Thanks to some lucky circumstances Xizhanna had time to continue her journey:
----- killed the Half-Ogres for Bjornin ----- helped Prism and killed Greywolf ----- level 5 reached ----- looted the Ring of Fire Resistance ----- rescued Samuel ------ enabled Thalantyr the Conjurer to restore his fowl apprentice Melicamp to human form ----- protected the Dryad of Cloudpeak and its oak ----- killed some spiders for Landrin in the FAI ----- helped Charleston Nib the archaeologist and backstabbed the Doomsayer to death ----- level 6 reached ----- calmed down Ardrouine by freeing the child in the lighthouse ----- reputation at 20 ----- bought the very stylish Shadow Armor ----- pressed hard Sil and her Sirens who died to hit & hide & run ----- killed the Flesh Golemd and looted Manual of Bodily Health ----- level 7 reached ----- backstabbed the Battle Horrors at Durlags Tower to death ----- slayed some Hobgoblins for Boots of Stealth -----
With trapping and backstabbing most enemies do not even get the chance of retaliation so Xizhanna plays nearly at the same powerlevel like Braxx so far. Her real problems are starting IF she has to face enemies in a straight 1vs1 as her HP´s are going down quite fast and the worse THAC0 makes hitting them a bit harder. CC is another big problem but the Greenstone Amulet or Rage as emergency button are working quite well. Not to forget: Kiting with Bow is still so much fun - dont ask me why!
If you really want a challenge just be a pure Cleric. Can't use bows and their special ammunition. Permanent low APR. No significant tricks!
Would be indeed a challenge! But on the one hand i dont like the Cleric Class that much and on the other hand SoD Coalition Camp Attacks and Belhifet would be a total nightmare. Maybe you wanna try it?
Xizhanna has finally reached level 8 after clearing the Basilisk area - big thanks to Korax!
But when switching to the level-up-screen something strange happened. The game wont allow me to put the fifth point into Longswords even though the button is not darkened. I tested this before starting with Xizhanna and it worked without problems. BtW: I ran into the same problem with the fourth point but after a reload it worked again - very, very strange!
The big question is: How legit is it to push the weapon specialization to Grand Master level when Dual-Classing? Does the official rule book says "no you cannot specialize in weapons any more after dual classing to Thief" ? Maybe @Arctodus can help again? Sure its very cool with all the boni you get from Grand Mastery but i am not feeling good if its just exploiting a bug. More opinions on this one?
I have found the same thing when Dual classing away from Fighter. The game does not let me get grandmasters. Don't know if that is a bug or intentional on beamdog's part.
Basically, any dual-class character will have the same allowed weapons as the corresponding multi-class character. (However, the number-of points limit doesn't follow the same rules as the corresponding multi-class, so duals including Fighter can still get grandmastery even though a multi-classed Fighter can't go beyond two proficiency points.)
You don't actually need to be a level 9 fighter to get grandmastery. I'm pretty sure it is a bug, but you can keep stacking proficiency points past specialization once you dual to another class. In fact, that is the only way to even get grandmastery in BG1. The BG1 exp cap is 161,000 but a level 9 fighter requires 250,000, so you are limited to level 8 as a fighter in BG1. A cleric, druid, and thief all get proficiency points every 4th level. So you start as a fighter and get specialization at level 1. Level 3 becomes mastery. Level 6 becomes high mastery. Then dual-class and once you reach level 8 as cleric, druid, or thief you get the fifth point and become a grandmaster.
If they are right it should be legit to reach Grand Mastery even after dual classing. More opinions on that one?
I've certainly reached Grand Mastery in weapons after dual classing. I have a vague memory though that Beamdog closed the loophole allowing you to take the above route to do that in BG1 (as part of the same change that restricted starting characters to specialisation). If that's right you should see the ability to reach GM at the next level you get an extra proficiency point.
@Harpagornis I already made my opinion known on the matter. I'm pretty sure it's a bug, but you can take advantage of it, because there's a drawback to it, like I said earlier. And this is possible even after numerous game versions (original and EE), patches, etc... So, it might actually be a "feature" that helps differentiate humans from non-humans even more.
To me, it doesn't make any sense conceptually, though. You take 3 level of fighter and end-up Grandmaster of a weapon while you advance in another class. But a multi-class fighter can't, even though he still makes progress as a fighter. This is why I personally refrain from using this "feature".
Otherwise, I tried to look into Complete Player's and Fighter's Handbooks and I couldn't find anything on the matter. At the end of the day, you do what you want : I think it doesn't make sense, but it could actually be intentionnal and it also involves a drawback.
Tough decision. But as @Arctodus said: Conceptually it makes no sense. You retire from being a Fighter but still advance up to Grand Mastery that only a Veteran Fighter can aquire after long training. It would therefore be interesting to hear some official statement. Maybe @JuliusBorisov can help us?
Basically, any dual-class character will have the same allowed weapons as the corresponding multi-class character. (However, the number-of points limit doesn't follow the same rules as the corresponding multi-class, so duals including Fighter can still get grandmastery even though a multi-classed Fighter can't go beyond two proficiency points.)
You don't actually need to be a level 9 fighter to get grandmastery. I'm pretty sure it is a bug, but you can keep stacking proficiency points past specialization once you dual to another class. In fact, that is the only way to even get grandmastery in BG1. The BG1 exp cap is 161,000 but a level 9 fighter requires 250,000, so you are limited to level 8 as a fighter in BG1. A cleric, druid, and thief all get proficiency points every 4th level. So you start as a fighter and get specialization at level 1. Level 3 becomes mastery. Level 6 becomes high mastery. Then dual-class and once you reach level 8 as cleric, druid, or thief you get the fifth point and become a grandmaster.
If they are right it should be legit to reach Grand Mastery even after dual classing. More opinions on that one?
Yeah you definitely should be able to GM after regaining your thief class.
During the Road to 2.X event we've got an official reply from AlexT that dual-classed characters (who got their first class back) can put further points into weapon choices from their fighter part, if it doesn't contradict to restrictions of the second class (you can't put into swords if you became a cleric).
During the Road to 2.X event we've got an official reply from AlexT that dual-classed characters (who got their first class back) can put further points into weapon choices from their fighter part, if it doesn't contradict to restrictions of the second class (you can't put into swords if you became a cleric).
@JuliusBorisov Then please note there is a bug preventing this working. My fighter 7 dual mage 8 who gains levels 6 7 and 8 all at once cannot put the point to get grandmastery
I am very happy with Xizhanna right now. Not only that the trouble around Weapon proficiency has been clarified but she also stormed through the Nashkel Mines and backstabbed the hell out of Mulahey. Tranzig died in similar fashion while Greenstone Amulet protected her from CC. She tricked Nimbul hard with one backstab followed by a quick retreat. After that she used the Guards to do all of the dirty work and moved only out to smash him down with a finishing backstab - evil inside! In the Bandit Camp Xizhanna sneak-looted the documents and moved out unseen - no reason for violence this time. Cloakwood Mines will be next. Once Boots of Speed are aquired the game of hit & run will enter a new dimension. There is so much pain on the way - for her enemies!
Quick update : Caligula just cleared the four Warders in Durlag's Tower. None of them were really hard, except Avarice, who was hitting REALLY hard. I had to stack up all the AC boosting item against piercing, boost myself with some potions and I finally was victorious. The three others were merely anecdotes : kiting or smacking their face was more than enough to take them down.
Here's Caligula in front of Pride's corpse :
I won't have lots of time to play in the next few days (maybe weeks...), so this playthrough, which I very much intend to continue, is just gonna take more time to develop. It seems that working full-time, be a freelancing indexer for a publishing house and having two young kids under three years old actually does take a good chunk of your time !!
Ah, the infamous Wardens - yeah, they are fun! But you were right: Stacking AC vs Avarice will make the battle much easier as he seems to have big problems getting in his backstabs. So Caligula is not far away from Durlags Goblet - once he got it his tanking power will go through the roof! This will be cool.
Xizhanna in the meanwhile burned and backstabbed Drasus down and is heading for Davaeorn right now. If things work properly this should be no big deal. Her Longsword and Longbow are ready - as well as the fully charged Necklace of Missiles. This will be fun!
EDIT: Davaeorn went down to a combination of Necklace, Backstabbing and some arrows in between while Greenstone Amulet and Shield Amulet protected Xizhanna from any harm. It was quite funny when Davaeorn burned his own troops once more with Solar Fire. After that it was just wearing his protections down and get some final backstabs - end of story. Baldurs Gate is waiting!
Damn, damn, damn - Firefox crashed and killed my whole text.....
To make it short: Xizhanna is near the Palace Ambush after Slythe was tricked with four charmed Undercellar Guards so she had time to backstab him into oblivion. The rest was rushed quite hard - no problems at all especially because the quadruple damage backstabs with Longsword Grand Mastery are hitting really hard. This is so funny. Maybe its time for Durlags Tower.
Nearly all final items are aquired: Baldurans Cloak was stolen right before Baldurans Helm was grabbed in the Helm & Cloak Inn. The Nymp Cloak was also stolen from Halbazzer Drin. With the second Ring of Fire Protection from Candlekeep Xizhanna has no more fear eating some Fireballs. Thanks to some more Tomes Strength and Dexterity are also at 19 now. As you can see: Nothing special.
@Victor_Creed_SFV: Could you give us a short summary of your experience with the F/M/C so far cause maybe not everyone is watching your videos! Are there problems or is everything working smoothly? Would be great - thanks!
With the end of BG1 in sight i would like to compare Braxx and Xizhanna. I stated earlier that they nearly played at the same powerlevel for most parts so far. But what are the numbers stating after reaching 161k XP and getting the final equipment?
Braxx, the Multiclass Fighter/Thief vs Xizhanna, the Dual Class Berserker3/Thief
HITPOINTS -----> Braxx: 101 vs Xizhanna: 98 Pretty much at the same level - clear draw no?
THAC0 (Main Melee Weapon) -----> Braxx: 6 vs Xizhanna: 6 Same numbers at this stage - also a clear draw!
Damage (Main Melee Weapon) ------> Braxx: 14-21 vs Xizhanna: 17-24 Small advantage for Xhizanna thanks to Grand Mastery - sweet!
APR (Main Melee Weapon) ------> Braxx: 2 vs Xizhanna: 2 Again the same numbers - looks drawish!
BACKSTAB MULTIPLIER------> Braxx: 3 vs Xizhanna: 4 At least for BG1 the Dual Class wins clearly here!
SAVING THROWS -----> Braxx: 5/7/11/12/8 vs Xizhanna: 11/10/10/14/11 Thanks to the Dwarfen Bonus Braxx is the clear winner here!
All in all they are mostly at the same numbers with small advantages regarding damage and backstab multiplier for the Dual Class. Only the Saving Throws are a lot worse but Greenstone Amulet or Rage compensates for that. It is also clear the at some point - in SoA - the powerlevel of Braxx will be (much) higher especially once the HLA´s will show up. And not to forget: The weapon flexibility of Xizhanna is (much) lower than compared to Braxx even though this shouldnt be a big problem with proper planning.
Damn, damn, damn - Firefox crashed and killed my whole text.....
To make it short: Xizhanna is near the Palace Ambush after Slythe was tricked with four charmed Undercellar Guards so she had time to backstab him into oblivion. The rest was rushed quite hard - no problems at all especially because the quadruple damage backstabs with Longsword Grand Mastery are hitting really hard. This is so funny. Maybe its time for Durlags Tower.
Nearly all final items are aquired: Baldurans Cloak was stolen right before Baldurans Helm was grabbed in the Helm & Cloak Inn. The Nymp Cloak was also stolen from Halbazzer Drin. With the second Ring of Fire Protection from Candlekeep Xizhanna has no more fear eating some Fireballs. Thanks to some more Tomes Strength and Dexterity are also at 19 now. As you can see: Nothing special.
@Victor_Creed_SFV: Could you give us a short summary of your experience with the F/M/C so far cause maybe not everyone is watching your videos! Are there problems or is everything working smoothly? Would be great - thanks!
Didn't really have time to play this weekend, and up to that point I only did standard stuff before Bandit Camp. But it's already clear, that in BG 1 the F/M/C is much stronger than F/M/T and this will only change slightly with Mislead, even tho F/M/C can't bs cheese, it can still attack normally and with 8 APR even w/o bs you can clear trashmobs quick. In BG 1 it's just the sheer number of spells you have over an F/M/T which make you much stronger and not having thief abilities doesn't bother me too much. In BG2 Harm is a force to be reckoned with, on the side I made an EE-Keeper char for SoA and unless an enemy is immune to +2 weapons there is not much it can do vs Harm, as it is only blocked by magic resistance and a chain contingency with lower resistance x3 destroys any enmies MR.
Xizhanna had some fun with the Four Wardens in Durlags Tower. Buffed up with Oil of Speed + Strength Potion + Potion of Heroism she backstabbed down Fear, Pride & Love to finally take on the very slippery Avarice. Thanks to Anti-Piercing-Armor-Setup (-15 AC/ -16 AC with Potion of Invulnerability) Avarice missed most of the time while drinking some Extra Healing Potions negated his lucky hits. At the end it wasnt even a close match especially as some well placed traps had already softened him up and - unlike Slythe - he is not able to get in these dreaded one-hit-kills. Anyway: Durlags Goblet is near!
Still not sure if Xizhanna should move further on - lets take a rest first!
P.S. I am eager to see how painful your "World of Harmcraft" will be @Victor_Creed_SFV!
I used the time to test my old love - the Druid - a little bit in the SoD Coalition Camp Attacks as this is one of the bottlenecks every class has to pass in our challenge. As the Druid lacks the Arrows of Detonation we have to work much harder here. Lets take a look:
The first Wave - Trolls and Ogres - are giving me huge trouble and without wands or scrolls everything seems even more hopeless. What can the Druid do here? So far nothing has worked on my handful of tries.
Entangle-stacking: The +3 bonus to Saving Throws kills this one completly in LoB. Even with 5 or six stacks the enemies are nearly always making their saves and slaughter the ally troops in no time.
Call for Lightning: The casting time is very long so it will take forever to get enough stacks. Maybe self-casting-stacks will do the job?
Cloak of Fear: Works sometimes but as you have to stand in the middle of the pack its not without risk. Iron Skins needed here!
Dispel Magic: Nice to get rid of Buffs and Protections!
Insect Plague: The damage wont be enough vs the tough Trolls and Ogres but the 100% spell failure might work wonders against the Mages. The fear seems to triggers never ever thanks to LoB.
Harm: Very cool in theory but as it works only on one enemy and you have to hit in close combat this sounds not like an option here.
Summons: Are they really strong enough? I fear not! Will have to test this.
Other spells that might be worth mentioning? Will an Avenger do the trick with Web and Chaos? Maybe the Mage allies will have better chances? The Dwarfes and Archers are going down too fast...
I tested it right now and it easens things a bit up - but at least on my first try it still wasnt enough. Will have to check this out later again with a new setup. Maybe there is light at the end of the tunnel. I have also another idea in mind but that would be very cheesy.
After some more tests on the Coaltion Camp Attacks with a Druid i came to the following conclusion:
Yes, the Druid is able to surive all Waves - but its hard work! Here is a shortlist of the used tactics:
WAVE I - OGRES AND TROLLS 1. Get the Fire Archers as they hit really good - just take an eye that the enemy wont get near. 1.Make sure to summon 2x 24 Hit Dice Fire Elementals before the fight as they will be able to tank the whole wave. As @Ardanis stated above only some enemies are able to hit them! 2. Throw in Necklace of Missiles nonstop. Dispel Magic most of the times will not work against the high level Ogre Mages. 3. At the end the summons as well as most Allies should be still survive - use the Elementals for the next wave as well. Move on!
WAVE II - CRUSADER MAGES 1. The Wizard Slayers did a pretty good job on this one as they most likely will resist the heavy CC. 2. Cast "Insect Swarm" at the start of the battle as this will cut down all enemy spells while the Wizard Slayers will hack them down. 3. Throw on some summons if needed or Necklace of Missiles (be careful). Shapeshifting to get in some more damage in close combat worked also well - just make sure to get Protection from Magic.
WAVE III - CAVALIERS AND PRIESTS 1. The CC and dmg of the War Mages proved to be very helpful here. If your Fire Elementals are still alive - they will do a good job here! 2. Entangle and Dispel Magic proved not to work i most cases - like before. As the enemy can heal over and over again this wave will be a tough nut to crack without constant pressure. 3. Hopefully you have spared one (better two) "Insect Swarms" as they will totally cut their healing potential. 4. Throw in every summon you got (Myconids, Ankhegs, Golem etc.) while firing Necklace of Missile over and over again. Also not bad: Stack "Call Lightning" and watch how the lighntings are burning them down slowly but surely. 5. Even with "Insect Swarm" it will be a long fight that might use most of your spells and charges - be patient!
WAVE IV - COMMANDER This one is easy thanks to the immortal named ally bosses. Support them and watch how the enemy is suffering.
Very cool stuff as i always thought that a Druid-Run would end here. But as it seems there is nearly always a way - if you try hard enough. Maybe i should give the Druid a try.
Belhifet will be the next major problem expecially for a pure Druid. His chances to hit Big B will be so low that this fight might last forever - or until you run out of supplies. Maybe its better to get some Fighter levels in. We will see!
Comments
----- killed the Half-Ogres for Bjornin ----- helped Prism and killed Greywolf ----- level 5 reached ----- looted the Ring of Fire Resistance ----- rescued Samuel ------ enabled Thalantyr the Conjurer to restore his fowl apprentice Melicamp to human form ----- protected the Dryad of Cloudpeak and its oak ----- killed some spiders for Landrin in the FAI ----- helped Charleston Nib the archaeologist and backstabbed the Doomsayer to death ----- level 6 reached ----- calmed down Ardrouine by freeing the child in the lighthouse ----- reputation at 20 ----- bought the very stylish Shadow Armor ----- pressed hard Sil and her Sirens who died to hit & hide & run ----- killed the Flesh Golemd and looted Manual of Bodily Health ----- level 7 reached ----- backstabbed the Battle Horrors at Durlags Tower to death ----- slayed some Hobgoblins for Boots of Stealth -----
With trapping and backstabbing most enemies do not even get the chance of retaliation so Xizhanna plays nearly at the same powerlevel like Braxx so far. Her real problems are starting IF she has to face enemies in a straight 1vs1 as her HP´s are going down quite fast and the worse THAC0 makes hitting them a bit harder. CC is another big problem but the Greenstone Amulet or Rage as emergency button are working quite well. Not to forget: Kiting with Bow is still so much fun - dont ask me why!
But when switching to the level-up-screen something strange happened. The game wont allow me to put the fifth point into Longswords even though the button is not darkened. I tested this before starting with Xizhanna and it worked without problems. BtW: I ran into the same problem with the fourth point but after a reload it worked again - very, very strange!
The big question is: How legit is it to push the weapon specialization to Grand Master level when Dual-Classing? Does the official rule book says "no you cannot specialize in weapons any more after dual classing to Thief" ? Maybe @Arctodus can help again? Sure its very cool with all the boni you get from Grand Mastery but i am not feeling good if its just exploiting a bug. More opinions on this one?
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/34613/dual-classing-weapon-proficiency-restrictions-question
And from rumble_belly: https://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/871349-icewind-dale-enhanced-edition/70473959?page=1#15
If they are right it should be legit to reach Grand Mastery even after dual classing. More opinions on that one?
To me, it doesn't make any sense conceptually, though. You take 3 level of fighter and end-up Grandmaster of a weapon while you advance in another class. But a multi-class fighter can't, even though he still makes progress as a fighter. This is why I personally refrain from using this "feature".
Otherwise, I tried to look into Complete Player's and Fighter's Handbooks and I couldn't find anything on the matter. At the end of the day, you do what you want : I think it doesn't make sense, but it could actually be intentionnal and it also involves a drawback.
But as @billbisco stated there is something wrong with. Sometimes it works - sometimes it wont.
Anyway: Xizhanna will be happy with her newly aquired Longsword Grand Mastery. May it hurt a lot!
Quick update : Caligula just cleared the four Warders in Durlag's Tower. None of them were really hard, except Avarice, who was hitting REALLY hard. I had to stack up all the AC boosting item against piercing, boost myself with some potions and I finally was victorious. The three others were merely anecdotes : kiting or smacking their face was more than enough to take them down.
Here's Caligula in front of Pride's corpse :
I won't have lots of time to play in the next few days (maybe weeks...), so this playthrough, which I very much intend to continue, is just gonna take more time to develop. It seems that working full-time, be a freelancing indexer for a publishing house and having two young kids under three years old actually does take a good chunk of your time !!
Xizhanna in the meanwhile burned and backstabbed Drasus down and is heading for Davaeorn right now. If things work properly this should be no big deal. Her Longsword and Longbow are ready - as well as the fully charged Necklace of Missiles. This will be fun!
EDIT: Davaeorn went down to a combination of Necklace, Backstabbing and some arrows in between while Greenstone Amulet and Shield Amulet protected Xizhanna from any harm. It was quite funny when Davaeorn burned his own troops once more with Solar Fire. After that it was just wearing his protections down and get some final backstabs - end of story. Baldurs Gate is waiting!
To make it short: Xizhanna is near the Palace Ambush after Slythe was tricked with four charmed Undercellar Guards so she had time to backstab him into oblivion. The rest was rushed quite hard - no problems at all especially because the quadruple damage backstabs with Longsword Grand Mastery are hitting really hard. This is so funny. Maybe its time for Durlags Tower.
Nearly all final items are aquired: Baldurans Cloak was stolen right before Baldurans Helm was grabbed in the Helm & Cloak Inn. The Nymp Cloak was also stolen from Halbazzer Drin. With the second Ring of Fire Protection from Candlekeep Xizhanna has no more fear eating some Fireballs. Thanks to some more Tomes Strength and Dexterity are also at 19 now. As you can see: Nothing special.
@Victor_Creed_SFV: Could you give us a short summary of your experience with the F/M/C so far cause maybe not everyone is watching your videos! Are there problems or is everything working smoothly? Would be great - thanks!
Braxx, the Multiclass Fighter/Thief vs Xizhanna, the Dual Class Berserker3/Thief
HITPOINTS -----> Braxx: 101 vs Xizhanna: 98
Pretty much at the same level - clear draw no?
THAC0 (Main Melee Weapon) -----> Braxx: 6 vs Xizhanna: 6
Same numbers at this stage - also a clear draw!
Damage (Main Melee Weapon) ------> Braxx: 14-21 vs Xizhanna: 17-24
Small advantage for Xhizanna thanks to Grand Mastery - sweet!
APR (Main Melee Weapon) ------> Braxx: 2 vs Xizhanna: 2
Again the same numbers - looks drawish!
BACKSTAB MULTIPLIER------> Braxx: 3 vs Xizhanna: 4
At least for BG1 the Dual Class wins clearly here!
SAVING THROWS -----> Braxx: 5/7/11/12/8 vs Xizhanna: 11/10/10/14/11
Thanks to the Dwarfen Bonus Braxx is the clear winner here!
All in all they are mostly at the same numbers with small advantages regarding damage and backstab multiplier for the Dual Class. Only the Saving Throws are a lot worse but Greenstone Amulet or Rage compensates for that. It is also clear the at some point - in SoA - the powerlevel of Braxx will be (much) higher especially once the HLA´s will show up. And not to forget: The weapon flexibility of Xizhanna is (much) lower than compared to Braxx even though this shouldnt be a big problem with proper planning.
But it's already clear, that in BG 1 the F/M/C is much stronger than F/M/T and this will only change slightly with Mislead, even tho F/M/C can't bs cheese, it can still attack normally and with 8 APR even w/o bs you can clear trashmobs quick.
In BG 1 it's just the sheer number of spells you have over an F/M/T which make you much stronger and not having thief abilities doesn't bother me too much.
In BG2 Harm is a force to be reckoned with, on the side I made an EE-Keeper char for SoA and unless an enemy is immune to +2 weapons there is not much it can do vs Harm, as it is only blocked by magic resistance and a chain contingency with lower resistance x3 destroys any enmies MR.
Still not sure if Xizhanna should move further on - lets take a rest first!
P.S. I am eager to see how painful your "World of Harmcraft" will be @Victor_Creed_SFV!
The first Wave - Trolls and Ogres - are giving me huge trouble and without wands or scrolls everything seems even more hopeless. What can the Druid do here? So far nothing has worked on my handful of tries.
Entangle-stacking: The +3 bonus to Saving Throws kills this one completly in LoB. Even with 5 or six stacks the enemies are nearly always making their saves and slaughter the ally troops in no time.
Call for Lightning: The casting time is very long so it will take forever to get enough stacks. Maybe self-casting-stacks will do the job?
Cloak of Fear: Works sometimes but as you have to stand in the middle of the pack its not without risk. Iron Skins needed here!
Dispel Magic: Nice to get rid of Buffs and Protections!
Insect Plague: The damage wont be enough vs the tough Trolls and Ogres but the 100% spell failure might work wonders against the Mages. The fear seems to triggers never ever thanks to LoB.
Harm: Very cool in theory but as it works only on one enemy and you have to hit in close combat this sounds not like an option here.
Summons: Are they really strong enough? I fear not! Will have to test this.
Other spells that might be worth mentioning? Will an Avenger do the trick with Web and Chaos? Maybe the Mage allies will have better chances? The Dwarfes and Archers are going down too fast...
Also not having critical strike HLA makes hitting enemies in LoB lucky.
I tested it right now and it easens things a bit up - but at least on my first try it still wasnt enough. Will have to check this out later again with a new setup. Maybe there is light at the end of the tunnel. I have also another idea in mind but that would be very cheesy.
We will see!
Yes, the Druid is able to surive all Waves - but its hard work! Here is a shortlist of the used tactics:
WAVE I - OGRES AND TROLLS
1. Get the Fire Archers as they hit really good - just take an eye that the enemy wont get near.
1.Make sure to summon 2x 24 Hit Dice Fire Elementals before the fight as they will be able to tank the whole wave. As @Ardanis stated above only some enemies are able to hit them!
2. Throw in Necklace of Missiles nonstop. Dispel Magic most of the times will not work against the high level Ogre Mages.
3. At the end the summons as well as most Allies should be still survive - use the Elementals for the next wave as well. Move on!
WAVE II - CRUSADER MAGES
1. The Wizard Slayers did a pretty good job on this one as they most likely will resist the heavy CC.
2. Cast "Insect Swarm" at the start of the battle as this will cut down all enemy spells while the Wizard Slayers will hack them down.
3. Throw on some summons if needed or Necklace of Missiles (be careful). Shapeshifting to get in some more damage in close combat worked also well - just make sure to get Protection from Magic.
WAVE III - CAVALIERS AND PRIESTS
1. The CC and dmg of the War Mages proved to be very helpful here. If your Fire Elementals are still alive - they will do a good job here!
2. Entangle and Dispel Magic proved not to work i most cases - like before. As the enemy can heal over and over again this wave will be a tough nut to crack without constant pressure.
3. Hopefully you have spared one (better two) "Insect Swarms" as they will totally cut their healing potential.
4. Throw in every summon you got (Myconids, Ankhegs, Golem etc.) while firing Necklace of Missile over and over again. Also not bad: Stack "Call Lightning" and watch how the lighntings are burning them down slowly but surely.
5. Even with "Insect Swarm" it will be a long fight that might use most of your spells and charges - be patient!
WAVE IV - COMMANDER
This one is easy thanks to the immortal named ally bosses. Support them and watch how the enemy is suffering.
Very cool stuff as i always thought that a Druid-Run would end here. But as it seems there is nearly always a way - if you try hard enough. Maybe i should give the Druid a try.
Belhifet will be the next major problem expecially for a pure Druid. His chances to hit Big B will be so low that this fight might last forever - or until you run out of supplies. Maybe its better to get some Fighter levels in. We will see!
A Beserker 7 / Druid 8 is possible with BGEE cap. Beserker 7 / Druid 11 is possible with SoD cap. Beserker 9 / Druid 10 is possible with SoD cap.
Let yourself have bows and helmets and Heavy Armor and Shields when facing down the hordes of He'll ^_^