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"Maybe this time" [NO-RELOAD THREAD]: "The Tale of TEN THOUSAND Trials"

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  • Grond0Grond0 Member Posts: 7,305
    jessejmc wrote: »
    To you and anyone else that wants to answer, do you find the Horror power really worth futzing with reputation? What situations do you use it? Maybe hide in plain sight has me spoiled, but it just doesn't seem that useful. I tested it a few times during the coronation, and the greater dopplegangers saved against it every time.

    I like it for a number of reasons for solo characters without access to other spells. The coronation is certainly one of those, though I agree it's not reliable and if you're prepared to abuse charm that gives you a safer route. It can also be useful when you're surrounded by enemies (though that's less of a danger to a shadowdancer than some other kits) and to split up groups of enemies that normally act together - or just to even the odds when risking a fight against a stronger enemy.
    OrlonKronsteenAerakarjessejmcCrevsDaak
  • Corey_RussellCorey_Russell Member Posts: 995
    @jessejmc Personally I don't like or use the horror spell or ability - the few times I have used it, the enemies will run into locked rooms that I can't access - which in turn means I lose the loot and experience from them. I know Grond0 has had success in ambushes in BG 2 using it, but those random encounters, the enemies don't have good saves. And who knows, maybe the dopplegangers have immunity to fear - you would have to look at them with something like near infinity, though don't know if that program has been updated for EE.
    OrlonKronsteenAerakarjessejmcCrevsDaak
  • jessejmcjessejmc Member Posts: 141
    Grond0 wrote: »
    I like it for a number of reasons for solo characters without access to other spells. The coronation is certainly one of those, though I agree it's not reliable and if you're prepared to abuse charm that gives you a safer route. It can also be useful when you're surrounded by enemies (though that's less of a danger to a shadowdancer than some other kits) and to split up groups of enemies that normally act together - or just to even the odds when risking a fight against a stronger enemy.

    I meant to ask this earlier but forgot. How does it scale outside the first game? Is it something you use throughout the saga?
  • Grond0Grond0 Member Posts: 7,305
    jessejmc wrote: »
    Grond0 wrote: »
    I like it for a number of reasons for solo characters without access to other spells. The coronation is certainly one of those, though I agree it's not reliable and if you're prepared to abuse charm that gives you a safer route. It can also be useful when you're surrounded by enemies (though that's less of a danger to a shadowdancer than some other kits) and to split up groups of enemies that normally act together - or just to even the odds when risking a fight against a stronger enemy.

    I meant to ask this earlier but forgot. How does it scale outside the first game? Is it something you use throughout the saga?

    It's definitely useful in SoA, though you need to beware that many enemies in that have scripts that allow them to overcome their fear - and if you're not expecting that you can easily get into trouble. In the unmodded game you lose Bhaal powers going into ToB, but I doubt whether it would get much use there even if you restored those given the availability of HLAs.
    Corey_RussellStummvonBordwehrAerakarCrevsDaak
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    Now that Frisky Bits the Shadowdancer is all caught up (finally), I can now start posting on my solo Archer run!

    If you're wondering what happened to my "no magic items" run, the answer is... nothing. They're still waiting at the start of Throne of Bhaal, and I'm kind of afraid to boot them up again. ToB is gonna be really nasty for that party for all sorts of reasons.
  • EnuhalEnuhal Member Posts: 920
    @semiticgod Congratulations! Another new class into the hall, and one I had a hard time imagining would be able to get past various ToB fights - but it seems like you always find a way.

    Crashes during the ascension battle are, sadly, very common and frustrating. I guess there is no chance that the various causes leading to these will ever be fixed by another modder? While I don't have a run lined up right now (though I plan to have a go at it again once the final version of the new SCS is released), I currently don't think I'll play with Ascension again - sure, it's challenging and epic, but in addition to the bugs and crashes, I don't like how the entire saga is kind of shaped around this one, difficult battle for which you have to prepare starting with character generation. I feel like I'd have more freedom playing only with SCS.
    StummvonBordwehrGrond0OrlonKronsteenCrevsDaak
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    Enuhal wrote: »
    @semiticgod Congratulations! Another new class into the hall, and one I had a hard time imagining would be able to get past various ToB fights - but it seems like you always find a way.
    My intended method was to just use the Scorcher Ammunition to deal damage in ToB, but forgetting to bring the Golden Pantaloons into BG2 meant we had to rely on installing a mod component that "un-nerfed" our THAC0 and allowed it to drop from 10 all the way down to 1, a +9 boost. That was pretty overpowered and really did a lot to alter game balance.

    In retrospect, I probably could have gotten by without it if I micromanaged things very finely, like making better use of the Answerer and burning certain scrolls like Time Stop and Black Blade of Disaster at key points. If I hadn't lost important PFMW scrolls in SoA, it might have even been possible to beat the game if Ascension bosses had their intended regeneration.

    Other single-classed thieves might have more issues doing so, however, since they can only summon a single Simulacrum clone at a time, but having access to traps could compensate for lower melee damage output and a weaker ability to tank (Shadow Form is really strong). A lot of key enemies could be tackled using Spike Traps, especially if you (1) used Power Word, Blind scrolls on Project Image clones so they could set them anywhere or (2) set a stack of them in a distant location and then used a Time Stop scroll or Time Trap snare to lure a Time Stop-immune critter like the Ravager over to them so other enemies, like the Bone Blades from the Ravager fight, wouldn't trip them instead. Seven Spike Traps would take 490 HP off of the Ravager's 534 and 171 HP off of Abazigal's 500. The PW: Blind scrolls would be especially valuable, since the 6 rounds of blindness would let you set six Spike Traps for 420 nonmagical magic damage from any Simulacrum or Project Image clone.

    I also probably could have made more progress in certain fights by using Mislead scrolls to backstab. A Shadowdancer gets almost as much out of them as a normal thief would.
    StummvonBordwehrEnuhalCrevsDaak
  • RaduzielRaduziel Member Posts: 4,714
    How a true no reload run works?

    Is it mandatory SCS + Ascension + Tactics? Or solo? If I die, let's say, in BG2, do I need to restart from Candlekeep or may I restart from the beginning of SoA? Can it be a IWDEE + HoW + TotLM run? Are kit mods acceptable?

    Thanks.
  • EnuhalEnuhal Member Posts: 920
    @Raduziel
    Mods are entirely optional - you can basically make your own rules. A lot of people play with SCS + Ascension, some people play with vanilla, some add many more mods into the mix, including kit mods. Tactics is generally considered to be somewhat obsolete, it's been a long time since I've seen anyone using that one (SCS is considered to be a better choice). IWD runs are also posted here sometimes, so feel free to do so.

    Regarding death: To get into the Hall of Heroes, a character has to make it from Candlekeep to the Throne in one go, so we generally restart at Candlekeep even if we fail somewhere in SoA or even in ToB.
    StummvonBordwehrRaduzielAerakarCrevsDaak
  • RaduzielRaduziel Member Posts: 4,714
    @Enuhal Thanks for clarifying :)

    If I understood correctly, an IWD run wouldn't qualify me for the Hall of Heroes, am I correct?

    Kind of pointless as I like to be praised for eternity.
    EnuhalStummvonBordwehrCrevsDaak
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    @Raduziel: We've discussed the possibility of a separate Hall for IWD and IWD2, or possibly other runs (I've done a no-reload DWM run of all things earlier in this thread), but I've never actually set it up.

    You know, the Hall is starting to get long, and eventually the first post of this thread is going to hit a character limit. I could actually create a new thread, create two or three dummy posts to make room for new entries, and then merge the two threads. Basically, it would be the same as this thread, but the thread would belong to @System rather than @Ygramul and it would have some extra space at the start. What do you guys think?
    EnuhalStummvonBordwehrRaduzielCrevsDaak
  • Grond0Grond0 Member Posts: 7,305
    semiticgod wrote: »
    @Raduziel: We've discussed the possibility of a separate Hall for IWD and IWD2, or possibly other runs (I've done a no-reload DWM run of all things earlier in this thread), but I've never actually set it up.

    You know, the Hall is starting to get long, and eventually the first post of this thread is going to hit a character limit. I could actually create a new thread, create two or three dummy posts to make room for new entries, and then merge the two threads. Basically, it would be the same as this thread, but the thread would belong to @System rather than @Ygramul and it would have some extra space at the start. What do you guys think?

    Sounds reasonable. An alternative could just be to put a link in the first post to Hall of Heroes in a separate thread - that might also be an easy way to provide credit for successful runs in other games if that was desired.
    EnuhalStummvonBordwehrCorey_RussellCrevsDaak
  • YgramulYgramul Member Posts: 1,059
    semiticgod wrote: »
    ... but the thread would belong to @System rather than @Ygramul and it would have some extra space at the start. What do you guys think?

    Oy! Don't take my thread away from me, please.

    I spent a lot of energy in the beginning to it and dedicated much time no-reloading Baldur's Gate.

    And here I am eagerly awaiting the 10,000th post with bated breath.

    Grond0CrevsDaak
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    @Ygramul: Right-o. We can preserve the thread as is. Though @Tresset might be able to tell me if there's a way to cram a couple dummy post after the OP without removing ownership of the thread. A separate Hall of Heroes for non-BG runs could go elsewhere.
  • YgramulYgramul Member Posts: 1,059
    edited March 2019
    semiticgod wrote: »
    @Ygramul: Right-o. We can preserve the thread as is. Though @Tresset might be able to tell me if there's a way to cram a couple dummy post after the OP without removing ownership of the thread. A separate Hall of Heroes for non-BG runs could go elsewhere.

    Great Idea.

    I suppose I could also combine some of my early posts and empty out the first follow-up post from me for some hall of fame real estate for people to edit and maintain.

    I gotta also say that I appreciate the effort from you and others to take such good care of this thread. I have been silent, but nonetheless appreciated reading the stories here.

    P.S. I am happy with keeping non-BG runs here. I have some of mine as well. (Love IWD and Torment both.) Opening some real estate is not that much a problem.
    Grond0StummvonBordwehrBlind_VisionaryCrevsDaak
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