Introduction
Hey dear readers, this thread is about my attempt to solo a Transmuter all the way to the Throne of Bhaal. I'm a pretty staunch no-reloader but this documented playthrough is going to be an exception. The question it intends to answer is not "Can Blackraven take a solo Transmuter through the entire saga without reloads?" but "How could a solo no-reload Transmuter reach and beat Amelyssan in an SCS/Ascenson setup?"
Note that the phrasing of the latter question means I'm not going to gamble my way through the game. I mean to play as if I'm no-reloading. I think this run will qualify as a minimal reload run. I'm not going to rely on lucky dice rolls for hits or saves and reloading whenever the outcome doesn't please me. I'm also not going to do high risk quests early on just because I know I can reload if I fail. And I'm inclined to skip certain optional content because it's either too tedious (think Durlag's Tower requiring constant rests to refresh Knock spells to open locks and Polymorph Self for Jelly form to trigger traps), or simply unappealing from a risk-reward perspective. If readers however ask me to try an area I intend to avoid, I'll take that into consideration.
Why do I want to do this? Well first of all I recently failed to defend Boareskyr Bridge in SoD with a no-reload Transmuter (who had a party of specialist mages with her) and I really lamented the end of that run. I even considered trying again with a party of specialists, but came up with this instead. Secondly, I like Transmuters conceptually: using magical energy to shape the universe the way you see fit is pretty impressive. In Baldur's Gate the school offers an interesting mix of offensive, defensive and utility spells that I intend to use a lot. Thirdly, Transmuters are arguably the weakest, most vulnerable of the specialist mages. With Abjuration as their barred school, Transmuters have to make do without
- many combat protections (such as Protection from Magical Weapons, elemental protection spells, and spells that protect against magic damage),
- any and all spell protections (globe of invulnerability, spell deflection/turning, spell immunity and the like),
- and most debuffing spells (Spell Thrust, Breach, Pierce Magic, etc).
For me this makes the Transmuter the most aberrant mage type. Certain potions and items can mitigate the loss of Abjuration magic, and Naivasha will no doubt try to collect those.
My set-up contains an almost full SCS v32 install and, for BG2, Ascension. In addition to those mods I should also mention some Anthology Tweaks through which Thac0 progression for non-fighters goes beyond 10, fighters enjoy "true grandmastery", and casters get expanded spell progression tables. This goes for Charname but also for enemies. Finally note that I purposely abstained from installing the SCS component that turns caster HLAs into special abilities they can cast once a day. I use all these tweaks mainly to make single classes a bit stronger compared to multi-classes. By the way I also play with a number of other mods that make life slightly easier. I'll refer to them when the occasion arises.
Our protagonist is Naivasha,![7a06b02p27kq.jpg]()
named after a gorgeous lake with a gorgeous name in Kenya, that I've been fortunate enough to visit. I was informed it means 'rippling waters' in the Masai language. I think it sounds fairly Half-Elf magey no?
Getting a solid roll didn't take too long. Maybe because she's a Half-Elf? Her stat distribution I can explain as follows:
STR: I didn't want an 18 here because it takes away some of the charm of polymorphing later on if the poly forms aren't as physically strong as the natural form. I think it's nice to polymorph and use the Strength spell and later on the innate Bhaal ability Draw Upon Holy Might to obtain giant strength.
DEX: the 18 here was mainly for early game survivability and to a lesser extent for the ranged Thac0 advantage.
CON: 17 + 1 from the tome in Alaric's cave will allow Naivasha to equip the claw of Kazgaroth without sacrificing HPs from that item's CON penalty.
INT: 17 is the minimum required to copy spells with guaranteed success into the spellbook. Naivasha can use the red potion from the Nashkel Carnival for one spell-scribing session before she gets the INT tome in Baldur's Gate.
WIS: 15 + 3 will allow her to cast Wish late in the game with a guaranteed good wish option.
CHA: 11 + 1 from the Gnoll Stronghold won't be enough to get optimal shop prices until she gets a nymph cloak. Naivasha could kill Algernon for his cloak, but even though role-playing isn't the primary focus of this playthrough, I really don't like killing innocents nor doing anything completely out of character or against alignment. In the case of Algernon though, it's easy for me to ride a moral high horse, as I'll let Naivasha use Lord Foreshadow's Ring of Human Influence, which sets CHA to 18. That item is from the classic BG1 NPC Project mod, which is one of the best known and most used BG1 mods, and such a staple in my installs that it has become part of the canon for me.
There is no powergaming rationale behind Naivasha's Chaotic Good alignment. Thematically Lawful Evil could be the best fit since the Imp familiar can cast Polymorph Self. On the other hand I don't generally enjoy playing evil. Besides I read somewhere that Transmuters couldn't be lawful in early DnD and honestly I somehow view Naivasha as more chaotic too.
Naivasha's starting proficiency is darts and her spells are Expeditious Retreat (an IWD spell added by SCS v32 that hastes the caster for three rounds but stops them from casting or attacking), Shield, and Sleep.
I don't know exactly what to expect yet. I can imagine myself playing Naivasha much like a Cleric-Thief hybrid. I can see Naivasha relying on stealth (invisibility), divide and conquer tactics, and use of consumables much like a thief. While Wraithform, Polymorph Self, Tenser's Transformation, and Shapechange, supported by buffs, are vaguely reminiscent of a Cleric's transformation into a champion with Holy Power, DUHM, Righteous Magic etc. Hopefully I'll learn from this experience and hopefully my findings will be worth reading for fellow forumites. Anyone with tips or ideas to make the most out of the Transmuter is of course welcome to comment below. And comments or suggestions regarding my reporting style are just as welcome.![:smiley:]( ":smiley:")
Next I'll report on the early game.
Hey dear readers, this thread is about my attempt to solo a Transmuter all the way to the Throne of Bhaal. I'm a pretty staunch no-reloader but this documented playthrough is going to be an exception. The question it intends to answer is not "Can Blackraven take a solo Transmuter through the entire saga without reloads?" but "How could a solo no-reload Transmuter reach and beat Amelyssan in an SCS/Ascenson setup?"
Note that the phrasing of the latter question means I'm not going to gamble my way through the game. I mean to play as if I'm no-reloading. I think this run will qualify as a minimal reload run. I'm not going to rely on lucky dice rolls for hits or saves and reloading whenever the outcome doesn't please me. I'm also not going to do high risk quests early on just because I know I can reload if I fail. And I'm inclined to skip certain optional content because it's either too tedious (think Durlag's Tower requiring constant rests to refresh Knock spells to open locks and Polymorph Self for Jelly form to trigger traps), or simply unappealing from a risk-reward perspective. If readers however ask me to try an area I intend to avoid, I'll take that into consideration.
Why do I want to do this? Well first of all I recently failed to defend Boareskyr Bridge in SoD with a no-reload Transmuter (who had a party of specialist mages with her) and I really lamented the end of that run. I even considered trying again with a party of specialists, but came up with this instead. Secondly, I like Transmuters conceptually: using magical energy to shape the universe the way you see fit is pretty impressive. In Baldur's Gate the school offers an interesting mix of offensive, defensive and utility spells that I intend to use a lot. Thirdly, Transmuters are arguably the weakest, most vulnerable of the specialist mages. With Abjuration as their barred school, Transmuters have to make do without
- many combat protections (such as Protection from Magical Weapons, elemental protection spells, and spells that protect against magic damage),
- any and all spell protections (globe of invulnerability, spell deflection/turning, spell immunity and the like),
- and most debuffing spells (Spell Thrust, Breach, Pierce Magic, etc).
For me this makes the Transmuter the most aberrant mage type. Certain potions and items can mitigate the loss of Abjuration magic, and Naivasha will no doubt try to collect those.
My set-up contains an almost full SCS v32 install and, for BG2, Ascension. In addition to those mods I should also mention some Anthology Tweaks through which Thac0 progression for non-fighters goes beyond 10, fighters enjoy "true grandmastery", and casters get expanded spell progression tables. This goes for Charname but also for enemies. Finally note that I purposely abstained from installing the SCS component that turns caster HLAs into special abilities they can cast once a day. I use all these tweaks mainly to make single classes a bit stronger compared to multi-classes. By the way I also play with a number of other mods that make life slightly easier. I'll refer to them when the occasion arises.
Our protagonist is Naivasha,
named after a gorgeous lake with a gorgeous name in Kenya, that I've been fortunate enough to visit. I was informed it means 'rippling waters' in the Masai language. I think it sounds fairly Half-Elf magey no?
Getting a solid roll didn't take too long. Maybe because she's a Half-Elf? Her stat distribution I can explain as follows:
STR: I didn't want an 18 here because it takes away some of the charm of polymorphing later on if the poly forms aren't as physically strong as the natural form. I think it's nice to polymorph and use the Strength spell and later on the innate Bhaal ability Draw Upon Holy Might to obtain giant strength.
DEX: the 18 here was mainly for early game survivability and to a lesser extent for the ranged Thac0 advantage.
CON: 17 + 1 from the tome in Alaric's cave will allow Naivasha to equip the claw of Kazgaroth without sacrificing HPs from that item's CON penalty.
INT: 17 is the minimum required to copy spells with guaranteed success into the spellbook. Naivasha can use the red potion from the Nashkel Carnival for one spell-scribing session before she gets the INT tome in Baldur's Gate.
WIS: 15 + 3 will allow her to cast Wish late in the game with a guaranteed good wish option.
CHA: 11 + 1 from the Gnoll Stronghold won't be enough to get optimal shop prices until she gets a nymph cloak. Naivasha could kill Algernon for his cloak, but even though role-playing isn't the primary focus of this playthrough, I really don't like killing innocents nor doing anything completely out of character or against alignment. In the case of Algernon though, it's easy for me to ride a moral high horse, as I'll let Naivasha use Lord Foreshadow's Ring of Human Influence, which sets CHA to 18. That item is from the classic BG1 NPC Project mod, which is one of the best known and most used BG1 mods, and such a staple in my installs that it has become part of the canon for me.
There is no powergaming rationale behind Naivasha's Chaotic Good alignment. Thematically Lawful Evil could be the best fit since the Imp familiar can cast Polymorph Self. On the other hand I don't generally enjoy playing evil. Besides I read somewhere that Transmuters couldn't be lawful in early DnD and honestly I somehow view Naivasha as more chaotic too.
Naivasha's starting proficiency is darts and her spells are Expeditious Retreat (an IWD spell added by SCS v32 that hastes the caster for three rounds but stops them from casting or attacking), Shield, and Sleep.
I don't know exactly what to expect yet. I can imagine myself playing Naivasha much like a Cleric-Thief hybrid. I can see Naivasha relying on stealth (invisibility), divide and conquer tactics, and use of consumables much like a thief. While Wraithform, Polymorph Self, Tenser's Transformation, and Shapechange, supported by buffs, are vaguely reminiscent of a Cleric's transformation into a champion with Holy Power, DUHM, Righteous Magic etc. Hopefully I'll learn from this experience and hopefully my findings will be worth reading for fellow forumites. Anyone with tips or ideas to make the most out of the Transmuter is of course welcome to comment below. And comments or suggestions regarding my reporting style are just as welcome.
Next I'll report on the early game.
