Does the elven chain offer a significant benefit over robe of the archmage, other than flavor? I thought they were about the same AC, and RotAM came with bonus magic resistance?
No benefit except for letting your full mages use the robes while your FMT is happy in his elven chain. For example, in my party both Edwin and Baeloth wore the robes, so my evil FMT had no robe left for him.
Makes sense, there are only 6 robes that I am aware of in the first game (even fewer in the second) so unless you have the exact alignment split in your party, that could be an issue.
First of all, RP reasons. They're very different despise both being able to backstab.
People don't usually get the feeling of playing as a Thief. I like to compare Thief with Batman. He is the kind of guy who will study the area, prepare his exit route, lay some traps to make sure anyone who follows him will be dead, have all kind of trinkets to all sort of situations (potions and different weapons and scrolls), he takes his enemies one by one, from the shadows, focusing on one-hit-ko strikes and, most of all, not being seen. Nothing can stand between a thief and his goals, it doesn't matter if it is a lich, a king or a lich-king. If he wants to kill you he will (or at least he'll make sure that you'll pass the rest of your life looking over both your shoulders), if he wants to rob you he surely will. He'll outsmart you, surprise you, and put you between and outrageous fury and a sincere admiration for him.
Doesn't matter if we are talking about your spellbook or the jewels of a crown, the world is for the thief to take. You wards will not stop him, your guards will not see him, and you'll take ages to know that you've being robbed or you'll go to the afterlife without knowing what cut your throat.
Maybe he just wants to prove that he is better than everyone else. Maybe he wants to cripple a raising evil or instigate a coup against a landlord that is doing too much good and endangering his business. You never know what to expect from a thief and never will. Because being always one step ahead (sometimes literally to disarm traps and scout) and with a card in his sleeve is what keeps him alive.
And the Stalker is just a guy who lives in the woods and strikes hard when caught his target off-guard.
Thieves? You mean the horde of guys working for Maevar who jumped out of the shadows and tickled my dwarven defender with their daggers? The guys who fought and lost a war of the night waged against them? The guys whose best assassins sent to help Charname fail to last more than a few rounds without babysitting? *Those* are the guys you are worried about?!
I think @madmaximus meant Ashirukuru from the 3rd Dungeon Level of the Durlag's Tower. They backstab and then go invisible, backstab again and go invisible... With the SCS they're definitely one on the most unpleasant enemies in BG1.
Yup, Ashirukuru. Thanks bengoshi. The first time one of those things got me I thought "can they do that? Use backstab against me" haha yup. Totally negated by a Dwarven barbarian though.
Ah yes, those Ashirukuru (but did not assume they were female). They backstab and have at will invisibility, sort of like anti-shadowdancers. They are very tough indeed.
I realize this is an old thread, but a suit of Elven Chain woks great on Fighter/Thief and it will allow you to use your thieving abilities without having to switch it out first.
If you really want to power game & don't mind the reputation hit you can relieve a certain Drow NPC of his suit of +4 Mithril Chain after encountering him by the lake fighting gnolls, he also has a nice pair of magic Scimitars too. The Mithril Chain also allows you to use your thieving abilities without having to switch it out first.
There's a way to get Drizzt's Mithral Chain without fighting him. With a single invisibility pot after conducting dialogue with him use the pot. Then go off center in a way where gnolls are attacking him outside of your char's field of vision. Go on a 15 minute break, take a jog, microwave some popcorn, etc, return and there's a pile of gear where Drizzt once stood. No reputation hit. No unecessary fighting. Just spoils to collect.
It didn't occur to me because usually Rings of Regeneration & Free Action, an Amulet of Power and a Cloak of Elvenkind are equipped with the Mithral Chain.
I forgot to mention that this combination works extremely well with a half-elven Fighter/Mage/Thief, the magical Mithral Chain allows a half-elf to still use both thieving abilities & cast Wizard spells.
The Vocalization power of the Amulet means that one can still cast spells irregardless of Silence effects. Kit this up with Paws of the Cheetah, Gauntlets of Extraordinary Specialization & a Composite Long Bow (preferably Tarlash or Tasheron's) means that you will be doing very well.
Just set the character AI default to search and turn auto-pause on so you don't stumble into traps nor are surprised by enemies.
Spellcasting isn't compatible with the Mithral Chain +4 but it does work with the Elven. Pick up Dorn until you reach Baldur's Gate and it's as good as yours.
Does the elven chain offer a significant benefit over robe of the archmage, other than flavor? I thought they were about the same AC, and RotAM came with bonus magic resistance?
Nothing notable aside from color difference. Maybe better protection from slashing, piercing, and missle. Arch i0robes are better for Saving throws and Magic Resistance so it depends what you prefer your char to be protected from. Melee or magic?
Comments
First of all, RP reasons. They're very different despise both being able to backstab.
People don't usually get the feeling of playing as a Thief. I like to compare Thief with Batman. He is the kind of guy who will study the area, prepare his exit route, lay some traps to make sure anyone who follows him will be dead, have all kind of trinkets to all sort of situations (potions and different weapons and scrolls), he takes his enemies one by one, from the shadows, focusing on one-hit-ko strikes and, most of all, not being seen. Nothing can stand between a thief and his goals, it doesn't matter if it is a lich, a king or a lich-king. If he wants to kill you he will (or at least he'll make sure that you'll pass the rest of your life looking over both your shoulders), if he wants to rob you he surely will. He'll outsmart you, surprise you, and put you between and outrageous fury and a sincere admiration for him.
Doesn't matter if we are talking about your spellbook or the jewels of a crown, the world is for the thief to take. You wards will not stop him, your guards will not see him, and you'll take ages to know that you've being robbed or you'll go to the afterlife without knowing what cut your throat.
Maybe he just wants to prove that he is better than everyone else. Maybe he wants to cripple a raising evil or instigate a coup against a landlord that is doing too much good and endangering his business. You never know what to expect from a thief and never will. Because being always one step ahead (sometimes literally to disarm traps and scout) and with a card in his sleeve is what keeps him alive.
And the Stalker is just a guy who lives in the woods and strikes hard when caught his target off-guard.
I think @madmaximus meant Ashirukuru from the 3rd Dungeon Level of the Durlag's Tower. They backstab and then go invisible, backstab again and go invisible... With the SCS they're definitely one on the most unpleasant enemies in BG1.