It tends to go like that. If you use SCS it makes it somewhat trickier, like letting beholders telekinetically steal the shield and enabling Hive Mothers and Elder Orbs to use regular spells that the shield doesn't reflect.
It's not like the bucketloads of Beholders you face are particularly balanced! Even if you're forewarned that they're coming there's not really too many ways you can adequately prepare for dealing with a room that's got half a dozen beholders in it.
It's not like the bucketloads of Beholders you face are particularly balanced! Even if you're forewarned that they're coming there's not really too many ways you can adequately prepare for dealing with a room that's got half a dozen beholders in it.
If you can cast level 3 spells or use wands, then you can deal with them.
It's not like the bucketloads of Beholders you face are particularly balanced! Even if you're forewarned that they're coming there's not really too many ways you can adequately prepare for dealing with a room that's got half a dozen beholders in it.
If you can cast level 3 spells or use wands, then you can deal with them.
The beholder dungeon is pretty nuts with SCS though...
Beholders are far from cheesy. Just need proper preparations to deal with them. Summons immune to their rays(Undead/Haekeshar/Nishruu), lots of spells that blind, or setting traps with skull trap/thieves, and fighters with good saving throws(potion of invulnerability).
Also, you should really play with SCS which first removes Shield of Balduran, and second moves cloak of mirroring to ToB.
I've never used the shield of balduran, but I always considered the "turn you into a statue no matter what" ability was a bit unbalanced as well, so I can't really complain. Fighting beholders is basically a lot of luck for me. just cast a bunch of skull traps and run for your life
I don't think it's even worth buying with SCS; it's so dang expensive and they steal it really fast. Skeleton warriors are free! As is not going into the beholder lair at all ;p
I don't see the problem; Perseus used a similar shield against medusa, and no one has accused him of haxx/cheese/IMBA etc. No other creature in the game requires 19k gold to even the odds. That's where the balance lies.
Only that 19k is nothing in SoA. And it's not evening the odds, it's making you an invincible behemoth against them. Any fighter with the shield can just stomp all beholders head on without a hitch.
I don't see the problem; Perseus used a similar shield against medusa, and no one has accused him of haxx/cheese/IMBA etc. No other creature in the game requires 19k gold to even the odds. That's where the balance lies.
Also, there *must* be a reason why beholders don't rule the world... The way I figure, the shield is that reason! Every couple of hundred years, when their population swells to a dangerous size, some enterprising hero gets the shield and (perhaps unwittingly) saves human(oid)ity...
I think it would have been cool to have a quest tied into it. Maybe the temple loans it to you, giving you a tough decision to turn in the unseeing eye quest before the underdark.
Only that 19k is nothing in SoA. And it's not evening the odds, it's making you an invincible behemoth against them. Any fighter with the shield can just stomp all beholders head on without a hitch.
Except for those annoying Elder Orbs which like to cast Imprisonment every now and then.
It's not like the bucketloads of Beholders you face are particularly balanced! Even if you're forewarned that they're coming there's not really too many ways you can adequately prepare for dealing with a room that's got half a dozen beholders in it.
If you can cast level 3 spells or use wands, then you can deal with them.
Which level 3 spell? I will say that if you can cast level 4 spells, they are pretty much a joke (except e orbs).
I refuse on moral grounds to buy anything that costs more than Imoen
So no robe of arch Mage or Vecna?
Shield of balduran is not instant win against SCS beholders you'll still die if you try to charge in gung-ho.
I buy it after the underdark though to be honest I often forget about it. I'm not a big fan of the robe anyways, a treasure like that should be fought for, not bought. I don't actually know where you can buy archmagi robes but they seem like a waste of money...
It's not like the bucketloads of Beholders you face are particularly balanced! Even if you're forewarned that they're coming there's not really too many ways you can adequately prepare for dealing with a room that's got half a dozen beholders in it.
If you can cast level 3 spells or use wands, then you can deal with them.
Which level 3 spell? I will say that if you can cast level 4 spells, they are pretty much a joke (except e orbs).
I buy it after the underdark though to be honest I often forget about it. I'm not a big fan of the robe anyways, a treasure like that should be fought for, not bought. I don't actually know where you can buy archmagi robes but they seem like a waste of money...
You can buy the Good one in trademeet. Not sure about the evil and neutral ones but you get a few in the game. Robe of vecna is also imba as you cast upto 6th level spells with initiative 1
My personal best solution for such imbalanced and cheesy items is not using them. Shield of Balduran is not something you loot from the enemies/chests etc; you have to buy it in order to obtain it. Therefore, it was your own decision to use it.
Without that shield, beholders became quite respectful opponents. Of course, there are still quite effective ways of dealing with them.
I was just wondering, the hell trial of fear, was it always 3 elder orbs and a gauth or 2? It was actually a bit hard on SCS since no shield of balduran...
Erm, Carsomyr? Are we still talking about the shield?
I would say beholders actually have a very broad range of attack vectors which is why they're so hard to stop. They deal different types of damage and have several nasty save-or-else effects along with that antimagic ray and spellcasting (on elder orbs). Compared to most enemies there are very few things that can stop a beholder cold.
With the exception of Elder Orbs, all beholders throw are gaze attacks. That's a narrower range of attack options than say, a dragon has. If you get shut down by a single shield or potion that's a fairly good indicator of low variety imho.
Sorry I brought up another item in relation to the Strength penalty the shield has, I won't do it again.
Naastriil
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Also, you should really play with SCS which first removes Shield of Balduran, and second moves cloak of mirroring to ToB.
Shield of balduran is not instant win against SCS beholders you'll still die if you try to charge in gung-ho.
Every couple of hundred years, when their population swells to a dangerous size, some enterprising hero gets the shield and (perhaps unwittingly) saves human(oid)ity...
I buy it after the underdark though to be honest I often forget about it. I'm not a big fan of the robe anyways, a treasure like that should be fought for, not bought. I don't actually know where you can buy archmagi robes but they seem like a waste of money...
You can buy the Good one in trademeet. Not sure about the evil and neutral ones but you get a few in the game.
Robe of vecna is also imba as you cast upto 6th level spells with initiative 1
@naastriil
The evil one is on a merchant in ust Natha
The neutral one is from Gul dukeem because there was no neutral Mage npc originally I think
Without that shield, beholders became quite respectful opponents. Of course, there are still quite effective ways of dealing with them.
It doesn't work as well in actual combat, even with Carsomyr. Those last two damage points make a difference. ^^
I would say beholders actually have a very broad range of attack vectors which is why they're so hard to stop. They deal different types of damage and have several nasty save-or-else effects along with that antimagic ray and spellcasting (on elder orbs). Compared to most enemies there are very few things that can stop a beholder cold.
Sorry I brought up another item in relation to the Strength penalty the shield has, I won't do it again.