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Combat skills serve the necromancer well for quite a while. Over time, the importance
of the defensive skills greatly outweighs the importance of the offensive skills.
Melee Skills
With the exception of Dodge, all of these skills are available at the beginning of the
necromancer's career. Indulging in physical combat occasionally is both entertaining and
valuable.
| Skill |
Level Acquired |
Level Cap |
Maximum |
| Offense |
Level 1 |
5 x level |
140 |
|
Offense is the ability to strike a successful blow,
regardless of weapon. It cannot be trained and only improves with practice.
Necromancers who spends some time in melee won't have any trouble raising
this skill.
|
| Defense |
Level 1 |
5 x level |
145 |
|
Defense is the ability to avoid getting hit – a
higher Defense skill means a higher Armor Class. The importance should be
obvious. Like Offense, it cannot be trained, and it only advances in combat
when being attacked. Because of this, it is important to participate in
melee combat as much as possible until Defense is at its maximum, since such
combat at higher levels tends to be deadly.
|
| Hand-to-Hand |
Level 1 |
5 x level |
75 |
|
The ability to punch something to death is amusing,
but that's about it. If you've gotten yourself into a combat situation with
no weapons and no mana, your boxing skills probably aren't going to save you.
|
| Throwing |
Level 1 |
5 x level |
75 |
|
It can be fun throwing knives and axes at the goblin
that your pet is beating to a bloody pulp. Before too long, though, you'll
come across something throwable that you'd rather hold on to, and your
throwing career will end.
|
| Piercing |
Level 1 |
3 x (level + 1) |
110 |
|
Since the necromancer starts out with a crude but
effective dagger, this tends to be the first weapon skill that goes up. There are
several excellent piercing weapons for the necromancer.
|
| One-Hand Blunt |
Level 1 |
3 x (level + 1) |
110 |
|
There are one-hand blunt weapons that will definitely
catch the necromancer's attention later in life, one of which is the result
of an epic quest.
|
| Two-Hand Blunt |
Level 1 |
3 x (level + 1) |
110 |
|
Even though there are some very interesting weapons of
this type, there are many more items than can be held in the off-hand for
greater benefit while a one-handed weapon is used. I wouldn't ignore this
skill, but I wouldn't worry about it too much either.
|
| Dodge |
Level 22 |
5 x level |
75 |
|
With this skill, the necromancer will occasionally dodge
an attack that otherwise would have been successful. Once acquired, the skill
will quickly increase in combat, although not to the degree that you might
like.
|
Be sure to bring the appropriate grim tools to the battle,
and remember that the fashion-conscious necromancer is always dressed
to kill.
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