Grimoire gameplay and hints thread

[mondblut]

So, how does this look:

2 x dorf Berserker>Pirate
2 x wolf Ranger > Warrior
1 x Aeorb Sage > Cleric
1 x Rhattu Thief > Assassin
1 x Fey Necro > Wizard
1 x Fey Bard > Jester

Not sure about Ranger Path or starting without a Cleric. I guess I could replace the thief with a Durendil Cleric > Templar?

Thieves don't even exist as far as I am concerned. Entry level necro spells are kinda useless too. Sage is capable of casting all relevant healing spells early enough.

Replace the two offenders with another pair of berserkers, and you are good for an ultimate rapetrain.

 

[mondblut]

Looks like a capable party to me. Your sage will carry the bulk of the healing early on. Just be aware, it is very difficult to go go from bard to jester, and a feyfolk could make it harder, because of their low strength attribute. You might be able to do it if you get 5 or 6 bonus points each level up, but that character will probably be a bard for a long time, until the end game.

The trick is to do several intermediate class changes while conserving your bonus points through the game. Starting bonus can also be conserved until you are ready to spend like 100 points at once and make the leap to your dream class.

 

[Dorateen]

Near the end of the game,

Spoiler

are there any good strategies (preferably without sacrificing party members) against the Auto-Sentinels and the Torpedo Bots? (Or whatever those "?Tin Men?"/robots were called that are fast and deal lots of damage.) I can usually deal with the similar-looking Psi-Borgs, as they seem a little slower and weaker; but now I'm in the Cromlech of the Clock and I presume that the fight against 4 Auto-Sentinels, after initiating the emergency lockdown, is mandatory. Do the guns available in the Alien Barracks make much difference?

Do you have a Horn of Winter? If there is a specific battle against the autobots that you need to get past, I would cast Haste on your best damage dealers before the encounter. But the key is to incapacitate the four as quickly as you can, and try to take them out one at a time.

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

Near the end of the game,

Spoiler

are there any good strategies (preferably without sacrificing party members) against the Auto-Sentinels and the Torpedo Bots? (Or whatever those "?Tin Men?"/robots were called that are fast and deal lots of damage.) I can usually deal with the similar-looking Psi-Borgs, as they seem a little slower and weaker; but now I'm in the Cromlech of the Clock and I presume that the fight against 4 Auto-Sentinels, after initiating the emergency lockdown, is mandatory. Do the guns available in the Alien Barracks make much difference?

I managed the skip the fights

Spoiler

following the emergency lockdown

by using a teleport spell that I had recently obtained.

 

[Morblot]

In that area I spammed that one item that stops time, preventing the enemies from acting. I don't remember what it was called.

 

[YanBG]

Wait a minute, JarlFrank have played Grimoire, does that mean his own work could be partly inspired by it?

 

[Dorateen]

I'm replaying parts of the game, and has anyone else encountered this issue when picking up one of the tablets?

Perhaps it was stolen? A few updates ago, Cleve introduced the idea of Tablet Robbing, the idea of NPCs acquiring them before you get a chance. There is a toggle in the configuration menu to turn this feature on or off. Whether or not that is the case, missing a tablet shouldn't hinder progress of the game.

 

[Dorateen]

Perhaps it was stolen? A few updates ago, Cleve introduced the idea of Tablet Robbing, the idea of NPCs acquiring them before you get a chance. There is a toggle in the configuration menu to turn this feature on or off. Whether or not that is the case, missing a tablet shouldn't hinder progress of the game.

I've never played with that feature on, and made sure it was off before I'd started the game. I guess I didn't experience this during my previous playthrough, but how would missing a tablet not hinder progress if

Spoiler

you need them to get past Pendulum Hall to the endgame?

From what I understand,

Spoiler

When you meet the White Owl before going to Pendulum Hall, he will give you any tablets you are missing. You might have to say AURORA to him, to obtain the specific tablet.

 

[Dorateen]

From what I understand,

Spoiler

When you meet the White Owl before going to Pendulum Hall, he will give you any tablets you are missing. You might have to say AURORA to him, to obtain the specific tablet.

I see, so in theory, could I

Spoiler

rush through the game by going straight to the White Owl at the earliest opportunity and getting all the tablets directly from him? Or is it necessary to at least try to obtain each tablet without getting it from the White Owl?

That is an interesting question, and I've wondered, too, if someone would try it. I honestly don't know, since the fun for me was hunting down all the tablets.

Spoiler

Of course, skipping that much content, might make it difficult getting through the Black Spike mountains. And that fire zone to reach the Owl... with low level characters? Again, would probably make for a good replay challenge.

 

[mondblut]

Spoiler

Of course, skipping that much content, might make it difficult getting through the Black Spike mountains. And that fire zone to reach the Owl... with low level characters? Again, would probably make for a good replay challenge.

Well, you could savescum at every high-level chest until you get a woman's wardrobe worth of firewalker boots.

It would still be better if actual NPCs held the tablets. The owl could say, who exactly.

 

[Sacred82]

clerics no longer seem to get diplomacy, only barter


seems weird


is there ever a reason to have two high fel persons in the party (possibly different genders)?

 

[Yeoman]

clerics no longer seem to get diplomacy, only barter

My cleric received the skill at level 2. Seems like classes only gain certain skills upon reaching level 2, like my warrior, ranger and thief only getting bladesmanship at level 2 whereas the wizard starts with it. Or the metalsmith starting with diplomacy but only getting axe & scimitar at level 2. It's definitely weird. Lot of picoissues still it seems.



Can you have one character inspect a lock and the other pick the lock? It seems that you can only use one character for the whole lockpicking minigame.

 

[Sacred82]

quick question, can Thieves switch class to Berserkers (or warriors) and can warriors switch to assassin?


I can't access the wiki so that doesn't help

 

[Yeoman]

You can assay items in the inventory screen by right clicking on them. I assume that the assaying skill of the character whose nameplate is highlighted in blue is used.

Also, in a character's equipment screen, you can quickly switch to other characters by clicking on their nameplates.

 

[mondblut]

quick question, can Thieves switch class to Berserkers (or warriors) and can warriors switch to assassin?

I can't access the wiki so that doesn't help

Only after intermediate class change to pirate, which you of course don't want to do.

 

[Sacred82]

does anyone know what attack modes the ninjitsu 'open hand style' works with?

I'd assume not bite or tail lash. Not sure about claws. Then again, 'punch' isn't an open hand style either, right?


also, how does crafting work? I've started over compulsively so I don't know. Anyway, do I lose "crafts" belonging to one class if I switch to another? Like, does the metalsmith keep weapon crafting if he turns into a warrior?

 

[Cleveland Mark Blakemore]

does anyone know what attack modes the ninjitsu 'open hand style' works with?

I'd assume not bite or tail lash. Not sure about claws. Then again, 'punch' isn't an open hand style either, right?


also, how does crafting work? I've started over compulsively so I don't know. Anyway, do I lose "crafts" belonging to one class if I switch to another? Like, does the metalsmith keep weapon crafting if he turns into a warrior?

Any unarmed character that has open hand skillz will apply them in a fight, regardless of verbs used.

 

[Sacred82]

does anyone know what attack modes the ninjitsu 'open hand style' works with?

I'd assume not bite or tail lash. Not sure about claws. Then again, 'punch' isn't an open hand style either, right?


also, how does crafting work? I've started over compulsively so I don't know. Anyway, do I lose "crafts" belonging to one class if I switch to another? Like, does the metalsmith keep weapon crafting if he turns into a warrior?

Any unarmed character that has open hand skillz will apply them in a fight, regardless of verbs used.

That means unarmed Naga Assassin should be pretty OP

brb rerolling my party




edit: one more q, do all the unarmed skils stack with each other?

meaning: hand-to-hand + ninjitsu + powerstrike + naga poison + critical hit ?

 

[Lady_Error]

edit: one more q, do all the unarmed skils stack with each other?

meaning: hand-to-hand + ninjitsu + powerstrike + naga poison + critical hit ?

Hand-to-Hand is for the success of normal attacks. Other attack types have their own probability of being activated.

 

[Sacred82]

edit: one more q, do all the unarmed skils stack with each other?

meaning: hand-to-hand + ninjitsu + powerstrike + naga poison + critical hit ?

Hand-to-Hand is for the success of normal attacks. Other attack types have their own probability of being activated.

oh sry, to clarify: do hand-to-hand + ninjitsu + powerstrike stack for attack bonus/ damage (by activating Powerstrike), and that attack also possibly gains poison and instakill?




Completely different question: what's the deal with Giants?

Dudes can't tank worth shit with their lousy agility and armor restrictions. They don't get more HP than other races. They have very high strength, BUT: strength only seems to influence penetration, and Strength is also the cheapest buff you can cast. To add insult to injury the super high strength of the Giant gets reset to the class minimum on class change




They get more bonus points for being warriors, but berserkers are the real powerhouse fighters. The only possible use I can see for a giant right now is a berserker dualed to fighter on lvl 4, but only if Giants also get more points on lvl up as a warrior than other races. Even then, you get fucked over with losing at least 15 points of strength.

It's time for the giants to get rebalanced burn




edit: the latter may actually be a bug. I can't imagine racial minimums should get reset to class minimums. Cleve?

 

[Lady_Error]

Something else: Contrary to other blobbers, spell casters do not directly rely on any of the attributes for the success of their spells. Only WIL is supposed to have some influence.

Spell casting success relies almost entirely on skills like Alchemy or Arcanum, which in turn means that getting more skill points is what is important for spell casters. So DEV is the most important attribute for magic users, followed by the INT/WIS combo for skill increases through use.

 

[Lady_Error]

They get more bonus points for being warriors, but berserkers are the real powerhouse fighters. The only possible use I can see for a giant right now is a berserker dualed to fighter on lvl 4, but only if Giants also get more points on lvl up as a warrior than other races. Even then, you get fucked over with losing at least 15 points of strength.

It's time for the giants to get rebalanced burn




edit: the latter may actually be a bug. I can't imagine racial minimums should get reset to class minimums. Cleve?

Another skill-related thing that seems to be a bug is that on level up all the unused skill points are lost.

Cleveland Mark Blakemore

 

[Lady_Error]

Also, when you exit the prison, all the NPC's in town need to be bribed first before you can talk to them - some are even hostile for some reason. Is that supposed to be this way?

Don't remember it being that hard to talk to NPC's on my first playthrough.

 

[Lady_Error]

And one more thing: The bribing itself may be broken. Just loaded up a save game from last year and bribed an "ambivalent" Raji Khan about 20 times without any effect - still can't talk to him. The green bar of friendliness does not increase at all through bribing. It seems to be stuck at 2 points short of max, while at the same time he has 2 points in the red - so maybe that is where the bug is.

 

[Lady_Error]

A general gameplay tip for everyone: Try clicking on the pile of party gold on the bottom to see all the equipped weapons stats and combat orders in one place. First time I saw it just now.