Level 48 DW Sorcerer - tips on survivability?

Grim Dawn Classes, Skills and Builds
1

Hey all, bit of of a longish post inc,

I’m doing my first play-through - a [currently] 48 dual-wield Fire Strike Sorcerer who I’ve gone life-sucking (20% converted to health) glass cannon with. Most areas I can faceroll, but I’m starting to hit the area of the game (which I’d heard was going to happen) where some resistances are going to be necessary and just sucking back health with damage might not be enough. Specifically, large boss fights. Or at least certain ones.

When I have huge crowds of mobs to mow down, I drain plenty back to survive. For example, today I just attempted floors 4 and 5 of SoT for the first time. I had no problem with the Death Room - i cleared it without dropping below 50% or so. I believe the main reason is that there’s enough trash spawning along with the bosses that I can drain back as much health as I need by killing them. Where I died (:furious:) was at the ‘optional’ boss behind the stairs down to the 5th floor (I don’t know his name - right before you zone down to Floor 5, you can choose to go east, and up a flight of stairs to fight him). In this fight, he has a lot of defense, and there isn’t tons of crap mobs to suck back life from. It ended up being VERY close, but close ain’t gonna cut it.

So my question is, what should I be aiming for at this point in terms of increased survivability, and how much DPS is it worth giving up for resistances? My spec includes Blast Shield and Mirror for some mitigation, but my Devotions are almost entirely offensive (Hydra), with the only nod towards survivability being Ghoul (Ghoulish Hunger).

My current paper-doll DPS is 8507 buffed, but this being my first character, I have nothing to compare that against to know whether I can (should) shave some off in exchange for resistances. I’ve also gotten pretty garbage luck with the RNG and am still using L30 yellow guns - they get the job done, but I could badly use an couple upgrades. My resistances are 44% Poison/Acid, 17% piercing, and nothing else (was going to use a Frostshroud Potion if I made it to the end of Floor 5).

Any advice would be greatly appreciated (and let me know if I left out any essential information - I’m still, for all intents and purposes, a noob).

Thanks very much,

-skabbo

2

Resistances make a bigger difference than you might imagine, so I would suggest using components and faction augments to sort out your resists instead of trying to increase your damage.

In terms of devotions I went full offensive while levelling my gunslinger sorc, and died quite a lot, but it was fun ^^. Once I finished Ultimate, and wanted to start farming SoT and BoC, I took some defensive devotions and it made a noticeable difference in survivability.

Also, are you using things like Flashbang or Blackwater Cocktail to de-buff bosses?
Can you post your build?

3

The floor 4 boss is a reincarnating skeletal golem, he constantly spawns the ghosties

Regen+heals are a whole lot more reliable than lifesteal, devotions like behemoth are easy to get and are crazy good considering the amount of points spent

Always try to keep the relevant resistances 80%, all that damage wont matter if you cannot actually deliver it efficiently

Post you skills, stats and devotions along with screenshot of character page

Oathbreakers are the best for that level range, you can try crafting guns and hope to get lucky

4

Here’s current build (49): http://grimcalc.com/build/S2EDLk
Char screen 1: http://i.imgur.com/DFJJZuF.jpg

As you can see, pretty much entirely offensive, and 0 resistance on many elements. I’ve gotten truly awful luck with drops for my build. I have 3 bank pages full of useless blues, often 4-5 of the same item, but next to nothing useful. Still, even with very mediocre gear, the build has felt very powerful through the majority of pre-50 content (as I’m sure most do).

I haven’t gone flashbang/more CC mainly cause it hasn’t felt like it’s been needed. Most encounters are over by the time the things reach me, especially with a Canister thrown into their path and a Demon’s Breath if I take a hit or two. I realize this won’t last forever so I’m trying to find some gear that i can swap out for +resistance, but it seems like every alternative I’ve gotten has been dropping hundreds of dps in exchange for a relatively low amount of resistance.

I’ve tried crafting, but after 15-20 entirely useless results, I kinda got the impression it wasn’t worth it. Should I keep trying? Literally had no clue that the randomized results could even be worth it after the little bit of experimenting I’ve done.

Thanks again,

-skabbo

5

Aaaaah, i see the problem. Fire strike is shit! Explosive is even worse. Don’t bother with those skills until you have everything else you want.

Moved things around for you. First thing you will do is switch to this setup. What else you take is up to you, I’d start leveling Arcane bomb.

Next, go to the Homestead shop, and buy a Solar sledge. Restart the game a few times to get good stats, attack speed is the most important.

But that’s not dual guns! Don’t care, plenty of time to use dual guns once you get some decent guns. Leveling in normal and elite should always be done using a 2-hander with Kraken, Falcon and Behemoth. Doesn’t matter what class you are.

If you have to play ranged, hit the shops until you find any rifle with of alacrity/fervor/rifthound. Preferably with a nice prefix as well, but attack speed is what you want.

Next, hit the Rover shop and restart the game a few times until you find gloves with +17% or more attack speed. Stick a Consecrated wrappings in it. While at the rover shop, pick up the Rhovari greaves because they are amazing. Then go to the Kymon’s shop for the helm and shoulders. Legion shop items open up for you at lvl 50, their armor is awesome if you die too much. Hopefully, you will have enough physique to equip it. Either way, stick Chains of Oleron in it. Their helm will help if you die too much.

Speaking of augments, yours are all over the place. Since you will mostly be using faction shop items until Empovered Epics and Legendaries become available, buy a few of them and put in different components (for example, keep a helm with Sanctified bone for when you are doing Bastion, Log or Steps, use one with runestone for when you are not). Same concept with jewlery. Put scaled hides into your legs and shoulders.

In the future, do not put any points in attributes that are not physique unless you really need a few points in cunning or spirit to wear some item that you will use forever, and there is no other option for meeting the requirement.

Don’t bother with normal SoT, get to elite and start farming the secret area in act 1 (the one where you go under the bridge connecting Burrwich village and mantions) for the Treasure troves.

6

Why would you remove all its points from the Fire Strike line? OP needs more resistances from gear, his skills are fine.

7

I believe that in the Fire strike line what matter most are Static Strike and Brimstone. Explosive strike and Fire strike just offer too little for too much skill points spent. Those points, at least for the moment, are better spent elsewhere.

8

OP, I am playing something similar and I am basing it (very loosely) on the Mad Sorcerer Build.

http://http://www.grimdawn.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30155

I would take 6 p away from Inner Focus and put it into Maivens Sphere. That gives some some health and stamina.
Next, choose items with elemental resistances (buffs fire, cold and lightning) and one item with good vitality resist and one item with good chaos resist. Or use 2 x Santified Bones for both. Poison resist is less important in Normal endgame but becomes important again for final boss and Elite Act 1.
There are yellow/green items that are called “Incorruptible” I think that gives you three or four resistances in one go.
You should aim for max elemental resistances and the most you can get in everything else, chaos and vitality being increasingly important in late Act 3/4.

Regarding DPS, I am using two guns as well but make sure they have automatic on-hit Area effects (fireball, lightning, chain lightning, even elemental seal). That way you will clear mobs faster. And use a Hollow fang on one or both for Health; you have enough DPS. And take Rhowanis Crown in Devotion for extra area damage.
I am only doing 4500 unbuffed DPS, and I am cleaning everything in veteran Act 4. So you don’t need more, if you do area effects.

If you want health, life from DPS does not work well against bosses (if at all!). So use devotions: Dryads, Giant, Chariot, Scales. Ghoul only kicks in when you are halfway dead, but if it works for you then keep it.

9

Oooops, fixed. Just Static and Brimstone, everything else is crap.

And no, you can clear normal/veteran just fine without resistances on gear. Specific areas are nasty, but that’s why you carry backup items with specific materials (forgot to mention that he needs 2 hammers, one with Imbued silver and one with Purified salt).

10

GeneralCash: Why specifically on the 2h? I’ve been swapping out for one occasionally when I find one that, at least on paper, outdamages the guns I’m using, but it seems like a massive downgrade, both because I’m now within arms reach, and because (with melee) I’m now without the aoe of Explosive Strike (and why the hate for Explosive Strike when aoe damage is so often emphasized?). Even the mediocre guns I’m using now (Searing + Vampiric __ of Alacrity/Rifthound) one-shot MOST things on Veteran - giving up my main source of aoe and the distance between me and the mobs kind of nullifies any benefit, no? I’m genuinely curious, cause, like TigerMark, I’m basing my build roughly on the Mad Sorcerer build, and offense hasn’t really been an issue.

As far as components and augments, mine are all over the place, in no small part because I’m limited to what’s dropped. Chains of Oleron I believe I have 2/4 of. I have two inventory rows of partial Rare component stacks that I’m waiting to hit 4/4 on - believe me, once I have something worth using I do. Not sure if it’s just down to bad luck with the RNG, but the best thing I have at the moment is probably the Devil-Touched Ammo on the gun and the Mark of Illusions on the ring. Same with the faction gear - I only just hit Honored with the Rovers (like, in the last hour), and I only just picked Kymon yesterday - I’m not even past ‘Respected’ with them, so a lot of the faction gear just hasn’t been available, but I do appreciate the specific suggestions on items to aim for.

Aside from gear upgrades - TigerMark, I think you’re probably right that if I want to keep remotely the same build, I need to hit the defensive devotions… Ghoul is great when it kicks in, but its so rare for health to drop that low that I’d venture to say hitting 33% is a good sign I’m about to be dead either way, and I don’t have the available Devotion points yet to keep what I’ve got and hit Dryads, Giant, Chariot, Scales, etc…

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Back to rep grinding for faction gear :wink:

11

@OP, dont worry. For end game you don’t really need to be tanky at all at ultimate endgame, as I am fine with a full dps offensive gear/devotion build with lifesteal as my only sustain. However, resistances are very important. Definitely need to at least get near chaos/poison/vitality cap, as you will need it for ch’thons, while lightning/cold you kind live with less than 80%. As for getting gear, hosting multiplayer lobbies named “Need xxx” or “Trading” and such is very helpful for acquiring gear.

12

Huh, good idea. I’ve only made one trade (for a Marauder’s Talisman) but hadn’t occurred to me to just leave an open trade lobby. Thanks!