Incline KotC (Knights of the Chalice) is awesome

[felipepepe]

what book?

This book: https://crpgbook.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/crpg-book-preview-2-1.pdf

 

[thexsa]

What kind of sadistic fuck designed the encounter after the Orc Fortress?

Spoiler

The shit where you emerge from stairs and are surrounded by like 10 gnolls who all magically win all initiative rolls, proceed to fuck you over with silence, web, and sound blast, then polymorph into spiders.

 

[CryptRat]

What kind of sadistic fuck designed the encounter after the Orc Fortress?

Spoiler

The shit where you emerge from stairs and are surrounded by like 10 gnolls who all magically win all initiative rolls, proceed to fuck you over with silence, web, and sound blast, then polymorph into spiders.

It may have been the hardest fight for me too, later there is at least a chance to win by getting lucky rolls when using your high level mage spells.

I remember winning this one by

Spoiler

putting my mage ahead so that he doesn't get touched by the lighting bolts which target 3 characters. That apart, I can't remember, probably Dispel magic, Summoning an elemental, and of course, luck.

 

[thexsa]

What kind of sadistic fuck designed the encounter after the Orc Fortress?

Spoiler

The shit where you emerge from stairs and are surrounded by like 10 gnolls who all magically win all initiative rolls, proceed to fuck you over with silence, web, and sound blast, then polymorph into spiders.

It may have been the hardest fight for me too, later there is at least a chance to win by getting lucky rolls when using your high level mage spells.

I remember winning this one by

Spoiler

putting my mage ahead so that he doesn't get touched by the lighting bolts which target 3 characters. That apart, I can't remember, probably Dispel magic, Summoning an elemental, and of course, luck.

Finally got it after like 15 retries. Needed some roll-luck. Moving mage to front helped too.

All your fancy defensive spells don't count for much if the game won't even give you a chance to use them.

 

[TigerKnee]

I love that battle on concept, but yes, it's pretty fucking unfair for their magic ambush first strike initiative Save Or Die spam to not let you do anything about it since pre-buffing isn't a thing that exists in KoTC

 

[Darth Roxor]

I love that battle on concept, but yes, it's pretty fucking unfair for their magic ambush first strike initiative Save Or Die spam to not let you do anything about it since pre-buffing isn't a thing that exists in KoTC

All pansies and womyn can gtfo. KotC is a game for MEN.

 

[ArchAngel]

What kind of sadistic fuck designed the encounter after the Orc Fortress?

Spoiler

The shit where you emerge from stairs and are surrounded by like 10 gnolls who all magically win all initiative rolls, proceed to fuck you over with silence, web, and sound blast, then polymorph into spiders.

It may have been the hardest fight for me too, later there is at least a chance to win by getting lucky rolls when using your high level mage spells.

I remember winning this one by

Spoiler

putting my mage ahead so that he doesn't get touched by the lighting bolts which target 3 characters. That apart, I can't remember, probably Dispel magic, Summoning an elemental, and of course, luck.

The last last fight is hardest by far. This fight I remember doing on send try, although I don't remember the details. The last last fight is almost pure luck even when you got a great plan and best stuff /levels

 

[Dickie]

I love that battle on concept, but yes, it's pretty fucking unfair for their magic ambush first strike initiative Save Or Die spam to not let you do anything about it since pre-buffing isn't a thing that exists in KoTC

All pansies and womyn can gtfo. KotC is a game for MEN.

If anyone doesn't believe, they can just read the first post in this thread.

http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/lets-play-knights-of-the-chalice-ironman.35655/

 

[TigerKnee]

The funny thing is, I found the game getting pretty easy as it went on, somehow it managed to make getting ambushed by multiple dragons feel kind of banal, but maybe it'll be different if I didn't craft items.

But too bad, crafting's a feature in the game, so I'm going to mondblut the hell out of it.

 

[Deuce Traveler]

I just started playing this, too, with a human knight, human cleric and two half-elven mages. The party is at fourth level now and I think I cleared out the starting caves of all enemies except for a room of giant spiders that are equipped with fireball spells. Then I cleared out some orcs and large tiger from another location, but am running into trouble past them. So I think I'll adventure elsewhere and come back to these parts at higher levels. Each battle is challenging and fun so far.

 

[TigerKnee]

So I think I'll adventure elsewhere and come back to these parts at higher levels.

I remember this game actually being pretty linear with most areas being blocked off by either meat gates or plot gates so I don't really know if you can "adventure somewhere else".

Still, there was some very profitable Random Battles on the overworld in terms of effort/rewards.

 

[Doctor Sbaitso]

For pure battle mechanics, encounter design and player feedback, KoTC is unsurpassed IMO. This game gets it just right.

 

[thexsa]

For pure battle mechanics, encounter design and player feedback, KoTC is unsurpassed IMO. This game gets it just right.

So far I am pleased, except with the two instances of complete b/s where you get ambushed by 10+ caster Gnolls.

Compared to the rest of the game, those encounters just felt lazy, uninspired and deliberately designed to fuck over anyone attempting iron man since they are 100% rng based.

Most fights, so far, in the game I have needed to reload 0-2 times on average, except for those 2 where I have needed 15+ in both cases.

If you, like me, ran a 2 fighter, cleric, mage-party, your mage is unlikely to get off a single spell because either a) the mage dies to 4 arrows hitting for 10+ damage, b) your mage gets stunned, c) your mage fails concentration check because 2-3 Gnolls went Read vs Spell-mode and fucks you up with arrows while attempting to cast.

 

[Damned Registrations]

You have only yourselves to blame for such difficulties. 3 wizard master race; burn everything to the ground.

 

[Gregz]

You have only yourselves to blame for such difficulties. 3 wizard master race; burn everything to the ground.

I tried a 1 cleric 3 wiz run and it just isn't fun. I gave up at the lowest level under the dwarves and thri kreen cave, the marble room with those 4 acid spitting things. No way to win.

Enjoyed my mul knight 2x mul cleric and 1 wiz party more. Knights can become incredibly OP with crafting. At end game he does like 4x60, cleaves on kills, has -30 AC, maxxed saves, 350hp etc. The kind of gear you can pile onto him makes him unstoppable.

Edit: July 15th 2015
I was very wrong in the first paragraph. Using random encounters and 'running away cannot fail' on the overland map you can easily power-level a CWWW party. My problem was that I was playing in lock-step with the campaign, if you do so you will indeed have big problems in the area I mentioned, otherwise the power-level method is easy to exploit.

 

[Damned Registrations]

Eh, I prefer my wizards that each do ~70x10 damage on the first round, before anything is even in melee range.

 

[TigerKnee]

I think K/C/W/W is probably the optimal party.

K sucks because it's a Martial in 3.5E, but lack of pre-buffing helps him a bit since sometimes you just need to be able to fire some arrows or body block stuff from the word "go"

C also took kind of a nerf bat from their 3.5E incarnations (no domains, no pre-buffing) but Cleric spells are cleric spells.

And W because this is 3.5E and if you can't Crowd Control, you're fucked. Having only 1 Wizard puts too many eggs in one basket - if you have at least 2, less chance than all of them will be CC'd.

Though I guess tl;dr version boils down to "2 or more Ws, whatever else you do is personal taste"

 

[Tigranes]

KOTC is a fantastic experience. Even if its flaws are real: Progress Quest quality writing, broken crafting system producing utterly overpowered monty haul later on, very little replayability in terms of party build diversity, a relentless wave of combat after combat that wears you out. It's a pity the French nut will never remedy those in a proper sequel.

 

[Doctor Sbaitso]

For pure battle mechanics, encounter design and player feedback, KoTC is unsurpassed IMO. This game gets it just right.

So far I am pleased, except with the two instances of complete b/s where you get ambushed by 10+ caster Gnolls.

Compared to the rest of the game, those encounters just felt lazy, uninspired and deliberately designed to fuck over anyone attempting iron man since they are 100% rng based.

Most fights, so far, in the game I have needed to reload 0-2 times on average, except for those 2 where I have needed 15+ in both cases.

If you, like me, ran a 2 fighter, cleric, mage-party, your mage is unlikely to get off a single spell because either a) the mage dies to 4 arrows hitting for 10+ damage, b) your mage gets stunned, c) your mage fails concentration check because 2-3 Gnolls went Read vs Spell-mode and fucks you up with arrows while attempting to cast.

There were a couple of fights that were pretty unfair that way. Other than those instances I really enjoyed the challenge level.

One regret I had was in going unarmed. There are unarmed feats but no claws to speak of so no chance for modifiers from equipment. Pretty much a proficient unarmed fighter would hit for exactly 10 damage past mid game.

I switched to bastard swords half way through because with the right feats you could dual wield them (only 2 hander you can do this with).

A Knight with martial focus and dualbweilded bastards plus vorpal blade was a food processor when hasted. Lots of fun!

I went with two knights a cleric and a wizard and had great fun and challenge level. DW martial bastards and bow/2 handed axe. Pretty fun combo. Now I want to play again lol.

 

[jagged-jimmy]

KOTC is a fantastic experience. Even if its flaws are real: Progress Quest quality writing, broken crafting system producing utterly overpowered monty haul later on, very little replayability in terms of party build diversity, a relentless wave of combat after combat that wears you out. It's a pity the French nut will never remedy those in a proper sequel.

Writing was ok for a dungeon crawler. The story is minimalistic by design but engaging enough and the writing does not distract from gameplay.
Crafting is a fun, powerful feature. Sure, you can make overpowered weapons, but how is this a flaw? You decide what you do.
Replayability: i played 3 times in total. The only games that accomlished to make me do this were: Fallouts...
Combat is awesome till the very end, especially if you play with a 2K non-overpowered party. Of course if you enjoy dungeon crawlers and play the game exactly for such an experience.

So overall - i wish more games had such "flaws".

 

[ArchAngel]

I played it twice although I don't remember much except battle after last battle. But I do remember I enjoyed every minute of it.

I have been thinking about replaying it but I need to find time for that.

 

[visions]

What kind of sadistic fuck designed the encounter after the Orc Fortress?

Spoiler

The shit where you emerge from stairs and are surrounded by like 10 gnolls who all magically win all initiative rolls, proceed to fuck you over with silence, web, and sound blast, then polymorph into spiders.

I just skipped them, went back and exited the orc fortress the way I came there and later returned to have my vengeance at them after I had beaten Tyrannixxus ( or however the fuck he was spelled).

And W because this is 3.5E and if you can't Crowd Control, you're fucked. Having only 1 Wizard puts too many eggs in one basket - if you have at least 2, less chance than all of them will be CC'd.

Though I guess tl;dr version boils down to "2 or more Ws, whatever else you do is personal taste"

I had one wizard with horrid CON and some of my best memories from KOTC are from when my wizard was petrified (I usually didn't reload unless I got my party wiped) and my cleric couldn't cure her so I had to press on with K K C. Happened twice, first time in the caves before the slaver town after I had already fallen down and hence couldn't go back, and the second time in the slaver town itself.

 

[thexsa]

What kind of sadistic fuck designed the encounter after the Orc Fortress?

Spoiler

The shit where you emerge from stairs and are surrounded by like 10 gnolls who all magically win all initiative rolls, proceed to fuck you over with silence, web, and sound blast, then polymorph into spiders.

I just skipped them, went back and exited the orc fortress the way I came there and later returned to have my vengeance at them after I had beaten Tyrannixxus ( or however the fuck he was spelled).

But you can't? Once you enter a certain area of the place, a wall closes off behind you. I guess Teleport might've worked? But backtracking was not an option. It was supposed to read stockade, not fortress btw.

And it's the same type of encounter when you fall through the ground at a certain place, which is the only way forward I found, which also was unfair as fuck.

 

[CryptRat]

But you can't? Once you enter a certain area of the place, a wall closes off behind you. I guess Teleport might've worked? But backtracking was not an option. It was supposed to read stockade, not fortress btw.

Spoiler

I also left at a certain time (in fact, exactly before fighting the gnolls out), then come back after finishing the cave which is south-west of the map. Considering the dialogs which come before (someone tell you that you will be able to leave from the front door or from the back door), I assume that the wall opens as soon as you have defeated the bosses of this area.

 

[Scroo]

I feel like playing KotC again, this time with 3 Mages and 1 Cleric.

It will probably be ridiculously easy after I reach lvl 5