Since I'm playing a character who doesn't do direct damage and is travelling with a full party, the levels have come much slower, and I'm about 1/4th lower than I should be for this stage of the game. What can be done to make up the shortfall by endgame?
Go to ashbury, stand on the road between 2 of the mass zombie spawns, cover the computer (optional... blasted light keeps me up all night) and go to bed. Wake up to approx. 15 new CPs to spend. That should solve your problem.
I've already gotten Malachi's gem and I've already closed Liam's gate. That and this isn't a low maintenance character, the guy can't carry much more than his smoking jacket, so I have to stay alert to keep him alive even with a full party. EDIT: I could cheat horribly and make all levels from 35 to 50 cost 1 exp increments, but the legit method would be more satisfying.
You don't need 50 lvl character to complete game. Heck, 20 should be enough or even less.. what I see, you made diplomat with a bunch of followers, and I would stick to it. But if you really want some exp for kills, then invest further points into throwing, because it has highest base to hit bonus from all weapons, 2-3 points should be enogh if you plan to use aerial decapitator. Your accurency should be fine.
I know I could finish now, it's already a breeze with the followers and spells I have. I just wanted the satisfaction of getting my intended skillset complete.
I know the feeling. You're only legimit solution is, probably, to complete any and every quest you can lay your hands on. And/or learn harm.
Ah, but that would undermine the integrity of the 'puppetmaster' build...do no heavy lifting, no direct damage, and leave all those 'skills' for the help. Persuasion isn't a skill, it's an art, and gambling is sport worthy of the leisure class. But I'm making decent progress grinding random encounters in southern Thanatos. What I'm concerned about is that if I don't have everyone up to lvl 40 at least, they'll start dropping out one by one in the Void. My gunslinger didn't have much trouble solo, but also had Droch's War Bringer, and I haven't found a comparable uber weapon.
Kryggird's Falchion is of course the most powerful weapon in Arcanum; Torian Kel's Ancestral Sword and the Iron Clan Hammer are also superweapons, as is Harrow for good Dwarves. The Aerial Decapitator is a thrown weapon that can match Droch's Warbringer, too. Don't know if there's a bow that measures up, since I've never played an archer.
I did find the Falcion; I thought Torian's sword was badass, but the Falcion tore it up. I never knew Sogg could hit so fast. The Aerial Decapitator looked impressive, but I didn't have a thrower, so it sat in the trophy room and collected dust. I really haven't seen a bow worth a damn yet; at the end I was left with Ellumyn's. Raven softened up a lot of targets with it, but I had to keep her fed with loads of arrows.
There are no superbows, I believe. It comes down to the Arcane bow or those Elven Hunter's bows. The best gun is probably Droch's Warbringer or (in the WIP only, I think) the Mechanized Rifle. The speed and damage together with the low ammo cost makes it a hell of a weapon.
How come nobody mentioned the Pyrotechnic Axe? It's an extremely powerful weapon, too, if a bit slow.
Yes, usually I left a Pyro Axe with Sogg, pretty powerful stuff. In the end, I left Torian with it because he didn't have the magick aptitude to make the most of his own sword, so Virgil got to use it. I pretty much strolled through with Tempus running while the party hacked everything up.