My small collection of Newbie-Questions - thanks for help

Hello all, and thank you so much for your help so far. Am enjoying this game now that I have it up and running.

Currently, just entered the Wheel Clan dungeon after completing Isle of Despair. I am playing a little chap, a gnome thrower, who indulges in a bit of magick (first I got a point of explosives, love those molotovs, and a point of herbology, because I didnt see a way to heal Magnus otherwise, but didnt like where tecknology was heading, and realized I would want magic to be able to take advantage of those Serrated Chakrams I saw). Am having fun. I am playing on Normal difficulty but just switched to Hard after seeing how I am now able to breeze through most everything with my little thrower, who just reached level 29. Nevertheless, I do have some questions, and here they are:

- The clincer in deciding to go with more magic was that I wanted Teleport, since I did not see a way of getting to Kna Tha without it (Master throwing Quest). I just got teleport, just completed that quest, boy was it hard. I spent my only fate point stealing the Star back from whats her name, but even after she had it, the Azram's Star doesnt seem so great. Sure it has 21 speed, but otherwise, it is like a normal Chakram. What gives? Is that right? I had sort of hoped it would be a super weapon, but now I am going back to my Mystical Chakram I found somewhere. Am I missing something?

- Found a small Platemail of Regeneration -- but besides from being heavy, it doesnt actually seem to ... regenerate. My heal rate does not increase, nor do I heal HP or fatigue. Am I missing something again?

- Now I am level 29 and unsure where to go from there. I still have one point left over.
I bumped into this Annorax apparition underway from a temple, and he seems to be a magic user -- so I better get some magic resistance maybe? So perhaps the Meta school? I only have intelligence of 8, so I find it hard to keep lots of spells up, and my constitution is pretty low too; my first points in magic were fire (for agility spell, like that; it's 20 now with that up) and conveyance. Or another attack school, like force?

- Will I no longer be able to build molotovs if my magick aptitude gets too high?

- I stop to monkey around with all the side quests, they are fun, but I think because of that I am too high level for the main quests, no?

I believe I forgot two questions actually, hope I can remember soon.
Thank you!

 

Is it the Minute Platemail of Regeneration? If I am not mistaken there is a "bug" with this item, at least I believe it is a bug. In the data files some items have healrate 50 or 50%, while this one has 5 or 5%. 5% of 1-6, is still less than 1, therefore this item does absolutely nothing for your heal rate. I am fairly certain this is a typo in the data files really.

{124}{healrate +50%} // Heal Accelerator

{142}{healrate +5%} // minute plate of regeneration

{211}{healrate +50%, st +1, cn +1} //Staff of Restoration


As you can see, most items seem to be 50%, not 5%. The only ones listed as 5% are for cursed/magical items, and those are generally used as multipliers for items. For instance, the amulet of N'tala probably has 20*5% to achieve its 100% heal rate bonus - though I am not entirely certain since I am not sure how they did that item, it has no entry in effect.mes.

Also note the max heal rate is 6 regardless of bonuses or items. I doubt this was what caused it though since you said you have low CN.

As for teleport, you could do it with a Virigil debug mode mod, but I don't know of any non cheating method to do it other than the spell. Not sure why they didn't include some sort of transportation technology.

 

As far as Azram's Star goes, it is pretty much just a better version of the serrated chakram.

I think the game designers just wanted something that looks like the Glaive from the movie Krull.

If you have identified it, then you'll notice that it gives a nice damage bonus if your magickal aptitude is high enough. It sounds like your MA is at least 19, so you should be getting decent results with it. Have you taken it to one of the Gypsy women to get it identified? That reveals some stat information that makes it work better for you.

You can get by just fine without any of the spells in the Meta college. They sound great in theory, but about the only reason to master them is to exploit a cheat beta testers discovered. I don't remember how to do it, so you'll need to ask somebody else if you want more details.

 

THank you!

- I never identified the Star, since it was not "unidentified". I didnt think of that. I will try that!

- Dont want any cheats, thank you!

Maybe I will max out WP for that resistance bonus, and then go for more constitution and intelligence so I can maintain lots of spells at the same time.

One last question: I have about 10.000 gold now, and dont really see anything to spend it on. Even if I dont get White Necromancy (Virgil seems to be doing great for me so far), I can make my own potions, and I dont need any weapons with my chakram ... what is the gold sink supposed to be?

 

How about a posh mansion in Tarant, or perhaps a boat to sail the seas? Other than that, I dunno. I'd say equipment, but that's what pick pocket and pick locks is for. :lol:

 

Oddly enough, i do not see shopkeepers offering items that are much better than the stuff I have. Heavier armor doesn't particularly seem to be worth it, due to speed penalties; I kept a Basic Machined Platemail I found in Ashbury (for Virgil), and the Small Mystical Plate, but otherwise, Magnus is still wearing his leather armor -- only 140 stone, and doesnt seem to be much worse than more expensive and heavier armor.

Another odd thing I noticed comes along with a question: Since I have my dexterity up to 20 (thanks to agility of fire -- actually it should be 21, since I pushed it up to 17, but it seems to stop at 20), my speed is 25. And this does not seem to get reduced by encumberance. Recently having found a Small Mystic Platemail, I am now "moderately" encumbered, but my speed is still listed at 25. Is that a bug? I mean: Is it a display bug (I really AM suffering penalties, but cannot see them) or a mechanics bug (despite encumberance I am not hindered)?

Thank you

 

Well 20 is the max, unless you have a racial bonus which allows you to go higher. Backgrounds can add or subtract from a stat, but do not affect the maximum for your race.

Not sure about the speed though. Having 20 DX could very well negate encumbrance, in which case it's time for me to max my DX.

 

Those goddamn Gypsies, also known as Wise Women. Check them every time you can, for they have a small chance of having very powerful and very expensive arcane gear in their stocks each day.

 

Thank you. A follow-up question or questions if I may?

- Does it matter which Wise Woman? I mean, is the one in Shrouded or Tarant or whatever more likely to have something interesting? Never seen anything so far....

- Is the phenomenon I am experiencing with dexterity 20 and speed 25 with moderate encumberance intended or a bug?

- If my magic aptitude is ok, but not great, will some scrolls fail to work or work less well? For example, if a scroll of ressurect (very expensive) says it has 70% magick power available, will it fail 30% of the time?

- If I keep getting even more magickal, will I no longer be able to use molotov cocktails? (I havent noticed them failing yet, but my self-made healing salves now sometimes fail to work on myself.)

thank you

 

Nope.

Did you check if you actually receive penalties? That is, did you for example count your action points encumbered and unencumbered, when entering turn based combat? You should certainly lose some, so maybe it's just an error in displaying your current speed. Or do you maybe have some +speed effects/items running/equipped and simply forgot that?

As far as I know whether a spell fizzles or not depends on the target's aptitude. So if you were to cast a resurrection spell at a 100% technology aptitude NPC it might not work. Same goes for healing, buffs, whatever. I think though that spells cast on yourself (if you've learned them) will never fail, no matter your aptitude.

You should have an ever increasing chance of critical failures if you use technological items when you're magical. So you shouldn't use too many items, especially if you get more magickally inclined.
Frankly, I don't know how technological consumables will behave.

 

Hmn odd.

In any case, I tested in combat -- unless I am mistaken, I have a dex of 20 and 25 AP in combat with moderate encumberance. That does not sound like an undocumented feature but rather like a bug. I think getting a speed of 25 as a nice bonus for having a dex of 20 is ok, but having no encumbrance penalties is a bit too much

 

Slight update, it seems with Medium encumbrance I have only 23 speed, but not quite sure.

Another question: I see many threads here on other followers, including Sog and Chukka. While I have had offers to join from 3 NPCs so far (Jayne, that loopy priest guy in the dock area of the town I forget, and a magic-user coming out of the gentleman's club in Tarant arm-in-arm with the Mayor). Each time, I have not included them in my party, because Magnus and Virgil both appeared "stronger" to me (higher in level). Oh, there was that undead guy in some ruins who seemed cool, but he refused to join me because I was on the path to righteousness.

Yet I have asked both Sog and Chukka to even consider joining. My Charisma and Beauty are both 8, as is my intelligence; is there any thing else which affects how I can get followers? There is also a vollinger gentleman, but he also never seemed able to join.

THank you

 

I'm pretty sure you don't actually need Persuasion, but definitely Charisma, because that determines your maximum amount of followers, but I'm just going from memory too. I think you just have to be polite enough with him, asking about Shrouded Hills etc., and you will get the option to ask him to join you.

 

9 Charisma for Sogg, being on amicable terms with Gilbert Bates and having some CPs invested into persuasion for Chukka.

 

THank you.
I have 8 charisma, perhaps this is why sogg didnt join. I had the option to ask, and he said, "I dont think you're the man I want to follow right now", but did not say why.
I never got the option to ask for Chukka, and Bates never offered, although he really really likes me (must be around +90) and I did the quests for him and gave him his ring, and I am "good" (+60 or so alignment) so I suppose I am missing that persuasion.
Otherwise, I can ask the others to join too, but they say it's too crowded and I have to let someone go (which I havent so far).

 

I should add that the moment when Bates offers Chukka's help is when the Living One is going to the Isle of Despair and only then. Plus he only offers him when the Living One has an empty follower slot, or so I've heard.