Discuss your unorthodox/almostuseless/crazy/shouldn'tworkbutdoes builds/play styles here!

When I make a build I try to include as many layers of mechanics as possible.
By layers of mechanics I mean something like using Freeze Pulse (or any other Cold Spell) with Avatar of Fire and Cold to Fire and add The Three Dragons to the mix.
Which results in a Cold Spell that can shock.

But I don't just want to randomly add layers for the sake of it, I want all the mechanics to synergize.
I have yet to come up with a build that I am satisfied with. At some point I start to dislike my builds because they are too simple. But then again, this is what keeps me hooked to the game. The goal of one day finding a build I am satisfied with.

I don't know if this post is even relevant to the thread. But that's basically my playstyle.

@reizoko, make a utility/buff build, i am sure it won't disappoint you. (going from your post)

Figuring out how to make a build work with some big design limitation or restriction is what keeps me even remotely interested in the game. If I were chasing DPS, I would have quit in 2012 once I fully understood the game mechanics and had insight into GGG's balancing principles.

I definitely find myself indulging more in theme and lore now than when I began. The character feels "wrong" if I have to accept an off-theme concept to make the character work (e.g. stacking auras regardless of build, or using Blood Rage with CI since there's no downside).

Past that, any character that doesn't level itself up without hand-me-down twink items or respeccing is not a character worth playing. In the past (long ago, when exiles rode on dinosaurs) there used to not be any respeccing at all. I liked it better then, since I never had the nagging feeling that I could be playing more efficiently for free. Long term planning was necessary to success.

When I build up a character, I start from some atomic, enjoyable concept. Something aesthetic that I know won't disappoint, and something that, once chosen, I cannot remove. Each character represents one concept taken to its fullest extent. They aren't hollow shells that I can put one idea into, bring it to life, and then swap the idea out for another on a whim.

After accepting that core idea, I can move on to things like how to survive, how to boost what pitiful damage they put out, and so on. This is where DPS and life and all the rest come in, long after I've already made a blocking decision.

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One such example is the Lightning Warp Totems "build". I've played several variations of the build through different patches (and back when the arrow-in-totem glitch would crash instances left and right). The sight of the little blue totems flitting around and wreaking havoc while the Templar sits back with a smug, disdainful Gendo-face is absolutely wonderful. (For a few days in 0.9.9 when traps/mines were added and you could spawn infinite LW Totems, the build was monstrous. :P)

Also, for those of you weeb enough to remember, Thunder God was a Dragoon spell in Legend of Dragoon, a wonderful PSX JRPG. The similarity between that and LWTotems is absolutely uncanny. I've been using the name "Thundergod" for all of my LWTotem builds (recycling the name as needed), including my most recent one, a L60 Scion.

So, given that, I figure out what kind of defense I want (CI or life is fine, EB not needed, not mana intensive), how to scale up the damage (Shocking Blows for sure, AoE and movement speed where possible, AB is a given, dual curse), look for items that might help (Soul Mantle? Reduced Duration?), and generally spend most of my time solving these issues while playing the character and learning its strengths and weaknesses.

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I remember strongly:
... Thundergod, the aforementioned embodiment of lightning (LW Totems).
... Pneuma, madly drumming away on an enemy's skull (dual-wield 1h maces melee).
... Sinatra, the singing barbarian (EC + Discharge).
... Cactuar, the thousand needles (old: SA max aspd RATotems, newer: CwS EK, newest: CoC EK).
... Tinderbox, flipping matches from a matchbook at an astonishing rate (RF Totems).
... Explode, the atomic, bombastic man (AoF shield charge + eleprolif).
... Party, the rotating disco ball of good times (9aura+5curse support).
... Tunnel, the poisonous, meek rat (defensive Poison Arrow).

Each has a definite, strong theme. Most I've made more than once in new leagues. Skills and equipment change (note Cactuar went from an archer+totems to a weird pacifist to an archer/caster) but the core concept stays unchanged (in his case, shooting a thousand needles and then still shooting a thousand needles).

They may not be endgame viable (and trust me, LWTotems and DW 1h mace are so outclassed it hurts), but they're more enjoyable to me than seeing big numbers and high levels and "acquiring epic lootz" ever could be. It's about art; being creative, and being able to hopefully communicate something meaningful to yourself and to others.

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Even I don't understand why it worked so

Don´t worry, even devs don´t know.
And it looks like i´m gonna take this secret to the grave.

Charan, do you have any pics that you can link of your character? I'd love to see how he looks. Also, while I have your attention Charan, 1 quick question. I got really excited when this last round of uniques debuted, as I saw a unique spiked shield!! Alas, I quickly realized it was not designed by you.... Did you scrap your idea? (No offense meant towards the designer of the Jaws of Agongy, that thing rocks and I can't wait to get my hands on one!).

Since my Rinzler themed character just hit lvl 80, I'll probably be starting a new character soon. I like to get to lvl 80, then start fresh. It also gives me a nice pool of leveled characters with different themes and playstyles, so I can pick and chose depending on my mood.

I've had the desire lately to try to recreate one of my favorite characters from my D2 days, an ice bowazon. I don't think I've EVER seen an cold/bow character in the 2+ years I've played POE...

I've been hoarding a few nice corrupted items for her, but still haven't fleshed out the complete build yet.

So far, got these items to work with:



I think there is some cool interaction possible between the gloves and the quiver (curse proliferation). Between the gloves, quiver, and ice shot gem, I'll have 85% cold conversion. Probably Rime Gaze for the helm and then try to find a good phys bow.

While I'm on the subject, does anyone know how the curse corruption on those gloves work? As in, is it 100% guaranteed to curse enemies on hit, or is it a % like the curse cast on hit support gem?

Anything with Goddess Bound / Goddess Scorned

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ancalagon3000 wrote:

Anything with Goddess Bound / Goddess Scorned

Well that goes without saying. Now if you don't have an actual build or playstyle to discuss, please don't post here. Plenty of other threads for you to be terse and facetious in. Cheers.

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pneuma wrote:

They may not be endgame viable (and trust me, LWTotems and DW 1h mace are so outclassed it hurts), but they're more enjoyable to me than seeing big numbers and high levels and "acquiring epic lootz" ever could be. It's about art; being creative, and being able to hopefully communicate something meaningful to yourself and to others.

I'm down with this.

...Sigh.

edit: I fail at quoting. And posting in general.

...Where's that damn delete button when you need it?