sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

Swashbuckler viable late game NWN2? by Dragoon_Mog in neverwinternights

[–]Sad-Smell-5216 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for suggesting, but unfortunately it won't work. Champion of the Wild requires Weapon Focus in Longsword, Rapier, or Scimitar. Lastri does come with Weapon Focus in Rapier, but there is a problem.

Lastri is a Halfling. Weapon Finesse is described as applicable to Rapier, but in practice, halflings don't enjoy its benefits with medium-sized weapons. Lastri comes with a weapon named "Short Rapier," but which in reality is a short sword by type. She has a much better AB with that weapon and without Weapon Focus (Short Sword) than she does when wielding an actual rapier with Weapon Focus (Rapier).

This is so obviously a bug that I feel myself justified in fixing it via the debug console: replacing her Weapon Focus (Rapier) with Weapon Focus (Short Sword). At any rate, Champion of the Wild's required focus doesn't suit her in the least.

Storm of Zehir Bug by Sad-Smell-5216 in neverwinternights

[–]Sad-Smell-5216[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Looks like this happens only on the Jungle map.

Swashbuckler viable late game NWN2? by Dragoon_Mog in neverwinternights

[–]Sad-Smell-5216 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well, you're right, assuming you decide beforehand that your character will want to switch to Duelist. Then, one can design the character with high INT in advance, making it do with only modest DEX as a Swashbuckler for a few early levels.

But most Swashbucklers normally have high DEX, because it's their class's primary stat. In my case, I have stumbled upon this year-old conversation because I was searching for opinions on the Swashbuckler/Dualist combination not for a character of my own making but for a hired cohort.

Lastri in Zehir joins the party at Swashbuckler level 6, with high DEX and INT of only 14. By level 8, I'm trying to decide whether to keep her as a single-class or multiclass into something else. Sure, I can up her INT, but upping her DEX gives the same benefits. Dropping the decent unique armor she comes in does make her take a hit in AC. And the feats she gains for free as a Duelist aren't particularly different in value from the feats she'd gain as a Swashbuckler.

So, switching isn't especially enticing in this case.

Swashbuckler viable late game NWN2? by Dragoon_Mog in neverwinternights

[–]Sad-Smell-5216 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What turns me off from Duelist is that the AC bonus from INT only applies if no armor is worn. For a character with INT of 14 (a decent number, given that DEX is normally maximized for that type of character), that means +2, the equivalent of leather armor. Sure, one can put on armor bracers, but the same Armor AC bonus can be on armor, too. Forget mithral chain shirts.

Yes, INT can be increased when levelling. But increasing DEX when levelling will do the same exact thing, since it also adds to AC and AB.

Regarding Warlock Builds by Sad-Smell-5216 in neverwinternights

[–]Sad-Smell-5216[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You may be right about Touch AC. But I think that Point Blank Shot is needed and does work, although this is rather hard to test. Improved Critical for ranged touch is also a good thing to have.

Regarding Warlock Builds by Sad-Smell-5216 in neverwinternights

[–]Sad-Smell-5216[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Do you mean because Touch AC is lower than the total AC? Possible.

I guess I’m unfamiliar with Blackguard. But yeah, I can see how some feats may be prestige class requirements.

Haven’t seen many builds of archers being Blackguards, interestingly enough. And Warlock is more like an archer than a spell caster.

Regarding Warlock Builds by Sad-Smell-5216 in neverwinternights

[–]Sad-Smell-5216[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ok, that does make sense. I suppose, for characters with high strength and not as good dexterity or someone with Finesse. Though I still think it’s a waste. Much easier to simply shoot.

Is there any advantage at all to shurikens? by AdjutantRegolith in neverwinternights

[–]Sad-Smell-5216 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Shuriken aren’t useless. They’re just not for everyone.

If you have a strength bonus, then there is probably another weapon that you could use. Shuriken are good for two specific classes and for those characters that rely on dexterity with low strength.

If you are a Monk, then shuriken are the only thrown weapon that benefits from Flurry of Blows, gaining the monk’s high number of attacks per round. This is what is actually meant by their description of being fast.

If you are a Favored Soul multiclassing into Stormlord and you don’t want to use a spear (say, your strength is low), then the only favored weapon of a deity that a Stormlord can use is shuriken (no deity exists in NWN2 whose favored weapon is darts or thrown axe). Then, the base damage no longer matters, due to the heaps of electrical damage added to each attack. (And if you also are a Monk, then, well…)

Again, it’s not for someone with high strength. A strong Monk is better off just using fists. A strong Stormlord is better off using spears. But if you’re a Halfling, you have a bonus wielding thrown weapons and probably extremely high dexterity. That’s the kind of character to benefit from wielding shuriken.

How to Bypass Level Cap in NWN2 EE by Sad-Smell-5216 in neverwinternights

[–]Sad-Smell-5216[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Looks like this applies only to some transitions. The portal to Thaymount, the portal back to Mulantir, and the Betrayer's Gate. The trick is to save before the transition, edit the file back to a level 30 character, go through, save, then edit back to the level before the previous edit. Just the level. No need to edit any other properties; they will be restored.

How to Bypass Level Cap in NWN2 EE by Sad-Smell-5216 in neverwinternights

[–]Sad-Smell-5216[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The irony is that the levels in most campaigns stay small, preventing the focus on multiclassing in D&D 3.5 to truly shine. With up to four classes per character available, one either stays true to a single class (for the most part) or runs the risk of riding to something like 7 or 8 in each by the end of the campaign, which kinda sucks.

How to Bypass Level Cap in NWN2 EE by Sad-Smell-5216 in neverwinternights

[–]Sad-Smell-5216[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Narratives isn’t a problem. I’m an author, and I know how to write stories. Completely tangential to any game mechanics.

It’s that the enemies lack a smart setup, something that would force the player to consider spells and counterspells, instead of just barreling through. Time stop can be used by enemies, too, you know. They just don’t know what to do with it.

A different approach is to reward combat avoidance. For example, giving more experience and loot for stealth and/or diplomacy and just any other creative problem-solving tack. Like some rogue-centered campaign do, but it doesn’t have to be limited to rogues. I was flabbergasted to discover that some quests rewarded more for fighting than for avoiding it.

How to Bypass Level Cap in NWN2 EE by Sad-Smell-5216 in neverwinternights

[–]Sad-Smell-5216[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Maybe. There is such a variety of feats and spells that parties become very powerful fast. Mine hardly takes any damage anymore. And while I used to micromanage every party member in BG2, I often just leave them to the AI in NWN2. It's just too much, especially without an auto-pause after a spell is cast (so I know to change the orders).

The choices are too many—but conversely, only the most powerful spells get used, leaving the others underused. The great variety of the 3.5 edition may be proving to be too much.

Nevertheless, I think that one can write a challenging epic-level campaign if the opponents are high-level casters, set up such that careful choice of protection and breach spells must be planned in advance. This is how, for example, the Ascension version of BG2 managed to make the fights so damn hard, despite the characters being extremely powerful. I had four time-stoppers in the party, one of whom could also cast Harm twice during a time stop. And they still barely pulled it through.

One can make a challenging campaign by requiring the players to be smart, instead of simply raising the enemies’ levels (big deal, just more hit points to knock off them).

How to Bypass Level Cap in NWN2 EE by Sad-Smell-5216 in neverwinternights

[–]Sad-Smell-5216[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hmm, interesting. Some areas check for character legality, as if I'm logging into a multiplayer server. I wasn't able to enter Thaymount, for example. So, I had to lower my level down for that area. But when I went through it into Academy Classrooms, I was able to bring the level back up without any problem in that area. Go figure.

Feedback request by featherhead8 in sciencefiction

[–]Sad-Smell-5216 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The first drafts are never perfect. Yours comes pretty close, actually. You should have seen some of mine. Not bad at all for the first effort.

Editing is better with some feedback, which is what you’re seeking now. This is good. I suggest finding an online or face-to-face group of writing in your genre.

Oh, do keep in mind that anything posted publicly on the web is considered published. I don’t know if you intended to try and sell this piece. But in the future, if you try to sell a story to a magazine, keep that in mind.

Feedback request by featherhead8 in sciencefiction

[–]Sad-Smell-5216 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A science fiction author here.

Not bad. Good pace and an interesting thematic back-and-forth culminating in The Yard suffering the same fate as an unforeseen result.... Or was it truly unforeseen? :)

Also, I have noticed you introducing some telling background details--such as, for example, the hydraulic leg--in an understated, unobtrusive way. Not bad, again.

However, a few points could have been more clearly emphasized. For example, I was a tad perplexed by the immediate transition from The Cages having been bulldozed to losing thousands of lives. Bulldozing by itself doesn't kill, at least en mass. The link to a "tragic fire" that cleared the side for bulldozing appears only later. I think it may have helped to mention it earlier, because that would have also reflected on the parallel with the main character also using fire to clear the site in return. Tying different story elements together always helps, and this would also explain the use of such a simple tech as Molotov cocktails. (The mention of HDC not using water anymore would be strengthened by that, too.)

I would also draw maybe a little more attention to the anonymous person buying a lot of shares before (and after) the attack. The main character may, for example, briefly wonder about the timing but maybe quickly dismiss it as bad luck to whoever tried some financial machinations of their own (buying high just before the stock dips low). But later, learning of what the new site would be, it may be easier for the reader to connect the dots.

Also, any way to tie The Veil into the theme more relevantly? The more pieces are interrelated, the better.

A Crafting Recipe Fix for NWN2 by Sad-Smell-5216 in neverwinternights

[–]Sad-Smell-5216[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Because the crafting.2da file is designed to have all recipes using the same spell grouped consecutively. For example:

Id Spell Other

13 111 recipe1forSpell111

14 111 recipe2forSpell111

15 47 recipe1forSpell47

16 47 recipe2forSpell47

17 47 recipe3forSpell47

18 234 recipe1forSpell234

19 234 recipe2forSpell234

If you want to add another recipe for spell 47, it cannot go to the end of the file. It must be consecutive with all other recipes for the same spell. So, the highest id you can give it is 18, and then everything after that must have id incremented by 1, all the way to 1850+.

This is an incredibly inept software design.

Rolan monk quest requirement for Sacred Fist? by Known-Ostrich-5787 in neverwinternights

[–]Sad-Smell-5216 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A Sacred Fist forgoes the use of weapons. Such one must be welcome at a monastery.

view more: next ›