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Me & Xan...

malachi151malachi151 Member Posts: 152
in Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition
Came up with a powerful combo for Xan. Given that Xan get's really powerful at the higher levels and his bread and butter is party friendly crowd control, I planned what would be the best party for him.

I ended up deciding on just a 2 man group with a Fighter/Thief.

Normally for Fighter/Thiefs I play Dwarf for the Con and Strength, but this time I'm going with Halfling for the skill points.

Arguably you could do a similar party with a Bounty Hunter or other thief, but I figure with a Fighter/Thief I've got someone at least kinda tanky for when that's needed.

Basically solo until getting Xan, then make use of his powers to pretty much disable and confuse all in your path. Both characters are sneeky and rely on misdirection, stealth and trickery to get the job done. With just two in the party he'll quickly level into his powerful spells.

I haven't gotten to BG yet, so I'm curios to see how some of the harder fights go.

Comments

  • recklessheartrecklessheart Member Posts: 692
    edited September 2017
    As necessary, do remember that with good bracers of AC, mirror image, and an Archmage's robe, Xan can do all the damage he needs to do in melee combat. His weapon is +3! You can also use the Strength spell to ramp up the output of these attacks. Beyond that, The One Gift Lost appears at least 3 times throughout the game so that your Fighter/Thief can supplement crowd control with fireballs.

    You might already have known all of that, but just in case! Good luck :)
  • malachi151malachi151 Member Posts: 152
    I've got him with a sling just to ensure that he never approaches enemies. I hate having to stop and deselect the party and control every movement when getting into trash mob encounters. With a sling he'll just stand back out of the way and mostly miss stuff, but at least he won't try and melee a Gnoll because I happen to click on one with the party selected.
  • UnderstandMouseMagicUnderstandMouseMagic Member Posts: 2,147
    malachi151 said:

    I've got him with a sling just to ensure that he never approaches enemies. I hate having to stop and deselect the party and control every movement when getting into trash mob encounters. With a sling he'll just stand back out of the way and mostly miss stuff, but at least he won't try and melee a Gnoll because I happen to click on one with the party selected.

    Same for me with any mage.

    Except for Dynaheir who for some reason I never remember to equip with a ranged weapon...... ;)
  • OrlonKronsteenOrlonKronsteen Member Posts: 905
    UnderstandMouseMagic said:

    malachi151 said:

    I've got him with a sling just to ensure that he never approaches enemies. I hate having to stop and deselect the party and control every movement when getting into trash mob encounters. With a sling he'll just stand back out of the way and mostly miss stuff, but at least he won't try and melee a Gnoll because I happen to click on one with the party selected.

    Same for me with any mage.

    Except for Dynaheir who for some reason I never remember to equip with a ranged weapon...... ;)
    But... but... she might get hurt if you do that! ;)
  • chimericchimeric Member Posts: 1,163
    What are you and Xan going to do when you run into undead, slimes or golems?
  • KuronaKurona Member Posts: 881
    chimeric said:

    What are you and Xan going to do when you run into undead, slimes or golems?

    Xan can use wands and a Fighter/Thief is extremely powerful in BG1. As bizarre as it may seem undead and slimes can be backstabbed and for golems there are potions of absorption.
  • malachi151malachi151 Member Posts: 152
    chimeric said:

    What are you and Xan going to do when you run into undead, slimes or golems?

    This is a bigger problem, but Xan can cast Hold Undead, Slow, Glitter Dust, and of course use wands of Fireball and Lightening. My Thief is using a Quarterstaff (and longbow), so pretty effective against skeletons and slimes, etc. Plus there is always invisibility...
  • ZaghoulZaghoul Member, Moderator Posts: 3,938
    Add summons with a nicely charged wand, buffed with a haste and you have the makings of a fine bunch of bodyguards.
  • malachi151malachi151 Member Posts: 152
    I've got mixed feeling about the Wand of Monster Summoning. I've stopped using them because they are so OP. You can pretty much win every fight by summoning monsters :p Even when they are ineffective they serve as enough of a distraction you can do whatever you want. But I do tend to keep them on me just in case, just not use them.
  • ZaghoulZaghoul Member, Moderator Posts: 3,938
    My last run I did not use it as much as I thought after all the wands of fire laying about. The great thing I like about running fewer characters like this is it's easier to buff them with items, spells and the use of fewer potions n such. Looks like you have it all covered in this lil group. B)
    Are you running straight vanilla BG or using a few mods? Xan's friendship mod is pretty darn good.
  • UnderstandMouseMagicUnderstandMouseMagic Member Posts: 2,147
    I kind of had the same plan for my last run of BG2, until things went wrong.

    I soloed BG with an archer just for the sheer hell of it. See how far I could go. I love shooting and kiting anyway and the arrows you can get are so OP.
    Also wanted to play the early parts of BG2 with a charname that could consistantly wreck havok with a bow.
    So picked up Edwin in BG2 for summons so I could carry on just shooting stuff and not have to worry about anybody else.
    It was fun.....until it wasn't (but that was more down to my install becoming a bit bugged).
  • malachi151malachi151 Member Posts: 152
    Speaking of Archers, I know right?

    I did an almost solo run with an Archer, but I grabbed Coran basically to help with the thieving issues. I used him to do it still as pure archery with no tank.

    It was kinda hard toward the end, until I obtained every arrow detonation in the game and was able to proceed to just blow everything up. But seriously, I'm not sure I could have finished the game without those arrows, but with them it's absurd.

    Well that's not true, I could have finished the game, I just would have had to sneak past a few fights.

    3 Fireballs per round? Yes please!
  • UnderstandMouseMagicUnderstandMouseMagic Member Posts: 2,147
    @malachi151

    Arrows of Detonation are the crack cocaine of being an archer. Those and dispelling.

    For too many reasons to explain here, had to go after Bhodi solo in chapter 6 BG2 under difficult circumstances.
    Used approx. 30 of them from entry to graveyard to getting her heart.
    It was glorious fun, I just blew everything up.
    GWW and AofD, can't beat it.
  • sarevok57sarevok57 Member Posts: 6,002
    back in the vanilla BG days when i would "speed run" characters, i would use 3 characters;
    - the charname i wanted to import to SoA
    - imoen for her thief skills
    - xan for his wand use and crowd control spells

    xan is just simply amazing, emotion hopelesness and hold monster are just absolute killers, and even the slow spell is great, along with glitterdust and blindness, simply top notch
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