Baldur's gate solo wildmage playthrough

The article is english appart some introduction.

Ok mindenki, egyszerűen újra ki kell találnom magam, hogy a dolgoknak értelme legyen, en csak csináljuk őket. Ezért ahelyett, hogy valami témába vágót töltenék fel, inkább valami mással töltöm ki a helyet.

Bocsi, a nemzetköziség jegyében most minden angol lesz ebben a bejegyzésben.

So, after playing through the game with basically every warrior-type character as solo (like barbarian, monk, paladin), and reached Throne of Bhaal with a ranger/cleric dualclass (I currently let it rest for a while, and just to note it can be either considered a pure cleric or a pure druid with the slight difference of probably better THACO and the fact of dualwield), and failed solo playthrough with a thief (actually multiclass thief/mage, but I mostly played it as thief, believe me), I decided to play through the game with a wizardtype too.

Why a wildemage? Well, it IS a wizard for starter. It can have the whle library WHILE gaining the extra spellslot for being a mage kit (not that I'd not leave out certain spells, but still). It can also equal with a sorcerer with Nahal's Reckless Dweomer (even better, as NRD has casting time of 5, what means casting time of 0 with Robe of Vecna + Amuet of Power).

I also like to play within the game's borders, so some things I made my life easier with without doing something impossible:
- I started the game in BG2, because anyone and their uncle can finish BG1, and that part is borrring, and only palyed for the statbooks anyway. So instead I just cheated in all the statbooks. The price for this is lower HP.
- After reaching out of Irenicus' Dungeon I'll givemyself unlimited gold. There are places in the game to do that legaly anyway, so this isn't a big deal.
- I'll do the "refill wands at merchants" trick, what I usually avoid. But here the Wish spell allows that anyway. I just skip the "rest until you become one million years old" part.
- I preserve the right to cheat in any potions after finding the Wish spell too, because that can do the same, only with zillion years sleeping, an' I'm not C'thulhu, ok?

Now on my starting stats:
Lawful Neutral (why a lawful person gains the only familiar that can steal???)
19/19/18/19/21/4. STR is needed to carry stuff, DEX is always good to have for better AC, CON is good until 16 as I'm not a warrior, but every extra point goes here because CHA is repleaced by Ring of Human Influence, and CON can be sacrificed to the Dream Demon.
Half elf, because it still has infravision, and much easier to roll good stats with (elf requires 9 CHA min.).

For starter use raw power: Magic Missile, Melf's acidic arrow (put this in minor sequencer too), Fireball + 1 Melf's Minute Meteor (the mephit-portals have magic resistance for example). Sadly no lvl5 spell in Irenicus' Dungeon, but a lvl6 is there? Bummer. Lvl4 has Stoneskin, and Spider Spawn (better then monster summoning, ok?).

The first thing to do is to buy yourself blind by spells in the Waukeen Promenade, then steal the Ring of Regeneration, then go to the Slums. Beware, you want to side Bodhi, so don't have zillion gold when going, or you'll be forced to work for the thieves.

Second thing is to activate Act3 by giving yourself gold. It doesn't matter loosing the thief guild quests, as there are no items, and we don't need party neither. Go into the Copper coronade, and free Hendak. One Wand of Frost recharged by a merchant (Yoluv gave me 100 charges!) will do the trick. This wand can also help you out outside with the ambush. Now comes a very nice part: you can buy infinite Prismatic Spray (a spell from Dying Earth!). This means you can give yourself infinite exp without gaining the title "cheater". Beware though that only the latest lvlup-results you'll aquire (not to mention the possible amount of HLAs), so step one lvl at a time. Actually I decided to rise my exp only to 1 exp less then the next lvl (and do something to gain exp the regular way), so everything will go properly (no idea how to safe set the exp with a multi/dualclass).
About Planetars vs. Fallen Planetars: I summoned both (save&reload) to check, and even added to party. They have absolutly no difference except the alignment, AND that the Planetar has Dispel Magic spells too.

Ok, so we just play for the achivement. The third thing to do after the above is to take care of the timed quests - namely the first two Act3 related quests. Also do the encounters between areas, as they give you interesting items (nothing major, but one-two sunfire or such clears them anyway).
Also before really starting anything don't forget to get the spellcasting-licence!

Next thing is to comit some crime. Go to Trademeet and pickpocket the efreeti at the tent for the Bottle of Efreeti. That's about Trademeet. At least would be, if the best belt, the Belt of Inertial Barrier wouldn't be sold here after solving the problem with the druids and the djinns. But that is much more easy if you cme back later with theStaff of Magi, and isn't crucial at the mmoment with all the power you'll have.
Go back the the Government District - not to be jailed, but top steal Ring of Ram from the head wizard there. He certainly has a collection of that at home, so I don't consider this cheating.
To Watcher's Keep next. Buy a potion bag, it is very useful. Go in also for the Golem Manual, but beware of the Stone golem it guards it. It is no small task, and without summoning  a Planetar I could only win by summoning lots of efreetis, whose weapon could not harm the golem, and turned hostile after reaching their gasous form. But the golem killed itself on their firewall, and the efreetes were still considered summoned, so disappeared in a cloudkill. A little complicated, but I felt enjoyable.
Next stop is Umar Hills to get the Beljuril. Nothing else here either. Oh, and don't forget to kill Valygar!

As we now have everything let's go and make the best Horn of Valhalla.

In the WP let's clean the Circus. i'm not sure wether the CHA from the Ring of Human Influence would be needed anywhere, but it also let's you charm person once per day from distance (the cloak of whatevers require touch-distance, what is usually bad, and you won't charm people many times anyway).

Now I don't know if any part of the Silver Pantaloon quest is timed, but seems a fine idea to complete it.

Time to do some massacre. If you memorized a summon planetar, you can make short work on Mencar Peeblecrusher's team for their Cloak of Nondetection.

Time for the Graveyard for the Spider Figurine. again, Sunfire is your friend here.

I had here melf's meteors active, so went to Nalia's keep for the Ring of Earth Control. Interrestingly the keep got somewhat saved still, because you can't leave through the secret passage, so have to open the main gates.

We start running out of things to do, so do something major. Get some Prot. from undead scrolls, and do the Kangaxx quest, along it rescue Haer Dhalis. Actually you have a choice here: get the Boots of Speed during the Hear Dhalis quest, or during the labyrinth of Spellhold. The adventage of gaining it already here is, that along the way you can get the Cloak of Shield too (the other Cloak of Shield is on Firkraag, and dragons are unnecessary pain in the butt).

Now I tell you what's left from Act 2 and 3 instead of a fixed order, and you can decide or at least imagine what happens here. The Planar Sphere is our stronghold, and the later parts can nift you some really good items, and it eats time. If you think on Windspear Hills you have to consider above the Ring of Fire Protection the Wand of Wonders, what'd be a waaay longer then just that ring. There is also rescuing Haer Dhalis as I mentioned, and I'm not sure wether to be interrested in the City Gate's merchant.
The Twisted Rune though is right now almost impossible because of the beholder. But if you can handle it... Like if you cast Protection from Fire while wear the Ring of Fire Protection, and can cast Incindinary Cloud (adopt this to your own possibilities)... I casted a lot of those with Improved Alactricity to preserve the duration, and then activated the battle. If you have trouble, you might add a Planetar to your preparations if you leave some room on the right side of the room (the beholder is on the left).
But killing Aran Linwail is unskippable.

If you're done with everything, there is a greater challenge: Watcher's Keep. The first lvl is easly cleared with just one Planetar, and the second isn'ttoo bad either.
Of course you want to know the how-to against the chromatic Demon. Well, some minor distraction (aka. cannonfodder summons), stone skin, mirror image - and above all a simularcum with Wand of Lightning (maximum charge: 50) is all you need here. Only watch that the lightnings don't hurt the two of you, and release the demon when it just turned to Shambling Mound form. If it changes form at Near Dead status, cast Prismatic Spray on it - it works with full efficiency on it!

The third level will be a nightmare with all the dead magic zones and compound areas. Why we do it anyway? For the Machine of Lum, nothing else! After that we'll leave this acursed place forever (with melee oriented characters there is the Gauntlets of Extraordinary Specialisation, and I like the 64 HP heal globe for them too, but no use of those for a mage).
Ok, so how to get across? Well, there are no items for a mage on this entire level appart the Deck of Many Things, so we only have to run through the areas, and fight only twice. Of curse the biggest battles those two fights. But we only need to kill the leader-demons, so memorise a dozen Summon Planetar (casting time 0 with our equipment), turn off the Party AI, and let it do the assassination while you run around like mad. That's it for those who wanned tricks and tactics. Lvl4 is practicly a cakewalk compared to this.
Oh, a final tip: if you still get stuck, you can always come back in the expansion. In the nine Hell it is advised to choose at least once the evil reward, so you'll be lickely evil, what means you'll be able to side with one group of the demons from the two fights. If you really feel like it.

When you're done, time to go to Spellhold.

Spellhold, the maze under it (get the Bag of Holding!) and even the Shuagain City (get the Cloak of Mirroring!) isn't interresting enough to mention. Not even the Unerdark holds many excitment when you're constantly invisible (the Cloak of Nondetection assures this). Release some people from the imprisonment-machine for some new spells (kill the hostile ones at once with one or two area-damage spell like Incindernary Cloud, beware that the lich (looks like a lich but it is weaker) sees you despite you being invisible).
Enter the Kuo-Toa dungeons until you harvest some Tainted Tadpool or what, then go back.
I would not bother with the darwes demon. Ye, they die if you just pickpocket the Sun Gem from their leader when you first enter the Drow City, but let that be their problem, not yours.
In the drow city life is easy. Buy the Staff of Earth and the Rod of Golem Striking and many new spells. Be sure you can cast a Death spell, then go saving the drow girl (all enemy there will be considered summoned, so this'll work).
As you are near to it enter the Beholder "city" and look for the Greenstone Amulet. Stay invisible, and no harm you'll suffer. The amulet has that rubish 1 charge, but can be recharged to 50 in the next shop, and you'll like the extra protection in the Illithid City.
Second wear the Cloak of Mirroring while the drow male kills the beholder with his better THACO. Third make the drow guy go away, and deal with the dwarven partol yourself the way you want. Then go buy new spells from the dwarven shop in the south.
Cast Freedom, and start doing that quest - no hardness as you have all three elemental staff. When the mage emerges the final time run away imediatelly after talking him, as he has time stop + imprisonment. But he is stupid, and will die from one area-damage spell of yours leaving behind nifty spells (the Skull of Death is not usable by mages).
Again back to the drows' city. Don't forget you'll have to deal with two sidequest: the aboleth at the enterance can be talked down, but the slime-worshiping cult (couldn't be another beholder-cold, could it?) must be fought. Frotunatelly most of that group can be roasted with one incindenary cloud.
The rest shall go as supposed. Interesting sidenote, that the silver dragon will TRY to dispose the drow party at the final stage. One kuo toa will wander there too, but that aims you, and the dragon don't care for it. Now the interesting part is, that if you don't help the dragon it seems it COULD loose. Not that you'd need his blood, but worth noting for another campaign maybe.

Don't forget to go back for more spells and such when you reach back BG (hint: Adventures' Mart).

The battle against Irenicus... Well, at the Tree of Life we still have the staves to fight, right?
Irenicus himself is a simple mage even though he can see and target the invisible. So go a little away, and cast some area-damage spell to finish him off. Flawless Victory!
In the Pocket Dimension be sure to take the immunity to weapons, the rest is on you, but notice that the Wrath reward only has real effect if you choose to be evil, or is a cleric (but from Sharevok you'll get +1 wisdom anyway, so any powergamer will be evil there).
The final fight is... rather pathetic as none of them can see the invisible. So go a little away, summon a planetar, leave it far away, and chase the demons one by one to it. Help it to kill them with your Staff of Ram (best THAC0 with it and it gives more then the Staff of Rynn). Then go against Slayer-Irenicus himself, who has 2 mislead, but otherwise mostly pathetic against the power of the Planetar (if the duration runs out summon anotherone instantly). A thing to note that the Planetar might hit the invisible Irenicus, so manual-aim it against the misleads to avoid possible bugs.
That's it. Round two. Flawless Victory. Fatality!

In the expansion your first job is to dispose that girl. She is a mage - go figure.

Second is the First Pocketplane Challenge. For the first waves even a Wand of Monster Summoning can be enugh, for the later part summon things from items, or whatever you want.

Strangely enough after the trial all my one-per-day items were recharged. Lucky me, as when I arrived to Saradush the Berserker Warrior could handle the situation for me while I helped him out holding the Staff of Ram.
After this battle I've noticed my familiar got changed according to my new alignment. Just something to be watch out.

In Saradush do first the mage-shop's reopening and fill yourself with any spell you still missed.
Second is to enter the underground complex via the prison. With the staff of magi you are perfectly safe. Release the ghost trapped in the prison to get its ioun stone, and make Caspenar the Circlet of Netheril.

If I may suggest go for the Shakti Figurine too. You might end up never using it, but always be on the safe side I say. Might help you if you'd need a tenser's transformation.

The battle with Gromnir... is pathetic. Start with that not all his party able to harm you lacking better then +1 weaponry. But the worst for them is, they can not see the invisible. So put some area damage spell under them, and hope the "elissan not appearing" bug won't happen.

After this go to Caspenar to upgrade the Staff of Ram, then leave the Pocket Plane. Go imediatelly left to make the Siege Camp reachable. As you're invisible you won't have to fight. Not that the regular soldiers could harm you, but there are two fire giants and amage, so better not bother. It'd take time anyway.
To the Forest of Tethyr, where outside only concantrate on the Devil Shades, as not even the Master Wraith will be able to harm you. Ifor the interior make the two skeleton warrior (and the assassin) chased away, then kill the mage and the priest. The mage can see the invisible, the rest don't.

Yaga Sura's Temple would be joke-easy if not for the Fell Cats. While they themselves can not hurt you while they are around everyone else can see you too. So it is a must to dispose these creature - summon a planetar while you're standing around grabbing your staff of the magi. A mordekainen's sword can also be useful to draw the attention drom the planetar.

Returning to the Forest of Myr you can do to be a short trip, as there is nothing you ned from there appart the destruction of Yaga Shura's heart. So don't fight Nyalee or any of her thingies, just run. The Shambling Mounds are like the Fell Cats, so better hurry with that.

In the Siege Camp stay invisible, and do something sure damage to the chef giant. Anything will do, I casted my long not used Melf's Acid Arrow. Retreat until no current soldiers are visible.
Yaga Sura has no extra protection, resistance or ability - he is simply a fire giant. So summonoing planetars would do the trick, but I got bored of that, so instead casted improved alactricity, and shot the shit out of 'im.

The Secon Challenge is not too difficult. Summon a planetar and a Mordekainen Sword to ease the weight on it (helps avoiding damage). As soon as the battle starts move the planetar north. If the mage dies instantly good, if nt, lead the creature to the others - but not to your clone. this'll eliminate most opponents. Now if your clone accidently dies good, if not, make the planetar kill the mage. After that is done comes the ricky part.
Now, here your clone has the unfair ability to drink infinite extra healing potions when it is under injured status. Your only chance is if the planetar kills it, but it tends to furiously stack on YOU. the hell with it. Now if you don't want to rely on pure luck memorize tons of stoneskin, prot. from magic weapons and mantle/improved mantle to last longer, and give time to the planetar to make a deathblow. That's it.

In Amkethran save Saemon and his smuggler group. Ok, the only thing you get form this will be the Gargoyle Boots, but extra protection is extra protection.
Onto Sendai. Although I usually go to the dragons for the third pantaloon, but I see no point for that this time, as you should avoid hand to hand fights whenever possible.

When arriving summon a planetar and kill the woodsman, as well as all ariving drow and the ones guarding the lair's enterance.

Cakewalk to Thelynn'ss. One of his comrade stands in a not adequate position, so go in, make yourself visible until it moves inward, then turn invisible, and retreat to the enterance and cast a couple of cloudkill/incindenary cloud (wands exist for a reason too if you got bored, or decided to memorise other things for being more combat-intense).

We have a lich to kill next. It seems to be immun to cloudkill, but not on incindenary cloud! (Although it is possible that it can only be effected by things cast AFTER we saw it.) It can see the invisible, but who cares?

Earth elementals coming. Now where is that staff of earth we had earlier? :)
But Ogremoch himself is thougher, so cast Mordekainen's sword to remove the damage from the game, summon planetar to do damage. When done go to the other door invisibly. The demon-monsters and maybe the vampire will follow us out easing our fight. then just massacre the rest.
Only the priest and the Hive Mother remains, so pull out the long not used Cloak of Mirroring and punish them.

I hope you still have some amunition to a duel. Pure and simple against a drow SWORDman (hint, hint: clay golem).

Now, now illithids. Another blind bunch of crazies. But Mythykyl is not! And it'd follow you into sendai's lair! So first kill the umber hulk with some incindenary cloud. the illithid itself is no match against simple things from Wand of Monster Summoning.
When the first room is emptied make the group from the next come down there (summon some more thingies) - then run up, close the door on them (only some vampires can be clever enough in the entire game to open doors). Back to the pocket plane, rest (memorise tons of planetars, ok?), back, save, then go in.

Sendai is another blind bitch. I didn't care tactics here, mostly becuase of the drow extrem magic reisstance, so just kept summoning planetars and stood around invisible. Try to dispose the entering extra drows always first just for conveniance.
There is the two-axe form what is STRONGER then the planetar. Summon Clay Golem there.
The final form is nasty. It has unlimited summons and teleports around like crazy. I spat on her, and after running out of planetars returned to my dimension and rested. Heh.

The third Pocket Challenge is about running around, as the inconece-slayer is attracted to YOU. Summon a planetar, and it'll make (not so) short work on the beast though. Stoneskins and prot. from magic weapon helps a ton.

For the dragons... I got fed up, so turned to the cheesy solution, what is:
when arriving cast True Sight, and spend a charge from the Greenstone amulet. Activate the battle with Draconis. When his stoneskin kicks in blast it away with ne charge from the wand that gives you Breach. Wait until the mislead is dispelled by your True Sight. Wait until he is done with his Time Stop. Cast Improved Alactricity. Cast Time Stop. Cast Shapeshift. Change to Mind Flyer. Kill him.
Bot that there'd be a problem really with his human form, what can't even dagae you because of your immunity. The problem is the dragon form, what is more then frustrating. So do the cheesy way, ok?

Inside kill the Greater Wyvern by a planetar, whom you can help with the Staff of Earth.

For the remaining part of the complex just stay invisible. Don't bother with the BMU: it disables your spellcasting ability, and you can't use the BMR (what is technicaly a crossbow).

For Abazigal kill his human form. This is important: make it change to its dragon form! Planetars are useless here. Instead run around and gather all the slamanders and Abazigal in one group, then eliminate them with several Sunfire. Abazigal is immun, but who cares. Now kill him with eg. a ton of Skull Trap. Btw, he sees the invisible.

Important note: when leavin' Abazigal's lair, BE VISIBLE! Talk with Elminster outside! Else there'll be problems with Saemon Havarian not showing up.

Now the Fourth Challenge. Cast stoneskin. Cast two mordekainen's sword. summon a planetar. Done. this is really one of the easiest challenges.

Balthazar is pathetic if you can do melee, but YOU can't now. Planetars won't solve the problem either. Blthazar's abilities: cast magic missle, cast sunfire (what pushes you back too), cast Bigby's hand (dunno which), start drinking unlimited amount of potion of extra healing when below injured status - this means the damned guy regenerates. He is also immun to TimeStop, so have to figure out something.
What I've done was to cast 3*pierce shield on him from spell trigger, then cast improved alactricity, then blast everything on him. Honestly though the only thing that shwed actual effect were Skull Traps. Those killed my planetar (he won't be attracted to mordekainen's swords, only toward planetars. He also dispells any summons or kills them equally fast), but I could imediatelly recast. Then I summoned from items Clay Golem and Efreeti (this don't have the problem of gasous form), and turned myself the Slayer. Ye. It is like Tenser's Transformation, but with actual power!
Actually my theory is, that after lowering his magic resistance, casting the improved alactricity + skull trap to weaken him, then by attracting him with many planetars while disturbing him with many melf's minute meteors could do the trick.
Oh, and before you do anything, make the original planetar (what you summon after running to the enterance right at the start) to kill the monks on one side to avoid etreme difficulties.

Here comes the Ravager. Completly reorganise your spells. Put into Chain Contignency three Pierce Shield, activated when enemy seen, target enemy. Memorise two improved alactricity, cast the first and cast with it: blur + improved invisibility + 5 mordekainen's sword (to hold things up) + stoneskin + prot. form magical weapons. Run in (sending the swords first).
Right at the start cast improved alactricity. Release 3*pierce magic from spell trigger on the big mutha. Release 3*Greater Malison from Sequencer. Unload everything on it, although I again seen real effect only by the Skull Traps and Abi Dhalzim's Horrid Whilting.
Watch out to keep up prot. from magic weapons. Cast Energy Blades. Kill Ravager who must be now at the end of its strenght.

Now we only have to figure out a way to dispose Melissan. There we won't need Planetars and such, but something very-very similar to the technice used at the Ravager. With one addition: have a Wish spell memorised. Ye, it'll take heluva lot of time of reloads to get every time the "rest and rememorise spells" line, but be happy that it is at all avaiable!

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