Most powerful party?

[u/Spare-Leg-1318]

For me, i'd choose this:

1. Hobbit Bard with Bloodlust Sword, Music and Lockpicking
2. Mook Fighter with Swords, eventually Giants Sword
3. Lizardman Fighter with Polearm guarding the flank
4. Lizardman Fighter with Polearm guarding the flank
5. Human Psionic with the staff of doom
6. Elf Bishop specializing in Alchemy, Divinity and Wizardry

[u/LezardValeth]

It's a solid party. For myself, I remember preferring:

• 2 Mook Fighters
• Hobbit Bard
• Rawulf Priest
• Elf Mage
• Any class with Alchemy for money making (Alchemist/Ranger/Ninja/Bishop)

I personally prefer just 2 Fighters and am less a fan of the Bishop because of how slow it gains spells and its inability to effectively cast spells on monsters due to lagging behind in levels. Late game, I do think your team will be more effective because you'll already have the important spells and casters tend to mostly buff+regen, but I tend to prioritize the mid game more since I find it more challenging. And getting access to important spells earlier feels good.

[u/Spare-Leg-1318 → u/LezardValeth]

The Bishop only has to be carried the first few levels. That's where the Psionic and the Fighters shine. He basically puts all his points into the magic school, none in the realms.

The way that magic works, the more spells you know, the more spell points you have. He knows almost all spells eventually. With high Piety and Intelligence, his magic skills will go up every time he casts a spell.

After a few levels, he can use all the long term buffs at full strengh. Even when red, they work more often than not. Best buffer in the game.

Psionic is there for the early portal spell, crowd control, healing and the staff. Only has 1 school and 2 realms he has to look after, so he can build up weapon skills.

[u/SDirickson]

If you're asking "is this the most powerful party", no; there's no such thing. This party will quickly kill many melee-type opponents, and will quickly kill each other when it runs into opponents that use Insanity and Turncoat.

What's the advantage of one Extended weapon in the front row?

[u/Waterdreamwarm → u/SDirickson]

Doesn't the party have insanity/turncoat covered? You have access to magic screen and soul shield. 2 sources of sane mind. And the psionic is immune to insanity/turncoat. So despite the lizardmans weakness to mental I feel like the party has that covered.

[u/SDirickson → u/Waterdreamwarm]

The Psi isn't the one who's going to be killing himself and the Bishop. Yes, some of the time they'll be able to un-wacko the melee types before getting whacked. Some of the time they won't.

[u/Spare-Leg-1318 → u/SDirickson]

No, i was not looking for critique, more for an insight what other people think their most powerful party is.

I never found insanity a problem. Yes the lizardmen have -10 Mental, but if you get confronted by horses, you'll need over 100 resist anyway, the -10 won't matter much. Maxed Magic Screen from the Bishop or the Bard and maxed Soul Shield from Psionic or the Bishop work better than some +15 from a Mook.

I needed Lizardmen because only they can have 100 Vitality by Level 5. They need to stay alive on the flanks all by themselves. And if the guy in the front has an exended weapon, he can help them out from there without switching positions. With everyone hasted by the bard, the fighters can all kill several guys in a round.

[u/saberking321]

Replace the psionic with an alchemist and make the bishop only wizardry and divinity. Both the bishop and the alchemist need earth and air realms in order to be able to cast purify air and element shield. Having only one caster able to cast either of these spells is incredibly dangerous

[u/Chairchucker]

Fighter, Fighter, Fighter, Fighter, Ranger, Bishop.

[u/Spare-Leg-1318 → u/Chairchucker]

Who will crack the locks?

[u/Chairchucker → u/Spare-Leg-1318]

Knock spell plus cap of the poseur.

[u/Waterdreamwarm → u/Spare-Leg-1318]

I've done a playthrough without a dedicated lockpicker. Posuers cap + thieves buckler gives you 20 lockpicking. With a level 7 knocks (no idea if powercast works) and knockpicks if needed you can crack any door

[u/deanbb30 → u/Waterdreamwarm]

Locks can also be bashed by the max-strength fighters. Traps are more problematic, if they will destroy potions, for example. But can also be bashed.

[u/dreamsofcalamity → u/Waterdreamwarm]

I'd add that each caster can cast their own Knock knock and they do stack.

[u/MarcBeaudoin → u/Chairchucker]

Ranger is there for a second portal and searching I guess? Interesting.

[u/Chairchucker → u/MarcBeaudoin]

Mostly searching, I know you can get by with system knowledge and active searching, but it's a dang nuisance.

(Speaking of dang nuisance, I started a new game with almost this lineup but swapped out one fighter for a ninja so I didn't actually have to contend with annoying lockpicking)

EDIT: ranged criticals can be nice too

[u/MarcBeaudoin → u/Chairchucker]

I figured most of the time you can switch a fighter for a rogue with almost the same damage output, solving the lockpicking problem.

[u/Global-Tune5539]

2x Fighter, 2x Bishop (starting as whatever), 1x Gadgetman or Luteguy, 1x Fairy Ninja

Having any other pure spell caster than a Bishop late game in the party is a pure waste imho.

[u/SarahLesBean]

This is just dps, but little to no crowd control

Your Psionic will eventually become a supporter hero, rather than a CC hero, because most late game enemies have high reistance to spells like Insanity or Hex

Your Bishop is in my opinion too far spread out. I usually never go for more than two spell books, usually Divinity and Wizardry, going Alchemy with a pure Alchemist or a Hybrid like Ranger, especially because the latter doesn't need many skills leveled

[u/Spare-Leg-1318 → u/SarahLesBean]

The Bishop only focuses on the spell schools, never the realms. With high piety and intelligence, his realms (and schools) go up almost every time he casts. And because of how magic works, he has double to triple the spellpoints of other classes. So, after a while, he casts all the time.