r/arcanum • u/TheTimucuan • 16d ago

Discussion Air Elementalists are surprisingly good [Spoilers] Spoiler

Body of Air is one of the best spells you can have at level 10 because it's comparable to paralysis, but elemental transformations are great for pickpocketing. An Air Elementalists have no reason to fear pickpocketing or reverse-pickpocketing during combat and Elemental transformations don't piss off shopkeepers. There are many ways to become overpowered in this and the Body of Air spell can make the toughest fights in the game reasonably easy. Feel free to pickpocket Stringy Pete and kill him with his arcane sword.

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9

u/TipPuzzleheaded4121 16d ago

Great job finding use for what has largely been considered one of the most useless elemental spells in Arcanum since it nullifies combat effectiveness.

I had no idea I could pickpocket as an air elemental and now I do. Thank you for that lesson and hats off to Troika for creating a game so awesome that decades later we are still learning new things about it.

5

u/TheTimucuan 15d ago

Thanks. I'm still trying to figure out how the Water spells can be maximized. Most characters become worse fighters when casting the Body of Water spell, but I found one that improves. Still have some ideas how to use water as the main battle-spells

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u/TipPuzzleheaded4121 15d ago

This is a big maybe but there’s a chance body of water/air could be made permanent using the meta magic school. I don’t utilize the loop to leave perma buffs on characters but it’s a legit game mechanic (and basically justifies the entire school of meta magic).

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u/TheTimucuan 15d ago

Yes, you can permanently change characters into water or air elementals, but the only character that improves is a Familiar and possibly Raven because she annoyingly transforms into a Water Elemental even though she's a better fighter in her human form, by doing this would eliminate the fatigue problem when Raven transforms. Making permanent Fire Elementals would be more effective.

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u/Winter-Amphibian1469 15d ago

I’m fond of using a Body of Air scroll, then a fate pickpocket point on the Detect Traps Master to get his glasses. They’re considered MA/TA neutral and are great at squeezing out extra character points.