What's up with Elven Chain? Its highly overrated item. It has 5 AC and some drawbacks to thieving skills. Robes of Magi are still a better choice.
It's useful for bards, as it's the only thing they can wear that doesn't disable spellcasting. Otherwise, yeah, it's nothing special.
Well, there is the Shield Amulet, which is actually 1 AC better (3 AC better vs. blunt damage and vs. Missile, as well as giving immunity to Magic Missile), and is available quite cheap early on, but it can get expensive to use if using it in every situation - something like the Elven Chain is better to wear for minor encounters.
What's up with Elven Chain? Its highly overrated item. It has 5 AC and some drawbacks to thieving skills. Robes of Magi are still a better choice.
It's the best thing since sliced bread for Bards (and Fighter/Mages.) Decent Armor (can use +2 ring with it) and spell-casting while wearing, sounds good to me.
Well it's not surprising that you didn't know about the second neutral robe, as you have to kill Shandalar to get it, something which many people don't do (well, I never have anyways).
Well it's not surprising that you didn't know about the second neutral robe, as you have to kill Shandalar to get it, something which many people don't do (well, I never have anyways).
I actually just killed him a few days ago for the first time with an evil party. I got lucky with the last two charges of a Wand of Paralysis.
Every other time across the years, he's always either killed me, or mapped out with his scripts. 26k exp topped my team off. His quest sucks anyways.
I don't really understand why they moved the Elven Chain all the way into chapter 5. Surely it isn't that overpowered? Personally I think that the chain should of remained where it was and that an Elven Chain +1 should be found in chapter 5.
I would prefer it somewhere between Nashkel Mines and Bandit Camp. Bards are completely gimped or have a hard time getting any AC, while all other classes can get at least a somewhat decent armor (+1, some even better). There are also a lot problems with making the elven chain only available through Dorn's quest. Good or neutral parties may not want to take an evil NPC that gives a rep drop. And I just fail to see why the bard armor is in the blackguard's questline. Put Nimbul in the Elven Chain and voila.
The Elven Chain is The Right Equipment for any Bard, and also it's often the best choice for multi-class or dual-class Mages (if you have another Mage who needs the relevant Robe of Archmagi). I agree with @KidCarnival that making it available only by completing Dorn's quest is a curious decision, particularly for a Good party who might not want to work with Dorn.
On the other hand, I agree with Overhaul's decision to move the Elven Chain to later in the game than it was originally found. It is right that parties should have to work a while to find their ideal equipment, and I reckon the beginning of Chapter 5, i.e. around half-way through the game, is about the right time to find the Elven Chain. I reckon the confrontation with Nimbul would be too soon. Instead, I suggest that the confrontation with the Ogre Mages in the BG Docks district would be a sensible place to put it.
On the third hand (spot the reference!), since Overhaul have already changed the Dorn quest once and the Elven Chain was already (for whatever reason) connected to Dorn before the change, I reckon that's enough mucking about with Dorn's story. So I suggest that the answer is a second Elven Chain dropped by the Ogre Mages - it's not such powerful equipment that it needs to be unique.
Why not put an Elven Chain in the Firewine Ruins? It's a rather annoying map with barely anything to make it worth it (neither loot nor XP), the only parties walking away with good rewards are parties with an assassin or blackguard (and patience to poison kill the ghosts). I doubt many people do Firewine on very low levels/before having ok protection against the Kobold Commandos, so it would be a quest you can do around chapter 3 - 4. It's a bit earlier, but not too early (originally, it was before Nashkel Mines, which is too early) and it would make a map often skipped due to it's shitty annoyance/reward balance better. It's no stretch that some elven adventurer died in the dungeon and left it behind.
I actually picked the Elven Chain up for the first time recently, as had not run through the game again since it was patched in. I had absolutely no use for it, either! With the extra RoEA on Mr Spoiler I had one for both Edwin and my dualed Xzar both, and unlike my first playthrough my Charname wasn't a Bard. And then Shar-Teel murdered Eldoth, leaving it with even less use.
On the other hand, I have learnt that Necro>Cleric Xzar (edited back to use mage rather than cleric animations) wearing the Evil Archmage Robe, Helm of Glory, and wielding the Shield of Falling Stars and The Stupifier looks pretty damn sweet.
Well it's not surprising that you didn't know about the second neutral robe, as you have to kill Shandalar to get it, something which many people don't do (well, I never have anyways).
I actually just killed him a few days ago for the first time with an evil party. I got lucky with the last two charges of a Wand of Paralysis.
Every other time across the years, he's always either killed me, or mapped out with his scripts. 26k exp topped my team off. His quest sucks anyways.
Yeah - I don't think there is a quest that I routinely find as annoying as his. He is so manipulative and then gives you the most pissant of rewards for the danger he has put you in with his deceitful quest. He deserves to be smacked down after that.
Well it's not surprising that you didn't know about the second neutral robe, as you have to kill Shandalar to get it, something which many people don't do (well, I never have anyways).
I actually just killed him a few days ago for the first time with an evil party. I got lucky with the last two charges of a Wand of Paralysis.
Every other time across the years, he's always either killed me, or mapped out with his scripts. 26k exp topped my team off. His quest sucks anyways.
Yeah - I don't think there is a quest that I routinely find as annoying as his. He is so manipulative and then gives you the most pissant of rewards for the danger he has put you in with his deceitful quest. He deserves to be smacked down after that.
Yea, a whole 500 exp. to go kill a handful of Mages that drop some bland items.
I'm currently in a... very experimental party with Garrick as archer/support caster, Eldoth in melee and dualed Dynaheir as cleric. I expect there to be a rather unfortunate duel over which bard gets the Elven Chain at some point.
Anyway, putting it in Firewine would at least give parties without bards (or dualed mages) something to sell for decent gold. Fire Arrows +2 don't pay the Inn.
I would also like to see the elven chain available earlier in the game - Nimbul seems a good person to have it. Another frustrating thing about the treasure from the final Dorn quest encounter is the Bastard Sword with immunity from poison. AFAIK the only NPC who specializes in Bastard Swords is Ajantis - it seems bizarre to make the best melee weapon for a Paladin only obtainable by recruiting an Anti Paladin
I don't really understand why they moved the Elven Chain all the way into chapter 5. Surely it isn't that overpowered? Personally I think that the chain should of remained where it was and that an Elven Chain +1 should be found in chapter 5.
Elven Chain +1 is worse than non-magical elven chain, as you can't wear protection rings with it, which not only give you a -x AC boost, but also a bonus to saves.
Why not put an Elven Chain in the Firewine Ruins? It's a rather annoying map with barely anything to make it worth it (neither loot nor XP), the only parties walking away with good rewards are parties with an assassin or blackguard (and patience to poison kill the ghosts). I doubt many people do Firewine on very low levels/before having ok protection against the Kobold Commandos, so it would be a quest you can do around chapter 3 - 4. It's a bit earlier, but not too early (originally, it was before Nashkel Mines, which is too early) and it would make a map often skipped due to it's shitty annoyance/reward balance better. It's no stretch that some elven adventurer died in the dungeon and left it behind.
Comments
* Bards can't wear robes, I like playing Bards (well Blades and Jesters anyway)
* If you have multiple mages of similar alignments then there may not be enough to go around, but multiclass mages can wear elven chain
It also looks more stylish on fighter/mages.
It's the only armour bards can cast in. It's also a fallback option if you have 2 good or 2 neutral mages in a party.
*Edit* Wow, pipped to the post by a very large number of people there.
Every other time across the years, he's always either killed me, or mapped out with his scripts. 26k exp topped my team off. His quest sucks anyways.
On the other hand, I agree with Overhaul's decision to move the Elven Chain to later in the game than it was originally found. It is right that parties should have to work a while to find their ideal equipment, and I reckon the beginning of Chapter 5, i.e. around half-way through the game, is about the right time to find the Elven Chain. I reckon the confrontation with Nimbul would be too soon. Instead, I suggest that the confrontation with the Ogre Mages in the BG Docks district would be a sensible place to put it.
On the third hand (spot the reference!), since Overhaul have already changed the Dorn quest once and the Elven Chain was already (for whatever reason) connected to Dorn before the change, I reckon that's enough mucking about with Dorn's story. So I suggest that the answer is a second Elven Chain dropped by the Ogre Mages - it's not such powerful equipment that it needs to be unique.
I doubt many people do Firewine on very low levels/before having ok protection against the Kobold Commandos, so it would be a quest you can do around chapter 3 - 4. It's a bit earlier, but not too early (originally, it was before Nashkel Mines, which is too early) and it would make a map often skipped due to it's shitty annoyance/reward balance better. It's no stretch that some elven adventurer died in the dungeon and left it behind.
On the other hand, I have learnt that Necro>Cleric Xzar (edited back to use mage rather than cleric animations) wearing the Evil Archmage Robe, Helm of Glory, and wielding the Shield of Falling Stars and The Stupifier looks pretty damn sweet.
Anyway, putting it in Firewine would at least give parties without bards (or dualed mages) something to sell for decent gold. Fire Arrows +2 don't pay the Inn.