I'll have to go with 'Other', and say: my own partymembers.
The biggest fear, and the source of my frustration, is when something charms one of my guys/girls. I'm meticulous about turning each and every person in the party into a brutally efficient individual, and having them turn red always makes my stomach knot because I know just what kind of damage they can unleash.
A fully-outfitted and buffed Korgan/Sarevok/Minsc hacking your own party to bloody gibs is not a fun thing to watch. Ever worse, you can't (or don't want to) kill them because there's always the chance of chunking, and then you can say goodbye to that character.
Bioware companions are so-so, since one can survive their traitorous, short-term attacks, but when enemies turn one of my custom companions, then all hell breaks loose. F/T with invisibility potions and godlike AC, or a Kensage buffed to the gills and dual-wielding CF+Sanchuudoku...
All in all, this is why I always priorotize Chaotic Commands and mind-shielding items.
Currently, it's Firkraag. He just won't die. For some reason, every time I get the bastard to Near Death he just stops taking damage. Maybe he's casting another Stoneskin. I dunno, because the combat log moves a mile-a-minute when you're fighting a hasted dragon that spits out spells like a machine gun. Also, his buffs don't CHANGE HIS SPRITE IN ANY WAY, so whether he's Stoneskin'd or not is a guessing game sometimes. In other words, giving dragons magic is a dumb idea.
Those blasted mind flayers. Now that the cheesy way of killing them with Cloud Kill no longer works I've found only one way of killing them effectively - thief's traps. But if you don't have a decent trap setting thief, killing them becomes a very annoying feat. Anyone knows any good ways of dispatching them?
i think female trolls are the worst...sadly not in the game but they must be realy scary. A dominant female troll with temper problems and diarrhea would make a great boss enemy... the sister of torGal out on revenge?
i think female trolls are the worst...sadly not in the game but they must be realy scary. A dominant female troll with temper problems and diarrhea would make a great boss enemy... the sister of torGal out on revenge?
@Aramintai Yeah... I only just reached the mindlfayers in my game yesterday. Then I was like, "What do you MEAN they resist my cloudkill wand!?!?! :O"
So here's a few tactics I came up with *before* the gas chamber strategy existed.
Mordekain's sword seems to be relatively immune to most forms of damage, and seem to last a while against the flayers even with the brain eating. One or two of those with improved haste on them will hack n slash a bunch of them, and they don't get stunned by psyonic blasts. Undead like skeleton warriors are also very good for this purpose.
Another tactic (although a painfully slow and tedious one) is to send in someone with the staff of the magi, get out of sight range of all but one, shoot them with a sling or whatever you use, and then lure him away from the others. Then you can have a good thief backstab him. One of the reasons I like to take Imoen or Jan is because she's a thief that can use the staff of the magi, so after her backstabbing she can equip it to instantly make her get-away and set up for the next backstab.
There's the trap setting as you've suggested, and then of course there's the option of putting all your armor, chaotic commands, and a potion of genius on your best fighter. The potion will at least buy them another bite, and if your armor is good enough they shouldn't be able to hit you *too* often. This works especially well if you get that helmet that can use simulacrum so you have two tanky fighters. Having the rest of your party off in the distance behind said tanks is pretty much the tactic I use for all of my fights ^^;
Last but not least, there's protection from magical weapons, and the Mindflayer's attacks count as +2 weaponry I believe. I'll say this much though... I truly mourn the loss of the gas chamber strategy ;;
Last but not least, there's protection from magical weapons, and the Mindflayer's attacks count as +2 weaponry I believe. I'll say this much though... I truly mourn the loss of the gas chamber strategy ;;
Yea, that all interesting, thanks. Btw, if you truly wish the return of the mind flayer slaying Cloudkill wand you can extract the original item file from vanilla BGII with Near Infinity and put it into the Override folder.
Currently, it's Firkraag. He just won't die. For some reason, every time I get the bastard to Near Death he just stops taking damage. Maybe he's casting another Stoneskin. I dunno, because the combat log moves a mile-a-minute when you're fighting a hasted dragon that spits out spells like a machine gun. Also, his buffs don't CHANGE HIS SPRITE IN ANY WAY, so whether he's Stoneskin'd or not is a guessing game sometimes. In other words, giving dragons magic is a dumb idea.
I hate to plug Labyrinth Lord as much as I do, but your post is the reason I am REALLY glad dragons in those rules don't often speak and/or cast spells. I have the same problems with...what's her name, Thassl'tassixillytillya...when I go against her. Stoneskin does not show up. I have to rely on the feedback window not showing damage when I score a successful hit, and/or characters complaining. I mean, I can hear the effect, and everything, but still. Bump that big red temp-Stoneskinned putz. The one upside to Firkraag is he has enough scales left over after you're done hurling magic and beating him to make a suit of armor. >:3 "Oh, no, baby dragon, I'm not letting you survive so I can keep a close eye on you and make a suit out of you many, many centuries from now, I'm just looking out for you because I'm such a good person.".
Monks using Quivering Palm ^_^ !! Why so many chose Mind Flayers? Must be their appearance and behaviour I guess, because their fragility makes them just so wonderful targets for sneak attacks!
Brrr... Because of their tentacles! And alien appearance. Or because the +5 sword specifically designed against them, is found when and where you no longer encounter them anymore, at least in vast numbers...
I really dislike Mind flayers. I disliked them to such a degree that my nickname in various games was Mindflayer just to spite them and spread their name of dread further. In game, however, I found summoning skeletons to be a good counter for them, since those creatures are immune to mind-affecting spells. This resulted in them wasting a lot of their abilities on the red-herring skeletons while being peppered by my archers.
I am kind of scared of Beholders at the moment, since, without the proper money, they are very difficult to deal with. (Especially the horde of them in the lair of the Unseeing Eye).
I always buff with Chaotic Commands, so Mind Flayers are rarely an issue.
Dragons go down easily with Feeblemind.
Vanilla Liches die with Death Fog or the Wand of Cloudkill. SCS2 Liches are wicked, but I can use RRoR and Breach on them, and render them vulnerable early on.
Vanilla Beholders are helpless against the Shield of Balduran or Cloak of Mirroring. For SCS2 Beholders, I nuke them with Fireball. Beholders have great offense, but little in the way of defenses.
Humanoid parties are quite strong (Mencar et al are the classic example), but their variety of tactics makes them more fun than scary.
Orcs, Hobgoblins, and other goons are no problem at all. I only really play BG2, where they are cannon fodder.
Golems are melee fighters with few tricks up their sleeves. Mirror Image and Stoneskin (I use mage-heavy parties, mostly) tend to negate Golems' greatest strength.
But SCS2 Vampires are awful nasty. They target characters without NPP, so having a tank with the Amulet of Power doesn't work. They also can shapeshift into mist form and regenerate, or use CON drain on characters with NPP.
Comments
The biggest fear, and the source of my frustration, is when something charms one of my guys/girls. I'm meticulous about turning each and every person in the party into a brutally efficient individual, and having them turn red always makes my stomach knot because I know just what kind of damage they can unleash.
A fully-outfitted and buffed Korgan/Sarevok/Minsc hacking your own party to bloody gibs is not a fun thing to watch. Ever worse, you can't (or don't want to) kill them because there's always the chance of chunking, and then you can say goodbye to that character.
Bioware companions are so-so, since one can survive their traitorous, short-term attacks, but when enemies turn one of my custom companions, then all hell breaks loose. F/T with invisibility potions and godlike AC, or a Kensage buffed to the gills and dual-wielding CF+Sanchuudoku...
All in all, this is why I always priorotize Chaotic Commands and mind-shielding items.
Barrow Wights and Drowned Dead (IWD) -- I remember coining many new profanities during those battles.
So here's a few tactics I came up with *before* the gas chamber strategy existed.
Mordekain's sword seems to be relatively immune to most forms of damage, and seem to last a while against the flayers even with the brain eating. One or two of those with improved haste on them will hack n slash a bunch of them, and they don't get stunned by psyonic blasts. Undead like skeleton warriors are also very good for this purpose.
Another tactic (although a painfully slow and tedious one) is to send in someone with the staff of the magi, get out of sight range of all but one, shoot them with a sling or whatever you use, and then lure him away from the others. Then you can have a good thief backstab him. One of the reasons I like to take Imoen or Jan is because she's a thief that can use the staff of the magi, so after her backstabbing she can equip it to instantly make her get-away and set up for the next backstab.
There's the trap setting as you've suggested, and then of course there's the option of putting all your armor, chaotic commands, and a potion of genius on your best fighter. The potion will at least buy them another bite, and if your armor is good enough they shouldn't be able to hit you *too* often. This works especially well if you get that helmet that can use simulacrum so you have two tanky fighters. Having the rest of your party off in the distance behind said tanks is pretty much the tactic I use for all of my fights ^^;
Last but not least, there's protection from magical weapons, and the Mindflayer's attacks count as +2 weaponry I believe. I'll say this much though... I truly mourn the loss of the gas chamber strategy ;;
The one upside to Firkraag is he has enough scales left over after you're done hurling magic and beating him to make a suit of armor. >:3 "Oh, no, baby dragon, I'm not letting you survive so I can keep a close eye on you and make a suit out of you many, many centuries from now, I'm just looking out for you because I'm such a good person.".
Waittt... Now that I think of it... what if the Black Hound was not going to be Charname, but was to be that party instead?
I disliked them to such a degree that my nickname in various games was Mindflayer just to spite them and spread their name of dread further. In game, however, I found summoning skeletons to be a good counter for them, since those creatures are immune to mind-affecting spells. This resulted in them wasting a lot of their abilities on the red-herring skeletons while being peppered by my archers.
I am kind of scared of Beholders at the moment, since, without the proper money, they are very difficult to deal with. (Especially the horde of them in the lair of the Unseeing Eye).
Dragons go down easily with Feeblemind.
Vanilla Liches die with Death Fog or the Wand of Cloudkill. SCS2 Liches are wicked, but I can use RRoR and Breach on them, and render them vulnerable early on.
Vanilla Beholders are helpless against the Shield of Balduran or Cloak of Mirroring. For SCS2 Beholders, I nuke them with Fireball. Beholders have great offense, but little in the way of defenses.
Humanoid parties are quite strong (Mencar et al are the classic example), but their variety of tactics makes them more fun than scary.
Orcs, Hobgoblins, and other goons are no problem at all. I only really play BG2, where they are cannon fodder.
Golems are melee fighters with few tricks up their sleeves. Mirror Image and Stoneskin (I use mage-heavy parties, mostly) tend to negate Golems' greatest strength.
But SCS2 Vampires are awful nasty. They target characters without NPP, so having a tank with the Amulet of Power doesn't work. They also can shapeshift into mist form and regenerate, or use CON drain on characters with NPP.