SoU is impossible (early game spoilers)

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I know I'm behind the power curve, having just started SoU when HotU came out, but I'm finding the campaign to be nearly impossible. To ask a L3/2 Rogue/Ranger and Xanos to take on elementals under the gnoll caverns is useless. Way too early for a foe of that level. I can kill one, trick another into the hall, but that leaves two, and the only chance I have is luck and reloading. I don't find encounters I have to reload 15 times hoping for a lucky roll enjoyable. Nor do I find designing the most 'efficient' PC imaginable enjoyable. I enjoy playing a rogue and prefer finding the least combat intensive options available for any encounter (especially without Minsc, Keldorn, Korgan, Mazzy, etc. to back my up )

Too bad SoU is required for the online campaign setting I play. Between the last few encounters of the OC and SoU, I hope that the campaign does NOT upgrade to HotU anytime soon, as I've seen the way these series are going and I don't want to go there with them

 

Is it me or is SOU primarily meant for a paladin protagonist?

The game is unbelievably hard if you aren't a paladin.

For those paladin players, you know what I'm talking about.

 

With a fighter 4 barbarian x I couldn't finish the game, even on the easiest setting spells would tear me apart. My friend who had a paladin had an extremely easy time with the game, so I would tend to agree. My cleric went through pretty easy, as did my fighter 2 rogue x.

I would recommend since hopefully you have a decent stealth is to sneak up on them and try to use a sneak attack. Also try and make Xanos tank for you, so you can attack from the side and get the extra sneak attack damage. Make sure you put some point in use magic item, because I had to use some scroll to be able to surivive some parts.

 

Now, I try to avoid making posts where I mock other's but I really can't help it.

The first time I played the game (with a pure rogue/shadowdancer) it was hard, but I beat it.

Now I am playing through with a (currently) Bard4/Rogue2

And yet, I am mysteriously doing fine, sure I have to use a few focus crystals, but so what? I don't think they were put in the game just so you *wouldn't* and of course it's quite simple and cheap to get more, now, here are my tips;

A. Any Fighter type will have a much easier time

B. Using a ranged weapon made the game alot easier for me.

And, C. If your having a tough time (early in the game) go somewheres else, at least at this point their are 3 or 4 area's to explore with no real "set order" (I.E. Nether Mountains, High Forest)

Now I beat it the first time on the "normal" difficulty, and it was hard, but certainly not "impossible" in fact it was quite refreshing from the usual "hack, yay I win, slash, yay I win" gameplay I've grown used to.

 

Because rangers get divine spells, and their saving throws do better than a fighter, because rangers generally have a higher dex and wisdom. They also have animal companions which help a bit.

 

Hm. I was about to post that I didn't have a hard time with my ranger either, but fade has a point in that last reply.

Anyhow, I was going to take a Paladin through SoU and HotU, but now I am thinking about a challenge.

Which Class, do you think, would have the tougher time? A Cleric or a Rogue?

 

I played through with a straight fighter (boring I know) and there were certain points where I really needed to rely on particular items. I don't remember finding the game too hard (I played on normal) but there were frustrating moments until I found items to nullify different effects (I could never have completed the game without the electrical resistant helmet).

Fire giants were particularly hard - it seemed like I had to rest after fighting each one.

 

I played through as a rogue/shadowdancer, no henchmen, the *only* part of the game I had trouble with, was that scythe wielding "wind zombie" thing that could crit for 70+ damage. God I hated that thing.

I ended up leading it through about a dozen deadly rated traps to finally kill it.

 

I have played it through with a Straight Monk. It was difficult in some spots, but I beat it.

 

I've done it straight monk and rogue/shadowdancer and it wasn't bad with either. The elementals would have been way too much for the rogue if not for a certain skill . All in all I thought that it was a fairly easy game.

 

The only time that is hard playing a Paladin is the first kobold that you face outside Drogans home, and those that you meet before you hit level 2 or more. But when you find the Holy Avenger in Kel-Garras tomb...

Now i'm playing through as a Sorcerer, possible Arcane Archer, without any henchmen, and, like the Paladin, the game is hard only in the beginning, when you don't have any powerfull spells or weapons...

But, i agree with Blackthorne... Don't give up!

 

I never really had any problems with SOU and I played it through from start to finish with a pure fighter. The only fights I had problems with were the ones you're not supposed to win: the hill giant (with my 2nd level fighter!) and the white dragon (without using the item that transforms you into a frost giant!)

 

Not having a good save to restart the quest and it being early in the game, I started anew. By soloing much of the beginning, and finishing everything short of killing the dragon before venturing into J'Nah's chamber, I was able to (barely) beat the elementals with Dorna as a henchman. J'Nah was easy in comparison (the ability to sneak attack makes a HUGE difference).

Still, playing the game at core level basically means that I rely more on lucky rolls (or avoid unlucky ones) to get through. With minimal control over henchmen (usually leaving them behind, setting up traps, and leading the monsters through the traps back to the henchman), the game is not very tactical - both a bad and a good thing (Baldur's Gate w/ Ascension was TOO tactical for a recreational player like myself).

D_Odds

(P.S. - I allowed Xanos to be killed twice; first during the kobold attack and second during the stinger attack. Oh well, I'd rather have Deekin along anyway; his personality isn't as grating as the other two. Too bad I can't take Misha)

 

Emm, after reading MOST of the posts I'm guessing I'd get shout at if I were to say that I actually found the game to be TOO easy. Then again I logically thought that you were suposed to import your OC character after actually beating the OC. By the time I did that my character was a level 16 Wizard (currently 18 at the Dead Wind part) and the entire SotU campaign has been redicoulously easy. Then again I started with a 16th level character so my real question is, why didn't you?

 

I tried that at first, but when I started wiping out clans of kobolds with one swing and great cleave, I realized this module wanted you to start over at level 1.

 

I didn't have too much of a hard time with the game starting from level one with a rogue, and most of the time I left my henceman behind because they always got in the way .
In chapter one it's pretty free to explore and find out what to do in the search for the artifacts so starting at an easirer place was my tactic