The Ballad of the Six Strangers (IWDEE)
Cedeos
Member Posts: 47
or
How to make my IWD experience more challenging and fun without artifically pimping enemies (HoF).
Inspired by Ygramul's thread I decided to do a play-through on similar rules to get a more immersive and challenging IWD feeling.
My last play-through (IWDEE only, no HoW) was with a min-maxed multi/dual-class abusing powergamy party on insane (which in my opinion makes the game even easier than harder in the long run as you level way too fast) and when I reached the final boss Belhifet I just steamrolled him.
After Dragon's Eye the game got more and more boring - strategy was almost every time the same: Buff to the max and hack away - no challenge, no tactical approaches ...
So I thought aboutplaying this party in HoW in HoF-mode, but was not really happy about that, because HoF pimping up enemy stats and even more XP always felt to me somehow artfical and not to the spirit of the game.
That was when I read Ygramul's suggestions.
I will give myself some rules for my current playthrough and I will see how it works out. I am going to post any progress within this thread.
I will not restrain from using meta-game infos and abusing the rest and pause buttons.
I will post my Six Strangers here as soon as they are created.
Please feel free to post any comments, suggestions and ideas.
How to make my IWD experience more challenging and fun without artifically pimping enemies (HoF).
Inspired by Ygramul's thread I decided to do a play-through on similar rules to get a more immersive and challenging IWD feeling.
My last play-through (IWDEE only, no HoW) was with a min-maxed multi/dual-class abusing powergamy party on insane (which in my opinion makes the game even easier than harder in the long run as you level way too fast) and when I reached the final boss Belhifet I just steamrolled him.
After Dragon's Eye the game got more and more boring - strategy was almost every time the same: Buff to the max and hack away - no challenge, no tactical approaches ...
So I thought aboutplaying this party in HoW in HoF-mode, but was not really happy about that, because HoF pimping up enemy stats and even more XP always felt to me somehow artfical and not to the spirit of the game.
That was when I read Ygramul's suggestions.
I will give myself some rules for my current playthrough and I will see how it works out. I am going to post any progress within this thread.
I hope to go through the whole game, playing IWDEE just to the point before facing Poquelin and then meeting Hjollder in Kuldahar to play through HoW and ToL.
Rules:
* I will play on Core Rules, i.e.
Rolled Hitpoints on level up
Spell learning can fail
Core XP
* To ensure a more believable party setup for myself at char creation I will
not minmax stats - I can roll as many times as I like but never must
touch the +/- buttons
only use Single Classes (kits allowed), no dual and multiclasses whatsoever
only play Humans and Half-Elves (the small folk has way too hefty saving throws)
* minimal reload
Reloading will only be allowed if a character dies permanently, the party
is wiped out or I messed up in a way that would make my game totally
frustrating to play (which does happen sometimes when I play on my Android
Device and my clumsy fingers have to use the touchscreen)
Reloading is explicitly not allowed for item-fishing (if you do not know what
that is, you are encouraged to read the fantastic powergamer IWD walkthrough
by Haeravon on gamefaqs), if I fail to scribe a scroll, I get meagre HPs on level up
or if I bungle a pickpocketing attempt (so I have to think twice if I risk to
pickpocket Arundel for that Ring or not)
* no abuse of sequencers and contingencies as they are to powerful for a game
not designed for them
I will not restrain from using meta-game infos and abusing the rest and pause buttons.
I will post my Six Strangers here as soon as they are created.
Please feel free to post any comments, suggestions and ideas.
Post edited by Cedeos on
8
Comments
Will try above method! sad that no shorties though! (DDs are awesome)
I will go with a humble Human Barbarian as my main tank.
Actually it did not take too long to roll decent stats for each of them.
And yes, the roll for my bard is real, I did not manipulate a single stat out there.
Missing a little tanking power but I hope overall this party will be quite balanced. Spells will be the key. Especially some like "Strength of One" and the like I never bothered to use with my all 18/xx party.
As to weapon proficiencies I think they are not over important as there are lots of good weapons out there for every one.
Concerning weapon proficiencies I think they are not over important as there are lots of good weapons out there for every one.
For the record:
Thorwulf will start with ** in Axes and Bastard Swords
Erandas Longbowsand Long Swords
Beanor Flails and Maces
Carter Long Swords and Crossbows
Shaneka Slings and Daggers
Lenara Slings
So to Easthaven they go ...
Just focus on one or two prime stats and roll like hell. I think it took me less than an hour to get these rolls.
How did we fare so far?
It is Day 8, Hour 16 (9. Mirtul, 1281), we just entered Kresselack's Tomb after we cleared the rest of the vale. Loot was rather mediocre, but we have now several magic weapons for those Shadows and Mummys at our disposal.
Reloads: 0
Current party stats:
Thorwulf lvl 4 HP 38 (out of 60 possible)
Beanor lvl 4 HP 22 (36)
Shaneka lvl 4 HP 34 (40)
Carter lvl 4 HP 29 (32)
Erandas lvl 4 HP 19 (32)
Lenara lvl 4 HP 21 (24)
The HP distribution is quite interesting and will maybe lead to a change of roles (Carter the Swashbuckler as a tank?!) during the course of the game.
Otherwise the game was moderate challenging, basic strategies like the use of the sleep spell and three melee, three ranged chars worked out just fine. Used some strength enhancing spells I never used (and needed) before in IWD like Holy Power and beast claws, which proved to be very effective but in the end were little more than adding flavor.
Death Count is three. Thorwulf got critically hit by a stray arrow during the goblin ambush in Easthaven. Off to the temple we went. Shaneka fell to the Hold Spell of one the Ghasts in one of the crypts in the vale of shadows due to my incautiousness and again Thorwulf fell in the same encounter unable to hold the line against all those skeletons with Shaneka dead and Beonar withdrawn severly wounded. Again off to the temple, back to Kuldahar.
Kresselack's tomb I think will be the first impression of how challenging the game will become and if I think of Dragon's Eye I will have to develop some viable strategies. When Erandas reaches lvl 5 and making use of the potion of agility (which I never bothered to use before in a play-through) I found, I will risk to get the 2 Rings of Free Action in Kuldahar even if failing with Arundel could mean the end of the game. Let's see ...
I will keep you updated.
"We entered Kresselack's Tomb and fought dozens of skeletons and other undead creatures when Thorwulf unable to hold the front line got severly wounded and was knocked unconcious by the combined effort of some Temple Guardians and Skeleton Archers. We retreated to the Temple in Kuldahar to receive healing services and to take some rest before continuing our search for the evil that plagues Kuldahar."
Thorwulf dead - again. Not sure how this will turn out in the long run as he should be my main tank, but due to his somewhat meagre hitpoints and the lack of armor I will have to be inventive it seems. Should at least be more cautious when wading in melee and use summons more often(something I never bothered with my uber party in the previous two play-throughs).
But all in all the Tomb (level 2 almost finished) did not prove too challenging, neither the Mummy nor the Skeleton Mage I was a little afraid off beforehand. Core difficulty seems to be quite easier than insane (at least in the beginning) not only because you do not get hit so hard but also because encounter spawns seem to be downsized (which I did not hear of beforehand). I will observe this further ...
The retreat to Kuldahar had one benefit though, I could unload all those items I gathered and stock up on cash. And using the Potion of Agility on my bard, who now had a pickpocket score of 80, I managed to get the Rings of Free Action and the Amulet of Metaspell Influence.
Back to the tomb we will go ...
Reloads: 0