GameBanshee Forums

Do you prefer playing a caster in Arcanum, a science type, or something in between who can do both, but neither at their best? Or do you forego magic and science altogether, concentrating on your fighting/thieving skills and stats?

So far I've been using more technology since its such a different atmosphere, plus a little fighting skill The beginningarea lends itself to the herbology skill

i've not played it much but focusing on fighting the first time through

harry

My first character is a dwarf who is leaning towards melee/firearms. Not sure if this is a good idea because I would think the only good melee weapons are magick weapons and it would seem a dwarf leanin' towards technology will have a tough time with melee weapons. It would be nice to see how each of the schemes levels up because I have chosen to go it my own way and fear I have already poorly placed some character points.

I think I need to step away from the game and review the rules and take some notes on what skills/tech/spells work with one another.

I've been trying both a techno-dwarf, and a mage elf. The techno-dwarf was at an early disadvantage, because he needed higher dexterity, strength, melee and dodge to administer damage--if the other party characters did the hitting, he got almost none of the experience points. By contrast, the elven mage had a harm spell which racked up the kills well, early in the game.

I like being a mage.

I'm on my first time through and I'm a mage ... but i look forward to be a technologist on my second time ...

Being a technologist is hard. You need to collect all those stuff to make schematics, etc.

Hmm Playing 2 games - Broad spectrum Techie with some fighting and a thief with sprinckling of magic

both are lots of fun though the mage is much easier (using throwing wepons and letting sogg soak up the damage)

Some points of note - so Far (both chars are around lvl 25) The best melee wepons are tech - Pyro Axe, nothing so far has survived more than 3 hits with this baby.
also Molotov's are the techs best friend cheap/ no freindly splash damage. and with no time cost to throw.

while magic is fun there are some schools i just can't seem to see a use for (all the tech schools in comparison seem cool)

1 final point Idiots can't read - I know this seems obvious but it is important as it nerfs the Idiot savant backround for A techie as it makesthe tech manuals useless - I just wish they would not let you buy them (3500 gold later to find they did nothing was a tad iritating)

generaly IMHO mages are easier Techies are more Fun - Feel free to disagree.

@Dimensional, have you noticed, though, that you gain no experience for hurting someone with a Molotov? Unless that's been fixed with the latest patch. I found it annoying: here, I'd trained my character in throwing, and all it did was hurt his victim (sometimes destroying the armor, too) without getting anything positive off it.

@ fable - Yes I noticed , Haven't actualy checked with the new patch. however I stil think the benifits of a 0AP area attack that does no dmage to friends outways the xp loss. Xp is cheap anyway.

I have only ever got as far as that pirate (whats his name???) who doesn`t want to relinquish is ship to get you to the vendigroth wastes...I`ve played as several chars but the most interesting one is my tech/firearms dwarf
He`s lvl 29 at the moment possesing almost all schematics for firearms who by lvl 50 will be a specialist in chemistry, firearms, explosives and the otherone (where you can build automations and sh*t..(been a while playing cos I`m into BG2))

though you get no experience fer blowing things up, them explosive grenades are great for controlling packs of wererats
favourite weapon at the moment is the long range rifle

So far honestly I like both, I am a bit disappointed that one can not play both magic and tech without affecting your power levels, for example with high tech your magic fails more often, with high magic your tech fails more often.

The nice thing about the tech side also is if you invest just a little points in the healing sciences, you can make healing potions which you can then sell if you are short of gold, you can actually do this for a lot of stuff which you can not do quite as much with as a mage. For my tech side I concentrated on armor and firearms, and only a little in healing.

On the Mage side, I have not really used the harm side of black necromancy, I have usually concentrated on the energy shield, and some healing spells, and insect swarm with the summoning side.

Anyway both I think are cool, myself whatever side I prefer a combination class between either one Fighter/tech, or Figter/mage, which is the way my games have gone so far.

The game DEFINITELY gives the advantage to magic users. It's hard to assemble the tech items and MUCH easier to develop a strong magic-based character. I tried playing through as an expert marksmen/thief, but had a much easier time as a warrior/gambler and magician. I don't like the thieving system or gambling system much though. It's MUCH too hard to steal anything useful, and you can only gamble for a couple of items before the store clerk hates you and you can't improve his opinion of you after. Gay.

If you want to steal and be cheesy about it, I suggest walking into the backroom of the magic shop in Tarrant when the shopkeep retires for the night. That way you don't have to pick the lock. Then, when he's in bed, use a 'fate point' to pick the lock on the chest at the bese of his bed (NOT the bed of the dark magic clerk, his guardians will awaken) and take everything the chest contains.

Then, advance time to morning, follow the clerk back out to the main shop and proceed to sell back his stuff to him. You'll have to go away for 24 hours a few times until he gets enough money, but you should walk away with over 35,000 if done right

Cheesy... But it works

@ bunny_basher. I think that the game was set up that way intentionally. Magic has been around for a long time and Technology is relatively new to the world. It makes sense that Magic would be easier to learn/use/aquire. Technologists definitely get the stinky end of the stick, but they have some real advantages as well!

What to do?

I think that u can play the game easiest by abstaining from developing either magic or tech ability BECAUSE you can then use just about anything you might find in the game. On the other hand, if you're proficient with magic/technology, then some items will be correspondingly more powerful. For instance, lets say that you have a melee master/master thief vs. a melee master/technologist or mage (with a weopon of their corresponding disclipline). Because they gain additional bonuses with their weopon, in all likelyhood, you will lose; but that's the point of the game, to decide which path YOU will take, so have fun!
P.S.- Have you played it through yet?