Skip to content

Getting owned by Beholders!

HeindrichHeindrich Member, Moderator Posts: 2,959
Or more specifically, an Elder Orb. I know the Shield of the Balduran is supposed to reflect Beholder attacks, but I didn't realise that until half-way into the Unseeing Eye quest, and thought it was too expensive to invest in a very specific item that dealt with a very specific enemy, who I did not expect to meet again after the Unseeing Eye quest.

How wrong I am... Now I am in the Underdark (which I never imagined I'd end up in) and keep running into Beholders of all varieties, and no way of getting the shield... The small ones fire energy attacks like a machine gun so painfully that I actually fear them more than standard Beholders, especially if they come in groups...

But the Elder Orb is just takin' the biscuit! It used repeated protections, seem almost impossible to hit in melee, have magical resistances and use fireballs and death spells like there's no tomorrow. I tried the encounter twice, the first time I was badly prepared and my party got slaughtered. The second time I was prepared, and was doin' well until the Elder Orb snuffed out Charname with a death spell of some sort. -.-

I'm gonna give up on this area, which I suspect is infested in Beholders, but I would appreciate some advice on how to handle them without the shield, encase I come across more of them elsewhere.

As always, no spoilers please. :)
«13

Comments

  • The user and all related content has been deleted.
    CrevsDaak
  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,315
    What party members do you have?
  • HeindrichHeindrich Member, Moderator Posts: 2,959
    elminster said:

    What party members do you have?

    Fighter/Mage Charname, Anomen, Aerie, Jaheira, Minsc and Imoen.
    Shandyr said:

    I seem to remember that there was a certain item that could help you if you did NOT take the straight route from the Asylum to the Underdark - which route did you take?

    Oh I think I know what u mean...

    The Cloak of Mirroring? It's been crucial in keeping Aerie alive in AOE attacks, where she otherwise would have faced certain death. But I don't think it helps against death spells... She also got 'Mazed' in my first attempt vs the Beholder.


  • WispWisp Member Posts: 1,102
    Spell Shield for dealing with anti-magic rays and the whole kit of immunity spells: Chaotic Commands, Free Action, Death Ward, Protection From Fire/Electricity/Magic Damage etc. You can also use Spell Turing/Deflection to protect yourself, but beholders tend to burn through those rather quickly. The spell the Elder Orb used on your protagonist the second time was probably Imprisonment. It's a single-target, touch-range spell, so staying out of reach and/or using something like Spell Turing should help you.

    Beholders are difficult and you can return later.
    mashedtatersCrevsDaak
  • CaptRoryCaptRory Member Posts: 1,660
    Can you sneak in closer with a thief or invisible, and use that character's line of sight to call in Magical Artillery? Web and Cloudkill are always favorites. Follow up with anything to root them in place further even if it doesn't stop them from acting. Entangle, Stinking Cloud, Grease. If its Area of Effect you don't need to get as close to affect them.

    Once all that is done you can try hitting them with stuff to lower their saves/magic resistance if applicable while peppering them with fireballs and anything else.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    edited August 2013
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,315
    edited August 2013
    Its been awhile since I played BG2 but I'm just going to throw out a few suggestions and see what works lol.

    Does anyone have Glitterdust? That might be an option for blinding these enemies and then picking them off from a distance.

    If not then if Anomen happens to be level 15 (which I suppose is plausible) he can use animate dead (level 3 spell) to create skeletal warriors (improved skeletons with high magic resistance). Those could be useful. As I recall Holy Smite (Aerie and Anomen can cast this and its a level 3 spell) can also be effective against regular beholders/Gauths (not sure about Elder Orbs). For the Elder Orb I think its probably going to come down to you being pre-buffed before the fight (haste, protection from evil '15, defensive harmony, chant, bless, chaotic commands, etc) and hitting it with a couple of breach spells (to take down some of its defenses). Then just focussing your attack on it. You can also try having Jaheira cast insect plague on the Elder Orb to try to disrupt any spellcasting he may do (not sure if it will work).
  • HeindrichHeindrich Member, Moderator Posts: 2,959
    @Wisp
    @elminster
    @Shandyr

    I think I need to do some more magical studies :D I've never tried using things like Spell-turning before. Although unfortunately, some of the spells about beyond my party anyway.

    All three Mages are lv12 currently, and quite far away from lv 13 in fact, so for the short-medium term, they'd be limited to 1 lv 6 spell each. Anomen is lv 14 Cleric, not far from 15, and Aerie and Jaheira are well behind with their Druid/Cleric levels.

    @CaptRory

    Unfortuately this is one of those 'attacked upon entering new area' encounters, so such tactics are impossible.
  • CaptRoryCaptRory Member Posts: 1,660
    Have any wands of monster summoning? Ka-pow! Five more targets. Might give you the breathing room you need to get setup.

    Have any scrolls or potions of protection from magic?

    You can cast spells from scrolls even if you're not high enough level I think, have any goodies in your scroll case?
  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,315
    edited August 2013
    I'm assuming Jaheira is at least level 13 as a druid? (based on your writing that your mages are all level 12 I assume that means she has at least 1.5 million XP between her two classes). She should be able to use pixie dust (level 5 spell). With that you can make everyone in your party invisible (there is a level 3 mage spell that does the same thing if you have it). With that you can probably sneak past the elder orb/beholders and then maybe attack them with AOE spells (but just don't let them see you do so).
  • HeindrichHeindrich Member, Moderator Posts: 2,959
    edited August 2013
    CaptRory said:

    Have any wands of monster summoning?

    Have any scrolls or potions of protection from magic?

    You can cast spells from scrolls even if you're not high enough level I think, have any goodies in your scroll case?

    I do have quite a lot of higher level scrolls, but I am hesitant to use any scrolls in that way because:
    1) Roleplay reason.
    2) I have 3 Arcane users, thats 3 spellbooks to fill, I don't wanna use a useful scroll and then find I cannot find a replacement for later.

    No monster summoning wands, but I might try summon air/fire elementals with the fire/air staffs, since that seems to be a very quick summon.
    elminster said:

    I'm assuming Jaheira is at least level 13 as a druid?

    Jaheira is lv 12 Druid right now, though not far from lv 13. I substituted her for a while so she's a bit behind everyone else for xp, along with Imoen, for obvious reasons.

    I've given up on this area for now. At least until Anomen reaches lv 15 Cleric and Jaheira lv 13 Druid. Thanks for your suggestions though. :)

    ps: Oh yea, short of preventing the petrification attack Beholders sometimes use, does 'Protection Against Petrification' do anything against Beholder attacks? I always imagined it was a 'Gaze' attack... but it did nothing against the Gauth attacks anyway.
  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,315
    Regarding pfp nope it does nothing else
  • ogrebogreb Member Posts: 98
    Have Jaheria cast a couple of fire elemental and have someone ( invisible of course ) to guide them.
    Goodbye Beholders.
    They are immune to Beholder gaze.
    SCARY_WIZARDCrevsDaakDragonspearEadwyn_G8keeper
  • CaptRoryCaptRory Member Posts: 1,660
    I know what you mean, I hate using scrolls like that too. But if you're stuck....
  • TressetTresset Member, Moderator Posts: 8,262
    Beholders don't use eye rays on summons. Just mob them with those.
    mashedtaters
  • zur312zur312 Member Posts: 1,366
    turn into jelly
    pound them beholders
    SCARY_WIZARDCrevsDaakEadwyn_G8keeper
  • ZanathKariashiZanathKariashi Member Posts: 2,869
    Spell turning works, but Beholders also have a gaze that strips ALL buffs and gives 100% spell failure for several rounds that they tend to slip in every round.

    And the rays are pretty high level so they burn through the charges in 1 volley (but you might get lucky and it kill itself).

    Summons work, but it's pretty cheesy.
    CrevsDaak
  • artificial_sunlightartificial_sunlight Member Posts: 601
    I always let fire elementals do all the work for me. Thats the only reason I love Jaheira :P
  • Montresor_SPMontresor_SP Member Posts: 2,208
    edited August 2013
    Hey, if it's a choice between me and my companions or some random summons, I say let the summons take (and do) the ass-kicking while I kick back and watch the fun! ;-)

    .........

    More to the point, I know which particular area the OP is talking about and it is a right pain in the nether regions!

    It's a party-compulsory area so you can't leave your weaker/unprotected characters behind, and you are attacked right on entry by a Beholder and an Elder Orb. And the Elder Orb just loves casting Dispel Magic to remove any protections you have cast on yourself before entering.

    And yes, the whole area is infested with Beholderkin and various other monsters throughout.


    Good thing is,

    If you are on a quest to fetch some blood from an Elder Orb, you can take it from the Elder Orb at the entrance once you manage to kill it, then you don't have to fight your way through the rest of that area.
    CrevsDaak
  • HeindrichHeindrich Member, Moderator Posts: 2,959
    With regards to the cheesiness of summons. I think given the 5-summons cap, it's pretty hard to cheese anyway. At least I haven't yet figured out a way to use them that's cheesy.

    In fact I regard micro-management tactics like drawing one enemy to you at a time (when there's a group) to be much more cheesy than summoning a few elementals before you storm a hostile location. (Which you know about because you scouted ahead).

    And yes for the encounter I mentioned, summoning doesn't work cos I don't have time to do it as I am faced with a Beholder and an Elder Orb in a confined space as soon as I enter the area. I gave up on it for now even though I probably could pull it off if I just kept Charname outta harm's way, because he has no RP reason to crawl through tunnels filled with those vile and dangerous beasts. If he finds a reason to return, he will at a later date.

    @zur312

    lol are mustard jelly immune to all magic? And do the Beholders not have any other attacks that can hurt a Jelly? If so I can see an easy, but rather cheesy solution to the encounter. Walk in with the party all using Invisibility 10'. Then 2 of my mages transform into Mustard Jelly and munch away.
  • ogrebogreb Member Posts: 98

    I always let fire elementals do all the work for me. Thats the only reason I love Jaheira :P

    Hey now...don't forget Summon Lightning. ( Works indoors and on multiple enemies now )
    Talk about a light show.
    Or Insect Swarm..dead mage
    She is just so much better in BG2 then she was in BG.
    And yeah the elementals are just too cute.

    CrevsDaak
  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,315
    ogreb said:

    I always let fire elementals do all the work for me. Thats the only reason I love Jaheira :P

    Hey now...don't forget Summon Lightning. ( Works indoors and on multiple enemies now )
    Talk about a light show.
    Or Insect Swarm..dead mage
    She is just so much better in BG2 then she was in BG.
    And yeah the elementals are just too cute.

    Do you mean Call Lightning? It still only works outdoors.
    CrevsDaak
  • ogrebogreb Member Posts: 98
    edited August 2013
    Really ?
    My bad.
    It's been a long time since I played BG2...played alot of RPGs since...get's a little confusing sometimes.
    Sorry for disinformation.
  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,315
    ogreb said:

    Really ?
    My bad.
    It's been a long time since I played BG2...played alot of RPGs since...get's a little confusing sometimes.
    Sorry for disinformation.

    No worries.
  • ambrennanambrennan Member Posts: 173
    Beholders don't use eye rays on summons. Just mob them with those.
    I'm pretty sure that Beholders (but not Elder Orbs) instantly kill summons with their death ray.
  • ZanathKariashiZanathKariashi Member Posts: 2,869
    Could just use the slayer form...it's immune to pretty much everything but straight damage, and has 5 attacks per round and hits like a truck.
    elminsterJLeemashedtaters
  • HeindrichHeindrich Member, Moderator Posts: 2,959

    Could just use the slayer form...it's immune to pretty much everything but straight damage, and has 5 attacks per round and hits like a truck.

    Oh, it didn't occur to me to try that. I guess I never considered it cos from RP stand-point, I don't think Charname would give in to the Slayer voluntarily, for fear of losing control entirely and hurting somebody he cares about. (Last time it happened he killed Anomen and freaked out Aerie, lol) I guess I'd resort to that if he ever finds himself he in a desperate situation with no escape.

    lol it must be frustrating for powergamers to see me asking for advice on tactics, and then dismiss some of them for RP reasons :D ... *sorry* :D
    Montresor_SP
  • Montresor_SPMontresor_SP Member Posts: 2,208

    Could just use the slayer form...it's immune to pretty much everything but straight damage, and has 5 attacks per round and hits like a truck.

    Oh, it didn't occur to me to try that. I guess I never considered it cos from RP stand-point, I don't think Charname would give in to the Slayer voluntarily, for fear of losing control entirely and hurting somebody he cares about. (Last time it happened he killed Anomen and freaked out Aerie, lol) I guess I'd resort to that if he ever finds himself he in a desperate situation with no escape.

    lol it must be frustrating for powergamers to see me asking for advice on tactics, and then dismiss some of them for RP reasons :D ... *sorry* :D
    Nothing wrong with RP'ing your way through the game. :-) There is really no "right" or "wrong" way to play a single-player game, just the way that feels right to you.
    CrevsDaak
Sign In or Register to comment.