Questions about a Chemical Pistols Build

[Philo]

I need to learn to insert quotes ^^.

What I'm suggesting is: don't get married to a single weapon. Well-crafted Amplified Plasma Pistol has a tremendous crit potential (allowing you to use Critical Power properly) and can be used as a good opener in many "spirited negotiations". 

Anyway, I see your points about using a plasma pistol. I've read somewhere that a Chem/Energy pistols build can be very strong. Despite having played hundreds of hours to Underrail, I still tend to specialize my characters (AR Tincan, full PSI...) but reading about Versatility or hybrid characters is giving me a lot of ideas to have even more fun with this awesome game.

You can go "pure chem" with Critical Power and Sharpshooter, but I'm not sure how effective this will be. Cooked Shot seems to be the main advantage over traditional firearms, but it deals normal (non-critical, yeah?) damage.

If you want to use primarily chemical weapons, Sharpshooter+Critical Power is not useful in my opinion.

You need to move around a lot, so Sharpshooter is of limited value. Much utility from the acid gun lies in entangling, moving and hiding out of sight, and returning to fire next round. No Sharpshooter bonus then. Same thing if you want to use Ambush, then you often need to move a bit to a dark tile.

Critical Power just seems like a waste with no other bonuses to critical damage.

About Sharpshooter/Critical Power for a pure Chemical Pistols build, i am not too sure about it anymore thanks to everyone answering here. I understand that Chemical Pistols build are about making damages overtime, thanks to Mad Chemist, Gas Grenades, Traps...

To Bruno, you're saying that you need to be able to move fast with this build. I plan to use Sprint to help me with that but what is your opinion about Hit and Run ? On a side note, I plan to use something like 7 or 8 points on Agility (the latter if i go for Uncanny Dodge).

I am getting there. I will probably post one or two builds soon for you to comment on, if you want.

Edit :

One build i am thinking about :

https://underrail.info/build/?HgMHCgULAwfCoEgAAB4AUFNQKEHCoMKgwqAtAAAAAAAAAEwnOWEwFk7CkVZZRxkmwoUdwrXCpiTioowD4qKWBeKonALisrsF378

It seems counter-intuitive with pistols but I went for low Dexterity and high Perception. I feel like i need to sacrifice too much points in Dexterity to reduce the action points cost of Chemical Pistols. I'll shot less but do a lot more damages. Blitz, Point Shot and putting 5 spezialisation points in Cook Shot : Action Point Cost are supposed to compensate for my low Dexterity. Having 10 points in Agility and Hit and Run give a lot of mobility.

[Slugcat]

Can't tell how it will work on Dominating without testing, but here's the thing - it is probably a good idea to focus on your mobility early, if it is the main feature of your build. Take a look at this:

https://underrail.info/build/?HgMHCgQMAwfCoGQAAB4AZF9ZAFB0dFU_AAAAAAAtAFA5GWFZFk7CkUffvw

For the first few levels you are most likely will be using standard weaponry. By the time you enter Depot A it will be what, level 8 or 9? You need them mobility and combat feats ASAP if you want to cause some damage. Hence, this build.

I'm not a big fan of Sure Step, but you want it, so it is included.

Living without Pack Rathound is painful, but doable. It becomes a good QoL feat later, but first you need some teeth.

I also removed some points from crafting skills and dropped them all over the place. Unless there were some changes, you don't need 200 effective skill (as far as I know).

It is mostly theorycrafting, though. Maybe you know something I don't. 

[Philo]

Well, thank you for reworking the build a bit. Currently, i am not sure with what difficulty i want to go between Hard Oddity or Dominating Oddity (got no experience at this difficulty).

Your feats distribution is better and you're right about taking Pack Rathound later (i believe it's even possible to get it between lvl 20 or 24, if i am patient enough). As for Sure Step, i just want to test it i guess... + i plan to use calltrops as well. After lvl 12, i can choose Quick Tinkerer, Mad Chemist and so on. Going for PSI and Psycho temporal Acceleration at lvl 14 sounds interesting too.

About crafting skills, i have to say i just dumped the points i had left without thinking much about it ^^.

You see, right now, i am hesitating between two stats distribution : 3/7/10/4/12/3/7 or 3/12/6/4/11/3/7... More shots or more mobility ? The latter has a little more appel though. Maybe i just need to start a new game to see how it goes . Thanks again !

[Slugcat]

One little correction: more points in Chemistry is necessary. I kinda forgot that you will need them for crafting chemical pistols. 

Good luck. Don't forget to share your experience with the build, if you feel so inclined. Someone else might find it useful. I'm thinking about psi playthrough myself. Many people were rather disappointed by the recent psi update, so maybe there is a need to demonstrate how fun it could be to play with it.

[Philo]

With the change to PSI, people are now inclined to play hybrid characters (using guns/melee or grenades along with PSI). I feel like PSI is still very strong, but maybe not as fun as before.

This guide here might help you : https://stygiansoftware.com/forums/index.php?topic=4149.msg23828#msg23828

About your chem build, why did you put some points in Persuasion ? For SGS's support in the war between Black Eels/Scrappers ? The build needs more Chemical indeed, at the expanse of Mechanics. The latter may stay low but maybe i'll need to craft a nice SMG at a point in the game.

I don't know which difficulty to pick but I'll test it and hope to get far. Maybe i'll keep a log recording my deaths haha.

[Slugcat]

This guide here might help you

Ooh, nice. Thanks a bunch.

About your chem build, why did you put some points in Persuasion ? For SGS's support in the war between Black Eels/Scrappers ?

Yeah. It's always nice to have an option to do so. Gives you more choice. Depending on your priorities, you can drop some extra points there and get the best ending for your character or forget about Underrail politics and focus on combat alone.

I usually try to invest in social skills to get cool options. It is an RPG, after all.

[Philo]

True. But after a few runs, i tend to focus un combat ^^.

This thread here gave me a lot of ideas as well : https://stygiansoftware.com/forums/index.php?topic=5343.0

I'll go for Trigger Happy instead of Sure Step. I'll pick that one latter in the game.