Storm of Zehir Party

[OSK]

For my party I want:
A smooth talking duelist
A brutish, intimidating barbarian
Someone who can pick locks and spring traps
Someone who can spam fiery death down on enemies
A healer
and...

Fuck.

 

[Erebus]

I'm sure this is a question asked 1000 times before, but is NWN 2 worth buying? Or should I pick it up just to play MOTB and SOZ?

Constructive feedback only. Fucktards need not apply.

Depends what you like (almost all of my answers start with "depends").

I didn't hate NWN 2. I played it twice (to explore the minor differences between the good path and the evil path). However, it is extremely unoriginal, linear, full of repetitive fights and just doesn't have a lot of memorable moments. It's clearly better than NWN 1, but that's hardly an impressive accomplishment. You wouldn't be missing much if you didn't play it.

The fact that MotB is so much better highlights all the flaws of NWN 2 OC, really. It's going to be a tough act to follow for SoZ.

 

[Barrow_Bug]

How about characters and dialogues? Are they interesting? How goes voice acting and the such?

 

[OSK]

NWN2 is a mixed bag. It's got some nice things like the trial and the keep, shit like the orc caverns and lots of bland, unnecessary filler. It has some interesting characters like Sand and Amon Jerro, irritating characters like Elanee and lots of forgettable ones. It's hard to suggest NWN2 when you have MotB available.

I suggest trying out NWN2, but as soon as you find yourself being bored, don't push yourself and switch over to MotB. It'd be a shame for you to tire of NWN2 and never play MotB.

 

[Kaiserin]

What's a good way to cover all the social and outdoor skills with 2-3 characters without using any rogues?

Barbarian=Survival/Intimidate/Handle Animal

Cleric= I dunno how SoZ will work, but if it was tabletop you would have bluff, disguise, and hide in addition to diplomacy if you picked the trickery domain.

Bard = Appraise, Bluff, Diplomacy, Sense Motive

Keep in mind that Rogue is the only class with Disable Device and Open Lock as class skills.

at least one ranger for tracking/survival purposes. Torn as to whether this one will be more used as a tank or multiclassed for rogueskills.

Rangers have a d8 hitdie and can't use a lot of their abilities when they are wearing anything heavier than light armor. They were somewhat viable as tanks in 3.0, but they're more skirmish/skill oriented in 3.5 and generally can't cut it due to a lack of AC and HP.

 

[Barrow_Bug]

NWN2 is a mixed bag. It's got some nice things like the trial and the keep, shit like the orc caverns and lots of bland, unnecessary filler. It has some interesting characters like Sand and Amon Jerro, irritating characters like Elanee and lots of forgettable ones. It's hard to suggest NWN2 when you have MotB available.

I suggest trying out NWN2, but as soon as you find yourself being bored, don't push yourself and switch over to MotB. It'd be a shame for you to tire of NWN2 and never play MotB.

Thanks kindly for the info. I'm a sucker for character driven games, can't say I have much of a boner for D&D but it looks like I might give it a go. If there's some interesting themes in there I'm all up for it. Also, every Codexer here spooting over MOTB is reason enough to at least give it a whirl.

 

[Demnogonis Saastuttaja]

I'll probably have :
Duergar Ranger 11 / Rogue levels as exp allows (Sneak attacks with dual weapons, a Dwarven Waraxe is better than most one-handed weapons and Duergar are immune to a few annoying things).
Maybe a Yuan-Ti Swashbuckler (pure class), who'll do the non-intimidating speech
Then a human Fighter 4 / Rogue 4 / Blackguard as exp allows, who'll do the intimidating and trap-disarming (Also, another sneak attacking character)
Wizard 5 / Pale Master Full 10 (totally useless caster)

 

[Erebus]

I suggest trying out NWN2, but as soon as you find yourself being bored, don't push yourself and switch over to MotB.

Unfortunately, all the first part of NWN 2 is perhaps the most boring... The trial's a nice part (Torio Claven is an interesting enemy) but the lack of consequences is really annoying. Managing the keep is more interesting than being a lowly tool, but I didn't enjoy being forced to become a Knight-Captain.

The huge areas with tons of bland enemies are found all along the game.

 

[Jaesun]

4 Human Bards. If one of the people you can recruit is a rogue. Otherwise 3 Bards 1 rogue.

 

[Serious_Business]

I think this is not wise.. rangers benefit from certain feats at certain levels and without those feats they're pretty much useless.

Idiot.

Man I love this place. Where else do you get called a moron because you don't know how to play dungeons and dragons proprely? This is great.

 

[Volourn]

D&D and RPG R SERIOUS BIZZNESS :twisted:

 

[burrie]

- Human Rogue (Diplomat & Scout)
- Human Paladin(Fighting & Healing)
- Gnome Sorceror(Magic)
- Elven Favored Soul(Healing & Buffing)

 

[thesheeep]

I'll definately try something like an all-Barbarian party, but probably not with my 1st group

 

[Wyrmlord]

I think it was a good decision to have four member parties. Because at six party members, it's enough to not only include every type of party member, but also have redundancies in it.

Four would mean you have to tightly pack in, and that's more fun. You'd have to consider about what roles would you have to leave out or what roles you can combine in a multiple person.

 

[Micmu]

I'm not sure about my party yet, I only know that I'll be packing at least one hot half-orc chick (fighter/cleric) and NO elves.

 

[Hümmelgümpf]

Keep in mind that Rogue is the only class with Disable Device and Open Lock as class skills.

Which aren't all that useful. There is Knock for all your door-opening needs, and the best way to disable a trap is to make a character with (Improved) Evasion walk over it. There may be checks for these skills on the overland map though.

 

[LastAngryBat]

Keep in mind that Rogue is the only class with Disable Device and Open Lock as class skills.

Which aren't all that useful. There is Knock for all your door-opening needs, and the best way to disable a trap is to make a character with (Improved) Evasion walk over it. There may be checks for these skills on the overland map though.

And if i remember correctly bards get the find traps spell which kill all nearby traps

 

[Micmu]

Knock will not open all locks, like high-level ones, if implemented properly. You needed a really high Open Lock skill and possibly few dex buffs to unlock some doors in Death God's Vault in MoTB already. You couldn't make your Knock that powerful with any magic related stats and feats.
And it's quite logical to assume that there will be quite a few such doors (and possibly deadly high-level traps) in a more traditional / dungeon crawlerish RPG.

 

[Andyman Messiah]

Four next to identical rangers.

 

[Black]

I'm getting a rogue in my party, those who stated that won't- don't.
I'll be enjoying my phat lewt (kekekeke) from chests your puny spells won't open.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

Four next to identical rangers.

If they're tall and muscular niggers, name them Sambo, Obmas, Bosam and Masob.

 

[Hümmelgümpf]

Make 4 Drow Rangers and name them Dirzzt, Dzzrit, Dtizz and Zirdtz. Don't forget to give them panther animal companions.

 

[Dark Elf]

It feels sort of mandatory at this point to suggest a party of three identical wizards and name them Fizban, Zifnab and Zanfib.

 

[Crichton]

I'm strongly considering four dwarves,

Bob Sanders (Monk)

Steve Smith (Barbarian)

Maurice Jones-Drew (Cleric)

Brian Westbrook (Rogue)

 

[Texas Red]

Why do you people go with clerics instead of druids? In NWN 1 clerics were overpowered but now I feel it's the opposite. Plus they are much more interesting to play since they can act not only as buffers and healers but also as nukers.