Is it just me or do Healers seem less than "vital" in BG2?

Saumerez · Post by **Saumerez** » Tue Feb 20, 2001 11:21 am

Honestly the first time I played through I used potions far more often than I used a healer.

Clerics do have some really good spells for taking out undead (and others) and some great buffs too but as for their healing abilities I very rarely seemed to need them.

Blueman · Post by **Blueman** » Tue Feb 20, 2001 11:58 am

I like the L5 Harper's Call with the L6 Heal combo. Some of us mere mortals still have members die

Saumerez · Post by **Saumerez** » Tue Feb 20, 2001 12:03 pm

As for the "mere mortals" comment I hope you don't think I am trying to say I am too good to need a healer

It just seemed more practical with potions for me.

I had people die too. Lots and lots and I did use the healers sometimes. I just thought that they would be much more "vital" than they actually seemed to be (read my subject title again

).

Maybe it is my play style. dunno

Xandax · Post by **Xandax** » Tue Feb 20, 2001 12:23 pm

I have to agree - also with a couple of rings of regeneration and ring of gaxx - there are plenty of items that can regenerate health - and in the thick of combat I also more often use potions.

But there are plenty of great spells for clerics and druids - ranging from Summon spells to damage spells.

In my opinion clerics and druids have become more powerfull, but I think that their main role has from BG1 to BG2 shifted from healer to more offensive spellcasters

Agoth · Post by **Agoth** » Tue Feb 20, 2001 12:32 pm

Heals are slow in BG, you have to anticapate the need for a heal before the character is about to die. I'm able to get through the game without using many potions at all, it just takes pratice. (You better get good at it if you're gonna play a cleric in NwN

)

Quitch · Post by **Quitch** » Tue Feb 20, 2001 2:04 pm

With the "Rest Until Healed" and with, what seems like, a massive reduction in monsters that respawn after you rest, Cleric healing spells have been reduced to mid-battle emergency only.

To be quite honest, I think it's far too easy to rest, there's no real reason for not doing so, and thus the importance of healing spells has plumeted.

------------------
Quitch
"Well since you asked, I would like to register a complaint. I want to kill a dragon. Right now. No, don't look. Go kill one now. Go find one and kill it. Right now. That would be SO cool" - Lilarcor

Stoner Cold · Post by **Stoner Cold** » Tue Feb 20, 2001 3:20 pm

preists (both types) are more offensive in this game, i think.

------------------
And thats the bottom line, 'cos Stoner Cold said so!

Slyweasel · Post by **Slyweasel** » Tue Feb 20, 2001 3:26 pm

I don't know about the healing part...it seem's by read the Aerie, Nalia or Imoen? topic a bunch of people get the fire beat out of them.

I believe you can make it thru the whole game with out a single healer..too many potions to need a healer just to heal.

TheDude · Post by **TheDude** » Tue Feb 20, 2001 3:43 pm

the only time i use a healer is when i raised a party member from the death whit heal so i wouldn't have to use al my potions or use several healing spells on him.
and mas cure in a battle can give u some advantage in a tide battle.
mostly i just rest to give my chacters there health back

Hex92 · Post by **Hex92** » Tue Feb 20, 2001 3:55 pm

After chapter 3 I only had 2 or 3 total healing spells memorized between my 2 healers (vic, Jaheira). There are just so many potions of extra healing lying around, plus with the rod of resurrection, 2 rings of regeneration, 2 rings of Gaxx, the only person who needed to even drink potions except during a battle was Edwin. Since He has two rings of wizardry.
I am in Sundellesar right now and I probably have 45-50 potions of extra healing between my party members.
This game is just too easy. I am going to have to bump the difficulty level up my third time through.

Hex92

Saumerez · Post by **Saumerez** » Tue Feb 20, 2001 6:25 pm

Well, just so you know, I really like clerics in BG2 but not really for their healing abilities.

The restoration spells were very handy to me and I agree that they are very potent offensive weapons.

Vehemence · Post by **Vehemence** » Wed Feb 21, 2001 6:19 am

@Hex92

This game is just too easy. I am going to have to bump the difficulty level up my third time through.

Well sure it's easy when you cheat and have two rings of Gaxx. Your not exactly ruffing it now are ya?

Garcia · Post by **Garcia** » Wed Feb 21, 2001 7:25 am

I must agree with Saumerez they are not vital though they come in handy. if you have the rod of ressurection you can do without. If people can solo it should be possible to do without a healer too. but most have one anyway, I think that the most normal party is something like:
you
fighter
fighter
mage
mage
healer (cle.)

Hex92 · Post by **Hex92** » Wed Feb 21, 2001 9:49 am

Vehemence: 2nd time through I decided to exploit some bugs in the game.

So I snagged an extra ring off Gaxx before he turned hostile, and I lifted an extra ring of acuity off that mage in the planar sphere.

I don't want to get into a discussion of what is or isn't cheating, but I prefer to think of it as utilizing the programming errors in the game to my full benefit

Hex92

Mort · Post by **Mort** » Wed Feb 21, 2001 12:25 pm

Originally posted by Hex92:
This game is just too easy. I am going to have to bump the difficulty level up my third time through.

Hex92

Its too easy???
Im still in the beginning of the game, and playing it for the first time, and being a newbie AD&D player, but i had to decrease the difficulty level just to be able to kill som Umber Hulks. (hmmm... reading what I just wrote just gave me the answer to why I think the game is hard )

Seriously, its not that easy..

Thomas · Post by **Thomas** » Wed Feb 21, 2001 12:32 pm

I agree that cleric used as healers are a bit uneccesary in BG2. When your fighters have four times the hitpoints of warelephants it's kind of rare that you run out of hitpoints anytime soon. And three Heal spells and a resurection cover any unforseen "accidents"

. They got a lot of cool offensive spells though so it's not like the clerics let moss grow on them during battles, so to speak.

Saumerez · Post by **Saumerez** » Wed Feb 21, 2001 12:37 pm

I sure as hell did not think it was easy. I played through with difficulty set at "Core Rules" and I still did some furious saving and reloading. I had to turn down the difficulty for the Mindflayer area. Now I think I have a tactic that will make that area easier but.....

It was not easy for me but then maybe I just suck

Easy or not it was a fun game (and I am in chapter 3 of my second time through now).

Mort · Post by **Mort** » Wed Feb 21, 2001 12:44 pm

Originally posted by Thomas:
They got a lot of cool offensive spells though so it's not like the clerics let moss grow on them during battles, so to speak.

Nó, entangle is some kind of roots right

Mort · Post by **Mort** » Wed Feb 21, 2001 12:44 pm

Double post..

[This message has been edited by Mort (edited 02-21-2001).]