Visit the Ironworks Gaming Website Email the Webmaster Graphics Library Rules and Regulations Help Support Ironworks Forum with a Donation to Keep us Online - We rely totally on Donations from members Donation goal Meter

Ironworks Gaming Radio

Ironworks Gaming Forum

Go Back   Ironworks Gaming Forum > Ironworks Gaming Forums > Neverwinter Nights 1 & 2 Also SoU & HotU Forum

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 05-31-2006, 05:49 PM   #1
Raistlin Majere
Ra
 

Join Date: March 26, 2002
Location: Finland
Age: 36
Posts: 2,323
I've only really played NWN with fighter classes, so I'm not really sure how good mages actually are. Is there some special build I should follow in making a mage?

And how will a mage handle throughout the whole campaign, against all the bosses and such? Any spells that work especially great in NWN? I also never really got the hang of the whole feat thing, so help in that area would be appreciated...Everything was so much simpler in 2nd edition! [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Just started feeling like blasting stuff to smithereens, and NWN might just quench this thirst for carnage

Thanks in advance!


Yours,

Raistlin Majere
__________________
If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst forth at once in the sky, that would be like the splendor of the Mighty One.

"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds."
Raistlin Majere is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-01-2006, 05:50 AM   #2
robertthebard
Xanathar Thieves Guild
 

Join Date: March 17, 2001
Location: Wichita, KS USA
Age: 60
Posts: 4,537
Well, if you really want to start blasting stuff, take Spell Focus Evocation as a feat for sure...Fireball, Delayed Blast Fireball...Keep your spellcraft maxed out in the skills department, and build for the Epic Spell Hell Ball, it works pretty good too. I won't say why, but take any spell that has Acid in the name, or damage type as well...
__________________
To those we have lost; May your spirits fly free.
Good Music: Here.
Interesting read, one of my blogs.
robertthebard is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-01-2006, 12:49 PM   #3
Witchdoctor
Dungeon Master
 

Join Date: September 5, 2001
Location: Columbia, Missouri
Age: 62
Posts: 93
If you have never played a magic user before, I would recommend going with a wizard vs a sorveror for several reasons. First, even though a sorceror gets more spells to use per day, he/she has less spells available to memorize or know. Both sorcerors and wizards can use any spell scroll (unless in prohibited school if specialized wizard, I think), but sorcerors cannot learn spells from scrolls like wizards. Wizards have to memorize spells each day, but potentially have a much wider range of spells available. This is good if you have never played a magic user since it gives you a chance to try a lot of different spells and figure out what works with your style of play. On the other hand, if you already know you are going to want to do a lot of direct damage and 'blasting,' then a sorceror might have an advantage. I played a wizard in the OC and it seemed that the most useful offensive spells were the direct damage type. Confuse, charm, dominate, fear etc don't seem to be as useful as they were in Baldur's Gate for example.

Two other advantages to the wizard vs. a sorceror to be aware of, though, are first that with intelligence as your primary attribute, you will get extra skill points. This can be quite an advantage if used strategically. Second, wizards get access to the next higher level of spells a character level or two earlier than sorcerors. So those devastating level 9 spells come earlier!

Spell craft is an important skill to keep maxed, especially if fighting other magic users. It allows you to identify spells cast against you. It also gives you a +1 to defense rolls for spells cast against you, for every 5 levels of spellcraft. It is also important when you become eligible for epic spells, since there are minimum spellcraft levels to get the epic spells like HellBall etc.

Concentration is another important skill for spell casters since it modifies spell failure vs success. Anything that enhances the chance of success of your spells is important. I like to keep this maxed. There is a -4 penalty to spell success rolls if your are in or near melee combat and concentration helps this. Taking the combat casting feat eliminates the melee penalty for spell success. I would take it even though you will be avoiding any melee combat. That is what henchmen, summoned creatures and some familiars like the panther are for.

Take the crossbow or sling as your weapon, since you will need something else (ranged!) to do damage when you run out of spells, which will happen frequently at low character levels. Long bow would be great, except you would have to expend a feat just to get the proficiency.

As far as feats go, you might take a weapon focus in crossbow or sling, just to be that much more effective. I really found maximize spell and empower spell to be useful, but not until I was a higher level spell caster. These will make some of the mid level direct damage spells really devastating. Extend spell can be usefull too, especially to extend the time your defensive spells (barkskin, stoneskin or haste, for example) last, although I didn't use it a lot.

Spell penetration is another helpful feat, to increase the success against an opponents spell resistance. Helpful. Spell focus increases the difficulty rating of your spells, so harder to resist, but only within the spell school chosen. Good if you cast a lot of spells from a particular school and those spells can be resisted.

Still spell and silent spell sound great, but don't end up being useful in single player since the NPC's never seem to cast silence and rarely has paralyzation been a problem, at least not enough for me to make it worthwhile. If you duel in multiplayer and face bards or someone who can cast silence, then silent spell is probably necessary.

These all, of course, are my opinions. Others may have different observations. You may decide differently after you have played a spell caster, but they are things to think about.
Witchdoctor is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-01-2006, 01:32 PM   #4
JrKASperov
Fzoul Chembryl
 

Join Date: July 16, 2003
Location: Wa\'eni\'n
Age: 38
Posts: 1,701
Quote:
Originally posted by Witchdoctor:

Concentration is another important skill for spell casters since it modifies spell failure vs success. Anything that enhances the chance of success of your spells is important. I like to keep this maxed. There is a -4 penalty to spell success rolls if your are in or near melee combat and concentration helps this. Taking the combat casting feat eliminates the melee penalty for spell success. I would take it even though you will be avoiding any melee combat. That is what henchmen, summoned creatures and some familiars like the panther are for.
There is this defensive casting mode in the game which rolls to see if you can concentrate without losing the spell, with the gain of avoiding all attacks of opportunity. The sad thing is, it works buggy as hell, just as the rest of the temporary stuff buttons(ie. power attack, expertise, why couldn't they make these toggleable... )
__________________
God is in the rain.
JrKASperov is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
[HotU] Sydney release of HotU delayed to 22nd Dec Memnoch Neverwinter Nights 1 & 2 Also SoU & HotU Forum 7 12-19-2003 05:45 AM
I'll be running both non-HotU and HotU daily! Ziroc NWN Mod: Escape from Undermountain 5 12-11-2003 01:17 PM
Mages OLAF TRYGGRYSON Baldurs Gate II: Shadows of Amn & Throne of Bhaal 8 01-02-2003 11:20 PM
Kensai/Mages vs. Beserker/Mages Lord Lothar Baldurs Gate II: Shadows of Amn & Throne of Bhaal 5 08-23-2002 01:30 AM
Wild Mages?. How are they different from normal mages? Warby Baldurs Gate II Archives 5 10-17-2001 01:36 AM


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 01:46 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.3
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
©2024 Ironworks Gaming & ©2024 The Great Escape Studios TM - All Rights Reserved