V7 run, after loooong break Options

[SparrowJacek]

There are 6 scrolls in total, at least that's what I get from a quick search in Near Infinity and you need only 5 to forge the sword.

[Shadan]

Then I will not risk, and will not use scrolls here. I will manage it somehow. Yesterday I had a few promising tries. I found the throwing hammer The Brick in my bags. It is a +2 weapon only, but cause wild surge within 10' radious with 10% chance. I've tried it on RB. During PfMW it is insignificant if she hits with weaker weapon, but dracolich had a several wild surges. Like heal my party, PfMW or PfME on all party etc. It was fun.

This post has been edited by Shadan: Jan 28 2025, 07:23 PM

[pekkae]

Then I will not risk, and will not use scrolls here. I will manage it somehow. Yesterday I had a few promising tries. I found the throwing hammer The Brick in my bags. It is a +2 weapon only, but cause wild surge within 10' radious with 10% chance. I've tried it on RB. During PfMW it is insignificant if she hits with weaker weapon, but dracolich had a several wild surges. Like heal my party, PfMW or PfME on all party etc. It was fun.

Maybe this is of some use.

SPOILER!

Well. After dracolich is done with "death spells" one of the easiest tricks is to summon skeleton warriors, like Jacek pointed out and give regen + ih". Even a single skeleton warrior should be able to tank DL quite far.

SI:Necromancy should protect from wails, ditto for death ward. Use a lot of summons. f

[Shadan]

Thanks for tips, I managed to kill that bastard. Skellies helped alot. Summoned 10-12 of them. No character's death, used up 2 Potions of Magic Shielding.
Sibel got her 1st HLA. What order do you suggest in HLA's for her?
Demon Knights next. I hope I will kill them more easily than I did with dracolich.

This post has been edited by Shadan: Jan 29 2025, 04:02 AM

[SparrowJacek]

Sibel got her 1st HLA. What order do you suggest in HLA's for her?

Sibel is a very tanky character, so I'd say that you can slightly delay her new defensive abilities and focus on obtaining Archdeva.

[Shadan]

Any idea what should I do with Kruin and Cowled Wizards? In Ch6 1st time I go to the town, Kruin appears, and if I cast mage spells, wizards teleport in also. I wanted to find an area, where I can kill 1st group of wizards and buff before Kruin, but was not able to find any.

This post has been edited by Shadan: Jan 31 2025, 12:49 AM

[SparrowJacek]

You can fight Kruin in the Forest of Tethyr, that's the only area outside of the city that he can appear in from what I remember. If I remember correctly his spawn point should be in the lower right corner.

[Shadan]

Thanks, I've found him later yesterday. He seems quite hard with 2 EGs, so I try to get 1 more level before dealing with him. I think CS on RB and kensai could help to kill EGs fast and Archdeva could help from Sibel also.
I am planning to do before Kruin:
- Troll Mound
- Buried Ambitions (I hope I can handle it at this level, I don't know this quest).
- Firkraag
Maybee this will be enough to get 1 more level.

My progression after dracolich:

Lesser Demon Lord: He surprised me, I had no buff, I was tired etc. Reload, rest, buff, and well Noble Marilith surprised me also with 2 Abyssal Escorts, lot of PFMW and nasty poisons. So another rebuff, another try and they died.

Demon Knights: I prepared for enduring fight, but it turned out that it is a fast and brutal melee fight. Avanger, Sibel, RB, Kensai, Nalia IH-ed, 2 anaconads, smilodon, clan hunter hasted. DKs died very fast. Neither Dispel nor RRR+Breach was not needed. PC was breached, Neera moved near to him to Spell Trigger PfME (I don't know if touch spells works from trigger when you are in melee range), but wild surge triggered, and whole party got PfME. PfME missed only from PC, but it was funny. So whole party survived the last 3 ADHW.

Checked ranger SH: No quest, only potions.
Checked fighter SH: Money + minor quest.
Checked druid SH: Buried ambitions. Reloaded game to start this a bit later.
Then I wanted to go to Cromwell, but Kruin and Cowled Wizards surprised me. So I checked the 3 new areas and I've found Kruin.

Troll Mound and Firkraag next.

[DequNew]

For exp watchers keep is good place, well if you can deal with spider queen.

[critto]

Checked druid SH: Buried ambitions. Reloaded game to start this a bit later.

A slight spoiler here (it's not, really): SPOILER!

there's a bit of a time limit on the next encounter, once you meet a messenger you have only a week or so.

[Shadan]

Fast question about Buried Ambition:

SPOILER!

I've killed Ferrou Gan, went to Firkraag's lair after that, I've found the scroll. But quest didn't continue. If I go back to druid grove nothing happens. I don't have a clue, how to continue. Quest log says only I should get that scoll from Firkraag's lair.

[SparrowJacek]

Hmm, do you have access to Helter Steps area? The Great Druid should be there, if I remember correctly.

[Shadan]

Ah thanks, I did'nt think I should go back there.

[Shadan]

I need some info about Draco Ferrus:
SPOILER!

It seems I cannot kill him while they adds are alive. Right? I have defeated 4 waves of adds except greens, but green is tricky, and I cannot kill 4 green weredemons. I used up all SQquencer and STtigger + Neera's LB and ChL stock, killed almost the 3rd, but 4th seems impossible to kill the 4th. Call L and Greater doesn't work here, as it is indoor. What I am missing?

[critto]

SPOILER!

IIRC you need to defeat all 4 waves of adds completely. Greens are indeed weak to lightning, so you can do CL for example. They have 0 magic res and they aren't completely immune to other elements, so you can alternatively try using different spells. What about melee? You don't have enough output to kill them with regular weapons?

[Shadan]

Thanks Critto!

SPOILER!

I have enough power to kill all of them very fast, except greens. Draco Ferrus is in "near death" within less than 2 rounds. Just I didn't have enough spells to kill 4 greens, and I wanted to know if my thoughts is right:
- Draco Ferrus cannot be killed while adds are alive.
- No more add waves after 4th.

[Shadan]

My progress:

Troll Mound: Was easy on this level. Incendiary Cloud was a champion here.
Samia: Those skellies surprised me, but it was not too difficult fight.
Conster: Easy.
Firkraag: Well I've spent some time here. Dragon was in near death within 1 round, but he didn't want to die... I've tried everything, PW Silence, PW Stun etc. he always healed to full. Then after a few tries, I've noticed the message what I've missed in spam of combat text. After I knew the right tactic, it was not too hard.
WK 1st level: Fighters leveled after queen, they've got CS HLA, so I've left after 1st level.

Buried Ambitions: Well those many werewolves were hard. The boss was not easy, I don't know why. Maybe bescause the swarming werewolves, or his insane regen. It was hard to kill him. I've tried Inc. Cloud here also, but it was too detrimental for me. Despite the fact that party was immune to fire (from Prot. spell), Cloud disrupted my spellcastings several times. So I abandoned Cloud tactic, and started to use more summons. After this fight, Draco fight drove me to crazy. First I've noticed, he is unkillable. So I thought I have to kill all adds. All colour was easy, except green. I've noticed I cannot damage them with weapons, I've tried all type. I've thought I have to kill greens with magic. But I expected only 3 waves, then 4th one came and I haven't had enough damage spell. So new try, memorize rebuff, killed 4th green, then 5th waves came in. Ooops... Not enough damaging spells at 2 mages to kill 5 of them. They have good regen. I started to count damaging spells, but sadly cleric/druid offensive spells are not existing... low damage, slow cast. Then I've got the solution: green was only immune during hardiness what I've missed in combat text spawn. So Breach could help. In the next try, I've killed Draco. Nalia died when only last green and Draco was alive. She got 40+ poison hit 2 times in same millisecond. I don't know if Stoneskin just wore off or it cannot protect against this attack, but Nalia died. And only Draco was alive when kensai died also. He was out of Hardiness, I had no more Greater Resto, potion was not enogh. She tried to move away at low HP, but Draco reached her at the last second. Since I spent too much time with this fight I didn't want to repeat the fight. So I just ressurrected the 2 dead.

Kruin: Was much easier than I've thought. Probably because Sibel was able to dispel him (at lvl 23) after 2 EGs were dead. EGs was able to summon only 1 coin golem. I could try to keep EGs alive for more summons, but I've expected a much longer fight with Kruin.

So finally I was able to go to sell and forge items. I forged several of them and I saw there is a new smith also, sadly I cannot check her recipes in V7 documenta on net, so I am a bit blind what should I forge at her. Also at Cromwell I was able to choose weapon upgrade or a necklace for avanger protagonist. I've choose the weapon. What do you think, which is better?

This post has been edited by Shadan: Feb 6 2025, 05:39 PM

[SparrowJacek]

Congratulations on passing the final fight of Burried Ambitions!

Also at Cromwell I was able to choose weapon upgrade or a necklace for avanger protagonist. I've choose the weapon. What do you think, which is better?

Those 2 options take into account the fact that you might play as a melee oriented Druid (Avenger) or a caster (primarily Auramaster), so for you upgrading the weapon is a much better choice. The staff is very dangerous in the hands of a fully buffed Avenger

This post has been edited by SparrowJacek: Feb 6 2025, 06:09 PM

[critto]

Buried Ambitions: Well those many werewolves were hard. The boss was not easy, I don't know why. Maybe bescause the swarming werewolves, or his insane regen. It was hard to kill him. I've tried Inc. Cloud here also, but it was too detrimental for me.

Regens can be disrupted with magic such as clouds indeed. It was an intentional design decision, I wanted to find some use for that kind of offensive magic. I've played around with this during my own test run and had some good results. But I'll grant you that it requires some positioning and not at all trivial.

So finally I was able to go to sell and forge items. I forged several of them and I saw there is a new smith also, sadly I cannot check her recipes in V7 documenta on net

Why not? It's available. http://www.blackwyrmlair.net/Mods/Readme/sibel/items.html

[Shadan]

Those 2 options take into account the fact that you might play as a melee oriented Druid (Avenger) or a caster (primarily Auramaster), so for you upgrading the weapon is a much better choice. The staff is very dangerous in the hands of a fully buffed Avenger smile.gif

Thanks, then I choose the right item.

Regens can be disrupted with magic such as clouds indeed. It was an intentional design decision, I wanted to find some use for that kind of offensive magic. I've played around with this during my own test run and had some good results. But I'll grant you that it requires some positioning and not at all trivial.

Inc. Cloud was not good because it interrupted my spellcasting. And Sibel, Avanger and Nalia had to stand in the cloud, because they did melee things. So if I wanted to be sure not to interrupt their spellcasting, I had 2 options:
1. Move out form cloud before cast, but it takes time. I did this with Nalia, and sometimes with Avanger and Sibel to renew DUHM, but I didn't have time for this at the most important spell: Gr. Restotion. When heal was needed, I had no time to play around.
2. Second option start to cast just after cloud done its damage. In this case you can finish the spell before next cloud hit, but you can't timing Gr. Resto exactly, if you need heal, you don't have time to wait.
This is why I abandoned this cloud tactic. Beside this the other hindrace of this tactic is summons. If you use summons, you damage your own summons with cloud and mostly they turn against you. I casted PfFire on Clan Hunter, Arc Deva and Smilodon in combat, but I was not able to use other rsummons as distracting tool. And even the 3 PfFire took time in combat, all in all I've found this tactic is not too useful, you lose more than what you win.

Why not? It's available. http://www.blackwyrmlair.net/Mods/Readme/sibel/items.html

Thanks! I didn't know this link, I only used the V7 readme: http://www.blackwyrmlair.net/Mods/Readme/ia/adventures.html