Armour Problems - Spoiler

davfra · Post by **davfra** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 5:52 pm

I have a Wizard Slayer-Mage 9/10. I thought when I passed my fighter levels, I`d be able to wear some sort of protection. But that isn`t the case. I have mage cloaks that I can`t wear. I can wear all sorts of plate armour, but my spells are dis-abled.
I have loads of rings, cloaks etc and I can`t use any of them. I can`t even wear leather armour without dis-abling my spells.
Am I condemmed to being defenceless for the rest of the game?
Cheers

VonDondu · Post by **VonDondu** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 6:31 pm

I don't mean to laugh at your misfortune, but the idea of a Wizard Slayer-Mage is so novel, I can't help but smile.

Unfortunately, you don't seem to understand the nature of a Wizard Slayer. A true Wizard Slayer refuses to use ALL magic, including healing potions. Enchanted items are almost all off-limits. When you have a dual-classed character, the limitations still apply.

A Mage, on the other hand, relies almost entirely on magic and enchanted items. If being a Wizard Slayer prevents you from using them, then all you can do is run around "naked" and cast spells and swing your sword. A funny sight, to be sure, but I wouldn't want to be in your position.

I hope that someone out there can suggest some appropriate armor for you that can be worn by both a Mage and a Wizard Slayer. Maybe Elven Chainmail would fit the bill. Have you tried wearing Mage robes such as the Robe of Vecna? As I said, if being a Wizard Slayer prevents you from wearing them (it prevents you from wearing rings and cloaks), then I'm afraid I don't know how to solve your dilemma.

On the other hand, I wouldn't call a "naked" Mage "defenceless" (or "defenseless" in the American vernacular). Mages have some pretty potent defensive spells, such as Armor (of various stripes), Stoneskin, Protection from Normal Weapons, Protection from Magic Weapons, protection from elemental damage, protection from magic, Mirror Image, Invisibility, Mislead, etc. Have you tried to wield the Staff of the Magi? That would give you awesome protection. And your Wizard Slayer has some of his own natural defenses (although I can't remember exactly what they are at your level). Who knows, maybe it's worth a try.

Good luck!

VonDondu · Post by **VonDondu** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 7:26 pm

Well, I couldn't resist looking into the matter myself.

As it turns out, Mage robes such as the Robe of Vecna are out, but there are some other nice items that your Wizard Slayer-Mage can use. I don't have a complete list, but this should get you started:

Elven Chain
Elven Chain +1
Bladesinger Chainmail
Sylvan Chain +2

I also recommend:

Helm of Balduran
Pearly White Ioun Stone
Vhaillor's Helm
Staff of the Magi
Dak'kon's Zerth Blade
Defender of Easthaven +2
Everard's Morningstar +2
...and any number of shields.

I hope this helps!

davfra · Post by **davfra** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 7:32 pm

I hadn`t played as a Wizard Slayer before, so I thought I`d give it a try. My characters always seem to be such wimps. This was the case now, so I decided to dual class. I chose Mage because I`m coming round to using magic now instead of brawn. He`s great with spells, and wielding 2 x +3 axes, he`s very good as a fighter!
If you think that`s strange, I had Aerie up front as a tank for a while! Mind you, she did have that girdle that makes your strength up to 19. It`s quite amusing - she chops someone down and then says `Oh my!`.
In view of what you said, I`ll relie on magical armour and see what happens.
As he`s involved in a romance with Jaheira, maybe he`s better off without armour (all that noise!).
cheers

UserUnfriendly · Post by **UserUnfriendly** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 7:38 pm

wiz slayer mage dual is one of those slightly wierd ones...

not cheesy, yet a lot of interesting penalties...

the magic resistance is nice, but a staight berserker mage dual can eventually exceed the magic resistance...due to the ability to use magic items...if you dual at 12, which is best because of the increased attacks per round, you actually don't get much magic resistance...

the spell disruption sounds nice in theory, but a burst of melf acid arrows tend to do more, and works better...

sorry...

davfra · Post by **davfra** » Sat Dec 06, 2003 5:30 am

I`m stuck with him now and before each fight I have to decide what he`s going to be - fighter or mage.
He`s got 2 +3 axes, Mace of disruption and that sunlight something sword, and he`s quite good. The armour spells just don`t seem to work. The vampires just crashed through.
This is the first time I`ve dualled a character and it`s proving very interesting.
Cheers

JackOfClubs · Post by **JackOfClubs** » Mon Dec 08, 2003 6:09 pm

If by "crashed right through" you mean their level drain, no armor will protect against that. If you upgrade the Mace of Disruption, that should help against the vampires' level drain. Also, the Runehammer from Watcher's Keep (if you have ToB). Otherwise have Aerie cast Negative Plane protection.

If you just mean that they were able to hit you and do normal damage, try Stoneskin or Mirror Image. Those spells are much better than magical armor, as they prevent damage altogether. However they won't protect against side-effects like level-drain, hence my comments above.

Enil · Post by **Enil** » Wed Dec 10, 2003 6:51 am

You say that you are interested in developing your use of magic rather than brute strength. Might I suggest for your next trip through the game that you consider the class of Kensai/Mage?

Here are two classes that complement each other well. Kensais can't wear armour, neither can mages. The Kensai disability to wear bracers can be a problem, but generally speaking a combination of the Robe of Vecna and the spells Stoneskin/Ghost Armor will provide all the armour your Kensai/Mage will ever need.

If you wait until L13 to dual your Kensai, you can end up with a respectable number of weapon proficiencies. Personally I like to take Grand Mastery in katanas and dual wield Dakkon's Zerth Blade together with Celestial Fury.

If you really like Wizard-Slayers, however, the best class to dual them to is Thief. When you reach 3mil XP, you can take the UAI HLA, which will get round your Wizard-Slayer magic item restrictions. I'd still argue however, that Kensai/Thieves make better dual class combos as there are better ways to disrupt enemy spellcasting than the Wizard-Slayer class ability.

The pros of Wizard-Slayers just don't make up for the cons...

CUE · Post by **CUE** » Tue Dec 16, 2003 9:35 am

Armors for you

All elven chain mail armors let you cast spells while you wear them.

The "Corthala Family Armor", which is found on Valygar, is a better choice, but you may not have the stats to wear it: Strength 6, Dexterity 18, Wisdom, 11.