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Poverty Run FINISHED!

lundgrnnlundgrnn Member Posts: 27
I've seen people post about playthroughs with special rules like no-reloads, speed runs and such. I wanted to try a solo poverty run. I've never seen anybody post about poverty runs here and I don't know if that means nobody's tried one (I doubt I'm the first to do something like this honestly) or there's no point in trying. Anyway...

The rules I was going to restrict myself to are:
1) Solo, no companions.
2) No equipment or consumables used other than the quarterstaff I start the game with.
3) Pick up no items unless they're used for a quest. I can't equip or use any quest item for anything but the quest (ex: I can bring Hull his long sword but I cannot equip it).
4) I want to start at Insane difficulty and keep it there as much as possible. I won't drop it for any quest or fight that isn't part of the main quest line. If I cant beat it I'll skip it or come back to it later. However, if I get to a point where I cannot continue the story I'll probably drop the difficulty just to keep the game going.

Other than that I think anything is fair game. As for class and race, I was thinking multiclass cleric/thief gnome. I think it's a pretty versatile kit, especially considering limited resources. Spell casting - not reliant on scrolls (no items remember!), and the versatility and damage of stealth, backstabs, and traps. I bet its doable with a sorcerer too, but I've done a solo sorcerer run with equipment and I want to try something a little different from that experience this time.

So what do you think? Is this possible or am I on a fools errand? Where am I most likely to hit a wall here? Any suggestions on how to play a cleric/thief?
Post edited by lundgrnn on
JuliusBorisovCrevsDaaklolien
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Comments

  • PugPugPugPug Member Posts: 560
    Priests get to summon weapons, but I don't think they get to summon any that hit as magical weapons.
  • lundgrnnlundgrnn Member Posts: 27
    edited October 2013
    PugPug said:

    Priests get to summon weapons, but I don't think they get to summon any that hit as magical weapons.

    Spiritual Hammer hits as a magical weapon according to its description and levels with you, but you cannot backstab with it unfortunatly. I wonder if Shillelagh hits as a magical weapon and can backstab? I'll have to test it out on the vampic wolves near the temple.

    Edit: Just tested Shillelagh, Spiritual Hammer, and Flame Blade on the wolf pack by the temple next to Bergost. Shillelagh hit as a magical weapon against the Vampic Wolves and was also able to backstab. Spiritual Hammer hit as a magical weapon and was also able to backstab, despite not being a thief weapon type. I wonder if that is a bug or if it is considered to be a club. Flame Blade did not hit as a magical weapon but was able to backstab against the wolves that didn't require a magical weapon to hit, might prove useful vs trolls.
    Post edited by lundgrnn on
    JuliusBorisovCrevsDaaklolienmonico
  • zur312zur312 Member Posts: 1,366
    shillelagh is +3 but does it really is "+3 magical" dunno
  • zur312zur312 Member Posts: 1,366
    lundgrnn said:

    I've seen people post about playthroughs with special rules like no-reloads, speed runs and such. I wanted to try a solo poverty run. I've never seen anybody post about poverty runs here and I don't know if that means nobody's tried one (I doubt I'm the first to do something like this honestly) or there's no point in trying. Anyway...

    The rules I was going to restrict myself to are:
    1) Solo, no companions.
    2) No equipment or consumables used other than the quarterstaff I start the game with.
    3) Pick up no items unless they're used for a quest. I can't equip or use any quest item for anything but the quest (ex: I can bring Hull his long sword but I cannot equip it).
    4) I want to start at Insane difficulty and keep it there as much as possible. I won't drop it for any quest or fight that isn't part of the main quest line. If I cant beat it I'll skip it or come back to it later. However, if I get to a point where I cannot continue the story I'll probably drop the difficulty just to keep the game going.

    Other than that I think anything is fair game. As for class and race, I was thinking multiclass cleric/thief gnome. I think it's a pretty versatile kit, especially considering limited resources. Spell casting - not reliant on scrolls (no items remember!), and the versatility and damage of stealth, backstabs, and traps. I bet its doable with a sorcerer too, but I've done a solo sorcerer run with equipment and I want to try something a little different from that experience this time.

    So what do you think? Is this possible or am I on a fools errand? Where am I most likely to hit a wall here? Any suggestions on how to play a cleric/thief?

    cleric thief is pretty good just go with quarterstaff * 2handed * for crit use sancturay to avoid damage and bring those boots and other stuff to npc and gain exp
    level 3 summon skeletons-> kill all ;D i don't know if cleric is powerfull enough to do this but mage is and cleric is pretty good too

    i would consider fighter/cleric dwarf with staffs he would be more of a brute force rather than stealthy guy
  • XerxesVXerxesV Member Posts: 187
    edited October 2013
    I've been thinking how fun this would be to try, but it is way too challenging for me. I'd have to be a shapeshifter to even consider it.

    Imagine facing six kobold archers. You would probably take damage from every arrow. The highest HP fighter at level 3 would be dead in 2 rounds. A good cleric could buff themselves or walk past with sanctuary, but nobody could fight Sarevok with a quarter staff. (of course I bet someone on YouTube already has...)
  • pixie359pixie359 Member Posts: 251
    I think a character that normally uses armour and weapons for damage will struggle here, where others, like a mage or monk, have the natural abilities to make up for it. Good luck and keep us posted!
    XerxesV
  • Permidion_StarkPermidion_Stark Member Posts: 4,861
    I think you are going to be doing a lot of re-loading. It would be a tough enough challenge on normal difficulty; I think doing it on insane will just prove to be very frustrating.
  • EnterHaerDalisEnterHaerDalis Member Posts: 813
    insane difficulty with only access to a quarterstaff huh

    I think if the first gibberling doesn't finish you off tarnesh will clean up the scraps
    JuliusBorisovCrevsDaak
  • XerxesVXerxesV Member Posts: 187
    edited October 2013
    Thank you. Very informative
  • AonghasDubhAonghasDubh Member Posts: 20
    edited October 2013
    Got inspired and felt the best RP character for this would be a christ-like character so went with a LG Kensai to be dualed to a Cleric at L3
    S 18/77 D 18 C 16 I 14 W 18 C 12
    Warhammer **
    Single Weapon Style **
    Future profs to be put into maximising Warhammer, 1 in Quarterstaff and 1 in 2-handed style

    My plan is to use Spiritual Hammer with Barkskin for hard future battles

    A little way in and hard doesn't even begin to say it! hahaha! Probably 20 reloads vs Silkie when I was just a Kensai, in the end I Kai punched her unconscious (better Thaco than staff) and then finished her off with the staff, was unbearably tempting to pick up and use her +1 staff but I stayed strong and true to my poverty!

    I did a couple things around beregost for XP, then metagamed the hell out of it and went on an expedition to bring Brage back to the Temple in nashkel, talking to noober got me to L3 and so I fought Neira as a Level 1 cleric... one shillelagh and two commands at my disposal, I cast the magical cudgel as she approached shouting about slitting my throat, the commands interrupted her rigid thinking and one of her hold spells the other hold I saved against, she then cast entangle which was a blessing in disguise as when I was free and she was still stuck I could then hit her with the staff whilst out of range of her club/spirit hammers, in the end it was a slug-fest as the entangle ran out and I survived (with 6hp!) and she fell!

    I don't know if I will continue, its going to be a long hard road before this char starts showing his potential!
  • nanonano Member Posts: 1,632
    I feel like having Jesus beat the shit out of people in the middle of the street is missing the point, even if he happens to be poor :)
  • enneractenneract Member Posts: 187
    nano said:

    I feel like having Jesus beat the shit out of people in the middle of the street is missing the point, even if he happens to be poor :)

    Have you ever actually read the bible, lol?

    Look at me, violating religious privilege!
  • nanonano Member Posts: 1,632
    enneract said:

    nano said:

    I feel like having Jesus beat the shit out of people in the middle of the street is missing the point, even if he happens to be poor :)

    Have you ever actually read the bible, lol?

    Look at me, violating religious privilege!
    Nope, does he beat the shit out of people?
    JLee
  • lundgrnnlundgrnn Member Posts: 27
    edited October 2013
    I've had some time to play around a bit more. I'm really liking not having to search every container and body for loot to sell. I'm moving through the game faster than I think I normally would because of that. Anyway, I wanted to gain a few levels before heading down into the mines. The idea of having a skeleton warrior by my side was appealing (thanks Zur312 for that idea).

    I cleared out Bassalus without too much difficulty. I stealthed up to him among his minions and opened with a backstab and immediately dropped a trap at my feet. Rather than get mad at me right away for clocking him in the head with a staff he decided to talk for a while first. I managed to frustrate him into fighting me 1 on 1 and his undead army collapsed without a fight. At that point it was just a matter of getting a Hold Person to stick before he got one to stick to me. It took 4 reloads.

    Zagral and his two Hobgoblin cohorts on the same map proved to be more of a challenge strangely. This fight took a while before I found a good strategy. Pulling them one at a time into traps didn't work two well as they all came as a group and the too archers would hang back and take no damage. Opening with a Hold Person only reliably held one and then the others would fill me with poison arrows. I ended up placing a trap just out of range then, opening with a backstab on one of the archers forcing it to melee, even though I wasn't getting a multiplier from doing it to any of them. I then immediately started casting Hold Person and prayed that it would stick to two of them. When it finally did I just Commanded and meleed the 2nd archer to death then started on the held archer. The Hold Person wore off half way through meleeing down Zagral himself at which point I could kite him over to the trap. This fight took several (7-8) reloads to get right.

    I headed down to the mines area at this point and figured I would kill Greywolf. I didn't want to risk any time being swung at by that Long Sword +2 so I cheesed it by stacking 5 traps next to Prisim before talking to him. Once Greywolf appeared and made his hostile intentions known, Boom! Dead bounty hunter.

    After all of that I'm at level 5 cleric and level 5 thief. My main strategy for general mobs has been to trap and backstab when I can. If I get caught off guard, having 5 Commands in my level one slots has allowed me to whack most of what's come at me to death. If something is too high leveled or I run out of Commands I generally throw up Barkskin, pull out a Spiritual Hammer (1 more thac0 and 1 more AC advantage thanks to single weapon style over my staff, same damage still) and pray I kill it before it kills me. Now that I have a skeleton or two to summon I suppose I'll have at least one at my side at all times from now on.

    Tomorrow I'll run the mines. I'm looking forward to the Mulahey fight and the fight with the bounty hunters after I exit. I'm worried about the traps in the mines. I've been ignoring the find traps skill. I first got 100 in Set Traps and the rest have gone into Hide in Shadows and Move Silently. Traps may be my Achilles' heel for this run.
    Post edited by lundgrnn on
    XerxesVJuliusBorisov
  • lundgrnnlundgrnn Member Posts: 27

    Got inspired and felt the best RP character for this would be a christ-like character so went with a LG Kensai to be dualed to a Cleric at L3
    S 18/77 D 18 C 16 I 14 W 18 C 12
    Warhammer **
    Single Weapon Style **
    Future profs to be put into maximising Warhammer, 1 in Quarterstaff and 1 in 2-handed style

    My plan is to use Spiritual Hammer with Barkskin for hard future battles

    A little way in and hard doesn't even begin to say it! hahaha! Probably 20 reloads vs Silkie when I was just a Kensai, in the end I Kai punched her unconscious (better Thaco than staff) and then finished her off with the staff, was unbearably tempting to pick up and use her +1 staff but I stayed strong and true to my poverty!

    I did a couple things around beregost for XP, then metagamed the hell out of it and went on an expedition to bring Brage back to the Temple in nashkel, talking to noober got me to L3 and so I fought Neira as a Level 1 cleric... one shillelagh and two commands at my disposal, I cast the magical cudgel as she approached shouting about slitting my throat, the commands interrupted her rigid thinking and one of her hold spells the other hold I saved against, she then cast entangle which was a blessing in disguise as when I was free and she was still stuck I could then hit her with the staff whilst out of range of her club/spirit hammers, in the end it was a slug-fest as the entangle ran out and I survived (with 6hp!) and she fell!

    I don't know if I will continue, its going to be a long hard road before this char starts showing his potential!

    Good luck! I'm glad I inspired you to try something new!
  • enneractenneract Member Posts: 187
    You know you won't get a skeleton warrior, right? You'll get like 4-5 regular skeletons.
  • XerxesVXerxesV Member Posts: 187
    enneract said:

    You know you won't get a skeleton warrior, right? You'll get like 4-5 regular skeletons.

    That's enough to block a door and take a few hits. I think this guy is brilliant.

    Btw, it stinks that your skeletons can't throw knives like those jerks at high hedge. You could disrupt spellcasters straight through the game. (does protection from arrows help against thrown weapons?)
  • rdarkenrdarken Member Posts: 660
    Wow I can barely do a run picking up everything on Easy lol

    I do wonder why someone who is so poor wouldn't pick up free gear, but I get the point of the run :)
  • lundgrnnlundgrnn Member Posts: 27
    edited October 2013
    TLDR: Poverty run is going great. Traps are OP. Skeletons are OP. Stealth is OP. Hold Person is OP. Silence is OP.
    Post edited by lundgrnn on
    rdarkenCrevsDaaklolienmonico
  • XerxesVXerxesV Member Posts: 187
    Amazing.
    JuliusBorisov
  • astralliteastrallite Member Posts: 9
    I think Poverty Runs are best left for monks. It works especially well for RP purposes as well as for power gaming xD
    CrevsDaakDragonspear
  • zerckanzerckan Member Posts: 178
    nano said:

    enneract said:

    nano said:

    I feel like having Jesus beat the shit out of people in the middle of the street is missing the point, even if he happens to be poor :)

    Have you ever actually read the bible, lol?

    Look at me, violating religious privilege!
    Nope, does he beat the shit out of people?
    Yep, he crucifies ppl and resurrects them to crucify again and again and again...
  • astralliteastrallite Member Posts: 9
    If you play the black pits, sure. I think the black pits caps at something really high like 600k xp for multi-class characters, and level 10 for single class characters.
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