Obsidian Entertainment did something weird with Pillars of Eternity classes. They tried to fix the "quadratic wizard" problem that has plagued Dungeons & Dragons for decades, where fighters start strong and end up as glorified bodyguards while mages rewrite reality. In Eora, everyone uses Soul Power. It’s a neat equalizer. But honestly? Some classes still feel like they’re playing a completely different game once you hit the higher difficulty tiers like Path of the Damned.
If you’re coming from Baldur’s Gate or Icewind Dale, the first thing you’ll notice is that "dump stats" don't really exist here. You can make a high-Might Wizard who punches holes through spirits or a high-Intellect Barbarian whose screams cover half the screen. It's flexible. Maybe a little too flexible for some.
The Frontline Reality: Fighters vs. Paladins
Most people grab Eder and call it a day. He’s a Fighter. He’s reliable. He stands there and takes a beating. Fighters in this game are the kings of Engagement, which is the mechanic that glues enemies to you. If an enemy tries to walk away, the Fighter gets a free whack at them. Simple. Effective. Boring? A little bit.
Then you’ve got the Paladin. They aren't just "holy fighters" here. They are zealots bound to a code. If you play a Paladin as your main character, your dialogue choices actually matter. If you're a Bleak Walker and you start acting all merciful and kind, your defenses—specifically your Faith and Conviction bonus—will actually tank. You have to roleplay your specific order to stay strong. It’s a brilliant bit of mechanical narrative, but it can feel restrictive if you just want to be a "good guy" while playing a dark knight.
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Goldpact Knights are basically fantasy mercenaries. They get a defensive buff that triggers when they use a Sworn Enemy mark. It’s crunchy. It’s tactical. Compared to the Fighter’s "I just stand here and regenerate health," the Paladin feels like a leader.
Why Ciphers are the Real Stars
If you want the "canon" experience, play a Cipher. Seriously. Pillars of Eternity classes usually fall into the "Vancian" trap—meaning you have a set number of spells per day—but Ciphers use Focus. You hit things with a sword or a gun, you build up soul energy, and then you explode someone’s brain.
It’s a constant loop.
The Cipher feels uniquely "Obsidian." They aren't just mages; they are psychic detectives and soul-shredders. Powers like Whisper of Treason can end a fight before it starts by turning the enemy's biggest ogre against his friends. And since you don't have to "Rest" to get your spells back, you can keep pushing through dungeons long after your Priest is out of juice.
The Chanter’s Passive Aggression
Chanters are weird. You don't "cast" spells in the traditional sense. You hum tunes. You build a "phrase" by stacking different buffs or debuffs that play on a loop. After a few phrases, you earn the right to use an "Invocation." It’s a slow-burn class.
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At early levels, they feel weak. You're just standing there singing about "Three Birds" while your party gets mauled. But once you get the skeleton summons? Or the Dragon Thrashed chant? The Chanter becomes a walking aura of death. You can literally win fights by just standing near people and letting your song burn their skin off. It's the ultimate "lazy" power-gamer build.
The Magic Divide: Wizards, Druids, and Priests
Wizards are the scientists of Eora. You have a grimoire. You have to find or buy spells to fill it. The coolest part? You can swap grimoires mid-combat to access different sets of spells. It gives them a utility that no other class has. If a fight needs fire, you swap to your "fire book." If you need crowd control, you swap to your "ice and walls" book.
Druids are the heavy hitters. Everyone sleeps on the Druid because they think they're just healers. They aren't. A Druid's elemental spells, like Relentless Storm, are probably the most "broken" things in the game. It’s a massive area-of-effect spell that stuns enemies repeatedly. You cast it, and the enemies basically stop playing the game while you electrocute them. Plus, you can turn into a Spiritshift cat and tear people apart if things get too close.
Priests are mandatory. That’s a bit of a controversial take, but on Path of the Damned, you need their buffs. Devotions for the Faithful is a game-changer. It buffs your team’s accuracy while nuking the enemies'. In a game where "Accuracy vs. Defense" is the entire math equation, a Priest is the one holding the calculator.
The "Micro" Classes: Monks and Rogues
Rogues do the most single-target damage. Period. If you want to see a boss's health bar disappear, you bring a Rogue. But they are made of glass. One wrong move, one stray fireball, and your Rogue is a red smear on the floor. They require a ton of "micromanagement"—constantly moving them to the flank, making sure they aren't being targeted, and timing their strikes.
Monks are the opposite. They want to get hit. Monks use a resource called Wounds. You only get Wounds by taking damage. It creates this frantic, high-risk playstyle where you send your Monk into the thick of it, let them take a few hits, and then use those Wounds to unleash lightning-fast punches or soul-shaking strikes. It’s counter-intuitive to everything you learn in RPGs, but it’s incredibly satisfying once it clicks.
Technical nuances of Soul Power
Every class uses the same six attributes: Might, Constitution, Dexterity, Perception, Intellect, and Resolve. This is where people get confused.
- Might isn't "Strength." It’s the raw power of your soul. It increases damage for both a Barbarian’s axe and a Wizard's fireball.
- Intellect doesn't just make you "smart." It increases the area of effect and the duration of abilities. A Barbarian with high Intellect has a massive "Carnage" splash zone.
This design means there is no "wrong" way to build, but there are certainly "better" ways. A Rogue with zero Perception will never land a hit, making their high Might totally useless. Balance is everything.
Actionable Insights for Your First Build
If you are staring at the character creator right now and feeling paralyzed, stop overthinking it. The game is designed to be beatable with any composition, but some paths are smoother.
- Start with a Cipher or Paladin if it’s your first time. Ciphers give you a lot of active buttons to press without the stress of "spell slots," and Paladins are incredibly hard to kill, which forgives a lot of tactical mistakes.
- Ignore the "Healer" trope. You don't need a dedicated healer who does nothing but cast heals. In Pillars, "Health" and "Endurance" are separate. Most "healing" only restores Endurance. If your actual Health hits zero, you're dead. Focus on Damage Mitigation and Crowd Control instead of trying to out-heal the damage.
- Check the combat log. If you’re missing your attacks, hover over the red text in the bottom right. It will show you the math. Usually, you’re missing because your Accuracy is lower than the enemy's Deflection. Use a Priest or a Wizard to debuff that enemy.
- Don't ignore the Ranger's pet. People trash talk the Ranger, but the animal companion is essentially an extra body on the field. In the early game, having a Wolf or a Bear to "off-tank" a stray wolf can save your Wizard's life.
- Multi-classing is for the sequel. If you’re playing the first Pillars of Eternity, you’re locked into a single class. If you’re playing Deadfire, that’s when the real madness begins with subclasses and multiclassing. Stick to the basics for your first run through the Dyrwood.
The beauty of the system is that it rewards system knowledge over "meta" builds. Once you understand how Defense types (Deflection, Fortitude, Reflex, and Will) interact with your abilities, any class can become an engine of destruction. It's just a matter of whose soul you want to burn.
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