What are your battle suggestions and tactics?

[alekz]

Hi, I got some really basic questions. This is the deal, I have completed BG2 and I bought ToB yesterday, but I don't consider myself to be a "good" BG player, well I suck. This is because I never learned how to use magic properly. When I go into battle I usually just attack the monsters, if there's a mage or cleric or priest I kill them first. If it doesn't work out only then do I try with spells... This often results in the need of reloading the game. And let me tell you, it's not fun reloading all the time

What I need from you is to tell me how you go into battle.

Questions:

1) What spells are essential for my group to have? I have myself a Paladin, Minsc, Jaheira, Imoen, Sir Anomen and Aeire.

2) Before going into battle what spells should I apply to my group or myself?

3) While in battle, which spells should I use?

4) Who should I go after first? Is it right to go after the mage/cleric/priest like I do?

5) After a succesfull battle, do you always sleep to regain your spells?

6) Any other tip, hint or trick you have to win battles, any tactics or strategies please let me know of them. I'm getting my ass kicked in ToB...

Thanks!

[Gil-Galad]

It's fairl easy to take opponent mages out with your magic users alone:
Pierce Magic, Khelben's Warding Whip, Spel Thrust or Secret Word are really handy spells that will remove any of his magical defenses. This is very important the higher the level of your opponent, since they will have spell protections typically in a contingency. Once spell protections are removed use any spell to damage him. Breach will remove combat protections (stoneskin, prot. from magical weapons etc.), which is usefull if you want your fighters to get to him. Also always keep a non-magical weapon of your fighters specialisation to hit mages with prot. from magical weapons.
Magic missile is always good because it always hits the target, is cast almost instantly and thereby can interrupt spellcasting from enemies.
Other usefull spells:
Jaheira: Summon Fire Elemental (one of your partys absolute best spells!),
Insect Plague (interrupts spells, enemy loses morale)
Defensive Harmony
Call Lightning (deals out some serious damage)
Aerie: Holy Smythe (very powerfull, since most enemies in the game are evil)
Chant (cast it before a battle)
Protection from evil 10' (alwys good, especially when summoning Demons)
Conjure Air Elemental
Mage spells: Death Spell, Chaos, Fireball (as long as your fighters are not already closing in on enemies), Haste (more attacks), Slow, Dire Charm and many more.
Your mages should at least have Globe of Invulnerability and Stoneskin to keep enemy mages from interrupting spellcasting.
When you spot an enemy, let them come to you. That way you can fire some area spels without worrying about your party being hurt.
Always cast spells which affect your party BEFORE the battle, so you only have to concentrate on offensive spells during the battle...

Try to play through one time with only one (at most) fighter, and you'll see how powerfull you can REALLY get.....And remember to learn spells from scrolls rather than selling them, as you get xp for that.

Have fun

[Gil-Galad]

Oh, and a Paladin, yes...Draw Upon Holy Might just gets better and better the higher level you are...

[Cayle]

General Note1: Never underestimate the power of a good de-buff spell.

General Note2: Area of effect spells. Opposing mages love “spell turning”. I hate this spell because if I target the opposing mage, my spell gets reflected, BUT this only works for spells targeted AT them, not near them. Spell protection will not protect you from a web, fireball, horrid wilting, etc tossed into your general area. Also useful against invisible spellcasters when you have a rough idea of where they are and are out of glitterdust and true sight.

Summon Fire elemental (druid): As Gil-Galad said, one of the best spells in the game.

Lower Resistance: This is the non-cheese way of removing Dragon MR. Have two or three mages hit Mr or Ms lizard with this simultaneously, then cast breach and you change the whole nature of the battle.

Emotion: KOs your opponents.

Web(mage)/Entanglement(druid): Good old fashioned low level PnP spell from the pre-1st ed days. If you meet a powerful group, toss a few of these spells their general way at the start of the battle and watch how easy it is to kill the DenOfSevenVales/TempleSewers/GaurdedCompuond groups. I say use several to overwhelm saving throws. Load webs into a sequencer and use it as your opening move. You can often entangle opposing mages before they get their defenses up. Just don’t get caught in it. Also: web is an area of effect spell. Aerie once killed Tolergias(sp) solo by casting web and then casting spider spawn.

Spider Spawn: After entangling them with "web", send a couple of spiders over to feast.

Sequencer: See above. I also load them with magic missles for some battles. An 8th level mage can drop up to 16magic missles this way and a 15th level mage can drop up to 45.

Spell Protection (?) with the Divination option: combined with improved invisibility eliminates that annoying true sight. Go invisible and cast to your hearts content.

Cheers-

-Cayle

[dimon37]

also, try non-detection (or wear a cloak o fnon-detection) with improved invisibility.

[Lifetime]

1) Important spells will always be those like magic missle. You'll find that in SoA and TOB, the killer spells almost never work because the enemies you need it for most are those that can resist them best. Spells that work are those that don't rely on saving throws. Stuff like anti-magic spells, and malisons, etc. You also need identify and true-seeing spells, and maybe some multi-purpose ones like knock. I'm sure you know of utility spells we all could use from time to time.

2) Battle..it really depends on situation. Against bashers like heavy golems and such, spells that buff up strength or potions that up your AC , and essentially anything combat-efficient you have at current time. Against mages, I don't really know what might help you except magic resistance spells and stuff.

3) As I said in 1. Anti-magicalprotection spells and counterspells work well with mages, malison with anything at all and spells like magic missle and firearrow for pesky beasts.

4) Go after mages first, especially if you have the advantage of surprise (eg, backstabs) because mages with spell contingencies and sequencers can raise their defences in a heartbeat. You have to get them before that happens. Then go after the big toughies and then the thieves and the clerics.

5) Personally, yes. Saves you the time and trouble of using potions

6) Whenever you can, backstab mages. Keeps you from getting bogged down in getting through to them. Mages make very attractive decoys to people while the fighters hack away. Don't make this mistake. You'll have to be more specific, because we all have a ton of strats and stuff to learn from each other.

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Why?

Stand back, lads! General Shield giving seminar here:
.
1) What spells are essential for my group to have? I have myself a Paladin, Minsc, Jaheira, Imoen, Sir Anomen and Aeire.
.
Give the Paladin Bless, Chant and other enhancing spells
.
2) Before going into battle what spells should I apply to my group or myself?
.
Chant
Bless
Haste if a tough one
If any enemy spellcasters, use summonings for them to wast their spells on. If facing a dragon, "Resist Fear" and "Haste"
.
3) While in battle, which spells should I use?
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I usually open up on groups with area-effect spells before approaching them (stinking cloud and web are favourites along with cloudkill to continually damage spellcaster)
.
4) Who should I go after first? Is it right to go after the mage/cleric/priest like I do?
.
Use missiles on the spellcaster. Guy with lowest AC should hold off tanks as long as he can
.
5) After a succesfull battle, do you always sleep to regain your spells?
.
Depends - how many spells you got left? Havee you finished BOSS-level encounter? Do you need more healing?
.
6) Any other tip, hint or trick you have to win battles, any tactics or strategies please let me know of them. I'm getting my ass kicked in ToB...
.
Rely more on summonings and enchantments. Remember that you don't have to kill EVERYBODY
.
I shan't mention cheese tactics (there's a lovely one to take advantage of the new "A.I" bragged by ToB but I shall test that on ToB before posting it. It works in DSOTSC
.

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In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is pimp.
http://lordraptor0.tripod.com/index.html

[alekz]

OK people thanks alot for replying and helping me. I'm already making progress on ToB Thanks again!

[Hayashi]

I did the battle against the party at the northern end of the Temple Sewers. The mage had sacntuary and I couldn't target him at all. How do I get rid of the spell if the mage casts sacntuary?

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"Butt-kicking for goodness!" - Minsc
"Cities always teem with evil and decay. Let's give it a good shake and SEE WHAT FALLS OUT!!" - Minsc

[Grinch]

Cast cloudkill in the mages area,when he dies the Sanctuary spell should end..

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Grinch