Class Choice

[Tracer Bullet]

Hey everyone. I just picked up this game, and I think it's awesome.

 

However, in terms of class balance I'm really just used to soloing it as a Shaper and fighting with wave upon wave of expendable man- (vlish-) power.

 

Now that, not only is there no adequate substitute class, but it doesn't look like I'll ever be able to have more than three of the four classes with me at one time, I want to ask who you recommend I leave out.

[Randomizer]

I've never gotten in to playing the Shaman class although if you do it right with summoned pets it does work well.

 

I guess I had too much fun blasting things as a Sorceress or Shadowwalker.

[Lilith]

Characters level up even when they're not in the party, so you can quite easily switch party members around as needed, as long as you give them some hand-me-down equipment instead of selling it all.

 

In general, the Shadowwalker is considered the best class for your main character, because there's really no time when you'll wish you didn't have a Shadowwalker in your party: he can pick locks, has excellent damage output and very high survivability if you go for a Dex-based build, and Shadowstep is quite useful in the early game when things are still vulnerable to stunning.

 

As for the other classes, the Shaman is extremely useful at the start of the game if you unlock Call Hellhound as soon as possible, and she has some uses in the late game as a healer, but she also has some drawbacks, like the lowest damage output of any class and poor physical damage resistance. The Sorceress has an excellent range of options for doing damage and is surprisingly good at surviving if properly built, although she has no self-healing ability. Finally, the Blademaster has Sharpshooter Spray, arguably the best area-effect attack in the game, and once he's at a very high level he can get access to the best buff in the game as well.

[ex post slarto]

I think that's the best summary of the classes I've seen yet. I would add that the one drawback of the Blademaster is his lower resistance to magical damage.

[Death Knight]

I went with a blademaster when playing through the game the 1st time. I pumped dex, a few debuffs and sharpshooter spray and was very useful as an archer character before my allies could act. I think if you dont want to play a shadowwalker, choose a blademaster. They're a lot of fun as well.

[nikki.]

The problem with the Blademaster is that he has no tool use skill, meaning that you might have a hard time picking locks/looting treasure in the solo sections of the game. They're probably rare enough that it's not a big deal, but still.

 

I played through as a Sorceress, and would recommend that if you didn't want to play as the Shadowwalker for whatever reason. They're surprisingly tough, as Lilith pointed out, and they're able to provide a wide variety of damage types. The only drawback I can think of is the endgame; I had to run away one too many times.

[Jerakeen]

It's possible to avoid most of the baddies in that part of the endgame, and/or lure them to some helpers (who can at least soak up hits). Distracting them with a pet while you sneak by can also work, if you time it right. But it's never going to be as easy as just not getting hit.

[nikki.]

Yeah. In fairness, I think I was so used to just piling through with the help of my party that by the time I got here, I was trying to take them on, rather than avoiding them.

 

It wasn't all my fault though; that first spawned encounter pretty much trashed me before I could get away, and so I assumed I *had* to fight.

[Jerakeen]

True. My first play-through was with a sorceress, and I remember being horribly shocked at that point.

[Earth]

yea since Avadon casters lack area-spells or those are cooling down and enemies use abilities pretty much w/o cooling down.

[plums]

Originally Posted By: Tracer Bullet

Now that, not only is there no adequate substitute class, but it doesn't look like I'll ever be able to have more than three of the four classes with me at one time, I want to ask who you recommend I leave out.

If you're interested I made a hack that lets you play with 4 or 5 characters in your party at once. Makes the game much easier, but if you're not playing at the hardest difficulty already, you can compensate well enough.

http://www.spiderwebforums.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/267212

As for classes, I find them all fairly balanced. I'd probably have to say the Sorceress is the least useful, only because she really fits one role of direct damage, though she is very good at it. If I were using a party of 3 characters with one class doubled, the Sorceress is the only one where both characters would fill mostly the same purpose.

[Thycavivor]

I like the shaman the best but I had to play her several different ways before figuring out just how useful she can be. Having a called beast available makes a huge difference in battles where you are seriously outnumbered (lower level of Bandit Roads, for example). The two basic called animals are a wolf or a hellhound. If you are facing a fight with lots of fire-immune enemies, use the wolf. Otherwise the hellhound is better. It recovers its spell faster. I've yet to get the salamander spell high enough for a drake. I'd rather put the XP points into Spirit Claw. You can get that spell up to a 12 with right equipment and it does tons of damage. And her poison/acid at high levels is pretty good, too.

 

The Shaman's biggest downside is her weak melee and missile attacks. Her missile is nearly worthless by about halfway through the game. If she has to fight for more than 5 or 6 turns, she either needs to use recuperation potions or use her so-so melee while acting as healer for every one else. The healing is certainly helpful but it isn't as helpful as killing your enemies.

[Death Knight]

With the shaman I found that when i didnt use any pets in a medium/big fight, I lost out and barely made it through. Shamans arent made to do the most damage, what they are made to do is assisting through summoning a pet, and while using the pet as a deooy-assist in destroying enemies. With healing they get one of the most useful spells in the game-group heal.

 

The only class i could never really play as would be the sorceress.

[nikki.]

Originally Posted By: Death Knight

The only class i could never really play as would be the sorceress.

Any particular reason? The sorceress has attacks that do a whole bunch of different damage types, she does good damage, and she's actually fairly tough with the right skill point allocation.

[Death Knight]

The only reason is that while i can play an agent and not a sorceress, it is mostly because the agent actually uses swords and fights as well as casting.

 

Ive never been able to play casting characters as my main class even if they are powerful just because i dont like casters.

 

The classes i like when in roleplaying games are-

 

Rogues, Fighters, Ranged or melee/casting bards, monks, rangers, archers, assassins, or anyclass that is powerful with weapon skills.

 

Im using a sorceress as an ally in avadon but for my main character Id rather play a shaman, shadowwalker, or blademaster. Thats just my preference.

[Black Owl]

the best character in my opinions would be the sorceress,the shadowwalker as first would be perfect as an damage dealer and lock picker but the sorceress have the lockpick skill too,and as later in game the sorceress could do much,much damage than the shadowwalker,some enemy have resitance to acid and corruption and the sorceress could output almost anything with her wide range of skills and per damage dealing with normal attack,the sorceress could do the most

at my battle with RedBeard,although his soul jars havent been destroyed,my sorceress could do more than 20 damage while others often miss and do less than 20

[Vengenance]

I always like shadowalker

[cremornagainagain]

Originally Posted By: Thycavivor

I'd rather put the XP points into Spirit Claw. You can get that spell up to a 12 with right equipment and it does tons of damage. And her poison/acid at high levels is pretty good, too.

I agree. While missile damage is a bit limited from Sha..men or mans?, Their area spells are the best in the late game. Poison Mist>Call the Storm>Spirit Claw>Earthshatter
After all that lot, without even a regenerate, the battlefield is quite transformed. I often don't get to call Hellhound.

I like a Blessing Blademaster for Triumphant roar and Terrifying Howl, a Shaman, and Shadowwalker. I think my Blessing guy is possibly stronger with the Sorceress and Blademaster backup, but I like blademaster/shaman/shadowalker better anyhow

[Lilith]

Originally Posted By: cremornagainagain

While missile damage is a bit limited from Sha..men or mans?

people of sha

[Dear Potato]

Well, I loved the Sorceress class. I always play "mage" classes when the option is present.

 

I had lots of fun with the area spells; she can do serious damage in the later levels. I've tried to play a Sorceress in hard level, but investing in the mental-status effect branch. Unfortunatelly, it was not as fun as the classic damage spells way

[DokEnkephalin]

I started a Shaman on hard difficulty, and it works out fine if you focus on Endurance, soaking hits and dealing passive damage. It's kind of necessary since they don't have the health or resistances, and burn through vitality quicker. Most of their strength is in their utility column, an extra meat shield and AoE, but it needs more support than simply blitzing. It's not very efficient, and I don't really enjoy the playstyle, but it works. Shadowwalker/Sorceress seems to make a better duo than Shaman trios with anyone, so I'd only recommend it if you like the challenge or want to try something different.

[Mosquito---Slayer]

I think a shaman makes a fairly good support act with all her healing and the pet which is very useful in some fights and somehow takes lower damage than my fighters who are loaded with armor , she certainly sucks as the main player though.