During my recent playthrough of Icewind Dale 2, I noticed that the map of one of the caves in Chapter 1 is basically just a reversed version of the cave in the prologue of Icewind Dale 1.
Here's the Icewind Dale 1 cave...
and here's the Icewind Dale 2 cave.
edit: I just realized that even the pools are in the same place. In that Icewind Dale 2 picture I actually hadn't explored all the fog, so just now I took a look at the parts I hadn't seen (mainly the part on the top of the map) and there's actually a pool there just like in the corresponding part of the IWD1 map.
The spell to reverse Melicamp from his chicken state was named "Antihasenfußgenerator" in the german BG version. Hasenfuß is more like 'craven', and doesnt make sense in this context. orig spell name is: antichickenator
As far as I know, there is no level cap in Planescape Torment. Of course, unless you grind for a REALLY long time or use some kind of exploit, you aren't going to be anywhere near level 100, never mind higher than that. At one point I abused a glitch that lets you get the experience from a certain quest over and over again to get a really high level Nameless One (over level 100, I think), who had 25 in all stats and over 1000 hit points. For all I know there might be some sort of ridiculously high level cap (perhaps 255 or something along those lines) but I really have no idea.
Did you know that a Portalbendarwinden's answer (if you apologize and he gives a hint about your future) is actually a reference to 'History of the Fateful Coin' - the book Firebeard asks you to buy for him in Beregost.
From the book: "For some rare beings, the coin lands edge on - and these luckless few can forge their own fates, for they have more freedom over their destinies than the powers themselves."
Portalbendarwinden (if you apologize and he gives a hint about your future): "I've not seen another such as you, though I get the feeling that your type doesn't live exceptionally long. I would predict a violent end for you, but I can see nothing of your future. It would seem your coin is on edge."
Another testament that the game is full of references that add plot and depth.
I always thoght, that Firebead didn't ask you that particular book for no reason, he want to refer to you: as a child of Bhaal still your choice is to be good or evil. Your coin is on the edge, and you decide where to pull it, even gods can't stop you from this.
If you're in the candlekeep library, if you turn the volume way up so that the "murmuring voices" background noise is more audible, you can occasionally pick out some of the stuff they say, and it sounds dirty. I bet 1998 BW had a bunch of fun recording that
If you're in the candlekeep library, if you turn the volume way up so that the "murmuring voices" background noise is more audible, you can occasionally pick out some of the stuff they say, and it sounds dirty. I bet 1998 BW had a bunch of fun recording that
There are comprehensible voice clips in the background audio for various locations in the IE games, including the Targos Palisade, Trademeet, and the Athkatla Slums and Bridge District. One of my favorites is a little girl talking in Trademeet, though I don't know what she's saying.
There are comprehensible voice clips in the background audio for various locations in the IE games, including the Targos Palisade, Trademeet, and the Athkatla Slums and Bridge District. One of my favorites is a little girl talking in Trademeet, though I don't know what she's saying.
It doesn't seem like it's particularly comprehensible if you don't know what she's saying.
Targos Palisade: "Pull, men, pull! Put your backs into it!" Trademeet: "...in the world!" Slums: "Why you!" (might only appear at night; I don't know) And I forget about the Bridge District.
Did you know the Ulcaster Academy Ring in Icewind Dale states that the school was a school for necromancy. According to canon however the school was a school for conjurers (which makes sense given that Ulcaster himself was a conjurer).
This is the text of the ring
"A stout gold ring set with a black opal, this Ulcaster Academy ring bears the Netherese phrase "GOTHA E ETAN MEDR—ETACC," or "LIFE AND DEATH ETERNAL—NECROMANCY." A date on the side of the ring reads "1072 DR."
The Ulcaster Academy was a school of wizards who practiced, learned, and taught magic near the town of Beregost on the Sword Coast. Ulcaster's school eventually became frighteningly powerful. A group of wizards descended on the academy and reduced it to ruin. Most of the students and teachers were killed. Ulcaster's fate is unknown. Those few Ulcaster residents who escaped are known to pass on their class rings to private students, continuing their particular brand of education with pride."
It also allows you to cast minor drain, horror, and vampiric touch.
So looks like either Icewind Dale got that wrong or somewhere along the line a seller made up the items history
Well it is called a conjuration school certainly in at least some official literature (others just call it a magic school). In fairness though the school was destroyed around 300 years before the time of BG1. That would put its founding sometime before 1068. It was also said to have been destroyed around 80 years after its founding. Which conflicts with later editions that say it was destroyed in 1106. So basically there are a lot of inconsistencies around it. So its not that bad all things considered.
It could be that the destruction of the school had something to do with it becoming more specialized for just conjurers. Who knows. Mal-Kalen, a ghoul (and former student) that was apparently cut from the game, does mention treachery being involved in its destruction. So maybe at one point it had a mix of mages and there was a falling out
Perhaps there was an "old school" and a "new school" that were quite different. But now, with the passing of time, people blur them all together and we end up with a wildly inconsistent story!
Barbarian rage grants immunity to opcode 185, the hold effect used in Otiluke's Resilient Sphere. I've had mixed results in vanilla, but in EE, you can make a raging barbarian invincible (immunity to damage, poison, all weapons, and spell level immunity from 1 to 9) provided he or she fails a save against Resilient Sphere. Dual-wielding and speed weapons can allow the barbarian to attack, albeit at one less attack per round, but he or she will still be unable to walk around, even with Free Action.
You can also poison Fire Seeds, Arrows of Detonation, the Frag Grenades and the Scorcher Ammunition you get from forging the Big Metal Unit. Wizard Slayer spell failure (unless you're running an unmodded vanilla game) and Called Shot also can have area effects.
I think I remember that in the original non-enhanced Icewind Dale 1 without Heart of Winter installed, at a high enough level the spell Chromatic Orb did no damage but stunned with no saving throw. I may have remembered it wrong, though.
I've found a solution I've looked for all these years of how a group of enemy spellcasters that are still neutral (have blue circles) can be dealt with if you combine a RP approach + a cautious approach (and no meta-gaming).
Find a group of suspicious NPCs (with your thief or another scout) - from an unseen position cast Silence, 15' Radius - a priest spell of the 2nd level - repeat this spell the number of times you need to actually effect spellcasters (those who look like spellcasters, robes and tunics, you know). In many cases, you can target the spell so that only spellcasters are affected, so that warriors/thieves in these groups could talk to you.
After that you decide what to do with them.
This spell, Silence, 15' Radius, is amazing. NPCs don't become red after they're under this spell's effect. This spell makes a creature to make a saving throw vs Spell with a -5 penalty - this's a severe penalty, even in SoA, especially when you take into account you can cast the spell many times. Plus, the spell has a long effect - it's duration is 2 rounds/level.
If you cast Rigid Thinking on some innocent neutral character in a town, city or other such place and they make their save, they and everyone nearby will turn hostile. However, if they fail their save, no one will become hostile until the spell goes away, at which point I think only the person you confused will become hostile.
I don't think I've mentioned this before in this thread: there's a way to kill Tolgerias without any negative repercussions, but the method is very complicated.
Charm him in his normal spot, then order him to attack you. Leave while he's approaching you, and he should follow you outside. Attack him or wait for him to turn hostile, then bring him to Near Death. Lure him over to some Amnish soldiers and they'll finish him off for you. You don't get the XP for the kill, but it lets you get the Ring of Ram without turning any important characters hostile or losing any reputation.
If you turn an innocent NPC hostile, he or she can turn other neutral characters hostile if they are close enough. To prevent this from happening, you have to charm them and lead them to an isolated corner of the map. Once the charm wears off, they'll go back to hostile, but they won't move if you stay away from them. You can therefore turn one person hostile without infecting the whole map.
In Planescape Torment if you look at the options for setting what keys do, you get to see the names of ALL the abilities, mage spells and priest spells, including not only the spells that can't be cast by the Nameless One or his companions, but also the spells that weren't even included in the final game.
Comments
Here's the Icewind Dale 1 cave...
and here's the Icewind Dale 2 cave.
edit: I just realized that even the pools are in the same place. In that Icewind Dale 2 picture I actually hadn't explored all the fog, so just now I took a look at the parts I hadn't seen (mainly the part on the top of the map) and there's actually a pool there just like in the corresponding part of the IWD1 map.
Hasenfuß is more like 'craven', and doesnt make sense in this context.
orig spell name is: antichickenator
From the book: "For some rare beings, the coin lands edge on - and these luckless few can forge their own fates, for they have more freedom over their destinies than the powers themselves."
Portalbendarwinden (if you apologize and he gives a hint about your future): "I've not seen another such as you, though I get the feeling that your type doesn't live exceptionally long. I would predict a violent end for you, but I can see nothing of your future. It would seem your coin is on edge."
Another testament that the game is full of references that add plot and depth.
...
...
like what?
This is one of the few times in the IE games when the game points out that you are soloing it.
Targos Palisade: "Pull, men, pull! Put your backs into it!"
Trademeet: "...in the world!"
Slums: "Why you!" (might only appear at night; I don't know)
And I forget about the Bridge District.
This is the text of the ring
"A stout gold ring set with a black opal, this Ulcaster Academy ring bears the Netherese phrase "GOTHA E ETAN MEDR—ETACC," or "LIFE AND DEATH ETERNAL—NECROMANCY." A date on the side of the ring reads "1072 DR."
The Ulcaster Academy was a school of wizards who practiced, learned, and taught magic near the town of Beregost on the Sword Coast. Ulcaster's school eventually became frighteningly powerful. A group of wizards descended on the academy and reduced it to ruin. Most of the students and teachers were killed. Ulcaster's fate is unknown. Those few Ulcaster residents who escaped are known to pass on their class rings to private students, continuing their particular brand of education with pride."
It also allows you to cast minor drain, horror, and vampiric touch.
So looks like either Icewind Dale got that wrong or somewhere along the line a seller made up the items history
It could be that the destruction of the school had something to do with it becoming more specialized for just conjurers. Who knows. Mal-Kalen, a ghoul (and former student) that was apparently cut from the game, does mention treachery being involved in its destruction. So maybe at one point it had a mix of mages and there was a falling out
Find a group of suspicious NPCs (with your thief or another scout) - from an unseen position cast Silence, 15' Radius - a priest spell of the 2nd level - repeat this spell the number of times you need to actually effect spellcasters (those who look like spellcasters, robes and tunics, you know). In many cases, you can target the spell so that only spellcasters are affected, so that warriors/thieves in these groups could talk to you.
After that you decide what to do with them.
This spell, Silence, 15' Radius, is amazing. NPCs don't become red after they're under this spell's effect. This spell makes a creature to make a saving throw vs Spell with a -5 penalty - this's a severe penalty, even in SoA, especially when you take into account you can cast the spell many times. Plus, the spell has a long effect - it's duration is 2 rounds/level.
Charm him in his normal spot, then order him to attack you. Leave while he's approaching you, and he should follow you outside. Attack him or wait for him to turn hostile, then bring him to Near Death. Lure him over to some Amnish soldiers and they'll finish him off for you. You don't get the XP for the kill, but it lets you get the Ring of Ram without turning any important characters hostile or losing any reputation.
If you turn an innocent NPC hostile, he or she can turn other neutral characters hostile if they are close enough. To prevent this from happening, you have to charm them and lead them to an isolated corner of the map. Once the charm wears off, they'll go back to hostile, but they won't move if you stay away from them. You can therefore turn one person hostile without infecting the whole map.
Also, while arcane spellcasters can cast vocalize, divine spellcasters cannot and it means that priests and druids become a lot less dangerous.
Moreover, high level mages are more vulnerable to silence becase the script to cast Vocalize majorly belongs to lower level enemy mages.
To me, this spell, combined with Detect Evil, gives plenty of reasons to interact with a still neutral mage with less risk.