Advice for Casters?

[Firemind]

How do players of casters manage when you can only rest to regain spells once per two RL hours?

I just started here and my mage hasn't hit level 6 yet, so I haven't run into this problem...however in order to survive basic encounters (which I've barely managed to survive so far), I've had to rest every 5 or so minutes. I'm planning to take extend spell and eventually persistent spell to extend my buff duration, but the once/2hour rest thing seems like it forces mages to adventure for 10-30 minutes and then sit around taverns RPing for the other hour and a half. Is this how it works out?

Any advice?

[Atmosphere]

Well, we are a role play server. Role play during the down time.

[FriendlyNecromancer]

If you are a pure mage, you pretty much have to attach yourself to a fighter friend and not let go. In that case buff him to the hells and back with 1 hour/level buffs and extended 1min/level buffs. You can easilly duo dungeons in Sundren that way. Blaster mages really aren't viable unless you are very high level and and a buffed and properly built fighter (pray for cleave) will pretty much always outdamage you during the early levels.
Also, there are dungeons like Viridale that have rest spots so ideally you go for a bounty, rest, repeat. The game will usually tell you when you're entering a resting area, resting is unlimited there. I believe all most dungeons either have areas marked by campfires or are close enough to taverns where you can rest.
If you want a bit of self sufficiency, you have to go for buffed undead summons as they are very good in Sundren and last for a very long time, but there's always the issue of someone arresting/smiting you for daring to have a poor undead friend. At high levels you also access to the Planar/Greater Planar Binding summons.

[Cornuto]

How do players of casters manage when you can only rest to regain spells once per two RL hours?

I just started here and my mage hasn't hit level 6 yet, so I haven't run into this problem...however in order to survive basic encounters (which I've barely managed to survive so far), I've had to rest every 5 or so minutes. I'm planning to take extend spell and eventually persistent spell to extend my buff duration, but the once/2hour rest thing seems like it forces mages to adventure for 10-30 minutes and then sit around taverns RPing for the other hour and a half. Is this how it works out?

Any advice?

You can also have your spells replenished (and 2 hour timer reset) by resting in taverns, faction halls, and some bonus campfires sprinkled about low level areas. (There should be a message when you enter a trigger, unless the whole map is flagged as a rest area -- such as most taverns.)

[Valhalla]

Yeah, having played level 20 divine casters and having spent a long, long time around level 20 arcane, the only time I've seen people struggle to keep people buffed is when you're stretching your ability to PvE somewhere that would be out of your reach otherwise.

You'll eventually find a balance and it'll get a lot easier to make your spells last until you get back to a rest point.

[GodBeastX]

Here's my advice.

1) Get a party together to level with.

You actually get BONUS experience doing this instead of less experience like other servers.

2) You can rest in Taverns or Rest Locations.

You will get a message that says "You have entered a rest location." in places that allow you to recover spells.

3) Use scrolls, potions, wands, etc.

While a mage only has so many spells, nothing stops you from using consumable objects to offset your lack of staying power. I have a paladin with wand creation. It's nice to have 50 charges of something to deal out death!




We have 2 hour rest timer because it's modeling Pen & Paper, where a mage can only gain spells during their real rest time. Sundren's IC Days are 2 hours Real-time, hence that being the time when outside of a rest location. Otherwise we just had mages casting spells, fighting encounters, resting, casting spells, fighting encounters, resting. Sort of kills the advantages of other classes like warlocks, fighters, etc, if mages can simply refresh spells on a whim.

[Elusa]

...the once/2hour rest thing seems like it forces mages to adventure for 10-30 minutes and then sit around taverns RPing for the other hour and a half.

I see no problem with this.

[sonuvalich]

If you want a bit of self sufficiency, you have to go for buffed undead summons as they are very good in Sundren and last for a very long time, but there's always the issue of someone arresting/smiting you for daring to have a poor undead friend.

Two simple solutions:

1) Don't Get Caught/Be a Boss - Do everything not to get caught, and when (not if) you get caught you RP it out like a champ and/or die.

2) Join the Left Hand of Mundus. You get a permission slip to have undead for research or military applications. It would be bad form to walk them around public places telling all the other casters to QQ mohr as you flaunt it, plus you would terrify and enrage the locals. It is reasonable, albeit a bit cheesy RP, to take them out in the woods to "test their application in live combat scenarios."

[Valhalla]

2) Join the Left Hand of Mundus. You get a permission slip to have undead for research or military applications. It would be bad form to walk them around public places telling all the other casters to QQ mohr as you flaunt it, plus you would terrify and enrage the locals. It is reasonable, albeit a bit cheesy RP, to take them out in the woods to "test their application in live combat scenarios."

Note, if you do that ^, and a Helmite or a Triumvirate PC catch you, you'll probably still be killed regardless of any pieces of paper that say "We totally have a legit reason to be wandering around with a corpse animated by inherently evil magicks."

I see no problem with this.

Mandated RP time is a pretty silly concept. If someone wants to run off into the nether reaches of the server and endlessly grind PvE content, more power to them. It boosts server population if nothing else. This might be an RP server but it's still a NWN2 PW, which means population is something to be jealously hoarded.

[Elusa]

Mandated RP time is a pretty silly concept.

I play an RP only character, so I might be a bit biased. Mandatory RP time would make for more character connections and character development for Alice. But there's inn rooms and rest areas; there's not much of a barrier to fully restoring your spells.

[Atmosphere]

Note, if you do that ^, and a Helmite or a Triumvirate PC catch you, you'll probably still be killed regardless of any pieces of paper that say "We totally have a legit reason to be wandering around with a corpse animated by inherently evil magicks."

Then the Helmite mysteriously disappears with a 'no comment' from our hands of mundus friends. Or the Legion arrests you for assault, murder. This situation could get all sorts of dramatic fun.

[sonuvalich]

Note, if you do that ^, and a Helmite or a Triumvirate PC catch you, you'll probably still be killed regardless of any pieces of paper that say "We totally have a legit reason to be wandering around with a corpse animated by inherently evil magicks."

But then you get to die as a catalyst for conflict between the government and the church! Muahahahaha!

Also, it means opportunities for RP, which does not always have to be polite discourse.

[dangotgam]

Note, if you do that ^, and a Helmite or a Triumvirate PC catch you, you'll probably still be killed regardless of any pieces of paper that say "We totally have a legit reason to be wandering around with a corpse animated by inherently evil magicks."

What Val said. Undead summons are very strong, but if you're seen with one, you might not like the result (see my first bullet).

I've found that playing a pure mage is a blast. Like every other class, you just need to understand it's role on Sundren. Some advice I've found useful:

-Make friends until you're strong enough to start making enemies
-Summons are your friend at lower levels, fighters at higher levels.
-Understand that most fighters can't complete the more difficult dungeons without you, and, if you save your blasting spells (and not run out of time on your defensive ones), you can solo most bosses, if you're smart.
-Join a faction from the beginning. If you have interest in the Hands of Mundus in particular, let me know and we can talk more.
-There are a ton of custom spells that make playing a mage very fun from an RP standpoint.
-There are staves out there that allow you to do consistent blasting damage as part of a ranged attacked. Very helpful at lower levels while soloing, and, when in a party, and you use all your spell slots for buffs.

That's just off the top of my head. If I think of some more, I'll post them.

[GodBeastX]

Note, if you do that ^, and a Helmite or a Triumvirate PC catch you, you'll probably still be killed regardless of any pieces of paper that say "We totally have a legit reason to be wandering around with a corpse animated by inherently evil magicks."

I look forward to having those PCs executed for murder too On the plus side, you'll probably get good points before you die, hahah.

[Valhalla]

Only murder if you get caught. (Yay amnesia)

And, on the plus side, the part of the Helmite's job is making sure the Hands stay in line. There's a reason Esmond got the nickname the "Executioner".

Spoiler: More than a couple Lefties went byebye.