Dark Sun Shattered Lands: Stats?

[SanguinePenguin]

Got started on this the other day after reading through the manual and trying to remember all the stuff from AD&D. Err, Is there anyway I can check thac0 and saves? I've doublechecked all the hot keys in the manual and I don't think I'm missing a menu screen...I just get armor class, physical stats, a strength multiplier(?) and a bonus to damage to the inhand weapon.

Another thing, the game lets you adjust stats and hp after a roll during character creation. How far am I suppose to take this? I don't want to abuse the game but I'm unfamiliar with dark sun and don't know if the game is designed around super powered characters. I noticed for instance it seems to skip the whole 18 + a fraction thing for stats in the BG games and go straight for the 20's. So far I got one stat maxed to the highest one selectable for each character leaving the others to whatever they rolled on and max starting hp. Too much or too little?

 

[Jim Kata]

Just do straight random rolls. the game is very easy until the last battle, which was impossible for me to win.

 

[Sae]

I couldn't beat it either. There were just too many enemies, and I didn't have a Preserver so I couldn't pump out enough AoEs to scathe the freaking ARMY they put you up against.

 

[Voss]

Really? IRC, All my characters were dual classed
Fighter/Druid/Preserver/Psionists (with the occassional thief and whatnot thrown in) by the end of the game. It got rather silly.
There was more than enough XP spread over encounters.


As for saves and thac0s, I'm sure there some 2nd edition stats somewhere on the web.
I know fighter thac0 drops a point each level
cleric thac0 drops 2 points every few levels (3 or 4)
thief thac0 drops 1 point every 3 levels.
wizard thac0 isn't worth bothering with 1/4 (?)

 

[Crichton]

The final battle isn't all that difficult if you know what to do, but I've never found a way to save the AI companions.

To win the final battle-

1. Cast dust cloud to avoid being pummeled by fireball, kill all foozols

2. retreat back NE into the little rocky valley thing when the big boys show up. Sadly your stupid AI buddies will stay down in the plains to get slaughtered.

3. Cast 1-3 "walls of fire" across the little valley and then just wait for whatever enemies make it through. Wall of Fire blocks LOS and burns so you'll be safe from magic and your enemies will roast before they make it to you. Periodically charm a few of the "elite guard" to turn the tide against their compatriots. The enemies will space themselves out somewhat so you'll even have an opportunity to use the genie to heal your party if you need to.

4. You win! You are TEH UBAR! and the game doesn't even end you can wander around if you want to or save the game and import it into the buggy sequel. Of course if you do that everything will be fubar.

 

[SanguinePenguin]

Ok thanks everyone.

I'm wingin' it with regular style stats and found a thac0 chart. It still feels a little fuzzy and after a couple of experimental starts, seems to make little difference no matter how I switch stats around.

Guess I'm a little out of practice with these older games as I found Dalogar's lab under the sewers to be fairly tough. Discovered the hard way that the web spell isn't a piece of crap and being shot with a lucky psionic blast by a blob of vaginal jelly for 80% of hp is an interesting experience as well.

Speaking of which other than ego whip and psionic blast are any of the mind powers any good? I don't think I've gotten Domination, mass or otherwise, to actually work on anything so far. My Fighter/Clerics charm spell seems to be working well in comparison. I did cheese out of the second fight with the crazy templar in the lab with disintegrate, but it was lucky shot and the thing costs 40 points.

 

[Jim Kata]

I think I used psionics mainly for buffs. they have stuff like energy immunity.

 

[Bar Tec]

The final battle isn't all that difficult if you know what to do, but I've never found a way to save the AI companions.

Exactly.
There are some simple ways to win the final battle. Darksun have some unbalanced spells (like cleric's Iron Skin) and weapons (vampiric El's Drinker - which can also be duplicated before the final battle). Half-giant Gladiator armed with El's Drinker is almost invincible and could massacrate entire squad.

Anyway, Darksun is one the the best CRPG ever. Great plot - instead of standard "ancient evil uber-demon" you are figting againsty "modern evil uber-army" :D

 

[Crichton]

Speaking of which other than ego whip and psionic blast are any of the mind powers any good? I don't think I've gotten Domination, mass or otherwise, to actually work on anything so far. My Fighter/Clerics charm spell seems to be working well in comparison. I did cheese out of the second fight with the crazy templar in the lab with disintegrate, but it was lucky shot and the thing costs 40 points.

Domination was the only psionic power I used for anything, check your character's relevant stat (it'll tell you, I think domination checks are wis -5, could be int -5). Outside of that, the paralyzing one (ego whip?) is alright, most just suck, inertial barrier is nice though.

 

[SanguinePenguin]

It's Wis -4 and -6 for Domination and Mass domination respectively. I have it being used by a Fighter/Psionic Half Giant with 17 Wis, too low?

Maybe it's the enemies I've tried it on, the Dagolar slimes and Dagolar guards. Supposedly they have brains, the slimes do in their description in the manual, and they were effected by ego whip. Are "critters" more immune than humanoid to psionics? I'm unfamiliar with how the rules work in the background when it comes to psionics and whether some creatures can have specific spell resistances rather than according to type or method of delivery.