Replay Value

[Shadow Stranger]

Two Rogues may not be necessary, you basically want them for their lockpicking and trap disarming. If you go Rogue > Barbarian, the PC remains an active thief the whole time. It all depends on your style of play.

[Dr.Pick]

Yeah, I know it's not necessary, and I was planning to do divergent paths for them although I wasn't entirely sure what those would be.

I can do a similar thing with two priests, but I'd have either one Warrior and one Wizard, two Warriors and no Wizard, or two Wizards and no Warriors.

I'd lean toward no Warriors or one of each, but I have to make sure that the Priests and/or Rogues have good fighting skills to make up for the lack of melee strength that warriors provide early on.

Of course a Priest can become a Paladin eventually, but so can a Warrior, and you can get plenty of potions and scrolls to cure poison in the Serpent Temple in my recollection. I believe that's how my past groups made it with one Priest.

I think I'll stick with one Priest, one Warrior, two Rogues and two Wizards. With a good priest and at least one Rogue with relatively good melee skill, we should be fine.

I have a Gourk Warrior with an 87 role that I cannot pass up, and the Rogues, priest, and Wizard are low 80s, so I just have to get another good Wizard, and we'll be ready to save the Lands of the Gael Serran.

+Dr.Pick

[Shadow Stranger]

Serpent Temple is not the only source of poison. Cure Poison spell avoids the need to reload after a Rogue botches a trap. Then the party might hit Jungle Lilies or Gypetian Asps&.
It all depends on your style of play, I am heavily into magic use so I will want all six schools of spells. Vine provides Haste as well as Pry and Disarm Trap, latter spells make it useful for backing up Rogues.

[Dr.Pick]

I know, but a Paladin can study Vine for those beasties that show up later in the game, and this is one of the very few games that I can handle magic users effectively, however I still tend to use them less than other people do. Almost exclusively, I use them for combat and healing magics.

I also tend to use potions and scrolls a lot especially since they are not uncommon items and anyone can use them.

Even though it's been quite some time, I did play through this game at least once completely, and while I've forgotten many of the details, as I plan, play, and write, much has come back as well.

I appreciate your input, and I'll update you with how the new crew is doing once I finalize them and get them out into the world.

Peace, +Dr.Pick

[Dr.Pick]

ok, I'm wrong about Paladins being able to study Vine- they study Spirit, but it still holds true that potions and scrolls will get you through the Temple. I was thinking of Rangers- they study Vine and that makes more sense. Sorry!

Furthermore, I've been intrigued by the Tome of Misinformation's suggestion to have a party of "little people"- Gourks, Dwarves, Ratlings, Gnomes, and Pixies all fit the bill. I'm leaning in that direction.

Peace, +Dr.Pick

[Shadow Stranger]

You could have a Paladin become a Ranger for a while, if you wanted him to study Vine, but he won't be able to return to being a Paladin. My recollection is that poison came my way all too often, not just in the Temple. I don't know if that is a result of my style of play or not.
In the Temple I killed everything that moved.
I don't know if Haste is any good here, it usually is in computer games. That is one thing I did not really try when I played.
At high levels I switched classes a lot: if all classes have a maximum 250,000 xp to gain a new level, that is equivalent to the xp needed for level 12 or 13 in each class. So at level 12 or 13 the xp needed to gain an additional level in the existing class would give you around the first dozen levels in a new class.

[Dr.Pick]

I suppose I could also do a Ranger first, then a Paladin. I like the Paladin Class better, and I'd have to see if it would be sensible.

Some types of characters are going to be more susceptible- resistances to poison from both their stats and any items that may provide protection from poison would be key factors.

As I recall, I usually didn't switch classes a lot, but did what made sense for the development of the individual as well as provide the best balance for the group.

+Dr.Pick

[Shadow Stranger]

Switching classes is the way to rapidly advance in a given spellbook, as long as you switch to a new class that has the same spellbook. This is due to you getting a lot of levels in the new class for the xp price of one level in the old class.
This is true in Wizardry games too. It is useful if you are playing a magic-centered game.

[Dr.Pick]

As I mentioned above, I try to choose classes that make sense for character development and a well rounded group of adventurers. What kind of person is this and why are they choosing this path to follow. That's the kind of role playing I try to employ in the game. Switching roles to gain spells and mana more rapidly would be playing the game, but not role playing the game for me.

I played Wizardry 8 for a while, but it was too difficult for me to play. I found it very frustrating. I eventually got to the first "town" following the starter dungeon, but it took way too long with way too many reloads. I felt like I was wasting my time.

I was disappointed because I was really looking forward to it since DW Bradley had worked on previous Wizardry games and I figured the style would be similar(and it was), but as I said, it was too hard for me.

Peace, +Dr.Pick

[Shadow Stranger]

Wizardry 8, party design may have been a problem?
As for W&W, role-playing (rather than roll-playing) will be a challenge, you won't get the same power as you would from class-switching. Should be interesting to see how far you get.