Hi, there.
First I would like to congratulate Larian for this awesome game, I'll give this masterpiece a smiling 9,5/10 :D
However I would like to discuss some balance issues:
I've a party consisting of 4 hybrids, all of them on lvl 18 and i've noticed several downsides because of that. The only reason they don't seem to be so much weak than pure Str or Int(or even Int Hyb wich is very strong) is that the game is easy once you've learn to do basic CC like summons and blinds.
IMO Str/Int hybrids suffer the most and would suffer even more if the game had a harder diff mode because:
1 - In harder diff modes there is little room for error, CC is vital and hybrids will always have less chance to apply them meaning you will have like 20 or 30 chance of screwing up even if you prioritize correctly. Add that to high BB and Will of enemies in late game and you will fail many times when applying CC. Again it might not seem that bad given the easy nature of the game but it would show it's flaws should a harder diff come. Not only that but your hit chace will be very low too.
1 ps: Even using divine light is a drawback because it means wasting 5 or 6 ap to get to the enemy and cast it.
2 - This is the worst: if you invest just enough points in Str to wear plate armour and 12 Str Shields, let's say 11 + 2 from items. If you get attacked by weak status your str is reduced by 2 and you automaticaly unequip your shield and armour. This is a huge disadvantage because you will not only be defenceless for the time it takes to remove weakness but you''l also spend 1 or 2 rounds equipping yourself again.
3 - Int hybrids get no penalty: I know, a mage should be getting more schools of magic because it's a mage, anything less than 2 schools would be a bit lacking.
I find the most strong hybrids are those who invest 1 or 2 point in one school and 8-10 int to achieve 100% chance to get buffs, while investing hard on Str or Dex.
The thing is, hybrids should get a penalty for the versatility they bring, but this penalty is just too costly when it comes to Str/Int.
I just can't consider a mage who has 2 schools as an hybrid because any good mage would have that, it's almost like changing form mace to sword on a warrior :)
A good solution would be to:
1) Don't remove armour and shield when we get Weak Status, this is the worst form of CC available. The Str and Dmg penalty is already enough.
2) Give us a new talent only Str/Int Dex/Str Int/Dex Hybrids could choose. This talent would increase hit and status skill chance/dmg by 5% for every 1:1 invested in schools.
Ex: 1 Man-at-arms : 1 Geomancer - 5% bonus to hit, status and dmg.
2 Man-at-arms : 2 Geomancer - 10% bonus to hit, status and dmg.
3 Man-at-arms : 3 Geomancer - 15% bonus to hit, status and dmg.
A character with 3 or more schools would get the bonus of the higher ones:
2 Man-at-arms : 2 Geomancer : 1 Hydro - 10% bonus to hit, status and dmg.
This would allow hybrids to stay consistent but the penalty is that they will have to spend 1 talent to stabilize.
