The duo made short work of Jon's dungeon, finishing up by redecorating the area with bits of vampire.
The circus didn't detain them long on the way to hand control of the Copper Coronet over to Hendak.
Next, they deliberately sought out Suna Seni, using stealth to ensure an easy victory.
Carrying on to the Docks, the Mad Cleric took advantage of Prit's absence (picking up the loot after watching Hareishan feast on some thieves) to hold Gorn - but lacked the firepower to press home his advantage.
Officer Dirth donated some armour before undertaking Mae'Var's tasks.
The golems in Rayic's house were a bit of a threat (not helped by Prit's lack of a +2 weapon),
but Rayic himself was easy enough after he failed to find a death spell to get rid of a skeleton assault.
Mae'Var had no real chance even before being held.
After rescuing Renfeld Prebek survived a backstab and managed to confuse Gorn before falling silent in dismay.
Silence was then golden once more to leave Pai'Na helpless after clearing the Graveyard.
With cash bulging from the pockets of the dauntless duo the thief in the Bridge District saw the opportunity for a big score - but Gate70 protected against the possibility of me agreeing to that by backstabbing the thief before he could talk .
After paying Gaelan Bayle off, Prit equipped the Amulet of Power and put chaotic commands in force to quickly avenge Mook. Then the duo headed for the Bridge District to silence the Guild Contact (ensuring he wouldn't drink the potions he was carrying).
Still in the Bridge District the Rune Assassins had a reasonable go at Gorn, but couldn't quite last the pace.
The final action of the session then saw the kidnappers punished and their victim will soon be free at last (for a reasonable price of course ).
Prit, cleric 9 / ranger 9, 108 HPs (incl. 5 from Helm), 63 kills (+151 in BG1) Gorn, stalker 10, 113 HPs (incl. 10 from ioun stone), 119 kills (+143 in BG1), 0 deaths
'Long-life challenge' - true class mage {11} (update 1)
After picking up a second success in my long-life challenge with the sun soul monk (see here), I was left with the mage as the third of the classes I generated before SoD was released. For these I'm only requiring a completion of the trilogy - after that the fun will really start when I have to get to grips with SoD. I made a 10th start at this class which failed to progress thanks to failing to recast protection from petrification after resting between basilisks - this time I'll try to do better.
I got to level three after shooting Shoal down and learnt invisibility to allow safe travel after that. Various tasks around Beregost got me to level 4, thanks to using a newly learned blind on Silke.
Taking Samuel back to the FAI allowed me to pick up the Ring of Wizardry and stock up on blindness for Tarnesh (in BGEE neutral characters only go hostile when blindness succeeds, so multiple attempts are possible). Invisible travels to pick up items continued on to the ankheg nest where I collected a wand of fire (and immediately sold it while concentrating too much on what I was listening to on the radio). I did though hang on to the wand of frost and ring of fire protection found in further travels, along with a wand of monster summoning made available by dragging some ghasts outside. That round of item acquisition finished with blinding and killing Meilum for his bracers (also getting to level 5 there).
This time I managed to avoid shooting myself in the foot with a petrification gun and the last of the basilisks got me to level 6.
Korax then paralysed Mutamin before failing to finish Kirian off despite Baerin and Lindin being blinded. A first use of skull traps killed Kirian and left Peter near death and a sling shot killed him without a need to use invisibility to dodge spell retaliation.
While touring some areas looking for reputation I took the opportunity to throw a blind at Bassilus - that stuck so he was finished off to provide a nice cash boost.
At the minesite I also couldn't resist running the Doomsayer round: 8 lots of magic missiles were not quite enough for him though so a shot from Imoen's wand was needed to provide the final straw.
Clearing the Cloud Peak Mountains got reputation up to 20 and picking up the charisma tome there allowed the best prices from shops - after buying a number of scrolls I used the red potion to ensure learning those.
At Durlag's Tower skull traps and magic missiles made short work of the battle horrors, while I again remembered protection from petrification against the basilisks . The rush of XP there took me to level 8
before minor spell deflection allowed me to recover the wisdom tome.
At the Lighthouse a stinking cloud and malison allowed some skull traps to be thrown at the first group of sirines. The final survivor there outlasted the stinking cloud, but had been overcome by an excess of emotion and just waited for her inevitable death.
In Sil's group one of the sirines managed to cast improved invisibility and I used a Necklace blast to top up my 2 skull traps to ensure she caused no trouble. The hold and charm traps in the cave failed to get past minor spell deflection
as the golems were shot down with some bullets of fire bought at High Hedge.
Further north another group of sirines also died without taking any action. After clearing a gathering of ogres, giving Mad Arcand his ring back got me to level 9.
Interestingly, my 42 HPs at this stage are exactly the average expected from standard hit dice - I've never had a character with their full complement of hit dice receive less than the average while using the current version of EE, so (touch wood) I will be monitoring my final level in Jon's dungeon with interest to see if I break that record.
Journey of an Honorable (Dread) Necromancer Malakai, CN, Half-Elf, Cleric/Mage
Part 1 From the FAI, following the request of Jaheira and Khalid, the group heads south quickly to get informations about the mines troubles as soon as possible.
In Beregost after a long forced march, they need a night's rest but while roaming in the streets looking for an inn they meet a young and sexy girl named Neera. Unfortunately some Red Wizards are chasing her. Malakai is not indifferent to her charm and saves from their clutches.
The girl is too hot to be left alone after saving her life, so she happily joins Malakai's party. There's no more space for the annoying couple from FAI.
Nashkel, finally. The Major of the small town explains his concerns about the situation in the mines. Seems like a difficult challenge but Malakai accept it.
"To mines! No fear!" says Malakai...but on the way a group of bandits led by Dorotea Senjak ambush the adventurers. The intervention of an half-orc, yes the one previously met at FAI save the day. Luckily there's still an empty spot in my group and I need his brute force, so Dorn is the last member of the fellowship. Back to Nashkel and north again. We need more experience to face the evil in the mines. A nice green armor in the corn
While heading north to Beregost and FAI Imoen and Neera meet an unfriendly Vampiric Wolf...they start running faster than the wind and luckily they succeed in their escape from the deadly beast
Imoen shows some skills with her shortbow knocking down a ghast
Next goal is freeing a mage's apprentice from his chicken form...unfortunately for the powerful wizard Thalantyr, his young student doesn't survive the polymorph process.
Bassilus had no chance of survival when Malakai hit him with a Doom followed by Viconya's Command and Dorn's poison. One by one Malakai and his party complete all missions along the main road from FAI to Nashkel gaining some experience. But now it's time to visit a dangerous stronghold infested by gnolls and xvarts. Welcoming committee at the gnoll fortress
Another hottie rescued saved from a painful death...but I already have my personal geisha so Dynaheir must find her own the way home.
Next step is gaining more experience creating the western part of the map.
Malakai just gained his 4th level and is now 2/2. 4th level Advanced learning allows him to learn 1 new spell among the ones he can cast. so it's a 1st level spell. The choice is not simple and I'm open to suggestions. Malakai will buy the proper scroll at Thalantyr's tower.
Lirilis travelled to Durlag's Tower. She first cleared the upper levels, followed by the first level of the dungeon itself. Nothing noteworthy here, the fight against the dwarven warders went fairly well, this time with no deaths in my party, as I managed to lure the thief away from his companions and kill him with detect invisibility. Another warder followed him and died as well, so I only had to focus down the mage, and later the warrior:
I didn't take any screenshots in the second level. Overall, I encountered no trouble with higher doppelgangers or dwarven doomguards, though I had to rest once. For level 3, I took the wyvern path first. Protection from undead scrolls helped with the middle path, and the southern path was also cleared with Khalid and Imoen scouting ahead. The elemental rooms were no problem - while Khalid did get stunned in the frost room, he was immune to cold damage thanks to a scroll and a potion:
For the chessboard, everyone drank a potion of absorptions and threw a fireball at the board, resulting in the game being almost over already:
The fourth level was relatively easy once again, with Khalid's ring of free action protecting us from any possible major harm. To fight the demon knight, I used some potions to improved my damage (heroism and fire giant strength, mostly). After starting combat, Khalid's buffs were dispelled (including his protection from fire), though when the demon used his fireball, the fighter's magic resistance kicked in:
While the demon knight died a few seconds later, he also managed to inform me that free action doesn't protect against stun in BG:EE.
Now, for Ulgoth's Beard: Upon entering the area, Imoen and Lirilis drank invisibilty potions to avoid cult assassins, while the four fighter-type characters fought the battle, killed the second cult group, rested and defeated the final group of cultists.
Aec'Letec didn't really stand a chance against a fully buffed party with all kinds of damage-improving potions and potions of magic shielding for defense. I first killed the cultists, then him:
Now, I followed Sarevok through the maze. The Iron Throne party was dealt with via protection from fire + mass fireballs:
Sarevok himself was lured to the entrance of the temple, but Semaj followed. I took a couple of shots at Sarevok before focusing and killing Semaj, and by this time, Khalid already had brought Sarevok to near death:
However, my run sadly ended early in SoD:
I was playing SoD completely blind - but I soon learned that this is propably where the insane difficulty changes are kicking in. I cleared the opening dungeon after a couple of tough icewind dale-style battles, but I didn't find the cobalt moss, so I went through the entire area again, trying to find it - what I found instead was the secret room you can open via the torch. My heavily wounded party walked into the seemingly empty room, a horde of undead teleported right upon us, and an almost hopeless battle started that I might have actually turned around, but at a crucial moment Lirilis rolled a 1 on her saving throw against stinking cloud (when only a 1 would have failed, of course).
I'll continue playing SoD as a non no-reload game to explore the new expansion, so I'll be gone from this thread for a while. Good luck to everyone!
@Fregasega If you use this icon you don't need to save your images elsewhere. It's fine if you want to though.
@Enuhal Sorry to hear that your run has ended too.
Journal of Spugnor
Last update. I thought that the lich was dead having put the phalactery in the flames, but he then arrived and a spell from it brought this run to a premature end.
You can also drag the file to the comment window and it will insert the picture at the cursor. Remember to convert your .bmp's to .jpg's so you don't overburden those reading from phones or slow connections.
Icewind Gate 2: Frisk, Asriel, and Chara in BG2 (first post here)
I started a new no-reload run today, but I will continue posting this one.
Returning to the Temple District, we check out the sewers and find that the Unseeing Eye quest is still not activated.
Frisk was inexplicably unable to speak with High Watcher Oisig even though he was perfectly willing to talk to Asriel and Chara. This means we can't start the quest and open the way forward.
Instead, we bash in the nearby rakshasa's head with the Flail of Ages and obliterate Draug Fea and the Sewer Dwellers, using brute force to take down the fighters and clerics and chain-casting Holy Word to shut down Gaius. Unfortunately, Chara's White Half-Dragon form ice-chunks Gaius and costs us a scroll or two.
I think we can handle the Yuan-ti Mages upstairs, but I know better than to risk getting hit with a Remove Magic spell. We send out our summons to soften up the Yuan-ti first. The Yuan-ti chop them up in short order.
With IWD2's more powerful Non-Detection spell, we can maintain our invisibility despite the enemy's Oracle spells. Asriel takes the opportunity to cast Recitation, which will bypass the enemy's MGOI spells, and Chara's Static Charges start triggering.
When we break invisibility, a hostile Efreeti punishes us with an instant-cast Fireball, forcing us to retreat. But Frisk can't outrun Breach, and they have to spend a round restoring their invisibility.
Chara's White Half-Dragon sword can break through the enemy's Mantles, but Asriel isn't so well-equipped for this fight. Like Frisk, he is completely vulnerable to Breach.
He really needed that Chaotic Commands buff.
Chara gets confused as well, and Asriel nearly kills himself trying to slay the enemy Efreeti: without his cleric buffs, he needs more hits to take down the Efreeti, and each one earns him a Fire Shield backlash.
I still haven't corrected their low HP yet.
Frisk restores their buffs and starts summoning a Skeleton Warrior while the Yuan-ti struggle to kill our crippled front liners.
Summoning that Skeleton Warrior cost Frisk their invisibility, but when a Yuan-ti Mage teleports over, they can vanish in an instant thanks to the Robe of Vecna. Static Charge comes around again and slays a mage. Neither magic resistance nor spell protections can block Static Charge, though Mirror Image can.
Finally, one of the mages finishes off Asriel.
But Chara recovers and goes on the offensive. Without Mirror Image, the Yuan-ti are helpless.
And Mekrath? He buffs with Protection from Magical Weapons, the worst option to use against Chara's Will o' Wisp form.
We send Haer'dalis on his way. As powerful as IWD2 bards can be, I'm not interested in doing any more modding to make him fit in with the group.
Since we can't activate the Unseeing Eye quest normally, I just use the console to enter the first area. Downstairs, I try the "invisible bug zapper" trick from IWD2, in which you cast Call Lightning or Static Charge, turn invisible, and then basically just stand around while the enemy gets electrocuted.
I'm too impatient to actually kill the enemy with this trick; I just wanted to see if it worked.
We have more Beholders to deal with later on, and I want to fight them fairly--or at least, without using the invisible bug zapper trick. I try setting up a wall of summons, only to see the Beholders hit Chara with an Anti-Magic Ray when they're trying to fire off a Chain Lightning spell.
Anti-Magic Ray or no, Chara can tank Beholders just fine in Will o' Wisp form. Chara's low save vs. death, courtesy of the Skin of the Ghoul, will block Death Ray outright, and their 100 magic resistance will block everything else the Beholders might shoot at them.
The fight is painfully slow due to Chara's lousy damage output, so I send in a fully-buffed Asriel with the Shield of Balduran and have Frisk blast everyone with an instant-cast Cone of Cold. Asriel is immune thanks to his buffs and Chara is immune thanks to their shapeshifting, but the Beholders have no such defenses.
An Anti-Magic Ray forces Frisk to flee, and the Beholders snatch away Asriel's Shield of Balduran when they realize what's going on.
Asriel really needed that shield.
I let Chara handle the rest on their own; no need to endanger Frisk. The Efreeti Bottle speeds things up a little.
We raise Asriel, pick up his lost equipment, and then realize the Shield of Balduran is nowhere in sight.
It seems the Beholder stole it just after Asriel bounced a Flesh to Stone spell back at it. The Beholder must have gotten petrified and the shield chunked. So, no more Shield of Balduran, ever. That kinda sucks.
It's not that important; we can handle the Unseeing Eye with a blitzkrieg attack. The Rift Device only leaves the Beholder with maybe 40 HP.
I don't know how dangerous Death Tyrants are, but I assume they use a lot of Death Rays. Asriel hides and lets Chara and the Skeleton Warrios handle the rest.
On the way back to the temple of Amaunator, we try to take down the group of Beholders we attacked but failed to kill the last time around. We unload a bunch of charges from the Wand of Cloudkill and have Chara tank the Beholders, but then the Shadow Fiends rush in and force Chara back. Asriel tries to stop them with a Holy Word, but only disables Chara, granting the Shadow Fiends automatic hits. Frisk tries to rescue Chara with a Resilient Sphere spell, but I didn't fully replicate the IWD2 version, which means Chara gets a saving throw.
Frisk gets too close to the Beholders and loses all of their buffs to an Anti-Magic Ray. The Shadow Fiends chew up Chara.
SCS Anti-Magic Rays in my install block level 1-9 spells, but a Shadow Fiend's paralyzing touch strikes as a level 0 spell. Frisk has no defense against that attack, and Asriel couldn't cure the effect because the Anti-Magic Ray would block his Remove Paralysis spell. Plus, although Asriel is supposed to be a cleric, I never gave him a Turn Undead spell.
We have to flee. But in the process, we trigger a Prismatic Spray trap. I forgot to trigger it last time; I teleported past it with CTRL-J.
Frisk manages to outrun the spell, which otherwise might have gotten past the Anti-Magic Ray's spell level immunities (I don't know if the trap actually casts a true duplicate of Prismatic Spray).
I resurrect Chara, put the party back together, and CTRL-J to the temple to replicate sneaking past the Beholders and Shadow Fiends.
But entering the temple just after speaking with the head Diseased One soft-locked the game.
I have to play through everything all over again.
But I'm lazy, so I just add in a custom weapon with the console.
It's just more efficient this way.
This time around, I trigger the Prismatic Spray trap properly... and bring back Asriel with a scroll when I forget to buff him with Protection from Petrification.
We finish the quest normally. I'm not sure whether I'll use the Shield of Balduran again, since I had to re-do the section where it got turned to stone. I don't have to make that decision now; it'll be a while before we fight any more Beholders.
Despite all of our hard work, Oisig still refuses to speak with Frisk, and won't work with Asriel or Chara.
We can't even start the illithium questline. I add in the Periapt of Life Protection via the console to replicate completeing it, but I don't know how much XP I lost because of the bug with Oisig.
I decide to just forget about the missing XP. Time to stop by the Planar Prison and nab those Boots of Speed.
Morrigan II finished the Bandit Camp. Really fun, actually. Waited for the cover of the night, then picked bandits one by one (more or less). The tent was really easy, surprisingly. Poisoned backstab with dagger of venom did the mage in, then run out, hide, potion of explosion plus arrows with assassin poison killed the rest. And then... Turns out the chest with the letters is trapped with lightning bolt. I was stunned for several seconds trying to process it :-D
Oh, well, next update when Morrigan III finishes the camp.
I sneaked through the Nashkel Mine and used stinking cloud to disable Mulahey - with skull traps pre-set in case he summoned assistance. After 3 attempts to take a screenshot caused the game to freeze the computer I gave up on attempting to record Mulahey's 4th demise and waited for the cloud to evaporate.
Outside the mine 3 of the amazons were blinded, but all of them died in a couple of skull traps anyway.
In Nashkel Nimbul was webbed and gave me his find familiar scroll. Tranzig was also webbed on the way to the Bandit Camp. A blinded Taurgosz died in a cloudkill there and the same combination soon sorted out Raemon and his cronies.
After skipping through the Cloakwood, Drasus & co were the latest to find themselves stuck
and Davaeorn had no more of an answer to cloudkill.
In the City I picked up the tomes, watching with amusement as Marek failed to see any target for his spells as a result of improved invisibility.
Moving on to Candlekeep there were more tomes on offer, using minor globe for protection. Back in the City haste was used for the first time to allow plenty of time to try out a wand of paralysation on Slythe.
At the palace some summoned monsters were hasted before Belt was buffed with spirit armour and then improved invisibility. That allowed him to survive until chaos had disabled all the dopplegangers - they were soon finished off and Belt led into a back room before talking.
After fighting through the maze I activated Sarevok and waited for Semaj to teleport out. He saved against half a dozen paralysation attempts before teleporting away. Rather than go after him and risking Angelo and Tazok coming out I just set out some summons to draw Sarevok into the fight - and he was eventually buried under their bodies.
Mage L9, 48 HPs (incl. 6 from familiar), 235 kills
I've decided to give SCS a rest and have installed multiple tweak mods instead: Might and Guile, Divine Remix, and Spell Revisions. Item Revisions will be added in BG2.
Around 7 restarts later... Malc, Human Corsair. Stats of 18/18/18/10/10/10. For those unfamiliar with Might and Guile, Corsair is a Fighter kit that cannot wear anything heavier than Studded Leather, but gains +1 AC every 6 levels, +1 save vs Breath every 5, and the ability to "Swashbuckle," which for 5 rounds or so gives another +1 AC for every 2 levels, to a maximum of 10 at level 20. Corsairs also cannot become proficient in "Heavy" weapons, which are the 2H weapons for the most part, and are limited to 2 pips in ranged weapons. In all honestly, a vanilla Fighter is probably better until very late game.
Oh, there MIGHT be a damage boost somewhere, but it's not in the kit description. I was hitting one point higher than I calculatedmy maximum should be, and I can't account for that extra point. Anyhow.
Standard start for my vanilla games, Shoal to Beregost to Nashkel to Basilisks for a quick 5 levels. The Amulet of Missiles was used for Kirin's party. Back to Nashkel, killed Greywolf after unsuccessfully trying to melee him, and decided to clear the Friendly Arm Inn to Ulgoth's Beard area first to get the Greenstone amulet and finish the Sirines and Flesh Golems as well. All this achieved level 7.
Mulahey didn't attack after his speech since I broke line of sight, and fought all the skeletons and kobolds first. In Vanilla, his first three spells are Hold Person which is rather irrelevant after a potion of freedom. Amazons are taken out with the Amulet of Missiles, and Nimbul doesn't do well in melee, nor does Tranzig. I think I used a Potion of Magic Blocking on Tranzig just to be safe, though.
Bandit camp was infiltrated and Venkt attacked and murdered:
And the physical combat afterwards is simple.
Melium donates both his bracers and my final level with a juicy 9/10 roll:
Malc still fights most opponents, though, and we clear Spider Wood for Spider's Bane. Drasus is killed for his boots, and we have the first near-death accounts against Hareishan. Things to note, 1: the Shield Amulet did NOT protect against the trapped Magic Missiles, and 2: the potion of Explosion radius is MUCH larger than in the EEs for whatever reason. Malc managed to heal invisibly.
Davaeorn is a trivial matter after the Protection from Magic scroll.
In Baldur's Gate, Malc lures the Ogre Mage out of the sewers and kill him aboveground, and the Seven Suns is put to right rather quickly. Ramazith's tower is raided for the Tome of Intelligence, though Malc almost died again to Ghasts and another potion of Invisibility was quaffed.
Malc pops up to the top of the Iron Throne building, and flees instantly down two flights of stairs. Only the Doppelganger follows, and is summarily executed. At Candlekeep, the STR tome is obtained and Pratt's party is fought. A Potion of Magic Protection guarantees safety vs the Darts of Stunning, and the 24 STR Potion is still in effect.
Malc defeats the Doppelgangers easily in the palace, 3 of them even fleeing to different floors after their morale broke. I'll have to explore the basement with another character sometime, I never knew it existed! He then dragged Belt to the bottom right so that Belt had no chance to engage Sarevok. Both dukes survived.
I avoided the Undercity party by traveling south before heading west, and Malc begins to engage Sarevok. An Arrow of Dispelling takes out his speed, and another scroll of Protection from Magic essentially seals the deal. It takes awhile, and I tried meleeing Sarevok and STILL lost with -13 AC, but a swap back to the shortbow ends Sarevok's life.
Aldain, Human Conjurer, BG2EE Update 2 Previous update found here Next update found here
Per our previous plans, the party embarks to deal with the Circus first. Of course, as we have a full party with True Sight available, this is no trouble at all. We swipe the somewhat insignificant treasure, and proceed to deal with the slightly more challenging task of clearing the slavers out of the slums.
Surprisingly, this too goes smoothly. The sewers are no trouble (I typically Fireball/Cloudkill the Hobgoblins, simply because their Shamans and Captains are so annoying), amounting to nothing more than a few cuts and bruises, and we pick up Lilarcor for Minsc. A full complement of buffs and rapidly destroying the unarmored Priest accompanying Captain Haegan ensured the latters party were all but helpless. I was somewhat worried about the two mages in here, but as Aldain can now summon the 7 HD version of Skeleton Warriors, I needn't have been: A single such skeleton, accompanied by a few lower HD ones courtesy of Anomen, took care of the mages without the party needing to get involved (I Cloudkilled the accompanying guards as my first move though).
Now! Technically we CAN go after Imoen at this point, as we just about reached 15000 gold after the slavers. However, it would be supremely unwise: Our party is very low level, ill equipped, and even if we somehow managed to muddle through everything from Brynnlaw to the Underdark, we'd be dead broke the entire time and thus not able to buy any of the lovely stuff you can find in the drow city. It seems advisable to gather some more experience and above all, money before we set out.
I thought about this a bit, and figured the de'Arnise keep must be one of the safer "major" subquests to do. Windspear Hills ends with having to fight a high-level mage (Conster) which is bad news. We haven't the levels to take on Improved Shadelord safely. Trademeet? Possibly, but I'm certain SCS Faldorn will completely destroy Cernd or for that matter Jaheira in a duel. The Planar Sphere is just laughable, unless you enjoy getting ADHW dumped on you in perpetuity. Alright, to the keep!
As is customary, we are of course ambushed en route. This time though, we are invisible, and so position properly (and remove the invisibility from the enemy thieves) before crushing the enemy mercilessly. This is for Yoshimo, you bastards!
Arriving at the keep, we rest up and head inside. I wasn't sure what we'd be facing, but the first group was surprisingly simple: Bog standard trolls, easily dispatched (especially when fighting in a doorway so you only need to manage the attacks of 2 of them at a time).
We clear the first floor of the keep in like fashion, head outside and take care of the Otyugh. Naturally, as things are going well, it is a given they are about to go horribly bad. Moving up towards the parapet to open the gates for some much needed guard assistance, stealthed Minsc spots another group of (seemingly) nothing but regular trolls. He falls back and puts on some proper armor, and the entire group moves to engage.
This was a mistake. Of course the group contains two Spirit Trolls. These Spirit Trolls immediately cast Flame Strike and Unholy Blight on poor Mazzy, who thankfully makes her save and so is only reduced to half HP. For whatever odd reason, at this point I didn't start buffing like a madman or contemplate escape, but instead just figured: Alright, that hurt, but I can kill them pretty quick. Aldain tosses out a charge of his Wand of Monster Summoning for some quick fodder, too. I failed to account for the fact that Spirit Trolls can cast Greater Command... which they do. Everyone but Minsc (!) and Jan fails their saves. Can Minsc and Jan handle 6 trolls of various sorts on their own? No. No, of course they cannot. The trolls promptly kill off poor Mazzy, as she happened to be at the front when the Greater Command hit.
OK, what can we do? Jan has garbage for scrolls, certainly nothing that will turn him and a Minsc who is rapidly approaching 0 HP into legendary trollslayers. We can't just bugg out either, because surprise surprise, Aldain is unconscious. It's starting to look like our run might be ended before it even began. But looking over Jan's memorized spells, I realize: He's got Invisibility 10' Radius memorized! Jan, save us!
Hooray, hooray, hooray! Note that Jan turned the trolls invisible too.. in my install, Invis 10' affects everyone, apparently. I'm not complaining though! And amazingly enough, Spirit Trolls can't see through Invisibility. Minsc picks up Mazzy's gear using quickloot, we wait for the Greater Command to wear off, and bugg out! A Raise Dead by Anomen and some healing later, we apply proper buffs and, shielded by a few Skeleton Warriors, fare much better this time around.
We proceed upstairs. The Yuan-Ti mage is dealt with by having summons soak his dangerous spells (honestly, is there any SCS mage that doesn't memorize Chaos/Sunfire/Cone of Cold? If so, I haven't seen one) followed by application of brute force. Now, the golem room. My plan here was to just steal the longbow and the axe, leaving the flail head for later, as I wasn't at all keen on taking on an Iron Golem with my motley band of misfits. However, my memory failed me: For some bizarre reason, the Iron Golem is actually guarding the longbow (by far the least important treasure in there). So, we had little choice but to try and kill it. Which worked out rather well! Jan tanked with Stoneskin and Mirror Image, and he only got poisoned by the intermittent gas clouds once. We picked up the axe first thing, so Mazzy and Minsc both had weapons that could hurt it. It took a while, but down it went.
Again though, as something went well, something must go bad to even things up. Grabbing the flail head, a Stone and Flesh Golem activate. The Flesh Golem goes straight for Jan, who apparently only had one Stoneskin remaining, because it drops instantly. Jan runs off, but is slowed by the Stone Golem and well.. yeah, I can't save him and he drops. Freaking glad he wasn't chunked though. So for a second time we run out, rest to memorize Raise Dead and heal back up.
On to the cellars! The trolls before the Umberhulks are pushovers, being only two regular trolls and one spectral. Not feeling like squandering our resources on pure melee mobs, we lead the Umberhulks away using some stew and shut the door behind them. Ugh. Time for Torgal. Or Tor'Gal, whatever your name is, I don't care. I don't like you! We've prepared as well as we can, though in retrospect I really should have gone for more damage spells, and prepared a double Magic Missile sequencer on Aldain for good measure. Another interesting bug surfaced here, but it worked in our favour: Jaheira got two fire elementals instead of one from her single casting! I guess the spell decided we should get the 12 HD version (note one is bigger than the other), but summoned the 8 HD one too while at it. This will be exceedingly important in the fight to come.
Aldain summons 3x 7 HD Skeleton Warriors to further bolster our forces. Standard buffs (PfE10', Bless, Chant, Defensive Harmony, Remove Fear, Haste) are applied, and Minsc/Mazzy even receive Improved Invisibility as well as Protection from Fire. I had some kind of tactic in mind where they'd hold at the doorway while Aldain dropped 2x Fireballs into the midst of the troll pack. Of course, no battle plan survives contact with the enemy, as we shall soon see. Mazzy opens the door and sprints forward to draw out Torgal. The game is afoot.
SCS Torgal doesn't just have a couple giant trolls as bodyguards. He also gets an Umber Hulk Elder (basically beefier Umber Hulk), and (as if this fight isn't bad enough with a regenerating boss troll that hits like a truck and has magic resistance) two Yuan-Ti mages. We succeed in holding the doorway for all of two rounds, then Mazzy and Minsc are forced to retreat in the face of Torgal's absurd damage potential. He actually gets Barbarian Rage! And insta-casts Cloak of Fear every 5 rounds or so, sigh. However, our Fire Elementals step up to the plate: We distract Torgal with a Skeleton Warrior, while the Elementals and our other two skeletons go after the Yuan-Ti. Somewhere in the chaos, Jaheira gets off her one and only Insect Plague, and here it seems yet another bug helps us: It actually affects both Yuan-Ti mages, even though their Fire Shield: Red should've absorbed the insects. The two Giant Trolls are quickly subdued (helped by Aldain tossing his two Fireballs into the mix, as our Fire Elementals holding the line are obviously immune to the damage, and I don't really care about the skeletons at this point), and the Umber Hulk Elder panics from the insects and is quickly taken down.
But Torgal... bloody Torgal. Our fighters can't get close to him, because if they do, he shreds them. They may as well be wearing paper armour for all the good it's doing. The Skeleton Warrior occupying him is taking a serious beating, so I send the remaining two to at least help distract the bloody troll for a few more rounds. Meanwhile though, the Yuan-Ti Mages have succeeded in killing our 8 HD Fire Elemental, but the 12 HD one is going to town! He kills one mage with a hefty 33 damage hit:
That Blindness Aldain is casting? To my great surprise, it actually sticks. Not surprising at all, however, is that it doesn't really matter, as Torgal happily continues smashing my frontliners to bits despite -4 THAC0. Sigh. Not pictured: Our 12 HD Fire Elemental, the Elemental of the hour indeed, also kills off the second Yuan-Ti Mage and moves to join the assault on Torgal, the latter now only having a few Skeleton Warriors left as backup (the Yuan-Ti Mages got a few Animate Dead off before dropping).
Of course, Torgal being Torgal, it doesn't matter that he's got no cronies worth mentioning left. We just can't kill him. If any fighter gets close enough to attack him, they are in turn attacked and rapidly strength drained/beaten to within an inch of their lives, while Torgal happily regenerates what little damage we managed to deal in the process. Healing potions are running low. Our memorized Magic Missiles are all but gone. No Flame Arrows to be found. Digging deep in our scroll cases, I start to consider a tactical retreat, but opt for the "everything and the kitchen sink" strategy instead. Aldain finds a Chromatic Orb scroll, and expecting naught but failure, casts it at the mean ol' troll.
Aha! Aaaahahahahahaha! I love it! I absolutely love it! Torgal fails his save with a +6 bonus and is petrified! I didn't even think he could be petrified! It was truly in the nick of time, but such holds for all epic victories!
We happily collect the treasure in Torgal's room (nothing more than gold, some gems and a Feeblemind scroll), and head back outside. Nalia is informed of her father's death and left to her fate. We rest up, heal tremendous amounts of damage, and sneak back to the Copper Coronet under Invisibility 10' Radius (no ambushes this time around).
We came decidedly close to disaster several times there, but pulled through due to some quick thinking and, in the end, luck. We would've been alright if we couldn't kill Torgal though: I'd just have let the Fire Elemental distract him a few seconds while the party ran in the other direction. And it wasn't all for naught, either: We got the Ring of Earth Control, Flail of Ages +3 (though Anomen doesn't have the proficiencies to use it properly yet) and best of all, Frostreaver +3 for Mazzy. That axe will serve her very well throughout all of SoA. In addition, we got a hefty amount of gold, and of course experience. Having sold everything we didn't need, we now have just shy of 30k gold.
The party is currently pondering what their next move should be while enjoying the very cheapest ale available at the Copper Coronet. Aldain is now a Level 11 Human Conjurer, and as such only gets 1 measly HP per level (boo!).
Not sure what happened - but Naxel's main save is gone. Thus, cannot continue. I do have a starting save so can restart. But now am in mood for solo, so just rolled up a half-orc fighter/thief named OrcThief - he's made his way out of Candlekeep, booted Imoen, and took out Montaron and Xzar.
@Corey_Russell that's horrible. I had that happen to me several times because I removed my install and made a new one and stuff like that.
I have stable installs, so nothing like that happened to me. I'm guessing I accidentally pressed DELETE instead of SAVE. Normally that wouldn't be the end of the world, but I had recently started a run with Dogdancing, which meant no auto-save or quick-save, and with Naxel only have one main save...
@Corey_Russell that's horrible. I had that happen to me several times because I removed my install and made a new one and stuff like that.
I have stable installs, so nothing like that happened to me. I'm guessing I accidentally pressed DELETE instead of SAVE. Normally that wouldn't be the end of the world, but I had recently started a run with Dogdancing, which meant no auto-save or quick-save, and with Naxel only have one main save...
Arriving in the dungeon I immediately levelled up - getting 5 HPs there and sneaking 1/2 HP above average to maintain my record of never dipping below average in EE. I then used EEkeeper to remove the 6 HPs from the familiar summoned in BGEE and replaced them with 12 HPs for a newly summoned familiar.
The dungeon was quickly sorted out and the circus and Copper Coronet followed in my normal routine. I typically do the Docks quests after that, but this time went to clear the Graveyard first. That meant I achieved level 12 before skeletons produced out of sight sorted out Prebek and Rayic Gethras
and by the time I finished off Mae'Var I was up to level 13.
The top floor of Watcher's Keep yielded a bit of loot - there were no vampiric wraiths there, though with spell immunity I should have been able to handle those anyway.
Back in Athkatla the kidnappers were punished in the Bridge District before solving the skinner murders (level 14). Sir Sarles got some genuine illithium and the Lathander Temple got their ring back before the Paladins completed their fall mainly to run and shoot tactics (I've not got around to dealing with the Cowled Wizards yet).
Summons and area damage saw the end of Mencar's and Captain Dennis' groups before I returned to the Copper Coronet and dived into the sewers there. Captain Haegan and his guards were pulled back into the sewers for disposal
before the mages died to cloudkills.
With work in the City starting to run short I went to the Temple sewers. The normal sort of area damage attack saw the end of Tarnor's gang and took me to level 15 (that allows me to use DUHM to open Kangaxx's tomb without using spells outside).
However, before turning to lich-hunting I decided to deal with the rakshasa left in the middle of the sewers. He was almost dead, when this happened.
I've seen that bug a number of times now - where nothing is attacking, but the portrait suddenly disappears to be replaced by the game over screen. As it seems to be a relatively common bug and therefore not easy to avoid over a whole run I loaded the autosave rather than end the run there. Surprisingly (for me) I didn't let the need to redo work disturb me and got back to where I had been without problems.
Mekrath then died quickly - as did his umber hulk guards.
Next up I'll open up the lich in the sewers before going after the Ring of Gaxx.
Mage L15, 70 HPs (incl. 6 from familiar, 6 from ioun stone), 335 kills (+235 in BG1)
Congrats @Neverused! Nice single BG1 update. Now keep up the good work in Amn. And @Grond0 well done too! Good luck with Grond0's future adventures. @Aldain another thrilling update. Glad to see things work out.
Restartitis still has me strongly in its grip. I have made some progress in Durlag's Tower with Sigrid, my Dwarven Cleric of Lathander, but will only post if I get a bit further. I cannot continue with my Gnome Illusionist Segurd because I've been messing around a lot with one install and I deleted another. I've created a custom party of specialist wizards: Enchanter Charname, aided by Invoker, Illusionist, Conjurer, Transmuter, and Necromancer. But that run has come to a halt due to one character's permanent death.
It was hard to safely navigate a full party of level 1 wizards to some degree of survivability. I had them at the verge of level 4, with no deaths, when my Invoker fell for good in Mutamin's garden. We had eliminated all Basilisks except the two that stand next to Mutamin. We had also killed Mutamin himself after he found us. Then rested near the map exit at the west end of the area. Invoker was the one who knew PfPetrifcation and had that spell memorized five times thanks to the Ring of Wizardry. She was casting it at her companions one after the other, when suddenly the last two Basilisks appeared. I've never seen them come such a large distance. They hadn't even been pursuing us before. Anyway, unprotected Conjurer could save himself with a potion of mirrored eyes, but Invoker had a murky aura. She was petrified and right after that her statue was shattered by another gaze. I'm now unsure whether I want to continue this run. The six were in this together you know? Getting someone new in the party doesn't feel right so I need to decide if I want to continue with a party of five. I think that in a party with NPCs the impact might have even been bigger.
Instead of running a custom party I realized I could also use NPCs to create a party of wizards with different spell schools. BGEE is so nice to offer us a Necromancer, a Conjurer, an Enchanter, an Invoker, and a Cleric/Illusionist. And in my install, Khalid is a Fighter/Mage that I could EEKeeper into Fighter/Transmuter. I'm willing to be a bit more flexible and except multi class characters like Quayle, Khalid, and in BG2EE Jan. Also, I can EEKeeper Nalia, Aerie and Imoen into specialists in BG2EE, and I have Xan for BG2 (mod). So I decided to give this a go.
Our heroine is Elven Diviner Leora:
I'll roleplay Leora's alignment (but her companions may not always follow her moral compass ), and her personality conform the Complete Wizards Book:
"Diviners are perhaps the wisest of all wizards. Their investigations into the world around them and their perusal of events of the past and the future empower them with a base of knowledge and insight rivaled only by the most learned scholars. A diviner typically possesses a striking insight into the workings of men's minds; few are better judges of character than diviners. Diviners tend to be cautious and deliberate in their actions. Because their divinations have taught them that men are prone to hiding their true feelings and motivations, many diviners are suspicious and distrustful, sometimes to the point of cynicism. Those diviners who allow distrust and cynicism to overwhelm them tend to be of evil alignment. Those who accept man's ambiguous character as a part of the natural order tend to be of neutral alignment. Those who maintain faith in man's innate goodness tend to be of good alignment. Diviners are not predisposed to the adventuring life, and accept such a career only reluctantly. They are not natural combatants; in fact, wizards lacking in physical prowess are drawn to divination more than any other specialty. Still, diviners make valuable additions to adventuring parties; their judgement, cunning, and plain common sense are welcome commodities. A party must take care to provide protection for diviners since they usually lack any significant ability to defend themselves. Diviners are loners at heart and do not make close friends easily. They rarely raise large families. Diviners of good alignment generally harbor no ill feelings against other people, and will usually assist them when asked. Still, they prefer to live alone in remote areas where they can conduct their research and investigation undisturbed. Stone towers on cliff sides or atop high hills are ideal residences for diviners. Though they show little interest in material possessions, diviners earn money by charging for their services as seers, fortune-tellers, and finders of lost objects and persons."
Leora differs from the stereotypical Diviner in that she's very charismatic thanks to both her gorgeous looks and to her composure which lends some authority to her words.
I've installed BGEE Trilogy which should allow me to play BGEE, SoD, BG2EE, and ToB in one game.
Weidu log:
// Log of Currently Installed WeiDU Mods // The top of the file is the 'oldest' mod // ~TP2_File~ #language_number #component_number // [Subcomponent Name -> ] Component Name [ : Version] ~EET/EET.TP2~ #0 #0 // Initialise EET (first mod in install order): 1.0 RC7 ~EET_CORE.TP2~ #0 #0 // Core EET (game importation): 1.0 RC7 ~ASCENSION/SETUP-ASCENSION.TP2~ #0 #0 // Ascension v1.51 BETA (requires ToB): v1.5 BETA_20160601 ~ASCENSION/SETUP-ASCENSION.TP2~ #0 #1 // Tougher Abazigal (optional, requires ToB): v1.5 BETA_20160601 ~ASCENSION/SETUP-ASCENSION.TP2~ #0 #2 // Original Tougher Demogorgon (optional, requires ToB): v1.5 BETA_20160601 ~ASCENSION/SETUP-ASCENSION.TP2~ #0 #3 // Tougher Gromnir (optional, requires ToB): v1.5 BETA_20160601 ~ASCENSION/SETUP-ASCENSION.TP2~ #0 #4 // Tougher Illasera (optional, requires ToB): v1.5 BETA_20160601 ~ASCENSION/SETUP-ASCENSION.TP2~ #0 #5 // Tougher Yaga-Shura (optional, requires ToB): v1.5 BETA_20160601 ~ASCENSION/SETUP-ASCENSION.TP2~ #0 #101 // Ascension Portraits - Bodhi: v1.5 BETA_20160601 ~ASCENSION/SETUP-ASCENSION.TP2~ #0 #102 // Ascension Portraits - Original Balthazar by Cuv: v1.5 BETA_20160601 ~ASCENSION/SETUP-ASCENSION.TP2~ #0 #103 // Restored Bhaalspawn Powers by David Gaider: v1.5 BETA_20160601 ~ASCENSION/SETUP-ASCENSION.TP2~ #0 #104 // Extended Epilogues by shawne: v1.5 BETA_20160601 ~ASCENSION/SETUP-ASCENSION.TP2~ #0 #105 // Extended EE Epilogues by shawne: v1.5 BETA_20160601 ~ASCENSION/SETUP-ASCENSION.TP2~ #0 #999 // Remove Anyone Identifier in EA.ids: v1.5 BETA_20160601 ~WHEELS/SETUP-WHEELS.TP2~ #0 #0 // The Wheels of Prophecy: v6 ~RR/SETUP-RR.TP2~ #0 #0 // Proper dual-wielding implementation for Thieves and Bards: v4.90b1 ~RR/SETUP-RR.TP2~ #0 #3 // Proper racial adjustments for thieving skills: v4.90b1 ~RR/SETUP-RR.TP2~ #0 #4 // Bard kit revisions: v4.90b1 ~RR/SETUP-RR.TP2~ #0 #6 // Proper spell progression for Bards: v4.90b1 ~RR/SETUP-RR.TP2~ #0 #11 // Chosen of Cyric encounter: v4.90b1 ~RR/SETUP-RR.TP2~ #0 #12 // Shadow Thief Improvements: v4.90b1 ~RR/SETUP-RR.TP2~ #0 #999 // BG2-style icons for RR content: v4.90b1 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #1000 // Initialise mod (all other components require this): v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #1910 // Protection from Normal Missiles also blocks Arrows of Fire/Cold/Acid and similar projectiles without pluses: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #2010 // More consistent Breach spell (always affects liches and rakshasas; doesn't penetrate Spell Turning): v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #2020 // Antimagic attacks penetrate improved invisibility: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #2030 // Iron Skins behaves like Stoneskin (can be brought down by Breach): v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #2050 // Allow individual versions of Spell Immunity to be placed into Contingencies and Spell Triggers: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #2070 // Blade Barrier and Globe of Blades only affect hostile creatures: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #2120 // Slightly weaken insect plague spells, and let fire shields block them: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #2140 // Slightly increase the power of Mantle, Improved Mantle, and Absolute Immunity: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #2150 // Make spell sequencers, spell triggers, and contingencies learnable by all mages: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #2160 // Add an extra copy of some hard-to-find spell scrolls: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #2170 // True Sight/True Seeing spells protect from magical blindness: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #2180 // Prevent Simulacra and Projected Images from using magical items: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #3030 // Re-introduce potions of extra-healing: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #3100 // Make the healing and resurrection powers of the Rod of Resurrection into separate abilities: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #4000 // Faster Bears: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #4010 // Grant large, flying, non-solid or similar creatures protection from Web and Entangle: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #4020 // More realistic wolves and wild dogs: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #4030 // Improved shapeshifting: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #4140 // Allow Yeslick to use axes: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #4146 // Skip the Candlekeep tutorial sections -> Skip Candlekeep altogether (warning: breaks the 4th wall!): v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #4180 // Make Freedom scrolls available earlier: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #5000 // Ease-of-use party AI: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #5010 // Move Boo into Minsc's pack: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #5020 // Remove the blur graphic effect from the Cloak of Displacement: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #5030 // Remove animation from the Cloak of Mirroring (leave it for other spells and effects that use the same graphic): v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #5050 // Stackable ankheg shells, winterwolf pelts and wyvern heads: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #5060 // Ensure Shar-Teel doesn't die in the original challenge: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #5900 // Initialise AI components (required for all tactical and AI components): v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #6000 // Smarter general AI: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #6010 // Better calls for help: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #6023 // Add high-level abilities (HLAs) to spellcasters -> All eligible spellcasters in Throne of Bhaal get HLAs; only selected casters in Shadows of Amn do: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #6030 // Smarter Mages -> Mages cast some short-duration spells instantly at start of combat, to simulate pre-battle casting: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #6040 // Smarter Priests -> Priests cast some short-duration spells instantly at start of combat, to simulate pre-battle casting: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #6100 // Potions for NPCs -> All of the potions dropped by slain enemies are recoverable: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #6200 // Improved Spiders: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #6300 // Smarter sirines and dryads: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #6310 // Slightly harder carrion crawlers: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #6320 // Smarter basilisks: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #6500 // Improved golems: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #6511 // Improved fiends -> Fiends have normal hit points: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #6521 // Smarter genies -> Genies have normal hit points: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #6531 // Smarter celestials -> Celestials have normal hit points: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #6541 // Smarter dragons -> Dragons have normal hit points: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #6553 // Smarter beholders -> Don't give beholder rays any chance of burning through spell protections; beholder antimagic removes defences and prevents casting but does not block harmful spells (original game behaviour): v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #6570 // Smarter githyanki: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #6580 // Improved Vampires: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #6590 // Smarter Throne of Bhaal final villain: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #7000 // Improved doppelgangers: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #7010 // Tougher Black Talons and Iron Throne guards: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #7020 // Improved deployment for parties of assassins: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #7030 // Dark Side-based kobold upgrade: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #7040 // Relocated bounty hunters: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #7050 // Improved Ulcaster: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #7060 // Improved Balduran's Isle: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #7080 // Improved Demon Cultists: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #7090 // Improved Cloakwood Druids: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #7100 // Improved Bassilus: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #7110 // Improved Drasus party: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #7130 // Improved Red Wizards: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #7140 // Improved Undercity party: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #7200 // Tougher chapter-two end battle: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #7210 // Tougher chapter-three end battle: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #7220 // Tougher chapter-four end battle: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #7230 // Tougher chapter-five end battle: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #7250 // Improved final battle: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #7900 // Improved minor encounters: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #8010 // Improved Shade Lord: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #8020 // Spellcasting Demiliches: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #8040 // Increase difficulty of level-dependent monster groupings -> Mildly increased difficulty: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #8050 // Improved Random Encounters: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #8060 // Improved de'Arnise Keep ("Tactics Remix") -> Spirit trolls have the same powers as in the original game: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #8070 // Improved Unseeing Eye: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #8080 // Improved Bodhi (Tactics Remix) -> "Toned-down" version of the original Tactics Improved Bodhi, with SCSII scripting: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #8100 // Improved battle with Irenicus in Spellhold: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #8110 // Improved Sahuagin: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #8120 // Improved Beholder hive (adapted from Quest Pack): v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #8140 // Slightly Improved Drow -> Upgrade Ust Natha's defences: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #8150 // Slightly Improved Watcher's Keep: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #8160 // Improved Fire Giant temple: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #8170 // Enhanced Sendai's Enclave: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #8180 // Improved Abazigal's Lair: v30 ~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #8190 // Improved Minor Encounters: v30 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #50 // Avatar Morphing Script: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #60 // Weapon Animation Tweaks: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #100 // Commoners Use Drab Colors: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #110 // Icon Improvements: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #130 // Force All Dialogue to Pause Game: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #140 // Fix Boo's Squeak: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #160 // Make Magic Shields Glow (plainab/grogerson): Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #170 // Unique Icons: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #190 // Use Character Colors Instead of Item Colors -> For all shields and helmets: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #1010 // More Interjections: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #1020 // Alter HP Triggers for NPC Wounded Dialogues: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #1030 // Reveal Wilderness Areas Before Chapter Six: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #1036 // Make Cloakwood Areas Available Before Completing the Bandit Camp -> All of Cloakwood Except the Mines: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #1040 // Improved Athkatlan City Guard: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #1050 // Gradual Drow Item Disintegration: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #1080 // Add Bags of Holding: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #1090 // Exotic Item Pack: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #1120 // Stores Sell Higher Stacks of Items: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #1161 // Multiple Strongholds (Baldurdash) -> Keep Class Restrictions: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #1180 // Female Edwina: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #1220 // Allow Cromwell to Upgrade Watcher's Keep Items: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #1230 // Allow Cespenar to Use Cromwell Recipes: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2040 // Universal Clubs: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2060 // Weapon Styles for All: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2090 // Change Experience Point Cap -> Remove Experience Cap: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2140 // Expanded Dual-Class Options: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2150 // Wear Multiple Protection Items -> P&P Restrictions: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2160 // Alter Weapon Proficiency System -> Rebalanced Weapon Proficiencies: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2170 // Cast Spells from Scrolls (and Other Items) at Character Level: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2200 // Multi-Class Grandmastery (Weimer): Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2210 // Change Grandmastery Bonuses -> True Grandmastery (Baldurdash): Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2220 // Change Magically Created Weapons to Zero Weight: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2240 // Un-Nerfed THAC0 Table: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2250 // Un-Nerfed Sorcerer Spell Progression Table: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2261 // Alter Mage Spell Progression Table -> PnP Table: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2270 // Alter Bard Spell Progression Table -> Un-Nerfed Table (Blucher): Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2281 // Alter Cleric Spell Progression Table -> PnP Table: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2300 // Triple-Class HLA Tables: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2320 // Trap Cap Removal (Ardanis/GeN1e): Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2330 // Remove Delay for Magical Traps (Ardanis/GeN1e): Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2390 // Paladins Use Icewind Dale-Heart of Winter Spell Tables (grogerson): Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2400 // Rangers Use Icewind Dale-Heart of Winter Spell Tables (grogerson): Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2410 // Druids Use 3E Alignment Restrictions: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2440 // Everyone Gets Bonus APR from Specialization: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2999 // Max HP at Level One: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #3011 // Maximum HP for NPCs (the bigg) -> For Non-Party-Joinable NPCs Only: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #3050 // Remove fatigue from restoration spells: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #3070 // Change Effect of Reputation on Store Prices -> Low Reputation Store Discount (Sabre): Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #3083 // Increase Ammo Stack Size -> Stacks of 120: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #3093 // Increase Gem and Jewelry Stacking -> Stacks of 120: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #3103 // Increase Potion Stacking -> Stacks of 120: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #3113 // Increase Scroll Stacking -> Stacks of 120: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #3120 // Happy Patch (Party NPCs do not complain about reputation) -> NPCs Are Never Angry About Reputation: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #3125 // Neutral Characters Make Happy Comments at Mid-Range Reputation: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #3150 // Turn Off The Hideous Cloak-of-Mirroring, Spell-Trap, and Physical Mirror Animations: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #3183 // Romance Cheats: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #3205 // Stores Purchase All Item Types: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #3220 // Sensible Entrance Points: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #3230 // Taerom Makes Additional Ankheg Armor (Icendoan/grogerson): Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #3263 // Recoverable ammunition -> 100% chance to recover after a successful hit: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #3273 // Recoverable throwing weapons -> 100% chance to recover after a successful hit: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #4000 // Adjust Evil joinable NPC reaction rolls: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #4010 // Improved Fate Spirit Summoning: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #4020 // ToB-Style NPCs: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #4031 // Consistent Stats: Edwin -> Use BG2 Values: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #4041 // Consistent Stats: Jaheira -> Use BG2 Values: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #4050 // Change Jaheira to Neutral Good: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #4061 // Consistent Stats: Minsc -> Use BG2 Values: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #4071 // Consistent Stats: Viconia -> Use BG2 Values: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #4080 // Make Khalid a Fighter-Mage (Domi): Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #4100 // Change Korgan to Neutral Evil: Beta 5 ~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2291 // Alter Druid Spell and Level Progression Tables -> No Level Progression Changes, PnP Druid/Cleric Spell Table Only: Beta 5 ~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #100 // Restore innate infravision to Half-Orc characters: v4.50 ~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #101 // Prevent skeletal and incorporeal undead from being affected by Illithids' Devour Brain attack: v4.50 ~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #102 // Change Spiritual Hammer into a ranged force weapon: v4.50 ~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #103 // Allow Dispel/Remove Magic to take down Globes of Invulnerability: v4.50 ~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #104 // PnP Color Spray: v4.50 ~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #105 // PnP Dimension Door: v4.50 ~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #110 // Magical arrows and bolts deal bonus damage equal to their enchantment level: v4.50 ~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #115 // Allow Mages to scribe memorized spells onto scrolls -> Scrolls can be scribed everywhere: v4.50 ~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #120 // Restore innate disease immunity to Paladins: v4.50 ~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #125 // Rangers' Animal Empathy improves with experience: v4.50 ~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #130 // Additional racial traits for Dwarves: v4.50 ~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #140 // Additional racial traits for Gnomes: v4.50 ~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #153 // PnP Fiends -> Give aTweaks scripts to all fiends but do not alter statistics: v4.50 ~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #155 // Further Revised Fiend Summoning: v4.50 ~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #200 // Allow Breach to take down Stoneskin effects applied by items: v4.50 ~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #201 // Instant casting for warrior innates: v4.50 ~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #202 // Revised Bhaalpowers -> Enhance the Bhaalpowers and standardize their casting time: v4.50 ~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #218 // Regain Bhaalpowers in ToB: v4.50 ~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #211 // Make Death Ward protect against Vorpal Hits: v4.50 ~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #212 // Make alignment detection spells more accurate: v4.50 ~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #213 // Expanded saving throw bonus tables for Dwarves, Gnomes and Halflings: v4.50 ~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #270 // Unbiased quest rewards: v4.50 ~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #220 // Simple Thief script: v4.50 ~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #230 // Simple Bard script: v4.50 ~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #239 // Simple Cleric/Paladin script: v4.50 ~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #324 // Use Icewind Dale's Dimension Door animation -> Fast animation speed, shorter delay between animation start and creature appearance/disappearance: v4.50 ~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #301 // Change the appearance of Valygar's armor: v4.50 ~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #302 // Change the appearance of the Robe of Vecna: v4.50 ~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #310 // Distinctive creature coloring: v4.50 ~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #315 // Distinctive creature soundsets: v4.50 ~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #500 // Slightly expanded storage capacity for containers -> Use the recommended storage capacity value (999): v4.50 ~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #510 // Expanded temple services: v4.50 ~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #999 // BG2-style icons for aTweaks content: v4.50 ~EET_GUI.TP2~ #0 #0 // SoD GUI ~HAERDALISROMANCE/HAERDALISROMANCE.TP2~ #0 #0 // Haer'Dalis Romance (SoA & ToB): v2 ~RR/SETUP-RR.TP2~ #0 #5 // Bard High Level Ability revisions: v4.90b1 ~EET_TWEAKS/EET_TWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #0 // Teleport spell: 1.3 ~EET_TWEAKS/EET_TWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #6 // Adjust XP for Traps, Spells and Lockpicking: 1.3 ~EET_TWEAKS/EET_TWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #12 // More bandit scalps: 1.3 ~EET_TWEAKS/EET_TWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #13 // Put Sword of Chaos +2 in Sarevok's inventory: 1.3 ~EET_TWEAKS/EET_TWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #20 // Disable hostile reaction after charm: 1.3 ~EET_TWEAKS/EET_TWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #26 // Add Priest of Tempus kit for Priests: 1.3 ~EET_TWEAKS/EET_TWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #30 // PnP spell scroll caster levels: 1.3 ~XAN/SETUP-XAN.TP2~ #0 #0 // Xan NPC MOD for Baldur's Gate II: v15 ~XAN/SETUP-XAN.TP2~ #0 #1 // Install alternate class for Xan? -> Change Xan's class to Fighter/Mage: v15 ~EET_END.TP2~ #0 #0 // Finalise EET (last mod in install order)
I started the session by making sure access to all the liches was easy. Typically I would then use a scroll of PfU to kill those, but my reputation at this stage was only 19 and I decided I couldn't afford to spend any of my 133,000 gold without getting the best possible price . Hence I decided to have a go at the Unseeing Eye quest. While travelling back to the sewers for that I absent-mindedly cast invisibility in the open and got a warning from the Cowled Wizards - that could of course lead to trouble later on ...
Starting the Unseeing Eye quest, I was a bit taken aback to find a Wandering Horror where I was only expecting some spiders and got stunned by that. Luckily that stun doesn't last long and I saved against stun from 3 follow-up attacks before being able to move again. The beholders and gauth at the bridge were killed by area damage from out of range (acting under haste in order to run away before they could retaliate). Downstairs, a series of summons neutralised the lich before I moved into the beholder hive proper. With my skeleton warriors now up to their full strength the only significant weapon the beholders had against those was the odd death spell and I made quite quick progress. I did make a potentially fatal mistake though when I obviously didn't explore one cave sufficiently thoroughly with the skeleton warriors and, coming back to loot it, had to make a hurried first use of an invisibility potion to put off the waiting beholder. Finally through to the Unseeing Eye a single hit from a skeleton warrior after the use of the Rift Device was enough to put a lid on it for good.
I returned the Device before my poor memory could let me down and then went to get a bit more cash from Gaal and his guards. That helped my bank balance to peak at 176,000 gold. I then intended to go shopping, but unfortunately tried to cast friends just outside the Adventurer's Mart and attracted some Cowled Wizards. Despite being low on spells I decided to fight those and managed to wear their more obvious spells down at the cost of a potion of regeneration. With one of them dead following a PW:stun and 2 more falling to run and shoot tactics I came back to the last one, that had previously been ditched using an invisibility ring. I think his first lot of stoneskins had just run out when this happened.
I've been caught out by maze on numerous occasions in the past where it was my fault, but I had been carefully guarding against it this time and the wizard had never been remotely close to getting in touch range. However, as I've noted before on this thread 'shit happens' when it comes to maze. I think the way the EE treats area transitions is rather odd and possibly something like the whole of the circus tent being treated as a pinpoint allowed the mage to claim he was able to touch me. Of course if I had just killed all the Cowled Wizards immediately after emerging from the dungeon that risk would have been avoided, but where's the fun in that ...
Aldain, Human Conjurer, BG2EE Update 3 Previous update found here Next update found here
As we return to our party, a decision has been made on how to proceed. While 30000 is indeed a fine sum, I still feel we are a bit too low level. We need one more major quest under our belt!
But which one? After much trepidation, we settle on: The Unseeing Eye! Granted, there are horrible nasty not-very-nice Beholders to deal with, but our low level should mean we get very few of those spawning, if any, and their smaller cousins the Gauths are indeed annoying, but manageable. There's also a few nice pieces of loot: The Girdle of Fortitude will boost Mazzy's hitpoints by about 20% for 8 hours every day, and the Brawling Hands will improve Minsc's AC by 2. Sounds like a plan to me.
I am however concerned about potential Beholders. To be on the absolutely safe side, I make the decision to invest some of our very hard-earned gold, and purchase 2 Protection from Magic scrolls from Ribald for just shy of 5k. Expensive, but I reckon it'll be worth it; even if we do not need the scrolls for the Unseeing Eye, they'll certainly come in very handy during the Underdark. And I'd rather have them and not need them, than need them and not have them.
Before Beholders, however, we make a quick detour and smash Mencar & co for the Full Plate Mail (goes to Mazzy, dramatically improving her AC) and assorted goodies. Chaos, as is usually the case, wins the day.
Moving as always under Invisibility, we arrive without incident in the Temple district, and initiate the quest. We leave the more difficult parts of the sewers untouched. Mekrath's sanctum is not invaded, and we give Tarnor and his merry goons a wide berth (mainly due to the elven Mage he keeps around). We do clear the troll out for Roger, as well as the Rakshasa. The latter is supremely annoying, as all Rakshasas: Even though he only has 4th level spells, he still puts serious hurt on Mazzy before we can take him down. Still, brute force worked on him eventually. We swipe his lovely cloak, and continue further into the sewers.
The regular shadows blocking our path are no problem by now. The two Vampiric Mists prove much more of a nuisance; the first one dies rapidly, but the second one starts the usual tiresome charade of attack, turn invisible instantly, attack, turn invisible, etc... It manages to outlast our two PfNE spells and drains Mazzy of a level. As we are under no time constraint, I indulge in a rest, have Anomen Restore her, and rest again. We speak with Gaal, and move into the lower levels to retrieve half of the Rod.
We get some odd spawns down here. Upon entering, we are beset by 3 Huge Spiders. Yes, the ones worth 270 xp. Poor creatures. Then it's Gibberlings/Mutated Gibberlings, who are equally helpless. Then we get something to bite down on: Ghasts and Mummies. I had actually anticipated the latter, and so prepared some appropriate Fire spells, although the damage bonus isn't much to write home about.
Past the bridge, we finally run into some Gauths (thankfully no Beholders among them). Again, we are well-prepared! Minsc has Charm immunity due to Lilarcor, but Mazzy gets a Chaotic Commands applied. Both are then granted Protection from Lightning and Free Action. All the Gauths can do now is spam Cause Serious Wounds, which hurts, but we help our two frontliners with Holy Smite, and the Gauths fall in short order. Note that some Shadows and Shadow Fiends joined the fray, but the Free Action ensures they can't really do anything.
We talk to the Avatar, and head back upstairs, making sure to rest before heading into the Pit of the Faithless (we are low level after all, and there's no rush). Once down there, it turns out that Anomen can, with a bit of luck, explode both Ghasts and Shadow Fiends with his Turn Undead. I abuse this a little, having Anomen invisibly Turning until successful. We are able to tank 3 Mummies at a time without buffs or debuffs, thanks to Mazzy's recently improved AC. Once inside the undead "town", invisible Anomen once again explodes what he can, and terrifies what he can't, ensuring we only have to deal with a few undead at a time. Excellent, we've done very well at conserving our spells for the nastiness that lies ahead!
Alright, we've entered the Beholder lair proper. Jan is sent to scout out the entire thing. We have 1 Gauth defending the first cross section, the usual 6 Blind Priests in the center, 4 Gauths to the south of the priests, 1 Gauth defending the second piece of the Rod, and, much to my dismay, 2 Beholders divided between the two treasure troves to the north and south.
We just charge the first Gauth. It dies quickly without having accomplished much and more importantly, it doesn't call for help. I did however not come all the way here only to ignore treasure! The Beholders must die! Again, we prove cunning beyond measure, having prepared for what can only be described as an Alpha Strike. Jaheira has spent her single L6 spell slot on Harm. We position our entire (invisible... Jan memorizes 3x Invis 10' every rest, it's just such a useful spell!) party around the solitary Beholder at the northern treasure trove in case something goes wrong. Jaheira casts Harm, attacks, and... hits!
That was AWESOME! I am definitely using that again in the Underdark to cut down on the number of Beholders in a group! We steal everything, and move to engage the Blind Priests. A Greater Malison and attendant Chaos does them in easily, although we fail to kill all of them before Chaos wears off, and so take a little damage in the process.
To my great joy, one of the priests drops a Full Plate Mail, which Minsc promptly hogs. The 4 Gauths to the south are handled as we did the Gauths outside the old temple: Chaotic Commands, Free Action and Protection from Lightning. We need a single healing potion to tide Mazzy over, but otherwise do just fine. Aldain drops a Skull Trap before we engage to even the odds a little.
I was worried about the single Beholder remaining to the south (no more Harm available), but we did fine: 5 Skeleton Warriors killed it off while it didn't do anything in return, having failed its save against Chaos with a Greater Malison beforehand. Surprisingly, it never fired a single ray while confused... this will be helpful to keep in mind during the Underdark for sure. All 5 Skeleton Warriors still in good shape, we let them clear out the final Gauth defending the Rod. Now we need to think for a moment.
Apparently, SCS Unseeing Eye summons 2 Death Tyrants when you hit him with the Rod. Why, I've no freakin' idea, but them's the shakes. I've no wish whatsoever to tackle Death Tyrants, so I'll just send everyone except Anomen to the exit. Anomen will assemble the Rod, use it on the Unseeing Eye, then run back into the room and cast Sanctuary, sneaking out while our Skeleton Warriors finish the Eye off.
Well, you can guess what happened. Or maybe you can't, because I sure wasn't prepared for it. While the rest of the party waits invisibly by the exit, Anomen assembles the Rod. Attempting to leave, he is intercepted by the Eye, fires the Rod, runs back into the room and casts Sanctuary while our skeletons engage the Eye and actually kill it fairly rapidly. The Eye does have time to summon his Death Tyrants though. Then when Anomen tries to sneak out, the portly buggers are blocking his way, refusing to move!
I'll make a long story short. Sanctuary doesn't last long, so Anomen retreats back into the room while I try to think of what to do. I dig around in the ol' scroll case and find some Fireball scrolls (most of our own spells are gone by now). Alright! Jan can Fireball the Death Tyrants. This should make them chase after him, allowing Anomen to sneak off. Jan can then go invisible and the entire party can leave. Great!
Things do not go according to plan. Jan does fireball the Death Tyrants. However, being Death Tyrants, they apparently know where every party member is at any time, because while one of them starts inching towards Jan, the other one goes after Anomen, even though it has NO WAY of knowing he's in the back room. Sigh. Anomen has no Invisibility potions, no more Sanctuary. I try to move the invisible party in to attempt to nova the Death Tyrant down, but we just can't make it in time, and... Anomen is petrified.
I am mildly upset at this point. However, all is not lost. Jan has 2 Fireball scrolls left, and is leading the second Death Tyrant on a merry chase. He manages to stealth, which throws his pursuer off. Jan returns to the rest of the party, drops another Fireball on the Death Tyrant guarding the passage to Statue-Anomen, and the party throws everything it's got left at the bloody thing. We succeed! Much to my surprise, actually.
And since we have the Ring of Earth Control, we can remedy Anomen's condition immediately! Hooray, hooray, hooray!
We leave the second Death Tyrant to stew in the juice of his own failure, and head back to the Avatar with the Rod. Mazzy gets the lovely +3 shield, further boosting her AC. A rest and a lot of healing later, we tackle the last remnants of the Cult, Gaal being quite a lot less dangerous than I remembered him (the worst he did was Greater Command our Fire Elemental).
We hand in the quest for a massive 7000 gold and Ardulia's Fall, and promptly return to the Copper Coronet.
So, disaster almost struck again, but we beat the odds! Wonder how long we'll be able to do that... We picked up lots of nice items (Cloak of the Sewers, Girdle of Fortitude, Saving Grace +3, Brawling Hands) and now have 40000 gold, even after we spent 5000 on the scrolls we turned out not to really need. Aldain is still an L11 Human Conjurer, but inches ever closer to that critical 12th level. When he does hit it, our tactical options will expand substantially: We have many, many level 6 spell scrolls to scribe. More importantly for now, Anomen made level 11, and Jaheira made level 12. We can now marshal an Aerial Servant and 2 (!) Fire Elementals as needed, or be sneaky and drop out of invisibility by landing 2 Harm! To be continued, certainly.
Comments
Prit, half-elf cleric/ranger (Grond0) & Gorn, elf stalker (Gate70)
Previous updates here:
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/comment/825770/#Comment_825770
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/comment/826405/#Comment_826405
The duo made short work of Jon's dungeon, finishing up by redecorating the area with bits of vampire.
The circus didn't detain them long on the way to hand control of the Copper Coronet over to Hendak.
Next, they deliberately sought out Suna Seni, using stealth to ensure an easy victory.
Officer Dirth donated some armour before undertaking Mae'Var's tasks.
After rescuing Renfeld Prebek survived a backstab and managed to confuse Gorn before falling silent in dismay.
With cash bulging from the pockets of the dauntless duo the thief in the Bridge District saw the opportunity for a big score - but Gate70 protected against the possibility of me agreeing to that by backstabbing the thief before he could talk
After paying Gaelan Bayle off, Prit equipped the Amulet of Power and put chaotic commands in force to quickly avenge Mook. Then the duo headed for the Bridge District to silence the Guild Contact (ensuring he wouldn't drink the potions he was carrying).
Still in the Bridge District the Rune Assassins had a reasonable go at Gorn, but couldn't quite last the pace.
Prit, cleric 9 / ranger 9, 108 HPs (incl. 5 from Helm), 63 kills (+151 in BG1)
Gorn, stalker 10, 113 HPs (incl. 10 from ioun stone), 119 kills (+143 in BG1), 0 deaths
*Dives into the posts to figure out the title, gives up after five minutes*
Damn disrespectful kids...
*Stalks off to make even more powerful necromancy spells*
After picking up a second success in my long-life challenge with the sun soul monk (see here), I was left with the mage as the third of the classes I generated before SoD was released. For these I'm only requiring a completion of the trilogy - after that the fun will really start when I have to get to grips with SoD. I made a 10th start at this class which failed to progress thanks to failing to recast protection from petrification after resting between basilisks - this time I'll try to do better.
I got to level three after shooting Shoal down and learnt invisibility to allow safe travel after that. Various tasks around Beregost got me to level 4, thanks to using a newly learned blind on Silke.
Taking Samuel back to the FAI allowed me to pick up the Ring of Wizardry and stock up on blindness for Tarnesh (in BGEE neutral characters only go hostile when blindness succeeds, so multiple attempts are possible). Invisible travels to pick up items continued on to the ankheg nest where I collected a wand of fire (and immediately sold it while concentrating too much on what I was listening to on the radio). I did though hang on to the wand of frost and ring of fire protection found in further travels, along with a wand of monster summoning made available by dragging some ghasts outside. That round of item acquisition finished with blinding and killing Meilum for his bracers (also getting to level 5 there).
This time I managed to avoid shooting myself in the foot with a petrification gun and the last of the basilisks got me to level 6.
Mage L6, 29 HPs, 56 kills
Oh, alright, fine, I'll change it, if you insist.
(I should have stuck with the Mordenkainen one.)
Sooo... on the topic of creative spell names: what do you think?
'Time Stop Hammertime' or 'Hammertimestop'?
(For an HLA, I'm considering for my Dwarven Cleric-Sorcerer, of course.)
Previous updates at:
While touring some areas looking for reputation I took the opportunity to throw a blind at Bassilus - that stuck so he was finished off to provide a nice cash boost.
Clearing the Cloud Peak Mountains got reputation up to 20 and picking up the charisma tome there allowed the best prices from shops - after buying a number of scrolls I used the red potion to ensure learning those.
At Durlag's Tower skull traps and magic missiles made short work of the battle horrors, while I again remembered protection from petrification against the basilisks
At the Lighthouse a stinking cloud and malison allowed some skull traps to be thrown at the first group of sirines. The final survivor there outlasted the stinking cloud, but had been overcome by an excess of emotion and just waited for her inevitable death.
Further north another group of sirines also died without taking any action. After clearing a gathering of ogres, giving Mad Arcand his ring back got me to level 9.
Mage L9, 42 HPs, 145 kills
Malakai, CN, Half-Elf, Cleric/Mage
Part 1
From the FAI, following the request of Jaheira and Khalid, the group heads south quickly to get informations about the mines troubles as soon as possible.
In Beregost after a long forced march, they need a night's rest but while roaming in the streets looking for an inn they meet a young and sexy girl named Neera. Unfortunately some Red Wizards are chasing her. Malakai is not indifferent to her charm and saves from their clutches.
The girl is too hot to be left alone after saving her life, so she happily joins Malakai's party. There's no more space for the annoying couple from FAI.
Nashkel, finally. The Major of the small town explains his concerns about the situation in the mines. Seems like a difficult challenge but Malakai accept it.
"To mines! No fear!" says Malakai...but on the way a group of bandits led by Dorotea Senjak ambush the adventurers. The intervention of an half-orc, yes the one previously met at FAI save the day.
Luckily there's still an empty spot in my group and I need his brute force, so Dorn is the last member of the fellowship. Back to Nashkel and north again. We need more experience to face the evil in the mines.
A nice green armor in the corn
While heading north to Beregost and FAI Imoen and Neera meet an unfriendly Vampiric Wolf...they start running faster than the wind and luckily they succeed in their escape from the deadly beast
Imoen shows some skills with her shortbow knocking down a ghast
Next goal is freeing a mage's apprentice from his chicken form...unfortunately for the powerful wizard Thalantyr, his young student doesn't survive the polymorph process.
Bassilus had no chance of survival when Malakai hit him with a Doom followed by Viconya's Command and Dorn's poison.
One by one Malakai and his party complete all missions along the main road from FAI to Nashkel gaining some experience. But now it's time to visit a dangerous stronghold infested by gnolls and xvarts.
Welcoming committee at the gnoll fortress
Another hottie rescued saved from a painful death...but I already have my personal geisha so Dynaheir must find her own the way home.
Next step is gaining more experience creating the western part of the map.
Malakai just gained his 4th level and is now 2/2. 4th level Advanced learning allows him to learn 1 new spell among the ones he can cast. so it's a 1st level spell. The choice is not simple and I'm open to suggestions. Malakai will buy the proper scroll at Thalantyr's tower.
Malakai Lvl 2/2, kills 20 (Skeleton), 8%
Kagain, Lvl 3, kills 52 (Cave bear), 22%
Dorn, Lvl 3, kills 116 (Bassilus), 49%
Viconia, Lvl 4, kills 10 (Ghoul), 4%
Imoen, Lvl 3, kills 25 (Ghast), 10%
Neera, Lvl 2, kills 10 (Huge spider), 4%
Continued from https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/comment/826982/#Comment_826982
Lirilis travelled to Durlag's Tower. She first cleared the upper levels, followed by the first level of the dungeon itself. Nothing noteworthy here, the fight against the dwarven warders went fairly well, this time with no deaths in my party, as I managed to lure the thief away from his companions and kill him with detect invisibility. Another warder followed him and died as well, so I only had to focus down the mage, and later the warrior:
I didn't take any screenshots in the second level. Overall, I encountered no trouble with higher doppelgangers or dwarven doomguards, though I had to rest once. For level 3, I took the wyvern path first. Protection from undead scrolls helped with the middle path, and the southern path was also cleared with Khalid and Imoen scouting ahead. The elemental rooms were no problem - while Khalid did get stunned in the frost room, he was immune to cold damage thanks to a scroll and a potion:
For the chessboard, everyone drank a potion of absorptions and threw a fireball at the board, resulting in the game being almost over already:
The fourth level was relatively easy once again, with Khalid's ring of free action protecting us from any possible major harm. To fight the demon knight, I used some potions to improved my damage (heroism and fire giant strength, mostly). After starting combat, Khalid's buffs were dispelled (including his protection from fire), though when the demon used his fireball, the fighter's magic resistance kicked in:
While the demon knight died a few seconds later, he also managed to inform me that free action doesn't protect against stun in BG:EE.
Now, for Ulgoth's Beard: Upon entering the area, Imoen and Lirilis drank invisibilty potions to avoid cult assassins, while the four fighter-type characters fought the battle, killed the second cult group, rested and defeated the final group of cultists.
Aec'Letec didn't really stand a chance against a fully buffed party with all kinds of damage-improving potions and potions of magic shielding for defense. I first killed the cultists, then him:
Now, I followed Sarevok through the maze. The Iron Throne party was dealt with via protection from fire + mass fireballs:
Sarevok himself was lured to the entrance of the temple, but Semaj followed. I took a couple of shots at Sarevok before focusing and killing Semaj, and by this time, Khalid already had brought Sarevok to near death:
However, my run sadly ended early in SoD:
I'll continue playing SoD as a non no-reload game to explore the new expansion, so I'll be gone from this thread for a while. Good luck to everyone!
Enuhal
@Enuhal Sorry to hear that your run has ended too.
Journal of Spugnor
Last update. I thought that the lich was dead having put the phalactery in the flames, but he then arrived and a spell from it brought this run to a premature end.(first post here)
I started a new no-reload run today, but I will continue posting this one.
Returning to the Temple District, we check out the sewers and find that the Unseeing Eye quest is still not activated.
Frisk was inexplicably unable to speak with High Watcher Oisig even though he was perfectly willing to talk to Asriel and Chara. This means we can't start the quest and open the way forward.
Instead, we bash in the nearby rakshasa's head with the Flail of Ages and obliterate Draug Fea and the Sewer Dwellers, using brute force to take down the fighters and clerics and chain-casting Holy Word to shut down Gaius. Unfortunately, Chara's White Half-Dragon form ice-chunks Gaius and costs us a scroll or two.
I think we can handle the Yuan-ti Mages upstairs, but I know better than to risk getting hit with a Remove Magic spell. We send out our summons to soften up the Yuan-ti first. The Yuan-ti chop them up in short order.
With IWD2's more powerful Non-Detection spell, we can maintain our invisibility despite the enemy's Oracle spells. Asriel takes the opportunity to cast Recitation, which will bypass the enemy's MGOI spells, and Chara's Static Charges start triggering.
When we break invisibility, a hostile Efreeti punishes us with an instant-cast Fireball, forcing us to retreat. But Frisk can't outrun Breach, and they have to spend a round restoring their invisibility.
Chara's White Half-Dragon sword can break through the enemy's Mantles, but Asriel isn't so well-equipped for this fight. Like Frisk, he is completely vulnerable to Breach.
He really needed that Chaotic Commands buff.
Chara gets confused as well, and Asriel nearly kills himself trying to slay the enemy Efreeti: without his cleric buffs, he needs more hits to take down the Efreeti, and each one earns him a Fire Shield backlash.
I still haven't corrected their low HP yet.
Frisk restores their buffs and starts summoning a Skeleton Warrior while the Yuan-ti struggle to kill our crippled front liners.
Summoning that Skeleton Warrior cost Frisk their invisibility, but when a Yuan-ti Mage teleports over, they can vanish in an instant thanks to the Robe of Vecna. Static Charge comes around again and slays a mage. Neither magic resistance nor spell protections can block Static Charge, though Mirror Image can.
Finally, one of the mages finishes off Asriel.
But Chara recovers and goes on the offensive. Without Mirror Image, the Yuan-ti are helpless.
And Mekrath? He buffs with Protection from Magical Weapons, the worst option to use against Chara's Will o' Wisp form.
We send Haer'dalis on his way. As powerful as IWD2 bards can be, I'm not interested in doing any more modding to make him fit in with the group.
Since we can't activate the Unseeing Eye quest normally, I just use the console to enter the first area. Downstairs, I try the "invisible bug zapper" trick from IWD2, in which you cast Call Lightning or Static Charge, turn invisible, and then basically just stand around while the enemy gets electrocuted.
I'm too impatient to actually kill the enemy with this trick; I just wanted to see if it worked.
We have more Beholders to deal with later on, and I want to fight them fairly--or at least, without using the invisible bug zapper trick. I try setting up a wall of summons, only to see the Beholders hit Chara with an Anti-Magic Ray when they're trying to fire off a Chain Lightning spell.
Anti-Magic Ray or no, Chara can tank Beholders just fine in Will o' Wisp form. Chara's low save vs. death, courtesy of the Skin of the Ghoul, will block Death Ray outright, and their 100 magic resistance will block everything else the Beholders might shoot at them.
The fight is painfully slow due to Chara's lousy damage output, so I send in a fully-buffed Asriel with the Shield of Balduran and have Frisk blast everyone with an instant-cast Cone of Cold. Asriel is immune thanks to his buffs and Chara is immune thanks to their shapeshifting, but the Beholders have no such defenses.
An Anti-Magic Ray forces Frisk to flee, and the Beholders snatch away Asriel's Shield of Balduran when they realize what's going on.
Asriel really needed that shield.
I let Chara handle the rest on their own; no need to endanger Frisk. The Efreeti Bottle speeds things up a little.
We raise Asriel, pick up his lost equipment, and then realize the Shield of Balduran is nowhere in sight.
It seems the Beholder stole it just after Asriel bounced a Flesh to Stone spell back at it. The Beholder must have gotten petrified and the shield chunked. So, no more Shield of Balduran, ever. That kinda sucks.
It's not that important; we can handle the Unseeing Eye with a blitzkrieg attack. The Rift Device only leaves the Beholder with maybe 40 HP.
I don't know how dangerous Death Tyrants are, but I assume they use a lot of Death Rays. Asriel hides and lets Chara and the Skeleton Warrios handle the rest.
On the way back to the temple of Amaunator, we try to take down the group of Beholders we attacked but failed to kill the last time around. We unload a bunch of charges from the Wand of Cloudkill and have Chara tank the Beholders, but then the Shadow Fiends rush in and force Chara back. Asriel tries to stop them with a Holy Word, but only disables Chara, granting the Shadow Fiends automatic hits. Frisk tries to rescue Chara with a Resilient Sphere spell, but I didn't fully replicate the IWD2 version, which means Chara gets a saving throw.
Frisk gets too close to the Beholders and loses all of their buffs to an Anti-Magic Ray. The Shadow Fiends chew up Chara.
SCS Anti-Magic Rays in my install block level 1-9 spells, but a Shadow Fiend's paralyzing touch strikes as a level 0 spell. Frisk has no defense against that attack, and Asriel couldn't cure the effect because the Anti-Magic Ray would block his Remove Paralysis spell. Plus, although Asriel is supposed to be a cleric, I never gave him a Turn Undead spell.
We have to flee. But in the process, we trigger a Prismatic Spray trap. I forgot to trigger it last time; I teleported past it with CTRL-J.
Frisk manages to outrun the spell, which otherwise might have gotten past the Anti-Magic Ray's spell level immunities (I don't know if the trap actually casts a true duplicate of Prismatic Spray).
I resurrect Chara, put the party back together, and CTRL-J to the temple to replicate sneaking past the Beholders and Shadow Fiends.
But entering the temple just after speaking with the head Diseased One soft-locked the game.
I have to play through everything all over again.
But I'm lazy, so I just add in a custom weapon with the console.
It's just more efficient this way.
This time around, I trigger the Prismatic Spray trap properly... and bring back Asriel with a scroll when I forget to buff him with Protection from Petrification.
We finish the quest normally. I'm not sure whether I'll use the Shield of Balduran again, since I had to re-do the section where it got turned to stone. I don't have to make that decision now; it'll be a while before we fight any more Beholders.
Despite all of our hard work, Oisig still refuses to speak with Frisk, and won't work with Asriel or Chara.
We can't even start the illithium questline. I add in the Periapt of Life Protection via the console to replicate completeing it, but I don't know how much XP I lost because of the bug with Oisig.
I decide to just forget about the missing XP. Time to stop by the Planar Prison and nab those Boots of Speed.
Oh, well, next update when Morrigan III finishes the camp.
Previous updates at:
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/comment/828067/#Comment_828067
I sneaked through the Nashkel Mine and used stinking cloud to disable Mulahey - with skull traps pre-set in case he summoned assistance. After 3 attempts to take a screenshot caused the game to freeze the computer I gave up on attempting to record Mulahey's 4th demise and waited for the cloud to evaporate.
In Nashkel Nimbul was webbed and gave me his find familiar scroll. Tranzig was also webbed on the way to the Bandit Camp. A blinded Taurgosz died in a cloudkill there and the same combination soon sorted out Raemon and his cronies.
After skipping through the Cloakwood, Drasus & co were the latest to find themselves stuck
In the City I picked up the tomes, watching with amusement as Marek failed to see any target for his spells as a result of improved invisibility.
Moving on to Candlekeep there were more tomes on offer, using minor globe for protection. Back in the City haste was used for the first time to allow plenty of time to try out a wand of paralysation on Slythe.
After fighting through the maze I activated Sarevok and waited for Semaj to teleport out. He saved against half a dozen paralysation attempts before teleporting away. Rather than go after him and risking Angelo and Tazok coming out I just set out some summons to draw Sarevok into the fight - and he was eventually buried under their bodies.
Mage L9, 48 HPs (incl. 6 from familiar), 235 kills
Around 7 restarts later...
Malc, Human Corsair.
Stats of 18/18/18/10/10/10.
For those unfamiliar with Might and Guile, Corsair is a Fighter kit that cannot wear anything heavier than Studded Leather, but gains +1 AC every 6 levels, +1 save vs Breath every 5, and the ability to "Swashbuckle," which for 5 rounds or so gives another +1 AC for every 2 levels, to a maximum of 10 at level 20. Corsairs also cannot become proficient in "Heavy" weapons, which are the 2H weapons for the most part, and are limited to 2 pips in ranged weapons. In all honestly, a vanilla Fighter is probably better until very late game.
Oh, there MIGHT be a damage boost somewhere, but it's not in the kit description. I was hitting one point higher than I calculatedmy maximum should be, and I can't account for that extra point. Anyhow.
Standard start for my vanilla games, Shoal to Beregost to Nashkel to Basilisks for a quick 5 levels. The Amulet of Missiles was used for Kirin's party. Back to Nashkel, killed Greywolf after unsuccessfully trying to melee him, and decided to clear the Friendly Arm Inn to Ulgoth's Beard area first to get the Greenstone amulet and finish the Sirines and Flesh Golems as well. All this achieved level 7.
Mulahey didn't attack after his speech since I broke line of sight, and fought all the skeletons and kobolds first. In Vanilla, his first three spells are Hold Person which is rather irrelevant after a potion of freedom. Amazons are taken out with the Amulet of Missiles, and Nimbul doesn't do well in melee, nor does Tranzig. I think I used a Potion of Magic Blocking on Tranzig just to be safe, though.
Bandit camp was infiltrated and Venkt attacked and murdered:
And the physical combat afterwards is simple.
Melium donates both his bracers and my final level with a juicy 9/10 roll:
Malc still fights most opponents, though, and we clear Spider Wood for Spider's Bane. Drasus is killed for his boots, and we have the first near-death accounts against Hareishan. Things to note, 1: the Shield Amulet did NOT protect against the trapped Magic Missiles, and 2: the potion of Explosion radius is MUCH larger than in the EEs for whatever reason. Malc managed to heal invisibly.
Davaeorn is a trivial matter after the Protection from Magic scroll.
In Baldur's Gate, Malc lures the Ogre Mage out of the sewers and kill him aboveground, and the Seven Suns is put to right rather quickly. Ramazith's tower is raided for the Tome of Intelligence, though Malc almost died again to Ghasts and another potion of Invisibility was quaffed.
Malc pops up to the top of the Iron Throne building, and flees instantly down two flights of stairs. Only the Doppelganger follows, and is summarily executed. At Candlekeep, the STR tome is obtained and Pratt's party is fought. A Potion of Magic Protection guarantees safety vs the Darts of Stunning, and the 24 STR Potion is still in effect.
Malc defeats the Doppelgangers easily in the palace, 3 of them even fleeing to different floors after their morale broke. I'll have to explore the basement with another character sometime, I never knew it existed! He then dragged Belt to the bottom right so that Belt had no chance to engage Sarevok. Both dukes survived.
I avoided the Undercity party by traveling south before heading west, and Malc begins to engage Sarevok. An Arrow of Dispelling takes out his speed, and another scroll of Protection from Magic essentially seals the deal. It takes awhile, and I tried meleeing Sarevok and STILL lost with -13 AC, but a swap back to the shortbow ends Sarevok's life.
Previous update found here
Next update found here
Per our previous plans, the party embarks to deal with the Circus first. Of course, as we have a full party with True Sight available, this is no trouble at all. We swipe the somewhat insignificant treasure, and proceed to deal with the slightly more challenging task of clearing the slavers out of the slums.
Surprisingly, this too goes smoothly.
The sewers are no trouble (I typically Fireball/Cloudkill the Hobgoblins, simply because their Shamans and Captains are so annoying), amounting to nothing more than a few cuts and bruises, and we pick up Lilarcor for Minsc.
A full complement of buffs and rapidly destroying the unarmored Priest accompanying Captain Haegan ensured the latters party were all but helpless. I was somewhat worried about the two mages in here, but as Aldain can now summon the 7 HD version of Skeleton Warriors, I needn't have been: A single such skeleton, accompanied by a few lower HD ones courtesy of Anomen, took care of the mages without the party needing to get involved (I Cloudkilled the accompanying guards as my first move though).
Now! Technically we CAN go after Imoen at this point, as we just about reached 15000 gold after the slavers. However, it would be supremely unwise: Our party is very low level, ill equipped, and even if we somehow managed to muddle through everything from Brynnlaw to the Underdark, we'd be dead broke the entire time and thus not able to buy any of the lovely stuff you can find in the drow city. It seems advisable to gather some more experience and above all, money before we set out.
I thought about this a bit, and figured the de'Arnise keep must be one of the safer "major" subquests to do. Windspear Hills ends with having to fight a high-level mage (Conster) which is bad news. We haven't the levels to take on Improved Shadelord safely. Trademeet? Possibly, but I'm certain SCS Faldorn will completely destroy Cernd or for that matter Jaheira in a duel. The Planar Sphere is just laughable, unless you enjoy getting ADHW dumped on you in perpetuity. Alright, to the keep!
As is customary, we are of course ambushed en route. This time though, we are invisible, and so position properly (and remove the invisibility from the enemy thieves) before crushing the enemy mercilessly. This is for Yoshimo, you bastards!
Arriving at the keep, we rest up and head inside. I wasn't sure what we'd be facing, but the first group was surprisingly simple: Bog standard trolls, easily dispatched (especially when fighting in a doorway so you only need to manage the attacks of 2 of them at a time).
We clear the first floor of the keep in like fashion, head outside and take care of the Otyugh. Naturally, as things are going well, it is a given they are about to go horribly bad.
Moving up towards the parapet to open the gates for some much needed guard assistance, stealthed Minsc spots another group of (seemingly) nothing but regular trolls. He falls back and puts on some proper armor, and the entire group moves to engage.
This was a mistake. Of course the group contains two Spirit Trolls. These Spirit Trolls immediately cast Flame Strike and Unholy Blight on poor Mazzy, who thankfully makes her save and so is only reduced to half HP. For whatever odd reason, at this point I didn't start buffing like a madman or contemplate escape, but instead just figured: Alright, that hurt, but I can kill them pretty quick. Aldain tosses out a charge of his Wand of Monster Summoning for some quick fodder, too.
I failed to account for the fact that Spirit Trolls can cast Greater Command... which they do. Everyone but Minsc (!) and Jan fails their saves. Can Minsc and Jan handle 6 trolls of various sorts on their own?
No. No, of course they cannot. The trolls promptly kill off poor Mazzy, as she happened to be at the front when the Greater Command hit.
OK, what can we do? Jan has garbage for scrolls, certainly nothing that will turn him and a Minsc who is rapidly approaching 0 HP into legendary trollslayers. We can't just bugg out either, because surprise surprise, Aldain is unconscious. It's starting to look like our run might be ended before it even began. But looking over Jan's memorized spells, I realize: He's got Invisibility 10' Radius memorized! Jan, save us!
Hooray, hooray, hooray! Note that Jan turned the trolls invisible too.. in my install, Invis 10' affects everyone, apparently. I'm not complaining though! And amazingly enough, Spirit Trolls can't see through Invisibility. Minsc picks up Mazzy's gear using quickloot, we wait for the Greater Command to wear off, and bugg out! A Raise Dead by Anomen and some healing later, we apply proper buffs and, shielded by a few Skeleton Warriors, fare much better this time around.
We proceed upstairs. The Yuan-Ti mage is dealt with by having summons soak his dangerous spells (honestly, is there any SCS mage that doesn't memorize Chaos/Sunfire/Cone of Cold? If so, I haven't seen one) followed by application of brute force.
Now, the golem room. My plan here was to just steal the longbow and the axe, leaving the flail head for later, as I wasn't at all keen on taking on an Iron Golem with my motley band of misfits.
However, my memory failed me: For some bizarre reason, the Iron Golem is actually guarding the longbow (by far the least important treasure in there). So, we had little choice but to try and kill it.
Which worked out rather well! Jan tanked with Stoneskin and Mirror Image, and he only got poisoned by the intermittent gas clouds once. We picked up the axe first thing, so Mazzy and Minsc both had weapons that could hurt it. It took a while, but down it went.
Again though, as something went well, something must go bad to even things up. Grabbing the flail head, a Stone and Flesh Golem activate. The Flesh Golem goes straight for Jan, who apparently only had one Stoneskin remaining, because it drops instantly. Jan runs off, but is slowed by the Stone Golem and well.. yeah, I can't save him and he drops. Freaking glad he wasn't chunked though. So for a second time we run out, rest to memorize Raise Dead and heal back up.
On to the cellars! The trolls before the Umberhulks are pushovers, being only two regular trolls and one spectral. Not feeling like squandering our resources on pure melee mobs, we lead the Umberhulks away using some stew and shut the door behind them.
Ugh. Time for Torgal. Or Tor'Gal, whatever your name is, I don't care. I don't like you!
We've prepared as well as we can, though in retrospect I really should have gone for more damage spells, and prepared a double Magic Missile sequencer on Aldain for good measure.
Another interesting bug surfaced here, but it worked in our favour: Jaheira got two fire elementals instead of one from her single casting! I guess the spell decided we should get the 12 HD version (note one is bigger than the other), but summoned the 8 HD one too while at it. This will be exceedingly important in the fight to come.
Aldain summons 3x 7 HD Skeleton Warriors to further bolster our forces. Standard buffs (PfE10', Bless, Chant, Defensive Harmony, Remove Fear, Haste) are applied, and Minsc/Mazzy even receive Improved Invisibility as well as Protection from Fire. I had some kind of tactic in mind where they'd hold at the doorway while Aldain dropped 2x Fireballs into the midst of the troll pack. Of course, no battle plan survives contact with the enemy, as we shall soon see. Mazzy opens the door and sprints forward to draw out Torgal. The game is afoot.
SCS Torgal doesn't just have a couple giant trolls as bodyguards. He also gets an Umber Hulk Elder (basically beefier Umber Hulk), and (as if this fight isn't bad enough with a regenerating boss troll that hits like a truck and has magic resistance) two Yuan-Ti mages. We succeed in holding the doorway for all of two rounds, then Mazzy and Minsc are forced to retreat in the face of Torgal's absurd damage potential.
He actually gets Barbarian Rage! And insta-casts Cloak of Fear every 5 rounds or so, sigh.
However, our Fire Elementals step up to the plate: We distract Torgal with a Skeleton Warrior, while the Elementals and our other two skeletons go after the Yuan-Ti. Somewhere in the chaos, Jaheira gets off her one and only Insect Plague, and here it seems yet another bug helps us: It actually affects both Yuan-Ti mages, even though their Fire Shield: Red should've absorbed the insects. The two Giant Trolls are quickly subdued (helped by Aldain tossing his two Fireballs into the mix, as our Fire Elementals holding the line are obviously immune to the damage, and I don't really care about the skeletons at this point), and the Umber Hulk Elder panics from the insects and is quickly taken down.
But Torgal... bloody Torgal. Our fighters can't get close to him, because if they do, he shreds them. They may as well be wearing paper armour for all the good it's doing. The Skeleton Warrior occupying him is taking a serious beating, so I send the remaining two to at least help distract the bloody troll for a few more rounds. Meanwhile though, the Yuan-Ti Mages have succeeded in killing our 8 HD Fire Elemental, but the 12 HD one is going to town! He kills one mage with a hefty 33 damage hit:
That Blindness Aldain is casting? To my great surprise, it actually sticks. Not surprising at all, however, is that it doesn't really matter, as Torgal happily continues smashing my frontliners to bits despite -4 THAC0. Sigh. Not pictured: Our 12 HD Fire Elemental, the Elemental of the hour indeed, also kills off the second Yuan-Ti Mage and moves to join the assault on Torgal, the latter now only having a few Skeleton Warriors left as backup (the Yuan-Ti Mages got a few Animate Dead off before dropping).
Of course, Torgal being Torgal, it doesn't matter that he's got no cronies worth mentioning left. We just can't kill him. If any fighter gets close enough to attack him, they are in turn attacked and rapidly strength drained/beaten to within an inch of their lives, while Torgal happily regenerates what little damage we managed to deal in the process. Healing potions are running low. Our memorized Magic Missiles are all but gone. No Flame Arrows to be found. Digging deep in our scroll cases, I start to consider a tactical retreat, but opt for the "everything and the kitchen sink" strategy instead. Aldain finds a Chromatic Orb scroll, and expecting naught but failure, casts it at the mean ol' troll.
Aha! Aaaahahahahahaha! I love it! I absolutely love it! Torgal fails his save with a +6 bonus and is petrified! I didn't even think he could be petrified! It was truly in the nick of time, but such holds for all epic victories!
We happily collect the treasure in Torgal's room (nothing more than gold, some gems and a Feeblemind scroll), and head back outside. Nalia is informed of her father's death and left to her fate. We rest up, heal tremendous amounts of damage, and sneak back to the Copper Coronet under Invisibility 10' Radius (no ambushes this time around).
We came decidedly close to disaster several times there, but pulled through due to some quick thinking and, in the end, luck. We would've been alright if we couldn't kill Torgal though: I'd just have let the Fire Elemental distract him a few seconds while the party ran in the other direction.
And it wasn't all for naught, either: We got the Ring of Earth Control, Flail of Ages +3 (though Anomen doesn't have the proficiencies to use it properly yet) and best of all, Frostreaver +3 for Mazzy. That axe will serve her very well throughout all of SoA.
In addition, we got a hefty amount of gold, and of course experience. Having sold everything we didn't need, we now have just shy of 30k gold.
The party is currently pondering what their next move should be while enjoying the very cheapest ale available at the Copper Coronet. Aldain is now a Level 11 Human Conjurer, and as such only gets 1 measly HP per level (boo!).
Not sure what happened - but Naxel's main save is gone. Thus, cannot continue. I do have a starting save so can restart. But now am in mood for solo, so just rolled up a half-orc fighter/thief named OrcThief - he's made his way out of Candlekeep, booted Imoen, and took out Montaron and Xzar.
Previous updates at:
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/comment/828067/#Comment_828067
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/comment/828189/#Comment_828189
Arriving in the dungeon I immediately levelled up - getting 5 HPs there and sneaking 1/2 HP above average to maintain my record of never dipping below average in EE. I then used EEkeeper to remove the 6 HPs from the familiar summoned in BGEE and replaced them with 12 HPs for a newly summoned familiar.
The dungeon was quickly sorted out and the circus and Copper Coronet followed in my normal routine. I typically do the Docks quests after that, but this time went to clear the Graveyard first. That meant I achieved level 12 before skeletons produced out of sight sorted out Prebek and Rayic Gethras
The top floor of Watcher's Keep yielded a bit of loot - there were no vampiric wraiths there, though with spell immunity I should have been able to handle those anyway.
Back in Athkatla the kidnappers were punished in the Bridge District before solving the skinner murders (level 14). Sir Sarles got some genuine illithium and the Lathander Temple got their ring back before the Paladins completed their fall mainly to run and shoot tactics (I've not got around to dealing with the Cowled Wizards yet).
Summons and area damage saw the end of Mencar's and Captain Dennis' groups before I returned to the Copper Coronet and dived into the sewers there. Captain Haegan and his guards were pulled back into the sewers for disposal
With work in the City starting to run short I went to the Temple sewers. The normal sort of area damage attack saw the end of Tarnor's gang and took me to level 15 (that allows me to use DUHM to open Kangaxx's tomb without using spells outside).
Mekrath then died quickly - as did his umber hulk guards.
Mage L15, 70 HPs (incl. 6 from familiar, 6 from ioun stone), 335 kills (+235 in BG1)
And @Grond0 well done too! Good luck with Grond0's future adventures.
@Aldain another thrilling update. Glad to see things work out.
Restartitis still has me strongly in its grip. I have made some progress in Durlag's Tower with Sigrid, my Dwarven Cleric of Lathander, but will only post if I get a bit further. I cannot continue with my Gnome Illusionist Segurd because I've been messing around a lot with one install and I deleted another.
I've created a custom party of specialist wizards: Enchanter Charname, aided by Invoker, Illusionist, Conjurer, Transmuter, and Necromancer. But that run has come to a halt due to one character's permanent death.
Instead of running a custom party I realized I could also use NPCs to create a party of wizards with different spell schools. BGEE is so nice to offer us a Necromancer, a Conjurer, an Enchanter, an Invoker, and a Cleric/Illusionist. And in my install, Khalid is a Fighter/Mage that I could EEKeeper into Fighter/Transmuter. I'm willing to be a bit more flexible and except multi class characters like Quayle, Khalid, and in BG2EE Jan. Also, I can EEKeeper Nalia, Aerie and Imoen into specialists in BG2EE, and I have Xan for BG2 (mod). So I decided to give this a go.
Our heroine is Elven Diviner Leora:
Diviners tend to be cautious and deliberate in their actions. Because their divinations have taught them that men are prone to hiding their true feelings and motivations, many diviners are suspicious and distrustful, sometimes to the point of cynicism. Those diviners who allow distrust and cynicism to overwhelm them tend to be of evil alignment. Those who accept man's ambiguous character as a part of the natural order tend to be of neutral alignment. Those who maintain faith in man's innate goodness tend to be of good
alignment.
Diviners are not predisposed to the adventuring life, and accept such a career only reluctantly. They are not natural combatants; in fact, wizards lacking in physical prowess are drawn to divination more than any other specialty. Still, diviners make valuable additions to adventuring parties; their judgement, cunning, and plain common sense are welcome commodities. A party must take care to provide protection for diviners since they usually lack any significant ability to defend themselves.
Diviners are loners at heart and do not make close friends easily. They rarely raise large families. Diviners of good alignment generally harbor no ill feelings against other people, and will usually assist them when asked. Still, they prefer to live alone in remote areas where they can conduct their research and investigation undisturbed. Stone towers on cliff sides or atop high hills are ideal residences for diviners. Though they show little interest in material possessions, diviners earn money by charging for their services as seers, fortune-tellers, and finders of lost objects and persons."
I've installed BGEE Trilogy which should allow me to play BGEE, SoD, BG2EE, and ToB in one game.
Weidu log:
// The top of the file is the 'oldest' mod
// ~TP2_File~ #language_number #component_number // [Subcomponent Name -> ] Component Name [ : Version]
~EET/EET.TP2~ #0 #0 // Initialise EET (first mod in install order): 1.0 RC7
~EET_CORE.TP2~ #0 #0 // Core EET (game importation): 1.0 RC7
~ASCENSION/SETUP-ASCENSION.TP2~ #0 #0 // Ascension v1.51 BETA (requires ToB): v1.5 BETA_20160601
~ASCENSION/SETUP-ASCENSION.TP2~ #0 #1 // Tougher Abazigal (optional, requires ToB): v1.5 BETA_20160601
~ASCENSION/SETUP-ASCENSION.TP2~ #0 #2 // Original Tougher Demogorgon (optional, requires ToB): v1.5 BETA_20160601
~ASCENSION/SETUP-ASCENSION.TP2~ #0 #3 // Tougher Gromnir (optional, requires ToB): v1.5 BETA_20160601
~ASCENSION/SETUP-ASCENSION.TP2~ #0 #4 // Tougher Illasera (optional, requires ToB): v1.5 BETA_20160601
~ASCENSION/SETUP-ASCENSION.TP2~ #0 #5 // Tougher Yaga-Shura (optional, requires ToB): v1.5 BETA_20160601
~ASCENSION/SETUP-ASCENSION.TP2~ #0 #101 // Ascension Portraits - Bodhi: v1.5 BETA_20160601
~ASCENSION/SETUP-ASCENSION.TP2~ #0 #102 // Ascension Portraits - Original Balthazar by Cuv: v1.5 BETA_20160601
~ASCENSION/SETUP-ASCENSION.TP2~ #0 #103 // Restored Bhaalspawn Powers by David Gaider: v1.5 BETA_20160601
~ASCENSION/SETUP-ASCENSION.TP2~ #0 #104 // Extended Epilogues by shawne: v1.5 BETA_20160601
~ASCENSION/SETUP-ASCENSION.TP2~ #0 #105 // Extended EE Epilogues by shawne: v1.5 BETA_20160601
~ASCENSION/SETUP-ASCENSION.TP2~ #0 #999 // Remove Anyone Identifier in EA.ids: v1.5 BETA_20160601
~WHEELS/SETUP-WHEELS.TP2~ #0 #0 // The Wheels of Prophecy: v6
~RR/SETUP-RR.TP2~ #0 #0 // Proper dual-wielding implementation for Thieves and Bards: v4.90b1
~RR/SETUP-RR.TP2~ #0 #3 // Proper racial adjustments for thieving skills: v4.90b1
~RR/SETUP-RR.TP2~ #0 #4 // Bard kit revisions: v4.90b1
~RR/SETUP-RR.TP2~ #0 #6 // Proper spell progression for Bards: v4.90b1
~RR/SETUP-RR.TP2~ #0 #11 // Chosen of Cyric encounter: v4.90b1
~RR/SETUP-RR.TP2~ #0 #12 // Shadow Thief Improvements: v4.90b1
~RR/SETUP-RR.TP2~ #0 #999 // BG2-style icons for RR content: v4.90b1
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #1000 // Initialise mod (all other components require this): v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #1910 // Protection from Normal Missiles also blocks Arrows of Fire/Cold/Acid and similar projectiles without pluses: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #2010 // More consistent Breach spell (always affects liches and rakshasas; doesn't penetrate Spell Turning): v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #2020 // Antimagic attacks penetrate improved invisibility: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #2030 // Iron Skins behaves like Stoneskin (can be brought down by Breach): v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #2050 // Allow individual versions of Spell Immunity to be placed into Contingencies and Spell Triggers: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #2070 // Blade Barrier and Globe of Blades only affect hostile creatures: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #2120 // Slightly weaken insect plague spells, and let fire shields block them: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #2140 // Slightly increase the power of Mantle, Improved Mantle, and Absolute Immunity: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #2150 // Make spell sequencers, spell triggers, and contingencies learnable by all mages: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #2160 // Add an extra copy of some hard-to-find spell scrolls: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #2170 // True Sight/True Seeing spells protect from magical blindness: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #2180 // Prevent Simulacra and Projected Images from using magical items: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #3030 // Re-introduce potions of extra-healing: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #3100 // Make the healing and resurrection powers of the Rod of Resurrection into separate abilities: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #4000 // Faster Bears: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #4010 // Grant large, flying, non-solid or similar creatures protection from Web and Entangle: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #4020 // More realistic wolves and wild dogs: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #4030 // Improved shapeshifting: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #4140 // Allow Yeslick to use axes: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #4146 // Skip the Candlekeep tutorial sections -> Skip Candlekeep altogether (warning: breaks the 4th wall!): v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #4180 // Make Freedom scrolls available earlier: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #5000 // Ease-of-use party AI: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #5010 // Move Boo into Minsc's pack: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #5020 // Remove the blur graphic effect from the Cloak of Displacement: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #5030 // Remove animation from the Cloak of Mirroring (leave it for other spells and effects that use the same graphic): v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #5050 // Stackable ankheg shells, winterwolf pelts and wyvern heads: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #5060 // Ensure Shar-Teel doesn't die in the original challenge: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #5900 // Initialise AI components (required for all tactical and AI components): v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #6000 // Smarter general AI: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #6010 // Better calls for help: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #6023 // Add high-level abilities (HLAs) to spellcasters -> All eligible spellcasters in Throne of Bhaal get HLAs; only selected casters in Shadows of Amn do: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #6030 // Smarter Mages -> Mages cast some short-duration spells instantly at start of combat, to simulate pre-battle casting: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #6040 // Smarter Priests -> Priests cast some short-duration spells instantly at start of combat, to simulate pre-battle casting: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #6100 // Potions for NPCs -> All of the potions dropped by slain enemies are recoverable: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #6200 // Improved Spiders: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #6300 // Smarter sirines and dryads: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #6310 // Slightly harder carrion crawlers: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #6320 // Smarter basilisks: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #6500 // Improved golems: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #6511 // Improved fiends -> Fiends have normal hit points: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #6521 // Smarter genies -> Genies have normal hit points: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #6531 // Smarter celestials -> Celestials have normal hit points: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #6541 // Smarter dragons -> Dragons have normal hit points: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #6553 // Smarter beholders -> Don't give beholder rays any chance of burning through spell protections; beholder antimagic removes defences and prevents casting but does not block harmful spells (original game behaviour): v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #6570 // Smarter githyanki: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #6580 // Improved Vampires: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #6590 // Smarter Throne of Bhaal final villain: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #7000 // Improved doppelgangers: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #7010 // Tougher Black Talons and Iron Throne guards: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #7020 // Improved deployment for parties of assassins: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #7030 // Dark Side-based kobold upgrade: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #7040 // Relocated bounty hunters: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #7050 // Improved Ulcaster: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #7060 // Improved Balduran's Isle: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #7080 // Improved Demon Cultists: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #7090 // Improved Cloakwood Druids: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #7100 // Improved Bassilus: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #7110 // Improved Drasus party: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #7130 // Improved Red Wizards: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #7140 // Improved Undercity party: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #7200 // Tougher chapter-two end battle: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #7210 // Tougher chapter-three end battle: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #7220 // Tougher chapter-four end battle: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #7230 // Tougher chapter-five end battle: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #7250 // Improved final battle: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #7900 // Improved minor encounters: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #8010 // Improved Shade Lord: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #8020 // Spellcasting Demiliches: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #8040 // Increase difficulty of level-dependent monster groupings -> Mildly increased difficulty: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #8050 // Improved Random Encounters: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #8060 // Improved de'Arnise Keep ("Tactics Remix") -> Spirit trolls have the same powers as in the original game: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #8070 // Improved Unseeing Eye: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #8080 // Improved Bodhi (Tactics Remix) -> "Toned-down" version of the original Tactics Improved Bodhi, with SCSII scripting: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #8100 // Improved battle with Irenicus in Spellhold: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #8110 // Improved Sahuagin: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #8120 // Improved Beholder hive (adapted from Quest Pack): v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #8140 // Slightly Improved Drow -> Upgrade Ust Natha's defences: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #8150 // Slightly Improved Watcher's Keep: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #8160 // Improved Fire Giant temple: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #8170 // Enhanced Sendai's Enclave: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #8180 // Improved Abazigal's Lair: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #8190 // Improved Minor Encounters: v30
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #50 // Avatar Morphing Script: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #60 // Weapon Animation Tweaks: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #100 // Commoners Use Drab Colors: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #110 // Icon Improvements: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #130 // Force All Dialogue to Pause Game: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #140 // Fix Boo's Squeak: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #160 // Make Magic Shields Glow (plainab/grogerson): Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #170 // Unique Icons: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #190 // Use Character Colors Instead of Item Colors -> For all shields and helmets: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #1010 // More Interjections: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #1020 // Alter HP Triggers for NPC Wounded Dialogues: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #1030 // Reveal Wilderness Areas Before Chapter Six: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #1036 // Make Cloakwood Areas Available Before Completing the Bandit Camp -> All of Cloakwood Except the Mines: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #1040 // Improved Athkatlan City Guard: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #1050 // Gradual Drow Item Disintegration: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #1080 // Add Bags of Holding: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #1090 // Exotic Item Pack: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #1120 // Stores Sell Higher Stacks of Items: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #1161 // Multiple Strongholds (Baldurdash) -> Keep Class Restrictions: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #1180 // Female Edwina: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #1220 // Allow Cromwell to Upgrade Watcher's Keep Items: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #1230 // Allow Cespenar to Use Cromwell Recipes: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2040 // Universal Clubs: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2060 // Weapon Styles for All: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2090 // Change Experience Point Cap -> Remove Experience Cap: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2140 // Expanded Dual-Class Options: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2150 // Wear Multiple Protection Items -> P&P Restrictions: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2160 // Alter Weapon Proficiency System -> Rebalanced Weapon Proficiencies: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2170 // Cast Spells from Scrolls (and Other Items) at Character Level: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2200 // Multi-Class Grandmastery (Weimer): Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2210 // Change Grandmastery Bonuses -> True Grandmastery (Baldurdash): Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2220 // Change Magically Created Weapons to Zero Weight: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2240 // Un-Nerfed THAC0 Table: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2250 // Un-Nerfed Sorcerer Spell Progression Table: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2261 // Alter Mage Spell Progression Table -> PnP Table: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2270 // Alter Bard Spell Progression Table -> Un-Nerfed Table (Blucher): Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2281 // Alter Cleric Spell Progression Table -> PnP Table: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2300 // Triple-Class HLA Tables: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2320 // Trap Cap Removal (Ardanis/GeN1e): Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2330 // Remove Delay for Magical Traps (Ardanis/GeN1e): Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2390 // Paladins Use Icewind Dale-Heart of Winter Spell Tables (grogerson): Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2400 // Rangers Use Icewind Dale-Heart of Winter Spell Tables (grogerson): Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2410 // Druids Use 3E Alignment Restrictions: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2440 // Everyone Gets Bonus APR from Specialization: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2999 // Max HP at Level One: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #3011 // Maximum HP for NPCs (the bigg) -> For Non-Party-Joinable NPCs Only: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #3050 // Remove fatigue from restoration spells: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #3070 // Change Effect of Reputation on Store Prices -> Low Reputation Store Discount (Sabre): Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #3083 // Increase Ammo Stack Size -> Stacks of 120: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #3093 // Increase Gem and Jewelry Stacking -> Stacks of 120: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #3103 // Increase Potion Stacking -> Stacks of 120: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #3113 // Increase Scroll Stacking -> Stacks of 120: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #3120 // Happy Patch (Party NPCs do not complain about reputation) -> NPCs Are Never Angry About Reputation: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #3125 // Neutral Characters Make Happy Comments at Mid-Range Reputation: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #3150 // Turn Off The Hideous Cloak-of-Mirroring, Spell-Trap, and Physical Mirror Animations: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #3183 // Romance Cheats: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #3205 // Stores Purchase All Item Types: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #3220 // Sensible Entrance Points: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #3230 // Taerom Makes Additional Ankheg Armor (Icendoan/grogerson): Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #3263 // Recoverable ammunition -> 100% chance to recover after a successful hit: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #3273 // Recoverable throwing weapons -> 100% chance to recover after a successful hit: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #4000 // Adjust Evil joinable NPC reaction rolls: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #4010 // Improved Fate Spirit Summoning: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #4020 // ToB-Style NPCs: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #4031 // Consistent Stats: Edwin -> Use BG2 Values: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #4041 // Consistent Stats: Jaheira -> Use BG2 Values: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #4050 // Change Jaheira to Neutral Good: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #4061 // Consistent Stats: Minsc -> Use BG2 Values: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #4071 // Consistent Stats: Viconia -> Use BG2 Values: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #4080 // Make Khalid a Fighter-Mage (Domi): Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #4100 // Change Korgan to Neutral Evil: Beta 5
~CDTWEAKS/SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2291 // Alter Druid Spell and Level Progression Tables -> No Level Progression Changes, PnP Druid/Cleric Spell Table Only: Beta 5
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #100 // Restore innate infravision to Half-Orc characters: v4.50
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #101 // Prevent skeletal and incorporeal undead from being affected by Illithids' Devour Brain attack: v4.50
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #102 // Change Spiritual Hammer into a ranged force weapon: v4.50
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #103 // Allow Dispel/Remove Magic to take down Globes of Invulnerability: v4.50
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #104 // PnP Color Spray: v4.50
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #105 // PnP Dimension Door: v4.50
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #110 // Magical arrows and bolts deal bonus damage equal to their enchantment level: v4.50
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #115 // Allow Mages to scribe memorized spells onto scrolls -> Scrolls can be scribed everywhere: v4.50
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #120 // Restore innate disease immunity to Paladins: v4.50
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #125 // Rangers' Animal Empathy improves with experience: v4.50
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #130 // Additional racial traits for Dwarves: v4.50
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #140 // Additional racial traits for Gnomes: v4.50
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #153 // PnP Fiends -> Give aTweaks scripts to all fiends but do not alter statistics: v4.50
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #155 // Further Revised Fiend Summoning: v4.50
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #200 // Allow Breach to take down Stoneskin effects applied by items: v4.50
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #201 // Instant casting for warrior innates: v4.50
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #202 // Revised Bhaalpowers -> Enhance the Bhaalpowers and standardize their casting time: v4.50
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #218 // Regain Bhaalpowers in ToB: v4.50
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #211 // Make Death Ward protect against Vorpal Hits: v4.50
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #212 // Make alignment detection spells more accurate: v4.50
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #213 // Expanded saving throw bonus tables for Dwarves, Gnomes and Halflings: v4.50
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #270 // Unbiased quest rewards: v4.50
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #220 // Simple Thief script: v4.50
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #230 // Simple Bard script: v4.50
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #239 // Simple Cleric/Paladin script: v4.50
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #324 // Use Icewind Dale's Dimension Door animation -> Fast animation speed, shorter delay between animation start and creature appearance/disappearance: v4.50
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #301 // Change the appearance of Valygar's armor: v4.50
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #302 // Change the appearance of the Robe of Vecna: v4.50
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #310 // Distinctive creature coloring: v4.50
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #315 // Distinctive creature soundsets: v4.50
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #500 // Slightly expanded storage capacity for containers -> Use the recommended storage capacity value (999): v4.50
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #510 // Expanded temple services: v4.50
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #999 // BG2-style icons for aTweaks content: v4.50
~EET_GUI.TP2~ #0 #0 // SoD GUI
~HAERDALISROMANCE/HAERDALISROMANCE.TP2~ #0 #0 // Haer'Dalis Romance (SoA & ToB): v2
~RR/SETUP-RR.TP2~ #0 #5 // Bard High Level Ability revisions: v4.90b1
~EET_TWEAKS/EET_TWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #0 // Teleport spell: 1.3
~EET_TWEAKS/EET_TWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #6 // Adjust XP for Traps, Spells and Lockpicking: 1.3
~EET_TWEAKS/EET_TWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #12 // More bandit scalps: 1.3
~EET_TWEAKS/EET_TWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #13 // Put Sword of Chaos +2 in Sarevok's inventory: 1.3
~EET_TWEAKS/EET_TWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #20 // Disable hostile reaction after charm: 1.3
~EET_TWEAKS/EET_TWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #26 // Add Priest of Tempus kit for Priests: 1.3
~EET_TWEAKS/EET_TWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #30 // PnP spell scroll caster levels: 1.3
~XAN/SETUP-XAN.TP2~ #0 #0 // Xan NPC MOD for Baldur's Gate II: v15
~XAN/SETUP-XAN.TP2~ #0 #1 // Install alternate class for Xan? -> Change Xan's class to Fighter/Mage: v15
~EET_END.TP2~ #0 #0 // Finalise EET (last mod in install order)
Stay tuned for more (I hope haha).
Previous updates at:
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/comment/828067/#Comment_828067
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/comment/828189/#Comment_828189
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/comment/828416/#Comment_828416
I started the session by making sure access to all the liches was easy. Typically I would then use a scroll of PfU to kill those, but my reputation at this stage was only 19 and I decided I couldn't afford to spend any of my 133,000 gold without getting the best possible price
Starting the Unseeing Eye quest, I was a bit taken aback to find a Wandering Horror where I was only expecting some spiders and got stunned by that. Luckily that stun doesn't last long and I saved against stun from 3 follow-up attacks before being able to move again. The beholders and gauth at the bridge were killed by area damage from out of range (acting under haste in order to run away before they could retaliate). Downstairs, a series of summons neutralised the lich before I moved into the beholder hive proper. With my skeleton warriors now up to their full strength the only significant weapon the beholders had against those was the odd death spell and I made quite quick progress. I did make a potentially fatal mistake though when I obviously didn't explore one cave sufficiently thoroughly with the skeleton warriors and, coming back to loot it, had to make a hurried first use of an invisibility potion to put off the waiting beholder. Finally through to the Unseeing Eye a single hit from a skeleton warrior after the use of the Rift Device was enough to put a lid on it for good.
I returned the Device before my poor memory could let me down and then went to get a bit more cash from Gaal and his guards. That helped my bank balance to peak at 176,000 gold. I then intended to go shopping, but unfortunately tried to cast friends just outside the Adventurer's Mart and attracted some Cowled Wizards. Despite being low on spells I decided to fight those and managed to wear their more obvious spells down at the cost of a potion of regeneration. With one of them dead following a PW:stun and 2 more falling to run and shoot tactics I came back to the last one, that had previously been ditched using an invisibility ring. I think his first lot of stoneskins had just run out when this happened.
I've been caught out by maze on numerous occasions in the past where it was my fault, but I had been carefully guarding against it this time and the wizard had never been remotely close to getting in touch range. However, as I've noted before on this thread 'shit happens' when it comes to maze. I think the way the EE treats area transitions is rather odd and possibly something like the whole of the circus tent being treated as a pinpoint allowed the mage to claim he was able to touch me. Of course if I had just killed all the Cowled Wizards immediately after emerging from the dungeon that risk would have been avoided, but where's the fun in that ...
Previous update found here
Next update found here
As we return to our party, a decision has been made on how to proceed. While 30000 is indeed a fine sum, I still feel we are a bit too low level. We need one more major quest under our belt!
But which one? After much trepidation, we settle on: The Unseeing Eye! Granted, there are horrible nasty not-very-nice Beholders to deal with, but our low level should mean we get very few of those spawning, if any, and their smaller cousins the Gauths are indeed annoying, but manageable. There's also a few nice pieces of loot: The Girdle of Fortitude will boost Mazzy's hitpoints by about 20% for 8 hours every day, and the Brawling Hands will improve Minsc's AC by 2. Sounds like a plan to me.
I am however concerned about potential Beholders. To be on the absolutely safe side, I make the decision to invest some of our very hard-earned gold, and purchase 2 Protection from Magic scrolls from Ribald for just shy of 5k. Expensive, but I reckon it'll be worth it; even if we do not need the scrolls for the Unseeing Eye, they'll certainly come in very handy during the Underdark. And I'd rather have them and not need them, than need them and not have them.
Before Beholders, however, we make a quick detour and smash Mencar & co for the Full Plate Mail (goes to Mazzy, dramatically improving her AC) and assorted goodies. Chaos, as is usually the case, wins the day.
Moving as always under Invisibility, we arrive without incident in the Temple district, and initiate the quest.
We leave the more difficult parts of the sewers untouched. Mekrath's sanctum is not invaded, and we give Tarnor and his merry goons a wide berth (mainly due to the elven Mage he keeps around).
We do clear the troll out for Roger, as well as the Rakshasa. The latter is supremely annoying, as all Rakshasas: Even though he only has 4th level spells, he still puts serious hurt on Mazzy before we can take him down. Still, brute force worked on him eventually. We swipe his lovely cloak, and continue further into the sewers.
The regular shadows blocking our path are no problem by now. The two Vampiric Mists prove much more of a nuisance; the first one dies rapidly, but the second one starts the usual tiresome charade of attack, turn invisible instantly, attack, turn invisible, etc... It manages to outlast our two PfNE spells and drains Mazzy of a level. As we are under no time constraint, I indulge in a rest, have Anomen Restore her, and rest again. We speak with Gaal, and move into the lower levels to retrieve half of the Rod.
We get some odd spawns down here. Upon entering, we are beset by 3 Huge Spiders. Yes, the ones worth 270 xp. Poor creatures. Then it's Gibberlings/Mutated Gibberlings, who are equally helpless.
Then we get something to bite down on: Ghasts and Mummies. I had actually anticipated the latter, and so prepared some appropriate Fire spells, although the damage bonus isn't much to write home about.
Past the bridge, we finally run into some Gauths (thankfully no Beholders among them).
Again, we are well-prepared! Minsc has Charm immunity due to Lilarcor, but Mazzy gets a Chaotic Commands applied. Both are then granted Protection from Lightning and Free Action. All the Gauths can do now is spam Cause Serious Wounds, which hurts, but we help our two frontliners with Holy Smite, and the Gauths fall in short order. Note that some Shadows and Shadow Fiends joined the fray, but the Free Action ensures they can't really do anything.
We talk to the Avatar, and head back upstairs, making sure to rest before heading into the Pit of the Faithless (we are low level after all, and there's no rush). Once down there, it turns out that Anomen can, with a bit of luck, explode both Ghasts and Shadow Fiends with his Turn Undead. I abuse this a little, having Anomen invisibly Turning until successful. We are able to tank 3 Mummies at a time without buffs or debuffs, thanks to Mazzy's recently improved AC. Once inside the undead "town", invisible Anomen once again explodes what he can, and terrifies what he can't, ensuring we only have to deal with a few undead at a time. Excellent, we've done very well at conserving our spells for the nastiness that lies ahead!
Alright, we've entered the Beholder lair proper. Jan is sent to scout out the entire thing. We have 1 Gauth defending the first cross section, the usual 6 Blind Priests in the center, 4 Gauths to the south of the priests, 1 Gauth defending the second piece of the Rod, and, much to my dismay, 2 Beholders divided between the two treasure troves to the north and south.
We just charge the first Gauth. It dies quickly without having accomplished much and more importantly, it doesn't call for help. I did however not come all the way here only to ignore treasure! The Beholders must die! Again, we prove cunning beyond measure, having prepared for what can only be described as an Alpha Strike. Jaheira has spent her single L6 spell slot on Harm. We position our entire (invisible... Jan memorizes 3x Invis 10' every rest, it's just such a useful spell!) party around the solitary Beholder at the northern treasure trove in case something goes wrong. Jaheira casts Harm, attacks, and... hits!
That was AWESOME! I am definitely using that again in the Underdark to cut down on the number of Beholders in a group! We steal everything, and move to engage the Blind Priests. A Greater Malison and attendant Chaos does them in easily, although we fail to kill all of them before Chaos wears off, and so take a little damage in the process.
To my great joy, one of the priests drops a Full Plate Mail, which Minsc promptly hogs.
The 4 Gauths to the south are handled as we did the Gauths outside the old temple: Chaotic Commands, Free Action and Protection from Lightning. We need a single healing potion to tide Mazzy over, but otherwise do just fine. Aldain drops a Skull Trap before we engage to even the odds a little.
I was worried about the single Beholder remaining to the south (no more Harm available), but we did fine: 5 Skeleton Warriors killed it off while it didn't do anything in return, having failed its save against Chaos with a Greater Malison beforehand. Surprisingly, it never fired a single ray while confused... this will be helpful to keep in mind during the Underdark for sure.
All 5 Skeleton Warriors still in good shape, we let them clear out the final Gauth defending the Rod. Now we need to think for a moment.
Apparently, SCS Unseeing Eye summons 2 Death Tyrants when you hit him with the Rod. Why, I've no freakin' idea, but them's the shakes. I've no wish whatsoever to tackle Death Tyrants, so I'll just send everyone except Anomen to the exit. Anomen will assemble the Rod, use it on the Unseeing Eye, then run back into the room and cast Sanctuary, sneaking out while our Skeleton Warriors finish the Eye off.
Well, you can guess what happened. Or maybe you can't, because I sure wasn't prepared for it. While the rest of the party waits invisibly by the exit, Anomen assembles the Rod. Attempting to leave, he is intercepted by the Eye, fires the Rod, runs back into the room and casts Sanctuary while our skeletons engage the Eye and actually kill it fairly rapidly. The Eye does have time to summon his Death Tyrants though. Then when Anomen tries to sneak out, the portly buggers are blocking his way, refusing to move!
I'll make a long story short. Sanctuary doesn't last long, so Anomen retreats back into the room while I try to think of what to do. I dig around in the ol' scroll case and find some Fireball scrolls (most of our own spells are gone by now). Alright! Jan can Fireball the Death Tyrants. This should make them chase after him, allowing Anomen to sneak off. Jan can then go invisible and the entire party can leave. Great!
Things do not go according to plan. Jan does fireball the Death Tyrants. However, being Death Tyrants, they apparently know where every party member is at any time, because while one of them starts inching towards Jan, the other one goes after Anomen, even though it has NO WAY of knowing he's in the back room. Sigh. Anomen has no Invisibility potions, no more Sanctuary. I try to move the invisible party in to attempt to nova the Death Tyrant down, but we just can't make it in time, and... Anomen is petrified.
I am mildly upset at this point. However, all is not lost. Jan has 2 Fireball scrolls left, and is leading the second Death Tyrant on a merry chase. He manages to stealth, which throws his pursuer off. Jan returns to the rest of the party, drops another Fireball on the Death Tyrant guarding the passage to Statue-Anomen, and the party throws everything it's got left at the bloody thing. We succeed! Much to my surprise, actually.
And since we have the Ring of Earth Control, we can remedy Anomen's condition immediately! Hooray, hooray, hooray!
We leave the second Death Tyrant to stew in the juice of his own failure, and head back to the Avatar with the Rod. Mazzy gets the lovely +3 shield, further boosting her AC. A rest and a lot of healing later, we tackle the last remnants of the Cult, Gaal being quite a lot less dangerous than I remembered him (the worst he did was Greater Command our Fire Elemental).
We hand in the quest for a massive 7000 gold and Ardulia's Fall, and promptly return to the Copper Coronet.
So, disaster almost struck again, but we beat the odds! Wonder how long we'll be able to do that...
We picked up lots of nice items (Cloak of the Sewers, Girdle of Fortitude, Saving Grace +3, Brawling Hands) and now have 40000 gold, even after we spent 5000 on the scrolls we turned out not to really need.
Aldain is still an L11 Human Conjurer, but inches ever closer to that critical 12th level. When he does hit it, our tactical options will expand substantially: We have many, many level 6 spell scrolls to scribe.
More importantly for now, Anomen made level 11, and Jaheira made level 12. We can now marshal an Aerial Servant and 2 (!) Fire Elementals as needed, or be sneaky and drop out of invisibility by landing 2 Harm! To be continued, certainly.