New NPC Build Discussion *minor spoilers*
Stasis_Sword
Member Posts: 91
First for anyone who hasn't done Hexxat's first quest leave if you don't want it spoiled. The hope is to discuss the mechanics of the NPCs and how to develop them.
Dorn
Summary - His main advantages are his high strength and blackguard abilities. He's immune to fear and level drain which is great. He's a solid melee character specializing in two handed swords.
Development - The biggest question is what to do with his weapon proficiencies. Do you continue to develop two handed weapons (halberd, spears) or attempt to dual wield (likely bastard swords)?
Equipment - The unholy reaver appears to be the dark Carsomyr, seems pretty noteworthy.
Neera
Summary - Her main advantages are that she is a wild mage with gear that improves her wild surge results. As a wild mage she can cast nahal's reckless dweomer allowing her to cast any spell she has learned (even spells above her level).
Development - You might consider giving her the highest levels spells you can get your hands on to abuse her ability to casts spells not normally available. She's a mage so weapon proficiencies aren't a big deal.
Equipment - Robe of Chaos Shield provides permanent chaos shield and there is a circlet which further improves her wild surge results.
Rasaad
Summary - His main advantage is the magic resistance and fist damage from his monk class. His sun soul monk kit gives him several unique abilities that are particularly helpful against undead, not sure if they're better than default monk skills. He also suffers from the monk weaknesses of starting slowing and having problems hitting some enemies (although weapons can help with this).
Development - Other than picking up a few additional weapon proficiencies (which he likely won't use) there isn't much you can control.
Equipment - He introduces several new monk specific items all of which look helpful. Do the Gauntlets of Aln Zekk let him hit as a +3 earlier?
Hexxat
Summary - We finally got our single class thief, who surprisingly is also un-kitted. To make up for the lack of class variety they added her vampirism, special abilities and crazy stats. She get more thief skill points than anyone else in the game (by a long shot). She also has a ton of immunities which are really useful, almost makes up for the sun thing.
Development - It feels like the developers were just being spiteful when picking her proficiencies. It might be worth dual wielding (despite only being able to put 1 point in 2 weapons) just to increase her number of attacks. For weapons katana, scimitars and short bows would all be appealing, not sure in which order. Thief skills will eventually be awesome, but focus on open locks and disarm traps first (also factor in the dex loss with the cloak).
Equipment - Give her the normal thief skill boost items and kundae if you're going to dual wield.
Please feel free to disagree with my assessments, answer some of the questions above, or add other information you think might be useful.
Dorn
Summary - His main advantages are his high strength and blackguard abilities. He's immune to fear and level drain which is great. He's a solid melee character specializing in two handed swords.
Development - The biggest question is what to do with his weapon proficiencies. Do you continue to develop two handed weapons (halberd, spears) or attempt to dual wield (likely bastard swords)?
Equipment - The unholy reaver appears to be the dark Carsomyr, seems pretty noteworthy.
Neera
Summary - Her main advantages are that she is a wild mage with gear that improves her wild surge results. As a wild mage she can cast nahal's reckless dweomer allowing her to cast any spell she has learned (even spells above her level).
Development - You might consider giving her the highest levels spells you can get your hands on to abuse her ability to casts spells not normally available. She's a mage so weapon proficiencies aren't a big deal.
Equipment - Robe of Chaos Shield provides permanent chaos shield and there is a circlet which further improves her wild surge results.
Rasaad
Summary - His main advantage is the magic resistance and fist damage from his monk class. His sun soul monk kit gives him several unique abilities that are particularly helpful against undead, not sure if they're better than default monk skills. He also suffers from the monk weaknesses of starting slowing and having problems hitting some enemies (although weapons can help with this).
Development - Other than picking up a few additional weapon proficiencies (which he likely won't use) there isn't much you can control.
Equipment - He introduces several new monk specific items all of which look helpful. Do the Gauntlets of Aln Zekk let him hit as a +3 earlier?
Hexxat
Summary - We finally got our single class thief, who surprisingly is also un-kitted. To make up for the lack of class variety they added her vampirism, special abilities and crazy stats. She get more thief skill points than anyone else in the game (by a long shot). She also has a ton of immunities which are really useful, almost makes up for the sun thing.
Development - It feels like the developers were just being spiteful when picking her proficiencies. It might be worth dual wielding (despite only being able to put 1 point in 2 weapons) just to increase her number of attacks. For weapons katana, scimitars and short bows would all be appealing, not sure in which order. Thief skills will eventually be awesome, but focus on open locks and disarm traps first (also factor in the dex loss with the cloak).
Equipment - Give her the normal thief skill boost items and kundae if you're going to dual wield.
Please feel free to disagree with my assessments, answer some of the questions above, or add other information you think might be useful.
0
Comments
DORN
Really benefits from Girdle of Fortitude (the one that sets CON 18). If you like using SPOILER in ToB their profiencies overlap if 2H, so I'd consider speccing Dorn for something else. Otherwise there are some great 2H weapons so...
RASAAD
Just a general note on monks really but AC bracers stack with monk boni and STR belts help with THAC0 and damage.
I also have the the unholy version of Carsomyr from Watcher's Keep, but it's really quite a disappointing weapon. Yay, bonus damage to good enemies, but most aren't good anyway. 50% chance to dispel is good, but I have other means of doing that.
The healing on Foebane is helpful. I'm using the Ravager +6 on another character, but otherwise I think I would prefer that if I wanted Dorn to wield a two-hander.
Anyone using Hexxat and have opinions on her proficiencies/development?
(in my evil run in ToB I have him as a pure archer and let Sarevok take over the frontline instead)
@FinneousPJ Girdle is a charged item now (without displaying the charges AFAICT) so no real benefit vs. potions of fortitude. DUHM will also increase con.
Hexxat: wasted opportunity. I was disappointed by her writing and she is so restrictive in whom she gets along with so good parties still don't have a thief with HLA exceot Jan. If you introduce a character to fill the high level thief gap at least make her usable by many parties...
Neera: hold on to the silly bird inventory waster she gives you
Rasaad: best written and most useful of the new NPCs for me and the only one I will take again. Keep in mind that monks can now dual-wield.
I have Rasaad with Gauntlets of Crushing, a STR belt, and Scarlet Ninja-To in the OH. Good combo or bad combo? He does dish out a lot of damage with that equipment.