Pillars of Eternity: Cipher builds

0. Pillars of Eternity: Cipher Builds.md

Pillars of Eternity: Cipher Builds

1. MaxQuest
2. Boeroer
3. grausch - The Shattered Mind Cipher build and Ultimate run

1. Pillars of Eterny builds: Cipher by MaxQuest.md

Pillars of Eternity builds: Cipher by MaxQuest

A compilation of Cipher builds by MaxQuest from the Obsidian boards and Reddit.

Links: https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/96019-cipher-build-crafting-input-welcome/?p=1977583
Builds: https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/93254-cipher-question/?p=1925317

1. frontline dps - plate (sanguine), dual-wield sabres (bittercut); pale elf or boreal dwarf; ~ 18/9/15/13/15/8
2. frontline (a bit tankier) dps - plate (sanguine), sabre + shield; pale elf or boreal dwarf; ~ 18/10/14/12/14/10
3. frontline cc - plate (sanguine), estoc (blade of the endless paths); boreal dwarf; ~ 9/9/18/17/17/8
4. ranged cc/dps - robe/hide/padded armor (early game), durganized robe (late game), Borresaine/Sabra Marie Warbow; wood elf; 15/7/18/18/17/3
5. ranged dps (with occasional cc) - robe/padded/hide armor (early game), durganized robe (late game), Persistence bow (early game), Rain of Goddah late game; 18/7/18/17/15/3
6. ranged dps (with occasional cc)- hide armor (early game), durganized robe or hide (late game), quick-switching blunderbusses; 19/7/18/17/14/3

A v1 cipher has high might and would like to take advantage of it by using damaging powers. Thus:

1. Soul Shock (!), Whispers of Treason (!), Antipathetic Field (r), Tenuous Grasp (~)
2. Mental Binding (!), Amplified Thrust (r), Recall Agony (!) (vs high HP enemies; and yes, it scales 1.ith MIG), Psychovampiric Shield (r); Note: Mind Blades - is nice in theory but weak in practice, 1.ecause it can stop bouncing.
3. Ectopsychic Echo (!!), Soul Ignition (!), Puppet Master (~) (only if it's your only cipher)
4. Silent Scream (!!), Mind Lance (r), Pain Block (r), Wild Leech (r), Going Between (~) (only if 1.t's your only cipher)
5. Detonate (r), Tactical Meld (r), Borrowed Instinct (r)
6. Disintegration (!!), Amplified Wave (!)
7. Time Parasite (!), Stasis Shell (~)
8. Reaping Knives (~) (you'd like to have a barb in party), Defensive Mindweb (~) (Mindweb is quite situational, because it comes with heavy opportunity cost)

v3 is a frontline cc'er. I would recommend focusing on, by rank:

1. Whisper of Treason (!), Tenuous Grasp, Mind Wave
2. Mental Binding (!), Recall Agony, Psychovampiric Shield (~)
3. Puppet Master, Fractured Volition (~), Secret Horrors (~)
4. Silent Scream (r), Body Attunement (~), Going Between (~)
5. Borrowed Instinct, Tactical Meld
6. Amplified Wave (!), Disintegration (r)
7. Time Parasite (r) (but also carry DAoM potions), Stasis Shell (~)
8. Defensive Mindweb (~), Reaping Knives (~)

P.S. I would also recommend using Forgemaster Gloves in the early-mid game / Gauntlets of Swift Action + BotEP in the mid-late game; and also getting Shimmering Cloak.
P.P.S. Opt for 1 point in athletics, 4 or 10 in survival (for the bonus acc), and either invest in mechanics (if it's your mech guy), or lore (in this case especially take a look at scrolls of paralysis and confusion).

As for powers, specifically for v4 (! is important, r is recommended):

1. Whispers of Treason (!), Mindwave (!), Tenuous Grasp (r) and Eyestrike (~)
2. Mental Binding (!), Amplified Thrust (r), Recall Agony (r) (vs high HP enemies)
3. Ectopsychic Echo (r), Soul Ignition (r), Puppet Master (~)
4. Silent Scream(!), Mind Lance (r), Pain Block (~), Going Between (~), Wild Leech (~)
5. Borrowed Instinct (r), Tactical Meld (r), Detonate (r)
6. Amplified Wave (!), Disintegration (!)
7. Time Parasite (!), Stasis Shell (~)
8. Reaping Knives (~), Defensive Mindweb (~) (Mindweb is quite situational, because it comes with heavy opportunity cost)

v4 - is a flexible mix between crowd-control and dealing damage, with emphasis made on cc.
while v5 and v6 - are there to deal damage aiming for the top "total damage" metric. These will use cc only as part of fight opening, or when your other debilitators can't cover all your cc needs in some specific fight.
This is why, v5 and v6 will make an emphasis on damage dealing powers which will roughly account for two thirds of their total damage. And that's why they need such maxed MIG.
So for v5 and v6 powers I would prioritize them in the following way:

1. Soul Shock (!), Whispers of Treason (!), Mindwave (r), Tenuous Grasp (~)
2. Mental Binding (r), Mind Blades (r), Amplified Thrust (r), Recall Agony (r) (vs high HP enemies,btw, those 30% are further increased by might coefficient)
3. Ectopsychic Echo (!), Soul Ignition (r), Puppet Master (~)
4. Silent Scream(!), Mind Lance (!), Wild Leech (~)
5. Detonate (!), Borrowed Instinct (r), Tactical Meld (r)
6. Amplified Wave (!!), Disintegration (!!)
7. Time Parasite (!)
8. Reaping Knives (r) (only if you have a barb with Heart of Fury)

And as for skills: the same as listed in the first link.
Btw, the main difference between v5 and v6 - is how they generate focus.
v5 - via high steady dps; the longer the fight - the higher upper hand it gets
v6 - via short but very intensive burst - it's perfect for fights that last under 20s - but requires a higher amount of precise micro, especially if you are going to use what I call "Quick Quick Switch" - it's a technique when you switch firearms right after firing and before the recovery has even started - in this way you can skip not only reloading phase, but also recovery itself and plus a small portion of attack backswing.

[From a discussion on power selection for v4.]

There is indeed a reason behind each power selection. And first I would like to note that the quoted selection refers to the ranged cc/dps cipher (v4 as I call him). This cipher uses mostly crowd-control stuff, and starts to use damage powers mostly when everyone is already cc'ed. Reason being: this is my second cipher, taken specifically for this task (hard protect the party). While my main cipher is more dps oriented.

Now I'll elaborate regarding the powers you have listed:

1. Body Attunement - is a good power, but it costs 40 focus. The +DR on ranged cipher is usually left unused (as you don't want to get hit at all, and thus already planned how to prevent the enemies from hitting your squishes). So the main point forte of this power is the -DR on an enemy which would increase your party dps against it. But you don't want to place this on a low-endurance target, as it will die fast anyway. You need a sturdy one, with a lot of hp. Now you have two options:

   • kill the target with phys and periodic damage. In this case -DR is great (especially if you use the v6 cipher - quick-switching blunderbusses).
   • kill the target with DoTs. And DoTs (in this, and majority of games) are very DPCT (Damage per Cast Time) effective. Shinning Beacon, Cleansing Flame and Disintegration are kinds here. Soul Ignition, Rot Skulls, Dragon Trashed, Insect Swarm and Concelhaut's Corrosive Siphon are decent as well. Plus there is Recall Agony.
     Also there are few more things to take into account:
   • you can DoT the target, charm it, and just let it die by itself.
   • cipher does/should not attack high DR targets. He builds focus on enemy squishies / boss minions, and kills stuff with powers. All-in-all, I'd rather cast a Soul Ignition + WoT, instead of the Attunement - as it will result in more damage dealt, and less damage taken overall, and for the same focus cost. Or perhaps a Silent Scream.

2. Antipathetic Field - this power was of great use during my first playthrough (which I started on hard). On PotD though, I feel that geometry is often not there. In harder fights, with lots of enemies especially teleporting or rushing ones, there is a risk of their redislocation and thus killing own party. In easier fights - stuff dies fast anyway, as my parties are very dps inclined. I take AF on my dps cipher, but once past level 5 I usually use the Ectopsychic Echo over it, even if it costs 30 instead of 10.

3. Tenuous Grasp and Puppet Master are the fallback powers for this cc-cipher in case there is a target immune to charm. Also, while it's great that WoT reduces enemy defenses, in rare situations you don't want it too. For example there is sturdy enemy going to pass through a doorway. Dominate him and let him body block. Not to mention that Puppet Master has longer than WoT duration.

4. Silent Scream - is a great AoE damage + target stun combined. With level 7-8 party I usually open up with 2 WoT followed by 2 Mental Bindings. This adds 2 bodies to my party; makes two more enemies paralized, and makes it hard for the rest to rush through my frontline due to stuck. And Silent Scream is a great followup. With 2 ciphers it is stopping two threats from dealing damage to the party, while annihilating the trash. (and if not, I have barbarian + blasting wizard)

5. Wild Leech - Lowering boss stats is a great thing. Even grazes done by dragons can deal solid damage, because they have high MIG which partially compensates for the -0.5 loss on the damage coefficient. Stealing 10 MIG on such an enemy would significantly lower their graze damage and help your tanks survivability (if you use this tactic). Not to mention that extra 10 MIG would result in big increase in Soul Ignition and Desintegrate damage. Somewhat similar thing with INT (breath radius, debuffs duration), DEX and to some extent PER. Stealing 10 RES is also hefty, as the dragon gets -20 to Will. Not to meantion reducing dragon's CON. Still though, I must confess that I rarely used this power. Simply because I already had over-abundance of means to kill the existing bosses. But if dragons would get buffed, plus would get immunities to all hard-cc effects, I would use this way more. That's why I marked it with (~). I.e. a situational, just-in-case power.

6. Mindweb - I liked this power the first few times I used it. But later I've found it a bit redundant / not suiting my style. I can either spend 80 focus on this. Or hard-cc the enemies (and thus avoid the damage altogether) and follow-up with damage-dealing powers. Usually the second approach was resulting in a faster combat. And that's why it is situational. If you have enough cc and high dps, you better use those. If you don't (or enemies are cc-immune or have high defences coupled with minus accuracy effects you can't get rid of) you can play the long game and tank/mindweb them.

2. Cipher by Boeroer.md

Cipher by Boeroer

From https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/109040-help-with-cipher-build/?do=findComment&comment=2202194

Here's a list of talents that I find useful for a cipher (no particular order):

• Weapon Focus (whatever weapon group you like best)
• Biting Whip
• Draining Whip
• Greater Focus
• Apprentice's Sneak Attack
• Outlander's Frenzy (until you get Time Parasite)

Melee Cipher specifically:

• Veteran's Recovery
• Two Weapon Style / One-Handed Style / Two-Handed Style (depending on your weapon choice)
• Weapon and Shield Style (with shield)
• Savage Attack (especially after getting Borrowed Instincts)
• Vulnerable Attack (melee Cipher when reaching 0 recovery, thsi can be done with dual wielding and/or any speed weapon + Time Parasite; especially when using light weapons)
• Spirit of Decay (with Bittercut)

Ranged Cipher:

• Marksman
• Gunner (ranged Cipher with guns or crossbows) OR
• Quick Switch & Arms Bearer (Island Aumauan ranged Cipher with 4 guns or crossbows, switching after each shot)
• Penetrating Shot (ranged Cipher with blunderbuss or Golden Gaze - or a ranged weapon with speed enchantment + Time Parasite after reaching 0 recovery)
• Dangerous Implements (with wand, scepter or rod)
• Heart of the Storm (with Stormcaller)

3. The Shattered Mind - Cipher Ultimate Run by grausch.md

The Shattered Mind Cipher build and Ultimate run by grausch

https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/109953-class-build-the-shattered-mind-a-melee-cipher/

Build and Ultimate run notes with links to videos. Very instructive in techniques to use.