Tough Challenges

Nimiety · Post by **Nimiety** » Tue May 03, 2005 7:01 am

I've started up a new game after finishing ToB. I had a 6 member party and found it was rather easy at the end, so I'm now using a 3 member party: an inquisitor (as some of you may know, I've never played with a paladin, so no Carsomyr), a ranger/cleric, and a swashbuckler dualling to mage after level 15. I think it's a good range of skills, so I'm happy with that.

The challenge is that my swashy is only at level 12, and I want to dual over to mage after level 15 (to get extra thaco and another -1 to AC). This means, other than the ranger/cleric, I have no spell casting yet.

Yikes! I can't use most wands, so all my strategies have to change (no simple opening a battle with a cloudkill in the heart to break the mages and fighting on the border). I have already finished our good friend, the red dragon, but my next challenge is to attack some of the more difficult bands of nasties in the capital, and I just don't know what to do.

Since I do intend on continuing to ToB, I think level 15 is the right level to dual, but is it overkill? Should I have dualled over earlier? I've entered Watcher's Keep to do a little shopping and get a few important items on the first floor, but should I head back to clear out a little more to gain some experience quickly to bring her to the dualling point?

N....

Phantom Lord · Post by **Phantom Lord** » Tue May 03, 2005 11:43 am

I'd dual sooner. The one or two more mage levels you'll get will compensate the THACO / AC very well. The character won't be your front row fighter in the long run, so THACO / AC don't matter much anyway.

Nimiety · Post by **Nimiety** » Tue May 03, 2005 12:05 pm

She's been working out well with a bow from the rear, so you're quite right. The only tough part now is having to SK her back a few levels... Sigh. It's a shame to bring around a scroll case absolutely chocked full of scrolls that can't be used.

I may still go to 15 to get the best distribution for the thieving skills (having over 100 in hiding in shadows, setting traps, finding traps and picking locks is handy.) I have a 5 hour train ride coming up in a few hours, so hopefully I'll decide by then.

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Nimiety · Post by **Nimiety** » Tue May 03, 2005 8:07 pm

Doh!

After about twenty reloads battling the final battle on the second floor of the keep, I'm giving up. I couldn't do more than one or two hitpoints at a time against the super-duper regeneration.

So, it's off to the de'Arnise Keep for an easier challenge for now. My swashy's now at level 13, so as long as I can go through all the thief-dependant challenges that don't require a mage now, I can hopefully get up to level 15 soon. Any suggestions on where to go for easy exp?

BTW, I'm not too worried about an extra few levels of magery. I finished ToB without hitting the 8 million cap (my folks were all at around 6.5 million) so I'm pretty sure that's not going to be a problem.

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