Vuki's experience with IA V5.0, Using a special party composition Options

[Vuki]

I started a new party because I was a little bit tired and bored with the previous one. My previous party was a usual IA party: sorcerer protagonist + barbarian + blade + ranger->cleric (dual) + cleric/mage (multi) + monk. I will surely continue my old game later on but at the moment I concentrate on the new party. Ok, so this is the new party composation (and their current statistics):

Protagonist: Lothar, a half-elf Vagrant: Chaotic Good; lvl 9th; Axe++, Flail++, Club++, two-weapon style+++
Barbie, the half-ork barbarian (he is a male! ): Chaotic Good; lvl 9th; 2H Sword++, Spear+, Quater Staff++, 2H weapon style++
Ince, the Inquisitor: Lawful Good; lvl 9th; 2H Sword++, Halberd++, Quater Staff+, 2H weapon style++
Rancle, the Ranger->Cleric (dual class): Neutral Good; lvl 7/9th; War Hammer++, Club++, Flail++, Mace++, Quater Staff+, two-weapon style+++
Berti, the Berserker->Thief (dual): Chaotic Neutral; lvl 9/10th; Long Sword++, Scimitar+, Short Sword+, Dagger+, Club++, Dart+, two-weapon style+++
Cernd, the Auramaster: True Neutral; lvl 11th; Scimitar+, Dagger+, Quater Staff+, Sling+

Yes, there is no arcane caster at all! And there will be no arcane caster in the future as well. I will replace sometimes Cernd with other NPCs to trigger their quest but not arcane caster NPC. That was my intention from the beginning and it is a concept and not an accident.

I think in a lot of cases it will make my life harder but some battles will be easier. Also I do not have to prebuff as much because I am not able to do as much prebuff as with an arcane caster. Life is good.

I will write here my experience with this party as I advance in the game. I will update my second post here (so, not this one). I will write it from the viewpoint of Lothar. Btw, I have no idea how I was able to find such a name. Lothar. In the other cases I think the naming logic is clear.

Ps. Sorry for my not so good English! I hope it would be still enjoyable.

Update:
Part 1 is finished
Part 2 is finished
Part 3 is finished
Part 4 is partially entered

This post has been edited by Vuki: Sep 1 2008, 09:33 AM

[Raven]

Vuki, I enjoyed reading about the battle with Conster! It might have been easier if you had tried to affect Conster with Insect Plague, but other than that I agree there was little that your party could do to stop his spells when he was protected by Absolute Immunity.

[Vuki]

Vuki, I enjoyed reading about the battle with Conster! It might have been easier if you had tried to affect Conster with Insect Plague, but other than that I agree there was little that your party could do to stop his spells when he was protected by Absolute Immunity.

The problem is that I can only cast the insect plague to the Skeleton Lords. Hmm, I could run a bit away from them to get closer to Conster and allow the Insect Plague to spread to him but my main target was to kill the Lords and not to be too close to Conster. But to be honest the real reason was that I forgot to try it.

I tried the battle with Firkraag several times but none was succesfull. I do not why but I am not able to disrupt their spells. My party made damage to him but his spellcasting is not failed (I made the damage while he was casting). Is it somehow related to his permanent alacrity effect? Anyway one of the biggest problem is that he casts improved haste and then he kills my party easily. BTW, is it a bug that I do not see what spells are active on him? Is the problem that his animation is to big to show the animation of the spells around him?

Update: It is a tricky method to summon something and then hit it to make it red (enemy) and then cast spells (like Insect Plague) on it instead of the invisible enemy. It is cheesy, isn't it?

This post has been edited by Vuki: Sep 1 2008, 01:38 PM

[Sikret]

I tried the battle with Firkraag several times but none was succesfull. I do not why but I am not able to disrupt their spells. My party made damage to him but his spellcasting is not failed (I made the damage while he was casting).

Dragons' spells can't be interrupted. It's a standard and correct ability they have.

BTW, is it a bug that I do not see what spells are active on him? Is the problem that his animation is to big to show the animation of the spells around him?

It's not a bug; dragons use different versions of most spells which have no visual effects.

Update: It is a tricky method to summon something and then hit it to make it red (enemy) and then cast spells (like Insect Plague) on it instead of the invisible enemy. It is cheesy, isn't it?

It's plain cheat to deliberately make your own summons hostile for any purpose.

[Vuki]

Dragons' spells can't be interrupted. It's a standard and correct ability they have.

Yes, I think they use it as an innate ability as I remember. Thanks for clarifying it.

It's not a bug; dragons use different versions of most spells which have no visual effects.

That is pity.

It's plain cheat to deliberately make your own summons hostile for any purpose.

It thought that it is not a good idea. Of course I have never used it (just to make it sure).

This post has been edited by Vuki: Sep 1 2008, 02:53 PM