How do you play Neera?

Wanderon

OK so I'm trying to give Neera a run (as a romance option for my half-orc Barbarian) and I'm curious how others play her.

I almost always play minimal reload (no reload except PC death or crash) but I already broke that rule once when she fried a handful of kids and adults on the bridge map dropping our good party (Minsc, Aerie, Jahs, Yoshi) to a rep of 4.

So what do you do with her - just let her fly and take what comes (or reload) or do you have other options you use for her?

Ollmer

For minimal reload not casting anything with her in crowded areas is a good idea. Not keeping large sums of gold in your pockets will also help Otherwise, she is fine. Just be ready for some surprises:

Elrandir

I thought you were asking on a strategic level... I play her as a nuker. With her chaotic nature and chaotic wild magic, I envision her as a fireball flinging death machine in battle...

As for her wild surges, I personally do different things based on different games. If I'm playing minimal reload, then tough sh** for me. I just fried a handful of kids, but now is the time to donate large sums of money to the church/family (that second part is roleplayed) as a form of penance, then have the group learn from their mistakes. It'd be a growing experience for both the PC and Neera. A dark moment in the story for sure, but it teaches you the cost of recklessly using your power.

dib

I'm trying her out too right now, coincidentally also with a half-orc (kensai though) charname. It's the first time I try any of the OH NPCs out.

She's pretty cool, but I don't really bother with "no reloading", so wild surges aren't a big problem unless they come in the middle of a fight. Even so I haven't had a lot of trouble with them, maybe because she always has that Chaos Shield robe on.

I did make a small adjustment to Nahal's Reckless Dweomer, made the casting time 1 instead of being cast instantly (this also makes it so you can't cast it again in the same round as you've already cast a spell), since I felt it was pretty OP.

JuliusBorisov

I've made a rule of ALWAYS casting Chaos Shield by Neera in every encounter or just before it. This way the odds are much better. Later, you'll get an item helping you even further.

Even in BG1EE, while we played a multiplayer game recently, through all the game Neera hasn't casted anything absolutely dreadful this way. Sex changes, colour changes, rabbits... but nothing lethal. Now in BG2EE it's even better.

Nahal's Reckless Dweomer is a spell I start using when Neera reaches at least the 8th level of spellcasting. Near that time using this spell becomes much more safe than it has been before.

Lindeblom

I dont.



Play her, that is...to much for my nerves..

Xiaolin

Spells like Glitterdust, Slow, Malison, Animate Dead or Melfs (Melf is what she uses all the time for me) since thoese spells won't matter if they got "centered on caster"

jackjack

I never use her for buffs.

Ollmer

jackjack said:

I never use her for buffs.

stoneskin: area effect is nice (esp in BG1), you just need to have "protection from evil 15' radius" ready and do not be ashamed of being poor

DetectiveMittens

I use her as my main spellcaster and roll with the punches step aside Edwina there is a new fiery lady in my heart!

Xiaolin

A bit more on the melf tactic: If you use contingency: see enemy cast Melf Minute Meteor you have yourself a melf cannon. This also have no chance of triggering a wild surge (until you cast something else)

HaHaCharade

Wanderon said:

OK so I'm trying to give Neera a run (as a romance option for my half-orc Barbarian)

What did your half-orc Barbarian ever do to deserve this?!

karnor00

I generally EEKeeper her into some more reliable form of mage

Anduin

jackjack said:

I never use her for buffs.

Is this some kind of euphemism?

Glidderdust

I don't use Nahal's Reckless Dweomer at all. I use her like a normal mage including party buffs. Since I'm running a party, I usually have her cast disabling spells in a fight.

The only thing I've noticed is her level change when she casts. If you stick to spells that don't rely on levels (ie she's level 15, casts animate dead, loses five levels and you get a skeleton instead of a skeletal warrior) you should be fine. I've never had a wild surge that ruined a fight or my game yet.

elminster

"How do you play Neera?"

By letting her go crazy with her wild magic. Consequences be damned!

jackjack

Anduin said:

jackjack said:

I never use her for buffs.

Is this some kind of euphemism?

Hey, Wild Magic is… Wild.

kcwise

Neera: In magical terms, I can play a pretty mean tune. But when I miss a note, the flute shoots fire at everyone. Also, the flute sometimes turns me into a hamster.
Minsc: Did you hear that, Boo? Maybe she will turn into a hamster, and we will have a little friend for you to wrassel!
Neera: CHARNAME, promise to keep him away from me if it does happen again!
CHARNAME: No, it's been too long since we've had a good hamster cage match.

SymphonyofSwords

I haven't had any bigger problems with Neera in BG2. Some spells just failed, a few caused hold person or something similar on her and once she summoned a pit fiend (oops!). But since I prebuff mass protection of evil, it was not a big deal.

But then again, I mostly only use mages to cast Breach/True Sight/Improved Haste in battles.