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

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  • lroumenlroumen Member Posts: 2,508
    Thanks for all the responses. These I found very interesting as it sheds some light for me on methods less travelled by me. The last time I played with SCS is about a decade ago, so much has progressed in the mod since then; or maybe I just remember too little of it.

    I do like some tactical mod once in a while but those are generally changes on existing encounters, not so much all encounters. I guess I now understand better why one would circumvent certain challenges in the game.
    Grond0BlackravenJuliusBorisov
  • Mantis37Mantis37 Member Posts: 1,173
    SCS has become increasingly modular recently. You can separately adjust how difficult mages, mind flayers, and beholders are for instance, and choose whether additional encounters are installed. It has its flaws but it’s usually much better than either vanilla or the bloated LoB setting. It does introduce some metagaming considerations to my play even when I’m roleplaying- e.g. not going to the Planar Prison or Sphere until much later than I might otherwise but the sense of anticipation it adds when one approaches a difficult fight in a no-reload is well worth it.
    BlackravenJuliusBorisov
  • monicomonico Member Posts: 571
    I’m posting here a big question I have as I am about to face Belhifet with a solo no-reload (no SCS nor LoB) evoker.

    Here’s the post from my other thread in the Challenges and Playthrough category:
    I am right before Avernus, and was preparing myself to face Big B.
    Problem is: I can’t remember how to kill Belhifet as a solo wizard. He uses Improved Invisibility pretty fast and repeatedly IIRC, so at most I guess I can target him twice with Lower Resistance to reduce his MR to around 40% (still quite a lot).

    My summons (sword spiders or skellies) can’t hit him.
    I was hoping to spam webs and hope he fails his saves once or twice, but that doesn’t seem reliable between his MR (even lowered) and high saves (especially under Improved Invisibility).
    Without a reliable way to immobilize him, using MMM’s doesn’t seem a good idea either.
    That leaves me with AoE spells, but I think he is immune to poison (and hence Cloudkill), on top of fire res, so that leaves me with Skull Traps and Ice Storm. But his high MR is again a problem.

    What is the most efficient and reliable way to face Belhifet (no-LoB nor SCS) as a solo mage ?
    Blackraven
  • BlackravenBlackraven Member Posts: 3,486
    @monico: In addition to the options mentioned, I'd also like to point out the option of going full warrior mode. Worked for my solo Transmuter on SCS/insane. See this post for the specifics.
    StummvonBordwehrmonicoJuliusBorisovWise_Grimwald
  • monicomonico Member Posts: 571
    Grond0 wrote: »
    The most reliable would be using Caelar (keeping him alive with restoration scrolls). If you don't want to do that, you could use blue fireshields to do quite a bit of damage. Alternatively you could try the web approach you've already considered - +3 bullets at 25 strength are pretty devastating. Of you could go for glory and try something like polymorphing him after using lower resistance and malison.

    Maison is barred from my evoker, but I might try to web him.
    Not sure I can Polymorph him, without Malison it seems unreliable, and difficult too with his Improved Invisibility (I'd need to dispel it, then hope he stays webbed long enough to target him before he goes invisible again).
    Blackraven wrote: »
    @monico: In addition to the options mentioned, I'd also like to point out the option of going full warrior mode. Worked for my solo Transmuter on SCS/insane. See this post for the specifics.

    thanks, I'll check that and probably try a mix of the above .
    JuliusBorisovBlackravenStummvonBordwehrWise_Grimwald
  • monicomonico Member Posts: 571
    edited January 2020
    I can't find the info : is Belhifet immune to poison (eg Cloudkill?)

    I really want to try the fight as a real Evoker, spamming AoE evocation spells and relying on Fireshield Blue + MMMs (both also evocation spells) as contingency damage.


    Obviously I'll use a few spells outside evocation (buffs, Lower Resistance) and many potions to have a chance of surviving the onslaught, but I want him to die because I'm an Evoker, not just any Mage.

    Calculations show that if I manage to land 2 LR spells, he has about 70% chances of getting webbed if I spam 4 or 5 of them from sequencers.
    It is more around 50-60% once he goes invisible, but still pretty good considering that he would still get damaged if he attacks me
    Wise_GrimwaldStummvonBordwehr
  • monicomonico Member Posts: 571
    Blackraven wrote: »
    monico wrote: »
    if I manage to land 2 LR spells

    That's a huge if to me. His at will invisibility triggers frequently and somewhat randomly. At least I haven't found a pattern for it yet. I've tried the LR route several times in different no-reload runs but found it unreliable. I've seen castings wasted due to Belhifet turning invisible much more often than not. And as you say you can't really count on one LR, you need at least two. That'd be such a gamble that for a solo mage, I'd always go for either Otiluke's + Fireshield Blue, or Polymorph Self + buffs/potions.

    Oh, thanks, I did not realize that even 2 casts was being too optimistic.

    I'll go differently then and put Fireshield Blue + Otiluke + Stoneskin in my Sequencer (from the robe) and focus on the Flind form + buffs as per your suggestion.
    BlackravenStummvonBordwehrJuliusBorisov
  • monicomonico Member Posts: 571
    edited January 2020
    @Grond0 I think I'll go the safer route and do a mix of all :
    - come in fully buffed, with Fireshield and Polymorph self prepared
    - try casting 2 LR on Belhifet, if it works, start spamming AoE spells
    - if it doesn't, recast Fireshield, transform into Flind and attack Belhifet
    - once my HP falls too low, use the Sequencer filled with Fireshield, Otiluke's Sphere and Stoneskin, and use this 1 turn to rebuff and heal
    - once Otiluke's Sphere expires, go back to Flind form and hopefully finish Belhifet.
    BlackravenStummvonBordwehrGrond0JuliusBorisov
  • ithildurnewithildurnew Member Posts: 273
    edited February 2020
    Free Action Otiluke's, now that's something I haven't seen before.
    Wise_Grimwaldmonico
  • velehalvelehal Member Posts: 299
    I want to try Sirene and I´m not sure if I should choose her default kit Martyr or somethning more mundane like Cavalier. The kit seems to be interesting but I´m little worry about the ability Martyrdom. When you apply it to someone who has Hardiness, you get 90% physical resistance and that seems to be almost gamebreaking.
    Has anybody played with this kit and what is your opinion on the aforementioned ability?
  • ithildurnewithildurnew Member Posts: 273
    edited February 2020
    To be fair, vanilla classes can hit 90% physical resistance by stacking Hardiness with a variety of options... though to hit 90% usually requires multiple sources/items, not just Hardiness+one other source. How much resistance does Martyrdom grant, and are you certain it stacks?
  • velehalvelehal Member Posts: 299
    It grants +50% physical resitance and + 4 AC to target and the same penalties to the martyr. It should stack with Hardiness but I didn´t try it.
  • ithildurnewithildurnew Member Posts: 273
    edited February 2020
    So it's granting the bonus to one other companion while penalizing the Martyr? That's probably not the most broken thing I've seen out there.
    Duration and stacking, level scaling/what level it's available, other factors are important as well. iirc IWD has priest spells that do similar things, but it's not available from level 1.

    [edit] Just looked at the kit details and it looks interesting, definitely not a typical pally, probably at it's best as a support than a front liner. I'd say give it a whirl - to be fair I've always been partial to Cleric of Ilmater types for RP purposes because they're so incredibly atypical ... this kit is more or less a paladin version of the same, which makes sense. And a tiefling on top of all that... sounds like it could be a very interesting character.
    The mod author looks like he knows what he's doing.
    Post edited by ithildurnew on
  • Wise_GrimwaldWise_Grimwald Member Posts: 3,848
    I'm pretty sure that there are restrictions on armour too which would also prevent martyrs from tanking.
  • BlackravenBlackraven Member Posts: 3,486
    That's good to know. The most likely culprit:

    ~FREEACT/SETUP-FREEACT.TP2~ #0 #10 // PnP Free Action: v2

    I liked the idea of being able to buff, heal etc, within the sphere. But being able to affect the world outside the sphere with spells, wands, and other items without having to fear retaliation (other than Dispels) did feel 'wrong', so I never used it. I'll continue to use the mod to prevent free action from canceling haste though. B)
    StummvonBordwehrWise_Grimwaldsemiticgoddessmonico
  • monicomonico Member Posts: 571
    Fellow no-reloaders, as a newcomer to this playstyle, I have a question: I somehow chose the wrong step in conversation with Haer'Dalis when I freed him, and recruited him. Since I already had Mekrath gem, when I ditched him the Planar Prison quest disappeared (well, he and his crew disappeared so no possibility to do the quest).
    Which bothers me a bit because I wanted the boots of speed and the cambion's sword (for RP reasons, fits my blackguard's background).

    What are your takes on mistakes like this? Do you allow reloads ? Since it is not a big, nor game changing (I can get the boots in Spellhold and I already have better weapons than the sword), I really hesitate to reload. Plus, it's not like my blackguard would be willing to help Haer'Dalis and his crew in the first place... Tough choice.
    BlackravenStummvonBordwehr
  • monicomonico Member Posts: 571
    edited February 2020
    I was already leaning towards not reloading it, you guys convinced me.

    In fact, apart completion, there is no reason to reload:
    - gameplay-wise: it is, after all, a no reload run and it was my mistake not a bug
    - RP-wise: my blackguard freed Haer'Dalis by chance, killing and looting Mekrath was the main point, and there is no reason for her to follow Raelis and co in the Planar Prison
    - Metagame-wise: boots of speed are just a convenient item (easily replaced by the better Oils of Speed as @StummvonBordwehr noted, and there are the same boots available in Spellhold anyway, which I plan to go to early, since I already finished De'Arnise Keep and have enough money), the sword is even less important since I am currently wielding FoA, which is better anyway.

    Since we're talking RP/ring of Gaxx, for this current run I forbid myself to enter non-evil temples (which led me to kill all of Lathander's temple in BG2 while doing Mae Var's quest).
    i don't see how I can start the Unseeing Eye's quest to grab Kangaxx' bones without speaking to Oisig in Helm's Temple, so I'll probably have to let go of Gaxx ring too.

    Also, I planned to go early clear Watcher's Keep first level to grab the Crimson Dart and Foebane, but for the same reason, I don't see how my RP can allow it...

    How would you explain a blackguard entering Watcher's Keep given my take on temples and such? I mean, Foebane is literally custom-made for my character (but that's metagame more than RP), I'd love to use it even if not upgraded and despite FoA being a better weapon
    BlackravenStummvonBordwehrJuliusBorisov
  • BlackravenBlackraven Member Posts: 3,486
    Well strictly speaking Watcher's Keep isn't a place of worship like a temple, is it? Besides you'll learn from the Helmites that a powerful evil creature is imprisoned in the keep. Maybe your Blackguard senses an opportunity: ensure the freedom of the Imprisoned One and receive power in return?
    monicoStummvonBordwehrWise_Grimwald
  • monicomonico Member Posts: 571
    Indeed. That seems like a good destination to gather power once returning from the Underdark (if I ever get this far, I always failed my no reload runs before that point)
    Blackraven
  • Grond0Grond0 Member Posts: 7,305
    edited February 2020
    I also don't see why you shouldn't get the Ring of Gaxx - that only requires your Blackguard to be inquisitive about what's behind certain doors (and I would have thought inquisitiveness is a pretty standard character trait for adventurers ;)). Once you're inside there's no RP reason not to investigate the tombs.
    StummvonBordwehrWise_Grimwald
  • monicomonico Member Posts: 571
    edited February 2020
    Grond0 wrote: »
    I also don't see why you shouldn't get the Ring of Gaxx - that only requires your Blackguard to be inquisitive about what's behind certain doors (and I would have thought inquisitiveness is a pretty standard character trait for adventurers ;)). Once you're inside there's no RP reason not to investigate the tombs.

    My issue is that I imposed a RP rule that entering any non-evil temple would somehow alert the god that there is a epitome of evil stepping inside their home, turning the residents hostile.
    Hence me not being allowed to enter Helm’s temple to talk to Oisig and get the quest (can’t access the lower sewers otherwise)

    EDIT: To be frank, Ring of Gaxx is overrated anyway.
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