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"Maybe this time" [NO-RELOAD THREAD]: "The Tale of TEN THOUSAND Trials"

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  • Wise_GrimwaldWise_Grimwald Member Posts: 3,848
    @Corey_Russell Congrats on beating BG1 :)
    Corey_Russell
  • Balrog99Balrog99 Member Posts: 7,367
    Raduziel wrote: »
    Yesterday I've started an IWDEE Solo Insane Run. Looks like the difficult now means something other than more damage and XP - the orc cave had 4 ogres and AI seemed way smarter than I remember from my previous run (on Core).

    Ironically, I'm not using mods. But my character is an EEKeepered Elf Skald. My first attempt was with a Blade, but he didn't went far (perished at Kuldahar Pass).

    Thanks to some things I've learned here things are going smoothly. Timing my aura correctly allows me to benefit from my own song almost constantly. The micromanaging is a pain, though.

    Easthaven is very generous with bards. IIRC I finished it at level 5 or 6 but I might be misremembering. Just the sword's quest and Old Jed gave me almost three levels - too bad scrolls are so scarce.

    The orc's cave was a pain. I forgot that Sleep in IWDEE is not an "I Win" as it is in BG(2)EE, so I got overwhelmed in the first battle with the Orc Elite. I was able to finish it with 4 Hit Points what yeld me a trip back to Easthaven to lick my wounds.

    I've breezed through Kuldahar's Pass. I reloaded there a couple of times because the goblins that eat beetles and the beetles that eat goblins kept ignoring me and I wanted a fair fight. Wasn't able to fix, though, so that was basically free XP and loot.

    Speaking of loot, the game was quite generous so far. I retrieved the blessing belt at the orc cave and the cloak from the orc leader at Kuldahar's Pass. Both the best loot IMHO.

    Now I'm at the Valley of Shadows. I need to reach level 8 ASAP to put a slot in Maces, otherwise I'll have a bad time with the skeletons to come.

    I'm playing by the following rules:

    1) No rest in dungeons, except for some specific parts of the game that were cleared designed for that end (like the party that watches you sleep at Dragon's Eye).

    2) Kill every enemy in the area/explore the area entirely. I may leave and return later to kill remaining enemies (like I'll probably do with the mummy at the Black Wolf Temple).

    3) No reload unless it is due to something related to bugs.

    4) No glitch abuse.

    I believe that the Valley of Shadows will be the second hardest part of the game (losing only to Dorn's Deep). Time will tell.

    I hate my portrait, so I'm open to suggestions on that area (through PM to keep the thread clean). I've looked in Pinterest to some IWD-style portrait with no luck so far.

    I have no idea when and if I'll be able to keep this campaign.

    Alea jacta est.

    Bard is a tough choice for IWD solo. You'll need to get disabling and/or summoning spells and extra apr items to have a chance. Good luck!

    The berserker summoning horn you can buy in Kuldahar could be a real boon. The only problem I have with it is that you don't get the xp for their kills. Might not be too bad in a solo run, though...
    StummvonBordwehrWise_Grimwaldlolien
  • Wise_GrimwaldWise_Grimwald Member Posts: 3,848
    Poor Grin. :'(
    Corey_RussellCrevsDaak
  • RaduzielRaduziel Member Posts: 4,714
    @Balrog99 good to know! Thanks!

    Does anyone know if I can cast Cat's Grace on the rabbit?
  • Balrog99Balrog99 Member Posts: 7,367
    Raduziel wrote: »
    @Balrog99 good to know! Thanks!

    Does anyone know if I can cast Cat's Grace on the rabbit?

    Unless the rabbit has a dexterity of 20 already, I think it should work. I never thought of uaing that spell! Let me know if it works. I'm thinking the only way to know (barring a fellow forumite's knowledge) is to find a trap that it can't disarm, cast the spell and try it again.
    Wise_Grimwald
  • Wise_GrimwaldWise_Grimwald Member Posts: 3,848
    edited May 2019
    @Neverused Congratulations on finishing SOD

    Valerie was hurt again and again, dying twice. Fortunately during a break I remembered that Tenya was able to raise her as I had forgotten.
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    In addition to the death shown she was also killed by a trap that left her bleeding. She used a powerful healing potion and Bladeservant cast a remove magic spell but all to no avail. It was quite a while before I remembered that Tenya could raise her.

    Valarie was also hurt fighting the skeleton archers mainly because the game has changed slightly so that she could no longer cast web without being seen. :(

    The Phoenix was then attempted and the party had excellent results.

    n6hq44v6h16c.jpg

    True sight and web made the invisible stalkers fairly easy to kill. :)

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    The wolves and polar bear were killed using brute force and ignorance.

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    Then the chess Board was straightforward due to using web and fireballs (Except for the fact that valerie was panicked so that great care was needed concerning the timing of the fireballs.

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    EDIT

    The rest of the dungeon was straightforward until the final room.

    The mirror was broken and the demonknight was attacked by a number of the party's enemies. After its death the party saw a confusion spell on its way, so they fled the room only to be met by another enemy party.

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    Immediately Valerie cast web and Tenya silence. That was sufficient.

    Once the other party had been wiped out, Bladeservant and his party re-entered the room and were able to take on the last few enemies one at a time which was quiite easy. However, the last one cast a confusion spell. It died almost immediately afterwards, so the only danger lay in party members attacking each other.

    By keeping their distance from those who were confused, this never happened and the battle was won.

    They then went to Ulcaster and did the quest there including the finding of Karlini's Spell Book (Ascalon's Questpack). That was blundered into. :D At the FAI Bladeservant bought some armour that protects against Confusion and the like. It is not quite as good at protecting from hits, but it is pretty good and the protection from confusion could be a life-saver.
    Post edited by Wise_Grimwald on
    histamiiniCrevsDaak
  • Wise_GrimwaldWise_Grimwald Member Posts: 3,848
    @Raduziel You said: "The Temple of the Forgotten God was an easy piece. The AI is dumb as a brick as the moment you vanish from their LoS the Verbeegs stop following you. "

    The Verbeegs are SUPPOSED to be as dumb as bricks. They ARE stupid, so that is why they don't follow you.
    The conversation with Red Toe makes that clear.
    lolienRaduzielStummvonBordwehr
  • RaduzielRaduziel Member Posts: 4,714
    @Raduziel You said: "The Temple of the Forgotten God was an easy piece. The AI is dumb as a brick as the moment you vanish from their LoS the Verbeegs stop following you. "

    The Verbeegs are SUPPOSED to be as dumb as bricks. They ARE stupid, so that is why they don't follow you.
    The conversation with Red Toe makes that clear.

    Yup. Another one of the little things that makes this game wonderful.
  • RaduzielRaduziel Member Posts: 4,714
    edited May 2019
    Apparently there is a bug related to Orrick's store first reported in 2014 and reported once again in January/2018 but still around.

    I'll search a workaround it.

    ---

    Ok, apparently a variable that needs to be set don't understand that you're in chapter 2 to do what it have to do.

    Traveling back and forth from DE to Kuldahar did the trick.
    Post edited by Raduziel on
    StummvonBordwehr
  • RaduzielRaduziel Member Posts: 4,714
    edited May 2019
    Ok, after solving Orrick's issue I was able to give myself some good spells - Minor Sequencer included.

    Before departing, I've prepared a Minor Sequencer with Glitterdust and Web for a certain part of Dragon's Eye first floor.

    This floor was surprisingly easy. The trick e to clean the upper part ASAP: there's a large room with a large stone in the middle where you can move around without chocking. Once I've dominated that part of the dungeon it was just a matter of luring and kitting.

    A strange bug helped me, though: almost all spiders where advancing just at a certain point and then stopping even when they had me at thir LoS (unless theirs is smaller than mine). The exception were Phase Spiders that put on a helluva fight with well timed antidotes. Some potions after that part and I was at full HP once again.

    After kitting pretty much everything just one room was crowded: the hall of the lizard king - that's where the sequence was handy.

    I've summoned the berserkers - once again I had 4 - and got them at my back hasted. Fired a skull trap to explode and trigger the lizard's hostility and retreat a bit. When the first critter reappeared in my LoS I triggered the sequence: that held the line. One more retreat to wait for my aura cleansing and a second skull trap was fired killing pretty much anyone.

    A final retreat to reach my berserkers and send them forward and begin the kitting time once again. Without a scratch in my bard (and a few deceased berserkers) the battle was over. The snake altar gave me the Fox Boot what will be very helpful as it increases my speed and grants me 1 AC bonus.

    I went to the villagers to "ask them to guard my sleep" and after a full rest I went to the little girl that triggers their trip back to Kuldahar.

    Dragon's Eye 2 will be next.
    Post edited by Raduziel on
    Mantis37StummvonBordwehrlolien
  • Wise_GrimwaldWise_Grimwald Member Posts: 3,848
    @Grond0 Hard luck! :(
    At least you hadn't got far. I find it most annoying when a death comes near the end of BG1, when you have nearly beaten a game, but not quite.
    AerakarGrond0
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