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Baldur's Gate 1 No-Reload Challenge


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#13901
Alesia_BH

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Heh...the thing is - I haven't played sans Revisions in a long, long while. I'm simply not used to vanilla spells. But vanilla Blindness is indeed nuts for it's level. :P

 

Understood. That makes sense. I'm sure you'll adjust quick.  :)

 

And yes: Blindness is awesome in BG1. It's useful all the way through to the end of ToB. It's basically a super-cheap insta-kill spell.

 


 

Why Insane difficulty, Alesia?

 

 

I feel like playing a medium sized arcane party. That would be too easy on Core. Plus, I've already done it.

 

Insane should keep things interesting. It will force additional care, especially in the early going. 

 


 

I would kind of understand (and probably use it as well) if it made some "real" changes like number of enemies, their HP/THAC0 etc. But double damage?! I know it should't matter for high-end sorcerers, but still....

 

 

In Ascension, the insane setting does do more than just double damage. It adds additional creatures. I strongly prefer the insane version of the final battle. It's just a bit much for solo no reload play. It's doable with a party though.

 

The final battle is what this run is all about really. I'd love to fight Mel and the Five on insane with Aphril, Adara, Aerie, and Imoen. There's some serious fun potential there.


 

I'd hate to see a fireball doing twice the damage on my own people than it does to enemies (that's a fiery ADHW basically  :D ).

 

 

It sucks in BG1. I've seen arrows do +40 damage. Melf's Minute Meteors do +30. It's pretty crazy.

 

At the same time, BG1 could use a little added danger. It has been fun, if nerve wracking.

 

Once again, it's good to see you back in action Aasim!

 

Best,

 

A. 


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#13902
Blackraven

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Aasim, nice to see you here again. Have fun with your new attempt (Looks nice!)
Golden, I do like most NPCs. I only mentioned a few I'm less enthusiastic about.
Alesia, Nice to know you're making good progress again. Looking forward to reading your posts.

 

Re: the Wand of Sleep vs the spell, to do the spell justice I'd like to point out that the spell save is harder to make than the wand save. (Big difference if you try both on Ankhegs for example). Still, I agree with the others that the wand is good enough to pass up on the spell.

Dapper, Gnome Cleric/Illusionist
 

Spoiler
Starting profs: Maces and Slings, starting spells: Blindness, Shield, Sleep.

After three party runs that ended somwhere in BG1, I couldn't be bothered with another slow start, so Dapper set out with Imoen, his BFF whom he'd never ditch, as a duo during the early part of the game. Imoen as per my current install is a Charming Rogue (basically a Thief kit created for her, it gives her spells like Charm Person, Friends, Invisibility, and Magic Missile as she levels up). As I started this run with the idea of getting a team of nice (as in kind) and mostly caster NPCs, I consider dualing her at lvl 9.

The duo did the low risk quests we all know along the Coast Way. Shield and Remove Fear meant that for Dapper the threat of Tarnesh was reduced to Sleep. He did Sleep Imoen, but not Dapper who had been a bit behind. The Gnome put Tarnesh to Sleep and then finished the wizard off with his sling.
Spoiler
Sleep, Blindness, and as soon as it became available Hold Person were early favorites that decided battles against monsters like Ogres, Gnolls etc, and against the likes of Karlat and Neira.

With a few levels under their belt the friends went Basilisk hunting. Imoen used her stealth and an innate Invisibility to scout, while Dapper protected himself from Petrification and fought the Basilisks. He was helped by his familiar (Hard Times swaps the Ring of Wizardry at the FAI with a Find Familiar scroll), that would kick the lizards unconscious :) Mutamin was Silenced by Dapper and Held by Korax before he died. 
Dapper reached lvl 4/4 in Mutamin's Garden.
A dust-up with Kirian and co, ended in me reloading twice as Peter proved unkillable. Even when Held and/or Webbed, he would repeatedly go from uninjured to barely injured back to uninjured while under constant attack. My guess is that Holding him while his SCS battle script was being effectuated caused this bug. The duo eventually prevailed by Silencing and Webbing the bunch, and Blinding those that saved against the Webs.

Up north Tenya was convinced to accept rather than reject the duo's help. Sonner was slain for his Flail evil deeds. The Ankheg hoard was pillaged under Sanctuary. Whilst commuting between the Fishermen and Tenya, the party - inevitaby, with Blackraven in charge - once forgot to steer clear from the Dark Horizons Elven warriors on the bridge to BG. Like most DH encounters, this was hard. Their leader who had come walking after Dapper and Imoen was Blinded, Held, and done in, but others, especially a female rogue that went invisible, didn't cooperate so readily.
Spoiler
She was Blinded and then killed as was one lackey (a fighter). Two more fighters were left for another day, which came after Finch (Cleric/illusionist) and Ajantis (Cavalier) had joined the party.
Spoiler


In Beregost the party pre-buffed and summoned Skeletons to deal with Silke. This allowed recruitment of a fifth member, Garrick. (I had purposely not kitted him with level 1 NPCs as I had a mod installed that gives plain Bards the IWD special songs. However, those songs somehow didn't work, so I ended up kitting him as a Skald. Some of my readers will have noticed by now that I really like Skalds, even in a party that's low on warriors.) At the Nashkel Carnival the party met Archibald, who gave Garrick a tome about little-known heroes. This triggered his personal quest. After defeating Greywolf (Blindness), the party went looking for one of the heroes mentioned in the book Myr'Cutio, a Bard, near Ulcaster school. Myr'Cutio had become an undead abomination, much to his own displeasure, and with his Zombie friends decided to fight, in order to either sate their bloodlust or be released from their undead existence. The party ensured the latter, using Skeletons to make the undead Bard waste his most dangerous spells before they slew him with physical attacks.
Spoiler
The Bard had a special song, Death Song according to Shadowkeeper, whose panic effect somehow overruled Garrick's Skald song. I even wondered whether I had correctly kitted Garrick as a Skald. The song panicked Imoen, but not Dapper (who had 5% MR thanks to a recently acquired Robe of the Good Archmagi) nor the others.
Spoiler


Shoal and her Water Weird were handled without casualties (mostly through evasion). Droth went Silent and Blind before he fell. And then Shoal was mistakenly talked to (for 750 XP) rather than slain (for 5k XP).

Party members meant admittedly cheesy invisible walls behind which tough foes, such as Flesh Golems (the cave contained a Lightning Wand and a Robe of the Neutral Archmagi), and Dark Horizons' assassins in front of the Gnoll fortress could safely be attacked.
Spoiler
Beefed up Gnolls were slain and Dynaheir (Invoker) released and welcomed into the group.
Spoiler


The party traveled to the area south of the FAI, where one of three assassins slew my low lvl Dwarven Swashbuckler (Ace) last weekend. Vengeance would come at a cost though. First, Dapper escaped with his life, quaffing a potion of invisibility immediately after being stabbed in the back,
Spoiler
Dynaheir wasn't so lucky.
Spoiler

The culprit, Necardian was a lvl 11/11 Mage/Thief I found in Shadowkeeper, not the type you want to run into on your way to the FAI, just after Gorion's death. His right hand, Phallus Phallen Nightsbane, was a lvl 8/8 Mage/Thief with a mean backstab as well, as Finch would discover.

Spoiler
The party had traveled to the area from the north, and thus run straight into the assassins without having the time to prepare for battle, and the results were felt. Dapper was already invisible, badly injured Finch followed his example, and so did Garrick and Imoen soon after. Ajantis was holding his groun though. He had swigged a potion of freedom to protect himself from the third, priestly, assassin's Hold Persons. However two backstabs in rapid succession later, the Cavalier was down.
Spoiler

Garrick who had stayed near Ajantis to provide moral support, was then the only character within visual range of the assassins. Necardian's Oracle dispelled Garrick's invisibility and - illegally I think - that of the remote others.

Spoiler
Thankfully all Dapper's and Finch's memorized lvl 2 spells were Invisibility at that moment, so the four surviving companions could all go invisible again.

Unwilling to leave the area and lose Ajantis' and Dynaheir's equipment, Dapper chose to use a scroll of Confusion he had found somewhere (can't remember the location, probably something random). It caused Nightblade to wander off toward the companions, who warmly received the rogue, so that Dapper could finish him off without difficulty.

Spoiler
Two Flame Arrows felled the (lvl 6) Cleric, Malious.
Spoiler
Necardian was engaged under the protection of a a potion of magic shielding. Dapper manaed to Hold him, which sealed the assassin's fate.
Spoiler

After this spectacle, Bassilus (Silence) was comparatively routine, but the Nashkel Mines brought more tragedy. A paralyzation wand helped a lot against the Duergar, and welcomely so, what with incoming Kobolds injuring Dapper, Imoen and Finch.

Spoiler
A casting of Sleep by Dapper and a potion of agility for Ajantis made the Kobold hordes more manageable.
Spoiler
In Mulahey's lair Finch was very unfortunately surrounded by Skellies and Kobolds that interrupted her casting of Silence. When (unlike Dapper) she failed to timely quaff a potion of freedom, Mulahey's Hold Person meant the end of her. Dapper tried to cast Invisiblity on her, but he could not reach her due to the Skellies and Kobolds. When Ajantis, still Blinded thanks to a Kobold Shaman they had beaten on the previous level, was also Held by Mulahey, Dapper deemed it time for Plan B: a charge of his paralyzation wand. Garrick used a wand of chain lightning (much more manageable than a normal lightning wand) to finish off some of the summons. And Imoen and Dapper, inspired by Garrick, ended up slaying Mulahey and the Kobolds.
Spoiler
The most notable treasure were Boots of Speed and a Cloak of Deflection (really nice in combination with the Claw of Kazgaroth that Dapper had equipped shortly before).

The companions released Xan (Fighter/Enchanter), gave him his Moonblade and agreed to his proposal to join them. Narcillicus spell repertoire was drained with Skeletons, then Garrick cast a Dispel Magic on the mage, and Xan slew him with a critical. Ajantis and Xan quaffed a potion of freedom each and dealt with the undead in the region.

Spoiler
Back in Nashkel the party visited the temple to get Finch raised, but again I got the apparent bug that gives her all the negative status effects:
Spoiler
It's weird that between resurrectable fallen comrades and chunked ones, there's also a category of dead NPCs that when raised return in a vegetative state. I haven't decided yet between Keepering the status effects away and replacing Finch.


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#13903
corey_russell

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All this talk of the Insane setting - I see over and over, the usual strategy is to not get hit - but this usually means lots and lots of running...that just isn't my style of play. Whenever Ruzzel finishes, my next character will be an evil fighter, who believes Hell is life on Faerun - thus, if a companion dies, he doesn't have the heart to bring them back to this hell. Therefore, if a party member dies, they stay dead and my PC will just have to adapt. Should make it more challenging for myself, as well as more difficult to maintain a balanced party (e.g., all thieves NPCs might die and thus be unavailable, or all mages NPCs die, etc.)


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#13904
Blackraven

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Sounds like a cool challenge Corey. As you know I have issues with raising dead myself. I like the RP rationale behind not raising NPCs in your next run.


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#13905
corey_russell

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Sounds like a cool challenge Corey. As you know I have issues with raising dead myself. I like the RP rationale behind not raising NPCs in your next run.

Thanks, Blackraven! I have decent success with parties, and they are almost always pretty balanced, other than the themed parties (all warrior, all paladins, etc.). This new restriction will put a monkey wrench in that process and force me to adapt and perhaps use new strategies.



#13906
Alesia_BH

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All this talk of the Insane setting - I see over and over, the usual strategy is to not get hit 

 

In BG1 that's the case, although disablers, including Blindness and the Sleep, can minimize kiting.

 

In BG2 it will be buffs and Teleport Fields. There won't be that much running around. In fact, there will be less than in my usual runs.

 

 

Whenever Ruzzel finishes, my next character will be an evil fighter, who believes Hell is life on Faerun - thus, if a companion dies, he doesn't have the heart to bring them back to this hell. Therefore, if a party member dies, they stay dead and my PC will just have to adapt. Should make it more challenging for myself, as well as more difficult to maintain a balanced party (e.g., all thieves NPCs might die and thus be unavailable, or all mages NPCs die, etc.)

 

Sounds cool! Good luck with that! And point taken: there are many ways to increase difficulty.

 

The Insane approach makes sense for me given my install and the party I want to play, but there are many other approaches

 

Best,

 

A.



#13907
Aasim

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At the same time, BG1 could use a little added danger. It has been fun, if nerve racking.

I agree. What I sometimes use when BG1 gets boringly easy  is a little mod called BG Spawn. It's stricitly for BGT installs and it changes random spawns in BG1 according to party size & level. While some parts of it are a bit dumb imo (ever heard of a thing called "Giant Stick Insect"? Looks like Pit Fiend...and you meet one in Cloakwood.... :lol: ), meeting an aTweaksed Mummy which paralyzes on sight in Ulcaster or a SCS-beefed up Orc Mage with level 7 spells (and a possible 3x Skull trap sequencer) as a random spawn in freakin' BG1 (!) does kind of keep you on your toes. What I don't like is that it places monsters which *require* +2 weapons to hit in Durlag (Mists that spam Chaos).

As per Insane Ascension, I'll check it out definitely.... I think ToBex has a tweak which allows one to keep "Insane" difficulty while preventing double damage (EEs should also have that)...if it does, and if I ever get to Ascension (thats one big IF), I'll play Insane on Asc. 

Anyhow, GL with your casters.

 

 

 Hell is life on Faerun

:D


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#13908
Alesia_BH

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Re: the Wand of Sleep vs the spell, to do the spell justice I'd like to point out that the spell save is harder to make than the wand save. (Big difference if you try both on Ankhegs for example). Still, I agree with the others that the wand is good enough to pass up on the spell.

 

 

Yes. The spell Sleep offers a save v spells at -3. The Wand of Sleep offers an unmodified save v wands. Ankhegs have saves v wands of 12 and saves v spells of 13, so effectively it is 12 v 16. That's a significant difference.

 

With wizards, allocating some slots to Sleep in the early going can make sense, even if you have the wand. The save difference isn't enough to justify selecting Sleep with a trilogy sorcerer, however.

 

Best,

 

A.


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#13909
Alesia_BH

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As per Insane Ascension, I'll check it out definitely.... 

 

 

The difference is that Mel summons an infinite stream of demons, including a pair of Fallen Solars. It's far more intense, far more epic. 

 

With ATweaks demons it could get crazy.


 

I think ToBex has a tweak which allows one to keep "Insane" difficulty while preventing double damage (EEs should also have that)...if it does, and if I ever get to Ascension (thats one big IF), I'll play Insane on Asc. 

 

 

Awesome. I've always wanted that. Thanks for letting me know.

 

Cheers,

 

A.



#13910
Aasim

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The save difference isn't enough to justify selecting Sleep with a trilogy sorcerer, however.

Out of curiosity, what would you pick?

My picks for current run are Pro Petrify, Magic Missile, Shield, Sleep, final is Chromatic Orb.



#13911
Aasim

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Malmuira & Kethis, 2nd BG1 update

 

We cleared top Durlag levels. Kirinhale wasn't messed with. Got a few Oils of Speed and a MS Wand, other stuff was mostly sold. Following that, Mulahey was slain. I don't want to waste too much time in BG1, I'm anxious to get to high levels so I can spam demon summoning spells. For the priest, I used what never seems to fail - pre-set Skull traps for his summons, an Greenstone charge was added to prevent any  disable from working and it was done quickly.

The damage Mamuira took was from friendly fire Skull Trap. :)

14_zpsdw6xjl3u.jpg

 

Wide open spaces allow for very liberal Lighting spam, as amazons soon learned. I gave the dagger back to the Revenant. I don't need XP much, the main goal is getting level 7 as a fighter; and sorceress up to level 9, which is at only 135K.

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Nimbul can be kind of annoying w/o wand of Paralyzation. He buffed with Shield, but that doesn't stop Chromatic Orbs - he failed his save and got stunned by it.

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Speaking of Paralyzation Wand, that was my next target. Mamuira used Greenstone charges liberaly, but decided to risk it vs last remaining siren. Naturally, the creep suddenly rolls a melee critical, and incurs Feeblemind. Murphy's Law at it's best :D . I killed the siren with magic missiles and cast invisibility on my sorceress, so I had no worries there.

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Next, Droth. Here you can see the bug with Lightning Bolt. It will never hurt the creature in front of the target while it travels. Shoal is completely invulneralbe to it. 

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She still has to die, however. 5K XP is simply too good. With aTweaks, she can't charm females. :)

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Now we speed things up. Mage in Beregost eats a Paralyzation charge. Bandit camp is done under invisibility.

I already have Full Plate and don't need anything there.

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We do litter the woods with spiders however, easy XP.

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Next, mines. Sorceress has 2 level 4 picks here - first being Stoneskin, 2nd Ice Storm. The best thing about this spell is it's power to bypass MGoI - destroying virtually any BG1 mage quickly.

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Only Drasus survived, but he ate Wand of Ice charge.

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We travel through the mines invisible. Up to Davaeorn, where a Pro Magic scroll is used.

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I've come to kill you, so I can get BG1 off my back and get a few tomes, that's about it actually.

 

He's fully neutralized by Pro Magic ofc, my sorceress threw a few Ice Storms to help with incoming troops, only to make herself invisible again. Davaeorn apperantly judged his chances correctly and gone invisible. We have no means to remove it.

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Ironically, it's his soldiers which prove to be his demise :D . The tend to group around him, revealing his location. Sorceress throws one Skull trap, he takes damage, so aim is spot on. Second one kills him, and we're off to BG.

26_zpsf1rwld0d.jpg


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#13912
Alesia_BH

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Aphril, Elven Sorcerer: Candlekeep to the Nashkel Mines Redux

 

As previously reported Aphril and friends have returned to the Cloakwood. This will be a quick note form post highlighting the differences between the runs. I'll also fill in some of the details that I skipped last time.

 

-Imoen joined

 

-The early route was Candlkeep->FAI->Beregost. The rings were collected. The belt fetish ogre was blinded and killed. Tarnesh was blinded and killed. Spacing and Shield made killing Tarnesh safe. NPC potions were collected. 

 

-In Beregost, Aphril and friends chatted up Marl, nixed the spiders and aided Mirianne. Returning Landrin's belongings got Imoen her first level up.

 

-A pair of Invisibility scrolls purchased at High Hedge protected Aphril and Adara on the march south to Nashkel. Imoen hid in shadows.

 

-The Anhkeg Plate was sold. The Shield Amulet and Pro Pet scroll were purchased. Happily, Mutamin fell this time.

Screen%20Shot%202015-06-24%20at%208.47.3

 

-The party had been damage free up until this point. A hobgoblin ambush changed that. Aphril, who had been wearing the Girdle of Piercing quaffed a Potion of Invisibility. Adara was injured, though not killed. Had the ambush happened prior to basilisk-ville, as it did last time, Adara would have died.

 

-Killing the undead in the area south of High Hedge got Aphril and Adara their first L2s. They both took Invisibility. From this point forward, all area transitions and outdoor rests have been completed under cover of invisibility.  

 

-The Whistling Sword was claimed with the aid of the Wand of Sleep

 

-Like last time, the flesh golems were killed by Imoen, aided by an invisible wall. Like last time, the Durlag's Tower battle horrors were killed by Aphril, aided by an invisible wall.

Screen%20Shot%202015-06-24%20at%2010.20.

 

-The Durlag's Tower basilisks were killed using two Protection from Petrification blue scrolls from High Hedge

 

-Gnarl and Hairtooh were killed by Imoen using traps and backstabs. The Charisma Tome was read by Aphril. The Gauntlets of Dexterity were sold.

Screen%20Shot%202015-06-25%20at%209.06.1

 

-Branwen was freed and joined. The Ankheg Plate and Gauntlets of Dexterity were stolen by Imoen using a Potion of Perception and a Potion of Master Thievery purchased at Durlag's.

 

-Melium was killed by Imoen using traps and backstabs

 

-Greywolf was finished by simultaneous MMs from Adara and Aphril after an Imoen trap back stab combo failed to kill him

 

-The party purchased two Potions of Freedom and then stealthed into the mines

 

-Mulahey was killed using the same strategy from last time. Imoen: Backstab- Mulahey -> Branwen: Silence- Mulahey -> Imoen: Wand of Sleep- Elite Kobolds-> Adara: Necklace of Missiles- northern Minions-> Party: attack- Mulahey. No damage was taken.

Screen%20Shot%202015-06-25%20at%2011.53.

 

-Nimbul was Silenced by Branwen and then killed by an Imoen backstab

Screen%20Shot%202015-06-25%20at%2012.13.

 

-Rasaad was joined

 

-Tranzig was killed by Imoen using traps and backstabs

 

-The Bandit Camp played out differently this time even though the strategy was largely unchanged. More thoughtful, less Venkt obsessed targeting made the difference. 

Screen%20Shot%202015-06-25%20at%201.04.0

 

Rasaad got the final kill, aided by a Branwen Command

Screen%20Shot%202015-06-25%20at%201.05.0

 

-The ankheg lair was looted by Branwen running Sanctuary. On insane, ankheg criticals are chunk-ifyingly dangerous.

Screen%20Shot%202015-06-25%20at%203.33.2

 

-The spiders were meleed by Rasaad under Shield and Protection from Poison with the aid of Branwen and Imoen. Imoen cleared the traps. Branwen tossed Chants and Strengths of One while invisible. A Potion of Freedom was used against the giant spiders. The Wand of Sleep took care of the huge spiders. The Girdle of Piercing and a RoP +1 reduced risk from incoming APR.

Screen%20Shot%202015-06-25%20at%204.36.0

Screen%20Shot%202015-06-25%20at%204.42.1

 

I'll post on Davaeorn next.

 

Best,

 

A.


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#13913
Alesia_BH

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Out of curiosity, what would you pick?

My picks for current run are Pro Petrify, Magic Missile, Shield, Sleep, final is Chromatic Orb.

 

Blindness, Shield, Magic Missile, Chromatic Orb, Protection from Evil (or Spook)

 

All six of those spells are usable up through the end of the adventure. Given that your PC is a F/C, I'd go with Spook over Pro Evil. Recall that Spook has a -6 save penalty at high levels.

 

Frankly, it won't make much of a difference. I'm sure you'll do fine with the spells you picked.

 

Best,

 

A.



#13914
Aasim

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@ Blackraven

Would you mind posting your Weidu? And what the hell is up with those Kobolds in the mines?! Why is there so many? I see you have that Dark Horizons...hope it works out fine...

As per Oracle, it indeed has insane range. 

Protection from Evil

I'll need that as very air that I breathe with my game plan, but my protag can cast 10' version which lasts basically forever. Anyhow - TobEx indeed allows for Insane w/o double damage. EE (apperantly) does not, at least I can't find the DIFFMOD.2da file anywhere. Damn, now I'm tempted...



#13915
Alesia_BH

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Anyhow - TobEx indeed allows for Insane w/o double damage. EE (apperantly) does not, at least I can't find the DIFFMOD.2da file anywhere. Damn, now I'm tempted...

 

For a preview of the insane Ascension battle, check here: http://forum.bioware...ttle-on-insane/

 

Note the Fallen Solars and the demons summoned in the endgame: they are the difference. Be advised that the Fallen Solars will always appear but the demon groups can differ.

 

Best,

 

A.



#13916
Alesia_BH

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I agree. What I sometimes use when BG1 gets boringly easy  is a little mod called BG Spawn. It's stricitly for BGT installs and it changes random spawns in BG1 according to party size & level. While some parts of it are a bit dumb imo (ever heard of a thing called "Giant Stick Insect"? Looks like Pit Fiend...and you meet one in Cloakwood.... :lol: ), meeting an aTweaksed Mummy which paralyzes on sight in Ulcaster or a SCS-beefed up Orc Mage with level 7 spells (and a possible 3x Skull trap sequencer) as a random spawn in freakin' BG1 (!) does kind of keep you on your toes. What I don't like is that it places monsters which *require* +2 weapons to hit in Durlag (Mists that spam Chaos).

 

 

Noted. I'm un-fond of mods that introduce goofy critters. I'll probably pass on that. Thanks for mentioning it though.

 

 

Best,

 

A.



#13917
Blackraven

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@Aasim, I don't know what exactly causes the Kobolds to be so plentiful. Always thought it was SCS v21 (BGEE with SCS 28 or 30 is not like that). They can be dangerous in their numbers, which is why most of my solo characters use stealth or invisibility to sneak past them.

I've got Dark Horizons (as well as DSotSC, NTotSC and Grey Clan), but am not sure whether I'll try to complete all of it.
My (immense) WEIDU log:
 

Spoiler


#13918
Aasim

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@Aasim, I don't know what exactly causes the Kobolds to be so plentiful. Always thought it was SCS v21 (BGEE with SCS 28 or 30 is not like that). They can be dangerous in their numbers, which is why most of my solo characters use stealth or invisibility to sneak past them.

I've got Dark Horizons (as well as DSotSC, NTotSC and Grey Clan), but am not sure whether I'll try to complete all of it.
My (immense) WEIDU log:

I only find Gray Clan somwhat decent (even there you'll find sorta Carsomyr, but you don't have to use it if you don't like). NToTSC has some really hard parts, and the chance to die is immensly high, especially if you haven't played through it before. GL.

 

Malmuira, final BG1 update

 

I picked up the Tomes from BG, stole documents under invisibility, did Candlekeep invisible, Catacombs invisible (yes, I'm bored with BG1). Basically, this screen shows it all.

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Returning to BG, I buy several Chaos scrolls. One is used (with Pro Magic on Malmuira) vs Slythe. Both fail to save.

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Krystin failed vs Paralysis as well.  We wave them good night and run to the ceremony.

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Sorceress uses Greenstone charge before battle, and launches a Chaos asap. All but Shaman fail to save.

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Hence, we focus the shaman first, then mage before he regains his senses. This took a while, since he constantly traveled up and down the damn stairs. :angry:

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Regardless, with his death the battle is pretty straight-forward.

Liaa died, but that's fine.

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I travel invisibly (need I say? :D ) to confront Sarevok. Another (3rd total) Pro Magic is used. I draw the Chaos from Angelo and Remove from Semaj, quaff an invisibility potion and review my options.

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I play it very safe, dropping a Cloudkill and few Ice Storms. Tazok and Semaj die. Angelo runs around, avoiding Paralysation attempts. 

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Meh. I have no patience for this crap anymore. I use MS Wand to keep Sarevok busy and go melee vs Diramid after an extensive period of potion-buffing.

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Sure enough, he dies rather quickly.

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conviniently enough, Angelo finally fails his save. I think it took 5 or so attempts.

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I kill him and all the skeleton warriors, they incite fear in  summons with aTweaks so are annoying.

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Now Sarevok is alone; and we summon more meatshields while shooting our slings and tossing magic missiles.

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..and done.

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Malmuira and Kethis will continue their run in BG2.


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#13919
Alesia_BH

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@Aasim, I don't know what exactly causes the Kobolds to be so plentiful. Always thought it was SCS v21 (BGEE with SCS 28 or 30 is not like that).

 

That makes sense to me. The numbers in your pictures are consistent with what I observed in prior versions of SCS.

 

Best,

 

A.



#13920
Aasim

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Oh, and thanks everyone for a warm welcome! :)  Happy to be here.



#13921
Blackraven

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Oh, and thanks everyone for a warm welcome! :)  Happy to be here.


Happy to see you succeed! Congratulations!

As to Dark Side/Horizons, Northern Tales, and Grey Clan, I don't use any of the crazy items, only items I find reasonable. The items I've kept are a ring that gives 50% Electricity Resistance, a defensive (AC lowering) long sword for Garrick, a Paladin Signet Ring that gives a +2 bonus to saves and a +1 bonus to AC, and for Dapper a pair of Gauntlets of the Faithful Warrior that increase Thaco/Dmg by 3 (since Dapper's a Cleric/Mage with 1 APR, and an ever expanding spell repertoire, they don't make a huge difference in my experience).
I do sell most of the OP items so that I can buy loads of scrolls and potions I expect to need in the difficult mod encounters.


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#13922
Alesia_BH

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Congrats Aasim! Best of luck in Amn! Summon a horde!

 

Good hunting!

 

 

A.

 

Btw. Aphril is finished for the evening due to WNBA basketball. She'll face Sarevok tomorrow.



#13923
Grond0

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 This allowed recruitment of a fifth member, Garrick. (I had purposely not kitted him with level 1 NPCs as I had a mod installed that gives plain Bards the IWD special songs. However, those songs somehow didn't work, so I ended up kitting him as a Skald. 

 

The Bard had a special song, Death Song according to Shadowkeeper, whose panic effect somehow overruled Garrick's Skald song. I even wondered whether I had correctly kitted Garrick as a Skald.

Good to see all the action on the forums at the moment.  Well done Aasim for getting past the 'boring bit' and welcome and best of luck SuperNovice007 (I recommend a Walther PPK for Sarevok) and everyone else.  People seem to have been expecting me to work for a living recently :o, but things are looking a bit less hectic now, so I should be able to start a new run today.

 

Blackraven - you mentioned you'd added a kit late for Garrick.  Could that have meant you added the vanilla version of the kit, rather than your modded one (in which case you don't get fear immunity until level 15)?


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#13924
Epsil0

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Benoni (3), second update

3 because my attention slipped during the early-game and Shoal got to talk to Benoni(2), so... Here we are!

 

Ah, Scar, you're back I see. Where was I; oh, yes, that's right! Beregost. I had snuck into Landrin's house - that's the gnome at the F.A.I. whose house was infested with giant spiders. Yes, spiders. In the middle of Beregost. I was just as confused as you, to be frank, but she said to check, and behold, there they were! It was a quick brawl, in which I was the victor. I didn't show my face in that town often after this, as I'm sure you'll understand: drow, and all that, in a large city. And my name's not Drizzt, though there's a funny story about that later.

 

I did, however, go visit the Song of the Morning; have you ever had the chance to see it? The descriptions in the history books are far lesser than the actual sight, as is your wonderful city. Ah, well, my best wishes to Kelddath, may Lathander bless his servant! I announced myself again with Gorion's letter, and Kelddath received me quite cordially. The temple, as I'm sure you know, doubled as the local hub for protection and news, until you sent some of the Fist to help with the bandits. I asked about any possible threats to the city, or if he knew of the man who had killed Gorion; there were three, though of those three none exist now. He gave me reports on a rogue priest to the west, a horde of basilisks to the east apparently blocking travel in that direction, and the iron crisis to the south. Yes, I'm implying that I had a hand in the Nashkel mines, though I dealt with the basilisks first. Kelddath informed me of a certain magical scroll that was being sold at the Nashkel carnival, if I could purchase it, that would make one immune to the gaze of the basilisks for eight times as long as the normal spell. It's here that the great joke happened: do you wish to know how I travelled to the carnival in broad daylight?

 

Your guess is very near the mark, Scar! No, I didn't pretend to be Drizzt. I pretended to be a performer pretending to be Drizzt! A carnival's a perfect place for such a scheme, don't you think? No harm came of it, at least, and I obtained the scroll as well as a couple magical necklaces. I approached the basilisks by night, and with the scroll, stalked and destroyed the basilisks as well as the megalomaniac gnome. The greatest danger gone, this was when I journeyed to the mines, but not before breaking into a few houses in Beregost. Oh, I'm joking, mostly; you may have heard of the mystery of the return of the Colquetle family amulet? I stole into the house myself and placed the trinket there, found in the hands of some Hobgoblin boasting about how he'd killed a young woman. Gorion's letter also got me access to the wares of High Hedge, in preparation for the investigation of Nashkel.

Gameplay notes:

I almost got myself killed trying to be too cute and preserving necklace charges as we fought Peter and company in the basilisk area. After a failed backstab attempt on a lone priest, I had to Necklace my own feet to stop the casting of Hold Person. Two more backstabs failed via nat. 1s, and the mage managed to MAA me before that backstab also went through. The terrain was my saving grace that battle.


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#13925
Blackraven

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Blackraven - you mentioned you'd added a kit late for Garrick.  Could that have meant you added the vanilla version of the kit, rather than your modded one (in which case you don't get fear immunity until level 15)?

I made Garrick a level 0 Skald in SK, leveled him up in-game, saved game and removed some extra HPs in SK again. I just rolled a Skald and leveled him up in SK. I found the test character's 'affects' in Garrick's list of affects list too, which suggest Garrick does have all the Rogue Rebalancing Skald properties (e.g. slower casting), but Garrick has many other affects as well. As I don't know what they mean, I'm hesitant to remove them. I'll make a separate test save once the party gets to meet some Greater Doppelgangers (maybe in Durlag's Tower) and the Wolf of Ulcaster with its dread howl (or whatever it's called).

Anyway, thanks for the suggestion. Good to know you've got some time to play again. Happy hunting in advance!