Any Haer'Dalis fans out there?

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I have heard thet this guy is pretty powerful, but so far I have not been able to bring it out of him .I kinda like the guy and he has great party interaction and he seems to be a deep character,but when all hell breaks loose he's dead or dying.so far I have found all of the NPCs to be well developed and very enjoyable to play but when it comes to a fight he makes me What do you think is so great about him?

[ March 23, 2006, 18:33: Message edited by: Taluntain ]

 

Try to use defensive and offensive spins often. I play with Haer'dalis, and I use offensive spin in every battle. Without it, he is weak. With it, he becames a bladestorm of destruction capable of slashing down even the most powerfull enemies. I have him dual wielding blade of searing and Chaos blade, and with his great attack speed, he's extremly powerful. Actually, I use his mage abilities far to little, and I can only imagine how powerful he'll be with them. But anyway, i think that his main strength is his attack speed

 

Scythesong's Guide to Blades can help you turn HD into the biggest powerhouse in your game.

 

He's all about micromanaging. And some people like to overlook a couple of his weaknesses that he can't totally overcome. But he's good to play. All of the NPC's are if you figure out their particular style.

 

He's the most annoying and frustrating NPC there is. The effort required to make him useful takes the fun out of the game for me.

 

Haer'Dalis is as powerful as you make him. He has the potential to be one of the strongest NPCs in the game (offensively or defensively). He can tank like few others in the game. However, it's all about the buffs and the equipment you give him.

But do as the kitty suggests, and check out Scythesong's guide. You'll find HD is better for it.

 

Well, they all have the POTENTIAL to be one of the strongest NPCs in the game. I just think that it requires too much annoying micro-management in Haer Dalis's case.

 

Yes,Haer'Dalis is high maintenance I equip him like this:melodic chain+3,arbanes sword+2,pixie prick +3,girdle of Fortitude,cloak of the sewers,ring of earth control,GoOP,Boots of avoidance, Amulet of Metaspell Influence and a few wands,potions and scrolls.I hate the constant buffing and I like to go long periods without rest,so his spells run out and he uses a lott of resources.I am thinking about adding the Ioun stone tweak to my game and giving him the pale green one.I wish he could use the Ring of Acuity.He seems to be doing better with this gear and it's the best I have for him so far.How do you Equip him?

 

The best item for HD in SoA is probably the Ring of Free Action, since it overrides the Defensive Spin non-movement condition (cheesy, but effective - I don't use it any more, but it works).

If you want to run a while without resting, maybe you could give HD a Contingency spell (probably Stoneskins when he's hit/at 50% health) and a Minor Sequencer with Mirror Image plus either Blur, Invisibility or Remove Fear. The other spell to consider using is Protection From Magical Weapons, as it makes HD untouchable for four rounds by any magical melee attacks.

He's more effort than Minsc, Korgan or any other melee-oriented NPC, but that's part of the fun. After all, he's more flexible than both, and a large part of that will always be the micromanagement.

EDIT: ToB content removed.

 

Don't forget the harp of pandemonium...I love that thing. When I've used Haer'Dalis he's mostly played the role of 'Mage Protector'. I keep him near my mage(s) where he helps out with his spells, throws Melf's Meteors etc. If anyone gets too close he strums his harp and knocks 'em back/confuses them. His high lore is quite handy too. He doesn't get high level spells (only up to lvl 6) but the spells he has he casts at a higher level than a regular mage so they are stronger/last longer. I believe his Chromatic Orb, Skull trap, Chain Lightning, Lower Resist, etc. are the best of any NPC in the game and his dispel is a close second only to Keldorns. He is also the best man for 'save or else' spells. Too bad I find him boring and a bit snooty in a RP perspective...and that stupid whistle has got to go.

 

I think I'm with HB on this. Out of all NPCs he is by far the one I dislike the most.

 

That's true. I had him in my last game and he was the one that died the most. Eventually, I just dumped him in Spellhold for Imoen. True, Offensive Spin is one of the most useful abilities power-wise, but that little star in the corner gets really annoying when you constantly have to click on it...

 

his hitpoints have been more of a factor for me then Viconia's have ever been. Half his powers are really only affective when enemies are in range of hitting him and he just can't take a hit for anything.

 

Hear'Dalis might be the one NPC I dislike more than Anomen. I've tried using HD a couple of times, but he talks in so many circles that you almost screw yourself into the ground trying to make sense of him. He might be a great NPC to have at higher levels, but he's too much of a pain to deal with and it's not worth the hassle of keeping him around.

[ March 25, 2006, 11:55: Message edited by: Aerie's Number One Fan ]

 

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He's more effort than Minsc, Korgan or any other melee-oriented NPC, but that's part of the fun. After all, he's more flexible than both, and a large part of that will always be the micromanagement.
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I agree, his flexibility makes him a deep character. He can be developed for a specific roll in a party and be back up in other areas.
I am liking him more but his hitpoints are still a turn-off. Hit him with a high damage spell or a couple of blows from a tough foe when he is not buffed and Haer'Dalis takes a dirt nap. What do you think of th idea of adding the Ioun stone tweak to my game and giving him the pale green one. Any thing to add hit points.

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...and that stupid whistle has got to go.

You too eh.

 

what is the Ioun stone tweak may I ask?

The Pale green Ioun stone seems almost a pre-requisite to using him though.

 

I agree with Harbour,

He CAN be good but it takes a hell of a lot of effort for that to happen! If you made your own Blade you could see the extreme difference!

 

HD is better than any Blade PC (at -really- high levels he gets more proficiencies than a PC Blade could ever dream of) the offensive spin works with ranged attacks too... I wouldn't have him dual wield weapons and get in the middle of the fray unless he is fully buffed and equipped. With Tuigan bow and offensive spin he becomes a very reliable sharpshooter (even more so if you pair him with Mazzy).
The real issue here is that HD will need a lot of gear to be able to stand his ground in a real fight and it is most likely that the PC will use this stuff thus HD won't be able to compete (as a tank. Spellcasting is another matter, with higher levels than the party mages even if it means less spells per level which is always nice).
After all, Charname is the protagonist not HD. I always find that the "sparrow" is too flashy for his own good... my PC has something of an ego. HD would have been great for a romance with a female PC though, I wonder why they didn't make one for him (or Valygar) instead of Anomen...

 

Because he's a knight in shiny armour?

 

@ starwalker, The Pale green Ioun stone is an enchanted stone that you equip in the helmet slot. There are about 3 or 4 in the game.The pale geen Ioun Stone increases you hit points by 10% and gives you +1 to thaco. In a Pure soA game Thieves, Mages And Bards are resticted from equipping items to the helmet slot. A tweak from
baldurdash Allows these class to use the Ioun Stones as they should after all they were invented by Mages for Mages (or any other class).