Randomizer

I agree with Thuryl. I stopped using my bonding knife because I couldn't carry my equipment without a severe action point penalty. As a singleton you need to use other equipment like belts to negate one penalty just to stay even.

In my party of four, one spellcaster got the emerald chestguard and the other the bonding knife and a leather armor. I have to keep all the other equipment weight below encumbered level.

I agree with Thuryl. I stopped using my bonding knife because I couldn't carry my equipment without a severe action point penalty. As a singleton you need to use other equipment like belts to negate one penalty just to stay even.

In my party of four, one spellcaster got the emerald chestguard and the other the bonding knife and a leather armor. I have to keep all the other equipment weight below encumbered level.

Jeff already said that there would be more character graphics for Avernum 5. If you want more choices then someone is going to have to donate the art work. The chitrach only really got fixed in the Mac version because a better one was sent while Jeff fixed problems with the games.

The screen shot looks about as bad as what I get on my Mac iBook with the screen at medium range. Fight mode or tab will at least identify monster locations.

From the late Douglas Adams' Restaurant at the End of the Universe

"It's the wild color scheme that freaks me," said Zaphod whose love affair with this ship had lasted almost three minutes into the flight. "Every time you try to operate one of these weird black controls that are labeled in black on black background, a little black light lights up to let you know you've done it."

As quoted from the essay on ergonomics, "Beware of the Leopard," in The Anthology at the End of the Universe.

I wish I had a copy to post from the early 80's. A writer was trying to tell his new secretary how to do print screen. He was talking over the phone and was having trouble remembering the keyboard. He never got her to do it right and when he finally came in person he found he had forgetten about the print screen key and was trying to get her to use another key command that would do the same thing.

Avernum got rid of the two weapon buzzsaw effect. Two hits per attack and more attacks from Major Blessing, Major Haste, etc was just too good to last.

Sliths are the only ones to truly benefit from pole weapons since they start with it at 2 and get more powerful without any work. It doesn't take that long to get an iron spear. With quick action around 5 or 6 and Elite Warrior slith can give a couple of 40 hits without much more. Have enough dexterity and defense to aid dodging and you can tough out the lower armor.

Sword and shield works best for most characters since the spellcasters can use the defensive bonuses and use bows for their offensive weapon. Shielding knife, Bonding blade, Ghostly Knife are great for them in a party of four.

As a singleton I started with the shielding knife, went to fine cleaver, then the ghostly knife. The bonding blade hurts too much on strength. I'm saving the oozing blade for later when I have enough other protections.

Avernum got rid of the two weapon buzzsaw effect. Two hits per attack and more attacks from Major Blessing, Major Haste, etc was just too good to last.

Sliths are the only ones to truly benefit from pole weapons since they start with it at 2 and get more powerful without any work. It doesn't take that long to get an iron spear. With quick action around 5 or 6 and Elite Warrior slith can give a couple of 40 hits without much more. Have enough dexterity and defense to aid dodging and you can tough out the lower armor.

Sword and shield works best for most characters since the spellcasters can use the defensive bonuses and use bows for their offensive weapon. Shielding knife, Bonding blade, Ghostly Knife are great for them in a party of four.

As a singleton I started with the shielding knife, went to fine cleaver, then the ghostly knife. The bonding blade hurts too much on strength. I'm saving the oozing blade for later when I have enough other protections.

You only see him from certain positions because of the way the tunnels bend. He is really easy to miss.

I wouldn't mind the character editor for when I forget to save my game before selling suff and accidentally sell something I wanted to keep.

I've only used one three times before. Once I came back to the save game to find my boat was gone and there was no other way back in Exile 2. In Blades of Exile, A Small Rebellion scenario, I was piling up experience and loot from a gold mine filled with spirits when my money went to negative 32,000 something instead of maxing out. The only time it was my fault was in Avernum 2 when I needed spell points for Move Mountains to get out an area that I should have caught as a trap and had no save files before it.

I wouldn't mind being able to tweak an existing character to change spent skill points.

There is a line somewhere, I think in the instructions for the spells, that Repel Spirit is less effective on demons than undead.

I found Smite quite effective on demons, but haven't tried Lightning Spray yet.

If you lead the shade towards a direction with people after attacking it he will sometimes kill people. I saw him kill Hoernell (?), the supply store owner in Formello, when I made the mistake of running south. The shade killed a guard in Silvar when I went north. The safest way to test him is in Formello and head west to the pylon area. He will usually go back to the park if you then head south in hasted mode. Always wait for the message that he goes back to be sure.

While most people should, there seem to be enough that will have trouble. Just using repel spirit burns through spell points very quickly when you don't have to do it. I spend enough time running back to town to recharge and first aid works best when you buff your party and then refrain from major spellcasting until a few battles recharges the spellcasters.

For those starting the game and those who just use Repel Spirit to slay undead there are a few other options.

Hrako and company are found in the tunnels south of Fort Monastary. You need Tool Use 8 to unlock the door. Stand in the doorway a slay the skeletons with normal weapons or Bolt of Fire. Just like in the martial arts movies, they come to the door one at a time. The zombies take more damage, usually two bolts. Hrako is the only one that really needs repel spirit. Bring a Fiery Wand along if you need extra fire power.

The shade in the first testing place takes damage from Acid Spray. Two doses goes along way to helping you pass.

Under Grindstone, there are three types of shades. I think it was the Decaying Wisp that takes more damage from Acid Spray than Repel Spirit. Repel Spirit and/or Bolt of Fire work for the other two. The Crystal Shade has higher health so go upstairs to recharge or save points to nail him.

The Haunted Mines have the most undead for the start. A combine spellcraft and magery of 3 boosts damage so Bolt of Fire takes out skeletons most of the time. Add Blessing and you have a good chance with zombies. Ghouls take two bolts or one repel spirit. Use tab to check undead types because there are a few specials in the mines with higher healths.

Hrickris's undead have more health than the mines. Repel Spirit or two bolts are needed. Don't get swarmed on the upper level.

The testing cirlce east of Formello isn't that hard if you are blessed and hasted. Except for one shade at the end two bolt or one repel spirit will kill each one.

The ruined fort of Lord Bragg has an undead room. The crumbling skeletons take two bolts or one Repel Spirit.

The Mertis Spiral is where Bolt of Fire really works. It does about 90% of the damage that Repel Spirit does at lower spell point cost. The only undead that takes more damage from Repel Spirit is the the one at the center of the lower level.

This should help you with them.

For those who have just bought the game and especially the Windows version, reset the show topics to show all. Then start at the last page of topics and go forwards. Most questions have already been answered for the Mac users.

There are lots of help for skill selection, abilities, traits, party selection, and spoilers on how to get through specific encounters.

Trying using better topic desciptions than need help, question, etc. It helps to use the area or monster name to avoid topic duplication. Spelling really helps.

In West Cotra, the Potionary has one knowledge brew for sale.

In West Cotra, the Potionary has one knowledge brew for sale.

My OCD isn't that bad yet. Some items like red lamps (value 3) and thread (value 5) will stack so like food does so you can maximize money when selling them. I just leave the rest for now.

I tried a party with a slith fighter with pole weapons, nephil archer with melee, and two spellcasters that had both mage and priest spell. One spellcaster also had tool use. Boost dexterity and defense to 6 each at the start to protect the front fighters. Have mage and priest spell at 5 each to get the maximum "free" spells at the start. Spellcraft of 3 in spellcasters will significantly boost damage but isn't needed until reaching Fort Draco area.

Spread out first aid at the start. Nature lore and arcane lore can be added through out the party as needed. Total nature lore of 15 will get all caches through the Eastern Gallery and total arcane lore of 12 will read all spellbooks through Almaria. But don't waste points at the start with them.

Tool use of 8 (with later getting unlock doors) will open almost every door, locked box, and trap that you have to go through until at least Almaria. The only two traps that need more are under Grindstone and in Skunky Joe's hideout. Every other place will be a door that opens later after a quest or a box that contains NY (not yours) items.

I guess Jeff didn't do much to address the black backround in some lower levels. It's hard to see things because there is much contrast. There are two bodies in the Haunted Mine that I missed on the Mac version, and a few others elsewhre so it pays to move the cursor around and see what lights up.

Tool Use needs to be given to a mage with unlock door spell (taught in Formello). There is and old thread that shows how they work together. It's a waste to give it to a non-mage.

Arcane Lore, Nature Lore, and First Aid can be spread out over the party since the game uses the party's total and not the maximum of any member. One warning, monsters that are calmed by a party's total nature lore will attack later if enough characters "die" so as to lower the total below what was needed to calm them. It's a cruel way to get attacked as a weaken party limps back to town.

It's not that hard to kill him since he doesn't move. Stand back and acid spray him and his pylons. You can wait until the first time that they heal him if you want to play the game straight before woking on the pylons. Acid spray, bolt of fire, and arrow anyone he summons as aid.

Take advantage of the blue bowls northeast of him that you can drink. Two of them help you, one is poison, and the last is unknown effect.

Oliver doesn't buy things until after he leaves Fort Monastary.

If you feed him you get experience and he will follow you and help you fight goblins. In the Mac version 1.0.1, if you later petted him again he would follow you again otherwise he would eventually return to his cave.

Finally things that you could use only once a day like first aid were upgraded so it was worth training. I rarely used the old special abilities in A1-3 and usually piled them on one character for use when only one character could go through a portal for the encounter. I do miss those adventures and preparing a character for them like getting Demonslayer in A2.

Actually shades respond well to Bolt of Fire for the weaker kinds and some take more damage from Acid Spray. It helps you conserve spell points under Grindstone and in the first test.