Companions for a mage?

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I am planning to start a new SoA+ToB game with a Wild Mage. I ask what companions should I take with me( I am CN but I want to reach the highest reputation, so no evil guys allowed

I have some thoughts:

Valygar: dual-wielding katanas and long swords
Minsc: Two handed swords and halberds
Jan: very good thieving abilities and support spellcasting
Jaheira: I'll have her just to get the ring of wizardry then I'll kick her out

I maybe also take Anomen along (until I get Summon Planetar)

Any suggestions? I also want (if that is possible) to play with about 3-4 NPC in order to get my character to the highest levels.

And a final question. Has the Fallen Planetar any difference with the Good Planetar?

Thanks in advance

 

Question: Why do you want the highest rep possible? Keeping a rep of 12 or so will cause no trouble from evil or good characters. There are some very good Evildoers out there

Yes you can play with less than 6 characters. Some even solo.

Party seems pretty solid, 2 mages, 2 tanks. You can keep Jaheira instead of Anomen. She's got likewise skills, being a druid and all so there'll be less exp waste. I don't know how smart it is to dump a real cleric for a Planetar. Clerics have acces to more spells than Planetars, especially at such high a level, iirc.

I believe the Fallen Planetar has acces to the evil skills, just like evil clerics. Good planetars are like good clerics, iirc.

 

1) I want high reputation because if you have reputation 20 stores drop their prices 50% down.

2) I know that a planetar can never ever replace a cleric but what I am supposed to do? Raise my party to 6 people? I don't want that.

3) I didn't know that there were differences between the evil and good clerics spells (except that evil clerics can turn paladins). If there are differences in spell selection can anyone post them? (I am mainly interested in Good and Evil Planetars spellcasting abilities.

 

1) You have Jan. You don't need the prices to drop when you can steal the items.

2) ?

3) The only difference in Priest spells I can come up with is that good aligned Priests get Holy Smite and that Evil Priests get Unholy Blight (which harms the good aligned opponents i.s.o the Evil like Holy Smite does)
When you choose a Kit (Lathander or Talos) there might be some more differences.

 

Well, you needn't play with 6 characters, but how about this:

You - Wildmage
Valygar
Minsc
Jan

Now if you'd do multiplayer, I'd say ditch Jan (yes Master of Nuns, I'm sorry, I know how much you like Jan ) and make a MC Cleric/Thief instead. This way you'll have 4 characters, with spellcasters of 2 pools, 2 tanks and a thief. That would make the party very solid.

 

Multiplayer would indeed be the best solution unless you want some plot into the game as well. Not much npc dialogue without the pre-scripted characters. Also, you might want to tell us wether having a romance or not is of any significance.

Having a thief in your party is quite unnecessary. There aren't enough fatal / overtly annoying traps in the game, and you have the "knock" spell. Of course, should you play true roleplay I'd suggest you get a thief since without one you would have to do some loading every now and then. In ToB the only thief you'll do anything with is Jan. Since Imoen and Nalia are so lousy at it, that they can barely see the traps even with all the thieving skills boosting stuff on.. let alone disable them.

As for healers, if you intend to keep your party in the size of 4 ppl, you don't have to worry about mere healing. You'll get plenty of potions for just 4 ppl. Heh, you'll have so much money per person you can buy your own potions if the need arises. But the other priest support spells are a whole other thing.

It's your own decision though. The party you make is all the more unique when YOU make it. Yourself. Still, my suggestion would be:

Minsc (1-class tank)
Haer´Dalis (with o-spin&spells, VERY strong in combat)
Jan (one mage is never enough, and thieves are always somewhat useful... with traps and all)

Note, however, that would it be *my* group, I'd ditch Jan and take Imoen instead. Never leave an old friend behind, I say.

[This message has been edited by Forashi (edited May 23, 2002).]

 

Firstly, it isn't my first priority to have a romance but if I can add a romantic interest to the party without ruining the mix, that's Ok.

Ofcourse when I'll free Imoen I'll take her with me (she is my siter after all) and I don't want to start a multiplayer game (I think NPC interactions are very funny sometimes).

And a final question. If I finish all Chapter 2 Quests before going to spellhold will I find enough experience afterwards to raise Imoen's levels? Or I should go almost immediately to Spellhold in order to free her and then do the Quests with her?

 

I wouldn't go quite straight away, given that you might find a few problems in Spellhold / Underdark at too low a level.

Also Immy's exp will be a function of you party's exp when you find her, so try to work out the approx exp req'd to make sure not too much is wasted.

I'm sure someone here posted the formula for working out the exp of NPC's when you meet them. I know you've met before, but it does count as a "first meeting" in terms of exp.

[Edit]
Link here

[This message has been edited by Viking (edited May 23, 2002).]

 

Wow. Immy.. I hadn't thought about that. Fits her well.

 

Are you sure about that? I've always got Imoen back at the level she was when she got taken by the cowled wizards. Not that it makes sense that she should gain exp during that time, considering she only sat in a cell and was used as a test subject during that time.

 

I just recently did SoA->ToB with a Wild Mage. Here's what I used.

Tank: Minsc, to be replaced by Sarevok in ToB... give him his Sword of Chaos; in its +4 form under a greater whirlwind, he can be getting pounded on from all sides and still come out with more life than when he went in.

Support: Keldorn and Valygar. With Keldorn's dispelling you'll hardly have to ever cast a spell, as Valygar and Minsc/Sarevok will have killed everything by then.

Priest: Anomen. No question there. Priest spells + Grandmastery. Hardly a better combination. Also at high levels, give him Righteous Magic + Globe of Blades + Aura of Firey Death to make him rival Sarevok/Minsc in tanking ability.

Thief: Imoen. 'Wha..?' you might be saying. Well I converted her to a single class thief and gave her her BGI voice set and picture back, as I liked that Imoen much better. Use her for scouting, backstabbing, and traps. Also makes a great decoy. With use any item and greater evasion, I was able to get her AC down to -24.

Take this setup with some good equipment and you'll breeze through SoA and ToB. Your mage will almost never have to cast any spells except during major battles, which believe me, makes the gameplay much much easier.

A note on combat with your mage: Don't waste slots on support or defensive spells other than a few stoneskins, lower resistances, and an Improved Mantle. Instead go with a few Improved Alacrity/Time Stops and F***loads of fast cast spells. Spell Trigger: 3 Lower Resistances -> Time Stop -> Improved Alacrity -> 3x Dragon Breath -> 5x Abi-Dalzhim -> 7x Magic Missle -> 7 Fire Arrow -> 7x Acid Arrow -> 6x Chain Lightning (which you can cast in time )will kill ANYTHING. Until you need to use such bastardish techniques you can just sit back and let your fighters mop up everything else.

It took 3 days to do ToB with this group. Watcher's Keep didn't take too much longer than a couple of hours, and maybe twice did I ever have to resurrect someone. (The improved/tougher Abazigal fight was still a bitch, even with them.)

Since you don't want a full group, I'd recommend removing Valygar. Then if it's still too large for your tastes, Keldorn. However if you do, you'll have to reserve spell slots for dispels and such, which would be a waste in my opinion. Also, if you're using the Ascension Mod for ToB, the final fight is practically impossible for a full group (even this one), let alone a partial group.

[This message has been edited by Alex (edited May 25, 2002).]

 

Bwah? Improved Sword of Chaos +4? I don't think this is real. (or I've been missing out on something for the past time)

 

Yea, I just realized that I have installed more mods than I can count, that might have been included in one of them. Probably Ascension.

 

Sirdan

Start a multiplayer and desing your charachter's.If you take a fighter then here are the most effective stats:
Strenght:18/00(it is possible,you just need patience)
Dexterity:18(a fighter's armor class is one of the most important asset's)
Constitution:18(fighters must have it for their life bonuses)
Intelligence:10-12(you can't make acomplete idiot)
wisdom:10-14(he has to have some)
Charisma:14-18(i stronghly suggest charisma at 18 for shop bonuses)


Faragon,I am used to 18 in ALL stats.If you want to tell me something then send me a private letter.The silvan was my mistake ,I got confused.
Hey guys,guys.Dont say I cheated.I dont know how i did it.It is probably The same bug which Has affected my abazigal(sorry for the hilareous comment erlier.It was my stupid and annoying brother.)Read my mail about abazigal.You may find it intresting.
.

[This message has been edited by Padine the Paladin (edited May 27, 2002).]

[This message has been edited by Padine the Paladin (edited May 27, 2002).]

 

Padine, what are you talking about? There's no Silvan in this thread, and such stats aren't extreme, they are commonly used by everyone. How are they low to you? Are you used to 25 in all stats or something?

 

Please it's not Silvan it is Sirdan(you know Sirdan the elven shipbuilder which owned the one of the three rings the elves had(Neria) and gave it to Gandalf)

 

Sirdan

I am sorry.I am only at chapter five in the book.As I told faragon,mail me personaly if you want to talk to me!!!Oh by the way SIRDAN there is a difference beetwen Fallen and normal Planetars.Fallen planetars get more spells.

[This message has been edited by Padine the Paladin (edited May 27, 2002).]

 

There are several fountains of XP that have been discussed in other threads (defend the walls of Saradush, exterminate spawned drow or duergar). Taking less than 6 members should be a choice to make the game more challenging.

I like the NPC interaction, too. So, I sometimes use Shadow Keeper to make the NPC the class, etc. that I desire.

 

18 in all stats? that would mean you'd have rolled a 108 points. That is simply not possible. Well, not without cheating anyway. The highest rolls I've seen are between 90 and 95, and those are legit.

 

Yup! I stick with Faragon again...(whether you like it or not, my dearest master half-dwarf monk )
The highest rolls I got was 94, with a Cleric/Ranger. With a normal fighter this is almost impossible. I'd fall asleep when trying to get my rolls better then 86 (which is not bad at all for a fighter!).