Think you're an Arcanum pro? Then answer this.

Questions:

The description of invisibility says when I attack in combat while invisible I become visible for a brief moment in which im selectable for attack. Now the last time I tried using this spell in combat the enemies knew exactly where I was straight away. Is there any way of attack them first then using the spell after to remain concealed? (master prowling style).

If I use unlocking cantrip while invisible, will people know where i am and attack me? What will happen?

Will pick locks be effective with a high magickal apt? Virgil has pick locks and he's magic. Basically Im thinking ahead incase unlocking cantrip doesn't give me the stealth i need in magickal thievery.

 

I don't know enough about invisibility to address your first question, but I'm almost certain that it won't matter whether you are invisible or a master at prowling if you use unlocking cantrip. Everytime I've seen it used in the same room with someone, they have immediately reacted by attacking the person who used it.

Virgil has pick locks and he's also extremely lousy at it, so I think that probably answers your question about that. I've never had Virgil do anything but jam any lock he ever tried to pick. I'm not 100% certain, but I'm pretty sure that a really high MA will interfere strongly with any technical skill and pick locks is definitely a technical skill.

 

MA doesn't interfere with tech skills. The only problem effect is that getting tech skills reduces your MA a little, so if you want to be a badass mage, it can be better to stay away. I've played pure mages with pick lock and it worked fine. I just had to get more spells to up my MA.

Unlocking cantrip is noisy, but the noise emanates from the mage, not the lock, so if you stand far away from anyone, no one will notice the cantrip.

Not sure on invisibility, but I think you have to be invisible when combat begins. Generally speaking, I think it sucks. A mage should be tossing harm and fireflash anyway.

 

Cn you achieve 100 MA and still have points in lock picking?

 

Yes. You just have to pick up a number of extra spells equal to your points in lockpicking. Make sure to getthe lockpicking first.

 

Or, you could baneful gauntlet whoever might hear you before you use unlocking cantrip. That always works.

 

Yeah... But seriously, killing everyone in the game is a bad idea...

 

Here's a direct quote from the Player's Guide about Unlocking Cantrip:

This is probably why it is so hard to use it without being detected.

As for MA affecting Pick Locks and other technical skills, why do Elves have such a handicap to them if MA doesn't have some effect? It may be possible to overcome that handicap, but Virgil certainly can't seem to overcome it. But then we all know that Virgil has many problems. :roll: :lol: I haven't done a pure mage with Pick Locks, so I don't know from experience, so I'll have to bow to Labyrinthian on that one and accept that it does work.

 

Shady did a test once, and IIRC he couldn't find any correlation. The general consensus at the Sierra boards is that MA has no effect at all, though some believe that it might take a high-MA character more tries to open a lock than a high-TA character, which could just be in their mind.

I don't think that being naturally bad at a tech skill and having a high MA are necessarily correlated.

Virgil doesn't have any more problems than I do at his skill level, regardless of aptitude. Give him a light and he'll be noticably better.

 

I have one question. How I manage Virgil to pick some locks? I am hardcore player but I never found out this. Shame on me

 

Have lockpicks in your quickitem inventory. Be worse at picking than Virgil. Try to pick the door by clicking on the lockpicks. He'll handle it for you.