Infiltrator Question

[Cybwyn]

Forgive me if this seems like a dumb question.

Does the Critical Strike spec line take into account your base weapon skill? For instance, if I spec in Thrust would a PA with a big clunky slasher (i.e. Bastard Sword @ 3.9 Spd) do more damage then a PA with a Gladius (3.7 Spd) or Guarded Rapier (3.5 Spd)?

If so, what's to stop me using a big slasher for the PA and then switching to 2 long dirks for the rest of the fight?

 

[Indiana Jones]

from what i have been told (and i have experienced) speccing cs increases your maximum dmg output

and yes, using a bastard sword will do more dmg
nothing is stopping you to do this, i've done it myself. But in the end i prefer my jambs

 

[old.TeaSpoon]

My Inf is a slasher, and I use a Bastard Sword for the initial PA, and then a set of jambies to fight with afterwards, and it works nicely for me

 

[the_smurflord]

The CS line is like a lot of the top end weapon lines and relies on your base weapon skill to get a good consistant damage line. You CS skill will determine your maximum damage, and your slash or thrust skills determine your minimum. So if you're thrust specced, you can potentially do a good PA with a bastard sword, but you'll have quite a wide varience.
If you're going to go with a weapon that's not from your spec, I'd recommend a nice 16.5 dps heavy staff, for slightly higher 2-H damage and surprise value.

 

[Myddrin]

Ive tried a few experiments with a SC'd staff versus Gladius (Thrust spec infil) and usually the sword does more damage. I guess as the staff is a crush weapon the damage is based on 100% STR - being a wimpy Saracen I seem to get better results from Thrust weapons for PA.

Still deciding whether a Gladius or Rapier is a better choice - Gladius is a slower weapon so the dmg will be nice but the Rapier is not much faster and has higher dps.........hmmmz

If I was a slash infil I would probably use a staff though

 

[Meatballs]

The time delay between PA and creeping death has to be considered as well.

 

[Derric]

Staff is dex.

 

[VodkaFairy]

Slower weapons cause higher PA damage.

Higher CS spec = higher PA damage and higher PA cap

Higher weapon spec = higher minimum damage / lesser variance

Slow weapons = giving an enemy plenty of time to cast all kinds of nasty insta-spells on you with stuns being fatal

Use a slow weapon when you have a good chance of one-shotting someone, if you plan on hitting a tank or a healer class with nasty stuns/mezz' then use a fast weapon to increase the chance of getting CD in.

 

[VodkaFairy]

And yeh, staff damage increases with dex, but its damage type is crush. In bg1 staff shades are fun, but anything higher level than that is out of the question. Weaponspec does improve PA damage.

 

[liste]

Weaponspec improves your minimum damage.

CS improves your maximum damage.

If you PA with a weapon you are specced in, your average damage will be higher, because the lowest value you will hit for, is higher.

if you hit with a non specced weapon like a staff, your PA cap will be higher, but you can end up doing Caster-melee damage on a grey con.

Sums it up

 

[Cybwyn]

Thanks for your help all, PA with a Guarded Rapier / Gladius it is.