Optimal mage starting stats and development

[Draxis]

I've had an unopened copy of Torment sitting on my shelf, waiting to be played for a few years. After recently reading some very positive comments I thought it was time to give it a go.

Before I started the game, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't making any poor choices regarding creation. I'm mostly interested in getting the most out of the dialog and story, and since intelligence is important for dialog as well as spellcasting, being a mage seemed like a logical choice. But I really have no idea what kind of balance between wisdom/intelligence/charisma I should have. I was thinking something along the lines of 18 wis, 16 int, 12 cha and 11 dex. Is that reasonable for what I'm looking to get out of the game? And after creation, what stats should I focus on raising the most?

Also, at what level should I switch class to mage? Level 6 seems like the right time, since I want to get the lvl 7 and 12 mage bonuses. But from lev 7 to 11 is it worth switching back to fighter for the extra THAC0 and HP? I'd prefer not to be *completely* inept when it comes to hand to hand combat.

Lastly, where should I focus my proficiency points? And will there be enough to specialize in more than one weapon type? I'm really clueless in this area, since I'm not sure what weapons mages will be able to use in this game.

I know this seems a little in depth for a first play-through, but I really hate making stupid choices in the first 3 hours of play of a game and coming to regret them 10 hours later. Very glad I found this forum, great to see the game still has a following so many years after release.

Thanks in advance!

[Spif]

Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma are the most important. I tried to find guides about character creation, but couldn't find any. If memory serves, start with a Wisdom of 18 and an Intelligence of 15. That way you get most dialog options. Keep upgrading those two as you level up.

Naturally, a mage is best suited for stats like that. It doesn't really matter at what level you switch to the mage profession.

Can't help you with the rest though.

[Nightmare]

Switching at around level 6 is a good idea, yes, so you can get the bonuses.

As said, start with 18 Wisdom (more conversation options, more memories regained, more experience). Other then that, its up to you. Charisma is also good to have, but no necessary with high wisdom. There are just a few events where its good to have a high Charisma, but there are ways of raising it magically.

I haven't played as a mage, so I don't know about proficiencies...

[MikeDykeLike]

Wisdom 18, Intelligence 15, Charisma 13 and Dexterity 11 is generally accepted as being the most ideal starting configuration (according to Dan Simpson and others who have written extensive Torment guides).

If you're playing the game for the first time, it's a good idea to play as a Fighter until Level 6 and then switch to the Mage class. When you're still playing as a Fighter, be sure to get the most out of your hitpoints (save prior to clicking the "Level Up" button and reload as necessary to get the most hit points). Alternatively, use the BG1/PS:T Max HP on Level Up Mod.

[Fnord]

Why is it a good idea to stick with the fighter until level 6? The NO gets up to 10 hit points per level regardless of class, and there's only so much experience that can be acquired in the game. If you hold off switching to a mage until you're already level 6 as a fighter, those fighter levels are essentially wasted, and you'll miss out on the higher level mage benefits (spell access, castings per day, etc.).

[MikeDykeLike]

[QUOTE=Fnord]Why is it a good idea to stick with the fighter until level 6? The NO gets up to 10 hit points per level regardless of class,[/QUOTE]

The manual says every class gets the same amount of hitpoints, but that's a misprint. Hitpoints are awarded as follows (without constitution bonuses):

Fighter
Levels 1-9 = 1-10 HP per level
Levels 10+ = 3 HP per level

Mage
Levels 1-10 = 1-4 HP per level
Levels 11+ = 1 HP per level

What I'm saying is that it might be a good idea for a new player to stock up on hitpoints early on, but I guess that really depends.