A party of 6 mages???

Eusabian · Post by **Eusabian** » Wed Dec 18, 2002 1:18 pm

I'm thinking about starting a new game with 6 mages:

My Mage
Arie
Nalia
Haer'Dalis
Jan
and Anomen (but i'll dump him for Imoen when I get her back)

What do you guys think? Has anyone done this before? Is it gonna be hard? I mean I know you need fighters but I think 24 simultaneous magic missiles should take care of most things.

Zelgadis · Post by **Zelgadis** » Wed Dec 18, 2002 1:27 pm

I once did a game of four mages. It was pretty hard in some parts, and ridiculously easy in others

. Most of my trouble started to come up in TOB, but SOA wasn't that bad.

JackOfClubs · Post by **JackOfClubs** » Wed Dec 18, 2002 2:08 pm

It can be done if you're careful. But, man, what an anoying party (with the exception of Haer'Dalise)!

Also, since Anomen isn't really a mage, maybe try Edwin instead?

VonDondu · Post by **VonDondu** » Wed Dec 18, 2002 2:17 pm

I once played Shadows of Amn with four bards (including Haer'Dalis) and Aerie (a Cleric/Mage). Imoen (a Thief dualled to a Mage) was also in the party for quite a while (from the time of her rescue from Spellhold until the time she got back what was stolen from her). Certain battles were very difficult, while other battles were very easy. Their melee skills left a lot to be desired, and none of them was a full-fledged Mage, so I had to be inventive. It was challenging and fun. Playing a party of troubadours was also a great role-playing experience. If you do play a specialized party, I think it's important to invent a story for them--their backgrounds, their goals, etc., and most important of all, their style. Then it won't matter if they might not be the most powerful party in the world.

Baldursgate Fan · Post by **Baldursgate Fan** » Thu Dec 19, 2002 1:15 am

@Eusabian

Are you playing a pure mage? If not, 6 kensai-mage would be a serious overkill. I would agree with Zelgadis and say that magic casters in ToB would have a tough time of it.

@Vondondu

I have done 6 bards and they are a barrel of laughs.

Skuld · Post by **Skuld** » Thu Dec 19, 2002 1:33 am

Don't do a Kensai/Mage, do a Berserker/Mage. Much more fun in my opinion.

Phantom Lord · Post by **Phantom Lord** » Thu Dec 19, 2002 3:19 am

Originally posted by JackOfClubs
It can be done if you're careful. But, man, what an anoying party (with the exception of Haer'Dalise)!

Also, since Anomen isn't really a mage, maybe try Edwin instead?

Indeed, a BG2 mage party without Edwin looks like a soccer all star team without Ronaldo.

serjeLeBlade · Post by **serjeLeBlade** » Thu Dec 19, 2002 3:50 am

Originally posted by Eusabian
I'm thinking about starting a new game with 6 mages:

My Mage
Arie
Nalia
Haer'Dalis
Jan
and Anomen (but i'll dump him for Imoen when I get her back)

What do you guys think? Has anyone done this before?

Actually, I'm playing with
Ranger/Cleric
Aerie
Kelsey
Haer'Dalis
Imoen
Viconia

Not very different, see... ?
Works pretty well. Only problem so far: poor Viccy can't Stoneskin! (The only one, my pc has Ironskin).
Otoh she has magic resistance... still has to stay away from melee

Hint: it won't be the 24 magic missiles to do the trick. It's the 24 Melfminutemeteors */round*

that make our opponents so unhappy all the time

Damn they bring foes down faster than my pc can hit them double wielding under Holy Might...

fable · Post by **fable** » Thu Dec 19, 2002 8:09 am

Originally posted by JackOfClubs
It can be done if you're careful. But, man, what an anoying party (with the exception of Haer'Dalise)!

You think Haer'dalis isn't annoying? Have you ever tried working in reallife with a company of prima donna actors? Gods!

"You can always tell an actor at a party because of the way their eyes glaze over whenever the conversation drifts away from themselves." --attributed to Orson Welles

Leonardo · Post by **Leonardo** » Thu Dec 19, 2002 1:31 pm

I've never worked with actors, but they can't be any worse than musicians...

To at least stay on topic, I think an all mage party should do fine. I'm planning to start an all rogue party (Rogue Squad) with 5 made characters plus Immy... a Blade, a Swashie, a Bounty Hunter, an Assassin and a Skald.

fable · Post by **fable** » Thu Dec 19, 2002 4:16 pm

Originally posted by Leonardo
I've never worked with actors, but they can't be any worse than musicians...

Yes, they can. Truly. They are more articulate at expressing their lack of reality.

As for six mages, why not? It's been done before; I think we even had a thread about it. Works better in SoA than ToB by far, but the point is, it works.

UserUnfriendly · Post by **UserUnfriendly** » Thu Dec 19, 2002 4:51 pm

i think a party with 3 sorcs is more powerful, and you still have some meelee slots open....

pc sorc,
tashia
kelsey....

but i typically play a party of almost all mages, and if you get your spell tables groomed correctly, to use your fav tactics, they are completely unstoppable...

JackOfClubs · Post by **JackOfClubs** » Thu Dec 19, 2002 5:35 pm

Originally posted by fable
You think Haer'dalis isn't annoying? Have you ever tried working in reallife with a company of prima donna actors? Gods!

I grant that real-life actors can be quite annoying (I've lived all my life within smelling distance of Hollywood) but Haer'Dalis is by far the most cultured NPC in the game. I particularly like the relationship he develops with Aerie and the little laugh he gives when he says "Readier than a red-cheeked maiden, my friend."

Also, his self-assurance is a refreshing change from the personal issues most of the other characters. In this respect he reminds me of Dynaheir in BG1.

With regard to specialized parties, I too have wanted to do an all rogues party starting in BG1. Unfortunately, none of the rogues in BG1 transfers to BG2 (except Imoen) and I don't really enjoy creating an entire party from scratch in Multiplayer.

ARcheR_S_ · Post by **ARcheR_S_** » Fri Dec 20, 2002 2:15 pm

Haer Dhalis in my favorite NPC in the game......he has the best (and IMO, the most intelligent and most witted) answers and responses in the game.

I also like it if going out on 2 quatro

........lol.......anyway

I played with allmost the same party as Serje.......and I really got bored at a certain point, selecting spells and all (sorry im lazy sometimes.....pffff).......but party with 6 mages is quite possible.

If you like spells, like User, its probably the most fun too do.

Eusabian · Post by **Eusabian** » Fri Dec 20, 2002 3:35 pm

I can see how you might think that Haer'Dalis is a self assured twit and a half, but i dont mind him. Besides I know you are not sopposed to enjoy it when your own characters die, but Haer'Dalis says something really cool as he dies, which now unfortunately escapes my memory. I like the fact that even in death he is melodramatic.