Grim Face, Halfling (Hasty), Noble - Leader, 6/18/10/12/12/19, Magic Deceiver (Living Deity, Wolf pet) fair Unfair. Part 1 (Prologue).
OK, I've started a new run with slightly tweaked Crew and aiming for the 'Sadistic Game Design' achievement among others. As usual this will be a completionist playthrough on a full-time turn-based mode (so no real-time kiting, switching between RTwP and TB to reset combat and catch our opponents flat-footed or any other silly shenanigans). We also aim for mimimal amount of reloads (only on character's death early on, when we have very little resources for resurrections) and no reloads on failed skill checks. All in all a fair play approach to what degree this is applicable to Unfair difficulty.
OK, lets get started. The Underground Caves were uneventful and since I saved my single spell slot for Small Earth Elementals we had little difficulties to finish them reload free.
On level 2 Seelah took a dip in Hunter [Tandem Executioner] class for Doggy Doggerson companion and with Animal Focus -Tiger he has 21 Dex which, with a support of Protective Luck by Camellia, is mostly enough to tank a vast amount of Shield Maze's foes reliably. His single level with 7 (+2) hp matters little for survivability on Unfair. Lann and MC continued with their respective initial classes.
In preparation for the Maze we made some shopping with Dyra:
Having two tripping pets in the Crew is quite satisfatory very often:
In the Maze, we advanced on a tried and tested route from easy to difficult encounters. As I've already mentioned Doggy Doggerson was our main tank, Seelah is main damage dealer while MC supports their valiant efforts with Demoralize + Light of the Angels.
To make it short, we have little difference with our previous run so I'll spare you all on unnecessary repetition. A few interesting (in my opinion) encounters include a Dretches one sans Pro Poison buff available. Doggy Doggerson is capable to hold a fort long enough for those Stinking Clouds to dissipate and we end up victorious:
Cambion Rangers are heavily defanged if engaged in melee:
And you need to prioritize a Corrupted Mongrel Brutes to survive encounters with them (their entourage matter little in comparison):
Now I believe we have a pretty solid working approach vs Large Water Elemental - TB kiting by your tank with enlarged Seelah making AoO with reach weapon:
Medium Earth Elementals are pretty much the same with only difference that there are two of them.
In Hosilla fight we need to win an initiative rolls vs Wenduag (or she'll shoot MC fast) and give Hosilla a 'Incendiary Runes + Sleep' combo treatment followed with Coup de Grace.
To easy the Gray Garrison's main fight Camellia applied an Entangle spell on the large group to the right while Irabeth and Staunton made short work of them (with our feasible aid whenever possible
):
And now our Crew chills out in the Defender's Heart tavern enjoying their Level 3 at long last:
* Grim Face, Magic Deceiver [Living Deity] (3): Feats - Spell Focus [Enchantment], Greater Spell Focus [Enchantment], Skills - Lore [Religion] (3), Persuasion (3), UMD (2); Spell uses per day: Level (1): 3;
* Freya, Bully (3): Feats - Fury's Fall, Combat Reflexes; Skills - Athletics (3), Mobility (3);
* Seelah, Paladin (1) / Hunter [Tandem Executioner] (1) / Dual-Cursed Oracle (1): Feats - Shield Focus, Boon Companion; Skills - Athletics (3), Mobility (3), Knowledge, World (1), Perception (3), Persuasion (2), UMD (0); Powerless Prophecy + Plagued; Nature Mystery (Animal Companion: Continue); Spells: Bless (Level 1: 1/5), Shield of Faith (Level 1: 2/5); Bonus spells: Cure Light Wounds (1), Ill Omen (1); Spell uses per day: Level (1): 4; Special Ability: Uncanny Dodge;
* Doggy Doggerson, Bully (3): Feats - Fury's Fall, Combat Reflexes; Skills - Athletics (3), Mobility (3);
* Lann, Zen Archer (2) / Sabre Company Marine (1): Feats - Combat Reflexes, Boon Companion (point-blank shot, precise shot, weapon focus - longbow, improved unarmed strike); Skills - Athletics (1), Mobility (2), Stealth (3), Lore, Nature (1), Perception (3);
* Big Bird, Bullwark (3): Feats - Dodge, Combat Reflexes; Skills - Athletics (3), Mobility (3);
* Camellia, Spirit Hunter (3): Feats - Weapon Finesse, Extra Hex (Chant); Hex - Protective Luck; Skills - Mobility (3), Trickery (3); Spells - Level (2); Spell uses per day: Level (1): 4; Level (2): 3;
#of manual rests (1);
... to be continued.