15228 réponses à ce sujet

[Blackraven]

Great stuff Jim, Alesia, and Corey! Man I want to play as well, have Norgath blow things up with his traps, but I hardly have any time.

[Alesia_BH]

Nice post Alesia.

 

Thanks.

 

Nice post Alesia. Such contrast - in my runs, Aerie isn't the tank of doom, she's...chunked. Even though I've recruited her many times, she's only survived to Melissan in ONE run of all my runs....

 

Your experiences with Aerie are probably more representative than mine. She can be highly vulnerable and a lot off players play her in such a way that she is highly vulnerable.

 

But if you take the time to fully leverage her arcane and clerical buffs, she can be a force from the beginning of the adventure to the end. 

 

Aerie can be tough: Very tough. It all depends on how you play her.

 

Best,

 

A.

[corey_russell]

 

Thanks.

 

 

Your experiences with Aerie are probably more representative than mine. She can be highly vulnerable and a lot off players play her in such a way that she is highly vulnerable.

 

But if you take the time to fully leverage her arcane and clerical buffs, she can be a force from the beginning of the adventure to the end. 

 

Aerie can be tough: Very tough. It all depends on how you play her.

 

Best,

 

A.

 

I don't doubt your conclusions. Of course, in my case the main reason she got chunked is she would travel around Amn with nothing more than stoneskins - and if a mage does fireballs/sunfire/delayed blast fireballs/dragon's breath, she can (and did, at least for me) easily get chunked that way. I would take better care of her now, but early on I didn't realize how much, er, "babying" she needed so she could stay in one piece. In my parties, her primary role was to heal and buff the warriors, which didn't leave much buffs for herself.

 

I definitely have more appreciation of her potential now, after completing my all cleric/mage party run a while back.

[Alesia_BH]

I would take better care of her now, but early on I didn't realize how much, er, "babying" she needed so she could stay in one piece. In my parties, her primary role was to heal and buff the warriors, which didn't leave much buffs for herself.

 

It's a matter of playing style. For me it's exactly the opposite. 

 

Aerie is self sufficient and rock solid.

 

Warriors are the vulnerable ones. They're the ones who need to be babied.

 

Playing on insane, I'd be reluctant to bring a warrior along. They're weak links: they're too vulnerable. Aerie, on the other hand, I can count on. She can keep herself safe and shield the rest of the party.

 

Aerie has never cast a healing spell in our game, because we rarely get hurt. We have way more healing potions than we need. We sell them by the boat load. 

 

Best,

 

A.

[Alesia_BH]

Part 13: Jim vs. Chapter 5

 

I think the Underdark is very silly and I'll leave it at that.

 

 

I'm with you there. 

 

Finish strong!

 

Best,

 

A.

[Aasim]

When it comes to tanking, warriors are nothing compared to arcanists. Not something I like (I'm more of an old school "fighters front, mages rear" type of player) but that's the score in this game.

 

Anyhow, Bertha, entering BG2 challenge:

 

 

 

Imoen has just set them free, and they should start their adventure tomorrow.

[Alesia_BH]

When it comes to tanking, warriors are nothing compared to arcanists. Not something I like (I'm more of an old school "fighters front, mages rear" type of player) but that's the score in this game.

 

Exactly.

 

For me it's Aerie up front, Sarevok at home in the kitchen.  

 

Best,

 

A.

 

NW: The caveat here is that it depends on playing style. Those who choose not to fully leverage arcane buffs may find it difficult to keep mages, including Aerie, alive. I buff, and so I use arcane tanks. Aerie can be particularly effective due to her clerical spells and her ability to use shields, notably Harmony, Balduran, and the Reflex.

[Alesia_BH]

Good luck, Aasim!

 

Best,

 

A. 

[corey_russell]

Millen the solo level 14 fighter/level 14 illusionist - Update 7

 

I'm using a lot of spells I haven't used before this run. This session I used two spells I have never cast before, to good effect.

 

As mentioned in my last update, Millen headed into the planar prison, fully buffed of course. He opened with chaos, but the mage went invisible and stayed such - probably because he couldn't target Millen with his improved invisibility as well as his SI protecting his II. So with improved haste, Millen devastated the initial enemies - the mage eventually showed itself, and the duskblade showed itself once again, that for low level halberds, it's great at disruption. Haste boots were of course immediately equipped.

 

The next major group was a bunch of Yuan-Ti,, including a Greater Yuan-ti and 3 mages I think. Millen had many of his initial buffs still running so did direct attack with his Duskblade - took a bit, but success once more. The master of thralls was close, Millen threw out his berserker as a distraction, then his Harmonium Halberd got to work on the air elementals and the Master of Thralls - Millen had a much easier time than Picenon did when he was here - Picenon nearly died and had to RoR heal to survive, while Millen just needed to gulp a single extra healing potion.

 

Time to go after the Warden. However, by now, Millen has very few spells left. He charges the Warden, which was probably a mistake with those fireshields - Millen doesn't have true sight yet., so can't get rid of the Warden's mirrors. The fireshields drop Millen to about 2/3 life - and then Millen gets PW:Stunned! The Warden did some powerful spells (flesh to stone, disintegrate), but Millen has automatic saves (but wouldn't if Warden was a tad smarter and did greater malison before using those powerful spells) - eventually the stun wears off, and Millen gets some distance and tries acid arrows instead - this was working much better.

Spoiler

The warden casts a few meaningless summons, so Millen responds with cloudkill (from wand) - finally, the Warden dies to an arrow!

Spoiler

 

Poor Tagget immediately tried to thank Millen, but dies immediately in Millen's cloudkill that was still going - sorry pal! Millen loots and decides now is a good time to leave - Haer'Dalis Troupe of course quite grateful for the rescue.

 

Millen decided to help the shadow thieves' with their "problem" with Maevar. But first Milllen was called on to deal with Rayic Gethras. The mephits were basically outsmarted by protection from fire, Golems beat with Harmonium halberd and DUHM. Max buffs for Rayic. Time to move upstairs. Millen decided to open with a spell that Corey_Russell has never used - Hakeashar! Millen then brought out his Duskblade and got to work. Rayic ignored Millen the entire fight, the Hak was a big problem for Rayic.

Spoiler

 

Rayic fell, and Millen wasn't even touched. He'll have to use that Hakeashar spell more often.

 

Eventually it was time to deal with Maevar's guild. Millen didn't have much in terms of blue spells left, so decided to make a spell sequencer, don armor and move in - he doesn't have true sight yet either. Lot of thieves spawned, but Millen's magic missile x2/web sequencer was really effective.

 

Millen was out of blue spells and had a few offensive spells left - he made another sequencer (emotion and web), and got in Maevar's face. After unloading the sequencer, another spell Corey_Russell has never used to date (but has heard a lot about) was sunfire - he did it twice and it was indeed very effective.

 

There were two survivors of the 2nd sunfire, but they were both near death and webbed so died quick with melee.

 

Bloodscalp was of course pleased with Millen's success. Millen's gold is really good (30,000), but other than the BotIB, he's not sure what to spend it on.

[Grond0]

Millen's gold is really good (30,000), but other than the BotIB, he's not sure what to spend it on.

The problems of success ...

[corey_russell]

Millen the solo level 14 fighter/level 14 illusionist - How Millen took on the Guarded Compound

 

Millen has heard of slaver ring, with HQ in the Temple District. He feels he's ready to take them all on. But first he has to clear out the summons on the ground floor. Millen did resist fear, protection from fire, DUHM, put on his full plate, attacked with Harmonium Halberd - success, no damage.

 

Ok, here's the summary of his plan for the upstairs:

 

Key Buffs (not all - he has more buffs than can be seen on his portrait, lol), Improved Invisibility, SI:A, SI:D, Improved Haste

Spell Sequencer: Greater Malison, Emotion, Slow

Minor Sequencer: Web, Stinking Cloud

Offensive Spells: Sunfire x3

 

Execution:

1) Millen moves upstairs, and gets into the middle of the enemies - he opens with Spell Sequencer

2) Millen then does Protection from Magic Weapons, so that his next few spells don't get disrupted (and he doesn't get backstabbed...)

3) MIllen then does Minor Sequencer - here's the results of that:

4) Seems to be working well, time for 3 sunfires, one after another:

 

 

5) Then melee on the survivors easily finished them.

 

RESULT: No damage taken, no expendables used - lots of loot (like Millen needs it).

 

Here's Millen's equipment if anyone curious:

Spoiler

 

Millen is thinking it's about time he went after Imoen.

[Alesia_BH]

Looking good, Corey!

 

Best,

 

A.

[Alesia_BH]

Aphril, Elven Sorcerer: The Fire Giant Temple- Battle 1 (or Let It Go)

 

The snow glows white on the mountain tonight

Not a footprint to be seen

A kingdom of isolation,

And it looks like I'm the queen.

 

The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside

Couldn't keep it in, heaven knows I tried!

 

Don't let them in, don't let them see

 

Be the good girl you always have to be

Conceal don't feel

 

Don't let them know

But now they know

 

Let it go

 

Let it go

 

Can't hold it back anymore

 

Let it go

 

Let it go

 

Turn away and slam the door

 

Here I stand

 

And here I'll stay

 

Let the storm rage on!

 

The cold never bothered me anyway!

 

Best,

 

A.

[corey_russell]

Looking good, Corey!

 

Best,

 

A.

Thanks! I think the knowledge I have gained about arcane spells and options from both my 5 cleric/mages a while ago and my 5 mage run recently, is starting to pay off for Millen. I've tried MANY fighter/illusionists over the years (always in party), none have quite taken a trilogy. But so far, a fighter/illusionist seems built for solo play...

[corey_russell]

That's a nice ice storm you made there Alesia - looks beautiful...and deadly. I'm going to make a guess that "Fire" giants don't really want to see "Ice".

[Alesia_BH]

That's a nice ice storm you made there Alesia - looks beautiful...and deadly. I'm going to make a guess that "Fire" giants don't really want to see "Ice".

 

Thanks.

 

Fire Giants aren't particularly vulnerable to cold. They have zero resistance, but they also have zero resistance to magic damage, electricity, poison, and acid.

 

The Ice Storm was just for style points. There are easier ways to kill the fire giants. Aerie could have just chunked them, like she did the ones outside.

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

Best,

 

A. 

[corey_russell]

Alesia said...

There are easier ways to kill the fire giants.

 

For the fire giants you ice-stormed, that's for sure. Simplest is pull them to the small opening that they can't get through (not very good temple design by the giants, guess they aren't known for intelligence) and plink them with any range weapon - have auto-attack script and watch them just all die. You have to modify this slightly as the caster giant will cast spells at who he can see, as well as summon fire elementals. But this method is still pretty simple and you don't have to cast a single spell.

[Alesia_BH]

Btw. Just a quick footnote on Ice Storm. Ice Storm has a reputation for being useless, on the grounds that it does too little damage, but it's actually not that bad.

 

Ice Storm does 2d8 damage per round for 4 rounds without offering a save: 8d8 without a save. It has a large AoE.

 

Compare to the two work horse mid level damage spells: Skull Trap and Sunfire.

 

With SCS, Skull Trap will do at most 12d6 damage max with a save v spells for half damage. In order words, 6d6 and then save or else for another 6d6. Against enemies who make their saves, Ice Storm does more damage than Skull Trap, albeit spread out over four rounds.

 

Sunfire does at most 15d6  with a save v spells for half damage. Ice Storm will do more damage than Sunfire if an enemy makes her save, and cold damage is usually more helpful than fire damage. Sunfire will, however, deal its damage instantly. Sunfire will also ignore magic resistance.

 

Despite its rep, Ice Storm fits in fairly well between the other two. It'll destroy loot. And it can be hard to use in party play, but its not a horrible spell, really. It just takes a little patience and care.

 

As for the Ice Storm that Aerie and Imoen unleashed on the giants, that was truly deadly. They unloaded two Sequencer and two Triggers between them, totaling 12 Ice Storms for 96d8 of AoE damage. Ouch.

 

Best,

 

A.

[Alesia_BH]

 Simplest is pull them to the small opening that they can't get through

 

Yes. One could do that- at least with the giants to the north. But it would be lame: very lame. 

 

 

Best,

 

A.

[Grond0]

Let it go

 

Let it go

 

Let it snow ...

[The Potty 1]

Tactics fire giants taught me the value of greater malison and FoD, but this gets more style points.

Actually, as a compulsive body looter, perhaps I should do a run using only cold damage. Does anyone remember the Tactics Ritual. Did anyone else pick up EVERY SINGLE stupid +1 weapon, store them in a bag of holding, identify EVERY ONE, and then sell the lot even though they had money coming out of their ears? I'm so doing this.

[Aasim]

 

 

 

I think my FPS would drop to 5 if I ever did this.

[Serg BlackStrider]

Did anyone else pick up EVERY SINGLE stupid +1 weapon, store them in a bag of holding, identify EVERY ONE, and then sell the lot even though they had money coming out of their ears? I'm so doing this.

Me doing this too... High level spells are just so expensive...

[Aasim]

Me doing this too... High level spells are just so expensive...

I even pick up the gold from Sarevok's party after I kill them, even if I loose all of it after transition to BG2