Neverwinter Nights - Capitalist Utopia

[Harovan]

Originally posted by DrSpike
I already have a bloody flat - when I game I want to game.

Since all we know the way you "game", I'm sure nobody here is surprised.

[DrSpike]

Sorry what way do I "game"?

[duke o' york]

Originally posted by Tuberski
My Dwarf on Folderol has 7 million gp. I want a house that covers an entire area.

Other than that, I have nothing to buy.

ACK!

I do know what you mean. I had only 250k, but the most expensive house I could get was 40k. They should make a new area with some mansions or whatever so that the richer players can get the larger houses only they can afford. Then make it in the middle of some really powerful dragons so it isn't easy to get to!
There are only about 12 big houses in all of Folderol, and when I went to the Inn, there were only about 18 houses that hadn't already been bought. More are required, but I feel that the makers have other priorities at the moment and they're restricted by the limited amount of brownfield sites available. Unless they just knocked down Noob Gardens and replaced it with a huge gated community for the impossibly rich! My house has 4 rooms, but I'd also like it to be possible to have a quiet (but very expensive) word with the local dwarves and get them to excavate you a basement/dungeon. That wouldn't affect the landscape and allow people to build extensions so that for the ultra-rich, they'd have a tiny house in Nulbton that would just serve as the gatepost for their enormous underground lair.

[Harovan]

Originally posted by DrSpike
Sorry what way do I "game"?

I really don't want to resurrect this discussion. So I let your a bit freudian choice of the word "...gaming" as opposed to "...playing" speak for itself.

[DrSpike]

Think you are overanalysing there.

[Cort Haus]

Guys, I'm a complete n00b at NWN, I installed it tonight and just did the trainer level, then stopped.

Man, it's depressing. People whining about the plague everywhere, violence and mayhem all over the city, only a shifty and expensive thief that I've found so far as a possible companion, and my magic-user (the first character on the list) has a load of spells but can only fire off 6 of them without having a nap.

I don't know which spells to prepare, what equipment I need, which of the very-dangerous sounding quarters of the city to explore ...

In short - how the f*ck do I start?

[Harovan]

Don't start with a caster if you are a noob. Reroll a fighter-type. Take the thief. And start to clean the peninsula district.

Don't let the thief tank (he likes to, but sucks at it). Tell him to stand ground and protect you.

On a second thought - if you want to keep your caster, don't take the thief. Go to the blade trade and take Daelen Red Tiger. Don't cast offensive spells till at least level 4-5. Use your spells to buff yourself up (mage armor, magical weapon and such) and take a dagger meanwhile.

[DrSpike]

Congratulations, that's pretty much exactly what I would have said.

[Cort Haus]

Thanks, guys.

[Cyclotron]

Also, if you're a wizard, go specialist. More spells per day is always a good thing.

[Jamski]

Once you get to level 5 your feeble wizard starts to become a powerhouse of destruction. You'll end up as the most powerful class, so sadly you have to start off weakest

[DrSpike]

Isaac's greater cheese ftw!

[Cort Haus]

Originally posted by Cyclotron
Also, if you're a wizard, go specialist.

Go specialist? What does that mean?

Another question - on my level ups during training I could choose a familiar, but despite selecting a panther all I got was the badger when I cast the spell.

[Harovan]

1 - You can go specialist only in the character build in the beginning. A specialist gets more spell slots at the cost of one forbidden school of magic. You can't choose that afterwards.

2 - Your familiar is not summoned through a spell, but a special ability. You find it in the wheel menu in the 9-o'clock slot. Familiars have a big advantage over summoned critters: You can heal them by "feeding". If they're wounded, just talk to them. A panther is btw not the best choice for you. He's a rogue and specialised in backstabbing, for which he needs a tank, which you aren't. You can give him a hand with a summon, though. A faerie dragon would be a good choice, it's a strenght-based warrior.

[duke o' york]

And the panther gets to sneak attack enemies if they're not already attacking it! For tonnes of damage, even more than the thief (Tomi?) will get you sneak-attacking with his bow.
Mind you, if your familiar is killed then you automatically lose 5hp. This is barely a scratch at higher levels, but at the first few levels then it can kill you too, so be careful! You don't have to stand next to it to unsummon the familiar, and when you rest and summon them again they will be at full fitness.
As has been said already, for a wizard then you'll need a meat shield! So head straight to the Trade of Blades Inn (?) in the city core and hire yourself Grimgnaw the overpowerful monk if you're evil, or Daelan the barbarian with the huge axe if you're anything else. Then stand back, fire the occasional spell, and keep casting buffing spells to keep them healthy and strong.
It's also worthwhile remembering for non-melee characters that there are many instances in Chapter One of dungeons or houses in which you can start a fight that's beyond you, then run into a room and close the door behind you, rest and then start the fight again because the idiot monsters are too stupid to open doors or even bash them open. This is cheating (a bit), and it will not work with bosses or mini-bosses, but can keep you alive and prevent you from just abusing the recall stone repeatedly.