Character Builds, Ability Points, & How to Kick Ass Thread

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Character Builds, Ability Points, & How to Kick Ass Thread

  • Primarily Combat Build. Blood and Fear!

    Votes: 193 34.9%
  • Mostly Signs. Your Mind Is Mine.

    Votes: 74 13.4%
  • Alchemy. Mutant and Proud of It.

    Votes: 82 14.8%
  • Hybrid, some of each. Polymath!

    Votes: 215 38.9%
  • I also love the General set! Lots of use.

    Votes: 27 4.9%
  • Can't decide. Many Respecs lie ahead!

    Votes: 37 6.7%

  • Total voters
    553
What boring advice do I see getting handed out here? I'm very disappointed by you all.
- Go for Deathmarch! Learn with blood, sweat, and tears!
- Kill them cows! Go on a straight bovine genocide! Behold the interesting consequences!
- Do every quest right when you stumble upon it, ignore those boring recommendations!
Trust me, you will learn very much, very fast. :cool:
 
First off, I play with the excellent FCR3 mod which fundamentally changes the Witcher 3 experience (for the better). This build will work differently in the non-FCR3 game. This build starts off combat with a bit of magic and then brings in alchemy later to augment, well, everything. This build avoids the alt-quen shield and whirl for more directed, toe-to-toe action.

First ~15 levels - Combat skill fast attack (first two in column), arrow deflection (lvl 1), fleet footed, and resolve. Exploding shield and delusion in the signs skill. In the general skill, the only must is whatever armor type you want to use mostly, although focus, and rage management are noteworthy. You'll want to have at least level 2 delusion by level 6 (when you'll probably start using it in conversations).

Levels ~15-30 - Keep rasing the above skills and add magic trap (very useful in many instances) and maybe start to delve into alchemy. Acquired tolerance, poisoned blades and protective coating are great, as is heightened tolerance. But your real goal in the alchemy field is synergy. It's totally worth wasting points just to get to it.

Levels 30-45+ - Keep raising the above plus crippling strike, razor focus, and undying to round out your combat skills. Once you get to the Blood and Wine DLC you can add up to 4 more slots for skills. I usually run with Euphoria so all those alchemy skills populate the center, extra skill slots and I have 3 greater red and 1 greater blue mutagen to enhance my attack and sign usage.

I didn't list many in the general skills but several are useful. In addition to the ones I listed above, I've found strong back and metabolic control useful. If you don't use the FCR3 mod gourmet is supposed to be excellent. Also, it's usually better to not spread your points around to skills you can't even equip yet because you haven't unlocked enough slots. Until I get to around the mid 30s level I have all skills slotted that I have put points into except for maybe one general skill. So when you spend a point on a skill put the next couple points in the same skill and don't buy into a new skill until you can slot it.
 
I use a combat/alchemy build. You add your decoction buffs and Geralt is a invulnerable killing machine, even on death march.

One hit killing highest level bosses with rend, thats my kind of OP.
 
I play with the excellent FCR3 mod which fundamentally changes the Witcher 3 experience (for the better)
I had been playing on Xbox One and got up to level 22 then GOG had it on special for $16 AU so I bought it for PC. I just need to get used to the dodge (left ALT is a bit tight for my slow fingers) .
I finished White Orchard and went to Velen and then i reread your post and decided to give the FCR3 mod (and all the files that go with it) a go, which I have never done before, so i will see how it goes. :D

I made a few mistakes on Xbox like not doing all the side missions etc, so now I am paying more attention to them on the PC game. (y)
 
hey just wondering if anybody has made it to level 100 WITHOUT new game plus ? Ive read sign builds suck in new game plus so ive decided to point farm my way to 100 to really power up my build...im currently level 78
 
hey just wondering if anybody has made it to level 100 WITHOUT new game plus ? Ive read sign builds suck in new game plus so ive decided to point farm my way to 100 to really power up my build...im currently level 78

It's possible, I think, but a full playthrough of the base game, HoS, and B&W should leave you in the level 50-70 range. Do note that beginning an NG playthrough at a very high level to start can be a bit problematic, too -- especially if using enemy scaling.

You can try to hit 100 in the base game, but I think it will be quite an endeavor. The game begins offering less and less experience for grinding enemies as you go.
 
It's possible, I think, but a full playthrough of the base game, HoS, and B&W should leave you in the level 50-70 range. Do note that beginning an NG playthrough at a very high level to start can be a bit problematic, too -- especially if using enemy scaling.

You can try to hit 100 in the base game, but I think it will be quite an endeavor. The game begins offering less and less experience for grinding enemies as you go.
thanks...ive looked quite a bit on the net and havent found one player who's made it to 100 WITHOUT NG + so i just may be the only one...im currently level 81 so almost there...im not sure how much NG+ reduces the sign power but ive noticed my sign power is just nuts and im only at 500 sign intensity but i can one shot a 10-15 wolf pack with ard no problem and thats how i farm....if i can post a vid when im done i will.
 
thanks...ive looked quite a bit on the net and havent found one player who's made it to 100 WITHOUT NG + so i just may be the only one...im currently level 81 so almost there...im not sure how much NG+ reduces the sign power but ive noticed my sign power is just nuts and im only at 500 sign intensity but i can one shot a 10-15 wolf pack with ard no problem and thats how i farm....if i can post a vid when im done i will.

I don't think it reduces Geralt's power, but rather sets a higher "bottom shelf" for enemy power. The enemy scaling option beefs it up even more -- so much so that enemies with specific vulnerabilities to signs or bombs become completely invulnerable to them, regardless. Not sure, really, as I've only ever fiddled with NG. I've never completed an NG playthrough; I just know what's been discussed over the years here on the boards.

All I do know is that when the game seems to want to cap your progress, you just stop receiving any experience at all from enemies or side-quests. Many is the time I've gotten 1 Exp for completing a contract, and 0 Exp for killing a whole bunch of wolves. I imagine getting to 100 in the base game will be a grind worthy of song. :D
 
Right now im at 82 and i prob level up 2 a week usually and with a monster bonus trophy i get 2 exp points per wolf and 3 for monsters and usually nekkers are the best in packs for farming ....and yes its true the enemies become are stronger which reduces sign damage .
 
Even though I've said before that the pure Alchemist is the true witcher build... I'm using a pure combat build now ( I actually use this more often, as it saves a lot of time, or so it seems) and I must say it feels great not to use alchemy nor crafting at all, after all the Alchemist is pretty much a melee build too, but using preparation and bombs instead of jumping straight into battle.

EDIT: Nevermind. Back to full alchemy I am. Everytime I do a different playstyle walkthrough it feels wrong :disapprove: (I did finish the game as a Swordmaster though). True Witchers drink potions and poison their swords IMO :shrug:. Not to mention the Alchemy playstyle is totally unique to this game and one of the reasons that sets it apart :smart:
 
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Even though I've said before that the pure Alchemist is the true witcher build... I'm using a pure combat build now ( I actually use this more often, as it saves a lot of time, or so it seems) and I must say it feels great not to use alchemy nor crafting at all, after all the Alchemist is pretty much a melee build too, but using preparation and bombs instead of jumping straight into battle.
Hm. I'd say that the "true" witcher build, closest to canon Geralt, would be:
  • As much of the Fast Attack tree as possible.
  • Axii Delusion (the one that increases its potency in dialogue).
  • Definitely at least one notch in deflecting crossbow bolts and arrows.
  • Alchemy skills for the rest.
  • Mostly light armor. (Geralt is described as not really wearing "armor". Just leather coats with bits of silver sewn into them.)
Book Geralt definitely relies on his blazingly fast swordsmanship -- fast even for witchers, supposedly -- and, of course, potions and decoctions. Signs have been drastically increased in power and versatility in the games (for playstyle, options, gameplay balance, and just cool factor), and they're little more than cantrips in the books. (Aard, for example, is only powerful enough to knock an unarmored opponent off-balance for a second. Igni will only be enough to light a candle or start a campfire. Etc.) Axii seems to be the only thing he really uses to any great effect.

I've never actually done a build like this, though. I normally play with with a mix of combat and signs.
 
Nonetheless, an intriguing idea -- playing 'by the book', as 'twere. I might even give it go, next time round.
Heh heh...I've gone back to my tried and true "Medium" build for my latest. Spells and swords on B&BB! (Also, using the starting armor until I get the Wolf School armor, with the exception of gloves and boots. Gotta give myself a little survivability. :cool:)
 
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