dragons vs magic slingers, verry spoilerish, tactics only Options

[Kerkes]

Ok, this is how it goes. Down here are my battles with 3 mid-game dragons. I wanted to kill all of them using magic only. Riiiight or Anyway, this is a no-story, basicaly a round by round fight described. My party was riskbreaker prot, valygar, ber-cl, ber-mg (name: XX) , imoen (with vecna!) and cernd (inspired by Raven's auramaster strategy guide). All these dragons never saw my protagonist and cleric. Nizidamyt saw Valygar once. I only wrote final (killing damage) my spellcasters did. Feel free to post your comments/questions and/or even better, your strategies for killing the great reptilians of Baldurs Gate. I didn't write for Firkraag and Thax because I killed them in chapter 3 with melee. Ok, Cernd did kill Thax. But Valy and protagonist weakened him, so it doesn't count. Take that, mr.tree hugger!

Nizzidramyt (or whatever) - I call him Nizi

SPOILER!

Nizzi - spell turning, spell shield, pwmw. Wing buffet on Valygar
XX - spellstrike via scroll - Nizi -spell protections dispelled
Imoen - spell trigger - 3x lower resistance - Nizi - magic resistance lowered by 29, 29, 29%
Nizi - greater silence (by the way, what's the penalty for that?! XX never saves ) on XX - XX -silenced
Imoen - Chain Contingency - breach, lower resistance, ADHw - enemy sighted, nearest - fired
Cernd - aura cleansing (he wears imp.druid circlet)
Nizi - breach on XX, attacks phisicaly
Imoen - Chain con - 3x adhw
Cernd - flame arrow
XX-vocalize (scroll)
Cernd - flame arrow, flame arrow, flame arrow....7 total fired
Nizi - insects on Imoen
Cernd - Unleash energy
Cernd - Unleash energy
Cernd did 23 dmg to Nizi
Nizi - dead

This somehow became my favourite battle of IA5:
Green Wyrm

SPOILER!

Prebuffs : both Imoen and XX have the same - spell turning, SI:abj, prot energy
I tought Imoen had a trigger with 3x lower resistance, but I found out I forgot to memorize it. AAAhhhh!
anyway..:
cleric - summon bears
Valy - haste on bears
Cernd -aura cleansing
Imoen - improved alcatry
XX - rushes forward and fires spellstrike (scroll) as soon the bastard shows up (takes some time to cast it)
Wyrm - your lackeys will not save you (or something) - my 2 summoned bears (I want Wyrm to come close to me....Imoen has something for him) died, whatever
Imoen - Chain Con - 3x lower resistance - fired
Imoen - magic missile
RR - trigger - lower resistance, breach, flame arrow
Wyrm - ruby ray on XX
Wyrm - ruby ray on XX
Wyrm - greater silence on XX
Wyrm - cloud on XX
Cernd- flame arrow, flame arrow....6 total fired (do use autopause!!!!)
Cernd - unleash energy - spell failure (due to cloud)
Imoen - runs in fear
XX - vocalize (scroll)
Cleric - remove fear on Imoen
Wyrm - breach on XX
Cernd - zone of sweet air
Cernd- casting failure
Imoen - (remove fear has reached her) - Improved alcatry (she is not in the cloud), her last 9th level spell. That's why not loading trigger was so bad (waste of chain contingency)
Wyrm - attacks XX
Imoen - magic missile x6, flame arrowx6, ADHW
XX - spell sequencer - flame arrow, magic missile, magic missile
Wyrm - storm of vengeance, spell trigger: pfmw, stoneskin, spell turning
Imoen - adhw reached wyrm - did 17 dmg to Wyrm (Adhw was not aimed directly at him (her!?))
Wyrm - dead
Imoen - yipeeee!

Saladrex (or Drexalas:)

SPOILER!

Imoen and XX are buufed with turning, SI, prot enrgy
Saladrex - imp.haste, spell turning, globe of invul, prot magic enegy, spell shield
Imoen - improved alcatry
XX - spellstrike
Imoen - trigger 3x lower resistance
Drexalas - ruby ray 2x on XX
Cernd - aura cleansing
Drexalas - pwmw, greater silence on XX
XX- sequencer - magic missile, magic missile, knock (didnt have anything else to place in seq:) )
Cernd - chain lightning
Imoen - breach (Drexalas fired prot mag energ. Idiot me for wasting a sequencer with knock .), 7x magic missile, 7x melf's acid arrow
Drexalas - Pf magic weapons (Yeah, that will save you....)
XX - silence
Cernd - unleash energy
Imoen - Chain Contingency - 3x Adhw - fired
Drexalas - Breach on XX
Imoen - Chain Con - 2x Adhw, Chain lightning - fired
XX - vocalize
Cernd - Chain lightning
Imoen did 9, 9, 8 dmg to Saladrex
Drexalas - dead

This post has been edited by Kerkes: Aug 27 2008, 11:20 PM

[LZJ]

Nice going, Kerkes! I've slain dragons in much the same way as you have. Just note though that in v6, Chain Contingency would be much more limited. In fact, personally I do not cast Chain Contingency or Contingency in the midst of battle, as I view it as a non-combat (preparatory) spell.

[Marceror]

Impressive work Kerkes. I agree with LZJ about contingency. I never cast such spells in battle as I also view them as preparatory. It's similar to why I never cast a wish spell in combat (and I always ignore wish spells cast from judgment day), as I can't imagine "negotiating" with a genie in the middle of battle.

From a power gaming perpsective, this makes sense though, and gives an obvious tactical edge. I'm just not sure I could ever bring myself to play this way. For big encounters I always have my meleers in the fray and tend to fight battles in a more traditional manner. Happily, Improved Anvil is more than doable in that way (except I can't speak speak for EDE, as I've never beaten that battle).

This post has been edited by Marceror: Aug 28 2008, 06:45 PM

[Kerkes]

I know about Chain Con in IA6, but Cernd is probably just as good as Imoen at killing dragons anyway. that aura cleansing thing is an awsome improvement, both for offence and for healing (mass cure). Too bad he can't cast magic missile . Chain Con may be powerful, but it's a 9th level spell. Time Stop anyone? It should be poweful. I'd personaly take wish - time stop/improved alcatry over Chain any day.
I too like fighters a lot, but am rather bored with wacking dragons in melee. Magery is much more fun for me. I don't think I'll be able to do Ancient Wyrm with magery unless I get really happy with Wish. Just not enough damage can be dealt to kill the sucker, so "make if rested..." will be a must. Altough, I hate depending on luck in battles.

This post has been edited by Kerkes: Aug 28 2008, 06:52 PM

[Vuki]

Nice work, congratulation!

Unfortunetaly I really cannot use this tactics with my corrent party. I am sure you agree with it.

[Sikret]

The arcane duel with dragons was already elaborated in my "Started a v5 game" topic in my report of the battle with the Green Wyrm.

[Kerkes]

@Vuki

I agree I believe your fights will be much longer. I usually kill them very fast using imp.alcatry

@Sikret

Didn't know that. I read the report on your first battle but no other, I don't like tactical spoilers (really takes out the fun, I did that when I was playing Tactics mod and regreted it), only if I'm really stuck will I ask for them.

[Kerkes]

Just a note on Ancient Wyrm - I failed to kill him by spellcasters only , it is pure suicide without fighers. Not him by himself, I'm sure the trio mentioned above can finish him without much problems. But those helpers of his are...well, if you haven't met them yet , I won't ruin the fun for you.

This post has been edited by Kerkes: Aug 29 2008, 08:43 PM