I think the Slayer is pretty cool and underused by people

lollers

Just in general to be honest. Does good damage at a high rate of attack, lots of resistance, immunity and a really good AC boost. I always manage to make good use of it in the underdark. Last time I complete the game was as a sorcerer, and I managed to defeat it for my group of people that would struggle against it thanks to the slayer.

Maurvir

It's underused because it costs rep and scares the crap out of your own party. It sets, rather than boosts, your HP to 100, which by that point may actually be *lower* depending on your PC's class, though the massive immunities make this less of an issue. You also only get a few seconds before your PC starts taking damage just for being in slayer form. There are few situation that can be solved in slayer form that can't also be solved with fewer issues other ways.

However, there are times when it can be handy. Specifically, as you mention, in the Underdark, where having a godly intelligence is helpful in a specific situation. Also, if you need to reduce your rep ASAP due to running an evil party, it's not a bad solution. You don't even have to kill anyone. Also, if you are soloing, slayer form could let you otherwise play a class that might struggle mightily.

DinoDin

I used Slayer form a lot on my first few playthroughs of the game. But I think a big reason why veteran players don't use it (and I don't anymore) is that it doesn't come out of anything you've invested in. Whereas your class skills or even your BG1 bhaalspawn powers feel like something you've earned, the Slayer is just gifted to you.

One of the joys of replay is testing out the various powers that certain classes or builds give you. And the Slayer just doesn't scratch that itch.

jsaving

The other issue is that you can only turn into the Slayer by giving into Bhaal's neutral evil impulses, that is how you make the transformation and the entire purpose of giving you the option is to see how willing you'll be to embrace evil if it lets you mop up foes faster. Now, a lot of players don't care all that much about the role-playing aspects of the game but those who do may be understandably reluctant to use Slayer form.

XDarkStrikerX

What some ignore here is that equipment bonuses stack over those of the form if re-equipped after the transformation 4 base APR, immunity to missile with the shield of reflection (or Darksteel shield for AC and elemental resistance), cloak of mirroring to avoid direct magic damage/spirit shield +2, AC girdles, 40 base MR further increased if needed with ring of Gaxx, Amulet of Sedarine and Human Flesh +5 which offers great saves on top. If you stay in the form for a good time, you can probably add the pocket plane 5% and machine of Lum the mad bonus too for 5% but i don't think that it's going to change much in the long run. There is also many items to reduce most types of incoming damage, which is undispellable and you can add some buffs on top depending on the encounters.

A thief going Slayer form with UAI can be very good, especially for Shadowdancers that have limited utilities during the endgame. Think of it like a base class with set 4APR, 40MR, 2 base saves, 25 strength and dex (which means -10 AC already) and a permanent Berserk state in term of mind immunities. It allows any class to be a decent fighter especially if geared well. Mixed with the Pocket Plane ''Regeneration'' Ability, enough damage reduction (HLAs also works) and you make the slayer form very resilient, mostly limited by the ''bugged'' set 100 HP (been a while since i played vanilla, might be +100 hp). You can still use wands and quickslot items on top.

Also i think that if you drink an oil of speed or have an high enough level Improved haste before changing form, you can get double speed or double APR for the remaining rounds as the slayer.

Totally agree that it's underused while it can be the unstoppable key to some encounters. Also easy to offset that reputation penalty if you don't care staying at 18 and a good way to keep evil companions with you.

jmerry

XDarkStrikerX wrote: »

What some ignore here is that equipment bonuses stack over those of the form if re-equipped after the transformation 4 base APR, immunity to missile with the shield of reflection (or Darksteel shield for AC and elemental resistance), ...

Like most shapeshift weapons, the slayer weapon has the "Forbid off-hand weapon" flag. This not only prevents any weapon equipped in the off-hand from having an effect, it prevents you from equipping anything in that hand while it's active. You can have a shield there when you transform, but you can't take it off and put it back on. So ... shield AC works. The Shield of Reflection's ability works. Elemental resistances on shields such as the Dragon Scale Shield work, but magic resistance such as on the Shield of the Lost don't. But whatever shield you choose, you're locked into it for the duration of the transformation.

Oh, and it is still a "set HP" effect. If you want to change that, there are mods.

StummvonBordwehr

I used to love the Slayer, since it was my guaranteed way to get the Ring if Gaxx.

Then I found out that

Cheese

Worked better. All thanks to the internet guides.

There is a mod, that changes a lot of the Slayer powers and resistances.
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/81344/slayer-revisions-revised-bhaalspawn-powers-slayer-change-hell-rewards-and-pocket-plane-bonuses
It sounds cool and address some of the lacks that the current Slayer form has.

Maurvir

If you are playing with SCS, and have any of the AI improvements turned on, most of the Kangaxx cheese doesn't work. Scrolls of PfU do work, but that isn't really cheese since it's literally what the scrolls are for. The trick is that Kangaxx is in a party required area, so you need six copies of the scroll or a whole lot of freedom scrolls. Getting 6 copies is the difficult part at that point.

jmerry

... but at the same time, the "spellcasting demiliches" component in SCS makes Kangaxx and his Watcher's Keep counterpart somewhat less scary. Their spell immunities are decreased to lich level plus some specific protections, and they don't use their special "Trap the Soul" imprisonment variation. Which is nerfed anyway, allowing a save. Also, a default SCS setting blocks enemies from ever casting Imprisonment on the protagonist.

They're still high-level mages with HLAs (on higher difficulties), and they can cast the normal wizard imprisonment spell. You just don't need unique tactics completely unlike any other fight for them.

Maurvir

As an aside, that SCS setting is only necessary because Bioware decided that your party was too fickle to raise your PC at a temple. Given how inconsistent they were on the matter, it's a shame that is probably so hard-coded in the engine that no mod can fix it.

Yes, I know Bhaalspawn are supposed to have their souls dragged back to the Abyss, preventing them from being raised, but that doesn't seem to stop Imoen from being raised. Had this been handled well, she would dissolve into dust upon death like the PC.

Ammar

Well, IWD EE is running on a very similar engine now and doesn't have the same issue. So enginewise it should be feasible, but it will break all the dialogue and scripts that assume NPCs can target and talk to CHARNAME. And lots of other little problems like your last living party member leaving because their quest timer has run out.