IAv5 experiences Options

[Shadan]

As Ryel asked, I will write about my party and my game also here. I was not able to resist to start the game, despite of I wanted to start only in some weeks, when I will have more time. smile.gif
I hesitated alot with my party selection. I wanted 5 man party earlier, but after reading Sikret's progression, I changed my mind to 6 man party. I wanted to use at least 3-4 custom NPC, but hesitated abit on 1-2 bioware NPC also. Since I am an attribute fun, at end I started with 6 custom made chars. Maybe in v6, I will do with Bioware NPCs again, and it seems druid protagonist. smile.gif

So my party:
Human vagrant (as usual:)):
I gave long sword **, axe, club, flail * and 2weapons *** to him. Luckily I pickpocketed an Enchanted Weapon scroll for my mage, so in dire situations I am able to give him +3 long swords and +3 maces to my cleric. I have The Root of the Problem and Flametongue now, so at lvl 9 I put 2nd * in the club. And I think I will increase his flail skill at lvl 12.

Human swashbuckler lvl 10 - fighter:
This character gave the most thinking to me. Finally I chosed staff** and 2handed weapons ** for him. At lvl 10 I changed him to fighter. Now he is lvl 8 and has halberd **** and 2handed sword **. He will be very versatile character in damage type (halberd - piercing, staff -crushing, 2handed swords - slashing). I chose him to handle locks, traps and illusions, so he has 100 % pick lock, find trap and detect illusion. I want to buy Harmonium halberd for him, if I will have money for this, since 19 Str is huge upgrade considered to pure 18.

And the four sisters:
Half-elf blade
I liked Haer'Dalis in my 4.2 run, so I chose blade again. Reasons are in this topic in my former post. I hesitated alot between Haer and custom NPC, I chose custom cause of better attribute distribution and earlier join, but I lost easy upgradable Chaos Blade and ** in short sword. I started her with scimitar, katana *, 2weapons: **, but since I haven't found any magic weapon for her, she used Melf's Minute Meteor in fights. Sadly it is bugged with offensive spin as I wrote in bug report topic, but she was very good with MMM anyway. Now I have got Rashad's Talon which is a great weapon for her. She has 18 charisma and with a Friends she has 24, which means almost best buying price.
There were no need in good tanks so early in the game as I am now, but later she will be the best tank ever. smile.gif And she did a wonderful pickpocket tour at start, and I am planning to do it again after I get back to the city.

Human ranger 7 - cleric:
I dualled her immidiately after start. She started with 2weapons ***, warhammer**, shield and sword **, flail *. As cleric, I chose mace *, sling *, club * and put 2nd point into mace at lvl 8. The main reason to chose her above Anomen (who was great in my 4.2run) is Ironskin, better attributes, and some druidic summon at start. Price was loosing the option of 5* proficiencies, Anomen’s doesn’t have any good improveable item. She will use the usual maces, hammers mostly.

Elf sorcerer:
She is the 6th member who was not in my original party conception. She has the following spells (* means she had that spell at start):
lvl 1: Armor*, Shield*, Spook*, Magic M.*, Larloch’s M. Dr.*
lvl 2: Melf’s AA*, Horror*, Mirror Image*, Vocalize
lvl 3: Flame Arrow*, Skull Trap*, Vampiric Touch, Slow (Remove Magic planned)
lvl 4: Emotion, Spider Spawn (Ray of Fragmentation and Stoneskin planned)
lvl 5: Breach (Lower Resistance, Sunfire planned)

Half-elf summoner:
I hesitated alot between Nalia and custom NPC. Nalia has a nice upgradeable ring, but a specialist mage is better at start. Decision was made since I WANT to cast that damned Wish with her.

I am basically following Sikret’s quest order. Well, more or less and mostly only at start. I did some pick pocket tour after circus (I was lucky to get a Spell Trap Scroll, 2 Mord. Sword scroll and some others, but no manual or Perm. Scroll), then I went out to Umar and Trademeet. I encountered with Suna earlier, and she suprised me, but after reload and some spell casted before map change, I easy managed them. Fladorn was a bit hard, but when I killed her, I made 1st challenge immidiately after rest. It was funny, since I thought I am itemless again, and started my usual Faldorn tactic, after 2 rounds I realized I have weapons, so beat that druid very fast. smile.gif Rakshasa in the tower were not too big challenge. I went back to Trademeet for rewards. Now I will go back to the city, and will do some minor quests when I have time to play again. At this time I won’t follow Sikret’s order, but mostly I will do those quests what he did, just not in that order.
My only big concern are Crowled Wizards. In my 4.2 run I didn’t pay to them. I killed their members easily, but the last fight was very very hard. I was able to kill them only just before I went to Spellhold (I did all available quests in chapter 3 in that game as well as WK 1st and 2nd lvl). I was not allowed to cast arcane spells on the streets, but as far as I remember this was not so big problem in that game, not too many fights are on the street. Now maybe Anarg and his followers could cause problem. My only headache was Borinal, since it was a very hard fight with new enemies in my 4.2 run, and I was not able to cast defensive spells before his door, so I had to go to Oghma temple for casting. Now I don’t know if I should pay, or suffer a bit hindrace sometimes while I am not able to kill their lasts members.
End of my report now.

New part
I was not able to resist playing a while yesterday. I pickpocketed a large part of the city and I've got a Helm of Glory. (If it is a cheesy, I can tell the location, Sikret.) Well I can do a paper armor from Identify and Shocking Grasp scrolls what I pickpocketed. smile.
I also killed Valeria and her goons. They surprised me, when I went in with badly injured chars while Iexplored the city and did the pikcpocket tour, so I had to reload. smile.gif) And did the tanner quest.
End of my report now.

This post has been edited by shadan: Jan 14 2008, 05:48 PM

[Shadan]

I did almost all SoA, I am in elven city now. I did all quests and fights except Twisted Rune, Viper Queen, Orcus and the new ranger quests. I did 1st and 2nd level in WK also. I am planning to kill dragon in elven city, and wait with Tree of Life and Hell till I do all other quests and probably 1 more level in WK. Sadlt Delon havent appeared yet despite some time passed after I killed Shade Lord. Hope it is not broken, or I haven’t missed him somehow.
The game was surprisingly easy after I came out from Underdark. I am sure next time I will do Shade Lord, Teshal, Firkraag, pirates in the dock, barbarian attackers in bard stronghold, Troll King & Queen before Spellhold even if I will get Improved Spellhold for high level. These fights was so easy in chapter 6... Samia & co was easy also, but I am not sure if I can do it before Spellhold without many reloads. Same with sewer party... Both group are too hard in chapter 3, but too easy in chapter 6.
Fights which were good in chapter 6:
Improved Slaver HQ (cause of traps there + ring guardians from The Four + a surprise fight there)
post Firkraag assassin quest
Teshal together with Skeleton Grandlords and elemental lich
Trademeet Tomb cause of antimagic
Chromatic Demon (WK 1st and 2nd level is easy, however you cannot finish 1st level in chapter 3 probably due to Spider Queen)

As Sikret wrote: money is big concern. To tell the truth I am a bit frustrated by money. According to Sikret, you will have to chose among 2 paths: you spend money on potions or on upgrades. I have never bought any strength or healing potions (only some Magic Shielding and Prot. from Magic), what else I sold almost all healing potions what I have found. I bought only some important spells and items, always with max. possible reputation and with 24 Cha. I always sold items on highest possible price. I am almost finished SoA as you see and despite this there are many important or mediocre important upgrades which I was not able to do due to lack of money. Here is a short list (maybe not full since I am writing this at my work from memory): Supreme Shelter, Poseidon’s Wrath, Hammer of Thor, Warblade +5, Improved Cat and Spider figurine, Robe of Elemental Resistance, Cutthroat+5. I did 1 Cloak of Protection +3, but If I would skip that, I could make only 1 item from the previous list. And you cannot do Cloak +3 in ToB, so you have to do it in SoA. Maybe prices/drops are too nerfed in v5 compared to my v4.2 run. Or maybe scrolls from mage stronghold gave so much money in 4.2 to me, so I didn’t have this kind of problem. All in all I think some prices should be a bit lower in v6...

[Vardaman]

All in all I think some prices should be a bit lower in v6...

I agree, the prices of most upgrades increased dramatically for v5 while the sell prices of gems (like the ones you get from Gem golems) dropped. The price multiplier for selling at the Sahuagin temple was also removed. The way it stands now, you may have to wait until TOB to make some of your upgrades.

Some, like the improved Boots of the Ranger Lord, cost 250K+ just for improved Haste and a few points of Dex. Who's going to ever forge that? The last upgrade is just gravy and shouldn't cost 125K itself.

And the chunks of Amber should be worth more than 600 gold. They're tougher than Coin Golems and yet you get less gp for killing them.

This post has been edited by Vardaman: Feb 20 2008, 01:59 PM