So I finally surmounted Blackwater.
As a dungeon, it blows. I super hate it.
It also requires real-time combat because playing it turn-base would take a million-billion years.
Really? I do not mind blackwater at all. The first time I did it, it kicked my ass, but after that, every other game it was a walk in the park. I just made sure to keep lighting bows and weapons I found earlier just for blackwater.
I am sure itâs fine on a replay with prior knowledge but rolling to hit 48 AC is not what I consider a walk in the park. Fights are overly long because of all the misses which makes turn base unplayableâŚunless you have a few hours.
Itâs mostly just the middle room with three demons and two mirror imaged succubi.
You fight more of them after but always in smaller more manageable numbers. The dungeon boss was laughably easy.
I did discover after clearing nearly the entire dungeon on like the last 48 AC demon fight that the spell vine trap completely destroys them. It locks them in place, does a little bit of damage, but most importantly it allows all your attacks to automatically hit. The last two exploded into gibbets the second after I casted vine trapâŚ(still playing in real-time.)
It was a real slap in the face. (I suppose any spell that causes paralysis ought to work. Vine trap just worked with my build because I had spell focus and greater spell focus in Conjuration)
For some reason I largely ignored teamwork feats in Kingmaker but in this I grabbed Outflank for all my melee classes and Allied Spellcaster for all myâŚspellcasters.
More attacks of opportunity and spell penetration feels needed.
So Iâve cleared out every last demon army on the Act 3 map including the Balor army. Still forts I canât reach.
Should I stay in Act 3 and complete the fat stack of relic cards Iâve accumulated before progressing?
Only if they give you something you want.
Hey guys, I worked up the courage to give this game a go and have been reading through this thread, so much info hereâŚ
What version should I pick up today?
Probably just the base game. Make sure to grab the 4 free DLCs too. Theyâre trivial, but free.
Thank youâŚI will do that.
Tons of YT videos on builds if youâre not super familiar with 3.5 D&D or Pathfinder too, pick an archetype and go with it.
To balance out the build-masters here, as someone who âjust goes with itâ all the time, you really canât go wrong with trying any kind of class/build you want, provided you are also okay with adjusting difficulty if you find it too tough. I find thatâs a much more enjoyable way to play than trying to get something that works well without frustration on a specific, higher, difficulty, even the default.
The game is a LOT. I mean, huge in a good way, with a tonne of content. Even in the base game. If you like it and stick with it then youâll be investing a great deal of time into that character. Be sure itâs what you want.
For your main class an Arcane spellcaster is a good idea. There is only one full arcane spellcasting companion in the game. I found them off-putting and sent them straight to the bench.
Just like Kingmaker I loath most of the companions, and there isnât a bard this time, so maybe going Skald would be smart.
Bow Deliverer is great if they didnât already give you two bow-based companions.
Technical, the elf is an arcane caster. A different tradition and spelllist, but witches and bards are both arcane casters in 1st addition.
Yeah, I ignored her. The Witch. Only not fully Arcane and with a far worse spell list.
Shamanâs are also full casters too, again not the full sentence, but that one has a pretty big fucking asterisk.
Bards are not full casters. The point being FULL: spells going up to level 9 by level 20. (And Arcane)
Iâm good with 3.5 D&D having played a ton of Neverwinter Nights 1 and 2, I know nothing about Pathfinder thoughâŚ
Probably just fire up my usual Paladin and see where it goes to start.
Ha. They are one and the very same!
Patherfinder WotR just has way more class options but itâs the same damn system.
Barring the Mythic path stuff which is new to me.
Shaman arenât considered Arcane Casters though.
They, like druids, paladins, rangers, clerics, warpriest, inquisitors and oracles, are all Divine casters. Which is great if you have armor to wear.
One thing to keep in mind about the Ember is that she can access the rings that greatly increase her spells available. Just give her a ring
I canât seem to not use Ember in a playthrough. Her curses are so darn useful when I donât want her to delete stuff with her fire spec spells. Basically using the Burning Ember build from neoseeker.
Iâm too lazy to micro hexes after the vrock in Act 1. Just overpower the enemy and you donât need them!
Make Ember a Mad Dog wielding an elven curved blade. The rage and full BAB will more than make up for the stupid blackened malus.
Point me on the donkey where I said shamanâs are fucking arcane blashtershsitsâŚ?
Iâll save you the trouble. I only said that they are FULL casters, which I tried, boy did I try.
Right here! In a discussion all about Arcane Casters, (which you are wrong about the Witch, but okay) you drop a comment about Shaman.
Consider the conversation is all about Arcane Casters, that you start talking about Witches being not really Arcane, and veer off into Shaman, and then end with a discussion of Bards (which are also arcane, but not to the full 9th level in 1st edition), it is hard not to assume that you thought Shaman were also Arcane.
If you didnât think shamans were Arcane, then I have no idea how a person is supposed to parse your words.