I was unaware you could hit beyond level 255 on dos. So, I was looking at the tables and the back of the bardstake 2 box. That archnage has some serious MP & Hp.

I checked the tables from here: http://bardstale.wikia.com/wiki/Experience

So the lower Mages look good to grind. Considering a good band to grind in a effectively for xp:time ratio.

Suggestions for party formation?

Features you with The Bards Tale Trilogy had


So I’ve barely started playing and my mind gets to thinking of back when I first played it compared to other games. Since there will be a legacy version I’m not overly worried about changes in the non-legacy. So, some things I wish could happen:

1. Autom-map not in the movement window bit instead on the parchment to the right.

2. Ability to join arrow stacks into more than 10 (or at least up to 10)

3. Roscoe recharging magic items.

4. Hunters guild that assigns killing quests or item find quests (select difficulty since game has a relatively wide array here). One could even choose how many of that difficulty they must hunt and kill or how many of what to collect before collecting reward from the master hunter. Rewards do, gold, maybe an item. All Item quest items you need to collect get taken by the guild.

5. NPCs offer more clues or tales or assign some sort of random quest.

6. The pubs have the option of rumors (1 random per day). A popularity meter when buying rounds on the house (an alternate reality idea) (1 time per day). Bard can play for the pub (increases popularity and uses a bard song). Bard can only perform this 1 time each pub for each level he/she has attained (that would be equivalent to their life’s experience so it couldn’t be cheesed since bards regain all songs by merely drinking). Playing pub games (just passes time but depending on your popularity you could end up in a brawl reducing popularity and random fight aka Pool of radiance influence). Gambling... why the heck not like BT2 or again pool of radiance. Random quests or humanoid monster box might join.

7. Donations to temples to maybe get a random blessing and increase popularity there. Possibly reducing costs of healing). Maybe they offer info or a quest.

8. Achievements for so many pubs, temples, npcs you are popular with and considered friend/hero’s.
Achievements for so many hunter quests of x or y level completed.

9. Once completed can reset dungeons/town map.

10. Difficulty levels (increases xp, hp, ac, dmg from mobs)

11. I believe stats went higher in BT3 so maybe option for 20 in b1, 25 bt2 then of course 30 in bt3

12. Option to replace bard songs with any music on your computer (not sure if media player would play while playing game but even the remastered songs get old as the loops are too short imho.

13. Option to use other platform graphics from settings menu (maybe you like dos, Apple II, Amiga, c64, nes, etc. or custom).

14. BTCS module to create your own mods or even add to the current games (something I always wanted)

15. Hidden content unlocked like new bard songs, npcs, hirelings, items from later games.

16. Can reset the fog of war to blank on dungeon maps (yeah I love reexploring ... it’s that accomplishment feeling)

Other small rid bits wanted:
#attacks displayed

Effects active on player and by what (with duration if there is one)

Random weather effects like lightning strikes, different gigs, more snow and ice, heavier blizzard.

The more popular with the locals the more unpopular you become with Mangar so maybe he randomly sends out thugs determined by your level (i’m Sort of referencing Wrath of Denenthenor here).

Eh I can’t think of anything else atm. I realize that’s not how the games were but anew age and replay ability besides just grinding levels even if I am so tempted to see how high it can go.

Obviously, ther are modern and old game influences. If there is a legacy version then why not add and improve the modern version to keep evolving. Sure there’s a limit but hidden gems to dig up be they achievements or whatever seems cool to me. And note, I’m a 44 and first played Bards tale when it came out... then bought it on other platforms or went to friends. Only NES has eluded me. I’ve never found a copy.

In the DOS version of 1, it might be a good idea to leave your mages as Conjurers or Magicians for their final classes so that they level up faster. (With that said, if you are stuck with a Wizard, you can quickly gain levels by level draining the character (on purpose), having the level restored at a temple, and then going to the review board (you will have just enough XP to gain a level); this works in DOS BT2 and would work in DOS BT3 if it were possible to be level drained; this trick doesn't work in all versions, however, and likely doesn't in the remaster (someone should check).)

In the DOS version of 2, you will need an Archmage to beat the game. However, if you reach the Dreamspell square (required for the Dreamspell to work in the DOS version), you only need one; having Conjurers or Magicians with level 7 Sorcerer spells will allow them to use the Dreamspell, which is more powerful than the spells an Archmage gets.

In the Apple 2GS versions of BT1 and BT2, every level after level 13 takes 200k experience regardless of class, so there is no advantage to staying as a lesser class (unless you really want to be able to use the Staff of Lor in BT1).

In Bard's Tale 3, every level after 13 takes 400k, regardless of class, so again, this strategy doesn't work there. If you are transferring a spellcaster from 1 or 2 that used that strategy, consider changing that character into a Chronomancer; that character will lose all previously known spells, so it doesn't matter that that character didn't learn Archmage spells, but you *will* need one; it is *required* to get through the game, as you need one to reach the dimensions where most of the game content takes place.

(Someone should check how the BT1 remaster handles XP requirements at higher levels; I would need that answered before I can recommend a party.) In 2 (and from what I hear, the remaster of 1), you can already recharge magic items by selling them and buying them back.

In 3 (where I would really want to be able to recharge magic items), Roscoe's doesn't exist, so that suggestion would not help.

Maybe allow recharging of magic items at the Review Board and in the Wizard's Guilds?

By the way, I think they should add a few shops to BT3 to allow for the purchase of magic items, as money otherwise doesn't have much use in the game. Maybe allow Deathhorns and Flare Crystals (probably the two best consumable items in the game) to be bought in Tenebrosia, albeit at a high price? (Lucencia would have Crystal Gems for sale, and Arboria (and perhaps the Skara Brae old man) would have Harmonic Gems.)

@dtgreene
Level drain doesn't change anything about your XP in the remaster.

Also, all classes need 100k XP per level after level 13.

So, if level drain doesn't change your XP, does that mean that, after being level drained, you can just go to the Review Board and regain your level?

It's good to know that all classes need the same XP at high levels; hence, the strategy of leaving your casters as Conjurers or Magicians doesn't make sense in this version.

By the way, do you have a list of the spells that were added in the remaster (or, alternatively, a list of all player-usable spells in the remaster)? It would help me get a sense of what's changed strategically in the remaster (for example, the introduction of FOFO anf FLCO, according to another post, means that Dragonwands are less important this time around).

Level drain doesn't actually change your real level. For example if I'm level 13 and get level drained I'm still level 13, but only get benefits for level 12 (and it displays as level 12 in orange). The exp required is still the one for level 13. If I heal level drain at a temple, it just displays the level as 13 again. The whole time there is no change in neither XP needed nor current XP.

I don't really have a list, I mean I've learned all spells ingame, but those "abbreviations" don't really help me as I only know them by their full names. Other than that I could look up some things, but not everything (too much work).

So, sounds like they made it work like Baldur's Gate 2, which is a rather interesting change; it basically means that I no longer have to abandon an XP farming session because the character I want to level up got level drained. Nice change, though it does take the teeth away from this ailment (and is probably something that shouldn't apply to Legacy Mode).

For clarification, the way classic versions worked is as follows (assuming the character is level 13 before being drained):
* For the Apple 2GS version, after level draining, you would have the minimum experience for level 12; after being cured at the temple, you would have the minimum XP for level 13 (I consider this to be the originally intended behavior).
* For the DOS version, after level draining, you would have the minimum XP for level 13 (and therefore can level up at the Review Board); after being cured (if you don't use the Review Board to level up), you would have the minimum XP for level 14 (so you just gained free XP and can level up Wizards (and BT2 Archmages) quickly by intentionally getting level drained).

Anyway, I believe the reasons to use each mage class as a final class (in BT1 and BT2) are something like the following:

But first, let me make some definitions. Versions where every 13+ level requires as much XP as it takes to reach level 13 (making Wizards and Archmages level slowly, for example the DOS version) are said to have "slow leveling". Versions where the XP past level 13 doesn't depend on class (for example, the Apple 2GS version or the remaster) are said to have "fast leveling". Anyway, the way it seems to work out is as follows:

Conjurer/Magician: Ideal final class for versions with slow leveling. In BT1, you can be of this class and have all the spells (though some might consider skipping the higher levels of Wizard spells); in BT2, you will be missing the Archmage spells, but the Dreamspell makes up for it (although, in the DOS version you will actually have to make a trip into the Destiny Stone and reach what I call the Dreamspell square for the spell to actually work; this requirement isn't in place in all versions). Doing Conjurer last gets you Restoration sooner, while doing Magician last gets you Apport Arcane (useful for solo leveling) sooner. In version with fast leveling, this isn't worth it because these classes get lower HP growth.

Sorcerer: Useful in versions with fast leveling; you get good HP growth without having to go through the slow Wizard levels. In BT1, this choice will allow you to use the Staff of Lor; in BT2, however, this class is strictly worse equipment wise than Wizard (IIRC) and Archmage. Not worth it with slow leveling because the higher XP to level up outweighs the higher HP gain at level up.

Wizard: In BT1, the only way to get access to Wizard equipment (a Wizard with a Death Dagger (if you manage to get ahold of one) or Spectre Snare can hold their own with fighter-types on the front line). In BT2, can be useful if you want Wizard equipment, but don't want to go through the slow Archmage levels. In at least the Apple 2gs version of BT2, if you are willing to exploit an oversight in the character transfer routine, you can transfer a Wizard wielding the Spectre Snare to get a spellcaster who can fight well in the front ranks; as long as you don't trade/sell it or change class, you can keep using this weapon. (Might not work on other platforms, and some may consider this "cheating".) In slow-leveling BT1, however, this might only be worth it for a Spectre Snare user.

Archmage (BT2 only): Gets you access to the Archmage spells, and is required to beat the game. With this said, I would say you only need one; the only spells you'd want on multiple characters that the Dreamspell doesn't obsolete are the first level spells, and you can generally get away with only one character using those. It's also worth noting that Mangar's Mallet isn't that great later in the game, and is overpriced for what it does (especially considering that the Dreamspell exists).

So, that's what the strategy seems to be, and it's interesting how it can differ between versions.