Overview
This is a short guide on how to build a character for the maximum amount of Lovecraftian conversation options, while being combat viable throughout the game.
INTRODUCTION.
Hello,
This is a brief guide to creating and leveling your character such that you will maximize your experience in the dark, doomed world of Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones.
Nothing contained here is mandatory: I encourage any roleplaying you are inspired to do with regard to how your character is built or what companions inspire you that would guide you to enjoy your experience. In fact, the first part of this guide will explain the strengths and weaknesses of skill choices and their interaction with your allies in this game.
This guide will necessarily contain spoilers for certain checks which are accurate to the best of my knowledge. Kindly leave a comment to this guide if I am incorrect in some information.
I hope this guide will allow you to enjoy the game as I have. Welcome to Arkham.
CHARACTER CREATION.
Occult is king for accessing information and resolving quests – to a point.
This guide focuses upon a FEMALE CRIMINAL HITMAN Gunslinger for combat with enough Occult and Psychology knowledge to pass conversation checks while maintaining decently respectable combat statistics to throw your weight around while the real heavy hitters – The Outsider and Forgotten Soldier companions – carry the few mandatory combat sequences. A minimum of Stealth and Subterfuge are also included.
I know I capitalized female – the only noticeable (and this is a big one) – difference between the genders is that you can explore a relationship with The Outsider.
Stealth will be a great asset for several locations. Subterfuge, by comparison, is only used useful for a single check in the very beginning of the game. Similarly, Psychology and Science are only present in order to pass early game checks.
Occult knowledge is necessary for Passing a check to decipher the meaning of Key 0 without paying Cigs and getting some insight into the merchant and to summon and control a ghost within the hotel. Occult additionally offers a few words of warning when a certain idiot summons a demon.
The below character build will maximize your Action Points (AP) within combat.
We will choose an Old character with two points in Occult and Psychology and the malus towards Physique as our companions will handle physical combat and spell-casting.
COMPANION CHOICE.
- THE OUTSIDER.
The Outsider is the obvious choice. He is the most well-written among all characters with the most development over the course of the game. Additionally, he is skilled in medicine and has additional perks to become either a potent spell-caster or melee fighter.
You meet the Outsider very early in the game and he requires very little support in the way of artifacts (and nothing in the case of weapons) to become a potent force.
In fact, one of the big checks for your occult knowledge is intended to avoid combat during your recruitment of the outsider. Choose the Occult knowledge check, be kind to your new prospective companion, and enjoy.
Your progression should be to choose melee perks at every level-up.
- NAMELESS SOLDIER.
The Nameless Soldier is an amazing melee combatant and a single-handed argument to immediately leave the safety of Arkham to recruit him. Recruitment will require an Occult check to determine his status and remind him of his enlistment.
Spend his level-up points on melee and perks which accompany his stabby abilities. His main role will be to rush enemies and bayonet everything.
- SONIA. DO NOT CHOOSE UNLESS ANOTHER COMPANION DIES.
Sonia is a disappointment. Despite being an amazing shooter and having a very interactive and Lovecraftian introduction to her storyline, I did not find any additional conversation lines with her. Plus, you’ll want two frontline boys to guide you rather than blowing Cigs on another marksman.
EARLY GAME.
Here is the meat of the guide:
Complete the introduction.
Leave the attic, speak to the man throwing darts and use the Subterfuge option to resolve the interaction (and enjoy the 5hp damage), leave The Old Eel Inn, head west to find the Key left at the entrance to Miskatonic University, return east once and once again, enter the antique shop.
Explore all conversation paths prior to asking the shopkeeper on the origin of the 0 Key. Use your Occult option regarding the Kabbalah.
This should allow you to have the shopkeeper guarantee his knowledge so long as you return the key. Return west twice and choose the Occult option to disperse the mob and recruit The Outsider.
After, head East and recruit a henchman.
Your initial loadout as a Criminal should include a pistol. Explore and complete the bank section of your quest using your Stealth to avoid combat.
IMMEDIATELY EXIT ARKHAM AND COME BACK!
The quickest way to recruit the Nameless Soldier is to begin the Arkham Stabber quest.
Once you retrieve the Dismal Man’s poem, you will trigger the Arkham Stabber questline. Return to the bar, then once you see NPC’s yelling about a murder, run to the Western zone.
You should have leveled up during the bank quest – put one point in Occult and put another in Firearms. Speak to the person speaking Julian’s name, then to the hobo drawing a sigil, then to the mob. LEAVE THE MAFIA CONVERSATION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
I cannot repeat this enough – ignore the mafia. Mafia hitman parties are your greatest threat.
Buy a mask from either the pharmacy or gun shop at your nearest convenience.
Triggering the Arkham Stabber questline should coincide with Stanley appearing in The Old Eel Inn, as well as Krogh. Feel free to spend your time here for roleplay among the greater part of the game. What you’re looking for is an excuse to leave Arkham.
Eventually, either through the Stanley mission arc or (much quicker) the Arkham Stabber arc, you will be compelled to leave the safety of Arkham.
The Nameless Soldier will appear when you return from an outside location in the world map to Arkham. By whatever nook or crook you return, use your Occult skill to determine the soldier is undead and recruit him.
MID-GAME THROUGH LATE-GAME.
You’re golden from here on.
There are two things to remember:
- Use a mask at Distillery. Do not get the mafia after you.
- Split skill points on Occult and Firearms.
After 4 points in Occult you no longer need to drop points. No conversation challenges require that amount. You may safely quit Occult investigation at as low as level ~3.
Your priorities will be Firearms – using whatever is your most convenient firearm. The .22 firearms are fine to complete the game with. Shotguns are nearly useless, rifles only have use if you recruited Sonia rather than Nameless Soldier as a backup sniper. I finished this game as a .22 wielding Occultist with Outsider and Nameless Soldier twice and it was more than sufficient.
The hardest fight in this game and the only one you should be stacking delicious Cocaine and Amphetamines for will broadcast its risk in the Blasted Street. Feel free to blow any reserve Cigs you have in anticipation for the fight in the Blasted Street.
CIG GENERATION AND OTHER SKILLS, PERKS.
You will understandably feel constricted by lack of currency at some points during the game, usually when you’re eyeing a new pistol at Honest Bill’s.
The majority of your income will be from selling off Essences, Spells, and Clothing. The developers removed spell enhancement, meaning there is no purpose to drops from Lunatics or Ghouls. Their hearts, junk trinkets, and innards can be immediately sold to Krogh for a quick profit once he is unlocked.
The warehouse quest will give you a fair amount of clothing to sell off. Also, as part of the Arkham Stabber quest, you will enter the Essex Hotel room next to Jack to summon a ghost and haunt him in which there are some surprisingly expensive threads to sell off.
The benefit of an Outsider and Nameless Soldier party is that you are the only party member that needs weapons and given your atrophied, elder Physique state you can safely sell off any melee weapons or inferior guns you find. The same applies to spells – the only ones I would suggest you learn are:
- Tongue of the Dead
- Gaze of the Abyss – if ever obtained.
And, optionally, teach The Outsider:
- Damnation to Stone
- Hand of Nergal
Once learned or not listed, sell any spells to Krogh. You’ll be using Tongue of the Dead to speak to corpses for extra materials to sell off, and using Gaze of the Abyss for its extraordinary buff to Firearms to make combat more bearable.
Here is a quick tier list of skills:
Great:
Firearms
Psychology
Science
Okay:
Subterfuge
Investigation
Not so great:
Everything else.
Why isn’t Occult listed if it’s emphasized at first?
This guide emphasizes hitting the maximum amount of conversation checks by reaching Occult 4 by level 3. Afterwards, it falls off and is not especially endearing. Meanwhile, a heightened science check will allow you to pass checks at the Distillery and with Dimetrescu. Psychology, likewise, lets you probe into The Outsider and Nameless Soldier’s story as well as open up conversation paths during the story.
Your base stats and one point in Stealth are enough to safely avoid most avoidable combat.
You’ll want anything Firearm related.
Priority is Gunslinger and Snapshot. Snapshot will reduce your AP per shot by 1 point for a minor accuracy penalty which will not overly impact your damage. With 10AP you’ll be able to fire three shots in a single turn (given an AP4 pistol and use of Snapshot) which is more than enough to yeet your local hellbound Lunatic or Ghoul into the abyss.
Shadow Followed.
This is a great perk to pickup and even worth throwing points towards if you’re just shy of its requirements once you see it available.
COMBAT BASICS.
These characters are absolute melee monsters. The Outsider will double as a debuffer and ranged damage user with Spit of Al Razi and Evil Eye – which he comes with natively. Run them forward and get to stabbing and slashing. Oh, and your henchman is okay when it comes to taking hits and slapping people with a stick.
Your character is sadly about as durable as a stack of toiler paper facing a thunderstorm. Thankfully, you have an astounding 10AP to position yourself and dispense charitable amounts of lead into anything that even pauses to look at you.
If they do anything more than look at you, then party like a frat boy (despite being a geriatric hitman). Use Powdered Cocaine and Amphetamines for their combat bonuses and make like Danny DeVito in Always Sunny in Philadelphia and start blasting.
Don’t get overly liberal with your use. Not for fear of addiction – this is a Lovecraft game and if you don’t end up an alcoholic drug addict you’re not playing the game – but because the final boss in Blasted Street is best faced while in the deepest throes of every drug you can possibly ingest.
FINAL THOUGHTS.
This game is a good recreation of a Lovecraftian D&D game.
Focus not on combat efficacy, focus instead on what you want you want YOUR character to be in the face of an incomprehensible threat. I know this seems counter to the purpose of a guide, but I feel I’ve only provided the barest basis on what can be your experience.
I have completed this game twice and have enjoyed it. I look forward to the next experience the developers may create.