howdy, i started QFG 1 as a magic user and neglected to add in any points in climbing, throwing or lockpicking as i thought i could train them from zero, apparently according to the manual i cannot do this, will this stop me from completing the game or advancing my mage throughout the serise? i am wondering if i should start again though i would rather not do this.

Every class has a solution to every puzzle, and the class specific solution assumes you did not raise any statistics that started at zero. You may find that a puzzle is harder with those skills zero (though that usually means you are approaching it from the wrong angle), but you should never encounter a dead end. For magic users, the Open spell is usually your answer to locked objects. Use Fetch to retrieve items and magical attacks instead of throwing daggers. Puzzles where the thief would climb are solvable by non-climbing heroes, but not as easily generalized.

All five games were designed with the idea that each character could succeed with only the skills and abilities started off with and earned.

In the first game, there is precisely one obstacle that you absolutely cannot overcome without Climbing, and that's getting into the town after the gate is closed. The Open spell doesn't work on the gate (it doesn't work on anything that's barred instead of locked, and besides that, I'm sure that the enchantment over the town protects the gate too). However, the truth of the matter is, even if you're a Thief who naturally starts off with Climbing, you're going to want to be sleeping in Erana's Peace anyways, due to the fact that sleeping there completely recovers all of your health, magic (if you have it), and stamina.

In the second game however, you get a spell (Levitate) that almost completely replaces Climbing as a skill, allowing you to soar straight up and down. The only times you cannot use it are times where the game doesn't allow you to use magic.

In other words, don't worry. Those skills you mentioned are not necessary to 100% completing each game as a Magic User. Focus on what you do have and what you can get and not what you don't have and can't get.

thanks guys, i realised each class approached every puzzle differently but i just wasnt sure if i needed it for whatever reason, thanks for explaining it to me :)

Technically two: The other is getting into the castle at night.

The only reason I didn't count that one is because there's really no reason to do so other than to discover that there's no reason to do so. Can't break into the castle, can't always sleep at the stable (if you haven't mucked the stables that day, which if it ticks over to midnight, counts as a "new day" for that purpose)...

The amusing part, however, is that if you try to sleep in the castle grounds (outside of the stables), no matter what your skill in climbing is, your character will suddenly know how to climb over the wall, for just a moment, hehe.