Level 1 HOF party

smileycrawford · Post by **smileycrawford** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 3:02 pm

So, I wanted to try a big challenge, so am thinking up a new party for HOF that will start from Level 1. I'm looking for helpfull suggestions from anyone that has or has not tried this.
Some points I've already come up with:

1. My characters are going to level up quite quickly at the start as the experience from the Prologue and Chapter 1 enemies is not capped. No need for a muling character or other "tricks" to get level up's quicker.

2. Since my starting players will all be mince meat to the starting goblins, I'll need some characters to cast summons to start the game as they are more powerfull in HOF. My summons will be my front end fighters for quite some time(I actually like to use summons in HOF a lot anyway).

3. Wizards will be much less effective because they will advance in levels very quickly at the start, but won't have scrolls for the new levels until quite a ways further in the game. This sucks as I always have 1 wizard.

4. The ability to hit level 30 will be much more difficult.

5. The races with level penalties will be less effective for longer than those without and will finish weaker. Deep Gnomes are likely very ineffective for a long time and I'll avoid even though I always have at least one. This actually brings more balance back to the original races.

kmonster · Post by **kmonster** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 3:26 pm

Definitely start with a druid, animal summoning is the most useful level 1 summoning spell.
Take also a cleric, as soon as (s)he reaches level 5 for summoning skeletons the game will become boring.
Avoid level squatting, you won't reach level 30 but it will take away the challenge.
It's worth picking monster summoning 1 with your sorcerer.
You won't have much money in the beginning, so an aasimar character with maximized charisma and mercantile background won't hurt, bards are great.
Stealthy backstabbing with quarterstaves can be useful in the beginning.

Stworca · Post by **Stworca** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 3:31 pm

Starting with two sorcerers may seem like a bad idea, but once they get Area of Effect spells that are worth something (NOT the snowball) you will be drooling in amazement at how easy it goes. Once you get fireball it's smooth sailing all the way to Xvim knights.

Sure you will need to use a dozen aoe spells PER encounter, but with sorc flexibility it's not a problem.

smileycrawford · Post by **smileycrawford** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 4:36 pm

This is what I was thinking for my party:

Wild Elf Druid

Aasimar Pal(2) Cleric(28)

Aasimar Pal(2) Sorcerer(28)

Human Rogue(2) Sorcerer (28)

Drow Fight(4) Cleric (26) - stormlord

Shield Dwarf Fight(4) Cleric(26) - mask

Other than the human, all others will start with the ability to summon a creature. Summoned creatures will be my main front line throughout the game and I will have a tonne of magic to use.

Stworca · Post by **Stworca** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 4:38 pm

Let's just hope you won't run out of summons before your spellcasters grow powerful enough to stand on their own.

smileycrawford · Post by **smileycrawford** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 4:57 pm

With clerics getting animate dead as a 3rd level spell, I think this is where things should start to get easier. Considering I'm going with 3 clerics, I think this will buy me some time for my sorcerer's to get more powerfull. It is up until then that I may have to re-load a lot, although chapter 1 might be very challenging as well. I'm hoping by chapter 2 that I have gained enough experience to be decent in battle finally.

Stworca · Post by **Stworca** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 6:41 pm

How do you plan on dealing with Xvim knights? Or am i the only one who had problems with them on HoF as spellcaster?
Had to unload entire spellbook in each fight with them. Each spell either "immune", "resisted" or doing some silly damage. iirc.

smileycrawford · Post by **smileycrawford** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 10:20 pm

Stworca wrote:How do you plan on dealing with Xvim knights? Or am i the only one who had problems with them on HoF as spellcaster?
Had to unload entire spellbook in each fight with them. Each spell either "immune", "resisted" or doing some silly damage. iirc.

I could write it out, but the guys offering advise in this thread did a much better job.

http://www.gamebanshee.com/forums/icewi ... 49840.html

kmonster · Post by **kmonster** » Tue Apr 19, 2011 4:58 am

The Slayer Knights of Xvim are vulnerable to physical damage and don't have ranged attacks, so you can just use a good ranged weapon and play shoot and run if nothing else works.

Definitely pickpocket Young Ned's Knucky in Targos and take very high strength for your characters to speed up the game. Make sure everyone has at least 13 dex for being able to take "rapid shot".

If you dump int to 1 for your wild elf druid make sure the first 15 skillpoints go into spellcraft for being able to take "scion of storms" to get extremely damaging static charges and lightnings in combination with GSF transmutation. Concentration isn't that important, I HoF soloed a deep gnome ranger from scratch and put only 1 skill point into it. It's only worth starting with more than 1 int if you want to max your "animal empathy" skill.

I'd take "dash" for all characters early.

Stworca · Post by **Stworca** » Tue Apr 19, 2011 7:13 am

I've meant the Slaver Knights of Xvim, the boss himself is doable for a sorc.

Instead of using a hit and run tactic you can block the knights in a doorway using an invulnerable sorc, and shot with your entire party from behind him.

I'm still wondering about a solo-sorc way to deal with them though.

smileycrawford · Post by **smileycrawford** » Tue Apr 19, 2011 8:45 am

kmonster wrote:The Slayer Knights of Xvim are vulnerable to physical damage and don't have ranged attacks, so you can just use a good ranged weapon and play shoot and run if nothing else works.

Definitely pickpocket Young Ned's Knucky in Targos and take very high strength for your characters to speed up the game. Make sure everyone has at least 13 dex for being able to take "rapid shot".

If you dump int to 1 for your wild elf druid make sure the first 15 skillpoints go into spellcraft for being able to take "scion of storms" to get extremely damaging static charges and lightnings in combination with GSF transmutation. Concentration isn't that important, I HoF soloed a deep gnome ranger from scratch and put only 1 skill point into it. It's only worth starting with more than 1 int if you want to max your "animal empathy" skill.

I'd take "dash" for all characters early.

For the WE Druid, I was considering the following stats: 12/20/18/4/18/4. I could drop the Intelligence all the way down to 1 though, as I get nothing for it being at 4. This character will use bows with the high dexterity.
I will definitely look at taking spellcraft instead of concentration though. That is a great idea. Don't you only need 10 spellcraft to be able to take scion of storms? I guess I will find out if I can't at 10.
Dash is an interesting idea. I could take Barbarian over fighter for the dwarf to get it for free. I typically only take weapon specialization with one character and take axes. I like to be able to use whatever the most powerfull weapon's at the time are and usually one of them is an axe. Other than that though, it seems to fluctuate a lot. The Drow could weapon specialize with axes then.

smileycrawford · Post by **smileycrawford** » Tue Apr 19, 2011 10:01 am

Stworca wrote:I've meant the Slaver Knights of Xvim, the boss himself is doable for a sorc.

Instead of using a hit and run tactic you can block the knights in a doorway using an invulnerable sorc, and shot with your entire party from behind him.

I'm still wondering about a solo-sorc way to deal with them though.

I'm sure I'll find a way!

kmonster · Post by **kmonster** » Tue Apr 19, 2011 5:43 pm

For the wild elf druid I'd take 18-18-18-1-18-3, you'll want someone to beat the battle squares.
The elemental feats require 10 spellcraft including stat modifier (they are the only feats where the skill requirements are including int modifier).

smileycrawford · Post by **smileycrawford** » Tue Apr 19, 2011 10:14 pm

kmonster wrote:For the wild elf druid I'd take 18-18-18-1-18-3, you'll want someone to beat the battle squares.
The elemental feats require 10 spellcraft including stat modifier (they are the only feats where the skill requirements are including int modifier).

I was actually hoping to keep this character's DEX high for bows, but I certainly could take some out of INT and put into strength.

I was looking at the Ass Pal/Cleric for the battle squares with stats of 18/14/18/4/20/6. They would be the only character to wear heavy armor since there is so little of it in the game.

I think I will change the Drow to Fight(2)/Monk(3)/Cleric of Helm. This will give me faster speed and evasion with the monk.

kmonster · Post by **kmonster** » Wed Apr 20, 2011 5:10 am

The drawback with bows is that there aren't any really good ones available before chapter 6. But considering that you aren't soloing and have 5 other characters to use slings and throwing weapons having one character using bows isn't a bad idea.
Druids can buff up themselves with many static charges before battle so they can do 16d8 extra electricity damage during most combat rounds which can help a lot killing battle square monsters in time.
But your paladin/cleric build with the extra damage from holy power and maxed strength at level up should do well too.

I'd consider taking only one instead of two paladin level for the casters. For me immunity to fear isn't worth adding an extra symbol to cover the character faces and loosing one caster level.

smileycrawford · Post by **smileycrawford** » Wed Apr 20, 2011 8:02 am

kmonster wrote:The drawback with bows is that there aren't any really good ones available before chapter 6. But considering that you aren't soloing and have 5 other characters to use slings and throwing weapons having one character using bows isn't a bad idea.
Druids can buff up themselves with many static charges before battle so they can do 16d8 extra electricity damage during most combat rounds which can help a lot killing battle square monsters in time.
But your paladin/cleric build with the extra damage from holy power and maxed strength at level up should do well too.

I'd consider taking only one instead of two paladin level for the casters. For me immunity to fear isn't worth adding an extra symbol to cover the character faces and loosing one caster level.

Is Remove Fear good enough to protect the characters from the mighty dragons fear effects though? That is my main reason for wanting 2 levels of Paladin.

koz-ivan · Post by **koz-ivan** » Wed Apr 20, 2011 6:55 pm

kmonster wrote:The drawback with bows is that there aren't any really good ones available before chapter 6. But considering that you aren't soloing and have 5 other characters to use slings and throwing weapons having one character using bows isn't a bad idea.

sophia's bow isn't terrible and is fairly early, the deciding factor w/ bows seems to be rapid shot perhaps even weapon spec / improved crit.

smileycrawford · Post by **smileycrawford** » Wed Apr 20, 2011 10:13 pm

koz-ivan wrote:sophia's bow isn't terrible and is fairly early, the deciding factor w/ bows seems to be rapid shot perhaps even weapon spec / improved crit.

I was looking at taking all 3 feats with this character.

smileycrawford · Post by **smileycrawford** » Fri Apr 22, 2011 4:29 pm

I may have to throw the towel in on this one. Just too many goblins in the warehouse on the pier.

smileycrawford · Post by **smileycrawford** » Fri May 20, 2011 3:56 pm

I decided to re-work my party and give it another go around.
1. Assimar Pal(2)/Cleric
2. Human Rogue(2)/Sorcerer
3. Assimar Pal(2)/Sorcerer
4. Drow Fighter(4)/Monk(3)/Cleric
5. Half Orc Barb(3)/Cleric
6. Wild Elf Sorcerer

This should give me more summons at the start, which I clearly needed. 3 Sorcerers should be deadly considering summons usually make up the front line in HOF.