Tips for begginers?

[Kibaro]

Any tips like do's and don's, what to get first where not to go first and stuff like that:) dont want major spoilers if can be avoided but just general tips to not ruin the character and game and fun in the end:)

[Enor]

hp/mp gains are not retroactive so whatever you start with helps a lot in the long run. hp gain per level is str/10 + end / 5. mp gain is perception / 5. if you're a mage add int / 10 or if you are a healer add wis / 10.

also endurance/perception gives a big starting boost to your hp/mp so try to start as high of those stats as you can.

as for combat fighting skills, they don't scale very good. like the early increases in your skills give a big boost but once you hit 30+ skill, it is generally not really worth it to invest further. try to diverse your skills more unless you are going for high point system which is pointless on your first run.

it costs 3 skill points to learn the first level of a skill butttt if you learn it from a trainer, it only costs 100 gold. takes a few runs through to know where all the trainer are but well worth it if you want to min/max. trainers can train you up to 8x per skill level no matter what level you are at. only problem is when you have 30+ skill it costs 3k+ to train one level, whereas if you trained at 0 skill it costs 100 gold. money really is valuable in this game and youw ill not find an infinite amount like most games.

i know for mages you can memorize a maximum of int/3 spells only. so don't go memorizing every spell you find. save the game then memorize and then use it a bit to see if you like it or not.

not sure if healers have the same limit ie wis/3 for maximum amount of divination spells.

[Demn]

Hello !

As a player of all Eschalon Books, here is what I should advice to any player who wants to have a satisfying first playthrough :

- Try to specialise your character in something, like 2-3 skills. For Instance I played a barbarian with Bludgenings weapons + Heavy armor. Upped a bit mercantile and pick locks through, but didn't up any magic skills.
I believe this is a good tip : You'll get a strong character at some point in the game, thus you won't get really frustrated by difficulty in some specifis areas. Moreover, if you want to do the game again, it'll be a lot more funny to play a totally different character from the first you played. This might sounds odd but I always play 2-3 full playthrough of this game with different characters because I truly enjoy to play like this. Obviously this is my way to see things xD.

- Improving your skills via reading books or been taught by NPC is really a valuable thing. Try to always save up some money to get trained in some essentials skills (pick locks, lore.. for instance). Don't forget to always check any shops ( I believe they change their stock every 7 days, In game time ) to see if you can buy any new weapons/books/amulets ect.

- Don't underestimate skills : Bludgeoning weapons can look very more powerful than Alchemy, but is it only a matter of what you want to play. Both are really different and can give a really different character who will still be strong.

- Try to solve any mysteries/enigms yourself and try to don't use internet for this. This is much more rewarding I think.

- Save A LOT and don't hesitate to make multiple save files if you hesitate on wether you should sell any items or not, ect.

- Try to play the game in "full difficulty" ( tick all "challenge" after you created your character ).


This is all I can think about right now. Obviously if you have any questions , players will be really happy to answer you. Another thing is, don't get frustrated if you are facing really tough enemies. Try to think about others places where you should roam/ quests you should do. This game is , I believe, designed like this.

Anyway, don't forget to have fun. This game is rather """short""" (this isn't a 50+hours RPG I mean), so any mistakes can be corrected quite quickly.

Cya !
Demn.

[Dorok]

To complete previous lists and perhaps some more general tips, I apologize if they are obvious, it's just a list:

• At creation of a new game check all options, they won't really make the play more difficult and they will give you a better xp rate. But don't do that if you need quit often and shutdown the computer during a game session for various external reasons, because an option puts constraints on when you can save.
  
• For character creation read a bit the manual (in steam library select the game, right click, select tab local files, then button show local files, here is the manual) this will help you define what character you'll choose, what skills you'll select.
  
• Don't feel forced to go anywhere nor to do any quest. If a quest seems too hard or a location where to go seems too hard, don't hesitate search other options. Take care that some parts/quests/combats could be much easier than for some characters than other, and the reverse for some different parts/quests/combats.
  
• Run is very efficient in that game, don't hesitate use this powerful tool if something going bad, or an enemy seems too strong.
  
• Traps and diseases (ailments) can be a lot of troubles, take care to manage them. For poison it's more during fights.
  
• It's a game where you need dig and apply curiosity, search in corners, check shops often, look at map, just rush through a place will make you miss many elements.
  
• The automap is a rather special feature of the game. By default there's none, but no panic the game places are very well done and it's easy to not get lost and identify any places and even any bit of places. If your character have no Map skill, once you have enough money take care of rings in shops, you'll certainly found one with a low price giving +2 to cartography skill. In Book 3 since cartography level 2 you have a fairly good automap, enough for general orientation and help detect many mildly hidden places.
  
• For building a character try choose two sets of skills, 3/5 main skills depending of your build, and 3/5 secondary skills also depending of your builds. Most build will benefit of having one armor skill and one weapon skill, but for some they be main skills and some other they'll be secondary.
  
• Don't look at other skills you didn't selected as pointless and to ignore, but more as skills that you'll use only at low level when there's an opportunity. For example some rings provide +2 to a skill, and a trainer can learn you the level 1 for only 100 gold. With a book +2 skill and two rings you already have a skill level 7. It can be useful for many skills.
  
• Health level and Mana level depend of some attributes providing an increase bonus at each level, and it's not retroactive. So take care to put an initial priority on those attributes, not increase them only but take care increase them soon. I know it's the first tip of the first answer, it worth be pinpointed again. :-)

[Angela™]

To add on the trainer tips mentioned, if you want to make 100% sure you have the widest array of options with the least amount of resistance later on, make sure you DON'T read the skill books unless that skill is at +8 or higher. Mainly because no trainers can teach over +8, so you can have a lot of skills at 10 given enough money.

Also, for newer players, i don't reccomend the static rolls option when creating a character. This mainly because most of the early accessible good items are locked away or somehow less accessible unless you're a locksmith specialist. Use the same strategy as in book 1+2, reroll your chests untill you have something you can use / is valuable. Ultimately you will end up with an excess of valuables you can pawn off so having this option to prevent really crappy rolls on high end chests is a big help.

[Dorok]

Hahem no way it's required to use cheat through save/reload many time check a shop. Really bad advice in my opinion, first it's really boring to do, second it worth only if you want OP build at first play or brag you got this item or that item. :-)

Like being obsessed by optimization of trainers and books is a very bad idea for a newbie in the series and first play. It's an information to know but not to try optimize everything though that. Choose some main skills you plan increase quickly, for those there's hardly any training, just skill points (and book when you find one). Then choose some secondary main skills that you can delay more no matter the random you get or how is setup the game. For those secondary build try setup a path between skills points optimization ie trainer if possible to 8 then book then skill points. For all other skills don't bother too much on optimizing any.

[Dav]

i have to disagree with checking all the difficulty boxes for a beginner. that might be too much for a person new to the series if theyre not used to this kind of game. also i recommend at least one rank in unarmed combat so you can bash things open when needed. heads up, darkness and rain affect your chances to hit, but they effect enemies too.

[Dorok]

Mmm what checkbox to not check?
- The first two are checked as default and adds to the whole gameplay and feeling of adventures in a wold.
- The no save/load constraints is at worse quit and load a save if you are really stuck.
- The reload through random to cheat with shops is rather pointless and nothing better to spoil the fun of first play.

At reverse if all options are checked you get 5% more XP and better items spawn.

I don't see at all why a beginner should hesitate to take the good and avoid the tedious (cheat).

[Dav]

for you it does, for me too. but ive already seen a thread where someone was having trouble trying not to starve to death. whens the last time you played a game with a food and water mechanic? i figure a beginner would be completely new to the concept. Definitely not the predetermined seed box because a newbie may get stuck without being able to use a little save reload cheese. ect. as stated this is advice for beginners. not hard core players. i would not tell them to definitely check them, i would tell to really think about that first, cant be changed in game.

[Scully]

Do NOT go with cartography if you're a mage, you get a spell that does the job much better. You may not want to get it at all regardless of class, considering how easy it is to just get one point in elements and then getting "reveal map" spell.

Don't delete anything. If you have a full inventory, put stuff in containers.

Lots of stuff can be destroyed by explosives, especially wooden stuff.

I think mana regen caps at 5 mana per turn (maybe the same for health?). Don't do like I did and get 60 perception and 30 meditation :D

Don't get too many skills on creation or level up. It takes 3 points to get the first skill level, which is very inefficient compared to learning the skill from a trainer or book. Personally I got through the game easily by only putting points in meditation and elements.

If you play with the "inability to save while low on hp/poisoned/diseased" challenge on, make sure you carry with you some cure condition potions and detox potions at all times.

[Dorok]

Originally posted by Dav:

for you it does, for me too. but ive already seen a thread where someone was having trouble trying not to starve to death. whens the last time you played a game with a food and water mechanic? i figure a beginner would be completely new to the concept. Definitely not the predetermined seed box because a newbie may get stuck without being able to use a little save reload cheese. ect. as stated this is advice for beginners. not hard core players. i would not tell them to definitely check them, i would tell to really think about that first, cant be changed in game.

I don't think I played a game with such food/water mechanism before Book 2 and had no troubles at all with that. The post about starving to death was relative to ailments in fact the food/water mechanism helped him noticed a sickness problem sooner, a problem that was a severe penalty until solved. Moreover I wonder what effect has this ailment when the food/water mechanism is off, I won't be surprised the effect is even worse than eat/drink 3 time faster.

And I don't agree it's a game where you have to cheat. From all Book that's the more tempered, ie less nasty stuff and, overall difficulty a bit lower.

For the save/load that's wrong it just requires you save often enough as in all RPG. If it happens (stuck at a point for any reason) you can force quit and load a previous save. In dungeons you just need move back a little to be far enough from enemies to save, ie the requirement of the game on that is small. But you advice on taking

And again better drops and better xp rate is a gain.

But ok you have a different opinion, I just don't share it even after some explanations.

[Enor]

another good tip is having that 1 skill in repair works wonders, especially in the beginning when your copper / tier 1 equipment breaks so fast. either spend 3 skill points to get that first level or buy/find a ring that has + to repair skill. it saves plenty if money if you can buy one because you dont have to repair at the blacksmith. also saves a lot of frustation not having your weapon break on you.

[Dorok]

Yeah for close range character it's quite a big point to manage.

[peko]

There are a few skills that almost all builds can benefit from. Mercantilism and Lore can save you a lot of money through the game which just about any build will benefit from, Repair is great for most builds except mages, I can't think of any build that couldn't benefit from a bit of Alchemy. Quite early on you can train both Mercantilism and Lore, both are really good to get early on
Unless your going for some very different build you should pump up your main damage dealing skill to about 15 rather quickly, that'll make things a lot easier.
As mentioned, specialize in a few skills at first, then you can broaden your repertoire.
Skills have diminishing returns, you'll probably only need one or two to be above 20, then skillpoints could often be better spent elsewhere.
A cartography ring is great in the beginning but be on the lookout for a Cartography book, the ring slot has better uses later on.
Don't attempt to train to many skills to 8 and then use the corresponding book, it costs 3600 to train a skill to level 8 and that money takes some time to get a hold of, you'll get enough skillpoints to "waste" a few.
Don't underestimate a few skillpoints in some skills, several skills will help out a lot with just 5 points in them. Case in point, 1-5 levels of either magic skill can be a good investment for many characters. Also the ones I mention at the top.
If you're not a melee character consider training 1 level of Bludgeoning to smash open barrels or chests.

[Qiox]

Originally posted by Enor:

another good tip is having that 1 skill in repair works wonders, especially in the beginning when your copper / tier 1 equipment breaks so fast. either spend 3 skill points to get that first level or buy/find a ring that has + to repair skill. it saves plenty if money if you can buy one because you dont have to repair at the blacksmith. also saves a lot of frustation not having your weapon break on you.

There's actually a spot you are guaranteed to find a +1 repair ring fairly early on.