Never Solo'd before... so, here's a question

mikeheitz · Post by **mikeheitz** » Mon Jul 02, 2001 11:16 am

I have been reading with great interest all of the posts from people on their strategies for soloing a character. Has anyone solo'd a character all the way from the beginning of BG1, through to the end of Throne of Bhaal??? I've never solo'd at all, but was thinking about doing one all the way from the beginning. I'm kind of discouraged though because all of the cool character kits aren't available in the original BG.

Daniel · Post by **Daniel** » Mon Jul 02, 2001 1:04 pm

I did that too, but I don't got TOB, YET! But after a time I was getting a bit tired of sword-and-shield-style... and because I used Drizzt his scimitars in BG1, I couldn't use them in BG2 anymore! I didn't like that, for scimitars are me fav. weapons, and so I swapped some profincies with Shadowkeeper, so I could use scimitars again. But I did NOT changed my NPC in a extremily good fighter, for I still have just as much profincies as I had before the swap.
The main reason I soloed (didn't knew it had a name) my character, was that I used some manuals in BG1 to strengthen my stats. Now my character's stats are:
str: 16 (beginning BG1: 15)
dex: 18 (beginning BG1: 17)
con: 16 (beginning BG1: 15)
int: 14 (beginning BG1: 13), now it's 13 again, I had to offer my intellegence to Irenicus
wis: 16 (beginning BG1: 14)
cha: 18 (beginning BG1: 17)
First in BG1 I rolled a long time befor I had a lot of 'points' to spend, but it gave a nice effect and made an excellent NPC. But I don't think I will be using more manuals, even if there are some in TOB, because my character is fine now, and the stats are high enough now... only experience is needed to become stronger now...
I can recomment it to you, but then you have to start all the game over again... thats a lot of tiome to spend on one character, but playing BG1 is very nice, nostalgia... *sigh*

[ 07-02-2001: Message edited by: Vegeta ]

mikeheitz · Post by **mikeheitz** » Tue Jul 10, 2001 1:14 pm

Not a whole lot of replies... Anyone have any thoughts on soloing from the beginning of BG1 all the way through the entire series???

Xyx · Post by **Xyx** » Tue Jul 10, 2001 2:19 pm

I'll certainly do it, but what thoughts exactly did you have in mind? Character class choice?

Solo does seem to be missing something, though... I'd also like to bring lil sis Imoen, bro Sarevok, and a romance interest just to wrap up the storyline. The biggest drawback of soloing the whole thing is IMO the lack of (duh) character interaction.

Doltan · Post by **Doltan** » Tue Jul 10, 2001 3:35 pm

Has anyone else had trouble playing BGI now that they've been playing SOA and TOB? I find the graphics in the first one to be annoying (although they were certainly good enough when I played through it the first 3 times before getting SOA). I've soloed a couple of times starting at BGII, but the idea of starting way at the beginning depresses me.

Andrew Shih · Post by **Andrew Shih** » Tue Jul 10, 2001 4:14 pm

When you create a generic class character in BG I and continue on to BG II, you will be asked if you want to choose a kit. Also, you can dual in BG I, BG II, or TOB. Finally, if you continue from BG II to TOB, you will be boosted to 2.5 million XP if you don't have that already.

What's interesting though is that the best class combos in BG I, BG II, and TOB are all different.

--Riverwind

Dimensional · Post by **Dimensional** » Wed Jul 11, 2001 2:04 am

I am in the middle of this at the moment

ranger in bg1 -TOSC (damn Tough at times)
to Archer in BGII - Have just got TOB and she will get there as soon as she has finnished with Irenicus (i am in suldulessenar at the Mo.)

so far great Fun

Xyx · Post by **Xyx** » Wed Jul 11, 2001 5:35 am

Originally posted by Riverwind:
<STRONG>What's interesting though is that the best class combos in BG I, BG II, and TOB are all different.</STRONG>

Besides the levels at which to dual, what's the difference between SoA and ToB?

mikeheitz · Post by **mikeheitz** » Wed Jul 11, 2001 6:59 am

The reason I asked about soloing, is I was thinking about soloing a mage from the very beginning. It seems like the best strategy for a mage, at least early in BG1, is to avoid fights. Otherwise, 1 hit can end your game. Then I was consider just soloing through SoA where at least i am a higher level and can handle more than a 1st level mage.

joeblack · Post by **joeblack** » Wed Jul 11, 2001 7:18 am

Fighting Sarevok will be tough in BG1 for a soloed character

Lykwid · Post by **Lykwid** » Wed Jul 11, 2001 12:40 pm

I dont think you can get by the chromatic demon in watchers keep playing solo , at least i couldnt with a monk, good luck to ya.

-Lykwid

Andrew Shih · Post by **Andrew Shih** » Wed Jul 11, 2001 12:49 pm

Dimensional,

BEFORE you install TOB, you may want to consider dualling your archer to a cleric. Because the archer-cleric has been BANNED in TOB--the only way to get one is to create and develop it in BG II and then import.

--Riverwind

Andrew Shih · Post by **Andrew Shih** » Wed Jul 11, 2001 12:54 pm

XyX,

There's a world of difference. For starters, multi-classes are much better than dual-classes in TOB. Why? Because base THACO and spellcasting level maxes out, and because multi-classes get advanced ability points from both classes for each level that they make starting from the level after which their combined XP rather than separate XP exceed 3 million XP. In other words, if say you had a fighter and a fighter/thief in BG II at the XP cap and you imported to TOB, the fighter would start getting advanced fighting moves with the next level, but so would the fighter/thief. In fact, the fighter/thief would also start getting advanced thief abilities with the next level. And so multi-classes are not half as good as each single class, but are almost as good in each single class.

--Riverwind

Andrew Shih · Post by **Andrew Shih** » Wed Jul 11, 2001 12:59 pm

Xyx,

Other changes in TOB, is that sorcerers and druids are the best spellcasters. At level 15 druids can suddenly cast the highest level priest spells, including the advanced quest spells, 6 times per day (at level 14 they could only cast it once). At level 20 sorcerers can all of a sudden cast the highest level mage spells, including advanced level 10 mage spells, 6 times per day.

Another interesting thing is that thieves have as an advanced ability the "use any item" ability which allows them to use literally ANY item. This includes the Carsomyr, the Staff of the Magi, even Jan's armor and Anomen's shield. Even if you're part kensai, you can wear plate. Even if you're part cleric, you can use a crossbow. Etc. Thieves also get "assassination" which allows every hit during the round to get a backstab multiplier and they don't need to be in shadows in order to do this.

--Riverwind

Oneiron · Post by **Oneiron** » Wed Jul 11, 2001 2:11 pm

Have you read two's post (topic:no deaths/no reloads ). He's been soloing a bard through SoA and ToB. One of the replies under that topic was from RA who has been soloing a bard since BG1. I've never soloed the games before but, I can see how the bard would be the best character to solo as he levels quick, has fighter abilities, thieve abilities, and can use magic at higher levels. The bard is quite possibly the best all-around character that you can do. Multi-classing IMO has too many drawbacks in terms of leveling for my tastes. I've always gotten sick of my multi-class characters before the end of a game.
Good luck with your solo!
I'm beginning to think it would be easier to play solo than trying to keep the 3 NPC's in my party alive! Sometimes the AI has a hard time keeping up with me when I assign multiple players different tasks as well. This propensity for computer "forgetfullness" has gotten many of my NPC's killed in the end stages of SoA & ToB.

Xyx · Post by **Xyx** » Wed Jul 11, 2001 2:17 pm

@ Riverwind: Are, IYO, the duals no longer superior to the multis? Do a couple of high level abilities outweigh the (rather substantial) advantages of dualling over multi-ing?

A dualled character gets:
[*]A Kit. Kensai, Berserker, Swashbuckler, you name it. Loads of advantages on top of the vanilla class kits, hardly any disadvantages.
[*]More Hit Points. Usually the first class is the one with good Hit Points. Multis have to share (rounding fractions down).
[*]A couple more levels in the second class. Sorcerers and Druids may max out their spellcasting abilities pretty soon, but Mages are not that fast.

Andrew Shih · Post by **Andrew Shih** » Wed Jul 11, 2001 5:09 pm

Bards are great in BG II, especially skalds (when you have a large party) and blades. I soloed BG II with a blade, and it was very exciting.

Also, after gaining a few levels in TOB, the one drawback of blades as a kit--that of having a weak song--is removed. All bards, including blades, get an "enhanced bard song" which they can use at any time for however long they wish which is basically an improved skald song, giving everyone in the party +4 and immunities to debilitating attacks and immunities to non-magical weapons. Also, all rogues including bards get "use any item" which allows them to literally use any item including the Robe of Vecna and the Carsomyr.

HOWEVER, bards eventually decline in TOB because they basically don't get any better after the first few levels. Their THACO doesn't improve past the BG II cap, their spellcasting level doesn't improve nor does the level of spell they can cast, etc. As for identifying items, by TOB, most thieves or mages can identify anything anyway. And so, I would not say that the bard is the ultimate soloist the reason being that ultimately he isn't that powerful in TOB.

--Riverwind

Andrew Shih · Post by **Andrew Shih** » Wed Jul 11, 2001 5:13 pm

@Xyx

Regarding dual classes, they were definitely better than multi-classes in BG II in part for the reasons you mentioned. But besides advanced ability points, we also have the fact that the first class of a dual class doesn't improve at all after dualling and that by the time you get to TOB, the first class abilities have faded away in comparision. If you dual in TOB, it will take in most cases an extremely long time to regain your first class abilities. But the main thing is that advanced abilities/moves/spells ARE the key in TOB--in fact, normal fighting/spells/abilities becomes increasingly irrelevant as you fight more and more powerful and faster and fantastic creatures.

--Riverwind

Xyx · Post by **Xyx** » Thu Jul 12, 2001 10:41 am

@ Riverwind

Would you say that ToB makes Aerie, Jaheira and Jan the most powerful NPCs?

I wonder how do the triple multis do...

F/M/C: caps at 11/12/12 in SoA, 18/17/19. They only get a total of 19 high level abilities, albeit from three pools. The Fighter and Cleric parts pretty much max out their THAC0 and spells. But... No level 9 spells!

The horror! How are they supposed to cast Mage quest spells?

Strange... You're a god, but still not maxed out. Why didn't the designers put the cap at 9 million?

Raven · Post by **Raven** » Thu Jul 12, 2001 1:41 pm

Well a bit late (raven is Ra my email was hacked

),

Riverwind, Your bard still has tensers, so you have a great thac0 and if I am not wrong thac0 for all classes caps at level 20 I believe.

But bards become more team players then solo-ists. because of their song and their spell progression stops and become mid level mages.

They get good abilities and class only, no other class can use improved bard song enz.
Just like druids.
I think fighter mages become awsome (It is a classic!).
I dondn't have the game but I think they can gain All the high level ability's from both mage and fighter.
Because you start to get your abilities past the 3 million cap.
You can cast level nine spells great thac0 hit points, abilities.
And I think cleric mages are going to be cool to. I have three saves ready and they are all solo and played through BG1 Totsc an BG2 and they all reached the exp cap. They are cleric mage fighter mage and a blade.
So wenn I played trough the game we know who is the strongest.