The Candlekeep Annex: RPed Baldur’s Gate No and Low Reload Adventures

[WiseGrimwald]

Journal of Livara

Reunited Albert and Rufie before killing Vax and Zal.

A polar bear attacked me whilst in transit!

I then helped a dryad, helped Drienne's cat, and killed Ingot.

I then went to deal with Bassilus and afterwards returned Perdue's sword.

I killed some powerful wolves and afterwards went to the Basilisk area where I was attacked.

 

[WiseGrimwald]

Journal of Livara

I killed basilisks, Medusae, and Mutamin after which I hunted a few ankheg..

The ones outside seemed to be the most dangerous.

 

[WiseGrimwald]

Journal of Livara

I hunted sirines next.

Followed by golems.

Afterwards I helped Charlestonian and Brage before killing Zordral.

.

 

[WiseGrimwald]

Journal of Livara

At the gnoll stronghold the shaman proved to be dangerous, but I prevailed..

Droth proved to be even more dangerous. I was forced to flee and use healing potions.

Shoal was easier as were the sirine.

Killing a few ankheg boosted my level and gold supply.

 

[WiseGrimwald]

Journal of Livara

Time for the mines.

Lamalha and cronies next followed by revenant.

Morvin et al fell next followed by wyvern in transit. I wasn't expecting those!

I finished the bandit camp by being sneaky. No deaths!

 

[WiseGrimwald]

@Alesia_BH You probably already know this, but a trip to Durlag's upper levels as far as the wardens is great for boosting a solo thief. Use oil of speed to avoid conflict!

 

[Finarfin]

Interesting. I haven't checked the files, however my in-game description with SCS 35 is consistent with the original. Maybe it falls under this sub-component from the readme and it's just that the description hasn't been properly documented.

"Lots of small changes to BG spells to match more closely how they work in IWD, and vice versa (I didn't do this systematically, only when I significantly preferred one implementation to another)"

I have checked now and I second this. In my install I also have the spell written originally, with +6 to saving throw. I actually tested it now and in logs it said save vs spell up to 26 which would explain that +6

It would also explain why Luke had save vs spell 24 there (if he rolled 18 I guess?). It doesn't explain why it was written 3x times in the logs, any idea? The orb was cast only once.

 

[Alesia_BH]

Interesting. I haven't checked the files, however my in-game description with SCS 35 is consistent with the original. Maybe it falls under this sub-component from the readme and it's just that the description hasn't been properly documented.

Odd. In my v35 BG install the change has been implemented, both in game and at the file level.

 

[Alesia_BH]

@Alesia_BH You probably already know this, but a trip to Durlag's upper levels as far as the wardens is great for boosting a solo thief. Use oil of speed to avoid conflict!

Yes. I do the upper levels. I just haven't done the lower ones.

Long, long ago, before I knew how to play, I tried the four warders. I got my butt kicked and never went back.

 

[WiseGrimwald]

Yes. I do the upper levels. I just haven't done the lower ones.

Long, long ago, before I knew how to play, I tried the four warders. I got my butt kicked and never went back.

They aren't actually too hard. There are a few different ways of tackling them. One is to leave traps where they materialise.
Another is to run to where one of them casts cloudkill and when you get there use a potion of invisibility and run to a place of safety. The cloudkilll will then kill some of them as they run into the cloudkill. Use an AoE spell or the necklace of missiles to finish off the others.You just have to be innovative in your thinking and be prepared to rethink the solutions when the game changes.
You can cast skull traps, go to a place of safety to sleep, and cast some more until you are almost certain to kill most of them.
Similarly with glyphs of warding if you're a cleric.
I'm not too familiar with thief traps, but I assume that they would also work. I was surprised that traps last for days. I really must learn about thief traps. My current thief is quite skillful in that respect so it's the right time to learn.
I really enjoy Durlag's.

 

[Alesia_BH]

Ava, Halfling Swashbuckler: The De'Arnise Keep

Reviewing Ava's screenshots, I arrived at an inescapable conclusion: I may be posting, but I am not catching up.
Here posts have her in the De'Arnise Keep, wherein reality she is here:

Spoiler

The thing to do, I think, is to properly put Ava's game progress on hold until her posts are inline with her current position. This may take hours. It may take days. I'm not sure. We'll just see how motivated I'm feeling. For now, I have one simple thing to say.

Bam!

Spoiler

These days we're rocking Boomerang in the main hand and Belm in the off. Blackblood is our troll finisher. We don't have a pip in clubs, but that's ok, because we usually only swing it at unconscious trolls, unless I'm feeling lazy.

At current levels, the tyranny of the otyugh has reached an end. Still, immunity to missile damage combined with a slow on hit, speed 1, range 2 melee weapon is pretty filthy.

Spoiler

I expected little resistance from the blokes in the Keep and I was met with little. The spirit trolls were the only possible concern, but they were easy enough for Ava to manage. Neutral, she is immune to Unholy Blight. Halfling, she can save against Greater Command. Rocking RoAC II, she can foil targeting of Flame Strike. This was smooth sailing for our inveterate swashbuckler.

As much as I like to knit-pick injudicious changes to the game world, some changes are for the better. My current install addresses some of my long standing pet peeves with the behavior of blue circled allied NPCs. Notably, the De'Arnise Keep guard is by now effective, which is nice.

Spoiler

Here we see Ava on the second floor, nixing generic trolls and foiling spirit troll shenanigans.

Spoiler

This run feels less like an independent run and more like a completion of Amara's adventure, which had been lost due to a Maze in Suldanesselar. In particular, she had been lost because the new Maze animation had thrown off my counter measure timing, causing my to unequip Carsomyr at the wrong time. It felt like the cheapest of cheap deaths, so I'm granting Ava SoA liberties that I wouldn't normally allow my character, in the interest of racing her back to Suldanessellar.

Case in point, the library yuan-ti mage. I cleared out the fodder and then simply set traps within range of the mage. Easy, peezy, whole-lotta cheesy.

Spoiler

Glaicus was trapped too.

Spoiler

After making our way to Torgal's hidey-hole, we decided to call it a day. Trolls don't scare me, not even big ones. Yuan-ti mages kind of do.

Spoiler

Best,

A.

 

[Alesia_BH]

Ava, Halfling Swashbuckler: Fallen Paladins

After leaving the Keep, I found myself eager for some easy XP. Enter the fallen paladins.

Since I wasn't sure what would happen if I sauntered into the Order's headquarters without clearing up the Windspear Hills mess first, we swung over to Garren's pad before returning to Athkatla.

Spoiler

In recent runs Plath has been a hurdle of sorts, sneaking in potentially problematic save or else stuff. This time, not so much. Rolling halfling, you just need RoAC II.

Spoiler

The rest was cleanup.

Spoiler

With that out of the way, we went straight to Radiant Heart HQ. Is it just me, or do the paintings up in here look like Kraftwerk album art?

Spoiler

Onto the paladins. The plan here was simple. Kick their butts.

Spoiler

4 APR, 25 strength, -1/3 THACO, -10 AC, -4 AC from RoAC II and Ilbratha MIs.

Spoiler

It was bound to be a rough day for the paladins.

Spoiler

And so it was.

Spoiler

A straight up, no injuries butt kicking.

Spoiler

Best,

A.

 

[Finarfin]

The thing to do, I think, is to properly put Ava's game progress on hold until her posts are inline with her current position

I think that's smart, I've done similar thing with Luke, though occasionally I play a bit, but most of the time I try to catch up

which had been lost due to a Maze in Suldanesselar

What's the best protection for Maze? With my cavalier I managed to counter it when Abazigal cast it by using scroll of protection from magic from Ribald, but there's only 2 of them and it's quite limited. I don't think I know the spells by sounds well enough to know what their casting, and enemies like Abazigal are even harder to detect while casting imho.

My barbarian ended his run from a maze in Planar Sphere as well - that was before I knew the scroll dispels already once the animation hits. I tried to turn him into mustard jelly, but that didn't help (would have helped if I did it before it landed and before the animation of maze starts)

 

[Borco]

I have checked now and I second this. In my install I also have the spell written originally, with +6 to saving throw. I actually tested it now and in logs it said save vs spell up to 26 which would explain that +6

It would also explain why Luke had save vs spell 24 there (if he rolled 18 I guess?). It doesn't explain why it was written 3x times in the logs, any idea? The orb was cast only once.

Re multiple saving throw rolls in the log - I have always assumed that it has something to do with the corresponding animations (e.g. slay animation) and/or portrait icons (e.g. stun), whereby some of these are implemented in a way that they actually roll a save as well in parallel with the actual effect. Not sure though.

 

[Borco]

Odd. In my v35 BG install the change has been implemented, both in game and at the file level.
View attachment 18288
View attachment 18286

Is it flagged as unusable by conjurers? That's weird, though it would be the case with classic BG1.

Anyway, it's strange indeed, because the only major difference between our spell system setup of which I'm aware is that I'm not using the SCS 35 component that moves the Symbols into the Enchantment school.

 

[Alesia_BH]

What's the best protection for Maze? With my cavalier I managed to counter it when Abazigal cast it by using scroll of protection from magic

Maze has always been tough. It's a little tougher now with the new animation.

The best defense is to foil it in advance. Stay out of touch range, in the case of the mage spell. If you absolutely must enter touch range, then be sure to have an item based spell protection in place, like BoIS Spell Turning or, in the alternative, RoAC II untargettability. As a barbarian you had Rage available to you.

In the case of psionic maze the Greenstone Amulet is an option.

Another possibility is 100% magic resistance. That approach could historically be deployed after the spell had been cast, but it's harder to execute now that the animation has changed. The old animation would make a distinctive sound. It would then travel, slowly, to your character, with a cage converging around you. The point of no return was when the cage actually compressed. As a UAI rogue, like Amara, it gave you plenty of time to, for example, quaff a Potion of Magic Protection and equip Carsomyr. You can still do that, but you need to be much quicker. In Amara's case I'm not sure if I was too late or if I unequipped Carsomyr too soon. I definitely would have been in time with the old animation.

These days, if you want to foil it after casting has been initiated, but before it takes effect you need to pick it up early on in the casting animation stage. The problem is that the casting time is 3, so you can't count on the incantation. You might hear a "moche" but that's it. Your best chance to pick it up is by noticing the spell school animation, purple rotating ball, demonstrated here by Ava. If you're in touch range and you see the purple ball, facing a high level mage, act ASAP.

Pro Magic scrolls are great, ofc, because they'll foil it if in place before the effect lands, or dispel it after. There are very few of them though, as you've noted. Ava lost her first one to Kangaxx and is now down to one, a concern, for sure. As regards dispelling the effect after it lands and before it takes effect, I'm curious about Freedom scrolls, at least in the case of UAI rogues. I haven't tried that yet, but it seems like a possibility. The casting time is probably too long though. If you have a Simmy on the field with a dispelling weapon that can work. I just tested. Simmy Ava successfully dispelled Ava's Maze with Carsomyr.

 

[Finarfin]

thanks for your reply! Purple ball and 'moche', got it! Problem with my barbarian was that I was out of Rages (typical) - and those damn halflings used that opening to cast a Maze. Was a huge mistake from my side, but I learned from it

Stay out of touch range, in the case of the mage spell.

This has been my motto and it worked well after my barb ended his run. Problem are some other enemies like Abazigal (and I think final ToB fight Amelyssan, as well as Irenicus in hell) who are basically hard hitters who also cast spells, maze among them. So i was always careful when fighting them and always used ability only after I saw they used something else. But what to do with Luke here? If I hear 'moche' and I see a purple ball, should I back away and see what it is? In case it's a maze - drink potion of magic resist and equip magic resist equip? (I think with ring of gaxx, amulet of seldarine, hell trials and hindo's doom/sword of balduran I could get to 100%)

In the case of psionic maze the Greenstone Amulet is an option.

save vs spell works here I think, so that should be fine for a halfling

Another possibility is 100% magic resistance.

I did this with my Cavalier and Carsomyr, and it worked pretty well - but I only used it as a prevention, never as a counter as the timing is hard as you say and I did not trust myself enough.

quaff a Potion of Magic Protection and equip Carsomyr

Shouldn't this be other way around? or does it work with potion? because I think what Carsomyr does (in my install) is that it sets MR to 50%, so anything above you have to equip/use afterwards

If you have a Simmy on the field with a dispelling weapon that can work. I just tested. Simmy Ava successfully dispelled Ava's Maze with Carsomyr.

That is actually pretty awesome. I will keep arrows of dispelling and a bow ready in case I will run out of protection from magic scrolls

 

[Alesia_BH]

Shouldn't this be other way around? or does it work with potion? because I think what Carsomyr does (in my install) is that it sets MR to 50%, so anything above you have to equip/use afterwards

The behavior of the set value mechanic is a little confusing. There are exceptions.

Carsomyr + Potion of Magic Protection will get you to 100%. Order doesn't matter.

Order does matter with items, like the Ring of Gaxx.

 

[Alesia_BH]

That is actually pretty awesome. I will keep arrows of dispelling and a bow ready in case I will run out of protection from magic scrolls

Just bear in mind that good path immunity to +1 weapons will foil arrows of dispelling, so this could stop being an option in ToB, depending on your hell path choices.

 

[Alesia_BH]

save vs spell works here I think, so that should be fine for a halfling

Yes. Standard psionic maze offers a save at -4. At one point Tamah, from Ascension, had a version of psionic maze. I was never sure whether that, too, offered a save, so that's the version that always scared me. I haven't seen that in years though, and you should be running Greenstone around Tamah anyways because of her sleep effects.