Not unless they changed it, which I don't think they would have any reason to do. Aside from the items in Watcher's Keep, no items are available after going to ToB.
On a related note, do you always create Crom Faeyr? Depending on party composition, I sometimes find it more useful to keep the Gauntlets of Ogre Power and the Girdle of Frost Giant Strength, save the 10,000 GP and sell off the Hammer of Thunderbolts. That way I can give strength-enhancing items to two party members instead of just one.
On a related note, do you always create Crom Faeyr? Depending on party composition, I sometimes find it more useful to keep the Gauntlets of Ogre Power and the Girdle of Frost Giant Strength, save the 10,000 GP and sell off the Hammer of Thunderbolts. That way I can give strength-enhancing items to two party members instead of just one.
You get additional two (and another one in ToB) strength items which are better than the Gauntlets of Ogre Power and the Girdle of Frost Giant Strength. If you have no use for Crom Faeyr then I guess it doesn't really matter.
Plus Crom Faeyr grants the wielder 25 strength, which in the hands of someone like Korgan (with High or Grand Mastery proficiency in hammers) is absolutely incredible. On top of that it one shots most golems, except for Iron and Adamantium.
On a related note, do you always create Crom Faeyr? Depending on party composition, I sometimes find it more useful to keep the Gauntlets of Ogre Power and the Girdle of Frost Giant Strength, save the 10,000 GP and sell off the Hammer of Thunderbolts. That way I can give strength-enhancing items to two party members instead of just one.
Considering Crom Faeyr can instantly transform Aerie or Viconia into front-liners, yeah I'd say it's always worth it to make. And hell if not for one of those two, then for someone like Minsc or a Fighter PC, who become God-Like with it equipped.
Generally ignored Crom Faeyr for many years, then tried it once and found out what I was missing. It does tend to turn your tank into a one-trick pony because you have to always be using it and no other weapon in order to get the bonuses, unlike if you just kept the belt etc. -- and if your tank is a paladin, it's really hard to leave Carsomyr alone simply for RP reasons -- but dang, that thing can really turn a battle into a laugher.
Yeah, I would not use it on a paladin either. Carsomyr aside, they can boost their strength with spells so the strength bonus is meaningless to them.
You can always put it in the offhand if you need a specific weapon. It takes a bit more clicking but when I need Mazzy to use a non-magical warhammer I treat it like a shield with a strength bonus. The only problem is when I want her to use a bow... and then she has to let go of it and the weight of everything she's carrying makes her unable to move, poor girl.
I'd use it on an Inquisitor, since they don't get paladin spellcasting (no DUHM) and have their own dispels, but for other Paladins I'd probably stick with Carsomyr.
I usually make it, because you only need so many frontliners, and instant death to Golems (I personally find them rather annoying), a +5 Weapon (and a hard hitting one at that, with an extra +5 Electrical damage), and the fact it works out as being much better than a +5 weapon thanks to the Strength bonus.... It might not be the best weapon in BG2, but it's probably top 10 or so.
That and I never find it worthwhile to save money, I'm making like Scrooge McDuck in my bags of holding by mid-SoA.
until she can get rune hammer, Crom Faeyr is actually a decent weapon she can use in late SoA and early ToB. If affected by Improved Haste, she'll not only have a good +5 weapon with crazy damage and THAC0 bonuses due to high strength, she'd have multiple attacks per round, combined with Righteous Magic and the Constitution Girdle that can buff up her HP, and Harm or Slay Living, why *WOULDN'T* I use it on Viconia?
Because if you're using Righteous Might/Draw Upon Holy Might you don't need the strength bonus from Crom anyway. If you want to make her a frontliner, go for it, but you don't need Crom Faeyr for that, and it goes much better on someone who can't natively boost their strength to high levels anyway.
I had actually decided not to make it on my latest playthrough, but by the time I reached the end of SoA I realised that I didn't need the separate items. Dorn and Hexxat don't exactly need strength boosting items, and neither does Edwin albeit for the opposite reason, so between the 19 and 20 belts and CF itself I had more than enough to kit out the relevant characters (Charname, Korgan, Viconia). Then Charname got +2 Str in Hell, meaning I didn't really even need the 3 I had.
I find Crom Faeyr a must, 25 strenght is literally +14 damage, +7 thaco, compared to 18 strenght being +1 thaco +2 damage... quite an upgrade (19 str is +3thaco +7 damage)
To get maximum effect though, you really want to use it on a character with a lot of attacks per rounds, preferably a dual wielder with grandmastery + bonus attack per round gloves. Probably belm too for the extra attack per round... pretty much 4/5 APR of +14 damage bonus.
Viconia/Aerie are bad choices for this since they only attack once per round, and can already cast draw upon only might / Righteous magic which will pretty much give them 25strenght.
Because if you're using Righteous Might/Draw Upon Holy Might you don't need the strength bonus from Crom anyway. If you want to make her a frontliner, go for it, but you don't need Crom Faeyr for that, and it goes much better on someone who can't natively boost their strength to high levels anyway.
Again it was for the sake of a +5 weapon until Rune Hammer in ToB. A girdle that just raises her to Str to 18/00 or 19 just for the sake of equipping anything that's better than what she can hold at a measly 10 Str. By the time you get Rune Hammer, or a +5 Mace, Crom Faeyr's unnecessary for her since you have other good blunt weapons to choose from. Until you access the later ToB content though, that's the best you've got with her.
I had actually decided not to make it on my latest playthrough, but by the time I reached the end of SoA I realised that I didn't need the separate items. Dorn and Hexxat don't exactly need strength boosting items, and neither does Edwin albeit for the opposite reason, so between the 19 and 20 belts and CF itself I had more than enough to kit out the relevant characters (Charname, Korgan, Viconia). Then Charname got +2 Str in Hell, meaning I didn't really even need the 3 I had.
I thought the hell +2 str stacked on top of items. Pretty sure it used to at least. Has it been changed?
Because if you're using Righteous Might/Draw Upon Holy Might you don't need the strength bonus from Crom anyway. If you want to make her a frontliner, go for it, but you don't need Crom Faeyr for that, and it goes much better on someone who can't natively boost their strength to high levels anyway.
Again it was for the sake of a +5 weapon until Rune Hammer in ToB. A girdle that just raises her to Str to 18/00 or 19 just for the sake of equipping anything that's better than what she can hold at a measly 10 Str. By the time you get Rune Hammer, or a +5 Mace, Crom Faeyr's unnecessary for her since you have other good blunt weapons to choose from. Until you access the later ToB content though, that's the best you've got with her.
Can't you just use a girdle? Or use that mace that gives you 18/00 strength. Or give her shadow dragon armor...
She hardly needs a +5 weapon. Don't your warriors need one? Crom Faeyr is one of the most damaging weapons in the game and you're really missing out if it's not being swung by someone with more than 1 APR. Actually, by the time you get it until the end of SoA, I'd say it's the most damaging weapon in the game, beating out even the FoA +4. It does 1 less damage by default than the +4 Flail but if you add in the strength bonus it shoots way above it.
(with the usual caveats... if you can boost your strength a la Viconia the Flail is better, this is only from a DPS standpoint and the Flail does all sorts of other things like slowing, etc.)
In SoA I have everyone using +3 or higher weapons by the end of the game, most of which aren't using Warhammers. It *IS* the most damaging weapon in SoA besides maybe Carsomyr. Does she need it? Nah, but it saves up a nice slot for her to go to melee when I need another front-liner (again, this is before I get her a better weapon) and I usually use the CON boosting girdle for her anyway by the end of the game.
Yeah but... why you would give such an awesome weapon, the mf'ing Crom Faeyr, to Viconia... who isn't a fighter class... can't swing it more than twice... spends most of her time chilling in the back... doesn't even need its ability... can't compute... intelligence drained by mind flayer...
Because a cleric is often the only one with a proficiency in warhammers. There are other good weapons in the game, which are probably already in use by other members of the party.
I gave to Viconia on my first play through. I think because she was a Cleric and as a Cleric she clearly needed to have a Hammer. I also gave her the FoA. It was funny because she had FoA in slot 1 and CF in slot 2, but technically if she switched to using the Flail she wasn't strong enough to wield it or wear any of her armour. Obviously all the Real Warriors™ used Swords. My Charname dual-wielded swords. Haer'Dalis used swords. Mazzy used swords. Imoen had a bow… and swords. Even Edwin had a throwing dagger. Viconia couldn't use swords, so she got the badass Flail and Hammer.
This time I gave it to Korgan. Much better. Viconia still has the Flail of Ages, though, but that's more because nobody I have uses Flails. She spends most of her time with that +5 sling of infinite ammo.
alaundo
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You can always put it in the offhand if you need a specific weapon. It takes a bit more clicking but when I need Mazzy to use a non-magical warhammer I treat it like a shield with a strength bonus. The only problem is when I want her to use a bow... and then she has to let go of it and the weight of everything she's carrying makes her unable to move, poor girl.
That and I never find it worthwhile to save money, I'm making like Scrooge McDuck in my bags of holding by mid-SoA.
To get maximum effect though, you really want to use it on a character with a lot of attacks per rounds, preferably a dual wielder with grandmastery + bonus attack per round gloves. Probably belm too for the extra attack per round... pretty much 4/5 APR of +14 damage bonus.
Viconia/Aerie are bad choices for this since they only attack once per round, and can already cast draw upon only might / Righteous magic which will pretty much give them 25strenght.
She hardly needs a +5 weapon. Don't your warriors need one? Crom Faeyr is one of the most damaging weapons in the game and you're really missing out if it's not being swung by someone with more than 1 APR. Actually, by the time you get it until the end of SoA, I'd say it's the most damaging weapon in the game, beating out even the FoA +4. It does 1 less damage by default than the +4 Flail but if you add in the strength bonus it shoots way above it.
(with the usual caveats... if you can boost your strength a la Viconia the Flail is better, this is only from a DPS standpoint and the Flail does all sorts of other things like slowing, etc.)
This time I gave it to Korgan. Much better. Viconia still has the Flail of Ages, though, but that's more because nobody I have uses Flails. She spends most of her time with that +5 sling of infinite ammo.