GameBanshee Forums

I've started up a new game after finishing ToB. I had a 6 member party and found it was rather easy at the end, so I'm now using a 3 member party: an inquisitor (as some of you may know, I've never played with a paladin, so no Carsomyr), a ranger/cleric, and a swashbuckler dualling to mage after level 15. I think it's a good range of skills, so I'm happy with that.

The challenge is that my swashy is only at level 12, and I want to dual over to mage after level 15 (to get extra thaco and another -1 to AC). This means, other than the ranger/cleric, I have no spell casting yet.

Yikes! I can't use most wands, so all my strategies have to change (no simple opening a battle with a cloudkill in the heart to break the mages and fighting on the border). I have already finished our good friend, the red dragon, but my next challenge is to attack some of the more difficult bands of nasties in the capital, and I just don't know what to do.

Since I do intend on continuing to ToB, I think level 15 is the right level to dual, but is it overkill? Should I have dualled over earlier? I've entered Watcher's Keep to do a little shopping and get a few important items on the first floor, but should I head back to clear out a little more to gain some experience quickly to bring her to the dualling point?

N....

I'd dual sooner. The one or two more mage levels you'll get will compensate the THACO / AC very well. The character won't be your front row fighter in the long run, so THACO / AC don't matter much anyway.

She's been working out well with a bow from the rear, so you're quite right. The only tough part now is having to SK her back a few levels... Sigh. It's a shame to bring around a scroll case absolutely chocked full of scrolls that can't be used.

I may still go to 15 to get the best distribution for the thieving skills (having over 100 in hiding in shadows, setting traps, finding traps and picking locks is handy.) I have a 5 hour train ride coming up in a few hours, so hopefully I'll decide by then.

N...

Doh!

After about twenty reloads battling the final battle on the second floor of the keep, I'm giving up. I couldn't do more than one or two hitpoints at a time against the super-duper regeneration.

So, it's off to the de'Arnise Keep for an easier challenge for now. My swashy's now at level 13, so as long as I can go through all the thief-dependant challenges that don't require a mage now, I can hopefully get up to level 15 soon. Any suggestions on where to go for easy exp?

BTW, I'm not too worried about an extra few levels of magery. I finished ToB without hitting the 8 million cap (my folks were all at around 6.5 million) so I'm pretty sure that's not going to be a problem.

N...