Class: Any (Sorcerer typical)
Tag: PAX (which means "Peace")
Characterized by distrust of anything physical. They believe that strength and happiness come through the mind alone. Sometimes falsely branded as pacifists, they path they choose is not an easy one. They share some similarities with Scavengers, BUDs and Mind Flayer.
Mind flayers are physically very weak and have a very low pain tolerance, but psionic powers. BUDs are the most pacifist by their nature, not wishing to see others come to harm. The Dungeon Scavenger is a greedy humanoid who would rather find than earn a good item.
Gnostics are none of these. They believe the mind to be 'purer' than the body, and so seek to minimize physical influences. They neither like to, nor avoid killing, rather they avoid the physical nature of combat and offensive spells. PAX like to travel in packs.
No points distributed to vitality, nor quiet shrines, nor elixirs, until other three stats are maxed. At least +3/lvl to magic is highly suggested.
Weapons
The mind is their weapon. The following may
be wielded to help the mind and to minimize distractions
of the body:
Useless and bear are the only which may be swung at an opponent, to try to push them off you, when swarmed. A bear bow/Windforce, must actually push back, not attack an already cornered foe.
Armor & Uniques
Only a weak and worldly gnostic would choose something like NLP or DF over the items listed above.
The idea is that *NO* direct damage spell is ever cast.
The first book of each of the below spells is special.
Do not clutter your spell choice screen with other disallowed spells.
1: As a warning, Telekinesis can cause some very strange desync to occur.
Knowledge is power. And the quest for purity and power drives the PAX. Simply finding a book is not sufficient for the following powerful spells: Golem, Guardian, Flash, Elemental, Bone Spirit, Stone Curse, Teleport.
For these, the book must be dropped by a boss, or on a level with a Book of the Horadrim (dlvl 4, 8, 12) or an Altar (lvl 15). The book must, in that game and without trip to town, be read at the book or altar. Readers may be worn, but not borrowed, for this purpose. If dropped by a boss but no such Tome (The Sin War, Tale of the Three, etc.) is found, the book may be carried around until such a place is found.
These are optional, but honor distinguishes PAX characters.