Starting out. Need tips.

Just looked it up on the Wiki. Looks like shield + fencing weapon could be the best choice for a mage, as there are also excellent fencing weapons for the main char…so forget what I said!

Do the RPC's named equipment (Forgrimm's Axe, Rhu's Armor) improve with the character like in NWN? I didn't notice any changes so far, but I don't know what I'm looking at half the time with this system. ATM, I've got Forgrimm using the blacksmith's hammer because it had better ratings than his axe.

I never saw named items improve of themselves, so eventually I swapped them out.

They don't improve.

As a part of my own role-playing style, I never gave those personal items to other party members.

Because i wouldn't like someone to fetch my own cellular phone for him- or herselfself as well - even if he or she is in my own party.

My party members were all marxists.

I don't intend to pass personal items around (at least so far in the game), but I'm starting to find equipment at merchants that is better than the RPC's named items. Thanks for the info, y'all.

With each of the npc's i collect and tell to meet back at Ardo's place, i remove all their clothing and posessions and leave them in their undie's, i stash all the items in the chests and cupboards and select or use or trade a few as required. There was indeed some history and reference to the gods in Rhulana being faithful to them (keeping the armour set?) but found nothing by keeping them enabled, so i also upgrade or swap/change weapons by the increase in their stats. But the armour set were definitely (historically) referrenced to the discipline of their god/allignment. eg: Rhondra.

Originally Posted by Grandor Dragon
My party members were all marxists.

Which is not quite like the *real* Aventuria is, I think you (should) know.

Does it matter much if I DO keep using staff on my mage? I don't really like the idea of using shield+fencing weapons just for power gaming. So if it doesn't gimp my character, I'll keep using staffs.

Also should I take roundhouse attack for Rhulana? Is it worth the experience cost?

I kept the lightning staff which i used randomly, was very effective against crypt-lice.
The roundhouse attack? - i found as my teams stat's increased eg: offensive/3, that the green bar would drop quite fast during intense battles so much so that i retarded the effect back to offensive/1, still good tactically and better than running low on stamina. Therefore because of this i held back on spending exp points on heavy usage combat skills such as the roundhouse. Throughout the game i always had the full team attack one opponent and took them in singles and always the biggest opponent first.

Originally Posted by Syvere
Does it matter much if I DO keep using staff on my mage? I don't really like the idea of using shield+fencing weapons just for power gaming. So if it doesn't gimp my character, I'll keep using staffs.

Also should I take roundhouse attack for Rhulana? Is it worth the experience cost?

Just a side note about this. *Your* idea of a mage is the typical robe guy with a big staff we've all been fed countless times, but in the world of Drakensang, spellcasters are not usually like that, they normally use shields and armor (non-metal)

Originally Posted by wolfing
but in the world of Drakensang, spellcasters are not usually like that, they normally use shields and armor (non-metal)

They do ? I didn't think of them like that.

In my opinion they don't use shields and armor … But I must admit that I'm not that deep into the world of Aventuria …

The normal mage of Aventuria is coming from a kind of aventurian university for magic, and he doesn't know too much about "the world outside".

The "battle mages" of Andergast are a very rare exception ! Their "university" is a rather special one, and since this "battle magic" goes rather into the direction of grey to black magic, they are not always welcome - or so I had it in my memory.

Even to conjure a skeleton within a city would very likely be punished … because conjuring skeletons like that falls under the kategory of "conjuring demons" (the mechanism is like that that there are actually demons "taking over" the lifeless skeletons), and that is considered black magic and is banned in the greatest part of Aventuria (as far as I know).

In TDE, mages indeed moslty fight with staves. I think Drakensang was no exception. Alrik is right abotu Andergast. In P&P, a friend of mine once played a mage from that academy. It felt quite unbalanced, as he could fight and cast spells rather well.

well i started as a experimentalist also after many tries with dif chars and i chose staff. Now i learned bows and im thinking of using him as a ranged mage but didn't event tried it yet because i i use very much the spell that puts enemy's to burn and when im about to change all enemy's are gone but im still in the beginning… ( i just remembered i guess there's ranged combat spells that could use the point instead of wasting them in bows and it would be better to put in astral power to be a very able ranged caster and have other mage to do healing and lock picks like the charlatan companion dont remember the name and 2 tank and one Main tank with one weapon and shield like forgimm and anther thank 2 handed bows like randala the one from start change her to 2 handed and use bows maybe or use bows in mages if its a good idea as back up to when energy goes down ….)
AS im starting which spells are good to have both offensive and defensive and to buff ?? i dont know if its a good idea to invest in spells like increase agility and such in the long run ??? is it worth it and if so witch ones also???

ands btw what about spellweaver as a starting mage with wich weapon to start they got also good spells as lightning and a animal companion is it a good stating mage???

As for fighter which would u chose as tank?? a warrior or a dwarf mercenary both shield and weapon???

finally as a battlemage i use staff and maybe when i get the chance fencing or spears for mortal blow ans max fastness, ignityus and thunderbolt i think it a good mage but opinion i accept.

And were do i see my armour class rating or my ac if it exits like in all rpg games ???

Personally, I'd give this advice alone: Start experimenting !

Don't listen too much at advices, but rather try out things on your own !

And keep some savegames just in case you aren't satisfied with your results !

And remember that a right-click on spells and talents and on many other things gives you an description !


Apart from that, I repeat that healing, especially healing wounds, is in my opinion the only really necessary thing in the game.