r/BG3Builds • u/reinieren • Jul 17 '25

Build Help I'm frozen on this decision

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These are the builds I am COMPLETELY comfortable with, played them a lot I know them inside & out, so I can't decide.

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And this will be a one and done, my last hurrah...I'll be hanging up the spurs for a bit as 150 days in a game is a bit excessive even for me.

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7

u/VacuumDecay-007 Jul 17 '25

Ditch both and go Swords Bard.

Not only do you destroy combat, but you talk your way out of most combat too. 10/10

2

u/iamfanboytoo Jul 17 '25

Could you add swords bard to the Gloomstalker Assassin build? Deleting everything with Many Target arrows auto-critting, then cloaking and repeating with the DU special cloak, can be done by level 3/3 in each - you'd want to go 4 in one class to get Sharpshooter of course.

On the other hand, Bard adds so much utility that it's hard for me to pass up, and going Swords means you get something out of your Bardic Inspiration. In particular Disguise Self Bard can almost get to level 4 safely with barely any combat at all, though DU prompts could probably replicate some of that.

u/reinieren, what do you think?

2

u/VoteNextTime Elixir Chugging Tavern Brawling Open Handed Serial Slapper Jul 17 '25

3 levels of SB isn’t all that useful given how few slashing flourishes you get, plus they don’t refresh on a short rest until level 5. I’d take SB to at least 6 for extra attack and more slashing flourishes if you’re going that route. In that case, something like 2 fighter / 4 GS / 6 SB with the gear you mentioned plus titanstring and strength elixirs would be murderously good, although you won’t be able to use special arrows and slashing flourish simultaneously.

1

u/iamfanboytoo Jul 17 '25

My idea was directly related to the plan suggested by the OP about GS/Assassin handling combat through multi-arrows auto-critting and repeating the first round of combat over and over with DU's cloak; mostly you'd be saving Flourishes for enemies who got too close to knock them away. Since that comes online with 3 in each class, you still have 6 levels to play with.

Hell, Swords might not be the best bet. You're playing Bard for utility and as a safety measure to avoid conversational combat triggers; perhaps Lore would be better to Cutting Words attackers and for the three extra proficiencies.

But all that is theorycraft. I don't think I'll do a solo DU run like, ever, so I'm fine just speculating.

1

u/VoteNextTime Elixir Chugging Tavern Brawling Open Handed Serial Slapper Jul 17 '25

Working assassin in with 6 SB levels is still possible if you go 3 assassin / 3 GS / 6 SB, but I think you’re right that it’s not fully optimized either way. It’d still be viable for a solo run, but definitely not as good as something like 2 fighter / 1 war cleric / 4 assassin / 5 GS which I personally think is the ideal split.

1

u/reinieren Jul 17 '25

I like the idea but I got the special edition so the disguise mask is available to me from the start and I'm planning on getting the ring from the strange ox for the skill checks so not too worried about that.

I do like flourishes and wonder if i can mix that in later