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[Golden28]

So... much... awesome content... can't possibly... read all...       

 

Cheers!

[Aasim]

Phoe Gyi, 15th BG2 update

 

Rather short (actully, regardless of the size of the post before this the battle only took several minutes!) - Balor in the village.

Gated in Glabrezu (fwiw, this is how it should be. Why should a Balor, ruler of Abyss, come to aid a Glabrezu? It's per PnP, but it's nonsensical.)

Anyhow, we kill Glabrezu

 

Edwin drops Balor's MR with Pierce magic (drops MR to 0 for 12 seconds), and both him and Jan strike him with sequncered Acid arrows.

 

Bastard still managed to kill Jan.

 

Then dies to Acid arrows.

 

Now, Drow city. For some reason, some mages simply start the battle invisible. Nashtar is one of them

 

Well, Phoe Gyi opens up with Quivering Palm on cleric (saves), then Nashtar shows up and Edwin throws in Remove magic. Here he is.

 

What the hell is a Nabassu doing here I don't really know.  

 

Meh. It was dangerous 5 levels ago.

 

We clean the rest easilly. Now, it's payback time. Qilue is marked for a bloody death. Yes, I'm sentimental.

 

 

Great fight, Aasim.

 

How was Phoe Gyi mitigating vorpal risk from the balors?

Same as level drain. He wears Amulet of Life protection. (that's why you never see Death Ward or NPP on him).

Spoiler

Periapt of Life Protection
Equipped Abilities:
Immunity to death & level drain effects

[Golden28]

 

Aasim:

Gated in Glabrezu (fwiw, this is how it should be. Why should a Balor, ruler of Abyss, come to aid a Glabrezu? It's per PnP, but it's nonsensical.) 

---------------------

 

 

Maybe the Glabrezu simply called one of his masters for an opportunity..?

 

 

We clean the rest easilly. Now, it's payback time. Qilue is marked for a bloody death. Yes, I'm sentimental.

 

 

 

I would be!, she ended a huge run!

 

So much content bro.

 

Cheers!

[Alesia_BH]

Same as level drain. He wears Amulet of Life protection. (that's why you never see Death Ward or NPP on him).

Periapt of Life Protection
Equipped Abilities:
Immunity to death & level drain effects

 

Noted. Which mod changes the amulet?

 

Best,

 

A.

[Aasim]

I play a "Revisions game", with Kit/Spell/Item Revisions mods.

Item Revisions changes the amulet, as well as it's availability (it's bought from Lathander temple).

[Alesia_BH]

I play a "Revisions game", with Kit/Spell/Item Revisions mods.

Item Revisions changes the amulet, as well as it's availability (it's bought from Lathander temple).

 

Thanks for the link!

 

I had figured it was IR, but the IR read me focused on general changes. I couldn't find information on unique items.

 

The link will help me follow the action in your game.

 

Best,

 

A.

[Demivrgvs]

Nice job Alesia and Kreso, it was fun and informative to read your runs. And thanks for trying out a druid Kreso.
 

Noted. Which mod changes the amulet?

It's IR, what else? Jokes aside, IR refines every single vanilla item (500+ items afair) and while the link Kreso gave you is not fully up-to-date, it's still accurate for 90% of those items.
 
Anyway, I didn't jumped here to praise my own mod but to ask why you don't like SCS Spell Shield fix (which was actually created for Spell Revisions). Can you elaborate your position? Is it just because you need something to counter that cheese beholder's anti-magic ray or is there more?

[Alesia_BH]

;)Nice job Alesia and Kreso, it was fun and informative to read your runs.
 

 

That's kind of you to say.

 

 

Anyway, I didn't jumped here to praise my own mod but to ask why you don't like SCS Spell Shield fix (which was actually created for Spell Revisions). Can you elaborate your position? Is it just because you need something to counter that cheese beholder's anti-magic ray or is there more?

 

I'm not opposed to the revised version of Spell Shield. I'm glad it exists. And I'm glad it's available to players.

 

That doesn't necessarily mean that I, personally, would want to use it, however.

 

As mentioned earlier, I'm all for cleaning up Spell Shield's behavior in response to arcane spell protection removers and working Spell Shield into enemy scripts. That's a change that I would love to see in my game world.

 

I do, however, feel that players should have the option of installing a version of Spell Shield which preserves its original behavior in response to anti-magic ray, but behaves cleanly against arcane spells.

 

As you are likely aware, there has been debate for years over whether Spell Shield's behavior in response to anti-magic ray should be regarded as a bug or regarded as intentional. The fact that Spell Shield doesn't always behave as it should in other contexts raises suspicion. I can't say I've found this discussion compelling, however, since, to my mind, developer intent needn't be the ultimate arbiter of what should or should not occur within the game worlds we choose to play in. Given your body of work, I suspect we concur on that point.

 

I don't necessarily see PnP behavior as an ultimate arbiter either. BG is based on PnP, inspired by PnP, and informed by PnP, but it differs: things that work splendily in PnP don't work in BG, and vice versa. My inclination is to view PnP as a source of hypotheses regarding what may or may not enchance the BG game world, not an ultimate decision criteria.

 

In my view, the ultimate decision criteria is whether or to what extent a change to the game world enhances the playing experience, taking into consideration both the desire for challenge and the need for bliss. If the question is close, my tendency would be to take a conservative approach, in the interest of maximizing relatability and facilitating communication within the community, simply because it's fun to share.

 

As for Spell Shield's anti-magic ray behavior in particular, the fundamental problem is really with beholder rays. Given their nature, they necessitate use of items, tactics, and strategies that are in one way or another unsatisying or over the top. This is particularly true in the no reload context, where one can't take risks. Of the strategies that are available within the vanilla mechanic, a Spell Shield based arcane buff strategy is among the most satisyfing. And for solo single class arcane characters in particular, the alternatives are far less pleasing. Under the assumption that the beholder rays are to be left as they are, I'd prefer to play in a game world where Spell Shield's anti-magic ray behavior is preserved.

 

Now, in the context of SR, I suppose you could use the version of Spell Shield you have now, and introduce another spell, perhaps with a shorter duration, for defense against anti-magic ray. Or you could do a number of other things. Or you could leave everything as it is. I can't say I have an opinion on that, since I'm not sufficiently familiar with the Revisions game world to make an informed judgement.  

 

As for David and SCS, I think he should have two options at install (assuming it is technically feasible):

 

1) Spell Shield stops beholder anti-magic ray without being consummed (original game behavior)

2) Spell Shield will stop one beholder anti-magic ray, but will be consummed in the process

 

(I think that's enough off topic for today. We can move this to another thread if you like.)

 

Best,

 

A.

[Grimwald the Wise]

Diary of the Gnasty Gnomes

 

We trounced the druids and then proceeded to Trollford where we started of killing Cyclops, giants and ettin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We killed Marileth easily. [Too easy for a big boss]

 

 

And then returned to the Umar Hills after rescuing an adventurer. However his girlfriend is still missing, though she should have been able to escape safely since we had cleared the way.

[Alesia_BH]

Those frost giants look cool!

[Alesia_BH]

@Blackraven

 

Alesia just ran a test for Glorydd in her Pocket Plane: Avoid Death (which protects against Imprisonment) is not dispelled by Anti-Magic Ray.

 

Best,

 

A.

[Alesia_BH]

Yuppers! Good times!

 

Give yourself some credit: it's in part because of your runs. I probably wouldn't have come back were it not for Norgath.

 

But of course, if there is activity here -if it's a fun place to be- that's a credit to each and every member of the community.

 

Cheers to everyone!

 

Btw. Awhile ago, we shared a few posts celebrating the current activity in the NR Challenge threads, and noting that it is a credit to the community as a whole. I feel we shouldn't leave this topic behind, however, without a special shout out to three players: Grond0, Gate70, and Corey Russell.

 

I come and go -and a lot of other people come and go- but it is the commitment of these three that has kept the challenge alive and vibrant. Thanks guys! We all owe you our gratitude. Keep up the great work!

 

Cheers,

 

A.

[Aasim]

@ Grimwald

Thank you so much for posting this screens. It's been so long since I last played TDD...

[corey_russell]

Btw. Awhile ago, we shared a few posts celebrating the current activity in the NR Challenge threads, and noting that it is a credit to the community as a whole. I feel we shouldn't leave this topic behind, however, without a special shout out to three players: Grond0, Gate70, and Corey Russell.

 

I come and go -and a lot of other people come and go- but it is the commitment of these three that has kept the challenge alive and vibrant. Thanks guys! We all owe you our gratitude. Keep up the great work!

 

Cheers,

 

A.

 

Thank you Alesia for that recognition. I've always believed that if something is worth doing, whether it be work, play, love or anything else, I should do it with all my heart - otherwise why am I doing it? My efforts in my BG runs and posts are no different.

[Aasim]

Phoe Gyi, 16th BG2 update

 

Rather short - Quile is dead. I was much more careful this time around. We entered the house invisible and under heavy buffs. First things first, we take a defensive position in the north room.

 

These guys coming in from the right side were the ones who did Darthus. I actually made the same mistake again; not waiting for them to come close so they'd also be hit by Remove magic. This time however, I have Edwin and his 3rd level slots are very devoted to that spell.

 

After Edwin's 2nd Remove magic hit them and Viconia's DK entered the fray, all hell broke loose in a matter of seconds. Creeping doom shut most of casters down. Quile is still nowhere to be seen.

 

And then she Dimension-doored near us. She's annoyingly hard to hit for anyone apart Phoe Gyi and DK, who kills her. Unfortunately, she wasn't chunked. If I had managed to kill the wizards sooner, I would have excersised some more painful methods on her, but there it is.

 

We kill the remaining mages with ranged weapons to avoid backlash damage, and finish the rest of Ust Natha w/o trouble. Phaere was tricked, the demon sent back to his Plane and eggs are safely with Adalon.

 

Now, beholders. There's very little point in buffing here. We enter invisible, and unleash what we got.  If someone dies, raise him. At least they prefer to target mages....

 

 

The rest of the area was done under invisibility - I picked up that gold pieces and gems up in the northern part, turned invisible via potion and we're out of there, to the Mind Flayer lair.

[Alesia_BH]

Congrats on defeating Qilue, Aasim.

 

I'm glad you decided to avenge Darthus, rather than opt out of the encounter.

 

Best,

 

A.

[Blackraven]

Whoppaa, another page or two to catch up with. (I steal the occasional glance at new posts while I'm at work, but have been too busy to read them properly.)
 

Nice of you to say that. I don't really share your optimism, I'm afraid. I haven't fought Ascension in more than 4 years, and even then it was a different (easier, megamod with a real lot of mods + Big Picture) install. Before that, somewhere in 2007, and failed to finish it with SCS. The only info I have is my vague memories, few Youtube videos and Alesia's runs which are very detalied - but I can't rely on arcane protections or shields to keep Phoe Gyi safe.

 

P.S.

I don't even know how Ascension + Fiendish Gating plays out. I imagine great pain for my characters. 

I'm not saying Phoe Gyi will make it, maybe it'll have to be a successor, but you're making a lot of progress. You've been breaking your own records in the past months, you have affinity with all the classes and know well how to run your parties.
I do agree that aTweaks fiendish gating is probably asking for trouble. You might consider uninstalling it, but I have the impression you like that component too much

As to your current run Aasim, I'm impressed with the effectiveness of Remove Magic. I know it's a great spell, but I didn't expect it to be so useful in a party of five (with a Mage rather than a Bard casting it), even with the amulet that adds two spell levels.

@Alesia_BH, I'm moved by your involvement with my run. You're so kind. Thank you for testing Alesia's Avoid Death against the Elder Orbs. (And it's a good thing imo that anti-magic ray doesn't dispel it, for it's not a magical buff.) Norgath had - has, I still have his game - the ability but never used it I think.
I wish I could do something back for you (other than dropping a spell scroll into the void of the Five Flagons Inn's fireplace), but you don't seem to need any guidance. Would be quite the stunt to return after a year or two, and then beat Melissan with your first character. I'm rooting for you!
Your detailed description of the Unseeing Eye is insightful as well. Glorydd is a bit of a hoarder when it comes to scrolls, but maybe she'll imitate some of Arcadia's buffing strategies if she makes it there (which would likely be after Spellhold/Underdark).

@Grimwald, nice to see your crew doing well! Trollford eh, have you played before with the mod that adds that place? It's always tricky to include new areas in no-reload runs. 

[Alesia_BH]

Quick Note on Arcadia's Game:

 

Look what the cat dragged in.

 

(I'll post on the battle soon.)

 

Best,

 

A.

[Alesia_BH]

 

@Alesia_BH, I'm moved by your involvement with my run. You're so kind.

 

Just having fun. You had an outstanding bounty hunter run. If that wouldn't catch my attention, what would?

 

 

@Alesia_BH

Your detailed description of the Unseeing Eye is insightful as well. Glorydd is a bit of a hoarder when it comes to scrolls, but maybe she'll imitate some of Arcadia's buffing strategies if she makes it there (which would likely be after Spellhold/Underdark).

 

She could. But I doubt she'll need to. Against regular beholders and gauths, the essentials are electricity resistance + magic damage resistance + negative saves, without any chance of those properties being dispelled. With her dwarven saves and UAI, Glorydd can very nearly accomplish that with items rather than spells. The hole will be magic damage, but it won't be a big hole: BoIB + Corthala Family Armor will grant 75% resistance. In a pinch, she could grab onto Mana to bring that up to 95%.

 

I agree that Avoid Death should not be removed by anti-magic ray.

 

(I wonder whether it is Breachable, like Hardiness? I'll have to test that.)

 

Anyhoo. Good hunting!

 

Best,

 

A.

[Alesia_BH]

Arcadia, Half-Elven Fighter/Mage: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Lich Hunter- Part 1

 

Captain Swarmi hates me. He thinks I'm a fool. I try to stick up for myself - we have had terrible random drops and all- but there are times when it's difficult. I just get it so wrong sometimes, and Captain Swarmi knows it. Arcadia's first Lich battle was almost too much for the Captain to bear.

 

Fortunately, Arcadia is a talent. And the Captain can always compensate for my mistakes. Still: I feel bad that I keep letting them down.

 

This was the Lich's opening: a Wish- Double Length Improved Alacrity Time Stop, in which he summoned a Dark Planetar. A half a round into the battle and I realized I had screwed up.

 

Why did you load the see enemy chain with Incendiary Cloud x2 + Death Fog, when he's going to run Pro Fire? And why did you allocate a L6 to True Sight, when we need a ProMW for the Planetar and don't have a way to take down SI:D or even targeted spells?

 

Thankfully, we had a Spell Shield to catch that Spellstrike thanks to Captain Swarmi. And thankfully we had another one in reserve. And I guess I did ok to call for a Whirlwind to nix that Cornugon, knowing that our buffs would permit us to safely use our aura.

 

But look at this: that Lich should be virtually dead now from a Death Fog x 3. My mistake.

 

And he may even be taking regen off the Incendiary Clouds via Pro Fire + Fire Shield: Red.

 

And look at that Planetar: Didn't you realize that Seeking won't work because you only have +2s? You've got us running around with Everad? Are you kidding me? But no: You're not kidding. You didn't have Arcadia memorize a ProMW, so we can't use anything else. Just Smite stun him with the sling, and finish with Ages.

 

Thankfully, the Captain got us out of that mess. But that wouldn't be my last mistake. Consider this:

 

Why are you Power Word: Blinding the Lich when he's buff stumped and all he can do is summon?

 

And then this.

 

What exactly are we doing with L7 in this battle? Why aren't we using it on Protection from the Elements? Now you've got us wasting Potions of Absorption when we could have used a Potion of Insulation.

 

And consider how long it has taken for this to happen.

 

For the love of chamomile and buttermilk, just get this over with!

 

Ok. Captain Swarmi. I get it. I'm sorry. I'll try to do better next time.

 

The elemental lich is next.

 

Best,

 

A.

[Blackraven]

@Alesia, hahaha loved the literary reference and above all the Swarmi screenshots! Poor Captain! Goes to show there's downsides to having a brilliant mind... I must say Cpt.Swarmi seems very demanding. Some resources may have been expended, but all in all Arcadia's victory was a clean one no? 

Glorydd, Dwarven Fighter/Thief, 7th update

In the Docks District Glorydd found Valygar's home but was told by his butler to look for the renegade in the Umar Hills. It seemed this Valygar wasn't the bad guy the Cowled Wizards had made him out to be. Yes, he had slain two cowls, but according to the butler in self-defense. Still a pseudo-Ranger at heart, Glorydd was eager to set out, but guild affairs kept her in Athkatla. 

 

First of all, Narlen Darkwalk, Rededge, Black Lily and other old friends from Baldur's Gate had decided to leave Alatos' guild, and to join Glorydd's Guild House. However, Narlen was the only one to arrive. She was glad to seem him, even though he was clearly upset. He explained that his party had been ambushed and captured by Orcs and Orogs. The two went to look for the ambushers' hideout and found it just north of Athkatla. It was a cave guarded outside by a priest, wizard and various warriors; all Orcs. They also had a large Wyvern doing their bidding. Glorydd buffed lightly with an oil of speed and when she got Malisoned, a potion of invulnerability, and then attacked. Narlen wasn't much of a fighting man, although he did his best with his bow, so Glorydd had to do most of the work herself (and heal Narlen with her innate powers). She didn't mind that though. Narlen was a good friend, who had once acted against the will of his superior Alatos, to save her from the wrath of a Haalruan wizard. A Dwarf doesn't forget such things. 

When all their foes lay dead, Narlen took her to the cave but warned her that many enemies awaited her. Glorydd buffed with potions of heroism, cloud giant strength, invulnerability, an oil of speed and a potion of power. [More than necessary but I really wanted Glorydd to keep Narlen alive.] The duo stepped inside and were greeted by circa ten Orog and Orc warriors and two casters. Their leader was a massive Orog warrior, clad in full plate. Glorydd's first action was to drop a Teleport Field around Narlen, in hopes of keeping the many monsters from hurting her friend. She then proceeded to slay the Mage before it could attack Narlen with its spells, and she healed her comrade when she saw him injured by one of the warriors. Alas, it was all in vain. Narlen was killed by an Orc priest's Blade Barrier. Glorydd remembered little of the remainder of the battle. Tears ran down her face as she butchered the monsters one after the other. The Dwarf found some solace in the release of Black Lily and the others. But she spoke little on the way back to her guild hall. The event had been a good reminder of why she didn't like people to come near her. Her thoughts wandered off to Imoen. She loved that girl, but would she want her close, and expose her to the dangers of her life as an adventurer?

 

Back in Athkatla, another upset awaited Glorydd: the disappearance of Arledrian, an Elven fence and associate of Gaelan Bayle. Glorydd had bartered with Arledrian a tenday or two before, when she had taken her first steps in Athkatla. She even recalled purloining from him an enchanted dagger that provided Negative Plane Protection.

A poster about a theatre play she found among his belongins at Gaelan's led her to the Five Flagons Inn. It turned out the Elf had a room there, but when she went to call on him, he wasn't there. She did find his diary though. It contained some extremely confidential information. Arledrian was in reality a spy who had infiltrated the Shadow Thieves. Through them he was to learn more about the 'Exiles', whoever they might be. It seemed these Exiles were somehow associated with the rival guild, the vampires. One passage alarmed Glorydd greatly. It said that he had been sent to spy on the Vampires in the Graveyard District, and he was very upset because his NPP-providing enchanted dagger, a gift from his loved one, had been stolen from him.

Glorydd had previously postponed the job she had accepted from Aran Linvail to take on the Vampires, but now there was no time to waste. She rushed to the Graveyard District and found Arledrian surrounded by Vampires and Spiders. Still heavily buffed [note Blackraven: Glorydd had actually begun the search for Arledrian before she went after the Orcs and Orogs with Narlen Darkwalk], she had little difficulty felling the Vampires, and saving Arledrian. He had no idea, but Glorydd was about as happy with Arledrian's survival as the Elf himself. She didn't want to think about the guilt she would have felt if she had failed to rescue Arledrian. She handed the Elf his diary and promised to keep what she knew to herself. The two then said goodbye, with Arledrian returning to his Elven community, and Glorydd venturing deeper into Vampire territory.

 

A slaughterfest ensued. With her saves well in the negatives, she didn't even have to protect herself against the Vampires' dominating gazes. Vampires that dared to oppose were treated to a beating with the Flail of Ages. One of the Vampires was different though. It possessed powerful magical abilities, including an ADHW (that didn't hurt Glorydd thanks to 75 MR as a result of Carsomyr, Semaj's Cloak and Amulet of Power), and numerous PfMWs. She didn't want to waste debuff spell scrolls on the creature, but that didn't mean there was nothing else for Glorydd to do but wait. She slew more Vampires and a Golem guarding a room with three coffins for Vampires to rest in. Glorydd trapped that important room with two Spike  traps and some of her regular traps. When she was done she successfully dispelled the caster Vampire's Stoneskins with Carsomyr, and gave it a pounding with her Flails until it fell.  

In a lower chamber she found more Vampires, feeding off pools of blood, and various Grimward Archers, but they too were permanently put to rest. After Glorydd had slain three Vampires with wooden stakes, guildmistress Bodhi appeared. She was big on words, suggesting a relation with Irenicus and denigrating the Shadow Thieves, but did not stay long to fight. She triggered Glorydd's traps, suffered a blow or two from the Dwarf's flails, and left.

 

Back in the Docks District Glorydd had a nasty bit of business involving a new Guard Captain who had gained his position by manifesting himself as a true crime fighter. Glorydd wasn't pleased with Captain Sterling. She had run her Guild House as a relatively honest, steal-from-the-rich-give-to-the-poor institution, providing employment, commerce opportunities, and even the cocasional alms for the poor. She removed Cpt. Sterling from the equation, and mitigated the resultant reputation hit with some donations at the Temple of Oghma.

 

Glorydd didn't bother with informing Aran Linvail of her work in Bodhi's lair, as she knew such tidings would reach his ear sooner rather than later anyway. Instead, she traveled to the Umar Hills where she hoped to find Valygar. 

[Golden28]

Those facepalming cats , hilarious!

[Alesia_BH]

 

Swarmi seems very demanding Some resources may have been expended, but all in all Arcadia's victory was a clean one no? 

 

Yeah. Arcadia didn't take any damage at all. I don't even think she lost a Stoneskin. That post could have read: Arcadia was invulnerable; she Whirlwinded a demon, and then Smite->Greater Whirlwinded a planetar; she killed the lich with Arrow of Dispelling->Sling of Seeking. I was just trying to make it interesting.

 

Since I'm into basketball, and I'm a UCONN fan, I've been thinking of Captain Swarmi as being like UCONN's coach, Geno Auriemma. UCONN is the #1 ranked team and has an average margin of victory of 43 points. And yet Geno is constantly on the team's case. Even when they are up by 60 (literally), he'll be screaming at them from the sidelines for lack of hustle or poor execution.

 

He's not just being crazy. The logic is that since their opponents are always over-matched, his team will become sloppy if they slack whenever they have a big lead. I guess I'm sort of taking that approach with Arcadia, in the hope that she'll have it together by the time the endgame comes.

 

Best,

 

A.

[Alesia_BH]

Nice work in the Narlen encounter, Blackraven. I appreciated your use of Teleport Field, even if it didn't work out in the end.

 

Tell me about Semaj's Cloak.

 

Best,

 

A.

[Alesia_BH]

Btw, Blackraven. Alisa has confirmed that Avoid Death, like Hardiness, can be removed with Breach.

 

Alisa activates Avoid Death

 

Her simulacrum removes it with Breach

 

The same thing is true of Greater Evasion

 

Best,

 

A.