Request - Strong fire priest build

[GamerKurisu]

JHust starting the game, I love the idea of strong magic and read the fire priest is strong, can someone help me with a build please

[D'amarr from Darshiva]

Where have you read that? Typically that would be the place where to find more details.

What would a "fire priest" be? Perhaps it uses the Fire godlike race? That would be odd. And else?

Priest spells are the same for every Priest in this game. The base attributes cannot do wonders. You can shuffle them a bit and shift your focus somewhat, but the Priest class' base traits are the same for every priest: Very low Accuracy, low Deflection, very low Endurance, low Heath. It's still possible to build a war priest, using your god's preferred weapons and the related talent, but you don't turn into a Fighter. It takes a couple of spells at start of combat to buff yourself while being guarded by companions. Afterwards, you have very high Accuracy and spell Accuracy and can wreak havoc, but think twice whether that's worth the effort of trying to follow some questionable guide. Any Priest with any base attributes can do the same because of spell usage and equipment. It's similar to a wizard casting multiple spells to become better at melee combat.

Therefore, my recommendation: spend a little bit of time on the character creation screen and the Wiki - https://pillarsofeternity.gamepedia.com/Priest - and read through the attribute descriptions, then listen to your stomach.

[ColorsFade]

If you wanted to build a "fire priest", you'd be far better off building a Paladin that used all the fire capabilities. This is the build I am using right now and he's my top damage dealer (though I think if my Cipher had been in my party longer she'd be it).

Paladin
Race: any works. Death Godlike for the best benefit, but "Fire Godlike" if you want to roleplay it.
Order: Goldpact Knights

Abilities & Talents
Flames of Devotion (this is your 2-per-encounter special Paladin ability, adds fire damage to attack)
Intense Flames (Your Flames of Devotion do +25% Fire Damage)
Enduring Flames (Flames of Devotion does +50% Damage over Time, only available to Goldpatc Knights)
Scion of Flames (You do +20% Burn Damage)
Zealous Focus (this is your modal - +6 Accuracy to attacks, +15% grazes converted to hits, AoE affects your group members who are in range)
Two-Handed Weapon Style
Weapon Focus: Adventurer (so you can use the 2H Estoc, which negates some damage reduction)
Bloody Slaughter (Talent, turns 20% of hits into crits, and those crits hit harder)
Sworn Enemy

Then, whenever you get a new Estoc, enchant it with fire damage.

You will basically do a little better than double damage every time you use Flames of Devotion (half will be piercing of the weapon and half will be fire). When you're not using Flames of Devotion you'll still do a lot of damage.

For Attributes:

Might: Max (18-20)
Con: 9
Dex: 15
Per: 15
Int: 10
Res: 8

With gear those numbers will bump up. Dex will let you swing fast. Perception will make you exteremely accurate, so when you swing that 2HS you hit. Might will make you hit hard and all your flames abilities and talents will add damge. With your paladin Faith and Conviction ability and ring/robe you're still going to have awesome defenses so you're still a front-line fighter and can take hits. INT at default will make sure your Aura reaches your allies in most instances.

I'm playing this now on Hard mode and he's a beast.

[Atzepan]

I have been looking into builds a bit myself to try to get some achievement easy. According to early post fire priest was very strong at some point.
The last active build that has survived since 2014 is this one
http://forums.obsidian.net/topic/86277-class-build-fire-priest-ranged-sup-offdps/
i haven't played it myself, but i hope the guide will help you.
but if unless you are playing with a handicap you could probably make it through with at lot of not optimised builds.

[D'amarr from Darshiva]

@Atzepan

The game's attributes have been changed before the release in 2015. The build is from 2016 after the last major changes.

About the video. Ouch! The typical overloading of food and other pre-combat helpers. Still barely survived the initial attacks and critical hits. Then heavy usage of a class neutral Scroll of Confusion which isn't specific to this "build" at all. At level 15, various other classes can solo that fight if using food, drugs and even scrolls - but no video is honest about how many attempts have been necessary. People, who make such videos with retrained high-level characters, want to bragg.

Dumping RES to 3 just to be able to put a few more points into other attributes can be a big mistake. As a Priest you have "Low" base Deflection 15, with -7 from RES you are down to 8. Ranged attackers will pick you off like low hanging fruit. And it's some time before you get access to spells to raise Deflection a bit, but they would not suffice. Meanwhile, your companions would need to save the show.

Any Priest can do roughly the same without following any dubious build guides. Even Durance, the NPC companion to meet early - it's even possible to scout ahead to him without fighting - is versatile enough, but every Priest learns the same spells. Durance with PER 9 only gets -1 Accuracy compared with the PER 11 priest in the video. Shifting the other attributes doesn't do wonders.

To everyone asking about build guides: Free your mind. Don't let build guide authors poison your thoughts. Rely on the character creation screen details shown to you. Min-maxing is not necessary in this game and can be a risk up to the point that you may want to retrain your character later with the option offered by inn keepers. Instead, make plausible choices during character creation - and enjoy the game!

[Atzepan]

Well it's not my build first and foremost XD
I did first start pillars of eternity here mid january > playing Fire Godlike Bleak Walker Paladin love the aggressive Cruel playthrough, i don't follow a guide or build and i am using the quest companions.
Like i said as long as the poster of this threat doesn't go for the solo achievement the ultimate, he/she could easily play through the game with what ever build he/she want or well at least i think you can, as long as you don't play plain stupid and if it's the first game of this type beginner might be recomended until you have figured out howcombat basic works and the type XD

The next thing was, it was requested a strong fire priest build. So since i had run into a lot of threats talking about using fire priest build to do the Ultimate achievement for Pillars of Eternity, the build had made me curious. The only build that had carried over from 2014 to 3.0.2 and should be working still is the one which i linked to.

But i personally does not take builds for face value, but builds does have usefull information regarding equip that I might not have noticed or unusual synergies, so i mostly intends to look through them.

[ColorsFade]

Originally posted by D'amarr from Darshiva:

Dumping RES to 3 just to be able to put a few more points into other attributes can be a big mistake. As a Priest you have "Low" base Deflection 15, with -7 from RES you are down to 8. Ranged attackers will pick you off like low hanging fruit.

A couple points to counter this.

a) You're only going to be picked off if you fail to put your priest in the back row and/or use custom formations to keep them out of harm's way. Ranged attackers will generally attack the second row (I think typically because they're behind their front line as well, so it takes a second for them to engage). I've had zero issues with my priest getting attacked by anyone from range in Hard mode. But I keep him in the back row and use custom formations whenever possible.

b) If you feel like you really need the 7 Resolve, at least only hang on to it early on, through the first five levels or so. Then respec and dump it. You're far better off converting it to DEX, MIG or INT where it can be useful.

Hanging on to stats "just in case" you need them is a waste (and that's the essence of min/max, to not waste anything). Putting those points where they will be used in every combat situation is far more effective and efficient.

A priest should never get hit in a well-built, well-equipped party. That's the bottom line. And if you build your other five classes out well, then you can definitely do stuff like dump RES and wear no armor and your Priest will still never get hit. Meanwhile they can chain cast like a machine gun, their spell area is huge, they Crit like a rogue and they heal like Stephen Strange with good hands.

[D'amarr from Darshiva]

Tough decision.

OP talks about "just starting the game" and sounds like he wants some powerful build including spells - although there is no requirement to use special builds in order to be successful in the game and complete it.

Then there is one, who refers to soloing the entire game for The Ultimate achievement. And another one, who refers to a party based playthrough and keeping the Priest in safe distance.

In a party based playthrough, any Priest would suffice because attributes don't matter that much. Even the NPC companion priest could be used. No matter whether playing on Easy or Path of the Damned. No min-maxing is needed. And for The Ultimate, well, I wouldn't use a Priest, and that opinion won't change.

[Janthis]

Fire priest? Just use Durance, his whole schtick is fire and fire accessories. :)