Question about HLA's

[Maelakin]

Hello,

Could anyone tell me the total amount of HLA's a Sorcerer will have when they are level 31?

Thanks

[Faceman]

you start gaining HLAs at 3mio XP and gain one/level
Multi-class chars char get one/lvl for each class (but only after the respective class has cleared its HLA XP margin).

[Maelakin]

Thanks for responding.

I wanted an idea of how many I would have so that I could best plan of which ones to take when they become available to me. I'm playing a solo game so I felt it was important to plan accordingly, and having never played the game before this time I didn't want to make a big mistake.

Thanks again!

[Faceman]

As a spellcaster planning your HLAs is not as important as it may be with Rogues or fighters as they basically are (besides some choices) high level spells which you can choose once to get them into your spellbook.
A fighter or rogue has it more difficult to decide which ability he wants how often per day. So while many people will pass of abilities like Deathblow or Warcry for their fighters (or take only one for roleplaying purpose) you will eventually get all mage/sorcerer/cleric abilities (and can't choose any more after leveling up the next time).

[Maelakin]

So you can't take them multiple times in order to use them more times per day?

Or, do you just get a set amount per day you can cast and as you level up your options of which to cast just increase?

Thanks again.

[Faceman]

the HLAs of spellcasters are "Level 10 Spells" which means that they are spells not otherwise (i.e. scrolls) available. If you want to cast them you have to use them in one of your lvl9 spellslots (lvl7 for clerics) which will increase by leveling up. They cannot be cast as innate abilities like the fighter HLAs
This is however the beauty of the sorcerer who doesn't need to "share" the slots among the spells. So at ToB cap (8mio=lvl31) you will know 4 regular lvl9 spells and 5 "lvl10" spells and selecting from these 9 you'll be able to cast 6 spells/day (not mentioning the selections from the other spell levels)

[ 10-01-2003, 05:40 PM: Message edited by: Faceman ]

[Lord]

If you install the levels 40/40 xp cap, then can't you take your sorceror all the way till level 40 for more HLAs instead of level 31?

[Dar'tanian]

Originally posted by Maelakin: Thanks for responding. I wanted an idea of how many I would have so that I could best plan of which ones to take when they become available to me. I'm playing a solo game so I felt it was important to plan accordingly, and having never played the game before this time I didn't want to make a big mistake. Thanks again!

For the first time in TOB try not to solo as that seems to be the general rule with all BG games. If you think it will be to easy just wait. It will be tuff for a someone with out a party to beat many of the battles(WK. Final Battle etc.) with out knowing they are coming and how to plan for them(since it is your first time). If the game still seems to easy with a party raise the difficulty.

Does anyone else agree with me on this...

[Maelakin]

I actually prefer the additional challenge. Playing a solo character without knowing what is around the corner is alot more fun for me than playing when I know everything that is coming. Granted, I probably have a few more re-loads than alot of people who solo but that is ok.

Currently I just finished off all of the Chapter 2 quests and moved into Chapter 3. I might have made a little mistake though. Once you travel to Watchers Keep, is it possible to leave before completing it and come back later?

I got a little too curious for my own good and decided to go site seeing. Either way it should be ok. I'm currently on level 3 of the Keep and doing well.

[SixOfSpades]

Originally posted by Lord: If you install the levels 40/40 xp cap, then can't you take your sorceror all the way till level 40 for more HLAs instead of level 31?

You can take your Sorcerer (or Mage) to whatever level you want to, and you won't get any more HLAs. That's because all of the HLAs for Wizards (and most of the HLAs for Priests) are spells: Once you choose that HLA, you have learned that spell, and choosing it again would be completely redundant. I suppose you could Erase spells like Dragon's Breath from your spellbook, and re-select them on your next Level Up, thereby earning HLAs all the way to the end, but what would be the point?

Originally posted by Maelakin: I might have made a little mistake though. Once you travel to Watchers Keep, is it possible to leave before completing it and come back later?

You can leave WK and re-enter it whenever you want; it will always stay exactly the way you left it. (Exception: There is at least 1 room where some items start off on the floor, not in containers. If you enter that room, don't pick up the items, and come back days later, they will have disappeared.)

2 things to watch out for:
1) If you're in ToB, do NOT leave the Vigil Stone (the wardstone that lets you pass into & out of the Keep) inside the Keep, and then use your Pocket Plane to travel to Saradush. Doing so will screw you out of the rest of the Keep.
2) If you find some funky item in the Keep, do NOT leave it in a SoA area. Either carry it on your person, or stash it within the Keep. Some items can only be used once you enter ToB, and if you left them in a SoA area, you'll never be able to get back to them.