Some Questions About Invisibility in General and Pixie Dust Specifically
Bishop_Ash
Member Posts: 27
*** 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?
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?
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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). 😼
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.
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!
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).
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
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
Mainly, it's useful vs Vampires (in order to avoid Level Drains). 🧛♂️
Jan, as artificer/thief. Group invisibility makes many things a lot easier, including
movement through areas. She then also often has that cloak of non-detection.
As for Negative Plane Protection: in a few mods there may be items that protect
from vampiric drains. I found it easier to just use lesser restoration in general
though, via Viconia, and usually keep her in backrow using some ranged weapon.
It depends on your playing style. Negative Plane Protection may be easier and
what not, but I kind of want to just kill all enemies and lateron do cure steps
including casting lesser restoration. With Viconia in the party this works quite
well; Anomen probably too, though I usually have him in front row if I pick
him over Viconia.
Another follow-up question: Is Negative Plane Protection useful late in the game? I'm think about taking the following 4th level spells:
Neutralize Poison 8 (90,000)
Call Woodland Beings 9 (135,000)
Poison 11 (375,000)
Death Ward 13 (1,125,000)
Negative Plane Protection 23 (4,875,000)
If Negative Plane Protection is of marginal utility at 4,875,000 XP should I go with something else? I've heard good things about Protection from Lightning. Also, Cure Serious Wounds is nice on the grounds that it's always nice to have some for healing on rest.
4th Level Spells - At levels 9, 11 & 23 I’m not sure whether to take Poison, Negative Plane Protection or Call Woodland beings. Other than Poison there’s only 1 high damage dealing Druid spell before 750,000 XP and it only works outside, so I decided to take it at 11. I’ve read multiple places that the Nymph’s powers are progressively worthless the deeper you get in the game. Since you can’t change your spells after you take them I thought about just waiting and sticking to Fire Elementals. However, nobody else can summon a nymph, and for most of SoA she will dish out a variety of disabling magics, not to mention Mass Heal, so I went with her at 9. Because my Shaman will be playing with both Aerie and Anomen I should have all Negative Plane Protections as I’ll need, so I put it off until the end. Once again, As I play more I’ll figure out if I made the right decision.