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The exploits of Teyl, the Evil Strifeleader/Thief (no-reload, initially solo) Spoiler alert!

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  • MacHurtoMacHurto Member Posts: 731
    Are there romances in bg1? Is it a mod?
  • BlackravenBlackraven Member Posts: 3,486
    edited March 2014
    Yep, BG1 NPCs. Great mod (for BGT or Tutu, I don't think it has been implemented yet for EE).
    Adds a lot of banter between all vanilla NPCs, plus romance options with Ajantis, Coran, Xan, Dynaheir, Branwen and Shar-Teel. Quite similar to BG2, well written.
    (My only criticism is that female gnomes and dwarves are excluded from romancing any of the male NPCs, female halflings may only romance Ajantis.)
  • BlackravenBlackraven Member Posts: 3,486
    edited March 2014
    [I've decided to correct the apparent bug in shadowkeeper and to raise Shar-Teel.]

    In the Temple of Helm I paid Nalin 800 gold to raise Shar-Teel. "Men are pathetic" was the first thing she said. You're welcome darling...
    We rested in the Nashkell inn, and I took the time to read the letters I found in the orc priest's den, and they speak of a Tranzig who's to be found in Feldepost's inn. So we travel toward Beregost. First we visit Thalantyr to have him take a look at the toxic liquid I found as well as identify numerous enchanted items I had taken from the mines, the burial mounds and from Nimbul. In Beregost a Flaming Fist officer offered us 50 gold for every bandit scalp we would give her. I'm not inclined to work for that corrupt lot, but the money might come in handy.
    We went to Feldepost's to see if this Tranzig figure was still there. We found him upstairs. I entered his room, leaving Shar-Teel hidden in the shadows in the hallway. Told him to spill his guts. He thought he could frighten me by telling me he was a mage, but when I replied that I'm not necessarily afraid of mages, he turned hostile. His first move was to go invisible, which prompted me to leave to room and summon a skeleton. I really don't like it when my opponent has the initiative, let him dance with my skeleton. He became visible when he started casting a spell to against my skeleton. Shar-Teel seized the moment. She entered silently, manoeuvered herself behind Tranzig and killed him with a single backstab. She got blinded in the process though, because Tranzig just managed to complete his casting of a glitterdust spell. The temporary blindness was of little consequence, as Shar-Teel and I were going to rest anyway.


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    Tranzig was carrying a letter about secret activities in Larswood and Peldvale, northeast from here, by the same organization that was apparently behind the atrocities in the Nashkell mines. I don't think I can be arsed to go there and solve those problems. Let the Fist take care of those things. I'd rather figure out why there's a price on my head. Unless.. unless there's a relation between this secret organization and my predicament. Can't see how though.

    ....

    Well rested, Shar and I step outside Feldepost's. Someone has traced me here, a stranger. This doesn't feel right. I'm putting away my journal. I'm going to act the innocuous litle halfling. Cyric guide me, and Shar-Teel.


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    NOTE: this is in my experience one of the hardest fights in SCS BG1. Teyl's going to try and beat Molkar's gang, but he's aware that he might be no match for them, with only Shar-Teel to aid him. He will keep an eye out for a possible escape route.
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  • ElrandirElrandir Member Posts: 1,664
    Geez. Poor Shar-Teel. She sure keeps getting the short end of the stick. *thinks a moment* There's no pun about Teyl there, I promise.
  • BlackravenBlackraven Member Posts: 3,486
    edited March 2014
    @Elrandir, ouch... I was just wondering why the "romance" had stalled :(
    on a more serious note, I think me rep has gone up to 12, too high for Shar-Teel...
    Post edited by Blackraven on
  • ElrandirElrandir Member Posts: 1,664
    It could also be death. Sometimes death ends romances, I believe.
  • BlackravenBlackraven Member Posts: 3,486
    That's true. I could look this up in SK.
  • BlackravenBlackraven Member Posts: 3,486
    edited March 2014
    Travelling North from Keldath's Temple we reached the Larswood, which indeed showed great bandit activity. As they operated in small groups, Shar-Teel and I had little difficulty taking them on, using either backstabs or our ranged weaponry. We also had to deal with better equipped and better disciplined Black Talon Elite fighters, but they fell just as well.
    Interestingly we met two feuding druids, who turned against us. First one, later the other. They are no more.
    As we proceeded northward, entering Peldvale, we were confronted with more bandits and Black Talons, none of whom managed to impress us. Confident that we could stand against them if necessary,we feigned interest in joing the bandits, to see what's going on in their organization. We were brought to their camp, where a fierceful half-ogre, apparently their leader, challenged us in order to gauge our fighting prowess. I slew him with my poisoned frost dart [which made Teyl reach level 8 as a thief; a level 7/8 cleric thief, he has now almost reached the original XP cap]. Curiously, a witness didn't really respond to this display of power and the fact that they were now without their leader.


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    As the camp remained disturbingly quiet, at nightfall we decided to explore the camp a bit more. Maybe the ogre wasn't anyone of importance. We sneaked around and came upon a big tent, which we gathered had to be place where the leaders of the organization were to be found. We entered stealthily and counted ten people, one of them a mage, the others fighters equipped with both swords and bows. I hinted at Shar-Teel to get behind the mage and take thim down, preferably with one hit. Unfortunately, she didn't make it that far. She got caught. We both tried to take down the mage anyway, Shar-Teel with her bow and I with my poisoned dart. However the mage had already protected himself with previously cast mirror image and ghost armor, so we weren't very succesful. Shar-Teel got in one good hit, and I did some minor poison damage, not enough for the kill. As I was getting hit by arrow after arrow, I quaffed one of only two invisibility potions I had with me. Pretty much at the same time the mage managed to charm Shar-Teel. With Shar-Teel on their side, all the bandits walked toward me as if I were sanctuaried rather than invisible.


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    [This is really annoying: enemies just keep on following you around and if you're unlucky as I was in this case, they swarm you, and you've got no place to go.]

    Completely stuck but safe from any harm for as long as the invisibilty would last, I quaffed healing potion after healing potion until I was completely healed. When the charm spell wore off, Shar-Teel, unable to see me, threw a potion of explosions in our direction, killing off the mage and one bandit, and injuring all the others. Luckily I had already restored my health, so I survived that attack relatively unscathed.


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    The bandits retalliated against Shar-Teel's assault. And unable to quaff a healing potion she was vulnerable to the bandits' ranged attacks, and fell. I was still surrounded by seven fighters, with nowhere to go. I cast holy power while still invisible (this increased my resilience and my fighting prowess), and threw another potion of explosions right on the ground. The explosion killed two more bandits, just enough for me to set myself free. There were now five of them still alive.


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    My Cyric-given Holy Power helped me slay one more bandit, but again I saw my health deplete rapidly due to the remaining bandits' rain of arrows hitting me. I moved to the other side of the tent, and drank my last potion of invisibility.


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    Once more the bandits came to me as moths to a lantern. This time however I made sure no to get surrounded by them, I kept moving and healing myself with potions until my health was restored. Then I drank a potion of speed so that I could distance myself easier from the group, especially since one of them, a man named Raemon had done the same. When they were grouped together, and I at a safe distance, I threw another potion of explosions (my last). Disturbingly all four survived the explosion, and I was visible again without any means to hide (except for a Sanctuary if I were lucky to cast it without getting interrupted).
    The tides turned when I managed to charm their strongest, the aforementioned Raemon, with Lord Foreshadow's ring of human influence.


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    My new friend in close combat, and I at range with my newly poisoned frost dart, managed to kill off the other three bandits. And then it was between Raemon and me. "Well, I didn't know you had it in you, guess I'll have to do the dirty work myself," he said confidently. "I am death, come for thee," I replied, "Surrender, and thy passage shall be quicker." (I had picked that up from an assassin in Nashkel.) His bow was no match for my poisoned dart, and so he at last he fell too.
    Post edited by Blackraven on
  • BlackravenBlackraven Member Posts: 3,486
    edited March 2014

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    I spoke with a pacific roguish type, apparently a captive. He told me that the organization I'd been dealing with, in Nashkell and also here in this Bandit Camp, is the Iron Throne, active in the Cloakwood.
    On my way out, I noticed that the entire camp had gone hostile. I managed to take down the Black Talon leader with three divine traps and two backstabs with my spirit longsword, but then I decided to flee from the multitude of dangerous archers, heading toward the Friendly Arm Inn, for some well-deserved rest...
    Post edited by Blackraven on
  • BlackravenBlackraven Member Posts: 3,486
    edited March 2014
    It's been a few uneventful days in which Shar-Teel and I mainly sold some loot, did a few minor quests in the Cloudpeaks, killed the famous drow ranger Drizzt Do'Urden with my traps after he'd asked me to help him take on a group of gnolls but refused to fight them himself [this was to me the more appealing way to lower Teyl's reputation, compared to killing a commoner].
    Things got more interesting when Shar-Teel and I went treasure hunting in the maze below the Firewine ruins, which was supposed to harbor all manner of riches for the taking. Unfortunately it was not so. What we did find was an ogre mage, with a dangerous wizard and others as his lackeys. The wizard surprised us as he came walking up to us. Shar-Teel and I both reached for our ranged weapons. With arrows of biting and my poisoned frost dart, we managed to poison him. He nevertheless managed to protect himself with a globe of invulnerability, but Shar-Teel dispelled the protective sphere with an arrow of dispelling.


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    Though the poison from Shar-Teel's arrows and my dart were doing their destructive job perfectly well, the wizard successfully (and admirably, it must be said) managed to cast a lightning bolt our way. It hit and injured Shar-Teel (but not me).


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    A critical hit by Shar-Teel with her bow, meant the end of the wizard.


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    We sneaked further through the maze, until we encountered the aforementioned ogre mage. A devestating backstab by Shar-Teel finished him off before he could do us any harm.


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    This was Shar-Teel's last feat in my company. I told her that I prefer to work alone, as it keeps the senses astute. I travelled to Ulgoth's Beard to buy the Greenstone Amulet as I had long intended to. 28,500 gold is no joke, but by now it's a bearable expense, considering I still have about 20,000 gold left (thanks not in the least to the good money people are willing to pay for various magical wands I've picked up in my adventures).

    From Ulgoth's Beard I made my way southward, to the Cloakwood, to get an idea of what this Iron Throne is up to. The Cloakwood is a vast, beautiful forest, though as most forests not without its dangers. I entered from the South East, where I had retrieved Gurke's Cloak of Non-Detection before. This area was relatively quiet, with only one incident worth mentioning: my involvement in a conflict between a foppish nobleman from Baldur's Gate, who had been hunting in the woods, and a druid. I sided with the druid, but was rather disappointed with him after he let me do all the work in taking on the hunter, and scarcely rewarded me for my effort. So I confronted him, which resulted in battle. He had a very nifty spell, an insect plague he conjured up, one that went straight for me, and not only injured me but also made me panic. Nothing that made me have to fear for my life, but nevertheless a warning signal of what these druids are capable of. It was my poisoned frost dart, backed by the will of Cyric, that once again decided a conflict in my favour.
    Deeper in the forest I trespassed on spider territory, replete with giant spiders, phase spiders, sword spiders, ettercaps etc. Their web traps cannot harm me thanks to my ring of free action, nor do I gravely fear their poison (due to my affinity with poisons). Their paws however do present a risk. I managed to clear most of the area using backstabs and ranged attacks. An obese female, possibly human, inhabited a den filled with even more spiders. Inside I might have fallen to that multitude of strong and venomous monsters, but luring them outside gave me the edge. I separated them and took them on one by one. Inside I found an enchanted greatsword and a body. I took the sword, and left the body.
    I also came upon a Druid community. They were far from hospitable, especially when I told them I just wished to pass through unharmed and unmolested. Turning downright hostile, they displayed little care for my wish. In return I displayed little care for their lives. Bunch of bigots, claiming the moral high ground all the time. I enjoy and respect this grand forest just as they do.
    I continued my way until I reached a heavily guarded mine. Another mine, the presence of Black Talons... this must the Iron Throne base, I thought. A the entrance a group of four assassins, hired to kill me, were waiting for me. Two mages, a fighter and a cleric. It seems there is some sort of connection between this Iron Throne and all the assassins after all. Before confronting them I made sure that the surrounding areas were free of any guards that might try to stop me. Then I dispatched one of the two mages with a single backstab.


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    The cleric was easily taken care of as well. Their leader Drasus, the fighter was more difficult to handle. Nevertheless, a couple of backstabs did him in.


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    Then only one mage remained, this one was quite generous with his stoneskins, and thus more difficult to hit. Therefore I summoned a number of skeletons to take him on. Once they got their first hit in, I knew that it was time for me to attack from the shadows and finish him off with my upgraded dagger of venom (the dagger of venom as upgraded by Thalantyr has come to replace the weary cudgel club as Teyl's primary melee and backstab weapon).

    [Teyl is now a level 8/9 Cleric/Thief, and therefore one level beyond what the XP cap would allow for each class in BG1-TotSC. I intend not to level Teyl up any further. But the *4 backstab multiplier and the opportunity to invest another weapon proficiency point (in daggers), were to good to neglect in this heavily modded setup. His weapon proficiencies are: *daggers, *darts, *clubs, *single weapon style]


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    Post edited by Blackraven on
  • MacHurtoMacHurto Member Posts: 731
    @blackraven is there a bag of holding and boots of speed somewhere available in early BG?
  • BlackravenBlackraven Member Posts: 3,486
    @MacHurto:

    In BG:EE it's supposed to be possible to CLUA-Console or EE:keeper a bag into to your inventory. In my BGT run I installed a mod which makes Thalantyr sell containers. I'm not sure which mod if any will do the same for BG:EE.

    As to the boots, I have a fun mod installed in BGT, called Aurosra's shoes and boots, it adds a gnomish lass in BG1 who sells all kinds of boots. In BG2 it's her brother and Aurora herself who sell these goods. The shoes and boots aren't OP, though there is one pair of speed boots available early on in Nashkell if you have the coin. Usually they're one of my first investments. I know that the mod is compatible with EE but I'm not sure whether it's BG2:EE only or BG1:EE as well.
    Another option if you're lucky, is the item randomiser mod which randomly changes the locations of all items each game. (For example thanks to this mod I only have a girdle of bluntness, the least useful of them all).
  • ElrandirElrandir Member Posts: 1,664
    edited March 2014
    I'm sad to see him fall... Does this actually count as a death since she made the charm hit because of the chaos first? Since you've said previously you might not count a charm as a death.
    Post edited by Elrandir on
  • BlackravenBlackraven Member Posts: 3,486
    Hey @Elrandir, I was saddened as well. To be honest charm death makes no sense to me. If you get stunned there is no game over, while it's supereasy to kill off a stunned character. (Although a character who manages to quaff a potion of invisibility before being hit may survive.)
    Anyhow, the game developers apparently intended the game over for charmed solo characters, and I've decided to respect that. Maybe I'll play Teyl a bit more at one point, just to see what he's capable of... But I've already developed a new charname ;)
  • ElrandirElrandir Member Posts: 1,664
    Hahaha Alright, well I'll look forward to the new face! ;) Even if it ended too soon, it was a good read. Thanks for the work. =)
  • BlackravenBlackraven Member Posts: 3,486
    edited March 2014
    @Elrandir Thank you for your appreciation. My Wizard Slayer is up and running ;)
    And you? Did you become bored with sharing Roisin's adventures?
  • ElrandirElrandir Member Posts: 1,664
    edited March 2014
    Oooh! I've been thinking about what a Wizard Slayer solo would be like. (I assume you mean a solo. Or semi-solo, like with Teyl) And nah, it's been kind of a busy weekend between being unable to sleep at night, (During which time I beat BG1 with my bard and his party) sleeping most of the next day, and then all the stuff that always happens on Sunday for me. I'll get back on it tomorrow. =)

    Edit: Ah. Never mind. After seeing the new thread, (though I have yet to read much) I see you'll be operating in a small group. =p
  • BlackravenBlackraven Member Posts: 3,486
    Aah I wonder which came first: insomnia and then Baldur's Gate, or vice versa? hehe
    Didn't know you were running two campaigns at the same time. Congrats on your bard!
  • ElrandirElrandir Member Posts: 1,664
    That's a good question... =p And yeah, my bard is a standard playthrough that I've been working on for quite a while. Thanks! He'll make a good test for BG2 before I get there with Roisin.
  • BlackravenBlackraven Member Posts: 3,486
    Yes, I think some practice is always nice. I know I'll need some with whatever typo of character, if/when I make it to BG2 with Grynne. That way I won't screw up my no-reload too easily hehehe
  • MetallomanMetalloman Member, Moderator, Translator (NDA) Posts: 3,975
    Moved in the right area. :)
  • BlackravenBlackraven Member Posts: 3,486
    Ok, that's fine by me. This run has ended anyway.
  • ElrandirElrandir Member Posts: 1,664
    Hoorah! Glad to have him back! Sounds like you made Grynne look pretty pathetic when it came to that arch druid.
  • BlackravenBlackraven Member Posts: 3,486
    Thanks Elrandir! :D
    Yep, things have gone very smooth for Teyl, compared to Grynne. I always play characters who can use stealth and/or invisibilty. With the arch druid it proved to be very useful again: he sneaked past the druid, cleared the area of hostile guards and met the druid on Teyl's terms rather than being surrounded with hostile bears and guards.
  • ElrandirElrandir Member Posts: 1,664
    edited March 2014
    Yay! The dread mage Hareishan Teyl-Slayer is dead! As is the deadly Davaeorn Grynne-Slayer! Good to see you making such good progress!
    Post edited by Elrandir on
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