Anyone else skipping act 2 on subsequent playthroughs?

[Thorak]

I am feeling act 2 is missing both useful items and is not that fun compared to act 1 and 3. I usually just do the escape prison as it actually has some useful items and then only the quests I am forcing to make. Also, my lvl will be too high otherwise. I am usually at lvl 8 at the end of act 2 when doing this which I feel is rather good lvl.

Anyone else having the same feeling?

[FunkyMonkey]

Act 2 might be my favorite of the 3, so no.

[アンジェル]

Originally posted by Thorak:

Anyone else skipping act 2 on subsequent playthroughs?
I am feeling act 2 is missing both useful items and is not that fun compared to act 1 and 3. I usually just do the escape prison as it actually has some useful items and then only the quests I am forcing to make. Also, my lvl will be too high otherwise. I am usually at lvl 8 at the end of act 2 when doing this which I feel is rather good lvl.

Anyone else having the same feeling?

I can relate. Though I blame the overall atmosphere in the shadow cursed lands for that. It is simply not a place where you want to stay nor is there much to explore. Act 3 on the other hand is like a treasure trove in comparison.

[Exarch_Alpha]

Shar´s gauntlet is a bit annoying with the trials. Other than that I like the act.

[wtiger27]

Of course not. I enjoy all 3 Acts.

[artemisone]

WARNING SPOILERS IN THIS POST:

I am not sure this post is for real. What actually happens if you totally skip Act 2? I don't believe that you can finish the game without killing Ketheric and you can only do that in Act 2, so far as I know. Without that you would never get his nether stone which you need to beat the Elder Brain. So you can go to Act 3, in theory, but you would never get to the morphic pool or final battle. Is there something I don't know about that?

For me most of Act 2 is pretty good, although more limited than Act 1 or 2. But Shar's gauntlet is a rote chore after a couple of play-throughs, and if there were a way to skip it I would definitely go for that. But I believe you need the Spear from the library to get to the Shadowfell, and you need at least one stone for the elevator, to then progress to the Shadowfell to where you kill Ketheric. (I've heard you can open the last door to the Shadowfell without all the stones, but I have not done it). I don't think you can get to where you kill Ketheric without killing or saving Nightsong. I wish there was a mod to turn the Gauntlet of Share into a real gauntlet, a rogue-like series of ramping up, quasi-random trials. like the mod Trials of Tav but just for that part of the game. .

[Thorak]

Temple of shar is Mandatory so that one I am doing of course. I do agree that the trials are annoying but I don't find them that bad. I also get the items from the merchants in the inn and Tower. Also the amulet from the warden in the prison while I free the prisoners and the reward from freeing the prisoners.

Otherwise I feel that I am just running around in a depressive landscape without goal and purpose and I don't feel any motivation, either story wise, lore wise or item wise to play through act 2 apart from the main quest. I also feel that lvl 8 (which I am when doing this) is high enough to beat the final bosses on honour mode in act 2 without cheese.

[Mike Garrison]

Act 2 is my least favorite, but tons of stuff in Act 3 is set up by what you do or don't do in Act 2.

If you don't care about breaking the curse you can skip Oliver, the Thorms, and in fact pretty much everything except Moonrise, Last Light, and the Gauntlet/Shadowfell.

[ahsanford]

Originally posted by Thorak:

I am feeling act 2 is missing both useful items and is not that fun compared to act 1 and 3.

+1 on the idea of trying to walk into Act 3 'underleveled', say at L8. I never do and have a fairly easy go at act 3 as a result. Doing it your way would it make the endgame circuits for companion / main quests need to be much more carefully planned out.

But no good gear in Act 2?! Wow, that's quite a take. There are spectacularly useful items in Act 2:

Two items that give advantage to. all. melee. attacks -- a huge boon for GWM hitters
Blood of Lathander is great for to hit, passives and the spell it allows
There's a paralyzing critical amulet -- saved my bacon vs. Z'Rell once
Your first two unlimited Dex to AC medium armors are in Act II
The armor Dammon builds is super solid, esp. if you rotate multiple fighters in/out
The spear from the Nightsong = you never miss spotting something again
The bow Dammon sells is +2 / fire resist / cold resist and ho hum casts haste.

I'm sure I forgot some, but I think that's some clutch gear.

- A

[ahsanford]

Act I feels like a sandbox with 8-12 places you can go and clean out as mini-adventures with little tie to the end of the act. The existence of 'Act 1.5' (UD / GF / Creche) confounds things a bit because those areas are all pretty dope but are in this in-between place plotwise. (Halsin fires you up that you are about to enter the shadow curse lands, but they might actually be 15-20h away for you.)

Act III is epic in ambition of each sub-area / boss / endgame of companion arcs, but it feels a little Act I-like in that a lot of this stuff isn't related at all. It's just a mini-dungeon for one very specific thing buried in one house/structure. There are exceptions -- the stop the murders and stone lord stuff flits you around town and lands well -- but 'go to _______, go to basement, kill everything in there and walk out' seemed a pretty repetitive move in Act III. (Act III's really shining moments were all the Emperor reveals and House of Hope to me.)

So I feel that while Act II has some missteps, the Gauntlet -- what it is, and what is in there -- was really beautifully tied together. Why Ketheric needs something in the gauntlet, why Shad needs something in the gauntlet and why Raphael needs something in the gauntlet was chef's kiss tied together well. Reading why Yurgir was in there, learning what the Nightsong is, etc. I truly enjoyed. (But all the stuff outside? Less so, to be fair.)

And as herky jerky as the first chat is with Isobel was, the two ways X two circumstances you can enter the shadow lands, etc. I still get fired up every time Aylin streaks toward Moonrise.

- A

[Draknalor]

Originally posted by Thorak:

I am feeling act 2 is missing both useful items and is not that fun compared to act 1 and 3. I usually just do the escape prison as it actually has some useful items and then only the quests I am forcing to make. Also, my lvl will be too high otherwise. I am usually at lvl 8 at the end of act 2 when doing this which I feel is rather good lvl.

Anyone else having the same feeling?

Act 2 is the favorite, so i want it to be longer :o

Originally posted by Thorak:

I am feeling act 2 is missing both useful items

Just writing something like this is offensive imo..

There's so many items you can get in act 2 that increases your parties damage by A LOT.

How is that not useful items?

[Absolute Ioannes Factotum]

Gauntlet of Shar / Trials actually largely skippable:

You only need one umbral gem to activate the transit platform near the waypoint. The door to the Shadowfell portal can be opened by casting Knock, even though it can't be picked with sleight of hand.

So you must do any ONE of the trials, or steal the gem from Yurgir's room, then you can skip everything else, unless you want specific items, or outcomes for companion quests.

[Moonbane]

No useful items in act2? Op have no idea what he is talking about.
Risky Ring, Potent Robe and Potion of Everlasting Vigor.

[BirdDinosaur]

Originally posted by Exarch_Alpha:

Shar´s gauntlet is a bit annoying with the trials. Other than that I like the act.

that's why I have the knock spell for. This imo is the single most value per spell slot usage in the entire game. Use knock on the locked door where you need 3 gems.

Act 2 is my least favorite because of its theme and just the fact that its an entire act dedicated to ONE of the three where act 3 takes on two of the three. Its also the shortest and most direct act. You breeze right through it and because of how act 1 was constructed with all those levels, you could go straight from act 1 to Moonrise tower, defeat Ketheric with ease and you'd come out to act 3 a little underlevelled and be fine

[hornsounder97]

Originally posted by Thorak:

missing useful items

Eh? The warden of the jail under Moonrise drops the amulet of spell restoration that lets you get back a sixth level spell once per long rest. One of the best items in the whole game for me. You can cast Heroes Feast, and use your sixth level summon right after. Fantastic.

[ahsanford]

Originally posted by Moonbane:

No useful items in act2? Op have no idea what he is talking about.
Risky Ring, Potent Robe and Potion of Everlasting Vigor.

Gloves of the Automaton over Risky Ring every time for me, but yeah I hear you.

- A