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Skwirl posted:I think it was +4 damage (and maybe THAC0) to the appropriate targets, but wouldn't work against undead who needed a +3 or +4 weapon to be hit at all. Yeah, it's supposed to be a generic +2 THAC0/damage weapon vs. all targets, but vs. evil targets it's supposed to be +4. This latter property didn't work properly in original vanilla BG2/TOB (I ~think~ the bugfix/tweak packs fixed this), but it does work properly in the EE versions of the game. Regardless, the Sunray ability once per day is the real standout attribute of the weapon, when taking on high level undead at any rate.
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Jun 15, 2019 06:31
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Dootman posted:Yeah, it's supposed to be a generic +2 THAC0/damage weapon vs. all targets, but vs. evil targets it's supposed to be +4. This latter property didn't work properly in original vanilla BG2/TOB (I ~think~ the bugfix/tweak packs fixed this), but it does work properly in the EE versions of the game. Regardless, the Sunray ability once per day is the real standout attribute of the weapon, when taking on high level undead at any rate. Does the per level part scale with the person holding it or just a set scaling like with wands and scrolls? Because if it's the former the best user of it would be a bard.
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Jun 15, 2019 06:39
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chaosapiant posted:What’s the general consensus on the better game: Icewind Dale 1 or 2? IWD2 was made in a super hurry over something like 9 months. it feels more like a set of hastily assembled, sometimes cannibalized, modules -- which it is. mechanically, it is a hacked together 3.0 D&D system rather than 2.0 D&D system. there are weird and annoying environmental puzzles and fourth wall breaking humour. the encounters are a bit more interesting however. they feel like they were explicitly designed to challenge infinity engine system mastery. i don't think i ever completely finished it. Zane fucked around with this message at 11:14 on Jun 15, 2019 |
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Jun 15, 2019 06:46
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Thanks for the feedback on Dragon Disciple. I know I keep asking about kits and classes - truth be told in my head I'm already looking to the next playthrough and am trying to shy away from classes and multi combos I'm used to and try some new things. Wrapping up BG1 and TotSC now - the demon fight was pretty funny as a kensai, just popping Kai and running around smashing all the cult guards to chunks while the team kept the demon busy. I'm heading into SoD blind and I'm dual-classing to thief at level 9 so this'll be interesting for certain.
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Jun 15, 2019 09:03
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Skwirl posted:Does the per level part scale with the person holding it or just a set scaling like with wands and scrolls? Because if it's the former the best user of it would be a bard. The item text states per level of the caster, so I would assume that means the level of whoever is holding it. Whether that is true or not, I do not know. However, the important part there is the the save vs. spells or be destroyed when targeting undead.
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Jun 15, 2019 09:17
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chaosapiant posted:What’s the general consensus on the better game: Icewind Dale 1 or 2? I think that the IWD1 plot/story arc is one of the most incredibly bad pieces of work I have ever seen, but is a fine dungeon delver adventuring game. IWD2 at least does not take itself so seriously. Unfortunately the source code of 2 was lost and there will never be an enhanced edition.
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Jun 15, 2019 14:15
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One of the biggest tonal issues i have with IWD2 is that it leans a little too referential for earlier games, both IWD1 and the BG series. The tutorial area is filled with asides that you'd only get if you played them all, such as the mercinaries bitching about all the quests you had to do at Candlekeep. I've finally decided to play through it without using console commands though. We'll see how it holds up.
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Jun 15, 2019 14:58
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New question: I'm stripping down my BG1/2 EE trilogy install, and rebuilding it with new mods. What are the best must have mods and adventure mods out there these days? Currently I'm rolling with: BG1NPC project Unfinished Business for BG1 and 2 IWDefication And that's about it. I'm using the newer/leaner Big World installer and I've got lots of EE ready options, just want to make sure I don't bloat the game with tons of poo poo. I'm not concerned with how much I install as long as it's not unbalanced and doesn't destroy the tone of the game. Edit: Also the reason I ask about IWD1 vs 2 is because I finished IWD1 EE finally for the first time since it came out in like 2000. I'm getting around to playing IWD 2 now and not only is the ruleset bizzaarree, but the lack of an EE really makes it hard to play by comparison. I'm using the IWD2 NPC project mod as well as the widescreen and UI mods so it'll run in a reasonable 1280x720 resolution. Anything larger and the game get too hard to see. One of my fave aspects of the EEs is the zoom feature. Being able to zoom in to how close the original 640x480 displayed things, and then back out all the way is probably my favorite feature of the EEs. New Edit: Holy poo poo, Icewind Dale 2 can be made to work in Ultrawide resolution without being stretched out! Now I can use my whole monitor to play this game and it looks gorgeous! chaosapiant fucked around with this message at 20:44 on Jun 15, 2019 |
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Jun 15, 2019 16:34
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IWD1 has poo poo for story but the best area artwork of any of the IE games, and now with the enhanced edition bringing in all the BG2 engine and gameplay improvements I think it has the best combat of any IE games too. I dont know why they didn't bring even a few of the spell and class updates from IWD over to BG2, especially the druid spells and bard song. We've got mods for that I know, but still.
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Jun 15, 2019 21:11
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bike tory posted:IWD1 has poo poo for story but the best area artwork of any of the IE games, and now with the enhanced edition bringing in all the BG2 engine and gameplay improvements I think it has the best combat of any IE games too. I dont know why they didn't bring even a few of the spell and class updates from IWD over to BG2, especially the druid spells and bard song. We've got mods for that I know, but still. I remember a 16 year old Vichan making a full-fledged party complete with multi-paragraph biographies and just role-playing my way around the Dale. It's got an amazing soundtrack as well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B92P1-OUNJo Icewind Dale II's soundtrack is still my favourite though: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HW5r1QWMF9Q The Icewind Dale II NPC mod is amazing by the way, big thanks to whoever recommended it! Vichan fucked around with this message at 21:37 on Jun 15, 2019 |
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Jun 15, 2019 21:35
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Phlegmish posted:People playing Baldur's Gate for the first time in 2019, I love that and I'm also a bit jealous I'm jealous of he people who played it back then, because I played BG for the first time in 2018 and the magic was missing, but I could tell i would have loved it in like 2004.
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Jun 15, 2019 22:00
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steinrokkan posted:I'm jealous of he people who played it back then, because I played BG for the first time in 2018 and the magic was missing, but I could tell i would have loved it in like 2004. It was something special in 2002 because open world games had been wide and flat for the most part. BG2 had so much going on in every location it felt like nothing was wasted and every map had multiple things going on to draw you in. Not even the mod scene making huge improvements in some aspects you could play and replay with different characters and NPCs and get a unique feel each time. They really learned their lesson from the 20+ dull expanes of land to travel between named locations in BG1.
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Jun 15, 2019 22:15
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chaosapiant posted:New question: I'm stripping down my BG1/2 EE trilogy install, and rebuilding it with new mods. What are the best must have mods and adventure mods out there these days? Currently I'm rolling with: Mechanics: https://www.gibberlings3.net/mods/spells/spell_rev/ https://www.gibberlings3.net/mods/tweaks/scs/ - even if you don't want the game to be more difficult there are things in there you might want Quests: http://www.pocketplane.net/mambo/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=128&Itemid=100 http://mods.pocketplane.net/bg1tutu/sirine_readme.html http://www.pocketplane.net/mambo/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=186&Itemid=125 https://www.gibberlings3.net/mods/quests/ascension/ I don't think there are any original quest mods I ever played for BG2 that are good, coded well, and fit the tone of the original games apart from Back to Brynnlaw. Half the Unfinished Business components don't even fit that bill (that Boo quest  ).Alternatives and Assassinations might but I never actually played them.
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Jun 15, 2019 22:16
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Wizard Styles posted:No Tweak Pack? Is Darkest Day the David Gaider penned mod? I recall generally good impressions of that mod adding content he wanted in the base game. As a whole every non-tweak pack mod is very clearly amateur work that might look nice for some part but clashes pretty heavily with the base game. 95% is just wish fulfillment fanfiction anyways and that's without including any romance related mods(they're all terrible)
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Jun 15, 2019 22:43
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You're probably thinking of Ascension.
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Jun 15, 2019 22:53
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Holy poo poo those spell revisions. Like, some of those are semi-decent changes, especially to some of the spells that just aren't worth casting and to druids. But for every spell that they've fixed they've complete overpowered two others.
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Jun 15, 2019 23:20
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bike tory posted:Holy poo poo those spell revisions. Like, some of those are semi-decent changes, especially to some of the spells that just aren't worth casting and to druids. But for every spell that they've fixed they've complete overpowered two others. I dont see the problem here
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Jun 16, 2019 00:06
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bike tory posted:Holy poo poo those spell revisions. Like, some of those are semi-decent changes, especially to some of the spells that just aren't worth casting and to druids. But for every spell that they've fixed they've complete overpowered two others. Its always fun to hear people decrying unbalanced and broken game features who's idea of a fix is to take it and make it 10x worse but in a way they like.
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Jun 16, 2019 00:28
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bike tory posted:Holy poo poo those spell revisions. Like, some of those are semi-decent changes, especially to some of the spells that just aren't worth casting and to druids. But for every spell that they've fixed they've complete overpowered two others. What spells are over powered now? I don't remember enough about the old spells to tell what's changed aside from a general sense they added level scaling to a bunch of spells that didn't have it.
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Jun 16, 2019 02:38
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Spell Revisions makes low level CC worth using at higher levels which is kind of a buff to casters but not a huge one considering how many spell slots you end up with later on. There are also some things I wish weren't in there (like Oracle giving outright backstab immunity) and I'd happily take a "just the nerfs" installation option but overall the balance is better.
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Jun 16, 2019 03:07
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Skwirl posted:What spells are over powered now? I don't remember enough about the old spells to tell what's changed aside from a general sense they added level scaling to a bunch of spells that didn't have it. Without going through and itemizing each one it's mostly the crowd controls and the fact that a number of level 1-3 spells now make a number of level 7-9 spells redundant.
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Jun 16, 2019 03:40
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Spell Revisions is pretty good overall and I use it together with Item Revisions in all my playthroughs. It's pretty well balanced, as far as something as absurd as a BG caster can be.
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Jun 16, 2019 13:13
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DeadButDelicious posted:Anyone tried the Dragon Disciple kit in BGEE and onwards? How do the bonuses stack up compared to the penalties? I am very pro the Dragon Disciple. The extra hp, extra AC, and fire resistance all are good QOL. The con of one fewer cast per day in every spell level, while not trivial, is mitigated by the sheer volume of spells you can cast when higher level, being able to rest regularly and, if you are willing to use it, project image abuse.
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Jun 16, 2019 14:48
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While I can't speak for anyone else, I think that it's very common to heavily favour builds that are strong late-game even if it means giving up something in the early game. I think that this is not unusual even in games like the BG saga where the early game is arguably harder than the late game, and I know that I'm very much that way when I think about what class to play. I don't know if it's as prevalent as "... but I might need it later!" hoarding syndrome, but I'm confident in saying that it's A Thing.
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Jun 16, 2019 16:26
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JustJeff88 posted:While I can't speak for anyone else, I think that it's very common to heavily favour builds that are strong late-game even if it means giving up something in the early game. I think that this is not unusual even in games like the BG saga where the early game is arguably harder than the late game, and I know that I'm very much that way when I think about what class to play. I don't know if it's as prevalent as "... but I might need it later!" hoarding syndrome, but I'm confident in saying that it's A Thing. I died way more in BG1 and lost runs due to not having a recent save then at any point in the rest of the saga. That late game mentality comes from the ToB enemies escalating to a point where fun and useful BG1/2 builds are not viable. Archers are dominant for a large part of the game, but then later you only have 1-2 viable bows to use and you need to carefully ration +3 thaco arrows since the +thaco on the bow doesn't count towards the "immune to +2weapons and below"
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Jun 16, 2019 17:12
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Gesen, firetooth, everard all benefit from the archer's ranged bonus and work against any enemy in the game. By that point you have enough proficiency points to be a grandmaster in at least 2 ranged weapons. Archers still easily deal absurd amounts of damage in ToB and the only bad thing about them is that they're not mages.
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Jun 16, 2019 17:39
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Eraflure posted:the only bad thing about them is that they're not mages. This could be the summary for many a non-mage class in every D&D edition apart from 4th. Wouldn't make a bad thread title either. Unrelated, but I still chuckle every time I see, hear or think of the phrase "Backstabs cure mages!"
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Jun 16, 2019 18:09
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JustJeff88 posted:This could be the summary for many a non-mage class in every D&D edition apart from 4th. And in 4e they just said gently caress it and made everyone a mage
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Jun 16, 2019 19:21
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In your opinions, what's the best way to get some early levels in BG1 and get past the misery of very low-level D&D combat? All of the talk about BG3 is making me consider another run, but BG couldn't have a slower start then if it was a turtle running the 100m dash at the Olympics. The lack of ability to hit most anything and the low HP is a real misery. I can't do much about the former, but in the latter case I'm seriously thinking about breaking out our old house rule of "every character gets CON hp added to their max". I assume that most people are going to say "Basilisks", but I'm not sure how to do those without protection from petrification and the ghoul method is somewhat dodgy for obvious reasons. I am almost certainly going to use the Level 1 NPC mod, so it makes sense to run solo for a bit at the start. bike tory posted:And in 4e they just said gently caress it and made everyone a mage This isn't inaccurate, but it's kind of sad that "giving all classes stuff to do" equals = mage.
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Jun 16, 2019 20:07
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JustJeff88 posted:In your opinions, what's the best way to get some early levels in BG1 and get past the misery of very low-level D&D combat? All of the talk about BG3 is making me consider another run, but BG couldn't have a slower start then if it was a turtle running the 100m dash at the Olympics. The lack of ability to hit most anything and the low HP is a real misery. I can't do much about the former, but in the latter case I'm seriously thinking about breaking out our old house rule of "every character gets CON hp added to their max". Buy a few mirror potions in High Hedge and kill the basilisks.
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Jun 16, 2019 20:17
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Yeah it really is basilisks. Do it solo and it gets you to like level 7ish for most classes i think. It's only risky in an ironman run, and even then not really.
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Jun 16, 2019 20:27
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Get a full party asap and equip everyone with appropriate ranged weapons. Imoen, Xzar, Montaron and Khalid all have dex bonuses to ranged thac0, bows automatically give 2 attacks to Imoen and Khalid(compound bows give him extra thac0 and damage) and Monty with darts has 3. Your dudes will start hitting level 2 in Beregost as long as you're picking up all the little fetch quests along the way, you don't need to cheese or farm anything. Khalid and Jaheira will also get mad and kill Xzar and Monty at some point which is fun.
Ratios and Tendency fucked around with this message at 20:31 on Jun 16, 2019 |
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Jun 16, 2019 20:28
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Ratios and Tendency posted:Get a full party asap and equip everyone with appropriate ranged weapons. Imoen, Xzar, Montaron and Khalid all have dex bonuses to ranged thac0, bows automatically give 2 attacks to Imoen and Khalid(compound bows give him extra thac0 and damage) and Monty with darts has 3. Your dudes will start hitting level 2 in Beregost as long as you're picking up all the little fetch quests along the way, you don't need to cheese or farm anything. Khalid and Jaheira will also get mad and kill Xzar and Monty at some point which is fun. This is very sensible, but with Level 1 NPCs and all that, I'm just going to cheese the gently caress out of it. I might not do all of the basilisks, though... perhaps part of that map and get up to level 4 or so. =============================================================== Another question... I just discovered a mod named Ashes of Embers that reportedly allows any class(es) to equip any weapon and choose proficiency pips in any weapon. However, it seems rather old... does anyone know if this would work in BG1EE/SoD/BG2EE and beyond?
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Jun 16, 2019 20:59
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There's gotta be a lot more mods that do that, but it's also super unnecessary.
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Jun 16, 2019 21:03
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Cheese for the cheese god, exploits for the exploits throne!
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Jun 16, 2019 21:03
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JustJeff88 posted:This could be the summary for many a non-mage class in every D&D edition apart from 4th. Wouldn't make a bad thread title either. It's actually a pretty silly take in 2e. Also you know that for almost every enemy caster you can just brute force the rocket tag bullshit? quote:In your opinions, what's the best way to get some early levels in BG1 and get past the misery of very low-level D&D combat? 1. Roll something with a fast progression table (Thief or Bard is best) 3. Get the petrified cleric in Nashkel circus ASAP, one of the level 1 cleric spells lets you cheese a ton (including the bounty hunter and the two really frustrating assassins in Beregost and Nashkel) 2. After hitting Nashkel: the archaeology dig, the berserk captain of the guard, the various courier bullshit with limited fighting between Beregost and Nashkel usually don't actually require a high level party; there's a way to also cheese the cleric of Cyric and not cause a giant fight. If you're lucky iirc Melicamp's succesful result is worth a pretty heavy amount of XP. Agnosticnixie fucked around with this message at 21:19 on Jun 16, 2019 |
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Jun 16, 2019 21:13
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Agnosticnixie posted:Thief or Bard is best
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Jun 16, 2019 21:42
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Wizard Styles posted:Probably the first time this combination of words has been written in a BG thread. Both 2e rogues get some deserved scorn (the rogue save table is so bad even accounting for the XP table) but kits open up a lot of good stuff even on the table. IMO the're both still more solid than people credit either class up to the final expansion. Agnosticnixie fucked around with this message at 21:59 on Jun 16, 2019 |
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Jun 16, 2019 21:56
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Bards are really good in BG, even with just a few levels in them. Blades are fantastic, but all bards are decent
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Jun 16, 2019 21:58
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Agnosticnixie posted:Both 2e rogues get some deserved scorn (the rogue save table is so bad even accounting for the XP table) but kits open up a lot of good stuff even on the table. But single class Thieves are just terrible and not really in short supply either.
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Jun 16, 2019 22:00
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