I'm going to try and finish Drakensang The Dark Eye, but I'm in need of some advice.
For my main character, I'd prefer some form of melee, preferably with a spear. What do you recommend? On which stats & skills to focus? Which to dump? Is a Battlemage more like a blaster, or some form of melee-mage/Arcane Warrior-type?
Any other things I need to keep in mind? Keep certain bits for crafting, if that's worth it?
Do you consider a particular party composition?
Thanks in advance!
Starting anew
It's been a long time since I played Drakensang, and I never got very far with a magic class, so this will mostly be general advice. I recall that I found lots of really great websites for both the CRPG and the P&P game on which it was very closely based, unfortunately most were in German (which I don't speak). The discussion boards for the games (dtp entertainment Forum • Forum anzeigen - Das Schwarze Auge/The Dark Eye: Drakensang) are reasonably active even today, and generally very helpful. Just remember that the games are more popular in Europe so some of the grammar is a bit odd, although the spelling is great and there's little use of texting/ leet speak.
I took a quick look at the boards just now and found a few comments on mages in general. I'm not sure how easy it will be to find information on a specific magic using class, but in general :
1. Aventuria is a low-magic setting, so most mages are in support roles.
2. Powerful magic has a very long cast time relative to other games.
3. At high level, magic is overpowering.
So basically it sounds like mages in the Dark Eye will be much like classic D&D. The early game will be difficult and boring as you let party members carry the load, you start to be useful in the middle game, and by the end you are a force of nature (eg., http://www.derpas-mata.de/ignisphaero.jpg).\
If you do play a Battlemage, I'd love to hear how it goes.
I took a quick look at the boards just now and found a few comments on mages in general. I'm not sure how easy it will be to find information on a specific magic using class, but in general :
1. Aventuria is a low-magic setting, so most mages are in support roles.
2. Powerful magic has a very long cast time relative to other games.
3. At high level, magic is overpowering.
So basically it sounds like mages in the Dark Eye will be much like classic D&D. The early game will be difficult and boring as you let party members carry the load, you start to be useful in the middle game, and by the end you are a force of nature (eg., http://www.derpas-mata.de/ignisphaero.jpg).\
If you do play a Battlemage, I'd love to hear how it goes.
Honestly, Gawain, I never even looked at your location. I travelled a lot when young, so I tend not to really notice some linguistic eccentricities, but I work in customer service so I have a tendency to spell out potential problems. The last I played Drakensang I was playing a ranger/ thief type character, but just answering this question makes me think it may be time for another play-through.
I recall that crafting was expensive to learn, but that some of the items could be useful for money generation in the early game, and that some of the potions were very useful since the low magic environment means that you cannot necessarily deal with poisons and wound effects easily.
I recall using daggers and swords, but I'm not sure if that how much was because range was ineffective in close combat or because I was trying to RP the character with those skills. I seem to remember mêlée combat as being fairly easy an relatively powerful; the over the shoulder camera was smart enough that you could effectively spin in place to attack flankers, though I might be mixing some Risen experiences in with Drakensang. It might be that mêlée was just hack and slash.
I recall that crafting was expensive to learn, but that some of the items could be useful for money generation in the early game, and that some of the potions were very useful since the low magic environment means that you cannot necessarily deal with poisons and wound effects easily.
I recall using daggers and swords, but I'm not sure if that how much was because range was ineffective in close combat or because I was trying to RP the character with those skills. I seem to remember mêlée combat as being fairly easy an relatively powerful; the over the shoulder camera was smart enough that you could effectively spin in place to attack flankers, though I might be mixing some Risen experiences in with Drakensang. It might be that mêlée was just hack and slash.
I finished the game myself for a while back with a Thorwalian Pirate.
The pirate is a melee character and can also handle a crossbow. But i putted points into swords. First 1H and later 2H. The pirate got a vitality bonus, but is vunerable to magic attacks. So i also invested into constitution and willpower and put some points into courage and cleverness. Because Resist Magic is based on the formula courage+cleverness+constitution /5 plus or minus character modifiers. And willpower helps to withstand pain better.
If you pick a character, then look to the bonusses and penalties. And don't invest in many things. Only pick the ones you really need. And as for crafting things; just pick a companion for that which you don't plan to use. In that way you can make the other companions better and yourself. In my play i used Dranor to make bows and such and Jost for the Alchemy (later i used Auralia for that, as she is already a good alchemist) and traldar for blacksmithing, as i don't used him. Picked his sword for myself.
I discovered that Drakensang: The Dark Eye is most of the time melee based. Magic doesn't do much damage, although some does some decent one. Those animal companions can at least be a great meat shield. Fire attacks doesn't do much, especially Ignifaxius burst of flame.
The pirate is a melee character and can also handle a crossbow. But i putted points into swords. First 1H and later 2H. The pirate got a vitality bonus, but is vunerable to magic attacks. So i also invested into constitution and willpower and put some points into courage and cleverness. Because Resist Magic is based on the formula courage+cleverness+constitution /5 plus or minus character modifiers. And willpower helps to withstand pain better.
If you pick a character, then look to the bonusses and penalties. And don't invest in many things. Only pick the ones you really need. And as for crafting things; just pick a companion for that which you don't plan to use. In that way you can make the other companions better and yourself. In my play i used Dranor to make bows and such and Jost for the Alchemy (later i used Auralia for that, as she is already a good alchemist) and traldar for blacksmithing, as i don't used him. Picked his sword for myself.
I discovered that Drakensang: The Dark Eye is most of the time melee based. Magic doesn't do much damage, although some does some decent one. Those animal companions can at least be a great meat shield. Fire attacks doesn't do much, especially Ignifaxius burst of flame.