Illyria's (and Co.) SCS Playthrough (at the mercy of an only moderately skilled player.)

sluckers

Dear Beamdog Forumites,

I have hopefully got this correct in posting a playthrough suggestion here, and through reading the sticky threads gleaned that a playthrough does not need to be 'no-reload' or 'solo', and that through roleplay can be something more creative.

I have beaten the trilogy once, and while playing BG1 has always been a joy for me, BG2 has felt like a chore on subsequent playthroughs. I could never seem to get very far after that first initial run, despite there being so much left to do and see (I was hardly a completionist.)

In what is perhaps a very poorly conceived attempt to 'spruce' things up, I have installed BG1: NPC project and SCS v30.

It has.... not gone well.



You are seeing that correctly. That is Silke demolishing my poor level 4 character with a minor secquencer. The jerk of a thespian even petrified me (but only after casting Hopelessness and adding insult to injury by clubbing me while I was on the ground. A lovely touch of black humour that made me chuckle, then frown), meaning that she is an NPC of considerable levelage and not the conveniently located source of gold/experience she usually is. SCS, it would seem, gets off to a quick start and promises to hold some nasty surprises.

While that image does indeed show my character without a party, be assured that I faced Silke a second time with Imoen, Kivan and Kaigen. In less than a minute the whole lot of us were lying on the ground being clubbed from above. Seriously, Silke was moving between all four of us to spread out the clubbings a bit. It's amazing what you can do while hasted. Funny, but deadly. Maybe I'm the only one who sees humour in that... Illyria was not impressed.

Still, I intend to give it my all. I am sure BG:SCS is not an insurmountable challenge. And while my own skills may be limited, I have an ace up my sleeve.

You.

Now I know (or at least I think) that the big thing around here is to go solo or do a no-reload run, however even contemplating doing that myself makes me laugh and cry at the same time. What I propose instead is to use my considerable power as a godly figure in the life of my character to act as a bridge between you and her. I want you to interact with her (through me) or even help her when she goes wrong (without spoilers), or let her know when she does right, or just be in her corner and enjoy her adventures. Whether she wins or loses there will be after-action reports detailing how battles were won or lost, what worked or didn't. There will be journal entries to keep all apprised of the off-screen portions of the journey. My character, Illyria, is a living, breathing entity, who may even respond to you (again, through me). Obviously, the fourth wall will be broken.


My objectives are:

a) to get better at the game, which can be mind-numbingly opaque and uninformative at times, and hope some of the more experienced players can illuminate some things (the manual sure doesn't. Honestly, it's over 150 pages long and fantastically vague and undetailed about many game mechanics, such as why, when executing an action, does my character stand in one place for two or three seconds before acting, but acting immediately at other times?) I'm no dumby, mind you, but I have only been playing the game since May of this year.
b) to try an Illyria that is not a fighter, fighter thief, beserker thief, beserker mage, beserker, beserker axe-woman, beserker dagger-stabby-lady, beserker or super-beserker... are we noticing a trend here?
c) to have more fun (and hopefully provide a little entertainment in turn.)
d) to experience a bit more variety. Finishing Throne of Bhaal with 5 combat class party members and Imoen turned the final portion of the trilogy into a laughfest. I finished without restarting on normal difficulty, dying few enough times to count on one hand, and beating all bosses on the first encounter. Except Melissan, who I died against during the second round of combat, but then went on to blugdeon to death on the re-load). All this, after the infuriating and punishingly difficult Shadows of Amn.
e) to try out SCS v30 and see if I can handle an install onto BG2.

I used a die to help choose Illyria's character class among other details, and imposed a '10 re-rolls limit' with the highest value chosen from that pool.

This was the result:
*artwork by: Kerem Beyit @ http://kerembeyit.deviantart.com/gallery/

I am pleased. Not super-human, but definitely some noticeable strengths and weaknesses. She got proficiencies in spears and darts. I am considering a no-tomes rule, but will take advice on that matter.

So...

Any opinions from the forum on such a format for a playthrough? Is it a 'been there done that' type of proposal? Not appropriate because it's not 'immersed in the game enough'? Breaking the fourth wall is bad? What say all of you?

Illyria says:

JuliusBorisov

Welcome to the reporting your playthoughs world, @sluckers !

I approve a totemic druid:) Maybe your saw https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/30553/the-tale-of-the-totemic-druid#latest ?;)

You can tell about your run in any way you prefer, there're a lot of people here who enjoy reading about others' runs.

Also, you can continue your run here, or you can participate in the https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/40393/maybe-this-time-no-reload-thread-featuring-sil-and-the-harpers#latest thread.

sluckers

I hadn't seen that thread yet, but it gives me no small amount of hope. I have never played a druid or played with a druid in my party since having Jaheira in my first run through BG (which I didn't finish).

I've not gone far yet, but I'm just trying to get all the roleplay on paper, so to speak.

I'm just going to go ahead and post it and see what happens. Hopefully when I get stuck people will have something to say. First time druid, first time SCS, first time with NPC project. I don't know what to expect so should be fun (I don't want to read too much of the thread you posted, for spoiler reasons, but I hope you did make it through the game.)

Mirage

Hi @sluckers and welcome to the beautiful world of SCS.

I am a new no-reloader, but before that I have finished the game with SCS at its hardest with a full party. My motives were somewhat similar to yours right now.
SCS will make you dig into the game and learn a lot, but it has its price...as you saw even Silke which is a joke in SCS is unforgiving.

I really wait to see how this run will go!
I think it is great you role play it and Illyria seems to have a character, I would like learn more about her.
My only suggestion is to decide what kind of party you want or feels more suitable at any time to accompany Illyria. After that you start to develop your own strategies every time. For example I tend to like having a party of distinct classes because I enjoy complexity, some times works fantastic but some times fails since you need to know a lot about the game.

Good luck during your journey in Faerun!

ps.

sluckers said:

I don't want to read too much of the thread you posted, for spoiler reasons, but I hope you did make it through the game

There are definitely spoilers in there, but both threads are a have-to-read when you finish your run!

sluckers

Illyria (+1): Chapter One (In which we dispense a rather wordy introduction along with character/scene setting, and lay the groundwork for further playthrough adventures.)

At first there was a blissful sense of non-self and void. Then light streaked across the back of my eyelids, followed by a jolt of pain. Only then did I remember that I had a body. I awoke and pushed myself up from the grass, though the soft feel of nature under my hands was small comfort. As if by habit, my first action was to call out for Gorion. Only the chirping of birds and the rustle of leaves answered. How long I had been sleeping, I did not know.

My right arm was still burning with cold from the grazing wound of an arrow, no doubt enchanted with some foul magic. Only after cupping the wound with my hand, the touch confirming its reality, did I remember the events of the night before. Gorion was gone.

Gone. How many times in my life had I wished him to be gone? Now that he had, all I wanted was for him to come back. He had always been a hard man for me to like, but even harder to hate. All I ever wanted was to be able to live, to explore the trees and taste the freedom of being outside Candlekeep's walls, rather than shut away inside like some cherished bauble in need of protection.

But like this? Alone and unprepared, the knowledge of being a marked woman still fresh in my mind? I had no idea what to think. How is one supposed to feel, I wondered, when one grows up under Gorion's stern and fearful protection, only to have those supposedly unfounded fears justified by the single swoop of a sword? The blow had been meant for me, after all, not Gorion.

Sounds. Footfalls on the ground. The birds fell silent.

It was early and the sun was still low, but there was enough light to see the movement of a figure parting the branches of the foliage and striding towards me. I held onto a breath, expecting the worst.

Imoen.

I had thought Gorion left her behind in Candelkeep, but evidently the sprightly woman had her own means of escaping the keep. A pity, really... if I'd known of this skill I would have had her teach it to me long ago. Yet though I always longed to get away from Candlekeep, to leave its cloistered grounds and see the world, the ambush had sullied my long-sought release. That armoured figure had freed me from Gorion's hold, but done so in the most cruelest of ways.

Still, it was good to see a familiar face. I could not help but smile, though I did not feel it as I should have. Imoen's infectious optimism almost never failed to bring me to a happy place, but right now I was in another place all the way down at the other end, as far as the eye could see. Imoen would have a long way to carry me if she were to improve my mood.

First we tended to my wound, then visited the ambush site and buried Gorion's body. No words came, no matter how desperately I wanted to say something, so we stood in silence for a while. After taking the last of his things we set off to the North West, along the Coastway, hoping to find safety. The name of the Friendly Arm Inn sounded endlessly in my head; Still stunned by the armoured figure's attack, I found it impossible to think of anything but Gorion's last instruction. My head, still frozen with shock, just wasn't working.

Any promise of safety, however, was soon dispelled on arrival. A mage by the name of Tarnesh attacked us on the steps and, though we overcame him, and though I drew no small amount of satisfaction from standing my ground, the victory was of the sourest taste. Twice in Candlekeep, and now twice outside the walls; people were trying to kill me and so far no explanation was forthcoming. Without the means to collect my bearings it would only be a matter of time, I reckoned, before the next bounty hunter, or the next or the next after that, would win my head in a fight. I would not be able to hold them off forever.

Khalid and Jaheira—Gorion's friends—were easily found. We talked only briefly, however, for before the conversation had started I had already made up my mind. Speaking with them only confirmed my decision. Imoen questioned by choice to leave without the pair, and Jaheira was rather brusque in her reply, but I could give little reason as to why I wanted to leave. Something stirred inside me, something I was not even sure was my own; It bid me to refuse their help.

The instinct was nameless and without direction, driving me to leave in any way possible. I had, after all, only just escaped Candlekeep's suffocating cloister and Gorion's coddling; The last thing I needed was to trade it for another set of walls and the coddling of his friends.

I did feel some measure of shame for that. Even the mere mention of the old sage's name stabbed at me with a cold pang of guilt. Daring to contemplate why he died in my place would surely make me insane, however. There did not need to be a reason; Gorion had made his choice and it was his to make, but damn his reticence! I could have been so angry with him for dying and taking these matters—which so clearly involved me—with him to the grave.

Now without him, the choice was mine. I would go my own way.

Perhaps, also, I could simply not stand to be around those who spoke of Gorion in glowing terms. Each fawning recollection of another's experience with the man was a reminder of what I did not achieve, nor could I ever now that he was dead. He was wise and kind, of that there was no doubt, but we had always been different. And always that difference had been between us. He tried his hardest to teach me to love his books and scrolls, but man's knowledge was for him, not for me. I preferred the natural world with its more universal lessons. For nature I developed and affinity at an early age, when I would spend whole days at the top of the keep overlooking the wilds, wondering what lay beyond, or scanning the edge of the surrounding forest for the animals that lived there, running free in their packs and—more importantly—belonging.

The first time I was allowed beyond the walls of the keep—under guard—was a shocking lesson in just how attuned with the natural world I was. I understood it... there is no purer or simpler explanation that that. I [i]understood[/i] it. I astounded myself with how much I had learned by merely watching the animals from my vantage on the outer walls. Before long the wolves were eating out of my hands, when they weren't being chased off by the guards, of course.

Still, they came back. They sought out my presence, and I them. I was not fast enough to run with the pack, but still I tried. I learned how to approach the bears of the forest and run my hands through their soft fur coats, to dig the tips of my fingers down towards the skin and feel the raw muscle and power seething underneath. The sight of a slithering snake could make me twitch with an instinctual desire to imitate, to escape my chains and be who I really wanted to be. Snakes were so elegant and marvelously dextrous; by comparison my human body was so clumsy and frustrating.

Gorion, ever the implacable protector, would of course never allow such sojourns to last. His watchfulness bordered on obsessive. I would stew and argue when he came to get me, and the wet burn of tears would fill my eyes when he carried me back onto the grounds and closed the gate, cutting me off from the endless and verdant green beyond. Such a strange thing to have one's father and teacher, the kindest and wisest of souls, share the role of one's jailer.

I could name a thousand blissful memories of my time with him. I can conjure the remembered warmth of his arms around me, the soft feathery touch of his hand on my cheek when I was hurt, the scent of his favourite meal and therefore my own, the incredible feeling of illumination when he taught me something I did not know and I hung onto his every word. There were a thousand million small memories and impressions that added up to a whole like no other, one that would forever stand apart and above anyone I would ever meet. Yet there had always been so much anger, as well. What was it abut me, I wondered, that he hated so much? Why did act as though I required so much hiding?

Had I shamed him?

By the Mother, if I tried to figure this one out I would surely become mad. It was time to put it all out of my mind, at least for now.

Imoen and I elected to journey south to Beregost, where Firebeard Elvenhair lived. Imoen was more than a little enamoured with Tarnesh's scroll book, and lacking the skills to reign her in I thought perhaps Firebeard might help her learn magic without burning down a tree or a castle. Foisting her on the old mage would give me time to venture away for a while and wrap the cloak of the forest around me like a shield. Perhaps there I could heal and collect myself in the warm embrace of the Mother. Only after, did it seem, would I know what to do.

Imoen and I agreed that I would return in one week. It took some convincing, but I needed some time alone. I promised to return for her; That was absolutely true, even if she did have her doubts. The armoured figure who attacked Gorion and demanded my head was obviously someone of considerable power. He would be coming, one way or another, and I was no good a thief. I would need all the talents I could muster when our paths crossed again. She worried for me and found it difficult to accept that I might very well survive on my own.

In trying to assuage her fears I did something most unusual.

I told her I was 'not alone'.

The epiphany was a certain one, though I could not explain it, nor did I fully appreciate its significance. But it was true. I could [i]feel[/i] it.

Beregost was just another dirty stinking town, but I did delay my journey to perform a task for a rather dour mercenary named Kaigen. He was looking for a caravan and I agreed to help, but when we found it and dispatched some bandits it became apparent that he had failed in his responsibilities and would be a wanted man. That common ground as a basis for a relationship, so I agreed to return for him in Beregost when I rejoined with Imoen. Though hardly respectful of the natural world and a bit too inclined towards tunnels and cities, he had a good eye for opportunity and coin, and I had a feeling that I would need a lot of it come the future.

I then took flight, past the Song of the Morning Temple and into the badlands beyond, heeding a nameless and unbidden desire to journey east. The urge was almost not my own, for I had no idea where it came from. Certainly I could find no internal reasoning for it. Its source lay elsewhere.

Amid the rocky spires and swirling sands of that desolate wilderness I was beset by Bassilisks, and narrowly escaped being petrified. It was the timely intervention of an unlikely ally that saved me, a ghoul, of all creatures, named Korax. Though wary, something told me I should accept his aid, and for his part he was true to his word. With a swoop of his clawed hand he could stop a Bassilisk in its tracks.

It was getting dark and I was fatigued—I needed to make camp, though surely no sleep would come unless a patrol could be carried out and any Bassilisks cleared out or chased away. I must say that it was a most unnatural task for me, to go about clearing the wild of such beasts. Beasts they may be, but children of mother nature they still were. Korax, now he was a creature of unnatural creation. My own thoughts told me I should strike him down and release him, but something stayed my hand. Again, that nameless and unbidden urge, that feeling that I was not alone. Something was holding sway over me, and under its direction Korax and I continued forth.

Around dusk we encountered a wizard of the most deranged sort. Mutamin, he was named. Coming upon him by accident he immediately turned and attacked us. With a common enemy now out for our heads, Korax and I were a team of the purest sort. Ghoul or not, circumstances made us friends. All doubt vanished.

Mutamin was a most wiley fiend, the way he darted in and out of view with incredible speed, remaining only long enough to loose a spell or missile at I or my ghoulish friend. The commotion attracted Bassilisks from around the area, and before long Korax had his hands full, alternating attacks between four Bassilisks to keep them frozen in place. Even the undead can be strained, it seemed.

This left me alone to deal with the mad gnome. Panicking, terrified that I might be returning to the soil sooner than expected, I unwittingly summoned forth the spirit of a lionness, so desparate were my calls to nature. The spirit chased the gnome down and clawed him to pieces, though not before Korax fell to his wounds and the Bassilisks came unfrozen.

I was lucky, to say the least, that their gazes proved as ineffectual on the spirit as they had been on Korax. I retreated from the field, thankful for mother nature's help in keeping me from harm, while the lioness handily dispatched the eight-legged beasts with ease. When they were gone, the spirit vanished as quickly at it appeared, and an impression of safety came over me. I could not or should not have known, but The Other—the name I had given to the unknown guidance—told me that it was time to rest, and that I could do so in relative safety. The immediate area was clear, for one night at least.

But I refused.

Well now, it seemed I was no mere puppet at least. Righteously indignant at having been dragged so far afield, I opposed The Other for the mere sake of it, relieved to know that I still had my freedom. I would not merely be a pawn in some nameless force's cruel joke. What had been the point of leading me out here, I tried asking. The Other gave no response, so I put it out of my mind and set myself to another task.

Korax was buried at dusk; I placed a small cairn to mark his place and kept vigil into the night. I did not know why I should feel so much for the ghoul, the unnatural creature that he was. Perhaps there was more to him than it seemed. Ghouls were created from people, after all, so Korax had been a man once. Who he was or what he wanted from life I will never know, but it seemed that he was unliving proof that one can overcome their circumstances. For a short time, at least, he had been a man again. If he could break free of his ghoulish impulses to provide aid to a traveler in need... then perhaps my own troubles were not as insurmountable as they seemed.

I acknowledged the lesson and bade him farewell.

We are all only visitors to this place. We come to this world—are born—so that we might live, grow and love... and then we return home. Korax was home, now, and I was glad for him. Someday I would return home as well, but because of him and the lioness, that would not happen today.

No thanks goes to The Other. Was it pleased with what it had put me through? I had a feeling that it would be as tight-lipped as Gorion and forever keep me in the dark.

Eventually sleep did take hold, and when I awoke the next morning I felt calm, almost serene. The shock of the previous battle had strained me, but it had also trained me. I had discovered that my connection with the natural world went far deeper than I previously knew, and that I was capable of calling upon its power. Experimenting, I discovered that I could summon creatures to this waste that had no earthly business there. Through my respect for nature I could give them commands, commands that they would heed. I was worthy, so it seemed. I looked forward to practicing and developing these talents, and when I felt the unbidden impulse to trek forward, I knew that The Other had returned.

And was that... smug satisfaction?

I huffed and thought back a churlish taunt. I hoped it could hear me, and that this presence I could feel was not merely a one way connection.

Though I suppose I must give The Other some credit. This aimless trek into the wastes had not been so aimless after all. I had the distinct feeling that this 'Other' was not a nuisance, but an ally, guiding me to find a direction for myself. And in a strange way I sensed the glimmer of an emotion, very briefly, that reminded me of better times with Gorion. It was a feeling most... supportive.

I sensed that The Other would be there for me, should I fall.

The presence then disappeared, leaving me to make my own decision.

Where would I go, I wondered. I quickly realized that I could go anywhere I preferred. I was filled with the quiet strength of confidence, of having been tried and tested... and proven.

I ventured on, and I was no longer afraid.

sluckers

***NOTE: future posts will be shorter and more 'playthrough' like.

Illyria (+1): Chapter 2 (in which we clear the Naskel mine, finish Chapter 2 and learn something new about Illyria's connection with 'The Other')

I would hear no more from The Other for quite some time, long enough that I would travel the whole of the coast between Beregost and the Friendly Arm without feeling a thought or a word. In that time I assisted a ranger named Gerde in culling ankhegs from a farm north of the Friendly Arm, mindful to preserve the balance and not exceed the quota, then performed some minor tasks around there that, while insignificant, helped me become more familiar with the wild and the cities of the region. I quickly adopted a feeling of tentative worldliness, and felt confident enough to journey far afield of the Coastway and to the coast south of Candlekeep, where I could inhale the salt in the air rising up the cliffs from the crashing waves below.

As promised, I returned for Imoen and Kaigen at the appointed time. Together we left Beregost behind and moved south to Nashkel, where we met a most endearing man by the name of Minsc. He was perhaps not the sharpest block of cheese in the pantry, but he had a relationship with a hamster that I could not help but admire. Though personally I might have chosen a different animal spirit, a hamster has its place in nature as does any other beast. If that is the animal companion Minsc chooses, then none can fault him. Only Minsc can decide.

Better still, Minsc requested that we accompany him to the west on a mission of rescue. Though the issue had nothing to do with me, personally, it helped provide our nascent band of travelers with direction until we could find our feet. While threading our way through the Cloudpeaks we helped a Dryad protect her tree from a pair of dimwitted and terribly greedy thugs, then penetrated the gnoll stronghold and rescued Dynaheir from her prison.

Sure enough, another opportunity presented itself. Nothing can be accomplished by sitting around a tavern, and taking up quests and jobs was important for its own sake, as only through traveling and taking in new experiences would we ever cross the threads of influence created by larger and more important happenings. Bolstered by Minsc and Dynaheir, we turned back for Naskel. For our entire journey into the west and back our weapons kept breaking, and we decided to find out why.

On the way we stopped at the Nashkel Carnival to stock up and procure some trinkets. I myself took a liking to a particular necklace called 'The One Gift Lost'. I was also able to finally identify some of the strange objects I'd found during my wanderings, namely a curious ring found glittering in the dirt under a tree near the Friendly Arm. We also 'rescued' a woman named Branwen, and in gratitude she pledged herself to our group.

I was quickly finding my place in the world, now that I had a pack of like-minded individuals with whom I could run and, more importantly, belong. The fears of the previous week were being forgotten and I was more confident by the day and, I dare say, happier than I had been in recent memory. This was especially so during clear nights under the stars, where the six of us would huddle round the camp fire while Imoen sang traveling songs and Minsc related tales of daring and heroism to his animal friend. The presence of so many individuals kept the mind busy and on its feet.

After departing the carnival we made our way to the Nashkel mines and gained entry. In spite of the Nashkel villagers' desperation that the situation be resolved, the Mine Master had evidently not received any notice from Berrun Ghastkill, the town's mayor. He was remarkably ungrateful for someone in need of aid, though he did grudgingly allow us entry after a brief conversation. The miners, for their part, were more enthused with our arrival.

Once inside there was little sign of trouble... at first. Kaigen warned us that the place smelled of Kolbold. That wasn't so bad, I told him. It was better than fighting demons.

As we penetrated deeper the Kolbolds made their appearance, but were of little concern. Minsc and Kaigen proved very adept at overcoming them with axe and greatsword.

Things became more difficult in the lower levels. Many of the yipping rat-dogs employed poison, which was unexpected, and the party suffered some harsh wounds. I wondered if we had brought enough antidote. Purchased only as a precaution, none of us had expected to consume so much of it.

Still, we pressed on. Our weapons broke, but this time we had extras. Minsc's strength allowed us to carry plenty of supplies. I felt slightly bad about imposing such a weight on him, but he shouldered it well and even suggested that it helped him put more force behind the toes of his boots—or as he called them, his 'Cornholers'.

Dynaheir proved especially adept at disposing of some of the larger Kolbold groups. With a single jet of flame she could eliminate half a dozen or more of the pests.

Things came to a head at the bottom of the mine, where we encountered a half-orc priest by the name of Mulahey. In his surprise he spilled the name of his superior, Tazok, and mistook us for agents sent by his employers. We used the opportunity to investigate his makeshift Throne room.

He soon turned on us, however, when his mind finally caught up to what was happening. But by then we had surrounded him. We attacked as soon as he turned on us, and I summoned the spirits of a Woodland Nymph and a mighty Bear to aid us in rectifying the blight against nature this mine had become.

Mines and towns are not artificial, but natural products of nature's children. Is not a town akin to a termite mound, or a mine to an ant colony? The Nashkel Mine was no different, or had not been until the Iron Crisis in any case. Nature was willing to give so long as there was a reasonable benefit, and so long as her children did not take too much. Iron being so vital for her human creations, such exploitation was tolerable to a point. Mulahey's spoiling of the iron, however, threatened the balance. Nature was being forced to give up her ores and suffer the wounds of the mine without any appreciable benefit to her children, and to that end Mulahey was perpetrating a great crime. My pulse quickened and blood boiled, readying me to serve nature's benefit.

Mulahey would give back to the Mother with his own life.

And yet, while initially we believed we had the half-orc criminal cornered, we were surprised when he summoned a surprisingly large force to his aid. Kaigen, Minsc and Branwen were forced to turn their attention away from the priest and hold them at bay.

Imoen, Dynaheir and I focused our attention on the priest, fighting him with spell and arrow. The half-orc attempted to summon forth his dark powers and send us into disarray, but our bombardment was enough to break his concentration. He lost his spells, and the heavy pounding of my spirit bear was enough to shatter him entirely, sending him into a panic.

Things were getting out of hand, however. The wave of kolbold and skeleton reinforcements crashed against our wall of melee fighters, but they were still in reach of our mage. Dynaheir was dangerously wounded. To save her, I used a charge from my 'One Gift Lost' amulet.

The battle ended moments later, the great roar of fire giving way to almost unreal silence, punctuated by the soft patter of water dripping through the rock.

Clues from Mulahey's chest pointed us back in the direction of Beregost, where a man called Tranzig could be found. Branwen let out a shriek of angered recognition; This was the man who had trapped her in stone.

To the North we went.

A most peculiar event happened on the way out of the mine.

The mine was home to many tight spaces, which made movement difficult at times. A smaller group would have been weaker, but better able to navigate the narrow mine passages.

I suppose I cannot fault the party for wanting to rush to an exit. Even I felt ill at ease in the dark mine, so far below the ground where nature's green could not penetrate. Not even the roots of the trees could travel this deep. This was more a place for Kaigen than for me... perhaps that is why he unexpectedly stopped on the middle of the bridge, inhaling the cool damp air, relishing the atmosphere of the underground and completely oblivious to those behind him.

The Other returned. I felt it stir with annoyance. My comrades began to speak in strange voices, naming a person of whom I'd never heard.

A hallucination? I felt an intense feeling of deja-vu, as though a such a situation had happened before. Yet I had no memory of such an event...

This was The Other's memory.

I do hope that in the future I come to better understand this presence. I am not comfortable with being a mere vessel for some divine entity. It might even be possible to cast it out, somehow.

I did, at least, understand the meaning behind the alien details of the vision: Annoyance and frustration, mixed with a minor lesson about the challenges of traveling with a sizeable party.

When it all passed I inquired into what it was my comrades were saying, but none seemed to have any inkling what I was talking about. They began casting strange looks my way.

The experience had been mine alone. Very odd...

Such minor troubles could be addressed in good time, however. For now: To Beregost.

sluckers

Sluckers SCS Commentary:

So... not far into the game yet. Only the end of chapter two. Writing doesn't take me long, it comes pretty easy to me, but I don't get muh time with the game. An hour or two here and there.

Some things I've noticed about SCS:

1. More poison. Oh god, the poison! Also Kolbold guards, who are a bit tougher than their counterparts.

2. Mages love the 'Sleep' spell. In an encounter with Zordral, Illyria was the only party member to save against his opening sleep spell. Somehow, in spite of hitting him repeatedly, he did not lose his casting. He also saved against everything I threw at him for three or four rounds. An unusually lengthy yet easy fight.

The upside? He couldn't do much damage to me, given that Illyria had a meatshield of high HP sleeping bodies around her.

3. Mulahey's summoned force of kolbolds is larger than I remember, unless I am simply remembering incorrectly.

4. Everyone with a bow likes to shoot your mage.

5. Overall not really much of a change in difficulty. I did not install all of the SCS options, but I did install most of them. I suspect they will kick in soon, as the main plot progresses and we actually start figthing some battles. I've seen from other playthrough threads that a WEIDU log can be posted, so I will have to see how I can do that. There's probably a notepad file somewhere, I assume? I'll look into it so you all can see what I'm playing.

JuliusBorisov

A good progress from Illyria! Keep up the good work! Don't hesitate to mix future posts that are 'playthrough'-like and more RP-related

As for the Weidu-log, open a WeiDU file located somewhere like C:\Program Files\Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition\Data\00766 with a text-editor.

sluckers

~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 #2120 // Slightly weaken insect plague spells, and let fire shields block them: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #2150 // Make spell sequencers, spell triggers, and contingencies learnable by all mages: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #3000 // Replace BG1-style elemental arrows with BG2 versions: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #3030 // Re-introduce potions of extra-healing: 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 #4040 // Make party members less likely to die irreversibly: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #4110 // Allow NPC pairs to separate: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #4130 // Move NPCs to more convenient locations: 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 #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 #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 #6032 // Smarter Mages -> Mages never cast short-duration spells instantly at start of combat: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #6042 // Smarter Priests -> Priests never cast short-duration spells instantly at start of combat: 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 #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 #7090 // Improved Cloakwood Druids: v30
~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #7110 // Improved Drasus party: 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 #7900 // Improved minor encounters: v30

Here is the Weidu log. I am slightly worried, as I do not see the mod installs for Chapter 6 and 7. I was pretty sure there was one for the Candlekeep catacombs as well as the final battle with Sarevok, unless I'm just not recognizing it.

My computer went to sleep twice while installing the mod and may even have shut down during the night. Is it possible it cut off part of the install, I wonder? Having to restart would be a pain...

JuliusBorisov

@sluckers : you can uninstall or install the whole mod or each of its components any time you wish, without restarting.

Mirage

bengoshi said:

@sluckers : you can uninstall or install the whole mod or each of its components any time you wish, without restarting.

Indeed, I don't know if this is your whole weidu log, but normally SCS is the last mod to install with the exception of atweaks. If SCS is indeed the last mod you installed, I think you can safely install the improved last chapter fights (don't forget the improved final battle).

Very nice playthrough, keep it up!
You will soon encounter higher level opponents which will make your life hard. SCS will check at the start of the fight your party members, find their vulnerabilities and kill you. You have to be prepared for every fight!

sluckers

Went through another install of SCS. Couldn't find a another weidu log (no numbered files in data, only one is in the main game folder titled 'Weidu Log'. Several of the mods not listed in that log were still installed however (as in, did not offer a choice to install/not-install, but 're-install/no-change'). Oddly enough the final battle had not been modded and that was one I really wanted to do. It is installed now at least.

In any case, I wanted to post the Weidu log in case anyone had advice for my playthrough. I id not install item or spell tweaks. Only just familiar enough with game spells/items as it is, so making changes was not preferrable. Also have never done the underground bit of Durlag's tower, or the cultists, so no changes there. I thought whether or not spell tweaks were installed would change any potential advice received, should the time come when I need it.

And ya.... REALLY feeling SCS now. I've been through the Bandit Camp (victorious disaster) and I'm now about to enter the Cloakwood Mine (Drasus part was much improved, which really shook things up). I am definitely learning some new things and getting the hang of Illyria's 'druid' form.

The level one spell 'Doom' is becoming my best friend, particularly as a way-paver for 'Hold' or 'Charm'. Charm especially has been super super important at knocking out at least one member of these high level groups we've been encountering.

Will update soon.

sluckers

We have been attacked, over and over. The threats on my life, and the lives of those around me, have made the decision for us. We must destroy the bandits and their superiors.

Using documents obtained from Mulahey's chest we travelled to Beregost. On the way an Assassin called Nimbul attacked us outside the Nashkel Inn, and another called Neira inside. Soon after that we were waylaid by a group of Amazons on the coastway. All of them carried papers and letters bearing my name, along with a price. Nimbul's letter also firmly connected these attacks to Mulahey's superiors; there is no doubt that the iron crisis and the attempts on my life draw from the same source.

My life had once again become one long emergency.

Yet unlike before I was calm. Before me the avenues of choice diminished to a single path. There was no room for doubt. I needed only to prove to myself that I could travel that path laid out ahead of me and emerge out the other side.

Then I would be free.

There was no more contact from 'The Other', even as things became worse during our passage north.

The group lessened when Kaigen felt we were becoming too well known; He left so that he could lay low elsewhere. THen Dynaheir was killed during the Amazonian attack; This caused Minsc to fly into a rage and threaten the party, almost turning those of us who remained against him. Yet at the last he pulled back from the brink and returned to us as the cheerfully reckless and exuberant man that he is.

We carried Dynaheir back to the temple of Helm in Nashkel, but by then she had expired and could not be revived. Forgetting Beregost for the moment, we made for the coast so that we could bury her on the cliffs overlooking the sea. Perhaps now, at least, her spirit could set sail upon the constant breeze and find its way back to Rashamen, so far away.

Minsc swore himself to me, desparate to reclaim some meaning in his life. So far from home and overcome by Dynaheir's death, he latched onto the only thing remaining in his life: Me. Boo decreed it so, he said, and Boo was wise so he must listen.

I made a mental note to keep his oath from going to my head, even as it made me smile. It is good to have friends.

At Beregost we had more violent encounters. Tranzig, Karlat, Silke. Names of the departed only, now. Assassins, crooks or whoever, there seemed no end to the scheming. It had to stop. Unless I take matters into my own hands the walls will close tight around me and snuff me out.

All things still felt possible, though. One by one those who tried to dispose of us were cast aside. Our group was a mighty caravan without a man at the reigns, tossing all opposition aside or crushing it under its wheels.

It was only to be expected that we should crash. Nature is a balance of all things, including ups and downs.

When we eventually found this 'Tazok'—he whose name appeared so often in the letters found on the bodies of those after my head—we very nearly also found our deaths.

But we held.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sluckers Battle Report: The Bandit Camp

With a little guile Illyria managed to bluff her way into the bandit's good graces. You've all done it before, I'm sure. Insulting evil people always makes them respect you, rather than want to kill you. 100% guaranteed.

I must apologize for some of these screenshots. My computer won't take them unless the game is on minimum zoom (something to do with resolution?), but that's a little too far out for a screenshot. Everything is so small.

So I have to window the game in order to take a screenshot, but by windowing the game I have to sacrifice scrolling, which then only becomes possible using the arrow keys. This is awkward. So there are sometimes lapses as I go in and out of windows. I will try and fill in the gaps as best I can.

Anyway, here's a brief summary of the Bandit Camp battle that very nearly resulted in Illyria dying for the first time.

So we're about 2 or 3 rounds into the battle, here... maybe. I wasn't counting. As you can see Britik is glowing. This is because Garrick zapped him with a wand of paralyzation. By this time Illyria had already opened the battle with a pair of 'Doom Bursts'. Venkt and Raemon are already paralyzed, having been the first targets for doom/para-wanding. Especially Venkt. He was the first on the whole party's hit list. Mages are always first. We don't like mages. They burn and zap and do all kinds of nasty things.

At this point I still really wasn't using Illyria very well. She was spending a lot of time clubbing things, which is really more of a 'fighter' attitude. I was finding it difficult to shed old habits (being a habitual berserker). This was probably the first real battle where she—and I as a druid player—were kinda sorta maybe coming into our own.

In this picture we see Illyria casting heal, but before this she'd been casting 'Doom' and was about to get out a Spirit Animal. This is pretty much the standard procedure I've developed for her. Objective One: reduce opposition with doom, charm or party enhancing spells. Objective 2: get out a spirit animal. Not necessarily in that order, but as circumstances dictate.

In this situation I probably should have prioritized a spirit animal, because Illyria almost died and only barely got out that heal spell in time. I'm honestly not sure if I would or wouldn't have gotten three perfect paralyzations in a row without doom, as I can't see what the enemies are rolling and whether or not that minus 2 really made a difference. Doom can only help though, that much is certain. Still, seeing as the spirit bear can panic enemies, and the wolf can hold them in place—and since both can soak up damage—I probably should have done them first. They could have helped out had one of the bosses here made their save and kept fighting.

We now see the party taking a lot of damage. Hitpoints aren't very high, so really they've only taken a hit or two each. Everyone is level 3 or 4 except for Illyria and Rasaad, who joined at level 6 to be on par with her. Minsc only has 33 hitpoints and was the most robust NPC up to then. Rasaad has 40.

We also see Illyria's spirit animal about to come out of the gate. She's done it! These things take time, I guess. I've found it really important to use the other NPCs to buy her some time. Rasaad was on sleep-wand duty, and Garrick on para-wandimajig. Together they can eliminate up to half of the enemies we face, depending on level. Minsc was dual-wielding maces and keeping whoever made their saves at bay, while Imoen hung back and provided that little extra bit of damage with her arrows. Not much more for her to do than that, being a thief. She had no skill in hiding and no invisi-potions.... so her backstabbing talents were going to waste.

We have a bear! Just in time for all the active enemies to already be dead. By the time the spirit bear is out everyone is either asleep or held. A bit of a waste, I guess.

I would find myself wishing that summoned animals could follow the party through doors in just a few moments.

Again, since I have to window the game to take a screenshot, and since I got caught up in the battle, I took a picture too late. Taugoz is already dead, having been paralyzed and beaten to a pulp by Rasaad and Minsc's boots. Already I'm noticing the effect of the enhanced 'Calls for Help'. It's almost as if the entire bandit camp is converging on her location.

Okay... okay... Illyria can handle this. That's what the 'One Gift Lost' is for, since enemies have the very helpful tendency to form dense groups.

More bandits. It's still good, it's still good... right?

Hmmmmm... Maybe the whole bandit camp IS converging on her... suddenly Illyria finds herself surrounded by arrow toting enemies who need two fireballs to die. We have only 1 necklace of missiles, and more importantly, only 1 exit. Ya, that's not good.

I like Illyria. She has mutliple personalities. Good or bad or in between. In the beginning she showed her Neutral Good Fighter side (a bit goody-two-shoes one-dimensional). In her Chaotic Nuetral ----> Evil Fighter/Cleric form, she was a bit of a jerk (but totally badass). Okay, maybe I enjoyed that facet of her a bit more than I want to admit.... But in her Druid form she's really starting to express some nuance. It's endearing, it's charming... why, you might even call this side of her likeable.

It pains me to see this likeable incarnation of Illyria in trouble. I sent her a very very very very important broadcast.

And she did. She and the Party batted out of there faster than Meatloaf out of hell. No stopping for anything. No healing, no covering tactics. JUST RUNNING. She just barely made it back to the friendly arm inn. As you can see from this image, it was close.

Soooooooo... THIS is SCS. It's been more or less a cakewalk so far, but now it's gone 0-100 in the blink of an eye.

And I continued to learn valuable lessons about Illyria. She's a spell caster. Don't put the One Gift Lost on your caster. In a high-pressure situation like the one she just went through, it forces you to choose between casting spells, or using equipment abilities. And you can only do one at a time.

Imoen would wear the necklace from this point, seeing as she was the party bow woman and had the most flexibility.

More RP and battle reports to come. Have fought my way through the cloakwood and all the way to Davaeorn. There, Illyria meets her first 'End'.

Probably the first of many. Luckily, this 'Other' of hers is there to catch her and save her from the abyss, and she learns the true benefit of having its favour.

sluckers

Success!

Eventually...

After a short reprieve at the Friendly Arm we rejoined with Branwen, the story of our harrowing escape filling her with the promise of a fine battle to come. Made whole again, the party and I returned to the bandit camp and put it to the torch.

The forest was filled with screams and death rattles, and for a moment I was a force of nature, the bodies of her slain enemies piled high before me. As the bandits fell under our swords and hammers I almost lost myself, so elated and high I was on the rushing wave of battle. All sense of who I was or why I came vanished from thought, and I was a harbinger, dark and pure and unstoppable. The visceral power rushed up from deep within and I was transformed.

The sight of so much blood soaking into the soil at my feet was a beautiful sight; How had I never seen this before? So much death! So much death! The perfection of death, so pure and final. Glorious.

When the last dart had flown from my fingers I killed the last of them with my bare hands, blood pounding in my ears, every part of me singing with joy as I dug my thumbs into his neck and watched the glaze cover his eyes before they finally stilled. I was so caught up in the moment and the joy of killing that the battle disappeared around me, the entire world tipping over a black horizon until it was out of sight, the only even I and the man under the choke of my hands. But the sound, I could still hear the sound of battle like music. I sizzled with raw energy and power amid the battle cries of my comrades and the deep gutteral roars of my spirit animals, their claws rending armour and flesh like soft butter. I laughed, oh how I laughed, as the giggling of Woodland Nymphs filled the air, the screeching cries of our victims rising in response. And oh, how I was glad, to hear Branwen's courageous exultations followed by the crackling blow of her Ashideena.

I did not know when the battle ended, only that Minsc and Rasaad together were required to pull me away from the man in my grasp. I resisted them with a strength I never knew I had, eager to burrow my fingers deeper into his neck, to watch the warm sweet ichor of his blood drip through my fingers and colour the skin.

Coming away from that was like a bad dream. Why could I not be like that forever? I've had enough of watching my back. If I could always be like that I would never have to fear anything ever again.

It was only the next morning, when we awoke back at the Friendly Arm after a night of good drink, did I stop to reflect on what I'd done.

It wasn't me.

Nor was it The Other. It was too benevolent for that. The Other was more interested in the adventure of my life, in providing well-timed aid so that I might go on and carry it with me through to the next adventure. I did not know yet what it wanted... only that it wanted itself—wanted me—to keep going on. It wanted to see this through to the end, to keep playing the game of my life. The Other took part in my story, but not the details of killing. From what I could glean it had no opinion one way or another about that, and contrary to the dark urges that had welled up from the depths of my soul, it was more distant and focused on the horizon. What little I did know suggested it had a bird's eye view of things and dealt with grander schemes... somewhat like a God, though not quite. It cared more than a God ever would.

No, this killer instinct had been something else. Thoughtless and almost relentless, and most certainly focused on the moment. It had come from somewhere else...

What am I, a committee? Is my soul governed in the same way the Grand Dukes rule Baldur's Gate? I never agreed to share myself with such things.

I spent that morning in quiet brooding, trying to hide my embarrassment. I still, frankly, did not know exactly what about that battle I felt was so wrong. Surely we had done good. The roads would be safer now, and the people of the Sword Coast would once again be free—or relatively more so—to enjoy nature's beauty as it was meant to be.

And what was worse, the praise or the silence? Both Minsc and Branwen hailed what they saw as a courageous battle spirit. Rasaad, on the other hand, treated me with a quiet caution that befitted him; he would say nothing directly. The monk always gave much thought to his every move and exercised himself with a commendable discipline. I should be thankful for that; of everyone he's the least likely to make comments and provide unsolicited advice, and most likely to allow me the opportunity to settle my own issues.

As for Imoen, she spoke of it with a cheerfulness that belied her true worries. The moniker 'The Beast' passed around the table over a few pints of ale the previous night, though thankfully her attempt to brand me with the nickname did not catch on. Everyone had been too drunk to remember, and Rasaad had been away meditating.

Of all of them her opinion means the most. I sensed somehow that it had been shaken. If our friendship had not suffered—it is doubtful if Imoen would let it—then at the very least she had begun to realize that perhaps she did not know me as well as she thought.

I'm beginning to think that I do not even know myself.

Our next target was the Cloakwood, and before setting off I stole away to wander the grounds outside the Inn, cherishing the feel of soft grass between my toes. It helped me to feel more natural, more myself. Nature worked without pretention, instead of building walls and keeps and towers and schemes to stand apart and rise above.

I lay down a while under a great oak tree and ran my fingers through the dirt, scratched an itch at my back on the bark, inhaled the earthy smells of dirt and leaf and wind. Before long a wolf slunk out of the forest and sniffed at my face. As I rubbed at his ears, a brown bear followed. They did not care who I was, or what problems I had. They did not judge; They only healed and responded to me with a wordless acceptance. They stayed with me and said nothing, which was perhaps what I needed more than anything.

They stayed until Minsc's loud stomping scattered them away. He emerged from the gates fronting the Inn with a wide smile and an eager twinkle in his eye. Boo was sitting on the palm of an open hand, sniffing the air. Minsc went on about how much Boo liked the forest, about how wonderful it would be that we would be penetrating the cloakwood, bringing light as a ranger should. Boo would know the good life there, he declared, and the mighty Minsc would delight in bringing him to it.

Minsc could rouse the dead on wings of hope, yet for some reason I managed an only halfhearted smile.

He asked me what was wrong and I said that I did not know. Maybe I was just unhappy at having so many enemies, or perhaps what I feared most was actually dealing with them. Or maybe I was truly excited to get the chance to kill them and wash them from my life, and I was scared to admit it. What I did know, at least, was that I feared being carried away on the happenings of some larger political scheme, always being forced to react, flee or give chase... never able to return to my own life because of the incessant, thoughtless, corrosive and greedy actions of others.

Ah, Minsc said, but having many enemies is a great great thing! It is life at it's best, when your only concern is whose ass to kick next. And then they write fun songs about you! What's not to love?

Alright, I had to admit, that sounded rather fun.

As we were walking back to the inn he held Boo out to me.

Feel the soft fuzziness of my hamster, he declared, and be emboldened!

I had never before seen Minsc so open with Boo. Normally the cuddly rodent was tucked safely away in his back or propped upon his high shoulder, beyond the reach of monster and mortal. Most certainly I had never seen Minsc allow anyone to touch the small creature.

I pet Boo, felt the small rodent nuzzle my fingers with his tiny twitching nose, and was touched in return. I asked the hamster if he had any words of encouragement to give, and he squeaked back at me.

The notion that this would be my last conversation with either of them was the farthest thought from my mind.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Sluckers Report: Fighting through the Cloakwood

We enter Chapter 4 with spirits high. Perhaps too high. When we reach the spider infested part of it we suffer another minor catastrophe. We lose Minsc.

SCS hits us as soon as we enter with a quartet of phase spiders. At some point during the battle, someone steps far enough into the map to trigger the first of many web traps. Mincs is the only party member to make his save and rushes forward to clobber the spiders that are already vectoring in on attack.

I hate spiders. Spiders + web trap is just plain deadly. You get poisoned and can do nothing about it but watch yourself die.

Unfortunately I forget that I'm playing SCS here, and that there are calls for help. Though Minsc very easily kills the spiders nearby, the battle attracts 5 ettercaps from just a bit North of our position. If these were just normal enemies Minsc would have had no problem, but ettercaps inject poison and Minsc just didn't have enough antidotes. By the time anyone got out of the web trap to help him, he was dead.

I always hate losing people in the Cloakwood. Unless of course you enjoy walking 16 days in an out of that blasted forest just to go to a temple. In any case, Minsc was dead.

Illyria was rather upset over this. She searched the site of Minsc's death for any sign of Boo, but sadly the rodent could not be found. There was no trace of the tiny defenceless creature. Boo was all alone out there in a big and nasty world.

Nobody survives a 28 hour journey to a temple. Nobody. Minsc was gone, and we carried on.

Bit depressing, really.

Anyway...

Rule #15: Never enter a cave without a few summoned creatures waiting outside for you. If nature won't follow you into a cave, then draw the enemies out to nature. It works rather well.

At this point I'm really taking a liking to Call Woodland Beings. I'm astonished, really, to realize what I was missing out on during my first play through when all I did with these girls was summon them out of battle for the group heal spell. What was I thinking?

They seem a bit fragile, but as long as they have the support of the party they can be wonderfully effective against even major enemies, like assassin parties and bosses. I usually call in a pair of them, and they seem naturally inclined to double up on spells against higher level enemies and thus enhance the chances of success.

I think the Molkar ambush is a good example of how great even level 1 spells are. I've seen a few threads and websites bashing the druid's level 1 and 2 spells, and to be honest I was rather worried that I wouldn't succeed at this class. But after playing it a while I just can't take these arguments seriously anymore. The druid has a fine selection of low level abilities at this point in the game. In this last picture we can see how even a level 1 spell can cause a two person swing in party strengths during an ambush. Just because 'Charm Person' doesn't work on Melissan or in TOB doesn't mean it sucks. And ya, that's pretty much the gist of a few arguments I've been seeing. It seems that anything that doesn't last to the late game SoA or ToB gets branded as crap, which is a pretty ridiculous argument. I'm not playing Throne of Bhaal. All I want are spells that are good for Ch4 BG1. If it's appropriate to the time, level and place you get it, then it's pretty darn good.

Druids also have a nice hybrid of cleric and mage spells. I don't think clerics get charm person, and mages don't get doom. As a cleric I was usually enhancing my own party and clobbering enemies the old fashioned way, but as a druid Illyria takes the 'win hearts and minds' approach by subtracting from their ranks and adding to our own.

Not that Molkar and Drasus are extremely tough fights, mind you. The biggest threat they represent is putting up just enough resistance to make you use up some of your supplies. The cloakwood is a long slog, and running out of stuff can be problematic. Nobody is really selling darts or potions out there. Or maybe I'm the only one with an aversion to turning around in that place, with its lengthy one-way-in one-way-out map routes.

Ah, Drasus. He's such a waste of Boots of Speed. He would have been killer as an archer that could zoom away to open the range and continue pelting you. Maybe I should be glad he isn't. Anyway, I always love killing him and grabbing his boots.

One by one they go down. We just keep hitting the ones weweren't attacking with charm, hold and confusion spells. Illyria did well on this one.

...although I feel I helped a great deal.

Then of course we reach the Cloakwood Mine, as we always do, and fight our way to the bottom level.

SCS Davaeorn is a bit of a step up from vanilla BG, that's for sure.

So right off the bat we're hit with a web/stinking cloud combo. That's bad, so we get the heck out of there as fast as we can and retreat... right into a column of mine guards. The battle horrors aren't far behind, as they deal with our skeletons and spirit animal (I think it was the lion) pretty quick. I was hoping they would last longer and that the battle in the hall would plug it up a bit and keep Davaeorn out of the way for a bit.

Once again, here I am trying to play to Illyria's strengths. She's running around not doing any real combat, but using spells. I'm letting Yeslick and Rasaad handle the battle horrors, with support from Branwen.

A one-two combo of Strength of One and Defensive Harmony put us in, what I thought at the time, a decent position.

One of the battle horrors go down. I was thankful for that. Those guys are tough, a little too tough. I know they need magical weapons to hit, but they seem immune to elemental damage, or at least to electricity. I neglected to activate Rasaad's flaming fists in all the confusion.

They also must have low saves, as I don't recall getting any magic immunity messages from them, but spells didn't seem to have any effect.

Oh look, here comes Davaeorn. Up to this point Imoen had been waiting back from the battle. She was doing stuff, but I dualed her to a mage halfway through cloakwood and she's yet to regain her thief levels. I only realized later that I had miscalculated. She won't need 20000xp to get her thief levels back, she'll need 60000xp. She has to exceed her thief levels with her mage ones, not her thief XP. What was I thinking?

That's not to say she isn't useful, even if I was kicking myself for forgetting all the traps on this level. She's equipped with some blind spells and a few good wands. I'll bring her in when Davaeorn gets close.

There's a lot of stuff flying through the air at this point. Things are starting to get chaotic, but with Davaeorn bearing down on us I try to stay focused and keep the team on the battle horrors and troops while Imoen swoops in with her wand of paralyzation. I can only hope Davaeorn is still doomed, as we hit him with it before he got his globe up. I'm a bit dismayed, though, as this means blindness won't be an option anymore.

I'm pretty sure the wand bypasses the globe of invulnerability. One of Drasus' mages had one up and he could still be hit with it, so I gave it a go with Davaeorn.

Imoen swoops in and fires the wand, but in all the chaos my concentration slipped... I failed to notice the battle horror completely bypass all of my troops and make a bee-line for Illyria. She went down only a few seconds after this picture was taken.

All in all it's a pretty intense battle. If you've an advice, Illyria would love to hear it!

(So would I. In the meantime I'm going to keep trying it).

JuliusBorisov

On no-reload runs, the Davaeorn's fight is the place where I always use a green Protection from Magic scroll. One character under its effect fights Davaeorn while others fight Battle Horrors and coming and coming troops of bandits. @Blackraven uses the similar methods for this fight.

I've enjoyed your storytelling, @sluckers , and it's sad to hear Illyria is gone. But I've learned that the best healing in the case of character's death is rolling the next one.

sluckers

I reloaded and tried again, just at least so I could beat him and see how hard he is.... and this happened.

Davaeorn knocked himself out cold with his own stinking cloud spell. I'm not sure if this is supposed to happen. I assumed he had a save vs. death of 0, because he always just waltzed through on previous attempts. Let it never be said, I guess, that Doom isn't an awesome awesome spell. If he was immune to save vs. death, then Doom must have knocked him up to 2, and he rolled a 1.

It took 6 tries, but I got him.

Though I did not have a green protection from magic scroll, I did have 2 potions of magic blocking, which allowed me to do 2 things. 1. Neutralize Davaeorn with Imoen. 2. Separate the battle horrors away from him and lead them into another room, where Illyria chugged an invisibility potion.

I then held off the troops with my party and summons until the cloud dispersed, killed the battle horrors one at a time and then hunted down Davaeorn and very carefully killed him by clubbing him to death. It wasn't easy. If he gets a chance to cast sunfire it wipes the whole party out.