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Post by darktelepath on Oct 31, 2007 14:44:29 GMT
Now that I'm on my... *counts* 4th playthrough of the Kai books (hey, it beats working), I've been going down all the weird crazy paths that I don't normally go through. Like I finally found the Alther Potion and fought the other Vordak in the first book.
I'm sure this topic has been done already, but to avoid any kind of thread necromancy, let's open (or reopen) the debate of the best Kai skills.
The top ten (#1=best, #10=worthless) skills:
#1 - Healing - Is there really any doubt for this skill being in the top slot? Since most damage comes from combat, this skill is a lifesaver. And it affects some directions as well (like if you eat some poisoned soup)
#2 - Tracking - Don't know where you're going? Tracking knows. Dead end or salvation, Tracking is your personal GPS. Good for both city and highway travel.
#3 - Hunting - Hungry? Is that meal poisoned? Are those fruits good? Hunting definitely provides a useful ability that lets you save on backpack real estate, but has a good number of uses in moving forward.
#4 - Sixth Sense - Is this a nice person who wants to help you, or a bad guy in disguise? Sixth Sense is your personal truthiness meter. Excellent skill when talking to people, and can also provide you with the ability to sense evil or danger.
#5 - Mindshield - Useful in combat and out of combat. Seems like everyone and their sister is a psychic, so defending yourself from them is a good idea. #6 - Mind over Matter - Good with dealing for traps and locks. But that's about it. Though there are a lot of traps and locks in the books to worry about.
#7 - Camouflage - If you need to sneak into places, it makes the sneaking a bit easier. Not super useful, so it deserves its rank at #7.
#8 - Mindblast - Gives a +2 to Combat Skill... sometimes. Usually. Probably. Maybe not all the time. Between the +8 of the Sommerswerd and the +2 of the Silver Helmet, do you really need another +2 to CS? But it's still better than the two below it.
#9 - Animal Kinship - Not a lot of chances to use it, plus when you get the chance, you don't seem to get a lot of benefit from it. Not a very useful skill at all.
#10 - Weaponskill - I know this is a popular skill, but with the Sommerswerd giving you a +8 to CS, and the Silver Helm providing another +2, and Mindblast giving 2 more (usually)... adding yet another 2 points is overkill. Especially when there's only 40% chance of landing on a sword number. After Book 2, Combat Skill is the least of your worries. So pass on this skill, no matter how cool it seems.
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Post by Wise Eagle on Oct 31, 2007 20:11:17 GMT
Well, I don't agree with this assessment.
Healing. No doubt one of the best skills.
Tracking. Using the map on the front and choosing paths randomly works fine. Sometimes tracking steers you away from risks you should take. I'd rate this one as the last skill. I never select it.
Hunting. One of the best skills to have.
Sixth Sense. A so-so skill. Sometime useful. I'd place it somewhere in the middle.
Mindshield. This skills often save Endurance when you need it the most. One of the best skills.
Mind over matter. Used to seldom, and there is almost always alternatives to this skills. One of my last picks.
Camouflage. This skill is used fairly often, but on the bad side it is not guaranteed to work. One of the skills in the middle area.
Mindblast. Useful against most enemies. It usually saves you 1 or 2 Endurance per fight. I'd rate it somewhere in the middle.
Animal Kinship. With the magic spear being required in the new revision as well, I'd rate this just before tracking. One of the least useful skills.
Weaponskill. Not too bad I think. I don't think you are supposed to use the Sommerswerd every chance you get. Keeping a low profile is a virtue after all. You will acquire the weapon you have weaponskill in sooner or later. Both Dagger and Spear could prove invaluable before you get the Sommerswerd.
In short.
Best picks: Healing, Hunting, Mindshield
Middle-area: Sixth Sense, Camouflage, Mindblast, Weaponskill
Last picks: Tracking, Mind over matter, Animal Kinship.
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Post by Doomy on Oct 31, 2007 22:16:35 GMT
IMO, the Kai series is so unbalanced by the Sommerswerd that it doesn't really matter what Disciplines you take - you'll win anyway so long as you complete the first two books. That said, I always take Healing in Book 1 and Sixth Sense, just to meet Banedon. In the new versions, you can probably dispense with Sixth Sense and may wish to substitute it for Mind Over Matter. The other important Discipline used to be Animal Kinship, to enable you to avoid the Helghast and reach the Sommerswerd. In the new ones, I suppose it has to be Mindshield, if it's true you now have to go for the spear. In the Magnakai series, you're a lot more restricted in Discipline choice than it initially appears because you NEED to have Lore-Circle bonuses kick in at certain points if you are to win without cheating. It's only when you reach the GM books that Disciplines really become interesting, IMO, as there are so many ways to die in Book 13 especially that you face risks regardless of your choices. If it weren't for that bloody cheap deathtrap right at the end I think Plague Lords of Ruel would be my favourite Lone Wolf book. The above was written without considering the books on a standalone basis, mind you. It's just my tuppenceworth.
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Post by insomniac on Oct 31, 2007 23:23:12 GMT
IMO, the Kai series is so unbalanced by the Sommerswerd that it doesn't really matter what Disciplines you take - you'll win anyway so long as you complete the first two books. That's why I leave the Sommerswerd at home after Book 2. I hate that crumbling bridge.
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Post by ramthelinefeed on Nov 1, 2007 11:58:36 GMT
The very first time I ever played 'Flight From the Dark' in 1984, I chose "Sixth Sense" cos I thought it sounded cool... This seemed borne out by the more interesting sections you could get to with it - I always found it more fun to have a discipline get me a more intersting story, rather than just keep me busy with extra book-keeping and bonuses.
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Post by ita1crx on Nov 1, 2007 13:15:44 GMT
1. Healing. No doubt about it. Its usefull from book 1 on.
2. Mind Shield. Without it LW is too vunerable to any mind attacks.
3. Hunting. The consistent bonus it adds at so many random number checks keeps LW going and I think is more important than the food benefit.
4. Sixth Sense. Very useful for hints throughout the first 5 games.
5. Camouflage. The ability to hide is consistently utilized throughout the games and this skill comes in handy very often.
6. Animal Kinship. There are two books where animal kinship saves your life. Its not used much beyond that, but is so useful when you do find it that its worthwhile.
7. Tracking. Tracking is useful for identifying tracks and keeping you on the right path, its just not as useful as the skills above.
8. Mindblast. Helps consistently throughout the novels except when you need it most. Almost every major enemy is immune. The ability to use it against all the lesser creatures should allow for LW to have more EP when fighting the hard ones.
9. Mind Over Matter. There is really only one place where MOM has value. Its only because of that do I put it ahead of WS.
10. WS. Its randomness and really being unnecessary with the Shield, Silver Helm, SS, and MB makes it the weakest of the Kai skills.
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Post by silentmarmot on Nov 1, 2007 20:16:19 GMT
1 - healing : well, no one is arguing this apparently
2 - mindshield : almost save your life againts helghasts, prevent EP loss, prevent loss of CS in the toughest fights, where the ennemy is likely to have mindblast
3 - six sense : sense the danger, lead to cool sections like the encounter with Banedon, you can guess other people's toughts... I find it definitely useful
4 - hunting : help recognise plants and poisons, somtimes add points to dice roll, the ability to pick up food is also useful
5 - camouflage : always useful to escape some fights. Well, I'm the sneaky type, so this discipline is usually one of my first pick.
6 - mindblast : appart from the bonus, which is useful before you pick up the Sommerswerd, it enable you to fight some ennemies and make others flee (although I'm not sure, maybe it's the Magnakai version than can do this).
7 - tracking : you won't get lost, but you may also miss some interesting sections
8 - mind over matter : it's useful but there is almost always a way to use another discipline or a objet to achieve the same goal - Nexus is way better !
9 - Animal kinship : can save your life twice, but there are other ways to survive, although it's quite funny to talk to animals
10 - Weaponskill : well, no one seem to argue this either
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Post by kieran on Apr 1, 2019 12:36:34 GMT
Sorry for resurrecting another old topic (not sure if this is frowned upon here?) but just thought I'd throw in my tuppence worth:
1. Healing: Simply indispensable, particularly if you're a weak character 2. Mindshield: If you don't have Animal Kinship in Book 2, or like me you grew up with a later printing, you need this to stand a chance against the Helghast. If these don't apply you can bump this down but it's still useful against a couple of other tough enemies. 3. Tracking/Sixth Sense: I'm lumping these two together since their function is pretty much the same. Saves you from instant deaths sometimes and other times can give you useful tips. Only downside is they sometimes force your hand, reducing exploration. Metaknowledge hurts their usefulness. 5. Animal Kinship: In some editions of Book 2 it can save you having to fight one of the toughest foes in the Kai series (arguably the toughest as you'll probably have the Sommerswerd for the other hard ones or they have other means to defeat them). Essential if you have a low-mid CS then, but if you have a high CS or are playing a different edition, you can happily do without it as it conveys only minor advantage. 6. Hunting: No need to worry about meals and gives you the odd bonus otherwise. Useful but far from essential. 7. Mind over Matter: Rarely useful but when it is, it's generally very useful. 8. Camouflage: Comes up a bit more often than Mind over Matter but generally less essential when it does. 9. Weaponskill: Useless once you have the Sommerswerd, but can give you a minor advantage until then. If you're lucky enough to roll spear, it can be a big help against the Book 2 Helghast. Otherwise you're unlikely to get much benefit from it. I often take it more for the fun factor of trying to find the right weapon in Book 1 more than actually rating it highly. If you are playing without the Sommerswerd, it can go up a few points. 10. Mindblast: Only helps against weak enemies - sure it can save you a few EP from them but chances are you'd recover those from Healing anyway. Only consider if you have a very low CS and/or decide for some strange reason not to take Healing
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Post by Ofecks on Apr 1, 2019 22:19:50 GMT
It's fine. I usually check the board once per day and in the past year there have been instances where there have been no posts whatsoever in a week or more. The more discussion, the better.
I don't really have a horse in this race, but Healing and Sixth Sense are probably the top 2. Animal Kinship for book 2 for sure. Even if you're decked out, that Helghast is a nasty fight.
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Post by Nym90 on Apr 1, 2019 23:47:01 GMT
It really depends on how good or bad your starting stats are.
Healing is a no brainer unless you want to make the books harder than they need to be for extra challenge.
Mindshield is certainly useful in tough combats and against other assorted enemies who can attack you psychically.
If your Combat Skill is low, then disciplines such as Mindblast, Camouflage, and Weaponskill (I agree it's not that good of a choice since you don't get to pick your weapon, but if you really need CS it is worth picking...plus it can be fun to try to find the weapon in Book 1 for which you have Weaponskill) are much more useful.
Sixth Sense is required to get the Crystal Star Pendant, which is fun but non essential. You also need either it or Weaponskill in book 3 to get the very useful distilled potion of Alether.
As is well known by now, Animal Kinship is very helpful in book 2.
Hunting reduces the chance of instant death in book 3 if you want to get the Firesphere, which is very useful but also not necessary.
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