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How to beat liches

InvasorDePastosInvasorDePastos Member Posts: 25
in Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition
Hello there! I'm playing multiplayer with a friend and we're both playing BGII for the first time. We had encountered two liches before that we just ignored and decided to leave for later as they seemed as way to powerful for being in the initial city but now we've met 2 other liches on the Temple Ruins, this time also with Skeleton Warriors and Mummies immune to all our physical hits.
We can't keep avoiding lich fights anymore but we're helpless. We tried a bunch of times and on each attempt, it seems that we're making no progress. What are your tips and strategies for a bunch of noobs to beat our lichophobia?
Our party consists of PC Warrior 13/Cleric 14, Minsc 13, Yoshimo 17, Aerie 11/11, Mazzy 13 (just recruited) and Jaheira W11/D13

Comments

  • jmerryjmerry Member Posts: 3,898
    (Assuming unmodded)

    Liches have several key characteristics. They're mages capable of high-level spells that put up various protections. They're undead. They're immune to nonmagical weapons. They see through invisibility. They're immune to spells of level 1-5, including Breach. Most liches save vs spells on a 1.

    The high level and immunity to low-level spells makes it very hard to remove their protections. Dispel/Remove Magic could work, but you have to watch out for the level check. Luckily, the random nameless liches that show up in places like the shadow temple are only level 11. You can dispel them, to clear everything out but their Spell Trap/Spell Turning protection against targeted spells.
    You can get over their spell protection with high-level area-effect spells, but most disabling effects won't work on undead. And at your levels, only that level 14 cleric can really do anything with that. False Dawn, Sunfire, Holy Word, Fire Storm.

    Another option is to snipe them. Give the Azuredge axe to Mazzy or Minsc, and try to throw it at the lich before PfMW goes up. Or after you dispel PfMW. If that doesn't work, retreat and wait out the four rounds before throwing it again.

    Also, those skeleton warriors and greater mummies shouldn't be too hard to hurt. For the mummies, +3 weapons will do it - and you really should have a decent collection of those, even if they're not ideal. Or you can burn them, since they have zero magic resistance and negative fire resistance. Or you can cast Resurrection on them (including the rod as of 2.6), though you don't get the XP that way. The skeleton warriors are highly resistant to magic, but not immune to any weapons.
  • SBlackSBlack Member Posts: 32
    Was one of those liches in the city the one in the Crooked Crane inn? That one guards a powerful anti-undead weapon. It's possible to run in and just take it, but it can be tricky.

    But Azuredge is certainly easier to get
  • JuliusBorisovJuliusBorisov Member, Administrator, Moderator, Developer Posts: 22,760
    Your party is very low on Arcane magic. Only a MC C/M, no bards, no single class mages. You don't have an Inquisitor either. It's hard to play that way in SoA, where you need Remove Magic in any form (and its success depends on your level if compared to the enemy's level). And that would be valid for any big opponent in SoA.

    Usually, I would say: Remove Magic - to dispel Stoneskin etc and hit them with Azerudge (Minsc and Mazzy can do that). But in your case, you have to wait out their protections and then still hit with Azerudge (you'll have to go through their many Stoneskins).
  • Grond0Grond0 Member Posts: 7,457
    If you want to make things really easy then just buy scrolls of protection from undead (available from most temples and a few other stores) - all undead, including liches, will just ignore you then while you attack.
  • StummvonBordwehrStummvonBordwehr Member, Mobile Tester Posts: 1,385
    I will second Julius Borisov. An inquisitor is a neat character - and you can recruit him as an NPC (swap him for Minsc…). Arcane magic is nice, bur totally optional.

    I can Maine helt you with sine help if you want to keep your party as it is.

    Liches are annoying and luckily optional (perhaps one will be forced upon you). So there is no shame in taking them on later. But if you want to fight them at your current level, there are some ways.

    1) use the ground to your advantage - and stay away

    Most liches are found at places where you can retreat or even make preperations before the fight.

    When I fight liches I often place my party at a long distance from the fight. I send in some summons one at a time to lure out some of the nastier spells.

    The first summons will die instantly to a death spell. This means that a wand of monster summoning or some low level summuning can be used….
    So Basicly I just stand back and send wave after wave of summons to their death to lure out the spells. Besides some scripted spells, they start from the top og their spellbook and work their way down.

    A meteor storm and a gates pit fiend will surely win against a hobgoblin - but when the lich is down to its missile, yours and Aeries skeleton will do just fine. It may be cheap, but sure is effective.

    2) traps and area of effect spell (ApE)

    If you know where the lich spawns, you can rig the place with traps. Yoshimo can help you with that.

    Otherwise spells like mentioned above can be cast from afar. Never get close to the lich and keep it occupied with summons. Watt until the lich casts level 3 or level 4 spells, and then cast your AoE spells

    3) dispelling

    Like mentioned above the Azuredge axe has a neat instakill function. Thats good, but you have to get close and have the lich’s protection dispelled. No simple task.

    An inquisitor is good at dispellong, but for other fights than liches Mazzy can do that as well. The fletcher at the promenade sells arrows of dispelling (dont know if thet workshop against miches though).

    But against magic users, give Mazzy a bunch of these arrows (they dont come cheap), and send her in with the Tuigan bow. It works wonders

    4) stay invisible

    Liches can see through invisibility, but cant see trough “protection from undead”, the green scroll you can buy at temples. The scroll is an absolute bread winner in BG2, and the temples are more numerous than you think.

    To conserve your ressources only use one pr. Big fight. Just send in one scout protected from undead (who has axe proficciency) and see where the summons should go and throw Azuredge when the timing is right.

    Hope it helps a bit. The game is easily managed without arcane magic (mages and bards). The other classes shines just as bright if you use them the right way.

    Happy lich hunting
  • InvasorDePastosInvasorDePastos Member Posts: 25
    Yes, unmodded.
    Thanks a lot for your answers, we'll be trying again tonight and see if knowledge is our best weapon now :)
  • InvasorDePastosInvasorDePastos Member Posts: 25
    That's an awesome and comprehensive list, will surely refer back to it to better equip ourselves.
    I want to tell you everyone that today we succeded on our first attemp to beat a lich, yessss! Optimizing the spells for every character, prebuffing like crazy before the fight and sending in decoy invocations did the trick even without any +3 weapon for the mummies, which we had to take care of purely with magic while my PC tanked with all his buffs stacked. Thanks everyone!
  • SirBatinceSirBatince Member Posts: 882
    keeping them away from your screen is the easiest counter to almost everything in the vanilla game
  • MaurvirMaurvir Member Posts: 1,093
    edited August 2021
    With one critical exception, the key here is that liches are mages. They only have a certain number of high-level spells - such as the death spell. If you can get them to waste those spells on summons, there you go. If you have SCS, they may or may not waste them on low-level summons, so make sure you send in something that can do a bit of damage.

    I personally wouldn't waste PFU scrolls on any but two liches in the game. Specifically a rather famous one in the Docks area and the one under Watcher's Keep. The one in the sewer, and the one in the bridge district, are easily handled using ordinary mage-fighting techniques. The one in the Crooked Crane is a bit tougher, because of the incredibly cramped quarters, but then, you can swipe what you need and leave fast. (and then turn around and use said item on his evil backside)

    That said, having a cleric or paladin at high enough levels would make these a bit more manageable. Especially an inquisitor, with that unbelievably powerful dispel magic ability. Keldorn would be a good choice, though I usually install Sirene (a mod) with the inquisitor kit. Send someone back to the Copper Coronet and pick up an inquisitor to get through some of those lich battles.

    There is one other lich encounter in SoA, and it's a whole other ball of wax. Fortunately, you need to possess a fairly rare item to encounter this area. If you are having trouble with the lich in the sewer, I would strongly advise avoiding any strange doors in the Bridge district.
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