Praetor build (help!)

[Zanzoken]

Hey guys, anyone mind helping me build a hybrid to play the Praetor questline?

I have had success with both pure combat and pure civil builds, running with IG and Commercium, respectively. I played those questlines up until they dovetailed with the main quest, then stopped because I wanted my hybrid-Praetor run to be the first one where I finished the whole game.

My most successful attempt so far has been 6-10-8-4-8-4. I go with Persuade 3, Lore 3 (no SP required), and Streetwise 4 and breeze through Teron with only a single fight.

Spoiler

Against the bandit leader. I trick him into attacking the Aurelian outpost, then kill him to pocket the 1000 gold.

I can do non-combat all the way through Maadoran as well by increasing Persuade to 4:

Spoiler

Convincing Serenas to make Strabos a lord, then convincing Pavola to attack the slums.

Once I am poised to finish Maadoran, I have something like 130 SP banked, but before I leave I start fighting to get combat XP. I do okay on the lower level fights, but even after plowing all my SP into combat skills I eventually start getting creamed.

Spoiler

I can't beat the two Ordu in the arena, the Monastery, or the gang fight in the Slums

I've been pumping Sword and Dodge to match my high Dex, equipping Lorica hamata (lightened) and Aux helm. I try to utilize nets and bolas, poison, and sharpening stones... but there aren't enough SP to get Alchemy or Crafting too high and get the really big bonuses.

What am I doing wrong? I am far from the best player in combat but I don't think I suck either... if Git Gud is the answer then fine, just want to see if there's a better way to approach this before I continue banging my head against the wall.

 

[Zanzoken]

The goal for the character is to be able to fight, but also have enough diplomatic skills to impact where my faction ends up.

My IG build could smash faces but wasn't really able to affect the politics of the Guard. I want this char to be both military and political -- which from the looks of it is basically what Praetors are supposed to be.

 

[Eyestabber]

Well, IMHO your CON is a bit too high for a hybrid character. In fact, your combat stats are much, MUCH higher than mine, yet you say you avoided combat most of the time. I killed everyone and his mother with my hybrid praetor (tho I did reload every now and then).

Also, if you want to impact faction relationship, then dumping charisma is NOT the way to go. I recommend charisma 7 for a hybrid guy that also talks and 9 or 10 for a pure talker.

As for the fights, the two Ordu aren't really tough so you might wanna focus the archer or smt. Monastery is a fight that screws dodgers but is extremely easy for blockers (I suppose update 3 made it even more so). I spam bombs to ensure those assholes STAY DOWN and I never face them w/o the power armor. Slums gang...you mean TG ambush? If so, then yeah...that fight is REALLY tough.

For reference, here are my endgame stats (with +1 from the healing machine, with UPDATE 2):

 

[Zanzoken]

Damn I don't see how you get through fights with only 30 HP. I guess if you are winning battles with worse stats then I'm just not playing efficiently enough.

 

[Shadenuat]

You should check on this thread http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/hybrid-builds-spoilers.104198/

 

[makiavelli747]

My most successful attempt so far has been 6-10-8-4-8-4

high perception is better than con when you have dex 10. if you want also to use lore and crafting, then dump str and con completely and go for xbows(and don't use more than two speech skills)

 

[Emily]

1h Swords seem to be really bad for fights,they do no damage.

I had same problem but then switched to 2h spear and i just breezed fights. Spears are insane for both 1 on 1 and group fighting

 

[Irenaeus III]

Yeah, my only playthrough with a swordsman assassin I ended up using the 2h sword and dodge. He was alright fighting, but nothing special. Couldn't kill Agathoth due to low damage output and had a hard time with the raiders in the Monastery.

 

[Shadowfang]

One handed swords are great and perfect for those characters that don't want to go the crafting route.
My last two 6 str hybrids managed to become Arena Champions by swinging Gladius around. One became a god the other killed Agathoth with a Khopesh.

If you think one handed swords are weak, try doing the same thing with a Hasta.

My issue with one handed swords its how irresistible they are to non-crafting builds. Like, in most rpgs, swords, in aod, are the most common weapon.
You can get better swords earlier than you can any other weapon, with the some exceptions with daggers.
Teron: Steel Gladius from the Miltiades ambush and a Steel Handar from the Aemolas Gold.
Madooran: Now there are sweet Steel Axes for sale both at the Market and at the Slums, very underwhelming considering that you can get the Dreamweaver, blue steel Gladius and a Shamshir.
If you manage to defeat the Demon in Zamedi, you get a Meteor Gladius while in Ganezzar you are lucky if you find a Steel Hasta/Sledgehammer.