An impossible solo?

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Hello all! This is my first post on these boards although these forums have solved many of my problems during my BG2 experience (starting from my first encounter with Kangax ).
Although i now have much experience in the game, for the first time i installed some mods and i am thinking soloing BG2 SoA - ToB.
The mods are the following:

- Improved Asylum
- Improved battles
- Tactics
- Ascension
- Longer Road
- Turnip golem
(all comp. installed from each mod)

My char. is a plain fighter imported from BG1 with the following stats:

S:19
D:19
C:19
I :14
W:13
CHA:19

I would like to know from those who have tried the above mods, soloing or not, if i have any chance.I only know that the end would be extremely difficult but if at least i can arrive at the final battle with Melissan and ''friends''.

PS: I have soloed the above char. through BG1-TotSC, BG2 SoA-ToB all on insane quite easily so thats why i am searching for some challenge or is it too much?

 

Yeah...it is EXTREMELY easy to solo those mods...oh well, except for the final battles, with those mods installed...

Improved Irenicus is not so bad when you are in a party, but solo is a PAIN...not because he is hard, but because of other...game mechanics. Play yourself to find out.

Also...when you import your fighter, pick the Berserker kit, NOT the kensai, and then dual-class him to Mage at lvl 13. Preferably take Grandmastery in Quarterstaffs. Watch the chunks fly!

I recommend the Berserker because with a Kensai, you would get at most +3 to hit and damage, at the cost of not being able to equip armor etc. If you are a berserker instead, you will be able to wear ALL items, which are a big help, especially when your character is a bit weak in those early battles in Tactics...

Not to mention those immunities from Berserker Rage come in right handy in all those battles against Lichs and Mages.

Just take Grandmastery with Staffs as you will get Staff of the Magi which will make your life a LOT easier in all those advanced battles. Not to mention Staff of the Ram +6 does oodles of damage.

 

If this is the improved asylum I am thinking of (there may be several) then give it a wide berth. The combat it adds with a party is insane. (and I have soloed tactics on insane, including the infamous chateau irenicus improvement).
Really don't bother with that one.

 

Thanks for you responses guys.

@ Faraaz : ... extremely easy ...

Well i must admit that when i started the game i was really shocked .Groups of duergars instead of goblins,
respawning of enemies on rest (a real nightmare), doors that ...remain magically stuck opened ... and the second great shock the group of Ilych, Zhivago (fallen deva ) and co. not to mention enemies that could not be hurt with my +1 sword like Glabrezu and the vampire on the second level.
My first thought was that it's impossible for my solo fighter and i was ready to uninstall.Then i thought that it could be possible at least escape the dungeon leaving the accorns for someone else .So first i tried to make everything possible to level up killing the respawning groups of duergars (which was the hardest part of the dungeon trying to kill a group/rest without using potions - ranged weapons helped a lot).But after a level-up things gone surprisingly better.I cleared everything out of the library and after the group of the shadowmage i was towards the exit.
But then looking at the many healing potions and the 3 oils of speed i had collected i said at least to give it a try... and returned.
And i was really amazed by making it at my first try ! I approached the library slowly from south when the first 2 appeared. Illych and Zhivago.I first pointed Zhivago with my bow (yes i selected attack while Ilych is speaking... ) and made him fail summoning the deva.Then i started running...Went near the portal saving and waiting for Ilych, who was running like a mad, to appear.He was the hardest of all and fortunately i had him badly injured when all the others appeared.But the position near the portal was ideal because not all of them could hit me.So i killed Ilych then went through the portal but only for the autosave.I managed to kill also Zhivago from that position after i saved against some nasty spells and then definitively passed to the second level.I was fatigued(don't know by what) but still hasted so i decided to take advance of the haste effect.Went down again (invisible from a potion of the shadowmage and co.) and collected every dropped equipment.At that point it was really easy.Killed Glabrezu and then the vampire with crossbow (i didn't know that you can use unidentified items by the way) and then the rest.
I decided to play on core rules (i don't want to start on insane then drop the dif. at some future hardest battle) but seeing that i escaped the dungeon with 2 oils of speed, 5 potions of extra healing and many other minor healing potions, i think that this dungeon is doable on insane.

@ Faraaz I really want the challenge of playing as a plain fighter all over the game (as i did without the mods) even if a Berseker may be better.And as about dual-classing, even if i wanted, my poor INT would not allow me to.Forgot to mention that i am human,
ch. good.

@ angryguy

I have installed Improved Asylum v. 0.92 . For the moment i intend to keep everything but tnx for the advice.

 

Good job.
In theory everything in tactics and ascension can be soloed, but with certain classes you'll simply need (much) more patience to survive certain encounters.

That, and a little luck.

 

What?? Well...if you're going to be a single classed fighter going solo through Ascension and tactics...hehe...best of luck!

And keep CTRL+R handy...

 

solo with a plain fighter... oh dear....

I believe the Illych group doesn't have a mage at all. (the dude that calls a deva is more like some kind of paladin).

enermies with proper mage skills in the mods will have:

A lot more invisibility than the original (including mirror images etc);
deal tons of damage but have a lot more stone skins;
deal tons of damage but have a lot more protection from magical weapons;
a lot more enermies with above skills attack you at once.
(so you need to hit 10 times just to get rid of one stone skin on one enermy. The guy then most likely will instantly cast another stone skin. er... actually if you soloed before, you probably could deal with it, although I don't know how you did it...)

some other bad situations that you need to prepare:

enermies immune to physical damage;
drain your ability scores like crazy;
immune to pretty much everything a fighter can do; (well except level drain. so probably keep black razor)
cast imprisonment on you; (not talking about demi-liches here. so do whatever preparation)
I think there are people you just flat out can't kill (although you can still finish the game)
etc

you could dual to a thief so you can somewhat function like a mage. But really ......

[ May 22, 2005, 17:48: Message edited by: 14 ]

 

@ Scythesong

hehe you got the point, at least for Irenicus dungeon it was like that
luck (save vs spells, c.hits, c.miss from enemies) & patience (reloads )
But my fear is if luck & patience are enough for the rest of the game


@ 14

You have described a frightening situation
Well i knew before installing the mods that the first new thing would be more powerfull mages.
In the original game mages,liches,etc. are very underpowered as they use a very small potential of their abilities.
For my solo fighter in the unmodded game mage=goblin with the right tools (rings of air control, flail o.a.,etc.) and the real threat was
only a melee opponent (Draconis, Ravager, Ogremoch,well Melissan also) so it should have changed.

Now after escaping Irenicus' dungeon i see many changes in enemy mages.Well first i did the circus quest (nothing new) but when i went to visit my friend Mencar (as i used to do) i found him a bit changed (and hey they must have used Shadowkeeper - there is just ONE f.o.a.,CF,Crom Faeyr in the game ) .Well Mencar himself can be defeated from me only on a higher level-better eqquipped (money).I have managed to kill the berseker, thief and the wizard (much changed also) but i couldn't understand how can the imp- Pooky be killed!Well it doesn't deal much damage but i can't understand how it continues to cast stoneskin-shields immediately in a row.What's this? spells (impossible i have counted over 10 stoneskins),scrolls or innate ability?
Any help would be appreciated just to understand how it works.
Now i am doing the Nalia's stronghold but i am afraid i won't have much free time for BG in the next days.

 

I see you are determined.... This journey is going to be great, probably lengedary .......

Apparently there are people who have infinte number of spells. I think they cast 'em via scrpts. Didn't realise pooky was one of 'em.... and with good reasons.....

All I can say is do whatever it takes to kill pooky, you won't be disappointed .......

 

What mod makes the battles so COOL? I have Tactics installed, where can I find the others? What is improvved battles?

Please help I am envious and desperately need them!

 

@ Silverstar
Here http://www.pocketplane.net/modlist/index.php?ax=list&cat_id=91

and http://weidu.org/main.html

With the mods i have installed i haven't any problems so far.But know that more are the mods installed higher the risk of bugs,...

[ May 24, 2005, 14:37: Message edited by: Taluntain ]

 

@thetruth
As long as you don't mind using an unconventional tactic or two, your fighter should survive.
Just remember that items can play a key role in your solo, particularly Vhailor's Helm and the Staff of Fire+2.

 

OK guys i need your help-some answers from the more experienced ones.
First of all my fighter is now level 20 still in chapter 2(i want to clear everything before spellhold) and have to say that modded BG is another game.No more RP but pure hack'n'slash - all vs. one.
The many new random encounters has made Athkatla a big graveyard .
Only at bridge district (trying to complete Tanner's quest) in 3 hours game time i had to face
- muggers, vampires from original game
- attack from 6 members team that have a necromancer - that idiot with his monster wand has created much trouble.His monsters are killing guards and frightening people.Only at copper coronet Joluv was saved at the last moment - now he sells his things near the planar sphere !! (have to remember that )
- another attack when i came out from Tanner's shop with a new group (maybe because i had leveled up?) real tough (bounty hunter,w.slayer,conjurer,...) that now i meet every night!
I know that i can escape these encounters but i just can't leave an enemy alive .

And the problems:
- First all the undeads(from a shadow to skeleton warrior) have new casting abilities and thats ok.But they can cast spells like (hold person,...) on imp. invisible without dispelling the invisibility first!
- Same problem with some mages for example the conjurer casts sometimes remove magic while i am invisible (confirmed by his teamates ''Damn where are they'') or a shadow druid insect plague!
- Contigencies,spells sequencers triggered while i have imp.invisibility.For example a cont. with flame arrows shouldn't be triggered on imp.invisible even if i started attacking or am i wrong?

I have completed:
- Stronghold (very tough imp.Torgal)
- Haer Dalis-prison
- Trademeet (very funny seeing imp.Faldorn dealing over 1000 damage! on Cernd-who cannot be hurt and finally get killed)
- Mad cleric (mad but ...)
- Liches .Shade,elemental and gate's lich.Including the coolest battle on the floor above Kangax (as for Kangaxx himself got to have some GWW in order to hurt him - damn i want that ring)
- Minor quests

@ Scythesong
Remind me what Staff of Fire+2 does, tnx.

 

IIRC, it slays all Fire Elementals on hit. I think it might summon a Fire Elemental but I'm not sure on that. Check out GameBanshee if you want the complete description.

 

If it fails it's save. use Halberd: Wave instead.

 

Whoa.
If you have trouble with these encounters just remember that there's the shield of reflection in the Adventurer's Mart. It really helps since these guys are rather fond of missile weapons.
Then it's just a matter of running around in circles and waiting for the perfect oppurtunity to strike.

Contingencies are indiscriminate of invisibility. Scripts are too. Insect Plague and Remove Magic can be cast with actually targetting someone, so thanks to the know-where-you-are-even-though-you're-invisible scripts... Actually, just about every enemy in these mods resort to cheesy tactics.

You can use the Staff of Fire to summon Fire Elementals . Not the very best summons, but they can hit anything. The staff can have 20 charges if you sell/buy it back.

I hope you don't mind answering a few questions of my own.
How did you kill Improved Faldorn and all those liches? The only sure method I could think of that a non-casting class would use would be using Protection from Magic scrolls offensively.

 

@ Scythesong

Tnx about the tip for the shield of reflection - i was always forgetting that

First of all a must for a solo fighter and not only is the Belt of Inertial barrier that you get from Trademeet (half damage from everything magic),i always fight ivisible(have 10 rings of air control,and it helps a lot in melee combats also), rod of resurrection - i haven't used it in this game so far but in extreme fights helps a lot (don't know if it's cheesy).At last potions of mind focusing brings your DEX at 25 which helps a lot.Of course later in the game you get some very interesting equipment.

For Faldorn actually Cernd did it .As i solo the only good path to beat Faldorn is to speak to Cernd (after i cleaned the outside of druid grove) and tell him to fight Faldorn but not in your party and that you want to watch.So you are teleported in and simply watch Cernd beating her.
Then for the fun i reloaded, took Cernd in my party and when the fight started Faldorn casts nature's beauty = a dead Cernd . But i also managed to beat Faldorn and her druids - very tough but Faldorn didn't fight shapeshifted.
As for the liches you can use scrolls of p.from magic from your simulacrum if you want but i consider it cheating.(but i don't know how much i will resist if they continue to cast spells on my inv. character )
- Shade lich was the toughest because it was my first fight with an imp.lich.I didn't use a special tactic, took a lot of damage, saved a lot vs. spells ignored the summons of the lich and f.o.a. made the rest.Reloaded only once when casted imprisoment (by the way that teleport field is very cheesy - i was in the rooms of the cult of the unseeing eye and teleport field kept bringing me back )
- For the elemental lich (bridge district) i used p. from undead for me and my simulacrum and i noticed that even if the lich dispells the protection later it gives you the advantage to start hitting first.So go near the lich hasted with your sim.,talk to the lich to turn it hostile (i want to be fair ), and start hitting (it died almost immediately).Same about the gate's lich.
- The fight in the house of Kangaxx was the toughest one because 2 liches is something different.Reloaded enough,escaped the battle sometimes when 4 ! pit fiends in a small room were a bit too dangerous (those modders are crazy for sure), but at last i made it.

PS : Has anyone managed to defeat the group of Samildanach? This new quest starts when a boy asks for your help and get killed in front of your eyes by the above guy.Then you have to fight them in a new area in which you get from copper coronet.I tried 3-4 times but found it impossible for my 15 level fighter.Then i reloaded and have managed to ''isolate'' the boy at the graveyard and i will go to do it when i will be many levels higher .

 

Have you killed pooky yet ?
Have you killed pooky yet ?
Have you killed pooky yet ?

Now you've done liches, I think it's time you face some dragons ..... or ... wyverns...

[ May 26, 2005, 12:58: Message edited by: 14 ]

 

What Pooky transforms in a dragon?? If so and has the same ability of instant stone-skins maybe i should leave him alone
(no don't spoil it)
Some more quests and shadow dragon and Firkraag are next.

Just found out that Azuredze(axe from copper coronet) can instant kill liches also!Trademeet's lich - wait prot.from m.weapons to expire+GWW attack with Azuredze=a dead lich

 

Flail of the Ages. Nasty. I must admit I am amazed at how you're taking these things on direct-like. (not that a fighter would have to prepare spells ahead of time )

Anyway, you might also want to consider bringing along Potions of Heroism and Invulnerability. Your simulacrum is gonna need some, I'd wager. The old "witch" Cragmoon in the southwestern portion of the Bridge District has a plentiful supply, along with several other concoctions you might want to try out.
And the Cloak of the Sewers (which allows you to shapeshift into a mouse that can hide in the shadows) + cloak of non detection so you don't have to worry too much about spending your ring charges and being detected by divination spells. It also has decent MR, iirc.

EDIT:
BTW, your post above reminds me. You should start saving up on anti-level drain items. At some point in the game you're gonna have a lot of encounters with level draining monsters.

[ May 26, 2005, 13:35: Message edited by: Scythesong Immortal ]