I was thinking how weak the magic abilities of the hybrid characters could be, expecially since they don't start magic till level 5. That being said, I am trying to go with an all magic party, then class change. I plan to develop the skills that go along with magic (Piety for the priest, for example), then once the primary skills are maxed out (alc at 100 Dexterity and 100 Intelligence), I'll work on the minimums to class change to a complementary profession. Any suggestions on character development? Here's my party...

Dwarf Priest --> Lord
Faerie Alchemist --> Ninja
Felpurr Mage --> Samurai
Mook Psionic --> Monk

• Trading weakness,Llevram, 05:34 PM, Jan-04-03
  • RE: Trading weakness,nomad, 05:46 PM, Jan-04-03
    • RE: Trading weakness,Dragon2k, 08:15 PM, Jan-04-03
      • Not much of a bonus,Llevram, 08:54 PM, Jan-04-03
        • RE: Not much of a bonus,nomad, 09:24 PM, Jan-04-03
• Don't,analander, 01:37 PM, Jan-09-03

You will have better magic, but your characters will suffer in their battle capabilities. All the time you spend as a Mage, you will not be training for the sword, for example.

I find it more advantageous to be great with a weapon and good with magic, rather than the other way around.

You could switch back and forth each level, to train both almost simultaneously, as long as you qualify for both classes.

Tools for Wizardry(r) 7

I finished a game with a Lord, Sanurai, and a Ranger. They were built 'straight', no magic class type training. They all had 78-85 in their spellbooks, enough to learn and cast level 6 spells. Basicly, with Hybrids, you don't need level 6 and 7 spells. All of the spells you need are level 5 or lower.

With a Hybrid, at level 5 start putting 3 points into their spellbook and practice, practice, and practice some more. Learn or buy those spells that don't hurt you when they backfire, some don't backfire, just fizzle. Some backfire but cause small damage, like Itching Skin. Have a Ranger or Ninja cast it at level 1, if it backfires cast Cure Lessor Conditions. You get two for one!!

What do you think of starting as mage/alchemist/psionic/priest, training magic for one level, and upon the first level up, change to the fighting class?
Alchemist -> Ninja is best, since Alchemists don't have many skills
though they will not improve the magic study skills for a long time, until the Hybrid class is able to use that magic.

You usually don't get a lot of training in any one level ... it is in the long process of many levels that it adds up.

Tools for Wizardry(r) 7

One thing I have done, it works well. Start a Samurai, level up to level 3 normally. Then wait until you get enough XPs to go to level 5. Then level up to level 4 and change to a Mage. Imediately level up to level 5 and change back to a Samurai. What it does for you is give you more points in Wizardry and 5 points each into 4 realms, plus your level up points of course.

You can do the same with a Psionic and Monk, but you only get points in the Mental Realm.

W8 is *very* hard on parties that change classes, especially for one with all class-changers like you describe. I think they overcompensated for the uber-characters you could make by switching back and forth in previous games.

The single level/xp system is nice - say for example a lvl 5 priest changes to a lord, the chararacter would need the same amount of experience to go from lvl 5 to lvl 6 to become a lvl 2 lord - but this otherwise elegant idea is *killed* by the experience-based spawning of monsters (depending on how much experience you have, more and more difficult monsters will appear in the same area).

If you switch classes too much or even at all your party will be too underpowered to face the spawned monsters. I tried a party like the one you described and got continually hammered on the A-T road by juggernauts (the elite modai - well more that I think I deserved, but then again to me in an exploration, conversation, item gathering game like this you should never be brought down by such trifles as the monsters or leveling).

- John
Prepare Yourself for the Ultimate in Fantasy Games