Skip to content

General questions. IWD for newbies and semiprofs

1235720

Comments

  • AmardarialAmardarial Member Posts: 270

    @Rogol‌

    I found a pair of monk specific bracers fairly early on.

    DKnight said:

    So yeah I got stuck with battle at 5th lvl of Dragons Eye. Its not particularly tough but not easy either. I just want to know what is the main thing that changes the tide of battle?

    Do I use my spellcasters and magic missile the yuan ti god? Thats what I figured would work.

    Or should i take care of the spellcasters and melee. That doesnt seem like an idea. Its a tough battle but not as tough as I have faced before. Summons might be useful.

    I found this battle very, very difficult. It took me a few hours to beat, but I think that was mostly because of my party and spell selection. You need spells that ignore magic resistance and disable the enemy. So things like Web and stinking cloud. I used entangle and spike growth because that was all I had. My current only arcane spellcaster is a sorcerer, so I couldn't just change his spell selection. Going to dual my thief to a mage next level. I got lucky with a chromatic orb, and it held her long enough for me to kill her.

    Easiest way to handle this is summons to tank and just ranger her down with magical ammo...my archer basically soloed her, did all the damage and got the kill.
    Aaezil
  • bob_vengbob_veng Member Posts: 2,308
    thanks a lot!
    lolienJuliusBorisov
  • FinneousPJFinneousPJ Member Posts: 6,455
    @Chack I'm currently using shields in the early game. I feel like S&S style is a waste even if you want to use shield. I would rather diversify my weapon proficiencies than waste two pips for a situational AC bonus, or build for TWS in the future.
    Chack
  • JuliusBorisovJuliusBorisov Member, Administrator, Moderator, Developer Posts: 22,714
    Those snake archers in the Dragon's Eye... They hit hard, so the S&S style can be viable for a cleric - he can cover almost everything with only one pip in each weapon category. I've found the S&S style on my cleric quite handy.
    ChackatcDave
  • CaptRoryCaptRory Member Posts: 1,660
    I have Sword and Shield on my cleric, seemed like the best route. My Paladin is dual wielding longswords or warhammers depending on what we're fighting.
    Chack
  • FinneousPJFinneousPJ Member Posts: 6,455
    My point is you get most of the benefit of the shield by just using it. The S&S style is marginal.
    CaptRoryjackjackPibaro
  • CaptRoryCaptRory Member Posts: 1,660
    I agree that sword and shield is generally suboptimal, but you don't need strong Optimization Fu to beat the game. At some points AC becomes meaningless because the enemies can only hit you on a 20 or everyone's attack bonus/THAC0 is so good a few points here and there is meaningless, though I think that second situation is mostly in ToB. Anyway, you're generally better off improving your offense over your AC but its not like it hurts anything to do Sword and Board, especially with a Cleric which isn't going to be primarily busting heads anyway; I prefer my cleric behind a tower shield at the back of the party slinging magic.
    atcDave
  • AlketirAlketir Member Posts: 6
    I'm just wondering:

    1) HoF says it deactivates Story Mode, what does that do exactly?

    2) Is there a easy way to control summons? I tried using one as a druid, but since I've only used the mouse, it felt rather clunky and impractical (and kinda why I dislike using a full party, feels like a mess to me @_@ )

    3) So that one NPC in Kuldahar (Hjollder) sends you into the expansion? Should I wait to beat the main campaign, or can I go at anytime and come back?
  • TheCoffeeGodTheCoffeeGod Member Posts: 618
    Alketir said:

    I'm just wondering:

    1) HoF says it deactivates Story Mode, what does that do exactly?

    Story Mode basically makes you immortal, so you can enjoy the story without having to worry about dying along the way.
    JuliusBorisovjackjack
  • Ancalagon44Ancalagon44 Member Posts: 252
    Alketir said:

    I'm just wondering:

    1) HoF says it deactivates Story Mode, what does that do exactly?

    2) Is there a easy way to control summons? I tried using one as a druid, but since I've only used the mouse, it felt rather clunky and impractical (and kinda why I dislike using a full party, feels like a mess to me @_@ )

    3) So that one NPC in Kuldahar (Hjollder) sends you into the expansion? Should I wait to beat the main campaign, or can I go at anytime and come back?

    1. HoF and Story Mode are complete opposites, so it makes no sense to have both active at the same time. HoF makes enemies super tough, while Story Mode makes you super powerful (basically immortal).

    2. Just order them around like you would your party members.

    3. Common wisdom says to wait until you have just about finished chapter 6 and have got 6 important story items. You will find out what those 6 are later. In any case, Hjollder will not take you to the expansion until you have 250k experience per character. If you started a new HoW only game, your characters would have 500k experience. When I started it, I think my characters had 1.1 million experience each.

    Personally, I think from a flow point of view, I would do it before I had those 6 quest items. I think it breaks the flow a bit. After you are finished with a certain ruined Elven dungeon (you will find out what), the character you speak to offers to teleport you back to Kuldahar or to the next story location. I would recommend taking his offer of going back to Kuldahar and then starting the expansion then.

    Also remember to start Trials of the Luremaster before you get too far with HoW. Speak to Hobart Stubbletoes in the inn of Lonelywood (HoW town).
    JuliusBorisov
  • FardragonFardragon Member Posts: 4,511
    You can also complete the main quest and export your party, then import into a HoW game.
    JuliusBorisovjackjack
  • ShikaoShikao Member Posts: 376
    Question about Swashbuckler.
    Manual page 112 states that he gets +1 hit and dmg/5 levels, which I assumed it applies to all weapons. However, from one of discussions it looks like that's only applicable to melee.
    Which one is it? Any weapon or only melee?
  • FardragonFardragon Member Posts: 4,511
    edited November 2014
    Melee only.

    If you want ranged weapons, the Assassin gets a bonus for all.
    ShikaoJuliusBorisovjackjack
  • AedanAedan Member, Translator (NDA) Posts: 8,550
    Hello!
    I have a question.
    Is the Turn Undead ability influenced in some way by Cleric's Charisma?
    Thanks in advance.
    Pibaro
  • JuliusBorisovJuliusBorisov Member, Administrator, Moderator, Developer Posts: 22,714
    @Aedan‌

    Nope. In IWDEE CHA (of the character whose portrait is on the top, on the place of the group leader) only influences prices in stores and party's morale.
    jackjack
  • AedanAedan Member, Translator (NDA) Posts: 8,550
    edited November 2014
    @bengoshi
    Thanks.
    I was sure I read that somewhere time ago.
    It seems I was wrong.
    JuliusBorisov
  • ShikaoShikao Member Posts: 376
    Two quick questions:

    1) Could someone provide an estimate of total EXP or levels achievable with full party through normal run?
    2) Do Druids shapeshifts scale with HoF?
  • FardragonFardragon Member Posts: 4,511
    1) around 1.5 - 2 million xp per character.
    2) no
    ShikaoTheCoffeeGod
  • Aozgolo108Aozgolo108 Member Posts: 79
    How important is it to avoid using certain dump stats? Like I know due to the presence of Mind Flayers in BG2 you don't want a terribly low INT stat, or for mages Limited Wish you don't want WIS below 15, but I'm not sure if these enemies or spells are even in IWD? Is there a suggested minimum stat level?

    Also is it useful to have more than one single party member (the leader) with high Charisma?
  • WelkinWelkin Member Posts: 14
    The mage Amour spell replaces the AC bonus from armour rather than gets added to it right? So with my mage/thief as long as I keep the spell active there's no real bonus to wearing leather armour (only just noticed that his AC didn't change with or without armour).


    Also the manual doesn't have much about the differences between the Totemic Druids summoned animals, is there anything specific about the differences between them?
  • WelkinWelkin Member Posts: 14
    Thanks great info, loving the totemic druid and thief/illusionist
  • TheCoffeeGodTheCoffeeGod Member Posts: 618
    This has been bugging me for a bit, now that I figured out how fix Ghereg's problem in the Kuldahar Pass.

    So, there's a Goblin Marshal on the Mill who is also complaining about his head hurting.
    Is there a way to fix that like we did Ghereg, or do we just leave him alone or kill him?



  • CaptRoryCaptRory Member Posts: 1,660
    The ogre guy complaining his head hurts? Can you actually help him?
  • TheCoffeeGodTheCoffeeGod Member Posts: 618
    Yes you can...

    You have to talk to Arundel about the ogre and he'll give you a recipe for Ghereg's headache, which you go back and tell Ghereg about.
    jackjackJuliusBorisov
  • CaptRoryCaptRory Member Posts: 1,660
    AHA! I just murderfied him.
  • TheCoffeeGodTheCoffeeGod Member Posts: 618
    image
    If you're fast enough, you can do both.

    That fix doesn't work for the Goblin Marshal on the Mill though, that's why I was curious if there was a way to fix his problem.


  • ShikaoShikao Member Posts: 376

    Yes you can...

    You have to talk to Arundel about the ogre and he'll give you a recipe for Ghereg's headache, which you go back and tell Ghereg about.
    As far as I remember,

    player created druid knows the recipe as well, so if you have one (it's IWD, so it's almost certain ;) then you can just send your druid to talk with the ogre. Saves you run to Kuldahar and back


    PibaroJuliusBorisov
  • BelgarathMTHBelgarathMTH Member Posts: 5,653
    Hmm, Arundel has never given me any such dialogue choices after speaking to the ogre and going to Kuldahar. Are you sure you don't have to have a druid or ranger speak to Arundel to get the option? I usually speak to him with a paladin or fighter in the lead of my party, and there's no option to tell him about the ogre.


    Can anyone post a screenshot of the relevant dialogue and what class did the talking?
    JuliusBorisov
Sign In or Register to comment.