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Cipher
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire

Cipher

Learn about the Cipher class in Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire, including their Focus resource, subclasses, and powers.

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Learn about the Cipher class in Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire, including their Focus resource, subclasses, and powers.

Walkthrough
  1. 1
    Ciphers are spellcasters (casters) that directly manipulate the souls of others.
  2. 2
    Their primary resource is Focus, which starts at 30 and can increase to 220. At the start of combat, their Focus pool is one quarter full.
  3. 3
    To use Powers (abilities), Ciphers must gather Focus by damaging enemies. The passive ability Soul Whip converts inflicted damage into Focus at a rate of one point of Focus for every two points of damage.
  4. 4
    Once the Cipher's Focus pool is full, Soul Whip stops working until a Power is used to clear the gathered Focus.
  5. 5
    Using a Power requires 10 points of Focus per level (e.g., 10 Focus for a 1st level Power, up to 90 for a 9th level Power).
  6. 6
    Cipher Powers must target another individual with a soul and cannot target themselves or a point on the ground.
  7. 7
    Some powers, like Psychovampiric Shield, transfer power from an enemy to the Cipher. This buff lasts only as long as the corresponding enemy debuff and ends if the enemy is killed.

Cipher Subclasses:

  • Ascendant: Gains +5 Max Focus and +5 per two character levels (max 275 at level 20). When their Focus Pool is full, they become Ascended (+3 Power Level, +30% weapon damage, zero Focus cost for Powers) for 15s, after which the Focus Pool is emptied. They have -1 Power Level with Powers when the Focus Pool is not full. Soul Whip gathers Focus more efficiently but does less damage.
  • Beguiler: Gains +20% range with "Deception" powers. Gains +5 Focus when landing a hit with a "Deception" power on an enemy vulnerable to Sneak Attacks. Soul Whip operates at 50% efficiency unless an enemy is vulnerable to Sneak Attacks.
  • Soul Blade: Has -5 Focus cost with "Shred" powers. Gains +1 Concentration / +10 Max Focus for 30s on kill. Gains access to the Soul Annihilation ability. Has -5 Max Focus, -5 per 2 levels (max 165 at level 20).
  • Psion: Gains +1 Focus per second (passive Focus gain scales with Power Level: +2 at PL 3, +3 at PL 5, etc.). Gains access to the Telekinetic Burst ability. Does not gain the Soul Whip ability. Taking damage shuts down Focus gain for 6s.
  • Wild Mind: Unique to the companion Serafen. Similar to the base Cipher but features a wild surge mechanic that can add a positive or negative effect to any Power use, or cause a misfire that damages the party.
Tips
  • A Cipher's playstyle generally involves standing at range and inflicting as much damage as possible, ideally with firearms, to quickly fill their Focus pool.
  • Alternatively, a high-risk, high-reward playstyle using a reach weapon can compensate for their squishiness. Two-handed weapons offer more sustained damage than guns.
  • Cipher abilities peak at Power Level 7. Multiclassing is often beneficial, as the Cipher half provides +30% damage on all weapon attacks.
  • The Ascendant subclass is powerful when the Focus Pool is full but less so otherwise.
  • Burst damage sources, such as a Rogue's Sneak Attacks, can help fill the Focus Pool realistically.
  • The Beguiler subclass is well-suited for a Beguiler/Rogue multiclass.
  • The Soul Blade subclass naturally pairs with melee-oriented classes.
  • The Psion subclass can work in a Caster-Caster pairing, as its casting does not interfere with Focus acquisition. A Troubadour/Psion pairing is viable if a passive playstyle is acceptable.
  • Warning: When playing a Soul Blade, be careful not to use Soul Annihilation with a filled Focus Pool. Using it when the Focus Pool is at capacity - 1, with Soul Whip active, results in significantly more damage due to the +20%/+30% Raw damage bonus.
  • A Cipher needs high Intellect and decent Dexterity. Perception is extremely important, as misses penalize you twice. Constitution and Resolve are less critical for a ranged character, but ensure you cannot be one-shot.
  • The Draining Whip ability is essential for Ciphers.
  • The Hammering Thoughts ability makes pairing with a martial class more advantageous.
  • The Empty Soul ability becomes available later in the game.

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