chouia

I took Perception and Resolve for dialogues. I took more Perception... and I regret it! Resolve seems to be the best. If I had to start again, for dialogues, I would make something like this (for a ranged character): * MIG 16 * CON 3 * DEX 13 * PER 15 * INT 16 * RES 15 So: * You can quickly get 16 in PER and RES (with helmet you find early) * Then you can get 18 PER and RES just with equipment. When you need more, you can use food, inn or brothel (never tried). * You can easily have good Might for checks. But I never used it. I think there is always other alternatives if you get PER, INT and RES. Furthermore, you can use companions for some Might checks (like Eder). Might is still good to make damage... * You can easily get 18 for some INT check. (There is an early robe INT+2). Sometimes you could need more, but it's really not frequent. * There was few DEX checks I think (especially at the beginning?), and I remember it was always possible to use other attributes or other solutions. But still, you can have 16 just with equipment, when you find it... * Constitution was not really useful for dialogues' checks. And sometimes, you can use companions to do constitution other checks. I played in Hard, and it was ok. 20% less resistance is not so much, especially if you have a class with few base resistance. My character was Mage with MIG 18, CONS 3, DEX 11, PER 17, INT 18, RES 13 And I never got problem to try dialogues... except my mistake with low Resolution. (But it was OK next with +3 Res equipment, expensive +3 RES dragon meat, or inn boost.) Skills are used too for dialogue and checks too. My humble advice id that Lore is the best, even if not mandatory. * Stealth: never used for checks. You need only one character with high stealthif you like to steal. Tank/bandit/close characters can use it to hit quickly at the beginning of fights, but it's not mandatory. A full party with stealth could be fun, but it's complicated... * Athletics: There is some interesting checks (not in dialogues)... but all party members need it. Not too much... I don't know... maybe 4... or 5.. or 6 at the end? * Lore: it opens new dialogues, so it's a good skill for the main character. Some dialogues require high Lore, like 10. You can get bonus with equipment and inn. * Mechanics : I don't remember dialogues with "mechanics"? Did I missed it? So I think it's not mandatory for the main character. However, it's really useful to have a character with high mechanics to unlock doors and disarm traps! I think Durance starts with high mechanics... The best would be a tank/melee character, so he is always in front to discover everything. Notice that speed boost are working during fights, and even outside fights when you are in stealth/detect mode. (bug?) So it's interesting to put speed boost on your "mechanics" companion. Tip: You get experience when you open with mechanics, but nothing with keys. And you cannot drop keys. so, if you have a companion with high mechanics, it's better never take any keys! Except when you have too... * Survival: For dialogues, it's sometimes useful. But not a lot. I remember I could use it for some dialogues with low survive, like 2 or 3. And at the end, crazy survive were asked, like 9 or 12. My humble feeling is that you can forget this skill with no regret. Anyway, if you want to have high "disposition" in the reputation system, sometimes it seems to be better to use "disposition" response, rather than "check" response.

* I convinced a woman to kill herself, just to get help of a God, even if I was not convinced, I didn't get any trouble with her, and i didn't really need the help. * I killed a beautiful Mother Dragon and her baby, even if I didn't need it. Excuse: the dragon was quiet agressive. * I made some people upset, so they attacked me, so I could kill them and loot them. Especially when I felt that to be diplomatic wouldn't work... so I got the excuse that I was diplomatic, not my fault if they were violent. (To be honnest, it's a a weird point in the game for me. Everyone is really agressive, and people attack you when they don't agree with you. Even if they are alone, an you get a very powerful team, well equiped, and with great reputation! Life's value seems to be different in this world... but still, people were too crazy, it was stupid to attack my group, even if they don't have aother solutions.) * I stole a baby. I really just wanted to look at it, and find him a quiet place, but nobody believes me... * I would have sacrifice a friend to get permanent stat increase. (I learned that when I finished the game. But the blood pool didn't do anything for me, so I didn't sacrifice. I don't know why it didn't work.) * I used spells or abilities to make people kill their friends, family, or masters. But the worst, for me: * In a cave, I killed a spider-man with no good reason, with extinction of his race, just to be able to make a powerful weapon. (Internet helped me to know that.) Anyway, I didn't make the weapon, because I refused to sacrifice a part of my soul... and it was not a such interesting weapon. (Even if the sacrifice was not real... technically?) * I helped to kill a merchant, to be friend with mafia in a big city. Excuse: I didn't kill him myself (I run in another room and I let bad guys doing bad job), and he was condemned anyway... Bu I felt really guilty! :D

For Raedric, if you come from the left, the door is small. So, you can let yout team behind, send a solid character to talk to Raedric alone, then make it run (very) quickly to your team. If you get tanks in the small door, and your team behind the wall, it's easier. You can send "magic missiles" or use crossbows to kill mages before they kill you, you can easily boost or protect all your team, and you can even use the effective level 1 priest spell to make an invisible "bubble" on your tanks if it's hot for them. It was not "easy", but it was ok with a low incomplete team. On the other hand, some ennemies in Endless Paths were strong, with high damage and/or zone attacks, I found it more touchy. But they lack team spirit, perseverance and closed spaces (like a trap for example, closing the door behind you). Indeed, now the game is more easy in Deviance bay!!! And up to now "money is not a problem". But you still have to be cautious if you don't want to lose health, especially with weak spellcasters. (Actually, my spellcasters maily use heavy crossbows... I always keep spells for never-coming harder fights.) The main problem is that I found new characters with level 7 and 0 athletism... and next level seems so far... Furthermore, I changed my character with mechanics, but others are really bad, Durance get only 5. So, I will have to use a character I don't want anymore, or I have to create totally a new one with no background in the inn, not cool. I'm afraid too that I already get really good equipment (Endless Path Blade, fireball sword, etc...) Hopefully, we are many in the team. Defenitely, starting with, or without Endless Paths, can change your game...

Hi, Obviously, there will be some spoilers about the "beginning" of the game. When I play, I'm methodical: I try to do everything on a map before I leave, so I don't forget anything. Notice that I play in "Hard" because I like tactical challenge (but I'm not crazy), and I try to sleep only when characters are really tired (using only found campfires). Of course, I didn't know the new mechanics used by PoE (some very good points!), so I made some errors during "level up" choices. All this taken into account, the beginning of the game is... special! First was the introduction. OK. (But it wasn't nice to kill my new friends!) Next I was a lonely wizard versus big bear: hmmm... Then is Eothas Temple. It's was hard, but... ok, I asked for it. Then was Raedric Castle. It was hard too, but when you love, you don't count. Next was... Endless Paths! Sure, it was hard, and long. But I had to clean my cellar! After all the efforts, I was stupidly blocked at depth 13. So -it's bad I know- I cheat on internet to find how to open the talking door. There, I just learned 3 things. 1) You have to go further in the main quest to be able to pass depth 13, and there is "only" 15 depths. 2) Maybe it's better to do Endless Path later. 3) Maybe it's better to do Raedric Castle (and even Eothas Temple?) later. Yeah. : ) So, fortunately, the game is not that hard? ; ) Does it mean that now, with my team's level, the game will be "too" easy during some time? (I was level 3-4 when I started Endless Paths, and now I am 6-7. I got 4000 gold, and now I have 20.000 and plenty stuff to sell.) I'm really curious, I'll see... (No problem, it would be hollidays.) It's vicious to offer hard -feasible- challenges at the beginning, if you are not supposed to do it !!! That said, I must admit that I used a lot of "hit and run". (Kana is very good for that with "speed" and "reload" song. Talent "+1 speed" is efficient too.) Up to now, maybe it's the biggest IA weakness. 1) Ennemies don't get enough "team spirit", and sometimes they come alone. BG tribute? ; ) It's better than Baldur, of course, but still, a group of ennemy should come all together, isn't it?... 2) Ennemies hate to go too far from their start point. So, at some point, even if they see you, they go back if you go back. Maybe it would be better if they always follow you, so you couldn't be hidden behind an invisible wall? -> A full group purchasing you to death would be a respectable opponent. Anyway, yo don't have to use this kind of tricks, for sure... but it's fun when you can try to do the best versus the game, without using personal limitation. I remember the first fight at depth 10, whith appearing shadows: It's a fight in closed space (the only one in Endless Paths!), so you have to fight the entire group and protect yourself. Hard time, good memories. The Dracula fight (Fampyr?) with black guards and small gateway (hopefully) was a though one too. Anyway, it was fun! But I hope that if you start directly with Endless Paths, the game is still challenging after that.

Hey! I didn't realize thath mechanics helps to detect hidden stuff. Do you know what is the most important for that: Perception, or Mechanics? With the game system, my Tank is very weird. (Small Orlan fighter with MIG 2, CON 18, DEX15, PER 21, INT 3, RES 19) As she is always in front, I gave her a lot of mechanics points, so she detects, open and take everything. But she is always in stealth mode to detect things... and she always try to approach ennemies quickly... so I was thinking about giving her stealth points too... but I don't know I I will have enough point! How many mechanics point a main picklocker/detector/hurt locker should have to be efficient during all the game? (Is there any "unlock spell" later in the game?) Sure, Mechanics seems to be the best, but you need only one character with is I think. My main got a lot of Lore, but I'm not impressed. Some points in Athletics is usefull of course, but up to know I didn't get too much trouble with Fatigue. Survival is ok, but I never use cunsomable, always keeping it for harder moments, or doing other actions. (Maybe for a big figth I will need cunsomables). So, I'm not a stealth player, but maybe it could be fun. Especially because, effectively, I'm always in stealth+rapid mode to detect thnigs, and to get the first strike. Notice that I don't know how much skills are important for interactions; PS: At the first Inn, I bought two level 1, for 250 gold each, so I made my own tank and my own priest (full MIG/DEX/Int...) I though it was the way you play the game. But I don't know if it was a good idea. Is it better to use character from the game?