a minor point on Lum's machine (Spoilers)

Remove all ads!

I am currently with the Fishmen but I plan on doing Watcher's Keep in Chapter 6 (such a wimp I know but I didn't want an overpowered party in the Underdark etc.). There is something I wish to know:

When you improve the stats of NPCs with Lum's Machine does it carry into ToB?

Last time I went through I was evil and intent on making my PC super human (given that Edwin, Korgand and Viccy are so awesome stat wise anyhow). However my current Pally is good enough (Str: 18/40, Dex: 16, Con: 11, Wis: 12 (-1 from dream) Int: 18, Cha: 17). Why oh why didn't I give up an intellegence point? Oh well. Ok so naturally I want Nalia and Imoen to have 18 intellegence for those nice level 9 spells. Can I do it? In fact general advice about this machine would be nice.

My party reads hence:
PC (Undead Hunter)
Keldorn
Anomen
Aieree
Nalia
Imoen

How many wisdom points are given free? I just can't remember. If the NPCs don't carry the stats over is it worth giving them all to the PC? Paladins don't really need anything. Though Keldorn could do with some Dex. Thoughts are welcome.

 

You can get 1 point in every attribute, and they do carry into ToB if given to an NPC. Nalia and Imoen will have access to level nine spells with only 17 INT, despite what the manual claims.

 

>How many wisdom points are given free?<

I take it you mean the trial in hell? When choosing the good way in the conversation/challenge with Sarevok you gain one point in wisdom and one in charisma.

 

The Star Card from the Deck of Many Things will increase your wisdom if you're a cleric or a druid. The silver ioun stone will also as long as you wear it. If you replace it with a helm, you lose the increase.

 

Parvini,

Actually, I would highly recommend that most of the increases go to your NPC's. Most of the attribute increases aren't going to help your PC a whole lot. You may want to give him the strength increase (you'll be up to 19, and then you won't really have much use for strength-enhancing equipment, so you can give it to someone else), and the dexterity point will be useful to you as well, as it will give you an AC increase of 1. You definitely DO NOT want to give the dexterity bonus to Keldorn, as increasing his dexterity by one does absolutely nothing for him - no missile weapon THAC0 increase, and no AC bonus.

You want to give the intelligence bonus to either Imoen or Nalia - it really doesn't matter.

You want to give the wisdom bonus to either Anomen or Aerie - probably Anomen as he is a pure cleric and can cast more clerical spells anyway.

For constitution it depends. Anyone who has a consititution of less than 14 shouldn't use it, as it won't help them (constitution bonus starts at 15). Ideally, you want to give it to a non-fighter with a constitution of 14 or 15 (a non-fighter doesn't really gain any bonuses for a constitution above 16). Otherwise give it to a fighter/paladin/ranger with a consitution between 15-18.

Charisma - if you're the party leader who talks to merchants and the like, you should use it. If Keldorn has that role, he should use it.

 

The silver ioun stone was never placed in the game, so unless you cheat it in, that one won't be found.

 

I thought the ToB patch (the one that fixed Jaheira's romance) placed the silver ioun stone in the game. IIRC, you can purchase it in Amkethran. I know you can buy the gold ioun stone from Lazarus in Saradush.

 

Just because i LIKE telling people where to find items and what NPCs are called:

Lazarus Librarius in Saradush and later, Amkethran sells the Golden Ioun stone, +1 int.
Karthis Al-Hezzar in North Forest sells the Obsidian Ioun stone, +1 con.
Zakee Rafeha, the tavern keeper in Amkethran sells the Silver Ioun stone, +1 wis.