Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Build Discussion Loss to ESL from Fighter vs. Ranger

I might have to make my own fully detailed thread for this because I didn't expect any interest in my roleplay build, just wanted to answer what ESL meant

Here's how Eilistraee's Sword Dancer deals with "Grandpa";


*Sorry about the video quality, forgot to set up for a recording*

• Naturally strategy is important; if you plan on casting at all during this fight by fighting him solo, you have to take care of Illasera. I personally prefer to slap her out of the fight immediately.

• As for Haste; I wouldn't say it's absolutely essential, but I love using it in boss battles or huge spread-out battles because it provides +2AC with Concentration along with a massive movement range bonus. Plus sword singing requires an Action, so you can see at 01:35 in the video why it's super helpful for Melody: Shriek + Defensive Flourish + Stage Fright combo.
  
  Without it you will end up wasting turns because you won't be able to reach your enemies. And although she does have a bow equipped for its passives, she's forbidden from using it because Eilistraee's sword dancers do not use bows.

• As for her hit chance it's not an issue at all. Grandpa's AC in particular only gets overblown if you take out Sendai who grants him permanent +6 AC., but even if you kill her it's not a big deal because any time he enrages with Deathbringer's Legacy he loses that AC.
  
  Which is why I just ignore her since all she does is cast Command Grovel or Slow, which she can't even land because my Saving Throws are incredibly high so the only way for me to fail the save is if I roll a 1 or 2.
  
  As for her damage; her fighting style is a combination of both her sword and spells which together form a dance to unleash a blend of Physical/Psychic/Holy and Thunder damage types. Because the beauty of the build is that it's versatile, built for both short-term bursts and long-term adventuring since Eilistraee's Sword Dancers are not one-trick ponies. Even though her sword is the primary focus of the build, as you saw her magic is equally as deadly.
  
  Stage Fright is just one ability out of many in her diverse arsenal which naturally helps against physical enemies, but does nothing against casters. Just like Smite may be a great burst ability, but can't be used against enemies who can't be hit or have Radiant Retort. Each situation has the best tool available for the job and that's where the build for me truly shines.
  
  For example I could have gone that entire fight without a single Smite or Stage Fright by just using regular attacks with Vicious Mockery since he can barely land a hit on me as it is, but being economical with resources is not interesting to watch. I also could have just ignored Illasera, baited her Counterspell and then used Hold to paralyze him and do some giga-crits. Or if I can't hit him I could have started Melody: Shriek and unleashed Magic Missiles upon him. There are numerous ways one can approach the fight and that's why I enjoy the build so much.

• [Mirror Of Loss]. Without spoilers, it's at the end of Shadowheart's personal questline and you need to pass 25 Arcane and Religion checks to obtain the buffs. If you want it immediately as you enter Lower City you can also sneak into the place and obtain it without losing any story content.

If you wish to see it partially in action the video above shows some of her combat prowess solo against an Honour Mode boss.

I might have to make my own fully detailed thread to explain everything, but in short it's my roleplaying build specifically shaped to reflect all the lore elements of Eilistraee's Sword Dancers, inspired by Qilué Veladorn the Dark Sister who as Eilistraee's High Priestess was equally deadly with her spells as she was with her holy blade called "Iluemeirarra", an Eilistraee's priestess whose soul was bound the blade.

• (The Sword Dancer)

  
  

  Quote

  The Sword Dancers were skilled sword wielders, known to use their art while fencing. They fought employing an agile and acrobatic style, that allowed them to quickly and gracefully move on the battlefield, with movements that resembled a dance.
  
  They could form a particular bond with their sword, which allowed them to infuse the weapon with Eilistraee's magic. They could imbue it with a variety of magical enhancements, let it sing like a singing sword (making them strike with increased precision and rallying their hearts), or let it dance (like a dancing weapon) to attack the enemy on its own or to protect the priestess.
  
  The Sword Dancers had the ability to cast the magic missile spell, or to use its energy to empower their next sword strike, surrounding their blade with blue-white flames. They could also use their magic to temporarily enchant a bladed weapon with a silvery glow that increased the precision of its strikes, without the possibility of it being dispelled.
  
  The Sword Dancers could sing and dance to channel the power of Eilistraee and had the ability to sing their magic even amidst the chaos of the battle, while dodging and dancing around or while wounded. They could use a particular kind of Spellsong. A solitary spellsinger could replicate the effects of many spells (of 4th level or lower), heal a given creature or grant her protection from magic, a choir of them could create more powerful beneficial effects (like restoring lost limbs).
  
  Other magical abilities of these specialized priestesses were the capacity to cast spell turning, commune, true seeing, stone telling and plane shift.

  
  

• (The Guardian as Eilistraee)

  

It's a specifically shaped roleplay build reflecting all of Eilistraee's lore that just also happens to be quite strong and versatile. So to understand the concept of it one would have to read the lore about Eilistraee's sword dancers.