A few thoughts from my latest play through
Posted: August 11th, 2017, 5:37 pm
It turns out you can imbue unidentified items. I hoped that it might auto-identify them for you when you did, but no such luck.
I've long considered Druidic the best axiom, since it gets you to faster HP/MP regeneration rates sooner and the game takes place mostly outside. This play, I noticed that Atheistic could be an excellent late-game choice, since (with elemental resist) a trap in the Goblin Citadel lets you infinitely farm goblins for loot.
I also wanted to share the list of questions I ask myself when designing a character build, and the pluses and minuses of the respective options.
How are you going to kill enemies?
* Melee weapons: no ammunition/MP worries, but need to get up close with some enemies you might want to avoid (bombthugs, acid grubs). Swords is the best choice, since (1) it's available as a starting skill (2) there are several excellent swords available as fixed loot and (3) swords have the highest available base damage of any weapon
* Bow: you can avoid melee damage from most enemies, meaning armor and HP are less important. You need ammo, but it's pretty cheap as long as you keep your to-hit high
* Magic: you can avoid melee damage from most enemies, meaning armor and HP are less important. MP regeneration is a serious problem, and damage output is limited by the spells available. You'll never do as much damage/turn as a weapon user, or be able to get through a fight with 3 Taurax without using potions.
* Sneak past them: theoretically possible, and potentially eliminates the need for offense or defense. You miss out on a lot of XP, though, and fighting is kind of what the game is about.
Advantage: bow
How are you going to deal with locked items?
* Unarmed attack: very cheap in terms of necessary skill points, but takes a long time unless unarmed is also your main combat skill
* Lock picks: you get XP for doing it, but it takes a lot of skill points and costs money for picks
* Magic: also needs skill points, but you can use that skill for lots of other stuff, too. A Lock Melt scroll can be hard to find
Advantage: unarmed attack (if it's your combat skill) or magic
How are you going to deal with darkness?
* Torches: basically free since they're so plentiful. Uses weight, lets enemies see you, prevents shield use, and a non-starter for bow users.
* Lantern: more expensive to keep full than torches, and easier to run out. Better visually, but same problems with shield/bow
* Cat's Eyes: great since you can see but enemies can't see you. You don't get full brightness, though, so you still take a small penalty.
* Predator Sight: great since you can see but enemies can't see you, and you get full to-hit. Alerts you to enemies while they're still a ways away. Hard to navigate a dungeon with just this, though.
* Gravedigger's Flame: like torches but no weight and compatible with bow or shield
Advantage: Cat's Eyes. Note that a bow user almost must have magic
How are you going to keep melee enemies from killing you?
* Don't get close enough to get hit: great option for ranged attackers
* Armor: cheap in terms of skill points, but expensive in gold and carrying capacity
* Tons of hit points: very difficult by itself, even dumping all stat points into Endurance
* Divine heal: a great option if you're not using magic to do damage in combat. Probably still need some armor, though
Advantage: HP/armor for melee fighters, distance for ranged
How are you going to keep ranged enemies from killing you?
* Armor: cheap in terms of skill points, but expensive in gold and carrying capacity
* Tons of hit points: very difficult by itself, even dumping all stat points into Endurance
* Divine heal: a great option if you're not using magic to do damage in combat. Probably still need some armor, though
* Dense nimbus: Amazing if you're already using magic
How are you going to deal with traps?
* High perception + skullduggery: you get XP for disarming traps, but requires a lot of skill points
* High perception and avoid: you're going to have it anyway for magic-heavy build
* Just suffer through: entirely possible, especially with high resists
Advantage: Suffer through unless you have high perception anyway
In total: I think the best build is bow attacker with heavy magic support. Magic is too limiting to be a great offense, but it's an amazing use of skill points in terms of how many other things it does. For maximum efficiency you'll want to wait to invest your own skill points until you can buy each magic skill to 5 in Blackwater and read the skill books. All you really need are Lock Melt and Cat's Eyes, but Dense Nimbus, Divine Heal, and Predator Sight are also amazing, and Portal is great for convenience.
I've long considered Druidic the best axiom, since it gets you to faster HP/MP regeneration rates sooner and the game takes place mostly outside. This play, I noticed that Atheistic could be an excellent late-game choice, since (with elemental resist) a trap in the Goblin Citadel lets you infinitely farm goblins for loot.
I also wanted to share the list of questions I ask myself when designing a character build, and the pluses and minuses of the respective options.
How are you going to kill enemies?
* Melee weapons: no ammunition/MP worries, but need to get up close with some enemies you might want to avoid (bombthugs, acid grubs). Swords is the best choice, since (1) it's available as a starting skill (2) there are several excellent swords available as fixed loot and (3) swords have the highest available base damage of any weapon
* Bow: you can avoid melee damage from most enemies, meaning armor and HP are less important. You need ammo, but it's pretty cheap as long as you keep your to-hit high
* Magic: you can avoid melee damage from most enemies, meaning armor and HP are less important. MP regeneration is a serious problem, and damage output is limited by the spells available. You'll never do as much damage/turn as a weapon user, or be able to get through a fight with 3 Taurax without using potions.
* Sneak past them: theoretically possible, and potentially eliminates the need for offense or defense. You miss out on a lot of XP, though, and fighting is kind of what the game is about.
Advantage: bow
How are you going to deal with locked items?
* Unarmed attack: very cheap in terms of necessary skill points, but takes a long time unless unarmed is also your main combat skill
* Lock picks: you get XP for doing it, but it takes a lot of skill points and costs money for picks
* Magic: also needs skill points, but you can use that skill for lots of other stuff, too. A Lock Melt scroll can be hard to find
Advantage: unarmed attack (if it's your combat skill) or magic
How are you going to deal with darkness?
* Torches: basically free since they're so plentiful. Uses weight, lets enemies see you, prevents shield use, and a non-starter for bow users.
* Lantern: more expensive to keep full than torches, and easier to run out. Better visually, but same problems with shield/bow
* Cat's Eyes: great since you can see but enemies can't see you. You don't get full brightness, though, so you still take a small penalty.
* Predator Sight: great since you can see but enemies can't see you, and you get full to-hit. Alerts you to enemies while they're still a ways away. Hard to navigate a dungeon with just this, though.
* Gravedigger's Flame: like torches but no weight and compatible with bow or shield
Advantage: Cat's Eyes. Note that a bow user almost must have magic
How are you going to keep melee enemies from killing you?
* Don't get close enough to get hit: great option for ranged attackers
* Armor: cheap in terms of skill points, but expensive in gold and carrying capacity
* Tons of hit points: very difficult by itself, even dumping all stat points into Endurance
* Divine heal: a great option if you're not using magic to do damage in combat. Probably still need some armor, though
Advantage: HP/armor for melee fighters, distance for ranged
How are you going to keep ranged enemies from killing you?
* Armor: cheap in terms of skill points, but expensive in gold and carrying capacity
* Tons of hit points: very difficult by itself, even dumping all stat points into Endurance
* Divine heal: a great option if you're not using magic to do damage in combat. Probably still need some armor, though
* Dense nimbus: Amazing if you're already using magic
How are you going to deal with traps?
* High perception + skullduggery: you get XP for disarming traps, but requires a lot of skill points
* High perception and avoid: you're going to have it anyway for magic-heavy build
* Just suffer through: entirely possible, especially with high resists
Advantage: Suffer through unless you have high perception anyway
In total: I think the best build is bow attacker with heavy magic support. Magic is too limiting to be a great offense, but it's an amazing use of skill points in terms of how many other things it does. For maximum efficiency you'll want to wait to invest your own skill points until you can buy each magic skill to 5 in Blackwater and read the skill books. All you really need are Lock Melt and Cat's Eyes, but Dense Nimbus, Divine Heal, and Predator Sight are also amazing, and Portal is great for convenience.