Magic user with unarmed combat seems optimal

[Jude]

I've been using an Elemental Mage with the cartography, find hidden, survival, heavy armor and unarmed combat skills, and it's working out pretty well. Since there is a limit to the weight allowed on the hands/arms while casting spells, the lack of weapon allows heavy gauntlets and or a shield (if you invest in the shield skill). I've been using spells for long-distance attacks (and extra shielding) and the unarmed combat when in melee (or if I run out of mana). Unarmed combat is also good for bashing stuff open. Points are spread pretty evenly across the attributes with a few less in Wisdom and a few more in Intelligence and Perception.

Jude

[SnorriHT]

I'd be interested in giving this a go. What is the damage output of unarmed combat, compared to being armed with a sword or cleaving weapon? Does unarmed combat allow gauntlets to be imbued with to hit and damage bonuses?

[Jude]

I've got 3 points in unarmed combat so far, and the damage is about equal with a bashing weapon without bonuses, but the "to hit" is better, probably because I've got decent attributes. One nice thing is that you don't have to worry about deteriorating your fists when bashing!

I don't know the answer to your second question. Sorry.

Jude

[SnorriHT]

I've got 3 points in unarmed combat so far, and the damage is about equal with a bashing weapon without bonuses, but the "to hit" is better, probably because I've got decent attributes. One nice thing is that you don't have to worry about deteriorating your fists when bashing!

I don't know the answer to your second question. Sorry.

Jude

thanks Jude, I'm going to give this a try. However I'm going to take the divine route with light armour, hide in shadows and meditation.

[acoustibop]

Only problem is, there don't seem to be any books or trainers for Unarmed Combat, so no easy increases. There is armour with Unarmed enhancement, though.

[Slarty]

Unarmed Combat has one huge disadvantage, though: Enchanted Weapon and Enkindled Weapon will not work with it. Those buffs singlehandedly contribute as much damage as everything else combined (Strength + Speed, Bless, weapon skill, and weapon damage if you wield a weapon). At lower levels just one of them will double your damage output.

If you want to avoid the hand weight restrictions (which isn't totally necessary, given that you can swap equipment without using a turn. If you don't need to equip a bow, having your alternate weapon slot empty makes this very easy), you can easily get your Strength up around 30 by the end of the game, or even the middle if you don't mind a mild drop in late game MP (from Perception). 30 strength gives you enough to wear the best gauntlets (3.5 lbs), an efficient shield (3 lbs), and a light weapon (3 lbs). One of the cheaper cleaving weapons weighs 3 lbs and has a base damage of 4. While this might seem low, it only does 4 damage less, on average, than that base 12 sword everybody loves -- not much when you are hitting for 50+ a swing in the endgame.

[SnorriHT]

Thanks Slarty, yeah I thought about those reasons, and decided to abandon that character. I'm also not much of a spell user, and as much as I tried, I just enjoy playing rogue type characters more

[Jude]

Hmmm, I had only tried it with the demo version (now I have the full version), and you all make some good points. I'm going to continue and see how well my unarmed spellcaster does, though.

Jude