Nearly ready to Dual.... (Spoilers)

[Qmanol]

First of all, Hi everyone! This is my first post at Ironworks. Nice to meet you all.

I've just decided to try a solo Kensai/Mage through SoA and ToB, and I've got a few firsts going on - first Tactics game, first Insane game, first solo game...
Lots of reloading going on.

Anyway, I've got Tactics, Ascension, Item Upgrade, and Ease of use (infinite stacking, GM, and Mage THAC0) mods installed, And I somehow managed to get past Improved Illych (Not solo, though!) I've just hit level 12, and am in Chapter 3. Here's a few questions:

What should I spend my proficiency on for Level 12? I've got GM in Katanas (Never used CF before) and 2 in 2-weapon style. I'm wondering if points I put into, say, Daggers or Quarterstaves before dualling will be overwritten by points I put in while my Kensai is inactive. The last point for -2 THAC0 on the off hand of 2-weapon style seems a little wasted. Planning to get specialized in Daggers(Fire tooth) and Quarterstaves(SotM) as utility weapons.

How well can I take on the Twisted Rune with a scroll of Prot. Magic? It would seem to nullify 3 of them, I can toss Azureedge at the vampire, leaving only the Thief to worry about. Then again, maybe I should be worried about MMM in Tactics... I'm hoping to get into Magery with the Big 3 - Amulet of Power, Robe of Vecna, Staff of the Magi.

Finally, is it worth using the Illithium to upgrade the MoD/Azureedge? I'll have NPP from Amulet of Power, and MoD is +4 already, meaning it can hit Kangaxx - The extra XP should be more useful at this stage, yes?

[ 07-30-2003, 01:07 AM: Message edited by: Qmanol ]

[Raistlin Majere]

Originally posted by Qmanol: Finally, is it worth using the Illithium to upgrade the MoD/Azureedge? I'll have NPP from Amulet of Power, and MoD is +4 already, meaning it can hit Kangaxx - The extra XP should be more useful at this stage, yes?

the improved versions give you a greater chance of killing undead with one shot, and they give you immunity to level drain(which you get from AoP aswell).

also, you dont have to give Sir Sarles the real illithium. High Watcher Oisig will be perfectly happy even if Sir Sarles doesnt work for the Temple of Helm. youll just have to spend a little bit more gold on the illithium...

[Lord]

Welcome to IW [img]graemlins/thewave.gif[/img]

[Armen]

hello [img]smile.gif[/img]

ok - you put a point in staff as a kensai then dual and put a point in staff from you mage stars

when your kensai reactivates you will have ONE star (the game picks the highest from the two rather than stacking)

once you've reactivated your fighter class you can use remaining mage stars to stack on what's there but you won't get many

sixofspades (regular, some say guru, poster) has a guide linked in his signature that coveres this

[Borg]

If you are dualling a Kensai at level 13 to mage, while a Kensai, don't put any stars in dagger or staff. Those are the only two weapons you can add a proficiency to while a mage and that will work as a Kensai (if you are playing with Balderdash and using the Kensai the way it should be used). Also, before you reactivate the Kensai, your mage will have had two stars to allocate, one to each of dagger and staff. Therefore, you waste your stars if as a Kensai you give one to either dagger or staff (I learned this the hard way). Keep in mind, though that I think you will only get one or two more stars to allocate to proficiencies the rest of the game.

[Qmanol]

Well, I've just run through Mekrath, so I'm ~100,000 XP from level 13. I also tried taking on the Twisted Rune, and failed miserably - my tactic might work on the unimproved lot, but not these. I did manage to off Shangalar consistently though, so that's 50,000 XP and a nice start to the battle. Anyway, I have another idea, and it's this -
Cloudkill. Lots of Cloudkill. Basically, kill Shangalar, level up, dual class, and then take advantage of my magic immunity by spamming cloudkills all around me. Drink invisibility potions to stay invisible as much as possible. All I have to do is sell and buy that wand from Irenicus' dungeon - Yes I still have it - Cloudkill wands can be hard to find! Other than that, I'll have to level up to the point where I can take them on "legitimately" - But that leveling up will be much slower and trickier without the SotM. I would get boots of speed before I did this, but I really can't handle the planar prison ATM. I suppose oils of firey burning might help? Oils of speed will be essential, most likely, without the boots of speed.

Or, if anyone can suggest a good way to go about getting up to lvl 14 mage in Tactics (Curse those random bandits!) I'm all ears. For those interested, here's my completed quests: (I suppose it's a spoiler)
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Mekrath - Free Haer'dalis
Trademeet - All except Tiris as I hadn't exposed the tanner until after I left Trademeet - oh, and the Trolls nest, as they kill me too fast.
Sir Sarles - using real Illithium
Circus Tent
Meeting Aran Linvale (No Mook yet)
Killing the Slavers
Exposing the Tanner
Freeing Viconia
I think that's it - Most of the smaller quests done. Also a few areas, like the pirates in the Sea's Bounty Tavern. Everything else seems too difficult for me right now.

[Xen]

Using cheese and deleting-writing spells?

Actually Twisted Rune can be easy even for a Solo Kensai.(Yes even Improved Version)
You need a Shield Of Balduran,a scroll of Protection from Undead,Azuredge and you are ready to go. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[ 07-30-2003, 06:44 PM: Message edited by: Xen ]