I’ve done a lot of pickpocketing for scrolls and I’d say my most used are Chain Lightning - powerful AOE that does not harm allies Conjure Elemental (water) - Damage sponge for action economy Globe of Invulnerability - nothing gets through it
I literally never use scrolls. If I'd gone to sorc's sundries prior to Ansur, it definitely would have changed that fight dramatically. Now my sorc is rocking the best staff and robe in the game and shit's about to start getting funky.
Using consumables was a game changer - Elixirs, Many target arrows, and scrolls. I did not use any of these my early playthroughs. Decided I needed to for Tactician and I’m not ever going back
The vendors inventory resets with every level up, so if you really want to get cheesy, just respec someone at camp down to level 1 and level them up one level at a time near the vendor. Alchemy ingredients, arrows, haste scrolls are all pretty much free with pickpocketing by end game.
I have not done the respec, but I have done a “I just earned a level up, need to vendor loop, level up, vendor loop, long rest vendor loop” cycle a time or two. It’s definitely been an honor mode without honor
I use a fair number of special arrows on Astarion but regularly forget about elixirs and shit for pre-fight prep.
For me, it's mostly that I'm just lazy and finding the exact elixir or arrow or oil that I'm looking for is such a damn chore that I end up just skipping it and doing a regular attack or something. I'm not playing on a hard difficulty right now, so I can get away with it, but I probably need to change that in future playthroughs.
Beat the house of hope this weekend. I liked the special music for the fight. Made it feel like a real boss fight. Wasn’t too bad but Raphael did really pack a punch.
Spells can all go in the book you find in blighted village. For potions I use Hill Giant every LR and some Bloodlust/Battlemage situationally. Black Hole + Arrow of many targets is how I really get through the game
No, there is a book by the wall as you head north. It’s in a hole with a lamp and a scimitar It is a book that holds things, initially it has a bottle of wine in it. I use it for organizing
There's general elixirs and oils that are common enough and can be used regularly, as long as you know you'll be doing a few fights prior to your next long rest. I was just stingey with stuff at some points of Act 3 because I was resting so often. But you can safely apply oil of accuracy to Laezel/Karlach whoever your unga bunga great weapon master is as well as either accuracy or dimunition to Asterion/ranged player. If you've got someone that regularly goes too late in the fight order, I'd drink the +5 initiative elixir for them after every rest. There's probably only 1 character you have that needs them and they're pretty common. Elixir of heroism is another good one for a GWM or Ranged character that's applicable through most fights. I think Peerless Focus is the only one I really used much for casters just so my haster hopefully didn't get lethargic'd.
Using a feat to take the two-weapon fighter feat and dual wield staffs really is the cherry on top for a sorc/wizard. Personally think dumping CHA and doing a 4 Sorc / 8 Wiz max INT is the play, unless you're doing the water>lightening style sorc then go 6/6 storm sorc so you get create water. But 4/8 gives you your 3 meta magics and between arcane charges from wizard levels and hopefully have the amulet from the underdark, you get like 7-8 extra sorcery points off the jump every long rest. Only difference in leveling is taking low level utility spells (misty, darkness, knock, shield) as your Sorc spells and all your damage and CC spells are Wizard/scroll learned. Markoheshkir in one hand for the freebie spells. In the other hand either Spellpower staff for more DC and another free chain lightening or disintegrate or the Necromancy staff for all the free necro spells. You can go a pretty long time without needing to re-up your spells with Marko and Necro staffs. Makes it easier to use the consumables without wasting them.
I know what all of this means but the sheer amount of time some of you have put into this game is madness I'm at 130+ hours on my first playthrough. I have no idea how some of you have been through seemingly a dozen builds at this point.
I experimented with a lot of builds in Act 3 of my original playthrough. Prior to that it was pretty straight leveling in Act 1-2 learning the game (and all the theorycrafters hadn't had time to fill the internet with ideas when I was in A1-2 on PC). Watching a few of D&D Deep Dive Homelander videos explained what makes some builds work and you just kinda piggyback off of that. Act 3 was just so big and I'd already played with most of the typical builds for 2 acts that I would just respec 2 people to try something new and go with my Tav Fighter + Karlach Monk + 2 experiments for 1-2 dungeons at a time and rinse-repeat. They really are all viable/op and fun if you have the gear so I definitely recommend spicing things up and trying all kinds of combinations instead of sticking with one group the whole act. Level 12 is when you can do some fun combos. I also made a manual save right before setting off on Elderbrain mission I've made that march to the brain probably 3x with different group setups.
Been lvl12 for a while now and have found the fights to be underwhelming. I ran through the steel watch boss and Orin last night with little concern. Once I figured out her minions were responsible for the Unstoppable buffs on her, it was over. I kind of started that fight accidentally. I passed the check to not be hostile upon entering and then I had Karlach shove a high level minion that I recognized would be a range issue if I just walked down to fight her off the ledge he was standing on. That actually didn't start the fight with Orin, only a couple of guys up top. First round, I flew everyone down to Orin, dropped Ice Storm and Insect plague on an area that encompassed her best companions and from there it was just letting her chase Karlach and Astarion around the map while I AOE killed her summoners. Side note: playing without parasites would be dumb - Fly might be the most OP skill in the game. It changes the dynamic of every single fight. Major quests left: Shadowheart's parents and temple Astarion's vamp master finish off Mystic Carrion line defeat the hag again Stone Lord/Minsc in the southern most area Then onto Gortash and the Brain(brain brain brain brain) - which I accidentally stumbled into last night on my way to Orin and the nice man in my head told me to turn around.
It's the best use for someone. Tavern Brawler Open Hand Monk I still think is the best all around class in the game from level 1-12. And personally I think Barbarian is ass, and my big weapon Unga Bunga was Laezel. Stunning 1-2 of the big enemies every turn is just too useful not to have on the team and can turn a fight if there's one enemy rocking your team. Monk could take them out of the fight completely
I alternate between that and Dwarven Thrower based on AOE. You don’t have to have thrown items equipped, so it’s very convenient
Down to just Gortash and the Elderbrain. Just hit the 150 hour mark. Let Astraion ascend, let Shadowheart kill her parents. Saved and recruited Minsc. Had to kill Thrumbo because I guess I nuked the scroll and vase in the room during the fight with all the undead, so there was no way to figure out Carrion's heart was inside of Thrumbo. Sad day.
We did it, boys. 160 hours in the first playthrough and the netherbrain is dead. So is Karlach. :( I put the Gith egg in Lae'zel's inventory at some point but she was never part of my party so maybe that's why she never mentioned it? Completely forgot to use Shadowheart's single use deity call and only called on one ally - the moonmaiden to help occupy the controlled dragon in the final fight. Astarion all but one-shotting the mindflayers to make a path for the Emperor to dominate the crown was child's play. Ansur was, by far, the hardest fight of the last act but even that might have been because I was two levels early to it. Amazing game, 10 out of 10. That's a metric fuck ton of content for $70. Bravo.
Pretty sure I did everything. If you mean in reference to the fight difficulty, that's probably 1b but I was already level 12 when I hit that one. I had people go down against Raphael but Ansur is the only fight I flat out TPK in - or would have if I hadn't had Karlach high tail it out with 1 hp.
Did Orin kidnap La’zel? When she gets kidnapped all of her supplies end up in a backpack. I *think* you have to pull out the egg and give it to her again
She did. I think I didn't give her the egg until after that...but I could be wrong. I never thought to go back and check so you could definitely be right.
Started BG3 last night on PS5. Never played DnD or really much in the way of turn-based games. Loved Morrowind and liked the newer Elder Scrolls, but figured I'd give this a tr. It's fun, if a little tedious at the beginning. Barely exploring the beach area after 1.5 hrs. The character creation is nuts...rocking a Drow Storm Sorcerer named Charleston.
Larian choosing to not do any expansion or sequel as their next project but will still be releasing new content in free updates. Working on new “evil” aligned endings right now apparently