Interesting ideas for playing the game for the zillionth time?

EggHuevo

Hey! I've played this game a thousand times already, and I still come up with ways to keep me interested. I like to play with out-of-the-box strategies. Some builds I've played recently, are:
-Solo sorcerer using only melee (from chill/ghoul touch, all the way to black blade of disaster). Tenser's is not even needed to chunk everything to pieces.
-6 sorcerers/bards spamming chromatic orbs at everything in sight.
-Daredevil: fighter/thief permanently blinded (cheesing HIS next to enemies). Used EEKeeper to give him a couple farsights and true sight. Proficiency in clubs.
-Barbarian/cleric (EEK, of course): more than 100% physical resistance in the end.
-A complete pacifist (0 kills). Cleric/mage with summons (skeletons, mordy swords, aerial servant, devas, planetars), CC (maze, imprison and others). Defending himself with sanctuary and others. Kicking butt non-lethally with his bare fist (even made Adalon unconscious). This was the most fun, hands down.
-A party with XAN as the tank. Robe of neutral archmagi, moonblade, couple rings of fire resistance. Raining fire on him while he "kicked butt" with stoneskin/mirror image.
-A character who NEVER rested. Mage level 1 dualed to thief. Relied on wands and HIS. -96 luck at his worst.

You get the idea. Please give me some out-of-the-box builds for me to try and keep milking this wonderful games.

OlvynChuru

Try playing a single-class kensai with 25 Strength, 1 Dexterity, and 1 Constitution. I like this build because it makes you feel powerful without actually making the game too easy.

DreadKhan

I'm playing an eventual high level dualed swashbuckler to cleric, one that nabs UAI, so he can use speed weapons later as a cleric. She's a bit fragile tbh, but with pretty impressive performance as an archer with tuigin bow or dual wielding with a speed weapon, and thief utility to boot. I look forward to using a cleric with UAI, likely using scrolls to contribute until I can start meleeing.

The character is a scoundrel thats gone clean so to speak, and should be an excellent char in ToB. Might be best in a small party in BG2 though!

Grond0

Your pacifist run sounds like you were not counting deaths by summons, although those are included in character stats. You could try keeping the latter down to 0 (I've done that in BG1, though I've never tried it in BG2).

I quite like a character who's only ever allowed to kill anything using Brage's berserking sword.

If you've got the patience you could try a minimum stat run - I've tried that with a few characters, e.g. a wild mage (all 3s except 9 in intelligence).

Speed runs in various forms are another option. Playing the game feels very different when you're trying that, though I tend to find it hard work these days. I can't remember my best time for BG1 (without any form of cheats) - I think it was something over an hour.

Other options would include poverty runs, parties of all the same character, no pausing runs.

hockmah2

I like to play avoiding metagame, walking without any preparation for the next enemy at least someone ingame told me, this make some battles more dificult and fun.

Someideas to play:

Sir Robin : 1 Knight and 5 jester that only sing behind him all the game

Kung fu: A solitary monk that avoid fight if he can.

Ninja: A shadowdancer that kill with backstab, darts, poison and ninjato


Gerald of Rivia: A Blade that use spells related to his signs. First level Axii: Charm person, Igni: Burning hands, Quen: Armor, Aard: Color spray, Yrden: Grease; and similar for the next levels

jsaving

Here are a couple of things I've tried to make the game more interesting.

1 - No missile weapons, no wands/potions/scrolls, no summoned creatures.

2 - No STR/DEX/CON above 14 for any party member, no spells or magic items that boost STR/DEX/CON.

3 - No points in pickpocketing, no selling fenced items, no purchasing items from vendors

You can mix and match these restrictions or even use all of them at once, which presents more of a challenge than you might think.

ThacoBell

Real Answer: Start roleplaying. Make decisions based on your characters personality, and not based on best outcomes. It really gets you invested in that character and run.

"Fun" Answer: Play blindfolded.

Quickblade

ThacoBell said:

"Fun" Answer: Play blindfolded.

But, how would you know where the mouse is pointing?

Edit-Wait, you could have scripts do it.

Artona

A character who NEVER rested. Mage level 1 dualed to thief. Relied on wands and HIS. -96 luck at his worst.

That would make great fanfic: "my destiny is to reign as new Lord of Murder... But there is some plague, famine or earthquake everywhere I go!".

1. High-Power Mod by @OlvynChuru could be for you. Haven't tried it myself, but judging from description it offers entirely different experience.
2. Genocide run. Everyone dies expect unkillable plot-relevant NPCs.
3. LoB+SCS+Insanity+no-reload run.

EggHuevo

Thanks everyone for some great feedback!

Artona said:

Genocide run. Everyone dies expect unkillable plot-relevant NPCs.

You mean each and every one of my runs in every videogame that allows doing it?

Grond0 said:

Your pacifist run sounds like you were not counting deaths by summons, although those are included in character stats. You could try keeping the latter down to 0 (I've done that in BG1, though I've never tried it in BG2).

Actually, they don't count. Neither do kills made by charmed characters.

Grond0

EggHuevo said:

Grond0 said:

Your pacifist run sounds like you were not counting deaths by summons, although those are included in character stats. You could try keeping the latter down to 0 (I've done that in BG1, though I've never tried it in BG2).

Actually, they don't count. Neither do kills made by charmed characters.

Apologies. I was obviously thinking of my personal restriction - you could have a go at that anyway of course if you want to make things more challenging .

Artona

@EggHuevo

You mean each and every one of my runs in every videogame that allows doing it?

Ah, alright then, sir.

What about no leveling up and relying on scrolls and wands?

BelgarathMTH

Artona said:

@EggHuevo

You mean each and every one of my runs in every videogame that allows doing it?

Ah, alright then, sir.

What about no leveling up and relying on scrolls and wands?

Hmm - An "Alveus Malcanter" run? Finish the trilogy as a first level mage? There should be a Steam achievement for that.

I doubt it's possible solo, but it should be possible though very challenging with a party.

EggHuevo

Artona said:

@EggHuevo

You mean each and every one of my runs in every videogame that allows doing it?

Ah, alright then, sir.

What about no leveling up and relying on scrolls and wands?

I'm gonna try this right now... It should be fairly easy to do with Baldur's Gate 1. Probably borderline impossible with the rest of the trilogy, though. Unless I use a fighter/mage/thief and abuse casting scrolls with Vhailor's helm... Hmmm... You motivated me again, good sir/lass. Thanks!

BelgarathMTH said:

Artona said:

@EggHuevo

You mean each and every one of my runs in every videogame that allows doing it?

Ah, alright then, sir.

What about no leveling up and relying on scrolls and wands?

Hmm - An "Alveus Malcanter" run? Finish the trilogy as a first level mage? There should be a Steam achievement for that.

I doubt it's possible solo, but it should be possible though very challenging with a party.

Aaaaaaaand that's gonna be my name, and my portrait.

SirBatince

a solo spellcaster with infinite alacrity

don't do it, youll never want to go back

Artona

@EggHuevo - you're very welcome and good luck! You'll probably need it.

butteredsoul

How about a solo human transmuter on insane with max SCS settings?

Seda

Propongo un personaje que encarne a Elric de Melniboné con su espada enlutada robaalmas. Elric es enfermizo y de corazón puro. Pero necesita brevajes para sobrevivir. Posee un espada que le da vitalidad y roba la almas de sus enemigos obligandole a cometer actos malvados y a depender de ella para sobrevivir, ya que le aporta vitalidad. Elric es mago, guerrero y bastante erudito. Con este escenario:
Raza: elfo, semieelfo o drow. Albino y de piel clara.
Trovador: extrae vida de su espada.
Arma: espada del Caos o mandoble de locura.
Alineación: Caòtico bueno.
No cambiarle nunca el arma.
FUE 6 (o lo mínimo para usar espada larga o fuerza necesaria para mandoble)
DES 25 (por espada maldita)
CON 1
INT 20
SAB 15
CAR Mínimo pertitido.

Otra opción es hacer un trovador normal y maldecir al trovador con hechizo de bestow curse, de death bard que es permanente y resta 3 a todo las caractersticas y que no se va hasta que usas templo o hechizos / pócimas.

Es una idea llevar una especie de Elric de Melniboné, es decir, un personaje dévil, bondadoso y maldito y asesino en contra de su voluntad.

Otra idea que ya dijo alguién en este foro:
Crear un personaje como
"Rincewind" de las novelas del Mundo Disco, un mago salvaje con características nefastas, inclusive magia, pero de vez en cuando realiza magia asombrosamente poderosa y cuya especialidad es huir del peligro en situaciones complicadas.