Dealing with Loss of control

[TheBlueFox]

I'm enjoying combat in this game, pausing to strategically place my people, having my assassin run, hide, return, backstab, repeat, while my mages choose nice spells to mess with the enemy and my fighters wail on people. But there are a few things that I just have the hardest time dealing with.

Confusion, Fear, Rigid thinking.

These three spells are just so incredibly frustrating to deal with, not just because of their effect but their DURATION! Jesus if one of my dudes gets hit, he's out of the fight for the entire fight PLUS some time left over.

I don't really know of good ways to combat this. Remove fear from the cleric helps vs Fear, but not against confusion or rigid thinking. I believe there are some potions that will protect your mind from those kinds of spells, but I'm not entirely certain which ones i'm looking for.

Is there a spell like spell deflection that will protect from it? I think that spell protects against 4 levels worth of spells or something, only briefly glanced at it. Can it be cast on allies?

[wendigo211]

Chaotic Commands protects against it, although I'm not sure you reach a high enough level to get that spell in BG. Dispel Magic should remove the effect. The helm of charm protection will help with charm effects but not confusion.

It would be so much easier if BG was 3rd ed. and protection from alignment spells included protection from mind spells vs. the targeted alignment.

[TheBlueFox]

Currently my party is level 8 I believe.

I'm fairly deep into the game, and I haven't had too much trouble with spellcasters, but there was one fight in particular that frustrated me not because of how difficult it was, but because I felt I should be able to do something to swing it in my favor.

The fight begins immediately after entering a room, and there are multiple casters, not just one, that start the fight casting Confusion. My cleric's Remove Fear spell does not defend against it, and because the party starts so grouped together I could not get my mage far enough away not to get hit, nor close enough to use a spell to interrupt. The enemy had a major advantage, and used a spell I had no idea how to counter.

It took multiple tries, along with a hidden assassin with boots of speed running halfway across the room before the spell landed, a barbarian rage, a lucky web, some wand of paralysis charges, and a biting arrow or two.

I just don't feel that I had control in that fight due to the fact I have no idea how to combat mind affecting spells, It wasn't skill that won that battle, it was luck.

In hindsight, I suppose the way to deal with that was probably LEAVE the room, keep my barbarian in there to eat the mind affecting spells while raged, and then re-enter, but that doesn't fix the issue that I don't fully understand what stops these spells.

[Sigma]

If all else fails, summon a bunch of undead and have the mages waste all their spells on them. Undeads are immune to mind affecting spells btw.

[TheBlueFox]

Yeah, it's tough though, it's sort of like:

Walk upstairs, make eye contact with some dudes who are waiting at the top of the stairs "Wait, who are you? GET EM!"

And then the fight breaks out, not alot of time to cast animate dead if they START the fight casting Confusion.

[ÄmJii]

Ah, I'm guessing you're referring to Iron Throne's top floor? That fight is tough, no doubt about it.
Best thing you can do is launch your own Webs (yes, they stack), a Fireball or two to interrupt their casting and then just focus-fire spellcasters until they drop. Silence '15 Radius also works wonders, if you've got one memorized.

It's also a good idea to split your group, if Confusion lands on a lone fighter at least it doesn't spread to your main group.

You wouldn't happen to have a Dwarf, Halfling or Gnome frontliner? Those races gain so called "Shorty Saves" bonuses, which helps tremendously against spellcasters <- let them tank the spells. Read more about it here:
https://pihwiki.baldursgateforge.net/Baldur%27s_Gate:_Races_and_Stats#.22Shorty.22_Saving_Throws

[Soteria]

Also, never underestimate the power of precasting spells, or just leaving the room.

For that particular fight I think I had two of my chars use wands of fireball to hit everyone in the room--that interrupted their spells and gave me time to start casting.

I forget what the potion is called--clear thinking maybe? There's also spells and potions that give you blanket magic immunity.

[TheBlueFox]

I think I found a Potion of Magic Immunity and a "Protection from Magic" scroll, I'll have to see what the effects on those exactly are, aside from the obvious.

I vaguely recall a clear thinking potion, but I might be mistaking it for one that increases Intelligence, I'll look at whats in my potion case later.

[Thunderblight]

The cobat style of this game is just awful!! Having to strategically place your team, refer to spell books each time and pick a spell to use is ridiculous. I wish it was more like the PS2 Baldurs Gate. They totally ruined it. I was hoping to assign spells and go into quick battles; EX; fire missles, run up and attack with sword with quick actions. But this stopping and planning each time is BS. I would not recommend this game to anyone. It is just awful. I dont know how it can even be considered an action RPG. What a major disappointment. DONT BUY THIS GAME IT IS AWFUL.

[voehringer_nitron]

Originally posted by The Blade Siren:

The cobat style of this game is just awful!! Having to strategically place your team, refer to spell books each time and pick a spell to use is ridiculous. I wish it was more like the PS2 Baldurs Gate. They totally ruined it. I was hoping to assign spells and go into quick battles; EX; fire missles, run up and attack with sword with quick actions. But this stopping and planning each time is BS. I would not recommend this game to anyone. It is just awful. I dont know how it can even be considered an action RPG. What a major disappointment. DONT BUY THIS GAME IT IS AWFUL.

It's not an action RPG, it's a strategic RPG. This game (the original, anyways) predates Dark Alliance, which was only using the Baldur's Gate name to captalize on its popularity. And yes, I have played Dark Alliance.

I would reccomend this game. It is a classic and one of my all time favorites.

[TheBlueFox]

Dude, he's trolling, just ignore it

[Thunderblight]

Originally posted by voehringer_nitron:

Originally posted by The Blade Siren:

The cobat style of this game is just awful!! Having to strategically place your team, refer to spell books each time and pick a spell to use is ridiculous. I wish it was more like the PS2 Baldurs Gate. They totally ruined it. I was hoping to assign spells and go into quick battles; EX; fire missles, run up and attack with sword with quick actions. But this stopping and planning each time is BS. I would not recommend this game to anyone. It is just awful. I dont know how it can even be considered an action RPG. What a major disappointment. DONT BUY THIS GAME IT IS AWFUL.

It's not an action RPG, it's a strategic RPG. This game (the original, anyways) predates Dark Alliance, which was only using the Baldur's Gate name to captalize on its popularity. And yes, I have played Dark Alliance.

I would reccomend this game. It is a classic and one of my all time favorites.

Sure I understand that now but it just wasnt what I expected. Dark Alliance style was what I was hoping for. As a strategic game for those interested I hope you enjoy it. I just didn't realize before I bought it. Thanks for your reply.

[Thunderblight]

Originally posted by TheBlueFox:

Dude, he's trolling, just ignore it

No I wasn't trolling whatever you meant by that. I was thinking the games would be more like the Dark Alliance version and so that is why i was disappointed. BUt as a strategic style game play if that is what your in to then that is great but certainly wasn't what I was thinking it would be like. Anyways enjoy your game. Thanks

[Marksthecylon]

Originally posted by The Blade Siren:

Sure I understand that now but it just wasnt what I expected. Dark Alliance style was what I was hoping for. As a strategic game for those interested I hope you enjoy it. I just didn't realize before I bought it. Thanks for your reply.

For me it was the other way around. I bought Dark Alliance hoping for something more like the orignal Baldur's Gate.