So you think you're a scholar

[Cantousent]

I haven't had much time for the whole message board thing of late. I'm in Vegas now and, being set to travel to Viriginia soon, I won't be home until late October, if not November. Still, I couldn't stop myself from starting my MotB guide to all things Scholarly.

 

Now, let's get it straight from the start, this isn't the only way to play a scholar. It's just the way that consistenty worked for me.

 

I'll save specific game decisions for some other time. For now, let me begin with my basic philosophy of what it means to be a traveling academe. I'll post other stuff later, but post is all about the build.

 

First of all, I don't have any intention of crafting anything personally. For the stuff that really matters, I've got companions. In fact, I always figure if one mage is good, two is even better. For that reason, I plan on cultivating a relationship with a certain bald red wizard and her charming little creation. No, I don't find bald women particularly hot, and the Thayan culture is distasteful at best, but I recognize the possibilities for a close association with a fellow mage.

 

Freeing up feats for other things, such as combat casting, spell penetration selections, and spell focus makes life much easier. likewise, I'm going to invest the most time honing my skills as a specialized illusionist. That's not because Illusion is the best school. It's not. However, Enchantment is the least valuable school, and specializing in illusion gives me extra access to spells and so forth. In fact, I'll use those extra feats for spell focus in evocation. Once epic feats are available, mundane feats just aren't worth taking.

 

Skills are the scholar's biggest asset. I suggest pumping points into tumble, diplomacy, and search, even if they start at cross class. What I don't suggest doing, at all, is wasting points on crafting skills. You're not a mechanic, you're a scholar. Let your fine red wizard companion play the part of an artisan. After all, it's the red wizards who are entrapped by the trappings of power. You know ideas are the real power in this world or any other. Tumble is perfect for those pesky situations where you find yourself at the front of battle. You're place is trading spells, not sword blows.

 

Damn, and real life rears it's ugly head. I'll try to update more of the basic build process later tonight.

[Cantousent]

So, where was I? Oh, yes.

 

You've already got your skills down. Many of your early feats are set in stone if only to earn your status as a scholar. I would only add that you needn't feel constrained to hit Arcane Scholar at the earliest possible level. If you want to take one of the background feats, I'd say go ahead. Also, I'd start out, in addition to being an illusion specialist, as either a ladies man or flirt. It's this simple: don't invest points in intimidate, and don't regret the decision. Intimidate is a perfectly reasonable skill, but it affords a young scholar nothing so vital that he cannot live without it. However, being a ladies man certainly gives more than enough bumps elevate the player past the meager penalty to intimidate, which this character build neither use nor need.

 

Now for stat array. It's also simple. Play a sun elf. Pump up intelligence to 20. If I remember correctly, you should be able to have a strength of 8 and stats to fit your preferrence otherwise. Once again I'm testing my memory, but I believe I had my stats built to:

 

8 str

12 dex

12 con

10 wis

20 int

12 cha

 

Why such a low strength score? Because strength, for my scholar, is going to be used for one thing, and I have pack animals to carry loot. If the game comes down to your strength stat bonus to save you, you're not playing a mage. If you consistently rely on strength, you're already screwed. Your scholar is not a brawler. Strength is essentially meaningless to your success in combat.

 

Why the other stats? I don't like to be a complete min/maxer. I like being a smooth talker. I like having a decent dexterity and constitution, which are important to just about everybody, and I don't have points left over for a wisdom bonus.

 

After your initial build, everything you get goes into intelligence. Why? First of all, we're taking advantage of a lot of skills. If you go for a wide skill array, like me, then you're going to either burn a feat in able learner. Don't do it! ...Or you're going to buy points at cross class prices. No matter where you are on your road to the end game, you'll be paying two points for one rank of some skills. By the mid game, if you've stayed the intelligent course, you'll have extra points to burn to push up some skills for no other reason than the cool factor.

 

It's more than skills, however. Those are just a guilty pleasure. To satisfy our powergamer urges, we have to look at what intelligence means to a mage as opposed to strength for a fighter. a fighter with an extra strength bonus of one has an advantage to hit a foe as well as damage that foe for one extra point. A mage with an extra intelligence bonus increases the difficulty class for all saves against every spell. That means that four enemies caught in a fireball must each roll one point higher to save. That means that five folks caught within a Wail of the Banshee must each roll one point higher or die. Strength has long been lauded as the most important stat in the game. Why, for instance, should half-orcs be penalized in both intelligence and charisma for their strength bonus.

 

However, strength is simply the least important attribute for a mage. Hands down. Intelligence isn't only the most important stat. It's the only stat worth conisdering after the initial build. I want to role-play a character with a wide variety of skills. I want to roll-play a wizard who can be assured of having the odds in his favor when casting offensive spells.

 

Now, I'm not going to go crazy talking about feat selection for first level. Take Mind over Body if you'd like. You get a big boost to your hit points at first level for your intelligence. You still get plus one for each subsequent level for con. You also get a bonus point for every metamagic or spellcasting feat. I've already tested and can attest to the fact that the bonus Arcane Scholar feats work into to the mix. You'll have a lot of metamagic and spellcasting feats before the end, so it's not a bad choice.

 

On the other hand, you don't want to dawdle or waste levels getting to Arcane Scholar, so make sure that you sue your standard feats selection for your level 3 and 5 feat selections and your metamagic and spellcasting feats with bonus feats to make sure that you don't fall behind. You'll still be able to take Arcane Scholar early. Finally, and I shouldn't need to say this, but don't take feats that you'll eventually receive as a bonus for the class. The bonus empower and maximize spell feats make the Arcane Scholar class powerful. Don't waste your feat selection on these feats early when you'll have them for free later.

 

As for prerequisite skills, why complain about being forced to take ranks in Spellcraft? You're going to take every possible point in your prerequisite skills during the game anyhow. *shrug*

 

Well, this seems pretty coherent to me, so I guess this will do for now. If I get a chance, I'll start on spell selection next.

 

Also, when I finally get back home and can play the game, I'll give a step by step detail of my initial build and then my choices as I level. I'd do it now, but it's been long enough that I want to make sure I've remembered everything properly.

[Gorth]

However, strength is simply the least important attribute for a mage. Hands down. Intelligence isn't only the most important stat. It's the only stat worth conisdering after the initial build. I want to role-play a character with a wide variety of skills. I want to roll-play a wizard who can be assured of having the odds in his favor when casting offensive spells.

Do you also go for things like metamagic feats, spell focus and spell penetration when playing a mage?

 

I usually do everything wrong when playing a mage and can't keep hands off the physical combat stuff... which is why I prefer not to play my main character as such. I am just no good at it.

 

It might be useful for me to listen to other peoples experiences for building the npcs in a game though

[Cantousent]

There are very few reasons I use physical weapons in combat with my mage:

 

1. I hold the enemy in complete contempt and don't want to waste spells.

 

2. I know that my front liners don't need spell support but I'd like to hurry the process.

 

3. The enemy has absolute spell immunity. (Note, the much vaunted spell resistance doesn't worry me.)

 

4. I've used every spell I have and only bullets can stop them now. If that's the case, I'm recovering from some mistake already. I hope.

 

Now, in all these scenarios, the truth is that you're better off putting every effort to make sure your spells succeed than wasting time worrying about contingencies. If you want a strong spellcaster who can stand toe to toe with the heavies, play a cleric. They're probably the most powerful class anyhow.

 

Mages are a finesse class, at least more than some folks suggest, and you've got to stay focused on your plan. You have to know how you'll approach baddies. So, yes, spell focus, spell penetration to the furthest extent, and epic level spells are all part of the plan. Weapon finesse, weapon focus, toughness, and other such contingencies aren't part of my particular build, even though I know some folks can include them in a successful mage build. I prefer my method, but it's not the only one. On the other hand, this is a good reason why I used the example of Mind over Body as a "role-playing" build option. After all, toughness is just as effective at the levels we're playing. For my part, other than role-playing, I'd probably stick with meta-magic or spell-casting feats.

 

Meanwhile, I'm in Oklahoma City right now. I'd really like to get to the spells, but tomorrow is an early day, so I'll have to try to get to that at the end of the week.

[Tigranes]

In MOTB enemy spell resistance isn't especially strong and if you have Spell Penetration, you shouldn't need much else.

 

Traditionally, I never get metamagic feats because fights don't last that long (Extend), your party gives you good cover (Quicken) and you are rarely silenced (Silent). If your main character is a wizard you'll be picking spells you want as you level up anyway, so you should be able to fill out the spellbook with spells at your level. That's just me though.

 

Otherwise, Cant is right about skimping on Strength/Fighting stuff and going for superhigh intelligence. Especially if you have epic spells, which are given to you once a day 'free' (not in Spellbook)..

[Spider]

Empower amd maximize are pretty nice though. Although much better for a sorcerer than a Wizard. Persistent Spell (that Safiya has) is fantastic on the other hand. Persistent Haste is aways nice.

 

 

Is Extend Spell a prereq for Persistent Spell? That's the only reason I see to ever pick the former. I'd never bother with Quicken or Silent.

[Tigranes]

Doesn't Empower run into inherent damage limits on a spell anyway? If not, it might be worth it.

 

And yeah, I use Persistent Haste with Safiya. I guess a pure spellcaster doesn't have that much to invest his/her feats into, but I still like to make everyone get, say, Dodge.

[Cantousent]

Once again, there are different ways to approach a build. However, improved empower and maximize spells, which are free for the Arcane Scholar, come in quite handy. First of all, there is no other way to empower 8th level spells. I've used both to great effectiveness. I especially enjoy improved maximize for spells like disintegrate, which burns a lower slot than a regular maximized spell and does a significant amount of damage. While the comparison of a sorceror in PvP is debateable, the specialist wizard rules in PvE, where the ability to cast a wider variety of spells comes in quite handy. This true for the official campaign, but particularly true for NWN2 at large where different modules might challenge the players in different way.

 

I really appreciate the give and take of the argument, however, so I'm glad to have folks disagree with me.

 

On the other hand, I've been partying on Broadway in Nashville, so, apart from my complete brain drain from the hill billy music (I'm joking, the music was quite fun) I can't really respond most coherently right now. Rest assured, however, that, if you disagreed with my feat/skill selection, you'll raise an eyebrow or both at my spell selection. That will wait for greater sobriety and time, however. Another long day tomorrow, however, and possibly a WoT entry about the trip thus far, so the spell selection discussion will wait. (...And my disagreement with someone much smarter than me: Tigranes) :Cant's slapping Tigranes on the back with a hearty laugh icon:

[jaguars4ever]

Do metamagic feats work with automatic (epic) still spell?

[Cantousent]

I think some folks don't understand the Arcane Scholars empower and maximize spell bonus feats. They're improved. That means that empower is only one spell slot higher and maximize is only two slots higher. THOSE are worth using. I would typically have most of my spells either empowered or maxed. Also, empowered should always use the new, higher max variables unless the spell states something like "up to a max of 20." That hurts some spells, but I've done over 240 damage with an empowered disintegrate. Spells coming soon, I promise. Now I'm here in Virginia Beach, I can take the time to get a spell list together. :D

[slikster]

Please, finish this write up! Very well written article. (Blatant ego inflation to give inspiration)

[Atreides]

I've also found out Arcane Scholar of Candlekeep-Sorcerer is totally awesome. Spontaneous metamagic feats for the win.

[Cantousent]

I've been thinking about this thread since you posted in it, Slikster. I don't think I can add anything substantive at this time. There's a reason for this. I've only completed the game on the QA builds and I refuse to give the nitty-gritty specifics until I've played the full version. Did I buy the full version? Of course! Unfortunately, I bought two as gifts and do not have one of my own. I was under the impression that Obsidz would send me a copy of the game, which never arrived. As a result, I've been waiting to borrow one of the games I've lent. I guess I could go out and buy a third copy, and it's worth it, but I was actually a bit irritated that I never received my free copy. I know it's such a small thing, but I bought two boxes and gave them away because I thought I'd receive one.

 

On the other hand, Obsidz did send me three T-shirts. Go figure. Ah hell, I'll probably buy the game when I get back home at the end of the month. I've been planning on borrowing one of the games I gifted but the people to whom I've given copies assure me that they're going to be playing it for some time to come. Rat bastards.

 

So, I'll probably have more to add to this thread in early April. I appreciate the kind words at any rate.

[thepixiesrock]

I think you should send your greivence as a PM to all of the developers that work at Obsidian regardless of what games they are/have worked on. You will not be not heard!

[Cantousent]

Okay, you little jerk, I'm going to complain to you and go out and buy a copy. Now that I'm back home, I'm certainly not going to worry about the twenty some bucks for one more game. I would have bought it while I was gone if I'd wanted to haul it back. I probably would have bought it while I was gone except that my laptop isn't quite as beastly as my desktop. MotB kicks sand in my laptops face.

[slikster]

Um, a bump the the thread and a poke to Cantousent. You know, since it's April 23 and all.

 

And, sorry about the t-shirts instead of game thing, but I still hope you went and bought a copy and have been playing