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Fifty ways to kill a Kangaxx

jmerryjmerry Member Posts: 3,822
This one owes its origins to a joke on the forum some time back; someone saying that there must be fifty ways to kill your Kangaxx. Well, I do have a Paul SImon compilation album, and that's a very good song ... so I decided to filk it. With guide-worthy illustrations, starring a collection of BG2EE NPCs.

The problem is all inside your head she said to me
The answer is easy if you take it logically
I'd like to help you in your struggle to be rich
There must be - fifty ways to kill that lich

She said: It's really not my habit to intrude
Furthermore, I hope my meaning won't be lost or misconstrued
But I'll repeat myself - at the risk of being crude
There must be - fifty ways to kill a Kangaxx
Fifty ways to kill a Kangaxx

You just chop him up well, Kel [1]
Make a new plan, Jan [2]
He can be burned, Cernd [3]
Just get his ring free
Shine like a boss, Ras [4]
You don't need to discuss much
Just mace for the win, 'men [5]
And get that ring free

Ooh, chop him up well, Kel
Make a new plan, Jan
He can be burned, Cernd
You just get his ring free
Shine like a boss, Ras
You don't need to discuss much
Just mace for the win, 'men
And get that ring free

She said: It grieves me so to see you imprisoned
I wish there was something I could do to save you from that end
I said: I appreciate that, and would you help my friends
About the fifty ways?

She said: Why don't we both just sleep on it tonight
And I believe in the morning you'll begin to see the light
Then she kissed me and I realized she probably was right
There must be - fifty ways to save your party
Fifty ways to save your party

You just enrage some more, Kor
Hide from the dead, Ed
You say no to it all, Val
Just keep yourself free
Oh, deflection is fair, Haer
You don't need to discuss much
Just immunize me, 'rie
And keep us all free [6]

Enrage some more, Kor
Hide from the dead, Ed
You say no to it all, Val
You just listen to me
Deflection is fair, Haer
You don't need to discuss much
Just immunize me, 'rie
And keep us all free


And now, the guide portion of this post, illustrating the song's points. For the first half, we focus on how to efficiently hurt the demilich Kangaxx. He's immune to cold, electricity, poison, weapons of less than +4 enchantment, spells of levels 1-9, and various status conditions. He's 90% resistant to physical damage. And because he's wearing the Ring of Gaxx, he regenerates. That still leaves plenty of options.

[1]
wcix21xz9sz5.jpg
The sword Daystar, found in the secret room of the inn at the city gates guarded by a lich, is extremely effective. It hits as +4 against evil creatures and does large amounts of bonus damage versus undead. All of that undead bonus damage is of the"magic" type, which the demilich doesn't resist at all.
For this shot, I had Keldorn wield it.

[2]
9f6uxso57ebt.jpg
Direct mage and priest spells won't do any good, but thief traps will. Of particular note, the HLA Spike Traps deal magic damage and the level 15-20 version of the normal traps deal fire damage. Any traps you lay in the center area will hit Kangaxx's lich form... so we need to lay traps somewhere else and drive him over there. Enter the Ring of the Ram. It deals considerable magic damage and pushes its target away from the caster - preferably toward some traps you set up.
For this shot, I had Jan provide the traps.

[3]
tpqg94133rdj.jpg
Fire elemental attacks strike as +4 and deal fire damage. A perfect combination for hurting the demilich.
For this shot, Cernd is using the druid's Fire Elemental Transformation HLA.

[4]
314sx3riutub.jpg
The Sun Soul Monk kit has abilities which seem perfectly designed to hurt a demilich. Of particular note, Sun Soulray deals 5d8+6 damage against undead, striking at level zero so it goes through the demilich protections and dealing more than half of Kangaxx's hit points on average. In melee, a level 25+ monk's fists hit as +4, and the Sun Soul Monk can enhance them to deal an additional 2d6 fire damage for a few rounds with Flaming Fists.
This shot goes to Rasaad, of course.

[5]
5b6ht167s232.jpg
The Mace of Disruption can destroy undead. Kangaxx is not immune. He's resistant to the bonus damage, but it's a 45% chance of dying instantly on any hit with the mace. You do need the improved version here; the basic version only hits as +3.
Anomen wields the mace in this shot.

But of course, offense is only half the battle. You also have to survive. The demilich opens with a Howl that is equivalent to Wail of the Banshee - save vs death or die. Protecting against that is fairly routine; boosted saves or Death Ward. After that, he switches to Imprisonment, about twice per round. And that's considerably harder to defend against. There is no saving throw. Magic resistance won't help. Still, there are options.

[6]
895uhb2oqu20.jpg
I went with a group shot on the protections; five members of the party each using different methods. (Additional buffs for the party: Haste, Strength of One)
- Korgan uses the berserker ability Enrage. Ten rounds of immunity to imprisonment, among many other things.
- Edwin uses a Protection From Undead scroll. The demilich simply can't see him. And in the current version, you don't have to worry about this interfering with the script that turns lich Kangaxx into his demilich form; he initiates conversation once he goes down to one hit point, just like without the scroll.
- Valygar uses a Protection From Magic scroll. Immunity to level 1-9 spells, just like the demilich has. That includes both of the spells the demilich uses, leaving the scroll user to attack with impunity.
- Haer'Dalis uses Spell Deflection. This is less effective than the other options, only blocking two shots of Imprisonment before being exhausted. Still, that buys you time. And Spell Deflection/Shield of the Archons is available to all bards, clerics, druids, and mages. I also tested Spell Turning ... that one reflects the Imprisonment right back on the demilich, instantly ending the fight. You do at least get the ring, as it has the "critical item" flag.
- Aerie uses Spell Immunity: Abjuration. Immunity to Imprisonment, for as long as it lasts.

[Edit: fixed a typo in the song, tweaked the formatting to set it off a bit more]
Post edited by jmerry on
ArviaJuliusBorisovStummvonBordwehrZaghoulGrond0Zaxares

Comments

  • Christian79Christian79 Member Posts: 48
    Really nice! With access to high level abilities you could add Avoid Death as protection gainst Imprisonment and Dragon Breath as attack (bypasses magic resistance and is a Level 10 spell).
  • jmerryjmerry Member Posts: 3,822
    ... Dragon Breath as attack (bypasses magic resistance and is a Level 10 spell).
    Nope. Dragon Breath hits as level 9. "Spell Ineffective". Same with Comet. You may be thinking of the SCS "spellcasting demiliches" version of things - they don't have that blanket immunity to high-level spells, although they have enough immunities to specific spells to fool you sometimes.

    Bypassing magic resistance isn't an issue, by the way. Kangaxx only has the 10% from his ring. It's the spell level immunities that you have to worry about.

    Avoid Death does work as a defense, though. Nice. It's a pretty short duration, but it's not like this fight lasts a long time when you know what you're doing. Still - well, there's only five names per verse, and in the original they're the same names all four times. I wasn't going for an exhaustive list here, just enough for the song.

    In my pictures, I included some "epic" material - level 25 monk fists and one HLA - but no items past Spellhold or the first level of Watcher's Keep. My group shot's +4 weapons were Usuno's Blade, Firetooth, the Staff of Rhynn, the Burning Earth, and the Mace of Disruption.
    ArviaStummvonBordwehr
  • Christian79Christian79 Member Posts: 48
    Oh you are right. I was playing with SCS.
  • JGPJGP Member Posts: 26
    I just happened to have killed Kangaxx yesterday in a way I never have before, so I thought I’d share the method to add to Jmerry’s list.

    I was playing a variation on one of my custom anti-magic type parties and wanted to kill him without any magic, defined as no pre-buffing, spells, scrolls or wands. Additionally, I did not use the Mace of Disruption or Berserker’s Enrage.

    The principal players were:

    Stalker with Daystar and Burning Earth.
    Inquisitor with Carsomyr.
    Wizard Slayer with Tuigan Bow (5 pips).

    Began the fight with all attacking, the Wizard Slayer gets a couple of spell failure hits in before defenses go up. Inquisitor hits with his high level Dispel. The Time Stop fizzles, then Stalker and Inquisitor pop Potions of Magic Shielding (the save one, not the magic resistance one), Inquisitor gets True Seeing up. The Prot from Magic weapons wears off and pummeling ensues. During the transition, the Stalker and Inquisitor pop Speed potions, then survive the Howl due to automatic save and proceed to slice and dice him before he cheeses them with Imprisonment.

    In theory, the Wizard Slayer is unnecessary, but you would need some luck in surviving the debilitating spells cast during Time Stop. If one of the two strikers becomes incapacitated, I don’t think you can kill him quickly enough to avoid imprisonment. In that regard, I think that Daystar’s non-resistable damage type is the crucial thing to pulling this off.

    A hearty "well done" to Jmerry for his dedication on rewriting the whole song. I'd go with Pilot's mid 70s pop song "Magic" for my method, at least for the opening. :)

    Oh, oh, oh, NO magic!
    Never believe it's not so.
    Grond0Arvia
  • Grond0Grond0 Member Posts: 7,305
    An easy way to kill him for almost any character is to use the Ring of Energy, which bypasses his spell level immunities.

    I'm also quite fond of using MMMs with an arcane user. Each hit doesn't do much damage, so you have to stock up on spell castings and grind him down. Finally outpacing his regeneration after several rounds may feel more satisfying than just taking a swing with the iMoD and thinking "is that it?" ...
    Arvia
  • jmerryjmerry Member Posts: 3,822
    To clarify that: MMMs = Melf's Minute Meteors. They count as +6 weapons, so they can hit. The bonus fire damage is treated as a level 3 spell, so that part won't do anything - but you still get the physical damage. 1d4+3, which becomes 1 after resistance. Or maybe 2 on a crit.
    Grond0Arvia
  • sarevok57sarevok57 Member Posts: 5,975
    im pretty sure shield of the archons is a divine spell only, i know clerics get it for sure, not sure about druids, but im quite positive that it is not an arcane spell
  • jmerryjmerry Member Posts: 3,822
    Yes, Shield of the Archons is a divine spell. Available to clerics and druids. I mentioned it alongside Spell Deflection because they're the same effect - neutralizing spells of level 1-9, up to a certain number of total spell levels. That number is half the caster's level rounded down (7-10) for Shield of the Archons and a fixed 10 for Spell Deflection.

    As long as the deflection effect has any levels left, it will fully absorb the next spell. That's how Spell Shield works, after all - Spell Shield is one level of deflection against spells of the "magic attack" type.
    For this application ... if you're using SotA, you do want the full ten levels so you can absorb two Imprisonments, which means a level 20+ caster. Clerics get there at 2.7 million XP, while druids need 3.75 million.
  • LarkusLarkus Member Posts: 54
    edited October 2021
    jmerry wrote: »
    This one owes its origins to a joke on the forum some time back
    That joke goes back a very long time:
    https://web.archive.org/web/20010607071707/http://members.home.net/mrkevvy/kangaxx.html
    "Fifty Ways To Kill Your Kangaxx"

    With heartfelt apologies to Paul Simon.

    (Sung approximately to the tune of "Fifty Ways To Leave Your Lover," but with some liberties taken with the phrasing)

    In old Athkatla in a house down by the dock
    Lies an undead necromancer with a death trap on his lock.
    If you should meet him you'll be soon deep down in rock
    Sent by the Demi-Lich that they call Kangaxx.

    If you're a brave one and your weapons are +4
    And you've found the golden remains from the other tombs before:
    With luck and skill you won't end up at Toril's core.
    There must be fifty ways to kill your Kangaxx...
    ...Fifty ways to kill your Kangaxx.

    So don't forget to pocket pick, Rick,
    When he's just a plain lich, Mitch,
    You'll get two Rings of Gaxx, Max,
    Wear cumulatively.

    You'll just get one to start, Bart.
    And when the first lich is slain, Jane
    He'll go to Demi-Lich state, Nate:
    Act immediately.

    Read your Protection from Magic, Vajic,
    Or all read Scrolls of Undead, Fred,
    But not until he's gone Demi, Remi,
    Or he won't talk to thee.

    Summon up a Wizard Eye, Guy;
    Kangaxx can't imprison that, Matt.
    Cast yourself a Spell Immune, June,
    Abjuration's the key.

    What sort of weapons does it take to fell this foe
    Who's survived without a challenge since centuries ago?
    Are they expensive and where do you have to go...
    ...To get rid of Kangaxx?

    Some tools are pricey; perhaps you have no cash to spare
    And you can't shoplift from Ribald as the Amnish Guard is there.
    With all your abilities it doesn't seem unfair
    To have a cheaper way of killing Kangaxx...
    ...Cheaper way of killing Kangaxx...

    Wield the Improved Disrupting Mace, Grace,
    Or the Sling of Everard, Gerrard,
    You could use the Staff Of Rynn, Lynn,
    Better than +3.

    Knock him down with Crom Faeyr, Blair,
    Or the Magi's Stave, Dave,
    Could try the Withering Spear, Keir,
    To kill him expensively.

    But, the Carsomyr sword, Gord,
    Soulreaver from the Demon Knight, Dwight,
    Cutthroat from the tomb of Bodhi, Cody:
    Can be had for free.

    So make all the snares you can, Dan,
    And every Fire Elemental, Yentl.
    Get Hasted and Berserk, Kirk,
    For 55K X.P.
    Grond0
  • jmerryjmerry Member Posts: 3,822
    Neat, a previous version of the idea. I wasn't aware of it, and the person who made the joke that inspired me probably wasn't either. Naturally, some of the advice from that old version of the game is now obsolete and incorrect.
    So don't forget to pocket pick, Rick,
    When he's just a plain lich, Mitch,
    You'll get two Rings of Gaxx, Max,
    Wear cumulatively.

    Not applicable in the EE. The Ring of Gaxx can't be stolen because it's in the body armor slot. If you want two rings, you'll need to abuse something else later. Rasaad leaving the party at the end of his quest duplicates any critical items he's holding...
    Or all read Scrolls of Undead, Fred,
    But not until he's gone Demi, Remi,
    Or he won't talk to thee.

    This is no longer a problem in the latest game version. I used those scrolls quite a bit in getting my pictures, and they didn't inhibit the transition at all.

    Also, on a musical level, I'm annoyed by all the lines with too many syllables. Some verses have that for every line. Clearly, the writer of this one didn't worry too much about making it actually scan. Yes, it's hard to write the ideas into lines as short as the ones in this song - but I consider it worth the effort.
    Grond0
  • ithildurnewithildurnew Member Posts: 273
    Larkus wrote: »
    jmerry wrote: »
    This one owes its origins to a joke on the forum some time back
    That joke goes back a very long time:
    https://web.archive.org/web/20010607071707/http://members.home.net/mrkevvy/kangaxx.html
    "Fifty Ways To Kill Your Kangaxx"

    With heartfelt apologies to Paul Simon.

    (Sung approximately to the tune of "Fifty Ways To Leave Your Lover," but with some liberties taken with the phrasing)

    In old Athkatla in a house down by the dock
    Lies an undead necromancer with a death trap on his lock.
    If you should meet him you'll be soon deep down in rock
    Sent by the Demi-Lich that they call Kangaxx.

    If you're a brave one and your weapons are +4
    And you've found the golden remains from the other tombs before:
    With luck and skill you won't end up at Toril's core.
    There must be fifty ways to kill your Kangaxx...
    ...Fifty ways to kill your Kangaxx.

    So don't forget to pocket pick, Rick,
    When he's just a plain lich, Mitch,
    You'll get two Rings of Gaxx, Max,
    Wear cumulatively.

    You'll just get one to start, Bart.
    And when the first lich is slain, Jane
    He'll go to Demi-Lich state, Nate:
    Act immediately.

    Read your Protection from Magic, Vajic,
    Or all read Scrolls of Undead, Fred,
    But not until he's gone Demi, Remi,
    Or he won't talk to thee.

    Summon up a Wizard Eye, Guy;
    Kangaxx can't imprison that, Matt.
    Cast yourself a Spell Immune, June,
    Abjuration's the key.

    What sort of weapons does it take to fell this foe
    Who's survived without a challenge since centuries ago?
    Are they expensive and where do you have to go...
    ...To get rid of Kangaxx?

    Some tools are pricey; perhaps you have no cash to spare
    And you can't shoplift from Ribald as the Amnish Guard is there.
    With all your abilities it doesn't seem unfair
    To have a cheaper way of killing Kangaxx...
    ...Cheaper way of killing Kangaxx...

    Wield the Improved Disrupting Mace, Grace,
    Or the Sling of Everard, Gerrard,
    You could use the Staff Of Rynn, Lynn,
    Better than +3.

    Knock him down with Crom Faeyr, Blair,
    Or the Magi's Stave, Dave,
    Could try the Withering Spear, Keir,
    To kill him expensively.

    But, the Carsomyr sword, Gord,
    Soulreaver from the Demon Knight, Dwight,
    Cutthroat from the tomb of Bodhi, Cody:
    Can be had for free.

    So make all the snares you can, Dan,
    And every Fire Elemental, Yentl.
    Get Hasted and Berserk, Kirk,
    For 55K X.P.


    Good old Baldurdash... that definitely is going back a ways.
    Nothing new under the sun.
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