1 or 2 Aspect Skills?

[devon 0]

Can anyone tell me is it better to just focus on one Aspect skill, like Devout Guardian Focus, or would I really need to take a second one like Lost Fusion Lore/Focus to have a character that is not gimped in any way.

[dreeft 9]

You can get away with a single aspect, there is even a mode called "Expert Touch" that reduces the regeneration time of your main aspect, but increases all others. Alternatively, you can expand your repertoire with more than one aspect which allows for a variety of different CAs.

 

if you attempt to take all three aspects, you may potentially gimp your build because you will have to take the focus/lore for each one and then you will have a limited number of slots for other important skills. This doesn't mean it's not possible though!

[Furian67 15]

That's a hard question to answer. Depends on what your looking for. What your building and how you want to run it. Me personally I like to have choices. I'm currently running a three aspect dual lore Dragon Mage build. Absolutely loving it......but it not for everyone.

 

I think a good idea to start with is building a single aspect build, a nice mix of damage and defensive skills. Run this up to at least 75-100, before deciding to change anything, If change is needed. Two things gere, One you gain nice experiance running this build. Two you get an idea of "wish I could do". And third you build up a nice armory of shiny goodies for the next build.

 

I usually end up doing 4-5 versions of the same build until I'm happy with the outcome. And doing this I have HUGE amounts of shiny goodies to equip the next version.

[chattius 2,526]

It depends on your class:

Elves are normally full dual aspect characters. You have your main aspect and then arcane focus anyway to speed up regeneration and arcane lore gives a very high hitpoint regeneration and better expulse magic. You can even try a full 3 aspect elf if you like the challenge or are forced to do it: diary of a full 3 aspect elf

Shadow Warriors have 2 aspects modified by same lore. So if you don't play pure astral you are normally dual aspect. I have a full 3 aspect SW to level 168, without dying or being invisible: Skeletal Fortification build. I just put tactic lore instead of constitution in my full 3 aspect approach.

Dragon Mages can be played as full 3 aspect characters quite easily too: 3 aspect elementalist

I played a full 3 aspect dryad pre-addon with alchemy to replace a weapon skill and longer lasting concentration potions( Reg per hit wasn't working pre-addon). Shield was used to unlock armour lore and constitution was ignored because heal trophies had no delay and were healing 100%.: german thread about a full 3 aspect dryad

...

 

I like full 3 aspect characters to test out possible builds.

Edited August 3, 2010 by chattius

[Dobri 55]

I'd say everything works - 1,2, or 3 aspects, as long as you keep the defense of your character high. This means even though you wasted 4-6 picks, if you have good defensive skills (armor lore, toughness, shield lore, warding lore and such), you'll be ok. The last test I'm running is full damage seraphim with a whopping 8 skill picks for aspects and damage/regeneration time boosters and only 2 defensive picks and she's doing fine.

[S-P 6]

That's a hard question to answer. Depends on what your looking for. What your building and how you want to run it. Me personally I like to have choices. I'm currently running a three aspect dual lore Dragon Mage build. Absolutely loving it......but it not for everyone.

 

I think a good idea to start with is building a single aspect build, a nice mix of damage and defensive skills. Run this up to at least 75-100, before deciding to change anything, If change is needed. Two things gere, One you gain nice experiance running this build. Two you get an idea of "wish I could do". And third you build up a nice armory of shiny goodies for the next build.

 

I usually end up doing 4-5 versions of the same build until I'm happy with the outcome. And doing this I have HUGE amounts of shiny goodies to equip the next version.

 

Your running three aspects, wow. Is that a pure caster build? That doesn't leave you with many other skills. What was the other skills that you went with?

[r00ster 1]

Another thing to look at is what is required for multi aspects, vs single.

 

In Ice and Blood, I am finding running a few single aspect chars (which are created for purposes like smithing, magic find, trading etc) is much easier in the expansion, due to a few things;

 

1. In the expansion, it is MUCH easier to gain +aspect socketables than +all combat arts.

- this here is the main thing. For multi aspects, gear is incredibly important, along with this incredibly important modifier. Now that it is very rare, it is much easier to raise single aspect characters to the power of multi aspect characters.

 

2. The makeover of some of the 'single' aspect sets. Like Niokaste for seraphim, with a single (exalted warrior) build, this set is actually usable now that it has had its boni redone a bit, and importantly its slot amount redone.

 

 

There are many things like this to consider now in the expansion, but the loss of easily gaining all combat arts is a very, very large strike to multi aspects characters now. It will take much much more work and investment to truly create one that excells.

 

That does also, depend on your definition of excelling.

 

Also still certain classes and builds can lend to very powerful combos with single/multi aspect builds. I.e. A seraphim (with ludicrous time investment) with all 3 aspects, the right other skills, gear, CA mods etc is virtually immortal, and cannot be harmed by anything, even bugged out OHKO demon mages.

 

A good starting point to decide, is buffs. Look at the buffs each characters aspects give, and from there decide if they suit what you are going for.

The buffs are almost always the best part of each aspect, so they should be the main reason to consider an aspect.

 

Cheers,