Timber Wolf
Mongoose
Okay so which order would you pick the Elder Arts to be super?
Timber Wolf said:
Okay, the following is just the progression suggestion that I am comfortable with, based on my own roleplaying style.
I don't have my LWRPG Book underhand, but I think Sorcery should be taken last. One of its principal uses is damaging opponents at range, and this the Wizard's Staff can do pretty well from lvl 3 on.
Enchantment and Elementalism are definitely must-haves... I'd pick them first, because they can ensure the Dessi Mage's survival in perilous situations. Sure, the Dessi Mage will not be as combat-capable as he could be for the first two levels, and he will have to wait for the third-level-Wizard's Staff... I definitely think that a Lesser Elder Art such as Enchantment or Elementalism is worth waiting two levels before being able to inflict ranged magical damage...
- Enchantment allows the Dessi Mage to avoid unnecessary fights, to get information, to make NPC's do his bidding. Definitely a must-have if you want your Mage to act as a diplomat.
- Elementalism allows the Dessi Mage to have a strong influence over the material world. The trick is that since effects are not being precisely defined, but depend on the relationships between the Dessi Mage and the summoned Elemental spirit, it greatly favors the roleplayers over the roll-players. Besides elemental spirits can be creatively used to create effects similar to those of Sorcery...
Third choice, either Prophecy or Psychomancy:
- Prophecy. Making the GM yield infomation concerning the future is a very powerful ability, and can ensure survival.
- Psychomancy. Making the GM yield infomation concerning the present and past is a less powerful ability, but can ensure the success of the scenario.
Taking both makes the Dessi Mage an incredible information-gathering machine, but I would take only one at this stage, probably Prophecy.
Next choice:
- Alchemy. Taking it as first Elder Art is not very useful, since the Alchemy skill score of the Dessi Mage would not be high enough for truly powerful effects. As fourth choice, Alchemy is very useful, and high DCs are no sweat. The only good reason for choosing it as first Elder Art is that it does not require the spending of any Willpower to work.
Next choice:
- Either Prophecy or Psychomancy, if one must still be taken.
Next art:
- Either Evocation or Sorcery.
- Evocation has a great drawback: The geas put upon the Dessi Mage as payment for the help from the spirit . It is the reason why it is better to take it when the Dessi Mage is relatively high level, so that he has a better chance of accomplishing the spirit quests...
- Sorcery as last, for reasons aforementioned. Could help with the Evocation geas, though.
My personal opinion regarding which order Lesser Arts must be picked in is the following :
1. Enchantment or Elementalism (according to your RP style)
2. Elementalism or Enchantment
3. Prophecy
4. Alchemy
5. Psychomancy
6. Evocation
7. Sorcery
Balgin Stondraeg
Mongoose
Strange, I'd definately take Prophecy or Psychomancy to begin with because, whilst they don't have much of an active part in immediate events, they enable you to avoid all sorts of danger that you probably can' cope with at lower levels (plus they're very intuitive as a first choice). I suppose it also depends on which disciplines you feel may be easier to learn (if something seems like a hard skill to master then take it later).
Balgin Stondraeg said:
That's possible... I guess that depends on whether you want to participate in the action actively or not at first levels...
For me, having either Enchantment or Elementalism is more important at first because even while Prochecy or, to a lesser extent, Psychomancy would help you avoid some danger, there is still a non-negligible probability that you will have to cope with a certain amount of danger, the more so if you want to take an truly active part in the adventure.
Elementalism or Enchantment will help cope with danger. Besides, information gathering can be done with Enchantment, and probably Elementalism too...
Timber Wolf
Mongoose
I know in the Grey Star books I took Prophecy very early as I saw it as being like Sixth Sense from the Lone Wolf books.
Ok,
While the dessi recieve far more willpower than the brother, they loose their wp much faster than a brother looses endurance. (1 ep for lightning hand at max power, 5 wp for a wizards staff blast at max power) So you do the math.
Second, the brother can counterspell anything the dessi throws and most probably succeed. While he will still lose ep when counterspelling, fact is the damage is nothing compared to what would have been infliceted had he not counterseplled.
Third, counterspelling is a free action a # of times/rnd = to bcs dex modifier. So the brother can counter all wizard bolts fired at him, and then in the same round lay into the dessi with multiple lightning hands.
Fourth, the dessi cannot close in on the brother due to spells such as web, (all tiers) and levitation (second or third tier) which effectively make the dessi immobile. We are assuming ofcourse, the brotherhood wizard is being played by an intelligent player.
Fifth, the brother can use the shield spell (with a very low ep cost) to boost his AC AND saves exponentially. The dessi is stuck only with the ac bonuses he gets at certain levels, which unfortunately are totally eclipsed by the tier 3 version of shield the brotherhood can cast.
Now, we come to the words of power. (bcs level 10 +)
Power word shield can basically grant further whopping immunities to the bcs. The grand version can make the brother immune to nearly anything.
Powerword levitation can make the brother fly; so a bcs could cast net tier 3, or the powerword version, or the grandword version of net ont he dessi and then simply fly away out of range until the nets choke the dessi, or at least do heavy damage. Oh and btw, the official version on the range of the dessi's staff is 60' (afair). Dig up old posts and you will find that these issues were resolved almost 2 years ago ont these forums.
Anyhow, as long as both are higher level than in a duel the advantage is definately with the bcs, which depending on your view can mean either that both the brother and the dessi are overpowered and should be banned!!!!1111!!!....or that they are both interesting clases with their own strengths and weaknesses
While the dessi recieve far more willpower than the brother, they loose their wp much faster than a brother looses endurance. (1 ep for lightning hand at max power, 5 wp for a wizards staff blast at max power) So you do the math.
Second, the brother can counterspell anything the dessi throws and most probably succeed. While he will still lose ep when counterspelling, fact is the damage is nothing compared to what would have been infliceted had he not counterseplled.
Third, counterspelling is a free action a # of times/rnd = to bcs dex modifier. So the brother can counter all wizard bolts fired at him, and then in the same round lay into the dessi with multiple lightning hands.
Fourth, the dessi cannot close in on the brother due to spells such as web, (all tiers) and levitation (second or third tier) which effectively make the dessi immobile. We are assuming ofcourse, the brotherhood wizard is being played by an intelligent player.
Fifth, the brother can use the shield spell (with a very low ep cost) to boost his AC AND saves exponentially. The dessi is stuck only with the ac bonuses he gets at certain levels, which unfortunately are totally eclipsed by the tier 3 version of shield the brotherhood can cast.
Now, we come to the words of power. (bcs level 10 +)
Power word shield can basically grant further whopping immunities to the bcs. The grand version can make the brother immune to nearly anything.
Powerword levitation can make the brother fly; so a bcs could cast net tier 3, or the powerword version, or the grandword version of net ont he dessi and then simply fly away out of range until the nets choke the dessi, or at least do heavy damage. Oh and btw, the official version on the range of the dessi's staff is 60' (afair). Dig up old posts and you will find that these issues were resolved almost 2 years ago ont these forums.
Anyhow, as long as both are higher level than in a duel the advantage is definately with the bcs, which depending on your view can mean either that both the brother and the dessi are overpowered and should be banned!!!!1111!!!....or that they are both interesting clases with their own strengths and weaknesses
jadrax said:
Sure there is. Actually more than a single bcs spell. :wink:
Grand word Shield grants complete protection against psychic combat (with the amount of dr provided by grand word shield the amount of damage done by psychic combat is worthless)
Further more, word of power silence gives the recipient a 50% chance that any attack he makes will be unsuccessful.
So yeah, the dessi wont be cutting anyone to bits anytime soon.
Xex said:
Missed this, but yes, one level 5 spell. (And a BCS can only ever have 1 level 5 spell at level 20, stops Psychic damage. Even then its questionable use as it provides some temperory health for 6 endurence.
Silence is posably a better effect, except its not clear that it works. Under the spell it says it stops all special senses functioning, under Psychic combat it says nothing blocks psychic attacks unless the text specifically mentiones them. Which leaves it in a bit of a grey area.
Cirtainly the fact that only the first psychic attack needs any kind of LOS at all, I think most would rule that if you have got the first hit in, Silence woulden't help against Psychic attacks at all.
Also note that the Dessi can make a restoration potion that clears all negative effects upon them, (Including Blindness,) Instantly.
