A good beginners guide for Underrail?

[RRRrrr]

I am having a very hard time figuring this game out. I haven't managed to create a character that is even remotely playable. I got so frustrated that I started playing Age of Decadence just to relax.

Please recommend a guide that is good enough to figure out what (non-psi) builds work, preferably stealthy ones that do not rely solely on traps.

 

[ghostdog]

Use the Character builder to plan your build beforehand: http://underrail.info.tm/


A Knife/fists stealth build that worked very nice for me:

Spoiler

My Serrated weapons melee build that has worked very well. Secondary use of grenades and I can craft almost everything.

STATS

Level: 25
BASE ABILITIES
--------------------------------
Strength: 3
Dexterity: 16
Agility: 10
Constitution: 4
Perception: 3
Will: 3
Intelligence: 7

SKILLS
--------------------------------
OFFENSIVE
Guns: 0
Throwing: 62(125)
Crossbows: 0
Melee: 135(272)

DEFENSIVE
Dodge: 120(181)
Evasion: 120(181)

SUBTERFUGE
Stealth: 121(182)
Hacking: 75(103) (+2INT from junkyard surprise) (+15 from HUXKEY) = 130
Lockpicking: 46(101) (+2DEX from junkyard surprise) (+7 from jackknife) (+15 from HUXKEY) = 131
Pickpocketing: 0
Traps: 0 (13)

TECHNOLOGY
Mechanics: 92(115) (+2INT from junkyard surprise) (+15% from house) = 150
Electronics: 92(115) (+2INT from junkyard surprise) (+15% from house) = 150
Chemistry: 84(109) (+2INT from junkyard surprise) (+15% from house) = 141 - You can cut back on this one.
Biology: 41 (63) (+2INT from junkyard surprise) (+15% from house) = 80
Tailoring: 92(115) (+2INT from junkyard surprise) (+15% from house) = 150

PSI
Thought Control: 0
Metathermics: 0
Psychokinesis: 0

SOCIAL
Persuasion: 0
Intimidation: 0
Mercantile: 0

FEATS
--------------------------------
Expertise
Nimble
Pack Rathound
Recklessness
Expose Weakness
Cheap Shots
Vile Weaponry
Crippling Strike
Fancy Footwork
Taste for Blood
Opportunist
Uncanny Dodge
Skinner
Critical Power

This is mainly a bleeding build with good critical chances. Very mobile, with a lot of movement and action points. Secondary use of grenades. Nimble gives you -15% armor penalty and added dodge/evasion, so our gear will be at most of 15% armor penalty for maximum action points and dodge/evasion.

GEAR

MAIN WEAPONS :

Main Armor/boots:

Secondary Armor/boots:

[edit] Nemerra why the racist tag?

 

[Trashos]

SMG builds are really great for beginners (and not only), imo, especially since you want stealth. Haven't looked into SMGs with the game's last iteration, unfortunately. But, in short, go find an SMG build.

You will support it with grenades and traps, preferably (but optionally) crafting too. The latest psi school can make you more powerful, but personally I suggest that you keep it simple for a first playthrough and avoid psi.

 

[Black Angel]

http://underrail.info.tm/build/?HgU...CgBOR01FgJ-M0sZwoVTwrXCpHjinKQF4qSOBeKkogXfvw
This one is my planned sniper build, but I got rid of traps investment and Trap Expert. Put the free SPs into Throwing, and replaced the feat with Hit-n-Run but depending on what you're going to do in the long run you can replace it with Sure Step if you're going to throw caltrops around a lot.

http://underrail.info.tm/build/?HgY...sKZwo4SQVEGS8KMwo1YXMKzwoXioLIF4qi6BeK0igXfvw
This is my planned ninja build, inspired by Sekiro. Planned to use the equipment of certain someone from late midgame, throwing knives as shurikens, flashbangs as firecrackers. Sneak around with the help of Interloper, while checking out other people's pocket.

 

[Blackmill]

Edit: I just noticed you prefer non-psi. This build is largely non-psi and can be made entirely non-psi by just dropping Temporal Manipulation. But the small investment in psi will help greatly against the 2-3 late game enemy types that are rarely encountered but otherwise fairly difficult to fight with throwing weapons.

Crafted grenades are among the highest damaging attacks in the game through the first two acts. And being AoE, it makes throwing builds a breeze in the early game. Other builds will out scale throwing in terms of single target damage. But throwing will always be among the best at killing multiple medium to soft targets, which make up a lot of the most difficult fights. And throwing can still comfortable deal with hard, single targets through poisons, disables, and some supplementary psi. Overall, throwing builds have made for my easiest Dominating playthroughs. Here's an example build assuming you have Expedition:

Level 1: http://underrail.info.tm/build/?AQMKBgUDBQgADwAAAAAPAAAABw8PDwAIAAAADwAADysnL9-_
- Throwing builds carry a lot of weight, but would like to spend attribute points elsewhere than strength. So Pack Rathound is good.
- The other starting feat can be anything, but I do prefer Quick Pockets.
- Your crafted grenades are much stronger than what you can buy, so Chemistry is very important.
- The hard part of the early game will be the first three missions when you're struggling to afford your grenade components. Once you have an income, this build becomes super strong and straightforward.

Level 10: http://underrail.info.tm/build/?CgMMBgUDBQgAPAABAAA8AAAABw88PBgIAAAAPAAAPCsnL2EWKlE-378
- 65 skill points are not spent. Distribute as you'd like.
- Continue leveling Temporal Manipulation as a means to kill especially hard targets.
- At this point, you have your most important feats (Grenadier, Three-Pointer and Fatal Throw).
- Sure Step is optional but let's you throw

Level 16: http://underrail.info.tm/build/?EAMOBgUDBQgAWgAAAABaAAAABw9aWi8IAAAAWgAATysnL2EWKlE-wojCh1zipbwB378
- 114 skill points are not spent. Distribute as you'd like.
- This isn't completely optimized, meaning some of the skills are a little higher than needed, since for your first playthrough you won't know all the ways to temporarily boost your skills.

level 17-30: no link, you can pretty much build off level 16 however you want, but...
- Tranquility is very recommended to boost your output of Temporal Distortions, which combined with Stasis is your best way to kill ultra tough single targets (esp. robots which are immune to poison/heat).
- Specialize fully in Three-Pointer (it's insanely good). Remaining specialization points can go into Fatal Throw health threshold, Future Orientation, or something else of your choice.
- For Veteran Feats, I recommend Expert Throwing, Increased Dexterity, and Advanced Psi Empathy or Empowered Temporal Manipulation.

 

[ghostdog]

some random tips:

-Focus on skills/attributes that have synergies.
-Crafting is rather fun this game and can really help make the game easier. I think it's a safe bet for first playthroughs.
-Grenades don't need a very high skill in throwing to work.With 50-60 throwing you can use them effectively. Above 125 throwing you get no bonuses for grenades.
-When calculating your final stats have in mind that you can make use of stat increasing items
HUXKEY = +15 Hacking
jackknife = +7 Lockpicking
junkyard surprise = +2INT or +2DEX
[EDIT] Hypercerebrix = +2INT (it replaced random effect of junyard surprise)
House = +15% in crafting

As far as the base game was concerned:
with 130 in hacking and lockpicking you could open/hack almost everything.
with 150 in Mechanics, electronics, tailoring, 140 in chemistry and 80 in biology you could craft almost anything.

 

[RRRrrr]

Thank you guys, that really helps. Hope my new playthrough is successful!

 

[Black Angel]

-Grenades don't need a very high skill in throwing to work.With 50-60 throwing you can use them effectively. Above 125 throwing you get no bonuses for grenades.

If taking Three-Pointer and want to make the most of it, however, maximizing Throwing is recommended, together with putting spec points into it.

140 in chemistry

What do you need it for? The highest I could find in the wiki is 112 when crafting Mk V landmine.

 

[ghostdog]

140 in chemistry

What do you need it for? The highest I could find in the wiki is 112 when crafting Mk V landmine.

IIRC I made some endgame health increasing gear, but yeah, you can safely have it lower

 

[Biscotti]

http://underrail.info.tm/build/?HgU...CgBOR01FgJ-M0sZwoVTwrXCpHjinKQF4qSOBeKkogXfvw
This one is my planned sniper build, but I got rid of traps investment and Trap Expert. Put the free SPs into Throwing, and replaced the feat with Hit-n-Run but depending on what you're going to do in the long run you can replace it with Sure Step if you're going to throw caltrops around a lot.

http://underrail.info.tm/build/?HgY...sKZwo4SQVEGS8KMwo1YXMKzwoXioLIF4qi6BeK0igXfvw
This is my planned ninja build, inspired by Sekiro. Planned to use the equipment of certain someone from late midgame, throwing knives as shurikens, flashbangs as firecrackers. Sneak around with the help of Interloper, while checking out other people's pocket.

Ninja build looks fun as heck, think I'm gonna give it a whirl for my second playthrough.

 

[Parabalus]

General tips regardless of build:

• 15 Electronics gives you Taser (blueprint from Ezra), extremely useful item until the end
• Quinton (agronomy) sells Molotovs, very useful throughout the game
• Flares fear rathounds
• Before finding Newton, it's often easier to explore the underpassages
• Dropped stuff never disappears, you can drop excess loot at the feet of merchants

http://underrail.info.tm/build/?HgY...sKZwo4SQVEGS8KMwo1YXMKzwoXioLIF4qi6BeK0igXfvw
This is my planned ninja build, inspired by Sekiro. Planned to use the equipment of certain someone from late midgame, throwing knives as shurikens, flashbangs as firecrackers. Sneak around with the help of Interloper, while checking out other people's pocket.

Why 6 STR?
Req is 5, you can put the point into DEX.

For parry and riposte you can use another unique sword as an end-turn weapon to boost them up a little (and riposte with your main hand), but they're still pbad.

 

[Black Angel]

Why 6 STR?
Req is 5, you can put the point into DEX.

You're right. I mistaken the STR req with the INT req which is 6.

Biscotti you can put the STR down to 5 and put the free point into DEX for max melee and throwing synergy. Updated the build http://underrail.info.tm/build/?HgU...sKZwo4SQVEGS8KMwo1YXMKzwoXioLIF4qi6BeK0igXfvw

 

[Falksi]

I went full psi on my first go, and that worked out a treat.

Here's some pointers.......

https://underrail.com/forums/index.php?topic=4149.0

 

[Parabalus]

Why 6 STR?
Req is 5, you can put the point into DEX.

You're right. I mistaken the STR req with the INT req which is 6.

Biscotti you can put the STR down to 5 and put the free point into DEX for max melee and throwing synergy. Updated the build http://underrail.info.tm/build/?HgU...sKZwo4SQVEGS8KMwo1YXMKzwoXioLIF4qi6BeK0igXfvw

Did you find max pickpocketing useful?

I ran a very similar build (6 AGI, 7 STR for Decapitate cool factor [but it sucks]) and can't recall missing much with 130 effective.

I'd def take sprint and fancy footwork as a melee, or at least the latter.

 

[Black Angel]

Did you find max pickpocketing useful?

I ran a very similar build (6 AGI, 7 STR for Decapitate cool factor [but it sucks]) and can't recall missing much with 130 effective.

Unfortunately I haven't yet the chance to play around with pickpocketing mechanics.

However, according to the wiki,

The rate at which you fill this meter will depend on the ratio between your pickpocketing skill and the victim's detection. Since the detection scales off of character's level and perception, this basically means that you'll have to continue investing points in the pickpocketing skill (and ideally dexterity as well) in order to be able to steal (or steal more) from progressively higher level NPCs. Also, some items are harder to steal than others (e.g. heavy weapons and armors in comparison to smaller stuff like ammo and hypos).

...

The way this system is set up it means that, unlike lockpicking and hacking, the outcome is not binary. Depending on your skill-to-detection ratio and the difficulty modifier of the item, you may be able to steal zero, one or more items from a given target. So investing more skill into pickpocketing will always be useful. Because there's no dice involved in the calculations, this will also eliminate the need for save scumming.

I have this bad tendency of checking literally every container I can get my hands on legally (and illegally provided I can sneak around safely), so I imagine I'll do the same when I get to play pickpocket characters. I'd assume higher level NPCs would have high detection capability so having higher level of pickpocket should make it possible to steal more and more valuable items, and more than one while at it.

I'd def take sprint and fancy footwork as a melee, or at least the latter.

Yeah, now that I take a look at the build again, Pinning seems the least useful considering I'm not taking Opportunist. And since with this build I plan to always ambush an encounter with stealth, I imagine Fancy Footwork would be the more useful. What I'm wondering now is if the phrase, "This cannot raise your movement points beyond twice your normal maximum." means there's a limit on how much extra MP you can get in one turn, if not already limited by the amount of attacks you can perform?
I'm also wondering if Hit-n-Run has a limit? Like, if you kill 3 guys in a row with a weapon attack, can you gain 75 MP? And it seems Hit-n-Run can't be procced by throwing knives/'nades?

Blindsiding also doesn't seem very useful in DC. Maybe replace it with another mobility feat, Expert Throwing, or even Monster Slayer for the final battle?

 

[Parabalus]

I have this bad tendency of checking literally every container I can get my hands on legally (and illegally provided I can sneak around safely), so I imagine I'll do the same when I get to play pickpocket characters. I'd assume higher level NPCs would have high detection capability so having higher level of pickpocket should make it possible to steal more and more valuable items, and more than one while at it.

That's all true, but most of the stuff is generic NPC loot, I doubt 350 max + ninja looter is necessary even for all of that.
Probably half of that since you have the feat, and traps would be good since you have 3 CON + 3 PER, with 18 DEX (so you can avoid them).

I'm also wondering if Hit-n-Run has a limit? Like, if you kill 3 guys in a row with a weapon attack, can you gain 75 MP? And it seems Hit-n-Run can't be procced by throwing knives/'nades?

HnR has a cap for each trigger, so if you have 3 MP remaining, kill someone, you get 22 (total 25), you can then move to 0 MP, kill someone else and get 25 again, no limit.
Guessing it can't given that they aren't "weapons" (dunno about throwing).

What I'm wondering now is if the phrase, "This cannot raise your movement points beyond twice your normal maximum." means there's a limit on how much extra MP you can get in one turn, if not already limited by the amount of attacks you can perform?

Yes, but twice the normal maximum is a lot, it's much better than HnR.

I ran with Sprint + PSI haste and would have liked more MP often, but I had 6 AGI (and no dodge) so I couldn't have taken FF.

Blindsiding also doesn't seem very useful in DC. Maybe replace it with another mobility feat, Expert Throwing, or even Monster Slayer for the final battle?

I don't think you'd need Slayer for the last battle, the damage swords put out with flurry is disgusting.

Regarding spec points, with the katana CP is very near or better than Onslaught damage wise, and you need the 5 points into Flurry. The 2 for its CD are also very useful for when you miss, especially if you have LTI.

 

[tindrli]

I got so frustrated that I started playing Age of Decadence just to relax.

 

[Black Angel]

snip

Hmm, guess I'll just tone down Pickpocket a bit and invest in Traps for the sake of detection.

Thanks a lot, bro

 

[Blackmill]

-Grenades don't need a very high skill in throwing to work.With 50-60 throwing you can use them effectively. Above 125 throwing you get no bonuses for grenades.

If taking Three-Pointer and want to make the most of it, however, maximizing Throwing is recommended, together with putting spec points into it.

Basically this. The difference between a crit and non-crit grenade is often a kill versus leaving the enemy at 20-40% health. Sometimes it won't make a difference and you can clean up with throwing knives, other times it's a huge difference and the 2-3 enemies you leave alive kill you. So getting the crit chance near 100% is fairly important. I found that trying hybridize my throwing builds and specialize less in Three-Pointer was difficult for this reason. It felt like I should either fully invest in Three-Pointer and Throwing, or just stop at 123 Throwing and not even take Three-Pointer. Also throwing knives are a surprisingly good source of damage for less feat investment than melee. Obviously less damaging than an all-out melee build, but even carni died from full health in two turns once stunned (leper poison knives are really good).

 

[Major_Blackhart]

Whatever you do, min-max. It's the only way.

 

[luj1]

I literally made an 800 dmg one punch Monk on my first try by combining the Combo feat with a pneumatic glove. You don't need no metagaming.

 

[Tweed]

Get a shotgun, but be sure to invest in throwing for when you actually have to kill something.

 

[Metronome]

Whatever you do, min-max. It's the only way.

This is the only real rule. The game is designed around it. If you're having any trouble, it's probably because you're not doing enough of this. There are better/worse builds but you should be able to at least beat the game by attempting to follow this.

I find it strange how people have normalized just copying other builds. Of all the games to lack a manual, this one probably suffers most for it.

Crafted grenades are among the highest damaging attacks in the game through the first two acts. And being AoE, it makes throwing builds a breeze in the early game.

Here's a fun fact. Grenades will never miss their intended target by more than 3 squares, so while throwing might improve your chances with grenades, you don't need it to use them. Even low dexterity characters benefit from having access to the best grenades. From what I've seen you should always have the chemistry skill for that reason.

 

[Tweed]

Just keep in mind that 3 squares is still more than enough to blow yourself to kingdom come and yes chemistry is a real godsend.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

here's my guide for beginners: close this thread and just go play the game blind. You're going to ruin the game for yourself otherwise.
This guide applies to every game.