Hello friends.
Have you done the thing in the topic? I haven't done the thing in the topic. Not with an exp-capped character anyway.
You see, my guy can't shoot arrows, so I can't dispel Sarevok's Haste with any consistency (or at all), which means I can't deal with his cronies before he himself chops me into little pieces.
I'm playing a Cleric/Illusionist, and his friends keep dispelling my protective spells, meaning I rarely have enough time to gulp a potion of invisibility before I get chunked. Been using mustard jelly form to stop the mages from exploding me after dispelling my everything, but it's too slow to run away from Sarevok while I necklace-of-missiles them to death.
I tried interrupting casts with the necklace, but I can't catch both Semaj and Angelo in the blast at once,and it doesn't even interrupt Semaj half the time anyway - even though it does damage to him every time, I mostly just get a message that "one of the spells has failed", whatever that means. He does start casting his dispel immediately after teleporting in, which means fractions of a second after his "pre-buffs" fire. May have something to do with that.
I thought of using invisibility to cancel that first cast. Doesn't work. Even if I go invisible before it finishes, at least Semaj still gets his cast off. If I'm lucky, it's breach. If I'm unlucky, it's remove magic, I get all my buffs stripped, and am then cut to ribbons in roughly 3 seconds.
I thought of using buffed skeletons to 'tank' the dispels, but they just get chopped up instead.
I thought of trying to separate them, but they move together inside the temple even while I'm invisible and the door to outside is shut.
All in all, I'm kind of stumped. Does anyone have any pointers on what to do here?
Soloing SCS Sarevok
Débuté par
Bobfly
, sept. 25 2011 11:23
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#2
Posté 25 septembre 2011 - 11:32
AnonymousHero
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I haven't tried the "tactical challenge" version of Sarevok, only the normal one with "smarter mages", but... In my game it's possible to park him somewhere in a corner (using potion of invisibility) while you deal with everyone else. While his cronies will converge on anything attacking Sarevok, he doesn't seem to detect that his cronies are being attacked.
Re: the Dispel. Try to go in unbuffed, let Semaj cast his dispel at you before going invisible and buffing (with potions).
Re: the Dispel. Try to go in unbuffed, let Semaj cast his dispel at you before going invisible and buffing (with potions).
#3
Posté 25 septembre 2011 - 11:40
Gorthaur X
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I have never even tried to solo SCS Sarevok, and I play with BG1 spells only, so clearly, I am not the most qualified person to help you.
Still, if you go with the skeleton approach, one useful thing about them is that frail as they are, they're immune to certain otherwise annoying spells. In my previous no-reload game, I had success with casting a couple of Cloudkills and Stinking Clouds before triggering the conversation - skellies can move freely in both, but enemy mages will have difficulty casting spells, and Stinking Cloud has a chance of putting unprotected enemies down, which took Angelo out of the fight in my game during the first round.
I don't know how available BG2 spell scrolls are if you choose to use them with SCS, but I imagine the various Spell Immunity and Spell Shield combos might keep you in the game long enough to cover the area in enough Cloudkills to disrupt the enemy casters and have a bit more time to deal with them while skellies run interference.
Still, if you go with the skeleton approach, one useful thing about them is that frail as they are, they're immune to certain otherwise annoying spells. In my previous no-reload game, I had success with casting a couple of Cloudkills and Stinking Clouds before triggering the conversation - skellies can move freely in both, but enemy mages will have difficulty casting spells, and Stinking Cloud has a chance of putting unprotected enemies down, which took Angelo out of the fight in my game during the first round.
I don't know how available BG2 spell scrolls are if you choose to use them with SCS, but I imagine the various Spell Immunity and Spell Shield combos might keep you in the game long enough to cover the area in enough Cloudkills to disrupt the enemy casters and have a bit more time to deal with them while skellies run interference.
#4
Posté 25 septembre 2011 - 11:55
Bobfly
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The dispel: Yeah, I know, that's what I've been attempting. Two problems though: Firstly, both Semaj and Angelo have both breach and remove magic memorized, and surviving long enough with minimal rebuffs to get them both to blow their second cast is tricky to say the least. Plus, I'd really like to preserve the last cast of stoneskin I have left over from before resting, and I'm getting a bit low on potions to be honest. Hadn't expected to need to conserve three complete sets for the final battle.
The skeletons: Yeah, you're right, that might help. I'm honestly not too hopeful though; with all the physical damage flying around, I don't think it's going to make much of a difference - all the bad guys deal so much physical damage that even a full cast of 3 skeletons (Yeah, 3. I don't know how, but somewhere along the line, my max complement of summons got reduced by 2. I think it's a bug) doesn't last more than 2 rounds. Add that to the fact that all of them have saves vs magic of 1-6 and at least Sarevok and Angelo seem to have pretty good magic resistance...
On spells: Well, SCS adds one scroll of every BG2 spell of level 4 or below to BG1. But being capped at 161k exp, my guy can't cast spells above level 4 even if the scrolls were available. Well, he could cast from the scrolls. I have a single cloudkill scroll left over from fighting Aec'Letec.
The skeletons: Yeah, you're right, that might help. I'm honestly not too hopeful though; with all the physical damage flying around, I don't think it's going to make much of a difference - all the bad guys deal so much physical damage that even a full cast of 3 skeletons (Yeah, 3. I don't know how, but somewhere along the line, my max complement of summons got reduced by 2. I think it's a bug) doesn't last more than 2 rounds. Add that to the fact that all of them have saves vs magic of 1-6 and at least Sarevok and Angelo seem to have pretty good magic resistance...
On spells: Well, SCS adds one scroll of every BG2 spell of level 4 or below to BG1. But being capped at 161k exp, my guy can't cast spells above level 4 even if the scrolls were available. Well, he could cast from the scrolls. I have a single cloudkill scroll left over from fighting Aec'Letec.
Modifié par Bobfly, 25 septembre 2011 - 11:56 .
#5
Posté 25 septembre 2011 - 01:17
Grond0
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Strategies that work solo against Sarevok:
- for a fighter-type. Use scroll magic protection to stop spells + arrows of dispelling to slow down sarevok and boots of speed for mobility. Arrows of detonation on others and potions on yourself can make things easier, but are not a requirement. You do need to wait to use scroll magic protection until the mages have appeared or they will probably wait invisible until the scroll runs out.
- for arcane spell users. Let Sarevok chase you into a corner and then go invisible (potion is best for this as won't get interrupted). Wait out protections on mages and then use wands to damage them (summon monsters out of visible range and then use fireball) before going invisible again (repeat as needed - can even rest invisible in the temple if needed).
- for stealth users. Use the pillars on the west of the temple to hide behind. Even if Sarevok is faster than you are (which should only be the case for a monk, as others can use boots of speed) there is still an opportunity to hide in the short time that Sarevok is hidden by the pillar. Scroll magic protection can provide cover against mage attacks while they are chewed up by attacking from stealth.
I have soloed with the above strategies several times with each type. The only character type I don't play much is a pure cleric / druid and I don't think I've soloed one of those successfully. I can see that they might find it a bit harder than the others as SCS enemies will tend to follow a character under sanctuary so they will need to rely on potions of invisibility to isolate enemies and deal with them. However, there are quite a few of those available so it shouldn't be too hard to use one to put Sarevok in a corner and then deal with his cronies (scroll of magic protection will again be useful here).
- for a fighter-type. Use scroll magic protection to stop spells + arrows of dispelling to slow down sarevok and boots of speed for mobility. Arrows of detonation on others and potions on yourself can make things easier, but are not a requirement. You do need to wait to use scroll magic protection until the mages have appeared or they will probably wait invisible until the scroll runs out.
- for arcane spell users. Let Sarevok chase you into a corner and then go invisible (potion is best for this as won't get interrupted). Wait out protections on mages and then use wands to damage them (summon monsters out of visible range and then use fireball) before going invisible again (repeat as needed - can even rest invisible in the temple if needed).
- for stealth users. Use the pillars on the west of the temple to hide behind. Even if Sarevok is faster than you are (which should only be the case for a monk, as others can use boots of speed) there is still an opportunity to hide in the short time that Sarevok is hidden by the pillar. Scroll magic protection can provide cover against mage attacks while they are chewed up by attacking from stealth.
I have soloed with the above strategies several times with each type. The only character type I don't play much is a pure cleric / druid and I don't think I've soloed one of those successfully. I can see that they might find it a bit harder than the others as SCS enemies will tend to follow a character under sanctuary so they will need to rely on potions of invisibility to isolate enemies and deal with them. However, there are quite a few of those available so it shouldn't be too hard to use one to put Sarevok in a corner and then deal with his cronies (scroll of magic protection will again be useful here).
#6
Posté 25 septembre 2011 - 02:58
AnonymousHero
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In my game, the mages tend to just go invisible when you use that scroll. If you have Detect Illusions (thief) or the ability to cast from scrolls, you can of course remove their invisibility.Grond0 wrote...
Strategies that work solo against Sarevok:
- for a fighter-type. Use scroll magic protection to stop spells + arrows of dispelling to slow down sarevok and boots of speed for mobility. Arrows of detonation on others and potions on yourself can make things easier, but are not a requirement. You do need to wait to use scroll magic protection until the mages have appeared or they will probably wait invisible until the scroll runs out.
The resting-in-temple bit may be a BG2 Tweak/Cheat (Rest Anywhere). In my games you cannot rest in the temple (and I'm pretty sure that's the case in vanilla), though you can leave at any time prior to triggering the fight. I sometimes use this convenient fact to get rid of two or three of the "guardians" triggered by walking on the right hand side of the temple room.Grond0 wrote...
- for arcane spell users. Let Sarevok chase you into a corner and then go invisible (potion is best for this as won't get interrupted). Wait out protections on mages and then use wands to damage them (summon monsters out of visible range and then use fireball) before going invisible again (repeat as needed - can even rest invisible in the temple if needed).
Grond0 wrote...
- for stealth users. Use the pillars on the west of the temple to hide behind. Even if Sarevok is faster than you are (which should only be the case for a monk, as others can use boots of speed) there is still an opportunity to hide in the short time that Sarevok is hidden by the pillar. Scroll magic protection can provide cover against mage attacks while they are chewed up by attacking from stealth.
Monks can use Boots of Speed (again with the usual caveat: in my BGT install. AFAIK, I have no mods which change monks.)
In the tactical challenge, I'd expect the mages to just go invisible if you use the scroll. Still, it might be possible to target them with area effect wands/amulet of missiles/potions.
Anyway to get back on to concrete advice:
This might be a problem. I assume you've cleaned out all the potion vendors?Bobfly wrote...
and I'm getting a bit low on potions to be honest. Hadn't expected to need to conserve three complete sets for the final battle.
EDIT: Also, get wands of (almost) every type, recharge to full and use them. Scorcher wands are especially good against mages, especially if you stack the casts. Depending on your mods and whether you're playing BGT/Tutu you can also get a huge amount of fodder from a Wand of Summoning. The fireballs from WoF and Wand of Cold can also be very effective for targeting invisible enemies.
Modifié par AnonymousHero, 25 septembre 2011 - 03:03 .
#7
Posté 25 septembre 2011 - 07:11
Bobfly
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Yeah, I'd cleaned out the potion vendors. Fortunately, I could make up for any deficiencies with scrolls - being able to use both mage and priest scrolls is a huge boon, especially when combined with wands and necklaces (like neck of missiles, neck of shield etc). Also, I'd read it wrong. Didn't have 3 invisibility potions left: Had EIGHT! Plus a charge from the ring of invisibility. That changed things pretty dramatically.
The reason why I'm typing in the past tense here is because it worked! I think what I'd gotten wrong last time around was trying to pull Sarevok away from the four stooges instead of parking him in a corner and then pulling everyone away from him. Funnily enough, fighting them 1 or 2 at a time is considerably easier than fighting all 5 at once!
Things I've learned:
- The necklace of missiles, along with all the fiery death potions, is hilariously powerful. Mirror images? Heh. Globes of Invulnerability? Pshaw. Honestly, those things are borderline overpowered.
- The polymorph self: spider form is crazy when buffed with potions and DuHM. I took down Angelo, Diarmid, Tazok and their skeleton versions, plus Sarevok himself, with this combo or parts of it. fire shields are also under-appreciated what with them bypassing MR and all.
- Polymorph: mustard jelly, while massively strong in 1-on-1 fights with mages and thieves, falls apart completely once slashing or crushing weapons enter the mix.
- Invisible enemies are the Most Annoying Thing if they start moving around. Lower-level detection spells are just woefully inadequate with their paltry 20-30' AoE.
- The wand of lightning looks impressive, but doesn't actually do as much damage as you might think. Not if your enemies make the save and you can't bounce it off things. Though on second thought, maybe Tazok did chug an electricity resistance potion before things kicked off.
- My install doesn't allow me to rest in the temple
)
Anyway, the short of it is that divide and conquer proves its superiority as a tactic yet again! Even though it might feel a bit silly that you're able to do this, since the fight takes place in what is basically a rectangular room with not a lot of places to hide. I'll just pretend the actual temple has a more interesting layout than what the designers had time to put in and ol' Sarevok got lost or something.
Oh, and there's good reason Sorcerous sundries stocks so many polymorph self scrolls. You need physical damage to beat this fight, mister sorcerer. Diarmid has a scroll of protection from magic, and both Sarevok and Angelo are pretty resistant to magic.
The reason why I'm typing in the past tense here is because it worked! I think what I'd gotten wrong last time around was trying to pull Sarevok away from the four stooges instead of parking him in a corner and then pulling everyone away from him. Funnily enough, fighting them 1 or 2 at a time is considerably easier than fighting all 5 at once!
Things I've learned:
- The necklace of missiles, along with all the fiery death potions, is hilariously powerful. Mirror images? Heh. Globes of Invulnerability? Pshaw. Honestly, those things are borderline overpowered.
- The polymorph self: spider form is crazy when buffed with potions and DuHM. I took down Angelo, Diarmid, Tazok and their skeleton versions, plus Sarevok himself, with this combo or parts of it. fire shields are also under-appreciated what with them bypassing MR and all.
- Polymorph: mustard jelly, while massively strong in 1-on-1 fights with mages and thieves, falls apart completely once slashing or crushing weapons enter the mix.
- Invisible enemies are the Most Annoying Thing if they start moving around. Lower-level detection spells are just woefully inadequate with their paltry 20-30' AoE.
- The wand of lightning looks impressive, but doesn't actually do as much damage as you might think. Not if your enemies make the save and you can't bounce it off things. Though on second thought, maybe Tazok did chug an electricity resistance potion before things kicked off.
- My install doesn't allow me to rest in the temple
)Anyway, the short of it is that divide and conquer proves its superiority as a tactic yet again! Even though it might feel a bit silly that you're able to do this, since the fight takes place in what is basically a rectangular room with not a lot of places to hide. I'll just pretend the actual temple has a more interesting layout than what the designers had time to put in and ol' Sarevok got lost or something.
Oh, and there's good reason Sorcerous sundries stocks so many polymorph self scrolls. You need physical damage to beat this fight, mister sorcerer. Diarmid has a scroll of protection from magic, and both Sarevok and Angelo are pretty resistant to magic.
#8
Posté 25 septembre 2011 - 08:53
Grond0
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I agree that sometimes happens, though I find they're more likely to stay invisible than turn invisible, but in the temple fight it would be handy for them to stay out of the fight initially anyway and you have plenty of area effect magic from wands to use on them even when invisible.AnonymousHero wrote...
In my game, the mages tend to just go invisible when you use that scroll. If you have Detect Illusions (thief) or the ability to cast from scrolls, you can of course remove their invisibility.Grond0 wrote...
Strategies that work solo against Sarevok:
- for a fighter-type. Use scroll magic protection to stop spells + arrows of dispelling to slow down sarevok and boots of speed for mobility. Arrows of detonation on others and potions on yourself can make things easier, but are not a requirement. You do need to wait to use scroll magic protection until the mages have appeared or they will probably wait invisible until the scroll runs out.
Thanks for the information. I assumed that monks were prevented by their immunity to haste and slow, but having tested it on my installation it's just the haste icon on the portrait which is suppressed and the boots themselves do work - have to remember to put them on next time!Grond0 wrote...
- for stealth users. Use the pillars on the west of the temple to hide behind. Even if Sarevok is faster than you are (which should only be the case for a monk, as others can use boots of speed) there is still an opportunity to hide in the short time that Sarevok is hidden by the pillar.Monks can use Boots of Speed (again with the usual caveat: in my BGT install. AFAIK, I have no mods which change monks.)
Modifié par Grond0, 26 septembre 2011 - 06:23 .
#9
Posté 25 septembre 2011 - 09:13
corey_russell
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As far as I understand, monks can't be hasted, but I believe that's talking about attacks per round, NOT simply running faster, which is all the boots of speed does.
#10
Posté 26 septembre 2011 - 05:47
AnonymousHero
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corey_russell wrote...
As far as I understand, monks can't be hasted, but I believe that's talking about attacks per round, NOT simply running faster, which is all the boots of speed does.
In my monk solos it has always been about the walking speed... it's to enable easier use of run & hide tactics. (Not that an extra APR wouldn't be nice, but it's not critical for that fight.)
ISTR the BoS actually granting real haste (including +1 APR) in one of the versions of the game... didn't it in Vanilla, or am I imagining things?
Anyway, not really relevant for this thread...
Congrats for making it, Bobfly!
I've never had the courage to use the Poly Self Spider Form during these fights, but given your and Alesia_BH's exploits with it, I must say that it's very tempting. The "plain" BGT Sarevok with Smarter Mages escorts can be brought down with pure magic, at least with a sorcerer. He doesn't get any(?) MR, just excellent saves, so they get just enough Magic Missiles and other damage spells (via memorization and scrolls) to kill him.
#11
Posté 26 septembre 2011 - 09:05
Bobfly
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Thanks 
And yes, you should definitely try out the spider form some time. It is a bit of a **** to make it work, since you need to get its stats back up from 16 STR/13 DEX/9 CON and then layer protective buffs on top of that. And you can only cast from scrolls and bottles... Gets especially awkward if you want to squeeze holy power in there to land more hits (since at this level that spell only has a max 1 turn duration), but once you have it all set up, you're looking at somewhere in the vicinity of 85 damage per round plus a LOT of poison. You can tear through fights really well with that.
As for the boots, I'm pretty sure you're not just imagining things. Couldn't tell you which bit did it, but in my last install I mysteriously ended up with an extra attack as soon as I picked up the boots of speed.
And yes, you should definitely try out the spider form some time. It is a bit of a **** to make it work, since you need to get its stats back up from 16 STR/13 DEX/9 CON and then layer protective buffs on top of that. And you can only cast from scrolls and bottles... Gets especially awkward if you want to squeeze holy power in there to land more hits (since at this level that spell only has a max 1 turn duration), but once you have it all set up, you're looking at somewhere in the vicinity of 85 damage per round plus a LOT of poison. You can tear through fights really well with that.
As for the boots, I'm pretty sure you're not just imagining things. Couldn't tell you which bit did it, but in my last install I mysteriously ended up with an extra attack as soon as I picked up the boots of speed.
Modifié par Bobfly, 26 septembre 2011 - 09:09 .
#12
Posté 26 septembre 2011 - 12:02
Grond0
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For lots of opponents the speed of the spider's attack means you can nip in, attack and escape before being attacked in return. The poison damage means that this tactic can still win fights reasonably quickly and means your mage is less exposed to those nasty criticals.
