My Party (Comments Welcomed)

[Nightowl2]

Mmmm....keep in mind that your fighter won't be too good at intimidation. Starting with a 6 CHA, he has a -2 penalty. Of course, over time you can overcome that with skill points.

I didn't see anything in your list for Alchemy, Spellcraft, or Arcana. Alchemy is important for id'ing potions, and arcana for id'ing items.

Don't see why you'd want armor proficiency for a sorcerer. You risk spell failure unless you waste a feat or two on armored arcana, and there are much better feats to take for this class. I've found that keeping my sorcs in the rear was good enough much of the time. What mage classes need are the mage feats like spells focuses, spell penetration (later in the game), and the ones that increase elemental damage. Also, I'd make con a little lower and dex a little higher for better AC.

Pickpocket I never found very useful. The other rogue skills are more important.

Monks can take the power attack and cleave feats (with high enough strength). Also expertise if you want to improve armor class, but yours isn't smart enough.

Nightowl2

[Vassago]

Originally posted by Nightowl2: Mmmm....keep in mind that your fighter won't be too good at intimidation. Starting with a 6 CHA, he has a -2 penalty. Of course, over time you can overcome that with skill points.

I'm only taking it b/c it costs only 1 skill point. I'm not worried about him being proficient in it.

I didn't see anything in your list for Alchemy, Spellcraft, or Arcana. Alchemy is important for id'ing potions, and arcana for id'ing items.

Sorceror will learn Identify, so I am not worried about identifing items and such.

Don't see why you'd want armor proficiency for a sorcerer. You risk spell failure unless you waste a feat or two on armored arcana, and there are much better feats to take for this class. I've found that keeping my sorcs in the rear was good enough much of the time. What mage classes need are the mage feats like spells focuses, spell penetration (later in the game), and the ones that increase elemental damage. Also, I'd make con a little lower and dex a little higher for better AC.

I was taking armor prof to help him out in the early stages of the game. I took the max con b/c of the concentration skill. Instead of armor prof, I'll look at maybe dodge or something that would help his AC. I was considering advancing his dex as he progresses thru the game.

Pickpocket I never found very useful. The other rogue skills are more important.

I like PP in this game b/c you can get something from just about everyone. I think it helps generate money in the begining of the game.

Monks can take the power attack and cleave feats (with high enough strength). Also expertise if you want to improve armor class, but yours isn't smart enough.

Are barehands considered melee weapons? I wasn't sure. Is expertise that good? I guess it would be for low AC characters. I was just thinking of early game when your characters are swinging 1d6 weapons. Of course getting her int up to 13 would be quite difficult.

[Nightowl2]

I consider arcana more useful than the id spell because it's always available, and no need to rest because you "ran out" of id as you would with the spell.

The problem with the armored arcana feat is that you aren't gonna make much more than level 16 in normal play (any non-HOF mode). Ergo, for non-fighters, choosing feats carefully is vital. Much better to take the risk and go for the spell feats. Besides, there are items in the game that a mage can wear, like bracers of defense, rings of protection, and such. They will give as good or better defense as light armor anyway.

Yes, bare hands are melee weapons, but unfortunately, weapon finesse (dex instead of st bonus to-hit) doesn't work with barehand attacks. Don't know why.

One other thing: if you have only 1 skill point, you can roll it over to your next level gain; you aren't forced to use it right then.

Nightowl2

[Vassago]

I lowered my Sorceror's con to 16 and added the 4 points to dex. Also changed his feat to Spell Focus: Evocation.

Nexus Male Rock Gnome Sorceror Lawful Good
10/14/16/10/8/18
Skills: Diplomacy (Cha) & Concentration (Con)
Feats: Spell Focus: Evocation
Weapons: Maces & Crossbow

How come there it not a Spell Focus: Conjuration?

[Nightowl2]

We could easily ask why there isn't one for illusion, or several others that aren't there. My guess is that this was a design decision, because the actual 3rd ed rules allow for a focus in any of the magic schools.

In any case, I think you're good to go with your team now. Since you're running a short group, the one other thing I recommend is that you turn on max hitpoints before creating your characters. That can be done from the separate config program (the one that turns on HOF). It will help keep them alive

Nightowl2

[ 11-01-2002, 05:28 PM: Message edited by: Nightowl2 ]