Elementalists

[Cash]

do elementalists have any advantage in this game ? cause it seems that they dont. i would like to hear from someone who likes elementalists tell me why they like them

[Toan]

do elementalists have any advantage in this game ? cause it seems that they dont. i would like to hear from someone who likes elementalists tell me why they like them

I like Elementalist and like to think of them as Wizards, lite.

Advantages:
Average class powers
[Which can't be said for some classes (Druid....)]
Spell Castings every level
Namely, Burning Hands, Fire/Frost Bolts, Ice/Fire Balls, Imp. Fireball, Lightning Ball and...Earthquake
Can still learn spells from books


I may have missed some though.

[Albahan]

I love elementalists... DE's are my favorite race for them. They are very powerful spellcasters and in my experiences I've always had plenty of castings. Getting quick levels in the BUGWIL is not a bad way to start and although they start off weak they become very powerful. ToEF is not very difficult for them and for a class like DE they can also become good enough in melee also. So, I really like them but maybe I'm just different. Also, they don't have to worry about learning unlike some wizard races.

[Silfir]

Like wizards, much, much less reliant on books and Learning, but on the other hand not as amazing as they rise in levels, since they don't get spell cost reduction class powers. Many players will scum the ID for books with a wizard, and an ID-scummed wizard with decent Learning outperforms an elementalist any day.

[vogonpoet]

Like wizards, much, much less reliant on books and Learning, but on the other hand not as amazing as they rise in levels, since they don't get spell cost reduction class powers. Many players will scum the ID for books with a wizard, and an ID-scummed wizard with decent Learning outperforms an elementalist any day.

Gaa, the wizard doesn't need to scum no stinky ID to outperform no crappy elementalist, it just has to start off with a spellbook of magic missile.

[Silfir]

That's not exactly any day then, is it?

[grobblewobble]

Try comparing them with farmers instead of comparing them with wizards.

[vogonpoet]

Don't get me wrong, I play a lot of elementalists (admittedly most get roasted before level 6, but still), and they rock the very early game, and can be pretty powerful up until the transition into the late mid game, where they just start sucking - just too many monsters are immune to their spells.

Whereas farmers start off utterly useless at anything, but do indeed get better and better as they go on, eventually becoming suicide powerhouses able to die at any time.

Of all the spellcasters, I would say elementalists are pretty clearly the worst. Anyone want to argue that?

[grobblewobble]

Does the number of spellpoints they gain on levelups depend on learning?

[Silfir]

I don't think Learning has an influence, no.

@vogonpoet: One might argue that since it is the early game in which spellcasters might theoretically be in trouble, a spellcaster with an easy early game must be the easiest of all.

Elementalists aren't limited to elementalist spells either. As a "bonus", they can read books just fine. The only problem might be that they tend to find fewer books than wizards do.

Either way, I'd take an elementalist over a necromancer any day. Necromancers find more books, but their early game is pretty harsh (as harsh as it gets for a spellcaster, anyway). Druids is a toss-up; both have an easy early game and lack the "OMGHAX" factor of later game priests and wizards.

"bad spellcaster" is an oxymoron anyway.

(Indicentally, I recently played a farmer and a merchant from start to finish and I have to say I just love the increased carrying capacity to death when compared to my current thief, who buckles under the weight of a scroll.)