Wizardry 8 skill question(s)

So, my bishop is sitting on a pitiful 19 wizardry and 17 divinity, and I'm unsure on how to best raise these two schools.

For wizardry, I've been spamming enchanted blade (wizardry + divine realm), but I rarely ever get skill-ups. Is a character only eligible for a skill-up if, in this case, the prior cast of enchanted blade has already run its course?

For divinity, am I correct in assuming that my main option is using my tank as bait and repeatedly casting heal wound and/or casting guardian angel during said battle? *edit, nevermind on the heal wound solution, damn overlapping schools, argh.

keep casting spells in those schools.

Wzardry- energy blast, frost, magic missile

Divinty- bless, stamina, identify.

You alose probably have to be casting orange level spells dunno since i always seem to be casting orange level spells. Also enchanted blade is wizardry and NOT divine i am guessing that is why it is not levelling up.

Drithius said:

Is a character only eligible for a skill-up if, in this case, the prior cast of enchanted blade has already run its course?

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Sorta.
Basically, if you cast a spell "needlessly", like casting cure poison on a char who isn´t poisoned, the caster won´t be eligible for a skill up.
With buffs like enchanted blade, if a same buff is already running the caster has to cast it at higher power level to be eligible for a skill up.

Drithius said:

For divinity, am I correct in assuming that my main option is using my tank as bait and repeatedly casting heal wound and/or casting guardian angel during said battle?

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Guardian Angel should certainly work since it´s divinity-only spell.
Speaking of overlapping, spells which fall into more than one spellbook grant increase to the one with most points in it. So unless you have more points in alchemy or psionics, heal wounds is also an option.
If you´re concentrating only on divinity and wizardry, all divinity spells should work, unless they´re also in wizardry (which in your current state would result in a wizardry increase).
So for example divine trap or identify item should work well too.

Generally, increasing the spell books is somewhat slower in the beginning, once you get them to 25 or so and have more spells, it should take off.

Aye, I'm trying to make my bishop skilled in all 4 schools - it's a huge hassle! He's halfway decent with alchemy and psionic already, so potential skillup spells have to avoid those categories.

With buffs like enchanted blade, if a same buff is already running the caster has to cast it at higher power level to be eligible for a skill up.

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So, casting in incremental power levels should work then… cool! Off to try that.

Drithius said:

Aye, I'm trying to make my bishop skilled in all 4 schools - it's a huge hassle!

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That sure is and imo in a bigger party with other characters able to cast spells it´s really unnecessary.
The hassle would be more appropriate if you played with, say, a fighter + rogue + bishop trio.
I wouldn´t be afraid leaving one or two books on other characters.
Though being able to play four-way multiclass sure is unique .

I think I mentioned earlier that bishops are hard to develop. You're seeing exactly why. I know that's not much help, but at least you can feel good that it's not just you.

I've never tried DeepO's "ramp up" technique. Sounds interesting. I usually just cast my buffs at power 7 until they "take", at least until I'm almost out of spell points and then I'll cast the best green I can to make sure the buff is in place. I'll live with that until the next rest, and then right back to power 7. You have a much better chance of getting a skill boost out of casting red than you do green.

How do i make an npc leave in wizardry 8?

An RPC? There's a dismiss option in the respective character's inventory screen.

Drithius said:

An RPC? There's a dismiss option in the respective character's inventory screen.

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I see, thanks. I kept trying to right clicks and hoping there was a dismiss option in the main ui.

Well, this isn't a skill question but I didn't want to start an entirely new thread... is it alright to kill a pack or two of Trynnie guards in Trynton? Ie., the ones that block my way in those tight walkways and get stuck in doors.

This si a little late but have you tried resting? in front of them?

I alt-tabbed in/out and that apparently nudged the guys loose out of the door. I'm mostly asking because this is one of the things I remember from my partial playthrough some years back - Trynton was such a PITA to get through because of these roaming guards getting stuck.

Rest and escape out the resting after a second or two. That will usually move them along. I've never tried to attack them, although I suppose you could. It is certainly an irritation when the guards get stuck. The other thing they do is get involved in battles when you don't want them to.

Continuing with the random line of questions, I know there are particular chests that have a small chance of dropping nice items. I realize there's a list on Flamestryke's site but it is, in itself, a mass of spoilers that I'm trying to avoid.

Are there any particular chests that I should keep an eye out for with unique equipment that doesn't always spawn and is deserving of a reload or three?

I never do the reload dance with chests, so I'm not completely "up" on that topic. I know there's two chests in the underwater areas (Bayjin Shallows) that have potentially good random drops. Beyond that, I've never paid enough attention.

As a reminder, chests are "filled" the first time you enter any given map, not when they are opened. So, if you intend to do a reload dance, you have to revert to a save prior to EVER entering the map that contains the chest.

Aye, I'm not normally into reloading ad infinitum for desired results either. It's just that it's starting to bug me that I haven't upgraded the weapons on many of my guys in the past 10 levels or so. I'll keep Bayjin's Shallows in mind - thanks for the response!

In the underwater area there´s also an encounter with buccaneer ghosts (near a shipwreck) which is well suited for this kind of antics. Each of them (there are 8 iirc) has a chance to drop a valuable/rare item and what will it be gets determined the moment they die. So you can try to carefully bring all of´em to low health, run out of combat, save just before re-engagement is about to occur, kill´em all in one banish sweep, check out the drops and repeat to your heart´s content .
That should be enough reloadery for one playthrough I think.

If you´re still hungry for more metagaming, there is
Anyway, don´t push it much - you can obtain some rather powerful items these ways and having more than one would likely result in unbalanced game and harmed loot progression.
Personally I never resist spending some time with the buccaneers though .

Well I found a light sword on the bayjin beach without any reloads... kind of surprised the hell out of me. It's a ridiculous weapon. Level 15ish fighter had been hitting for 50-60 per swing if he landed previously. Now, I'm seeing hits for 140 damage apiece. Crazy.

Divine Trap is by far the fastest way to level up Divinity. Cast it once then hold down shift and continuosly press the M key.
Be sure to have mana stones for recharging with Heli and leave one of the chests unopened in the tavern rooms. Or you can do the same in the lower monastary with the chest next to the trinnie trader (cant remember his name)
Its good to have piety and intelligence boosters also since piety helps build Divinity faster and Intelligence helps build divine magic faster.
Remember too that divine trap builds psionics first if that skill is higher than divinity.

Wizardry Skill.
Once you get to 30 and can select freeze flesh, go into combat with any non dangerous group of creatures until you get to the last one.
Once you get to one creature, cast freeze flesh at lvl 1 then hold down shift and keep pressing M.
Since Freeze flesh costs 6 to cast you need plenty of mana stones or spell regeneration items to slow down or even eliminate spell power usage.
Freeze flesh has the advantage of (A) being wizardry spell only, and
(B) Paralyze monster occasionaly and speed up the combat rounds ?

NOTE. re-casting paralyze on monster already frozen still counts towards level up.
I know this because when i have enough points i cast it at lvl 5 keeping the monster perpetually paralyzed and my points still go up.

Alchemy skill.
Empty your backpack and divide all potions into 8 for one potion in each slot. eg. one light heal in each slot. Then mix one heavy heal at a time by adding a mod heal untill they are all mixed. do the same with light condition and heavy heal to get cure disease once you are at 40 Alchemy and with cure disease + Heavy heal to get renewel once you are at 50 alchemy.
also heavy heal + Heavy stamina for restoration.
The more complex the potion the more points toward level up, so never mix in batches of 5 at a time. Its a waste of level up points.

Psionics Skill.
I always wait till my bishop has enough points for 2 lvl ups then change to a psionic for one level. Use Divine trap to get him up to 100 since the spell can now no longer build up divinity when you are a psionic.
Once at 100 change back to Bishop.

Hope this helps.