GameBanshee Forums

Could someone please help me out here. I have found several Ioun Stones, it seams the only characters that can use them are the same ones who can where a helmet, fighters and clerics. Why can't my bard use them? I find that very frustrating!

the ioun stones are not that good. Most of the time i'd rather use a helmet(far better than those stones). And yes, IT IS FRUSTATING that the only characters that could benefit (the ones that cant wear helmets) from ioun stones cant use 'm.

But I have heard that a kensai could really use one of those to his advantage. I dont know this for sure becuase I havenot played one yet (NOT WEARING ARMOR SOUNDS A BIT 2 DANGEROUS FOR ME).

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beer-for-love

My monk, who can't wear armor, can use a stone, and my fighter/mage can wear one and still cast spells. So personally I love the stones... they could do more but it beats nothing at all.

Smack Dragon, fighter/mages can wear helmets without restriction, so I have to agree that they are better than Ioun stones. Helm of Balduran does everything that two stones do and more.

Hey thanx for the response guys~
Its all pretty much as I expected. Unless I decide to play a kensai or monk the stones are useless. Niether of those classes are really my style so I will just sell my stone collection. Thanx again!

Helmets should be better since they protect from crits, but I've found that although they don't say they do and probably aren't supposed to, the Ioun stones also stop Crits.

This makes the Ioun stone with the +1 Thac0 and +10% hit points competitive with the best helmets.

However, they seem to be intended for Monk/Kensai.

The Regeneration Ioun stone is useful, It stays in my pocket until it's time to rest, than I equip it on my most injured fighter before sleeping. Saves healing spells upon waking up, than I can slap a helmet back on the big ugly.

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Your friendly neighborhood
Drow in Sunglasses,
Jhareth of house Noquar

I agree, ion stones were desigd(in Ad&D) for classes that can not wear helmets. they were made mosty for mages(some were encahnted to increse spells slots) but for a unkown reason in bg only classes that are alowed helmets can use one.
Funny thing, there was a Laural of sune I think back in IWD that could be used by any class.

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"He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not became a monster... when you gaze long into the abyss the abyss gazes into you..."
Friedrich Nietzsche

Nighthawk's experiences are correct:
The ioun stones in BG2 indeed have a small bug: They *are* treated as helmet.
This is a disadvantage for some classes, but on the other hand an ioun stone prevents a critical hit in BG2 and has some benefits

I use the ion stone with +1 ac and +1 thac0, I use it because my pc look much cooler with it...

Interestingly enough, I've found the same about the Mask of Strohm III, that it protects against critical hits as well. Any class can wear the mask, can't they?

[This message has been edited by Rail (edited 01-04-2001).]

Rail as far as I know all the classes can wear it and it also prevented critical hits on my mage.

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(I would betray the world before i let the world betray me.) Chao Chao 192 a.d.

[This message has been edited by Weasel (edited 01-04-2001).]

Originally posted by Jhareth of house Noquar:
The Regeneration Ioun stone is useful, It stays in my pocket until it's time to rest, than I equip it on my most injured fighter before sleeping. Saves healing spells upon waking up, than I can slap a helmet back on the big ugly.

hey hey i agree totally, with ring of regenerations and ring of gaxx nearly the whole party can go to sleep regenerating

well, in chapter 4 i had still not found any helmets better than the ion stones... baldruns helmet gives +* hit points, but the stone gives a %, so l8r on in the game the stone is better, because you have more hp, and so will gain more from having it

I don't see how a little stone whizzing round your head will stop a +4 warhammer of bonce-cracking from giving you a crit. Shouldn't there be a trade off between a regualr helm and stone powers?

As several have pointed out, others should then be able to use the stones. A mage can't wear a helm but nor can he have a little magic stone?

But then what do I know?