BG2: Yet Another Challenge
bbear
Member Posts: 1,180
Lately, I managed to find some time to play games. So I decided to fire up my (vanilla) Bg2 game again and play another self-impose challenge.
Rules:
1) Solo (Exceptions: Releasing Minsc and Jaheira from their cells so I can get early valuable exp.)
2) Extreme Diff
3) No Equipment (caveat: I can carry items, but I cannot equip or use them except for story/quest requirements. Equipment created by magic such as Melf's Minute Meteors and Energy Blades are okay.)
4) Min Stats (The lowest possible stats for the race and class. Subtract the points from character creation.)
5) Most encounters (Must kill all powerful hostile creatures in the game. I have the option to flee and return at a later time. Puny creatures like a random thief or wild animals may be spared since they are not worth the effort.)
For this challenge, I will play my favorite class the sorcerer. I suppose a solo cleric, druid or thief is also doable. Fighter cant compete because they are naked and enfeebled.
My character is True Neutral aligned human with stats: 3,3,3,9,3,9 for str, dex, con, int, wis, cha, respectively. My special abilities are Larloch's Minor Drain, Heal Light Wound, Horrorx2, Vampiric Touch and DUHM. All these spells are very valuable. My additional restrictions are: no misled and wish.
I got lucky in the hp roll. In my previous Min Stat playthroughs, my character only had 7 hp. Also, the best AC I can get is 7 AC w/ Shield. Even goblins in Chateau Irenicus can easily hit me.
Rules:
1) Solo (Exceptions: Releasing Minsc and Jaheira from their cells so I can get early valuable exp.)
2) Extreme Diff
3) No Equipment (caveat: I can carry items, but I cannot equip or use them except for story/quest requirements. Equipment created by magic such as Melf's Minute Meteors and Energy Blades are okay.)
4) Min Stats (The lowest possible stats for the race and class. Subtract the points from character creation.)
5) Most encounters (Must kill all powerful hostile creatures in the game. I have the option to flee and return at a later time. Puny creatures like a random thief or wild animals may be spared since they are not worth the effort.)
For this challenge, I will play my favorite class the sorcerer. I suppose a solo cleric, druid or thief is also doable. Fighter cant compete because they are naked and enfeebled.
My character is True Neutral aligned human with stats: 3,3,3,9,3,9 for str, dex, con, int, wis, cha, respectively. My special abilities are Larloch's Minor Drain, Heal Light Wound, Horrorx2, Vampiric Touch and DUHM. All these spells are very valuable. My additional restrictions are: no misled and wish.
I got lucky in the hp roll. In my previous Min Stat playthroughs, my character only had 7 hp. Also, the best AC I can get is 7 AC w/ Shield. Even goblins in Chateau Irenicus can easily hit me.
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My Lv 10 sorcerer's current spells:
Lv 1:
1. Magic Missile: Main damage output until ToB
2. Find Familiar: For 12 extra hp
3. Blindness: Poor man's Power Word Blind
4. Protection against Evil: For the rare demon battles
5. Shield: Usually a good spell when dex gives -4 AC bonus. But this time, Shield is not so useful because my character receives +3 AC penalty.
Other notable spells:
-Burning Hand: Troll killing, but there are many other ways to do it
-Chromatic Orb: Luck dependent, not my style
-Spook: Already have 2 horror spells as special ability and they are area spells. Also, blindness is better than spook.
Lv 2:
1. Mirror Images: Early survival until stoneskin. Good for dodging enemy spells and traps.
2. Strength: 3 strength allows 5 lb carrying weight. My character WILL be encumbered by Melf's Minute Meteors.
3. Knock: Solo
4. Web: Combo well w/ spiders and MMM.
5. Melf's Acid Arrows: Troll killing
Other notable spells:
-Blur: Good spell, but I dont have space.
-Glitterdust: Great area spell. I would pick this over Web if I dont pick Spiders.
-Invisibility: Good spell, long duration, but I plan to get Improved Invisibility/Shadow Door
-Resist Fear: Situational but essential. The Planetar has this spell.
Lv 3:
1. Skull Trap: Area magic damage
2. Melf's Minute Meteors (MMM): Even though my thaco is crappy, it has +5 to hit. It works wonder when the enemy is webbed and it can kill trolls.
3. Haste: Good area spell for summoned creatures.
Other notable spells:
4. Remove Magic: Remove enemy enchantments.
5. Flame Arrow: Potent spell at higher level.
-Slow: I already got Haste
-Vampiric Touch: It's nice to have extra hp (use on chest, door, self). May take this over Flame Arrow.
Lv 4:
1. Spider Spawn: First summon spell and combo w/ Web. Spidys level up w/ caster.
2. Stoneskin: There are situations when melee fights are unavoidable. Super duration.
Other notable spells:
3. Improved Invisibility: While duration is short, this makes my PC immune to most enemy mages since there are no available targets.
4. Greater Malison: Improve spells like Skull Traps, Sunfire, Horrid Wilting
-Minor Spell Sequencer: Load up 2 Magic Missiles or Melf's Acid Arrows
-Farsight/Wizard Eyes: Potentially cheesy tactics
-Polymorph Self: Inspire from the other thread, "Guide to Polymorph Self". Very interesting spell since every creature is a Major Improvement over my puny PC. However, it kinda goes against the spirit of this challenge.
-FireShield: Interesting spell. Combos well w/ Protection against Magical Weapons.
Lv 5:
1. Sunfire: Good close-combat, area fire spell. Great against a group of vampires.
Other Notable spells:
After releasing Minsc and Jaheira from their cells and temporarily let them join my party, my PC gained enough exp and level up. I picked Spider Spawn. It will be my only tank and melee fighters until level 14.
Three Spidy pretty much annihilated all monsters in Chateau Irenicus. They killed the minor golem duos, the duegar parties, the mephit parties, the cambion and the vampire. Poison was extremely deadly. My sorcerer pretty much sat back and enjoyed the show w/ occasional MMM and Magic Missiles.
After escaping the dungeon, my PC gained 2 more levels (now level 10). I picked Web, Haste, Stoneskin and Sunfire. I kinda violated rule#5 of my challenge (fighting all hostile monsters) in the circus because my skull traps killed the gnome before the werewolves and wraiths. Once the gnome illusionist died, my character was teleported back to the circus.
For Seven Veil, the fight was extremely cheesy. Pre-cast 3 Spidys, Haste, 2 Webs and the fight ended before it began. There was no escape (I hate it when the thief decided to leave w/o leaving his loots behind). No counter-play.
With all the treasures and loots, my PC made over 22,000 gold. I gave 20,000 and sided with the shadow thieves. I think my PC will do a few sidequests first before heading toward Spellhold.
If you do have installed mods (Ascension) then your game is going to stop in ToB.
I'm holding my thumbs for you, go get em!