"Quick Start" -Guide

Covering all the basics for New Players to get started.
*** Now also: Advanced Builds + Mechanics.. even TripleCrown suggestions ***
Enjoy..

Intro

Welcome..
"PoE 2: Deadfire" is out for years (way above 500 hours myself), but it seems here at Steam most just bother with specific builds.

So, this Guide is for new players (..or those interested to start a second Playthrough), but not sure about the details and looking for some input to optimize the experience ^^

vers.5.0.x (latest)

>>> This Guide covers PoE2 v.5.0 Vanilla game with ZERO manipulation (->Mods) <<<

Combat (RTwP vs TB)

Real-Time-with-Pause

The standard Mode. Pillars 2 is tailored around this mode..
You play in Realtime and Pause (default: SPACE) to micro-manage Abilities/Casts
note: You can tweak AI-scripts to automize most combat up to 99% ;D

Turn-Based

Introduced later (2019 - Patch 4.0), this mode has some advantages (eg: "free actions"), but also many drawbacks. Personally, I´d suggest against it.. fights feel drawn out.
note: Classes with FREE actions per turn are very powerful

DIFFICULTY (incl. TripleCrown..)

- Setting -	INGAME description	Comment
Story	- extremely EASY Combat	-> not worth it)
Relaxed	- easier Combat	-> boring
Classic	- STANDARD Combat	-> perfect for NEW Players
Veteran	- more enemies and more aggressive tactics	-> ideal Challenge for RPG Veterans
Path of the Damned	- largest number of enemies, encounters are stronger, AI cheats you	-> UNFAIR +Frustrating +Unrealistic (+25%HP, +15Acc, +15AllDefenses, +2AR, +2PEN)

Modifiers:
Berath´s Blessing - optional use of Achievement-points from former Playthroughs
Trial of Iron - only 1 Savegame (!)
Expert Mode - "helper" features disabled
*Scaling: influences ALL encounters

Special Challenges

Triple Crown	Trial of Iron + Expert Mode + PoTD Difficulty
-Solo-	NO Companions
God Challenges (Magran´s Fires)	I´d strongly advise against those.. ranges from annoying to makes-no-sense : - Eothas ..makes it a race against time !! - Hylea ..forces you to keep Vela alive ..or Game Over!! - etc.. (If interested in all the details about MagranFires: check ->Links)
The Ultimate	Trial of Iron + Expert Mode + PoTD Difficulty + all God Challenges + no Berath´s Blessing + must KILL all major bosses (15 ..incl. all 4 Megabosses) + no Mods (-> check Links) requires all DLCs: Beast of Winter Seeker Slayer Survivor Forgotten Sanctum

Special Challenges -- originally planned

Note: more Achievements were supposed to get you BerathPoints, but Obsidian cut these..
-> some are still popular among veterans, so decide for yourself..

Diplomat	no Kith -enemies killed
Zero Knockouts	no party-member ever been unconscious in combat
Naked Run	NO Gear/Accessories

Char Creation 1 (Race,Culture,Background)

General procedure is this:

Start NewGame ..choose Difficulty/Modifiers ..create Char (Race,Class,Stats, Culture,Background) .. name your "Watcher" and the game starts..

Race (+Subrace)

Aumaua: +2 Might

• Island Aumaua (Among the Waves: No Wading - move at normal Speed even in water/sand/..)
  
• Coastal Aumaua (Towering Physique: Resistance to Might Afflictions)

Dwarf: +2 Might, +1 Constitution, -1 Dexterity

• Boreal Dwarf (Hunter's Instincts - Increased chances to Graze vs Oozes/Sentient Fungi/Plants and Ogres/Skuldrs/Trolls/Vithrack/Xaurips)
  
• Mountain Dwarf (Hale and Hardy: Resistance to Constitution Afflictions)

Elf: +1 Dexterity, +1 Perception

• Pale Elf (Elemental Endurance: +4 Burn AR / +4 Freeze AR)
  
• Wood Elf (Wily Step: Resistance to Dexterity Afflictions)

Godlike: +1 Dexterity, +1 Intellect

• Death Godlike (Death's Usher: +20% Damage vs targets Near Death ../Pallid Fate: +3 Power Lv. Near Death)
  
• Fire Godlike (Ashen Skin: +2 Burn AR ../Battle-Forged: when Hurt/Bloodied/NearDeath +1 AR / 2-4 Burn Retaliation vs Melee attackers)
  
• Moon Godlike (Silver Tide: first time a moon godlike is Hurt/Bloodied/NearDeath , they cast healing AoE)
  
• Nature Godlike (Wellspring of Life: While under Might/Constitution/Dexterity Inspiration, gain +1 Power Lv.)

Human: +1 Might, +1 Resolve

• Meadow Folk (Fighting Spirit: +7% Acc / +15% Dmg when Bloodied or Near Death)
  
• Ocean Folk (Fighting Spirit: +7% Acc / +15% Dmg when Bloodied or Near Death)
  
• Savanna Folk (Fighting Spirit: +7% Acc / +15% Dmg when Bloodied or Near Death)

Orlan: -1 Might, +2 Perception, +1 Resolve

• Hearth Orlan (Minor Threat: 10% "Hits to Crits" vs targets that are threatened by allies)
  
• Wild Orlan (Defiant Resolve: Resistance to Resolve Afflictions)

Culture

Aedyr:	+1 Resolve
Deadfire Archipelago:	+1 Dexterity
Ixamitl Plains:	+1 Resolve
Old Vailia:	+1 Intellect
Rauatai:	+1 Constitution
The Living Lands:	+1 Might
The White that Wends:	+1 Perception

Background

Any..

• Drifter (+1 Sleight of Hand, +1 Bluff, +1 Streetwise)
  
• Hunter (+1 Survival, +1 Mechanics, +1 Alchemy)
  
• Laborer (+2 Athletics)
  
• Merchant (+1 Streetwise, +1 Bluff, +1 Diplomacy)

Any, except.. The Living Lands

• Aristocrat (+1 Diplomacy, +1 Bluff, +1 Intimidate)

Any, except.. The White that Wends

• Mercenary (+1 Streetwise, +1 Athletics, +1 Intimidate)

Exclusive to..

• Artist (Old Vailia.. +1 Mechanics, +1 History, +1 Insight
  
• Mystic (The White that Wends.. +1 Religion, +1 Arcana, +1 Metaphysics)
  
• Philosopher (Ixamitl Plains.. +2 Insight)
  
• Raider (Deadfire Archipelago.. +1 Streetwise, +1 Athletics, +1 Stealth)
  
• Scientist (The Living Lands.. +1 Explosives, +1 Metaphysics, +1 Arcana)

Rare..

• Clergy (Aedyr, Deadfire Archipelago.. +2 Religion)
  
• Colonist (Aedyr, Old Vailia, The Living Lands.. +1 Survival, +1 Athletics, +1 Alchemy)
  
• Explorer (Deadfire Archipelago, Living Lands, White that Wends.. +1 Survival, +1 Diplomacy, +1 History)
  
• Scholar (Ixamitl Plains, Rauatai.. +1 History, +1 Arcana, +1 Metaphysics)

Common..

• Dissident (Aedyr, Ixamitl Plains, Old Vailia, Rauatai.. +1 History, +1 Intimidate, +1 Stealth)
  
• Slave (Aedyr, Deadfire Archipelago, Old Vailia, Rauatai.. +1 Survival, +1 Athletics, +1 Streetwise)

Char Creation 2 (Class,Subclass,Stats)

Class (+Subclass)

..some classes (eg: Druid,Paladin,..) require a subclass

___Class___	___Role___	___Subclass___
Barbarian* Barbarian (PL7**)	CC & Defender	Berserker (PL7 + INT affliction Resistance: ***) (with INT inspiration or affliction counter: **) Corpse-Eater Mage Slayer Fury Shaper
Fighter***	Striker & Defender	Black Jacket (TB:***) Devoted*** Unbroken*** Tactician (Solo Veteran/PotD: ***)
Monk**	Striker & Defender	Helwalker* Nalpazca* Shattered Pillar** Forbidden Fist*
Rogue**	Striker & CC	Assassin* Streetfighter** Trickster** Debonaire
Cipher***	Striker & CC	Ascendant Beguiler (Deception build: ***) Soul Blade*** Psion
Druid**	Striker & Support & CC	Animist (Standard)** Fury Lifegiver Shifter Ancient
Paladin**	Support & Defender	Bleak Walkers** Darcozzi Paladini Goldpact Knights** Kind Wayfarers*** The Shieldbearers of St. Elcga The Steel Garrote
Chanter***	Support & CC	Beckoner** Skald Troubadour*** Bellower
Priest Priest (PL4*) Priest (PL7**) Priest (PotD)**	Support	Berath (best; useful Druid spells **) Eothas Magran Skaen (access to Rogue abilities **) Wael (few builds: only for Wizard spells *) Woedica (SummonedClaws: Fist +20%RAW *)
Ranger**	Striker & Defender	Sharpshooter* Ghost Heart** Stalker* Arcane Archer
Wizard***	CC & Striker	Conjurer* Enchanter Evoker* Illusionist Transmuter Blood Mage***

* = my Rating

Stats

Attribute	Bonus (per point)	Defense (per point)
Might	+3% Damage / Healing
Constitution	+5% Health
Dexterity	+3% Action Speed +4% Stride
Perception	+1 Accuracy
Intellect	+10% Area of Effect +5% Duration
Resolve	-3% Hostile Effect Duration +1 Deflection

Char Creation 3 (Disposition)

In short, Disposition is a Reputation-system that defines how individual NPCs react towards the Player (Watcher). Additionally, for Paladins and Priests it has direct consequences in COMBAT. Luckily for us, it´s not game-breaking.. in fact just minor penalty in worst case.


For more details please read:
https://pillarsofeternity.fandom.com/wiki/Disposition#In_Pillars_of_Eternity_II:_Deadfire

Note: Expert-Mode will NOT show indicators in front of your reply-options. That means you really have to read carefully to prevent "unwanted" Reputation changes!

Class Resource (limited /endless)

While you start each Encounter with FULL Resources, some classes can replenish during combat..

____CLASS____	Resource (limited)	Resource (endless)
Barbarian	Rage
Chanter		Phrases
Cipher		Focus
Druid
Fighter	Discipline	-conditional- (Tactician)
Monk	Mortification	Wounds
Paladin	Zeal
Priest	Faith
Ranger	Bond
Rogue	Guile
Wizard		-conditional- (Bloodmage)

Solo vs Multi -Class (SC vs MC)

It should be said that the game has shifted quite a bit since 2018..

• 1. some classes were extremely strong/overpowered ,which was fixed later.
  
• 2. many strong skills (esp. those that enabled gamebreaking benefits) got nerfed!!
  
• 3. Multiclassing is the way to go. Pure Monk /Chanter/ Cipher is a relict of the past..

__CLASS__	_SC_	_MC_
Barbarian	+++	++
Fighter	++	+++
Rogue	++	+++
Monk Monk (SC Lv.19)	++ +++	++ ..
Paladin	+	++
Chanter	++	+++
Cipher	+	+++

__CLASS__	_SC_	_MC_
Druid	++	++
Wizard	+++	+++
Priest	+	++
Ranger	++	++

+ = ok ..... ++ = good ..... +++ = strong

As you can see above, Obsidian tweaked the game to encourage Build-diversity !!
In return, some classes suffer underwhelming SC-performance (eg: Priest,Cipher,Paladin) ,while a few can keep their strenght but focus on core-features (eg: Barbarian,Wizard,Druid,Ranger).
Generally though, most classes benefit from Multiclassing (eg: X+ Chanter/Cipher/Fighter/Rogue)

Question: SC-builds "outperform" MC-builds ?? (esp. Monk + Wizard)
This is a valid question and tbh the answer has two aspects.. I´ll cite myself:

Opprinnelig skrevet av wespe___o=/:*:

I see this a lot and it´s generally not true. Part of the reason is new players reading Guides from 2018 and then assume Monk + Wizard must be OP.
Personally, I like that Obsidian improved Multiclassing and reduced powercreep. But the Scaling of most Skills does not fit well with Soloclass

Wizard T8/9 is not really important vs strong bosses.. it´s just a flavour for pure Caster.
SC Monk is only useful, if you plan to go MonkFist (unarmed).. even then it´s not really above strong MC-Monks.

What many dilute is Leveling Performance vs Overall Performance.
- SC has benefits because you can use all those nice Abilities quite early.
- MC needs much longer to grow powerful AND often requires special Gear.
But overall @Lv.19+ MC builds outperform most SC builds easily.

-> Ofc, without DLCs the game is basically 90% done at that point. That´s why some Veterans say SC-builds (at least some classes) are better for base game..

PL-Comparison: SC vs MC

T i e r	-SingleClass-	-MultiClass-
I	1	1
II	3	4
III	5	7
IV	7	10
V	9	13
VI	11	16
VII	13	19
VIII	16
IX	19

Multiclass chars cannot use T8/9, but have access to way more Passives and all T1-7 Skills from the Combo-class, which results in even better performance in most cases.

Cases of SC > MC	-Details-	Remarks
Wizard	T8 / T9	Lv19+: Pure Mage is extremely strong ..2 Skills end the fight
Monk	T9 WhispersOfTheWind	Lv19+: Win 99% of fights with 1 Skill ..boring
(Barbarian)	access T7 earlier	shines Lv.13-18 ..only good as temporary filler
(Fighter)	T8 nice / T9 crazy	use Empower : ..30seconds of Mayhem, then goes oom
(Cipher)	T8 / T9 highly situational	MC=best ..unless Specialist-Party (+8 PEN Buff is insane)
(Druid)	best T8/T9 also as Scrolls	SKIP ..Elemental Caster requires Gear & T7 Cipher support

Level-UP & SCALING Influence

Base Stats are the same @Lv20, all +bonuses come from Gear or temporary Buffs during fights.
Secondary Stats (HP, Acc, Defenses) still increase on Level-up to display your growth.
Passive Skills: some provide Stat-Bonuses (HP, Acc, AR, PEN) or Resistances (-1 Affliction Lv)
Additionally..

• Weapons: +Acc, +PEN, +Dmg are SCALING bonuses related to item quality.
  Summoned Weapons autoscale to your Lv.
  
• Abilities/Spells: influenced by PL (some more than others)
  
• Spells: influenced by PL. Available "Spells per Tier" per Encounter is defined by your Lv.

Melee vs Ranged (Physical)

In general, Melee damage is much higher, more consistant and has fewer drawbacks with proper armor. While everyone can carry ranged weapons, there is no point to hit like a wet noodle..
Ranged (Physical) requires a class that can make every shot impactful (!) and it should be mentioned: Ranger+X ..and Barbarian+X are superb.

Note: most ranged weapons are Pierce-type, only Bows+Rods are Pierce/Slash - both 2Handed, while Scepters are Crush/Slash but considerably weaker because 1handed
Note 2: careful with dualwield because many strong skills only use "Primary Attack (MainWeapon)

• Ranged - how to DPS :
  1. Ring of the Marksman (+4 Acc /+1 PEN with ranged weapons)
  2. +PEN Buff (Berzerker, Priest..)
  3. -AR Debuff (Wizard, Chanter, Cipher..)
  4. High Acc plus Graze->Hit and Hit->Crit conversion (Fighter, Barbarian, Priest, Cipher..)
  5. RAW dmg + DoTs (Rogue, Barbarian..)
  6. Weapon Modal (Warbow)

Active / Passive Skills (+Proficiency)

Active Skills

Skills that require Activation (mostly during Combat) and have initial cost
-> depleting your Class-resource!

Passive Skills

permanent Bonuses that require no activation - huge benefit of Multiclass (MC)

Weapon Style & Proficiency

• DualWield ("Two Weapon Style"-Passive), can be used without but you miss -15% Recovery Bonus (still get the standard -30% though)
  
• Shield ("Weapon and Shield Style"-Passive), can be used without but you miss extra +6 Deflection Bonus
  
• TwoHanded ("Two-Handed Style"-Passive) , can be used without but you miss + 15% Dmg bonus obviously

Proficiency is only important, if using the Modal for your Weapon-type (often not worth it) and if you are Fighter (Dmg bonus with Proficient weapons).

note: -Soulbound- Weapons cannot be equipped, If you have the wrong class !!
(for more details scroll down ->Links)

Creating PoE 1 Savefile (ALL Decisions)

..if you cannot (or dislike to) import your original, I strongly suggest this video..
"PoE 1 Backstory + ALL Decisions" in a Nutshell: https://youtu.be/FwaBji6SWlQ

Berath´s Blessing (new game +)

..available AFTER getting Achievement points in former Playthroughs..
-> check the video above to see a detailed explanation of your PoE1 Background /Berath´s Blessing

Aside from many options regarding your Backstory (related to PoE 1), you can enable a second Pet SLOT (Party Buff) and other benefits. This can be a huge advantage ^^
Most notably:

• -15- ..Pet-Slot activated for Eder
  
• -3- ....All (Class-)Skills +2
  
• -15- ..All Stats +2 (not shown during Char-creation)
  
• -15- ..reduced Crafting/Enchanting costs
  
• -8- ....Infamous Captain (Mutiny bonus: +3 Intimidate, +5% Damage)
  
• -12- ..3x Master Sailor ( special crew: 4* in two professions)
  
• -5- ....Unique item Vendor at Port Maje
  
• -15- ..50k starting money
  
• -12- ..World map explored
  
• -12- ..start at Lv.4 (after Prologue)

Training available.. (3000 cp)

Carlo's Training	+1 Diplomacy, +1 Sleight of Hand	Lifter's Refuge
Kae's Training	+1 Metaphysics, +1 Stealth	Lifter's Refuge
Coel's Training	+1 Bluff, +1 Streetwise	Radiant Court
Elias Zelen's Training	+1 Explosives, +1 Mechanics	The King's Coffin
Geirvard's Training	+1 Arcana, +1 History	Serpent's Crown
Granis' Training	+1 Athletics, +1 Survival	Kahanga Palace
Mark Van Der Bij's Training	+1 Alchemy, +1 Religion	The Sacred Stairs
Marofeto Liano's Training	+1 Insight, +1 Intimidate	Sayuka

Party Setup

In PoE 2 you have 5 Slots for your Party. That means you bring your Hero + up to 4 helpers..
It´s smart to mix a bit because you need some melee fighters and some debuffers/supporters.
Singleclass vs Multiclass is a longterm decision that impacts the game quite a bit.. Single (one class) grows strong "faster" and can reach the highest (T8/9) Abilities/Spells, while Multi takes longer and cannot get T8/9 ..but allows more passive skills and is very strong Endgame.

Melee

• Single-Target
  #1 option - Rogue
  Sadly, Backstab Assassin is very tricky in Party and not worth it.. most times you will not get the bonus except on first hit. Much better results, if played SOLO (micro-managing included).
  
  
• AoE
  Strongest AoE besides Endgame-Wizards is Offensive Tanks (like 2H Brute) and tanky DPS like DW Swashbuckler/Psyblade/Mindstalker..
  Druids allow good Melee builds via Shapeshifting, but you need some Gear to get it running.
  Note: Lv.13-18 SC Barbarian has the edge with PL7 Passive, though Lv19+ MC is better

Ranged

• #1 option - Ranger:
  Best Ranger is Maia (Companion).. by a mile (thanks to her unique Subclass + Pet "Ishiza")
  -> Ishiza fully specced is basically your 6th party-member ːD
  (Ishiza is immune to Engagement: that means she can´t be stopped easily, no "Disengagement-attacks", no "Flanking from Engagement" ..-> resulting in much less Dmg-taken)
  
  "Custom" Ranger can be good, ..but for the most part it´s just OK, not superb. Maia = Best
  Before you get her, use Serafen (2x Pistol or Melee Barbarian) for Earlygame

Spellcaster (ranged + melee)

Magic users like Wizard/Priest/Druid are typically "ranged" (spell description shows the respective range), but many casts are Buffs/Selfbuffs and allow them to be solid Melee-fighters or mid-range supporters.. especially with powerful summoned weapons

Party-related thoughts:

• #Rule of Thumb: 3x Melee + 2x CC/Support/Ranged
  Important: ..focus one Rogue on Mechanics to break Locks.. and spec another Char for SlightOfHand to steal/pickpocket.. (otherwise money becomes a problem)
  
• Multiclass needs Lvl 10-13 to feel good. That means Multiclass-Party takes longer to get strong, but it´s worth it Mid/Endgame.
  -> I would always suggest a Chanter + Cipher + 1-2 Wizards for Debuff/Sustain.
  
• Druid-healing helps a lot Midgame, but once Chanter is Lv.19+ and your Party 80% geared, you can play without
  
• Paladin is also great Early/Midgame, later SC falls behind. Lvl 13+ MC builds shine.

Some Hints:
- If you´re new, I suggest to use the Companions +Sidekicks, but make them Multiclass
- Lv.10+ you are mostly finished with Neketaka itself.. now you can start to gear up and start your career as a famous Pirate.. time to start plundering the seas ːD
- Lv.17+ you can think about replacing most Companions by Custom chars because at that point you got the hang of it and Companion-quests are mostly done.
- Tweaking AI-Scripts helps a lot


Story-heavy Party (Suggestions):
If you want to enjoy max Story and Dialogue.. while maintaining a solid Party I´d suggest:
Eder (Fighter/Rogue) +Aloth (Wizard/Rogue) +Pallegina (Paladin/Chanter) +Maia (Ranger/Rogue)
- Xoti (Priest/Monk) would be your Healer-Substitute for her Quests
- Serafen (Cipher/Barbarian) until you get Maia and for his Quests
- Konstanten (Barbarian/Chanter) solid option for 2H Melee Carnage
- Fassina (Wizard/Chanter) is a decent choice Mid/Endgame ->Custom char is better
- Ydwin (Rogue/Cipher) starts glass-cannon, but once geared a monster like Mirke ;D
- Mirke (Monk/Rogue) is very strong.. ->Custom char is slightly better
- Vatnir (Priest/Chanter) not needed outside BeastOfWinter (Endgame).. still better than Xoti
- the others (Tekehu [Chanter/Druid] and Rekke [Barbarian/Fighter]) are more or less optional, but still nice to have during Shipfights (->up to 6 Reserve-Slots ^^)

Companions / Sidekicks

Companions are fully voiced and have a solid Background as well as personal Questchain.
-> Eder, Xoti, Aloth, Serafen, Maia, Pallegina, Tekehu

Sidekicks are the budget Companions... less talk.. almost no interaction in Dialogues.
-> Konstanten, Ydwin, Fassina, Mirke, Rekke, Vatnir (BW DLC)

Movement (Stealth/Walk/Run)

In contrast to the first game, PoE2 Deadfire has "Pickpocket" skill and solid Stealth mechanics.. so you can Stealth / WALK / RUN - even with multiple selected Chars or whole Party

Since Obsidian has true professionals at work, you can use..

• UI-Toggle (Mouse pointer) or
  
• Hotkey (Keyboard)
  
  

STEALING (+ income , + progress faster)

Warning: Get used to stealth before pickpocketing, otherwise you are in extreme trouble near guards and will mess up FACTION REPUTATION (aka mess up your game)

#GOLDEN RULES :
1. timing
2. paying attention
3. distraction (in guarded places you need to create that time-window yourself)

General process:
Stealth > Lockpicking
Stealth > Stealing/Pickpocketing (Slice of Hand)

Some Hints:

• Remember to PAUSE ..Stealing is all about well-timed pausing the game
  -> Obsidian made it easy by indicating if you get caught, whenever a box/pocket is opened
  
• 2 chars ..it helps to split Lockpicking + SliceOfHand because of the underlying mechanics
  
• USE your other party members to bind NPCs and change their field of view ^^

Note: Make sure to scroll down and read ->Combat Mechanics ->Stealth !!

Pirating - plundering the seas

A word on your potential career as a ship captain solving issues, while filling your pockets:

1. Naval Combat
(note: Cannons have zero value outside of Naval combat.. not needed for BOARDING)
Well.. it seems fun at first to defeat strong enemies with cannons instead of your Party, but overall it´s a drawn out way with serious downsides. Let me elaborate:
- Ship Hull takes damage and requires repair
- Crew gets injured or killed (not smart if you want to fight dozens of ships)
- lucky hits/crits by the enemy might result in.. Loading a Savegame ^^
- decently fast Repair requires enough non-injured Crew
- injured Crew has to heal/recover (reducing your combat ability greatly)
- explosions and fire will also give you headache
As the Dmg of your cannons is very limited, you are guaranteed to get beaten up by stronger enemies, resulting in a week of repairs after every fight.
-> That´s why I wouldn´t suggest this approach for Farming Gold.

2. Boarding

• Starting Ship is OK, but in the longrun you want a fast sturdy ship
  (-> Junk: good Sails, strong hull, a ton of Crew & Cannons)
  
• effective Pirating starts with DHOW ..until you get the JUNK (helps vs Lv.16+ enemies)
  
• ~Lv.14 is a good time to start serious Pirating as Neketaka is explored and you travel a lot
  
• Singleclass works. Fights around Lv.10-13 might feel easier. Good option to explore "early"
  
• Multiclass has a big advantage, but you need Lv.13/16/19 (-> PL 5/6/7), before rather weak
  
• immediate BOARDING prevents any damage towards your ship ..which is a major benefit

RAIDING-Party = 11(!) Heroes (with JUNK ship)

Note: COMBAT Slots are only important when BOARDING ships and NOT shown in the game

max Crew Slots :	defined by Ship-type
max COMBAT Slots (9-11) :	defined by Ship-type (JUNK has 11)
Priority for COMBAT-Slots:	Party + X (X= Companions/Sidekicks/Custom > Crew)

-> That means your Crew will never have to fight, if you have enough Companions/Sidekicks/CustomChars to switch in TAVERN

• Example JUNK (biggest Ship):
  With optimized Party +6 ReserveSlots (Companions/Sidekicks/Custom) your BOARDING-Party has Max-size 11, which is enough to battle even the hardest pirates on even terms
  

  Ship Boarding.. Combat-Slot-Priority:
  central Position (slots: 1-5) -> Partymembers
  left/right Flank (slots: 3+3=6) -> inactive Companions/Sidekicks > Crew

Expectable Loot:

• Lv.13+ 50-100k possible, but some Lv.16+ ships can be challenging
  
• Lv.16+ 100-200k per hour is doable and quite safe
  
• Lv.19+ 300-500k possible (tweaked AI +geared Party =100% Win without Injury)

note: most enemy ships are worth 7-10k plus Consumables/Ingredients/etc

Ship -Types/Upgrades/Crew

Make sure to check https://pillarsofeternity2.wiki.fextralife.com/Ships
Ships cost a ton of Gold, so the smart way is:

• StartingShip > DHOW ..then get all important Upgrades.. > JUNK

Gear (Armor, Jewelry, Weapons...)

Gear example: Offensive Endgame Tank (2H)

..as you can see even with debuffed Stats in fight, barely taking damage and selfhealing, selfboosting.. (5-8 enemies = 10 seconds of mayhem)

Head-Slot

Some helmets provide good Stats + Bonuses
note: "Godlike" cannot wear helmets (head slot unusable) which can be a disadvantage

Pro-tip:
1. Tank + Healer want helmets (exception Monk/Priest)
2. Some items (Headgear/Accessories) are VERY strong..
https://pillarsofeternity.fandom.com/wiki/Pillars_of_Eternity_II:_Deadfire_accessories

Armor

..Recovery is usually important, don´t hamper yourself too much.. Light/Medium Armor is best before Endgame (Lv 16+)

Category	Recovery Penalty	Base AR	_Weakness_
Light Cloth Armor	0%	3	-- none --
Light Hide Armor Leather Armor Padded Armor	20%	5	Hide : 3 vs Slash / Corrode Leather : 3 vs Crush / Freeze Padded : 3 vs Pierce / Fire
Medium Breastplate Mail Armor Scale Armor	35%	7	Breastplate: 5 vs Slash / Shock Mail : 5 vs Crush /Freeze Scale : 5 vs Pierce / Corrode
Heavy Brigandine Plate Armor	55%	9	Brigandine : 5 vs Pierce / Corrode Plate : 5 vs Crush / Shock

Jewelry /Belt /Boots /Cape

Necklace and Rings can provide strong Bonuses.. equip fitting bonuses that help your char
Belts are perfect to rise +Con.. or get Resistances.. or Push/Pull Immunity
Boots increase Stride (Movespeed), or protect from Afflictions.. some increase Stats
Capes can increase your Deflection /other Resistances /increase CastSpeed /heal from Fire Dmg

Weapons

Ranged:

Bows/Xbows (all 2H)	Firearms (Veilpiercing)	Magical
Arbalest - slow Crossbow - average Hunting Bow - few good ones War Bow - strong	Arquebuse - strong, but slow Reload Pistol (1H)- nice, but Single-target (Modal: +50% Recovery speed / -25%dmg is great) Blunderbuss (1H) - small AoE, but short range + low dmg	Scepter (1H) - average Rods (2H) - few good ones Wand (1H) - OK, but weak

Melee - 1H:

• Dagger - fast and deadly (Modal: +10 Deflect / -25%dmg is great)
  
• Battle Axe - few but strong, Mid/Endgame weapon
  
• Club - nice Debuff vs Casters (Modal: -10 Will / -25%dmg is great)
  
• Flail - overall very mediocre
  
• Hatchet - great Debuff on fast DW chars (Modal: -10 Acc / -25%dmg is great)
  
• Mace - only few good ones
  
  
• Rapier - evade it, 1-2 OK for specific builds
  
• Sabre - some very good ones, also top dps
  
• Spear - one really worth it (Mid/Endgame)
  
• Stiletto - useless
  
• Sword - several good ones (Watcher´sBlade, Modwyr, ..)
  
• War Hammers - near impossible to find a good one before Endgame

Shields:

• Small Shield - small one is ideal for Monk
  
• Medium Shield - best choice (30% chance to block weapon dmg / -25% Recovery speed)
  
• Large Shield - not really needed, because 2H Tank is extremely viable

Melee - 2H:

• Estoc - skip it.. Piercing is the worst Dmg-type.. all Uniques are Piercing-only ;((
  
• Great Sword - best 2H weapons.. some are very powerful (Effort, TwinEels, Sanguine)
  
• [2H Battleaxe - use 1H talent(!), only 2 exist: Amra, Oathbreaker´sEnd]
  
• Pike - a few good ones for Caster (mostly Druid)
  
• Morning Star - most useful if you play Barbarian or use "Willbreaker" (OP)
  
• Pollaxe - Midgame option for Tanks (+1 Engagement / -10% Stride)
  
• Quarterstaff - a good one for Mage/Monk

note: Summoned Weapons use the respective Proficiency when equipped!! Few exceptions for Hands (Woedica, Nanasin, Concelhaut,..) and Druid Shapeshift as those have special mechanics

SCALING (Item-Quality / Monk FIST)

Better Item-quality means quite strong Bonuses to Damage, Accuracy and Penetration

Quality	Damage	Accuracy	PEN (Weapons) / AR (Armor) / Deflection (Shield)
Fine	+15%	+4	+1 / +1 / +2
Exceptional	+30%	+8	+2 / +2 / +4
Superb	+45%	+12	+3 / +3 / +6
Legendary	+60%	+15	+4 / +4 / +8
..Mythic..	+65%	+18	+5 / .. / ..

The last option is rather unlikely.. unless you play Monk (unarmed = base PEN 7).


Monk Fist - SCALING

Monk unarmed	Damage	Accuracy	PEN bonus
PL1	+5%	2	1
PL3 (Fine)	+20%	6	2
PL5 (Exceptional)	+35%	10	3
PL7 (Superb) @Lv.13+	+50%	14	4
PL9 (Legendary) @Lv.19+	+65%	18	5
PL11 (Mythic) @Lv.22+	+80%	22	6
PL13 ..OP...@Lv.25+	+95%	26	7
PL15 ..OP...@Lv.28+	+110%	30	8

note: incl. "Transcendent Suffering" bonus (+5% Dmg, +2 Acc, +1 PEN)
PowerLevel can be increased by Gear, Food, "Prestige" passive Skill (L20 ->SC-only), Race bonus

Playstyle (Strategy)

I´d like to point out that this game rewards active Engagement instead of Defending and sitting it out. That means a classic TANK is not needed, depending on your Party and Gear even Healer might often feel like a wasted slot @Lv.13+ ..at least in standard skirmishes without big bosses.

PARTY

Party is the standard version and you can rely on Allies (Companions /Sidekicks /CustomChars) to help completing your Quests and fight packs of enemies.
-> A mixed Party-setup helps to cover for weaknesses or give you the edge by adding strong CC/Healing
General procedure: (Stealth) > Debuff/Attack Casters/Rogues first > Eliminate the rest and Boss

100%Melee /100%Ranged is possible, but requires Multiclassing to perform well.
-> I´d suggest to include 1 Chanter (passive AuraHeals +Summons) + 2 Wizards (AoE CC/Debuff).
That way, you can manipulate each fight in your favor and kill fast (->taking less dmg).

note: 3 Frontliners is a safe way to protect your casters, while engaging the enemy in force and wiping out threats on the go. It will be hard for enemies not to get rooted/killed before reaching your Backline. Still, I´d give my casters good Light Armor to make sure they can survive a few hits..

SOLO

It´s possible to succeed this game Solo (no party). But it requires some game knowledge and a good Solo-build with fitting Gear (ideally using Berath´s Blessing too).
-> Rogue + Chanter/Paladin/Wizard can do it well.. other options require certain weapons, which can be tricky depending on your build
General procedure: Stealth > Debuff/Attack > Kill 1-3 Enemies > Retreat > ..again..

Best Builds (borderline OP)

There is plenty of good builds in Pillars of Eternity 2, some are strong Allrounders, while others are situational (eg: Trashmobs, Bosses), require a certain Playstyle (eg:Stealth) or require very special Gear to get the build working...

Melee

Fighter + X ..is a great choice, nice Stances
Barbarian (+ X) ..strong, but requires kills to unleash his full potential
Monk + X ..can be strong, but more fun as Singleclass to enjoy WhispersOfTheWind ^^
Paladin + X ..Offtank by nature, very durable, nice Auras

X= Chanter, Cipher, Wizard, Rogue ..(in some cases also Fighter, Druid)

Ranged

Ranger + Rogue ..best choice.. good Gear makes this combo very strong
Barbarian + Rogue ..strong with Bows IF you get kills - otherwise average

SOLO + Challenges

Want to be among the best 5% ?? Or beat Challenges without dying nonstop ??..

• Chanter/Paladin - almost undying Tank that outlasts enemies.. Herald is a bank, but kills slow
  
  
• Paladin/Rogue - very useful Stealthkiller (DoTs) and extremely capable melee.. HolySlayer rocks
  
  
• Fighter/Cipher - offensive Allrounder, quite tanky and durable, hits very hard.. Melee Monster
  
  
• Wizard/Cipher - high potential, but clearly a Lv.10+ Mid/Endgame build.. strongest Caster
  
  
• Chanter/Cipher - the power of lolz.. bit weak early, strong Midgame.. Endgame Summoner King

Combat -- How to win.. !!

Deadfire has predictable combat mechanics, BUT dropping AoE-spells is still skill-based (unless you rewrite the AI completely^^).. that means you have to predict where the enemy moves.. or wait till they stop. Here, you have some options:

1. Engage and bind enemies with your Tank + Offtanks
-> downside: dropping multiple AoE now, can hurt your teammates or might even kill them

• TANKs: Paladin, Fighter, Barbarian are great out of the box
  
• Off-Tanks: Rogue + Monk are solid, same for Melee-Ranger and Shapeshifter-Druid
  
• universal Multiclass-options: Cipher, Priest, Wizard
  
• Tank-Pets: Chanter (also decent MC-Offtank himself)

2. CC (CrowdControl) is your friend.. Root & Destroy (high INT = big Radius)

• use 2 Wizards+ (MC is enough.. but high INT).. have one cast BindingWeb ..the other ExposeVulnerabilities.. then drop your nukes (AoE, Summons, etc)
  
• alternative: Cipher (MentalBinding) / Ranger (BindingRoots).. +Druid (Nature´sMark)
  this will also reduce incoming damage in first 15seconds (->mandatory for Veteran+)

3. Stealth allows you to sneak upon your targets and kill threats in first seconds of a fight
-> this improves Party-survivability a lot (especially Earlygame, if you run with squishy caster-builds), but you have to be aware of your surroundings and it´s generally a more tactical approach


->>> Your overall GOAL should always be:

 "Eliminate as many enemies as possible within first 15 seconds" 

• to reduce incoming damage,
  
• reduce flanking options for the enemy,
  
• and overwhelm the surviving targets

COMBAT - RTwP vs TurnBased

1. "Recovery time" (RTwP) becomes "Initiative" (TB)
   -> Lower Initiative means acting earlier in a round
   
2. all normal actions (Standard Actions + Casts) cost ActionPoints
   
3. Free Actions cost zero ActionPoints and are very powerful:
   
   • happen instantly
     
   • unlimited number of free actions per turn (!)

For more details please consult:
https://pillarsofeternity.fandom.com/wiki/Turn-based_mode

COMBAT Mechanics (detailed)

Engagement

-> This is probably the best detailed answer you will find.. ːD
(for full article see ->Links)

...Compared to PoE1, Deadfire introduces the following very important mechanical changes to engagement:

• Characters no longer have any starting engagement (an engagement limit of 0). In PoE1, all characters by default could engage one foe so long as they had a melee weapon.
  
• Equipping a shield now bestows +1 engagement. In Deadfire, this is the only way to recreate the universal "free" engagement that characters had in PoE1. A couple weapon modals provide +1 engagement but require the specific weapon proficiency so while weapon proficiency-based engagements are universally accessible it's not "free."
  
• Characters no longer drop active engagements if they perform a non-melee attack-based action. This means in Deadfire you can drink a potion, read a scroll, or even cast a spell and not lose any active engagements.
  
• You can now move and reposition while engaged and not trigger a disengagement attack so long as you stay in melee range. This is a big improvement over PoE1 and means your characters can move around a bit for advantageous targeting without triggering disengagement.
  
• Characters will briefly drop engagement on foes who are under hard CC effects (e.g. paralyze, stun) or prone/interrupt. The latter also applies to flanking; you briefly lose flanking on targets who are recovering from a prone or interrupt...

Interrupts / Concentration

(for full article see ->Links)

Concentration stacks and each point cancels one Interrupt
-> Usefulness depends on your build (eg: fast Attackers will barely feel it, but Arquebus gunner might become useless in a fight once engaged/interrupted..)

Armor / Penetration

No Penetration means little damage on target, while high Penetration ends up with Bonus-dmg.
example: Let´s say your Penetration is 10.. Enemy Armor is X..

10 vs 16 ..- Underpenetration (-75% dmg)
10 vs 15 ..- Underpenetration (-75% dmg)
10 vs 14 ..- Underpenetration (-75% dmg)
10 vs 13 ..- Underpenetration (-75% dmg) -> 3+ below AR
10 vs 12 ..- Underpenetration (-50% dmg) -> 2 below AR
10 vs 11 ..- Underpenetration (-25% dmg) -> 1 below AR
-------------------------------------------------------
10 vs 10 ..- PEN no bonus (0%)
10 vs 9 ..- PEN no bonus (0%)
10 vs 8 ..- PEN no bonus (0%)
10 vs 7 ..- PEN no bonus (0%)
10 vs 6 ..- PEN no bonus (0%)
-------------------------------------------------------
10 vs 5 ..- Overpenetration (+30% dmg) -> PEN twice as high
10 vs 4 ..- Overpenetration (+30% dmg)

As you can see, Overpenetration-bonus is rare against stronger enemies. The bigger problem is Underpenetration.. especially Spellcasters should get Class-Passive (+1 Pen) because base with most spells is 7.. (stronger spells 9).

note: some Weapons have high base Penetration (eg: Warhammer, Mace, MorningStar, Pollaxe, Warbow, Arquebus, Scepter) and better Item-quality improves that with Bonus (Fine +1 ; Exceptional +2 ; Superb +3 ; Legendary +4)
-> PEN 12+ will break through 90% of Armor in PoE 2: Deadfire ^^

Accuracy vs Crit

Accuracy is always better than Hit->Crit. .. Why?
Rolls (base): 0 -30 Miss , 31-50 Graze , 51-100 Hit , 100+ Crit
Example 1 (strong Endgame-char): 0 -25 Miss , 26-41 Graze , 42-84 Hit , 85+ Crit
Example 2 (buffed 2H Endgame-Fighter): 0 -18 Miss , 19-31 Graze , 32-67 Hit , 68+ Crit

Crit = 25% Dmg-bonus +50% PEN-bonus

+Accuracy = less Misses/Grazes, more Hits/Crits

As you can see, Hit->Crit is the candy on top.. after you explored all other options.
It´s powerful, but overall +Acc is more useful after checking Penetration chart above

Graze = -50% Dmg

-> That means even (Over-)penetration attacks that only "graze" targets get reduced to Underpenetration levels.. in fact worse than a normal HIT ;((

For AoE (eg: Carnage, Weapon AoE , Spell-AoE):
+Acc is most valuable because Grazes/Misses are really bad
#rule of thumb: try to affect 80-90% of your AoE targets

Is Hit->Crit useless ? No, ofc not. But you need high Accuracy .. Why?

 high Accuracy = almost never Miss, rarely Graze, mostly Hits or Crits 

Crit-conversion is most useful, if you HIT a lot

Stealth

Here´s a simple summary in one word: problematic
1. to enter Stealth you must be out of sight from anyone not in your Party.

• all NPCs have Hearing Range (Circle shown in Stealth-mode)
  
• all NPCs have Vision Cone (being in sight gets you detected much faster)
  
• being directly in front of NPCs will ALWAYS get you spotted - be careful

Note: Vision Cone extends beyond the circle, in case you´re wondering why you can´t enter stealth when near Guards ^^

2. actions that require Stealth:

• sneacking past dangerous enemies (requires high Stealth Skill!)
  
• Pick-Pocketing (requires Slight of Hand Skill)
  
• Stealing from Chests
  
• *Sneak Attack (+25% Bonus-dmg; +5% per PL => up to 70% for Lv.20 SC Rogue)
  
• *Backstab (+100% extra-Bonus for attacks made within 2m)

3. the important part: Stealth Combat is *Rogue-only
In contrast to other games attacks from Stealth get you ZERO bonus unless you´re Rogue.
-> Rogue gets the class-ability "Sneak Attack", which means %Dmg bonus and scales!
(One exception: Priest of Skaen - also a rogue, gets lesser Sneak Attack + Shadowing Beyond)

Stealth Combat

Now let´s have a look into Rogue´s Stealth Combat:

• (Assassin Subclass: +25Acc /+4PEN /+50% Crit Dmg ..for ALL attacks from Stealth)
  
• Sneak Attack (+25% Bonus-dmg; +5% per PL => up to 70% for Lv.20 SC Rogue)
  
• T1 Backstab (+100% extra-Bonus for attacks made within 2m)
  
• T7 Deathblows (+50% Bonus-dmg, if Target is afflicted by 2+ conditions for Sneak Attack)
  
• Invisibility Skills: T2 Smoke Veil / T4 Shadowing Beyond / T8 Enduring Shadows
  
• situational (requires attack): T9 Vanishing Strike
  
• let´s not forget Rogue´s great Passive: T5 Deep Wounds (+20% RAW DoT)

Note: wasting Rogue´s resource (Guile) for Invisibility/Mobility is.. questionable.
Even at Endgame you can´t hide more than a few times during combat unless a Cipher is fully supporting. But why should a Cipher do that when boosting Resource-Regen of Wizard, Priest or Fighter helps the Party much more !? °_°

More issues..

• Because setting up Invisibility and Backstab eats time and resources, your Rogue-DPS is quite average (despite high Peaks) compared to Brawler-type Rogues that can solo a pack of enemies without issues
  
• To add more salt: Sneak Attack + Deathblows work WITHOUT STEALTH ^_^
  -> 2x AoE Afflictions and your Rogue will NEVER need Stealth unless you want to Backstab

This makes it very clear that Multiclass has no real downside.
-> In fact, combining with martial Classes like Fighter or Monk makes MC Rogue even stronger !! Being invisible during Combat has a very high opportunity cost and is rarely worth it beyond the initial attack from Stealth, especially in first 10-13 Levels where your Guile and Dmg are quite low.

Stealth even worth it?
Well.. without micro-management Stealth-Rogue makes no sense.. the AI is better off with Streetfighter subclass or none.. ideally paired with Fighter or Monk. Also, a really stealthy Stabber kinda requires Soloclass to use Gambit ..or a fitting Multiclass (Priest of Skaen, Barbarian).. otherwise resources are not enough to justify mediocre DPS and the Party-slot.

COMBAT: Afflictions vs Inspirations

For details please check this article about Status Effects[pillarsofeternity.fandom.com]

Overall, Resistances are very powerful because :
1. you can ignore T1 Afflictions (which are the most common) 
2. any T3 Affliction is downgraded to Tier2. 
That´s why you should see Resistances as the first layer, Buffs/Inspirations as the second. 

As a recent forum discussion revealed, it´s hard to grasp the mechanics behind the Affliction-counter system without misunderstanding it as some Immunity, which it is not(!). It´s only a Counter, that´s why Resistances are so important against harder Encounters (since most classes have limited Buffs, which you don´t want to waste).

Thanks @D´amarr to provide a very good source with examples. (I marked the important parts, but please read the whole link once) :

Opprinnelig skrevet av D'amarr from Darshiva:

--> https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/pc/227477-pillars-of-eternity-ii-deadfire/faqs/76599/afflictions-and-inspirations

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/pc/227477-pillars-of-eternity-ii-deadfire/faqs/76599/afflictions-and-inspirations
...
In rare cases, characters can also have affliction immunity. This won't prevent them from recieving inspirations of the given type, but literally no affliction of that type will be able to affect them.

Importantly, an inspiration of any tier will counter an affliction of any tier of the same type. So if an enemy is affected by Swift, you can dispel it by using any dexterity affliction; the affliction won't get applied but will cancel out the Swift.
...
Do note that resistances are checked before being applied... This is important because it means that if you have e.g. dexterity resistance and a Quick inspiration, being hit with a Hobble will keep the Quick inspiration in place since it will be resisted away before it can interact with the Quick (instead of being applied first, countering Quick, and then being resisted down to nothing). This means that resistances can not only keep characters safer but can also help inspirations stay in place for longer, ...


Other buffs and debuffs
Now, while many buffs and debuffs are implemented as inspirations and afflictions, there are others. Sometimes they accomplish something extra. Sometimes they provide a way to interact with enemies or allies without countering opposing inspirations and afflictions (priest Devotions for the Faithful provides a +4 might to allies, but this might bonus can't counter a might affliction)...

Lastly, some buffs or debuffs are composed of multiple parts. Triumph of the Crusaders for examples is an AT4 priest spell that grants both Strong as well as a heal-on-kill effect. In such a scenario, countering the main inspiration or affliction does not counter the entire buff. The remaining effects stay...

Tricks vs Hard enemies

The easiest way to evade healing issues for your party:
 use PRIEST multiclass (-> Triumph of the Crusaders).. esp. if your frontliners AI setup is tailored to be near each other
 use RANGER multiclass (-> Combokill Debuff literally deletes bosses)
 use Paladin multiclass (->focus: HP Regen + LEECH)
 use a TANK (ideally Brute -> check my builds in the Guide)
 use 2x Chanter multiclass and tank with a dozen summons

How to STOP enemy Spellcasters ? ..from destroying your Party ?

Thanks to @Asuwi for this question. It´s definitely worth pointing out for new players.

Asuwi
still unsure on how to setup an interrupt since enemies usually gets a successful cast when all my characters are in cooldown.
is there an AI setup for an auto interrupt or do you turn off AI auto attack and micro your character to interrupt manually?

Regarding Interrupts..

While many skills and spells have Interrupt onCrit (30/50/100%) or even onHit, it still requires a fast attacking Melee (MartialClasses or special Unique items) to keep enemies interrupted.
BUT.. don´t worry, there are other ways to prevent casting:

1. via Afflictions (Stun/Paralyze/Frighten/Terrify are very powerful)
   https://pillarsofeternity2.wiki.fextralife.com/afflictions
   
2. Charm enemies to have them fight for you (temporarily)
   
3. Ground effects that cause Prone (esp. Slicken spell, but also some skills)
   
4. Wizard spells are almost OP (FormOfTheHelplessBeast is ok, but only single-target).
   The real gamechangers are Arkemyr´sCapriciousHex, GazeOfTheAdragan,
   ..and the crazy-strong RyngrimsRepulsiveVisage (Trickster also has it!) -- on a Martial Char plain unfair, if you have a way to debuff Fortitude (eg: Morningstar -25 Fortitude)
   SC Wizard Caedebald´sBlackbow (each shot hits 2 targets, even resisted still with Frighten^^ ..so yes Wizard Party is OP, I´d suggest not using it, MC is more fun)
   
5. specialized Druid also works (OverwhelmingWave, RelentlessStorm, Nature´sTerror)
   
6. unique options are available for:
   
   • Priest of Woedica: WRIT (of War, of Sorcery) !!
     
   • Cipher: (DefensiveMindweb - SC only), StasisShell -- bubble to isolate strong enemy
     
   • Wizard: TemporalCocoon (SC -only) -- bubble to isolate strong enemy
7. also remember defending against Debuffs via ArcaneDampener, SuppressAffliction, etc makes some fights much easier

Regarding AI..

If you want, you can have AI cast these conditionally. Examples:

• on target Spellcaster,
  
• or whenever 2+ enemies are in melee with yourself/ally,
  
• or whenever you/ally has certain buffs/debuffs (Inspirations/Afflictions),
  
• etc..

AI -Tweaks (Adjusting combat logic)

Well.. This is a HUGE topic and gets rather complicated once we dive into advanced combat automation. Tbh, it requires a complete Guide of its own.. just to discuss all related factors ;(

#Some golden rules:
1. Decide what action you want to execute
2. Analyze what it´s connected to and work on all these factors
3. Tweak your AI every few levels (as it does not autoscale) 

Sources I recommend for Starters:

• this video (even in 2022)
  
• this Steam Guide https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1392162466

Save Files (Location)

 C:\Users\..<UserProfile>..\Saved Games\Pillars of Eternity II 

Note: Ingame you can only keep 8 chars (+ Watcher) exported, but nothing prevents you to create a Backup-folder and swap manually

Savefiles gone ?!
You can still find everything in the folder mentioned above.
But If you are taking a longer break I´d suggest to make a Backup-copy of that folder, as you never know when Windows requires a fresh Install or your SSD generates issues.

Editing Char Portraits

Note: Reinstalling the game will OVERWRITE those files, make a BACKUP ^^

REPLACE (Copy+Paste in the right folders) - check this guide:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1623840749
CREATE your own - check this :
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1390858382

MODS

#top20 Mods - Overview[www.fandomspot.com]
Most useful (not gamebreaking):

• Enhanced UI (adds Colors + Rank info for descriptions)
  
• Portraits Pack (more avatar pics)
  
• Community Patch (many optional tweaks)

Note: In my book, other stuff like NoFriendlyFire, 6thPartyMember, IncreasedLevelCap, PetUnlocker, etc is basically cheating. Still up to you..

UNITY Console

UNITY-Console will deactivate Achievements for that Playthrough, IF the <savefile> is manipulated
->> you can try out Console, just DON´T save 

Make sure to download and install Unity console, then apply this fixed .PY file (page 3):
https://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/topic/7112276-unity-console-for-poe2-30-bugs/

CONTROLLER vs Mouse+Keyboard

Note: PoE2:Deadfire was developed around RTwP and Mouse+Keyboard input.
And yes, there is no official Controller support, but good news.. still works.
While Mouse+Keyboard help a lot with Hotkeys, you might find Controller working quite well.
Controller shines in turn-based mode, as RTwP depends more on your Playstyle & Keybinds.. also Controller+Keyboard works (NUMPAD really helps in conversations).

Check these Steam-Guides.. very helpful I heard^^
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1425147544
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1400823082

Versions + DLCs

PoE 2 Deadfire (Standard)	base game
Season Pass	incl. all 3 DLCs Beast of Winter (BW) Seeker, Slayer, Survivor (SSS) Forgotten Sanctum (FG)
- Beast of Winter	..a mysterious Cult focused around the end of the world (challenging)
- Seeker, Slayer, Survivor	..Kazuwari, the challenge island (tons of combat)
- Forgotten Sanctum	..Eora´s dark secret hidden within the Black Isles (hard)
Explorer´s Pack	Soundtrack +digital Map +Guidebook +Guide +cosmetic items (pirate hat, pet)
OBSIDIAN Edition	incl. everything (PoE2 Deadfire + SeasonPass + Explorer´sPack)

Ideal Story Progression:
Start the base game, enjoy first 50+ hours of Story and get your Companions & Sidekicks. After finishing most of Neketaka, plus exploring all nearby islands, your Faction Questlines should be progressed and you´re ready for the DLCs ^^

• Beast Of Winter - You can start the moment you reach that island in the south, BUT I´d do Neketaka first and wait till ~Lv.13
  
• Seeker,Slayer,Survivor - triggered after AshenMaw (quest: "He waits in Fire") and NOT instantly available. It comes most naturally while you explore islands (and hopefully do some Pirating). Go into Ship View: Talk to the Steward on your ship. Open the box you found. Sail for Kazuwari.. I wouldn´t play it below Lv.16
  
• ForgottenSanctum - triggered by finishing the Faction Questline or getting the BlackwoodHull... which means you´re ready to survive Ondra´s Mortar. Also Lv.19-20

---

FREE DLCs

LINKS

God Challenges (Magran Fires)[gamefaqs.gamespot.com]
...
Companions: https://brightrockmedia.com/2020/01/14/pillars-of-eternity-2-best-classes-poe2/
Class: https://brightrockmedia.com/2020/01/14/pillars-of-eternity-2-best-classes-poe2/
Multiclass (Combo-names)[pillarsofeternity2.wiki.fextralife.com]
Priest (detailed)[gamefaqs.gamespot.com]
Priest: Spiritual Weapons[pillarsofeternity.fandom.com]
Status effects: https://pillarsofeternity.fandom.com/wiki/Status_effects_(Deadfire)
Soulbound: https://pillarsofeternity.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_soulbound_items_(Deadfire)
Berath´s Blessing: https://pillarsofeternity.fandom.com/wiki/Berath%27s_Blessings
...
Engagement[gamefaqs.gamespot.com]
Interrupt/Concentration[gamefaqs.gamespot.com]
Ships +Crew +Upgrades[pillarsofeternity2.wiki.fextralife.com]
...
QUESTS (modern+fast)[pillarsofeternity2.wiki.fextralife.com]
Quests (classic +background details)[pillarsofeternity.fandom.com]
...
Performance issues? check these:

• https://support.obsidian.net/article/42-solutions-for-general-performance-issues
  
• https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1834551579

#top modern CRPGs (2022): https://www.thegamer.com/crpgs-best-games/

BUILDS.. cheap Fillers (Story / noGear)

Note: These builds cost almost nothing and perform quite well. (Custom builds in ->Tavern)

• Melee - DPS - Holy Slayer

  (Trickster / Bleak Walker) *DW
  -Aura- Lv10 Healing AoEs
  ..great Rogue, not squishy, Lv13+ Dmg explodes
  
  

• Melee - DPS - Votary

  (Helwalker /Goldpact) *DW
  -Aura- Lv10 Healing AoE
  ..strong DPS with high AR & deadly fists
  
  

• Melee - DPS/Offtank - Fanatic

  (Berserker / KindWayfarer) *2H
  -Aura- Lv7 + Lv10 Healing AoEs
  ..starts Lv10, Lv13+ great, Lv19+ awesome

• Melee - DPS/Offtank - Crusader

  (Devoted / KindWayfarer) *DW
  -Aura- Lv7 + Lv10 Healing AoEs
  ..cheap Allrounder, starts Lv10,
  @Lv16+ self-sustaining without Gear
  
  

• Melee - DPS/Offtank/Support - Howler

  (Troubadour / Barbarian) *2H
  -Aura- Lv1 Healing AoE
  ..good Allrounder, Lv13+ strong,
  @Lv16+ Berserker subclass is best
  
  

• Melee/Caster -DPS/Support- Thaumaturge

  (Bloodmage / Priest) *2H /DW
  -SummonedWeapons- Lv4 & Lv13
  -Phantom- Lv10 ..+ Buffs,Debuffs,Heals
  ..perfect for poor adventurers who still need Fighters & Healer

• Healer - Healer/Offtank - Herald

  (KindWayfarer / Troubadour) *2H /1h+S
  -Aura- Lv1/7/10/16 Healing AoEs
  ..dedicated Healing turret

BUILDS.. I like (Veteran/PotD) - melee

Here, I´m going to list a few options to enjoy the game without cheesing..

Melee - TANK - Brute (Unbroken / Barbarian)

perfect 2H Disengage-TANK.. can bind 6+ enemies, survive and kill all ^^

• "Unbroken": +1 Engage-Slot / Disengage-attacks: +10 PEN !!
  
• ideal weapon: -Greatsword- TwinEels (BW DLC: AoE-Heal on Kill)
  
• alternative weapon: -MorningStar- Willbreaker (extremely strong -available quite early)
  
  
• T2 ConfidentAim (30% Grace->Hit with proficient weapons!)
  
• T3 DisciplinedStrikes (+5 PER /+50% Grace->Hit /+25% Hit->Crit)
  
• T4 WeaponSpecialization (+10% Dmg with proficient weapons!)
  
• T5 GuardianStance (+3 Engage-Slots / Dmg-Reduction depending on Engagers)
  
• T5 ArmoredGrace (-25% Armor Recovery penalty)
  
• T6 RefreshingDefense (+20 All Defenses - refreshing when taking Dmg!)
  
• T6 OverbearingGuard (Disengagement attacks: +15 Acc /+50% Dmg)
  
• optional: T7 UnbendingTrunk (instantly heal 33% Dmg taken) - usually not needed!
  
• optional: T7 Unbreakable (Auto-Revive on Death: +10 All Defenses / +2AR)
  
  
• T1 Blooded (+25% Dmg vs <50% HP targets)
  
• T2 AccurateCarnage (+5Acc for Carnage AoE-attacks)
  
• T2 ThickSkinned (+1AR -slash,crush,pierce- / +1 Engage-Slot)
  
• T3 BloodySlaughter (vs <25% HP targets: +20% Hit->Crit /+50% Crit-dmg)
  
• T3 OneStandsAlone (+20% Melee-Dmg / harder to get Flanked)
  
• T4 SavageDefiance (Emergency SelfHeal / +2 AR) - rarely needed!
  
• T5 BarbaricSmash (+20% Dmg /+50% AoE-dmg /+30% Hit->Crit /+50% Crit-dmg -> cost refunded on Kill !)
  
• T6 BruteForce (attack vs Deflection use Fortitude instead, if that is lower!)
  
• T7 BloodThirst (on Kill: Instant Recovery for 10sec!)

useful items: The Undying Burden (Belt: +2 CON / Dmg-reduction / + SecondWind -healing-), Reckless Brigandine (HP-loss: +0-20% Dmg /+0-2 AR ../+1 Engage-Slot)

Melee - DPS/Offtank - Psyblade (Devoted / Soulblade)

superior 2H DPS with tons of RAW dmg & CC (..excels in combat vs groups/Bosses)

• WeaponProficiency (+2PEN,+25%Crit-dmg): -Greatsword- (ideally: TwinEels)
  
• T2 Two-HandedStyle (+15% dmg with 2H)
  
• T2 ConfidentAim (30% Grace->Hit with proficient weapons!)
  
• T3 TacticalBarrage (+5 PER /+50% Grace->Hit , +5 INT, +1PL)
  
• T4 WeaponSpecialization (+10% Dmg with proficient weapons!)
  
• T5 MobStance (each Kill allows additional melee-attack, faster Recovery vs multiple targets)
  
• T5 ArmoredGrace (-25% Armor Recovery penalty)
  
• T6 RefreshingDefense (+20 All Defenses - refreshing when taking Dmg!)
  
  
• PenetratingVisions (+1PEN with Cipher spells)
  
• optional: TenuousGrasp (-5RES, -3PL, -5INT)
  
• Eyestrike (AoE Debuff: Blinded [-10Acc + Flanked])
  
• T2 DrainingWhip (+20% Dmg, +100% FOCUS-Gain)
  
• T2 RecallAgony (30% DPS re-applied as RAW)
  
• T2 MentalBinding (AoE: Immobilize [also -5DEX] + Paralyze [stunned, 25%Hit->Crit])
  
• T2 PsychovampiricShield (Buff & Debuff: +5RES / -10RES ..-> meaning -20Will !!)
  
• T2 PhantomFoes (AoE Debuff: Flanked = -10Def & vulnerable to SneakAttacks)
  
• T3 HammeringThoughts (+1PEN with weapons)
  
• T3 SecretHorrors (AoE Debuff: -5RES, -3PL, no hostile skills, -5CON, -25%Healing)
  
• T4 BodyAttunement (Buff & Debuff: +2AR / -2AR)
  
• T5 BorrowedInstinct (Buff & Debuff: +20Acc, +20 ALL Defenses)
  
• T6 EmptySoul (+10Acc with Cipher spells)

(Melee) - Stealth/DPS - Holy Slayer (Assassin / Bleak Walker)

specialized DW Stealth-Killer (DoTs).. strong + tanky enough to solo multiple enemies in Melee

• "Assassinate" - all Stealth attacks : +4 PEN /+25 Acc /+50% Crit.dmg
  
• ideal weapon: -dagger- Lover´s Embrace (->TrueLove´sKiss -DoT from Stealth)
  
• ideal weapon: -dagger- Marux Amanth (->WorthySacrifice -kills target <25%HP instantly)
  
  
• T2 SmokeVeil (-> invisible for 5sec)
  
• T2 Backstab (+100% dmg from Stealth)
  
• T3 GougingStrike (+10Acc /+25% Dmg /+RAW DoT -till end of combat!)
  
• T4 PersistantDistraction (->Flanked)
  
• T5 DeepWounds (+20% RAW dmg)
  
• T7 Deathblows (+50% Dmg vs targets with 2+ Afflictions)
  
  
• T3 BrandEnemy (Burn DoT -till end of combat!)
  
• T3 SharedFlames -BleakWalker- (all attacks add "Sickened" + Corrode dmg)
  
• T5 InspiredBeacon (Blinded / +40% dmg vs targets)

useful items: Rakhan Field Boots (Teleport+AoE), Slippers of the Assassin (Stealth after Kill)

Melee - DPS - Brawler (Devoted / ShatteredPillar)

extremely strong DualWield /2H DPS in Medium+ Armor

• T2 ConfidentAim (30% Grace->Hit with proficient weapons!)
  
• T3 DisciplinedStrikes (+5 PER /+50% Grace->Hit /+25% Hit->Crit)
  
• T4 WeaponSpecialization (+10% Dmg with proficient weapons!)
  
• T5 MobStance (each Kill allows additional melee-attack, faster Recovery vs multiple targets)
  
• T5 ArmoredGrace (-25% Armor Recovery penalty)
  
• T6 RefreshingDefense (+20 All Defenses - refreshing when taking Dmg!)
  
• optional: T7 UnbendingTrunk (instantly heal 33% Dmg taken) - usually not needed!
  
  
• T1 MortificationOfTheSoul (+2 Wounds)
  
• T1 LesserWounds (Dmg-Treshold to gain Wounds reduced by 20%)
  
• T3 SwiftFlurry (33% chance on Crit to attack again!)
  
• T4 ThunderousBlows (+5 MIG / +2 PEN)
  
• T4 EnlightenedAgony (+5 INT / -50% Hostile effect duration)
  
• T4 EnduringDance (+Acc & Wounds till 3 hits received)
  
• T4 RootingPain (light Crush-AoE + Interrupt-AoE!)
  
• T6 TurningWheel (+1-5 INT / + 2-10% Fire dmg)
  
• 2H: T7 SkywardKick (+50% Dmg / +3 PEN)
  
• DW/1h: T7 TheDichotomousSoul (summon 2 Elemental Souls: Fire dmg + Frost dmg)
  
• T7 HeartbeatDrumming (25% chance on Crit to attack again!)

Melee - DPS - Shadowdancer (Trickster / ShatteredPillar)

extremely strong DualWield /2H DPS

• T3 StriketheBell (+25% Dmg / +2PEN / +RAW DoT)
  
• T3 Riposte (attacks vs Deflection that miss you result in free Counterattack!)
  
• T4 PersistantDistraction (->Flanked)
  
• T5 DeepWounds (+20%RAW dmg)
  
• T7 Deathblows (+50% Dmg vs targets with 2+ Afflictions)
  
  
• T1 MortificationOfTheSoul (+2 Wounds)
  
• T1 LesserWounds (Dmg-Treshold to gain Wounds reduced by 20%)
  
• T3 SwiftFlurry (33% chance on Crit to attack again!)
  
• T4 ThunderousBlows (+5 MIG / +2PEN)
  
• T4 EnlightenedAgony (+5 INT / -50% Hostile effect duration)
  
• T4 EnduringDance (+Acc & Wounds till 3 hits received)
  
• T4 RootingPain (light Crush-AoE + Interrupt-AoE!)
  
• T6 TurningWheel (+1-5 INT / + 2-10% Fire dmg)
  
• 2H: T7 SkywardKick (+50% Dmg / +3 PEN)
  
• DW/1h: T7 TheDichotomousSoul (summon 2 Elemental Souls: Fire dmg + Frost dmg)
  
• T7 HeartbeatDrumming (25% chance on Crit to attack again!)

Melee - DPS/Support - Cantor (Troubadour / ShatteredPillar)

I can suggest this non-Mainstream Nutcracker:

• Combat start gets you wounds.. ShatteredPillar only 5max.. but TurningWheel = 1-5INT
  
• start T4+ Buffing with EnlightenedAgony (+5Int)
  
• T1 ..Shield cracks (You keep all enemies -2 AR -> T3 refreshes "on Hit")
  
• T1 Not felled by the Axe.. (AoE-Buff: +4 AR Slash/Shock -> T4.. +4 AR Pierce/Burn)
  
• T4 The Brideman.. (Buff: +5 MIG/RES -> T6.. +5 CON and refreshes on Kill)
  
• Aura: T6+ Old Siec..
  
• and MC-monk is great DPS (As always: T3 SwiftFlurry + T4 ThunderousBlows ..and you´re good)

Party:
-> in combo with 2H Brute/Brawler or Shadowdancer/etc.. AND Paladin+X (ideally Herald or Templar).. no enemy will survive the onslaught
Watcher can do what he wants.. and no.5 should be a Wizard+X to support with CC+Debuff

BUILDS.. I like (Veteran/PotD) - support

Melee - Healer/Offtank - Herald (KindWayfarer / Troubadour) -- #1 Healer

#1 Healer - "Healing Zone" (1h+Shield).. passive Aura is crazy (Endgame: 120-180HP/min)
-> Don´t be too much Offtank or CC-bot, focus on "Healing + Support"

• T3 GreaterLayOnHands (strong Heal / +2 AR)
  
• T3 SharedFlames -KindWayfarer- (AoE: all attacks heal on Hit)
  
• T4 ExaltedEndurance (healing Aura / +1 AR)
  
  
• T1 Not felled by the Axe.. (AoE-Buff: +4 AR Slash/Shock -> T4.. +4 AR Pierce/Burn)
  
• T3 ..Two Fingers of Daylight (decent ranged Heal +RES immunity!)
  
• optional: T4 Brideman (Buff: +5 MIG/RES -> T6.. +5 CON and refreshes on Kill)
  
• T5 RighteousSoul (Immunity vs Poison/Disease)
  
• T5 PracticedHealer (+15% Healing effects)
  
• Aura: T6+ Old Siec.. (12% Dmg Leech)
  
• Aura: T7 Mercy and Kindness.. (+50% improved Healing effects)

useful items: ideally gear for Resistance (vs All Afflictions) and Immunity vs Push/Pull effects!

Midrange - Healer/Buffer - Celebrant (Priest of Wael / Troubadour) -- #1 Support

#1 Support - "King of PartyBuffs" (1h+Shield).. this dedicated healer can be a gamechanger!
-> Downside: really needs Cipher Support (T7 Brilliant) for longer fights, otherwise a 50% Herald with top-notch Defenses but not much offense besides Debuffs/Roots
Wael [1. Arcane Veil 2. Iconic Projection 3. Mirrored Image 4. Llengrath's Displaced Image
5. Confusion 6. Arkemyr's Wondrous Torment 7. Gaze of the Adragan]

• T0 Suppress Affliction
  
• T1 Restore
  
• T2 Holy Meditation / Withdraw ..#T2 Weapon and Shield Style
  
• T3 Dire Blessing / Watchful Presence ..#T3 Bear's Fortitude
  
• T4 Triumph of Crusaders / Devotions for the Faithful / Litany for the Body
  
• T5 Litany for the Spirit / Champion's Boon ..#T5 Practiced Healer
  
• T6 Spiritual Ally
  
• T7 Minor Avatar / --- (Lv.20 Resurrection)
  
  
• Aura: T0 Come, come soft Winds.. --> 4HP/3sec
  
• T0 Not felled by the Axe... (T4 ..Nor trusted Blade) --> +4 AR Slash/Shock/Pierce/Burn
  
• T1 ..Upon the Shield (T3 Shield cracks) --> -2AR Debuff (Cone)
  
• T1 The Thunder rolled.. --> 12sec STUN!
  
• T3 Two fingers of Daylight.. --> decent ranged Heal +RES immunity!
  
• T4 The Brideman.. (T6 ..Each kill fed his Fury) --> +5 MIG/CON/RES
  
• #T5 Uncanny Luck
  
• Aura: T6+ Old Siec.. --> 12% Dmg Leech
  
• Aura: T7 Mercy and Kindness.. --> +50% improved Healing effects!!

useful items: 1h+Shield (Current´s Rush + Lethandria´s Devotion ->Aura: 2HP/6sec)

Miderange - Healer/Support - Theurge (Lifegiver /Troubadour) -- #1 Burst Healer

Lifegiver (+2 *Rejuvenation): [1. *Nature's Vigor 2. *The Moon's Light 3. *Nature's Balm
4. *Moonwell 5. Cleansing Wind 6. **Garden of Life 7. **Nature's Bounty]

• T1 Nature´s Mark
  
• optional: T1 Touch of Rot
  
• T2 ~Woodskin (T4 is the upgrade but longer cast!)
  
• T3 *Purge of Toxins
  
• T4 ~Form of the Delemgan
  
• #T5 Rapid Casting + #T5 Practiced Healer (+15% Healing effects)
  
• T7 Rusted Armor

• Aura: T0 Come, come soft Winds.. --> 4HP/3sec
  
• T0 Not felled by the Axe... (T4 ..Nor trusted Blade) --> +4 AR Slash/Shock/Pierce/Burn
  
• T1 ..Upon the Shield (T3 Shield cracks) --> -2AR Debuff (Cone)
  
• T1 The Thunder rolled.. --> 12sec STUN!
  
• T3 Two fingers of Daylight.. --> decent ranged Heal +RES immunity!
  
• T4 The Brideman.. (T6 ..Each kill fed his Fury) --> +5 MIG/CON/RES
  
• #T5 Uncanny Luck
  
• Aura: T6+ Old Siec.. --> 12% Dmg Leech
  
• Aura: T7 Mercy and Kindness.. --> +50% improved Healing effects!!

useful items: 2H Staff: Spine of Thicked Green [+2 ~Plant /*Rejuvenation /**Restoration]

BUILDS.. I like (Veteran/PotD) - ranged

Midrange - DPS/Support - Loremaster (Troubadour / Bloodmage)

flexible Summoner with high Utility (AoE- Debuff/CC) and solid DPS (Summons+Phantom)
-> staying alive is more important than doing Dmg.. you have endless Summons+Phantom ^^

• "BloodSacrifice": take variable RAW Dmg and refresh a Spell of equivalent Tier
  
• summoned weapon: Critzal´sSpiritLance (AoE) ..or Nannasin´sCobraStrike (strong RAW DoT)
  
  
• Aura: T3 AncientMemory (small HoT: Regen!)
  
• optional: Aura: T6 OldSiec.. (12% Dmg Leech)
  
• optional: Aura: T7 Mercy and Kindness.. (+50% improved Healing effects)
  
• T7 AncientInstrumentsOfDeath (summon 3 strong Weapons)
  
  
• T1 ChillFog (AoE)
  
• T1 SpiritShield (+3 AR /+ Concentration)
  
• T2 ..VitalEssence (+5 CON/INT)
  
• T2 Bulwark.. (+5 Elemental AR)
  
• optional: T2 Web (AoE Root)
  
• optional: T2 Concelhaut´sCorrosiveSiphon (AoE DoT+Leech)
  
• T3 ArcaneDampener (AoE-field: remove enemy Buffs)
  
• T3 Llengrath´sDisplacedImage (+10 Defl. /+20Reflex /incoming Hits: 30% Hit->Grace)
  
• T3 ExposeVulnerabilities (AoE-Debuff: -2 AR /-10 Defl.)
  
• optional: T3 DeleteriousAlacrityOfMotion (+5 DEX, +100%Stride, +15% ActionSpeed ..but -HP DoT on Self requires Healing/Leech)
  
• T4 FlameShield (Burn-dmg Retaliation /+10 Freeze AR)
  
• T4 EssentialPhantom (shadow Duplicate of yourself incl. weapons!)
  
• optional 1: T4 Nannasin´sCobraStrike (DualWield SnakeFist with strong RAW DoT)
  
• optional 2: T5 Critzal´sSpiritLance (2h Pike with good AoE ~2m)
  
• T5 Llengrath´sSafeguard (activates <50% HP: +20 All Defenses / +5 AR !)
  
• T6 ArcaneReflection (100% Reflection vs Spells)
  
• T7 Critzal´sMartialPower (+5 MIG/CON/DEX / +20Defl. /+20Acc ... - prevents Spellcasting!)
  
• T7 WallOfDraining (extends beneficial effects, while reducing enemies´ duration)

Midrange - Pet DPS/Support- Spiritualist (Beguiler / Troubadour)

..true NEMESIS: strong AoE Buffer/Debuffer + tons of CC + Charms (enemies fight for YOU!!)
->>> Sasha´sSingingScimitar is required to perform 100% (for more info check Lv.19+ Builds)

• optional: T1 ..Shield cracks (You keep all enemies -2 AR -> T3 refreshes "on Hit")
  
• optional: T4 The Brideman.. (Buff: +5 MIG/RES -> T6.. +5 CON and refreshes on Kill)
  
• T5 The Bride.. (Buff: +5 PER/DEX -> T7.. +5 INT)
  
• Aura: T6 OldSiec.. (12% Dmg Leech)
  
• T7 AncientInstrumentsOfDeath (summon 3 strong Weapons)
  
  
• PenetratingVisions (+1PEN with Cipher spells)
  
• optional: ValorousEchos (Ally: +5 MIG/PER)
  
• optional: TenuousGrasp (-5RES, -3PL, -5INT)
  
• T2 MentalBinding (AoE: Immobilize [also -5DEX] + Paralyze [stunned, 25%Hit->Crit])
  
• T2 PhantomFoes (AoE Debuff: Flanked = -10Def & vulnerable to SneakAttacks)
  
• T3 SecretHorrors (AoE Debuff: -5RES, -3PL, no hostile skills, -5CON, -25%Healing)
  
• T4 BodyAttunement (Buff & Debuff: +2AR / -2AR)
  
• optional: T5 BorrowedInstinct (Buff & Debuff: +20Acc, +20 ALL Defenses)
  
• T5 RingLeader (AoE: Charm [buffed basic attacks] + Dominate [full arsenal])
  
• T6 EmptySoul (+10Acc with Cipher spells)

BUILDS.. I like (PotD + TripleCrown)

Since PotD is a flexible term, I´d specify two scenarios ...

1. enjoy PotD (Path of the Damned -difficulty)

• Fighter / Cipher (Watcher - 2H Melee) DEX+PER (+INT MIG)
  
• Fighter / Barbarian (Tank - 2H Melee) DEX+PER (INT MIG)
  
• Chanter / Wizard (DPS Support - CC +Summons) PER+INT (DEX)
  
• Chanter / Paladin (Healer - Scepter +Summons) MIG+INT (DEX)
  
• no.5 -ideally- Rogue / Barbarian (DPS - 2H Ranged) DEX+PER (INT MIG)
  no.6 (swap with Rogue) -- Rogue / Priest (Support - Ranged) DEX+PER+INT

-> Note: you can vary, but have 2 Melee + Cipher + Wizard ready.. plus Chanter/Paladin ofc


2. comfy "TripleCrown" Party (Achievement +all options) :

• The Watcher
  
• Paladin /Chanter ..Healbot +Buff +Summons
  
• Chanter /Cipher ..Aura +Buff +Summons ..+Debuff (+Resource generator)
  
• Wizard /Cipher..for CC/Utility ..+Debuff (+Resource generator)
  
• no.5 -ideally- Priest /X (eg: Rogue) ..solid combat +Buffs +very useful against hard Bosses
  no.6 (swap with Priest) -- Rogue/Paladin ..Stealthkiller with endless DoTs

-> Note: 2x Melee (Fighter/Monk/Rogue +X) buy enough time for your Backline to flood the field with Summons and dominate the flow of combat
..100% Ranged is rather tedious, esp. since enemies try to rush/snipe your Casters!!

I like this Setup because it´s quite classic (just utilizing Multiclass) and well-rounded, which means that -even if 3 teammates go down- you can still WIN hard fights.

It´s universal and fits whatever way you want to play.. meaning:
1. you can enjoy the game without fear that you run out of resources or enemies outlast you ^^
2. you have 2 teammates capable of REVIVE (Paladin+Priest ..or 2x Paladin)
3. no Exploits + no Buff-stacking + no Cheesing required

->>> There are some faster Builds, but very few succeed with average Party-stats (all 10+)

BUILDS.. I like (PotD: -solo-)

First a warning:
1. doing PotD without (much) fighting is wayyy easier (Diplomacy ftw) ..no shame, your choice!
2. IF you hopefully chose the Combat-route.. make sure you know the game (at least 1 Party-Playthrough to be familiar with most mechanics and bosses)
3. PotD is hard for many builds and some fights unfair (esp. first 20sec WaveRush)
Doing this -solo- ..is really "harsh" -- only few builds qualify (without extreme cheesing + exploits)

Honestly, I could list a few, but the overall best should suffice:

Midrange - DPS/Support/CC/Striker - Battlemage (Tactician / Bloodmage)

why this Build?

• ..Personally, I rate this build even above Monk
  
• ..with correct rotation you´re near immortal
  
• ..can clear complete rooms single-handedly
  
• ..Can even clear Gorecci Thugs (~Lv.4-5) + Digsite incl. Drake (~Lv.5-6) ..nuff said!

enjoy.. ^_^

PotD -solo- & Challenges:

Since some people insisted, here are options that can even beat the ULTIMATE:

• Wizard (Bloodmage)
  
• Priest (of Skaen)
  
• Fighter (Tactician)
  
• Monk (Helwalker or ForbiddenFist)
  
• Cipher (Ascendant or Psion)
  
• Chanter (Troubadour)

BUILDS.. DLCs -- Lv19+ Party (BiS Gear!)

These Builds are awesome, but require max Gear..
(* = micro-management; for details check respective builds chapter ->)

-ultraDPS-

Brute (Devoted /Berserker) -- God of war (high PEN +AR +Crit)
Marauder (Trickster /Berserker) -- extremely strong Dualwield (Modwyr +Magran´sFavor)
Shadowdancer (Trickster /Helwalker) -- 1hitter with RedHand (ranged)
Cantor (Troubadour /Helwalker) -- melee DW or RedHand (ranged); endless resources
Warlock (Barbarian /Bloodmage) -- Boss /Groupkiller (melee or ranged)
Hierophant* (Soulblade /Bloodmage) -- Bosskiller +CC

DPS/Offtank (= best frontliners)

Howler (Troubadour /Berserker) -- strong sustain DPS (#1 Berserker)
Fanatic (Paladin /Berserker) -- strong & almost immortal (#2 Berserker)
Psyblade (Devoted /Soulblade) -- strong sustain DPS + CC (& Bosskiller)
Battlemage (Devoted /Bloodmage) -- Groupkiller

DPS/Support

Thaumaturge (Bloodmage /Priest) -- flexible Allrounder (works without Gear)
Loremaster* (Bloodmage /Troubadour) -- flexible summoner (CobraStrike*)
Hierophant* (Bloodmage /Beguiler) -- God of spellcasting
Seer* (Ghostheart /Beguiler) -- strong ranged DPS with massive AoEs

Healing/Support

Votary (Helwalker /Paladin) -- strong DPS & passive healer (aura)
Shaman (BerathPriest /Berserker) -- offensive DPS healer & buffer/debuffer
Herald (KindWayfarer /Troubadour) -- extreme healing pillar (frontline)
Celebrant* (WaelPriest /Troubadour) -- midranged King of PartyBuffs (1h+Shield)

Pets & CC

Spiritualist* (Beguiler /Troubadour) -- Summoner King + endless resources
Wildrhymer (Stalker /Troubadour) -- strong midranged DPS-support + endless resources

TANK

Brute (Unbroken /Barbarian) -- best DPS tank (with support Berserker optional)

stealth DPS

Spellblade* (Evoker /Assassin) -- stealth Caster
Holy Slayer* (BleakWalker /Assassin) -- stealth DPS

BUILDS.. (Veteran/ ? ) -Druids- 🐢

Note: While being THE Allrounder (Healing, Debuffs, Melee Fighter, Ranged Caster, Summoner), not among the best Endgame options due to Scaling, his spells killing everyone and T8/9 Spells also available on Scrolls !! Additionally, Priest of Berath has all important Decay Druid spells.
TLDR: best Druid in the game -by far- is Tekehu (Companion) because of his unique Subclass!
..trading Fire dmg + Summons for Foe-only spells with Water-focus.. Tekehu = Water Wizard

SC Druid:

strong, but not superb. Limited spells, Summons that lack PEN, Fury Subclass (StormBlight) lacks healing, Shapeshifting is mediocre (Pierce or Slash dmg), etc.. -> also lacks Acc/PEN for PotD !!

..Unless you hate Wizards + dislike Scrolls + can support Druid with "brilliant" (Cipher T7), there is no reason going Druid for T9 GreatMaelstrom +AspectOfGalawain ..and T8 AvengingStorm !
-> T8/9 Wizard (esp. Evoker) is way more destructive by himself

MC Druid:

best option, but only a handful of Builds are smooth and require GEAR, otherwise you have a worse version of Fighter or Wizard that is also squishy. Subclasses have severe drawbacks that take Multiclassing for granted.. and keep in mind that Druid peaks Midgame (~Lv10-13).

• Druid/Barbarian: Melee 2H (Lightning/Shock) with Lord Darryn´s Vulge[pillarsofeternity.fandom.com]
  -> fun Melee and the strongest Lv.19+ Druid (can switch to Firebrand [100%Fire-Dmg])
  
• Druid/Rogue: Melee Shapeshifter (Shifter/Trickster or Shifter/Streetfighter) ..cheap DPS
  -> OK, not great. The moment you have good Gear +Support, other classes are better
  
• Druid/Paladin: Melee 2H Firebrand ..solid dmg & tanky - great Midgame option
  -> enemies resistant to Fire require Gear! Overall a slightly weaker Herald (Chanter/Paladin)
  
• Druid/Priest: strong Lightning Caster with ranged Shapeshift +Summons
  -> maybe the best Lightning build, still a bit weak for Endgame Pirating and DLCs
  
• Druid/Wizard: great Caster, but spell limit hurts ..best Elemental Caster!
  -> crafting Druid-spells on Scrolls makes SC Wizard or Wizard/Priest much stronger !!

DOWNSIDES: Druid´s versatility comes at high price -imho too high-, plus every strong AoE spell targets friend+foe.. meaning he can delete half your Party ;((

>>> Conclusion:
Druid has seen quite some Nerfs, be very cautious with reviews/builds from 2018/19. Overall beginner-friendly option for Classic/Veteran. Just don´t make him your "Watcher" as Druid falls behind Lv.19+ once other classes have T7 Skills & good Gear.. and avoid PotD.

MC "Lifegiver" (PotD):

The big exception from all the above because these Druids focus on keeping your Party alive and make the best "Burst Healers" in the game!! Best build is Theurge (Lifegiver /Troubadour)

• PotD is possible. Why? ..they evade all Druid downsides by purely focusing on Healing
  
• combined with Priest or Chanter you get a healing machine that can make your Party near immortal for 1-2min
  
• Mid/Endgame they see their limits in longer/harder fights, so Cipher support is mandatory (!)

Note: micro-management is needed. For details ..-> check Support Builds >>

BUILDS.. (Veteran/PotD) -Wizards- 🔥

Great option for Multiclass, if you don´t mind the long Pre-Buff phase..

• Spellblade (Rogue /Wizard) -- Aloth* ..strong combat mage, but requires Healing
  
  
• SC Wizard -ultraDPS- ..careful: like Druid the big Nukes kill everything(!)
  
  • Evoker ..the God of Burst! (Gear for "Empower" = WIN ..1-3 casts end all fights)
    
  • Bloodmage ..strongest Mage in longer fights -- esp. with Scrolls/Potions
• Loremaster (Troubadour /Bloodmage) -DPS/Support- ..-> check Ranged Builds >>
  
• Thaumaturge (Priest /Bloodmage) -DPS/Support- ..-> check PIRATE Builds >>
  
• Battlemage (Devoted /Bloodmage) -DPS/Offtank- ..-> check PIRATE Builds >>
  
• Warlock (Barbarian /Bloodmage) -ultraDPS/Offtank- ..-> check PIRATE Builds >>
  
• Hierophant
  
  • (Soulblade /Bloodmage) -ultraDPS/CC- ..-> check PIRATE Builds >>
    
  • (Beguiler /Bloodmage) -CC/DPS/Support- ..-> check PIRATE Builds >>
  
  

BUILDS.. (Veteran/PotD) -Priests- 🌟

While Priests are the best Support (#no.1 healer / buffer), they need T4 to get anywhere and T7 to become powerful. SC Priest is mostly a Spellcaster (spell limit like Wizard & Druid) with strong T9 Summon, which is also quite late.
Priest: Spiritual Weapons[pillarsofeternity.fandom.com]

Best Builds:

• Shaman (Priest / Berserker) -DPS/Support/Healer- ..-> check Berserker Builds >>
  Berath adds Ranged AoE option, while Skaen or Wael improve survivability/debuffs
  
• Thaumaturge (Priest / Bloodmage) - Melee DPS/Support/Caster -- DRUID 2.0 (!)
  ..2(!) SummonedWeapons (Lv4 & Lv13) +Phantom (Lv10) ..+ Buffs,Debuffs,Heals
  
• Templar (Priest / Paladin) - Melee DPS/Support/Healer -- strong Frontline Healer/Buffer ..PriestOfBerath/BleakWalker is your strongest DPS choice with 2H Greatsword (+Corrode)

BUILDS.. (Veteran/PotD) -Ciphers- 🎭

Tricky & squishy class, though worth it. Requires micro-management or good AI-scripts..

• Mindstalker (Rogue /Cipher) -- Ydwin* ..strong, but squishy & requires Healing
  
  
• Psyblade (Devoted /Soulblade) -DPS/Offtank- ..-> check Melee Builds >>
  
• Spiritualist (Troubadour /Beguiler) -Pet DPS/Support- ..-> check Ranged Builds >>
  
• Hierophant (Bloodmage /Beguiler) -CC/DPS/Support- ..-> check PIRATE Builds >>
  
• Witch (Berserker /Cipher) ..-> check Berserker Builds >>
  
• Seer (Ghostheart /Cipher) -DPS- ..behold the strongest Ranger? well, 80% Cipher DPS!
  Ciphers have a massive weakness to press AoE dmg, Ranger subclass provides you with summoned anchor point at will & instantly. Features: supportDPS +massive CC +Bosskiller
  Downside: micro-management is mandatory(!) to max DPS vs groups

BUILDS.. (Veteran/PotD) -Chanters- 👻

• Herald (Paladin/Chanter) Pallegina* ..good, BUT custom is even better
  
• Howler (Barbarian/Chanter) Konstanten* ..solid option for Melee Carnage
  
• Loremaster (Wizard/Chanter) Fassina* ..decent choice Mid/Endgame -> custom =better
  
• Celebrant (Priest/Chanter) Vatnir* ..special Subclass (Priest of Rymrgand)
  
• Theurge (Druid/Chanter) Tekehu* ..special Subclass (Watershaper)
  
  
• Herald (KindWayfarer / Troubadour) -Healer/Offtank- ..-> check Support Builds >>
  
• Loremaster (Bloodmage /Troubadour) -DPS/Support- ..-> check Ranged Builds >>
  
• Wildrhymer (Stalker /Troubadour) -DPS/Support- ..-> check Lv19+ PIRATE Builds >>
  
• Howler (Berserker /Troubadour) -DPS/Offtank- ..-> check Berserker Builds >>
  
• Cantor
  
  • (ShatteredPillar /Troubadour) -DPS/Support- ..-> check Melee Builds >>
    
  • (Helwalker /Troubadour) -ultraDPS- ..-> check Monk Builds >>

BUILDS.. (Veteran/PotD) -Berserkers- 👹

TLDR: #1-4 are definitely among the #top20 strongest Builds of the entire game. 
#2 Fanatic = no.1 Budget choice .. great for StoryBosses (Mid/Endgame)

WARNING: Berserker-Builds have high DPS and great AR, BUT handling "Confused"-Debuff can be a pain. ->>> Don´t rely on allies to fix your Frenzy debuff or you will wipe a lot!
Generally requires ~PL3-6 Skills or some special Gear (switching weapons with "maxed" Modwyr [Sword] ..alternatively DevilOfCaroc [MediumArmor])
Hint: don´t underestimate the RAW-dmg from Frenzy (60-80 dmg/minute @Lv19)!!

#1 Melee - DPS/Offtank - Howler (Troubadour / Berserker) -- no resource cost!!

..very strong dmg + PEN + almost immortal ...(detailed BUILD for impressions):

• ideal weapon: Oathbreaker´s End (BW DLC: AoE-Heal on Kill during weapon´s Crit-DoT)
  alternative weapon: TwinEels (BW DLC: AoE-Heal on Kill)
  
  
• T1 ..Crashed upon the Shield (AoE-Cone-Debuff: -2 AR -> T3 refreshes "on Hit")
  
• T1 ..soft Winds of Death
  
• T2 Two-HandedStyle (+15% Dmg with 2H weapons)
  
• T3 The Shield cracks... (AoE-Cone: -2AR ..refresh on Kill)
  
• T4 Bull´sWill (+10 Will)
  
• T4 CombatFocus (Concentration at start of Combat)
  
• T4 Tumbling (+20Def vs Disengage attacks)
  
• T5 The Bride.. (Buff: +5 PER/DEX -> T7.. +5 INT)
  
• T5 UncannyLuck (5%Resist, 5% Hit->Crit)
  
• T5 InterruptingBlows (50% chance to Interrupt on crit)
  
• T5 RapidCasting (+10% ActionSpeed with spells)
  
• Aura: T6 ..`Gainst the Fampyr´s Gaze (Resistance to INT/PER afflictions!)
  
• Aura: T6 OldSiec.. (12% Dmg Leech)
  
  
• T1 Blooded (+25% Dmg vs <50% HP targets)
  
• T2 AccurateCarnage (+5Acc for Carnage AoE-attacks)
  
• T2 ThickSkinned (+1AR -slash,crush,pierce- / +1 Engage-Slot)
  
• T3 BloodySlaughter (vs <25% HP targets: +20% Hit->Crit /+50% Crit-dmg)
  
• T3 OneStandsAlone (+20% Melee-Dmg / harder to get Flanked)
  
• T3 Bloodlust (on Kill: +20% ActionSpeed for 10sec!)
  
• T5 BarbaricSmash (+20% Dmg /+50% AoE-dmg /+30% Hit->Crit /+50% Crit-dmg -> cost refunded on Kill !)
  
• T6 BruteForce (attacks vs Deflection use Fortitude instead, if that is lower!)
  
• T7 BloodThirst (on Kill: Instant Recovery for 10sec!)

Note: second easiest Berserker (Lv16+) -even without Gear- because Chanter Aura (T6 ..Gainst the Fampyr´s Gaze) counters CONFUSED Debuff automatically and Leech (T6 Old Siec..) or Regen-Aura balance HP-loss from FRENZY

#2 Melee - DPS/Offtank - Fanatic (KindWayfarer / Berserker) -- no resource cost!!

..very strong dmg + PEN + almost immortal

• ideal weapon: Oathbreaker´s End (BW DLC: AoE-Heal on Kill during weapon´s Crit-DoT)
  alternative weapon: TwinEels (BW DLC: AoE-Heal on Kill)
  
• perfect synergy: Barbarian speeds up the rather slow attacks of Paladin, while the holy knight deals with Frenzy in the best way possible..
  
• perfect frontliner: most enemies can barely scratch you, while the Healing -Aura- supports your allies nearby. FlamesOfDevotion + Endgame Gear is only icing on the cake ^^

Note: easiest Berserker (Lv10+) -even without Gear- because Paladin Passive (T4 Mental Fortress) counters CONFUSED Debuff automatically and Regen-Aura +FlamesOfDevotion balance HP-loss from FRENZY

#3 Melee - ultraDPS - Brute (Devoted / Berserker) -- requires Healing Gear

..extreme dmg + PEN + high survivability

• ideal weapon: TwinEels (BW DLC: AoE-Heal on Kill)
  alternative weapon: Willbreaker (extremely strong -available quite early)
  Endgame weapon: Oathbreaker´s End (BW DLC: AoE-Heal on Kill during weapon´s Crit-DoT)
  
• Careful vs groups: ..requires BiS Gear or Healing Support!

Note: CONFUSED Debuff-Counter requires micro-management, but is available early Lv7+ (T3 TacticalBarrage) ..or special Gear!

#4 Melee (+Ranged) - DPS/Healer/Offtank - Shaman (Berath Priest / Berserker)

..2h Melee monster /Ranged AoE + Support + Healer -- near impossible to kill

• ideal weapon: Oathbreaker´s End (BW DLC: AoE-Heal on Kill during weapon´s Crit-DoT)
  alternative weapon: Magran´sFavor (Fire dmg &Heal) + SunGrazer (-1AR &Fire AoE ..on Crit)

Note: CONFUSED Debuff requires Lv7+ (T3 Prayer for the Spirit), but comfortable handling starts at Lv13 (T5 Litany for the Spirit) ..or special Gear!

---

#5 Ravager (Monk / Berserker) -- ok, but weaker than all above (unless Lv19+)

• Melee = more fragile Fighter before Lv19
  
• Ranged = Lv19+ great, but slightly outperformed by few Rogue/Ranger/Wizard builds
  
• Careful vs groups: ..requires Healing Support!

Note: CONFUSED Debuff-Counter at Lv10+ (T4 Enlightened Agony), still average Melee, whereas 2H Warbow is among the #best Ranged builds once Lv19+
ONE exception: Helwalker subclass is the strongest Monk (esp. Melee), if you have Gear &Healing! or a build that prevents a lot of dmg.. just hard to get there before Endgame/DLCs. Even then you want Priest or Chanter nearby and tbh #1-4 are more useful to Party!

#6 Warlock (Wizard / Berserker) -- ok, if you sacrifice spellcasting (Lv19+)!

• Barbarian+Phantom sounds cool, BUT Wizard needs no Barbarian once T5 Critzal´s SpiritLance is available. In Melee healing becomes a big issue, so you rely on allies.
  Often outperformed by Thaumaturge (Wizard/Priest) and Battlemage (Wizard/Fighter)
  
• exception -Ranged- (Bow) : fully geared Lv19+ Warlock is on par with #4
  Downside.. you need the best Bow: Veilpiercer ..ofc fully upgraded. Not for first 150hours.
  -> Perfect Script is mandatory for Buff-Mages, but this one really punishes any error!
  
• exception -Melee- (Dualwield Modwyr) : Unlikely you will have a "completed" + "not soulbound" Modwyr before Lv.12-15 in first Playthrough. Btw, 2H Barbarian is stronger.
  
• This particular combo is much better without the Subclass. Trading +2PEN for HP-loss is barely worth it because Wizard has same buffs and strong AoE debuffs to make up for it.. plus more buffs, plus nice spells

Note: CONFUSED Debuff-Counter at Lv4+ (T2 ..Vital Essence), sadly hampered by long Buff-Phase. Needs Lv19+ to shine (T7 Critzal´sMartialPower) -- at the cost of spellcasting!!
Berserker subclass aside, Wizard/Barbarian can become one of the strongest Lv19+ MeleeBuilds, once you have the items. So yes, Gear is extremely important.

#7 Marauder (Rogue / Berserker) -- requires Gear!! then #5

• Streetfighter/Berserker: -Melee- ..strong, but requires Healing Support!
  
• Trickster/Berserker: -Ranged- ..eliminates Key-targets fast & provides sustain DPS
  
• Trickster/Berserker: -Melee- ..Dualwield (Modwyr +X) is on on par with #4

Note: strong, but requires Gear or Ally-Buff/Aura to counter CONFUSED Debuff!

#8 Witch (Cipher / Berserker) -- Berserker subclass is hard to deal with!

• exception: -Melee- Soublade/Berserker ..Modwyr +Magran´sFavor +Healing Support!
  This Endgame Dualwield build is strong, but prefers allies around.. on par with #4!

Note: Requires Gear or Ally-Buff/Aura to counter CONFUSED Debuff!


Tempest (Druid / Berserker) --> better ignore, lacks synergy!

Savage (Ranger / Berserker) --> ignore, bad synergy!

BUILDS.. (Veteran/PotD) -Fighters- 👺

• Swashbuckler (Rogue /Fighter) -- Eder* ..tanky Frontliner + DPS
  
  
• Brute (Barbarian /Unbroken) -TANK/DPS- ..-> check Melee Builds >>
  
• Brute (Berserker /Devoted) -ultraDPS- ..-> check Berserker Builds >>
  
• Psyblade (Soulblade /Devoted) -DPS/Offtank- ..-> check Melee Builds >>
  
• Battlemage (Bloodmage /Devoted) -DPS/Offtank- ..-> check Lv19+ PIRATE Builds >>
  
• Warcaller (Troubadour /Devoted) -DPS/Offtank- ..-> check Lv19+ PIRATE Builds >>
  
• Cleric (Priest /Devoted) -DPS/Offtank/Support- ..-> check Lv19+ PIRATE Builds >>

BUILDS.. (Veteran/PotD) -Paladins- 👼

• Herald (Troubadour /KindWayfarer) -Healer/Offtank- ..-> check Support Builds >>
  
• Fanatic (Berserker /KindWayfarer) -DPS/Offtank- ..-> check Berserker Builds >>
  
• Votary (Helwalker /Paladin) -DPS/Support- ..-> check Monk Builds >>
  
• Holy Slayer (Assassin /Bleak Walker) -Stealth/DPS- ..-> check Melee Builds >>

BUILDS.. (Veteran/PotD) -Monks- 🙏

• Ravager (Berserker /Helwalker) -- best Lv19+ out-of-the-box Ranged build (2H Warbow)
  ..works even without good Gear, but ideally needs "Veilpiercer" + Marksman Ring
  
• Votary (Paladin /Helwalker) ..strong DPS with Regen. -Aura- (no.1 Helwalker =safe)
  
• Brawler (Devoted /ShatteredPillar) ..-> check Melee Builds >>
  
• Shadowdancer
  
  • (Trickster /ShatteredPillar) -Melee- ..-> check Melee Builds >>
    
  • (Trickster /Helwalker) -Ranged- ..-> "Red-Hand" glass-cannon (Lv19+ & Geared)!
• Cantor
  
  • (Troubadour /ShatteredPillar) -DPS/Support- ..-> check Melee Builds >>
    
  • (Troubadour /Helwalker) -ultraDPS- ..-> crazy Dualwield Endgame build (requires Gear!!)

BUILDS.. (Veteran/PotD) -Rogues- 🔪

TLDR: Companions* have you covered.. but once their stories are done, you have options ^^

• Swashbuckler (Fighter /Rogue) -- Eder* ..strong + tanky, but requires Healing
  
• Spellblade (Wizard /Rogue) -- Aloth* ..strong combat mage, but requires Healing
  
• Mindstalker (Cipher /Rogue) -- Ydwin* ..strong, but squishy & requires Healing
  
• Scout (Ranger /Rogue) -- Maia* (=best!) ..#top3 Ranged Build with RedHand
  
  
• Marauder (Berserker /Rogue) ..-> check Berserker Builds >>
  
• Holy Slayer
  
  • (Paladin /Rogue) ..strong + tanky + Regen.
    
  • (Bleak Walker /Assassin) -Stealth/DPS- ..-> check Melee Builds >>
• Shadowdancer
  
  • (ShatteredPillar /Trickster) -Melee- ..-> check Melee Builds >>
    
  • (Helwalker /Trickster) -Ranged- ..-> "Red-Hand" glass-cannon (Lv19+ & Geared)!

BUILDS.. (Veteran/PotD) -Rangers- 🐾

Ranger suffers like Druid from Scaling issues, and your AnimalCompanion is weak & squishy which shows already Midgame. Even Bear (+2AR) backfires once the pet takes multiple hits.. result you suffer BondedGrief debuff. It´s troublesome to keep the pet alive.. imho annoying!!
-> PotD option is Ghostheart (changes animal into "summoned Spirit").
Note: If you want strong Pets, go Chanter (even MC Summoner can replace 2 Rangers).

• Scout (Rogue /Ranger) -- Maia* ..strong Gunner + her bird Ishiza is the best pet
  
  
• Wildrhymer (Troubadour /Stalker) -DPS/Support- ..-> check Lv19+ PIRATE Builds >>
  
• Seer (Cipher /Ghostheart) -DPS- ..-> check Cipher Builds >>

BUILDS.. -Specialists- 🎼👽🎶

These builds require a certain playstyle or focus around unique items or summoned weapons..

• Lord Darryn´s Vulge[pillarsofeternity.fandom.com] Melee 2H (Lightning/Shock)
  Careful, this weapon is declared Slash+Shock, so one would expect the better value counts, BUT nope.. this weapon is different. Lightning dmg only applies to the stacking effect(!) - meaning the FirstHit + all nonCrits are SLASH only. As a result you require high PEN + decent Acc to proc those stacks, otherwise standard Pollaxe (Slash+Crush) performs similar/better.
  
  Druid+X (Lord Darryn´s Vulge)
  

  Veteran

  Tempest
  (Druid /Barbarian)

  fun Melee &
  strongest Lv.19+ Druid

  ..can switch to Firebrand -- 100%Fire-Dmg

  Veteran

  Warlock
  (Wizard /Barbarian)

  good Midgame DPS,
  but requires Healing

  ..sadly, Lv13+ Critzal´sSpiritLance outperforms
  Pollaxe, Lv19+ vs high AR by a mile !!

  Veteran
  /PotD

  Shaman
  (WaelPriest /Berserker)

  top DPS &
  100% self-sufficient(!)

  ...

  Veteran
  /PotD

  Brute
  (Devoted /Berserker)

  best DPS with Vulge,
  but requires Healing

  ...
  Note: This Pollaxe is a solid Midgame choice, but Lv19+ no Alpha-tier weapon. If that wasn´t enough saltiness: 2H Axes, or strong 1h weapons (Magran´s Favor) are simply better, Greatswords with Weapon Modal two levels above (+50-80%).
  
  
• Shifter (5xMelee /1xRanged) -- [Druid exclusive]
  

  Slash-dmg (dualwield Melee)	Pierce-dmg (dualwield Melee)	Shock-dmg (dualwield Ranged)
  Bear Cat	Boar Wolf Stag	StormBlight

  
  
• Firebrand (2H sword, Burn/Pierce; +25%Burn) -- [Druid exclusive]
  with ScionOfFlame passive (Druid,Wizard,Priest,Paladin) = 100% Fire dmg +25%Lash
  
  
• Berath Greatsword (2H sword; +20% Corrosion) -- [BerathPriest exclusive]
  T2 Summoned Weapon = 100% Slash/Pierce dmg +20%Lash
  
  
• Woedica Fists (DW Fist; +20%RAW) -- [WoedicaPriest exclusive]
  T2 Summoned Weapon = 100% Crush dmg +20%Lash
  
  
• Nannasin´s Cobra Strike (DW RangedFist; strong RAW DoT) -- [Wizard exclusive]
  ..requires "Snakeskin Grimoire" (T4 Summoned Weapon = 100% Pierce dmg +DeadlyPoison)
  
  Wizard+X (Nannasin´s CobraStrike)
  

  Warlock
  (Berserker/Wizard)

  Lv19+

  +2PEN
  ...............

  +2AR
  (+1AR *S*P*C)

  ............... / +Stats
  ...............

  -> extreme DPS
  + Killspeed

  Loremaster
  (Chanter/Wizard)

  Lv16+

  +2PEN
  -2AR AoE

  (+4AR *S*P)
  ...............

  +Healing / +Stats
  ...............

  -> sustain DPS
  + Survivability

  Thaumaturge
  (Priest/Wizard)

  Lv19+

  +2PEN
  ...............

  +2AR
  ...............

  +Healing / +Stats
  +20%dmg /+Acc

  -> sustain DPS
  + Survivability

  Spellblade
  (Rogue/Wizard)

  Lv19+

  ...............
  ...............

  ...............
  SneakBonuses

  ............... / ...............
  +20%RAW /+Ryngrim

  -> extreme DPS
  + secure (Ryngrim)
  
  
• Critzal´s Spirit Lance (Pierce +Crush AoE) -- [Wizard exclusive]
  T5 Summoned Weapon (target: PierceHit; bystanders: FoE-only Crush AoE)
  
  
• Whispers of the Wind (SC Monk) (Invisibility Multi-Jump attack) -- [SC Monk T9 exclusive]
  ResonantTouch + WhispersOfTheWind = GG
  
  
• The Red Hand[pillarsofeternity.fandom.com] (shoots twice!) -- gamebreakingly good Arquebus
  Reload is long, but top builds kill 90% of enemies in 2-3 shots

BUILDS.. Lv.19+ (Veteran/PotD) PIRATE

Lv.19+ Endgame/Pirating-Builds which require ~PL7 Skills and some special Gear...

Melee Fighter+X builds (Endgame Party Buffers)

• Melee -DPS/Offtank- Warcaller (Devoted/Troubadour) -- Lv17+ Monster

  ..Endgame option, great Frontliner. The ideal ally for any powerhouse without healing/buffs.
  

• Melee -DPS/Offtank/Support- Cleric (Devoted/Priest) -- Lv19+ Budget choice!

  ..the better Paladin. Great Allrounder with summoned weapons. Performs without Gear!!

Melee Wizard+X builds utilizing PHANTOM (..copies your Armor+Weapons):

• Melee (+Ranged) -DPS/Support- Thaumaturge (Bloodmage / Priest) -- no Gear !!

  • Lv19+ out-of-the-box solution for poor adventurers who still need Fighters & Healer. SummonedWeapons save the day and make you flexible, while you buff/debuff everyone. Maybe the cheapest way to feel strong.. LOL
    
  • Strongest version of this build requires Gear: -- Chromoprismatic Quarterstaff
  Note: Full Spellcasting option!! Ranged option depending on Priest Subclass.
  
  

• Melee -DPS/Offtank- Battlemage (Bloodmage / Devoted) -- Groupkiller

  Lv19+ Groupkiller (+2PEN) --BATTLEAXE
  The expert slayer whenever the enemy comes in masses (5+). Peaks in first 2min.
  Very durable and only bested by few Barbarian-builds. Requires Gear though!
  Note: Spellcasting is severely limited, mostly Buffs!! Can slay an army in 2min.
  
  

• Melee -ultraDPS/Offtank- Warlock (Bloodmage / Barbarian) -- Boss/Groupkiller

  Lv19+ Boss/Groupkiller --BATTLEAXE
  This Butterknife is pure fun, but requires the best Gear and good script.
  Note: Spellcasting is limited, mostly Buffs/Debuffs!! Extreme DPS output..
  
  

• Melee -ultraDPS/CC- Hierophant (Bloodmage / Soulblade) -- Bosskiller

  Lv13+ Bosskiller (+20%dmg +1PEN +Spells +SoulAnnihilation) --GREATSWORD
  Available Midgame, very strong at Lv16+ and Lv19+ improves survivability vs groups.
  While you have tons of CC, you lack healing and rely heavily on Gear to stay alive!
  Note: Full Spellcasting option!! Requires micro-management or good script.

While Chanter summons are initially strong, the Wizard Phantoms depend heavily on Gear.
TLDR: unique Gear-effects and Multiclass-synergies determine your overall performance!!

Midrange -CC/DPS/Support- Hierophant (Bloodmage /Beguiler) -- Endgame Caster

..God of Spellcasting - on par with SC Wizard! ..very hard to kill. -> endless resources!!
General Playstyle: Selfbuffs + big cloud of CC/Debuffs/Roots ..and AoE Charms on demand ^^
Support: RecallAgony (+30%RAW DoT), PainLink (Reflect 25%dmg), Ancestor´sMemory (Brilliant)
AoE: CorrosiveSiphon (Corrode DoT), DeathRing (huge Corrode AoE)
Finishers: KillingBolt (RAW), Disintegrate (RAW DoT)
-> Can solo enemy groups quite fast. If supported by Cipher, even fight an army just by himself.

• ideal Gear: [1h+S] Lover´s Embrace + Magran´s Blessing.. + Upright Captain´s Belt

Midrange - Pet DPS/Support- Spiritualist (Troubadour /Beguiler) -- Summoner King

..true NEMESIS: strong AoE Buffer/Debuffer + tons of CC + Charms (enemies fight for YOU!!)
This is a very special build because innate DPS is bad.. buffed OK, but other qualities melt doubts
- overall DPS: * / *** (buffed)
- Pet DPS: *** (summons) / ***** (summons + dominate)
- effect on Party DPS: **** (high vs groups/bosses)
- survivability: **** / ***** (buffed)
- soft / hard CC: ***** / ***** (both deadly: debuff +paralyze/immobilize +charm = GG)
- effect on encounter: ***** (devastating)
- resource management: ***** (endless!)
Note: That´s why this BUILD is used for Triple Crown Challenge - outstanding performance..

• ideal weapon: Sasha´s Singing Scimitar (Empower recovers itself + 3 Phrases)
  + Magran´s Blessing (Medium Shield; Retaliation: GreaterFireShield; 20% Interrupt on Hit)

Ranged - DPS/Support - Wildrhymer (Stalker / Troubadour)

.."Maia" alternative with RedHand +Bear +TakedownCombo +Summons

• ideal weapon: RedHand (Arquebus which shoots twice, Selfbuff up to 20% dmg for kills)
  alternative weapon: ...

*Best in Slot* Armor + Jewelry + Shields

Note: This list covers about 90% of top items, but it´s still subjective ..meaning some niche builds might be able to utilize otherwise underwhelming unique items ^_^

HEAD:

• Mask of the Grotto Deep (+2 Int /+1 Poison PL /Melee attacks from STEALTH inflict RAW DoT)
  
• Acina´s Tricorn (+5 Ranged Acc /-10% Reload Time)
  
• Thaos Headdress (+1 Int /+5 Will AURA vs Mind Afflictions /+5 Acc and 5% Dmg to FLANKED targets)
  
• Death´s Maw (Dmg Reduction AURA [5m] when near killed enemies)
  
• Horns of the Bleak Mother (+1 Per /Resistance to Resolve Afflictions)
  
• Horns of the Aurochs (after receiving Hit/Crit your next attacks does +10% Freeze dmg /Immunity to Push&Pull effects)
  
• Fair Favor (with Dagger,Rapier,Sabre,Stiletto,Sword: 10% Hit->Crit /+10% Crit dmg)

NECK:

• Cog of Cohh (+5% Dmg AURA [2,5m] /gain short AWARE Inspiration for Allies delivering kills nearby)
  
• Baubles of the Fin (+1 Con /+1 Int /+3% Dmg AURA [5m])
  
• Protective Eothasian Charm (+1 Per /NearDeath: +Regen and 25% Dmg-Reduction)
  Strand of Favor (+1 Int /-10% Hostile effects duration /+10% Beneficial effects duration)
  
• Cauldron Shard (+1 Con /Dmg from Acid/Poison attacks has a 20% chance to heal you /per Rest: 60-80sec Poison Immunity!)
  
• Cipher Shackles (+1 Con /Resistance to Dexterity Afflictions)

RINGS:

• Ring of Prosperity´s Fortune (3-15% Hit->Crit depending on your GOLD) -- BiS, If you go Pirating as 200k+ is ensured!
  
• Kuaru´s Price (+1 Int /+1 Per /+5% Spell-dmg)
  
• Ring of the Marksman (+4 Acc /+1 PEN with ranged weapons)
  
• Ring of Greater Regeneration (+3HP per 6sec)
  
• Chameleon´s Touch[pillarsofeternity2.wiki.fextralife.com] ("+1 [Class-]Attribute and Skill" per CLASS)
  
• Ring of the Solitary Wanderer (+1 Res /no Allies nearby: -35% Hostile effects duration)
  
• Ring of Minor Protection (+5 Fort./Refl./Will)
  
• Halgoth´s Warmth (+2 Burn AR /+1 Priest Restoration PL)

GLOVES:

• Gauntlets of Greater Reliability (25% Misses->Grazes)
  
• Aegor´s Swift Touch (+1 Dex /+5% Action Speed with weapons)
  
• Firethrower Gloves (+2 Dex /+1 Evocation PL)

BELT:

• The Undying Burden (+2 CON /Dmg-reduction /+ [additional]"SecondWind" -healing-)
  
• Girdle of Mortal Protection (+2 Con /15% incoming Crits->Hits)
  
• Upright Captain´s Belt (+1 Con /Immunity to Push&Pull effects)
  
• Gwyn´s Bridal Garter (+1 Con /Resistance to Dexterity Afflictions)
  
• Girdle of Eoten Constitution (+3 Con)
  
• The Maker´s Own Power (+1 Mig /+1 Crush AR /below 25%HP: 85% Dmg Reduction, regen. 60-80HP in 6sec)

BOOTS:

• Boots of the Stone (+1 Dex /+1 Res /Resistance to Might Afflictions)
  
• Boots of the White (+1 Res /+2 Freeze AR / Resistance to Dexterity Afflictions)
  
• Rakhan Field Boots (Teleport+AoE)
  
• Slippers of the Assassin (Stealth after Kill) -- great for Rogue/Assassin
  
• Boots of Speed (+15 Defl. vs DISENGAGE attacks /+25% Stride)
  
• Footprints of Ahu Taka (+2 Dex /+10% Healing done /+1 Cast with Lv.2 Priest Spells)

CAPE:

• Shroud of the Phantasm (1% chance to gain BRILLIANT Inspiration /under "Mind" Inspiration: +10% CastSpeed)
  
• Cloak of Greater Deflection (+7 Defl.)
  
• Cloak of Greater Protection (+10 Fort./Refl./Will)
  
• Ajamuut´s Stalking Cloak (+1 Per /from STEALTH: +5 Acc, +5% Dmg, attacks STUN)
  
• The Giftbearer´s Cloth (+1 Quick Item Slot /+1 Weapons Set /+5 Fort./Refl./Will)

BODY ARMOR:

-light-

• Fleshmender (+3 AR [Lost when hit, but regenerating], -10% Critdmg taken, 5% incoming Hits->Graces, +5HP/12sec)
  
• Miscreant´s Leathers (-10% Recovery Time /5% chance to ignore attacks /-10% dmg taken from DISENGAGE/FLANKING)
  
• Sharpshooter´s Garb (-20% Reload Time with Arbalest/Arquebus/Crossbow, +5 Defl. vs RANGED)
  
• Pale Hide (15% incoming Hits->Grazes, +8 Defl. when FLANKED)
  
• Swift Hunter´s Garb (+5% Recovery Time /10% incoming Crit->Hit /+5% Stride /Resistance to Dexterity Afflictions)

-medium-

• Five Suns Breastplate (Depending on HP: 5[-15]% Dmg Reduction, +5[-15]% Weapon Dmg)
  
• Casita Samelia´s Legacy (+5 [-8] Defl. / 25% chance to retaliate against Melee-Slash-attacks)
  
• Magnera´s Chain (5 [-15%] faster Recovery when Crit by melee attackers / Resistance to Might Afflictions)
  
• The Blody Links (below 50% HP: +5 All Defenses, +2AR)
  
• Saint´s War Armor (-10% Crush dmg taken, per Rest: Revive, Resistance to Perception Afflictions)
  
• Iridescent Scale (+10 Defense against Elemental, -10% Burn/Corrode dmg taken)
  
• Devil of Caroc Breastplate (HP-regen. on Crit, Resistance to Intellect Afflictions)

-heavy-

• Reckless Brigandine (HP-loss: +0-20% Dmg /+0-2 AR ../+1 Engage-Slot)
  
• Patinated Plate (+1 AR vs melee, 30% to briefly Stun attacker when hit in melee)

SHIELD:

-small-

• Xoti´s Lantern (AURA[5m]: +4% Dmg; +2 Restoration/Inspiration PL; +1 of each Monk Resource on Kill)
  
• Tuotilo´sPalm (counts as Offhand, +5 Acc[Unarmed]; 20% chance to attack after MISSED in melee; 10% chance for 1 Wound when taking melee dmg)

-medium-

• Magran´s Blessing (counts as Offhand: 12-16 Dmg [7 PEN]; Retaliation: GreaterFireShield; 20% Interrupt on Hit)
  
• Lethandria´s Devotion (-15% incoming Crit-dmg; 50% chance Confused/Charmed on melee attackers ; AURA[2,5m]: +1HP/6sec, +5 Defl./Refl./Will)
  
• Nerian´s Ward (5-15% Dmg Reduction depending on HP)

-large-

• Bronlar´s Phalanx (1-20 bonus Deflection depending on left HP.. 50% HP = +10)
  
• Wintertide Bulwark (25% chance for Freeze dmg when MISSED in melee)

*Best in Slot* Weapons + Grimoires + Pets

Melee Weapons

-2H-

• TwinEels (BW DLC: 10 [-30] AoE-Heal on Kill)
  
• Willbreaker (+10% ActionSpeed /10% Hit->Crit /25% Miss->Graze /25% "Shaken" chance + 3-15 Will-Debuff on enemy)
  
• Oathbreaker´s End (BW DLC: 20 AoE-Heal on Kill during weapon´s Crit-DoT)
  
• Effort (15% RAW DoT, Unconscious: Resolve AoE-buff + Full Attack AoE)
  
• Chromoprismatic Quarterstaff (+1 All elemental PL, +3% elemental dmg, +5% ActionSpeed and +5% Dmg scaling with Metaphysics)

-1H-

• Magran´sFavor (+15% Burn, +Burn DoT on Crit, +2 Fire PL, 15% of overall Burn-dmg ->Healing)
  
• SunGrazer (+15% Burn, 10% Graze->Hit, -1AR on Crit, Fire AoE on CritKill)
  
• St.Drogga´s Skull (+20% Burn, 20% chance for Burn AoE on hit, emits light [4m])
  
• Sasha´s Singing Scimitar (Empower recovers itself + 3 Phrases) -- ideal for CHANTER
  
• Modwyr (+20% Burn [below 50%HP +20% Freeze instead] / +2[-20]% ActionSpeed on Hit till end of combat /Immunity to Int-Afflictions)
  
• Watcher´s Blade (20% RAW)
  
• Stalker´sPatience (15% RAW DoT, +10% dmg vs FLANKED targets, 20% chance to recover instantly on Crit)
  
• Lover´sEmbrace (Stealth: RAW DoT till combat ends; 33% chance for "Frenzy"-buff on Crit)
  
• Tarn´s Respite (+15% Freeze /+1 PEN /-1[-10] Defl. on hit for 60sec)
  
• Aldris Blade of Captain Crow (+10% Shock, +10 Shock-dmg on Crit, +8 HP on Crit)
  
• Duskfall (+10% Action Speed/ 25% Misses->Grazes /+1 PEN vs targets of allies /perEncounter: +15 Defl. in first 8-10sec of combat)
  
• Acolyte´s Frostbyte (15% Freeze, 10% chance to Paralyze for 3sec on Crit)
  
• GraveCalling (+2[-30]% Freeze for 60sec on hit, +15 Acc vs Vessels)
  
• Min´sFortune (+2[-100]% Critchance [resets after Crit], Random Affliction for 10sec on hit)
  
• Kapana Taga (5% RAW, 10% chance for DAZE on hit, +1 Engagement Slot, +4 [melee]Acc and +3% [melee]Dmg for each engaged target)
  
• Xoti´s Sickle (+5[-20]% dmg till combat ends on Kill, AURA[5m]: +15% Action Speed nearby dead enemies)
  
• Gladiator Sword (+1 PEN /if used with Shield: +10% Dmg with weapons, +5 Defl.)

Ranged Weapons

-2H-

• RedHand (Arquebus which shoots twice, Selfbuff up to 20% dmg for kills)
  
• Veilpiercer (WarBow with 10% Raw Dmg, 50% chance for Instant Recovery on Crit, perRest Skill: Disable Abilities on target for 8sec)
  
• Rod of the Deep Hunter (AoE: Target +1,5[-2,2]m, Debuff on hit for 45sec: -1Defl., +3% Recovery Time)
  
• Amira´s Wing (AoE: Target +1,5[-2,2]m, +5 Defl. vs weapons)

-1H-

• Current´s Rush (+1% Critchance on hit /20% chance [interrupt/immobilize] Crush AoE on Crit)
  
• Scordeo´s Trophy (+15% Crit Dmg, +2 PEN on Crit, -5% Recovery Time on hit for 30sec [stacking])
  
• Thundercrack Pistol (15% Shock, Paralyze target for 2sec on Crit, Debuff AURA[5m]: -10% Action Speed, -5 melee Acc)
  
• Fire in the Hole (AoE: Target +1,5m Radius, -15% Dmg, +15% Reload Time, shots bounce 1x)
  
• Xefa´s Empirical Explication (4 Projectiles, +15% RAW, +1 PEN, +15% Slash, Knockback on Crit)

GRIMOIRE:

• Llengrath´s Martial Masteries (tons of Buffs)
  
• Katrenn´s Grimoire (perfect for Battlemage)
  
• Brawler´s Grimoire (great for Battlemage)
  
• Sea-Weathered Grimoire (great selection of Spells)
  
• Snakeskin Grimoire (deadly Spells)
  
• Zandethu´s Dragon-Scaled Grimoire (Melee: +15%Slash /+15%Burn /+Terrify retaliation)
  
• Spore-Loated Grimoire (deadly AoE Spells + Regen.)
  
• Blood-soaked Grimoire (decent allround option)
  
• Fassina´s Grimoire (Conjurer´s bible)
  
• Skeletal Wizard Grimoire (solid Mix)
  
• Spellwright´s Grimoire (solid Mix)
  
• Slaver´s Grimoire (solid Mix)
  
• Arkemyr´s Illuminating Discoveries (Debuff + Control)
  
• Iron-Clasped Grimoire (Concelhaut Spells)
  
• Weathermage Grimoire (Elemental focused)
  
• Elementalist Grimoire (good for pure AoE Wizard)
  
• Book of Storms (decent option for Elemental mages)
  
• Grimoire of Spark and Flame (perfect for FIRE mages)

PET:

• Regen-Pets like Abraham, Twix, Freya, Algol (+10 Health RESTORED on KILL for whole Party)
  
• Animancy Cat (all Summons: +2 Mig /+1 PEN)

-- Spoiler: Story &Sidequests

https://pillarsofeternity.fandom.com/wiki/Pillars_of_Eternity_II:_Deadfire_quests
https://pillarsofeternity2.wiki.fextralife.com/Game+Progress+Route

-- SPOILER: First steps (Shipwreck+Port Maje)

1. usually you talk to Eder + clear the area near your shipwreck (incl. cave to rescue left crew)
2. then go PortMaje..get Xoti and do the 3 quests (Innkeeper -clear room, Prison -gorecci street, Huana village in the north -talk or steal the purse)
3. then you stumble across the old Druid +move on to the Digsite (governor quest)
4. once that is done, you´re Lv.5-6 and you can talk with Aloth (recruit)
5. now you fulfilled all prerequisites to move on with your ship and sail for.. Neketaka
6. Neketaka might keep you busy for 50+ hours
7. then you´re ready to explore the big ocean and all dangers

Have fun..

Note: NEKETAKA is the worlds hub - you come back several times to progress Story & Factions.
Playtime increases significantly, if you do all Sidequests and go for most Story-twists.

Be aware that Pirating (+Exploration) itself adds another 50-100 hours easily ^^
-> Typical Playthrough is 100-200 hours.. (with DLCs + excessive Pirating ~300 hours)

Playthrough: Full CLEAR + max Gear

Now mind you.. I played RTwP incl. all DLCs and a ton of Plundering (100+ hours) while basically doing 98% of content (which is unrealistic in 100-150hour runs).. and with highly tweaked AI plus average combat time only ~40sec (in last 200hours) - it was easy to scratch 300 hours ^^

-> Don´t go turn-based, if you want to swim in Gold and max your Gear (check ->Pirating)

Determining Factors for Playthrough Experience:
 The biggest factor is RTwP vs TB
 the second choice is micro-managing vs automated combat
 the third choice is SC vs MC
 ..the fourth choice is planned Playtime (if you want to rush or play carefree noobproof, the Party options are kinda set)
 ..fifth choice would be NewGame+ (Berath´sBlessing,Challenges,etc)
 ..sixth choice - available/planned Gear for your Party (esp. Early/Midgame)

[reVILST]

This is the amazing work. Thank you

[wespe___o=/;;;:*]

@Asuwi: Glad you found your way here and like it
Sorry, the answer was too long, so I gave it a new chapter. Hope you like it and feel free to add input. Ofc this goes for all readers here
Update: How to STOP enemy Spellcasters ? added

[Asuwi]

Thx for the guide.

still unsure on how to setup an interrupt since enemies usually gets a successful cast when all my characters are in cooldown.

is there an AI setup for an auto interrupt or do you turn off AI auto attack and micro your character to interrupt manually?

[wespe___o=/;;;:*]

Update: As a recent forum discussion revealed, it´s hard to grasp the mechanics behind the Affliction-counter system without misunderstanding it as some Immunity, which it is not(!). I extended the chapter. Thanks @D´amarr_from_Darshiva for very good source

[wespe___o=/;;;:*]

Update: "Level-Up & SCALING Influence" got it´s own chapter now for quick Overview
Also added "Cheap Filler Builds" recently, which can help in Shipfights & Early/Midgame!
Class specific builds & Specialists section, too.

[vandalheart84]

@wespe___o=/;;;:* Thank you very much for the update! I will give it a try for sure!

[wespe___o=/;;;:*]

@vandalheart84: thx, much appreciated. I added Spiritualist details.. enjoy

@Volganis: similar to Brawler, but Cipher is kinda set. I added my preferred Psyblade Sorry for the delay, few weeks ago write-limit per chapter ate my first version ;((

[vandalheart84]

Great guide! Thanks for all of the information. It has helped a lot with starting out.

I was looking through the build ideas and I liked the idea of the Spiritualist (Beguiler / Troubadour). Did you have any ability recommendations? Most of the other builds list the different tier recommendations but this class doesn't seem to have any listed.

Thanks in advance!

[Volganis]

How would you build a Devoted/SoulBlade?

[wespe___o=/;;;:*]

Yes, indeed. I use Devoted/SoulBlade as my Watcher, because this is a perfect Allrounder..
-> TopDPS, CC, Utility, Raw-Dmg, with Gear overall 30-40% RAW dmg in Endgame
I´m just feeling PotD punishes certain classes too hard, that´s why many veterans use MODs or play upscaled Veteran, which is essentially harder EarlyGame unless you skip content and finish it later
For Gear: a lot of great stuff comes with the DLCs.. (check my ->BUILDS descriptions)