Solo mage without Robe of Vecna

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Just a quick question: has anyone soloed a mage (or sorcerer for that matter) without using the Robe of Vecna?

 

I have. I usually get the Robe of the Good Archmagi...I don't know why, but I like it more than the Robe of Vecna, but then again, I'll get the Robe of Vecna before I go to ToB.

 

It's certainly possible. I didn't have the bonus merchants when I first bought the game, so I didn't have access to the Robe of Vecna. Personally, I feel the RoV should not be usable by good characters - it's kind of an evil item if you ask me. As far as AC and magic resistance is concerned, a Robe of the Archmagi (whichever one is appropriate to your alignment - they all have the same stats) are pretty comparable, and if you aren't soloing, they are more than adequate. However, the one major advantage you get with the RoV is that it reduces casting times by 4. That means a good chunk of spells effectively have a casting time of 0 when the robe is equipped, which really helps out when you are soloing.

 

Why? Is there a history about the robe that makes it evil? Granted, from the description, it was worn by a lich, but IMO that in and of itself shouldn't preclude it from being used by good characters. Of course, then again, I'm not really sure who "Vecna" is/was, and maybe the answer is in there.

 

Well, if it was owned/created/worn by a lich, it's kind of tainted - for lack of a better word - if you ask me. I do not know specifically the history of Vecna, but I assume he/she/it was, in fact, the lich in question.

 

Vecna is the most powerful Lich in D&D. Once a powerful wizard and ruler he used his power to become a lich. After building up an empire of terror he was defeated and killed. Only his hand and his eye were left of him, and are high-valued and very dangerous magical items. But Vecna did not stay gone forever. He rose as a god of the world of Greyhawk. He had some worshippers which were united in a secret cult. They tried to bring him back to life. For some time Vecna was imprisoned in the world of Ravenloft but be broke free again later

 

So he was a lich. Looks like we have a case for having the robe cursed or usuable by evil only.

It just seems like you can't cast much in battle because longer spells might get disrupted.

 

You could always try the enhanced Robe of Archmagi from the Items Upgrade mod. It's significantly more powerful than the vanille RoA, but IMO it's not as overpowered as Robe of Vecna.

 

I soloed with a Sorceror and no vecna.

 

I did as well Hobbit, but the Robe of Vecna does help ua out quite a bit. Try it out sometime, I think you will agree.

 

Most powerful? You still have to take into account the liches that survived the fall of Netherill (though their names havent survived the test of time).
Are you sure that the lich broke free, Ravenloft is kinda there to keep the super bad guys in (and none has gotten out as of what i know, unless they changed it in 3rd E.).

 

@Blog: Aye, I've done that as well. Mainly because I found the game to be too easy whilst soloing with my Necromancer.

However, soloing without the Staff of the Magi is as close to a deathwish as you can get.

Edit: Woo hoooo...new gem!!

 

@Blog: I did that once, it was quite tough though, the main problem is the encounter with the Rogue Stone encounter (you need to cast spells as fast as possible in that battle, and without the robe, it's not easy).

Irenicus isn't too hard, just summon Skeleton Warrior and send them after him and he is dead.

@Soulbringer: as far as I know, he is the most powerful lich ever existed.

Edit: damn, always forget that I'm in SOA forum, sorry.

Btw, my 100th post, yay

[ October 29, 2004, 08:01: Message edited by: Greystar ]

 

@However, soloing without the Staff of the Magi is as close to a deathwish as you can get.

Never new it existed till the 10th time i completed the game (3rd time i soloed a mage class).

 

I think I soloed as a mage 2 times before I even found the twisted rune. As for the ROV, I never had access to it untill I installed a patch durring my last reinstall, but only Edwin has used it since I haven't been a mage in a very long time.

 

@Soulbringer, Deathbringer: Staff of the Magi is one of those items, which one you get used to, you just can't do without them, which is what I intended to convey with my comment.

FYI, I've completed solo's with Sorcerers and Mages before I ever found out about the Twisted Rune myself. AND its no biggie, because a Mislead can take care of the invisibility factor, while the bonuses, though nice, can be dealt with with other equipment like rings, etc.

HOWEVER, its just the extreme convenience which is so appealing about the Staff.

Like the description says, "Its a quintessental mage item."

 

It could be more fun if they made so you could break the staff...

 

But given how powerful it is, why on earth would you want to?

 

Retribution strike...