Summoned Creatures extra toughness: Feature or un-intended behavior? (on LoB)
justfeelinathome
Member Posts: 353
So I've been a little out of touch with these games and fora for a while, so it might be that this was answered a while ago. Deciding to make a return I got back to a character I had previously shelved but whom I care very much for (currently crawling through Durlag's Dungeon): My Beast Master.
I started him with the introduction of LoB with intentions for a complete run and eventual Dual-Classing in BG2, but I digress. I had very soon noticed how awesome summons (and familiars) are on LoB: they get a lot of extra hit points, which seem to count as levels in some matters, like for example Mass Healing or Call Lightnings from a level 4 summon that are stronger than what a druid himself could initially do. (Positively) ridiculous, right?
So I decided to go for an odd character and include Faldorn in my party. She shines. While she and Neera and once a day my main keep up a supply of summons and debuffs, my main, Safana, Coran and Kivan pellet my foes with arrows. It works splendidly.
Which brings me to my question - too splendidly? Was I not supposed to get extra HP on my familiar, thus my main and all other summons? If this behavior is indeed to be fixed, I want to know, so that I can postpone downloading the next update. You see, Beast Masters aren't the biggest powerhouses in the saga; If mine can have a slight edge over others I'll use it as long as it's there.
I started him with the introduction of LoB with intentions for a complete run and eventual Dual-Classing in BG2, but I digress. I had very soon noticed how awesome summons (and familiars) are on LoB: they get a lot of extra hit points, which seem to count as levels in some matters, like for example Mass Healing or Call Lightnings from a level 4 summon that are stronger than what a druid himself could initially do. (Positively) ridiculous, right?
So I decided to go for an odd character and include Faldorn in my party. She shines. While she and Neera and once a day my main keep up a supply of summons and debuffs, my main, Safana, Coran and Kivan pellet my foes with arrows. It works splendidly.
Which brings me to my question - too splendidly? Was I not supposed to get extra HP on my familiar, thus my main and all other summons? If this behavior is indeed to be fixed, I want to know, so that I can postpone downloading the next update. You see, Beast Masters aren't the biggest powerhouses in the saga; If mine can have a slight edge over others I'll use it as long as it's there.
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Comments
I simply choose not to use summons at all in LoB. However, that is entirely my personal decision based on my preferences for my particular setup of the game. I do not find much merit in arguing whether the bonus HP is "legit" or "intended" or whatever; that, to me, has very little bearing on my own decisions. Instead I've simply tried thins out and looked at what happens to my game - I didn't like it, so I stopped doing it. I can only encourage people to follow a similar path and decide for themselves based on their own experience and preference.
But I think that in every setup there are some spells and tactics that work better than others, that are too good. In LoB can be summoning, in vanilla can be Improved Haste or PI. The decision if to don't use at all, use or abuse the thing is up to the player. My approach is ever been to use, but to use also self restrain and moderation.
To decide to don't use at all summons is perfectly fine, as is fine when some players decide to don't use PI or wear the RoV or weld the anti Beholder Shield in vanilla.
But vanilla summons in a LoB setting would nerf the casters power even more and not all the players like to have super optimized parties filled with dual and multi, beefed up with maxed HP gain at level up, some of us like to play with a charname with average stats and chose the comrades for other reasons that raw power, the PG way is not the only way (and I tell this even if I am, in many aspects, a PGamer).
And a difficulty mod or setting should be possible to be played with many styles, imo a mod that force you to use a particular style that is not your own is not a good mod.
@justfeelinathome only the developers can answer to your question and I hope that they will do it.
As we wait for the answer I hope that you don't mind if we share our thinks about the thing, that maybe can even be a good feedback for the developers.
In the pre LoB era he was just destroying everything, even with SCS and all the rest, ignoring almost completely defense and focusing only on offence. He was basically testing which party would destroy the enemies faster
He deserve the respect that has to be given to the really strong players, the ones that are not only black belt, but are black belt with many dan, the masters of the game.
Not everyone have been using Heart of Fury in IWD, I guess not everyone are using LoB in BG.