Finished my Pally run today. It plays pretty much as expected.
Oath of Devotion -> Oathbreaker (at the Tollhouse)
Completed the entire run in 2 rests + Celebration, so I didn't advance many of the companion plots. Gale and Astarion in particular didn't advance at all.
Since I hadn't played since the launch of the Druid, there were some new things (for me) in this PT - the Artefact binding itself to you, the Grymforge, and a number of smaller things.
The Grymforge was even larger than I expected. This game is going to be huge when it finally drops.
The 300 HP Golem battle went better than I expected. Between a Str-Boosted + Hasted Pally and Lae'zel, we killed it before it even had a chance to act.
Playing this game reminded me how much it demands surgical strikes or... you're gonna have a rough time.
And I know it's still EA, so I have to be forgiving of it, but wow... so. many. bugs.
The 300 HP Golem battle went better than I expected. Between a Str-Boosted + Hasted Pally and Lae'zel, we killed it before it even had a chance to act.
If that's the big golem I'm thinking about. I've seen someone solo it with a bard.
The 300 HP Golem battle went better than I expected. Between a Str-Boosted + Hasted Pally and Lae'zel, we killed it before it even had a chance to act.
If that's the big golem I'm thinking about. I've seen someone solo it with a bard.
While Karmic Dice also benefits your attacks, it's interesting to see just how much it works against you.'
I didn't realize it was on by default and my assumption was just that Larian greatly boosted the Attk bonuses for all enemies and trying to bolster your AC had limited value.
PSA: Having the "karmic Dice" setting turned on (which it is by default) increases the damage you receive by up to 400% (full data of 1369 rolls and charts linked in post)
TL;DR: If you have the "karmic dice" setting enabled, enemies will hit (and crit) you significantly more often then they should (they "cheat"). The effect increases with your armor class. With an AC of 23 you will take 4x more damage than you should at this AC - making any tank build effectively useless. (charts in the provided link at the bottom)
While Karmic Dice also benefits your attacks, it's interesting to see just how much it works against you.'
I didn't realize it was on by default and my assumption was just that Larian greatly boosted the Attk bonuses for all enemies and trying to bolster your AC had limited value.
PSA: Having the "karmic Dice" setting turned on (which it is by default) increases the damage you receive by up to 400% (full data of 1369 rolls and charts linked in post)
TL;DR: If you have the "karmic dice" setting enabled, enemies will hit (and crit) you significantly more often then they should (they "cheat"). The effect increases with your armor class. With an AC of 23 you will take 4x more damage than you should at this AC - making any tank build effectively useless. (charts in the provided link at the bottom)
While Karmic Dice also benefits your attacks, it's interesting to see just how much it works against you.'
I didn't realize it was on by default and my assumption was just that Larian greatly boosted the Attk bonuses for all enemies and trying to bolster your AC had limited value.
PSA: Having the "karmic Dice" setting turned on (which it is by default) increases the damage you receive by up to 400% (full data of 1369 rolls and charts linked in post)
TL;DR: If you have the "karmic dice" setting enabled, enemies will hit (and crit) you significantly more often then they should (they "cheat"). The effect increases with your armor class. With an AC of 23 you will take 4x more damage than you should at this AC - making any tank build effectively useless. (charts in the provided link at the bottom)
Ah, a GM working against you!
Isn't "karmic dice" supposed to help the player?
Uhh...? Yeah, I was always a little fuzzy on how that worked.
Someone mentioned it originally did just apply to the player, but later they applied it to the enemies as well.
Shouldn't that be romance Minsc for the first time?
Do not kill my boy Bernard at the top of the Arcane Tower (I'm somewhat wishing he's a future non-origin companion).
Never felt right going for Jaheira after her husband's fate. But now it's a hundred plus years down the line, amirite? Or I recall the timeline wrong?
You recall the timeline right, but that means Jaheira is now very old for an half-elf. I'm not sure if she's going to be romanceable either (or Minsc for that matter).
1. You can recruit Barcus (the gnome you rescue from the windmill) later in the Grymforge and he'll hang out at your crafting table. I'm guessing he'll be your in-camp crafter of... stuff when the game releases.
2. There is a note behind one of the burning buildings that hints at Minsc's inevitable return. His statue was stolen (though they don't know it's Minsc) and there's a reward offered for its return.
3. Pile a bunch of movement boosts onto Shadowheart, activate Spirit Guardians (and maybe Mirror Image), then run around melting enemies on the battlefield. I believe it processes both on your turn and theirs.
4. Yes - dual-wield salamis! Dip them in fire and now you've got "Spicy Salamis".
Larian Studios is making sweet music @larianstudios A new year is upon us! Remember, you can always quick save and quick load before venturing into 2023…\
Jason Schreier @jasonschreier First scoop of 2023 is a sad one: Dungeons & Dragons publisher Wizards of the Coast has canceled at least five video games and eliminated just under 15 positions (so far) as it curtails its gaming ambitions.
To be clear: these were all *unannounced* video games (no idea why the thumbnail pic is Baldur's Gate 3, which is definitely not canceled and I cannot wait to play).
But the reorganization will land hard for several independent studios such as Boston-based Otherside Entertainment and Bellevue, Washington-based Hidden Path Entertainment, both of which were working on games for Wizards of the Coast.
The growth at Wizards of the Coast has come alongside financial difficulties at Hasbro, whose shares fell 40% last year as higher prices led to lower toy sales.
The company also cancelled an internal project code-named Jabberwocky and two other external games that were early in development.
Jason Schreier @jasonschreier First scoop of 2023 is a sad one: Dungeons & Dragons publisher Wizards of the Coast has canceled at least five video games
Why did they start so many projects at the same time?
Jason Schreier @jasonschreier First scoop of 2023 is a sad one: Dungeons & Dragons publisher Wizards of the Coast has canceled at least five video games
Why did they start so many projects at the same time?
Yeah, that is... a lot.
I wonder what those projects were.
Movie tie-in game? Is the Critical Role video game dead? Projects based on their other popular worlds - Planescape, Ravenloft, Dragonlance, etc?
Why did they start so many projects at the same time?
Yeah, that is... a lot.
I wonder what those projects were.
Movie tie-in game? Is the Critical Role video game dead? Projects based on their other popular worlds - Planescape, Ravenloft, Dragonlance, etc?
I really have no idea since they are apparently unannounced projects. They have only release two (as publisher) since announcing they wanted to make more video games (a MTG online game which is quite successful and a BG Dark Alliance game that wasn't).
Looking at the website of the companies mentioned, OtherSide Entertainment are working on two games already, I'm not sure how a 3rd game would have fit into their slate. I don't think this is hurting them as much as the article claims, unless it was a mercenary job they were doing for financing their other projects. Hidden Path Entertainment don't appear to be working on anything, but they looks like a mercenary studio who does porting/remasters.
I'm quite amused at all those mercenary studios being tapped to make full games and those failing rapidly over the last few years. It feels like big non gaming companies want bigger part of the sales pies for their IPs, so they only accept small studio projects they can bully around, but it is blowing up in their face more often than not.
Jason Schreier @jasonschreier First scoop of 2023 is a sad one: Dungeons & Dragons publisher Wizards of the Coast has canceled at least five video games
Why did they start so many projects at the same time?
The current president of WOTC came from Microsoft, and she REALLY thinks D&D is undermonetized. She's working on "fixing" that and it may well blow up in their faces, if the current OGL1.1 fiasco is any indication.
AFAIK Larian doesn't use the OGL license for BG3, they have a direct agreement with WotC, so the OGL fiasco shouldn't impact BG3. But who knows? I am worried, not about the current OGL but about future decisions that may negatively impact the development of BG3. The game is shaping up great, it would be a real shame if WotC will meddle and destroy a potentially amazing game.
Sparks of bright light emerge, Ignite satisfaction
