I just got done playing Baldur's Gate 2 and used time stop in every major battle. Now I'm playing an old saved game in Icewind Dale 2 and I'm supremely pissed off without a time stop spell. I don't know why I'm posting this, I don't expect a solution but it's late, I'm bored, and I'm buzzing so I hope somewhere enjoys this post.

Time stop is easy mode, I never used it in BG2 and I'm happy it's not in Icewind Dale II.

Getting uninterrupted time to cast all your powerfull spells instantly is ridicullous.

Every time you level your casters, put points in concentration. Select the 'combat casting' feat. I did this and my wizard can be in heavy melee and still cast his spells. I think that's the reason they included these abilities in the new rules.

IWD2 wizards get something like three times as many massive AoE destruction spells over BG2 wizards, and they recieve items that make these spells even more destructive.

Minor item spoiler:
`
`
`
`
`
`
By using the luck items such as Tymora's Loop and Young Ned's Lucky Nucky, you can guarantee maximum damage on the area of effect spells. It can be over 200 damage to ALL caught in the conflagulation.

In other words, I don't miss time stop. [img]smile.gif[/img]

and they also de-cheesefied horrid wilting by letting it hurt party members.

I never needed TS for BG, so I never missed it here. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Well, I'm guilty of using it.
However, I was aware it was not on IWD2 before buying it and I knew I could live without it. I can live without it. And so can you.
So get to play, gent'men.

Heh, time stop. Time Stop + Alaclarity was a very cheap combo in BG2: ToB, especially if you had all the Spellcast Time shortening items on that one wizard (Robes of Vecna, Amulet of Power, etc. Mine had just Vecna on and let me tell you, being able to toss Fireballs one after the other is just overpowered)

Don't even need that in this game really. Besides, I always use multiple casters, so I generally already have 2-3 bombing spells going off at once anyways [img]tongue.gif[/img]