class changing question

[Stabbath Tv]

I've been doing a lot of reading about this game and haven't figured out some things about multiclassing yet that I am needing to know. I have a Valk at lvl 3 and noticed I can switch her to ranger. I was thinking about doing it for one level to pick up hide, or maybe more for spells, then switch back to Valk. My question is, when I switch back to Valk will I lose the ability to increase hide skill either through putting lvl up points into it or through practice? Do I lose the ability? Can I hide as a valk or does she have to remain a ranger in order to hide? I don't see a point in getting the hide skill if it only increases as a ranger. Hide,with say 3 skill points in it would hardly be worth anything outside of the castle I figure. I read that if the bard switches to say, ninja, they lose the ability to play instruments (or maybe that is just wiz 8?). Not sure if that is accurate, but one of the reasons I ask the question in regards to my valk.

I also read that the ability/stat scores reset to lvl 1. Not sure how this works. Is there a default ranger ability score that my Valk would go to?

Also,is there an overall character level that determines success in things? I read that high lvl encounters take into account something like this but still confused. In short, would a level 5 valk, level 1 ranger be as effective in fighting as a level 6 valk? Or, would the game take into consideration your highest lvl class, in this case lvl5? Hope that made sense.

[EolSunder]

when you switch and pick up new skills, like hide with the ranger, you keep the skills and can increase them normally when you level up, this is why some people switch class's all the time, they can get more skill points as they level up and put them into their skills. They can switch all over the place to pick up the specific skills of different class's, like to get everyone with hide, or other skills.

As you level up you gain stat points. When you switch to another class, your stat points reset to that new class's basic levels. Thus you often have to level up in order to switch to other class's since the rarer class's require higher stats. Just an example. You might make a character with 15 strength and make up a ranger which requires 15 strength. Then you might change over to another class, like a fighter which needs a basic 12 strength, but since you have over 12 already you can switch from a ranger to a fighter. But now as a fighter you have a basic 12 strenght and can't switch instantly back to a ranger, you'll have to level up and gain another 3 strength in level gains until you reach 15 strength which is required for a ranger. You might wait a few more levels and you have 18 strength and decide then to switch to a ranger again, which will reset your strength back to 15 which is the rangers basic starting strength. Just an example, i havent played in a long time and don't remember the class's basic requirements.

Hope that is clear or understandable. Having basic stat requirements is to keep you from switching class's super fast and gaining skill points super fast, you'll need to actually level up in those class's to reach minimal stat requirements of a new class, especially the "special" class's like the Valk which require MUCH higher basic stat ponts.

And yes this does affect your ability to cast and fight. Since fighting, casting, spell damage, etc is often calculated by character level, a level 6 valk will be a much better fighter, hitting more often, than a level 1 ranger. This offsets getting much more skill points as someone who switches classes a lot, you'll gain many more skill points, but you'll be a much lower level thus affecting your casting ability, fighting ability. A focused level 15 mage who didn't switch around a lot would have more powerful and damaging spells, which affect and work beter than a level 5 mage who has been switching around class's a lot, though the 2nd mage would have more skill points into their skills, their "ability" to use them would be less.

Give or take. Personally I love to switch class's when ever i can to get more skill points and more type of skills in my characters. What I do is rotate those characters leveling, so i have some who go to higher levels and are more effective in combat, while others are lower levels and are switching class's, then i switch them out and start switching with the higher characters while the lower level ones are rising up, etc. Keeps everyone from being a level 5 noobie with tons of skills and no ability to use them.

[Stabbath Tv]

yes, that reply was great. I hadn't really thought about the requirements needing met again in order to switch back. I need to look into and compare how many levels would be involved to switch back to the class. As of now, think I'm going to just stick with my Valk being a Valk since she is front line. I thought it might be good for her to have the hide skill that she could use in moments where she is low on health, but think I'll just stick with healing her, or reload if she dies haha.

Looking like I don't think I'm going to do much class switching. I have a Fighter, Valk, Ranger, Bard, Priest and Mage. Pretty much vanilla. Well balanced in skill sets. Bard can deal with traps and locks, hide. Fighter has a lot of hp so prefer the dmg attacks to go to him and I use him for mythology. I don't really need him to hide. .Valk is focused on her spell school and oratory. Ranger is my scout. Scribe and artifacts I'll use for priest and mage when I can afford to put skill points there I guess. Think I'm leaning towards each of them being an expert at what they do well. I was wanting one character to have the kiritsu (think it's called that) skill. Crit does instant kill. I don't have anyone with that. That seems useful. Think you have to manually put points in that though, it doesn't develop via fighting. I'd have to stay that class, Sam, Monk, Ninja in order to increase it upon leveling?

[EolSunder]

A good way is to make up those stronger more requirement class's first, with the special skills you want like the samurai, get that special skill (crit hit) and then switch to the class you want to stay in. Or pick up a couple special skills then continue on in your main class. Also remember, the more skills you pick up, the more skills you have to raise up, even with more skill points coming in. If you only have like 3 skills you use on that character, and go around picking up 5 more skills, suddenly you need to raise 8 skills in order to get them all up in stead of just 3.