Party Build Discussion / Review

[VDX_360]

Spoiler: Party Summary

Note: As equipped, and with Pathfinder active for the Hunter.

Party Type:
Varanari Body Guard, Goblin Burglar, Human Initiate, Human Apprentice. (Plus 2 Companions)

What Worked Well:
Body Guard started with STR 7 and later got the Blessing of STR, and got Heavy Hand. Good melee damage with solid Stun with Stunning Blow.
Burglar started with 10 AP, given two bow attacks right from the start. Blessing of Awareness gave more range damage and secret spot.
Initiate with Piety is decent healer. Given her Martial Training lets her use the basic shield, and helps her defensively.
Apprentice with a focus on Summons and Entanglement did well.
Captain: Having him learn Stunning Blow as Open Talent really helped him hold his own as a front line melee.
Loreseeker Hunter: Fast Load really helps his offensive output. He needs a bow upgrade.

What I Would Do Differently:
Body Guard: DEX 6 was a bit much. The extra move point really didn't help too much (would need to be at least 2 MP to make difference). Maybe moving 1 or 2 trait points from DEX 6 to raise other traits.
Burglar: It took quite a bit of sacrifice to get Burglar to have 10 AP to start. Helped in early game, but seems a lot to give up. Open Skill Markmenship was used a few times, but not very much. Getting Fast Loading, and moving trait points around would have likely been more overall useful. It is nice to have some AP to convert to Accuracy on hard-to-hit enemies, or when you really need to make sure something dies at the end of the round.
Initiate: Would play Initiate the exact same way. Solid healer, some modest melee support. Not a real damage dealer.
Apprentice: Would be tempted to focus on Impetus spells to make character more offensive, but those summons and entanglement are just so very useful.

Party Succuss:
All Early Access Content as of 1/8/23, including beating the final Lantern fight without breaking CENSORED during the fight, or using the unique item CENSORED, and without using healing potions. (Censor cover spoilers, if you been to the fight, you'll know what I am talking about.)

 

[lesommer]

I tried this. I am only on thé beach and thé burglar IS off tank. I have not had go redo a fight. It IS better than m'y first build. How do WE recruit thé npc ? In thé city ?

 

[VDX_360]

Right now, there are two Companions in the game:

Spoiler: First Spoiler: Captain Companion

The Captain is found near-drowned on the beach, on far side from where you start. You must save his life in the dialogue options (any method) to be able to recruit him.

Spoiler: Hunter Companion

You stumble across the Hunter Companion via the Loreseeker's quest to find out what happen to the Loreseekers.

 

[Pneumatic]

Thanks so much for this, VDX_360, this has been very useful for me!

Just to confirm: did you get personality and intellect swapped around in your stat table? I don't see how you could get a 2 in the Varannari's Personality, otherwise.

 

[VDX_360]

Yes, I noted that this morning. Just haven's had time to edit the image.

 

[VDX_360]

And for clarity, by no means am I saying this is the best party, or event he best version of the careers. It's just an example of one party type that did well, with pros and cons. That low INT hurt some XP gain....

 

[Pneumatic]

And for clarity, by no means am I saying this is the best party, or event he best version of the careers. It's just an example of one party type that did well, with pros and cons. That low INT hurt some XP gain....

Just having something to compare against is a huge help, regardless!
I hope xp scrolls will exist in this game too...

 

[VDX_360]

There's at least one way in the game to get a little extra XP , not from a scroll but from giving a certain semi-common item to something (being vague for spoilers). That can help massage the issue when you're just below a level up.

I think XP is going to be limited as a way to help focus on party build and tactics, rather than just power leveling.

 

[VDX_360]

Corrected the image. I had the PER and INT label in the wrong order.

 

[Sir Squirrelsalot]

Spoiler: Party

Stats as equiped
Bodyguard: 9, 6, 6, 4, 3, 4, 2. HP 38 WP 9 AP 9+1 armor 8 damage 9-11 accuracy 93
Open talents: defensive stance
Gear+: Str blessing. Chainmail, lord shield, 3 Wp necklace dark metal mace (never found a shocking rod).
Main roll: Knocking down key enemies and then stunning striking them while they are on the ground so they can't stand back up. Also main tank.
Pikeman: 6, 8, 4, 4, 3, 4, 3 HP 34 WP 6 AP 10+3 armor 7 damage 11-16+1d4fire accuracy 90
Open talents: Martial training
Gear+: Chainmail, firespear, 7hp-1 WP jewelery
Main roll: Primary mundane damage dealer.
Apprentice: 2, 4, 3, 4, 6, 8, 5 HP 22 WP 41 AP 10+2 armor 0 damage Impetus or forget it. accuracy magical
Open talents: Tactical mind
Gear+: 4WP Staff/hunting bow/dagger+truewood shield(dagger/bow to tickle people when out of spells. Generally shield and dagger was for ambush fights) 7 hp-1 WP jewelry, 1mp boots 5 wp circlet
Main roll: Blasting things to smithereens
Initiate: 2,4,3,7,4,8,5 HP 19 WP 34 AP 10+1 armor 0 damage 5-10/4-9 accuracy 63/58
Gear+: orran's bow/hunting bow (depending on if Girdean was melee or ranged that fight) 5 wp ring 1 SP necklace, blessing of awa
Open talents: Tactical mind
Main roll: Healer
Garren
Gear+: seafareer's sword/Nosoms axe, rusty armor, shield, 3 hp -1 WP necklace
Open talents: Combat mobility
Main roll: Flanker, off tank
Girdean
Gear+: Orran's bow/various melees+shield
Open talents: dodge expert (only remaining fights when he hit level 4 were ambushs in which I have him melee (pathfinder got moved to lvl 4 after he hit level 3 and got it then)
Main roll: Try to not be terrible

Party Type:
Varanari Body Guard, Human Pikeman, Goblin apprentice, Goblin Initiate. (Plus 2 Companions)

What Worked Well:
Body Guard: 9 +1 AP allow to either step and double attack or knockdown stunning strike. Very solid, would only
Pikeman: Very deadly ceramic cannon (good armor but low hp for a melee; but attacking twice with a spear and have 3 mp+ charge makes him very deadly)
Initiate: Would play Initiate the exact same way. Solid healer, some modest ranged support. Not a real damage dealer. Functional replacement for burglar with unseal.
Apprentice: Impetus go KABOOOOOMMM!!! Static burst is extremely deadly though keeping a 3 end apprentice alive in melee takes great care. Most fights instead hanging back and bombarding with fire/thunder arrow or blizzard shards. Static burst mainly useful when something dares close on her or ambush fights. Force barrier also helps a lot with melee survivability
Captain Garren: Giving him combat mobility talent was great.


What I Would Do Differently:
Body Guard: Change the defensive stance into either heavy hand or if good armor on the market martial training.
Apprentice: 6 end 3 per instead of 3 end 6 per. The paralyze on blizzard shards isn't that big a deal neither is the 4 WP. 15 more HP though would have been amazing. It would have ment I would have have had her using the SP necklace and probably the 5 WP ring.

Party Succuss:
All Early Access Content as of 1/12/23, including beating the final Lantern fight without breaking CENSORED during the fight, or using the unique item CENSORED on cruel. used 2 healing potions.