Need Build Advice

[dwaynegand]

I'm still new to this game even though I've only beaten the game twice with each class on easy difficulty. I've built both Destroyers for melee combat using Devastate, both Vanquishers using long-range combat, and casting for the Alchemists.

There doesn't seem to be any build guides online for this game. And it appears that there seems to be only one way to build each character from what I found. Destroyers use Devastate. Vanquishers use Exploding Shot.

I've been investing in Defense for each character, together with Strength for the Destroyer, Dexterity for the Vanquisher, and Magic for the Alchemist.

One time, I tried to make a Rogue Vanquisher, but she was taking too much damage and not dealing enough, this even though I played on easy.

One of my Alchemists was a summoner who used the Netherimps together with the Golems and Burning Bind.

I borrowed from all three trees for each character I took through the game, getting important passives and one-point wonders.

What I would like to know is what are some good builds for each class? Should I focus primary investment on one tree only? Is there any point in investing in the other stats for each character? What are some tips for skill point allocation? How many total skill points do you get during the whole game at maximum level and fame? Is there any advantage to making a dual-wielding character and for what types of builds would it work or not work?

[Draekus]

have you checked the Guides section for builds ?

[dwaynegand]

yes but there is hardly anything there in English

[Grimwear]

I don't have much experience with the game, I only just beat it with the Vanquisher on Normal. But I didn't have too much trouble. I maxed out ranged weapons expertise, critical strikes, arrow hail, armor expertise, and treasure hunter. I only ended up doing treasure hunter because I had a bunch of points and nothing I really wanted to put them in. Even after pumping 10 in treasure hunter I still have 7 leftover. As for stats I put a very small amount in magic and strength then put the most of my points in dexterity with a fair bit in defense as well if I ever felt I was getting hit hard. As I said I don't have TONS of experience with the game but it seems to me that like lots of arpgs is depends a lot on gear. I found an amazing rifle, enchanted it to be even better and never felt like I was underpowered at all. I only died twice the whole game.

[chris.ferrantegerard]

Originally posted by dwaynegand :

I'm still new to this game even though I've only beaten the game twice with each class on easy difficulty. I've built both Destroyers for melee combat using Devastate, both Vanquishers using long-range combat, and casting for the Alchemists.

6 runs all on easy, you didn't feel like trying another difficulty after finishing a previous run? Easy felt so trivial to me that it got boring and was only really good for farming for HC or getting the long grind achievements done quickly.

There doesn't seem to be any build guides online for this game. And it appears that there seems to be only one way to build each character from what I found. Destroyers use Devastate. Vanquishers use Exploding Shot.

There are a couple of builds under steam's Guide section. Builds tend to be a little generic in T1, not many good active skills and a lot of shared passives between the classes.

While I believe Vanquishers are best played as ranged trappers, Exploding Shot is not the only good ranged skill. Ricochet is also viable for very hard difficulty. I believe I used Slash Attack as main attack on my Hard HC Destroyer run.

I've been investing in Defense for each character, together with Strength for the Destroyer, Dexterity for the Vanquisher, and Magic for the Alchemist.

That sounds about right. Pickup the main stat for the char and defence for surviability. The higher the difficulty you are playing or if you're playing a Hardcore character, the more defence you should get.

One time, I tried to make a Rogue Vanquisher, but she was taking too much damage and not dealing enough, this even though I played on easy.

Never tried a melee oriented Vanquisher. If you want to play melee then Destroyer is just a better option.

What I would like to know is what are some good builds for each class?

Destroyer = Slash Attack / Devastate + Dual Wielding. Constantly keep Frost Shield up. Add in good passives to buff your survivability and damage.

Vanquisher = Exploding Shot / Ricochet + Flechette Trap (one point in Flame Trap until you can get it). Add in good passives. Use scrolls if you want to go necro. Get a haste scroll and Defensive Spell Mastery to increase your speed to help kite.

Alchemists = Didn't play much really

Should I focus primary investment on one tree only?

No. A lot of the skills are passives and they're spread out fairly randomly across the trees. Your prime focus will be on the tree with the skill that you're going to spam throughout the game but you also want to grab useful skills in other trees. A Vanquisher, for example, can make good use of a single point into Winds of Justice in the Rogue tree for its knockback.

Is there any point in investing in the other stats for each character?

Just need your main stat + defence.

Is there any advantage to making a dual-wielding character and for what types of builds would it work or not work?

Vanquishers and Destroyers can dual wield pretty good. I think I prefer 2 hander bows / rifles over pistols for Vanquisher through while I like dual wielder Destroyers best.

[dwaynegand]

I found a page online that analyzes each tree and how it is best used:

Berserker: Melee oriented combat
Titan: Strength-based caster, though skills are also boosted by magic, but magic is inferior to strength for the Destroyer
Spectral: More for support due to lack of damage skills, with the exception of Aura of Thorns.
Marksmanship: Long-range combat, though Arrow Hail is more of a spell.
Rogue: Closer range, though the majority of the skills with the exception of Stab are increased by dexterity, making a gun or bow the best route for this tree.
Arbiter: Since none of the skills are affected by stats, you have a lot of freedom with builds.
Arcane: Caster tree due to skills boosted by magic.
Lore: Summoning tree. Like Arbiter, none of the skills are boosted by stats.
Battle: Since magic boosts the skills, and magic is more important than strength for the Alchemist, use staves or wands, though I'm not sure if Infuse works with wands.

Here's the link to that website: https://slashnblast.wordpress.com/articles/analysis-of-character-creation-in-torchlight-1/

[HiFive]

Some FAQ pages I found for Torchlight I a while back:

https://www.neoseeker.com/torchlight/faqs/235838-a.html

Maximum character limit: No limit? I created 50 with no problem.


Also, the Torchlight I Wiki pages

https://torchlight.fandom.com/wiki/Torchlight

which includes links to other pages with more info

[HiFive]

I have a maxed out level 100 character that has used 155 skill points, so that should be the maximum skill points.

I have played the game since shortly after it was published (long before I joined Steam, and about 6 computers ago) and leveled many characters. I always pick and choose from the different skill trees, depending on the weapons I have chosen for the character, and the skills I decide to use for that character.

I always level Armor, Critical Shot, and such. If I'm using skeletons and archers, I level Charm Spell. I just got back into this game last week and have been using Ricochet for a Vanquisher on Very Hard mode, with 2 dual-wielding pistols. It turns out that the skill is very good, so I'm maxing it out and keeping it as the primary skill, although I am using the Flechette and Shock traps as well. I'm also not playing the storyline with her. Instead she is leveling with maps and the Shadow Vault end-game dungeon. She has found and kept Brink as her assistant, and I'm using the Heal All spell to rejuvenate him when he gets hurt (you can tell because he runs around aimlessly like the pet does when it gets hurt).

I have another Vanquisher (level 90) using a polearm and Lightning Bomb as the main skill, along with some of the traps.

I have an Alchemist using a pistol and shield this time, instead of the usual staff. He also is going to use Pyre as his main skill and I have not given him any Golems or the Sentry, though I might do that after he has finished the story (all those points need to go somewhere).

Sometimes I have maxed out a Destroyer using just the Titan Stomp skill, instead of the Seismic Burst, because it's fun to watch everything go flying in all directions around the big guy.

I'm just pointing at that you probably know the game well enough to experiment on your own. Torchlight is pretty straightforward and it's fun to try new things.

[dwaynegand]

I've only been playing on easy because I'm still learning about how to play the game effectively. Once I've gotten the hang of the game, then I'll start playing on Normal difficulty.

For my Destroyers and Vanquishers, I've maxed Defensive Armor Mastery to increase the level of spells such as healing and haste. My casting Alchemist maxed Offensive Spell Mastery for Elemental Overload and Dervish, and the summoning Alchemist used Charm Spell Mastery and Pet Mastery. The Destroyers used Martial Weapons, the Vanquishers used Ranged Weapons. They all maxed Armor Expertise, and except for the summoning Alchemist, they all maxed Critical Strikes as well, I'm not sure if the skill would work for minions. Should I also max Magic Weapons for my Alchemists even if they don't actually attack with them? What other passives are worth maxing for all characters?

[HiFive]

To answer one of your questions, if the damage on the skill you have chosen is based partially on your weapon damage, then increasing the weapon damage in any way will increase the skill damage as well. The weapon mastery you choose will also allow you to equip higher-level weapons sooner. Those weapons will have higher damage, which will increase the skill damage.

[dwaynegand]

The only online character planner I found for Torchlight only has a maximum fame level of 33. At the maximum fame level of 33 and the maximum level of 100, that gives us as total of 131 skill points as the default skill we start off with already has one point in it.

A few things I have discovered reading online:

Devastate breaks auras, so it's a waste of skill points to have both. Destroyers should use one or the other.

The Vanquisher's Flame Trap actually reduces resistances of your enemies, both physical and elemental while Devouring Trap only reduces armour of enemies.

Iceshock, Pyre, and Ember Strike all are boosted by magic even though it isn't listed on the skill screen.

Life Steal and Mana Steal only work with normal attacks. Unlike in other RPG's such as Diablo.

In case anyone is wondering, the calculator is found at:

https://torchlight.ingame.de/torchlight/torchlight-skill-calculator/

[ImpracticalDogg]

A Rogue Vanquisher can work with skill points in Criticals, two Traps and a point in Explosive Shot. The Rogue tree is fun, but tactical options are good.
Poison Dirks can critical too!
The Assassin build I referenced in the post below is also fun when you want to try something different

[dwaynegand]

Hey I was wondering:

Does Infuse work with wands?
Do Minions benefit from Critical Strikes?
If a skill says "increases all damage by %" does that include your own damage? (examples, Shadow Bowman, Flame Trap".
Which passives are worth maxing for all characters other than weapon, armor, or spell masteries?
Does the damage bonus from Dual Wield stack with skills that get damage from a percentage of your weapon dps?

[HiFive]

Originally posted by dwaynegand:

The only online character planner I found for Torchlight only has a maximum fame level of 33. At the maximum fame level of 33 and the maximum level of 100, that gives us as total of 131 skill points as the default skill we start off with already has one point in it.

The maximum for skill points is 155.

As I stated above, I have a level 100 character that is completely maxed out - cannot earn any more levels or skill points. She has used 155 skill points in all. Her character sheet says she has earned 100 XP levels and 55 Fame levels. I also counted all the points on her Skill Sheet, and they add up to 155.

EDIT: I just fully leveled another character and it, too, has 100 XP levels and 55 Fame levels, and has used up all of the 155 Fame points.

[ImpracticalDogg]

Traps do seem to scale other sources of damage, as well as each other. Place a few close together, then wade in with your minions..

[dwaynegand]

Alchemists would make the best summoners since they have an entire skill tree dedicated to summoning. Same with casters.

Destroyers make the best melee fighters.

Vanquishers make the best long range fighters.

So I came up with the following builds:

Berserker (melee without Devastate, but with aura)
Devastating Berserker (melee with Devastate, no aura)
Titan (strength based caster with Titan Stomp, Doom Quake, and Seismic Burst)
Marksman (Explosive Shot with a couple of traps and minimal rogue investment)
Rogue (more investment in Rogue, with some traps for support)
Arbiter (heavily invested in traps to deal damage)
Caster (use magic spells)
Summoner (use minions to kill)
Battlemage (heavy investment in Battle tree)
Casting Summoner (uses spells and minions)
Summoning Battlemage (uses minions and battle skills)
Battle Caster (uses spells and Embershock)

With the exception of the Sumoning Alchemist, the Battlemage, the Summoning Battlemage, and the Arbiter Vanquisher, each build will have the option to go with dual weapons by maxing Dual Wielding to increase damage. The reason why the Summoner and Arbiter buildse do not have a dualist option is because their skills do not gain a portion of their damage from your weapon. Since magic is a better stat to raise for the Battle tree skills, and wands do not deal physical damage, thus making Infuse useless for them, there is no dualist option for the Battlemage or Summoning Battlemage either. For the other builds, they max Dual Wielding to get extra damage to increase the effectiveness of their skills. For example, the Marksman can be built to use either a bow, crossbow, rifle, or use dual pistols. A caster can use dual wands or a staff. And a melee destroyer can use two weapons or one weapon with a shield.