Solasta Solasta: Crown of the Magister Thread - now with Palace of Ice sequel DLC

[Yosharian]

Campaign creators are in a unique position to buff or nerf relative power levels between classes by providing magic items that specifically boost class abilities or are only usable by certain classes. For example, you could create an item that only Monks can use, that grants a powerful AC bonus. Or something.

I dunno if Solasta allows creators to make custom magic items though. Maybe not.

Also it doesn't really make a class become better at a specific level I suppose. Unless you could restrict an item to a Monk of a specific level.

 

[Grunker]

Campaign creators are in a unique position to buff or nerf relative power levels between classes by providing magic items that specifically boost class abilities or are only usable by certain classes. For example, you could create an item that only Monks can use, that grants a powerful AC bonus. Or something.

I dunno if Solasta allows creators to make custom magic items though. Maybe not.

Also it doesn't really make a class become better at a specific level I suppose. Unless you could restrict an item to a Monk of a specific level.

With the amount of additional content in Unfinished Business, maybe someone made a subclass that made Monk viable

EDIT: Potentially could make a pretty lulzy melee archer with Way of Distant Hand. Monk's primary disadvantage is their redunc ability needs, but Distant Hand can ignore Strength completely, so you can pump dat AC, and from level 3 onwards you can fire in melee without penalties.

EDIT2: Way of Survival (from the DLC, not a mod) makes a decent tank since besides basically being a Monk with shield AC bonus, it also has access to that all important Resistance for big dick tanking turns. It's no Path of the Stone barbarian both since the Resistance is less constant, it's more constrained on ability scores AND the self-healing is lesser, but ain't much can compete with Path of the Stone and barbs anyway, as we all know Tactical Adventures and Wizards both suck massive barbarian ERYFKRAD dick.

EDIT3: Now that we're talking monks, does anyone know whether the healing from Unbreakable Body triggers one time for each instance of damage? I'm assuming it don't, since if it does that seems quite bonkers and is certainly one edge on Path of the Stone.

 

[Parabalus]

Campaign creators are in a unique position to buff or nerf relative power levels between classes by providing magic items that specifically boost class abilities or are only usable by certain classes. For example, you could create an item that only Monks can use, that grants a powerful AC bonus. Or something.

I dunno if Solasta allows creators to make custom magic items though. Maybe not.

Also it doesn't really make a class become better at a specific level I suppose. Unless you could restrict an item to a Monk of a specific level.

There's an insane warlock item in the original campaign which increase their available spells by 50%, costs 10 times more than the next most expensive item though.

 

[NJClaw]

With the amount of additional content in Unfinished Business, maybe someone made a subclass that made Monk viable

I can imagine what makes you believe they are subpar, but I recently completed a playthrough of The Forsaken Isle (6-man party version) and the Monk was easily my most important melee character. Stunning Strike is just something no other class can bring to the table, and Way of Survival's damage bonus really adds up when you attack 4 times per turn (5 with Haste). The worst part about it is that you need 3 high attributes (so you have to waste on him many magic items), but this is also true for a Barbarian if you want to play unarmored.

EDIT: Potentially could make a pretty lulzy melee archer with Way of Distant Hand. Monk's primary disadvantage is their redunc ability needs, but Distant Hand can ignore Strength completely, so you can pump dat AC, and from level 3 onwards you can fire in melee without penalties.

You can always ignore Strength on a Monk. You use Dexterity for your unarmed attacks and monk weapons.

EDIT3: Now that we're talking monks, does anyone know whether the healing from Unbreakable Body triggers one time for each instance of damage? I'm assuming it don't, since if it does that seems quite bonkers and is certainly one edge on Path of the Stone.

It only triggers once each turn, but, unless they fixed it in the last two weeks, the damage bonus is bugged and you add 2 times your CON bonus to each attack.

 

[Parabalus]

With the amount of additional content in Unfinished Business, maybe someone made a subclass that made Monk viable

I can imagine what makes you believe they are subpar, but I recently completed a playthrough of The Forsaken Isle (6-man party version) and the Monk was easily my most important melee character. Stunning Strike is just something no other class can bring to the table, and Way of Survival's damage bonus really adds up when you attack 4 times per turn (5 with Haste). The worst part about it is that you need 3 high attributes (so you have to waste on him many magic items), but this is also true for a Barbarian if you want to play unarmored.

I've also been pretty happy with a way of freedom monk, spams stun enough to get through legendary resistance too.

But other classes getting an extra attack between 12-16 makes him shitter in comparison.

Would get a big power bump from proper magical gauntlets though, instead of generic +2.

 

[MajorMace]

Alright I finally got around to try this. Just completed the Shaded Castle or something, featuring vampires and necromancers and shit.

It's a cool 5e fix, tbf, but it feels more suited for beginners or 5e newbies who want to experiment with parts of its rules.
I haven't checked but I suspect the editor isn't very robust and chances of producing good content is probably low.

I doubt it'll survive the release of BGIII though.

 

[Yosharian]

Just completed the Shaded Castle or something, featuring vampires and necromancers and shit.

Apparently that's the best part of the campaign

 

[MajorMace]

Is it due to combat difficulty dramatically falling off or the actual encounters get somehow blander design-wise ?

 

[Grunker]

Alright I finally got around to try this. Just completed the Shaded Castle or something, featuring vampires and necromancers and shit.

It's a cool 5e fix, tbf, but it feels more suited for beginners or 5e newbies who want to experiment with parts of its rules.
I haven't checked but I suspect the editor isn't very robust and chances of producing good content is probably low.

I doubt it'll survive the release of BGIII though.

Is it due to combat difficulty dramatically falling off or the actual encounters get somehow blander design-wise ?

Wrote a mini review here. Unfortunately the DLC is maybe worse.

Artyoan made a mod for it that is high ranked on the Workshop which might have more challenge and encounter design, so imma give that a shot

 

[Mortmal]

Is it due to combat difficulty dramatically falling off or the actual encounters get somehow blander design-wise ?

Not blander but you only get one encounter with rest anywhere at will , your casters shines having all their higher spell slots available everytime, which trivialize anything. But none gives a flying fuck about following guidelines , even here, so we get the game we deserve.

 

[MajorMace]

Alright, too bad it doesn't manage to challenge the player in the second half. I'll probably finish it though, I find the game to have very few annoyances polluting the gameplay and that feels pretty fucking good in 2023.
Also, I checked and wasn't surprised to see that the studio was founded by ex-Amplitude devs. It features the exact same sort of functional UI. No esthetics allowed here.

 

[Parabalus]

Is it due to combat difficulty dramatically falling off or the actual encounters get somehow blander design-wise ?

Not blander but you only get one encounter with rest anywhere at will , your casters shines having all their higher spell slots available everytime, which trivialize anything. But none gives a flying fuck about following guidelines , even here, so we get the game we deserve.

Unless you are running back to resting points (=extreme degeneracy) this doesn't happen.

 

[MajorMace]

To be honest I play without savescumming (for failed rolls for instance) and I still found myself surprised to find a safe long rest spot here and there already.
But I went for the classic Fighter-Cleric-Thief-Mage party and short rests already do wonders anyway.

 

[Grunker]

It features the exact same sort of functional UI. No esthetics allowed here.

Besides a few annoyances, Solasta's in-world/combat UI is just stupid good. It completely shits on BG3's for example. The character sheet/editor/inventory is another matter though :D

 

[MajorMace]

Now that I read your post and think of it, I realise the UI is actually the main reason I can't play DOS2 past the first act. Always thought of its perpetual 'the floor is one out of fifty shades of lava' gimmick and dual armor design as the main culprit, but it might just be too cumbersome to manoeuver.

Both games feature essentially the same experience : free-camera in a 3d environment, turn per turn etc. But Solasta plays very smoothly while DOS feels like a chore.
Its game design obviously doesn't help but fuck is it annoying to navigate its controls.

But what I meant was, visually, Solasta is very reminiscent of Amplitude Studios first games, with very functional, square-shaped, barely decorated buttons, menus and such.

Spoiler

Just like with its story and characters, they clearly went for the most efficient route and focused on adapting the 5E ruleset and designing encounters, dungeons and terrains and I can't fault them for this.

 

[Grunker]

Right, Artyoan, let's see what this Forsaken Isle of yours has got.

Party here. Almost made 'Gish: The Party' complete with Guts-bard et al when I saw where my builds where headed, lol. Ultimately I wanted to have a Lore bard due to no dedicated casters and Marshal looks fun:

Tank (Way of Survival):

Spoiler

Off-Tank (Marshal, hammer or axe n' board with Protection style):

Spoiler

Melee-focused Gish (Soulblade, twohander - obviously multiclassing would be the shit here but Soulblade -> Charisma-class is so stupidly OP I'll probably be mainclassing, at least until your mod breaks me):

Spoiler

Crafter (Weaponsmith, undecided on weapons):

Spoiler

Caster-focused Gish (Fighter is just a level 1 dip, from level 2 onwards it's full class Wizard (Blade Dancer), Rapier with empty off-hand, so Dueling fighting style):

Spoiler

Healer/Caster (Lore College):

Spoiler

 

[Artyoan]

Right, Artyoan, let's see what this Forsaken Isle of yours has got.

Party here. Almost made 'Gish: The Party' complete with Guts-bard et al when I saw where my builds where headed, but I wanted to have a Lore bard due to no dedicated casters and Marshal looks fun:

Tank (Way of Survival):

Spoiler

Off-Tank (Marshal, hammer or axe n' board with Protection style):

Spoiler

Melee-focused Gish (Soulblade, twohander - obviously multiclassing would be the shit here but Soulblade -> Charisma-class is so stupidly OP I'll probably be mainclassing, at least until your mod breaks me):

Spoiler

Crafter (Weaponsmith, undecided on weapons):

Spoiler

Caster-focused Gish (Fighter is just a level 1 dip, from level 2 onwards it's full class Wizard (Blade Dancer), Rapier with empty off-hand, so Dueling fighting style):

Spoiler

Healer/Caster (Lore College):

Spoiler

I use a lot of custom enemies to make up for that shortfall of difficulty in the main campaign after the early game. Even in the original four man version all of the enemies after the midway point are custom versions. I believe all of them are custom in the six man, save for maybe one or two near the beginning. If your primary criticism of Solasta is still of uneven challenge, you will almost certainly find this entertaining imo. Looks good to me as a party, I'm a fan of the Marshall and Lore Bard especially.

 

[Grunker]

I really like what I'm seeing so far. Besides the core thing that encounter composition so far is a million times more thought out than in the base game, there's stuff like me thinking I'm clever setting up an ambush on some orcs in a cave and then getting fucked because I didn't notice you put two tiny gaps in the palisade that the orcs could crawl under, ramming my backline's ass

 

[Artyoan]

I really like what I'm seeing so far. Besides the core thing that encounter composition so far is a million times more thought out than in the base game, there's stuff like me thinking I'm clever setting up an ambush on some orcs in a cave and then getting fucked because I didn't notice you put two tiny gaps in the palisade that the orcs could crawl under, ramming my backline's ass

Its a risky method to potentially get to the shaman quicker if you go under it but all is fair play if they choose to use it too. The AI isn't too bad about using alternative methods if one area gets too congested.

 

[Grunker]

Going to have to respec the Marshal, however. That shit is blatantly OP. I wish they didn't include stuff like that in the community expansion.

It's a shame too because the idea is really fun.

 

[Grunker]

Artyoan your mod thinks my monk is a paladin

obligatory:

 

[Grunker]

Awesome Sorr-Akkath fight in the ruins with the chest - really utilizes the verticality mechanics.

 

[Artyoan]

Artyoan your mod thinks my monk is a paladin

obligatory:

For now both the Bard and Monk tags don't work. I think the game believes the Monk is a Paladin and the Bard is a Rogue in dialogue interactions, been that way since the Inner Strength DLC came out. Warlock works though.

There are a few places, mainly the forest locations, that allow for decent verticality. Hoping they have castle walls for the outdoor snow area in PoI at least.

 

[Grunker]

Okay, I’m like 15 encounters in and I’m convinced. Myzzrym would you just hire this guy to design every single encounter of PoI? I’m legitimately having more fun in this scuffed mod than in the main game, and I’m even playing on a lower difficulty.

It’s not rocket science either - the encounters just stack the action economy against the player and use the environment that you guys designed so well. Enemies are positioned so their AI is somewhat capable of leveraging the environment against you - meanwhile you actually looking at the fight before engaging will result in massive differences in difficulty level (of course indicating that environs actually make a difference in this mod).

The key thing seems to be that Isle (so far) makes a lot of its environments more constrained than the huge open spaces of Lost Valley and Crown, thus forcing you be creative with pathing and positioning.

So many fights in the base adventures happen in HUGE environments and while I can understand why this is - you wanted to demonstrate the awesome capabilities of the engine - the reality is that more open spaces = more paths = ironically more constrained use of the environment. Restricting pathing forces the player to use all the maneuverability tools the game has to offer and allows AI with special abilities like flight or climbing to have an actual advantage rather than just a visually different movement set.

You guys already painstakingly put all these moving parts in the game - you just refused to design any content around them. Artyoan out here proving it ain't actually that hard.

But besides from this, if I could ask only one thing of future Solasta releases it would be this:

Please, PLEASE stack the action economy against the player, at least on higher difficulties. It is the main tool you have to create challenge in this rules system.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

I’m like 15 encounters in and I’m convinced. @Myzzrym would you just hire this guy to design every single encounter of PoI

Maybe too late for the imminent release, but might as well rope the guy in for a director's cut if that's a thing.
Mortmal did you ever find a module that ties in to your notion of difficulty?