Minor Spell Sequencer, Spell Sequencer, Contingencies and Chain Contingencies

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Chain Contingency
Set at see enemy/closest enemy
- 3x Abi Dalzim's Horrid Wilting
or
- Pierce Shield + 2x Abi Dalzim's Horrid Wilting

Contingency
At levels
12-17: Stoneskin 50%
18+: Mislead See enemy

Minor Sequencer
2x Magic Missile
or
Magic Missile + Melf's Acid Arrow

or for a multiclass or dual class fighter/mage:
Blur + Mirror Image

Spell Sequencer
Greater Malison + Magic Missile + Melf's Acid Arrow
or
Greater Malison + Slow + Web
or
3x Magic Missile

Spell Trigger
3x Lower Resistance
or
3x Chain Lightning

or for a multiclass or dual class fighter/mage:
Improved Haste + Prot f Magical Weapons + Mislead

A few comments
Luck + Mirror Image is not a bad choice for Minor Sequencer, but remember this (From http://members.chello.nl/~j.vanthull/BG2SR/Main.htm ):

Chromatic Orb has a +6 save, so even with Greater Malison it's too often a waste of time casting it. Besides it's bugged and disregards the targets MR unless you've got the "baldurdash" fix.

The Fireshield spells are pathetic. They only give you 50% resistance whereas the 3rd levels spells Fire and Cold Resistance gives 100% resistance (the manual is wrong). The offensive effect of the Fireshield spells is practically useless.

3x Skull Trap in a Spell Sequencer is tempting, but the short casting range of that spell often cause problems.
3x Fireball (or something similar) is also often used and it's good enough, but I prefer "safe" party-friendly spells.

[ January 12, 2005, 13:29: Message edited by: Earl Grey ]

 

@Earl Grey

Agree that Skull Trap is a little short on range, a good option for a mage/cleric multi-class might be Holy Smite x3. Worst case for targets with no MR is 42 - 168 damage and blinded for a round, best case for your targets 21-84 damage and no blindness. It's not party friendly if you have an evil party, but otherwise works pretty well.

 

Why do people use fireball instead of skulltrap? Skulltrap has a much higher damage potential then fireball, although it has a smaller area of effect. I usually don't use area of effect spells with a party present, unless they are immune to the effect (like ring of free action + web, or total immunity to fire and any fire based spell), otherwise it's to much hassle. And when soloing there is no excuse not to use skull trap in stead o ffireball, or is there?

 

@ Thunder

I'm pretty sure that a Spell Trigger will fail if you target it beyond the normal range of a spell it contains. Not sure if they all fail, or just the out of range spell. I'm guessing this is mostly to keep you from turning "self" and "touch" range spells into long range attacks. Skull Trap has a pretty short range, compared to almost all other area-effect spells, and thus you either need to move close to targets (and risk getting caught in the blast, as well as attack) or risk having it fail.

 

Chain Contigency - when Helpless
3x Project Image

What? Can't I cheese?

Contigency - when Helpless
Shadow Door (Come to think of it, Mislead is oh so better)

Spell Trigger
3x Lower Resistance
or
2x Lower Resistance + Breach

Spell Sequencer
Greater Malison + 2x Fireball/Skull Trap (I use both to good effect)

Minor Spell Sequencer
Melf's Acid Arrow + Magic Missile
or
2x Chromatic Orb (Of course, they'd be Greater Malisoned and probably Doomed)

 

Another good choice for Spell Trigger or either Contingency for solo players is Sunfire. Not much help in the Fire Giant Halls, but otherwise great.

 

I'm usually a big proponent of Skull Trap. However in sequencers I find that they are a bit unreliable. If 3x Skull Trap works reliably for you then it's a great choice.

I did not include any Cle/Mag options above, but agree that there are great combinations.

 

Sending just your mage in with 100% fire resistance letting off a chain contingency with 3 fireballs is pretty cool.

 

Minor Spell Sequencer: 2x Magic Missile
Spell Sequencer: 3 Flame Arrow (Boss killer. Seriously.)
Spell Trigger: 3x Chain Lightning
Contingency: Stoneskin
Chain Contingency: Wilting wilting WILTING mwaha.

Aerie's Setup for Cleric/mage
First two, same.
Spell Trigger: 3x Mass Cure
Contingency: Stoneskin; High Level; Contingency: Heal
(I know, this takes forever) Chain Contingency 10% health: Resurrection (it heals, too) Wilting x2
say cheeeeeeeese!

 

@Stu,

May as well go with Delayed Blast Fireballs, you'll pick up an extra 5d6 damage for each one.

 

The Sequencer usually is used to "stock" the most usefull uncast spells before I rest, as to increase my spellslots. The Contingency usually has Stoneskin or other protective spell(s) that activate on 50% hp.

 

i hardly used them but mostly spell trigger for attack spells and contnigency for defensive spells

 

My new favorite sequencer, which I haven't seen mentioned, is

G.M.
Teleport Field
Teleport Field

If you're an Archer, and/or you've got Mazzy in the group, this is SO much fun.

OT, RE Skull Trap vs. Fireball,
I tend to standardize on one of them for the whole party in order to simplify the task of protecting my tanks from their effects.
So if, for example, I had Jan or Kelsey, I'd use fireballs rather than skull traps for all my mages and Protection from Fire on all my tanks.

 

I've used the teleport field trigger in the past, but I have two complaints. It's a more defensive style than I prefer to play, and it makes it hard to see what's happening on the screen. Also it slowed down my old computer. But it is/can be a very effective strategy, especially if you want to give yourself a good laugh while fighting.

 

Does Greater Malison stack?

That is to say does a Spell Sequencer with "Greater Malison + Greater Malison + X" give -8 to the die roll?

 

No, GM does not stack. It will stack with Doom, if you really want that extra 5%. GM, Doom, and Finger of Death is a kinda fun combo, if a bit wasteful.

 

It does allow you to kill dragons within one round if you have 3 mages. Kinda fun the first time you do it

 

I am surprised that no-one has mentioned having 2 Melf's Acid Arrows in the minor sequencer (the effects stack as far as I am aware). This is a great way for disabling mages.

This is probably cheating but I cast this on enemy mages when they are 'blue' so they have great difficulty in hitting me when they turn hostile.

 

I don't see any specific limit placed on acid arrow. It seems you get the 2-8 damage lasting 3 rounds when you are 6th-8th level, 4 rounds at 9th to 11th level and so on up to 7 rounds at 18th or higher level.

So if you are cruising along at 20th level (the max level for calculating spell effects generally), and you cast an acid arrow spell it would appear that it does 2-8 damage each round for seven rounds. That pans out as 14-56 damage (average 35). This means a minor sequencer with 2x acid arrow will do an average of 70 damage over 7 rounds when cast.

Compare that to magic missile, which casts a maximum of 5 missiles (from 9th level up). The damage for a mm is 1-4+1, which averages out as 3and1/2. Therefore, 5 missiles do 10-25 damage (average 17and1/2). The minor sequencer with two mm's does an average of 35 damage.

The ability to disrupt spells over a long period is a valuable one, and the extra damage acid arrow does (in the example above it is double that of mm) is tempting, but as has already been pointed out, mm is great for rubbing off an enemy mages stoneskins. If you have two mages, load a diiferent minor sequencer choice for each.

My Contingency is the standard Stoneskin on self, triggered on 50% health.

Sequencer is
3x skull trap if you can judge the distances well. Remember not to target an individual but a place on the ground, same if you use fireball here.... or (if Cleric/MU)
Greater Malaison + Doom + Slow (the Slow save is at -4, so the 'sequenced' save is now at -10)

As for the higher level spell trigger (3 spells up to 6th level)
3xLower Resistance, or
Pierce Magic + Breach or Remove Magic + Power Word Silence (no save for this) or
Protection from Magic Weapons + Mislead + Spell Deflection

 

Contingency: Dispel Magic when disabled is a decent idea.