I want to build a faerie ninja and try the CoC and see what all the fuss is about.. [img]smile.gif[/img] ))

What is the off-hand weapon that complements CoC the best? I was thinking Rod of Sprites...any ideas where I can get it?

Also what attributes and skills should I focus on? help appreciated.

Rod of Sprites is on AP so it would be a while before you get to it; you could make an eariler run to the are under the waterfall in the SE wilderness to nab the winter wand which is a good secondary weapon; I would dual wield wands from the start, you start with the farie stick for one, there's a shilaleh (sp?) in the monastery, or if you have another faerie in the group, dual faerie sticks early. Be prepared for the character to pretty much be lame until the CoC, then it's a different story [img]smile.gif[/img] Although early on I guess the ninja's auto penetrate with throwing is pretty useful. The one I ran was the most powerful character I think I've seen, between amazing melee ability and using alchemist spells for ranged combat (didn't bother building throwing post finding the CoC, built his alchemy up really well as the CoC is cursed and I don't like to bother with constantly uncursing and switching weapons - also achemist spells are pretty potent offensively).

I would say str/dex are the best stats to try to max out for reflexion and power strike, then probably senses/vit. And definitely build crit strike, with the CoC you'll do an amazing amount of criticals - did I mention the faerie ninja is just a machine? [img]smile.gif[/img]

Yup, until mine got CoC, she was pretty much a freeloader in my party. Did 2-5 damage per swing on average, with 8 (or was it 6) swings per round max. With CoC she's doing insane amounts of damage, and paralyzing, and poisoning, and doing instant kills much more often. I killed three level 13 or 14 rattkin goons in three rounds (ninja, samurai and bishop) with CoC, where each one took more than 3 rounds before getting CoC. Instant kills are suddenly very frequent in my game, compared to an occasional one here, and another one there. Maybe on average 1 in every 7 fights with 2 crit hitters. Now I think I'm getting at least one in every fight, if there's at least 3 opponents :D

For skills I'd go with staff&wand, crit hit and close combat first. Then probably alchemy, and maybe spell realms or perhaps lock&trap/picpocket. For attributes I haven't been able to decide between dex/sen/str and speed (yes, I have put points into speed occasionally), so don't have anything maxxed yet at level, ummm, 13 I think it was, maybe 14, been levelling so fast after getting CoC that I've lost track ;)

Pretty much I go for str and dex for powerstrike and reflexion; senses doesn't seem to do much for crit strikes and eagle eye for a ninja isn't useful since they already have auto penetrate. Speed I think shouldn't be invested in for the ninja as they're not going to be the "designated haste" guy as it's in the Psionic realm. Also I think I would build dual wield early on; when the character starts (pre CoC) dual throwing and dual staffs is a good way to help pump dual up. I'd go for dual, staff, and crit first and then build stealth, close combat and spell realms, wouldn't bother putting level up points into throwing or ranged, go for alchemy instead, unless you really want to keep switching the cursed weapon back and forth and uncursing it all the time.

Yah, just about all my chars get 3 Dex every level to get Reflx going right away, then, for a Ninja; Str, Vit and Sen (that for Initiative and better aim) I usually have someone along who casts Haste, so Spd becomes relatively unimportant beyond 70. I haven't noticed much advantage to Powerstrike, so i don't usually try to max Str right away, i balance with Vit until both are around 75, then add Sen into the mix, by then Dex is done, so 2 points each builds a good Ninja.
If the Ninja is my only Alchemizer, she gets points in Alc up to 15, then mixes potions a lot, and sometimes even does the Knock-Knock routine. Other points may go into PP, depending on the patch, and L&T, if there's no Bard/Rog/Gad or Divine Traps caster. Always, 3 into Crit as long as i can.

[ 07-18-2002, 03:14 AM: Message edited by: otter ]

bump

I agree about the dual wielding staves. I usually pick up the shillelagh in the Monastery, and from then on it's a staff for each hand. If you decide to do this, don't forget to put a point into dual wield each level, or it won't work.

Everyone else's info is pretty on target.

I do put some points into Speed (it helps early one before you get the Haste spell), but I agree about Str and Dex. If you don't invest in strength, there's not much power to their punch.

I've twice got a Rod of Sprites dropped by those fairies (too late here and I cant recall their names) - in the hut by the +5 Int well at Trynnie, so there is a chance to get one much earlier in the game than AP. Once I was a high level and once a low level, so Icant see any rhyme or reason why the drop should have occurred.

isn't that only sprite's dagger?

I haven't got a Rod in Trynton, in hundreds of tries for the Dagger.
I usually sneak up to Bela the first time i go to Gigas, L10-11, for a little shopping trip on my way down to the Falls. These Sprites up by Bela drop the Ring, but less often than the Trynton ones drop the Dagger.
My first game, i had an imported Sai, that was really nice, you can only get those in W-7/Gold, though.
I have a save going now with a Hobbit Ninja in a party of 4. I haven't played that one in a while (distracted by another save with 2 chars); this one is going to throw stuff, wield Swords. Gonna see how young i can survive the Temple, for the Boomer. I still haven't played a non-Faerie Ninja; i've finished 5 without any Ninja (2 Trios, one 5, and 2 6's) out of 15. So that's, so far, Faerie Ninjas two-to-one!
(Drop edited after reading notes--memory bad enough!)

[ 08-06-2002, 01:25 AM: Message edited by: otter ]