Hybrids spending 1 level as spell casters (analysis)

[fung]

It is generally heavily recommended for hybrids to spend one level as pure spell casters b4 level 5 if they intend on using magic...as a boost to the spell casting skills.

i.e. Samurai spend a level as a mage...and monk spend a level as a Psionic.

Well anywayz I was thinking that this is not as good as it sounds...bcoz samurai have a starting intelligence of 55 and mage requires 60. Likewise monks have 50 starting intel and psionic requires 55.

Both will lack an intelligence difference of 5...this forces u to put 5 attribute points in intelligence upon character creation. Now, since samurais or monks don't generally put points into intelligence, this can be considered as a waste on what would otherwise go into str, dex etc.

By switching your hybrid into a spell-caster...u effectively trading 5 attribute points for some spellcasting skill points. Whether this is worth it is basically your choice...but let me remind you that skills rise on themselves...whereas attributes require leveling (can take very long as higher levels).

*note: U can of course, stick with base intelligence, and go to trynton and get the 5 intelligence points from teh fountain. But I seriously doubt that u can rush to tryton b4 level 5.

[el_kalkylus]

I think it's worth it. If you don't spend alot of time to train the magic skills, that hybrid will have very low skills all the time. And to get better in magic, means you gotta skip fighting some which makes your fighting skills be lower than you would want to.

The intelligence requirement can be good if you want powercast. I always want powercast for my spell-casting characters, besides intelligence is a controlling attribute to most magic skills. Either I want little magic with lot of fighting skills or lots of magic and decent fighting skills for hybrids. With lots of magic, I want powercast. I really liked my spell-casting staff-wielding samurai before for example.

So it all depends if you are gonna train your character's magic skills or not. If you train skills, you almost don't have to bother about stats at all. (note the almost)

[ 09-04-2002, 09:03 AM: Message edited by: el_kalkylus ]

[Rhea]

I agree with el_kalkylus. If you're not worried about how soon your hybrid fighters can effectively cast spells, then making them a pure caster for a level wouldn't be something you'd care about.

OTOH, I like to utilize the spellcasting abilities of my hybrids, and switching them to a pure caster for one level allows me to up their skills, so that when they do begin casting spells, they're more effective (more spell points).

And for one level, you haven't lost anything in attribute points (you're still distributing the same number), and only a little in combat skill points. The only catch is giving them enough points in int or pie to allow you to change classes in the first place. I tend to choose races that aren't too shabby in this department anyway, so it's not like I'm giving up tons of attribute points to make it happen.