Playing style of the Fighter/Mage

Grandpa · #1 (**permalink**) 10-01-2004, 08:08 PM

I am trying to understand the "potential" of this class (specifically dual classed for faster leveling) with ToB installed. Show me how Kensai/Mages (for example) can be fun, even if they are the ultimage powergame. The word "cheese"=very overused.

As in:
Improved Haste=very long Greater Whirlwind (8-10 attacks)
Mage contigencies/sequencers

That's all I got. I'm clueless on how you make a fighter better with magic. Danke.

glenfar · #2 (**permalink**) 10-01-2004, 09:18 PM

It's not by making them fight better ... rather making them untouchable (literally). Try Stoneskin, Mirror Image, Blur, Improved Invisibility ... mix in things like Protection from Normal/Magic Weapons/Missles ... you can get through most battles without taking a single scratch!

Grandpa · #3 (**permalink**) 10-01-2004, 09:48 PM

Edit: Hmm, I think I understand why this guy is popular. It's simple to play. It's a fighter with many simple buffs (who needs armor when you can have always-on Shield, Armor, Stoneskin, Blur, Improved Inv./Mislead?) and mage HLAs I guess are for battles where timestop is not possible (I spoiled myself in the ToB forum :-/ ). Everything that is vulnerable to timestop is simply dispelled of physical protections and chunkified. Yes. . .I think I understand now.

me0w · #4 (**permalink**) 10-01-2004, 10:04 PM

Why not.

Dragon Breath is a good spell, you can use it to rock people. Also, you can (I think) still choose fighter HLA's like wirlwind, etc.

So really it is worth it, also extra mage mage spells can be good.

Ieldra · #5 (**permalink**) 10-02-2004, 12:31 AM

You can only choose Fighter HLAs if your character is multi-class, or if you dual-class at a point where you already have 3 million xp. The latter is not advisable, since that means level 21, and level 22 for a mage means 4 million xp. There are only about 6.5 million xp per character in all of SOA+TOB, plus those added by mods. You may reach the point where you get your fighter abilities back if you install a few mods, but you'll spend most of the time playing without them. So, if you want HLAs from both pools, it's better to use a multi-class character.

Opalescence · #6 (**permalink**) 10-02-2004, 02:09 AM

Well, Tenser's Transformation makes a Kensai/Mage an absolute Juggernaut. Tenser's during a Timestop is unreal. The reason people love Kensai/Mages so much is that Kensai have kit advantages that mesh so perfectly with the Mage that they seem made to go together. In addition, with a program known as Shadowkeeper it IS possible to multiclass Kensai/Mage, but that isn't advisable unless you're extremely keen on super-cheese. The fact of the matter is, unless you cheat you can't multiclass kitted classes (Kensai is a kit for fighter), and for good reason. It gets seriously unbalanced if you think about it to have both fighter and mage HLA, AND the significant advantages of the Kensai kit, AND no drawbacks because the kensai "drawbacks" (no armor, no gauntlets, no ranged weapons), really don't matter to you! Who cares if you have no armor, if you wore armor you couldn't cast spells. I doubt as a sword saint you'd use bows anyhow, and you could live without using guantlets I bet...

moltovir · #7 (**permalink**) 10-02-2004, 04:13 AM

Tensers during a Timestop makes no sense at all, since TT is a Thac0 improving spell and all hits in timestop hit automatically (thus deny thac0 and AC). A better combo would be Improved Haste (or whirlwind) + timestop.

Grandpa · #8 (**permalink**) 10-02-2004, 01:13 PM

At first I was thinking, why would a F/M need Tensor's, their THAC0 is good enough to hit just about everything. I think it's because of the massive hit points? Tensor's/Vampiric Touch/Larloch's Minor Drain=unbelievable amount of life (300+

). I am really starting to like the F/M!

Edit: Yes, Shadowkeeper can add many fun affects. I just have more fun playing with a legitimate character.