E3: Woes of the magically inept singleton
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Skip to My Lou
Member # 40
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written Friday, February 2 2007 17:45
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I can't unlock most doors, and have no hope of getting through magic barriers. I created another character specifically to knock down the the secret tunnel barrier to get me to Blackcrag, but the stupid barrier refuses to be dented by my piercing crystals. :( What increases the chances of a crystal working? Do I just need to keep reloading and trying again until that 1 in 12946 chance the dice will roll as I want them? -------------------- Take the Personality Test! Deep down, you wish you were a stick figure. Posts: 1629 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00 |
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...b10010b...
Member # 869
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written Friday, February 2 2007 18:03
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Keep reloading. Have fun! -------------------- The Empire Always Loses: This Time For Sure! Posts: 9973 | Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 6785
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written Friday, February 2 2007 18:49
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In between reloads try using multiple piercing crystals. I don't remember if Exile works like Avernum where multiple uses increase your chances. Now you know why people use mages for singleton games. Posts: 4643 | Registered: Friday, February 10 2006 08:00 |
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Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
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written Friday, February 2 2007 20:31
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No, it doesn't. Presumably you joined the Anama, so you have a stockpile of 128 Piercing Crystals. Right? -------------------- Slarty vs. Desk • Desk vs. Slarty • Timeline of Ermarian • G4 Strategy Central Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
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written Friday, February 2 2007 22:05
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This is the point at which you use the editor to make a Magically Apt singleton with high Intelligence and Unlock. —Alorael, who considers that no more cheating than reloading repeatedly. It's also much, much faster. Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00 |
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Skip to My Lou
Member # 40
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written Saturday, February 3 2007 12:16
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I just made a magically apt singleton, raised him to level 5, and gave him tons of knowledge brews to raise his intelligence and mage lore and he got through easily. Now I just kill him and use the editor to revive him when I need to get in somewhere. Apparently level, mage level, or mage lore effects the chances of a piercing crystal working. [ Saturday, February 03, 2007 12:21: Message edited by: Archmage Alex ] -------------------- Take the Personality Test! Deep down, you wish you were a stick figure. Posts: 1629 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 7488
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written Sunday, February 4 2007 19:05
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Never in my wildest dreams would I consider playing as magically inept (though I've had lots of fun with "Cursed at Birth" in the Avernum series). I just train my party to be both mages and priests, buy them all some tough armor, and mow down anything in my way (side note: all without cheating). Edit: fixed a typo. [ Sunday, February 04, 2007 19:06: Message edited by: The Mystic ] -------------------- Either I'm crazy, or everybody else is nuts. And I know I'm not crazy because the little man who lives on my shoulder told me so. If people don't think there's something wrong with you, there's something wrong with you. Posts: 558 | Registered: Friday, September 15 2006 07:00 |
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Skip to My Lou
Member # 40
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written Tuesday, February 6 2007 08:08
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It's for the challenge silly. :P -------------------- Take the Personality Test! Deep down, you wish you were a stick figure. Posts: 1629 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 7488
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written Tuesday, February 6 2007 11:31
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Obviously. But that doesn't mean I've never experimented with different combinations of character traits. Ever try "Magically Apt" with "Magically Inept"? Or "Good Constitution" with "Frail"? Or in the Avernum series, "Fast on Feet" with "Sluggish"? The point I was trying to make earlier was that, because of my playing style, the ability to do magic is an absolute necessity. -------------------- Either I'm crazy, or everybody else is nuts. And I know I'm not crazy because the little man who lives on my shoulder told me so. If people don't think there's something wrong with you, there's something wrong with you. Posts: 558 | Registered: Friday, September 15 2006 07:00 |
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...b10010b...
Member # 869
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written Tuesday, February 6 2007 12:58
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quote:That one's not actually a useless combination: Magically Apt makes you better with spells, while Magically Inept makes you unable to use magical items. -------------------- The Empire Always Loses: This Time For Sure! Posts: 9973 | Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 7488
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written Thursday, February 8 2007 11:47
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You know, that explains a few things, though most of my experiments were done in BoE. It's too bad there isn't a "Clumsy" disadvantage, or I might've tried coupling it with "Ambidextrous." Maybe I should go back and try E2 or E3 with all disadvantages checked (which I haven't tried yet), or do something I've been meaning to try in the Avernum Series: "Completely Inept" coupled with something powerful like "Natural Mage." (Maybe there should've been an advantage called "Charmed Life"?) edit: changed "BoA" to BoE," since I don't have BoA. [ Friday, February 09, 2007 06:51: Message edited by: The Mystic ] -------------------- Either I'm crazy, or everybody else is nuts. And I know I'm not crazy because the little man who lives on my shoulder told me so. If people don't think there's something wrong with you, there's something wrong with you. Posts: 558 | Registered: Friday, September 15 2006 07:00 |
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Councilor
Member # 6600
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written Thursday, February 8 2007 11:50
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Originally by The Mystic: quote:What about divinely touched? Dikiyoba. [ Thursday, February 08, 2007 11:52: Message edited by: Dikiyoba ] Posts: 4346 | Registered: Friday, December 23 2005 08:00 |
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...b10010b...
Member # 869
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written Thursday, February 8 2007 14:49
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quote:Including Pacifist? Good luck. I'm not sure it's even possible to finish E2 with a party consisting entirely of pacifists. quote:Completely Inept is actually a really, really good trait to choose. Sure, it gives penalties in combat, but after a few levels they don't make much difference any more. I always give all my BoA characters Completely Inept. [ Thursday, February 08, 2007 14:50: Message edited by: Cryptozoology ] -------------------- The Empire Always Loses: This Time For Sure! Posts: 9973 | Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00 |
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Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
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written Thursday, February 8 2007 20:27
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I don't remember, but did Pacifist prevent summoning spells? If not, that's an obvious out. Granted, Garzahd would be pretty tough to deal with with summons, even with Simulacrum and a huge pile of energy potions. -------------------- Slarty vs. Desk • Desk vs. Slarty • Timeline of Ermarian • G4 Strategy Central Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
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written Thursday, February 8 2007 20:38
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Does Pacifist prevent walls? That's another good solution. —Alorael, who can't remember how much of a bonus Pacifist gives. However much it is, it's not enough to make up for the fact that the rest of the party is losing experience to an essentially useless character. Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 6785
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written Thursday, February 8 2007 22:04
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I suppose you could make the pacifist a pure healer, blesser, alchemist, and thief. But it still wouldn't make up for the loss in attacks that would prevent damage. Posts: 4643 | Registered: Friday, February 10 2006 08:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 7488
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written Friday, February 9 2007 07:10
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To be honest, I've never tried Pacifist with any PC. Cryptozoology - I never thought of always using Completely Inept, though with my spell-heavy playing style, using Natural Mage is pretty much a given. One thing I haven't tried yet is coupling Completely Inept with Cursed at Birth, which to me sounds like a real headache, at least in the early stages of the game. quote:I haven't tried that either. Sounds like fun. (warning: somewhat off-topic) Thanks everyone for the ideas. They're now on my ever-growing list of things to do once I finish my current project--designing a leveset for SubTerra. -------------------- Either I'm crazy, or everybody else is nuts. And I know I'm not crazy because the little man who lives on my shoulder told me so. If people don't think there's something wrong with you, there's something wrong with you. Posts: 558 | Registered: Friday, September 15 2006 07:00 |
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...b10010b...
Member # 869
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written Friday, February 9 2007 13:32
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quote:The bonus to spell effectiveness is pretty minuscule, so really all Natural Mage lets you do is cast high-level mage spells in armour. Your mages usually shouldn't be taking hits, and even if they are, armour isn't all that useful anyway. quote:Eh, I'd rather take Sickness Prone. Same XP bonus, much less broadly-applicable drawback. I think I tried CI+C&B once and my fighter ended up not being able to hit the final boss of Bahssikava, although that was partly because of bad skill point investments. Sluggish, on the other hand, is the flat-out worst thing ever and you should never take it. [ Friday, February 09, 2007 13:34: Message edited by: Cryptozoology ] -------------------- The Empire Always Loses: This Time For Sure! Posts: 9973 | Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00 |
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Warrior
Member # 1688
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written Friday, February 9 2007 16:00
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Has anyone actually beaten the game using sluggish? Posts: 60 | Registered: Wednesday, August 7 2002 07:00 |
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Shake Before Using
Member # 75
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written Sunday, February 11 2007 14:55
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In BoA, I've been doing okay with Pariah, even though he is Sluggish and wearing encumbering enough armor that his base AP is 2. Posts: 3234 | Registered: Thursday, October 4 2001 07:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 7488
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written Monday, February 12 2007 08:26
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quote:Natural Mage is nice because I have an extra target for multitarget spells, but I mainly take it for the armor. The armor I get for my PCs usually does something more than just give more armor (give resistance to heat or cold, +1 AP, etc.). The fact that they end up as tanks is a mere byproduct of this. Regardless of the situation, the only real hits I end up taking are from magic-resistant, high-level mages and priests, mostly because I sometimes face them too soon. quote:I'll still try that combo anyway, I'm quite resourceful. If I can get a game for Windows 3.1 (some really old-school RPG I found once) to work in XP, I can find a way to kill that boss. (Maybe you should've bought a few levels of luck?) And I never use Sluggish, unless I take some advantage(s) to compensate for it. [ Monday, February 12, 2007 08:27: Message edited by: The Mystic ] -------------------- Either I'm crazy, or everybody else is nuts. And I know I'm not crazy because the little man who lives on my shoulder told me so. If people don't think there's something wrong with you, there's something wrong with you. Posts: 558 | Registered: Friday, September 15 2006 07:00 |
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...b10010b...
Member # 869
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written Monday, February 12 2007 14:13
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quote:I just killed it with archers instead; they seem more accurate than fighters. Luck has a pretty small effect on hit rate. I suspect my main problem with the fighter is that I didn't bother going for Blademaster, though. Exodus has equally high-level monsters, but my fighter (who did have several ranks in Blademaster this time) had no trouble hitting them, despite being Completely Inept. [ Monday, February 12, 2007 14:13: Message edited by: Cryptozoology ] -------------------- The Empire Always Loses: This Time For Sure! Posts: 9973 | Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 7488
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written Monday, February 12 2007 15:36
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I hadn't thought of that, but then again, I'm not very big on archery; I'm much more of a spellcaster, and can do some fairly decent hand-to-hand fightning when necessary. And about the Luck: I find it rather useful at higher levels of the skill. I guess it only goes to show that you should buy special skills like Blademaster at every opportunity; I never refuse to learn something unless I don't have the cash. Also, with what I said earlier about trying E2 with all disadvantages: I started a game with 6 Pacifists, and got nowhere. Combat is useless with an all-Pacifist party. You can't use melee weapons or fire missiles, and you can't use any spells that might cause damage. quote:Yes it does, as they too have the potential to cause damage. -------------------- Either I'm crazy, or everybody else is nuts. And I know I'm not crazy because the little man who lives on my shoulder told me so. If people don't think there's something wrong with you, there's something wrong with you. Posts: 558 | Registered: Friday, September 15 2006 07:00 |