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Solo, no reload challenge

RumsediRumsedi Member Posts: 24
in Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition
I did this once before with a Kensai dual classed to a Mage, now on the IPad I'm going for a Swashbuckler dual classes to Cleric.

Balder's gate 1 completed safely though I got some other characters in for the Duchee palace. But Balder's gate 2 is the real challenge.

Now the new patch is here, I get through the first dungeon and find that Watchers Keep is on the map! Going to do some of the more mundain completely safe stuff before making a start save I can return to when I inevitably die.
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  • RumsediRumsedi Member Posts: 24
    Plan is to dual class at 25, and leave lots of sub quests almost finished so I can level up as a Cleric quickly.

    What I am wary of, and/or looking forward to.

    I always do the Staff of the Magi battle early, as it can easily go wrong, and zoom straight from there to the Hair Daelis quest, which I'm very fond of. Always nice to get the boots.

    Level 3 in Watchers Keep is something I will be relived to get through. After that I'll do the Lum the mad level, and some of level 5, that final battle is a nasty one, will leave that til I'm stronger.

    Looking forward to the changeover point, becoming a Cleric and going to the Asylum soon afterwards.

    The under dark is always fun.

    Think the Throne of Bhall branch will be tougher overall. Some tough fights, lots of which I'm looking forward to.

    And Dragons. I'm not sure the build is great for dealing with them, especially Draconis. Will be nervous by that point.

  • BlackravenBlackraven Member Posts: 3,486
    That's a serious challenge you have there: I've never tried a dual at such a high level, let alone in a solo no-reload run. The good thing is that once you've completed the dual the Cleric weapon restrictions won't be an issue thanks to UAI, and the Swashy AC, Thac0 and damage bonuses will be significant by level 25, so you'll basically end up with a Fighter/Thief/Cleric build (without backstabbing of course). Sounds quite solid for ToB.

    I'm sure many people on the forums (including myself) would be interested in reading about your playthrough, maybe you could share
  • FrogmanFrogman Member Posts: 153
    I often do my own rules for my solo no-reload runs. I solo all content along with 3-5 NPC companions at all times, and I never reload (unless I die or something doesn't go optimally well). It's PRETTY INTENSE.
  • SionIVSionIV Member Posts: 2,689
    Frogman said:

    I often do my own rules for my solo no-reload runs. I solo all content along with 3-5 NPC companions at all times, and I never reload (unless I die or something doesn't go optimally well). It's PRETTY INTENSE.

    Just out of curiosity, how do you solo with 3-5 NPC companions? Do you lock them in another room or something? And what about thieving skills?
  • FrogmanFrogman Member Posts: 153
    So when I solo, I always have 3-5 other party members.But I just use them for combat or for out of combat abilities and stuff.
  • SionIVSionIV Member Posts: 2,689
    Frogman said:

    So when I solo, I always have 3-5 other party members.But I just use them for combat or for out of combat abilities and stuff.

    Just out of curiosity, do you know what solo means?
  • DreadKhanDreadKhan Member Posts: 3,857
    I have heard it might work right away (uai), but you migt want to keeper a character to test, because you will want other gear if you are unable to uai right after dualing.

    You likely will be quite strong when you get back your abilities, arguably better in melee than most Fighters actually, having +6/+7 with specialization, and DWing speed weapons would make some fights a real breeze.

    What HLA are you taking for your thief? Time Traps sound pretty compatible, and you can use scrolls or items for Imp Haste anyways. Energy Disks will get the +5 damage each, right? Might be entertaining!

    I second @Blackraven please post how fights go and tactics used!
  • RumsediRumsedi Member Posts: 24
    Thanks for the interest guys, I'll let you know how it goes.

    I'll only get two epic thief abilities, so use any item and time trap or spike trap.

    Haven't got that much experience with spike traps, but wonder if it would be better for the end game fights like Draconis.
  • DreadKhanDreadKhan Member Posts: 3,857
    Spike traps deal out massive damage, but Time Traps are much more versatile, and you aren't exactly tripping over Timestop scrolls, but either style should work. You get autohits with Timetrap, but Demogorgon and the big ToB end boss are both immune to Timestop, but not Spiketraps.
  • RumsediRumsedi Member Posts: 24
    I'm going to leave the Demogorgon. By that stage I'll be soo wary of death, and remember that being one of the hardest battles to solo.

    I was quite dependant on the time stop/energy blades combo with Planatear kicker back then with my Kensai/Wizard, and it didn't work that well on him.
  • DreadKhanDreadKhan Member Posts: 3,857
    Iirc, traps are usually the easiest solution to really hard BG fights. ;)
  • mumumomomumumomo Member Posts: 635
    Swash 25/cleric is clearly a difficult choice and i strongly doubt you will succeed on the firs try.

    A pure swash would be much much much easier.
  • RumsediRumsedi Member Posts: 24
    mumumomo said:

    Swash 25/cleric is clearly a difficult choice and i strongly doubt you will succeed on the firs try.

    A pure swash would be much much much easier.

    This is not my first try, just my first try on the iPad, and first try for a while. Second try in fact, as I forgot that something about travelling outside Athkatla early and running away from random encounters means the carrying the unconscious Man to the harpers doesn't come up, which was annoying.

    So I started again, and just got to the safe point.

    I sped through the circus quest, introduced myself to a few people, popped into de'Arnise hold to grab a few items, and completed the first level of Watchers Keep. I did this mainly by sniping and hiding with the +4 Firetooth crossbow, tedious but I consider it risk free. This gave me the +4 Scimitar, amongst other trinkets.

    I then dipped my toes into trademeet, just long enough to kill the Genie with 3 snares, and head back to Athkatla.

    I used a protection from undead scroll to kill some Liches, and another, along with a potion of power to kill Kangax.

    I know some people here don't think too highly of those scrolls, and I understand their point. But it's my challenge. I've made it hard enough in ways I like for it to be fun for me. I'm avoiding risks wherever possible. And that ring will make things much easier.

    I also gathered up the cloak of the sewers and Kithix and retired to Waukeens Promenade to make the safe save.

    So I start this challenge for real as a level 14 Swashbuckler. And I start with a risky encounter.
  • RumsediRumsedi Member Posts: 24
    I will start with the Staff of the Magi fight. Once in, I'll activate a protection from magic scroll, drink some oil of speed and run up to a point just left of the cauldron. Once Shangrilar has appeared I'll activate a protection from undead scroll so the vampire ignores me. Layered will cast timestop aim a bunch of spells at me and summon a Demon. The Meteor Storm effects Vaxall (who is the one I'm worried about) and hopefully they'll all fight each other, and someone will kill Vaxall, then I can finish whoever is left. If Vaxall lives, I have some tools, but I could we'll be in trouble.

    If all goes well, I will sprint to the Five Flagons Inn and use what's left of the scroll of magic protection to help me finish that quest off.

    Then some safer quests for a while as I climb the levels.
  • BlackravenBlackraven Member Posts: 3,486
    Wishing you the best of luck, but why risk your neck at the Twised Rune, when you're still 10 levels away from UAI, and thus from using the Staff of the Magi? There are safer ways to obtain XP no?
  • RumsediRumsedi Member Posts: 24
    I'm hoping UAI will still work when I dual class and I can use it as a Cleric (it used to in the old version). I want to dual class before heading off to spell hold, so I won't be able to get the cloak of reflection before the encounter.

    Hopefully Vauxhall the Beholder won't see me, but if he does I'm at serious risk of death if I'm level 14 or 24.

    It's also a risky fight, and one I'd like to get out if the way early, rather than risk starting again and losing hours of progress.

    It's also efficient use of the scroll of magic protection. The scrolls and the yellow potions that make you automatically pass saving throws are a very limited resource, and the Planar Prison can be risky too. I
  • RumsediRumsedi Member Posts: 24
    Attempt 1 - Vauxhall panicked just enough to move down to where I was slashing away at Shangrilar, and killed me easily, the way beholders do.

    After considering whether I felt the challenge was ok, starting again from the safe point, I decided I was.

    Attempt 2 - Slowed by Torgal and low on hp, I summoned an Efreeti to finish him off, who of course fireballed me to death. Careless play, and a reminder that while Efreeti's are awesome, there is a time and a place for them.
  • RumsediRumsedi Member Posts: 24
    I'm going to take Aeri into the twisted room to use a farsight scroll, just so I know what Vauxhall is up to. I should be able to manage it as long as he doesn't move in range of me.

    Torgal is tough but is completely manageable, not doing anything unexpected. I was just foolish using the Efreeti like that.

    I want to save all the easy quest for when I dual class to a Cleric, apart from sneaking into them and disarming any traps that need doing.

    I think the Astral Prison, the Planar Sphere and the first four levels of Watchers Keep should take me most of the way to level 25 as a Swashbuckler, as well as dipping into quests and doing the some of the hard bits (like killing Torgal) to make early life as a Cleric easier.
  • DreadKhanDreadKhan Member Posts: 3,857
    Cleric will be pretty awful early imho, butmonce you get Animate Dead, using skeletons might make some easy fights winnable. If UAI works after dualing (you might want to Keeper something to test this btw), you can just cheese through anything nearly with Cloudkill wands.
  • RumsediRumsedi Member Posts: 24
    Ok. After a few failed attempts (1 at the twisted rune due to the beholder and 1 due to a Gauth deep in the sewers) I am a level 23 Swashbuckler and ready for the third level of Watchers Keep.

    Plan is to down a bunch of potions (magic blocking to automatically pass saving throws mainly) and fly through it at super speed, before the 3 turns pass. There are too many areas without time to prepare, and too many Demons with capabilities I'm not fully aware of for my liking.

    I'm going to look at a walk through to get a route. But any advice or holes you can see in this plan?

    I've completed the Planar Prison and Planar Sphere so far. And done the hard bits and detrapped the Bridge murders, the D'arnerise Hold, the Cleric quest, the Slums Slaver, the Shadow thief quest, as well as the first two levels of Watchers Keep.
  • RumsediRumsedi Member Posts: 24
    Man, I hate that maze. Even with walkthroughs that seem to contradict each other, I got totally lost and dead magic zones took my potion boosts away. I got two of the hearts, got stunned by a pit fiend u think, and died.
  • RumsediRumsedi Member Posts: 24
    Figured out what I need to go for the next run through. Don't need to go anywhere near the put fiend. Will be a relief to get through it and play as a low level Cleric.

    While I was there I checked, use any item does carry over when you dual class.
  • sarossaros Member Posts: 3
    It's easy to solo no-reload on insane difficulty an unmodded BG1 + BG2 + ToB (or even modded with Ascension). I believe it has been done with each class or kit. I myself did it once with a Wizard Slayer, which may be the toughest (alongside Beastmaster). Doing it with a high-level C/T should be much easier.
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    @saros: I've done it, too, but I wouldn't call it easy. BG2 isn't easy unless you've played it many, many times. You and I have done that, but the average player hasn't played through the game 10 times or more. No-reload, even on Easy (difficulty doesn't affect saving throws), is a challenge.
  • ArunsunArunsun Member Posts: 1,592
    @saros : it is not easy for the average player. You really need to know what item will be useful for this or that fight (namely CC-Immunity items) because one single mistake might be deadly. And you can only acknowledge all of this by playing the game over and over and paying attention to each fight.
  • RumsediRumsedi Member Posts: 24
    I've done it before too with a Kensai dual class Mage. Most bits are easy if you know them well enough, but I'm living on very old memories and bits of walkthroughs, when needed.

    It is also easy to be complacent and make a mistake at the wrong time, which is what makes no reload challenges so much fun.
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