max ability scores

[Lord Pickle]

Ok,

According to the manual for this game it looks like the maximum ability score is 25. Can anyone confirm this? I am still waiting for the game to come to me since a purchased it on Ebay and I am egar to play it but I don't want to put points needlessly into an ability. I was thinking of doing a pure mage and giving him an Int of 18 which means b/w that funky +3 int tatoo and the bonuses to the 7th and 12th level ups his maxed out, assuming the 25 ability score cap.

[Grondmaster]

As I remember 25 is max, but you can find other things that help you get up there. Besides that you have to live long enough to find someone to teach you how to become a mage. Intelligence is only one aspect: you also need wisdom and dexterity, the first two to easily solve the puzzles and quickly gain experience, and the latter because other than baubles and bangles there is no armor for Nameless.

I make these three equally fairly high and spend the remainder on a little strength, but not nearly as much. And you still might want a little training as a thief and a bit more as a fighter, so you can later train your NCPs, as well as get a few additional quests.

As your going to be a mage, don't waste any gained fighter weapon proficiency slots on any type weapons except edged. Still, you're free to do it your own way and the harder path might be more fun. Save your game often!

[VonDondu]

According to experts, 19 Intelligence is optimal, or in other words, there's really no advantage in having it any higher. If you start with 14 Intelligence, you can work your way up as you level up, finish quests, use items, etc.

You should try to get your character's Wisdom as high as possible. Start with 18 and work your way up. Wisdom is the most important stat of all, and the rewards are enormous.

I find it helpful to start with 13 Dexterity and 13 Charisma. Armor Class bonuses (or lack thereof) are no big deal when you play a character who cannot be permanently killed, but there are a couple of dialogues where 13 Dexterity gives you more options. By the time you reach a place called the Dead Nations, you'll want to have 16 Charisma, so add 1 point to it when you level up and buy a +2 tattoo. There are other ways to raise it later. I think 17 Charisma will make a difference when you meet a character named Nordom.

I don't put any extra points into Strength and Constitution. Whether you avoid battles or fight as many enemies as you can, those stats don't make much difference in the long run, especially if you have other warriors in your party.

[CFM]

Charisma is nice to have. Besides a handful of encounters, it will make your money go MUCH farther when buying scrolls & tatoos. With enough Charisma, every day is a Blue Light Special!

Minor spoiler:

I've never allocated any points to Charisma (I'm about two-thirds into the game), but I can raise it to 23 when needed. I cast the spell Friends, and slap on a couple of Charisma enhancing tatoos. I've gotten a few permanent points along the way, too.

Hard to know when to use Friends & tatoos for those certain encounters where Charisma (only) is checked. With a couple of encounters, the Charisma check was fairly obvious. With a couple others, not so obvious (at least compared to any other encounter).

(I say *only*, because most encounters that check Charisma also check Wisdom and/or Intelligence.)

Not to mention Friends uses up spell slots.

But I figure this dude needs magic, with his Died-A-Hundred-Times-&-Still-I-Roam look.

[Lord Pickle]

I was thinking about giving him an 18 to int and wis and an 11 to dex at the beginning. Then to max out wis asap then put the other points into dex. From what I have heard TNO starts at level 3 and gets one ability point per level so by level 10, unless I get use tatoos or other equipment to raise his wis, I will maxed out the wis then I can move onto dex.

Nice to hear that for once an RPG isn't all about killing monsters to gain xp. KOTOR is fun but RPGs that focus on combat usually give an unfair advantage to fighters. Why is it that a fighter can hack through dozens of foes before you rest but a mage is taxed after a few spells, ok more than a few but you get the idea. I remember in Neverwinter Nights at the end vs. Morag I was a wizard but it was next to impossible to take her out with spells, without using a console hack that is, but when I was a fighter boom she fell like a domino.

Also has anyone seen this add for condemned: criminal origins. Its on my left hand side as I am typing this. Very creepy, the woman has a hole in her skull where her face should be.

[VonDondu]

You don't have to add points to Wisdom when you level up if you think they would be better spent elsewhere. Even if you add only a couple of points at level up, you can still end up with 24 or 25 points if you play your cards right. You can gain several points of Wisdom just by talking to certain people. The idea is that the Nameless One has gained much power and knowledge in his thousands of years of existence, so if you can uncover the right memories, he will regain some of his old power and knowledge. As long as you play a character who will talk to other people and listen to them carefully, you don't have to worry about him becoming powerful. Some of his stats will be godlike at the end of the game, and the game will show you what he can do by force of will alone. In Sigil, merely believing in something can alter reality. Keep that in mind and see what happens.

If you reach a point where you would like to gain more levels just for the sake of advancement and stats, there are a couple of places where you can fight an endless supply of monsters. The designers seem to have been amused by the idea that a lot of gamers want nothing more than an endless dungeon crawl, so they have provided that in a form that is pure, uncomplicated, and brilliant in its simplicity. There isn't much point in advancing past 30th Level since you'll be able to cast any spell at that point, but if you really want to increase your stats, you can reach 65th level and beyond. It's kind of cool to have a character that powerful, but from a practical standpoint, it is completely unnecessary. On the other hand, there's an endless source of treasure early in the game that comes in handy when you go to the tattoo parlor for some expensive tattoos. All you have to do is lure the members of two opposing gangs into each other's territory and pick up the loot when they have finished killing each other. It all depends on what kind of game you want to play. If you feel like that's a waste of time, don't do it. The game has plenty of other adventures to offer.

[krunchyfrogg]

[QUOTE=VonDondu]According to experts, 19 Intelligence is optimal, or in other words, there's really no advantage in having it any higher. If you start with 14 Intelligence, you can work your way up as you level up, finish quests, use items, etc.

You should try to get your character's Wisdom as high as possible. Start with 18 and work your way up. Wisdom is the most important stat of all, and the rewards are enormous.

I find it helpful to start with 13 Dexterity and 13 Charisma. Armor Class bonuses (or lack thereof) are no big deal when you play a character who cannot be permanently killed, but there are a couple of dialogues where 13 Dexterity gives you more options. By the time you reach a place called the Dead Nations, you'll want to have 16 Charisma, so add 1 point to it when you level up and buy a +2 tattoo. There are other ways to raise it later. I think 17 Charisma will make a difference when you meet a character named Nordom.

I don't put any extra points into Strength and Constitution. Whether you avoid battles or fight as many enemies as you can, those stats don't make much difference in the long run, especially if you have other warriors in your party.[/QUOTE]
I plan on playing my N.O. mostly as a mage. I will take your advice with a 13 dex, 13 cha, 18 wis, and (I think) 16 int. Hopefully that will give me a good character! Thanks!