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Draconis (spoiler)

BubblesBubbles Member Posts: 589
in Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition
Is it me or is Draconis really the hardest dragon to defeat for a solo game?
So far my solo characters are those that cannot summon deva/planetars.
What am I doing wrong? X_X I always find this quarter-breed draconis extremely annoying ....
It seemed to be the only dragon during solo, that can charge, cast spells and summon always at the same time ...

Comments

  • ArunsunArunsun Member Posts: 1,592
    Draconis is a three-quarter dragon, one quarter god if I am not mistaken. Anyway he is one of the hardest battle indeed, especially in solo, as a melee non-spellcasting class. I can only advise to stack resistances against his breath weapon and melee attacks if you can do that, and run around waiting for him to run out of spells.
  • Grond0Grond0 Member Posts: 7,320
    For a thief or bard Draconis is vulnerable to traps. For a fighter type you might want to look at the weapons you're using - for instance swords that drain levels or inflict a penalty to THAC0 can both be useful.
  • BubblesBubbles Member Posts: 589
    @Grond0 @Arunsun
    Strangely, his daddy is far easier to down than he is ...
    I guess my biggest problem is that this lizard matched my running speed after he transform to a dragon and the transformation actually dispelled whatever meagre summons I brought up against his human form ... This is 1 boss I never could quite figure out a stable, non-failing strategy for a truely no reload, solo run.
    X_X
  • BubblesBubbles Member Posts: 589
    Finally found out the hard way ...
    If I am at least having a thief class in my solo run .. (confirm can kill this lizard in LoB)

    8 spike traps + 5 regular traps

  • AethernautAethernaut Member Posts: 60
    Grond0 said:

    For a thief or bard Draconis is vulnerable to traps. For a fighter type you might want to look at the weapons you're using - for instance swords that drain levels or inflict a penalty to THAC0 can both be useful.

    I've yet to get to this point myself.

    Just defeated Sendai, about to tackle Abazigal.

    My charname is a pure class shadowdancer though and they don't get traps.

    Fighting these high level bosses without traps is a bit of a nightmare but makes the game all the more challenging.

    The HLA traps make the game so much easier if you ask me - especially the spike versions.
  • gorgonzolagorgonzola Member Posts: 3,864
    One of the features of Tactics Mod that I really like is the way that uses to prevent traps abuses.
    Some minor enemies are spawned just before a powerful enemy is spawned and they get the traps.
    Is still possible to use them but you have to set them in a point where no enemy is spawned and then lure there the big guy.
    Draconis is not affected by this, but the Twisted Rune, Kangax and a lot of other battles are really enhanced, Using traps, backstabbing and such rogue tricks should be powerful, but also challenging. In that way the traps are not nerfed, their full potential is available for less cheap uses, Just the uses that make the player feel "guilty" are prevented.
  • BubblesBubbles Member Posts: 589
    @Aethernaut
    The human form of Draconis is not the hard part, is that lizard form X_X.
    If you have Shadow Dragon Armor + Helm of the Rock that should save you a lot of trouble.
  • BubblesBubbles Member Posts: 589
    @gorgonzola
    Having you started your EE gameplay? If you haven't, try LoB mode when you start (please do not install any mod first, I know you are very good with your spell-casters), I would like to learn how you do the LoB (Thank you).
  • AethernautAethernaut Member Posts: 60
    edited September 2016
    Bubbles said:

    @Aethernaut
    The human form of Draconis is not the hard part, is that lizard form X_X.
    If you have Shadow Dragon Armor + Helm of the Rock that should save you a lot of trouble.

    Beat him last night, second go. That said, I am using a full team of NPC's.

    Viconia summoned a fallen deva, which cast globe of blades on itself. This kept his humanoid form busy and whittled down his summons.

    Meanwhile, my group armed ranged weapons (hasted, fear resisting, true-seeing + other buffs) nailed his projected form and Imoen stripped away his defences with breach.

    When he turned into a dragon, Imoen ran away and cast timestop as my other group spread out.

    Viconia got killed half way through casting energy blades, so Jaheira (Spectral Brand), Sarevok (Psion's Blade) and Minsc (Angurvadal & Axe of Unyielding) armed their melee weapons, activated critical strikes / gww rushed and wailed on him as they topped up their health with potions.

    My main, Malakai (shadowdancer) used a shadow twin and other ranged support with an upgraded firetooth crossbow.

    Imoen's timestop managed to work, followed by her casting improved alacrity. I proceeded to have her unleash a full barrage of debuffs (spellstrike, breach, pierce magic, remove magic, lower magic resistance x2) a couple of fingers of death, some horrid wiltings, 3 casts of magic missiles etc.

    All this seemed to have done the trick.

    I remember this being far harder back in the day.

    I think the fact I have played through this game so many times, plus the fact I've been playing my main through the entire saga has made this an easier fight.

    At this stage in the game my main character is level 36.

    Not a single trap used. :)

    I've only ever done one solo play through and I was using a Kensai/Mage.

    A lot of timestop spamming when I tackled it back then (I used a lot of scrolls + simulacrums).
  • InKalInKal Member Posts: 196
    Bubbles said:

    Finally found out the hard way ...
    If I am at least having a thief class in my solo run .. (confirm can kill this lizard in LoB)

    8 spike traps + 5 regular traps

    no offence but this is not gameplay.

    thief (UAI) can use scrolls to protect himself and debuff Draconis, can also dispel his invisibility via detect illusion. with UAI can use Robe of Vecna and Amulet of Power, you can also install "cast spells form scrolls at character level" and basically kill him with magic.

    Vanilla Draconis is kinda unique enemy because he actually has some proper AI.
  • Grond0Grond0 Member Posts: 7,320
    InKal said:

    Bubbles said:

    Finally found out the hard way ...
    If I am at least having a thief class in my solo run .. (confirm can kill this lizard in LoB)

    8 spike traps + 5 regular traps

    no offence but this is not gameplay.

    thief (UAI) can use scrolls to protect himself and debuff Draconis, can also dispel his invisibility via detect illusion. with UAI can use Robe of Vecna and Amulet of Power, you can also install "cast spells form scrolls at character level" and basically kill him with magic.
    That's a very restrictive view of what is 'gameplay'. If you felt it was necessary to restrict tactics at all I would have thought the restrictions should reflect the core strengths of particular character classes. Traps are one of the thief class's major strengths so it would seem perfectly reasonable to base tactics around those. While thieves are able (eventually) to use most forms of magic that's not part of their core abilities and I can't really see why doing that would be seen as in some way more appropriate gameplay.
  • ChidojuanChidojuan Member Posts: 211
    Solo Inquisitors can usually take care of him, especially if you have the Carsomyr. You use a lot of healing potions though.
  • BubblesBubbles Member Posts: 589
    I am not using any mods firstly, secondly I am running in LoB (testing damages of monsters, thus I am carrying a cheesy weapon). My solo dude is running around at max movement speed, I found once Draconis became an oversized "lizard", his spell-casting is literally on the fly as he charges towards nt dude. In this form, when he turns invisible he move out of my vsial range, usually faling to find this lizard even if I use True Sight spells. Using stoneskin+hardiness+any other form of temporary protection often triggers him to dispel it. Only when I use hardiness alone he didn't seemed to use dispel.

    Very often I don't even have a chance to cast all those detection spells when facing his lizard form as he moves away too fast or just before i can cast Oracle/True Sight, he suddenly appear within my sight range and often use a brath weapon right after that.
  • gorgonzolagorgonzola Member Posts: 3,864
    Bubbles said:

    @gorgonzola
    Having you started your EE gameplay? If you haven't, try LoB mode when you start (please do not install any mod first, I know you are very good with your spell-casters), I would like to learn how you do the LoB (Thank you).

    EE does not work on my gaming notebook, is installed but I can not even complete the character creation.
    I have it also installed on an other PC but just for short tests as that computer is shared with the rest of the family. Maybe I can have a slow EE run there, but for now I am still focused on the original.
    I am also not still very good with my spellcasters, I can improve a lot about it :smiley:
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