BGEE : Trouveur's no reload runs attempts

Trouveur

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Hello, I'm still trying to finish the saga in a no reload run. Since the Beamdog thread is very busy, I prefer to post my current tentatives there, if it is ok.

So here I go : Gauvain the cavalier.
Rules : insane without double damages, max HP at level up, and for BGEE only an UI mod, for SoD only story modes : Road to Discovery, Borarskyr Bridge Scene (without the stat increase) and Another Fine Hell.

Gauvain started his journey in Candlekeep, where two guys tried to kill him. He then fled with Gorion, but another group of assassins found them and killed Gorion.
Luckily, Imoen his childhood friend, joined him the morning after.
On the road, they met Xzar and Montaron, and the Detect Evil told Gauvain they were not to be trust. But with assassins after him, he traveled with them to the Friendly Arm Inn.
The risk was worth it, since another assassin was waiting for him just in the inn stairs.
After dispatching him, Gauvain and Imoen could at last met Jaheira and Khalid, Gorion's friends.

On their way to Nashkel, they helped in Beregost a wild mage named Neera against some Red Wizards chasing her in order to study her magic.
West of Beregost,they met Kivan, a ranger tracking the bandits. It was a good occasion to say goodbye to Xzar and Montaron before going down south.

In Nashkel, they could free a priest of Tempus from petrification, and Branwen offered her help to pay her debt.
The party then accepted to help the ranger Minsc to save his witch Dynaheir from some ugly gnolls and went to the west. It was time to say goodbye to Khalid and Jaheira, at least for a time, as they prefered to investigate the iron crisis.

Dynaheir's rescue wasn't easy, but it was worth it as she offered to join the party. Gauvain, a little alarmed by Neera's wild surges, suggested her to join Khalid and Jaheira, and gladly accepted Dynaheir at his side.

The party now composed of Gauvain, Imoen, Branwen, Kivan, Minsc and Dynaheir, they helped some people met in the surroundings, like a poor dryad against some bandits.
Gauvain almost died here. Luckily Branwen's Hold Person landed just in time to save him.
Gauvain almost oneshoted juste before Hold Person landed.jpg



Near the Nashkel Mine, they also agreed to protect Prism from a mercyless bounty hunter. Hold Person didn't work against him, but Dynaheir's Blindness saved the day.
Gauvain Greywolf blinded after Hold person failed.jpg


Clearing the mine from kobolds and Mulahey went fine, and so the party returned to Beregost. There Branwen took her revenge against Tranzig, before they did some bandits hunt.
The party infiltrated the bandits, but as soon as he saw Tazok, Kivan blown the cover and tried to kill him. Tazok fled, and they fought a hard battle against the bandits. they then learned the bandits had a secret base in the Cloakwood woods.

In the woods the party met Coran, an elven archer hunting some wyverns. More and more frightened to lose Imoen against the bandits or the bounty hunters still tracking him, Gauvain offered Imoen to join Khalid, Jaheira and Neera at the Friendly Arm Inn so she could start studying magic, since she seemed more and more curious about Dynaheir's spells. A trail in the woods wasn't the best moment to teach magic, so the inn seemed a better fitting choice...

To be continued...
 

Trouveur

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So, the journey through cloakwood was difficult, with many web traps and nasty spiders. Luckily, Coran is an even better archer than Kivan, and they can kill many foes fast enough.
Minsc could kept Spider's Bane after recovering Chalk's brother body.
They found an agreement with the shadow druids, and could slain the wyverns Coran was looking for.
Using Kivan as a stealthy scout allowed them to spot a mercenary band, and Dynaheir's web and fireballs, with Branwen's silence, were put to good use.
In the mines, after rescuing Yeslick, they decided to let Branwen organize the slaves trail in the woods. Two mages put a fight against the party, and so when at last they entered Davaeorn's room, they use caution, with Kivan scouting and Coran drinking some potions to help him uncover traps. A single smart use of a fear spell neutralize Davaeorn, and Gauvain could free the slaves and drown the mines.

Gauvain Davaeorn wand of fear.png

Finally, the party could enter Baldur's Gate !
In the Low Lantern, two crazy women attacked them and the mage almost killed them with a confusion spell.
Dynaheir casted a web spell to hold confused Gauvain and Minsc in order to protect the innocent patrons, but Minsc was wearing Spider's Bane and started to strike an helpless Gauvain !
Yeslick saved the day (and the run) by casting three Command spells on Minsc until at last the confusion wore off.
Gauvain confused.png

More careful, they helped many persons while Coran did secretly some jobs for the thieves guild.
Gauvain added Helm and Cloak of Balduran, Shield of the Fallen Stars, ring of protection +2 to Varsconia.

After doing many things in the city, the party went outside to finish some business, like helping Dorn, Rasaad and Neera, and exploring Durlag's Tower.

After watching a Death Knight killed innocents, Gauvain decided to first ride the world of it before investigating the Iron Throne.
First real challenge came with the Wardens, but team work allowed the victory.
Gauvain Wardens.jpg


In the next level, Gauvain found his most precious artefact, Durlag's Goblet. Best healing item for a cavalier.
Chess game was cleaned by Dynaheir alone with webs and fireballs.

Before facing the Death Knight, the party drank many potions and casted many buffs, just in case.
It succeed at stunning Yeslick, but fell to Gauvain's sword.
Gauvain Deathknight.jpg


The return to Ulgoth's Beard was not how they imagined it, and some evil culitsts stole the dagger.

Thanks to Grael, they knew how to protect themselves against the demon, and so Aec Letec was defeated.
Gauvain Aec Letec 1.jpg


It was at last time to go to Iron Throne Headquarters, and luckily the party listened carefully to what was told there, so they know an evil band was waiting in the last floor.
Using invisibility, they took them from behind by surprise, with web, silence,fireball and holy smite.
One of them killed Dynaheir with a Firestrike before falling.
Gauvain Iron Throne.jpg


After raising her and reporting to Eltan, it was time to go to Candlekeep.
Gauvain choose to not kill Rieltar despite Yeslick's protestations, but was framed by Sarevok in disguise.
Thethtoril helped him escape, and it was time to confront Sarevok in BG.

After rescuing Eltan and dispatching Sarevok's girl and his two personal assassins, the party ran to the Ducal Palace to save the dukes.
The battle was bloody, and Liila was killed before casting any protection spell.
Gauvain Lilah death.jpg


The final chase led Gauvain to a Bhaal Temple in the Undercity.
After sparing Tamoko, it was time for the final fight !
Tazok fell to Kivan's arrows, and Semaj couldn't cast a single spell before being killed.
Angelo did some damages to Yeslick, but soon only Sarevok stood. Final blow was given by Kivan again.
Gauvain Sarevok death.jpg


Gorion is at last avenged !

Time for some rest, or so Gauvain thought...

Gauvain stats at the end of BGEE :
Gauvain stats 1 end of BGEE.jpg

Gauvain stats 2 end of BGEE.jpg
 
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Trouveur

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15
Congratulations! 27% of kills is very sweet, shows the importance of the character. Looking forward to SoD with insane-based combat improvements.
Thank you, yes I was surprised given I also had Coran and Kivan in the party.

Since I'm playing on insane, SoD will be very challenging since the difficulty slider affects number of foes. I already had been caught off guard in one area...
 

Urdnot_Wrex

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609
Congrats, and continuing good luck to Gauvain!

Yes, the mob sizes in SoD can be quite difficult and the AI changes too. I find it especially annoying that unlike SCS AI, in SoD everyone in the mob rushes to attack the incapacitated party member, like with those trolls that can hold or paralyze.

Other than that, I sometimes wonder if SoD is really more challenging per se or if it's mainly because people still don't know all the ins and outs and creature specifics and boss situations as blindly as with BG1 and 2?
 

Trouveur

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15
Thank you.
SoD is definitely harder than BGEE without SCS.
With SCS, SoD can actually be easier than BGEE because SoD reacts to slider difficulty, and when using SCS I play on tactical and not insane.
But the mix between better AI, large number of foes, and higher level opponents with nasty abilities makes it challenging.
Some mundane creatures can stop a run, like undeads with paralyze or level drain, bombardier beetles with stun...
 
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