Adding difficulty to IWD

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Boooooooooo! May Tyr smite you for that unjust comment!

 

Soloing a single class Thief IS really difficult, I thought Kresselack tomb (not to mention the Dragon's Eye or the Severed Arm) would be difficult but I'm stuck in the Vale of Shadows, there are way too many yetis and Lesser Shadows for my level 6 halfling to handle onn his own. I can sneak by them but IWD being what it is I'd still have to waste them and I don't have enough space to manoeuvre. I'll give it another try though, it's definitely challenging!
I've been thinking about a single class mage, he would really have a hard time in the lower levels until he would get some decent spells (the goblins would be major foes for a level one mage ).

 

Borsook recently released a mod to increase game difficulty by increasing enemy hit points. Might be of interest to some of you: http://iegmc.tiefighter.org/borsook

 

IEGMC Europe can be a bit temperamental... Try this instead if it's still down:

http://iegmc.mirror.intermedia.com.sg/borsook/

 

Single class mage would be very challenging to solo. Am I right that the first 3rd level mage scroll is in the Temple of Forgotten God?

Druids could be interesting to solo too. Heart of Winter adds shapeshifting and many useful druidic spells. In general druid spells seem to be more useful than cleric spells. For example druids get extremely powerful entangle at first level (and thereafter many area-of-effect spells), but they can't use plate mails, maces, warhammers etc.

 

I don't think druid would be so hard, and apart from scrolls being scarce (I think it is fixed by a patch is it not?) I believe a mage would be alright after the lower levels -though still this game is so melee heavy that it would be interesting to check this out, I might be mistaken, mage will be difficult.

What would tip the scale in favour of the thief would be the bow that can be found in the dragon eye (Seth messenger?) only I'm not sure a thief can use it, if he can the 3 attacks rate will make quite a difference in fights. Unfortunately I'm not there yet I guess I'll have to buy some healing potions and fight the old fashioned way through the vale of shadows.

 

Unfortunately that marvellous longbow isn't usable by thieves Hmm... there just aren't many good items for thieves in Icewind Dale.

By the way, Caradhras, have you pickpocketed every single person you have met? Especially in Kuldahar?

 

Argh... it's going to be difficult then (I must have been thinking about BG2's Tuigan bow).

Do you know if there are some good items to get in Kuldahar? (pickpocket has been pretty useless so far, I'll have to check this, haven't played IWD since)

 

You can pick up a Ring of Free Action (or whatever its called) from the Druid. The gnome also has some nice items.

And I'm annoyed I can't remember either of their names right now.

 

Oswald is the gnome and Arundel the druid.

Oswald: potion of firebreath, 2 oils of fiery burning, ring of protection +2, necklace of missiles (sweet...)

Arundel: ring of free action (lovely!).

Orrick (the mage): amulet of metaspell influence, another ring of free action.

This means that the extra free action ring and the amulet can be sold for some serious money.
I failed my pickpocket attempts on Conlan (the blacksmith) and I wonder if he has a nice item.

Thanks Harkle and MrNexx for your advice, there is some hope for my halfling after all!

 

Conlan does not have any items, as I recall.

Kuldahar is really the only place that's worth pickpocketing anything... though Everard has a few potions of healing, which are nice in the very beginning of the game.

 

Is it possible to steal items from shopkeepers via dialogue/trading window? At least manual introduces steal option, but I've never tried that.

 

In IWD I don't think you can steal from shopkeepers. But I usually have so much money it doesn't really matter.

 

Sevarus is right, you can't.
Pickpocket isn't that great but these items make a lot of difference to my little thief, the AC is now decent (this allowed him to clean up the vale of shadows without trouble) and free action is a real asset, once I get my hands on a good weapon he is going to make a killing.
By the way I found some scrolls (up to level 2) my thief being level 7 (roughly 50k XP) I guess a solo mage (level 6) would have some problems in that area, being able to cast level 3 spells but having no spells of that level in his book...
A bard would be much easier to play, he would be able to pickpocket, cast spells (since a bard levels up faster than a mage it wouldn't make much of a difference), his fighting abilities would allow him/her to use the best weapons, and there are some nice bard-only items (the harp that gives extra spells is awesome!) plus he/she would be able to use the bow that gives 3 attacks.
A single class mage must be the hardest solo (that is until the mage gets all the spells he needs, which is not that easy in IWD).

[EDIT: most of what I've written about bards and mages has been said before, sorry.]

 

I started playing solo mage yesterday. He has to avoid melee all the time: poor AC, low hit points, low melee thac0. So, his main weapon is sling (thac0 17 at 3rd level).

Orc cave was a bit nasty: I had to take all of those orcs one by one. First level spell sleep helped much: it affects many opponents and it is easier to use than color spray.

Many mage spells get better when mage levels up. I think that lack of higher level spells isn't so bad at all.

 

Spells are great... I still have to take enemies one by one.
The first levels are going to be the most difficult.
Yet later on there are many undeads, sleep is going to be useless.

 

Vale of Shadows and Crypt of Kresselack were not so difficult. Well, I had to rest about twenty times (only to refresh spells, not for healing). I used mostly Burning hands , Agannazar's scorcher and Mirror image against undead hordes.

The first 3rd level spell I've got is Haste , from 1st level of the Crypt. My 8th level wizard is growing stronger: now he can cast many protective and offensive spells.

 

Well done Harkle! My little thief is level 9 and has just entered the Lost Temple, the Verbeegs are a real pain though, the little fellow really needs a bigger sword (been saving my hard earned gold for one).
This whole run-hide-backstab thing is becoming rather tedious...