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Is four too few?

NonnahswriterNonnahswriter Member Posts: 2,520
edited September 2014 in Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition
I've been brainstorming ideas for an Icewind Dale EE playthrough, and I dug up some old character sheets my very close friend and I made in our early tabletop days. We had two characters each, while my mom was the DM, played in (conveniently) 2nd Edition. So I thought, "How cool would it be to revisit these awesome characters again in the icy wastes of the Dale?"

I've heard you can beat the game with any number of characters in a party. I always preferred a full-party run because I love making characters, but I've only got four to work with this time, and I'd like some opinions. The characters are:

Zarr, a halfling thief.
Ashelia, a human cleric.
Amara, a half-elf mage.
Todd, a human ranger.

I already know that thieves are kinda lack-luster. Might make Zarr into a fighter/thief instead. But otherwise, will this allow enough coverage, even with so few characters? I don't mind a challenge, but I don't want to create a party that's doomed to fail from the very start.

Thanks for reading! :D
Post edited by Nonnahswriter on
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Comments

  • DreadKhanDreadKhan Member Posts: 3,857
    Haha nice!

    I wonder if anyone is batty enough to run 6 threesome multis in IWDEE. Cuz that'd be bonkers.
  • NonnahswriterNonnahswriter Member Posts: 2,520
    DreadKhan said:

    Haha nice!

    I wonder if anyone is batty enough to run 6 threesome multis in IWDEE. Cuz that'd be bonkers.

    I'd do it.

    And cry trying. TT_TT
  • PokotaPokota Member Posts: 858
    I was able to get to the end boss with four (no split-classing), but the expansion material is not going to work with just one frontliner.
  • FandraxxFandraxx Member Posts: 193
    four characters is very do-able, its just gonna require abit more patience when it comes to some of the bigger fights. But you have a pretty solid team there.
  • pandacakepandacake Member Posts: 39
    edited September 2014
    Less characters mean you level faster so i actually find it easier with less people my favorite way is with 2 players,, fighter/cleric and mage
  • ifupaulineifupauline Member Posts: 405
    four isn't too few, it's too much!!! Now if you like to play with lot of characters I think 4 is perfect, i did it with a standard party, druid fighter mage and thief, I think the druid is a must play.
  • SpungiSpungi Member Posts: 219
    I had a game with a paladin, a fighter dualed to cleric at 5 I think, a fighter dualed to thief and a fighter dualed to mage.
    I think they were all dualed at 3 or 5 can't remember... As soon as they got back their fighter lvls, it was beyond easy... The mage rocked 2 handed and elven chain mail... I stopped playing right after severed hand, cause it was too easy
  • GoturalGotural Member Posts: 1,229
    Actually if a Mage can cast 7th level spells (1M5 xp), a tripleclass could be casting 5th level spells (375k xp).

    When the Mage will reach 8th level spells, the triple class will reach 6th level spells. It's arguably better to be a triple class, the synergy and added benefit is too good.
  • DreadKhanDreadKhan Member Posts: 3,857
    Gotural said:

    Actually if a Mage can cast 7th level spells (1M5 xp), a tripleclass could be casting 5th level spells (375k xp).

    When the Mage will reach 8th level spells, the triple class will reach 6th level spells. It's arguably better to be a triple class, the synergy and added benefit is too good.

    Wut u tockin bout? 8th level spells are vastly better than 6th. Though IWD spells used to be few at higher levels, now we have large piles of BG2 magic. So higher level is better.

    Fo seriouz, would you rather cast Chain Lightning or Horrid Wilting???
  • QuartzQuartz Member Posts: 3,853
    Dazzu said:

    Quartz said:

    Someone made essentially a power gamer's guide to Icewind Dale and they said the most powerful party was like 4 FMTs and 2 FMCs. Sounds like some serious stupidity because the game isn't THAT hard like come on but to each their own I guess.

    It was 5 FMC and 1 FMT, all NG alignment to abuse RWoTF.
    Ahh thank you, I thought I may have had it wrong. Yes, that was what I was thinking of. Thanks!
    recklessheart said:

    I think that's fine, from what I know. You will have to use a cheat engine to acquire the necessarily scrolls for your Mage to learn however: it seems like a huge bitchslap not too, as your Mage will have lvl5 spell access while in Dragon's Eye but no way of using 'em without cheats. I therefore think of this as the least cheatiest cheat ever.

    Ugh, yes, great point. That really does suck. You may pick up a few scrolls here and there adventuring that will make your book not empty, but unfortunately, not often. The mechanic they employed for the spell buying really is dumb. I'm not a fan of editors and stuff messing with normal play, but I wouldn't even blame someone for using one for this.
  • NonnahswriterNonnahswriter Member Posts: 2,520
    Would the scrolls be the same every time you find them, or are they randomized? Two scrolls per level isn't that bad so long as they aren't something useless every time you play. (Like Infravision. Ugh.)

    I can't remember--is Find Familiar in this game?
  • DreadKhanDreadKhan Member Posts: 3,857
    I meant you could honourably cheat in 2 scrolls per level. ;)

    Sneaky sneaky!
  • DazzuDazzu Member Posts: 950
    For the most part, there are maybe 1 or places where scrolls are random.

    One is the lost temple and in that case, there are better items, such as magic launchers, to get instead.
  • recklessheartrecklessheart Member Posts: 692
    I have preferred on the one occasion I did a 4 person party to cheat in scrolls exclusive to my Mage's specialist school, as that seems to me to be the most legitimising jutification. So, to give an example: when my Mage (an Invoker) gained level 5 magic in Dragon's Eye, I cheated in Shroud of Flame & Cone of Cold. At level 6 magic, he earned Chain Lightning and Otiluke's Freezing Sphere. Seems legit to me! :)
  • DazzuDazzu Member Posts: 950
    Now that I think on it, if you're going human ranger, you should try dualling to cleric at some point. With such a small party, that point could be later than the usual 7. 13 could work. You'll have 12 levels worth of Fighter weapon specs, an extra APR while your offhand is free + another for being at 13. You might get a few levels of extra druid magic in your priest slots.
  • GoturalGotural Member Posts: 1,229
    edited September 2014
    DreadKhan said:

    Wut u tockin bout? 8th level spells are vastly better than 6th. Though IWD spells used to be few at higher levels, now we have large piles of BG2 magic. So higher level is better.

    Fo seriouz, would you rather cast Chain Lightning or Horrid Wilting???

    I would prefer an Improved Haste + Mislead F/M/T to a Mage with 8th level spells, IMO.

    And if we take an extreme exemple, at 405,000 xp, the Mage is level 11 with level 5th spells, while the F/M/T is level 9 Mage and also has level 5th spells.

    To not derail the thread too much, I would say that your 4 man party should be enough to play through the game, every role is represented.
  • NimranNimran Member Posts: 4,875
    DreadKhan said:

    I meant you could honourably cheat in 2 scrolls per level. ;)

    Sneaky sneaky!

    Favored cheater: honourable
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