Icewind dale solo run, personal experience
infapi00
Member Posts: 8
Hi. I have just finished a solo run of icewind dale, so I will share part of my experience, just in case it is useful for others. I assume that I'm the first one, at least with the enhanced edition, as there was a bug preventing finish the solo run [1]. Note that this post is not spoiler-free, and only includes IW, but not HOW expansion.
I finished it with a sorcerer. Doubling the experience was a temptation too big, so I put it in insane difficulty. For a sorcerer, getting more experience compensate getting the double damage, because as usually, with a sorcerer your priority should be avoid any damage. I made some attempts with other clases, and the double damage is too much hassle. Probably I'm too used to the regeneration rings from baldur´s gate, that prevents the need to go constantly to town to cure yourself, and get potions between combats.
I will not enter too much into details about the spells I used. I use as a reference the one-character guide from baldur's gate [2], so I will just mention the significant differences:
* Animate Dead (lvl5): on baldur's gate you get one skeleton, which power depends on your level. On lvl 15 you get a skeleton inmune to non-magical weapons, a good amount of HP and a +1 sword. You can summon 5. So good cannon fodder. On icewind dale you get 1d6 undead, randomly skeletons or zombies. No matter your level. Non magical weapons (except perhaps when you get skeleton archers with fire arrows), just some damage inmunity and not a lot of HP. So bad cannon fodder. In spite of the nerf, I still get the spell, mostly as a distraction.
* Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting (lvl 8): on baldur's gate only affects enemies, any one (except magical immunes). Here it affects anything that breaths, so that includes you, but not your zombies (making animate dead somewhat useful). In any case, as guide [2] recommends, I also pick Protection from Magic Energy, so that allows me to use with spell without damaging myself.
* No epic level abilities: so no planetar, improved alacrity etc.
As I said, I used guide [2] as reference, but not as written as stone. Some of my personal preferences:
* Skull trap ( lvl 3): the guide recommends flame arrow. But I prefer skull trap (or get both). I also prefered it on BG1/2, but I found it more important here. The reason is that in IW there are more hordes that BG, and since the beginning. So you need spells that affects groups earlier. So why not fire ball? Skull trap deals energy damage, and there is more enemies with fire immunities that energy ones. So it also sinergies well with Protection from Magic Energy. And finally, you can use it as a trap. Is hard to use, and really unreliable. I only used it two or three times as traps during the run, but that were useful at that moment. FWIW, it was my first lvl3 spell chosen.
* Melf meteorites (lvl 3): is a nice spell that gives you +5 missiles, and 5 attacks per turn. That is important for some enemies with high magical immunities and that requires +4/+5 weapons. That includes the final boss of IW (Poquelin/Belhifet, more about him below). So is useful, but really depends on the context.
* Mordenkainen's Force Missiles (lvl4): not available on BG. Good offensive spell, better that the ice storm recommended on the guide [2].
* Minor Globe of Invulnerability (lvl4): useful to deal with traps, and with some enemies.
* Shapechange (lvl9): this is totally optional. As mentioned before, on icewind dale I really miss regeneration items. So I took this spell in order to change to wolfwere between combats and heal myself. In the end it was more useful that just that, as can be a convenient way to clean hordes of low-level enemies, due to the immunity to non-magical weapons and the high regeneration. For example, I cleaned the aquatic museum [3] as a wolfwere really quickly. But as I said, it is just for convenience, although really, there aren't so many useful lvl9 spells.
* Time Stop (lvl9): basically the best spell on icewind dale, more taking into account that there aren't epic level abilities, and that the two big bosses on the game are not immune to this one. Don't forget to pick it.
As probably you already concluded, this solo run on insane difficulty reach the cap level long before the end of the game. In my case I reached the cap level just before killing Marketh [4].
So about the difficult parts of the game:
* The beginning: even with the xp boost, and the early easy missions, the first real mission, easthaven cave [5] is really difficult. More that difficult, somewhat boring, as you need to constantly go back to town to sleep. Going back to town, or just sleep on place will be really common at the beginning of the game.
* Fight against Yxunomei [6]: this is one of the places I used skull traps as traps. Just before entering the last room (snake's head), I put some skull traps where the yuan-ti priest appears. I also used animate dead in order to have some distraction around. Then I entered the last room, and go back. Then focus on killing Yxunomei minions (those yuan-ti priests and yuan-ti elites). Finally Yxunomei.
* Fight against Belhifet (Poquelin real form) [7]: clearly the more difficult combat of the game. Mostly because Belhifet is mostly immune to any spell, even using lower resistance, and there are several things that dispel effects on you, putting yourself in a really bad situation. Before entering the combat, put yourself anything defensive you have at hand. In any case, the mandatory spells are: melf meteorites, improved haste, immunity to magical weapons and spell immunity abjuration. The last one gives you immunity to the dispel effect from the enemies when the combat starts. Unfourtunately, doesn't give you immunity to the dispel effect from the floor traps. That means that you should try to be as near as the center as possible. When Poquelin starts to transform, move a little up. When the iron golems use the the poison cloud, go down, and use Time Stop. This movement is to avoid the poison cloud stopping your time stop spell, as has a really long casting time. Then use the meteorites against Belhifet. He is immune to the fire part, but will receive almost all the physical damage. With improved haste, you will start the combat throwing 10 +5 missiles per turn. Repeat time stop and the meteorites. Use immunity to magical weapons now and then too, to avoid damage. Ignore the minions and focus on Belhifet. Even with this strategy, getting just Belhifet killed would be really difficult, and the game just ends when you kill it.
Hope all this can be useful to someone.
[1] http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/39367/11629-all-playing-solo-should-not-cause-the-game-to-freeze-during-poquelins-final-cutscene
[2] http://www.gamefaqs.com/pc/258273-baldurs-gate-ii-shadows-of-amn/faqs/32480
[3] http://www.gamebanshee.com/icewinddale/walkthrough/aquaticmuseum.php
[4] http://www.gamebanshee.com/icewinddale/walkthrough/olddornspalace2.php
[5] http://www.gamebanshee.com/icewinddale/walkthrough/easthavencave.php
[6] http://www.gamebanshee.com/icewinddale/walkthrough/dragonseye5.php
[7] http://www.gamebanshee.com/icewinddale/walkthrough/crystaltower.php
I finished it with a sorcerer. Doubling the experience was a temptation too big, so I put it in insane difficulty. For a sorcerer, getting more experience compensate getting the double damage, because as usually, with a sorcerer your priority should be avoid any damage. I made some attempts with other clases, and the double damage is too much hassle. Probably I'm too used to the regeneration rings from baldur´s gate, that prevents the need to go constantly to town to cure yourself, and get potions between combats.
I will not enter too much into details about the spells I used. I use as a reference the one-character guide from baldur's gate [2], so I will just mention the significant differences:
* Animate Dead (lvl5): on baldur's gate you get one skeleton, which power depends on your level. On lvl 15 you get a skeleton inmune to non-magical weapons, a good amount of HP and a +1 sword. You can summon 5. So good cannon fodder. On icewind dale you get 1d6 undead, randomly skeletons or zombies. No matter your level. Non magical weapons (except perhaps when you get skeleton archers with fire arrows), just some damage inmunity and not a lot of HP. So bad cannon fodder. In spite of the nerf, I still get the spell, mostly as a distraction.
* Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting (lvl 8): on baldur's gate only affects enemies, any one (except magical immunes). Here it affects anything that breaths, so that includes you, but not your zombies (making animate dead somewhat useful). In any case, as guide [2] recommends, I also pick Protection from Magic Energy, so that allows me to use with spell without damaging myself.
* No epic level abilities: so no planetar, improved alacrity etc.
As I said, I used guide [2] as reference, but not as written as stone. Some of my personal preferences:
* Skull trap ( lvl 3): the guide recommends flame arrow. But I prefer skull trap (or get both). I also prefered it on BG1/2, but I found it more important here. The reason is that in IW there are more hordes that BG, and since the beginning. So you need spells that affects groups earlier. So why not fire ball? Skull trap deals energy damage, and there is more enemies with fire immunities that energy ones. So it also sinergies well with Protection from Magic Energy. And finally, you can use it as a trap. Is hard to use, and really unreliable. I only used it two or three times as traps during the run, but that were useful at that moment. FWIW, it was my first lvl3 spell chosen.
* Melf meteorites (lvl 3): is a nice spell that gives you +5 missiles, and 5 attacks per turn. That is important for some enemies with high magical immunities and that requires +4/+5 weapons. That includes the final boss of IW (Poquelin/Belhifet, more about him below). So is useful, but really depends on the context.
* Mordenkainen's Force Missiles (lvl4): not available on BG. Good offensive spell, better that the ice storm recommended on the guide [2].
* Minor Globe of Invulnerability (lvl4): useful to deal with traps, and with some enemies.
* Shapechange (lvl9): this is totally optional. As mentioned before, on icewind dale I really miss regeneration items. So I took this spell in order to change to wolfwere between combats and heal myself. In the end it was more useful that just that, as can be a convenient way to clean hordes of low-level enemies, due to the immunity to non-magical weapons and the high regeneration. For example, I cleaned the aquatic museum [3] as a wolfwere really quickly. But as I said, it is just for convenience, although really, there aren't so many useful lvl9 spells.
* Time Stop (lvl9): basically the best spell on icewind dale, more taking into account that there aren't epic level abilities, and that the two big bosses on the game are not immune to this one. Don't forget to pick it.
As probably you already concluded, this solo run on insane difficulty reach the cap level long before the end of the game. In my case I reached the cap level just before killing Marketh [4].
So about the difficult parts of the game:
* The beginning: even with the xp boost, and the early easy missions, the first real mission, easthaven cave [5] is really difficult. More that difficult, somewhat boring, as you need to constantly go back to town to sleep. Going back to town, or just sleep on place will be really common at the beginning of the game.
* Fight against Yxunomei [6]: this is one of the places I used skull traps as traps. Just before entering the last room (snake's head), I put some skull traps where the yuan-ti priest appears. I also used animate dead in order to have some distraction around. Then I entered the last room, and go back. Then focus on killing Yxunomei minions (those yuan-ti priests and yuan-ti elites). Finally Yxunomei.
* Fight against Belhifet (Poquelin real form) [7]: clearly the more difficult combat of the game. Mostly because Belhifet is mostly immune to any spell, even using lower resistance, and there are several things that dispel effects on you, putting yourself in a really bad situation. Before entering the combat, put yourself anything defensive you have at hand. In any case, the mandatory spells are: melf meteorites, improved haste, immunity to magical weapons and spell immunity abjuration. The last one gives you immunity to the dispel effect from the enemies when the combat starts. Unfourtunately, doesn't give you immunity to the dispel effect from the floor traps. That means that you should try to be as near as the center as possible. When Poquelin starts to transform, move a little up. When the iron golems use the the poison cloud, go down, and use Time Stop. This movement is to avoid the poison cloud stopping your time stop spell, as has a really long casting time. Then use the meteorites against Belhifet. He is immune to the fire part, but will receive almost all the physical damage. With improved haste, you will start the combat throwing 10 +5 missiles per turn. Repeat time stop and the meteorites. Use immunity to magical weapons now and then too, to avoid damage. Ignore the minions and focus on Belhifet. Even with this strategy, getting just Belhifet killed would be really difficult, and the game just ends when you kill it.
Hope all this can be useful to someone.
[1] http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/39367/11629-all-playing-solo-should-not-cause-the-game-to-freeze-during-poquelins-final-cutscene
[2] http://www.gamefaqs.com/pc/258273-baldurs-gate-ii-shadows-of-amn/faqs/32480
[3] http://www.gamebanshee.com/icewinddale/walkthrough/aquaticmuseum.php
[4] http://www.gamebanshee.com/icewinddale/walkthrough/olddornspalace2.php
[5] http://www.gamebanshee.com/icewinddale/walkthrough/easthavencave.php
[6] http://www.gamebanshee.com/icewinddale/walkthrough/dragonseye5.php
[7] http://www.gamebanshee.com/icewinddale/walkthrough/crystaltower.php
2