redistributing
Intro
Using redistribution points strategically can often make leveling much easier. This guide covers some of those tactics.
Know Your Goal
The first and most important step is to know what level you're aiming for. The tactics you will use are highly dependent on this. So before continuing, be sure of what your target is. And here is the sample build that will be used throughout this guide:
Level 80 - Answerers (Final build)
Str: 200 + 37 (237)
Dex: 94 + 8 (102)
Con: 52 + 19 (71)
Int: 10 - 31 (5)
Body: Raven Caw
Helmet: Manic Cranium
Gloves: Satans Claw
Boots: Troll Shoe
Saving Points
You can have up to 35 redistribution points at one time, in addition to 5 more points waiting to be bought. So in effect, you can "have" 40 redistribution points at one time. Still with me? Good, it's about to get a little bit more complicated. Now, consider how many redistibution points we could "have" at the end of level 79, right before leveling to 80. Think about it...
The answer is 47 (not 42, you Adams fans).
Suppose you level from 70-79 with 35 redistribution points and so you don't buy the other 5. At the end of level 79, you could spend all 35 points you own, buy the other 5, spend those, level up to 80, thus allowing you collect 7 more, and spend those. Reread this part if necessary, but be sure to wrap your head around this concept. It's an important one.
Recalculate The Build
This part is pretty easy. You just want to figure out what your stats should look like going into level 79, assuming you will be redistributing 47 of them upon leveling. Don't forget to factor in the 4 regular points you'll get for leveling.
Do be aware that you have some options here. The point of redistributing like we're doing is to level quickly, so it's basically a given that you'll be redistributing from your Intelligence. The part that is up to you, however, is where you decide where you will redistribute to. What I mean is that you get to decide where the gap goes in your level 79 build. You could leave your Strength 47 points short of the target...or your Dexterity 27 points short and your Constitution 20 points short. There are many, many possibilities. Of those possibilities, here are two good ones to consider:
- Spread the gap evenly - Ensures none of your stats drop too low, making leveling harder.
- Spread the gap between Dexterity and Constitution - Allows you to get your target armor in advance.
Of course if you think you have a better idea, go for it! Use your imagination. Here's an example of spreading the gap between Dexterity and Constitution:
Level 79 - Answerers (Pre-redistribution build)
Str: 200 (200)
Dex: 63 (63)
Con: 32 (32)
Int: 57 (57)
Leveling with such low Constitution may prove to be difficult, so you might opt to sacrifice some Dexterity. Remember that this is just an example. Here's a summary of what we would have to do with this build at level 79:
- Redis 35 points: 20 from Int to Con and 15 from Int to Dex. (Dex: 78, Con: 52, Int: 22)
- Buy 5 redis points.
- Redis 5 points: 5 from Int to Dex. (Dex: 83, Con: 52, Int: 17)
- Level to 80 and spend 4 points on Dex. (Dex: 87, Con: 52, Int: 17)
- Redis 2 points: 2 from Int to Dex. (Dex: 89, Con: 52, Int: 15)
- Buy 5 redis points.
- Redis 5 points: 5 from Int to Dex. (Dex: 94, Con: 52, Int: 10)
Other Things To Keep In Mind
The exact same tactics could have been used to gain the same advantage at level 69, where you would "have" 54 points to work with. I won't go into all the details of this one, that's for you to work out. Just don't forget about that 11 levels worth of points for leveling up!
Also, if the Answerer build was level 85 or something (not divisible by 10), you would have to make your level 79 build account for 20 additional points (in addition to the what the example accounts for). The reason for this should be obvious enough, but it is an easy detail to overlook.
Closing Thoughts
Always have a plan. If you start with a working plan, it makes it much harder to mess your bot up. If you're ever in doubt of whether your plan will work or not, go through a systematic analysis like I did for the example build.
