IWD Priest Spells balance

[Guest Mike123]

I just wanted to give some feedback on the IWD spells in BG2.  I currently have a Fighter/Druid who is able to cast up to level 6 druid spells.  Most of the IWD spells are weak, which is par for the course for druids   A couple however are overpowered in my opinion:

Level 4: Giant Insect: pretty powerful early in the game, able to roll through the Copper Coronet pretty easily.  As a next step, I'd suggest maybe making it always summon precisely 2 beetles, or even 1 to 2.

Level 4: Static Charge: at 1 turn per level, this thing lasts a super long time and deals a lot of damage if you cast it and just hide out until it expires.  Call Lightning is 1 turn per 4 levels, which is a little weak given its outdoor restriction.  I'd suggest making Static Charge 1 turn per 2 levels.

Level 6: Entropy Shield: though a slow casting time and not terribly long-lasting, this spell is crazy powerful.  Improving AC by 6 points makes you almost unhittable in Chapter 2 and 3 of SoA.  I really like the idea of improved saves (a weakness of Druids as they can't be dwarves/halflings/gnomes), and really really really like the idea of immunity to Breach and Dispel Magic. (I had always wished Shield of the Archons would have done something like that).  I'd suggest maybe reducing the AC bonus to 2, rather than 6.  Or instead you could consider moving the Breach/Dispel/Imprisonment immunity to the Shield of the Archons, which might fit better thematically and would arrive at an experience level for the druid when they're more likely to need it.

[Guest Mike123]

Also it looks like in the Ease of Use Party AI, it will cast Impervious Sanctity of Mind multiple times.  Like Ironskin, it should just do this once.

[Guest Mike123]

One final thing I'll mention... the "Earth Elemental token" and "Fire Elemental token" are pretty overpowered for a Fighter/Druid.  They maintain the extra attacks of a Fighter due to levels 7 and 13, and possibly due to specialization (I have 3.5 attacks with them, so 2 base attacks, plus 1 full attack for level 7 and 13 of Fighter, plus an additional half attack because I think they are treated as "dagger" weapons and I have ** in daggers).

They do very good damage, helped as well by Righteous Magic being available for Druids now.  And the Earth Elemental has base 50 physical resistance, which stacks with Hardiness and Armor of Faith.

And you can instantly take them on and off, allowing you to cast spells whenever you like and then re-equip them.  So often I find myself starting some fights as an Earth Elemental, using Fire Elemental to run out of the scrum, cast a spell, run back in, re-equip Earth Elemental, etc.

While it is awesome that Druids (or at least, Fighter-Druids) can compete with Fighter-Mages and Sorcerers and other lucky classes in power level, it's kind of not fun.  I have all of the hardest mods in SCS installed and I walked through Twisted Rune and Watcher's Keep level 1 final battle, with essentially no planning.  I'd suggest something like the following changes:

• change proficiency type of the token, if possible within the engine
• only allow one of the elemental forms to be chosen, if possible within the engine

I think that would cut down a bit on the extra attacks (you could still whirlwind I guess), and would force the druid to really focus on one "form", which I think has a certain immersive charm.

Finally, the Greater Elemental Summoning spell still kind of stinks.  I'd love to see the duration of this extended significantly, and the elemental princes buffed a bit.  It's a total waste of two HLA's, as it currently stands.