Is the manual correct when it says that increasing the difficulty does NOT increase the experience points given?

I just bought the Icewind Dale Collection (IWD + HoW + IWD2). I had IWD2 before but lost the second disk when moving between houses.

I played IWD (no expansions) with a friend's copy. I only reached up to the Severed Hand when undead archers kept annihilating my party.

I just installed IWD + HoW in my new computer and was reading through the pdf manual. I was thinking of starting my new team at a higher difficulty level for the parts that I already know about and easing off as I travel into unfamiliar territory.

Comments/suggestions welcome...

Not it is not correct - it only applies to IWD II, not IWD + HoW.

With IWD/HoW, you get x1.5 xp for Hard, and x2 for Insane.

Good idea on increasing the difficulty until you reach unfamiliar territory. You might decide you like the extra xp so much you won't go back to normal. ;)

Or for Heart of Fury... the xp is amazing *drools*

BUT

I wouldn't recomend HOF unless you are experienced. Very experienced.

<font color = lightgreen>2004 xp for a chicken. [img]graemlins/beigesmilewinkgrin.gif[/img] </font>

[ 01-25-2006, 01:43 PM: Message edited by: Azred ]

I am currently working in insane mode. (Hmmm, how many times do I ever get to use that sentence? [img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img] )

I downloaded a copy of TotLM last night but I still need to tweek my party.

So far I have:

Human Paladin ++ large sword/+bow/+axe <-- should have been flail not axe :(
Gnome F/T bow/dagger/hammer/spear <-- can I backstab with a spear? :D
Human F->Cleric ++mace/++sling <-- maybe a dwarf F/C would help the team survive better? [img]graemlins/1ponder.gif[/img]
Human F->Mage ++sling/++dagger <-- with a critical hit killed the wolf in the shop with one bullet! [img]graemlins/wow.gif[/img]
Human F->Druid ++sling/dagger/scimitar <-- have to redo this character:forgot must be True Neutral! [img]graemlins/1pissed.gif[/img]
Half-Elf Bard bow/staff <-- what can I say? I like bards ;)

I wandered around town until the fighters were second level and then tested them to see if they could dual-class. (Better find out now then say halfway down the Dragons Eye [img]tongue.gif[/img] )

Again comments/criticisms/suggestions are welcome.

Hey man, Bards are amazing in Heart of Winter! Their multiple songs can almost always sav ethe party. Party caught with a horror? Use the song that cancels all fear. Need a luck? Sing Tymora's Melody.

Bard was a great choice ;)

Personally, I would multiclass the F/C and the F/D. You should certainly multiclass at least one of them, otherwise you have no healing spells aside from the paladin's touch. If multiclassing, a R/C gives more versatility than a F/C.

There's no backstabbing with a spear. Backstab/sneak attack is limited to weapons a pureclass thief can use.

I would really like to give that F/M a different ranged weapon for more balance - crossbow would be good if you can pick up either of the crossbows with extra attacks.

When I ran a solo paladin, I wound up using primarily axes AND flails throughout the entire game until a certain area. If I were to run a paladin again, I'd probably start with axes and flails, then get swords later.

Magic axes and flails comes in DE while we have swords and mace before the DE.

You find magical axes on the last level of the big temple in the Vale of Shadows. However, you usually find a +1 longsword on the first level of the temple, which really helps to take out the first wight and mummy.

You find the +2 longsword of confusion at about the same time as you find battleaxe:defender in DE. I'd call it a draw, or maybe slight advantage to large swords. Of course, the balance shifts when you get the throwing axe.