So what do you carry around?

[dck]

Those are really concrete numbers for an unknown spell being affected by an unknown amount of enhancers.

[cerebovssquire]

It's also not really the example I would choose. While I wouldn't want to be normally casting OoD at 7%, the more impressive uses of !brilliance reduce spell failure from really high to castable, not castable to 1%.

[and into]

And even not knowing where the exact numbers are coming from, an increase in average damage of around 5 is really big. Especially if it is a spell that can hit multiple targets.

Plus !brilliance gives a major reduction to spell failure, and you get a bit more spell power and spell success from the +5 intelligence (unless that was factored in already to those numbers of unknown provenance).

[Sandman25]

It's also not really the example I would choose. While I wouldn't want to be normally casting OoD at 7%, the more impressive uses of !brilliance reduce spell failure from really high to castable, not castable to 1%.

Yes, I agree. It's just my last use of brilliance and I don't remember other examples out of my head.

[Hurkyl]

And even not knowing where the exact numbers are coming from, an increase in average damage of around 5 is really big. Especially if it is a spell that can hit multiple targets.

Not really. It was only about a 14% increase in damage. 5 bonus damage is much less impressive when compared to 30 than, say, when comparing to 10 as I might on a short blade user. (and yes, I did account for the intelligence increase when I estimated these numbers)

I haven't found much use for the consumables that give a minor boost to effectiveness, because in the fights where they would make the difference, I'm usually looking to flee rather than stand my ground.

Plus !brilliance gives a major reduction to spell failure, and you get a bit more spell power and spell success from the +5 intelligence (unless that was factored in already to those numbers of unknown provenance).

I had already noted the reduction in spell failure, which I posited as being the main reason to use the potion -- i.e. when your spell skills aren't yet high enough to cast your big spell reliably and you want to be able to cast it in an emergency, which I labeled as niche usage. It would be interesting to know if people regularly are undertrained for their big spells that this becomes a general purpose effect.

[Sar]

5 bonus damage is much less impressive when compared to 30 than, say, when comparing to 10 as I might on a short blade user.

1d10

[Sandman25]

I think with 10 spellcasting, 12 conjurations/ice, and 25 intelligence, brilliance means the difference between averaging something like 32.5 and 37 damage.

This is hard to read IMHO.
Spell power without brilliance (rounding can be wrong):
(10/2 + 2*12)*25/10=72.5 (61.25 after step down). Damage for Throw Icicle is 3d(3.33 + 61.25/6), max damage 40

Spell power with brilliance:
(10/2 + 2*15)*30/10=105 (76.25 after step down). Damage for Throw Icicle is 3d(3.33 + 76/6), max damage 48.

Difference close to 1d8

[and into]

So, the ability to get a long duration buff that gives +wizardry and "only" ~14% damage increase to spells for the cost of one turn isn't worth literally one of 52 inventory slots, you'll just let the potions rot on the floor. Ok man whatever you say.

All of the boost potions are good. You don't mostly use them in fights that are really risky, you use them to end difficult but winnable fights much more quickly while retaining good MP/HP and thus retaining stamina for further fights and reducing use of other consumables. And you use them at the start of the fight in order to maximize their effectiveness. (Early on they can make some unwinnable fights easy, though. But later on I find they are mostly proactive, limiting the damage I take in a tough fight.)

[Hurkyl]

I think with 10 spellcasting, 12 conjurations/ice, and 25 intelligence, brilliance means the difference between averaging something like 32.5 and 37 damage.

This is hard to read IMHO.

Ah! I thought I stated that I was computing average damage from Bolt of Cold, but I see that I did not. I've fixed my previous post.

[Hurkyl]

5 bonus damage is much less impressive when compared to 30 than, say, when comparing to 10 as I might on a short blade user.

1d10

Yes. I was trying to be generous with the comparison to make might stand out less; usually the average is much less than that, e.g. from a 1d10 roll as you say. (or probably more like 1d8+1d5)

[Igxfl]

I don't generally expect !brilliance to save me, but I quaff it before tough fights because it's decent and I might as well.
If you often find yourself not using large stacks of a given tactical consumable for most of the game, then you're just not using it frivolously enough.

[Sar]

I was trying to be generous with the comparison to make might stand out less

Now I am probably misunderstanding something, but 10 makes might stand out more than 1d10, because 10 is bigger on average.

[Hurkyl]

I was trying to be generous with the comparison to make might stand out less

Now I am probably misunderstanding something, but 10 makes might stand out more than 1d10, because 10 is bigger on average.

I was comparing 32 vs 32+5 to 10 vs 10+5: the 10 was (a generous estimate of) the average short blade damage roll.

[and into]

It is worth pointing out (again) that bolt of cold can hit multiple targets pretty easily, as can lots of other spells that would get buffed by !brilliance. Plus you get the success boost which can be very helpful at certain points in the game.

!Might is great, yeah, but the boost potions are all really good and basically comparable in utility on characters that can utilize them well.

[duvessa]

might works on bolts of penetration now

[dck]

what but how is a crossbow melee
this fucking game.

[duvessa]

in fairness, it is stated nowhere (that I know of) in-game that might affects melee specifically
on the other hand it does state that fighting skill affects "hand-to-hand" combat specifically, and fighting skill affects ranged now!

[WalkerBoh]

I guess technically you could view ranged combat as being "hand-to-hand"...

[and into]

I guess technically you could view ranged combat as being "hand-to-hand"...

If you have some strange aiming priorities, I suppose. I think you typically (ahem) shoot for "hand-to-head" or "hand-to-heart."

[WalkerBoh]

I guess technically you could view ranged combat as being "hand-to-hand"...

If you have some strange aiming priorities, I suppose. I think you typically (ahem) shoot for "hand-to-head" or "hand-to-heart."

Technically that is exactly the same thing you're doing with every other weapon type.

[Tristian]

Back to the topic......
:^)
I like to have 2 or 3 Cure, 2 Heal, 1 of each (Might, Brilliance, Agility, Haste), 3 or 4 permafoods, a few attack wands, some defensive scrolls (Blink, Tele, Fog & Fear).
Various Rings and Amulets to switch out when needed.
Yellow wands if I happen to find them, obviously.
Since I play casters, a good blowgun is in there too.

[and into]

Since I play casters, a good blowgun is in there too.

Carrying around a blowgun with poisoned needles (early game) and curare (throughout game) is a very good idea on anyone, I'd recommend it regardless of what kind of background you went for or how you subsequently developed your character.