This game is very hard.

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Sorry, but you're wrong.

 

At least in unmodded IWD2, it's only Druids that actually miss ANY of the simple weapon proficiencies since they can't use the crossbow. They're simple weapons for a reason, I'd guess - why would you pick a feat for a simple weapon when you could choose a martial one instead? I mean, roleplaying and/or weapon type availabity issues aside.

 

Stuntman, I wouldn't be so quick to stop taking additional levels for your spellcasters. There are additional benefits to more levels. In all cases, you'll gain additional spell slots for those highest level spells (as well as at lower levels). Also, casters like sorcerers and bards will get to choose new spells.

Now, admittedly, at some point, the benefit of those additional levels can seem to have a diminishing return. You'll have to look at the various tables in the back of the manual to make up your own mind where that point is, and IIRC, it can vary with class. For example, I tend to think that you could stop advancing clerics/druids after 20 levels, since you'd have to wait until level 26 to get an additional 9th level spell slot. Actually, this seems true for Sorcs as well.

I would also suggest that you probably should be aware of potential favored class conflicts if you intend to switch over your spellcasters in HOF.

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I'll agree that Rapid Shot actually shouldn't be an automatic feat for everyone. For example, if you have a mage (or, well, anyone) that's going to use crossbows, IIRC, Rapid Shot doesn't work with Xbows, so it'd be a wasted feat.

OTOH, while you are correct that most build will reach the 5 atk/rnd cap, the point of Rapid Shot would be to gain an extra shot for that time period before you reach the cap. Of course, that does also mean that RS will eventually become useless. But that cap is most likely only to be hit in HOF (or possibly by a solo warrior near the end of normal mode), and if you don't intend to play HOF, then the cap issue is moot.

Also, if you were playing a fairly pure fighter, you'll have so many feats that "wasting" one on RS is probably not a big deal. And it might get you an extra shot as the enemy is charging at you, even if you are going to switch over to melee when the baddies are at knife fighting range.

Or even with a mage that's using a bow, I'm not entirely certain that rapid shot is a good value. First off, you probably have other (arcane) feats that are of more importance to a mage. And secondly, the mage's BAB is going to be only half of a warrior's BAB. Is it worth taking a -2 penalty on all shots to use Rapid Shot, when your BAB is already relatively weak? Personally, I've generally preferred using crossbows for my mages since they often have greater AB bonuses, and I'd rather have one good chance for a hit than a couple crappy chances. That is.... assuming that I'm not casting spells, of course. Though this can be a significant issue for a while in normal mode while your mages don't have many spells to case, and they probably want to conserve their castings for when they can get the most bang for the buck on those few spells.

 

Rapid Shot is never "wasted" even if you reach the 5-round cap. Mathematically, it's like a -2 to your first attack and +3 to each of your other 4 attacks.

+20/+15/+10/+5/+0 vs.
+18/+18/+13/+8/+3 [you don't get the /-2 because of the cap]

It may be that there are other things you'd rather have instead, but don't be afraid of Rapid Shot becoming a liability.

-Max

 

Perhaps I'm confusing 3.5 rules with the IWD2 engine. There are some subtle differences. Wizards in 3.5 do not have proficiency in darts or slings, only crossbows. Perhaps this is another thing I missed playing for several years. In any case, my wizard primarily used crossbows since crossbows seemed much better than anything else considering my wizards tend to have low Str and BAB.

I checked on the Gamebashee site (not at home right now) and it lists Wizards as having proficiency in all simple weapons except for simple missile weapons. Darts and slings require simple missile weapon proficiency. I'll check the game when I get home tonight.

When I finished the game the first time around in normal mode, I didn't cast spells that often. Most combats against non-casters, I just use weapons. I may use the occasional cure, and heal or confusion. The real time aspect of the Infiniti engine really discourages me from using area effect spells like fireball that can harm my party. In many other D&D computer games I have played (turn based), I can use such spells to ensure I hit the enemies while adjacent allies are not in the blast area. I think it is primarly against enemy spellcasters that I would cast spells consistently.

From the tables, after level 20, the benefits of additional spells at your highest levels do not increase that often. I'm thinking that I may not need to cast 4 spells of level 9 before resting that I may even be able to do with just 2 spells of level 9. The way I see it, I think that I might as well multiclass to a fighter to get a few more feats and weapon proficiencies for my cleric and wizard sometime after level 18-20.

I have considered the multiclassing penalties. I think that even with the 20% XP penalty, the extra feats and proficiencies are still worth it and my BAB will still increase faster than if I remained a cleric or wizard.

 

3rd edition rules, Wizards are proficient with club, dagger, heavy crossbow, light crossbow and quaterstaff. No starting proficiency with darts or slings.

 

But they can use them.

 

Well, I checked my wizard and she does not have simple missile weapon proficiency.

 

I was being facetious, a wizard can use them while not being proficient. Anybody can use anything in IWD2.

 

Still, Symbol of Hopelessness is good for crowd control (Hook Horrors). What about stunning everybody, then repositioning your guys so the decoy/tanks are the target, then using Cera Sumat to Dispel/unstun a few bad guys at a time?

I agree though, it makes me sad to see my main berserker drop from 100 points of damage every second to 30. Not to mention how annoying immortal trolls can be.

-Max

 

Another version of a LG Rogue

Hi
The thought that crossed my mind when I started reading this debate about whether or not LG rogues were "realistic" is: "What about the White-Hat Hackers?" We all know about the "Black Hat Hackers who steal information from people's computers, write nasty viruses, etc... for the "fun of it" (Think CE). The White Hat Hackers are the one who test the software and websites to make our computers (and the internet) safer (think LG).
The Royal Canadian

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Hi Doc
There is no debating that this is one tough game. I just finished clearing the Goblin Fort yesterday. For the record, my party consists of a Half-Orc Fighter, Aasingar Paladin, Human Cleric of Selune, Human Druid, Gray Elf Wizard (unspecialized) and a Gray Elf Rogue (soon to Multi-class as a Wizard). Before leaving Targos, I didn't purchase anything but Arrows and Crossbow Bolts (I regret not having purchased a certain Sling though). A couple of points if I may.
1.) Don't rush ! There's no time limit. Have Ennila watch over you while you rest, whenever you need to.
2.) Remember the (Winston) Churchill Doctrine: Make your battles small enough to be winnable, but large enough to be important.
3.) Fireball is a VASTLY OVERRATED spell. Stinking Cloud is your friend (especially if you use it with either Web or Entangle, or both).
With these three facts in mind, here is how I got across the river.
I had the Rogue sneak North until he saw the group west of the first bridge. He then lured then back to the rest of the group. Make sure to kill them quickly !! One interesting note, in my case, the fight ended up so close to the hiding place that Ennila came out and helped in the battle. I then went north, and repeated the process with the group west of the second bridge. make sure to stay out of sight of the forces east of the river. After clearing out everything West of the bridges, return to the first bridge, and rest (in Ennila's hideout) if you need to. After buffing everyone (or at least everyone you can) SAVE THE GAME !! After saving the game CHARGE !!! the bridge. Go for the Orc Witchdoctor at the East end of the bridge. Ignore everyone else until he is dead. Once he's dead, clear out the rest of the "bridgehead", making sure to destroy the drum. After that it's fairly straight forward. For the rest of the mission, try to use your rogue as bait to draw the orcs, etc... into the Sticking Cloud that you Wizard will drop in front of your party. You will find a Fireball at some point (soon), but trust me, Stinking Cloud is much more effective. Unless you manage to kill the Witchdoctors, Shamen, and leader types (highly unlikely), a fireball doesn't do much for you. Stinking Cloud on the other hand knocks them down, totally incapacitating them and leaving them easy targets for your archers, while making sure they don't cast any spells at you. If you pair a stinking cloud with a web, you can keep at least some of them from retreating outside the cloud, and anyone stuck in the cloud must make a save every round.
The Royal Canadian

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HI Crucis
OMG !! I am going to have to try this !! There is a "Nine Paces" Spear for sale at the Gallaway Trading Post (I'm playing "Normal" at the moment), so it is time to experiment. Thanks for pointing it out !!
The Royal Canadian

 

LG Characters can and will Sneak Attack as needed

Hi Proteus
I hate to disagree with you, but LG does NOT mean "Thou shalt behave according to the code of Chivalry at all times.". To be quite honest, if you look at the Code of Chivalry, as implemented in Mid-evil Europe, it would be more LN than LG, as the Knights who took the oath of Chivalry, didn't actually do much (if anything) to make life better for the vast majority of the people (the peasants) that lived in their domains. As for LG people "backstabbing", I can think of a lot of people who would probably be classified as LG who, under certain circumstances, will backstab, or slice the throat of anyone they feel they have to, without a second thought: Any Counter-Terrorist strike team dealing with a hostage situation. If you think a British SAS (or former West German GSG9, or US Delta Force, etc...) is going to say "Put your hands in the air or I shoot" to a terrorist who may have rigged a bomb to blow up his hostages, you are hopelessly naive. In that sort of situation, the SAS man will kill the terrorist by the quickest, quietest, means available (including the "300 Meter Backstab" aka: Silenced Sniper Rifle), and move on to the next enemy.
The Royal Canadian

 

I used to have a lot of trouble with IWD2 even on easy difficulty. For my LP I've chosen the UPP which is basically one very strong barbarian and all clerics/mages for the rest. I've had some trouble early on, but as the game progresses I am finding it just gets easier, and I'm on normal difficulty.

So bottom line, it seems good party creation, skills/feat/stats management is simply crucial in this game.

[Changed the link; please don't link to other sites for content that can be found here. Thanks! -Tal]