requirements for special skills

Error message

Deprecated function: implode(): Passing glue string after array is deprecated. Swap the parameters in drupal_get_feeds() (line 394 of /var/www/pied-piper.ermarian.net/includes/common.inc).
AuthorTopic: requirements for special skills
Apprentice
Member # 1893
Profile #0
Does anyone know the requirements for all special skills like magery, parry and the like? Share 'em, please!

[ Monday, June 13, 2005 00:09: Message edited by: Haakai ]
Posts: 4 | Registered: Monday, September 16 2002 07:00
...b10010b...
Member # 869
Profile Homepage #1
Kelandon hosts this helpful list of what the special skills do and the requirements to get them.

--------------------
The Empire Always Loses: This Time For Sure!
Posts: 9973 | Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00
Apprentice
Member # 1893
Profile #2
Thanks a lot!

So, are all of these actually worth the cost?
Blademaster seems awfully expensive, but it's only a requirement for even more powerful ones.
I'm trying to make a party that will be able to handle everything thrown at it.
Posts: 4 | Registered: Monday, September 16 2002 07:00
Lifecrafter
Member # 3171
Profile Homepage #3
Ok, realised my response was stupid and also something wierd just happened, I tried to post before and my internet explorer open 150 times....I'm gonna go to tech with this one.

[ Monday, June 13, 2005 23:44: Message edited by: Kingy ]
Posts: 776 | Registered: Friday, July 4 2003 07:00
...b10010b...
Member # 869
Profile Homepage #4
At some point, it's actually cheaper to sink points into the requirements for Blademaster rather than keep putting them into your primary weapon skill. This point is about when your chosen weapon skill reaches the mid-teens, which will probably happen when your experience level is somewhere in the high 30s.

Sharpshooter is an absolute necessity for any kind of missile-using character. Get it, then pump it up so its cost is equal to your primary missile skill. Never put a point into Dexterity again; you'll get better results from pumping Sharpshooter and your chosen missile skill until ridiculously high levels.

Most of the other special skills are questionable.

Parry is great if you want a well-rounded fighter, but at higher difficulties it's often almost impossible to dodge attacks without Divine Aid, so you might be better off forgetting about Dexterity and Defence entirely and putting the points into Endurance. Parry is for reducing damage rather than dodging, but the sunk costs for the requirements are excessive if you don't expect to dodge attacks as well.

Anatomy requires Intelligence, which a fighter has no use for. It gives you bonus damage against humanoids, but there are plenty of other skills that make you do more damage. It makes your first aid more powerful, but you don't want to use first aid. It's okay if you want Lethal Blow, but you don't really want Lethal Blow either.

Gymnastics is a lot like Parry -- at high difficulties, you need to put a LOT of points into dodging-related skills if you want to dodge attacks. The result is lowered offensive abilities and Endurance.

Quick Strike is okay for the occasional bonus 2 AP, but you don't get them that often. There's no point getting it just to have better initiative, as being sufficiently hasted works just as well for that purpose. Get a couple of points in Quick Strike if you were investing in Dexterity anyway, but don't invest in Dexterity just so you can get Quick Strike.

Pathfinder is a bad joke.

Magery is debatable. It's cheaper than Intelligence and does the same thing except for the +3 spell energy, so you have to ask yourself which you need more: strong spells, or lots of spell points. I recommend keeping Magery at least 4 points below Intelligence at all times.

Resistance is a bit of a waste of skill points, as by the levels when you can reasonably hope to get it, you'll probably be able to cast Radiant Shield at level 3, which does the same thing.

Magical Efficiency is another of those debatable ones. Spellcasters don't really NEED endurance, so you can see the considerable skill point investment as a waste, and you need a large amount of Magical Efficiency. Still, having around 15 Magical Efficiency reduces the average cost of your spells by about half, which is nothing to sneeze at. On the other hand, intelligence gives you spell energy and makes your spells more powerful, so even at fairly high levels intelligence is probably a better place to put your skill points.

Lethal Blow lets you do a LOT of damage when it works, but only against certain types of monster, and its success rate is pretty low. Given the high requirements to get it, you're better off putting the points you'd spend into Assassination.

Riposte would be a good skill, but it only affects opponents who are wielding melee weapons. Given the number of monsters who have no need for weapons, that kinda sucks.

[ Monday, June 13, 2005 23:59: Message edited by: Thuryl ]

--------------------
The Empire Always Loses: This Time For Sure!
Posts: 9973 | Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00