Party without a priest?
Thrasymachus
Member Posts: 903
How crippling is it to not have a cleric or druid in the party?
Here is the current composition of my BG2EE party:
1. PC - Blade (neutral good)
2. Neera
3. Rasaad
4. Yoshimo [to be replaced eventually with Imoen]
5. Valygar
I'm debating which NPC to recruit into slot #6, most likely either Anomen or Mazzy.
I would prefer to have Mazzy, but I'm worried that not having a priest in the party may lead to long-term difficulties.
(But perhaps the extra challenge would be … stimulating.)
Here is the current composition of my BG2EE party:
1. PC - Blade (neutral good)
2. Neera
3. Rasaad
4. Yoshimo [to be replaced eventually with Imoen]
5. Valygar
I'm debating which NPC to recruit into slot #6, most likely either Anomen or Mazzy.
I would prefer to have Mazzy, but I'm worried that not having a priest in the party may lead to long-term difficulties.
(But perhaps the extra challenge would be … stimulating.)
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Thus far I've been relying on Daystar and Azuredge, with a few scrolls of Restoration. But that is certainly a consideration.
As for rest times, I have a ring of regeneration, which I share around wounded party members. That, combined with limited healing (my Bhaal abilities, Rasaad healing himself with 'lay on hands', Valygar's minor spells), and use of potions (which seem ubiquitous), has kept things under control.
Still, it is an inconvenience, to be sure...
Dealing with undead you can use items that grant level drain immunity, like Amulet of Power IIRC. Maybe potions and scrolls.
Rest times don't matter in these games. Resting for 8 days is the same as resting for 8 hours for all intents and purposes. Besides, you can heal quickly at temples should the need arise.
An inconvenience at worst; mostly inconsequential.
You certainly don't need a cleric for _healing_ in vanilla BG:SoA
In-combat healing: Rod of Resurrection (heals all hit points of one character, instantly, across the whole map), Potions of Extra Healing
There are two Rods of Resurrection in SoA, an additional one in ToB. If you feel cheesy, use Vhailors Helm and let your Simulacrum use them, if not, recharge the wands from time to time. In ToB you can also acquire Foebane +5, the only weapon that can keep you fully healed in combat by hitting things. Late in Tob you can use Hindo's Doom +4 for one Greater Restoration per day.
Between-combat healing: regeneration items, Potions of Healing
There are two Rings of Regeneration in in the game, up to two Rings of Gaxx (depending on how cheesy you feel), the Pearly White Ioun Stone, Dragon Slayer Longsword, Axe of Unyielding +3, and Blackrazor. In ToB you can improve the regeneration rate of the Axe of Unyielding quite some bit.
Then there are the odd cases, just for completeness:
Sword of Chaos, Adjatha the Drinker - I'm not sure whether their healing effects are worth their use;
Larloch's Minor Drain, Vampire Touch - drain some bunnies, or even chests or doors!;
Limited Wish - 20hp for each party member is too little effect for a lvl 7 spell;
Wish - too unreliable to use it specifically for healing purposes, but if you make regular use of the Wish Endless Spells Strategy, you may get healing as a side effect. http://www.sorcerers.net/Games/BG2/SpellsReference/EndlessSpells.htm#Wish
I'm currently playing without a priest and the only buffs I really miss are prot evil 10' radius (mostly because it's such a convenient buff for the lazy like me) and chaotic commands. I keep Lilacor around and have some potions plus the greenstone amulet in case I need them.
Turn Undead is not something that I found myself using regularly. Sure, it's nice to explode Liches, but with access to arcane spells (Death Fog), and/or Keldorns Dispel, and/or Protection from Undead, Liches tend to be not that much of a challenge, at least not in an unmodded game.
Are there any Undead that you would feel uncomfortable facing without Turn Undead? If yes, which would that be?
Sunray - Daystar is one of these "You don't need a cleric to do this" items...
Skeleton Warriors - Thrasymachus has three mages in his party, who can all cast Animate Dead.
Devas - Planetars
Concerning divine buffs, I suspect you mean such spells as Free Action, Death Ward and Chaotic Commands?
While these are excellent spells, there are workarounds:
These spells become less and less important, as Thrasymachus' party gains better and better saves (natural saves, shorty save boni (Mazzy), class save boni (Rasaad, Keldorn), equipment boni, and spells - Mass Invisibility alone gives +4 to all saves for the whole party, Spirit Armor gives an additional +3 to saves vs. spells).
Spell users can protect themselves with Spell Immunity.
Chaotic Commands - Greenstone Amulet.
Many items offer permanent immunity to various spell effects.
Are there any other buffs that you think a party would miss? Maybe there are. But I think, especially in BG2, with "healing potions lying in the streets" and more than enough "you don't need a cleric to do this" items, clerics don't bring enough to the table that they require a permanent place in an adventuring party - from a power perspective. There may be very good reasons to take a cleric along, though - from a roleplaying perspective; whether that's the case, that's something that only @Thrasymachus can answer for himself. Indeed, Protection from Evil 10' radius is a very convenient spell, but if Thrasymachus takes Keldorn along, then he should have enough castings of Protection from Evil for the whole party.
Ultimately you don't really need any specific class to complete the game and you can do just fine without clerics. You just can't convince me that clerics don't have any valuable functions.
Since I would prefer either Keldorn or Mazzy over Anomen (at least for this group), I'll try going priest-free.
Now to decide between Mazzy and Keldorn… (decisions, decisions)
And if I'm going to recruit Mazzy, I'd want her with her helpful grand mastery in short bows...
I'm currently running a Mage free party.... taking down spell defenses can be difficult at times, but it's keeping me entertained.
(party is Cleric/Thief Charname, Dorn, Hexxat, Viconia, Jaheira and rotating npc spot based on quests...currently Cernd)
Personality-wise Viccy is not too self-righteous (but maybe a tad crazy). Anomen and Aerie both get on my nerves a bit. I thought Branwen and Yeslick were alright though.
Or are you talking about real-life priests?
I'm saving the silver pantaloons quest in my back pocket for a quick two rep drop...