What kind of empath as a partner for a rogue?

[AbnInfamy]

Hey, basically what it comes down to is the fact I will be hunting constantly with a Voln-Fu/Ambushing rogue.

I need suggestions as to what type of empath would best work with him as far as back and forth teamwork goes. For a while it'll be him knocking things down, then after a few levels it'll probably end up being me knocking down things for him.

Would it be worth it to try swinging, or should I go more the straight magic route with a runestaff? Not to mention what is the viability of Voln-Fu as an empath also, seeing as I'll be hunting mostly undead.

I'd like to be able to cast and learn from the hunt, as well as heal with decent proficiency as well as spell each of us up.

Thanks.

[Burnt out Priestess]

I would say pure which means casting but its personal preference.

[Miss X]

Depends on what train you are. If below 40 I would go for either blunt or edged and get a decent bone shatter with manipulation lore and hunt that way. Or I would go pure, 2x spell aim 1x manip lore 2x first aid and forget swinging. Either way is effective.

If you're an older empath, just follow my training plan as it pwns all. ;)

[Himmy]

Chica, lemme check that out

[Amber]

Voln fu is great for empaths who hunt undead, in my experience. My empath started out as a pure, then traded in her runestaff for a bow and brawling. At level 28, she started hunting spectral miners. Seven levels later, she's yet to have died there, so she must be doing something right. The problem I had being a pure and hunting undead is that there are lots of undead that don't have bones.

[Himmy]

So don't hunt undead. Voln sucks anyway. Shatter pwns all.

[Snapp]

I would do like Chica suggested with the swinging/shatter empath. If there's gonna be a rogue knocking them over, might as well take advantage.

[Gan]

Miss X's shield/brawl training route works well. Thats what my empath has and he wrecks OTF. If you're already voln then I definately recommend brawling as that gives you an outstanding weapon for your arsenal. I tried the runestaff route and had a 10:1 magical ratio which was excellent until he got disarmed then it was a joke.

You'll definately want to work in combat manuevers and perception along with 3x first aid and adequate lore training. The empath folder has some recent threads regarding lores.

[Czeska]

Shatter won't handle all undead though. So many of them don't have bones. I see no reason for any character in Voln to not brawl, for sure.

[Gan]

Correct.

With brawling and training in spell aiming you have additional weapons to use:

111 fire spirit
1106 bone shatter
1110 empathic assault
brawling bare handed or with brawling weapons

With the AS boosts you get from 1109,1119,1130,211,215, 117 its sick what you can hit. Add to that ball flares from 111. Its insane!

[Mellie]

It's really hard to be a pure in the lower trains.. mana issues and you'll likely never fry. I'd swing a weapon until at least 25ish

As an older empath I trained mine as a pure, shatter and assult, there's not much I cant kill now. She's voln and I did train in brawling for awhile, it was great when I was hunting undead, got rid of it when there wasn't much in the undead area she could learn from though.

[Himmy]

I <3 Chica

[Killer Kitten]

My empath at cap was fully singled in edged, shield, brawl and spell aiming. She was doubled in first aid. She was a wrecking machine, and there was nothing she couldn't hit.

I'd never go the pure anything route. My pure magic users always got boring, as did my pure fighting types. Never got bored with the empath, though, and never got shut out of any hunting area for being unable to hit critters with what she had in her arsenal. I quit playing before 1110 was implemented, which was a bummer. I'd have liked to have tried that one.

[Jonty]

My empath went for THWs. When GS4 launched, I tried going back to OHE/Blunts, and it sucked sooooooo much. One handed weapons are a joke with out ambushing, MOC, or TWC. It's cheaper on TPs too, if I remember correctly.

[Edited on 10-1-2005 by Jonty]

[Killer Kitten]

I had 5 levels of Multi-Opponent, which cost a fortune in training points, but she could hit two targets with 5 second round time. I had originally gotten the M-O because it was supposed to help with 111, make the fireballs splash or something. I did like the extra hit with my sword, though.

Then they changed M-O, so you got tired and could only do it every few swings. That was kind of a bummer.

[Jolena]

I followed Chica's training plan with my empath who has shield/brawling/boneshatter training and it rawks. She's 35 now and can uphunt fairly well without using a ton of mana. She has her brawling weapon for things that she can't shatter and she's not in any society. Just uses self-cast spells and some strength basically. I :heart: hunting with her.

[Killer Kitten]

Put her in Voln!!!

Voln-Fu-ing with an empath is the bomb!

It used to be lots of fun to rescue people in undead areas, kick the snot out of the critters, then fog the dead person out and heal them up, just to hear them exclaim "Wow! You're an empath?"

I know, I know. I need to get out more.

[Atlanteax]

You people are silly.

Empaths can't hunt!

That's why they sit in TSC all day like bumps on logs! :rah:

[Himmy]

...sure. :rolleyes:

[Edited on 10-4-2005 by Himmy]

[Mellie]

Wow, so many stayed swingers after assult.. I couldn't stand swinging a weapon, I wasn't anywhere near as powerful or effective of a hunter as I am as a pure with Assult... one bolt hit followed by 4 CS hits for only 10 mana. That along with shatter and fire spirit with multiple bounces, it's very effective being a pure and I dont find it boring at all.

[Wuxong]

I think pure are they way to go with any empath or cleric......