The Candlekeep Annex: RPed Baldur’s Gate No and Low Reload Adventures

[WiseGrimwald]

Journal of Helmata

We bought Theo a venomous dagger after which Xzar and Montaron joined us. Montaron proved himself to be excellent at pickpocketting and aquired a cloak from Algernon and items too numerous to mention at Ulgoth's Beard. We also did some shopping there which impoverished us. We left Montaron behind and headed south of Nashkel whereupon we were ambushed. The battle was trivial and Dorn joined us. We killed Kryll after which he also left us. We felt that having evil party members might influence Theo too much!

We esacorted Khaled and Jaheira to Nashkel and bade them farewell also as our small group is getting on famously together. We have as high a reputation as you can get, which isn't bad for a chaotic Neutral Berserker/Thief.

We now intend to deal with those daemons in Nashkel mines, if that's what they are. I am dubious about that, but we'll see.

 

[Borco]

Hey friends!

It's great to see my favorite corner of the Internet active again . I'll likely remain in the spectator mode for now, but I can tell that the itch to start a new run is certainly there, so let's see. In the meantime, I'll keep cheering for our active contenders!

I also owe you all an apology for abruptly discontinuing my barbarian Xanthi in the early phases of the game - she eventually made it to SoA, however I certainly was struggling along the way. It must have been my first run on Insane and I found it especially difficult to deal with the frequent use of sequencers by enemy mages (loaded up with nasty disablers, such as Charms, Chromatic Orbs or Rays of Enfeeblement). Instead of applying defensive buffs/counters (such as potions or abilities) ahead of time, my warriors are used to keeping these at the ready, while keeping their aura clear and ideally staying at range. With sequencers, the counter window becomes extremely short (or non-existent) and this results in save-or-die situations - one such moment at Mae'Var guildhall became fateful for Xanthi. Overall, I wouldn't feel confident to run a solo warrior or a thief on Insane anytime soon.

 

[Borco]

@Alesia_BH I'm curious to ask - how do you find the party playthrough in terms of the fun factor or, more precisely, the game fatigue risk? I've always considered you as primarily a solo player, which the style where I also feel most at home. Now I've been thinking about trying something different, though what I'm most concerned about is that once you're used to playing solo then party play might feel a bit too slow-paced and strenuous. Putting aside the standard difficulty comparison (i.e. reduced margin for error of solo vs. more complex resource management and planning with a party), do you potentially see this as a factor that could adversely affect one's focus and, consequently, reduce the chances for success (however you might define it)?

Anyway, all to best to Alena's crew! I've really enjoyed the run so far.

 

[Alesia_BH]

@Borco

Is solo play fun? Sure! Would I recommend it? Sure! Is party play fun? Sure again. Would I recommend it? Surely, surely! For a long time soloist, party play is a change of pace, presenting new challenges. If you’re tempted to give it a try, don’t hesitate. Jump in on the fun! It would be cool if you ran a crew too. New territory for both of us. We can bumble through together, lol.

Now, is solo play harder? Is party play harder? I’d answer yes to both. Solo can be harder or easier than party play depending on what you, personally, know. To my mind there are two types of runs, and they aren’t solo or party. They are runs where you know all the answers and runs where you don’t. The former runs are easy, the latter runs are harder. In my prior party runs I ran all arcane crews. Those runs were easy because I had a stock answer to every potential problem, arcane buffs. Those teams were far, far stronger than my solo characters. Their prospects were accordingly better. With this crew, I’m honestly not sure how to handle them, so they’re more challenging to operate. When I do have the answers, though, they’re super powerful. Surprise, surprise: 6 really is better than 1.

Anyhoo, go ahead! Give it a try! I’d be curious to hear your take! If you don’t love it you can always switch over to a solo run

 

[Alesia_BH]

It must have been my first run on Insane and I found it especially difficult to deal with the frequent use of sequencers by enemy mages (loaded up with nasty disablers, such as Charms, Chromatic Orbs or Rays of Enfeeblement). Instead of applying defensive buffs/counters (such as potions or abilities) ahead of time, my warriors are used to keeping these at the ready, while keeping their aura clear and ideally staying at range. With sequencers, the counter window becomes extremely short (or non-existent) and this results in save-or-die situations - one such moment at Mae'Var guildhall became fateful for Xanthi. Overall, I wouldn't feel confident to run a solo warrior or a thief on Insane anytime soon.

Interesting. Xanthi ran on SCS v34, didn't she?

I didn't encounter that problem with my kensai, Alia, or my more vulnerable beastmaster, Aurora. I wonder what the relevant distinction is? Did you install the "Make spell sequencers and contingencies into innate abilities" component?

Btw, while we're apologizing for abandoning runs, I should apologize for ditching Aurora in late SoA. I'd get back to her, but her save is on a different computer and I don't have access to that one right now

 

[WiseGrimwald]

Journal of Helmata

The mines turned out to be straightforward.

Dynaheir's web followed up with fireballs qhickly killed Mulahey.

The same was true of Lamalha's party.

We rested at the Carnival.

When we returned to Nashkel we charmed Oublek and protected him from fear. We then got him to attack Nimbul.

Nimbul almost killed him, but not quite before the amnish guards killed him. We thus lost out on the gold and emeralds that Oublek was carrying as well as the experience for killing Nimbul.

EDIT

Ended up arriving peacefully at the bandit camp.

 

[Alesia_BH]

Alena, Halfling Priest of Lathander, Canon Party Run: Cloakwood Mines to Candlekeep- No Sleep Till Athkatla

The Sword Coast of BG1 is a rich, open world environment. There's much to see, and much to do. Clever micro-adventures can be found at every turn, along with harrowing combat. It really is a masterpiece. It's shame I can't get into it.

Don't get me wrong. I enjoy BG1. But as a player who fell in love with the franchise through BG2, BG1 always feel like a preamble. I tend to take my time building strength leading up to Bandit Camp. From then on I'm all about getting to the end- especially after reaching The Gate.

This run is no different. For decades now I've been telling myself that I will, someday, do a completionism run of BG1. There's a lot that I still haven't done, including Durlag's Tower. I'm still promising myself that I'll do that someday, but that run won't be this run. This time we're racing for Athkatla. That means we have a shopping list.

We need tomes for Alena, and we need endgame goodies for all. We started with the tomes, swiping the dex and int tomes from their respective hidey-holes. Next, we grabbed the Durlag's Tower wisdom tome. This took a bit more effort than the others, what with all the monster in the way, but we appreciated the extra experience. Our rendezvous with Sarevok isn't far off now, and we're no where near the XP cap.

Note to self: in future runs take down Kirian before heading to Durlag's Tower. It's on the way, and the Golden Girdle is helpful when log jamming the bridge against those pesky battle horrors. Hold the line, Khalid, we've got your back. As for Jaheira taking all the credit for the kill, sorry- can't help you there. You're the one who married her.

Spoiler

After a nap on the first floor, we headed up to the roof to collect Rashad's Talon and, more importantly, all that juicy reptilian experience. Dynaheir has only five L1 slots for Pro Pet but that's ok, since she has Invisibility in her book, too. Thanks for the spells, Diney. Just chill in that corner. We'll be back for you soon enough.

Spoiler

Minsc, equipped with Spider Bane, took care of the ghasts. From then on the coast was clear.

Spoiler

Onto Firewine to pick up Meilum's bracers. Is this a duel or a mugging? You be the judge.

Spoiler

Finally, Kirian, and the Golden Girdle. We sent our skeleton warriors a head just in case we missed a lesser basilisk. It's a good thing we did, because we found one. Thanks to Dynaheir's ProPets it wasn't a problem.

Spoiler

Kirian's party was bottled up with Silence and then unceremoniously punked. Jaheira even tossed a charm for good measure. As for Immy's darts of stunning, yes, they were overkill. We should have saved them for later.

Spoiler

With our chores taken care of, it was time to head off to Candlkeep. This felt like a family affair, so Alena and Imoen left the rest of the party behind. Don't get yourselves into too much trouble, you crazy kids.

Spoiler

Just like family affairs in my real life, we were ambushed by ogres at the gates. Potions of magic blocking are the most expedient solution to this problem. Lucky for us we had exactly two.

Spoiler

Word to the wise, ogre assassins, next time bring a tome of great value.

Spoiler

I don't always bother with the first doppelgänger. I'm glad I did this time. That's a fancy necklace, sir!

Spoiler

It's tricky to maintain proper spacing against the teleporting phase spiders, so we relied on Pro Poison for Alena, and antidotes for Imoen. Command works on these things, so you know.

Spoiler

Once we collected the second tome, we drank a pair of potions of invisibility and made our way to the surface. We sold the cloak of the wolf already so Alena drank a potion of strength to lug the loot. Farewell, ogres, we have friends waiting for us at the Elfsong.

Spoiler

Best,

A.

 

[WiseGrimwald]

Alena, Halfling Priest of Lathander, Canon Party Run: Cloakwood Mines to Candlekeep- No Sleep Till Athkatla

The Sword Coast of BG1 is a rich, open world environment. There's much to see, and much to do. Clever micro-adventures can be found at every turn, along with harrowing combat. It really is a masterpiece. It's shame I can't get into it.

Don't get me wrong. I enjoy BG1. But as a player who fell in love with the franchise through BG2, BG1 always feel like a preamble. I tend to take my time building strength leading up to Bandit Camp. From then on I'm all about getting to the end- especially after reaching The Gate.

This run is no different. For decades now I've been telling myself that I will, someday, do a completionism run of BG1. There's a lot that I still haven't done, including Durlag's Tower. I'm still promising myself that I'll do that someday, but that run won't be this run. This time we're racing for Athkatla. That means we have a shopping list.

Best,

A.

Unlike you, I bought BG1 in a shop and didn't even know that SoA existed for years. I had no internet, so everything that I learned, I learned from experience. For me that kept it new far longer than otherwise would have been the case.

As a result, I acctually prefer BG1 to SoA.

Then came the web and with it Tutu and mods which added to my enjoyment.

I love the mods which make BG1 even more expansive.

 

[Talamir]

This is fantastic; I've been a longtime fan of your good work for over a decade with these games Alesia. So glad I found this thread. Great to see others contributing as well.

 

[Alesia_BH]

Unlike you, I bought BG1 in a shop and didn't even know that SoA existed for years…

As a result, I acctually prefer BG1 to SoA.

Makes sense! There’s definitely a first love effect. Glad you’re still enjoying the game after all these years. Great entertainment value, amirite?

Since we’re sharing BG origins stories, I’ll bore you with mine. I discovered BG in 2003, the year Return of the King was released. I had just seen the film, and I decided I’d like to try a high fantasy RPG, a first for me. After doing some research, I found BG and Icewind Dale. I picked BG because I don’t like cold weather.

My first playthrough was an unmitigated disaster. The game was way too hard for me. I didn’t have fun at all. After dying over and over again in the De’Arnise courtyard, I deleted the game from my hard drive. I very nearly threw the discs away too. The only thing that stopped me was the thought that maybe -maybe- I could try a different approach. Maybe -maybe- my unbuffed diviner shouldn’t have been trying to stab giant trolls to death with a +1 dagger…

 

[Alesia_BH]

This is fantastic; I've been a longtime fan of your good work for over a decade with these games Alesia. So glad I found this thread. Great to see others contributing as well.

Yay! A new friend! Glad to have you!

 

[Talamir]

My first playthrough was an unmitigated disaster. The game was way too hard for me. I didn’t have fun at all. After dying over and over again in the De’Arnise courtyard, I deleted the game from my hard drive. I very nearly threw the discs away too. The only thing that stopped me was the thought that maybe -maybe- I could try a different approach. Maybe -maybe- my unbuffed diviner shouldn’t have been trying to stab giant trolls to death with a +1 dagger…

Love this story; sounds a lot like the saga of the game's protagonist starting out in Candlekeep as a lvl 1 character and eventually becoming an epic character.

 

[Borco]

Interesting. Xanthi ran on SCS v34, didn't she?

I didn't encounter that problem with my kensai, Alia, or my more vulnerable beastmaster, Aurora. I wonder what the relevant distinction is? Did you install the "Make spell sequencers and contingencies into innate abilities" component?

Correct, it was SCS v34 (sans the component that you've mentioned), although I wouldn't say that this is an issue with the install/mods - the mere fact that SCS wizards on Insane are prone to (and I'd say much more frequently than their Hardcore counterparts) toss sequencers loaded up with disablers (often with very fast projectiles, such as Charm) at casting speed 1, has made my 'reactive' tactical approach ill-suited and obsolete. So it's not SCS nor the game, it's me!

 

[Borco]

@Borco

Is solo play fun? Sure! Would I recommend it? Sure! Is party play fun? Sure again. Would I recommend it? Surely, surely! For a long time soloist, party play is a change of pace, presenting new challenges. If you’re tempted to give it a try, don’t hesitate. Jump in on the fun! It would be cool if you ran a crew too. New territory for both of us. We can bumble through together, lol.

Now, is solo play harder? Is party play harder? I’d answer yes to both. Solo can be harder or easier than party play depending on what you, personally, know. To my mind there are two types of runs, and they aren’t solo or party. They are runs where you know all the answers and runs where you don’t. The former runs are easy, the latter runs are harder. In my prior party runs I ran all arcane crews. Those runs were easy because I had a stock answer to every potential problem, arcane buffs. Those teams were far, far stronger than my solo characters. Their prospects were accordingly better. With this crew, I’m honestly not sure how to handle them, so they’re more challenging to operate. When I do have the answers, though, they’re super powerful. Surprise, surprise: 6 really is better than 1.

Anyhoo, go ahead! Give it a try! I’d be curious to hear your take! If you don’t love it you can always switch over to a solo run

Oops!

Spoiler

Ok, I admit that looks like a run. And it actually is a run. It's been quite refreshing and entertaining so far. My only concern right now is that I might not be able to continue playing for at least next week or so and I'd hate to abandon it completely. I'll try to post some of the progress in the coming days and we'll see. Anyway, thanks for your thoughts and for the nudge!

 

[Alesia_BH]

Correct, it was SCS v34 (sans the component that you've mentioned), although I wouldn't say that this is an issue with the install/mods - the mere fact that SCS wizards on Insane are prone to (and I'd say much more frequently than their Hardcore counterparts) toss sequencers loaded up with disablers (often with very fast projectiles, such as Charm) at casting speed 1, has made my 'reactive' tactical approach ill-suited and obsolete. So it's not SCS nor the game, it's me!

Understood. I’m asking because I, too, use a “reactive” approach. I’m just wondering why you had to change your gameplan and I didn’t.

EDIT: I think I get it. Alia was a halfling. She delayed mage fights until her Claw enhanced saves were in the safe zone. As for Aurora, my elven beast master, she was very nearly always using Harmony, along with her personal item, Call of the Wild, similar to Kiel’s Helmet.

Basically, I used passive methods as a first line of defense. If that first line was compromised, say by Malison, I’d react with a potion of stone form or a potion of invulnerability. In other words, I was operating with a magic number of 1, and still keeping my aura in reserve, a conservative approach. Xanthi, a human barbarian, who evidently wasn’t using Harmony, must have been operating with a magic number of 0.

 

[WiseGrimwald]

Journal of Helmata

The battle at the bandit camp was straightforward. We didn't even have to use Dynaheir's fireballs against Taurgosz Theo took on Tazok's tent single handed, but his potion of Fire Breath wasn't all that effective. [Usually it kills one of the enemy and disables the spells of Venkt] The rest of us therefore entered the tent to ensure that Theo wasn't killed.

Afterwards we delivered boots, a spider, and wine to the FAI, scaps to Beregost, and bought robe of the Archmage for Dynaheir. Theo objected that he should have consulted as he wanted the shadow thief armour and our gold was now insufficient. He4len then apologised and told him that the matter was easily solved as the discrepancy wasn't great. "We can kill a few ankheg. That will boost experience as well as provide us with the required gold," she said.

It so happened that we were attacked by a large group of bandits. That in itself will provide us with some gold. Theo healed the injured and we splept in order to memorise spells. Whilst sleeping we were attacked by an ankheg which also helped matters. We afterwards killed a significant number of ankheg so we should be able to buy Theo the armour that he desires. An added bonus was that a couple of useful scrolls were dropped which Dynaheir memorised. We also bought "Mirror Image" at High Hedge which Dynaheir memorised.

We have now entered Cloakwood.

 

[Alesia_BH]

Alena, Halfling Priest of Lathander, Canon Party Run: Cloakwood Mines to Candlekeep- The Dukes, Part 1

In our last session Alena had her first encounter with her most fearsome foe: my inattentiveness.

It was another lazy evening for yours truly. I couldn’t decide whether I wanted to play BG, or watch an episode of Sweet Tooth. I fired up BG, and then suddenly changed course. I paused the game, swiped over to my browser, and settled in for an episode with a cup of chamomile tea. Alena would be waiting for me when I was ready. Or so I thought.

Evidently I skipped a step. I didn’t pause the game. That should have been fine. We were in safe place. If I had checked the weather I would have known better.

Alena and Imoen were both struck by lighting. Check the damage.

Spoiler

That’s 34HP. Alena’s total is 68. Thankfully she was wearing her Boots of Grounding. Maybe? Not sure. Maybe environmental lightning always does 50% damage these days. Imoen took half damage, too.

Anyhoo, following her brush with death, Alena made her way to the Elfsong. To her surprise her vaunted companions were nowhere to be found.

After asking around, we learned that Khalid and Jaheira were off to a marriage counselor. Or to buy leather accessories. Or off to a marriage counselor and to buy leather accessories. Alena didn’t entirely get it, but, not going to lie, all of that tracks.

As for Minsc, he had gone to see a proctologist. Or a veterinarian. Or a proctologist and a veterinarian. Neither I nor Alena felt the need for details on that one.

And so it was up to Alena and Imoen to rescue Duke Eltan. That’s ok. We’ve got this.

Spoiler

With a party of six, an extra APR from a cleric isn't a difference maker. As a consequence I haven't use Boon of Lathander much. Time to break it out.

Spoiler

Alas, somehow, someway Alena whiffed everything. Infuriated, she decided to bring out the big gun. Take that!

Spoiler

Magic Stone! And there's more where that came from!

Spoiler

Fearing the indignity of death by Magic Stone, Duke Eltan's doctor harakiried himself on a skeleton warrior’s blade.

Spoiler

Speaking of harakiri, I always wondered whether I'm the only one who's noticed that harakiri sounds like Hello Kitty. Apparently I am not.

Spoiler

After delivering Eltan's body, Alena and Imoen swung by the Elfsong again. No dice. Looks like it's just the two of us again, Immy. That's ok. Simple assassins can't stand against us.

Spoiler

On a couple of occasions I've lamented the apparent nerfing of Slythe. Once upon a time he had a fat stack of potions of invisibility. That made him dangerous. In v34, not so much. I was kinda sorta hoping for a return of deadly Slythe in v35. Alena was pleased to meet pushover Slythe.

Spoiler

The skellies and Imoen's two traps were very nearly all we needed. No death shot here, but you get the gist.

Spoiler

Slythe was a breeze. Krystin, not so much. That's cool, and all but I didn't love the reason why. Kristin used a Death Spell on our skellies, which is fair- I'm okay with that. But then she started disappearing over and over again, evidently hiding in shadows. That would have been fine, too, except we were staring right at her, pretty close. And it's not like there were obstructions around. She was standing dead in the middle of the hallway. After getting tagged with a MAA x 2 Sequencer out of stealth, Krystin honey felt like more trouble that she was worth. We made for the door. She followed. Ok. Have it your way. Take your arrow of dispelling and darts of wounding. It's, like, a tradition.

Spoiler

With Slythe dead and buried, we swung back by the Elfsong one last time before heading to the palace. Hooray, hurrah! Look who's back in town.

Spoiler

Hail, hail: the gang is all here.

Best,

A.

 

[WiseGrimwald]

@Alesia_BH That looks like fun!

 

[Talamir]

Trip down memory lane:

The Adventurer's Lounge: Guidance and Support for No Reload Challengers- Newbie or Veteran - Baldur's Gate I & II

Page 1 of 15 - The Adventurer's Lounge: Guidance and Support for No Reload Challengers- Newbie or Veteran - posted in Baldurs Gate I & II: Are you new to the forums? Interested in the No Reload Challenge, but a little overwhelmed? Maybe a little shy about posting in the thread? This is the place...

web.archive.org

 

[Alesia_BH]

Trip down memory lane:

Good times! Kudos to Serg for hosting the old BioWare threads