RtL Hero Skill Selection Strategy Questions

By Gramarye, in Descent: Journeys in the Dark

More RtL questions from a fairly new player.

First, just a general open-sandbox question: Are there any skills that you consider to be must-haves for at least one member of the hero group? The OL in my game just razed Riverwatch before we could get Boggs the Rat; I know he's popular, so I might put that on the list to try to recover at Fool's Rapids.

Second, I had a slightly more specific question about skills that don't increase combat lethality or survivability directly in dungeons. We recently trained in Dawnsmoor and one of my group took Pickpocket and another took Appraiser. No one took Acrobat, which I was nervous about because of what people have noted elsewhere about movement skills generally being very useful; the others in the group took Battle Cry (for the warrior, Karnon) and Taunt (for the tank, Trenloe). I'm fairly certain Taunt was a good pick for the tank, but I'm nervous about the others. We basically ended the session not long afterward, so we may be allowed to retcon those selections.

I think my main worry about taking those utility skills is the opportunity cost, since we're a ways behind the OL in CT count about 3/4 of the way through Copper (behind 59-92). For example, Pickpocket pays for itself in gold terms in 16 kills (assuming spending 1000 for it), but the xp is spent and it bumps the cost of the next skill up to 1,500 gold and 30xp. Taking Pickpocket at Dawnsmoor could cost our mage the ability to take Quick Casting at Olmric's Hut, for example. (Appraiser looks like it could come in handy in gearing up because of the ability to get rid of Treasure Caches, though.)

Thoughts on hero skill selection generally, or on the skills we actually took specifically?

Gramarye said:

More RtL questions from a fairly new player.

First, just a general open-sandbox question: Are there any skills that you consider to be must-haves for at least one member of the hero group? The OL in my game just razed Riverwatch before we could get Boggs the Rat; I know he's popular, so I might put that on the list to try to recover at Fool's Rapids.

Second, I had a slightly more specific question about skills that don't increase combat lethality or survivability directly in dungeons. We recently trained in Dawnsmoor and one of my group took Pickpocket and another took Appraiser. No one took Acrobat, which I was nervous about because of what people have noted elsewhere about movement skills generally being very useful; the others in the group took Battle Cry (for the warrior, Karnon) and Taunt (for the tank, Trenloe). I'm fairly certain Taunt was a good pick for the tank, but I'm nervous about the others. We basically ended the session not long afterward, so we may be allowed to retcon those selections.

I think my main worry about taking those utility skills is the opportunity cost, since we're a ways behind the OL in CT count about 3/4 of the way through Copper (behind 59-92). For example, Pickpocket pays for itself in gold terms in 16 kills (assuming spending 1000 for it), but the xp is spent and it bumps the cost of the next skill up to 1,500 gold and 30xp. Taking Pickpocket at Dawnsmoor could cost our mage the ability to take Quick Casting at Olmric's Hut, for example. (Appraiser looks like it could come in handy in gearing up because of the ability to get rid of Treasure Caches, though.)

Thoughts on hero skill selection generally, or on the skills we actually took specifically?

Wind Pact. You must have WInd Pact to have any chance at all vs a competent OL. There are too many nasty treachery combos available in Lt fights to manage without it. Even aside from combos, it significantly cuts dwn the OL options, and critically, allows the heroes to know what those options will be.

It is difficult to discuss your specific choices without sounding insulting. Suffice to say that they are that bad.
Taunt at least is considered useful vs weak players, but it is a minor annoyance at best against good players. Acrobat is one of the best skills in the game unless you already have one or two specific heroes. It is the only skill I would ever consider training from Dawnsmoor.

Good skills must do one of four things.
1. Increase actions without significant cost. Knight, Leadership, Cleaving, Quick Casting, Rapid Fire all apply. Alertness is dubious, because it is too conditional and has a high opportunity cost if you don't use it but need to threaten to use it. Able Warrior is dubious because the cost is usually only a little different from the gain (consider if the hero chose to battle and spend the fatigue on movement) and it is conditional.
2. Provide a significant increase in damage and/or range. Mighty, Weapon Mastery, Prodigy, Inner Fire, Blessing and Master Archer all apply, Eagle eye almost. Beserker, Brawler and Ambidextrous are too conditional, Lucky too insignificant except for Laurel, Marksman lacks a damage bonus. Wild Talent probably just gets a pass, due to its other bonus.
3. Provide a significant movement bonus. Tiger Tattoo, Swift, Skilled, Shadow Soul and Acrobat do this. Battle Cry and Relentless are too conditional.
4. Do something special or important that significantly improves options, or combine perfectly with another skill. Spiritwalker and Precision fit here (Shadow Soul could be moved here also). Unmoveable combines perfectly and very powerfully with Knight (Battle Cry too, but the bonus is not as valuable IMO, so I never buy it). Ox Tattoo can fit here, but is usually not consistently useful enough (it is critical maybe 1% and irrelevant 95%). Wind Pact fits here too, as can Boggs, though IMO only against a Humanoid based Avatar.

Sometimes you get a crappy skill draw and have to take a weaker skill. But you never have to buy a weak skill.

I figured as much. That was why I was nervous enough about it to bring it up on the boards.

We already have Spiritwalker, Cleaving, Knight, and Eagle Eye from our initial skill draws, so those at least look like they're OK.

if i were the OL, i would give the party a chance to take back their action and let them only pick up acrobat. that train action was just brutal

Is Taunt really only a minor irritant? The OL is playing Sorcerer King and has Snipers for her skeletons, if that makes any difference, so hiding them behind another figure to immunize them from being Taunted will be slightly more challenging. I'm surprised that it's considered not particularly useful.

As I said, I'm not surprised about the others, especially Pickpocket and Appraiser.

Gramarye said:

Is Taunt really only a minor irritant? The OL is playing Sorcerer King and has Snipers for her skeletons, if that makes any difference, so hiding them behind another figure to immunize them from being Taunted will be slightly more challenging. I'm surprised that it's considered not particularly useful.

As I said, I'm not surprised about the others, especially Pickpocket and Appraiser.

skeletons with snipers allows taunt to be used a bit more. the problem is that trenloe is extremely slow with only 3 movement and often in the back of the group. if you are keeping everyone back behind trenloe, then you are severely hindering your groups speed through the dungeon, netting the OL a few more turns per dungeon level.

it is a little easier to maneuver around taunt for the OL when snipers isn't involved though.