Your favorite PoE 1/2 class

[Butter]

Honestly, IDK why people in Obsidian decided to restrict so many cool subclasses to companions only.

QA was probably ignoring the companions because they're insufferable.

 

[Max Damage]

Ringleader is too short range, it's not that crazy in most fights. I had SC Beguiler, and Secret Horrors worked much better as starter. I mostly used Ringleader in boarding fights.

 

[Cryomancer]

Ringleader is too short range

If you are soloing, the range is not a problem. You will engage in stealth. Or use empower on yourself in board battles. With shared nightmares, it can hit sometimes the entirety of the enemy group, so you can proceed to disintegrate one by one till out of focus.

I know because I soloed Deadfire as a psion on POTD difficulty. Sadly, I couldn't defeat mega bosses or complete both DLCs.

The screenshot of the previous page, where I missed with all my focus, was in that run. The encounter after this was brutal. The nagas were positioned in a way that no mater what I did, I couldn't control the ranged ones, the shamans and etc. Had to use a lot of inv potion to win. And a lot of trinkets and valuable potions.

QA was probably ignoring the companions because they're insufferable.

LOL. I only liked Eder and Aloth, tbh.

 

[Haplo]

Ringleader is too short range, it's not that crazy in most fights. I had SC Beguiler, and Secret Horrors worked much better as starter. I mostly used Ringleader in boarding fights.

True, but I believe it was a bit different in PoE1.
Still can be a game-changer now and then.

However Puppet Master is very reliable - and you can often cause fights within enemy groups before / without getting noticed.

 

[Reinhardt]

scion. she's pretty universal. also white and blonde.

 

[Mr. Magniloquent]

Cipher is the standout best in PoE1. I think this is because it was amoung the least balanced. Its abilities were potent, useful, and could be used liberally. Whereas every class had burdensome gimmicks imposed on them, Cipher's was more often an asset. They tried to snuff these out with patches, but the class still worked fundamentally better than others.

PoE 2 is a much more difficult decision. I will still say that cipher still leads, but PoE2 grew into itself mechanically a bit better. Mutliclassing also heavily blurred the lines. Many combinations could be greater than the sum of their parts.

 

[Cryomancer]

PoE 2 is a much more difficult decision. I will still say that cipher still leads, but PoE2 grew into itself mechanically a bit better. Mutliclassing also heavily blurred the lines. Many combinations could be greater than the sum of their parts.

I didn't multiclass my Psion (Cipher) because I like the flavor of the class, but it is obvious that multiclasses > single classes. If you go by the people who have beaten the ultimate challenge, only Blood Wizards are single-classed. https://pillarsofeternity.fandom.com/wiki/The_Ultimate

And in the case of Cipher, losing tier 8/9 powers isn't that big a deal. Wizards lose meteor swarm and other powerful spells. Cipher loses death by a thousand cuts, which deals less damage than disintegrate anyway. And for non-psions, the multiclass aspect makes generating focus even easier. Obviously shared defenses and +8 penetration is good but honestly, are too expensive to worth the cost imo. As you can't start the fight with it without using empower in yourself.

 

[Desiderius]

I don't remember her doing or siding with some really nasty stuff like killing children or the defenseless

I do, it’s the turning point of her quest. Just following evil orders is, you know, evil.

 

[Desiderius]

The reason companions get unique classes is so they’ll get played. Notice that the holdovers from PoE1 (outside of very special troon PalVagina) don’t get them.

Good bit of the narrative goes through their personal quests and/or their interactions with each other/the main quest. Most enjoyable gameplay is honing them (Xoti, Serafen, Tekehu, Maia) into a well-oiled killing machine by taking full advantage of their unique talents.

The intention there is to save you the hundred hours of Icewind Dale-style maxminning suckage until you get up to speed that you had to burn as a kid but no longer do. Newfags don’t have the patience.

 

[Mr. Magniloquent]

Cryomancer Dang. I didn't realize the Blood Mage was that popular, or good. I liked to use it, but that's because I'm a sucker for any mechanic that gives me more casts. What's so great about Priest of Skaen? That's the most common class on that ultimate list.

 

[Haplo]

I have really fond memories of Bloodmage / Assassin in Turn Based mode.
Pure carnage...

 

[Cryomancer]

is so they’ll get played. Notice that the holdovers from PoE1 (outside of very special troon PalVagina) don’t get them.

Good bit of the narrative goes through their personal quests and/or their interactions with each other/the main quest. Most enjoyable gameplay is honing them (Xoti, Serafen, Tekehu, Maia) into a well-oiled killing machine by taking full advantage of their unique talents.

Yes, but after I played them, let me play as their classes. Wild mind seems quite interesting as it adds a lot of randomness to a class with a lot of control. Watershaper druid, assuming wereshark form and using powerful water magic was cool. Let players play as one of them after their explored the companions questlines and world.

I didn't realize the Blood Mage was that popular, or good. I liked to use it, but that's because I'm a sucker for any mechanic that gives me more casts. What's so great about Priest of Skaen? That's the most common class on that ultimate list.

Blood Mage is not that great for normal mode but for Ultimate, it has innate health regen and can sacrifice health for spells. A challenge transform per encounter into per rest abilities, another makes so you can only rest with prepared meal, another make meals spoil, another makes so you can't regen health at end of combat without resting. Blood mage alone makes this four challenges easier. Any other Wizard would have much more limited spell usage and health gain in Ultimate.

Priest of Skaen I honestly don't know. I don't have any experience playing as an Priest. I assume that Shadowing Beyond can be a lifesaver(not sure). Also, one of the hardest challenges for Ultimate is to keep a annoying brat alive. I assume that priest Withdraw can make it much easier.

I have really fond memories of Bloodmage / Assassin in Turn Based mode.

I think that I will try Psion/Assassin and see if I can complete the DLCs this way. Before anything, I know that soulblade would be much better. But I like the idea of passively getting focus. I honestly think that with rogue skills, I can deal with some encounters easier.

 

[Cat Headed Eagle]

My last (incomplete) run was with a rogue, in PoE1, felt the stealth was done decently. It was a good glass canon experience.

I've tried to enjoy spellcasters but Josh's autism makes it impossible, sadly.

 

[Desiderius]

Community Patch overtunes Wild Mind a little I think but if you’re dissatisfied with the base class it’s worth a try.

If you want to get the most out of Vanilla version play the Witch multi* and spam Mind Blades to get the most out of increased PLs.

If you’re paranoid about Shocking own team start combat from Stealth (for fast recovery) with the AoE DR Invocation from either Tekehu or PalVagina.

* - Barb casting speed abilities and passives are good. Spirit Frenzy stacks a Stagger onto Cipher spells that land.

 

[Nikanuur]

I don't remember her doing or siding with some really nasty stuff like killing children or the defenseless

I do, it’s the turning point of her quest. Just following evil orders is, you know, evil.

O.o

I may not have completed that one, or something.

 

[Desiderius]

I don't remember her doing or siding with some really nasty stuff like killing children or the defenseless

I do, it’s the turning point of her quest. Just following evil orders is, you know, evil.

O.o

I may not have completed that one, or something.

Maia quest

If you question what she's doing she starts questioning it herself, but not before she does some nasty shit while she's away.

 

[shimadamada]

Barbarian

They were the only fun melee class in 1.

I thought monk was pretty cool but I used Zahua without much tinkering or micro managing so I can't say for certain.

 

[Nikanuur]

I don't remember her doing or siding with some really nasty stuff like killing children or the defenseless

I do, it’s the turning point of her quest. Just following evil orders is, you know, evil.

O.o

I may not have completed that one, or something.

Maia quest

If you question what she's doing she starts questioning it herself, but not before she does some nasty shit while she's away.

I replay the whole thing in TB mode from time to time, so I’ll pay attention.
Still, I’d say all that stuff about appreciating levity in life, valuing a rural way of life, and showing kindness to animals, and some other things—that reflects a lot of good ranger traits in the portrayal of her character, too.
Not to suggest we should easily dismiss any wrongdoing (as you yourself said that doing evil things is just evil, no matter if one just followed orders or not) but I think we ought to take all possible factors into account before passing judgment.

 

[Orange Clock]

Ain’t she and her brother just a couple of race traitors? I mean sure, it’s their parents that made the decision to immigrate, but going to army, hating Huana and taking pride in killing them - that’s entirely on her. For me, she always seemed liked that British spy Mahatma Gandhi, and he was pretty evil.
I’d call her a jannisar, but they were enslaved and brainwashed, she had a choice though.

 

[Desiderius]

I don't remember her doing or siding with some really nasty stuff like killing children or the defenseless

I do, it’s the turning point of her quest. Just following evil orders is, you know, evil.

O.o

I may not have completed that one, or something.

Maia quest

If you question what she's doing she starts questioning it herself, but not before she does some nasty shit while she's away.

I replay the whole thing in TB mode from time to time, so I’ll pay attention.
Still, I’d say all that stuff about appreciating levity in life, valuing a rural way of life, and showing kindness to animals, and some other things—that reflects a lot of good ranger traits in the portrayal of her character, too.
Not to suggest we should easily dismiss any wrongdoing (as you yourself said that doing evil things is just evil, no matter if one just followed orders or not) but I think we ought to take all possible factors into account before passing judgment.

The only thing worse than passing judgment is not passing it.

We used to have a better anthropology. Good and evil are absolute but people aren't. That doesn't mean those people can't make a call about which direction they want to trend.

That's judgment.

 

[Desiderius]

Ain’t she and her brother just a couple of race traitors? I mean sure, it’s their parents that made the decision to immigrate, but going to army, hating Huana and taking pride in killing them - that’s entirely on her. For me, she always seemed liked that British spy Mahatma Gandhi, and he was pretty evil.
I’d call her a jannisar, but they were enslaved and brainwashed, she had a choice though.

Not just, no.

She and Tekehu come to an understanding if you play your cards right.

Nips weren't and Chinks aren't traitors for wanting to suck less.

 

[Orange Clock]

Ain’t she and her brother just a couple of race traitors? I mean sure, it’s their parents that made the decision to immigrate, but going to army, hating Huana and taking pride in killing them - that’s entirely on her. For me, she always seemed liked that British spy Mahatma Gandhi, and he was pretty evil.
I’d call her a jannisar, but they were enslaved and brainwashed, she had a choice though.

Not just, no.

She and Tekehu come to an understanding if you play your cards right.

Nips weren't and Chinks aren't traitors for wanting to suck less.

Nips and Chinks aren’t traitors indeed, because they wanted to suck less in order to stop sucking “white man’s” dick. Maia and her brother want to suck “blue man’s dick” and turn their homeland into colony of their overlords. But I guess their parents are more to blame for allowing their kids to be re-educated

 

[Dark Souls II]

Played both PoEs as a bleak walker, picked it without much mechanic consideration because the idea is cool (a paladin order that's basically Waffen SS). I like that there is some reactivity in that this choice of a background is reflected in the dialogues (you can intimidate some NPCs just by being a bleak walker). The class is kind of strong, you can tank everything while still dealing huge damage with a 2H sword.

 

[Nikanuur]

Ain’t she and her brother just a couple of race traitors? I mean sure, it’s their parents that made the decision to immigrate, but going to army, hating Huana and taking pride in killing them - that’s entirely on her. For me, she always seemed liked that British spy Mahatma Gandhi, and he was pretty evil.
I’d call her a jannisar, but they were enslaved and brainwashed, she had a choice though.

Not just, no.

She and Tekehu come to an understanding if you play your cards right.

Nips weren't and Chinks aren't traitors for wanting to suck less.

Nips and Chinks aren’t traitors indeed, because they wanted to suck less in order to stop sucking “white man’s” dick. Maia and her brother want to suck “blue man’s dick” and turn their homeland into colony of their overlords. But I guess their parents are more to blame for allowing their kids to be re-educated

Nice to know!

I never 'liked' Tekehu myself, tbh. Yeah, I've missed a lot, it seems.

Anyway, I remember Maia being pretty staunch in relation to anything Huana, for that matter. And it did seem odd. I don’t recall if the game explained the particular reason, but in the real world, it could’ve been because of some trauma in her past—or maybe the classic trope: “My parents and culture are backward peasants who don’t understand the world, they bottle up relationship-tension, and I just wanted to get away."
The RDC wanting expansion, trade, and profit while the Huana—who only recently started accepting the idea of tolerance—could’ve naturally caused a lot of tension, too.

 

[Desiderius]

Ain’t she and her brother just a couple of race traitors? I mean sure, it’s their parents that made the decision to immigrate, but going to army, hating Huana and taking pride in killing them - that’s entirely on her. For me, she always seemed liked that British spy Mahatma Gandhi, and he was pretty evil.
I’d call her a jannisar, but they were enslaved and brainwashed, she had a choice though.

Not just, no.

She and Tekehu come to an understanding if you play your cards right.

Nips weren't and Chinks aren't traitors for wanting to suck less.

Nips and Chinks aren’t traitors indeed, because they wanted to suck less in order to stop sucking “white man’s” dick. Maia and her brother want to suck “blue man’s dick” and turn their homeland into colony of their overlords. But I guess their parents are more to blame for allowing their kids to be re-educated

They're all blue.