by Tracy » Tue Oct 31, 2006 8:20 am
Humans have an innate 20 skill in everything (except stealth, and if you have hiding at 50 or higher you have 20 innate stealth as well).
This means a few things:
slightly harder to reveal those who invis and are humans (20 hiding skill)
2 extra stamina regen, 1 extra mana regen (from 20 focus, unless you have real skill in focus)
2 extra mana regen (from 20 med, unless you have real skill in med)
Mana cost on weapon specials are computed based on your totals in various weapon skills plus parry, bushido, ninjitsu and lumberjacking.
If I have a template that is:
120 swords
120 tactics
120 anatomy
120 resist
120 healing
100 lumberjacking
(basically a straight up axe fighter, no chiv etc)
then my weapon specials will cost a little lower than if I had a weapon skill alone, cuz of the 220 total between swords and lumberjacking. This caps out at 300. At 300, infecting costs 5 mana, armor ignore costs 20, etc. Add to your 220 the 20 innate bonuses for stuff like 20 parrying, 20 ninjitsu, 20 bushido, 20 fencing, 20 macing, and you're over your 300 cap.
Basically, being a human lowers mana cost of weapon specials, and if you have no mana or focus it also gives you 3 mana and 2 stamina regen. And, as an added bonus, as a human you can carry more weight.
Those are all the pros of the human race.
The elven race gives you 20 mana increase, permanent night sight, a better chance to reveal people (innately or actively), and a better chance to mine the special gems/fish for pearls/lumberjack for amber.
So, as a general rule, if you're a mage, be an elf
if you're a crafter, be an elf
if you're a fighter/warrior type, be a human.