Hello and welcome to the second entry in my Companion Builds series, featuring the 4 companions from act 1.

This guide was brought to light because I've noticed that it is really hard finding "thematic" builds. Most builds online tend to focus on extreme min-maxing, which sadly don't always take immersion or the character's background into consideration. And while there's nothing wrong with playing like that, it is just not how I like playing. I like some roleplaying in my roleplaying game, you know.

So, I've created some builds that either keep the companions in their base classes (for the roleplay), or switch them into others that make a good fit based on their personality, background, or overall cool factor.

This took way longer than part 1 since now it's 4 caster companions! Geez, that took forever. I hope you like it!

Every build under the sun turns Ember into a fire-wielding killing machine. Not this time. Here, she won't fight fire with fire anymore.

Ember loves songs, and loves inspiring her friends and anyone willing to listen. However, she doesn't like hurting people, always trying to calm everyone and solve things peacefully. The Tranquil Whisperer subclass fits this perfectly, so I crafted a nice roleplaying build for her, offering healing, buffs, and songs. Don't expect her to kill anything, she's just a child after all. :)

Since this version of Bard doesn't come with the usual song, you can actually have 2 Bards in the same party: this one for defense, and another one for offense. Pretty cool for a bard azata run, don't you think?

If you want, you can pick other subclass of Bard and use this build the same way. But I like the flavour of the Tranquil Whisperer better.

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Skills: Persuasion and Perception max, Arcana, Use Magic Device.
Take Bard (Tranquil Whisperer) on every level.

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Only listing the most important to have first. The rest is situational and you should pick according to your needs. If you don't have anything important left to pick, take the healing spells so she has something else to do.

This time, we convinced her that trying to be a full pacifist won't cut it in a war. She's still not our designated killer, mind you, but now she has learned how to drive people to do what she wants in a clever way: by making them drop to the ground or stop fighting while she's talking. All the while having fun doing it.

For this build, Ember will be our enchantment specialist. Along with her hexes, she brings stellar offensive support disabling enemies so that your companions can do their thing. For enemies immune to enchantment effects, she will have a few conjuration spells at her disposal.

Fun fact: depending on how you finish her personal quests, she can get +2 CHA and an unique 9th level enchantment spell not available anywhere else. If that sounds interesting to you, just be nice to her and encourage her to do good. That's all you need.

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Skills: Persuasion & Use Magic Device max, then either Religion or Arcana as needed.
Take all levels into Witch.

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Only listing the most important to have first. The rest is situational and you should pick according to your needs. Use heighten metamagic to fill higher slots with your low level spells, like Command and Winter's Grasp.

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There are a few more, but I'll leave you to find them!


This can be found in Act 2, during the siege on Drezen, from an optional miniboss (Blightmaw). To get the ring, you have to kill the miniboss during act 2, before you finish the siege (you cannot go back later in act 3 to fight it), and let the cultists finish the summoning ritual. The fight shouldn't be too hard for you with selective winter's grasp or even Slumber/Evil Eye hex.



Both bought from the Jewelry Trader in Drezen, Act 3.


From Ivory Sanctum, Act 3. Need to pass a perception and trickery check to be able to get it from a locked container on the Baphomet's Statue room. This is one of the best equipment in the game for casters, so you might give it to another character since Ember will have a lot of gear for enchantment already.


This one can be obtained close to the end of Act 3, in the Midnight Fane. It's a reward from Gresilla: you either have to pass the check during the conversation or kill her. If you miss it, you'll have the option of getting the item later in act 4 by killing Mielarah in the tavern.


Bought from Raggy, Act 4 (Fleshmarkets).

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For our favorite scientist, I cooked two builds: one fully specialized in conjuration spells, using Loremaster to get more spells from other spellbooks; and my version of the famous illusion build... with a shadowy twist.

Nenio is such a knowledge-chaser that she breaks the barrier between classes. With this build, she will be able to learn several spells not available to her normally, giving her unmatched spellbook versatility.

Along with that, we'll be focusing entirely on Conjuration spells for crowd control and damage. This frees up evocation and spell penetration gear for your other casters. How resourceful of her. However, this also means Nenio won't be doing much damage until higher levels. Make sure you have another mage for damage, and leave the CC to Nenio.

I'll be recommending some CC spells to complement your spellbook. However, if your party is lacking on divine buffs, feel free to get those instead (from either Druid or Cleric).

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Skills: Arcana, World, Use Magic Device. Spare points to anything else you need.

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Only listing the most important to have first. The rest is situational and you should pick according to your needs. Fill your slots with hightened spells as needed.

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Sadly, there are no Conjuration-specific gear in the game. Your best bet is using Illusion gear to help with Shadow Conjuration, unless you have someone else using Illusion spells. Check the equipment listed for her shadow build below.

We'll take Nenio's focus on illusion magic to the next level by switching her subclass with the new Shadowcaster wizard! For this build, we will focus entirely on illusion spells, including shadow conjuration for added versatility (shadow evocation would require us to take extra mythic feats to bypass energy resistances, so let's leave that to your elemental casters).

To do it, you'll need the Lord of Nothing DLC and the respec mod[github.com] to be able to respec her from level 1 with a different class (normal in-game respec does not allow for this). If you need help with using/installing mods, please let me know!

If you don't have the dlc and/or can't use mods, you can still make her a illusion specialist with her base class using this build, just by making a few adjustments. Those will be listed in a separate table below, so check it out.

Also, this build is so cool that you can actually steal it for your main character or a mercenary. Have fun!

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Skills: Arcana, World, Use Magic Device. Spare points to anything else you need.
Take Wizard (Shadowcaster) on every level.

Original choices for respec (don't change her base stats): Heritage: Basic; Background: Scholar (Arcane); Specialist School: Illusion; Opposition School: Necromancy and Abjuration; Deity: Nethys; Alignment: neutral.




After this, continue following the instructions from the regular build.

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Only listing the most important to have first. The rest is situational and you should pick according to your needs. Spells with an asterisk * will be granted for free on your next character level, so you don't need to pick those if you don't mind waiting one level (unless you are playing her base class, in which case always take those). You can also learn new spells from scrolls.




From a demon army east of Drezen, in Act 3 (crusade mode)


Bought from the Jewelry Trader in Drezen, Act 3. Works with your offensive illusion spells, as they are mind-affecting effects.


From Ivory Sanctum, Act 3. Need to pass a perception and trickery check to be able to get it from a locked container on the Baphomet's Statue room.

If you need to give it to someone else, you can also use this:

Bought from Krebus in Act 4 (Fleshmarkets).

We can't really go wrong with Woljif in a dual-wielding build. Both builds will expand on this and keep his affinity with daggers, with one build going a slightly different way by making him a Magus.

As simple as it gets, a basic rogue doing rogue things, with some bells and whistles on top. Joins the fight, kills stuff, refuses to elaborate, runs way. It's honest. At least as honest as we can expect from Woljif.

We're giving him 2 levels of Arcane Trickster for funsies and ranged trap-disarming, but only those two levels so we don't hurt his attack bonus too much. Depending on how optimized your party is, or if you're playing on normal or daring, you can get a few more trickster levels, but they don't bring anything interesting.

Skills: Arcana (4), Trickery (max), Mobility (at least 4), Stealth (max). Spare points to any other class skill you need, but make sure to get arcana 4, mobility 4, and trickery 4 first. This will allow you to take Arcane Trickster (at level 13).

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Only listing the most important buffs to have first. The rest is situational and you should pick according to what you need or already have available from your party. Remember that you can also learn spells from scrolls.

As a Magus, he will never have to wonder "why not both?" anymore.

This build requires a lot more micromanaging than the previous one. If you need any help, please let me know!

The idea here is using Intensified metamagic to make Shocking Grasp scale past 5d6, and then casting the Intensified version along with a rod + one metamagic arcana together. He won't compete for evocation gear with your mages, which is great, but do give him at least one item with increased spell penetration to help a bit with his lower caster level.

Note: for this build to work, you have to use only one weapon. This means that his feats for two-weapon fighting won't be used. We'll have to live with that.

Sadly, I would love to make him an Eldritch Scion for extra coolness. However, that would bring so many downsides that it's just not worth it. At least not without using a respec mod to go full 20 levels on it and switching his INT with CHA.

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Skills: Mobility, Trickery, Stealth, Use Magic Device.

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Only listing the most important to have first. Spells with an asterisk can also be picked from your rogue spellbook, saving you magus' slots for damage. You can also learn new spells from scrolls.

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Act 1, Blackwing Library. Give him that after he takes his first Magus level. You can keep using that until act 4. Have someone cast Magical Vestments on him if you can.


It has everything this build needs. You get it in Act 4, by killing Wirlong Black Mask. But buy what you need from him first. lol


This is also from Act 4 (Wizard's Tower). Note that the bonus to touch attacks only works when casting the spell alone. Does not work with Dimension Strike or Spellstrike. So, if you have a ray caster that would benefit more from that bonus, you can give it to them. Otherwise, use it.

Just like with Camellia, turning Daeran into anything other than an Oracle would go against his whole story and personality, and his stats are not really good for anything else. But then again, it does not mean we can't spicy things up a bit. ;)

Looks can definitely kill. Daeran can heal our allies (and he certainly goes out of his way to make you feel good), but he can also manipulate the same life force to harm. So, we'll shake things up by not only making him a healer, but also a necromancy specialist. Death runs in his family, after all.

Since the most powerful Necromancy spells deal a fixed amount of damage per level, and not a variable number depending on dice rolls, we won't be using metamagic feats, allowing for more specialization. When you need to use the regular spells with damage via dice rolls, use metamagic rods (bolster, maximized, or empower).

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Skills: Persuasion, Use Magic Device, World.
Take all levels into Oracle.

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Only listing the most important to have first. The rest is situational and you should pick according to your needs.

Remember that you don't have to pick any of the Restoration or Cure spells, because they will be granted to you for free. Same goes for most Necromancy spells: I'll only list those you won't get automatically.

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Bought in Act 1, from Gemyl Hawkes in Defender's Heart.


Found in Act 2, during the assault on Drezen (perception check inside the temple).


Can be obtained at the start of Act 3, but ONLY if you perform a specific evil deed in Act 2, so it's up to you:

• After defeating the vescavor queen on Leper's Smile, take some of its remains (dialogue option);
  
• Later, when discussing your plan of action for liberating Drezen, you'll have an evil dialogue option to use said remains during your assault. Pick that option;
  
• Then, at the start of Act 3, visit the house at the bottom right, go into the basement and pass a perception check to find the staff.

Act 3, Greengates. Equipping this will counter Daeran's stagger at the start of combat permanently, saving you one cast of Freedom Of Movement.


Found in Act 4, north-west of the Upper City (empty house). Use this if you didn't get the staff earlier.

The Inciter subclass was made for Daeran 100%. He's all about taunting allies and foes alike. So we'll have him hurl offenses at enemies, make them drop on their faces, and laugh about it. It doesn't get more lore-friendly than that. Pairs really well with my bard Ember build :)

The Dance of Masks DLC required!

2 things about this build:

• works better in a party with at least 2 melee characters to get the most out of the Skald features;
  
• ideally, should be your only enchantment caster so it does not compete for gear. We need to compensate for his 3 levels of Oracle after all.

Make sure you disable the Accept Rage effect on your mages, because allies affected by the rage song cannot cast spells. It's located in the abilities tab.

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Skills: Persuasion, Use Magic Device, World
Pick Skald - Inciter on every level.

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Only listing the most important to have first. The rest is situational and you should pick according to your needs.

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Check Ember's Sly Witch build for a breakdown of the Enchantment equipment, along with the boots listed under Daeran's other build in this guide.


From Act 3 (Areelu's Laboratory)

With this you can use your few channel energy charges to buff your enchantment spells. Just check if the specific spell you're casting has the compulsion tag.


Act 3, Ivory Sanctum

You should give this to any melee companion who's going to be constantly under the rage effect.

If you don't plan on using any specific weapon, I recommend you give Daeran a light shield since he won't be hitting anything with a bow anyway. lol You can also give him some mithral light armor, but pay attention to your encumbrance level. If not using armor, have someone cast Mage Armor at him.