V7 run, after loooong break Options

[Shadan]

So, I will try to write my experiences with the game after a very long break from BG2.
No mods. only EoU, IA and IA Tweaks.


Started with:
Avanger prot: club**, dual w*, and then scimitar *
Custom RB: Flail ***, dual w***
Half-orc kensai: 2Hsowrd****, 2HW**

In Irenicus dungeon I relearned to handle the game... Traps and locks caused a problem, then I went for Yoshi (swapped Jaheira out), and was surprised when he didn't find traps also. Well, then I realized trap finding is a clickable skill...
Since I played DnD 2e since 1989 for more than 10+ years, then came v3.0, v3.5, Pathfinder etc., so I remember on spells quite good, but I was surprised when MAA DoT was not applied. Then I realized spells are changed in IA quite a lot, so I had to relearn them again.
Lesser elementals caused me a problem, I was not able to damage them with weapons. Imoen's spells were not enough to kill all 3 of them. At end I realized maybe summons can help, rested and bears + clan member killed them very fast.
I was a bit afraid of Ilyich, because I remember on my first IA game, when he killed my protagonist several times and I was hardly able to kill him. Now he was walk in the park. However my tactical skills in this game still abysmal.
PC used Str, 3 Wis and Cha tomes. RB used Con tome.

After the dungeon, I picked Sibel. Suddenly after an IRL memory flash I remembered that donation in temple is good in IA. So after a several tries and forum search I donated 4600 gold to get 3 reputations.

Then I did Circus, recruited Aerie. Moved to Slums. Killed annoying guy in Copper Coronet. Recruited Nalia as F->M (swapped out Minsc), recruited Anomen, Korgan and Hexxat. Leveled up Hexxat, increasing her PP skill in hope maybe later I can try some pick pocket things with her. Nalia used Int tome. Got Windspear Hills map. Then Bridge to trigger Neera. Government to get Umar map. Gate to get Trademeet quest.

Wild Forest. Swapped Nalia to Neera. Well, 2 ogres from polymorph trap used hardiness and GWW... Was a big surprise and a big death. Killed them on 2nd try.
Anyway I did 2 minor quests in Hidden Refugee, and left to Umar Hills.

A question: Shall I pay for Cowled Wizards later? I remember that in first BG2 runs, I've never payed, just killed them. But in IA maybe it is too much hindrace to skip arcane magic in the town.

This post has been edited by Shadan: Dec 21 2024, 11:26 PM

[Shadan]

Well, De'Arnise Keep drove me to crazy. Let me to write down, how blind and stupid I am...
I cleared 1st floor a while ago. I went back yesterday, cleared the 2nd floor, Glacias, golem room etc. Then I started to look for the stairs to the roof. I found stairs to basement, but I didn't want to face TorGal yet. After an hour of looking, I abandoned this, all stairs were blocked. So I moved to basement. Then, just before TorGal, I realized I forgot FoA and food for umber hulks. Stairs was blocked, so I reloaded older save, and went to kitchen and to the forge. In the forge, I was surprised because only FoA+2 was available. I checked on net, where are the heads. I looted Glacias and golem room, and at "1st-floor-clear" the crypt also. I noticed that I am missing the cold head from crypt. I thought that I misplaced it earlier, so I started to reload older saves to check in which save do I have the cold head. I haven't found anything, then I searched here in IA forums, and realized that gate yuan-ti has it. I haven't lowered the bridge yet, because I forgot that and haven't found that stairs outside. Started the search now, but I haven't found again how I can lower the bridge. After a while and net search I've found the stairs outside what I've missed, because I am blind.
So FoA+3 was forged and TorGal waited for me. Well it took hours and a lots of tries to kill him. I tried several tactics, but he was immune to all spells, Lower Res could be work, but in this fight you don't have time for that. Chaos, Emotion, Hold Monster didn't work on noble trolls even after GM. I tried to lure trolls and gem golem out, to kill the gem golem while TorGal casting Storm, but then Storm hit that room room. So I realized, best tactic to storm TorGal. I was able to disrupt Storm casting, but dispel was casted, and that was game over always. I realized, I need more offensive, so I tried the wual wield with avanger and Sibel. Well, the THACO was not enoght high with dual wiled, but lower AC meant they were killed more easily. So I need defensive power also, I drunk Potion of Defense with avanger, Potion of Fire G. Str. on RB and Nalia. Now I was able to kill TG 3-4 times, and even disrupt dispel, but I was badly damaged and gem golem + nobel trolls killed at least 1 character. So I changed my spell selection, skipped Chaotic C., it seemed that is not needed here, so avanger had more Ironskins, and Sibel had a Mass Cure. Finally, I was able to kill that bastard.

My team:
Avanger: lvl 12, Club+3, Shield of the Lost+2, AC was -14 with Potions of Defense.
Sibel: lvl 11, her club, Saving Grace+3, AC was -12.
RB: lvl 11, FoA+3, Belm, Fire Giant Str.
Kensai: lvl 11, Lilacor
Nalia: lvl 12 mage, 9 fighter, 2 longsword+3, Fire Giant Str.
Neera: lvl 12

2 mountain, bears, Joolon, Kitthix, clan hunter. Full cleric buffs including Free A and Prot. from Fire, buffed clan hunter also.
Avanger tanked TorGal, Nalia moved to get aggro from gem golem. Sibel, clan hunter, kensai on TorGal, RB waited a bit, to avoid a lot of aggro, then attacked TG also. Neera Breach.
Nalia Gr. Malison when reached the golem, and started to attack TG after spell is cast.
Neera Chaos after Breach (no success on trolls), then started RoFs on golem. When TorGal was dead, my summons were dead also except clan hunter, so launched 2 webs from Minor Seq. Avanger, RB, kensai (with staff+3) and Nalia attacked the golem, Neera kept casting RoFs. When golem was dead, started to cast Fireballs and Sunfires with 2 mages.
Used up several healing potions, 1 Heal, 1 Mass Cure, renewed Ironskins once, Stoneskins 2 times on Nalia.

It took appr. 8 hours of playing to clear this keep and kill TG. Nex time ti will be probably 1, max. 2 hours I hope.