V7 run (after years not playing IA) Options

[Sikret]

SPOILER!

What v7 new fight were you referring to after you did Bodhi? Just beat her (didn't find Howard's gloves though I did pick dungeon ..) and didn't immediately come across a new v7 fight?

SPOILER!

That's a Sibel encounter related to Howard's Gift.

[nicoper]

updated journal in first post, tag update 2

soon tree of life

Very nice new bosses fight for Druid quest and Sibel

This post has been edited by nicoper: Jun 22 2024, 11:19 PM

[kilorew]

+1 Vouch for new fights, particularly the druid quest fights have been great I do love the 'chaotic survival' type fights. Great job on those ones guys.

SPOILER!

Is that the end for the Druid quest, or is there one more with the Diviner?

Also noticed I failed in getting the robe of the apprenti, is this a thing now without a mage protag or was there always a chance of failure?

Great journal always interesting to see another perspective.

This post has been edited by kilorew: Jun 23 2024, 12:03 AM

[nicoper]

Also noticed I failed in getting the robe of the apprenti, is this a thing now without a mage protag or was there always a chance of failure?

afaik, there was always a failure chance for non-mage protag (even mage, i am not sure apart 100% for necroprotag)

Great journal always interesting to see another perspective.

thanks a lot kilorew

This post has been edited by nicoper: Jun 23 2024, 12:15 AM

[critto]

+1 Vouch for new fights, particularly the druid quest fights have been great I do love the 'chaotic survival' type fights. Great job on those ones guys.

Thanks, glad you liked it :-)

SPOILER!

This is it for now for the druid content. It might seem like not much, but it took surprisingly long to accomplish. We might add more content to the druid quest in the future, I've intentionally left the space for it in the new area.

[nicoper]

A question related to Sibel, is Lady Elowen around in TOB or not?

[SparrowJacek]

Yes, she'll be available in ToB too.

[nicoper]

Yes, she'll be available in ToB too.

thanks sparrow!

[pekkae]

Great journal, thanks!

I also appreciate the spoiler-tags, as I'm looking to find out things for myself but I really appreciate that there's easy help available if needed.

You have 2 sorceresses, right? What do you use for spell selection / equipment for them?

[nicoper]

Hi pekkae, thank you for the kind words

First I did chapter 1-3 with just Nalia (mainly to use scrolls of RRoR and breach) as mage
Neera and Imoen picked late chapter 3 and in spellhold

spells (pick order for 4+),

Neera
L1: NRD, friends (to bargain with ring of human influence late game), CO, MM, LMD
L2: RoE, MAA, blurr, MI, resist fear
L3: FA, VT, RM, MMM, LB
L4: RoF, Minor disruption, GM, stoneskin, emotion
L5: Larloch Interrupter, LR, breach, SI
L6: PFME, CL, IH, GOI
L7: limited wish, MS V, SS, ST
L8: spell trigger, MS VI, ADHW, foreknowledge
L9: CC, WISH, AI, timestop
HLA: DB, alacrity, Energy blades etc (no matter the order)

Imoen
L1: CO, MM, BH, LMD, prot from petrification (why not?)
L2: Agannazar, blurr, invisibility, MI, MAA
L3: haste, MMM, RM, FA, VT
L4: RoF, Minor disruption, stoneskin, emotion, fireshield blue
L5: Breach, sunfire, SI, LR
L6: IH, CL, GOI, pfmw
L7: RRoR, SS, mordekain, DU
L8: Spell trigger, ADHW, PFE, foreknowledge
L9: WISH, CC, MS VII, Bigby
HLA: Alacrity, DB, Energy blades etc (no matter the order)

items; focus on bonus to spellcasting items, Imoen; Vecna+ pendant, Neera amulet of Styx + greater robe of invocation
Weapons just undoer +5 on Imoen has its uses (+3 staff for Neera)

[nicoper]

updated journal tag update 3

[Sikret]

Thanks for the journal, Nico!

Tough wonderful fight, think I will not run without Sibel anymore in IA thumb.gif

That's the spirit.

A couple of questions:

Why didn't you forge Reinforced Staff of Strength for your Kensai? It's the best 2H weapon for a Kensai.

Why Supreme Shelter? Shield of the Missionnaire is better for Sibel.

Was it a calculated decision to use 8 chunks of amber to forge Hammer of Thor? It means 4 fewer Lady Elowen upgrades, because those 8 chunks could have been used to make 4 reinforced chunks of amber.

[SparrowJacek]

Apart Illasera fight were I did prebuff a lot, very simple and straightforward way to prepare and deal with fights, IH on Shaman/RB/Sibel/Kensaï

Why exactly do you cast IH on Shaman? Is he any good in melee without his transformation? And that transformation comes with its own IH effect.

Supreme Leader, a bit easier than I remembered (because shaman protag?)

There were a few changes to this fight, though the main difference is that now you should be able to hit Supreme Leader with good thac0 rolls, not only with critical hits.

[pekkae]

Apart Illasera fight were I did prebuff a lot, very simple and straightforward way to prepare and deal with fights, IH on Shaman/RB/Sibel/Kensaï

Why exactly do you cast IH on Shaman? Is he any good in melee without his transformation? And that transformation comes with its own IH effect.

While it's not my run but.

The basic Shaman with paws + strength increase is a decent damage dealer. On my first 6.6. run I used Shaman extensively in the early parts vs plethora of enemies. And for IH, it gives you 4 instead of 3 APR. I ofcourse had the half-orc version with 19str so he was pretty pumped naturally early game. And of course Shaman gets to 5-6 skins quite fast, outpacing an avenger for example by a mile in the early parts.

Supreme Leader, a bit easier than I remembered (because shaman protag?)

There were a few changes to this fight, though the main difference is that now you should be able to hit Supreme Leader with good thac0 rolls, not only with critical hits.

No more -35?

This post has been edited by pekkae: Jun 28 2024, 12:56 PM

[pekkae]

Hi pekkae, thank you for the kind words

First I did chapter 1-3 with just Nalia (mainly to use scrolls of RRoR and breach) as mage
Neera and Imoen picked late chapter 3 and in spellhold

spells (pick order for 4+),

Neera
L1: NRD, friends (to bargain with ring of human influence late game), CO, MM, LMD
L2: RoE, MAA, blurr, MI, resist fear
L3: FA, VT, RM, MMM, LB
L4: RoF, Minor disruption, GM, stoneskin, emotion
L5: Larloch Interrupter, LR, breach, SI
L6: PFME, CL, IH, GOI
L7: limited wish, MS V, SS, ST
L8: spell trigger, MS VI, ADHW, foreknowledge
L9: CC, WISH, AI, timestop
HLA: DB, alacrity, Energy blades etc (no matter the order)

Imoen
L1: CO, MM, BH, LMD, prot from petrification (why not?)
L2: Agannazar, blurr, invisibility, MI, MAA
L3: haste, MMM, RM, FA, VT
L4: RoF, Minor disruption, stoneskin, emotion, fireshield blue
L5: Breach, sunfire, SI, LR
L6: IH, CL, GOI, pfmw
L7: RRoR, SS, mordekain, DU
L8: Spell trigger, ADHW, PFE, foreknowledge
L9: WISH, CC, MS VII, Bigby
HLA: Alacrity, DB, Energy blades etc (no matter the order)

items; focus on bonus to spellcasting items, Imoen; Vecna+ pendant, Neera amulet of Styx + greater robe of invocation
Weapons just undoer +5 on Imoen has its uses (+3 staff for Neera)

Thanks! Much more diverse than my lists, but then again I used max 1 sorceress in my games.

No Protection from fire or cold?

You don't use Giant Strength? (should be pretty good on the Shaman)

Where do you use lightning bolt (i've had that on a few runs but I never seemed to use it...)

[pekkae]

Grave liches I wonder how to deal with, shaman can protect himself from silence, but damaging liches.....all others can harm liches a lot, but silence + dispel + stellar gravestone(s) means death

SPOILER!

You have time stop? why don't you just time stop, debuff liches (it's 3x rror or so per lich), remove magic x N and let fighters handle the rest?

And silence shouldn't matter that much because Shaman can nullify it (temporarily). Or used to be able to in 6.6.

[nicoper]

Why didn't you forge Reinforced Staff of Strength for your Kensai? It's the best 2H weapon for a Kensai.

I used to forge ASoS for my 2H Kensaï, but staff of the ram is for me the best blunt 2H weapons, and with new items and lum the mad machine, my half-orc Kensaï reaches 25 str
I can still forge RSoS (and will) if I meet Lady Elowen to test it

Why Supreme Shelter? Shield of the Missionnaire is better for Sibel.

I (may be wrongly) estimated shield of the Missionnaire to be available much later, you are right Missionnaire is much better.

Was it a calculated decision to use 8 chunks of amber to forge Hammer of Thor? It means 4 fewer Lady Elowen upgrades, because those 8 chunks could have been used to make 4 reinforced chunks of amber.

Yes, I still have one reinforced and 6 regular chunks in bag

Why exactly do you cast IH on Shaman? Is he any good in melee without his transformation? And that transformation comes with its own IH effect.

Shaman also fights without transformation so IH just in case

No Protection from fire or cold?

Sibel and Shaman take this into account

You don't use Giant Strength? (should be pretty good on the Shaman)

No, I would use it if I had a mage, for sorceresses, other spells much more precious at L6

Where do you use lightning bolt (i've had that on a few runs but I never seemed to use it...)

Anti-inquisitors, Elite fire giants, Demogorgon fight come to mind. Not a lot of fights, but in those LB has an important part

Grave liches I wonder how to deal with, shaman can protect himself from silence, but damaging liches.....all others can harm liches a lot, but silence + dispel + stellar gravestone(s) means death

SPOILER!

You have time stop? why don't you just time stop, debuff liches (it's 3x rror or so per lich), remove magic x N and let fighters handle the rest?

And silence shouldn't matter that much because Shaman can nullify it (temporarily). Or used to be able to in 6.6.

SPOILER!

Debuffing Liches is not that difficult with or without timestop
Use of TS was meant to minimize the time (so the damage) liches have Under pfmw
Mages were lvl 27, may be wrongly did not think RM could work

Shaman just can protect himself from silence (for a short while) or I missed something

This post has been edited by nicoper: Jun 28 2024, 01:59 PM

[pekkae]

SPOILER!

Shaman just can protect himself from silence (for a short while) or I missed something

Just checked this. Apparently that's changed. Previous version (6.6) SoL can be cast on anyone.

You don't use Giant Strength? (should be pretty good on the Shaman)

No, I would use it if I had a mage, for sorceresses, other spells much more precious at L6

I ended abandoning GOI for GS. I concluded that in my game I need GS all the time, but GOI is really needed for only a few fights. And for those, there's numerous scrolls available.

This post has been edited by pekkae: Jun 28 2024, 02:10 PM

[Sikret]

I used to forge ASoS for my 2H Kensaï, but staff of the ram is for me the best blunt 2H weapons, and with new items and lum the mad machine, my half-orc Kensaï reaches 25 str

Reinforced Staff of Strength is the best 2h blunt weapon in the game. It is not just about the STR bonus, but mainly for the weapon's average damage output.

I also see that as per my prediction, RB surpassed kensai's kill rate in your game.

[nicoper]

You don't use Giant Strength? (should be pretty good on the Shaman)

No, I would use it if I had a mage, for sorceresses, other spells much more precious at L6

I ended abandoning GOI for GS. I concluded that in my game I need GS all the time, but GOI is really needed for only a few fights. And for those, there's numerous scrolls available.

That's a big part of the fun with IA, we all have different ways to build very strong and optimal parties.

To me main thing to consider having strong and optimal builds is to think globally on party and how you will handle each type of fights (meaning the tough ones)

Here for example I have 3 fighters (Sibel/RB/Kensaï) with 25 STR through items, my mages are here to support and distract enemies, so having many layers and being able to refresh them under alacrity is important (against liches, dragons, mages, ..) even a silenced mage with 3 layers can keep busy a dragon RRoRing for some precious spans (instead of lowering resistance and breathing)

I would say there is not a supreme way to use a sorcerer, but there definitely is a way to optimize a sorcerer in a given party according the strategies you consider to use.

It is always very interesting to exchange with other players on this, it gives ideas and hints. How do you use JAN? I confess I tried once to use him, have to admit I was poor a it, but I see that many players consider him as a very valuable partner.