old-school player, asking a noob question...

[Legacy_Grovermancer]

               For whatever crazy reason (tried playing Neverwinter Online, but utterly let-down) I've had a hankering to reinstall and play NWN again.


Anyhow, I want to build a Wizard / Pale Master build, a necromancer build.  Yeah, yeah, I know PM's supposedly suck, but I'm gonna do it anyhow.

Anyways, I forget most of the game rules and mechanics, and can't find what I need on the wiki...

Question:

Do the Pale Master "undead graft" based attacks death touch depend on Str or Dex or what, to land?

I have a little bit of Dex.  Will I need to take weapon finesse, maybe add a little more Dex, to make that attack work?   Or is it considered a spell, but one that's done at melee range?
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_MagicalMaster]

               

Grovermancer wrote...

For whatever crazy reason (tried playing Neverwinter Online, but utterly let-down) I've had a hankering to reinstall and play NWN again.

It's not crazy at all!

Grovermancer wrote...

Anyhow, I want to build a Wizard / Pale Master build, a necromancer build.  Yeah, yeah, I know PM's supposedly suck, but I'm gonna do it anyhow.

PMs suck for actual spellcasting, but 10 levels of it renders you immune to crits/sneaks and some other stuff which is often nice.

Grovermancer wrote...

Do the Pale Master "undead graft" based attacks death touch depend on Str or Dex or what, to land?

I have a little bit of Dex.  Will I need to take weapon finesse, maybe add a little more Dex, to make that attack work?   Or is it considered a spell, but one that's done at melee range?

It's a melee touch attack: http://nwn.wikia.com/wiki/Touch_attack

Weapon Finesse does not help.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Grovermancer]

               

MagicalMaster wrote...

It's a melee touch attack: http://nwn.wikia.com/wiki/Touch_attack

Weapon Finesse does not help.

Gah!  I saw that page, but didn't scrutinize... damn, shoulda looked closer.

So it's basically about STR.  And I'm only at 8pts STR, 12 (or 14?) DEX, can't remember.  Making an evil little gnome; he wouldn't be strong.

And it doesn't look like I can boost any of those other factors that lead to the touch landing.

So short of opening the Pretty Good Char Creator and swapping my STR and DEX stats, what are my options?
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_MagicalMaster]

               Just continue as is?  Remember that touch attacks ignore a low of enemy AC anyway in most cases.  Gaining 2-3 more AB on the touch attack will generally not matter.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Grovermancer]

               Something I'm not quite understanding re: Wizard and spells...  I haven't played one before, but played a Sorcerer back in the day.

Anyhow, I see no difference in how the Wizard learns spells.  I thought I was supposed to have access to all spells at a certain level at any given time (not just a level-up) and be able to swap them in and out, rest, then use them.

But that's not the case.  I can only choose spells during level up, and those are the only few spells I can use, just like a Sorc?
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_WhiZard]

               Wizards can add to their spell book by learning spells from scrolls.  If you have merchants that sell spell scrolls, then buy, buy, buy!
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Grovermancer]

               

WhiZard wrote...

Wizards can add to their spell book by learning spells from scrolls.  If you have merchants that sell spell scrolls, then buy, buy, buy!

Holy crapola, I didn't know that!!!

Gonna load up and see if I can figure out how to do it!  (sure wish I'd known that -- even though winding up Act 1, woulda made it a lot easier)
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Grovermancer]

               Ok, just 'figured' it out.  Wow, can't believe I didn't know that.  And can't believe I wasted lvl's learning spells I coulda learned via scrolls!

At least it's early, so no real damage done I suppose.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Grovermancer]

               Finally got Undead Graft.  That thing is really worthless.  I have such a low DC w/ that attack... bout the only time it ever paralyzes anything is when they roll a 1.

Guess it's good for RP purposes.  (though you can't really see it underneath the robe)
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_MagicalMaster]

               The DC has nothing to do with your AB, to be clear.

But yes, pretty much everything is terrible about the Pale Master except for the AC bonus and the immunities (mainly critical immunity).
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Grovermancer]

               

MagicalMaster wrote...

The DC has nothing to do with your AB, to be clear.

But yes, pretty much everything is terrible about the Pale Master except for the AC bonus and the immunities (mainly critical immunity).

I figured it would be cool to be able to summon different undead, Liches, etc.  With both Wizard and PM summonings, I can pull out a number of undead (not at the same time, of course).
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_MagicalMaster]

               Which might be nice if the undead weren't incredibly weak, unfortunately.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_jadedjim]

               I don't think pale masters suck.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_MagicalMaster]

               They do suck for spellcasting, which is what I say.  That's a fact, not an opinion.  They can be useful to get extra AC and Crit/Sneak Immunity but that is the purpose of the class.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Drewskie]

               crit/sneak immunity is the best immunity in the game, bar none.  

I do wish you could pick from any summons you've attained, rather than each getting replaced by the new summons.  That's the main issue that has always bothered me.