Viconia...best equipment?
Elfseeker
more than 1 or two proficiency slots in any weapon...why is that anyway?!?
Anyway, I'm looking for advice on how to best equip her, so that she isn't
forced to withdraw after the initial (hostile) attacks, rarely if ever
having managed a measly few swings of her own, every single battle!
She manages fine as long as she's casting, or is blocked from the opposition
by, say, Minsc and Negrath, but for some reason she don't seem able to take
a damn thing in this round...what am I doing wrong?
Is she under some predilection toward hammers?
(currently utilizing the 'undead maces/skullcrusher, dual-wield until I came
to think that the lack of a point in 'two-weapon style' might have something
to do with it...)
Haven't come across many amulets to help her...the one's I've found usually
only confers vastly inferior magic-protection(5-10 %)...
Whereas Jaheira runs around with -11 AC...hardly ever hit by anything...
But hell, even my 5(yes, straight 5, he's a kensai, dammit<g>) AC
protagonist is hit less...(not to mention attacks more...5/2, to be
excact...another is up at 7/2...V's still at 1!
On the off note;
Imoen.
'Little brother'?
Where in the world did THAT come from?
Now I haven't played BG1 in -quite- the while(nor does it seem like I will
be able to, ever again...damn folder-sleeves), but I don't think it's from
there...?
Elfs...@c2i.net, who's right now pondering the difference between the
image of the 'little brat' in the intro to BG(2?), the BG1 image, and the
BG2 image...I take it we're not suppose to consider them -all- the 'right'
one...?
PimPio
"Elfseeker" <elfs...@c2i.net> wrote in message
news:UMjT8.1393$Wb1.1...@juliett.dax.net...
: I'm immensely annoyed at her(and jaheira/aerie...Imoen's?) inability to
gain
: more than 1 or two proficiency slots in any weapon...why is that anyway?!?
They have something in sommon, they're all spellcasters, not
fighters. Could that be the answer? Hmmmmmm....
:
: On the off note;
:
: Imoen.
: 'Little brother'?
: Where in the world did THAT come from?
: Now I haven't played BG1 in -quite- the while(nor does it seem like I will
: be able to, ever again...damn folder-sleeves), but I don't think it's from
: there...?
:
:
In most of the dialogues that refer to the relationship between
Imoen and the PC, she is indicated as the elder sibling. However,
there are also one or two that implied she's the younger sister.
Odd.
Zlmndra
"PimPio" <soli...@procurer.net> wrote in message
news:C6kT8.12258$l6.27...@newsfep2-win.server.ntli.net...
>
> "Elfseeker" <elfs...@c2i.net> wrote in message
> news:UMjT8.1393$Wb1.1...@juliett.dax.net...
> : I'm immensely annoyed at her(and jaheira/aerie...Imoen's?) inability to
> gain
> : more than 1 or two proficiency slots in any weapon...why is that
anyway?!?
> :
> They have something in sommon, they're all spellcasters, not
> fighters. Could that be the answer? Hmmmmmm....
>
The thing that sucks is that my lvl 26+ mage/thief still has only 1 attack
per round... kind of pathetic. Apparently mage/fighters suffer the same
problem too. :\
I suppose that's a good reason to use Tenser's Transformation, though it
seems quite bizarre to select a spell for my sorc that makes him a fighter.
I mean, if I wanted to play a fighter, I'd have played a fighter. :(
Ya, I know but often I'm just too lazy to buff with other spells like that
dark blade thingy... I just like to blow them away from a distance. :)
Z
Jonathan Ellis
Elfseeker wrote in message ...
>I'm immensely annoyed at her(and jaheira/aerie...Imoen's?) inability to
gain
>more than 1 or two proficiency slots in any weapon...why is that
anyway?!?
Because they are not fighters. Only fighters can *specialise* (two
or more stars) in a weapon: non-fighters are limited to one proficiency
slot per weapon, which enables them to use the weapon without penalty.
This rule comes straight from AD&D.
>Anyway, I'm looking for advice on how to best equip her, so that she
isn't
>forced to withdraw after the initial (hostile) attacks, rarely if ever
>having managed a measly few swings of her own, every single battle!
>She manages fine as long as she's casting, or is blocked from the
opposition
>by, say, Minsc and Negrath, but for some reason she don't seem able to
take
>a damn thing in this round...what am I doing wrong?
>Is she under some predilection toward hammers?
>(currently utilizing the 'undead maces/skullcrusher, dual-wield until I
came
>to think that the lack of a point in 'two-weapon style' might have
something
>to do with it...)
Viconia's best option, until you come across some strength-boosting
equipment such as a girdle of giant strength or gauntlets of ogre power,
is the Mace +2: Mauler's Arm. This can be bought or stolen from Bernard
at the Copper Coronet, and grants 18 strength.
Dual-wielding without a point in two-weapon style gives you
crippling -4/-8 penalties to hit. No *wonder* she can't hit anything in
melee. Even with one point in two-weapon style, you get penalties
of -2/-6: the question is whether the -2 to hit with the main weapon is
worth the chance of hitting with the second weapon, even at -6.
*without* the extra point, it's really not worth it. Have her use a
shield instead.
In any case, she has not too many hit points, thanks to her lack of
constitution (though this can be improved by use of Gaal's Girdle of
Fortitude, once you have completed the Unseeing Eye quest: use it once,
then swap it for a giant strength girdle.)
One of the annoyances about Viconia is that she daren't cast Holy
Smite *when in combat*, because she will herself be in the front line,
so she will hurt herself as she herself is Evil. (There being few Good
enemies in the game, so the reverse spell Unholy Blight is largely
useless - indeed, it's largely used by enemies against the party, as
most of the enemies in the game are Evil in any case, so Unholy Blight
would not be useful against them.)
She is, in fact, better staying back and shooting from a sling
(when not casting spells), as her extra-high dexterity makes her a fine
shot with missile weapons. Or she can summon undeads to help you with
the fights (when she gets to a high enough level, the undeads she
summons will be Skeleton Warriors, which hit hard and are resistant to
magic), or cast Flamestrike, or Holy Smite from outside the area
affected (very similar to not catching your own mage in his own
Fireball.) Later on, Bolt of Glory is effective, and of course she will
be your primary stockpile of Chaotic Commands spells, and Heal spells,
not to mention Resurrection.
Excellent slings to equip her with are (if you have downloaded and
installed the bonus merchants patch, or pre-ordered the game) the Sling
of Everard +5, to be bought from Joluv, the bonus merchant in the Copper
Coronet. If you give her a strength-boosting item, you can give her the
Sling of Seeking +2, to be bought or stolen from Bernard, but I presume
you've already given that to Jaheira (as you appear to have made her
into a tank.) Alternatively, there's a +3 sling called Arla's Dragonbane
in the Umar Hills, or a +4 sling called the Sling of Arvoreen in the
Underdark somewhere, I'll let you find it for yourself.
>Haven't come across many amulets to help her...the one's I've found
usually
>only confers vastly inferior magic-protection(5-10 %)...
You'll have the Amulet of Power from Aran Linvail in chapter 3.
That works well, it provides vocalise and decreases your spellcasting
speed, and provides immunity to level drain - the latter being great as
it means she can never be level-drained low enough to forget the
Restoration spells to restore the rest of your party after an encounter
with level-drainers...
Viccy is also excellent at buffing the rest of your party. Chant,
Bless, Protection from Evil 10' Radius, Defensive Harmony... although
the first two should be cast *last*, as they have a comparatively short
duration.
>Whereas Jaheira runs around with -11 AC...hardly ever hit by
anything...
>But hell, even my 5(yes, straight 5, he's a kensai, dammit<g>) AC
>protagonist is hit less...(not to mention attacks more...5/2, to be
>excact...another is up at 7/2...V's still at 1!
Don't expect any non-fighter to *get* more than one attack per
round unless dual-wielding (unless wielding an item that grants an extra
attack, such as the scimitar Belm, which Viconia cannot use.) Attacking
more than once per round is what fighters are for.
Oh, and your kensai is hit less because he's hitting more often,
killing his opponents before they can hit him :-) Plus, fighters get
bonus attacks per round as they go up in level, and as they specialise
in weapons (dual-wielding also adds one, of course.) I'd be prepared to
bet that your Kensai is 13th or higher level (adding an extra 1/2 attack
per round at 7th level, and another at 13th, for 2 per round, or 4 every
2 rounds), and wielding a single weapon in which he is specialised
(adding another 1/2 per round, for 5 attacks per 2 rounds): and that the
character you have with 7/2 attacks per round is in the same situation
but either dual-wielding (for one extra attack per round with the off
hand), or wielding the scimitar "Belm" (granting an extra attack, in
addition to the 5/2 of a 13th level fighter with a weapon in which
he/she is specialised. Is this one, by any chance, 13/13th-level Jaheira
wielding Belm? :-)
>Imoen.
>'Little brother'?
>Where in the world did THAT come from?
You mean you've played BG2 for long enough to get Imoen back from
Spellhold, and still haven't realised the relationship between the two
of you? Were you even *reading* the text of the conversations that took
place at the time where you were captured by Irenicus in Spellhold?
Jonathan.
PosterX
"Zlmndra" <tamago...@NOSPAMPLShotmail.com> wrote in message
news:newscache$ig6hyg$aq1$1...@maggie.netlink.com.au...
Only fighters, rangers, and paladins gain extra attacks per round. Dual and
multi fighters and rangers also.
PosterX
gain
> more than 1 or two proficiency slots in any weapon...why is that anyway?!?
>
> Anyway, I'm looking for advice on how to best equip her, so that she isn't
> forced to withdraw after the initial (hostile) attacks, rarely if ever
> having managed a measly few swings of her own, every single battle!
> She manages fine as long as she's casting, or is blocked from the
opposition
> by, say, Minsc and Negrath, but for some reason she don't seem able to
take
> a damn thing in this round...what am I doing wrong?
> Is she under some predilection toward hammers?
> (currently utilizing the 'undead maces/skullcrusher, dual-wield until I
came
> to think that the lack of a point in 'two-weapon style' might have
something
> to do with it...)
>
> Haven't come across many amulets to help her...the one's I've found
usually
> only confers vastly inferior magic-protection(5-10 %)...
>
> Whereas Jaheira runs around with -11 AC...hardly ever hit by anything...
> But hell, even my 5(yes, straight 5, he's a kensai, dammit<g>) AC
> protagonist is hit less...(not to mention attacks more...5/2, to be
> excact...another is up at 7/2...V's still at 1!
>
the Mauler's Arm from the Copper Coronet bartender but the fact is even with
a certain hammer she's never a very good melee fighter. She'll always
naturally have 1 attack and only be able to put 1 star in weapons. You can
buff her up with Righteous Magic or Holy Power if you really want to. Anomen
on the other hand can put 5 stars in a weapon and has more hitpoints. Since
I am very melee oriented I've usually used Anomen. Without special equipment
and spells Vic is a back line spell caster.
Jaheira should be able to put 2 stars in a weapon.
T.J....@durham.ac.uk
> I suppose that's a good reason to use Tenser's Transformation, though it
> seems quite bizarre to select a spell for my sorc that makes him a fighter.
> I mean, if I wanted to play a fighter, I'd have played a fighter. :(
A mage under Tenser's can do one thing that a fighter can't. Hit things
with the Staff of the Magi... :)
Tom
--
Dovie'andi se tovya sagain.
- James Oliver Rigney, Jr.
Elfseeker
> Spellhold, and still haven't realised the relationship between the two
> of you? Were you even *reading* the text of the conversations that took
> place at the time where you were captured by Irenicus in Spellhold?
Case in point;
"-.-Little-.- brother"...
Again, I assume this is from the letter gotten upon return to
Candlekeep...for sure it cannot have had it's origin in Irenicus'
'revelations'...
Elfs...@c2i.net, nothing if not bored(comes with missing sleep, I
guess...you don't grow tired, you just loose interest in just about
anything...)
Kish
>
Spoiler space.
> > You mean you've played BG2 for long enough to get Imoen back from
> > Spellhold, and still haven't realised the relationship between the two
> > of you? Were you even *reading* the text of the conversations that took
> > place at the time where you were captured by Irenicus in Spellhold?
>
> Case in point;
> "-.-Little-.- brother"...
> Again, I assume this is from the letter gotten upon return to
> Candlekeep...
You know what they say about assumptions.
> for sure it cannot have had it's origin in Irenicus'
> 'revelations'...
Nothing in-game says which of you is older. She's just having fun.
Talen
<elfs...@c2i.net> wrote:
>I'm immensely annoyed at her(and jaheira/aerie...Imoen's?) inability to gain
>more than 1 or two proficiency slots in any weapon...why is that anyway?!?
Specialising in the study of a weapon is explicitly the sort of thing
that Fighters do.
It's one of the few bennies fighters get, let them have it.
--
Talen
http://shatteredreality.net/talen/
"True. It's helping people in a way such that you don't have
to help them in the future. It's increasing your own power
such that you can do more in general, in such a way as to not
tick everyone else off. It's lying, deceiving, and conning
others such that they never know.
"In other words, it's evil, but getting away with it."
- Adrian Tymes, summing up the nature of Being Good
The Gurus love you
Volin
"Kish" <Kis...@pacbell.net> wrote in message
news:3D1EDA8D...@pacbell.net...
IIRC there is a conversation between Imoen and Jaheira where Imoen says she
is nearly as old as the character, so I guess that she is the younger :-)