Party Advises

appo13 · Post by **appo13** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 11:22 am

Actually I'am starting a new multiplayer party, who shall own several mods like tactics, ascension, SCSII and mooore! But still got some questions and need some help:

Gonna have a Shapeshifter DC Fighter (15). He will get a shild later on for AC and will wield a weapon but what is best? Crom Faer? Staff or Ram (so no shield)?

Gonna have a Barbarian (half-orc or Dwarf) as mellee butcher with mass physical resistens: 10+10 at level 21 (will is raise after level 21 or is it capped at 20%????) who will duall wield axes and sword, there will be enough skillpoints I guess.
I have seen that most people dont play barbarians in SoA + ToB and think about changing this character. Multiclassed or DC chars ar at least better for SUCH A run. Vici (changed to a F/C), there will be an antipaladin/mage (DC) the shapeshifter/fighter (DC) and a sorcerer (obviously NO DC^^). Do you thin barbarian is good choice for mellee butching front liner?

I WONT get a Blade or other bard (played this TOO often)

Jordoo · Post by **Jordoo** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 8:26 am

If you using a barbarian you should go with Flails IMO. He will get 20% reduction naturally at level 20 (I think its level20) another 20% with the defender of easthaven plus (-1 AC bonus) so when you use hardiness you'll be 80% resistance to all physical damage.

Hmm isnlt there a helm that also givs you something off of physical damage?

Stworca · Post by **Stworca** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 10:43 am

Jordoo wrote: Hmm isnlt there a helm that also givs you something off of physical damage?

Rora(na)ch Horn, drop from Gromnir, 50% blunt resistance.

I recommend getting The Ritual (tactics) for Yellow Dragon armor (50% piercing resistance).

Dont dual barbarian to anything, but you can make a talos priest and dual it TO barbarian

appo13 · Post by **appo13** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 11:40 am

Talos DC >>> Barbarian??? Thats a joke??? I thought the only availalbe classes are Fighter, Mage, Clerci, Thief and Druid???

You are right that the defender of eashaeven could give me 80% resist. I guess it is wiser to give the defender to an other tank mellee fighter, so both will he 20% resist and will get additional +40% with hardiness. The 2 front liners shall have similar resistances.

EDIT: What about weapon for shapeshifter >>> Fighter???

Stworca · Post by **Stworca** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 11:51 am

appo13 wrote:Talos DC >>> Barbarian??? Thats a joke??? I thought the only availalbe classes are Fighter, Mage, Clerci, Thief and Druid???

You are right ofcourse, my bad. Too much d&d recently

Crenshinibon · Post by **Crenshinibon** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 12:13 pm

Your Shapeshifter/Fighter must abide by the druid's weapon restrictions, so warhammers. Your weapon choice doesn't matter while you're shapeshifted, unless you plan to abuse bugs, in which case you want to switch between Staff of the Ram +6 and the Spectral Brand +6.

For armor you want to use Valygar's armor.

The barbarian is a strong choice, but in my opinion a Ranger/Cleric can do everything better.

appo13 · Post by **appo13** » Thu Oct 29, 2009 6:49 am

Thanks for the answers, since I tought about some options, I get a few new questions:

As Shapeshifted: What kind of weapon are the claws of the greater werewolrf??? blunt +3 or something like this?? Will the hit Demogorgon for example, who is immune to weapons of 3+ AND lower??
How much is their damage?
Will the resistances stack? So if i get a ring +50% fire resist, I will be at 100% will I? He got fire, cold, light, magic (50 / 50 / 50/ 40)???

Crenshinibon · Post by **Crenshinibon** » Thu Oct 29, 2009 9:05 am

The claws are considered +3 weapons. The resistances do stack. As for the damage, I'm not sure. You can essentially get all of your resistances (except for physical, legally at least) to go to or over 100%.

appo13 · Post by **appo13** » Thu Oct 29, 2009 9:07 am

Thanks for the answers, since I tought about some options, I get a few new questions:

As Shapeshifted: What kind of weapon are the claws of the greater werewolrf??? blunt +3 or something like this?? Will the hit Demogorgon for example, who is immune to weapons of 3+ AND lower??
How much is their damage?
Will the resistances stack? So if i get a ring +50% fire resist, I will be at 100% will I? He got fire, cold, light, magic (50 / 50 / 50/ 40)???

Second question:

I have to choice either to duall a Anti-Paladin to Mage or Kensai to mage for my group at level 9 (13 was insane ****... waited soo long). If i took the anti pala, I would have some room for an archer in my group. If I took the Kensi mage, I would have to take a pure anti-pala into my group, so 2 options:

Kensai/Mage and Pure AntiPaladain (I guess a half-orc) OR
AntiPaladin/Mage and a Pure Generic Archer (I guess Elf and i like deaht blow on ranged attacks^^) OR
And other suggestions?
XXX/Mage and YYY????

(Rest of my party is F/C, Sorc, F/T, Shapeshifter/F)

Crenshinibon · Post by **Crenshinibon** » Thu Oct 29, 2009 11:38 am

I'm not familiar with the Anti-Paladin class, so I can't help you there, but despite what you said, for the Kensai/Mage, I strongly recommend that you dual at thirteen. Just do all available quests in Chapter 2 and you'll be fine. I'd also suggest a Ranger/Cleric multiclass along with an Archer with points darts.

appo13 · Post by **appo13** » Thu Oct 29, 2009 3:16 pm

As I know you from this forum and have read a lot of your posts, you are always a fan of the Ranger/Cleric MC. Well I know the strenghts of this really nice class combination but isnt it a waste to do points in darts??? Doesnt a long bow for ex. do much more damage? What is the advantage of a R/C (with darts) over a pure Archer / or generic Archer (with bow or crossbow)???

Do you have an answer refering to my shapeshifter question??

Crenshinibon · Post by **Crenshinibon** » Thu Oct 29, 2009 5:51 pm

You misunderstood me. I recommended an Archer with darts. The Ranger/Cleric should be melee and be your main tank.

Now, you can only put two points into darts and still get five attacks per round, more than most bows will give you. And that's at the start too. It's a very fast weapon whose damage isn't that much lower than that of a bow. While the dart has five attacks per round, the average bow, Talarash +5 included has only three attacks. The bonus damage you receive from the two bonus attacks more than makes up for the dart's damage per attack loss as the total damage per attack is higher.

Now, if you intend to use Greater Whirlwind, then by all means, use a bow. I personally make due with Improved Haste, as you have *plenty* of casts of that spell through items. About five to eight casts, depending on how you feel about using a second Ring of Gaxx. That's enough casts for me to abandon the whirlwind ability fully and take something more useful, such as Greater Deathblow, Power Attack or Smite.

As for the previous question, with the exception of claw damage, I believe I answered it two posts ago. And no, the claws can't hurt Demogorgon.

appo13 · Post by **appo13** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 4:00 pm

Hi again:

As my shapeshifter reached level 13 now i ask my self, wether to duall class NOW at level 14 or level 15 ??? At 13 i dont have any level 7 spell, waht is a big pitty. I didnt found out, what spell slots I will have at level 14.

So 13: 6 6 4 4 2 2 i guess
14 : ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
at 15: 6 6 6 6 6 6

But, for level 15 I need 3.000.000 Xp and will regain my class at level 16 fighter (2.000.000). There problem is: I got a 6 memeber party so that WOULD actually SUCK! So i think the only options that are left are level 13 or 14.... Its difficult

Well for the dispell claw cheat: I read some posts on this forum about it. It says that with a Deva for example I could dispell my claw tokens away (playing some components g3 tweak pack, the improved shapeshifting). I tryed this with my anti paladain dispell spell but it didnt work?? The only thing that worked was to put the claws into second weapon/shield slot and equip a first hand weapon. SO how to dispell???

kmonster · Post by **kmonster** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 7:18 pm

No need to dualclass at all, simply keep the character a shapeshifter. You get both the greater werewolf form for combat and druidic spellpower.

Druid level 14 grants a level spell 7 per day, level 15 even 6 IIRC.

Crenshinibon · Post by **Crenshinibon** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 7:38 pm

The fix-packs you have probably prevent that bug from happening.

I guess you can dual at thirteen, but my ideal build would be a Great Druid (Shapeshifter), 20 / Fighter 25.

This way, you can gain the most out of your spells while only losing two fighter fighter abilities and one THAC0 point. You also gain more tanking capabilities by having 65% physical resistance and ten Iron Skins. You should solo or have one to two other members in your group if you want to achieve this. Since you don't just disregard this and keep it in mind, as the more druid levels you have the better.

The choice is really up to you.

appo13 · Post by **appo13** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 3:14 pm

I decided to duall at 3.000.000 and will reget my abilities if i get some additional 2.000.000.... thats long but ok.

another question: would you play a single classed generic archer/archer or would you duall these characters (in general)???

Crenshinibon · Post by **Crenshinibon** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 5:21 pm

An archer cannot dual once you install the ToB expansion. I would play a pure archer.

Ode to a Grasshopper · Tue Nov 03, 2009 10:25 pm

Even with the Tweak that allows you to dual an archer you'll only be able to dual to a cleric, and that removes most of your ranged options outside of slings and the sole throwing hammer (for which you'd need to be a dwarf, which rules out rangers, or have Use Any Item, which rules out Ranger duals).
Single class archer.

fable · Post by **fable** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 10:44 pm

Ode to a Grasshopper wrote:Even with the Tweak that allows you to dual an archer you'll only be able to dual to a cleric, and that removes most of your ranged options outside of slings and the sole throwing hammer (for which you'd need to be a dwarf, which rules out rangers, or have Use Any Item, which rules out Ranger duals).
Single class archer.

Especially when you consider all the fine arrow types you can buy, or better yet, liberate from merchants. I'm particularly fond of the Dispel ones. Single class archers are very powerful in their own right, casting spells (in effect) that can't be easily disrupted.

jouke1988 · Post by **jouke1988** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 7:34 am

A single class archer can be extremely powerful against mages so I would choose the single class archer