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Vampires too hard with my party?

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I can't find a reasonable way to fight vampires right now. I am still in the early game, level 10-11, and I've fought vampires 6 times so far, 4 with the random city night encounters and a couple groups on side quests.

I know the encounters are suppose to be avoidable, but i keep getting into situations where i was doing a side quest at day, went in someones house to talk and such, and when i get outside its dark. Cant go back in the house to rest and the vampires are nearly inevitable without trying to rest 5 times over and over again in the city with guards stopping you (which feels silly to do). I'm sure I will encounter more vamps on side quests too.

Nothing I say to them will get them to leave me alone since I have Edwin in my party as my mage which makes them all attack me due to shadow thieve relations (who cant use the amulet of power) and I don't want to waste the proficiency points to get anyone efficient with maces and go through the process of upgrading Mace of Disruption.

Right now my only way to kill them is after they surprise me and guarantee kill my entire party, I have to load, find exactly where they camp at, pre-buff to the extreme, and use my druid and Edwin to make 5 summons and hope the summons don't all die before my archer and Edwin's spells can pick them off using pause every second to survey the damage. I find it incredibly cheesy to have to do this every time I see a vampire, and would like to actually be able to fight them when they come up, anyone have ideas?

Party -Playerchar archer, Jan, Korgan, Edwin, Jaheira, and Rasaad

Comments

  • HeindrichHeindrich Member, Moderator Posts: 2,959
    Your party looks fine, Korgan is a powerhouse in early BG 2, and Edwin is always OP. Party balance-wise, it is a bit divine-lite, with only Jaheira as 'half a druid' and no clerics at all. I would probably drop one of the frontliners for Anomen, who is a powerhouse in close combat, and provides all the cleric spells you need.

    Tactics wise... it is safer to travel during the day, so check out the time, if it's nearly night time, speed up what u do. Unless u leave the game running whilst afk, the hours shouldn't fly by THAT quickly.

    Vampires are nasty for two main reasons (at least in my experience). Level Drain and charm magic. You can counter the latter with Chaotic Commands for a frontliner, and if that fails, you can Dire Charm somebody back if they get dominated by a vampire. Preventing Level drain is basically just about preventing melee damage, which is just a matter of combat buffs like Chant, Protection from Evil, Defensive Harmony, Bless etc... Basically a Cleric would help a lot. I think Negative Plane Protection is Cleric only as well (Or can Jaheira cast it too?) If somebody has to get drained, it's not as bad for fighters like Korgan compared to spellcasters like Edwin.
  • bbearbbear Member Posts: 1,180
    edited February 2014
    Recommend getting the azuredge (a magical throwing/melee axe from Bernard after helping Hendak). Azuredge requires a good alignment character (your archer should be good alignment). When it hits a vampire/undead, it must save or be destroyed. It doesnt get bonus in Thaco, but it's a +3 weapon. It's handy against iron golems too.
  • SoundChaosSoundChaos Member Posts: 11
    That axe should help a lot, my archer still has 3 thac0 with it, so she should be able to get a few hits in. Anomen seems like the best course, but I really want to see how Rasaad does in the level 25-40 range... :(
  • mumumomomumumomo Member Posts: 635
    As hinted by Heindrich vampire are only dangerous for 2 things :
    - level drain
    - domination

    With your group :
    - have everybody flee save for jaheira and korgan
    - equip jaheira with the amulet of power and cast chaotic command on self and enrage korgan
    - the vampire will target these two which they cannot really affect
    - proceed to slaughter the vampires with no risk and get the easy xp
  • TwoWayFinesseTwoWayFinesse Member Posts: 128
    mumumomo said:

    As hinted by Heindrich vampire are only dangerous for 2 things :
    - level drain
    - domination

    With your group :
    - have everybody flee save for jaheira and korgan
    - equip jaheira with the amulet of power and cast chaotic command on self and enrage korgan
    - the vampire will target these two which they cannot really affect
    - proceed to slaughter the vampires with no risk and get the easy xp

    Seconded, just send Korgan ahead to trip the trap, click enrage and watch the slaughter commence.
    Or you could find a certain longsword and introduce vampires to the power of the sun.
  • atcDaveatcDave Member Posts: 2,146
    edited February 2014
    The big thing is to close on them fast with a warrior under a Negative Plane Protection spell. Since this is a constant power of the Amulet of Power, you can give that to Jaheira. If you have Boots of Speed, give those to her too. The protection and speed will let you dominate the engagement. They WILL target that character, and that character should be able to tear them apart.

    Oh yeah, as Heindrich suggested, don't forget Chaotic Commends! It lasts a long time, and Jaheira herself can cast it. Just always have it going when you're out at night.
    jackjack
  • karnor00karnor00 Member Posts: 680
    The upgraded mace of disruption is well worth getting, even if you don't have anyone with mace proficiency. The level drain immunity works fine in the offhand.

    And even using it in the mainhand without mace proficiency isn't too awful. It's -2 to hit (for a fighter type class) and you are limited to 1 attack/round. But the level drain immunity still works so whoever it using it can still tank the vampires just fine.
  • recklessheartrecklessheart Member Posts: 692
    It's also worth acknowledging the usefulness of Rasaad's sun soulray ability, which does additional damage to Vampires, as well as also being very powerful by the time you hit level 10-11.
    jackjackelminster
  • zavulonzavulon Member Posts: 21
    edited February 2014
    Some very good suggestions here. Also, I know you're already past that point - but if anyone else is reading, this is why I always like delaying that quest until latest possible moment. When Valen invites you to talk to her mistress, do NOT visit graveyard district at night (and do not speak again to Gaelan Bayle) until you complete everything else in chapter two - this way, when you encounter vampires at night, they will not attack you, and say something like "You still have a choice, choose wisely, etc". So you can go do d'Arnise Keep, Unseeing Eye, Windspear Hills, Trademeet, and all other quests first - and then your party will be strong enough to face vampires.
    SoundChaos
  • atcDaveatcDave Member Posts: 2,146
    Bah, I say go ahead and tick them off. There are certain types of monsters, like vampires and werewolves, that I just love egging on. They're so arrogant, and look so nice impaled on the end of my sword...
    jackjackJLeeFlashburn
  • jackjackjackjack Member Posts: 3,251
    *schnickkt*
    "Oh I'M sorry! Did my blade pierce your everything?"
  • shawneshawne Member Posts: 3,239
    Blackguards are immune to level drain, which solves one part of the problem...
  • atcDaveatcDave Member Posts: 2,146
    So are Undead Hunters. And so is anybody using the Amulet of Power, the Improved Mace of Disruption, or under the effect of a Negative Plane Protection spell. It seriously makes vampires just good experience fodder. And there's few things I like killing more than vampires... well maybe werewolves...

    Funny thing, in PNP "Negative Plane Protection" is only good for a single hit. It makes these things a little trickier. Oh and "Restoration" ages the caster a year (or maybe three? I get it and "Resurrection" confused sometimes), so that's a pretty difficult spell to get a hold of.
    But in BG, level drains aren't quite as scary. Send those blood suckers back to the abyss...
    elminster
  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,315
    edited February 2014
    I'd make sure that Korgan is the first one to fight the vampires. If he gets level drained its less of a pain than for instance Jaheira (because you will have to re-memorize spells if she gets level drained).

    It was already mentioned but Rasaad's sun soulray ability will help you a lot here.

    You might want to consider getting Animate Dead (level 5) for Edwin. You can buy it in the spell store in the promenade. The summons it creates will be quite effective for you against a wide range of enemies (including vampires).
    Corvinojackjack
  • SkaffenSkaffen Member Posts: 709
    edited February 2014
    @elminster Korgan should not get level drained in the first place! Just enrage him and send him to the front, charms and attacks will be centered on him and he is immune to both!
    elminsterjackjack
  • bbearbbear Member Posts: 1,180
    Skaffen said:

    @elminster Korgan should not get level drained in the first place! Just enrage him and send him to the front, charms and attacks will be centered on him and he is immune to both!

    I thought Berserker enrage does not protect against level drain, but Barbarian enrage does.
  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,315
    edited February 2014
    bbear said:

    Skaffen said:

    @elminster Korgan should not get level drained in the first place! Just enrage him and send him to the front, charms and attacks will be centered on him and he is immune to both!

    I thought Berserker enrage does not protect against level drain, but Barbarian enrage does.
    They both do. Also Minsc's does as well. Feeblemind and Imprisonment is where they differ (in favour of the Berserker).
    jackjack
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