Should I use Build Guides

[Viper]

SO SO much to think about in this game. IN order to have an effective party I am considering relying on Build Guides. Does anyone feel this effects the enjoyment of the game.

[v.aurimas91]

Haven't used any guides personally. Just dumped in stats and picked abilities that seemed logical. It so happened that basically, now, my main char paladin in the end game is your one man army with intimidation and persuasion checks. Only thrice did I had to decrease the difficulty. Currently towards middle or end of Act 3

[talemore]

You don't need a build. The game itself has plot device issues with the companions classes.

It maybe not self explanatory

Dexterity 16 for Medium armor
Dexterity 18 for finesse weapon.

Why only 16 is because medium armor work for spell casters.
Any race who start with medium armor is already qualified to master medium armor. And to be used with classes who are spell casters.

Humans only get light armor which is nothing. It's not really good as protection and only for magical vestments who may come with light armor. The main reason why this is not even justified is because there is clothes who are not light armor and such you don't even need light armor to obtain magical vestments.

There are plot devices who breaks the character. Shadowheart hit her head by the crash that she don't remember anything.

Shadowheart will ask Tav to find a healer because she just fell down from a flying ship and hit her head.

While she is a cleric that doesn't work from a plot point of view since she ask Tav to find a healer when she already has access to heal wound. Likewise she don't remember anything and the plot do not try to make it a secret about the tadpole.

Shadowheart compared to the other companions aren't affected. Shadowheart can't increase her power since she has no tadpole.

You are meant to develop the character organic with the story. It is why there are items to be found and develop the character as it progress.

Shadowheart is the Ranger and Gale is the fighter.

It's easier to develop them this way. Yes Shadowheart is the Ranger in every way, she try to bash the door open in nature of a Ranger. The Ranger was the ancestor to the Barbarian class and barbarians solve everything by hitting it with a club.

Gale is the fighter because he's not a wizard from he beginning. Gale became the lover of mystra and sought power. When he did Mystra punished him and Gale is in search to become a wizard so that he can ascend into godhood power once he gains the wish-spell to wish for Mystra to love him again so that he can be with her forever.

This set things easier since stats like dexterity and strength is more important than spell caster stats since spells aren't only offensive spells and hits with melee will benefit more than spells do who may not even make a dice roll.

[Viper]

Originally posted by talemore:

You don't need a build. The game itself has plot device issues with the companions classes.

It maybe not self explanatory

Dexterity 16 for Medium armor
Dexterity 18 for finesse weapon.

Why only 16 is because medium armor work for spell casters.
Any race who start with medium armor is already qualified to master medium armor. And to be used with classes who are spell casters.

Humans only get light armor which is nothing. It's not really good as protection and only for magical vestments who may come with light armor. The main reason why this is not even justified is because there is clothes who are not light armor and such you don't even need light armor to obtain magical vestments.

There are plot devices who breaks the character. Shadowheart hit her head by the crash that she don't remember anything.

Shadowheart will ask Tav to find a healer because she just fell down from a flying ship and hit her head.

While she is a cleric that doesn't work from a plot point of view since she ask Tav to find a healer when she already has access to heal wound. Likewise she don't remember anything and the plot do not try to make it a secret about the tadpole.

Shadowheart compared to the other companions aren't affected. Shadowheart can't increase her power since she has no tadpole.

You are meant to develop the character organic with the story. It is why there are items to be found and develop the character as it progress.

Shadowheart is the Ranger and Gale is the fighter.

It's easier to develop them this way. Yes Shadowheart is the Ranger in every way, she try to bash the door open in nature of a Ranger. The Ranger was the ancestor to the Barbarian class and barbarians solve everything by hitting it with a club.

Gale is the fighter because he's not a wizard from he beginning. Gale became the lover of mystra and sought power. When he did Mystra punished him and Gale is in search to become a wizard so that he can ascend into godhood power once he gains the wish-spell to wish for Mystra to love him again so that he can be with her forever.

This set things easier since stats like dexterity and strength is more important than spell caster stats since spells aren't only offensive spells and hits with melee will benefit more than spells do who may not even make a dice roll.

Thats just complaining. I stopped reading it after 1 sentence since its obviously full of spoilers.

[Wan Yao]

If you don't know D&D or other crpgs, then I recommend you watch or read class guides. Not build guides, but guides that give you an overview of what the class is, how it plays, etc. This will make your experience much smoother. There *is* a learning curve in this game.

Build guides tend to be for min-maxing. You don't need to min-max. As long as you understand the basics you should be playing what feels fun and/or fits your roleplaying.

[General Malaise]

I have and I find the characters far far better, and the game to be much more fun because of it.

I've got an Eldritch Blaster main Character, Gale is a Magic Missile God, and Shadowheart is fantastic.

This is the Shadowheart build I'm using(level 9 at the minute, but used right up to 12).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nb7RdotM2TM

[Professor Hugedix]

Build guides will typically steer your towards synergies that result in levels of power that seem higher than intended for normal play, mostly for use in tactician difficulty. You don't need to think too hard to have an effective build, for the most part whatever has been autoselected on class creation/level up is just fine. In the cases where it isn't what you were looking for, it'll at least point you in the right direction.

I'd say rather that looking up builds, approach your first playthrough as a simple class and see what kinds of strategies you start to lean towards in the midgame as you become more familiar with class features and feats. On subsequent playthroughs, maybe skim some build ideas for things that catch your eye and incorporate them into a build you plan for yourself.

[ULTRA]

The game is based more around exploration and tactics than builds. Even in games like Diablo you can still be successful in PvE just based on itemization.

[靐]

Depends on your skills and difficulty level? I would personally choose explorer-balanced and do whatever I want. Also you can always respec, so don't worry. Any builds are fine on a 2nd+ play.

[Viper]

Well for example Lae'zel can be a Battle Master, Champion or Eldritch Knight.3 different paths to follow. All the other companions have just as many options. Just want to build an effective party.

[General Malaise]

Originally posted by Viper:

Well for example Lae'zel can be a Battle Master, Champion or Eldritch Knight.3 different paths to follow. All the other companions have just as many options. Just want to build an effective party.

Personally, I've kept Lae'zel pure fighter all the way.

She's awesome anyway, especially hasted. I've chosen an Eldritch Blast main(second run now), as I found it much more fun than all others I tried. I love Shadowheart built as the video I posted. Where possible, all my others(rarely Lae'zel) will sit inside Spirit Guardians, which is probably my favourite spell.

I guess you have to find what you find most fun for you. I tried Paladin, Rogue with bow, and a few few other things before I found what I found the most fun.

[Supply Slut]

You don’t need a build guide. In fact I would recommend against it for your first playthrough. Every class is viable - if you want to multiclass I would perhaps look up what you are going to sacrifice and what you will get. There are some busted multiclass builds but most random combinations just make you weaker overall.

Anyway you get 4 party members including your MC, and respecing with withers is cheap and easy - so just try to have some semblance of a balanced party (at least one melee focused character, at least one full spellcaster, at least one charisma/stealth, and then whatever you want).

Edit: the reason I recommend against it is because you will find items that make you stronger, whatever class you play will unlock new ways to deal with combat and non combat, and it will likely be more fun to explore that yourself as opposed to following someone’s step by step instructions. After the first playthrough, you’ll have experienced enough of the classes and mechanics that you won’t be spoiling yourself so much with a build guide.

[Revan619]

most build guides on youtube are terrible and dont work. They plan their builds with respec at level 12 and every item in the game. They suck at actually playing through the game on tactician. You would do better to look up some example 5e role play stuff

[General Malaise]

Originally posted by Revan619:

most build guides on youtube are terrible and dont work. They plan their builds with respec at level 12 and every item in the game. They suck at actually playing through the game on tactician. You would do better to look up some example 5e role play stuff

That's complete nonsense.

How about you post several that don't work, and I post several that do?

They all showcase their build doing awesome things, like soloing Raphael, so to say they don't work is just as I said it was - nonsense.

[Jolly Devil]

Games like this don't really need builds imo. So much of this game is exploration and dialogue that will shape how you want to play that going by a specific build could hamper how you choose to do things bc the build says to do X when you wanna do Y.

It could be useful to look at some builds and see how others play the class you want, but this is such a diy game that it would diminish the playthrough imo. I can't speak for you but I end up changing my mind in terms of classes and builds I make for myself throughout the game. So following the same build for 100 hours seems boring to me.

[talemore]

Class itself isn't as much concern than damage of a weapon. Rapiers increase damage bracket one step up and seem to be designed for a Rogue.

Battlemaster. There's a feat who give it to any class. Maybe limited but you won't fight for a very long time. Damage is rewarded for both sides and a drawn out battle is going to end one way. By just having that one feat any class got a subclass on their class.

Expecting the end of the game is like skipping to the end scene of a movie.
If all you do is copy what everyone else are doing do not provide any value than selling a security. That's rather boring because you experience it through someone else who already acomplished everything you are about to do. I'm sure with 400 000 players that everything can be written down and shipped to the funeral company who will dig it down for you how to perform the cermony and how to use the correct dress code.

You make that build but you just watching the same movie twice in one day.