Just wondered what would be the best split of magic schools if you had two Bishops in a six person party? I realise that it may depend on any hybrids you would have in the party but was thinking of having the two Bishops to cover all the spell casting needed, with two fighters up front for raw damage, Bard and Gadgeteer.

Anyway, would you go Wiz/Psi and Alch/Div or Wiz/Alch and Psi/Div etc?

What have been your experiences, and why pick the different schools as you did, eg why go with Wiz/Psi etc?

Incidentally, was thinking of going two specialist spellcaster route until I get the level 3 spells and then change to Bishop. I'm guessing that you would neeed to start with a Priest and Mage for the Enchanted Blade, Missile Shield, Magic Screen and Armourplate buffing spells?

Thanks.

With your party mix the Bard and Gadgeteer can eventually cover armorplate and magic screen as well as some othter nifty spells via their gadgets and instruments. This means you have three possible development paths for the Bishops.

#1 (Slow to start but more versatile in the long run.)
Start both as Bishops. Place most of your points in Wizard, Divinity and Psionics. If you get Alchemy to 15 to 20 points you can develop through practice by mixing potions and powders. You should put just enough points in the realm skills so that you can cast at least in the yellow. Using this method you constantly cast spells with the bishops so that they can practice. At early levels this is tough but after developing some spell points and having the money to buy magic stones and nectar you can constantly cast spells every battle.

#2 (Good start but loses a little versatility in the long run.)
Start each "Bishop" as a pure caster for the first few levels then switch over. I would recommend either Psionic, Priest, or Mage depending on your play style. I like psionic for Insanity and Terror. Great spells for the early to mid levels. Priest is good for healing and buffing. Mage is good for offensive magic and Enchanted Blade. Switching over at Level 3 spells is probably a good plan. The downside is you will be weak in the other schools of magic.

#3
Combine #1 and #2 above. Start with a Bishop and one pure caster of your choice.

Personally I would go with #1. I played through my first game with a Psionic and Bishop as my primary casters. The Psionic rocked in the beginning but by mid to late game the Bishop was much more useful. I have started a second game with 4 characters and only one primary caster a bishop. While slow to start, the bishop is now tearing things up with a wide variety of spells. All my schools of magic are within 10 points of each other. My alchemy goes up nicely by mixing powders and potions. On level up I place 3 points in power cast and two points in each of the other skills. All realm skills are only going up by practice now.

In the final analysis you need to decide what is going to work best with your play style.

I've been using single Bishop parties since the game came out. The latest one is one I really like. Started an Elf Alchemist for one level and then changed to mage for one level, then Bishop. The advantages are, as an alchemist you get 10 in throwing and Sling, lets you use those cherry bombs and powders. When making my alchemist, I put 5 points into Alchem, Earth Magic, and Devine Magic, the Mage gets 5 points in the other 4 realms. What you get is a Bishop with enough Throwing & Sling to be effective, at least 5 points in all realms, enough Alchmey skill to mix basic potions. Use your level up points to raise Wiz, Div, and Psi. Your Wiz buffs will take over after a few levelups and you can then put 3 points into PowerCast. The only downside is that both Wizardry and Alchemy are one level behind and Divinity and Psionic are 2 levels behind a pure Bishop.

I'm finishing off a very magic-heavy party consisting of a Samurai, Valkyrie, Ranger, Gadgeteer, Psionic (who later became a Bishop) and a Bishop (now an Arch-Bishop, ie learnt all 101 spells). It can make for a slow start, but now I've got 5 characters all casting multiple Level 7 spells, they are a walking, talking monster mashing machine. MWUHAHAHAHA!

Check out the link below which might be of use to you.

Have fun!

[img]smile.gif[/img]

[ 10-16-2002, 07:17 AM: Message edited by: Wolfie ]

Arch-bishop! I wasn't aware any such thing existed. Is it just when you've learned all possible spells? Is there any benefit, beside a title and the "coolness" factor? Please elaborate.

My current party includes the following:
Hobbit Samurai
Rawulf Lord
Mook Bard
Elf Bishop

The party is around 8th level currently. I am planning on changing the Bard to either a Ranger or Fighter later, though I haven't quite decided when.

WRT the bishop issue, I have focused my bishop on Alchemy and Mental magic to start with. All points have been going into Wiz/Alc/Psi. Currently, they are all between 50 and 60ish. Because of heavy use, Div is up to 30 just from Enchanted Blade and Healing. I'm hoping to have my Lord assume most of the Div realm duties. The Samurai is training in Fire and Air realms. Of course, any duplicate spellbooks I can get my hands on I use, so there is some overlap between the 3 casters.

BB

Arch bishop is just a title you get after reaching a certain level, I think.

I usually play with 2 bishops, have finished twice with 4 person parties, 2 bishops in each.

For a 2 bish. party, would strongly reccomend playing only 4 or fewer characters: you get enough more levels, and get them faster, that its definetly easier in the long run, and they will both me more competent.

I play one as a preist/alchemist and the other as mage/psionic until their primary magic schools are full, then add the other schools. In a 4 person party, both will have all 4 schools maxed well before the end.

I never put exp. points into the realm skills: they'll go up through use and practice. I keep a close watch on which schools and realms their spell picks are used in, and try and save as many picks as possible to use at the big breakthrough levels. Mage_77 also has a list of where spell books can be bought or found thats very useful: nothing more aggravating than wasting a pick on a book you could have just picked up.

Early on, the p/a will mostly be a healer, buffer and defensive magic, serves as the party money maker by mixing potions, etc. and selling at [often huge] profit: keeps your group in top notch weapons, makes it possible to buy any book you find and store it for future use if need be.

The m/p will be more attack oriented. Use him to mix low level stuff when he can, though.

This division allows access to portal and summon for both, and gives them a nice range of spells for any occasion: group attacks, individual attacks, buffs, etc.

HTH
Oru

Oru

Are you the person who had a four hobbit party with two Bishops? If so, how did they do? I cannot remember the thread mentioning this party.

To anyone. If I did go four party route with two Bishops (Wiz/Psi and Alch/Divine) who should fill the other two slots?

Thanks.

A fighting class is always necessary, otherwise it will be very difficult.

In my current IM game (level 28-31), I have a ninja(lvl 17)/fighter, a mage (lvl 7)/bishop and a bishop. One bishop concentrated on divinity, alchemy and a little psionic, and the other bishop concentrated on wizardry and divinity.

I have written about this party in "the toughest challenge" thread. They are now hunting for monsters on Ascensions peak. They won't settle until they face a level 50 creature.

My 4 Hobbits had 2 bish, 1 sam wielding light sword and e-wazikashi [may have switched to canzou], 1 val using Xcal. They ROCKED. 1 bishop did the early game as a rouge and trained some on the treasure chests in the monestary. Didn't do any other profession switching or training 'cept a few spells cast at the trynton manna font.

My 4 faeries had 2 bish, 1 ranger, 1 ninja, no switching, no training [well, maybe a little at the manna font], and were even better, IMHO, despite the very limited equipment. The natually high manna regen made up for a lot of deficeincies.

I think it gets easier to build Uber parties after you've played through once, and my groups seem to get a little better each time. I like making a library of spell books that I may want later in the trangaporter room, and I always cast any healing/buffing spells with the hybrids, once they have them.

Both these groups cleared out the away camp before becoming templars, the fairies didn't even break a sweat. When both your magic users can cast Hex and an 'kill all' spell, even large groups of enemies don't last long.

Oru

[ 10-17-2002, 04:40 AM: Message edited by: Oruboris ]

Then they perobably won't settle at all.
My fighter/bishop duo played quite a while at AP (and reached level 38/34). Highest enemy level was 40. I met level 40 enemies quite early, and it didn't increase.