Tips on starting a new no-reload game?

mforww

I started a new no-reload game with a fighter/mage/thief and ended up getting trashed by that mage at the FOA. I was wondering if anybody had some advice on dealing with him.

While I'm not doing a solo playthrough, I didn't want to pick up xzar and montaron (good alignment) so I only had Imoen with me.

The problem was this: without cheesing by stealthing and just backstabbing the guy before he talks (I don't want to metagame) it was impossible to kill him before he casts charm and kills me due to the mirror image protection. Any ideas on how to deal with this? (would prefer tips that don't involve simply selecting a different class like an Inquisitor that's immune to charm)

Balrog99

If you can nail him with a magic missile from Immy's wand you can interrupt his mirror image cast. After that it's pretty straightforward. I've also used my familiar to distract him (one of the few times I use one in combat). Sleep would probably take him down also.

Good luck!

atcDave

That can be a tough fight, especially if you are good and only have Immy with you. I would have Imoen use the wand of Magic Missiles, it's not as fast as the spell, but it does always hit and can help disrupt spells. If you also have MM going you have a chance of disrupting him long enough to drop him. But with those two characters it is a fight against long odds.
If you are willing to meta-game a little you could adventure some for experience, but your triple class will have a long wait! You could also recruit Ajantis pretty easily before the fight, that could help. Kivan and Neera are easily available too (although with the timer now fixed you may want to wait on Kivan).

Balrog99

Just a thought, you don't really know that Xzar and Monty are evil unless you can detect evil or know alignment (role-playingwise). Xzar's Larloch's Minor Drain spells work excellent for this fight. You can always dump him when you pick up Khalid & Jaheira. Jaheira would 'know' they're evil most likely...

Krypplingz

FOA? Tarnesh?
If you haven't used any items yet you should have a potion of haste and a wand of magic missles in your inventory.
The wand can disrupt a mages spell casting if cast early enough and that gap should enable you to kill him (hasted or not).
If you are talking about the fellow at the Friendly Arm Inn, you can also wait at the bottom of the stairs when he tries to talk to you, so he goes into the line of sight of the guards. They'll help you kill him, but you might not get any experience.
Also, try to be a bit spread out, (having Imoen at the bottom of the stairs while you approach the mage or have her back off a bit when the mage attacks), that way if he casts spells, its more likely that only one of you gets hit.

Tyranus

Your best bet is to pelt him with as many Magic Missiles, Arrows, and Darts as you possibly can to disrupt his spellcasting. Using Immy's Wand of Magic Missiles. If you can bait the character that will get blasted with his Missiles, pre-empt him with a quick Shield spell. Drawing the guards into the fight will help you a lot in a no-reload challenge.

Lemernis

Tarnesh casts Horror, actually. So if you add Garrick, he can use Bardsong to keep from succumbing to the spell. But that would mean ignoring what Gorion told you when you left Candlekeep and going to Beregost instead. And you'd have to defeat Silke.

Or you could go the Beregost, visit High Hedge, and buy a scroll of Resist Fear.

Otherwise, the others above have about covered it. Tarnesh's spellcasting can be interrupted with the Wand of Magic Missiles.

I'm not sure what happens if you Blind Tarnesh before he tries to cast Horror...

Lock

There's a certain diamond you can find in the Lion's Way that you could trade at High Hedge for any number of potions or scrolls that would make the fight easy... silence? Even a scroll of magic missile would probably do him in - I think they now cast at level 5 (3 missiles). Cast it just before he talks to you so it slams him just as the conversation ends. If you don't care about getting the kill xp, wait until there are a number of guards near the bottom of the steps or guide him towards several guards when he tries to start the conversation. Alternatively a potion of speed would probably also ensure one of your party gets a hit in before he casts mirror image. Don't be afraid to use potions - they and gold are plentiful.

You can actually attack him before he starts talking to you with no reputation penalty or anything IIRC but you get less XP - and that's not really cricket now is it

FinneousPJ

Not taking Xzar and Monty makes it more difficult. The key to defeating mages is interrupting spellcasting, so you need the maximum number of attacks going in. Give Immy and your PC the best weapons they can wield in terms of THAC0. Easiest to buy them at Candlekeep before beginning the game. Timing is also important - try to time your attack just .1 s after he starts casting the first spell.

Don't forget to buy ranged weapons for everyone as well - you'll want to avoid going melee in Chapter 1 *at the least*.

KidCarnival

In Candlekeep Inn is a locked chest - requires less lockpicking than the one with the gem - that contains a potion you might find helpful.

mforww

KidCarnival said:

In Candlekeep Inn is a locked chest - requires less lockpicking than the one with the gem - that contains a potion you might find helpful.

Wow, everybody doing a no-reload should know about this! Makes Tarnesh a piece of cake.

MilesBeyond

I can't remember offhand, but isn't he susceptible to Sleep and/or Color Spray? Incapacitating him will make the fight a piece of cake.

BelgarathMTH

I'm not 100 percent sure, but Tarnesh has two second-level spells and three first level spells. He's got to be either fourth or fifth level, or third level with a specialty. (Did specialties exist in vanilla BG when he was written?)

I guess he can't be fifth level, since I've never seen him cast a third level spell. But I'm pretty sure he's at least fourth level.

I don't think sleep or color spray will work, although I know that command works. Has anyone ever actually managed to take him down with a sleep or color spray?

Lemernis

I'm usually able to kill Tarneshwith deft timing of the wand of Magic Missiles to disrupt his spellcasting, as the party hits him with martial weapons.

He is also susceptible to Blindness, IRCC. If you Blind him and no party members are within arm's length of him, you can fire away at him with ranged weapons. He may still successfully cast Horror. But as long as any of your panicked party members don't literally run right into him, he can't see them to target with further spells.

Wanderon

If you time your appearance at the bottom of the steps to coincide with a couple of guards being very close by they will attack him as well but you will still want to disrupt his spellcasting with the wand or other spells/attacks.

Pausing immediately after the conversation ends of course is also key in order to get your spells/attacks off as early as possible - if you try to run on "real time" you will never disrupt him.