No reload Sword Coast Stratagems stories
Anyone else doing this? It's brutal and exciting to say the least.
Had my first near wipe on my first somewhat successful party. At the northern bridge in the area with the Boots of the North there is 2 ogre berserkers and 4 hobgoblin archers with poison arrows. Aj went down to some lucky crits from the ogres and then I was left scrambling to kite the ogres and trying to CC the hobgoblins who chewed up some squishies. Minsc heroically went into melee to save Dynaheir and managed to chunk an ogre. Dynaheir used her moment to try to stinking cloud the hobgoblins but they felled her with arrows.
In the end only Imoen and Charname were standing and i lost the +1 club that Aj was using sometimes as forgot to pick it up (figure night club is nice extra AC and good vs plate foes for a tank).
After raising everyone and reequipping I'm back to trying to track down Brage.
Current party is:
Blade charname (4) w/Chelsey Crusher and crossbow
Imoen (4) to be dualed to Mage at 6
Minsc (3) with Stupifier and ** in mace
Ajantis (3) with tanking gear
Branwen (4) to dual to thief at 7 cleric
Dynaheir (4) to dual to cleric at 6 wizard
I picked everyone up quickly and have been doing as much easy XP as I can. When I can dual everyone my plan is to kick Minsc and Aj and take the dualers to basilisks and sirines to get through first couple of levels.
Without donations I'm at 19 rep and considering where to get my last point before I purchase some big items. Options are ankhegs (which I'm scared of), commander Brage or the cow as I've done everything else I think.
Had my first near wipe on my first somewhat successful party. At the northern bridge in the area with the Boots of the North there is 2 ogre berserkers and 4 hobgoblin archers with poison arrows. Aj went down to some lucky crits from the ogres and then I was left scrambling to kite the ogres and trying to CC the hobgoblins who chewed up some squishies. Minsc heroically went into melee to save Dynaheir and managed to chunk an ogre. Dynaheir used her moment to try to stinking cloud the hobgoblins but they felled her with arrows.
In the end only Imoen and Charname were standing and i lost the +1 club that Aj was using sometimes as forgot to pick it up (figure night club is nice extra AC and good vs plate foes for a tank).
After raising everyone and reequipping I'm back to trying to track down Brage.
Current party is:
Blade charname (4) w/Chelsey Crusher and crossbow
Imoen (4) to be dualed to Mage at 6
Minsc (3) with Stupifier and ** in mace
Ajantis (3) with tanking gear
Branwen (4) to dual to thief at 7 cleric
Dynaheir (4) to dual to cleric at 6 wizard
I picked everyone up quickly and have been doing as much easy XP as I can. When I can dual everyone my plan is to kick Minsc and Aj and take the dualers to basilisks and sirines to get through first couple of levels.
Without donations I'm at 19 rep and considering where to get my last point before I purchase some big items. Options are ankhegs (which I'm scared of), commander Brage or the cow as I've done everything else I think.
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Comments
Was mostly prepared to continue as a "almost no-reload" game but walked out of the mines and 4 skeletons killed a full HP charname in less than 1 round with composite longbows with charname in the middle of the group. That wasn't fun.
Memo: always have at least AC ~0 via spells or armour.
Might head back to the drawing board after that one ...
I think it's the best melee weapon for a blade in BG1 honestly. Even at such low levels it really shone when offensive spin was going, 22 damage (iirc), twice/round with a 10% chance to crit is just brutal and it turned the tide in a few fights that I might have lost otherwise.
In other news the ring of free action no longer works with defensive spin.
Dagger**, TWF**, single weapon*
Dual daggers all the way! Can't wait for dagger of venom ...
Almost finished bandit camp, certainly a twist there that I wasn't expecting making it a lot harder. Web+fireball certainly rules supreme.
Only reason I failed bandit camp no-reload was due to lag so I had another go and completed. However, then on my way to FAI to raise/rest/reequip I got ambushed and died.
/sigh
How do I do spoiler tags again?
This party was:
cleric/thief charname - great build with shorty saves, useful skills, healing and great buffs
Baeloth - too OP not to take on a serious attempt
Khalid - highest HP, Varscona and best AC if comparing at pickup level 6 point (64 vs 60hp on Kagain)
Jaheira
Viconia
Ajantis
Mostly just fillers. I'm going for:
Baeloth (best arcane)
Coran (best archer)
Yeslick (close to top for cleric and tank)
Faldorn (best healer/summoner)
When ready pre-buff, cast a Web near the fog of war ( unexplored area ) and auto attack the nearest bandit. Hobgoblins will come from your north, so have your melee intercept them to keep aggro.
Meanwhile with the spell casters and (cross)bow/sling users pick off the webbed enemies. Once there's a good amount, chunk a FB or two. In between casting, auto attack to your south as there is nearly always a few bandits that get around the Web.
Once Taurgaz or whatever shows up, focus fire. Before your first Web is over, the tent group should be coming for you. Reapply Web and go for the Mage first, then just do whatever.
That's what I do everytime. Hang back at the start of the map and fo that. Easy. Oh, the melee that goes north shouldn't take too long, only five or so Hobgoblins there along with their Hobgoblin 'boss'.
I'll have to consider different strategies but for now I keep dying on Basilisks for some reason, Mutamin is usually so considerate about getting eaten by Korax but I guess he's wised up.
Rise my minions!
/Mulahey bites the dust.
Kick him and find out. I've never had that problem.
My 5 buffed skeletons must have taken a third of the trash out and grouped the rest up nicely so when they came on me web+2 fireballs caused absolute decimation. Ranged weapons did the rest. The guy in full plate never actually showed along with a dozen or so other bandits so got to rest and rebuff/resummon to clean them up which was really nice.
I always join the Bandits, call Tazok a schoolgirl, let him run off and then proceed with killing them all as mentioned above.
There'll be 24k XP during which I'll have no fighter active but instead have to rely on other tactics ... After that the others will filter back in slowly. The first one back at 24k will be the 5 berserker/6 Mage so she will be quite a star!
I figure ill kill drizzt (2k XP), basilisks at durlags tower (1k XP), flesh golems at cave (1k XP), soal the nereid and co (1k XP) and just generally chip away (more suggestions welcome).
Not something you'd often consider but going from 5 helmeted characters to 3 is going to create some anxiety too.
Big questions. Can I do the bandit camp before I get my fighters back? Lack of CC tends to dictate that I can't do it before the dual class though the XP from cloakwood could really help ... /Sigh.
They've lowered the experience from those kills? Use to be 12k, 4k, 2k and 5k ( might be 6k ).
Back on topic; Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!! Stupid Osmadi the Shadow Druid 1-spotted the protagonist with a call lightning for 37+ damage. Stupid stupid stupid. Memo: Talos' Gift on protagonist for Druid fights (or maybe in general but I like avoidance boots ...)
Might start again or continue as "minimal reload". Unsure. Pretty annoyed.
Do an all-Bard party. I'm not doing a no reload, but got one Bard of each class rolling around the Naskel Mines right now. Tis fun.
Thought about bringing Garrick and Eldoth, but just kept it at four. Might get them later because Skald+3 Bows/Crossbows are eating things alive atm.
Maybe try the illusionist/thief multi though cant figure out what ranged weapon would be best for such a character. I figure:
Level 1: staff, a ranged weapon
Level 4: two handed fighting
Level 8: dart (as by this level will have surplus of magic darts)
So, short bow or crossbow?
The rest of the party would be:
Dorn
Baeloth
Coran
Faldorn
Yeslick
0 reloads so far, none even for bugs or whatever.
Dualed the mage. She was momentarily the highest HP character in the group which is a unique situation for a mage.
Unsure when to dual the thief and druid as there is some flexibility there. On one hand I can have x4 backstabs and a 3rd level 5 spell slot but on the other it's an extra half attack/round. The timeliness of the choice is the bit I'm really stuck on, can I manage with 0 fighter types for a while? I'll have to decide kind of soon ...
I'm really liking the second use of rage/day, I definitely think that was the way to go as 1/day just doesn't cut it.