A New Beginning

I've picked up White March and I'm starting a new game with another rogue (after waiting for the game to get patched for quite some time).

I'm taking advantage of the minor multiclassing introduced by the expansion to give my rogue a hint of the fighter class.

I'm going for maxed perception (for interrupt), high resolve and good dexterity. My rogue has the merc background which fits the concept of a guy who fights dirty (which is what a mercenary should be about).

I've been playing IE games lately so the comparison is pretty obvious and it makes me appreciate how the game plays and looks. My only problem is that abilities seems a bit too streamlined (might for instance work for every type of damage).

I've also found out you could start the first dungeon with two npcs instead of one.

I love that there is no alignment and I love the fact that it's not necessary to go out of your way to kill creatures for xp.

I just hope Obsidian is not going to come up with another patch that turns everything around...

Sad that pathfinding is still an issue...

The good part is that it feels a lot more like a storybook and not an arpg. I've been playing the old IE games lately and the only one that had a comparable level of writing is Planescape Torment (which only makes sense).

I'm just not 100% sold on the ruleset. It's not as dumb as Advanced Dungeons & Dragons but it feels a bit too streamlined especially when looking at the main abilities. I don't mind that each point has an effect (instead of thresholds) but the fact that Might works for any kind of damage feels a bit odd to me. It's just an example, Intellect defining area of effects is another thing that I find odd.

In any case the best option is probably to overlook those bits and focus on the roleplaying (which is why I'm playing on expert mode).

I've created a follower, this time I went for a dwarven barbarian with a dissident background (once again based on Shar Teel) and she does add some punch to the party.

Not sure about rushing through the main quest as I've been finding many things requiring my attention.

It's funny how in BG and D&D a thief/rogue used to be an utilitarian class with some tricks and now it has become a pure DPS class. I can't say I'm a fan of playing a glass canon but there is something to be said about the damage a rogue can deal in this game.

I've found a pistol with a speed enchantment and I'm almost tempted by taking the gunner feat. I've added a custom character to test the efficiency of rogues with guns and a wood elf is perfectly suited for the task (the only thing I regret is not putting more points in intellect to take advantage of deadly wounds).

I have started a new game with a priest of Eothas. I am still at Gilded Vale. Choose the Game time option which says that it focuses on story and exploration. So far the combat seems too easy. I would have to start a new game in order to change my choice so will continue this game.

If you do decide to start over then the sooner the better. The story is the main reason to play the game so as long as combat doesn't get boring I guess it should be fine.

After considering a few different builds and restarting the game a few times I've started a new game with a Barbarian. There is something to be said about a character that has almost 3 times more hit points than a rogue of the same level.

I'm using this picture for fun:


That way I can give my character some personality without making him just another badass warrior (which he is). Plus I used this picture ages ago for another character so I have an idea of how he would react and deal with the situations the game will put him through.

Stat wise I didn't feel fine with the maxed out Intellect that people seem to favour when it comes to Barbarians so I went for Might, Constitution and Resolve instead.

Resolve doesn't do much for your average damage dealing Barbarian in this game but it makes him more durable and almost nullifies the penalty associated with Frenzy (I did try briefly a low Resolve female Orlan Barbarian and she failed to impress -but then she had high Dex and slightly above average Might).

The problem is that I had to take points away from Dex and Per. Dex doesn't seem to hurt the character that much so far but I really miss these two points I took away from Per...

In any case average Int means he can still hit two guys at the same time so Carnage is not wasted (I was a bit concerned about that).

I really like Rogues so I'll probably end up giving him some Rogue like abilities but I'm enjoying the idea of having a very sturdy main character for a change.

Finally found a build that I actually like. Basically it's a Barbarian in heavy armour, a shield with dumped dexterity and constitution and everything else maxed out. Carnage makes up for the relative slowness and the focus on debuffs means survivability is not such a big deal.

Here is a link for the thread that gave me the idea to try this out.

I like Rogues but they lack staying power and I wasn't too keen on a Barbarian with low resolve.

Last but not least this build favours stats that are used in dialogue checks so it's a win win.

So I started my first playthrough. I settled on playing a rogue (which I hadn't done in years. I usually alternate between fighter and wizard in CRPGs). It was a hard choice because as I'm playing it for the first time, I don't know what the (best) NPCs' classes are in order to mesh perfectly with them.  

I'm still getting the hang of it (played for a hour or two, just finished the prologue), but it's incredible how, having played A LOT of Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale and Planescape : Torment, everything just felt so familiar.

When I create a character (especially in a first playthrough), I usually wing it by creating my character with role-play. I don't try to mix and match stuff, I just go to what's logical with the back story. So I decided on a Meadow human rogue. The backstory I thought of is the character grew up in a poor part of a big town and gradually fell in with a bad crowd. Things were started to get a little too hot and he was caught red-handed. His pals and his superiors made absolutely no attempt to get him off the hook, they even helped pin more on him to get another pal out of the frying pan. Disillusioned, he spent a none-too happy time in jail where he was targeted by rival gangs. When he got out, he decided "F**k 'em" and cut ties with everyone he knew. He heard about a new area being settled and a change of scenery was just what he needed. So basically, he has no clue where he's going, what he's going to do with his life. He has trust issues and really just wants everyone to leave him alone.

I chose the dissident path, although it's not entirely the back story I was thinking of, with a focus on might, perception and resolve. I'm also favouring the dual dagger wielding backstabber profile.

I finished the first dungeon area (with two NPCs.. ) and just got to Valewood. I got my ass handed to me by the bandit group with the cook. I reloaded, got my ass handed to me by the Xaurips. *sigh*   I guess I'll try different strategies, like the good ol' "divide and conquer" I abused on BG (walking up so the fog of war just reveals one enemy then running back so that only that one follows you).

P.S.: Cara, I think that Ben Stiller barbarian picture is hilarious!

You don't have to min max (unless you want to) since the devs went out of their way to balance everything out.

The good thing about playing a Rogue is that the Rogue NPC is available in the expansion and is not really very representative of the class itself.

My problem with Rogues is keeping them alive. They shine in combat with high damage but they tend to concentrate enemy fire so you really want a meatshield between you and the enemy.

Manoeuvring around the battlefield is really tricky because of the engagement rules so it takes a little getting used to.

Rogues can be a bit more durable with the right setup but they shine when it comes to hurting the enemy, not getting hurt is the problem.

You may want to get Veteran's Recovery to help with Endurance. Things will be much easier once you get a Priest in your party.

I'm surprised you didn't give the Paladin a try. They're different enough in this game and I've been considering taking one through Pillars 1 to see how it would go with Deadfire (although I'm tempted to take a Swashbuckler that would be at home sailing the seas).

Triactus wrote:

P.S.: Cara, I think that Ben Stiller barbarian picture is hilarious!

Indeed. Plus the good thing is that looking at this picture is the only way for me to make sure I will play a goody two shoes.

By the way, the funny thing is that after wrapping up my first run through Deadfire with my (anti)hero I feel like playing BG again (Neutral Evil Swashbuckler to be dualled into Cleric).

I rarely play as paladins because I hate them as represented in D&D. Self-righteous pricks, the lot of them. From what I read in the player creation screen, they indeed seemed different, but I didn't really pay that much attention (I didn't want to play a meatshield as a main character). Plus, my rogue could probably be a swashbuckler in the second game. I already own a rapier.

I think I'll play my character as a mix of chaotic neutral and chaotic good (a character who values his personal freedom above all, who doesn't care all that much about the moral consequences of his action as a whole, but who empathizes with people who live in poverty. And who will show fierce loyalty to people who likewise do the same, regardless of political/moral agendas).

As the first level up talent, I chose backstabbing to help with my character's profile. But thanks for the tip, I might nab the Veteran's Recovery next (I had it in my short list when choosing my first talent).

Do you get your first NPC early? Is it better to wait and gang up before battling the two groups in Valewood, or should I just try different strategies?

I like your backstory. You will have some very interesting choices to make. If there's one thing Pillars does well it's moral ambiguity.

Don't worry about messing up your build as you can respec in taverns.

You get NPCs pretty soon, just keep an eye out for them. I'm not going to spoil it for you.

As for the fights you've mentioned it can be tricky early on so I would suggest a bit of exploration. Don't forget that the game rewards you for exploration and quests and not for killing (besides learning about foes).

I figured out why I had such a tough time in the first few fights in Valewood. I... ahem... hadn't noticed the icon "major fatigue" next to my picture... I'M STILL GETTING USED TO THE GAME, DAMMIT!  I rested up and beat the thugs and then the Xaurips to hell and back.  

I've played a few hours over the week-end. I've since picked up Edér, Aloth and Kana. Edér is my meat shield, with Aloth and Kana behind dishing out magic. I used to have my rogue character go into scout mode to creap up near an enemy, appear, and then run up to the group, but that was stupid. Now, Edér walks up to enemies, who seem him way earlier, but enable my rogue to stay hidden and sneak attack the enemies' backs while they're engaged with Edér. It's pretty effective. And it's better for my rogue, since enemies would target him when I sent him scouting. Edér can take the brunt of the attack.

The fighting can get a little frustrating at times because of the pathfinding. Besides characters getting stuck somewhere, you sometimes give an order to attack a different enemy than the one you're fighting, but the character has to make one step forward (which you hadn't seen because of 2d isometric), with enables the disengage penalty.

I'm also not sold at all on the health/endurance thing. I find it hard to believe, in a world of magic, that the only way to regain health is sleeping it off (and in a paid hotel room or with a paid camping gear, at that. What happened to sleeping free in the wild?). "I woke up and I just got trashed by an enemy in my first fight. Just let me sleep it off for a while".

Still, I like the game so far, I like the call back to BG and IWD all the while keeping it's own identity. The characters and situations so far are interesting. I also find it funny how most modern games are generally linear, so that we're used to the game "leveling up" with the player. I have trouble remembering that areas can be meant for higher level encounters.

On a side note, I was moved by something in Easternwood. There's a cemetery and you can read a few tombstones. As I understand it, backers of the game (who gave a certain amount of money) could send a custom message. There's one that read "The fallen of Sorcerer's Place" and mention Kitrax... R.I.P. Kit.

I don't like the golden characters and don't care much for the stuff about backers so I didn't see the message about Kitrax. It's been years already but he isn't forgotten. I used to go back to that place every year on the 1st of November to post a message in remembrance of him but I failed to do so lately. I need to remember this year.

I'm glad you're enjoying the game so far.

The health/endurance thing is gone in Deadfire and the pathfinding is much better (we only get 5 party members and it does help).

The one thing that makes Pillars a pain is the pathfinding. I've been replaying BG and the pathfinding is so much better it's not even funny.

The major fatigue thing made my day.