Looking for feedback on new party
Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2008 4:15 pm
Hi everyone,
I just started playing Icewind Dale 2. I have a new party and was wondering if people can provide feedback?
One thing I know is that the party has no cleric. The party does have three druids, so it will have good healing capability (Heal, Mass Heal) eventually although it won't be strong on buffs.
Here's the description --
• Min-maxed party; every character’s main class is a caster
• Focuses on area of effect spells with decent melee capability
• Four characters will be in the front line, two characters hanging back in the rear
• No multi-class experience penalties
• One ECL character (a tiefling rogue/wizard)
• Plan to also use this party in Heart of Fury mode
• Most of Ease-of-Use mods installed (but not druid mods)
Three slots filled by this build:
Human Monk 1/Druid 26
(later with Rogue 1-2 and Dreadmaster of Bane 1 mixed in)
STR: 18
DEX: 18
CON: 16
INT: 3
WIS: 18 (to be boosted)
CHA: 3
Level Progression:
1: Druid
2: Monk
3-10: Druid
11: Dreadmaster of Bane (at level 11 or whenever Bane quest occurs)
12-16: Druid
17-18: Rogue 1-2 to get evasion [can anyone confirm that monk evasion and rogue evasion stack, i.e. that having both monk and rogue evasion gives you two chances to evade area of effect damage?]
Feats:
1: Spell Focus Transmutation, Lightning Reflexes
2: Evasion [from Monk level]
3: Spell Focus Evocation
6: Greater Spell Focus Evocation
9: Spirit of Flame
12: Scion of Storms
15: Greater Spell Focus Transmutation
18: Subvocal Casting
21: Spell Focus Necromancy
24: Greater Spell Focus Necromancy
27: Dodge
30: TBD
Features:
• High strength (with Bull’s Strength buff from fellow party members) to take advantage of two-handed weapons as greataxe or spears [Axe proficiency from monk level and Polearm proficiency from druid levels]
• AC gets boost from monk wisdom bonus, Barkskin druid spell, Mage Armor buff from fellow party members, dexterity bonus (with boost from Cat’s Grace buff from fellow party members) – and also Ghost Armor buff from fellow party members for tough fights together with high strength gives three decent front-line melee warriors
• Evasion allows fellow party members to blast away with area of effect spells without too much worry
• Offensive druid spells such as Call Lightning, Static Charge, Thornspray, Smashing Wave, Flame Strike, Firestorm take advantage of spell focus feats (evocation and transmutation feats), as well as Spirit of Flame and Scion of Storms feats, but also allow the three monk/druids to avoid harm because their saves are reflex-based
Two slots filled by this build:
Wild Elf Sorcerer 29
(later with one level of Paladin mixed in)
STR: 6
DEX: 20
CON: 18
INT: 1
WIS: 13
CHA: 18 (to be boosted)
Level Progression:
1-12: Sorcerer
13: Paladin (or whenever Paladin quest occurs)
14-29: Sorcerer
Feats:
1: Rapid Shot
3: Spell Focus Evocation
6: Greater Spell Focus Evocation
9: Aegis of Rime
12: Spirit of Flame
15: Scion of Storms
18: Subvocal Casting
21: Spell Focus Necromancy
24: Greater Spell Focus Necromancy
27: TBD
30: TBD
Spells:
1: Mage Armor, Ice Dagger, Chromatic Orb, Magic Missile, Ray of Enfeeblement
2: Snilloc’s Snowball Swarm, Cat’s Grace, Bull’s Strength
3: Fireball, Ghost Armor, Dispel Magic, Lightning Bolt, Skull Trap
4: Mordenkainen’s Force Missiles, Stoneskin, Malison, Otiluke’s Resilient Sphere
5: Animate Dead, Ball Lightning
6: Chain Lightning, Freezing Sphere
7: Delayed Blast Fireball, Finger of Death
8: Power Word Blind, Flaying, Horrid Wilting
9: Meteor Swarm, Wail of Banshee
Features:
• Many castings of area of effect spells that allow for reflex saves (so the monk/druids can evade), and that also take advantage of spell focus evocation feats as well as Aegis of Rime, Spirit of Flame and Scion of Storms
• Many castings of low-level buff spells such as Mage Armor, Cat’s Grace, Bull’s Strength, Ghost Armor and Stoneskin
• Eventually will also take spell focus necromancy feats so that party can better utilize instakill spells (Finger of Death, Wail of Banshee), as well as Skull Trap
• Paladin level will provide boost to saves
• Gets bow proficiency from being an elf, and will have two passable back-row archers due to high dexterity and rapid shot feat
One slot filled by this build:
Tiefling Rogue 3/Transmuter 27
STR: 4
DEX: 20
CON: 14
INT: 20 (to be boosted)
WIS: 10
CHA: 10
Level Progression:
1: Rogue
2: Transmuter
3: Rogue
4-11: Transmuter
12: Rogue
13-30: Transmuter
Feats:
1: Spell Focus Enchantment
2: Armored Arcana
3: Weapon Finesse
6: Dodge, Greater Spell Focus Enchantment
9: Spell Focus Evocation
12: Greater Spell Focus Evocation, Spell Focus Transmutation
15: Greater Spell Focus Transmutation
17: Expertise
18: Subvocal Casting
21: Spirit of Flame
22: Lightning Reflexes
24: Combat Casting
27: Great Fortitude, Discipline
30: TBD
Spells:
1: Charm Person, Sleep, Chromatic Orb, Magic Missile
2: Mirror Image
3: Hold Person, Dire Charm, Lance of Disruption, Slow, Invisibility Sphere
4: Confusion, Improved Invisibility
5: Chaos, Sunfire
6: Mass Haste, Tensor’s Transformation, Disintegrate
7: Malavon’s Rage, Prismatic Spray
8: Great Shout, Iron Body
9: Mass Dominate, Black Blade of Disaster
Features:
• Provide rogue and diplomacy skills, as well as Knowledge, Alchemy and Spellcraft skills
• Casts spells that disable enemies (Charm Person, Sleep, Hold Person, Confusion, Chaos, Mass Dominate, Slow) which take advantage of spell focus enchantment and transmutation feats, as well as one instakill spell (Disintegrate) that takes advantage of spell focus transmutation feat
• Also casts caster-centered area of effect spells such as Lance of Disruption, Sunfire, Malavon’s Rage, Prismatic Spray and Great Shout that take advantage of spell focus evocation feats
• Fights in front ranks as a decoy using Mirror Image and Improved Invisibility, while taking advantage of Mage Armor, Cat’s Grace and Barkskin buffs from fellow party members; still has passable BAB and damage due to high dexterity, weapon finesse feat and Emma Moonblade’s sword; uses evasion ability to avoid area of effect damage
I just started playing Icewind Dale 2. I have a new party and was wondering if people can provide feedback?
One thing I know is that the party has no cleric. The party does have three druids, so it will have good healing capability (Heal, Mass Heal) eventually although it won't be strong on buffs.
Here's the description --
• Min-maxed party; every character’s main class is a caster
• Focuses on area of effect spells with decent melee capability
• Four characters will be in the front line, two characters hanging back in the rear
• No multi-class experience penalties
• One ECL character (a tiefling rogue/wizard)
• Plan to also use this party in Heart of Fury mode
• Most of Ease-of-Use mods installed (but not druid mods)
Three slots filled by this build:
Human Monk 1/Druid 26
(later with Rogue 1-2 and Dreadmaster of Bane 1 mixed in)
STR: 18
DEX: 18
CON: 16
INT: 3
WIS: 18 (to be boosted)
CHA: 3
Level Progression:
1: Druid
2: Monk
3-10: Druid
11: Dreadmaster of Bane (at level 11 or whenever Bane quest occurs)
12-16: Druid
17-18: Rogue 1-2 to get evasion [can anyone confirm that monk evasion and rogue evasion stack, i.e. that having both monk and rogue evasion gives you two chances to evade area of effect damage?]
Feats:
1: Spell Focus Transmutation, Lightning Reflexes
2: Evasion [from Monk level]
3: Spell Focus Evocation
6: Greater Spell Focus Evocation
9: Spirit of Flame
12: Scion of Storms
15: Greater Spell Focus Transmutation
18: Subvocal Casting
21: Spell Focus Necromancy
24: Greater Spell Focus Necromancy
27: Dodge
30: TBD
Features:
• High strength (with Bull’s Strength buff from fellow party members) to take advantage of two-handed weapons as greataxe or spears [Axe proficiency from monk level and Polearm proficiency from druid levels]
• AC gets boost from monk wisdom bonus, Barkskin druid spell, Mage Armor buff from fellow party members, dexterity bonus (with boost from Cat’s Grace buff from fellow party members) – and also Ghost Armor buff from fellow party members for tough fights together with high strength gives three decent front-line melee warriors
• Evasion allows fellow party members to blast away with area of effect spells without too much worry
• Offensive druid spells such as Call Lightning, Static Charge, Thornspray, Smashing Wave, Flame Strike, Firestorm take advantage of spell focus feats (evocation and transmutation feats), as well as Spirit of Flame and Scion of Storms feats, but also allow the three monk/druids to avoid harm because their saves are reflex-based
Two slots filled by this build:
Wild Elf Sorcerer 29
(later with one level of Paladin mixed in)
STR: 6
DEX: 20
CON: 18
INT: 1
WIS: 13
CHA: 18 (to be boosted)
Level Progression:
1-12: Sorcerer
13: Paladin (or whenever Paladin quest occurs)
14-29: Sorcerer
Feats:
1: Rapid Shot
3: Spell Focus Evocation
6: Greater Spell Focus Evocation
9: Aegis of Rime
12: Spirit of Flame
15: Scion of Storms
18: Subvocal Casting
21: Spell Focus Necromancy
24: Greater Spell Focus Necromancy
27: TBD
30: TBD
Spells:
1: Mage Armor, Ice Dagger, Chromatic Orb, Magic Missile, Ray of Enfeeblement
2: Snilloc’s Snowball Swarm, Cat’s Grace, Bull’s Strength
3: Fireball, Ghost Armor, Dispel Magic, Lightning Bolt, Skull Trap
4: Mordenkainen’s Force Missiles, Stoneskin, Malison, Otiluke’s Resilient Sphere
5: Animate Dead, Ball Lightning
6: Chain Lightning, Freezing Sphere
7: Delayed Blast Fireball, Finger of Death
8: Power Word Blind, Flaying, Horrid Wilting
9: Meteor Swarm, Wail of Banshee
Features:
• Many castings of area of effect spells that allow for reflex saves (so the monk/druids can evade), and that also take advantage of spell focus evocation feats as well as Aegis of Rime, Spirit of Flame and Scion of Storms
• Many castings of low-level buff spells such as Mage Armor, Cat’s Grace, Bull’s Strength, Ghost Armor and Stoneskin
• Eventually will also take spell focus necromancy feats so that party can better utilize instakill spells (Finger of Death, Wail of Banshee), as well as Skull Trap
• Paladin level will provide boost to saves
• Gets bow proficiency from being an elf, and will have two passable back-row archers due to high dexterity and rapid shot feat
One slot filled by this build:
Tiefling Rogue 3/Transmuter 27
STR: 4
DEX: 20
CON: 14
INT: 20 (to be boosted)
WIS: 10
CHA: 10
Level Progression:
1: Rogue
2: Transmuter
3: Rogue
4-11: Transmuter
12: Rogue
13-30: Transmuter
Feats:
1: Spell Focus Enchantment
2: Armored Arcana
3: Weapon Finesse
6: Dodge, Greater Spell Focus Enchantment
9: Spell Focus Evocation
12: Greater Spell Focus Evocation, Spell Focus Transmutation
15: Greater Spell Focus Transmutation
17: Expertise
18: Subvocal Casting
21: Spirit of Flame
22: Lightning Reflexes
24: Combat Casting
27: Great Fortitude, Discipline
30: TBD
Spells:
1: Charm Person, Sleep, Chromatic Orb, Magic Missile
2: Mirror Image
3: Hold Person, Dire Charm, Lance of Disruption, Slow, Invisibility Sphere
4: Confusion, Improved Invisibility
5: Chaos, Sunfire
6: Mass Haste, Tensor’s Transformation, Disintegrate
7: Malavon’s Rage, Prismatic Spray
8: Great Shout, Iron Body
9: Mass Dominate, Black Blade of Disaster
Features:
• Provide rogue and diplomacy skills, as well as Knowledge, Alchemy and Spellcraft skills
• Casts spells that disable enemies (Charm Person, Sleep, Hold Person, Confusion, Chaos, Mass Dominate, Slow) which take advantage of spell focus enchantment and transmutation feats, as well as one instakill spell (Disintegrate) that takes advantage of spell focus transmutation feat
• Also casts caster-centered area of effect spells such as Lance of Disruption, Sunfire, Malavon’s Rage, Prismatic Spray and Great Shout that take advantage of spell focus evocation feats
• Fights in front ranks as a decoy using Mirror Image and Improved Invisibility, while taking advantage of Mage Armor, Cat’s Grace and Barkskin buffs from fellow party members; still has passable BAB and damage due to high dexterity, weapon finesse feat and Emma Moonblade’s sword; uses evasion ability to avoid area of effect damage