A couple of gameplay questions

[ashgard]

Hey,
Just started to rediscover indie rpgs and am wondering about a couple of gameplay mechanics before I buy the game.

1. Level cap - from what i've read the hard cap is 25 and since most guides offer character build to around 18, I'm guessing thats the soft cap?

2. Skill - I get the max skill level is 10 + lvlx5. But from some character creation guides i saw a psy build put 15 point in the three phy disciplines and with synergies and Will bonus there was a higher number in the brackets (around 22 i think). Question is is the number above your max level accounted for, or is anything above it wasted? Because if it wasted that would give an option for a 9th or 10th skill investment?

3. Combat - from what I've read, you should have 1 main combat skill (melee, guns, crossbow) and 1 support/CC skill (throwing, Phy), if you go with light armor you should invest in dodge/evade, if heavy then skip them.

4. Persuation/Intimidation - how important are they? In fallout 1/2 they open new ways to complete quest and get better awards, in Age of Decadence, you could literally finish the game without a single fight.

5. Oddities xp system - my understanding is that if I chose this type of leveling up I should have atleast 8 Per (or 5 with snooping) or i will miss a lot of xp?

6. Crafting - on every forum people are complaining about the limited inventory, is it that much of a hassle? Should I go for mercantile?

7. This is final (promise ) - as an example build from my DnD days, is this build any good - Psy monk - 7 str (for wrestling), 8 dex (main stat i will raise), 7 agi (for fancy footwork), 5 con (because of the psy empathy penalty), 3 per, 7 will (for force user), 3 int, normal xp system, skills melee, dodge, evade, stealth, hack, lockpick, psychokinesis, persuation with the rest feats appropriate for unarmed combat?

[TΛPETRVE]

1.) Level 18 is the ceiling for heavy melee builds, who need a melee skill of 100 (available only at lvl. 18) to obtain their highest-tier feat. All other builds reach their ceiling around lvl. 14, at which point they usually have the entire catalogue of available feats unlocked.

2.) 10 is the max stat requirement for all feats, but going above still adds to your effective skills, so yeah, it does offer at least some advantage.

3.) This is pretty much correct, though you need to make psi your main combat skill if you want to see everything it has to offer.

4.) Underrail is a combat-centric game; you will not be able to finish it without killing anyone. Said conversation skills will indeed give you advantages though, allowing you to circumvent combat, obtain favours, or otherwise positively influence the outcome of dialogues. There are also occasional hidden skill checks (such as thought control when talking to a mind-reader).

5.) No idea where you got that from - Most oddities are found in containers that litter the areas, and you can find more than enough without much effort. Above average perception is nonetheless pretty much always advisable, because it influences your precision with ranged weapons, as well as your detection of mines and other traps.

6.) The strength stat raises your. weight limit, as does one of the feats. Mercantile does nothing to alleviate that; you generally don't want to hoard vendor trash.

7.) Low perception is pretty much never advisable, at all. Generally, never build your character with all stats maxed out from the start. You get one additional stat point every 4 levels, so you can deduct two from str. or dex and instead add them to perception, and at level 8 you are back to the build you wanted.