About EXP and party structure (no spoilers, please)

Galuf the Dwarf · Post by **Galuf the Dwarf** » Mon Oct 06, 2003 9:58 am

Yes, I am still waiting on the game, but I feel that I have to ask these questions.

1) What's the maximum number of party members I should start with in order to attain 10th level with all of them? Should I go with a party of four (1 warrior, one healer, a rogue, and an arcane spellcaster) or with five?

2) I thought I heard that you could not have start with a six-member party. Is that true?

3) Also, which followers NPCs are worth getting? I'm wondering about this since it sounds like that may affect the Experience that all members of my group recieve.

I apologize if my request for no spoilers may seem a little harsh (if at all), but I don't even have the game yet.

Everyone okay with that?

smass · Post by **smass** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 7:10 am

I'll answer the first two.

1 - as far as experience goes It seems that if you play with a five member party you can get to the level 10 limit fairly easily

2 - the maximum number of player created party members is five.

3 - not sure - without a patch the npc looting thing is just too bothersome for me to take any NPCs. That being said - there do seem to be some interesting ones - I will let someone else with more experience with NPCs answer this.

Galuf the Dwarf · Post by **Galuf the Dwarf** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 8:25 am

Originally posted by smass
I'll answer the first two.

1 - as far as experience goes It seems that if you play with a five member party you can get to the level 10 limit fairly easily

2 - the maximum number of player created party members is five.

3 - not sure - without a patch the npc looting thing is just too bothersome for me to take any NPCs. That being said - there do seem to be some interesting ones - I will let someone else with more experience with NPCs answer this.

Well, at least that answers two of my questions, which is very appreciated.

Number three is something I have in mind since I've read alot out the bugs and such of all the NPCs.

Overall, thanks for your help, smass. Much appreciated.

kellinjar · Post by **kellinjar** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 9:54 am

The wizard who only loots scrolls isn't too bad.. he leaves all other loot alone..but he has poor spell selection..

Galuf the Dwarf · Post by **Galuf the Dwarf** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 12:33 pm

Originally posted by kellinjar
The wizard who only loots scrolls isn't too bad.. he leaves all other loot alone..but he has poor spell selection..

I think I know who you're talking about. You're talking about Spugnoir, aren't you? If so, I've read about him, Elmo the drunk, and others on one of the main websites for the game (greyhawkgame.com).

Still, about the experience usage: how much do NPCs (Elmo, Spugnoir, etc.) count towards Experience Point spread? If I were to have a party of 5 characters (in this case, let's say a NG party with a Paladin, Fighter, Cleric, Rogue, and Mage), and then take an NPC with me, would I still be able to reach the highest experience level in the game for my ENTIRE party?

smass at least has answered my question on Exp for the party itself (and the maximum number of characters I can create at the beginning). One burning question remains, though. Still, thank you for your help.

kellinjar · Post by **kellinjar** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 12:56 pm

Very little..at least according to PnP rules..
basically a CR 1 monster for a 4 PC level 1 party is worth 300 xp.. for a 5 PC party its 4/5 of 300 and a 6 player party would be 4/6 or 2/3 ...yer looking at a whole 14% exp drop..but I believe I"ve read that many people reach levle 10 before the end of the game, so I"m sure you can make up the 14% difference from having a 5 to 6 player party.

Galuf the Dwarf · Post by **Galuf the Dwarf** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 8:13 pm

Originally posted by kellinjar
Very little..at least according to PnP rules..
basically a CR 1 monster for a 4 PC level 1 party is worth 300 xp.. for a 5 PC party its 4/5 of 300 and a 6 player party would be 4/6 or 2/3 ...yer looking at a whole 14% exp drop..but I believe I"ve read that many people reach levle 10 before the end of the game, so I"m sure you can make up the 14% difference from having a 5 to 6 player party.

Okay, cool. That's the answer I was looking for. I give you my thanks, friend. *gives him a strong, hearty handshake with is stout dwarven hands*

Baltazhar · Post by **Baltazhar** » Mon Nov 17, 2003 6:37 pm

Ive got some different oppinions...

I found the most help NPC is Scorpp... He's looting PP, GC etc. and a few magic items (that doesnt matter, when u kill him u get it all back

)
He has a primary attack at +20 at level 7 and has 4 attacks, now thats one asskicking Hill Giant

About the exp thing, don't worry... When you travel between places (Homlet, Nulb, Temple, My momma

) you get attacked alot. Let me sum that up for you:
Unlimited travel + creature attacks = Unlimited Exp!!! (maybe i should have wrote E=MC2

)

Tobias · Post by **Tobias** » Tue Nov 18, 2003 11:49 am

A good way to stop looting npcs is to fill up their inventories with rubbish eg clubs/robes etc. just stuff lying around.

I must admit I tried soloing specifically to just recruit npcs certainly interesting.

"Do that again and I'll chop your head off" was a bit too annoying though.

Ravor · Post by **Ravor** » Tue Nov 18, 2003 8:07 pm

Aye well personally I've found that a Four Member party (1 Rouge/Fighter with social skills, 1 Cleric with the heaviest armor and biggest mace I can find, 1 Sorceror for magickal power that just won't stop as well as having a high appraise for selling, and 1 wizard for crafting magical items.) is more then capable of winning the game and in my opinion is still small enough to be managable.

However, despite having married one, being 'engaged' (Well, more like having an agreement to live together.), as well as being truly engaged to another who doesn't join your party I've never taken an NPC simply because of the uncontrolled looting, plus the fact that they simply aren't needed and in my opinion aren't that interesting also helped my decision.

Oh, I understand that you didn't want any spoilers, but beware that there is *ONE* NPC that if you allow in your party *WILL NOT* leave without dying.

Kiwi · Post by **Kiwi** » Tue Nov 18, 2003 9:23 pm

Aye, there's the rub . .

Originally posted by Ravor
. . . the fact that they simply aren't needed and in my opinion aren't that interesting also helped my decision.

Very true. In this game, you can have enough members to win without adding anyone else. In the other currently likable AD&D game, NWN's SoU, you only have a single party member of your own, so using one or more NPC's is a requirement.

But those NPC's have CHARACTER, not mere cardboard cutouts.

My own party members in ToEE are only slightly less stereotyped, but at least not the boring nothings that the rest of the "rational beings" in ToEE amount to.

Galuf the Dwarf · Post by **Galuf the Dwarf** » Wed Nov 19, 2003 5:52 pm

Okay, here are some more questions.

1) Which cleric domains are the most effective ones, namely for Good-Aligned clerics? I know that Healing gets a few curing spells that don't appear to be available to a cleric of any other, and that they allow clerics to cast healing spells as if they were 1 caster level higher. What about Strength and Sun?

2) How does Bardic Knowledge work in ToEE? I've heard some complications with its use in this game, so I was hoping someone could explain this when I get around to having a party with a Bard.

3) Which weapons are typically the most tactiful in this game? I've heard alot of credit go to glaives, and some to ransuers. What about Greatswords and Greataxes? Bastard Swords, anyone?

Baltazhar · Post by **Baltazhar** » Wed Nov 19, 2003 10:21 pm

Well I havent used clerics that much, i tried the first time, but he had very few healing spells, so i didnt wanted to bother dragging him along

Concerning the weapon selection i would use greatsword (2d6) instead of greataxe (1d12). When you get further in the game you will get a nice magic greatsword (no spoil

). If you want to use a one hand weapon, it depends on what your alignment is, if you good choose longsword, if evil choose bastard sword. Further in the game you will find an evil bastard sword, but if good, you can use the magic longswords

My favourite partystructure is 2 fighters(1barb maybe, but i prefer fighters), 1 sorc, a ranger /w longbow, and a rogue/monk... The rogue brings loads of money with pickpocket, just sell ie. blackperls and then steal 'em back

Remember to give your rogue appraise, you'll get much more money for the stuff you sell (approx. +300gc for 1 cloak of elvenkind)

All this have worked for me (have completed the game several times now

)