Second Avernum Trilogy: Buying Spells

[jimbob]

Hello everyone. As far as I can understand, it is not particularly useful to purchase extra levels of spells in Avernum 4. Is this the case in 5 and 6 as well? Also, if you learn a spell from a spellbook in 5 and 6, can you still train the maximum number of levels from a spell trainer (and, if the spell bonus is not that great anyways, this would not matter)?

 

Another question: Is money limited in 5 and 6 to the point that you have to choose between maxing spell levels and maxing stats? This is apparently the case in Avernum 4. Finally, how on earth do you check the level of your spells in Avernum 4? Thanks in advance for any help.

[Lilith]

Hello everyone. As far as I can understand, it is not particularly useful to purchase extra levels of spells in Avernum 4. Is this the case in 5 and 6 as well?

 

Yes.

 

Also, if you learn a spell from a spellbook in 5 and 6, can you still train the maximum number of levels from a spell trainer (and, if the spell bonus is not that great anyways, this would not matter)?

 

I believe so -- and yes, it doesn't matter very much.

 

Another question: Is money limited in 5 and 6 to the point that you have to choose between maxing spell levels and maxing stats? This is apparently the case in Avernum 4. Finally, how on earth do you check the level of your spells in Avernum 4? Thanks in advance for any help.

 

It's limited enough that in a standard party of four characters, you won't be able to buy two levels of every spell for every spellcasting character and buy training in every useful trainable skill, yes.

 

There's a "See Traits/Spells" option on your character sheet, on the same screen you go to when you want to put in skill points to raise a character's skills. It doesn't look like a clickable button, just a piece of text up the top, but if you click on it you can see that character's traits and spells.

[Earth]

those spells you use alot like minor heal should be upgraded.

[jimbob]

So using money for skills will always be preferable to using it for spells? I see. Thanks to everyone who responded!

[Earth]

yes, buying levels for spell only helps that spell while spellcraft helps all spells, anyways don't train mage or priest skill higher than 17 since it doesn't benefit at all or very little.

[jimbob]

About training in mage/priest past 17: I never train past the max required to learn the best spells. However, I am kind of angry that I forgot that natural mage and pure spirit raise mage and priest skill every so and so levels. This means that I already trained in priest and mage up to 15, when I likely could have trained in them less (like, say, 11, if what Schrodinger said in his walkthrough is true) (that he got 6 levels of mage and priest just from the traits alone by level 32). This is many wasted skill points in mage and priest skill. Maybe next time I will keep that in mind.

[Lilith]

Don't sweat it too much. Raising them above 17 does still increase the power of your spells, at least. It's just that it's probably less efficient than raising Spellcraft, unless you've already raised Spellcraft very high.

[jimbob]

Well, I have not trained in spellcraft, either, since I was going to purchase levels in it first. At least Avernum 4 appears to be fairly easy on torment, even as far as I have gotten. I hear that Avernum 5 is a pain on torment, so I will most certainly remember not to train too much in mage and priest spells, as they are very expensive skills to train in when you can get levels in them by gaining levels with the appropriate traits.

[Earth]

A5 has alot sub-bosses to kill which are nasty and have alot nasty helpers (except some but those sub-bosses are very very nasty).