[Aerich]

To modify the party for a HoF run, I'd lose some of the dual classes and replace them with multiclasses. If doing HoF from the start, this is particularly important because certain druid and cleric spells are extremely effective early in the game (e.g. Call Lightning, Charm Person or Animal, Command, Hold Person, Animate Dead) - and you need everything you can muster, at that point.

Bear in mind that single classes will generally max out their levels, as will low-level dual classes (say, less than lvl 9), if playing HoF.

Having only one dedicated tank is not a weakness in HoF. In fact, it can be an advantage because you only have to pump up one character's AC. However, it is important to have melee-capable characters (e.g. multiclasses including warrior classes) to step in for emergencies and cleanup duty. Damage spells on HoF are proportionally (compared with non-HoF HP numbers) less effective, so it's quite common to have to finish enemies off in melee unless you like resting every 10 steps to rememorize spells.

I would NOT take a bunch of single-class characters, especially a thief. Ideally you want 5 of 6 characters to be good-to-excellent warriors (again, containing 9 or more warrior levels) and 5 of 6 characters to end up being decent spellcasters (paladins and bard included). Plan for flexibility and strength in all areas.

You achieve the water elemental shapechange when your character reaches 15 druid levels.

I classify spells as defensive if they meet one or more of three criteria:

1) Makes it harder for enemies to hit and/or cause damage (e.g. mirror image, stoneskin, prayer, etc - could even include Web, etc here)

2) Causes enemies to lose interest in attacking my characters (summons, enchantments)

3) Protects against certain effects (e.g. Remove Fear, Protection from Fire, etc).

As long as your characters aren't dying or being hit a lot, your "defensive" spell usage is adequate. Tactics (character placement, spell usage) is more important than the spell effects themselves. #2 is often the most important for HoF, since some monsters will hit you hard and often unless your AC is -20 or better. The lvl 7 druid summons Stalker is money in the bank against demons, remorhaz, and other fire-users.

I don't use many potions. I generally have some long-running defensive spells on the party (e.g. stoneskin for the arcane caster, Protection from Evil 10' Radius, Protection from Fire sometimes) and buff up with defensive spells of shorter duration (DUHM, Recitation, Mirror Image, Entropy Shield) when I know I'm in for a fight. That's also when I'd use strength-enhancing potions, Haste, Emotion: Hope, etc as well.

Be warned that several enemies in TotL cast Dispel Magic, meaning that Haste can be dispelled and cause fatigue. I wouldn't pre-cast Haste in TotL - cast it in combat if you must cast it at all.

[ 05-25-2007, 09:35 PM: Message edited by: Aerich ]