Level Drain?
Papa_Lou
Member Posts: 263
Hey dudes.
I feel like I've been making a ton of threads here asking questions lately, and it only proves to me that Baldur's Gate II is a hell of a lot harder than the first game.
Anyway, last time I played through this game, I used Anomen. This time, however, I've only got Jaheira to help out with healing and buffing, because neither Anomen or Viconia fit well into my party, and roleplaying is a major part of these games to me. If I understand correctly, Druids don't get any restoration spells to help deal with level drain, so I bought what I thought was a ton of restoration scrolls. However, after a couple battles against some vampires, I'd used up half of those scrolls on my party fixing up all the level drains.
Am I truly boned in this regard if I don't take a cleric along with me? If I remember correctly, there are a lot of points throughout this game where my characters will have their levels drained.
I realize I could just take my party back to the nearest temple, but that just seems so tedious... Any advice?
I feel like I've been making a ton of threads here asking questions lately, and it only proves to me that Baldur's Gate II is a hell of a lot harder than the first game.
Anyway, last time I played through this game, I used Anomen. This time, however, I've only got Jaheira to help out with healing and buffing, because neither Anomen or Viconia fit well into my party, and roleplaying is a major part of these games to me. If I understand correctly, Druids don't get any restoration spells to help deal with level drain, so I bought what I thought was a ton of restoration scrolls. However, after a couple battles against some vampires, I'd used up half of those scrolls on my party fixing up all the level drains.
Am I truly boned in this regard if I don't take a cleric along with me? If I remember correctly, there are a lot of points throughout this game where my characters will have their levels drained.
I realize I could just take my party back to the nearest temple, but that just seems so tedious... Any advice?
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*EDIT* I believe the mace of disruption protects from level drain which is a huge help, Jaheaira should also get negative plane protection as a 4th level spell. Its single target and has kind of a short duration, so use wisely.
Edit: Another essential buffing spell which is also available to Jaheira is Chaotic Commands - casting whichever of those is applicable plus Haste on your tank will get you out of a lot of tricky situations.
Or use protection from undead scrolls is another option
Hexxat is also viable, after you complete her initial quest.
A very good ac can help, but it is generally only effective vs weaker level drainers like wights, wraiths and spectres. Vampires all have good thac0 and exceptional, brutal str scores so they score hits easier. They mostly use slam attacks (crushing) so girdle of bluntness may help with extra ac, and avoid chain mails as they are weak against blunt trauma.
The simplest solution is for you to choose your battles more carefully and avoid fighting vampires directly when possible. Use summoned units, scout areas first like any reasonable adventurer would so you know if there are vampires around, and use indirect methods like luring them into traps or engaging forced interactions with them using a character with access to stealth/invisibility while the rest of your party flees, so you can fight the resulting battle on your own terms.
You should be operating under the assumption that taking hits from a vampire is a worst case scenario.
First bit of advice is to try and avoid level drain rather than tank it and heal afterward. Easier said than done, I know, but the reason why you're burning through your restoration scrolls so quickly is that you're using them in a reactionary manner, rather than as a last resort. Try to hold off on using the scrolls unless a character has been brought so low in level that they'll die if they face another vampire, or you are about to face a boss and need your characters in peak form. Remember, you can always go to a priest in one of the temples around Amn and have it healed without using a scroll.
As for how to avoid level drain, there are a few ways to go about it. The first is to use summons to draw aggro for your frontline. This can really help with taking the bloodsuckers out. At worst, they'll act as a meat-shield for your party. At best, they can actually go toe-to-toe with the vampires, acting as a distraction while your melee fighters flank them. Fire Elementals are some of the best summons for tanking Vampires as they deal fire damage (something the undead do not like) and I believe are immune to level drain (don't quote me on that). Having Jaheira with you should help in this regard, as druids can summon these elementals. If your mage knows the animate dead spell, that too might prove useful, as I think they are also immune to level drain (again, don't quote that). Basically, you want to load your casters up with these types of spells prior to entering any area where Vampires might appear (crypts are usually what you should look out for).
As for what to do with your party, you should try to keep the number of party members engaging the Vampires in melee to a minimum, especially when you're facing a hoard of them. The fewer teammates you have fighting in melee, the less likely the Vamps are to turn their attention to someone who isn't properly protected from them. Provided you decide to trust Gaelan Bayle's associates, you'll receive an amulet in Chapter 3 that renders the wearer immune to level drain. After receiving this amulet, I usually give it to my tank (usually Minsc for me) and send him to aggro the Vamps while the rest of my team offers support with their spells and ranged weapons. Prior to receiving this amulet, you can go with a similar strategy using the Berserk ability (Berserkers, Barbarians, and Minsc have access to it) as an alternative to Negative Plane Protection. Not only are raging characters immune to level drain, they are also immune to charm spells (the other primary weapon in the Vampire's arsenal). Just be careful when you have Minsc do this. You have a tendency to lose control of him in combat, which is problematic as you wont be able to have him down a potion if he gets weak and you can't control who he attacks (he'll even turn on your party if they're close enough).
Finally, while level drain is the main tool in a Vampire's arsenal, their charm and domination spells can also be a real pain. After all, what good is a tank decked out in level drain protections if they hit him with a domination and send him charging into your party? For this, your best bet is to have your melee combatants use equipment that grants charm immunity. Lilacor, Shield of Harmony, and the Helm of Charm Protection (there are multiple) are all items that you can receive fairly early in the game that can grant this to your party members.
Of course, I wasn't complaining about the difficulty in my original post. I actually appreciate a good challenge every now and then. Last time I encountered level draining vampires I had Anomen with some restoration spells, so I just took advantage of that. This time was just different, so all these tips will definitely help me out a lot!
It's best to get one or two well-prepared fighters attack the vampires and leave the rest of the party in a different room.
Don't use your scrolls of restoration every time you get a few levels drained. I usually don't bother unless my levels get very low.
If you have an Evil party, Dorn is immune to level drain.
When I played with a solo druid, I missed Remove Fear - the only source for a druid to get it is with a Deva casting this spell.