My first game of NWN2 did not go quite as well as I had hoped.
I tend to play slowly and savor games, so I roleplayed the heck out of the Harvest Fair, deciding early that Aimy was an NPC I would stick with, but Bevil was probably heading for an early bath. Several hours later, we have won the harvest cup. Yay!
And then disaster strikes. Looking at the relative stats, it now seemed obvious to me that Aimy was a gimme, overstatted for the tutorial, while Bevil has stats more appropriate for an NPC. So now I am investing in Bevil as the NPC I am going to base my character's loyalty and back-story around. We head out on our bold adventure, and again, many hour later, return successful. Yay us!
And suddenly I am alone and on the road again. This game just won't give me a break. Finally, we come to an inn and have an encounter with what looks to be the first real NPC of the game for me to bond with. Finally, I can get my game going. Only it turns out I this dwarf is not all that he appears. In fact, he himself thinks he is odd and surprising, and the game clearly expects me to think him quite mad. There is no option for my own dwarf Fighter(1)/Monk(2) to recognize a fellow soul, and in fact offer him inspiration, and even a little tutelage. The game plain hates me!
At this point I threw my hands up in disgust and abandoned the game for a good while, until I felt ready to come back with a fresh character idea - but all my first impressions had been shot!
Still enjoyed the game thoroughly when I came back primed for that second game, although it really did not hold the peril of BG or any classic RPG, as the combat mechanic (everyone recovers after the fight) always left me feeling immortal. That was my only real downside (other than a quibble on items I will not mention until you have mostly beaten the game at least once).
@GreenWarlock , If you right click on Khelgar and left click on "talk to", you can get a few dialogue options in his "getting to know you" scripts that can play into your character idea that you know more about being a monk than he does. You can also roleplay helping him to "follow in your footsteps" and becoming a monk, after you get to Neverwinter. Almost all of that requires extensive use of the "talk to" access to his dialogue trees.
I don't know if he ever acknowledges your being a dwarf, since I never play one.
Party wipes are very possible in the harder fights, for a less skilled or knowledgeable player. The game was designed as part of the early trend of "consolization" in Bioware games - easy most of the time, with challenging boss fights peppered in. Success is more dependent on knowing how to gear and build your NPC's skills, and knowledge of the boss mechanics, as well as player skill in managing the suicidal NPC AI, than on anything else.
@GreenWarlock , If you right click on Khelgar and left click on "talk to", you can get a few dialogue options in his "getting to know you" scripts that can play into your character idea that you know more about being a monk than he does. You can also roleplay helping him to "follow in your footsteps" and becoming a monk, after you get to Neverwinter. Almost all of that requires extensive use of the "talk to" access to his dialogue trees.
I don't know if he ever acknowledges your being a dwarf, since I never play one.
Party wipes are very possible in the harder fights, for a less skilled or knowledgeable player. The game was designed as part of the early trend of "consolization" in Bioware games - easy most of the time, with challenging boss fights peppered in. Success is more dependent on knowing how to gear and build your NPC's skills, and knowledge of the boss mechanics, as well as player skill in managing the suicidal NPC AI, than on anything else.
The more you pause in these games, the better you do, almost without exception. This goes for Balur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, and Dragon Age: Origins. I'm someone who always turns off the AI and micromanages every fight and every NPC. As such, I've never found these games particularly troubling on normal difficulty. The games have detailed scripts, but those scripts are never going to be as good as you making a tactical decision in the moment.
I could actually see giving Elanee levels in rogue, I think she has good DEX, and it fits the idea of a druid wandering outside their normal region. Stealth would be useful for that. But realistically, I'd rather keep Neeshka.
Don't do that, Elanee's easily the best tank you can get in the game (apart from PC), and she gets some very high-powered damage spells on top. And after all of that she can also swing a sword decently enough. Give her mithral fullplate for maximum possible DEX+armor AC bonus, a shield, Combat Expertise, and feat that allows her to exchange a daily use of shapeshift ability for +7 natural AC bonus, keep Stoneskin up, and she'll outtank anyone else.
Elanee can be ditched soon anyway. Replacement with a bard and/or a paladin is sufficient healing. She is better with a SoZ dinosaur companion than she was when she was stuck with a silly badger, anyway.
"Go away you creep" "I have a pet dinosaur" "Can I buy you dinner?"
I don't remember the 15 mages encounter..? Although it's been awhile since I played NWN2. At any rate, I played on Core or whatever it is that doesn't casualize AoE to party-friendly, and most definitely did not have grave issues with Qara's ambushers.
The numbers are a bit nuts. Literally double-digit number of mages. In the Tomb of the Betrayers, Khelgar is taking on groups of about 8-10 shadows or ghasts at a time. I'm surviving, but it seems like something somewhere is a bit bugged. It's like playing IWDEE on insane difficulty but with no XP or damage increases: high numbers of level-appropriate enemies.
Maybe I'm over-leveled? My party is level 7... it has seemed like I'm right where I'm supposed to be, XP-wise.
My memory is hazy, but level 7 sounds under-leveled by the time you get into city. I could be wrong, though.
Lots of weak enemies, however, sounds about right.
Mild spoilers, but it's an event Subtledoctor will face soon so I'll tag it
This was where I've been much impressed with companion AI - Khelgar, Elanee and myself have been fighting enemies wall on wall, and Qara dropped a fireball behind their backs with enough precision to set several of them aflame without hurting my party. I was like, da hell, AI can do that???
Tomb of the Betrayers is the bit I would rate as difficult, rather than batoor's suggestion, which I stealthed without difficulty. I guess it depends on party make-up though.
But yes, the fights do tend to really on numbers rather than tactical set-ups.
I think I was around level 7 when I arrived in Neverwinter on my most recent playthrough.
I never use Qara, because I play on Core Rules with high damage friendly fire turned on. Qara likes to fireball and ice storm the party to death on those settings, and the only way to use her without her killing the rest of the party every fight is to turn off her spellcasting AI and control her directly most of the time. I can use Sand's spellcasting AI by filling his spellbook with party-friendly spells.
I wonder how many players are aware that friendly fire is set to low or off by default? The setting for it is near the bottom of the behaviors tab on any character sheet. To me, that's kind of cheating. But to each their own.
Wait, I always assumed that toggle was how often the character would cast AoE spells on top of the party. So for example if you hit "off" then the AI would never cast a spell on top of the party. Or is that what you meant?
If you click and hold on a selected character thier abilities roundel appears. You can use it from there or drag it to the hot bar. Or you can click and hold on a vacant hot bar slot to add any known ability. Or you can drag it to the hotbar from the feats list on the character sheet.
Still considering what to do with Khelgar. Dwarven Defender is a no-brainer... but a bit cliche. He's definitely NOT going to become a monk (I mean come on), but if he passes his three trials, maybe his hard-won wisdom will lead him to be a Divine Champion dedicated to Tyr. Makes sense story-wise and build-wise.
Unfortunately if you want Dwarven Defender Khelgar then you have to make him into a monk as DD has a lawful alignment requirement. Khelgar only becomes Lawful Good if he completes his test. Divine Champion is an awful choice though as his Charisma is atrocious so he can't make use of any of its abilities. Frenzied Berserker is the optimal choice for him in my opinion. And yes, you can have up to three prestige classes (four classes is the total limit). I'm playing a Wizard/Fighter/Eldritch Knight/Arcane Scholar of Candlekeep right now.
Also, I highly recommend War Hammer specialization over axes on Khelgar.
Comments
I tend to play slowly and savor games, so I roleplayed the heck out of the Harvest Fair, deciding early that Aimy was an NPC I would stick with, but Bevil was probably heading for an early bath. Several hours later, we have won the harvest cup. Yay!
And then disaster strikes. Looking at the relative stats, it now seemed obvious to me that Aimy was a gimme, overstatted for the tutorial, while Bevil has stats more appropriate for an NPC. So now I am investing in Bevil as the NPC I am going to base my character's loyalty and back-story around. We head out on our bold adventure, and again, many hour later, return successful. Yay us!
And suddenly I am alone and on the road again. This game just won't give me a break. Finally, we come to an inn and have an encounter with what looks to be the first real NPC of the game for me to bond with. Finally, I can get my game going. Only it turns out I this dwarf is not all that he appears. In fact, he himself thinks he is odd and surprising, and the game clearly expects me to think him quite mad. There is no option for my own dwarf Fighter(1)/Monk(2) to recognize a fellow soul, and in fact offer him inspiration, and even a little tutelage. The game plain hates me!
At this point I threw my hands up in disgust and abandoned the game for a good while, until I felt ready to come back with a fresh character idea - but all my first impressions had been shot!
Still enjoyed the game thoroughly when I came back primed for that second game, although it really did not hold the peril of BG or any classic RPG, as the combat mechanic (everyone recovers after the fight) always left me feeling immortal. That was my only real downside (other than a quibble on items I will not mention until you have mostly beaten the game at least once).
I don't know if he ever acknowledges your being a dwarf, since I never play one.
Party wipes are very possible in the harder fights, for a less skilled or knowledgeable player. The game was designed as part of the early trend of "consolization" in Bioware games - easy most of the time, with challenging boss fights peppered in. Success is more dependent on knowing how to gear and build your NPC's skills, and knowledge of the boss mechanics, as well as player skill in managing the suicidal NPC AI, than on anything else.
Give her mithral fullplate for maximum possible DEX+armor AC bonus, a shield, Combat Expertise, and feat that allows her to exchange a daily use of shapeshift ability for +7 natural AC bonus, keep Stoneskin up, and she'll outtank anyone else.
Elanee can be ditched soon anyway. Replacement with a bard and/or a paladin is sufficient healing. She is better with a SoZ dinosaur companion than she was when she was stuck with a silly badger, anyway.
"Go away you creep"
"I have a pet dinosaur"
"Can I buy you dinner?"
Dinosaurs for everyone!
I have done it though, it's not so hard, the students are low level and die quick, and there don't tend to be civvies in AoE range.
It is level dependent. You must have Qara in the party, have reached the right point in her quest, and be over a certain level.
Lots of weak enemies, however, sounds about right. This was where I've been much impressed with companion AI - Khelgar, Elanee and myself have been fighting enemies wall on wall, and Qara dropped a fireball behind their backs with enough precision to set several of them aflame without hurting my party. I was like, da hell, AI can do that???
But yes, the fights do tend to really on numbers rather than tactical set-ups.
I think I was around level 7 when I arrived in Neverwinter on my most recent playthrough.
I wonder how many players are aware that friendly fire is set to low or off by default? The setting for it is near the bottom of the behaviors tab on any character sheet. To me, that's kind of cheating. But to each their own.
There are lots of orher things that need fixing long before the interface.
Unfortunately if you want Dwarven Defender Khelgar then you have to make him into a monk as DD has a lawful alignment requirement. Khelgar only becomes Lawful Good if he completes his test. Divine Champion is an awful choice though as his Charisma is atrocious so he can't make use of any of its abilities. Frenzied Berserker is the optimal choice for him in my opinion. And yes, you can have up to three prestige classes (four classes is the total limit). I'm playing a Wizard/Fighter/Eldritch Knight/Arcane Scholar of Candlekeep right now.
Also, I highly recommend War Hammer specialization over axes on Khelgar.