Pillars of Eternity Character Builds - Part 1

Hello,

I am going to kick this blog off with a look at a "kickstarted" game that I have been looking forward to for a long time, which was finally released last week: "Pillars of Eternity".

I won't bore you with a review - if you are reading this, then you will have already figured out that one of the aspects that sets this game apart from other RPG's is the fact that you can build a massive variety of different characters, even within one class, thanks to the cleverly designed weapon system, character attribute scores, and defense mechanics.

This blog post is going to look at some build types that you may not have considered previously. It cannot possibly be exhaustive, but it should at least be interesting (hopefully!).

Let's start with my favourite - the Rogue.

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Build 1: The Sniper.

This build works on the principle of dealing out the highest amount of damage possible with a single hit at the start of a fight.

Key attributes: Might
Secondary attribute: Intellect
Best races: Aumaua (might bonus), Wood Elf (Ranged attack bonues), Boreal Dwarf (might bonus and racial damage bonus).
Weapon of choice: Arbalest or Arquebus.

Maxing out your Might stat allows your 1 hit to really ruin a key enemy's day before they even know you are there. Taking a few points in stealth allows you to see who you are up against and maximize the usefulness of you "big hit". Taking intellect as a secondary attribute means that your Blindness/Hobbling attack will last for much longer, allowing you and your colleagues to continue targeting this enemy until they are dead. In terms of equipment, taking heavy armor or light armor is a personal choice, and depends what you use the rest of your stat points for. If you go for Dexterity, then light armor will allow you to fire off your weapon more quickly, and continue contributing from a distance, although the slow rate of fire on your weapon will still be an issue. Another option is to pull out a pair of light weapons, such as stilettos, and take advantage of your target's vulnerable state with some fast and deadly attacks

Alternatively, if you invest in Constitution or Resolve, you can consider putting heavier armor on and drawing a sword an shield to charge in to the fray. Not necessarily advisable, but can be a useful plan B if you get backed in to a corner by an Ogre! In which case, you may even consider taking a hatchet and kite shield as your melee option to try and squeeze as much deflection as possible out of your equipment if things go south.

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Build 2: The Bully

The aim of the game with this build is to pick on the weakest member of the group who is already locked in combat with another character, and finish them off.

Key attributes: Dexterity
Secondary attribute: Intellect, Might
Best races: Death Godlike (Damage, Dex and Intellect Bonuses)
Weapon of choice: Dual Wield Stiletto.

Your plan here is to capitalize on weakness - When a fighter knocks someone down, when a ranger hobbles an enemy, when a wizard blinds them - your Bully needs to be there ready to make as many hits as possible.

Fast weapons are your friend here. The low damage is offset by the bonus you gain from you sneak attack, and the armor piercing stilettos are perfect for ensuring that every hit does at least some base damage. You will be very vulnerable, so do not engage opponents on your own, you should always pick your target carefully, and ensure that your companions are the ones taking the hits.

As for Plan B... Well, Plan B is Plan A, but with a club and a dagger, since you may come up against an enemy with a high piercing resistance. Other than that, you are very focused on dishing out the damage, you will have terrible defense, and will be vulnerable to ranged attacks. I would recommend forgoing any armor in favor of simple clothing - speed is your advantage here,and you need to maximize it. Taking an Intellect boost allows you to cripple enemies for longer, whereas a higher Might stat will allow you to take down all enemies more quickly, which may be more useful if you have other characters who are dishing out negative status effects. that your Bully can work alongside.

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Build 3: The Swashbuckler.

This build is similar in many ways to the Bully, but is more focused on interfering with opponents attacks, and can sort of, in theory, work as a front line build.

Key attributes: Perception & Dexterity
Secondary attribute: Might
Best races: Wild Orlan (Perception and resolve boots, plus defense bonus),
Weapon of choice: Dual Wield Sabres, maces, or Spears

Again, you are going for low armor; Since your plan is to frustrate and kill your opponent before they have a chance to get a hit on you, speed is important. This works well against opponents with slow attacks, such as two-handed weapons or heavy ranged attacks, as well as spellcasters.

The Sabre is a fun weapon for this, as it allows you to take down unarmored opponents the fastest, and Spears will help you get more hits, which you need to do to stay alive. The other option is maces, since you can go armor piercing against tough soldiers.

Your Perception is important, since you are aiming to interrupt you opponent as often as possible, it also gives you a defense boost that may allow you to dodge incoming attacks. Any status effects that you party can produce which lowers an enemy's concentration will be vital to get this strategy to work. Any leftover stat points should be put into Might to take your opponent out more quickly, although Resolve is also useful for boosting your deflection saves.

Ultimately, this may not be the most efficient use of your rogue, but it is still fun. You use the blinding strike to give yourself a fighting chance in melee combat against an ostensibly more powerful opponent, and then just frustrate them until they are dead. You will get knocked out a lot though, as I am not sure that interrupting your opponents is a particularly effective defense strategy, especially once you get into a crowded mob.

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Let me know what you think. Try out some of these builds and tell me your experiences. Please bear in mind that this article only covers character creation, rather than character development. I am not too far into the game yet, and I haven't been ove the various talents and skills that can be unlocked as you level up.