A ranged only Paladin.. can it be good?

[Slack83er]

Purrrfect. I'm gon try this MC this afternoon. If I remember correctly, the first fine arbalest is in anslog, so not too far. Will put Eder on the front line, and I also like Kana on the front. 

Would you advise Goldpact or Shieldbearers?

[Boeroer]

The first unique arbalest "Hold-Wall" is in Gilded Vale (blacksmith's shop) by the way.

 

The soulbound arbalest in Anslög's Compass (Deadfire merchant) is bugged atm. Once it gets upgraded it reloads more slowly - like, really slowly (first stacge -25% reload speed, then -50% reload speed). Somebody at OBS who is in charge of implementing those enchantments def. has hit his head on a brick wall or something. Those issues with accidently inversed reloading speed or no speed at all despite tooltips are all over the place in the Deadfire Pack and in the Deafire Beta. 

Edited February 9, 2018 by Boeroer

[Torm51]

The first unique arbalest "Hold-Wall" is in Gilded Vale (blacksmith's shop) by the way.

 

The soulbound arbalest in Anslög's Compass (Deadfire merchant) is bugged atm. Once it gets upgraded it reloads more slowly - like, really slowly (first stacge -25% reload speed, then -50% reload speed). Somebody at OBS who is in charge of implementing those enchantments def. has hit his head on a brick wall or something. Those issues with accidently inversed reloading speed or no speed at all despite tooltips are all over the place in the Deadfire Pack and in the Deafire Beta. 

Not good news...

[Slack83er]

Well..that's ok, I'll take that in GV and then move on to find something better as the story goes on.

Thanks for the warning Boer, I wasn't aware of the bug...

 

Looked for it in the wiki... a paladin can't use it anyway.. problem solved..

Edited February 9, 2018 by Slack83er

[Elric Galad]

The soulbound arbalest in Anslög's Compass (Deadfire merchant) is bugged atm. Once it gets upgraded it reloads more slowly - like, really slowly (first stacge -25% reload speed, then -50% reload speed). Somebody at OBS who is in charge of implementing those enchantments def. has hit his head on a brick wall or something. Those issues with accidently inversed reloading speed or no speed at all despite tooltips are all over the place in the Deadfire Pack and in the Deafire Beta. 

 

Anyway, this arbalest can't be bound to Paladin so...

[Elric Galad]

I would build the character this way :

 

 

==================================

 

The Valian Inquisitor (Nobody expects a ranged paladin)

 

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class: Paladin

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race: Wood Elf

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background : not important

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stats:

mig: 16

con: 8

dex: 13

per: 13 (I really don't think Per is too important, but it seems you want a bit of PER, so... maybe relevant for PC or High Deflection)

int: 18

res: 10

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skills: Target survival 10 for speed, DR or ACC bonus, some Lore for scrolls... 

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abilities and talents:

lv1: FoD

lv2: Shielding Flames

lv3: Zealous Focus (but any aura would suit : Zealous Endurance goes well with Shieldbearer them, and Zealous Charge goes well with ranged weapon)

lv4: WF : Soldier

lv5: Sworn Ennemy

lv6: Marksman

lv7: Coordinated Attacks

lv8: Gunner

lv9: Reviving Exhortation

lv10: Intense Flames

lv11: Lay on Hands

lv12: Apprentice's Sneak Attack 

lv13: Sacred Immolation

lv14: Scion of Flames

lv15: Inspiring Triumph

lv16: Runner's wounding shot / Critical Focus

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items:

weapons 1: Pliambo per Casitas 

weapons 2: Some Warhammer & Outworn buckler (backup melee)

 

boots: boots of speed

 

armor: something light, but low recovery is not that important with firearms (reloading >> recovery anyway). Maybe Vengiatta Rugia (durganized), because it's red and goes well with Inquisitor theme.

 

The rest is not essential.

Edited February 9, 2018 by Elric Galad

[Elric Galad]

Sort of double post. 

Edited February 9, 2018 by Elric Galad

[Slack83er]

Shieldbearer then if I get it right? Ps. Nice name!

[Elric Galad]

Shieldbearer then if I get it right? 

 

Yup. I think +10 Deflection for the party brings more to the table than a DoT lash.

Still, there is nothing wrong with going Goldpact for Enduring Flames, but I think Shielding Flames works better with such a high INT.

[Slack83er]

Ok I'll take all considerations into account and choose accordingly. One question, if anyone can help me: in an old post someone wrote me the dialogue options available per class, race, faction and so on, but it dates back to 2015. Anyone got an updated version? Maybe including wm1/2?

[Torm51]

 

Shieldbearer then if I get it right? 

 

Yup. I think +10 Deflection for the party brings more to the table than a DoT lash.

Still, there is nothing wrong with going Goldpact for Enduring Flames, but I think Shielding Flames works better with such a high INT.

 

Shieldbearer order talents are ok for trash non boss fights but will not help AS you much in boss fights.  Most of the Danger of the adds in boss fights is their CC not their auto attacks and their CC does not target deflection.   Inspiring Triumph will help there though, In fact the only Dragon that targets deflection with its auto attacks is the Sky Dragon, the others target Fortitude (makes sense you are not going to physically deflect a paw from a 12 ton beast but i guess you can be HARD enough to just keep plowing through it...that is one hell of a workout program).  

 

On the other hand Enduring Flames will be REALLY good against the Alpine Dragon, useless against Llengrath if you fight, Ok against the Sky Dragon and once again useless aainst the Adra Dragon.

 

GP Knight Bond of Duty is good but if you have a priest might not be useful other then in the Adra Dragon Fight but that is only if you are the tank and separated from the party which in this build you are not so it is not needed, especially if you have a priest.

 

I like Liberating Exhortation better than reviving but that is me.  If you have defense/offense debuffs like blind or a damage dealer on your team is out of the fight you can instantly get the back in the fight without debuffs and they are again hitting hard.  There is also a strong hold quest (if you get lucky enough) that gives you an urn with 7 charges of reviving exhortation.  That should be more then enough.  Also priest abilities and scrolls...that being said Reviving Exhortation is the best rez in the game of all the abilities.  Party members get up with full Endurance and only lose after a while and that is easily healable.

Edited February 9, 2018 by Torm51

[Slack83er]

I started it... it's a f***ing sniper! First FoD I did hit for 57 damage keep you posted!

[Torm51]

I started it... it's a f***ing sniper! First FoD I did hit for 57 damage keep you posted!

Yep odd but true, some of the best snipers in POE 1 are Paladins whether they are fully ranged or a quick switch build lol

[Slack83er]

Ok done about a hour just to see how it fares... it's good, definitely. Now time to start over putting all in the right place. What background can I choose? I was thinking of clergyman... suggestions?

[Elric Galad]

A lot of Survival would be cool, so Colonist would be ideal.

But it might not fit your RP.

 

Maybe Hunter as you might want to play a sort of Manhunter ?

 

Clergyman is OK as you can't go wrong with a lot of Lore for a Paladin.

 

 

By the wy, I'm planning a Rogue/Gold Pact Paladin for PoE2. I want to play a Sworn Killer ^^. 

[Slack83er]

I thought of colonist, but I didn't quite like it for RP..

Hunter was an option but it gives stealth.. non so useful... Clergyman was the preferred but the options are kinda dull...well...they're very priest oriented..

So I'm still speculating

[Elric Galad]

 

 

[...] On the other hand Enduring Flames will be REALLY good against the Alpine Dragon [...]

 

 

It reminds me how fun it was to use Pallegina's Wrath of the five suns against a petrified Alpine Dragon.

Something around 250 damages.

 

Pallegina might be the best sniper of the game due to Wrath and FoD, even if her style is more Quickswitch oriented due to her poor stats for a pure ranged pally.

[Slack83er]

I left her melee, due to vielo vidorio. She was great in the front line along with Eder... Any further thoughts on bg?

 

Since noone has answered yet, I'll add that, according to another forum user, the Clergyman BG has 4 unique answers.. I bet they can be crucial in solvin something without violence or something similar?

Edited February 10, 2018 by Slack83er

[Slack83er]

Monsieur Galad, I'm in need of an advice from you since you kinda created the character. I read that the shieldbearers of st. Elcga are somehow diplomats and defenders, and I'm willing to give my char a proper bg. Despite the name, the shieldbearers seem more like ambassadors and honest talkers to me, rather than warriors or priests... they are mainly elven, and come from Aedyr. How can I translate all these concepts in a solid background in game? I'm asking you, because you gave me all the details in a previous post, and thus I'm willing to follow the concept that you originally intended for the ranged paladin. Thank you!

[Elric Galad]

Okay, I will see what I can do. I admit that I imagined the character more for game mechanics purpose than for RP.

 

If what I'm going to say is not convincing enough, maybe you should pick a former hunter that joined the Goldpact rank as a sort of Sworn contract killer. This one would be more obvious 

 

I changed Origin from Old Valia to Aedyr as it will suit better with the Order's background. No need to add too much complexity.

BG : Hunter, Explorer or Colonist would suit the description below. This BG won't be about what your character was in the rank of the Order, but what he was before joining them. 

 

 

"As far as I remember, I've always hated people who take decisions that affect the lives of others. 

My family was poor and decided to leave our Aedyrian homeland for a colony in the Living Lands, only to find themselves under the rule of a local chieftain.
Lord Asloth was the second-born of a half-rich family, frustrated from birth and eager to claim a destiny of his own. His ruthlessness somehow convinced Aedyrian investors that he could make a suitable leader for the oversea colony where my parents had moved.

He was eager to make sacrifices to ensure prosperity, but most of the time, the sacrifices were about other's lives.

 

After a few years, Asloth ran into conflict with rival colonies. He said he will defends his rights with weapons if necessary but he was not speaking about bearing weapons himself. My father and older brother were told that their hunter and farmer lifes were over. They had to become soldiers for a greater cause, which happen to be the glory of another man.

Asloth gathered all adult men on the main square of the small group of wooden houses he called "his town". He started what he thought that was an inspirational speach about "giving one's own life".

But Asloth got shot in the head. 
No one knew who the gunner was. To be honnest, no one really tried to know.
People of good will from our colony made a treaty with our neighbors. It wasn't the best treaty the Aedyr Empire has ever negociated, but it was a Treaty of Peace.

Years later, I was back to the Empire mainland. An emissary had remarked my wit and physical strength and managed to convince me I would be a good recruit for the Shieldbearers. His final argument was "we need talented knights to guarantee peace in the name of people like your parents".

This was enough to lead me back to my homeland.

When I eventually faced my future trainer at the Order's castle, he asked me :

"What is the best weapon to guarantee peace ?"
He was  expecting something like "The shield, because the shield protects the worthy" or "honnesty, because it makes people more willing to make peace". But I answered "Guns". He asked why.
I said "Because guns directly threaten the life of the person in charge of deciding whether there will be peace or war. Other weapons only threaten the blood of the innocent he is willing to sacrifice for his own purposes".
He was surprised, but he liked my answer. And allowed me to choose guns as my main training weapon. My comrades with shining shields feeled it was a bit weird in the beginning, but after a couple of skirmishes, they recognized that the tactical sense and "priority making" I was able to deploy from my backrow position was an asset for the Order.

That is how I became the "Peacekeeper with a Gun".

And now I have sailed to another (former) aedyrian colony, just to check if a local tyrant doesn't need to be reminded that peace can spare lifes... including his own.
 

Edited February 11, 2018 by Elric Galad

[Slack83er]

Many thanks my friends, this bg is shining indeed. I'm poor of imagination myself, so I'm in awe in front of such background.

This bg screams of colonist as far as I can tell.. pity that there's no "exact" referral to something similar to your background.. but It's the most fitting for this character.

I'll have a try asap and let you know. For now, accept my deepest thanks for taking the time to make me happy, I really appreciate.

 

Edit:

Mercenary would also fit... there's an option that states "I fought for the wrong side"...

 

Edit2:

Also Dissident: we won the war but the new government was worse than before.

Edited February 11, 2018 by Slack83er

[Elric Galad]

You're welcome.

 

Sometimes my dungeon master past calls me back 

 

By the way, I thought colonist was the best suited for powergaming.

On this basis, the challenge was to create a story that suited powergaming. Basically, it's creation under machiavelic constraint 

Edited February 11, 2018 by Elric Galad

[Slack83er]

Here I am, willing to thank you again. I'm almost in Caed Nua, and will take Kana soon. My "sniper" already approaches 70 damages per shot.. really tough. I'm beginning to consider the idea to quick switch towards melee... but will see. for now it's slow...but not so much. But when I'll switch to Arquebus it'll become very slow..so we'll see then.

I'll keep you posted my friend. G'night!

[Ascaloth]

Well, this is interesting. I'm currently running a ranged Goldpact Wood Elf Paladin that's designed not to be ranged DPS, but rather takes elements from the Counselor Ploi and Darcozzi Commendatore builds to serve as ranged support and CC. 

 

I've already taken this MC and his custom party through most of my PotD run, with only several companion quests and Sun in Shadow left to go. When I complete this game in a couple of days, I'll post the class build in its own thread. 

Edited February 12, 2018 by Ascaloth

[Slack83er]

Well, this is interesting. I'm currently running a ranged Goldpact Wood Elf Paladin that's designed not to be ranged DPS, but rather takes elements from the Counselor Ploi and Darcozzi Commendatore builds to serve as ranged support and CC. 

 

I've already taken this MC and his custom party through most of my PotD run, with only several companion quests and Sun in Shadow left to go. When I complete this game in a couple of days, I'll post the class build in its own thread. 

Looking forward to it!