Virgil - an ineffective combatant?

I have just recently started playing Arcanum. Only once have I played it before, and I did not get very far that time due to hard-disk failure and lost save files. The problem I am having is with Virgil, he appears to be completely useless.

I took some time earlier to explore the map. While doing so, I came across this wolf cavern in the far south. Long story short, Virgil got his ass handed to him by a level 3 wolf cub. Virgil is level 12, for protection he has a magickal plate armor, and his weapon is a magickal sword.

Am I missing something? Any suggestions on what can be done to improve the situation? Will he forever be nothing but a mule?

 

Nah, cubs from that cave are just total hacks with insane melee. Nothing normally possible for any lvl 3 char I'm sure.

Virgil maxes out melee and dodge eventually, so he's good. Just needs some more levels to get decent enough. Doesn't invest in strength tho, so you might consider giving him some lighter armor to not have him slowed down all the time.

 

I am glad to hear that about the cubs, they had me worried. As for having Virgil wear lighter armor, that is something I will look into right away. Thanks for the tip.

 

Virgil, in my opinion, is good initially with a Mage's Staff purchasable in Blackroot and Dread Armour from most blacksmiths - the Mage's Staff gives him a mana boost letting him heal you and your companions more frequently. Late game I usually stick him in Arcane Robes with an Arcane Staff - for the mana and crazy fatigue damage. Rings of Protection, Arcane Rings, Gloves of Dexterity, Arcane Gloves, Arcane Helms, Geleam's Helm and Enchanted War Boots all make good choices for the remaining equipment slots.

Also Constipation speaks the truth about those wolves. I typically make my followers wait outside the cave and then pick the cubs off a couple at a time by luring around that corner and running around the room 'til they pass out from lack of fatigue (they don't have much seeing as they're only cubs). The mother wolf is actually much easier to defeat than the cubs themselves.