Hmm. I recall losing a Kensai/Druid to stunning bolts, and almost all my level 5 slots go to Chaotic Commands, so unless I was fighting with dispelled buffs at that point...
Chaotic Commands does in fact grant immunity to both stun and Power Word: Stun. Not just by blocking Psionic Blast, but by granting full immunity to the opcodes themselves. If Chaotic Commands is active, you will never, ever, ever be stunned by anything. It's been that way since vanilla, unmodded, pre-EE Shadows of Amn, and to my knowledge, no mod has ever changed it.
@Neverused: I have no idea how your druid got stunned unless Chaotic Commands wasn't active, got dispelled, or just ran out at the wrong time. What kind of stunning bolts? Sahuagin? Kuo-toa? Drow? The last two might cast Dispel Magic, and considering the fact that even a druid with 3 million XP will only be level 15, there's always a decent chance of a druid getting dispelled.
@Neverused: Demon Knights? They could have easily removed your buffs. In my install at least, they're level 9/20/8 Fighter/Mage/Clerics, which means their Remove Magic spells are cast at level 20. That's a 75% chance of dispelling a level 15 Chaotic Commands spell.
So, um... this thread does mention "Newbie" in the title. If you're familiar with my posts, you know I'm not a hardcore BG player. I reroll my stats until they're high, I play with max. HP and either auto-success spell scrolls or reload-success spell scrolls. There's only been once I beat BG:EE no-reload, and that was a happy accident under nonstandard circumstances (I imported a berserker 7/thief 8 from The Black Pits trying to do a speed run with minimal reload and minimal hours spent in both real life and in-game). I think it's fair to say that game might not really count.
Maybe I'd like to try no-reload though?
I don't feel like giving up the high stats yet, but I could stomach core rules and random HP rolls I think. I don't have all the traps memorized, especially late-game or in SoD or BG2, so that's a concern. I don't have all the fights completely memorized either, they're just sort of a vague impression in some cases. Basically, my meta-knowledge is imperfect and I am worried about survivability and utilitarian things that some of you may not have to deal with anymore.
So! Could someone point me to the right thread to tell me how to get my foot in the door with no-reload runs? I am willing to resurrect dead NPCs, run with a party, whatever it takes to survive. I don't know how to survive an early random bandit ambush between zones, although I'm pretty sure I could come up with ways to handle a lot of "set" encounters. My leanings to survive right now are between either spells (my favorite), or something with a lot of HP/immunities (barbarian, dwarven defender, berserker, beastmaster).
Full meta-knowledge isn't needed to have fun or even to succeed in a no-reload game. There are people here who constantly install new mods to keep their meta-knowledge imperfect on purpose. If you're worried about traps and are playing with a party, I'd advise not making your main character the thief, so you can have someone else who is potentially expendable scout ahead and look for traps - there are some that can easily end a no-reload run. It might be worth writing down trap locations (or you can look them up online). The good thing is, though: If a trap ever ends one of your runs, you'll be very like to remember its location for the rest of your life!
BTW, don't worry too much about the ruleset. There's no requirement for low stats or random hp rolls when playing a no-reload game, the opening post in this forum just outlines the playstyle of the OP. I'd say the only thing most of us agree on is: Playing on core rules (or higher), no reloading (unless a gamebreaking bug occurs, but definitions can vary) and no cheating (though some people allow themselves to use the console for ease of use purposes, like creating a bag of holding in BG1).
To avoid bandit ambushes along the Lion's Way, only travelling during day time is helpful, and you can swap around items like the Elve's Bane or the Boots of Avoidance to keep away those pesky arrows.
A berserker is certainly a popular choice as a main character for good reasons. I myself like to play very passive main characters who can stay at the back lines (skalds and druids, for example). Any class can do fine, though - in the combined Hall of Heroes, there's literally every character class present with at least one kit (except shamans, because they're quite new).
Don't be intimidated by nightmarish challenge runs with the toughest difficulty mods or maniacs like @Grond0 who work under hideously punishing bonus rules. There are all kinds of no-reload and minimal reload runs; you can play with any personal rules or tweaks you like. We're not here to judge anyone or impose a standardized ruleset.
My first piece of advice for any new no-reload characters is to ask yourself how to kill your main character. If you know how to kill them, you know how to save them.
@Grond0 : I should've clarified my intent - I was talking about what I'd call hard disable or instant death effects, something that will make you lose control of your character or lose you the game (which is often the same thing) - you can generally just run away while blinded, level drained or silenced and heal yourself while diseased or poisoned. Your mention of free action does remind me of slow, though - which isn't a hard disable, but hard enough if going invisble isn't an option and you can't get rid of it. When it comes to polymorph, I'm honestly not sure. I don't think I've ever gotten a party member polymorphed before, but I can imagine it's akin to losing control? Can you still move around as usual and get to safety? Well, at least it's propably not going to be a concern in the vanilla game, as I don't know of any opponent who will use it (unless you start casting spells in wild magic zones, I think I may have seen it happening there, but I could be wrong).
Edit: Now I've also remembered Web and Stinking Cloud, I don't think CC works against either of them and they're what I'd call hard disable
OK @Enuhal. If we're talking hard disable then web and stinking cloud are certainly relevant and entangle possibly so. The most obvious example though is hold effects, which are caused by a multitude of things like physical attacks, spells and traps - free action is an obvious protector against those.
@LordRumfish why not just give no-reload a go? If you've played for a long time it does offer an alternative route to making the game feel fresh and challenging. If you're uncertain about it then there's no need to post about that - although you may actually find posting helpful as a source of focus for your run.
As others have said there's quite a bit of variation in how runs are attempted: - power-gaming initial stats is the norm, though some people prefer random rolls or nerf stats to increase the challenge or for RP reasons. - using the game option for max HPs is not unusual. - generally automatic spell success would not be expected as, if playing on Core difficulty or above and no-reloading, the game doesn't provide for that. However, plenty of people will use potions to boost intelligence to 24 to ensure 100% success that way (at least for more important / rarer scrolls).
There are so many options for playing the game it's hard to give a simple list of strategies. However, the following might be helpful to consider: Party size - in a lot of ways playing solo makes no-reloading easier. The run is much shorter (thus making it easier to maintain concentration) and your levels are higher (meaning spells, abilities, saving throws are all much more effective). However, it's incredibly easy to die - including as a result of quite a few different potential traps - so if you don't know the game that well I probably wouldn't recommend that. Playing with a full party of 6 provides you with a lot of flexibility and reduces the chances of a fatal attack hitting your PC, but also slows down levelling. If you don't mind about your party size I would suggest that a group of 3 or 4 makes a good compromise for initial attempts at no-reloading.
Role of PC - I tend to give the PC the most active role within a party, but I also die an awful lot . If you want to increase your chances of success in the run then it's better to adopt a more passive stance. Something like a skald or druid can offer huge advantages for a party, but also lead from the rear. If going for a fighter-type then specialising in ranged rather than melee attacks will keep you far safer.
Use of buffing - you can hugely increase your chances of success by using regular buffs. @Enuhal posted above about the advantages offered by divine spells like chaotic commands, death ward, remove fear and free action. The combination of those alone would greatly reduce the number of deaths you might have, but there are plenty of others - like improved invisibility, haste, strength etc that will boost your chances.
Caution is your watchword - taking a cautious and systematic approach will allow you to survive even hard encounters that you don't know well. One important element of caution is that you should always consider your way out of a situation - if in doubt, run away and return later when you're better prepared. Remember that NPC deaths don't end your run, so consider your party as expendable rather than risking the PC in order to prevent someone dying (there are even situations where you may want to kill NPCs yourself, e.g. eliminating a scared or confused character as a means to allow you to run away).
In relation to early game ambushes meta-knowledge about what ambushes occur where is helpful, but if you don't have that then a couple of general points are: - ambushes are normally linked to the time of day. The relevant time is when you reach the ambush area (which is nearly always half the total travel time to the next area). In most cases you're safer travelling during the day - bandit ambushes for instance only occur at night. Thus if it's 19.00 hours and travel time to the next area is 8 hours, then the potential ambush would occur at 23.00 hours - so you're probably better off resting before trying to travel. - I can't think of any ambushers in the unmodded game who can detect invisible creatures. If you're not sure whether travel is safe then making everyone invisible allows you plenty of time to decide whether to fight in an ambush or just run away. Just making the PC invisible will nearly always keep them safe while you decide whether to run away.
As always of course the best advice is to have fun. I would encourage you to try no-reload, but if you don't like it that's fine - there's plenty of other ways to play the game. And if you do want more specific advice about any encounters or strategies just ask - people are always happy here to talk about the game .
Thanks for the input about the stun upcode and all. CC doesnt protect against stun according to its description, but it does protect against psionic blasts.
The greenstone amulet does protect - I had forgotten that. I have the shield of balduran and no SCS or tactics installed, so It will be an option . I will postpone encounters where stun is an option untill I have the amulet - it is a no reload run, so no taking chances... and XP are plenty. thanks for the info and help
@restricting rules Anything is allowed noreload runs make me feel heroic, like I can kill all dragons at level 1 (which I actually could with planning but it really is stupidity). So you can imagine that I die more often in those runs where my protagonist can do anything. I become careless and die to stupid things.
Restricted runs narrow down options making it easier to actually plan how to stay alive and when it is okay to tackle enemies at which level. Sure in some cases it ups the difficulty too, but in general for me they are an easier mindset.
Anyway, i guess I am trying to say not to be intimidated by those runs. They can be helpful for both experienced and less experienced players. And in the end, if you die but you learned something about the game or about yourself (what you enjoy doing), then that's great right?
Thanks for the input about the stun upcode and all. CC doesnt protect against stun according to its description, but it does protect against psionic blasts.
CC protects against magical commands and not all of this type of effect are specifically listed in the description - the spell also protects against feeblemind and maze for instance.
There's been a debate over many years about whether stun should be treated as a mental or physical influence. CC in the original game protected against stun which obviously suggests it's mental in origin and the mind flayer blast is a clear example of that. On the other hand the monk's stunning blow would seem to be an equally clear example of a physical stun and that led to many mods allowing free action to protect against stun (irrespective of its source). To me the obvious answer would be to have 2 different descriptions with different codes and different protections required, but that's not been done and the EE continues to follow the treatment in the original game.
Thanks for the input about the stun upcode and all. CC doesnt protect against stun according to its description, but it does protect against psionic blasts.
CC protects against magical commands and not all of this type of effect are specifically listed in the description - the spell also protects against feeblemind and maze for instance.
There's been a debate over many years about whether stun should be treated as a mental or physical influence. CC in the original game protected against stun which obviously suggests it's mental in origin and the mind flayer blast is a clear example of that. On the other hand the monk's stunning blow would seem to be an equally clear example of a physical stun and that led to many mods allowing free action to protect against stun (irrespective of its source). To me the obvious answer would be to have 2 different descriptions with different codes and different protections required, but that's not been done and the EE continues to follow the treatment in the original game.
@Grond0 Youre right (obviously). I wanted to do the planar prison. Buffed with free action, death ward and CC and I blocked a PW stun at 75 HP. It would have ended my run, if it hadnt... it was an unintentionel test - and thankfully it worked (and confirmed your words). CC is a really nice spell . Thanks again
In BG 2, you'll just have to do trial and error. But in BG 1, there's actually only a certain # of traps you MUST deal with. For your convenience, I've listed them:
1) 3rd level of Nashkel Mines (bridge). These are not normally lethal, but if you have a character with low HP or bad AC, the kobold archers just beyond might take you out. But if you have good AC or HP before tripping them, you should be fine. 2) 3rd level of Nashkel Mines - 3 traps right by exit of the level. You can always trip one, heal, trip one, heal etc. It's possible to hug the right wall and walk by all the traps without triggering them. 3) 2nd level of Cloakwood Mines - nasty lightning bolt trap in a hallway, just before a large number of guards. Use thief, if you have, otherwise, if you intend to trip you need 100% lightning resistance. Note you don't have to walk that hallway, as a side passage with two ghasts goes around it. 4) Davaeorn's level - 2 battle horrors and some nasty magic traps. Use thief, or trip with a character with magic protection (green scroll, or potion of magic blocking/magic protection) 5) Candlekeep Crypts - lots of nasty traps here. But if you main character has 100% lightning resistance and 100% fire resistance, you should be fine. Note that if you have a party, it's best to have a well protected character get the tomes, with the party well back to not get hit with stray lightning bolts, fireballs, etc. Poison resistance when getting the strength tome can be handy when dealing with the phase spiders. Note also a protection from magic scroll would protect you while down here too. And be quite useful against Prat, if still active by then. 6) Maze - 4 traps just before skeleton warriors. These are fireballs/lightning traps. If you have a thief, put him invisible (like potion or spell) and have him de-trap them. If not, use protection from magic scroll, or 100% fire/lightning resistance. 7) Sarevok Battle - lots of traps here. Its often easiest to keep the party back and send an archer around the skull in the middle of the room (and without getting too close to the edge) to shoot Sarevok and run back to the party, that way you have freedom of movement at the bottom of the area.
(though some people allow themselves to use the console for ease of use purposes, like creating a bag of holding in BG1).
In my installation I used EE Keeper to give Gorion a bag of holding. If you give it to somebody that you kill, it disappears. It doesn't from Gorion's body. By putting it on Gorion's body it is there for every subsequent game. I put it on a body rather than in a chest as I have no idea how to edit chests yet using keeper. I assume that it is possible though
Two other traps are the Web traps in the Cloakwood Spider Area and a couple Magic Missile traps in places Corey already mentioned. Potion of freedom for the former, Shield amulet for the latter.
Good point about the Cloakwood area Two web traps. If solo, invisibility would be simplest. If I have a party, I usually have an invisible person run all over the map, triggering the traps in safety. Then they come back and the party safely mops up the ettercaps and spiders in the area. For a party, this trouble is usually worth it as there's good experience here.
You can sort of see where most of the traps in the thieves maze are. There is a green splash on the wall or some graffiti rune. Always saves me the necessity of remembering their exact placement.
Thanks for the advice. Yeah, come to think of it, some of the most deadly traps are from Tales of the Sword Coast, which is completely optional content and well worth avoiding for a first no-reload run.
@semiticgod I see your question, but don't know the answer. I'm sure @Alesia_BH would know, but of course she's unavailable for quite some time still. Perhaps you should PM her this question, and she can respond next time she logs in, whenever that might be.
@semiticgod I see your question, but don't know the answer. I'm sure @Alesia_BH would know, but of course she's unavailable for quite some time still. Perhaps you should PM her this question, and she can respond next time she logs in, whenever that might be.
Oh, better, try yourself and share what you find out with us, @semiticgod
Darn it, you guys - reading these threads has got me trying my second no-reload run. Would you please tone down your enthusiasm? People are going to get addicted to this.
I'm not using SCS for it, and I've got uber stats and max hitpoints, so I suppose I'm a very minor league no-reloader (though I will probably try SCS later if I enjoy my run). Amazingly, I'm still going strong in Chapter 3 with a lawful evil half-orc fighter/thief. I'm role-playing to some extent, and avoiding cheap tactics like area of effect spells from beyond the line of sight. I don't let my F/T wear a helmet because it feels unrealistic in a stealth build. I've had one death: Viconia was killed fighting Silke but fortunately I was able to get her resurrected. I even survived with Neera in my party for awhile, and two wild-surges. It's amazing how much it's changed my play style. I'm swapping NPCs in and out for various roles, forcing myself to use consumables (and also spending a lot of money on consumables). I'm also avoiding certain areas and battles (like the ambush outside of the Nashkel Mines) that I'd normally do early but now consider too risky. Usually at this point in the game I'm already rich and buying fancy toys, but in this run I'm broke on account of avoiding certain battles and spoils, and from buying consumables - including expensive potions of genius and mind focusing (I had to fire Garrick for continually failing to scribe spells - he's now back on my black list of NPCs). I now have my final core party: F/T PC, Viconia, Imoen, Xan and Edwin.
Anyway, thanks a lot, you guys. I may now be addicted to no-reload.
Comments
@Neverused: I have no idea how your druid got stunned unless Chaotic Commands wasn't active, got dispelled, or just ran out at the wrong time. What kind of stunning bolts? Sahuagin? Kuo-toa? Drow? The last two might cast Dispel Magic, and considering the fact that even a druid with 3 million XP will only be level 15, there's always a decent chance of a druid getting dispelled.
Maybe I'd like to try no-reload though?
I don't feel like giving up the high stats yet, but I could stomach core rules and random HP rolls I think. I don't have all the traps memorized, especially late-game or in SoD or BG2, so that's a concern. I don't have all the fights completely memorized either, they're just sort of a vague impression in some cases. Basically, my meta-knowledge is imperfect and I am worried about survivability and utilitarian things that some of you may not have to deal with anymore.
So! Could someone point me to the right thread to tell me how to get my foot in the door with no-reload runs? I am willing to resurrect dead NPCs, run with a party, whatever it takes to survive. I don't know how to survive an early random bandit ambush between zones, although I'm pretty sure I could come up with ways to handle a lot of "set" encounters. My leanings to survive right now are between either spells (my favorite), or something with a lot of HP/immunities (barbarian, dwarven defender, berserker, beastmaster).
Welcome! I hope you will join us
I don't think there's really a "how to get started" thread; Why don't you just play for a bit and share you adventures with a couple of screenshots in the no-reload thread?
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/40393/maybe-this-time-no-reload-thread-no-pause-no-reload-no-chance/p210
Full meta-knowledge isn't needed to have fun or even to succeed in a no-reload game. There are people here who constantly install new mods to keep their meta-knowledge imperfect on purpose. If you're worried about traps and are playing with a party, I'd advise not making your main character the thief, so you can have someone else who is potentially expendable scout ahead and look for traps - there are some that can easily end a no-reload run. It might be worth writing down trap locations (or you can look them up online). The good thing is, though: If a trap ever ends one of your runs, you'll be very like to remember its location for the rest of your life!
BTW, don't worry too much about the ruleset. There's no requirement for low stats or random hp rolls when playing a no-reload game, the opening post in this forum just outlines the playstyle of the OP. I'd say the only thing most of us agree on is: Playing on core rules (or higher), no reloading (unless a gamebreaking bug occurs, but definitions can vary) and no cheating (though some people allow themselves to use the console for ease of use purposes, like creating a bag of holding in BG1).
To avoid bandit ambushes along the Lion's Way, only travelling during day time is helpful, and you can swap around items like the Elve's Bane or the Boots of Avoidance to keep away those pesky arrows.
A berserker is certainly a popular choice as a main character for good reasons. I myself like to play very passive main characters who can stay at the back lines (skalds and druids, for example). Any class can do fine, though - in the combined Hall of Heroes, there's literally every character class present with at least one kit (except shamans, because they're quite new).
My first piece of advice for any new no-reload characters is to ask yourself how to kill your main character. If you know how to kill them, you know how to save them.
As others have said there's quite a bit of variation in how runs are attempted:
- power-gaming initial stats is the norm, though some people prefer random rolls or nerf stats to increase the challenge or for RP reasons.
- using the game option for max HPs is not unusual.
- generally automatic spell success would not be expected as, if playing on Core difficulty or above and no-reloading, the game doesn't provide for that. However, plenty of people will use potions to boost intelligence to 24 to ensure 100% success that way (at least for more important / rarer scrolls).
There are so many options for playing the game it's hard to give a simple list of strategies. However, the following might be helpful to consider:
Party size - in a lot of ways playing solo makes no-reloading easier. The run is much shorter (thus making it easier to maintain concentration) and your levels are higher (meaning spells, abilities, saving throws are all much more effective). However, it's incredibly easy to die - including as a result of quite a few different potential traps - so if you don't know the game that well I probably wouldn't recommend that. Playing with a full party of 6 provides you with a lot of flexibility and reduces the chances of a fatal attack hitting your PC, but also slows down levelling. If you don't mind about your party size I would suggest that a group of 3 or 4 makes a good compromise for initial attempts at no-reloading.
Role of PC - I tend to give the PC the most active role within a party, but I also die an awful lot
Use of buffing - you can hugely increase your chances of success by using regular buffs. @Enuhal posted above about the advantages offered by divine spells like chaotic commands, death ward, remove fear and free action. The combination of those alone would greatly reduce the number of deaths you might have, but there are plenty of others - like improved invisibility, haste, strength etc that will boost your chances.
Caution is your watchword - taking a cautious and systematic approach will allow you to survive even hard encounters that you don't know well. One important element of caution is that you should always consider your way out of a situation - if in doubt, run away and return later when you're better prepared. Remember that NPC deaths don't end your run, so consider your party as expendable rather than risking the PC in order to prevent someone dying (there are even situations where you may want to kill NPCs yourself, e.g. eliminating a scared or confused character as a means to allow you to run away).
In relation to early game ambushes meta-knowledge about what ambushes occur where is helpful, but if you don't have that then a couple of general points are:
- ambushes are normally linked to the time of day. The relevant time is when you reach the ambush area (which is nearly always half the total travel time to the next area). In most cases you're safer travelling during the day - bandit ambushes for instance only occur at night. Thus if it's 19.00 hours and travel time to the next area is 8 hours, then the potential ambush would occur at 23.00 hours - so you're probably better off resting before trying to travel.
- I can't think of any ambushers in the unmodded game who can detect invisible creatures. If you're not sure whether travel is safe then making everyone invisible allows you plenty of time to decide whether to fight in an ambush or just run away. Just making the PC invisible will nearly always keep them safe while you decide whether to run away.
As always of course the best advice is to have fun. I would encourage you to try no-reload, but if you don't like it that's fine - there's plenty of other ways to play the game. And if you do want more specific advice about any encounters or strategies just ask - people are always happy here to talk about the game
The greenstone amulet does protect - I had forgotten that. I have the shield of balduran and no SCS or tactics installed, so It will be an option
Anything is allowed noreload runs make me feel heroic, like I can kill all dragons at level 1 (which I actually could with planning but it really is stupidity). So you can imagine that I die more often in those runs where my protagonist can do anything. I become careless and die to stupid things.
Restricted runs narrow down options making it easier to actually plan how to stay alive and when it is okay to tackle enemies at which level. Sure in some cases it ups the difficulty too, but in general for me they are an easier mindset.
Anyway, i guess I am trying to say not to be intimidated by those runs. They can be helpful for both experienced and less experienced players.
And in the end, if you die but you learned something about the game or about yourself (what you enjoy doing), then that's great right?
There's been a debate over many years about whether stun should be treated as a mental or physical influence. CC in the original game protected against stun which obviously suggests it's mental in origin and the mind flayer blast is a clear example of that. On the other hand the monk's stunning blow would seem to be an equally clear example of a physical stun and that led to many mods allowing free action to protect against stun (irrespective of its source). To me the obvious answer would be to have 2 different descriptions with different codes and different protections required, but that's not been done and the EE continues to follow the treatment in the original game.
The issue related to charm protection is now reported on the public tracker: https://support.baldursgate.com/issues/33047
In BG 2, you'll just have to do trial and error. But in BG 1, there's actually only a certain # of traps you MUST deal with. For your convenience, I've listed them:
1) 3rd level of Nashkel Mines (bridge). These are not normally lethal, but if you have a character with low HP or bad AC, the kobold archers just beyond might take you out. But if you have good AC or HP before tripping them, you should be fine.
2) 3rd level of Nashkel Mines - 3 traps right by exit of the level. You can always trip one, heal, trip one, heal etc. It's possible to hug the right wall and walk by all the traps without triggering them.
3) 2nd level of Cloakwood Mines - nasty lightning bolt trap in a hallway, just before a large number of guards. Use thief, if you have, otherwise, if you intend to trip you need 100% lightning resistance. Note you don't have to walk that hallway, as a side passage with two ghasts goes around it.
4) Davaeorn's level - 2 battle horrors and some nasty magic traps. Use thief, or trip with a character with magic protection (green scroll, or potion of magic blocking/magic protection)
5) Candlekeep Crypts - lots of nasty traps here. But if you main character has 100% lightning resistance and 100% fire resistance, you should be fine. Note that if you have a party, it's best to have a well protected character get the tomes, with the party well back to not get hit with stray lightning bolts, fireballs, etc. Poison resistance when getting the strength tome can be handy when dealing with the phase spiders. Note also a protection from magic scroll would protect you while down here too. And be quite useful against Prat, if still active by then.
6) Maze - 4 traps just before skeleton warriors. These are fireballs/lightning traps. If you have a thief, put him invisible (like potion or spell) and have him de-trap them. If not, use protection from magic scroll, or 100% fire/lightning resistance.
7) Sarevok Battle - lots of traps here. Its often easiest to keep the party back and send an archer around the skull in the middle of the room (and without getting too close to the edge) to shoot Sarevok and run back to the party, that way you have freedom of movement at the bottom of the area.
Hope this helps.
Always saves me the necessity of remembering their exact placement.
I'm not using SCS for it, and I've got uber stats and max hitpoints, so I suppose I'm a very minor league no-reloader (though I will probably try SCS later if I enjoy my run). Amazingly, I'm still going strong in Chapter 3 with a lawful evil half-orc fighter/thief. I'm role-playing to some extent, and avoiding cheap tactics like area of effect spells from beyond the line of sight. I don't let my F/T wear a helmet because it feels unrealistic in a stealth build. I've had one death: Viconia was killed fighting Silke but fortunately I was able to get her resurrected. I even survived with Neera in my party for awhile, and two wild-surges. It's amazing how much it's changed my play style. I'm swapping NPCs in and out for various roles, forcing myself to use consumables (and also spending a lot of money on consumables). I'm also avoiding certain areas and battles (like the ambush outside of the Nashkel Mines) that I'd normally do early but now consider too risky. Usually at this point in the game I'm already rich and buying fancy toys, but in this run I'm broke on account of avoiding certain battles and spoils, and from buying consumables - including expensive potions of genius and mind focusing (I had to fire Garrick for continually failing to scribe spells - he's now back on my black list of NPCs). I now have my final core party: F/T PC, Viconia, Imoen, Xan and Edwin.
Anyway, thanks a lot, you guys. I may now be addicted to no-reload.