Best 1-hand weapon for a solo Inquisitor?

[Rataxes]

I've decided to take a solo Inquisitor through SoA and ToB.
This guy is intended to be one hell of a tank and will thus use a shield, I
decided against using Carsomyr upon discovering it's MR bug. As for dual-wielding, I find the idea of a Paladin doing that weird to say the least.
I've already taken him through BG1 and gotten all the tomes.
I drew a nice 98 total stat points so here are his current base stats

19 Str (will be 21 after Watcher's Keep)
19 Dex
19 Con
15 Int
16 Wis
18 Cha

I'll also probably use the Amulet of Power for the Negative Plane Protection.
So I'll be immune to Charm, Hold and Level Drain.

I've narrowed down my options to these weapons

Axe of Unyielding +5 The +1 Bonus to AC is obviously nice for a tank.
The damage, 9.5 average, is a tad low however, regen and +1 Con will both do nothing but marginally improve my regen, which will already be sufficient with the Ring of Gaxx. The 10% Decapitation sure sounds powerful, but for personal reasons I prefer a steady flow of high damage hits rather than doing mostly low dmg and sometimes killing in one hit, a bit too unpredictable for my taste.

Crom Faeyr With 19 str used as a base, this hammer will do an average of 15 dmg, after Watcher's Keep this sinks to 13. But still quite powerful. Doesn't do much else though, killing Stone/Clay Golems, Ettins and Trolls is of course very nice, but I wonder how many of those you really encounter in SoA Chapters 6, 7 and in ToB? Is a hassle to assemble and requires me doing a quest (Planar Sphere) that I normally skip. But it can be gotten fairly early compared to the ToB weapons.

Flail of Ages +5 The average damage of 19.5, provided that the target isn't immune to any of the elements, is the highest of any 1-handed weapon, 33% chance to Slow with no save almost seems a bit cheesy. Free action isn't really that important, wont it also cancel out positive speed enchantments? Punches through Stoneskin which is always nice, as well as killing Trolls. Does it also pierce Mantle-like spells? This definitely does seem like the best 1-handed weapon in the game, but it's a hassle to assemble and I personally don't like it for some reason.

Purifier +5 10 Average damage is ok, but not great. 30% MR is an amazing bonus, Dispel Magic is practically useless for an Inquisitor. Takes a long time to assemble as well. How many enemies in the game are Chaotic Evil btw?

Rune Hammer +5 Completely owns undead and it would allow me to exchange the Amulet of Power for the more useful Amulet of Seldarine. The damage, average 10, isn't really that impressive though, and you get it fairly late as well.

Angurvadal +5 Average damage of 16 with 19 str as a base, provided that the target isn't resistant to fire, this sinks to 14 average dmg after Watcher's Keep. Eliminates the need for a 2nd weapon to finish off trolls with.
Would allow me to use Amulet of Seldarine. Takes some time to assemble.
This does seem like one of the very best 1-handed weapons and not a tad cheesy either.

Foebane +5 Also seems like one of the very best. Average damage of 12.5, unless the target belongs to one of the specific creature types, in which case it rises to a very nice 18.5 dmg. Is it true that Extra-planar beings are especially common in ToB? +1 Saving Throws is also nice although I think it will almost be overkill by the end of game. Healing 1-4 HP's with each hit sounds extremely promising in conjunction with GWW, recovering an average of 25 HP per round will certainly make me a stronger tank. Is Larloch's Minor Drain affected by Magic Resistance? Does it indeed work on ALL enemies in the game? Does it punch through Stoneskin and/or Mantle-like spells? Best of all though, it can be acquired fairly early and easily
in ToB.

Spectral Brand 13 Average dmg, provided that the target isn't resistant to cold, is great and so is the Immunity to Level drain. The Dancing sword doesn't seem all that interesting but still a solid sword I think. Takes a while before you can assemble it though.

Sanchuudoku +4 14 Average damage, troll killer, nice defensive effects and a crazy regen rate. The -25% Acid res with each hit could have devastating effects vs tougher enemies if resistances are allowed to sink below 0. Too bad this godly Katana doesn't even exist in-game.

So, which of these weapons would you recommend for my solo Pally to use? I'm particularly fond of Foebane, Spectral Brand, Crom Faeyr and Angurvadal. Right now I'm leaning the most towards Foebane due to it's lifestealing effect, but I haven't really decided yet.

[ 11-27-2002, 11:49 AM: Message edited by: Rataxes ]

[Alson]

Originally posted by Rataxes: I've decided to take a solo Inquisitor through SoA and ToB. This guy is intended to be one hell of a tank and will thus use a shield, I decided against using Carsomyr upon discovering it's MR bug. As for dual-wielding, I find the idea of a Paladin doing that weird to say the least. I've already taken him through BG1 and gotten all the tomes. I drew a nice 98 total stat points so here are his current base stats 19 Str (will be 21 after Watcher's Keep) 19 Dex 19 Con 15 Int 16 Wis 18 Cha

Good luck.
Inquisitor is a good choice - a melee monster and a Mage's nightmare. [img]smile.gif[/img]
Damn good stats, too! [img]smile.gif[/img]

Axe of Unyielding +5 The +1 Bonus to AC is obviously nice for a tank. The damage, 9.5 average, is a tad low however, regen and +1 Con will both do nothing but marginally improve my regen, which will already be sufficient with the Ring of Gaxx. The 10% Decapitation sure sounds powerful, but for personal reasons I prefer a steady flow of high damage hits rather than doing mostly low dmg and sometimes killing in one hit, a bit too unpredictable for my taste.

The AoU +5 is an excellent choice for your solo Inquisitor, both offensive AND defensive.
Just note that the Vorpal effect does allow a save - it's a Save VS. Death with a -4 penalty.

Crom Faeyr With 19 str used as a base, this hammer will do an average of 15 dmg, after Watcher's Keep this sinks to 13. But still quite powerful. Doesn't do much else though, killing Stone/Clay Golems, Ettins and Trolls is of course very nice, but I wonder how many of those you really encounter in SoA Chapters 6, 7 and in ToB? Is a hassle to assemble and requires me doing a quest (Planar Sphere) that I normally skip. But it can be gotten fairly early compared to the ToB weapons.

Crom Faeyr is always good. Not too many of these monsters in ToB, but Crom's damage is superb and the Electrical damage passes through Stoneskins.

Flail of Ages +5 The average damage of 19.5, provided that the target isn't immune to any of the elements, is the highest of any 1-handed weapon, 33% chance to Slow with no save almost seems a bit cheesy. Free action isn't really that important, wont it also cancel out positive speed enchantments? Punches through Stoneskin which is always nice, as well as killing Trolls. Does it also pierce Mantle-like spells? This definitely does seem like the best 1-handed weapon in the game, but it's a hassle to assemble and I personally don't like it for some reason.

The Flail of Ages is the most powerful one handed weapon in the game.
The Slow effect is even more powerful than it sounds - it is cumulative and ignores Magic Resistance!
Once the Flail is +5, only Protection From Magical Weapons and Absolute Immunity will stop it, but then again, Inquisitors have this lovely Dispel Magic ability.
This is my personal favorite, and would've been my pick if i were you, but if you don't like it, don't use it. The alternatives are still superb.

Purifier +5 10 Average damage is ok, but not great. 30% MR is an amazing bonus, Dispel Magic is practically useless for an Inquisitor. Takes a long time to assemble as well. How many enemies in the game are Chaotic Evil btw?

Many enemies. [img]smile.gif[/img]
The Purifier is a good weapon, both power-wise and RP-wise, but i there are bigger fishes in the sea.

Rune Hammer +5 Completely owns undead and it would allow me to exchange the Amulet of Power for the more useful Amulet of Seldarine. The damage, average 10, isn't really that impressive though, and you get it fairly late as well.

A too specific weapon. The Flail of Ages +5 can deal with Undead, too.
And you can always use the Mace of Disruption.

Angurvadal +5 Average damage of 16 with 19 str as a base, provided that the target isn't resistant to fire, this sinks to 14 average dmg after Watcher's Keep. Eliminates the need for a 2nd weapon to finish off trolls with. Would allow me to use Amulet of Seldarine. Takes some time to assemble. This does seem like one of the very best 1-handed weapons and not a tad cheesy either.

Angurvadal is indeed a good weapon, but if swords is your fetish, consider..

Foebane +5 Also seems like one of the very best. Average damage of 12.5, unless the target belongs to one of the specific creature types, in which case it rises to a very nice 18.5 dmg. Is it true that Extra-planar beings are especially common in ToB? +1 Saving Throws is also nice although I think it will almost be overkill by the end of game. Healing 1-4 HP's with each hit sounds extremely promising in conjunction with GWW, recovering an average of 25 HP per round will certainly make me a stronger tank. Is Larloch's Minor Drain affected by Magic Resistance? Does it indeed work on ALL enemies in the game? Does it punch through Stoneskin and/or Mantle-like spells? Best of all though, it can be acquired fairly early and easily in ToB.

..Instead.
Foebane +5 is second only to Flail of Ages +5 in power terms (one handed weapons, of course).
You analyzed it correctly. Extra Planar being are indeed quite common in ToB, and especially in Watcher's Keep.
The Minor Drain is also cumulative - you may easily find yourself with 300 HP after a two or three Whirlwinds!
If you don'y like the Flail of Ages, pick Foebane. The best regeneration item in the game.

Spectral Brand 13 Average dmg, provided that the target isn't resistant to cold, is great and so is the Immunity to Level drain. The Dancing sword doesn't seem all that interesting but still a solid sword I think. Takes a while before you can assemble it though.

The Spectral Brand is a nice weapon, but not nearly as powerful as the former.
Keep it in your Bag of Holding, in case you need a solid summon.

Sanchuudoku +4 14 Average damage, troll killer, nice defensive effects and a crazy regen rate. The -25% Acid res with each hit could have devastating effects vs tougher enemies if resistances are allowed to sink below 0. Too bad this godly Katana doesn't even exist in-game.

Sanchuu is mighty.
The regeneration is insane, and the Acidic Backflash is just plain cheesy.
Pick Sanchuu if you like Katanas.

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

[ 11-27-2002, 12:59 PM: Message edited by: Alson ]

[Rataxes]

Nice reply!

I'll wait for some more feedback before I make my decision, but right now it looks like I'll be going with the Hammer of Thunderbolts +3 through the main part of SoA (will probably be a huge challenge to get it at a low level with the Tactics mod on Insane) I'll get Crom Faeyr in Chapter 6, and then switch to Foebane +5 early on in ToB, which will be my final weapon. I did not know Crom Faeyr dealt electric damage, how much are we talking about here? [img]smile.gif[/img]

About FoA, with cumulative slowing effect, do you mean 33%*X slowed or 100%*(1-0.67^X) slowed? (X=number of hits)

Either way, it seems ridiculously powerful, not to mention very cheesy. Does the victim basically just freeze if you slow him enough? [img]smile.gif[/img]

I'd also appreciate answers to the questions about Larloch's Minor drain if you know them, please [img]smile.gif[/img]

Finally, does the Sanchuudoku really exist in-game? It does have wicked powers but I have never seen it mentioned in any item lists or walkthroughs, just noticed it while scrolling through the items in SK.

[Alson]

Originally posted by Rataxes: Nice reply! I'll wait for some more feedback before I make my decision, but right now it looks like I'll be going with the Hammer of Thunderbolts +3 through the main part of SoA (will probably be a huge challenge to get it at a low level with the Tactics mod on Insane) I'll get Crom Faeyr in Chapter 6, and then switch to Foebane +5 early on in ToB, which will be my final weapon. I did not know Crom Faeyr dealt electric damage, how much are we talking about here? [img]smile.gif[/img]

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

Actually, i would suggest using Sanchuu or Celestial Fury until you get Foebane. The Hammer of Thunderbolts is not that hot, and waaaay harder to obtain if you have the Tactics Mod.

Crom deals 5 Electrical damage.

About FoA, with cumulative slowing effect, do you mean 33%*X slowed or 100%*(1-0.67^X) slowed? (X=number of hits)

Neither.
Every hit has a 33% chance of slowing the opponent - that's already written.
What i meant was that the Slow effects are cumulative.
For example - you are hitting monster X with the FoA, and it get slowed. The slow effect cuts the monster's attack by half, and gives a +4 penalty to AC and THAC0. Now, you hit the monster again, and it get slowed, again.
This is were 'cumulative' comes in.
The monster will suffer the same penalties - on top of the penalties from the 'first' slow!

Either way, it seems ridiculously powerful, not to mention very cheesy. Does the victim basically just freeze if you slow him enough? [img]smile.gif[/img]

Actually, yes!
Each slow effect restarts the victim's personal initiative round, or, in other words, messes up melee attack resolution. Every time you get a slow effect, the victim is paralyzed for the next six seconds. With an attacks-per-round rate of 3 or more, you have a chance of getting the Slow effect each round.
So yes, he'll 'freeze', in a way. [img]smile.gif[/img]

I'd also appreciate answers to the questions about Larloch's Minor drain if you know them, please [img]smile.gif[/img]

I'll try to find some more info about this.

Finally, does the Sanchuudoku really exist in-game? It does have wicked powers but I have never seen it mentioned in any item lists or walkthroughs, just noticed it while scrolling through the items in SK.

Nope.
Sanchuu is a part of one of the Tactics Mod's components. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[ 11-27-2002, 02:29 PM: Message edited by: Alson ]

[Rataxes]

Thanks again!

5 electrical dmg eh? Well that pushes it's average damage up to 20, which is better than even FoA [img]smile.gif[/img] For STR Base 19 that is, still, I think the lifesteal of Foebane wins out in the end. I'll look into the CF, though the Guarded Compound is also quite a challenge with the Tactics Mod no?

Finally, you say Sanchuu is part of one of the Tactics Mod components, does this mean that the weapon does in fact exist in-game, but as a part of a special Tactics Mod quest or character rather than in the original game? Or will I have to import it with SK to obtain it?

[ 11-27-2002, 02:48 PM: Message edited by: Rataxes ]

[Bardan the Slayer]

Originally posted by Rataxes: Crom Faeyr With 19 str used as a base, this hammer will do an average of 15 dmg, after Watcher's Keep this sinks to 13. But still quite powerful. Doesn't do much else though, killing Stone/Clay Golems, Ettins and Trolls is of course very nice, but I wonder how many of those you really encounter in SoA Chapters 6, 7 and in ToB? Is a hassle to assemble and requires me doing a quest (Planar Sphere) that I normally skip. But it can be gotten fairly early compared to the ToB weapons.

You may want to check the average damage scores, because Crom Faeyr gives a very hefty strength bonus. You would get a much higher damage bonus per hit.

[Rataxes]

Originally posted by Bardan the Slayer: quote: Originally posted by Rataxes: Crom Faeyr With 19 str used as a base, this hammer will do an average of 15 dmg, after Watcher's Keep this sinks to 13. But still quite powerful. Doesn't do much else though, killing Stone/Clay Golems, Ettins and Trolls is of course very nice, but I wonder how many of those you really encounter in SoA Chapters 6, 7 and in ToB? Is a hassle to assemble and requires me doing a quest (Planar Sphere) that I normally skip. But it can be gotten fairly early compared to the ToB weapons.

You may want to check the average damage scores, because Crom Faeyr gives a very hefty strength bonus. You would get a much higher damage bonus per hit.[/QUOTE]Well that is what I did [img]smile.gif[/img]

I used the base STR of 19 (+7 dmg) to determine how much extra damage Crom Faeyr's STR bonus would really give me compared to other weapons without str bonuses. 25 STR gives +14 dmg, so it's 14-7=7 extra dmg. The physical dmg is correct, (2+8)/2 + 3 + 7 = 15
For the base STR of 21, I just subtracted two since this would raise my default str bonus by two.

The thing is, I didn't even know it had a +5 electrical dmg bonus, so the numbers were still wrong. Should've been 18 average for Base STR 21 and 20 average for Base STR 19.

[Bardan the Slayer]

Aahhhh yes, I see [img]smile.gif[/img] Eventually

[Alson]

Originally posted by Rataxes: Thanks again! 5 electrical dmg eh? Well that pushes it's average damage up to 20, which is better than even FoA [img]smile.gif[/img] For STR Base 19 that is, still, I think the lifesteal of Foebane wins out in the end. I'll look into the CF, though the Guarded Compound is also quite a challenge with the Tactics Mod no?

No problem. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Crom deals more damage than FoA+5 only if one's STR is <= 19.
If you wear one of the Girdles of X Giant Strength (not the Girlde of Hill Giant Strength, of course) however, FoA+5 will deal more damage.
Not to mention the vaired elemntal damage and the wonderful Slow effect.

Finally, you say Sanchuu is part of one of the Tactics Mod components, does this mean that the weapon does in fact exist in-game, but as a part of a special Tactics Mod quest or character rather than in the original game? Or will I have to import it with SK to obtain it?

Sanchuu does not exist in the original game.
Howeveeeer...
Tactics Mod Spoiler!
*
*
*
*
*
*
If you install the "Acid Based Encounter" component from the Tactics Mod, you will get to fight "Kuroisan, the Acid Kensai/Mage". Sanchuu is his sword. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[ 11-27-2002, 03:07 PM: Message edited by: Alson ]

[Rataxes]

Oh of course, I have that component installed but never cared to check it out, great. Then I'll have an excellent weapon to use fairly early on.

Now this particular question becomes all the more interesting, can resistances be lowered below 0?