When is good time to DC a Swashy to Mage?

Mercastor

Hi,
I have returned to the Spine of the World after 10 years of abstinence and my memory is very fuzzy, so I need some advice.
My Party consists of.: DD, UH, F/CL, Shaman, Bard and a Swashbuckler.
The Swashy is meant to DC to Mage and now the question is when. Currently we are on the 2nd Level of Dragon's Eye. Every body is about Level 6 and the Swashy has just reached Level 7. She has 80 Ol, 85 FT and about 90 MS/HIS. If I factor in the Girdle of Gond and Tymora's Melody She would already achieve 100 in FT.
I am worried about beeing stuck in a dungeon without a Thief. I know I can still find traps with that wand and the Cleric Spell but not disarm them.
So, is this as good a moment as any to start the DC or should I wait for a better opportunity? Thanks for any advice.

DJKajuru

I know that the traps on the 4th and fifth level of Dragon's eye are avoidable as long as you can see them (find traps spell!) , so it would be safe for your swashie to dual class after disarming the traps in level 3 (You don't need to fighr everything, just get invisible and disarm all the traps in that map, then dual)

Mercastor

OK, that sounds like a plan. Thanks for the quick reply.

sarevok57

im going to say either level 10 or 11 is the magic number

for me i usually hit around level 10 at the end of dragon's eye, after that there will not be to many traps later in the game ( the severed hand does have some, but they are easily avoidable and dorn's deep has some but you may already have your thief levels back/ you can just cast the appropriate protection from X spell to take less damage - usually fire or lightning damage )

so if you dual at level 10, to hit level 11 you will probably be in chapter 5ish.... sometime, maybe even the tail end of chapter 4,

if you dual at level 11 you will be in chapter 6 before you get your thief abilities back

now the reason why i give level 11 an option is if you have points in setting snares, and also at level 11 your traps get an upgrade and you start getting them 3 times per day instead of 2, so;

if you are not a trap setter; level 10 is the way to go

if you are a trap setter; then level 11 will give you that much more jam

as i said before, after dragon's eye there is not a single lock that needs to be picked ( from what i can recall, and if so you can use knock ) and trap wise, i think the severed hand has.... 8 traps while scaling up to the fourth floor, dorn's deep has.... about the same, 8 or so traps through out the sarcophaguses, chapter 5 has zero traps, and chapter 6 has a couple here and there

Mercastor

Thanks for the analysis, much appreciated. Originally I was planning to go for Level 10 for the extra round of bonuses but then I was surprised to find out that with items and Tymora's Melody you could get away with only 7 levels of thieve without comromising thieving skills too much. Now that you mentioned the Severed Hand, I seem to remember that Bards in full parties get the War Chant somewhere inside the tower, on one of the upper levels, and that would allow the Cleric to replace Healing spells with e.g. Find Traps without compromising health. And Bards reach level 11 at the same time as Thieves-looks like a happy coincidence. I almost never use traps, though. Do they increase dammage output at level 11 or do you only get more of the same?

ElysianEchoes

At level 11 thief, their traps gain a poison component on top of the missile damage.

Mercastor

OK, then I will go 10 and decide again when I am there. Thank you all for your input