Incline Age of Decadence - Tips, Tricks and Spoilers

[Vault Dweller]

Am I right that I need some bodycount for joining AG as Loremaster?

Yes. Proof that you have what it takes. You only need 1 kill, so kill Cassius for Feng and you'll be able to join.

 

[Fenix]

So guys, can you help with advice - what weapon better to chose?
I went with 5 Str 7 Dex 6 Con hybrid (I swear I'll play pure build, it's just TG was so tempting to try it first), and blocking bonus rating just crying I should pick blocking, but my Str tell me I need to pick crossbows.
Or something?

 

[Jason Liang]

Wait which path

I hope you are not attempting a 7 DEX Assassin

Blocking is completely inferior to Dodging in terms of effect. The ONLY exceptions are

a) certain high STR/ low DEX 1H melee builds, where you have such a large innate Blocking bonus compared Dodging that you can get away with investing less skill points in defense. Then you run into a conundrum, since the only *real* reason to make a blocking build is endgame Power Armor, BUT said Armor is only exceptional if you have high DEX for lots of action points.

b)

Spoiler

The other exception is the "Space Marine" build with power armor and 1h xbow, but hand xbow wont carry you with far so you need to find/ craft the endgame 1h xbow (a nail gun) asap

The only time equal blocking is better than dodging is in case you get maimed. Blocking is immune to that.

Thief isn't well-suited for a pure hybrid run, but it's not a bad choice for a STR 1h melee combat build (Axe or Hammer is best, but Dagger is fun too although obviously you wont get the STR bonus in that case). You get free melee training, and unlike Assassin you can take 8 DEX instead of 9 DEX. Thief is also the only path that can get both Terminator AND Killer of Man. The biggest decision is whether to dump CHA or not. If you dump CHA, you'll miss out on some freebies, but you'll end up with a very strong thief fighter. 6/8/6/8/8/4 or even 8/8/4/8/8/4. If you want to try pure hybrid 5/8/5/10/8/4 or 6/8/5/9/8/4.

Spoiler

If you go with a 1H STR Block build, most of the free training you get from CHA is useless for you. As a Thief, your House reputation is so low that you can't get both Cassius and Feng's training even with 7 CHA (so you are in nearly all cases best off choosing Cassius instead of Feng); since you don't use Dodge or Swords, most of Dellar's training is useless to you as well. However, you will miss Lucius' CS training which requires 7 CHA. But it's defnitely not worth spending 3 stat points just for that.

Some other hints:
a) You are best off picking Thief's Guild at character creation if you are going Thief, and Assassin's Guild at character creation if you are going Assassin. Both preludes offer important skill training opportunities that you'll miss if you join later. The Assassin prelude gives +2 CS and +2 body count, for example.

b)
As a Thief, there are basically five crucial choices:
a) Dump CHA or not. Dumping is optimal.
b) Dump Steal or not. Dumping is optimal.
c) Betray Levar or not. Betraying is optimal.
d) Get Terminator or not. Getting Terminator is not optimal, but a cool title is worth sacrificing a few skill points.
e) Get Killer of Man or not; but if you don't get Killer of Man, why play a Thief in the first place?

 

[Fenix]

That's the Thievery Guild man, for Assasin Guild I'll set 8 Dex that's for sure. :D

Also yeah, I think I made a mistake, I set Per 8 and Int 10 as greedy as I am (and I was thinking about accessing all lore).
For combat purpose it should be opposite, I feel quite underpowered, those +15 THC and +20% crit is essential.
My build is 5/7/6/8/10/4.

a) You are best off picking Thief's Guild at character creation if you are going Thief, and Assassin's Guild at character creation if you are going Assassin. Both preludes offer important skill training opportunities that you'll miss if you join later. The Assassin prelude gives +2 CS and +2 body count, for example.

I know about Assasin start, already did it.
But as a hybrid I can't access Feng's bonuses... wait, actually I can because Assasin with 7 Dex is a homerically funny show I think so yeah, thanks.

But what are bonuses for starting as Thief except +10 to Lockpicks?


Edit: also - this lodestone is used later in game? Judging by description - yes.

 

[Jason Liang]

For a pure Hybrid build, where you do all the possible fights but only spend Combat skill points on Combat skills and all of your Generic skill points are spent completely on Civ skills, each point of PER is extremely important. Since you will spend little if any skill points on raising weapon skills, PER lets you compensate for that by using a variety of weapons for tactical advantage- longbows to start combat, hammers for knockdown and armor crush, hand xbows to punish prone opponents, axe against constructs, swords for long fights, etc...

 

[Fenix]

longbows to start combat, hammers for knockdown and armor crush, hand xbows to punish prone opponents, axe against constructs, swords for long fights, etc...

O_O you mean this all for single character ?

 

[Jason Liang]

Yes, that's the fun and challenge of playing a pure hybrid. Beating all the fights just by using potions, consumables and a variety of self-crafted weaponry. Between high PER, high STR/DEX, free training, weapon bonuses and the bonus gain for surviving many fights (1/20 fights or so) a character can have 70+ rating in each weapon skill without putting a single skill point in any single weapon skill. For difficult oponents, you can use potions to increase your ability further.

Not me, another Codexer

Starting Act 2. Sad I didn't finish this playthrough

 

[Fenix]

Both preludes offer important skill training opportunities that you'll miss if you join later. The Assassin prelude gives +2 CS and +2 body count, for example.

Wait, I actually count - to get Feng's house bonuses, if you aren't Loremaster, you need Lockpicking 3 and Stealth 3. And you don't need it if you start as Loremaster.
And Lockpicking and Sneak don't look so useful for Assasin.
How important that +2 CS and body count? As I understand, for Antidas you need 10 body count?
Also - are there mportant climbing checks? Don't know exact Str to set for AG - 4 is enough for Palace, not for poor Camilla, but that doesn't matter.
Also - talked with preacher, got "reputation with House Crassus increased", but reputation remained the same in character screen. Bug or reputation added in fraction?

 

[Jason Liang]

Sneaking and Lockpick are both incredibly useful skills. Next to Lore and Crafting, probably the next most useful. They also nearly pay for themselves at low levels with the freebie points you get in Teron. There's content that you miss unless you increase Sneak to 6+, and a very valuable item is locked in a Lockpick 8 container.

You can always get into Feng's House after he flees. You just miss out on the Sneak and Lockpick check sp. Tbe point of sneaking in is to help subsidize for the cost of learning how to sneak in.

If you start as Loremaster, it has a ton of consequences. Most important, you no longer gain or lose Word of Honor for dealing with Crassius. While this is less consequential for Assassins since Assassins get Word of Honor from their 1st mission, it is bad for other paths since the 3rd possible Word of Honor in Teron is from the Bandit Camp, and you can't get that one if you want to get Terminator.

Perhaps I've overlooked something but starting as a Loremaster has no practical benefits except for an extremely low DEX character (Dex < 7). For a DEX 7+ build, I can't think of anything Loremaster accomplishes that isn't better accomplished by a different start.

 

[Fenix]

Thanks, what do you say about Aurelian Outpost?
I'm in horror whan trying to imagine honest fight there.

I mean I explored all variants - at least those I've found, with "Sohab" and "passerby Loremaster", and sneak.
I can guess if I manage to kill them in open fight, my Aurelian reputation will descrease.
Also, if I'll eliminate Decanus in dialog, I won't need to lockpick chest with battery, right?

 

[Deadass]

I have two questions on the Ascension ending

Spoiler

1)Is Agathoth still alive and sleepy in this ending?
2)Why the fuck Abu Hassan appeared in Bennie's dreams?

 

[Vault Dweller]

Spoiler

1)Is Agathoth still alive and sleepy in this ending?

Yes but as the ending says you will destroy all ancient ruins shortly after the ascension to make sure that nothing comes through or threatens your reign in any way.

2)Why the fuck Abu Hassan appeared in Bennie's dreams?

He didn't appear in a dream and there are no ghosts or anything of that sort. Bennie simply had a dream about him (sometimes the simplest explanation is correct).

 

[Fenix]

Also - talked with preacher, got "reputation with House Crassus increased", but reputation remained the same in character screen. Bug or reputation added in fraction?

???

 

[Fenix]

The Assassin prelude gives +2 CS and +2 body count, for example.

Tested it and looked carefully - Assasin's prelude doesn't give +2 CS. Dunno bug or not, but I'm pretty sure about it.

 

[Jason Liang]

Did you roll a 9 DEX Assassin? You have to complete it correctly.

 

[Jason Liang]

Thanks, what do you say about Aurelian Outpost?
I'm in horror whan trying to imagine honest fight there.

I mean I explored all variants - at least those I've found, with "Sohab" and "passerby Loremaster", and sneak.
I can guess if I manage to kill them in open fight, my Aurelian reputation will descrease.
Also, if I'll eliminate Decanus in dialog, I won't need to lockpick chest with battery, right?

Aurelian Outpost is actually a lot easier than the Bandit Camp. I forgot if I posted a step by step guide for it like I did with Bandit Camp. If you poison the camp and CS one of the guards, the remaining three outside guards are pretty almost dead. Kill the Axe man first, kite the Decanus, and finally quickly close in on the crossbow with melee. The Decanus doesn't have a lot of AP. The inner guards can be picked off if you wear heavy armor and let the miners corner you. The guards then wont be able to hit you with their melee weapons.

 

[Anomander Rake]

Perhaps I've overlooked something but starting as a Loremaster has no practical benefits except for an extremely low DEX character (Dex < 7). For a DEX 7+ build, I can't think of anything Loremaster accomplishes that isn't better accomplished by a different start.

What about Feng teaching you if you got a charisma lower than 7?

Beside, is the game complete, or is it being planned to release a new patch? I currently have Gog version 2.10.0.11.
Is it the latest? I have not been checking for long time because I read they were doing some experiments with skill points.

 

[Fenix]

Did you roll a 9 DEX Assassin? You have to complete it correctly.

Nope! There was [success] so I thought it was like it should be.

Aurelian Outpost is actually a lot easier than the Bandit Camp. I forgot if I posted a step by step guide for it like I did with Bandit Camp. If you poison the camp and CS one of the guards, the remaining three outside guards are pretty almost dead. Kill the Axe man first, kite the Decanus, and finally quickly close in on the crossbow with melee. The Decanus doesn't have a lot of AP. The inner guards can be picked off if you wear heavy armor and let the miners corner you. The guards then wont be able to hit you with their melee weapons.

I know it already, did AO two times. I prefer to kill crossbower first, all that needed is a good old arterial strike with poisoned bolt.
Those three even coudn't hit me.
Second group coudn't reach me in time, hand crossbow is OP.

Also, managed to get this.

Spoiler

ALSO don't know it's bug or not - already used it to my advantage, so now I have to tell about it.
You can climb to the Feng's house roof in combat, and shot from there, or just realod there, use Wait, go down and shoot some more.
Climbing in combat cost nothing.
So if it was our little secret - oops!

 

[Anomander Rake]

AHAH thanks for the trick. I will use it in my next playthrough ehuehuehue

 

[Fenix]

my next playthrough

Do this faster, because I think Vince will rightfully patch it out!

 

[Black Angel]

use Wait, go down and shoot some more.

I thought we can't Wait in AoD? Or did you mean skip your turn?

 

[Parabalus]

use Wait, go down and shoot some more.

I thought we can't Wait in AoD? Or did you mean skip your turn?

Added in latest patch.

 

[Fenix]

So, these thugs&trader in Maadoran - I won't miss anything if just kill them?

 

[ERYFKRAD]

just kill them

Always an effective strategy.

 

[Fenix]

I mean they promised later to give me more, and who knows what canhappen in AoD.