Buckley's buckler and regen

Corvino

I've picked up Buckley's Buckler on my current half-elf fighter/thief runthrough and am getting a lot of use from it. I've gone dual wield but switch to the buckler every time I rest or travel. With 18 base Con +1 from the tome +1 from the buckler I hit 20 and regenerate all HP on rest/travel. I have Kagain as my main tank, and between CHARNAME and him healing spells are rarely needed.

It really cuts down on the annoying need for multiple cure light wounds. Granted I would never use it in combat but as a healing item it's pretty handy, and could be a blessing in solo runs with a non-cleric character. Anyone else using it for the same reason?

Debaser

I think it's a good item that way, I even think it's good on Kagain as a shield to increase his regen rate you want to sword and board him.

ZanathKariashi

I assume that would be the ONLY reason to use it, it doesn't protect against archers, so single weapon style is superior for all applicable characters......20 con HP regen is pitiful, unless you're traveling or resting.

Hell, anything short of the 25 con regen is barely noticable, unless you rest or travel.

Debaser

@ZanathKariashi - Isn't there a ring of regeneration too? Would that stack with Kagain's regen? And if you gave him the Buckler, even if it didn't protect against archers, he could still get mastery in Axes by that time. ++++! He'd be pretty damn awesome as a tank.

Corvino

@Debaser There's a ring of regeneration (or 2) in BG2, but there's not one dropped in BG1 vanilla or BG:EE as far as I know. It does stack with Con-based regen but is much faster, and stacks with regen potions & spells .

Debaser

@Corvino you could do Black Pits first...buy a ring of Regen...export that character and give it to Kagain...hrmn...

ZanathKariashi

Unfortunately no, only regens of the same amount stack. So if you have the ring of regen, only 25 con regen will stack. With The Ring of Gaxx or AotU nothing else stacks. Only the best value is used.

Ring of Regen x2, AotU+3, and 25 con, can stack together for a total of 4/round. That is the best possible regen, without casting a spell. AotU +5 gives 3/round by itself, but overwrite all other regen items. Ring of Gaxx gives 1 every 3 seconds, and will overwrite any other non-spell source, aside from the AotU+5). The regeneration spell overwrites all other forms of regen with a whopping 3hp/second (total 18/round) for it's duration.

Debaser

@ZanathKariashi Then it's still probably worth giving him the buckler, other than Kagain, I would guess that maybe NPC's with 14 Con would benefit. But there aren't many whom you would be able to give it to. Just seems kind of wasted otherwise.

ZanathKariashi

Well the problem is...20 is fine...the difference between 20 and 21 is so small, you're better off just dual-wielding to kill faster, or use a better AC shield, and avoid taking damage in the first place.