SCS golems, and the planar sphere

Maurvir

I am thinking I may have made a HUGE mistake by installing certain SCS components. Specifically, the improved golems.

My party was planning on taking on the planar sphere stronghold quest, but can't get past the very first golem in the storage room. They have tried three times, but every time the fighters get cursed and can't heal (even with potions). At the same time, they can't deal enough damage to get past it. I think Isra and Sirene managed to whittle it down to "injured" once before the party had to bail due to low health.

Worse, no amount of lower resistance seems to be helping. The party has +2 and +3 weapons, but they aren't making a dent in this thing. I am going to try again with protection from evil, but I've never seen a curse like this.

Any ideas, or does the party just need to hold off on this one for a while?

TheArtisan

Clay Golems inflict a curse that prevents healing. The curse has infinite duration, so the only way you can remove it is via Remove Curse. The golem shouldn't be that hard to kill, but you have to use crushing weapons to damage it (this has always been the case). Usually, just use summons so none of your party members have to deal with the curse.

ThacoBell

Fun Fact: The clay golems curse can't be removed with CTRL+R. I did a pretty heavy SCS install for BG2 test run, to see what components I liked or could do without. Man, SCS golems are kinda bs.

Maurvir

Welp, this should be fun, given that my party is still low enough that summons aren't that powerful. The only realistic option would be Branwen's spirit hammer, and pray she doesn't get hammered herself.

Ah, yes, I did want an additional challenge this time around, didn't I?

Lord_Tansheron

Clay Golems are the big issue here, as they're resistant or immune to most weapon types except blunt. That's why you're having such a hard time killing them. Get everyone some viable blunt weapons if you can, and they'll be much easier to deal with.

jmerry

Also, Remove Curse is a good spell to have memorized. Clerics (and paladins) can cast it as a level 3 spell, while mages (and bards) can cast it as a level 4 spell. The scrolls are relatively rare; only Galoomp and Lady Yuth sell them in SoA.

Incidentally, regeneration isn't affected by the curse. Most sources aren't fast enough to be viable as combat healing, but you can at least heal cursed characters between battles if you can find a source of regeneration.

Maurvir

I resolved the issue by dumping Valygar, taking Branwen back, and having her buff up out the ying-yang. She went at that thing with a spirit hammer and started doing some real damage, amazingly without taking any damage herself or getting cursed. Somehow Jaheira got cursed, though, so the part had to back off to a temple, as Branwen didn't seem to have Remove Curse.

However, it makes me wary of continuing in the sphere, as it is a one-way trip if you can't defeat the, ah, big red guys. Getting spanked like that by ONE golem is distressing when I know (meta-game) that there are far worse things coming.

gorgonzola

Maurvir wrote: »

Welp, this should be fun, given that my party is still low enough that summons aren't that powerful.

i suppose that the purpose of using summons is not to have them make meaningful damage, but only to be sent in the right moments to take the curse, so it does not hit the party members.
so low level summons should work well, and a spell that summon multiple creatures should be better then one that summon only a more powerful one.

Lord_Tansheron

Maurvir wrote: »

However, it makes me wary of continuing in the sphere, as it is a one-way trip if you can't defeat the, ah, big red guys. Getting spanked like that by ONE golem is distressing when I know (meta-game) that there are far worse things coming.

What's worse is debatable. Clay Colems to me are among the most annoying enemies out there, and few others have critically threatening abilities like the no-heal curse that they field, on top of copious immunities and high damage. The other enemies in the Sphere (and around it) have their own share of problematic abilities, but many are a lot more straightforward in how you approach them because they don't require something super specific like break curse or blunt weapons.

That being said, those golems at the start are not the only golems you'll have to face in the Sphere There is no shame in leaving it for later. With SCS, it's one of the harder optional areas.

Maurvir

Yes, I was actually considering the "engine room" when I made the call to let discretion be the better part of valor. However, from an RP standpoint, that was one serious butt kicking the party received, and that was just the welcome wagon BEFORE opening the big, locked door.