Skip to content

Were the random ambushes always this tough?

RapscallionRapscallion Member Posts: 81
in Archive (General Discussion)
Seriously getting torn apart by the random encounters between destinations, I've learned to quicksave before leaving every map. My level 1 party has so far had to contend with encounters with 8 to 10 bandits (ouchtime, so many arrows) and another with 2 Wyverns.

Wyverns are hardcore killers to a level 1 party, if they don't oneshot your characters, the poison gets them. The first time I got the bandit encounter, 4 of my characters were instantly chunked by the first volley of arrows :)

Comments

  • Aegir_FellwoodAegir_Fellwood Member Posts: 81
    Well it's been years since I've played it, but as I remember it; yes they could be brutal, but I also seem to remember that it had something to do with where on the map you are - are you heading towards Baldur's Gate, or further away atm?
  • BrudeBrude Member Posts: 560
    The bandit ambush did happen in the original game. In a recent run through, I got hit with that while going to the Friendly Arms the first time. And yeah, there really isn't any way to survive it.

    Never saw wyverns though until the party had at least entered the first Cloakwood map.
  • BillBill Member Posts: 18
    I can't recall how the encounters were years ago, but the dying part is because level one characters are very, very fragile.
  • FrecheFreche Member Posts: 473
    Sleep is so op early game bg1
  • AndtalathAndtalath Member Posts: 23
    Wyverns should only be encountered in Cloakwood.
    Also, no, these random battles do seem noticeably harder.

    RUN AWAY is a generally sound tactic.
  • EidolonEidolon Member Posts: 99
    I'm not sure whether they are harder or not. It has been a long time since I played BG1 but I do have a memory of getting my ass kicked in the original game as well. Having said that they sure are brutal.
  • BelgarathMTHBelgarathMTH Member Posts: 5,653
    Yes, ambush screens are among the hardest encounters in the game. The reason is that the game dumps you in the center of the enemies, leaving you tactically out of position and surrounded, with the enemies having a nearly insurmountable advantage, or else bottled in at the bottom of a pass, with the enemies blocking the way.

    I usually try to flee from the encounters where I'm surrounded, especially at levels 1-3 or so. I look for the widest opening in the enemy ranks, hopefully along the path or road to the north or south, and attempt to run the whole party straight to the map exit. I luckily haven't hit the one with the bandits - a single hit from one of those arrows is going to kill somebody, and if one of them targets your main character, it's game over. Your best chance is still to make a run for it - if they get low dice rolls on their first volley, you may be able to exit the map before round 2.
  • RapscallionRapscallion Member Posts: 81
    edited November 2012
    Freche said:

    Sleep is so op early game bg1

    Try casting sleep when the first round has instagibbed your 4HP mage. Poor Neera :(


    EDIT: Oh, just FYI, the Wyverns I encountered were an ambush on the way to the Bandit Camp from Peldvale I believe.
  • BelgarathMTHBelgarathMTH Member Posts: 5,653
    @Rapscallion, ah, yes, if you are so fortunate as to have a mage with a Sleep spell prepared, that would be another way to survive the bandit encounter, if the mage casts it immediately upon entering the ambush scenario.

    The spell isn't really overpowered, because a beginning mage can only cast it once or twice, and it may or may not get all the enemies, plus it only works against up to 4 hit dice. The Sleep spell is what makes it worth it to carry a low-level mage in a party - the mage is next to useless in encounter after encounter, but then, you get to that one emergency encounter where the party is overmatched, and then the mage casts Sleep and saves the day. I love that about being a mage.
  • MedullaOblongataMedullaOblongata Member Posts: 434
    My fiance played BG1, and I do recall (not so fondly) many hours where they air was filled with his loud swearing. Also yes, they are as hard now as they were before.
  • HeliasHelias Member Posts: 112
    The bandit ambush was my hardest fight yet for my low level party.

    But on the other hand I already had two ambushes by ... noone. My journey was interrupted by random encounters with no agressors appearing at all.
  • AlderonAlderon Member Posts: 53
    I remember initially being terrified of ambushes in original BG. But since I've learned the ins and outs of the game mechanics, they are a lot less scary. Crowd control is the key to surviving early levels, 2 heavy armoured fighters and rest using range is almost essential also, at least until you get the squishier classes up to level 4+

    As mentioned already, sleep is amazing is BG1. Use it.
Sign In or Register to comment.

2024 Overhaul Games, a division of Beamdog. © 2024 Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Baldur's Gate, Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, Forgotten Realms, Baldur's Gate, Wizards of the Coast and their logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries, and are used with permission. Hasbro and its logo are trademarks of Hasbro, Inc. and are used with permission. © 1998 BioWare Corp. All Rights Reserved. BioWare, the BioWare Infinity Engine and the BioWare logo are trademarks of Bioware Corp. Black Isle Studios and the Black Isle Studios logo are trademarks of Interplay Entertainment Corp. Atari and the Atari logo are trademarks owned by Atari Interactive, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.