unfair random encounters

[Fuinril]

Hello,

I'm currently doing an unfair run as an angel oracle. All goes pretty well, I'm currently in act 3 and my MC is border OP (to the point I'm doing majority of the stuff solo).

That is.... everything BUT random ambush on the road. Here I got my ass handle to me nice and clean as I cannot buff myself prior to battle and ennemies just disable my party on first turn and then gang me up in no time.

Any advice to deal with them appart from reloading and praying RNJesus to not trigger one of them ?

[Immortal Reaver]

Avoid them and do not fight them.
Put one guy with highest Steath skill into combat role to get as high chance to avoid random encounters as possible.

[Fuinril]

Well, an exemple. I just triggered a random ambush composed of:
3 nabasu
2 derakni devastator
4 babau

My party is level 11. My MC 14

Basically it means before my first chance to act I have a party with an average of 3 levels drained and 2/3 confused. Then it depends on initiative rolls but it's a miracle if I do not have at least one dead. And I'm still unbuff which means my tank has an awesome 20AC (ie: he tanks nothing) and I have 20 BMO to hit 45+ AC ennemies.

(yes this is a disguised up.... but I really do not understand how I am supposed to tackle with this)

[Fuinril]

Originally posted by Immortal Reaver:

Avoid them and do not fight them.
Put one guy with highest Steath skill into combat role to get as high chance to avoid random encounters as possible.

You mean the rest roles ? It's what is used to compute the chance of the encounters ? That changes everything ! I'll try that. Thanks a lot !

[Immortal Reaver]

Originally posted by Fuinril:

Originally posted by Immortal Reaver:

Avoid them and do not fight them.
Put one guy with highest Steath skill into combat role to get as high chance to avoid random encounters as possible.

You mean the rest roles ? It's what is used to compute the chance of the encounters ? That changes everything ! I'll try that. Thanks a lot !

Not exactly.
When you get random rencounter party member in Stealth role, rolls Stealth DC skill check to be able to avoid it, if you manage it you get option Evade or Fight (unless it is part of quest). If you can evade). If you choose Fight you also be out of sight and can usualy prebuff.

[Wirewing]

Lower the difficulty when traveling on world map.

[Fuinril]

Originally posted by Immortal Reaver:

Originally posted by Fuinril:

You mean the rest roles ? It's what is used to compute the chance of the encounters ? That changes everything ! I'll try that. Thanks a lot !

Not exactly.
When you get random rencounter party member in Stealth role, rolls Stealth DC skill check to be able to avoid it, if you manage it you get option Evade or Fight (unless it is part of quest). If you can evade). If you choose Fight you also be out of sight and can usualy prebuff.

That makes sense. The fact is my highest stealth char is also the one with the highest world, so he is in charge of corruption management. I'll just switch him after rest from now on. I do not really care about the encounters as they are basically free XP (if I can pre buff, that is...). I did not remember beeing ambushed that much on my previous runs, it all makes sense

[Fuinril]

Originally posted by Wirewing:

Lower the difficulty when traveling on world map.

Well the goal is still to do an unfair run. Theses encounters are right impossible and if unfair is damned hard there's too much a difference between beeing able to solo act3 and beeing wrecked on the road. I have to do something wrong. The advice of Immortal Reaver hit on the spot, I'll have to try but having a relatively low stealth char in charge is a fact and that could explain my issues

[Immortal Reaver]

Yeah after act 1 I never got ambushed in random encounter as you can pretty much avoid everything from that point onwards. I also do not care about few EXP I gain from them so I always make sure to have 1 character with high Stealth.

[Soul]

its why I always pick enduring and greater enduring feats by mythic rank 3.... so going into Act 3 I can have 24/7 buffs going.....

greatly helps against those random encounters when you got on all the resist energy communal / protection.... blur on everyone.... mage armor... bless... shield.... ect....

i'll even take detours if my buffs are low or im tired.... to rebuff and rest again to regain all my spells per day...

[KocLobster]

Originally posted by Fuinril:

Originally posted by Immortal Reaver:

Avoid them and do not fight them.
Put one guy with highest Steath skill into combat role to get as high chance to avoid random encounters as possible.

You mean the rest roles ? It's what is used to compute the chance of the encounters ? That changes everything ! I'll try that. Thanks a lot !

He just means always have a very high stealth person with you at all times basically. A stealth check is always performed on random encounters, and failure = forced combat.

Originally posted by Fuinril:

Well the goal is still to do an unfair run. Theses encounters are right impossible and if unfair is damned hard there's too much a difference between beeing able to solo act3 and beeing wrecked on the road. I have to do something wrong. The advice of Immortal Reaver hit on the spot, I'll have to try but having a relatively low stealth char in charge is a fact and that could explain my issues

This game is designed around pre-buffing. Random encounters on Core+ can be challenging because you won't have any buffs beforehand. I just avoid them as best as possible honestly. You aren't alone in having difficulty with them.

[Janthis]

To be honest I don't think Hard or Unfair difficulties were even properly playtested. They just threw them in to please the powergaming munchkins but you go in at your own risk.

[Chunky]

The character with the highest stealth rolls the check to avoid the encounter.

Any party members with strong cc or first strike ability should have improved initiative and mythic improved initiative. Switch initiative items into their inventory when traveling world map on unfair.

Should also have greater enduring within first 3 mythics for merged spellbook angel. Not that you can change it now without changing difficulty settings and disabling accomplishment.

[Fuinril]

Originally posted by Chunky:

The character with the highest stealth rolls the check to avoid the encounter.

That's what I thought too but that's not true. I can confirm switching my char with the highest stealth skill from corruption to stealth on the rest screen management change the outcome tremendously. Before I had 8 out of 10 random encounters starting as an ambush. Since I changed every random encouter (maybe 5 or 6) could be avoided and if fought started as "normal" encounters (ie: with time to buff my party)

Originally posted by Chunky:

Any party members with strong cc or first strike ability should have improved initiative and mythic improved initiative. Switch initiative items into their inventory when traveling world map on unfair.

Should also have greater enduring within first 3 mythics for merged spellbook angel. Not that you can change it now without changing difficulty settings and disabling accomplishment.

Inititative doesn't change a thing when you start the fight ambushed. The ennemies surround you and start with a free half round (which is more than enough to completely wreck an unbuff party on unfair). But yeah the advice is sound (and I already apply it).

As for greater enduring spell at M3 I wish I could insert it but some ennemies were already huge challenges before M3 (the named shadow demon at the sword of valor puzzle was driving me crazy) and taking it would have mean they would have been even harder... At M3 and after there's room for enduring spell and I consider it seriously (like that's not really a choice anymore) but taking it before seems like a really bold move to me

[KocLobster]

Originally posted by Fuinril:

Originally posted by Chunky:

The character with the highest stealth rolls the check to avoid the encounter.

That's what I thought too but that's not true. I can confirm switching my char with the highest stealth skill from corruption to stealth on the rest screen management change the outcome tremendously. Before I had 8 out of 10 random encounters starting as an ambush. Since I changed every random encouter (maybe 5 or 6) could be avoided and if fought started as "normal" encounters (ie: with time to buff my party)

Huh?

We/you are thinking of two separate things. Random world map encounters and random encounters when resting. During rests, only the character assigned to the stealth/camouflage option rolls to see if the chance of surprise combat is lowered.

When moving on the world map, its whoever your highest Stealth skill character is.

[Fuinril]

Originally posted by cookie!:

Huh?

We/you are thinking of two separate things. Random world map encounters and random encounters when resting. During rests, only the character assigned to the stealth/camouflage option rolls to see if the chance of surprise combat is lowered.

When moving on the world map, its whoever your highest Stealth skill character is.

From the rules it should be. From what is written in game it should be. From my expermiments that is false. You have only one roll apply to random encounter when travelling and that's the one of your char in charge of stealth in camp.

That's pretty easy easy to test. Use toybox, grant 100 stealth to one char you do not assign to stealth while your other have 0 then do some travel act 3+