Need help for my starting character in turn base: assassin muliclass advice

[SenSx]

Hello,

I'm new to the game and I'd like to have some advice about my starting character.

- I want to make an assassin, but I don't know what to couple it with.
I've though of Cipher because I want something subtile, but I don't know which sub class to pick, and if this is viable in PotD in turn base mode (because I guess viable combinaiton might not be the same in turn base and the few answers I found might not be relevant for this new mode).

I've also though of ranger for a melee assassin with a pet, but I guess ranger always mean : ranged weapons...

I guess if Cipher does not make it, I'll have to pick barbarian or paladin ?

- Also what attribute should I improve ?
I heard Dex is useless in turn base, so full might and perception I guess ?

- which skill escape or crippling strike ?
Since Cipher can pick blind for more cc and backstab, maybe I can pick escape ?

- Which starting weapon is tbe best for assassin ?
Dual wield with stronger weapons like sabre I guess ?
Since speed is not such an issue in turn base and might make daggers and such garbage in that mode ?

[captain403]

You can have a melee ranger. In fact a stalker is more or less meant to be melee.

Cipher works great. I have Ydwin as a mindstalker, though she isn't an assassin. Soulblade would give you good spike damage.

Dex isn't useless. It affects stride as well as where in the round the character has its turn.

Rapiers make a good main hand weapon, for the accuracy bonus. Good for building focus for your cipher abilities.

[psychotron666]

Check out assassin, soul blade (cipher subclass) combo. That's probably what you're looking for, though I wouldn't recommend dumping Dex on that class, even in turn based.

[starkmaddness]

Assassin Soul-blade is indeed a fun class.

Dex affects stride (movement distance), so you don't want it too low (3 dex would be bad) for an assassin. You want him mobile enough to reach high-value targets.

Weapons have been re-balanced in TB mode. 1-handed weapons had their damage increased so are completely viable. Damage type, weapon modifiers and modals are more of a reason to choose a weapon now.

That said, I played a (somewhat squishy) Assassin Soul-Blade with a quarterstaff and it was quite enjoyable. It is a reach weapon, so he could stand behind the meat shields (companions) and brain people. But you get many specializations so you might end up choosing weapons based on what you find.

Escape is great. Not only does it get you out of trouble and allow you to get to anywhere on the battlefield as a free action (especially useful when stealthed) it also upgrades to your most potent skill. Turns you invisible. Invisible + Assassin = }:)

[SenSx]

Thx everyone

Yes I've heard about the assassin / Soul-Blade.
Someone else was playing an assassin / Beguiler for more CC as a Cypher, making room for more diverse assassin skills.

I won't put a stat lower than 10.
I may put 18 might and 17 perception, that's a bit min maxing, but if it's not worth increasing the other attributes...

- Is stealth as usless as it was in PoE 1 ?

- Btw I love challenge, do you advice me to start in Potd ?
It was a chore in the first game, I really did not like how much defense the ennemies had, and they hit like truck.
Playing with story companions did not help (and I still intend to do so in PoE 2).
So I'm a bit anxions about it, but maybe turn base makes things easier....

[psychotron666]

Path of the damned does have random high level enemies with huge defences that require you utilize all the things at your disposal like every type of buff and using scrolls, etc.

If it was a chore for you in the first, I recommend just veteran difficulty.

[SenSx]

The story was quite simple even in Potd, but some side quests were super hardcore, and don't get me started witht he White March !
It's still giving me nightmares, and i did manage to beat llengrath and Concelhault, but damn, had to use lame tactics and stack tones of buffs / debuffs.
Funny thing: command Baelorin and his stroups was the greatest challenge in the game for me, I don't know why no one mention the guys, but they were the worst for me.

Also I was stuck with Eder as a tank, while I wanted Palletuna, but she just could not do it, that annoyed me...

I just hope hard mode is not too easy either, can you switch from hard to PotD this time ?

[starkmaddness]

No POTD is permanent and only selectable from the start.

One thing to keep in mind is the level scaling options. If you are not going POTD you might want to turn on 'scale level up' to avoid the game getting too easy. All depends on how hard you want to work.

[SenSx]

Yes but I heard this time you can downgrade difficulty from Potd, but that's it you can't choose it back.

Ans yes I've seen this level scaling option...

I used it in PoE 1 too, when White March came out.
It was poorly implemented, after finishing the White March, I came back in the main game to play the last act, and everything was a joke, I did not fee ennemies scaled at all.
That's why i think White March should only be played at the very end of the game, which might be a shame...

[SenSx]

So I have to choose between Assassin / Soulblade and Assassin / Stalker...

And I might choose Assassin / Stalker, I just love the idea of having a melee rogue with a pet, only Dragon Age Origins allowed me to have that.

Can you really tell me if Assassin / Stalker is viable ?
Or will there be forced to pick ranged skills and passivs on the stalker tree, that will be waisted ?

Thx

[captain403]

Most ranger skills can be used in melee; there is nothing in their tooltips that limit most skills to ranged....marksman is about the only one that I can think of.

Weapon wise, the assassin takes a bit more damage than normal, so you might want to use either a quarterstaff, or an offhand dagger...quarterstaff has extended reach, so you would be behind the front line. Now I wonder who the front line would be......:)

[SenSx]

Originally posted by captain403:

Weapon wise, the assassin takes a bit more damage than normal, so you might want to use either a quarterstaff, or an offhand dagger...quarterstaff has extended reach, so you would be behind the front line. Now I wonder who the front line would be......:)

Yes I wonder that too, I know I want Pellegina as a tank, will probably multi class her as Paladin / fighter.
And Xoti as Monk / Priest.
Vatnir looks cool too as a priest ( I like other races and bizarre characters in RPG).
But he does not look to be made for melee, unless I make him a priest / rogue, but then again my PC is alwready a rogue...

Then for the back row, between Maia, Aloth and Teheku.

I'm still undecided between Assassin / Stalker and Assassin / Soulblade.
But given that I'll probably have Maia in the team, and it could be redundant.
Besides I've alwready played the rogue / pet master build in Dragon Age Origins.

So I might settle for Soulblade, Cipher seems to be a quite unique gameplay mechanic that I completely put aside in PoE 1 since I never used Grieving Mother.
And the synergy seems strong.

And yea I'm overthingking this, but i always like to prepare my first run in a RPG.
I would not like to play 20 hours or more just to discover my choices were crap,and since you apparently can't change your multiclassing with the respec in game, I'd be stuck with it ><

[leroy jenkems]

You can change to and from POTD whenever you want. It was the first game that wouldn't let you after character creation. Also, maybe consider the Priest of Skaen subclass? They get access to a couple rogue abilities that synergize well with stealth (mainly Shadowing Beyond and Finishing Blow) and still have access to the bread-and-butter priest spells. Very versatile.

[Villainous]

Dex is still worthless even if it effects stride since your teleporat ability isn't restricted by it and you typically want to be using that whenever possible to maintain a high deflection value so you don't get deleted.

[captain403]

Originally posted by Villainous:

Dex is still worthless even if it effects stride since your teleporat ability isn't restricted by it and you typically want to be using that whenever possible to maintain a high deflection value so you don't get deleted.

And going last in most rounds will also see you 'deleted'

[SenSx]

So here we go:


- Might :18

- Con: 10

- Dex: 12

- Per: 18

- Int: 10

- Res: 10


So what do you think ?

18 Might is a bit bogus for me from a RP perspective, my subtile rogue will has more strengh than muscular characters as Eder and such ><

And I know Dex is a controversy in turn base, but still isn't 12 a bit too low ?
My badass assassin being slower than most, is a bit weird too...(but then again maybe only for RP reasons).

I don't know if Int should be higher, probably not for rogue, but maybe for Cipher ?
I don't really know its usefullness effect in turn base mode.


Thx