Adrenaline - worth it?

[Atom.Little]

What do you think, is adrenaline (heliotrope i.e.) so good that we should make sure to get it in whichever tree we're building? Or is it really kickass in one tree (say Swordsman or Alchemy) and should definitely be had if you're building in that particular tree?

I've build in Swords throughout the first half of the game and then moved on to Signs where I now have most of my points, but I have no idea what Adrenaline dioes and therefore don't know if it's woth it to go for that and possibly miss out on two other signs that would kick ass because I already have one point in them.

Some advice would be awesome.

[adnoam]

I've only really used this in the swordsmanship tree. This is very useful, as it unlocks a group finisher - in a tight spot you can insta-kill up to 3 enemies. Very useful indeed.

I've never really used the helliotrope when doing a mage build. Just never found the use for it, and my mage play style didn't really need it.

Never tried for an alchemy build, as it seemed too boring for me (you can get great stat boosts, but your combat style and mechanics stay the same as in the prologue, so no interesting variety as in the other trees).

[halfmonkey]

The heliotrope sign creates an area of effect (like a dome) that slows down time within it, which I found useful when being mobbed, but it's not as useful as the insta-kill finishing move of the sword path, in my opinion.

[SoULLeSs]

It does have a good group finisher which can make fights easier, specially against humans I think...not sure how it works against other type of mobs...

[Atom.Little]

Originally posted by adnoam:

I've only really used this in the swordsmanship tree. This is very useful, as it unlocks a group finisher - in a tight spot you can insta-kill up to 3 enemies. Very useful indeed.

It unlocks group finisher even if you haven't chosen it while leveling up?

Originally posted by adnoam:

I've never really used the helliotrope when doing a mage build. Just never found the use for it, and my mage play style didn't really need it.

If I recall correctly, the heliotrope sign is on the mage tree, right?

I don't consider my char a mage either. He's a swordsman first but uses signs now and then to help out, and sometimes simply bercause it's fun...like casting Axii over and over to make the harpys fight one another - did this at the shore where they'd burned the girl for witchery. There were a whole lot of harpies, so it was quite spectacle and fun too.

Originally posted by adnoam:

Never tried for an alchemy build, as it seemed too boring for me (you can get great stat boosts, but your combat style and mechanics stay the same as in the prologue, so no interesting variety as in the other trees).

Yeah, I agree. It's the same reason why I haven't really considered trying Alchemy build, because the thought of all that potion brewing.... *yaawn*.

Originally posted by halfmonkey:

The heliotrope sign creates an area of effect (like a dome) that slows down time within it, which I found useful when being mobbed, but it's not as useful as the insta-kill finishing move of the sword path, in my opinion.

Oh, you mean like the Blizzard potion in The Witcher (1)? Wow, yeah that's useful alright. And I especially reckon it'll be useful when you play on Dark or Insane whereas the rest you can usually manage without it if you've stocked up with other postions and make sure to have the best armor and weapon. - On Normal you don't even have to use potions.

Originally posted by Skit:

It does have a good group finisher which can make fights easier, specially against humans I think...not sure how it works against other type of mobs...

Well you tend to get Heliotrope towards the end which is where the human fights really get tough, so that makes sense. But I'd expect it to probably be useful also in the tougher non-human mob fights. At least I'd be disappointed if it isn't.

Thanks for input, guys, good info...

I think I'll leave Adrenaline/Heliotrope be for now, but maybe in a future play-through I'll try it out.