Hi from a "new" newbie

[Variol (Farseer) Elmwood]

Tyros, I strongly recommend less in your party. Trust me, it's not harder, it's easier. There's less to manage and you get much more exp. I'm not a power gamer and usually only play on normal. At first it seems like you have nothing in a 4 person party. Believe me, when I take a party of 2 or 3 at most, they're all the same class.
I havn't read everything (it's too long and Olympics are on) but everybody here really knows a lot.
Try a party of 3 or 4 just for a little while and you'll see how quickly they'll lvl up. Take 2 Fighters a Priest and a Mage just for the heck of it. Fighters in front mage in middle and priest in the rear, or whatever you're comfortable with. I can bet you won't go back to 6 again.

[Fiend of the 9 Worlds]

Originally posted by Variol (Farseer) Elmwood: Hey Tyros, and Welcome! Maybe you could slay the"Fiend of the Nine Worlds" for me?!?

Ummmmm..... Huh???

[Fiend of the 9 Worlds]

But OK, you can try... Just remember I have 1298 hp, 6640 stamina, poisoned blade dealing 99 damage every hit, mystic arrows (199 damage and 90% of critical hit) and full immunity to all magic... Good luck. >;-]

[Variol (Farseer) Elmwood]

I know your name, i'll just "Banish" you!
Ha Ha Ha, Just messin' with ya Fiend..
.. actually you probably have one of those tricky names like Gniastoski or something.

[Nightowl2]

Personally, I wouldn't recommend going with a short party until after winning the game at least once with a full group.

Magic in this game tends to be underpowered when used for offense. The best use for spells is to buff/protect the party and disable the enemies. Insanity was one of my favorite spells. Nothing like watching brigands start fighting each other (though somehow, they never damage each other as much as they do you).

Later, you can learn some potent attack spells, but at the start, paralyzing, nauseating, insanitizing (I just made that up ), etc. can go a long way to keeping you alive. Blinding Flash can be helpful, but monsters always run away when they can't see, and tracking them down later is a pain. On the other hand, that means less to fight right now.

Keep in mind there is no rush right now in the game. Take your time and build up the group. Troll the Arnika road for combats. Get up to level 12 or so, then give Trynton a try.

Nightowl2

[Flamestryke]

Tyros,

A Mage and Priest, as Variol suggests, opens up gaining those protective spells at the earliest possible time.

The Mage gains Missile Shield and Enchanted Blade at level 3 as long as their Wizardry is 15.

A Priest gains Magic Screen at level 5 if their Divinity is 30.

The Mage gains Elemental Shield and the Priest gains Soul Shield by level 8 with skill of 45.

The basic magic book (Divinity, Wizardry, Psionics, or Alchemy) does not actually need to be at those levels. Being able to learn spells is based on the magic book + 10% of the realm skill used in casting the spell.

However, it is usually quite easy to have pure casters at those levels by the time their character level reaches that mark since they get a 25% bonus. Just cast every chance you get to develop their magic.

I like small parties too, but I would not recommend a small party to anyone who has not made it through the game yet.

Fighters, Bards, Rogues, and Gadgeteers are fairly easy to develop. Magic Users who cast from one book are fairly easy too. A Bishop is a whole different story. They take alot of work but can become very versitile. Hybrids are a bit tricky and Ninjas can be tough if you're new to this type of character development.

If I may make a suggestion. I played a party once that was so powerful I never spent a panicked moment through the entire game. I think a slight variation of it might give you a chance to experience the game to the end with the least difficulty.

I ran 4 Mook Fighters, a Rogue, and a Bishop. It was really great fun, and a nice break from some of the messes I usually design for myself. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Why not try 3 Mook Fighters, a Hobbit Rogue, an Elf or Faerie Mage and an Elf Priest?

In creation assign max points for the Fighers on Strength, Speed, and Dexterity. Every level up put 3 points to Strength and Dexterity until 100. Then go for Vitality and Speed.

With the Mage and Priest put everything into Intelligence, Speed, and Vitality at creation. Each level up put 3 to each Speed and Intelligence until Intelligence is 95 and Speed is 100. (Use the riddle fountain in Trynton to gain the +5 Intelligence bonus.) After those attributes are maxed work on Vitality and Strength. Take Strength to at least 50 if you can. Then I put points to Piety to gain more spell points.

The Rogue. Max points to Speed, Dexterity, and Strength at creation. 3 to Dexterity and Speed until maxed, it comes quick. Then Strength and Senses. Trust me on this.

You ran into the "much publicized" encounter in the South East Wilderness, well two in that nasty bunch will give your Mook Fighters something very wonderful, that only they will be able to use. Don't despair more are to be had to fill the hands of the 3rd fighter. Give the Rogue the Black Sword found in that temple there.

Enjoy. I don't think you can go wrong with this group. Just don't rush the encounters in the South East Wilderness and give the Mountain Wilderness a rest for a bit. They will take you there and bring you home again with flying colors.

I would not add any RPCs to this group. They are fun, but detract from your characters' development. Let your people do the work and gain the skill increases.

Sparkle might be allowed to tag along at least until her Alchemy is 15. Then have her start mixing potions for your party to sell. With this group, by the time you reach Antone's brother in the Rapax Castle, you will spend millions for his wonderful wares.

If you are anything like me, put off a certain ritual as long as possible. I find killing multitudes of Rapax much more rewarding than listening to valley girl mix potions. Rewarding in more ways than one. [img]tongue.gif[/img] Just keep Ferro alive at all costs!

I hope you try this group. They are a great way to cut your teeth on the game so to speak. Ascend with them then work on another group once you know what you will be facing along the way. The beauty of Wizardry is its replay value based on character development alone.

[Scatter]

Welcome, Tyros! And Flamestryke is right, only i'd take an Alchemist instead of a Mage and forget Sparkle. Mostly because i really like Quicksand and Death Cloud.

yah, Flame, that's a good one. I had one real close to that, with only one Mook Fighter and the Rogue and Bishop as a threesome. I can imagine the expansion you outline would be almost unbeatable if the player has any RPG sense.

And until you get to the point where you can get the Mook weapons, you can find many other nice swords.

[ 08-26-2004, 01:10 AM: Message edited by: Scatter ]

[Fiend of the 9 Worlds]

Originally posted by Variol (Farseer) Elmwood: I know your name, i'll just "Banish" you! Ha Ha Ha, Just messin' with ya Fiend.. .. actually you probably have one of those tricky names like Gniastoski or something.

You cannot Banish me, because Fiend isn't a demon... And "Gniastoski"??? Where did you hear name "Gniastoski"??? It doesn't sound really Polish...

[Flamestryke]

And Flamestryke is right, only i'd take an Alchemist instead of a Mage and forget Sparkle. Mostly because i really like Quicksand and Death Cloud.

True. I do too, but I was more concerned with the protective spells, particularly Missile Shield at the moment. X-Ray was also another concern, so one could know just what lies in wait where.

The Alchemist gets Elemental Shield at the same time so no difference there. Enchanted blade is nice but not really an essential.

Two comprimises:

Create a Mage and plan on using the Staff of Doom for Death Cloud and have the protects and the X-Ray spell.

Or create an Alchemist (assigning creation points to Int, Dex, and Speed - then develop Int and Speed first followed by Dex-Vit-Str, 2 points to each at level ups). Purchase scrolls of Missile Shield (Enchanted Blade can be bought at times too), they are relatively easy to get ahold of, and have the full repetoire of Alchemist spells and be able to mix your own potions instead of X-Ray.

Not sure the trade off is worth it in this particular situation. X-Ray is a great way to prepare for encounters and at least choose your terrain before the enemy engage you. The driving force of this party suggestion was survival. Being forewarned is forearmed, so to speak.

[ 08-26-2004, 09:34 AM: Message edited by: Flamestryke ]

[Tyros the Demon Slayer]

It sure is good to feel "wanted" by all of you offering this advice. Thanks so much.

I am a little hesistant to play the three mook-fighter option. Call it role-playing purism, but that's never been a type of party I liked. (I could never do it in Wizardry: Proving Grounds, either).

Let me ask this -- does the Mook-only stuff that you guys mentioned above work for classes other than fighter? I might feel a bit better about my group if the Three Mooksketeers (sorry, had to), were a Fighter, a Ranger, and a Gadgeteer? I suppose, if it mattered, one of them could be a psionic.

I am fully aware of the benefits of the Level 2 Mage protective spells. I've tried getting/using them from a Samurai a number of times -- I'm guessing that the level you cast them at is important, which clearly my budding magic user cannot do.

I also promise to leave that poor Battering Hogar alone the next time I wander into N. Wilderness. At least until I'm L11 (for the first time).

Oh -- one other random question. I always talk to the Mook in the doorway in Arnika. When I have a mook in the party, one (temporarily) goes on vacation from my party. Do I lose all three of my Mooks if I have more than one in the party?