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Need help with Arcane Spells

Raven999Raven999 Member Posts: 20
Hello, long time Baldur's Gate sorcerer\mage player here in need of help.


I've played both the original IWD and IWD II games a while ago, and although they were fun, you just didn't get that same thrill you get from playing an arcane caster in BG II.
The addition of the BG spells is what made me wanna try out IWD:EE.
The ability to play a BG-style mage/sorcerer with all the associated cheesiness (clones/projected images, sequencers, triggers, contingencies, endless wish spell strategies...etc) really makes it worthwhile for me.


I just started playing IWD:EE about week ago and have been trying to find out everything there is to know about the tweaks and modifications that were done to the Baldur's Gate spells.

Ex: I already know about changes made to once-fantastic spells like Web, Abi'dalzim's Horrid Wilting and Greater Malison. Some spells seem to have been tweaked to better fit into the game balance of IWD.
I can live with that.

I'm not asking for a detailed description of all the changes and tweaks that were done to the spells, what I'm after is actually more basic than that.


I'm currently playing as the group sorcerer in a multiplayer game with one of my siblings and a friend.
Right now I'm only level 8, but much like I used to do in Baldur's Gate, I have my planned spell selection ready for the next 15 levels or so.


So having all the BG II spells is really cool and all, but I have my doubts about whether or not my usual BG II spell selection will cut it in IWD:EE.

I'm sure most of you will agree that what made playing mage/sorcerer so fun in BG were the long mage vs mage battles.
Each mage would spend multiple rounds piercing through or stripping each other's magic protection spells, scrying through each other's illusion, unleashing triggers and sequencers...etc.
You had to have the right spells to pierce through the enemy mage's shields and the right protections to stop enemy protection removal spells from breaching through your own.
Watching an enemy wizard trying to cope with Khelben's Warding Whip and attempting to put up new protections only to have them stripped by the Whip a second and third time was immensely rewarding.
Racing to protect your Misleads and your Projected Images with a level 5 Spell Immunity: Divination before the enemy mage managed to complete his casting of Oracle or True Sight...or thinking yourself clever for launching a level 7 Ruby Ray of Reversal against an enemy lich, only to get your RRR eaten up by it's level 5 Spell Shield...those were things that made playing mage/sorcerer really special.


Normally my spell selection would include stuff like Ruby Ray of Reversal, Lower Resistance, Pierce Shield, Spell Trap, Spell Turning, Spell Shield and Spell Immunity (mostly for the benefits of SI: Abjuration and SI: Divination (think about all those enemies trying to scry/dispel their way past your army of clones)).

I've already removed Greater Malison from my list, due to the changes that they've done to the spell.
I've also removed Khelben's Warding Whip from my possible choices...somehow I doubt that IWD mages will be equipped with more than one spell protection at a time.
But now I'm wondering whether having my usual spell protections and protection removal spells will actually serve me in the game.
I've only played half-way through the original IWD and from what I remember there were very few major conflicts involving enemy mages (minus a few encounters in the towers of the Severed Hand).


I'd like some input from players who've completed or played through most of IWD:EE.
Are there lots of mage vs mage battles up ahead and if so are they similar to the BG-style tactical spell battles?

As a sorcerer and the only major arcane caster in my co-op game, my level 5 to level 9 spell selection will vary greatly depending on the feedback I get here.
There'd be no point in cluttering my spell book with stuff like Spell Turning or Pierce Shield if they'll never see any use.


Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance!











Post edited by Raven999 on

Comments

  • FinneousPJFinneousPJ Member Posts: 6,455
    No, there are hardly any mage fights, none of which are particularly hard. You might do well to change your usual spell list.
    PibaroRaven999
  • caramello12caramello12 Member Posts: 6
    Well it depends if you wan't to use the cheats/tweaks or not, there are a few programs and editors out there, the cheat script works well and gives you a number of bonuses?
  • Raven999Raven999 Member Posts: 20

    No, there are hardly any mage fights, none of which are particularly hard. You might do well to change your usual spell list.


    That's rather unfortunate. I guess I'll just focus on combat protection, area damage spells and crowd control.
    Thanks for the help though! I'll be sure not to waste my time with protection/protection-breaching spells.

    Well it depends if you wan't to use the cheats/tweaks or not, there are a few programs and editors out there, the cheat script works well and gives you a number of bonuses?

    Sorry, I don't quite understand what you're talking about.
    FinneousPJgodspeed7
  • caramello12caramello12 Member Posts: 6
    Raven999 said:

    No, there are hardly any mage fights, none of which are particularly hard. You might do well to change your usual spell list.


    That's rather unfortunate. I guess I'll just focus on combat protection, area damage spells and crowd control.
    Thanks for the help though! I'll be sure not to waste my time with protection/protection-breaching spells.

    Well it depends if you wan't to use the cheats/tweaks or not, there are a few programs and editors out there, the cheat script works well and gives you a number of bonuses?

    Sorry, I don't quite understand what you're talking about.
    You can use the Icewind Dale Cheat Script by Godslaw, I am using the original IceWind Dale though, so I'm not sure how it would go with the Enhanced Edition, it has all this, if this helps:
    - Cast 6xMagic Missile on nearest enemy.
    - Dire Charm nearest enemy
    - Cast the following spells:
    Haste
    Improved Invisibility
    Draw Upon Holy Might
    Minor Globe of Invulnerability
    Protection from Normal Missiles
    Protection from Petrification
    Non-Detection
    - Cast Mirror Image
    - Cast Haste
    - Cast Dispel Magic
    - Cast Improved Invisibility & Non-Detection
    - Cast the following spells:
    2xCure Critical Wounds
    Remove Fear
    Remove Curse
    Remove Paralysis
    Neutralize Poison
    - Cast Draw Upon Holy Might
    - Give Party 5000 gold
    - Give Party 12000 experience point

    Its the last one on this page: http://www.gamepatchplanet.com/game/icewind_dale
  • Raven999Raven999 Member Posts: 20
    edited July 2015
    Why would I want to use cheat scripts?

    Sorry, I still don't see what any of this has to do with the question I asked in the original post.
    Somehow I doubt you read what it was I needed help with...
  • caramello12caramello12 Member Posts: 6
    Raven999 said:

    Why would I want to use cheat scripts?

    Sorry, I still don't see what any of this has to do with the question I asked in the original post.
    Somehow I doubt you read what it was I needed help with...

    Apologies, I misread your original post, I thought you wanted access to all spells.
  • BelgarathMTHBelgarathMTH Member Posts: 5,653
    @Raven999, one of the more dangerous spells that enemies do cast in IWD is Emotion:Hopeless. It can incapacitate your entire party. It can also work great if you cast it on enemies, but it's devastating when it gets cast on you.

    Mages have the counterspell for it - Emotion:Hope. I always found it useful to keep Emotion:Hope on the party at all times as part of my regular protective buffing casting before combat. It not only counterspells Emotion:Hopeless, it also gives some bard-like combat bonuses. So, my sorcerer took Emotion:Hope on his spell list.
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