Best Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire Builds

Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire builds start with a class or a multiclass combination. Multiclassing trades access to the highest tier of abilities for a much wider selection at lower tiers, and that tradeoff is the central question of most builds. Attributes affect every character rather than gating classes, so there are no dump stats that carry no cost, and Perception, Might, and Dexterity all feed damage in different ways. Combat runs on a system of afflictions and inspirations that mirror each other, where each affliction has an inspiration that counters it, so knowing that relationship is what makes crowd control and defensive buffs work together. Abilities are split between per-encounter and resource-limited, and the resource pools differ by class. Equipment carries unique enchantments that can be upgraded along branching paths, and several items are strong enough to build a character around. Empower gives one large-scale ability use per encounter, which most builds save for a specific decisive moment.