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Shadowdancer questions

I've yet to try the Shadowdancer kit, but I want to give it a whirl. I just don't understand how some of the abilities work.

Hide In Plain Sight - I can Hide In Shadows even while in combat? Are the penalties pretty severe, like they are for trying to hide in broad daylight?

Shadowstep - Does this function like a Time Stop, but I just can't attack? So would this mostly be used for repositioning during fights or escaping? Can I enter stealth while this is active? Secondarily, would the HiS penalties apply while time is frozen?

Shadow Twin (HLA) - So this is basically like Simulacrum right?

It seems like an interesting class (though I'm not looking forward to the halved Skill Point progression). Probably the best way to learn how to use one is by soloing. Would you recommend I start from scratch in BG1 or in BG2 when I've already got some points and abilities?
Blackraven

Comments

  • PteranPteran Member Posts: 388
    Thanks for the information guys! I'm going to have to give the class a try after I get back from the honeymoon. My evenings this week a pretty much all packed with other commitments already, and then the honeymoon next week haha.

    How does it fare in combat solo, without any other classes to buff it up? I was thinking of maybe a low level fighter dual (7 or 9 at most) to Shadowdancer to be a little more effective in combat. Or maybe a Shadowdancer/Mage multi (I'm clueless about forcing multiple kits or I'd add Illusionist for flavor).
    BlackravenjackjackJuliusBorisovAerakar
  • GrumGrum Member, Mobile Tester Posts: 2,100
    My thanks to semitigod.

    In BG1 soloing a shadow dancer is easier than having a group.
    In BG2, once I maxed his backstab I dual classed to fighter. You get the levels back fairly fast. The main issue in late BG2 is that many enemies are immune to backstab. Having the fighter levels let's charname remain as a threat. And against foes you can backstab...grand mastery, fighter thaco...you hit hard. Then you can hide in shadows and do it again.

    He was pretty damned powerful by the end.
    semiticgoddessBlackravenPteranJuliusBorisov
  • PteranPteran Member Posts: 388
    I'm definitely not averse to using Keeper as needed. What would be the difference between starting as a Shadowdancer and changing it to a multi Fighter/Shadowdancer vs starting as a multi F/T and adding the kit/abilities/effects?

    I hadn't considered a dual into a Fighter. Did you not find yourself lacking in Thief skills having only gained 15/lvl? Or did you just augment the low skills with gear and potions?
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    @Pteran: Switching to a kit after starting as an unkitted multi-class, in my experience, tends not to work very well. It doesn't always apply the kit effects perfectly. Starting as a kitted single-class and Keepering the character to a multi-class, however, has worked more reliably for me. I'd be particularly concerned because the Shadowdancer's Hide in Plain Sight apparently doesn't operate via a spell effect, like most kit bonuses do (the "Add Kit Effects" function in EEKeeper shouldn't implement HiPS at all).
    Abi_DalzimlansounetJuliusBorisov
  • PteranPteran Member Posts: 388
    Oh that makes sense then. I assumed adding the kit effects would apply everything. I don't recall having problems with other kits but that's a unique ability.
  • jesterdesujesterdesu Member Posts: 373
    @Pteran

    Congrats on your marriage and best luck in the future.

    One weakness of the shadow dancer is of course true sight, whether a mob naturally has it (I.e. Dragons) or whether it is cast. They actually become quite ineffective then until a certain cloak (which iirc wont help with dragons etc). This sort of see through invis becomes ever more common in TOB.

    The other, especially if soloing, is the loss of set snare as that is the solo thieves best/ only(?) way to deal with many boss fights in BG2.

    That said, fun class but not imo the best solo thief.

    semiticgoddessJuliusBorisovBlackraven
  • GrumGrum Member, Mobile Tester Posts: 2,100
    Pteran said:

    I'm definitely not averse to using Keeper as needed. What would be the difference between starting as a Shadowdancer and changing it to a multi Fighter/Shadowdancer vs starting as a multi F/T and adding the kit/abilities/effects?

    I hadn't considered a dual into a Fighter. Did you not find yourself lacking in Thief skills having only gained 15/lvl? Or did you just augment the low skills with gear and potions?

    Well I decided off the bat that he was for killing people and killing people only. So his hiding was excellent. Everything else? Not at all. I kept Hexxat around for actual thieving.

    That's the downside of the build. Not enough points to be the only thief in the party. In BG1 it didn't matter, as traps don't matter that much outside of Durlag's Tower, and there are plenty of potions of master thievery.

    One trick in BG- is to have two passport rings (80% fire resistance) and boots of grounding (40% electricity resistance). Throw in the cloak of Balduran (25% magic resistance) and you'll survive any trap.

    In my head canon, being a shadow dancer was tied to his being a child of Bhaal. He relied on these gifts through BG1. In SoA, being captured was such a shock to him that he buckled down and actually learned how to fight, so that if another foe overcame his natural talents that he wouldn't be helpless again. Getting his shadowdancer levels back indicated that he recovered his confidence enough having proven to himself that he is indeed worthy of being called a child of Bhaal.
    JuliusBorisovjesterdesuPteranAerakar
  • PteranPteran Member Posts: 388
    Thanks for the tips guys!
    JuliusBorisov
  • ReadingRamboReadingRambo Member Posts: 598
    My favorite character is a fighter Mage thief shadowkeepered to Shadowdancer. So fun, and probably OP.
    jackjackJuliusBorisovBlackraven
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