twillight: I took a melee warrior,so my views will differ from the link's bow-user warrior guide.
I'm playing the game on HARD, no less. And I don't kill anything that's not attacking me.
#1 true, at a point you'll just accumlate unspent skillpoints as "not necessary". Character Level is important factor at whacking things.
#2 if melee,start with male warrior, specialise in swords.The other weapons are lame in comparsion and selection, and you get 1-1 free point in your starting skills at the first reload.
#3 in the starting village grab
everything when they are not looking. Starting the game is hard.
#4 at the start the main problem is lack of stats to use items, and half that important agility to hit things. You'll lack vitality too, but won't be able to afford that for a while, so prepare to use a bow (grab one when first entering the shady merchant's house while he's waiting you the other room). Constitution worth SOMep points, but it is negligeable compared to +40 or more vitality items. I have like 35 and I don't ffel the need for more.
#5 another problem will be the low durability and equipment breaking. Get 1 point in repair after you get 2 point in identify. That way you canfix anything with at least 2 maximum duration. Identify at the start is VERY comfortable, as otherwise it costs gold, and atthe start it is in short supply.
#6 on the economy: ye,you'll eventualy find more stuff than you can sell. That's the problem here. Best market place if Rivertown's Market as there are many vendors, and some even can have cash. You won't really need to buy anything ever, concentrate instead on reloading at unique items.
Attributes on items at the begining should be vitality, and maybe agility in addition. Charm slots on unique items are also top priority. If you're ready to use the actual charm-system prepare to store equipments for later use, and fill lesser equipment with charms. Which give vitality.
Mid-game some elemental casters will appear, mostly using fire. And there'll be some traps which intend to permanently polymorph you,and enemies trying to cast some spirit-spells too (need ca.30% to negate). There resistance will come in play.
#7 getting healed is at first will depend on sleeping. That's free you know. After you get out of the catacombs curing the insane mage he'll be your prime source of healing. Restoration is good, but mana is not rechargeable justby sitting there so conserve it for hard fights and teleport to the mage for healing. After getting out of Iona's Dungeon and geining back your tp-tones reestablish your base in named dungeon near both a mana and health shrine.
#8 there is an attrib what can spawn on weapons: manaleech or what. That's invaluable, and way more potent even with 3 point in it than even 5 (the maximum) in lifeleech.
#8 weapons: uptill now I found 2 handed weapons being way more efficient than onehanded+shield combo.
Also, early on(!) found a large bow with some extra damage, and a major +6 in speed! That's like uber.
#9 whath out on condition of breaking quests,and gaining bonuses (the altair of Good and Evil,plus the Wishing Well).
skills:
I used until now (starting village toVerdistis, not entering Dark Forest) like 1 minor restoration potion and that was it. Ok, also used food occasionaly to replenish HP (mostly bread, but keep in mind all the meat, and above else roasted whole pigs - this later on lower levels canmean a full heal).
Lockpick is worth to invest a lot, and early-midgame if youhave anequipment with +1 lockpick, that's invaluable. Later as your equipment needs an upgrade you'll want all hard points in this.
Alchemy is realy unnecessary. And if you're lucky you can get 1 point from item until you get a free point finaly in the Dark Forest to mix the mana and healing potions to make restoration potions. There is no reason to have more than1 pint in this.
Repair: 1 point solves all issues except repairing 1 maximum duration broken-quality things at the beginning, but there youwon't have 5 points for that reason, so who cares.
Know Creature is optional. You can avoid some reload with like 2 points in it (shows damage of monsters).
Restoration: you CAN pull out to get all 4 free points here.
Sword Expertise: the 5th point only fastens your weapon and give chance to hit in the GOG-version. no extra damage.
Telekinesis: I used it like once, to get the restoration-book from the sewrs. 1 point was enough-
Pickpocket: had it to heal all three plague-victim. For thatneed 2 point in it.
Enchant Weapons: definitely.
Elven Sight: for using bows you'll need 1 point bare minimum. 2 would be more fine, but you can probably solve it by your equipment having +sight attribute(s).
Identify: way too convenient to pass on this. Have 5 hard points (including the free one/s naturaly).
Augment Defense: found it way more strong than augment damage. Currently have 3 points in it,and that seems good.
rest of the skillpoints to spend:
Currently gathering some more final piece of equipment to check on resistances. That'll determine how many of that kind of skill will have to invest. Magical Barrier can give a solid 25 permanent resists, while heaven's blessing 40% more for 3 minutes which is like ages for a fight.
Given that a charm can give 40% in any element, and you can have 5*11 charms, I really see some problems with the charms-system. Of course best seem to have vitality/mana charms mostly, not puny resistances. But ye, youhave plenty of options.
And remaining skillpoint can be dumped into elemental attacks. I mean if youdon't want to abuse freeze, stun, scorpion, deathknight summon overpowered-gamebreaking skills. If I'd exploit anything, that'd be Blind.
I wonder what happens if your weapon-speed goes into the negatives...?
I mostly agree - I don't spend much on identify though - you'll have more gold then you can ever use by mid game so I used the points for other things and paid the merchants to ID things.
