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"Go for the eyes, Boo! GO FOR THE EYES!!!"
Grief is a funny thing; I have been dealing with mine by playing Baldur's Gate for a week solid. There is something incredibly soothing about splattering pixel monsters all over the place.
I'm into the srs biznes end of the game, just about to hit Candlekeep, with all my characters maxed out in level. I'm considering whether I want to install Tales of the Sword Coast - I've not done it so far because it nerfs Hide In Shadows big time - but I think I'd rather deal with Saervok and move on to BSGII. Only my copy is in a shed at my parents' place, three hours drive away. Does anyone in town have a copy of BSGII/Throne of Bhaal I could borrow for a while? I doubt I'll finish that in a week, especially since I now have to get back to actual schoolwork.
I haven't played BSG in years; when it first came out I played along with my brother - who created the PC, since it was his Christmas present - and I've never finished it on my own. Last time I tried to do the Gnoll stronghold too early because I picked up Minsc as soon as I saw him. This time around, I have discovered the simple joys of being a tank, such as not dying every ten minutes. Even if you keep your caster PC well back from the action, one stray arrow and you have to reload. My 7th level Paladin currently possesses the ridiculous armor class of -6, 75HP and a ring of free action. Needless to say, not many things can hurt her.
I have settled on a party of Ajantis, Yeslick, Quayle, Imoen (dualled to 7th level mage/3rd level thief) and Kivan. I'm going to try to replicate this formula to some degree in BSGII, as I have discovered that I love having two Paladins up front - tanks who can cast Protection From Evil and heal themselves in the heat of battle are awesome. Kivan is in the back on archery support, and has over a third of the total kills in the party. (The rest of us seem to be there to soften up and distract enemies so he call pick them off with a well-placed shot.) I guess I'll use either Minsc or Valygar as my archer in BSGII, unless I use the mod that adds Kivan back.
I have decided I'll have to install a mod just to get a decent NPC mage. The only pure mage spellcaster in BSGII is Edwin, and he and my girl Imuniel would not get on. Leaving the Evil Red One aside, there are three thief mages in the game, which is ridiculous. Don't get me wrong, thief mages are great, but in what universe is three of the sixteen available NPCS being off the same multiclass combination a good idea? I will take one of them because I need a thief and Yoshimo is sadly not long for this world, but not more than that. This problem is especially maddening when the game keeps trying to force Imoen on you. (It was even more frustrating with my brother's own thief mage as a PC. In the end, Imoen suffered a tragic and untimely death ...)
I think I am going to install Xan, as I played through much of BSG1 with him and was sad to see him go when I got to the city in Chapter Five. Quayle is a much more well-rounded caster in that game, so I felt compelled to swap out the gloomy elf in spite of the fact that I find him hilarious and Quayle drives the rest of my party insane. The mod that adds Xan to BSGII gives you options about his class, though, so he no longer has to be an Enchanter! I think I will make him a wild mage for the hilarity value.
I'm into the srs biznes end of the game, just about to hit Candlekeep, with all my characters maxed out in level. I'm considering whether I want to install Tales of the Sword Coast - I've not done it so far because it nerfs Hide In Shadows big time - but I think I'd rather deal with Saervok and move on to BSGII. Only my copy is in a shed at my parents' place, three hours drive away. Does anyone in town have a copy of BSGII/Throne of Bhaal I could borrow for a while? I doubt I'll finish that in a week, especially since I now have to get back to actual schoolwork.
I haven't played BSG in years; when it first came out I played along with my brother - who created the PC, since it was his Christmas present - and I've never finished it on my own. Last time I tried to do the Gnoll stronghold too early because I picked up Minsc as soon as I saw him. This time around, I have discovered the simple joys of being a tank, such as not dying every ten minutes. Even if you keep your caster PC well back from the action, one stray arrow and you have to reload. My 7th level Paladin currently possesses the ridiculous armor class of -6, 75HP and a ring of free action. Needless to say, not many things can hurt her.
I have settled on a party of Ajantis, Yeslick, Quayle, Imoen (dualled to 7th level mage/3rd level thief) and Kivan. I'm going to try to replicate this formula to some degree in BSGII, as I have discovered that I love having two Paladins up front - tanks who can cast Protection From Evil and heal themselves in the heat of battle are awesome. Kivan is in the back on archery support, and has over a third of the total kills in the party. (The rest of us seem to be there to soften up and distract enemies so he call pick them off with a well-placed shot.) I guess I'll use either Minsc or Valygar as my archer in BSGII, unless I use the mod that adds Kivan back.
I have decided I'll have to install a mod just to get a decent NPC mage. The only pure mage spellcaster in BSGII is Edwin, and he and my girl Imuniel would not get on. Leaving the Evil Red One aside, there are three thief mages in the game, which is ridiculous. Don't get me wrong, thief mages are great, but in what universe is three of the sixteen available NPCS being off the same multiclass combination a good idea? I will take one of them because I need a thief and Yoshimo is sadly not long for this world, but not more than that. This problem is especially maddening when the game keeps trying to force Imoen on you. (It was even more frustrating with my brother's own thief mage as a PC. In the end, Imoen suffered a tragic and untimely death ...)
I think I am going to install Xan, as I played through much of BSG1 with him and was sad to see him go when I got to the city in Chapter Five. Quayle is a much more well-rounded caster in that game, so I felt compelled to swap out the gloomy elf in spite of the fact that I find him hilarious and Quayle drives the rest of my party insane. The mod that adds Xan to BSGII gives you options about his class, though, so he no longer has to be an Enchanter! I think I will make him a wild mage for the hilarity value.