Reconsidering Carabas' build

Games MEGALOS
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So my goal is to come up with a good, synergistic package of powers. Not that I think everything has to work together, except that, at 0th level, I have so few special powers, I want them to build on one another.

The Psythe really has two paths:

  1. Solo striker psi death machine.
  2. Phantasm master

Plus there are some in-between powers that serve both purposes.

Asterisked powers below are what I have now.

:ballot_box_with_check: The Calling Bonus (“The Pledge”) I have generates Phantasms, so they are always somewhat in the equation.

“+” powers are with charge

A. Solo Combat

:white_large_square: T - Collage Macabre – AFRAID take more damage
:white_large_square: T - L’appel du Vide – AFRAID gets EXPOSED
:ballot_box_with_check: T - Telekine Technique – +1 range on melee
:ballot_box_with_check: T - Witch’s Cackle – If missed, bonus to Defense ← I so color text want this
:white_large_square: C - Bio-Shock – ranged attack, auto-hit, damage, STUNNED + AFRAID
:white_large_square: S* - Blade Dance – dmg & SHIELDED
:white_large_square: S - Kinetic Throw – range 1 dmg & push
:ballot_box_with_check: S - Marionette – range 1 dmg & push & more dmg
:white_large_square: S - Mirage Arcana – zone 2, allies CLOAKED, Set Up
:white_large_square: S - Psychic Surgery – 2xheal on self
:ballot_box_with_check: S - Psything Mind - AoE & AC recharge

B. Support / Psi + Phantasm

:white_large_square: T - Cauldron Bubble – heal and raise
:white_large_square: T - Howling Pact – AC to 5 dice
:white_large_square: T - Familiar – a familiar
:white_large_square: T - Flight Incantation – fly
:white_large_square: T - Psychic Network
:ballot_box_with_check: C - Fog of War – Zone of DAZED, P damage + Barrier
:white_large_square: C - Haunt – 1/2 dmg & AFRAID + P damage
:ballot_box_with_check: C - Mind Blades – 1/2 dmg AoE + P damage

C. Phantasm

:ballot_box_with_check: T* - Ego Shield – Any P = bonus to Soak
:ballot_box_with_check: C - Phantasmagoria – P Damage AoE auto + Barrier
:white_large_square: C* - The Turn – Make a P & Barrier for ally + P Damage
:ballot_box_with_check: S - Marching Orders – Move Ps!
:ballot_box_with_check: S* - Prestige – kamakaze Ps

At the moment I have one from column A (Blade Dance), and two from column C (The Turn, Prestige). I feel like I need to commit one way or the other, at least at low levels, so everything supports each other.

On the one hand, seeing Carabas as an “I stab you in the face!” column A type dude is in line with my perception of the character.

On the other hand, the Phantasm mechanics are strong, and seem like a differentiator to support the team. (I actually have a vision of how they act when they attack, I just didn’t articulate it at all during the 1st game, because 1st game).

If I am going for a Phantasm-focused character, then I’d keep the current Talent, and (at 1xC + 2xS), I’d probably go with (alongside my Calling Bonus creating Phantasms):

C - Phantasmagoria – P AoE3 + Barrier to me
S - Marching Orders – Move P
S - Prestige – kamikaze

And then use the non-spelled attack moves (Flurry, Strike, Auto-Attack) to deal with my own combat.

That lets me create P, move P, do damage with P, and then do a big strike with P, plus my own movement and combat.

Does that make sense, or am I over thinking it?

(I haven’t figured out what I would do with Carabas as a solo striker. Maybe I should do that next).

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Everything you say here makes sense. And you also nailed the principle I consider most important: “what build will give me the play style I prefer, not just some hypothetical big-numbers optimization?”

That said, there’s just enough deck-building DNA in the game where “a little of column A and a little from B” actually does make sense. So having Blade Dance in an otherwise-Phantasm-friendly build (for example) works too - the more specific your build, the more times there will be where it doesn’t apply.

You’ve got what I consider a good foundation here: a single-target move, an AOE move, and a utility move.

I am curious about your calculus on Phantasmagoria vs. Mind Blades. Pm gives you Barrier, yeah, but that isn’t going to do too much good if you build up more than a single charge on it. On the other hand, MB does require an attack roll but has a miss effect that’ll kill minions regardless, it’s useful however many charges you build up on it, and it rewards having your phantasms scattered around (and/or moved tactically).

The only other thing is that I’d call L’appel du Vide a support talent, because everyone can benefit from EXPOSED, not just you (edit: but in the sense that it doesn’t support the Phantasm type builds, yeah I agree where you put it)

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If I had one more spell (just one, honest!) I’d consider that. And I think the standard combat moves are sufficient, if it gives me the added utility of an additional spell.

Not considering anything else, Pm just fits my image of the character better than mainfesting psi knives.

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So what if Carabas is the deadly swashbuckling blade, skipping (as much as possible) the whole Phantasm thing. The Phantasm thing is cool, sure, but if I’m looking for a closer fit to my original character concept …

So my Calling Pact still gives me a P, which I’ll mainly use for the Ego Shield.

T - Ego Shield – Improve Soak if any P.
C - Bio-Shock – Ranged, auto-hit, dmg, STUNNED + AFRAID ← thematically not great, but it’s a nifty power.
S - Blade Dance – dmg and SHIELDED.
S - Psything Mind – AoE & possible AC recharge.

This makes him more of a personal combat machine, which is not necessarily a bad thing. I don’t think that’s the direction I’m going, but it’s an interesting thought exercise.

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