Outcast Newbie Guide

[Nierth]

(Woland and Vasq's combined advice on outcasts)

Woland:

1) Race
Human vs. Draconian: draconian wins, he has more HP and more mana... yeah, human's dexterity is higher, but it won't help at all due to the absense of dodge skill. Vulnerabity to holy isn't dramatic. Resistances to physical are nice.

Human vs. Minotaur: human shall maybe win at middle ranks, he has more mana to spam hell ball. But, at higher ranks minotaur is better, much more damage, much more HP, and all people in PK have already huge saves to withstand hell ball.

Draconian vs. Minotaur: most of experienced players choose minotaurs, and maybe they're even right. However, at middle ranks draconian is much better, and... there are rumours that chance of act of cruelty depends on Intelligence.

2) Manuals
Outcasts REALLY need almost all of their manuals. They suck without them. When you reach rank 30, go to Mausoleum and pop pop pop the books. It's boring, but it will help you to survive. You'll be pure meat without it.

3) Middle ranks PK
Congratulations, you are death machine. Your main power is 'sleep', cast it as quickly as you can. If you don't see the victim - cast hail of stones, flee, return and sleep him. Cast all of the maladictions then. Now you need just few hell balls to finish him.
If you have been attacked and blinded - congratulations, you can't cast sleep anymore. If you know areas well - run to healer, if you don't - pray and cast hell ball.

4) Hero PK
Well, almost everyone now has decent saves, so forget about sleep forever. And about the maladictions, except maybe blindness. Your main power is now Cleave. Smiley It's good idea to bash/trip victims, especially if they can't protect themselves from it. But, if you bash/trip - you aren't mounted, so can be easily bashed/tripped too. You, actually, are to be mounted almost always: you have no recovery skill, and all your blockers work better (or with the same efficiency - but not worse) while you're on horse. But of course it depends on the situation...
Also, be always hasted, otherwise you're meat.

5) Feats
Balance, Toughness, Toughness... And don't even try to argue.


Vasq:

1) Race
Minotaur can wield Sha'mi axe for cleave and use Honor Face. But draconian wins by stats and they have regeneration. Holy aversions isn't so awful, just find 'unholy armor' and forget about it. I vote for draconians.

2) Manuals
Blood of Innocent, Rape of Angels, Render life, Unholy armor, Deafen, Ffeast of Flesh. Would be nice to find Fury and Weaponmaster. Of course, all skills must be mastered.

3) Weapons and armor
I prefer use dual swords. They are more easy to find and you may cross-slice. If you are mounted you may use shield sometimes. But I prefer to fight unmounted, so you can bash if needed and toggle fight stances.

4) Preparations
Outcast without bag of different potions is a piece of meat. Always use haste, armor/shield, harden skin, frenzy, giant strength, bless, sanctuary. Alway carry 3-4 potions of limited sanctuary and repop it after the battle. All these spells+protection+unholy armor, and you will be protected like a God.

4) Feats
I would advice to learn Balance, Toughness, Critical Hit.

5) Fight
First at all you must use 'cleave' every time you attacking enemy. Then look on enemy. Consider his eq and average saves. So here come decision - use spells or not. To be honest, on hero ranks I almost did not use spells, except hell ball.

One of usefull tactis: Attack enemy in defence stance under haste and cast hellballs. You will not hit enemy hard, and he may think that you are crappy damager. When enemy goes to bleeding-gushing - go offence and start bash. Sometimes it helps.

Use enslave if you go PK. Summon ans enlsave something strong like dwarven elites or snake golem. Always come for enemies fast and try cleave, if the notice you, they may reduce their health to protect themselves from cleave.

After cleave, dirt kick opponent. Use it always. If opponent is blinded by dirt kick, you may go offence stance and bash him. If battle seems to be lazy and long - use crosslice, it will reduce strength and dextertiy of opponent and make him bleeded.

[arpade]

Just wanted to add that, to my view, outcast spells are very very underestimated (one of the motives there are mostly minotaurs around).
Draconians are the race i find the best pick, for strength. Humans for classic outcasted knight role-play, minotaurs for a none magical outcast, mostly (wich i think loses much), and dark elf for something exotic (and at times foolish, the amount of weapons i cant wield, ARGH).
Example to this preference for the casters:
firstly, the obvious spells. sleep, summon, blindness plague curse are VERY effective in early ranks. It wouldenbt surprise me if a outcast of the 19th rank killed a group of three 15-18 rank adventurers alone. summon one, sleep another, kill a third.
Reliable spell resistance in early ranks is very diffuclt to obtain, specialy if with anything else (unless you are a cheater or a very luky bastard).
now, to me, a very strongly ignored spell wich is very very very very powerfull is enslave. 2 pikeman make a huge difference, even in hero ranks, and they dont depend on your enemie's already high saves to be effective.
I (dark elf) succeeded in killing a heretic that a much stronger outcast (minotaur) couldent, thanks to them. (okey i am highlord and he was unclanned...)
Had the impression i had more to say.. But thats it for now then.