Yep. The very beginning was a but rough, but that went quickly. If Bounty Hunter works better for you, then you do you! I've traditionally been a traps & spell ambushes type, and I'm enjoying the different playstyle making good use of Shadowdancer is pushing me towards. But ultimately its just about whatever you find most fun. Good hunting!
They made it out of the dungeon lab, met up with Yoshimo, fought their way through Shadow Thieves to the surface, only to be greeted by the spectacle of Irenicus engaged in magic battle with Cowled Wizard enforcers:
And then, to their horror, the Cowled Wizards took both Irenicus *and* Imoen away:
They're far from home, bruised, battered, and in decided need of information, friends, and a plan.
Had to restart. One of my mods apparently corrupted the game text. Things just got too weird. Also had forgotten an important one - the ability to pick an alternate stronghold. Running a Thieve's Guild is so "not Keira" it isn't funny. Not sure which one she'll ultimately go for. But that most decidedly isn't it.
It is funny, I have the “all strongholds” option from Tweaks installed, so of course now even my Paladins get offered the thieves guild! It seems to treat your character as the appropriate class for every instance, which leads to several unusual conversations. But I can usually head canon it as the appropriate character taking the stronghold (like Imoen with the Planar Sphere).
I can totally see Keira trying to do her best with Nalia's Keep. Especially with Kord having guard experience. I could see her getting pulled into the Planar Sphere as well. Hard to see many others. Neither of them are outdoorsy enough for a Ranger gig. Neither of them are particularly religious. So I'll just see which one "feels right" when they get to it.
My gameplay in BG1 (Kord and Keira as Berserker and Bounty Hunter, LoB difficulty): chapter 2, cleansing areas between Friendly Arm Inn and Nashkel.
Kord: mastery in long swords, THAC0 = 10 (8 in Berserker state), AC = -6 (using Ankheg armor, -8 in Berserker state), enters in honest melee with all local monsters. ⚔️
Keira puts up to 7 (+2 in memory) traps and special snares vs all strong beasts, she just killed 2 vampiric wolves (XP=2000, Temple area) just by traps. 🪤
Kord: 72% of killed enemies, Keira – 28% (usually, Kord finishes enemies, wounded and slowed down by Keira's snares) . 📌
@Yigor I run SCS - which overrides all the difficulty settings with its own stuff. Doesn't even use the same names for the difficulty levels. So basically my difficulty is "SCS Tactical" - with the "extra calls for help" and "Mage/Priest pre-casting" turned off.
@Yigor I run SCS - which overrides all the difficulty settings with its own stuff. Doesn't even use the same names for the difficulty levels. So basically my difficulty is "SCS Tactical" - with the "extra calls for help" and "Mage/Priest pre-casting" turned off.
1) I *really* wish there were a decent AI script for it. Just "hide whenever the cooldown is up" attached to an auto-attack script would work. Even better if it was "hide, wait 1 second, and then auto-attack". Because that's all it takes to get the AI to turn around and attack someone else so you can backstab. As it is Keira doesn't get nearly as much DPS as she could simply because I can't be bothered to micromanage to that degree except in Boss or Mage fights and such.
2) When you get high up in levels - particularly ToB - there's a lot of immunity to Backstab/Stealth. I'm looking forward to trying out those HLA's myself to see how much they make up the difference.
I figured the Quadruplet Knights just added to the wacky atmosphere of the Planar Sphere. When you've got cannibal halflings, steampunk golems, misplaced demons, and crazed elementals running about from room-to-room, then why blink an eye at cloned knights?
In seriousness, getting the AI to take more than two character descriptions without mixing things up is a limit of the technology. So if you want more than two characters and any semblance of control at all, you end up with that sort of thing. Some of my other takes on Keira and the Knights are on my web page. I just like that one for the sheer loopiness.
1) I *really* wish there were a decent AI script for it. Just "hide whenever the cooldown is up" attached to an auto-attack script would work. Even better if it was "hide, wait 1 second, and then auto-attack". Because that's all it takes to get the AI to turn around and attack someone else so you can backstab. As it is Keira doesn't get nearly as much DPS as she could simply because I can't be bothered to micromanage to that degree except in Boss or Mage fights and such.
Yeah, there is no appropriate script, "Attacking Thief" doesn't work with Shadowdancer. I just started Kord (Berserker) + Keira (Shadowdancer) duo in Black Pits. Kord is fighting well on autopilot with "Improved AI", but I'm obliged to manage Keira manually. 😼
Yeah, there is no appropriate script, "Attacking Thief" doesn't work with Shadowdancer. I just started Kord (Berserker) + Keira (Shadowdancer) duo in Black Pits. Kord is fighting well on autopilot with "Improved AI", but I'm obliged to manage Keira manually. 😼
"Attacking Thief" can be okay if you remember to always start fights by telling Keira to move behind the enemy. Then by the time she gets there and attacks she gets one backstab out of it. But getting more than that means constant fiddling.
Kord and Keira have just killed Baeloth and completed Black Pits 1. Kord is quite strong (level 10, AC=-10, high mastery in bastard swords) and directly won a honest melee vs fire giant Hogarl +3 elementals on normal difficulty. 💪 (Keira was knocked out by Hogarl's "earthquake" special ability.)
Nice! 👍 I've just tested Shadow Twin and Shadow Maze, it gives an interesting gameplay. Shadow Twin can fight and also cast its own Shadow Maze (and apparently its own weaker Shadow Twin if there are 2+ pips in this ability), use other abilities and items in quick slots. These special HLA is the most interesting side of Shadowdancer imho! 😎
I'm very much looking forward to trying those HLAs out when I get there (she's at L17 right now). They are both very thematic for Keira, and it will be interesting to see how they fit in tactically.
Through the Sahuagin City. Not going to try to illustrate that one as getting things that look like Sahuagin out of the AI is a real pain in the tuckus. Early in the Underdark we're leaning heavily on Keira. Gearing up the whole gang to deal with Chaos/Confusion/Charm from every mindflayer/drow raiding party is tediuous. So instead I just give Keira protection and let her solve such problems with backstab/hide/backstab again. Its honestly faster and more interesting than having to spend the time and resources to give the whole party protection and then rest up afterwards to regain the spells. Sometimes send in Kord and Minsc with her on larger groups as they can protect themselves with rage. But Imoen, Jaheira, and Aerie mostly sit out for now. They're heavily anti-caster specced anyway, so not really needed unless I'm mage hunting.
I know you’re modded, so maybe not. I don’t have it this time even with three clerics! No Negative Plane Protection either!
But you know what they say… The best defense is a good offense! Hit ‘em hard.
I've got it, but casting it on everyone and then resting and recasting all the time is irritating - particularly for Imoen and Aerie, who aren't contributing much if I don't need to commit spells to the fight. Jaheira at least is archer-specced so she can plink away pretty well from range if I need it.
Minsc (as a Barbarian) and Kord as a Berserker can protect themselves 4-5 times a day by raging, and Keira... well between stealth, shadowstep, and boots of speed she can hit, run, and re-stealth before they have time to react. Especially if Kord and/or Minsc charge in first to attract the first wave of mental attacks. I certainly could gear up and treat every podunk caster fight in the Underdark like a boss fight, but I don't like to spend that much time on trumped up trash mobs. The main issue over an un-modded game is SCS. Casters are more clever, get up their defenses faster, and are harder to interrupt. For bosses that makes things more interesting. For two-bit drow raiding parties you trip over every 30 feet in the Underdark its just irritating.
Not ready to do a "Keira & Kord in the Underdark" series yet, but I took a cue from actDave's earlier posting to re-imagine my current party as they would look disguised as Drow:
Comments
And then, to their horror, the Cowled Wizards took both Irenicus *and* Imoen away:
They're far from home, bruised, battered, and in decided need of information, friends, and a plan.
a bit unexpected from a berserker.
It is funny, I have the “all strongholds” option from Tweaks installed, so of course now even my Paladins get offered the thieves guild! It seems to treat your character as the appropriate class for every instance, which leads to several unusual conversations. But I can usually head canon it as the appropriate character taking the stronghold (like Imoen with the Planar Sphere).
Kord: mastery in long swords, THAC0 = 10 (8 in Berserker state), AC = -6 (using Ankheg armor, -8 in Berserker state), enters in honest melee with all local monsters. ⚔️
Keira puts up to 7 (+2 in memory) traps and special snares vs all strong beasts, she just killed 2 vampiric wolves (XP=2000, Temple area) just by traps. 🪤
Kord: 72% of killed enemies, Keira – 28% (usually, Kord finishes enemies, wounded and slowed down by Keira's snares) . 📌
Running battles against shadowy spectres:
Sneaking past a shadow dragon:
And finally, defeating the Shade Master to put an end to it all:
All right, I got it. 😎
Where they meet Solamnic Knights:
Repair a broken down Golem:
Confront an ancient Necromancer:
Ambush a Demon in the lower planes:
And finally fulfill a dying wizard's final wish - to once again see sunrise on his home plane:
U have given me desire to test 3 special Shadowdancer's HLA (Shadow Form, Shadow Maze and Shadow Twin) in Black Pits 2 (and maybe in ToB). 😎
1) I *really* wish there were a decent AI script for it. Just "hide whenever the cooldown is up" attached to an auto-attack script would work. Even better if it was "hide, wait 1 second, and then auto-attack". Because that's all it takes to get the AI to turn around and attack someone else so you can backstab. As it is Keira doesn't get nearly as much DPS as she could simply because I can't be bothered to micromanage to that degree except in Boss or Mage fights and such.
2) When you get high up in levels - particularly ToB - there's a lot of immunity to Backstab/Stealth. I'm looking forward to trying out those HLA's myself to see how much they make up the difference.
In seriousness, getting the AI to take more than two character descriptions without mixing things up is a limit of the technology. So if you want more than two characters and any semblance of control at all, you end up with that sort of thing. Some of my other takes on Keira and the Knights are on my web page. I just like that one for the sheer loopiness.
Yeah, there is no appropriate script, "Attacking Thief" doesn't work with Shadowdancer. I just started Kord (Berserker) + Keira (Shadowdancer) duo in Black Pits. Kord is fighting well on autopilot with "Improved AI", but I'm obliged to manage Keira manually. 😼
"Attacking Thief" can be okay if you remember to always start fights by telling Keira to move behind the enemy. Then by the time she gets there and attacks she gets one backstab out of it. But getting more than that means constant fiddling.
https://zenosziggurat.com/keira-and-kord-bg2-brynnlaw/
This chronicles Keira and Kord as they sail to Brynnlaw, make their way to Spellhold, rescue Imoen, and challenge Irenicus.
I know you’re modded, so maybe not. I don’t have it this time even with three clerics! No Negative Plane Protection either!
But you know what they say… The best defense is a good offense! Hit ‘em hard.
Minsc (as a Barbarian) and Kord as a Berserker can protect themselves 4-5 times a day by raging, and Keira... well between stealth, shadowstep, and boots of speed she can hit, run, and re-stealth before they have time to react. Especially if Kord and/or Minsc charge in first to attract the first wave of mental attacks. I certainly could gear up and treat every podunk caster fight in the Underdark like a boss fight, but I don't like to spend that much time on trumped up trash mobs. The main issue over an un-modded game is SCS. Casters are more clever, get up their defenses faster, and are harder to interrupt. For bosses that makes things more interesting. For two-bit drow raiding parties you trip over every 30 feet in the Underdark its just irritating.
Keira:
Kord:
Jaheira:
Minsc:
Aerie:
Imoen: