Über-characters (Getting the most out of your CP's)

I just finished Arcanum for the gazillionth time, but it's only like the second or the third time that I managed to finish the Gods Quest as well. It seems I had forgotten about the huge bonusses one gets after one sacrifices oneself to Velorien: +100 HP/Fat, +4DEX, +3 Dodge, +3 Pickpocket, +3 (or is it +2?) Melee and +3 (or +2?) Firearms.
Awesome extras, but when I got them, I already had full Dodge, full Melee, full Firearms and full DEX. Which means I couldn't take advantage of the 13 (11?) extra Character Points the blessing bestows on you. Which kinda sucks. And which leads me to believe that I could have mastered a couple more Tech disciplines if I had calculated everything before.

I had calculated some stuff before I started "wasting" CP's. I knew I was going for the Goggled Helmet (simply the best) which gives Tech characters +3 PER. I made Charged Rings to boost my DEX (2x+2DEX). I didn't put more than one CP into INT (getting INT 9), 'cause I knew that Potions of Intellect (+10 INT) would give me the needed INT to learn even the 7th schematic in any discipline. And so on. Stuff like that. Yet now, after completing Arcanum, I feel like I could have done better.

Which brings me to the following question(s): taking into account all the potions and elixirs and stat-raising blessings and stat-raising equipment, what would be your most carefully planned character? What would be the character of which you can say: no CP went to waste on this one? What - in short - would be (or is) your über-character? Any other tips on how to save on stat points and getting the most out of those 64 CP's you get?

Since my last character came out a little flawed, I'm thinking about starting a new game, but really thinking it through this time.

To give you an example:

And the above example is basically for two CP's invested in the Electricity discipline. That and a lot of running around.

ALSO:
Are there any potions that change your stats for good (not temporarily)? And is the Finger of Mannox the only Tech necklace in the game?

 

I think that the main problem which allows "backstab-stunners" or "backstab disarmers" to waltz through he game very early on is that the enemies themselves are without such recourses or have them and don't use them because of dodgy AI.

IMHO, most magic wielding characters should at least know the Disarm or Stun spell and be scripted to use as their first move during combat, this will at least make for more of a challenge.

Also, as stated before, enemies should make more use of items like poison, paralysis, anesthetizer, etc...that way even if you're packing a lot of power, one missed attack could leave you open for a strike that can knock you out cold and leave you open for dissection by your foes.

 

I agree with DE....but I suppose the problem in Arcanum is that you such character flexibility that its hard accomadate comabt that suits al purposes.

Personally I would LOVE the combat to be challenging enough so that I could relaly make use of Poison, Knockout Gas and other substances for a thief like character or use all sorts of techno-gadgets like Mental Inhibitors, Spike and Bear Traps, Corrosive acid..

 

Well I played polished car arcanum for a long time and while its was challenging, I found that often the combat was just senselessly tiring and repetive.

A rat should be an easy kill most of the time...

I see what you're saying about enemies "abusing abilities" and yes it would be annoying...but surely "some level" of creativity on their part wouldn't kill the game.

Even if these "enhancements" are only done for a handful of intelligent beings it could make for a fun challenge.

And as for going totarant for the 4th time...well its not like the ingredients for major tech armors are impossible to find or overly expensive...and in any case its not like money is hard to come by in the game.

Why not have at least one very crafty enemy then, and see howit goes.

 

The following three make permanent changes: Muscle Maker (+1 to ST, DX, CN, BE; -1 to IN, PE, WP, CH), Brain Builder(-1 to ST, DX, CN, BE; +1 to IN, PE, WP, CH), and Vivifier (+1 to all stats). All are Therapeutics, and all are found schematics.

 

Muscle Builder....one of my favorite items to use on teh guys over in Tulla before killing them....low intelligence means no spells

Brain Builder is also great for using on tough melee enemies before combat!

 

Wow... I never ever thought of that. Isn't it kind of expensive though? I mean... well, I don't really remember what the components are, just that I had to sleep for many days to get enough to boost myself up and down the spectrum a few times. They're probably pretty cheap now that I think of it.

 

And that is true.

My halfling backstabber averages 90-120 of pure physical damage (all resistances are ignored). He may hit up to 200 or higher in a critical hit, as well.

I've been using the stun in the first part of the game, but when I became a master of prowling I didn't use it that much.

In case somebody doesn't know, backstab does tremendous damage ignoring all resistances to unaware creatures. A stunned creature, or a creature that doesn't see you prowling is considered unaware. A master of prowling is especially overpowered, since you can disappear right in the middle of combat, anytime, basically almost nobody has a chance to hit you at all. The only drawback is that creatures with high PE can see you. But you can stun them. The only creatures that a backstabber can't really deal with are the ones with both high PE and WP. Those are really rare though, I can't remember anybody but the Old Blind Master and the Naked Halfling.

Back to my halfling, he had these stats:
ST6 (so he could wield that sword from the Pit on the IOD, the best weapon for backstabbing)
DX22
PE20
WP12
Mastery in Dodge, Melee, Backstab, Pickpocket, Prowling, Pick Locks
The Stun spell

One more thing is that, you should always have an Arcane Dagger with you, so you can backstab golems, fire elementals and mechanical creatures.

And another trick. PE20 lets you see invisible things, so you can just plant the Ring of Shadows on anybody, they die in a few seconds, and you can still see the body. Then you loot all their money, resurrect them and they're still friendly.

Playing a thief in Arcanum is a completely different experience, I must say. You're not dependent on money or equipment, you don't have to fight when you don't want to (you can sneak past anything). And you can easily solo the whole game. I had Vollinger and Weldo for the sake of having a party of little people though.

 

What's the Axe of Lost Time? I know I've found all the found schematics in Arcanum, but I don't think I've found very many of the magic/hexed items. What're the stats?

 

Actually the axe is not as awesome as the original description was saying. It doesn't do D:1-72, it does D:1-12(+60), which is stupid actually, since the max damage with a weapon caps at upper damage x3 (magickal bonus is not taken in account), i.e. 36 in this case. The good thing about the axe, though, is that even halflings can hit 36-36 with it, if they're not technologists, of course.

The description was, of course, fixed in the UAP.

 

:-o Wow. I didn't know that. That's way better than using the Baneful Gauntlets or the Diseased Leather Armour (which don't always seem to work on everybody). Thanks for that tip.
The Ring of Shadows is that ring up North, right? In the Strange Pond or something, right?

I must say I've never ever went solo in Arcanum. I always feel like I'm going to miss out on something if I don't drag Virgil around with me. I guess I always fear I won't be able to heal myself in a sufficient way. Do you guys invest points into Heal or those Healing Potions and Poison Cures when you go solo? Oh, and is there a shopkeeper who actually sells those Poison Cures (the tech ones, not the green skull shaped flasks)?

 

Yes.

No.

Also, I just remembered another trick, useful for soloing the game. As a good prowler, you can get past almost all random encounters. Just enter the prowling mode before traveling on the world map. When a random encounter starts you will still be prowling, and if your prowling skill is good enough, creatures won't see you, so you will be able to prowl away and continue traveling. It doesn't work with the Molochean Hand assassins, orcish bandits and bounty hunters though, they start a dialog via a special script which doesn't check for prowling.