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SixOfSpades · 02-22-2002, 07:30 PM

quote:
Originally posted by antonius:
Six,

INT does make a different for the mages - maximum spell level and number of spells per level can matter. Ever want to cast level 9 spells? Tough, unless you're a mage yourself.

.....The way the theif skills are organised means that you're never going to a get a single thief you is good at locks, pockets, traps and stealth. My own Thief is an Assassin, but the low skill levels means that he needs a backup thief (someone to detect traps) so that he can excel in his chosen profession.

Sorry, antonius, but au contraire, on both counts. Last night, I made an Elven Mage/Thief with 19 DEX and 9, yes, 9 INT. Then I Shadowkeepered her up to the EXP cap for ToB, and gave her a stack of Potions of Genius and a buttload of scrolls, especially the high-end ones. Go back into the game, take a few swigs, and there was NOTHING she couldn't scribe. With an Intelligence of 9, she would limited to 6 (or was it 8?) spells per level, and couldn't learn anything past Level 4. Good thing she now has 25 INT, and can learn every blessed spell on the planet. Then I had her rest (to give the potions time to wear off), and then she waded through Irenicus's dungeon, casting Time Stop, Dragon's Breath, Bigby's Hand, Horrid Wilting.....you get the idea. Then I find a scroll of Larloch's. DOH! I've already learned the maximum allowed for my intelligence....time to start drinking again. And into the spellbook goes Larloch's.

Simply put, a Mage does not absolutely require a high INT, except for Dual-classing purposes (I strongly doubt potions would work in that case).

About the Thieving skills: You're right, a backup Thief is always great to hang around, so you can get all your bases covered quickly. But a single Thief, or even half a Thief, is good enough, once you get there: Once I hacked her all that EXP, the same girl I tested the Int with had over 100% in all 7 Thief skills, and her Detect Illusions was all the way up to 250%. And that's WITHOUT all those kickass Thief items (Mercykiller Ring, Amulet of the Master Harper, Boots of Stealth, etc). An Elven Thief only needs to be Level 22 to have 100% in everything, without items.

02-22-2002, 07:30 PM	#14
SixOfSpades Dracolisk Join Date: September 16, 2001 Location: Bellingham, WA, USA Age: 48 Posts: 6,901	quote: Originally posted by antonius: Six, INT does make a different for the mages - maximum spell level and number of spells per level can matter. Ever want to cast level 9 spells? Tough, unless you're a mage yourself. .....The way the theif skills are organised means that you're never going to a get a single thief you is good at locks, pockets, traps and stealth. My own Thief is an Assassin, but the low skill levels means that he needs a backup thief (someone to detect traps) so that he can excel in his chosen profession. Sorry, antonius, but au contraire, on both counts. Last night, I made an Elven Mage/Thief with 19 DEX and 9, yes, 9 INT. Then I Shadowkeepered her up to the EXP cap for ToB, and gave her a stack of Potions of Genius and a buttload of scrolls, especially the high-end ones. Go back into the game, take a few swigs, and there was NOTHING she couldn't scribe. With an Intelligence of 9, she would limited to 6 (or was it 8?) spells per level, and couldn't learn anything past Level 4. Good thing she now has 25 INT, and can learn every blessed spell on the planet. Then I had her rest (to give the potions time to wear off), and then she waded through Irenicus's dungeon, casting Time Stop, Dragon's Breath, Bigby's Hand, Horrid Wilting.....you get the idea. Then I find a scroll of Larloch's. DOH! I've already learned the maximum allowed for my intelligence....time to start drinking again. And into the spellbook goes Larloch's. Simply put, a Mage does not absolutely require a high INT, except for Dual-classing purposes (I strongly doubt potions would work in that case). About the Thieving skills: You're right, a backup Thief is always great to hang around, so you can get all your bases covered quickly. But a single Thief, or even half a Thief, is good enough, once you get there: Once I hacked her all that EXP, the same girl I tested the Int with had over 100% in all 7 Thief skills, and her Detect Illusions was all the way up to 250%. And that's WITHOUT all those kickass Thief items (Mercykiller Ring, Amulet of the Master Harper, Boots of Stealth, etc). An Elven Thief only needs to be Level 22 to have 100% in everything, without items. __________________ Volothamp's Comeuppance Everything you ever needed to know about the entire Baldur's Gate series......except spoilers.