In this Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Build Guide we’re going to be taking a look at the Ascetic Class, which is a mixture of Druid and Monk. I’ll be providing information on Attributes, Weapons, Armor, and most importantly, what Abilities to take and how to use them. Please keep in mind that this is my Ascetic Build, and there are plenty of ways you can build this class, and this is not the only one. If you’re new to Pillars of Eternity 2, or you just love creating characters as much as I do, then this Guide is for you. Please note that this Build Guide was updated for the 5.0 version of the game, as well as 1.02 on console (as of January 20th, 2021), and works with both Real Time with Pause and Turn-Based.

Pillars Of Eternity 2 Deadfire Builds Guide: Ascetic (Nature’s Cyclone)

Nature’s Cyclone is a tank Build that focuses on dealing tons of AoE damage, while maintaining its position on the battlefield. The reason it is advised that you play this Build as a tank, instead of a DPS are a few. First, Nature’s Terror is not a Foe AoE, meaning it will hit anyone, friendlies included. Second, Monks need to be hit in order to gain Wounds, and the best way to get them is by being the center of attention for the enemy. And last, enemies need to be grouped up for best results, and enemies tend to congregate around the tank.

The way this Build works is that when combat begins you’ll pop Nature’s Terror immediately, and hopefully be surrounded by the time you Cast it for best results. If not, once Cast move to Engage as many enemies as possible and then use Enduring Dance, Thunderous Blows and finally Blade Turning. The idea here is that every round Nature’s Terror will deal massive AoE damage, while you are immune to melee attacks, only having to worry about ranged enemies. You’ll have tons of Intellect and Might because of Duality of Mortal Presence, and the Helwalker Subclass, increasing the Range and Damage of your AoE.

Ascetic Subclasses

For my Druid Subclass I chose Fury for the increased Penetration and Range with Druid Elements spells. This will help ensure Nature’s Terror Hits enemies and gets through their Armor. Note that you don’t need to Spiritshift for this Build, and usually it’s not a good idea to since you lose access to your Shield, which helps protect you from Damage.

For Monk I chose Helwalker because it increases the Damage we deal with each Wound we have. Since we want to hold as many Wounds as possible to increase the Radius of Nature’s Terror and Rooting Pain, this synergizes extremely well. Since Blade Turning makes us virtually immune to melee damage, all we have to worry about is ranged attacks, negating much of the extra damage that Helwalkers would normally take. Between Duality of Mortal Presence and this Subclass you’ll have good Range and great Damage.

Ascetic Weapons and Armor

What Weapon you wish to use is largely unimportant for this Build. You can use your Fist, which works exceptionally well in most cases, but look for One-Handed Weapons that enhance this style of play. For instance, Kapana Taga increases your Engagements by +1, which is a weakness for this Build, so is not a bad choice. Or you could use the Griffin’s Blade, which increases your damage with Spells for a more efficient Nature’s Terror.

Armor-Wise you’ll want anything that increases your Engagements, such as: Contender’s Armor or Reckless Brigandine. Or you can use Deltro’s Cage which increases the Power Level of Electricity Spells by +2, further enhancing Nature’s Terror. You can even Enchant it to heal you for 50% of the damage you deal 2x per rest if you need some emergency healing.

Ascetic Abilities

In this section we’re going to cover the “must have” Nature’s Cyclone Abilities for this Build. You are free to pick and choose which you want outside of these because everyone’s style of play is different and there is no perfect way. However, these ones will be needed for this Build to work effectively.

Monk Abilities

Swift Strikes – Take this one during Character Creation to speed up your Casting and Attacking. You don’t really need this ability, but it’s a waste not to use it.

Lesser Wounds – This will allow you to build up Wounds faster, which allows you to increase your Might more quickly because of the Helwalker Subclass.

Weapon and Shield Style – This passive increases your Deflection and Reflex defense, helping to reduce the damage you take.

Dance of Death – This will grant you some Wounds immediately, but will allow you to gain them regularly as long as you are not struck. You won’t use this much since you’ll be Hit often, but you need it to get Enduring Dance so we take it.

Mortification of the Soul – A great way to gain Wounds in exchange for Health. You’ll need this much more often in the early parts of the game, but it will become obsolete later on.

Blade Turning– This ability redirects melee attacks to nearby enemies, or even themselves, preventing melee damage. With this constantly active all you need to worry about is ranged attacks.

Duality of Mortal Presence – This will allow you to gain up to +10 Intellect per Wound, increasing the Radius of Nature’s Terror as well as the Duration of Blade Turning.

Enduring Dance – This upgrade of Dance of Death will allow you to take a few hits before it wears off, make it viable. Use this to help maintain Blade Turning.

Thunderous Blows – This ability gives us +5 Might and +2 Penetration for only 3 Wounds. It’s a great way to further boost damage and use up some Wounds, since you gain them very easily.

Rooting Pain – This ability can deal damage in an AoE around the Monk every time they gain a Wound. More AoE damage is good and you’ll gain Wounds quickly, so this makes you even more deadly.

Druid Abilities

Taste of the Hunt – This ability is a great way to deal damage and heal at the same time, which is perfect for a tank. It’s a Primary Attack, so works best on those Two-Handing or using a One Handed Weapon and Shield.

Beetle Shell – This ability works great for protecting you once you’ve cast Nature’s Terror. It prevents you from doing anything, so is not ideal, but Nature’s Terror will continue to AoE even when it’s used. Blade Turning is a better option, but it’s not a bad panic button when Blade Turning just isn’t cutting it, so I advise taking it.

Heart of the Storm – This passive will further boost the Penetration of Nature’s Fury and any attacks you may do if you Spiritshift. It’s a no brainer.

Combat Focus – You don’t want to be Interrupted when Casting Nature’s Terror so you’ll want this one to prevent that from happening.

Nature’s Terror – This ability is what allows this Build to work, so it’s a must. Terrifying enemies and hitting them like a truck happens every turn once cast, allowing you to do whatever you want on your turn and still deal substantial damage all around you.

Rapid Casting – Adds +10% Action Speed with Spells which helps you cast Nature’s Terror and other Druid Spells more quickly.

Farcasting – Adds +20% Range to spells. Useful for this build because Range is something you cannot have enough of.

Improved Critical – Increases Crit Damage by 10%, making it a must for any damage dealing Class.

Nature’s Cyclone Attributes

In this section we’ll cover Attributes for the Nature’s Cyclone Build, and explain a bit about each and why we need it or why it’s important. This Build needs a mix of Intellect, Constitution and Might. Perception doesn’t hurt either to improve Accuracy, but Resolve and Dexterity are not needed, regardless of what game mode you are playing in.

Intellect helps with the Duration of Nature’s Terror, Blade Turning and Thunderous Blows, but also increases the Radius that Nature’s Fury and Rooting Pain strike in, making it a must for this Build. I recommend placing at least 15 points here, but more does not hurt.

Constitution is second because you will take increased damage from being a Helwalker Monk, and we need a larger Health pool so we don’t die from it. How much you want to spend here will partly be determined by your group’s make up, but I would put at least 5 points in it (15 total Constitution). More is of course better if you have points to spare.

High Might gives us a modest increase in damage, and since Nature’s Fury doesn’t deal a ton of damage on its own, every little bit counts. It’s last on our list because you will gain 15 Might from Helwalker and Thunderous Blows, so you won’t exactly we suffering. You can even max Intellect and Constitution if you want, but a few points here is good.

Final Tips

When using the Nature’s Cyclone you want to position near the ranged units, so that melee move towards you, and you hit the most amount of targets possible. It’s not always easy to do, since you can’t always get there in time, but it’s the ideal scenario. Try not to worry about it, but get there if you can.

When using this Build you want to equip items that increase your AoE Range, and items that increase your Engagements. Because you are not using a Class that can increase its Engagements with an ability, you will need to do so via a Shield and other items. This is important, or enemies will just break off and attack your other characters, which you don’t want to happen. Luckily there are several pieces of equipment that do just this, many of which are mentioned above, though there are more.

This Build works best with as few melee characters in your party as possible. This is because Nature’s Terror is not a Foe Aoe, so it will hit other friendlies and you want to avoid this. You can still play this with other melee units, but it’s challenging to avoid being hit in Real Time with Pause, though it’s not much of an issue in Turn-Based.

Beetle Shell is a great ability to use with this Build when your Blade Turning just isn’t cutting it and you’re really getting into trouble. It will Stun you when you use it, but Nature’s Terror will continue to fire every round, so make sure it still has a decent Duration left before you pop this. You don’t want it to run out while you’re in Beetle Shell and just sit there and do no damage at all.

Stay tuned for more Pillars of Eternity 2 Builds as we celebrate the Ultimate Edition launch on PS4 and Xbox One.

The post Pillars Of Eternity 2 Deadfire Builds Guide: Ascetic (Nature’s Cyclone) appeared first on Fextralife.

In this Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Build Guide we’re going to be taking a look at the 7th companion you usually acquire: Pallegina. I’ll be explaining my Crusader and Herald Builds for both the regular real-time with pause and turn-based modes, so that anyone can use her effectively. If you plan to use Pallegina in your party then read on for some insight into this headstrong Companion. Please note that this Build Guide was updated for the 5.0 version of the game, as well as 1.02 on console (as of January 25th, 2020), and works with both Real Time with Pause and Turn-Based.

Pillars Of Eternity 2 Deadfire Companion Build Guide: Pallegina (Turn-Based & RTWP)

Pallegina can be found in Neketaka at the royal court. Depending on your dialogue options with the Queen, you can recruit her or Maia Rua or both of them. Once recruited, you will immediately need to choose between a Single Class Paladin, a Multiclass Crusader (Fighter/Paladin) or a Multiclass Herald (Paladin/Chanter). This can be a very tough decision for new players because it’s one that is permanent, and cannot be reversed later.

Pallegina’s stat spread is set up for front line DPS with a combination of decent Perception, modest Might and Constitution and high Resolve. She has low Dexterity so she will perform better in the Turn-Based version of the game when compared to Real Time With Pause. She can however play the ranged DPS role, though it is a bit more difficult to set her up properly.

When deciding how to Multiclass her, which you should, you cannot go wrong with either Crusader or Herald. Both are great choices, and I think it really boils down to whether or not you already have a Chanter in your party or not. If you do, then you should make her a Crusader, and if not then you should go with Herald. I’ll explain how to set her up for each of these rolls, depending on what you chose, through out this guide.

If you chose Crusader then Pallegina will be a bit of a single target DPS specialist, with some support heals. You’ll go in, buff with Disciplined Strikes and then use Flames of Devotion on the most suitable target you can find, and try to weaken or kill it quickly, using Penetrating Strike on highly armored enemies and those with immunity to fire. You’ll use Lay on Hands to heal nearby allies as necessary, while maintaining your own Health via Constant Recovery and Exalted Endurance.

If you chose Herald you’ll be buffing your party with chants like Aefyllath Ues Mith Fyr that increases the damage your party deals, while also using chants that deal damage to enemies around you like The Dragon Thrashed, The Dragon Wailed. You’ll debuff enemies with Invocations like The Shield Cracks, which lowers the Armor of each enemy struck, allowing for better Penetration party wide. Or Invocations like The Thunder Rolled Like Waves on Black Seas, Stunning enemies. You’ll use Flames of Devotion in between Invocations to attack enemies directly, or Lay on Hands to heal those who need it.

Pallegina Subclasses (Herald and Crusader)

Pallegina is a Frermas mes Canc Suolias Paladin, meaning she gains the ability Wrath of the Five Suns ability, dealing fire damage and increasing her damage against a target for 2 Zeal. Unfortunately, this ability has very poor Penetration, and doesn’t scale with Power Level, making it nearly useless in many cases. For this reason, you’d be best to think of Pallegina as a No Subclass Paladin, as she will not use this ability very often, if at all.

Pallegina comes with a No Subclass Fighter if you chose Crusader, which gives you no benefits nor any negatives. This allows you to use whichever Weapons you wish, and keeps your Constant Recovery at a decent heal every round, so is probably ideal if you don’t know what Weapon you wish to use with her. Devoted would be a better, but unfortunately we are not given that option.

Likewise, if you chose Herald, Pallegina comes with a No Subclass Chanter. No Subclass is not ideal for a Chanter, particularly one that melees, which Pallegina is likely to do. However, it doesn’t come with any negatives, making Pallegina very versatile in the Invocations she can choose. This allows you to fill in your party’s gaps, without having to plan ahead too much, and isn’t a bad choice for a new player.

Pallegina Weapons and Armor

When choosing a Weapon for Pallegina, or any Paladin, the biggest issue you’ll face is that Flames of Devotion doesn’t provide any extra Penetration at all, so you will need to find another way to get it or you will deal low damage. For this reason, I advise using Weapons that have higher base Penetration OR weapons that have Weapon Modals that allow for extra Penetration if you sacrifice something else. Good choices are: Morning Star, Sabre, Sword, Pollaxe, Stiletto or if you want to go ranged consider War Bow. Of these I particularly like Morning Star because of it’s high base damage (15 -23), good base Penetration (9), and two different damage types (Crush/Pierce).

Armor-wise you’ll want something with decent protection, but also something that doesn’t slow your Recovery Time down too much. Light or Medium Armor is good for Real Time With Pause, while you can pretty much get away with whatever you like in Turn-Based, Heavy included. Just make sure your teammates are buffed by you before they take their turns to make the most of them, so either delay their turns or wear Light Armor instead.

Pallegina Abilities

In this section we’re going to cover the “must have” Crusader and Herald Abilities for this Build. These are the ones that really make the Build work, and ones that anyone playing this way should take. Let’s start with Paladin first, since it’s found in both Builds.

Paladin Abilities

Flames of Devotion – This ability hits like a truck and is THE reason Paladins are one of the most popular classes in the game. The added burn damage is calculated after all other calculations, making it one of the strongest attacks in the game.

Lay on Hands – This ability will keep you alive when surrounded by several enemies and you will use it often. The short cast time, combined with the HoT, can make all the difference in the world and win you some fights you might not otherwise.

Retribution – This passive allows you to deal increased damage on your next attack when you take damage. It stacks up to 5x giving you a potential of +25% more damage, which is not a small amount.

Zealous Aura – This ability allows you to gain access to your Auras which affect you and all party members around you. They work like Fighter Stances and can be swapped on the fly. The Accuracy you gain from Focus Aura is extremely valuable early game.

Inspired Path – You can never have enough resources, so gaining an extra one is an easy choice. This will allow one more Lay on Hands or Flames of Devotion per fight.

Two-Handed Style – This ability increases your damage with the Morning Star, Great Sword or any other Two-Handed weapon so works extremely well. If you decided to dual wield, then take Two Weapon Style instead.

Shared Flames – This upgrade of Flames of Devotion increases the damage of those around you for a round, and can help buff team damage. Whether you picked Herald or Crusader, it makes no difference, it’s still good in either case.

Greater Lay on Hands – This upgrade of Lay on Hands not only costs the same (1 Zeal), but also gives +2 increased Armor, +5 Constitution and + 10 Health every 3 seconds. Another way we buff our Armor and stay alive with HoTs at the same time.

Exalted Endurance – This is a great Aura that heals everyone around you and gives them +1 Armor. Note that other Armor bonuses will overwrite this, such as Robust, however the healing you gain from it, makes still surpass any other Aura.

Scion of Flame – This passive will add +1 Penetration with your Flames of Devotion attacks, but not your follow up attacks even if they are buffed with the extra 10% damage dealt as Burn. Paladin’s desperately need Penetration when using Flames of Devotion so this is a great pick up.

Virtuous Triumph – Gives you a chance to gain back 1 Zeal when downing an enemy. This is a great way to gain 1 or 2 Zeal back a fight.

Fighter Abilities

Disciplined Barrage – This ability is going to increase your Accuracy with attacks, and is one of the best Fighter abilities there is.

Fighter Stances – At level 4 you’ll unlock your Fighter Stances and you’ll want to pick them up ASAP, as they are a big part of the class and build. You can switch between these while in combat, and they have some amazing effects.

Confident Aim – This ability converts 30% of Grazes to Hits with Proficient Weapons, which is a significant amount. Between this and Disciplined Barrage you should convert nearly all Grazes to Hits.

Disciplined Strikes – At level 7 you’ll gain access to this Ability and it replaces Disciplined Barrage, giving you a +25% to Crit when you would Hit in combat. All around great for increasing your damage done.

Penetrating Strike – One of the best attacks in the game for 1 Discipline, you’ll use this when Flames of Devotion doesn’t have enough Penetration to get through the enemy’s Armor. You shouldn’t need it all that often, but it’s nice to have if you run out of Zeal.

Armored Grace – This ability will reduce the Action Speed penalty you take from wearing Armor which helps with more Actions in combat. You won’t need this if you play Turn-Based, but definitely take it if playing RTWP.

Weapon Specialization – With this ability you gain just a flat increase to Proficient Weapon Damage. It’s one of the few ways we can increase our Weapon Damage so we take it and don’t look back.

Improved Critical – This passive further boosts your Crit Hit damage and should make it into the Build at some point. Again it’s one of the few ways we can boost our Weapon Damage so we pick it up.

Chanter Abilities

Come, Come Soft Winds of Death – This will be the first Phrase you take, and will last you for a long while and you won’t really need another one until later in the game. Respec to get this if you need to.

And Hel-Hyraf Crashed upon the Shield – This ability allows you to debuff enemy Armor which is great for everyone, particularly those who don’t have high Penetration weapons, and those that cast spells. Spells never seem to have enough Penetration, so this will go along way to assisting them do damage.

The Thunder Rolled Like Waves on Black Seas – This skill is a great way to Stun enemies, making them do nothing for some time or forgoing their turn. Use this one when several enemies are grouped up, so that you spare your tank some damage. Stunned enemies also have -10 Deflection, making it easier for other Party members to strike them.

At the Sound of His Voice, the Killers Froze Stiff –  A great debuff for Paralyzing enemies, allowing for a higher Crit Chance against them, as well as making them do nothing for a long time.

Aefyllath Ues Mith Fyr – This ability buffs your teams with damage when they attack, and should increase your overall group DPS by a significant amount. Use this when Fire Damage can be used effectively.

The Dragon Thrashed, The Dragon Wailed – As soon as you get access to this ability you should replace Come, Come Soft Winds of Death, and alternate between it and Aefyllath Ues Mith Fyr.

…And Evil Turned Away From the Sun – A great ability that both heals teammates and damages enemies for fire damage.

Final Tips

Consider equipping Pallegina with the Ring of Focused Flame if you went Herald. This will increase her Accuracy with Flames of Devotion by +10, giving it a total of +20 Accuracy on attacks, which is significant and should result in more Hits and Crits. It also effects Wrath of the Five Suns (if you ever use it), and And Evil Turned Away From the Sun, but does not increase the Accuracy of The Dragon Thrashed, The Dragon Wailed. You can find this in the Dark Cupboard in Neketaka, sold by Fassina.

Chanters need proper positioning to be most effective, so consider starting Pallegina in the middle of your team so she hits every with her Chants on turn one, before moving to the front lines. Always keep an eye on where your party is, and make sure she is placed for maximum impact when playing a Herald.

Pallegina can tank effectively as a Crusader if you wish her to fulfill that role instead. Simply equip her with a Medium Shield, a one handed weapon like a Saber, and make sure to take abilities like: Vigorous Defense, Hold the Line, and Weapon and Shield Style. Between Constant Recovery and Exalted Endurance you should be able to out heal just about any damage you take, and you have Lay on Hands for emergencies if you should need it.

Lastly, Pallegina is an Avian Godlike, meaning she has Resistance to Intellect and Perception Afflictions. For this reason, try to buff her or take passives that don’t give her these, since you cannot stack Resistances. Instead look for things that give her Constitution, Resolve, Dexterity or Might Resistance. Both Fighter and Chanter possess abilities that provide most, if not all of these buffs.

Stay tuned for more Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Guides, as we cover all the Companions in preparation for the console launch.

The post Pillars Of Eternity 2 Deadfire Companion Build Guide: Pallegina (Turn-Based & RTWP) appeared first on Fextralife.

In this Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Build Guide we’re going to be taking a look at the 7th companion you usually acquire: Maia. I’ll be explaining my Scout Build for both the regular real-time with pause and turn-based modes, so that anyone can use her effectively. If you plan to use Maia in your party then read on for some insight into this dutiful Companion. Please note that this Build Guide was updated for the 5.0 version of the game, as well as 1.02 on console (as of January 25th, 2020), and works with both Real Time with Pause and Turn-Based.

Pillars Of Eternity 2 Deadfire Companion Build Guide: Maia (Turn-Based & RTWP)

Maia can be found in the Royal Court in the Serpent’s Crown District of Neketaka. Depending on your dialogue choices you can recruit her, Pallegina or both of the them. Once recruited, you will immediately need to choose between a Single Class Ranger (Gunhawk), Multiclass Scout (Rogue/Ranger), or a Multiclass Geomancer (Ranger/Wizard). This can be a very tough decision for new players because it’s one that is permanent, and cannot be reversed later.

Maia’s stat spread is perfect for Ranged DPS since she has decent Might, good Dexterity and high Perception. She is more suited for Real Time With Pause than Turn-Based because of the Dexterity and because her pet bird only attacks once in Turn-Based, while all other pets will attack twice. In RTWP all pets attack once, so this is not a disadvantage in this mode.

When I use Maia I like to make her into a single target DPS specialist that attacks from range, by choosing the Scout Multiclass, and there are a few reasons for that. First, her Ranger Subclass, Gunhawk is only useful if you use are using some form of Firearm, which you will waste if you do not. Second, there is not much point in taking Wizard as a second Class if you plan to be firing your gun most of the time. And third, Rogue provides more Weapon attacks from a different resource pool, allowing you to spend Bond on your Animal Companion to use Takedown if you want, or just have more weapon-based abilities to use in combat.

The way this Build works is that when you get into combat you will use Maia to try to finish off a single target as quickly as possible, this will usually be Rogues or Wizards in the back that are weaker and can potentially be killed in one shot. You’ll have to decide which attack is the best to use for the target you are facing: Arterial Strike, Accurate Wounding Shot or Pierce the Bell. Arterial Strike can be a great way to limit movement of melee enemies so they cannot reach your party, or use it if you need more Penetration. Accurate Wounding Shot is great against targets with high Deflection, and Pierce the Bell is used when you need the highest damage possible.

You’ll use your Animal Companion to target the same enemies if possible, in order to take advantage of Merciless Companion, Stalker’s Link, Predator’s Sense and Takedown. Knocking enemies Prone will reduce their Deflection by 10, and if they happen to be Flanked by your tank they will lose a further 10 Deflection, really helping to boost your chance of Hitting and Critting.

Maia Scout Subclasses

Maia is a Gunhawk Subclass of Ranger, which allows her longer range with all Firearms, as well as a chance to Interrupt with each shot. The first of these bonuses is much more useful than the second for this Build, since Crippling Strike and Strike the Bell both Interrupt anyway. Her Animal Companion is a bird that cannot be Engaged, so it doesn’t have to worry about Disengagement attacks and can move freely, but only attacks once by default in Turn-Based compared with other Animal Companions, which do two attacks by default.

No Subclass Rogue is the other Class you will gain with this Build, which is not bad for this Build. No Subclass Rogues are extremely flexible, and do not need to meet certain requirements to be effective. Assassin may make better sense for this type of Build because she comes with Stealth by default, but unfortunately we are not given that option. Regardless, if you can’t choose Assassin then No Subclass is the next best choice for this sort of setup.

Maia Weapons and Armor

Because Maia is a Gunhawk Ranger, and all her benefits apply when she’s using a Firearm you will naturally want to pick one as her weapon of choice. It doesn’t matter which you choose, so select the one that best fits your needs, but one really great weapon for this build is the Red Hand, if you are playing Real Time With Pause. This weapon allows you to fire twice before reloading in exchange for reduced range. However, since Maia has extended range with these weapon types, she makes up for this with her passive. Sadly, this weapon does not fire two shots per round in Turn-Based, and so is only recommended for RTWP.

Armor-wise you’ll want to use something Light in order to get shots of as quickly as you can. Firearms tend to have lengthy reload animations, and you don’t want to extend this further with Medium or Heavy Armor. One really good choice is Sharpshooter’s Garb, which reduces your reload time, but only if you are using an Arquebus, like the Red Hand.

Maia Scout Abilities

In this section we’re going to cover the “must have” Scout Abilities for this Build. These are the ones that really make the Build work, and ones that anyone playing this way should take. Let’s start with Ranger.

Ranger Abilities

Wounding Shot – This ability deals Raw Damage over time to the target, which is great for beginning fights, as it will weaken them between shots. It also allows your Animal Companion extra damage on that enemy if you have the Predator’s Sense ability.

Merciless Companion – A great way to increase your Animal Companion’s damage when the target is Flanked or suffering from an Affliction.

Vicious Companion – This ability is needed more for the Penetration than the damage, otherwise your Animal Companion will be useless against some enemy types. Be sure to get this one fairly early in the game.

Marksman – This passive increases your Accuracy against targets more than 4m away by +5. You can never get enough Accuracy with this Build so it’s an easy choice here.

Takedown – A great way to spend your excess Bond and help increase your Companion’s damage. If you upgrade this ability you can make it particularly effective.

Two-Handed Style – This passive will increase your damage with Arquebuses, but if you don’t use this type of weapon then be sure to get Two Weapon Style.

Accurate Wounding Shot – This increases your Accuracy by 20 with Wounding Shot, upping the likelihood that you will Hit or Crit.

Protective Companion –  This ability allows your Animal Companion to Engage an enemy, allowing for it to lock it down. This helps with damage as well as defense over the course of a fight.

Predator’s Sense – This will further boost your Animal Companion’s damage when the target has a DoT on it. A must have if you want an effective Companion.

Stalker’s Link – This ability grants both you and your Companion increased Accuracy when attacking the same target. Coordinate for best effect!

Driving Flight – This passive makes it so that you hit an additional target with another shot when using Ranged Weapons. This will effectively double Maia’s damage in some cases, so you definitely want this one.

Uncanny Luck – Increases our Hit to Crit chance 5% which will create a few more Crits now and then so we take this one.

Survival of the Fittest – This increases your Accuracy and your Pet’s Accuracy when above 75% Health against enemies who are below 50% Health. Again we need all the Accuracy we can get, so we take this one.

Improved Critical – We’ll be doing lots of Crits with this Build so this helps our damage by a modest amount.

Rogue Abilities

Crippling Strike – This ability is a great way to deal extra damage and Penetration for only 1 Guile. Use this one when you need a bit more damage than Accurate Wounding Shot.

Dirty Fighting – This ability increases the likelihood our shots will Crit by 10% if we Hit so we take it. Anything that might increase our potential damage is what we’re after, and Crits do more damage.

Strike the Bell – Does the same damage as Crippling Strike, but has increased Penetration. You’ll use this when you need even more Penetration to get damage on the target only.

Pierce the Bell – Boosts the Damage of Strike the Bell by a further 20%, giving it a total of +45% Damage and +5 Penetration. This will be your go to attack when you need to take something down NOW. 2 Guile is a lot for an attack, so make sure you use it wisely, and use Crippling Strike if you don’t need the extra damage or Penetration.

Deep Wounds – This passive puts a Raw Damage DoT on your target if you strike with a weapon, which isn’t super helpful earlier on in the game, but as enemies start to gain larger Health pools it will help out a lot.

Deathblows – Provides +50% Damage against enemies with 2 or more Afflictions. This is not hard to do if your party is setup correctly, and boosts damage significantly.

Final Tips

With this setup Maia will have a ton of resources to spend on weapon attacks, so you will often find that you don’t use all of them in a given fight. For this reason it is advised that you spend some Bond on Takedown or one of it’s upgrades to spend your resources faster, improving your DPS. When you can, you’ll want to use Bond on Takedown, and Guile on Crippling Strike or Strike the Bell.

Maia can gain +20 Accuracy from the Arquebus’ weapon modal, and when combined with Accurate Wounding Shot that gives her +40 Accuracy on that attack. This means she is very likely to Hit or Crit with her attacks, so consider giving her equipment that boosts Crit Damage, like the gloves you find near the beginning of the game.

Maia will have a hard time against enemies that have immunity to Pierce Damage, like Skeletons, so you’ll need to find a way around this. Keeping a Blunderbuss like Fire in the Hole or Hand Mortar around can do the trick since these both do Slash Damage as well as Pierce. Consider keeping them in her back-up slot for just such an occasion, so she isn’t completely useless.

Lastly, Maia’s Gunhawk passive is not the best passive in the game, and you can use other weapon types with her if you don’t wish to use Firearms. She makes a decent candidate for Frostseeker if you have it, because she will have very high Accuracy and is likely to Crit often.

Stay tuned for more Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Guides, as we cover all the Companions in preparation for the console launch.

The post Pillars Of Eternity 2 Deadfire Companion Build Guide: Maia (Turn-Based & RTWP) appeared first on Fextralife.

In this Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Build Guide we’re going to be taking a look at the sixth companion you usually acquire: Tekēhu. I’ll be explaining my Druid Build for both the regular real-time with pause and turn-based modes, so that anyone can use him effectively. If you plan to use Tekēhu in your party then read on for some insight into this mystical Companion. Please note that this Build Guide was updated for the 5.0 version of the game, as well as 1.02 on console (as of January 25th, 2020), and works with both Real Time with Pause and Turn-Based.

Pillars Of Eternity 2 Deadfire Companion Build Guide: Tekēhu (Turn-Based & RTWP)

Tekēhu can be found at the Watershapers Guild in the Periki’s Overlook district of Neketaka. Once recruited you’ll have to decide between a Single Class Chanter, Single Class Druid or a Theurge (Multiclass Druid/Chanter). This can be a very tough decision for new players because it’s one that is permanent, and cannot be reversed later.

Tekēhu’s stat spread is much more suited to Real Time With Pause than Turn-Based because of the a higher Dexterity value and a modest amount of Might. He also has only 10 Perception, making him more suited for a Chanter that buffs teammates and summons things than a DPS, but unfortunately his Subclass of Chanter doesn’t allow for summons. When I play him, I make him a Single Class Druid and I’ll explain why.

First, both of his unique Subclasses are excellent and you really can’t go that wrong making a Multiclass Theurge, but the biggest issue here is damage. If he Multiclasses or plays a Single Class Chanter his damage will suffer, and most of his benefit will be passive. This is because he will gain Penetration from Power Levels, and he desperately needs it or his Elements spells won’t deal fuck all damage, and he’ll gain Power Levels faster as a Single Class.

Second, the unique Subclass for Druid allows him to cast certain AoEs without fear of damaging party members, which may be one of the best Subclass bonuses in the game. This allows you to nuke enemies from orbit at will, regardless of your positioning, and can make all the difference in a fight.

And third, by focusing on Water and Frost spells he can take the passive Secrets of Rime to further boost Penetration and it will affect 95% of the damaging spells he casts. This allows him to save Ability Points he’d have to spread around into Penetration passives. Additionally, his  unique Rod: Watershaper’s Focus will give him an additional Power Level in Water and Frost spells once Enchanted, which is perfect.

The way this Build works is that once combat begins I usually wait for enemies to group up before selecting the appropriate spell for the situation. Despite all your spells being Water or Frost based, some deal Crush or Fire Damage. Look at the Armor of the enemies you are facing and select the damage type that matches the lowest value they have and cast that. Repeat this until all enemies are dead, using your healing spells as necessary to keep your teammates alive. Tekēhu doubles as a Nuker/Healer this way and has a lot of versatility.

Tekēhu Druid Subclass (Watershaper)

The Watershaper Subclass lets Tekēhu cast select Water and Frost AoEs as Foe AoE’s, meaning they will not damage your party members. In exchange, he loses access to summon and fire spells. This is one of the best Subclasses in the game and makes a great case to use Tekēhu from the moment you can get him in Perikis Overlook. Because these spells deal Frost, Crush or Fire Damage he doesn’t have to worry about Immunities as much as you’d think, and is often still in a great position to nuke enemies down.

Tekēhu Weapons and Armor

What weapon Tekēhu uses is not particularly important because he’ll be casting 80% of the time, and transformed the other 20%, usually. However, I recommend using the the Rod he begins with and enchanting it to further boost your Frost and Water Power Level by +1 early on, as mentioned above. Besides that, look for things that boost Penetration or Accuracy with spells.

Armor-wise you want to use Light if playing RTWP or Medium to Heavy if you’re playing Turn-Based. You want Tekēhu to begin casting his AoEs once enemies have grouped together, and that usually takes a moment to occur. If you’re playing Turn-Based, you want to go just before your finisher, and after any debuffs have been cast on the enemies, which is near last on your team. This will ensure the highest chance for success, e.g. damage.

Tekēhu Druid Abilities

In this section we’re going to cover the “must have” Druid Abilities for this Build. These are the ones that really make the Build work, and ones that anyone playing this way should take. Since this is a Single Class Build, let’s take a look at the Druid Skills.

Druid Skills

Nature’s Mark – This Skill is great a prepping enemies for your spells so they have a higher chance to Hit. Tekēhu has terrible Perception so anything you can do to debuff enemies making him more likely to Hit is worth it. The bonus is that this also reduces Deflection, helping out the rest of your party as well.

Blizzard – The first Foe AoE you’ll get. Deals Frost Damage and reduces that Action Speed of enemies Hit, which reduces the overall damage your party will take. Use often.

Wildstrike Freeze – This passive is a great way to boost damage while you are shifted, which you will be when it makes no sense to AoE.

Chill Fog – The second Foe AoE you will get, and it Blinds and Flanks enemies. This spell being a Foe AoE is a game changer, because you can make enemies perpetually Blind and Flanked while sparing your party members. If you have a Tactician in your group they will love you because they will be constantly Brilliant!

Boiling Spray – This spell deals Fire Damage, which gives you another damage type to use, though it counts as a Water spell. It casts in a cone in front of you, so you’ll need to be just behind your tank ideally when casting it.

Overwhelming Wave – This one is not automatically gained, and is not at Foe AoE, but is still useful in dealing damage and Stunning large groups of enemies. It counts as a Water spell too, and deals Crush Damage. Be careful not to hit your party members, and use it only when it’s safe.

Hail Storm – Another non Foe AoE that can hit your party members, it deals substantial Frost and Crush Damage making it versatile against enemies with high Armor to one type or immunities. Be careful not to hit your party members, and use when nothing else will do.

Spell Shaping – This ability is a must for any mage that uses AoEs because it allows you to extend or decrease the range of spells in exchange for higher or lower Power Levels. If you find Penetration is an issue, try reducing the size of your spells to get through enemy Armor.

Secrets of Rime – Increases Penetration by 1 for all Frost and Water spells, which is the type Tekēhu uses. This is more important than you’d think so get it immediately once it becomes available.

Ocean Burst – A large Foe AoE Crush Damage spell that you’ll use instead of Hail Storm once acquired, as it doesn’t hit your party and deals more damage. Use when Crush Damage is the best type and you can hit lots of enemies.

Greater Wildstrike Freeze – Further boosts your attack damage while shifted, so is a good choice if nothing else is available.

Rapid Casting – Only needed if you’re playing RTWP, it can help you get spells off faster so that you are less likely to be interrupted.

Blast of Frost – This is a Foe AoE of Frost Damage, and you’ll use this instead of Hail Storm once you get it when you want to do large amounts of Frost Damage. It works much like Boiling Spray, hitting in a cone in front of you, so positioning is important for this one. Ideally behind the tank.

Wildstrike Frenzy Freeze – This Skill will make you a deadly force in melee range by causing an AoE when you strike.

Ninagauth’s Freezing Pillar – A large Foe AoE that deals Frost Damage and Hobbles enemies. A great way to keep enemies from getting to you if you can cast it fast enough. Make sure you have Light Armor if you want to use this ASAP in combat.

Great Maelstrom – A massive damaging AoE spell that deals many different damage types. Make sure none of your friendlies are caught in this spell when you cast it or they will likely die.

Final Tips

As mentioned above, Penetration is a serious issue for Tekēhu so you’ll need to get all you can get. One way you can help your spells connect is by having a Chanter in your party cast The Shield Cracks, reducing enemy Armor by 2 in a large conal AoE. This helps tremendously, and is one of the reasons I bring a Chanter along when using Tekēhu. If you don’t have a Chanter in your group, consider Multiclassing Tekēhu.

Tekēhu has terrible Accuracy compared to some mages because he has 10 Perception, meaning he will always be lagging a bit behind where you want him to be in terms of Accuracy. Be sure to give him items that increase his Perception or Accuracy, and make sure to debuff enemies with spells like Nature’s Mark before casting your heavy hitters or you might waste your spells.

Remember to use Spell Shaping often. Reduce the size of your AoEs if you don’t need them to be large to make your spells more effective, and increase them if you can hit more enemies if you do. This skill really improves the versatility of Tekēhu, so use it as much as you can.

Lastly, Tekēhu heals relatively well when not DPSing. He can cast The Moon’s Light, Nature’s Balm, Moonwell and Cleansing Wind, which will all give a decent amount of healing. Keep in mind that most of these are heal over time abilities, so they won’t save anyone Near Death. Learn to use them when your party is at about half Health to prevent situations that get party members killed.

Stay tuned for more Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Guides, as we cover all the Companions in preparation for the console launch.

The post Pillars Of Eternity 2 Deadfire Companion Build Guide: Tekēhu (Turn-Based & RTWP) appeared first on Fextralife.

In this Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Build Guide we’re going to be taking a look at the fourth companion you usually acquire: Serafen. I’ll be explaining my Barbarian Build for both the regular real-time with pause and turn-based modes, so that anyone can use him effectively. If you plan to use Serafen in your party then read on for some insight into this witty Companion. Please note that this Build Guide was updated for the 5.0 version of the game, as well as 1.02 on console (as of January 25th, 2020), and works with both Real Time with Pause and Turn-Based.

Pillars Of Eternity 2 Deadfire Companion Build Guide: Serafen (Turn-Based & RTWP)

Serafen can be found immediately once you depart the starting island of the game, and have repaired your ship. Once recruited you’ll need to choose between a Single Class Cipher, Single Class Barbarian or a Witch (Cipher/Barbarian) Multiclass. This can be a very tough decision for new players because it’s one that is permanent, and cannot be reversed later.

Serafen’s stat spread is better for Turn-Based than Real Time With Pause because of the high Might and modest Dexterity, but he can play the ranged or melee DPS role effectively due to a high Health pool. When I like to play Serafen, I play him as a Single Class Barbarian, and I’ll explain why that is.

First, Serafen’s Cipher Subclass makes it so that he sometimes gets negative results (as well as positive ones) when casting Cipher spells, and this can mess up your combat, forcing you to start over in a small amount of cases. I rather enjoy playing with less RNG, and so I don’t like this Subclass.

Second, Barbarians are one of the few Classes in the game where No Subclass can be better than any other Subclass for the DPS role. Berserker is a much more enticing option, and does more damage, but takes micromanaging and is not new player friendly. No Subclass Barbarians allow for a much broader style of gameplay.

Third, Barbarians only have one good Weapon-based Ability if they Multiclass (Barbaric Smash), and it costs 2 Rage, meaning they will get to use it very few times before they run out of Rage. This is especially true, because they will want to spend 1 Rage on Frenzy every so often. Ciphers provide no Weapon-Based abilities either, since you can’t choose Soul Blade for Serafen.

Barbaric Smash is acquired at level 9 when Single Class, and at level 13 when Multiclassing, and allows the Barbarian to refund the cost of its use if they kill the target. This stretches out their Rage efficiency, since they can potentially use Barbaric Smash a limitless number of times if they play smartly. You get Serafen around Level 4 or 5, which means you would need to gain 8 or 9 levels before he really becomes effective if you Multiclass, and only 4 or 5 if you Single Class. Single Class makes him much more viable earlier on in the game.

The way this Build works is that at the beginning of combat you’ll use Frenzy to buff your Damage and Attack Speed and then you’ll try to attack the lowest Health target that is near other enemies. Serafen will gain an extra +20% Damage when near 2 enemies, and Carnage will hit each nearby enemy when you get a Hit, so you want to be in a pack of enemies if possible. Use Barbaric Smash once any target gets below 50% Health to try to finish then in one strike and refund it’s cost. Rinse and Repeat. Serafen will just get more and more powerful as he gains levels, being exceptionally so once he obtains Heart of Fury.

Serafen Barbarian Subclass (No Subclass)

Serafen comes with No Subclass Barbarian, which is usually how I play my Barbarian anyway with my own character, since I hate micromanaging Berserker. This means he has no penalties or bonuses, and he can use any Weapons or Armor he wishes. I generally don’t like playing Companions that don’t have unique Subclasses, since I find them more interesting, but Serafen is one of the more interesting characters in the game, and No Subclass Barbarian is actually pretty damn strong.

Serafen Weapons and Armor

Serafen comes with Proficiency in Battle Axe, Sword and Blunderbuss, and comes with his own unique Blunderbuss: Hand Mortar. I don’t advise using both a ranged weapon and melee weapon in the same slot, since it is a more advanced style of play and is very gear and skill dependent. I suggest playing Serafen as a melee character to take full advantage of Barbarian’s strengths (Carnage, One Stands Alone, Interrupting Blows, Vengeful Defeat).

Both Battle Axe and Sword are good choices to dual wield, but both have low Penetration so it may be a good idea to have another set of Weapons that have a bit more if you need it. Additionally, often times you will kill a target with the first weapon when dual wielding and using Barbaric Smash, meaning you will only get one proc of Carnage off, because the other weapon hits nothing. This makes a case for a two-handed weapon, since it will deal more Carnage Damage to other nearby enemies than a one-handed weapon. Don’t miss out on Carnage Damage!

Armor-wise you’ll want Light Armor if playing Real Time With Pause to make sure that you get as many attacks off as possible, but if you’re playing Turn-Based you can use something a bit heavier, since you want Serafen’s turn to be after enemies are damaged and ready to be finished off with Barbaric Smash.

Serafen Barbarian Abilities

In this section we’re going to cover the “must have” Barbarian Abilities for this Build. These are the ones that really make the Build work, and ones that anyone playing this way should take. Since this is a Single Class Build, let’s take a look at the Barbarian Skills.

Barbarian Skills

Frenzy – We use this constantly to buff our Action Speed, helping to increase our overall damage output.

Blooded – Will boost Serafen’s Damage by 25% when at or below 50% Health. He tends to get hit often because of Frenzy, so this is a good way to further boost damage.

Barbaric Blow – This ability gives you a high damaging attack with a +30% Hit to Crit chance and increased Crit Damage. Works amazing with two weapons.

Accurate Carnage – This Skill will help insure your Carnage hits more enemies, further boosting your damage. +5 doesn’t seem like much, but every little bit counts.

One Stands Alone – A further increased +20% damage in melee when near 2 enemies, which he most certainly will be. Take this to make him deal even more damage.

Bloodlust – This passive increases your Action Speed when you kill an enemy, further increasing your overall damage, so we grab it. Not as useful in Turn-Based, so consider taking something else instead if you’re playing that game mode.

Bloody Slaughter – This ability helps us to ensure we finish off targets with Barbaric Smash.

Unflinching – This ability is great at preventing some Afflictions that would disable you. Get this one when you have a spare point.

Blood Frenzy – This makes our Crits cause Raw Damage bleeding on enemies hit, which will be often.

Lion’s Sprint – A great way to boost Accuracy by +15, but much more useful in Turn-Based than RTWP.

Barbaric Smash – This upgrade of Barbaric Blow allows you to refund your Rage if you kill the target. Since you only have a single class, you’ll need to use your Rage wisely or you will be very useless a ways into the fight. This is a must for Turn-Based Builds.

Brute Force – This passive allows us to target Fortitude if it is lower than Deflection in order to gain better Accuracy. This is great at increasing the likelihood of a Crit.

Blood Thirst – This removes your Recovery Time when you down a target. Not so great in Turn-Based, but one of the best Skills in the game in Real Time With Pause.

Blood Storm – This upgrade increases the Duration when you kill an enemy which synergizes nicely with this Build. We want to cast Frenzy once and spend all other points on other Barbarian Skills, so it helps to extend Rage even further.

Heart of Fury – Possibly one of the strongest Skills in the game, allows you to do a full attack on all nearby enemies, dealing Carnage Damage with each hit. You’ll absolutely want this one!

Vengeful Defeat – A passive that does the same thing as Heart of Fury when Serafen reaches 0 Health. Another great Skill for dealing absurd damage!

Blood Surge – Gives you a chance to refund 1 Rage whenever you kill an enemy. You need all the Rage you can get, so this is a must have later on in the game!

Final Thoughts

Serafen is a much weaker Companion than some early on in the game, so I strongly suggest you sub him out until you reach level 9. Once he gains Barbaric Smash, he’ll be able to use it with much more regularity, keeping his DPS high through out each combat scenario. If you wish to use him before that, be sure to Empower regularly to refill some of his Rage each fight, to keep him cranking out the damage.

Penetration is an issue for Serafen because neither Sword nor Battle Axe have great Penetration. Consider swapping in some unique Weapons you find that have higher Penetration early on until you can find some better Battle Axes and Swords. This will prevent a huge drop off in damage in some fights, and be sure to watch out for Immunities. Elementals for example are immune to Slash Damage.

Lastly, Serafen will always have a low amount of Deflection, and so will get Hit often. This makes him a bit harder to keep alive then some Companions, and I strongly suggest placing some point into Athletics for a better Second Wind heal. Just make sure to attack first before using it, to get the most of the Blooded Passive.

Stay tuned for more Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Guides, as we cover all the Companions in preparation for the console launch.

The post Pillars Of Eternity 2 Deadfire Companion Build Guide: Serafen (Turn-Based & RTWP) appeared first on Fextralife.

In this Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Build Guide we’re going to be taking a look at the third companion you usually acquire: Aloth. I’ll be explaining my Battlemage Build for both the regular real-time with pause and turn-based modes, so that anyone can use him effectively. If you plan to use Aloth in your party then read on for some insight into this magical Companion. Please note that this Build Guide was updated for the 5.0 version of the game, as well as 1.02 on console (as of January 25th, 2020), and works with both Real Time with Pause and Turn-Based.

Pillars Of Eternity 2 Deadfire Companion Build Guide: Aloth

Aloth can be found at the Engwithan Digsite, which is east of Port Maje. He is trapped with some researchers in the center of the dig, and you can free him after defeating the enemies there, or by sneaking by them and completing the area and coming back to the center of the digsite. Once recruited, you will immediately need to choose between a Single Class Wizard (No Subclass), Multiclass Spellblade (Rogue/Wizard), or a Multiclass Battlemage (Fighter/Wizard). This can be a very tough decision for new players because it’s one that is permanent, and cannot be reversed later.

Aloth’s Stat spread is setup for a ranged DPS/Crowd Control role. He has some Might, good Dexterity and Perception and excellent Intelligence which is better for Real Time With Pause than Turn-Based. He has poor Constitution, making him less than ideal for front lines, and why I wouldn’t advise making him a Spellblade. Many of the Rogue’s passives are only effective in melee range (Riposte, Backstab, Persistent Distraction), while Fighter provides some abilities that benefit even ranged DPS (Disciplined Strikes, Conqueror’s Stance, Armored Grace).

The benefit you gain from being a Battlemage over a Single Class Wizard is that you can deal substantial damage with Weapons as well as spells, which you tend to run out of rather quickly early on in the game, at which point Aloth becomes rather useless. Blood Mage or Evoker are more suited to Single Class Wizard, since Blood Mage can replenish spells, and Evoker can double cast spells, but Aloth is a No Subclass Wizard. By playing a Battlemage you’ll have an easier time near the beginning of the game, which will help newer players progress more easily while they are still learning the ropes. Note that you should repec Aloth at any Tavern or Inn, as some of his pre-selected abilites are not useful to this Build.

The way this Build works is that Aloth will begin combat by casting Disciplined Strikes, which boosts his Chance to Hit and Critical Chance, which applies to both spells and weapon attacks. He should be in Conqueror’s Stance for +10 Accuracy, again applying to both spells and weapon attacks. If enemies are far away then you’ll spend the beginning of combat buffing with Merciless Gaze, before using Disciplined Strikes for even further increased Critical Chance. You’ll then decide whether to cast a spell or attack with Penetrating Strike, whichever makes the most sense.

Aloth Battlemage Subclasses

Aloth is a No Subclass Wizard, meaning he comes with no benefits or penalties of any kind. This is less than ideal for a DPS/CCer because as mentioned earlier Blood Mages can replenish their spells, and Evokers can double cast, making them deal substantially more damage on average. This is a primary factor in deciding to make Aloth a Battlemage, since he’ll be more effective when he runs out of spells earlier on in the game.

Aloth will also come with a No Subclass Fighter, which is again less than ideal since you’ll be using Scepters exclusively, but you won’t have any penalties or bonuses which is new player friendly. Devoted would be a much better choice for the increased Critical Damage and Penetration, so if you plan to make a similar Build on a custom character be sure to select that Subclass.

Aloth Weapons and Armor

Aloth comes with Proficiency in Scepter, Rod, and Rapier. The reasons I chose Scepters for this Build are several. First, you can increase the Damage and Penetration they deal through Destructive Channeling, which is healed by Constant Recovery. Second, they are ranged weapons that keep you at at safer spell casting distance. Third, they can be dual wielded, which makes the best use of Penetrating Strike. Fourth, all Unique Scepters benefit from dealing Critical Hits, which Aloth is setup to do nicely (45% chance when fully buffed). And finally, Aloth begins the game with the Keybreaker Scepter, which Frightens Kith and can increase party Defenses once Enchanted.

Armor-wise you’ll want something Light to keep your Attack Speed and Cast Times low. You can use Aloth’s Leather Armor for the increased Area of Effect for a good amount of time, or you can switch to something else. The main thing you want to look for is something that benefits Critical Hits, or benefits both weapon attacks and spells.

Aloth Battlemage Abilities

In this section we’re going to cover the “must have” Battlemage Abilities for this Build. These are the ones that really make the Build work, and ones that anyone playing this way should take. Let’s start with Fighter.

Fighter Abilities

Disciplined Barrage – This ability increases your Perception, and converts 50% of Grazes to Hits. This is great for not only your weapon attacks, but also your Wizard spells.

Fighter Stances – These Stances become available at level 4 and although you won’t be using Cleaving Stance, Warrior Stance does increase the Accuracy of your weapon attacks and Wizard spells, so is a good fit.

Confident Aim – This passive also helps to convert Grazes to Hits, but only with proficient weapons. Still, it does help with your overall damage output, particularly on harder difficulties.

Disciplined Strikes – This upgrade of Disciplined Barrage increases the likelihood that you will Crit by 25%, which helps increase our overall damage. Because your Scepters need Crits to be more effective this is a better choice than Tactical Barrage.

Penetrating Strike – Since you’ll be playing ranged, this will be your primary form of attacking enemies besides spells. It is a Full Attack, so it will take advantage of both Scepters, boosting your damage tremendously.

Weapon Specialization – This passive will further increase the damage with your proficient weapons, so it is a great choice.

Armored Grace – This ability will reduce the penalty you take to Recovery Time when wearing Armor. This will allow you to wear Light Armor with almost no penalty, and isn’t needed in Turn-Based because it isn’t as important.

Conqueror’s Stance – This skill will further increase your Accuracy with spells and Weapons by +5. You can never have too much accuracy, so this really helps out.

Improved Critical – This passive will further increase your Crit Damage, and you will be doing plenty of Crits so it helps.

Weapon Mastery – Another passive that increases damage so you pick it up. You can never have enough passives that do this, and Fighters possess many, which is great.

Wizard Abilities

Spirit Shield – A good early game source of Armor and Concentration with a really long Duration. This will help keep Aloth alive and prevent interrupts from his spells.

Rapid Casting – This one helps your spells cast faster by a small amount, but it adds up over the course of a fight. It’s not needed in Turn-Based, but be sure to take it if you’re playing RTWP.

Merciless Gaze – This ability will increase your Critical Chance by 15% for a very long Duration, but it has quite a lengthy cast time. Use only when you can do so without being interrupted, such as at the beginning of combat when enemies are still moving towards you.

Spell Shaping – This skill allows you to shrink or grow the AoE of your spells in exchange for increased or decreased Power Level. It’s a great way to boost damage with AoE spells, or make some spells hit more targets in exchange for a little less effectiveness.

As far as spells go, these are left entirely up to the player to decide. It’s always a good idea to have a variety of damage types, and don’t forget some good single target spells as well as AoE. Sometimes one really powerful enemy is harder than 5 weaker enemies, so don’t just load up on AoEs…

Final Tips

Always be sure to use Tactical Barrage or Disciplined Strikes before casting spells because it will change Grazes to Hits 50% of the time, which is a lot! One of the major benefits of the Fighter Class are these abilities, and you don’t want to waste them by forgetting!

If you’re playing Real Time With Pause, consider using only 1 Scepter early on, and later in scenarios where you run out of Discipline. You gain +12 Accuracy when single-handing, and you can gain a further 20% Critical Chance from One-Handed Style. In Real Time With Pause you only attack with your main hand when not using Abilities, whereas you attack with both in Turn-Based on every attack.

Make sure to use your party members to reduce the Deflection of enemies you are attacking, further helping your Critical Chance. This can be achieved by Paralyzing them, Flanking them and Knocking them Down. Try to attack enemies that have these status effects for best results.

Lastly, Acina’s Tricorn and Ring of Marksmanship are both excellent for this Build if not being used by other characters. Consider slotting them on Aloth if you don’t have a dedicated ranged damage dealer that uses Weapons.

Stay tuned for more Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Guides, as we cover all the Companions in preparation for the console launch.

The post Pillars Of Eternity 2 Deadfire Companion Build Guide: Aloth (Turn-Based & RTWP) appeared first on Fextralife.

In this Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Build Guide we’re going to be taking a look at the second companion you usually acquire: Xoti. I’ll be explaining my Monk Build for both the regular real-time with pause and turn-based modes, so that anyone can use her effectively. If you plan to use Xoti in your party then read on for some insight into this pious Companion. Please note that this Build Guide was updated for the 5.0 version of the game, as well as 1.02 on console (as of January 25th, 2020), and works with both Real Time with Pause and Turn-Based.

Pillars Of Eternity 2 Deadfire Companion Build Guide: Xoti

Xoti can be found in Port Maje, which is the first town you will come to on the world map. After the brief dialogue (that auto plays) when you get there, head right and you will find her in discussion there. Once recruited, you will immediately need to choose between a Single Class Monk, Single Class Priest, or a Multiclass Contemplative (a mix of the two). This can be a very tough decision for new players because it’s one that is permanent, and cannot be reversed later.

Xoti’s stat spread contains a bit of everything, so she won’t be particularly amazing, but she can be decent at either Support or Striking. When I use Xoti, I usually drop her into a melee Striker Role rather than the Support Role, and there are a couple reasons for that.

First, the benefit she gains for being a Sister of the Reaping Moon gives her 3 Wounds whenever she kills something with a melee attack. This bonus is completely wasted if she is ranged, or doesn’t deal much damage, which is often the case if you Multiclass her with a Priest. And second, the unique Priest Class she gains doesn’t really do a whole lot, other than giving her a few select spells that are not overly useful.

The way this Build works is by using Dance of Death and Mortification of the Soul to gain Wounds, and then by using Torment’s Reach and Skyward Kick to attack enemies. This grants you more Wounds when you kill one, allowing you to use them over and over. When playing Real Time With Pause Xoti will attack rather quickly due to high Dexterity and Swift Strikes. When playing Turn-Based, she will attack with both Fists on all regular attacks, helping to boost her damage early on, before she gains access to Torment’s Reach and Skyward Kick. Her stat spread is better for RTWP, but still works ok in Turn-based.

Xoti Monk Subclass (Sister of the Reaping Moon)

Xoti comes with the Monk Subclass: Sister of the Reaping Moon. This gives her Proficiency with Bucklers and +3 Wounds when she kills an enemy with a melee attack, but her Wound cost is increased by +1 for Abilities that use Wounds. This Subclass is the primary reason I make her a melee focused character, and it is wasted if she is playing Support or ranged Striker. Additionally, Wounds are not as useful to ranged characters anyway (unless you play a Helwalker), so I generally advise not taking the Monk Class if you plan to play this way. Sister of the Reaping Moon is one of the best Subclasses a Monk can have for a melee focused Build, so we want to take full advantage of it.

Xoti Weapons and Armor

Whenever you are playing a Monk Build, you always want to consider using Fist Weapons. This is because you gain Damage, Accuracy and Penetration with them as you increase in Power Level, usually outperforming other Weapons until late game. However, what Weapons it’s best to outfit Xoti with will be somewhat impacted by which game mode you are playing in, and where you are in the game.

The only Full Attack you will gain early on is at level 5 in the form of Stunning Fists, but this ability is situational and not particularly good at boosting damage, and so will not be used all that often. This means that if you are playing Real Time With Pause you will only attack with your main hand if using Fists, and you are better off going with a Two-Handed Weapon to make best use of Torment’s Reach and Skyward Kick, as these are Primary Attacks, and don’t use the off-hand weapon. This will save your Mortification to be spent on Swift Strikes and Dance of Death, which will significantly boost your DPS. However, consider swapping back to Fists later on in the game, when you have access to Flagellant’s Path and Whispers of the Wind to make best use of these.

If you’re playing Turn-Based, all of your normal attacks will hit with both Fists, giving you the flexibility to use them until you gain Torment’s Reach at level 5. Once you have this Ability, it is again advised that you use a Two-Handed Weapon as it is a Primary Attack and will not allow you to strike with both Fists. Much like Real Time With Pause, consider switching back to Fists when you get later in the game and have access to the Abilities mentioned above. You really don’t need to spend Mortification on Swift Strikes in this game mode until you have the Lightning Strikes upgrade, as increasing your Action Speed is far less useful.

In either game mode, it is not a bad idea to keep one weapon set of Fists and one with a Two-Handed, swapping between them as necessary based on enemy Armor values. If you’re playing a Multiclass Monk, you will never gain access to the upgrades to Flagellant’s Path, or gain the Whispers of the Wind ability, so you’ll be much better off staying Two-Handed, than switching back to Fists. Note that while Xoti’s Lantern is enticing for the resource return it provides, it will significantly reduce your damage, nearly defeating its purpose entirely so I don’t recommend using it with this Build.

Armor-wise you’ll want something Light so that she can attack quickly in order to get kills. In Turn-Based this is less important since she’ll only get one turn per round anyway, so you can get away with heavier Armor if you’re playing that game mode.

Xoti Monk Abilities

In this section we’re going to cover the “must have” Monk Abilities for this Build. These are the ones that really make the Build work, and ones that anyone playing this way should take. Since this is a Single Class Build, let’s take a look at the Monk Skills.

Monk

Swift Strikes – This buff gives you +5 Dexterity and +15% Action Speed for 10.0 seconds. This is much more useful in Real Time With Pause, and you won’t use it much in Turn-Based until you can upgrade it to Lightning Strikes.

Mortification of the Soul – This ability gives you Wounds, and is a great way to gain them if you aren’t being hit, which is why we take it. The damage you take is minimal, and worth taking, so don’t be afraid to use this often.

Dance of Death – This ability is a great way to increase your Wound generation, and it adds Accuracy which you can never have enough of. Try to spend your Mortification on this when you are pretty sure you won’t be hit.

Two Weapon Style – This passive reduces your Recovery Time while Duel-Wielding even further, which is great for Real Time With Pause, but it is not needed in Turn-Based.

Lightning Strikes – This upgrade to Swift Strikes adds +15% Damage dealt as Shock with Weapons. This is huge because it adds this after all other damage calculations have finished, making it a very strong buff.

Blade Turning – This Ability is excellent when you are in a tough spot and getting wailed on by 1 or more enemies. Pop this when you can’t kill the enemy you are fighting before it kills you, and watch it kill itself while you take no damage.

Torment’s Reach – This Ability is fantastic and deals increased damage, and hits enemies in a cone behind your target, Staggering them. This will increases the DPS of your Monk, so take it as soon as you hit level 5.

Duality of Mortal Presence – This toggle ability allows you to gain Constitution or Intellect for each Wound you have, which is fantastic. This will give you an additional +10 Intellect if you have 10 Wounds, for example.

Thunderous Blows – This buff gives your +5 Might and +2 Penetration for 12 seconds and costs 3 Wounds with this Build. Pick and choose when to spend Wounds on this, because the Haymaker Ability does not stack with it, and you may be better off saving your Wounds for Torment’s Reach or Skyward Kick.

Enduring Dance – It’s very difficult to maintain Dance of Death without this upgrade, so this is well worth the investment. This will save you a lot of Mortification, which is great, because it’s not easy to come by.

Rooting Pain – This passive does damage around you, that Interrupts each time you gain a Wound. This is an excellent ability because you gain Wounds quite often.

Raised Torment – This upgrade to Torment’s Reach will allow you to Stun enemies you hit, instead of Stagger, making this a very very powerful upgrade. Take it as soon as you can.

Turning Wheel – This will add +2% Damage dealt as Burn for each Wound you have. 10 Wounds = +20% Burn Damage. This makes you an absolute powerhouse, and hit like a truck, though you are unlikely to have this many Wounds per attack.

Flagellant’s Path – This gap closer allows you to get to your target instantly, which you will need to be able to do in order to take down casters in the back before they nuke you. Because it is a Full Attack you will strike with Both Fists, which is another reason we take it.

Skyward Kick – This ability is the best way to spend your Wounds when you are focusing a single target, instead of a group, where you’d be better off using Raised Torment. It increases your Damage by 50% and Penetration by 3, which is a LOT.

Shared Pain – This upgrade to Flagellant’s Path puts a Raw Damage bleed on enemies hit by this Ability, making it much more effective.

The Razor’s Edge –  This Ability increases your Accuracy for each Wound you possess. This will usually be by about 5, so think of this Ability as a passive increase to Accuracy by 5.

Inner Death – This ability does insane damage, particularly if it Crits. You can one shot some of the more difficult enemies in the game with this Ability, so use it accordingly.

Whispers of the Wind – This Full Attack will hit up to 6 enemies at once, which is devastating. This will be your go to when you want to hit many enemies on the screen.

Empowered Strikes – This passive grants you 100 Penetration and 100 Accuracy when Empowering an Attack, which you can do once a combat. When combined with Inner Death, you can all but guarantee a Critical Hit, absolutely destroying most anything you hit. Be sure to use this when you absolutely need that Crit with Inner Death.

Final Tips

When playing with Fists, Haymaker does not increase your Penetration if you have Thunderous Blows active. For this reason, and because it slows your Recovery Time, you should NOT use this Ability in RTWP. However, it does have a place in Turn-Based, where increased Initiative is not as much of a penalty. Haymaker does not apply Penetration to the AoE of Torment’s Reach though, so you will need to use Thunderous Blows if you want to boost the Penetration of it. Long story short, Haymaker will play a role early on in Turn-Based, but will be less useful later on in the game.

Blade Turning is your go-to “oh shit” skill for this Build, as it can turn really bad situations into ones where you actually come out ahead, especially in Turn-Based. Pop this when you are surrounded by enemies or one enemy that is hitting Xoti hard to turn the tables. This skill alone allows you to play extremely aggressively, because you can always use this when things aren’t going your way.

Lastly, because Xoti has no real way of gaining Health with this Build, it’s a good idea to spend some points into Athletics to give her an emergency heal should she need it. Blade Turning will keep her alive, but Second Wind is a great way to top up when she needs it, and is always good on any character.

Stay tuned for more Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Guides, as we cover all the Companions in preparation for the console launch.

The post Pillars Of Eternity 2 Deadfire Companion Build Guide: Xoti (Turn-Based & RTWP) appeared first on Fextralife.

In this Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Build Guide we’re going to be taking a look at the first companion you usually acquire: Edér. I’ll be explaining my Swashbuckler Build for both the regular real-time with pause and turn-based modes, so that anyone can use him effectively. If you plan to use Edér in your party then read on for some insight into this jovial Companion. Please note that this Build Guide was updated for the 5.0 version of the game, as well as 1.02 on console (as of January 25th, 2020), and works with both Real Time with Pause and Turn-Based.

Pillars Of Eternity 2 Deadfire Companion Build Guide: Edér

Edér will be found immediately after Character Creation if he survived your game save from PoE 1, or if you chose from one of the generated world states. After the brief ship battle you can recruit him on the beach and you will immediately need to choose between a Single Class Fighter, Single Class Rogue, or a Multiclass Swashbuckler (a mix of the two). This can be a very tough decision for new players because it’s one that is permanent, and cannot be reversed later.

Whenever I use Edér I always drop him into the Defender role, and there are a few reasons for that. First, his Attribute point spread is more ideal for a Defender than that of a Striker, though this is more true in the Real-Time With Pause version of the game than the Turn-Based version. Second, he’s a Human, and Fighting Spirit works best on characters that tend to get hit often. Third, both of his Classes are “No Subclass” versions, meaning they don’t excel at Striking (or Defending). And last, there are some great Defending synergies between Rogue and Fighter, which I will explain.

The way this Build works is that Edér uses the Fighter’s Defender Stance to hold enemies in place, and uses the Rogue passive Persistent Distraction to Distract them all, reducing their Deflection and Accuracy. You will be able to attack enemies instantly that Miss you with Melee attacks via the Riposte ability, and all of your damage will be boosted against enemies you have Engaged by 30% thanks to Sneak Attack. Turn-Based players should also use the Escape ability every round to boost their Deflection by +50, and prevent themselves from being Flanked, greatly increasing the likelihood they will Riposte.

Edér Swashbuckler Subclasses

When choosing Swashbuckler Edér comes with No Subclass Fighter, which is less than ideal. Both Unbroken and Tactician are better suited for this type of Build thanks to their passives, but unfortunately we don’t have that option. The only saving grace here is that there are no penalties, making it very new player friendly, and fairly straightforward.

When choosing Swashbuckler Edér also comes with No Subclass Rogue, which again is less than ideal if you are playing Real-Time With Pause. Trickster is much more useful, since it provides a way to buff your Deflection, though this isn’t as important if you are playing Turn-Based (because of the Escape ability). Streetfighter would also be a good choice, as you will be Bloodied and Flanked often, but this will not be the case in Turn-Based because of Escape. I only mention these here because you may wish to make this Build on a non Edér character.

Edér Weapons and Armor

Edér comes with Proficiencies in the Saber and Medium Shield, and it is advised that you take several more Proficiencies with One-Handed Weapons, such as Sword. Gladiator Sword is a very good early game weapon that you can use to boost Damage and Deflection, just be sure to Enchant it ASAP, as it has poor Penetration otherwise.

Medium Shield is all that you will need, and the Proficiency for it is possibly the best in the game. It gives you 30% chance to Resist any weapon attack, this includes attacks from beasts and animals, and ones that have range. The best part is that these “Resists” count as Misses, allowing for a Riposte, which really helps boost damage.

Armor-wise you’ll want just about the heaviest you can find as your primary objective is to stay alive while your teammates nuke shit down. Heavy Armor really helps with this and a really good Armor to look out for is Reckless Brigandine. It allows you to Engage an additional enemy, and decreases your Recovery Time for each Engaged enemy on top of increasing your Damage and Armor as you lose Health.

Edér Swashbuckler Abilities

In this section we’re going to cover the “must have” Swashbuckler Abilities for this Build. These are the ones that really make the Build work, and ones that anyone playing this way should take. Let’s start with Fighter.

Fighter Abilities

Disciplined Barrage – This ability increases your Perception, and converts 50% of Grazes to Hits. This will boost your overall damage.

Fighter Stances – These Stances become available at level 4 and you will use Defender Stance to Engage many enemies. This will allow you to use Persistent Distraction on them all.

Confident Aim – This passive also helps to convert Grazes to Hits, but only with proficient weapons. Still, it does help with your overall damage output, particularly on harder difficulties.

Weapon and Shield Style – This will increase your Deflection by +6 if using a Shield, which you will be, and adds the Shield’s bonus to Reflex defense.

Hold the Line – This passive will allow you to Engage one additional enemy, which again works well with Persistent Distraction.

Disciplined Strikes – This upgrade of Disciplined Barrage increases the likelihood that you will Crit by 25%, which helps increase our overall damage.

Armored Grace – This ability will reduce the penalty you take to Recovery Time when wearing Armor. This is much more useful in Real Time with Pause.

Superior Deflection – All the Deflection you can get helps to make enemies Miss you and allows you to Riposte, so take this one.

Vigorous Defense – This ability will improve all of your defenses by +20 and give you Concentration. This will help protect you from spells and abilities that target Reflex, Will and Fortitude primarily.

Guardian Stance – This upgraded version of Defender Stance will reduce the damage you take for each enemy Engaged, which should be a lot.

Refreshing Defense – This upgrade will allow Vigorous Defense to refresh when you take damage, which will save you valuable Discipline over longer fights.

Rogue Abilities

Escape – This ability gives you +50 Deflection, which is amazing for prompting Ripostes and keeping you alive, but only if you’re playing Turn-Based. I would not take this ability if you are playing Real Time With Pause.

Riposte – Chance to make a Full Attack Counter when an attack targeting Deflection misses. You won’t get the benefit of two weapons here, but it still boosts your damage.

Adept Evasion – This will ensure attacks that target your Reflex are Missed if they would normally Graze. Since you will have high Reflex from Weapon and Shield Style and Vigorous Defense, this should completely protect you from Reflex attacks.

Persistent Distraction – An amazing ability that puts Distracted and Flanked on an opponent when you engage them in combat, meaning that Sneak Attack and Deathblows passives are automatically added to your attacks.

Deep Wounds – 20% of Damage dealt added as Raw Damage over time. A great ability for increasing your overall damage output.

Slippery Mind – A great survival Ability that makes you immune to Perception, Intellect and Resolve Afflictions while Bloodied or Near Death.

Deathblows – Increases Damage done by 50% with Abilities and Weapons against any opponent that suffers from 2 or more Afflictions that enable Sneak Attack. Deathblows works best with the Persistent Distraction passive because it automatically puts Distracted and Flanked on any enemy that you Engage, and Distracted and Flanked are both conditions that enable Sneak Attack.

You can see that our list isn’t particularly long for this setup, so there is lots of room to add other Abilities that work best for you.

Final Tips

When combat starts you’ll want to run in and Engage as many enemies as you can, keeping them from attacking your teammates. If you’re playing Turn-Based then on your turn you will buff with Disciplined Strikes and then use Refreshing Defense and Escape. This is all you need to be setup for your defense, and you are then free to attack with any Ability you want or just basic attack. You’ll want to refresh Escape every round until you run out of Guile, and Refreshing Defense and Disciplined Strikes as necessary. If you are playing Real Time With Pause then you won’t need Escape, but otherwise the setup remains the same.

Magran’s Blessing is a fantastic Medium Shield for this Build as it counts as an off-hand Weapon, allowing your Ripostes to deal more damage, since they are a Full Attack. It is located in: The Sacred Stair in a chest at the top of the steps in the Temple of Magran. It’s guarded, but you can use Sparkcrackers to distract the guard and have another character steal it from the chest if you are quick.

In some fights you will not need to use Defender Stance because you should have at least 3 Engagements between the Shield, Persistent Distraction and Hold the Line. In this case you can use either of the other two Stances to help boost your damage. Pay attention to how many enemies are left on the battlefield and switch when it is below the amount you can Engage anyway.

Lastly, be sure to invest a decent amount of points into Athletics in order to make best use of Second Wind. You want to use this when his Health gets low, and it is a Free Action, or a very quick one if you are playing Real Time With Pause. Using this first allows your healer to save its heals until many party members need it, since many heals are AoEs.

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Stay tuned for more Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Guides, as we cover all the Companions in preparation for the console launch.

The post Pillars Of Eternity 2 Deadfire Companion Build Guide: Edér (Turn-Based & RTWP) appeared first on Fextralife.

In this Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Build Guide we’re going to be taking a look at the Transcendent Class, which is a mixture of Cipher and Monk. I’ll be providing information on Attributes, Weapons, Armor, and most importantly, what Abilities to take and how to use them. Please keep in mind that this is my Transcendent Build, and there are plenty of ways you can build this class, and this is not the only one. If you’re new to Pillars of Eternity 2, or you just love creating characters as much as I do, then this Guide is for you. Please note that this Build Guide was updated for the 5.0 version of the game, as well as 1.02 on console (as of January 25th, 2020), and works with both Real Time with Pause and Turn-Based.

Pillars Of Eternity 2 Deadfire Builds Guide: Transcendent (Swift Annihilation)

The Swift Annihilation Build uses a combination of deadly attacks and spells from Monk and Cipher to handle any situation you may face. What I really like about this combination is that you combine 2 self sustaining Classes that can regain resources through out the course of fight, so that they never have to just auto attack. Ciphers do this by attacking and Monks do this by being attacked, which means no matter what you do you are constantly gaining Focus or Wounds.

The way this Build works is that when combat begins you’ll buff with Thunderous Blows for added Penetration and Damage, and Lightning Strikes for increased Action Speed and Damage. You’ll pop Enduring Dance for extra Accuracy and Wound generation, and Turning Wheel will boost your Intellect and melee Damage. You’ll cast Borrowed Instinct to buff your Accuracy and Defense, you’ll use Mortification of the Soul to gain some Wounds (if you need to), and then attack with Raised Torment. This should fill your Focus up quite a ways and allow for a Soul Annihilation or an AoE spell. By the time you are finished casting that, you should have enough Wounds to AoE again with Raised Torment, or use Skyward Kick if it’s single target DPS you’re after.

Transcendent Subclasses

For my Cipher Subclass I chose Soul Blade for cheaper Shred Abilities and access to Soul Annihilation. Soul Annihilation is one of the best melee abilities in PoE 2, and it allows you to damage any enemy since it deals Raw Damage, which goes through Armor. Gaining Concentration when you down an enemy doesn’t hurt either. In short, if you are playing a melee Cipher you’re going to want to play Soul Blade.

For my Monk Class I chose No Subclass because Shattered Pillar only gives you Wounds when attacking with a melee weapon, and we use a decent amount of spells with this Build. I would have preferred Helwalker, but honestly you spend your Wounds so fast I don’t really see the point. Helwalkers are better suited to ranged Builds that hold their Woulds for increased damage, whereas with this Build we’ll be spending them as fast as we gain them, thus No Subclass. You could take Nalpazca if you want, which would be better than No Subclass if you don’t mind the drug management.

Transcendent Weapons and Armor

Because Soul Annihilation, Raised Torment and Skyward Kick are all Primary Attacks it makes sense to use a Two-Handed Weapon. Primary Attacks only use 1 weapon maximum for attacks, and if we dual wield the off-hand weapon will not be used when attacking this way, so we go Two-Handed. What weapon type you like to use is up to you, but Great Sword has an amazing Weapon Modal that allows you to do an additional 30% Damage in exchange for -10 Accuracy. This is very very good, and only gets better as you progress the game, and you gain better Accuracy. You need good Penetration to use this Weapon type, but thankfully we gain an extra +3 Penetration from Thunderous Blows and Hammering Thoughts, so this is not an issue.

Armor-wise you’ll want to use something light so that you can attack as quickly as possible. More attacks = more Wounds & more Focus = more Damage. If you’re playing Turn-Based you can get away with heavier Armor because you will only have one attack per round no matter what you do, so going later in the turn order to gain more protection is not that bad. It also gives enemies a chance to group up so that you can AoE them.

Transcendent Abilities

In this section we’re going to cover the “must have” Swift Annihilation Abilities for this Build. You are free to pick and choose which you want outside of these because everyone’s style of play is different and there is no perfect way. However, these ones will be needed for this Build to work effectively.

Cipher Abilities

Mind Wave – Take this one during Character Creation, and use it to AoE enemies when you can. It’s a Foe AoE so it won’t hit your teammates.

Penetrating Visions – This passive gives you an extra Penetration with Cipher spells. Though most Cipher spells have high Penetration or simply don’t need it, it’s not a bad way to spend one point and helps with the damage of Mind Wave.

Iron Will – This passive will offset the loss in Will from low Resolve, so it’s worth picking up.

Draining Whip – Take this upgrade of Soul Whip to get more Focus when attacking to always make sure that we have enough. It helps to charge up Soul Annihilation quickly, and +10% damage from Biting Whip is not that much.

Silent Scream – This ability does Raw Damage on the target, as well as Stuns it, and deals Raw Damage to enemies around it. Raw Damage cannot be resisted so this is a great ability.

Hammering Thoughts – This passive increases your Penetration with all weapons, which is insanely good. This can really up your damage when facing highly armored enemies.

Borrowed Instinct – This ability is a great way to gain improved Accuracy when the fight begins. You can never have enough Accuracy, especially if you’re taking a penalty using Savage Attack on the Great Sword.

The Empty Soul – This ability increases your Cipher spell Accuracy by +10, which is a lot! Take this one when you can, because you will need all the Accuracy you can get with this Build.

Amplified Wave – Another AoE spell that knocks enemies on their ass. You need to cast it on a party member, so make sure your tank has got solid Engagement on a few enemies before casting.

Disintegration – This spell deals a ton of Raw Damage over time to an enemy, which helps kill more difficult enemies with large Health pools and high Armor and resistances.

Monk Abilities

Swift Strikes – Take this one during Character Creation to speed up your Casting and Attacking. Later we’ll upgrade it to Lightning Strikes for increased damage.

Lesser Wounds – This will allow you to build up Wounds faster, which allows you to spend them faster. This becomes much more important later on once you have Rooting Pain.

Two-Handed Style – This will increase your damage when using the Great Sword, which is great.

Lightning Strikes – This upgrade gives you an additional +15% Shock Damage when attacking with a Weapon. This is a lot because it’s added after all other calculations.

Torment’s Reach – This ability hits the target and hits around it in an AoE. This is great early on, but shines even more later in the game.

Duality of Mortal Presence – This will allow you to gain up to+10 Intellect or Constitution per Wound.

Thunderous Blows – This ability gives us +5 Might and +2 Penetration for only 3 Wounds. It’s a great way to further boost damage and use up some Wounds at the beginning of combat so we can gain more.

Rooting Pain – This ability can deal damage in an AoE around the Monk every time they gain a Wound. Since you can control the rate you gain them, you can proc this regularly for extra damage.

Raised Torment – This upgrade Stuns enemies you hit, making it possible to Stun everyone around you. Get it and enjoy.

Turning Wheel – This wont be as effective as in some Monk Builds because you’ll constantly be draining your Wounds, however, you will gain some benefit from it so we take it.

Skyward Kick – This ability allows you to interrupt and knock Prone everything around you for +50% increased damage and +3 Penetration. This is huge damage for only 3 Wounds!

Swift Annihilation Attributes

In this section we’ll cover Attributes for the Swift Annihilation Build, and explain a bit about each and why we need it or why it’s important. Swift Annihilation needs Perception and Dexterity. They can dump Resolve if needed, but don’t reduce Constitution, Intellect or Might. You will likely want a couple points into Constitution since you will be in melee range, and a couple into Intellect to help out with AoE size. If you’re playing Turn-Based then you will exchange Dexterity with Might since turn order is not as important.

Perception is important for hitting enemies with your spells. Spells don’t get increased Accuracy like Weapons do, and that is why you must max Perception during Character Creation. Additionally, you will take a -10 Penalty if you use the Great Sword Weapon Modal, so you’ll need the extra Accuracy.

Dexterity is important for Casting and Attacking quickly, improving the speed at which you deal damage. Dexterity helps with that, so you want at least 15 points here during Character Creation. If, however, you’re playing Turn-Based then swap this for Might, since you can only cast 1 spell or attack once per turn anyway, and Might will help with damage.

Final Tips

This Build starts out kind of slow and you’re going to lean on the Cipher side of it until you gain Torment’s Reach at level 7. So don’t worry if you’re doing a lot of basic attacks for the first several hours of the game, and try to weave in Soul Annihilation when you can, or Mind Wave to help boost damage. Once you get to level 7 this Build really takes off.

You don’t have much healing with this Build so I like to use the Moon Godlike Race to gain a bit every fight. Additionally, make sure to place some points into Athletics to take better advantage of Second Wind. Heal while Thunderous Blows is active for a better heal, since Might affects healing as well as damage!

Pay attention to your resources and know your Wound Cap (10) and your Focus Cap (will increase as you level up). Make sure that you aren’t wasting potential resources by not using the resource that is at max. You can’t gain more Wounds or Focus if they are at Cap so spend them!

Lastly, Make sure to use Mortification of the Soul when you need a few more Wounds. Because you need to take damage to gain Wounds, sometimes enemies just aren’t attacking you, and this is a great way to gain some Wounds in order to use Raised Torment if you need to. Just keep an eye on your Health so that you don’t die when using it.

Stay tuned for more Pillars of Eternity 2 Builds as we celebrate the Ultimate Edition launch on PS4 and Xbox One.

The post Pillars Of Eternity 2 Deadfire Builds Guide: Transcendent (Swift Annihilation) appeared first on Fextralife.

In this Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Build Guide we’re going to be taking a look at the Tempest Class, which is a mixture of Barbarian and Druid. I’ll be providing information on Attributes, Weapons, Armor, and most importantly, what Abilities to take and how to use them. Please keep in mind that this is my Tempest Build, and there are plenty of ways you can build this class, and this is not the only one. If you’re new to Pillars of Eternity 2, or you just love creating characters as much as I do, then this Guide is for you. Please note that this Build Guide was updated for the 5.0 version of the game, as well as 1.02 on console (as of January 25th, 2020), and works with both Real Time with Pause and Turn-Based.

Pillars Of Eternity 2 Deadfire Builds Guide: Tempest (Berserker’s Fury)

The Bersker’s Fury is a Mage Build that focuses on casting spells quickly while dealing maximum damage with maximum Penetration. The extra +2 Penetration that a Berserker’s Frenzy provides is added to the extra +1 that the Fury deals while transformed, for a total of +3 Penetration on Druid Elements spells. Getting enough Penetration is one of the most challenging parts of being a spell caster in Pillars of Eternity, and with this setup that will no longer be an issue. When you Over Penetrate you will gain +30% Damage. This makes for an especially deadly mix.

Once combat begins you’ll cast Spirit Shift Stormblight to get the extra Range and Penetration, then pop Frenzy for increased Might, Action Speed, Armor and Penetration. You do Spiritshift first to avoid the penalty to Intellect from Frenzy, which would reduce the time you remain Shifted. Then you go to town with your favorite single target or AoE damage spell, killing targets as quickly as you can in order to remain in Stormblight form. Each kill will extend your Duration, so it’s imperative you kill things quickly.

Tempest Subclasses

For Barbarian I chose Berserker for the increased Penetration. We miss out on the Crit Chance in melee, and we also have the Confused status, take damage over time and cant’ see our Health which are all drawbacks. However, most Druid spells are not Foe AoE, meaning they would hit friendlies anyway, so this isn’t so important. The damage we take over time only helps to trigger the Blooded passive of Barbarian, as well as the Fighting Spirit of Human, and does tip us off that we are at 50% Health even though we cannot see it. These boost damage by a further 40% combined, which adds up to a total of 55% when you add Frenzy’s Might boost. That’s a lot! And that’s not including the extra 25% damage we do to Wilder!

For Druid I took the Fury Subclass to gain the extra Penetration on Druid Elements spells and extra Range. We won’t be able to heal with this setup, but that’s a good thing because most Druid spells are AoE, and healing in an AoE when Confused will heal enemies as well. The biggest concern with Fury is staying Shifted, so you’ll need to focus on damage to get this done. You’ll hit hard with this setup, so that shouldn’t be an issue.

Tempest Weapons and Armor

For this Build Weapons are not overly important, as these will be replaced by the Stormblight Shift anyway, so you can select whatever you’d like to use when you aren’t Shifted (which is hopefully never). I would suggest something ranged though, since ideally you’d never get completely in melee range with this Build. Some spells have shorter range than others, but you should still be able to avoid melee if you play smartly.

Armor-wise you’ll be in the same boat. Stormblight has its own Armor values so you don’t have to worry about what to use as it will be replaced once combat begins. It’s not a bad idea to use Heavy Armor when playing Turn-Based, that way if you get attacked before you Shift you will likely take less damage. If you’re playing Real Time with Pause though, you’ll Shift immediately so it doesn’t matter one bit.

Tempest Abilities

In this section we’re going to cover the “must have” Berserker’s Fury Abilities for this Build. You are free to pick and choose which you want outside of these because everyone’s style of play is different and there is no perfect way. However, these ones will be needed for this Build to work effectively.

Barbarian Abilities

Frenzy – This ability increases your Action Speed and increases your Damage, via Might, as well as your Penetration. This applies to spells as well. You’ll buff with this at the beginning of combat and reapply as necessary.

Blooded – This ability will increase the damage of your spells by 25% when you are at 50% Health or lower. Since you will take damage over time from Frenzy, this will happen often.

Thick Skinned – This passive gives you a bit extra Armor vs. a few damage types that you’ll face regularly. Since you won’t have a huge amount of Armor, this is a nice to have.

Wilder Hunter – This passive will grant you an extra +25% damage vs. Wilder enemy types. These include: Xaurip, Trolls, Ogres, Lagufaeth, Nagas and Eoten.

Bloodlust – This ability will reduce your Recovery Time when you get a kill, which will help you cast more spells faster. Another reason it’s important to get that first kill ASAP. Not very useful if playing Turn-Based, however.

Wild Sprint – A good way to spend your Rage, and even better when upgraded. Will allow you to move freely and avoid Engagements.

Blood Frenzy = This ability puts a Raw Damage bleed on enemies you Critically Hit. Since you attack in large AoEs you will get good use out of this, helping to ensure you kill enemies and stay in Shifted form.

Uncanny Luck – Not the greatest ability in the world but more Crit chance is always good, so we take it.

Lion’s sprint – This ability will give you +15 Accuracy, which will help with getting more Hits and Crits.

Tough – Since you rely on being Bloodied for increased damage, having a larger Health pool prevents you from dying while remaining so.

Blood Storm – This final upgrade of Frenzy allows the Duration to extend when you get a kill. Since that’s what this Build is all about this works perfectly for what we are trying to do. Take this so you can save Rage for other things.

Blood Thirst – Possibly the best Barbarian passive there is, this ability clears your Recover Time instantly when you kill an enemy. This will in turn help you stay in Shifted form longer, which should help you get more kills.

Druid Abilities

Touch of Rot – This ability hits in an AoE and does tons of damage over time, and is an excellent early game spell to take out many enemies at once. It doesn’t gain the benefit from Fury, but it’s still worth getting.

Blizzard – A great AoE that is boosted by the additional Penetration. Deals Frost Damage and reduces that Action Speed of enemies Hit, which reduces the overall damage your party will take. Use often.

Wicked Briars – Another great AoE DoT spell. This one does Pierce Damage over time and Hobbles enemies, reducing their Dexterity by 5, and making the unable to run. This helps keep enemies in your AoEs.

Spell Shaping – Lets you increase or decrease the AoE size of Spells at the cost or benefit of Power Level. The smaller the AoE, the bigger Power Level bonus you get. With a bigger radius, Power Level is decreased. Just be careful not to hit allies with your Spells.

Calling the World’s Maw – Another AoE that does substantial Pierce Damage, giving you another great AoE at your disposal.

Embrace of the Earth Talon – This spell will Paralyze enemies and deals Slash Damage in an AoE, which is win/win. Paralyzed enemies have a 25% higher chance of being Critically Hit.

Rapid Casting – Adds +10% Action Speed with Spells. Very useful since we cast a lot of them.

Farcasting – Adds +20% Range to spells. Useful for this build because some spells like Wicked Briars have short range.

Improved Critical – Increases Crit Damage by 10%, making it a must for any damage dealing Class.

Note that you will be able to deal virtually every damage type in the game with this Build and depending on what you find yourself using the most, you’ll want to take some passives that boost Penetration with those type of spells. You will have enough points to take all 4 passives if you wish, but it’s really up to you, and you don’t have to.

Berserker’s Fury Attributes

In this section we’ll cover Attributes for the Berserker’s Fury Build, and explain a bit about each and why we need it or why it’s important. Berserker’s Fury needs Perception, Intellect and Dexterity. They can dump Resolve if needed, but Constitution and Might should be left untouched if possible, so that you aren’t too squishy and your damage doesn’t suffer. If you’re playing Turn-Based then you will exchange Dexterity with Might since turn order is not as important.

Perception is important for hitting enemies with your spells and Critting them as well. Spells don’t get increased Accuracy like Weapons do, and that is why you must max Perception during Character Creation.

Intellect increases the AoE size of your spells, and you want them to hit as many targets as possible. But more importantly, it will extend the Duration of your Shifted Form, Frenzy, Lion’s Sprint, and the DoT spells that you cast. You want to stay in Shifted Form as long as possible, so investing heavily here is a must.

Dexterity is important for Casting quickly, improving the speed at which you deal damage. Since you want to burn things down quickly from behind your front line, you want to Cast as fast as you can. Dexterity helps with that, so you want at least 15 points here during Character Creation. If, however, you’re playing Turn-Based then swap this for Might, since you can only cast 1 spell per turn anyway, and Might will help with damage.

Final Tips

You will be weakest to Crush and Fire Damage when Shifted so selecting Pale Elf can help fill in this gap, but you will miss out on the Fighting Spirit bonus of Human if you take it. The choice is up to you. Additionally, be on the look out for items that increase your Crush Damage resistance to help round you out. Keep in mind that Armor & Weapons will be replaced when Shifted, so you’ll want to look for Accessories and Clothing with this bonus.

You can play a more hybrid version of this Build if you select Shifter Druid instead of Fury. You’ll lose the extra Penetration, but you will be able to melee in addition to casting spells. You simply cast spells before Shifting, or after, and when in Shifted form you can use Barbaric Blow and Wildstrike for incredible damage. This will allow you to take advantage of the Berserker’s Crit Chance in melee as well.

If you have a Priest in your party, have them begin combat by casting Litany of the Spirit on you to remove the Confused status and increase your Power Level. This will give you more Intellect, which helps with Duration and AoE size. It’s not a must, but definitely helps out.

Lastly, remember that you can attack things for decent damage while Shifted with your weapons. They bounce one time, allowing you to hit 2 targets, and you attack with both by default in Turn-Based mode, which is great. Sometimes AoEs are not warranted and a simple attack can be enough to extend your Shifted Duration. If you find you are using the default attack in Shifted form often, be sure to add Barbaric Smash to this Build. You will have the Ability points for it.

Stay tuned for more Pillars of Eternity 2 Builds as we celebrate the Ultimate Edition launch on PS4 and Xbox One.

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