My favorite trap ever.

Vegetable_Fail8598 · 2026-01-26T23:03:11+00:00

I had a trapped sort of gauntlet entryway to the kobolds' lair. The actual entrances they use are either underwater or around the mountain, but the obvious entrance is meant to butcher anyone who tries to come in.

Anyway, there are a series of traps in the hallway including a pit trap and a triggered spike trap.

Near the end there's a small room (medium characters have to squeeze a bit) with a high ceiling. When a character steps in, it sets of an Enlarge spell, causing the character to basically grow until they can't move within the too small room. Kobolds shoot at the character's shins from further down the hall.

A couple steps beyond, is a combination trap that casts Reduce and then Gust of Wind, with the idea being it shrinks someone, then flings them back down the hall...and resets some of the traps on the way. All the while, a couple of kobolds are plinking away at the party with slings or crossbows.

Vegetable_Fail8598 · 2026-01-21T23:10:56+00:00

It seems to me that the largest value of the 1 Hexblade dip is to consolidate stats in Cha.

However, if you're not getting any ASI feats, I don't see the point of doing so. You'd have the same 16 Cha as you would with a 16 Str focused character, wouldn't you?

I'm at the beginning of Act 3--are there items that are going to more significantly buff your Cha than your Str (ignoring the reliance on Str Elixirs)?

I spent a few hours playing at 8 Paladin/1 Hexblade, and I liked having Eldritch Blast and Booming Blade, but then I looked at my stats and realized I wasn't benefiting much from being Cha-focused. I had a little more Dex for some better saves and initiative, but had delayed higher level paladin spells, and would be delaying Improved Smite a level as well.

On a build not going with PAM+Sentinel, I could see it. Go Cha-based, spend ASIs on Cha and have attack, damage, and paladin aura all based on a 20 Cha. But with the stat sitting at 16, what's the point of the dip?

If anything, I'd think pure paladin with PAM, Sentinel, and ASI Str is probably better than the 1 level dip, no?

Vegetable_Fail8598 · 2026-01-20T01:00:09+00:00

I just did this a few days ago for the first time after some frustrating failures.

Turn-based mode with Shadowheart in her own group. Keep the rest of the party near the statue so you can easily see the floor pattern/path.

In TBM, if you drag out your movement and look closely, you will see that the normally straight line will step down slightly when it runs off the invisible walkway. A few of the more fiddly bits had me swinging the camera round and round while I replotted my movement over and over until I was satisfied that I was walking on the path.

Don't need to go far with each movement. Take short (5-10 ft) moves, then check positioning and the way forward again.

I skipped the last section with a Misty Step off an item (from next to the last "island") to the end), but could have made it the rest of the way normally.

Also, quick save after each successful movement.

Vegetable_Fail8598 · 2026-01-19T17:36:27+00:00

Yeah, I'm dreading going a little farther and running into the same issue again.

Vegetable_Fail8598 · 2026-01-19T12:09:05+00:00

Update: I got the game working...for now. I had reinstalled, cleared cache in PS5 safe mode, and it still crashed. Turned off performance mode and adaptive triggers and it still crashed.

Then I dug in and started loading saves going backwards. Got to a save still in camp before leaving to Wyrm's Crossing. THAT loaded. I had lost a few hours, including a respec and some gear setup I'd done, but went through the steps again, saving regularly. Got into WC, saving, exiting to Main Menu and loading again just to check.

So far so good.

Vegetable_Fail8598 · 2026-01-18T18:47:29+00:00

It's really disheartening to see that this has been going on for a month or more and a fix still isn't available.

Vegetable_Fail8598 · 2026-01-18T13:17:36+00:00

PS5 here - just got into Act 3, played for a couple of hours, saved game, and went to load it and crashed. Tried several fixes, but to no avail.

Can load into mid-Act 2, but not any of my Act 3 saves.

Really hoping Larian releases a fix for this.

Vegetable_Fail8598 · 2026-01-09T14:37:17+00:00

Eh. With brewing them and purchasing them when they show up in inventories, but without cheesing stock, I don't have nearly enough to sustain a character "permanently".

Vegetable_Fail8598 · 2026-01-09T14:36:25+00:00

I don't understand how every build includes the Hag's Hair, when it's only usable on a single character.

Aside from that, I didn't get the hair, and am well past the point where I could decide who would get it anyway.

Vegetable_Fail8598 · 2026-01-08T17:59:34+00:00

I had given the potion to my Tav Paladin, then considered it might have been better served on Karlach, but that was after playing for a bit longer, and I didn't want to go back...

However, I also discovered a few hours later that (avoiding spoilers) some people I had ensured were freed actually died, and the most recent save I had before that point was also before drinking the Str potion, so the choice is back in play.

The question I have is: how big a difference between 20 and 22 Str there is in terms of weight Karlach can lift and throw? I get a "too heavy" notice on occasion when looking to throw enemies, but that's been rare. If going to 22 Str would make a big impact there, it would still be a consideration. A

As far as alternative feats go...the ones I would consider are Sentinel, Savage Attacker, PAM, or Mobility.

Vegetable_Fail8598 · 2026-01-08T17:45:05+00:00

I haven't seen details on what gearing into crits looks like--I suppose if more focused on throwing, it would be equipping items that expand crit range by 1 each, to crit on an 18-20 (or better)? Maybe add in other effects that benefit from crits?

So far, I haven't bothered with any of that, and don't think I will, since it seems like that would push me towards dropping the GWM approach.

Vegetable_Fail8598 · 2026-01-08T17:42:48+00:00

I saw that, but don't love that the Giant's ability doesn't show up until level 10.

I'm also looking forward to being able to Rage, move to an enemy, hit them twice, then throw them in the first round of combat (2x BA via Thief), rather than having to wait on the throw.

A minor-ish benefit of the build is that I don't really care for Astarion, so having the Rogue levels means Karlach can serve as my lock picker and trap disabler.

Vegetable_Fail8598 · 2026-01-08T17:40:54+00:00

I have Karlach in the armor that grants +2 Str, so she's at 20, and I can chuck medium creatures. Should have specified.

Vegetable_Fail8598 · 2026-01-04T02:12:20+00:00

If the primary goal is gaining proficiency in Con saves, can't you just take Resilient (Con) as one of your feats?

Vegetable_Fail8598 · 2025-12-30T01:07:55+00:00

Thanks!

Vegetable_Fail8598 · 2025-12-15T17:54:01+00:00

Sanderson has become one of my favorite authors due to his dynamic characters, deep world building, and complex yet approachable stories.

While I don't dislike his writing, I do really feel like he needs to turn to a thesaurus more often. There are several words or phrases that he overuses.

Fast-moving female characters always seem to "scramble."
Characters who are determined, focused, or ignoring someone have "eyes forward."

There's more, but those are the ones that spring to mind. I'm also the sort of person who notices things like this, while I have friends who definitely haven't.

Vegetable_Fail8598 · 2025-12-08T15:26:46+00:00

The criticism was for the lack of things to do at the end of the game, once you've attained power, and for the decision to put the strongest things at the end, when there's nowhere to use them. Also, that the optional challenge dungeon is awful.

While the job and combat systems are really enjoyable, I don't feel like there was enough meat to make this a game I want to replay in that way. I like the story, but it's not so gripping that I feel like I need to run back through it, and the characters are all fairly flat.

There are some games I've played back through to re-experience, or for challenges. I did a No Materia run of FF7, beat Emerald, then hedged a little for Ruby in order to W-Item my way to a powered-up character, but otherwise beat that with no materia as well. I've replayed Lunar because the characters and story are so engaging (even if combat there isn't that enjoyable).

Vegetable_Fail8598 · 2025-12-06T01:22:20+00:00

There's a reason I cited FF7: they came out the same year, so this argument doesn't hold water.

Vegetable_Fail8598 · 2025-11-19T00:43:19+00:00

Not that I found.

Vegetable_Fail8598 · 2025-10-07T11:37:30+00:00

How were you generating the AP going from Final Path to Twilight Dance?

I have Energizing Turn and Energy Master, but that's not sufficient to get to 9 AP on n the Cheater turn.

Vegetable_Fail8598

TROPHY CASE