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

I'll just get right to it. The "grapple" checks on bigby 7 and 9 spells are near impossible and completely warp the game. The only counterplay for any character is to cast or UMD a spell mantle. Is that really what we want? I think at the very least the free +12 they get to the check should be removed, since they already get caster level AND the stat modifier to the check, but I would add a reflex save or disable them if it was up to me. Bigby's forceful hand should also have a touch attack on the initial bull rush so dex based characters have some chance.

These spells are just terrible for the game. Please do something. I would rather beat through 50 displaced mirror images than see one of these cast at me again. EDIT: Maybe I should soften my tone a little bit. I think the custom changes and developers for this place are amazing. This subset of spells just bothers me.

Ethereal Jaunt up to them and then attack. Also for everything there is a potion as well. So UMD not needed to bypass getting Pimp Handed.

Also we have Escape Artist which can allow a player to ignore the hand and just keep going.

Another trick? JUST ATTACK THE DAMN HAND AND KILL IT!

Escape artist isn't nearly good enough. For example, the check for a typical lvl 30 mage would be about 1d20 + 51 vs the highest of your AC or escape artist. So, even with 52 ac or 52 escape artist you never succeed. Good luck. Whether you have to use mantle potions or scrolls, the problem is the same really. The check is so difficult that you have to use an ability that completely blocks all spells to have a chance. The check is so difficult it may as well not exist. Destroying the hand sounds good, I just think the checks on the spells should be possible.

Bigby 7 and 9 are effectively a ranged paralyze with no save that ignores all immunities. That is completely game breaking compared to every other ability in the game, sidesteps every dnd mechanic, completely not in the spirit of the game, and a near-god modding level break in immersion.

Those spells are mentioned in every server I played when it comes to pvp and at some point were either fixed or forums were full of complains about them so yeah - there is something here.

Calodan wrote:Ethereal Jaunt up to them and then attack. Also for everything there is a potion as well. So UMD not needed to bypass getting Pimp Handed.

Also we have Escape Artist which can allow a player to ignore the hand and just keep going.

Another trick? JUST ATTACK THE DAMN HAND AND KILL IT!

As far as I understand it, not working against NPCs. They still have the old version.

spell mantle.can be strip magical by greater breach and Mordenkainen's Disjunction so what is the deal pvp one that can cast the big hand

Lockonnow wrote:spell mantle.can be strip magical by greater breach and Mordenkainen's Disjunction so what is the deal pvp one that can cast the big hand

Exactly. Any fight between mages is just a race to breach/mord's then cast the unstoppable bigby spell. Sounds fun. A fight between a mage and anyone else involves the same thing except the non-mage can't fight back in any way fast enough to prevent breach/bigby. And I don't even care much about pvp, the fact that I absolutely need mantle consumables for a chance to survive against bigby in PvE is silly.

It's not like there are many bigby casters, they are few and far between, also group up

All you need is hips
Or let the mage in your party counterspell that realy works wonders

Doesn't spell resistance stop Bigby's? It definitely stops Bigby's Interposing Hand, I wonder about the others. Besides, how many mobs even use Bigby's 6 or 9 .... the minotaur mage, Chaos (?), undead mini-boss in the vault. Who else?

Edit: Also, HiPS and counterspell are options. So there is a little bit of counter play for the few times you encounter this spell.

it does

Blaze997 find you a mage friend he will deal with you issus that what we call RP

HiPSing Mage = BIG WIN.

AC81 wrote:Doesn't spell resistance stop Bigby's? It definitely stops Bigby's Interposing Hand, I wonder about the others. Besides, how many mobs even use Bigby's 6 or 9 .... the minotaur mage, Chaos (?), undead mini-boss in the vault. Who else?

Edit: Also, HiPS and counterspell are options. So there is a little bit of counter play for the few times you encounter this spell.

These are good options, but they are exactly the same as mantle really. They are counterplays that stop ANY spell. I have no problem grouping up, counterspelling, using mantles, or playing a HiPS character. The point is the bigby spells should have a check that is actually possible and they don't. There is nothing else like it in the game, and there is no reason for them to exist in this state.

It is good to hear the developers did not put the spells in very many NPC spellbooks, good and smart stuff.

it would be nice to see bigby's be able to be countered with the escape artist maybe a bit better. a nice dex can reach a EA skill ~45. that would be without gear upgrades and just on max EA skill and dex bonus. not sure there is any skill synergy with EA. i dont think it should be easy, just something fun to consider as a good counter. right now it is close but not really close enough to be considered a viable counter.

drop the bonus by half and we would be looking at something closer.