Character advice for a newbie

Hi

I'm just about to start the game properly having played the demo with a pre-prepared character. I'm not a RPG veteran but I have played both Fallouts and Planescape. I don't fancy the mage option. I would like some sort of fighter character with a view to getting hold of some arse kicking weapons later in the game. Any advice on where to start with my character creation?

Cheers

 

YES

Experiment.

Okay, okay. Use a character point on "healing salve". With all the ingredients for it being so common early in the game, it can be a good source of income early on other than stealing.

Also, I wouldn't suggest getting magic allergy. Though you may not plan on using magic now, you may need to pick up something magical later. I learned my lesson about that playing a mage character with technophobia :lol:

Hmmm.... What else.... You'll have to carry around a lot of stuff, so make sure your charisma is at least 9, so you can get a big, strong guy to join you. I like to use him as luggage. The big lug.

If you want to use guns, I suggest starting on the path to learn gunsmithy. That way you can make what you use and use what you make.

If you want to throw grenades, put points in explosives as well as grenades.

And remember that, with technologists, intelligence is the key. Don't go making a big, strong, dumb jock and expect him to be a master scientist.

I know my first character was a physically weak, highly intelligent half-ogre mage. Yep, back in the demo. He was charming, too. That's a great combination if you don't mind being run away from because of your appearance. Why do they run? Don't they know I'm a gentle giant? :cry:
Think of me with kindness.

Xan

MAGIC RULES!! :razz:

 

If you are going the way of the technologist, I suggest making pick locks a skill you really try to master. That way you can steal all the stuff you need to make things. My first character (and only character I have beat the game with so far) was a human male thief/technologist/melee specialist. I specialized in the disciplines of mechanics and smithy. I only woried about lockpicking, none of the other thieving skills. It was an extremely powerful character. Now, I am not saying this is the way for you to go, you just need to learn your playing style. You might want to try playing a little way into the game (not to far as it could get very annoying if you did) then restarting if you aren't pleased with your character. You might try a gunslinger. Or a charismatic healer with little combat ability but have plenty of followers that can fight for you and you can heal when they get hurt. The possibilities are endless. BTW, great to see new faces here on the forum. Don't just post when you need help, not that we won't answer you if you do , stick around and post about things, there are some really cool people here.

 

Welcome aboard.

For a mele fighter, go with an ST or DX increasing background, preferably one that does not lower things such as IN. Or, for an amusing fighting Techie, look at the Sickly 1/2 Ogre. Barbarian is a nice fighter start as is Beat with an Ugly Stick.

Oh, you build the best tech weapons, you don't find them, and the best tech mele weapon can be built ridiculusly early if you know where to find what is needed. Excelent neutral & magic weapons are scattered throught the game, & you should carry them as backups. Highly magical critters are hard to hit with tech weapons. The techie should put 2 points in Electrical early for Charged Rings, +2 DX each.

The easist gunslinger start is Bandit. Put 1 point in PE & two in firearms at the beginning. A gunslinger need not build his own guns, he can steal nice ones early on.

The alternitave to lockpick is pickpocket. A good early money making skill.

There are Potions of IN that even a techie can use to boost IN by 10! You realy don't need to push IN, just buy another potion. No adiction in Arcanum. And speaking of drugs, there is a potential follower who can make them.

Get training in your chosen fields as early as posible. You can Apprentice in all combat skills, heal, firearms, lockpick, presuasion, haggle & repair in Shrouded Hills. Expert heal, throw, & firearms is available there too. Expert bow & Apprentice thief skills are found in Dernholm, Expert lockpick, spot traps & all other combat skills in Blackroot.

Spoilers available with a search or on request.

 

WOW

:-o Thy knowledge is great, o' shady one of the grove.

 

The potion of Speed is great too, it can still be used by Techies I think, just doesnt work as well for as long.

 

Cheers everybody

I'll play around with those suggestions. Thanks very much.