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The Story of Grynne, Executioner of Wizards (New Attempt)

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  • BlackravenBlackraven Member Posts: 3,486
    Ah all right. Thanks!
    I think I'll move it (or ask someone to move it), once the run has ended... which hopefully isn't going to happen anytime soon ;)
  • MetallomanMetalloman Member, Moderator, Translator (NDA) Posts: 3,975
    That's ok for me. ;)
    You should be able to move it by yourself, by editing the OP and browsing the cascade menu you'll see. :)
  • SchneidendSchneidend Member Posts: 3,190
    You'll be able to tell if a mage is failing the spell due to casting failure if he completes the spell animation but just randomly doesn't get the spell off. If you disrupt a spell through damage, it should be immediate and obvious.
  • BlackravenBlackraven Member Posts: 3,486
    @Schneidend: thanks! Hmm so far this means I've mainly just interrupted spellcasting rather than causing miscasts...
  • SchneidendSchneidend Member Posts: 3,190
    Causing miscasts likely won't happen very often in BG1 except against really powerful/cheating wizards like Davaeorn, Semaj, or some of the guys on the frozen maze island. It's mostly for mages that have enough HP to survive your attacks or who have enough spells ready to re-energize their defenses.
  • BlackravenBlackraven Member Posts: 3,486
    True, so far I've only dealt with Zordal, Mutamin, and Tarnesh I think, all of whom have lacklustre protections (if any), and few hitpoints.
    Besides the wizards you mentioned I can only think of ogre mages as possible victims of the miscast penalty, and maybe (SCS) Silke. Since the effect only works on arcane casters in the mod I'm using (nt sure about vanilla), clerics are unaffected.
  • ElrandirElrandir Member Posts: 1,664
    Another great installment! I especially liked the "burning" of the robe. It's a nice detail.
  • MacHurtoMacHurto Member Posts: 731
    Damn, all those MODs look like a great way of playing this game :-D
  • BlackravenBlackraven Member Posts: 3,486
    @Elrandir: thanks! Am still enjoying the storytelling, I'm glad you do too... :)
    @MacHurto: yes with the enormous amount of mods available, one game can be set up in a completely different way than another game, keeps it all the more entertaining. It's good to say that coders and fans are doing the same for BG:EE now...
  • ElrandirElrandir Member Posts: 1,664
    Nice! Lucky break with them not attacking you while dominated. I assume these assassins attack randomly? Didn't you deal with the same group while in Beregost when you were playing with Teyl?
  • BlackravenBlackraven Member Posts: 3,486
    Yep in SCS they attack randomly once you've completed Nashkel mines. In vanilla BG I think they're in southern portion of the Ulcaster School area.
    I was indeed lucky with the domination spell. In fact I'm quite puzzled. I've been told that hitting a charmed or dire charmed character breaks the (dire) charm; whereas hitting a dominated character doesn't end the domination. But in my game Silke dire charmed me, and hit me with various Magic Missiles, without the spell losing its effect. And when I got dominated, my enemies stopped attacking me. It should be the other way around no? Unless my understanding of these spells is incorrect. The spell descriptions do little to clarify things.
  • mumumomomumumomo Member Posts: 635
    Great storystelling (i wish i could do the same...)
    The mods also make for a nicely refreshing experience.

    However, i sometime have the feeling the balancing is not great which may explain why you find the game a little bit to easy.
    I mean : "Thalantyr upgraded the dagger of venom to a +3 dagger which grants an extra attack, and poisons my enemies, making it a perfect weapon for interrupting spellcasters I hope."

    The vanilla dagger of venom is already OP in BGEE. That one would probably be the best weapon in SOA.
  • ElrandirElrandir Member Posts: 1,664
    edited March 2014
    @mumumomo‌ You can! Even if you're not the greatest writer, you can only improve with practice. If you've got an idea then try it! As I'm sure you're aware, the people on this forum are very kind and will gladly offer advice. =)

    Anyway, that aside, I actually see what you're saying. That said, however, I still think that with the mods he has installed, it will become much more challenging. I think he's just in the relatively easy early-mid game. Not to mention he's a melee heavy party. When it comes to sheer damage, melee is a beast, and definitely the strongest. (at least in my personal opinion.)
  • BlackravenBlackraven Member Posts: 3,486
    edited March 2014
    @mumumomo, I agree with @Elrandir: it takes patience and practice for all of us, but surely you can spin a good story. In my experience it really helps if you have nice backstory in mind for your charname, with their personality and wordviews more or less fleshed out. Makes it so much easier to imagine what they will think and how they will act in different situations. I only recently started writing backstories, and my experience is that it makes each gaming experience, each charname much more unique.
    What I like in your wrting btw is that you indicate very precisely how you deal with avery combat situation (spells cast, potions needed etc).

    As to Grynne's possible overpoweredness, I agree that the upgraded dagger of venom is OP for mid BG1; it's more of a SOA weapon (not the best though, compared to e.g. Carsomyr, Staff of the Magi, FoA). However I'm wielding it in my offhand, and I have only one proficiency point in daggers. So it's basically the extra APR that's going to help me inflict the miscast magic penalty on the tougher mages (that don't fall too easily). I haven't even poisoned a single enemy so far.
    Besides, if you look at the modded enemies' firepower, as Elrandir says, then I think I'm not that OP. Look at Morvin the dwarf for example. He's a level 9 Fighter, with 126 HP, 19 CON (great shorty saves), 19 DEX through items (gauntlets of DEX +2, and his weapon grants another +1 DEX), an AC of -5, an oil of speed, and he wields the following weapon:


    image


    If you don't come prepared against the likes of Morvin, you'll get chunked (especially if you've got no magic at your disposal such as mu current party, so no web, no dire charm to have your opponents fight each other etc).

    When I said before that I felt OP, what I should have said is that unlike what I'm used to in other playthroughs, enemies fall simply by clicking on them. Other charnames, for example the cleric/thief I played until recently requiered much more micromanaging, which I actually prefer: I love hiding, backstabbing, using spells...
    Post edited by Blackraven on
  • ElrandirElrandir Member Posts: 1,664
    Geez! Tough fight. SCS really kicked up the difficulty for Droth. I'm used to bludgeoning him to death in seconds, so good job with this much upgraded version.
  • BlackravenBlackraven Member Posts: 3,486
    Hey @Elrandir, thanks, it was a close one indeed. I think I wouldn't have died, but I was already thinking that maybe it'd for the best if we just fled the scene...
    I'm not sure whether I want to continue this playthrough though. I really miss the micromagaging, spellcasting etc. Anyway, I'm going to force me through the bandit camp and Cloakwood I guess. See how think by then..
  • DragonspearDragonspear Member Posts: 1,838
    I'm actually in ToB atm with my dwarven wizard slayer. I'd meant to go back and give it another try with the WSRB mod but haven't had a chance yet. Between work, League of Legends with friends and diablo, BG is just waiting for me to boot up a game again.

    Also I used a similar party makeup as well. The difference is that I made an exception for the following arcane casters:

    Xan
    Imoen


    Anyway I look forward to keeping up with this thread. I meant to have one for my WS but its way too late for that now. I can tell you that certain fights in BG2 are going to be a complete nightmare, and that is even if you take keldorn.
  • BlackravenBlackraven Member Posts: 3,486
    Hey @Dragonspear, thanks for your appreciation! I'v been on the brink of abandoning the game (too hack&slashy so far), but the prospect of big challenges in BG2 may keep me interested :)
    Atm I have quite a lot of time on my hands, but that may change in a two or three months. I'm playing a no-reload run, so I might get back to you at one point for advice...
  • DragonspearDragonspear Member Posts: 1,838
    Out of curiousity, what weapon setup are you using?
  • BlackravenBlackraven Member Posts: 3,486
    edited March 2014
    @Dragonspear

    I've started out with three pips in dualwielding and one in axes. Currently I'm level 7 and I've placed another pip in axes and one in daggers. (The one pip in dagger is because I'm using a mod which allows for an upgrade of the dagger of venom by Thalantyr, making it grant an extra APR).

    I opted for dualwielding because of the cumulative spellcasting penalty and I took axes because I never use them, and they fit the character I had in mind, even though longswords are probably the better choice given their diversity. The STR bonus to throwing axes is a perk for the axe-wielder though (as you might know WS Rebalancing makes the spell failure penalty apply to ranged attacks as well).

    With WS Rebalancing, dualwielding eventually becomes superfluous, as it gives the WS 1% on top of the base 10% failure penalty every level-up. So at level 10, the penalty is 20%, and at level 20 it becomes 30%. Thus by then, three hits (e.g. with a 2h sword) should suffice to pretty much neutralize any spellcaster...
    Post edited by Blackraven on
  • DragonspearDragonspear Member Posts: 1,838
    Ah, since I hadn't used the mod I couldn't say. I do know if I was to go back again I'd have started with 2/2 in axes and twf, especially since that extra pip in twf really ain't worth it.

    I'm debating making an elven WS doing it with longswords or a 2h WS with 2h weapons and an orc.
  • BlackravenBlackraven Member Posts: 3,486
    A -4 thac0 penalty in the offhand has always occurred to me as rather steep. But come to think of it, it's only -2 compared to a "twin character" with 3 pips in twf, like lagging two levels behind for off-hand thac0 purposes. And I suppose its even less of a problem if the off-hand weapon is mainly used for its protective purposes or to enhance effectiveness with the mainhand weapon, like Crom Faeyr, Belm, DoE etc.
    On the other hand as a fighter you get quite a lot of proficiency points to spend, so in the long run it doesn't really matter that much.

    Roleplay-wise the elf dualwielding longswords sounds nice, even if slightly less damaging in melee. I consider having my h-orc master a 2h weapon (2h sword or halberd) as well, as the game progresses.
  • DragonspearDragonspear Member Posts: 1,838
    Late game I'd put the 3rd pip in there, but prolly not until grand mastery is achieved. The reason that many consider that point lackluster, is that going from Specialized to Master also grants a +2 to Thac0.

    Take for example your character (assuming you not getting the dagger):

    TWF: +++
    Axes: +

    At level 3, you gain +1 to hit and +2 to damage

    If you start TWF ++ and Axes ++, at level 3 you're up to +3 to hit and +3 to damage, and if its the same weapon, then you've effectively made up that 1 pip.

    That's the nice thing about D&D and single player games though. You CAN have your own style to fit how you want to play, and in the end that's all that matters.
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