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The Adventurer's Lounge: Guidance and Support for No Reload Challengers- Newbie or Veteran

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  • BorcoBorco Member Posts: 325
    Stat drain:

    After losing my latest character to STR drain effect applied by Shadows, I'm curious about the way the underlying mechanics work.

    Is my observation correct that on-hit ability drain (for example Shadows, Spirit Trolls, Mind Flayers etc.) bypasses the respective PfNM/PfMW protections and/or weapon immunities? In other words, my current assumption is that PfMW, for instance, will not protect the character against Spirt Troll's stat drain.

    Does this effectively mean that the only protection is not to get hit and/or keeping the relevant stat buffed above critial levels? I'm unsure whether any save v. effect is applicable in the case of various stat draining foes.

    Vice versa, are you able to WIS drain a demilich with Kachicko (+3)? I'm aware that certain specific enemies are immune to stat drain effects (e.g. Mel).

    However, I might get this wrong by having misinterpreted my own experience involving an interaction between a jelly form (via Polymorph: Self) and Shadow. The jelly is immune to normal weapons but at the same time is 100% resistant against piercing damage and I still didn't confirm whether in my install Shadows' weapons strike as normal of magical.

    Many thanks for your thoughts.

    Regards,

    B.
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    The spell level of an on-hit effect is only relevant if the target has spell deflection/turning/trap or GOI effects active. A +1 weapon will apply no effects whatsoever to a target that's immune to +1 weapons, whether or not the on-hit effect is level 0.

    If this was not the case, then mind flayers could indeed bypass PFMW, as could SCS vampires with their CON drain ability, because both of those on-hit effects are level 0 nonmagical effects.
    Grond0BorcoJuliusBorisov
  • BorcoBorco Member Posts: 325
    Understood and noted. Many thanks for the insightful input!
    JuliusBorisov
  • lroumenlroumen Member Posts: 2,508
    edited January 2019
    Okay, question from a veteran.
    I am looking for more ideas on coping with enchantment debuffs on the following scenario type.

    Early game from level 8 to 10 with 150k XP, in closed encounter such as simple ones like the houses of Prebek, Rayic Gethras, Baron Ployer or Seven Veils (although that one is not doable at that level in IA), full party of six, mandatory area transition (so all enter or leave together).
    These simple fights always give me issues in noreload games as my positioning cannot be improved and I have not enough resources.

    Currently I am using the following party roughly.
    1 barbarian or berserker that needs no buffing. 1 druid level 10 casting 2 chaotic commands on self and protagonist (no caster). 1 thief, 1 other warrior, 2 mages
    That leaves three unprotected.

    The protagonist is not a caster. The druid has dispel magic memorised should the chaos, confusion, command and emotion spells come out. But sometimes opponents start with a dispel magic of their own and then the druid will lose chaotic commands and is vulnerable herself. Also, it does not always dispel due to level difference making everything worse.

    The mages also have dispel memorised but are level 9. At this point they have no access to spell immunity because it is hard to find in IA, so they have no real self protection from anything. A sorceress would not have level 5 spells at this point so even that is not an option yet.

    Then gear, nothing of note that is easy accessible. Most of it is moved or randomised.

    Potions, I may go search for potions of clarity, invulnerability, magic shielding or magic blocking but those are expensive at this point or hard to come by. Also, potions can get dispelled.

    So battle starts as a mad dash for the magic user whom I know will cast the spells, debuff it and interrupt or incapacitate or kill it and then be relieved and worry about the other trash that is trying to kill my backline or midline.

    Once I get 1 level 6 spell I am good because then I simply do 3xcc, wondrous recall, 3x cc, but until then I'm struggling a bit.
    Leveling up is a thing though. IA has its own level progression which is slower so my 150k indication is probably more like up to 300k so it takes longer to get to the mid game where thac0 and ac and spell buff debuff battles become more of a thing.

    I guess ultimately I can go double druid or swap more barbarians and berserkers until I am high enough to swap in the npcs I want to have.
    Or postpone encounters a little bit more and travel elsewhere.

    Ideas? Which spel route am I overlooking for instance?
  • Grond0Grond0 Member Posts: 7,305
    edited January 2019
    @Iroumen is invisibility not available in IA? I tend to use that a lot in my games and hardly use other buffs at all. In my installations invisibility allows you to adjust your placement after entering and also often allows you a free round to attack, as it will trigger many mages to start casting true sight or similar - allowing you to do nasty things to them before they try any offensive spells.
    JuliusBorisovWise_Grimwaldsemiticgoddess
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    @lroumen: Since I know precious little about IA, I can only give you the same frustratingly reductive advice I heard from other IA players: you need more fighters in your party. I understand that thieves are all but useless in IA unless they're Swashbucklers (though I don't think that will make a huge difference this early in the game), and a single mage or sorcerer is generally sufficient (a Berserker/Mage is supposed to be a good bet). You might make more progress on enemy mages if your party has higher APR... but I'm not really sure that's the solution for this specific problem.

    Failing that, you might take a look at the Black Wyrm's Lair forums for advice. The community might not be as friendly over there, but it will have more experience on these issues than most folks around here, I think.
    JuliusBorisov
  • JuliusBorisovJuliusBorisov Member, Administrator, Moderator, Developer Posts: 22,714


    Failing that, you might take a look at the Black Wyrm's Lair forums for advice. The community might not be as friendly over there, but it will have more experience on these issues than most folks around here, I think.

    We might want to bring a few folks from there, if someone knows them. It would help to hear from their wisdom from time to time.
    StummvonBordwehrWise_GrimwaldZaghoul
  • ZaghoulZaghoul Member, Moderator Posts: 3,938


    Failing that, you might take a look at the Black Wyrm's Lair forums for advice. The community might not be as friendly over there, but it will have more experience on these issues than most folks around here, I think.

    We might want to bring a few folks from there, if someone knows them. It would help to hear from their wisdom from time to time.
    @nullset has been very helpful with his mods there.
    JuliusBorisovWise_Grimwald
  • lroumenlroumen Member Posts: 2,508
    @Grond0 ah completely overlooked. I can go search for invisibility 10'. That is a great suggestion. It will at least save a round to get initiative and disperse in those fights.

    @Semiticgod true, warrior heavy are the recommended parties but against debuffs without clearing them or protecting against them it does more hurt if the warriors start to kill my own backline. My goal is to replace on the go and since it is noreload I will get many chunks in IA so I need to be somewhat flexible and capable with a less good party. For the most of it the problem is getting to a relatively safe spot where the party should be capable enough.

    BWL is quiet these days. Most of the people I knew moved on already. Some posted here once in a while. What I will hear from them is to abandon these fights and go for safer ones :).
    JuliusBorisovGrond0semiticgoddessWise_Grimwald
  • Mantis37Mantis37 Member Posts: 1,173
    *Sigh* I managed to solve the WoP problem with judicious use of the console, and headed for the Throne. Latest bug is unkillable Blizzard Trolls at the second pool though, which defy every kind of damage & vorpal, even Imprisoning the buggers doesn't get rid of them for long as they get freed when Melissan summons stuff :(. Very frustrating as the battles were going fine.
    StummvonBordwehrWise_Grimwald
  • Mantis37Mantis37 Member Posts: 1,173
    Good idea! I'll see how trollbrain tastes directly :).
    Grond0Wise_GrimwaldJuliusBorisov
  • Wise_GrimwaldWise_Grimwald Member Posts: 3,848
    Houston we have a problem. Perhaps two.

    I have installed IWD Complete from Gog and have arrived at Kuldahar where i was unable to sell the yeti pelts.

    I looked on the web for an answer to the problem and somebody had suggested that the game might be unpatched.

    Am I correct in thinking that Gog always supplies fully patched games?

    Whilst looking for an answer I came across "The trials of the Lurenaster" (Not trails as one web page has it. :(  )

    Upon trying to install it, it said that I had no valid installation. :(

    Could this be because it is installed on my F drive (External Hard Drive) rather than my C drive.

    Or could it be that I had already installed the wide screen mod?

  • Grond0Grond0 Member Posts: 7,305
    @Wise_Grimwald IWD Complete should already include Trials of the Luremaster.  I'm not sure why the blacksmith wouldn't buy yeti pelts though.
    JuliusBorisov
  • Wise_GrimwaldWise_Grimwald Member Posts: 3,848
    @Grond0 Thanks for the quick reply.
    I'm not the only one who has had this problem.
    I had been thinking of using the UK patch since I am in the UK and was wondering which of the patches (106 or 141) I should use, the answer apparently being none of them.

    If a patch has already been applied, would running the patch again cause problems? I've often wondered about that when I've been unsure as to whether or not a patch has been applied.

    The big question I have left is this:

    Why won't "Trials of the Luremaster install?

  • Grond0Grond0 Member Posts: 7,305
    It should already be fully patched.  Running that again is probably useless and possibly harmful I would have thought.  I imagine the same applies to TotL- it's not allowing it to be installed, as it's already there. 
    JuliusBorisov
  • InKalInKal Member Posts: 196
    lroumen said:
    Okay, question from a veteran. I am looking for more ideas on coping with enchantment debuffs on the following scenario type. Early game from level 8 to 10 with 150k XP, in closed encounter such as simple ones like the houses of Prebek, Rayic Gethras, Baron Ployer or Seven Veils (although that one is not doable at that level in IA), full party of six, mandatory area transition (so all enter or leave together). These simple fights always give me issues in noreload games as my positioning cannot be improved and I have not enough resources. Currently I am using the following party roughly. 1 barbarian or berserker that needs no buffing. 1 druid level 10 casting 2 chaotic commands on self and protagonist (no caster). 1 thief, 1 other warrior, 2 mages That leaves three unprotected. The protagonist is not a caster. The druid has dispel magic memorised should the chaos, confusion, command and emotion spells come out. But sometimes opponents start with a dispel magic of their own and then the druid will lose chaotic commands and is vulnerable herself. Also, it does not always dispel due to level difference making everything worse. The mages also have dispel memorised but are level 9. At this point they have no access to spell immunity because it is hard to find in IA, so they have no real self protection from anything. A sorceress would not have level 5 spells at this point so even that is not an option yet. Then gear, nothing of note that is easy accessible. Most of it is moved or randomised. Potions, I may go search for potions of clarity, invulnerability, magic shielding or magic blocking but those are expensive at this point or hard to come by. Also, potions can get dispelled. So battle starts as a mad dash for the magic user whom I know will cast the spells, debuff it and interrupt or incapacitate or kill it and then be relieved and worry about the other trash that is trying to kill my backline or midline. Once I get 1 level 6 spell I am good because then I simply do 3xcc, wondrous recall, 3x cc, but until then I'm struggling a bit. Leveling up is a thing though. IA has its own level progression which is slower so my 150k indication is probably more like up to 300k so it takes longer to get to the mid game where thac0 and ac and spell buff debuff battles become more of a thing. I guess ultimately I can go double druid or swap more barbarians and berserkers until I am high enough to swap in the npcs I want to have. Or postpone encounters a little bit more and travel elsewhere. Ideas? Which spel route am I overlooking for instance?
    Levels 8-10 in IA6 are crucial for making a final decision: do I even want to play this mod?!? All serious true IA fights will kill you, all the rest is basically QSave-QLoad fest (for sucessfull saves, crit hits. etc.) for example Greater Yuan-Ti fight, you buff your party, QS, and then send your fighters for Whisper Spider and there everything can go wrong, you can lose even when the spider is near death - your riskbreaker crit misses, Whisper instead of dying confuses your party members and thats it - game over. QL the model example is of course Suna Seni.

    I would recommend this route: all vanilla IA quest first (fallen paladins, mae'var included) you need party level 11-13, then you need good +3 weapons - Mae'var will give you Short Sword +3, you must decline the Guild! So, you need Frostreaver from Nalia's Keep (YuanTi mage and revenge trolls is serious pain!)
    and FoA +3 (in IA only good because of +3 entchantment, slow ability is completely nerfed), you need Club +3 from Beastmaster, you need Lilarcor and probably something else I can't remember...then you can try Mutated Spiders sobs in the Graveyard...personaly if I can kill them without pulling my hair my answer is: yeah, I want to play this mod....probably....maybe....definietely maybe....
    Grond0StummvonBordwehr
  • Wise_GrimwaldWise_Grimwald Member Posts: 3,848
    edited February 2019
    Houston we have a problem. Perhaps two.

    I have installed IWD Complete from Gog and have arrived at Kuldahar where i was unable to sell the yeti pelts.

    I looked on the web for an answer to the problem and somebody had suggested that the game might be unpatched.

    Am I correct in thinking that Gog always supplies fully patched games?

    Whilst looking for an answer I came across "The trials of the Lurenaster" (Not trails as one web page has it. :(  )

    Upon trying to install it, it said that I had no valid installation. :(

    Could this be because it is installed on my F drive (External Hard Drive) rather than my C drive.

    Or could it be that I had already installed the wide screen mod?

    EDIT
    I have discovered that others only had this problem of not being able to sell the pelts after installing Heart of Winter and Trials of the Luremaster.

    Since they install along with Icewind Dale Complete there is no way that I can install only Icewind Dale. :(

     Unless of course I dig out my original discs.

    I'LL DO SOME INVESTIGATION

    Grond0
  • Wise_GrimwaldWise_Grimwald Member Posts: 3,848
    Weird! I reloaded my game and I could sell the pelts. I don't understand it, but I'll go with it. Sadly, the pelts were spread out among my party when I returned, so I didn't get full value for them, but that's a minor issue. :)
    StummvonBordwehrBlackravenJuliusBorisov
  • Mantis37Mantis37 Member Posts: 1,173
    edited February 2019
    A quick question for a future challenge... Thanks to Argent77 we now have Tales of the Luremaster available for BG2. I've never played that expansion though I've no-reloaded the main game on core and parts of Heart of Winter the one time I played through IWD. Is there anything about that dungeon that would make it particularly difficult to no-reload it blind in a trilogy run? I'm mainly thinking of whether there are instadeaths from traps or dialogue choices. Would be fun to do some more unplayed content in a no-reload environment!
    Blackraven
  • Mantis37Mantis37 Member Posts: 1,173
    Thanks @Stromael, that's very useful. I might just try doing some test runs with a 13th level semi-geared up party then.
    BlackravenStromael
  • StromaelStromael Member Posts: 195
    edited February 2019
    Let me/us know what your results are, @Mantis37!

    Here are my reflections on some of it.
    *SPOILER*
    I was able to avoid most Crypt Thing teleportations by relying on my saves, but it was nonetheless remarkably inconsistent; I wouldn't like to rely on it no-reload.

    E.g., buffed with DUHM my Gnome 18/19 Fighter/Cleric had a save vs. spell well in the negatives, something like -5, but he got teleported almost immediately, and then never again from that point. His other saves were maximum -1. My Human Fighter(13)/Cleric(24) got teleported several times, although his save was a bit higher (never below -2), and he was usually leading the charge with Three White Doves, and later when I realised his power, Turn Undead. (By the way that ability is incredible in the Watchknights' Crypt, you can simply waltz around and everything explodes. :smiley:)

    Moreover the teleport effect didn't seem to display a save, whether successful or not. The only warning was the blue trapdoor animation on the character, a couple of seconds before they get beamed up. Not sure what was going on, so I'd be very curious if you have a good way to test it!
    Mantis37
  • RaduzielRaduziel Member Posts: 4,714
    Can undead be backstabbed?!?!

    @semiticgod @Grond0 ??
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    @Raduziel: Pretty sure, yeah. I've done it lots of times. I think only undead in IWD2 are inherently immune to backstabs.
    Grond0AerakarRaduziel
  • RaduzielRaduziel Member Posts: 4,714
    semiticgod wrote: »
    @Raduziel: Pretty sure, yeah. I've done it lots of times. I think only undead in IWD2 are inherently immune to backstabs.

    Bah.

    I've spent the last two hours modding a kit that was supposed to backstab undeads just to discover that IE doesn't follow PnP lol

    Thanks!
  • lroumenlroumen Member Posts: 2,508
    In looking for how everybody looks at when reloads are accepted for a noreload run.

    I have a rule that allows me to relax upon falling asleep at my keyboard since it is a side effect of medication, and since I have almost no time to play, I take the time as I can get it.

    This happened twice in my bgee run so far. Once when I clicked to travel, fell asleep and woke up moments later to see I am poisoned in an ambush with 4hp left, ticking at -3hp, and no healing or antidote solutions available.
    Once when I entered the cloakwood spider cave and woke up with the death message (well actually I reloaded twice there, after a reload I did the same thing and fell asleep immediately after entering again!).

    Does anyone have any other allowances they impose upon themselves?
  • ZaghoulZaghoul Member, Moderator Posts: 3,938
    The only reloads I do are for obvious bugs in the game or mods, or if the game freezes or stops. I also make generous use of the pause button to help when getting sleepy but to be honest, as restartitis is always looming in the background, I'd probably start all over if I did fall asleep. Meds can be challenging most definitely, I hear ya, and your allowance sounds quite reasonable. :)

    The one thing I make myself do when I allow a reload is to do the same thing over again (unless the bug kept happening).
    StummvonBordwehrWise_GrimwaldAerakarlroumen
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