Xzar and Montaron have been shot down (the former from stealth).
Shoal becomes another crossbow victim (level 4 - +18 HPs).
In Beregost helped Firebead, placated Marl and shot some spiders. Travelled to FAI, picking up an ogre's belt and a ring of protection on the way. At the FAI helped Joia and Landrin, shooting Tarnesh before he could talk (level 5 - +8 HPs). Also picked up some pantaloons and a ring of wizardry.
Back south of Beregost picked up Mirianne's letter from some ogrillons (first use of a trap there) and returned it. Also picked up Zhurlong's boots from some hobgoblins (and didn't return them).
In Nashkel picked up some ankheg armour, spoke to Noober and admitted to Oublek that Greywolf was someone else. At the Carnival shot Oopah and Vitiare, looted the potion seller and bought the green scroll of protection from petrification and necklace of missiles.
On the way to Firewine Bridge saved Hulrik's cow using stealth shots. At Firewine he failed to set a trap for Meilum and spent quite a while running round shooting before finally finding a nice critical to finish him.
There were two ambushes on the way to Beregost Temple - one by a basilisk, but Muse was able to just run away. To date he's taken no damage and been attacked just once (by an archer in an ambush). After buying a stone to flesh scroll he went to the basilisk area.
Shooting the southern group of basilisks got Muse to level 6 - +4 HPs. He shot the separated ones to the north and revived Tamah before recruiting Korax to deal with Mutamin and his pets (level 7 - +5 HPs). Korax didn't make much impression on Kirian's party, but 4 fireballs from the shadows and a few stealth shots saw the back of them.
A couple of traps made a start on Greywolf, though Muse's crossbow again did the bulk of the work. Then swinging through the Cloudpeaks:
- a fireball and a couple of traps set Sendai and her archers up for stealth shot finishes.
- Vax died to run & shoot and Zal to stealth shots.
- reunited Rufie & Albert.
- got accused of drowning a cat.
- killed Gnarl & Hairtooth and found the tome of charisma.
- rescued a penniless merchant from a marauding bear.
Pushing on to get reputation up to 20:
- Charleston Nib wasn't interested in help, but Brage was willing to be escorted back to the local temple.
- Oublek was fobbed off with a single emerald.
- Bjornin was pleased to hear of the fate of a clan of half-ogres.
- another archer ambush on the way to collect Melicamp, but four shots all missed. A fireball was used to collect a skull for Melicamp, but he failed his resurrection roll anyway.
- that meant Ardrouine was the source of the final reputation point.
After buying the light crossbow of speed, Muse headed for Ulgoth's Beard to buy the ring of invisibility, greenstone amulet and cloak of displacement. On the way he:
- killed some fishermen and returned a bowl to Tenya.
- looted the ankheg nest and gave Brun back his son's body (stealth failed there so Muse used a potion of invisibility to ensure safety).
Now on to the main quest line Muse headed for the Nashkel mine:
- went invisibly through the mine, disarming the traps as he went. After shooting the kobolds in Mulahey's cave he did the same to the cleric - not letting him near enough to talk.
- tried to take the invisibility potion from the revenant's cave, but got blocked by a bat and talked to. That meant needing to use the potion immediately to get out past the skeleton guards (I hadn't bothered clearing all the kobolds away in order to get the dagger to give the revenant)!
- reported to the mayor, returned Joseph's ring and shot Nimbul before he could talk.
- Tranzig shrugged off a crossbow bolt, but the two traps laid next to him had him running. He tried to run down the stairs, but Muse was sitting on the exit point and wouldn't let him past - that resulted in Muse wielding a melee weapon for the first time in the game to finish him off.
At the bandit camp Muse was able to use stealth to investigate the main tent and leave without anyone questioning why a pile of maps had suddenly appeared on the floor. That meant he didn't need to use his last invisibility potion (the ring takes longer to activate so is less suitable in that sort of situation), but decided anyway to go back and get the ones remaining in Nashkel and Beregost. On the way back from doing that he triggered his first full bandit ambush - another 4 shots missed before he glugged one of the invisibility potions. He also stopped off at High Hedge and bought the Claw of Kazgoroth - that should mean future bandits would need a critical to hit him.
He avoided any encounters in the Cloakwood (going invisibly through the web traps) and arrived safely at the mine. After shooting the 2 guards on the bridge he stockpiled traps (first time I've used more than a day's allocation at once) and then had to do it again when he tried to rest too close and some guards triggered them. Eventually they were ready and Drasus was pulled into them and died instantly (level 8 - +7 HPs).
Muse collected his boots and went invisibly through the mine (apart from a brief conversation with Rill) down to Daveorn. A couple of traps helped deal quickly with the guard there, before Muse detrapped the corridor. I thought that would prevent the battle horrors appearing and indeed there was no sign of them as Muse went down and had a swing with his sword at Daveorn. However, the battle horrors them materialised out of thin air on either side of him and one of them managed to hit him before he could get away (ruining his attempt at a no damage run).
That was a shame as up to then it had been an extremely clean run (and HPs were also above average). Still, I think I'll probably try restarting him tomorrow to see if I can go one better.
Modifié par Grond0, 27 août 2013 - 03:34 .
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SCS taught me one thing (among many others) - to value undispellable abilities of armor/weapons/jewelry. And I agree with you in terms of *unenchanted armor+protection item* approach - enchanted armor, which only provides better AC (without other bonuses), is the first candidate for me to sell. For example, Krimlor even now (in ToB, with so many other options available) still wears an unenchanted full plate + cloak of protection +2. The only difficulty for me is how to spread one RoP+2 and one CoP+2 among six party members...
