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I was recently invited to join one of my pnp-dnd partner's bg game, he's about to finish bg1 and wanna go thru bg2 and tob with me. I'm allowed to choose any npc or make a pc as long as I roleplay him and not spoil his game(it'll be my 3rd game). I wanted to take Imoen/edwin but he didn't liked the idea cuz according to his opinion I can't roleplay good characters correctly and he killed edwin in bg1. then I suggested that I'd take my fave pc, the assassin fighter kit I made but he wasn't sure we can finish the game with a party without a mage as he's also a fighter - berserker in bg2. so, what do you think, is it possible without a mage... if not I can allways take a kensai and dual at lvl19-21...

Plenty of people solo the game with a thief, monk or fighter. That's a "party" without a spellcaster, so yes, it's possible.

I'd say yes it is. One item makes this possible: the wnad of Spell Striking. This baby has charges of Breach and Pierce Magic, and can be used by...hmm I do hope that they can be used by fighters, or my vote's been wasted. Definitely can be used by a thief, perhaps needing UAI. Other than dispelling protections, I don't think there is anything totally necessary for the game - you can always be really cheesy in many cases and run away until the protection runs out

In one of my BG2 games I basically only used my mages and clerics for buffing and healing - indeed, on occasion neither were necessary Abazigal went down without anyone dying, and no spells at all. And some people say the game's hard...

what of the imp.demogorgon and the last battle of ascension, also the improved hi iq beholders with 4 hive mothers among them(underdark)?

Possible, yes.
Easy, maybe not.
But boring, most likely!

@Xan
Edwin and Imoen are hardly the only spellcasters out there... In fact, there are more spellcaster-npc than not...
Are you planning to leave all of them out of the party?
(Why?)

For demogorgon and Melissan, I haven't tried the improved versions yet, but with the standard ones, spike traps helped me much better than any spells

Well it has been done plenty of times.
I have come to the conclusion that generally speaking mages are more powerful than fighters but in this game fighters are more effective.
Boring it may be but hte easiest run through you can have IMO is to have 5 fighters one of which is an inquisitor and one f/t.

Possible? Yes.
Easy? No.
Time consuming? Yes.

if ye mentioned *boring*, (although I'm not sure about beating ascension with 2 fighters) I'll take a kensai/mage for sure. thanx for helping me to decide

A mage is no absolutly need, the only character I would say is indispendeble is a thief in BG1...... You can solo both BG 1 and 2 with an F/T..... aint easy, but a worthy challenge!!!!!!

Originally posted by Xan deVir
if ye mentioned *boring*, (although I'm not sure about beating ascension with 2 fighters) I'll take a kensai/mage for sure. thanx for helping me to decide

Remember, you can't go wrong with a Kensai/Mage

3 reasons you will need spellcasters :

1. Breach
2. Warding Whip
3. Spellstrike

Without these the game becomes really difficult and I would think Abazigal and Demogorgon would be maybe too tough to handle. I dont see why you would eliminate 1/2 the game anyway.

Originally posted by Querschen
3 reasons you will need spellcasters :

1. Breach
2. Warding Whip
3. Spellstrike

Without these the game becomes really difficult and I would think Abazigal and Demogorgon would be maybe too tough to handle. I dont see why you would eliminate 1/2 the game anyway.

Breach is useful. Wharding whip can be handy. Spellstrike is unnessesary IMO.
I agree that playing without mages takes away from the game but it can be intersting just to try it.
I played with a party of six archers and it was doable, actually rather easy.
If you have an inquisitor in your team than that is all you need when it comes to taking down defenses.

Remember, you can't go wrong with a Kensai/Mage

How True

I don't know, gentlemen, how is it possible to crash down Improved Bodhi without having a spellcaster.

I bet you'll need one, desperately!


Cheers

Originally posted by Querschen
3 reasons you will need spellcasters :

1. Breach
2. Warding Whip
3. Spellstrike

Without these the game becomes really difficult and I would think Abazigal and Demogorgon would be maybe too tough to handle. I dont see why you would eliminate 1/2 the game anyway.

I'm not sure about Abazigal or Demogorgon, but since this is "just" the SoA forum, suffice to say I soloed SoA with a Berserker/Mage and never cast any of these. The game was actually easier that way.

the real question is can you have a party wothout bun bun.....

hehehahahhahahah!

xyx is right as usual...

spell protections are a joke ...area effect weapons works all the time, and if you keep running into enemies with protection from magic weapons...your biggest obstacle to straight bashing anything that casts spells at you....

use ordinary weapons...duh.......

i do admit khebens is nice...drops protection from magic weapons really well, and interrupts enemies from casting it for a while, thus i get to use good stuff on them....

but spell casting enmies can always be taken with a combination of craft and cunning, no magic needed, and a little cheese never hurts either...

Originally posted by UserUnfriendly
...and if you keep running into enemies with protection from magic weapons...your biggest obstacle to straight bashing anything that casts spells at you....

use ordinary weapons...duh.......

if a badguy is using protection from magical weapons there's a good chance he's already immune to normal weapons.

Storm of veangance stops almost any spellcaster from getting a single spell off.... add to that its a clerical spell

preists and druids can cast true sight and both have several other effective means of dealing with spellcaster

So theres some aside from the usual method of beating them to death

This isnt worth much couse it comes so late in the game, but still worthy of a mention... The upgraded gram drains 1 lvl in hitting if the enemy fails a -5 save, with greater ww you can bring most spellcasters down to a lvl where they cant cast anything worth casting even if they have combat prots up, the lvl drain seems to bypass for some reason......

It is possible, but I wouldn't do it, WHERE IS THE FUN IN ALL BRUTE AND NO BRAINS Personally, my best stratagy (at higher levels) is to sit back and just cast comet as a first spell, followed by my fighters (all invoking greater whirlwind attack) to do clean up duty.... unless they are drow, in which case Minsc Thorn and JAheirah all invoke GWA, and hack and slash to VICTORY!!!!!!

I use dragons breathe on drow, or sunfire at a pinch... if im in the mood for sparkly effects

Not all non magic chars are brute, you still have clerics and theives for spells and traps / backstabs and lot of other cool stuff

At high lvls theives can scroll the spells you need, so if you need to cast something whack it on ye olde theif with uai and cast away....