Fighter/Bard/RDD in SOU
Lance Berg
Human
ST 24
DX 10
CN 15 (16 with item)
IQ 10
WS 9
CH 11
in non magic full plate, with a +2 small shield, cloak of AO, and +1 AC
bracer, my AC is 27
HP 95
Weilding Desert Fury (Focus in Morningstar)
+16/+11
+17/+12 versus Undead
1-8+7
+1 bludgeoning
+2 bludgeoning versus undead
+1-8 fire versus undead
Fort 12
Ref 4
Will 6
BA 7
SR 12
ASF 50%
ACP -9
Chaos 18
Good 100
I'm also focussed in Great Sword (in fact that was my only focus till
this last level, which I got after the beduin crypts), which probably
does more damage than the morningstar on non undead, but which costs me
use of the small shield. I do have a +1 greatsword, but nothing fancier
than that.
Just talked to Garrick in the AO encampment (and messed around a bit
with being AO, or not caring to deny it...)
I tried this campaign before with a monk/sorcerer mix, also trying to
get to RDD, but I was defeated roundly by the gnolls in chapter one,
couldn't seem to do damage fast enough or survive a beating long enough
no matter what I tried. Knowing now that these were the trivial
encounters, its really hard to imagine that character getting thru the
end of chapter one, I might try the mix again at some point once I
understand monks better...
As a pure fighter, though, the first chapter wasn't that hard, I ended
up sacrificing two BA to get the bard/RDD thing going, and thats cost me
some HP too, but not all -that- much. And the AC bonus and then the STR
bonus have certainly helped compensate for that; my STR is currently at
24 with no magic help at all, +7 damage to every swing... I suspect I
should be dual weilding instead of using one big weapon or weapon and
shield, to take advantage of the damage bonus, even though that seems
backwards, instinctively a big strong guy gets a huge weapon.
I'm also missing out on dex bonus, I could have gone one lower in wisdom
and in charisma and gotten my dex up to 12; turns out full plate still
lets you have 1 point worth of dex bonus.
The odd numbers occured because I wanted to be able to use 1st level
spells as a bard. Didn't occur to me that at level 1 a bard doesn't
actually get level one spells! In the long run I'll probably take a
second level of bard to take advantage of that and to use up a bunch of
skill points that I'm generating in RDD; I really don't see any skills
worth buying as an RDD, but very much regret not taking perform up to
skill 3, since it turns out I can use bard song even in full plate.
I spent skill points on tumble, which is currently at negative three.
Tumbling in full plate isn't such a good skill. And I put some in UMD,
I can't tell if thats actually letting me use anything I couldn't
otherwise; don't bards get to use wands and scrolls anyway? Well
anyway, whether it stems from bard naturally or from the points I put
into UMD, its been pretty handy for this purpose, but not so much as far
as what gear I've chosen to wear so far; I mean I -could- wear a pair of
monk only gloves, but they only seem to work for unarmed attacks...
Exp on quests is very funny. Often I'm seeing 100 points, which is
often less than I'm getting for killing "yard trash" critters during the
quest. Then I turn around and talk to an ex lathander cleric and end up
convincing her to leave the Ao and become a cleric again and get 1000
points, for no effort at all (I wasn't even trying to do anything in
particular, although I meant well)
Alignment is annoying anyway, I've seen several items which required not
just "good" or "evil" or "law" or "chaos" but a combination of two of
the above; basically one character in nine can use something like that,
and thats if its not also restricted to a class. Some very tasty
looking black full plate dropped in the beduin crypt, have to be Nuetral
Evil to wear it!
I also spent about half my fortune, 8000 or so, on an amulet with
immunity to poison and disease, only to find an amulet with both the
above plus immunity to level drain... and could only get about 800 back
on the other amulet!
Well, lots of bad descisions but none crippling so far, and its more fun
this way really, I avoid going back and "doing over" unless the pick I
made turns out not to do what I was trying to try, instead of not
accomplishing what I wanted it to accomplish.
Lance
Matthew Miller
> bonus have certainly helped compensate for that; my STR is currently at
> 24 with no magic help at all, +7 damage to every swing... I suspect I
> should be dual weilding instead of using one big weapon or weapon and
> shield, to take advantage of the damage bonus, even though that seems
> backwards, instinctively a big strong guy gets a huge weapon.
You want a two-handed weapon to take the best advantage. With dual-wield,
the second attack gets only half of the strength bonus. Two-handed weapons
give you 1.5x, which works out better.
> I spent skill points on tumble, which is currently at negative three.
> Tumbling in full plate isn't such a good skill. And I put some in UMD,
Yeah, but you still get the +1 AC for every five ranks. And, while it's
not likely to actually *work* to avoid an AoO at -3, at least it lets you
try.
> I can't tell if thats actually letting me use anything I couldn't
> otherwise; don't bards get to use wands and scrolls anyway? Well
Arcane ones. UMD will let you use divine stuff -- and eventually, other
class and alignment restricted items. Monk stuff tends to be kick-ass in
NWN, for example (not just the gloves). Like that Neutral Evil plate mail.
--
Matthew Miller mat...@mattdm.org <http://www.mattdm.org/>
Boston University Linux ------> <http://linux.bu.edu/>
Michael Vondung
wrote:
>Playing SOU, I ran fighter 4 levels, then one bard, then so far 4 RDD.
I have a character similar to yours, but different race (halfling),
and different stats: 14 str, 10 dex, 14 con, 10 int, 8 wis, 14 cha.
He'll eventually be 23 bard, 10 rdd, 7 fighter, or 16 bard, 10 rdd, 14
fighter (will decide after level 23 when he will be a 7 bard, 10 rdd,
6 fighter. He'll have devasting critical hit at 21. He uses a
scimitar, holding the blade with both hands. He's currently 11 (1
bard, 6 rdd, 4 fighter) and doing very well in the PW that he lives
in. :)
M.
Patrick Dobson
"Lance Berg" <emp...@dejazzd.com> wrote in message
news:RL6dnXYNnLv...@dejazzd.com...
> Alignment is annoying anyway, I've seen several items which required not
> just "good" or "evil" or "law" or "chaos" but a combination of two of
> the above; basically one character in nine can use something like that,
> and thats if its not also restricted to a class. Some very tasty
> looking black full plate dropped in the beduin crypt, have to be Nuetral
> Evil to wear it!
>
It doesn't actually work like that, it is badly worded.
For "Can only be used by" read "Can be used by" .
In HotU I have seen a ring which "Can only be used by" nine different
character classes.
I currently have Dorna the True Neutral Cleric/rogue wearing that armour.
Patrick
Lance Berg
Ah, so its Nuetral OR Evil?
as in a nuetral good could wear it?
Or a chaotic evil or lawful evil?
Or Lawful Nuetral?
Basically anyone but lawful good or chaotic good?
Or is it just that Dorna bought some levels of UMD and can use the thing
even though its restricted?
Lance
Patrick Dobson
>
>
> Patrick Dobson wrote:
> > "Lance Berg" <emp...@dejazzd.com> wrote in message
> > news:RL6dnXYNnLv...@dejazzd.com...
> >
> >>Alignment is annoying anyway, I've seen several items which required not
> >>just "good" or "evil" or "law" or "chaos" but a combination of two of
> >>the above; basically one character in nine can use something like that,
> >>and thats if its not also restricted to a class. Some very tasty
> >>looking black full plate dropped in the beduin crypt, have to be Nuetral
> >>Evil to wear it!
> >>
> >
> >
> > It doesn't actually work like that, it is badly worded.
> >
> > For "Can only be used by" read "Can be used by" .
> >
> > In HotU I have seen a ring which "Can only be used by" nine different
> > character classes.
> >
> > I currently have Dorna the True Neutral Cleric/rogue wearing that
armour.
>
> Ah, so its Nuetral OR Evil?
>
I believe so, I don't know if the Neutral is with respect to Evil and Good
only, or law and chaos too, the only difference would be to allow Neutral
Good Characters to wear it.
>
> Or is it just that Dorna bought some levels of UMD and can use the thing
> even though its restricted?
>
I don't think so. To take another example, Daelan's personal item in HotU
is a glove ONLY usable by Barbarians, and ONLY usable by druids. He has no
UMD, and no Druid levels, but he can use it.
Basically, I think the ONLY in the descriptions is wrong.
Patrick
Barry Scott Will
> Basically, I think the ONLY in the descriptions is wrong.
No, the descriptions are correct. There are different ways of assigning
alignment restrictions. The armor I believe you are referring to is the
Blackguard Armor? There is a specific Use Limitation: Specific Alignment
(Neutral Evil), but that is not what is used for this armor. Rather this
armor is restricted to Alignment *Groups*, in this case Evil and
Neutral. Now, I am not sure how the Neutral alignment group is defined.
It might mean only True Neutral. Or it might mean all five alignments
with Neutral in them. The Alignment Group: Evil permits LE, NE and CE.
So, at the least, four alignments can use the armor (LE, NE, CE and N)
and possibly three others (LN, NG and CN).
--
Barry Scott Will
YAWNS (Yet Another neverWinter Nights fan Site)
http://home.comcast.net/~cavebear/
NWVault Portfolio
http://nwvault.ign.com/portfolios/data/1055746133.shtml
If you insist on emailing me, remove all the **JUNK** first
Barry Scott Will
> Alignment is annoying anyway, I've seen several items which required not
> just "good" or "evil" or "law" or "chaos" but a combination of two of
> the above; basically one character in nine can use something like that,
> and thats if its not also restricted to a class. Some very tasty
> looking black full plate dropped in the beduin crypt, have to be Nuetral
> Evil to wear it!
Nope. See my other post. The Blackguard Armor is restricted to two
alignment *groups* (Evil and Neutral) not a specific alignment (NE).
There's a different property and descriptor for specific alignments. As
for limiting items, I will, for example, create paladin-only gear that
is limited both to Class Type: Paladin and Specific Alignment: Lawful
Good so fallen paladins can't use it. I might do the same with monk
gear, but change the specific alignment restriction to alignment group:
Lawful to keep ex-monks from using it.
Patrick Dobson
"Barry Scott Will" <nwn**JUNK**@cavecreations.net> wrote in message
news:KQXMb.45673$I06.281730@attbi_s01...
> Patrick Dobson wrote:
> > Basically, I think the ONLY in the descriptions is wrong.
>
>
> No, the descriptions are correct. There are different ways of assigning
> alignment restrictions. The armor I believe you are referring to is the
> Blackguard Armor? There is a specific Use Limitation: Specific Alignment
> (Neutral Evil), but that is not what is used for this armor. Rather this
> armor is restricted to Alignment *Groups*, in this case Evil and
> Neutral. Now, I am not sure how the Neutral alignment group is defined.
> It might mean only True Neutral. Or it might mean all five alignments
> with Neutral in them. The Alignment Group: Evil permits LE, NE and CE.
> So, at the least, four alignments can use the armor (LE, NE, CE and N)
> and possibly three others (LN, NG and CN).
>
Umm, your explanation supports my contention, but you seem to be trying to
disagree with me.
I thought that the blackguard armour was usable in the way you describe,
however the use of the word "Only" implies that it is usable by those who
fulfil all of the condions, rather than one of them. So having the
Conditions:
Only usable by Neutral,
Only usable by Evil,
implies that characters of Neutral Evil alignment can use it , and nobody
else. This doesn't appear to be the case.
No comprehensibility would be lost by removing the word "Only", and
misunderstandings implied by its logical implications as written would be
removed.
I think the problem is that all Use Limitations are displayed in the item
description as "Only usable by ( X ) ".
Patrick
Patrick Dobson
> Lance Berg wrote:
> > Alignment is annoying anyway, I've seen several items which required not
> > just "good" or "evil" or "law" or "chaos" but a combination of two of
> > the above; basically one character in nine can use something like that,
> > and thats if its not also restricted to a class. Some very tasty
> > looking black full plate dropped in the beduin crypt, have to be Nuetral
> > Evil to wear it!
>
>
> Nope. See my other post. The Blackguard Armor is restricted to two
> alignment *groups* (Evil and Neutral) not a specific alignment (NE).
> There's a different property and descriptor for specific alignments. As
> for limiting items, I will, for example, create paladin-only gear that
> is limited both to Class Type: Paladin and Specific Alignment: Lawful
> Good so fallen paladins can't use it. I might do the same with monk
> gear, but change the specific alignment restriction to alignment group:
> Lawful to keep ex-monks from using it.
Have you managed to create any such items? Do they actually work as you
intend?
It has been my experience of such items that it will allow you to use them
if you fit any of the Limitations, rather than, as you want, All of them.
Patrick
Matthew Miller
> Only usable by Neutral,
> Only usable by Evil,
> implies that characters of Neutral Evil alignment can use it , and nobody
> else. This doesn't appear to be the case.
> No comprehensibility would be lost by removing the word "Only", and
> misunderstandings implied by its logical implications as written would be
> removed.
Or better:
Only usable by: Neutral
or by: Evil