When playing IWD (+HoW +ToLM, normal difficulty) with a party of two characters, will i hit the xp-cap? If yes, in wich part of the game will this roughly happen?
Do you think PickPocketing is worth putting any points in? (i dont think so)
When concentrating on Hide in Shadows and Open Locks how should i distribute the points? How many Open Locks% will I need to open (almost) any Lock in the game? Or might it be wiser to put everything into Hide in Shadows to be a more effective stabber?
Various Questions about XP and Thief-Skills
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Philos
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Forget Pickpocketing
While I have read that there are some decent items you can pickpocket, I have never bothered. Mostly because there are so many great items avaiable as treasure/loot anyhow, I would rather be better at the other skills.
I usually split my skill points three ways. For me, the hide is the "most" important, however find (and remove) traps can be a life saving skill as well. The cleric can find them with the spell but you need the thief to get rid of them. If the theif's skill score is too low they can set the trap off. There are a few locations where it is nearly impossible to get by a trap without tripping it unless you remove it. My third, but still very important, is open locks. You can use knock but that eats up spell slots real fast because there are some spots where there are a lot of locked chests/doors, etc.
How I apply the points depends on the race (it does make a difference) of my rogue. Racial abilities cause them to start with different score in each. I basically tend to apply them "somewhat" evenly between all three. A ratio of 10/5/5, usually putting the 10 on hide until it gets up to about 70 or 80 % and then alternating the 10 between Find and Open. On this go through I have a Halfling fighter/thief that is presently 7F/9T, she has 95% hide, 90% find, 30% pick (unchanged), 90% open. There are several items you can find to improve your hide skill so you can perhaps put less on there and buff the other two. My F/T has an effective skill for hiding of 117% due to 2 items she is wearing/carrying.
While I have read that there are some decent items you can pickpocket, I have never bothered. Mostly because there are so many great items avaiable as treasure/loot anyhow, I would rather be better at the other skills.
I usually split my skill points three ways. For me, the hide is the "most" important, however find (and remove) traps can be a life saving skill as well. The cleric can find them with the spell but you need the thief to get rid of them. If the theif's skill score is too low they can set the trap off. There are a few locations where it is nearly impossible to get by a trap without tripping it unless you remove it. My third, but still very important, is open locks. You can use knock but that eats up spell slots real fast because there are some spots where there are a lot of locked chests/doors, etc.
How I apply the points depends on the race (it does make a difference) of my rogue. Racial abilities cause them to start with different score in each. I basically tend to apply them "somewhat" evenly between all three. A ratio of 10/5/5, usually putting the 10 on hide until it gets up to about 70 or 80 % and then alternating the 10 between Find and Open. On this go through I have a Halfling fighter/thief that is presently 7F/9T, she has 95% hide, 90% find, 30% pick (unchanged), 90% open. There are several items you can find to improve your hide skill so you can perhaps put less on there and buff the other two. My F/T has an effective skill for hiding of 117% due to 2 items she is wearing/carrying.
UNCOMMON VALOR WAS A COMMON VIRTUE
Pickpocketing - Spoilers
As I have a single-class thief in HOF mode who has 100%+ in each skill (Sadly I cannot dual or multi-class), I thought I would try pickpocketing the inhabitants of Kuldahar. Their inventories may have been affected by HOF mode, but I found a Ring of Free Action on both Arundel and Orrick, an Amulet of Metaspell Influence on Orrick, 2 potions of fiery burning, a ring of protection +2 and a necklace of missiles on Oswald.
Quite the haul!
Absolutely nothing on anyone else in Kuldahar though (not even a few gold pieces) .
Maybe there will be more treasure to pickpocket in the Severed Hand and on the Svirfneblin.
I probably would leave pickpocketing skills to last normally though. I am more focused on picking locks and disarming traps.
As I have a single-class thief in HOF mode who has 100%+ in each skill (Sadly I cannot dual or multi-class), I thought I would try pickpocketing the inhabitants of Kuldahar. Their inventories may have been affected by HOF mode, but I found a Ring of Free Action on both Arundel and Orrick, an Amulet of Metaspell Influence on Orrick, 2 potions of fiery burning, a ring of protection +2 and a necklace of missiles on Oswald.
Quite the haul!
Absolutely nothing on anyone else in Kuldahar though (not even a few gold pieces)
. Maybe there will be more treasure to pickpocket in the Severed Hand and on the Svirfneblin.
I probably would leave pickpocketing skills to last normally though. I am more focused on picking locks and disarming traps.
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TheAmazingOopah
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That's right, Ravagar, pick pocketing can indeed be very useful. Like the excample you mentioned there. Though Icewind Dale is of course mostly about dungeon crawling, and you get most items by just blasting the person (enemy) to pieces. It's different with Baldur's Gate, where you meet a lot more civilians to rob. Still, I like to have two thiefs in my Icewind Dale party, who both handle two thieving categories, most of the time dual classed as a fighter or a mage.
And by the way: I'd advice you to stop trying to steal goldpieces; quite some people do have gold (like "important" characters, or merchants) but it's just not accessable by stealing. Probably to make pick pocketing not TOO benificial, so that you concentrate rather on the story line, than a career as a lowlife thief. Or something like that...
And by the way: I'd advice you to stop trying to steal goldpieces; quite some people do have gold (like "important" characters, or merchants) but it's just not accessable by stealing. Probably to make pick pocketing not TOO benificial, so that you concentrate rather on the story line, than a career as a lowlife thief. Or something like that...
Decide what you want, decide what you are willing to exchange for it. Establish your priorities and go to work. - H.L. Hunt
TAO, I wasn't just going through IWD, to pick everything off everyone (in fact I forgot to use the skill in Easthaven - anything good there?). It's just that I have a high level thief in HOF mode who has all his skills maxed out. So I thought I would try this skill.
As for my comment about picking gold pieces, I just meant it didn't seem realistic that a mage would have a Ring of Free Action while the barkeeper at the Root Tavern has nothing- not even a few gold piece takings from the customers.
- anything good there?). It's just that I have a high level thief in HOF mode who has all his skills maxed out. So I thought I would try this skill.As for my comment about picking gold pieces, I just meant it didn't seem realistic that a mage would have a Ring of Free Action while the barkeeper at the Root Tavern has nothing- not even a few gold piece takings from the customers.