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Assassin poison damage

ThrasymachusThrasymachus Member Posts: 931
in General Discussion (Spoiler Warning!)
Does the damage done by the assassin's poison ability increase at higher levels? If so, at which levels do the increases occur?

Thanks!

Comments

  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,317
    edited January 2014
    Nope. There is a file in the game for a poison weapon ability that improves the amount of damage it does (among other things) with levels but it isn't the one thats used for the Poison Weapon ability.
  • CrevsDaakCrevsDaak Member Posts: 7,155
    It is already OP and game braking, so, no :P
  • ThrasymachusThrasymachus Member Posts: 931
    @elminster: Thanks!
  • ThrasymachusThrasymachus Member Posts: 931
    CrevsDaak said:

    It is already OP and game braking, so, no :P

    How is it game breaking?

    There is no save, which is pretty powerful, but it can only be used a limited number of times per day, and there is a limit to the total amount of damage it can do.

    I don't have much experience with the ability myself, so I very well may be missing something.
  • CrevsDaakCrevsDaak Member Posts: 7,155
    @Trasymachus you can gain another use every 4 levels (so at the end of BG:EE you have 2), and it is game breaking because, well, it adds to Arrows of Detonation (Area of Effect Poison cheat!) and to Melf Minute Meteors (5 APR, so you will be poisoning at a unnatural rate of five time per round, that's OP even for BG2). The thing is that it has no save and it deals damage so fast that enemy mages can't cast spells.
  • kryptixkryptix Member Posts: 741
    CrevsDaak said:

    @Trasymachus you can gain another use every 4 levels (so at the end of BG:EE you have 2), and it is game breaking because, well, it adds to Arrows of Detonation (Area of Effect Poison cheat!) and to Melf Minute Meteors (5 APR, so you will be poisoning at a unnatural rate of five time per round, that's OP even for BG2). The thing is that it has no save and it deals damage so fast that enemy mages can't cast spells.

    An Assassin => fighter can actually poison 10x in one round with improved haste or GWW :)
  • ThrasymachusThrasymachus Member Posts: 931
    @CrevsDaak: thanks.

    Does the poison bypass mage defences like stoneskin?
  • ThrasymachusThrasymachus Member Posts: 931
    edited January 2014
    kryptix said:


    An Assassin => fighter can actually poison 10x in one round with improved haste or GWW :)

    I'm thinking about trying out an assassin => mage (assassin through BGEE, dual-class to mage at the start of BG2EE), so that won't be an option.

    Arrows of Detonation and Melf's Minute Meteors, though, would be on the table.
  • CrevsDaakCrevsDaak Member Posts: 7,155
    @Thrasymachus I don't know, now in the EE's latest version they bypass Mirror Image but not Stoneskin (I never played EE with assassin, only used Dorn, but not too much), but in vanilla BG2 this was the REAL mage killer (much more if you use the multikit mod to make a Wizard Slayer/Assassin).
  • mumumomomumumomo Member Posts: 635
    BG1 is indeed laughably easy with an assassin. Once you get the arrow of detonations, it's not even fun anymore : just shoot any group with 2-3 arrows (=1 round) and watch everything die.

    As for assassin->mage i fail to see the point. Sure MMM/poison weapon is nice. But it's not that good.

    As kryptix said, an assassin->fighter seems better since both classes synergize much better :
    - more attack/round
    - better THACO
    - nasty backstabs

  • CrevsDaakCrevsDaak Member Posts: 7,155
    @mumumomo actually I am playing a Kensai/Conjurer/Assassin (with the Multi-kit mod) in vanilla BG2, it is going pretty well, but a single target poisoned 5 times in the same round will take a LOT of damage VERY quickly. Anyway it is difficult since I have SCS installed AND I can't use Arrows of Detonation because of the Kensai kit (anyway I'm looking at UAI so I can use a Robe at least!! Or Elven Chain Mail...).
  • ThrasymachusThrasymachus Member Posts: 931
    mumumomo said:


    As for assassin->mage i fail to see the point. Sure MMM/poison weapon is nice. But it's not that good.

    As kryptix said, an assassin->fighter seems better since both classes synergize much better :
    - more attack/round
    - better THACO
    - nasty backstabs

    *shrug* I'm not a power gamer and I'm not trying to optimize my character. I just want a fun combination of abilities.
  • CrevsDaakCrevsDaak Member Posts: 7,155
    @Thrasymachus so you should play one of the new Monk kits (I recommend the Dark Moon Monk kit), they have lots of abilities and it is very funny (and extremely difficult) in early game BG:EE.
  • ThrasymachusThrasymachus Member Posts: 931
    edited January 2014
    @CrevsDaak: thanks, I'll consider a monk for a future game.

    But I would like some kind of thief/mage for my next game (currently working through ToB with a Blade).

    Why?
    I want a mage because I love mages and would like the planar sphere for my next game's stronghold.
    And I want a thief for the flexibility (I don't want to take Yoshi again, and am not sure whether I want to include Jan or Hexxat in the party).

    Also, I've never played an assassin before, and none is available as an NPC, so it would be something new.
  • mumumomomumumomo Member Posts: 635

    @Thrasymachus, sorry i misunderstood your point (for me, playing or multi lead anyway to some kind of powergaming since they are much more powerful than single class character)

    Anyway assassin/mage is a really strong and fun character. Have fun with it!



  • mjsmjs Member Posts: 742
    You know what's really nasty? Slayer form + improved haste + poison weapon. Want to get nastier? Throw in a time trap.
  • CrevsDaakCrevsDaak Member Posts: 7,155
    edited January 2014
    Thrasymachus well, my favorite class is Mage/Thief, so I greatly recommend playing with it, for BG2 consider Long Swords and short bows, max out WIS and DEX besides INT so you can use Limited Wish and Wish, getting a CON bonus is very useful since you only get a 5 HD, and STR shouldn't be very needed, CHA is nice to have, but in BG2 you have a Ring that sets CHA to 18. Also, put points in Single weapon style for the longsword and in Two Handed Weapon style for Staffs, they'll be helpful if you plan using the Staff of the Magi or if you plan to melee at some point, backstabbing with the Staff of the Ram is insane.
  • kryptixkryptix Member Posts: 741
    I'm currently keepering together a lawful neutral or chaotic good eilistrae following female drow fighter/assassin. I'm planning to give her the 65% drow magic resistance but I forget if drow also get longsword and longbow bonuses in the game. Also a once per day spider spawn at level 6 in both in place of most of her bhaalspawn powers... Specializations will be crossbow (for hand crossbow), darts and daggers in BG1, probably longswords in BG2, and if I can find some way to justify it, eventually maybe quarterstaves?

    I can't remember how many pips I'll get, but one pip in two handed, one in single weapon and two in two weapon would be 5, then 10-12 in regular weapons depending on if I do short swords...
  • DeeDee Member Posts: 10,447
    CrevsDaak said:

    It is already OP and game braking, so, no :P

    Actually, the file that scales starts at a much lower damage rate; it's pretty balanced, and the lower-level rate is much more fitting for BG:EE. I drew up a mod to give the Assassin that version instead a while back; it was pretty well received.
  • CrevsDaakCrevsDaak Member Posts: 7,155
    edited January 2014
    @Dee I've saw your mod some time ago but I can't find it now that I want to play with it.
    I thought it started at the same rate as the Assassin's Poison Weapon does, and the game breaking thing was because of Arrows of Detonation, Melf Minute Meteors and the no save damage, and I should add why I am saying that to my poat, yeah.
    Edit: just found the link of the mod, you have 150+ discussions 0.O it is insane.
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