Alteration Newbie Guide?

[omledufromage]

How about a newbie guide for alteration mages?
I know there are 3 major offensive forms and 2 major defensive, but I have no idea of the difference from one to another.
Also I have no idea which feats to get with an alteration mage...
The usual Toughness/Mind over Body always comes in mind (though I think a mage shouldn't even be allowed to get toughness)...
I wonder, how good is the Way of the Gargoyle feat? and does Empower spell have any great effect on shapeshift?

[Matthew]

From my experience, empower spell has no effect on shapeshifting at all.

[Rialon]

toughness, mob, toughness
or maybe WoG if you get porcupine

[Quino]

It should be full transmuter guide, not only alteration
As for your questions...

1. Alter gains 5 random forms anyway:
one minor offensive (jackal, fox)
one minor defensive (hare, turtle)
one major offensive (lion, bull, tiger)
one major defensive (porcupine, armadillo)
one flying form (eagle, hawk)

First form is gained at 16 rank when you get shapeshift spell at last and select your form order priority with command 'forms offensive/defensive'.
Order, in which forms are granted to you depends on your choice: if you select 'forms offensive' at 16 rank, you'll gain minor offensive form right now, and major offensive at 26~28 rank
Or you can select 'forms defensive' to get minor and major defensive forms at 16 and 26~28 rank.

Whatever your choice is, you'll gain second minor form at 21~23 rank, and second major at 31~33

There is rare major offensive form, different for each alignment, that can be found in manuals.

2. Only one feat does work when you are shapeshifted: Way of Gargoyle
Note that toughnesses will NOT work in form, thus gaining rank in form is bad idea, even if your choice is not Toughness/MoB
Nonetheless, health points obtained with help of Toughness will remain in form (that's why alteration magi enjoy toughness feat)
What feat to choose depends on player, but personally I haven't seen anyone happy with way of gargoyle feat

[omledufromage]

Thanks guys, i just have one more question:

toughness, mob, toughness
or maybe WoG if you get porcupine

Why if I get porcupine? Is it better somehow then armadillo?

Since the forms come as you said 26~28... that means one form is better then another?
I mean... if I get bull.. I will get it on 26, and if a get tiger, it will come 28 or something like that?

[Matthew]

Erm maybe additional damage from your quills. Or maybe armadillo resistances are to high for WoG to be worth taking...

[Quino]

Since the forms come as you said 26~28... that means one form is better then another?

You'll get second random major form at level 26, 27 or 28 - randomly (if you've chosen offensive forms)
You are lucky if you get second offensive form at 26th rank

One form is always better than other

[Rialon]

Erm maybe additional damage from your quills. Or maybe armadillo resistances are to high for WoG to be worth taking...

Yep, with armadillo you do not fully enjoy the WoG benefits as your resistance is already 90 and 95 is the max for physical.

I think lion is the best form because it can blind.

[omledufromage]

There's no help file for "Shapeshift skill". Anyone know what it is for?

[Quino]

shapeshift skill offers:
- no lag when shapeshifting with it
- you can directly shapeshift from one form to another without need to revert manually
- skill uses no mana
- skill is not spell, with all benefits

[omledufromage]

Thanks for all the help guys, I just have one more question for y'all.
Its about the feats... Seems only toughness and mob is worth taking, perhaps WoG, if porcupine. That is the impression I get until now.
It is not worth to take, say... empower spell or spell penetration (for lets say, polymorph other) or even combat casting, that way "polymorph other" would have more effect. it is a great spell... I wonder if people who take everything toughness, MoB can take such advantage of its power?
Also these feats would have good effect on other spells.

[omledufromage]

Anyone? 

[Matthew]

I suppose you could go for spell penetration. To help land slow, soften, shrink, polymorph other. You would be weak in form though... Empower spell is utterly useless to you... combat casting is great for abjurers, maybe ok for alters...

[Rialon]

I took spell penetration as second feat with an alter. Con't say that it helped much - never landed a successful polymorph. Though maybe it helped with slow/soften and i just took it for granted.

[Kage]

- ok lion is voted best form for offensive without manual basically...due to double strike with chance to blind.  Bull has gore...single hit no effect? and tiger tears..single hit no effect?  Ive only had tiger and lion...never had a bull, are all forms supposed to be balanced or is it just supposedly meant to wish for turtle, lion etc?  unless gore lags foe and I dont know..and tiger bleeds them sometimes heh(I still live in dreams  )


p.s.  what does sense danger do?

[omledufromage]

Tiger's tear has only one round lag, and lion's rake has two rounds lag, so, even though rake is two attacks, tear does slightly more damage, and is better when you are hunting someone. (I have had quite some trouble hunting people down... not a good idea to rake them when doing so, only murder.) I honestly thing lion's rake is more usefull during the battle, because of blind, but sometimes I wish I had tiger's tear ability.
The impression I have is that gore simple does way more damage, and bull form probably has more physical resistances then the two earlier forms. But this is just a guess, best hear someone who already changed into a bull before.

I think sense danger (hare's ability) warns you when someone enters the area you are in. That way you don't need to spam where all the time. Although I could be mistaken.

[Kage]

- that helps, havent seen a bull in a long time ..have to snoop around.  Ill try that about the hare...thought it might be some weird brace-like ability or something was just bored and wondered thanks.