6) Just to confirmed that there's been no gremlins involved... but did the BG2 NPCs always start off with such different xp? In my game I was concerned that Keldorn would fall significantly behind the rest of party because I did quite a lot of stuff before picking him up... only to discover that he had 800k xp to begin with! (Charname has around 400k and is level 9/11 when he was recruited).
It makes perfect sense as he is a grizzled veteran whilst Nalia (an amateur) and Anomen (a squire) started with 200k-ish. I just didn't realise the game actually reflected these differences. Oh Neera had 400k too, I guess she's been busy between BG1 and BG2.
I believe the XP also depends on your party. Like, if you go and pick up Keldorn as soon as you can, he will have XP around the same range your team has
It's because the NPC's starting level depends on yours. If your char is 9/11, your NPC's will come with the closest level to 11 (rounded down) - in this case, 10. So Keldorn starts at 10 but he is a paladin and paladins have a slow progression table, hence his high EXP count. Note that for some reason game compares levels, not EXP value.
Keldorn comes in versions: level 8, 9, 10, 12 and 14 - since you are 9/11, he was brought to the closest level to 11 (but not higher!), hence 10.
If you had a slow class yourself, then your NPC would come with much lower values.
At least that's what I observed. Aerie for instance starts with very high amount of EXP if you do the Circus late, because she is a multiclass and her classes need to be adjusted to your current level.
@Lathlaer Ah I see... I knew it had something to do with Charname level, but I assumed that there were a finite set of different versions of each NPC depending on Charname level, and I thought I'd still be picking up the lowest version of Keldorn cos I am still very much in the early game. Hmmm I guess if I were a bard or pure-class cleric, I'd be picking up OP companions all the time.
Well the way it worked out, it's pretty much ideal for my roleplaying logic! It's nice having Keldorn as a mentor figure to replace Jaheira, and he even has the experience to back it up.
Ouch... so I just got owned hard at the Thayan enclave in Waukeen's Promenade. So many enemies!
Those chunks of flying flesh is Neera... who thankfully was "protected from permadeath" in my game rules cos I wanted to see all her content (minus the romance stuff).
So... I am considering using Power Word Reload and leaving all the Neera stuff until after the Underdark, rather than bashing repeatedly into content that I am probably not ready for. My question then is:
7) Are there any consequences for not picking up Draxus and then trying to save the Wild Mages until after the Under Dark. (I am not trying to romance Neera, but I would like to complete her questline and access the ToB stuff.)
I believe there is no time limit to Neera's Quest. However, you should try approaching the problem differently: If you go in one of the backrooms you will find Lanneth. If you manage to kill her very fast( cast invisibility on your warriors and go for her, backstab her with Yoshimo) you will kill her, only making the guys in the same room as her to get angry. The mercenaries will remain blue It will still be quite tough but much more doable.
I actually thought about stealth and subtlety, but then I thought that it was completely absurd that after the frantic battle in the front room, the guys in the "common room" were not remotely concerned about a heavily armed party strolling through claiming to be fellow mercenaries. I mean one of the Red Wizards even popped out to the front room to check what the commotion was all about... he did not return and his comrades in the next room didn't care to question our story? lol
Besides Neera's attitude during the entire thing was "Kill kill kill! Can we get to the killing now?!" So I feel a frontal assault would be more fitting anyway.
The sheer number of enemies coupled with my roleplay restrictions means that this is quite the difficulty bump, so given that there's no consequences for delaying getting to Draxus, I'll just wait until the party is significantly stronger. Again I've made a save, so I'll try the stealth approach "just for fun" and see if I can pull it off, but it seems too unrealistic to accept as my canon version of events.
Edit: I recently finally substituted Jaheira for Keldorn, who was always meant to be in the A Team. I thought he'd be more useful against mages, but now I think about it, Jaheira's Insect Plague would be wonderful in a packed room with loads of hostile mages.
I am not familiar with the Neera quest that much but it seems from the screenshot that Mironda is dead, so I'm not sure if it's possible to make Fadell drunk (I don't know if this generic barkeeper can offer you this advice).
Full list (I think) of player usable stuff that can block Imprisonment: Slayer Form (polymorph) Berserker Rage (kit spell) Spell Immunity: Abjuration (spell) Protection from Magic (item) Avoid Death (HLA) Spell Trap (spell) Shield of the Archons (spell) Spell Turning (spell) Rod of Absorbtion (item) Spell Deflection (spell)
Ah I see... Despite what seems a fairly long list, most of those are quite hard to come by, especially in the early game.
I asked because once more, Imprisonment has thrown quite a spanner in my plans... I decided to take on the Cowled Wizards, which was going swimmingly until the last group, which includes a named fellow (names starts with "Z") who casts Time Stop and Imprisonment.
On my first attempt, Anomen got Imprisoned, but I got party-wiped fairly soon after due to multiple Horrid Wilting and a poorly timed Neera Wild Surge. On my second attempt Mr Z. Imprisoned Charname, so gg again. On my third attempt I used Yoshimo to prepare the battlefield with traps (something I don't normally do), and focused all my opening attacks on Mr Z, and killed him instantly, and won the ensuing battle with ease. This made me feel a bit dirty though, and unsatisfied, due to the cheese, even if it kinda makes sense roleplay-wise. (It is an ambush afterall.)
So I tried a fourth time, and this time I did not initially target Mr Z, so he managed to Time Stop and Imprison Anomen again, and the fight got pretty messy. Ultimately I did win, but there is no Freedom Scroll until the Underdark, which means if I accept the result of the 4th attempt, I will lose Anomen until post-Underdark. That's gonna be painful cos it'd leave me without anyone who can swing Flail of Ages competently (I can't remember how many Clay Golems there are in Spellhold/Underdark) and Anomen was also wearing the Belt of Inertia Barrier, which has been my best defence against Beholders.
You can get Spell Immunity scroll from a vendor - I don't recall if it's the shady little fellow in the Bridge District or the harassed guy in the Gates. One of them for sure. It's a 5th level spell, you should be able to cast it for sure at this point.
Memorize it twice. First cast Immunity: Necromancy, then Immunity: Abjuration. You can then send the mage as a tank of some sort to take all the Wiltings and Imprisonments - once they cast it, you proceed to win the fight
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It makes perfect sense as he is a grizzled veteran whilst Nalia (an amateur) and Anomen (a squire) started with 200k-ish. I just didn't realise the game actually reflected these differences.
Like, if you go and pick up Keldorn as soon as you can, he will have XP around the same range your team has
Keldorn comes in versions: level 8, 9, 10, 12 and 14 - since you are 9/11, he was brought to the closest level to 11 (but not higher!), hence 10.
If you had a slow class yourself, then your NPC would come with much lower values.
At least that's what I observed. Aerie for instance starts with very high amount of EXP if you do the Circus late, because she is a multiclass and her classes need to be adjusted to your current level.
Well the way it worked out, it's pretty much ideal for my roleplaying logic! It's nice having Keldorn as a mentor figure to replace Jaheira, and he even has the experience to back it up.
Those chunks of flying flesh is Neera... who thankfully was "protected from permadeath" in my game rules cos I wanted to see all her content (minus the romance stuff).
So... I am considering using Power Word Reload and leaving all the Neera stuff until after the Underdark, rather than bashing repeatedly into content that I am probably not ready for. My question then is:
7) Are there any consequences for not picking up Draxus and then trying to save the Wild Mages until after the Under Dark. (I am not trying to romance Neera, but I would like to complete her questline and access the ToB stuff.)
However, you should try approaching the problem differently:
If you go in one of the backrooms you will find Lanneth. If you manage to kill her very fast( cast invisibility on your warriors and go for her, backstab her with Yoshimo) you will kill her, only making the guys in the same room as her to get angry. The mercenaries will remain blue It will still be quite tough but much more doable.
I actually thought about stealth and subtlety, but then I thought that it was completely absurd that after the frantic battle in the front room, the guys in the "common room" were not remotely concerned about a heavily armed party strolling through claiming to be fellow mercenaries. I mean one of the Red Wizards even popped out to the front room to check what the commotion was all about... he did not return and his comrades in the next room didn't care to question our story? lol
Besides Neera's attitude during the entire thing was "Kill kill kill! Can we get to the killing now?!" So I feel a frontal assault would be more fitting anyway.
The sheer number of enemies coupled with my roleplay restrictions means that this is quite the difficulty bump, so given that there's no consequences for delaying getting to Draxus, I'll just wait until the party is significantly stronger. Again I've made a save, so I'll try the stealth approach "just for fun" and see if I can pull it off, but it seems too unrealistic to accept as my canon version of events.
Edit: I recently finally substituted Jaheira for Keldorn, who was always meant to be in the A Team. I thought he'd be more useful against mages, but now I think about it, Jaheira's Insect Plague would be wonderful in a packed room with loads of hostile mages.
This spell has caused me all sorts of pain, and seems to bypass saves and magic resistance...
Or the scroll of magic protection is always useful
Slayer Form (polymorph)
Berserker Rage (kit spell)
Spell Immunity: Abjuration (spell)
Protection from Magic (item)
Avoid Death (HLA)
Spell Trap (spell)
Shield of the Archons (spell)
Spell Turning (spell)
Rod of Absorbtion (item)
Spell Deflection (spell)
I asked because once more, Imprisonment has thrown quite a spanner in my plans... I decided to take on the Cowled Wizards, which was going swimmingly until the last group, which includes a named fellow (names starts with "Z") who casts Time Stop and Imprisonment.
On my first attempt, Anomen got Imprisoned, but I got party-wiped fairly soon after due to multiple Horrid Wilting and a poorly timed Neera Wild Surge. On my second attempt Mr Z. Imprisoned Charname, so gg again. On my third attempt I used Yoshimo to prepare the battlefield with traps (something I don't normally do), and focused all my opening attacks on Mr Z, and killed him instantly, and won the ensuing battle with ease. This made me feel a bit dirty though, and unsatisfied, due to the cheese, even if it kinda makes sense roleplay-wise. (It is an ambush afterall.)
So I tried a fourth time, and this time I did not initially target Mr Z, so he managed to Time Stop and Imprison Anomen again, and the fight got pretty messy. Ultimately I did win, but there is no Freedom Scroll until the Underdark, which means if I accept the result of the 4th attempt, I will lose Anomen until post-Underdark. That's gonna be painful cos it'd leave me without anyone who can swing Flail of Ages competently (I can't remember how many Clay Golems there are in Spellhold/Underdark) and Anomen was also wearing the Belt of Inertia Barrier, which has been my best defence against Beholders.
Decision decisions...
Memorize it twice. First cast Immunity: Necromancy, then Immunity: Abjuration. You can then send the mage as a tank of some sort to take all the Wiltings and Imprisonments - once they cast it, you proceed to win the fight