Character creation for maximizing dialog options & xp
Hi,
I remember back in the original PST there was a character classes/stats progression to maximize dialog xp
IIRC it included starting with 18 int and wis, rest on cha, taking a few levels of fighter but most mage.
Any idea if this still holds for PST:EE?
TIA!
I remember back in the original PST there was a character classes/stats progression to maximize dialog xp
IIRC it included starting with 18 int and wis, rest on cha, taking a few levels of fighter but most mage.
Any idea if this still holds for PST:EE?
TIA!
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Comments
Unlike recent CRPGs such as Pillars of Eternity, Planescape makes an unlimited amount of XP available to you through respawning monsters like Sigil's abishai, UnderSigil's demons, and the Fortress' shadows. So there isn't any great need to worry about maximizing the amount of XP you'll obtain from dialogue.
On the other hand, there is a *huge* amount of lore you'll only learn if your mental stats are sufficiently high. There are also a few things you'll only learn if you are a mage, though this is offset by the fact that mages level very slowly and hence don't give you as many stat points as a thief or fighter Nameless One would have. By endgame, you can easily be losing out on 10+ stat points if you go mage, which is enough to make fighter or (especially) thief worth considering.
As such, all the strategies from the older game are still valid. Starting with 18 Wis is advisable for every character, although if you want to go for a mage for the later part of the game, you would need some early investment in Int, to be able to get the extra xp from quests and from Dak'kon.
Str is still the less useful stat to have, even as a fighter.
What about classes?
I remember a few years ago one was supposed to get 5 levels as fighter and then rest as mage. Does this still apply? Does it matter?
For the second specialization level, at 12, you can get it as fighter for an extra fifth proficiency point allowance, but the total amount of necessary experience to reach that level makes it wasteful if you want to go all mage and be able to cast level 8 spells by the end of the game.
And truly, EE for PS:T means almost nothing new. Some bug fixes and a few esthetic features, but nothing that would change significantly the game from the older version. Personally, I kind of felt I wasted my money on it, as I still have the original game.
WIS 18 (+1 at the level 2; the rest with buffing and permanent bonuses)
INT 15 (+3 from specializations; +1 from Ravel; +3 from Tattoos; +3 from Zero ring)
CAR 10 (+7 with items and permanent bonuses; + Friendship spells cast many times)
DES 13 (to increase up to 17 leveling up to get maximum experience when you become thief for the first time). Without two specializations in the same class you cannot save Morte from the Pillar of Skulls.
Leave him out of your party in the previous area. Same with Annah and Fall from Grace. Then all you need to sacrifice is the Modron Cube and/or you health.
Which means that by Fighter level 7, you must have completed the "mage quest". Do I remember correctly?
If you struggle a bit with melee combat in PST, or if you want to start the game with an 18 strength and be catapulted directly to 19, then it can make sense to get your first specialization bonus as a fighter even if you're planning to be a mage or thief for the rest of the game. Otherwise, there's something to be said for getting both specialization bonuses in the same class because you receive extra benefits for doing so.
For your first specialization bonus (at 7th level), you get +1 to STR/INT/DEX (depending on your class) and if you are a fighter, you also gain the ability to put one additional proficiency point into a weapon. For your second specialization bonus (at 12th level), you get the same thing. So for example, if you first reach level 7 as a fighter and first reach level 12 as a mage, then your total specialization bonus would be +1 STR, +1 INT, and the ability to put one extra proficiency point into a weapon.
You also receive extra rewards if you receive both specialization bonuses from the same class, which the game calls "double specialization":
Double specialization as fighter: +1 CON, +3 hit points
Double specialization as mage: +1 INT, +1 WIS, and +5 to your lore score
Double specialization as thief: +1 DEX and +1 to your luck score
So if you double specialize as a mage, you receive a total of 4 stat points: 1 INT for your 7th level specialization, 1 INT for your 12th level specialization, and 1 INT/WIS for having gotten both of your specializations in the same class. Whereas if you mix-and-match fighter and mage, you only receive 2 stat points.
Additionally, there are a couple of places in the game where you receive a small in-game benefit from double specialization. Two that come to mind are Fell's (where an extra tattoo becomes available) and the Pillar of Skulls (where one of your options for receiving an answer from the Pillar becomes less costly).