What multiclasses have you played with so far?

[Yosharian]

This is the main problem I have with tank wizards.  Sooo much casting to be effective.  No, I don't wanna cast 10 spells everytime I begin a fight.

 

Right now I'm going through Pillars POTD (to prepare a save for Deadfire where I haven't sacrificed Eder.. woops!) with a party that has no buffing, well except for a Priest of course.

[Boeroer]

With the Unbroken as second class you don't need to buff up in every fight. But since you have spells per encounter - why not?

 

If you switch on AI you can use a custom made setting that casts buffs for you right at the start or once you take too much heat or whatever. It's very customizable and can take away the tedium of manual self buffing.

 

Since most of those buffs are 0.5 sec casts it doesn't matter too much when you cast (very low risk of interrupts), but I prefer to buff up right at the start.

Edited March 7, 2018 by Boeroer

[Yosharian]

With the Unbroken as second class you don't need to buff up in every fight. But since you have spells per encounter - why not?

 

If you switch on AI you can use a custom made setting that casts buffs for you right at the start of once you take too much heat or whatever. It's very customizable and can take away the tedium of manual self buffing.

 

Since most of those buffs are 0.5 sec casts it doesn't matter too much when you cast (very low risk of interrupts), but I prefer to buff up right at the start.

Oh that's true, I'd forgotten about tactics. I guess it's bearable with them.

[Krowseph]

I see quite a few caster/melee multiclass in here (Priest of Berath/Devoted, etc.)  My question is with the resolve changes, how to you balance attribute points between all the needed areas?  Seems quite hard to have to manage might, dex, per, int, and resolve or am I looking at this incorrectly?

[Yosharian]

I see quite a few caster/melee multiclass in here (Priest of Berath/Devoted, etc.)  My question is with the resolve changes, how to you balance attribute points between all the needed areas?  Seems quite hard to have to manage might, dex, per, int, and resolve or am I looking at this incorrectly?

 

Sawyer has said he might be reverting the Resolve/Strength change.

[Osvir]

- Anything with Fighter is solid, safe, and stable, in my experience. Not necessarily the strongest DPS, just simply solid. Devoted/Bleak Walker or Devoted/Conjurer (Quarterstaves or Pikes) does dish out some serious damage though. Unbroken/Shieldbearer of St Elcga is probably my favorite though, up to 5 Engagement targets, just simply a good deterrent to have on the board. I believe I'll have MC+Eder tank it up, and Aloth and Pallegina focus Damage, and Xoti or Tekehu focus Support.

Haven't tried Black Jacket, but I imagine an Island Aumaua Black Jacket/Sharpshooter (with Guns) could be a fun active gunner build. Or a Black Jacket/Wizard (Does the switching apply to Grimoires too? Because that's pretty much the only reason/argument for Black Jacket/Wizard, a Wizard with a large repertoire of spells and several different Grimoires to cast them, Pure Wizard). EDIT: Errrr... Island Aumaua doesn't have Arms Bearer in Deadfire xD so I'd probably go with an Orlan or Wood Elf instead.

- Lifegiver/Eothas (Druid/Priest) is what I've had most experience with as a healer (Though, a Pure Lifegiver might be better than a Multiclass combo in this regard), though Wael or Magran might be better picks because of their Spiritual Weapons (Ranged: Rod, or, Pistol+Sabre). Great heals.. buuuuut... again, Fighter/Priest (Cleric) is just.... solid. You get a melee support/healer/sub-tank that can engage some targets and also doesn't have to re-position themselves to land value heals (also, you don't have to spend much into Intelligence with this sort of Healer/Tank).

- Illusionist/Trickster is gimmicky, I didn't spend much time with it and got squished pretty hard, but I don't think I played it, attributed it, or geared it, right. Lots of potential. Though, writing it up makes me want to test and investigate Cipher/Trickster or Cipher/Illusionist. Just different variations of "Mind Mages".

- I also tried Ghost Heart/Cipher, I don't remember what sub-class I picked, but it was probably the strongest build I played. Again, didn't spend much time with it and I didn't optimize it. Easier to get "right" than Illusionist/Trickster.

- Evoker/Fury, glass cannon "iNuclear Launch Detected!". Though, this is a bit speculative. In the Beta, we play from Level 6 to 9. This build is weak. But when you see the tools it has, and the potential it has, it will be one of those "Weak early and mid-game, strong late-game" type of builds. It can burn through most of its encounter resources without much changing on the battlefield, which is why when every spell level is 4/4+ at the late game this build will be probably one of the stronger ones.

- Wizard/Priest is also strong~ Deadfire's own Red Mage

Edited March 12, 2018 by Osvir

[Boeroer]

Beguiler/Trickster is neat, too. A Beguiler actually gets more focus than he spends when hitting enough foes with a deception power like Eyestrike. The Trickster part can apply Confounded Blind in an AoE with rod/Blast if focus is low. He can also use Guile for mind control. It's a good combo for persistent CC on the battlefield. Damage is not overwhelming, but still good.

[Veevoir]

I'd say persistent, reliable CC is a much more impressive result than another build with high DMG numbers. Any Devoted/whatever can do that

WIll have to try this out in beta.

[Progressive_Stupidity]

I'm going to admit to being very basic here and say that I'm looking for something that plays more flashy and action oriented with not too much micromanaging and was wondering if anyone had any good advice for what feels fun in that regard. I'm committed to Skald as my first class choice and I feel like rogue would be fun to play as my second class but I'd prefer wizard or druid for roleplay dialogues and such so I'm conflicted. Is there a way to take wizard or druid and keep them fairly passive in a way that effectively synchronises with a melee based chanter or am I better off just going with a rogue?

[Shakyr]

Skald/Shifter: Can you still cast invocations while shifted? Or are they banned?

 

Ranger/Rogue: Does sneak attack work from range, or is it only the light melee weapons (stiletto, dagger, sword, rapier)? Also, does sneak attack stack with Crits? Thinking about Sharpshooter/Assassin here, using the increased Pen, Acc and Crit Hit chance from Assassin with increased Hit to Crit from Sharpshooter (with attacks > 4m), to score large initial strikes.

[MaxQuest]

Skald/Shifter: Can you still cast invocations while shifted? Or are they banned?

Invocations, along with cipher powers and druid/wizard/priest spells are disabled during Shifter's spiritshift.

 

But you can still:

- chant

- use potions

- use active martial abilities (like Flames of Devotions)

- use scrolls (yeap, including stuff like Scroll of Moonwell) (note you can even use Scroll of the Kalakoth's Minor Blights ^^, although after doing so, spiritshifted druid can't attack at all)

 

Ranger/Rogue: Does sneak attack work from range, or is it only the light melee weapons (stiletto, dagger, sword, rapier)? Also, does sneak attack stack with Crits? Thinking about Sharpshooter/Assassin here, using the increased Pen, Acc and Crit Hit chance from Assassin with increased Hit to Crit from Sharpshooter (with attacks > 4m), to score large initial strikes.

- Sneak Attack does work with all weapons (so long as conditions for SA itself are met, e.g: first 2s of combat or target being under specific status effects)

- Sneak Attack damage bonus coefficient does stack (additively) with crit coefficient.

Edited March 25, 2018 by MaxQuest

[Krowseph]

Quick question. I know riposte rogues left a lot to be desired previously, but has anyone tried a tank rogue build? Something along the lines of a streetfighter/illusionist Fire Godlike. Seems like the extra deflection from mirrored images might help bring more misses/grazes. The damage bonus also seems to go along with the fire godlike ability (I know it is not anywhere close to where it was before).

 

 

I guess this is all a moot point for POTD as I understand high deflection doesn’t matter and the rogue tank will just get eaten alive.

 

Second Question: For the transmute ogre transformation, does it work just like a spirit shift and gear doesn’t matter? Can you use abilities/spells while in form? Any weapon proficiency help with the club?

 

Thoughts?

Edited March 26, 2018 by Krowseph

[Boeroer]

Form of the Fearsome Brute:

 

it works like Spiritshift (you transform and your gear is gone temporarily). You'll have a club as weapon and can't switch. Other than Spiritshift you also get -4 INT but +MIG and +CON (can't remember the exact numbers).

[MaxQuest]

Quick question. I know riposte rogues left a lot to be desired previously, but has anyone tried a tank rogue build? Something along the lines of a streetfighter/illusionist Fire Godlike. Seems like the extra deflection from mirrored images might help bring more misses/grazes. The damage bonus also seems to go along with the fire godlike ability (I know it is not anywhere close to where it was before).

Haven't tried it yet. As it didn't look that powerful, at least on paper; nor have found a bashing shield yet.

Also Deadfire Riposte only mentions counter-attacking on misses. Unlike in PoE1 the graze part seems ommited.

 

But would take a look at streetfighter/priest (wael cose of Arcane Veil), if Barring Death's Door prevents the character from falling on the ground; or streetfighter/monk if Blade Turning results in misses. As I haven't checked those yet.

 

I guess this is all a moot point for POTD as I understand high deflection doesn’t matter and the rogue tank will just get eaten alive.

First of all it's all about AR vs enemyPEN. After that deflection + fortitude, as most damaging stuff targets these defenses in the current beta.

And ofc healing.

[Krowseph]

Would the streetfighter subclass even be beneficial with Wizard?  As I believe the bonus damage from Flanked applies to sneak attack.  Didn't sneak attack not work with spells in POE 1? Only deathblow?  Is that still the case?

[SaruNi]

Form of the Fearsome Brute:

 

it works like Spiritshift (you transform and your gear is gone temporarily). You'll have a club as weapon and can't switch. Other than Spiritshift you also get -4 INT but +MIG and +CON (can't remember the exact numbers).

 

+4 strength

+2 con

-2 dex

-4 int

 

Can't cast wizard/druid/cipher/priest spells but can use all other spells/abilities including Trickster wizard spells and scrolls.

 

Scroll use could be nice once spell damage scales with Might again.

 

The con bonus iirc was decreased---unnecessary and reduces what little synergy there had been between transmutation spells (specifically AoE duration hazard fields targeting fortitude) and ogre form.

Edited March 27, 2018 by SaruNi

[SaruNi]

Would the streetfighter subclass even be beneficial with Wizard?  As I believe the bonus damage from Flanked applies to sneak attack.  Didn't sneak attack not work with spells in POE 1? Only deathblow?  Is that still the case?

 

Wizards have good self-buffs and Kalakoth's Minor Blights is a good summoned weapon. The blunderbuss modal (Powder Burns) makes you "flanked" so that you can use the streetfighter bonus. It also applies to ranged weapons. And Kalakoth's Minor Blights can apply Rogue strike abilities and afflictions in AoE. 

 

Riposte gains a bit relative to PoE from weapon speeds being slower. And it's easy to get high deflection even without multiclassing. Being able to wear the heaviest armor and use the slowest melee weapon.... Some people seemed to think there's an internal cooldown secretly limiting riposte rate though, is that true?.... 

Edited March 27, 2018 by SaruNi

[SaruNi]

Form of the Fearsome Brute doesn't disable Druid Spiritshift, but spiritshift removes Form of the Fearsome Brute and all its bonuses/maluses....

[JerekKruger]

Also Deadfire Riposte only mentions counter-attacking on misses. Unlike in PoE1 the graze part seems ommited.

 

A consequence of the earlier non-universality of grazes I'd guess.

[Boeroer]

Fearsome Brute also can't use Chanter's invocations if I remember correctly..?

[Fiaryn]

I don't have the Beta, but I'm curious if anyone's tried something along the lines of Shifter/Helwalker Nature Godlike? It seems like the +2 Power Level from Nature Godlike would go well with the Might bonus from having wounds, and effects like Dance of Death. A little bit living on the edge, but possibly fun!

[Vaeliorin]

Has anyone tried a Cantor (specifically Skald + Shattered Pillar)?  I was thinking Swift Strikes/Swift Flurry would be a boost in terms of crits->phrases.

 

I was wondering if damage from things like Come, Come Soft Winds, Dragon Thrashed, etc. would count towards wounds.  Anyone know?

[Boeroer]

They don't. Only melee or ranged weapon attacks (including Blast). Basically like a cipher.

[Phyriel]

I'm thinking about playing death knight archetype Devoted + Bereth/Skean Priest as second class. Sounds good? 

[Stargazer55]

Are there any good synergies for ranger / paladin?