Soloing a Paladin

Tom0892 · Post by **Tom0892** » Wed Dec 27, 2000 11:07 pm

People have talked about soloing the game before, but I have never seen discussion of a paladin as a viable class. I am soloing with a cavalier and have had great sucess. I am basically imune to magic. I have two rings of Gexx (I had Yoshimo join me for the sole purpose of stealing the ring of Gexx of Kangaxx, then I took him out and killed the lich and then the demi-lich to get another one). I also have the Carsomyr and an amulet of 10% magic resistence. That is a whopping 80% resistence to magic. I never get hit by magic. Plus with the helmet of Balduron and a cloak of protection +2. All of my saving throws are negative 10 or below (yes negative) The only spells that can actually do damage are maze and imprisonment, even though I resist them they still work for some reason (it's a bug). My AC is a negative 12 (I know you can get much better, but without a shield that is damn good). And I have 160 odd health. With the two rings of Gexx I gain health faster than I lose it. My THAC0 is around negative 7 or 8. I spent forever rolling my paladin in BG1 and by going through the game and getting all the Tomes I have a 19 in everything except a 10 in intelligence and a 20 in Wisdom (it is possible for you to get 2 tomes of wisdom providing you can beat the game in 5 or so days after you get into Baldur's Gate). After I beat the game I estimate that I will have a 90% magic resitence.
A mage would have to cast so many lower resitences, I can just sanctuary myself if you start doing that, and so many greater Malasions that they would be dead by the time they could actually hit me. Plus the rings of Gexx would give me so much regeneration any health taken away would come backb before the loss would make a difference. Provding the mage was equally equiped, he or she would run out of spells and have to resort to physical attacks. I would then easily win.

Thankyou for your time,
Please post all flames

mikel · Post by **mikel** » Thu Dec 28, 2000 1:07 am

And where is the fun playing such tank ?

I quit my first BG2 game because I imported my old BG1/TOSC char and she was too powerful. Sorry, but I have no fun if the game is not challenging.

Rail · Post by **Rail** » Thu Dec 28, 2000 3:47 am

Hey, soloing is tough any way you look at it.
But, I agree with mikel. The imported characters with all the stats beefed up to superhuman levels just get old. I stopped playing my monk after it lost it's challenge for the same reason. If you can't be killed, what's the risk? Where's the fun?

Elenias Nal'nair · Post by **Elenias Nal'nair** » Thu Dec 28, 2000 6:44 am

Soloing with such a character is even more boring than power gaming itself. No risk - no fun! It even doesn't cover most aspects of REAL roleplaying, teamwork, conversations, tactics and internal struggles

Once started soloing with my fighter/mage and it was soo boring I stopped even before leaving Waukeen's Promenade.
btw. don't rely too much on your power, every good fighter ís able to kick your butt up and down...no offence, really

Weasel · Post by **Weasel** » Thu Dec 28, 2000 7:04 am

IMHO you need to read his last sentence(Please post all flames) and you will see he is baiting people to post.

mikel · Post by **mikel** » Thu Dec 28, 2000 8:33 am

Are we not here helping others to get what they asked for

Tom0892 · Post by **Tom0892** » Thu Dec 28, 2000 10:51 am

I have already beaten the game the normal way, and had lots of fun doing so. If I couldn't solo though the game I wouldn't play it anymore.
A fighter could not beat me because I have too many heal spells and the rings of Gaxx will regenerate any health power lost. If all that still doesn't work I can just sanctuary myself to gain all my health back.
Look at it this way, my character is a child of bhaal. He chose to be a paladin because he thought becoming one would help him fight the evil inside of himself. He is really powerful because a child of bhaal would probably be really powerful (don't point out Imoen, she's just messed up). He doesn't want anyone in his group because he is afraid that fighting his internal struggle with other people would only endanger them.

Gruntboy · Post by **Gruntboy** » Thu Dec 28, 2000 10:56 am

Does your magic resistace stop the mindflayers? If not, they could easily suck your mighty paladin's feeble brain through the little slits in your helm in three goes.

Now that's what I call an 'internal struggle'!

Genesis · Post by **Genesis** » Thu Dec 28, 2000 12:49 pm

Its very possible to solo a Paladin without importing from BGI. An Inquisitor is a very good choice...
1. He has the highest level Dispel magic.
2. No-One can hide from him "True Sight"
3. With right eq, his AC, Saves, and magic resistance are excellent.
So you still have the challange of not cheating but also a kick butt paladin. BTW you will need to pick up jan or yoshimo to steal you an extra ring of Gaxx.

Gruntboy · Post by **Gruntboy** » Fri Dec 29, 2000 4:47 am

Doesn't taking a thief (if only temporarily) defeat the idea of soloing? The very fact that he does something your character can't (and needs - the extra ring) means you can't really solo.

You can only *really* solo with a single/multi thief.

And don't you think the selection of thieves is crappy - I mean Jan's funny and Yoshimo is skillful, but that's it?!?!

BG1 Had many more.

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Oink Oink!

Rail · Post by **Rail** » Fri Dec 29, 2000 4:58 am

You don't HAVE to have two Rings of Gaxx to solo the game! To solo this game means to do it your self. Don't pick someone up just for this. Just do the game with one Ring of Gaxx. Maybe the other hand could have Free Action or something else useful.
However, the whole purpose of the game is to have fun, so if you want to go through with one character and occasionally use help from an NPC, SO WHAT! We're not solo-police. It just means you do the game with minimal help, not none. If you're having a cool time playing, great. That's the point.

Gruntboy · Post by **Gruntboy** » Fri Dec 29, 2000 5:11 am

You misunderstand. I'm not shouting "Thou must not solo". Do what the freak you like.
But when someone says "I am soloing with a cavalier and have had great sucess" and "I had Yoshimo join me for the sole purpose of stealing the ring of Gexx of Kangaxx and THEN "He doesn't want anyone in his group because he is afraid that fighting his internal struggle with other people would only endanger them" (TOM0892), I mean, shoot yourself in the foot or what?

And read your own posts guy:

"But, I agree with mikel. The imported characters with all the stats beefed up to superhuman levels just get old. I stopped playing my monk after it lost it's challenge for the same reason. If you can't be killed, what's the risk? Where's the fun?" (RAIL)

If the lad wants to be a superhero, then let him wear his underpants over his trousers. I'm not raving, just don't ascribe opinions and thoughts to me.

Yes, I guess a thief isn't needed to complete the game. But stealing all those extra goodies does make it easier to "solo" does it not?

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Oink Oink!

Rail · Post by **Rail** » Fri Dec 29, 2000 6:10 am

Hey, now! Heh, heh. I'm not trying to say you are acting like the solo-police. I agree with you. It may not be really soloing as I would define it, but if he's having fun, great! That's the point.

I don't have fun with all-powerful characters. Just a personal thing. I get bored hacking everything up without much problem.

You said, "You can only *really* solo with a single/multi thief." and I disagreed. You don't have to have both Rings of Gaxx. Play with one. Make do. And it seems like you agree with me that in your last quote. I thought you were saying you *had* to have 2 Rings of Gaxx to solo, which didn't seem right. No offense intended nor taken.

P.S. I liked the underpants on the outside comment. Whatever floats his boat.

[This message has been edited by Rail (edited 12-29-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Rail (edited 12-29-2000).]

Gruntboy · Post by **Gruntboy** » Fri Dec 29, 2000 6:20 am

Agreed. Make do. Our Tom seems to *need* 2 rings and sacrifices his own concept of soloing to get them.

Christ, I wouldn't know, I've never bothered to get the 2 rings anyway - one is enough for me.

Rail · Post by **Rail** » Fri Dec 29, 2000 6:24 am

I agree, never had two either. Call me a purist, but it kind of seems like cheating. Isn't the ring supposed to be an artifact, one of a kind? I wouldn't really call it cheating, since it's in the game, but it is using a bug in the programming.

Gruntboy · Post by **Gruntboy** » Fri Dec 29, 2000 6:34 am

Precisely. I mean, there are rules and they can be bent or broken. Again, I'm not being the cheat-police here, if you want to steal 'em how the heck can I stop you (if I wanted to).

I can live with one ring of gaxx. Ok there are plenty of rings of protection +1 out there, there may well be "ringS of gaxx" but I'm not going to use a programming slip just to get 2 rings. Too much like hard work man.

My, we're having a right old love-in here eh? I wish someone would show up and bite my face off (err, that's not an invite Rail!).

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Oink Oink!

Rail · Post by **Rail** » Fri Dec 29, 2000 6:40 am

Okay, I'll restrain myself.

Tom0892 · Post by **Tom0892** » Fri Dec 29, 2000 10:53 am

Man you really went off about me getting Yoshimo in my party to steal a friggen ring. Tell me, would it be wrong if I got a party member in my group just to get a quest, but then take them out so I can complete it by ymyself? Or how about if I got drizzt to help me in the tombs? Soloing means going by yourself. and that is exactly what I did. I had Yoshimo join steal the ring and then I took him out at sent him back to the copper coronet and killed Kangaxx myself.
I beat the game the first time without any hints from websites or game magazines and almost did all the quests. The second time around I wanted a guy that was a powerful as you could possibly get without hacking into the game. And you seem to have a big problem with it.
By your definition you can't solo BG2 because you have Imoen in your group at the beginning of the game. think about it. if it was wasn't for Imoen you would still be in irenicus's "lab" and the game wouldn't have been made. Are you still gonna say I'm not soloing?

Gruntboy · Post by **Gruntboy** » Fri Dec 29, 2000 11:01 am

Yeah.

You can dump her, no? Get her hurt so she runs. You can't stop the game from giving you imoen at the start. You can choose to stop soloing and pick up yoshimo.

And Drizzt doesn't join your party.

Ubik · Post by **Ubik** » Fri Dec 29, 2000 11:31 am

GENTS!!!!

May I ask (humbly, as allways) a question?

Has anyone ever tried to solo the game with a Bard???

Actually (to contribute to the dog fight... err, I mean the conversation) I am planning on soloing the game with a thief/mage/fighter - I am still in chapter 6 with my first party and chapter 5 with my second (I know, I know, nobody cares, but what the hell, this is a free forum, right?)