Monday, September 24, 2007

Weapon Master of None

A little while ago, Galoheart over at Ardent Defender wrote that he had gained mastery (350 skill) of all weapons skills. Being a paladin, he naturally wants to have all weapons at max skill. My response as a mage, of course, was congragulatory, but mentioned the unnecessity of the feat for a pure caster class. I've skilled up my staves to 320 (stopped using those a long time ago), my swords to 343 (was using the [Blade of the Archmage] for awhile until I got my [Nathrezim Mindblade], which I'm currently using), and skilled up my daggers to 321. I even got my unarmed skill up to 232 one night when I was "helping" friends in Mauradon. Of course, I do have maxed out wands at 350.

This question comes up because I spent some time with my Shaman this weekend. I got a new 2-handed mace in which I had 1 skill when I equipped the item. I think any of the healing classes have a pretty easy time grinding through the misses and parries to skill up. For my Shaman, I simply put found a single mob at my level, placed a stoneskin totem and healing totem, and every once and awhile had to pop out a heal. I did the same with my priest a long time ago. Miss, miss, miss, bubble, heal, miss, miss, miss... It was slow enough that I could go get a drink, but not long enough where I could go take a nap.

But the question that comes up... is there any real reason for a pure casting class to have maxed skill at weapons besides a wand? Sure, there's some situations where you have to melee, but you aren't really doing damage. You're just throwing up 1's and 2's in a feable attempt to help out your true melee friends. Even out of mana, you'll still most likely wand way before you even think about busting out that sword/dagger/whatever. So, just wondering if there's something I'm missing by not having things maxed.

2 comments:

DadGuy said...

No, you're not really missing anything.

=)

Ardent Defender said...

Thanks for mentioning me in your post :)

Since your a full caster i don't see it as a requirement to level those weapons that you never really use especially since your have a Wand you can default to use. But a Mage in Melee range is not where you want be you already know. So having full weapon skills there is not required.

In my case as a Paladin. I'm both A Melee Fighter that can cast spells. But a close range Melee Fighter that tank mobs. Since i can use the various weapons its to my advantage as a Melee fighter to be able to use them all for VERSALITY in how i choose to fight, grind, farm or tank. Each fight medium allows me to be flexible if i feel like using a different weapon or for fun. Having max skill i know i'm not going to be getting miss, dodge, as much as every hit i need to connect to the mob for max damage.

For Casters no, for melee yes. But for me its good to know ANY Weapon in my class that drop anywhere i can pick it up and immediately use it and not worry that about my skill been able to Hit and not Miss afterall i fight in melee range.