Saturday Spellcaster Strategies #2: Delayed Blast Fireball

XerxesV

I wanted to ask for more advice from you expert adventurers. I've played BG a lot over the past fifteen years, but I'm hardly a power-gamer.

I hate to be one of those new forum members who posts a million threads and becomes a nuisance, so I've decided to limit myself to one discussion each week. I thought that spellcaster strategies was a good topic, so every Saturday I'll post a new thread asking for specific advice.

Last week you taught me a lot about Time-Stop that I didn't know in this thread...
http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/21319/best-use-of-time-stop#latests

This week I was hoping you could advise me on the best uses of Delayed Blast Fireball. It's one spell I've never mastered because I can just stock up on regular fireballs. Do you have any particularly good uses for this spell?

PS- i'm new to the thread rules. If you prefer me to post this in "strategies" or not to start weekly discussions please let me know. Also, if the topic has been discussed please tell me where. I want to be a Lawful forum member!

elminster

I guess its good as a trap in its own way. Skull Trap however takes less time to cast and (depending on your level) can end up doing more damage, so I'd probably prefer Skull Trap over Delayed Blast Fireball. I've never really had much use for the spell to be honest.

XerxesV

If eliminster says so I'll take his advice.

To be honest I always used skull trap in the heat of battle too. Maybe I'm looking at these the wrong way...

ZanathKariashi

DBF also deals more damage then fireball does. And 7th doesn't really have a whole lot of good spells. Mainly just Mord's Swords, or if you don't mind unavoidable broken cheese, PI. Finger of death is ok but I just rarely find a use for it.

Kaltzor

If I use it, I'll just use it as a regular fireball... It according to stuff on the internets, it's a +1 damage on each dice of damage compared to the normal fireball, not much but something.

Lord_Tansheron

The spell can be used quite effectively against liches, as they're immune to lower level spells (1-4) but not higher ones. Other than that, it's pretty much just a fireball with more damage and can be used as such.

lunar

It pushes right through lich immunity so you can fry those annoying liches that you know will spawn in bg2. (Kangaxx quests) load two or three to point where they will rise and bam! No more lich.

artificial_sunlight

Im also a bas caster so I like your Topics @XerxesV I always use direct damage spells for everything :P

Palanthis

i never used this spell for some reason (i don't use traps with thieves as well, could be that).
But i like your threads... may i suggest you start one in the near future about trigger spells ? I think no one has the same spells in their sequencers (or maybe even in their contingencies).
Have a good saturday

elminster

Kaltzor said:

If I use it, I'll just use it as a regular fireball... It according to stuff on the internets, it's a +1 damage on each dice of damage compared to the normal fireball, not much but something.

Its 15d6 vs the 10d6 maximum of a regular fireball. It doesn't improve with level however.

XerxesV

Good call on the liches! I never thought about that. Even better when you consider that most of them spawn next to their tomb. You can leave them a fireball breakfast in bed

I guess my biggest problem is strategy. I need to take advantage of theif traps and luring enemies. Maybe this DBF will work best in TOB; when enemies like Sendai are respawning across the map, or a non-fire resistant dragon is chasing me. Those tunnels in the under dark would be a good place too.

If nothing else, the extra damage will end a fight quicker and leave more time for other spells. Maybe it's not so bad after all.