Soloing in ID2

Mianna · Post by **Mianna** » Thu Sep 12, 2002 6:56 am

Is it impossible? I´d really like to solo as a fighter/sorceress but now that we are using 3e I´m not so sure if this is a good idea. Monsters appear according to characters´ level and this might be tricky for a sorc. I could boost my char up by adding cleric levels, right? And if soloing doesn´t work I can add a rogue and a pure cleric...so what´s the right choice?

Note that I´m looking for advice from those who know more about this issue and are already playing ID2.I´m not looking for + or - opinions.Thank you...

cjdevito · Post by **cjdevito** » Thu Sep 12, 2002 8:24 am

In regular gameplay, I think a fighter/sorc (or even better, paladin/sorc) could solo. In HOF mode, I think the only viable solo class would be monk.

Mianna · Post by **Mianna** » Thu Sep 12, 2002 8:48 am

When I use fighter levels to gain good bow skill I really do believe that I´ll do just fine. In BG2 my sorceress is totally owerpowered with her summoning spells! I guess I´ll take more offensive spells ID2 to gain authentic power for my sorc. , not funny to watch the summonings fight...

The main reason I want to solo is that inventing bios for the other characters is hard...the main character is my alter-ego so no difficulties in that

So here´s my plan: 4 levels of fighter for weapon special. and then I dual to soreceress. But there´s one thing: Should I take a few levels of special cleric? Is this unnessessary?

Kholain · Post by **Kholain** » Thu Sep 12, 2002 8:48 am

maybe

could A druid manage? And btw, can I just dump all points into mental stats, since all physical stats change upon shapeshifting?
Imagine a fully buffered up Dire bear

EQdax · Post by **EQdax** » Thu Sep 12, 2002 11:17 pm

Soloing

I think a high lvl Druid can solo alone. That or even High Sorcerer.
Sorceres Web + AOE's fairly wipe out everything. High enough any of the little things about to die can be easily fought off mellee wise with that spell that makes you a warrior briefly.. Lots of Reloads to perfect the fight.

cjdevito · Post by **cjdevito** » Fri Sep 13, 2002 12:31 am

After playing with the various arcane spells a bit more in depth, I've come to the conclusion that a solo sorceror is largely not a problem to play with. Improved Invis basically makes them untouchable.

However, strongly magic resistant critters will eat a straight sorceror alive....and there are more then a few in the game.

With regards to druid: Could solo on normal mode, but most definitely not on HOF mode where the animal forms just don't stack up well against the beefed up monsters. And yes, you could ignore physical stats and just go with mental for a pure shapeshifting druid.

Mianna · Post by **Mianna** » Fri Sep 13, 2002 6:31 am

If a sorceror has 4 fighter levels that boost her up then smacking those magic resistance monsters will be a peace of cake.And if there are spells like Lower Resistance and Tenser´s Transformation the no problem!And if my sorc. is handy with the bow I can save my spells and shoot those lesser creatures.I´m going in for the solo!

cjdevito · Post by **cjdevito** » Fri Sep 13, 2002 8:23 am

If a sorceror has 4 fighter levels that boost her up then smacking those magic resistance monsters will be a peace of cake.And if there are spells like Lower Resistance and Tenser´s Transformation the no problem!

Trust me -- when you get up to Iron golems on HOF mode, your sorc is toast. Even with stone skin, mirror image, improved invis, haste, the armor spells and tenser's, you're going to find yourself in a lot of trouble.

I have no doubts you can solo on normal. I expect you can solo through 95% of HOF mode with a sorc, as well... but there will be some places where you can't. I -think- most if not all of those encounters you can avoid (the four iron golems by Black Raven's tomb, for example), but there are some where I'm not sure.

Jaesha · Post by **Jaesha** » Fri Sep 13, 2002 9:02 am

@Mianna: *applause* Cheers to the rpg spirit of making your own bio´s, many do not care about this!

Mianna · Post by **Mianna** » Sun Sep 15, 2002 10:25 am

I think I´ll play normal not HOF mod.

But I still need an answer to one question: Should I give cleric levels to my character? She already has 4 fighter levels for the bow and staff skills. Sorcerors have little hit points and so a few cleric healing spells might prove useful...

If I take 3 cleric levels I´m able to cast 1 level 2 spells and if I take 4 levels I can cast 2 level 2 spells. So if I decide to take cleric levels, how many should I take?

Also,when soloing how many levels can I get until the end?(In normal mode)

cjdevito · Post by **cjdevito** » Sun Sep 15, 2002 10:52 am

I don't think taking the cleric levels would really make much difference. To be honest, if you -really- want healing spells, you might consider a few levels of bard. They get all the low level healing spells, they cast spells like a sorceror (so you'd be able to cast them more often per day), they also rely on charisma (not wisdom, like clerics) and you'd be able to get the first couple of bard songs (which with the lingering song feat might be handy). Bard also has an instrument found a bit more then halfway through the game that allows them to cast the Heal spell if they have a wisdom of 13.

Btw, your absolute most important spell pick as a sorceror is the improved invisibility spell. Take it as soon as you can.

As far as what level you'll be.... I'm not sure. I played through with a full party and ended around level 17. But you stop making xp if you're much higher level then the critters you're killing; I barely saw -any- experience during the last chapter of the game. I don't know if soloing will make a difference in that regard, or not.

Mianna · Post by **Mianna** » Mon Sep 16, 2002 5:31 am

Considering cleric levels from a role-playing view: Would taking a few levels make soloing more difficult? I could always take only one cleric level just for the roleplaying spice...and to use some items meant for the clerics.

cjdevito · Post by **cjdevito** » Mon Sep 16, 2002 8:07 am

Unless you waited to take the cleric levels until later in the game, yeah, it'd be more difficult. Sorceror spell levels don't exactly come fast

Even if you took bard levels, I'd think it'd definitely make things a bit more difficult then taking primarily sorceror with just a couple of fighter levels tossed in.

Absolutely do-able once you have improved invisibility, but I wouldn't try branching out before then. I know I keep going on about that spell, but there's good reason for it.... essentially, unless an opposing mage/cleric casts see invisible you're never detected, no matter what you do. Cast spells, fight, whatever, with no fear of reprisals.

Mianna · Post by **Mianna** » Mon Sep 16, 2002 8:30 am

After playing BG2 solo as a sorecerer I even prefer a little more challence for ID2...I have planned that after 4 fighter levels I take 1 cleric (of Selune) level and then I go on as a sorcerer...I might have to use hit and run tactics with the bow for some time but at least my char. ain´t a slaughtering machine like my lvl 24 sorcerer in BG2.It´s not so frustrating to play with a powerhouse but I prefer frustration over boredom

Mathurin · Post by **Mathurin** » Mon Sep 16, 2002 6:01 pm

Youll hit xp penalty if you do. If you dont mind the penalty thats cool for you. And why only one level of cleric?

Mianna · Post by **Mianna** » Mon Sep 16, 2002 10:34 pm

I´m going to play human so no xp penalties for me. And why just one level of cleric I just said above. It´s a role-playing spice and taking more levels will make char. development SLOOOOW and taking one level enables me to use cleric stuff. That´s why one level. I could leave the whole cleric away but I´m a roleplayer and I can finally make a real mix char. in a D&Dgame so that´s why I will take one level of clreric of Selune. Perioid

cjdevito · Post by **cjdevito** » Tue Sep 17, 2002 8:22 am

Actually, even if you're human, the levels you're planning to take -will- lead to xp penalties. You're planning something like 25 sorceror, 4 fighter, 1 cleric. Sorceror will be your favored class and won't count in the tally.... but there will be more then one levels difference between your fighter and cleric levels, so you -will- take a 20% exp penalty once you introduce your cleric level to the mix.

Mathurin · Post by **Mathurin** » Tue Sep 17, 2002 10:53 am

Exactly, Human and Half-Elf Desired Multiclass is Any, not None. Most people don't catch that so they simply assume that they dont have to worry about XP penalties. No biggie, I have had to explain it to my tabletop players a lot. Its a small detail that most people miss.

Mianna · Post by **Mianna** » Tue Sep 17, 2002 10:33 pm

Oh...heh heh...sorry. But since I take only one level of cleric I get xp penalty only once, right? That´s not the end of the world for me...

Virgil57 · Post by **Virgil57** » Wed Sep 18, 2002 2:26 am

All other classes a character has other than his/her favored class must be within 1 level of each other. If they are not within 1 level of eachother, such as your sorc 24/fighter 4/cleric 1, that character will incure an XP penalty until the classes other than favored class are within one level of eachother, such as
sorc 22/fighter 4/ cleric 3. Any time the classes other than the character's favored class are more than 1 level apart you will get an xp penalty until you bring them within one level of eachother. So your sorc 24/fighter 4/cleric 1 would experience and XP penatly from the point when the fighter cleric levels became more than one apart until the end of the game.