@Harpagornis Does Implosion stun, description says it holds? Damage wise Gww is better of course.
Staff of Ram +6 is the only thing F/M/C can hit through Melissan's Absolute Immunity.
Gww + 25 str + gauntlets, 35,5*10/4 is about 89 average damage. Implosion + improved haste + 25 str + gauntlets, 20+35,5*6/4 is about 73 average damage.
EDIT: it does paralyze, which I think is same as stun. Hmm, isn't Wand of Paralyzation then the way to go? 3x Lower Resistance sequencer + Greater Malison + WoP gives 20% chance to Stun Melissan for 1 turn? Which should give enough time to Gww her down after using Rift Device.
SCS Absolute Immunity blocks +6 weapons. Ascension Melissan's Divine Mantle should make her completely immune to all weapons. Her Spell Trap effect will block Breach, so the only way to render her vulnerable in less than 4 rounds is with a Protection from Magic scroll (probably not the best idea, since it will block any hostile spells you might want to use on her) or a Ruby Ray of Reversal/Pierce Shield/Spellstrike followed by Breach. A Chain Contingency could do it in one round, but when Melissan arrives, the best thing is probably to brace for her Time Stop by casting PFMW, Focus, or Hardiness.
I never liked that SCS weapon protection component as it breaks the hierarcy, makes PfMW same as Absolute Immunity, so I never use it.
Another problem is how to kill The Unseeing Eye without the device, quick glance to the .cre reveals it to have 95 DR and 560 hp, so you would have to do 11k damage. Well you don't have to kill it...
Well that was annoying. Vent{2} was just on the point of killing Sil, having finished off the rest of the sirines in the area. In the process though they had reduced him to just under 50% of HPs and apparently a lightning storm was brewing ...
Since that was something of an 'Act of God' ending I'll give it one more go . The silver lining I suppose was that HPs were again rather disappointing. I'll hope for 3rd time lucky.
I killed the Unseeing Eye through STR drain once in a non-LoB context, and it should work just as well in LoB mode if you have Archer levels. I might kill him with STR drain in my Archer/Mage run and use Teleport to smuggle out the Rift Device, but I don't know which fight I'd actually use it for. Nothing in BG2 or ToB should really require it; Called Shot STR drain and Energy Blades/Scorcher Ammunition will render HP meaningless.
It might be good for Abazigal, since STR drain would interfere with his death script. Taking out half of his HP would simplify things.
Without Archer levels, the only reasonable way to kill him is to use a Control Circlet on him (he seems to have no immunity to the charm opcode) to waste his spells, at which point you could kill him provided that your character could tank a normal beholder indefinitely (undispellable 100% MR or subzero save vs. spell, plus a save vs. death of -3).
Damn, apparently Pseudo Dragon can't carry shit, or the Rift Device, so that plan goes out of the window. Rabbit, Ferret and Cat are the ones that can carry?
@histamiini: Yup. Or at least, the ferret and cat familiars can pickpocket. I didn't know that rabbits could do it.
Bear in mind that pickpocket is an opposed check, and your own character's pickpocket score can prevent your familiar from stealing the Rift Device. All characters, and not just thieves and bards, have a base pickpocket score thanks to their DEX bonuses and racial bonuses.
This is the breakdown for racial and DEX bonuses to pickpocketing:
The ferret familiar can pickpocket anyone who's not a bard or a thief who hasn't invested anything in pickpocketing. But if you have a high pickpocket skill or a cat/rabbit familiar, you may need to use Haer'dalis Chaos Blade to drain your DEX to 9 or below (give the sword to a clone and have them attack you) and/or cast Luck on your familiar.
@semiticgod Thanks, that's something to bear mind next time when choosing alignment.
Despite this rather "large" set pack this was a massive day for Six, hit max level farming Gauths, which also means I can now cast 8th lv spells, and I already had Spell Trigger memorized. No idea where or when I got it, other than vague memory that I got it in SoD already, is that even possible? Summoned 5 9HD hasted Skelis, made Sim cast PfM on me, and we teared down Unseeing Eye and the rest of his cult with ease. Decided to take 9 Gww's and only 2 Hardiness although they last only 9 rounds with F/M/C.
War Hammer ** Flail/Morning Star ** Quarterstaff ** Two-Handed Weapon Style * Two-Weapon Style ***
And figured that F/M/C isn't actually nerfed in spell casting that much as I can still cast lv 9 Spells from Sim using scrolls infinitely. Only missing Improved Alacrity really.
Finally i started the Adventurer Challenge - no reload for sure - with Xazzill the Cleric/Illusionist. As he is Lawful Neutral a sneaky little ferret joins him on his travels for some nice backstabbing and pick pocketing.
The little ferret had no problem taking Shoal down in a 1vs1 - hitting her with a mighty 50 damage backstab - even though he failed to steal Algernons Cloak afterwards. Too bad! However: Thanks to the Mage he could immediately cast Identify and moved straight on to Mutamins Garden. There Xazzill got really lucky not only because Mutamin got silenced and stunned to death but even more cause one of the basilisks dropped an invisibility scroll - how awesome is this? He successfully scribed it into his spellbook to make further travels much safer. For instance: On his way to the basilisk area he got ambushed by kobolds who shot him down to 9 HP - ouch! Now this should happen no more!
I hope that i will find more time after some sleeping - maybe Xazzill will head to Durlags Tower soon so his new Skels can give the Greater Basiliks there some good beating. We will see...
EDIT: Couldnt resist to jump on the Basilisks on Durlags Tower. Skels + Ferret brought them down in no time - level 6/5 reached!
SCS installs normally prevent clones from using scrolls, but the component is optional.
I'm not sure how interesting the challenge would be if you used the clone quick slot trick. It gives you unlimited uses of Protection from Magic scrolls, which means all wizards and all liches are completely irrelevant. Depending on your install, it would also grant immunity to all beholder rays. Infinite Protection from Undead scrolls would neutralize the vampires, too. Plus, infinite Control Circlets would let you charm anything that wasn't immune to the charm opcode. Once you got into ToB, you'd also have enough Time Stop scrolls to maintain Time Stop for over 10 rounds per casting of Simulacrum or Project Image, which would neutralize every fight in ToB except for Abazigal, the Ravager, and Melissan.
That's essentially zero difficulty for all of SoA and 90% of ToB.
Vent{3} started fairly promisingly, but got ground down by endless kobolds at Firewine Bridge. At level 6 he built up a stock of arrows and went to try and get Meilum's bracers. First though he had to beat up some kobolds on the way - and with 2 encounter points each spawning up to a dozen kobolds that persist even after resting or area transitions that normally takes a fair amount of work. In this case though he'd done that - and then done it again when he hit respawns. By the time he'd killed something like 50 kobolds of various sorts my concentration was probably waning a fraction . Facing 2 kobold guards there didn't seem to be much danger, but I must have nodded off or missed a set of attacks as I suddenly realised that Vent was down in single figure HPs and poisoned as well. He was pretty close to the map edge - but not quite close enough.
I'm tempted to give myself a reload due to a very strange quirk involving potions.
See, when you drink a Potion of Clarity, it gives you the "Mind Shield" icon, the same icon that accompanies all kinds of effects that grant immunity to various mind-affecting spells and attacks. It's on everything from Potions of Clarity to the Greenstone Amulet, Berserker rage, Barbarian rage, Mind Blank from IWD, Lilarcor, the Shield of Harmony, Acclamation, and Chaotic Commands. If it blocks mental status effect, it has the "Mind Shield" icon. If you've got that icon on your portrait, you're immune to at least three or four status effects.
You know what else has the Mind Shield icon?
Potions of Mind Focusing. Even though they don't shield your mind from any status effects. It's the only Mind Shield icon in the entire game that does not indicate any actual "mind shielding." But they use the icon anyway.
So what happens when your Potion of Clarity wears off before a Potion of Mind Focusing?
You still have the Mind Shield icon. But you have no mind shield effects active.
Losing a run because I underestimated a save penalty, didn't see a spell coming, or failed to cover an important vulnerability is one thing, but losing a run to an inconsistently implemented cosmetic effect just doesn't seem right.
@semiticgod to my mind that's just one of the things that makes a no-reload run difficult - like remembering you lose shield protections if you change a mace for a bow or having to equip items in a particular order in order to get your maximum potential magic resistance.
With the potion of clarity you also get a remove fear icon, so if that disappears you know the potion has ended even if the mind shield icon remains (which as you say could be due to quite a few effects).
Of course, this challenge is only a no-reload one if you wish to play it that way, so there's no problem in just reloading anyway ...
@semiticgod That's true I guess, I just used Farsight and Simulacrum PfM'd Lavok, 5 Skelis in and done, or should've been? Mages can still cast their innate abilities, triggers and contingencies. I went foolishly to the battle ground and Lavok still enfeebled me, almost died, but Simulacrum saved me with RoR. As there's two PfM's I could of course let Sim cast on me and the enemy both and not lose either of them.
What you say that it makes 90% rest of the nr challenge dirt easy is probably true, but for me BG1+SoD is already dirt easy, besides the Crusader Attacks. To this point SoA has been dirt easy with just summoning hasted Skelis over and over again. So where is the line drawn, if it isn't mentioned in the rules? I don't know, that's probably everybody themselves to decide, but I think I'll continue to see how easy it really is. And as it's ever living challenge, until you feel it to be too easy, you shouldn't change anything. If I finish the challenge feeling too easy, it's then obvious way to take the easy components out, and make it more challenging.
You are damn right @histamiini. Even the no reload challenge loses a lot of its threat when picking one of the top tier classes combined with good planning/ metagame knowledge (and some luck for sure). That was one of the reasons why i prefered picking "suboptimal" combos in the last time as Totemic Druid was way too easy in BG1 and most parts of SoD. SoA with Deva + Elemental Prince and Harm on top of that was even worse.
I played on with Eklun in ToB this morning after getting really confident due to my poverty runs. So far even the named bosses were no challenge: Illasera? Use invissibility to split her and let your summons do the job! Gromnir? Harm to kill his guards one by one, then use invisbility to split him from the mages. The rest was usual summon beating. Yaga-Shura? As you can skip nearly everything before challenging him it took no time reaching him. Then the same game: Split him with invisibility to harmonize him into the ground. The pocket plane fights are easy too as long as you use to summon trick so you can move through the barrier. Call in summons, rest if needed. It wont get easier...
This leaves open only Abazigal, Sendai & Amelyssan herself. These last ones will be challenging again and i decided to wait for @histamiini until his F/M/C has catched me. Hopefully. This might get very funny even though i think that his class combo has the better chances. We will see!
I think the only way - in the long run - to keep things really interesting is to limit yourself (even more). The poverty concept looks too harsh so the Adventurer rules - at least for now - might be the way to go as it prevents the character from getting several of those OP items like Vhailors Helm. Another option would be to banish specific items completly while the rest remains a "normal" no reload challenge. However: For the moment i will continue with Xazzill to test the way of the Adventurer a bit more.
Farsight Sim PfM'd both the mage and Tolgerias and Skelis killed them, this time I didn't go to the battle ground beforehand. Got the Slashing belt, and kept Apprentices alive with easy tasks until they got me the Staff of Power, although they forgot to give me my named dagger apparently. Hmm, Staff of Power apparently has 10 charges of Lighting Bolt of Paralyzation, that stuns for 5 rounds with no save. Another of these op items?
Farsight is a really strong spell that i learned to value after the poverty runs. No Save Stun from Staff of Power? So only immunity or MR can save against it? Never used it cause i never played Mages before that challenge. Funny. Maybe we should really consider a black list in the next time - no?
I am tempted to play on with Eklun but - no - lets wait for @histamiini. IF he manages to catch us!
If we continue to push the borders here i predict that we will beat this challenge with a naked level 1 character in one year.
Hope i will find some time this evening - Xazzill is still waiting in Durlags Tower!
@Harpagornis Yeah farsight is great for nr, maybe even op? If you don't remember the area beforehand, or if you want to drive summons there with no risk. If Eklun has ants in his pants you should go ahead with it, it'll take some time for me to get there, although getting max level I can skip everything but some items.
Kangaxx, 5 Hasted Skelis, Sim PfM on me, and then on Kangaxx. Hasted Skelis eventually killed him, and after he turned to Demi I PfU'd him, and then Staff of Rynn +4 and Gww did the rest.
Planar Prison, made a 3xWeb sequencer and 3xCloudkill trigger. Chaotic Commands, Spell Immunity Abjuration, Sanctuary, PfMW, in. Interestingly you can cast 3xCloudkill trigger without losing Sanctuary? Is this how it should be, you can't cast 3xWeb sequencer without losing the Sanctuary. Ring of Gaxx, 3xCloudkill trigger, Sanctuary, walk straight to a mob, release, walk away or hang around...
Anyway started feeding the landing with additional Cloudkills from the Wand and Sanctuary when somebody found me. In all probably 15 Cloudkills cleared the landing. Fed hasted Deva to 3 Yuanti-Mages, who failed to put a dent on them. Skeli in, death spell, Skeli in, death spell, Skeli in, death spell, Skeli in, Skeli in, Skeli in, Skeli in, Skeli in, haste, done. The 5 Skelis then killed the Thrall Master, and Warder himself on the same go.
Tested it out a little, casting or releasing Spell Trigger to yourself doesn't remove Sanctuary nor Invisibility. So you can actually release premade 3xCloudkill trigger, cast another 3xCloudkill trigger and release it, and another... all the same go without losing invisibility.
Tested it out a little, casting or releasing Spell Trigger doesn't remove Sanctuary nor Invisibility. So you can actually release premade 3xCloudkill trigger, cast another 3xCloudkill trigger and release it, and another 2x (3x if you're Specialist mage)... all the same go without losing invisibility.
Thats so broken... holy cow... Mages should be banned from this game!!
@Harpagornis Yeah, maybe it's not as intended? Casting pretty risk free 9 Cloudkills in the middle of the mob, does 495 (MR negates) average damage on everybody.
Another one would be 9 Sunfire's to immediate 472,5 (save to half) average damage.
EDIT: armed with this new knowledge I went to Windspear Hills, and poisoned the 5 Paladins to death, by standing still.
As it also interrupts casting, it's pretty devastating...
Holy cow @histamiini you have killed the Mage class completly for me - i cant touch them anymore!
In the meanwhile i am planning another poverty run with reloads to see how far i can go with it. This time i will not use any EE Keeper or editing - just the normal classes available. I am quite confident that i can beat even Big B with my Totemic Druid after stumbling upon an option that i wasnt aware of until today:
The Saving Throw Bonus of Barksin stacks!
I have been playing the Druid class for twenty years now but never realized that feature. Thats really funny. However: With max stacks his saving throw vs Wand (thats what Big B´s fear aura targets) will be down to 3. Should be good enough - no?
But is the not-invisibility-breaking-spell-sequencer really intended or is it bug? Whats your opinon on this one @semiticgod?
The developers likely had no intent either way for this very obscure situation. At any rate, it's not a bug: Spell Trigger is coded as a single-target spell, and like any other single-target spell, it won't break invisibility if cast on self.
Personally, I think it's brilliant. @histamiini's trick has been added to the Exploits, Tricks, and Nonstandard Tactics thread.
Comments
Staff of Ram +6 is the only thing F/M/C can hit through Melissan's Absolute Immunity.
Gww + 25 str + gauntlets, 35,5*10/4 is about 89 average damage.
Implosion + improved haste + 25 str + gauntlets, 20+35,5*6/4 is about 73 average damage.
EDIT: it does paralyze, which I think is same as stun. Hmm, isn't Wand of Paralyzation then the way to go? 3x Lower Resistance sequencer + Greater Malison + WoP gives 20% chance to Stun Melissan for 1 turn? Which should give enough time to Gww her down after using Rift Device.
EDIT: reached 16/15/16
Whirlwind
Greater Whirlwind x3
Power Attack
Critical Strike
Smite
Hardiness
Summon Deva
6th lv Spell
7th lv Spell
8th lv Spell
7 still to spend
Another problem is how to kill The Unseeing Eye without the device, quick glance to the .cre reveals it to have 95 DR and 560 hp, so you would have to do 11k damage.
Since that was something of an 'Act of God' ending I'll give it one more go
It might be good for Abazigal, since STR drain would interfere with his death script. Taking out half of his HP would simplify things.
Without Archer levels, the only reasonable way to kill him is to use a Control Circlet on him (he seems to have no immunity to the charm opcode) to waste his spells, at which point you could kill him provided that your character could tank a normal beholder indefinitely (undispellable 100% MR or subzero save vs. spell, plus a save vs. death of -3).
Bear in mind that pickpocket is an opposed check, and your own character's pickpocket score can prevent your familiar from stealing the Rift Device. All characters, and not just thieves and bards, have a base pickpocket score thanks to their DEX bonuses and racial bonuses.
This is the breakdown for racial and DEX bonuses to pickpocketing:
Human: 15
Dwarf: 15
Elf: 20
Gnome: 15
Half-elf: 25
Halfling: 20
Half-orc: 15
1-9 DEX: -15
10 DEX: -10
11 DEX: -5
12-16 DEX: 0
17 DEX: 5
18 DEX: 10
19 DEX: 15
20 DEX: 20
21 DEX: 25
22 DEX: 30
23 DEX: 35
24 DEX: 40
25 DEX: 45
The ferret familiar can pickpocket anyone who's not a bard or a thief who hasn't invested anything in pickpocketing. But if you have a high pickpocket skill or a cat/rabbit familiar, you may need to use Haer'dalis Chaos Blade to drain your DEX to 9 or below (give the sword to a clone and have them attack you) and/or cast Luck on your familiar.
Despite this rather "large" set pack this was a massive day for Six, hit max level farming Gauths, which also means I can now cast 8th lv spells, and I already had Spell Trigger memorized. No idea where or when I got it, other than vague memory that I got it in SoD already, is that even possible? Summoned 5 9HD hasted Skelis, made Sim cast PfM on me, and we teared down Unseeing Eye and the rest of his cult with ease. Decided to take 9 Gww's and only 2 Hardiness although they last only 9 rounds with F/M/C.
Whirlwind
Greater Whirlwind x9
Power Attack
Critical Strike
Smite
Hardiness x2
Summon Deva
6th lv Spell
7th lv Spell
8th lv Spell
War Hammer **
Flail/Morning Star **
Quarterstaff **
Two-Handed Weapon Style *
Two-Weapon Style ***
And figured that F/M/C isn't actually nerfed in spell casting that much as I can still cast lv 9 Spells from Sim using scrolls infinitely. Only missing Improved Alacrity really.
The little ferret had no problem taking Shoal down in a 1vs1 - hitting her with a mighty 50 damage backstab - even though he failed to steal Algernons Cloak afterwards. Too bad! However: Thanks to the Mage he could immediately cast Identify and moved straight on to Mutamins Garden. There Xazzill got really lucky not only because Mutamin got silenced and stunned to death but even more cause one of the basilisks dropped an invisibility scroll - how awesome is this? He successfully scribed it into his spellbook to make further travels much safer. For instance: On his way to the basilisk area he got ambushed by kobolds who shot him down to 9 HP - ouch! Now this should happen no more!
I hope that i will find more time after some sleeping - maybe Xazzill will head to Durlags Tower soon so his new Skels can give the Greater Basiliks there some good beating. We will see...
EDIT: Couldnt resist to jump on the Basilisks on Durlags Tower. Skels + Ferret brought them down in no time - level 6/5 reached!
I'm not sure how interesting the challenge would be if you used the clone quick slot trick. It gives you unlimited uses of Protection from Magic scrolls, which means all wizards and all liches are completely irrelevant. Depending on your install, it would also grant immunity to all beholder rays. Infinite Protection from Undead scrolls would neutralize the vampires, too. Plus, infinite Control Circlets would let you charm anything that wasn't immune to the charm opcode. Once you got into ToB, you'd also have enough Time Stop scrolls to maintain Time Stop for over 10 rounds per casting of Simulacrum or Project Image, which would neutralize every fight in ToB except for Abazigal, the Ravager, and Melissan.
That's essentially zero difficulty for all of SoA and 90% of ToB.
See, when you drink a Potion of Clarity, it gives you the "Mind Shield" icon, the same icon that accompanies all kinds of effects that grant immunity to various mind-affecting spells and attacks. It's on everything from Potions of Clarity to the Greenstone Amulet, Berserker rage, Barbarian rage, Mind Blank from IWD, Lilarcor, the Shield of Harmony, Acclamation, and Chaotic Commands. If it blocks mental status effect, it has the "Mind Shield" icon. If you've got that icon on your portrait, you're immune to at least three or four status effects.
You know what else has the Mind Shield icon?
Potions of Mind Focusing. Even though they don't shield your mind from any status effects. It's the only Mind Shield icon in the entire game that does not indicate any actual "mind shielding." But they use the icon anyway.
So what happens when your Potion of Clarity wears off before a Potion of Mind Focusing?
You still have the Mind Shield icon. But you have no mind shield effects active.
What do you guys think?
With the potion of clarity you also get a remove fear icon, so if that disappears you know the potion has ended even if the mind shield icon remains (which as you say could be due to quite a few effects).
Of course, this challenge is only a no-reload one if you wish to play it that way, so there's no problem in just reloading anyway ...
What you say that it makes 90% rest of the nr challenge dirt easy is probably true, but for me BG1+SoD is already dirt easy, besides the Crusader Attacks. To this point SoA has been dirt easy with just summoning hasted Skelis over and over again. So where is the line drawn, if it isn't mentioned in the rules? I don't know, that's probably everybody themselves to decide, but I think I'll continue to see how easy it really is. And as it's ever living challenge, until you feel it to be too easy, you shouldn't change anything. If I finish the challenge feeling too easy, it's then obvious way to take the easy components out, and make it more challenging.
I played on with Eklun in ToB this morning after getting really confident due to my poverty runs. So far even the named bosses were no challenge: Illasera? Use invissibility to split her and let your summons do the job! Gromnir? Harm to kill his guards one by one, then use invisbility to split him from the mages. The rest was usual summon beating. Yaga-Shura? As you can skip nearly everything before challenging him it took no time reaching him. Then the same game: Split him with invisibility to harmonize him into the ground. The pocket plane fights are easy too as long as you use to summon trick so you can move through the barrier. Call in summons, rest if needed. It wont get easier...
This leaves open only Abazigal, Sendai & Amelyssan herself. These last ones will be challenging again and i decided to wait for @histamiini until his F/M/C has catched me. Hopefully. This might get very funny even though i think that his class combo has the better chances. We will see!
I think the only way - in the long run - to keep things really interesting is to limit yourself (even more). The poverty concept looks too harsh so the Adventurer rules - at least for now - might be the way to go as it prevents the character from getting several of those OP items like Vhailors Helm. Another option would be to banish specific items completly while the rest remains a "normal" no reload challenge. However: For the moment i will continue with Xazzill to test the way of the Adventurer a bit more.
I am tempted to play on with Eklun but - no - lets wait for @histamiini. IF he manages to catch us!
If we continue to push the borders here i predict that we will beat this challenge with a naked level 1 character in one year.
Hope i will find some time this evening - Xazzill is still waiting in Durlags Tower!
Planar Prison, made a 3xWeb sequencer and 3xCloudkill trigger. Chaotic Commands, Spell Immunity Abjuration, Sanctuary, PfMW, in. Interestingly you can cast 3xCloudkill trigger without losing Sanctuary? Is this how it should be, you can't cast 3xWeb sequencer without losing the Sanctuary. Ring of Gaxx, 3xCloudkill trigger, Sanctuary, walk straight to a mob, release, walk away or hang around...
Anyway started feeding the landing with additional Cloudkills from the Wand and Sanctuary when somebody found me. In all probably 15 Cloudkills cleared the landing. Fed hasted Deva to 3 Yuanti-Mages, who failed to put a dent on them. Skeli in, death spell, Skeli in, death spell, Skeli in, death spell, Skeli in, Skeli in, Skeli in, Skeli in, Skeli in, haste, done. The 5 Skelis then killed the Thrall Master, and Warder himself on the same go.
Another one would be 9 Sunfire's to immediate 472,5 (save to half) average damage.
EDIT: armed with this new knowledge I went to Windspear Hills, and poisoned the 5 Paladins to death, by standing still.
As it also interrupts casting, it's pretty devastating...
But is the not-invisibility-breaking-spell-sequencer really intended or is it bug? Whats your opinon on this one @semiticgod?
However: Thanks to @histamiini for reanimating my aversion to Mages wherefore i consequently stomped Xazzill into the ground.
Maybe i should return to the poverty challenge... maybe just stop playing for a while... this game is getting me mad...
Invisibility, 3+1 triggers
Pre trigger, 3xDeath Fog, 240 fixed acid damage (MR negates)
1st trigger, 3xDeath Fog, 240 fixed acid damage (MR negates)
2nd trigger, 1xDeath Fog + 2xCloud Kill, 80 fixed acid damage + 110 average poison damage (MR negates)
3rd trigger, 3xCloud kill, 165 average poison damage (MR negates)
= 560 fixed acid damage + 275 average poison damage (MR negates) + instakilled summons + distrupted casting
Imagine Specialist mage with 7+1 triggers.
In the meanwhile i am planning another poverty run with reloads to see how far i can go with it. This time i will not use any EE Keeper or editing - just the normal classes available. I am quite confident that i can beat even Big B with my Totemic Druid after stumbling upon an option that i wasnt aware of until today:
The Saving Throw Bonus of Barksin stacks!
I have been playing the Druid class for twenty years now but never realized that feature. Thats really funny. However: With max stacks his saving throw vs Wand (thats what Big B´s fear aura targets) will be down to 3. Should be good enough - no?
May the Spirit Summons be with me...
Personally, I think it's brilliant. @histamiini's trick has been added to the Exploits, Tricks, and Nonstandard Tactics thread.