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I'll be completing the game in normal soon, and plan to start HOF. I've read that summoning spells (Summon Monster XYZ, Animate Dead, Summon Natures Fuzzy Things XYZ, etc.) get "rejuvenated" in HOF mode, because they summon the HOF equivalents of the monsters. Is this true for all of these spells?

I've also read that Druid shapchanges are useless in HOF (unless you use a mod). So, I assume that the creatures the Druid changes into are *not* their HOF equivalent. True?

I've got a party of 6. I've been level-sqatting through several chapters of normal, and expect to be at or nearly ECL21 when we finish. Is it a gimme that we'll hit Level 30 by the end of HOF? For characters with an ECL penalty, can they still get to level 30, or are they capped at 30-ECL penalty?

Thanks for your help

What most people mean by that is firstly, you use the monsters as cannon fodder, as heart of fury is FULL of enemies.

And secondly, they say druids are bad simply because they just don't stack up to the masses of monsters, you are better off investing in other classes.

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AFAIR you all summons are the HOF equivalent!


...still druids aren't that good in HOF:


- there are many battles where you can't pre-summon and summoning in battle needs (to) much time!

- clerics have better summons (undead)

- druids don't have WoB & MI

- shapeshifting is useless in HOF unmodded


...if you want a 60+ AC PC in your party I would use a MC-druid with 12 levels, if you use the shapshifting-mod for HOF I would go for 21 levels and add 9 bard levels!


when level-squatting save before taking the levels - then fight a few battles - if you get no or less EXP reload and take less levels!

...always keep your party of six at a total of 6*X-1 levels!

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Thanks for the advice, silverdragon. I've never found the Druid shapeshifts to be useful previously, other than for a little healing, so I was curious if they would be useful in HoF. Guess not.

My Druid is actually Monk 4/Druid 8 right now. I was planning on taking him to Monk 4/Druid 22/Fighter 4, since I mostly use him as a melee tank with a greataxe. I currently use his spells for buffing and passive melee support (like Entangle, Spike Stones, and Call Lightning). I'm hoping that some of the higher level spells will allow me to expand his role.

I've already got a Bard in the party, and I don't plan on using a mod, so what would you recommend as an alternate multiclass development for him?

Last item: what does the 'X' represent in your levelling formula? Are you recommending that I keep each member within one level of all the others?

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X is the level:

IWD2 rounds down for calculating the average party level:

so with 6 PCs with level 10 you have a total of 60 and an average party level of 10 - but if you keep one PC at level 9 you have a total of 59 and then an average party level of 9 - and this really makes a difference!

...so try what-ever you do to stay on level lower - and plan in advance which PC takes which levels when!

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[QUOTE=vorpal_rabbit]My Druid is actually Monk 4/Druid 8 right now. I was planning on taking him to Monk 4/Druid 22/Fighter 4, since I mostly use him as a melee tank with a greataxe. I currently use his spells for buffing and passive melee support (like Entangle, Spike Stones, and Call Lightning). I'm hoping that some of the higher level spells will allow me to expand his role.

I've already got a Bard in the party, and I don't plan on using a mod, so what would you recommend as an alternate multiclass development for him?[/QUOTE]

if you don't want to use the mod (what's btw. is really fun in HOF) forget about shapeshifting!

if you just go for spells level 12 is enough (max. barkskin effect - what is the only usefull druid spell and only when you go for max. AC)

...for further recommendations please post race and stats!

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