Spells saves question

[Foamfollower]

You guys have provided some great tips and I was hoping to get some feedback on saving spell picks. Seems like most people think you shouldn't use your early level spell picks- that it is just better to use books. Would anybody care to offer their 2 cents about the following:

1. What levels are good to spend picks on?
2. How many picks should you save to keep in reserve?
3. Which spells do people feel are "must haves" and should be chosen right away?

Thanks in advance!
Foamfollower

[Tennessee Ernie Ford]

I would ask a different set of questions:

(1) if your mage had 15 spell picks for wiz-school spells L1-L6, which would you pick? (or 12 picks up to L5 or 9 up to L4 or...)

(2) what spellbooks can you find early enough that you don't have to 'pick' the spells during levelups?

(3) what spells do you need in order to get yourself up to Mage level 14 (that allows you 15 spell picks)?

The answer to these questions depends [bold]a great deal [/bold]on

• playstyle,
• party composition, current party level, and
• your own comfort level with combat

For example, if you have an Alchemist and a Mage, the mage doesn't need to get Noxious Fumes for a long time. If you have only the mage, it's an aweseome spell (both disabling and direct damaging).

It's a good idea to have 3 spell picks available when you reach L18 (for pure casters) so that you can grab all three L7 spells at once. At other level ups, the right choice isn't so clear.

[Warhammer]

quote:

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Originally posted by Tennessee Ernie Ford:
It's a good idea to have 3 spell picks available when you reach L18 (for pure casters) so that you can grab all three L7 spells at once. At other level ups, the right choice isn't so clear.

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I totally agree with that, keep 3 spellpicks when you reach level 18 in order to grab all those level 7 spells. Same apply to level 6 spells. There are plenty of books later on for spells 1 to 5.

You also have to think about practicing: if you just keep hoarding spell picks, you won't have the spells to practice with at low levels.

Keep those things in mind but in the end of the day it is really up to you

[fable]

I made note of all the spellbooks that the merchants had, and never chose those spells when leveling. As a result, a few times during the game my spellcasters had no spell picks to make, which made the process of waiting a lengthy time to use the free spell slots less annoying.

I used Myles to grab the spellbooks. Why not increase his pickpocketing? I consider it a tertiary skill, and as he's not a permanant member of my party, nothing's lost by putting so many skill points into it. (My own party philosophy includes going for all the profession's important combat-related skills; my bard grabs all the music she can; and later in the game, everybody goes after artifacts. I want a party that can sling powders and bombs with the best of 'em.)

Spellbooks are level 1-4, which doesn't mean you'll find all lower level spells in books. There's a certain random factor involved in what shows up and where, but I've yet to see a book vanish from a merchant if you don't grab it. Instead, the stock seems (in my experience) to remain stationary. Once you buy something that lessens a full inventory, new, sometimes different items are added. You'll also find books, frequently in library-style rooms, occasionally in odd areas where you wouldn't think to look. I strongly urge adding a ranger to a party, since it increases the likelihood of quickly locating hidden books. The Cast Elemental spell is a joy: even at a low level, it gives you a target to draw fire. And don't forget the spells that mess with your opponents' minds! Even if you like Fireball and such, spells like Insanity, Blindness, and Terror are still truer friends. They can turn invasions and into routs.

[Serops]

There are lots of ways to go about it. I tend to do the following:

I pick armorplate, missle shield, and elemental shield as soon as I can (eventhough you can eventually buy these I find them very usefull early on).

I buy magic screen and enchanted blade from Braffit as soon as I get to Arnika.

I try to hold out on soul shield until Crock has it in stock but sometimes I give in and pick it anyway.

I buy most of my level 1-4 offensive spells.

[ 01-14-2002: Message edited by: Serops ]

[ryu]

i only save a couple of picks for high level spells;
i usually choose even 'crappy' spells from my main realms becouse of additional SP;

[Serops]

Ohh, I forgot to add one thing. I think the type of caster you have should also be factor. I tend to save more picks with a bishop since they have so many more high level spells available. When it's a pri, alc, mag, or psi, I often use up spell picks with abandon.

[Elhana]

You also don't have to get all the level 6/7 spells straight away. You don't get effective casting them until you are much higher level. Right now, my bishops are level 16, and they do more damage with a full strength power 7 iceball than trying to cast a power 4 blizzard. This is even though one of them has 95 in water realm and 99 in wizardry. at level 16, you can't cast a power 7 blizzard without blasting your party half the time.

Hey, even for bishops, you get will likely end at level 24 or higher, so between level 18 and 24, you have 6 -7 spell picks. No need to hoard that much really. Maybe a little as you approah level 18 and that's about it.