New player needs advice for first char

#1

Heyho,

i’m new to GD and feel pretty overwehlmed on building my first char. I choose the Oathkeeper as first class spec because i like sword and board and it seems to be a fitting pick to me.

Build

This is my char at the moment. I maxed out Aegis of Menhir as main attack skill. Virs Might is my movement skill. I’m using Righteous Fervour as filler. My actual goal is to max the Oathkeeper bar.
I don’t know what way i should go after this step. I have no idea what skills i should unlock/max next. Also i have no clue what Devotions i should use/unlock.
Also i can’t decide on a second class to choose. Maybe soldier? There are so much options aviable…

My goals are to play with swoard and board and make a complet playtrough with this char on selffound gear because it’s my first char.

Maybe someone can give my an advice in wich direction i should go next. There are a lot of endgame guides out there but i don’t find much about the leveling path.

Thx and greetings.

#2

Welcome to the game and to the forum. :slightly_smiling_face:

You’ll find some beginner builds in the Beginner section of the Build Compendium here

#3

Use any combination of occultist, shaman, or necromancer. You’ll have access to what’s called a target farmable set (i.e. legendary items which are only dropped from a specific group of monsters) which make them very easy to farm for as its not dependent on RNG.

It’s also one of the most powerful setsin the game

Here’s my guide which also has an almost completed levelling journal.

P.S welcome to the forum!

#4

BoFw

2 Likes
#5

is it weird that that turns me on

1 Like
#6

image

#7

Yes, you need to seek professional medical help and I don’t mean talking to yourself. :smile:

On topic, it’s always nice to play the style you like. Also there are lot of leveling builds that might help you if you’re stuck.

Warlord is easy class for leveling, so are vitality casters. Death knight have the luxury of Krieg set.

2 Likes
#8

Maya, as you’ll soon realise, is our resident lazy pet building expert. If you want more active pet builds then look for sigatrev’s here on the forum.

And spanks - well, he’s just being spanks. :upside_down_face:

If you have questions feel free to ask, plenty of people here will help you get the most enjoyment from the game. And there’s a lot to enjoy.

2 Likes
#9

Ty all for your comments and suggestions. I read trough some of the linked stuff. So i will first focus on the Oathkeeper and building up to an Aegis and RF build while stacking fire and retiliation damage and modifier to it. This should carry me trough the normal difficulty. If i’m facing any problems i will return to the forums and asking for some help.

#10

My suggestion is to focus on one or the other because both those skills demand heavy skill point investment, and need lots of item support.

I also want to remind you again that yo may have a hard time finding the items you need

#11

Are there no budget or lower tier Items i can use beside of bis items? If these are this hard to get i should maybe go with an easier to gear first time char/build and switch to swoard and board later on when i have found some gear… I read a lot of recommendation for the Kriegset. Is there any usage for a Oathkeeper/Soldier build? Or is it more designed for an Necro/Soldier build?
My very first tryout char was an Soldier/Necro using Forcewave, but i don’t like the skill and swichted to bone harvest. In the end i defenetly want to play a swoard and board build but if it’s better to go two handed first i would do this. Any recommendation at this?
I’m also thinking about starting a new toon as necromancer on a Drain Essence build but i don’t know of this damagetype would also to heavily gear depend. Is there overall a damage type wich is easier to gear?

#12

There probably are, I’m just not aware of a beginner friendly aegis/righteous fervor guide, though there may very well be one.

Yes. IMO, the current strongest OK/Soldier build for S&B is physical righteous fervor using the stoneguard set.

Is very item dependent.

Yes. It’s literally in my first reply :stuck_out_tongue:

Dark one’s set (aka vitality damage)

#13

It’s clearly designed for Death Knight (Soldier/Necro) or other characters using Aether damage. It focuses mainly on Aether damage, for which Warlords (Soldier/Oathkeeper) don’t have support. You’ll need the Necro mastery here.

Since you already started playing an Oathkeeper, I’d suggest making a Warlord out of your character. Warlords were somewhat OP at the beginning of the “Forgotten Gods” expansion. Hence they were nerfed several times… They probably aren’t “top tier” any more, but they are still very “viable”. Besides that, Warlords can always be played with physical damage without conversions or anything that would require special items. They are a very good class to gear up “step by step”.

Some months ago, I started my journey into GD with a Warlord. The character took me to (early) endgame and - what’s most important - gave me the opportunity to farm for gear for the following characters. I used malawiglenn’s “beginner spinner”. You can find it here:

Good luck on your journey into GD!

#14

Welcome to the game! Have fun :slight_smile:

#15

Yes and no. There is %physical damage on the krieg set, so going physical damage is not impossible.

#16

That. Plus the set don’t have global physical to aether conversion.

Also set isn’t only Death Knight or even requiring Soldier. Spellbinder is viable option.

#17

Thanks for the clarification. Of course you’re both right. I should have worded that clearer. :blush:

The original question was about using Krieg set on a Warlord though. And that’s still something I wouldn’t recommend. There are simply better options.

#18

Greetings,

ty for all your answers. At the moment my Oathkeeper sits at lvl 35. I think i will focus on fire as main dps source. Throwing my shield never gets old. I’m not sure wich second class mastery will be a good fit to support this playstyle and gives some surviveability on top. I’m also pretty clueless wich Devotions i should take. The Torchthing for the meteorshower seems to be pretty cool and fitting.

Started also a few new toons to try around and really fell in love with the visuals an feeling of Boneharvest and the whole vitaly/lifeleechtheme overall. The idea of an 2 handed necromancer using Boneharvest or a vitaly based type of caster seems pretty pleasing to me. This will defenetly my second toon one day.

Overall i have so much fun in Grim Dawn. The whole atmosphere in more dystopic and dark setting is just great.

#19

Can’t go wrong with a demolitionist for damage, and an occultist for defence.

It’s outdated, but I’m waiting for 1.1.1.5 to update it.

Good call. Keep an eye out for Blood knights and for m. death’s reach

:+1:

#20

I was reading trough your Ritualist guide on my way to work. Could i use this as an basic build to farm gear and transit later on to an two handed bone harvest build? The idea of the strong lifeleech potential together with wendigo totem seems quite pleasing to me. Imo i need the Blood Knights for the cold to vitality convertion if i want to play two handed and using the transmutor on BH?

Or would be a reaper cold build a saver choice?