Advice from BG2 Veterans Wanted!

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tl;dr-main question is in bold

A lot of you have played BG2 to death and know it inside and out, so I'm making a plea for advice! The only mods I've played with before have been tactics mods (any kind of mod that makes the game harder). I'm going to be playing with a few content mods this time (Yoshimo's Friendship, Mazzy's Friendship and the core IEP mod).

As much as I love the standard goody-two-shoes party, I always play with them. So, I'm planning a rather elaborate party scheme this time in order to experience more of the NPCs. I'm also going to try a banter accelerator set at 40 minutes or so.

I'm still in BG1, but I'm carrying my human pure class sorcerer into SoA/ToB. I almost went kensai/thief or berserker/cleric, but I decided I would play a more passive role this time: a tactician of sorts, reserving his power and directing his allies. Therefore, I plan to make my allies as powerful as possible and unleash my main character's blasting power mostly onto strong enemies and bosses.

My plan:
Recruit Yoshimo until I escape.
Part ways with him shortly in Athkatla and rescue Mazzy early so that she has fewer points in short swords.
Return to Athkatla and meet up with Yosh in a tavern somewhere and then save Aerie.
Head over to the copper coronet and recruit Korgan, complete his quest, kill him if he fights with Aerie otherwise drop him in a gutter somewhere.
Stumble across Jan, save him and keep him.
Head back to the Coronet and heed Nalia's request, take her along, as I hear she has good comments and I've never brought her before.
Leave her behind after De'Arnise and then recruit Edwin.
Complete Haer'Dalis' quest...

This is where my plan gets muddy and I'm not sure how to pull it off. I'd like to keep Yosh until the incident and then bring in Haer'dalis for the rest of the adventure after Yosh is gone. I imagine there isn't a way to legally get seven people into spellhold. My main question is: If I complete Haer'dalis' quest before I leave to save Immy can I teleport him to spellhold with a console command and have him rejoin? Is there another way I can take HD to the underdark, etc without dropping Yosh early?

After SoA I'm replacing either HD or Edwin with Sarevok, most likely Edwin unless I end up really enjoying his company.

In terms of tactics-
Yosh will preform the basic backstabbing and scouting rolls while Jan works up stealth. Aerie is full support and control to make up for the lack of a primary cleric. Edwin will take mostly damage spells, but will also serve as utility. Sarevok will take standard fighter fare with a Ravager +6.

Mazzy:
Early game
Archer.
Tank- Whipping out a shield for encounters that require a dedicated damage taker.
Late game
Damage dealer- Specializing into dual wielding a bastard sword and something, the lack of good bastard swords early game will be compensated for by her early use of the short bow. Either Foebane and Axe of the Unyielding or specializing the offhand as scimitars/short swords with Belm/kundane. (Hesitant about kundane, as I will have both Jan and HD)

Jan:
Backstabber- increase his strength via the strength spell, have him memorize invisibility, etc. Using Hindo's Doom or a short sword. I prefer not to backstab with a quarterstaff unless I'm a cleric/thief.
Backup mage- hastes, etc.
Primary thief focusing on all thief disciplines.

Haer'dalis:
The front liner- all defensive items and utility spells (haste, imp invis, mirror image, armor, etc). Will use defensive spin mid game to achieve a great AC and distract opponents. Late game offensive spin + tensers + some nice weapons will make him shine. I'm thinking Blackrazor and Scarlet Ninja-to or Kundane.

Any recommendations for my items or tactics?

Thank you for any responses!
-Rahk

 

As far as I know you should be able to get Mazzy low level (8) even with Yoshi in party as long as your PC isn't already 9 or more.
This is the way I do it when I want to get her early.

I would specialize only in your main hand weapons, since it is there where most of the damage/effect is dealt. The added attack of Belm/Kundane/Scarlet will only add to the main hand as well. In my opinion, one can even spare the third point in TWF since it only helps your off hand. At least in favor for the more important main hand weapon specialization points, later on you can spend spare points there or in your off hand weapon.

HD can make splendid use of Scarlet Ninja-to with UAI, that leaves Mazzy/Jan with Belm/Kundane, and since Mazzy already has a point in short sworts, I'd take Kundane with her and Belm with Jan (who can backstab with Hindo's Doom).
[edit: well actually Jan has access to UAI,too, being a thief, how could I forget this?]

By the way, Mazzy would be formidable with a twohanded weapon, so she can still use her bow without hassle. Nevertheless she is still deadly with TWF.


Concerning you main question, regrouping with one NPC in chapter 6 wouldn't be an option?
This way you don't have to dismiss Imoen or any other NPC in Spellhold (which always feels cruel to me).
I don't know of the Yoshimo mod you mentioned above, but there is one mod that lets you keep Yoshi (Tortured Souls).

 

Thanks a ton for your Advice hannibal. The info on weapons is especially helpful.

I suppose I could leave Haer out until chapter 6, that would leave me plenty of time to get far enough into the Aerie romance. Hmm, I shall see when I get there!

 

You can summon HD with the CLUAConsole's CreateCreature (I think that's it) command, but I have no idea what HD's creature codes would be. I also don't think that'd summon the HD that previously joined your party, if you ever had him do that. It'd just be the CRE file you chose. If I understand it correctly, each NPC has several .CRE files for the different levels they can join at. When they do join, I think that's somehow converted into a .CHR file or something, but I'm not sure. If you just do his quest without ever taking him with you, or if you don't do much with him, there may not be much difference. Still, though, I'm not sure if he'll join you cleanly. You may try force joining him, but I'm not sure how clean that'd be, either. The simplest option really is to either take him into Spellhold with you, or grab him after leaving the Underdark. You can grab him right before you head to Spellhold, though, and it won't make too much difference. I realize you wouldn't have Yosh to the end (unless you took someone else out temporarily, maybe Nalia?), but it'd save some hastle.

As for items and tactics: disable spells. As a sorcerer, you may be tempted to take every damaging spell you can lay your hands on (at least I was). Don't. Think about what you'll face and take one, at most two, per spell level. You only need one for each function, so maybe one DD and one AoE. That's all you'll need. Then take a few utility spells, like Imp. Inv., Stoneskins, Imp. Haste, etc. Also make sure to grab spells like Dispell, Warding Whip, Breach, etc. I'd generally recomend only grabbing two of those, one for all mage-protections and one for all combat protections, but you may need a lower-level one before you can get to those. After those are cleared, go for the disable spells. Sleep, Slow, Emotion, etc. Make good use of Aerie's Doom spell, too. I'm not usually a huge fan of them, but when I started cutting down my Sorc's spell list for practicality, I decided to experiment. If used well, they rock!

 

Belm? It's been years, but isn't that a scimitar? For Mazzy?

 

I was actually thinking about having Mazzy dual wield a bastard sword and an axe, forgoing the extra attack. Axe used for parrying/blade catching, bastard sword used primarily for attacking.
I am a fan of "believable" weapon combinations, but not to the point of forcing sword with sword, axe with axe and offhand to small weapons.
Jan, however, will likely use a dagger/short sword despite the fact that they're not the best weapons.
HD is going to use the Chaosblade or some other type of draining weapon in combination with the scarlet ninja-to. Fits his personality.

Thanks for all the tips on sorcerer spells NOG. I'm normally more of a tactical player than a pure damage oriented player, I was thinking main spells something like:
1st level: Magic Missile, Prot. from Evil, Chromatic Orb
2nd level: Blur, Invisibility, Mirror Image
3rd level: Melfs Minute Meteors (For regular use), Haste, Flame Arrow (For use on strong enemies), Fireball [Slow, Dispel, etc. can be handled by the other mages]
4th level: Greater Malison, Stoneskin, Imp. Invisibility
5th level: Breach, Spell Immunity, Sunfire, Lower Resistances
6th level: Prot. from Magical Energy, Contingency, Imp Haste
7th level: Spell Sequencer, Warding Whip, Power Word: Stun
8th level: Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting, Spell Trigger
9th level: Time Stop, Spell-strike, Bigby's Crushing Hand
10th level: Improved Alacrity, Energy Blades, anything really

 

This is an excellent spell guide which originated from Earl Grey:

LEVEL 1 .....................................LEVEL 2
-- Magic Missile...........................-- Mirror Image
-- Identify................................. -- Knock
-- Friends...................................-- Web
-- Protection From Evil..................09 Melf's Acid Arrow
-- Spook....................................11 Resist Fear


LEVEL 3......................................LEVEL 4
-- Melf's Minute Meteors................08 Spider Spawn
-- Skull Trap................................09 Stoneskin
09 Haste.....................................11 Polymorph Self
11 Flame Arrow............................13 Farsight
22 Remove Magic..........................23 Greater Malison


LEVEL 5......................................LEVEL 6
10 Spell Immunity.........................12 Mislead
11 Breach...................................13 Death Spell
13 Lower Resistance.....................15 True Sight
15 Animate Dead..........................21 Contingency
23 Sunfire...................................30 Protection from Magic Energy


LEVEL 7......................................LEVEL 8
14 Project Image..........................16 Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting
15 Mordenkainen's Sword...............17 Pierce Shield
17 Mass Invisibility........................19 Spell Trigger
22 Spell Sequencer.......................23 Power Word Blind (or: Simulacrum)
31 Finger of Death


LEVEL 9
18 Time Stop
19 Chain Contingency
20 Wish (only with Wisdom 18)
25 Shapechange

He considered it an optimized spell pick for a solo sorc.
Of course, if playing in party, one can change any spell as it seems fitting.

 

One, I don't suggest Flame Arrow. It's just not that great to be worth a third damage slot. MMM works great for anything that's not resistant to fire, and Flame Arrow is worthless against those that are. What's more, you'll probably be using a lot of Magic Missle (especially since you'll get so many of them) since they're quick and good against spell resistance. I'd much rather take something tactical.

Earl Grey's list looks good for a solo-player, but not so much for a party. You don't need knock with a party, as long as you've got one halfway competent thief, and BG2 shouldn't stretch a thieve's abilities too much. He's also got a lot of melee spells in there. I rarely find use for Polymorph Self. The sorcerer just isn't any good in melee, not even as a troll or salamander. Polymorph Other, on the other hand, especially in combination with Doom/Malison, is great. Similarly with Mordy's Sword. It's just not that good if you're no good with swords. Shapechange is debatable. Some of the Shapechange forms are really powerful, and even useful for a mage.

I do suggest taking Chromatic Orb. Maybe in place of Friends? Chromatic Orb doesn't keep up with Magic Missle's damage, but then Magic Missle can't stun, or even disintigrate, at higher levels. Chromatic Orb is all about the later-level effects, and they're nice.

Something else to note, as far as tactics goes: you probably don't need this on your sorcerer, but get glitterdust. It's a great anti-invisibility spell that isn't divination (just in case any of the tactics mods are evil).

 

Polymorph Self is just taken for the 100% magic resistance, nothing else.
Naturally, if playing in party, a lot of spells are obsolete, like Friends or Knock.
Chromatic Orb is nice but save based and later on it is more likely to be saved, and why take the chance if you can guarantee a hit with another spell?

By the way the spell discussion was done very thoroughly,
here is the link:

http://www.sorcerers.net/forums/showthread.php?t=20764

Nevertheless, I don't think there is 'one' optimal spell list, and there is always room
for some personal preferences.

But what I like about Earl Greys list is that it is very viable for a solo run (and he did several solo runs with a sorceror).
Because with this list pretty all tasks can be solved, it is a nice base to make own variations with.
For example, adjusting it for party play with any given NPC.

 

I don't use polymoprh self much -- it gives you 100% magic resistance?? How?

 

Quote:

 

tks. I might end up using that soon! I fricking hate beholders!

 

What would you call someone who loves them?

 

A beholder boinker? Wow, that's about the squickiest thing I've ever thought of. Thanks a lot, Blades, you bastard!

ION I have a question -- in BG2 terms, what possible fricking good is a high charisma? I mean, what does it get you? Easier quests? more cooperative NPCs? A higher Reputation to start with? I'm not seeing any value to a high Charisma. I know it's a prereq for certain classes, but aside from that it seems utterly fricking useless. Educate me.

 

Hannibal, good points, and you'll note that I only offered some minor mod suggestions.

Indeed, exactly what you'll want is entirely up to you. I'm used to using mages as nukers and dispellers, with the occasional buff, but I did once try a party that didn't take a single damage spell, and it was very fun. Charm, hold, slow, emotion, all can play critical roles in a strategy, and if you want to use that strategy, ever, make sure you grab them somehow.

Earl Grey's list is a good starting point, as it covers the easily forgotten basics, or frequently-useful-specifics spells, like Death Spell. Edit it to customize to your desires.

As for Charisma, I'm pretty sure it impacts your starting reputation and can impact a couple conversations here and there in minor ways. It impacts prices at shops, though not so much as I've noticed the difference. I think it also impacts how easily NPCs come to blows. I think mod characters/quests make more use of it than the game itself did, though. I don't think it'll have any impact on your sorcerer's spells. I think that didn't happen until 3rd Ed.

 

Aw, I didn't know charisma doesn't affect spells for Sorcerers.

In BG1 it has still been useful. My PC has 21 charisma, I believe, and even with a reputation of 5 he gets the best quest rewards possible because his NPC reaction is so high. (Though, honestly so far it hasn't gotten me much... a few thousand extra gold and a +1 medium shield are the main things I can think of. However, I know a few NPCs won't even offer their quests unless your NPC reaction is high enough.)

 

since we are talking about the console, another way is that you can teleport your main character to where you left him before you went to spellhold using MoveToArea("ARXXXX"), pick him up then use MoveToArea again to go back to Spellhold

 

Ah hey! I should have thought of that! I'll get to keep the same HD and have him with me for the quests after spellhold. Awesome. ^.^
I'll just pretend he was with us, but bed-ridden with lovesickness for Aerie. I always thought it was a little silly that you had to choose between the two of them. I mean, my PC has godlike charisma, he should have some people management skills.

Tnks Pyro.