Kinsume

Isn't offering parry going to be a bit imbalanced? Players can already get 36% dodge as it is, on top of that they get the two traits that increase parry even more putting them just shy of 50%. I can understand what you're going for with trying to make shields actually block damage via parry rather than just helping absorb more, but its going to be too broken. Shields account for about 20% of the tank's armor if not more, while losing that on casual - hard isn't an issue, when you're playing torment and are already down -30% armor from the difficulty it plays a huge role.

I meant killing everything in there not just getting the prisoners.

I edited the tank to have Cave Lore instead of Tool Use since it adds poison and acid resist. Split the points between Mage/Priest to compensate.

Do what you gotta do, without the nerf to swords it won't work and the change is needed so, oh well. With the slew of new builds to try I doubt people will mind losing out on Dual Wielding too much, considering everyone probably has played one already. Also this edit you're making is still entirely voluntary, so its not like people are forced to use it.

The first time people go in there it is likely early on around level 5-6. I don't suggest trying to actually clear it until around 9-10.

@xuerebx You should be level 8-10 ish by the time you finish all the stuff in the demo area. Make sure you do all of the quests you can (the slith ones are too hard for you currently) but be sure to fully clear the neph fortress and the nephar prison (that is a bit hard as well but doable if you are careful). Other than that go north to the next town and do some easy quests like diliverys and such.

North of Formello at that fort up there you'll run into the Nephar's and such. Quests around there should be in your ballpark.

So what do you have in mind concerning that?

I thought you couldn't change the skills?

I meant it as more of a rhetorical "should be" rather than a factual one. Not saying it was meant to not be used on them, but that it shouldn't be.

As they should be, frankly I don't think casters should have access to them period. They have Mage/Priest spells, battle disciplines are supposed to be the version of Fighter/Archer's spells.

Fair enough.

I was just going by numbers, I'll change that then.

Edit :

Ok the guide is pretty much done.

When that character is a beefed up tank who barely noticed the hit on him and returns it in full, it helps his dps output I believe.

Edit : More so then a few more % for damage considering you can send the tank in first and have several enemies attack him and he returns 36% of those.

This is the build I've been using thus far in Torment. It has been working quite well, though my second frontline fighter does like to get 1 shot by bosses from time to time. I'm too stubborn to take away from his pure damage build to give him some Hardiness/Parry though, so entirely your call if you want to. On the difficulty levels below Torment, this build will absolutely crush everything.

Note : The +2's are the two points you buy from trainers. The order of the skills isn't exactly the order you have to get them to those levels in.

Character 1 : Tank (Will have 40 Str and ~20-25 End)

Melee Weapons - 10 +2 = +12% damage, +12% accuracy

Blademaster - 10 +2 = +36% damage, +12%accuracy

Hardiness - 10 +2 = +36% armor/magic/fire/cold resist, +12% posion/acid resist

Parry - 10 +2 = +36% chance to dodge melee or missle

Riposte - 10 +2 = +36% chance to reflect melee attack

Luck - 5 +2? = +7% armor, +7% resistances to all

Cave Lore - 5 = someone has to get it, and 10% posion and acid resist

Traits : Negotiator/Health Traits 3 times/Endurance 5 times/Parry Mastery 2 times/Mighty Blows 3 times/2 traits remaining.

Suggestions : Take a few points in tool use early on as you'll need 7 total for the starting area's locked doors. Luck can be skipped until the final points, its just icing on the cake for a tank. Be sure to level Melee Weapons every single level until you get it to 10. Put 1 point into each of the other skills initially, then level hardiness/parry one after another until they are both 10. Then focus on Blademaster to 10, followed by Riposte and Luck. Trainer skills are focused on in the same order of importance.

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Character 2 : Fighter (Will have 40 Str and ~20-25 End)

Melee Weapons - 20 +2 = +22% damage, +22% accuracy

Blademaster - 10 +2 = +36% damage, +12% accuracy

Quick Action - 10 +2 = Always first in battle, 37% faster fatigue recovery

Dual Wielding - 10 +2 = -24% dual wielding damage penalty

Lethal Blow - 10 +2 = +36% chance to crit

Traits : Negotiator/Health Traits 3 times/Endurance 5 times/Parry Mastery 2 times/Mighty Blows 3 times/Dual Wielding trait 2 times.

Suggestions : This guy is your highest single target dps, but make sure he doesn't get swarmed or he will die. Make sure you take Melee Weapons every level, then get 1 point in each of the other skills. Then focus on Blademaster to 10 followed by Quick Action/Dual Wielding leveled evenly. Finally get Lethal Blow to 10. Trainer skills are focused on in the same level of importance.

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Character 3 : Mage (Will have 40 Int and ~20-25 End)

Mage Spells - 15 +2 = +17 damage level, all mage spells, chance to connect spells

Priest Spells - 1 = minor heal/cure on mage

Arcane Lore - 4 +2 = needed for game's books, +18% mental resist

Spellcraft - 10 +2 = +24% spell effectiveness

Resistance - 10 +2 = +36% resist from all magic, damage and curses

Cave Lore - 3 = needed for game's stashes, 6% posion and acid resist

Tool use - 6 = someone has to get it

First Aid - 10 +2 = coupled with priest's, basically full hp and mp always after fights in dungeons.

Magical Efficiency 1 = had a point left over, why not...

Traits : Negotiator/Intelligence 5 times/Elemental Focus 5 times/Health Traits 3 times/2 traits remaining.

Suggestions :

(General)Your Mage and Priest both have access to daze. Make sure you use them for all fights as they make everything a cakewalk. On Torment both dazes are essential to being able to survive early game. Bolt of fire is your best friend early game, solid damage and very low mana cost. Summon creature can be used for an extra meatshield.

(Mage Specific)This game pretty much requires buffers to need to rebuff frequently, every few turns. Level 3 haste gives a chance to cast battle frenzy so you'll want to use it every time it is down. Other than that just spam her aoe spells.

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Character 4 : Priest (Will have 40 Int and ~20-25 End)

Priest Spells - 15 +2 = +17 damage level, all priest spells, chance to connect spells

Mage Spells - 2 = gives daze on priest

Arcane Lore - 4 +2 = needed for game's books, +18% mental resist

Spellcraft - 10 +2 = +24% spell effectiveness

Resistance - 10 +2 = +36% resist from all magic, damage and curses

Cave Lore - 2 = needed for game's stashes, 4% posion and acid resist

Tool use - 7 = someone has to get it

First Aid - 10 +2 = coupled with mage's, basically full hp and mp always after fights in dungeons.

Magical Efficiency 1 = had a point left over, why not...

Traits : Negotiator/Intelligence 5 times/Healing Focus 5 times/Health Traits 3 times/2 traits remaining.

Suggestions :

(General)Your Mage and Priest both have access to daze. Make sure you use them for all fights as they make everything a cakewalk. On Torment both dazes are essential to being able to survive early game. Bolt of fire is your best friend early game, solid damage and very low mana cost. Summon creature can be used for an extra meatshield.

(Priest Specific)This character is a buffer/healer most of the time. Early game you'll be using Bolt of Fire/Daze to help out in fights (don't bother with smite unless they are undead as it does the same damage as Bolt of Fire but costs alot more mana). Don't forget she also has a summon creature if you want another meatshield.

Note that odds are you will not make enough money in the game to train all of those skills to +2, well maybe I've never actually tried. However on paper this is a pretty solid setup. If worst comes to worst make sure you you get all of the Tank's for his additional meatsheildness (yes that is now a word), then focus on your mage/priests. Already maxed skills obviously take priority for training.

What this build does...

-Enough Tool Use to open everything in the game.

-Enough Cave Lore to find every stash in the game.

-Enough Arcane Lore to learn everything in the game.

-Two characters that can use Daze. (Mage/Priest)

-Pretty much unkillable tank. (Pity the Challenger trait doesn't work properly)

-The strongest dps fighter possible.

-Total of +24 First Aid in your party, you will be full Health/Mana after every fight.

Probably more, but that is the key stuff.

Important Gear Tips :

-Don't forget to put bows with +hit chance on your fighters/mages even if you don't plan on using them. Due to the game's mechanics for fighters that adds the hit chance to their melee attack as well. For mages you'll want to use bows when you're trying to conserve mana in dungeonos.

-Same thing applies with shields on your Mage/Priest. There is no downside to giving them one and it boosts their armor up quite a bit. Just be sure not to get over encumbered or you won't be able to cast spells.

-Be smart with your armor, sometimes gaining a 2% higher armor bonus on a chestplate or a shield is NOT worth the extra -5% chance to hit that it also has on it.

What exactly are you capable of altering, just items in general?

However it still gives the game exposure, out of all of the people who read it atleast some of them will actually take a look at it for themselves. I'd say its about 50/50 between people who would read a review and just trust everything the writer says and people who would check it out for themselves. Considering the amount of reviews I've read where games got poor scores then someone else from the site did another review and had a completely different outlook/score, it's safe to assume people won't just trust a single person's opinion.

As such, those 50% of people that looked into the game because of even a bad review, is more than probably would have it the review had not been made at all.

Ahh ok, got ya.

Or you can look at it in the sense that people would be more willing to hybrid their builds. For example a dual wielding fighter would pump some dex in order to get those crit chances rather than pure strength. A mage/priest might pump more endurance for those extra armor %'s.

Are you capable of altering what properties stat points can give? I really think there should be a little more to them then their current bonuses. For example, Dex should give 1% crit chance per 5 points invested, Str should give 1% melee damage per 5 points invested, Int - 1% magic damage per 5 points and End - 1% armor per 5 points invested.

When all else fails, kill it with fire.

Considering you put 5 points into it and saw only 1 extra critical it is safe to assume that extra crit was by pure coincidence and luck has nothing at all to do with crit chance.

As the saying goes, any press is good press. Even if someone made a review completely slamming the game and calling it absolute crap, it would still be good for the game because it'd give it exposure.