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Black Pits 1: your best results on LoB difficulty

YigorYigor Member Posts: 794
edited November 2021 in Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition
I've just advanced to the Tier III-1 with the following (non-optimal) team:

Berserker/Mage, lvl 9/10, grand mastery in quarterstaves
Wizard Slayer/Mage, lvl 9/10, grand mastery in long bows
Wizard Slayer lvl 1 --> Wizard Slayer/Cleric, lvl 8/9.
Post edited by Yigor on

Comments

  • YigorYigor Member Posts: 794
    edited November 2021
    Well I'm testing the dual-classing of Wizard Slayers right now. Otherwise, it would be better to replace them by vanilla fighters. The magic resistance of 9% doesn't compensate all other disadvantages. ?
  • YigorYigor Member Posts: 794
    edited November 2021
    In my experience so far, dual-classed Fighter/Mages and Fighter/Druids are the best in Black Pits 1 on LoB difficulty. ?

    It's also great to put grand mastery in bows or crossbows since there is a nice variety of magic arrows/bolts (starting from Tier II). My Wizard Slayer/Mage is also a great archer! LoL ?
  • YigorYigor Member Posts: 794
    I passed also the Tier III-1 (2 trolls + 2 fission slimes). One of annoying fission slimes was transformed into a squirrel. ?️?
  • YigorYigor Member Posts: 794
    edited November 2021
    Tier III-2 (Clay Golems) was a problem. I restarted reinforcing my party with 2 Dwarven Defenders. Till III-2 it was straightforward and I made more or less honest melee with Clay Golems. ⚔️

    I passed also Tier III-3 (Ice Salamanders). ❄️

    Any suggestions to beat the Fire Giant at Tier III-4? ❤️‍?
  • jmerryjmerry Member Posts: 3,881
    edited November 2021
    Against Hogarl, one thing to keep in mind is that he regenerates - 2 HP per round, from two rings of regeneration. Slow attrition isn't going to work. You need to keep the pressure on once you start hurting him.

    He also has a weak point - auto-fail breath saves. If you can find a way to exploit them, that is. Insect Plague and Summon Insects seem great here; the former deals solid damage over time and is guaranteed to panic him as long as it lasts, while the latter just deals the damage. Of course, you'd need a shaman or druid for those...

    Aside from that, he has a ton of hit points, near-unbeatable saves, base AC -2, and wears full plate for good modifiers against non-crushing attacks.

    For the battle as a whole, the fire elementals blow up in fireballs when you kill them. Buff the whole party for fire immunity.
    Post edited by jmerry on
  • YigorYigor Member Posts: 794
    jmerry wrote: »
    Against Hogarl, one thing to keep in mind is that he regenerates - 2 HP per round, from two rings of regeneration. Slow attrition isn't going to work. You need to keep the pressure on once you start hurting him.

    He also has a weak point - auto-fail breath saves. If you can find a way to exploit them, that is. Insect Plague and Summon Insects seem great here; the former deals solid damage over time and is guaranteed to panic him as long as it lasts, while the latter just deals the damage. Of course, you'd need a shaman or druid for those...

    Aside from that, he has a ton of hit points, near-unbeatable saves, base AC -2, and wears full plate for good modifiers against non-crushing attacks.

    For the battle as a whole, the fire elementals blow up in fireballs when you kill them. Buff the whole party for fire immunity.

    Thanks a lot! ? Well, I was lucky and immobilized Hogarl with the Wand of Paralyzation (well, combined with Doom and Greater Malison to diminish saving throws). So, I killed him + 2 or 3 fire elementals. However, I wasn't fully prepared and remaining 2 elementals finished my heavily wounded group. ☠️

    I'm not planning to remake this tiresome fight right now. ? Maybe the next time with a druid or shaman in my group, as you suggested. ?
  • garydagaryda Member Posts: 9
    Wouldn't potions of fiery breath count? Assuming of course you can by some...I don't remember. Current group is three fighters Half orc Cleric with 19 strength an invoker and a soreror.
  • jmerryjmerry Member Posts: 3,881
    Potions of fire breath? 6d10 fire damage, twice. Which becomes 0 to 6 healing, twice, after resistances.

    Hogarl is a fire giant. Of course he's immune to fire (110% resistance).
  • alice_ashpoolalice_ashpool Member Posts: 261
    edited November 2021
    I ran something stupid like 2 Totemic Druids 2 Sorcerers 2 Archers. Can't remember if I ever finished it since I was salty about no Find Familiar for cheesy Jelly Form tanking.

    iirc once you get to the point you can sling dual webs there is a nice period of ease before it ramps right back up again. maybe I'll fire it up.
  • YigorYigor Member Posts: 794
    alice_ashpool wrote: »
    I ran something stupid like 2 Totemic Druids 2 Sorcerers 2 Archers. Can't remember if I ever finished it since I was salty about no Find Familiar for cheesy Jelly Form tanking.

    iirc once you get to the point you can sling dual webs there is a nice period of ease before it ramps right back up again. maybe I'll fire it up.

    Find Familiar in Black Pits can be used only with chars dual-classed to Mages. ?
  • jmerryjmerry Member Posts: 3,881
    Ah, a loophole in the "you're really not supposed to have this spell" scripts. I think sorcerers can also take Find Familiar at level 3, 5, or 7.

    Outright banning characters from taking the spell with one of their free slots is impossible without also banning it from the main campaign.
  • YigorYigor Member Posts: 794
    edited November 2021
    jmerry wrote: »
    Ah, a loophole in the "you're really not supposed to have this spell" scripts. I think sorcerers can also take Find Familiar at level 3, 5, or 7.

    Outright banning characters from taking the spell with one of their free slots is impossible without also banning it from the main campaign.

    Why they wanted to remove this spell from BP1 anyway? ?
  • jmerryjmerry Member Posts: 3,881
    Find Familiar may only be cast by the protagonist. That mechanical restriction is still in place in the Black Pits, even though it doesn't make any sense on a narrative level. It shouldn't matter what order your party is in.
  • lroumenlroumen Member Posts: 2,538
    Probably because in the black pits you have no actual protagonist, and npcs are blocked from the familiar as well.
  • YigorYigor Member Posts: 794
    Well, my best result on LoB difficulty is a solo dual-classed Fighter9/Mage10 with Grand Mastery in bows (or crossbows). He progressed up to Tier III-4 (the fight with Fire Giant). B)
  • YigorYigor Member Posts: 794
    edited September 12
    Is it possible to start solo in BP1 on LoB from scratch (level 1 char)? 😼

    Yes, I just managed to pass the qualification (=to beat 3 Taslois each having about 80 HP) with Totemic Druid.

    Hint: summon a spirit lion 🐆, it's the best in this fight. Use Benediction spells and, when taslois concentrate themselves on your lion, a quarterstaff (with proficiency in it and 2-handed weapons). Still some luck is necessary, since the duration of summoning is 6 turns. 🪬
    Post edited by Yigor on
  • BardsSuck_BardsSuck_ Member Posts: 133
    edited February 2023
    Yigor wrote: »
    In my experience so far, dual-classed Fighter/Mages and Fighter/Druids are the best in Black Pits 1 on LoB difficulty. ?

    It's also great to put grand mastery in bows or crossbows since there is a nice variety of magic arrows/bolts (starting from Tier II). My Wizard Slayer/Mage is also a great archer! LoL ?

    isnt fighter druid multi better because of getting fighter HLA like hardiness ?
  • YigorYigor Member Posts: 794
    BardsSuck_ wrote: »
    Yigor wrote: »
    In my experience so far, dual-classed Fighter/Mages and Fighter/Druids are the best in Black Pits 1 on LoB difficulty. ?

    It's also great to put grand mastery in bows or crossbows since there is a nice variety of magic arrows/bolts (starting from Tier II). My Wizard Slayer/Mage is also a great archer! LoL ?

    isnt fighter druid multi better because of getting fighter HLA like hardiness ?

    BP1 is for low-level chars (the XP cap is 500,000), so U don't have an access to HLA. However, if U start in BP1 and import your char into BP2, it makes sense. 😉
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