18 réponses à ce sujet

[southboom]

Hi.

I've played through baldurs gate series, nwn series and all those, and I really enjoy them, but I've never really gotten a good grasp of the way to build good characters, and i've always stuck to rogues, or heavy hitting 2hand weilders, and I've always played solo.

So here's my conundrum, 2 of my friends and I, are going to play through NWN1 OC and addons with a few toons, and i'm torn about what I should play. I'm really itching to try out something new, and I'd really like some pointers to some classes.

I've been looking around at epic built characters and tried to get a good grasp of how they'll play out, but i'm not sure.
I'd really like to play a front line fighter(sword n board type), with the ability to throw around some magic spells, without feeling gimped on either side. Does that even exist?
I was looking into Cleric, but I get the feeling cleric is mostly a buffer?  with buffs that just last for a short bit, then rest and re-buff?  I'd rather have some fluidity in my gameplay, not rest after every other fight.

Any ideas or pointers would be welcomed

I'm open to any class builds that sound fun to play really.

[jmlzemaggo]

It seems to me you're looking to play a fighter, and being ashamed of it, therefore I'd suggest you play a silent fighter who's gonna never mention your name.
Neither will I, you have my words.
(I so hate buffing... just to become a "smart fighter"... only two hours late.)

Fighter/Wizard is great fun.
I played many clerics, exclusively from the aggressive type, all about offensive spells, and not about buffing at all. Pure destroyers. "Win or die" sort of warrior.
But those need a lot of resting...
So do I.

Modifié par jmlzemaggo, 28 octobre 2010 - 12:53 .

[HipMaestro]

Epic builds will be of little use to play the OC, especially with friends. You'll be lucky to reach level 18 by the time it's all over.

avado may show up to correct your notions about cleric which is about as uber as you can get played correctly.

Personally, I recommend a speed brawler monk for the OC, perhaps with a few levels of rogue for UMD dumps, a few sneaks and/or if you want to experiment with NWN traps a bit.  You can use the UMD for magic staffs and wands which are more than adequate for the learning campaign.  monk/fighter is also powerful and develops rapidly in low levels but sans the spell action, of course.

Apparently, you are not all that interested in the RP aspects, so I would stick to as pure a class as possible with just a few "cheese" dumps to provide some ooomph (@ j-ml: how does "ooomph" translate into French?).

edit:  if you need ideas, have you checked the pre-epic max 20 builds on the legacy guild forums?  ...interesting reading for some.

Modifié par HipMaestro, 28 octobre 2010 - 02:04 .

[southboom]

we're mostly planing on playing through OC and both expansions. so that should get us towards 40, shouldn't it?

[HipMaestro]

With the same character? I wouldn't do that.

SoU will present very little if any challenge and interest for anything but a level 1 character. The designed progression was to use the OC as a separate learning campaign and then play SoU with a new character. HotU is the "natural" sequel to SoU and the starting HotU PC uses approximately the ending PC from SoU. (Refer to the respective readme's in your NWN docs folder).

Level-wise, figure about 1-18 OC, 1-14 SoU, 15-28 HotU. You'll never get anywhere near 40 (or even 35 for that matter) since XP in all the campaigns are based on clevel vs. CR so the higher your PC advances the less XP per kill on the same monster type.  (I've used an OC PC in HotU already but mostly just for testing purposes rather than pure enjoyment.)

Of course, you will still get static quest XP rewards, but total XP from kills significantly dwarfs all the quest-related XP. But then again... whatever floats your boat. If you guys don't mind wading through mobs of one-hit SoU kills for 3 XP each with your OC level 18 PC, then enjoy the thrill!

Modifié par HipMaestro, 28 octobre 2010 - 02:51 .

[southboom]

oh.. it's been a long time since I played through the campaigns. I thought they all progressed nicely all the way.. hmm well that does change things. I could pick two different classes for oc n sou, then just pick whichever feels most fun for hotu.



cuz i've been eyeing a cleric build and a pally/torm build, both seem like they could be fun, both are 40epics though,



http://nwn.bioware.c...eathhunter.html

could that build work as a lvling build, and change wpn focus to longsword n use a shield? or would I have to change a lot for it to work smoothly?

[HipMaestro]

That is a smiter build and as I have indicated, you can essentially totally ignore the last 10 levels of any epic build playing through the campaigns. So since 90% of the smiting potential resides in the last 10 levels, you'll never experience that with your current gaming plan. Keep in mind that most 1-40 builds are designed to reach a level 40 potential. Some are more playable throughout the development, but level 40 effectiveness is the forte.

To get completely quantitative for a moment (if it helps you understand what you are up against.) The OC/SoU/HotU together provide approximately 450K XP maximum, SOLO.  That would be translated as approximately level 30, give or take a few K one way or the other.  That does not factor in the CR reduction that would be in force trying to string one character through all 3.  So basically you will end up in the level 28-30, especially with the larger party XP splits.

Suggestion: Hunt for a pre-epic level 20 build for the OC PC and a pre-epic level 30 build for the SoU/HotU (or OC/HotU) PC.  Those builds have been maximized for that range of character development.  Later on, if your crew wants to play epic PWs, then at that point start evaluating epic builds.  This is of course, just one opinion on the subject.

Modifié par HipMaestro, 28 octobre 2010 - 03:42 .

[southboom]

Yeah i get your point =)



that deathhunter was just something I was looking at earlier, before the thread.

I guess I'm back at the drawing board :/

[Jfoxtail]

Coop play in the OC will get you all to about 14th as I recall. Coop Hotu play will get you to about 23 but requires some workarounds vis a vis cut scenes - there should be help in the Hotu spoilers forum.

Try some community download mods from the NWN vault - make sure your coop players have all the haks (assuming you host). It may mean playing a large series (many in #'s) of mods but you should get to low 30s if you try hard.

The prototype classic D&D party is a Fighter (type F / R / P) a Cleric (C / Dr with healing spells) a Wizard and a Rogue. Since you are only 3

1) have your wizard use the pixie for a familiar to round out your party skills in traps and locks
2) consider druid and ranger for your other types because of animal companion summoning.

Not that you need a lot of firepower to complete all the mods, its just a roleplay suggestion to emulate a party of 5 or 6 with more front line fighters.

This is a great way to play the game especially if you take turns resting for example to emulate standing watch at night. D&D classic. Also use other interactions like whisper and active search to emulate a real partys choices - stuff like using poles to check for pit traps.

Also try NWN Connections (dot com) and seek out an experienced DM or schedule a game. The experience is even better still

Modifié par Jfoxtail, 28 octobre 2010 - 04:08 .

[jmlzemaggo]

(French is very easy: it's always the opposite. "ooomph"? I would say "hpmooo"? Well, actually, I'd rather let you say it.)

[BelgarathMTH]

If you want to play one character all the way from level 1 to level 40, I strongly recommend Savant's Saga of Aielund series. It comes in six separate modules that will automatically link themselves together and carry your same character file through all six chapters, as long as you have downloaded all six with their supporting .haks and other files.

Chapter one is an extremely challenging first-level adventure that is perfect for three multiplayers not using the included two henchpeople.

The story is epic - you won't believe where you wind up after your humble first-level small-town beginnings.

I can't recommend it strongly enough.
 
EDIT: Oops, I forgot to check whether you can actually play it as multiplayers. It may be single player only.
EDIT#2: Okay, I checked the Vault, and it says maximum 6 players, so I guess my post stands as written.

Modifié par BelgarathMTH, 31 octobre 2010 - 05:59 .

[Shia Luck]

You can also play the sands of fate series after you finish SoU and HoTU. It is in the same style, same magic level as the OCs, and was built to be played after.



Ailund is a much lower magic system and can be challenging, but with challenge comes reward.



Have fun

[avado]

HipMaestro wrote...

avado may show up to correct your notions about cleric which is about as uber as you can get played correctly.

Nope.  If people want to believe that clerics are buffers or healers, i have decided to let them.   I have spent 5 years SOLID touting the cleric.  If people didnt hear, I will pray for them 

[Kail Pendragon]

southboom wrote...


I'd really like to play a front line fighter(sword n board type), with the ability to throw around some magic spells, without feeling gimped on either side. Does that even exist?
I was looking into Cleric, but I get the feeling cleric is mostly a buffer?  with buffs that just last for a short bit, then rest and re-buff?  I'd rather have some fluidity in my gameplay, not rest after every other fight.

A battle cleric build is what you are looking for. Clerics are also buffers (and most notably self buffer) but not only. They are healers, undead trashers, nukers and overall uber. Oh, and most of their buffs last for long and for the others you get extend spell.

Now, let me introduce you to THE battle cleric build: Blood and Faith * by Master Mithdradates.

* this build has notably earned the avado's approval certificate

Modifié par Kail Pendragon, 02 novembre 2010 - 10:31 .

[BelgarathMTH]

Agreed about clerics being the strongest and most flexible character class - wearing armor or not, using shields or not, spells for offense, defense, and utility, decent attack bonus, domain powers, and healing on top of that.



The only reason I ever play anything else is for role-playing reasons. It bothers me a little about getting all of this power from depending on a "god". If anything cut you off from your deity, or if your deity got mad at you, you'd be as helpless as a zero-level child.

[avado]

Kail Pendragon wrote...
Now, let me introduce you to THE battle cleric build: Blood and Faith * by Master Mithdradates.

* this build has notably earned the avado's approval certificate

Yes, Kail is correct, although, it is my opinion that the build is not right for the OC nor sou/hotu.  Having 20-28 lvls really begs for a pure Halforc cleric.  Cap wis at 19 rest to str (start 20st 16 wis).  Id try for Dev crit, but thats me.  Clerics are so strong in the bioware mods that it you only really need to multi them when you need super devastation power. 

The feats that are important are Wpn focus (if you need Martial feat, 1 ftr lv - 4 is OK, but for every ftr lvl you loose on cleric, which per epic is a sin   )   extend spell, improve crit (with all cleric buffs adding damage, crits can REALLY add up).  There are many other choices depending on how you want to go.

for example, if i want spell versatility, id take silent spell and empower spell with max spell a possible as well.  That allows you to now manage ANY situation from a spell perspective. 

Ignore combat cast, spell focuses, spell penetrates, etc as these arent necessary for the OC's. 

Melee it up.  herd.  and follow the guide i wrote and you will witness more power than most ever get to see. 

[jmlzemaggo]

The offensive cleric. My (wo)man.

[avado]

jmlzemaggo wrote...

The offensive cleric. My (wo)man.

The problem with nwn is that it is turn based.  This means that you and your opponent get attempts to hit each other.  A game like DAO, this isnt necessarily so since you can strike and do signficant damage to an opponent before they even have a chance.  What this means for a player is, every "defensive" act means you are NOT doing damage and hence, allowing the fight to go on longer, meaning your chance of death goes up too.

In nwn combat you either win or you loose.  Why not win?  Why not go into every combat deciding to dish out as much pain as you possibly can in the shortest amount of time you can?  ]

It has always puzzeled me to watch and hear people play nwn like a passenger in a car.  How many times have party members sat back and gave me the opportunity to KILL ALL! 

In my opinion, the very best class to dish out the widest possible variety of damages to the widest possible variety of opponents is the cleric.  In my mind, cleric IS offensive (in both attitude and play style).  To play it any other way, to me, is being stupid. 

Sorry jml, didnt mean to pick on your comment, it just sort of hit me what I have been trying to get people to understand since 2006! 

[jmlzemaggo]

Sorry for what? First, you've got the very mouth to speak your very words, and I'm absolutely respectful of that, if not jaleous, and up to delighted eventually. Second I don't see playing a cleric in any different way that the one you highlighted. Well, to be perfectly honnest, I barely play any PC on a defensive basis anyway, which I see as nothing only delaying your fall. And I'm awful when it comes to build a character the way most of people do here, by the list before the "reality", by the numbers before "life" itself, which is kind of the opposite to roleplaying to me, knowing exactly what they're going to do at which level and all, before anything happens. I play NWN like I live I suppose, making choices right in front of the problem, my feet on the (battle)field.
Even if I love mathematics, to the point of being a math teacher in my youth...
I'm nothing but an instinctive player. And my instinct, the only rule I shall follow until this end of mine, always told me, from my very first holly day, to go the spellcaster way with a cleric, and to finish eventually what is left to be finished by the sword.
Even you, avado, fight the way you speak. You're the cleric of your mouth. The Inquisitor type... Beware of the divine Word. Fear God as he loves you!!! :crying:                
As I don't wanna play tech, I'm even wrong to the point considering a cleric more powerful than a wizard when it comes to that magical, sorry, divine, area, if you give me the choice, my life being at stake.
The only true NWN to me being online, I hope one day I'll be honnest enough to verify my shameful single player theories for "real", sort of speak.

Meanwhile, I intend to pursue my holly quest for Fun that only way, if no one minds. 

Modifié par jmlzemaggo, 05 novembre 2010 - 09:34 .