Topic: Mentalist as a fighter?

[Duette-1]

Ok here's one. I'm thinking of playing a melee focused Mentalist as I'm not used to playing spellcasters and want to trya pure caster with a fighting edge. Anyone tried this? Their spells can be pretty combat orientated but can they hold their own?

[Malim]

1 rank in weapon dagger or small weapon that can be used with adrenal defense.
Then buy 1 rank up to lvl 10 in adrenal defense. Mentalist gets +3/lvl adrenal DB. So at lvl 10 you should have QU + 50 for ranks and 30 for lvl bonus. around 100 in DB easy with an item maybe on top. blur/aura and shield = 130DB+ easy.
Buy rapid ways and defensive spell lists on the way and maybe adrenal moves.
And after lvl 10 all in on pure lists that a very powerfull on that lvl with high base attack also.

[Duette-1]

Ok. Thanks Malim. I was in 2 minds about AD vs armour and didnt know about the+3/lvl bonus to AD. Where is that in the rules? The table i have on p129 of RMC CL doesnt show any lvl bonuses for special defence for any class but i might be looking in the wrong place.  Thanks again

[Hurin]

Interesting build Malim!

It's probably not relevant, but I tried to make a melee Mentalist in RMU as well, and it turned out surprisingly good. It is expensive, but you can buy two ranks in weapon per level in RMU, which makes the build a bit better offensively. I gave him a Polearm, but you could go sword and shield too for the extra DB. Then he has spells for ranged combat. For armor he was in leather, moving towards the heavier leathers, by level 5. It worked out surprisingly well.

In RM2, though, I agree that going with Adrenal Defense is probably the better way to go. The cost of maneuver in armor is rather high, and soft leather really isn't worth it. You need to either go rigid leather or chain, and those cost a lot.

[Nightblade42]

Ok. Thanks Malim. I was in 2 minds about AD vs armour and didnt know about the+3/lvl bonus to AD. Where is that in the rules? The table i have on p129 of RMC CL doesnt show any lvl bonuses for special defence for any class but i might be looking in the wrong place.  Thanks again

iirc, that's from RoCoII's expanded Professional Bonus Table, Duette.

Nightblade ->--

[Duette-1]

Got it! thanks both. That does make a huge difference yeah. The +3 to adrenal focus is pretty good too. What do you think about weapons vs MA? I was originally thinking AC 13 plus spear vs AD plus MA2/3 but given AD is the clear winner in the defence stakes and large weapons are out...

[Duette-1]

Sorry meant adrenal moves not focus

[Peter R]

I would go for a 1 handed crushing weapon over daggers. Stun is going to be your friend as you cannot match the OB of pure fighters.

[OLF, i.e. Olf Le Fol]

Mentalist gets +3/lvl adrenal DB.

Sorry, but they don't. Whilst they do have a +3/lvl to concentration skills (that include adrenal defense), it would affect the skill total bonus. Alas, for adrenal defense, only the skill rank bonus is added to DB.

[Duette-1]

Wow that is one strict interpretation of the rules. But you're right, its RAW.
I wonder why they botheredincluding it in the concentration skills then.

[Hurin]

They might have included it because they have a system of similar skills, where you can get some ranks in skills in the same category. I would agree with OLF. 

I definitely think weapons are the way to go rather than Martial Arts for offense. The fact that martial arts have 4 ranks means that martial arts will almost always be much more expensive (if you buy all four ranks) or less damaging (if you only buy 1 or 2 ranks) than a weapon. For 6 development points, you can buy a melee weapon, or 2 ranks in martial arts; the melee weapon will be much more damaging in general.

[Majyk]

As a GM, I never allowed AD as a skill.
I hated the idea of a DB builder besides spells or straight parrying.
That was just me, I guess.

Nice build, otherwise.  You could even ask your GM if he’d allow the (non)Amthorian Monk/Bard switch and have Monk be swapped with Bard as a Mentalism/Essence based character class.

[Ecthelion]

Ok here's one. I'm thinking of playing a melee focused Mentalist as I'm not used to playing spellcasters and want to trya pure caster with a fighting edge. Anyone tried this? Their spells can be pretty combat orientated but can they hold their own?

I did such a build once, see the PDF at https://app.box.com/s/0gosigwd3nxlpuq3icmh24l19bfc9cr4/file/67536255629. That character used longsword & shield and wore AT 18.

[Duette-1]

I'm afraid the link came up bad for me Ecthelion. Sounds like a good build though. A couple of people have suggested shield to me but i always thought that it was prohibited due to needing one hand free. I like to be able to cast in combat (preferably with a bit of adrenal speed so i can avoid getting stabbed in the head!). Hence the spear with its 1h 2h option. Ive always had issue with the noble warrior for the same reason.

[Sable Wyvern]

I'm afraid the link came up bad for me Ecthelion. Sounds like a good build though. A couple of people have suggested shield to me but i always thought that it was prohibited due to needing one hand free. I like to be able to cast in combat (preferably with a bit of adrenal speed so i can avoid getting stabbed in the head!). Hence the spear with its 1h 2h option. Ive always had issue with the noble warrior for the same reason.

Mentalism doesn't require hands or voice.

[Duette-1]

Re hand gestures. Where is that Sable? many people have sugested that so i assumed it must be in a companion but Ive always gone by p31 of RC SL where it says that one free hand is required to make required gestures.

[Sable Wyvern]

Re hand gestures. Where is that Sable? many people have sugested that so i assumed it must be in a companion but Ive always gone by p31 of RC SL where it says that one free hand is required to make required gestures.

Hmm ... maybe I'm wrong with respect to the default rules in RM2. I don't have my books on me to check now, but I'll have a look later. In the meanwhile, I'd suggest checking the ESF rules in Spell Law (although, if that's the only place it's mentioned, that would make it an optional rule in RM2 rather than default).

[Peter R]

I'm afraid the link came up bad for me Ecthelion. Sounds like a good build though. A couple of people have suggested shield to me but i always thought that it was prohibited due to needing one hand free. I like to be able to cast in combat (preferably with a bit of adrenal speed so i can avoid getting stabbed in the head!). Hence the spear with its 1h 2h option. Ive always had issue with the noble warrior for the same reason.

I am playing a lay healer and went for spear and adrenal moves strength and speed. The 1h/2h option is useful but I am not built as a front line fighter.

[Sable Wyvern]

Well, how about that ... on checking my books, it turns out that in RM2, Mentalists are indeed required to have one hand free. This was changed in RMSS

[Duette-1]

Thanks for that Sable. I went back and checked the optonal rules in classic and  you're right about it beibg possible. optional rule 10.10 in RM Classic SL gives only a 10% ESF modifier for no hand casting in mentalism.