Different gaming experience

Fezek · Post by **Fezek** » Sat Aug 04, 2001 12:38 pm

Yeah, I think the "conditions" set by Ned and Edwin ( for themselves) is that if a character dies, you can attempt to resurrect them but if the resurrection fails then tough luck. They are also refusing to use re-load. What happens,happens. If Minsc is petrified and then shattered, Sayonara Boo!

Ned Flanders · Post by **Ned Flanders** » Sat Aug 04, 2001 1:14 pm

@Kaaze

What's up with coming down on conan's blind charge tactics. Leave it up to the mages for their journals of party supremacy. Just kidding, of course.

BTW,

got through Irenicus dungeon with all five guys. Almost lost minsc and yoshimo in the room with the vampire and the assassins. Didn't realize one of the thieves would be a spellcaster.
Side note: This is really fun. Forcing yourself to play this way makes each battle exhilirating because all it takes is one mistake.

KaaZe · Post by **KaaZe** » Sat Aug 04, 2001 6:00 pm

Originally posted by Ned Flanders:
[QB
got through Irenicus dungeon with all five guys. Almost lost minsc and yoshimo in the room with the vampire and the assassins. Didn't realize one of the thieves would be a spellcaster.
Side note: This is really fun. Forcing yourself to play this way makes each battle exhilirating because all it takes is one mistake.[/QB]

Ahh... that one well placed held spell by some imp... that can really ruin your day

average joe · Post by **average joe** » Sat Aug 04, 2001 9:10 pm

Originally posted by KaaZe:
"Again Conan(Other player) almost cost us the battle with his stupid charge tactics. If only the others had waited for my spell to be casted... but they will learn and see me as the true party leader.

That makes me laugh

Edwin · Post by **Edwin** » Mon Aug 06, 2001 6:59 am

Hello guys.....for anyone that's interested in my journey, well, i've started a new game as a Cavalier: 18/60 str, 18 dex, 18 con, 7 int, 14 wis, 17 char.
Now i have 3 stars in two weap. style, 2 flail, 2 bastard word and 1 axe.
I have with me from the beginning: Jahiera (romance); Aerie; Valygar; Keldorn.
I had no problem in escaping Irenicus' dungeon. Then i started doing all the quests where no great fights are involved: skinner muder (but only solved it, not fight against them); the kidnapper in graveyard; also MaeVar quest....and here starts the funny....i have a highly loyal and good aligned party (except Jahiera...). When Edwin asked me to kill the wizard i said no...and then no...the guy couldn't understand..NO!!! So i killed him and took the key....not the right way to finish the quest, but funny....

Ahhhhh, i forgot to say that i also had Jan in the beginnig.....the party worked well, i had no need to reload. I had Aerie and Jan cast stoneskin as soon as an enemy came my way.....and with my 2 paladins+Valygar and Jahiera casting spells i had really no problems. After Nalia quest i decided that it was time for me to have a pure mage....so i picked up Nalia.....i went to Trademeet and the druid groove.....do you remember the three guys standing in front of the entrance of the druid groove??? Well i had Nalia a bit injured (about 30/62)..one of the guys casted call lightning on poor Nalia.....wooooppppsss PERMANENTLY DEAD!!!!!! Her portrait disappeared....so now i don't want to take Jan back (i dropped him for Nalia) and i'll go to Spellhold to take Imoen.
What i can say by now is that this style of playing make me use a lot more protective spells and a more defencive tactic. Before going to battle my characters are all healed, if not i'll rest. Now Spellhold and Imoen back.....i'll see what the future will have for me

[ 08-06-2001: Message edited by: Edwin ]

Fezek · Post by **Fezek** » Mon Aug 06, 2001 6:55 pm

@edwin-san...All sounds like fun

My condolences on losing Nalia.

Ah, well, there is always Imoen.
@Ned Flanders..Haven't heard much from ya in a while. How's big C?

Just got past the Ilithid lair. Tough battle but it's nice to know Pit Fiends are immune to Mindfloggers. Go Viconia!

Ned Flanders · Post by **Ned Flanders** » Tue Aug 07, 2001 7:05 am

Currently going through that anxiety of which paths to take. Once you leave waukeens promenade, the quests come at you from all angles.

From the journals of Conan:

"Looks like Nalia has convinced the group to see to her troubles at D'Arnise keep. She has joined the group for the present although we will be investigating the slaving operation here at the slums.

Minsc may not remain in the party for long. The space hamster was tolerable but now he's acquired a sword that frequently barks out trash. So much for the element of surprise."

Starting to wonder how I am going to deal with vampires in the game. I want to pick up Korgan but I've no desire at this point to venture into the graveyard after the book of Kaza. That level drain is vicious and restorations are expensive.

Side note: anybody use the spell confusion?

Edwin · Post by **Edwin** » Wed Aug 08, 2001 3:44 am

.....and finally i took Imoen back with me....but within 5 minutes of play my good Keldorn got petrified by that stupid beholder in Spellhold.....and i had no stone to flesh scroll. Aerie had the spell, but wasn't able to cast it....i crossed my fingers and afters cleaning all spellhold she levelled up (for 10 exp points....

) so Keldorn was able to rejoin the group.....with his firetooh....
Now i'll go to the shaugin city.....we'll see....that's all for now!!!!!!!

Ned Flanders · Post by **Ned Flanders** » Wed Aug 08, 2001 9:25 am

edwin,

You're already at spellhold! Didn't you just start a game? I've only been to cop coronet and done the slaver mini quest.

jju_57 · Post by **jju_57** » Wed Aug 08, 2001 9:40 am

I'll move my comments from my topic on real roleplaying to this one if it's OK with you guys. Instead of using the NPC's I created a party of 4. My main character is an undead hunter. I also have a NG berserker that I will dual to a thief at level 12, a LG sorcerer and a CG swashbuckler that I'll dual to a cleric at level 15.

Needless to say life is tough at the insane level and it took me 4 days just to get out of the prison. I also plan to stick strongly to the alignment of the party and won't add replacement characters if someone dies. No rod of ressurection either.

BTW- insane really does make it hard. The clone in the prison hit me for 38 and 40 hit points per hit and the thief in the prison backstabbed for 74 points of damage. Luckily that character had 78.

Now that I'm out I plan to take it easy and rest and maybe check out the circus. That should be a relaxing afternoon. After that off to a hotel to sleep on some soft beds above the bar. Looking forward to some piece and quiet.

Ned Flanders · Post by **Ned Flanders** » Wed Aug 08, 2001 10:52 am

jju_57,

welcome to this thread. this should be pretty entertaining over the next couple of months. I plan on posting progress two to three times a week. I am just starting but the struggle through irenicus dungeon was so fun without the reload crutch. Let me get your opinion on one thing: True, the wand of cloudkill is cheese. However, I am only using it in combo with spells like web or entangle. I am choosing not to use it to my advantage with fog of war. To me, that seems ok to hold them in place and then blast 'em.

jju_57 · Post by **jju_57** » Wed Aug 08, 2001 11:26 am

Ned,

I originally was not going to use the wand, but use the spell. After thinking about it the wand is OK to use under certain circumstances. Since most monsters have dumb AI and just sit there taking the damage, I felt that I first need to cast something like web. Then cloudkill would be like fireball. But I agree with you that using it in a fog where you don't really know what's ahead is wrong. After all maybe a lost party is around the next corner and not some monster.

One tactic that I think is OK is to send a scout or invisible thief ahead and see where the baddies are. Then you can web/cloudkill just off visial range of the caster. It's sort of artillery spotting in real life.

I've heard that the new smart beholders attack any off screen people so I look forward to that challenge. My biggest concern is the insane damage. If a dagger can cause 40 points of damage what will a real baddie do.

Ned Flanders · Post by **Ned Flanders** » Wed Aug 08, 2001 11:46 am

I think you should tone it down from insane to core level specfically for that reason. The only difference in insane is creatures have more hp's and creatures deal out more damage per hit. It didn't seem to me that spellcasters had a larger repetoire. I have been through the games on both difficulty settings and it seems the level of spellcasters seems consistent regardless of difficulty setting although the hp's change drastically. Good point about scouting ahead and using the wand of cloudkill, the only drawback being most creatures won't move after you've blasted them and that is stupid. Even the dumbest of creatures should know to move when they are taking damage but can't see a foe.

Edwin · Post by **Edwin** » Thu Aug 09, 2001 2:05 am

Yes, i've started a new game saturday....and had some time for playing on sunday. Moreover i've done only a couple of quests....'cause i had to get Imoen back....the real game starts now, in the underdark without all the good equipment you gain from Kangaax, Firekraag, Umar Hills and the Twisted Rune!!!!!!

I'm happy that other people are interested in our games...

jju_57 · Post by **jju_57** » Thu Aug 09, 2001 8:08 am

The journey for my party has continued. I did change the difficulty from insane to core and lucky for me. My sorcerer who has 45 HP's received a hit for 24. At insane that would have killed him. Instead my beserker came to his rescue and he cast a few spells to get even.

I've started to clear out the backrooms and will move against the slavers next. The lack of a cleric is slowing down the progress as I either have to use a bunch of potions or rest very often. If I wasn't playing the no reload I would continue ahead even with some damage knowing that I could always use the raise dead spell. Also since I'm good I did not pickpocket for the ring of regeneration. I never realized how usefull that ring really was.

I hope to get in a bunch of hours in the next few days so my progress should improve.

Ned Flanders · Post by **Ned Flanders** » Thu Aug 09, 2001 11:27 am

edwin,

I am beginning to wonder when I will choose to fight liches, dragons, etc... Sure the items are great but now I can't afford to lose characters. Finally, these 'tough' opponents really are tough because once you start the encounter a retreat will be difficult. I am heading to D'arnise keep and really want to get the daystar before I go although maybe i don't need it because there isn't really any undead in the keep. So far nobody dead except when conan himself died. We'll see if I can save the keep without a death. Excerpts from the journal of Conan probably sunday (going out of town)

McBane · Post by **McBane** » Thu Aug 09, 2001 1:32 pm

This type of play has "recharged" my enthusiam for this game. I too have started anew, and made it through the initial dungeon, circus, keep, trademeet, and bridge quests. I have been trying to build some xp before tackling a lich (or dragon). My party is Aerie, Keldorn, Jan, Nalia, and myself, Fighter (Human). I have been planning to dual class to a mage, drop Nalia, and pick up Minsc. So, in my quest for xp, I decided to add Korgan and get the book of Kaza. It is very easy to get overconfident! Korgan didn't even make it to the large undead room. He got bit by spiders, failed his save, and kept getting hit. Right as a slow poison, and cure serious wounds from my clerics were being cast, he falls over dead. Whatever happened to the hearty dwarven constitution? For some reason, my party did not lose too much sleep over the loss of Korgan.

Maybe the planar sphere will be next. Demons aren't any worse than liches or dragons.

Edwin, you have serious backbone proceeding on to spellhold (and beyond) so soon. Good luck my friend!

Any thoughts on what is the right level to dual class to a mage? I think I'm 10th level now.

Thanks again for the great idea!

Ned Flanders · Post by **Ned Flanders** » Thu Aug 09, 2001 1:56 pm

McBane,

Dual to a mage at 12lv. Reasons being,
1. I believe at 12, you get another profeciency point

2. add another 1/2 or 1 attack per round and maybe more if your prof. point adds to mastery in a weapon.

It will be tough because you will need an awful lot of xp's to get your fighter skills back but it is all up to you.

Glad you've jumped on the wagon. It really is a great way to play even though I've yet to deal with a casualty. I refrained from picking up korgan at this point because I feel that book of kaza quest will be tough.

two · Post by **two** » Thu Aug 09, 2001 2:07 pm

Originally posted by McBane:
This type of play has "recharged" my enthusiam for this game.

I hear you man. After doing the no death/no reload thing, I can't imagine ever playing any other way. It just made the game, particularly the early/middle parts of SOA, incredibly fun to play. I was totally jaded with the game before imposing limits on it, and it definately made it not only fun, but a whole new game. I mean c'mon, I had to worry about KOBOLDS. That's cool!

Edwin · Post by **Edwin** » Fri Aug 10, 2001 12:52 am

Originally posted by McBane:
This type of play has "recharged" my enthusiam for this game. I too have started anew...........

Edwin, you have serious backbone proceeding on to spellhold (and beyond) so soon. Good luck my friend!

Any thoughts on what is the right level to dual class to a mage? I think I'm 10th level now.

Thanks again for the great idea!

I'm happy that you and other people like my idea.....we had the same problem, i think: we finished the game or a great battle and had not the idea of having a total success....now i think that it's more realistic.
Going to spellhold early is a thing i always do. I find the game more challenging. As i said in a previous post, i usually complete a lot of non fighting quest early in the game, in order to gain easy exp points....and then i do quests that i find easy (mae'var, nalia and trademeet). After these i have a lot of exp points and siding with the shadow thieves gives you a lot more exp points for the first two quests....and you don't have great problems in completing them.....
Now the game will become harder and harder....apart from the shaugin city, i find the underdark really challenging. And after that i have to fight dragons (firekraag and the one in umar hills), liches (kangaax)....and then Bodhi (usually not a great problem) and Irenicus.....we'll see.....