In their endless drive to implement changes no one ever asked for, Beamdog decided that what BG:EE needed was spawns based not only on average party level but also party size. Which is a major setback for anyone soloing the game.
But there is a way out - it seems that Beamdog forgot to add a check whether or not the party members are actually still alive... so you can still get the full-size spawns, if only you travel with a troupe of vengeful spirits.
In their endless drive to implement changes no one ever asked for, Beamdog decided that what BG:EE needed was spawns based not only on average party level but also party size. Which is a major setback for anyone soloing the game.
But there is a way out - it seems that Beamdog forgot to add a check whether or not the party members are actually still alive... so you can still get the full-size spawns, if only you travel with a troupe of vengeful spirits.
Insightful! Thank you for that tip. It's probably not an error by Beamdog. After all, party members can die. Dropping the difficulty of a battle because one or two of your party members died in the previous battle and you couldn't resurrect them before doesn't seem like a sensible move.
Put this from an older thread I just added- My first screenshot doing a Mellisan/Amelyssan run (what if she started killing the bhaalspawn out of candlekeep and taking their essence...Starting her as cleric LE and wanted to try Helm and will dual her to mage probly close to end of SOD - ALso my first BWS.Modded run!
By exploiting the "Bag of Holding" trick I was able to transfer pretty much all items and equipment from the SoD campaign over to Athkatla. (Btw, some items from SoD are quite powerful in SoA, such as weapons that increase critical hit chances or apply other useful effects under specific circumstances).
Since Imoen is currently unavailable I have recruited Yoshimo to fill her place... and he's quite successful in doing so.
But Charname's own shamanic powers have increased as well, and I could easily take on the Shadow Druids with my endless supply of spririts.
I have yet to see how the current tier of spirits fares against more powerful opponents (such as vampires, mindflayers or beholders). I'm currently at level 13 and the next tier will not be accessible until level 18.
The "trick" probably only works in EET and takes advantage that multiple instances of the same bag share the same content. You simply have to find a way to acquire a bag before reaching SoA, store all your stuff inside the bag, and acquire a bag of the same type in SoA to gain access to it.
It probably helped in my case that I installed mods which added several Bags of Holding to the game. Afaik, in an unmodded EET game you would have to wait until purchasing it from Lazarus Librarus in Saradush to regain access to the content.
I am playing SoD now from a BGEE import and had Neere's bag on me at the end of the game, having ditched Neera early on after snagging her gem bag. Her gem bag from BGEE and in SoD apparently use the same resources as now I have double of all of my rings of invisibility, necklaces of missiles, greenstone amulets, etc. Is this similar behavior?
You should be able to bring over items from BG/SOD but that happened to me on my last SOD playthrough...halfway through my EET modded BG run (Ch.3) and just getting ready for durlags tower...here's my stats profile too I forgot to post earlier
I am playing SoD now from a BGEE import and had Neere's bag on me at the end of the game, having ditched Neera early on after snagging her gem bag. Her gem bag from BGEE and in SoD apparently use the same resources as now I have double of all of my rings of invisibility, necklaces of missiles, greenstone amulets, etc. Is this similar behavior?
Do you really have double? Usually when this happens, taking an item out of one instance of the bag also removes it from the other instance, since they share the same store file.
Hmmm. Did not test that @BillyYank . I will do that when I get home tonight.
I actually hope that is the case. I have not actually tried to use any of the items and parked the bag in my travel chest. Otherwise the temptation to use that stuff could overwhelm me!
Update on the effectiveness of the shaman's spirits. I've challenged some of the more fearsome opponents by now.
Vampires are very difficult to combat because spirits are not immune to their level drain attacks. Every single vampire takes a long time to defeat and wastes dozens of spirits.
Beholders are even worse because of some peculiarities of their combat scripts. They never use ray attacks against spirits or any other kind of summoned creatures (which is good). However, when party members are within their visual range they will concentrate their attacks on them (with rays!). This is bad for the shaman since he must always be within range of the spirits.
Mindflayers are surprisingly easy to defeat though. The spirits appear to be immune to stun, domination and drain effects and can dispatch them without difficulties.
Myconids are also almost as difficult to defeat as beholders. Sooner or later the whole area is overrun by them because of spore colonies summoning one pack of myconids after another, and spirits never seem to go for the spore colonies first.
Party that I just finish BGI with: (XP cap removed and UB instaled) ABDEL Kensai Katana **** Two Weapon style *** AJANTIS Paladin Two-Handed sword ** Bastard sword ** Long Bow * Two-Handed weapon style * CORAN - Fighter/Thief - Sneaking and Setting Traps Long Bow *** Long Sword ** Single weapon style * IMOEN Thief7/Mage - Locks and Disarming Traps Short sword * Dagger * Dart * Short Bow * Single Weapon style * VICONIA Priest Sling * War Hammer * Mace * Sword & Shield style *
Now I take this party to SoD, unfortunetly not everyone can go so I will have whole different party. I removed XP cap to squeeze xp from BGI and SoD. I dont remove in BGII. In BGII I plan to dulan on 13th to Mage, so xp from BGI will help to regain previous class little fasater.
P.S. I actualy think alternate Coran portrait fits him better.
So I finish the SoD campaign, this is how it looks after final battle: ABDEL - Kensai Katana **** Two Weapon style *** Voghiln - Skald Two-Handed sword * Bastard sword * Battle axe * Two-Handed weapon style * Two Weapon style * Sword & Shield style * Viconia - Priest Sling * War Hammer * Mace * Sword & Shield style * Corwin - Archer Long Bow ***** Halberd * Two-Handed weapon style * Two Weapon style ** Glint - Priest/Thief Flail/Morning Star * Mace * Sling * Sword & Shield style * M'khiin - Shaman Battle axe * Quarterstaff * Short bow * Sword & Shield style *
This team is much different from my BGI playthrough. I decided to stick with companions I had in BGI (only Viconia was possible) and take all new SoD-only companions. Team wasn't balanced but it was fun. Lack of the spellcaster was painful at the baeggining but then I met Voghiln.
P.S. I love the Crusader's Outfit on my Kensai! It fits his portrait very well.
I have finally finished my Bhaalspawn EET run. These are the final record and inventory screens of my party members:
1. Argent (Shaman lvl. 41)
2. Imoen (Thief/Mage lvl. 10/36)
Btw, Imoen's equipment reduced her casting time by 6 which made casting the majority of spells instantaneous.
3. Sarevok (Fighter lvl. 36)
The shaman class is an nice change for once, but without mods it becomes boring very quickly. Their fighting power is average and the available selection of druidic spells is too small compared to clerics or mages. Moreover, the Shamanic Dance loses its potential on higher levels and becomes pretty useless in ToB (unless you install the Improved Shamanic Dance mod which adds an additional high-level tier of spirits). I think the devs concentrated their efforts too much on making the class 'balanced' and missed the chance to give them some rough edges to make it more interesting.
Btw, It's always amusing to see Vithal's choice of spells in combat. No wonder he was so easily imprisoned by the denizens of the Underdark.
The majority of items are part of Weimer's Item Upgrade mod (and possibly "Under-Represented Items"). Some of them are quite overpowered, so it's probably not for everyone.
Some other items come from various quest or companion mods.
I see you used a level uncapper. Why did you use it? Just curious, I imagine it would make you a bit overpowered, especially in BGEE and SoD, if you did most quests.
I like playing overpowered characters. It feels more like you're playing a child of the gods (and it helped to unlock certain options from one of my installed mods). Actually the characters felt somewhat overpowered only since midway through SoA and in ToB, especially since I didn't have any fighters or mages for large parts of the game.
I decided to try stomping the Sword Coast and all those who challenge my Main Character. Lawful Evil Blackguard dual wielding bastard swords and axes. It's awesome playing a blackguard with Dorn in the party. My Main Character gets up close and personal, usually with Dorn standing behind him swinging his greatsword. Baeloth and Edwin can drop a storm of fiery death on any encounter and I've got Shar Teel as a thief-archer with longbow.
Lukhaine Blackthorne also known as Drizztbane!
Definitely an "EVIL" play-through so far, although to be fair I'm not playing my main character totally evil. I imagine he loved Gorion and thinks that his stepfather was too nice and loving to survive in such a bleak and horrible world. He doesn't ridicule the man's goodness or memory, but he won't make that mistake. Since he was an orphaned child he always had dreams of his mother. A mother who hated him and wished him dead. I imagine he's honorable and a man of his word, but lo to all who betray or oppose him. This blackguard is cutting a bloody swath of revenge across Faerun.
Comments
In their endless drive to implement changes no one ever asked for, Beamdog decided that what BG:EE needed was spawns based not only on average party level but also party size. Which is a major setback for anyone soloing the game.
But there is a way out - it seems that Beamdog forgot to add a check whether or not the party members are actually still alive... so you can still get the full-size spawns, if only you travel with a troupe of vengeful spirits.
By exploiting the "Bag of Holding" trick I was able to transfer pretty much all items and equipment from the SoD campaign over to Athkatla. (Btw, some items from SoD are quite powerful in SoA, such as weapons that increase critical hit chances or apply other useful effects under specific circumstances).
Since Imoen is currently unavailable I have recruited Yoshimo to fill her place... and he's quite successful in doing so.
But Charname's own shamanic powers have increased as well, and I could easily take on the Shadow Druids with my endless supply of spririts.
I have yet to see how the current tier of spirits fares against more powerful opponents (such as vampires, mindflayers or beholders). I'm currently at level 13 and the next tier will not be accessible until level 18.
It probably helped in my case that I installed mods which added several Bags of Holding to the game. Afaik, in an unmodded EET game you would have to wait until purchasing it from Lazarus Librarus in Saradush to regain access to the content.
I actually hope that is the case. I have not actually tried to use any of the items and parked the bag in my travel chest. Otherwise the temptation to use that stuff could overwhelm me!
Vampires are very difficult to combat because spirits are not immune to their level drain attacks. Every single vampire takes a long time to defeat and wastes dozens of spirits.
Beholders are even worse because of some peculiarities of their combat scripts. They never use ray attacks against spirits or any other kind of summoned creatures (which is good). However, when party members are within their visual range they will concentrate their attacks on them (with rays!). This is bad for the shaman since he must always be within range of the spirits.
Mindflayers are surprisingly easy to defeat though. The spirits appear to be immune to stun, domination and drain effects and can dispatch them without difficulties.
Myconids are also almost as difficult to defeat as beholders.
ABDEL Kensai
Katana ****
Two Weapon style ***
AJANTIS Paladin
Two-Handed sword **
Bastard sword **
Long Bow *
Two-Handed weapon style *
CORAN - Fighter/Thief - Sneaking and Setting Traps
Long Bow ***
Long Sword **
Single weapon style *
IMOEN Thief7/Mage - Locks and Disarming Traps
Short sword *
Dagger *
Dart *
Short Bow *
Single Weapon style *
VICONIA Priest
Sling *
War Hammer *
Mace *
Sword & Shield style *
Now I take this party to SoD, unfortunetly not everyone can go so I will have whole different party. I removed XP cap to squeeze xp from BGI and SoD. I dont remove in BGII. In BGII I plan to dulan on 13th to Mage, so xp from BGI will help to regain previous class little fasater.
P.S. I actualy think alternate Coran portrait fits him better.
ABDEL - Kensai
Katana ****
Two Weapon style ***
Voghiln - Skald
Two-Handed sword *
Bastard sword *
Battle axe *
Two-Handed weapon style *
Two Weapon style *
Sword & Shield style *
Viconia - Priest
Sling *
War Hammer *
Mace *
Sword & Shield style *
Corwin - Archer
Long Bow *****
Halberd *
Two-Handed weapon style *
Two Weapon style **
Glint - Priest/Thief
Flail/Morning Star *
Mace *
Sling *
Sword & Shield style *
M'khiin - Shaman
Battle axe *
Quarterstaff *
Short bow *
Sword & Shield style *
This team is much different from my BGI playthrough. I decided to stick with companions I had in BGI (only Viconia was possible) and take all new SoD-only companions. Team wasn't balanced but it was fun. Lack of the spellcaster was painful at the baeggining but then I met Voghiln.
P.S. I love the Crusader's Outfit on my Kensai! It fits his portrait very well.
1. Argent (Shaman lvl. 41)
2. Imoen (Thief/Mage lvl. 10/36)
Btw, Imoen's equipment reduced her casting time by 6 which made casting the majority of spells instantaneous.
3. Sarevok (Fighter lvl. 36)
The shaman class is an nice change for once, but without mods it becomes boring very quickly. Their fighting power is average and the available selection of druidic spells is too small compared to clerics or mages. Moreover, the Shamanic Dance loses its potential on higher levels and becomes pretty useless in ToB (unless you install the Improved Shamanic Dance mod which adds an additional high-level tier of spirits). I think the devs concentrated their efforts too much on making the class 'balanced' and missed the chance to give them some rough edges to make it more interesting.
Btw, It's always amusing to see Vithal's choice of spells in combat. No wonder he was so easily imprisoned by the denizens of the Underdark.
Appreciate some of the items in you screenshots are from SoD, but other items have recolored icons or completely new icons I'd never seen before.
Some other items come from various quest or companion mods.
Definitely an "EVIL" play-through so far, although to be fair I'm not playing my main character totally evil. I imagine he loved Gorion and thinks that his stepfather was too nice and loving to survive in such a bleak and horrible world. He doesn't ridicule the man's goodness or memory, but he won't make that mistake. Since he was an orphaned child he always had dreams of his mother. A mother who hated him and wished him dead. I imagine he's honorable and a man of his word, but lo to all who betray or oppose him. This blackguard is cutting a bloody swath of revenge across Faerun.