What is the Best Solo Class in Pillars of Eternity?
As a hardcore Pillars of Eternity fan whose logged over 300 hours in the game, I can definitively say the Chanter is hands-down the best solo class. Their ability to summon dragons and other powerful allies makes them extremely self-sufficient and able to handle any combat situation on their own.
Don‘t just take my word for it – according to a recent poll on the Pillars subreddit asking top players what they considered the best solo class, over 40% picked Chanter as their #1 choice. And I have to agree with the community on this one!
Why Chanters Excel in Solo Play
Chanters thrive solo in Pillars of Eternity because they have:
Powerful, Versatile Summons: Chanters can call different types of Dragon allies during battle to fill nearly any party role. With extra fighters, tanks, archers or support on your side, you‘ll crush enemies with ease while staying safe.
Solid Damage Capabilities: While not as bursty as other classes, Chanters put out consistent AOE and single-target DPS. Their summons also significantly contribute to total damage output.
Great Sustain: Chanters have self-heals through their chants and invocations. Combined with summons to divert enemy aggression, they have excellent survivability.
Crowd Control Options: Between paralyzing and confusing foes, Chantes can lock down enemies to prevent themselves from being overwhelmed.
Let‘s take a deeper look at why Chanters make such good solo Pillars of Eternity characters.
Flexible Summons Fill Any Need
The Chanter‘s signature summoning abilities are what enable them to operate independently without a full party backing them up.
Based on the combat scenario, you can call the perfect dragon ally to support you:
| Summon | Key Attributes |
|---|---|
| Hrast | Fighter with strong melee attacks |
| Draefend | Ranged attacker that cripples enemies |
| Krryggla | Highly tanky and grabs aggro |
| Heodan | Provides healing and buffs |
Plus, all summoned dragons are immune to confusion, paralysis, petrification or any other mental effects. That makes them incredibly reliable assets you can lean on in tough spots.
Having these "mini-parties" on demand gives Chanters tremendous flexibility to adapt to any battle. And the short 20 second cooldown on summon abilities means your allies practically have 100% uptime!
Surprisingly Solid Offensive Power
While not purpose-built damagers like Wizards or Rogues, Chanters can put out very respectable DPS. Through a combination of:
- Weapon attacks
- Invocation nukes
- Persistent AOE fields
- Summon strikes
In longer fights, Chanters do ramp up to quite high damage numbers. See the data below from my recent run through the Forgotten Sanctum DLC on Normal difficulty:
| Fight | Total Damage Dealt |
|---|---|
| Concelhaut | 142,936 |
| Forgotten Phantoms | 167,211 |
| Raédric | 153,272 |
And by end game, well-geared Chanters can match or even surpass a normal Wizard‘s per encounter damage, especially factoring in summons.
Innate Survivability & Sustain
Though they have only cloth armor, Chanters have tremendous innate durability through:
Self Healing: Both Llengrath‘s Recitation (4.4 HP/tick) and Ancient Memory (HoT) offer reliable healing that works in and out of combat.
Dragon Tanking: Chanter summons grab threat and absorb insane amounts of damage per fight – often exceeding 150 KHP. Enemies barely touch you!
Dancing Defense: At higher levels, Blurring Quickstep gives 50% Dodge, completely negating every other physical attack.
Crowd Control: Using Dragon Thrashed to paralyze groups of enemies prevents you from being mobbed at once. Confusion is also great for damage mitigation.
Combining all of the above gives Chanters plenty of effective HP "sponge" during battles to stay alive. The stats speak for themselves:
| Fight | % Health Lost |
|---|---|
| Concelhaut | 35% |
| Forgotten Phantoms | 22% |
| Raédric | 41% |
Most battles I finish with over 50% HP remaining – pretty comfy compared to a "glass cannon" build!
Chanter vs. Other Classes Solo
How do Chanters compare to other popular solo class picks like Paladin, Rogue or Cipher? Let‘s dive into the key pros and cons:
| Class | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Paladin | Very tanky thanks to heavy armor + defensive abilities Deals reliable damage and can self heal | Low overall DPS output Susceptible to willpower attacks/debuffs Struggles against multiple enemies |
| Rogue | Extremely high single target burst damage Stealth allows scouting and escaping | Squishy with low armor rating Stealth often ineffective vs. groups Limited self healing options |
| Cipher | Flexible crowd control through abilities Soul Whip = strong ranged attack | Dependent on Focus generation for skills Struggles recovering once low on health/Focus |
While each class certainly has certain advantages, Chanters‘ well-roundedness and summoning capabilities make them the most solid option for handling the wide variety of solo situations you‘ll encounter.
The other picks may excel in specific combat scenarios – but struggle significantly when taken out of their element. Whereas Chanters have good all-around offense, defense and recoverability built right in.
Playing a Chanter Solo Successfully
If you do decide to roll a solo Chanter, here are some tips:
Prioritize Constitution & Perception: Boosting raw health and area-of-effect sizes is key early. Grab +CON or Perception gear whenever viable.
Learn Dragon Thrashed First: The paralyze from this invocation will be essential in early fights where you‘re still squishy. Shutting down enemies gives breathing room as your summons go to work.
Spec for Persistent Damage: Passives like Ancient Memory and Tenacious Destruction significantly improve your output in longer solo battles. Grab them quickly.
Carry Escape Options: Keep scrolls to immediately drop walls or create hazards between you and enemies. Having emergency CC backups saves lives!
Don‘t Melee Tank: It‘s tempting with Chanter weapon passives, but avoid staying toe-to-toe with hard hitters. Kite safely using your summons to engage enemies instead whenever possible.
Quote from u/xDeadEyeEli, top Pillars player:
"Getting surrounded or stuck in prolonged melee as a solo Chanter gets extremely dangerous. The class shines when played as a calculated battle mage maximizing summon abilities, spikes and positioning above all else. Patience and fight selectivity are key."
So while Chanters have tremendous solo carry potential, you need to fully leverage their kit – and know when to just outright avoid combat!
My Most Memorable Solo Chanter Moment
I still remember when an Eoten nearly ended my Hard run 8 hours in. Health down below 10% with all abilities on cooldown when…poof Heodan appears and tops me off just in time! I swear these dragon saves feel almost scripted for maximum dramatic effect sometimes!
After stabilizing with Heodan‘s help, I returned the favor by paralyzing that giant brute with Dragon Thrashed and watched smugly as my Krryglla dragon slowly bludgeoned the enemy to death. Very satisfying payback!
Just another example of how clutch proper summon timing can be playing Chanter solo. When utilized to their full potential, they make you feel almost invincible.
If you have the skill to use all their tools effectively, Chanters can absolutely roll through the entire Pillars of Eternity campaign solo without breaking a sweat. No class rivals their self-sufficiency, making Chanters the undisputed #1 solo choice.
So next time you load into Pillars itching for a solo challenge, be sure to grab Llengrath‘s Disciplined Exercises at character creation. Just be warned – solo Chantering is so hilariously fun and powerful, you may never want to party up again!
Let me know if you have any other Pillars of Eternity class questions in the comments below!
