Well I got all hooked up and ready to go with Belladonna, Jahiera and Minsc and then I found Arath and he turned out to be an Avenger too.... didn't want to play with two of them so back the drawing board I went - I could not get interested in a Totemic and after some consideration decided against a ranger/cleric either dual or multi and went with an Archer for PC which leaves the party with 3 druids 2 rangers and a thief/mage type (jan->Imoen).
Fletcher Belle - F Elf CG Archer 8 18-73/19/17/12/14/10 Shortbow*****, Longsword*, TWS**
We just finished the slaver quests and between Minsc and Arath (as spider, wyvern or salamander) tanking and Belles bow our enemies are dropping like flies - it appears the Avenger shapes are considered magical as well as they managed to hit the assorted slimes in the CC dungeon with no trouble altho the descriptions of the "tokens" do not say so. I was disappointed to see that the fire salamander attacks did not finish off almost dead trolls tho.
Next stop Trademeet to fill out the party with Cernd - that will likely make things a bit more challenging LOL.
@SapphireIce101 Well, I have an idea for a CN sorcereress who falls for Coran and then goes crazy when she finds out he's forgotten about her in BGII... hm. Gotta do testing, first.
You'd think in a Halfling village like Gullykin there would be a scout or two available for hire with at least little knowledge of the Firewine ruins wouldn't you? ;-)
SO is it back to an LG PC now or are you still contemplating raising Mordred?
I was headed back to the Paladin types, even thought about a Samurai since I have a kit for that, but then a member of another forum kinda talked me into another run w/a bad guy.
Working on the back story. I have the image already. Looking @ another Arthurian persona or, another from bad guy I just thought about from Ivanhoe. You know me, the story is half the fun.
Last time the plan was to carry Montaron, Xzar, Kagain, Edwin & Viconia. Then Montaron & Xzar walked b/c I didn't get to Nashkel fast enough. I thought they'd be there in the Belching Dragon but they weren't. I changed my plan & went to the four mage backup (counting the bard) & figured to p/u Skie to go w/Eldoth & Viconia. Hadn't decided who to drop but probably Xan & Quayle but we'll never know...didn't get there. This time I'll try to keep Montaron & Xzar to give me the Thieving skills & backstab & I love Necromancer spells to compliment Edwin Conjurations.
Well Trademeet with SCS turned out to be more challenging than I am up for - reloaded the final fight for the grove over and over (3 druids to choose from so a few tries with each) and then uninstalled SCS.
I think that SCS is not really designed for my style of gaming which is essentially very little (if any) cheese - almost never pre-buff at all and if I do it's just general PfE or similar stuff - nothing specific to what I may know is coming - with Faldorn pre-buffed with MR and 2-3 other buffs there was no way my non-buffed naked druids had a chance even on easy. With the "new" shapeshift "tokens" I could not even get shapeshifted as any prior tokens were stripped and Faldorn interrupted the token process every time before I could get it completed.
Anyway there were issues with that run after uninstalling (Cern lost all his previous shapeshifts) so I gave it up and went back to the drawing board.
Currently playing a multi/solo with 3 PCs: Assassin 9 -> Mage Dwarven Defender Halfling Cleric of Lathander
who picked up Isra, (Cavalier mod), Arath (Avenger mod) and Yoshi who are about to clear out the Slavers.
I searched Arthurian legend for a ‘Red Knight’ & found, ‘the Red Knight of the Red Launds, whose real name is Sir Ironside. Ironside has the strength of seven men and has trapped the princess of Lyonesse in a tower from which Gareth must save her. Though he had demonstrated a cruel and sadistic nature, Ironside is brought around and even made a Knight of the Round Table.’1 I chose this antagonist as a loose basis for my new PC, Ironside. I haven’t decided if he will see the error of his ways & have an eventual change of alignment. IF he survives to BGII, he will probably do & add Nalia. Once he clears D'Arnise Keep & accepts Nalia's offer, he would indeed, become Sir Ironside.
Behind the walls of Candlekeep, on the cliffs above the Sea of Swords, Ironside has been raised by his step-father, the sage Gorion for almost 20 years. Like all fathers, Gorion tried to raise Ironside to be of his temperament, to be a servant of law & goodness. And Ironside grew under his step-fathers guidance, training as a warrior under the Gate Warden & the Watchers of Candlekeep, while being tutored in the finest knowledge of the realms under the tutelage of Tethtoril. For almost 19 some odd years all seemed to be as Gorion hoped it would for his special step-son, who he shielded from external influences that would lead Ironside astray. But Gorion, despite his wisdom, considered Ironside safe b/c of Candlekeep’s protective, fortress walls. He never considered Ironside’s vulnerability in his dreams or from the ethereal plane.
When Ironside was 19 he received his first visitation. Whether in a dream, or in person, his recollection isn’t clear but what is clear to him is that something very real happened. And the visits continued infrequently, over the next few months. There were two visitors, seemingly competing w/one another for his affections & his loyalty. The first promised eternal pleasures while the other promised power in this life. Both required that he submit to their master who neither was willing to reveal. “In good time”, they would assure him. In his encounters, their beauty was beyond his ability to resist & so he didn’t pursue his questions. With each visit/dream, he grew further & further from the man Gorion was raising him to be. Instead he became filled w/raw chaos & pure evil.
His visitors were very real indeed. One is his personal Corruptor Demon, a Succubus. The second, his Manipulator Demon, is a Lilutu. They never appear together as they desire to divide & conquer his soul. The Succubus & the Lilitu serve an Overlord Demon, a Marilith, Type V Demoness. The Overlord Demoness Marilith serves Malcanthet, the Demon Queen of Succubi, who desires a champion on the Prime material Plane. Malcanthet has taken a special interest in Ironside b/c she knows full well his origin & the possibilities of leveraging his potential for her own purposes. She detests the Demon Lords Yeenoghu & Graz’zt & if she can secure Ironside’s soul & use the powers he is heir to as a Bhaalspawn, she hopes to wreak havoc on their servants on the Prime Material Plane. ‘Malcanthet has many cults on the Prime Material Plane – groups of courtesans, hedonists, & bored nobles seeking a dangerous thrill to add some excitement to their lives. Her Clerics have access to the domains of Chaos, Evil, Temptation & Trickery. Malcanthet dwells on an exquisitely beautiful plane of the abyss known as Shendivalri (Layer 570)…is served in her realm by numerous Incubi & Succubi, along w/a cabal of 13 Lilitu called the Radiant Sisters…Lamias, Harpies & half-fiend Nymphs serve her as well.’2
So the man that would be a Cavalier for all that was good & just, is instead an Anti-Paladin for all that is Chaotic & Evil. His evil is so overpowering that he begins the game disliked.
Out of Candlekeep. Blast it! I’ve already realized that the powers granted to me as an Anti-Paladin are not yet fully manifested. I have to wait before I can kill w/o discretion, lest I lose my ‘Paladin’ status. Huh? I’d planned to assassinate Hull &/or Fuller & take their Plate Mail for my own but just as I was ready to hit them it became clear that I would lose the powers I HAVE been given if I did so. So I have to be patient, the one thing my chaotic nature detests most!
I followed Gorion’s desire to leave Candlekeep ASAP. I sensed this was part of a larger plan but I knew it was when he was cut down in an ambush. I’m not sure who the creature that attacked us was but I know it was me that he wanted. So it begins! I collected some coin & loot from the battlefield to help finance my journey. Once alone, I rebuffed an effort by that pesky Imoen to join me but took three Potions of Healing & Speed & a Wand of Magic Missile before I dismissed her. I killed some Diseased Gibberling’s before meeting two characters, Montaron, an Assassin & Xzar, a Necromancer. I allowed them to join me as I believe they can serve my purposes. They want to go to Nashkel. That works fine. We defeated a band of Xvarts & more Gibberling’s before linking up w/a Bard named Eldoth. He’s wants to extort money from Lord Entar Silvershield by ‘rescuing’ his lover. That sets up well too. Whatever powerful master I’m serving is setting the table for me meticulously.
I got to Beregost @ night & was welcomed to w/directions & information by a townsperson. I stopped into a shop w/candles burning brightly & found once again that the plan, whatever it is, continues to be laid. A Dwarven Berserker needed help running down a caravan that he was charged to protect. Whatever loot we find, we split. I’m good there.
Key Event: I sold a bit of loot & then headed to an Inn, the Red Sheaf. Walking in, I was attacked by a Dwarven Assassin. I let my subordinates begin the counter-attack. Kagain went Berserk & landed a Battle Axe blow before being hit hard, so he backed off & switched to Throwing Axe. Montaron just tried to position himself to land a Short Sword blow. Eldoth stood back w/his Short Bow & fired arrows while Xzar, out of spells, waited for an opportunity to use his dagger. Once they were in action & has his attention, I attacked w/Cause Critical Wounds & followed up w/Dolores Decay which killed him.
‘Decaying’ the Dwarven Assassin in Beregost
Treasure of Note: A suit of Chain Mail from the Dwarven assassin
Current Disposition: Resting, planning @ the Red Sheaf
Next Steps: I decided for us that we’ll head to Nashkel first to figure out what’s needed there.
@Twani I think that making a Planescape: Torment no reload run is very easy,
but a no-death run... It's basically impossible I think, as you have to die in the Open Tomb (the Nameless One tomb) several times to get the information (and Morte!) from Lothar the Master of Bones.
Hi CharlestonianTemplar. I like your playthroughs. I also have suggestion for you, if you want to play as "Evil Paladin".
I found mod call MorrowGate, that will allow your vanilla paladin and vanilla ranger (not their kits) use their abilities, even they are fallen. You can also rename fallen paladin to paladin, dark paladin or Blackguard, whatever component you choose to install.
But you must first install some components from divine remix mod or it will not work.
Fallen paladin will gain some alternative abilities of detect evil and protection from evil. It's not like Blackguard kit from Enhanced edition, but at least you can play as Anti-paladin.
I went to Nashkel to find out what the circumstances there were. The road south from Beregost to Nashkel brought was frought w/battle & a run-in w/three Flaming Fist Mercenaries that Kagain talked us through w/o incident. Just as I was leaving North Nashkel Road, my benefactor, gifted me w/Ring of Human Influence to raise my charisma. Once in Nashkel, I found out it the mayor wanted me to do a ‘dungeon crawl’ to discover the mystery behind tainted ore coming from the Mines. I decided that the mines could wait while we tracked down Kagain’s caravan.
Key Event: I decided to rest in Nashkel. Once again, walking into an Inn led me face to face w/an Assassin, this one a Cleric. My subordinates were ineffective & the battle took a long time as I stood safely off to the side evaluating their abilities to fight w/o me to hold their hands. She kept trying to get off spells but luckily only one of the first three was effective, that one, ‘Entangle’. That gummed the works. I stepped out of the snares but Kagain, Montaron & Eldoth were all tangled up & swinging their weapons wildly… but so was she. That idiot, Xzar, was safe & then walked right into the entanglement. She turned on him b/c he’d frozen her butt off once w/a Chill Touch. Whatever the case, she killed him just before the Entanglement wore off – then I moved in & killed her myself.
I went to Nashkel to find out what the circumstances there were. The road south from Beregost to Nashkel brought was frought w/battle & a run-in w/three Flaming Fist Mercenaries that Kagain talked us through w/o incident. Just as I was leaving North Nashkel Road, my benefactor, gifted me w/Ring of Human Influence to raise my charisma. Once in Nashkel, I found out it the mayor wanted me to do a ‘dungeon crawl’ to discover the mystery behind tainted ore coming from the Mines. I decided that the mines could wait while we tracked down Kagain’s caravan.
Key Event: I decided to rest in Nashkel. Once again, walking into an Inn led me face to face w/an Assassin, this one a Cleric. My subordinates were ineffective & the battle took a long time as I stood safely off to the side evaluating their abilities to fight w/o me to hold their hands. She kept trying to get off spells but luckily only one of the first three was effective, that one, ‘Entangle’. That gummed the works. I stepped out of the snares but Kagain, Montaron & Eldoth were all tangled up & swinging their weapons wildly… but so was she. That idiot, Xzar, was safe & then walked right into the entanglement. She turned on him b/c he’d frozen her butt off once w/a Chill Touch. Whatever the case, she killed him just before the Entanglement wore off – then I moved in & killed her myself.
STANDING OVER THE CLERIC ASSASSIN'S CARCASS.
That night I dreamed a weird dream, something that gave me power but not from my earlier visitors…I know that b/c the first of my original visitors came to me as soon as the first dream ended, assuring me that this new power was for my benefit…to help empower me for the grander purpose her master’s master has for me. Once again, whatever I serve moves me like a pawn on a chessboard. In the morning, I looked around Nashkel a bit & got into a brawl w/some goon & his hamster who we killed easily. Then I met & added another mage, a Conjuror, Edwin to round my subordinates out @ six.
I returned us to Beresost, rested & then led us north back to the Coast Way in search of Kagain’s caravan. He told me that he’d directed them to stay east of the road & so that’s where we looked. We ran into Xvarts twice during the first pass, the first time costing me that stupid assassin but I pressed on. Finally after running over some Diseased Gibberling’s & camping, the five of us found the caravan. There were four bandits but they didn’t see us @ first. I backed off & had Edwin cast Grease amongst them to keep them in place. Then Kagain & Eldoth attack them w/ranged weapons. Kagain ended up taking a hit from the bandit leader & had to back off – he should’a taken a Potion of Healing b/c his Enrage wore off & he assumed room temperature. Still, we’d worn them down I finally moved in to kill the bandit leader.
Treasure of Note: Rings: Lord Foreshadow’s Ring of Human Influence, Protection +1 (Me); Helm of Infravision (Sold)
Current Disposition: Resting @ the Red Sheaf in Beregost.
Next Steps: Heading to Nashkel to investigate the mines. Level Up: Eldoth, my Bard is more talented & his Guild promoted him to Lyrist (Bard/2)
Only two things seemed to be calling me & to hunt down a fugitive Captain of the local Amnish Guard. I decided on the mines which I headed to fore with. Externally the mines yielded little of interest, save a bounty hunter named Greywolf who was hunting a fugitive from Nashkel. We took care of both of them & got to emeralds & an enchanted battle axe for our troubles. The mines themselves were four levels deep w/a multi-caverned cave on the deepest floor. The first two layers were of little challenge as they were full of Kobolds but only a single Kobolds or a group of three or four tops. Easy picken’s but not much treasure either. During the dungeon crawl thru the mines, I had to pull us out to unload supplies about three times & about the same number to resurrect my front line guys, Kagain, Montaron & Eldoth each @ one time or another. Our low experience here makes this mine a challenge.
The third level turned up the heat a bit as there were many more Kobolds, a couple of Huge Spiders & a Ghoul. We did pretty well w/our limited skills, armor & ability to sustain damage. Sill led us through & after a trip to Nashkel again, I returned ready to descend another level which I didn’t know was the deepest @ he time. Once on the fourth level, we mowed down three Kobold Commando’s, a Ghoul & a couple of Grey Oozes but once again took a loss, Kagain. I didn’t feel ready for any more combat w/out his dual axes @ my side. So I returned again to have him raised by the only temple available.
Key Event: Returning from that I led us into the cave on the fourth floor & immediately ran into more Kobolds that we dusted off quickly. It wasn’t until the last room, a sort of throne room in the mines, set up by the evil Half-Orc Cleric Mulahay. He darted for the doorway & summoned a pant load of Kobolds & skeletons. Eldoth took care of the Kobolds w/a Sleep spell so we could focus on the obvious cleric. He fought hard, using a Spiritual Hammer, a Hold person to great effect. I still l lost my wimpy assassin but got the job done when Mulahey tried to escape the cave. We caught him at the entrance & finished him.
Only two things seemed to be calling me & to hunt down a fugitive Captain of the local Amnish Guard. I decided on the mines which I headed to fore with. Externally the mines yielded little of inersest, save a bounty hunter named Greywolf who was hunting a fugitive from Nashkel. We took care of both of them & got to emeralds & an enchanted battle axe for our troubles. The mines themselves were four levels deep w/a multi-caverned cave on the deepest floor. The first two layers were of little challenge as they were full of Kobolds but only a single Kobolds or a group of three or four tops. Easy picken’s but not much treasure either. During the dungeon crawl thru the mines, I had to pull us out to unload supplies about three times & about the same number to resurrect my front line guys, Kagain, Montaron & Eldoth each @ one time or another. Our low experience here makes this mine a challenge.
The third level turned up the heat a bit as there were many more Kobolds, a couple of Huge Spiders & a Ghoul. We did pretty well w/our limited skills, armor & ability to sustain damage. Sill led us through & after a trip to Nashkel again, I returned ready to descend another level which I didn’t know was the deepest @ he time. Once on the fourth level, we mowed down three Kobold Commando’s, a Ghoul & a couple of Grey Oozes but once again took a loss, Kagain. I didn’t feel ready for any more combat w/out his dual axes @ my side. So I returned again to have him raised by the only temple available.
Key Event: Returning from that I led us into the cave on the fourth floor & immediately ran into more Kobolds that we dusted off quickly. It wasn’t until the last room, a sort of throne room in the mines, set up by the evil Half-Orc Cleric Mulahay. He darted for the doorway & summoned a pant load of Kobolds & skeletons. Eldoth took care of the Kobolds w/a Sleep spell so we could focus on the obvious cleric. He fought hard, using a Spiritual Hammer, a Hold person to great effect. I still l lost my wimpy assassin but got the job done when Mulahey tried to escape the cave. We caught him at the entrance & finished him.
KILLING THE SO CALLED MASTER OF THE MINES, MULUHAY, THE HALF-ORC.
I still stood two more challenges after looting his treasure chest, when we were attacked by an assassin, a mage/Thief maybe outside the Nashkel Inn as we were returning for some rest. I pulled us back in our weakened position & the Amnish Guards killed him but we got to loot all the carcasses!!! I then followed four leads, 1) took a sample of the mineral ore to the Thunderhammer Smithy in Beregost, 2) took a vial of the compound being used to ruin the ore to Thalantyr in High hedge, 3) met w/the Flaming Fist Captain in the Jovial Juggler who asked for my help (I’m bleding right in & my rep is 10 – average. Finally, I tracked down a man listed in mage named Tranzig in Beregost who was a middle man between the bandits ab activities in Amn, He’s dead after arguing wme but I got the info I needed.
I LET THE AMNISH GUARD DEAL W/THIS ASSASSIN, A MAGE/THIEF MAYBE. THEY DID @ GREAT COST & i GOT THE SPOILS.
TAKING OUT THE WIZARD MIDDLE MAN BETWEEN THE BANDITS AND THE MINING OPERATION.
Treasure of Note: Boots of Avoidance (Me); Bracers of Archery (Eldoth); Short Sword +1 (Montaron)
Current Disposition: Resting @ the Red Sheaf in Beregost.
Next Steps: I need to sleep and dream on this. I want to go after these bandits, but I feel pulled to hunt Edwin’s witch too. Level Up: My benefactor granted to me the power of Miscreant (Anti-Paladin/4); Motaron’s Asaasin Guild sent word that he is now a Rutterkin (Assassin/2); Kagain’s Dwarver Berserker leadership promoted him to Berserker/2 & the Red Wizards have increased Edwin to a Conjurer/2. Afterward, Eldoth’s guild increased his stature to Sonnatteer (Bard/3) & finally we heard from Xzar Guild & he too is now granted the power of a Necromancer/3)
I have to start checking this thread daily again. I fell out of the habit, and I've missed a lot. I'm thinking about trying to document a new run based on @Lemernis ' idea about "Real you and who you'd be friends with" from general, and that run may wind up here.
I'm delighted to see you guys and gals keeping this thread alive.
My visitors by night seem so real & yet like a dream. So beautiful and enticing they urge me to follow the path of the bandits as the source that can bring me the power I will need to serve my benefactor when they choose to reveal more to me. Reading thru the letter to Tranzig led me to move toward Peldvale & Larswood. I chose to go north thru Coast Way intending to head east to Larswood afterward. In the coast way I encountered six or seven Bandits that attacked us just as we were knocking off a group of Xvarts. I left the Xvarts w/Kagain & the others &, protected by my Boots of Avoidance, attacked the Bandits & their short bows. After I killed one of them & then started beating down a second, he begged for mercy & promised to show me on my map where the Bandit Camp was located. I intended to kill him after but he & his cowardly band escaped running like little girls into the woods.
Key Event: After making sure there was nothing of value remaining in Coast Way I led us back to Beregost to sell loot & rest. Right in front of the Red Sheaf, this woman had been standing there day & night since I’d been passing thru & was starting to irritate me. I decided to have Montaron back-stab her as we passed by like nothing out of the ordinary. His ‘back-stab’ was effective but not deadly. After he came into the Red Sheaf I expected her to enter but she didn’t. After a nights rest, we emerged into the daylight to find her waiting to fight. I cast Larloch’s Minor Drain to disrupt any spell she might cast. Kagain attacked enraged; Eldoth fired Poison Arrows; Xzar cast Chill Touch & shocked her. Montaron slipped into shadows to back-stab and finished her w/o any of us taking a scratch. Edwin did nothing but attack w/his staff but his Grease Spells have been very helpful in tying up our other enemies so, for now, he remains useful.
ASSASSINATION: A BEAUTIFUL WORK OF ART!!
Treasure of Note: Girdle of Bluntness (Me); Potion of Invulnerability (Me); Heavy Crossbow of Accuracy (TBD)
Current Disposition: Resting @ the Red Sheaf
Next Steps: Larswood Level Up: Motaron’s Assassin Guild sends word that he is now a Waghalter (Assassin/3)
Finally made it to Larswood. There I led us to splendid victories over a trio of Worgs & then three Black Talon Elite (BTE). I actually like the BTE & can see myself as their leader someday…but for now they stand in my way…or worse still my benefactor.
Later, we stumbled on a druid shrine & were attacked by one of them, while his partner attacked him. We smoked him easily & had to take down two Cave Bears too. As I battled the Druid & two Cave Bears, I felt another surge of power as the 2nd of my visitors appeared & touched me. I could see her clearly this time, so plainly, but none of the others noticed her appear beside me. I remember her as a beautiful goddess-like being in my earlier dreams but this time “her sharp talons, vacant white eyes & cloven feet…burnt & broken fragments of wings protruding from her back & four writhing, ten-foot-long sting-tipped tails”1 revealed her as a Lilitu Demoness. MY POWER COMES DIRECT FROM THE ABYSS!!! I felt a surge of extraordinary fear before realizing in an instant that the Lilitu serves another, more powerful Demon. How I wish I were in Candlekeep now so I could research the, Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss1 & the Demonicon2 so that I could learn more. Whichever benefactor my ultimate Demon is can rest assured I will serve them well here until they bring me to the Abyss so that I can serve Chaos & Evil forever in their service.
Key Event: Early in our visit to Larswood, we ran into some Bandits & since I was getting my butt kicked I smooth talked my way in to ‘join their gang.’ Unfortunately, when I told their leader Tazok that I could give him a good bruisin’ which is why he needed me, he chose to ask me to back my words up. I could’a taken him & the bandit Leader that brought me to him but the commotion brought Chill Hobgoblins & more Bandits out of the woodwork & we had to bail. Xzar actually took a dirt nap & I had to send Eldoth roundabout to collect his gear & Montaron’s who’s already fallen. I’ll find this Tazok Ogre again and stomp his ugly butt. I still think it would be cool to lead the BTE.
BATTLING THE BANDIT LEADER, TAZOK.
Afterward, I continued pressing into Larswood but it was along, laborious, slow task. The biggest obstacle was a group of three BTE w/about a half-dozen Bandits right in the middle of the woods. Time & again we approached & tried to knock them off before withdrawing to rest & try again. The BTE w/those Arrows of Ice are hard to overcome, especially when other Bandits are taking pot shots @ you too. Even w/my Boots of Avoidance, I was taking hits & having to withdraw. Finally we found a separate group of three BTE & were able to disable & kill them w/a sleep spell cast by Eldoth. That became the strategy but it was still nip & tuck, hit & run. Finally both Xzar & Edwin were sent word of promotion from their guilds (however that works). That added three Melf’s Acid Arrows for Eldoth & two Horror Spells for Xzar. Much help they were. FINALLY we killed them all, picking off one or two @ a time & then returning to pick of more. Then I force marched us thru the remainder of Larswood killing everything in sight while we were on a roll. I wanted no reinforcements coming in. We still had to pull back to finish off two more groups of BTE but Larswood is clear.
Treasure of Note: Arrows of Ice, ~40 (Eldoth); Had to cash in my Heavy Crossbow of Accuracy for gold
Current Disposition: Resting @ the red Sheaf as always
Next Steps: My benefactor has blessed me to become a Malefactor (Anti-Paladin/3) & I have added proficiency w/a Two-Handed sword. Eldoth’s Guild made him a Skald (Bard/4) & but he didn’t have a 2nd level spell to memorize yet; Kagain was promoted to Berserker/3 & added another notch to his Axe proficiency; Both Xzar & Edwin’s Guild’s promoted them to Conjurer (Mage/3) w/Xzar adding Larloch’s Minor Drain & Horror x2 & Edwin adding Melf’s Acid Arrow x3
The best strategy I have found for the BTE is to load up one tank type character with all the missle protection items available (girdle, boots of avoidance, large shield etc) and send him at them in melee with the rest of the party holding back until they all engage the tank and then to move up and assist using ranged gear or CC spell like sleep -
once the tank gets close the BTE will switch to melee which they are much less effective with and the party can then approach with other melee types or continue to use ranged weapons whichever is their strength.
An added bonus to this method is larger quivers of ice arrows to pick from their warm corpses when the battle is done... ;-)
Thanks. Yeah, that was what I was trying to do, although I was leaving me shield & going two handed weapon style. I was backing the party off, charging in but much of it was fear. Demon's don't like danger to themselves & my Anti-Paladin is a darn well sure he's got an easy kill. Peldvale is next, so I'll try to get my strategy down before heading back to the Bandit Camp. My PC/NPCs are 3rd level, one 4th, w/o much in the way of ranged weapons so the fight is a tough one. Viconia will be getting added in leaving Edwin, Eldoth and Kagain as outsiders. Gotta keep Montaron and Xzar b/c I'll need Montaron in the Cloakwood Mines. Can't get to Skie cause she is in BG & I want to play out that Silvershield sidequest since I've never done it. Kagain is my tank so my coward can stay back out of danger until victory is sure. leaves Edwin out but those conjurer spells, Melf's Acid Arrow, Flame Arrow will be missed. Oh well, I'll pull the string when the time is right.
Despite the difficulties in Larswood, I continued to lead my party toward the Bandit Camp by way of Peldvale IAW the letter I found on Tranzig. I immediately ran into a Drow Priestess, Viconia, & knew instantly that she was supposed to join w/me. Eldoth was no longer of value to me. His knowledge of Lore & his Identify spell will be missed b/c my other two Mages are specialists who can but cast Identify from a scroll (playing so that Mages can only memorize spells from their school but can cast others from a scroll). I will miss his limited ability w/short bow but Viconia’s unique spells & light ability as a foot soldier will transcend what Eldoth offered. (I made a mistake & dismissed
Key Event: This was all about try to figure out how to overcome BTE. Around every hill & behind every tree, we seemed to bump into A-Teams of three of them armed w/four Arrows of Ice each. There were spiders too but none of us was ever poisoned, plus we had an Antidote & I had Elixirs of Health for my own needs. Viconia packed her memorized spells w/Command & Xzar loaded up his 2nd level slots w/Horror. Still, by the time I limped us out of there we were down Kagain & Edwin. (I’d set AI for both Mages & Voconia @ Aggressive & that worked against me w/Edwin – back to Defensive mode next time thru. Nonetheless, I led us to victory over the BTE one A-Team @ a time & there’s nothing left in Peldvale – except four Wraith Spiders I want nothing to do w/in this weakened state & w/o but one enchanted weapon.
ESCAPING PELDVALE W/ONLY FOUR OF SIX
After all was said & done I decided to reenlist Eldoth back into my service in exchange for raising Edwin yet again.
Treasure of Note: Nothing to write about. 30 or so more Arrows of Ice which cost us more to identify than we got for them (we have no bows in this group).
Current Disposition: I’ve moved my base of operations to the FAI – although Eldoth has a history there that makes my welcome, well, less than welcome.
Next Steps: Invade the Bandit Camp
Level Up: Montaron received a message from his Assassin’s Guild promoting him to Murderer (Asaassin/4) & he selected TWS* to augment his abilities. Viconia joined me as a Curate (Cleric/4).
My next step was clearly to revisit the Bandit Camp so I dragged my subordinates w/me from the FAI along the path north along the road that leads through Peldvale and on up to the Bandit Camp. Before I even got us out of view of the FAI we ran into seven Hobgoblins from the Ripper Tribe, who we ripped up good. As we did, the Lilitu Demoness appeared & it was as if time stopped. She told me that my,
“…manipulation & corruption are complete… that’s why you now see me as I am & can see the beauty of raw chaos & evil…you now belong to our overlord…& to her Demon Queen …”
I was immediately strengthened yet again, my power growing within as she faded from sight.
From there it was on to the Bandit Camp where I quickly found my group tangled up w/Chill Hobgoblins & Bandits. I couldn’t finish them & taking losses returned to FAI to rest & regroup before returning a couple of days later. Operating only by night now to keep my Drow Viconia @ her strongest, I sent Montaron ahead using Hide in Shadows where he found & back-stabbed what turned out to be the leader of the Chill. That brought out more Chill & some Bandits that we cut down. I then had my subordinates loot the bodies & then we raided the huts nearby & a cave filled w/Gnolls before I had us remove ourselves to camp & recuperate.
Next I moved us east using Montaron to scout ahead Hidden in Shadow. He found what he reported to be the main building in the camp. There were a number of Bandits out front of the building including, he said, a large armored figure in full plate. I had him toss an Oil of Fiery Burning in their midst & then escape. In the explosion they didn’t see him so I sent him back to check the damage. He picked off a survivor in the eastern wood line & back-stabbed him drawing most of the Bandits, including the armored figure into the woods to chase him. He went in a large circle drawing them away from the camp while the rest of us moved in & eliminated the remaining Bandits. As Montaron ran, the Bandits spread out & when he returned to the group I had us backtrack & pick them off , including skeletons & Zombies that had joined the chase, one by one. The final survivor was the man in full-plate. We fought a long hard battle to kill him, Xzar finally finished him w/Chill Touch.
On return to the FAI for R&R, Eldoth tried to pickpocket the Gnome who hired us to kill the spiders in her Beregost home. It didn’t work & it turned out she was a mage or something. She attacked & we killed her & cost me my Anti-Paladin status. Most everyone in the in is hostile toward us now & it’s a bloodbath waiting to happen w/my trigger happy crew (AI).
Key Event: I continued my mission w/or w/o my Anti-Paladin powers. I still have the powers from that ‘other source’ & I’m still the baddest motha’ in Faerun. I led my followers back to the Bandit Camp & cleared the entire area to make sure there were no surprises when we attacked the Large Tent. I had Montaron go in Hidden in Shadow to toss a Potion of Explosions while the rest of us spread out outside the door…but he never got it off & took a quick dirt nap. Suddenly a Mage, a big Chill Hobgoblin, a Gnoll & a Knight w/a bow came pourin’ out & they were ticked. We focused on the Mage first but the two w/bows made that hard quick. Before I knew it my dwarf was dead. Two dead & we’d only killed the mage. Xzar did well keeping them panicking w/Horror spells while Viconia used Command & Doom. I turned my attention to the fighter in Splint next to take out one of the bows, which I did. Next it was the Chill w/the bow & he went down easily. Finally the three of us killed the Gnoll. We were done.
After the victory, I suddenly found myself facing a beautiful Demoness, this one with a multi-armed female torso atop the body of a great snake. She was taller than a large man & obviously far more terrible. All six of her arms held either sword or battle-axe. She berated me w/a verbal barrage of insults for losing my Anti-Paladin status b/c I couldn’t control the subordinates I’d been given…told me I was a weak leader & that she was my Overlord now…that I would learn or I would die. She told me that though my Queen was displeased she had granted me an Enchantment to aid me henceforth & to offset all that I had lost. “Do not fail,” she shouted sternly as she faded…
Treasure of Note: Full-Plate Armor, Large Shield +1, Potion of Magic Blocking (Me); Mage Robes of Cold/Fire Resistance (Xzar); Potions of Fortitude (Viconia)
HOLDING COURT @ MY NEW BASE OF OPERATIONS
Current Disposition: Resting in my new compound, formerly the Bandit Camp
Next Steps: Cloakwood Lodge
Level Up: My Demon benefactor promoted me to Abyss Raiser (Anti-Paladin/4) but I’ve lost those powers & am now a Fallen Anti-Paladin/4; Kagain also was promoted to Fighter/Berserker//4.
It took a few days for my group to rest & prepare to move into the Cloakwood. Eldoth loaded up on his Poison Arrows & we all recovered from the tough foray through Larswood, Peldvale & the Bandit Camp. After a few days, I led my subordinates to the FAI to pick up Elixirs of Health and I decided on a Scroll of Cure Critical Wounds which I gave to Viconia. Then it was off to Cloakwood Lodge where we fought bunches of annoying Tasloi, a dozen or so Huge Spiders, various wolves, a trio of Worgs, a dozen or so Xvarts & three Ogrillons. We also killed some guy w/a Long Bow on a bridge leading deeper into the Cloakwood. He wanted us to join w/him to kill a Wyvern. Once he gave me the information, i.e., that the Mayor of Nashkel is willing to pay 2000gp for this Wyverns head, that was all I needed from him.
Key Event: We found a hunting lodge & approached a man armed w/Long Bow & Bastard Sword who asked for our help against woodland savages that had killed a member of his hunting party. He was also alone & said he was a nobleman from Baldur’s Gate. I was still deliberating when a Druid named Seniyad leading three subordinate Druids came up. The Druids didn’t look like they had much to offer so I decided that the nobleman needed to die b/c he might have something I could use. He attacked leaving the Druids alone & came after us. He was obviously resistant to magic as I had Viconia cast Command & I cast Larloch’s Minor Drain as did Xzar. None of that affected him but Eldoth landed a Poison Arrow while Kagain went Berserk w/his dual Battle-Axes. I decided to kill the Druids too just in case they had something of value. Viconia cast Command @ Seniyad & he dropped like a stone. I yelled @ Montaron to go finish him & Eldoth & Viconia to attach him too. I decided to knock out the other Druids too before they cast a spell but, before I knew it, Seniyad cast a Lightning Bolt & completely obliterated Xzar. Nothing left have any chance a Raising Dead on that mass of pulp. Montaron finally finished Seniyad w/a well-placed backstab & we mopped up the other Druids w/o them casting a spell. I’ve got Eldoth to cast Mage Spells but is he enough? Edwin’s dead for good too. Hmmm. Whatever the case, it was worth it. The nobleman was loaded w/loot, potions & an enchanted Bastard Sword that’s perfect for me. Seniyad had a Ring of Animal Friendship that I gave to Viconia to use. Not sure it was worth losing Xzar…but its close. Still, I’m gonna miss those Necromancer spells.
LEAVING THE CLOAKWOOD LODGE W/O XZAR!
Treasure of Note: Bastard Sword +1/+3 vs. Shapeshifters, Potions of Vulnerability, Heroism & Elixir of Health (Me); Cloak of Non-Detection (Montaron); Short Bow +1 (got this @ Bandit Camp but forgot to capture it in that journal) (Eldoth)
Current Disposition: Resting @ my compound, formerly the Bandit Camp Next Steps: Deeper into the Cloakwood Level Up: Eldoth received word from him Bards Guild that he is now a Joungleur (Bard/5) & added Magic Missile as his 3rd Level 1 spell. Viconia received power to become a Curate (Cleric/5) from her Goddess Shar & added the spell Animate Dead. Montaron also received word from his guild that he too had advanced to Thug (Assassin/5).
I led my subordinates deeper into the Cloakwood after a rest back @ my camp & a stop @ FAI for some additional Elixirs of Health. The next stop in the Cloakwood was full of Spiders which we dealt w/rather easily, although there were so many we were running out of steam. I chose to pressing onward b/c sleeping in a forest full of spiders seemed bound to draw more of them. After some dozen or 15 Giant & Huge Spiders, a couple of Phase Spiders & a Sword Spider we found a cave with a fat, bloated hideous creature surrounded by more spiders of all types & two Ettercaps. We killed the woman, or whatever, that claimed she’d been cursed that way by Jon Irenicus. Whatever it was, I’m guessing she definitely wasn’t Lolth, the Demon Queen of Spiders.
I backed us out of the cave rather than battle the spiders & Ettercaps in their home where I might get segregated & trapped. Kagain & Eldoth actually went back into the cave, because they’d gotten a scratch, while the others of us fought the battle outside. Slowly we knocked down one spider @ a time, then the Ettercaps until, after a long hard battle, I’d won again. Sometime in there, Kagain & Eldoth reemerged from the cave & helped attack the spiders & Ettercaps from behind.
Key Event: I was trying to get us out of there b/c I’d done what I came to do & wanted to recuperate & sell some loot. We stumbled on a group of four Ettercaps & a web trap released. I now had Spiders Bane so I backed ‘em up & waited on the Ettercaps. However, somewhere in there one of my subordinates stumbled on some more spiders. Everyone was injured after the battle in front of the cave, so we didn’t have many hits to give. I don’t know what happened but Kagain took a hit & suddenly was wandering around dazed or something & stumbled on still more spiders. He never came back & I realized he’d been killed – fine time to go taking a dirt nap. Viconia & Eldoth were back providing ranged support while I was up to my ankles in enemies & Montaron was providing back stab support where he could. The battle got out of hand when spiders ended up all around including back where my ranged support was coming from. I wasn’t landing many blows & before I knew it Montaron & Eldoth were also at surrounding temperature. I decided to get out of there w/Viconia & I did just that. My plan was to get out of there & get back to pickup the equipment my deceased left behind but it was gone when I returned. Not sure I will raise any or all of them yet. Viconia & I killed a pant load of spiders & Ettercaps on return w/o them. (I never slept but actually saved the game overnight, thinking that since I didn’t sleep in the ‘game’ the equipment would be there when I played again but it wasn’t – hmmm).
CUTTIN' MY LOSSES!
Treasure of Note: Spiders Bane (Me)
Current Disposition: Resting w/Viconia @ my Camp. Next Steps: Original plan was continue deeper into the Cloakwood. I’ll sleep on it. Level Up: My Malevolent Benefactor increased my power yet again & now I am a BlackGuard (Anti-Paladin (fallen)/5); Kagain too was promoted to Berserker/5 before he bit the dust.
I woke after a dream in which My Overlord Demoness provided direction on what my next steps were to be. Curiously, she didn’t brutalize me for my losses @ the Cloakwood Nest . Rather she directed me to go to Mutamin’s Garden, Nashkel Carnival & the Lighthouse in order. She said she would direct me where exactly to go in each location once I arrived. I followed her directions to Mutamin’s Garden to find that she led me to a replacement for Kagain, a woman w/a mean 2-Handed Weapon Style w/Long Swords. I kicked the crap out of Shar-teel when she challenged me & that’s all it took to get her sword behind me. Next I travelled to the Nashkel Carnival & sure enough, I knew right where to go when I got there. I found a Gnome Illusionist named Quayle & added him to my entourage, a replacement for Xzar. From there, I worked my way to the Lighthouse on the coast of the Sea of Swords. Again, my Overlord led me directly to my replacement for Montaron, Safana. Safana wanted to raid a treasure cave & not feeling led otherwise, I decided to do so after a rest. I bedded Shar-teel most of that night, so I didn’t get much sleep…she’s full contact there too but, once again, she eventually submitted to me.
TAMING SHAR-TEEL...
Key Event: After taming Shar-teel, I led my new group toward the coast where this treasure cave was supposed to be. After battling two wolves & two Dire Wolves, three Hobgoblins, six Sirine’s & three Carrion Crawlers we came upon three more Sirine’s. The leader of the Sirine’s mouthed off a bit before attacking w/two others @ her side. The strategy of getting right up on them to limit their ability to cast their Charm Spells seemed to be a working strategy so I called for it again. Safana moved around behind the Sirine leader to back-stab & we killed her but then I saw that Shar-Teel was Dire Charmed, then Safana too & finally, me. Two of the Sirine’s were still alive casting spells & shooting arrows. I don’t remember doing it but when I came to I saw Viconia lying dead, a victim of our Dire Charm. Once the four of us, minus Viconia, were back in our right minds we attacked & killed the last two Sirine’s & then returned to Beregost & had Viconia raised before selling some loot & resting.
FINISHING OFF THE SIRINE'S!
I returned to the treasure cave after battling through about eight more Hobgoblins & three Carrion Crawlers. In the treasure cave were three Flesh Golems. We killed the first two right @ the entrance but had taken some wallops so I took us outside to rest before returning to finish exploring. I found the last of the three Flesh Gollum’s. He was tough & it took Shar-teel & I teaming up to bring him down as he had resistance to magic spells. Safana caught him w/an enchanted Dart too, right above his heart. After killing him, we found a treasure trove in a pool of water. Safana’s, thieving skills helped as we almost stepped on a trap departing the cave but she noticed & disabled it.
Treasure of Note: Manual of Bodily Health (Me); Cloak of the Wolf, Necklace of Missiles (Quayle)
Current Disposition: I brought my new followers to my Camp for a rest.
Next Steps: Back into the Cloakwood
Level Up: Shar-teel joined @ Swashbuckler (fighter/5) but increased to Myrmidon (fighter/6) & added more skill to her two-weapon style long swords; Safana joined me as a Filcher (Thief/6). Viconia was blessed by Shar & became a Canon (Cleric/6) & added Miscast Magic to her divine spell repertoire.
Current Party: (Reputation: 4 - Despised) (I can still raise Kagain if I desire his axe) Ironside: Ftr/Fallen A-Pal//5, F/P/Mail (L/Shield +1) wBoots/Avoidance, Girdle/Bluntness, B/Sword+1/+3 vs SSs**, Spiders Bane*,(THWS**); (Sirine) Viconia: Cleric//5, S/Mail w/S/Shield*, Mace*, Slg*; (Phase Spider) Shar-teel: Ftr//6 w/P/Mail w/2 L/Swords*** (2HWS***)(Sirene) Safana: Thf//6 w/S/Leather, Dgr* & Dart* (S/Swd*)(Hobgoblin Elite) Quayle: Mage/Ill//6, Dgr*, Slg*(Hobgoblin)
I decided to take my woman, & my other women, (& the Gnome too) deeper into the Cloakwood after taking a breather @ my camp. After the challenge in the Cloakwood Nest, the Cloakwood Druid’s were no sweat @ all. I thought about letting one of the Druid’s join me but looking @ her, & then looking @ my other women, well, she was simply hideous; hell, Quayle looks better. Besides, something about her just didn’t fit what I sense my Malevolent Benefactor is all about & nothing in what my Demoness Overlord last directed me to do indicated anything about adding her. Finding Shar-Teel, Quayle & Safana was in direct response to the direction given me during the last dream in which the Type V Demoness visited me. So instead of letting the female Druid join me, I killed her & another Druid that approached while I was considering her place in my following.
Nothing much to tell. With the help of my subordinates, I killed a half-dozen other Druids that approached me & accused me of messing up the forest or something. I just mowed them down as they came up. There were a few Tasloi, Bears & a couple of Baby Wyverns in the forest too. Other than that, the place was a breeze, a walk in the park, compared to the Cloakwood Nest. I also found a cave with some guy inside & who was apparently trying to train two Baby Wyverns for something he mumbled about – right before he died along w/his Baby Wyverns.
Key Event: Just before I found the cave above, I stumbled on a Treehouse. The five of us walked in & raided a chest & a cabinet where there was a Potion of Freedom, a Potion of Healing & an Antidote. Then I led us up the stairs where there was another Druid. This one had a little game but he fell to our combined assault. I saw him waving his arms so I quickly cast the Chaos spell granted me by my Malevolent Benefactor after my success @ the Bandit Camp that I now call home. Then I closed to beat the snot out of him while my lover, Shar-teel did the same. He was able to cast one spell that I know of b/c Quayle was I la-la land for a while afterward.
KILLIN' THE DRUID IN THE TREEHOUSE
Treasure of Note: Nothing much. Some usable potions, i.e., Potion of Freedom Shar-Teel); Potion of Healing & an Antidote (party general use)
Current Disposition: Enjoying a breather @ my Camp
ENJOYIN' A BREATHER ON MY FRONT PORCH!
MY GREATEST CONQUEST YET REMAINS IN HER PLACE...
Next Steps: Continue deeper into the Cloakwood – wondering how far this forest goes on
Before continuing, I elected to raise Kagain & get his axe back on my side. With his dual Battle Axes, Shar-teel’s dual Long Swords & my Two-Handed Sword, my front line is a tough place to be. W/Safana’s stealth & back-stabbing ability, Viconia’s divine spells & Quayle’s Illusion spells backing us up, I think I’m in a good position against any foe. I don’t like Quayle & hope to get rid of him when I can but until then, he’ll live.
Onward I carried my entourage, deeper into the forest to find the Wyvern that guy back in the Cloakwood Lodge told me about. This part of the wood was definitely more of a challenge than the Cloakwood Druid section. Off the top of my head I recall killing, I’d say, a half-dozen Cave Bears, two Wraith Spiders, two Phase Spiders, a dozen Tasloi, four Baby Wyverns, six Guards in Splint Mail w/Long Swords & a Hamadryad. The Hamadryad was a pain in the butt & I had to pull us out of the wood the first time I encountered her. We were significantly worn out when we stumbled on her b/c we were on our way out of the wood to rest from a difficult battle w/the Wraith Spiders. The Hamadryad cast Dire Charm & got both Shar-teel & I w/it’s affects. I hated that feeling of helplessness as I was chasing down Safana, Quayle & Viconia, (sans armor, b/c she’d been diseased from the battle w/the Wraith Spiders & had no strength to wear armor). My Malevolent Benefactor aided me & we were able to outlast the effects of the Dire Charm & return to camp. On return, I hunted the Hamadryad down & killed her but she was still a pain. ORGANIZING MY FORCES TO DEFEAT THE HAMADRYAD
Key Event: I’d cleared almost the entire wood before I found the Wyvern Cave. We went in, took a look & counted a large male Wyvern, his mate & two Baby Wyverns. I pulled us back out & the female & the two young ones followed to their deaths. It was in this battle that both Shar-Teel & Kagain took some hard hits. I had to order Shar-Teel back to quaff an Antidote & Elixir of Health or she might have gone Tango Uniform on me. After I finally killed the adult female Wyvern, I didn’t hesitate to go after the male still inside the cave. I had Kagain stay back & use Throwing Axes to minimize threat to his injured butt, & made sure Shar-Teel quaffed a second Elixir of Health before engaging – I don’t want to spend the gold to raise her. Whatever the case, she got back into the fight & I killed the Wyvern.
DESTROYING THE FEMALE & HER YOUNG...
...& THEN HER HENPECKED HUSBAND.
Treasure of Note: None
Current Disposition: Back @ my camp deep in the woods, resting Next Steps: I found a compound deep in the Cloakwood. Headed there next.
Level Up: My Malevolent Benefactor increased my power & now I am a Scoundrel (Fallen) Anti-Paladin & I improved w/my Two-Handed Sword so that now I can use Spiders Bane over my Bastard Sword +1/+3 versus Shape changers (unless of course I’m fighting a Shape changer). Quayle got a message from his Mages Guild & is now a Visionist (Illusionist/6)
After a rest I was off to the compound I saw in the Cloakwood. It’s getting harder & harder to get into the deepest parts of the Cloakwood w/o encountering monsters. Gotta pick those battles carefully but keeping Shar-teel happy means fightin’ anything/one, anytime, anywhere & she will w/o me puttin’ the reins on her when necessary, Kagain too for that matter. Still, I choose which battles can benefit me before I let us go swingin’ wildly.
The compound I saw was the Cloakwood Mines, mentioned in the letters I discovered when I defeated the Bandits. I had the party reconnoiter around the mines before assaulting the compound to make sure we weren’t ambushed by BTE or Chill or both. I ended up killing some 15 BTE/guards, the latter not as formidable. There were some Dread Wolves & wolves, maybe two of the former/four of the latter. This required a few trips back to the FAI & the camp to unload loot, especially sets of Splint Mail. Didn’t want to drop those & lose out on the gold @ 25 a set.
Key Event: When I was ready to attack the mines I sent Safana forward Hidden in Shadow to see what was waiting there. She slipped past two guards into a courtyard where she spotted what appeared to be two mages & two fighter types or clerics (they were wearing Splint). When she slipped back to the lines she was spotted by the guards & they attacked but she was heads up & drew them out to us @ the far end of the bridge. This allowed us to finish them before I sent Quayle up, w/Invisibility on himself, to use his Necklace of Missiles to drop a Fireball in the courtyard, alerting them to my presence in a painful manner. That brought the two armored men & one mage forward to the bridge. I cast Chaos on myself & moved to deal w/the mage on the side of the bridge closer to the compound while Shar-teel & Kagain tag teamed one of the armored dudes @ the other end where the two Guards already lay dead. Viconia cast Command @ the mage but it didn’t work so she cast Miscast Magic on him. Quayle cast Blindness @ my enemies while tossing sling-stones, as was Viconia. Safana moved around behind the mage to drop a back-stab on the other armored man who’d come up next to him…never saw either of them try a spell so I guess they were just fighters. The enemy mage managed to cast a Monster Summoning spell & brought some other big oaf to his aid. The mage died before he did & I took him & the other armored guy down w/help from Safana who has hitting & running. Shar-teel & Kagain finished up their dude & came up to help too. Once all of them were dead, Safana reminded me that there was still another mage, or was. I had us move forward in attack in ‘V’ formation w/me trailing so I could see & direct the battlefield. I had Quayle use a Wand of Lightning he’d picked up & he hit the mage but the bounce backs hit Safana killing her. The mage turned out to be a pushover & I/we wasted him quickly before cleaning out the bodies of the four, who turned out to be more assassins & the two guards. Then we killed four more guards between the barracks & the mine entrance & some punk in a little storehouse. We cleaned them out & a few chests/trunks but Safana was unable to get the largest one & neither Kagain, nor I, could force it. Then it was back to the FAI to ID some loot & take a rest before entering the mines.
THE BATTLE OF THE CLOAKWOOD MINES!
LEAVING BODIES IN MY WAKE...
When we were returning to camp Shar-Teel told me she was feeling strange, queasy stomach. I realized she might be pregnant & told her so not in so many words. My heir already in the oven! Oh, & w/these genes what a little bad-ass he will be!
I’ve not heard from my Overlord Demoness since she sent me to add Shar-teel, Safana & Quayle to replace my deceased former subordinates . Starting to wonder what I should be doing but I guess w/the mines looming, I will be busy for a while.
Treasure of Note: Morning Star +1 (sold); two mage robes (Cold Resistance (sold), Travelers Robe (Quayle); Potions (still unidentified)
JUST A NOTE OF CAUTION TO MY FRIENDS WHO USE IMAGE SHACK. I'VE BEEN PAYING TO USE 'IMAGE SHACK' BUT THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE IS NON-EXISTENT. I OFFICIALLY GAVE UP ON THEM TODAY, DELETED MY ACCOUNT & HAD MY BANK RETRIEVE THE FUNDS I'VE SENT THEM.
I GAVE THEM A WEEK TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM, THEN SWITCHED TO PHOTOBUCKET. SEEMS EASIER AND APPEARS TO BE FREE OF CHARGE...FOR NOW. BOTTOM LINE, I COULD NO LONGER UPLOAD IMAGES & WA BEING ASKED TO UPGRADE - BUT I ALREADY HAD. i RIED THEM A NUMBER OF TIMES VIA EMAIL TO GET THE SITUATION HANDLED BUT THEY IGNORED ME...AND THEY LOST MY $.
BE CAUTIOUS IF YOU USE IMAGE SHACK. THEY'LL TAKE YOU $ AND NOT PROVIDE THE IMAGE SERVICE OR REQUEST YOU UPGRADE AFTER YOU ALREADY HAVE AND ARE UTTERLY UNRESPONSIVE TO REQUEST FOR HELP. BE WARNED. CKT
@CharlestonianTemplar - I've noticed that Imageshack was trying to get money from me, and I decided "lol no thanks." to them, and went back to Photobucket.
Comments
Or how about Torment?
Fletcher Belle - F Elf CG Archer 8
18-73/19/17/12/14/10
Shortbow*****, Longsword*, TWS**
We just finished the slaver quests and between Minsc and Arath (as spider, wyvern or salamander) tanking and Belles bow our enemies are dropping like flies - it appears the Avenger shapes are considered magical as well as they managed to hit the assorted slimes in the CC dungeon with no trouble altho the descriptions of the "tokens" do not say so. I was disappointed to see that the fire salamander attacks did not finish off almost dead trolls tho.
Next stop Trademeet to fill out the party with Cernd - that will likely make things a bit more challenging LOL.
Working on the back story. I have the image already. Looking @ another Arthurian persona or, another from bad guy I just thought about from Ivanhoe. You know me, the story is half the fun.
Last time the plan was to carry Montaron, Xzar, Kagain, Edwin & Viconia. Then Montaron & Xzar walked b/c I didn't get to Nashkel fast enough. I thought they'd be there in the Belching Dragon but they weren't. I changed my plan & went to the four mage backup (counting the bard) & figured to p/u Skie to go w/Eldoth & Viconia. Hadn't decided who to drop but probably Xan & Quayle but we'll never know...didn't get there. This time I'll try to keep Montaron & Xzar to give me the Thieving skills & backstab & I love Necromancer spells to compliment Edwin Conjurations.
More work to do planning the persona. CT
I think that SCS is not really designed for my style of gaming which is essentially very little (if any) cheese - almost never pre-buff at all and if I do it's just general PfE or similar stuff - nothing specific to what I may know is coming - with Faldorn pre-buffed with MR and 2-3 other buffs there was no way my non-buffed naked druids had a chance even on easy. With the "new" shapeshift "tokens" I could not even get shapeshifted as any prior tokens were stripped and Faldorn interrupted the token process every time before I could get it completed.
Anyway there were issues with that run after uninstalling (Cern lost all his previous shapeshifts) so I gave it up and went back to the drawing board.
Currently playing a multi/solo with 3 PCs:
Assassin 9 -> Mage
Dwarven Defender
Halfling Cleric of Lathander
who picked up Isra, (Cavalier mod), Arath (Avenger mod) and Yoshi who are about to clear out the Slavers.
Behind the walls of Candlekeep, on the cliffs above the Sea of Swords, Ironside has been raised by his step-father, the sage Gorion for almost 20 years. Like all fathers, Gorion tried to raise Ironside to be of his temperament, to be a servant of law & goodness. And Ironside grew under his step-fathers guidance, training as a warrior under the Gate Warden & the Watchers of Candlekeep, while being tutored in the finest knowledge of the realms under the tutelage of Tethtoril. For almost 19 some odd years all seemed to be as Gorion hoped it would for his special step-son, who he shielded from external influences that would lead Ironside astray. But Gorion, despite his wisdom, considered Ironside safe b/c of Candlekeep’s protective, fortress walls. He never considered Ironside’s vulnerability in his dreams or from the ethereal plane.
When Ironside was 19 he received his first visitation. Whether in a dream, or in person, his recollection isn’t clear but what is clear to him is that something very real happened. And the visits continued infrequently, over the next few months. There were two visitors, seemingly competing w/one another for his affections & his loyalty. The first promised eternal pleasures while the other promised power in this life. Both required that he submit to their master who neither was willing to reveal. “In good time”, they would assure him. In his encounters, their beauty was beyond his ability to resist & so he didn’t pursue his questions. With each visit/dream, he grew further & further from the man Gorion was raising him to be. Instead he became filled w/raw chaos & pure evil.
His visitors were very real indeed. One is his personal Corruptor Demon, a Succubus. The second, his Manipulator Demon, is a Lilutu. They never appear together as they desire to divide & conquer his soul. The Succubus & the Lilitu serve an Overlord Demon, a Marilith, Type V Demoness. The Overlord Demoness Marilith serves Malcanthet, the Demon Queen of Succubi, who desires a champion on the Prime material Plane. Malcanthet has taken a special interest in Ironside b/c she knows full well his origin & the possibilities of leveraging his potential for her own purposes. She detests the Demon Lords Yeenoghu & Graz’zt & if she can secure Ironside’s soul & use the powers he is heir to as a Bhaalspawn, she hopes to wreak havoc on their servants on the Prime Material Plane. ‘Malcanthet has many cults on the Prime Material Plane – groups of courtesans, hedonists, & bored nobles seeking a dangerous thrill to add some excitement to their lives. Her Clerics have access to the domains of Chaos, Evil, Temptation & Trickery. Malcanthet dwells on an exquisitely beautiful plane of the abyss known as Shendivalri (Layer 570)…is served in her realm by numerous Incubi & Succubi, along w/a cabal of 13 Lilitu called the Radiant Sisters…Lamias, Harpies & half-fiend Nymphs serve her as well.’2
So the man that would be a Cavalier for all that was good & just, is instead an Anti-Paladin for all that is Chaotic & Evil. His evil is so overpowering that he begins the game disliked.
1 Red Knight: Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia Foundation, Inc., 14 January 2014
2 Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss: Ed Stark, James Jacobs & Erik Mona, Wizards of the Coast, © 2006
3 Medium Portrait, The Blasphemer Knight: Courtesy dmavromatis, deviantART.com
I followed Gorion’s desire to leave Candlekeep ASAP. I sensed this was part of a larger plan but I knew it was when he was cut down in an ambush. I’m not sure who the creature that attacked us was but I know it was me that he wanted. So it begins! I collected some coin & loot from the battlefield to help finance my journey. Once alone, I rebuffed an effort by that pesky Imoen to join me but took three Potions of Healing & Speed & a Wand of Magic Missile before I dismissed her. I killed some Diseased Gibberling’s before meeting two characters, Montaron, an Assassin & Xzar, a Necromancer. I allowed them to join me as I believe they can serve my purposes. They want to go to Nashkel. That works fine. We defeated a band of Xvarts & more Gibberling’s before linking up w/a Bard named Eldoth. He’s wants to extort money from Lord Entar Silvershield by ‘rescuing’ his lover. That sets up well too. Whatever powerful master I’m serving is setting the table for me meticulously.
I got to Beregost @ night & was welcomed to w/directions & information by a townsperson. I stopped into a shop w/candles burning brightly & found once again that the plan, whatever it is, continues to be laid. A Dwarven Berserker needed help running down a caravan that he was charged to protect. Whatever loot we find, we split. I’m good there.
Key Event: I sold a bit of loot & then headed to an Inn, the Red Sheaf. Walking in, I was attacked by a Dwarven Assassin. I let my subordinates begin the counter-attack. Kagain went Berserk & landed a Battle Axe blow before being hit hard, so he backed off & switched to Throwing Axe. Montaron just tried to position himself to land a Short Sword blow. Eldoth stood back w/his Short Bow & fired arrows while Xzar, out of spells, waited for an opportunity to use his dagger. Once they were in action & has his attention, I attacked w/Cause Critical Wounds & followed up w/Dolores Decay which killed him.
‘Decaying’ the Dwarven Assassin in Beregost
Treasure of Note: A suit of Chain Mail from the Dwarven assassin
Current Disposition: Resting, planning @ the Red Sheaf
Next Steps: I decided for us that we’ll head to Nashkel first to figure out what’s needed there.
Level Up: None
Current Party: (Reputation: 8 - Disliked)
Ironside: Fighter/Anti-Paladin//1, Splint Mail (Large Shield)w/Bastard Sword** (THWS**); Powers: Cause Critical
Wounds, Withering Touch, Dolores Decay
Kagain: Fighter/Berserker w/Chain Mail, Battle/Throwing Axe**(TWS**)
Eldoth: Bard//1, Chain Mail w/Short Bow* & Dagger*
Montaron: Assassin//1, Studded Leather w/Short Sword
Xzar: Mage/Necromancer w/Dagger; Spells: Chill Touch x2
Mods Used: HardTimes-v2; BG1UB_v12; bg1npc-v20; X0black101 (Blackguard); level1npcs-v1.9; bg2_tweaks-v14; Randomizer-v68; scs-v21 (- Tactical Challenges)
It's basically impossible I think, as you have to die in the Open Tomb (the Nameless One tomb) several times to get the information (and Morte!) from Lothar the Master of Bones.
I found mod call MorrowGate, that will allow your vanilla paladin and vanilla ranger (not their kits) use their abilities, even they are fallen. You can also rename fallen paladin to paladin, dark paladin or Blackguard, whatever component you choose to install.
But you must first install some components from divine remix mod or it will not work.
http://gibberlings3.net/cleric/
Fallen paladin will gain some alternative abilities of detect evil and protection from evil.
It's not like Blackguard kit from Enhanced edition, but at least you can play as Anti-paladin.
Key Event: I decided to rest in Nashkel. Once again, walking into an Inn led me face to face w/an Assassin, this one a Cleric. My subordinates were ineffective & the battle took a long time as I stood safely off to the side evaluating their abilities to fight w/o me to hold their hands. She kept trying to get off spells but luckily only one of the first three was effective, that one, ‘Entangle’. That gummed the works. I stepped out of the snares but Kagain, Montaron & Eldoth were all tangled up & swinging their weapons wildly… but so was she. That idiot, Xzar, was safe & then walked right into the entanglement. She turned on him b/c he’d frozen her butt off once w/a Chill Touch. Whatever the case, she killed him just before the Entanglement wore off – then I moved in & killed her myself.
I went to Nashkel to find out what the circumstances there were. The road south from Beregost to Nashkel brought was frought w/battle & a run-in w/three Flaming Fist Mercenaries that Kagain talked us through w/o incident. Just as I was leaving North Nashkel Road, my benefactor, gifted me w/Ring of Human Influence to raise my charisma. Once in Nashkel, I found out it the mayor wanted me to do a ‘dungeon crawl’ to discover the mystery behind tainted ore coming from the Mines. I decided that the mines could wait while we tracked down Kagain’s caravan.
Key Event: I decided to rest in Nashkel. Once again, walking into an Inn led me face to face w/an Assassin, this one a Cleric. My subordinates were ineffective & the battle took a long time as I stood safely off to the side evaluating their abilities to fight w/o me to hold their hands. She kept trying to get off spells but luckily only one of the first three was effective, that one, ‘Entangle’. That gummed the works. I stepped out of the snares but Kagain, Montaron & Eldoth were all tangled up & swinging their weapons wildly… but so was she. That idiot, Xzar, was safe & then walked right into the entanglement. She turned on him b/c he’d frozen her butt off once w/a Chill Touch. Whatever the case, she killed him just before the Entanglement wore off – then I moved in & killed her myself.
STANDING OVER THE CLERIC ASSASSIN'S CARCASS.
That night I dreamed a weird dream, something that gave me power but not from my earlier visitors…I know that b/c the first of my original visitors came to me as soon as the first dream ended, assuring me that this new power was for my benefit…to help empower me for the grander purpose her master’s master has for me. Once again, whatever I serve moves me like a pawn on a chessboard.
In the morning, I looked around Nashkel a bit & got into a brawl w/some goon & his hamster who we killed easily. Then I met & added another mage, a Conjuror, Edwin to round my subordinates out @ six.
I returned us to Beresost, rested & then led us north back to the Coast Way in search of Kagain’s caravan. He told me that he’d directed them to stay east of the road & so that’s where we looked. We ran into Xvarts twice during the first pass, the first time costing me that stupid assassin but I pressed on. Finally after running over some Diseased Gibberling’s & camping, the five of us found the caravan. There were four bandits but they didn’t see us @ first. I backed off & had Edwin cast Grease amongst them to keep them in place. Then Kagain & Eldoth attack them w/ranged weapons. Kagain ended up taking a hit from the bandit leader & had to back off – he should’a taken a Potion of Healing b/c his Enrage wore off & he assumed room temperature. Still, we’d worn them down I finally moved in to kill the bandit leader.
Treasure of Note: Rings: Lord Foreshadow’s Ring of Human Influence, Protection +1 (Me); Helm of Infravision (Sold)
Current Disposition: Resting @ the Red Sheaf in Beregost.
Next Steps: Heading to Nashkel to investigate the mines.
Level Up: Eldoth, my Bard is more talented & his Guild promoted him to Lyrist (Bard/2)
Current Party: (Reputation: 8 - Disliked)
Ironside: Fighter/Anti-Paladin//1, Splint Mail (Large Shield) w/Bastard Sword** (THWS**); Powers:
Cause Critical Wounds, Withering Touch, Dolores Decay
Kagain: Fighter/Berserker w/Chain Mail, Battle/Throwing Axe**(TWS**)
Eldoth: Bard//1, Chain Mail w/Short Bow* & Dagger*
Montaron: Assassin//1, Studded Leather w/Short Sword
Xzar: Mage/Necromancer w/Dagger; Spells: Chill Touch x2
Mods Used: HardTimes-v2; BG1UB_v12; bg1npc-v20; X0black101 (Blackguard); level1npcs-v1.9; bg2_tweaks-v14; Randomizer-v68; scs-v21 (- Tactical Challenges)
IRONSIDE THE ANTI-PALADIN @ LEVEL 2.
Only two things seemed to be calling me & to hunt down a fugitive Captain of the local Amnish Guard. I decided on the mines which I headed to fore with. Externally the mines yielded little of interest, save a bounty hunter named Greywolf who was hunting a fugitive from Nashkel. We took care of both of them & got to emeralds & an enchanted battle axe for our troubles. The mines themselves were four levels deep w/a multi-caverned cave on the deepest floor. The first two layers were of little challenge as they were full of Kobolds but only a single Kobolds or a group of three or four tops. Easy picken’s but not much treasure either. During the dungeon crawl thru the mines, I had to pull us out to unload supplies about three times & about the same number to resurrect my front line guys, Kagain, Montaron & Eldoth each @ one time or another. Our low experience here makes this mine a challenge.
The third level turned up the heat a bit as there were many more Kobolds, a couple of Huge Spiders & a Ghoul. We did pretty well w/our limited skills, armor & ability to sustain damage. Sill led us through & after a trip to Nashkel again, I returned ready to descend another level which I didn’t know was the deepest @ he time. Once on the fourth level, we mowed down three Kobold Commando’s, a Ghoul & a couple of Grey Oozes but once again took a loss, Kagain. I didn’t feel ready for any more combat w/out his dual axes @ my side. So I returned again to have him raised by the only temple available.
Key Event: Returning from that I led us into the cave on the fourth floor & immediately ran into more Kobolds that we dusted off quickly. It wasn’t until the last room, a sort of throne room in the mines, set up by the evil Half-Orc Cleric Mulahay. He darted for the doorway & summoned a pant load of Kobolds & skeletons. Eldoth took care of the Kobolds w/a Sleep spell so we could focus on the obvious cleric. He fought hard, using a Spiritual Hammer, a Hold person to great effect. I still l lost my wimpy assassin but got the job done when Mulahey tried to escape the cave. We caught him at the entrance & finished him.
Only two things seemed to be calling me & to hunt down a fugitive Captain of the local Amnish Guard. I decided on the mines which I headed to fore with. Externally the mines yielded little of inersest, save a bounty hunter named Greywolf who was hunting a fugitive from Nashkel. We took care of both of them & got to emeralds & an enchanted battle axe for our troubles. The mines themselves were four levels deep w/a multi-caverned cave on the deepest floor. The first two layers were of little challenge as they were full of Kobolds but only a single Kobolds or a group of three or four tops. Easy picken’s but not much treasure either. During the dungeon crawl thru the mines, I had to pull us out to unload supplies about three times & about the same number to resurrect my front line guys, Kagain, Montaron & Eldoth each @ one time or another. Our low experience here makes this mine a challenge.
The third level turned up the heat a bit as there were many more Kobolds, a couple of Huge Spiders & a Ghoul. We did pretty well w/our limited skills, armor & ability to sustain damage. Sill led us through & after a trip to Nashkel again, I returned ready to descend another level which I didn’t know was the deepest @ he time. Once on the fourth level, we mowed down three Kobold Commando’s, a Ghoul & a couple of Grey Oozes but once again took a loss, Kagain. I didn’t feel ready for any more combat w/out his dual axes @ my side. So I returned again to have him raised by the only temple available.
Key Event: Returning from that I led us into the cave on the fourth floor & immediately ran into more Kobolds that we dusted off quickly. It wasn’t until the last room, a sort of throne room in the mines, set up by the evil Half-Orc Cleric Mulahay. He darted for the doorway & summoned a pant load of Kobolds & skeletons. Eldoth took care of the Kobolds w/a Sleep spell so we could focus on the obvious cleric. He fought hard, using a Spiritual Hammer, a Hold person to great effect. I still l lost my wimpy assassin but got the job done when Mulahey tried to escape the cave. We caught him at the entrance & finished him.
KILLING THE SO CALLED MASTER OF THE MINES, MULUHAY, THE HALF-ORC.
I still stood two more challenges after looting his treasure chest, when we were attacked by an assassin, a mage/Thief maybe outside the Nashkel Inn as we were returning for some rest. I pulled us back in our weakened position & the Amnish Guards killed him but we got to loot all the carcasses!!! I then followed four leads, 1) took a sample of the mineral ore to the Thunderhammer Smithy in Beregost, 2) took a vial of the compound being used to ruin the ore to Thalantyr in High hedge, 3) met w/the Flaming Fist Captain in the Jovial Juggler who asked for my help (I’m bleding right in & my rep is 10 – average. Finally, I tracked down a man listed in mage named Tranzig in Beregost who was a middle man between the bandits ab activities in Amn, He’s dead after arguing wme but I got the info I needed.
I LET THE AMNISH GUARD DEAL W/THIS ASSASSIN, A MAGE/THIEF MAYBE. THEY DID @ GREAT COST & i GOT THE SPOILS.
TAKING OUT THE WIZARD MIDDLE MAN BETWEEN THE BANDITS AND THE MINING OPERATION.
Treasure of Note: Boots of Avoidance (Me); Bracers of Archery (Eldoth); Short Sword +1 (Montaron)
Current Disposition: Resting @ the Red Sheaf in Beregost.
Next Steps: I need to sleep and dream on this. I want to go after these bandits, but I feel pulled to hunt Edwin’s witch too.
Level Up: My benefactor granted to me the power of Miscreant (Anti-Paladin/4); Motaron’s Asaasin Guild sent word that he is now a Rutterkin (Assassin/2); Kagain’s Dwarver Berserker leadership promoted him to Berserker/2 & the Red Wizards have increased Edwin to a Conjurer/2. Afterward, Eldoth’s guild increased his stature to Sonnatteer (Bard/3) & finally we heard from Xzar Guild & he too is now granted the power of a Necromancer/3)
Current Party: (Reputation: 10 - Average)
Ironside: Fighter/Anti-Paladin//2, Splint Mail (Large Shield) w/Bastard Sword** (THWS**); Powers:
Cause Critical Wounds, Withering Touch, Dolores Decay, Cure Lt Wds
Kagain: Fighter/Berserker//2 w/Chain Mail, Battle/Throwing Axe**(TWS**)
Eldoth: Bard//3, Chain Mail w/Short Bow* & Dagger*
Montaron: Assassin//2, Studded Leather w/Short Sword
Xzar: Mage/Necromancer//2 w/Dagger; Spells: Chill Touch x3
Edwin: Mage/Conjurer//2 w/Qtr Staff; Spells: Armor, Grease x3)
Mods Used: HardTimes-v2; BG1UB_v12; bg1npc-v20; X0black101 (Blackguard); level1npcs-v1.9; bg2_tweaks-v14; Randomizer-v68; scs-v21 (- Tactical Challenges)
I'm delighted to see you guys and gals keeping this thread alive.
Key Event: After making sure there was nothing of value remaining in Coast Way I led us back to Beregost to sell loot & rest. Right in front of the Red Sheaf, this woman had been standing there day & night since I’d been passing thru & was starting to irritate me. I decided to have Montaron back-stab her as we passed by like nothing out of the ordinary. His ‘back-stab’ was effective but not deadly. After he came into the Red Sheaf I expected her to enter but she didn’t. After a nights rest, we emerged into the daylight to find her waiting to fight. I cast Larloch’s Minor Drain to disrupt any spell she might cast. Kagain attacked enraged; Eldoth fired Poison Arrows; Xzar cast Chill Touch & shocked her. Montaron slipped into shadows to back-stab and finished her w/o any of us taking a scratch. Edwin did nothing but attack w/his staff but his Grease Spells have been very helpful in tying up our other enemies so, for now, he remains useful.
ASSASSINATION: A BEAUTIFUL WORK OF ART!!
Treasure of Note: Girdle of Bluntness (Me); Potion of Invulnerability (Me); Heavy Crossbow of Accuracy (TBD)
Current Disposition: Resting @ the Red Sheaf
Next Steps: Larswood
Level Up: Motaron’s Assassin Guild sends word that he is now a Waghalter (Assassin/3)
Current Party: (Reputation: 10 - Average)
Ironside: Fighter/Anti-Paladin//2, S/Mail (L/Shield) wBoots of Avoidance, Girdle of Bluntness, Bastard Sword** (THWS**); Powers: Cause Critical Wounds, Withering Touch, Dolores Decay, Cure Lt Wds
Kagain: Fighter/Berserker//2 w/Chain Mail, Battle/Throwing Axe**(TWS**)
Eldoth: Bard//3, Chain Mail w/Short Bow* & Dagger*
Montaron: Assassin//3, Studded Leather w/+1 Short Sword
Xzar: Mage/Necromancer//2 w/Dagger; Spells: Chill Touch x3
Edwin: Mage/Conjurer//2 w/Qtr Staff; Spells: Armor, Grease x3)
Mods Used: HardTimes-v2; BG1UB_v12; bg1npc-v20; X0black101 (Blackguard); level1npcs-v1.9; bg2_tweaks-v14; Randomizer-v68; scs-v21 (- Tactical Challenges)
Blue Font: New information; Red Font: Monster encounters (first use)
Later, we stumbled on a druid shrine & were attacked by one of them, while his partner attacked him. We smoked him easily & had to take down two Cave Bears too. As I battled the Druid & two Cave Bears, I felt another surge of power as the 2nd of my visitors appeared & touched me. I could see her clearly this time, so plainly, but none of the others noticed her appear beside me. I remember her as a beautiful goddess-like being in my earlier dreams but this time “her sharp talons, vacant white eyes & cloven feet…burnt & broken fragments of wings protruding from her back & four writhing, ten-foot-long sting-tipped tails”1 revealed her as a Lilitu Demoness. MY POWER COMES DIRECT FROM THE ABYSS!!! I felt a surge of extraordinary fear before realizing in an instant that the Lilitu serves another, more powerful Demon. How I wish I were in Candlekeep now so I could research the, Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss1 & the Demonicon2 so that I could learn more. Whichever benefactor my ultimate Demon is can rest assured I will serve them well here until they bring me to the Abyss so that I can serve Chaos & Evil forever in their service.
Key Event: Early in our visit to Larswood, we ran into some Bandits & since I was getting my butt kicked I smooth talked my way in to ‘join their gang.’ Unfortunately, when I told their leader Tazok that I could give him a good bruisin’ which is why he needed me, he chose to ask me to back my words up. I could’a taken him & the bandit Leader that brought me to him but the commotion brought Chill Hobgoblins & more Bandits out of the woodwork & we had to bail. Xzar actually took a dirt nap & I had to send Eldoth roundabout to collect his gear & Montaron’s who’s already fallen. I’ll find this Tazok Ogre again and stomp his ugly butt. I still think it would be cool to lead the BTE.
BATTLING THE BANDIT LEADER, TAZOK.
Afterward, I continued pressing into Larswood but it was along, laborious, slow task. The biggest obstacle was a group of three BTE w/about a half-dozen Bandits right in the middle of the woods. Time & again we approached & tried to knock them off before withdrawing to rest & try again. The BTE w/those Arrows of Ice are hard to overcome, especially when other Bandits are taking pot shots @ you too. Even w/my Boots of Avoidance, I was taking hits & having to withdraw. Finally we found a separate group of three BTE & were able to disable & kill them w/a sleep spell cast by Eldoth. That became the strategy but it was still nip & tuck, hit & run. Finally both Xzar & Edwin were sent word of promotion from their guilds (however that works). That added three Melf’s Acid Arrows for Eldoth & two Horror Spells for Xzar. Much help they were. FINALLY we killed them all, picking off one or two @ a time & then returning to pick of more. Then I force marched us thru the remainder of Larswood killing everything in sight while we were on a roll. I wanted no reinforcements coming in. We still had to pull back to finish off two more groups of BTE but Larswood is clear.
Treasure of Note: Arrows of Ice, ~40 (Eldoth); Had to cash in my Heavy Crossbow of Accuracy for gold
Current Disposition: Resting @ the red Sheaf as always
Next Steps: My benefactor has blessed me to become a Malefactor (Anti-Paladin/3) & I have added proficiency w/a Two-Handed sword. Eldoth’s Guild made him a Skald (Bard/4) & but he didn’t have a 2nd level spell to memorize yet; Kagain was promoted to Berserker/3 & added another notch to his Axe proficiency; Both Xzar & Edwin’s Guild’s promoted them to Conjurer (Mage/3) w/Xzar adding Larloch’s Minor Drain & Horror x2 & Edwin adding Melf’s Acid Arrow x3
Level Up:
Current Party: (Reputation: 10 - Average)
Ironside: Fighter/Anti-Paladin//3, S/Mail (L/Shield) wBoots/Avoidance, Girdle/Bluntness, B/Sword**
(THS*, THWS**); Powers: Cause Critical Wounds, Withering Touch, Dolores Decay, Cure Lt Wds
Kagain: Fighter/Berserker//3w/Chain Mail, Battle/Throwing Axe***(TWS**)
Eldoth: Bard//4, Chain Mail w/Short Bow*, L/Sword* & Dagger*
Montaron: Assassin//3, Studded Leather w/+1 Short Sword
Xzar: Mage/Necromancer//3 w/Dagger; Spells: Chill Touch x2, Larloch’s Minor Drain, Horror x2
Edwin: Mage/Conjurer//3 w/Qtr Staff; Spells: Armor, Grease x3, Melf’s Acid Arrowx3
Mods Used: HardTimes-v2; BG1UB_v12; bg1npc-v20; X0black101 (Blackguard); level1npcs-v1.9; bg2_tweaks-v14; Randomizer-v68; scs-v21 (- Tactical Challenges)
Blue Font: New information; Red Font: Monster encounters (first use)
1 Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss: Ed Stark, James Jacobs & Erik Mona, Wizards of the Coast, © 2006
2 Demonicon: Mike Mearls, Brian R. James, Steve Townsend, Wizards of the Coast, © 2010
The best strategy I have found for the BTE is to load up one tank type character with all the missle protection items available (girdle, boots of avoidance, large shield etc) and send him at them in melee with the rest of the party holding back until they all engage the tank and then to move up and assist using ranged gear or CC spell like sleep -
once the tank gets close the BTE will switch to melee which they are much less effective with and the party can then approach with other melee types or continue to use ranged weapons whichever is their strength.
An added bonus to this method is larger quivers of ice arrows to pick from their warm corpses when the battle is done... ;-)
Key Event: This was all about try to figure out how to overcome BTE. Around every hill & behind every tree, we seemed to bump into A-Teams of three of them armed w/four Arrows of Ice each. There were spiders too but none of us was ever poisoned, plus we had an Antidote & I had Elixirs of Health for my own needs. Viconia packed her memorized spells w/Command & Xzar loaded up his 2nd level slots w/Horror. Still, by the time I limped us out of there we were down Kagain & Edwin. (I’d set AI for both Mages & Voconia @ Aggressive & that worked against me w/Edwin – back to Defensive mode next time thru. Nonetheless, I led us to victory over the BTE one A-Team @ a time & there’s nothing left in Peldvale – except four Wraith Spiders I want nothing to do w/in this weakened state & w/o but one enchanted weapon.
ESCAPING PELDVALE W/ONLY FOUR OF SIX
After all was said & done I decided to reenlist Eldoth back into my service in exchange for raising Edwin yet again.
Treasure of Note: Nothing to write about. 30 or so more Arrows of Ice which cost us more to identify than we got for them (we have no bows in this group).
Current Disposition: I’ve moved my base of operations to the FAI – although Eldoth has a history there that makes my welcome, well, less than welcome.
Next Steps: Invade the Bandit Camp
Level Up: Montaron received a message from his Assassin’s Guild promoting him to Murderer (Asaassin/4) & he selected TWS* to augment his abilities. Viconia joined me as a Curate (Cleric/4).
Current Party: (Reputation: 10 - Average)
Ironside: Fighter/Anti-Paladin//3, S/Mail (L/Shield) wBoots/Avoidance, Girdle/Bluntness, B/Sword**
(THS*, THWS**); Powers: Cause Critical Wounds, Withering Touch, Dolores Decay, Cure Lt Wds
Kagain: Fighter/Berserker//3w/Chain Mail, Battle/Throwing Axe***(TWS**)
Viconia: Cleric//4, S/Mail w/S/Shield*, Mace*, Slg*; Spells: Cmdx3,Doom,Shilelagh,H/Personx2,Silence
15’,S/Hammer
Montaron: Assassin//4, Studded Leather & Shield* w/+1 Short Sword
Xzar: Mage/Necromancer//3 w/Dagger; Spells: Chill Touch x2, Larloch’s Minor Drain, Horror x2
Eldoth: Bard//4 w/S/Bow*, L/Sword*, Dgr*; Spells: Armor, Sleep, Identify, C/Person
Mods Used: HardTimes-v2; BG1UB_v12; bg1npc-v20; X0black101 (Blackguard); level1npcs-v1.9; bg2_tweaks-v14; Randomizer-v68; scs-v21 (- Tactical Challenges)
“…manipulation & corruption are complete… that’s why you now see me as I am & can see the beauty
of raw chaos & evil…you now belong to our overlord…& to her Demon Queen …”
I was immediately strengthened yet again, my power growing within as she faded from sight.
From there it was on to the Bandit Camp where I quickly found my group tangled up w/Chill Hobgoblins & Bandits. I couldn’t finish them & taking losses returned to FAI to rest & regroup before returning a couple of days later. Operating only by night now to keep my Drow Viconia @ her strongest, I sent Montaron ahead using Hide in Shadows where he found & back-stabbed what turned out to be the leader of the Chill. That brought out more Chill & some Bandits that we cut down. I then had my subordinates loot the bodies & then we raided the huts nearby & a cave filled w/Gnolls before I had us remove ourselves to camp & recuperate.
Next I moved us east using Montaron to scout ahead Hidden in Shadow. He found what he reported to be the main building in the camp. There were a number of Bandits out front of the building including, he said, a large armored figure in full plate. I had him toss an Oil of Fiery Burning in their midst & then escape. In the explosion they didn’t see him so I sent him back to check the damage. He picked off a survivor in the eastern wood line & back-stabbed him drawing most of the Bandits, including the armored figure into the woods to chase him. He went in a large circle drawing them away from the camp while the rest of us moved in & eliminated the remaining Bandits. As Montaron ran, the Bandits spread out & when he returned to the group I had us backtrack & pick them off , including skeletons & Zombies that had joined the chase, one by one. The final survivor was the man in full-plate. We fought a long hard battle to kill him, Xzar finally finished him w/Chill Touch.
On return to the FAI for R&R, Eldoth tried to pickpocket the Gnome who hired us to kill the spiders in her Beregost home. It didn’t work & it turned out she was a mage or something. She attacked & we killed her & cost me my Anti-Paladin status. Most everyone in the in is hostile toward us now & it’s a bloodbath waiting to happen w/my trigger happy crew (AI).
Key Event: I continued my mission w/or w/o my Anti-Paladin powers. I still have the powers from that ‘other source’ & I’m still the baddest motha’ in Faerun. I led my followers back to the Bandit Camp & cleared the entire area to make sure there were no surprises when we attacked the Large Tent. I had Montaron go in Hidden in Shadow to toss a Potion of Explosions while the rest of us spread out outside the door…but he never got it off & took a quick dirt nap. Suddenly a Mage, a big Chill Hobgoblin, a Gnoll & a Knight w/a bow came pourin’ out & they were ticked. We focused on the Mage first but the two w/bows made that hard quick. Before I knew it my dwarf was dead. Two dead & we’d only killed the mage. Xzar did well keeping them panicking w/Horror spells while Viconia used Command & Doom. I turned my attention to the fighter in Splint next to take out one of the bows, which I did. Next it was the Chill w/the bow & he went down easily. Finally the three of us killed the Gnoll. We were done.
After the victory, I suddenly found myself facing a beautiful Demoness, this one with a multi-armed
female torso atop the body of a great snake. She was taller than a large man & obviously far more
terrible. All six of her arms held either sword or battle-axe. She berated me w/a verbal barrage of
insults for losing my Anti-Paladin status b/c I couldn’t control the subordinates I’d been given…told
me I was a weak leader & that she was my Overlord now…that I would learn or I would die. She told
me that though my Queen was displeased she had granted me an Enchantment to aid me henceforth &
to offset all that I had lost. “Do not fail,” she shouted sternly as she faded…
Treasure of Note: Full-Plate Armor, Large Shield +1, Potion of Magic Blocking (Me); Mage Robes of Cold/Fire Resistance (Xzar); Potions of Fortitude (Viconia)
HOLDING COURT @ MY NEW BASE OF OPERATIONS
Current Disposition: Resting in my new compound, formerly the Bandit Camp
Next Steps: Cloakwood Lodge
Level Up: My Demon benefactor promoted me to Abyss Raiser (Anti-Paladin/4) but I’ve lost those powers & am now a Fallen Anti-Paladin/4; Kagain also was promoted to Fighter/Berserker//4.
Current Party: (Reputation: 4 - Despised)
Ironside: Ftr/Fallen A-Pal//4, S/Mail (L/Shield) wBoots/Avoidance, Girdle/Bluntness, B/Sword** (THS*, THWS**);
Powers: Larloch’s Minor Drain x2, Charm Person, Horror (Raemon)
Kagain: Ftr/Bkr//4w/C/Mail, B/T Axe***(TWS**) (Greywolf)
Viconia: Cleric//4, S/Mail w/S/Shield*, Mace*, Slg*; Spells: Cmdx3,Doom,Shilelagh,H/Personx2,Silence
15’,S/Hammer (Huge Spider)
Montaron: Asn//4, S/Leather & Shield* w/+1 Short Sword (SSS*, TWS*) (Silke)
Xzar: Mage/Nec//3 w/Dgr; Spells: Chill Touch x2, Larloch’s Minor Drain, Horror x2 (Taugosz Khosann)
Eldoth: Bard//4 w/S/Bow*, L/Sword*, Dgr*; Spells: Armor, Sleep, Identify, C/Person (Nimbul)
Mods Used: HardTimes-v2; BG1UB_v12; bg1npc-v20; X0black101 (Blackguard); level1npcs-v1.9; bg2_tweaks-v14; Randomizer-v68; scs-v21 (- Tactical Challenges)
(Best kill)
Key Event: We found a hunting lodge & approached a man armed w/Long Bow & Bastard Sword who asked for our help against woodland savages that had killed a member of his hunting party. He was also alone & said he was a nobleman from Baldur’s Gate. I was still deliberating when a Druid named Seniyad leading three subordinate Druids came up. The Druids didn’t look like they had much to offer so I decided that the nobleman needed to die b/c he might have something I could use. He attacked leaving the Druids alone & came after us. He was obviously resistant to magic as I had Viconia cast Command & I cast Larloch’s Minor Drain as did Xzar. None of that affected him but Eldoth landed a Poison Arrow while Kagain went Berserk w/his dual Battle-Axes. I decided to kill the Druids too just in case they had something of value. Viconia cast Command @ Seniyad & he dropped like a stone. I yelled @ Montaron to go finish him & Eldoth & Viconia to attach him too. I decided to knock out the other Druids too before they cast a spell but, before I knew it, Seniyad cast a Lightning Bolt & completely obliterated Xzar. Nothing left have any chance a Raising Dead on that mass of pulp. Montaron finally finished Seniyad w/a well-placed backstab & we mopped up the other Druids w/o them casting a spell. I’ve got Eldoth to cast Mage Spells but is he enough? Edwin’s dead for good too. Hmmm. Whatever the case, it was worth it. The nobleman was loaded w/loot, potions & an enchanted Bastard Sword that’s perfect for me. Seniyad had a Ring of Animal Friendship that I gave to Viconia to use. Not sure it was worth losing Xzar…but its close. Still, I’m gonna miss those Necromancer spells.
LEAVING THE CLOAKWOOD LODGE W/O XZAR!
Treasure of Note: Bastard Sword +1/+3 vs. Shapeshifters, Potions of Vulnerability, Heroism & Elixir of Health (Me); Cloak of Non-Detection (Montaron); Short Bow +1 (got this @ Bandit Camp but forgot to capture it in that journal) (Eldoth)
Current Disposition: Resting @ my compound, formerly the Bandit Camp
Next Steps: Deeper into the Cloakwood
Level Up: Eldoth received word from him Bards Guild that he is now a Joungleur (Bard/5) & added Magic Missile as his 3rd Level 1 spell. Viconia received power to become a Curate (Cleric/5) from her Goddess Shar & added the spell Animate Dead. Montaron also received word from his guild that he too had advanced to Thug (Assassin/5).
Current Party: (Reputation: 4 - Despised)
Ironside: Ftr/Fallen A-Pal//4, S/Mail (L/Shield) wBoots/Avoidance, Girdle/Bluntness, B/Sword** (THS*, THWS**);
(Raemon)
Kagain: Ftr/Bkr//4w/C/Mail, B/T Axe***(TWS**) (Greywolf)
Viconia: Cleric//5, S/Mail w/S/Shield*, Mace*, Slg*; (Dread Wolf)
Montaron: Asn//5, S/Leather & Shield* w/+1 Short Sword (SSS*, TWS*) (Seniyad)
Eldoth: Bard//5 w/S/Bow +1*, L/Sword*, Dgr*; (Nimbul)
Mods Used: HardTimes-v2; BG1UB_v12; bg1npc-v20; X0black101 (Blackguard); level1npcs-v1.9; bg2_tweaks-v14; Randomizer-v68; scs-v21 (- Tactical Challenges)
(Best kill)
I backed us out of the cave rather than battle the spiders & Ettercaps in their home where I might get segregated & trapped. Kagain & Eldoth actually went back into the cave, because they’d gotten a scratch, while the others of us fought the battle outside. Slowly we knocked down one spider @ a time, then the Ettercaps until, after a long hard battle, I’d won again. Sometime in there, Kagain & Eldoth reemerged from the cave & helped attack the spiders & Ettercaps from behind.
Key Event: I was trying to get us out of there b/c I’d done what I came to do & wanted to recuperate & sell some loot. We stumbled on a group of four Ettercaps & a web trap released. I now had Spiders Bane so I backed ‘em up & waited on the Ettercaps. However, somewhere in there one of my subordinates stumbled on some more spiders. Everyone was injured after the battle in front of the cave, so we didn’t have many hits to give. I don’t know what happened but Kagain took a hit & suddenly was wandering around dazed or something & stumbled on still more spiders. He never came back & I realized he’d been killed – fine time to go taking a dirt nap. Viconia & Eldoth were back providing ranged support while I was up to my ankles in enemies & Montaron was providing back stab support where he could. The battle got out of hand when spiders ended up all around including back where my ranged support was coming from. I wasn’t landing many blows & before I knew it Montaron & Eldoth were also at surrounding temperature. I decided to get out of there w/Viconia & I did just that. My plan was to get out of there & get back to pickup the equipment my deceased left behind but it was gone when I returned. Not sure I will raise any or all of them yet. Viconia & I killed a pant load of spiders & Ettercaps on return w/o them. (I never slept but actually saved the game overnight, thinking that since I didn’t sleep in the ‘game’ the equipment would be there when I played again but it wasn’t – hmmm).
CUTTIN' MY LOSSES!
Treasure of Note: Spiders Bane (Me)
Current Disposition: Resting w/Viconia @ my Camp.
Next Steps: Original plan was continue deeper into the Cloakwood. I’ll sleep on it.
Level Up: My Malevolent Benefactor increased my power yet again & now I am a BlackGuard (Anti-Paladin (fallen)/5); Kagain too was promoted to Berserker/5 before he bit the dust.
Current Party: (Reputation: 4 - Despised)
Ironside: Ftr/Fallen A-Pal//5, S/Mail (L/Shield) wBoots/Avoidance, Girdle/Bluntness, B/Sword+1/+3 vs SSs**, Spiders Bane*,(THWS**); (Phase Spider)
Viconia: Cleric//5, S/Mail w/S/Shield*, Mace*, Slg*; (Phase Spider)
Kagain: Ftr/Bkr//5 w/C/Mail, B/T Axe***(TWS**) (Greywolf)
Montaron: Asn//5, S/Leather & Shield* w/+1 Short Sword (SSS*, TWS*) (Seniyad)
Eldoth: Bard//5 w/S/Bow +1*, L/Sword*, Dgr*; (Nimbul)
Mods Used: HardTimes-v2; BG1UB_v12; bg1npc-v20; X0black101 (Blackguard); level1npcs-v1.9; bg2_tweaks-v14; Randomizer-v68; scs-v21 (- Tactical Challenges)
Blue Font: New information;
Red Font: Monster encounters (first use)
(Best kill)
TAMING SHAR-TEEL...
Key Event: After taming Shar-teel, I led my new group toward the coast where this treasure cave was supposed to be. After battling two wolves & two Dire Wolves, three Hobgoblins, six Sirine’s & three Carrion Crawlers we came upon three more Sirine’s. The leader of the Sirine’s mouthed off a bit before attacking w/two others @ her side. The strategy of getting right up on them to limit their ability to cast their Charm Spells seemed to be a working strategy so I called for it again. Safana moved around behind the Sirine leader to back-stab & we killed her but then I saw that Shar-Teel was Dire Charmed, then Safana too & finally, me. Two of the Sirine’s were still alive casting spells & shooting arrows. I don’t remember doing it but when I came to I saw Viconia lying dead, a victim of our Dire Charm. Once the four of us, minus Viconia, were back in our right minds we attacked & killed the last two Sirine’s & then returned to Beregost & had Viconia raised before selling some loot & resting.
FINISHING OFF THE SIRINE'S!
I returned to the treasure cave after battling through about eight more Hobgoblins & three Carrion Crawlers. In the treasure cave were three Flesh Golems. We killed the first two right @ the entrance but had taken some wallops so I took us outside to rest before returning to finish exploring. I found the last of the three Flesh Gollum’s. He was tough & it took Shar-teel & I teaming up to bring him down as he had resistance to magic spells. Safana caught him w/an enchanted Dart too, right above his heart. After killing him, we found a treasure trove in a pool of water. Safana’s, thieving skills helped as we almost stepped on a trap departing the cave but she noticed & disabled it.
Treasure of Note: Manual of Bodily Health (Me); Cloak of the Wolf, Necklace of Missiles (Quayle)
Current Disposition: I brought my new followers to my Camp for a rest.
Next Steps: Back into the Cloakwood
Level Up: Shar-teel joined @ Swashbuckler (fighter/5) but increased to Myrmidon (fighter/6) & added more skill to her two-weapon style long swords; Safana joined me as a Filcher (Thief/6). Viconia was blessed by Shar & became a Canon (Cleric/6) & added Miscast Magic to her divine spell repertoire.
Current Party: (Reputation: 4 - Despised) (I can still raise Kagain if I desire his axe)
Ironside: Ftr/Fallen A-Pal//5, F/P/Mail (L/Shield +1) wBoots/Avoidance, Girdle/Bluntness, B/Sword+1/+3 vs SSs**,
Spiders Bane*,(THWS**); (Sirine)
Viconia: Cleric//5, S/Mail w/S/Shield*, Mace*, Slg*; (Phase Spider)
Shar-teel: Ftr//6 w/P/Mail w/2 L/Swords*** (2HWS***)(Sirene)
Safana: Thf//6 w/S/Leather, Dgr* & Dart* (S/Swd*)(Hobgoblin Elite)
Quayle: Mage/Ill//6, Dgr*, Slg*(Hobgoblin)
Mods Used: HardTimes-v2; BG1UB_v12; bg1npc-v20; X0black101 (Blackguard); level1npcs-v1.9; bg2_tweaks-v14; Randomizer-v68; scs-v21 (- Tactical Challenges)
Blue Font: New information;
Red Font: Monster encounters (first use)
(Best kill)
Nothing much to tell. With the help of my subordinates, I killed a half-dozen other Druids that approached me & accused me of messing up the forest or something. I just mowed them down as they came up. There were a few Tasloi, Bears & a couple of Baby Wyverns in the forest too. Other than that, the place was a breeze, a walk in the park, compared to the Cloakwood Nest. I also found a cave with some guy inside & who was apparently trying to train two Baby Wyverns for something he mumbled about – right before he died along w/his Baby Wyverns.
Key Event: Just before I found the cave above, I stumbled on a Treehouse. The five of us walked in & raided a chest & a cabinet where there was a Potion of Freedom, a Potion of Healing & an Antidote. Then I led us up the stairs where there was another Druid. This one had a little game but he fell to our combined assault. I saw him waving his arms so I quickly cast the Chaos spell granted me by my Malevolent Benefactor after my success @ the Bandit Camp that I now call home. Then I closed to beat the snot out of him while my lover, Shar-teel did the same. He was able to cast one spell that I know of b/c Quayle was I la-la land for a while afterward.
KILLIN' THE DRUID IN THE TREEHOUSE
Treasure of Note: Nothing much. Some usable potions, i.e., Potion of Freedom Shar-Teel); Potion of Healing & an Antidote (party general use)
Current Disposition: Enjoying a breather @ my Camp
ENJOYIN' A BREATHER ON MY FRONT PORCH!
MY GREATEST CONQUEST YET REMAINS IN HER PLACE...
Next Steps: Continue deeper into the Cloakwood – wondering how far this forest goes on
Level Up: None
Current Party: (Reputation: 4 - Despised)
Ironside: Ftr/Fallen A-Pal//5, F/P/Mail (L/Shield +1) wBoots/Avoidance, Girdle/Bluntness, B/Sword+1/+3 vs SSs**,
Spiders Bane*,(THWS**); (Sirine)
Viconia: Cleric//6, S/Mail w/S/Shield*, Mace*, Slg*; (Phase Spider)
Shar-teel: Ftr//6 w/P/Mail w/2 L/Swords*** (2HWS***)(Sirene)
Safana: Thf//6 w/S/Leather, Dgr* & Dart* (S/Swd*)(Hobgoblin Elite)
Quayle: Mage/Ill//5, Dgr*, Slg*(Hobgoblin)
Mods Used: HardTimes-v2; BG1UB_v12; bg1npc-v20; X0black101 (Blackguard); level1npcs-v1.9; bg2_tweaks-v14; Randomizer-v68; scs-v21 (- Tactical Challenges)
Blue Font: New information;
Red Font: Monster encounters (first use)
(Best kill)
Onward I carried my entourage, deeper into the forest to find the Wyvern that guy back in the Cloakwood Lodge told me about. This part of the wood was definitely more of a challenge than the Cloakwood Druid section. Off the top of my head I recall killing, I’d say, a half-dozen Cave Bears, two Wraith Spiders, two Phase Spiders, a dozen Tasloi, four Baby Wyverns, six Guards in Splint Mail w/Long Swords & a Hamadryad. The Hamadryad was a pain in the butt & I had to pull us out of the wood the first time I encountered her. We were significantly worn out when we stumbled on her b/c we were on our way out of the wood to rest from a difficult battle w/the Wraith Spiders. The Hamadryad cast Dire Charm & got both Shar-teel & I w/it’s affects. I hated that feeling of helplessness as I was chasing down Safana, Quayle & Viconia, (sans armor, b/c she’d been diseased from the battle w/the Wraith Spiders & had no strength to wear armor). My Malevolent Benefactor aided me & we were able to outlast the effects of the Dire Charm & return to camp. On return, I hunted the Hamadryad down & killed her but she was still a pain.
ORGANIZING MY FORCES TO DEFEAT THE HAMADRYAD
Key Event: I’d cleared almost the entire wood before I found the Wyvern Cave. We went in, took a look & counted a large male Wyvern, his mate & two Baby Wyverns. I pulled us back out & the female & the two young ones followed to their deaths. It was in this battle that both Shar-Teel & Kagain took some hard hits. I had to order Shar-Teel back to quaff an Antidote & Elixir of Health or she might have gone Tango Uniform on me. After I finally killed the adult female Wyvern, I didn’t hesitate to go after the male still inside the cave. I had Kagain stay back & use Throwing Axes to minimize threat to his injured butt, & made sure Shar-Teel quaffed a second Elixir of Health before engaging – I don’t want to spend the gold to raise her. Whatever the case, she got back into the fight & I killed the Wyvern.
DESTROYING THE FEMALE & HER YOUNG...
...& THEN HER HENPECKED HUSBAND.
Treasure of Note: None
Current Disposition: Back @ my camp deep in the woods, resting
Next Steps: I found a compound deep in the Cloakwood. Headed there next.
Level Up: My Malevolent Benefactor increased my power & now I am a Scoundrel (Fallen) Anti-Paladin & I improved w/my Two-Handed Sword so that now I can use Spiders Bane over my Bastard Sword +1/+3 versus Shape changers (unless of course I’m fighting a Shape changer). Quayle got a message from his Mages Guild & is now a Visionist (Illusionist/6)
Current Party: (Reputation: 4 - Despised)
Ironside: Ftr/Fallen A-Pal//6, F/P/Mail (L/Shield +1) wBoots/Avoidance, Girdle/Bluntness, Spiders Bane**,
B/Sword+1/+3 vs SSs**, (THWS**); (Sirine)
Viconia: Cleric//6, S/Mail w/S/Shield*, Mace*, Slg*; (Phase Spider)
Shar-teel: Ftr//6 w/P/Mail w/2 L/Swords*** (2HWS***)(Sirene)
Safana: Thf//6 w/S/Leather, Dgr* & Dart* (S/Swd*)(Hobgoblin Elite)
Kagain: Ftr/Bkr//5 w/S/Mail & Battle Axe*** (or Throwing Axe***)(2WS**)(Sword Spider)
Quayle: Mage/Ill//6, Dgr*, Slg*(Hobgoblin)
Mods Used: HardTimes-v2; BG1UB_v12; bg1npc-v20; X0black101 (Blackguard); level1npcs-v1.9; bg2_tweaks-v14; Randomizer-v68; scs-v21 (- Tactical Challenges)
Blue Font: New information;
Red Font: Monster encounters (first use)
(Best kill)
The compound I saw was the Cloakwood Mines, mentioned in the letters I discovered when I defeated the Bandits. I had the party reconnoiter around the mines before assaulting the compound to make sure we weren’t ambushed by BTE or Chill or both. I ended up killing some 15 BTE/guards, the latter not as formidable. There were some Dread Wolves & wolves, maybe two of the former/four of the latter. This required a few trips back to the FAI & the camp to unload loot, especially sets of Splint Mail. Didn’t want to drop those & lose out on the gold @ 25 a set.
Key Event: When I was ready to attack the mines I sent Safana forward Hidden in Shadow to see what was waiting there. She slipped past two guards into a courtyard where she spotted what appeared to be two mages & two fighter types or clerics (they were wearing Splint). When she slipped back to the lines she was spotted by the guards & they attacked but she was heads up & drew them out to us @ the far end of the bridge. This allowed us to finish them before I sent Quayle up, w/Invisibility on himself, to use his Necklace of Missiles to drop a Fireball in the courtyard, alerting them to my presence in a painful manner. That brought the two armored men & one mage forward to the bridge. I cast Chaos on myself & moved to deal w/the mage on the side of the bridge closer to the compound while Shar-teel & Kagain tag teamed one of the armored dudes @ the other end where the two Guards already lay dead. Viconia cast Command @ the mage but it didn’t work so she cast Miscast Magic on him. Quayle cast Blindness @ my enemies while tossing sling-stones, as was Viconia. Safana moved around behind the mage to drop a back-stab on the other armored man who’d come up next to him…never saw either of them try a spell so I guess they were just fighters. The enemy mage managed to cast a Monster Summoning spell & brought some other big oaf to his aid. The mage died before he did & I took him & the other armored guy down w/help from Safana who has hitting & running. Shar-teel & Kagain finished up their dude & came up to help too. Once all of them were dead, Safana reminded me that there was still another mage, or was. I had us move forward in attack in ‘V’ formation w/me trailing so I could see & direct the battlefield. I had Quayle use a Wand of Lightning he’d picked up & he hit the mage but the bounce backs hit Safana killing her. The mage turned out to be a pushover & I/we wasted him quickly before cleaning out the bodies of the four, who turned out to be more assassins & the two guards. Then we killed four more guards between the barracks & the mine entrance & some punk in a little storehouse. We cleaned them out & a few chests/trunks but Safana was unable to get the largest one & neither Kagain, nor I, could force it. Then it was back to the FAI to ID some loot & take a rest before entering the mines.
THE BATTLE OF THE CLOAKWOOD MINES!
LEAVING BODIES IN MY WAKE...
When we were returning to camp Shar-Teel told me she was feeling strange, queasy stomach. I realized she might be pregnant & told her so not in so many words. My heir already in the oven! Oh, & w/these genes what a little bad-ass he will be!
I’ve not heard from my Overlord Demoness since she sent me to add Shar-teel, Safana & Quayle to replace my deceased former subordinates . Starting to wonder what I should be doing but I guess w/the mines looming, I will be busy for a while.
Treasure of Note: Morning Star +1 (sold); two mage robes (Cold Resistance (sold), Travelers Robe (Quayle); Potions (still unidentified)
Current Disposition: Resting @ camp
Next Steps: Descend into the mines
Level Up: None
Current Party: (Reputation: 4 - Despised)
Ironside: Ftr/Fallen A-Pal//6, F/P/Mail (L/Shield +1) wBoots/Avoidance, Girdle/Bluntness, Spiders Bane**,
B/Sword+1/+3 vs SSs**, (THWS**); (Sirine)
Viconia: Cleric//6, S/Mail w/S/Shield*, Mace*, Slg*; (Phase Spider)
Shar-teel: Ftr//6 w/P/Mail w/2 L/Swords*** (2HWS***)(Sirene)
Safana: Thf//6 w/S/Leather, Dgr* & Dart* (S/Swd*)(Giant Spider)
Kagain: Ftr/Bkr//5 w/S/Mail & Battle Axe*** (or Throwing Axe***)(2WS**)(Sword Spider)
Quayle: Mage/Ill//6, Dgr*, Slg*(Hobgoblin)
Mods Used: HardTimes-v2; BG1UB_v12; bg1npc-v20; X0black101 (Blackguard); level1npcs-v1.9; bg2_tweaks-v14; Randomizer-v68; scs-v21 (- Tactical Challenges)
Blue Font: New information;
Red Font: Monster encounters (first use)
(Best kill)
I GAVE THEM A WEEK TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM, THEN SWITCHED TO PHOTOBUCKET. SEEMS EASIER AND APPEARS TO BE FREE OF CHARGE...FOR NOW. BOTTOM LINE, I COULD NO LONGER UPLOAD IMAGES & WA BEING ASKED TO UPGRADE - BUT I ALREADY HAD. i RIED THEM A NUMBER OF TIMES VIA EMAIL TO GET THE SITUATION HANDLED BUT THEY IGNORED ME...AND THEY LOST MY $.
BE CAUTIOUS IF YOU USE IMAGE SHACK. THEY'LL TAKE YOU $ AND NOT PROVIDE THE IMAGE SERVICE OR REQUEST YOU UPGRADE AFTER YOU ALREADY HAVE AND ARE UTTERLY UNRESPONSIVE TO REQUEST FOR HELP. BE WARNED. CKT
"lol no thanks." to them, and went back to Photobucket.