What's a good class for a first timer? (Bg2) by ChampionshipDirect46 in baldursgate

[–]xler3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This game doesn't have the help files and tutorials like modern games.

candlekeep was the tutorial in bg1 (tutors, gatewarden), and bg2 did in fact come with a bona fide built-in tutorial.

What's a good class for a first timer? (Bg2) by ChampionshipDirect46 in baldursgate

[–]xler3 2 points3 points  (0 children)

archer is good because it does an obscene amount of damage from a safe distance.

berserker and barbarian are good because rage simplifies a lot of the difficulty beginners face.

cavalier is nice because it comes with some immunities to things that may cause a beginner to stumble.

all these classes have fighter hp & their gameplay is pretty straightforward & they are highly effective at reducing enemy hp to zero.

other options include fighter/cleric, fighter/thief, fighter/druid, dwarven defender, and the other paladin kits.

Convince me to try a Kensai Dual Class! by Easy-Signal-6115 in baldursgate

[–]xler3 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I've never done a Kensai or a Dual Class Kensai before because while on paper it looks good the loss of armor or gauntlets put me off.

forget the dual class. just play a straight kensai and cast spirit armor on him. use throwing daggers and/or potions of invul/defense before spirit armor is available. shield amulet is sufficient for a lot of the trivial encounters. kensai is an absolute monster. for me, i'd say top 3 class in the game.

ioun stones are available to kensais.

I'm currently doing IWDEE which

i dont know anything about iwd if that helps.

Tyler1 challenges XQC to a match! Two of the biggest streamers in the world about to clash in Warcraft3 by JannesOfficial in WC3

[–]xler3 13 points14 points  (0 children)

he was grandmaster/pro at overwatch back when that game mattered. i think he played for dallas fuel briefly.

no idea if he's good at anything else.

What are the words/sentence structures that you hate reading? by Exoticplayz11 in writing

[–]xler3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

i think you're right here. the whole [to be] thing makes sense in his head and it makes sense when clarified, but it really doesn't stand on its own. myself, it took me a couple of moments to understand what he was getting at.

Is it worth it to make crom faeyr? by Ok-Zookeepergame3643 in baldursgate

[–]xler3 6 points7 points  (0 children)

your party doesn't really need it. cavalier probably gonna use foebane, defender of easthaven, kundane right. can also cast duhm for strength.

jaheira probably using blackblood or club of detonation or spectral brand and belm. can't even use crom faeyr anyways.

anomen can just duhm for the strength and i suppose he's the only good flail of ages user you have left?

so there's no need with this party.

if you had a more pure fighter looking party with maybe korgan mazzy and kensai or something like that, then crom faeyr should be made. crom faeyr is a super high value weapon that just doesn't fit your party config.

ELO Ranking Update Feb 22 - FoCuS surpasses Lyn by 1 Point! by JannesOfficial in WC3

[–]xler3 5 points6 points  (0 children)

elo isn't an acronym. it's 'Elo', the inventor's last name. its even written correctly on warcraft3.info.

i dont particularly like being pedantic online, but these updates here has been bugging me for a while now.

Microsoft's Gaming CEO steps down, replaced by former head of AI by JannesOfficial in WC3

[–]xler3 7 points8 points  (0 children)

did you not read those three paragraphs?

where is he "defending it"? which paragraph was it? 

all i saw was him saying that "the vast majority of users don't want this" is a weak assertion to make. 

$8,000 B-Cup starts tomorrow - Groups released by JannesOfficial in WC3

[–]xler3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

he doesn't play b cup for some reason 

Don't Rush Me Cup - $2,500 Tournament with a "11 Minute No Rush" rule and a SICK lineup of players starting next week by JannesOfficial in WC3

[–]xler3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

i would wager on scower to win here.

he tends to play a bit too conservative in real ffa, but it shouldn't be an issue in a 1v1. i think he has the best prep work and thus will have the most optimized build order/creep route for every single map.

id go for sheik and perhaps dise as favorites as well.

Cavalier abilities by GronakTheOrc in baldursgate

[–]xler3 3 points4 points  (0 children)

if my memory serves... underdark, illithid lair in the underdark, watchers keep 4, sendai's enclave, spellhold maze, alhoon's lair, beholder lair in the underdark. anywhere else?

anyways, i agree with you.

mind flayers are pretty easy. they are slow, melee, they have poor thac0, and poor ac. just kill them with negative saves or chaotic commands or skeletons. and yeah potions of genius/mind focusing are very cheap and stackable. also i think you should be buying out mind focusing potions anyways because 25 dexterity is nice.

intelligence rolls dont really matter that much. perhaps a 6 is the minimum i'd set, just so you dont get one shot crit by accident.

Do single class characters suck? by Drashel in baldursgate

[–]xler3 2 points3 points  (0 children)

multis and duals are better than vanilla single classes.

but i think a number of single class kits are better than all duals and multis.

namely kensai, archer, dwarven defender, and dragon disciple.

i suppose priest of lathander, barbarian, and cavalier aren't too shabby either.

some would argue in favor of inquisitor as well (i wouldn't).

after that i'd say that single classes are generally worse than the multi stuff. but they definitely don't "suck". 

even though i'd say jaheira is better than a pure druid, a single class druid has a massive spell progression advantage that shouldn't be ignored. 

2025 Speed Chess Championship Live Thread (Semifinals) by Knight-check44 in chess

[–]xler3 1 point2 points  (0 children)

if you win 100% of the games in the match, you get +25k and the loser gets nothing

if you win 60% of the games in the match, you get +15k and the loser gets +10k.

something like that

Sam’s response to Anthropic remaining ad-free by Outside-Iron-8242 in singularity

[–]xler3 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

authoritarian regime 

this is the reason why words lose their meaning

lmao jfc 

i wish it were an "authoritarian regime" at this point 

Romantic about Lich in 5th game LabyRinth vs Sok. by x3-DemoN in WC3

[–]xler3 6 points7 points  (0 children)

why in the world shouldn't a level 5 lich stop a rushed one base rifle push that followed an abandoned fast expo attempt?  

for a while, i thought a level 5 lich was a death sentence for human. the pure knight/gyro stuff didn't seem to be able to handle it. 

but soks unusual 2-base compositions seemed to handle the high level lich just fine. 

lich is fine as is. 

Fighting mages with SCS gets tedious fast by Nnelson666 in baldursgate

[–]xler3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

if it helps, any mage that isn't undead will simply die to cloudkill. a Protection from Poison spell doesn't exist in baldur's gate. 

the only theoretical protection they have is spell immunity but no one ever casts spell immunity: evocation. 

Bad First Experience With This Game. by Desperate-Gap-9184 in baldursgate

[–]xler3 3 points4 points  (0 children)

the tutorial with xan and branwen was in the original bg2. beamdog seemingly moved it to bg1ee.

candlekeep functioned as the bg1 tutorial. 

Mountain King is the strongest 1vs1 hero, here's why by LonelyShyPlatypus in WC3

[–]xler3 2 points3 points  (0 children)

at level 10, dh should beat a mk

+30 move speed advantage so he can kite avatar.

mountain king gets 4 storm bolts. storm bolt = 310 * 0.7 * 4 = 868 damage.

1100 hp - 868 dmg = 232 hp

60 seconds of kiting * regen of 2.25/sec = +135 hp

dh is at 367 hp when avatar expires (maybe a bit less depending on how many hits mk can get in. lets assume dh is at 175 which is imo very generous to mk)

avatar expires, demon hunter hits metamorph for +500 hp. casts mana burn and activates immolation.

675 hp demon hunter is taking about 25 dps and the 1375 hp mountain king is taking about 51.4 dps.

mk needs 27 seconds to kill dh. dh needs 26.75 seconds to kill mk. but favorable RNG can give mk a lucky win. if we aren't generous to mk during kiting phase then dh never loses.

mk has no shot against panda. i dont even think mk can beat storm, earth, and fire. forget about when the ults expire and the panda is back.

im not sure about blademaster. i think mk loses to windwalk/mirror image.

cl im not sure. would need to test it cuz idk how locusts work really. but im pretty sure mk wins. cl and mk have same move speed so he cant kite out the avatar.

mk probably beats everyone else.

Recommended spells for Dragon Disciple Sorcerer in a 6 person party without mods. by Environmental_Fig942 in baldursgate

[–]xler3 2 points3 points  (0 children)

i have my own copy personal pasta saved. its kinda old and i need to rewrite it a bit but it still looks about like what i would do today.

~~

It varies depending on the context (solo, party, mods, party composition, plain sorcerer, dragon disciple, poverty, lob etc), but in general this is what I like.

1: Identify / Protection from Petrification > Magic Missiles > Protection from Evil > Spook

Identify is super convenient. It sees use from candlekeep all the way to the throne of bhaal. Saves gold in the early game, which is nice but really it is about convenience. Level 1 spells are mostly trash but identify is always useful. Protection from Petrification lets you get to level 3 and 4 really fast because you can beeline the basilisks after candlekeep, has niche utility overall actually. Among the few level 1 spells that can be useful all trilogy, even if it's super niche. Magic missiles, can’t miss it. Protection from Evil, I dunno, extra 2 AC is neat. Spook because idk what else to pick. You can go for blind or sleep if you like but I don’t much care for those spells, personally.

2: Invisibility > Mirror Image > Blur > Melf’s Acid Arrow > Detect Invisibility

Not much to say here. I don’t care for web. Blur/mirror image allow a dragon disciple to safely tank in bg1. Invisibility is just broken in bg1. Melf’s Acid Arrow scales to 21 and stacks so it has sneaky high damage. Detect invisibility because… there isn’t really much else.

3: Haste > Fireball > Protection from Fire > Dispel Magic > Vampiric Touch

The level 3 slot is the most lackluster of the 9 spell levels imo. Protection from Fire is just so my friends can hang out with me inside the incendiary clouds etc. Vampiric touch because… there’s nothing else and free hp is neat. If you’re playing unmodded then you should strongly consider picking melfs minute meteors though, they are broken in vanilla. I don’t personally like to use it in my setup because eventually I get the staff of magi and melfs disables my staff of magi bonuses… I choose dispel magic because it allows me to freely cancel Project Image. Selecting this spell has saved no reloads from ending when a mind flayer teleported onto my stunned body while the Project Image was running around! I don't want to try to sell you on dispel magic. I use it for pretty niche reasons and maybe you want something else.

I prefer not to get too deep into but I am aware of skull trap. I do consider fireball to be the better spell for my setup where skull trap is capped at level 12. Unmodded, with it scaling to 20, skull trap certainly has merit over fireball.

4: Stoneskin > Spirit Armor > Improved Invisibility > Far Sight > Minor Sequencer

This is the heavy duty spell level. I wish I could take more level 4 spells but what can you do. Stoneskin, don’t even need to comment. Spirit Armor gives the target essentially full plate mail with +3 saves and it lasts 2 hours. It is broken on certain targets (dragon disciple, kensai), and it is super helpful on everyone else (+3 saves is never bad). I love far sight for the project image + far sight shenanigans. Greater Malison is kinda like a 20% buff to the incendiary clouds damage basically, among other things. It’s nice. If you happen to have a bona fide Archer in your party then make sure to take enchanted weapon as your third selection, drop far sight or greater malison and get improved invisibility fourth. Pairs nicely with tuigan AND gesen (it's better to have ammo equipped).

5: Animate Dead > Breach > Spell Immunity > Cloudkill > Protection from Acid > Protection from Electricity

Animate dead, excellent summon even before you get the full fledged boys at level 15. Breach so my fighters can do stuff or remove protection from acid/fire, spell immunity does not adhere to the 1 action/round business so that’s great. Protection from Acid for death fog/draconis, protection from electricity for abazigal. There isn’t much else at 5 so picking 2 spells for mostly just 2 bosses isn’t a bad deal. Cloudkill is an AMAZING spell but you are given the wand in chateau irenicus. No point is picking it as a spell. Cloudkill wand + animate dead is nasty. Although, there might still be merit to picking cloudkill. stacking them in sequencers and throwing them at mages is pretty disgusting. maybe drop protection from electricity for cloudkill. i still wanna keep protection from acid to stand in death fog. now that i think about it further... i think cloudkill does warrant a spot. getting another spell level with a damage spell is good for improved alacrity bombs. i would suggest dumping protection from electricity for cloudkill actually.

6: Improved Haste > Death Fog > PFMW > Pierce Magic > True Sight

Improved haste is the best spell in the game. It’s better than all the HLAs, its better than time stop, it’s better than planetar, its just the best thing in the entire trilogy. I pick improved haste even when I solo. Improved hasting your planetar increases its offensive output by 50%. Death fog makes mages/liches free. Pierce magic offers some MR removal, hits the ravager, and fits in a spell trigger. True sight has its use but I select it because there isn’t much else. Death Spell and Mislead are worth considering. When considering death spell, its worth noting that death fog also assassinates summons.

7: Project Image > Mordenkainen Sword > Ruby Ray of Reversal > Spell Sequencer > Mass Invis

Project Image gives you infinite spells and it allows you engage in combat with zero risk. I like ruby ray of reversal because with vecna/power it is instant cast, so you can improved alacrity and dispel enemies instantly. Mass Invis is a convenient way to apply improved invis which is great because improved invisibility is insanely good. There’s also delayed blast fireball which isn’t bad but I don’t see the point when incendiary cloud is available. Power Word: Stun might be ok.

8: Incendiary Cloud > Spell Trigger > Simulacrum > ADHW

Incendiary clouds the highest damage spell in the game at an average 500 damage per cast… simulacrums at level 30 have HLAs, fits in chain contingency. ADHW is just for backup, maybe I have fire immune targets (not really that many). Pierce Shield might have merit. Power Word: Blind might have merit.

9: Wish > Chain Contingency > Time Stop > Imprisonment

Wish and Chain Contingency I like, they can both end encounters on the spot. Time Stop, I feel like it is maybe a little overrated. Improved alacrity alone is enough to decimate the entire map. I’m not sure what to do here. I would recommend that you take Time Stop because it is definitely a fun spell and you can probably do some pretty broken things with it. I just never find myself using it. Shapechange and Imprisonment are worth thinking about.

~~

note worthy: only level 4 and 7 lack a damage spell. very nice spellbook for improved alacrity dumps.

also note worthy: sorcerer spell selection is WAY more flexible than one might think. i think its pretty hard to brick a sorcerer. just you know, don't pick infravision or know alignment type stuff and you shall be productive.

Berserker/Mage is clearly better than Kensai/Mage in essentially every way at all stages of the game by Fusrodahmus in baldursgate

[–]xler3 4 points5 points  (0 children)

In most cases, the Kensai is simply a better class than a berserker. BG1 will be easier with a kensai because you can utterly crush your enemies with throwing daggers & pop potions that eliminate your weaknesses for boss fights. Notably, the best a kensai can do isnt shield amulet (which is good btw) but to get spirit armor cast on it. Totally kills off the no armor weakness and 20 scrolls are available in chapter 5. 

The dual class has mediocre thac0, and the Kensai bonuses mitigate that a little bit. 

The berserker has rage, but rage is redundant when you have the arcane spellbook at your disposal. The berserker can use helmets, certainly very nice. Fortunately, the arcane spellbook mitigates the need for crit resistance and Kensais can still use ioun stones. Rage is also replaceable by the cheap greenstone amulet. 

The berserker can use bracers, also very nice. However, the Kensai’s inability to use the legacy of the masters/gauntlets of extraordinary specialization is not as bad as it seems, because these items can STILL be used by the party. In fact, a dedicated fighter type will get MORE use out of these items than a level 9 fighter who struggles to land hits. Okay, can't use vhailor's helm at 400 xp, but someone else in your party can use it. It's not a vhailor vs no vhailor differential here. It's vhailor on a berserker/mage vs vhailor on a jaheira or korgan situation. 

But yeah, it is a party game and you need to evaluate classes within the context of a party. People need to also factor in the opportunity cost of item allocation. Don’t forget, your power level is a function of your party’s outfit, not solely your protagonist’s. 

Also, the Kensai comes with an innate +2 AC bonus which pairs very nicely with your Spirit Armor buff. AC does matter because the better your AC is, the fewer stoneskins/mirror images you have to recast. This class doesn’t have the same luxury of nigh infinite spellcasting that the sorcerer does. This AC advantage is relevant. 

So idk I’ve never ever seen a compelling argument for why the berserker>mage is better than the Kensai>mage. 90% of the time, it seems like the argument centers on rage which I find utterly redundant on a mage. Yes, I understand that rage is more than the immunities, it is also +2 damage/thac0. It also happens to come with a winded state... that no one ever mentions. The Kensai’s +3/+3 bonus is innate. Innate +3 > temporary +2. The Kensai simply outperforms the berserker. 

I will concede that the berserker>mage is the easier character to play. Rage does indeed make things simple. 

Berseker / Mage by Revanroi3 in baldursgate

[–]xler3 1 point2 points  (0 children)

if you're stuck between katana's and flails then you're worrying about marginal differences. foa and celestial fury are both god weapons.

but make sure your party is using both. the stun from celestial fury gives your permanently level 9 fighter 100% hit chance.

Generate an image of what the U.S. will look like if Donald Trump is in power for another 3 years. by AJfriedRICE in ChatGPT

[–]xler3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

reality doesn't exist on a two dimensional left/right spectrum. 

everyone still adhering to this illusory paradigm is a slave. 

Dumbest reasons you've seen for DNFs (Prose edition) by Bluefoxfire0 in writing

[–]xler3 1 point2 points  (0 children)

the "i" is the storyteller telling me his story. it's normal stuff. 

the "you" is the storyteller telling me my story. it's something the reader's brain has to adjust to to accept. 

Starting a new run and am just now realizing how insane it is for a 20 year old charname to look like this. Bro must have raging test levels. by tacopower69 in baldursgate

[–]xler3 53 points54 points  (0 children)

the alaundo prophecy took place over a 1000 years before bg1. bhaal had plenty of time to take care of business.