Run through Watcher's Keep

abazigal5

This is just a documentation of my run through WK. If anyone wants to listen in, feel free.

abazigal5

I just got Daystar (lich was super easy) and have arrived at WK. Haven't entered, but I'm confident I can do it.

abazigal5

Okay, here's my party:

CHARNAME: Level 29 Cleric, Mace +1, -6 AC
Minsc: Level 14 Ranger, Frostreaver/Daystar/Hangard's Axe, AC -6
Valygar: Level 14 Stalker, dual-wield Flail of Ages/his katana, AC -2
Nalia: Dual-class 14 Mage/4 Thief, Arbane's Sword/shortbow, AC 0
Mazzy: Level 14 Fighter, Sword of Arvoreen/Bow of Arvoreen, AC -4
Keldorn: Level 12 Inquisitor, Carsomyr, AC 0

I'm planning to pick up Foebane (possibly give it to Nalia), do the Machine of Lum, hopefully get something good from the Deck of Many Things, get the White Dragon Scales.

abazigal5

Although I might replace Mazzy with Hexxat, before or after WK. That might be a questionable idea. I could use some advice.

Blackraven

Wow your Cleric is so much more experienced than the others...
I don't know how hard or easy it's going to be. The few times I did WK, I did it after having done all quests in level 2-3, or in Chapter 6. Either way, good luck!

elminster

You can definitely get a better mace than that (and you can buy a better sword for mazzy from the merchant outside of watchers keep) and you are likely going to want them frankly.

Quartz

abazigal5 said:

Although I might replace Mazzy with Hexxat, before or after WK. That might be a questionable idea. I could use some advice.

Hexxat sux

CrevsDaak

Quartz said:

abazigal5 said:

Although I might replace Mazzy with Hexxat, before or after WK. That might be a questionable idea. I could use some advice.

Hexxat sux

All the single classed non-kitted thieves badly suck at higher levels.

Twani

Will Hexxat and Keldorn even work together? If they do, they probably shouldn't. Hexxat tends to freak out most good aligned companions, for good reason.

elminster

Twani said:

Will Hexxat and Keldorn even work together?

Nope.

abazigal5

elminster said:

You can definitely get a better mace than that (and you can buy a better sword for mazzy from the merchant outside of watchers keep) and you are likely going to want them frankly.

I'm planning to get Storm Star from the Machine of Lum the Mad, though if you know the location of any other powerful maces in Watcher's Keep, let me know

abazigal5

Twani said:

Will Hexxat and Keldorn even work together? If they do, they probably shouldn't. Hexxat tends to freak out most good aligned companions, for good reason.

They won't be able to work together because, after Watcher's Keep, Keldorn is retiring. It's too bad, really, but it's appropriate that his final mission is going to end in the death of the Prince of Demons.

abazigal5

Just a question: Where exactly is Foebane?

elminster

abazigal5 said:

elminster said:

You can definitely get a better mace than that (and you can buy a better sword for mazzy from the merchant outside of watchers keep) and you are likely going to want them frankly.

I'm planning to get Storm Star from the Machine of Lum the Mad, though if you know the location of any other powerful maces in Watcher's Keep, let me know

You'll have to leave Watcher's Keep for what I'm discussing here. Since you are level 29 I'm assuming you have all (or nearly all) of the weapon proficiency clerics can get. If that is the case I'd honestly pick up the Defender of Easthaven (flail) from Joluv. Its a +3 weapon (ignore the descriptions you find otherwise online - they are wrong) but its main benefit is that it gives the user 20% physical damage resistance. When combined with your Armor of Faith (level 1 spell) it basically means you are taking 45% less physical damage than you would be otherwise. Plus since its a flail Valygar (who I assume you gave some degree of flail proficiency to) can later use it.

abazigal5 said:

Just a question: Where exactly is Foebane?

One of the statues you fight as part of doing the ritual (level 1) should have it.

abazigal5

Ahh, yes, I just thought it was a random enchanted sword, but apparently it wasn't. I think I picked it up.

I just completed the first level of Watcher's Keep. The statues were the toughest; especially the cleric (or Druid) who casts Insect Plague on your party. The second statue battle (right after you complete the ritual) was taken care of by casting Elemental Summoning in front of the golem, Aerial Servant in front of the Mage and Fighter, and Animate Dead by (I think) the archer. Then I cast minimal rebuffs and did the ritual, then took care of the statues.

As for the other monsters on the level, the Mists that disturb your rest and are in some rooms were taken care of by Turn Undead, I placated the priest (who I believe is a lich) by giving him his slippers, and the several mustard jellies in the Fireplace room were defeated by taking on one at a time.

elminster

If you are planning on using Foebane I threw together a mod for it that basically grants it the bonuses the description suggests it has (namely concerning its damage to extra planar beings). You can find it in here https://forums.beamdog.com/uploads/FileUpload/75/37876c8fb008958552bc09cc0fc210.rar and a more detailed description of the changes can be found here http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/31976/elminster-s-micro-bg2ee-fixes-and-tweaks

Just open up the rar file and copy sw1h62.itm and sw1h63.itm into your override folder. It also fixes a bug that is present with the +5 version of Foebane where it is not doing any bonus damage against other creatures (this is not present in the +3 version).

abazigal5

Actually, the sword I picked up was just a random sword, in this case, a +2 bastard sword (at least I was in the right sword type), but I eventually found Foebane (it was from one of the statues from the first statue battle).

Thanks for the tips, @elminster.

abazigal5

Okay, I went through part of level 2 (I didn't have time to finish it). The most important thing to say is: I DESPISE level 2. I got through the Air lab and the Slime lab. First of all: is that the order you're supposed to do them in? Second, if it is, then after the Slime lab, do you go to the Fire lab?

The Devil Shades that interrupt your rest and that spawn two Shadow Fiends upon death were killed with Turn Undead, as usual. After the Slime lab, I resurrected everyone who had died and then discovered that I had to defeat two Ice Golems and two Iron Golems and a Sand Golem. Which was very unfair. I predict that the rest of the level is going to be very difficult.

Twani

Starting from the Air lab is the simplest route with the least amount of backtracking, yes.

Me, I hate the portal level. Especially if I let a certain mod randomize it so I can't just go direct to the end. And I hate the battle with those wraithy things that swarm you and their boss wraith who's just annoying.

CrevsDaak

Twani said:

And I hate the battle with those wraithy things that swarm you and their boss wraith who's just annoying.

That's probably the most difficult battle in the whole Keep (only in vanilla) IMO.

abazigal5

CrevsDaak said:

Twani said:

And I hate the battle with those wraithy things that swarm you and their boss wraith who's just annoying.

That's probably the most difficult battle in the whole Keep (only in vanilla) IMO.

What does the battle consist of, and what level is it on?

Twani

It's on... I think the fourth level? The Maze level, where the Blood War is raging.

It's a Demon Wraith (a decent spellcaster), traps on the floor between you and him (prismatic rays, I think, so watch for accidental petrification), and a tiny army of Slave Wraiths that hit for decent cold damage.

The Demon Wraith is 90% resistant to physical damage, 100% resistant to elemental damage, and thus the way to go is magical damage- which he still has 75% magic resist. He's by no means the hardest fight in the game, but if you're doing WK low level, he's an incredible pain.

abazigal5

Twani said:

It's on... I think the fourth level? The Maze level, where the Blood War is raging.

It's a Demon Wraith (a decent spellcaster), traps on the floor between you and him (prismatic rays, I think, so watch for accidental petrification), and a tiny army of Slave Wraiths that hit for decent cold damage.

The Demon Wraith is 90% resistant to physical damage, 100% resistant to elemental damage, and thus the way to go is magical damage- which he still has 75% magic resist. He's by no means the hardest fight in the game, but if you're doing WK low level, he's an incredible pain.

Oh, great. So I'll just have to have Minsc bash him to death. Or maybe Holy Smite. That spell is a lifesaver.

CrevsDaak

abazigal5 said:

Twani said:

It's on... I think the fourth level? The Maze level, where the Blood War is raging.

It's a Demon Wraith (a decent spellcaster), traps on the floor between you and him (prismatic rays, I think, so watch for accidental petrification), and a tiny army of Slave Wraiths that hit for decent cold damage.

The Demon Wraith is 90% resistant to physical damage, 100% resistant to elemental damage, and thus the way to go is magical damage- which he still has 75% magic resist. He's by no means the hardest fight in the game, but if you're doing WK low level, he's an incredible pain.

Oh, great. So I'll just have to have Minsc bash him to death. Or maybe Holy Smite. That spell is a lifesaver.

You need at least a +3 to hit him and a +2 for the slaves IIRC. Also there are a few Death Spell traps and the slave wraiths level drain on hit but they can't be killed until their master is killed.

abazigal5

I'm almost done with the second level, and I have a question: How does,the,fire,giant regenerate, and how do I kill him? In other words, what do I have to do in the fire room?

abazigal5

Sorry about the commas. I don't know how they got there.

the_spyder

Twani said:

Me, I hate the portal level. Especially if I let a certain mod randomize it so I can't just go direct to the end. And I hate the battle with those wraithy things that swarm you and their boss wraith who's just annoying.

There's one battle on that level with a LOT of demons and the like. Well, I wiped them all out except for this one imp (Mephit??) who kept on going invisible. No matter what I did, he would pop invis and run away. I could not kill the beastie. I think I spent like 20 minutes trying to chase him down. Even AOE didn't effect. Nor did True seeing (he would pop vis and then disappear again) work well. Curse you unlimited INVISIBILITY!

abazigal5 said:

I'm almost done with the second level, and I have a question: How does,the,fire,giant regenerate, and how do I kill him? In other words, what do I have to do in the fire room?

If I remember correctly, you have to lure him into the ice room. That will stop the regeneration and allow you to kill him.

abazigal5

That is genius. I just started attacking him (as usual). I had an inkling of that (I had Nalia and Mazzy attack him with Ice Arrows). I also chanced upon summoning Sunnis, through which I got the giant down to Injured. But even Sunnis' hits (which deal an average of 30 damage each) could not keep him down and he regenerated. Then I quitted.

abazigal5

Thanks for the tip, @the_spyder

bbear

Twani said:

It's on... I think the fourth level? The Maze level, where the Blood War is raging.

It's a Demon Wraith (a decent spellcaster), traps on the floor between you and him (prismatic rays, I think, so watch for accidental petrification), and a tiny army of Slave Wraiths that hit for decent cold damage.

The Demon Wraith is 90% resistant to physical damage, 100% resistant to elemental damage, and thus the way to go is magical damage- which he still has 75% magic resist. He's by no means the hardest fight in the game, but if you're doing WK low level, he's an incredible pain.

WK level 3 is the Maze level. The Demon Wraith and his slave wraiths are at the room right before Aegersth Demon (the third gem). He casts Time Stop and other high level spells. The slave wraiths level drain, but only on certain dice rolls (unlike vampires who always level drain on hits).

abazigal5 said:

Okay, I went through part of level 2 (I didn't have time to finish it). The most important thing to say is: I DESPISE level 2. I got through the Air lab and the Slime lab. First of all: is that the order you're supposed to do them in? Second, if it is, then after the Slime lab, do you go to the Fire lab?

The Devil Shades that interrupt your rest and that spawn two Shadow Fiends upon death were killed with Turn Undead, as usual. After the Slime lab, I resurrected everyone who had died and then discovered that I had to defeat two Ice Golems and two Iron Golems and a Sand Golem. Which was very unfair. I predict that the rest of the level is going to be very difficult.

Try Air -> Slime -> Ice -> Fire

If you want to rest without interruption, simply rest outside of the keep. For the golems, summons are great distractions. Let them tank and you party members focus fire.

the_spyder said:

Twani said:

Me, I hate the portal level. Especially if I let a certain mod randomize it so I can't just go direct to the end. And I hate the battle with those wraithy things that swarm you and their boss wraith who's just annoying.

There's one battle on that level with a LOT of demons and the like. Well, I wiped them all out except for this one imp (Mephit??) who kept on going invisible. No matter what I did, he would pop invis and run away. I could not kill the beastie. I think I spent like 20 minutes trying to chase him down. Even AOE didn't effect. Nor did True seeing (he would pop vis and then disappear again) work well. Curse you unlimited INVISIBILITY!

abazigal5 said:

I'm almost done with the second level, and I have a question: How does,the,fire,giant regenerate, and how do I kill him? In other words, what do I have to do in the fire room?

If I remember correctly, you have to lure him into the ice room. That will stop the regeneration and allow you to kill him.

The imps/mephits are annoying. It's like getting the receiving end of the Staff of Magi. It takes patient to kill them. PAUSE immediately when they turn visible. About 20% of the times they return to invisibility about half a second slower than usual. Get a high APR fighter next to the imp and whack them.

To kill the fire giant, you need to

bring and freeze the 4 fire elementals into the Ice Room. The fire elemental spawns one at a time. Have someone with the boot of speed/oil of speed/haste to lure the fire elemental from the fire room to the ice room. The fire giant cannot venture out to far from the fire room.

abazigal5

So I have to lure the fire elementals out of the room and into the ice room...then what do I do with the fire giant?
Thanks for the help.