Neverwinter Nights Revolutions

[duke o' york]

I was disappointed by the imbalance towards fighting characters (not just melee, but most of them are) in the list of munchkin builds, and suggest that we consider some way of producing w00tly mage/sorceror/druid builds!

I'll, er, just need some time to play around with this so won't have anything of my own until next Monday.

[Jamski]

How about the fallen caster paladin? Paladin 5, Blackguard 4, fill up on Sorc. Take Divine Shield and Divine Might, make sure to fall to the darkside, get your 4 attacks a round, max out CHA and get to add your CHA bonus to your saves TWICE. Nice

-Jam

[Vlad Antlerkov]

Considering that a) in-game item creation, essentially the domain of arcane casters, is really nonexistent, and b) none of the prestige classes really enhance the spellcasting abilities of spellcasters as their primary focus (Pale Master allows Wiz/PMs to get extra spell slots, but it's mainly a melee enhancer, and Dragon Disciple doesn't offer much for spellcasting other than the +Int and +Cha, while the fighter classes get Blackguard, Weapon Master, Divine Champion, Dwarven Defender, et al; there's no Archmage, Red Wizard of Thay, or Hathran), I really don't consider the preponderance of melee munchkins all that surprising. And even the caster munchkin builds (from the Bioware site, the Undead Lord and Dragon Kin are good examples) are themselves big on melee. The first two things I mentioned are the main reason why high-level spellcasters in PnP so dramatically outclass high-level melee fighters, IMHO.

I've got a long weekend ahead, so I'll see what I can come up with. I've never really seriously played Druids before, so I'll start with that: a spellcasting-focused Druid build. Actually, if I were to focus on melee, this'd be easy; take four fighter levels pre-epic, then beeline to Dragon Shape (which doesn't require Shifter levels, incidentally, just the 30 Wisdom), stopping to get EWS (Unarmed Strike) along the way. Together with an absolute TON of buffing spells, that'd be one nice tank. Not as strong as the Dragon Kin, perhaps, but strong nonetheless. But I gather that's not what you're after...

[Jamski]

You'd take 1 monk level too, of course?

[Vlad Antlerkov]

Originally posted by Jamski
You'd take 1 monk level too, of course?

Naturally. +18 AC and the increased move rate is too good to pass up.

[DrSpike]

Originally posted by duke o' york
I was disappointed by the imbalance towards fighting characters (not just melee, but most of them are) in the list of munchkin builds, and suggest that we consider some way of producing w00tly mage/sorceror/druid builds!

I'll, er, just need some time to play around with this so won't have anything of my own until next Monday.

There are plenty of nice caster builds. The exalted sorceress (almost pure caster except for some abuse to get armour and shield and some nice skills) I've played to 40 and she rocks. The Undead Lord is an awesome strong melee caster, and the rogue/wizard Kensai build is also very nice.

Kinda echoes some of Vlad's point but when you are maxing a caster build you need to decide what you want from the char except level 9 spells. Mostly this means adding in some melee capability, as you don't get a great deal from higher levels, with the possible exception of the straightish sorc build. Straight (ish) sorc works better than straight wizard, but even then to really munchkin it you need to take the feats that enable you to cast level 9 spells in full plate with a big shield.

[Dinner]

Can one of you folks help me with a work around? I'm in chapter 3 and I spoke with the Elk Barbarian leader who asked me to speak to the Lord's Alliance Commander about diseased blankets. The problem is when I get to the Fort and speak to the commander he keeps asking me to destroy the catapults. The catapults have been destroyed for the longest time. I also have the siege leader's head but the commander doesn't seem to want that like the walk through says he should.

I've encountered this type of malfunction before. In chapter 2 I got the baby and the gnome's ring in Luskan but neither the mother nor the gnome would accept the items like the walk through said. I think it's a problem with the programing of the game where it just won't recognize you've completed a task even though you already have. Can someone please help me figure out a work around?

[Dinner]

"AI Update Time Over Flow." Does that phrase mean anything to anyone? I periodically get that message when I play it pops up in the message box in a yellow font. I'm thinking it has something to do with the reason I'm having trouble with the AI. I'm not sure though.

[Dinner]

Also I'm starting to get bored of the OC and I'm thinking about starting a game of HotU. Does anyone have any suggestions on a good character type to play? In the OC I played a Ranger/Mage/Thief and I found him to be nearly perfect but I'm thinking I'd like to play something new maybe a female Paladin or something. I'd like to try out one of the new prestige classes like the Red Dragon Kin but I'm not sure. Does anyone have a suggestion of which classes would be best and which skills/feats would be the most useful? I always like to hear advice from people who have played the game before.

[duke o' york]

Do both of your ideas for HotU with the nifty build Jamski did for me early in the last NWN thread!

Have you actually destroyed the catapults, rather than just the enemies guarding them? You have to go to "Use" with the right mouse button (or whatever fancy shortcut key Jamski uses ), rather than using your weapon against the catapults.

[Dinner]

Yeah, the catapults are toast. I first killed their crew then I clicked on them and they exploded. I've checked all over the map and I'm sure I got them all though I did this before I spoke to the commander so maybe that has something to do with it. By the time I did speak with the commander the catapults were distroyed and I had the enemy leader's head.

[Dinner]

I couldn't find Jamski's post in the NWN reloaded thread so I guess I'm just going to have to wing it. The walk through of HotU says the only henchman you can use in all three chapters is some sort of lizard guy from SoU (own it but haven't played it) and that he is a Bard/Red Dragon Kin so I guess my character shouldn't be one of those. I'm thinking a lady Paladin/Sorcerer since they both use Charisma as their major attribute but my problem is deciding what the third class and race should be. I'm leaning towards a half elf since HotU will mostly take place underground though the human's extra skill points would likely come in handy.

It seems like there are a lot of new feats in HotU which I'm not familiar with (especially since I never played 3rd edition before) and I'm wondering which skills/feats would be best. Anyone have any suggestions?

[Dinner]

How do you folks pick locks and disarm traps if you aren't a thief? It seems like the little Kobald bard doesn't disarm traps or open locks (Did that change in 3rd edition because in 2nd edition I thought bards could?) and all he ever does is play music all the time.

[Tuberski]

Just bash them with your weapons. I also expected bards to be able to pick locks.

In 1st Edition, you had to be a thief and a fighter before you became a bard.

ACK!

[Dinner]

Yeah, I remember 1st edition and I still have the books lying around in the attic some where. Bashing works for most chests but what about traps?