16407 réponses à ce sujet

[Wierdo]

@Jeff W: Dude, Boris is chaotic good! And a gnome! You can't just blow innocent Firebeads away! You should at least think up a good excuse. At the very least, give him some interesting things to read first. Something about destiny and moolah should do!

(Just kidding of course, role-play is optional).

I laughed out loud when I saw Boris' Wisdom=2! Only a gnome, of course. I'm amazed that Boris can get himself out of bed in the morning [smilie]../../../images/forum/emoticons/w00t.png[/smilie] You could say that he means well, but often screws up. For example:
Boris: Firebead, there is a fly on your hat! Don't worry, I'll shoot it off with an arrow!
Firebead: Nooooooooo!

[Jeff W]

Wierdo wrote...

@Jeff W: Dude, Boris is chaotic good! And a gnome! You can't just blow innocent Firebeads away! You should at least think up a good excuse. At the very least, give him some interesting things to read first. Something about destiny and moolah should do!

(Just kidding of course, role-play is optional).

Innocent Firebead, eh? Well, apparently you haven't seen him fireball himself under a MGoI in the middle of the inn, instantly incinerating every innocent bystander in his murderous wake. There is a reason why Winthrop and the nobles run screaming out of the inn when firebead's sinister nature is revealed. A shepherd like Boris will not permit such a wolf amongst his sheep. 

FWIW, I hate the idea of alignment as it's implemented in Baldur's Gate. Alignment should be solely the result of your actions and it doesn't make sense that you would know the alignments of the npcs at the start. It ruins all suspense to know that characters like edwin, viconia, xzar and montaron are evil instead of leaving the player to make up his own mind based on their words and deeds.

I laughed out loud when I saw Boris' Wisdom=2! Only a gnome, of course. I'm amazed that Boris can get himself out of bed in the morning [smilie]../../../images/forum/emoticons/w00t.png[/smilie] You could say that he means well, but often screws up. For example:
Boris: Firebead, there is a fly on your hat! Don't worry, I'll shoot it off with an arrow!
Firebead: Nooooooooo!

lol

Yeah, I'm a powergamer, but there isn't any reason why you couldn't roleplay a character with Wisdom=2. Actually, the 4 charisma has caused me several problems when I forget to cast Friends. Melicamp the chicken died(I believe this is based on reaction) and Zhurlong thought me so disreputable that he ran off without giving me the courtesy of killing him.

Edit: Ugh, Viconia refused to join my party. Charisma? WTFFFFFFFF. Starting over. Again.

Modifié par Jeff W, 27 mars 2011 - 12:48 .

[Jeff W]

Proof of Firebead's villainy.

[Gavn]

Update and Final Post:

This whole "no reload" thing was a fun challenge at first, but ultimately it is bull**** that is obviously (after reading people's posts) pursued by people who have already played through the saga multiple times and know what lay around every corner and what to expect from every single NPC depending on which response is chosen, down to how much charisma to have!

Suffice to say, as a novice who's only played through the series once, this "challenge" is all but an impossible exercise is bull****.

All was going well until I tried some of the new areas in ToTSC and some places I never fully examined from my original playthroughs.

Reload Today are as Follows:
-Deaths due to stupid stupid ****ing AI pathfinding and the tendency for the game to select the entire party when you've only clicked on one character. 3x
-"Kiss of Death" **** nymph creature along coast. 1x
-Completely overpowered and ridiculously regenerating Greater Wolfwere (and yes I used the dagger - what f*cking use is it when none of your characters have sufficient proficiencies?): 3x
-Durlag's Tower: Don't even get me started, this is Bull**** Tower. I sure loved the Dwarven Death Guards. Namely I love how they hit Kagain (-7AC, he might as well be wearing leather armor though honestly...) for 33% of his HP (he has 75) each swing, which is faster than potions and Viconia can keep up with him. I also love how you're walking carefully carfully through with Imoen on detect traps... no traps detected... and suddenly the walls crush your party. Nice.

I'm sure if, like everyone else here, I'd played through this game 10x and read all the guides there are, I could go through this without a single reload just using cheese and metagaming. I, a novice, made it all the way to level 7 and only had two party deaths.

Anyway this was ultimately a waste of time and I can see why this game didn't become as popular as it should have (it's a shame, the engine is really good, and it almost has the right amount of challenge.)

*claps* I'm out, peace.

Modifié par Gavn, 27 mars 2011 - 02:38 .

[Wierdo]

Gavn wrote ...

Anyway this was ultimately a waste of time and I can see why this game didn't become as popular as it should have (it's a shame, the engine is really good, and it almost has the right amount of challenge.)

Sorry that you are withdrawing Gavn. Maybe you should play it through "normally" (i.e. reloading) and then come back for another go later if you are still keen.

You are right - the engine is really good, and the game should have been more popular. As it is, it has quite a large and devoted following of players AND modders, who are still working on ways to make the game better and to add more adventures (after 12 years!). Indeed, BG rocks big time and set the standard for the games that followed it.

People like Grond0 really inspire me with the way that they mod the game heavily, using things like the Item Randomiser, Hard Times and SCS all at the same time, AND playing it solo. Sure, he dies a lot but he keeps coming back for more!

[Wierdo]

Wierdo's Bhaalspawn Bretheren

The Grey Clan Part 1© - Friendly Arm Inn-side

Warning - bad puns ahead

Well, I'm sure that you have all been waiting with baited breath for the latest episode in Weirdo's adventures with the Grey Clan after killing that smug pr!ck Graecus and his wind horrors.

Wierdo's party used the crystal taken from Graecus to enter the FAI inn-visibly. There they encountered a wizard of moderate power and 3 bandits. They didn't last long. They killed another bandit or two and Wierdo un-stoned Mary and her companions with scrolls of Stone to Flesh. When they got to the top floor, sending Imoen first (she was still invisible and detecting traps/illusions), this is what she saw:


"Looks like a business meeting!"

Deep breath, right-o! She ran back down the stairs and told everyone what she'd seen. The party members were moderately buffed at this stage anyway (e.g. Shield, Prot. Evil 10' Radius, potions of X Giant Strength (Annakin & Yeslick) & Invulnerability (for Buddha) so they just needed some top-ups like Blur, Mirror Image, Invisibility 10' Radius, Haste & Chant. Wierdo scooped up Spangle into her backpack.

It seemed like a perfect opportunity for the Immolation Strategy, so Annakin got his fire resistance gear on (Sword of Flame + Helm of Defence + Ring of Fire Resistance = 110%).

The party went upstairs invisibly and got into position. Annakin, always the friendly one, walked into the middle of the group and chose to break the ice ... errr ... bottle by throwing a Potion of Explosions down on the floor, and going straight for the High Sorceress Linda with his swords. This was also the cue for everyone else to join inn on the fun.



With Annakin on top of her, Linda didn't last long at all.


"Eeeek!"

Buddha used a Necklace of Missiles. Xan & Wierdo cast Fireball Spells, and Wierdo followed up with an Arrow of Detonation. Yeslick & Imoen were going to throw bottles, but I think they stopped as it was all pretty much over.


"Urrgh! I feel crispy on the outside but soft and tender on the inside ... "

Wonder what they have ... Oooo, looky! A Tome of Clear Thought (for real this time!). Well, that makes INT=22 for Wierdo now.

Next episode: Beregost

Modifié par Wierdo, 27 mars 2011 - 07:49 .

[Grond0]

Gavn wrote...
Anyway this was ultimately a waste of time and I can see why this game didn't become as popular as it should have (it's a shame, the engine is really good, and it almost has the right amount of challenge.)

The point is that all games are pretty much a waste of time unless you enjoy them - so pick settings that offer the right amount of challenge for you.  No-reload fulfils two functions for me:
1)  it offers a fresh target when the game is in danger of getting too easy.  My initial incentive in seeking out mods for BG1 was because the vanilla game had become too easy.  Even with no-reload+ (not allowing any of the party to die) completing the game was pretty straightforward.  With mods such as SCS no-reload now offers a genuine challenge, even though I know all the encounters in vanilla BG1.
2)  it provides extra spice when you don't know what is coming.  That is one reason for adding in new quest mods to BG1 from time to time.  Sure I scream with the best of them when something like an unknown trap ends my game, but the real danger involved makes even a partial success more fun.  I have never completed even SoA in BG2 because dealing with unknown challenges is, as you say, hard.  However, each time I successfully push the boundaries, e.g. completing the first level of Watcher's Keep, provides a store of satisfaction to draw upon for the next attempt.

Wierdo wrote...
People like Grond0 really inspire me with the way that they mod the game heavily, using things like the Item Randomiser, Hard Times and SCS all at the same time, AND playing it solo. Sure, he dies a lot but he keeps coming back for more!

We all have our little peculiarities.  Personally I'm amazed at Bhryaen's persistence with mod use!

Wonder what they have ... Oooo, looky! A Tome of Clear Thought (for real this time!). Well, that makes INT=22 for Wierdo now.

You're not getting me with that one again.  I've actually obtained this tome myself and I still don't believe you when you say it's there.

[The Fred]

Gavn wrote...
...pursued by people who have already played through the saga multiple times and know what lay around every corner and what to expect from every single NPC depending on which response is chosen, down to how much charisma to have!

Gavn wrote...
I'm sure if, like everyone else here, I'd played through this game 10x and read all the guides there are, I could go through this without a single reload just using cheese and metagaming.

Quite frankly, yes. This is a hard game by itself, and trying to do it without dying pretty much requires meta-gaming. That said, you probably missed my earlier posts, but I died twice before Chapter 3 before my recent successful run. I for one do "metagame" (because otherwise I'd die) but *don't* use cheesy tactics, engine exploits etc. - I don't even pick up the hidden "easter egg" items because I feel that that's too much of a metagame and not something a player who didn't read a guide would be able to do. I certainly haven't played the game 10 times, not to the end, anyway. Furthermore, I installed a bunch of mods this time which I have had NO experience with (and they were the death of me, twice) which makes metagaming a lot harder.

I'll admit that success in a very tough challenge relies on these somewhat "unfair" (out-of-character, completely non-RP) things, but you should play the game how you want to play it, and if you can't manage the challenge, that's fine - as I said, both of my first characters were slaughtered mercilessly. Don't get mad, though - it's a game, and the point is to enjoy it.

[Gate70]

Obb, LG human male cavalier.
Kivan or Minsc as a bowman? Kivan is the clear favourite so I choose Minsc, only to find he's never held a bow in his life (sigh).

Khalid is savaged by a brown bear, forcing me to intervene and kill it. After a brief rest we make our way into a gnoll fortress and rescue Dynaheir. She is saddened by Khalid's tale and promises to help.


Korax the ghoul acts as a decoy to clear a horde of basilisks. He does such a fine job we carry on and kill some gnolls that injure Minsc. Then we continue to Kirian and co (in hindsight at level 3-4 this is a bit silly). We win but I am confused and Khalid is scared. As the two of us wander off Korax grows weary of us and holds Minsc. Khalid rushes back but even with Imoen helping we are one hit too late to save our ranger.


600gp gets Minsc on his feet again and we celebrate by dooming, commanding and holding Greywolf the bounty hunter. This is followed up by obtaining some bracers (archery) and girdles (bluntness, piercing and gender).

At this point I had decided to stop with Obb and add a couple more mods (if I can). Gavn is of course right that re-playing makes it easier. I still die often enough after a few more than 10 runs through the game but then again maybe I'm a slow learner.

Modifié par Gate70, 27 mars 2011 - 12:20 .

[Grond0]

Just a quick update on Dizzy's progress to date.   

She recruited Xzar and Montaron before heading down to Beregost and picking up Kagain and then Viconia (Xzar was killed by a holy smite in the latter encounter and Dizzy held - it's nice to be in a party again so that this isn't instant death).  With money being a bit tight I didn't raise Xzar; Montaron of course didn't care - I've noticed before it's possible to attack Xzar at the point you pick them up, while Montaron just continues to stand around whistling.

On arrival at Nashkel I was a bit taken aback to find all the soldiers immediately went hostile - then remembered that Montaron had forced us into attacking Marl and then killed Dunkin for a reputation loss, which meant we were more despised than usual.  Unfortunately most characters immediately go hostile on seeing another hostile so the wandering soldiers and peasants caused virtually the whole town to turn red.  I spent a long time clearing the mess up by charming characters and letting them be killed by hostiles.  All now complete except Berrun Ghastkill (who seems to be immune to charm) and he has been stashed in a building.  Shame that I missed out on the quest experience from Berrun and Oublek though.

Just completed the Nashkel mines.  Montaron was killed by a duergar thief there and, disgusted with his professional incompetence, I've dropped him from the party.  The remaining characters are now:
Kagain L4 berserker, 35 HP (miserable)
Dizzy L4 fighter, 39 HP (disappointing)
Viconia L3 fighter / L2 mage / L3 priest of Shar, 13 HP (disappointing)
Imoen L5 bard, 37 HP (exceptional)
Has anyone got any views on whether HP allocations are truly random?  It seems to me that Imoen nearly always gets high rolls in my games and Viconia and Kagain both tend to roll low (I haven't noticed any pattern with PC characters except that I curse a lot more when I roll low).

I will probably go and pick up Alora for thieving duties and then complete the party with Edwin (sorceror) before setting off to the gnoll stronghold to try my luck with the DH crew there.

[Gate70]

Linux/Wine BG/TotSC/patch. Tutufix, BG1NPC, BG1UB, TutuGUI.

Added SCS, details below.
I tried the Windows version first as many mods work under Wine, although force closing part way through and manually running the setup is common. Didn't work here as the SCS folder isn't created or is deleted when force-closed.

Linux version worked after creating Setup-scs.exe based on another Setup file (I've not succeeded in the standard Linux install for any mod, not sure if it's because I'm using Wine. Think it is my lack of knowledge as this mod explains how I should have extracted WeiDU into a path directory and I can't remember reading that elsewhere).

"Allow NPC pairs to separate" failed to install. Message below, assuming this may be due to Tutufix/NPC/UB mod dialogue?
>> Copied [misc01.itm] to [override/dw#11.xxx]
>> ERROR: error loading [override/_jaheip.dlg]
>> Stopping installation because of error.

No option to change TotSC. The expansion is installed so not sure what is being checked. Need to go back and read what I'm missing out on due to this.
>> SKIPPING: [Improved Balduran's Isle]
>> This component requires Tales of the Sword Coast
>> SKIPPING: [Improved Durlag's Tower]
>> This component requires Tales of the Sword Coast
>> SKIPPING: [Improved Demon Cultists]
>> This component requires Tales of the Sword Coast

Re-added WeiDU randomizer
Generalized Biffing

Arvil, LG human male cavalier.

Think SCS & randomizer could make my next few games very brief.

Modifié par Gate70, 27 mars 2011 - 02:49 .

[The Fred]

Started to do a bit more with Pallyn but got bored quickly, so I continued with Mullir.

We headed to the carnival, where Pallyn had a strange dream and discovered he had an ability to cure wounds - a good job, too, since the Amazing Exploding Ogre managed to hit Immy for 13 hp (which would have killed her had she remained injured from before). We also had a run-in with a crazy mage. Imoen and Mullir used their bows to interrupt his first spells, but two Melf's Acid Arrows were successful and downed Immy. On the upside, Mullir reached L3 and dualed to Thief.

I sunk all his points into stealth, so he's now basically a very useless fighter. I put his proficiency points in small swords and missile weapons, but I've been using throwing daggers for their faster attack speed. I might check out darts, too, because I'm concerned about the lack of magical throwing daggers - however, by the stage I need magical ammo, he'll have his bow points back again. Using a sling or daggers also lets him use a bucklet, a nice bonus.

So, we rashly decided to check out the Cloakwood, but were beaten back by Tasloi. We cleared some hobgoblins around the FAI for Joia and returned, collecting Gurke's cloak. We also took Mirianne her letter, a killed an ogre on the coast way, though Mullir is still only L1. I feel that, after killing Zordral, I could take Tarnesh, but back then Mullir had his fighter abilities, so I'm not sure. Tarnesh will also be using Smarter Deployment I think (not sure he should, given his conversation, but whatever) so I'm thinking of sneaking behind him for a backstab - possibly after gaining another level, first.

[Wierdo]

Wierdo's Bhaalspawn Bretheren

The Grey Clan Part 1 (d) - Beregost

I know that you are all keen to see a closure to Wierdo's Grey Clan adventure.

The party headed down to Beregost and found a nice house to stay in and rested. After that they decided to go for an invisible wander around town. That is when Wierdo found a new bloke called Dervanto near Feldpost's Inn. 



Talking to him, a few things happened. First, he seemed to assume that we were new recruits or something and teleports us into some sort of meeting of bad-asses. Our reputation must have preceded us as most of them ran away, but then three mages teleported in.



The head one (Monica) gave an evil rant about Legencase academy before fireballing the party (damaging them and pushing them to the far end of the room) and running away. Nice. Incidentally, one of our party didn't get damaged by this: Spangle!

Spangle was the only one able to do anything, so he re-cast Invisibility 10' Radius around Wierdo & Annakin (who had become visible). Then everyone closed in on the remaining three baddies (Teven (fighter) Octavia and Petrarca (mages).Yeslick summoned skeletons, Imoen threw a Potion of Explosions and Annakin got mad. Xan cast Fireball (I think). Wierdo cast a sequencer with Detect Invisibility and Invisibility (which actually did nothing useful or practical but there you go).



Annakin, Yeslick and Buddha got to work on Teven, as he seemed pretty tough. Meanwhile, Octavia tried a few spells on Annakin like Power Word Kill (ineffective as Annakin had >90hp) and Symbol - Stun, which has an area effect and got Yeslick. That's him out of the fight.

Despite these challenges, Buddha managed to get Teven right in the clavin with some kind of back-step and jab move (looks wierd by my martial arts experience is limited to kung-fu movies), and that was it for Teven.



Finally, the party could now concentrate on these high-level mages. Petrarca tried using some kind of cheesy mass dire charm spell which Imoen resisted, but the skeletons did not (smells very cheesy - how can one charm a skeleton?). The funny thing about this was that the skeletons were already attacking Petrarca and didn't stop, despite being charmed! LOL!

Yeslick, clearly bored, decided to be a performance artist and imitate a statue in the middle of casting a spell. classic!

Meanwhile, Buddha and Annakin got to work on beating down Octavia's defences. In the end, Buddha missed but Annakin didn't. Bye-bye Octavia.



After that Petrarca was pretty easy to kill. Once Yeslick woke up they left by talking to a Golem.

This battle would have been a lot harder if more BG2 spells like Protection from Magic Weapons and ADHW had been used effectively, but they weren't and now the mages are dead.

BTW, my Tutu install includes BG2 spells and SCS. However, I chose for mages to only pre-buff with long-lasting spells like Stoneskin. I did this because I found SCS much too cheesy and it seems fairer, more realistic. SCS seems to assume that the player is omniscient (reading walkthroughs all the time) and power-buffing throughout the game, and therefore that the enemy mages should do the same. However, this is not the way that I play. I do not unreasonably abuse what I already know about the game. Powerbuffing bores me, whether done by my party or by enemy NPCs.

That means that my characters only do minimal and reasonable buffing in most cases. Wierdo's mages cast Stoneskin before they go to bed ('cos it lasts 12 hours) and at the beginning of an adventure with any possible dangers. They routinely use Invisibility 10' Radius before bedtime and even when just moving around town (it lasts 24 hours). Before entering a dungeon or baddies lair, Yeslick will cast Prot. Evil 10' Radius (lasts 1 turn/level) and mages will cast Shield (lasts 5 turns). Some other spells like Blur have a fairly long duration as well. Fighters sometimes use Potions of X Giant Strength before an obvious challenge as they usually last about 10 turns, which is long enough to get into a lot of fights.

Modifié par Wierdo, 27 mars 2011 - 03:33 .

[Gavn]

End Game:

Didn't even have to reload on Sarevok. 4 skull traps, 1 of which my PC triggered by accident, plus 1 charge from Wand of Monster Summoning and a single barrage of Magic Missiles from Edwin was all it took to bring Sarevok down. You know, after Nymphs 1 shot my character, after Kirinhale ripped my party to shreds, after the painfully slow crawl through Durlag's Tower, after several reloads on the Greater Wolfwere... Sarevok was probably the most ridiculous boss-fight in the entire game - and he's the main boss! If I never went to Werewolf Island or Durlag's tower, I would have made it through this entire challenge.

My PC didn't even get to 50% health.

Modifié par Gavn, 27 mars 2011 - 04:03 .

[Gate70]

Arvil, LG human male cavalier.
(had to re-roll as just grabbed a paladin last time).

Str 18/32
Dex 18
Con 18
Int 11
Wis 13
Cha 17

** b sword, ** long sword

With Gorion dead I realise it is too dangerous for Imoen to travel with me, so I out-run her and escape to Beregost. From there I head to Nashkel, encountering nothing on the way (other than some serious wilderness lag - seems to be the first few seconds in each new area so not sure if it is SCS or changes to cached areas. Will see if I can live with it).

After getting something for Firebead to read I track down Captain Brage and return him to Nashkel. On my way out I find a mysterious small shield buried in a field. It doesn't stop two ogrillions give me a thumping on the way back to Beregost . After resting I head west and decide to help a chicken called Melicamp.

A nearby wolf is strangely passive until I move closer. I manage to kill the wolf but have had to use LOH and a blue potion.

The hobgoblins around the FAI are easier, my studded leather armour completely protective as I drop seven of them. Melicamp is clucking away so I head to High Hedge. I evade an angry bear only to run into three huge spiders. Two of them shoot webs and I am unable to reach safety. I am trapped and despite my immunity to poison they are tearing into me. END

[Jeff W]

Grond0 wrote...

Has anyone got any views on whether HP allocations are truly random?  It seems to me that Imoen nearly always gets high rolls in my games and Viconia and Kagain both tend to roll low (I haven't noticed any pattern with PC characters except that I curse a lot more when I roll low).

Their rolls once you've recruited them *should* be random, but when you first pick them up, their hp are pre-determined. 

[Yogohong]

After long absence, I am re-entering the challenge. Earlier today, I lost my beloved 4 man party consisting of Alicia Hong (Shapeshifter), Wyssi (Avenger), Aleister (Totemic Druid) and Chag (Sorceror) in Durlag's Tower to three Greater Dopplegangers. While saddend and angry at the loss (nothing worse than dying while you are confused/held), I looked up the challenge rules again and noticed that I had been playing on "Normal" through the entire game. No wonder I kept getting max hp every level!

I'll update once I have some free time and a new main character

[The Fred]

Unlucky, Gate, and well done on your victory Gavn. Personally, I don't see how anyone can even comtemplate the TotSC areas in a no-reload without leveling everyone to L10 first (which would need an XP cap remover, of course). Yogohong, to quote a certain someone, "I wish you intelligence. I would wish you luck, but it runs out far sooner than you would think."

Mullir and Imoen headed west in search of Brage. Unfortunately, they stumbled into some skeleton archers on the way, who killed Imoen. So, Mullir headed back to town and dished out 400gp to have her restored. Luckily, we were able to collect the rest of her things as we passed back through, and in the end we did find Brage and take him back to the temple of Helm. The 1000 XP we got boosted Mullir to L2 (thief, that is, so he's now 3->2). He's still going to need a good deal more XP before he becomes decent at fighting, though.

I'm thinking of trying to get him high enough that Khalid and Jaheira will be at their highest level incarnations when I pick them up. Then, I'll do everything with the four of them as I did the last run, probably even dualing Immy the same way (the DH gauntlets make Open Locks obselete, though I'm thinking of refusing to use them so I have to deal with the same party issues as normal).

[Bhryaen]

The Andrizztyl Saga, Day 53ish: Further into the Hole Then out Again

Having finally let the Nashkell mayor know about their de-demonizing of the mines, the Provisional Dragonteeth set about trying to improve their image after the slew of poor pickpocketings... and immediately failed again...


Imoen: "Um... oops?"
Andrizztyl: "Well, all done here... shall we...?"
Gavin: "Guys... we need to talk..."
Kivan: "I agree."
Dynaheir: "It seemeth a terrible shame to be consideredeth both heroes and pickpockets by all those we cometh to..."
Minsc: "It is not the conduct of heroes!"
Andrizztyl: "What? That? That's nothing. This is some little tavern in the nowheresville at the edge of Amn. None of us is going to Amn in our lifetimes, right? So what do we care?"
Kivan: "That's not the point..."
Gavin: "You two simply cannot keep doing this..."
Dynaheir: "Volo ist not the most likely person to keepeth his tales to hisself."
Imoen: "Well, I forgot I already nicked him a couple times already. I wouldn't have tried again if I remem-"
Andrizztyl: *winces* "Look, everyone, it's one of those things people get over. Besides, Volo's been drinking. He'll never remember."
Kivan: "Don't count on it..."
Gavin: "I'm sure most people don't think of the tales of Volo as meaningless, even if often exaggerated."
Dynaheir: "Even the Rashemen have heard of him... who I shall not be happy to have to report to on this..."
Imoen: "Who cares what they think? Besides, I got a nice gem off that other guy there who-"
Andrizztyl: *clears throat loudly while looking around to determine if any of the patrons heard* "So ok, I get it. You want us to be more careful. OK, no more side acquisitions in Nashkell."
Gavin: "'Side acquisitions?'"
Dynaheir: "Not only in Nashkell shouldst this stopeth."
Andrizztyl: "Right, then not in Beregost either... or anywhere in between."
Kivan: "That black robed old man was nowhere near either town."
Andrizztyl: "Got my back again, I see..."
Dragon: "OK, not Beregost, Nashkell, or where the black robed old man was."
Andrizztyl: "You're not helping..."
Imoen: "Well, we get a clean slate when we get to Baldur's Gate."
Dynaheir: "This ist true..."
Minsc: "And the people there will know how much butt-kicking we have *done* for goodness!"
Imoen: "And then I'll also be able to keep better track of how many times I've cut-"
Andrizztyl: "How many times you've messed up in the past for this truly abhorrent behavior. Really, Imoen, shame on you." *winks to her sideways*
Imoen: *snorts* "Bufflehead..."
party: *exchanging glances*
Andrizztyl: "Well, I think Imoen has learned her lesson. And if she wants to stay with the Dragonteeth, she knows she has to improve on her..." *ahem* "performance..."
Kivan: *groans*
Imoen: *rolls her eyes* "Please..."
Dragon: "I thought bards were supposed to get better at that with higher levels."

And with improving their reputation a notch in mind, Andrizztyl led them to a house nearby the Nashkell pub where he returned a demon-killed miner's wife's husband's ring...


Andrizztyl: "Uh huh... so... I even *gave* you the ring back after all too... I could've just gotten the 5 gp or so by selling it..."
Commoner: "Yes... yes, it is all I have of him now..."
Andrizztyl: *pauses, clearly in some quandry about how things have gone* "Well, we weren't going to drag the corpse up here too."
Commoner: *blinks* "What?"
Andrizztyl: "I mean the ring was all you mentioned really."
Commoner: "Oh, yes... the ring is enough... so that I know of my husband's fate... perhaps later his colleagues will bring his body... now that everything is safe again..."
Andrizztyl: "It was us who did that, of course... Must be pretty great that *someone* at least told you, eh? *And* brought the ring to you."
Commoner: "Uh... huh..."
Andrizztyl: "So I was just wondering... if you're going to... you know... tell everyone how nice we were..."
Commoner: "What do you mean?"
Andrizztyl: "Oh, come on. We just did you a big favor, hauling that ring up with us. We were switching hands constantly. You can't just tell people in town about us? Say we're nice sorts and such?"
Commoner: "Oh, I hardly go into town for anything. My daughter does all the fetching from the store and selling the crops that... my husband and I... used to..." *sobs*
Andrizztyl: "I see..."
Commoner: "But thank you... I wish you well..."
Andrizztyl: "OK..." *turns to go, but rethinks it* "But if you could just tell your daughter to spread the word about us. That would be-"
Commoner: *raises her head warily* "Wait, you're the ones who've been pickpocketing folks from here to Beregost..."
Andrizztyl: "Uh... no, no..."
Commoner: "The drow with the girl in pink who keeps-"
Andrizztyl: "No, no... I changed her to purple... that pink was just too-"
Commoner: "I think it's time for you to leave now."
Andrizztyl: "Uh... right..."

And after a brief incident with a not-so-local local who didn't seem to take well to Dynaheir, they headed north again... where apparently Imoen couldn't get them into any more trouble... Upon arriving they encountered a paladin... from whom Imoen swiped a large shield, clearly proving her atonement... and sustained abilities... Also upon arriving Minsc made an announcement...


Kivan: "I feel it too, Minsc. The earth is unsteady from something subterranean. We should proceed with caution."
Gavin: "That sounds reasonable enough."
Andrizztyl: "Oh, come on. How can you two know something like that?"
Minsc: "It is not Minsc who first sensed it but Boo!"
Boo: *squeak*
Dragon: "Well, I didn't sense anything."
Imoen: "I was busy."
Minsc: "Boo is never wrong! At least when he is right."
Kivan: "You cannot feel the softness of the ground beneath your feet?"
Andrizztyl: *sighs* "Yes... it's called grass."
Kivan: *shakes his head*
Dynaheir: "I hath grown accustomed to heeding the advice of mine addled but intuitive protector. I would trusteth his judgment on this matter..."
Minsc: "And his hamster!"
Kivan: "Listen to me... the earth is soft through recent rough tilling of some sort. Note how the ground is fertile but uneven. This is not normal. Something turned the earth up along here not more than a year or two ago, and there are fresher patches as well. You see the road is not as well paved, despite the overuse of gravel."
Andrizztyl: "Hm... yes... perhaps the cause might be called... 'traffic?'"
Kivan: *cups his forehead with his palm* "Sometimes you make me feel it is better my lovely Deheriana is not alive to endure this world..."

And after collecting ponytails, they came upon a group of fishermen... from whom Imoen acquired a magic flail and a useless bowl. At least the flail might sell for something. Inside one of the fishermen's houses, however- well, was some small treasure- but in the other house was a woman who turned out to have an undead husband. With utmost sensitivity in the matter, Andrizztyl killed it... and returned...


Andrizztyl: "Wait, wait, you're not going to say nice things about us either?"
Leila: "Who is 'us?' I've only met you."
Andrizztyl: "Uh... right... but still, such a dilemma... and now I've resolved it for you."
Leila: "You want more money? There isn't any. How much do hired killers get paid these days then?"
Andrizztyl: "No, no, I'm not a..." *sighs* "Look, can't you just spread the word that we- erm, I've done a good deed here-?"
Leila: "This *never* happened. Do you understand? Have you any idea how embarrassing this is?"
Andrizztyl: "Embarrassing enough to tell people how great we-"
Leila: "Are you trying to blackmail me...??
Andrizztyl: "Well, I'm just saying-"
Leila: "Just get out! Right now!"
Andrizztyl: "Fine, fine..."
Leila: "Come to think of it, aren't you that pickpocketing drow with the pink-?!"
Andrizztyl: *ducks out hastily*

And Andrizztyl decided to go off wandering the area by himself... stealthily. Soon he came upon the sight of very large, rather conspicuous insectoid antennae. Well, two sets of them... in several locations... Cursing himself for having thus lost an argument with Kivan he returned to the group, and they headed out to deal with the menace. After killing six of them they came upon a woman who declared a limit of ten kills. Kivan piped up at that point to tell her that it would indeed by only ten. Then they met an old farmer... who had nothing to pickpocket... but was missing his son somewhere. Ah-ha! This could do it! Farmer right by the road where he talks to travelers, big favor by finding his son who must have wandered off by the river or some such...

So they kept searching until they came upon a hole in the ground somewhat more conspicuous than the antennae... with a chicken happily pecking about at its edge...


Minsc: "Lucky for this chicken, these large creatures do not eat chicken."
Kivan: "Apparently so..."
Andrizztyl: "Oh? How do you know what they eat?"
Kivan: "They are burrowing creatures called ankhegs. I have heard of them."
Minsc: "This chicken reminds me of poor Thalantyr."
Andrizztyl: "Uh... yeah, so have I... And we killed some down south already, if you don't recall."
Kivan: "The acid produced by their digestive system to assist their burrowing is too strong to be able to metabolize normal meat, so they get most of their diet from digesting organic elements from the soil."
Minsc: "If only Thalantyr could have survived like this chicken has."
Gavin: "And that is supposed to be good for the soil?"
Kivan: "The burrowing also aereates the soil and its waste secretions make the soil fertile for vegetation growth."
Gavin: "It certainly aereates it..."
Dynaheir: "It appears that thou hast had some serious training in this matter, Kivan."
Andrizztyl: *rolls his eyes and guffaws*
Kivan: "It is all to the credit of my teacher... and it is a necessity of my relationship with nature..."
Minsc: "Take heart, little chicken. For Thalantyr went to his end bravely too."
Andrizztyl: "Right, well, I knew all that already from just reading."
Kivan: "So you would know if I spoke incorrectly?"
Andrizztyl: "Uh... yeah?"
Minsc: "Though Minsc did not mean to say you would be meeting your end soon or anything."
Kivan: "And everything I said of ankhegs you would concur with?"
Andrizztyl: "I... uh... mostly."
Kivan: "What would you disagree with then?"
Dragon: "Oh... this is good..."
Andrizztyl: "Just shut up or I'll pour some ankheg spit on you..."
Minsc: "Unless the farmer does not want your eggs, I suppose..."
Dynaheir: "Doest thou not knoweth of them? I have only a passing knowledge of zoology myself, but of them I have heardeth."
Gavin: "I knew there were some up north here. I didn't know much about them though. I guess these are them."
Kivan: "Well?"
Andrizztyl: "Uh... that pretty much sums it up. I'd add that, uh... they tend to be green... armored and the like... but that's pretty much it."
Minsc: "But Boo says that will not be for some time at least, surely."
Kivan: "You may be able to judge people and their deeds, Andrizztyl, but you do not know the wildlife that roams the land around you."
Imoen: "He can't judge *my* deeds..."
Kivan: "Ankhegs do indeed eat meat, Andrizztyl..."
Imoen: "... not after killing me so many times..."
Kivan: "... though they can survive on soil alone..."
Andrizztyl: "Three isn't that much... come on..."
Imoen: *sulks* *mutters* "Kill you three times..."
Kivan: "Ankhegs may not eat chickens due to their small size, particularly if they're feeding well on other things, but they even prefer meat- even the horse on that farm, for instance... and would not hesitate to swallow an entire person whole... even a drow like you."
Dragon: "Ooh, called out..."
Andrizztyl: "'Even a drow like you.' What's that supposed to mean?"
Kivan: "Drow flesh is said to be less tasty to beasts than us surface elves."
Dragon: "Tastes like chicken."
Minsc: "Do not offend him!"
Kivan: "A healthy lesson in humility could do us all some good, Minsc."
Minsc: "No, not him. I meant not to offend the chicken."
Dragon: "Oh, uh... sorry?"
Andrizztyl: "Maybe I should feed them a rabbit instead."
Dynaheir: "What?"
Dragon: "He meant feed them a dragon!"
ankheg in hole: *disgusting roar*
Andrizztyl: "There's my cue..." *goes into stealth* "But I thought I turned off ambient sounds...?"

And they swathed through the area, clearing another four... or so... ankhegs out of the tunnels beneath the farm, sending chaotic evil skeletons at the ankhegs to get their attention while Andrizztyl backstabs and archery did the rest... clearly with the assistance of a certain nasty short sword... Kivan didn't seem to protest the count, so they just left the total at ten when they were done.

The farmer was quite disheartened to discover that the Provisional Dragonteeth had brought him back his son as a cadaver, but seeing an opportunity... and actually feeling for the old farmer [gotta love that voice]... Andrizztyl also offered 100gp... and their reputation went back up to 15...


Andrizztyl: "Well, you know... I'm like that... my power, you know..."
Kivan: "I mean it, Andrizztyl. Do not take the compliment lightly."
Andrizztyl: "Oh, no, I don't. This is just great." *claps an arm around the farmer's shoulders* "This is what I'm talking about!"
Farmer Brun: *groans with the extra weight on his shoulders* 'It'll still be hard going without my son."
Andrizztyl: "Things are looking up!"
Minsc: *looks up*
Kivan: *glances to Farmer Brun somewhat concernedly* "Yes... and you can be assured that the ankheg population has been reduced to safe levels."
Andrizztyl: "Exactly! Are we good or what? Back to popular again!"
Farmer Brun: *still crumpling somewhat* "I think I just want to be alone for a while."
Andrizztyl: "Oh, come on now. Why so glum? Volo be damned, right?! This calls for celebration. Can I get you a drink or something?"
Kivan: *snatches Andrizztyl away from the farmer* "We have other matters to attend to..."
Andrizztyl: "Just spreading the good cheer of my lessons..."

And they headed south to Beregost with at least one ankheg shell in hand... well, after Andrizztyl robbed the farmer's house where they'd stashed all the rest of the ankheg shells that they couldn't carry... and the Thunderhammer Smithy graciously offered to make a suit of armor out of one of the shells... which would take an entirety of 10 days to complete... but fortunately left them with about 1000 gp after commissioning... And they also made a glad discovery about a certain item procured by their undaunted bard...

Modifié par Bhryaen, 28 mars 2011 - 06:22 .

[Thailog]

Hey guys, after a lengthy break I'm back for some more BG fun. This time, I'm going to try my hand at the BG1 no-reload challenge.


Mods:

EasyTutu
Spell Revisions
One Pixel Productions
BG1 NPC Project
Plasmocat's BG1 NPC Portraits
BG1 Unfinished Business
Rogue Rebalancing
BG2 Tweaks
P&P Free Action
Sword Coast Stratagems
aTweaks
Level 1 NPCs
Widescreen Mod


I also wanted to use Item Revisions but, for some reason, it doesn't want to install on Tutu. Oh well. Anyhow, I'll be playing on core rules, but I'm using the BG2 Tweaks component which gives max HP on level up along with some convenience stuff. Also, I've been fairly conservative with my SCS settings, skipping over most "tougher X" components and choosing the "no prebuff" option for enemy mages and priests since that fits my own playstyle (i.e. I don't intend to have my party walk into every battle fully buffed). However, I did allow the enemies to cast BG2 spells since I'm going to do that too. Furthermore, I've made good use of the Leve1 NPC mod, so my future party will probably look like this: Imoen (Bounty Hunter), Ajantis (Inquisitor), Branwen (Cleric), Safana (Skald) and Quayle (Wild Mage). Finally, my main char's name is Tyrus, and he's a Chaotic Good human Berserker. Now, let's get this show on the road.


Chronicles of Tyrus the Berserker, part 1

Tyrus had a hard time growing up in Candlekeep. Although good hearted, he always felt confined and trapped there, yearning to explore the world outside the fortress walls. He displayed great strength and a remarkable talent for swordfighting at a very young age so his foster father Gorion suggested that he should join the keep's Knights. However, Tyrus lacked the necessary discipline and didn't like taking orders, which got him into trouble several times. Still, Gorion seemed to understand this chaotic streak better than others and always remained supportive of the young warrior, encouraging him to hone his talents in his own way. In turn, Tyrus held a great deal of respect toward the old mage.

Today, Gorion had summoned the young warrior and told him to prepare for a lengthy trip. Tyrus was overjoyed at the opportunity to leave the keep and didn't need to be told twice. He purchased a suit of splint mail armor, a helmet and a two handed sword and prepared to set off after finishing his chores. The warrior had a feeling that something wasn't right and his suspicions were soon to be confirmed. During the preparations for his departure, Tyrus was attacked by two shady characters, though they were no match for his berserker strength. The real danger waited just outside of Candlekeep. As he and Gorion made their way along the country road, a hostile party led by a huge armored figure ambushed them. Tyrus wanted to fight, but Gorion sent him away, making a stand against the enemies alone. Ultimately, even such a powerful mage was no match for the armored fiend. Gorion had fallen, and Tyrus was now all alone in the wilderness.

Pondering what to do next, the young warrior was surprised to see Imoen, a childhood friend from Candlekeep, who had secretly followed him last night. After giving Gorion a proper burial, the two join up and decide to visit the Friendly Arm inn, honoring the old mage's last request. However, they get sidetracked by a band of gibberlings on the way and miss their destination, ending up at a nearby farm instead. Here, Tyrus and Imoen meet up with a young squire named Ajantis, who warns them about the bandits and other beasts that lurk nearby. After pointing them to the inn, the paladin offers to accompany the group on their quest, desiring to eventually prove himself worthy of joining the Order of the Radiant Heart. Tyrus accepts, welcoming the new warrior and the group departs.

At the Friendly Arm inn, the party is assaulted by Tarnesh, an evil mage who is apparently after a bounty which someone has placed on Tyrus' head. Upon hearing this, the young warrior becomes enraged and prepares to retaliate. However, this proves unnecessary as Imoen quickly shows the mage how a real bounty hunter fights incapacitating him with a single dart coated in paralytic toxin. As a reward, Tyrus lets her keep the mage's spellbook. Inside, the party meets up with Gorion's old friends, Khalid and Jaheira. The pair wants to investigate some strange happenings at the Nashkel mine and they offer to join Tyrus' group. He reluctantly accepts, though "aunty" Jaheira seems a bit too bossy for his taste. After resupplying and chatting up several inn guests, the party heads for Bergost, promising to look for a belt-stealing ogre and to clear a house of a spider infestation along the way. While the group departs, Imoen spots a magical ring which someone apparently dropped under a pine tree.

On the way to Bergost, the party is ambushed by a pack of kobolds and Jaheira falls to a stray arrow. Upon reaching the small town, the group rests at the Feldpost inn while Imoen picks up a buckler +1 and some plain studded leather armor at the Thunderhammer smithy. Arriving at Nashkel, and seeing Khalid's increasing misery, Tyrus decides to sell off some surplus gear and raises Jaheira from the dead at the local temple. To celebrate, the party visits a nearby carnival where they free a priestess of Tempus from petrification. She offers to join the group out of gratitude and Tyrus takes her in, releasing Khalid and Jaheira from his service. Shortly after, he meets Quayle, an eccentric gnomish mage who joins the group as well. Back at Nashkel, the party deals with another assassin while stopping to rest at the local inn. Next morning, Tyrus meets with the local mayor who wants him to investigate the Nashkel mines. Considering his options, the warrior concludes that his group needs better equipment and more powerful spells before tackling such a dangerous quest.


Party stats

Tyrus - Berserker(1)
Ajantis - Inquisitor(2)
Branwen - Cleric(2)
Imoen - Bounty Hunter(2)
Quayle - Wild Mage(3)

Modifié par Thailog, 28 mars 2011 - 08:13 .

[The Fred]

Mullir headed to the FAI and dealt with Tarnesh. A backstab and arrow from Imoen broke his morale, but he still cast Horror which sent Mullir packing. With too much at stake, Imoen pulled out her wand and finished him off.

EDIT: Forgot to mention, on the way we had a scare when bandits AND hobgoblins attacked us. An arrow got Imoen, but she glugged another potion and we managed to escape. I really thought it might have been the end of me, though.

However, I've been having issues with mod NPCs not showing up. Previously, in the Slime Quest, Eldoth was disappearing when he should have been turned back from a slime, and I had to reinstall the quest pack to make it work. Now, the caravan merchants and the forge guy are not showing up in the FAI. When I went to check my mod installs I noticed I also forgot to add the Vault. So, I made batch files to uninstall and reinstall everything, adding the Vault in between (it overwrites rather than patching, so I put it first). Hopefully this will work, though it gave me a lot of warning. Also, it didn't reinstall the Finishable Kagain Quest for some reason, though this shouldn't be an issue since I wasn't planning on using Kagain (I'm a good character, albeit Chaotic Good).

Modifié par The Fred, 28 mars 2011 - 03:39 .

[The Fred]

The mods seem to have messed each other up a bit, but nevermind.

I decide to take Mullir and Imoen to the basilisk area, because it's the only place I can think of to get them some big XP - the idea being to use Korax the Ghoul to almost solo the lizards for us, whilst showering them with sharp things.

We pick up Korax, and head north-east. Unfortunately, after stumbling upon Mutamin and being set on by two basilisks, we then get attacked from all sides. It also turns out that the Vault upgrades all basilisks to Greater Basilisks, for some reason. Great. Imoen flees, but doesn't flee fast enough, and on the second hit gets petrified. Fearing the end, I run for my life, another basilisk taking a shot at me with his gaze of no-reload failure. Luckily I manage to get away, so I nervously take off my armour and skulk back. Korax manages to take down one of the lizards, since they seem intent on petrifying him despite his undeath, which nets me a huge 7k XP! This shoots Mullir to L4, restoring his thieving abilities.

However, Mutamin's Acid Arrows are more effective against Korax. Luckily, the mad gnome is held so I direct Korax to attack the other basilisk and move behind him (Mutamin, that is) for a backstab. It only does double damage (i.e. not much) but with the guy held, I quickly finish him off. Korax and Mullir (with daggers) finish off the other basilisk, getting me another 7k XP and boosting Mullir to L5.

Then, I head back to civilisation, planning to pick K&J up at the FAI and buy a Stone to Flesh scroll from the temple. Thanks to my high XP, I get the highest level versions, though for some reason it refuses to give my Jaheira at L5/6, so I get her at L4/4 instead (I tested this with a saved game, cheating myself up to 40k XP, and I still got her at L4/4). Khalid's spells were also a bit bugged (it thought Mirror Image, Stinking Cloud and Flame Arrow were L1 spells) so I had to Sword Coast Keeper that back to correctness, and whilst I'm there restore Khalid's axe proficiency (he had a proficiency in blunt weapons, which I removed) and move Jaheira over from small to large swords.

On the way back to retrieve Imoen, we got attacked by bandits and kobolds. I realised I foolishly hadn't had Khalid memorise Sleep, so I had Mullir flee whilst he cast Mirror Image and Jaheira tried to take one or two of them down with her sling. Luckily they more or less ignored Mullir, targetting Jaheira mostly, who had to glug a potion AND get Mullir's attention to stay alive. Khalid on the otherhand was a powerhouse of destruction, invoking a Stinking Cloud to take out three of the bandits, and mercilessly slaying the others with arrows and Magic Missiles. The mod seems to have been a little generous with his equipment, actually, but I'm guessing that it'll soon pale in comparison to the DH and Vault items.

Overview of the team:
Mullir Fighter 3 -> Thief 5, 120% stealth, building up open locks.
Imoen Thief 3, focus in Find Traps, deaths: 3 + 1 petrification.
Jaheira Fighter 4 / Druid 4
Khalid Fighter 5 / Mage 5

[Thailog]

Chronicles of Tyrus the Berserker, part 2

At the outskirts of Nashkel, Imoen stumbles upon a hidden cache buried in a crop field which contains a pearl and a suit of enchanted armor. Tyrus dons the armor, which is surprisingly light for a plate mail, and leads the group toward High Hedge hoping to acquire some formidable magic for Quayle. After dispatching a few gnolls and a pack wild dogs, the party picks up several spells from Thalantyr, most notably Sleep, Spook, Strength, Invisibility and Mirror Image. Tyrus lets Ajantis do the shopping here and his charismatic demeanor gets the group a nice discount. As the party rests to rearrange their spells, Tyrus experiences a surreal dream and gains the ability to heal wounds with a mere touch. Sweet! Heading south, the group begins to experience the full extent of the iron crisis as both Tyrus' and Ajantis' weapons break while fighting some skeletons. Branwen suggests that they will need to carry spares until they acquire magical weapons which are not prone to breakage. In the next area, the group encounters a talking chicken who turns out to be Thalantyr's former apprentice. Tyrus brings him back to his master who manages to transform the boy back to his human form.

On the way back to Nashkel, the group is ambushed by a pack of Ghasts. Quayle and Imoen scramble, Branwen casts a Bless spell while Tyrus and Ajantis charge the evil creatures. One of the Ghasts slips past the front liners and manages to paralyze and finish off Imoen with a few lucky hits. An enraged Tyrus promptly slaughters the creature, shrugging off its paralytic touch, while Ajantis who is immune to paralysis and disease by virtue of being an Inquisitor holds back the other two. Branwen keeps healing the two warriors and the battle is soon over. Bruised and battered, the party trudges back to the Nashkel temple and 300 gp later, Imoen is back in the world of the living. On the bright side, both Ajantis and Branwen gained a level from this endeavor. After a good night's rest at the Nashkel inn, the party decides to explore the surrounding areas. Going eastwards, they encounter and dispatch several Ogres. Quayle's Sleep and Spook spells were instrumental here, though it should be noted that sleeping opponents now awaken when hit, courtesy of Spell Revisions I guess. This requires a slight change in tactics, but the spell is still extremely useful. Anyhow, after slaying a particularly nasty half-ogre, Tyrus gleefully picks up an enchanted two-hander from his corpse.

The party heads south towards the mines and, after clearing the area of several winter wolves and kobolds, they offer to defend an artist named Prism from an overzelous bounty hunter. This enemy seems to be a formidable warrior, having several potions and a powerful sword at his disposal. Ultimately, Graywolf falls to Quayle's Chromatic Orbs and Imoen's paralytic toxin. The gnomish mage identifies the blade as Varscona, an enchanted longsword which deals cold damage on each hit, a perfect match for Ajantis. On the way back to Nashkel, the party is ambushed by a pack of kobolds who manage to surprise Quayle, taking him out in a hail of arrows. Tyrus is forced to shell out another 600 gp for resurrection, but he makes up for it by claiming the bounty for the emeralds and by selling off several winter wolf pelts. With some money on his hands again, Tyrus purchases a plate mail for Ajantis and a potion bag for Branwen.

Having had enough of kobolds for now, Tyrus takes the party west in order to explore the coastal area. After fighting their way through some dread wolves and skeletons, the group stumbles upon a lighthouse. A charming bard named Safana offers to join Tyrus if he helps her retrieve some trinkets from a nearby cave. He agrees and the party goes treasure hunting. A pack of hobgoblins is dispatched with relative ease but Branwen wanders off too far while chasing one of them which alerts three nearby sirens. These things are nasty, they immediately turn improved invisible, charm Branwen and then proceed to pelt Ajantis and Tyrus who came to her aid with poison arrows. Both warriors are immune to charm, thanks to Tyrus' berserk state and Ajantis' Inquisitor training, but their hit points are going down fast due to the poison. Unfortunately, the only one who had any antidote potions and spells was Branwen and she's charmed right now, so Tyrus signals a retreat. However, it's too late for Ajantis, who succumbs to the poison mere seconds before leaving the sirens' view. Tyrus managed to flee but the charmed Branwen is still chasing after him. Fortunately, she snaps out of it just in time and the party is prepared to retreat to the nearest temple. At the last moment, Tyrus remembers that Ajantis' gear is still out there, and fearing that someone might steal it, he sends Quayle to gather it. Using his innate invisibility spell, the gnome manages to sneak past the sirens undetected and retrieves everything save the plate mail armor which is too heavy for him to carry. Tyrus gives the signal and everyone gets ready to retreat to the Friendly Arm inn. As if all of this wasn't enough, the party gets ambushed by dagger throwing skeletons on the way back, who cut down Quayle before he has a chance to react. Branwen quickly picks up the gnome's gear and everyone runs away, not willing to risk another confrontation right now. Finally, the inn is in sight and Tyrus spends another 1500 gold raising his fallen companions.

After recuperating at the inn, and spending the remainder of the party's gold on antidote potions and another plate mail for Ajantis, Tyrus decides to head back and teach those nasty sirens a lesson. The group prepares much more thoroughly this time, with Bless, Luck and Protection from Evil on the frontliners. BTW, I really like what Spell Revisions did here. These spells now all have a longer duration which turns them into formidable buffs. I remember glancing over their description and barely ever casting them in the unmodded game, especially Luck. Anyway, Ajantis uses his True Sight ability to dispel the sirens' invisibility while the enraged Tyrus applies an Oil of Speed. This time, the creatures didn't stand a chance. Fittingly, this grants both Ajantis and Tyrus a level up. Tyrus' berserk state wears off so Ajantis goes to take out the remaining sirens by himself. Confident in his Inquisitor training, he shrugs off their charm attempts and manages to slay one more siren before succumbing to a confusion spell cast by the sirens' leader, Sil. The brave paladin keeps struggling and even takes out Sil before falling victim to the remaining siren. The other partymembers have been following the battle from afar, and since Safana is pouring the pressure on them, they decide to rest rather than go back to the temple again. In the morning, an enraged Tyrus dispatches the last siren and slaughters several carrion crawlers along the way, clearing the path to the cave enterance. Inside, Tyrus defeats the Flesh Golems thanks to Branwen's healing and Safana's singing. After Imoen disarms some traps, the party finally gets to the treasure. Luckily, there are no ambushes on the way back to the Friendly Arm inn, where Ajantis gets resurrected and Quayle identifies the loot. Among other things, the party has secured a Manual of Bodily Health which Tyrus uses to improve his constitution score. The remaining trinkets are sold, save for the Wand of Paralyzation which Quayle keeps. Tyrus treats the entire party to a round of drinks and everyone gets some well-deserved rest.


Party stats:

Tyrus - Berserker(4)
Ajantis - Inquisitor(4)
Branwen - Cleric(4)
Imoen - Bounty Hunter(5)
Quayle - Wild Mage(4)
Safana - Skald(5)


P.S.

Sorry if the screenshots seem a bit blurry, for some reason Photobucket is auto-resizing them. I guess it's because I'm using a widescreen resolution or something (1366x768).

[Jeff W]

The Fred wrote...

Then, I head back to civilisation, planning to pick K&J up at the FAI and buy a Stone to Flesh scroll from the temple. Thanks to my high XP, I get the highest level versions, though for some reason it refuses to give my Jaheira at L5/6, so I get her at L4/4 instead (I tested this with a saved game, cheating myself up to 40k XP, and I still got her at L4/4). 

I think with dual classing your effective clevel=(class1+class2)/2. I am not 100% sure of the formula, but I know dual classing is very bad for npc incarnations.

[Wierdo]

Thailog wrote...

Sorry if the screenshots seem a bit blurry, for some reason Photobucket is auto-resizing them. I guess it's because I'm using a widescreen resolution or something (1366x768).

I don't think it is photobucket. I notice that you are using JPGs. JPGs are popular here, but they always seem to come out  quite blurry for some reason. It may be to do with the algorithms MS Paint uses (assuming that you are pasting screenshots into MS Paint). Here are some friendly suggestions:

- Try saving as PNG files instead. They seem to work much, much better than JPGs.

- Try turning the screen brightness or "gamma" up in your BG Game Options menu (press "O"). This way your pics will be brighter as well (allthough using PNG files will make them look clearer and brighter as well).

- Crop the pictures. Resolutions like 1366x768 are really quite difficult to see any decent details in, and they automatically get resized DOWN when displayed. You can crop pics with MS Paint but it is awkward. If you have Photoshop or something similar, then try using that.

- Embed selected pics into your posts, rather than linking. Carefully embedding selected cropped pics in your posts really brings your characters to life and people can immediately relate to your descriptions of the action. People tend to not click external links unless they have a good reason to. You can still link to pictures if you like, but save that for extra detail as necessary (e.g for large or indulgent pics).

This is how to embed pics,  except be sure to replace curly brackets { } with square ones [ ]:

{img}http:/photobucket.com/blahblahblah.png{/img}

You can also work it out by "quoting" someone with embedded pics and clicking on the "BBCode" button. BBCode stands for "Bulletin Board Code", which is commonly used with online forums.

FINALLY, I suggest keeping posts reasonably short if possible. Keep paragraphs short as well, and try to break up the text with a few embedded pics, especially for longer posts. If you have more to write about then make another post rather than just creating a huge one. People are more likely to read the details in modest-length posts than in huge posts. It would be a darn shame if people miss the details as I am sure that your party will have many memorable adventures.

OK, better finish this post off before it gets too long (and schoolteacher-ish!) 

Modifié par Wierdo, 29 mars 2011 - 07:55 .