Kivan's quest and BG1 NPC mod

Elzarath

Hello, so I'm rushing this start bit of the game so I can keep Kivan and then go back and do whatever. I'm still low level (everyone's level 2 or 3) and we ran into bandits in Peldvale and convinced them we want to join their group.

Kivan said he'd go along with the ruse until we met Tazok himself in which case he'd attack. So we go to camp and just as Tazok accepts us and is about to walk off Kivan speaks up and sure enough we now need to fight him and the surrounding bandits. Side note this was a bit brutal at our level but we managed! Once Tazok died Kivan mentioned that he had avenged his wife.

Does this mean his quest is now complete? I've read I still need to return to Officer Vai and sell all bandit scalps then talk to her again once I don't have anymore and that'll close his quest off but is this still the case or does BG1 NPC project 'fix' this so to speak?

Thanks guys

EDIT: the journal updated after Kivan mentioned he had avenged his wife and I haven't cleared the whole camp or any tents as the initial meeting spot / fight was in bottom left corner of the map.

dreamrider

In multiple playthroughs (of the first 2/3s of the game {abashed grin}), almost all of them including Kivan, and LOTS of reading on BG, I have NEVER heard of anyone killing Tazok at the bandit camp encounter.

Since he is a key player in the ultimate encounter of the game, I wonder if that encounter just goes on without him, or if we have a vicious fight with Biff the Understudy, or what?

dreamrider

Generally, you have to clear the camp to keep Kivan. However, since the journal for his quest updated, I think you are safe.

Save the game. Now, go off and heal, collect other companions, whatever, and then come back. You DO have to clear the camp to unlock the Cloakwood.

If Kivan complains that he's going to have to leave if you don't move along after bandits, you will know that just killing Tazok was not enough. You can then use your save to recycle back to clear the camp earlier.

Elzarath

Really?! May be the mod? I've only played BG up to this point once before and I'm sure I killed him then too except it was in his tent that time cause I never sided with the bandits. He was worth 4k exp too, is that what you normally get at the end of the game?

So what happens if you don't kill him? Does he run away when 'near death'?

Thanks for the tip, I was hoping to avoid that strategy but I don't want to wait around so looks like I'll charge onwards!

EDIT: just remembered I have a save just before talking to the bandits so maybe I'll re-run it and take screenshots of his defeat

dreamrider

:minor spoilers:

Most of the conversation tree results lead to him testing you, verbally or in combat, then accepting you provisionally as recruits, while he goes of "on patrol" to the Cloakwood. You then have the run of the camp, including the freedom to loot some of the outdoor stuff and unguarded tents, before you treacherously (and with a deliberate plan) sweep through the camp killing the residents one by one. (Well, sometimes 1 by 3-7 cause you can't break up the groups, but it does help you plan your raid if you can case the joint.)

Tip: If you have some infravision shooters (ya, like what party doesn't?), time your raid to occur in the dark - it helps you pick out bandits lurking in the trees.

(When you get to the Cloakwood, you don't actually encounter Tazok there, nor in Baldur's Gate, nor at Candlekeep Revisited, just at the end.)

Elzarath

dreamrider said:

:minor spoilers:

Most of the conversation tree results lead to him testing you, verbally or in combat, then accepting you provisionally as recruits, while he goes of "on patrol" to the Cloakwood. You then have the run of the camp, including the freedom to loot some of the outdoor stuff and unguarded tents, before you treacherously (and with a deliberate plan) sweep through the camp killing the residents one by one. (Well, sometimes 1 by 3-7 cause you can't break up the groups, but it does help you plan your raid if you can case the joint.)

Yeah that's what happened! Once I said along the lines of 'I'm better than Muhaley' and he fought til I got him to near death but Kivan didn't survive that so nothing happened. Next time, I said along the lines of 'It's better too have too many people and not need them then to have too few' and he said he was going somewhere and I had free run but that just as it ended Kivan spoke up and hell broke loose and that's when I killed him.

Yeah trying to clear the camp with my lower level party is a bit brutal, those archers are tough against Neera and Safana and they keep getting taken down the second I'm healing Minsc or doing something else.

dreamrider

Have Neera load up with Sleep. Clerics use Command.
.
You'll need other more potent stuff when you take down the big tent though. Having a stealthed thief sneak in, throw an exploding/burning potion at the mage and dash back out to the kill zone works pretty well. Note that if the hobgoblin archer guy doesn't come outside with the others (and he often doesn't), he is a pretty nasty shooter; take him down with a Command and have Kivan rush in and start whacking him with his halberd. Don't kill the little guy near him however.

Elzarath

Yeah that's my new strategy. Except for the cleric part - I'm holding out for Yeslick and will swap Minsc out for him.

I know everyone says Garrick is useless (and he mostly is) but he's such a good bloke I'd feel bad kicking him out and I never really have a bard in my party so I'm trying a new setup this time.

SharGuidesMyHand

dreamrider said:

In multiple playthroughs (of the first 2/3s of the game {abashed grin}), almost all of them including Kivan, and LOTS of reading on BG, I have NEVER heard of anyone killing Tazok at the bandit camp encounter.

See this thread here:

http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/34935/um-i-just-killed-tazok-in-the-bandit-camp

It's always been possible to kill Tazok at the bandit camp - the trick was to get in enough blows before he could initiate the dialogue that welcomed you into the camp (poison arrows were especially effective at doing this IIRC). It makes no difference in the storyline, as no one else in the camp will acknowledge that their supreme leader has just been killed, and he will still (re)appear for the final battle with Sarevok.

dreamrider said:

You then have the run of the camp, including the freedom to loot some of the outdoor stuff and unguarded tents, before you treacherously (and with a deliberate plan) sweep through the camp killing the residents one by one.

dreamrider said:

You DO have to clear the camp to unlock the Cloakwood.

Elzarath said:

Yeah trying to clear the camp with my lower level party is a bit brutal, those archers are tough against Neera and Safana and they keep getting taken down the second I'm healing Minsc or doing something else.

To be clear, "clearing" the camp doesn't require you to actually kill everyone in the camp.

You only need to kill the "bosses" in the final tent and raid the chest in order to get credit for "clearing" the camp.

Elzarath

Ahh! Thanks for the clarification - yes, by clearing the camp I meant just clearing the map in general but this is still good to know. I'll save the best for last

dreamrider

Hey, there's some good loot on all those thugs. Bit of a shuttle run for a week or so hauling it all back to the FAI, though.