A6 - 3 Questions if you please

[mdonais]

1) Is there any way to play avernum 6 on a PC? Some kind of emulator?

 

2) What is skribbane? I saw multiple references to this in posts. It sounding like grinding on respawning mobs maybe?

 

3) I am thinking about this party, advice welcome:

Human Sword and Shield defensive tank

Dextrous bow and tool use archer, might use melee is monsters reach him

Pure int caster with cleric and wizard spells. Is this realistic?

No 4th character, I enjoy games more with less characters

 

I don't need to play on a high difficulty setting so I don't think I need 4 characters to win.

 

 

Should I make the tank into a defensive healing + tanking characters and make the caster pure wizard?

 

Will my archer need to have melee skills?

Is making a wiz+cleric realistic?

 

Should my caster pick up sling or bow use so he can contribute without using up mana?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Mike.

 

[Dantius]

1. No. You can apply to betatest, though.

 

2. It's an in-game drug. If you turn it in, you are rewarded with exp, allowing for easy grinding.

 

3. Use Dual Wield. Try a DW tank, an archer, a pries, and a mage/priest.

[Lilith]

Originally Posted By: mdonais

3) I am thinking about this party, advice welcome:
Human Sword and Shield defensive tank

Sword and shield basically means you'll do about 30-40% less damage than you would with dual-wielding, for the sake of taking about 10-20% less damage (since some swords have defensive bonuses as well). It's not really a great trade-off: dual-wielding is better.

Quote:

Dextrous bow and tool use archer, might use melee is monsters reach him

Archery is a nice backup attack for all your characters but it does too little damage to be a primary attack. You'll find that by the end of the game you're doing maybe half as much damage as a fighter, if that. I'd recommend making a priest and giving them some archery skills to fall back on when low on spell points. Also, keep in mind that Dexterity isn't a very good skill, since it's very expensive and doesn't increase your damage by any more than Bows skill does: only buy enough of it to unlock the special skills that depend on it.

Quote:

Pure int caster with cleric and wizard spells. Is this realistic?

Yes, this should be fine. Not sure what you mean by "pure int": you'll still need Endurance, because everybody needs Endurance.

Quote:

Should I make the tank into a defensive healing + tanking characters and make the caster pure wizard?

More priests are always better, so keep some priest spells on your spellcaster. You might consider some points in priest spells on your tank, or you might have to just keep him as a pure fighter: it depends on how many skill points you end up having to spare.

Quote:

Will my archer need to have melee skills?

I prefer spellcasting/archery rather than melee/archery as a combination. It makes more sense tactically: melee characters run up and hit things and need lots of defensive skills, while spellcasters and archers stand back to hit things and therefore need fewer defensive skills. What do you envision this character actually doing in each combat round?

Quote:

Is making a wiz+cleric realistic?

Yes, although it can be a bit tricky, since you have a lot of skills to put points in. Make sure you have either Natural Mage or Pure Spirit to help with spellcasting skills, and maybe even both. There are also some items that can raise your skills.

Quote:

Should my caster pick up sling or bow use so he can contribute without using up mana?

There are no slings any more, but bows are always nice as a backup attack option. You don't need to put many points in them: just make your caster a Nephil, give them the Divinely Touched trait, and their archery skills should raise well enough on their own.

[darint]

One comment on the pure spellcaster. It is playable, but you will find that spell levels will become very expensive, so you might need to choose the Natural Mage and/or the Pure Spirit traits to get access to the higher level spells.

[mdonais]

Thanks for all the replies.

 

I envision a very defensive tank up front taking most of the damage and mitigating it. It sounds like he should be dual wield with defensive traits and skills.

 

I also envision a pure caster nephil with divinely touched and natural mage.

 

Now I might just stop at that and play 2 guys to keep my focused on them. I prefer less guys.

 

If I add a third it will be sustainable DPS and tool use. What is the best build for that? A pole arm? Something else?

Preferably something I don't have to get into melee with because then I am just making another tank without all the defenses...

 

Thanks.

[Ephesos]

Originally Posted By: mdonais

If I add a third it will be sustainable DPS and tool use. What is the best build for that? A pole arm? Something else?
Preferably something I don't have to get into melee with because then I am just making another tank without all the defenses...

Not really sure what you mean by DPS... seeing as the game is turn-based, you just mean lots of damage? 'Cause then you want a mage. In fact, yeah. Sounds a bit like your second guy. Pump spellcraft and magery, and magical efficiency if you want to save mana (and you do).

[Randomizer]

Magery no longer exists. Did you mean mage spell, because you only need that at 18?

[Alorael at Large]

"DPS" doesn't really apply in Avernum. Characters who can hit for more damage can usually do so steadily. A dual-wielding fighter can do the most damage to one target, while a mage can do more damage total as long as you have two or more targets.

 

—Alorael, who wouldn't bother much with defensive skills or traits except for Parry and maybe Riposte. Not getting hit is essentially impossible, and armor will mitigate damage better than anything you can do in character builds. The right traits for defense, incidentally, are also the right traits for offense on a fighter.

[Mea Tulpa]

Exception: the handful of cheap points you can get in Hardiness and Luck are useful. Also, Endurance is definitely good in A6, if that counts as a defensive trait.