Questions part 1

[eddie-c]

After almost 2yrs I've re-installed the game, deciding to play it through this time, and have some questions/comments which I'll split across a couple of postings.....

1) Multi classing/Levelling

Having gone through some of the threads I have a question about levelling
and class changing, and am wondering if there is a "correct"/proper way
to do this/that should be done, or if it's how one wants to play the game,
and which will have an impact on the chars one creates and playing through
the rest of the game?

I have a bunch of chars that I worked up to about level 10/11, with spawn
set to high and difficulty set to hard. Mostly that was because of (a) having
forgotten a lot about the game (b) wanting to be able to get the stats high
enough so that i could just all of the guilds and have them all complete the
guild quests - except my rogue because of no guild for him in valeia.

Anyway, I've seen people say they only got their chars up to level 5-7
before changing class and am wondering what benefits/drawbacks that gives?

I have noticed that after multi-classing a char no longer gets ability points
until they reach the same level they were in the previous class - although I
don't see any real disadvantage in that because, if you've joined the guilds
then one should be buying points in each guild at level, if you've either done
the gold cheat or, through non-intentional methods of removing 5 chars to solo
one at a time you get the extra gold when you form the 6 party group again.

e.g. I have a 5th level paladin 10th level fighter gourk with the following stats:
20int, 20 spir, 10 will, 18 presence, 20 str, 18 dex, 18 agi, 15 fort

With stats like that I don't need the the ability points as you can see really,
but another thing I have noticed is that the amount of "practices" one gets upon
attaining a level is also only 1 until attaining the same level as the previous
class, so I can't dump a lot of points into say Gallantry as I only get 1 point
to use each level. Is this where my "fall-down" is/where I am going to suffer?

I have a save before class changing, but my party of six are all levels 10-13,
and I have also played them a lot further - e.g. level 11 paladin level 10 Gourk fi - and hence starting again would Really suck at this point.

Thoughts/comments appreciated.

[Radek]

1. I think there are no bad and good ways of changing roles. Follow your goal and change the roles accordingly. Change role, if subsequent levelling up cannot give you anything important.
There are two common reasons of keeping a role:
a) A role specific trait, for example Stunning Blow or Crusade.
b) Spell level 6 and 7 spells.

2. You gain levels quickly at low character levels. That's why many people change roles quickly, too. You get more opportunities to train and you get your skills higher. On the other hand, you cannot gain high level spells this way. Also, you cannot return to an abandoned role unless you reset adventures so that you can miss an important trait.

3. You are correct. You will get 1 skill point an no (or one) ability point until your level in your current role reaches the highest of your levels in the preceeding roles. For example, if you are 7 Barbarian, 13 Priest, 6 Samurai and become a Ninja, you will get the 1 point until you become 13 Ninja.
But it is no drawback! You can train in guilds. This makes the skill points rather unessential. Well, your stats will not grow, either, but you can train in guilds everything except FOR and WIL ans you can use ankhs.
Actually, I can recommend the following:
a) Reset adventures so that you clear your role history.
b) Continue to Ishad N'Ha as a "pure role".
c) Get high guild levels there: Warior 5, Temple 5, Mage 4, Thief 2. And finish the Jathil quest so that you activate the Jathil bug.
d) Now start changing roles. Take a new role, use the Jathil bug for getting character level 4 without losing training opportunity, leave the town, gain next levels and train. Up to level 8 or so. Take next role. And so on. It won't last too long and nobody will be able to teach you anything... Plan the role changes such a way that you get your final role at the end.
e) Reset adventures. It's a different coffee now.

[Wyvern]

Welcome to the board, eddie-c!!!

Radek has already given you excellent advice. One of the very nice things about this game is the flexibility of character development. You can do just about anything you want. I do second Radek's recommendation that you keep magic users learning their spells up to level 6 & 7 before changing them to a role where their realm of magic changes. Other than that, just about everything works!

Wyv

[Bungleau]

Welcome to the boards, eddie-c! May the dust you blow off the game be the decaying bodies of your enemies...

You've got good advice from the man, Radek. 7th-level spells are only available to a native caster of that school, or to an enlightened zenmaster. And you don't get one of those to the end of the game

For advancement, check the Best Tips thread for more ideas. I try to change fighters ASAP and leave spellcasters until they get their level 7 spells. Rogues... I don't even play. Why bother? But by the time you get one to Ishad N'ha, he or she will be very ripe for a class change.

And like Wyv said, the best thing about this game is that there are no wrong answers. Everything is an option, and the only impact is different effects in your game.