How Necessary is Arcane Magic?

[Guest BachFan]

After having my solo sorc game become mind-numblingly easy, I decided to quit it and go for a different party, chalenging myself by using single classes and limiting myself to just a bard for arcane magic. I used the Level 1 NPC mod to change the kits of my companions, and occasionally boosted their stats somewhat to better reflect how I would allocate their points if I was doing an entirely created-by-me party (I did this because I wanted my own choice of kits, but also wanted banter and side-quests associated with NPCs):

 

PC: Evil Skald

Viconia: Cleric

Jan: Assassin

Korgan: Berserker (Proficiency changed to flails + 2 weap fighting)

Imoen: Bounty Hunter

Sarevok: Fighter

 

Keep in mind, of course, that it will just be PC/Vic/Jan/Korg until Spellhold, and then just those 4 + Imoen until ToB.

 

I have most components of SCS2 installed. The only item changes I installed from SCS2 are the one that removes the shield of balduran, and the one that removes the invisibility effect from the staff of magi.

 

I also have RR installed, so the PC, Jan, and Imoen will be a bit different.

 

Do you think this party can survive? Can it beat optional hard fights like Kangaxx? Without a gratuitous amount of trap cheese?

 

My worries are not limited to limited arcane magic (just the Skald, who has a lower casting time thanks to RR, but who will be able to eventually cast up to lvl 8 spells), as I will also suffer from a lack of heavy hitting fighters, with only Korgan for most of the game. Thats not to say the rest of my party can't be beefed up to do some melee damage, but Korgan will still be the only traditional fighter/tank type.

 

Thoughts?

[Ardanis]

Should survive. You not only can use arcane magic from scrolls, but even have a native user of it. Being a bard, and having a smaller party size, you'll have powerful dispel.

 

Against Kangaxx there're two scrolls of Protection from Magic, Slayer change, Korgan's berserk. Quite enough resources.

[Shaitan]

Should survive. You not only can use arcane magic from scrolls, but even have a native user of it. Being a bard, and having a smaller party size, you'll have powerful dispel.

 

Against Kangaxx there're two scrolls of Protection from Magic, Slayer change, Korgan's berserk. Quite enough resources.

I agree.

 

I've done SoA without any arcane tricks a while ago.

[Guest BachFan]

Thanks!

 

I restarted though, changing Jan to a kensai (using daggers) and changing Imoen to an assassin. Gives me more offensive power, and the game will be more fun as I realized that traps are really only two ways of using traps: cheesily and ineffectively.

 

Jan the kensai can still use his armor apparently... I can't decide whether this is unacceptably cheesy or not to let him do so. It doesn't strike me as qualifying as armor because he can cast spells in it when he's his usual class. It seems sufficiently non-encumbering to match the RP reason why kensai's don't wear armor (the fact that it only improves AC by 1 make it seem like its little more than a shirt that happens to have great magical properties).

[the bigg]

Inquisitors would be the #1 stop for playing without arcane magic, but since you're playing evil this is a moot point.