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Post by teaboar on Jan 8, 2012 10:08:38 GMT
Hello everyone. I just installed nwn1 after a very long break. I came across Higher Ground in the server list, and I'd like to give this persistent world a try. The problem is that since I haven't played nwn in ages, it would be a very big challenge for me to create a halfway decent character build even if I played the unmodded game, so with all the custom content that this server has to offer, I just feel way over my head. That's why I'd appreciate it if someone could point me to a decent build for a newbie.
My first thought was that I might want to play some sort of shifter, but after doing some reading on these forums I figured I might save that character for later and start with something a bit more straight forward. I was thinking that some sort of melee oriented spell caster could be interesting. Could anyone give me some tips on a decent starter build like that?
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Post by Torin on Jan 8, 2012 10:31:38 GMT
Check out the opensubrace forum , its exactly designed to give new players excellent builds that work on HG and the builds contain a lot of extra information. For new players, there are some very useful informations in the " getting started". Commercial: Maybe this build is something for you. |
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Post by teaboar on Jan 8, 2012 11:44:36 GMT
Thank you for the quick reply and for the links. I did some more searching for builds, and the thing that bothers me about the ones that I found interesting was that apparently most of them are apparently just meant as a placeholder builds until you get a better subrace or something, and considering how little time I generally have to play I'd really prefer not to need to level up several characters to max level in order to have a character that's viable for most, if not all of the content available on this pw. I mean naturally I'd have to get good gear first and so on, I'm just saying that if I'm going to invest a lot of time in a character, I'd really wish for him to be viable in end game as well.
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Post by tyranlthixis on Jan 8, 2012 13:13:26 GMT
The actual XP lost during the reincarnation process is minimal and you get to keep all your tags and most bound items. Most of the builds on the open subrace forums are very strong characters in their own right, but players tend to want to upgrade because it is so easy to do so and they want to use the subraces they find. Those that do play open races in light of "better" options do so for the challenge aspect of playing a slightly less optimized character.
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Post by buddhamind on Jan 8, 2012 15:33:39 GMT
Thank you for the quick reply and for the links. I did some more searching for builds, and the thing that bothers me about the ones that I found interesting was that apparently most of them are apparently just meant as a placeholder builds until you get a better subrace or something, and considering how little time I generally have to play I'd really prefer not to need to level up several characters to max level in order to have a character that's viable for most, if not all of the content available on this pw. I mean naturally I'd have to get good gear first and so on, I'm just saying that if I'm going to invest a lot of time in a character, I'd really wish for him to be viable in end game as well. Many of the open subrace builds are playable into endgame levels. Survivability depends more on class, gear, and play style than subrace. If you want something sturdy, build a tank. Especially take a look at some of the builds in the most recent open subrace build contest. These builds are the most up-to-date in existence, as the contest just ended this weekend. Unfortunately because of the mechanics you MUST start with an open subrace. Even if someone gives you the exact BUR race book that you want, you won't be able to use it until you get a character to level 60. That means you'll have to get an open subrace character to at least mid-LL, and probably into Hells. The requirements for secret and UR subs are a bit lighter than for BUR, but they are still there, and there are not many builds posted for secret and UR subs. My first real toon was an open subrace archer that I got all the way to level 8 of Hell ( Cania) before upgrading (not because of mechanics, but because I didn't have another suitable race for an archer). I would consider that pretty close to endgame. Gear will be hardest. Collecting it will be slow. I say this from personal experience.  |
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Post by magecat on Jan 8, 2012 16:02:44 GMT
If you are looking for a bit of casting but want the security of a tank, you might try: highergroundpoa.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=openbuild&action=display&thread=14012Greater Smite in HG has been tweaked into an area effect function that hands out some serious damage. Additionally, this is a self buffing tank, meaning that you are not dependent on others to enhance your attack and damage. Add in a Paladin secret that provides a weapon that interacts well with your own buffs, and you have a toon that plays well into Legendary Levels. |
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Post by uncanny on Jan 8, 2012 16:16:30 GMT
Shifters are actually one of the more fun classes to play here, I've gone through four at this stage (I have two still active: an ability and melee based; I enjoyed the ability one all the way through but the melee one only became enjoyable at upper legendary levels). The big bonus is that you don't need special kit, or even very good kit, to make a solid shifter, and you can make valuable contributions to the group with just a bit of understanding.
There are only two other types I would suggest if you enjoy melee, one is the Tin Can build in the Open Races forum (I have one of the bur variants of this, and a friend of mine has been playing the open race one). The other is a new one, that I plan on building; called the Almost BUR-Bear. This is a solid, very well designed build.
I would suggest learning more about the areas before attempting a caster. There are a lot of spells to know and understand before you can be effective at the legendary stages, and spell resistance is cranked very high in upper areas (sometimes you need to be well above the "common" area level range to get through). What I can tell you from experience is that casters can be a lot of fun to play, once you know how they work. If you really want to build a tanky kind of caster, I would suggest either a Pale Master or a Bloodfire Mage (both are very solid). The PM will give you a very solid defence, and good spell penetration and high DC; the bloodfire will be slightly less AC but has more defence and offence.
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Post by vorshlumpf on Jan 8, 2012 23:46:22 GMT
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Post by magecat on Jan 9, 2012 3:41:26 GMT
Shadowdancers have the very nice advantage of an effectively unlimited Greater Sanctuary, which can be very nice when you are getting overwhlemed, either in fact or by the game play.
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Post by teaboar on Jan 9, 2012 5:06:08 GMT
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Post by teaboar on Jan 9, 2012 5:40:40 GMT
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Post by Torin on Jan 9, 2012 10:18:02 GMT
Shifter Tanks are becomming powerfull with Shifter Form Focuses in LL levels. Before that, they are weak. You will have a hard time to level a Shifter-Tank from the scratch, I would not recomand that for a new player. I guess most people that play Shifter-Tanks play a caster Shifter and reincernate to tank.
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Post by uncanny on Jan 9, 2012 10:50:58 GMT
This is a bit of a late bloomer, but has all the essential bits. Tanking as a shifter is not really possible until you hit the High epics. My tank shifter got more ranger levels in than druid; but the end result is similar; and it's been a ball of fun since hitting around lvl35. Prior to that I had to play it as a normal melee; since the forms were not strong enough to manage. That said, you have enough of the essentials to do the job as an ability shifter until then, though the level range is a bit against your AB - you will have only three attacks per round on this build. You could play as a non-shifting tank until upper 30's though, it would still be very playable but it might frustrate you at early levels. If you want a good shifter, I would consider trying this: highergroundpoa.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=openbuild&action=display&thread=9412 - it's old but still very solid. It takes advantage of the entire realm of possibilities, and has decent DC on abilities. |
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Post by Lee on Jan 9, 2012 11:50:47 GMT
I am not advertising my build, but the point of my shifter build is to play as a tank without losing much fun from various shifter abilities. So you can play it as an ability mage before you are solid enough as a frontline warrior. Before you can actually tank something in the game, medusa form can stone mobs, basilisk form can insta kill, with its deaths gaze, anything without death immunity (in fact, most mobs in low level areas are not immune to death effect), beholder and manticore are good at damage outputting. For toons with high animal empathy skill, there's another trick to make your life at low levels much easier. But I think it's against the rule to talk about it on the forum. However, you can ask about it in game. |
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