Sanchuudoku

[Rataxes]

Got this Katana a few hours ago. It's part of the Acid Kuirosan (sp?) mod included with the Tactics Mod. I've never ever before experienced a weapon making things so much easier just like that, I went from Celestial Fury to this and the difference was staggering. I had severe difficulties killing the Guarded Compound gang with my +2 Katana, which on first sight, shouldn't really be THAT weak compared to Sanchuudoku. With it, my lvl 18 Inquisitor simply crushed the far more powerful party that lurks above Kangaxx tomb. No reloads, no hit'n'runs. I tanked the whole bloody party, without ever retreating, this on insane. All thanks to the Katana really.

Anyway, doesn't anyone else who's tried this weapon think it needs some rebalancing? I would completely drop the acidic backlash as well as toning down the regen rate to 1hp/3secs. The cool thing about this sword is the huge acid dmg it deals as well as lowering acid resists by -25%. Just that is really enough to make this an insanely powerful sword, since it can kill precisely everything in the game, I don't know any other weapon that can claim to do that. That the acidic backlash affects ranged attackers and spellcasters is both illogical and cheesy, that is the most obvious flaw of the item. I'll still use it though since I absolutely love the -25% res with each hit ability.

Sure one could say that the kensai/mage who holds it is extremely powerful, but you really only need a ranged weapon, boots of speed, a speed potion and a Pf magic scroll to easily beat him.

[ 12-01-2002, 05:06 PM: Message edited by: Rataxes ]

[SixOfSpades]

Westley Weimer seems to have a habit of severely overpowering his items, in my opinion, anyway. Dundee informs me that the Tactics MOD includes a pair of Boots, usable by anyone, that--get this--make the wearer immune to all counterspells. That includes Breach, Pierce Magic, Pierce Shield, Warding Whip, Ruby, Ray, Spellstrike, the whole deal. As an added bonus, you're also immune to Dispel & Remove Magic.

I'm sorry, but in what way is that different from a Wand of Ctrl-Y?

[Gildor]

I enjoy a lot of the things that Weimer has done for BG2, especially the improved dragons and the improved Irenicus.

But yes, the Katana is far more than what any Roleplayer has a right to expect from BG2.

I wouldn't mind accepting the Bloodbane Spear though. Its powers are comparable to those of the Klogarath Axe found in Amkethran.

[Alson]

Originally posted by SixOfSpades: Westley Weimer seems to have a habit of severely overpowering his items, in my opinion, anyway. Dundee informs me that the Tactics MOD includes a pair of Boots, usable by anyone, that--get this--make the wearer immune to all counterspells. That includes Breach, Pierce Magic, Pierce Shield, Warding Whip, Ruby, Ray, Spellstrike, the whole deal. As an added bonus, you're also immune to Dispel & Remove Magic. I'm sorry, but in what way is that different from a Wand of Ctrl-Y?

The boots can't kill. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Jests aside, the Preserving Boots are not as powerful as they look at first glance.
First, all of these immunities can be achieved by stacking two or three Spell Immunities. Second, these immunities would be much more powerful if enemy Mages would bother to actually cast all these spells. Third and last, don't forget that the Boots are only useful if what they guard is useful.

I'm not saying that they are not powerful - they are the an excellent pair of boots, and second only to the Boots of Speed overall.
No, i'm not crazy. The Boots of Speed are more powerful for most classes.
All i'm saying is that the difference between the Preserving Boots and the so-called Wand of Ctrl-Y is very, very big. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Jani]

Amen to that Rataxes. I have pretty hevily modded game and it´s getting too easy. Walygar is double wielding CF +5 and Sandochuun. Equipped with some other cool stuff like improved Corthala family armor, ring of Gaxx and boots of celerious stealth he is more or less invincible. (on level 14) With amulet of power he stormed through Bodhis dunkeon without drinking a single potion of healing; on insane.

Maybe I just sell the sword to have some challenge back. My sorcerer lvl 14 (along with the rest of my party) is just collekting dust and spending oxygen

[Dundee Slaytern]

Personally, I do think the Boots of Perserving are overpowered. I believe Wands of Striking can bypass them, but I dare anybody to name me 10 non-modded enemies that uses them. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

You cannot simply dismiss them by just saying that spells can replace them, because of several factors.

1) A spell saved, is a spell ready for other purposes. You mentioned 2-3 spells, which I can translate to 2-3 more offensive spells, counterspells, or different types of defensive spells.

2) The boots last forever. Spells do not.

3) Time saved. Instead of wasting time casting a protection spell, you can do something else instead.

4) Bosses' counterspells become laughable because well... they waste time casting counterspells on you. Recall the last fight in ToB, where the Boss had infinite Spellstrikes. Thanks to these boots, it is no longer a problem. Also, almost every high-level Mage in the game uses Dispel/Remove Magic. If you want to factor in mods, then Secret Words and Pierce Shields are a common everyday occurance as well, but HEY! Who cares? The boots make you ignore them anywhere... Improved Liches do not become so improved if you wear these boots... the difference in the challange factor was uncomfortably noticable when I tried with and without the Boots of Preserving.

In conclusion... I will not be wearing these boots anytime soon. I feel as though I am cheating when I use them.

[Alson]

Tsk, tsk, tsk...
I sense a severe case of 'customsphobia', here. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Don't get me wrong - i don't doubt the points that you've raised. I wholly agree with them. But you are missing the point, here.
Let me put it that way - what item is more powerful overall in your opinion, the Preserving Boots or the Staff of the Magi?
I think that you'll agree that the Staff is more powerful if used anyway near its full potential.
Yet, you don't ban yourself from using it, right?

The Preserving Boots are very powerful, but some of the original BG2 items still trump it - and no one ever suggested that using them is 'cheating'.
Just becuase it's custom doesn't mean we should be more judgemental about it.

Cheers. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Rataxes]

Hey hey! *points at topic name*

[SixOfSpades]

The Sanchuudoku is merely the latest in the list of MOD items that I consider overpowered, but I personally can't say any more about it because I've never even seen it, merely perused its stats.

Some other items are: Throwing Impaler+4, Soul Reaver+6, Improved Kitthix, Staff of the Woodlands+5, Gloves of the Master Thief, Sorcerian Ring, Boots of Preservation, and perhaps the Yellow Dragon Scale. All of these items unbalance the game in the PC's favor by either
A) Being available "too" soon, at the expense of "too" little resources,
B) Having powerful extra abilities that mean most enemies don't even stand a chance agaist you, or
C) Combining "too many" items into a single item.
Now, the good thing is that even anal-retentive players like me have a very simple recourse against these items: Don't use them, or have them made. Even so, the fine distinction of what ( is / is not ) overpowered will be very confusing to newbies, who might start believing that uber-items like the Sanchuudoku should be theirs by God-given right, and why should they be stuck with pitiful little weapons like the Crom Faeyr. What I would like to see is have Weimer offer "toned-down" versions of these items: You can still have Cromwell make you the fully-powered Throwing Impaler if you want (meaning your Kensai can do 200 damage per round to anyone he wants to, and at a distance at that), but Cromwell will also offer you to make a weaker version as well, at a reduced price, of course.

Alson, you do have a point about the Staff of the Magi being overpowered. It IS overpowered, especially considering that Wizards are a powergamer's wet dream anyway. There are also other official examples: The Flail of Ages+3 leaves the other SoA weapons *miles* behind, and (without Improved TorGal, anyway) is much too easy to get. Does this give us the right to point to these items as examples, and use them to try to justify making overpowered items of our own? I would say not.

Power corrupts.

Westley Weimer has power.

Let each of us draw his own conclusion.

[Gildor]

For much of the game, Staff of the Magi + Robe of Vecna is a really overpowered combination.

I mean, all you have to do is cast a spell with a casting time of 1 usually, click on another weapon, and then click back onto the Staff to become invisibile. This combo makes Imoen quite the armageddon machine of death and destruction. It gets even worse with Edwin.

Come the later phases of TOB, especially the Ascension mode, it is far more frequent for monsters to be able to see past the invisibility though. And of course, they're also more magic resistant. At this point, I can say things have by then been balanced somewhat.