So I am starting a new run through of this game! A few questions:
- What's the best way to build clerics and mages? Basically, I'm wondering if it is worth it to put points into the weapon skills. Both are staff users, and can help a lot with stunlocking opponents from the back line, to complement my frontline mace warrior. It might be a better idea to build skills in polearms rather than wasting points on spells that will probably be obsolete by the end game.
- This kind of links back to attributes. I can easily build their HP using all those pools and herbs. And of course one point always goes into speed. But I am wondering what is the best choice for the other point. I would much rather put the cleric's second point into energy, as although it gives less PP than constitution gives health, I can convert PP to health at a very good rate using spells like mass regeneration or greater healing. So, I'd rather invest in energy. But, if I am building weapon skills, then STR and AGI are pretty important... Hmmm....
- What are the best mage and cleric spells to build and develop? Preferrably ones with good end game utility value. I hated that most of my spells in the previous playthrough, with the cleric and bard, ended up being wastes of skillpoints as the game progressed.
Mages are strictly back row casters, NO combat skills (you shouldn't even have leftover skill-points for that, in fact). I found it best to give your casters a shield (get low-tier ones with low stat reqs but good stat boosts) and NO weapon.
Clerics can be built 2 ways: 1. Like mages - pure back row caster, full on spells; when not healing allies, cleric casts divine prayer or "assists". 2. Front row NON-attacking tank. Basically, same as #1, except you put him in front row and pump some armor + life skills, so he could take some beating. Still - NO attacks, pure damage sponge (because divine prayer is OP).
Staffs/pole weapons are utter crap, btw, don't bother with them.
Here's some fundamental best char-building principles:
1. Speed >>>>> any other stat. Always max speed on every level up, on every char. No exceptions! Make sure your casters wear items with extra Spd, you want them to act as early in combat as possible.
2. Endurance is important for everyone. You will regret your "I can easily build their HP using all those pools and herbs" though once you get to mid-game. Enemies will hurt a lot, and their attacks will be aoe, which means that they will hurt your back row as well. Ideally, that's the second stat you pump for your non-fighter classes at each level-up, but it's acceptable to alternate it with energy for casters on every other level-up. While endurance is important for front row fighters, they will generally be of classes with good base hp multiplier, so they will have decent hp as they level. And they have access to the bodybuilding skill on the cheap, while casters don't.
3. Strength is the most important attribute for fighters (after speed!). It directly boosts weapons' damage (even ranged weapons). You want to pump Str at least once every two level ups at first, and on every level up closer to endgame.
4. Agility is nice, but it's mostly a secondary stat. It affects your fighters' chance to evade (IIRC) and chance to hit, as well as being required for some weapons to be used. For fighters, pump it from time to time (alternating with Str in the beginning of the game) to meet weapon stat requirements. Then you can either pump it occasionally, or leave it, and forcus on Str+End. It's totally useless for casters, don't pump it.
5. Energy is kinda like agility - nice to have for casters, but can be skipped, and totally useless for fighters. For casters, can alternate it on every other level up with endurance, if you wish so. Can help at the beginning of the game, but pretty pointless later on, because high-lvl spells cost so much energy that extra, say, 100 energy from putting 50 energy points (not a small amount) is actually not going to make much of a difference. If you want more energy on your casters - pump meditation(?) skill instead.
For best caster spells, please consult the game guide that comes with the game. It's there for a reason. The game devs explicitly state ingame that if you want to get good results in LoX, you're expected to study manual.
Here's some good mage spells: sparks (or stone arrow), flames, blizzard(!), lightning (or meteor), fireball(!), energy aborption(!), inferno(!), lords of the thunder + incinerate air/end of flames for utility purposes (lvl1 only). Hammer of the destroyer, thunder storm and frostball are decent as well, but generally worse than other spells I listed here.
Good cleric spells: light heal (3 max), mend bleeding, cure wounds, mass organic protection, mass magical protection, mass elemental protection, mass divine armor(!), divine prayer(!), mass heal(!), mass regeneration(!), light ray, divine ray(!), ray of the gods, remove poison, cleanse disease, purify curse.
