Power Level

[Bhall]

Hello,

 

i would like to ask if anyone can explain how the ,,Power Level,, in Deadfire works exactly. Comprehensively and in detail please.

 

Thank you in advance.

[Yosharian]

Hello,

 

i would like to ask if anyone can explain how the ,,Power Level,, in Deadfire works exactly. Comprehensively and in detail please.

 

Thank you in advance.

 

Others can explain better, but basically it works like this.  Power level is a component of multiclassing, so I'll use that as an example.  Think of a single class Wizard versus a multiclass Wizard/Fighter:

 

1) The Wizard/Fighter can cast some of the same spells that the Wizard can, but at slightly reduced power (less damage, less duration, less penetration, etc).  This power disparity increases slightly as the two characters grow in levels.

 

2) The Wizard can cast higher level spells earlier than the Wizard/Fighter can.  For example, a Wizard would get Level 5 spells faster than the Wizard/Fighter.

 

3) The Wizard can cast some very high level spells (Level 8 and Level 9) that the Wizard/Fighter will never get access to.

[Kadayko]

I am interested in how much power level matters, because from what I have seen the Nature Godlike can get a +2 power level for example, which was the difference in power level between single and multi classes. What other things grant power level, how far could those be stacked? 

[Boeroer]

You gain Power Levels by leveling up (multiclass chars have reduced PL compared to single class chars), by having special racial abilites (see Nature Godlike, Death Godlike...), subclass abilites (see wizard subclasses like Evoker for evocation spells, druid subclass like Livegiver for rejuvenation spells...) and the Empower function which can be used twice per rest to boost a single ability use by +10 Power Level. Maybe there will be other source for Power Level such like items or drugs/food.

[M4xw0lf]

How does power level factor into, well, anything?

[JerekKruger]

How does power level factor into, well, anything?

 

That's complicated to answer in full as its effects vary between different spells and abilities.

 

An example that's easy to see is Minoletta's Minor Missiles. Create a single class Wizard with the spell and at level 1 it'll fire 3 missiles. Now level up to 9 and, if I remember correctly, it'll now fire 5 missiles (I think it's one extra missile every 2 power levels). It's penetration value will also increase.

[Boeroer]

Stuff that can be influenced by Power Level is duration, number of projectiles, damage, healing, accuracy and penetration.

[Bhall]

Stuff that can be influenced by Power Level is duration, number of projectiles, damage, healing, accuracy and penetration.

 

Is it different for each spell or the same % wise or different for each ability? Is the scaling linear or exponential or logaritmic function with some sofcap?

 

Singleclass vs Multiclass

 

Is the scaling different for single and multiclass? If yes what is the difference? How much power level do they get per actual level? The experience per level is the same for single and multiclass? 

 

Thank you

[thelee]

Stuff that can be influenced by Power Level is duration, number of projectiles, damage, healing, accuracy and penetration.

 

Is it different for each spell or the same % wise or different for each ability? Is the scaling linear or exponential or logaritmic function with some sofcap?

 

Singleclass vs Multiclass

 

Is the scaling different for single and multiclass? If yes what is the difference? How much power level do they get per actual level? The experience per level is the same for single and multiclass? 

 

Thank you

 

It is pretty ability/spell specific. There are rough guidelines, but lots of discretion on a per-spell basis. IF you have the backer beta, you can open a spell and hover over damage numbers or some such and get a breakdown of how your power level factors into it.

 

Singleclass vs Multiclass:

IIUC the experience per level is the same, but you get different power level rate when multiclassing, I think 2/3 of normal. (When I played with single-classing, you got a power level every other level, when I played around with multi-classing I got one every three levels.)  In this way a multi-class character is not just strictly better than a single-class character. Though due to how differently power levels influence abilities and spells, it can be argued that 2/3 penalty isn't that much of a penalty for certain abilities.

[Silvaren]

Abilities' points progression (the table below) is outdated for single-class characters atm. Single-class char get additional +1 point with new power level (just like multiclass char but single class advance in PL faster). I wonder how useful high PL abilities will be.

 

Edited April 3, 2018 by Silvaren

[Bhall]

Thanks. No i dont have backer beta, thats why I am asking. I saw the table Silvaren posted, but that was 1,5 year old post and i didnt know if it was still valid or not.

[dukeisaac]

Thanks. No i dont have backer beta, thats why I am asking. I saw the table Silvaren posted, but that was 1,5 year old post and i didnt know if it was still valid or not.

I think everything is the same, except that for single classes, you get two ability points per new power level (so lvl 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 16, 19).

 

Might be wrong though

[rheingold]

Stuff that can be influenced by Power Level is duration, number of projectiles, damage, healing, accuracy and penetration.

So the general power level of a spell/character

Edited April 4, 2018 by rheingold

[Michael_Galt]

So, basically, slightly less power in each class, but more overall abilities, and probably fewer "weaknesses" of a single class. 

 

I guess that the real question becomes if having more abilities is worth losing the access to high level skills and spells.  Since we don't really know what the difference between those 2/3s levels are versus the full ones (in terms of pure damage output, or likelihood of making a saving throw)... a bit difficult to say at this point.

[Mack]

The fighter talent Tactical Strikes provides a +1 boost to PL (along with the Acute inspiration). It's confusing to me because Tactical Strikes is presented as equivalent to Disciplined Barrage, and yet on first blush it seems far weaker. What, really, can a mere +1 to PL do for a fighter? Could it be more powerful than it sounds? 

[Boeroer]

No, it's pretty bad (compared to Disciplined Strikes). Could be worthwhile for a fighter/caster though.

[SaruNi]

No, it's pretty bad (compared to Disciplined Strikes). Could be worthwhile for a fighter/caster though.

 

The +1 power level works with scrolls too, whereas iirc every other class +power level bonus only applies to that class's spells/powers.

 

Not huge (10% damage and a fraction of a point of penetration usually) but it can be significant if you're on the cusp of getting another projectile with a Missiles scroll (though the only missile scroll in the beta last I checked was Concussive Missiles). 

 

Does it increase the level of summons?...

Edited April 9, 2018 by SaruNi

[KDubya]

So, basically, slightly less power in each class, but more overall abilities, and probably fewer "weaknesses" of a single class. 

 

I guess that the real question becomes if having more abilities is worth losing the access to high level skills and spells.  Since we don't really know what the difference between those 2/3s levels are versus the full ones (in terms of pure damage output, or likelihood of making a saving throw)... a bit difficult to say at this point.

 

The chart above is out of date.

 

Single classes now get an extra ability whenever they gain a new power level, so that's level 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 16, and 19. Multis get an extra ability when they gain a power level but they need to spend them in each class, can't put them all in one.

 

So singles get 27 abilities plus first level and multis get 25 abilities plus first level and 6 of them must be in each class.

 

Its not a no brainer choice anymore to go multiclass, and that's a good thing.

[Boeroer]

Summons scale with char level, not PL. Please don't ask me why.

[Madscientist]

Summons scale with char level, not PL. Please don't ask me why.

Does this only work for chanter summons or does it also work for summoned weapons, items that summon creatures and other things?

 

by the way: Did your summons from spells or items depend on your level in PoE1 or did they have fixed stats?

[SaruNi]

Just confirmed that Ascendant power level bonus doesn't apply to scrolls (though there's still the +20% all damage that's almost certainly a bug). So fighters will generally have the highest power level of any class when using scrolls. (Though iirc there's a 5th tier Priest spell that also grants Acute, and Monks and especially Helwalkers should be able to get enough might / penetration / accuracy / intellect to effectively be more powerful scroll users in every respect except a few things like number of projectiles....)

Edited April 9, 2018 by SaruNi

[Michael_Galt]

 

So, basically, slightly less power in each class, but more overall abilities, and probably fewer "weaknesses" of a single class. 

 

I guess that the real question becomes if having more abilities is worth losing the access to high level skills and spells.  Since we don't really know what the difference between those 2/3s levels are versus the full ones (in terms of pure damage output, or likelihood of making a saving throw)... a bit difficult to say at this point.

 

The chart above is out of date.

 

Single classes now get an extra ability whenever they gain a new power level, so that's level 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 16, and 19. Multis get an extra ability when they gain a power level but they need to spend them in each class, can't put them all in one.

 

So singles get 27 abilities plus first level and multis get 25 abilities plus first level and 6 of them must be in each class.

 

Its not a no brainer choice anymore to go multiclass, and that's a good thing.

 

 

I am a little confused here.  Are you actually saying that single class characters get MORE abilities than multiclass characters???  Because, that is how I read that...

[SaruNi]

 

 

So, basically, slightly less power in each class, but more overall abilities, and probably fewer "weaknesses" of a single class. 

 

I guess that the real question becomes if having more abilities is worth losing the access to high level skills and spells.  Since we don't really know what the difference between those 2/3s levels are versus the full ones (in terms of pure damage output, or likelihood of making a saving throw)... a bit difficult to say at this point.

 

The chart above is out of date.

 

Single classes now get an extra ability whenever they gain a new power level, so that's level 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 16, and 19. Multis get an extra ability when they gain a power level but they need to spend them in each class, can't put them all in one.

 

So singles get 27 abilities plus first level and multis get 25 abilities plus first level and 6 of them must be in each class.

 

Its not a no brainer choice anymore to go multiclass, and that's a good thing.

 

 

I am a little confused here.  Are you actually saying that single class characters get MORE abilities than multiclass characters???  Because, that is how I read that...

 

 

They get to pick more abilities, though when you add in level 1, they only get 1 more ability pick:

 

Single-class:

1 at level one + 19 levels + (power levels after first = 9-1 = 8 ) = 27+1 = 28

Multi-class:

2 at level one + 19 levels + (power levels after first = 7-1 = 6)  = 25+2 = 27

 

However, multiclasses get more total ability *uses* per encounter. 

Edited April 9, 2018 by SaruNi

[Michael_Galt]

Ahhhh, gotcha.  Because, I was going to say, that if they got less (multiclasses), then it would pretty much remove the reason to play them. If they got less high level abilities, and less abilities as a whole, that is a lose-lose scenario.  If they get more "uses", that balances it out slightly.

[CottonWolf]

Summons scale with char level, not PL. Please don't ask me why.

 

Are the final tally of things that don't scale: Summons, summoned weapons and ranger pets?