What in the name of Boo is with monster attack bonuses???

Leviathan

So, I'm playing through BGEE right now, currently running around Durlag's Tower.
What the heck is with the attack bonuses of monsters that I keep fighting? Not just here, but elsewhere? My frontline fighters have AC -4 to -6 (-6/-8 with Defensive Harmony), and I'm still getting hit on 6s and 7s by a lot of these monsters, for massive amounts of damage, as in, out-damaging Dorn.

What is going on here? I'm stacking all the AC I can on these guys and I might as well not be bothering.

elminster

Durlag's Tower is an area added by ToTSC. The creatures that you find outside it and in it are going to likely be be harder than the other areas that surround the tower (at least compared to kobolds, gnolls, bandits, skeletons, ghouls/ghasts, etc).

What specific monsters are you finding this with?

Gotural

Durlag's Tower is the "big final dungeon" so the enemies you are encountering there are very powerful.

You should aim for -8 / -10 AC without buffs to do it easily.

meagloth

Are you trying to get the battle horrors then?

Tresset

I like to start D's tower at ~ party level 6-7.

DreadKhan

Battle horrors and especially Skeleton Warriors are flipping sadistic noob killers. But once you're good, they provide some of the few challenges.

CrevsDaak

Gotural said:

You should aim for -8 / -10 AC without buffs to do it easily.

I can reach -11 only with items and before Durlag's Tower (but after BG):
Cloak and Helmet of Balduran: -2 (-1 each)
Twinkle: -2
Full plate mail: -9
DEX bonus: -4
Large Shield+1: -2
Ring of Protection+2: -2
Base AC: +10
-2-2-2-1-1-9-4+10=-11

After Durlag's you can use the Large Shield +2 you can find there to get permanent -12 AC, then, if you buff, you can easily get -17:
Permanent, item/DEX given AC: -11
Potion of Defense/Invulnerability: -1 you can now change the Full plate mail for a Mage Robe if you are a F/M(/T).
Blur: -3
Defensive Harmony: -2
-11-2-3-1 = -17
And you can still stack more stuff I right now don't remember.

Spungi

Not looking forward to it with my minsc, keepered to a barbarian... Wish there were better armor for that class in bg 1

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Leviathan

The Battle Horrors were annoying, but not too bad. The Greater Wyverns were *NUTS*, took me twenty odd goes to get them (it basically boiled down to zerg rushing with fully buffed party and summons, and pray). The Demon Knight was tricky but mostly due to the fireballs & PWK.
But outside the tower even Ogre Berserkers were still nasty.

I was level 7/8 when I cleared it last night.

Gotural

CrevsDaak said:

Gotural said:

You should aim for -8 / -10 AC without buffs to do it easily.

I can reach -11 only with items and before Durlag's Tower (but after BG):
Cloak and Helmet of Balduran: -2 (-1 each)
Twinkle: -2
Full plate mail: -9
DEX bonus: -4
Large Shield+1: -2
Ring of Protection+2: -2
Base AC: +10
-2-2-2-1-1-9-4+10=-11

After Durlag's you can use the Large Shield +2 you can find there to get permanent -12 AC, then, if you buff, you can easily get -17:
Permanent, item/DEX given AC: -11
Potion of Defense/Invulnerability: -1 you can now change the Full plate mail for a Mage Robe if you are a F/M(/T).
Blur: -3
Defensive Harmony: -2
-11-2-3-1 = -17
And you can still stack more stuff I right now don't remember.

Throw in an Improved Invisibility and considering the fact that Full Plate Armor as at least -3 bonus AC against every damage type except Crushing, get the Girdle with the crushing AC bonus and you have at least -24 AC !

lunar

Skeleton warriors and battle horrors (aka:golems lite) are very strong in melee. Best strategy is killing the horrors with magic from afar (frost and fire wands do nicely) and either kiting skeleton warriors, switching front line warriors as they get badly wounded, and using stoneskin/mirror image repeatedly to soak up their attacks while a big strong fighter type (with a potion of giant strength in his belly) uses a magical heavy mace or staff to bash their skulls in.

Mini-spoiler:Big S is even scarier in melee. Kiting, summons, and magic help a lot.

meagloth

@lunar‌ ,agin missile actually works real well on battle horrors. If. You've got someone with boots of speed you can just have them chase me and everybody else can throw magic and arrows. It's wise to sneak up so they come one at a time as well.
@CrevsDaak‌ couldn't you make it -12 with 19 dex?

Gotural

@meagloth‌ 19 dex still gives a -4bonus to AC. You need 21 dex to reach -5.

meagloth

Gotural said:

@meagloth‌ 19 dex still gives a -4bonus to AC. You need 21 dex to reach -5.

Figures. I though you got one more at 19, but 20 didn't do anything(strange as stats go)

Gotural

And you get the last bonus (-6) at 24 Dex.

CrevsDaak

meagloth said:

lunar‌ ,agin missile actually works real well on battle horrors. If. You've got someone with boots of speed you can just have them chase me and everybody else can throw magic and arrows. It's wise to sneak up so they come one at a time as well.

Actually, Battle Horrors, Doom Guards and Doomsayers are immune to Missile weapons damage.