My Monk Has Hit a Wall Named Karoug

Megiddo

I'm fighting this greater werewolf (Karoug) on Baldoran's Wreck. My group managed to dispatch his mangy lackeys through dispersion tactics - one party member equiped with boots of speed would run downstairs, drawing 2-3 wolfweres after her. The party thus killed the wolfwere piecemeal - except Karoug the Wonder Dog.

My party consists of my lvl 9 Monk, lvl 9 Wild Mage (Neera) and lvl 9 Thief (Imoen). Now Karoug regenerates istantly, has a boatload of hitpoints and a ridicously high thaco. I've tried just about everything to snuff out this pooch - strength potions, wand of paralysis, greater malison, fireball, wand of ice, cloudkill, etc.

To make matters worse, there seems to be only 2 melee weapons that actually cause Karoug damage: an anti-lycanthorpe bastard sword (that no one in my party can use) and a cute little dagger, that does diddly squat for damage.

The crux of the problem is that I can't deal enough damage per round to negate Karoug's regen ability.

Any advice?

Southpaw

Yep...Karoug is a b***h for melee-low party.
Other things that could work :
- There's still the Long sword at the end of Durlag's tower. My monk wielded it when killing Karoug. (Dorn had the last hit I remember, but the monk did his his share of damage). Three buffed warriors with that Long Sword + the Silver Dagger and the Silver Bastard sword (+3 vs Lycanthrophes) will end him in a couple of rounds. Fourth weapon is the sword of Balduran (another Bastard Sword), which is found in the desk AFTER you kill Karoug
- Potions of Fire Breathing. I hear they can scald his flea-ridden fur.
- Fireshield + Stoneskin. That's another tactic I saw. (Never used it though...I just killed him with my monk (Longsword) + Rasaad (Silver Dagger) + Dorn (Bastart Sword))
- Actually Sun Soul Monk's flaming fists could probably damage him. Or Dark Moon Monk's cold damage, but he will probably out-heal if it's the only source of damage.

Good luck.

Megiddo

Well... nuts.

And of course I didn't save before heading off to the Wolf Isles, so I gets to start over.

I like to keep my parties to 3 characters, so I was think I could try taking Ajantis (for tanking) and Imoen (trap detection/elimination). Not sure if I absolutely, positively need a mage.

On a lark I could take Rasaad too, but I'd have to level him out something fierce to make him even remotely useful.

Awong124

Albruin (bastard sword) can also damage Karoug. But you'd have to go through Dorn's quest line to get it.

SionIV

Doesn't the flame sword you can summon as a druid/cleric/mage also hurt him? I have a memory of something like that back in the old No-reload thread but i might be wrong.

Awong124

If you're desperate, you could just keep trying to have Imoen backstab Karoug with the dagger and hope you get a critical hit. If you're lucky you can kill him in one hit, or at least come close to it.

http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/13292/karoug-didn-t-know-who-he-was-messing-with#latest

Megiddo

Awong124 said:

If you're desperate, you could just keep trying to have Imoen backstab Karoug with the dagger and hope you get a critical hit. If you're lucky you can kill him in one hit, or at least come close to it.

http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/13292/karoug-didn-t-know-who-he-was-messing-with#latest

[Deleted User]

Hmm, magic missile still works against Karoug, right? You could have your monk hold his attention while Neera spams MM and Imoen repeatedly backstabs with Werebane (stealth, attack, retreat around corner, repeat). Toss in any damaging potions or wands that you have sitting around as well.

Megiddo

@Awong124: I normally use Imoen, since I roleplay a good party (nix on the Albruin quest for the same reasons). I'll just head off for Durlag's first on my second playthrough - that way I'll be able to level up party members and get some more effective toys.

How many points were allocated into stealth abilities on your thief?

Awong124

In that screenshot? Probably 100% on both HIS and MS on Skie, because you'll notice I also had Imoen in the party for traps and locks. But having high stealth isn't really necessary if you're only looking for that one good hit. Stay one floor below Karoug and just keep trying until your thief successfully hides, then have someone go up and lure Karoug down.

elminster

Also giving the thief either single weapon proficiency (or two-handed weapon proficiency if you use quarterstaves) is a good idea if you are going for a critical attack like that.

Awong124

elminster said:

Also giving the thief either single weapon proficiency (or two-handed weapon proficiency if you use quarterstaves) is a good idea if you are going for a critical attack like that.

That's a good point, but if he doesn't have proficiency in that already, it would only work if he started over again, or at least started from a much earlier point. The original post said his thief is already level 9, and he would have received his last proficiency point at level 8, so he would have to go back at least to level 7.

Southpaw

...well, because @Megiddo seems to be stuck on the Werewolf island, without any previous save, I'd consider temporarily EEkeeping for example that Flaming LongSword and possibly changing the proficiencies for this one fight - an exception. He did not know what he was getting into and the game trapped him now without a resolution.

I know I have done that, the first time I met Karoug and found out I can't kill him without the weapons I thought I would not need. (Next time, I brought them all right)

FrozenCells

Has Karoug been edited for BG:EE? I solo'd him in BG1 using a Druid with a Dagger of Venom and a Wand of the Heavens. The poison damage was critical. This doesn't work anymore?

karnor00

You don't necessarily need stealth skills to backstab with Imoen. Just use an invis potion, or get Neera to cast invis on her.

Megiddo

@Southpaw: I should have taken that strategy guide a tad more seriously. I really, really underestimated Karoug's regeneration speed. It's totally redunkulous.

I started a second runthrough pretty much from scratch. I had my monk meditate in the Ankheg Chamber of Horrors until I got him up to level 9 - he was literally waist-deep in ankheg chitin by the time he left their nest (I hate grinding, particularily on RPGs, but the monk is lackluster until he hits level 9).

Then I got Ajantis (2 pips with bastard sword), Neera and Imoen to join the group. I need to get Imoen to 100 in lockpick (currently at 85) then I'll start dumping points into HIS. She'll have single weapon proficiency to augment her proficiency in daggers by the time we make landfall on stinky Werewolf Island. She'll be backstabbing that mutt like a flea-bitten pincushion.

And this time I'm going to Durlag's Tower before heading off to WI.

Thanks for the ideas everyone!

reedmilfam

I've been trapped on that island before and it killed my playthrough.

DancingBugbear

Melf's minute meteors makes havoc on just about anything.

Megiddo

Karoug got thumped thoroughly by my 4-member party: my monk, Ajantis, Imoen and Neera. My melee fighters drank potions of heroisim, potions of invulnerability, potions of storm giant strength and speed (save my monk). Neera cast stoneskin, mirror image and fireshield on herself, protection against fear on the whole party (in case the enemy mage lobs a horror spell on the party at the very beginning). Neera cast improved invisibility on Imoen, who attempted to backstab Karoug with the silver dagger.

In a nutshell, the party hacked through Karoug's lackeys in about 10 seconds. Karoug was more of a pain, but Ajantis scored serious hits with the bastard sword (2 pips) Kondar. My monk used the staff of the heavens for good measure. The whole fight lasted about 25 seconds.

nano

@DancingBugbear He's immune to MMM. Seems weird that even a +6 weapon can't hit him but there you have it.

DancingBugbear

nano said:

@DancingBugbear He's immune to MMM. Seems weird that even a +6 weapon can't hit him but there you have it.

I've never meant something without protection from magical weapons spell on it that it doesn't work on. It does fire damage, too. Maybe he has some buffs on him that will go away if you leave for a little while, or go defensively. Otherwise, without magic immunity, you could just blast him with damage spells.

nano

@DancingBugbear Well, you've met one now

On top of the usual immunity greater wolfweres have, Karoug is explicitly immune to non-silver/cold iron weapons, and that covers MMM. That means the fire damage from MMM won't hurt him either, as that requires you to hit him first - ever tried to kill him with Varscona? Not happening. It's not a buff in the usual sense either as it's granted by an invisible item. Spells will hit him, but your best bet is to supplement them by beating him down the intended way with the werewolf-slaying weapons. I've heard potions of firebreathing can be useful there too, as long as you're careful about your party members...

Megiddo

I forwent using much magic against Karoug for the most part and just applied the beatdown on him using the silver dagger, Kondar and Flametongue. Worked like a charm, of course killing most of his lackeys before applying pressure to him helped.

[Deleted User]

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vekkth

It was a struggle to me on my first playthrough, until at some point i saw "your kensai crit Karoug for 55" being fully buffed and Kiai'ed. That happened after 10 tries or so. Sometimes it is just rolling the dice all over again. I hate doing things that way but as you i was totally unprepared for that fight.