Critto's v5 journal Options

[critto]

Okay. Really, the mod is totally fun and pleasure, but in the name of all that sacred, next version should ease up on spiders a little bit.
I thought 2 drow ambushes were hard to beat with those annoying spiders being everywhere. Apparantly, I was mistaken.
Deeper underdark. Cave with an instant supply of whisper spiders (where they just keeping coming from nowhere). Really, how can I beat this thing? They dispel everything, they somehow draw characters from place to themselves, and sometimes they just kill chars instantly. Why is that? Why no info about the damage being done or save-throw being made (dwarf-kensai, instantly dead. huh?). And, finally, there are just TOO DAMN much of them, my characters can't handle them, even though I have a fighter-heavy party (vagrant, kensai, blade, berserker-cleric, sorc, thief/mage). I am doing buffs, of course, but they are being dispelled very soon and there is no point and time in refreshing them. Summons doesn't help much too (tried 5 hasted mordy swords). Tried magic (adwh, chain lightnings), but they are magic resistant, as it seems.
I am no great tactician, but how am I supposed to win that battle? :) Just keep reloading and hope for better save-throws and no instant-kills? I would be really glad to have some advices on that battle. This is the first one in the game which makes me feel annoyed, instead of being interested, having fun and searching for better tactics.

[critto]

2 Sikret:

It begins but won't continue with a reputation lower than 20. In v6, I've made sure that it won't even begin.

Well, that's a shame. Maybe I'll do another run with Vagrant sometime to see this quest.
By the way, I have one more question about lady Vanya:
SPOILER!

I have finished her second quest. She gave me some exp and money, and vanished. But I suspect that she also can give my prot a 48-sided garnet, if only I had a reputation of 20. Am I right? Even if I am not, the possibility to find this gem somehow connected with the reputation of the party? I do not need any spoilers on the location, I just want to make sure that I still have the chance to find it, since I have done nearly everything in the game. Thanks in advance :)
PS: maybe you can write me via PM, if this information is too spoilerish to post openly on the board.