New player

[mirajp1]

Is AC really worth it past about 150 or so? I took a look at the graph that Samuel linked (Hit chance formula plot) and it peters off pretty quick around 150-200 AC. Do people get more AC just to have it or is there a specific reason for continuing on that path instead of switching to something like AD, HP, or BC?

Fiernaq

As you will move forwards to maps like Blackwater Mountains(BWM) the BC of the mosters is around 80-140% so you have to have higher AC to get a good chance to hit them.

[lady black]

You may not have noticed that the plot uses not your AC, but your AC minus the monster's BC, so that if the monster has a BC of 100 and you have an AC of 150, you are down at 50 on the graph plot. That gives you a much lower chance to hit. It takes a while before you meet those strong monsters, so you have time before you have to get your AC way up, but I think you will have to keep boosting it throughout the game, from what we have seen so far.

[nyktos]

exactly!

the way i go:
since i chose the Increased Fortitude skill, i RARELY pick HP on Level Up...
and i only take BC when i want to gain a level in Bark Skin. (prerequisite = 15% BC / lvl)
so i keep my AD & AC climbing quickly - but relative to each other, according to my taste

[as i gain levels, i distribute the points pretty close to this]
[meaning i wont go past 5 AD until i have 100% AC]

AD - 5
AC - 100%

AD - 10
AC - 125%

AD - 15
AC - 150%

AD - 20
AC - 175%

AD - 25
AC - 200%

i am not saying you should copy it, although it works terribly well (how i play)
but you should think about where you want your base numbers to be as you get into the higher levels

[fiernaq]

This restart has been MUCH better for me. Already level 8 with the jewel of fallhaven and since I've been fighting barehanded that means I get 5 hits per turn. Add in some decent base damage and AC and I usually kill monsters before they even get the chance to swing at me . I also have regen now so for those few times where I get too far into a cave or I run into some bad RNG and my health drops too low to safely make it out I have the option to find a mostly safe spot and wait a minute or two to buffer my HP back up to a "safe" amount.

Where should I head next? Keep on grinding in the snake caves till I can actually get to the end of it successfully or head back out with a load of meat and try to beat some of the quests I've largely ignored till now? At what level should I start trying to go after legendary/extraordinary items like the RoLs and RoL? Should I just stockpile some meat and go exploring? How do I get into the catacombs beneath fallhaven? (Every time I try it says something about not being allowed to enter them).

[Mino]

This restart has been MUCH better for me. Already level 8 with the jewel of fallhaven and since I've been fighting barehanded that means I get 5 hits per turn. Add in some decent base damage and AC and I usually kill monsters before they even get the chance to swing at me . I also have regen now so for those few times where I get too far into a cave or I run into some bad RNG and my health drops too low to safely make it out I have the option to find a mostly safe spot and wait a minute or two to buffer my HP back up to a "safe" amount.

Where should I head next? Keep on grinding in the snake caves till I can actually get to the end of it successfully or head back out with a load of meat and try to beat some of the quests I've largely ignored till now? At what level should I start trying to go after legendary/extraordinary items like the RoLs and RoL? Should I just stockpile some meat and go exploring? How do I get into the catacombs beneath fallhaven? (Every time I try it says something about not being allowed to enter them).

I actually started a new game to see how it feels to play this current version from the beginning, and not starting off with 12 skill points after the update. I took Nyktos' advice and waited until level 5 to get the Increased Fortitude skill, and then the next one for Regeneration. Planning to get Corpse Eater with my 3rd Skill Point, and then work towards my first level of Cleave. Part of me enjoys the challenge of going through all the quests at a lower level again, but part of me misses being able to just kill almost everything with one swing.

As to your questions...

I would make sure you're well stocked on potions and AC/AD before going for the ROL because it requires also going through the mines to Prim.

If you haven't started it already, get the bonemeal potion quest started. And to start the quest that eventually leads you to the Catacombs beneath the church, you need to start back in your home town and talk to the guy in the inn in the blue robe (who sells weapons).

[fiernaq]

The last note in the Disallowed Substance quest that I have is:

I have talked to Thoroninr in Fallhaven. He might be able to mix me a bonemeal potion if I bring him 5 skeletal bones. There should be some skeletons in an abandoned house north of Fallhaven.

I think I found the abandoned house (it's empty and north of Fallhaven) but there weren't any skeletons in it so maybe I found the wrong one?

...and not starting off with 12 skill points after the update.

12 skill points off the get go would have been nice indeed

Planning to get Corpse Eater with my 3rd Skill Point, and then work towards my first level of Cleave.

Corpse Eater could certainly come in handy (more HP regen never hurt anything ) but how useful is cleave? I rarely encounter more than one monster at a time (intentionally) and unless it gets much more difficult to only attack one mob at a time then I would hardly ever make use of the extra AP since it only happens after a kill.


What about lvling? Where should I go next (stats are in sig)? Stay in the snake caves for now or venture forth into the great unknown wilderness?

[Mino]

The way to get bones is to kill Skeleton creatures, so I'm not sure the abandoned house you found is the right one. The path to that one is blocked by a Fox (keep wandering near Crossgen and you should find it).

The 12 Skill Points was because when v0.6.10 came out, we were given skill points retroactively for every 4 levels we had, and I was at level 48 at the time. Its a lot different to start out with a few skill points and already have met the requirements for them, so its nice to experience the Skill system from a new game.

Cleave comes in handy because there will be some passages blocked by 2 (or more ) monsters, and you can't avoid attacking both at once. You can attack and flee but Cleave would help, especially if you're weaponless and using the Jewel of Fallhaven. And the Hard Hit and Weapon Accuracy skills you have to get first are helpful too (especially the Weapon Accuracy one).

Since another level of increased fortitude requires XP level 20, and you need to be at level 2 to get another level for Regeneration, its the next helpful skill to get (IMO).

For leveling, I would go with either the snake caves, or the catacombs under the Church once you gain access. And kill the boars and forest serpents when you can (for XP, gold and meat). The Bonemeal potion is really only helpful after you get your HP to 50 or more, so until then, free meat from drops is good.

[fiernaq]

I'm going with 2 points in combat speed next which will take me up to 6 hits

I managed to find the house with the skeletons and it was a pain in the rear but I was finally able to figure out that only the 4 skeleton creatures at the very last bit of the house actually drop bones and it's a low drop rate at that. Anywho, bonemeal quest completed

I may go for cleave after I get CS but we'll have to see what I'm up against by then. By the time I get 2CS I'll be level 16 so the next 2 points could go in 2IF and 2Regen which would be handy as well. I really like the abandoned house for leveling but the meat from the snake caves is so enticing not just for the healing ability but for the gold it generates as well. In the meantime, I'll try and gather some more gold because there are a few items on the gear list that I want to get soon. Troublemaker's Gloves, Villain's Ring and/or Polished Ring of Backstabbing, and a decent set of boots are all near the top of my list. As a quick question, are any of those 3 items near where I'm at now or will I have to do some more exploring to find those?

*EDIT* nvm... just read that 2CS requires level 30

[Mino]

I just saw your edit, so now I don't have to be the bearer of bad news. But Combat Speed is definitely one of (if not the) most powerful skills in the game.

Actually, the reason I will go for Cleave, after getting Corpse Eater, is that if you get Combat Speed 1 when you hit level 28 (so that you can get to level 2 with the next skill point), that extra 1 AP is useless, unless you have Cleave and are attacking mobs, especially if you're just using your fists (2 AP cost with Jewel of Fallhaven means after 5 attacks, you have 1 AP left, but with Cleave you get 3 AP so now you have 4 for 2 more attacks).

But I also might consider another Increased Fortitude after I hit level 20.

[fiernaq]

Finished the Key of Luthor quest and picked up Venomous Dagger from the snake caves finally

Twin Troublemaker's Rings boost my AC and AD quite a bit and having 1 DR from Hardened Leather Shirt has been incredibly useful as well. Having DR will make Corpse Eater even better because any time I get low on HP I can just go kill a few low level mobs for a bit and they won't be able to touch me while my HP just keeps going up.

Just a note to anyone interested, the game becomes a LOT more fun after about level 8. The initial grind is difficult and involves way too much running back and forth to bed but once you can pick up some survivability such as regen or corpse eater and have a decent amount of both AC and AD you can generally stay out much longer and get in a killing groove.