The Journal of the Insane Kensai, Playing a Kensai on Insane, spoilers and whatnot. Options

[pekkae]

Welcome. Again.

So we succumbed into "Insane".

We are looking to obliterate, again.

Our last crew with Vagrant spearheaded by Riskbreaker & Kensai was quite OP, except for the most difficult fight(s) as in the demogorgon-fight, which was extremely difficult. In the end H2H rules in almost all fights. However we botched our approach as in we didn't read the rules clear enough, so we managed to inflict quite a lot of pain for ourselves in the early parts of the game most notably in chapters 4-5, but we wanted to "play by the rules". In the end we obliterated though. That was the plan and it worked for some (most) parts at least. But in the end we weren't completely happy with our crew though.

However, we managed to dig a hole for ourselves forcing to re-think strategies and to survive, with very, very sub-optimal setup for good parts of the game. Managing to do this though, we think we have enough not to play on Core anymore - we can do it and do it easily. So we will up the difficulty. However, we think that with increased difficulty comes slightly different challenges. For example we think in we can't really tank with anything else than skinned characters, besides the DD ofc since it has about 50% physical resistance quite early. In that way it's about similar to tanking with a regular fighter on core rules, the result should be about the same. And since we did that already, we think we should be quite Ok tanking with a DD (with quite the increased divine spellcasting power that is)

But everyone else we need to protect we think. And we really need CS's, in the few difficult fights. So how do we construct a crew that has max skins, CS's, extreme spell casting capabilities together with great H2H (APR's & Thac0's)?

We think we have this solved. Ahem. Again.

The Rules

- No non-protagonist related drops & forging, though ...
- We get to forge MotA (as we don't get to forge anything else and it actually isn't even a drop, as we'll get the required items)
- We have 91 pts to distribute with the custom character we have
- We have the tomes from bg1 to spread among the crew
- Protector of the Woods is fixed to be usable by a Druid as well (it also fits the lore and it would be a shame to let it unused, since it's such a great item for a druid)
- Max HP's for NPC's
- We'll bend the rules just a little bit regarding a specific item later on in the game, but we are a bit hesitant to call it "cheating", since we can actually do it within the game's rules & it fits the lore as well. We won't abuse it though.
- A few (2-3) non-IA bonus items, to supplement item classes that don't have a lot of choices (two amulets & a belt).
- Rotating crew of party members in early chapters, as usual

***

Voilá our crew, we'll end up with:

Kensai (PC), the best damage dealer in the game we think. Needs to be protected, as otherwise will be toast immediately. Kensai gets the nod over Riskbreaker because it can use staves, so we can actually protect it in the early chapters, when RB is limited to dual wielding without range thus being subject of constant near-death experiences (due to myself being not that good of a player perhaps). Will get JD for dual wielding purposes later in the game for game breaking damage dishing. Will have skins in the end through JD. Gets the PC slot for early game superpowers. Played as Half-Orc with maxed stats from the beginning: (STR 19, DEX 18, CON 19, INT 9, WIS 18, CHA 9)

Korgan the Dwarven Defender. The only character that can tank in the game throughout all of the chapters, sort of. Is able to get about 40-50% physical resistance quite early in the game though abilities + innate physical resistance. This type of resistance also cannot be dispelled nor breached - a major, major bonus over any other type of (phys. resistance) tank. Combines very low AC with up-to 70% resistance to physical damage, which should keep him quite safe until the very end. That and 250-300 HP's with 100% fire resistance and so on. And ofc some timely healing from Cernd. Would play Korgan, but we don't like him so we take Minsc with Korgan's stats. So essentially we're playing a Korgan, who's nice and who carries a miniature giant space hamster around. We'd love to see that hamster in a fight one of these days.

Jaheira the Avenger. The best early game (H)2H damage disher. Amazing complimentary items and abilities, able to get to 6 APR with staffs / spears in chapter 2/3. Gets to summon the Clan Spirit. Gets Critical Strikes. Plays like a fighter, but with superpowers in the early game. Can tank in almost all fights and the one where she really can't, we have a plan for that fight. Gets the Golem Slayer, for... well, golem slaying purposes.

Imoen the Sorceress. Our archmage for top-notch arcane spellcasting superpowers. Will get MotA. A Necromancer gets +1 spells per level through levels 1-7 somewhere around level 30 or so we are thinking about giving her the same bonus spells. Can be silenced, so that's a big minus. Early access to amazing difficulty breaking spells though. We'll use them fully!

Cernd the Auramaster as the ultimate divine spell caster for prebuffing, debuffing & tanking golems and for summoning greater elementals, anacondas and the Smilodon. Will dominate encounters especially in chapters 4 & 5. An amazing healer & lich-killer. Insane amount spell slots. In later stages it will be Cernd's job to disable enemy casters and keep the crew alive with heals, regenerations & natural restorals. Especially those regen's will be in high demand, we think. Also, by the end he will be arguably the most powerful spellcaster in the realms, on par with a Necromancer, a lot better in a number of encounters, as powerful as a demi-god so a very worthy companion for a realms-roaming bhaalspawn.

Up to this point the crew is quite "conventional", as in nothing special besides the choice for the PC & the double-druid perhaps, though very, very powerful and almost solely NPC's with their original (IA) classes. What we are still lacking is H2H capabilities together with casting capabilities. We think there's only one character that we can use for this. Gets to cast everything besides ADHW, which it wouldn't cast anyway. Gets +1 spells per level. Gets critical strikes. Gets fighter Thac0's. Gets amazing equipment. Doesn't have great hit points but it's offset by being able to tank with skins & pfmw's & mirror images. Can also chain contigency properly & use triggers. We think she'll be great! Doesn't get IA but then again, without minuses in casting time IA is almost useless. Can also breach and tank enemies like a boss and is able to summon powerful allies for help. So a custom made gnomish Fighter/Illusionist, welcome! We think she'll be great! (STR 13, DEX 18, CON 18, INT 17, WIS 12, CHA 13).

So in the end ...

=> 5/6 are able to skin up (6/7 if we count the Clan Spirit).
=> The one that can't skin up has the best physical resistance & about the best AC in the game
=> 4/6 can go about critical striking awee'
=> 2/6 can clense auras with tremendous casting time bonuses (aura clensing without casting time bonuses is well, pointless)
=> We have the best casting ability both arcane & divine in the game
=> Effective use of the most powerful gear in the game

We think we'll break it, even on insane!

****

A few abbreviations we use in this Journal

Spells:

MS Minor Sequencer
SS Spell Sequencer
ST Spell Trigger
MS7 Monster Summoning 7 (7th level spell)
MS8 Monster Summoning 8 (8th level spell, troll)
MS9 Monster Summoning 9 (9 the level spell, greater yaun-ti)
CS Clan Spirit, Jaheira's summon
CC Chain Contigency (9th level arcane spell) / Chaotic Commands (5th level divine spell)
PfMW Protection from Magic Weapons
PfME Protection from Magic Energy
PftE Protection from the Elements
PfE PRotection from Energy
PfF Protection from Fire
PFL Protection from Lightning
PfC Protection from Cold
PfA Protection from Acid
GOi Globe of Invulnerability
ST Spell Truning
PO Polyomorph Other
IH Improved Haste
GM Greater Malision
DUHM Draw Upon Holy Might (Bhaalspawn ability / 2nd level divine spell)
IA Improved Alacrity (the 9th level arcane spell)
RRoR Ruby Ry of Reversal (the level arcane spell)
ADHW Abu Dalzim's Horrid Wilting (8th level arcane spell)
CoC Cone of Cold (5th level arcane spell)
AA Acid Arrow (2nd level arcane spell)
MM Magic Missile (1st level arcne spell)
SoA Shield of Archons


Stuffs & other's

AoP Amulet of Power
CF Crom Fayer
DoE Defender of Easthaven
CotW Circlet of the Woods
CotGF Citclet of the Golden Flowers
MotA Memory of the Apprenti
CS Critical Strike (Warrior HLA (high level ability))
F/M Fighter Mage, our custom made gnomish fighter/Illusionist
F/I our F/M
DD Dwarven Defender
OoR Oil of Resurgenrece

This post has been edited by pekkae: May 19 2022, 08:03 AM

[pekkae]

Supreme Leader

This is the first time we play the actual version of the fight, with non-bugged Githyaki's, in a loooong time. We max prebuff including chaotic commands for everyone (Cernd wonderous recalls these, as he's got oodles of wonderous recalls) + RvE:Regen pre-fight + Minor globes (from limited wish). Cernd runs to the second room while the rest of the crew pound Githyaki in the first room. Cernd goes aura clensing and drops some 10 or so Githyakis with doom + emotion combination then moves to summoning / flame arrows + chain lightnings. Once the rest of the crew has cleared the 1st room (doesn't take long), the most difficult part of the fight starts, as in we need to run to the blacksmiths taking the first batch of a gem + a coin + the rest with us while they should aggro Jaheira or F/M. If they go for Kensai we have to use our gam-breaking superpowers, as in "LOAD A GAME". Supreme Leader should stay on Cernd. We succeed about once in 4-5 tries or so, it's by far the most difficult part of the fight. We use horn of blasting here to clear the way bit sometimes, as it sometimes works and sometimes doesn't.

When we finally manage "the run" Jaheira then tanks the gem + coin while Imoen IA's (to 3xLR + ST: 3xLR + GM + SS:3xPO + 2-3xPO) to turn the first batch of gem & coin into chickens. DD + Jaheira takes out Stone & Clay golems. Then we take out a blacksmith, the inquisitors are nasty at this level but a regenerating (+ IH'd) Smildon is really good at tanking these. We take out Inquisitors one by one as a group, while leaving a coin & a gem battling a few swords, then after the Inquisitors are down take out the remaining blacksmith, and repeat. One inquisitor goes for Cernd, luckilyy at that point there's also a greater yuan-ti, greater djinn + an anaconda there with him. Once there's only supreme leader left we have 7 level 9 spells left so we start wishing for rest, which we get on the 6th try. It's needed this time as the dispel's get us 3 times or so, as we're just too lazy to be extra careful. This is doable without the wish:rest also, but we're not looking to consume our other resources here.

****
We end up cheating as we forgot the leader's 3xChain Lightning, so we end up lowering difficulty for the hit. We were prepared for ADHW. It's too much to ask to play through another 1,5-2 hours of micro management, because the enemy had a different trigger than what we remembered. We have oodles of 4th level spells left (Jaheir has all but one).
****


Demi-lich

Enter with alacricities, turn golems into chickens (triggers & casting time buffs), then whack demi-lich. Cernd under aura clensing with AoP can easily rebuff death wards after the dispel.


Saladrex

We lose on our first try because of the 3xADHW trigger. Cernd rules this fight. Max prebuffs (incl. double RvE:Regen, even though we're not actually sure if it works like that). Enter. Summon CS, Noble Spider Greater Djinn, Cernd aura clenses, 2-3xRRoR's then use triggers to breach + lower it's resistances - then we just whack while Cernd drops his whole spellbook on Saladrex (mostly unleash energy's though). We like the -4 Cernd.

Done and done.

(We didn't try chain lightnings but they would have probably also worked).


Theshal

Cernd drops the lich (1xRRoR & 5xImplosion). We loose the first try because of the ADHW trigger, which we forgot. Again. The rest we just whack away. F/M tanks yet again.


Marvella Part #1 (Steam Prince)
Marvella Part #2 (Ice & elemental golem)
Marvella Part #3 (Pasha)

All quite straightforward, but require a little bit of planning. We milk #2 to the max and #3 almost to the max (Pasha tanks & we regen him maybe 3 times + a few heals) The #2 we prebuff to the max, Imoen takes the initial purge & PFMW's as everyone move to whack ice golem with active CS's. DD takes aggro with 70% phys resistance & triple regen (RvE + 2xRegen) + elemental resistances.


Globe Machine

This requires a little bit of planning. Even the 2x ice golem + an elemental is quite a tough encounter here. We clear everything else besides the 4x Grave Liches + the last two golem encounters (so the 2x ice golem + elemental & the last golem encounter).

We'll be back for this.

****
Crew works s planned, as in very well on most encounters. The Saladrex - encounter for example is reduced to very simple & straightforward whack'a'thon without need for tactics that much.
****

This post has been edited by pekkae: May 21 2022, 04:06 PM