It's because of him that this game has the worst fives minutes of any game I've ever played. Argh!

Anyway, has anyone played through as a super charismatic character? Or perhaps as a beautiful character? Does this make a huge difference in the game? Are there quests, characters, plots, etc. that take majorly different routes with beauty? I'm really interested in that aspect, I mean, just having a character with a beauty score of 20, the novelty is very appealing to me. However, doing that, I think you can really gimp yourself of a lot of other entertaining skills, so I was just wondering if it is worth it for those who have done it.

Does beauty affect bartering?

I love how far out of it's way this game goes for accommodating a dumb character (INT<5). The game becomes quite hilarious at key points.

Edit: Ugh, sorry about the weird topic title, anyway, we're all friends here right?

I do believe beauty indirectly affects barter prices, since the shopkeeper will have a high disposition and offer you lower prices.

I personally have not played a super beautiful character, but I have played a really charismatic character. The diplomat charismatic guy was able to talk his way out of almost any situation (and also get some interesting dialogue options that aren't there if you aren't that skilled/charismatic) and also had enough followers to be able to fight off people who couldn't be persuaded. If you have 20 beauty and have any other viable build I'm sure it would be fine, everyone would just have a really positive reaction to you.

Also, yes, Virgil is annoying. But I thought he was pretty endearing the first time I played the game. He really got annoyed after playing through the game a lot. But I actually like his story line and personal quest stuff, it is interesting. Though annoying when you don't know it is coming.

Yeah, these were my exact sentiments when playing just now actually, but man, those opening lines just really grate on me.

I think the best part of having high beauty is that everyone is eventually in love with you. I think that novelty is worth it in itself. :p

I'm still on my first run through (as a Idiot 1/2 ogre), and I find virgil great, for one because he's hilarious when my character exasperates him ("I don't even know what you called me") and his personal quest is very interesting.

It helps that all the other party members have barely any personality beyond their initial introduction.

Max charisma and persuasion you do some fun things, including building a big party with both good and evil characters who hate each other. There are some fun interactions at various points in the game with several voiced characters, and I'm collecting them all. :-)
[You can also do things that anger party members without any consequences other than laughing at their furious objections and threats of leaving.]

Prator has a spoileriffic guide to NPCs that highlights some of the fun ones:
http://www.gog.com/en/forum/arcanum_of_steamworks_and_magick_obscura/prators_spoileriffic_guide_to_npcs/page1


Even if you don't build a fun band of misfits, you can use max persuasion to temporarily hire anyone you meet - once you've done that and then told them to wait, you can use most of them to build tech items without even needing to re-hire them. Most crafting NPCs can build at least one very useful item without leveling up.

CHA and Persuasion also offer interesting story options in a couple places, and beauty can significantly alter initial reaction, making unfriendly characters willing to deal with you. My character has collected a small pile of beauty-enhancing items that she wears whenever she talks to anyone, including her own party - with her items on, she is CHA 20, Beauty 20 (and Persuasion Master).


I think this may actually be the most powerful character build for combat with a tech focus, since the most powerful toys are found schematics that you need not invest skill points to build; your big party can use your fun toys, and you can hang back and buff them as needed (since NPCs are idiots at using support items), use grenades and scrolls strategically (something else NPCs are bad at doing). This can all be done without any skill points in tech, magic or combat (I've been building thief skills instead, in order to explore everything). The ultimate warrior might go for a couple key magic skills instead, again to offer strategic support since NPCs are idiot spellcasters.

The only thing NPCs are good at is mindless enemy-bashing, but that's all you need if you give 'em all pyro axes or Droch's Warbringers (or even the elephant gun). :-D

i kept Virgil around to help me get past the wolves prowling the canyons outside the crash site, but after i was out in open ground and able to fast travel, i shot him dead and took his crap. my sociopathic bandit didnt feel like being a messiah figure.

He is really well fleshed out for the Arcanum NPCs. Since he is there from the beginning he is the one most people probably used for the whole of a first play through.

And you missed some more cool story, and conclusion of Virgil's story arc, but other than that nothing super major in relation to the main plot. He becomes less important for the main quest as time goes on (basically after you find Bates he becomes much less part of the main story in my mind), and so you don't miss the most important things.

I liked Virgil, I just wish he was smart enough to avoid getting trapped by a tree.

On the contrary, I hate virgil too. Everything he says is irritateing. When you miss or get disarmed he insults you, when you win he won't shut up. He's the jar jar binx of arcanum.

Well, you can get him to wear decent armor without slowing to a crawl that pretty much ensures he's the most vulnerable person of your party by being so far behind everyone else. That's something that thus far, I haven't seen you able to do with any of the other healers in game.

I played through a a half elf female supermoddell, dumped a lot of points into charisma as i went and wore the prettiest dress i could, it made combat REALLY boring though, as you basicly just watched chukka, mead mug etc tear the enemies to pieces.

What was fun was that i maxed persuasion, and when i met people like loghaire they were much easier to deal with, even for a halfbred elf like myself.

I WILL SAY THIS, you feel like a this really helpless blonde, you basicly can't defeeat the bandits without mugg's help etc (i did the game without that op dog)
I eventually turned her into this bow-charechter just for the lols :)