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Some Questions About Invisibility in General and Pixie Dust Specifically

*** Links May Have Spoilers ***

At the start of SoA, where I am right now, invisibility is a killer app. Everything I have read says it becomes less and less useful later in the game.

1 - At what point in the game do most enemies see through invisibility?

2 - Also, what percentage of late game baddies see through it? If it still fools 33% of creatures in ToB, it seems it would still be useful. Is this so?

3 - Should a Shaman take Pixie Dust at 13th or 15th level if it is going to rarely be useful in late game?
https://baldursgate.fandom.com/wiki/Pixie_Dust

********** Beamdog, Please Consider This ********** Please consider adding a new rule to the next patch that states spontaneous casters (Sorcerers and Shamans) can unlearn an old spell and replace it with a new one once every 3 levels starting at level 6. There are lots of Druid spells that are useful at lower levels but worthless against more powerful enemies. For example, a Shaman could take Pixie Dust and then change it out for, say, True Seeing later in the game when everything sees through invisibility.

4 - Is Pixie Dust immune to the Thief skill Detect Illusion? Many places online say the thief skill Detect Illusion only dispels spells under the illusion school. Pixie Dust is not technically an illusion spell.
4.5 - Furthermore, I know Pixie Dust can be dispelled with True Seeing. Are there any illusion dispelling spells that don’t work on Pixie Dust aside from the Detect Illusion spell?
https://baldursgate.fandom.com/wiki/Detect_Illusion_(wizard)

5 - Aside from the fact Pixie Dust has a 15’ radius and is a fifth level spell (and is therefore immune to Detect Illusion spell), is there really a difference between it and Invisibility 10’ Radius? I always play with Jan so I will always have invisibility spells. I know it says Pixie Dust is technically not an illusion, but if it is dispelled by the same illusion-dispelling magics as Invisibility 10’ Radius is there really any difference in gameplay?


Comments

  • YigorYigor Member Posts: 990
    It's a complicated issue and, in general, Pixie Dust will not save U from illusion-dispelling magic. However, consider the following:

    Spell Immunity: Divination protects the invisible character from being revealed by any Divination Attack type spell or ability, such as Invisibility Purge, Detect Illusion, or True Sight / True Seeing. 👈

    Some powerful creatures, like Planetars, will detect U whatever U do (innate abilities hardcoded in the game). 😼
  • DinoDinDinoDin Member Posts: 1,708
    I can't answer your questions about whether it counts as an illusion in some contexts.

    However, invisibility is always useful in the un-modded game. While there are a fair amount of enemies that can see through invisibility, there's also a fair amount that cannot. Depends on your playstyle really. If you want to sneak around encounters or ambush alot then it's good.

    That being said, I feel like level five spells for a shaman are a vital resource. Iron skins, insect plague, true sight, even the cure wounds spell. So, it's tough to burn one of your first four choices or so on pixie dust. Mainly because, if you really want to take advantage of invisibility, there are a bunch of other options at that point in the game.
  • YigorYigor Member Posts: 990
    If U wanna protect the invisibility of your character at maximum, cast both Non-detection and Spell Immunity: Divination. 🙈
  • Bishop_AshBishop_Ash Member Posts: 24
    Thanks, everybody! I’ll remember these things.

    In light of what y’all said I’ll take other spells for my Shaman and I’ll focus on protections to keep invisibility from getting dispelled. Also, I’ll just let Jan handle my invisibility spells.

    I think I’ll take the following 5th level spells for the Shaman:

    Insect Plague 10 (250,000)
    Chaotic Commands 11 (375,000)
    Iron Skins 13 (1,125,000)
    Magic Resistance 15 (1,875,000)
    Mass Cure 28 (6,750,000)

    Thanks again!

  • Gel87Gel87 Member Posts: 433
    edited September 2
    Pixie Dust + Nature peace is one of the strongest tool a shaman has in ToB.
    Just walk around and blind everyone, some insta dies as well. And then you rain down firestorm on all theese blinded enemies.
    Nature peace dont break invisibility.

    Super vs beholders, super in large scale battle.

    If enemy has MR, just use the sanctuary + magic resists combi(only for scs/iceiwindificaiton installed games, else no sanctuary availeble).
    Bishop_Ash wrote: »
    Thanks, everybody! I’ll remember these things.

    In light of what y’all said I’ll take other spells for my Shaman and I’ll focus on protections to keep invisibility from getting dispelled. Also, I’ll just let Jan handle my invisibility spells.

    I think I’ll take the following 5th level spells for the Shaman:

    Insect Plague 10 (250,000)
    Chaotic Commands 11 (375,000)
    Iron Skins 13 (1,125,000)
    Magic Resistance 15 (1,875,000)
    Mass Cure 28 (6,750,000)

    Thanks again!

    You can put out 5 x nymphs, each nymph has Mass Cure...

    For vanilla i would use True Seeing instead of Mass Cure.

    Lvl1:
    Doom
    Entangle
    Armor of faith
    Bless
    Cure light wounds
    Whatever


    Lvl 2:
    Resists Fire/Cold
    Barkskin
    Slow poison
    Flame blade
    Charm person/mammal
    Whatever

    Level 3:
    Call Ligning
    Summong Insects
    Protection from fire
    Invisibility purge
    Dispel
    Misscast magic or whatever

    Level 4:
    Call woodland beeings
    Protection from lighning
    Farsight (if solo), else poison or defansive harmony
    Death Ward
    Poison or defansive harmony
    Whatever is left of the ones mentioned here

    Level 5:
    Iron skin
    Insect Plague
    Chaotic command
    Pixie dust
    Magic resistance
    True seeing

    Level 6:
    Fire elementals
    Harm
    Heal
    Physical mirror
    Decolerous decay
    Fire seeds

    Level 7:
    Nature's Beauty
    Firestorm
    Creeping doom
    Shields of the arcon
    Earthquake
    Regeneration or Conjure earth elemental

    Thats for vanilla.
    Somewhat different for SCS/Icewindication.

    This is my solo perspective, and i dont see any change for a team perspective either.
    Level 1 and level 2 has horrible spells, so scs would add like sunscorc and sanctuary, maby beast claw or another damage form.

    Level 3 i would do same, but miscast would be changed with some damage dealers.

    Level 4, well then you have better damage sources than poison, and since you now have sanctuary, the farsight is less relevant. (The farsight is to start fights with summons, without triggering fight by letting enemies see you).

    Level 5 is pretty much the same with scs

    Level 6, well here there are much better summons if you have CDtweaks or icewindification Shapechange alternation installed. In form of werebears, Decolerous decay, fireseeds, possible even harm can be changed.
    You do want enthrophy shield, and Conjure Animals in this level when such mods are installed.

    Level 7, stays unchanged. Well regeneration can be changed with the new status control protection, forgot name.


    Also, a easy way for a shaman to have some more spells to use and choose is to add a kit learning the avenger spells ;)
    I also like to change shaman dance, and i set up theese choices for myself:
    Vanilla
    Vanilla with movement
    Invisibility(Shadow dance)
    Fire dance
    Thunder Dance

    Shaman is actually read as both druid and shaman in bgee, so with a eekeeper or something i guess you could probarly just add any Druid kit onto it? I dont use eekeeper myself, so handels such with mods instead :P
    Post edited by Gel87 on
  • Bishop_AshBishop_Ash Member Posts: 24
    Wow, that's a lot of help. Thanks!

    The invisibility + blindness (and maybe insta-kill) looks like a lot of fun. I never thought of that.

    Question 1 - Do you have a lot of luck using Harm after they are blinded?

    I always play with Keldorn and Anomen so I can rely on them for my True Seeings. If I take Invisibility Purge that seems like adequate redundancy vs invisibility.

    I've never used Protection from Lightning. I'll check it out

    One nice thing is I just got a PC laptop so I will be able to do EEKeeper to change chosen spells later. I don't have to fret about being stuck with a bad decision for the rest of the game
  • Bishop_AshBishop_Ash Member Posts: 24
    I forgot to ask, What do you think of Negative Plane Protection?
  • YigorYigor Member Posts: 990
    edited 6:46AM
    Bishop_Ash wrote: »
    I forgot to ask, What do you think of Negative Plane Protection?

    Mainly, it's useful vs Vampires (in order to avoid Level Drains). 🧛‍♂️
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