Singleton

[nearart]

I've been reading posts about playing A4 as a singleton. Does that mean all the abilities are given to one character, and the other three are just along for the ride?

 

If so, the other three will still level up and have skill points to use, won't they?

[Sudanna]

No, you play with only one character. The other three are deleted.

[Randomizer]

It means more work hauling loot back to town, but the extra money is only used for one character. Makes it real easy to afford everything.

 

There are several possible ways to make a singleton that will work. Try something and if it doesn't work see what the problem was and start over.

[Fungus Shamegne 26]

One thing a singleton needs is LOTS of endurace. Remember, most enemies will divert their attention to you (not that there is anyone else), so you will take more damage. Also, it's more painful to get money, but you din't need as much. Also, can you augment weapons in Avernum? Because you should do that if you can.

[Lilith]

Parry is more important than endurance, at least early on. Going for it early will render enemy melee attackers mostly impotent.

[Radix Malorum Est Cupiditas]

Which makes Divinely Touched (or was it Elite Warrior) a must. And do Nephilim get a dex bonus? If so, go with one of them.

[Dintiradan]

By Quickfire:

Quote:

Also, can you augment weapons in Avernum? Because you should do that if you can.

Not the way you can in Avernum 3. You are able to give certain people raw materials to convert into items, though.

 

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I suppose I'll put that on my list of reasons I'm glad I'm not a dwarf, right after "unfashionable facial hair" and right before "miscellaneous odour offenses."

- Belkar (OotS #111)

[Xaiya]

In Avernum 3 -singleton, you must be a human, or else you will get attacked constintly, and god knows what else.

It is possible to do a human-Avernum 3-tormant mode game.

I have done it, and I am not even the best at these games (I had to use much stratigy during this challeneg, and it was originally a joke).

And there is a mispelled word, because I forgot how to spell it (challeneg).

[Alorael at Large]

Although I've never finished A3 with a singleton, I'm not convinced humans are best. There are only a few guards wandering around you have to dodge if you're not human, and that's largely the extent of racism in Valorim. The real question is whether the experience penalty pays off.

 

—Alorael, who is sure that all the Avernums have been beaten with singletons on torment. All of them have been beaten with even more crippled characters. No magic? No magic items either? No equipment and no training? It's been done.

[Randomizer]

I'm currently trying A3 as human fragile bones and totally inept for a 70% experience bonus. I'm running a normal version and an Anama offshoot starting at Bigail.

 

It depends how much of the game you know and how good you are at figuring out how to do the game without backup. I ran A4 with a singleton nephil divine touch and the priest trait without too much trouble and also ran human elite warrior divine touch and nephil natural mage divine touch through most of the game before getting burned out.

 

The worst handicap game that was posted was doing the demo without having any spellcasting ability. Only weapons and items. It won't work for the whole game since you burn through items too quickly and there are those slimes in the Honeycomb that are only really damaged by magic.

[Synergy]

Quote:

Originally written by Randomizer:
I'm currently trying A3 as human fragile bones and totally inept for a 70% experience bonus.

And...so...how's it going? And how are XP working out?

-S-

[Hume]

Quote:

Originally written by Cryptozoology:
Parry is more important than endurance, at least early on. Going for it early will render enemy melee attackers mostly impotent.

Parry is very effective against melee, a ten-level parry can block half attacks greatly reduce damage taken even if hit. Unfortunately it is not good against ranged, so it alone is not enough.

[Hume]

Quote:

Originally written by radix malorum est cupiditas:
Which makes Divinely Touched (or was it Elite Warrior) a must. And do Nephilim get a dex bonus? If so, go with one of them.

Yes and no. They have weak gymnastic bonus, which is dex minus it give no bonus to ranged attacks, and a stronger bow and missle bonus. Since solo means you can't get the best bow Heartstrike, it is better to go with melee, so slith might be a better choice.

[SevenMass]

Quote:

Originally written by Hume:
Since solo means you can't get the best bow Heartstrike, it is better to go with melee,

Does it matter? By the time you get to where the Heartstrike is you are almost done with the game anyway!

[Synergy]

Thee Bow of Decay is a worthy weapon.

 

-S-

[Alorael at Large]

I always find bows useful enough in A4 that the bonus to your archery is very helpful, and Gymnastics is nice too. I prefer a sword and shield to a spear for a singleton, although I know others disagree, so there's no reason to take a slith. Even with a polearm you don't really get all that much benefit, and the 10% fire resistance is negligible.

 

—Alorael, who isn't all that caught up on race in the end. As long as you're Divinely Touched everything will work out fine.

[Randomizer]

Quote:

Originally written by Synergy:

Quote:

Originally written by Randomizer:
I'm currently trying A3 as human fragile bones and totally inept for a 70% experience bonus.

And...so...how's it going? And how are XP working out?

-S-

After doing the slimes, roaches, cave murders, orb theft, Golddale mines, and a few minor quest, I'm at level 50. XP is easy and until I reached Bigail almost any quest XP reward would give me a level. I had to redo the game since I wanted to have less melee damage by increasing my dodging. Most monsters have 5% or less chance to hit in melee. Spellcasters are nasty so I need enough endurance (about 5-6) so my health will help me last through several rounds in case I can't heal. I hope this time the character will be able to face the troglo altar demons without multiple save and reloads.

[Hume]

Quote:

Originally written by Flume and Waive:
I always find bows useful enough in A4 that the bonus to your archery is very helpful, and Gymnastics is nice too. I prefer a sword and shield to a spear for a singleton, although I know others disagree, so there's no reason to take a slith. Even with a polearm you don't really get all that much benefit, and the 10% fire resistance is negligible.

—Alorael, who isn't all that caught up on race in the end. As long as you're Divinely Touched everything will work out fine.

Archery is helpful because when your warrior or mage or priest has nothig better to do he or she can shoot an arrow. It is very different when playing solo. You are a warrior AND mage AND priest, it is rare that you have nothing better to do.

[Lilith]

Bows often do more damage than melee weapons even before you get Heartstriker, though, just because Parry is so crazily effective and so many enemies have it. There are often good tactical reasons to avoid charging into melee as well.

[Randomizer]

With the change in combat system to eliminate wait means that having a range attack helps to weaken or kill a monster before it can reach you.

 

It doesn't take much to make bows effective. Just the skills from divine touch, nephil, and what you can buy for training makes a bow very effective.

[Alorael at Large]

You might be better off throwing spells with your singleton, but arrows are quite effective and much easier on the energy. As Thuryl said, you'll need something besides a sword to deal with chitrachs.

 

—Alorael, who spent a lot of time firing arrows at point blank range. Not only did he hit more often, he found himself far less likely to commit suicide by riposte.

[Randomizer]

By using a combination of spells and infinite arrows you get to conserve spell energy. When you use first aid you can get back more energy than you used in combat sometimes.

 

I found that most chitrachs would die from a firebolt and then an arrow at close range. Bow of decay is even better especially when clearing pylons. It provides an extra bit of damage combined with spells so you can destroy a pylon from outside it's attack range. It will take longer, but who cares when you aren't getting damaged.