Started my journey

[Death Knight]

I am almost done with g2 and i decided that i should give avadon more of a chance. This time i am playing a shaman and solo on normal. I am trying to decide what to do in certain areas of skills. I have heard that dexterity gives bonuses to certain skills like call the wind, etc. However i have noticed that when i added a point to dex, it didnt register more damage under the ability. I was going to only focus on dex and int, but now not so sure.

[Jerakeen]

Call the Wind is based on Int; Call the Storm is based on Dex. A shaman is a tough choice for a solo character for just that reason--her damage output is dependent on two different stats, which makes her hard to optimize.

[Lilith]

Basically, all the Shaman abilities that do physical damage are based on Dex, all the ones that do other damage types are based on Int, and all the ones that don't do direct damage aren't based on any of your stats.

[Enraged Slith]

I don't think solo runs do this game justice. If you haven't played it yet, you're going to miss out on some interesting dialogue and quests.

 

On a side note, I really hope Jeff puts more emphasis on your allies in the sequel(s). I think it would be interesting if they had more of an input on your decisions throughout the main game.

[Randomizer]

A solo run means a greater emphasis on dexterity and endurance to avoid taking damage. But with a shaman your pet can help you with the attacks and on normal difficulty the pet can hit.

[Death Knight]

Originally Posted By: Enraged Slith

I don't think solo runs do this game justice. If you haven't played it yet, you're going to miss out on some interesting dialogue and quests.

On a side note, I really hope Jeff puts more emphasis on your allies in the sequel(s). I think it would be interesting if they had more of an input on your decisions throughout the main game.

Ive played about 70% of the game and didnt take it seriously with a party and lost interest. Im not really about the party type games. Any game that can be soloed, ill give it a try. I didnt find that the dialogue or companions were that great anyway. I had sevilin and the mage. I found them to lack purpose. If i do play a npc game, its got to be like Baldurs Gate otherwise i lose all interest. The companions were ok, but that and the skill specialization part of the game, need to be worked on in future games. Aside from that, the game is pretty cool.

[Superba]

I can hardly believe it is possible to complete the game with all of the side quests using a solo Shaman, with no cheats and no Editor. I am not saying that is impossible, it is merely a personal evaluation after a lot of playthrough I played,I know I couldn't make it.

The amount of power a Shaman can generate is to me simply not enough to defend from multiple heavy attacks (i.e. under Zethron liar) or to damage multiple hard foes (i.e. Beloch & friends or the Blue Menace and Constructs).

[Lilith]

On Normal, any character class can become practically invincible by exclusively pumping Dex and End in about a 2:1 ratio and loading up on items with evasion boosts and +evasion enchantments. Heck, this even works okay on Torment.

 

Shamans do have problems with damage output, but when you're practically unhittable and any damage you do take can be healed without spending fatigue, the only limit on how long you can survive is your patience.

[Superba]

I will try this :-)

[Lilith]

I seriously cannot overemphasise how important evasion is in Avadon. Look at the Etched Leather Cap. Sure, its armour value sucks, but +10% evasion is amazing when it takes a boss's hit rate against you down from 25% to 15% -- that's 40% less average damage it's doing to you each round, which is better protection than any piece of armour. Add a +evade runestone and suddenly the boss is only hitting you 10% of the time: with a single item, you've reduced an enemy's damage output by 60%.

[Randomizer]

Also start attacking a maximum range with a range weapon and then spells. Except for monsters with their own range attacks you can retreat and attack to get free hits and possibly kill them before they can ever hit you.

 

As a shaman you have it easier fighting the fire lizards in Zhethron's Aerie since your primary spell attack can damage them, but a sorceress' attack can't.

[Aoslare]

It's true.

 

Honestly, Jeff should either rework the hit/miss system entirely, or just get rid of it and make all rolls similar.

[Death Knight]

Ok, I am now done with the first party of Aerie. I now have to go against the ogre. I am currently confused however.

 

1) It states in the middle column middle skill that that increases wolf level. What else increases their level?

 

2) What is the difference between war chant and war blessing? My wolf has one at lvl 3.

 

3)What exactly do your summons get when you increase their level?

[Randomizer]

1) The wolf level is increased by the middle column and the lower right ability to summon a wolf.

 

2) It seems to be the same, War blessing is from Avernum.

 

3) Increasing a summon creature's level means more health, greater chance to hit, probably less chance to be hit, greater resistances, and more damage. Also at level 7 you get the choice of a hellhound instead of a wolf.

[Earth]

and later fire lizard (dragon would been better ).

[Death Knight]

Ok, im done with wretch lair. Im trying to figure something out though. Is it better to pump dex all the way, or dex and a little intelligence for my shaman?

[Lilith]

Honestly, I'd be inclined to go pure Dex and just give up on the Int-based attacks as a lost cause. It's up to you, though.

[Randomizer]

Dexterity for the first 8 levels, then endurance for a few since the next area has poison attacks where dexterity won't protect you from attacks.

[Aoslare]

Also, since the Shaman gets a % boost to HP, pumping Endurance is more worthwhile than usual. But I'd still make sure your Dex is allowing you to dodge almost everything, which is tough on Torment.

[Death Knight]

Wait what about intelligence, do i scrap the 2 points i already added and not add any more?

[Aeden]

I'm using her as a healer and have pumped int on the shaman so far.

 

I guess that's not the way to go? I thought the int would affect the amount healed as well.

[Death Knight]

Then thats that. I got stopped at the ogre. My character didnt have enough to beat him. I tried numerous times. Prally better off not playing avadon or avernum series as they are meant for parties. I dont know, avadon takes way too long for me to either lose or win a battle. I remember the average battle taking half an hour. In avernum it sucked too, but at least with avernum it was reasonably ok. Then there's geneforge, the battles last 1 minute. I dont know how everyone else can spend that much time on one major battle. I mean it's one thing if you have a chance to win, but what if you spend 1 hour, thats an hour wasted.

[Aoslare]

Stats never affect healing ability for any character in this game. Not what you'd expect, I know!

[Randomizer]

That battle is hard as a solo character. I've only done it at level 8 with all my points put towards dexterity and using every evasion item I could find. Just one point of evasion (5%) makes a big difference.

 

It is harder as a shaman or blademaster since you don't have all that experience from unlocking things.

[Death Knight]

Originally Posted By: Randomizer

That battle is hard as a solo character. I've only done it at level 8 with all my points put towards dexterity and using every evasion item I could find. Just one point of evasion (5%) makes a big difference.

It is harder as a shaman or blademaster since you don't have all that experience from unlocking things.

So i lost because i wasted points on intelligence? I only put 2 points there, i figured that shamans use intelligence. What i should have done was put 4 points in dex and 1 in endurance and do that every five levels.

[Superba]

When you soon manage to rise Spirit Claw at level 8 (+1) you have one of the best range weapons of the game, so you would need fewer Intelligence points (that make your magic more effective) and place them on Dex and Endurance. Shaman's basic attack is otherwise the weakest of the Party, so it seems, and I don't much rely on it.

[Aeden]

What range weapon is that? I'll retrain her to use missile

[Superba]

I meant Spirit Charge, well not a weapon, it's the range spell that covers a large area and hits hard which origins from Spirit Claw.

When you control a high Dex Shaman, long range spells and cone attacks are overall necessary to clear the field.

 

I know, you play a singleton game, and you also can't use this spell every time because you need to recharge, so you need the missile, but you also have Acid Mist and Call of the Storm that you can alternate, waiting for Earthshatter.

 

On the other hand I am curious, how did you retrain for missile in terms of points allocation?

 

 

[Jerakeen]

You don't. The only stat that helps a shaman with missiles is Dex.