KickStarter Solasta: Crown of the Magister Thread - now with Palace of Ice sequel DLC

[Nemerra]

Doesn't matter, mages can't wear medium either, even Greenmages.
Personally, I've also found those armors pretty useless - either you have high dex and you go for light (better stealth also), or you have low dex and go for heavy (better AC anyway).

Incorrect. Mages can wear medium armor via the Sellsword background and there's no arcane casting penalty in 5E. Just tested it in game. You can get the background and rock scale mail on the mage from the beginning of the game.

 

[Hobo Elf]

And yes, like I said a million times before, verticality is a gimmick. I'd say verticality in BG3 is better implemented because it's a natural part of the environment. In Solasta, the combat arenas sometimes make no sense and look like attempts at cubism in order to accommodate the verticality which doesn't bring anything to the table because even ranged mobs can't touch us.

It's annoying how many fights have a lone wall crawler which serves little purpose but to extend combat and make ranged characters more useful.

I had an encounter the other day where a lone wall crawling sarok was just pinging very low damage missiles at my party whilst I had to keep spamming weak ranged attacks (out of spells) to bring it down. It was of no real threat, but just ended up extending the combat for about 4 rounds longer than it should have been.

If I'd known the game was going to contain so many encounters of this type, I'd have probably made a ranger/proper ranged attacker rather than relying on secondary ranged attacks from my fighter and rogue.

Hmmh, I wonder if this is actually a big factor in the difference of enjoyment?
Since I wouldn't say that the combat is slow at all, but fantadomat called it slow in his review due to verticality aswell. Every single character of mine has premium ranged options, since I knew tha ranged combat is slightly OP in 5e even in a non vertical focussed game. My party could pick off those wall flowers in a single turn, even with double hp.

Maybe. I've never been very big on making pure ranged characters aside from spell casters.

I'll usually make my martials and scouts melee based and give them secondary ranged weapons. Usually casters are enough to deal with most ranged threats, but this game has way more out of range attackers than most CRPGs I've played.

In all honesty if I'd known going in that lowlife gives you the lockpicking ability, I'd have probably have made a ranger instead of a rogue anyway.

I had a Ranger in the EA and a Rogue now. The Rogue is honestly quite nice, I can't complain. Both fill out the dex based fighter role quite well. Being able to climb better and have extra damage on enemies at lower elevations on my Rogue is a nice bonus, too, and makes up for some of the other damage bonuses that a Ranger would get.

The biggest thing a Ranger brings to the party over a Rogue imo is food and how the trivialize rations.

 

[razvedchiki]

can the ranger open locks/disable traps?

 

[Cryomancer]

can the ranger open locks/disable traps?

I believe that anyone can use "thief tools"

 

[Lacrymas]

You need proficiency with thieves' tools to use them. But other than that, there are no class restrictions.

 

[TwoEdge]

The rogue is better at it if you choose to dedicate expertise to thieves' tools. Otherwise, everything aforementioned applies.

 

[Hobo Elf]

The rogue is better at it if you choose to dedicate expertise to thieves' tools. Otherwise, everything aforementioned applies.

Rogue is also better at hiding, which is one other perk the rogue has to help bring their combat utility up. My rogue is able to remain in stealth consistently throughout entire encounters. Having constant advantage over enemies while you plink at them from the shadows is quite nice. I still don't think they're on the same level as a F/P/R (Pala being the best one by far in Solasta), but these are things that can be considered.

 

[Whisper]

Doesn't matter, mages can't wear medium either, even Greenmages.
Personally, I've also found those armors pretty useless - either you have high dex and you go for light (better stealth also), or you have low dex and go for heavy (better AC anyway).

Mages can wear medium armor, even heavy.

 

[Larianshill]

Nothing better than smiting an orc by punching him in a jaw.

 

[Whisper]

What "free spells" crown of the magister gives itself?

 

[Larianshill]

After entering the endgame, I've FINALLY managed to raise my reputation with Arcaneum enough to buy a greatsword to enchant, the only such greatsword I've seen in the entire game. Except it takes 24 days to do, and because guards are blocking the way out of the city, the only way to pass these 24 days are to run between two floors of the tavern, to buy room for the night again and again, 24 times. Thank you, devs, for this unforgettable experience, I never want to have it again.

 

[NJClaw]

After entering the endgame, I've FINALLY managed to raise my reputation with Arcaneum enough to buy a greatsword to enchant, the only such greatsword I've seen in the entire game. Except it takes 24 days to do, and because guards are blocking the way out of the city, the only way to pass these 24 days are to run between two floors of the tavern, to buy room for the night again and again, 24 times. Thank you, devs, for this unforgettable experience, I never want to have it again.

Next time just loot every container and don't miss the Primed Greatsword in the area where you meet Kythaela. Easy peasy.

Speaking of that, primed items are very deceptive. One could think that a Primed Chain Shirt will only allow you to craft a magical chain shirt, but that's not the case: you can use one to craft a piece of clothing that gives AC 15 (+ DEX) and can be worn without any proficiency.

And while we are on the topic of misleading items: the +3 Holy Axe must be an artifact of a forgotten God of Lies or something because it says everywhere that it's a +3 weapon, but it's actually an honest to God +6 greataxe. I won't listen to anyone who says it's a bug: it's a feature.

 

[Volourn]

"Doesn't matter"

It does fukkin' matter. You got caught lying and so you try to poo poo it. Don't post like you are some type of expert when you aren't. You lied, got caught, and then tried to move the goal post. NOT ON MY FUKKIN' WATCH. Since I cna't look at b00bies in the game, I got more time and vision to keep an eye on bullshitters like you.



"Next time just loot every container and don't miss the Primed Greatsword in the area where you meet Kythaela. Easy peasy."

You can avoid combat with her but if you try to steal her stuff from the containers she gets TRIGGERED. I passed her with dialogue and then came back after I talked to the main guy there because, you know, FUCK VAMPIRE LADIES WITH NO B00BS.

 

[Reinhardt]

Nothing better than smiting an orc by punching him in a jaw.

Especially if you are playing as gentle giantork.

 

[Spectacle]

After entering the endgame, I've FINALLY managed to raise my reputation with Arcaneum enough to buy a greatsword to enchant, the only such greatsword I've seen in the entire game. Except it takes 24 days to do, and because guards are blocking the way out of the city, the only way to pass these 24 days are to run between two floors of the tavern, to buy room for the night again and again, 24 times. Thank you, devs, for this unforgettable experience, I never want to have it again.

Next time just loot every container and don't miss the Primed Greatsword in the area where you meet Kythaela. Easy peasy.

I think there's a random element to the loot. I had several primed greatswords, shortswords and especially maces, but didn't see any primed longswords or longbows anywhere in the game.

 

[Volourn]

Heh. I've seen at least 3 primed long swords and a couple of +1 ones. L0L

 

[Jermu]

So hows the difficulty scavenger or cataclysm mode for the first playthrough?

 

[V_K]

an artifact of a forgotten God of Lies [...] honest to God

I see what you did there.

 

[Larianshill]

I'm serious, whoever designed this endgame sequence and this crafting system needs to be beaten daily, until he learns game design. At least let me use my residence, it's faster to rest there than the tavern.

 

[V_K]

I'm serious, whoever designed this endgame sequence and this crafting system needs to be beaten daily, until he learns game design. At least let me use my residence, it's faster to rest there than the tavern.

It's more likely that your ability to rest at the tavern at all was an oversight rather then the other way around. There's supposed to be some urgency in that sequence.

 

[Larianshill]

An oversight, as in warning the player about being locked in the endgame after he's already locked in, and not before? That kind of an oversight?

 

[Thac0]

God that Aksha fight is the most retarded one in this game yet. Her Legendary Action Darkness spell overrides my Daylight (despite it being the other way around in the rules) and she doesn't even have tho hold concentration on it. I am passing that dialogue check for now.

 

[V_K]

An oversight, as in warning the player about being locked in the endgame after he's already locked in, and not before? That kind of an oversight?

That was annoying too. They should have given that warning before meeting the Council.

 

[Cryomancer]

I also din't liked much the end game of Solasta. On the final battle, the scenario is too "flat".

 

[NJClaw]

God that Aksha fight is the most retarded one in this game yet. Her Legendary Action Darkness spell overrides my Daylight (despite it being the other way around in the rules) and she doesn't even have tho hold concentration on it. I am passing that dialogue check for now.

Her Darkness ability thing is not a simple Darkness spell, so it's impossible to know if it should override Daylight or not. Also, are you sure she can use that as a Legendary Action? I replayed that fight a couple of times and she only used it during her turn, while using a melee attack, a Vampiric Touch on her minions, and a Slow spell as her legendary actions.

But yes, she feels a bit unfair. She can regain an obscene amount of HP each turn, and the fact that her Darkness ability is spammable at will makes no sense. Maybe if she could use it only once it would be better. I took her down only thanks to a lucky Chill Touch followed by three smites and two barrages of Magic Missile.