Soloing in IWD2

[AlstonTheWise]

So, my first attempt at soloing IWD was my Monk Svirnefblin character, but as soon as I ended the prologue and got to Shaengarne, it all got so much more difficult.

So, after that failed attempt, I begun a drow sorceror, but then I just couldn't make it past the first fights.

Any advice at all on how to place my stats, spells, or any general strategy advice?

[kmonster]

Very powerful is stealth combined with hit and run tactics. Hide in shadow, sneak to the enemy, hit from behind or shoot once, run away out of sight or into another area/building, hide again and repeat until all enemies are dead.
Any class can use stealth even without spending skill points.
"Dash" is a nice feat for hit and run tactics.

[kmonster]

If I had to create a solo drow sorc I'd choose the stats 14-19-16-5-6-20 and raise only cha at level up. 1 dex can be turned into 2 wis if you win the second rank at the battle squares.

Powerful spells early on are sleep and charm person, but they become useless in later chapters, so on the long run it might be better starting with "shield" and "identify item" and taking "magic missile" and "chromatic orb" later. At low levels the heavy crossbow you can get from the dwarf's house in the southwest should be more effective than any spell.
The most important level 2 spells are mirror image and eagle's splendor.
The classic level 3 spell is fireball, level 4 offers extremely useful spells like stoneskin, improved invisibility and emotion: hope, level 5 has animate dead and chaos, ....
I'd put all skill points into concentration. Dodge is a good feat besides dash and some greater spell focusses.

[Tioma]

I'll speak only about Heart of Fury cuz I played only in this mode. Spellcasters have relatively easy life, at least, in the beginning, if U systematically summon creatures and use ranged weapons. Melee solo is probably the most difficult, I'm playing it now with a monk/rogue. Hide, hit'n'run, use Arterial Strike, Hamstring and Power Attack.

Yigor

[Sir_Toejam]

If you download and install the iwd2 "ease" modpack, and install all the features, I would suggest a druid instead of a sorc.

you will be a jack of all trades, master of everything.

great offensive spells (including a lot of spells previously assigned only to mage), good to excellent defensive spells, and even a good selection of "swiss army knife" spells.

that alone would suffice, but instead you also get uber shifting powers, as soon as you reach 5th level. become an instant tank by shifting into a yeti at level 5!

at level 10, become a treant and you won't take a scratch except on crit hits.

starting at level 12, you automatically start getting half-dragon forms (remember sherincal?).

seriously, you could have a lot of fun soloing a pure druid. if you also install the armor mod, then I would stick pure druid. if not, you might want to add a level of monk somewhere. still, I'd go true neutral pure druid.

recommended stats:

balance st, dex, con to be 14 or above (like 16 st, 15 dex, 16 con).
int at 8.
char at 3 (yeah, you're not going to talk your way through much; still put some skill points into diplomacy or intimidate)
put the rest into wisdom.

this will allow you to have at least some success in combat (ranged and melee) without having to shift (saving your shifts for when you really need them) and also allow you to use your arsenal of spells.

by the time you hit level 10, you will already pretty much be unstoppable, let alone when you start adding in your firestorm spell and half dragon forms.

[Klorox]

I'd try a Drow Paladin 3/Sorcerer X. Who cares about an XP hit when you're soloing?

If you go with a Druid, make him with 1 level of Monk... the AC bonus from WIS is still there while shapeshifted!

[Sir_Toejam]

yes, the ac from one level of monk is usefull... if you aren't using the armor mod pack that adds damage reduction to armor.

then, even the bonuses from AC from monk IMO don't outweigh the advantages of damage reduction and specials provided by armor (which incorporate on shift, btw).

the other thing is that it of course requires a lawful alignment type to have monk as a class, and I just hate the idea of a lawful druid.



as an experiment, I tried this combo in HOF and found it to be extremely powerful:

druid 21/ monk 1 (removed the alignment restriction)/ cleric of Demarch of Mask 8

I agree that the 1 level of monk adds evasion and AC bonus, or you can put on some armor for the armor's abilities and damage reduction. Demarch is a good rp choice (neutral), and also gives mirror image as a domain spell at level 3!

OK, so if you're using the druid shapeshifter mod, that means you can be a chromatic half dragon pumped up with trollish fortitude and all the lower level cleric buffs, plus mirror image.

talk about a tank. add all the major druid spells you can cast on larger groups before xforming, and there really is little that can stop you. "free" healing with the dozens of lesser shift forms as well.

you will start getting the 20% xp penalty when you hit level 3 cleric, but it's only a minor inconvenience.

[Sir_Toejam]

Originally Posted by Klorox

I'd try a Drow Paladin 3/Sorcerer X. Who cares about an XP hit when you're soloing?

If you go with a Druid, make him with 1 level of Monk... the AC bonus from WIS is still there while shapeshifted!

btw, there is a nice little mod out there that does several things, including allowing a paladin of mystra to level to sorc.

also allows druids to spontaneously cast as summon animal (just like cleric's can with healing spells)
gives you 2E rules for sneak attacks
allows monks to wear robes (only) and still maintain wis bonus to AC
couple other nice things:

Bug fixing - Boards o' Magick