Build me an Arcanum character because I'm a filthy casual and too stupid to do it myself.

[Casual Hero]

Part of the appeal of the game is that changing the build can completely change the way you complete quests and progress through the story. It really just depends on what your preferred playstyle is.

 

[Bester]

I was thinking of replaying Arcanum just now and was trying to get into the mood by doing a self-insert into the Arcanum world, thinking what I'd do, etc... And the first thing I thought: I'm gonna learn some magic.

And then immediately got my suspension of disbelief crushed: you don't have to find a teacher to learn a new school of magic, there are no "lost & forgotten" magic schools that you can rediscover, or anything mystical about magic at all. You just go into char sheet and level it up. It sucks from the RP point of view.

 

[Daemongar]

I think all these folks chanting Harm are missing the point: going full magic locks you out of technology items, armor and all that. I have tried a few builds and there are a lot of good ones. Playing some kind of harm build isn't all that much fun or versatile. Playing someone who has spells and technology? That's was a well rounded build.

My first run was a melee spell casting dwarf - this was my first play through and I wanted to get the mechanical armor but also wanted healing spells. So I balanced out everything. Wasn't bad - and gave me a lot more dialog options in the dwarf clans for having a reasonable int. Focused builds are nice - but they make you too one-dimensional and things get dull quickly. I like being able to use any item I find, so I put a little points into everything. I feel it was the right approach.

 

[FriendlyMerchant]

As far as killing things though. It's better to specialize in tech or magic. Most of the time you can still get away with using a variety of skills either way without hurting either capability. Haggling and Persuasion do not care if you have tech aptitude or magic aptitude. Same thing with melee and bow. Besides, you'd probably be better off looking for some of the enchanted armor if you're a magic man than power armor and you just use spells to replace the things you had to give up when you when full magic. Not too big of a deal.

 

[Daemongar]

As far as killing things though. It's better to specialize in tech or magic. Most of the time you can still get away with using a variety of skills either way without hurting either capability. Haggling and Persuasion do not care if you have tech aptitude or magic aptitude. Same thing with melee and bow. Besides, you'd probably be better off looking for some of the enchanted armor if you're a magic man than power armor and you just use spells to replace the things you had to give up when you when full magic. Not too big of a deal.

Yeah, but he asked "What's the best build to experience Arcanum with? Not the most OP and destructive. The best character to experience the most content, quests, dialog, etc." He didn't say the best way to use gimmicks to breeze through the game. He wants to be a real man. You know, experience all - the horror as well as the glory! And for this reason, playing a professional haggler with no combat skills or spells is the best build.

 

[Grampy_Bone]

Max dex and strength and equip a balanced sword.

 

[marek]

Yeah, but he asked "What's the best build to experience Arcanum with? Not the most OP and destructive. The best character to experience the most content, quests, dialog, etc." He didn't say the best way to use gimmicks to breeze through the game. He wants to be a real man. You know, experience all - the horror as well as the glory! And for this reason, playing a professional haggler with no combat skills or spells is the best build.

How would you build such a "max lore experience" build? I don't care about great combat capabilities at all (well, as long as i can progress somehow), but find it hard to find a proper balance. I'd love to play a true renaissance man: do all skill mastery quests, have access to inseresting spells like conjure spirit, tech skills and multiple companions. So far i'm looking at a charlatan protegé half elf.

 

[FriendlyMerchant]

How would you build such a "max lore experience" build? I don't care about great combat capabilities at all (well, as long as i can progress somehow), but find it hard to find a proper balance. I'd love to play a true renaissance man: do all skill mastery quests, have access to inseresting spells like conjure spirit, tech skills and multiple companions. So far i'm looking at a charlatan protegé half elf.

Miracle operation is your friend. Build an army of robots. Recruit companions. End up talking your way out of any serious fight. Win. Half elf is a good choice.

 

[Johnny Johnny]

Try miracle operation. gun slinging, gnome gambler. If played right, all merchants in Tarant will be nude and in love with you.

 

[Chaotic_Heretic]

Pump Int and Dex. Get the stat buffs and/or the AP temporal colleges. GO melee or thrown. Get dodge as defensive skill. Slaughter your enemies in TB mode before they even get a chance to act. You can get harm and/or disintegrate as a backup. but honestly AP/stamina ecomony is way better to have the buffs and go to town with melee.

Thrown is very effective once you find a magic thrown weapon that returns (chakram or something).

 

[Sranchammer]

Play a dolled up elven slut. Easy mode

 

[Luckmann]

Don't listen to harm-cultists, the spell is next to useless outside of a proper magic build.

I don't think anyone hinted at suggesting Harm in a non-spellcaster capacity, because that'd be retarded.

 

[jackofshadows]

On the second thought, given heavy cha/int investments I guess Harm and consequential magic development is the best choice for OP considering possible real time spamming unlike with any weapons including firearms. I was just encouraging to do not overrate the spell and clarifying that aptitude matters a lot.

 

[MartinK]

The real reason to take Harm is that it unlocks Conjure Spirit

 

[Daemongar]

How would you build such a "max lore experience" build? I don't care about great combat capabilities at all (well, as long as i can progress somehow), but find it hard to find a proper balance. I'd love to play a true renaissance man: do all skill mastery quests, have access to inseresting spells like conjure spirit, tech skills and multiple companions. So far i'm looking at a charlatan protegé half elf.

Max lore? I'd probably start with good combat abilities at the beginning - start the game with 2 points in Melee - take it to 3 eventually, get the promotions or whatever you call them. Then start cranking beauty, persuasion, intelligence. That is, orphaned skills no sane person would crank up with a melee build. So, stopping at about midpoint for melee combat is probably all you need - but won't exactly speed up combat. You can also take an occasional spell or schematic as you see fit, keeping you in balance.

But there isn't one build at the end of the day that will get you everything. Playing an intelligent dwarf got me a long ass conversation tree about stone and shape I didn't get on my next playthrough. Don't think you get it as a low int Dwarf, or if you don't play as a Dwarf - there is that much variation in this game.

 

[FriendlyMerchant]

Playing an intelligent dwarf got me a long ass conversation tree about stone and shape I didn't get on my next playthrough. Don't think you get it as a low int Dwarf, or if you don't play as a Dwarf - there is that much variation in this game.

I think that was probably from intelligence. I got that conversation with a human and half-elf

 

[Daemongar]

Playing an intelligent dwarf got me a long ass conversation tree about stone and shape I didn't get on my next playthrough. Don't think you get it as a low int Dwarf, or if you don't play as a Dwarf - there is that much variation in this game.

I think that was probably from intelligence. I got that conversation with a human and half-elf

I always wondered about that. Well, the thing is tho that you got it from Int - but I didn't have to create a mono-dimensional char to get it. I was a dwarf with ok combat and some random low level spells. Look, I'll be honest: I have no idea what to do to get the most options!

 

[Chaotic_Heretic]

idiot savant spellcaster the best~

HAHA YOU UGLY MONKEY!
*COMBAT BEGINS*
DISINTEGRATE!
*COMBAT ENDS*

 

[jackofshadows]

I think that was probably from intelligence. I got that conversation with a human and half-elf

It's 100% from intelligence. I cannot say the exact threshold but it's enough to simply buy and drink potion beforehand for a char with base (8) INT. The only problem - you should get to extra dialogue option before the potion expires.

Speaking of thresholds, the tightest that I know of is for shagging M'in Gorad: you'll need 18 charisma, at least 15-16 beauty and to be an elf (no disgusting half-breed allowed, obviously). Not 100% sure about beaty but other two are solid requirements.

 

[jackofshadows]

I was thinking of replaying Arcanum just now and was trying to get into the mood by doing a self-insert into the Arcanum world, thinking what I'd do, etc... And the first thing I thought: I'm gonna learn some magic.

And then immediately got my suspension of disbelief crushed: you don't have to find a teacher to learn a new school of magic, there are no "lost & forgotten" magic schools that you can rediscover, or anything mystical about magic at all. You just go into char sheet and level it up. It sucks from the RP point of view.

It's a wasted opportunity for sure. For a technology expert finding and executing Vendigrothian schems is the most exciting thing ever while a mage just have to hit 15 lvl iirc to be able to learn the most powerful spells in the game.

Very unfortunate indeed. Maybe they should've at least lock 5th tier for Tulla's trip. Or to tie learning them to actual scrolls - the game has scrolls after all anyway including "exit" spell which isn't available for learning.

 

[Ol' Willy]

It's a wasted opportunity for sure. For a technology expert finding and executing Vendigrothian schems is the most exciting thing ever while a mage just have to hit 15 lvl iirc to be able to learn the most powerful spells in the game.

Making an early rush to Vendigroth is analogous to Navarro rush in Fallout 2. Go there as soon as possible, grab everything necessary to craft Droch's Warbringer, make sure you have the needed skills to do that - and dominate. No need for any other gun.

Warbringer is the best gun in Arcanum, considering damage output, usability and ammo cost. Tesla gun is a way more powerful, but ammo is rare and costly, so you will end up having back-up gun to dispose of less threatening enemies. Warbringer, though, could be used everytime considering the regular ammo.

 

[jackofshadows]

Making an early rush to Vendigroth is analogous to Navarro rush in Fallout 2. Go there as soon as possible, grab everything necessary to craft Droch's Warbringer, make sure you have the needed skills to do that - and dominate. No need for any other gun.

Ha, never did that, sounds like fun run for a change. Yeah, Warbringer is the best all-around although I did like to fool around with machine gun and some crazy guns as well.

 

[MartinK]

I suggest investing into explosives on tech character. Grenades are okay at murdering stuff, but you can make real killing by selling them, all the money you need after a two weeks of basic stuff and selling homemade explosives in Tarant you’ll have all the cash you ever need. Grenades from found schematics are great, but you have to invest into otherwise quite meh chemistry school.

 

[marek]

How would you build such a "max lore experience" build? I don't care about great combat capabilities at all (well, as long as i can progress somehow), but find it hard to find a proper balance. I'd love to play a true renaissance man: do all skill mastery quests, have access to inseresting spells like conjure spirit, tech skills and multiple companions. So far i'm looking at a charlatan protegé half elf.

Max lore? I'd probably start with good combat abilities at the beginning - start the game with 2 points in Melee - take it to 3 eventually, get the promotions or whatever you call them. Then start cranking beauty, persuasion, intelligence. That is, orphaned skills no sane person would crank up with a melee build. So, stopping at about midpoint for melee combat is probably all you need - but won't exactly speed up combat. You can also take an occasional spell or schematic as you see fit, keeping you in balance.

But there isn't one build at the end of the day that will get you everything. Playing an intelligent dwarf got me a long ass conversation tree about stone and shape I didn't get on my next playthrough. Don't think you get it as a low int Dwarf, or if you don't play as a Dwarf - there is that much variation in this game.

Thank you, i'll just go for it. Installed the lvl 100 option in the unofficial patch so i can play more organically without being afraid to screw my build...

 

[jackofshadows]

I suggest investing into explosives on tech character. Grenades are okay at murdering stuff, but you can make real killing by selling them, all the money you need after a two weeks of basic stuff and selling homemade explosives in Tarant you’ll have all the cash you ever need. Grenades from found schematics are great, but you have to invest into otherwise quite meh chemistry school.

Making Eye Gears is also very profitable so if someone wants to develop mechanic in order to create Arachnides or even Automatons later it's a better option for that.

For found schematics investing into undesired schools is unnecessary - better just buy some tech manuals.