I'm a IA beginner, just started my first game on v5.

As with any beginner, I'm trying to adjust to the new tactics required by Improved Anvil.

I'm following the suggested path of early quests to try to keep myself from getting in TOO deep too quickly. I'm currently at the druid grove.

What I can't seem to determine - and can't remember from my days of playing Vanilla BG2, if indeed it was an issue - is how do you arrange for Cernd to fight Faldorn instead of my protagonist? The latter is a Vagrant, who at L8 doesn't seem to stand a chance at defeating Faldorn. I've tried a few times - with no equipment or magic to speak of, I'm wasted almost immediately.

My guess, such as it is, is that with multiple strongholds (Ease of Use) the game considers ME a druid and doesn't give me the option of having Cernd fight Faldorn. Is this theory correct?

Beyond that, is it that I am actually too weak at this point to really consider fighting Faldorn in the pit, and should count this as one of those encounters that I need to return to later? I've seen commentary from others that Faldorn was "too easy", but that might have been in reference to earlier versions of IA.

Thanks in advance to any who respond with information.



Great mod, Sikret. I love what I've seen and read about so far.

geh4th

(p.s. - I wouldn't think that anything I've posted above would be considered a "spoiler". If I cross the line into revealing spoiler-ish info, I'd appreciate it if someone lets me know. I don't want to ever ruin anything for another player, now or in a future post.)

SPOILER!

I've tried the first thing you suggested, and so far have consistently failed to win over any allies in maybe 5-6 tries. I was wondering if either their level was too high or there was some situation-specific thing that prevented the attempt from succeeding. I might just be getting unlucky.

G

With Multiple Strongholds, all druids save for Cernd and Jaheira can take the duel (which means, <CHARNAME>, a Multiplayer-style druid, or a druid from a third-party mod).

Well, I don't have a non-Cernd/Jaheira druid in my party, so apparently I'm stuck with...me (Vagrant protagonist.)

I had forgotten what alignment-dependant special abilities you get as a Bhaalspawn, but it's obvious that you don't get any attack spell abilities such as Larloch's minor drain if you're Lawful Good. So that option is out.

I'm also not proficient in the weapon available in the fighting pit, so that hurts too. And I still can't get my inherent charm animal to work (It worked a single time of 4 tries on one load, but I was very close to death at the time and by then it was far too late.)

I realize that many encounters are deliberately designed to be way too tough to handle right away, but it's clear that this one is considered doable based on the suggested walkthrough path. I've read the advice to re-think your combat tactics and try something new, but this seems pretty cut and dried. With only a single first-level divine spell, no equipment, and no applicable special abilities (except one that doesn't seem to work) I just can't see what a Vagrant can do at this level.

I'm missing something but haven't yet seen what it is.

G

I think you've just had really bad luck with save throws.

The bears have the same save vs spells, so it really isn't level dependent.

At least 35 attempts to charm animal and counting. Every single one of them has failed.

Most of the time I walk up to the animal in an attempt to cast the spell and take roughly 25 or so damage in the span of 2-3 seconds while trying to get the spell off. I thought this spell was something that could be cast from a distance? Do you have to successfully touch/hit the target animal?

I've already played this one fight so many times, I know exactly what spells she's going to cast and in exactly what order:

SPOILER!


I'm thinking that if I were a mage I could more easily win this battle, but alas, I'm a vagrant and it appears unwinnable. I don't know how any of you did it. I wonder at my competence; if I can't win this how am I going to fight any "real" opponents?

G

Wouldn't you know it...

SPOILER!


Whew.

And to think this was an 'easy' one. Yeehaw. I'm off to the next big challenge...

G

Grats geh4th! I think most of us thought impossible that fight, but with some practice and reload it is doable with a ranger. With wizard, sorcerer, priest, druid, bard is doable also. I wonder how can do this fight with thief, paladin, barbarian or fighter...

The reason the battle with Faldorn is mentioned early in my suggested quest order is that at the time I wrote it, I assumed the player would not have Multiple Strongholds installed and thus would be fighting Faldorn with a druid (which is what people were referring to when they said the fight is too easy - with e.g. Cernd the fight is very easy).

If your protagonist is a ranger it is not at all easy and is fairly luck-based especially if you don't have LMD/Vamp Touch as Bhaalspawn powers. In other words you weren't missing anything; hopefully you will find later battles much less luck-based.

For the benefit of anyone playing a ranger protagonist who hasn't done the battle yet, it is much easier if delayed until the protagonist can cast Flame Blade (i.e. is level 10). I'll edit my quest order thread and mention that.

You might want to check their save throws by looking at their cahracter sheet, meaning the bears, if you find that the percentages are against you. Then once you know their exact saves, you can decide for youself if you want to spend any more time on this particular battle. It's not really important in terms of experience. As for other big battles, there are more ways to do them than busting out a single tactic over and over again.

Against IA mages, I try to absorb their spells with a fighter/mage. This controls the AoE disabling spells to my party members that have spell protections or good saves.

IA fighters early on can either be disabled with spells or webbed or spike damaged if they are immune to disabling spells.

Thanks, Raven. See my recent post in that thread.