Going back to beat A4...

[Admiral Snackbar]

Can anyone recommend a powerful streamlined party for Avernum 4? The last time around my party was really weak. Thanks alot.

[Sudanna]

A singleton puncher. No armor. Don't use your skill points.

[Randomizer]

Your going to get a major debate on a powerful party. A single character nephilim mage/priest will do great if you are careful. No having to share if you don't mind a lot of trips back to town with the loot. It even works on torment.

 

Try using the search function for party formation topics and singletons. There are several advice ones out there from last year in March. Here's one and another and a singleton.

[Fungus Shamegne 26]

What I tend to do is have NO humans. They may level-up more quickly, but at the start they weigh you down.

 

1: Slith Custom(acolyte). Swords and fireballs baby!

 

2: Nephil Shaman. Mage & Preist.

 

3: Slith Archer. Give 'im a spear as well.

 

4: Slith Sourceror. ICY RAIN!

 

NOTE: Give every one a bow. In Avernum 4 you don't need to buy arrows, and it's very fliggin' easy to hit people with that.

[Alorael at Large]

Experience penalties are largely insignificant. Elite Warrior, Natural Mage, and Divinely Touched are excellent traits. Making everyone nephil is a fine idea. Sliths are good too.

 

Beyond that, your exact party is a matter of taste. I prefer the traditional lineup of two fighters and two casters, and I like my casters to be equally proficient with mage and priest spells. Note that you're better off making your thief and mage the same character in order to get more powerful Unlock spells.

 

—Alorael, who recommends archery for all. A party of nephilim works very well for that. Depending on how much you're willing to abuse purchases, you can avoid training Spellcraft, any archery skills, and First Aid until you've bought the skills with cash. You definitely want to have First Aid, though, because it makes long slogs less difficult.

[Fungus Shamegne 26]

As a matter of fact, I think all your characters should be customised. This way you can easily smoosh to types together.

 

Also it's use full to slight ly train everyone in preistly stuff, as you can use it through armour, and its use ful to heal wounds an smite those nasty undead. Greasy little bastards. Ah yeeeees, what happened to thrown weapons?

[Lilith]

Nothing happened to thrown weapons. They kinda sucked in the rest of the Avernum series and they still kinda suck in A4. The fact that bows have effectively taken over the role of slings doesn't help matters.

[Alorael at Large]

I think the problem with thrown weapons is really that there can't be any unique and powerful ones because you'd just throw them all and run out. That's no fun. Instead, you get bows that no not only can't be used up but now can't even use up their ammunition.

 

—Alorael, who agrees that Custom is the way to go with characters. Berserker is a pretty good class too, though, if you want a melee guy.

[Randomizer]

The only thrown weapons worth using are fine lances and razor disks. I saved them for special encounters like Nodicaus and eventually just sold them since the weight made them not worth hauling around.

 

Custom characters work best since you have better control of skills.

[Ephesos]

Two mages and two priests, provided that you give one of each some melee skill, and give two of them archery skills. You'll pretty much level everything.

[Micawber]

Three priests, one mage. Enough said.

[Archaeolagent]

I agree with Alorael about thrown weapons and uniqueness. Makes me think of Angband and the sad lack of artifact throwing knives. (Though I suppose you can turn Grond into a throwing weapon.) I actually have a hard time thinking of ANY turn-based RPG in which thrown weapons are as useful or as powerful as melee weapons.

[Alorael at Large]

Power is usually a balance concern. If you can hit them and they can't hit you, you have an advantage. That has to be balanced by something, and that something is usually power.

 

Throwing weapons aren't powerful just like arrows aren't powerful. If it's disposable, you shouldn't get attached to it.

 

—Alorael, who can think of the exception to rule #1: Realmz. There are a couple of bows that do far more damage than any melee attack ever will. Balance and Realmz were never on good terms, of course.

[Xaiya]

When you go back to play again, you are more experianced, so if you stick to your party combination, you should build it better.

I just go human sword warrier, slith spear warrier, nephil archer, and human mage-priest-archer.

My mage is archer so that if you accidently click on an ememy with no spell equiped, that frail dude will go and die.

[Fungus Shamegne 26]

The reason i'm sad about no thrown weapons, was i have Lightning Rods in Exile 2, and I was hoping that sort of thing would pop up here. Plus, Having a bottemless quivver doesn't fell right. Unless you've got the bow of kag (Exile 2 again).

[Alorael at Large]

Increased trade with the surface has driven the price of Returning/Infinite Arrows so far down that they're now sold standard with all bows. On the other hand, Life and Light ammunition has all been sold to the Empire because of their new paranoia about undead and demonic invasions.

 

—Alorael, who supposes the Castle probably has an Arrows of Light stockpiled in case of more Grah-Hoth fun. Any Arrows of Life left in Avernum are undoubtedly being hoarded by anyone with business near Mertis.

[Oni of Chaos]

This combo works very well for me

 

Character 1- Nephil, Swordsman/Archer

Character 2- Slith, Spearman/Archer

Character 3- Human, Mage/Priest/Archer

 

Give each character the takes extra poison damage trait, Elite Warrior for #1, Natural Mage for #3, and probably Elite Warrior for #2 (been a while since I have played )

[Radix Malorum Est Cupiditas]

There is no reason whatsoever in A4 to try min/maxing exp. The larger the exp penalty the better.

 

I've played the game with one character with the maximum exp bonus. I made about 5 levels off the top of a four character party all with exp penalties. That's four times the skill points to go around plus the free skill points from the bonus skills.

 

EDIT: Divinely Touched is a must.