Difference between revisions of "Cornac"

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(Strategy)
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==Strategy==
 
==Strategy==
With no stat modifiers, the 'base' life rating of 10, and no racial talents, Cornacs are the baseline to which other races are compared. They're often not as powerful as other races, although they are a good choice for classes that want to spend a lot of category points and have enough places to put generics (since they have no racial tree to invest generics in), or for trying out one of the unlockable trees early.
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With no stat modifiers, the 'base' life rating of 10, and no racial talents, Cornacs are the baseline to which other races are compared. They typically have an easier early game than other races might -- not only do they gain levels quickly, but they can (and almost always should) immediately spend their first cat point to add an inscription; a good inscription will be a much stronger survival tool than most level 1 racial skills, and doesn't even consume a generic point. However, at very high levels Cornacs are often less powerful than other characters, who often gain extremely powerful racial skills at level 16 or 24, and will eventually earn enough cat points to get by. Cornac players who don't plan ahead may find there is no way to spend their last point that would help as much as access to another race's skills.
  
Cornacs are good for...
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Unlocking a generic tree...
*Going [[antimagic]], as they have a lot of generics floating around and the extra cat point makes it less costly to open and improve [[Fungus (category)|Fungus]].
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*Many classes don't start with any locked generics but survival, and not all locked generics are actually worthwhile
*Classes that have a lot to unlock, like [[Solipsist]]s, [[Archmage]]s, and [[Paradox Mage]]s
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*Therefore, Cornacs will generally unlock a generic tree acquired from quests or from escort NPCs
*Classes that benefit from early unlocks. (For a [[Cursed]], unlocking {{c|Rampage}} at level 1 makes the early game vastly easier.)
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*Popular choices that can benefit many characters include gem magic or celestial light, from escorts; fungus, available to anti-magic characters through a quest; and harmony, available through story progression
*Reaching five [[inscriptions|infusion slots]] (thanks to that extra cat point)
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*Classes that need to level up quickly to get key talents (like [[Shadowblade]]s and their {{t|Ambuscade}})
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*Classes that don't benefit from raising [[Willpower]], such as [[Reaver]]s and [[Berserker]]s - Willpower-dependent classes may do better with [[Thalore]].
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Cornacs are not so good for...
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*Classes that have very little to unlock or that have few places to spend generics, like [[Archer]]s and [[Reaver]]s
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*Classes with poor life ratings, who may benefit from more racial HP
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The following classes have unique or meta-class based skill categories that begin locked, but can be used by a Cornac from level 1:
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Brawler -- Grappling and Unarmed Discipline
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Shadowblade -- Stealth
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Skirmisher -- Trapping
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Alchemist -- Energy Alchemy
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Archmage -- Meta and Temporal
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Cursed -- Rampage, Predator, and Fears
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Doomed -- Fears
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Reaver -- Curse, Hexes*
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Corruptor -- Bone, Shadowflame, Torment
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Sun Paladin -- Radiance
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Summoner -- Summoning (Augmentation), Harmony*, Mindstar Mastery*
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Wyrmic -- Undead Drake, Harmony*
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Oozemancer -- Fungus*
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Stone Warden -- Stone Alchemy
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Paradox Mage -- Stasis, Flux, Energy
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Temporal Warden -- Stasis, Fate Weaving
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Sawbutcher -- Engineering
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Gunslinger -- Blacksmith
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*However, this category can be unlocked for free through a quest or from a shop, and thus may be a poor way to invest a category point
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Note that not all skill trees available from level 1 are actually useful at low levels.
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 +
Unlocking a class tree...
 +
*It is possible for Cornacs, and only cornacs, to unlock three class skill trees without sacrificing an inscription
 +
*This can enable enable some unique and powerful combos, but often makes point distribution awkward
 +
*Class skill points will be spread unusually thin; try to make sure some of your trees will be effective with only a few points invested, and be careful not to waste points on anything you don't need
 +
*On the other hand, you may have more generic points than good ways to spend them
 +
*This works best for classes that start with multiple generic trees unlocked, and for classes that use weapons and/or heavy armor
 +
*This can also work well for characters using mindstar mastery, staff combat, or anti-magic, all of which can be acquired without using a cat point
  
 +
Improving an unlocked tree
 +
*Improving a category is very rarely worthwhile, because of ToME's diminishing returns mechanics
 +
*If you spend few points in a tree, improving mastery does much less than adding points. Spending 2 skill points in a 1.3x skill gives you 2.6 skill; spending one point and improving the category gives you 1.5
 +
*If you spend a lot of points in a tree, the skills will already be close to their maximum effectiveness; the difference between 6.5 and 7.5 in most skills is marginal
 +
*The best categories to improve tend to have discrete breakpoints, gaining new functions or a massive power spike at specific thresholds.
 +
*The Afflicted classes' Cursed Aura tree is probably the best example; it starts at 1.0x, but has special effects for levels past 5. The Doomed's Call Shadows can generate 4 shadowsat 7.5, but only 3 at 6.5. 3 of the Brawler's Pugilism skills get upgrades at rank 4; with improved mastery, brawlers get there with 3 skill points.
 
{{races}}
 
{{races}}

Revision as of 17:31, 6 August 2016

Cornac
Metarace Human
Locked No
Life Rating 10
Exp Penalty 0
Stat Modifiers
Strength 0
Dexterity 0
Constitution 0
Magic 0
Willpower 0
Cunning 0
Luck 0

Description

Cornacs are Humans from the northern parts of the Allied Kingdoms. Humans are an inherently very adaptable race and as such they gain a talent category point at birth (others only gain one at levels 10, 20 and 36).

Cornacs do not have a racial tree, but instead start with a free category point.

Starting Equipment

Starting Location

Trollmire (except for Celestial, Chronomancer and Archmage characters)

Strategy

With no stat modifiers, the 'base' life rating of 10, and no racial talents, Cornacs are the baseline to which other races are compared. They typically have an easier early game than other races might -- not only do they gain levels quickly, but they can (and almost always should) immediately spend their first cat point to add an inscription; a good inscription will be a much stronger survival tool than most level 1 racial skills, and doesn't even consume a generic point. However, at very high levels Cornacs are often less powerful than other characters, who often gain extremely powerful racial skills at level 16 or 24, and will eventually earn enough cat points to get by. Cornac players who don't plan ahead may find there is no way to spend their last point that would help as much as access to another race's skills.

Unlocking a generic tree...

  • Many classes don't start with any locked generics but survival, and not all locked generics are actually worthwhile
  • Therefore, Cornacs will generally unlock a generic tree acquired from quests or from escort NPCs
  • Popular choices that can benefit many characters include gem magic or celestial light, from escorts; fungus, available to anti-magic characters through a quest; and harmony, available through story progression

Unlocking a class tree...

  • It is possible for Cornacs, and only cornacs, to unlock three class skill trees without sacrificing an inscription
  • This can enable enable some unique and powerful combos, but often makes point distribution awkward
  • Class skill points will be spread unusually thin; try to make sure some of your trees will be effective with only a few points invested, and be careful not to waste points on anything you don't need
  • On the other hand, you may have more generic points than good ways to spend them
  • This works best for classes that start with multiple generic trees unlocked, and for classes that use weapons and/or heavy armor
  • This can also work well for characters using mindstar mastery, staff combat, or anti-magic, all of which can be acquired without using a cat point

Improving an unlocked tree

  • Improving a category is very rarely worthwhile, because of ToME's diminishing returns mechanics
  • If you spend few points in a tree, improving mastery does much less than adding points. Spending 2 skill points in a 1.3x skill gives you 2.6 skill; spending one point and improving the category gives you 1.5
  • If you spend a lot of points in a tree, the skills will already be close to their maximum effectiveness; the difference between 6.5 and 7.5 in most skills is marginal
  • The best categories to improve tend to have discrete breakpoints, gaining new functions or a massive power spike at specific thresholds.
  • The Afflicted classes' Cursed Aura tree is probably the best example; it starts at 1.0x, but has special effects for levels past 5. The Doomed's Call Shadows can generate 4 shadowsat 7.5, but only 3 at 6.5. 3 of the Brawler's Pugilism skills get upgrades at rank 4; with improved mastery, brawlers get there with 3 skill points.
Races
Human Elf Halfling Dwarf Yeek Giant Undead Orc Yeti
Higher Shalore Halfling Dwarf Yeek Ogre Ghoul Orc Kruk Yeti
Cornac Thalore Drem Krog Skeleton
Doomelf Whitehoof