Due thanks or curse to HTRT for this
Party (all started 89 000 xp, no uber stats) is the following:
Necro protag 11 11 16 18 18 18
RB 18/59 18 16 12 10 7
RB 18/49 18 16 12 12 7
Dual B->M (from start) 18/37 16 18 18 18 3
Dual R->C (from start) 18/73 18 18 9 18 5
custom Auramaster 14 9 14 12 18 15
Why those choices?
1°) Necro protag obvious
2°) two slots dedicated to destruction
Chose riskbreakers, my motives where Chain breaker stance and Risk Decrement, insta-heal is more than important on insane, my usual philosophy with IA is "to get few damage kill your enemy fast". On insane, since it takes half "core" number of hits from serious enemies to reduce any party member to ashes, relying on fast killing is a dead end IMO.
Riskbreakers are nonetheless tremendous damage dealers,have very good ac with potions of defense/invulnerability, have native IH (so spell slots available for mages), can achieve 60% physical resist.
Other candidates for one or both those slots I eliminated:
- Kensaï; no insta-heal, AC poor compared to RB, hesitated a lot because Kensaï is a supreme damage dealer, but what is the point to deal damage for less than 5 rounds? (which will be IMO life duration of Kensaï very often should I take one)
- Valygar: tremendous fighter late game, very good AC, but RB has more APR and Valy does not have insta-heal facility. Point I pondered a lot was Mental equilibrium. This ability is really usefull, but since I intend to go with more than one divine, will take more care buffing with chaotic commands and free action. Other argument, Valy needs IH (I will forge boots of the ranger lord for R->C)
3°) Dual Ranger-Cleric
Will not repeat what HTRT said in his journal.
Dual R->C is one of the best sure pick in IA IMO. This time I will need healing, I will need regen, I will need a strong fighter with very good AC (and stoneskin, globe of blades, ....), this is the perfect tank. SInce I do not intend to forge amulet of Hades before chapter 6, I will also benefit of protection from level drain from amulet of power. Clerical buffs will be precious (saves and AC does matter even more on insane). I cannot go on without restoration.raise dead too.
This is a good fighter too!
4°) auramaster
Precious divine, fast casting time, smilodon, good summons (anacondas, fire elemental, montain bear,...), creeping doom, unleash energy, chain lightning,.... will be quite handy.
Fast casting from auramaster very important, natural restoral too.
5°) mage support
I want arcane here. Will need summons, buff, offensive, someone who can tank blows, a wisher.
Mage and not sorceror because I will need a wider scope of spells than sorceror more than availability of spells sooner and more spells to cast per level.
Decided to go for a dual B->M because I could use her to tank (and damage). Gave her +++++ in staves, B->M is quite versatile, rage protection is quite good, not at all ridiculous fighting-wise early game (mid-late game, once RB and R->C reach full strength, no more fighting problem).
Did dual on the spot because I wouldn't consider nursing a dual at level 9 or 13.
There is just something I still wonder and decided to solve during run, take Cernd in party. Question is, who will leave?
I seriously consider having 2 auramasters in this party, think they can provide a very interesting support on insane (insta casting, 100+ physical resist and smilodons if no other).
Other characters I considered and eliminated:
Vagrant; pros: swanmays!!!!! Cons: poor AC, no that good a fighter to consider switching a RB for it. Confess I hesitated a lot, summons not counting within the 5 limit boundary is IMO a very good asset on insane. Leave it to heros that will tempt insane with vagrant protag to establish.
Nalia; pros: disarming traps, family ring, good hp for a mage. Cons: no wish! much behind B->M fighting wise, no rage so needs to be buffed and/or vulnerable to insta-death/level drain
will play fair (apart 100% scribing scrolls and max hp at level-up)
WIll not hesitate to rest between fights (no more heroic stand of drained party), and will try to figure the very interesting "positionning management" HTRT mentioned in his journal.
Fixed a limit, no more than 4 tries on a same fight, eitherwise consider that beyond this limit of 4, I am just relying on luck than being able to tackle it at current level.
I will may be visit WK, do not when playing on core, but I need to leave for spellhold as close from cap as possible, so if some fights cannot be won on insane...
First objective is just to see how far in chapter 4 (if I reach it) I can lead this party.
Prejudices about what is going to happen:
"Usual" fights I quite fear having horrible time with (or may be blatantly fail) before brynnlaw:
- Torgal (that is fighting him "early" and not with a level 14 party)
- Warden (same as above, by "early" I mean I will try to tackle Warden before planar sphere and windspear dungeon to forge phosphorous)
- Amber golem (temple ring quest)
- Thax
- screaming statues (might lose a very good loot here, sigh!)
"Hard" fight I will try (and desperatly hope to tackle):
- Samia & party (want potion and circlet for auramaster)
"Hard" fights I might try for the fun of it but estimate my odds close to "0":
- teshal
- troll mound
- Umar
Hard fights I once won pre-spellhold on core and will not try here:
- grave lich in gate district
- windmaster
- Firkraag
- guarded compound in temple district
Plan is simple: gather xp enough so that both RB get IH, then go for slaver stockade (Necro will thus have IH), next forge phosphorous, then alea jacta est.
Things I will not do because consider them ludicrous:
I don't use exploit (xp and/or gp),
I don't kill NPCs,neutral passer-by or allies,
I don't stack/cast/use spells/scrolls in ways they are not intended to, comes to mind casting more than one enchanted weapon using scroll, casting CC in the middle of a fight, using scrolls to bypass II,....
I don't use summons from afar under farsight,
I don't make cheaty use of exits (party fleeing from enemy that cannot follow you),
I don't run in circle waiting for enemy protection to wear off. I will wait for enemy protection to wear off sometimes (II +SI:Div for example) but with at least one party member in enemy LOS AND fighting,
I don't abuse lesser spawns farming (for example gem and coin golems from an elemental one),
I don't kill party members with exception of case where killing party member avoids chunk (for example, if naked auramaster has 5 hp and a gem golem is about to land a blow, I prefer using acid arrow or magic missile on him than reload,
(All above was written june 6th)
BE WARNED: BELOW THIS LINE CONTENT IS FULL OF SPOILERS
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED: BELOW THIS LINE CONTENT IS FULL OF SPOILERS
Okay:
Dungeon be gone (because I don't want to be chunked too early by traps
)Circus
slums, get quests
gov district, lunaticaly decide to move to temple district to start quest:
Suna Seni!
ok let's go:
Auramaster is backstabbed after purge, chunk, fight lasted less than 4 seconds.
Second down and ten:
Auramaster emotion downed assassin and fighter, then aura runs north (he is first to finish casting)
B->M interrupted cleric with LMD then ran north (second to finish casting, cleric was to be third if not interrupted)
Necro emotion, third caster here to deliver, no big luck, no effect, runs east
R->C holy blight, then runs east
One RB runs south west, enemy mage chaos on her (fifth and last casting to erupt round 1), she saves! (luck!
)Suna lands one blow, half hp lost for one RB
on second round Necro and auramaster emotions downed suna and cleric, R->C summoned skeletons, end of game for suna
Nearly lost a RB to one magic missile, ouch! insane picture is set!
Rest, Second ambush (harper), deliver body, get xsar mission
Berserker class activated
Third ambush (orog slavers)
leave for gate district, get trademeet quest, talk with djinns.
Time for me to decide there is a limit not to cross when woolgathering about party composition on insane: Join Cernd and custom auramaster leaves forever. Good bye.
Go to grove, kill some trolls and spiders, leave.
Windspear, entry ambush is quite tough on insane!
Give acorns back and promise to save child, leave before meeting werewolves (think it is suicide right now)
Back to city, rest in gate district
Bridge, fallen paladin, finish quest (second reload, a bit presomptuous)
Cernd is complaining, thought going to grove was enough to keep him happy, it was not.
Trolls, druids, faldorn dead.
skip raksasas for the moment (one thing I just never do on core)
Ranger class activated
Take first mission from grove spirit, kill troll shaman.
On way back, wonder what to do in front of Ithafeer house? Leave area.
Cernd quest (one chore less)
Skinner in bridge district
Clear cemetery easy surface tomb, decline bodhi's offer (so that I can admire her buttocks when she turns her back)
Bridge again, zealous gravediggers erased
Clean copper coronet
guards no big problem (Necro + Cernd = 6 emotions)
Beast master and his pet;
summons 2 bears and one fire elemental + valalla horn warrior, haste, prot from evil, chant, bless, DA
breach, insect swarm, LMD and MM on Beastmaster first round, he did not last long when second round Necro, Cernd and B->M shot 3 FA while R->C holy blight
Tabitha succumbed to magic missiles
Minotaur landed just one blow (critical hit), 80+33 damage to one RB, enough to cost me a lot in temple (no chunk, happy with that). Starting to feel what insane means; where once I could afford to take two or three blows, now just one is sometimes too much. Lesson learned.
Cemetery, give teddy bear back, deal with uncle lester, find new family for Risa
kill neb, finish illithium quest.
Xsar and Montaron
Join Yoshimo to disarm traps and open locks (either wise too much time resting to memorize knocks and mirror images)
Start maevar (have necklace to recover, it is daytime)
Enter sewer for the first time, kill a troll, a vampiric mist (this one was unlucky, he took two critical strikes from RBS, an unleash energy and fell first round)
Recover necklace from temple of talos, meet Edwin, kill Mage. One reload here, stupid one, but insane does not allow small details to be left apart, small detail here was fire ball trap on east container
. Finish Maevar quest and decline guild. Many reasons to decline; want short sword, never understood how to manage guild properly, party is lawful good and I have (and will) commited enough "lightly evil" deeds to stop here).
Necro is level 11
Join Jaheira instead of cernd, just time to do Jaheira curse (kill ployer) and first meeting with harper. That is good loot and important objects at this stage
Re-join Cernd
Party right now
Necro: bracers AC6, staff spear, sling +1, amulet of metaspell
MPV: Beastmaster
RB1: ring +1, ring+1, cloak +1, belt of bluntness, arabane sword oh, hammer +1 MH,
profs: +++ 2 weapons, ++++ hammer
MPV: Bessen
RB2: ring +1, ring+1, cloak +1, belt of bluntness, Short sword of backstabbing oh, flail +1 MH,
profs: +++ 2 weapons, ++++ flail
MPV: Suna Seni
R7/cleric: Plate +1, shield +1, helm of balduran, belt of piercing, cloak +1, boots of stealth, club +3 (and root of the problem)
MPV: Hareishan (night ambush vampire)
B7/mage: Bracers AC8, Amulet life preservation, staff +2, sword of chaos, hallberd +1
profs: + 2H weapon, +++++ staff, + sling, + dagger
MPV: Anarg
Cernd: oak and cloak of the high forest
MPV: ogre (sigh!)
Umar hills outdoor (all apart talking to Valygar)
Druid grove, kill Ithafeer and gets her head on a pike
Trademeet, rewards from druids and raks, skinners
Reputation is 17
D'arnise keep
Outdoor
First floor
Second floor: separate vengeance trolls from yuan-ti mage, collect loot in crypt (Mountain bears just great against viper), Glaicas (mountain bears again)
Outside, clear minor creatures, then yuan-ti and spider. Focused on spider (B->C and 2 RBs under Chaotic command) which is usually my nightmare here. I dearly missed secret word (scroll found in unseeing eye lair) against yuan-ti mage, earned me 2 reloads. Forge FoA +3
Leave keep, will be back when I have IH to try Torgal
Back to city, forge iron horn of vahlala
Mencar, one reload because of trap I forgot on chest (no comment...)
Sewer again, unseeing eye
Aran first mission, both RB get IH!
sewer under CC, first meeting with undead bunch (my bane). Carefull buffing (CC, Pfld, prot evil, chant bless, DA,...) and was easy...
Greater crawler (bears and +3 weapons)
rats,
shadow lover, one reload because I was a miser and did not use a fire giant strength potion. Once RB with long sword +3 (enchanted weapon) and frostreaver drank it, no problem.
rats, emotion, grab Lilarcor.
Necro level 12, time to pick an IH scroll
Enter slaver den through sewers,
buff religiously: stoneskin for mages and divines, true seeing, DH, bless, prot from evil, chant, haste, IH for Rbs, blurr...potion of invulnerability on RB which will reach Haegan first (no need to take risk), B->M goes for cleric, Cernd and Necro CL, RBs and R->C for haegan
Haegan dies fast, clear all mob, a bear is waiting on stairs
When mage appears, Necro opens with malison, other casters Greater command, emotion, emotion, mage still up
3rd emotion, mage passed, Necro and B->M use MMM, mage ad patres
Rest of hideout easy (was lucky with fire trap near entry, cernd under MI escaped chunk...)
Reputation is 20
Back to D'arnise keep
Torgal
Careful planning
clerical buffs, 4 bears, warrior from horn
IH on both RB, Necro uses one IH on R->C (Righteous magic + max AC against blunt)
One RB (with FoA) drinks invulnerability potion. He and R->C stay left of door (inside torgal room)
All other advance, Necro LMD, B->M breach, Cernd doom on torgal (with slight delay to land after breach), other RB waits
Torgal casts storm, no luck with LMD, storm targets Cernd, Cernd retreats in previous chamber to leave party out of storm, has MI on, so no damage, comes back into fight as soon as storm "stabilized"
As soon as breach cast, B->M (stoneskined) lures Gem golem to RB and Cleric, other RB attacks torgal with summons, one bear on trolls (Cernd supplies FA)
Necro Rof on gem (casted 2)
Torgal removes magic, RB activates MI from ilbrata, Necro IH on RB (last one),
Gem golem dead, all on torgal
Cernd and Necro finish trolls
B->M and Necro (stoneskined) rain VT on Torgal (very efficient spell here btw)
Torgal had time to cast 2 more remove magic, diviners renew defensive harmony, Cernd Mass heals
Torgal falls...
Great satisfaction, was one of my fearsome challenge here and went without reload.
Accept keep
Temple ruins
Shadow jailor (same configuration than for Torgal, apart IH on every fighter from start)
Open way to Thax and shade lord, two rests and repeat same sequence.
Back to city
Temple stronghold second test
Aran second mission (contact)
Kill minotaurs and get kangax quest
Forge morningstar +3, ring +2 and cloak +2
Cemetery
catacombs, spiders, spiders, spiders, mummies, spiders, Paina (breach, LI, death spell)
deeper down, clear minor undead
Meet Golem master, clear lair, tanova rush attack under prot from cold, she did not last, buffs protected from charm. Lassal had barely enough time to summon a second bride, bodhi routed.
Crypt king and queen (ouch!)
Party right now (all level 12)
Necro: bracers AC6, staff spear, cloak +1, , amulet of metaspell
MPV: Beastmaster
RB1: ring +1, ring+2, cloak +1, amulet +1, belt of bluntness, frostreaver oh, borok fist MH,
MPV: Shadow lover
RB2: ring +1, ring+1, cloak +1, belt of bluntness, Short sword of backstabbing oh, FoA +3 MH,
MPV: Tanova
R7/cleric: full plate mail, saving grace, helm of balduran, gloves of healing, belt of piercing, cloak +1, ring +1, ring +1, boots of stealth, club +3 (and root of the problem)
MPV: Torgal
B7/mage: Bracers AC8, robe of electrical resist, Amulet life preservation, ring+1, ring of earth control, cloak+1, staff +2, lilarcor, hallberd +1
MPV: Skeleton lord
Cernd: oak and cloak of the high forest, amulet +5% magic resist
MPV: Unseeing eye
Nature call, druid grove. Kill a noble troll and less noble ones. Get mission to rescue child
Chaos dead (luckily, he targeted B->M with insects....)
Back to city, sewers, free haer d'halis
Planar prison
Buffs never have been so exhaustive and serious, DH, Chant, bless, CC, Free Action, DUHM, haste, IH, prot from fire, blur , II,...
Result was Yuan-tis and so were easy
Then warden, some reloads here (3). Exhausted all my RRoR scrolls (3) and 2 potions of invulnerability, but worth the price, now phosphorous is mine!!
Did not get theater, don't know why...never mind
Finish Priest stronghold
Forge morningstar +3, phosphorous and cloak +2
Recover bag of holding. Pirates died in two and a half rounds (captain did not had time to hardiness, Riskbreaker with phosphorous is not a joke)
When alone with coordinator, tested effect of a simple ADHW against a 117 hp R->C, she died.
Sewer, kill rak and take cloak. If I had a RRoR scroll, would have tried party. As it is , will wait a bit.
Recover Ashideena
Think about going to sphere, but I have no RRoR scrolls and party level 13 (Necro 1,4 Mxp).... to be postponed
june25th update
Kill a shade lich, fighters with proper buff came in turn until lich has no more remove magic. Proper buff is prot from fire, from electricity, pfme, chaotic command and IH.
Fallen planetar killed, then mordy, 3 remove magic later, one RB finally got lich's hide.
Bigby's hand cured with potion, that's all folks
Prot from fire is also very important to check to avoid comet (on insane, bad thing IMO, did not test it yet, do not hurry to).
Loot domain in bridge district (I like ruby ring)
Kill elemental lich
Windspear
Undeads ambush (careful buffing, no problem)
Rhuk, kill him by rush attack after complete failure trying to expire is AI. Never before did I kill it by rush attack, here one fire elemental and all fighters (means party apart Necro and Cernd) protected from fire and under IH on Rhuk, Rhuk dead.
First golem bunch; 2 gems, coin and bone. Did experiment my first sequence of punch, punch, crunch (two blows from gems on RB, RB portrait was with us no more, should have paid more attention to what HTRT told about golem feeling the urge to crunch any naked head around....)
Undeads (all is about resting and buffing)
Second golem bunch, do not regret at all being here at those levels, one more coin in bunch would be unpleasant
Kill tazok
Recover mask from guardians, kill tomb mist, everything is ready to welcome Samia's party
Conster, rush attack under protection from cold, died fast, Mountain bears, stoneskins, mirror images, clertical buff where enough for skeletons (last skeleton standing got one RB)
Free child, exit castle for a while
Forge Cernd's cloak, start and finish paladin stronghold (apart recovering sword of course)
R->C is 20 Kxp from level 14, soon GR!
Founder of trademeet, good thing was victory and no loss, bad (but something to be expected) no staff of Rynn...(wish I could get it...)
Sewer again:
Went donw is this order:
Draug fea
Zorl
Rengaard
Tarnor
Riskbreaker
Gallobchair
Gaius
R->C level 14!
Get Valygar to open sphere (Cernd left in slums)
Entu and friends no problem (archer, than warrior, then cleric then mage)
Again, just proper buffing (prot from fire and all usual clerical buffs)
Deal with golem bunch, buff and potions of defense (2)
Way of dealing with golems:
One RB (FoA/phosphorous +++++ in flails), B->M with staff +3 (bought in trademeet) and R->C (Club +3/saving grace) take care of GEms, then pound coin with blunts.
Other RB (+++++ in hammer) starts with ashideena/frostreaver to destroy bone then dual Short sword of backstabbing /pixie prick and attacks coins
Necro RoF/VT and summon, Cernd summons, heal, renew DH
I always go to maximise prof I intend to be number one to max, then second, then sword
Here one RB "order" is hammer/longsword/shprtsword, other Flail/bastard sword/shortsword First one will mainly dual crom/thtruth (heaven!) other phosphorous oh, FoA/DotC/foebane mh
I often mention proper buff, to avoid repeating same thing, here is what I call proper buffing:
Base buffing, always consider I start with it:
Defensive Harmony, chant, bless, prot from evil 15' radius,
IH on RBs, B->M and R->C
Duhm and righteous magic on R->C
Additional buffing depending on enemies:
Chaotic commands, free action (golems, undeads, yuan-tis,...)
protection from fire and/or cold and/or electricity and /or acid (when shields, possibility to have trigger 3*CL, comet might land, mage under SI:DIv,....)
protection from magical energy (ADHW hazard, ...)
Protection from level drain (spell on RBS, AoP on R->C, rage on B->M, spell on cernd and Necro if needed)
Remove fear (bone golems...)
Armor of faith (Cernd, R->C)
ANything else on top of that (spells, potions, etc... I will indicate)
For potions, I consider them a VERY precious ressource on insane, so I am very reluctant to use one where I could use none.
Lavok (with 2 gems and 3 lords)
One RB, R->C and B->M on gems with 2 bears, other RB, fire elemental and 2 bears skeletons, Necro/b->M RRoR (5 overall), then lavok naked, send R->C under pfme and RB ready to MI with Ilbratha, end for lavok.
Tolgerias, proper buff, rush attack with normal weapons, B->M lured fallen deva away
then add prot from fire, clear fire room
clear ice room
Time to tackle a lot of golems, trying not to consume too much potions
In the end consumed a lot of potions (2 defense, 2 invulnerability), suffered a lot of chunking. Problem was that after initial bunch of golems (2 coins and 2 gems), both group with bone/gem/gem/coin/coin had a tendancy to join forces, which was desperate situation for my party (apart using something a bit cheesy, climbing down stairs in the middle of the fight).
Could make it through when both group did not join and I could tackle them one after the other.
R->C and B->M where precious here
Demon plane a walk in the park compared to engine room
B->M lured lords to RB and R->C, other RB attacks demon and maurezhi, once lords reduced to shards, all on demo, who dies fast then clear other minions.
Send Knights home, start mage stronghold
Temple ruins
Thax is a fight I always somehow "fear", have to say Cernd Shines here, renewing PFLD without being subject to silence. Wyrm was finished with normal weapons.
Shade lord, good buffs and good bye. Good bye to a RB after one round, blow from Patrick left him with 35 hp...PWKILL....
Start ranger stronghold
Finish hard nut to crack part 1 (prime assassinators by night)
Screaming statues
5 skeletons, proper buffs, one pfld was enough to take care of first two waves.
Third wave, GM from Necro, Sunray from R->C (just master vampire and one eminent survived, with a couple of mists). used one potion of invulerability (did not want RB hitting master dispelled easily)
Forge staff +3, staff of strength, ring +2, ring +2, cloak +2
Amber golem, key was 5 skeletons (adults ones, not the childish green bonzaï) and RoF (including two sequencers). Will have to find something better when in spellhold, this will not make it in crystal shard meeting....
Forgot to recover belm (silly), do this.
Thought Kangaxx would be easy, two disastrous tries made me reconsider, will be back later.
Try troll mound, crushed twice, once was close from killing king, 4th and last attempt king died milliseconds after chunking RB, too much on insane (doable, but too many attempts for my taste and too many potions would be used for no "tremendous at this moment" loot. (thing that cannot be said os Samia)
Speaking of which
Proper buff
Arch-stupid mistake, forgot to cast sequencer from Necro before fight, so wasted a precious slot (for DU) and no slow/malison/emotion (OK, just one from B->M)
Necro under pfmw blocks east door (blocks warlords from coming in that is)
R->C creeping doom (then pound Kaol), Cernd insects, Necro emotion (no effect)
All pound kaol, Kaol dead, Akae follows (R->C rock!), both RB on Ferric (estimate him bigger threat here), Necro breaches ferric first hardiness
sequencer from B->M no effect at all
Ferric dies, then legdoril,
Samia needs to be breached and falls
Chack last
B->M and R->C just perfect for skeletons, did not expose RBs (feared chunk)
No reload!
Searching loot... Vecna!
Forge druidic circlet
june 29th update
Umar
Buffs, 2 potions of defense (lost one attempt because did not judge them mandatory)
Fallen deva, lords and minotaurs go down while Umar is peeled, umar naked, she is pounded by every everybody, a breach is flying, umar dead (love her little cry)
Imps gates 2 spiders, not enough to delay his death further (no coins!).
Visit sphere, order adhw scroll, meet merella
Steam elemental Prince was a very close issue (many thanks to the 5 fire elementals summoned)
mystery of the jewel casket (I don't think I will report to Merella...)
forge robe of the apprenti
WK, minor creatures (vampires, noble trolls..) upset statues taking book, get a severe beating by fanatic spirit because did not prepare as accuratly as I should have.
Try golem/skeletons ambush. For sure the most unnecessary attempt on insane so far.
Stop WK exploration for now.
Teshal
Buffs
potion of storm giant strength for B->M and RB, 3 oils of resurgence for RB with phosphorous main hand
Pfmw on both mages
opening, B->M breaches teshal, Necro rams lich (then both clash on skeletons running down the stairs), Cernd FA on Teshal
RB and R->C on teshal, RB on grandlord near teshal
RB chunked by grandlord (average is 60 damage per hit...)
Same thing twice again, give up.
Finish vanilla mage stronghold, empty pockets, brew potion for Cernd
All I can think about doing has been done or tested and failed, apart Kangaxx, one last try:
Was 4 or 5 tries in the end, utter failure.
Apart some mistake in my calculation, forged items are worth 545 000 gp.
Took record of other expenses (potions, tower shield, staff of striking, mauler harm, bribes...), some 70 000 gp
and have in pockets 4402 gp.
(All this useless apart for me to track somewhere how much money I can rely on gathering pre-spellhold)
Leave for brynnlaw
All outdoor (gina, mad dwarf...)
Lady galvena
perth the adept
Spellhold
Cernd reaches level 14, all of a sudden four 7th level spells!
Dream sequence
Soon my two biggest fear of failure on insane, Mithril golem and crystal shard...
Clear easy part of level1
golem bunch (with rhuk), surprinsingly not that difficult, though Necro stunned in corridor by hideous laugh..
again, serious buff and serious handling of fights do pay a lot!
Bunch near statue, thought I would meet spiders (as I usually do), met yuan-tis and a minotaur. Might be some xp cap...
Both RBs level, next level Chain Breaker Stance, nice to have 2 IHs! (means more spell slots available at 6 th level for mages)
Spellhold level 2
hulks, yuan-tis, mist.
Skeleton lords and lich
Cat and librairian (put 2 of the protection from energy scrolls gained in sphere container to good use here!)
Tome, R->C takes beautiful shield.
First ordeal, crystal shard:
Buffs, skeletons
Cernd creeping doom precious
Summons go don faster than ever
One Amber is downed by ROFs mainly
Second with good help from summons (now dwindling), Necro and B->M even used VT
Never in an IA fight have I been so tensed, keep looking at electrical resist, jump out when a hit lands for fear it crunches someone, learn patience...
When 3rd amber critical, was one millisecond too late retreating a RB, she was chunked on the spot (92+98 damage!) .
This small mistake costed me 4 more reloads, painful ones, too.
Spellhold third floor
Soon second ordeal; Mithril juggernaut.
Realize I made a quite shitty mistake, forgot to buy a scroll of limited wish, rabbits saved me here more than once.
Finaly won here, after many reloads, point was having golems punching on summons and stoneskined chars. If RBs are hit just once, consider them lost (and chunked most likely).
Lost many times because golem took interest in punching a char out of stoneskin and aura not cleansed....bad!
Fight was by far the one I was about to yield to on insane.
Jon and scouts easy (just beware of 60 hp limit...)
Party takes boat again
july 3rd update
Shark city, nothing worth mentioning
Underdark
First ambush (near globe), hard and costly (2 potions of invulnerability). Cernd and Necro winners here (ADHW and creeping doom)
Both riskbreakers have Risk Decrement now!
Second ambush (much easier than first)
Dwarf city, after Balor Cernd gains Contact With Nature.
Clean south tunnels
Enter west tunnels
Prince left his royal chamber in horizontal position
Demon knights
Buffs (cold/fire/pfe or pfme)
mordys and skeletons... and pound!
some reloads because CC/sequencer/triggers are really really nightmarish on insane (first time did not protect against fire, 3*fireballs north, inciendiary cloud east, 2 chunked chars on the spot)
Talk to Adalon
Buy some scrolls (mordy and freedom) using drow illusion to lower prices (I pay here my failure with Kangaxx more than 7000 gp, for freedom scroll of course)
Start quests in drow city
Exit (just after Phaere told to visit temple to meet matron mother)
Enter east tunnels
Brain not that difficult (used potion of defense and invulnerability)
Warriors killes illithid, ulitharid and hulk then move north
Necro summons mordy, cernd smilodon, when golem gates and purge lands (necro is right and cernd left), necro takes purge, reads scroll of AI, then pounding elemental who dies fast.
Dereix tower
Finish drow city (kill all drows)
Maze
Dracolich, one of my favourite fights
Cernd had death wards (9) and pfld (3) as 4 th level spells, R->C had some, ZoSA of course
Key here was Cernd, his mission was to keep silenced and doomed chars under Death ward (mandatory) and if possible pfld for fighters (so fight was left to summons most of the time). Of course, being unsilencable and with lightspeed casting, Cernd was the right stuff here.
One RB had to be raised (Wail hit before could DW)
Otherwise, even if R->C and B->M were silenced for a while, R->C downed by emotion for a longer while, No big problem here (apart patience!)
Starting chapter 6
Visiting forests
Troll mound. Easy at those levels, Cernd once again great here, main danger was to protect Necro from vengeance trolls and PWKill from queen. Was not very lucky with vengeance storm, it landed just on everybiody apart Cernd.
Scroll of MS VI (elite trolls most welcomed)
WK (want to get some more experience before kruin...)
Very hard time with spider queen (Twice ghost bunch spawned), having no critical strikes and few +4 weapons.
Golem/skeleton ambush very nice
Side note, usually, for warriors HLAs, I go for: hardiness, power attack, CS, smite, hardiness, CS, CS...
This time, because hits from enemies are so threatening, I went for hardiness, hardiness for both RBs (having 40% resist, 60 with CBS is no luxury there!)
WK2 opens
Elite fire giant killed easy (he could not hit R->C)
Btw, Ranger->Cleric has a tremendous AC, let's see:
with rings/cloak/armor of the hart and darksteel: AC of -18, bonus missile -3, piercing -3, slashing -4
add a belt (blunt/piercing/slashing) for -3 AC
Foreknwoledge: -4 AC
Aura of flaming death: -4 AC
Shield of the archons: -4 AC
defensive harmony: -2 AC
protection from evil: -2 AC
Unless I am wrong, it means R->C can reach -41 AC vs slashing for some rounds
Clear all labs
Ponder trying to tackle demon....evaluate this as suicide right now; no CS, no CC (apart limited wish), no vecna, no foreknowledge for mages,...
Heading forest of tethyr, south-east corner.
Kruin
One reload because resonance between aura of flaming death from R->C and fireshield blue from Kruin with timely "20" to hit roll from elemental meant R->C chunked.
Cernd did all the job with creeping dooms, up to the point of triggering CC 3*ADHW from kruin and falling to it!
Just one gem spawned
Forge oak of the high forest +4, wave, equalizer, memory of the apprenti, supreme shelter, ring of djinni summoning,
Kangaxx
Not the most heroic stand
B->M under rage, Cernd with staff (both IH + giant strength), RB with phosphorous (and necro backup with freedom learnt in underdark)
4 freedoms later, ring is mine!
Time to recover Crom
First room quite fun
Second easy
Alhoon and greater elemental
Necro and cernd torched (DB) and crushed (implosion) Alhoon after one RRoR
1 purge and 3 coins, one RB and B->M went down and had to be raised.
Forge crom and cat figurine (237 gp left...)
Necro is level 20
With new +5 weapon, think it's time to go down in the sewer.
Teshal
No big problem here, R->C was untouchable, Riskbreakers reduced grandlords to shards fast, Necro dealt with lich...
Grave lich in gate district, Necro and Cernd rule:
Alacrity, DU, implosions, PWKILL
Speaking of undeads, Bodhi and her gang, all my allies bite the dust very fast...
Limak is for sure waiting, since I have very few money and not all ingredients I would like to have, he will wait.
Why is it so cold, Buffs, Necro took purge, ice the elemental golem taken down (1 coin)
Windspear, kill windmaster, Firkraag and his minions
For next fight, I would like to have CC for Necro, so kill Limak.
Guarded compound
First floor ok, lick wounds
Giant strength on B->M and R->C
Both RB CWN
R->C foreknowledge
climb up
wait for purge,
trigger IH/giantstrength/pfmw on B->M
Necro DB then alacrity
Cernd implosion on stalman then alacrity
R->C stoneskin
end of story 6 rounds later
Rest in temple
Back for corridor guest
Hard fight, just one amber and one gem (anyway, on insane, quite difficult to have this fight lasting more than that...)
Found staff of Rynn in loot, IIRC first time I have found it there.
Hard nut to crack final fight
Forge poseidon, cloak +3 and indigo ioun stone (now that I have a brand new one)
Recover ruby of the gods
Lady vania first quest
Back to WK, Chromatic Demon
This was a hard fight, so far hardest chapter 6.
Necro executed green wyrm
Forging: Thetruth, ring of greater djinni, FoA +4
Lord Roenall
forge talisman of greater protection and cutthroat +5
Party: (resist and AC without buffs)
Necro level 21, MPV: green wyrm
AC -3
resistance: magic 35% magic damage 20%
Cernd level 22, MPV: unseeing eye
AC 3
resistance: magic 25% magic damage 40%, cold 50%
Leia (RB) level 24, MPV: greater elemental golem
AC -12
resistance: electricity: 50%, magic 20%, poison 100%
Wolf (RB) level 24, MPV: spider queen
AC -11
resistance: none
Lims kragma (R->C) level 7/25 MPV: limak the mastermind
AC -19 (-21 if replace holy symbol with ring +2)
resistance: magic 5%, fire 35%, electricity 35%, cold 35%, acid 35%
(B->M) level 7/21, MPV: Kangax
AC 2
resistance: magic 5%, fire 25%, electricity 45%, cold 125%
july 11th update
Fry some cowled wizards
Get and fulfill Vanya second quest
Zallanora
WK maze
Hybrid tielfling, buffs (prot from cold and energy), enrgy blades on all those who can (3, stupidly forgot to take it for Cernd)
mass attack on mage, mage dies fast
Demon knights painful (because insane), B->M and R->C down (made a mistake, they had stoneskins on, so breach landed...)
Final fight
Cernd and R->C shield of archons, R->C and B->M under giant strength before stepping in
both mages have triggers, Necro GOI/pfmw/Pfme, B->M pfmw/stoneskin/IH
Necro has CC 3*trolls on enemy seen
Second round Necro under alacrity buffs (IH/pfme/pfe) all warriors and peels ghost
Then Cernd use creeping dooms to kill ghost while others reduce skeletons to shards
Play cards with Cambion
WK 4
Clear east part, Illithid. Usually stop here and resume in ToB.
This time, I might need a bit more experience for further fights in SoA, so I take golems ambush.
No farming with secondary summons of course, just one coin and one gem (focused firepower on elementals, did not mind if Necro was stunned by hideous laugh).
Leave WK with Supreme leader waiting...Not the most delightful prospect on insane.
Finish gong quest
Forge rimed club
Three things to do apart moving to chapter seven: Orcus, Twisted rune or first fight with pasha Mahmoud.
Chose Pasha, was not as hard as I thought it would be
Order was mariliths, then elemental then raks (after a disastrous attempt starting with raks)
Elemental summoned just one coin
Risk decrement and comet were put to good use to push raksasas away while dealing with other foes.
Cernd was ready with aura cleansed and natural restoral as soon as Pasha was seriously wounded (no risk here)
In the end, after killing two horrid raks, Noble summoned another bunch but was killed soon after (so horrible disappeared)
Rested a lot in sphere to let time flow.
Old one
Not very different from core, PWKilled all liches (looks like good odd is one disrupt undead from self and 2 improved disrupt undead from old one is a good bet for PWKILL to land true)
Ask morid to forge THE spell while resting in sphere.
Scribe spell and ask for potions. Leave for a place full of undeads.
Btw Necro is currently level 22, some 100.000 xp from level up.
Orcus
Thing is I don't want to use too many barbarian essences here, I will for sure need many before EDE (Supreme laeder, Sendaï, second travel to plane come to mind)
One reason why I recovered RVE before going there.
All have +4 or +5 blunt weapons equipped (Rynn, SoS, Oak, FoA+4, phosphorous, crom, rimed club)
Buffs, giant strength on Necro, Cernd and B->M.
Cernd and R->C shield of archons, RBs and B->M (no risk with end of rage 30 damage) use each one scroll of pfld
2 RVE (Mental agility and regen) cast before stepping in and 2 wishes (potion *sigh!* and 25 stats)
1 barb essence drunk by B->M and RBS (R->C with godlike AC gambles not drinking one), two oils of resurgence are drunk
B->M pfmw before stepping in (has contingency pfmw on 50% hp)
Both RB hardiness and CBS before fight (85% physical resist and regen should make it for a few rounds)
Key will be to get rid of grandlords fast (lords and vampire, I can cope with even short of huge physical resistance), party has serious firepower, so not a hopeless task to do.
RBs open with Risk decrement (means huge hp loss for grandlords)
Cernd rains mass heals under alacrity, Necro under alacrity summons and RVE (one grandlord, 2 regens, one mental agility, one rest)
All grandlords but one (critical) dead before vampires!
Necro under alacrity and cernd remove nearly all vampires
Necro uses RVE (got one more grandlord, 3 regen, 1 cure)
Lord waves dealt without any problem, just carefull with always having death ward on Necro (FoD hurts)
Orcus remove magic was bad (B->M bites the dust)
RBs activate smite and CS after last pfmw from Demon.
Black blood of Orcus is ours!
Forge cloak of arcane immortality and lord of the underworld
Twisted rune
Stellar gravestone on insane are bad!
Revanek went down, then Layenne (no chance against a Necro) then Shyressa.
Vaxall next
Riskbreakers put Risk decrement to good use propelling Shangalar away (in entry room) while party was dealing with others. This allowed to prevent nasty remove magic or stellar gravestone which are quite bad combined with Vaxall and Layenne (for the short time she lived here) tricks.
Party: (resist and AC without buffs)
Necro level 23, MPV: green wyrm
AC -4, 113 HP
resistance: magic 30%, slashing 10%, piercing 10%, blunt 10%, missile 35%, magic damage 55%
Cernd level 25, MPV: unseeing eye
AC 3, 102 HP
resistance: magic 25% magic damage 40%, cold 50%
Leia (RB) level 26, MPV: greater elemental golem
AC -12, 159 HP
resistance: electricity: 50%, magic 25%, poison 100%
profs: +++ 2weapon style, +++++ hammer, ++++ longsword
Wolf (RB) level 26, MPV: spider queen
AC -9, 174 HP
resistance: none
profs: +++ 2weapon style, +++++ flail, ++++ bastard sword
Lims kragma (R->C) level 7/27 MPV: limak the mastermind
AC -19 (-21 if replace holy symbol with ring +2), 145 HP
resistance: magic 5%, fire 35%, electricity 35%, cold 85%, acid 35%
Mona lisa (B->M) level 7/22, MPV: Elemental golem
AC 2, 126 HP
resistance: fire 25%, electricity 45%, cold 125%
Start chapter 7
clear city without problem until harpist house
Lot of RVE before entering (3 mental agility!)
On entering, R->C stoneskins (after purge) and goes for greater elemental, B->M trigger pfmw/pfme/IH goes for Noble
Necro and Cernd activate alacrity, Necro buffs RB (IH, pfe) then one RB on greater, one on Noble, Cernd fists on Noble
Necro RoF and HoU on minor golems, Cernd summons
Once all raks dead, all on Greater
One more purge, 2 coins, 2 gems and one amber
Back to sphere, start time machine, forge 2 keys, order a third one while travelling back to elven city
Collect wine, visit a black dragon.
Nizi is no threat by himself, hardwoods on the contrary... one chunk (2 blows, 124 +124 damage) because not careful enough when R->C out of stoneskins.
Took care to have only summons, RBS (with hardiness and CBS, 65% physical resist) or stoneskined/pfmw chars hitting them
open temple
Back to city, buy warblade, upgrade it and forge ring +2
Sphere for the last time
Second travel to plane
Main difficulty for me is Balors. Took them one after the other, with all warriors I have, could down four before trigger pfmw/shield, then waited or pfmw to expire.
Necro under alacrity and foreknowledge (casted it end of skeleton lords) at the beginning so that SI:Necro can be raised on the spot when millions of FoD fly after debuff...
Did not take risks with greater bones, both RB drank 2 barb essence, Necro was ready with potion of magic protection (as well as B->M and R->C). This fight is one where I miss Valygar.
Going to tree of life,
Necro shot many RVE (one magical rest) so 4-5 regen were on
B->M and R->C north tanking one hardwood
summons and RBs (hardiness and CBS on) south taking the bulk of enemy force (3 hardwoods) while cernd and Necro support (summons, interrupt Jon...)
R->C, even with huge AC (some -37 against blunt at that moment) was short of chunk when stoneskin off ...
hell trials easy after that
Finish SoA, Necro level 24 (6.4 Mxp)
july 17th update
Illasera, nothing very different from core
Saradush various quest
Gromnir, was a bit overconfident (that is thinking no big difference with core level) and paid it cash with ADHW and PWKILL from mages, some more attention and no big problem.
Sell a lot in saradush temple (did not sell anything since ToB)
forge DoTC, aslyferund (for B->M) and circlet of netheril (hesitated too much about further forging, so postponed it for later, much later since I have to "save" merchants in order to get better prices)
Marching mountains, expect horrible time with Elite fire giants.
Necro and cernd under alacrity (lightning spells, creeping doom and acid arrows) executed most of the 6 EFG outside
Tried to down one EFG with fighters only (to test a bit before yaga fight), was doable, took precaution to have Riskbreakers under hardiness and CBS, R->C stoneskined and B->M pfmwed or under AI, no chunk risk (though it was close for one RB, fortunately he was propelled away)
inside at entry one elite killed warriors only, other through magic
north east room is a good rehersal before berenn, giants did not see end of alacrity
Berenn fell fast (just beware free action to avoid implosion), milked a bit elemental (one gem and 2 coins, could get more but my summons destroyed it and I consider healing an enemy to milk it quite cheesy)
Recover 2 hearts
Meeting skeletons (this should be buffed up)
Forge ASoS, thought to forge golem slayer, since B->M cannot use it, sell components (apart rod of smiting I keep for Necro for the moment).
Forge enhanced oak of the high forest (Cernd will have to fight too)
both RB reach lvl 30 after giving hearts to Nyalee
Prepare for big fight
for both mages:
sequencer malison/slow/emotion (this is for Yaga's human helpers)
trigger 3*CL (this is a sure pick here)
High level Spell choice:
Necro
9th:3*RVE, 3*Alacrity, 2*Deva, energy blades
8th:foreknowledge, 8*elite trolls
7th:spell turning, mordy, salamander, 9*RRoR
6th:pfmw, 3*IH, 6*CL
B->M
9th:fallen deva, 3*Yuan-ti, AI
8th:3*ADHW, 2*pfe, improved mantle, foreknowledge
7th:Mass invisibility, 2*mordy, 2*salamander, spell turning
6th:2*IH, 4*pfmw
Cernd
7th:4*alacrity, 5*implosion, creeping doom
6th:heal, Unleash energy, death spell, 9*CL
R->C:
7th: foreknowledge, globe of blades, implosion, creeping doom, aura of flaming death, resurrection,MS IV, 3*GR
6th: fire elemental, 3*bears, aerial servant, 5*heal
Do something one must estimate cheesy, I got rid of initial summons before casting CCs (foreknowledge, spell turning, pfmw) on my mages and resting in pocket before yaga.
I do this because I just HATE killing enemies for no xp (apart 3*650 xp for first spawns). I understand why there are tweaks in IA to prevent xp exploit, as far as I am concerned, I just don't use xp exploit but still find completly out of place monsters without xp.
Buff, 2 RVE (heal party and mental agility)
RBs under hardiness and 2 oils of resurgence each
Punch yaga, RB activate CBS
First EFG, B->M pfmw, RBs activate CBS, Necro RVE (+10% physical resist, not very happy with having picked 3 RVE, maybe Wish would have been better), Cernd aura of invulnerability
Djinni activates pfmw (important, want it at full health to buff Yaga)
Rimed club, FoA and Crom do wonder against big red head, dead before first wave
Necro and Cernd activate alacrity, R->C globe of blades, B->M summons fallen deva
first wave
Cleric and elite bodyguard dead within a round
Shit happens, Yaga punched Cernd while druid was casting implosion (means an alacrity lost, cernd is propelled away)
summons (djin, skeleton lord, 2 yuan-tis and a troll at this time) tanking yaga
warrior finish elite assassin (want no unlucky backstab on insane) then take EFG
EFG dies milliseconds after second wave spawns (Necro and Cernd are casting alacrity)
One RB was downed during second wave (bad!), because Elite bodyguard triggered CC 3*ADHW under Necro's wrath
Necro unleashed spellbook and eliminated EFG, Elite bodyguard and seriously wounded others
Cernd punched again
Deva raised and healed RB
Third wave (have one assassin and one warrior from previous waves)
Necro has nearly no more spells
Difficult time trying to avoid chunk effect
Cleric has time to cast storm, he targets one RB, both good and bad, good because RB can move away to have storm land in an isolated part of battlefield, bad because RB is out of fight for some seconds, which counts a lot!
Raised RB recovered equipement and some buffs (hardiness, CBS)
R->C stops pounding to gamble an implosion on naked elite bodyguard, good gamble, he falls without CC
Than focus all firepower on EFG (while Yaga is using his hammer to play golf with cernd instead of a ball)
When EFG down, remains standing:
on the good side, party with a critical mordy
on the bad side, Yaga, wounded assassin and 2 warriors
Alone with big man, party drained of spells, very few summons left.
Anyway quite happy to have made it that far in this fight on insane, without any rest.
Yaga stopped plying golf and picks interest in summons
Long wait for his immunity to vanish
Big problem is that I have no more hardiness (only picked 3 for each RB, was a bit light there, should have taken one more at least)
Rest of fight was done cowardly, waiting for Yaga protection to stop, taking care to heal RB after 1 hit (think second means chunk), finally won thanks to DoTC and poseidon wielded by someone who could pfmw or AI all the time.
Cernd 2 remaining implosion were put to great use too.
Longest yaga fight RL ever for me!
Overall, honesty is to say that same fight replayed would be lost 9 times out of ten
With small changes like taking 6 implosions with cernd to save for yaga, Yuan-tis instead of RVE with Necro and saving one hardiness at least for the end (or drinking barb essence if no choice), things could work better.
Did a try (drank 2 barbs on each RB, meant peace of mind during all fight, one could be enough to safekeep both), confirmed my guess, in fact yaga was just a sitting duck, he did not land one blow during 5 implosions and died, as simple as that.
Anyway, back to adventure, R->C wears shurupak plate mail
Oasis, coming in like men (that is from yaga camp, no chicken rest in pocketplane)
First moves:
RBs hardiness
Necro alacrity
B->M summons djinni near Jamis Tombelthen, call him JT.
Cernd implosion on JT (no big effect as far as stun effect is concerned, hoped it would)
R->C implosion on JT
Alacrity on, Necro IH on every warrior apart B->M (has it in CC enemy seen) then rains RVE and wishes (most notable achievements, pfme on party, 2 regen and 50% hp, a very poor result for seven 9th level slots IMO)
JT dies under thetruth and DoTC (judging it aftermath, this has been the turning point in this battle), everybody switches to blunt and take golems
Dog fight in the oasis pit
Cernd precious with natural restoral and raining mass cure under alacrity
Necro, having no more 9th level spell after second round or so summons trolls, RRoR or breach from afar (just one captain sniffing around her, that's all)
One RB is down (very bad, will have to wait till situation clears a bit, if it clears, for cernd to read a scroll)
Cernd reads scroll when situation allows it, not that comfortable a situation nevertheless: 8 gems, 3 captains, one fully buffed battlepriest, two battlemages, one naked, other at full buff.
Smilodon and skeleton lord, heroic till now, die at that moment, bad news for me.
RB is raised, healed, buffed and sent against enemies.
R->C is quite heroic, his high AC is a real good asset!
Aftermath, I should have drunk barb essence (at least one per RB) here. Without hardiness and without CBS, Riskbreakers risk chunking every second (even with oils of resurgence on).
Later on, situation is:
One RB (same as before, poor guy!) and B->M have bitten the dust
2 captains, one battlepriest and two battlemages on the other side, poor thing is two pikemen have joined, cernd had to run and gave them matter to run to us ...
After some changing tides (most notable is R->C downed before casting her last GR because a skeleton warrior wounded a battlemage within ADHW reach of R->C)
Necro, Cernd and one RB finished fight against last battlemage (RB who missed most of the fight is now short of 90 000 xp from his fellow!)
Some more scrolls read by Cernd and party is 6 again. Cast my last healing spells. Party is drained, no offensive nor defensive spells, no more summons, no more HLAs.
Discover another 4 pikemen going east, nearly lost to them (RB was short of being chunked by a critical hit from one pikemen followed by a blow from a second who fumbled, RB had 5 hp left at the moment, no comment..), party has never been so worn out since beginning of this run.
Horrible and epic.
Definitly should have been there much later (after WK finished), but I fear "insane" Supreme leader so much....
Were I to redo it at same stage, would:
1-) load B->M and Necro with wishes and overwish for rest.
2-) drink one barb essence early on each RB
3-) use Risk decrement early to erode gem golems faster, typically one RB would start with hardiness, CBS second round (while IH from Necro), drink barb essence, then 3 RD in a row before renewing CBS.
Always fun to plan, reality has a tendancy (at least for me) to reduce plans to ashes faster than light ;-)
Exit Oasis
Amkethran quests (vongoethe, various mercenaries...)
Still afraid to face Supreme Leader
Sendaï enclave outdoor
Lovely fight with thelynss,
Clean slave tunnels (derro and spiders)
Inventory overflow, back to city
Sell in smuggler cave (have now WK, temple and tavern in amkethran as "best price" shops left)
forge 4 rings +2, 2 rings +3, one ring +4, runehammer and boots of the ranger lord
Party: (resist and AC without buffs), protag 7.75 Mxp
Necro level 27, MPV: Green wyrm
AC -6, 125 HP
resistance: fire 20%, cold 20%, electricity 20%, magic 40%, slashing 20%, piercing 20%, blunt 20%, missile 45%, magic damage 55%
Cernd level 31, MPV: Unseeing eye (!!!!)
AC 1, 119 HP
resistance: magic 25% magic damage 40%, cold 50%, slashing 20%, piercing 20%, blunt 20%, missile 20%
HLAs: elemental and Prince (those two were mistakes IMO), 3 Natural restoral, 7 fists of nature
Leia (RB) level 31, MPV: Orcus
AC -16, 174 HP
resistance: magic 25%, poison 100%
profs: +++ 2weapon style, +++++ hammer, +++++ longsword, + shortsword
HLAs: power attack, smite, 4*hardiness, 6*CS
Wolf (RB) level 31, MPV: Spider queen
AC -11, 191 HP
resistance: none
profs: +++ 2weapon style, +++++ flail, +++++ bastard sword, + shortsword
resistance: electricity 50%
HLAs: power attack, smite, 4*hardiness, 6*CS
Lims kragma (R->C) level 7/33 MPV: Limak the mastermind
AC -19 (-21 if replace holy symbol with ring +2), 157 HP
resistance: magic 5%, fire 55%, electricity 35%, cold 85%, acid 35%
Mona lisa (B->M) level 7/26, MPV: Elemental golem
AC -8, 140 HP
Supreme leader, Draconis or deeper in Sendaï's enclave?
july 23th update
Draconis easy is for me a matter of patience;
- patience to buff warriors properly during his human form without wasting alacrity (prot from fire, pfme or pfe, stoneskin or hardiness,....)
- patience to cast foreknowledge and try some RVE hoping for mental agility just on time to meet dragon form
After that (one mental agility out of 4 RVE), Cernd got his scalp (Necro deserved it for damage done, but timely implosion...)
Cernd kills second dragon (this one nearly alone) on the way to abazigail.
Abazigail was dead before party entered, no chance with Necro and cernd
Once again, patience rules! during human form, take time to buff party, summon, prepare Necro when human form ready to vanish (foreknowledge, some RVE hoping for mental agility, buffs,...)
When switching to dragon, Necro first action is pfmw (to have ice golem lose interest and punch/freeze someone else and ultra punching necro for nothing), then alacrity (cernd starts alacrity at this moment too)
Necro spellstrike, GM, breach, trigger 3*lower Resist, lower resist, DBs, FAs, AAs, while Cernd FAs, implosion, creeping doom
Blue dragon just explodes, cave is painted blue
Btw RBs did not hardiness during all fight (no risk of breach)
Think with this party my odds here are 99% (not 100%, always leave some place for hazard)
Forge FoA +5 and druidic ring for Cernd
Courage to face Supreme leader not found yet
Deeper in Sendaï enclave
Drow ambushes, had first to fight spiders + 2 drow patrols at entry, then "big drow patrol". Not a piece of cake on insane, still took them both without rest (btw good place to use invulnerability potions late game).
Odamaron
3 RVE from Necro and 2 wishes from B->M (1 regen and hardiness on party overall, not the best result ever) with usual buffs
Climb down
Finish my RVEs (had 4 more) without having rest nor regen (bad luck), Cernd with fists and implosion helps getting ring of grandlords first wave in no time
try remove magic (level 28 from Necro) and dispel magic (level 33 from Cernd) to no avail, so wait for Si:DIv to expire (unless dispel from level 34 R->C works when silenced more, it did not after all)
after 2 lord/grandlords waves, no more silence
10 more waves (4 skeletons and 6 golems) no more pfmw, lich dead
Necro had one freedom (put to good use on one RB), main danger, comets!
Soon way is open to Sendaï
Forge short sword of the mask +5
Time to face supreme leader?
pros:
- Sendaï should be left as teaser for EDE,
- Party should be more than able to tackle Supreme Leader now (or so I try to convince myself).
cons:
- Long way out of Sendaï lair and long way back there,
- Just ++ in shortsword for RBs and + in 2Hsword for B->M is a bit light for pet and web golems
- I am still afraid to enter Supreme lair
I am still afraid
Buff and one Barb for each RB
Pet under mask/cutthroat/poseidon pounding dies fast
R->C meanwhile kills spiders with runehammer (too much chunk recently with rimed club)
Necro rains RVE (no rest, 3 regen on)
then one web after the other
Only dangerous moment was a comet barely landing on Necro after prot from fire on
Firepower rules here, period.
Sendaï is dead
This time, I don't tell myself I can deal with mercenaries, then Balzy, then Prince and come back for Supreme before Melissane.
Back to WK
Do some trade with helmites
Re-enter 4th level and stop before dreaded stair.
Pocketplane to prepare buff
Forge spectral brand +5. (do not forge IA items because not sure of money left to collect in game)
Do 4th challenge (Cyric)
Buff, cast 6 RVE, no rest, climb down
Summons first round (and CC mordy/mordy/salamander for B->M)
Second round comet to clear door when Supreme makes speech
All party enters golem spammer rooms with fallen deva, smilodon, greater djinni, anaconda
Guess what?...Poseidon and cutthroat against Mlar, Rune hammer and Crom against Hracknir
General melee near dragon's head, Supreme and party around spammers and golems
Both spammer die fast (just one gem/coin spam)
3 anti inquisitors don't live long into Necro alacrity
Supreme did a good job interrupting Cernd
4th inquisitor (who spammed far away initially) comes around, is dealt by sword
RBs, Cernd and Necro stay with Supreme while B->M and R->C goes finishing giths and golems in second room (where they are attending a party with our dwindling summons)
Supreme alone
Here I took full benefit of "insane experience". Breach is a matter of life and death, death mainly.
I Punched Supreme leader with both RBs under no hardiness (to avoid breach) to be ready to quaff potions (fire or magic resist) if needed (comet...)
Waited patiently (patience is important on insane!) for Supreme to use body equilibrium and its effect to vanish before activating CS and Smite.
Then he was dead.
Still, I judge this fight as one of the hardest so far on insane along with oasis and Yaga
B->M has trolls to summon at last!
Demilich dead before party stepped down (cleric level 36, end of story)
Forge one ring to bind them all and girdle of cloud giant strength
Saladrex
No risk, no difficulty, just patience and care
protection from fire could not be dispelled by Sal
RBs pound with normal weapons, Cernd backup
Just wait with a magic protection potion in inventory for CC ADHW
Forge girdle of lordly might, staff of the ram +6 and cloak +2 (24 gp left!)
Party before WK5:
Necro level 29, MPV: Green 8.64 Mxp
AC -4, 127 HP
resistance: fire 20%, cold 20%, electricity 20%, magic 40%, slashing 20%, piercing 20%, blunt 20%, missile 45%, magic damage 55%
Cernd level 34, MPV: Draconis 8.81 Mxp
AC 1, 125 HP
resistance: magic 35% magic damage 40%, cold 50%, slashing 20%, piercing 20%, blunt 20%, missile 20%
HLAs: 3 Natural restoral, 10 fists of nature
Leia (RB) level 34, MPV: Orcus 8.45 Mxp
AC -16, 198 HP
resistance: magic 40%, poison 100%
profs: +++ 2weapon style, +++++ hammer, +++++ longsword, ++ shortsword
HLAs: power attack, smite, 5*hardiness, 8*CS
Wolf (RB) level 34, MPV: Spider queen 8.40 Mxp
AC -15, 231 HP
profs: +++ 2weapon style, +++++ flail, +++++ bastard sword, ++ shortsword
resistance: electricity 50%
HLAs: power attack, smite, 5*hardiness, 8*CS
Lims kragma (R->C) level 7/36 MPV: Limak the mastermind 8.44 Mxp
AC -19 (-21 if replace holy symbol with ring +2), 163 HP
resistance: magic 5%, fire 55%, electricity 35%, cold 85%, acid 35%
Mona lisa (B->M) level 7/28, MPV: Elemental golem 8.34 Mxp
AC -9, 142 HP
aug 3rd update
WK5, my favourite place during ToB in an IA run
Enigmas, horde with peace (emotions and greater malison)
Ancient dragon, easy because high level;
Necro under alacrity (and Absolute immunity) debuffed wyrm, killed djinni and maimed salamander (finished by RB)
Both RBS attacked wyrm
Cernd lured elite nishruu to R->C and B->M who stayed at entry and finished it with runehammer and ASoS
Did 2 big mistakes that could have been costly if party some levels less:
- Stupidly used icedust on wrong char (not the fireball target that is), target was Cernd, close call
- Forgot to pfme or pfe warriors so when CC 3*ADHW triggered, both RB and R->C down (dragon was critical, under many creeping dooms and cuts from DoTC), Just B->M fighting (Poseidon). Cernd raised one RB and wyrm was killed though regen was on.
Ytossi and co wiped
Liches and grandlords executed (Necro Cernd and RBs, did not risk other 2)
Etheral journey
Azamantes
No grandlord milking, lich was killed fast after debuff (though Necro under fear for some rounds), just 2 grandlords spawned and some greater bone golems
Some selling (and travel to visit appropriate vendors)
Forge great wyrm plate for R->C and Hindo Doom +4
Have 73+ Kgp left, would like to forge hammer of Thor, dragon lord halberd, ideally some boots of haste, rings +3 or +4... will have to make choices. First one (though I hate that) will be to milk golems in fights to come.
Speaking of which I just realize that only 4 chunks of ambers are left in my inventory (IIRC at this point I usually have more than that) so if Thor is to be forged, and it has too, then I need to let at least 4 ambers out during appropriate globe.
Also realize foebane has not been collected yet (will find it on golems in globe machine), this weapon was one of the reasons to max bastard sword on one RB.
Not good at milking, cannot stand an elemental around and doing nothing, so game was scarce compared to what it could be, still 4 coins and 11 gems worth 36,000 + gp (not a lot for a behaviour far from what I have respect for...)
Red, green, and 3 purple collected
last purple, I want scrolls!
RB under IH, prot fire and pfe, B->M with poseidon and SI:Abj, R->C back
Necro 2 mental agilities and foreknowledge
B->M alone where lich spawn
Necro under alacrity RRoR*2 each grave, then cleric dispels magic (Necro and B->M under Si:abj)
Necro then DU and PWKILL one grave
when dispel lands, RBS punch liches, with implosion and PWKILL from Necro 2 more dead (alacrity not finished on Necro)
last Lich pfmw again (sigh!)
R->C dispels, lich dead, less than 2 rounds.
Just one RRoR scroll missed (have 19 RROR scrolls overall)
Red globes
Milk a bit on third one (shame)
Milk 4 ambers at 4th (greater fell after 1 coin)
Forge THOR and upgrade foebane
Kill demogorgon
Mercenaries and monks
Balthazar
Empty pockets in temple (last merchant to pay full price)
Forge dragon lord, 2 boots of haste, ring +3 , scarlet ioun stone and angurdaval
Party as it will challenge Prince: (all else has been sold or, for what is not bought by any merchant, has been stored in pocketplane)
Necro level 31, MPV: Green wyrm, 9.83 Mxp
AC -9, 134 HP
Gear:ring +2, ring of acuity, belt of inertial barrier, LoU, MotA, scarlet ioun stone, cloak of arcane Immortality
Weapon: staff of the ram +6
quickslots; Cat figurine, 3 scolls of Wish, 5 scrolls of AI
resistances: fire 20%, cold 20%, electricity 20%, magic 40%, slashing 25%, piercing 25%, blunt 25%, missile 50%, magic damage 55%
Cernd level 38, MPV: Draconis 10.00 Mxp
AC 4, 133 HP
Gear:ring +2, harwood ring, Master of the high forest, belt of fire giant strength, amulet of the seldarin, circlet of golden flower, bracers of proficiency
Weapon: Enhanced oak of the high forest
quickslots; 4 raise dead scrolls, 14 greater healing and 5 oils of resurgence
resistances: magic 35% magic damage 40%, slashing 20%, piercing 20%, blunt 20%, missile 20%
HLAs: 14 fists, (and all apart SoV, GoB, both polymorph and Aura of flaming)
Leia (RB) level 37, MPV: Ancient dragon, 9.60 Mxp
AC -18, 207 HP
Gear:ring +2, improved gaxx, belt of bluntness, boots of haste, cloak +2, talisman of greater protection, wong fei ioun stone
Weapons: Thor, rimed club, thetruth, short sword of the mask +5
quickslots; 20 greater healing and 10 oils of resurgence
resistances: magic 40%, poison 100%, electricity 100%
profs: +++ 2weapon style, +++++ hammer, +++++ longsword, +++ shortsword
HLAs: power attack, smite, 5*hardiness, 11*CS
Wolf (RB) level 37, MPV: Spider queen, 9.56 Mxp
AC -18, 241 HP
Gear:ring +2, ring +3, girdle of lordly might, boots of haste, cloak +2, amulet +1, indigo ioun stone
Weapons: angurdaval (off hand) DoTC, Foebane +5, FoA, cutthroat
quickslots; 20 greater healing and 10 oils of resurgence
resistance: none
profs: +++ 2weapon style, +++++ hammer, +++++ bastard sword, +++ shortsword
HLAs: power attack, smite, 5*hardiness, 11*CS
Lims kragma (R->C) level 7/39 MPV: Limak the mastermind, 9.60 Mxp
AC -21 , 169 HP
Gear:ring +2, holy symbol or ring of free action, belt of bluntness, boots of the ranger lord, cloak +2, amulet +1, supreme shelter, gauntless of specialization, helm of balduran, great wyrm armor +5
Weapons: phosphorous and runehammer
quickslots; 10 greater healing and 10 oils of resurgence
resistances: magic 5%, magic damage 25%, magic fire 75%, fire 110%, electricity 35%, cold 35%, acid 35%
Mona lisa (B->M) level 7/30, MPV: Elemental golem, 9.53 Mxp
AC -9, 144 HP
Gear:ring +2, ring +2, belt cloud giant strength, boots of grounding, cloak +2, amulet +1, circlet of netheril, gauntless of specialization, aslyferund chain mail
Weapons: dragon lord, poseidon, ASoS and Warlord blade
quickslots; 15 AI scrolls, 20 greater healing and 5 oils of resurgence
resistances: electricity 50% (others depend on hallberd worn....)
Additional shared stuff:
Rings: fire resist, fire control, greater djinni
Amulet of the cheetah
Potions: 25 barb, 25 magic protection, 2 magic resist, 2 absorption, 6 resist fire, 2 freedom, 10 oils of resurgence, 14 speed
Indo doom +4 (GR!)
