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Serafen, Nightmare of Deadfire (Witch King) - POTD Build Guide

By Lost Sinner

★ Barbarian / Cipher (Wild Mind) - Build Guide for Serafen

★ Main role: Striker, Off-tank
★ Sub role: Disabler, Debuffs monster

✎ Team comp: can fit in with any party, build powerplay at level 13 so need some leveling first before the demon comes out to play.

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✖ Artwork by: Penett Penett

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Created by

Lost Sinner
Offline

Category: Characters, Classes, Game Modes, Gameplay Basics, Weapons

Languages: English

Posted

Updated

31 May, 2018 @ 8:35am

8 Jun, 2018 @ 7:39am

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Guide Index

Overview

★ Showcase Video

✎ Leveling Progression

✎ Equipment / Gear

✎ Abilities Preview

Comments

★ Showcase Video

✎ Leveling Progression

♦ Leveling:

Level 2: Blooded
Level 3: Lingering Echoes
Level 4: Barbaric Blow & Biting Whip
Level 5: Two-Weapon Style
Level 6: Thick Skinned
Level 7: One Stand Alone & Secret Horrors
Level 8: Bloodlust
Level 9: Bloody Slaughter
Level 10: Unflinching & Body Attunement
Level 11: Hammering Thoughts
Level 12: Spirit Frenzy
Level 13: Barbaric Smash & Borrowed Instict
Level 14: Rapid Casting
Level 15: Uncanny Luck
Level 16: Improved Critical & The Empty Soul
Level 17: Interrupting Blows
Level 18: Tough
Level 19: Spirit Tornado & Ironwill
Level 20: Blood Thrist

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♦ Civil skills:

Active: Alchemy
Passive: Bluff

♦ Weapon Proficiency:

Axe - Sabre - Flail - Mace - Sword - Club

✎ Equipment / Gear

✦ Gear:

Mask of Grotto Deep (Head): +2 Intellect, +1 Power Level for Poison Abilities, Grants Toxic Coils.
Claim & Refusal (Neck): +10% Damage dealt with Melee Attacks, +10% Damage taken from Melee Attacks.
Reckless Brigandine (Heavy Armor): +5% Action Speed in melee, increases with targets Engaged, +1 enemies Engaged. +5% Melee weapon damage, increases as wearer loses Health (Max +20% Damage), increases armor rating as wearer lose Health (Max +2 Armor Rating)
Ring of Minor Protection: +5 Fortitude, +5 Will, +5 Reflex
Entonia Signet Ring: +3 All Defenses when Engaged (Stack 5 times), +2 Diplomacy
Boosts of Stone: +1 Dexterity, +1 Resolve, Resistance to Might afflictions.
Ngati's Girdle (Belt): +1 Athletics, +1 Crush Armor Rating, 10% chance to cast AoE Crush damage when critically hit in melee.
Boltcatchers (Gloves): 20% chance to reflect Electricity attacks, 20% chance to deal Shock Damage on target when scoring melee Crit.
Cloak of Greater Deflecton: +7 Deflection
Eliel: +5% Melee Damage

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✦ Weapon:

Grave's Calling (Sabres): +2% Freeze Damage on Hit (stack 15 times), Cast Chill Fog on Killing Vessel (Foe AOE)
Magran's Favor (Battle Axe): +20% Crit Damage, 15% Damage as Burn, Kills with weapon grants 5% Damage as Burn and 5% Action Speed (Stack 4 times), 6+ Burn Damage per 1s.

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✦ Alchemy:

Coral Snuff: +X Deflection, +X Reflex, +% Action Speed
Potion of Relentless Striking: +% Action Speed, +% Melee Damage, -X Deflection
Potion of Perfect Aim: % Missses to Grazes / Grazes to Hits / Hits to Crits conversion
Potion of Spirit Shield: +X Armor Rating, +Concentration.

✎ Abilities Preview

♦ As a Barbarian:

Serafen is a naturally good at bumping crits constantly with big numbers as well as the durability to hold off enemies, large health pool and high armor rating. Especially when Bloodied (~50% HP), Serafen will hit much harder & even more durable than he already is because of skills/gear choices, the lower the HP is, the more angrier he will become. Thus it's recommended to fight low with this build.

♦ As a Wild Mind Cipher:

Serafen can strengthen his striking capability and durability even further while also capable of giving his enemies hard times using debuffs / crowd controls with brutal side-effects from his unique sub-class.
Wild Mind side effects: Most of the times it will increase power level of casted abilities, resulting more duration on your self buffs or debuffs on enemies. Sometimes it also comes with a side-effect for debuffs such as stunning enemies on cast, or putting enemies on statsis mode where they will be temporarily "removed" from the fight for a duration. Or refill max focus on casts.
Once in awhile, Serafen will have his mind blown, like his brain literally go bomb dealing heavy aoe damage on self and nearby enemies, which he can shake off with built-in durability of this build, can't say the same for his enemies though.

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✦ Active Abilities:

Borrowed Instict: target an enemy, applying a penalty of -8 Intellect, -8 Perception on his enemy and give himself a boost of +20 Accuracy, +20 All Defenses buff. Keep this up at all times.
Body Attunement: harden yourself: +2 armor rating to self while reducing target armor: -2 armor rating to enemy.
Spirit Tornado: self Frenzy-buff of +5 Might, +5 Constitution, +25% Action Speed, -10 Deflection. When upgraded into Spirit Tornado, it will also does foe aoe Frost Damage and terrify enemies into helpless stace if successful. Enemies that are terrified is unable to act, and will run around helplessly, those who disengage from you will eat free Disengagement Attack.
Secret Horrors: reducing enemies defenses, rendering them useless by disabling their offensive attacks on you (Frightened). While also Sicken them, lowering -5 Constitution and -25% healings, allow you to quickly maul them to death.
Barbaric Smash: a full attack with 20% bonus damage and +2 bonus pen, +30% Hits to Crits converison, +50% Crit damage. When upgraded, will restore resources on kill.
Bloodlust & Blood Thirst: whenever Serafen kills an enemy, he will instant recovers as well as +20% action speed for a duration. Allowing him to chain attacks after attacks, attacking with super speed even when wearing Heavy Armor.
Toxic Coils (Helmet): a gap closer that deals heavy AoE Corrode Damage, also Weakened any enemies in the area.

✦ AI Behavior Script:

Link

11 Comments

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javierhzo 27 Nov, 2022 @ 12:57pm

Does the people in this comments even own the game?

"barbarian Cipher (Wild Mind). The options in game are Witch Barbarian Cipher or Cipher (Wild Mind). The first seems to have the most words in common"

The build uses abilities for both Barbarian and Cipher, so its clearly a build for Witch.

Wild mind is Serafen subclass of cipher, Regardless of you choosing Witch or SC Cipher he is ALWAYS going to be a wild mind (unless you pick SC barbarian, obviously)

"this is in fact not wild mind. do not make my mistake."

It is Wild mind, if you pick Witch he is still a wild mind Cipher.

"When you first meet him, do you pick Cipher with subclass Wild Mind? or Witch (Barbarian+Cipher) ?"

lmao this has to be a troll is in the fucking description of the build.

\w/ 14 Jun, 2022 @ 3:32pm

this is in fact not wild mind. do not make my mistake.

Jingoistic 2 Jan, 2021 @ 1:53pm

All of these builds here have silly made-up names, which makes it all the more confusing actually picking the right option in game. e.g. Witch King - Barbarian Cipher (Wild Mind). The options in game are Witch Barbarian Cipher or Cipher (Wild Mind). The first seems to have the most words in common.

shadowsilv3r94 23 Feb, 2020 @ 8:57pm

Hi, is this build viable for Turn-Based mode as well?

Mr.Hmm 28 Oct, 2018 @ 3:22am

When you first meet him, do you pick Cipher with subclass Wild Mind? or Witch (Barbarian+Cipher) ?

Mothra! 24 Aug, 2018 @ 2:46pm

Yeah, would like stats for main char as witch as well and race/subclasses (if any) as well :)
Thanks for your great work

pandaling 8 Jun, 2018 @ 7:41am

Thanks :)

Lost Sinner [author] 8 Jun, 2018 @ 7:38am

Companion arts are by Penett Penett on Artstation. Video thumbnail source is in the video description.

pandaling 8 Jun, 2018 @ 2:32am

What are the names of the artists you use in the thumbnails?

Lost Sinner [author] 2 Jun, 2018 @ 5:29pm

It's a skill that you better off using it manually when you need the extra armor or to reduce someone armor for effective uses.

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