How should I play this game?

[vitamin]

I should add to the question in topic - to get the most out of it in a single playthrough. Some people here keep telling me that I missed a lot on my first run because I decided to play as a fighter throughout hole game. But to be honest, I just don't understand why being a multi-class character would benefit more than straight one class character? Let's say that I play as fighter and I want to be best in this class. Now, if decide to take mage or/and thief training at some stage just to get an introduction quest and a few thousands of EXP, I stop developing as a fighter. Where's the logic in this? Moreover every class is different and being good in all isn't possible because they require different base stats. So it's really beyond me, how you guys manage to play this game gaining experience in all three classes?

[henkie]

You had the right stats to get the most out of this game, your class doesn't make much difference in this respect in my opinion. It's just that those stats are not ideal for a fighter.

[vitamin]

Yes, my stats were much more appropriate for a mage, as I had this class in mind when starting the game. But I must say, even though I was kind of weak, I still was much better fighter than both Dak'kon and Annah. These two were my biggest disappointment in terms of combat efficiency.

Now, as I'm about to play this game once more, I'd like to know how you guys are playing it? What's your favorite class and starting stats for it? Are you developing any other classes later on? If you do, what's your level-up plan that works best?

[Droom]

Don't play the game as if you are winning or losing. First time through, enjoy the story. You sound like u torrented the game and are 17 and want to get through it so you can torrent other games

[henkie]

Originally Posted by vitamin

Now, as I'm about to play this game once more, I'd like to know how you guys are playing it? What's your favorite class and starting stats for it? Are you developing any other classes later on? If you do, what's your level-up plan that works best?

I usually prefer a fighter, and I'm pretty sure I had a mostly fighter character last time I played through this game, but it's been a long time ago and I don't remember most of it.

For a good fighter, start with something like 13-14 in STR, then add points until you get 18, then wait until you get the STR bonus from the fighter class to carry you to 19. I'm not sure which bonus you should strife for and which is optimal to take and when that is, but the above should work for a fighter class. Aside from that, you probably want to boost CON, which increases your regeneration rate. Which is quite necessary, I'm afraid, because your AC will never amount to much so you'll get hit often, even if you boost DEX instead. For a decent regeneration rate, you should aim for 18+ at the very least.

I'm not particularly fond of mages in the IE games, as they're too much micro-management and the spell memorisation means that either you'll have a generic setup or are meta-gaming a lot.

As for thieves, I'm sure they work quite well, but as long as you're taking Anna along, there's not that much point.

If you want to still get the most out of xp and conversation options, high WIS and CHA is desired, but if you start with 18 WIS, you'll not need to put in many more points as there are quite enough stat boosts that you can get to boost it all the way up to 24, if I recall correctly. CHA you could conceivably drop a bit further as you can use the Friends spell to boost it.

[vitamin]

Many thanks henkie for your tips. Just one more question - do you switch classes to get some EXP and upgrades for Annah, Dak'kon and Ignus?

And as it comes to being mage - I must say that Ignus was a poor one on my first run. I noticed that, really powerful spells are +7lvl and that means that I even didn't have a chance to use them. And to be honest, I just can't imagine playing this game as a mage.

[kmonster]

There's no best way to play this game. There are just easier and harder ways.


You didn't miss much as fighter only. The main benefit of class switching is that you your party members teach you if you ask them (very well written), as mage you can learn spells from Dak'kon and Ignus and as thief thievery from Annah and even teach something back when your thieving skills improved to 50+ or so.
For this you don't to spend much time in the other class, ask the trainer or Dak'kon or Annah (you have to use the mage and thief trainer only once) to switch your class back to the one you want.

If you want to replay as mage be aware that you need at least 18 int and 19 wis to learn everything Dak'kon and his device have to offer and even improve him.

You can even do this with 9 int, just eat enough cranium rat charms to raise it to 18 temporarily, as mage you don't need much int at the start.

Dak'kon is quite powerful if used properly, you can use spells and tattoos for 19+ strength and even raise con to 20 to 20 so he regenerates on his own and his spellcasting can make a difference.

Annah (like any backstabber) is very powerful if used properly, boost strength to 19+, in Untersigil you can hide the rest of your party while she can wipe out everything with backstab - run away - hide - backstab even at low level.

But any NPC is useless for combat if your character has so much con that he's invincible, the game isn't about combat.

[vitamin]

Thank you kmonster for all your comments. As I'd like to try become multi-class character in my next playthrough (for all those upgrades for my party members), how I should do that? How does it work actually? Let's say I want to be fighter in the first place and become mage and thief later on but only for a moment (to learn/teach my companions). So when I should get those trainings? As soon as I find a trainer, or maybe only after reaching e.g. 10th level as a fighter? Does it even matter when I get those trainings?

[Shoshino]

You can still do the trainers quests anyway, at the end they will give you the choice of becoming their class and you can go back to them at any point to swap classes. This game isnt designed to be restrictive in what you can do, it is very well designed to be open allowing a player to experience as much as possible in a single playthrough.

As kmonster said there is no best way to play the game, only the way you enjoy to play it, I personally enjoy playing a mage, spells like horror and cloudkill can cause havok amongst your enemy while buffing up Morte and Dakkon make them principle fighters to mop up stragglers. At higher levels you can bring down death and destruction as if it were second nature. Thats my preference. Others like to turn TNO into a tank so you dont even need any other fighters.

All I say about the game is to remember to talk to anyone with a name, and explore everything, I'm sure this is a no brainer to most players, there are lots of little details in this game that can so easily be missed.

[henkie]

I couldn't be sure without checking back the old savegames I have, but I do remember doing some switching of classes to get some more bonusses out of it (at least those from Dak'kon.

I don't know how multi-classed my character was at the end, but I do know that I played it mostly as a fighter.

[vitamin]

Just one more thing regarding multi-classing. If someone could explain me please that part saying: "gain 20+ hit points" - how is it possible?

Originally Posted by T2Bruno

You can be mediocre in two classes, great in one, gain 20+ hit points, boost your npcs with significant ability score increases and have an overall better game experience -- all for paltry ~500,000 experience points (two fighter levels).

[henkie]

One level as a fighter at 7th level gives you +1 STR and the ability to have 4 proficiency points in a weapon. Another fighter level at 12th level gives you another +1 STR and +1 CON +3 hp and the ability to have 5 proficiency points in a weapon. The +1 CON gives you a certain amount of extra hp per level, which may account for the 20+ extra hitpoints.

Possibly he's referring to that. And I suppose you boost your npc's ability scores by talking to them, I don't know.

[Corylea]

If you train with Dak'kon as a mage, you can read his Circle of Zerthimon, and the higher your INT, the more levels of it you can read. With an INT of 18, you can read the whole thing, which will give you a LOT of insight into Dak'kon's culture. Plus, if your INT is high enough to read the Eighth Circle, you'll give Dak'kon an upgrade, boosting his stats.

Since the story, dialogues, setting, and memories are the whole point of this game, I wouldn't want to miss having Dak'kon train me as a mage, so I can read all about the strange and interesting Githzerai culture.