Frustrated

[I)ark Stallion]

Hi all, so I have been playing N:R (fantastic game btw), but I am quite annoyed.

 

I play the Romans and my party sucks. Pretty much the only quest I have completed is the very beginning Mines one. I have a whole list of quests and have half/quarter searched some dungeons because my guys are just so inexperienced I can't kill anything. I am annoyed because I can't find a dungeon suitable to my skill level (all my chars are about lvl 6 or seven if I remember).

 

I DO NOT want to resort to using the character editor, because I think it's silly that in order to progress so early I need to use that. It takes the fun away.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions on what I can do? Where can I go, what quests are good for a rather newbie party?

 

Thanks in advance.

[Dintiradan]

What's your party make-up like? I found that the way I played Nethergate as Romans differed a lot from the way I usually play as Celts (or my usual strategy in the Avernum games, for that matter). If you're using the default Roman party, you'll only have one spellcaster. Make sure that he can cast Shield. I think that he does by default, but I can't remember for sure. In any case, Shield is a low-level Roman's best friend (a Celt's, too), with Battle Rage not far behind.

 

My usual attack follows this pattern: my javelin thrower runs three spaces away and throws a javelin, my two fighters move away (but not so far as to make my javelin thrower or spellcaster the closest target), and my spellcaster casts Shield on Fighter #1. Repeat, but this time (surprise, surprise) cast Shield on Fighter #2. By now, your fighters are probably getting tired of those pesky Goblins insulting their cowardice, so let them (finally!) engage them. Make them fear your superior Roman training!

 

(At least, that's the way I do Romans at low levels. Others will probably have better tactics. For instance, I haven't even touched First Aid with my Roman party - is this a useful skill? But the moral of the story is not to charge into battle before your buff spells. A Shield spell can save you a number of Minor Healings, and it only costs one more energy point than Minor Healing does.)

 

As with most other Spiderweb games I've played, following the storyline gives you the easier quests, and in the right order. I don't remember the Ruined Hall being too difficult - as long as you're healed up before you head downstairs; that fairy seems to know something you don't.

 

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My wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death. One or the other of us has to go.

- Oscar Wilde

[Fyora Toast With Roamer Butter]

If anything, I found the Roman party to be too easy. Start off by using those six points immediately in the beginning which are not used initially.

 

Did you search through the town first and take everything. Anything that is loose should be taken and sold immediately to buy better equipment.

[Spidweb]

1. Buy a bunch of Roman Training.

 

2. Head straight to the Ruined Hall. There's a lot of relatively easy foes there.

 

- Jeff Vogel

[Alorael at Large]

First Aid is useless, but potions and healing spells are your friends. Roman strategy is all variations on a theme of charge things and hit them a lot. You'll just have to do that to goblins far more often than anything else in the beginning. I don't think there's anything you're well equipped to take on other than the Ruined Hall and maybe some outdoor encounters of (surprise!) goblins.

 

—Alorael, who recommends Roman Training and specialization. Pick at least one character, probably the first, to do hitting things and only hitting things. Strength, a weapon skill, and Roman Training are all you really need. Armor Use helps later.

[Randomizer]

I know you don't want to hear this but I did most of the game with a Roman Singleton in torment. When it isn't an outdoor encounter just creep up until you can just hit one monster and then lure it back with a missle attack to do them one at a time. The druid shielding spell makes almost everything before the Ruined Hall do no damage or very little.

 

Go visit the Crone Cavern and clear out the bottom level. The rats are nasty but doable if you keep your fighters blessed and shielded. The basilisk on the entrance level is hit or miss on killing it before you get stoned. Also some of the Burial Glen is possible. Save often.

 

Buy training in first aid since with the kit it gives back health and some spell points, but only once a day. It's better later on in the game between fights to conserve healing.

[I)ark Stallion]

I really appreciate the replies. Thanks.

 

But I should have been clearer - I have finished the Ruined Hall, and while travelling to Vanarium I just kind of realized my party can't fight the monsters or do any of the quests on the way there.

 

It's not my combat strategy, it's just that my characters are too low level to really kill anything, or to avoid being killed.

[Redstart]

I assume you've visited the Crone caverns? Then you might want to search the hills west and north of Vanarium. There's at least one lair there that I found quite easy with my non-magic user Romans.

[Fyora Toast With Roamer Butter]

I've found getting the haste potion early and being able to make haste potion changes the balance towards the beginning of the game. Having haste potions on your primary fighter and healer can make a lot of the earlier encounters a lot easier. This is especially true for the Romans.

 

The other trick is to be very methodical in searching for secret doors earlier on so you get more fat loot which translates into a better early party.