Questions about Swordmages and Battle-wizards

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Epicspencer

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First of all, incredible mod. I have pumped in dozens of hours already.

To my point, I was think about making an Orc charecter I'm coining as, The Dark Warchief. Basically, a might Orc fighter with magic powers and necromatic abilities. What should I do to make this kind of charecter effectively?
 
Your best bet would be to:
- make an orc (duh!)
- choose either a fighter, a mage apprentice or a necromancer, those will set you on the right track:
if you choose a fighter you'll have to buy spells and a spell book for him and increase necromancy.
if you choose a mage apprentice, you'll need to increase necromancy and fighting skills
if you choose a necromancer, you'll need to increase your mage skills, get a spell book and increase your fighting skills
- increase plenty of intelligence, magic power, magic defense and necromacy require this
- increase some strength and combat abilities so you won't be a wimp in hand to hand
- specialize in one handed, two handed or polearms, there are good weapons of each category, but the best magical ones (in 0.53) are either one handed or two handed.
- increase your throwing skills so your magic actually lands where it's supposed to
- don't neglect your shield skill, it will save you from spells and arrows all the same
- either get mage robes as armor or hunt for the elven mail shirt plus equip a hood so you'll get all the magic bonuses. However, if you find that you are getting pwned in combat, aim for armor and a mage hood. If you find either unholy knights or demons running around and you manage to defeat them, you'll be able to get the twilight armor set which will protect a lot and won't hinder magic too much.
 
I also had this idea for my army make-up. My undead would mainly be my swarm infantry, archers, and clerics, while orcs would be my elite infantry and calvry with shaman doing their sha-jobs, and the drow would function as my main wizards and assassins. Am I doing this effectively, and where is the best place to start?
 
I think you should increase the exp gain rate for the mod, and alternative ways to gain permanent stats and skills because the amount of skills required for extensive builds are rather high, as well as the requirement skill level for spells etc are rather very high as well.
 
habeo123 said:
I think you should increase the exp gain rate for the mod, and alternative ways to gain permanent stats and skills because the amount of skills required for extensive builds are rather high, as well as the requirement skill level for spells etc are rather very high as well.

No-no, it's ok now.

Creating fighter-mage-thief-cleric-necromancer-bowman-paladin character may be funny, but not interesting.
It is necessary to specialize in one aspect, and skill points will be enough for all. If you want more - simpy read books from the beginning.
 
I should remind you that the skill cap is raised to 15, for most of the combat related skills, so what's the point when you can't even utilize that cap?

I think the skill cap should be approachable, not to be able to max all skill caps but at least able to max one (while still have some other skills).
 
Is this why most of the spells my character casts are ineffective? I've hit someone in the face with a flame arrow and done 6 damage, even though my character has +5 magic skill.

I suppose she can make up for it with her necromancy. Bring on the zombies.
 
English_Knight said:
Is this why most of the spells my character casts are ineffective? I've hit someone in the face with a flame arrow and done 6 damage, even though my character has +5 magic skill.

I suppose she can make up for it with her necromancy. Bring on the zombies.

It also deals with the type of armor your wearing, the spell's damage type, the enemy armor / magic resistance, and a few more aspects.  Could you give us a bit more info on the circumstances of the damage? Does it happen to be consistently low on just that spell or all spells? What are you wearing? Who are you fighting?
 
All spells, anyone, some imported armour. I'm assuming that's where the problem lies. I suppose I'll have to just stick to throwing knives :wink: Which is a shame, considering I built up the magic power skill!
 
... Now what about a "Character templates" topic, where people could post their templates (Orc Warlock in that case, or Orc madfighter, or Human Mage...) with the corresponding background, skill training and equipments?

This would help newcomers in actually seeing what people did and what worked, since the mod can be a bit overwhelming at first!
 
English_Knight said:
All spells, anyone, some imported armour. I'm assuming that's where the problem lies. I suppose I'll have to just stick to throwing knives :wink: Which is a shame, considering I built up the magic power skill!

Yea, the armor your wearing can heavily affect your magic damage because you're getting a penalty right now.

Armor Magic Power Bonuses:
  Twilight Armor = 0.5
  Novice Robe = 1
  Elven Mail Shirt= 1
  Mithril Maille = 1
  Apprentice Robe = 2
  Vedmak Armor = 2
  Journeyman Robe & Dark Robe= 4
  Djanni Mail Shirt= 5
  Adept Robe & Night Robe= 6
  Balrog Body= 6
  Expert Robe & Dread Robe = 8
  Master Robe & Roid Robe = 12
  Archmage Robe= 16

Hats and Helmets
  Novice Hat, Novice Hood, Twilight Helm, Death Knight Helm = 0.5
  Apprentice Hat = 1
  Journeyman Hat, Dark Hood = 3
  Adept hat, Balrog head, Night hood = 6
  Expert Hat, Expert Hood, Dread Hood = 9
  Master Hat, Master Hood, Void Hood = 12
  Archmage Hat, Archmage Hood = 15

Staff Bonuses
    Gnarled Staff= 0.5
    Journeyman Staff= 1
    Adept Staff, Shaman Staff = 2
    Expert Staff = 3
    Necromancer's Staff, Master Staff = 4
    Archmage Staff = 6 

Each of these numbers adds itself proportionately to the magic power skill score on every spell formula.
If any other armor and helmets are worn (ones that are not enhance magic) the score, to either the robe factor or the hat factor, will become 0.
If by adding both robe and hat factor the result is 0, there will be a -5 penalty to the multiplier *Multiplier being one of the numbers that helps determine your spell damage by "amplifying" the power of the spell*, so in theory you could wear metal armor and a wizard's hat or a wizard's robe and a metal helmet, but the bonuses you'll get will be significantly lower. If you get the -5 penalty, the spell's total magic power will be seriously lowered and could make some spells nearly useless.
For the time being there are no magic enhancing boots or gauntlets, but that could change in the near future. Currently these do not factor into the magic damage multiplier mentioned before.
 
Does the Balrog body drop or is it purchased? How hard is that drop? I'm guessing pretty hard since there aren't many Balrogs.

Edit: Sorry for resurrecting the thread. I found it in search and that's kind of what it's for.
 
No, balrogs won't drop their bodies, but since this is a complete list of all magic enhancing bodies/armors their also in there... and in case you were also wondering why balrog fireballs hurt so much :grin:
 
Technically you can't be a Battlemage.


Because you will always have to unequip your weapon to throw a spell, and some spells will remove your shield, unless you summon the pink Frisbee as a shield.
Buffs are pretty much the only thing you could get away with, to be competent with melee fighting and using magic.
It's not like "The Elder Scrolls" where you can equip a spell in each hand, or same spell in both to combine them into something stronger, or a spell and a weapon.
And you can't buff your weapon in this mod, well.. a buff that would be cool to bother with.


Cleric is about as close as it gets to being a Battlemage.
Clerics even get an AOE fear.. which is dumb right? when a Necro gets undisciplined brats who do their own thing whenever they want (or whenever the script backfires and turns half your army into enemies).
Oh but Necro gets a staff.. that with a single hit has a slight chance of making 1 UNDEAD enemy maybe get feared.. unlike the Cleric who can just aoe terrorize everyone at will... how justly deserved that spell is for Cleric.. /sarcasm..


Mages don't get lazers..  so sad..


Being a Mage is kinda like having batmans utility belt.. you use the spells when the time's right..
You can't just go mana silly and engulf the area in an inferno or drown your enemy or tornado them into the sky.. no you have to carefully use your throwing skill to pitch a fastball of whatever you're casting at the enemy, no spells cost no mana either.. like the basic first few beginner spells.. that would technically make you a mage.. nope none of that.
You take those few seconds to swap out your weapons to get a spell.. then you use your mana, then you swap back to your weapon.
Meanwhile Only having the option of nightmare gear really.. if you wanted to be melee, or else being a piece of bread that can make you run fast but unable to take any hits, cloth wearing is just asking to watch the rest of the fight from the death cam and hoping you had enough army to win, unless you wanted to be a Mage Ranger..


Being a cleric.. is pretty much awesome..
Get all the toys.. and can even get the Mage utilities for kicks.
You can summon weapons.. you can throw summoned weapons.. you can buffs and heals and be whatever you want to be.
It's a shame you don't start the class with a big cape with an "S" on it.
Just get enough cash to buy the healing ring gloves, for you and your companions, then just set them to follow you everywhere... you will never die.. i suppose you could do that for every class.. but cleric also gets extra buffs.. so its just super mode.
Clerics can do everything.. meanwhile Necro gets.. um transparent nakid men or leppers? that won't do what they're told? without huge time investment.. unlike a cleric who just wins by level 10.


Necro mage..
Basically yer a babysitter for undead that can have a tantrum in the middle of battle and go run off and help the enemy at any point in time, until yer level 30 with 10+ necro skill... or if you spend all your time leveling up staff and getting the 1 single necro item to help with controling the undead.. a staff.. just a staff.. it looks cool.. but staff fighting in MB|W is boring as hell.
Majority of the people who play Necro are always buddy buddy with the magocracy.. to get the golems.. because no morale issues.. surprise surprise.. that and being a necro you get no nifty spell book or anything other than  "lichdom"  which is basically a "i hope another faction kills off the blazing hand now, because i wont be able to even get to fight in one of those battles now, but hey.. i don't need to eat or something now.. yay.. it cost me all this loot and gold.. and all i got was this lousy T-shirt.
The Haste + Undead + Golems.. basically as much fun as you can have with a Mage Necro, then it's all down hill.


Mage Ranger..
Yer a mage with a bow.. that's it..
You need to be all weird with spell usage because of the inventory slots when casting spells, it can remove your ammo.. and then yer basically screwd, and you won't get the benefit of being either class.. especially without an archmage staff.
Haste is basically all you can use, which is kinda all you need.


Mage Barbarian..
Who plays a barbarian.. really?.. i mean plays it for longer than an hour before making a new character that's a cleric.


 
I liked your post, but you absolutely want to play a barbarian. It gives you a bonus when you take damage that can increase your power. For example, taking a couched lance attack could give you something like 150%+ increase in damage. And then you can bless yourself and heal up by chopping horses with the leech sword/using cleric powers. You can hit people for 500 damage with the maul of titans and the above.

A cleric Barbarian isn't the strongest class (a pure mage is) but you'll only ever die to tons of demons/fireball spam or huge amounts of enemies. Unless you want the special ability of the paladin and if you can in anyway justify having high combat skills at the start, you should be a barbarian.

The only thing useful for you as a magic barbarian would be haste though. Clerics are awesome. I wear my Superman symbol proudly.
 
What slot the spiritual hammer appear? I try to play a mix of cleric,fighter,mage,necro . when I cast haste the hammer disappear but sometime it is not.
 
Morrowind Mod Man said:
I have played a barb :smile:


I looked around for a "Let's Play" for a barb.. and it looks like other people think like me.
If it's not special or fancy.. then it's not worthy.


Barb is boring, not at first.. but after a while.. the build up of the class.. the progression.. is just stale.
There are no benefits for the class that come with "Weapon Skill" other than the original M&B/w, like some script to do a whirlwind attack with chance on hit after getting 150 skill in 2handed weapons or something.
You know.. interesting stuff..


Instead you have to focus on healing During battle.. and getting that damage modifier..
When you look at it from a perspective of entertainment, you can see the potential of the "enrage after being hit" thing, to do more damage.
Then you need to build the character around that, it's not just a given property when in combat.
You can't block and gain the benefits, so you will be taking damage.. so you will be wanting a healer and healer ring glove, not those damage strength gloves.
So in some cases you lose potential of making your class how you want, based on how the game dictates how you need to play it.
Kinda like playing a Diablo 3 barbarian.. with the armor sets n such..


Eventually you are mixing other class's stuff into being a Barb.. because it feels like it's missing stuff.


If you played a Barb.. without looking for multi-class-purpose spells or items, my hats off to you, but i found it limited to a quick class edition with nothing else going for it.
 
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