Help with making my character needed! :)

New Players
#1

Hey, I’m very new to Empire and looking to attend my first event at the Winter Solstice. But I’m unsure if I’m creating a character that actually works. I wanna make a decent healer mage but also be able to defend myself well. I’ve invested points into magician so I can have a wand to cast spells along with extra mana and 2 more spells (Heal and recover limb). After looking at weapons and such i really like the idea of fighting with a spear so invested in the skill that lets me do that. on top of that and using another point to be a spring ritualist I don’t have any left to get battle mage. Does this matter? Do i really need a staff? or is spear and wand a good idea??
I heard you get more skill points at some point. So for now is this setup cool? and then when i get more point invest in battle mage?

Many thanks :slight_smile:

#2

Hello, welcome aboard! I think you’re going along the right lines, but I’d make some tweaks. I’ll also point out that the best defence for a magician on the battlefield is a heavily armoured warrior who you can hide behind.

Are you aware that you can use a stab-safe staff as a weapon to thrust at enemies with? You won’t be able to use CLEAVE or any other heroic special attacks, but you’re a magician. Taking Battlemage instead of spear lets you wear mage armour (+2 hits) and use mage staffs and costs the same points. It’s the only armour you can wear and still cast magic with.

So I would suggest:
Magician
Battlemage
Extra Mana
Extra Spell x2

And then leave your last point free. Either to pick up another spell - possibly an attack spell. Or a single point of ritual magic if you join a coven.

Are you coming in as part of a group or with a nation in mind?

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#4

Thank you so much, I read about using staves as weapons. I just love the look of spears and glaives. But other than the use of mage Armour I’m unsure what bonuses of Battle Mage are.
I’m fortunate to have a few friends that have stated a group that I will be joining but none of them are too into magic. I’m definitely joining Nivarr.
I just don’t want to be too weak in battle, I want to be slightly offensive and love the idea of fighting with a spear.
I’m just unsure how beneficial battle mage really is, cos I haven’t played the game yet so am still unsure on how it works.
Thank you so so much for answering and helping.

#5

If you want to cast your spells during a fight then the only armour you can wear is mage armour, and therefore picking battle mage makes you slightly less squishy, along with giving you weapon master.

You are still best stood behind someone in normal armour and/or carrying a shield, in which case your long weapon can be wielded over their shoulder exposing you less.

Please note the battles are only a small part f the event, you play one, monster the other on Saturday and Sunday Am, and will be done by 12.30 at the latest. What does your character plan on doing with the rest of your time in Anvil?

#6

Thank you so much for the response. Yeah I’m starting to think that Battle mage is the way to go I just won’t be able to wield a spear which I’d love but I’m sure there are some very cool staves out there. And am I right to say I can still use it in the same way as a spear? minus the use of cleave and such. And I suppose I can still make use of a sword.
I’m honestly not sure at all what my character will do in times between battles I’m not sure what really happens or what he can do.
Many thanks

#7

Can’t speak as to battles much as my character doesn’t go, too busy otherwise!

With XP spent on Magician you can get involved with Conclave and magical politics, talking to eternals etc, as you can enter the Hall of Worlds.

There are always national festivals to visit, but also various tea houses, IC bars, the Forge (PD run bar takes pound sterling) , the library, couple of theatres, newspapers to read, deals to make, senate politics to watch or get involved with, military council politics to discuss, or join in with and Navarr is known for it’s songs and stories after dark, and none of the above requires any XP spend at all!

#8

Thank you so much for all your help. From looking at it staves that are thrust safe seem almost impossible to come by so I may go with my original plan and keep weapon master and magician then when I get more skills points invest in battle mage. I understand the importance of mage armour but my first event I don’t think I’m going to have the armour required to qualify for those hit points anyways. You need 3 pieces of armour covering chest shoulders ect.
Thats amazing to know what goes on outside of battle, honestly sounds incredible. I think I will just have to explore and see what type of stuff suits me.

#9

You’ve had some good advice here already, so I won’t add anything (I fought alongside Graham’s last battle mage :slight_smile: )

You’ve got plenty of time to tinker with your character,come up with ideas, and sort out any costume you may want.

Welcome to the game and these forums!

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#10

In terms of battles, are you intended to be an offensive battle mage, or a support mage who can defend themselves a bit?

Magic is very useful in battle, but the limiting factor is mana. Tactically you need to think of yourself as the classic D&D mage, your spells are awesome, but you only have limited casts and you’ll need to think carefully about how you use them.

Unless you use XP to increase your reserves then you get 4 personal mana per day, with spells costing either 1 or 2 mana per cast. There are ways to replenish mana when you’re not in a fight, and there are crystals and potions to use up as consumables, but it’s worth bearing in mind you’ll spend a lot more time not using spells than you will casting.

In terms of weapon choice, it really depends what else you plan to do. Unless you have heroic calls or spells, then a spear is functionally identical to a staff. It’ll do a point of damage and that’s it. (That said, it is a lot easier to find stab safe spears than stab safe staves. If that’s important to you then bear it in mind.)

If you’re only planning on casting spells like heal and restore limb, you don’t need an implement at all. (although it’s useful to get the benefits of crafted items, so you may want a wand anyway) so there’s no disadvantage to using a spear over a staff, other than the fact that you’ve paid an extra 2 xp for the ability to use a slightly pointy stick instead of a magical one.

If you are set on casting spells in battle, then as others have said you’ll need mage armour. If you wear proper armour you won’t be able to cast at all. My current mage wears heavy chain, but that’s because he has no battlefield spells, so he loses nothing from being unable to cast.

Mage armour is by far the easiest to achieve, since it just needs to “look mystical and be clearly not actual armour” If you can sort something for your chest or a hero belt before the event, then a leather circlet and simple vambraces can be picked up very easily at the event. Take a silver/gold fabric pen to put runes on them and off you go. You’d probably want to improve on them later but it’s pretty easy to hit the basic requirements.
My mage previous to this one was a battle mage, and most of his mage armour was cheap “leather” (would barely have counted as light armour) with lots of mystical squiggles added in gold paint. Think it cost about £40 to get the whole thing done (plus whatever the gold pen cost)

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#11

Thank you so much, this has helped me a lot. I’m blown away at how amazing and helpful this community is. I think the smarter option is to go for battle mage over using a spear. And just buy my staff when I’m at the event so I can make sure that the staff is actually safe. I loved the idea of a spear and maybe when I’m a bit more experienced and earn more point I can spend it on getting a spear. But for now I think I may go with a staff and focus on being a support mage in battle.

Thanks again, so so much this has been beyond helpful

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#12

Once you have made a few friends on site you may well find someone who has a spear you can borrow for monstering to get a feel for it which might be useful.

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#13

Chris at Saxon Violence has made me two thrust-safe wizard staves. They have both been well made and identical to the design sketches I sent him. He really popularised thrust-safe larp weapons and is very good. Irregular props also tend to have thrust-safe mage staves in stock, but I find them a bit chunky.

A spear is going to be a faff because you have to weapon-swap to swift-cast spells. Whereas a staff lets you rescue people with a swift heal at staff-pokin’ range. On top of that, if you pick up Repel, people trying to close with the healer get a nasty surprise. A spear’s just worse in every way because you can’t get calls for it without enchantments or magic items. Plus, it takes up the space of a cheap and effective magic staff that gives you more spell casts or mana. And it’s incredibly cheap to get hold of a temporary extra spell as a magician. It’s a 2 month magic item, or a 2 mana ritual. That way you can try out REPEL, SHATTER, ENTANGLE, etc.

I’m also wearing mage armour in this. I have a 6" wide leather belt, a plastic bird skull around my neck, and a single pauldron.

http://www.saxonviolence.com/index.php

Later
Later511×800 56.9 KB

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#14

I concur, the “knows an extra spell” items are pretty cheap and accessible. And can be a lot of fun for a year or so.

(Or you can do what I did, and go “no way am I using that again!” and sell it on to someone else at a discount…)

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#15

Thank you so much, I’ve got incontact with both saxon and irregular props. They have been fantastic. This is a lot of help. Since looking at some of their designs I’m liking the look of their staves and very much gonna put everything inot becoming an awesome battle mage :wink: thank you all.

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#16

Haven’t spotted anyone else mentioning it so I will. There is a fairly cheap magical item that allows you to use a spear without the skill but there isn’t an item that will allow you to use Battlemage. Also worth pointing you at the other magical items such as wands & robes which can add significant bonus’s to your character. A lot are very cheap (especially if you have a group behind you to help fund the item habit!)

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#17

Id certainly look at a spear like mage staff over using a spear, for the excellent reasons above. In fact most things are covered so ill focus on the Spring stuff :slight_smile:

If you are looking at a Spring ritualist, a single point is not the most efficient for solo casting but Hands of Sacred life is a must have, and at higher ritual levels makes you a national hero :smiley: I would save your second mastery as Blood of the Hydra is super niche, the one time i might have cast it was actually in Anvil and we had a bunch of bored physiks around to sort it.

Spring covens can also potentially cast the superb “Call down Lightnings wrath” enchantment on you which lets you cast Strikedown as a spell through a staff. Probably the best offensive spell in a battleline as you can tap the tip of enemy polearms and shields to make them go away :wink:

Skipping back to spells though, i would recommend sticking just to heal myself. Restore limb is absolutely a life saver in the right place at the right time but swinging that point and the one behind extra mana into a Second point of Spring lore really opens up that part of the game to you.

Id also look at a Mana site for resource, and swapping out a few mana crystals for Mage Blood potions, youll get 2 spells out of a potion, save the crystal for rituals! So something like…

Magician
Battlemage
Extra Spell (Heal)
Spring Lore 2

Just remember Spring Rituals is best battlefield healing :slight_smile: I also hear there are a few Spring Covens in Navarr always looking for fresh bloooooood :stuck_out_tongue: Oh and also remember its un-virtuous to heal people for free. Prosperity says you need earnt rewards :wink:

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#18

Thank you so much this is beyond helpful. So you think i should drop the repair limb spell and focus more on rituals???

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#19

Also very new question how does one get spring lore 2? is it just the purchase of an extra ritual???

#20

You take the Spring Lore skill a second time. Each level of realm lore skills cost 1 more point than the previous level.

#21

What does leveling it up actually do???