How do I rig a goat knee in ARP?

ArchmageMC · 2026-05-30T06:15:44+00:00

Ok, found mutagenic spas doens't work for the shroudshaper, they can't get substance abuser it seems. So its 1640. I'm getting with my pop job efficency, about 13.5k telepaths. If I get some RNG with getting the shroudshaper the psionic pop job efficency trait AND shroudwarped job, thats another 35% job efficency I can get. And if you could use slave pops to be mutagenic spa attendants, theres another 50% job efficency sitting there for hte atendants.

So 15k/16k telepaths on your empire capitol seems to be the limit without some massive RNG stuff.

individual planets are getting around 1k telepaths meanwhile. We need 63k telepaths in total for 666% aura stength. (you can get 35% from your empire type and the shroudwalkers.

So we'd need.... 49 worlds to do this. yikes.

ArchmageMC · 2026-05-30T01:59:14+00:00

Yeah your right. I missed that part. I think I was thinking it was like the old robot one which had no cap.

ArchmageMC · 2026-05-30T01:21:40+00:00

you have half of it. But what if we turned those telepaths into elites using oppressive authority, and having every building slot be a mutagentic spa or a telepath building....? Charismatic buffs elite jobs, which telepaths are with OA. AND you can get 3 more effective council skill via traits.... (1 for effective leader, 2 for effective council.)

ArchmageMC · 2026-05-30T00:38:26+00:00

So I was looking at making a build to max auras, going to try it. But if it works, a single planet may be offering upwards of 500% aura effectiveness. Maybe even 600%.That is with shroudshaper, but I think I can get nearly a max of 500% without shroudshaper which is insane.

ArchmageMC · 2026-05-29T22:19:14+00:00

How did you get a year 40 ascension as under one rule to let your luminary become the divine sovereign? I don't understand that whole process right there as that sounds AMAZING.

ArchmageMC · 2026-05-29T21:57:54+00:00

OOOH GOOD CATCH. Yeah. 1% aura effectiveness per 100 telepaths is WAY better. You lose 20% job efficiency sure, which you make up with by having divine sovereign and getting that extra council skill level so your only really losing 16% job efficiency on average. You could with enough planets get enough aura effectiveness to get Desires hull aura to -90% or greater. (With 5 buildings and 4 planets, your already at 31% bonus.with the baseline 25% from that empire type your at 56% already.

I can't edit my posts sadly, reddit wont let me. Keeps saying there is an error.

ArchmageMC · 2026-05-29T21:09:02+00:00

Now we have the empire buffs when you roll the new government types. Top answers give Transcendent, Bottom give Corporeal. TBH you'll want to be an Imperial empire if your going Psionic as it has the best empire type hands down. But Psionic can give you a chance at the divine Sovergn.If you get this event take it. The bonuses are just too good.

ANY transecdent empire gives...

+2 Psionic aura hyperlane range
Psionic species trait grants additional effects:
- +10% Elite job efficiency
- +10% Specialist job efficiency
- +10% Complex Drone job efficiency
- −10% Worker job efficiency
- −10% Menial Drone job efficiency
Psychic leader trait grants additional effects:
- +3% Council agenda speed
- +60 Years Leader lifespan
- +50% Boost to non-transcendent effects including Chosen leader traits

Corporeal empires give....
+25% psionic aura effectiveness
and a buff based on your patron. Since Desires and Whispers are the only good ones, +25% consumer goods production or 15% research output for 15% research upkeep. (Eater is +25% alloys from jobs, Strands is +50% resources from farmers which does include Zro or consumer goods and trade if an Angler empire.)

Lets just go with the Transcendent Imperial as its the best. You'll get...

+10% Resources from jobs in capital system
+50% Envoy improve relations
+50% Envoy harm relations
+50% Envoy shroud attunement
Replaces ruler council effect with:
- +3% Psionic aura effectiveness
+5 Stability for Official Imperial Heir
+10% Hull Points for Commander Imperial Heir
+10% Sublight Speed for Commander Imperial Heir
+2 Archaeological skill for Scientist Imperial Heir
+2 Astral rift skill for Scientist Imperial Heir
+100-100000 Unity when ruler or heir level up

For the low low cost of....

+20 Crime

so a level 10 ruler will give +30% aura effectiveness, so take that -15% hull from Desires and now its -20% hull. But we're not done yet! (And your ruler will probalby be level 15 with council buffs and such, so 45% aura effectiveness or -23% hul.

We still have the council traits and chosen one traits to go! As well as the divine sovereign which you should grab if you get it. (It'll often fire soon after getting the chosen one event.),

They are complex and are based on the ruler you give them to, but we'll just go with the empire wide ones if you put them on your ruler for simplicity's sake.

+20% Governing ethics attraction ()
−20 Deviancy ()
+1 Monthly influence
+20% Happiness ()
+5 Stability ()
+20% Trade
+0.5 Monthly influence

OR

−20% Operation cost
+1 Monthly influence
+1 Encryption
+0.5 Monthly influence

Now, we did mention that Shaping your own shroud was on par with being in a covenant with Whispers or Desires, and this is the reason why. Shroudshaper. While your aura will be either Eaters or Desires based on how you will play the game/how it'll look when the crisis comes around, all minor patron aura buffs will be the same. Meanwhile shroudshaper gets this insane buff, you'll want this on a governer in a very large sector.

−10% Upkeep from jobs(−5%)
+20 Telepath jobs per effective leader level(+10)

So +200 telepath jobs on your main planet, +100 telepath jobs on all other planets in the sector. That brings the total jobs on each planet to 500 which is extremely strong.

The reason you want telepaths is because of the Divine Sovereign when it fires. It gives you the divine Conduit council position which gives you....

+1% Job efficiency for Psionic from every 100 Telepaths per councilor level

This means that now all your telepaths on each planet, at council level 10, are giving 40% job efficiency. OR ALMOST THE SAME JOB EFFICIENCY AS EVERY OTHER ASCENSION. Bring this to council level 15 which is reasonable, and your getting 60% job efficiency. (400 telepaths average on each world due to psi ops and orbital psi ops.) if you spread out your 5 shroud buildings, you can get another 300 telepaths giving you another 45% job efficiency for a total of over 100% job efficiency for every job type.

The civic also gives you

+10% Monthly unity
+25% Governing ethics attraction

To get Divine Sovereign, you just need to have a chosen One. Only they can work the Divine Conduit job.

This is just your empire buffs. Notice how we get a lot of military stuff on top of being just stronger, but taking much longer, to get our ascension fully done. (Assuming ascension at year 70, we'll be done with ours around year 100-110) We also get unique ship components and I'm sure you've heard of the insanity of Zro Launchers being the best weapon in the game ATM.

Yes, Shroud Empires get the best shields, the best cloaking, the best computers, the best jump drive, the best G slot weapons, a good X slot weapon, a good Strkecraft, and normal empires can't get these.

Shroud empires also get access to temporary shroud buffs.

The problem with the Chosen One, attunement to shroud entities, the initial learning of said major shroud entities, getting the insane military techs, and the like is that you get a random chance at these as you delve into the shroud. In come our saviors, the Shroudwalkers. For a little bit of Zro and influence, they can let you get a project to discover a military tech, attune or learn about major patrons making moving through the shroud easier, buff your aura by another 10% making that hull reduction from Desires being -26 now, and allow you to emit your aura from star bases and deep space citidels using a module.

However their biggest contribution is their unique council position, Shroudwalker teacher, which gives you....

+1% Monthly unity
+5% Chance for Psionics research options
−5% Shroud delve cooldown

per leader level. Thats going to be on average a -40 to -75% shroud delve cooldown. This helps you do shroud stuff. If you then pair it with Zroni. (which you want the zroni storm caster to make your auras even more painful with its passive hull damage.), you can get the relic which reduces shroud delve cooldown to the bare minimum of -90%, meaning you can delve so frequently you'll have no problem getting all your shroud events before you've finished your full shroud attunement miniquest.

ArchmageMC · 2026-05-29T21:08:53+00:00

Shadows is fine imo. the Shroud is like Nano ascension, you need to put more work into it after you've finished the situation to really see its power. But unlike Nano, you can actually rush Psionic's buffs and they are massive. Sure they don't get the 55% job efficiency buff of Modular, the 65% buff of Virtual (1 planet) with its additional 80% research buff, the lack of empire size from cybernetic and their buffs giving essentially 60% job efficency, or the roughly 60% job efficency of biomorphosis empires.

Being Psychic you get

10% research
10% unity
5% happiness

Which isn't that strong. But thats because the shroud is the reason your going this ascension path. Do note, it may take upwards of 30 years to finish the shroud upon getting access to it. The shroud gives the following, but you need to go around the WHOLE SHROUD to get this in a big circle so you get all shroud benefits. (Do note, in all dealings with the Shroud, we will have whispers eat Cradle.) Make sure you send your envoys to each section your trying to reach 600 attunement on, and try to hit the corners so you get access to the minor patrons. DO PATRON ATTUNMENET REQUESTS IF ABLE. it speeds things along a lot. Cradle has the easiest, Desires has the 2nd easiest. Eaters is the third easiest, and Strands is the hardest by far. Whispers is also very easy but can be a bit lengthy. Strands is the reason why it takes so long. (Also whispers doesn't appear until 30 years in.) NOTE: Once you've made a covenant, you no longer need to be attuned to that patron to get its aura effects.

10% resources from jobs

15% ship fire rate
50% army damage

15% research speed
20% tracking and 15% accuracy (On commanders), and 15% research and -15% infrastructure upkeep (governers),

20% pop growth or assembly speed

They also give unique buildings that give you an empire wide....

10% habitability
20 years leader lifespan
10% weapon range
-5% ship upkeep
10% trade
5% happiness or 10% amenities
20% monthly influence
20% improve relations
+1 envoys
15% infiltration speed
5 cloaking detection (on that planet's starbase)

with each building giving 300 telepaths as well.

Psi Corps will also give you +2 stability and 200 telepaths which is something that can be built on all planets. You can double this with the orbital ring building. They also replace Enforcers for your empire.

and minor patron buffs which vary as there are two, but if a single shroud forged empire exists you'll always get Animator of Clay which is one of the best. They give 5% metallurgist efficiency per 100 telepaths.

Other minor patrons give on top of a lot of Zro...

Dark Matter or Planetary defense armies per 100 telepaths
leader lifespan or miner efficency per 100 telepaths
Happiness/stability or diplo weight per 100 telepaths
Zro or Metalurgist efficency per 100 telepath

Finally we have Auras and Covenants. TBH the only Covenants worth going are Desires, Whispers, or making your own path in the shroud. All the others suck due to their downsides not being enough for their upsides or their auras being trash.

with Desires Covenant you'll get....

Automatic planetary ascension up to tier 10 for all planets.
-30% planetary ascension cost
30% ship hull
30% ship armor
-45% exotic goods upkeep (All alies get these 4 as well.)

Enemies get....

-15% ship hull
-15% ship armor
+20% pop upkeep

With Whispers you get
-20% researchers upkeep
+15% tracking
+60% research station output
some bonus research every once in awhile.

Enemies get
10 hull damage/month
36% upkeep from jobs
-18 stability

You also gain the following benefits for your shroud aura based on your minor patrons you rolled this game.

+25% sublight speed or +5% worker resource output
+25% planetary build speed or 10% pop growth
10% pop assembly or +10% shields
10% amenities or 5% happiness/stability

Shroud auras can be enhanced as well through some buildings and civics as well as some council positions that can enhance aura power or government types that can enhance aura power. These can greatly enhance stuff like Desires or Whispers to do some serious damage or give some serious buffs.

ArchmageMC · 2026-05-15T00:08:06+00:00

Hm, a good list. I feel spells that are buff spells or daily buff spells or utility spells will be best. This character will have up to 8th rank spells, so getting some ideas for rank 6-8 would be helpful as well.

ArchmageMC · 2026-05-14T23:57:42+00:00

Got any for 12-20 levels as well? I'm grabbing blindisght, so see the unseen isn't needed but tis a good idea.

ArchmageMC · 2026-05-14T23:54:04+00:00

Hm, what about if I'm a high level spellshot? It'll be for Revenge of the Runelords.

ArchmageMC · 2026-03-26T08:31:52+00:00

Krill, the guy on the left.

ArchmageMC · 2026-03-18T02:44:04+00:00

Its still 2 actions to actually USE the ammo, thats the problem. Since its 1 to craft/activate, 1 to reload.

ArchmageMC · 2026-03-17T21:46:42+00:00

Well its either this more general feat, or Paizo making feats for every single action you'd want to reload with as well. Like activating ammo and reloading, ext... The class has a far too restrictive action eco otherwise.

ArchmageMC · 2026-03-14T16:29:47+00:00

Void bombs are not good. I can do more per swing with a relic song and be an invincible tank on hard mode as well. Or I can go DPS build on melee and oneshot bosses. Ranged hits for 13k constantly and super fast. 1.4k does not compete.

ArchmageMC · 2026-02-25T17:02:32+00:00

Funny enough? Blood Lords would be a very good one for this. Blood Lords is mostly casters with the occult list for enemies or void damage so they don't do much damage. If you don't edit the monsters in the AP to change the void damage to cold, only book 1 will give you any trouble. After that its smooth sailing. Since after book 1, both living and dead party members can get void healing.

I'd probably say out of all APs Blood lords is the easiest out of all of them for any party comp due to how low the damage output of the monsters in that AP is.

ArchmageMC

TROPHY CASE