V7 run, after loooong break Options

[Shadan]

So, I will try to write my experiences with the game after a very long break from BG2.
No mods. only EoU, IA and IA Tweaks.


Started with:
Avanger prot: club**, dual w*, and then scimitar *
Custom RB: Flail ***, dual w***
Half-orc kensai: 2Hsowrd****, 2HW**

In Irenicus dungeon I relearned to handle the game... Traps and locks caused a problem, then I went for Yoshi (swapped Jaheira out), and was surprised when he didn't find traps also. Well, then I realized trap finding is a clickable skill...
Since I played DnD 2e since 1989 for more than 10+ years, then came v3.0, v3.5, Pathfinder etc., so I remember on spells quite good, but I was surprised when MAA DoT was not applied. Then I realized spells are changed in IA quite a lot, so I had to relearn them again.
Lesser elementals caused me a problem, I was not able to damage them with weapons. Imoen's spells were not enough to kill all 3 of them. At end I realized maybe summons can help, rested and bears + clan member killed them very fast.
I was a bit afraid of Ilyich, because I remember on my first IA game, when he killed my protagonist several times and I was hardly able to kill him. Now he was walk in the park. However my tactical skills in this game still abysmal.
PC used Str, 3 Wis and Cha tomes. RB used Con tome.

After the dungeon, I picked Sibel. Suddenly after an IRL memory flash I remembered that donation in temple is good in IA. So after a several tries and forum search I donated 4600 gold to get 3 reputations.

Then I did Circus, recruited Aerie. Moved to Slums. Killed annoying guy in Copper Coronet. Recruited Nalia as F->M (swapped out Minsc), recruited Anomen, Korgan and Hexxat. Leveled up Hexxat, increasing her PP skill in hope maybe later I can try some pick pocket things with her. Nalia used Int tome. Got Windspear Hills map. Then Bridge to trigger Neera. Government to get Umar map. Gate to get Trademeet quest.

Wild Forest. Swapped Nalia to Neera. Well, 2 ogres from polymorph trap used hardiness and GWW... Was a big surprise and a big death. Killed them on 2nd try.
Anyway I did 2 minor quests in Hidden Refugee, and left to Umar Hills.

A question: Shall I pay for Cowled Wizards later? I remember that in first BG2 runs, I've never payed, just killed them. But in IA maybe it is too much hindrace to skip arcane magic in the town.

This post has been edited by Shadan: Dec 21 2024, 11:26 PM

[Shadan]

My progress:
Planar Prison finished. Neera as a wild mage sometimes very annoying. Like when I am buffing from 10 mins, and she fizzles one important spell at end, like Impr. haste... However she saved me in PP several times. From Nahal's RD:
- She RRR-ed the elite Bounty Hunter.
- Nosave Emotion on yuant-ti mage under SI:Div+ Impr Inv.
- 2 succesfull RRR on Warden. All in all PP was not too hard on this level, but was a challenging a bit.

Planar Sphere:
Lavok: Was not too hard. Protag tanked Skelly Lords, others killed golems fats. I thought Lavok is a lich, but apparently, he was not. Neera RRR-ed from Nahal's after a several wild surge, and he was dead.
Tolgerias was a bit harder, because 2 mages were there.
Golems at engine were a nightmare however... 6 coins, 6 gems, 2 bone in three grp. It was hard to keep alive even Sibel, not to mention RB and kensai. And in 3rd fight I was out from IH and many important buffs. Drank 3 Clod Giant, 2 Invulnerable and 1 Defense potions before I engaged combat with 1st golems here.

I went to Cromwell after this:
- Phosphorous, yeah!
- Potion of Clear Thinking
- Improved Yeti Hide Cloak

However I am a bit confused. After forging I went back to the sphere and there is no sign of Solamnic knights and any Wizard stronghold stuffs. Shall I do anything else to get wizard SH? I haven't found anything else on net.