Eternity Pillars of Eternity + The White March Expansion Thread

[Lacrymas]

You don't get the sneak attack bonus when attacking from stealth? Wut?

 

[Parabalus]

Well you do but it's just one attack, kinda pointless to use skillpoints just for that. You can get it by casting Interdiction beforehand which gives you 20 sec of sneak attacks.

 

[Lacrymas]

It depends what the AI does, if it beelines towards my priest then stealth is pretty good, if not mandatory, to start a fight in.

 

[Parabalus]

My experience is that AI will instantly switch targets to engage a squisher melee, so even if I started combat with a stealthed rogue, they'd turn around on him as soon as he got into melee.

Mind you, I'm not denying it's usefulness, but if you don't plan to initiate combat with a backstab you can get by much less stealth. You could likely put 12 into survival and split the rest into stealth/lore and get away with it, especially if you use the bonus items. There is a shawl which gives a +stealth aura, I think it stacks with Stealthy.

 

[Roguey]

So we can all agree this is the best RPG since V:TM?

Apples and oranges. Sure, they're both fruit.

 

[Sentinel]

So we can all agree this is the best RPG since V:TM?

No. Alpha Protocol was a better RPG. So was Witcher 3. So was Age of Decadence, even if I dislike the game.

 

[Lacrymas]

VTM:B isn't an RPG lol. Unless you mean the pen and paper game, which is a completely different beast.

 

[Haplo]

You could likely put 12 into survival and split the rest into stealth/lore and get away with it, especially if you use the bonus items.

I would say 10 into Survival. The remaning 2 points for lvl 2 Survival bonus are obtainable easily enough from items (which can be swapped after rest).

 

[Lacrymas]

I'm probably going to eschew using the story companions, they really aren't very good and detract from the experience, with the exception of Durance and GM (although it would be fun to see their reactions for some of my choices) and am going to sacrifice Sagani in the blood pool, i.e. I'm going to switch her into the party when we get to it. In other words I'm gonna make a custom party, is it worth having 2 tanks or a single paladin tank is going to be enough?

 

[Grunker]

^ I just asked Josh about the possibility of Level1NPC-style respec in Deadfire actually.

is it worth having 2 tanks or a single paladin tank is going to be enough?

More than 1 pure tank is pretty boring and very unnecessary, but "off-tank" style damage dealers are pretty good.

 

[Prime Junta]

they really aren't very good

Not so. Sure you can minmax hirelings better, but they'll be behind in XP. That extra level is more important than the bonuses you get from optimised stats. Also, companion quests give XP which you'll miss out on otherwise.

(Whether they detract from the experience is a matter of opinion, natch.)

 

[Lacrymas]

I meant "not very good" in the narrative department, not as stat sticks. They aren't very good at that, too, but I didn't know the hirelings are always 1 level behind. If you hire them at level 2 aren't they going to keep up pretty fast either way?

 

[Grunker]

^ you can't. Only X amount of hireling slots until you reach a certain level

 

[Parabalus]

I'm probably going to eschew using the story companions, they really aren't very good and detract from the experience, with the exception of Durance and GM (although it would be fun to see their reactions for some of my choices) and am going to sacrifice Sagani in the blood pool, i.e. I'm going to switch her into the party when we get to it. In other words I'm gonna make a custom party, is it worth having 2 tanks or a single paladin tank is going to be enough?

You don't even need a single tank, though it does make stuff more comfortable.
If you have GM a Barb pairs great with a Cipher.

Care if you make 3 other optimised chars, might make the game too easy even on PoTD. Averagsih NPC stats are a balance tool.

 

[Lacrymas]

I was thinking something along the lines of me (priest of Skaen), a paladin tank, a barbarian, GM, Durance and an open 6th slot for whatever strikes my fancy, maybe chanter.

 

[prodigydancer]

That extra level is more important than the bonuses you get from optimised stats.

Sorry, but that's just not true. First, hirelings vastly outperform the story companions early on - i.e. when you can't yet spam OP abilities. At level 12+ perfect stats become less important, true, but even in the mid-game the difference is very noticeable. Second, you can't get a rogue or a barbarian companion until TWM. And even then... The Devil is beyond terrible. Dex 10 and -40% recovery? That's not even funny. Maneha isn't much better (Dex 9, Per 12). For DPS classes +1 level doesn't compensate for low attack speed.

Of course, the game is soloable on PotD so there's no real need for hirelings.

Also, companion quests give XP which you'll miss out on otherwise.

Nothing prevents you from temporarily replacing a hirelings with a companion.

 

[Lacrymas]

It also depends on how much xp the whole game gives you, I doubt you won't be able to reach max level before Sun-in-Shadow without doing the companion quests. Not to mention that I don't really care about them, they aren't interesting people and just drag the game down with their whining. The base game that is, no idea what the other 3 are like, but people say Maneha is terrible.

 

[Parabalus]

It also depends on how much xp the whole game gives you, I doubt you won't be able to reach max level before Sun-in-Shadow without doing the companion quests. Not to mention that I don't really care about them, they aren't interesting people and just drag the game down with their whining. The base game that is, no idea what the other 3 are like, but people say Maneha is terrible.

Dunno why she would be terrible. She has a pretty cool story, only thing I didn't like was jarring lack of a cruel dialogue option in a conversation. She also has pgood attributes + passive, for a tanky barb.

 

[Projas]

Yep, with bounties it's really easy to reach the level cap way before the endgame. The level difference is also not that significant; its value diminishes since it's only a difference of the xp between the early levels, so it's not like it's going to be a difference of a whole level for most of the game.

 

[pomenitul]

Lacrymas, your MCA bias is showing despite GM's subpar execution. Regardless, I suggest you give the Devil of Caroc and especially Zahua a chance. Neither tops Durance but they're more memorable than your average vanilla PoE companion. As for Maneha, like I said upthread, she'd fare better gagged.

 

[Lacrymas]

I admit to my MCA bias. She is better integrated into the "main" storyline, however, and is better than the rest of the losers. I don't remember any of her specifics so I might drop her if she turns out a drag. I completely changed my opinions on companions since it came out, some of them because of the Codex, some of them because of my own transformation as a person, so that's why I'll probably prefer the hirelings in the end. I'll try the Devil and Zahua.

 

[Quillon]

It also depends on how much xp the whole game gives you, I doubt you won't be able to reach max level before Sun-in-Shadow without doing the companion quests. Not to mention that I don't really care about them, they aren't interesting people and just drag the game down with their whining. The base game that is, no idea what the other 3 are like, but people say Maneha is terrible.

Dunno why she would be terrible. She has a pretty cool story, only thing I didn't like was jarring lack of a cruel dialogue option in a conversation. She also has pgood attributes + passive, for a tanky barb.

Her "Pallegina's accent" etc dialogue was cringeworthy, I didn't much care about her story but one of her endings was cool where she returns to Rautai. Caroc was nice, maybe a bit too bleak. Zahua was awezum.

Aloth suffered from spreading too thin. "He's "secretive" and that's why he doesn't talk much, wow" pretty poor execution. I think he should have talked as much as others while at the same time not telling much.

Sagani was dull apart from her banter. Grieving Mother is boring as fuck.

Eder & Hiravias are good but their quests are short tho this applies to most companions.

Pallegina... too dry. PC & whole party should have been able to make fun of her "thickness" instead of just Eder dropping comments now & then. If somebody is too serious its great to see how he/she acts outside of his/her comfort zone/range?

Only Durance didn't lack content(maybe Eder too with his frequent comments in most quests/areas) and his quest didn't feel short due to uncertain milestones(which is very shitty design and unfair to other companions tbh). GM's quest is also the same way but its basically re-dreaming the same dream, dream & memory lol, which doesn't add to her content.

 

[eXalted]

Is stealth viable? How can I use it?

Going to replay this but never managed t use this skill outside scouting for hidden stuff.

 

[Sentinel]

No. It's only useful for scouting.

 

[Prime Junta]

Is stealth viable? How can I use it?

If you're playing solo, it's vital. Some encounters are plumb near impossible to beat if you don't get into a better position.

If you're playing with a party, meh not really. It can give a small tactical advantage at times but is IMO not generally speaking worth it; put those points into Survival instead and get those sweet, sweet bonuses.

Going to replay this but never managed t use this skill outside scouting for hidden stuff.

Well then try going solo. You will find uses for it PDQ. (If you don't have it at 5 or so by the time you hit Caed Nua, you're going to have a bad time.)