Random sorcerer challenge

lunar

I decided to create a sorcerer who, when leveling up, never gets to choose spells. Instead I roll the dice and pick up spells from the selection screen according to dice rolls.

I have scs, with most difficult options, I have also edited most areas in my game for more monsters, spawns and challenges but also more random loot as well. I have also changed a few useless spells in my game with some cold based custom spells, (look custom spells thread for them!) so I thought, now some sucky spells are not so sucky, why not go random sorc?

Now as a spellcaster in scs, there are a few spells VERY crucial for a succesful run:
-stoneskin is essential or thieves will backstab me to oblivion
-mirror image and invisibility are nice but not essential
-breach, spell immunity, remove/dispel magic, protection from magical weapons, any powerful spell debuffer
-contingencies and triggers are excellent to have, as well.

So, if I don't get those crucial spells I need to horde some scrolls and make use of them for the biggest challenges. I have no strategy and thus have to use imagination and creativity. Also each lvl up is exciting!

So I started a new game in bg2, and along my sorc protagonist created a mp created swashbuckler. Because thats how I love to play. Will go full party beside that. No no-reload ofcourse but minimal reload:load only if main is killed or swashie is chunked (I use my bf's portrait on the character, sooo)

Anyways, at the start of the game, I rolled the dices and got:

1st lvl

Burning hands:good. Troll killer and not bad damage at high lvls
Magic missile:LUCKY!
Identify:always nice to have on a sorc.
Sleep:ugh. No use in bg2. May cast on the rare kobold or two. Kobolds and hobgobs in the copper coronet severs WILL get this.
Color spray:double ugh. Definitely did not need this after sleep. Oh well.

All in all 1st lvl was decent enough.

2nd lvl

Detect evil:waah. I am no paladin.
Detect alignment:are you kidding, enough with the detect stuff already. A novel spell, may use on a random npc if bored.
Detect invisibility:somehow. I managed to get all diviniation spells. This has some combat use against thieves, though my swashie can detect illusions just as well.

Okay 2nd level sucked big time. What is with the diviner trend?

3rd lvl

Dire Charm:grumble. When a scs enemy mage uses this on me it always manages to cause me no end to trouble. Anyway. Not my best pick but, at least, usable in some situations.
Ice Lance-actually this was detect illusions but I have custom-changed it to ice lance from iwd. Uses cold scorcher animation, single target, 4-24 cold damage, save or held for 4 rounds. A decent single target attack spell. I was happy to get this.

Upon rescuing Minsc I leveled up and got:

4th lvl

Improved invisibility:I prayed long for stoneskin but alas. This is still a decent buff, AT LEAST I DID NOT GET CONTAGION!

So. Off I went to clear the scs Irenicus dungeon, one good thing is sorc starts with all spells memorised, so I did not need to spend my single rest chance till later. I have tripled the number of duergars in the dungeon, but still, minsc/jaheira in bear form/and my swashie took care of them. Imoen and I sniped off the weakened enemies with magic missiles, and every time I used dire charm it was succesful! I ice lanced the cambion and I was lucky, neither magic resistance nor his save did work and he was held. Cute. I avoided the air elemental room as I have placed an enemy apprentice mage that likes to cast chain lightning with scs scripts, so I flinched. So no sarevok's sword for Minsc.

Near the end of the dungeon. Killed so many duergars it is funny. I really went overboard by multplying their numbers-it was ridiculous but fun to see every inch of the dungeon covered with duergar corpses. Each drops 87 gp and a minor treasure, and now I had close to 4000 gold. Also had two true sight scrolls, one mordenkainen sword and one protection from the energy (8th lvl spell!) scroll from random treasures. I may sell true sights and pro from enrgy scroll for cash, (G.Bayle wants 45k gold in my install so it is not unbalancing at the start) but I want to keep the mordy scroll for emergency. No reloads or close calls so far.

Anyway, I am excited about this run and it feels like a new challenge, a fresh fun, and wondered if anybody wanted to try a random sorc run, as well. If anyone does so, we might compare our spell picks and see who is the luckier and more powerful. Also I plan on to hoard and buy scrolls like crazy. Some spells such as stoneskins, mirror image, breach, spell immunity etc are essential and I may have to cast from scrolls for some tougher fights. Scs breaks down spell immunity scrolls so any vendor that sells SI sells a scroll for each spell immunity:school type as well, for use in contingencies I bet, so that's good.

I wonder how well I will fare in the big city. We shall see.

Nimran

Ooh, I like this challenge. I'm gonna try it out myself some day.

sparrow13x

In general I like SCS but the harder Irenicus' dungeon component is not fun. If it gave more rests, even one more, I would play it... but it makes it so that any player created non-fighter type spellcaster is useless until you use up your one and only rest to memorize spells.

For that reason alone I always skip it upon installation. I actually use Dungeon-be-Gone most of the time anyways.

semiticgoddess

I've tried lots of randomized runs in the past. This sounds like an interesting run.

But a word to the wise... Don't try a randomized run more than once or twice. There's no worse recipe for restartitis than a randomized run.

lunar

Finished the dungeon with the usual suspects Yoshimo, Minsc, Jaheira and my custom swashbuckler. Leveled up and got:

Frost fall:this is my custom ice spell, instead of the useless luck spell. Small area effect, party unfriendly, 2-12 fixed damage, save or slowed for 1 round. I am happy I have custom changed this spell, at least I have something that can be cast at lvl 2.

Minor spell deflection: well as a sorc I can manage to have one active all the time. I never got to use this spell as a mage. Can be useful. It can deflect a pw:stun or finger of death! If I understand the spell correctly.

Polymorph other:uhh. At least I can spam this spell until it sticks. It was a buggy mess in the latest patch but I have fixed it myself, now it is properly deadly-and permanent.

Still, no stoneskin.
I don't know what quests to pick right now. Circus has been edited to have an extra 10+ shadows and a few shadowfiends and Kalah is a proper scs lvl 12 illusionist with mislead and other stuff. Can be doable though.

Copper coronet is easy, beastmaster is an archer in my game with nasty special arrows but I can deal with him. Slaves headquarters are hard though, I put an extra 20 or so slaver guards and two rune assasins:they all love to target unstoneskinned mages. I can apply improved invisibility for the guards to protect my char but assasins see through that and they are deadly. A mage without stoneskin is dead meat in so many scenarios!

lunar

Okay, I was too busy in hospitals for today and only at the noon had some spare time so I rested and slept. Then got a chance to play a little bit.

Entered circus, got Aerie (who is a specialist priest of Baervan, with a call woodland beings spell as a bons ability!) illusion werewolves were dispelled by my swashy's skill and we faced Kalah. He is a mighty lvl 12 illusionist with scs scripting and his room has two shadow fiends that can paralyse! My sorc was imp. invisible and protected by minor spell turning, he sneaked to the back of Kalah, while my swashie dispelled his illusions, Jaheira and Aerie called some woodland beings, Minsc berserked and tanked te shadow fiends with Yoshimo backing him up with +1 arrows.

My sorc's newest spell ended Kalah. The blue magical effect is my own modding I added that effect to nearly every alteration spell that connects. I have also fixed the polymorph spell so it is permanent. Kalah was dealt with easily when he was squirrellised.


Went out, scribed some scrolls for Aerie and Yoshimo got a level, put points into set traps. Really, he has an abysmal set traps skill for a bounty hunter, no less! With his skill up to 70 he managed to plant two special traps near everyone's favourite neighbour, Mencar Pebblecrusher. This fight can be quite tough right out in the start with scs scripts, but..he insulted Yoshimo's honor with his dialogue so he got his revenge. His critical backstabbed finished off Sorcerous Amon, his special trap held the Orcslicer guy, and he hit the thief guy with a firebreath potion right before he turned invisible. Now that's proper use of a round for Yoshi!


Three nymphs also confused every enemy with their confusion barrage. Held Orcslicer was cut to ribbons by Minsc and my swashie, the Imp was inconsequentally weak, Brennan Risling panicked from Jaheira's insects spells, his illusion was dispelled and he was bashed in, tough Aerie got the kill with a magic missile, before he ran away. Poor Mencar was covering in the end of a bed, confused and delusional, his friends slaughtered with so much ease, my sorc held him with the custom spell Icelance. (he failed the save)


And he was dispatched like a diseased gibberling. That was it.
Loot was good. I have randomiser mod also, we got Arla's Dragonbane +3 sling, Flame of the North sword for Minsc, (I don't have Sarevok's sword so this was very welcome!) and the invisibility ring. The ring goes to my sorc so he can turn invisible in an instant when in trouble.
I need to level up asap to get a lvl 5 spell. We shall see what it will be.

lunar

Went to docks, looking for quick xp and loot. Got Maevar quest and had Yoshi gulp a potion of thievery to play with all the locks and traps in the second floor of the guild. Decent loot as well.

Entered Prebek's house, the two goons are proper scs necromancers so are deadly, and their useless fodders (IIRC they were goblins?) were changed into fearsome fell ghasts. Used enter via stealth-backstab tactics with Yoshi, my swashie, and Minsc to clear the fell ghasts. Enter, do a hit and flee. Sanasha and Prebek tried casting detect illusions but they were just too slow. Once the fel ghasts were heaps of meat on the floor, the whole party entered the house I though we could take the two magi.
Boy was I wrong. And unlucky.
Prebek petrified bot Minsc and Aerie with chromatic orbs! Imagine that!
My sorc was protected by minor spell deflection+improved invisibility so he was not targeted by those deadly, deadly, chromatic orbs of doom!


Anyways, after killing them and looting their house, a quick fix was found in the nearby Oghma temple, two scrolls of stone to flesh and they were good as new. (abeit with only 1 hp)

Entered the The Thumb's tavern, Jaheira was cursed by the baron ployer so off we went to slums, to battle the trio of mages. Jaheira's insect plague and Aerie's nymph's confusion (Aerie gets call woodland beings as a bonus spell for being a Bearvan cleric, some mod adds this) the 3 mages were easy.


After that, got a level up and I got...my first level 5 spell. BREACH! Not bad. I would have loved spell immunity, as breach can be subbed by wands, or other casters, but still, not bad a pick.

Went to Copper Coronet to sleep Jaheira's curse off, tried to rescue slaves. Yoshi backstabbed the initial guard near the cages so he did not summon two fighter/mage guards.

Beastmaster is a proper and deadly scs archer in my install, and he has two umber hulks in his pens as well. Still, Jaheira and Aerie called upon five nymphs. Their constant barrage of confusion and hold spells, plus Yoshimo's special traps, took care of the umbers and other critters easily. Beastmaster was tough, he dispelled both Aerie and my sorc with arrows of dispelling. Aerie threw a web spell inside the corridor and Beastmaster was like a fly in a spider's web. My sorc also blew all of his frost fall spells (2-12 damage, plus slow if save is failed) repeater rifle style, and the beastmaster soon succumbed. You see he is trying to run from the web, but is chilled and slowed by the relentless frost, and is about to die. I almost pity him.

With the loot and gold, I bought the flaming long sword and my swashie duals it with whistling sword+2 from Adventurer's Mart, yeah he is cool like that.




Sewers below the CC was unevenful. Frost fall spell froze some kobolds in their tracks. I love my custom spell. It uses silver dragon's breath animation so the area effect is somewhat random, not too large like a fireball but rather an invisible long ray or something. Not too overpowered since the damage is just 2d6. Aganazar's scorcher on that level deals 3d6x2 damage in a similiar way.


Anyway, did the puzzle and Minsc met his new friend, Mr. Lilarcor. Entered the Slavers HQ. I remember putting two Rune Assasins there, and plus a slew of extra guards, plus the Cyric priest there was high level and equipped with a wand of heavens, and Captain Heagan was a kensai with a two hander. Okay. Buffed up to the max with protection from evil 10' radius, stoneskin, mirror image, resist fear, fire shield:blue for Aerie, minor spell deflection+improved invisibility for my sorc, ironskins for Jaheira. Enter.

My sorc was invisible so was safe from the guards, however I knew rune assasins see through invisible and meeting them without stoneskin is about as nice as swallowing razor blades. I manouvered my sorc directly to left to avoid crammed by guards. And..

Wrong choice. It seems the rune assasin was in the left and I walked into his sword. Reload.
Reload number:1

This time, I manouvered my sorc to right, Aeire threw a web to the mass of guards, Jaheira called a nymph and it worked well. DAMN rune assasin backstabbed my swashbuckler to death. HOW? He had like, 70+ hp. Those assasins are downright scary and monstrous. Anyway, my sorc dire charmed some guards, Captain Heagan was held by hold monsters, Minsc barbarian raged (he is a barbarian ranger kit from some mod) and Jaheira turned on the grizzly bear and we battled. First kill was the rune assasin, they are fierce killers but they can not take punishment as well. Then slowly, battled through the other slew of guards. Jaheira insect plagued the priest, so he could not cast, BUT HE USED HIS WAND repeatedly on my sorc. Luckily, spel deflection deflected the flame strikes from his wand of heavens. He was soon cut down.




We rested in the sewers and raised my swash with Jaheira's spell. The rest of the area was uneventful, dire charming the guards with my sorc, confusing the groups with nymphs, etc. One mage blew up himself for some damage, luckily my sorc and Aerie was away from the blast. Good xp and loot here.


Went to Bridge District to solve the skinner murders. In the Tanner's base there are TWO Rune assasins.
Yoshi put all of this traps, and Aerie buffed with stoneskin+mirror image+improved invisibility+fire shield:blue and went downstairs. The ghasts and the golem could not see her but the assasins did. She fled upstairs, the asssasins followed. One assasin was insta killed by traps (hah! not enough points for find/remove traps, eh?) and the latter...was trouble. I KNEW he was going for my sorc, but I had detect invisibility spell and casted it just in time!



That was too close for comfort.
Anyway, after dispathcing all enemies, we looted everything and went back to the commander and got our nice xp. I cheated a little bit by kicking out all of my party members before talking to Aegisfield so I got the 40k xp all by myself. (he does not give out quest xp, just flat out xp) and Aerie gulped a potion of genius and scribed every spell scroll and that gave me another level up to lvl 11.

Level 11 is a nice level for a sorc. New spells from level 2-3-4-5!

Level 2:glitterdust. I would love to have mirror image. Oh well, this has its uses.
Level 3:fireball. Can not argue with this staple spell. I now have fire as well as ice in my command. Nice theme!
Level 4:monster summoning 2. this is..unfourtunate. At least it was not CONTAGION!
Level 5:feeblemind. Poor man's finger of death! I can use this!

So, to summarize, here is my sorc's current spellbook:

Level1
Magic missile, burning hands, identify, sleep, color spray

Level2
Detect invisible, detect evil, know alignment, frost fall, glitterdust

Level3
Ice Lance, minor spell deflection, fireball

Level4
Improved Invisibility, Polymorph Other, Summon MonsterII

Level5
Breach, Feeblemind

lunar

Minsc was insistent on visiting Umar Hills to be the hero of the little boy, Delon. So we went to city gates (triggered Neera's encounter on the way) and off we went into the wilderness

Only to trigger Suna Seni ambush. Suna is a wicked kensai with grandmastery in shortswords, single weapon style and a potion of frost giant str she gulps, she can do over 30 damage with each swing. Her allies are fierce with scs scripts as well.

So, my sorc went invisible with a potion, Jaheira started ain insect plague, Minsc tried to berserk, my swashie activated swashbuckling (a mod ability, gives ac bonus but reduces movement speed) and Aerie tried a slow spell while Yoshi tried to retreat...
Only, the enemy cleric's greater command caught everybody but my sorc. I tried to dire charm the guy with the magical plate, but my spell was disrupted. I tried throwing a dagger to my companion's so the pain will wake them up, but I was slowed AND blinded by the enemy mage's slow+glitter dust combo. So instead of throwing the dagger I sloowly walked to my companions, and needles to say, was pierced by the archers.



Reload number 2.
This time, Everybody tried to disrupt the enemy cleric, Yoshi even used the wand of magic missile, BUT he still managed to release the command spell. Darn. However only my sorc and swashbuckler fell this time, and my sorc was invisible from the potion, so it was good. Jaheira's insect plague immediately caused havoc in their ranks, and a berserked Minsc is a terror to behold. He cut down the petite Suna Seni mercilessly, thanks to a pip in two handed style, that roll of 19 was a delicious critical hit. While Aerie refreshed her stoneskin to stall the archers.


The clerics and the mage were out of the battle due to insects, Yoshi attacked with a classic arrow to the rear to my swashy, the pain woke him up and he joined the fray with his double swords.

Suna Seni regretted her profession of kensai when she faced a foaming in the mouth Minsc, a swashbuckler double wielding a flaming sword, and Jaheira in a ravenous grizzly bear form with 18/00 strength...she was cut down to ribbons in a blink! :YES!:


The enemy thief was invisible but I knew his place, thanks to insect plague. The archers tore off Aerie's skins by that time, and I had to manuever her carefully to avoid getting chunked by the skulking thief. My swashie turned on detecting illusions. Jaheira and Minsc rushed to block the archers.



The thief's invisibility was gone and he was cut down by everyone, Aerie mirror imaged just in case, with her pitiful hp she has something like 'hit me' written on her back in scs.


All the time my pc was sleeping. Heh. Arbane's sword is excellent for this part of the game and my swashie dual wields it now with flaming sword. Wonderful against ghasts and shadow fiends, this combo.

In Umar Hills we went to the Mimic cave, I scouted ahead with Yoshi and found out TWO Umber Hulk ELDERS in the cave. Yeah I have modded the cave. So Yoshi trapped the cave heavily and I did what I could, conjuring up some monsters. I got a gnoll and an ogre, not bad.


Though they were chunked pretty easily by the elders, at least they absorbed their initial confusion gaze. I casted a feeblemind but the monster saved with a roll of 9. Aerie dropped a Holy Smite on them to blind them, Yoshimo took a few steps back and the traps got both of them. 18k xp X2, sweet!

Went to Merella's Cabin and uh..there is a fearsome DEVIL SHADE there. (I even forgot I put it there!) They have something like 5 attacks/round, but my swashie started swashbuckling, and the thing missed with a roll of 19. The ac is good enough to avoid the monsters touch. I imagine in my mind my swashie running around on the tables, dodging, tumbling, doing impossible manuevers etc to avoid the monster at the same time piercing it with his blades occasionaly.


Then the magic missile proved its worth, before dying the monster spawned two Shadow Fiends, all in all, it gave us 9k xp plus 2k for each fiend. Good.



Also did Madulf's proposal quest and gave the mimic blood to the cowled wizard.
Ilbratha short sword is NICE and it went to my sorc. I have Ashes of Embers mod so anyone can wield a weapon as long as they have the strength and dexterity for it. Ofcourse my sorc will never swing the thing, but mirror image is essential to have in an emergency. My sorc still lacks a good, fast, self protection spell.

Where to go now, Shadow Temple is VERY DANGEROUS in my install, I modded it so it spawns Shadow Fiends non stop. Also scs shadow lord is a terror to behold with his darkling aura. I have omitted most pro from undead scrolls from the shops but one or two, and I don't remember where they were. Duh.
Nalia's stronghold is difficult also, I have added a good 20+ trolls to the place.
Met Valygar but Planar Sphere is the deadliest among the bunch, because of Tolgerias and Lavok, and the wizard halflings are no slouch either, and I have added even more demons to the outside area to boot.

Ummmm...I guess I will go raid the graveyard district with Korgan and maybe Hexxat for good xp and loot. I have added tons of undead to the graves, mainly shadow fiends and mummies, but I believe we can take them and they are good xp as well.