Beginner Character Build Tips: Difference between revisions
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(→More advanced traits: Fixed wrong description placements. Commented out schizo, you evil bastards) |
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Here's some advice on decent beginner [[character]] builds. | |||
==Choosing stats== | ==Choosing stats== | ||
You have four primary character | You have four primary character [[statistics]]: Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence & Perception. Bear in mind that these are impractical to raise once you're in-game, so '''for long-term characters''', most of your development points should go here. | ||
# '''Strength''': If you plan on fighting in melee, you should set a reasonable Strength (10 will do, but 11 helps avoid being unable to recover stuck weapons). It affects your melee combat damage-output, your maximum health, and your maximum safe carry-weight. | # '''Strength''': If you plan on fighting in melee, you should set a reasonable Strength (10 will do, but 11 helps avoid being unable to recover stuck weapons). It affects your melee combat damage-output, your maximum health, and your maximum safe carry-weight. | ||
# '''Dexterity''': An universal stat which affects both melee and ranged to-hit chance, increases your dodging chance and improves your trap detecting and avoiding skill. 8-10 pts should work. | # '''Dexterity''': An universal stat which affects both melee and ranged to-hit chance, increases your dodging chance and improves your trap detecting and avoiding skill. 8-10 pts should work. | ||
# '''Intelligence''': Affects your social abilities (currently negligible, given that [[NPC]]s are disabled by default). However, it also affects your ability to learn and is the base stat for nifty things like hacking computers and implanting bionics. If you don't want to do those things now, consider that you might change your mind once you're in the game. Setting intelligence to 10-12 will probably suffice; 14 is only needed for one or two rare, high-end skill books. | # '''Intelligence''': Affects your social abilities (currently negligible, given that [[NPC]]s are disabled by default). However, it also affects your ability to learn and is the base stat for nifty things like hacking computers and implanting bionics. If you don't want to do those things now, consider that you might change your mind once you're in the game. Setting intelligence to 10-12 will probably suffice; 14 is only needed for one or two rare, high-end skill books. | ||
# '''Perception''': Improves your ranged combat to-hit chance and helps your character to detect and disarm traps. 10 points will enable you to see any trap in the game, provided that your eyes aren't encumbered. If you're OK with not being able to reliably spot land mines, 8-9 will suffice. | # '''Perception''': Improves your ranged combat to-hit chance and helps your character to detect and disarm traps. 10 points will enable you to see any trap in the game, provided that your eyes aren't encumbered. If you're OK with not being able to reliably spot land mines, 8-9 will suffice. | ||
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* You might consider a protective or regenerative trait like '''Poison Resistant''' or '''Fast Healing''' | * You might consider a protective or regenerative trait like '''Poison Resistant''' or '''Fast Healing''' | ||
* '''Night Vision''' can greatly help after dark. | * '''Night Vision''' can greatly help after dark. | ||
===Negative=== | ===Negative=== | ||
* '''Ugly''': No one minds your appearance after the Apocalypse. | * '''Ugly''': No one minds your appearance after the Apocalypse. | ||
* '''Truth Teller''': Chances are nobody's around to notice! | * '''Truth Teller''': Chances are nobody's around to notice! | ||
===More advanced traits=== | ===More advanced traits=== | ||
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*'''Trigger Happy''': It makes military rifles less-controllable, but if you're not planning on using them that's not a problem. | *'''Trigger Happy''': It makes military rifles less-controllable, but if you're not planning on using them that's not a problem. | ||
<!-- * '''Schizophrenic''': While hallucinating from schizophrenia all terrain is displayed in an odd manner, and certain critters show up purely in your head. -- Schizo IS NOT newbie friendly. The constant hallucinations make exploration and traveling extremely dangerous, not to mention nauseous for the player him/herself --> | <!-- * '''Schizophrenic''': While hallucinating from schizophrenia all terrain is displayed in an odd manner, and certain critters show up purely in your head. -- Schizo IS NOT newbie friendly. The constant hallucinations make exploration and traveling extremely dangerous, not to mention nauseous for the player him/herself --> | ||
*'''Self-Defense Classes / Shaolin Adept / Venom Mob Protege''': These are stopgaps for the buggy NPC martial-art trainers. Don't over-rely on them, but if you want a nifty advanced style, they're the way to go right now. | *'''Self-Defense Classes / Shaolin Adept / Venom Mob Protege''': These are stopgaps for the buggy NPC martial-art trainers. Don't over-rely on them, but if you want a nifty advanced style, they're the way to go right now. They can greatly simplify your early-game inventory needs, and is always a useful backup. Feel free to check [[Choosing Martial Arts Styles]] if you're curious. | ||
* '''Addictive personality''': You'll be OK as long as you don't go crazy (as in ''more than five in a row'') with addictive substances, such as hard and soft drugs and sleeping pill variants (that includes [[Nyquil]]). | * '''Addictive personality''': You'll be OK as long as you don't go crazy (as in ''more than five in a row'') with addictive substances, such as hard and soft drugs and sleeping pill variants (that includes [[Nyquil]]). | ||
* '''Glass Jaw''': Once you get a [[Clothing#Head|helmet]] of some sorts this negative trait becomes mostly irrelevant. | * '''Glass Jaw''': Once you get a [[Clothing#Head|helmet]] of some sorts this negative trait becomes mostly irrelevant. | ||
* '''Insomniac''': It makes your character have difficulty getting to [[sleep]], but the effect is fairly minor. A [[bed]] or [[makeshift_bed|makeshift bed]] and being at least Tired will generally suffice. | |||
==Professions== | ==Professions== | ||
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* Survival | * Survival | ||
* Dodge | * Dodge | ||
<!-- * Mechanics -- You don't need mechanics for crafting | <!-- * Mechanics -- You don't need mechanics for crafting a filter mask or a crowbar anymore --> | ||
* Tailoring | * Tailoring | ||
Revision as of 09:26, 29 August 2013
Guide created using of Cataclysm DDA. Some of the information present here might not apply to future versions.
Here's some advice on decent beginner character builds.
Choosing stats
You have four primary character statistics: Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence & Perception. Bear in mind that these are impractical to raise once you're in-game, so for long-term characters, most of your development points should go here.
- Strength: If you plan on fighting in melee, you should set a reasonable Strength (10 will do, but 11 helps avoid being unable to recover stuck weapons). It affects your melee combat damage-output, your maximum health, and your maximum safe carry-weight.
- Dexterity: An universal stat which affects both melee and ranged to-hit chance, increases your dodging chance and improves your trap detecting and avoiding skill. 8-10 pts should work.
- Intelligence: Affects your social abilities (currently negligible, given that NPCs are disabled by default). However, it also affects your ability to learn and is the base stat for nifty things like hacking computers and implanting bionics. If you don't want to do those things now, consider that you might change your mind once you're in the game. Setting intelligence to 10-12 will probably suffice; 14 is only needed for one or two rare, high-end skill books.
- Perception: Improves your ranged combat to-hit chance and helps your character to detect and disarm traps. 10 points will enable you to see any trap in the game, provided that your eyes aren't encumbered. If you're OK with not being able to reliably spot land mines, 8-9 will suffice.
Choosing traits
There are positive and negative traits: positive traits cost development points, whilst negative traits provide more points.
Positive
- Quick: Smaller bonus than Fleet-Footed, but applies to everything. Sometimes retreat is better than combat.
- Light Step: Noise attracts critters, so less of it is a Good Thing.
- Parkour Expert: Quickly navigate difficult terrain, then turn around and take a few swings at the clumsy zeds who need 2-3 times as long.
- You might consider a protective or regenerative trait like Poison Resistant or Fast Healing
- Night Vision can greatly help after dark.
Negative
- Ugly: No one minds your appearance after the Apocalypse.
- Truth Teller: Chances are nobody's around to notice!
More advanced traits
- Android: The bionics you get may or may not be useful, but if you wonder what the fuss is, here's one way to try them out.
- Robust Genetics: Don't mutate without it!
- Trigger Happy: It makes military rifles less-controllable, but if you're not planning on using them that's not a problem.
- Self-Defense Classes / Shaolin Adept / Venom Mob Protege: These are stopgaps for the buggy NPC martial-art trainers. Don't over-rely on them, but if you want a nifty advanced style, they're the way to go right now. They can greatly simplify your early-game inventory needs, and is always a useful backup. Feel free to check Choosing Martial Arts Styles if you're curious.
- Addictive personality: You'll be OK as long as you don't go crazy (as in more than five in a row) with addictive substances, such as hard and soft drugs and sleeping pill variants (that includes Nyquil).
- Glass Jaw: Once you get a helmet of some sorts this negative trait becomes mostly irrelevant.
- Insomniac: It makes your character have difficulty getting to sleep, but the effect is fairly minor. A bed or makeshift bed and being at least Tired will generally suffice.
Professions
These provide a little different starting inventory, and sometimes character traits (such as the nicotine addiction from Chain Smoker). You can probably get along well enough without them, but feel free to experiment.
Skills
Spending a development point here translates into two levels of skill. Since much of the game involves building skills, spending irreplaceable development points on them may seem wasteful--and in many cases it is--but a small investment at the start may make the difference between survival and early-game death.
Useful skills to start with may include:
- Archery
- Survival
- Dodge
- Tailoring
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