Mongerman's IA4.1 adventure Options

[Mongerman]

Hello all. I started with IA3 and left it due to work commitments. Hopefully i'll be able to finish IA4.1 this time round. Before I start, I'll explain my choice of protagonist, planned party etc etc. Hopefully this will be of some help to all players.

Choice of protagonist : Blade with maxed str/dex/int, 16 con, 3 wis, 15 cha.

Why: It was a tough choice between a f/m as recommanded by thetruth, and my own previous experiences with the blade. However, the blade finally wins out as:

1. With offensive spin and tensers, the Blade's thaco is equivalent (give or take minus 1) to the f/m.
2. With un-nerfed tables (recommanded component of IA), blade gets lvl 7 spells
3. By soloing the un-modded parts of the game, a blade can reach lvl 12-13. Which means when I pick up my party, they will all be at a higher level, as opposed to being xp hogs
4. I hate haer delis
5. I have a blade from BG1 tutu

With my choice of protagonist made, I know I will miss out on the expanded mage/ranger quest. maybe next time.

Choice of NPCs
1.A multiplayer created R/C kicked out till i reach desired level to recruit NPCs.
2. Nalia, to be replaced by Imoen
3. Minsc SK'd to berserker
4. Keldorn

I'll post again once I get underway.

Regards

This post has been edited by Mongerman: Apr 23 2007, 01:56 PM

[thetruth]

However, the blade finally wins out as:

1. With offensive spin and tensers, the Blade's thaco is equivalent (give or take minus 1) to the f/m.

It's true that with T.Transformation the Blade will have an equivalent THACO to the F/M, but please DON'T use it. Trust me

With TT the Blade will be trapped since he will not be able to cast any spell for many rounds and he will need to cast again his buffs in the tough battles of IA.

The enemies of IA will bring down your protective spells in no time and if you are not able to renew them then the Bard becomes a plain Fighter.

Moreover TT cannot even be dispelled, so your only option will be to cast spells from scrolls.

Also I recommend to choose between Nalia or Imoen. This way you will not have any waste of XP.
Nalia gets some nice items made for her in IA + you will have her from the beginning (though I like Immy more).

[Mongerman]

Played for awhile. And already I'm ready to tear my hair out. For blade fans, just be aware that the item randomization program has really made the beginning of the game a whole new and very tough experience. Also, now that kundane and belm are off limits till mid game, its even worse.

Anyway, thanks for the feedback thetruth. Better that I restart now then late game.

[thetruth]

Played for awhile. And already I'm ready to tear my hair out. For blade fans, just be aware that the item randomization program has really made the beginning of the game a whole new and very tough experience. Also, now that kundane and belm are off limits till mid game, its even worse.

Anyway, thanks for the feedback thetruth. Better that I restart now then late game.

Note that the Blade can still be a very useful class in IA (Haer'Dalis was for my party).
I just say that the F/M is a better choice for your PC (additional content for Mages) and a more powerful class in IA.

[Mongerman]

I am aware of how useful the blade can be. However, early game blades depend on

1. Pickpocketing from shops for cash
2. Robe of vecna, belt of hill giant str and vhailor's helm
3. rush for kundane and belm

All of which has been nerfed by IA. Blades are now feasible only mid game, when your party has gathered the necessay equipment. While I am quite confident of making through the early game with extensive use of offensive/defensive spin, it is VERY exasperating. Think I might just break my habit and start off with a full party from the beginning, something I haven't done since my first BG game!

This post has been edited by Mongerman: Apr 23 2007, 04:02 PM

[Mongerman]

Update: Restarted the game as a f/m, and have completed most of the un-modded parts solo except for trademeet. Picked up korgan, nalia, yoshi and my multi-player created R/C for suna and party though, before dumping them again.

I'll pick up my final party members after trademeet. Hopefully my f/m will be 10/11 by then, so that edwin will be at least lvl 10. Decided on edwin over nalia. +3 extra spells per lvl is just too good to pass up even for a good party. I'll just convince myself that my protagonist is smart enough to realise the usefulness of edwin, even if he is a SOB.

Current equipment - short sword +2, arbane's sword, helm of balduran, 2 rings of prot +1.

I'm taking a day's break. IA is knda frustrating at the early lvls, even for a f/m. Luckily i had experience from IA3, or i might have given up at all the improved mages and clerics already.

Right now, I'm thinking of SKing one character to a thief/fighter or Swashbuckler. Candidates are Viccy for f/t or Nalia for Swashie. More inclined toward Nalia atm. Will decide when I'm ready to dive into IA4 again. New final party will be

1. F/M
2. R/C
3. Minsc SK'ed to berserker
4. Edwin
5. Nalia SK'ed to Swashbuckler

This post has been edited by Mongerman: Apr 24 2007, 04:02 PM

[thetruth]

Update: Restarted the game as a f/m, and have completed most of the un-modded parts solo except for trademeet. Picked up korgan, nalia, yoshi and my multi-player created R/C for suna and party though, before dumping them again.

I'll pick up my final party members after trademeet. Hopefully my f/m will be 10/11 by then, so that edwin will be at least lvl 10. Decided on edwin over nalia. +3 extra spells per lvl is just too good to pass up even for a good party. I'll just convince myself that my protagonist is smart enough to realise the usefulness of edwin, even if he is a SOB.

Current equipment - short sword +2, arbane's sword, helm of balduran, 2 rings of prot +1.

I'm taking a day's break. IA is knda frustrating at the early lvls, even for a f/m. Luckily i had experience from IA3, or i might have given up at all the improved mages and clerics already.

Right now, I'm thinking of SKing one character to a thief/fighter or Swashbuckler. Candidates are Viccy for f/t or Nalia for Swashie. More inclined toward Nalia atm. Will decide when I'm ready to dive into IA4 again. New final party will be

1. F/M
2. R/C
3. Minsc SK'ed to berserker
4. Edwin
5. Nalia SK'ed to Swashbuckler

The only problem if you take Edwin in your party is that you won't be able to have a rep. of 20, needed in order to start a new quest.

I don't know if you can dump Edwin, reach a rep. of 20, complete the new quest (which has 2 very difficult battles) and then take again Edwin.

Anyway in IA there is a very powerful ring made for Nalia:

De'Arnise Signet Ring
Ring of Fire Resistance
Ring of Protection +2
Ring of Acuity
Two Scrolls of Memory Boosting
50,000 gp

-> De'Arnise Signet Ring (Enhanced)

AC: +3 bonus
Saving throws: +3 bonus
Fire resistance: +90%
Nalia can memorize two additional spells per spell level

This will make her as good as Edwin (power-wise).

[Mongerman]

I'll be taking edwin nevertheless, at least until I can forge that ring for nalia...

[Sikret]

Right now, I'm thinking of SKing one character to a thief/fighter or Swashbuckler. Candidates are Viccy for f/t or Nalia for Swashie. More inclined toward Nalia atm. Will decide when I'm ready to dive into IA4 again. New final party will be

1. F/M
2. R/C
3. Minsc SK'ed to berserker
4. Edwin
5. Nalia SK'ed to Swashbuckler

Do you mean Sk'ing Nalia to a single class swashbuckler or to a dual-class Swashbuckler mage? If the former, then her new ring will not be useful for her even if you forge it. None of your other party members have also any specific items to be upgraded by IA. You can probably replace your custom R/C with Valygar and add a cleric (either Anomen or a custom one) as your 6th party member. In this way you can, at least, upgrade Valygar's armor and Katana. Anomen's shield is also upgradable (unless you have some other plan for your 6th party member).

[Mongerman]

Nalia will be a dual class swash/mage, or probably a pure thief/mage with higher thief levels. I plan to use her as my main thief, with high detect illusion and traps. Potion of thievery will settle the rest.

6 slot is reserved for sarevok or imoen. No offence sikret, but I'm not really a fan of valygar, despite his prowess and improved items

[Mongerman]

Update. I've completed all unmodded quests with my solo f/m, bringing him to lvl 10/11. I then picked up Minsc, Nalia and my custom r/c.

f10/m11
+2 scimitar
Arbane's sword
helm of charm protection
adventurer's robe

r8/c8
gnasher
+1 mace
plate mail
helm of infravision

minsc SKed lvl 11 berserker
+1 flail
shield of harmony
platemail +1
ring of protection x2
cloak of sewers
helm of balduran

Nalia lvl SKed 9 thief lvl 10 mage
naked. She has absolutely nothing except the stuff she came with.

Either the unseeing eye or de'arnise keep is next. Will prob be picking keldorn up as well. once my average character lvl is 12.

As thetruth states, the f/m is a true powerhouse.

This post has been edited by Mongerman: Apr 25 2007, 03:26 PM

[Mongerman]

Update: Cleared de'arnise keep. Its not as difficult as I remembered in IA3. Then again, perhaps I was better prepared. What i really liked (and didnt notice in IA3) was how the improved creatures switched targets. Glacias especially, for when he realised he couldnt hit Minsc more then half the time, he promptly switched and started attacking my r/c. Great AI modification there.

Good call making the new monster stick close to torgal as well, since I remember in IA3 you could lure out torgal alone and tank him with just one beserker.

From what I've seen and read, IA4 seems to require more melee and tanking power then magic alone.

So far, the biggest problem is inventory management. I'm hoarding everything I can except ammo to sell in the sahuagin city to raise funds for the hugely expensive stuff in IA4, and all my charcter inventories are close to bursting. I am so tempted to SK in a few bags of holding right now...

This post has been edited by Mongerman: Apr 27 2007, 05:22 AM

[Sikret]

There is a new bag of holding available in chapter 2 if you can just find it. I really don't think that you will be looking for spoilers about its exact location.

[angiras]

I CLUA'd in a bag of holding (bag04) at the beginning of my run, but not the bottomless one. I hate having to micromanage my inventory or stash stuff all over the game, and refuse to play without a bag. But even so my bag is full, and I havent even finished act III yet. Is it possible that the 'new bag' of holding is an additonal bag, different from the 04 version you usually find in spellhold?

[Sikret]

I CLUA'd in a bag of holding (bag04) at the beginning of my run, but not the bottomless one. I hate having to micromanage my inventory or stash stuff all over the game, and refuse to play without a bag. But even so my bag is full, and I havent even finished act III yet. Is it possible that the 'new bag' of holding is an additonal bag, different from the 04 version you usually find in spellhold?

Yes, the bag is a "new" one and it has double capacity compared to the one you find in spellhold. It's appearance is also different.

[Roy]

The new bag with double the capicity won't slow down the game?

[Sikret]

The new bag with double the capicity won't slow down the game?

No, don't worry. It's just the bottomless bag which may slowdown your game.

[Mongerman]

Update: I'm done with the unseeing eye. Still have a problem with the inventory. I have a vague remembrence of where the bag os holding is. Thing is, I'm too scared to go get it yet haha. My typical battle is now

Minsc charges in with his low ac to tank.
Buffed up f/m casts malison, then jumps right into the fray
r/c cast insect swarm, then jumps right in
Nalia casts chaos, emotion etc etc
Keldorn guards nalia and cast dispel and true sight if need be.

This order works well for most of the athkatla improved battles with some micomanagement.

[update] Amazing how quickly i've had to eat my words. I've just encountered Tougher Tarnor the Hatchetman and party, and damn were they tough. Someone please tell me they were meant for a lvl 14 party so I know I'm not dumb or something. My usual tactics did nothing against them. I wont post spoilers, just be aware they are bloody tough for a lvl 11-12 party. Managed to defeat them after several tries, but it was very exasperating. No point in trying to kill the mage early, so take out the rest first, and save the mage for last.

This post has been edited by Mongerman: Apr 29 2007, 11:42 AM

[Mongerman]

Forged clock of prot +2 and ring of prot +3 for minsc. Am totally broke. Next stop, planar prison. Anyway, any idea where I can get more laerel's tear necklaces?

[Sikret]

You can forge as many protection cloaks and rings as you wish; they are not too expensive. But then, it won't be easy to save money for the bigger and more expensive item upgrades. Perhaps, it's a good idea to have a longterm agenda for items you want to forge in each game and to save money for them as well.