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Solo Cavalier vs Melissan - What Do I Do?

Candlekeep_CavalierCandlekeep_Cavalier Member Posts: 7
in Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition
STONE

SKIN

What's a lone melee fighter gotta do to breach Melissan's defences? Is it even possible to win this fight without a mage?

Comments

  • Grond0Grond0 Member Posts: 7,320
    edited June 2018
    Assuming you're playing unmodded then it's absolutely possible. Keeping buffs up as a fighter is very difficult, so you shouldn't rely on those. However, by the end game your equipment should be granting you good saving throws and if you have a scroll of PfM this is a good place to use it.

    Mel is vulnerable to slow, so the flail of ages is a good weapon here. She can also be stunned so smite and power attack can be useful. As for her stoneskins, watch out for those coming to an end and then hammer her with a GWW before she can put up another lot. Her most dangerous spells are timestops, so you might want to consider using the Big Metal Rod to interrupt those if you've got that - that can damage her through her stoneskins. You also want to try and interrupt her attempts to heal herself.

    If you're evil and have the 2-handed sword that damages THAC0 you can quickly get the joy of seeing her unable to hit you except with a critical (though seeing the title of the thread I guess you mean you're attacking with a cavalier and not a fighter, so this tactic is out).

    You should have the opportunity to use a simmy from Vhailor's Helm, which can be helpful and if you have Ras there's also the opportunity to get her fixated on that for a round or two while you pound her.
  • AmmarAmmar Member Posts: 1,297
    edited June 2018
    If you are a Cavalier can't you just switch to Carsomyr when she puts stone skin up? It doesn't work against PfMW, but stone skin will be dispelled.

    I don't often have Paladins in ToB, so I could be wrong.
  • Candlekeep_CavalierCandlekeep_Cavalier Member Posts: 7
    I've been whapping her like nuts with Carsomyr +6, and it doesn't seem to be working...
  • Candlekeep_CavalierCandlekeep_Cavalier Member Posts: 7
    Grond0 said:

    As for her stoneskins, watch out for those coming to an end and then hammer her with a GWW before she can put up another lot.

    Does stoneskin have a time limit or do you have to whack it away by attacking? How do you see it coming to an end?

  • Grond0Grond0 Member Posts: 7,320
    No time limit - you need to hit it. Mel's is a non-standard stoneskin and you can't get rid of it by using dispel magic. If you can't see the difference in Mel's icon, then just keep a close eye on the text to see when she first takes damage.
  • Candlekeep_CavalierCandlekeep_Cavalier Member Posts: 7
    Here's an experiment (which I may not get to try today)...what about using a Protection from Magic scroll on her? Wouldn't that take out all her buffs AND prevent her from casting?
  • ReticentReticent Member Posts: 122
    Not really Mellisan specific, but against Stoneskin in general it's a good idea to carry a weapon that does bonus elemental damage.
  • Grond0Grond0 Member Posts: 7,320
    Candlekeep_Cavalier said:

    Here's an experiment (which I may not get to try today)...what about using a Protection from Magic scroll on her? Wouldn't that take out all her buffs AND prevent her from casting?

    You can certainly try it. I would guess it won't affect the stoneskin as that's not a combat protection, but you can give it a go. At least some of her spells will also be special abilities and won't be shut down, but the scroll might help to some extent.
  • Candlekeep_CavalierCandlekeep_Cavalier Member Posts: 7
    Magical nonsense aside, this is basically a DPS race, isn't it? I just have to kill Melissan faster than her summons can kill me.
  • SharGuidesMyHandSharGuidesMyHand Member Posts: 2,580
    Reticent said:

    Not really Mellisan specific, but against Stoneskin in general it's a good idea to carry a weapon that does bonus elemental damage.

    In the same vein, if you have a weapon or some sort of spell/item that can do poison damage, it will still poison the caster even if the hit itself is "absorbed" by the skin.

    Not sure if that helps the TS in this case, though.
  • Grond0Grond0 Member Posts: 7,320
    edited June 2018
    Reticent said:

    Not really Mellisan specific, but against Stoneskin in general it's a good idea to carry a weapon that does bonus elemental damage.

    I agree that's helpful against casters. Mel has 100% resistance to all elemental damage, but it's possible that being hit will disrupt spells anyway. She also has 90% resistance to magic, but a few whacks from The Answerer sword can soon sort that out. The Ring of Energy can then be used to both do some bonus damage and give another opportunity to disrupt spells.

    Incidentally The Answerer is also a good weapon to help you use other weapons. Let's say for instance that you have no proficiency in flails, you might be reluctant to use the FoA on Mel as her good AC will make you miss a lot. However, the benefits of slowing her are high, so an alternative is to give her a few whacks with The Answerer (each one penalizing her AC by 2) before switching to the FoA. Depending on how many GWWs you have it's not a bad idea to start with one of those using the Answerer and then use another with the FoA until she's slowed.
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