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

[Raven]

Only single class mages have access to the 'most powerful' Wish options (rest and double Alacrity/Time Stop), but dual class mages still have access to the Improved Alacrity HLA.

[Vuki]

Only single class mages have access to the 'most powerful' Wish options (rest and double Alacrity/Time Stop), but dual class mages still have access to the Improved Alacrity HLA.

Ok. So, I think it is ok if I keep this party and my multi mage will not learn Improved Alacrity and do not use this wish options. Am I right?

BTW Raven, do you think that my multi cleric will be enough? Or should I replace her with Anomen?

This post has been edited by Vuki: Jun 29 2009, 02:54 PM

[Raven]

Only single class mages have access to the 'most powerful' Wish options (rest and double Alacrity/Time Stop), but dual class mages still have access to the Improved Alacrity HLA.

Ok. So, I think it is ok if I keep this party and my multi mage will not learn Improved Alacrity and do not use this wish options. Am I right?

If you do that then your multiclass mage will be under the same restrictions as they will be in v6, yes.

BTW Raven, do you think that my multi cleric will be enough? Or should I replace her with Anomen?

I would recommend not relying on a multiclass cleric as your only divine caster, so replacing that character with Anomen sounds like a good idea yes.

[Vuki]

Ok, thanks, I will do this way.

[Shadan]

Imho Ranger7>Cleric dual is better than Anoman. But you need a single class or early dual class cleric, that is sure.

[Vuki]

Imho Ranger7>Cleric dual is better than Anoman. But you need a single class or early dual class cleric, that is sure.

I agree, but I have already advanced a bit in the game and I am too lazy to restart. Or do you know any way to import newly created character to the game? Is it possible to modify Anomen to be a custom character? Rename it by SK, modify class and XP (it should be reduced because he has more XP). Will the game identify him as not Anomen? Could it cause problem?

[Raven]

Imho Ranger7>Cleric dual is better than Anoman. But you need a single class or early dual class cleric, that is sure.

I agree, but I have already advanced a bit in the game and I am too lazy to restart. Or do you know any way to import newly created character to the game? Is it possible to modify Anomen to be a custom character? Rename it by SK, modify class and XP (it should be reduced because he has more XP). Will the game identify him as not Anomen? Could it cause problem?

It's not a good idea to modify Anomen's class by SK or some other means.

You can however add a new character by kicking Anomen out, then saving the game and moving your save from the save folder to the mpsave folder, starting the game in multiplayer mode and creating a character to fill that sixth slot. Once the character's made and the game loaded I'd recommend saving it then transfering that save back from mpsave to save and continuing in single player.

This post has been edited by Raven: Jun 30 2009, 05:33 PM

Reason for edit: missing word

[Kerkes]

Hello Vuki glad to see you back!

I believe the changes apply to dual mages as well.
You'll lack a healer for sure.
I'd rather go with another sorcerer than a multi cleric for Wish healing, but you'll lack high-lvl prot spells like prot Evil, fire etc.
Anomen is your choice
As for multi alcatry....I never used it anyway so I wouldn't bother. Use triggers. It's end game anyway. And it's hard to roll 18wis for a multi fighter mage.

[Vuki]

Hello Vuki glad to see you back!

I believe the changes apply to dual mages as well.
You'll lack a healer for sure.
I'd rather go with another sorcerer than a multi cleric for Wish healing, but you'll lack high-lvl prot spells like prot Evil, fire etc.
Anomen is your choice
As for multi alcatry....I never used it anyway so I wouldn't bother. Use triggers. It's end game anyway. And it's hard to roll 18wis for a multi fighter mage.

Hi!

It is good to play again and be here.

I replaced Anomen by a ranger->cleric (dual). Do I understand you properly? Do you use 3 mages in the party? Or whom do you replace by a sorcerer? Fighter/mage? And then who will be my tank?

I think my current party is quite a power party. 5 characters are able to fight in melee (only 4 on high levels), 2 mages, 1 cleric, 2 tanks (only 1 on high levels). Only problem is I have only one cleric, I ususally prefer two.

This post has been edited by Vuki: Jun 30 2009, 07:32 PM

[Raven]

I believe the changes apply to dual mages as well.

Like I said, only single class mages will see those top two Wish options (Wisdom stat permitting); single and dual class mages both get to choose Improved Alacrity as a HLA.

So multiclass and dual-class mages are treated slightly differently.

This post has been edited by Raven: Jul 1 2009, 08:48 AM

[Shadan]

I have played IA 3 times, I always had one cleric. Once I had Cernd beside cleric, but in other 2 I had only one healer. Your party is good imho. 2 arcane caster is enough, however maybe a good necromancer would be better instead of F/M. 4 melee capable character is enough. 5 is better, but 2 high level arcane caster is better than 1 single and 1 dual. Or alternatively you can swap kensai with necromancer.

[lroumen]

I always tried to take 3 casters with arcane abilities. 1 pureclass and 2 dual or 1 pureclass, 1 dual and 1 bard.
At the moment I'm toning that down to get more melee capabilities just as your current setup possesses. I find that you only really need the casting of ruby ray, improved haste, breach, lower resistance and wish. No need for two high level casters for that. For the rest you can handle battles quite well with malison/chaos/emotion type disablers and sequencers filled with direct damage such as fire arrow, melf's, magic missiles and the occasional casting of true sight/remove magic/secret word/etc, so a dual class or blade would be fine for that.

Currely I have for my 3rd v5 game the following party: Riskbreaker (prot), R/C, F/T, Undeadhunter, Sorc (to Imoen) and I'll have probably Jan, Haer'Dalis or Cernd. To my estimation, such a party would be fine as is yours.

[Vuki]

What type of class is undeadhunter? Is it a warrior sub-class?

My party is really ok. As usual my F/T is the weakest, he can easily die. My sorcerer has level 12 and I just learnt Imporoved Haste and I am eager to use it on Haegan's party. For the current walkthrough I choosed a different mission order and it is much easier than it was in the previous runs.

It is interesting that I did not buy (almost) anything up to now and I did not create any special weapon/item. I have 80k gold, so soon I will make Treefolk's Arm. My reputation is 19 and before I buy anything I would like to have 20 to save money.

[Raven]

What type of class is undeadhunter? Is it a warrior sub-class?

It's a paladin kit, came with vanilla bg2.

[Vuki]

It's a paladin kit, came with vanilla bg2.

Ah, ok. Undead Slayer. That is familiar.

[Vuki]

Is it worth to buy these items?

- Sensate amulet: I have two priests and the highest charisma is only 14. It can be raised to 15 by Friends but my priest could have 16. I realized there is no difference between 14 and 15 but I think there could be a difference between 15 and 16. Also the +5 HP and permanent prot from evil are very nice. I could buy it for 16k.

- Harmonium Halberd: My Kensai could use it. His strength will be raised to 20 from 19 by using this halberd. It would cost me 35k.

I think the sensate amulet is really worth the money but the halberd not.

This post has been edited by Vuki: Jul 10 2009, 06:06 PM

[Raven]

Is it worth to buy these items?

- Sensate amulet: I have two priests and the highest charisma is only 14. It can be raised to 15 by Friends but my priest could have 16. I realized there is no difference between 14 and 15 but I think there could be a difference between 15 and 16. Also the +5 HP and permanent prot from evil are very nice. I could buy it for 16k.

- Harmonium Halberd: My Kensai could use it. His strength will be raised to 20 from 19 by using this halberd. It would cost me 35k.

I think the sensate amulet is really worth the money but the halberd not.

I would say not to spend money on either. Cha 16 gives you a small (5%) discount from shops but this isn't really worth it in my opinion. Cha 20 is what you really want and that can be achieved later with the Ring of Human Influence equipped by a mage + Friends. The halberd is ok but not worth the money; Str 20 is not very different from Str 19. Also it is redundant later on (it is not as if you can use it for an upgrade).

Have you thought about which IA upgrades to do in Ch 2/3? I would save money for those.

[darkjeshush]

I do have one question - who will cast breach, ruby ray until cernd hits level 14 and, later on, who will cast spellstrike?
I don't know which battles will be easier. IMO, none. anyway, good luck!

It's possible, just gotta skip alot of content until chapter 7 and do roadblocks on easy setting. I did a no arcane run with zero ruby rays and breaches cast the entire game except through JD wish.

Vagrant protag (bleeder main dps, evil response bonuses)
Vagrant (JD/DW tank and wishable)
Double R/C multi
B-C (2h staff)
Keldorn (dispels) swap for pickpocketing/quests etc.

Basically I had to skip almost everything until high levels, forge all haste boots as quickly as possible, then go back when I could outlast enemies. Epicly fail on every early-mid game encounter that requires fast debuff and alphakill, especially because early enemies instantly gg a group of six melee with emotion and confusion. Also pretty horrible having no bottomless bag for most of the game. The biggest mandatory roadblocks for me were Tanova due to lack of death fog, kobold shard, and drow ambushes. Other than those roadblocks there's enough easy xp lying around to ascend to high levels.

[Vuki]

It is really interesting that how easy the game with a little bit higher level party. I remember my first walkthrough and most of the battles were pain. Now, most of them are really easy. I choosed a different quest order and I am pretty sure that makes a really big different. Tazok was not a challenge at all, Tor'Gal was not a big deal, coin and gem golems are an easy xp source. So, it seems that proper quest order is very important.

[lroumen]

Undeadhunter is the english name for the paladin kit . It's my 2H-weapon fighter, whereas the others are all dualhanded (riskbreaker is singlehanded at times).

Yes, but that is true in vanilla as well. Mostly you're just traveling a lot from one place to another to make that quest order work out well enough for a party that is not specialised in one way or another, be it low on arcane, low of melee or low on divine.

For the moment I've got a run-through with little need for arcane, but that will change when I will start on the road to D'Arnise, Temple Ruins or something like that and I hope my one arcane character can match those battles.