E3: The Anama Church

[Locke]

Ok, so I'm trying to decide whether of not I should join. I know the basic upsides and downsides, but what about in the long term? Is it worth it, and why? I didn't find a discussion topic on this so perhaps it's time for one!

[Archmagus Micael]

I joined the Anama the first time round. It makes the game slightly more challenging in places, but I really joined it for practically free piercing crystals, and the capability to cast Divine Thud.

 

THere's nothing quite like calling upon the Gods to blast those pesky roaches into atoms.

 

- Archmagus Micael

[Alorael at Large]

If you're playing with a single character, it's probably a good idea to join. You can't manage to be good at mage spells, priest spells, and fighting, and fighting and priest spells will make your character more than adequate.

 

If you have a larger group that includes mages, you'll be throwing away any skill points spent on mage spells in return for some priest skill. You're also giving up all hope of casting Long Light, Major Blessing, Unlock, Fireball, Firestorm, Kill, and other useful spells.

 

If you don't have mages, join. You have nothing to lose.

 

—Alorael, who will note that in Avernum 3 you can cheat and leave a mage behind when joining the Anama. Then you can really have the best of both worlds.

[Locke]

"If you have a larger group that includes mages, you'll be throwing away any skill points spent on mage spells in return for some priest skill. You're also giving up all hope of casting Long Light, Major Blessing, Unlock, Fireball, Firestorm, Kill, and other useful spells."

 

fireball and firestorm are replacable with flamestrike and divine thud, but it would be hard to go without mainly long light and unlock. (lamps and piercing crystals would just be annoying to have to carry around in mass). If priest skill is maxed out for all characters, then you can go the cheap way and replace major blessing with avatar.

 

Kill and summons would be a big loss though.

[Erika Maroonmark]

Firestorm is sometimes better than Flamestrike, though, because it covers a larger area and in some situations/large fights that's what you'd want. I'd rather keep Major Blessing and Protection for those battles, too, because they do more than you can get with priest spells to the same effect (I think), especially because priest spells can't poison your weapons. That's always useful in big battles, too, and carrying around a bunch of poison to put on your weapons takes up precious inventory space. Plus, you can poison yourself by accident if you do it manually. I also just like mages.

[Micawber]

You'll lose haste. When I play as Anama, that's the one I really miss.

 

(NB hyperactivity can unslow your party, so all you lose is the ability to make yourself faster than normal).

 

Oh yeah, and the tower of Zkal is a bit annoying without fire barrier.

[Archmage Alex]

EDIT: WARNING! POSSIBLE GAME BREAKER AHEAD!

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There’s also the Anama Instant Power game breaker.

 

Start a new game, have all of your PCs have 5 in preist spells and 6 or 7 in mage lore, run straight north, cross to Bigail, run to 4 towns and talk to the priests, join the Anama and go upstairs and read the books.

 

Voila! Within the first 5 mins of your game you have a full party of lvl 7 priests that are able to cast Avatar! Just have everyone cast it on themselves at the beginning of battle and little can stand in your way!

 

Still want magic spells though? Activate the alarm as though you were robbing all the treasure, go downstairs, have everyone cast Avatar, make a mad dash for either to the north exit or the dock just south of the temple, hop on the boat (without even leaving combat mode, I believe), and you have now left the Anama church without losing your preist spells and level!

[Locke]

Quote:

Originally written by Archmage Alex:

Still want magic spells though? Activate the alarm as though you were robbing all the treasure, go downstairs, have everyone cast Avatar, make a mad dash for either to the north exit or the dock just south of the temple, hop on the boat (without even leaving combat mode, I believe), and you have now left the Anama church without losing your preist spells and level!

That really works?! Also, another question. If I rob the church, will I be able to use various Anama shops around the world?

[The Almighty Doer of Stuff]

No, you won't be able to use the shops. The Anama will hate you forever, unless you use the editor.

 

I believe everyone in every town on Bigail attacks you as well, but I'm not sure. That may just be Avernum 3.

[Drakefyre]

The Anama are great. I <3 Ahonar and Avatar.

[Locke]

Ok, so I just learned that if you steal from the church, you can still use the herb shop in Lorelei. Also, only Shayder hates you.

[Aran]

It's potentially a very good move for single PC parties, because in E3 it's impossible to put heavy armor on a mage. That means you'll have to fight either without armor or without mage spells - if you can exchange the latter for priest spells, it's a good bargain.

 

There's no good substitute for Haste though, and that's enormously useful with single PCs.

[Lilith]

Armour is annoying anyway -- even for non-mages, the AP penalty hurts. With the assistance of Bless spells, you can do without it.

[Drakefyre]

There are two substitutes for Haste - Speed potions and Avatar.

[Locke]

Quote:

Originally written by Drakefyre:
There are two substitutes for Haste - Speed potions and Avatar.

That's exactly what I was thinking. For 1-man parties, Avatar is probably the single best spell in the game.

[aquadraconus]

Especially for a singleton fighting the Alien Beasts...

[ixfd64]

Dumb question - can I only have certain characters join, or is it "all or nothing"?

 

I'm assuming it's "all or nothing".

[Dallerdin with a custom moniker.]

It is indeed "all or nothing", unless you try using tricks. In Avernum 3 you can leave your mage in one of the rooms you leave characters in, join the Anama and then go back and get him, but I don't know if that works in Exile 3.

[Spring]

I don't think it would. The only way you can leave people behind is in combat mode, and you can't talk in combat mode. If you exit combat mode, the party is reunited.

[Princess Ruth]

I'm not 100% sure if this could work, but you could try deleting some party members, joining the Anama and then adding some new PCs...

[ben4808]

But there wouldn't be much point even so, considering that it'll take a lot of having him kill everybody and everyone else just stand and bless him.

 

That and I doubt it would work.

[Chief Spider watching The Simpsons]

Locke, do NOT get suckered into this. Do NOT join the Anama if your actual, real life depends on it. It's got to be the greatest religious rip-off in history besides King Henry's Church of England, and despite the "peaceful" propoganda the Anama spreads, they are really just cowardly murderers and thieves of the people. It's a gang that secretly manufactures addictive gateway drugs and ships them out to where the real money to fight the monsters was sent: Gale.

 

It's a conspiracy, Locke, and don't you want in on it. Ever. This is for your own good, and the good of everyone.