New Player, Requesting Help Options

[Zarathustra]

Hi everyone.

I am a quite experienced BG2 player (as in: the vanilla game provides zero challenge anymore, but Ascension is still a struggle). Having recently started my first IA game, after perusing this forum for a while, I must say that IA is a very polished mod, and highly enjoyable once one accepts what it tries, and does not try, to do (some people seem to have difficulties with that).

However, I am - of course - up to my neck in trouble with most of the new encounters. So, I have opened this thread to occasionally ask advice once a battle has me stumped for hours on end. Any help would be appreciated; both general advice and moderate spoilers are welcome. Many thanks in advance!


My party consists of:

PC (Vagrant, 11) - very powerful kit, by the way; just I what I need for IA!
Valygar (11)
Anomen (12)
Jaheira (10 / 11)
Yoshimo (13) - he seems rather useless in IA, but I like him (it's not like he'll last anyway).
Nalia (12)

I have cleared the De'Arnise keep and done all the unmodded quests except the Unseeing Eye cult (if it even is unmodded). So you might be surprised to hear the Shadow Lover in the Lilarcor quest presents me with great difficulties. Tanking him seems impossible due to his low AC, his regeneration and his strength drain ability; and spells seem not to affect him, not even Bolt of Glory, which was a disappointment. Help? I am quite impressed that Sikret and others did it with lower-level and less-well-equipped parties.

This post has been edited by Zarathustra: Jan 20 2008, 08:05 PM

[Zarathustra]

Thanks for the replies, everybody. The Shadow Lover lies defeated, and Lilarcor has been 'liberated' (only to be sold, however).

I was indeed planning to replace Yoshimo with Imoen, as I will definitely need additional arcane power sooner or later. However, would you recommend replacing Nalia with Haer'Dalis at this stage? I think her high-level spells will make her more useful, and she has served well so far. Not sure how she will fare later on, though.

More importantly, I am somewhat at a loss as to what to tackle next. I have already dealt with the Captain Haegan, Pai'Na, the Guild Contact, Mencar's party, the Horrid Rakshasa, an Amber Golem and Mekrath's Imp. I am now torn between:

A: the Shadow Dungeon (maybe I can complete it up to and including the Shadow Dragon, then return for the Shadow Lord later?);
B: Firkraag's Dungeon (again, up to and including Conster perhaps?);
C: the Planar Prison;
D: the Planar Sphere.

I have already tried the Pirates' Hideout and the Sewer Bandits, and they seem too hard at the moment. The problem with the others is, I don't want to spend hours fighting through a large level only to run into a fight I truly can't handle.

Incidentally, my Vagrant is now level 12 and Yoshimo is level 14 (not that it matters much), with Nalia soon to level up to 13. I don't have any +4 weapons yet (as you may have guessed).

Again, any hints and advice much appreciated!

This post has been edited by Zarathustra: Jan 21 2008, 01:03 PM

[Sikret]

Thanks for the replies, everybody. The Shadow Lover lies defeated,

Congratulations!

would you recommend replacing Nalia with Haer'Dalis at this stage?

No, I would prefer Nalia to Haer'Dalis.

More importantly, I am somewhat at a loss as to what to tackle next. I have already dealt with the Captain Haegan, Pai'Na, the Guild Contact, Mencar's party, the Horrid Rakshasa, an Amber Golem and Mekrath's Imp. I am now torn between:

A: the Shadow Dungeon (maybe I can complete it up to and including the Shadow Dragon, then return for the Shadow Lord later?);
B: Firkraag's Dungeon (again, up to and including Conster perhaps?);
C: the Planar Prison;
D: the Planar Sphere.

You can surely do A and B.
C and D are more difficult but still doable, though with a big amount of challenge and difficulty. If you want to do them postpone them for after you did A and B.

Check again my walkthrough to see the quests I did before going to chapter 4.