 Defense against: Poison)

Finger - +3 DEX: Ring of Thorns (Reflex +5, Preservation)

Finger - Ring of Unshackling (Spellbind: Suppress Affliction)

Arms - Gauntlets of Swift Action (+15% Attack Speed)

Waist - +3 MGT: Sentinel’s Girdle (Grants Indomitable, Spellbind: Watchful Presence)

Feet - Boots of Speed (+3 Move Speed)

Dragonslaying equipment:

Persistence (Reliable, Wounding)

+2 PER: Helmet of Darksee

Cloak of the Frozen Hunt (+10% Ranged Damage, + 6 ACC against: Beasts, +3 DR against: Freeze)
+3 RES: Kerdhed Pames

Apart from going with WF Peasant for the hunting bows, I decided to split the difference between protection and Attack Speed, and give the Ranger the Wayfarer's Hide for his armor. And since this makes Fenwalkers obsolete, I replaced it with Boots of Speed; with that and Shot on the Run, the Ranger can now reposition and resume shooting as and when necessary.

 

In addition, the Ranger gets an optional set of 'dragonslaying' gear, which will replace his normal gear before the Dragon fights; I'll Durganize and enchant Persistence with Beast-Slaying and Legendary, for that very purpose. But in the meantime, the Ranger will stick with Stormcaller for the most part, as it helps him be more of a team player during the times he's not hunting dragons.

 

---

 

The Fiery Preacher

Race: Pale Elf

Class: Priest (Eothas)

Culture: Deadfire Archipelago

Background: Merchant (Lore +1, Mechanics +1)

Attributes

MIG: 18

CON: 3

DEX: 20

PER: 10

INT: 18

RES: 9

Abilities

Holy Radiance

Spell Mastery: Holy Meditation

Spell Mastery: Consecrated Ground

Spell Mastery: Dire Blessing

Spell Mastery: Devotions for the Faithful

Talents

Inspiring Radiance

Hope Eternal

Weapon & Shield Style

Superior Deflection

Brilliant Radiance

Aggrandizing Radiance

Bear’s Fortitude

Scion of Flame

Weapons

1. Starcaller (Stunning, Spellstriking: Minoletta’s Minor Missiles)  - Little Savior (Herald, Preservation)

2. Abydon’s Hammer (Soulbound, +4 MGT, Spellbind: Ring of the Ancient Forge, Abydon’s Labor, Echo of the Maker, Spellstriking: Abydon’s Power)

Armor

Angio’s Gambeson (Spellbind: Deletrious Alacrity of Motion, Athletics +2)

Equipment

Head - +3 INT: White Crest’s Helm

Neck - +3 DEX: Finreah’s Grace

Finger - Seal of Faith (Seal of Faith)
Finger - +3 RES: Ring of Changing Heart (Spellbind: Dominate)

Arms - Celebrant’s Gloves (Spelldefense: Holy Meditation, Overseeing)

Waist - Looped Rope (Clarity: +20 Defense against all status effects)

Feet - Echoing Misery (Spellholding: Ray of Pain, +15 Defense when Disengaging)

 

Unexpectedly for me, it was the Priest who saw the most changes. Since I was made aware of the redundance of the Priest's role as a target designator with the presence of the Forward Observer, it also means she didn't necessarily have to be a Magranite anymore. I wasn't sure which type of Priest she should be, but eventually settled on Eothas so that she can wield the Starcaller the Ranger could no longer use to full effect. I also noticed that Priests have a surprisingly large number of options for Burning spells, and since the Priest doesn't need bonuses to ranged attacks nearly as much as the Wizard does, that clears the way for me to give her Scion of Flame, and make her a Pale Elf so she can get the bonus to Burn DR as well as Burn damage.

 

She also gets Angio's Gambeson for superspeed casting, and I'm convinced of the utility of Abydon's Hammer for the Priest, so the lucky girl gets the Mythical instrument of the god's will. Finally, she gets all the upgrades to her Holy Radiance; Brilliant for the talent-boosted Burn, Inspiring for the ACC bonus, and Aggrandizing for stacking the Attribute bonuses with Minor Avatar.

 

---

 

So. Comments?
 

Edited September 30, 2017 by Ascaloth

[Lampros]

Ascaloth,

 

I will try to break this up according to your characters:

 

On the main Paladin: I never take Reviving Exhortation. A Scroll of Revival takes a mere Lore 6 to use - and you should have at least one guy with that much Lore anyways. It seems to me like a waste of a precious Paladin level-up slot, and the Paladin has so many good Abilities/Talents that you are already level-up points starved as is.

 

On the Barbarian: I really think a Barbarian functions better with a Tall Grass from the 2nd line or with at least one CC weapon like Godansthuynr, if you must stick him on the 1st line. But perhaps this is because I am obsessed about CC/survivability. Not using Barbarian atr least as a partial CC specialist seems like a waste; I also do not like him as a toe-to-toe guy with such low Defenses, unless he can disable foes before he goes to town. Another thing to consider is that you also have three 1st-liners. You will have melee congestion and idling melees in certain bottleneck fights. But again, this may be an idiosyncratic thing that bothers me a lot more than other.

 

On the Fighter: A DPS or CC Fighter without Disciplined Barrage and/or Confident Aim seems almost oxymoronic to me. And it's not like you have high Perception to compensate. Yet even more strange, you have Guardian Stance to boot! What exactly is this guy trying to be? I like hybrid builds myself, but I am not sure how effective he is going to be in any role.

 

Also on a 1st-liner, Bear's Fortitude is more important than Snake's Reflex, in my opinion.

 

On the Wizard: I think Constitution 3 on anyone in someone's first PotD try is highly inadvisable. Is this from Boerer's Hurtstacker? He'd be the first to stress that even he dies a lot on this build - or at least with his stat distribution.

 

On the Ranger: With the caveat that I've never run a Ranger and may never do so, I think Intelligence 3 with the stuns from Stunning Shot and Returning Storm do not mix well. I am not sure you want to dump Intelligence to this degree. But then I use my ranged classes to CC, so again this may be an idiosyncratic thing.

 

On the Priest: I am going to repeat my misgivings about Constitution 3.

 

Miscellaneous: I really like that you have auto-revive on all your front-liners. This is how I go; but I am an excessively cautious player who loath getting knocked out, even if it does not impact the overall outcome of the fight. I guess from an immersive perspective, a knockout seems like "death" rather than a "severe injury that is recuperable."

Edited September 30, 2017 by Lampros

[Lampros]

 

 

Secondly, the Paladin with just Faith and Conviction, weapon and shield style and Outworn Buckler will out tank a Fighter speced to tank and be able to do more offensively.  The fighter will get better Deflection but he will be CCed a lot more because his saves will be lower.  When you are paralyzed or Petrified Deflection is pointless.  Like others have said I think a fighter is tough enough as a front line damage dealer.  With Recovery and its upgrade and shod in faith boots you are good.  and he contributes with consistent damage thanks to his high ACC he/she can hit even difficult to hit targets.

 

DW or Two handed works.

 

Did you factor in Vigorous Defense? It alone can exceed the Faith & Conviction plus Deep Faith boni. Of course, it's temporary - so if you cannot burn down the encounter quickly enough, you'd need to sink more level-ups on stuff like Superior Deflection, Bear's Fortitude, and so forth. But anyways, I think a Fighter out-tanks a Paladin, if he goes full bore on taking every available defensive Fighter Abilities/Talents. Of course, then he'd be a total gimp masochist - which brings us back to our mutual agreement about the Fighter being a better off-tank/DPS.

 

Also, Ascaloth,

 

Clear Out is rather great with high Intelligence (which I tend to boost on most characters anyways, since I tend to take a lot of hybrid classes like Paladins and Chanters who need the duration and the area of effect boosts). I'd really try to sacrifice something else and incorporate it.

 

Great thing about Paladins they can also get access to Vigourous Defense via Ryonna's Breastplate. And a possibility of triggering it more than once a battle albeit rng controlled. I think it is almost unfair that Unbending, Triggered Immunity and Vigorous Defence is accessible to other classes.

 

Both Fighters and Paladins tanks can function at about the same level I think.

 

 

Ryona's boob-plate is a bit too unreliable for me though. I like certainty - in life and in games!

[mosspit]

Ascaloth,

 

I will try to break this up according to your characters:

 

On the main Paladin: I never take Reviving Exhortation. A Scroll of Revival takes a mere Lore 6 to use - and you should have at least one guy with that much Lore anyways. It seems to me like a waste of a precious Paladin level-up slot, and the Paladin has so many good Abilities/Talents that you are already level-up points starved as is.

 

On the Barbarian: I really think a Barbarian functions better with a Tall Grass from the 2nd line or with at least one CC weapon like Godansthuynr, if you must stick him on the 1st line. But perhaps this is because I am obsessed about CC/survivability. Not using Barbarian atr least as a partial CC specialist seems like a waste; I also do not like him as a toe-to-toe guy with such low Defenses, unless he can disable foes before he goes to town. Another thing to consider is that you also have three 1st-liners. You will have melee congestion and idling melees in certain bottleneck fights. But again, this may be an idiosyncratic thing that bothers me a lot more than other.

On Reviving Exhortation, there are some aspects of it being better.

- Fast cast compared to Revival Scroll. There are instances where those seconds matter.

- Good range

- Endurance Heal. It heals more than the Revival Scroll. The scroll will leave the revived character(s) with about 20-30% endurance but Exhortation can potentially heal the character up to full/near full endurance. Just a little background - this spell used to remove a large amount of endurance during the 2nd phrase. So much so that it can actually kill the character again. It's pretty hilarious Since then, the skill has been patched to be more usable.

But if there is a situation where multiple characters are downed, scroll might still be more effective.

 

On Barbarian, dual sabres are still good for HoF triggers. So maybe have another weapon set with more interesting effects on swap. Also, Firebrand via carnage effect is said to be good for carnage dps (need to try it myself).

 

The other points are valid to me.

 

 

Great thing about Paladins they can also get access to Vigourous Defense via Ryonna's Breastplate. And a possibility of triggering it more than once a battle albeit rng controlled. I think it is almost unfair that Unbending, Triggered Immunity and Vigorous Defence is accessible to other classes.

 

Both Fighters and Paladins tanks can function at about the same level I think.

 

Ryona's boob-plate is a bit too unreliable for me though. I like certainty - in life and in games!

 

Well, I am just stating a fact that Paladins can get access to the said skill. Can't really say which scenario is better though.

Edited September 30, 2017 by mosspit

[Torm51]

 

 

 

Secondly, the Paladin with just Faith and Conviction, weapon and shield style and Outworn Buckler will out tank a Fighter speced to tank and be able to do more offensively. The fighter will get better Deflection but he will be CCed a lot more because his saves will be lower. When you are paralyzed or Petrified Deflection is pointless. Like others have said I think a fighter is tough enough as a front line damage dealer. With Recovery and its upgrade and shod in faith boots you are good. and he contributes with consistent damage thanks to his high ACC he/she can hit even difficult to hit targets.

 

DW or Two handed works.

Did you factor in Vigorous Defense? It alone can exceed the Faith & Conviction plus Deep Faith boni. Of course, it's temporary - so if you cannot burn down the encounter quickly enough, you'd need to sink more level-ups on stuff like Superior Deflection, Bear's Fortitude, and so forth. But anyways, I think a Fighter out-tanks a Paladin, if he goes full bore on taking every available defensive Fighter Abilities/Talents. Of course, then he'd be a total gimp masochist - which brings us back to our mutual agreement about the Fighter being a better off-tank/DPS.

 

Also, Ascaloth,

 

Clear Out is rather great with high Intelligence (which I tend to boost on most characters anyways, since I tend to take a lot of hybrid classes like Paladins and Chanters who need the duration and the area of effect boosts). I'd really try to sacrifice something else and incorporate it.

Great thing about Paladins they can also get access to Vigourous Defense via Ryonna's Breastplate. And a possibility of triggering it more than once a battle albeit rng controlled. I think it is almost unfair that Unbending, Triggered Immunity and Vigorous Defence is accessible to other classes.

 

Both Fighters and Paladins tanks can function at about the same level I think.

Ryona's boob-plate is a bit too unreliable for me though. I like certainty - in life and in games!

Literally gives your Paladin Vigerous defense on (15% chance on hit) and it's superperb so the DR is good enough. Best armor in the game for a Paladin or Chanter tank. Even a monk gets Disc Barrage from it. Edited September 30, 2017 by Torm51

[Boeroer]

Which is the real awesomeness.

[Ascaloth]

Ascaloth,

 

I will try to break this up according to your characters:

 

On the main Paladin: I never take Reviving Exhortation. A Scroll of Revival takes a mere Lore 6 to use - and you should have at least one guy with that much Lore anyways. It seems to me like a waste of a precious Paladin level-up slot, and the Paladin has so many good Abilities/Talents that you are already level-up points starved as is.

 

On the Barbarian: I really think a Barbarian functions better with a Tall Grass from the 2nd line or with at least one CC weapon like Godansthuynr, if you must stick him on the 1st line. But perhaps this is because I am obsessed about CC/survivability. Not using Barbarian atr least as a partial CC specialist seems like a waste; I also do not like him as a toe-to-toe guy with such low Defenses, unless he can disable foes before he goes to town. Another thing to consider is that you also have three 1st-liners. You will have melee congestion and idling melees in certain bottleneck fights. But again, this may be an idiosyncratic thing that bothers me a lot more than other.

 

On the Fighter: A DPS or CC Fighter without Disciplined Barrage and/or Confident Aim seems almost oxymoronic to me. And it's not like you have high Perception to compensate. Yet even more strange, you have Guardian Stance to boot! What exactly is this guy trying to be? I like hybrid builds myself, but I am not sure how effective he is going to be in any role.

 

Also on a 1st-liner, Bear's Fortitude is more important than Snake's Reflex, in my opinion.

 

On the Wizard: I think Constitution 3 on anyone in someone's first PotD try is highly inadvisable. Is this from Boerer's Hurtstacker? He'd be the first to stress that even he dies a lot on this build - or at least with his stat distribution.

 

On the Ranger: With the caveat that I've never run a Ranger and may never do so, I think Intelligence 3 with the stuns from Stunning Shot and Returning Storm do not mix well. I am not sure you want to dump Intelligence to this degree. But then I use my ranged classes to CC, so again this may be an idiosyncratic thing.

 

On the Priest: I am going to repeat my misgivings about Constitution 3.

 

Miscellaneous: I really like that you have auto-revive on all your front-liners. This is how I go; but I am an excessively cautious player who loath getting knocked out, even if it does not impact the overall outcome of the fight. I guess from an immersive perspective, a knockout seems like "death" rather than a "severe injury that is recuperable."

 

 

Reviving Exhortation: It's a lot more useful than you'd think; it heals for a hell of a lot more than a Revival scroll does. That lets me put a downed party member back into the fray immediately, without having to babysit the character with additional healing before sending him back in.

 

Tall Grass Barbarian: At this point, you're just telling me to play the Barbarian the way you would play it. That's not the sort of advice I appreciate.

 

If I wanted to play a CC Barbarian, I would have built a CC Barbarian. But what I want is a DPS Barbarian, supported by a CC Fighter and a off-DPS Paladin. And that's what I built; what I'm looking for is how to optimize them for their respective roles accordingly.

 

Low Defenses of Barbarian: Covered by Outworn Buckler on the Paladin, plus Guardian Stance on the Fighter. I'm not building a bunch of solo operators here; I'm building a team that complements each other seamlessly. I'm actually playing a PotD game currently (except with the story companions instead of hired adventurers), and I have a similar setup on Pallegina and Eder. It's been working quite well so far.

 

The Fighter: No Disciplined Barrage or Confident Aim, but I did stack WF, WS and WM Knight on her. Is that not enough accuracy to make the CC stick? And besides, she already has plenty of Fortitude from her superhigh MGT, it's her Reflexes that needs work.

 

Wizard and Priest: It's necessary to enable them to cast the most powerful spells, at the greatest speed, that lasts the longest time. And they're backliners anyway, so why not?

 

Ranger: Like I said before, he's the least teamwork-oriented of the lot; his Attributes are specced for single-target DPS after all. Stormcaller is just so he has some way to play nice with his own party when there's no tough enemies for him to burst with Persistence. Besides, I have two sources of CC in the Fighter and the Wizard anyway.