My question concerns why some of my characters cannot performe certain actions. First, I have a 3level fighter/thief but this character cannot pick locks, he has a 70% to pick locks, his pick lock action icon does not illuminate. Second, in a previous game I had a mage 4level who was unable to identify and again his identify icon would not illuminate. Perhaps I need to reload my game.

The lockpicking thingy is a matter of armor: thieves (including multiclass fighter/thieves and cleric/thieves) can't use their thieving skills while wearing armor other than leather or studded leather, so it sounds to me like your fighter/thief is wearing chainmail or better. If you take off his armor you should see the icon light up.

For the mage, it sounds like you're trying to cast Identify like you would cast any other spell, through the spellcasting icon and then selecting the question mark-icon. This is the only spell that doesn't work this way. Instead, go into the mage's inventory, right-click on the item you want him to identify so you'll get the item description window, and there should be a button saying 'identify' somewhere. Select this and choose between 'spell' to cast from memory (if you have the spell memorized) or 'scroll' to use a scroll (if you have one of those). Good luck and have fun with the game.

Oh, and welcome to Ironworks.

And adding to what was said you cannot cast mage spells (including identify) while wearing armor for DC/MC mages

<font color = mediumspringgreen>goe2112,

[img]graemlins/happywave.gif[/img] . [img]graemlins/happywave.gif[/img] . Welcome to the forum!! . [img]graemlins/happywave.gif[/img] . [img]graemlins/happywave.gif[/img]

Armor is your most likely problem.

For your Mage: are you scribing spells to your book; then memorizing them by: selecting them to open slots in your mage book and then sleeping? If you do not have an Identify scroll, nor an active (scribed AND memorized) spell, then this would make it impossible to identify anything beyond your lore ability, and might grey out your "Identify" button.

If your character is a Dual Class (DC) character, then skills from your first class will be inactive until your second class reaches a level that is one level HIGHER than the first. If you do not know what I am talking about, then your character is a Multiclass (MC) character, and the above does not apply to you.

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[ 12-09-2004, 10:54 AM: Message edited by: NobleNick ]

Welcome to IW, goe2112; [img]graemlins/happywave.gif[/img]

You've got good answers to your problems already, so I don't have anything to add. No need to reload your game.