@Permidion_Stark Cloudkill has to be one of the most used spells in my arsenal, great when you can open a door, throw it in then close the door and wait for the screams
In the early game (pretty much pre-cloakwood) I think I can count the number of people who didn't make their save on one hand. That said there are a lot more in cloakwood that make it, but Xan is up to like 4 casts of it per day so it IS landing. Its just a question of whether it lands before or after Coran and Kivan have turned them into a pin cushion.
@Son_of_Imoen Big fan of Horror. Pretty much my go-to, get the eff away from me spell early on. I found mobs run smaller distances under Horror than when they get scared on their own and have a 'morale failure.' Very annoying to have a half dozen Xvarts pull a Khalid at the same time ... And end up kiting your team half way across the map!
@DJKajuru If you're running Tutu, try SCS with 'smarter mages' installed. I've had clerics heal themselves, casters throw Ice Storm (?!) at my whole party in Nashkel, and ogre mages throw out Stinking Cloud the second they see me.
@Dragonspear You've got far better luck with that stuff than I do. Low level, a mob making their save against Blind, Hold or Charm is expected. If any of them actually work for me, it's more of a happy accident than a gimme. (I actually gave up trying to cast Hold Person on anyone at all).
My list of mage spells, with BG2 spells (I'm not including protection spells (fire/cold/acid/normal missles... but I usually only use them from scrolls, and I don't really use the low level spell protections either): Level 1: Chill touch, Color spray, Infravision, Reflected image, Shocking Grasp
Level 2: Deafness, Ghoul Touch, Glittterdust (I admit it, somehow I skipped it, now that I herad every1 talk about it will definetly use it), Know alignment (Possibly the least useful spell of all!), Stinking cloud
Level 3: Clairvoyance, Non Detection
Level 4: Emotion (like Glitterdust, will use it from now on), Echanted Weapon, Farsight, Minor Sequencer, Polymorph Other/Self, Remove Curse (use temples instead), Wizard Eye
Level 5: Conjure Lesser Elementals (tried once. Never again!), Oracle, Phantom Blade, Shadow Door
Level 6: Conjure Elementals (again), Contingency, Disintegrate (although it would be cool if wouldn't destroy items), Flesh to Stone, Summon Nishruu
Level 7: Delayed Fireball, Mordenkainen's Sword (I misunderstood this spell and thought it was like Phantom Sword), Prismatic Spray, Spell Sequencer, Summon Hakeashar
Level 8: Incendiary Cloud, Spell Trigger, Symbol Spells (I know, they are good, just idk, didn't feel like bothering with them)
Level 9: Black Blade of Disaster, Chain Contingency, Energy Drain, Freedom (apart from that one place in Underdark), Power Word: Kill, Shapechange
I know this is again another spell which I know is powerful, but I still don't use it. As I play sorcerer with my PC, I cast quite quickly already. When I need more spells to be cast I use time stop. And when I start getting lvl10 spell, I always get a few dragon breaths, a comet (for fire res creatures) and one or two summon planetars. After all these I may consider getting alacrity instead of discs (the disc I've found to be a good way for damaging when fighting many weaker enemies who are not close enough to each other for aoes, or throwing them all into a single target)
The thing I like about IA is that after you cast it (btw its best in conjunction with Time Stop), you can cast spells as soon as the previous one finishes, rather than waiting for the next round. This is great if you're using things like Robe of Vecna or other casting speed enhancing equipment and if you want to dump a lot of low level spells into an area quickly. I've never played a sorc though or even had a PC mage so I'll prolly default to your judgement here. I'll just say that Imoen likes it ^_^
The thing I like about IA is that after you cast it (btw its best in conjunction with Time Stop), you can cast spells as soon as the previous one finishes, rather than waiting for the next round. This is great if you're using things like Robe of Vecna or other casting speed enhancing equipment and if you want to dump a lot of low level spells into an area quickly. I've never played a sorc though or even had a PC mage so I'll prolly default to your judgement here. I'll just say that Imoen likes it ^_^
It is very powerful. You just have to be willing to run through the gambit of pausing non-stop to get them all off (which can be done by adjusting the setting) to get maximum value. I am frequently too lazy and just chain contingency 3 horrid wiltings and then cast another spell for a 4 in one round type of attack rather than fire a million skull traps, etc.
@AHF sell us on chain contingency, because i also only use this as a last ditch defence
So many good uses. To start with, I will say that I don't use it as something I cast way in advance of combat. I use it as a versatile weapon in combat 90% of the time.
First, mechanically it is great. It takes zero time to cast and doesn't use up your action for the round, leaving you free to case another spell, use an item, etc. It can also be cast during a pause so there is no interruption to your actions during the round.
Second, it's ability to auto-target is extremely useful. If you are facing an invisible liche, for example, you can use a contingency to target that person with spells by having it fire at nearest opponent. Even if the target is hidden, invisibile, etc. it will still hit target and hit them both with AOE spells and with single target spells. Thus, you can go after spell casters with improved invisibility, etc. even if you don't dispel the invisibility.
Third, some of the offensive combos are great. 3 horrid wiltings wipe out most opponents but triple sunfire, delayed fireball, etc. are also devastating. This does much more damage than any other spell. The horrid wilting combo does 60d8 if cast by a level 20 mage - an average of 270 damage not to one opponent but to an entire area of opponents (save 3 times so damage varies from a base of 135 up on average). Bear in mind as well that AOE spells are not stopped by spell traps, etc. unless targeted directly on the opponents so you can vary your positioning to take advantage of this in group battles. If your opponent or opponents are supermagic resistant, a triple sunfire (ignores resistance and hurts liches other than Kangaxx) hits for 45d6 (an average of 158 in an AOE ignoring resistance - bye bye drow). By comparison, Dragon's Breath does 20d10 (an average of 110) or roughly 40% of a chain contingency/horrid wilting. But why choose if you love them both? Fire your triple horrid wilting and then cast dragon's breath for an average damage of 380 AOE.
Fourth, it is the ultimate defense stripping move. Does your enemy have a spell trap active? Spell turning? How about layering a Ruby Ray of reversal (removes the spell trap), pierce shield (eliminates spell turning and lowers resistance), and a breach (don't use against liches who are immune) or true seeing - leaving the opponent open to both melee and magic attacks. 3 dispel magics against liches work wonders and frankly work wonders against most enemy spell casters or buffered opponents and apply AOE. Any of these combos are vastly superior to Spellstrike which only cancels out a spell trap and leaves the rest of the protections in place.
Fifth, you can do some very cool combinations like summoning 3 Mordenkainen's Swords or turning your fighter/mage into a melee juggernaught (true sight + prot from magical weapons + tensor's transformation). One of these that is highly abusable is setting your trigger on being immobile and then loading it up with 3 project images. The next time you cast project image, you get 4 projected images (the one you cast and the 3 from the contingency) and you can start firing 4 spells a round at your enemies. It is overpowered and cheesy to do against anything but the Weimer mods but there it is.
Sixth, you can likewise layer disabling spells on an opponents like lower resistance. A 20th level mage can lower an enemy's resistance by 90% with a chain contingency and then can cast another spell that round with the opponent no longer magic immune. You can also do this when the opponent is invisible - meaning you can use the lower resistance and then follow with an AOE damage spell. You can combo Greater Malison (do this first in the sequence) to lower saving throws by 4 in an AOE, powerword blind (AOE - no save and leaves most opponents as rubbish), and your favorite save or else spell now at a -4 to save.
Sixth, defensively it can be a lifesaver. For example, assume you are being surrounded and have been poisoned or some other effect interrupting spell casting. No casting time so no interruption with chain contingency. Break out a combo like Protection from Magic Weapons, Stoneskin and Improved Invisibility and suddenly your opponents can't target you and can't hurt you with melee attacks even if they can get to you. Now you can drink that potion to stop the poison because you haven't used your action for the round and then resume normal casting. Obviously, if you are facing an enemy spell caster with true seeing something else might be in order (like casting spell immunity: divination and then chain contingency targeting yourself with improved invisibility [now immune to true seeing], immunity to magic energy [immune to those horrid wiltings], and a Mordenkainen's Sword to draw fire and occupy the opponent's summons).
There is just so much goodness and so much versatility with this spell that it is incredibly useful if you are strategically planning against a known opponent or just reading and reacting during battle.
Finally, if you find you didn't use it before your next rest, fire it up with some combo triggering on sight of opponents and you will then start post-rest with a triple horrid wilting, 3 summons, or some other combo that will boost your party at the start of the next encounter. Since you rested, you will have all your spells and your chain contingency in your pocket to bust out as needed.
@AHF awesome post, just to be clear, you actually cast chain contingency during combat and customise it based upon who you are fighting rather then way before getting into a battle?
@AHF awesome post, just to be clear, you actually cast chain contingency during combat and customise it based upon who you are fighting rather then way before getting into a battle?
Why not do both? Tis what I do, I have one up before major battles,then cast it in battle as needed....
@AHF awesome post, just to be clear, you actually cast chain contingency during combat and customise it based upon who you are fighting rather then way before getting into a battle?
That is primarily what I do. If you "do both" like @Amardarial smartly suggests you just need to set the contingency on a very common occurrence like sighting the enemy as I suggested at the bottom of my post. If you set the contingency on being immobile or reaching 50% of your hit points (the latter being a common use of contingency), you won't trigger that immediately (unless you trigger it yourself) and you can't cast chain contingency if you already have one active. So if I do both, I do something like cast chain contingency 3x horrid wilting, nearest enemy, on sight and then rest and then it fires right away after the enemy appears and then I am free to let another contingency go that is customized for the particular battle and circumstance as soon as that "pre-battle" contingency is triggered.
The lower level contingency spell is useful like this as well. I find that when I am fighting big battles it is particularly useful to use the lower level contingency to set off protection from magical weapons without using up my spell for the round. Chain contingency is a devastating offensive weapon but the 6th level contingency spell has much, much more limited offensive ability but very useful defensive use. I still don't like to set it at 50% hit points or anything because I find that too limiting.
Does anyone use find familiar often? I tried it once in BG2 and got a cool 99% stealth cat, what you get depends on your alignment (http://www.sorcerers.net/Games/BG2/familiars.php) but would be interested to know what people felt was the best familiar to go with in early BG1, the Pseudo Dragon sounds useful for melee but the Ferret or the Rabbit could be really useful to compensate for a Their with poor pickpocket or Detect Traps skills
The Imp familiar was the most useful, in my opinion, in low levels when playing a mage in BGT. With its polymorph self ability it can easily tank opponents while you shoot your magic.
@Permidion_Stark Cloudkill has to be one of the most used spells in my arsenal, great when you can open a door, throw it in then close the door and wait for the screams
This is a bit Nazi...
Full Nazi would have included casting an Incendiary Cloud afterwards.
Contingency/Chain contingency & spell triggers are outstanding on Aerie.
Contingency - Hit points at 50% - Heal or - Blade barrier, you can also load epic divine spells into a Chain contingency - such as see enemy - Globe of blades, Aura of flaming death & Improved mantle or See enemy/nearest Implosion x3.
She can also buff characters with spell triggers containing a mix of arcane & divine spells. Or blast foes with multiple divine spells simultaneously - x3 Holy smites.
@Isair dammit now my next SoA play-through will need a cleric/mage in the group, already kicked the Skald out of my current custom group and added a fighter/mage for end game SoA/ToB (Group is Tribal/Melee heavy, hence no pure mage type)
@Amardarial If it's a custom party I'd go for a Gnome Cleric/Illusionist. You'll only lose one level 4 divine spell & gain an extra mage spell every level.
It's not a bad thing! I have far too many different parties planned come EE, we're going to get our moneys worth.
@Isair I'm running a BGT with a few mods for tactics/kits right now.....got lists of custom groups I want to play.....saving the NPC groups for EE so I don't burn myself out on the chating...
Really want to try a Custom Group that is Arcane Focused, no single class characters that are not arcane casters, so only fighters would be Bard, F/M, F/M/T same goes for Clerics, etc
Thinking something like
Elf Sorcerer (Evocation/Necromancy Focused) Enchanter Gnome Illusionist/Thief Elf Fighter/Mage Gnome Cleric/Illusionist Human Bard (Undecided on Kit)
That should have all my bases covered, 1st few levels might be a tad rough, but once I hit lvl 2 spells, things should go a lot smoother from there....and once late SoA and Early ToB kicks in...much fun is to be had.
@Amardarial I'd have the bard as half-elf, slight resistence bonus over human & a blade. Free haste + max damage or massive AC bonus that doesn't pin you to the spot if you use the free action ring.
Maybe have one of the mages as a dual class fighter/mage (unless you think their OP), maybe 7 fighter then dual to mage. You'll then have two attacks per-round & can have high pips in bow. It would mean however that you'd have a single class fighter for awhile.
Not that I'm telling you how to play your game! haha just my view. It's a pretty cool idea, when your party unleashes on your foes it'll be doomish.
The Imp familiar was the most useful, in my opinion, in low levels when playing a mage in BGT. With its polymorph self ability it can easily tank opponents while you shoot your magic.
I didn't see this, it would be awesome to turn into a Sword Spider in BG1, you would rip apart alot of people in melee
Mustard jelly is helpful as well, just have them at the front when fighting mages so they're targeted. 100% magic resistance.
Was always fun to use this on BG2 when fighting a lich, let them cast timestop and go nuts throwing spells when i have 100% magic resistance as a jelly
Comments
In the early game (pretty much pre-cloakwood) I think I can count the number of people who didn't make their save on one hand. That said there are a lot more in cloakwood that make it, but Xan is up to like 4 casts of it per day so it IS landing. Its just a question of whether it lands before or after Coran and Kivan have turned them into a pin cushion.
@Imoen
I like horror a lot more when your entire party has ranged weapons. It's not AS frustrating then but its still up there.
@DJKajuru If you're running Tutu, try SCS with 'smarter mages' installed. I've had clerics heal themselves, casters throw Ice Storm (?!) at my whole party in Nashkel, and ogre mages throw out Stinking Cloud the second they see me.
@Dragonspear You've got far better luck with that stuff than I do. Low level, a mob making their save against Blind, Hold or Charm is expected. If any of them actually work for me, it's more of a happy accident than a gimme. (I actually gave up trying to cast Hold Person on anyone at all).
Level 1:
Chill touch, Color spray, Infravision, Reflected image, Shocking Grasp
Level 2:
Deafness, Ghoul Touch, Glittterdust (I admit it, somehow I skipped it, now that I herad every1 talk about it will definetly use it), Know alignment (Possibly the least useful spell of all!), Stinking cloud
Level 3:
Clairvoyance, Non Detection
Level 4:
Emotion (like Glitterdust, will use it from now on), Echanted Weapon, Farsight, Minor Sequencer, Polymorph Other/Self, Remove Curse (use temples instead), Wizard Eye
Level 5:
Conjure Lesser Elementals (tried once. Never again!), Oracle, Phantom Blade, Shadow Door
Level 6:
Conjure Elementals (again), Contingency, Disintegrate (although it would be cool if wouldn't destroy items), Flesh to Stone, Summon Nishruu
Level 7:
Delayed Fireball, Mordenkainen's Sword (I misunderstood this spell and thought it was like Phantom Sword), Prismatic Spray, Spell Sequencer, Summon Hakeashar
Level 8:
Incendiary Cloud, Spell Trigger, Symbol Spells (I know, they are good, just idk, didn't feel like bothering with them)
Level 9:
Black Blade of Disaster, Chain Contingency, Energy Drain, Freedom (apart from that one place in Underdark), Power Word: Kill, Shapechange
Level 10: Improved Alacrity
I have an addiction and the only cure is more fireball
You might like the chain contingency 3xdelayed fireball blast which affects liches in addition to the non-liche variety!
RIP Gene Frenkle
And back to IA: I think so too, that it would be combined with time stop. I never really use contingencies or triggers either...
First, mechanically it is great. It takes zero time to cast and doesn't use up your action for the round, leaving you free to case another spell, use an item, etc. It can also be cast during a pause so there is no interruption to your actions during the round.
Second, it's ability to auto-target is extremely useful. If you are facing an invisible liche, for example, you can use a contingency to target that person with spells by having it fire at nearest opponent. Even if the target is hidden, invisibile, etc. it will still hit target and hit them both with AOE spells and with single target spells. Thus, you can go after spell casters with improved invisibility, etc. even if you don't dispel the invisibility.
Third, some of the offensive combos are great. 3 horrid wiltings wipe out most opponents but triple sunfire, delayed fireball, etc. are also devastating. This does much more damage than any other spell. The horrid wilting combo does 60d8 if cast by a level 20 mage - an average of 270 damage not to one opponent but to an entire area of opponents (save 3 times so damage varies from a base of 135 up on average). Bear in mind as well that AOE spells are not stopped by spell traps, etc. unless targeted directly on the opponents so you can vary your positioning to take advantage of this in group battles. If your opponent or opponents are supermagic resistant, a triple sunfire (ignores resistance and hurts liches other than Kangaxx) hits for 45d6 (an average of 158 in an AOE ignoring resistance - bye bye drow). By comparison, Dragon's Breath does 20d10 (an average of 110) or roughly 40% of a chain contingency/horrid wilting. But why choose if you love them both? Fire your triple horrid wilting and then cast dragon's breath for an average damage of 380 AOE.
Fourth, it is the ultimate defense stripping move. Does your enemy have a spell trap active? Spell turning? How about layering a Ruby Ray of reversal (removes the spell trap), pierce shield (eliminates spell turning and lowers resistance), and a breach (don't use against liches who are immune) or true seeing - leaving the opponent open to both melee and magic attacks. 3 dispel magics against liches work wonders and frankly work wonders against most enemy spell casters or buffered opponents and apply AOE. Any of these combos are vastly superior to Spellstrike which only cancels out a spell trap and leaves the rest of the protections in place.
Fifth, you can do some very cool combinations like summoning 3 Mordenkainen's Swords or turning your fighter/mage into a melee juggernaught (true sight + prot from magical weapons + tensor's transformation). One of these that is highly abusable is setting your trigger on being immobile and then loading it up with 3 project images. The next time you cast project image, you get 4 projected images (the one you cast and the 3 from the contingency) and you can start firing 4 spells a round at your enemies. It is overpowered and cheesy to do against anything but the Weimer mods but there it is.
Sixth, you can likewise layer disabling spells on an opponents like lower resistance. A 20th level mage can lower an enemy's resistance by 90% with a chain contingency and then can cast another spell that round with the opponent no longer magic immune. You can also do this when the opponent is invisible - meaning you can use the lower resistance and then follow with an AOE damage spell. You can combo Greater Malison (do this first in the sequence) to lower saving throws by 4 in an AOE, powerword blind (AOE - no save and leaves most opponents as rubbish), and your favorite save or else spell now at a -4 to save.
Sixth, defensively it can be a lifesaver. For example, assume you are being surrounded and have been poisoned or some other effect interrupting spell casting. No casting time so no interruption with chain contingency. Break out a combo like Protection from Magic Weapons, Stoneskin and Improved Invisibility and suddenly your opponents can't target you and can't hurt you with melee attacks even if they can get to you. Now you can drink that potion to stop the poison because you haven't used your action for the round and then resume normal casting. Obviously, if you are facing an enemy spell caster with true seeing something else might be in order (like casting spell immunity: divination and then chain contingency targeting yourself with improved invisibility [now immune to true seeing], immunity to magic energy [immune to those horrid wiltings], and a Mordenkainen's Sword to draw fire and occupy the opponent's summons).
There is just so much goodness and so much versatility with this spell that it is incredibly useful if you are strategically planning against a known opponent or just reading and reacting during battle.
Finally, if you find you didn't use it before your next rest, fire it up with some combo triggering on sight of opponents and you will then start post-rest with a triple horrid wilting, 3 summons, or some other combo that will boost your party at the start of the next encounter. Since you rested, you will have all your spells and your chain contingency in your pocket to bust out as needed.
The lower level contingency spell is useful like this as well. I find that when I am fighting big battles it is particularly useful to use the lower level contingency to set off protection from magical weapons without using up my spell for the round. Chain contingency is a devastating offensive weapon but the 6th level contingency spell has much, much more limited offensive ability but very useful defensive use. I still don't like to set it at 50% hit points or anything because I find that too limiting.
Couple of them have nice dmg procs to...and regen
Just sayin'.
Contingency - Hit points at 50% - Heal or - Blade barrier, you can also load epic divine spells into a Chain contingency - such as see enemy - Globe of blades, Aura of flaming death & Improved mantle or See enemy/nearest Implosion x3.
She can also buff characters with spell triggers containing a mix of arcane & divine spells. Or blast foes with multiple divine spells simultaneously - x3 Holy smites.
It's not a bad thing! I have far too many different parties planned come EE, we're going to get our moneys worth.
Really want to try a Custom Group that is Arcane Focused, no single class characters that are not arcane casters, so only fighters would be Bard, F/M, F/M/T same goes for Clerics, etc
Thinking something like
Elf Sorcerer (Evocation/Necromancy Focused)
Enchanter
Gnome Illusionist/Thief
Elf Fighter/Mage
Gnome Cleric/Illusionist
Human Bard (Undecided on Kit)
That should have all my bases covered, 1st few levels might be a tad rough, but once I hit lvl 2 spells, things should go a lot smoother from there....and once late SoA and Early ToB kicks in...much fun is to be had.
Maybe have one of the mages as a dual class fighter/mage (unless you think their OP), maybe 7 fighter then dual to mage. You'll then have two attacks per-round & can have high pips in bow. It would mean however that you'd have a single class fighter for awhile.
Not that I'm telling you how to play your game! haha just my view. It's a pretty cool idea, when your party unleashes on your foes it'll be doomish.
Was always fun to use this on BG2 when fighting a lich, let them cast timestop and go nuts throwing spells when i have 100% magic resistance as a jelly