Ironworks Gaming Forum - View Single Post - Your favourite character (discussion post)

otter · 08-03-2002, 06:23 PM

Another variable on the Bishop is your patience (or ideology) with practising. I used to leave Arnika for the first time with all four Schools and Earth and Mental Realms maxxed. This operation can take only a few hours of 'game' time if you have a Mana stone, and if you can't PP He'li for one, then you can come back later when you have one, or camp a lot for Mana regen. If you're also going to mix potions for half-a-mil or so, you'll be camping anyway, for the Merchants to restock, so the Stone is mostly if you can PP, bkuz you can PP enough Flash and Sneezes to obviate buying potions to mix.
Anyway, i build the schools so Alchemy is first to get to 15, so i can mix at Burz already. I take NO spell picks. I read all the Spellbooks, which cover all the L1-5 except Holy Water, unless you PP. That way, you have only to L24 to learn every spell in the game.
My Attribute development is: Int3, Dex2, Vit1. I like all my chars to get Reflx, since that and Stealth make them almost impossible to hit. Once i max Int, i go to Dex3, Vit2, Str1 until Dex maxxes, then Vit2, Str2, Pie2. All three build stamina, and the Staff works SO much better with higher Str!
Developing the Schools to 100 right away involves Knock-Knocking Alc up to 50, then mixing for a while, going back to max with K-K. This will also advance your Earth Skill a lot. I use the Mana Stone instead of camping mostly to avoid constantly respawning the mobs outside, but it has the added advantage of increasing the user's Artifacts Skill. For Wiz, i take a level off as a Mage & cast a lot more K-K's. For Div, Charm. Make sure Div stays ahead of Psi! For Psi, Mindread. These last 2 have the advantage that you can cast them on people who'll recharge the Stone for you, so you can do it in less than a 'game' hour.
Anyway, i haven't done this since my 3rd Bishop; i've found you don't really need to max. Now i just go down to do K-K and camp my Mana back up while waiting for the Merchants to restock their Potions for me to mix, and i only do that until i have the price for all the stuff i want at Bela's. Usually around 75 Alc, 60 Div, and 100 Psi, just because Mindread takes so many SP's.
The point is, really, you don't have to specialize if you have a little patience.
You can boost your other Realms by casting all the Buffs, only Water has a really poor selection of developers--i always make sure i use up my water every battle, that's about the only way. Any buff cast while the same is still in effect won't count toward Skill increases. Hypnolure is great, you just have to be near a merchant, cast it again as soon as it fades, you get a lot of Fire fast. Portal, if you haven't maxxed anything yet, will max whatever School is highest, and Air, really fast. If you've got a lagging School, spend a level as its 'pure' Caster.
My current Party of Two has a Bishop/Lord: first 4 lavels as Lord, L5 Rogue for Stealth, (only 2283 rounds vs 7 Seekers to max both chars' Stealth, one got 87 Shield, the other 92. While i went shopping.) and now in Arnika, have 2 Bishop levels, waiting for L3 to read some Books...I plan to go 8 Bishop levels, to read all the Spellbooks up to L4, then switch back to Lord, continue just the Divine School, wear some really cool stuff, and Maul everything i don't DE! The other half is a Bard/Samurai (Mook).

[ 08-03-2002, 06:29 PM: Message edited by: otter ]

08-03-2002, 06:23 PM	#9
otter Elminster Join Date: March 26, 2002 Location: portland or Posts: 434	Another variable on the Bishop is your patience (or ideology) with practising. I used to leave Arnika for the first time with all four Schools and Earth and Mental Realms maxxed. This operation can take only a few hours of 'game' time if you have a Mana stone, and if you can't PP He'li for one, then you can come back later when you have one, or camp a lot for Mana regen. If you're also going to mix potions for half-a-mil or so, you'll be camping anyway, for the Merchants to restock, so the Stone is mostly if you can PP, bkuz you can PP enough Flash and Sneezes to obviate buying potions to mix. Anyway, i build the schools so Alchemy is first to get to 15, so i can mix at Burz already. I take NO spell picks. I read all the Spellbooks, which cover all the L1-5 except Holy Water, unless you PP. That way, you have only to L24 to learn every spell in the game. My Attribute development is: Int3, Dex2, Vit1. I like all my chars to get Reflx, since that and Stealth make them almost impossible to hit. Once i max Int, i go to Dex3, Vit2, Str1 until Dex maxxes, then Vit2, Str2, Pie2. All three build stamina, and the Staff works SO much better with higher Str! Developing the Schools to 100 right away involves Knock-Knocking Alc up to 50, then mixing for a while, going back to max with K-K. This will also advance your Earth Skill a lot. I use the Mana Stone instead of camping mostly to avoid constantly respawning the mobs outside, but it has the added advantage of increasing the user's Artifacts Skill. For Wiz, i take a level off as a Mage & cast a lot more K-K's. For Div, Charm. Make sure Div stays ahead of Psi! For Psi, Mindread. These last 2 have the advantage that you can cast them on people who'll recharge the Stone for you, so you can do it in less than a 'game' hour. Anyway, i haven't done this since my 3rd Bishop; i've found you don't really need to max. Now i just go down to do K-K and camp my Mana back up while waiting for the Merchants to restock their Potions for me to mix, and i only do that until i have the price for all the stuff i want at Bela's. Usually around 75 Alc, 60 Div, and 100 Psi, just because Mindread takes so many SP's. The point is, really, you don't have to specialize if you have a little patience. You can boost your other Realms by casting all the Buffs, only Water has a really poor selection of developers--i always make sure i use up my water every battle, that's about the only way. Any buff cast while the same is still in effect won't count toward Skill increases. Hypnolure is great, you just have to be near a merchant, cast it again as soon as it fades, you get a lot of Fire fast. Portal, if you haven't maxxed anything yet, will max whatever School is highest, and Air, really fast. If you've got a lagging School, spend a level as its 'pure' Caster. My current Party of Two has a Bishop/Lord: first 4 lavels as Lord, L5 Rogue for Stealth, (only 2283 rounds vs 7 Seekers to max both chars' Stealth, one got 87 Shield, the other 92. While i went shopping.) and now in Arnika, have 2 Bishop levels, waiting for L3 to read some Books...I plan to go 8 Bishop levels, to read all the Spellbooks up to L4, then switch back to Lord, continue just the Divine School, wear some really cool stuff, and Maul everything i don't DE! The other half is a Bard/Samurai (Mook). [ 08-03-2002, 06:29 PM: Message edited by: otter ]