V7 run, after loooong break Options

[Shadan]

My progress:
Planar Prison finished. Neera as a wild mage sometimes very annoying. Like when I am buffing from 10 mins, and she fizzles one important spell at end, like Impr. haste... However she saved me in PP several times. From Nahal's RD:
- She RRR-ed the elite Bounty Hunter.
- Nosave Emotion on yuant-ti mage under SI:Div+ Impr Inv.
- 2 succesfull RRR on Warden. All in all PP was not too hard on this level, but was a challenging a bit.

Planar Sphere:
Lavok: Was not too hard. Protag tanked Skelly Lords, others killed golems fats. I thought Lavok is a lich, but apparently, he was not. Neera RRR-ed from Nahal's after a several wild surge, and he was dead.
Tolgerias was a bit harder, because 2 mages were there.
Golems at engine were a nightmare however... 6 coins, 6 gems, 2 bone in three grp. It was hard to keep alive even Sibel, not to mention RB and kensai. And in 3rd fight I was out from IH and many important buffs. Drank 3 Clod Giant, 2 Invulnerable and 1 Defense potions before I engaged combat with 1st golems here.

I went to Cromwell after this:
- Phosphorous, yeah!
- Potion of Clear Thinking
- Improved Yeti Hide Cloak

However I am a bit confused. After forging I went back to the sphere and there is no sign of Solamnic knights and any Wizard stronghold stuffs. Shall I do anything else to get wizard SH? I haven't found anything else on net.

[critto]

Neera as a wild mage sometimes very annoying.

As she levels up and gains her improved gear, her chances of hitting the good parts of the wild mage table will grow significantly. But yeah, it's always a bit of a gamble.

Golems at engine were a nightmare however...

The entrances to that area are never locked, so you can (and perhaps should) come and go, peeling off the edges gradually. It's an incredibly hard fight to win in one go.

However I am a bit confused. After forging I went back to the sphere and there is no sign of Solamnic knights and any Wizard stronghold stuffs. Shall I do anything else to get wizard SH? I haven't found anything else on net.

You did have one final talk to Lavok and brought him out into the street, correct?

[Shadan]

As she levels up and gains her improved gear, her chances of hitting the good parts of the wild mage table will grow significantly. But yeah, it's always a bit of a gamble.

Is it possible to check wild mage table somewhere? Just to know what effects I've got and what are the chances.

The entrances to that area are never locked, so you can (and perhaps should) come and go, peeling off the edges gradually. It's an incredibly hard fight to win in one go.

Since I've invested a precious potions (6 of them), I didn't want to rest and loose potion effects.

You did have one final talk to Lavok and brought him out into the street, correct?

Yes. I also checked the process again. Sadly I have a hard save only before Tolgerias, and I realized the problem when autosave and quick saves are after the Sphere. So I reloaded Tolgerias save and just killed everything with Ctrl+Y. When I went back to Lavok, there was just 2 options, one of them to deny him, the other to bring him out. I choose the bring out option. Outside there was not any option, just Lavok said, Sphere is mine. So I am sure this happened in my normal play also.
I don't want to replay Tolgerian + all golems, just to see same thing happening. So I thought I ask first, if I missed anything in the Sphere or outside after the Sphere. I've checked Gambanshee, and I did all thing in Sphere and no mention anything to do after the Sphere. Multiple stronghold option is installed, since I have all other strongholds.

[DequNew]

Maybe try resting few days at entrance of sphere

[Shadan]

I went to Umar Hills and Trademeet after Sphere. Rested in CC for 1 day, rested outside of the Sphere for 2 days. All in all appr. 5 days passes. Nothing...

As far as I see now, maybe the problem was that I didn't go back to Sphere immediately after Lavok died outside. So I cannot avoid replay those hard fights, just I don't have strength to do it now again.

This post has been edited by Shadan: Jan 4 2025, 06:44 PM

[pekkae]

What does your journal say? Did you finish the quest?

When I went back to Lavok, there was just 2 options, one of them to deny him, the other to bring him out. I choose the bring out option. Outside there was not any option, just Lavok said, Sphere is mine. So I am sure this happened in my normal play also.

This should be the normal order of things, so everything should be fine.

Anyway, you are playing an avenger? The extended mage stronghold then provides you with a few extra fights (4 or so) through an NPC called Marvella, who is located after the room with solamnic knights at where tha halflings used to be.

So I cannot avoid replay those hard fights, just I don't have strength to do it now again. sad.gif

Even console is quite useless vs. those golems, I guess the easiest options would be to

1. Fix the variables, if Critto + Jacek + Sikret have those?
2. Use the saved game, import barbarian essences through console and just make your party invulnerable and whack away.

This post has been edited by pekkae: Jan 4 2025, 07:13 PM

[Shadan]

Even console is quite useless vs. those golems, I guess the easiest options would be to

1. Fix the variables, if Critto + Jaced have those?
2. Use the saved game, import barbarian essences through console and just make your party invulnerable and whack away.

Thanks, but I won't cheat in normal games. If I cannot fix this stronghold things, I replay battles normally and I try to go back into the Sphere immediately.

[DequNew]

Send me save game or screen of variables and I can test and find issue. I got lot of saves so can find issue by comparing variables

[Shadan]

Send me save game or screen of variables and I can test and find issue. I got lot of saves so can find issue by comparing variables

Thanks, I sent a message.

[critto]

Thanks, but I won't cheat in normal games. If I cannot fix this stronghold things, I replay battles normally and I try to go back into the Sphere immediately.

There are two testing items (wands) in the game, one reduces the enemies' stats to zero and the other one deals a lot of damage. These can help you win the fights easy and still gain the experience (technically, you've already passed the challenge of the fight, you can just discard the resources you've used). Let me know if you wanna go that route.

Otherwise, it's hard to say without testing, hopefully Dequ will be able to help you if not. I'll try to take a look at it.

[Shadan]

Thanks all, who tried to help me. I am happy to see there are good ppl here.
I replayed Tolgerias (was easy 2nd time), Fire and Frost room (trivial), all golems (was a bit easier now because I knew what to expect) and Hell. I've got the stronghold this time. I am sure the problem was at 1st try that I went to Umar/Trademeet without moving back into Sphere. So few days passed before I revisited Sphere and Reyna-Teos scene wasn't triggered.

I reforged the items when I wrote before.
Next plans:
- Borinall
- Shadow dragon
- Trademeet crypt
- All stronghold quests what I can do.
- Buried alive
- I remember an animal quest for druids, but I still have to find it.
- I read about some kind of Screaming statue, but I sill have to find it also.

I installed no improved spellhold from IA Tweaks, so in this game this will be a bit easier. I don't remember what improved spellhold exactly means, I just reread one of my V5 journal, and I wrote in 2008 that imrpoved spellhold doesn't worth it.
Maybe on next ruin, I will try it again. I have character plans and party plan for next run.

Critto, any chance to check that wild surge table anywhere?

[DequNew]

Just found that harder spellhold is 2 more amber chunks and some more experience and many fights sicnificantky harder. Screaming statue encounter have xp limit, be sure to find it before that. Fighter stronghold last quest (roenall attack) can be quite hard, better to postpone it a bit if can. Ranger stronghold quest be sure to make proper save and past time by sleeping or command to trigger next quest, because messenger Delon can be missed easily and it will fail whole stronghold quest line due to time limit.

[Shadan]

Thanks!

What is the limit of Screaming Statue? I have 1,7 million XP now.
Also I remember, item making is tricky in wizard stronghold. Shall I make Robe of the Apprenti, or it is irrelevant for a non single class mage, non necro protagonist?

[critto]

Critto, any chance to check that wild surge table anywhere?

Sorry, missed that one. Right now you can only look it up inside the game resources (wildmag.2da), and here's a description of how everything works https://baldursgate.fandom.com/wiki/Wild_Surge
I was planning to add the table to the readme, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

What is the limit of Screaming Statue? I have 1,7 million XP now.

The cut-off point is 2.35M XP.

Also I remember, item making is tricky in wizard stronghold. Shall I make Robe of the Apprenti, or it is irrelevant for a non single class mage, non necro protagonist?

I think it's irrelevant for non-mage protagonist. But to make it you basically have to give them the easiest tasks first so that nobody dies in the process. Even then, there's a dice roll made in the beginning of the game for the chance of success (it'll be 100% for 18 int / 18 wiz mage protagonist, if I remember correctly).

[pekkae]

Also I remember, item making is tricky in wizard stronghold. Shall I make Robe of the Apprenti, or it is irrelevant for a non single class mage, non necro protagonist?

Would highly recommend forging the reaching ring (or ring of wizardry, don't remember which one it's called). You main caster is going to use Vecna or if it's Neera, her own cloak in any case.

[Shadan]

Thanks, I forged the ring of wizardry.
Borinall dead.
I did several stronghold quests. And I want to Windspear Hills. I think dungeon here is certainly not a low level, since tha famous 2 coins + 2 gems + bone golem group appered here also. Those many vampires were mean slo, forced me to rest to memorize and cast CC-s, because those charms are nasty.
After I met with Samia, I did werewolf part, and left the dungeon. But I promised to Samia and Firkraag I'll be back in Ch6.
I am doing ww attacks in Trademeet atm. I failed once, hopefully I can manage it today evening.

Next plans:
Trademeet Crypt
Pirates in the dock

[DequNew]

Conster should be easily doable for you

[Shadan]

Hmm, it seems I messed up ranger stronghold. Any chance to let me to know what variables shall I change with EE Keeper to continue ranger SH progression?
I did the 1st quest: Lord Tombelthen
But missed the second: Orc Attack
Now if I go to Minister Lloyd, he says I lost the SH.

This post has been edited by Shadan: Jan 9 2025, 01:31 AM

[critto]

Did you get Delon warning you about the attack? What's the status of the global variables OgronAttack and RangerProtector (before you visit Lloyd and learn of your failure)?

[Shadan]

Probably, but in new year I have a less time to play, so I probably forgot to go to Umar Hills after Delon appeared.
OgronAttack: 5
RangerProtector: 6