Some of the performers are more useful than others in that battle.
Hire Timmoth or one of the mages. Timmoth will cast Holy Word while the mages will use Power Word: Kill both of which deal extra damage to the Demi Liches.
Really? I hired Dulf Ebonbeard for that battle and he did absolutely f... all the entire battle (no, he wasn't imprisoned).
Didn't matter though, my raging berserker killed both of them on his own by spamming whirlwind.
@Mungri Yes, demiliches are easy with right tactic. I would expect that such ancient and powerful spellcasters should be able to adjust their tactics for this situation. It is a pity they cannot cast also other spells. Ordinary liches are more dangerous.
They also have finger of death and they snuffed my bard that tried the same thing. My kensage had -9 death save though compared to my bards -3 and they couldn't kill him.
I did not know it. Good to hear that they use also some other spells. However, from demiliches, I would expect something more dangerous like spelltrigger with defensive spells and then timestop -> comet, comet, comet, wish or something similar. What abilities do they have in pen and paper?
In Black Puts 2, Demi Liches have three special abilities:
Trap the Soul - works like Imprisonment Demi Lich Howl - works like Wail of the Banshee Bestow Curse - the afflicted character always fails his saving throws. This ability is only used on Core RUles and higher and can be removed via Remove Curse
This is what PnP rules grant them and it's what they get in the original game as well, minus Bestow Curse which is a new addition. In short, Demi Liches are not spellcasters in the traditional sense and that is by design.
In Black Puts 2, Demi Liches have three special abilities:
Trap the Soul - works like Imprisonment Demi Lich Howl - works like Wail of the Banshee Bestow Curse - the afflicted character always fails his saving throws. This ability is only used on Core RUles and higher and can be removed via Remove Curse
This is what PnP rules grant them and it's what they get in the original game as well, minus Bestow Curse which is a new addition. In short, Demi Liches are not spellcasters in the traditional sense and that is by design.
Are you sure about the first ability being in vanilla BG2? I always thought that was added by a component of SCS.
In Black Puts 2, Demi Liches have three special abilities:
Trap the Soul - works like Imprisonment Demi Lich Howl - works like Wail of the Banshee Bestow Curse - the afflicted character always fails his saving throws. This ability is only used on Core RUles and higher and can be removed via Remove Curse
This is what PnP rules grant them and it's what they get in the original game as well, minus Bestow Curse which is a new addition. In short, Demi Liches are not spellcasters in the traditional sense and that is by design.
Are you sure about the first ability being in vanilla BG2? I always thought that was added by a component of SCS.
No, it's in vanilla. (But I think I might have renamed it from Imprisonment to its PnP name.)
Its definitely there, its a level 9 abjuration spell called Imprisonment.
Don't click below if you havnt killed them yet.
So Spell Immunity abjuration on a fighter / mage, plus high enough save vs death = tank and kill them on normal difficulty.
Bestow curse requires a touch check to pass, maybe stoneskins and magical weapon immunity would prevent that, but the latter has a short duration. How high is the demi liches magical weapon attack and would Improved Mantle work?
As for the WOTB, Ioun stone with +4 death save, +3 protection ring, +1 from Archmagi robe, +3 or maybe more from amulet of death protection (I was using a spell resist necklace & cloak of balduran fan gift), +3 from spirit armour and if you need more, +1 from blur, but not as long lasting.
Im stuck on the winged and her crews fight now. Its funny how my heavy armoured tanks just go squish but my buffed kensage and bard manage to survive much longer.
I managed to kill everything but the winged in one attempt, and only my sorcerer was left alive with 3 x level 9 spells left to use.
I hit a Time Stop > Protection from magical weapons > Protection from Energy > Chain Cont enemy sighted lower resistance x3, Chain Cont enemy sighted Flame Arrow x 3 > Flame Arrow > Flame Arrow > Flame arrow.
0 damage, Immune to fire damage??? Fuuuuuuuuuuuu (breach and remove magic were dipelling her blade barriers so she wasnt immune to level 5 and below spells).
/Fail.
Horrid Wiltings at the start of the battle didnt touch her either.
I was a bit disappointed by the difficulty tbh. I was expecting extremely difficult fights, but everything died to chained ADHWs, energy blades, mordenkaisers and inquisitor dispells. Literally everything. Some of the tier4 fights required one or two reloads, but that was about it. Didn't even realize that you could invite people to fight for you untill after it was over.
I know that I have played this a lot, but I thought this was supposed to be for people who are nostalgics. Who got kicks out of beating the red badge, kuroisan, ascension etc and of cource everyones favourite - the eclipse party. None of these fights were even remotely as difficult...
Still was a blast though... easily worth the 23 euros for that part alone. ^^
Definitely worth pointing out since I was playing on normal (hate fiddling with the difficulty bar/reloading to get max hp stats, and also consider pure damage output a pretty dimwitted way of artificially improving the difficulty). Had to replay it either way, since I didn't buy any items before starting the "escape" and got stuck on the winged fight.
Any difference between core, hard and expert, or is it just a binary normal/low or higher setting?
Definitely worth pointing out since I was playing on normal (hate fiddling with the difficulty bar/reloading to get max hp stats, and also consider pure damage output a pretty dimwitted way of artificially improving the difficulty). Had to replay it either way, since I didn't buy any items before starting the "escape" and got stuck on the winged fight.
Any difference between core, hard and expert, or is it just a binary normal/low or higher setting?
well core is the default damage output where everybody, them and you, play according to the same rules. it is only hard and insane where the AI gets damage bonuses.
also am I the only one here who doesn't care about max hp unless I roll something like a 1?
Finished it in solo with a Sorcerer and without hiring anyone, on Core Rules. I lost just one fight: when a demilich imprisoned my projected image, leaving my char there... Idle... With just a spell trap active... That didn't last long...
I loved these Black Pits. Especially the NPCs were awesome. They made me want to CLUAConsole them in SoA and Ctrl+Q them! 8D
First of all I never choose Imprisonment, I prefer to KILL stuff xD In that fight I started by clicking on the Staff of Magi, becoming invisibile. So Bannor attacked Najim, just like Winged and the others did. I opened with Improved Alacrity, True Sight (dispelling all the invisibilities/mirror images was important at this point), Time Stop, 3 Lower Magic Resistance on Winged, 4 on Bannor, got close to Pyrrus and Breach on him, Chain Contingency loaded with 3 ADHW x2. Time Stop was over. Fireworks. Curtain call. I was almost forgetting Joker: she transformed into a Myconid during the Time Stop. With her 40hp she was no threat.
Equip: Staff of the Magi, Tunic of Vecna, Amulet of Power, Ring of Wizardry and Boots of Speed. The rest is superfluous
It should trigger instantly and it doesn't. And after it triggers, you get this silly snowflakes animation taht can potentially interrupt another spell you're casting.
I loved the Black Pits 2 (and the first one too). The characters and their voice acting is awesome! The only bad thing is that if the performers die during battle - unlike your characters - they are gone for good...
@Tenrecc one thing that might be worth pointing out.
The battles are harder on the Core Rules difficulty setting. On Normal and lower opponents do not use their most powerful spells, items and abilities.
Similar results when playing on insane. It feels to me like you get handed way too much exp/items to make the fights actually difficult, and none of the tier4 fights/winged fight are meant to measure up to the overwhelming amounts of quest spells you get. There's not even any monsters immune to Time Stop which means that fighter/mages and sorceresses have no contenders.
I guess eclipse-style fights would make the new players pull out the hair from their roots or just quit, but I still think it would've been a good idea to pander to the nostalgics by adding some ridiculously difficult (optional) fights.
Comments
Didn't matter though, my raging berserker killed both of them on his own by spamming whirlwind.
Highly spoilerish video on how I beat them, watch at your own risk:
Yes, demiliches are easy with right tactic. I would expect that such ancient and powerful spellcasters should be able to adjust their tactics for this situation. It is a pity they cannot cast also other spells. Ordinary liches are more dangerous.
Trap the Soul - works like Imprisonment
Demi Lich Howl - works like Wail of the Banshee
Bestow Curse - the afflicted character always fails his saving throws. This ability is only used on Core RUles and higher and can be removed via Remove Curse
This is what PnP rules grant them and it's what they get in the original game as well, minus Bestow Curse which is a new addition. In short, Demi Liches are not spellcasters in the traditional sense and that is by design.
Don't click below if you havnt killed them yet.
Bestow curse requires a touch check to pass, maybe stoneskins and magical weapon immunity would prevent that, but the latter has a short duration. How high is the demi liches magical weapon attack and would Improved Mantle work?
As for the WOTB, Ioun stone with +4 death save, +3 protection ring, +1 from Archmagi robe, +3 or maybe more from amulet of death protection (I was using a spell resist necklace & cloak of balduran fan gift), +3 from spirit armour and if you need more, +1 from blur, but not as long lasting.
....time to sleep now....omg what a fight.
I managed to kill everything but the winged in one attempt, and only my sorcerer was left alive with 3 x level 9 spells left to use.
I hit a Time Stop > Protection from magical weapons > Protection from Energy > Chain Cont enemy sighted lower resistance x3, Chain Cont enemy sighted Flame Arrow x 3 > Flame Arrow > Flame Arrow > Flame arrow.
0 damage, Immune to fire damage??? Fuuuuuuuuuuuu (breach and remove magic were dipelling her blade barriers so she wasnt immune to level 5 and below spells).
/Fail.
Horrid Wiltings at the start of the battle didnt touch her either.
I know that I have played this a lot, but I thought this was supposed to be for people who are nostalgics. Who got kicks out of beating the red badge, kuroisan, ascension etc and of cource everyones favourite - the eclipse party. None of these fights were even remotely as difficult...
Still was a blast though... easily worth the 23 euros for that part alone. ^^
The battles are harder on the Core Rules difficulty setting. On Normal and lower opponents do not use their most powerful spells, items and abilities.
Any difference between core, hard and expert, or is it just a binary normal/low or higher setting?
Higher difficulty settings only make them deal more damage.
also am I the only one here who doesn't care about max hp unless I roll something like a 1?
I lost just one fight: when a demilich imprisoned my projected image, leaving my char there... Idle... With just a spell trap active... That didn't last long...
I loved these Black Pits. Especially the NPCs were awesome. They made me want to CLUAConsole them in SoA and Ctrl+Q them! 8D
project image, Simulacrum. Spellimmunity Divination and Abjuration on all images/simu?
Theres still 5 enemis to kill and the Winged still has alot of hitpoints. Not to mention their spell buffs.
Dont say that you imprisoned everyone.
In that fight I started by clicking on the Staff of Magi, becoming invisibile. So Bannor attacked Najim, just like Winged and the others did.
I opened with Improved Alacrity, True Sight (dispelling all the invisibilities/mirror images was important at this point), Time Stop, 3 Lower Magic Resistance on Winged, 4 on Bannor, got close to Pyrrus and Breach on him, Chain Contingency loaded with 3 ADHW x2. Time Stop was over. Fireworks. Curtain call.
I was almost forgetting Joker: she transformed into a Myconid during the Time Stop. With her 40hp she was no threat.
Equip: Staff of the Magi, Tunic of Vecna, Amulet of Power, Ring of Wizardry and Boots of Speed. The rest is superfluous
And after it triggers, you get this silly snowflakes animation taht can potentially interrupt another spell you're casting.
The only bad thing is that if the performers die during battle - unlike your characters - they are gone for good...
I kid you not, I'd pay for a DLC that integrates the Pits into BG2 (even if the story makes no sense at all)
I guess eclipse-style fights would make the new players pull out the hair from their roots or just quit, but I still think it would've been a good idea to pander to the nostalgics by adding some ridiculously difficult (optional) fights.