Can't decide on rings!! (Item spoilers)

[Dundee Slaytern]

Originally posted by Spacemoose: This will sound dumb, by soloing do you mean you only use one character and no NPC's? You let them join and dismiss immediately?

Soloing means you play and complete the game with only one character, your main character. If any NPC forcibly joins you, you kick them out. This is not recommended for the inexperienced, as soloing can be very difficult and frustrating if you do not know the game well enough.

[Spacemoose]

How do you handle the need for Imoen?

[Dundee Slaytern]

Originally posted by Radek: ~~ As far as the additional spells are concerned, it depends on the play style. The "mages" among us will value them high. The "fighters" - and I am a "fighter" - will say that a high level mage has many spell slots for all spell levels and that plus one slot for some spell levels isn't so important so that we should sacrifice, for example, the +2 saving throws bonus.

Not to appear aloof, but by your own admission, aren't you saying that "Mages" will use the Ring of Acuity because it benefits them more than the Ring of Gaxx? Besides, those without the spellcaster mentality usually do not use spellcasters to solo in the first place.

Originally posted by TaSSaDaR: I considered Ring Of Gaax to be better than Ring of Aculity because of: 1) i do not need much low-level spells, because they can not beat the power of Abu Dizzim's Horrid Wilting 2)what if someone casts a fireball at your location? SoM doesn't protect you from that (CoM does but what about confusion??) You'll need high saving throws to survive, and a regeneration rate to quickly regain lost HPs... My solist's mage's choice is Ring Of Gaxx along with the Ring Of Wizardry.

Abi-Dalzim is a level 8 spell, and even though you are soloing, it will take some time before you are able to cast it. Then there is the issue of casting time. With ToB, I can cast all my level 1-6 spells in the time it takes to cast 1 Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting( 4 if you count Chain Contingencies).

Staff of Magi will protect you from Fireball because invisibilty means the enemy Mage cannot target you, and do not forget that the SoM has an 8 hour Spell Trap. I have Stoneskins and Spell Trap activated 24/7. Oh, and Mirror Image protects you from Fireball as well, and it is a, you guess it! A level 2 spell.

I rarely lose Hp as a solo spellcaster, and I usually end up selling health potions because I am not using them... the beginning can be tough, but once I hit level 12, I tend to stop drinking health potions( and I doubt you will want to fight Kangaxx or enter Chapter 4 before you hit level 12).

Savings throws are nice, but you will get good saving throws even without the Ring of Gaxx. If you are fighting a lot of confusion-casting opponents, use Skeleton Warriors to take the hit since they will not be affected, or send in one summon for them to waste their spells on it.

As a solo spellcaster, it is not advisable to adopt the gung-ho attitude of a melee character as you are not one. You are a spellcaster, and your spells will serve you well if you learn to use them well. Spell tactics and general game tactics are very handy.

On a side note, I do not use the Cloak of Mirroring, but the Cloak of Protection +2. This may come as a surprise, but I find the CoM utterly useless for my spellcasters because they have the SoM... ...

Spells are power, spells are key.
Learn to use them well my friend,
and watch your enemies flee.

Well actually they are usually burnt/melted/petrified/imprisoned/impaled/etc... but that is just a 'minor' detail.

[ 09-20-2002, 07:30 AM: Message edited by: Dundee Slaytern ]

[Dundee Slaytern]

Originally posted by Spacemoose: How do you handle the need for Imoen?

Hmmmm? What do you mean exactly?

In the beginning, Imoen forces herself into the party. Soloists then proceed to kick her out. After that, you do not need her in the party anymore.

[TaSSaDaR]

Oh, I agrue with Dundee... What suicidal step [img]smile.gif[/img] Adun bless me! :casts Protection from Dundee:

Casting time is not an issue with (you mentioned that, and I checked) 1) RoV and 2)AoP (wrote in acronims not to spoil anything... you'll understand) I can cast a FoD in no time, just as you cast, say, Magic Missile And Wilting is only 2/10 round slower to cast. And, I hit level 17 even before completing Planar Sphere quest while soloing... What is the difficulty gaining 8th level spells??

Fireball can be casted not directly at you, but at your location, and that aoe spell will hit you anyway. Also, remember the fight ehm... with a powerful mage... on a branch of a great tree? He casts Wail Of Banshee, for instance. Without good throws, you are dead. And what if a mage casts chaos before you get that... uhm.. fast-casting thingie off? All you need is a good throw...

Loosing HP is, undoubtly, a mistake of gamer, a flaw of tactics. But, if you encounter the flaw in the middle of the battle, you'll still get the damage, and all you need is a good potion (not my choice, I didnt drink potions at all in the game, exept invis ones before getting SoM) or a regenerating ability.

Finally, for a spellcaster of mid-high level, capable of beating the dust outta all the enemies in Planar Sphere (sorry for a spoiler)

you'll find the extra low-level spell bonuses nearly useless. For instance, although I have
2 Stoneskins memorised, I rarely use more than one, because they only expire after 8 hours, and I never get hit (CCbomb tactics, thanks again [img]smile.gif[/img] ). So it will be wiser (IMO) to guarantee a protection from, say, the Wilting, than from a physical hit. You remember that Cowled guy who engages you in the planar sphere?? You can not beat him with the low-level spells, and the only protection you have from his Wilting is PfME, not a spell from lvl 1-4...

The final thing for the Ring of Gaax is that I got it in a very tough fight, and RoA I got nearly for free (the dying man's corpse, not spoiling anything [img]smile.gif[/img] ). Of course I will use the item I paid more to obtain...

I may be wrong, but that's my opinion, man!

[Dundee Slaytern]

Originally posted by TaSSaDaR: Oh, I agrue with Dundee... What suicidal step [img]smile.gif[/img] Adun bless me! :casts Protection from Dundee:

There is a difference between arguing and friendly debate.

Casting time is not an issue with (you mentioned that, and I checked) 1) RoV and 2)AoP (wrote in acronims not to spoil anything... you'll understand) I can cast a FoD in no time, just as you cast, say, Magic Missile And Wilting is only 2/10 round slower to cast. And, I hit level 17 even before completing Planar Sphere quest while soloing... What is the difficulty gaining 8th level spells??

You may gain levels fast, but you still need to get there in the first place. Learning how to utlilise level 1-7 spells well in the beginning, and continuing to use them well in the future will make you a better spellcaster in the long run, instead of just relying on the high-level spells all the time.

When you combine the RoV and the AoP together, you get a -5 to your casting time. This means that most of your level 1-5 spells and a few others( like Finger of Death) have a casting time of 0, aka instant. ADHW will still have a casting time of 3, so while Mage A is still casting ADHW, Mage B has killed all his enemies already. The power and damage potential of low-level spells should not be underestimated.

Fireball can be casted not directly at you, but at your location, and that aoe spell will hit you anyway. Also, remember the fight ehm... with a powerful mage... on a branch of a great tree? He casts Wail Of Banshee, for instance. Without good throws, you are dead. And what if a mage casts chaos before you get that... uhm.. fast-casting thingie off? All you need is a good throw...

Like I said before, Mirror Image will protect you( even against non-direct spells). Other spells include Spell Immunity:Evocation. I have never failed my saving throw against the Wail of the Banshee as your saving throws against Death will be low, low, low by the time you encounter that fight. Worse come to worse, Spell Immunity:Necromancy. You should not think that spellcasters have lousy saves, you will surprised how good they can be at high levels.

Chaos takes 5 casting time. Time Stop takes 4 casting time with the proper equipment. The rest is easy to calculate. In addition, mosts mages take the first round to set up their defensive spells, not take offensive action. Their style, their doom.

Loosing HP is, undoubtly, a mistake of gamer, a flaw of tactics. But, if you encounter the flaw in the middle of the battle, you'll still get the damage, and all you need is a good potion (not my choice, I didnt drink potions at all in the game, exept invis ones before getting SoM) or a regenerating ability.

Do you honestly believe that 1 Hp per 3 seconds is gonna to matter against hard-hitting enemies? I find that the Boots of Speed serve me better if I am in a sticky situation. As I said before, you are a spellcaster. If things goes wrong, retreat, revaluate and rejoin the battle better prepared.

Finally, for a spellcaster of mid-high level, capable of beating the dust outta all the enemies in Planar Sphere (sorry for a spoiler) you'll find the extra low-level spell bonuses nearly useless. For instance, although I have 2 Stoneskins memorised, I rarely use more than one, because they only expire after 8 hours, and I never get hit (CCbomb tactics, thanks again [img]smile.gif[/img] ). So it will be wiser (IMO) to guarantee a protection from, say, the Wilting, than from a physical hit. You remember that Cowled guy who engages you in the planar sphere?? You can not beat him with the low-level spells, and the only protection you have from his Wilting is PfME, not a spell from lvl 1-4...

What if I told you that there are two spells that protect against ADHW and that they are both below level 6? Mirror Image and Spell Immunity:Necromancy. In faaaact, as a soloist, they are going to target you directly, so we have Minor Spell Deflection as well. I have not even touched on invisibility and summons yet, so saying that you cannot beat him is not really valid.

Oh, and by your own admission, AC bonuses are mostly useless to you since your solo Mage rarely gets hit.

The final thing for the Ring of Gaax is that I got it in a very tough fight, and RoA I got nearly for free (the dying man's corpse, not spoiling anything [img]smile.gif[/img] ). Of course I will use the item I paid more to obtain...

I bought the RoV, how much easier can it get? The difficulty of the fight does not determine the value of the item to the victor. What is the solo Barbarian going to do with Carsomyr?

I may be wrong, but that's my opinion, man!

Different people, different strokes; but I personally maintain that Ring of Acuity will serve a Mage/Sorcerer far better than the Ring of Gaxx. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Alson]

Originally posted by Dundee Slaytern: What if I told you that there are two spells that protect against ADHW and that they are both below level 6? Mirror Image and Spell Immunity:Necromancy. In faaaact, as a soloist, they are going to target you directly, so we have Minor Spell Deflection as well. I have not even touched on invisibility and summons yet, so saying that you cannot beat him is not really valid.

Just one minor correction - Minor Spell Deflection will NOT help you again ADHW, even if you are 'self-targeted' and not 'area-targeted'.
This is due to a bug in the Infinity Engine - all spell protections (excluding Spell Immunity and Mirror Image, as Dundee mentioned) will NOT defend you from area affect spell, targeted or not.

On that note - don't bother with spell removals against enemy mages - beat them with are affect spells of your own!

[ 09-20-2002, 01:15 PM: Message edited by: Alson ]

[Dundee Slaytern]

Originally posted by Alson: Just one minor correction - Minor Spell Deflection will NOT help you again ADHW, even if you are 'self-targeted' and not 'area-targeted'. This is due to a bug in the Infinity Engine - all spell protections (excluding Spell Immunity and Mirror Image, as Dundee mentioned) will NOT defend you from area affect spell, targeted or not. On that note - don't bother with spell removals against enemy mages - beat them with are affect spells of your own!

Just tested and Alson is right. I stand corrected on the issue of (Minor) Spell Deflection versus area-of-effect spells. Have not tried Spell Trap or Spell Turning yet though.

Nevertheless, Mirror Image and/or Spell Immunity is more than sufficient for your anti-ADHW needs. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Alson]

Originally posted by Dundee Slaytern: Just tested and Alson is right. I stand corrected on the issue of (Minor) Spell Deflection versus area-of-effect spells. Have not tried Spell Trap or Spell Turning yet though.

I have. [img]smile.gif[/img]
Unfortunately, they work the same.

Nevertheless, Mirror Image and/or Spell Immunity is more than sufficient for your anti-ADHW needs. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Not only versus ADHW!
If you know the BG2 spell system AND the Infinty Engine well enough, these two spells are the only spell protections you'll ever need or want. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Dundee Slaytern]

Originally posted by Alson: Not only versus ADHW! If you know the BG2 spell system AND the Infinty Engine well enough, these two spells are the only spell protections you'll ever need or want. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Well, I only specifically mentioned ADHW because that is the spell in question here, but I know Mirror Image protects against... Cloudkill as well. Illogical as that may be.

"Yay! I got fake images around me, so I can blatantly ignore the cloud of poison that is completely surrounding me!"

Did a quick scan of my spell list and realised that I only got 5 blue spells, including Mirror Image and Spell Immunity. Heh, heh, the old adage that a good defense is an overwhelming offense. [img]smile.gif[/img] Enemies cannot hurt you if they are already dead before they get a chance to raise their weapons.

[ 09-20-2002, 02:23 PM: Message edited by: Dundee Slaytern ]