What Attribute point distribution would you recomend for Dragon AO?

[Locut0s]

Just starting Dragon Age Origins and loving it. I know it's not an easy game and I am not very familiar with D&D style RPGs, but that doesn't discourage me. I'm much more familiar with Japanese RPG levelling like in final fantasy. The closet I've gotten would be Diablo and Oblivion. So for a newb like me what attribute point distribution would you recommend? I'm a Human Warrior. Also which talents would you recommend. From other games I've usually found passive or semi passive skills/tallents to be the most useful and usually I use my weapon when fighting the most with a few skills here and there. However I've got a feeling that I'm going to be relying much more on skills in this game. Is it possible to get buy with almost any mix of skills and talents or is it very easy to screw yourself over by picking the wrong ones?

Currently I'm splitting up my points about evenly between Strength and Constitution with a one or two points here and there in Dexterity and other attributes.

 

[Mike Gayner]

Something that has become a little pit of a pet peve to me are games that advertise letting you build your character the way you want to by assigning skill points. Now of course this all gets its start from the old D&D rules sets. IT works very nicely if you know what you are doing. However it also allows one to easily fuck up and build a useless character. The problem I have is that it allows too much freedom really. They advertise being able to build a character the way you want, play the game they way you'd like to. But the problem is of the thousands of different skill point assignments there are often only maybe 10 or so arrangements that lead to playable characters. The rest end up being horribly hampered. This sounds like I'm just whining and complaining about nothing if your used to these systems but it can be a problem for newbs.

For example a newb might say, I want to create a really wise warrior character who uses spells, picks locks and only occasionally uses his sword. Sounds good enough but in most games if you distribute the points like this you will end up with a weakling that can't do anything. Why allow such characters to be created in the first place, if there are only a small number of possible viable characters?

Anyone else feel this way or am I just calling the whaambulance?

Maybe this game isn't for you.

 

[Locut0s]

Maybe this game isn't for you.

Maybe, maybe not. I love RPGs and I love this one so far. I'm just not really used to D&D style point assignment. Like I was saying I'm more used to JRPG levelling. At any rate no matter how it turns out I'm determined to try to finish. It's a great game that much I can see.

 

[JoshGuru7]

It depends on what type of warrior you are looking to be. Your party needs a tank and it is up to you whether your warrior fills that role, or one of your NPC companions does. You have two good options as a warrior:

1) Build your warrior to be the tank of the party. The job entails being able to avoid and absorb large amounts of damage, but more importantly threat management skills that allow the tank to keep the enemies attention and thereby protect the fragile members in the group. One main benefit of this approach is that you have more flexibility in who you choose to bring along with you.

Recommended warrior tank build:

Spoiler

Spec: Templar (Mental Fortress)/Champion (all)

Stats: Strength 42 (to equip the best armor), Dexterity MAX, Con 20+. Dexterity helps you avoid damage (good for surviving melee/archers), while Constitution gives you HP to survive magical attacks (crushing prison).

Abilities: Threaten, Taunt, Shield Defense at first, Shield Wall later on, Shield Mastery, Shield Expertise, Shield Block

2) Rely on another tank in your group (Aliistair, Shale) and build your warrior for DPS. The goal is to do as much damage as possible to as many enemies as possible while they are all busy attacking the tank and leaving you alone. If you want to dual wield you could be doing it better on a momentum rogue so I recommend 2h spec all the way for a DPS warrior.

Recommended warrior DPS build:

Spoiler

Spec: Berserker (All), Reaver (so-so)

Stats: Strength Max, Dex 18 (for Disengage), Willpower 25+

Abilities: Powerful, Indomitable, Two Handed Sweep, Stunning Blow, Crit Strike, Sunder Arms, Sunder Armor

 

[Craig234]

Maybe, maybe not. I love RPGs and I love this one so far. I'm just not really used to D&D style point assignment. Like I was saying I'm more used to JRPG levelling. At any rate no matter how it turns out I'm determined to try to finish. It's a great game that much I can see.

Ignore Mike Gayer's rude, jerky post.

Spoiler

The other post above is right. For the tank, the main stat is dexterity that reduces damage. Strength is for mainly wearing the top armor, which needs up to 42.

Usually HO is a safe bet in games for tanks - constitution here - but in DO it's not a great benefit it seems, not too many points in it. Lots of Dex.

For a damage warrior, forget dex and the main stat is strength.

For both types, a harder question is how much willpower. I don't really know the answer, but it seems a 'put a small number of points in it' one.

While we're on it, for a mage of course, magic, for a rogue dps cunning and the lethality skill to replace strngth with cunning,, and a rogue archer dex.

 

[Locut0s]

Thanks guys (Craig and Josh)!

 

[shortylickens]

Not to be insulting to the Dragon Age crowd, but it seems as if they deliberately dumbed down the gaming system so as to focus more on action and story, amirite?