Ranger->Cleric really shines in Tactics.

[Keldin]

This is turning out to be the most fun I've ever had. My first trip through Tactics I played a Cavalier with a full party because I wanted to be prepared for anything. It was nice to have six in some fights but overkill for many others. So I came up with the crazy idea of just family members this time around [img]smile.gif[/img] It's been a long time since I've played a Ranger duelled to a Cleric so I thought this would be the perfect fit for my next Tactics trip.

Since Immy covers the mage and thief departments a Ranger->Cleric covers the other gaps nicely and in ToB there's you-know-who to cover the pure fighter aspects. There's a good deal of whiffing early on but my THACO becomes respectable after a while. You won't get the fighter HLAs but you peak early in SoA and IMHO have a lot more fun than a multi R/C. Two other great advantages: (1) Since you gain levels quickly as a cleric you get more 5th lvl spell slots early on and you get a lot more milage out of your Ironskins since you get 1/2per level. (2) High level clerics mow through the undead and give enemy mages fits since they have a hard time dispelling you given the level difference. A multi R/C doesn't really shine till 5mil+ XP which is usually well into ToB for me.

It was impossible to make it through Ilyich with this setup so I had to remove that part from Tactics but I left everything else enabled. It was a bit lonely without my sister while I leveled up and gathered money and equipment. My main goal was the boots of speed so she could get hers in Spellhold. I waited till 15 to do the Astral Prison and it was not that bad at all, the entrance fight was easy get but getting out was a bit tougher. Aerial Servants hit like a truck and the Skeleton Warrior at 15 come in handy for mage fights.

Right now in chapter 6, I'm 22 with a THACO of -5 mainhand, -2 offhand wielding FoA+3 and Wyvern's Tail+2 with the 21STR belt from Underdark. That will improve drastically if I can get the CF and Ring of Gaxx but oh my are those going to be tough to obtain with just the two of us. Having eight 5th level spellslots is so nice! With each Ironskin giving me 11 free hits I can stand in the middle of a furious battle and hardly get scratched. With the two of us running at boots speed and always protected with Chaotic Commands it's actually a more effective team than my preivous six person party which always had at least one person getting under a spell influence since it was so hard to keep protections up on everyone. With AoP and MoD+2 between the two of us level drain is never a problem either(ah so nice not worrying about NPP wearing out on a member at a bad time!)

I couldn't have killed Torgal without my sister so I had to wait till after Underdark to get the FoA. When I finally met up with Torgal I was 21/7 and Immy was 14. As you can imagine at this level Torgal was not a challenge [img]smile.gif[/img] Five pets from me and hasted from Immy, he died before she could even slow him. I was amazed given I knew how much his insane regen is without slow.

Was a similar story with Firkraag. With so many skins at my disposal I absorbed endless hits until Immy could finally slow him and by that time he was almost dead anyway. This is also where the improved AI to Dragons unfairly plays into the hands of any protagonist with Ironskin/Stoneskin ability since Dragons ignore others and concentrate on you. With my Cavalier I required immediate slowing via Edwin+Nalia working together, otherwise a hasted Firkraag was slicing and dicing so damn fast that even Anomen's regen and healing couldn't keep up - only the project image from Ilbratha bought me enough time.

I've got a long ways to go though. The Twisted Rune is going to be impossible at this point, will need more levels for Immy for sure. Kangaxx with just two? Ouch, I dunno how that will work. I'm dreading Irenicus already and know that Immy and I will need to be very high level if we want to stand a chance.

[ 04-24-2005, 02:01 AM: Message edited by: Keldin ]

[shamrock_uk]

What level did you dual at? Any particular reason?

[Demonheart]

dunno how kangaxx is on tactics, but an imp. hasted slayer can make short work of his demilich form normally (immune to imprisonment) dunno if thats any help [img]smile.gif[/img]

[K2Grey]

IIRC the demilich version of Kangaxx in Tactics is a lv40/40 cleric/mage or something like that (I don't use improved Kangaxx).

Get Imoen's levels up and she will own everyone [img]smile.gif[/img]

Twisted Rune is doable at a low level if you're willing to prep the area with some Skull Traps. Even without them you have a decent shot. Give Imoen Prot. from Magical Energy and SI: Abjuration, and give your PC Inertial Barrier in case his PfME gets dispelled.

[Keldin]

shamrock: I duelled him at 7 right away hoping I could finish the dungeon at 8C/7R with Immy's help. I killed everything and did the Sword of Chaos quest to get as much XP as possible. Dinged 8 just as we got out into the daylight. This was ideal with Immy taken prisoner and nobody to help.

daemonheart: I only use Slayer mode when playing evil aligned PCs. I have this wierd thing against using it with good aligned, it doesn't sit well with me to give into it.

K2Grey: I know about keeping SI:Abjuration and PME to counter Remove Magic and the numerous ADHW(did this with Nalia and Edwin in my previous Tactics party) but I don't know how I'm going to muster enough DPS just yet to kill everyone. Killing the Beholder first is very important. Immy is a far cry from Edwin(oh I miss his numerous spell slots) so we'll see. Then again I'm probably making this sound worse than it is. I'm now at 23C/7R and Immy is 15. I've got a ton of pet power and plenty of tricks up my sleeve. With 5 slots devoted to Ironskins I have 60 free hits assuming I don't get dispelled everytime. I'll give it a shot later on today and see how it goes.

[ 04-24-2005, 01:34 PM: Message edited by: Keldin ]

[Dace De'Briago]

Just curious as to whether ironskins/stoneskin stacks in the case of a Cleric/Mage?

[Rataxes]

Clerics do not get Ironskins. Ranger/Clerics do because of the Ranger part.

[shamrock_uk]

Thanks Keldin [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Assassin]

What about the Gargoyle Boots + Iron Skins?

[Rataxes]

I'm not positive, but I think that if you somehow manage to cast both Stone and Iron Skins on yourself, getting hit will strip one layer from both, which in practice means that they do not stack.