BG 2 spell choices for a BG 1 graduate
Merrepi
Member Posts: 6
Hi, I never played BG2 back when it first released. However, I played BG 1 a ton. I'm having trouble with spell choices late in BG 2 and feel like I'm wasting slots with ineffective spells. I'm attempting a solo run with fighter mage. Any suggestion for high levels spells ? I don't mind cheese effects as I'm newbie to all things BG2. I found out the hard way sleep no longer dominates baddies in BG 2...
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L1: Armor, Shield, Magic Missile, Reflected Image
L2: Mirror Image, Blur, Invisibility, Web, Strength (if your strength < 18)
L3: Slow, Vampiric Touch
L4: Stoneskin, Improved Invisibility, Fire Shield, Minor Globe of Invulnerability, Polymorph Self
L5: Breach, Shadow Door, Spell Immunity, Spell Shield, Sunfire
L6: Mislead, Improved Haste, Protection from Magical Weapons, Contingency, True Sight
L7: Mordenkainen's Sword, Spell Sequencer, Finger of Death, Limited Wish
L8: Improved Mantle, Power Word: Blind, Simulacrum, Maze, Spell Trigger
L9: Time Stop, Black Blade of Disaster, Chain Contingency, Imprisonment (if it's your style, it isn't really my thing), Shapechange
I use Greater Malison followed by Slow on mobs as it gives a total -8 to their save penalty at that point so slow can be effective even into late game. I will frequently follow that up with Confusion (4th level) or better yet Chaos once I can cast 5 level spells.
A fun tactic is summon a group of skeletons with Animate Dead and then Haste them. I usually wear the Free Action ring the first couple times I cast Haste on them so I can go for a few battles before resting.
Once I get Protection from Magic weapons (6th level spell) I (ab)use it. For 4 rounds no magic weapon can touch you. If you are Improved Hasted and dual wielding a couple of long swords or something you can do good damage in a crowd and they won't be able to hurt you. I will use it and run past the front line a lot of times to get to the mage in back before he can do something I won't like. That is, if I am not already invisible and able to sneak round them and get the mage first, then I cast the PfMW and take on the mob.
Later, Mordenkainen's swords will be your best friends. Project image and Simulacrum are also awesome, as is Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting. I like casting Incendiary Cloud into a room and then closing the door.
The main thing doing solo is protections though, try to keep them up as much as possible. Stoneskin always. I alternate between the free action ring and haste, depending on the fight. Getting slowed or held is typically a quick death sentence so I try to keep the ring on and haste against "safe" enemies that can't paralyze me. I usually keep Protection from Magic Energy (6th level) running since it lasts a turn per level. I use Spell Turning sometimes but almost always from the Book of Infinite Spells. I use Spell Trap but usually only from the Staff of the Magi since it lasts for 8 hours instead of 18 rounds.
Lvl1: Spook: Provides a quick cast control that requires HUUUGE saves.
Lvl3: Remove magic: quick cast buff removal that'll take care of Fire Shields for example (Breach doesn't) and can work against any enemy (Breach does not work against enemies immune to level 5 spells such as lich)
Lvl 4: Grand Malison: Extremely good with Celestial Fury+3 and your other control spells.
Lvl 7: Sphere of chaos: Decent control spell that'll ask for one save per round.
Lvl 8: Protection from energy: An all-in-one protection spell that does not get removed by either Breach or Spellstrike etc... It provides good tankiness against most offensive spells.
Mirror image and blur are always good spells to have. İnvisibility can help but note that dragons/demons can see through it.
Spell immunity is an awesome spell, spell immunity:abjuration makes you immune to enemy dispel/remove magic, it locks in your buffs. Spell immunity:divination protects your illusion buffs from true sight.
Protection from magic weapons is a must to have, it makes you invulnerable to vampires, golems, mind flayers, ie:icky yucky monsters that you don't want to be touched by.
Project image allows you to double up your whole spell book at the cost of a lvl 7 spell. You can cast all of your buffs and damaging spells with your image. Mordenkainen sword is the best damage sponge, it is totally invulnerable to all damage save pure magical like magic missile or horrid wilting. Speaking of, horrid wilting (level 8) is the best area damage spell except hlas.
Contingencies and sequencers/triggers have a lot of uses. You may experiment with them. Contingency:invisibility when helpless (paralysed) can be a life saver, for example. A sequencer with stoneskin+fireshield+improved invisibility can be cast as a quick buff. Spell deflection+pro from magic weapons+improved haste in a trigger can be excellent, as well. Offensively, 3xskull traps is the single most deadly sequencer you can prepare, or 3xflame arrows for single targets not resistant to fire. Sequencer with 3xsunfires or 3xcone of colds also wreak havoc.
Spook is a good spell. It's not my favorite, but I admit I overlooked it.
Remove Magic is not something I recommend for early BG2 especially as a multi F/M because you're not going to be high enough level for it to be reliable - it's worth taking a few casts at higher levels but it almost never works for me in most instances where I need the effect. It's better on bards and single-class mages.
Greater Malison is only useful to support other mages - very few of the spells on my list require saving throws, so it's only useful in specific cases.
Sphere of Chaos is a fun gimmick but in no world would I take it over an extra cast of Mordy's sword or even Limited Wish.
Protection from Energy is not something I use very often but I suppose it's not a bad spell.
Greater Malison (always thought it was grand malison for some reason
Sphere of chaos is not that reliable indeed (A little too.. chaotic) but it's still quite good, mostly with Greater Malison, and it works better against mages than the spells you mentioned, as it bypasses their protections.
Lvl 1: Spook, Magic Missile, Shield, Protection from Petrification, Identify
Lvl 2: Mirror Image, Melf's Acid Arrow, Resist Fear, Detect Invisibility, Web
Lvl 3: Invisibility 10R, Remove Magic, Slow, Spell Thrust
Lvl 4: Greater Malison, Improved Invisibility, MGoI, Stoneskin
Lvl 5: Breach, Chaos, Spell Immunity, Spell Shield
Lvl 6: Pierce Magic, Spell Deflection, True Sight
Lvl 7: Project Image, Ruby Ray of Reversal
EDIT: Would you mind arguing for the use of Project Image as one of the first level 7 spell choices? Your sorcerer already has enough spells to wreck most enemies and last the entire battle. Sure Project Image *is* a good choice, but I would rather not take it as a top priority.
Why Project Image? - Because I like to play cautiously (no-reload) and don't want to get my main character into any trouble.
One example: the Warden of the Astral Prison.
I casted Project Image far away from the battle, then this Project Image casted every protection it could and entered the fight against the Warden. This enemy activated Time Stop and then followed with quick insane attacks with his level-draining sword. It required 3 Project Images for this fight while all other party members tried to survive running from the Warden in circles till all the Warden's protections were taken off so that others could hit him. I couldn't risk my main character there - not even once. This is why I prefer to act through Project Image first. Also, a high-level SCS mage needs numerous removals of her spell and battle protections.
Not sure about Protection from Petrification though
Levels:
1) chromatic orb, blind
2) stinking cloud, glitterdust (blinds monsters and reveals invisibility if saved are missed and is party friendly combine this with greater malison ), horror
3) invisibility (personal), remove magic (only if pure class), I don't use detect invisibility (because I bring a thief along with that ability or use true sight at higher levels), fireball, skull trap, MMM, minor spell deflection, dispel magic (a must to have), haste (one of the better level 3 spells a must have). hold person (can be useful), slow and vampiric touch (if you don't mind getting too close to the monsters - good for fighter mages)
4) confusion (is okay), minor sequencer (cast a bunch of instant spells), spider spawn (mix with web for some fun), wizard eye (if you are too lazy to scout with a thief or worried about traps), teleport field (for masses of monsters)
5) cloud kill, minor spell turning, lower resistance, spell immunity, shadow door, sunfire (if you are a thief mage who scouts and wants the first strike against a room full of monsters), domination
6) chain lightning, contingency (helps you survive when conditions are meet), death spell, improved haste (cast on your fighter or yourself if you fight), mislead (nice defense), invisible stalker
7) limited wish, mantle, mordenkainen's sword (best summon to get), spell sequencer