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Blade is inzanly good!

Gel87Gel87 Member Posts: 351
edited August 10 in Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition
Yo after like 20 years++ i tried my first bard.
And i gotta say theese things are inzanly good.
I went for a blade, because based on description it seemed the most fun.
Solo run, xp cap removed.

In only 2-3 evenings it had powerplayed itself true inzane difficulty reaching 2,25mill experience and level 20... Im used to play legacy of bhaal, so i guess it strengten my feeling of it a little when i suddenly play inzane. I just had little time to play, so speeded it up.

Next part in spoilers, why its so fantastic good:
- You start with offensive spin from lvl 1. Boosting both movement, attackspeed and thaco! It's a better start than most other classes. It works with ranged and it works with melee.
- Level 2 is reached instantly and you have access to both blind and sleep
- You get all the spells you need: Blind, Magic Missle, Sleep, Invisibility, Mirror immage, Blur, Web, Skulltrap, haste, minor invulvernity, stoneskin, improved invisibility etc. And that is enought to survive 99% of all traps with double damage. You also have animate dead, and spider dawn if u want.
- You get to use all wands except Wand of Heaven, immensly good. Sleep wand save spell slots, firewand is strong, icewand is good vs fire resistant monsters, summon wands, light wand etc
- In bg2ee you can start WOL exploit immidatly
- Access to use all mage scrolls
- Use all items
- Spike traps etc
- Most early battles are won with a single skulltrap, i started with like 70 skulltrap damage in bg2ee
- Did not have to delay any battles, currently full clearing amn area for area, liches, vampires, mages and all
- The harp from ulgoth's beard with domination is extreame. Cloak of algernon is -2 saving throw, this is -4 and with 20 charges... A key item to win legacy of bhaal mode easy
- I dont have Rogue Balancing mode, but part of that would make it even stronger
- 1 profience all wepons, want to use azuredge? Mace of disruption? Casomyr? Silver blade? Flails, maxes, swords, whatever, bard got you covered.

Pickpocket also allows you to fix economy easy..

Bard song: I dont even need it. Have not read what it even does. Its more for teamplay i guess, or exploitment with bard hat

Comments

  • DanacmDanacm Member Posts: 955
    My only problem with blades was the thaco. The maximum 10 was not the best, even with offensive spin.
  • Gel87Gel87 Member Posts: 351
    edited August 11
    Danacm wrote: »
    My only problem with blades was the thaco. The maximum 10 was not the best, even with offensive spin.

    Since i solo im kinda overleveled. So i guess that helps.
    But adding bhaalpower on top, combined with book of strenght and ur at 25strenght for when needed.

    Else there is quite a lot of potion of heorism in both games. You could actually keep chugging them 24/7 ;P
    Once bhaalpower dissapear you will have the possibilities for adding 1 strenght via LUM machine, and you can get 2 in hell trials + the book from bg1ee and ur at 22 strenght. Then there are potions of strenght for hard battles(which ofc can be dispelled) and potion of power. And the heriosm can potion of powers can be chugged with WOL trick for 6 times effect :P

    I do however see the thaco be a little low in legacy of bhaal, but i think one could be within tresholds, heavy misslead would also add the stealth bonus.

    The no spell sones are hard though, same with wild magic zones. But then its all about item abilities.

    Other fun features/exploits:
    Circumlarium WOL + Wand of fire between you and clone
    WOL + Pots
    WOL + Efreeti bottle
    WOL + Golem Manual
    WOL + Misslead + Cloak of deflection + Wand of lighning
    WOL + Horn of Valhalla
    Post edited by Gel87 on
  • YigorYigor Member Posts: 921
    Why not LoB? ;)
  • Gel87Gel87 Member Posts: 351
    Yigor wrote: »
    Why not LoB? ;)

    Because i started my Blade run on work. We work from 07:00 to 19:00, sometimes to 23:00. And I only had a few days left of the worktrip when i started it. And i had recently runned true bg1ee several times and was kinda prefering to get to bg2ee quicklier. I use more or less the same method to cheeze my way true legacy of bhaal on every run, with a few exceptions for when im a class that can cast arcane magic. So wanted to be able to fight certain stuff earlier.

    Else i always do more or less the same.
    1. Relevant candlekeep stuff(avoid fight)
    2. Belt from gorion circle, gem from tree, kill npc for gear.
    3. Ring +1
    4. Friendly arm inn wizard ring
    5. I avoid flamedance now, cba wait 1 hour for all the guards to break their wepon on that hoogoblin, so unless i have some spells like sleep or command i leave him for now
    6. Farmland, kill sonner, if possible sneak loot ankegg cave, mostly for sanctuary people, ye can risk it with oil of speed + stealh etc
    7. Deliver bowl and level up, then sneak past ankegg to ulgoth's
    8. Buy Scroll of domination for any class that can use it, or bard instrument etc, find +1 sword to sell or use
    9. Bergeost, Marv dialog, then mercenary/bounty hunter in tavern after allowing him to hunt you all the way to algernon, then charm algernon to get cloak without rep loss
    10. Firebead again.
    11. Mace of stun
    12. Steal sword when night at blacksmith
    13. Buy shortbow+1 or sling+1 for ranged option
    14. Go south, charm orgillion, help him kill other gorrillion for letter. Then use him to help kill zurlag boots hogoblin and loot cave. If orgillion dies, then charm hoogoblin and let him die fighting his comrades.
    15. Pick up ammu, travel to naskel
    16. Ankegg armor, talk to noober for xp. And pick up potion of invisibility from mansion.
    17. Travel left of mine, bring wolf to boy for xp
    18. Travel northwesst until brage, teleports you back naskel. If meeting any winterwolf the belt will help you safely spend like 30 minuts killing it
    19. Travel to mine map, pick up wand then travel east.
    20. Loot mountain, talk to gnome for scroll, then bring samulet to friendly arm\s inn
    21. Flamedance ring, either kill, or charm the wizard, use all his spell on hoogoblin and he will die after. Then kill off remaining HP of flamedance hoogoblin. Then enter friendly arm inn, kill Jaheira and Khalid for pot of invi.
    22. Charm wolf and use him to help kill belt ogre
    23. Bergeost, deliver ammu and letter.
    24. Go and charm gnoll slasher to aid you in killing the 2 other gnolls, pick up perdue sword
    25. Buy whatever you need from high hedge
    26. Open up map ready for shaol, deal with here if relevant ranged, or if can wield helm wait and make sure ogre mage happens
    27. Basilisk from mutamin garden. Use Ghorax and cloak of algernon to spead up the process and make it safe. Its important to be quick.
    28. Open up travels to Durlag's tower, kill the 2 doomguards if relevant spells/wands etc.
    29. If have not done it yet, make sure to loot ankegg cave, and make sure to give farmer 100 gold by innitating second dialog
    30. Now make sure to buy all scroll of stone to flesh, and protection from petrification from carival
    31. Charm Priest in Temple, have him summon his skeleton warrior and kill the nymphs for 8k xp.
    32. Basilisk exploit top of durlag tower
    33. Now clean up everything else: Shaol+Orge mage, ogre mage and swordman with glove, 2 adventure parties, valley of tombs etc, then naskel mines. and story progression

    So i use this method mostly, i may mix up what order etc sometimes, and arcane casters enter high hedge earlier for spell purchases.
  • FredNFredN Member Posts: 640
    Note on wild magic zones: now, this comment isn't relevant until the next chapter, BG2. But if you do Neera's quest, and are yourself a neutral mage or sorceror, you can grab the Robe of Goodman Hayes from her and use it yourself.
  • Gel87Gel87 Member Posts: 351
    FredN wrote: »
    Note on wild magic zones: now, this comment isn't relevant until the next chapter, BG2. But if you do Neera's quest, and are yourself a neutral mage or sorceror, you can grab the Robe of Goodman Hayes from her and use it yourself.

    Thanks, i actually never did Neera quest, but will defently try it out soon :D
  • FredNFredN Member Posts: 640
    edited August 16
    If you do her quest, be cautious. The entire area leading to the Refuge is a wild magic area. Once you actually reach the refuge you can travel from there to anyplace you know, as well as return, bypassing the entry map. But before then, you really should not cast any spells on the approach map; take out any enemies with melee. Also the place is chock full of traps; move slowly and detect constantly.
  • FredNFredN Member Posts: 640
    edited August 16
    .....Blades are the quintessential "Jack of all trades, Master of none". They can learn spells; not a huge number and none above 6th level, but they can nonetheless function as a secondary support spell caster. Note that, being magical, they can use scrolls and other goodies that mages can use. They aren't great at melee per se, but can be fairly effective at this when fighting in conjunction with allies who can weaken enemies with stuff like knockdowns and the like. Or, they can just sit back and buff up their companions with Bard Song.
    .....Note that items they can use include things like the Ring of Acuity, the Reaching Ring, and mage wands of any sort ... including the ever popular Spell Strike wand. If you work at it, you can make their role as a secondary support mage quite strong.
    Post edited by FredN on
  • Gel87Gel87 Member Posts: 351
    edited August 17
    FredN wrote: »
    .....Blades are the quintessential "Jack of all trades, Master of none". They can learn spells; not a huge number and none above 6th level, but they can nonetheless function as a secondary support spell caster. Note that, being magical, they can use scrolls and other goodies that mages can use. They aren't great at melee per se, but can be fairly effective at this when fighting in conjunction with allies who can weaken enemies with stuff like knockdowns and the like. Or, they can just sit back and buff up their companions with Bard Song.
    .....Note that items they can use include things like the Ring of Acuity, the Reaching Ring, and mage wands of any sort ... including the ever popular Spell Strike wand. If you work at it, you can make their role as a secondary support mage quite strong.

    It feels really strong. Felt like speedrunning.
    The right wepon for the right fight. (Mace of disruption/azuredge/daystar/golem kill sticks/flail of ages/immunity/silence etc etc).

    And since it has wands and spells and scrolls etc i barely have to use much spells.

    3 x animate dead as level 5 summons. Then sunfire and protective if needed.
    The sunfire is always 6 doubled thanks to wand of lighning.
    The sunray from sword is 6 doubled thanks to wand.
    6 x wand of cloudkill is quite good, same with 6 x fireballs wands.
    6 x icewands if immunities.
    6 x scroll of finger of death, or feeblemind vs dragons.

    Lets say i fight kangaxx, does not matter if scs or vanilla, but vanilla may allow more tools.
    Summon clone.
    Put up spiketraps.
    Put up timestop tap.
    Clone cast Sunray from sword.
    Then he would insta die his first form.
    Now cast 6 x sunray via wand trick and watch second shape die.
    SCS = second form immune up to level 5 spells. (aka 6 x sunray)
    Vanilla = Second form immune to 1 to 9 level spell, aka 6 x firebreath insant cast.

    Then firekraag:
    1. Scroll/wandcast 6 x pierce magic or simular. (will turn him red and point 2 activates immidiatly)
    2. Have a precasted scrollcasted Trigger which has: 2 x Feeblemind and greater malison. (activiates automaticly)
    3. Scrollcast finger of death or feeblemind via wand trick for 6 x chance for him to fail saving throw which now is reduced from greater malison and his resists has been put at 0%MR.
    = Profit :P

    6 x silence from sword works wonders as well vs mages :P
    There are many fun functions.
  • Gel87Gel87 Member Posts: 351
    Did not have finger of death.
    Did not have any cool triggers.
    So i casted 6 x polymorph and made firekraag into chicken meat :P
    0kxezod0204t.jpg
  • YigorYigor Member Posts: 921
    edited August 18
    Great! 👍 Though probably squirrel, not chicken! 🐿️😉
  • Gel87Gel87 Member Posts: 351
    edited August 18
    Yigor wrote: »
    Great! 👍 Though probably squirrel, not chicken! 🐿️😉

    Hehe, could not see the thing, was behind collumn so i killed it. It had stoneskin on so 20lightdamage from Celestial Fury was its demise.

    But he has good saving throws.
    I started with 6 x Magic Reduce.
    Then timestop trap activated and had 1 spiketrap just for test. Could have placed 6 xD
    So i casted from spellbook Greater Malison.
    Then i scrollcasted feeblemind with WOL, but when timestop ended feeblemind landed before Greater Malison.
    So he saved all 6.
    Then Polymorph. And based on combat log he saved 5 of those, but the 6th he failed xD

    I also went into first floor of watchers keep.
    Golem Manual x 6 rocks in inzane.
    So if its an hard fight i can put out 5 x efreeti first, then 5 x golems, then 5 x berserkers, then 5 x spiders xD
    And later the oakstaff +4 for 5 x moulten summons. Nearly killed myself from 5 x fireballs from efreeti xD
  • silverspiritsilverspirit Member Posts: 8
    You should try jester, with the jester battle song mod. Changes the save to breathe weapon, with penalties, and you get xp from kills under confusion. Takes time to kill everything off, but it is cool to kill groups of enemies just using the bard song.
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