What's Your Recipe for Disaster?

Remove all ads!

First I must praise Ancalimon the Wise for inspiring this topic with his spell favorites discussion. Here are a few tactics I like to employ in annihilating those that dare to cross my path (I truly pity them don't they know I can always reload?), of course it all depends on what you're facing but in general I like these approaches:

A)Battle Prep
1. Summon an army, between 3 spellcasters I can double my party size(Raise Dead best)
2. Protect Evil whole party
2. Stoneskin & Strength Tanks
3. Luck, Hope, Recitation etc. to give a helping hand to all
4. Mass Haste
5. Mirror Image Mages, or blur

B) Attack!
1. Try to position my characters in an area behind a narrow corridor so enemies come at me either 2 or 1 at a time. Summoned creatures up front, tanks next, support group last.
2. Spellcasters throw out webs, grease, slow in combination with stinking cloud, cloudkill, acid fog or some other hell that the enemy has to march through just to get to my summoned group.
3. Use arrows, magic missles, Melf's, fireballs, flamestrike etc. to rain down death and destruction.
4. Tanks clean up what gets through.

Of course this is ideal but I usually find I can work some version of this in nearly any area.

C)Surprise! Another thing I love to do is use the rogue to sneak attack something or just tap 'em with an arrow so they'll chase me into a full party ambush. Doesn't always have to be the seven course meal listed above but often I can then trap the idiot monster (i.e. Iron Golem) in a space between my tanks. The giant dreadnought that usually ruins my day often struggles, instead of taking a swing at anyone, to chase the taunting thief (hah-hah you can't catch me!) while the tanks cheerfully whack him into the grave.

This last bit worked great for me in the Raven Tomb, I had 2 or 3 different pansys running from the 4 Iron Golems while the tanks and summoned group turned them into scrap heaps.

How do you like your enemies best served?

 

By the time you have cast all those protective spells, half of 'em is already worked out. Your tactics are pretty good, and I haven't defeated those iron golems. Did you slaughter all the BR monks? I did, huge xp rewards and you still get to fight the duergar for even more xp! My tactic: 2 fireballs and a firestorm. Nice and crispy goblin comin' up.

 

1) Paladin with SpellResistance and Protection from Fire cast upon him.
2) Send in the Paladin.
3) 2 Clerics, 1 Wizard and 2 Sorcerers Casting Fireballs and Flamestrikes respectively at the mob gathered around the Paladin.

Talking about Death from Above. Anything without Spellresistance or Fireresistance is vaporised, and those with are severely damaged. (Unless they're immune of course.)

 

Another tactic:

1-send my rogue to the huge army ahead.(invisible)
2-make him reappear in the middle of the enemy forces.
3-Cast Otiluke's resilient sphere on him.
4-Monsters all attack the rogue.
6-cast web or entangle on your rogue
7-monsters are now trapped
8-Rain death upon your foes with acid storm, firestorm, fireball, cloudkill. Survivors? I don't think so. In the meantime, my party's going of boredom

nice fried orcs with a hint of acid for dessert.

 

no need preperation, just dash into fight
1 - bard blow the horn, 4~6 barbarians pop up
2 - barbarians move up take the damage
3 - wizard cast malison, sorcerer cast wail of banshee, cleric and druid cast tremor
4 - barbarians gradually die, wizard, sorcerer and cleric cast animate undead to replace the dead
5 - wizard and sorcerer throw in horrid wilting

 

Find the leader (if there is one) or the most powerful creature, and Hamstring 'em. Or Bleeding Wound if they're a spellcaster. Then, when the rogue appears from the shadows, run away toward the party. If I have enough time, use Stinking Cloud to paralyze them, then smash the followers with Fireball and Ice Storm. Otherwise, good ol' melee! Weaken with Agannazar's Scorcher and other spells, and cut through.

 

See, this is what motivated me to start the topic; I've just picked up some great ideas for wreaking further carnage...demonic geniuses after my own heart.

Really like the use of Otiluke's Resilient Sphere (You're right it is a great spell but I should have thought of that!) However Ancalimon you are not so Wise regarding the duration of certain spells: Protection from Evil, Stoneskin, and Strength last a very long time. In fact I usually complete an entire quest without losing 2 out 3 (Stoneskin wears off from damage but invaluable and almost always serves for multiple battles). Raise Dead lasts till they die, other summoned leave earlier but usually end up fighting to the death; leaving the shorter lived spells for casting last (having 3 spellcasters helps here too for timing).

No I didn't kill all the BR monks; I know this is just a video game and all but my role playing instincts told me a paladin just wouldn't hack away at monks unprovoked, especially to serve the interests of evil dwarves. Being the exp hound that I am you are making me regret my ethically noble decision, thanks.

Faragon, devastating tactics I'm sure, but jeez your poor Paladin does he frequently die or just get reduced to a mumbling rump roast after every battle? Or are your spells strong enough to protect him from serious harm in that napalm barrage from Apocalypse Now? Regardless, Col Killgore would be proud and like the smell of your morning recipe.

 

I'm now playing a HOF mode with high level characters, and i do as follows:
1 - cast all the protective spells i can
2 - engage the enemies
3 - cast couple of Wail of Banshee
4 - and finally fighter do the rest, i mean all whp resisted Wail of Banshee or just aproached

 

My druid is your disaster. Wanna play outside?

 

Master of Nuhn, I'm not sure if you're just making a puhn or if you're inviting me to engage your druid in combat...if the latter only wimpy druids are afraid of the indoors.

 

I have to say that my socerer tends to feature heavy in the cooking up of enemies in my party.

Thing is I developed a lot of very party unfriendly habits when soloing SoA/ToB with a sorcerer.

You know the stuff:

Stoneskin and MI go without saying, haven't used blur in IWD2, but it's an option.

Now calmly walk into the frey, turn invisible. All enemies will walk up next to you, but can't attack. Unleash 3 or so sunfire blasts (Used to be too good for words with the spell sequencers and staff of the Magi). If required, repeat prescription, or fry with chain lightning as your tanks walk up to the badly damaged remainder and wipe them out. If solo, now is where the undead that walk around with you are brought in to sort out the unpleasant mopping up.

[ February 05, 2003, 13:47: Message edited by: Viking ]

 

Bravo Viking I like those moves, will have to try it thanks.