Baldur's Gate : The Sword Coast Chronicles : NWN2 Persistent World

One simple reward, since "ninja-looting" is no longer a problem would be to let Rogues be Rogues...as in, don't break stealth for opening a chest, allowing those who do not wish to RP as combat monkeys and instead as Thieves robbing from the place without being spotted can do so.

If the issue is considered bad form for them to get boss loot without fighting the boss then just make boss chests require a key that drops from the boss (or better yet, make it pickpocketable on a good roll!)

Would support building a character with high open lock/sleight of hand/stealth/etc. who builds for high skills while perhaps not being great for combat by still allowing them to go in to a dungeon and (slowly) rob the evil baddies of all their wealth.

This also would not 'hurt' those who bash away or anything, it would simply support a different style of play.

whoa whoa wait

did you just say... let the thieves... be thieves?

Blackman D wrote:whoa whoa wait

did you just say... let the thieves... be thieves?

Damn right BMD! Back in my day we didn't have stinkin' Rogues, they was called THIEVES!

*Steps down from his high horse*

Maybe that would be a good time to up the detection of the helpless mobs too then

Valefort wrote:Maybe that would be a good time to up the detection of the helpless mobs too then

cr5 goblin has 80 listen and 65 spot! i mean it does have big ears and eyes.

DeepFriedMoose wrote:

aaron22 wrote:there is alot of stuff that punishes solo characters. its a social game.

Yes, it's a social game, but not everyone is a social person, and speaking for myself, as a social person, there aren't always people enough to play with. I'm sometimes literally the only person in the UD -- at least, the only person visible on scry, which might as well mean the same thing, since if you're invisible on scry, you're obviously not interested in RP at that moment. I certainly want to hang out with people, but if they aren't on, or aren't willing, then am I just supposed to log off?

I guess what I'm asking is: What's the difficulty curve for a solo player supposed to look like? If you make everything a social activity in an arena where socializing is not guaranteed, then eventually everyone loses out.

Wow this sounds pretty bad my friend, gotta say during my times the UD has been sprawling with activity...

I do agree with the course of action you proposed however, giving something from a less rewarding loot table meaning nothing that would be super valuable by chance to those picking locks and possibly their party members sounds really good, also more XP for lock pick sounds very good.

Earlier set trap and create trap were mentioned, would be cool if they could be combined and the many different lore skills are really harsh on those that have only few skill points I gotta say. XD

not to take away from how people build, but how hard is it to put one point into open lock at level one. hold onto the +skill gear and use lockpicks when needed? its easy mode.

DeepFriedMoose; Being invisible on Scry does not imply someone is not interested in RP. I am usually invisible on Scry and always interested in RP.

On the subject though, it is unfortunate how far one skill point in open lock and disarm trap can get you. I guess specialist rogues are quite uncommon. The area that used to exist between the surface and underdark was one that seemed to need a specialist rogue, there are still such areas in game?
So long as there are areas that need such skills, and so long as they are among the most rewarding, then making compromises for solo play is not going to take too much away from party play.

the short cut is still there, requires 99 open lock

however its not exactly as if its worth investing so much into open lock for a single purpose, granted this was also in game before teleporting, but also since you can teleport most only make the trip once to find a spot and then dont bother after

and even in the case of non casters, going thru the netherese maze without spells is like arranging an appointment to talk to myrkul, and more so to stealth seeing as the netherese shadow plane is also an anti stealth zone, there is no sneaking thru the shadow plane

so even tho the short cut is there, the area itself its not particularly for sneaks - the only one ive ever heard of using that thing was actually a bard

Gorirah wrote:it is unfortunate how far one skill point in open lock and disarm trap can get you.

I don't know, Some Fighter that mostly dumps DEX And puts 1 point in open lock will find quite a few chests cannot be opened once they get more than single digit levels. And there are at least a few 'magic' chests that can't be looted at all if you can't pick them.

As to disarm trap, 1 point gets you VERY little. First, only Rogues and disarm DC20+ traps and second of all you never get a 'take 20' on disarm trap so with only 1 point it is pretty much wasted. disarm trap should either be quite high (if Rogue/Phantom levels) or left at zero (everyone else).

and yea thats true on traps, its pretty much all or none

the only middle ground is for those that use low end traps for rp, you dont need a high set since the DCs are low and recovering a trap you set is auto success, so you need 0 disable

You only need pick those locks to get in the chest. Being prepared for the trap damage removes the need for most of that skill. Not sure if selling traps is much of a business.
I have seen another server where the traps kept on firing, until you disabled them. This heavily promotes the need for both trapfinding and disable device.

the problem with selling traps is on the surface very few people even take them, not sure if its still true tho but my trapper would make more on selling the traps she recovered over selling the actual loot in the chests

in the UD it was the same issue but the merchants in the tavern also take traps now which is nice, and again, i usually make more on selling the traps

and there are few places that have persistent traps that you have to disarm, if they are even still around because i think those areas were redone, but yes it makes it so you do have to have both to get the loot

Hahaha, I bashed a chest with a deadly electric trap on it with some low levels around me. One of them was instantly killed. It was hilarious.

electrical traps never let you down