Solo thoughts

[antonius]

I finally got round to trying SOA solo. Using the same character from my current group game - imported from BG1 with very good stats (beefed up by those wonderful tomes) and just wanted to share my thoughts with everyone. BTW he's an Assassin (my all-time favourite)

First off - a lot of fights are actually easier (as noted by some others) - sticking with tried and tested methods - hit and run, lots of hide in shadows, backstab (rules!). There's really nothing more satisfying than killing entire groups of bad-dudes by backstab and poison [img]smile.gif[/img] . I'm also learning the joys of traps.

Highlights so far include killing the guys at the seven vales (Mencar went down to poisoned arrows - the poison actually stopped him from moving or drinking his potions!). I even got Brennan Risling (I _need_ that ring), which I'd never managed with a group. I've got the thieve's guild - Reyic Gethras was an interesting challenge (how many stoneskins?), but his golems were worse - I realised that I didn't actually have a weapon I could hit them with!

Biggest low point so far has been against the vampires in the street encounters - I've got no way to protect against level drain (nice of the shadow thieves to provide me with such an item, they obviously can't use it themselves either!)

At the moment I can't see any way of killing dragons - liches will be easy due to prot from undead scrolls. An awful lot of other encounters will be easier once I get "use any item". Magic from scrolls, a certain staff (or 2H sword), the possibilities begin to open. Getting the 3m XP though is starting to look tough.

The best thing about it is that I go into every encounter full of fear and doubt, every one so far I've come through unscathed (thanks to the ring of regeneration).

Things I am really dreading coming up against are Beholders, Dragons and Drow (since ToB makes them immune to invisibility!). I just can't see a way to beat any, until I get that 3m XP at least.

On the whole it's just so much more fun!

[Kaneida]

Did you ever get the Cloak of Non-detection? Because that might help you against the Drows being able to detect invisibility. It worked for me. I think I got it from a mage either the one with the slaver quest or Mencar Skullcrusher. It didn't work with some spirit monsters but it should work with the Drow and maybe the beholders (not sure because I've not tried with them yet).

[ 03-04-2002: Message edited by: Kaneida ]

[Dundee Slaytern]

Dragons: Traps, that or circle strafe them with the Tuigan Bow and Arrows of Biting, Acid Arrows, and Arrows of Piercing.

Beholders: Cloak of Mirroring, or if you have the Use Any Item ability and the bonus merchants installed, Shield of Balduran.

Drow: If they can see through your invisibility( not likely, as my Blades and Sorcerers have terrorised them while under the influence of Mislead before), lead them to a trapped area( your traps of course).

[antonius]

Got the cloak of non-detection - the problem is (and I can't confirm this) is that Drow have been changed in ToB to be able to see through invisibility (and presumably stealth), much like Kuo-Toa's. Is this right or am I worrying about nothing? (Ok, I'm not worried, but you know what I mean [img]smile.gif[/img] )

The rest of them aren't really a _huge_ challenge - I'm really counting on use any item and Balduran's shield for the Beholders (cheesy, I know). Using traps with Dragons is made slightly more difficult with ToB installed. It's the biggest joy of soloing - overcoming (nearly) impossible situations. With a full party some of those encounters can be far too easy and not requiring thought or planning.

[frudi_x]

Drow don't see through invisibility; i'm certain of that since i'm currently soloing an elven fighter/thief and i've backstabed 90% of the underdark population of drow just a few days ago [img]smile.gif[/img] .

i don't really fear the dragons since i already have a nice supply of spike and exploding traps.

all in all it's been quite easy so far (althought the beginning was a bit frustrating. oh, and i'm playing on insane difficulty); i am currently in chapter 6, ready to go to suldanesselar, but i decided to do watcher's keep first (mostly to get the white dragon's scales). i'm already looking forward to the big fight at the end of level 5, i'll probably try releasing all three seals at once [img]smile.gif[/img] (i did it once before, playing with a four person party, and it was one of the most fun fights ever).

but the one fight i really don't have any solid plan for yet is the improved abazigal. i'm stocking up on some useful scrolls (time stop, prot. from magical weapons...) but really i don't have any idea what to do once i get there. i allready see it's gonna be a frustrating day trying to get past that one... [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Whailor]

Come on.. It's not CHEESY to use the Shield of Balduran against the beholders, as it was CREATED specifically for this. Cheesy would be when you would have some other item, which for some weird reason would also bounce off beholder rays or something. Well OK, that would be a bug. Cheesy is to shoot Cloudkill or whatever into the room, where you know beholders are in, and they wont attack back due to poor AI. Not your fault tho, you got the game where the AI was made crappy already, but that would be somewhat cheesy method. However, Cloak of Mirrors and Shield of Balduran never were, are and never will be cheesy for that - they are intended to be used like this.

[SixOfSpades]

I agree about the cheesiness of the insanely overpowered Wand of Cloudkill (50 charges??? Hot Damn!)--even Mind Flayers are too dumb to leave its area of effect, and Mind Flayers are supposed to be one of the smartest races on the planet. But there are ways around the cheese: My F/M/T borrowed the Cloak of Mirroring from Nalia, then charged the Beholders/Mind Flayers, and during the melee, repeatedly used the Wand of Cloudkill on himself. Beholders dumbly sitting there and dying I will NOT buy, but Beholders willing to stay in a Cloudkill because they're so eager to kill you is understandable.

(I don't mind Beholders being vulnerable to Traps--I notice that the enemy will "spring" them when they're still a good distance away, so apparently you don't have to actually step on the Trap to be hurt by it.)

[Dundee Slaytern]

quote:

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Originally posted by frudi_x:
but the one fight i really don't have any solid plan for yet is the improved abazigal. i'm stocking up on some useful scrolls (time stop, prot. from magical weapons...) but really i don't have any idea what to do once i get there. i allready see it's gonna be a frustrating day trying to get past that one... [img]smile.gif[/img]

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I was thinking of Spike Trap Bombing with my solo female Elf Assassin... if you get my drift, and the fact that you can Gate Out if there are no visible enemies, so that you sleep and refresh your supplies of Spike Traps. However, this is a very iffy plan, and only time will tell if it works... ...