I just read a FAQ that claims if you have no evil characters, it "makes the end of the game almost impossible".
I know this isn't true for normal mode, because I've beaten it with a sub-par good-aligned team after just a few reloads. Is this person just biased against do-gooders or something, or are they really screwed when they fight the last boss on HOF?
Another thing the writer said that bothered me was that "paladin levels beyond 3 are virtually worthless". I love paladins and have used them in maybe 2/3rds of all the DnD games I've ever played, and most of the time they seem to whoop ass just fine. Are they really that worthless in IWD II?
Thanks a ton for any opinions and advice.
Can good characters beat HOF?
The only advantage for having evil characters is being immune to the blasphemy spell. But you can survive getting stunned for 1 round and you can also avoid getting stunned by running away.
More than 3 paladin levels aren't useless, you get extra damage with "holy smite" (if you take extra smite feats even more than once per day) for each level and at level 15 you can cast "holy power" for more damage. Make sure your paladin has maximized strength so he can dish out damage.
More than 3 paladin levels aren't useless, you get extra damage with "holy smite" (if you take extra smite feats even more than once per day) for each level and at level 15 you can cast "holy power" for more damage. Make sure your paladin has maximized strength so he can dish out damage.
Thanks for helping me out.
I know Blasphemy will be really frustrating, but as long as it's possible, I'll do it. If I was afraid of a tough game, I wouldn't be playing HOF.
3 pal/27 cleric sounds good, but it would have fewer HP and seems like it would be more of a priest than a tank. I need more meat in my party. I thought about adding 4 fighter levels, but I don't know how much weaker my spells would be, so I'm not sure if it's worth it.
Even if paladins aren't as tough as barbarians or fighters, I still want one just because they're fun. 4 fighter/26 barbarian might hit harder and have more HP, but it seems kinda dull. Besides, with spells like Holy Power and DUHM, it seems like paladins might have equal or higher strength, con, and damage potential.
I know Blasphemy will be really frustrating, but as long as it's possible, I'll do it. If I was afraid of a tough game, I wouldn't be playing HOF.
3 pal/27 cleric sounds good, but it would have fewer HP and seems like it would be more of a priest than a tank. I need more meat in my party. I thought about adding 4 fighter levels, but I don't know how much weaker my spells would be, so I'm not sure if it's worth it.
Even if paladins aren't as tough as barbarians or fighters, I still want one just because they're fun. 4 fighter/26 barbarian might hit harder and have more HP, but it seems kinda dull. Besides, with spells like Holy Power and DUHM, it seems like paladins might have equal or higher strength, con, and damage potential.
Clerics can be better warriors than Paladins. The three Paladin levels give you Divine Grace and the ability to use the Holy Avenger. They get mainly the same spells as the Cleric, and the Cleric gets more. I wouldn't worry about the difference in HP: it's only an average of 1 HP/lvl. Granted, 27 HP is something, but then again: you have much better spells and saves.
Blasphemy isn't as game-endingly bad as whomever you're reading from may make it out to be, but you should have some contingencies in place to survive it. The best is to anticipate it (some characters, like Madae, are guaranteed to cast several, especially one right off the bat in both parts of the end fight) and have things like Mirror Image up, so that your characters can absorb some monster hits while stunned. I've beaten the game a few times on HoF, and most times they were with good-aligned parties.
For the record, high-level Paladins are pretty bad compared to alternatives. You're almost always better off just with 2 levels of Paladin and doing something else (unless if that something else is 28 levels of Barbarian). "Holy Smite" is an absolute worthless ability when you've got many, many, many monsters barreling down on you. 30 extra damage once (or using up feat slots to use it more than once) is hardly worth it when these monsters are easily capable of shrugging off several Meteor Swarms by themselves, and a high-level Lay on Hands will barely put a dent into healing you when a Slayer Knight of Xvim hits you (and he *will* hit you easily, many times per round) for upwards of 60 damage without breaking a sweat.
By the by, I've got a guide up on gamefaqs to heart of fury mode if you need tips (sorry for the shameless plug).
For the record, high-level Paladins are pretty bad compared to alternatives. You're almost always better off just with 2 levels of Paladin and doing something else (unless if that something else is 28 levels of Barbarian). "Holy Smite" is an absolute worthless ability when you've got many, many, many monsters barreling down on you. 30 extra damage once (or using up feat slots to use it more than once) is hardly worth it when these monsters are easily capable of shrugging off several Meteor Swarms by themselves, and a high-level Lay on Hands will barely put a dent into healing you when a Slayer Knight of Xvim hits you (and he *will* hit you easily, many times per round) for upwards of 60 damage without breaking a sweat.
By the by, I've got a guide up on gamefaqs to heart of fury mode if you need tips (sorry for the shameless plug).