Six tips how to stay longer in Halruaa Options

[Vlad]

1. Don't steal much and don't confront mages.
2. Don't wander in senior staff quarters.
3. Try to postpone necromancer's quest as longer as possible.
4. Try looking for Brial's appartment as later as possible when you are sure that almost all quests are done.
5. The same is about killing Garron.
6. Don't equip found weapons!

Finding Brial's letter, stealing Kalinor's body, and confronting Garron will equally start the time trigger which is exactly ONE_DAY, then you'll be caught and revealed.

This post has been edited by Vlad: Aug 9 2005, 04:07 PM

[iopden]

What to do after revealing - everibody goes hostile!
How to return to Alkatla.

[Vlad]

Look for the portal outside the walls - there is a spot on the ground.

[Polecat]

Hi Vlad,
Congratulations on the new release, I am looking forward to trying NEJ again!
It has always been my favourite mod.
One question though... have always found the Halruaa section quite challenging...(I think usually because I often play a multiclass Mage, and maybe he doesn't hit high enough level...?)
So, while I don't want you to give too much away (you never do ...maybe you could give me a few hints?
1/ For the various Mage school quests, is it ok to ask what level of spells is required? (See, you don't have to tell me which spells, just what level I need..)

2/ Are there multiple ways to succeed at the mage school quests, or do I need very specific spells? (again, you don't need to tell me which spells!).

3/ If there are multiple ways to succeed at a mage school quest, do all the ways involve using spells of the correct school? Or could I use spells from other schools potentially? Or even not use magic?...

I hope these 'hint' questions don't give too much away. If you feel I am asking too much, then of course you can ignore my request for guidance..!

Anyways thanks for your wonderfully challenging (and occasionally frustrating-but in a good way!) mod.

[Vlad]

Hi Polecat,

Thank you!

You really need a mage of level 13-14 to go to Halruaa and to do the different school quests. Of course you can skip these quests, they are just bonus and do not affect the major plot in no way. My recommendation is to have even two mages, when one of them is a dual-class or multi-class fighter, for example Kachiko. Anyway, even a low-level mage can cast spells from scrolls. Just tell a tutor that you know spells but didn't have a chance to memorise them, and most of the tutors will give you scrolls for the corresponding tests.

1/ For the various Mage school quests, is it ok to ask what level of spells is required? (See, you don't have to tell me which spells, just what level I need..)

There is no specific level required. As I said just take the proper scrolls from a tutor and cast them.

2/ Are there multiple ways to succeed at the mage school quests, or do I need very specific spells? (again, you don't need to tell me which spells!).

Of course, there are multiple ways to succeed in each tests, and it depends on your creativity. If you have a fighter/mage, you may just use a brutal approach. For example, in a new version of the mod, Xan will teleport your mage to a newly crafted area with four foes and no weapons. But you can take potions and scrolls with you. The group won't be able to help you. So you'll need to be very creative how to deal with them. I have at least 5 algorithms to share but then it will be a spoiler. In fact, this quest is bearable even for a single-class mage of 13-14 levels. Moreover, Xan gives you four special scrolls with a new spell. You may leave one scroll for memorisation and use three others to turn the foes to your allies. I found that the good way in such battle quests for a mage is to use invisibility potions to escape from the sight of the foes and then to use for example area effects.

3/ If there are multiple ways to succeed at a mage school quest, do all the ways involve using spells of the correct school? Or could I use spells from other schools potentially? Or even not use magic?...

You can use anything including spells of different schools, scrolls, wands, except weapons (in some areas, where they are detectable). You can even use weapons in the some tests, for example the tests where you are sent to deal with big spiders. The problem is that there are many spiders. However, the major problem with those spiders is that you'll suffer much damage from them if fighting in melee which will result in the test being interrupted by Theodoran (your tutor). He won't allow you to die there but teleport you back to the class room. The best strategy of completing that particular quest without taking much damage is to have a fireball wand with 50 charges (as many as possible) and many invisibility potions. You go invisible, run into a corner and throw a couple of fireballs. All spiders will run to you. You again drink a potion of invisibility, run to another corner and again throw a couple of fireballs. There are of course different strategies that you may come up with. So explore what is best for your mage. All in-game mages including Nalia, Jan, Edwin, Taffic and even Leina (in some situations) can take these tests and pass them.

There are two tests that may need some spoilers or hints. In the test of Vashon (illusionist), the best strategy is to take a scroll of Mislead or Reflected Image, the one that creates a copy of a mage and makes the mage invisible. Then you can leave the copy at the door and go steal the scroll form that chest. However in order to open the chest, you must have a key. The key will be available in one of the rooms in that building.

Regarding a necromancer test, it's a bit tricky. You can use any weapon in the crypt, but when you retrieve the body, if you are trying to loot other coffins in the crypt, a lich will be raised and you'll have a tough battle with almost no weapons, followed by the fight with guards who will hear the noise from the crypt and will try to seal it magically. So think twice before looting the coffins in the crypt. Also bringing the body to Ezekiel will attract an attention of senior staff, so this quest should be done in the end when you have the letter, the key and Garron is dead.

In Halruaa, first of all, you need to find and get the key and letter from the large quarters building on the right side of the academy grounds (the first room on the left). This is the same building where you'll attend to the illusionist test and will need to steal a scroll. In that building, the earth elementalist by the name Owain will appear to enhance the Ring of Might. Anyway, start with retrieving the letter and the key from that building. Otherwise, Garron may not appear in his quarters until you meet RayVon, and as a result, you may not have enough time to complete all the quests. Only after that, you may search the senior staff quarters for other directions.

[Polecat]

wow, thanks for the detailed reply! Much more details than I was expecting