Getting Keldorn Early

GammaPhase

Coming back to BGII after a long while. I wanted to grab Keldorn early, as in as soon as I'm able to once I leave the opening prison area I go to the temple and grab the cult of the eye quest.

There's one problem--this dwarven party is between us and the paladin, and they absolutely mop the floor with us. I don't remember the sewer area well enough to remember these guys, but I've tried many a reload to take them out. No dice. They're just too strong. I'm guessing I had many more levels the first time I got him.

This is only my second playthrough (never actually finished the game before). Do I need more levels, or is there a trick to get past them and pick him up?

jmerry

There's more than one path through the area. The sewer bandits cover the northern path, but you can also go through the center (kobolds and a rakshasa) or the south and west (minor random encounters).

Clever tactics and powerful mid-level spells can help you take down that party, even at fairly low levels. It's usually my first source of full plate when I play.

iosfrustration

Dwarves are tough little barstards for sure. Korgan always feels OP in my party.
It would scratch a role playing itch in a most satisfactory way if one of the items FROM this map could be used to solve this problem in a non fatal way
Maybe get the cloak of the sewers, polymorph into a rat (very high physical resist) and walk past?
Alternatively it may be possible for a thief to hide in shadows and sneak past them?
Or in keeping with the sewer theme you could hit them from off screen with web/stinking cloud/cloudkill then carefully pick your way over the corpses.
Also, lightning bolts are absurdly destructive in tight corridors, you get a wand of LB during the opening sequence, if you sell it and buy (steal?) it back it will have more than 1 charge

GammaPhase

Thanks, guys. It was in fact as easy as walking around the outside perimeter and I was able to grab him.

sarevok57

if you have some gold, and 2 arcane casters ( or 2 characters capable of casting arcane spells ) have one fire off a greater malison ( make sure this character starts casting greater malison before this next character -> ) and have the second character cast emotion hopelessness ( both these spells can be bought/stolen from the spell store in wauken's promenade north of den of the seven vales

and then just keep pounding out emotion hopelessness on these guys until they go down

for the wizard, you will need true seeing to dispel his shadow door, and then breach to take down his weapon protections, but if that is not possible, just make sure to have plenty of normal weapons since he casts protection from magical weapons

also, having protection from fire ( either level 3 cleric or mage spell ) cast on your before battle is a good idea, same with remove fear and haste, bless doesnt hurt, defensive harmony

plus any summons you can bring along, if you have a druid type, call woodland beings or fire elementals if you can helps wonders, if cleric, skelly warriors help, if wizard, summon monster 3 or spider spawn or any level 6 summoning spell helps

GammaPhase

Those are some great ideas. I'm trying to do an anti-arcane type of play-through, so I'll have to pick divine and tactical solutions.

Just got back from the planar prison, whatever you call it from the five flagons with Haer'Dalis in tow. That wasn't easy and I had to reload a few times--I caught a lucky break:

The Warden went down before we could even get to him. The thralls and an Ettercap apparently took him apart.

Right now I'm (Charname Cavalier) with Jahiera, Keldorn, Anomen, Harry, and Yoshimo. We haven't returned to the sewers to actually do the Eye quest or the dwarves. I'm either going back down there now or head to the hills and rescue that girl from Lord Firkraag. One of the guards nearly wiped us out with some kind of fire spell--had to retreat.

Beetle

If you've got a druid that can cast level 5 spells, insect plague is always your friend. Even if I don't plan on keeping Jaheira for the whole game, I usually bring her with me to the sewer fight.

gorgonzola

a proper charname thief or Jan can easily make that fight almost a joke if correctly played.
some tools that he has, beyond the obvious traps:
mastering hide in shadows and using the environment characteristics, not all the spots have the the same light amount, he can appear and disappear at will.
this can be used to lure the fighers one by one, and they follow the thief up to the point when he hide again then stay idle in that position.
this can also be used to waste enemy true sight and on target spells as if the thief hides when the caster is casting the spell is wasted. appearing to the mage, at the border of his field of vision and stepping back and hiding does the trick.
for the aoe spells to run away fast is the solution. the thief has anyway to be hasted to use his rogue power.
and he can obviously stab the fighters many times as he want with no retaliation as long as he has a corner with low light to hide again the split second the fighters loose his sight.
it is a lot easier if the rakshasa and helpers are killed before as the thief gets much more options about how to use the terrain features to lure enemies and/or waste the mages spells.

in soa at low levels thieves rule, at least at night or in dungeons, no other class can compare to their power.

and against tarnor and his returning axe the shield that reflect back the ranged attacks to the enemy is super powerful, he will kill himself in no time without even noticing...
but this in not a thief duty as he can not equip it, his duty is to lure him in a suitable place so a fighter or cleric with a sling and the shield can engage the ranged battle.