Spike's questions Options

[Clown]

SPOILER!

Just played this fight in V5 and it does seem strangely easy as breach alone will bring down all the dragons combat defences allowing a group of buffed melee fighters to smash it to pieces before it can do much in particular. Is there something among its spell defences that should block breach? If not perhaps in future it could be given a single casting of spell immunity or such a spell to give the dragon a little more time to play with. Not meant as a criticism just thought it was strangely easy for a dragon though this may be more a reflection on the greatly enhanced difficulty of the rest of the mod.

[Sikret]

Thanks, Clown!

Will test him in my own game to see how it goes on. To be honest, Shadow Dragon has always been meant to be the easiest dragon in IA. So, I'm still satisfied if he is doable in chapter 2 (or 3) with some reasonable challenge.

[Spike]

Just a little note:
The Gauth after the bridge in the Unseeing Eye quest keep casting their bolts even when they are unconscious.

This post has been edited by Spike: Dec 16 2007, 11:31 AM

[Sikret]

Just a little note:
The Gauth after the bridge in the Unseeing Eye quest keep casting their bolts even when they are unconscious.

It's a vanilla game problem. Will fix for the next version. Thanks.

[Spike]

Need some help:
1)How can i bring down stoneskin or pfmw on a creature, which is immun up to lvl5 spells (i.e. Shade Lich)?
Currently my mage has access to lvl7 spells.

2)Is there any good spell combo/sequencer to kill/disable more powerfull undead like skeleton lords?

This post has been edited by Spike: Dec 16 2007, 09:39 PM

[Romulas]

Need some help:
1)How can i bring down stoneskin or pfmw on a creature, which is immun up to lvl5 spells (i.e. Shade Lich)?
Currently my mage has access to lvl7 spells.

2)Is there any good spell combo/sequencer to kill/disable more powerfull undead like skeleton lords?

Well, one thing comes to mind, the wonderful ruby ray spell. This is why its a good idea to have two high level mage type casters, hence you get off 2 spells at the same time, or that occur on the target within the same round.

As has been noted on this forum that some enemy mages depending on their SI combination require up to 6 ruby rays to shred their defenses. At the higher levels (spellstrike comes to mind) it wouldn't take as many ruby rays.

Hope this helps, as for the skeleton lords, lets put it this way I took a party of about 12th level to spellhold, alittle early but didn't want to run into the "extra defenses if you take your time" thing. I got stomped in spell hold by the 3 skeleton lords, they waxed my party before the lich even had a chance to get into the battle. Consequently I started over, will not go there so soon next time.

Romulas

[Vardaman]

Need some help:
1)How can i bring down stoneskin or pfmw on a creature, which is immun up to lvl5 spells (i.e. Shade Lich)?
Currently my mage has access to lvl7 spells.

2)Is there any good spell combo/sequencer to kill/disable more powerfull undead like skeleton lords?

Well, one thing comes to mind, the wonderful ruby ray spell. This is why its a good idea to have two high level mage type casters, hence you get off 2 spells at the same time, or that occur on the target within the same round.

As has been noted on this forum that some enemy mages depending on their SI combination require up to 6 ruby rays to shred their defenses. At the higher levels (spellstrike comes to mind) it wouldn't take as many ruby rays.

Hope this helps, as for the skeleton lords, lets put it this way I took a party of about 12th level to spellhold, alittle early but didn't want to run into the "extra defenses if you take your time" thing. I got stomped in spell hold by the 3 skeleton lords, they waxed my party before the lich even had a chance to get into the battle. Consequently I started over, will not go there so soon next time.

Romulas

I thought Ruby Ray only takes care of spell defenses and doesn't take out natural immunities to spell levels?

If your Inquisitor or Mage is high enough level, a Dispel Magic might take down the PFMW. It might slow down the Skeleton Lords too. I remember the hallway Romulus is talking about. I launched a dispel magic to the center of the hallway after stepping through the door to take out the Lich's Immunity: Divination and maybe affect the skeleton lords. I don't know if it worked but the 4-5 skeletons I saw went down quickly to my Imp. Hasted characters. I had a much worse time with the lich.

[Sikret]

Need some help:
1)How can i bring down stoneskin or pfmw on a creature, which is immun up to lvl5 spells (i.e. Shade Lich)?

A successful Remove/Dispel Magic is the only way (provided that the creature doesn't have SI:abjuration of course; if he has SI:abjuration, you will need to remove his SI using Ruby Ray spells first).

Is there any good spell combo/sequencer to kill/disable more powerfull undead like skeleton lords?

Lower their MR first; then all sorts of damage causing spells (except those which inflict cold damage) will affect them. (Obviously, spells which bypass MR will affect them even without lowering their MR: Vampiric Touch, Sunfire and even the less ambitious Larloch's Minor Drain will work. These spells don't cause huge damage to them, but if cast repeatedly, they may change the result of the battle for low level parties.)

[Spike]

Thx for your answers.

I thought something similar, but the problem was to dispell the shade liche's defences. The dispel/remove magic spell failes almost everytime (mage is lvl14). Somehow i manged to beat him. It was a very nice fight. After that the confrontation with Teshal was a piece of cake.

I asked for some advice to beat/distract the skeleton lords, because i did all the fights with powerfull undeads in the same order. The lords are so strong in melee that you have to kill them first. Wanted to know if someone has worked out a different strategy.

Here are coming some more notes/questions:
-The Sunfire scroll in Ribald's store says "handcuffed". I've never seen this before.
-During the fight with the shade lich Haer'Dalis, wielding Greater Entropy, hit him once and the confused symbol is shown above the lich's head. But the lich acts totally normal.

[Raven]

Here are coming some more notes/questions:
-The Sunfire scroll in Ribald's store says "handcuffed". I've never seen this before.

Yeah, it's a mistake (it's my fault, not Sikret's). The description of the spell is correct in the spellbook but the description on the scrolls was overwritten with 'handcuffed'... I failed to spot the wrong description on the scrolls when I was testing.

[Sikret]

-The Sunfire scroll in Ribald's store says "handcuffed". I've never seen this before.

Yes, Raven has reported this to me as well. The scroll works fine. It's just its description which is messed. Will fix.

-During the fight with the shade lich Haer'Dalis, wielding Greater Entropy, hit him once and the confused symbol is shown above the lich's head. But the lich acts totally normal.

He is immune to confusion. Will fix it so that the animation doesn't show either. Thanks.

[Sikret]

@Spike and LZJ

SPOILER!

I tested Warden in my own game and failed to reproduce any of the issues you reported. The point is that as soon as you use the orb, Warden kills thralls and approaches you immediately. He doesn't stand where he was waiting for you. Consequently, the exploit LZJ reported about gaining infinite xp by killing planar hounds without the warden interfering is not doable in my game. The invisible trap which triggers the second group of Yuan-Tis and Minonaturs near the warden will not triggerif you don't go near warden's original place (unless you practice cheesy running methods and try to run around the place instead of standing and fighting).

I have asked Raven to test it as well, but from what I see in my game, if a player doesn't play cheesily (i.e. doesn't run), he won't have to face any more creatures than Warden and his planar hounds. Warden will not summon those extra planar hounds if you do not run either.

I will send more updated info after more tests and after receiving Raven's report. Perhaps there is some possibilities which I have failed to notice. We shall see.

Cheers

UPDATE: Also, see my own report of the battle with Warden in its related thread.

This post has been edited by Sikret: Dec 19 2007, 11:21 AM

[Spike]

Back in action. Currently im in Ust Natha.
Damn the two drow ambushes were extremly hard. Had to use some tactics, which Sikret probably count as cheesy methods.
Now i have a question to the the new quest with Amariel and the color of her ring.

SPOILER!

Which is the correct name of the petrified boy? Tried every combination, but he always dies.

@Sikret
1)In City of Caverns the rebel Prince sometimes doesnt attack properly and doesnt summon his minions. I think it depends on the dialogue with the guard at the entrance to his cave:
Option 3(direct attack)-> Prince dont do anything at all
Option 1,2(Negotiations, i had the sign from priest), then attacked him->everything fine

2)Better rewards for the very hard drow ambushes, please?

3)Concerning Noble Efreeties: Why cant i breach them, lowering their saves work and is a lvl 4 spell?

4)In Spellhold:SPOILER!

Is the number of amber golems at the crystal set fix to 4 or is it possible that there will be fewer? Im just curious , because in my final attempt were only 3

5)Cat o'nineLives has to be stronger. Beat her in my first try without buffs.

This post has been edited by Spike: Jan 17 2008, 12:52 PM

[Sikret]

@Spike:

SPOILER!

If you have not asked her brother's name when you met Amariel, you won't have the right option at the final stage of the quest. You should either reload to an old saved game before talking to Amariel or you have to continue the game without doing this quest. It's all intentional, of course.

Damn the two drow ambushes were extremly hard.

The one at the bridge is not too hard; but as I said, I will tone down the other ambush for the next version.

1)In City of Caverns the rebel Prince sometimes doesnt attack properly and doesnt summon his minions. I think it depends on the dialogue with the guard at the entrance to his cave:
Option 3(direct attack)-> Prince dont do anything at all

I will check it.

Option 1,2(Negotiations, i had the sign from priest), then attacked him->everything fine

Yes, in fact it was tested by myself and I tested it in this way (I didn't test it with direct attack). Everything worked fine as you said.

As for the noble efreeties:

SPOILER!

Noble Efreeties are immune to Breach. They are not immune to spells of any certain level.

5)Cat o'nineLives has to be stronger. Beat her in my first try without buffs.

I agree. I have already improved her in my local version. Also note that with the new encounter in the library in the next version of the mod (which will trigger immediately after killing the cat), the difficulty of the whole area will increase considerably, because immediately after killing the cat, you will have to face a special lich without any time to buff.

[Sikret]

Spike,

I have two questions regarding Prince Villynaty:

Did he drop his usual loot after being killed after you attacked him directly (even though he didn't fight properly)?

Do you have a saved game to test him again if I send you a fix file?

[Spike]

Dont have access to my gaming pc this weekend.
will check on monday.