Shadowdancer Level Challenge
Ascerion
Member Posts: 271
Hey, everyone! I made a post awhile back about Dualling a Shadowdancer at level 9 for the 2x backstab multiplier, and going fighter for some sweet grandmastery carnage. I decided that that was a little bit low for my personal tastes.
So I'm going to level 18! In BG:EE1! I have recently taken a swashbuckler to level 13 with the xp cap remover in BG:EE1, and it was very easy. Just set some traps up and rest in a wolfwere zone. BUT, Shadowdancers can't set traps! And I have a lot less AC and THAC0.
I have Viconia in my party for some backup and pre-buffs, but It's going to be a long grind with the experience split halfway. According to PiH, I need 1760000 exp to hit level 18 as a Thief, and a whopping 2750000 exp to hit 19 as Fighter, and regain my abilities!
Not to worry, though. I am dedicated to this task! And WHEN I reach the goal, I will let you guys know how it pans out!
Also, I am using all available resources to decrease my THAC0, since I have no weapon mastery past Proficient. That means using the Troll belt from Rasaad's quest for the 19 Strength, the Bracers of weapon mastery from the guy NE of the Firewine Bridge, and even Twinkle from Drizzt. The AC is extremely needed, as well. I got 18 Con, so I also wear the Claw of Kazgoroth, since as a Thief, I can take the 16 Con hit.
Think of it! 3X Backstab with grandmastery, but the ability to stealth IN BATTLE and stop time to close the distance! Those spellcasters won't know what hit them!
Here's some pics from my first day.
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The reason I wanted 16 Intelligence was so I could take 3 Illithid hits before I get brained. Literally.
Thanks for reading!
*I think the portrait is of Pharaun Mizzrym (Evil Drow) from the Spider War novels, which does not befit a Chaotic Good Human, but I love it too much.*
~Ascerion
So I'm going to level 18! In BG:EE1! I have recently taken a swashbuckler to level 13 with the xp cap remover in BG:EE1, and it was very easy. Just set some traps up and rest in a wolfwere zone. BUT, Shadowdancers can't set traps! And I have a lot less AC and THAC0.
I have Viconia in my party for some backup and pre-buffs, but It's going to be a long grind with the experience split halfway. According to PiH, I need 1760000 exp to hit level 18 as a Thief, and a whopping 2750000 exp to hit 19 as Fighter, and regain my abilities!
Not to worry, though. I am dedicated to this task! And WHEN I reach the goal, I will let you guys know how it pans out!
Also, I am using all available resources to decrease my THAC0, since I have no weapon mastery past Proficient. That means using the Troll belt from Rasaad's quest for the 19 Strength, the Bracers of weapon mastery from the guy NE of the Firewine Bridge, and even Twinkle from Drizzt. The AC is extremely needed, as well. I got 18 Con, so I also wear the Claw of Kazgoroth, since as a Thief, I can take the 16 Con hit.
Think of it! 3X Backstab with grandmastery, but the ability to stealth IN BATTLE and stop time to close the distance! Those spellcasters won't know what hit them!
Here's some pics from my first day.
">">The reason I wanted 16 Intelligence was so I could take 3 Illithid hits before I get brained. Literally.
Thanks for reading!
*I think the portrait is of Pharaun Mizzrym (Evil Drow) from the Spider War novels, which does not befit a Chaotic Good Human, but I love it too much.*
~Ascerion
1
Comments
SD->cleric
buff up with holy power, righteous magic, and DuHM, for fighter's thac0, plus 25 strength, plus full damage hits!
I know you'd have to EEkeeper it, but seeing as you're more than happy to run around BG1 with a level 18 character that's by the by.
Though I prefer SD-Mages
@mjs I've been toying with a shadowdancer dual as well. SD->cleric is interesting for all of the utility it provides while boosting up the potential damage of what would otherwise be an unimpressive combatant. I've been leaning towards SD->Fighter, just because it gets you similar damage potential without having to toss up a bunch of buffs and also provides you with a better rate of attacks per round. On the other hand, you don't get all of those other useful cleric spells.
That is AMAZING! Thank you so much for telling me about that! Level 13 would be so much easier. And it's X4 instead of X3? Wow.
I don't have enough money to buy BG:EE2 at the moment, work has been really slow for me. I want it really badly, and it's the main reason I'm spending so much time in BG:EE1. With the holidays coming up, people aren't wanting any plumbing work done.
@amftron
Maybe I'm just weird, but I couldn't play a "shadowkeepered" character without feeling like a cheater, and I don't really think removing the cap is cheating, since I am working for the experience. In fact, it's harder to attain the levels in BG1, because the monsters don't give more than 2-8k per kill. (golem/greater basilisk)
Also, I want to BE already dualled when I enter BGEE:2, because I have never beaten Baldur's Gate 2: Shadow of Amn. That way, I can play the whole game through without changing my play-style. It would feel strange to me to switch up the way I play in BG2, since I have not gotten past...hmm...I never left Athkatla actually. So I didn't get far at all. I've beaten BG1 about 4 times, though.
@Emptiness
I was referring to the mages in BG2. However, I have not gotten to fight any except an ambush in town once, because I never got that far without changing my mind about my current class. So it's speculation, mostly. I have read much on these forums, and on PiH about the difficulty of spellcasters in BG:2, however. They sound pretty hard, so I want to be prepared.
@Mjs
At first, I wanted to go Cleric after SD, but I would miss out on a lot of very important benefits. I feel that the Cleric spells, while useful, would not compare to the extra attacks per round/Thac0/damage of grandmastery and innate fighter goodness. Also, I want to dual wield, and SDs cannot get past proficient in any style.
Lastly, I think this class would shine in surprise attacks and ambushes. Even "conversation end" fights. Because I could stop time upon enemy sighted, and immediately stealth in combat. But, I would not have time to self buff with DuHM and such in these scenarios.
(Scenario is a perfect anagram of Ascerion! *The more you know!*)
Thanks for reading/posting, guys! Especially the info on the new SD tweaks, Kaigen! That will help sooo much, it will probably save me 5-8 hours of grinding!
~Ascerion
*Edit* I want to also thank @Dee for posting this amazing backstab tweak! Thank you for creating it for those of us that are not/cannot play BG:EE2! I will test out the dual class to fighter functionality and provide feedback on my experiences.
I believe at first glance, however, that X4 backstab at level 13 is too much. I would prefer it to be level 18 like it was, for the X4 one. X3 at level 9 is greatly appreciated, though, since I had no reason to put any points into HiPS or MS AT ALL until I hit level 15 or so. X2 at level 9 isn't worth it to me, compared to having find traps and open doors maxed at that point. Even with my set-up, it would be around 13-20 damage (When I land a hit) times two. A low hit would be 26 damage. I can get Dorn to hit that hard all the time with the right gear.
But seriously though, this should be doable, especially if you're willing to run through multiple Black Pits runs and drag along a mage-complice to scribe all the scrolls over and over.
I ask it because I solo'd the game with SCS (more encounters) and killed EVERY form of life (multiple Elminsters, Shandalar, Dradeel, Ulraunt, etc), exploiting the exploitable xD
and I was only able to reach lvl13 with Fighter class (1250000) and lvl10 Mage dualclass (250000).
Where those 260000 come from?
No, I mean to reach lvl 18 with a Thief (1760000) in BG1.
I could collect only +/- 1500000, squeezing every npc/quest
Unless he farmed Wyverns, Werewolfs or Ankhegs with...a thief?
Hm. It's certainly doable given how easy kiting is in BG1, but I'd not say it's ideal.
I don't know if you've played the first one more recently than I, but roughly how many scrolls would you say are available in BG?
If you have, say.... 100 Level 1 scrolls, 75 Level 2 scrolls, 50 Level 3 scrolls, and 25 Level 4 scrolls, that's 50,000, 75,000, 75,000, and 50,000 Exp, just from getting Edwin drunk on Potions of Genius and busting out on a Scribe frenzy, and that only leaves you ten thousand short.
Considering how many scrolls there are in stores and loot, I wouldn't be surprised to find more than two hundred and fifty scrolls across the game.
Farming Werewolves with traps... lol let's be real, how long do you think you can do it before getting mad? xD
As for the scrolls, in BG1 a lvl1 scroll gives 10exp points, a lvl2 gives 20exp points and so on...
@Schneidend
Show me a balanced game and I'll show you someone who's played it less than a dozen times.