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Death Ward not protecting charname from Kangaxx (spoilers)

dunbardunbar Member Posts: 1,603
As the title says, I'm in the battle with Kangaxx in Demi-Lich form when my character, despite having had Death Ward cast on him, gets insta-killed and being Charname I don't get a chance to see what killed him before the screen goes to leporitic hand mode.
Any ideas what I'm not protecting myself from, or why Death Ward isn't working?

Edit: I suppose it could be that the ward has run out (after 18 turns) but it seems mighty suspicious to me that Kangaxx would know exactly when to cast whatever it is he's casting at me.
Post edited by dunbar on

Comments

  • GallowglassGallowglass Member Posts: 3,356
    In his demi-lich form, Kangaxx has spells equivalent (although re-named) to the level 9 Mage spells Imprisonment and Wail of the Banshee ... and I can't recall seeing him cast anything else.

    Death Ward protects you against Wail of the Banshee, and Spell Immunity: Abjuration protects you against Imprisonment ... but of course, both protections eventually run out.
  • dunbardunbar Member Posts: 1,603
    I've just checked by doing the following:
    1) Kill Lich.
    2) Run back upstairs while Lich is transforming to Demi-Lich.
    3) Move Hexxat to front of party as cannon fodder.
    4) Buff everybody up and put Death Ward on Charname.
    5) Go back downstairs and attack Lich
    Outcome:
    Kangaxx's first shot (Wail of the Banshee) takes out unwarded Hexxat, immediately followed by his second shot (presumably the Wail again) which takes out supposedly warded Charname. There is no way that 18 turns (the Death Ward was cast by an 18th level Cleric) elapsed before Charname bit the dust.
  • joluvjoluv Member Posts: 2,137
    Why is it presumably the Wail again? Couldn't it be Imprisonment?
    dunbar
  • GallowglassGallowglass Member Posts: 3,356
    He usually opens with Demilich Howl (his version of Wail of the Banshee), but after that he mostly (or even exclusively?) uses Imprisonment. So I reckon it's Imprisonment which is getting you, @dunbar. Death Ward doesn't apply to Imprisonment, you need Spell Immunity: Abjuration for that.
    dunbarJuliusBorisov
  • dunbardunbar Member Posts: 1,603
    edited November 2015
    Yes, you're both right, I've worked that out now. I protected the entire party with Death Ward and led them in with my Mage protected with Immunity to Abjuration and with charname last in line. However, after failing to Wail or Imprison my Mage to death Hexxat simply went down the line Imprisoning my party one after the other until he got to charname - cue that bloody hand again.

    So it's off to Rent-a-Berserker, otherwise known as the Copper Coronet, to enlist the aid of Korgan.

    (However, I'm still in chapter 2 so I can always have another go later)
  • MathsorcererMathsorcerer Member Posts: 3,037
    It has to be the Imprisonment effect, which counts as "death" for the protagonist (even though technically you aren't dead); Death Ward will not protect against that spell but, as @Gallowglass correctly notes, Immunity: Abjuration will protect against it. Spell Deflection will also protect against it (once), as will Spell Turning. Spell Trap is probably your best bet--since it can absorb 30 levels of spells you will be immune to the first three things the demilich will cast at you.

    The demilich's other attack, its howl, has the secondary type of "offensive damage" so make sure you are wearing the Cloak of Mirroring.
    dunbarJuliusBorisov
  • dunbardunbar Member Posts: 1,603
    Yup, that did it. With Korgan on point I took down Kangaxx in about 30 seconds flat! Thanks for all you input though, I definitely need to put more work into my knowledge of the arcane.
    joluvGallowglass
  • GallowglassGallowglass Member Posts: 3,356
    edited November 2015

    The demilich's other attack, its howl, has the secondary type of "offensive damage" so make sure you are wearing the Cloak of Mirroring.

    @dunbar is trying to do this in Chapter 2, so he won't (at least not without cheating) have the Cloak of Mirroring yet. And probably not Spell Trap either (although getting it via the Staff of the Magi is possible, albeit not easy).

    @dunbar - there are various ways of beating Kangaxx. You've already thought of fetching Korgan to do it, and that's a viable plan (if you've got a suitable weapon). Another popular method is to use green protection scrolls. When attacking him with physical weapons, the key thing to remember is that he's vulnerable only to weapons with +4 or better enchantment. The best physical weapon for this is the Mace of Disruption +2 (not the +1 version), which has +5 enchantment and (with a little luck!) can kill the demi-lich in one blow (although you can't get this weapon until Chapter 3), but there also some weapons available in Chapter 2 which will work against him, such as Daystar +2 (which can chop him up physically, but can also zap him instantly with its Sunray effect). Some magical weapons also work against him (e.g. Melf's Minute Meteors, Ring of the Ram).

    Personally, I tend to wait until Chapter 6 to tackle Kangaxx, by which time there are additional options. But yes, there are viable ways of doing it in Chapter 2.

    [Edit: grammar.]
    Post edited by Gallowglass on
    dunbarJuliusBorisov
  • dunbardunbar Member Posts: 1,603
    I actually had Korgan wielding Usono's Blade +4 which, although he isn't proficient in swords still managed to slice and dice Kangaxx quite nicely.
    Gallowglass
  • GallowglassGallowglass Member Posts: 3,356
    You're well set, then! Congratulations, Kangaxx can be a pretty darn tough opponent at Chapter 2 levels.

    Usuno's Blade may not be the "optimal powergaming choice" against Kangaxx, but (as you've demonstrated) it's good enough to get the job done.
  • MathsorcererMathsorcerer Member Posts: 3,037

    @dunbar is trying to do this in Chapter 2

    I was unaware of that. Depending upon how much you do during "chapter 2" and the items you acquire the difficulty level could range from "virtually impossible" to "fairly challenging" to "I didn't break a sweat".

    I usually go with Spell Deflection/Spell Turning, Melf's Minute Meteors, and Haste, presuming I don't buy a scroll from Ribald.

    Tresset
  • The one time I murdered Kangaxx, I channeled the wrath of my dead god father and tore him apart with my bare hands.
  • hoi_Grhoi_Gr Member Posts: 11
    Right off the Irenicus Dungeon:
    Ditch your party stock up on Scrolls of protection from undead (you can get 6-8 from shops and temples in Athkatla. If you are a mage memorize Melf's Minute Meteors. If you can afford it the Rynn Staff from Adventurer's Mart it works for everyone. If you can't afford it with a Fighter, Cleric can use the Warhammer +4 vs Giants (hits as +4). Thieves will have to get Flame Tongue from the Druid Grove.

    All liches can be cheesed this way, even Shangalar
    semiticgoddess
  • GallowglassGallowglass Member Posts: 3,356
    hoi_Gr said:

    Thieves will have to get Flame Tongue from the Druid Grove.

    With the latest patch, we now also have the option to import Flame Tongue from BG1ee, which is rather convenient.
    JuliusBorisov
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