becoming an arcane archer

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I figure since I'm going to try a ranger, this would be the perfect
prestige class to go for. But I know you need the ability to cast arcane
spells, so I'm assuming you have to take a level as a wizard or sorcerer
first. It seems like sorcerer is better, since you can cast more spells
and you don't have to prepare them. Is this what most people do? Is
there any advantage to choosing a wizard? (Aside from being able to have
more known spells, which isn't too helpful if you only take one level
anyway.)

 

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John Salerno wrote:

> I figure since I'm going to try a ranger, this would be the perfect
> prestige class to go for. But I know you need the ability to cast arcane
> spells, so I'm assuming you have to take a level as a wizard or sorcerer
> first. It seems like sorcerer is better, since you can cast more spells
> and you don't have to prepare them. Is this what most people do? Is
> there any advantage to choosing a wizard? (Aside from being able to have
> more known spells, which isn't too helpful if you only take one level
> anyway.)

If you are only going to take one level then which spells you can cast
isn't really important, because you'll only be able to cast a couple,
and they will be very low power: you cast a spell based on your level in
the class that is casting it.

An alternative to Wizard and sorcerer would be Bard; they are much more
useful in small quantities. However, you'd have to take three levels of
bard to get arcane spellcasting, while with the other two, you only need
one level.

Lance

 

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John Salerno wrote:
> I figure since I'm going to try a ranger, this would be the perfect
> prestige class to go for. But I know you need the ability to cast arcane
> spells, so I'm assuming you have to take a level as a wizard or sorcerer
> first. It seems like sorcerer is better, since you can cast more spells
> and you don't have to prepare them. Is this what most people do? Is
> there any advantage to choosing a wizard? (Aside from being able to have
> more known spells, which isn't too helpful if you only take one level
> anyway.)

Wizard is the favored class for elves. If you're an elf, taking a
single level of sorcerer instead of wizard will saddle you with a
permanent XP penalty. You have to be an elf or a half-elf to become an
Arcane Archer.

 

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Archived from groups: alt.games.neverwinter-nights (More info?)

Well, low level spells are pretty useless later on anyway with all the magic
resistance most of the monsters and bad guys have. I took equal levels in
Wizard and Ranger until the end of SOU and then became an arcane archer -
she kicked ass pretty good, especially when balanced with a fighter like
Daelan (or Linu/Dorna (focussed on being a cleric), good for healing spells)
and then later Valen (serious ass-kicker), and also you get a really good
bow at the beginning of the Underdark which you can upgrade. My
Ranger/Wizard/AA didn't cast many offensive spells in Underdark and I
switched to buffing spells and summoning spells for the most part, though
Deekin's pretty good for the former too. Death armour and Stoneskin were
probably used the most, plus ranger healing spells.

Best wishes
Maxon


"John Salerno" <johnjsal@NOSPAMgmail.com> wrote in message
news:RM2dndOoLPTqmS3cRVn-uA@rcn.net...
> I figure since I'm going to try a ranger, this would be the perfect
> prestige class to go for. But I know you need the ability to cast arcane
> spells, so I'm assuming you have to take a level as a wizard or sorcerer
> first. It seems like sorcerer is better, since you can cast more spells
> and you don't have to prepare them. Is this what most people do? Is
> there any advantage to choosing a wizard? (Aside from being able to have
> more known spells, which isn't too helpful if you only take one level
> anyway.)

 

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Kish wrote:

> Wizard is the favored class for elves. If you're an elf, taking a
> single level of sorcerer instead of wizard will saddle you with a
> permanent XP penalty. You have to be an elf or a half-elf to become an
> Arcane Archer.

Yeah, I was thinking about my options last night and this suddenly
occurred to me. I guess it will have to be wizard, since I don't plan to
go further than level 1, although some other responses have given me
ideas. And I keep forgetting that Magic Missile will only be as powerful
as my level 1 wizard, and it won't get more powerful as my ranger
advances in level.

 

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Lance Berg wrote:
> However, you'd have to take three levels of
> bard to get arcane spellcasting, while with the other two, you only need
> one level.


Technically, that is true; however, NWN implements the requirement by
merely checking to see if you have one level of wizard, sorcerer or
bard, so one level of bard qualifies. Personally, for a ranger/AA, I'd
go with bard and take enough levels to get two or three second-level
buffing spells as well as a decent bonus to bard song buffs. Not to
mention Use Magic Device and Tumble as class skills. You would have to
play a half-elf, though, or suffer XP penalties.
--
Barry Scott Will
Pyric RPG Publications
http://www.pyric.com/

 

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Barry Scott Will wrote:

> buffing spells as well as a decent bonus to bard song buffs. Not to
> mention Use Magic Device and Tumble as class skills. You would have to
> play a half-elf, though, or suffer XP penalties.

Would one level of wizard be enough to allow my ranger to use wands and
scrolls? Or would I have to train in UMD?

 

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John Salerno wrote:
> Would one level of wizard be enough to allow my ranger to use wands and
> scrolls? Or would I have to train in UMD?


One level is enough; however, I'm thinking more in terms of using
special class-only items that could be a benefit for such a build.
--
Barry Scott Will
Pyric RPG Publications
http://www.pyric.com/

 

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Couldn't you be an half-elf?


"John Salerno" <johnjsal@NOSPAMgmail.com> wrote in message
news:GPWdnaqtPu_mPy3cRVn-pQ@rcn.net...
> Kish wrote:
>
> > Wizard is the favored class for elves. If you're an elf, taking a
> > single level of sorcerer instead of wizard will saddle you with a
> > permanent XP penalty. You have to be an elf or a half-elf to become an
> > Arcane Archer.
>
> Yeah, I was thinking about my options last night and this suddenly
> occurred to me. I guess it will have to be wizard, since I don't plan to
> go further than level 1, although some other responses have given me
> ideas. And I keep forgetting that Magic Missile will only be as powerful
> as my level 1 wizard, and it won't get more powerful as my ranger
> advances in level.

 

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Insane Ranter wrote:
> Couldn't you be an half-elf?

Good point, but I was assuming I'd be an elf for all the racial bonuses.

 

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"John Salerno" <johnjsal@NOSPAMgmail.com> wrote in message
news:VKidnSy3S51O2izcRVn-1A@rcn.net...
> Insane Ranter wrote:
> > Couldn't you be an half-elf?
>
> Good point, but I was assuming I'd be an elf for all the racial bonuses.

Well which ever.. tis up to you...

 

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Insane Ranter wrote:
> "John Salerno" <johnjsal@NOSPAMgmail.com> wrote in message
> news:VKidnSy3S51O2izcRVn-1A@rcn.net...
>
>>Insane Ranter wrote:
>>
>>>Couldn't you be an half-elf?
>>
>>Good point, but I was assuming I'd be an elf for all the racial bonuses.
>
>
> Well which ever.. tis up to you...
>
>

How exactly is Keen Sense implemented in the game?

 

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John Salerno wrote:
> How exactly is Keen Sense implemented in the game?

A character with the Keen Sense feat is considered to always be in
'Detect Mode', and suffers no movement penalty for being in that mode.
--
My NWN Work So Far: http://tinyurl.com/6xy2f
"Pits of red smoke and fog are usually bad."
- Tip from Doom3 Manual

 

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John Salerno wrote:
> How exactly is Keen Sense implemented in the game?


An elf is, essentially, in Search mode all the time, without having to
move slowly. IOW, elves always take 20 on their Search checks.
--
Barry Scott Will
Pyric RPG Publications
http://www.pyric.com/

 

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Barry Scott Will wrote:
> An elf is, essentially, in Search mode all the time, without having to
> move slowly. IOW, elves always take 20 on their Search checks.

This may be true for traps (if so, thank you, because I did not know
that was the effect of being in Search mode, I thought it just extended
your detection range), but it is not true for secret doors and objects.

The Search check for those never "take 20" - 'Detect mode' has no effect
on those searches.
--
My NWN Work So Far: http://tinyurl.com/6xy2f
"Pits of red smoke and fog are usually bad."
- Tip from Doom3 Manual

 

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Archived from groups: alt.games.neverwinter-nights (More info?)

everlast wrote:
> This may be true for traps (if so, thank you, because I did not know
> that was the effect of being in Search mode, I thought it just extended
> your detection range), but it is not true for secret doors and objects.
>
> The Search check for those never "take 20" - 'Detect mode' has no effect
> on those searches.


True. Secret doors make their own check separate from the "engine" check
made for traps. Unfortunately, they don't take Keen Sense into account
either. Perhaps the include script with the detection function needs to
be re-written.
--
Barry Scott Will
Pyric RPG Publications
http://www.pyric.com/

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.neverwinter-nights (More info?)

Is there a way to make Secret doors easier to spot in a saved game, or
to reveal them?

I'm playing solo in the mod "Sands of Helipolis". It's an interesting
higher-level mod (starts at lvl 25), but there are a number of
plot-essential secret doors - too many for my tastes. Several areas
leave you stuck until you find the secret door!

I can boost my Search up to around 40+ (skill points, Amulet of Master,
helm with True Sight and search bonuses, INT boosting stuff). But it's
frustrating to have a very limited amount of playing time, then have to
have the character standing around in front of a long section of likely
wall, then moving down a bit, staring at the wall again, etc.

At least I know now that detect mode won't help, and that the reason
I'm standing around is that I'm waiting for a good roll! I can't
imaging how frustrating this would be for a character that doesn't a
lot of Search skill points (fighters, etc) - I'm playing a Rogue
/fighter/shadowdancer.

 

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alordofchaos@yahoo.com wrote:
> At least I know now that detect mode won't help, and that the reason
> I'm standing around is that I'm waiting for a good roll!

Just a caveat for you in case you don't already know - this works in the
module you're in because it is using the "old-style" secret doors which
check for detection every 'heartbeat' (6 seconds).

Any module using the new-style ones operate using triggers, so you only
get 1 roll each time you move through the area. Standing won't do anything.

--
My NWN Work So Far: http://tinyurl.com/6xy2f
"Pits of red smoke and fog are usually bad."
- Tip from Doom3 Manual

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.neverwinter-nights (More info?)

Barry Scott Will wrote:
> True. Secret doors make their own check separate from the "engine" check
> made for traps. Unfortunately, they don't take Keen Sense into account
> either. Perhaps the include script with the detection function needs to
> be re-written.

I agree on the re-writing part. I change it so that characters only get
a d20 roll if they are not in Search mode, and only get to add their
Search skill if they are.

However, even though the code doesn't look like it, Keen Sense is taken
into account. This is because the engine always returns
DETECT_MODE_ACTIVE for a creature with Keen Sense.

The only reason I know any of this is because it was a pet peeve of mine
in the campaign I ran some time back and changed it as soon as I found
out about it.
--
My NWN Work So Far: http://tinyurl.com/6xy2f
"Pits of red smoke and fog are usually bad."
- Tip from Doom3 Manual

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.neverwinter-nights (More info?)

Barry Scott Will wrote:
> True. Secret doors make their own check separate from the "engine" check
> made for traps. Unfortunately, they don't take Keen Sense into account
> either. Perhaps the include script with the detection function needs to
> be re-written.

If anyone sees my other reply to this despite my almost instant
'Cancel', please ignore it. It contains inaccurate information.

--
My NWN Work So Far: http://tinyurl.com/6xy2f
"Pits of red smoke and fog are usually bad."
- Tip from Doom3 Manual