Advice on what ability to increase

[Amabel]

G'day folks

First up - thank you to everyone on these forums for sharing your knowledge of the game. It helps greatly for casual gamers to be able to dip in here.

Now the question. I have a 28 point elf bard with starting stats 16 12 10 10 8 16. I pumped CHA at level 4. I'm hoping to hit 8 on the weekend and have been thinking about pumping DEX - as with all the armour I wear I'm nowhere near the max DEX bonus.

Is that a good idea, or should I forget trying to get closer to the max DEX bonus and keep pumping CHA?

Also, what is a good starting DEX to ultimately be able to take advantage on max DEX bonus in light armour?

[EinarMal]

I would not put level ups into dex, but continue with charisma. I think your 12 dex will be fine eventually for filling out your armor.

Long term you could shoot for 20 dex for a mithral breastplate, which allows for a max dex bonus of +5. As an elf you can, if you choose, get +2 dex from enhancements bringing your total to 14. Eventually you can find a +6 item to hit 20.

In the mean time you might consider cat's grace (+4 dex buff spell). You can always swap it out later when you find a +4 or better dex item.

For now just stick with a +5 chain shirts (max dex +4), cat's grace would get you close to filling it out. I believe by level 8 you should be able to get elven dex II which will give you the 18 you need.

[Harbinder]

I think 26+ Dex is what you are aiming for, and looking at your character's standing Dex I would advise against aiming to achieve it. Take points in either Cha or Con, and forsake armor for robes. They switch out easy, and have a ton of clickies on them, not to mention all the greater resists and shadow, Fearsome... all the good stuff is on robes.

Happy hunting.

[Spikeit]

I would not put level ups into dex, but continue with charisma. I think your 12 dex will be fine eventually for filling out your armor.

Long term you could shoot for 20 dex for a mithral breastplate, which allows for a max dex bonus of +5. As an elf you can, if you choose, get +2 dex from enhancements bringing your total to 14. Eventually you can find a +6 item to hit 20.

In the mean time you might consider cat's grace (+4 dex buff spell). You can always swap it out later when you find a +4 or better dex item.

For now just stick with a +5 chain shirts (max dex +4), cat's grace would get you close to filling it out. I believe by level 8 you should be able to get elven dex II which will give you the 18 you need.

Chain shirt is the best way for you to go ATM. Armour bonus 5 + Dex Bonus 4. The mithril breastplate is the Best all round light armour with Armour Bonus 5 + Dex Bonus +5.

I would agree with the above, except for the +6 item. Note he mentioned casual gamer. Most casual gamers won't see a +6 Item unless someone is selling it for big $$$$$.

So there are a couple of ways to get to 20 Dex. A +5 item, which is much less rare than the aforementioned +6, and a +1 Tome (which together with the +5 item and a mithril breastplate can be = to a +6 item :D ). I think the sure fire way to get to the promised land of 20 Dex from a 12 is the following:

+2 Elven Dex Enhancements
+4 Dex Item
+2 Tome (from 1750 Favor) It's hard to get to for a casual gamer, but I got there over a 5 month span of playing and a lot of help from a good guild.

Good luck. It's a long but fun ride.

[Zenako]

A bard's bread and butter is their CHA, and many many skill work off of that, as do most spells and other effects you can cast. A bard can fight well, but not as well as a pure fighter (a LOT fewer FEAT options and opportunities). A bard can however cast/sing songs that are unmatched by any other class and your spell points derive from your CHA level (just as they do for a Sorceror) so more CHA means more spell points.

You need to look at not only what you might gain from putting something into a stat, but also at what you are foregoing in another spot by doing so.

The single best armor/defense for my Bard has been the Displacement Spell. The mobs can't hit what is not there. You can find some decent AC bracers (I have +6 at the moment) and combine them with boosted Dex acheive a respectable AC. Unless you have very light armor, you will also still have a small spell failure chance as well. That is why I use a Mithril Light Shield, it has a 0% spell failure chance.

[Roguewiz]

G'day folks

First up - thank you to everyone on these forums for sharing your knowledge of the game. It helps greatly for casual gamers to be able to dip in here.

Now the question. I have a 28 point elf bard with starting stats 16 12 10 10 8 16. I pumped CHA at level 4. I'm hoping to hit 8 on the weekend and have been thinking about pumping DEX - as with all the armour I wear I'm nowhere near the max DEX bonus.

Is that a good idea, or should I forget trying to get closer to the max DEX bonus and keep pumping CHA?

Also, what is a good starting DEX to ultimately be able to take advantage on max DEX bonus in light armour?

12 Dex is just fine if you just want to "fit" into Mithril BP

+12 Base
+2 Enhancement (Elf)
+6 Item
20 Dex

The question I have; What kind of bard do you want? Are you going "Battle Bard"? (High Strength), or are you going with the usual "Hvy Repeater Bard"? Right now, your stat setup is good for a "Battle Bard" (melee spec...but with really low HP).

[Amabel]

Thank you all for the very helpful input.

At level 8 I now have (natural including enhancements/with item).

STR: 16/19 (with +3 rr halfling item)
DEX: 13/14 (with +1 item)
CHA: 18/20 (with +2 item)

Am finding the AC not too bad with a +2 mithril breastplate and a +3 heavy mithril shield (5% ASF). Mostly I've stopped focusing on damage and just run around with a cursespewing longsword trying to debuff the mob (which I suppose is like +4 AC anyway). The big problem for me going toe-to-toe is the lack of hit points.

I have spell focus in enchantment and I took Spellsinger too as the spell points and song were irresistible.

Even so, I was in a group with a drow bard the other day and she was nailing far more cc spells than I was. So I think the +1 or +2 DC from the extra drow charisma really does make a huge difference.

Must say that I'm having great fun so far but am seriously contemplating re-rolling as a high DEX and CHA drow and going the TFW finesse route with debuffing rapiers. Depends if I can stomach the time it takes me to level though, as I'm a casual player and getting to level 8 has been a big time investment for me. Maybe one day I'll work out how people say they do it in a day!