The Pillars of Eternity No Reload Challenge

[Jaheiras Witness]

PER is definitely a strong stat but since stat distribution is a zero-sum game it’s about what you are sacrificing in trying to max PER.

 

There are many ways to improve ACC other than through PER. Each additional level is +4 (+3 direct ACC improvement and +1 because spells/abilities get additional ACC bonus). You also have food/drugs/rest/camp bonuses, and then there are scrolls/spells such as Inspiring Radiance. High base PER would be on top of all this and make everything even better (because entire thresholds are moved between miss/graze/hit/crit). So if you can spare the points to max PER it’s absolutely a good investment. I don’t think it’s essential to max it because you can hit just fine though if you know what you are doing and how to prep for the toughest fights.

 

For value of PER vs INT for mages, feel free to experiment to see how it works for you (maybe you could get both!). You could potentially get as long a duration effect by hitting with high INT as you could by critting with high PER. And if you have both, great

[Hulk'O'Saurus]

Your tactics were great, but the biggest eye opener for, personally, was that you fed your character from the inventory screen. I had no idea you could do that. What a time saver! That's awesome.

 

 

The things we learn, eh... 

[Serg BlackStrider]

Heya, Borco! Welcome to the party! 'Tis great to have you with us!

[Enuhal]

Regarding Dyrford, I'm sorry you got into trouble there Alesia_BH. My advice was based on a bit of a false assumption - when talking about Dyrford, I merely meant Dyrford Village itself and the Dyrford Crossing, not Through Death's Gate. Because my own playstyle usually involves delaying the mainquest (often for as long as possible), I didn't even think that others might include that quest under the umbrella of "Dyrford" - my bad. Well, aside from that part and one group at the eastern border of the Dyrford Crossing, everything else is quite easy even relatively early on, in my opinion (though the difficulty of Blood Legacy heavily depends on how you approach the quest - and there are many, many different ways and outcomes).

 

So, which sidequests in Defiance Bay do I recommend? That's a bit hard for me to say, as I always complete all of them (I'm a completionist, so I don't really pick and choose). Since you're playing as a kind wayfarer and also doing some RP, I'd expect that you wouldn't want  anything to do with House Doemenel, but you can still do "A Two Story Job" the good way (though you have to get the quest in the house next to the Dozen stronghold in Copperlane).

There's no reason not do "The Final Act" (you can get it from Kurren in Hadret House) - it's easy and has multiple endings, which is always nice. You can do "Far from Home" and "Supply and Demand" all at once if you didn't already. While you're there, All Hands on Deck, Brave Derrin and Clandestine Cargo can also be completed (basically, if you want some experience, just run around Ondra's Gift and talk to everyone, and you will pick up a couple of easy tasks). Another choice could be The Forgotten or Missing Sentries, both can be completed within a few minutes.

 

The Whailing Banshee, which starts near the Lighthouse in Ondra's Gift, is the only somewhat difficult quest in the Bay, but it should be easy for you by now thanks to the levels gained from the main questline, and you can find a very nice cloak while you're doing that one. This is also one I would recommend from a story perspective - with some exploration and the right stats (maybe get some perception buffs for you main character) and dialogue options, it can be a nice self-contained little story. If you only want to do a few quests, not all, this one and possibly The Final Act are the ones I'd recommend (though The Forgotten can get you a piece of armor that is crucial for some builds, so that one could also be nice). Both make sense to do from an RP perspective, since you're working for/with Lady Webb already, so helping our Kurren, one of her Ciphers, would only be natural, and regarding the Lighthouse you can hear about the problems it's causing (ships are sinking etc., it's propably something a kind wayfarer would care about) just by walking past some town criers - they mention it from time to time.

 

Congrats on beating the game, semiticgod. Looking forward to you joining with a no-reload attempt. I think that once you have the basics of this game figured out, you will do very well - I found it surprisingly easy to jump from Normal straight to PotD once I started to understand the basic game mechanics, and I'm generally not very good at getting into new games (and since you've managed to no-reload SoD blind, you're propably quite good at it). Of course, doing more Defiance Bay sidequests would certainly be helpful to reduce difficulties later on. People have in the past complained that this game gets way too easy once you reach Defiance Bay, and all the free or easy experience on the table there is the primary reason for that (this is also why the option to upscale content in Chapter 3 and The White March if you're at a higher level was added).

 

Also looking forward to see your run, Borco!

Edited November 5, 2018 by Enuhal

[Hulk'O'Saurus]

It's not so much the corrode spell, Autumn's Decay, but rather the raw damage over time spells. Specifically, Plague of Insects and Infestation of Maggots, intersected with Autumn's Decay.

Consider Scroll of Moonwell, Scroll of Protection, Potion of Major Recovery, Scroll of Defense.

 

Chill Fog works well here, as the enemies don't really have high Fortitude, so you can Bllind them more easily.

Edited November 5, 2018 by Hulk'O'Saurus

[Hazmy]

Totally off-topic. Today I was thinking what if a no-reload challenge would go over the boundaries of 1 franchise...

1 character - BG1 - BG2 - PoE - PoE 2. ( The List can be as infinite and unqiue with different games as you want I guess )

If you die....back to BG1.

( Classes are limited to the ones that are present in all games )

I have to try that 

Edited November 5, 2018 by Hazmy

[Hulk'O'Saurus]

Totally off-topic. Today I was thinking what if a no-reload challenge would go over the boundaries of 1 franchise...

 

1 character - BG1 - BG2 - PoE - PoE 2. ( The List can be as infinite and unqiue with different games as you want I guess )

 

If you die....back to BG1.

 

( Classes are limited to the ones that are present in all games )

 

I have to try that 

If you add Underrail to the list, I will hold your beer.

[Alesia_BH]

 

Consider Scroll of Moonwell, Scroll of Protection, Potion of Major Recovery, Scroll of Defense.

 

 

 

 

Those are among the options I had in mind. As I see it, there are four defensive avenues, each with a menu of options.

 

1) Max endurance buffs, including Infuse with Vital Essence and Pearlwood Chicken

2) Duration limiters/supressors, including potions of recovery, Scroll of Protection, Suppress Affliction and Liberating Exhortation

3) Roll buffs (fortitude and reflex- especially fortitude), including Scroll of Defense

4) Healing options, including Consecrated Ground, potions of endurance, potions of regeneration, and Scroll of Moonwell

 

There are more in each category, of course.

 

The problem in this fight was, above all else, over-confidence. The game was starting to feel very easy. We hadn't suffered a knockout since Kana at L4 and we hadn't taken meaningful damage since the focal battle of Heritage Hill. We had completed the Dryford side quests without any difficulty at all and had dispatched our early foes in Through Death's Gate with nary a pause. We didn't buff. We hadn't prepped our inventories. We didn't even have healing potions ready (with the exception of Ashoka) since Strange Mercy + Consecrated Ground had been providing more healing than we needed. We did have Potions of Vital Essence, Minor Potions of Recovery and Scrolls of Defense at hand (that's become our standard practice) but I didn't expect to need them. We didn't bother to summon the adra beetle, nor did we use our #/rest abilities, at first.

 

I appreciated that our strategy was partially reliant on DR, and that raw damage bypasses DR (which is why I expressed trepidation heading in), but I didn't expect it to be a problem. We took damage here in our Normal NR, but we never felt endangered. But on hard, there were menpwgras instead of the the expected pwgras. I hadn't even noticed that until we started seeing red. Lesson learned.

 

Since then we've completed the triple ogre druid battle in the Endless Paths, among others. I feel more confident against druids now.

 

In any case, thanks for the tips!

 

Best,

 

A.

Edited November 5, 2018 by Alesia_BH

[Enuhal]

Liresh, wild orlan Shieldbearer of St. Elcga, Update 3

 

Previous updates:

 

Introduction: https://forums.obsid...e/#entry2111091

Update 1: https://forums.obsid...-2#entry2111475

Update 2: https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/106596-the-pillars-of-eternity-no-reload-challenge/page-5?do=findComment&comment=2111773

 

 

After picking up the various quests in Dyrford, we make our way to the crossing. Strangely enough, I remember encountering Adra Beetles at this place, but I didn't end up meeting any of those. Most of the battles aren't worth mentioning, though the battle at the eastern edge can be a bit tricky. We did get hit by a plague of insects, but ended up losing only our animal companions:

https://imgur.com/Ym4etGz

With our levels being high enough, we decided to gather some extra gold (via selling tons of equipment) by facing Blood Legacy head on, fighting our way through the entire complex. I buffed Andur's mechanics via Caed Nua resting to get rid of even the most difficult traps down there and eventually took down the final group:

https://imgur.com/EVB8pq1

Luckily, none of the NPC ciphers seem to know how to really use their class all that well, otherwise this place would actually be difficult without prayer against treachery. Through Death's Gate is left for later - instead, it's time for Searing Falls. Prayer against Fear does the job against drakes:

https://imgur.com/4X9KQL5

Cail the Silent is lured back to the choke point. We throw a dozen buffs and debuffs into the mix, and Kerion starts spamming AoE spells into the enemy backline. Calling the World's Maw is super effective and basically ends this fight:

https://imgur.com/bU1dm1M

Once again, we have the mechanics buff active to gather Tidefall. Pearlwood Bluff is cleared next, and now we make way for Caed Nua - we are ready to fight the Battle of Yenwood Field (another questline that I heavily recommend @Alesia_BH - it starts as "A Call to Court"). We do have veteran troops and crucible knights (who take out the warmages). A huge battlefield like this is great for our priest and our druid - all the buffs and debuffs affect tons of allied and enemy soldiers. We decide to take out the enemy commander early on by casting mental binding on him and shooting him down:

https://imgur.com/g0OIbRb

After breaking the enemy line, we claim our victory:

https://imgur.com/PhbXJZk

And a nice exceptional plate armor for Liresh. Back in Caed Nua, we celebrate by going Xaurip Hunting in the Endless Paths. The first two levels are very easy, but we are certainly ready to take on some ogres as well - we just have to make sure not to get hit by the ogre druid's plague of insects if possible. While I can't see defences on expert mode, I remember something about ogres having very weak will defense, so mental binding is used heavily (and works very well). For the bossfight (which is the most dangerous battle in the first half of the endless paths in my opinion), we use Calling the World's Maw to interrupt spellcasting for the first time, following up with possibly the most broken druid spell in the game, relentless storm (which we recently got access too). Everything is stunned, and victory is easy from there:

https://imgur.com/6Xk1Da4

After getting past some slimes and trolls (picking up Persistence), another drake ( https://imgur.com/BGcSNF9 ), beetles and a horde of undead, we get to level 7, which is our target for now. We fight a ton of blights, get the unique wand for Selissa, but don't challenge the final group guarding the stairs to level 8. That one's a little bit too risky for now - but we will be back. We decide to complete Through Death's Gate (but not start Chapter 3), rest up again and finally start the White March. With Liresh being level 10 now, we get the option to scale up the content, and of course, we accept. We want this game to be as challening as possible (without restricting ourselves, of course - Harpagonis has completed this game on PotD solo with a naked character and I think also with a level 1 character, never leveling up, but I like to have access to my full potential. Also, I'm terrible at solo play). Anyway, we have to face the invading ogres upon entering Stalwart. The Ringleader cipher power turns the weak-willed ogres against themselves, making the boss fight somewhat easy:

https://imgur.com/14R6MLS

That's it for now. Next time, we will dive into the White March I - if only to get access to Stormcaller, my favorite item in the entire game series.

 

We have, by now, gotten rid of most of our arbalests + plate armor - only one of our rangers still is using these (to be precise: Hold-Wall enchanted with Kith-Slaying, Corrosive Lash, Exceptional (yes, I do travel to Ondra's Gift from time to time to buy the one Vithrack Brain stored by that merchant, but I was also lucky and had a bunch of Vithracks try to invade my keep as a random event)), and that one will be replaced by Stormcaller soon. Party damage has increased, and durability has barely suffered. What I really want right now (aside from Stormcaller) is level 11. Prayer against Treachery is super important for several upcoming encounters, and I want my cipher to get amplified wave (heavily nerfed, but still awesome).

 

Here's the update on our talents: Liresh has picked up Righteous Soul and Superior Deflection, Kerion went for WF:Peasant, SM:Nature's Mark and Two Weapon Style (works with shapeshifting), Selissa now has Empowered Interdict, SM:Blessing and Aggrandizing Radiance, Andur gained Mind Lance, Ringleader, Body Attunement, Borrowed Instict, WF:A and Marksman, the Rangers went for Marksman, Takedown (not my usual choice, but I want to test it out) and WF:Peasant (for Persistence)/WF:Soldier (for Stormcaller, because that ranger is using Tidefall as a secondary weapon and an Arbalest for now). I usually complete the entire main game content before doing White March, so let's see if anything bad happens because I'm not as well equippend and as high a level as I usually am. I will certainly pick and choose my encounters.

Edited November 17, 2018 by Enuhal

[Alesia_BH]

Regarding Dyrford, I'm sorry you got into trouble there Alesia_BH. My advice was based on a bit of a false assumption - when talking about Dyrford, I merely meant Dyrford Village itself and the Dyrford Crossing, not Through Death's Gate. Because my own playstyle usually involves delaying the mainquest (often for as long as possible), I didn't even think that others might include that quest under the umbrella of "Dyrford" - my bad. 

 

Noted. Yes. We were definitely talking past each other there. Since I prefer to minimize side quests on RP grounds, and keep my characters balanced for the storyline encounters, to me "Dyrford" means Through Death's Gate. If I intended to refer to a side quest, I would have mentioned the quest by name.

 

Best,

 

A.

 

(In general, I find that RPGs play better with side quests limitations. It keeps level progression down and insures that the storyline fights are among the more challenge encounters. Doing so also allows each run to have its own flavor, since you can do different quests in different runs. Finally, it preserves the vastness of the game universe. After all these years, there are still BG quests that I haven't completed.

 

In BG, I only took to completing all the major Chapter 2 quests when I turned to solo play, at which time item collection became important. In my prior party runs, I made a point of leaving for Spellhold ASAP, as soon as I had secured a stronghold and collected Gaelen's gold. My very first BG character finished ToB in the high teens. My first Triology No Reload (Questpack + Ascension, pre-SCS) + Insane Ascension solo character, Alanis, didn't get HLAs until after Gromnir and defeated Melissan at L23. Those runs were harder and more satisfying, to my eye.

 

Nonetheless, I respect and appreciate the completionist approach. It's a philosophy/style difference. I'm glad that these games, PoE and BG, accomodate different approaches).

Edited November 5, 2018 by Alesia_BH

[Alesia_BH]

@Borco. I'm thrilled that you've decided to join us! This challenge really is taking off now. With you and Semiticgod active, we'll be up to five BG NR vets, and ,soon, with the additional of Hamzy and Jaherias Witness, we'll have some PoE residents, too.

 

That's wonderful news. When I started the challenge, I was hoping that it would be self-sufficient by the time I left for Costa Rica (two days from now). I had my doubts, in light of the low traffic volume on these forums, but it looks like we've done it. Great work, everyone!

 

Best,

 

A.

 

NW: I'll be in Costa Rica for three months. I do intend to bring my computer, though. I'll be playing still but I will be less active. I won't vanish again until February, at which time I'll be embarking on another lengthy RL adventure

Edited November 5, 2018 by Alesia_BH

[Alesia_BH]

Ashoka: Pale Elf, Kind Wayfarer- Entry 11: Dyrford Part 1

 

As most of you are aware, Ashoka had a close call in Dyrford's main storyline quest, Through Death's Gate. Benjamin Graham once said that the greatest sources of risk are within ourselves. He wasn't talking about NR runs, mind you, but he might as well have been: his insight is unequivocally applicable. In Through Death's Gate, Ashoka found herself prepared to take on all comers. I, however, was unknowingly losing an important battle with an inner enemy: over confidence. Happily, my failure on my battlefield didn't prevent Ashoka from prevailing on hers. We remain alive and well, ready for the adventures to come.

 

We'll cover Ashoka's close call and the rest of Through Death's Gate in Dyford Part 2. In this post we'll talk about two Dyford side quests: A Farmer's Plight and Nest Egg.

 

First, A Farmer's Plight. I love an old fashion ogre hunt, don't you?

 

This was a straight forward quest for Ashoka. The ogre, Korgrak, resides in a spider-filled cave. The spiders can be trickier that the ogre himself, depending on your party and tactics. None of the above posed a threat in this case. Against the spiders, Ashoka set up a defensive line, along with Eder and Pallegina, backed by Cassia running Consecrated Ground. Buffs included Armor of Faith and Inspiring Radiance. Interdiction and Arcane Assault were deployed at first opportunity. Summoning the adra beetle was overkill here (as it almost alway is: I hate that thing- it's likely to be filed in the over-powered and unusable category soon). 

 

 

After resting to pick up our Accuracy v Beast bonus, we employed the same strategy against the queen herself. Ashoka took a little damage, though not enough to warrant concern.

 

 

Onto Korgrak. Korgrak and his fuzzy-wuzzy elder bear friends are heavy hitting melee fighters, but they aren't really capable of threatening a well equipped L6 tank. Pallegina's Firebrand and double Divine Marks from Cassia and Ogrnd made short work of this fight.

 

 

Time for Nest Egg. Nest Egg is a brief fetch quest with a party battle tossed in for flavor. I haven't found this fight challenging on any of the difficulty levels that I've tried.

 

After dispatching the caster with an opening arquebus round, we let Pallegina and Eder wipeout the remaining eastern foes while Ashoka engaged to the west, aided by Curse of Blackened Sight and Interdiction.

 

 

The battle reached endgame phase soon after. In this shot, we see Pallegina and Ashoka simultaneously eliminating their targets while double Divine Marks + Necrotic Lance dispatch a back line charger. Only one foe left now.

 

 

I'll post on Through Death's Gate shortly.

 

Best,

 

A.

Edited November 5, 2018 by Alesia_BH

[Hulk'O'Saurus]

The Skaen Temple can be rough. Potential paralysis and a few other potent debuffs for the team. A lot of Barbarians that Sicken you on contact. You can opt for peaceful solution, though, if you enter through the shop. 

 

There's also one place in that wilderness full of dryads and ents... whatever the names, so I suppose you should equip every scroll and potion you can craft if you're feeling lucky. 

 

Digging in the Endless Paths until the floor with the Fampyrs(lvl 8, I think) is also a possibility.

 

Doemenel's questline is quite doable right about now, too. 

[semiticgod]

Tell us about Costa Rica sometime! My friend Heidi has lived there and she says it's beautiful.

[Alesia_BH]

Sure! But I can't say anything now: I haven't been yet!

 

(As I think you know by now, these days I spend most of my time long distance walking. I walked from Mexico to Canada this year, for example. In the off season I go to warm, sunny places, recently South America and Southeast Asia. This will be my first time wintering in Central America. I'm looking forward to Costa Rica, but it is, to a significant extent, just a place to chill while I prepare for my next long walk. It's the upcoming walk that I'm excited about more so than Costa Rica. Costa Rica is, like, a side-quest.   ) 

 

Best,

 

A.

Edited November 6, 2018 by Alesia_BH

[Hulk'O'Saurus]

So both Paralyzed and Petrified decrease Deflection and Reflex by 40 and set Dexterity to 0. Unconscious from Call to Slumber does the same and it target Will. Petrification also increases damage received.

 

Gaze of the Adragan is an incredibly fun skill. 

 

[Alesia_BH]

The Skaen Temple can be rough. 

 

 

Noted. On normal I found it pretty straightforward at L6 with a very similar team. I was thinking L7 or L8 on hard for this run. Does that make sense?

 

 

Digging in the Endless Paths until the floor with the Fampyrs(lvl 8, I think) is also a possibility.

 

 

Got it. We just cleared L3. That was fun. I feel we're ready for 4 and 5. I've never been below 5. 6 and 7 are ok, apparently?

 

Doemenel's questline is quite doable right about now, too. 

 

 

The Doemenels hate us. We hate them, too. Thumbs down on that. But thanks!

 

Best,

 

A.

 

 

NW: I'd like to do The Bronze Beneath the Lake semi-soon. Do you have any advice on fighting crystal eaters, Hulk'O'Saurus?

[Hulk'O'Saurus]

Crystal Eaters won't be the biggest concern. Although they can paralyze one character, having a Deflection wall will largeley trivialize them. They can also drop Freezing Pillars, but you can move your characters around for that. There will be one Vithrak, but he will be body blocked by his own.  

 

The real problem is going to be the spirits. You will need Scroll of Protection, Defenses, Prayer against Fear, and optimally Devotion of the Faithful(lvl 7) because the Caen Gwlas will have high defenses. All of them also teleport around and will seek your squishier ones, so keeping them tight against a wall is a good idea. 

[Alesia_BH]

Noted. In my last play through, a successful normal NR, the crystal eater encounter on level 1 was by far the most threatening. That was, I suspect, a function of the fact that the party build emphasized melee damage and deflection, making on hit melee stun/paralysis/petrification effects comparatively problematic.

 

The spirits weren't an issue at all, in part because we had relatively few squishies and lot of fire damage options.

 

The spirits are also optional, off to the side, I was considering leaving them for later, forging Cladhaliath at a later date.

 

The hurdles, to my eye, are: 1) the crystal eater encounter heading into L2; 2) defeating Nridek without attacking prior to conversation, and thus allowing the party to be encircled. Once I feel confident we can clear those, we'll head in.

 

Best,

 

A.

 

EDIT: We just completed the crystal easter encounter. It was trivial this time. The issue last time was that we had unwittingly pulled two crews at once by entering the area from the spirit alcove, rather than taking the direct route. That caused use to be flanked and encircled, surrounded by enemies capable of petrifying on hit, a potentially dangerous situation. Taking the direct route allows you to eliminate the potential flankers first, before taking on the main group. Following that path, it becomes a zero risk encounter- especially with summons in play, placed between the crystal easters and the party.

Edited November 6, 2018 by Alesia_BH

[Borco]

@Borco. I'm thrilled that you've decided to join us! This challenge really is taking off now. With you and Semiticgod active, we'll be up to five BG NR vets, and ,soon, with the additional of Hamzy and Jaherias Witness, we'll have some PoE residents, too.

 

Among you, the veteran soldiers, I'm really just a camp follower  . But I'm very glad that this thread has kicked-off well and is already looking viable. I'll post some initial progress of mine later today  - funnily, so far the most dangerous moment was while fighting the boars at Magran's Fork (I was surprised to see how tough these guys could be). 

 

 

NW: I'll be in Costa Rica for three months. I do intend to bring my computer, though. I'll be playing still but I will be less active. I won't vanish again until February, at which time I'll be embarking on another lengthy RL adventure

 

 

Slothy too can't wait to hear of your adventures. 

 

[Serg BlackStrider]

The Tale of Gloomy Face: Hearth Orlan, Druid - Chapter I: Early game.
 
Okay, let's get started. In the camp I swapped some clothes found in the crate on hunting bow and together with Calisca went on, well, hunting. The pair of Young Wolfs pose no threat as well as those hunters in the abandoned camp. On the way back to our own camp three more hunters awaits us so Calisca hold a position around a corner while I hit them with a Sunbeam:

 

 

In the camp I was able to distract a Glanfathan Leader with talking long enough for Heodan to break free and, when the fight ensured, softened the opposition with Nature's Mark.

 

 

 

 

 
Heodan killed the leader, then another hunter but was badly hurt by remaining hunters and ended up with one single endurance point remained after the fight was over.

 

 

 

 
In the ruins he was again at the brink of to be knocked down when Lesser Black Ooze crit him for 32 corrode damage right away:

 

 

 
Calisca got her dose too but at least it was worthwhile since we got a Minor Cloak of Priotection out of that.

 

 

 
As usual, tempting your luck for too long is fraught with consequences and Heodan was finally knocked out fighting spiders at the exit. Unfortunately, no one of us knew at the moment, that the Wheel will turn for both him and Calisca right after we'll finally break free off the dungeon...

 

 

 
Out of dungeon I've got my first level up (Mechanics: 4; Talents: Veteran's Recovery) and, since I've endured a major fatique, made a bee-line right to the Gilded Vale, where I joined Aloth (Athletic: 2; Lore: 5; Survival: 2; Spells: Slicken; Talents: Blast) and after selling all the loot got just enough money to sign a contract with this cutie explorer from Deadfire Archipelago:

 

 

 

 
I've made Xoti nearly a carbon copy of her PoE II character (can't choose Readceras/Farmer on character creation so pick Deadfire Archipelago and thus have her equipped with Brigandine right away). 
Speaking with Caldara earned us another level (Mechanics: 5; Survival: 3), Aloth (Lore: 6; Survival: 3; Spells: Curse of Blackened Sight, Infuse With Vital Essence) and also Eder as companion (Survival: 5; Lore: 4; Talents: Rapid Recovery; Abilities: Confident Aim).
We resolved the local grain dispute peacefully and let Trumbel keep his money for double major reputation gain.
 
Back in the Valewood Xoti gained a level 2 (Survival: 4; Talents: Interdiction) right before the Bear cave. 
Inside we opened with Interdiction followed with Armor of Faith, Charm Beast, Curse of Blackened Sight:

 

 

 

 
Charm Beast hit both Young Bears, who turned on their own mother as a result. Armor of Faith strengthen them since they were already charmed before Xoti cast it, but that doesn't matter much in the end:

 

 

 

 
For the Wolf's pack all we need is Interdiction with 2 Hold Beasts and that's it:

 

 

[/spoier]

 
Found Minor Ring of Protection in their lair and Fulvano's Gloves went to Xoti so she could fire her buffs faster.
 
Bandits: Me - Nature's Mark>Bow, Aloth - Slicken>Arcane Assault>Scepter, Xoti - Armor of Faith>Interdiction, Eder - Knock Down>Hit. Clean victory.

 

 

 

 
Back in Gilded Vale we let Ingroed keep their money to start a new life with Nonton for the small token of appreciation (Minor Ring of Deflection).
 
Next we are going to sanitize the local temple of Eothas.
 
Current state:
 
Gloomy Face - Druid (lvl 3); Stealth:0; Athletic:1; Lore:1; Mechanics:5; Survival:3; Talents: Veteran's Recovery; Equipment: Hide Armor, Minor Cloak of Protection, Minor Ring of Deflection, Gaun's Pledge, Hunting Bow/Hatchet+Small Shield;
 
Eder - Fighter (lvl 3); Stealth:0; Athletic:2; Lore:4; Mechanics:0; Survival:5; Talents: Rapid Recovery; Abilities: Confident Aim; Equipment: Saint's War Armor, Sabre+Medium Shield/War Bow;
 
Aloth - Wizard (lvl 3); Stealth:0; Athletic:1; Lore:6; Mechanics:2; Survival:3; Talents: Blast; Equipment: Aloth's Leather Armor, Scepter/Rapier
 
Xoti - Priest of Eothas (lvl 2); Stealth:0; Athletic:1; Lore:3; Mechanics:0; Survival:4; Talents: Interdiction; Equipment: Brigandine, Fulvano's Gloves, Minor Ring of Protection, Sword+Medium Shield/Scepter;
 
to be continued...

Edited November 8, 2018 by Serg BlackStrider

[Enuhal]

Regarding the endless paths: Yes, level 4-7 are quite easy, except for one battle in level 7, in the north-eastern part of the map. Luckily, the game recognizes this as well, and a spirit will show up to warn you about that battle. Just don't move past the spirit if you want to avoid it for now (which I would heavily recommend. It's really quite difficult).

[Alesia_BH]

Good news, everyone! Ashoka has made significant progress. She is currently in Twin Elms, on the brink of Level 9. The party is well equipped and nearly ready to leave for Sun and Shadows or, in the alternative, to attempt a blind run of White March 1. Since our last post, we've completed the following:

 

Missing Sentries

Endless Paths 3,4 and 5

The Man Who Waits

The Final Act

The Bronze Beneath the Lake

The Hermit of Hadret House

Blood Legacy

Adragan battle near Hylea's temple (no knockouts, only minor injuries, no one petrified)

The Nest Above the Clouds

 

On balance, setting aside the avoidable mishap in Through Death's Gate, this has been a smooth and surprisingly easy play-through. Irrespective of the outcome, I definitely feel ready to move to PotD in my next run.

 

While I may get around to posting tomorrow, I'll probably end up playing with what little time I have and then writing up Ashoka's adventurers during my layover on the 7th. In all likelihood, you'll hear the outcome then, success or failure. Wish us luck!

 

Best,

 

A.

Edited November 6, 2018 by Alesia_BH

[Alesia_BH]

@Serg. Glad to see Gloomy Face in action!

 

@Borco. I look forward to seeing your character. What class do you intend to play?

Edited November 7, 2018 by Alesia_BH

[Borco]

Amaruq, aumaua cipher: Part 1

 

Game version: 3.07 (no White March expansions) / Game settings:

 

 

Psychic warfare. Mind intruder. That's our Amaruq (somewhat twisted reincarnation of one of my all time favorite BG characters - a half-elven fighter/druid), a former slave hailing from Rauatai.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_AN6bsLGl8

 

I'm not exactly sure how to develop her build at this point and I assume there will be a lot of adjustments and adaptations to be done in the course of her run. Nevertheless, the initial idea is to pursue a fast attacking melee combatant (with low damage output) maintaining sufficient focus for crowd control and offensive spells. 

 

Amaruq starts with Whisper of Treason and Mind Wave (for raw damage). I've allocated the stats on a best effort basis, although I'm mostly hoping to learn throughout the game what optimization is to be done here: MIG (15), CON (10), DEX (16), PER (13), INT (15), RES (10)

 

Onto the actual coverage! The initial area and dungeon were both rather uneventful. We looted the camp's surroundings for collectible items and ingredients, optimized Amaruq's equipment and purchased a Potion of Minor Regeneration from Heodan. Calisca's Knock Down and Whisper of Treason took care of the wolves and the two parties of Glanfathan Hunters. 

 

 

I've learned the hard way that Athletics 1 is insufficient to save Heodan from getting maimed, but prone and charm allowed us to defeat the leader's party without further difficulties.

 

 

Heodan is saved during the cutscene by throwing rocks. Once inside the temple, we decide not to rest and press on. The fights are not much to report on, but I'll note that we collected the Minor Cloak of Protection.

 

Upon exiting the starting dungeon, Amaruq levels up, adding Eyestrike into her spell repertoire and investing skill points into Athletics (to improve the Second Wind ability) and Mechanics (as she's to be our Jan Jansen "at your service"). She sets up a camp in Valewood (Survival 1 allows us to take the DR buff) and thereafter collects the ingredients and defeats the solo bandit by using Eyestrike and Mind Wave.

 

 

Ignoring the remaining residents of Valewood, she proceeded to Gilded Vale, where she teams up with Aloth. I've understood form this thread that clerics are rather instrumental to have around and decided to employ the services of Anomandra, a Priest of Berath found at the Black Hound's, currently on a pilgrimage from the northern lands.

 

 

We loot the inn's containers for a Ring of Deflection and some consumables, stock some catering supplies and the three of us set out to explore the town.

 

Completing the miller quest and the Visions and Whispers grants an additional level to both Amaruq (Draining Whip, Mental Binding, Mind Blades) and Aloth (Arcane Veil, Narcotic Lance, Combusting Wounds). We allow Edér to join our merry group (Constant Recovery, Disciplined Barrage) and proceed back to Valewood to complete the encounters there.

 

First, the wolf pack. Taking a light snack (actually, it was mostly just beer), we open with Whisper of Treason and Knock Down followed by Aloth's Arcane Assault. Divided and debuffed the wolves became easy prey.

 

 

We reach Fulvano's gloves (currently worn by Amaruq) and apply similar tactics against the kidnapping bandits. Again, no cleric spells were necessary.

 

 

Anomandra then unleashes her spellbook in the small xaurip camp, knowing that we'll have to camp anyway prior to entering the bear cave.

 

Against the bears, our front line pre-buffs with some basic foodstuff and Anomandra throws in Armor of Faith -> Blessing. Edér tanks the front and knocks down the big one, while Amaruq and Aloth fling their spells (Eyestrike / Comusting Wounds -> Mental Binding, Arcane Assault).

 

 

Edér soaks up some residual damage that got through and we come out on the top.

 

 

Anomandra reaches level 2 and is allowed to take Inspiring Radiance.

 

To be continued.

 

Regards,

 

B.