Help me plan my character

[KnowledgeBrew]

I have searched high and low throughout the boards and want some finishing touches to make sure that I'm planning my character right.

 

Here is what I learned and how I'll apply it:

 

The two best classes are Servile and Lifecrafter

 

I chose Servile over Lifecrafter because it's better to create Tier 3 creations at the end than run the same creations throughout the entire game.

 

At the end of the game I'll make an army of Drayk's.

 

I'm going to buy training in spellcraft and the melee skills

 

I'm going to get leadership up to 8(naturally) and mechanics up to 10(with skill points).

 

I'm going to spend my skill points on strength, dexterity, intelligence, endurance, luck, and missile weapons(for the almight reaper batons).

 

Luck and missile weapons I'll stop training about level 10. Same with Strength and Dexterity.

 

I'm unsure of when is the last possible moment to betray Burkes.

 

I'm also unsure of what the limiting factor is to make essence charms. What ingredients should I be saving?

 

In terms of canisters

 

I plan to use canisters that increase stats and ones that improve create drayk.

 

I'm not sure when the canister check points are so I can go back and use the canisters I need.

 

I've read that there's one check that's as low as 5.

[Alorael at Large]

If you're going to use any canisters you might as well use them all. The penalties appear quickly (from the first canister, I think) and aren't really very severe.

 

If you want to run with an army of creations, you want a lifecrafter. Serviles are for melee, missiles, and magic with a few creations for support. You haven't mentioned points in magic at all, which means you'd actually be better off with a warrior or shock trooper. Both are suboptimal, though. If you want to go for a very powerful character you need to decide whether you value creations or missiles/magic more and play a lifecrafter or servile.

 

—Alorael, who thinks that in the end no matter what you make you'll need points in magic. Geneforge is excruciatingly hard if you have no spells to throw around, especially healing and buffs.

[Retlaw May]

I'm going without any magic or shaping or canisters right now... It is difficult with lots of running back and forth.

[Lilith]

Quote:

Originally written by Drakey is a talentless hack.:
If you're going to use any canisters you might as well use them all. The penalties appear quickly (from the first canister, I think) and aren't really very severe.

This has not been my experience. From what I've seen by looking through the scripts, the lowest check is at 5 canisters and the highest is 12. (The check at 5 is just somebody telling you that he knows you've used canisters, though; it doesn't affect your interactions with him.) I'm pretty sure it takes at least 12 to affect the ending as well.

Regarding Burkes: you can betray him until you've finished leading the caravan to the Cairn Gates, since after that General Crowley leaves and you can't report to him any more.

Regarding charms: the rotghroth fangs are usually the limiting ingredient for me. Save up glaahk eyes too.

[Randomizer]

It really helps to have mental magic for daze, strong daze, charm, and mass madness. Just because Thuryl played the game with no magic doesn't mean it's easy for most people.

 

You can pretty much skip canisters except that you need at least one for drayks. The really good stat raising ones are almost all in the expert area below Monarch's Realm so you don't get them until the end.

[Drakefyre]

Didn't we decide that luck had basically no effect on the game? 10 levels of luck are skill points that could be better appropriated.

[KnowledgeBrew]

AS long as luck does something then there has to be a point where it becomes worthwhile to buy luck.

 

Before, I analyze the worthiness of luck in my build I want to iterate my canister plan and how it'll affect my stats:

 

I've looked the manual and the web page and none of the battle spells are worth getting canisters for.

 

For creations, I believe there are two create drayk.

 

Then of course, I'll get the mechanics and stat boosting canisters.

 

I've been looking over the mental magic and blessing magic spells in the manual and the only time the spell power seems to take into effect is mass maddness and steel spines other than of course the largely irrelevant duration.

 

So, I've concluded that although intelligence is probably the most important stat. I probably won't need it until later in the game for drayk's and mass maddness.

 

I've read all the board posts and 8 seems to be the uniformly agreed number for leadership.

 

Mechanics there's more variation so I'm just going to go with 10.

 

Missile weapons, I can't train until I can buy it.

 

So after I've gotten to 8 leadership and 10 mechanics, I can buy strength, dexterity, endurance, and luck. I could buy intelligence and blessing+mental magic but in those cases I'd rather buy them right before I actually need it.

 

So in spending all my skill points on strength, dexterity, and endurance. Luck starts looking really cheap.

 

And in the beginning of the game defense is better than offense until you start getting spells like daze and haste that make defense less relevant.

[Lilith]

Quote:

Originally written by KnowledgeBrew:
For creations, I believe there are two create drayk.

There are three, so you can make cryodrayks if you want.

By the way, don't go crazy with Strength. You really don't need to put points in it at all if you can stand wearing light armour early in the game, since you just get so dang many boosts from items later on.

(Going crazy with Endurance, on the other hand, is a fine idea, and probably pays off better than Luck.)

[Randomizer]

It helps to have some dexterity for increased damage with crystals, missles, and wands plus going first in combat.

 

Drayk canisters have one that can be bought and two that are found. Drayks don't run out of spell energy the way cryodrayks do in long fights. A mix of both will work and there are plenty of fire shaping items so you never need to raise fire shaping if you are waiting that long.

[KnowledgeBrew]

Okay, I'm only going to train Dexterity and Endurance after I get Leadership to 8 and Endurance to 10. Although I've found that some intelligence is good to be able to cast essence shield, augmentation, war blessing, speed, etc. Pods run out after about two rounds.

 

People may love spells but missile items are superior. You get gems that only use 3 action points and of course reaper batons.

 

So once I can train missile weapons in chapter three. All my skill points are going into missile weapons, dexterity, endurance, and intelligence.

 

I'm still uncertain about which spells are the best. Serviles don't get a discount on buying mental magic and blessing magic with skill points. So how much do I actually have to put skill points in? And skill points not in intelligence means less Drayks.

[Drayk Armitage]

I'm still confused as to why you are making Drayks with a Servile. The combat bonuses a Servile gets are not very useful if you are running strong creations, so you are better off with a Lifecrafter (or an Infiltrator).

[Lilith]

Quote:

Originally written by KnowledgeBrew:
I'm still uncertain about which spells are the best. Serviles don't get a discount on buying mental magic and blessing magic with skill points. So how much do I actually have to put skill points in? And skill points not in intelligence means less Drayks.

Battle magic is probably right out, since in the later stages of the game it requires a heavy skill point investment to reliably hit the things you really want to hit. (So do missile weapons, actually, but you're a servile so you can afford that investment.)

Mental magic is handy pretty much throughout the entire game. With a moderate skill point investment (enough to get you to 9 and let you cast all the spells), its success rate is a bit iffy but it's great when it works.

Blessing magic... well, Battle Roar honestly kinda sucks, so just get it to 8.

You'll want Healing Craft as well. Since you're going to make creations, you may as well get it all the way to 9 so you can cast Mass Restore.

As for Spellcraft, well, put a point or two in it when you can. Same goes for Intelligence.

Item bonuses help a little with raising magic skills to the needed levels, but often by the endgame you'll replace them with better items, so don't count on them too heavily.

[prankmaster]

can anybody tell me which character i should use ?

[Lilith]

A lifecrafter is a good choice, since it lets you make the most of one of the major distinctive features of the Geneforge series: creations. If you'd rather have a stronger character but with less ability to make creations, be a servile instead.

[KnowledgeBrew]

Okay, I'm looking through the items list and I don't see how with items I'm supposed to get FS to six to be able to create drayk's.

 

Also, I'm wondering which items have abilities that are irreplacable. For example, the clover boots are irreplacable because they are the only boots that give +1stealth. As are all the infiltrator items.

 

But if there were boots late in the game that gave +2 stealth then it would be okay to sell clover boots in the early game.

 

So I'm wondering, which items have pluses that are tangential to other abilities and cannot be replaced by late game items.

 

I don't really care about Vampiric Touch although that would be one example of an ability that can't be replaced.

 

BTW, I'm in chapter 3 w/going back to do chapter two parts occassionally as the gamefaqs walkthrough is now updated to chapter two and I can get some items I missed.

 

Like I'm wondering if I can sell my volcanic necklace now because I'll just get a necklace with better boosts to fire shaping late in the game.

[Micawber]

Quote:

Originally written by KnowledgeBrew:
Okay, I'm looking through the items list and I don't see how with items I'm supposed to get FS to six to be able to create drayk's.

No, you only need fire shaping skill 2 in order to create drayks.

[Lilith]

There are, however, a total of 6 points of Fire Shaping you can get from items: Shapemaster Boots (+2), Flameweaver Greaves (+2), Shaper Robe (+1) and Volcanic Fetish (+1).

 

Also, there are other boots that give Stealth later on. I think the Swamp Boots and Quicksilver Sandals both do.

[Randomizer]

Everyone starts off at fire shaping 1 so with the above items you can get fire shaping 7 without using skill points. Those items are only needed for creating creations so they can be stashed between uses.

 

Keep infiltrator items with you and most of the charms. Cloak of Shadows can't be made until near the end.

[KnowledgeBrew]

Well, I'm in chapter 4 now. And the monsters are beginning to feel the power of the almighty submission batons. I have two sets of reaper thorns so in chapter 5 I'll beat down.

 

I saw an option to let the evil chapter 3 shaper go. I couldn't find anything on the boards about it and I didn't want to replay the battle. Did I miss anything?

 

Trying to get my reputation to 100 right now so I can get the kill infiltrators quest and so I can recruit Khur! I miss Greenwood and the ability to increase stats without essence cost.

My two drayk's are rocking though.

 

My mistakes:

 

Using living tools on doors to get xp. As there is no longer a 1 xp minimum in G4 as in G3, it is less advantageous to get all the experience you can. One xp adds up!

 

As a corollary I spent too many points in mechanics when I would've been better off using unlock and saving living tools.

 

I really wish I hadn't put points in endurance and put them all in dexterity and intelligence and then later in missile weapons+sufficient levels for blessing+mental magic and leadership.

 

Offense is almost always strategically superior to defense. With the endurance I had though, I would've been able to skimp on mechanics.

 

I also regret doing the request that requires giving him one mandrake tincture, rotgoth fang, et al. Most of these ingredients were for an essence charms and creations can always use more mind effect resistance!

 

What should I spend my tokens on?

 

What artifacts should I make? I have one golden crystal.

[Walter]

One thing I'd like to know are the required shaping skill for each tier of creation, and if the advanced forms of creations need more.

[Nioca]

The 1st and 2nd tier creations require one level of the appropriate skill, the 3rd and 4th tier require two levels, and the 5th tier requires three levels.

[Walter]

And do you need more for the advanced versions of creations (I mean like the cryoa).

[Nioca]

I don't really know. Sorry.

[Micawber]

No, you don't. You can make a cryoa with fire shaping level 1, a cryodrayk with fire shaping level 2, etc.

[Sudanna]

No, you need Fire Shaping level 2 to make a cryoa.

[Micawber]

Good heavens, so you do. My mistake.

 

Edit: How sneaky to change this - it is explained in the PDF instructions, but nowhere in the game itself.

[Lilith]

The non-advanced creations are all very easy to get enough shaping skill for; some of the higher-tier advanced forms require quite high skill by comparison. You can still get most or all of what you need from item bonuses, though.

 

Quote:

I saw an option to let the evil chapter 3 shaper go. I couldn't find anything on the boards about it and I didn't want to replay the battle. Did I miss anything?

Nope. Letting him live makes Greta somewhat annoyed at you but doesn't actually affect your reputation, and you're smart enough to not mention it to the Shapers if you're working with them. It doesn't affect the ending either.

 

Quote:

What should I spend my tokens on?

A guardian cloak is a decent choice. So is a bunch of Steel Spines. None of the other items are all that impressive.

 

Quote:

What artifacts should I make? I have one golden crystal.

Gloves of Savagery are a no-brainer for any class; they do mean you can't make the Legs of the Tyrant until much later, but they're superior to the LotT and other, better greaves are available anyway.

 

Most of the other good artifacts (Cloak of Shadows, Shapemaster Boots) are ones you don't have access to the ingredients for yet.

[Aequitas]

I make all Shaping skills at least 4, to be safe.

[Randomizer]

If you have a lot of creations then rod of succor is also useful. You can always use the tokens to buy things and then sell them to raise money.

[KnowledgeBrew]

Okay, I'm in chapter five and I decided to start over with a new character.

 

I felt like a god with my reaper batons and four drayks but I was still lacking.

 

Submission thorns were incredibly good as well.

 

For several reasons:

 

I overrated spine shield, the thing was worthless during most of the game. I used 3 of the 12 canisters on it and I got no payback.

 

Agent's Shelter is greater than Stasis Shield. Dexterity, Intelligence, Missile Weapons, and Mental Magic are the most important stats. Stasis Shield raises irrelevant stats.

 

Ring of Eye's Purity is worthless. It only raises the useless battle magic skill.

 

Mechanics is useless. Because of the no 1xp minimum anymore, I'd rather use unlock and save living tools.

 

It's only important to min max experience in chapters four and five. In the earlier chapters you'll just get no experience sooner whereas in those last chapters those are your final opportunities.

 

The only time where you really have to help the shapers is to return the Heart of Klin.

 

Leadership is still really important because of the quest options it opens up.

 

Okay, so I've decided round two:

 

Ally with rebels because by not spending money on useless spells, I won't need the shaper income. Exceptions will be abound of course.

 

The goal is to get the following items and spells as soon as possible:

 

Reaper Baton

Items that boost mental magic

Items that boost dexterity and missile weapons

Items that boost fire shaping and drayks

The guardian claymore, the talisman of might, and the legs of the tyrant.

Mass Madness

 

Since early experience doesn't really matter I can just run through zones and come back later.

 

The question is do I put skill points on mechanics and skimp on endurance or do I skimp

on mechanics and run through electrical fields and over lava pits with my high endurance. Perferably I can skimp on both for my skill points in dexterity/missileweapons, intelligence, and mental magic.

 

So any suggestions?

[Lilith]

Quote:

Originally written by KnowledgeBrew:
I overrated spine shield, the thing was worthless during most of the game. I used 3 of the 12 canisters on it and I got no payback.

Never use more than one canister of the same spell. The bonus is so small that you won't notice it.

Spine Shield is a pretty effective spell against melee opponents, though. I'm surprised you didn't get much use out of it.

Quote:

Mechanics is useless. Because of the no 1xp minimum anymore, I'd rather use unlock and save living tools.

You'll still want some Mechanics for disabling mines (and, in a couple of places, power spirals).

Quote:

The only time where you really have to help the shapers is to return the Heart of Klin.

Helping the infiltrators in Chapter 4 isn't a bad idea either; the Blasted Greaves are a very, very good item.

[Drayk Armitage]

Quote:

Originally written by KnowledgeBrew:
Agent's Shelter is greater than Stasis Shield. Dexterity, Intelligence, Missile Weapons, and Mental Magic are the most important stats. Stasis Shield raises irrelevant stats.

The Stasis Shield can be incredibly useful in one scenario: you are using lots of Drayks (or other 1st-3rd tier creations). This is a plausible scenario, since Drayks are one of the best values in the game. Unlike 4th and 5th tier creations, Drayks don't have a built in mental effect resistance at all, which can lead to a number of annoying scenarios, particularly if they are charmed. In that case, the Stasis Shield is by far the most useful shield for a lifecrafter with many creations.

[Randomizer]

If you want to build up experience quickly in the beginning then mechanics of 8 will get you through the Boiling Mudpits before you do Crenshaw Dell for a level of experience.

 

The game is made so you can get through with mechanics of 5. Still there are plenty of places like the Warded Sea Caves and Monarch' s Realm where higher mechanics will pay off with easy experience.

 

It goes more to playing style. Drayks are great creations because they never run out of energy for their missle attack. If they get charmed you can always charm them back, so watch the messages at the bottom and replay them.