Random Questions, post them here! Options

[Raven]

Vardaman I'll send you a PM about the quest.

[rbeverjr]

I just finished up the planar sphere. The hardest part for me was without question <Big Spoiler. Don't read if you haven't done this yet.> SPOILER!

...the engine room. There were two of the new bone golems and I think around 10 coin/gem golems. I managed to win, but it cost a ton of resources. So, I'm not satisfied. I don't think I am using the proper technique, and would like to hear any suggestions. My team is a vagrant, kensai, sorceress, blade, conjurer, and ranger 7-cleric. The vagrant is level 13, the blade is 15, and the rest fall within this range. I am going to name my quicksave; so, I can experiment further when I can think. I want to be frugal with the resources; I want every GP so that I can afford the Sikret shiny ones.

[Shadan]

Zarathustra:

SPOILER!

Try to use as many spellprotection as you can (Spell Turning or Deflection with HD, Spell Immunity with Imoen). In this case 2 drow mages will spend some rounds to dispel them, also make sure to refresh SI, when it is dispeled. Summon Skeleton warriors, Swanmays, Mord. Swords and haste them. Remove Magic with HD on priestesses, and you can burn them very fast with your Impr. Hasted fighters and hasted summons. RM also will dispel their blades. Imoen and HD then should concentrate remove SI from mages with RR. Kill fallen devas after priestesses, since they die very easily. Lastly finish mages, Breach them and they are dead. Also keep some Remove Par. just in case.

Hope it helps.

[Zarathustra]

Thanks, Shadan! I did finally manage to beat them.

Actually, I have a question not relating to tactics etc. When I find Amariel's brother in his lamentable condition, I don't know how to free him. All the conversational options lead to his death. Could someone PM what to do, please?

[Nexiam]

anybody know if the rod of smiting which u buy from ust natha(+10 vs golems) is any good vs IA new golems? he also has chance to kill golems unless save vs. death. This will also work vs. the new IA golems? any help is thx

[Raven]

anybody know if the rod of smiting which u buy from ust natha(+10 vs golems) is any good vs IA new golems? he also has chance to kill golems unless save vs. death. This will also work vs. the new IA golems? any help is thx

The bonus damage will be effective, but I'm pretty sure none of the IA golems will be affected by the instant death effect.

[Sikret]

When I find Amariel's brother in his lamentable condition, I don't know how to free him. All the conversational options lead to his death. Could someone PM what to do, please?

SPOILER!

If the first time you talked to Amariel, you forgot to ask her brother's name, you won't have the option to utter his true name when you find him (this is intentional). At this stage, you have only two choices: Either reload the game to a very old saved game before visiting Amariel for the first time (which will require you to play the entire Drow City again) or just consider yourself as having failed to do the quest in this run-through and continue the game without completing this quest.

@shadan and Raven

I'm not yet sure whether we should mark the phenomenon of the resonance of Fireshield and Wing Swing as a "bug". It may even happen even if your own F/M uses Fireshield and attacks the lich. We can just consider it as an advantage of swanmays (as specialist lich-killers). Moreover, as Raven mentioned, the phenomenon happens very rarely and sometimes it even ends with the opposite result (the swanmay's death).

This post has been edited by Sikret: Feb 18 2008, 09:58 AM

[Vardaman]

When I find Amariel's brother in his lamentable condition, I don't know how to free him. All the conversational options lead to his death. Could someone PM what to do, please?

SPOILER!

If the first time you talked to Amariel, you forgot to ask her brother's name, you won't have the option to utter his true name when you find him (this is intentional). At this stage, you have only two choices: Either reload the game to a very old saved game before visiting Amariel for the first time (which will require you to play the entire Drow City again) or just consider yourself as having failed to do the quest in this run-through and continue the game without completing this quest.

And does the character have to have a minimum Int or Wis score? I seem to remember not getting the dialogue option you need with one of my characters so I had to reload and have my mage talk.

[rbeverjr]

I have done some experimenting with Samia's group. I have concluded that it is probably not wise to engage in this fight with a level 13-15 party in a no-reload game. I can win the battle at his level, but not dependably. Do the experts agree that this fight should be done later? If not could you suggest some tactics that would allow me to consistently win this battle? Kaol is my big problem.

[Vardaman]

I have done some experimenting with Samia's group. ... Kaol is my big problem.

Yeah, and killing him before he turns red isn't a good idea since a great item won't spawn on him (if the randomizer set it to spawn on him in your game).

I know it really helped to focus on Akae first. Layer up some spell protections and hope Kaol spends time dispelling them with RRR, etc. His 3x ADHW is always a pain.

This will be a hard fight in a no-reload game. What are your conditions or rules?

[Raven]

I have done some experimenting with Samia's group. I have concluded that it is probably not wise to engage in this fight with a level 13-15 party in a no-reload game. I can win the battle at his level, but not dependably. Do the experts agree that this fight should be done later?

I am by no means an expert in playing IA no-reload (I don't think anyone is). But I'd say that this is a fight best left until chapter 6.

[rbeverjr]

OK, if Raven agrees that this battle should be Chapter 6, then my metagaming map for my no-reload game will reserve Samia for chapter 6. My current game is not a no-reload game as I'm still refining my tactics. Each game I expect to have less reloads. It was that way in the one and half games I played in IA4.2. I don't know when I will succeed in a no-reload game, but even if I someday manage to complete the game with 5 or less reloads, I'll feel like I've accomplished something.

"What are my conditions or rules?" No cheating, except that I will give myself a bag of holding at the beginning. Inventory management is a chore I hate.

This post has been edited by rbeverjr: Feb 18 2008, 06:50 PM

[Sikret]

And does the character have to have a minimum Int or Wis score?

No, it's not necessary to have a minimum stat.

I seem to remember not getting the dialogue option you need with one of my characters so I had to reload and have my mage talk.

SPOILER!

A character with high INT will find the chance to ask the question twice; otherwise, only once.

Hence, if you don't ask the question the first time you have the option, you will find it available again during the dialogue one more time if the character has high INT.

[Shadan]

I know it cannot be fixed, but Swanmay/Greater Swanmay killed some Amber Golems and Salamander Princes with her Wing Swing... I wonder if they will kill Raksasha Prince as well within a sec? I will try it, however I am trying to skip to summon them when I see enemy with FS or similar ablitity.

[Raven]

Hmm, if you've had the Wing Swing feedback effect against several other monsters as well as the liches it would suggest this happens more often than my testing led us to believe.

What are the specs of your computer, out of interest?

[Sikret]

In my own game, the phenomenon happens very rarely and even when it happens, it ends with the swanmay's death more than 50% of the times.

As I said before, it's a vanilla game issue which can even happen if your own F/M has fireshield and fights a fireshielded enemy; so, I don't consider it as an IA bug in need of being fixed.

PS: Rest assured, shadan! It won't happen against Rakshasa Prince. (Yes, I know you were joking.)

[Shadan]

OK, the "some" was not exact.
Swanmay killed 2 elemental liches (lich at Teshal and one lich in demilich's body quest). And she killed 1 Amber Golem and 1 Salamander Prince at Chromatic Demon, and 1 golem earlier. Surely is doesn't happen always, but in my game it is far from very very rare also. This is why I try to skip to summon them.

[Zarathustra]

I am looking for some tips regarding either the Illusionist battle or - more importantly - the Queen Spider battle. Both are rather more difficult than I had expected; I don't have a problem with delaying the epic battles with Orcus and the Dracolich as long as possible, but it really annoys me that some puny insect is keeping me from doing even the first level of Watcher's Keep.

Note: Only two of my characters can hit the Spider Queen, and forging another +4 weapon is not possible.

Vagrant 19
Minsc (Barbarian) 20
Sir Anomen 22
Jaheira (Cleric/Ranger) 14/13
Haer'Dalis 23
Imoen 18

Aside from the encounters mentioned above, there isn't much left for me to do before Suldanessallar, except the post-Firkraag Windspear quest. I would really like (in fact, will probably need) some WK loot and experience before wrapping up SoA.

Thanks in advance, everyone.

[Nexiam]

*nvm

This post has been edited by Nexiam: Feb 20 2008, 11:12 PM

[Shadan]

Zarathustra:

I don't know what is "Illusionist battle", but about Queen:
SPOILER!

Buff fire res on all fighters. Try to tank queen with stoneskin/ironskin (Jaheira, HD). HD and Imoen should spam Sunfire. If you have the improved bard armor, HD can spam 3-4 Sunfire in a round, which kills probably all small spiders except Ghost. Fighters with +4 weapons (put as many damage increaser on him as you can like Impr. Haste, high strength, DUHM etc.) should attack only the Queen, while other fighters kill Ghost spider. Try Vampiric Touch on Queen with HD and Imoen, I am not sure if it works. Also you can try Globe of Blades if you have or Blade Barrier with Anomen. I am unsure about Queen resistance against magic, since I killed her in melee, but you can try Lower Res and some high level spells like Creeping Doom, Bolt of Glory, Chain Lightning etc. I am sure, Queen is immune to fire and magic damage.