Okay, so I see lots of posts about Berath's Blessings, lots of questions, some with good info, most with nothing.  I decided to actually look into it and put together a full comprehensive list of what Berath's Blessings is, how it works, and what the options are as a result.  That way all the info is in one thread, not 52 random scattered ones.

 

First up, what is Berath's Blessings?

 

Berath's Blessings are points that are awarded to you for getting achievements in the game.  For example creating a custom adventurer will give you 1 Berath's Blessing.  Berath's Blessings can be used to buy perks when you start a new game with a new character, it is NOT a new game + system.  Also it is only perks, there are no penalties you can buy.

How many Blessings can you actually earn?  As of Patch 2.0 with Beast of Winter installed the answer is... 83.  The points required to purchase all Blessings is 82, so this means you will be able to purchase all existing blessings in the game if you get all Achievements and have the expansions installed.  Note, there are multiple 1 point Achievements, so you could in theory get all Blessings without "Platinuming" the game.  This information will be continuously updated as the game is patched and/or new achievements or Blessings are added.

 

Key fact!  Berath's Blessings is 100% optional.  You do not have to use it, so if you don't want to take advantage of it, you don't have to.  To even access the menu you must click the Berath's Blessing icon in the New Game menu, so it is fully possible to build a new game without ever even looking at it.

 

 

So, what are these Perk's anyway?

 

Below is a full list of all the perks available at this time via Berath's Blessing.  I am going to break it down by point cost, then the in game "name" of the Blessing, and lastly a description of what it actually does because some of them are very vague and unclear.

 

• 3 points - +5000 Starting Money: Begin the game with 5200 copper, remember you always have 200 copper at the start, if both money perks are taken you can start with 55,200 copper.
• 3 points - Bonus Skills: Gain +2 to all skills from your Class such as Mechanics or Arcana, it also applies to all characters that join your party.  Bear in mind, it is class only, background skills get no bonus.  I say +2 specifically, because multiclass characters can potentially have only 1 point in a Class skill, which if doubled like the toop tip says implies you get 1 bonus point, but you will get 2.  Obsidian has not said if it was meant to be Watcher only but I assume this is by design, since the Stats perk specifically says Player Only.
• 4 points - Experienced Ship Captain: Start as an Expert rank Captain.  Captain rank determines turn order in ship to ship combat, but has no other impact.
• 5 points - Fine Equipment: The wardrobe at the beginning of the game will contain a set of Fine armors (Brigandine, Robes, Leather, and Breastplate), and a set of Fine weapons based on your proficiency/class choices.
• 5 points - Unique Item Vendor: A unique Vendor appears in Port Maje, see below for an item and cost list.
• 8 points - Upgraded Ship Sails: Begin the game with two Ship upgrades, Stormwind Sails which give +15% combat speed and +15% travel speed, and Improved Warship Reinforcements which give +15 hull health.  Both items work like any other ship upgrade and can be removed from the starter ship, additionally they can be purchased from in game vendors.
• 12 points - Start at Level 4: Begin the game at level 4 instead of level 1.
• 12 points - Explored World Map: Begin the game with the World Map fully exposed with no "fog".
• 15 points - +50,000 Starting Money: Begin the game with 50,200 copper, remember you always have 200 copper at the start, if both money perks are taken you can start with 55,200 copper.
• 15 points - Bonus Attributes (Player Only): Begin the game with a +2 bonus to all stats, these bonus points cannot be seen or modified in character creation, and as stated only apply to the Watcher.

 

So about that item Vendor, he appears in Port Maje right in front of the Market area.  He is standing at one of the carpets, can't miss him.  Another added bit of trivia, he is also unique in that he is the only character in game you can initiate a real conversation with (dialog window) that has no water color portrait (or at least he was, until this was fixed in the 1.2.2.0033 patch I believe!).

 

But what does he sell?  Credit goes to Lunattic for putting this list together.  While I don't personally think it is a spoiler, I will spoiler flag it anyway just to be safe.  I do also want to add one thing, all of the items this vendor sells can either be found as loot, or in many cases, purchased from other vendors in the game.  However, he will sell them for significantly less than the normal in game vendors will.  So for those concerned a "unique" item may be hidden on the Unique vendor, don't be.

 

• The Magnificent Escape Cape: 1,275 copper, +20 defense vs engagement, 1 x/encounter when bloodied or below use rogue level 1 dash ability (small teleport, 3 second +50 deflection)
• The Amazing and Truly Incredible Instant Potion Belt: 2,650 copper, +2 alchemy, once per encounter summon 3 random potions into empty quick slots, usable only for that encounter.
• Firethrower's Gloves: 3,125 copper, +2 dexterity, +2 explosives skill, +1 arcana, +2 all evocation power levels.
• Grimoire of Spark and Flame: 700 copper, Wizard spellbook, see the screenshot below for a full spell list.
• Trollhide Belt: 775 copper, regen 1 hp/6sec.
• Girdle of Mortal Protection: 1,775 copper, +2 constitution, 20% of incoming crits converted to hits.,
• Cloak of Greater Protection: 775 copper, +10 to all non-deflection defenses.
• Cloak of Greater Deflection: 775 copper, +7 deflection.
• Boots of the Stone: 2,275 copper, +1 might, +2 resolve, resistance to might afflictions.
• Boots of Speed: 2,650 copper, +25 defense vs disengament attacks, +25% stride.
• Gauntlets of Discipline: 1,675 copper, +2 max discipline (fighter classes/MC only)
• Gauntlets of Ogre Might: 1,375 copper, +2 might.
• Healing Hands: 875 copper, 1x/encounter heal one ally for 8 hp every 3 seconds for 5 seconds.
• Ring of Unshackling: 275 copper, grants suppress affliction (level 1 priest spell) 1x/rest.
• Ring of Overseeing: 400 copper, +10% area of effect.
• Necklace of Fireballs: 275 copper, 8 charges of fireball.
• Amulet of Greater Health: 1,075 copper, grants +25 maximum health.
• As of Patch 1.2.2.0033 - All Scavenger hunt items previously exclusive to Steam users are now for sale on the Vendor, unless you already have the items in inventory
  • Stinky Pete: 150 copper, Pet, +1 resolve, party effect - +3 defenses against poison/disease attacks
  • Scavenger's Lantern: 2000 copper, +5% travel speed
  • Cloak of Berath: 25 copper, a cool looking cloak but no stats
  • Sails of Berath: 500 copper, +5 meters combat speed, -2 Sail Health, +5% travel speed
  • Cutthroat Cosmo: 150 copper, Pet, reduces armor recovery penalty, party effect - +5% damage with firearms

 

 

I hope someone finds this info useful, it was a pain putting it together but I feel like it was worth it.
 

Edited August 19, 20187 yr by Karkarov

Thanks for that! Does anyone know what the benefits of being an expert rank captain is?

I'm at 61 or 63 blessings without having "platinumed" the game. I imagine with all the achievements you can get all the blessings.

 

Oh, by the way, the sails upgrade seems to come with a hull upgrade too: Improved Warship Reinforcements, +15 hull health.

Edited May 13, 20187 yr by omgFIREBALLS

I'm at 61 or 63 blessings without having "platinumed" the game. I imagine with all the achievements you can get all the blessings.

 

Oh, by the way, the sails upgrade seems to come with a hull upgrade too: Improved Warship Reinforcements, +15 hull health.

Lol funny, the one upgrade I thought was straight forward enough to not personally test in game was not clear either.

Nice, I was curious about the vendor's item list, it's a bit boring but oh well. Those Firethrower's Gloves look pretty sick for an Evoker though, imagine a Nature Godlike Evoker empowering a missile spell, that's gonna be a lot of missiles.

Thanks for that! Does anyone know what the benefits of being an expert rank captain is?

I don't know specifically what it does, as the crew ranks have no tool tips or real explanation in game.  Someone would have to dive into actual game files to find out.  That said, I believe it just gives a bonus to all crew actions.  Just so you know, this is a pretty lack luster bonus.  Expert is only the third rank, novice being the first, and seasoned being the second.  It is not very hard at all to reach this rank in game through normal means.  To give you an idea, I am a Master Captain (the highest rank) and I have sunk maybe... 10-13 ships, and explored less than half the map.

https://pillarsofeternity.gamepedia.com/Pillars_of_Eternity_II:_Deadfire_crew_members

 

Obviously the captain effect is not listed.

https://pillarsofeternity.gamepedia.com/Pillars_of_Eternity_II:_Deadfire_crew_members

 

Obviously the captain effect is not listed.

Yeah, Legendary is also not the last rank.  Well maybe it is for normal crew, but there is one rank past that for captains, I know because I am that rank.  It is odd that the achievement also calls it "master captain" but technically master is rank 4 not 6.

Thanks for posting this information. Too bad we don't have more options like bringing some of your gear from the previous playthrough to a new game.

I thought all the achievements were shown in the menu screen. Some are hidden until unlocked? Are any tied to difficulty?

I thought all the achievements were shown in the menu screen. Some are hidden until unlocked? Are any tied to difficulty?

Nope, only to story. Just avoiding spoilers.

Thank you. I have been wondering what those things are for every time they pop up!

Does anyone know where I can check what my captain rank is?

Edited May 13, 20187 yr by InsaneCommander

 

I thought all the achievements were shown in the menu screen. Some are hidden until unlocked? Are any tied to difficulty?

Nope, only to story. Just avoiding spoilers.

 

Whew

Does anyone know where I can check what my captain rank is?

It is on the ship menu, the weird icon under your portrait. 

 

No stars is unskilled, one star is novice, two stars is journeyman, three stars is expert, four stars is master, four stars with a large center star is legendary, and at least for captains there is a sixth rank that is a large blue star with five small green stars.  Let's call it Legendary Master Captain for now .

Nice. Thanks. My current game kind of broke (PC is always flanked everywhere even in cities or on ship and it can't be removed), but I'd like to keep going until its fixed. If I set the difficulty to story mode will I still get these cheese points so that when the hot fixes and patches come out I can make a real play through with extra stuff?

Thanks for the post. Disappointed that there are none that are increasing the difficulty, as they specifically said there would be.

Nice. Thanks. My current game kind of broke (PC is always flanked everywhere even in cities or on ship and it can't be removed), but I'd like to keep going until its fixed. If I set the difficulty to story mode will I still get these cheese points so that when the hot fixes and patches come out I can make a real play through with extra stuff?

Difficulty setting shouldn't have any bearing on your ability to earn achievements, other than achievements based on the difficulty.  Which right now... I don't think there are any.

That's disappointed. I hope Berath's Blessings to be cool modifiers for the subsequent playthoughs, and they seem to be simply cheats. 

I found a bug with the +2 skill Blessing. When I play as an Assassin/Evoker I get the bonus for 9 of the 10 skills from my classes. Sleight of hand doesn't get it.

 

I'll report it in the right forum, but if anyone creates a rogue and uses this blessing, please check to see if it happens.

 

Edit: it happened again, with another character of the same classes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 13, 20187 yr by InsaneCommander

Can crewmembers reach legendary? I don't think so... It appears that master is the highest for them, and even then only crew who don't have any ranks in any other skill seem able to reach master. For example, every crew that had novice in one skill (i.e. deckhand) could not get past expert in another skill

Yeah, was hoping there would be a challenge or two in there as well. It wouldn't even need to be anything drastic, just to make the game a bit more fun.

Can crewmembers reach legendary? I don't think so... It appears that master is the highest for them, and even then only crew who don't have any ranks in any other skill seem able to reach master. For example, every crew that had novice in one skill (i.e. deckhand) could not get past expert in another skill

Yeah this is true, looks like master is the top rank for regular crew, and they can only have one set skill or they wont even get that.  I desperately need a new gunner, cause of their mishmash they are stuck at seasoned.

 

Can crewmembers reach legendary? I don't think so... It appears that master is the highest for them, and even then only crew who don't have any ranks in any other skill seem able to reach master. For example, every crew that had novice in one skill (i.e. deckhand) could not get past expert in another skill

Yeah this is true, looks like master is the top rank for regular crew, and they can only have one set skill or they wont even get that. I desperately need a new gunner, cause of their mishmash they are stuck at seasoned.

You mean cannoneers? You start off with one (his name is like Vanizzi or something similar) but I've only been able to hire one or two others who didn't already start with another skill. I've not found any pure helmsman but Worthless Idiot (the imp outside Arkemyr's manor) can become a master navigator, so he's not that worthless after all funny enough

I found a bug with the +2 skill Blessing. When I play as an Assassin/Evoker I get the bonus for 9 of the 10 skills from my classes. Sleight of hand doesn't get it.

 

I'll report it in the right forum, but if anyone creates a rogue and uses this blessing, please check to see if it happens.

Honestly I think the bug is that it doesn't work as the tool tip states.  As a singe class you would get +10 total skill points from this perk, think about it.  If you really got +2 from each skill you would be getting +20 skill points.  OP much?

 

Edit: Yeah confirmed in game, sleight of hand is coming from rogue.  Also it is 5 skills per class I was being dumb.

Edited May 14, 20187 yr by Karkarov