Putting the 'role' back in role-playing games since 2002.
Donate to Codex
Good Old Games
  • Welcome to rpgcodex.net, a site dedicated to discussing computer based role-playing games in a free and open fashion. We're less strict than other forums, but please refer to the rules.

    "This message is awaiting moderator approval": All new users must pass through our moderation queue before they will be able to post normally. Until your account has "passed" your posts will only be visible to yourself (and moderators) until they are approved. Give us a week to get around to approving / deleting / ignoring your mundane opinion on crap before hassling us about it. Once you have passed the moderation period (think of it as a test), you will be able to post normally, just like all the other retards.

Trap Builds/Talents/Stats

Joined
May 31, 2018
Messages
2,509
Location
The Present
I recently picked up Underrail and the expansion. Getting ready to do a first time run. I'm looking to see if there are any trap builds or if any of the features are unsupported or poorly functioning.

My favored style of character is the "arcane trickster" because I'm a mage supremacist but I like craftiness and options. I'm envisioning some kind of sneaky techno psychic. I will probably only have time to do this once, so advice is appreciated.
 

notpl

Arbiter
Joined
Dec 6, 2021
Messages
1,376
There are no useless skills/feats in Underrail, every method of offense is viable on the highest difficulty though some are certainly easier than others. For arcane tricksterdom I'd say you're looking to prioritize stealth, thought control and psychokinesis, the first two for obvious reasons and the third because it has more stuns/area denial/general bullshit than the remaining two schools. You only need one method of offense and you need to max it, so don't try to dip into guns or melee or anything else until you really know what you're doing on a repeat playthrough. Will 10 is mandatory for locus of control, the lynchpin thought control ability.
 

Blackmill

Scholar
Joined
Dec 25, 2014
Messages
326
My favorite build ever was a stealthy Psi user. I actually maxed agility and kept will at 10 for that build. If you want to lean more into the stealth aspect than the psi, do the same, and specialize fully in Interloper. Stealth is the easiest skill to boost with items, so if you just want to secure the initiative, start fights from an advantageous position, and do some stealthy things, then you won't need to maximize agility or even stealth. But you will do things with a max agility and Interloper+10 build that are otherwise totally impossible.

Regarding trap feats and skills, it's all relative. The Doctor feat isn't useless, but it's easy to find a better choice of feat for most (maybe all) builds. It was a few years ago, but even with my stealth build, I don't think Pickpocket was ever that useful (beyond the fact that I was playing with the oddity system, and you can pickpocket certain oddities). For Psi users, Locus of Control, Premeditation, and Force User are among the best feats you can choose. I prefer the Psychosis feat line over the Tranquility one, but both are very viable. Definitely take Interloper if you want to be as stealthy as possible.

Regarding Psi schools, I agree with notpl that Thought Control and Psychokinesis are your most important and on theme schools. That said, I wouldn't neglect Metathermics. Early on, Cryokinesis is your best form of no-cooldown damage due to its excellent range and that it slows enemies. And although Metathermics is loud, it will greatly improve both your single target and AoE damage for a good chunk of the game. Thought Control can eventually become your best source of damage against organic targets, replacing Metathermics, but that's very dependent on you finding the right gear to maximize your neural overload damage. And that's not a given if it's your first playthrough and you don't use the wiki or ask here about it. Temporal Manipulation can be skipped if you're spread thin with skill points, but ultimately it's your best answer to tough robotic enemies, and being able to reduce your cooldowns is also very powerful.

Here's a few other starting tips

- The oddity system will slow down your leveling significantly. Besides that, I don't like it, since it leads to enemy farming and scavenger hunting in order to obtain oddities. That said, if there is ever a build for the oddity system, it is a stealthy thief. Still, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it.

- If you are having trouble with the first few missions, stock up on molotovs and take a few bear traps. That's all you need.

- Throwing is extremely useful for almost any build, and that plus some chemistry makes the whole game much easier. If you have spare skill points, consider putting them into throwing, especially if you're struggling with fights.

- The most important crafting skills for Psi users are electronics and biology. For stealth it is electronics and tailoring.

- Mercantile is a very powerful skill, and an optimized Psi user will invest in it, however to make the most of it requires some meta knowledge or luck. If you invest in it without meta knowledge, you may still find it worthwhile, but it's possible to make decisions that render it somewhat wasted skill.
 
Last edited:

luj1

You're all shills
Vatnik
Joined
Jan 2, 2016
Messages
12,870
Location
Eastern block
On my first play of Underrail I literally made an 800 dmg one-punch Monk by combining the Combo feat with a pneumatic glove. Awesome game.
 

CHEMS

Scholar
Joined
Nov 17, 2020
Messages
1,504
Later enemies are immune to traps, if you build around this skill you'll die a lot. Do this instead: lots of throwing for nets, 6 int for premeditation and will 3 psychokinesis just to trap shit on the go: imprint, eletrokinsis and grounding (i think) needs just the minimum to stun enemies. Crafted chem pistols with high end components have huge chances to proc an entanglement

Quick Thinkering is just not worth it nowadays, was pretty busted in older versions though
 

notpl

Arbiter
Joined
Dec 6, 2021
Messages
1,376
Later enemies are immune to traps, if you build around this skill you'll die a lot. Do this instead: lots of throwing for nets, 6 int for premeditation and will 3 psychokinesis just to trap shit on the go: imprint, eletrokinsis and grounding (i think) needs just the minimum to stun enemies. Crafted chem pistols with high end components have huge chances to proc an entanglement

Quick Thinkering is just not worth it nowadays, was pretty busted in older versions though
Jesus Christ, dude.
 

CHEMS

Scholar
Joined
Nov 17, 2020
Messages
1,504
Later enemies are immune to traps, if you build around this skill you'll die a lot. Do this instead: lots of throwing for nets, 6 int for premeditation and will 3 psychokinesis just to trap shit on the go: imprint, eletrokinsis and grounding (i think) needs just the minimum to stun enemies. Crafted chem pistols with high end components have huge chances to proc an entanglement

Quick Thinkering is just not worth it nowadays, was pretty busted in older versions though
Jesus Christ, dude.
What?
 

notpl

Arbiter
Joined
Dec 6, 2021
Messages
1,376
Later enemies are immune to traps, if you build around this skill you'll die a lot. Do this instead: lots of throwing for nets, 6 int for premeditation and will 3 psychokinesis just to trap shit on the go: imprint, eletrokinsis and grounding (i think) needs just the minimum to stun enemies. Crafted chem pistols with high end components have huge chances to proc an entanglement

Quick Thinkering is just not worth it nowadays, was pretty busted in older versions though
Jesus Christ, dude.
What?
He is talking about "trap builds" meaning builds that trap the player by appearing better than they actually are. Not building a character who specializes in the traps skill.
 

Wunderbar

Arcane
Joined
Nov 15, 2015
Messages
8,809
By trap builds he obviously asked if you can roleplay as a sissy trap.

ZkF8TAi.jpg
 

CHEMS

Scholar
Joined
Nov 17, 2020
Messages
1,504
Later enemies are immune to traps, if you build around this skill you'll die a lot. Do this instead: lots of throwing for nets, 6 int for premeditation and will 3 psychokinesis just to trap shit on the go: imprint, eletrokinsis and grounding (i think) needs just the minimum to stun enemies. Crafted chem pistols with high end components have huge chances to proc an entanglement

Quick Thinkering is just not worth it nowadays, was pretty busted in older versions though
Jesus Christ, dude.
What?
He is talking about "trap builds" meaning builds that trap the player by appearing better than they actually are. Not building a character who specializes in the traps skill.
I thought he was talking about making a trapper
 

FriendlyMerchant

Guest
You should play a Jewish banker build. Strongest build in the game by far. You don't need to work for the oligarchs when they're all indebted to you.
 

notpl

Arbiter
Joined
Dec 6, 2021
Messages
1,376
You should play a Jewish banker build. Strongest build in the game by far. You don't need to work for the oligarchs when they're all indebted to you.
Careful, while this build sounds strong on paper it's very easy to get locked into a death spiral lategame and be forced to restart from a new save file.
 

somerandomdude

Learned
Joined
May 26, 2022
Messages
650
Careful, while this build sounds strong on paper it's very easy to get locked into a death spiral lategame and be forced to restart from a new save file.
True, how this typically happens is they run into a frogger mage:

froggermage.jpg


Who turns them into a lampshade with covfefe pepe magic:

lampshade.jpg
 
Last edited:

As an Amazon Associate, rpgcodex.net earns from qualifying purchases.
Back
Top Bottom