Thank you for your answers, i certainly will enable the roll info!!
I did place myself behind the enemy and was invisible. I think it was AC. Because i just played some more and could backstab Lannet. She was near death and her contingencies triggered. So I had to run out. But the backstab worked! Maybe I should buff more and choose my targets more carefully.
Lannet is one of the few cases where using the Staff of Striking is maybe wise as to roll a low damage is always possible, but those multiplied +9 damage grants you the kill, but maybe you don't have any pip in staves.
Anyway you succeeded in stabbing and the route to become master stabbers is now opened for Charname and Valygar
Lannet is one of the few cases where using the Staff of Striking is maybe wise as to roll a low damage is always possible, but those multiplied +9 damage grants you the kill, but maybe you don't have any pip in staves.
Anyway you succeeded in stabbing and the route to become master stabbers is now opened for Charname and Valygar
I have a notion i will be really liking to backstab. If so maybe Valygar wil be in my next run too.
I already answered that. Yes. The strength bonus is about the only thing that doesn't get multiplied in a backstab.
So if I understand it right then strenth is mailny for my thaco to make sure I hit the backstab and some extra damage but doenst count for the multiplier?
Yeah. It can't hurt, but the damage from strength isn't that big a deal. Valygar gets more backstab damage from the Legacy of the Masters gauntlets (+1 to hit, +2 damage that gets multiplied) than he does from the Gauntlets of Ogre Strength (18/00 strength instead of 17, net +2 to hit and +5 damage that doesn't get multiplied).
Maybe i'm a bit of topic but i would also consider Haer Dalis. Definitely not Nalia, too similar to Neera and competes with her for equipment. Haer Dalis allows you far more strategic options than either Nalia or Aerie, and can wield longswords and 2h swords that none of your party can wield. And believe me it is a heavy lack.
Normally I would totally agree with you. But the last 3 runs I had Haer'dalis in my party. My last run I had 2 blades. So I wanted a little break from him. I know that Haer'dalis is a great tank. This time Jaheira gets that role. With iron skins, hardiness, the level 1 spell that gives resistance and that combined with earth elemental transformation will make a great tank.
I am not sure which equipment you mean regarding Nalia and Neera? Maybe the robe of Vecna? Rings wil be the ring of double level 1 spells for Neera and for Nalia maybe an extra fire resistance ring for 90% - 100% fire resistance. Nalia wel do bow and Neera sling and staff. Headgear will be the thayan headband from tob for Neera. If you some tips on equipment they are very welcome
Easy to answer: Neera and Nalia compete for Staff of Magi, Ring of Wizardry, Tunic of Vecna, Circlet of Netheril, amulet of power, bracers of defense ac3, practicality everything
Easy to answer: Neera and Nalia compete for Staff of Magi, Ring of Wizardry, Tunic of Vecna, Circlet of Netheril, amulet of power, bracers of defense ac3, practicality everything
Usually with 2 mages this is very true, but if the player is willing to do some micromanagement and swap the items between the 2 and use the wild mage mainly as a nuker and the other one to buff the party like the OP plans it is possible to play with both.
Nalia does not need RoV and AoP to buff before the battle and can have some sequencers and triggers, later even a CC to help bombarding while Neera with the items that make her cast faster do her job, late in the game maybe spamming high level spells trough dwehomers.
There are braciers class 4 and the RoV itself gives AC of five, a mage in BG2 anyway should not rely on AC but on spell protections and correct positioning to avoid damage, 1 or 2 better AC can maybe make the stoneskins last a little longer, but a mage is not a tank unless he wants to tank and then he does it protecting himself with spells.
The staff can be swapped between the 2, even i battle if they are enough near to each other.
Compared to other possible arcane casters like Aerie or Haer Dalis will have more spells to buff the party and the caster level depending buffs will last more then the ones of Aerie that is a multi and the Blade will lack of high level spells.
Even if I would normally avoid 2 main mages in the party for the item competition I think that for the party and plans of OP it can work and it surely worked well for me when I had both in the party, I had also Aerie in that party and the RoV was given to one of the 3 depending on how I wanted to fight the battle, to Neera to nuke, to Nalia to buff and then nuke and sometimes even to Aerie when I wanted both arcane and divine casting happen very fast.
Maybe i'm a bit of topic but i would also consider Haer Dalis. Definitely not Nalia, too similar to Neera and competes with her for equipment. Haer Dalis allows you far more strategic options than either Nalia or Aerie, and can wield longswords and 2h swords that none of your party can wield. And believe me it is a heavy lack.
Normally I would totally agree with you. But the last 3 runs I had Haer'dalis in my party. My last run I had 2 blades. So I wanted a little break from him. I know that Haer'dalis is a great tank. This time Jaheira gets that role. With iron skins, hardiness, the level 1 spell that gives resistance and that combined with earth elemental transformation will make a great tank.
I am not sure which equipment you mean regarding Nalia and Neera? Maybe the robe of Vecna? Rings wil be the ring of double level 1 spells for Neera and for Nalia maybe an extra fire resistance ring for 90% - 100% fire resistance. Nalia wel do bow and Neera sling and staff. Headgear will be the thayan headband from tob for Neera. If you some tips on equipment they are very welcome
Easy to answer: Neera and Nalia compete for Staff of Magi, Ring of Wizardry, Tunic of Vecna, Circlet of Netheril, amulet of power, bracers of defense ac3, practicality everything
I see what you mean. You are right but this doesn't bother me at all in runs. Now that I think about it I never have the Amulate of Power on my mages. Usually on a F/M and this run I had iit on Anomen for the protection to level drain. Maybe I should give it to my mages
My plan originally was the following:
Neera: Robe of Vecna, Sling, Staff of the Magi, Thayan Circlet, Amulet of Power , Ring that duplicated level 1 spells and probably the Ring of Wizardry.
For Nalia: Drow Chain Mail fomr Chosen of Cyric, Bow of Gesen en Firetooth Crossbow, Circlet of Netheril, Amulet still open, 2nd ring still open for debate,
I am open for suggestions to the gear ,especially for rinds and amulets.
I don't see the game items as personal propriety of NPCs, but as party's items that can be used by each one according to the particular situation. The AoP is the perfect example, to give it to a front liner when you face vampires is one of the best uses, but if there are no level draining enemies around why he should keep it, much better to give it to the caster that has to cast faster in that particular situation, that can be Anomen if you want him to buff in battle or heal faster, but can also be Neera or Nalia.
Nalia has a powerful ring she can not unequip so has only a ring slot available, why give her an other ring an keep it for the whole game? She can equip the ring with 50% fire protection to get fire immunity and tank with her arcane protections as you set the place on fire with incendiary clouds and fireballs, but she can equip a protection ring if ST are relevant, a thieving ring if she has some thieving tasks like finding traps or a ring that gives her regeneration to recover some health.
The only items you can not swap in battle are the armours and robes, but you can do it before the battle, you want for a certain battle fast nuking? Give to Neera RoV and AoP. You want fast rebuffing as your Fighters buffs get dispelled? Give them to Nalia. Having Aerie in the party and wanting very fast healing she could take them for that particular battle. Neera can also make good use of the robe that gives her a permanent chaos shield so she does not have to occupy too many slots with that spell, when she uses it is better to give to Nalia RoV instead of having it unused, while in other battles is crucial that Neera is fast in her casting, like when she spams her dwehomers, then having the RoV and casting a shield is better.
You have a battle where some character will be pounded with save or else spells, stack on him all the items that make the saves better and position the party so he will suck the spells, but he has not to equip all those items every time, he will only if your tactical plan benefit of it.
Staff if the Magi, you can give it to every toon that can use it, can be Neera, can be Charname with UAI to dispel on hit as he is at the frontline or to go invisible after a stab or can be Nalia if you prefer that she uses the long lasting spell trap or use the offensive spells embedded in it.
At least this is the way I prefer to use equipment, it is not wise to have one of your front liners level drained to have your mage cast a little faster, this is sure, but almost all the items are Charname's propriety in the end, he can take them away from the NPCs, and usually does it, as he drops them to recruit some new one, so it is wise if he distribute the resources to his little army according to the tactical situation. This involves some little micro management, to open the inventory screen and swap some items, but is not a big deal to do it, playing ScS anyway is not a point and click situation.
At least this is the way I prefer to use equipment, it is not wise to have one of your front liners level drained to have your mage cast a little faster, this is sure, but almost all the items are Charname's propriety in the end, he can take them away from the NPCs, and usually does it, as he drops them to recruit some new one, so it is wise if he distribute the resources to his little army according to the tactical situation. This involves some little micro management, to open the inventory screen and swap some items, but is not a big deal to do it, playing ScS anyway is not a point and click situation.
I did shorten the quote to prevent the same wall of text, which I immensely appreciate!!
This is exactly what I should be doing more. And not only this but also the use of potions and Scrolls. I am using items with charges more and more.
Because I am gradually increasing the difficulty every run I am forcing myself to play different. This run was also quite eye opening l. Especially the first fight with the Vampire lady. Normally I would brute force my way through this encounter. This time I was annihilated many times. I didnt have PfMW yet. See saved a lot against the MoD. 2 or 3 hits were enough to delete Jaheira and Anomen. As a last resort I used a protection from undead scroll. Still had to do it two times. I had the idea she still attacked Anomen even when the scroll was active. 2nd time still seemed this way but I got lucky with the MoD. What a fight.
I love SCS but sometimes I am really at the end of my rope in some fights. Probably also because I have to do the quests at a different order. Still trying to find the best way to do the quests.
Ah, the SCS improved Bodhi, the first time around. A very nasty fight, because she has pretty much all her tricks and you don't have all the Underdark gear or levels or chapter 6 allies. My advice? Don't fight her. Just run away; she's on a timer, and will simply leave after a few rounds. (This only works if you have the SCS Bodhi component; in vanilla, you do have to fight her but she's not very scary.)
I usually throw down some summons to distract her while whoever triggered the encounter breaks contact.
As for the Mace of Disruption ... that version of Bodhi has a min-HP item, because she has lines to deliver when she's defeated. It doesn't matter whether she makes her saves or not; as she's immune to instant death, wearing down her HP is the only way to defeat her.
Even if I don't play SCS I know how it feels when you fight for the first time a modded encounter that in vanilla you know how to win easily. I remember my first time with Tactics, as usual I went early to Nalia's castle just to find that my party simply had not enough firepower to keep with Tor Gal's regeneration, and just to reach the point where you have killed all his helpers is a lot of work, so I reloaded and went to the Shadow Dragon's lair, after all you can avoid to fight the giant lizard, it can be delayed. What I found? 2 consecutive battles vs a Lich and a demon + the lich helpers: mummies and similar stuff, almost all of them seeing trough invisibility and the demon using frequently a powerful attack that 1 hit kills every toon with the hp pool of early SoA. I prevailed, and then to kill the boss, the dragon, was quite an easy cakewalk in comparison.
Those are the battles that harden you as a player...
This is exactly what I should be doing more. And not only this but also the use of potions and Scrolls. I am using items with charges more and more.
Also I end my runs with a lot of potions and scrolls unused as them always could be useful later. The truth is that it is more likely that are useful right now and later I will have more spells, levels and equipment to deal with the situation.
I am less stingy with the x charges/day items as are not lost forever when I use them and I use them extensively from the moment that I have the power to Wish at will as I can recharge them before every battle if I want so.
some items with x charges/day work really well with swapping items trough the toons, you can pause, give the ring of Gaax to a fighter that needs to be hasted, un pause for a split second to have him activate the charge then you can give it back to who normally equips it.
Ah, the SCS improved Bodhi, the first time around. A very nasty fight, because she has pretty much all her tricks and you don't have all the Underdark gear or levels or chapter 6 allies. My advice? Don't fight her. Just run away; she's on a timer, and will simply leave after a few rounds. (This only works if you have the SCS Bodhi component; in vanilla, you do have to fight her but she's not very scary.)
I usually throw down some summons to distract her while whoever triggered the encounter breaks contact.
As for the Mace of Disruption ... that version of Bodhi has a min-HP item, because she has lines to deliver when she's defeated. It doesn't matter whether she makes her saves or not; as she's immune to instant death, wearing down her HP is the only way to defeat her.
I think I know what happened, kinda disappointing. In the beginning Anomen was hit by a special sleep spell from Bodhi. As the rest of my party was in a different room she kept waiting next to Anomen until he was awake. Weird. When he was awake she started to attack . Anomen popped a scroll of protection from the undead. It didnt seem to do anything. Anomen and Bodhi continued fighting and a few seconds later she ran. A thought I hit her but couldnt find it in the logs. So I guess it was the timer. Didnt know there was one.
Even if I don't play SCS I know how it feels when you fight for the first time a modded encounter that in vanilla you know how to win easily. I remember my first time with Tactics, as usual I went early to Nalia's castle just to find that my party simply had not enough firepower to keep with Tor Gal's regeneration, and just to reach the point where you have killed all his helpers is a lot of work, so I reloaded and went to the Shadow Dragon's lair, after all you can avoid to fight the giant lizard, it can be delayed. What I found? 2 consecutive battles vs a Lich and a demon + the lich helpers: mummies and similar stuff, almost all of them seeing trough invisibility and the demon using frequently a powerful attack that 1 hit kills every toon with the hp pool of early SoA. I prevailed, and then to kill the boss, the dragon, was quite an easy cakewalk in comparison.
Those are the battles that harden you as a player...
For my first time running SCS the most noticeable changes where the Rashasha and especially the Yuanti mages. They where pushovers in vanilla and with scs smarter mages they suddenly became a real threat! Also the adventure group in the sewers.
I love this type of improved encounters. The ones giving me the most problems are stil the Rashasha. Happely you dont face to many of them. Especially the ones in the druid grove are difficult.
Comments
I did place myself behind the enemy and was invisible. I think it was AC. Because i just played some more and could backstab Lannet. She was near death and her contingencies triggered. So I had to run out. But the backstab worked! Maybe I should buff more and choose my targets more carefully.
Anyway you succeeded in stabbing and the route to become master stabbers is now opened for Charname and Valygar
I have a notion i will be really liking to backstab. If so maybe Valygar wil be in my next run too.
So if I understand it right then strenth is mailny for my thaco to make sure I hit the backstab and some extra damage but doenst count for the multiplier?
Easy to answer: Neera and Nalia compete for Staff of Magi, Ring of Wizardry, Tunic of Vecna, Circlet of Netheril, amulet of power, bracers of defense ac3, practicality everything
Nalia does not need RoV and AoP to buff before the battle and can have some sequencers and triggers, later even a CC to help bombarding while Neera with the items that make her cast faster do her job, late in the game maybe spamming high level spells trough dwehomers.
There are braciers class 4 and the RoV itself gives AC of five, a mage in BG2 anyway should not rely on AC but on spell protections and correct positioning to avoid damage, 1 or 2 better AC can maybe make the stoneskins last a little longer, but a mage is not a tank unless he wants to tank and then he does it protecting himself with spells.
The staff can be swapped between the 2, even i battle if they are enough near to each other.
Compared to other possible arcane casters like Aerie or Haer Dalis will have more spells to buff the party and the caster level depending buffs will last more then the ones of Aerie that is a multi and the Blade will lack of high level spells.
Even if I would normally avoid 2 main mages in the party for the item competition I think that for the party and plans of OP it can work and it surely worked well for me when I had both in the party, I had also Aerie in that party and the RoV was given to one of the 3 depending on how I wanted to fight the battle, to Neera to nuke, to Nalia to buff and then nuke and sometimes even to Aerie when I wanted both arcane and divine casting happen very fast.
I see what you mean. You are right but this doesn't bother me at all in runs. Now that I think about it I never have the Amulate of Power on my mages. Usually on a F/M and this run I had iit on Anomen for the protection to level drain. Maybe I should give it to my mages
My plan originally was the following:
Neera: Robe of Vecna, Sling, Staff of the Magi, Thayan Circlet, Amulet of Power
For Nalia: Drow Chain Mail fomr Chosen of Cyric, Bow of Gesen en Firetooth Crossbow, Circlet of Netheril, Amulet still open, 2nd ring still open for debate,
I am open for suggestions to the gear ,especially for rinds and amulets.
Nalia has a powerful ring she can not unequip so has only a ring slot available, why give her an other ring an keep it for the whole game? She can equip the ring with 50% fire protection to get fire immunity and tank with her arcane protections as you set the place on fire with incendiary clouds and fireballs, but she can equip a protection ring if ST are relevant, a thieving ring if she has some thieving tasks like finding traps or a ring that gives her regeneration to recover some health.
The only items you can not swap in battle are the armours and robes, but you can do it before the battle, you want for a certain battle fast nuking? Give to Neera RoV and AoP. You want fast rebuffing as your Fighters buffs get dispelled? Give them to Nalia. Having Aerie in the party and wanting very fast healing she could take them for that particular battle. Neera can also make good use of the robe that gives her a permanent chaos shield so she does not have to occupy too many slots with that spell, when she uses it is better to give to Nalia RoV instead of having it unused, while in other battles is crucial that Neera is fast in her casting, like when she spams her dwehomers, then having the RoV and casting a shield is better.
You have a battle where some character will be pounded with save or else spells, stack on him all the items that make the saves better and position the party so he will suck the spells, but he has not to equip all those items every time, he will only if your tactical plan benefit of it.
Staff if the Magi, you can give it to every toon that can use it, can be Neera, can be Charname with UAI to dispel on hit as he is at the frontline or to go invisible after a stab or can be Nalia if you prefer that she uses the long lasting spell trap or use the offensive spells embedded in it.
At least this is the way I prefer to use equipment, it is not wise to have one of your front liners level drained to have your mage cast a little faster, this is sure, but almost all the items are Charname's propriety in the end, he can take them away from the NPCs, and usually does it, as he drops them to recruit some new one, so it is wise if he distribute the resources to his little army according to the tactical situation. This involves some little micro management, to open the inventory screen and swap some items, but is not a big deal to do it, playing ScS anyway is not a point and click situation.
I did shorten the quote to prevent the same wall of text, which I immensely appreciate!!
This is exactly what I should be doing more. And not only this but also the use of potions and Scrolls. I am using items with charges more and more.
Because I am gradually increasing the difficulty every run I am forcing myself to play different. This run was also quite eye opening l. Especially the first fight with the Vampire lady. Normally I would brute force my way through this encounter. This time I was annihilated many times. I didnt have PfMW yet. See saved a lot against the MoD. 2 or 3 hits were enough to delete Jaheira and Anomen. As a last resort I used a protection from undead scroll. Still had to do it two times. I had the idea she still attacked Anomen even when the scroll was active. 2nd time still seemed this way but I got lucky with the MoD. What a fight.
I love SCS but sometimes I am really at the end of my rope in some fights. Probably also because I have to do the quests at a different order. Still trying to find the best way to do the quests.
I usually throw down some summons to distract her while whoever triggered the encounter breaks contact.
As for the Mace of Disruption ... that version of Bodhi has a min-HP item, because she has lines to deliver when she's defeated. It doesn't matter whether she makes her saves or not; as she's immune to instant death, wearing down her HP is the only way to defeat her.
Those are the battles that harden you as a player...
Also I end my runs with a lot of potions and scrolls unused as them always could be useful later. The truth is that it is more likely that are useful right now and later I will have more spells, levels and equipment to deal with the situation.
I am less stingy with the x charges/day items as are not lost forever when I use them and I use them extensively from the moment that I have the power to Wish at will as I can recharge them before every battle if I want so.
some items with x charges/day work really well with swapping items trough the toons, you can pause, give the ring of Gaax to a fighter that needs to be hasted, un pause for a split second to have him activate the charge then you can give it back to who normally equips it.
I think I know what happened, kinda disappointing. In the beginning Anomen was hit by a special sleep spell from Bodhi. As the rest of my party was in a different room she kept waiting next to Anomen until he was awake. Weird. When he was awake she started to attack . Anomen popped a scroll of protection from the undead. It didnt seem to do anything. Anomen and Bodhi continued fighting and a few seconds later she ran. A thought I hit her but couldnt find it in the logs. So I guess it was the timer. Didnt know there was one.
For my first time running SCS the most noticeable changes where the Rashasha and especially the Yuanti mages. They where pushovers in vanilla and with scs smarter mages they suddenly became a real threat! Also the adventure group in the sewers.
I love this type of improved encounters. The ones giving me the most problems are stil the Rashasha. Happely you dont face to many of them. Especially the ones in the druid grove are difficult.