Necromancer/Barbarian journal (Contain Spoilers) + IA Enemy Manual, IA 6.52 + IA Tweaks 1.02 Options

[Dequ]

Added 3 new videos on first page: Ancient Mage, Pasha encounter and Twisted Rune. Twisted Rune was quite hard, but after training some timings and testing what works it was doable. Some notes previous on Twisted rune had few minor mistakes. Separating Shangalar was easy key for victory, because Grave Silence would have fucked up my fights.

This post has been edited by Dequ: Mar 23 2021, 07:57 PM

[Dequ]

Quickly tested Orcus and managed to win even without testing beforehand. This was my first ever serious encounter vs him ever on any run. I thought this would be much harder fight. But I got feeling that this was meant to be long fight (in which case, it is really hard) and not to be finished in few rounds.

Anyway, after that I started to collect some information and made quick notes before I will clear this even better and record video:

Orcus:
100% immune to damage at begin of fight
Will use Grave Silence on Divine (cleric) caster
Amulet of Hades makes immune to silence
True Sight on second round
RRoR on 3th round/Remove Magic, check again this
Will take damage when 8 Skeleton Grandlords killed
Will die less than 2rounds if get focused
Silenced character may not auto agro next target when target destroyed, so need manual focus more
Will cast second Grave silence if our casters in range not silenced
Trigger Buffs: Spell Turning, Stoneskin when 8 skeletons killed
Can use Remove Magic
We can trigger Orcus to waste turns on additional Grave Silence casting by taking off Amunlet of Hades and re equip it when spell being casted
Recasting Spell Immunity Abjuration makes Orcus waste rounds on RRoR
Can cast breach
Can use Power Word Stun, so keep HPs high
Can use Greater Malison
can use Paralyze spell (save vs spell)
Can cast stoneskin when getting hit, got atleast 5 stonekins spells
When stoneskins depleted, then he cast PfMW (6 atleast has)
Cannot be breached!!!
We can kill Orcus before second wave of enemies (Vampires)spawn

Skeleton Grandlords:
8 Skeleton Grandlords Spawn on beginning
use +4 weapons, blunt best

Second wave:5 Vampire Bride, 4 Eminent vampire, 2master vampire

third wave of enemies:
5 Skeleton Lords

4th wave of enemies:
5 Skeleton Lords

5th wave of enemies:
5 Skeleton Lords

Summons pretty useless atleast vs grandlords, noble spider does some dmg. Summons can be casted before hand on location if drop sword outside, test this.

Some Vampires Spawn south part of room, these only spawn when we cross line of eyes in ground painting and Orcus alive. Seems to be infinet spawning = infinete exp.

Blockers in room doors and south pathway, so not possible to use those for cover/run

This post has been edited by Dequ: Mar 24 2021, 08:44 PM

[Dequ]

Orcus no more! Video added.

Now I need to try supreme golem, if that not possible then finally proceed to next chapter.

[Dequ]

Supreme Golem beated + video added, I wonder if there is still anything to do before continue to next chapter towards Brynnlaw? I wont proceed to WK level4. I will reload before Supreme Golem fight, because I plan to do this Clash of Power quest for good way and beat Green Wyrm instead in later chapter when it is enabled. Enemy Manual has grown quite a large (246 pages so far).

This post has been edited by Dequ: Mar 26 2021, 07:16 PM

[critto]

Incredible, great job, Dequ. I haven't had the chance to read and watch everything thoroughly, but I'll surely put away some time to do that when you're more or less done with the walkthrough.

[Dequ]

Spellhold cleared. Last fight was actually one of the easiest fight there, with a small trick I could win fight at instant, but that only works on specific party comps. Another way is long fight, but separate and stuck Jon inside Glass tank. None of these strategies I have not seen used. Videos I think will add tomorrow for all spellhold fights.

Another interesting fight in Spellhold was to solo 24 Skeleton Warlord, only need R/C with stacked AC bonuses vs slashing and many Iron Skins and Wondreous Recalls.

This post has been edited by Dequ: Mar 31 2021, 06:58 PM

[Dequ]

16 videos added on first page. Found out many new tactics, which I have not used in previous runs. Like using improved web against golems

[Dequ]

Underdark is done now. 19 New videos added on first page. Dracolich was nice, I can imagine that without high level dispel magic it will be really painful. Master Brain lost for me, because it has no legs, lol.

[bulian]

Just wanted to complement you on a very unique and impressive run! Cant wait to see how the rest of it turns out!

We did add the ability to fight both green wyrm and supreme golem inWK3 in last update. Given how strong your party is, my challenge for you will be to 1) clear both without resting 2) clear all elemental golem spawns on supreme golem, and 3) clear supreme golem, green wyrm, and supreme leader without resting (no wish for rest either), 4) clear all of WK level 4 without resting.

[Dequ]

I might try those after clearing encounters normal ways first and if want more challenges. Thing is, planning such things takes so much time that it might get frustrating. Also I dont have single class mage, so no rest wish possible for my run.

[Dequ]

Grandfather of Rune Assassins Encounter statistics if exhaust all spawns: Exp gain = 1 156 500. If all loot is sold then money gain = 290 443. Total of 118 enemies. This fight took over an hour real time when did long version, so will not make video for it.

Recorded video on short version only which lasted less than 4 rounds.

IA quests design is astonishingly amazing.

[Dequ]

9 new videos added on first page. Now I have fullfilled my initial goal (get further than last time).

Next encounter will be really interesting, Supreme Leader! I have just collected basics informations encounter mechanics and enemies, still I have not found any major exploits to make this fight easier. Sure I found way how this is supposed to be cleared, but fight will be messy. I prefer my fights clean and easily repeatable with same results. Found out which buffs triggers Torturous Inquisition, if I dont use those few specific spells on me vs Anti-Inquisitors, then they will not use that nasty ability. For example Improved Mantle won´t trigger it. Now I need to find out their spawning positions (might depend our character positions) and test more things which might works on my favour (status effects spells etc.) and tests different summons in fight.

Actually I am not even sure I can beat this encounter, but I had this same feeling of insurmountable struggle many times before and in the end I have often found ways to make fights looks absurdly easy (when it is actually been really hard and needed days of planning and testing).

[bulian]

Grandfather of Rune Assassins Encounter statistics if exhaust all spawns: Exp gain = 1 156 500. If all loot is sold then money gain = 290 443. Total of 118 enemies. This fight took over an hour real time when did long version, so will not make video for it.

Recorded video on short version only which lasted less than 4 rounds.

IA quests design is astonishingly amazing.

Yes there is a lot to be gained here! I happened upon the same thing in my last game (circa last summer) and had some fun with a riskbreaker and a few barbarian essences taking on most of the army by herself. I'm sure you are aware that elemental golems and the like can also be milked for additional XP, as can spider queen, ghost spiders, a couple of skeleton lord encounters, and even noble rakasha. Probably a few I am missing too.

Just want to point out for anyone who reads the journal that there is more than enough gold and XP in the game where by the end of TOB a party should be able to craft all the items they want with a more "standard" approach of killing the enemies as quickly as possible.

[pekkae]

Hey Dequ!

Great work! Where are the videos?

Kiitokse jo etukäteen!

[Dequ]

Where are the videos?

Videos can be found on first page, just scroll down the journal.
or you can also go into my youtube channel, videos pages and trying to find from there: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnoqlJAjrf...5qW_fg/featured

[Dequ]

Kept few weeks break and now I have lost motivation to continue , oh man this happen each time.
But anyway, manual is free to download or just to edit it if anyone wants to add stuff. There certainly is quite a lot useful information (360 pages), but most players are old hc players anyway and know everything already. If there would be any new players, then it would certainly helps them to get into mod easier before ragequit happens.