Whoops, ok, not for the paladin. I have my ring of AT on a F/M/T that has transformed from an archer into a melee fighter. ;)

Keep the Mystery of the Dead for fights against beholders, then, but I'd still use the Great Shield most of the time. It gives +4 AC (tied for the best of any shield) and significant damage resistance. Out of curiosity, how far have you gone in HoF? The -2 to Thaco won't mean much once your paladin's level is in the high teens.

I need something to be clarified first, before I go on any further. Have you actually completed HoF-mode at least twice, once without 18/00 STR, and then another with 18/00 STR? If 15 STR is too extreme for you, try 18 STR then.

I could go on and on about the barely existential benefits of 18/00 STR on HoF mode, but the best way to convince you would be for you to play the game itself without 18/00 STR.

Dragon's Eye is still pretty early in the game. When my party was being pounded by things such as Frost/Fire Giants, Remohrazs(sp?), scary-things-with-7ApR from Burial Isle, Wailing Virgins, Harpies, etc... STR was never on my mind.

My question was never, "Damn, I wish I had more STR."

Nay, it was more likely to be, "Damn, I wish I had better AC/had the immunity to this effect/had summons/had more resistances/had this/had that/etc..." but never STR.

Once I reached the Severed Hand, I stopped memorising Strength already, because there was no point. Really.

[ 06-22-2006, 10:23 AM: Message edited by: Dundee Slaytern ]

Naw...rather cast less spells and hit harder meeself.

There is one possibility to survive level 1 characters and that is to go ahead and fire up the cheat console and import defensive and offensive items in so that the fights are a bit more even. I'd suggest items are common such as Large Shield +1, but not rare such as Bathed in Blood. To keep it fair as possible: you can't sell them [of course; most you'll probably end up keeping from the lists below anyhow.]

Also, items that you can't find at all in the game such as:
ARMOR:
Silver Bracer of Kedl KEDL
Belt of Piercing BELT04
Full Plate Mail PLAT04
Mithril Chain Mail +4 CHAN06
Elven Sewn Cloak ELFCLCK
Elven Sewn Gloves ELFGLOV
Elven Sewn Boots ELFBOOT
Illian's Hunting Helm HELMHUN
Greater Ring of the Warrior URING2A
Ring of the Warrior Thief URING5B
Boots of the Forgotten Ones BOOTFOR
WEAPONS:
Paladin:
Morning Star of Action +4 UMSTR5A
Bhaal's Fire (+3) ULSWD5B
Long Bow +3: Repeater ULBOW4A
Fighter:
Benorg's Truth (+4 Axe)
Light Crossbow of Speed: The Army Scythe XBOW06
Cleric:
War Hammer +4: Defender U1HAM5B

AND...

WAND:
Monster Summoning WAND10

[ 06-23-2006, 04:25 PM: Message edited by: Roboghost ]

Why should you want to make the game more even? You don't have to use cheats to make fights even. Simply go and switch HoF off.

What's the point of making the game more difficult and then using cheats to make it less difficult?

EDIT: edited for clarification

[ 06-24-2006, 12:55 PM: Message edited by: ZFR ]

Are you saying that even WITH 18/00 STR, you still cheat? http://www.ironworksforum.com/ubb/no...ons/icon34.gif

I don't quite follow your logic really... why bother with HoF mode in the first place then? http://www.ironworksforum.com/ubb/no...ons/icon11.gif

Is that question directed to me?
Then No, I don't say with 18/00 STR you cheat. I was referring to CLUAAing in items. why did you assume I did?

EDIT: in case my previous post was misleading I edited it.

[ 06-24-2006, 12:56 PM: Message edited by: ZFR ]

I was responding to Roboghost.