Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura: Difference between revisions

[[File:arcanum_cover_copy.jpg|frame|''[[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|Exactly what it says in the subtitle...]]'']]

 

 

Much of ''Arcanum'' deals with [[Item Crafting]] and character building—almost everything the player finds can be customized, and [[The Dev Team Thinks of Everything]]. It contains a very detailed setting and a well-designed scenario, as well as ''vast'' amounts of political backstory in the game's libraries, newspapers and legends. The game retains a cult following similar to its cousin ''[[Fallout]]'', and is additionally often very favorably compared to ''[[Baldurs Gate II]]'' and ''[[Planescape: Torment]]'', although ''Arcanum'''s detail focuses more on its setting's history and mechanisms than on its playable characters.

** The first spell of the Black Necromancy college, Harm, does decent damage with little Fatigue consumption.

** There's also the humble Balanced Sword and Featherweight Axe, a pair of simple and easily-obtainable melee weapons that are easy to use, extremely powerful, light, and fast, and so will usually be a technological melee fighter's primary armament for most of the game.

* [[Breakable Weapons]]: A sword is not a proper tool for opening stubborn doors and chests. Neither are your fists, and it will hurt like hell to boot. Bring an ax. [[BFG|Or an elephant gun.]]

** Certain monsters and objects are hard (metal doors, machines, golems) or hot (fire elementals, normal fires) enough to destroy most melee weapons on contact, even axes. The exception to this is similarly damaging or extremely powerful weapons (the pyrotechnic axe and arcane weapon variants, for example, can smash anything).

** The dog becomes extremely strong in the course of time. He can just bite open all doors and chests with minor hitpoint damage (that is easily healed with a magic healer in the party). You do not need to worry about keys or unlocking magic/skills anymore.

* [[Clap Your Hands If You Believe]]: Part of the reason why magic and technology are in opposition of each other.

* [[The Chosen One]]: Almost from the moment the game begins you're told that you're the reincarnation of Nasrudin, a messianic figure. Later subverted when {{spoiler|you actually meet Nasrudin, who's still alive and living in seclusion}}. Or possibly played straight, since {{spoiler|the exact wording of the prophecy says that the ''spirit'' of Nasrudin will be reborn, rather than the guy himself. Since Nasrudin was a force of order and righter of wrongs in his time, and you can become one too, it could be argued that you revived that spirit alright.}}

** Killing the fat perverted Mr. Franklin who hires a female PC to sleep with him ([[Black Widow|while he is fast asleep from the sex]]) will result in the quest-giver attacking when going to pick up the payment. Can be averted by killing him ''after'' payment is received.

** The fortune teller sidequest. To elaborate, Tarant has two fortune tellers, Madame Toussaud and a fraud in upper Tarant. Once you speak to the fraud, she'll ask you to steal Toussaud's crystal ball. Upon arrival, Toussaud will know why you've come and demand you choose a side. If you choose her side, you get the ball with no conflict and give it to the fraud, who dies upon touching it. You get a decent blessing (stat boost) for the trouble. Side against Toussaud, though, and you get hit with an equal curse (stat reduction), while the fraud rewards you with nothing worthwhile. No sane person ever sides with the fraud.

* [[We Buy Anything]]: Played with; vendors will only buy things related to their stock (smithy shops only buy armor and weapons, for example), except for the junk vendors, who will buy anything short of destroyed items. Get mastery in Haggle, though, and they will not only buy anything, they'll sell you the clothes off their backs.

* [[Well-Intentioned Extremist]]: {{spoiler|Kerghan wants to [[Omnicidal Maniac|kill everyone]] because he believes that the afterlife is better and more peaceful than life}}. Interestingly, that particular theory is somewhat confirmed in-game, since one of your party members {{spoiler|who dies and is resurrected}} agrees with him but still thinks that people should be allowed to choose their own fate.