Character Creation Tips

This might be seen as two threads, magick and tech...but I think there's room.
Anyone got any good tips for newbies?
Not spoiler-type, "pick this for this quest", but good combinations or unusual background choices that work well together?

 

Healing Salve

You can make a LOT of money if you can make the stuff. The components for it litter the crash site. I've made at least $500 selling the stuff right at the beginning.

 

choose the dark sight background when making a theif typish charecter, max hiz prowling and lockpicking skill and hiz dodge skill and agility(or take agility of fire spell).voila!!! you can steal at night while everyonez asleep.when yew prowl at night you can see others as if they were in broad daylite while they cant see you at all!!!
also good combo for an assasin typish charector!!

 

you have the sickly and idiot savant for those that want to build, and be really good at it.

they are pretty extreme though, imo for stats the idiot savant is the better, but it suffers if you want to have intellect for talking(you re a babbling idiot virtually).

so both are valid imo(my first character might take the idiot savant).

the miracle operation background makes you pretty weak, but it makes you so good for shooting things, imo this is one of the backgrounds i'm thinking of choosing.

the night sight, as jeda wrote above is great, as you can try to act out your plans during the night, and then the background is only good, and not bad in any aspect(this can be used for sharpshooter as well). the problems comes if you must be active during the day.

actually all the backgrounds that makes you stronger during a certain time frame, or in certain area(or avoidance of a certain area)are pretty good, as you can try to avoid those areas. if you can't on the other hand, i'm sure that you can manage *g*

actually most backgrounds have their usages, like the extreme personality background that is great with any charismatic beautifull person, but should perhaps be avoided by those who goes out with a low beauty score.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: monkeypunch on 2001-05-10 04:15 ]</font>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: monkeypunch on 2001-05-10 04:16 ]</font>

 

I've been considering the Dark Sight for a thief. Just pick up a good ranged attack and take out any lighting sources nearby, like torches in a dungeon, or streetlights or such. You'd be very dangerous.
And you're no worse off during the day if you restrict your activities to shopping and socializing and such.

I'm a bit leery of the backgrounds that hit you with big penalties. They can be great for roleplaying, though, if you want to get into that. I've been considering taking Frankenstein's Monster for my Karl Childers character, and I've had fun using Beat with an Ugly Stick for Jim Plunkett.
From a powergaming perspective (to which I'm occassionally prone), though, I prefer those that trade $$ for CPs, like Raised by Monks.

- Stravaig

 

if you like to play with a small party and be a mage then only child is very very good.

and sold your soul with elf is perfect if you want to play a true criminal

 

Educator seems nice. Your NPCs learn faster, but you get one less NPC than normal. Well, I don't travel in big parties anyway. :smile:

 

I like the 'troll blood' background.The social penalties are minor compared to the benefits,and I like having the roleplaying experience of defending myself from people who hate me :smile:

I feel there should be a cool background for gunfighters tho.The ones that are somewhat related to guns aren`t cool enough.

 

For the starting character I would sugjest the following :

Put one point in either Melee or Throwing.
Put something in Dodge.

If you decide to rely on low level spells for damage, then you will have to do a lot of resting in the begining (not much fatigue to play with)

For the most part, 1 point in Melee then Apprentice Training is a minimum for sruvial in Arcanum. Sometimes you may just need to fight your way out of something. Unless you want to play the complete pacifist (which I would not sugjest for a newbie)

Other then that. Put points where you want them, and know that you can get a level or two before hitting the first area of civiliztion. So you could put off getting that first point of more Social items till later.

-gustavef

 

Geez, I thought I was paying attention...I actually have nothing useful to add to those ideas. Damn.

Except- the latest version of the Character Planner on-site is a lot of fun to try combinations on. Pretty handy stuff.

 

Just to elaborate a bit on what Gus said:

My plan for my first few characters will probably be the following:

Raised by Monks background.
Buy a sword (or Boomerang)
1 pt in Dex (to 9)
2 pts in Melee (or Throw)
2 pts in Dodge

Go kill things, and rely on Virg to keep you healthy. Trolling for Random Encounters around Shrouded Hills with this character is a solid tactic. You'll probably want to sell the three grenades from the barrel in Brehgo's cave in order to get yourself some studded leather and Training before you brave the wilderness.
This 'template' character is good enough to gain you a bunch of levels, and then you can spend those points on anything you see fit, be it Magick, Tech, Thief Skills or Diplo stuff.

- Stravaig

 

If your going for a pure melee PC, "Ran away with the circus" or "Troll off-spring are good".

 

I've found my Dwarf with "Nietzsche Poster Child" for some reason (Perhaps lvl 2 Firearms Skill) never gets too many Crit Misses and the 15% XP Bonus is very, very nice. From all that extra XP flowing in I've become quite the builder and negotiator, not to mention a decent gunslinger. I'm finding it hard to pull away from that background for this reason, heh, though lower than 2 CPs in your main attack skill will cause you problems...that and your daggers will find themselves on top of rocks you can't reach if you don't go Melee.

Most of the backgrounds just shift points around which I don't really prefer, rarely do you get a 'bonus' point from it, more likely you get a loss in total. That isn't even counting the very small plus and minus %s that are given or taken away from your skill in comparison to what a full point can buy you. Economy of full point value wise I tend to stay away from those kinds of backgrounds.

---------------------------------------------
- Anolis, "Give a little, get a little, further experimentation says you can see the change, but the beneifits are high profile too."

 

The character I've had the most fun with so far is a Human Male Frankenstein's Monster. Take your 5 CPs and boost dex back to 6 then put a point in melee. (Look ma, a fighter!) But don't stop there. After your first level up buy Agility of Fire. With his 12 con he can sustain a 10 dex indefinately. Now he's a VERY dangerous early fighter. But that's not all... The point is that dumb dialogue doesn't equal dumb character. Franky is now poised to become an incredible magic user who isn't afraid to knock some heads.

 

I prefer inheritence, dunno why, maybe cuz I don't use magic hehe

 

OHHH!!! Don't chose inheritance. Double starting money is not worth the stat hit

 

-1 willpower for a TECHIE is a MAJOR POINT HIT?

think for a minute will ya?

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*monkey edited the wrong msg, sorry, its back to normal now*

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: monkeypunch on 2001-05-22 04:48 ]</font>

 

1 or 2 CP's aint something to cry over, and if you can start out stronger(more coin, more items)you can quickly level up to erase that loss in stats, its no biggie.

personally i'm going for stats that either lowers/raises a stat greatly(5-6), tweaks my skills, or does something else thats hard to do with only CP's, like darksight or Idiot Savant(and the dumb dialog).

er, this was by accident posted in the above msg

"if i'll go melee i'll probably will pick an half-orc barbarian(dodge and melee +0.75 , half-orc raised by orcs, half-orc runaway with the circus, half-orc pit fighter, alternativly an half ogre or elf with the beat with ugly stick background.

my techie will probably be an human, gnome, dwarf or halfling, thinking gnome or human for this one, but perhaps halfling. i'll probably use the sickly, miracle operation, sheltred childhood, bookworm, or idiot savant background.

the mage, er i'll probably never play a pure mage but some other characters are a diplomat, with either spells or technology, depending on there are any tech using NPC's to fin ingame.

some other characters are also thought out, but i'll probably decide after i've played the demo dozens of times."
-monkey

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<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: monkeypunch on 2001-05-22 04:49 ]</font>

 

I prefer to do play half elf only because then i can damage both sides magik and techie's if i focus skills right

 

I should of explained more. Sure you can get 2x starting money with inheritance. But as soon as you start, you can get into the cave and get some grenades that will give you the same amount and more. You'll have to spend a Cp point to get the lost stat back, which would be more useful going somehwere else