High (around 95) level thoughts

[Hegi]

Hi. I've played DS2 for a long long time and I have few thoughts.

I have 3 person party.

a) Adelaide LaPlace (Grand Magus) - combat 95/nature 81

Well, after level 90 putting skill points in combat magic was idiotic. She has mastered energy orb, devastation and corrosive erruption. IMHO these three powers are more than enough. I tried playing with harvest soul (which stinks, this team dosent need rapid healing and damage is too low) and gathering bolt (it is to slow for me).

She has +22 to combat skills, so I started developing nature magic (especially ice mastery and freeze, that comes in handy).From powers I only achieved level 3 in invicibililty, rest was way worse than form combat magic.
Also, absorption is cool. And last, but not least wrath and embrace mastery was a good choice. Buffing characters with spirit embrace (+40% resistances and most important immunity to curses) and wrath of ancestors (+20% power recharge rate) is priceless.

b) Deru (Master Assasin) - ranged 97/combat 60/nature 30

I've changed her into assasin. This new class generally sucks, but has one cool power and one important skill. Ravaging strike is better version of thundershot (more damage, but takes 40% of max hp when used) and it rocks also, this skill which increases ranged damaged (for a price of 4% of HP taken with each shot) is great. Drawbacks are nullified by health steal from some items.

Rest of this class, execute and runes sucks. With execute she can do about 4000 damage to each marked creature (which means two, maybe three) and it has normal recharge time. Runes suck completly, ravaging strikes bestes them all.

Nevertheless, I have no idea how to develop her further. I can put skill points in penetrate or far shot, but one skill points is only 0,5% increasment which is barely nothing.

c) Eva (Champion) - melee 98
Dual wielder. But I start to think, that any other melee character other than a tank is a mistake. She can't do any proper damage (compared to mage and ranger) without power (only whirling strikes saves her and brutall atack perhaps). Her only good side is armor, which creates way to tank only. I've tried also doublehanded weapon but it sucks either

For example dual wielder makes with brutal attack about 12000 damage, when Deru can shoot enemy for more than 50000!!! Elemental rage is a same crap as charged shots (yeah... about 10000 additional damage over 10 seconds?! it's freakin nothing). Waves of force are less useless, they can do something like rail gun which is nice. But still, only 15000 damage.


Intention of this post was getting some advices how to rebuild characters, maybe I've missed something important (specially about Eva) but suggestions for assasin and mage devel will be also appreciated

[Caesar Quintus]

My opinion about skill points

I saw that you know very well how it works (how much damage they inflict). My Elite party is not as developed as yours; my imported party was 86 and now is only 88-89 except Yoren and Ressa. I found Ressa a very good character, I replaced Finala because she could do the same thing as Combat Mage and moreover she is a far more developed character (now she is 94 archer and 83 combat mage only, and generally 97 level character).
Few things:

1. Try to reset your skill points (I think you already did).
2. How about War Cry? I use it a lot. At maximum, you have 15 critical strikes when activated.
3. My opinion it's a bit different than yours concerning the Runes and Execute. As you can see in my thread (How to kill Despulan) I had a real NIGHTMARE in doing that for the first time. Runes of Sacrifice solved the puzzle. At maximum, it gives you 90% for normal and critical strikes (be melee,archer or mage) with a price of course. And it looks very nice. I like a lot that spell, I use it intensively. Agree with you, it not has a direct effect (I mean like Staggering blow or whatever) but as INDIRECT efect it helps your party to inflict a lot of damage (I didn't count it, I am not that good ). Execute works very well in combination with Runes of Sacrifice. I am sure that you noticed that Execute, even though it does not inflict so much damage, it HEALS you instantly. For example, when I killed Keirok (100 level character) I didn't use health potions, only Execute, and believe me I did it in less than 2 min.
4. I would use the remaining points on Reinforced Armor (especially for archers and mages). For melee, I would prefer to use them on Overbear. It'll increase the damage for two handed weapons when you use them in combination with a shield. I like my beloved Eva when she has the shield on left hand and Rahvan's SunSword on her right hand and Provoke(s) all around her! Needless to say, my beloved Princess has her Provoke at maximum.
5. I agree with you - for Nature Mage there are less interesting powers. Anyway, I have Invulnerability and Glacial Aura at maximum. I like Glacial Aura - it freezes all around you when you get stuck - and I prefer to get stuck, I go right in the middle of them and if I don't have a lot of enemies around me, I run in circle to attract them then Provoke, it is my favourite style of battle. I used that style in Darthrul when I went directly for the heads (I mean the Morden-Graal mages) only to get that stinky Mordens stressed.

[Hegi]

4. I would use the remaining points on Reinforced Armor (especially for archers and mages). For melee, I would prefer to use them on Overbear. It'll increase the damage for two handed weapons when you use them in combination with a shield. I like my beloved Eva when she has the shield on left hand and Rahvan's SunSword on her right hand and Provoke(s) all around her! Needless to say, my beloved Princess has her Provoke at maximum.


Hell, I play this game for a long time and haven't noticed, that I could use double handed weapon in one hand

As for reinforced armour. For ranged this sounds good, but for mage is better alternative. Chant of Stone skill raises hp and armour and amount is based on intelligence. My mage gets 100hp and 50 armour per skill point in this

[Caesar Quintus]

Spending skill points

AVE CASAR, MORITVRI TE SALVTANT !

Thanks Hegi for the tip.
Concerning the using of a double-handed weapon in combination with a shield, I saw on Internet that is considered to be a bug. For me is not a bug at all, I like that. Notice that you can see your weapon ONLY by using blades (Hunter sword, Bastard Sword, Hero's Sword, etc.) When you use axes or double-handed hammers it appears as if your character fights bare-handed.

Procedure (maybe you noticed on Internet, but sometimes doesn't work, so I changed it and it works fine):

1. Put off from your inventory the shield and the blade (I mean, throw them on the ground)
2. Leave the inventory open.
3. Select a spell (doesn't matter, just select it as if you character will start to use it)
4. Pick up the shield FIRST (so, you'll have the shield into its slot)
5. Pick up the blade.
6. Change the spell with melee (commute on the melee slot) and...voila! You'll have a nice melee fighter with a weapon which is far more devastating than a regular one.
I tried this when I was a little Veteran with my beloved Fire King Foe Crusher (nice hammer, heh ? ) but my beloved Eva appeared as if she will fight bare-handed. I repeat, this will happen when you use axes and double-handed hammers.
Only to be a fussy aunt, I noticed something. Suppose that you have your melee fighter equiped with double-handed weapons only (like Flamberge, alas, I love my Frostheim set!). When they run, there are characters which keep their weapon with two hands (when they're running ) and others which keep their blade into the right hand only (maybe I am a bit hazy). So, those characters which keep their blade ONLY into the right hand when running, will keep their blade UP (as a Morden ) while equiped with double-handed blade and the shield in the same time. The others, which keep their blade with two hands while running, will keep their blade DOWN while equiped with that double-handed blade and the shield. Needless to say, I prefer my beloved Eva to be equiped like that because she keep her blade UP, like the Mordens. Also, try to stay in the front of her when Provoke, you'll have a very nice effect. Alas, I love my beloved Eva when Provoke(s) !

[Hegi]

Nah.. I don't wanna try this sophistaced bug overuseage I've just finished BW on Elite difficulty, reached experiance cap (yeah, lvl 100 is everything you can get) and start searching for new games.

Probably, I would play a little longer in BW, but there is not single unique for high level chars. Only one thing I found interesting, it's called Elven Wedding Ring and it is +2 Combat magic skills +2 Nature magic skills, +32% combat magic damage and +32% nature magic damage. And it is so unique, that my mage wears four of them and I left 3 more on the floor during the game. But no fine sword, no fine bow, just nothing. I've started game with Endless memory for my main char and she is still wearing it.

[Ashen]

..., reached experiance cap (yeah, lvl 100 is everything you can get) and start searching for new games..

You can go over but it is almost impossible, the curve of gaining exp is so steep, at least accoring to the admins of Gas Powered forums, and they should know.

[Dimeron]

Just wondering, in your experience, who kills faster/dose more damage, the CM/NM, or the ranger at that level range with all the best items in the game. Both for normal mobs and against single bosses.

thanks.

[Hegi]

Definietly mage. With Lightning blast/soul lance/embers she makes a lot of damage (about 4000 per cast, minus resistances), and casting is faster then each crossbow. Changing to a bow won't give you anything.

[sirine]

How fast u can kill?

Agree with Hegi, I have 5 mage now. Pure Lightning Mage Party~!

But things get pretty boring. Normally 2 shot send a mod to pieces. (2x5= 10 shots actually )

And now try to restart a new class.