advice/thoughts?

[Larch]

I'm a few thousand xp from reaching level +21 empath spell ranks, woot! I've been kicking around a few options for my next training goal and I wanted to get some advice on what I should do next.

(at level 33), your current skill bonuses and ranks (including all modifiers) are:
Skill Name | Current Current
| Bonus Ranks
Armor Use..........................| 40 8
Physical Fitness...................| 170 70
Arcane Symbols.....................| 105 25
Magic Item Use.....................| 105 25
Harness Power......................| 170 70
Spirit Mana Control................| 120 30
Mental Lore - Transformation.......| 120 30
Perception.........................| 105 25
Climbing...........................| 120 30
Swimming...........................| 70 15
First Aid..........................| 170 70

Spell Lists
Major Spiritual....................| 13

Spell Lists
Minor Spiritual....................| 20

Spell Lists
Empath.............................| 53


The way I see it, I've got 4 options:

1. Bring training in neglected skills back to their intended levels: AS, MIU, SMC, Xform Lore, Per to 1x.
2. Get 225/130
3. Get Spell Aim to 2x, get bravery/heroism, get Summoning Lore to 1x
4. A blend of those 3

I'm kind of leaning towards #3, then #2, then #1. I love Bone Shatter obviously, but I'd like to have the option to hunt creatures without bones and having wands to finish off hunts is nice, too. I'm not that excited to do #1 because I'm too lazy/cheap to gather imbeds/scrolls, SMC seems to have few benefits, I heal fine as is and another few seconds RT reduction isn't a big deal. I could be convinced to bump up perception sooner rather than later because my leading cause of death is maneuvers, but if that's not making a large impact then I'm not seeing a reason to rush it back to 1x.

[Jeril]

If you can't boneshatter it you also have wither to fall back on and if neither of those work easy enough to avoid that particular creature. I've never found using wands to be nice but I want to be more self sufficient then that I guess. If you don't want to use scrolls/imbeds for whatever reason then don't use them or train those skills.

I am not sure what SMC has to do with healing round times as that comes from your empath spells up to your level and transformation lore. There are a good number of benefits you get from SMC and for how cheap the skill is at 1x I find the cost worth it.

At your level you probably aren't going to notice a huge difference in maneuver avoidance by taking perception up to 1x. For the cost ratio you are better off working on 3x PF first then anything else to avoid maneuvers.

If you do pick up spell aiming you are also going to want to beef up your MIU. Wizard wands are the hardest for empaths to use and if you get any encumbrance that will affect your wand waving as well.

[Larch]

If you can't boneshatter it you also have wither to fall back on and if neither of those work easy enough to avoid that particular creature. I've never found using wands to be nice but I want to be more self sufficient then that I guess. If you don't want to use scrolls/imbeds for whatever reason then don't use them or train those skills.

Probably shouldn't have mentioned wands as I've only ever used them as I've found them. While I enjoyed it, it was by no means crucial to success.


I am not sure what SMC has to do with healing round times as that comes from your empath spells up to your level and transformation lore. There are a good number of benefits you get from SMC and for how cheap the skill is at 1x I find the cost worth it.

That was poorly worded. The healing RT talk was about Xform lore not SMC. I expect to have 50 ranks of SMC by lvl 48, but I don't think I'm losing much by postponing those ranks until that time. Most of the spells it affects I either don't use or don't have and the increased mana regen, while nice, is pretty small.


At your level you probably aren't going to notice a huge difference in maneuver avoidance by taking perception up to 1x. For the cost ratio you are better off working on 3x PF first then anything else to avoid maneuvers.

3x PF....I hadn't considered that this early. That is very interesting. I've got 4x fusion armor and runestaff, do PF enhansives improve cman avoidance? My agility is quite low as well.


If you do pick up spell aiming you are also going to want to beef up your MIU. Wizard wands are the hardest for empaths to use and if you get any encumbrance that will affect your wand waving as well.

I forgot about the encumbrance thing. Thanks for the reminder. Funny, I've been more encumbered the last few weeks.

And thanks for the response.

[Velfi]

Few things not in any order.. any and all empaths should have 215 at level 15, I wouldn't worry about the 225/130 yet, just get to 215 or maybe 219 & 120 and work on improving your ability in combat with lores and things like that. PF is super important and cheap as hell for empaths to train so I'd say 2x minimum, some of your other lore goals are nice but at cap you only need 57 ranks of transformation for no hard RT (and you get another 1150/day use at 50 transformation lore) so you may want to space that to .5x or whatever so you can be hitting 57 ranks just as you cap. Summoning should probably be your biggest lore goal, along with SA I guess if you want to bolt.

[Jeril]

Probably shouldn't have mentioned wands as I've only ever used them as I've found them. While I enjoyed it, it was by no means crucial to success.

If you plan to bolt, they are going to be very needed.


3x PF....I hadn't considered that this early. That is very interesting. I've got 4x fusion armor and runestaff, do PF enhansives improve cman avoidance? My agility is quite low as well.

I don't see any particular reason why PF enhancives wouldn't help you in avoiding maneuvers although I don't believe anyone has done extensive testing to find out for sure or not. Raising your agility with enhancives will also help although I doubt as much as the PF would.


And thanks for the response.

Anytime.

[Versin]

My advice is for #2 (the spells). You'll get a lot more benefit from adding the extra D and utility spells plus some extra CS.

[Larch]

My advice is for #2 (the spells). You'll get a lot more benefit from adding the extra D and utility spells plus some extra CS.

This is what I'm currently leaning towards, but I'm still waffling. :sad:

I've eliminated going to bolting until much, much later, but I'm now considering 3x PF and have started romanticizing 1x survival for avoiding slippage and better skinning. I can think of at least 3 areas where I hunt that have slippery ice, not to mention the IMT/WL trail. I know it wouldn't make me immune to slipping, but if it took me from a 90+% chance down to 5-10%, that seems kinda worth it. And if I add survival, why not go whole hog on skinning and get the pretty damn cheap 3x FA? Blarg.

[Jeril]

My advice is for #2 (the spells). You'll get a lot more benefit from adding the extra D and utility spells plus some extra CS.

Sounds like he just offered you some extra D ;)


This is what I'm currently leaning towards, but I'm still waffling. :sad:

I've eliminated going to bolting until much, much later, but I'm now considering 3x PF and have started romanticizing 1x survival for avoiding slippage and better skinning. I can think of at least 3 areas where I hunt that have slippery ice, not to mention the IMT/WL trail. I know it wouldn't make me immune to slipping, but if it took me from a 90+% chance down to 5-10%, that seems kinda worth it. And if I add survival, why not go whole hog on skinning and get the pretty damn cheap 3x FA? Blarg.

The survival only really helps on the Icemule trail, everywhere else it doesn't help enough you still slip and fall too often. Outside of skinning if you spend a lot of time in places that are considered cold, survival will let you stay out longer before you start suffering damage. If just for skinning 3x FA is the way to go. I'd also suggest around 30 ranks of trading, 20 at a minimum or whatever allows you to appraise skins on the first try 90+% of the time.


Why waffling on whether to get those spells or not? It is simple enough, how high of a value do you place on being able to rescue others? You also only really need 130 for that unless you don't have lich.

[Versin]

Sounds like he just offered you some extra D ;)


Really set myself up there with Jeril on this thread. :)

225/130 Can also be helpful for getting you out of annoying hunting areas. Since you're only at 213 I'd go up the 200s first - 214, 218, 219 are all helpful up to 225, and 225 functions as a better 130 if you can find someone in town. Also longer term I like 240.

If you are into skinning definitely get those trading ranks.

[Larch]

Sounds like he just offered you some extra D ;)

Argh. Didn't notice that, but of course you did. :)




The survival only really helps on the Icemule trail, everywhere else it doesn't help enough you still slip and fall too often.

:mad:



Why waffling on whether to get those spells or not? It is simple enough, how high of a value do you place on being able to rescue others? You also only really need 130 for that unless you don't have lich.

Well, I'm not waffling anymore now that I know survival doesn't reduce the kind of slipping I really care about. Dammit, ice is ice. Get your shit together, Simu.

Next stop: 225/130. That should take me until Thanksgiving or Christmas. Thanks for the help.