Drakensang Help getting started in the game ?

mooninja

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October 13, 2009
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hey guys,

As a massive D&D and CRPG fan, I bought drakensang a while back since it seems to be the type of game I adore. However, after begining the game, I quickly realized that I was in a little over my head with the character creation. I'm the type that loves to know what works with what, and prime myself before I create a character.

Anyone know of a guide, or a thread that would help me make some better characters, and to understand what evertything does better ?


Thanks in advance!
 
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Understand everything? That's not so easy. ;) The German version came with the latest intro book to The Dark Eye as pdf. It was something like 300 pages.

Right click often explains things. Formulas are also often hidden there. In expert mode you have to free some skill points by giving back some skill levels before you can redistribute the points.


Generally speaking the game starts so easy that you don't need to understand everything. Your knowledge will grow as you play.
 
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There are some threads here and over at the official forums which discuss some of the things that concern you, but they might be difficult to find. My advice, go with the battle mage.
 
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Most important:

There are 8 basic attributes (strength, charisma, etc.). They are tested with a D20. Roll below (or exactly on) your value and the test succeeds. Same thing with attack and parry values in combat, also with dodge.

Talents (except for combat-Talents) work like this:
A talent is assigned 3 corresponding attributes. For example Swimming (not actually in the CRPG) would be Agility, Constitution and Strength (AG/CO/ST).
When a talent is tested, there are three individual dice-rolls on each of these attributes. Your actual Swimming skill would then be used to balance dice-rolls that didn't succeed.

Lets make an example:
You have values of 10/14/12 in AG/CO/ST. You have a swimming skill of 5.
The game-master asks you to do a swimming test (he can make this test harder or easier if he chooses, indicated by e.g. +5 or -2 etc.).
You first roll the agility die: 9 - success.
Then you roll the constitution die: 5 - sucess.
Finally the Strength die: 17. Failed.

But luckily you have 5 points in swimming, exactly enough to balance the failed strength test.
If the first roll would have been 11, there would have only been 4 points left to balance the last roll, and the test would have failed.

Sometimes there are prerequisite amounts of talent points you need to save (not use) to succeed in something. Or the number of leftover points determines the value of your success.

Magic spells work exactly the same. A spell to befriend someone for a short period of time might be a Charisma/Charisma/Intution test (CH/CH/IN), and so on.
The leftover points ("TaP*" is what they are called - Talent Points, and the * stands for leftover, don't know what leftover spell points are in the English version) then tell you how long the spell works, or how strong the bond between you and the bewitched person is. For a combat spell they may add to the basic damage of the spell, etc.

Hope that helps a little.
 
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Jul 22, 2007
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I think the right click on unknown elements is the most needed thing for players who don't know the system.

Also take a look at these threads :

Questions about TDE rules : http://www.rpgwatch.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6508

Asking for help : http://www.rpgwatch.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6643

Drakensang English Wiki : http://www.rpgwatch.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6623

Classes/Character types : http://www.rpgwatch.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6507


And here are several pages with English-language explanations :
http://www.chromatrix.com/html/talents.html
 
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Thanks for the information and links guys. I'll give the Battlemage a try when I can get around to reinstalling the game again. I'm excited to delve into this game, it seems I should of given it a better chance the first time through!
 
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One more question, I normally play a Wizard with a inclination towards Domination/Controlling magic. Is there an equivalent in Drakensang ?
 
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No, not in this game. Only as far as I can remember - I have never played a Wizard in this game yet.

However, you'll be meeting one of the most powerful domination-oriented Druids within this game ... As an NPC ... His name is Archon Megalon ...
 
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I'd even call him the most powerful domination-magic wielder in all Aventuria, regardless of magic tradition...

But now that it is mentioned: why aren't there more domination- and influence-spells in the game? Some wouldn't be to hard to integrate, surely.

There are some though. Horriphobus, Plumbumbarum, Master of Animals, Meek you be, Sleep of a thousand sheep... and with the introduction of the Geode, there will probably be even more in River of Time.
 
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I have a bunch of links (some overlapping with Alrik's) I can send you.

One in particular on the official forums that explains all the skill/talent checks and coded abbreviations / notation was INCREDIBLE useful! I wouldn't have enjoyed the game without it.
 
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I'd even call him the most powerful domination-magic wielder in all Aventuria, regardless of magic tradition…

You might be right … Only recently I read things about him which made me shudder … He seemed to have used people for his fear-oriented experiments ! Which is - within Aventuria - more than just disturbing ...

Unfortunately I'm not deep enough into the lore to know enough about him.
 
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