@Dyara - good luck with your "new" character. Looking at the stats of your character, the only one I would change is lower wisdom and raise INT. I know there's the INT tome, but the thing is, you don't get 100% chance of spell scribe until what? 24? 25 INT? Thus the higher the better right? Guess you can forgo INT if you intend to be using lots of potions of genius and/or mind focusing....
Your comment about rarely making your female characters 18/xx STR makes a lot of sense - I could see myself doing that with any female characters I might run (which admittedly is quite rare for me). Bioware did that with Mazzy, a female warrior NPC. On the other hand, your character is a child of the god - so despite being female, that heritage could have influenced her strength. It's a way to look at it anyways.
@Corey, I agree that reducing page load times is an advantage, especially if you post various screenshots in a post (as I tend to). And it's easier to simply click on the spoiler button than to check each image in photobucket.
Yep, that why I shamelessly borrowed that format for my postings (I hope you don't mind).
@Dyara - good luck with your "new" character. Looking at the stats of your character, the only one I would change is lower wisdom and raise INT. I know there's the INT tome, but the thing is, you don't get 100% chance of spell scribe until what? 24? 25 INT? Thus the higher the better right? Guess you can forgo INT if you intend to be using lots of potions of genius and/or mind focusing....
There are different schools of thought on wisdom and intelligence with arcane casters. I prefer to keep both high if I can, but if I'm forced to choose I prioritize wisdom. The logic here is pretty straightforward. Both stats can be adjusted as needed with potions. Intelligence is needed outside of combat, whereas wisdom is needed within combat for wish spells. All else equal, I'd rather drink potions out of combat than during combat, since I prefer to minimize in combat variables.
It's also worth noting that returns on investment in intelligence diminish after a certain point. The difference between an intelligence of 17 and 18 is 10%, whereas the difference between an intelligence of 19 and 23 is 4%. Additionally, once you reach 19 there are no further benefits in terms of the number of spells you can learn per level. So, even if you are playing with the Fixpack and the Potions of Genius won't stack, an intelligence of 12 is arguably sufficient: with a Potion of Genius and a Potion of Mind Focusing you could reach a 95% percent chance of memorization and learn as many spells as you like. After 12, the next point worth getting to, to my mind, is 17, where a Potion of Genius and a Potion of Mind Focusing would get you to 24, the point at which memorization chance reaches 100%.
Of course, if you don't use Wish spells, there is no reason to worry about wisdom except, perhaps, for role playing reasons. Party play, where gold can be tighter can change the equation as well, since you may be less inclined to shell out for potions every time you'd like to learn some spells.
In sum, for me, as a soloist who uses wish spells, prioritizing wisdom over intelligence makes sense. For others, prioritizing intelligence would make more sense. The important thing is to know your own playing style and select the approach that suits you best.
Your comment about rarely making your female characters 18/xx STR makes a lot of sense - I could see myself doing that with any female characters I might run (which admittedly is quite rare for me). Bioware did that with Mazzy, a female warrior NPC. On the other hand, your character is a child of the god - so despite being female, that heritage could have influenced her strength. It's a way to look at it anyways.
To me it isn't the gender that matters so much as the portrait. If I were using this male, for example, I wouldn't feel comfortable giving him a strength of 18.
This female, on the other hand, looks like an 18 to me.
@Dyara - good luck with your "new" character. Looking at the stats of your character, the only one I would change is lower wisdom and raise INT.
Oh no, that would be power-gaming . I've already maxed DEX, CON and also STR now - that's already beyond what I usually allow for my chars.
INT 17 is 75%, INT 18 is 85%, INT 19 is 95% ... so yes, I have to buy the potions to be save... nearly save but so far Dyara never failed to learn a spell (17+potion=21=97%).
Of course INT 18 (or 19 with the tome) would makes things easier. However INT 18 is just 85% so failure is possible and to be save you still need a potion. And then I can leave INT at 17 and be a little bit more happy with my char .
This female, on the other hand, looks like an 18 to me.
Now you all know why Dyara never had strength 18 ... bah... now I think I should restart .
@Alesia: I'm not surprised you chimed in on the INT/WIS distribution, as I'm sure you had your reasons for making Arcadia 12 INT. Thanks for your in depth response. I was only giving Dyara my opinion, and she could do with it what she wished, including ignore it. For me and my runs I often have cash issues (especially my evil parties with their low reputation), thus, if I can learn spells without having to shell out $$$ for potions, that's a plus.
There's also my EasyTutu install. I only have 4 potions of genius and 4 potions of mind focusing available before Chapter 5 (FAI Temple). AND in my install, potions of the same type do NOT stack - thus having 18 INT is even more critical in my install. I often use the mind focusing for pickpocketing, since I can't stack thieving potions, thus that's one less for an arcane character - don't forget I need potions for the NPCs, not all with high INT (Garrick looking at you).
@Dyara: I see, that makes sense, thanks for sharing. Although you say you wouldn't "power game" - but yet, if you are solo, don't you necessarily have to meta game to be successful no-reload? And if you do, what does it matter if you "power game"? A pure RP of a solo character, no-reload, I think would be very, very difficult to do without dying (a solo dwarven berserker who enrages every fight, might be able to pull it off, but everyone else....), but you might be able to get away with it with a party.
Grimwald the Wise, Blackraven et Dyara aiment ceci
The mod allows all sorts of combinations that the vanilla game does not allow. Note that you cannot make a Dwarven paladin so don't try. It will crash the game. That is because of the handicap in charisma that Dwarves have. You can make all sorts of likely and unlikely characters if you install the mod, Gnomish, elven or halfling Paladins and Rangers for example are possible.
I have recently been experimenting due to the fact that there are all sorts of possibilities with my current mod set-up.
If you have SCS installed, I believe that ToBex comes with it automatically. Others might know about that better than I do.
@Alesia: I'm not surprised you chimed in on the INT/WIS distribution, as I'm sure you had your reasons for making Arcadia 12 INT. Thanks for your in depth response. I was only giving Dyara my opinion, and she could do with it what she wished, including ignore it. For me and my runs I often have cash issues (especially my evil parties with their low reputation), thus, if I can learn spells without having to shell out $$$ for potions, that's a plus.
There's also my EasyTutu install. I only have 4 potions of genius and 4 potions of mind focusing available before Chapter 5 (FAI Temple). AND in my install, potions of the same type do NOT stack - thus having 18 INT is even more critical in my install. I often use the mind focusing for pickpocketing, since I can't stack thieving potions, thus that's one less for an arcane character - don't forget I need potions for the NPCs, not all with high INT (Garrick looking at you).
As mentioned earlier, it depends on the circumstances. Your choices make sense in light of the context you're playing in. I wasn't criticizing you at all.
Again, as a soloist who uses wish spells, prioritizing wisdom makes sense. In other contexts, prioritizing intelligence can make sense. Players should understand the options available to them, appreciate the implications, and then choose whatever suits them best.
@Dyara: I see, that makes sense, thanks for sharing. Although you say you wouldn't "power game" - but yet, if you are solo, don't you necessarily have to meta game to be successful no-reload? And if you do, what does it matter if you "power game"? A pure RP of a solo character, no-reload, I think would be very, very difficult to do without dying (a solo dwarven berserker who enrages every fight, might be able to pull it off, but everyone else....), but you might be able to get away with it with a party.
Never said I wouldn't 'power-game' but i try doing it at a low level. So I don't fight anything with a blue circle, I try to rest only when my char is tired, I don't go to Ulgoth's Beard (or anywhere else) until there's a reason to go there ... I try to play as if it's real .
Of course I know a few things about the game, so my char is (usually) prepared for the things to come - you have to make compromises even if you try to roleplay I guess. After all I want to win this, but not at all costs.
Alesia_BH, Grimwald the Wise et Blackraven aiment ceci
Ok. The video I mentioned appears below. It's one in a series featuring my rebellious paladin, Alessandra. There are videos on each major section of BG1.
Her items and buffs essentially negated the ranged weapon threat, leaving the mage, Venkt, and the blunt weapon wielding Taugosz as the only real dangers. Take note of how Alessandra managed both of those risks.
(NW: You may want to turn down the volume on your computer. All of Alessandra's videos were loud and punky. )
Very cool & yes, Alessandra is a ROCKER! I really like that video.
Thanks. The videos were fun to make.
Is that the same PC that I commented on being a 'bad-ass' in BGII threads?
Nope. The PC you commented on was my F/M, Arcadia. The character in the video was my undead hunter, Alessandra. Alessandra successfully no reloaded BG1 and SoA, both with SCS. She fell to Ascension Abazigal, due to an impeccably timed Remove + Breach + Purple Dragon Breath combo from Tamah and Abazigal.
Interesting discussion about stats. I'd like to add that at character creation Strength is said to measure a character's muscle, endurance, and stamina. In practice muscle and endurance/stamina are almost mutually exclusive. Look for instance at the difference between sprinters and marathon runners in athletics, or Muhammad Ali relying on stamina to defeat the more muscular George Foreman. I'm aware that we're talking D&D here, but I like the idea that STR isn't only measured in terms of muscle, and that an 18 STR character doesn't have to look like the female in Alesia's second portrait.
Dyara, I really like your roleplayed approach to the game. I often apply similar rules, and find that I enjoy the game the most that way.
Humphery the Hobgoblin: Holy frakkin hamster balls, Isa... is 'e dead?
Isa: I think so, Humph.
Humphery the Hobgoblin: ... I-I lived... I LIVED! I AM A HOBGOBLIN GOD!
Isa: ... Right. So... wana go get a drink or somthing?
Humphery the Hobgoblin: Uh, what about the other guys?
Isa: Oh, don't worry abot Imoen, she's got plot immunity. She'll take care of the rest for me.
XXX
It was down to the wire. Here I was trying to keep Sraevok entertained with summons while sneaking in the odd magic missile, acid arrow, and fire arrow scroll, and once I was out of first and second level spells adn useful single taget scrolls, I started casting skull traps. Right as the first one fired, it happened. He died.
Vanja wa still alive right up to the end, but after Sarevok diced a bunch of summons in record time, she had to go keep him busy. She was killed right before my next wave of summons popped in. She was, however, able to take care of Angelo, Tazok, and Semaj while Imeon was still up. Shealyn was unfotunately sacrificed to the GM/Death contingency at the beginning of the fight.
What's next? Maybe I'll start SoA.
TTFN,
Nishiki/Isa
Charlestonian Knight Templar, Blind_Visionary, Grimwald the Wise et 3 autres aiment ceci
Wow, that's a big leap Nishiki, but it's great to see that congratulations are in order. You completed your first published BG1 no-reload run! Hard-fought but well done. By all means, onward to Amn! - I would say
Charlestonian Knight Templar, Golden28 et Nishiki aiment ceci
Thanks for the congrats, Blackraven. It's not my first time around the BG block and not the first itme I've without the MC dieing. It is, however, my first honest no-reload.
Note as well that I'm not using SCS or other dificulty increasing mods, so the only fight that really scared me was the final one. Also, I'm not above using dirty tricks (Attacking before enemies go hostile and the like). Furthermore, The MC was more of a support type in this run, meaning that she stayed as far from the front lines as possible, out of harm's way, and mostly invisible for the final bits. If i'd have played a front-liner, it most likely would have ended up being a far different outcome.
In the end, I'm just a person who knows how to game the game. So while my run may be an accomplishment, it's far less noteworthy than, say Alesia_BH or you soloing the game with SCS and the like. So, many, many props to you veterans of the no-reload.
As for Amn, I'd love to have Vanja and Shea join Isa, but that means making new NPC mods for them, and also, I'm nowhere near as well versed in SoA as I am in BG1. So Amn honestly scares the bejesus out of me. XD
Thanks for the congrats, Blackraven. It's not my first time around the BG block and not the first itme I've without the MC dieing. It is, however, my first honest no-reload.
Note as well that I'm not using SCS or other dificulty increasing mods, so the only fight that really scared me was the final one. Also, I'm not above using dirty tricks (Attacking before enemies go hostile and the like). Furthermore, The MC was more of a support type in this run, meaning that she stayed as far from the front lines as possible, out of harm's way, and mostly invisible for the final bits. If i'd have played a front-liner, it most likely would have ended up being a far different outcome.
In the end, I'm just a person who knows how to game the game. So while my run may be an accomplishment, it's far less noteworthy than, say Alesia_BH or you soloing the game with SCS and the like. So, many, many props to you veterans of the no-reload.
As for Amn, I'd love to have Vanja and Shea join Isa, but that means making new NPC mods for them, and also, I'm nowhere near as well versed in SoA as I am in BG1. So Amn honestly scares the bejesus out of me. XD
Even without difficulty-increasing mods I think you did a fine job.
Thank you btw for your calling me a veteran I'm not in the same league as Alesia and a number of others though. I only started a bit over a year ago, and I have yet to accomplish my first no-reload trilogy success.
As to Isa's custom companions, if you export them in your latest BG1 save, you should be able to import them in BG2.
Amn can be scary, but if you keep on using Isa as background character for a bit, you'll stand a good chance of getting quite far and seeing her become very powerful!
he was, however, able to take care of Angelo, Tazok, and Semaj while Imeon was still up. Shealyn was unfotunately sacrificed to the GM/Death contingency at the beginning of the fight.
Dyara, elven Fighter/Mage/Thief - take 14 (update 1)
Day 14 (15 Mirtul) - Mutamin's Garden
At first Dyara didn't find Korax so she went hunting on her own. A short time and four basilisks (3x lesser, 1x greater) later she had gained three level-ups.
Spoiler
Dyara: 25508 XP, 125 kills, Greater Basilisk, F(4)/M/4)/T(5), HP 39/45 (20 points into find traps, 5 into detect illusions)
Knowing her protection would wear off soon she decided to look for some help and so she became joined by Korax. Some more (lesser) basilisks were killed before she was seen by Mutamin. Dyara stepped back to let Korax lead the assault but joined the fight once the evil cleric got paralysed. That of course was the end of Mutamin, another greater basilisk got killed as well. While searching for some more basilisks the duo stumbled into a group of Waterdhavian trouble makers unfortunately. Dyara knew she wasn't really prepared for a fight but neither she could back down. Still she was smart enough to just send Korax into the fight. While Korax got killed she excaped only to run into some more lesser basilisks. Fortunately she was both still protected and also hidden. The protection however wouldn't last much longer so Dyara sneaked past the basilisks leaving them for some other time.
Spoiler
Dyara used the girdle of gender change to challenge Shar-Teel. Unfortunately Shar-Teel wasn't really happy, immediately she wanted a re-match, to death this time... poor Shar-Tel, she should have waited at least until Dyara had healed her.
Spoiler
Day 15 (16 Mirtul)
Back in Beregost Dyara rested in Red Sheaf (memorised friends spell) and bought the masterbelt (+10% open locks/find traps/set traps) and a composit longbow+1. Nearly broke now (I try to keep magical weapons of each kind or other powerful items for NPCs who may join Dyara for a while) Dyara went south looking for Left but he wasn't at home.
Day 16 (17 Mirtul)
From Nashkell Dyara went east into the valley of the tombs where she found a wand of monster summoning and gained another fighter level.
At Nashkell carnival Dyara killed Zordral but (as always) she failed to save the witch (Dyara always tries to calm Zordral).
Spoiler
Still having the second 'stone to flesh' scroll (Dyara had forgotten to use it at Mutamin's garden) she released Branwen from her stone prison. The two women that went to Nashkell inn to rest there. After getting up Branwen healed Dyara's injuries and her own. Then Dyara send her to the Friendly Arm Inn while Dyara went to the mines.
Day 18 (19 Mirtul)
Dyara entered the mines at 3 o'clock in the morning and six hours later she stood in front of Mullahey's lair. Hidden in the shadows she had killed lots of kobolds using her new composit longbow+1.
Mulahey then was killed - with the usual getting caught by one of his spells but her ass getting saved by her summons.
Spoiler
Cleaning the battlefield...
Caugth by rigig thinking.
But who cares...
Mulahey yields... to a war dog.
Inspecting her forces...
Mulahey becomes hostile again...
... and dead.
Together with Xan Dyara left the mines using the shortcut leading into the valley of the tombs.
Back on the surface Dyara scouted the area only to find a group of four amazons. Sneaking near them she overheard them speaking her name and so she knew they were just another group of assassins looking for her.
Spoiler
Dyara recognised two of them as clerics so this could become a very dangerous fight. Dyara told Xan to take the lead ("Don't worry Xan, I'm backing you all the way"). Once the fight started both Dyara (using a 'charm person' scroll) and Xan (casting 'dire charm') tried to charm Lamalha while the two archers were still out of sight. Lamalha got dire charmed while Xan resisted a 'rigid thinking' spell twice.
Spoiler
Right away Lamalha was attacked by her former comrades, she got poisoned and went down soon. In the meantime Xan managed to charm Zeela but unfortunately his AI kicked in and he attacked (and hit) Zeela with a bullet.
Spoiler
Dyara got hit by a dart of wounding but avoided the poison. Dyara and Xan concentrated their attacks on the remaining cleric and Zeela died next.
Spoiler
Telka was near death already and was killed by Dyara while Xan successfully used his last 'dire charm' spell on Maneira.
Spoiler
Maneira didn't really knew what had happened, she stood there looking around with an uncertain gaze. The three women lying dead to her feet seemed to be somehow familiar but Maneira couldn't really tell. Then she saw a man clad in a wizard robe and another woman wearing a green armor approaching her. "H-hello", Maneira said, "I-i'm.... my name is Maneira." "Hello Maneira, I'm Dyara", she woman said, still advancing her. Maneira had heard that name before, of course this Dyara was her friend, in her presence she was save. Relieved and with a happy smile on her face she moved towards the woman.
As Xan had charmed their last opponent Dyara had dropped her bow. For the moment the girl wasn't a threat anymore. Slowly Dyara approached her when the girl started talking. Dyara saw the relief on the girls face, her smile and she felt a sting in her heart.
"What's wrong", Maneira asked when she saw the sad expression on Dyara's face. "Nothing, don't worry, everything is okay", Dyara said but Maneira didn't believed her. "Is it because...", she turned around pointing at the dead bodies. Relieved that she didn't had to look into Maneira's eyes any longer she moved next to her, placing an arm around her, drawing a dagger and running it through the girls body. Slowly, almost carefully she let the dead Maneira slide to the ground, kneeled beside her, still holding the girl's head in her hands. "I'm so sorry, Maneira", Dyara said her eyes filled with tears.
Spoiler
"You did the right thing", Xan said when he sat down next to Dyara putting an arm around her shoulder. "As soon as the charm spell wear off, she would have tried to kill you. She was evil..." "Oh, how I hate this good and evil nonsens", Dyara retorted, "no one is born as good or evil, it's the life, the people around you that makes you good or evil. And you can change... Maneira could have changed if she were given a chance...if I had given her a chance to ..." Dyara buried her head in Xan's shoulder and so they sat there for while.
Before she and Xan went back to Nashkell Dyara buried Maneira.
Retour en haut
. I've already maxed DEX, CON and also STR now - that's already beyond what I usually allow for my chars.
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