Some Druid Questions

LordVem

Hello, long time lurker, first time poster. Lovely forum y'all got here.

I have started a LoB run with a Shapeshifter. As far as I can tell, there doesn't appear to be any spell defense other than (Minor) Globe of Invulnerability that blocks AoE spells. So does that mean that spells like Insect Plague, Creeping Doom, and Nature's Beauty have NOTHING that blocks them? Like, walk in a room, shoot one off, and all mages instantly lose? I feel like that can't be right somehow.

Also, for werewolf shapeshifting, I know in BGEE that you can put a weapon in the offhand slot before shifting and then enjoy an extra attack per round. Does this work in BG2EE as well? Also, do the weapon's abilities get transferred over? Like, I've noticed that the offhand attack takes the dmg and magic weapon bonus (eg. +2/3 whatever) of the item, but would it get the on hit poison effect of the Dagger of Venom or the bonus apr of Belm?

Thanks!

semiticgoddess

Insect Plague and Creeping Doom can be blocked by Spell Immunity: Conjuration and Nature's Beauty can be blocked by Spell Immunity: Illusion. But no enemy mages ever use those spells, so no. If you have SCS installed, however, Fire Shields (either kind) will block Insect Plague and Creeping Doom, and True Sight will block and cure blindness from Nature's Beauty.

Without SCS, druids can in fact neutralize basically any spellcaster using Insect Plague. It's easily the best disabler in the game.

Belm's bonus APR is a passive effect that always applies to the main hand, even when shapeshifted. Other passive effects (like the Strength bonus from Crom Faeyr) apply to both weapons. On-hit effects like the poison of the Dagger of Venom, however, only apply to the individual weapon, which in this case would be your off hand.

If you have SCS installed, one of the components (all of them are optional; the installation is very customizable) tweaks druid shapeshifting. Instead of shapeshifting via a spell, you just get a special shapeshifting "token" that you equip as a weapon, instantly shapeshifting you. You can then equip it as an off-hand weapon, allowing you to use a stronger item as your main hand weapon. You can also dual-wield two copies of the token if you like, though only the magic resistance (and also elemental resistances at level 13) will stack.

LordVem

Hmm, interesting. I'll probably give SCS a go after this run. Read a lot about it but never tried it. Don't really like the sound of the werewolf changes though, so I'd probably skip that part.

I vaguely remember reading that the offhand weapon-werewolf trick doesn't work in BG2EE, does anyone know if thats true?

mf2112

Welcome to the forums! @LordVem

LordVem

Thanks

Noon

I think targeting a mage protected by spell turning with insect plague will send the insects back at you.

LordVem

The spell description of spell turning specifically says that it doesn't protect against AoE's unless they are targeted on the mage, so I don't think so.

Been a while since I've played BG2 though, so I could be wrong.

Grond0

LordVem said:

The spell description of spell turning specifically says that it doesn't protect against AoE's unless they are targeted on the mage, so I don't think so.

It's true that spell turning doesn't protect against AoE spells (and the spell description is wrong in that it doesn't protect against them even if targeted on the mage). However, insect plague is not an AoE spell so it can get reflected. You can prevent that though by casting it against something else and allowing the effect to spread to the mage - you can even be cheesy and drop a coin on the ground next to the mage to act as an aiming point.

lunar

I have experienced the insects from the Insect Plague spell bouncing back to Jaheira on occasion, when an enemy mage has spell turning.

Magic resistance can also block the spell, and note that liches are immune to insect plague, since they are immune to lvl 5 spells and below by their unholy nature. Creeping doom will get them, however, it may be subject to spell turning which they prebuff with so often, so take great care! Creeping doom kills fast if reflected upon you!

But yeah in general, druid spells are awesome. Call lightning packs a heavy damage punch in outdoors, and insect plague wins mage battles easily. Fire elementals are amazing summons, too. Really, clerics suck when compared.

LordVem

Hmmm, I'll test out Insect Plage against spell turning when my druid gets it then. Don't want to be caught off guard in a key fight.

And yeah, creeping doom for liches. Only time I'd favor it over Insect Plague probably on account of the low duration.