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It's been some time since I played IWD2 but it does calculate your xp in a weird way as well where you can exploit the system a bit by lowering the level of your party by having ECL races like Drow or Svirfneblin in it. Or just a character who doesn't level up as often. There should be old guides kicking around that explain it better than I can but I remember there being a whole slew of ways to exploit that to level faster if you wanted to.
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May 27, 2023 06:42
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Basically the amount of xp you get goes down if your average level is higher than what that area is set up for. This doesn't account for number of people in your party or ECLs, so if your party is level five in a level 4 area you will get less experience, it doesn't matter if your party is 2 level five humans or 6 level five drow (with an ECL of +1 iirc, so they would actually need as many experience points as most characters need to get to level 6 to be level 5). If you out level an area enough you get no XP, so solo characters spend huge sections of the game not being max level but also not getting any xp, until they get to a higher level area. Someone at Black Isle did solo the game (maybe Josh Sawyer, or I just read his blog posts about a coworker doing it) with I think a sorcerer/monk deep gnome, so it is possible to solo even with those restrictions on leveling.
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May 27, 2023 06:54
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I think the game (BG2) is taking pity on me. I had a fun time in the Underdark Beholder lair, I remembered it being a pain in the rear end because the Elder Orbs try to Imprison Korgan when he's using THE shield to bamboozle the rest of them, but this time? Nope. He just chopped 'em to bits. No idea what happened there. Maybe he hit them while they were casting? I didn't really pay attention. The mind flayer city was similar. The game actually gave me a scroll of Mordenkainen's sword, so I came prepared, but it turns out when you have Coran, CHARNAME an archer, and Korgan and Yeslick going toe to toe with a bunch of squids, the squids keel over pretty fast. Korgan's saves are ridiculous, the squids didn't get him once.
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May 27, 2023 07:57
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JustJeff88 posted:I feel like he would need another tank-type; not sure if even a single-class cleric would hold the line well enough. Loaded up my last game and my tanks are a severely ECLed and experience penaltied barbarian warrior deep gnome and a cleric of tempus with druid official off tank but also a sorc and a wizard who can also off tank by the end of the game just through avoidance.
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May 27, 2023 14:07
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zedprime posted:There's a variety of power gamers who are taking the low level bonuses incredibly over seriously who tank with level 1 deep gnome barbarians who never level up. Through Shaengarne its a matter of itemization and buffs which clerics can take advantage of itemization and have some key buffs to make things easier on the front line. After which you can have enough arcane, divine, or druid spell casting or else potions to just either make anyone a tank or remove the need of tank through sheer volume of disables. I think it fair to say that these are examples somewhere between 'expert' and 'extreme' that aren't typical. I think that Node is playing the game for the first time, in which case it makes sense that he have a full party and two solid tanks.
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May 27, 2023 15:39
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Rappaport posted:I think the game (BG2) is taking pity on me. How do you have Coran and Yeslick in BG2?
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May 27, 2023 21:23
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Air Skwirl posted:How do you have Coran and Yeslick in BG2? import them as multiplayer characters?
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May 27, 2023 21:27
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JustJeff88 posted:I think it fair to say that these are examples somewhere between 'expert' and 'extreme' that aren't typical. I think that Node is playing the game for the first time, in which case it makes sense that he have a full party and two solid tanks. I played it back in 2002 when it released, but I can't remember poo poo about it, and I had no idea what I was doing. Thanks for the advice, my party looks a lot better than the one I would have made without any help.
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May 27, 2023 21:27
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Node posted:I played it back in 2002 when it released, but I can't remember poo poo about it, and I had no idea what I was doing. Thanks for the advice, my party looks a lot better than the one I would have made without any help. What party did you go with, if I may ask? IWD2 is basically the beginning of 3e D&D computer games (that and Ruins of Myth Drannor, sort of) and the character building philosophy and mechanics changed wildly from the 2e games to the 3e ones.
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May 27, 2023 22:00
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Air Skwirl posted:How do you have Coran and Yeslick in BG2? Arivia posted:import them as multiplayer characters? I know there's at least one mod that adds most of the unused BG1 NPCs into BG2.
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May 27, 2023 23:04
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Air Skwirl posted:How do you have Coran and Yeslick in BG2? My sibling in Bhaal! You can have Coran and Yeslick in your party with some Weidu magic. I've ranted about this before, but Coran's class is absolutely ridiculous in BG2. He keeps leveling as a thief, so he can become a master lock-picker, trap-remover and pocket picker. There's a lot of stuff to pick from pockets! Yeslick isn't such a novelty, really, since the game throws clerics at you and Aerie exists, etc., but it's just so much fun having a dwarf bash a squid's head in with the Flail of Ages.
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May 28, 2023 02:44
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JustJeff88 posted:What party did you go with, if I may ask? IWD2 is basically the beginning of 3e D&D computer games (that and Ruins of Myth Drannor, sort of) and the character building philosophy and mechanics changed wildly from the 2e games to the 3e ones. Aasimar fighter 4/paladin x, large swords Gold Dwarf fighter 4/berserker x, axes Human Cleric, maces I guess unless I should spent a feat point on a martial weapon? its a melee stat spread with self-buffing spells Halfling rogue 1/bard x, bows, but she just sings, and open locks requires 2 skill points to raise instead of 1 which I'm confused about Human monk 1/druid x, someone said to put a level into a monk since when a druid shapeshifts, they dont wear armor, which would compliment the monk's AC from wisdom bonus, but I wild shaped into a boar and I did not get that bonus so I dunno. so far I do not like this character very much, their spells just don't seem impressive as clerics? at least early on Emo Drow sorcerer I can appreciate the ability to put levels into whatever class you qualify for that 3e brings, but I miss the kooky class combinations that worked in 2e games like fighter/mage/thieves.
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May 28, 2023 21:42
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I'm sure these posts are a lot of work, but I wanted to say I appreciate them and hope you find the time to finish off the second book 
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May 28, 2023 22:01
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Node posted:Aasimar fighter 4/paladin x, large swords open locks takes 2 points to raise instead of 1 because it's not a class skill for the bard. however, since it was a class skill for the rogue level you took, you can still max it out at a higher level than if you had solely gone bard (the cap for it will be character level +3). this will likely apply to other thief-type skills too. yes, this means that keeping up with those skills is a huge skill point drain, but you've picked one of the best ways to deal with that in iwd2. maces for a cleric will be fine. later on a cleric will get lots of spells to make them much better at combat.
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May 28, 2023 23:02
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The reasons I always do rogue 1/bard the rest is so that those key rogue skills are considered class skills and only cost 1 point to raise. I don't know why it's not working for Node. Rogues get the most skill points in the game (8+int bonus/level) while bards get the second most (6+int bonus/level), so it should still be a skill bonanza. I don't want to use the term 'skill monkey', but the bard will definitely be the skill king of any party that doesn't have a rogue also.
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May 29, 2023 01:28
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JustJeff88 posted:The reasons I always do rogue 1/bard the rest is so that those key rogue skills are considered class skills and only cost 1 point to raise. I don't know why it's not working for Node. Rogues get the most skill points in the game (8+int bonus/level) while bards get the second most (6+int bonus/level), so it should still be a skill bonanza. I don't want to use the term 'skill monkey', but the bard will definitely be the skill king of any party that doesn't have a rogue also. I double checked the 3.0 phb to be sure and it sounds like things are working correctly for Node. If the skill was a class skill for any of your classes, ever, maximum rank is character level + 3. However, you spend skill points according to your current class, so you still have to spend two skill points to get one rank in that skill (since it’s cross-class for you in this class.) NWN 1 works the same way.
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May 29, 2023 02:08
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Arivia posted:I double checked the 3.0 phb to be sure and it sounds like things are working correctly for Node. If the skill was a class skill for any of your classes, ever, maximum rank is character level + 3. However, you spend skill points according to your current class, so you still have to spend two skill points to get one rank in that skill (since it’s cross-class for you in this class.) I believe you - it's been a while. Can bards spend points in Disable Device & Open Lock even if single class? I'm trying to remember why I used to have one level in rogue. I thought that it was so that DD/OL were class skills, but that doesn't seem to bhe case. Rogues run into the problem in this game that they encounter so many other places: other than their ability to DD & OL, which are vital, they aren't very useful. In the BG games and IWD1 the solution was to have a dual-class thief, of which there are tons, and in Torment the solution is 'recruit Anna', but IWD2 is 3e rules and a whole other paradigm.
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May 29, 2023 14:21
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Any class can spend points in any skill, but if it’s not a class skill it costs 2 skill points to raise, and also your maximum skill cap is half that of a class skill. However, if you have at least one level in a class that has that skill as a class skill, then it doesn’t have that cap, even though you still have to spend 2 skill points to improve it. This is why people suggest using a Rogue 1/Wizard X to handle locks and traps, since the rogue level removes the cross-class skill cap for those skills, and wizards have high intelligence so they get lots of skill points to make up for the double skill cost of those skills. Bards don’t need high intelligence, but they get a lot of skill points just from their class, so Rogue 1 Bard X is another good choice to soak the locks and traps skill point sink.
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May 29, 2023 14:33
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Mzbundifund posted:Any class can spend points in any skill, but if it’s not a class skill it costs 2 skill points to raise, and also your maximum skill cap is half that of a class skill. Thank you for explaining. It's been a long time since I played IWD2 and I never played 3/3.5 as a table-top game, so I couldn't remember the exact mechanics. I think that I chose Rogue 1/Bard (rest) because bards earn a good number of skill points, just not as much as rogues. I just checked, and it is indeed 8+int bonus/level for rogues but it's only 4/level for bards - I thought that it was six. Wizards only get 2, but with the inherently high intelligence they probably do just as well as a bard at low levels and better at high ones.
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May 29, 2023 14:46
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Bards do get 6 skill points/level in 3.5th Edition, but given you are not a tabletop player who knows why you knew that? I suppose Pathfinder follows that too so maybe cross-game knowledge?
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May 29, 2023 16:06
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Dr. Quarex posted:Bards do get 6 skill points/level in 3.5th Edition, but given you are not a tabletop player who knows why you knew that? I suppose Pathfinder follows that too so maybe cross-game knowledge? They could have played NWN which is also 3.0.
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May 29, 2023 16:14
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Dr. Quarex posted:Bards do get 6 skill points/level in 3.5th Edition, but given you are not a tabletop player who knows why you knew that? I suppose Pathfinder follows that too so maybe cross-game knowledge? I did never really play 3 or 3.5, but I remember hearing that one of the changes to 3.5 was making bards significantly better. I've always had a fondness for that class, so I might have gone and looked to see what upgrades they received from the half-edition. FishMcCool posted:They could have played NWN which is also 3.0. I did a bit. Didn't like it much, but I did play a bit.
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May 29, 2023 17:46
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2x Spell Sequencers with 3x Skull Traps a pop sure solves a lot of problems.
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May 31, 2023 05:51
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Flowing Thot posted:2x Spell Sequencers with 3x Skull Traps a pop sure solves a lot of problems. When I played Sorc, I loved having a sequencer with a few flame arrows added into an “enemy on-sight” contingency spell. It’s incredibly effective more often than not.
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May 31, 2023 06:22
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Cleric/Mages can get some cool sequencers at high levels, especially with IWD spells. Having Aerie pop a chant/prayer/recitation all in one sequencer is pretty funny.
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May 31, 2023 07:18
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I think I permanently broke Jaheria's quest somehow. I've nearly done every single thing in act 2 / 3 and it hasn't advanced at all since the first time the harpers attack you out in the city.
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Jun 1, 2023 08:19
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Flowing Thot posted:I think I permanently broke Jaheria's quest somehow. I've nearly done every single thing in act 2 / 3 and it hasn't advanced at all since the first time the harpers attack you out in the city. Sleep outside in a natural area. One of the triggers requires that.
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Jun 1, 2023 08:30
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Arivia posted:Sleep outside in a natural area. One of the triggers requires that. Nah it's super broken, I tried that many times many hours ago.
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Jun 1, 2023 08:44
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Use a save game editor to check what stage the quest is at, you can also change it in console
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Jun 1, 2023 11:08
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Jaheira's romance is known for being extraordinarily buggy and even after all the work done by Bioware/Beamdog after release it can still be a bit finicky at times.
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Jun 1, 2023 11:16
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I'll probably just console in the Harper Pin instead. I already got the item I really care about, the Ring of Wizardry.
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Jun 1, 2023 11:16
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A true romancer will console in like 10 babies
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Jun 1, 2023 13:53
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MrL_JaKiri posted:A true romancer will console in like 10 babies and then permanently staple them to all your quick item slots
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Jun 1, 2023 14:28
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I'm romancing Hexxat anyway.
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Jun 1, 2023 14:50
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Flowing Thot posted:I'm romancing Hexxat anyway. be honest: do you really think dating a vampire means no vampire babies in the forgotten realms.
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Jun 1, 2023 15:05
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Arivia posted:be honest: do you really think dating a vampire means no vampire babies in the forgotten realms. Both of us being women makes it hard.
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Jun 1, 2023 15:46
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Arivia posted:and then permanently staple them to all your quick item slots Only to turn them into driders as soon as you get to the Underdark. ...Oh, wait. Wrong game.
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Jun 1, 2023 16:05
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Flowing Thot posted:Both of us being women makes it hard. Surely there's some messed up god or another who'd help your characters out Messed up in that the god likes vampires, not ladies, I mean!
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Jun 2, 2023 06:13
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Protip,next time listen to the man when he says not to open the big scary coffin with something evil inside it. That did not go well.
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Jun 2, 2023 18:25
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Flowing Thot posted:Both of us being women makes it hard. not in the forgotten realms!
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Jun 2, 2023 18:48
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