Most useless cRPG companions.

[NJClaw]

By the end of the game, she can cast level 5 spells. I'm not going to argue that she's better than Jaheira or Branwen, but she does bring something unique to the table.

A subpar summon monster 2 and a heal spell ? Meh.

 

[Sarathiour]

By the end of the game, she can cast level 5 spells. I'm not going to argue that she's better than Jaheira or Branwen, but she does bring something unique to the table.

A subpar summon monster 2 and a heal spell ? Meh.

Neither of those exist in OG BG1

 

[lukaszek]

quick google search into min int for lvl9 spells revealed that beamdog fixed it, requiring for both memorizing and casting

 

[NJClaw]

Neither of those exist in OG BG1

???

What do you mean? Do you not consider Tales of the Sword Coast an integral part of the game? Who plays BG1 without it?

 

[Sarathiour]

Neither of those exist in OG BG1

???

What do you mean? Do you not consider Tales of the Sword Coast an integral part of the game? Who plays BG1 without it?

Well I did, but that's beside the point. I just checked the manual for TotSC, the new cleric spell are Champion's Might and indeed Chaotic Command. No sign or mention of insect plague, I could check on the game itself later on if you're really sure.

 

[NJClaw]

Neither of those exist in OG BG1

???

What do you mean? Do you not consider Tales of the Sword Coast an integral part of the game? Who plays BG1 without it?

Well I did, but that's beside the point. I just checked the manual for TotSC, the new cleric spell are Champion's Might and indeed Chaotic Command. No sign or mention of insect plague, I could check on the game itself later on if you're really sure.

Well, I was...

 

[Shadenuat]

Must be said that Stratagems not only made Fire Shield stop Insect Plague, but also Stoneskins, more or less killin the spell.
[mo**ers]
so you have to answer with revisions if it even works and summon op shamble mounds or add icewind dale spells in but then it breaks balance in another way.
as if majority of "amazing tactical" players carry around faldorns and cernds or play druids at all

 

[Desiderius]

Is TotSC the one with Durlag’s Tower? I distinctly remember a sinking feeling in my stomach playing that since it busted my budget for the month (having previously lost my corporate job from too many nights playing EotB II and Wiz7). Follies of youth.

Trying to figure those two out without the internet was a full-time job in itself.

 

[Sarathiour]

TotSC add durlag's tower and Ulgoth's beard as location, and change quite a few spells and combat mechanic, notably the whole sarevok fight.

 

[Shadenuat]

I've ran out of nostalgia steam years ago but recently replayed BG1 and, when walking towards entrance of Durlag Tower still felt strange unease.

It's an eerily designed place.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

TotSC content is both peak BG and peak IE

 

[Daidre]

TotSC content is both peak BG and peak IE

Durlag's Tower is a wonderful dungeon but Shandalar's Quest and Werewolf Island had surprised me with their sheer shoddiness even when I've played them for the first time. I've always thought that Bioware run out of resources while making the tower for ToSC and shoved everything else on the bunch of interns with shit ands sticks and old assets - difference to median BG quality is that grating.

There are some interesting fights in them too, of course.

 

[purupuru]

I like Garrick, beat the game with him. He is a bard, acts like a bard and without being overly obnoxious like Haer'Dalis or Grobnar.
Xoti in Deadfire is probably the crpg companion I hate the most, horrible writing, weak class weak stats, really only good for her unique item.

 

[Zboj Lamignat]

Shandalar's Quest and Werewolf Island had surprised me with their sheer shoddiness even when I've played them for the first time.

It had one of those yuge labyrinthine locations with super narrow corridors that made the pathfinding utterly shit the bed even on 5m distances, didn't it? Peak BG/IE indeed. In before it was a 4D chess move to make people think that the forest RTS maps were great and it worked perfectly.

 

[Jasede]

Hey you take that back, I loved the forest maps!
It's a strange expansion. Durlag's Tower is probably the best CRPG dungeon of all time, and yet it also had the island of copypasta and the ice dungeon of broken pathfinding.

 

[Zboj Lamignat]

Not dissimilar to ToB - nice mega dungeon and the rest kinda crap and phoned in.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

people who dislike either of those are SHIT

you wouldn't know quality if it smacked you in the face with a 13 inch dong

 

[Daidre]

you wouldn't know quality if it smacked you in the face with a 13 inch dong

What, have you liked Bioware's first attempt at NPC Romance that much?

 

[Shadenuat]

Part with romance however has the only real quest C&C in all baldurs actually, with mini reputation deciding end of wolf quest.

 

[NJClaw]

Sarathiour I just checked and you were absolutely right, even with TotSC installed there are only two level 5 spells.

I've now reached the point where I've played the EE so much I can't distinguish what was added by Beamdog anymore.

 

[Average Manatee]

Must be said that Stratagems not only made Fire Shield stop Insect Plague, but also Stoneskins, more or less killin the spell.
[mo**ers]
so you have to answer with revisions if it even works and summon op shamble mounds or add icewind dale spells in but then it breaks balance in another way.
as if majority of "amazing tactical" players carry around faldorns and cernds or play druids at all

Rebalance Insect Plague spells (and the like)

In the unmodified game, Insect Plague and Creeping Doom (and, to a lesser extent, Summon Insects) are very hard indeed for a spellcaster to deal with or defend against. This component (which was partly inspired by Demivrgvs's Spell Revisions) grants a per-round saving throw against the spell-failure effects of the insects. It also handles the insects more systematically as summoned creatures: they cannot harm or affect creatures immune to nonmagical weapons; they are unaffected by antimagic or by Dispel Magic; they will not attack undead creatures, and cannot penetrate the extreme heat or cold of a Fire Shield.

It doesn't say that stoneskins grant immunity against it, it should eat through a stoneskin every time it hits. It's the immunity to nonmagical weapons that makes it useless against a large number of tough enemies.

RE: druid balance, spamming summoning spells worked since you summoned like 4-6 things each time.

 

[Sarathiour]

I'm not entirely sure how exaclty stoneskin work against insect plague, because if the plague eat a layer per second, it should delete it pretty quick.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

can't tell if SCS has just gotten worse or my opinion of it has gotten worse over time

 

[Shadenuat]

played thru bg1 ee scs description stated: fire shield and stoneskins gives immun.

 

[NecroLord]

played thru bg1 ee scs description stated: fire shield and stoneskins gives immun.

I think this only applies to enemies,not party members. Or has it been changed?