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The Solo Spell-less Bishop

Introduction

The solo spell-less bishop is something I worked out while trying to come up with a way to build a fighting bishop. This bishop can be used in parties, but I have only used it solo, so this guide is written towards that end. The basic idea of this build is to save all of your spell picks, including your starting 2, so that at level 20 you will have the potential to have every useful spell in the game, allowing you to switch to a melee class, which gives you access to better armor, weapons, and hit points.

Race

The race you choose should be based on one thing: What melee class will you be switching to at level 20. The prime choices are Fighter, Rogue, Valkyrie, Ranger, Samurai, Monk, or Ninja. I chose Faerie as my race and Ninja to switch to. The only reason to choose this combination is for the CoC. A Rogue with a Light Sword will be able to output more raw damage and be able to equip a ranged backup. A Ranger would make this build the ultimate ranged attacker, with the capability of equiping a good melee weapon for close combat.

Starting Attributes

Intelligence should be raised to 95 before anything else. The stats you raise next should be based on your class choice. Once the minimum requirements are met for your class change, start pumping Strength and Speed to max. When they cap, switch to Dexterity/Vitality/Senses, depending on what you need. Senses are only necessary if you choose a Ranger as your class change.

Building the Bishop

Now the fun begins, hehe.

Regardless of what race you want to be, start a Faerie Fighter. You do this because you need the 5 Faerie Dust and extra Lt. Heals the Faerie gets. Now, if the race you chose for your bishop is not a Faerie, drop the Fighter for your Bishop. If you chose Faerie for your Bishop race, you can either switch and just use that starting equipment, or you can get 60 gold by any means necessary, switch to your Faerie Bishop, and buy a second set of starting equipment, giving you a total of 10 Faerie Dust, 2 Faerie Sticks, and 4 Lt. Heals. Now your ready to start.

All fights will be close, and its very frustrating. Avoid all urges to pick spells. Use doorways to keep it one on one. Be sure to grab the Stamina spellbook. Once you have around 20 hit points, you will have enough to get to Burz. Run past the King Crab in combat mode. Initiate combat outside the door, run straight through and up the stairs. Head for Burz. Spend as much time as you need here. Use your Alchemy skills and alot of resting to make enough money to buy a good amount of heal potions. Its time for stealth training. If you are planning on switching to a class that can learn Stealth, and you have the attributes to switch to that class, use it. Otherwise use a rogue. I was lucky enough to run across a lone small spider, but green slimes and other low hitting low level monsters will do. Small spiders can be difficult because of the paralyze, but they rarely hit you at max range. Green slimes are another good choice. It will probably take more than one session to max stealth. At 50 or more stealth you should be able to survive the King Crab, and at 70 or more Gregor. Max stealth and stock up on more heal potions, stamina potions, and stink bombs before heading to the Upper Monestary. The going will be somewhat easier in the Upper Monestary. You don't need to do anything here if you don't want to, but there are a few fights worth some experience. I was level 9 before I headed outside. Do a backup save just before going outside. Saving levels at this point really isn't necessary because your going to be running anyway. =)

On the road, avoid all combat you can. Getting to the halfway house is the first step. Again, I was lucky and only came across the crab party at the entrance to the Monestary, easily avoidable, and a pair of wasps between the monestary and the house, which were easily killed with your now higher AC. At the house, sleeping behind it will help restore lost stamina and spell points. For the run to the zone, you will probably hit one or more combats. I ran into 2 parties of higardi highwaymen along the way. Just hit that run button every combat round. Once you zone, you are home free.

Now that you are in Arnika, you have access to spells. For building your spell skills, do whatever you want. I just went with the power bishop strategy, but if you have the patience to use Mindread to build Psionics, then keep Divinity above Psionics during the low levels and build it first. Wizardry will be worked on as your leveling as you will need Enchanted Blade up at all times if you plan on hitting anything. Once you get Elemental Shield later you will use it constantly as well.

Stay in Arnika for as long as you want leveling. Use the Higardi patrols as meat shields. If a Higardi patrol and your character are both in melee range of the target, the target will usually attack the patrol over you with your stealth skill.

Next we head to getting our next stash of spells at Mt. Gigas. Run there, avoiding combat, or fighting what combats you can survive, just get there alive and buy your spells. You can do the Training Quest while your there and practice your melee skills. Kill off all but one of the Training Dummies and keep meleeing and healing him until you are out of magic points or you feel you are sufficient enough at combat.

If you chose Faerie, the lack of equipment will start to become a problem now. If you are very brave and very desperate, you can do what I did and go for the Staff of Doom. Run to the Mountain Wilderness, past all combats. To get past the Marble Golem on the bridge, stand on one side against the edge as he runs toward you. Usually there is enough room to them squeeze by. Save before going into the Moutain Wilderness. There is normally two battles between you and the base of the mountain. If you can squeeze by them, run. If you can't squeeze by and you can't fight them, load up your save, sleep, and try again. At the base of the path is usually a large group of enemies, but these can be avoided. As you round the last corner that leads down, run off the edge and slide down the hill. You should only take a little damage. The Granite Golem cannot be killed at this level, so you get to run from him too. Sprint into the cave, grab the staff and the Winterwand, and run out.

Your next stop is Trynton, the Swamp, and Marten's Bluff. If you chose to go for the Staff of Doom, I suggest running through the Southeastern Wilderness to the Swamp. If your in Mt. Gigas, don't subject yourself to pain the little Faeries will have to go through. Take the Arnika-Trynton road.

Try to avoid doing any major quests, and especially be careful not to run into the Dark Savant in the Swamp. You want Ascension Peak to stay open as long as possible. In a solo game, you cannot set a portal there. Well you could, but you would be trapped there forever.

With most if not all of your level 1 to 4 spells, its time to level some more. If you feel ready for Ascension Peak, head there. If not, Arnika is another good place, especially if you can find a few 2 Savant Berserker/5 Savant Gunner parties. They are worth close to 300,000 experience total for the 7 kills, but they are no pushovers. Web works great on the Gunners, but it rarely hits the Berserkers.

Your level 5 spells are kept by Ferro, but you will most likely have a few level 6 and 7 spells before you are able to reach them. Avoid going for these until you can survive the Rift. You can avoid combat in the castle by using X-Ray to watch for an opening to reach Ferro's shop. Once you have your spells you can just Portal out. If you are switching to a class that can use any of his equipment, such as the Infinity Helm and Robes of Rejuvination, now would be a good time to buy them.

There are 25 level 6 and 7 spells, but you don't need them all. Level 20 is the earliest you could make the switch, and at that level you would have 19 spell picks. If you can find 6 level 6 to 7 spells that you could live without, then switch at level 20. Otherwise level on. Whichever you do just be sure to max your spell skills before you switch. When you hit level 25 you would have enough spell picks to get them all, and at 26 switch to your new class. If you choose to switch earlier, here are some suggestions for spells to drop:

• Banish - Buyable
• Resurrection - No brainer for a solo character
• Falling Stars - Earthquake has a better Damage to Cost ratio
• Lightning - Only cone fire spell but poor ratio
• Blizzard - Tsunami has higher damage but no Blinding effect
• Prismic Ray - Cone only while Prismic Chaos hits all at higher cost

If you are switching to a class that has a school of magic, such as Alchemy for a Ninja, you can hold off on picking the level 6 and 7 spells from that school until after you class change. This will allow you to pick all of the 6 and 7 spells.

With your class switch in place, you have a melee class who already has great stats and knows just about every spell in the game. Head out and start bashing some skulls.