Support Build

[Ademro]

Anyone know of a class or build that can be a supportive type character? And I don't mean just healing, but buffing and debuffing a lot. Haven't started yet, but that is the style I like to play.

[Råb!d]

You will need to create different classes, as you add companions to your group. You fight as each, so will want make more than just supportive characters.

I make it so all of the characters can heal and buff one another. It's how I've found to be able to keep them alive, so far.

[GUTS-CHAN]

Enchanter is a solid support AND damage. you don't just want pure support. I've set up ifan as glass cannon so he has full ap to to massive int damage and support when necessary.

[Severian]

Aerotheurge and Hydrotheurge are great at crowd control once you have leveled up some and have a larger selection of skills. Buffs can be found across all magic-related classes, except Summoner, which can only buff summons. Hydro and Pyro might stand out some, in that regard, though.
I have nothing worthwhile to add about debuffing, having focused on hard CC or outright damage, so far.

I should mention that debuffing and cc'ing will only work once you have depleted your opponent's magic or physical armor, depending on the skill you wish to use, which is why I have been favoring focusing on one enemy at a time for physical damage and one for my magic damage characters. Debuffing or CC'ing everyone at the start of combat simply isn't possible (which is a shame, imho).

So you will want to keep the damage range of your spells in mind at all times, as well!

[BemusedBear]

Originally posted by sewi:

Aerotheurge and Hydrotheurge are great at crowd control once you have leveled up some and have a larger selection of skills. Buffs can be found across all magic-related classes, except Summoner, which can only buff summons. Hydro and Pyro might stand out some, in that regard, though.
I have nothing worthwhile to add about debuffing, having focused on hard CC or outright damage, so far.

I should mention that debuffing and cc'ing will only work once you have depleted your opponent's magic or physical armor, depending on the skill you wish to use, which is why I have been favoring focusing on one enemy at a time for physical damage and one for my magic damage characters. Debuffing or CC'ing everyone at the start of combat simply isn't possible (which is a shame, imho).

So you will want to keep the damage range of your spells in mind at all times, as well!

There are some debuffing effects that ignore armor and are often overlooked (slow from oil).

As for buffing there are good buffs dross throughout the mage classes
and so you might want to dabble (but probably once you're father along. Hydro is a good place to start.
Geo: physical armor gain
Hydro: heal and magic armor
Aero: movement speed and dodge
Pyro: stat buffs and haste

[KOHb]

Summoner + few point in:.aero, hydro, fire, geo.

[Amarantamin]

Summoner might be fun for you. The early buffs are focussed on the summons, while later moves offer things like Soul Link (any armor healing you get is given 50% to the target as well), Rallying Cry (heal vitality/magic armor based on number of allies around), and Mind Control. Works great with a shield, scepter, and a combination of magic and physical armor for huge survivability, you can do things like summon a totem next to an ally, Soul Link them, use Shield Up on yourself to restore their armors, and cast Rallying Cry to heal them and restore magic armor further.

The totems & incarnates provide relevant battlefield effects based on the element they are summoned in. Fire totems can Burn enemies, Elec Incarnate can shoot lightning and shock wet surfaces, Water Incarnate has a healing spell, etc, so you can summon whatever you need for a situation. Similarly, both Physical and Magical variants of totems and incarnates exist, so there will never be an enemy you can't counter. It's extremely versatile.

Outside of that, Geomancy and Hydromancy provide good Phys/Mag support respectively. Pyromancy has Haste, Aero offers a lot of battlefield control. Poly, while it's cast mostly on yourself, allows you to keep heat on enemies when combined with Opportunist; grow wings, sheath yourself in metal, fly to enemy ranged targets, and soak up free hits when they flee. If an ally needs support, leap to their aid. Poly combines well with almost anything, but I am having a ton of fun with a Poly/Warfare Dwarf currently, he's great at keeping CC on enemies through knockdowns and turning them to stone, solid damage, amazing mobility, and very hard to kill.

Really all depends on the type of support you're hoping for, but there's a little something available in every combat skill. How you combine them will really define the type of support you can provide.

[Iry]

The Initiator.

High Constitution, Memory, and Wits.
2 Aero, 2 Geo, 2 Hydro, 2 Pyro, 2 Scoundrel
High Persuasion and Pet Pal.

He does the talking. When the talking becomes combat, he goes first and runs back to the party, and also buffs the hell out of them. Why Scoundrel? Improved movement speed for optimal positioning, access to The Pawn, Adrenaline Rush for extra buffing in the first round, Cloak and Dagger for more mobility or just getting back to the party, etc.

You can even give him a Dagger + Shield if you want to use the Scoundrel debuffs.
Hell, you can even take Glass Cannon because who cares? You already buffed the hell out of everybody and better you get CC'ed than a DPS.

[Mosey]

Personally, and this is just me, I'd go with Hydro and Earth. It's pretty solid as a support even if your own spell combinations aren't as...incendiary. Int primary, Mem secondary (Int every level, Mem maybe every 3rd or 4th level). Probably with a shield or maybe a staff depending on your taste. Stench talent starting, and only other 'must have' for me would be Mnemonic. Personally, I'd consider glass cannon but I'll be 100% honest that most probably would not.

You'll end up being able to heal HP, magic armor, and physical armor. You can throw in some Pyro for some of it's frankly superior buffs as well. Honestly I'd probably START as Hydro 1, Pyro 1, and add in Geo a tad later but definately before leaving the island.

There are a lot of ways to pull off what you want though, this would just be what I would do. I too really love support, it dials your team up to 11.

[Ademro]

Thanks peeps. I'll look into it.

[Ka-mai19]

Originally posted by Mosey:

Personally, and this is just me, I'd go with Hydro and Earth. It's pretty solid as a support even if your own spell combinations aren't as...incendiary. Int primary, Mem secondary (Int every level, Mem maybe every 3rd or 4th level). Probably with a shield or maybe a staff depending on your taste. Stench talent starting, and only other 'must have' for me would be Mnemonic. Personally, I'd consider glass cannon but I'll be 100% honest that most probably would not.

You'll end up being able to heal HP, magic armor, and physical armor. You can throw in some Pyro for some of it's frankly superior buffs as well. Honestly I'd probably START as Hydro 1, Pyro 1, and add in Geo a tad later but definately before leaving the island.

There are a lot of ways to pull off what you want though, this would just be what I would do. I too really love support, it dials your team up to 11.

This. If you want health, armor, physical def., and magic def. Hydro and Geo are your best bets. I'd throw in some points into pyromancy as well to get buffs like haste & clear mind. Mosey already said that but I jus twanted to re-emphasize pyro usefulness.