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  1. - Top - End - #1
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    BlueKnightGuy

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    Default Thinking of dusting off Pillars of Eternity, looking for some advice.

    So, I bought Pillars 2: Deadfire over the winter Steam sale, and I've had the complete Pillars 1 for an age, but I've never really gotten into it (I got to the keep, had to stop, and never came back to it). I'd like to fix that, and maybe roll into P2 after.

    I'm planning on sticking with the three recurring characters (Aloth, Eder, and Pallegina), but I'm not entirely sure who to play as or who else to take. I'm a complete narrative nut with a fondness for getting as much satisfying banter and plot as I can finagle out of a game (ie I spend hours building parties in Baldur's Gate just get the best story I can out of it).

    Can anyone make any suggestions on what I can do to get the most out of this story? I'm thinking of playing a chanter or cipher to counter the three slots I already have filled.

    Also, any advice on how to set up my character would be appreciated.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kairos Theodosian
    It appears someone will have to saddle my goat, for we now must ride out in glorious battle.

  2. - Top - End - #2
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    Flumph

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    Default Re: Thinking of dusting off Pillars of Eternity, looking for some advice.

    I'd play a Cipher over a Chanter if I was going to pick between them.

    Partly because unless you crank the difficulty up a lot of fights are over before chanters get to do a lot of their fun stuff, and partly because Kana Rua is fun (also if you're going for recurring party, Maia in PoE2 is his sister) and Grieving Mother is dull and rubbish.

    I always take Sagani as well, because she's awesome and if you spec for all the companion abilities Itumaak is a hilarious murderbeast (though he'll feel squishy early game).

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    Default Re: Thinking of dusting off Pillars of Eternity, looking for some advice.

    Yes, play Cipher, take Kana Rua with you. I prefer Hiravias over Sagani, but I can definitely see the appeal. I personally would take either over Pallegina.
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  4. - Top - End - #4
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    Default Re: Thinking of dusting off Pillars of Eternity, looking for some advice.

    Since the main theme of the "Pillars" revolves mostly around divinity (especially in 2), I believe that someone who actually has a horse in the race fits the story a great deal, aka a Priest. I went with Berath myself, since she's one of the big ones that isn't represented in an NPC, like with Eder-Eothas and Durance-Magran.

    It also fits meaningfully in the second game, where, not really much of a spoiler, but Berath ends up being your primary quest-giver.

    Also, you wreck encounters and "deal death" as a priest of death, which is pretty boss.

  5. - Top - End - #5
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    Default Re: Thinking of dusting off Pillars of Eternity, looking for some advice.

    I strongly recommend you run with Durance in your party. Priests are really strong and help a lot in encounters through the first game (conversely, killing all the enemy priests in encounters is usually the go to move). He also has one of (if not the best) companion stories imo. As far as the other companions go, I always liked Eder (I think he’s the first cool “Everyman”), Sagani, and the monk guy from the White Marches, and Kana.

    That said, except for the most difficult fights (ie the dragons), you can basically use whoever you want for most of the game without much problem. Having two of the same class isn’t really an issue, and can be pretty effective in some cases (2 monks 2 stronk). As a last note, the White Marches also has a couple potential permadeath moments for companions, so if you care a lot about everyone surviving, you might consider looking at some spoilers for that.

    As far as chanter vs cipher, ciphers are fun but very squishy. Ciphers also basically are pushed into dual wielding to make the most of their class features. Chanters are all about how their class works independently of whatever else you want to do, so you can basically pick whatever playstyle you want with them. Deadfire also let’s you repick your class (or even multi class) when you start the game.
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  6. - Top - End - #6
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    Flumph

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    Default Re: Thinking of dusting off Pillars of Eternity, looking for some advice.

    Yeah, priests are probably the most versatile and useful of the caster classes. You get buffs, heals, and damage spells you can effectively use in a melee because they're largely foe-only.

    Doubling up classes can be fine, I did my first full playthrough with doubled up Paladins (one defensive spec, one offensive). A Resolve 18 Fire Godlike deflect Paladin with all the defensive choices is almost impossible to kill.

  7. - Top - End - #7
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    BlueKnightGuy

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    Default Re: Thinking of dusting off Pillars of Eternity, looking for some advice.

    So, I've just gotten past the interview in the crypts of Defiance Bay (did it nonviolently mostly by accident).

    Playing a level 5 human cipher who is currently favoring firearms (the pistol, Forgiveness, from Pallengina's introductor mission). My party is Eder, Aloth, Durance, Kana, and Pallengina. Two tanks and a whole lot of firepower.

    Recruited all 8 of the main companions and made a go for White March ones, but the Torn Bannermen border guards crushed me pretty hard.

    Money is a frustrating commodity in this game. It comes pretty easily (stash all the gear you loot and sell it in town for a profit), but man is it hard to keep. Keep improvements are leaving me consistently broke.
    Spoiler: My inventory:
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    1 Sentient Sword
    1 Jammy Dodger (I was promised tea)
    1 Godwin Point.


    Quote Originally Posted by Kairos Theodosian
    It appears someone will have to saddle my goat, for we now must ride out in glorious battle.

  8. - Top - End - #8
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    Default Re: Thinking of dusting off Pillars of Eternity, looking for some advice.

    I ended up with Ended, Aloth, Kana, Hiaravis, and Sagani. I recruited GM and Durance, but they were so heartily boring and/or irritating, they spent most of their time running missions from the keep.

    I found Ciphers wholly incomprehensible myself. Maybe next time I play I'll run a Chanter, because two summoners in the party could be nice. Of course I might also finish the Endless Paths next time as well.
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  9. - Top - End - #9
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    Flumph

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    Default Re: Thinking of dusting off Pillars of Eternity, looking for some advice.

    Quote Originally Posted by Triaxx View Post
    I found Ciphers wholly incomprehensible myself. Maybe next time I play I'll run a Chanter, because two summoners in the party could be nice. Of course I might also finish the Endless Paths next time as well.
    Ciphers are basically Psions. They're a mix of debuff, crowd control, and single target damage that run on a mana pool that regens as they use normal attacks. So they can have a strong effect on the start of a battle but then have to recharge.

    In theory you could get a serious nova attack by loading up a Cipher with four sets of pistols, bursting out all your power points then flipping between weapon sets to fire all your sets to refill. (Filling your weapon slots with guns for a massive alpha strike used to be one of the degenerate things to do, but they've messed around with the balance a lot so I don't know how well it still works. Swapping weapon sets is faster than reloading guns).

    Edit: Also Ciphers have a quirk where they can't target ground, everything they do has to have a living target.
    Last edited by GloatingSwine; 2019-02-08 at 10:22 AM.

  10. - Top - End - #10
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    BlueKnightGuy

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    Default Re: Thinking of dusting off Pillars of Eternity, looking for some advice.

    Quote Originally Posted by Triaxx View Post
    I ended up with Ended, Aloth, Kana, Hiaravis, and Sagani. I recruited GM and Durance, but they were so heartily boring and/or irritating, they spent most of their time running missions from the keep.

    I found Ciphers wholly incomprehensible myself. Maybe next time I play I'll run a Chanter, because two summoners in the party could be nice. Of course I might also finish the Endless Paths next time as well.
    I stopped finding ciphers particularly hard, at least once I began to consider cipher spells as "combo finishers". You hit a target with everything you've got until you've built up enough momentum to lay 'em out with an uppercut. Or possess or charm one of their allies into swapping sides for a little while. Or blind them. But mostly possess/charm. The fact that my starting Focus is now above ten means I can start any fight with Traitorous Whispering, turning one of the enemies into an ally right off the bat, which can be really helpful when outnumbered.

    The real debate is between melee and ranged, in truth. Focus builds up faster with faster attack rates, favoring dual-wield melee, but ciphers are the bottom tier for durability, which is a point against being in the center of the fray. Also, their abilities are slowed by armor, making them less useful if they've got the defense to go toe-to-toe. In one sense, putting a pistol in Duncan (my Watcher)'s hand is keeping him from really unleashing his powers, but in another it doesn't seem like he can fire off abilities that much faster to begin with. I went with ranged because I love guns in a fantasy game just as much as I love swords in an first person shooter.

    Duncan started with 16s in Might, Dexterity, and Intelligence, and 10s in the others. His skills are primarily split between stealth and mechanics, with 3 ranks in lore, athletics, and survival.
    Spoiler: My inventory:
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    1 Sentient Sword
    1 Jammy Dodger (I was promised tea)
    1 Godwin Point.


    Quote Originally Posted by Kairos Theodosian
    It appears someone will have to saddle my goat, for we now must ride out in glorious battle.

  11. - Top - End - #11
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    Default Re: Thinking of dusting off Pillars of Eternity, looking for some advice.

    The class list is rather skewed towards melee, so I tend to make the companions that can fight at range stick to that. I made Grieving Mother use dual sabres instead of a bow once, but she proved a bit squishy for that. I gave Kana a soulbound arbalest that works for chanters in the same run, to make my frontline less crowded.
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  12. - Top - End - #12
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    Default Re: Thinking of dusting off Pillars of Eternity, looking for some advice.

    Yeah, I found Kana best at the back with a gun. I was originally intending to make my Watcher an archer, but melee was just better. I basically used the magical door and increasingly powerful swords the entire game.
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  13. - Top - End - #13
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    Default Re: Thinking of dusting off Pillars of Eternity, looking for some advice.

    Quote Originally Posted by Triaxx View Post
    the magical door
    Oh yeah. My Eder had that door equipped for the entirety of the game. It was ridiculous.
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  14. - Top - End - #14
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    Default Re: Thinking of dusting off Pillars of Eternity, looking for some advice.

    I used a cipher, with Eder, Aloth, Durance, Sagani and Kana/GM. (I was having Too Much funTM with two ciphers, since I started and played the majority before they did a lot of the nerfs, especially to Mind Blades). I had everyone with stealth and both cipher with blunderbusses, which they opened with and them spammed their powers (by which I mean, all the offensive, damaging ones).

    Durance was kinda meh companion (until the very, very end and his personal quest's resolution), but he was mechanically useful.

    GM I probably wouldn't take again, though, having seen her story once, since her lack of engagement with the other characters was a downside (apart from the odd comment by Eder or something).

    Sagani was great and I was miffed we didn't get her returning in Deadfire.

    (My first aborted playthrough, I tried Pallengina, who previously I'd only had to drag on her quest for the XP and dumped at the castle. Yeah, my next attempt, now they've done all the expansions and most of the patching and whatnot, no. See definitely irritated me. Why can't we have paladins that are actually NOT the sodding stick-up-arse-fun-killer steriotype. (Well, I suppose Alister from DA counts...))

  15. - Top - End - #15
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    Flumph

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    Default Re: Thinking of dusting off Pillars of Eternity, looking for some advice.

    Quote Originally Posted by Narkis View Post
    Oh yeah. My Eder had that door equipped for the entirety of the game. It was ridiculous.
    It's not that good a shield, the stats are just standard for a large shield. There are considerably better ones available later, especially in the White March where you can get the Dragon's Maw shield, which also has Bash, plus Guarding and eventually gets a fear aura as you level it up (it's soulbound).

    I tend to prefer gear for front liners with the Guarding special, letting them have more engaged enemies at once.

    You could in principle get Eder up to having four engaged at once, as a Fighter he gets to taunt enemies onto him, plus give him Overbearing Defence which means if his disengage attacks hit the enemy falls over, and he can tie up a lot. (I tend to leave him with sabres though and there isn't a sabre with Guarding).

    That said a Paladin can get a really good shield straight away, the Outworn Buckler is sold in the first town and whilst it's a standard small shield for stats, it gives +5 to all defences as a 3m aura, so your whole front line gets a solid defensive buff that can stack with other effects instead of being suppressed, and small shields have no inherent accuracy penalty either.

  16. - Top - End - #16
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    BlueKnightGuy

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    Default Re: Thinking of dusting off Pillars of Eternity, looking for some advice.

    So, I discovered something rather important last night: the White March is NOT on the other side of an outrageously difficult region, it's accessible directly without stepping foot there. Useful bit of knowledge, that...

    So now I have the full cast, and I have to say the newbies are every bit as bizarre as the regulars. The Devil of Caroc is a cold blooded mass murderer with the soft, delicate voice and vernacular of a southern belle. And the body of a bronze automaton. Maneha is refreshingly straight-forward and direct in... well... everything, it seems. And Zahua... I... what do I say about Zahua? The fact that his introduction and rationale is so bizarrely hilarious or the fact that he's permanently ruined Persona 5 for me because from now on my mind's eye will always see Sakura Sojiro as covered in fish guts... If Zahua ever asks to be referred to as "Boss", I'm gonna snap.

    I suppose at some point I really ought to get back to the main plot, if I can remember where I left it...
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    1 Godwin Point.


    Quote Originally Posted by Kairos Theodosian
    It appears someone will have to saddle my goat, for we now must ride out in glorious battle.

  17. - Top - End - #17
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    Default Re: Thinking of dusting off Pillars of Eternity, looking for some advice.

    Zahua is a pretty great take on the monk archetype and mixes philosophy and wisdom with being high as a kite more often than not. I really like his personal quest as well.
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  18. - Top - End - #18
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    Default Re: Thinking of dusting off Pillars of Eternity, looking for some advice.

    I'm aware I missed rather a lot my first time. But I never found most of the stuff. Next time around I won't be playing blind, so...
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  19. - Top - End - #19
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    BlueKnightGuy

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    Default Re: Thinking of dusting off Pillars of Eternity, looking for some advice.

    Quote Originally Posted by Triaxx View Post
    I'm aware I missed rather a lot my first time. But I never found most of the stuff. Next time around I won't be playing blind, so...
    In fairness, Zahua and the Devil of Caroc are from the White March, part I expansion, and Maneha is from part II. As for the others, well... I make a policy of not leaving a map until I've removed all the black I can from it, so they weren't hard to find. The only one that's difficult is Zahua, because the only clue to his existence is a fisherman running in terror from the basket he's sleeping in.
    Spoiler: My inventory:
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    1 Sentient Sword
    1 Jammy Dodger (I was promised tea)
    1 Godwin Point.


    Quote Originally Posted by Kairos Theodosian
    It appears someone will have to saddle my goat, for we now must ride out in glorious battle.

  20. - Top - End - #20
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    Flumph

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    Default Re: Thinking of dusting off Pillars of Eternity, looking for some advice.

    Quote Originally Posted by Calemyr View Post
    In fairness, Zahua and the Devil of Caroc are from the White March, part I expansion, and Maneha is from part II. As for the others, well... I make a policy of not leaving a map until I've removed all the black I can from it, so they weren't hard to find. The only one that's difficult is Zahua, because the only clue to his existence is a fisherman running in terror from the basket he's sleeping in.
    Remembering to poke the tab key on every screen to spot containers and talk to anyone with a non-generic name (that's not on a gold nameplate) because that's how you sniff out quests.

    (It's a good idea to wander around dungeons in scouting mode as well, because you spot traps and hidden containers better that way).

  21. - Top - End - #21
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    Default Re: Thinking of dusting off Pillars of Eternity, looking for some advice.

    Yeah, Pellewhatever her name is I never ran across. Never managed to pick up enough rep in town to do Eder's quest either. And I assume I was meant to be higher level during the final battle, because it was a complete pain in the neck.
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    Default Re: Thinking of dusting off Pillars of Eternity, looking for some advice.

    I admit I'd be hard-pressed to miss Pallegina, given that you get a pop-up dialogue with her in the middle of the docks.
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  23. - Top - End - #23
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    Default Re: Thinking of dusting off Pillars of Eternity, looking for some advice.

    Do you? I must have clicked past.
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  24. - Top - End - #24
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    BlueKnightGuy

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    Default Re: Thinking of dusting off Pillars of Eternity, looking for some advice.

    Quote Originally Posted by Morty View Post
    I admit I'd be hard-pressed to miss Pallegina, given that you get a pop-up dialogue with her in the middle of the docks.
    Quote Originally Posted by Triaxx View Post
    Do you? I must have clicked past.
    She pops up, says something, and then walks off before you can talk to her. It's only after going into the building she was standing in front of and completing a quest for a dubious employer that the paladin actually gives you the time of day. Which feels weird, honestly, in that a paladin doesn't join you until after you willingly work with the black market. (Fortunately Pillars paladins aren't like D&D villains paladins...)
    Last edited by Calemyr; 2019-02-19 at 01:07 PM. Reason: Dumb mistype.
    Spoiler: My inventory:
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    1 Sentient Sword
    1 Jammy Dodger (I was promised tea)
    1 Godwin Point.


    Quote Originally Posted by Kairos Theodosian
    It appears someone will have to saddle my goat, for we now must ride out in glorious battle.

  25. - Top - End - #25
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    Morty's Avatar

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    Default Re: Thinking of dusting off Pillars of Eternity, looking for some advice.

    You do need to finish that quest, but that's still a pretty bright "hey, this person is important!" sign to me. I think she even addresses players in the pop-up dialogue.
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  26. - Top - End - #26
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    BlueKnightGuy

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    Default Re: Thinking of dusting off Pillars of Eternity, looking for some advice.

    Quote Originally Posted by Morty View Post
    You do need to finish that quest, but that's still a pretty bright "hey, this person is important!" sign to me. I think she even addresses players in the pop-up dialogue.
    You're not wrong, but her connection to the quest is minimal. She stands outside the place, fuming at the fact that she has to work with this idiot and storms off. The fact that she'll happily drop her obligations once said idiot loses face (an unexpected byproduct of the quest) isn't mentioned. If you're just thorough, it works out (it did for me), but cause and effect are fairly tenuous in this case.
    Spoiler: My inventory:
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    1 Sentient Sword
    1 Jammy Dodger (I was promised tea)
    1 Godwin Point.


    Quote Originally Posted by Kairos Theodosian
    It appears someone will have to saddle my goat, for we now must ride out in glorious battle.

  27. - Top - End - #27
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    Default Re: Thinking of dusting off Pillars of Eternity, looking for some advice.

    I really missed more than I thought then.
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    Default Re: Thinking of dusting off Pillars of Eternity, looking for some advice.

    Meanwhile, Deadfire's turn-based mode is growing on me and making me realize I don't like real time with a pause as much as I thought I do. But it's got a ways to go yet. And I doubt its balance will ever be quite the same as in real-time. Action speed becoming initiative devalues it significantly for non-casters.
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    AssassinGuy

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    Default Re: Thinking of dusting off Pillars of Eternity, looking for some advice.

    Quote Originally Posted by Morty View Post
    Meanwhile, Deadfire's turn-based mode is growing on me and making me realize I don't like real time with a pause as much as I thought I do. But it's got a ways to go yet. And I doubt its balance will ever be quite the same as in real-time. Action speed becoming initiative devalues it significantly for non-casters.
    That's not necessarily a bad thing, right? Means you can load them up on heavier armor and not lose out on as much.
    “Evil is evil. Lesser, greater, middling, it's all the same. Proportions are negotiated, boundaries blurred. I'm not a pious hermit, I haven't done only good in my life. But if I'm to choose between one evil and another, then I prefer not to choose at all.”

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    Default Re: Thinking of dusting off Pillars of Eternity, looking for some advice.

    It also means that going into melee with light or medium armor, which I prefer, isn't as valuable. And it makes abilities that increase action speed less valuable while making penalties to it less harsh.
    Last edited by Morty; 2019-02-25 at 11:08 AM.
    My FFRP characters. Avatar by Ashen Lilies. Sigatars by Ashen Lilies, Gullara and Purple Eagle.
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