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+2 Yeslick +2 Mur'neth +1 xzar Really glad that everything is moving along again Vorgen.
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Jun 10, 2013 01:29
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-5 to Xan I think I actually dislike Xan more than I disliked Shar-Teel, something something no grace.
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Jun 10, 2013 03:30
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Is Xan becoming the new Shar-Teel of our time?
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Jun 10, 2013 04:28
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Maybe this is just the fate that awaits all formidable mates, no matter how strong, graceful or pleasant.
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Jun 10, 2013 04:32
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BiggestOrangeTree posted:Maybe this is just the fate that awaits all formidable mates, no matter how strong, graceful or pleasant. Branwen and Viconia seem to be doing fine.
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Jun 10, 2013 04:34
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Vorgen posted:Is Xan becoming the new Shar-Teel of our time? -5 to people voting -5 to Xan. Yeah, let's do this.
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Jun 10, 2013 08:27
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+5 votes for Vorgen . Just wanted to say I've been following this thread since day 1 and loving it. 
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Jun 10, 2013 10:13
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Vorgen posted:Is Xan becoming the new Shar-Teel of our time? Quoting myself from years ago because I totally called it  Trin Tragula posted:Shar-Teel and Xan Now that's foresight.
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Jun 10, 2013 11:06
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That Kivan-I-am! That Kivan-I-am! I do not like that Kivan-I-am!
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+1 Alora +1 Firebead Elvenhair +1 Viconia +1 Yeslick +1 Kagain
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Jun 10, 2013 13:01
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+2 Dynaheir +2 Xan +1 Edwin Get some more spellcasters up in this
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Jun 10, 2013 19:37
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+5 Jetlaya
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Jun 10, 2013 20:03
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+5 to Branwen.
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Jun 10, 2013 20:27
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Okay, here are the final votes:code:The Shar-Teel Award for Most Controversial Character goes to: Xan! The Most Meteoric Rise Award goes to: Branwen! The Greatest Fall Award goes to: Black Bear! The Nobody Cares Award is an 7-way tie between Bub Snikt, Conchobhair Strongblade, Faldorn, Ferthgil Trollslayer, Rose, Skeezer Lumpkin IV, and Thorfinn Hauskluniff! Vorgen fucked around with this message at 08:53 on Jun 11, 2013 |
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Jun 11, 2013 03:57
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Aww, I forgot about Corncobhair.
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Jun 11, 2013 06:24
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Team Finch is going strong gj guys
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Jun 11, 2013 07:02
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Vorgen posted:The Nobody Cares Award is an 8-way tie between ... Kagain... Nobody even cared enough to put him on the list.
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Jun 11, 2013 08:45
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sebzilla posted:Nobody even cared enough to put him on the list. Wait... he shouldn't be on there. He's at 11th place. I edited the post.
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Jun 11, 2013 08:54
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Who finished 4th in the last round of voting? Was it Squirrel? Whoever it was, they're not on the list either. Ah ok, she's listed as (singing in the waves) atm though. Trin Tragula fucked around with this message at 15:21 on Jun 11, 2013 |
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Jun 11, 2013 10:02
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Trin Tragula posted:Who finished 4th in the last round of voting? Was it Squirrel? Whoever it was, they're not on the list either. Squirrel is there, he is 28th. And Lady Seafoam Wonderbounce made 4th last time, and she is 30th this time.
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Jun 11, 2013 14:12
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 14 Flamerule, 1370 Beginning of Chapter 7 Narration This mission to go back to Candlekeep makes me contemplative. I wander back to the Elfsong Tavern, my thoughts cast back to days long past. It has been over a year since I left that place. I go to my room alone, sit down, and open this journal. I read my first entry again, from what seems like so long ago. Almost as if it was written by a different person. So young, so full of vim and vigor, so confident in the permanence of the reality around him. So much... so very much Gorion's son. I take off all my magical equipment - my amulet, my rings, my gloves, even the magical wonder that is my robe - and take a good, long look at myself in the mirror.  Yep, that's me. A little worse for wear, but you can see the sunken, haunted eyes, even if my skin is Weave-kissed and golden. I still feel the loss, you know. The hollow part of me where my familiar used to be. It throbs, right next to the giant, gaping chasm where my father used to be; where my home used to be; where my life used to be. I now know as much or more about the Weave as any of the learned sages of Candlekeep. But what has it brought me? Ecstasy, wild and free, sure. But also horror beyond my worst nightmares. I've turned beings to ice, and shattered them. I've called efreeti and djinni and elementals to do my bidding. Cacofiends have come at my beck and call, and sometimes without it. I have killed people in more ways than they probably have names for back at Candlekeep. That didn't bother me so much while I was out here, in the wild world, red in tooth and claw. In fact, I... kinda liked it. But after doing all that... to go back? Can I even face my old teachers now, knowing what I've done? What if they've heard of me? What if they scryed on me at just the wrong time? What if they don't understand why I've done the things I've done? I guess there's only one way to find out. I turn to the Tomes that I have picked up recently. I distract myself from these useless thoughts by reading them thoroughly.   I feel a little better after I've absorbed that knowledge.  I meditate for the night on my newfound knowledge, and my dreams are full of brightness and dancing.  In the morning, I know what I must do. If I'm going to go back to Candlekeep hot in the trail of the leaders of the Iron Throne, I don't want to mess around. I need my closest, most dependable allies for this mission. I need my heart's closest companions, those who will stand with me through the worst this plane of existence has to offer. Imoen has always been with me from the beginning, and she's staying with me now.   Sorry to have kept you waiting. Lets get going. You bet! We'll nick ourselves a whole purse o' fun before the night is through!Finch I also met in Candlekeep, what seems like eons ago. Im sure she'll love going back too. She will be a staunch ally in this endeavor.  Certainly! It was just not the same without the constant scratching of a quill in the air! Oh! It is so nice to have one's strengths appreciated. (blush)Kivan has been with me almost as long, and he only gets deadlier every day. I need him behind me, peppering my enemies with his ranged death.  I would tend to agree. Perhaps we should rejoin and continue on our way. A wise choice. Lead on.Xan is my bosom companion, my exemplar in the ways of my people and my once and future lover. He and his Moonblade must protect me from those who would cut me down.  Nothing quite so gruesome, though I do have need of your skills once again. Then I shall do my best for you, though I am sure we both know that the worst is inevitable.And Yeslick, the rock, the ever-ready. One of the best decisions I ever made was rescuing him from that jail cell. I need him on the front lines, anchoring the party in all the chaos to come.  That is an excellent idea. Your sage advice and company have been missed. A wise move. Together we can't possibly fail.As soon as I get the new crew together, Imoen addresses Xan.  At this point, I will admit almost anything to rid myself of this outfit. No, no! That just won't do! You need to be perky and cheerful! If I can get my clothing back, I will indeed be a measure more cheerful than I am now. Not much, mind you, as I am still fighting other lost causes, but my heart will rejoice at not hearing the others call me "that doomed mage in pink." Well since this doesn't seem to be working exactly as I planned, I guess its okay, especially since you say you'll be a bit more cheerful. Few things, though. The hair and nails will take some time to return to normal, and you'll have to wash your face off really good to get all that makeup off. By the way, dontcha think I'm done with you. I've got other ideas up my sleeve. *sighs* Corellon, have mercy on me... Yet another lost cause to fight...But he follows her advice, and is soon looking normal again.  While he is getting ready, the remainder of the party gets ready as well. Soon we are suited up in our best gear. No playing around this time - we are dressed to kill. Literally.  Gameplay note: I'm as deadly as ever.  Gameplay note: Xan has an AC of -17. MINUS SEVENTEEN. That is insane. He also has a THACO of 0. I think that's a 0 percent chance of missing?  Gameplay note: I opted to go for helms of mental protection and rings of elemental damage resistance this time around, which makes people a little easier to hit but less easy to burn/freeze/melt to death. You can see that here with Yeslick.  Gameplay note: Everyone is hella decked out though. I wouldn't mind taking this party's equipment to the end of BG2.  Gameplay note: Kivan's quiver is completely full with 450 Arrows +2. And he is wielding the +10 damage Strong Arm bow. He also gets to summon wyverns, because those are incredibly useful.  Gameplay note: Imoen has a mix of thiefy and magely equipment. She'll be laying the smack down from the back, with me. We head out, but before we begin our journey, I do something unusual. I stop by Sorcerous Sundries and BUY things. I actually have money!  Xan kinda bugs me while I am perusing the store, however.   Lately, I complained that I was no longer able to tell the reality from the waking dream: deaths, batttles, and nightmares expected me at every corner. Now, however, this unfamiliar feeling of happiness makes me think I am already in Arvandor. Though this would, too, be a nightmare of a sort: Arvandor, while serene and safe, lacks you. Thus, should I by some unlikely chance wind up in the Blessed Realm, I would no longer be happy there. *Xan sighs and kisses your cheek.* But I am more than happy as it is, I suppose.I am happy to find that there are several spells available that I have never heard of before. Great! And I think I can cast them too! I buy Farsight, Secret Word, Protection from Cold, Protection from Fire, Fiery Cloud, Skeleton Guard, and Power Word Blind.  Gameplay note: A good way to complete hard-to-reach areas of the map if you want to see the artwork, or explore without exploring. I hardly ever use it though.  Gameplay note: The phrase "7th level or lower" is key here, because clerics only have 7 levels of spells, and Shield of the Archons is their highest-level spell protection. So with a simple level 4 spell Secret Word, you can negate the entire cleric class. Mwahahahaha.  Gameplay note: 100% cold resistance. With cold-resist items on as well I think that means you get healed by cold damage.  Gameplay note: Same deal here with fire. Level 5 spells are the place to be for protection from individual elements.  Gameplay note: This sounds like a fun cloudkill-esque burnination. I'll have to try it out soon.  Gameplay note: Skeletal Warriors are no joke. They have been responsible for quite a few party deaths. And bad guys have either started off with 4 skeletal warriors or cast this spell at us already in battle. It will be nice to turn the tide, some day.  Gameplay note: Saving Throw: None. Dayum. Also if you're level 6 or less, you're blinded for the rest of your life. Dayum again. And then, with the leftover money, I buy 25 Potions of Super Healing. We were getting low. Splurging on obscure arcane magic has me in a good mood. I'm practically whistling as I saunter out the front gate of the city and across the bridge. That's how Zernan finds me.  All right, but please make it quick. I see you are one who is straight forward in all your undertakings. Very well. You have the History of the Nether Scrolls, and I am in dire need of it. Yes, it is the book Duke Eltan gave you but its value lies not in the amount of gold it can fetch nor the passage it can gain you through the protected walls of the Great Library. Where, then, does its value lie? I am pleased to have gained your undividied attention. My scribes and I have long been searching for this book, for it is the missing piece in a history of ancient magic that has long been lost. I simply wish to obtain it and complete the document which has been my life's work. I understand... but if I give this to you, I will not be able to go inside Candlekeep to capture the Iron Throne leaders. I can not simply hand it over. Oh, heavens no! I do understand that you are in need of ANY book that is of at least 10,000-gold-piece value to gain access to the library walls... and that is what I have conveniently, or should I say pain-stakingly, brought with me today. So you are proposing a trade of some sort? Indeed, I am. And what are the terms of this trade? I have here with me a tome of equal monetary value, Syvishtar. I have not come by it easily, having spent some years doing extensive research on its location, but seeing the gravity of the situation you are in, I believe I am left with no other choice. My research requires the information on the Nether Scrolls, and I cannot let it pass me by. Will you accept my offer? Why not use the book you possess to gain entry into Candlekeep yourself? I am sure their scholars would be more than willing to let you do your study... or even help you in your research... Unless you have some other motive for obtaining this tome. Other motive? What other motive could a scholar have than to further his knowledge? True. But a scholar you are not, Zernan, if that is your real name. You speak one thing and yet clearly mean another. You are indeed the cunning hero they claim you to be, Syvishtar. Only one such as you could see through a cleverly conceived web of lies laid out to perfection. It is unfortunate that your life must be cut short on account of your petty persistence... The book is mine! Kill them...! We'll meet at the Arm...And the bastard teleports away with the book!  Xan swings his moonblade, and blood flies everywhere. One thief is decapitated!  Kivan takes out the last one. They were not really a threat to us.  He said he'd meet at the Arm. He must mean the Friendly Arm Inn. We take off for the place right away.  As we rush down the path to the Friendly Arm, we see our quarry standing right in front of us on the road!  You can run, Zernan, but know for sure that I will track you down. Your hirelings cannot hold me back! I will have that tome.We are rushed by another contingent of thieves, this time with hobgoblin backup.  Kivan begins to flail about as if fighting for his life, and he is. Invisible stalkers attack him and almost kill him!  They also attack me, and I feel my life flashing before my eyes!  Arrows go right through the Invisible Stalkers, so Kivan switches to his spear.  A joint Flamestrike/Lightning Bolt combo doesn't seem to faze one much either.  But with a concentrated attack from Xan, Kivan, myself, and Imoen's Minute Meteors, we manage to take one out.  Xan's Moonblade seems to be hitting the Invisible Stalkers pretty hard, but they hit him pretty hard too.  He drinks down a potion and manages to slice the invisible enemy in half. Then there is only one left.  We all surround it and pound on it, and finally we destroy it. I destroy it!  That was mildly frightening. We burned half our healing potions on this fight alone! And then he said he's going to the mines. It must be the Nashkel mines, because the Cloakwood Mines are flooded. Great... back to Nashkel again? Vorgen fucked around with this message at 16:08 on Jun 14, 2013 |
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Jun 13, 2013 16:02
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Vorgen posted:Gameplay note: Xan has an AC of -17. MINUS SEVENTEEN. That is insane. He also has a THACO of 0. I think that's a 0 percent chance of missing? Since you asked, THAC0 stands for To Hit Armor Class Zero, which means it is the number you have to meet or beat to hit someone whose AC is 0. Armor Class acts as a modifier to that roll, so someone with a THAC0 of 15 attacking a target with AC 9 would only need to roll a 6 or better on a d20 to hit her target. On the other hand, Xan would need a 17 or better to hit himself.
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Jun 13, 2013 16:18
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Holy poo poo, dat AC on Xan. With 20something HP, he's going to need it. Edit:Oh poo poo, I think I just remembered where you're going. Good luck.
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Jun 13, 2013 16:22
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Look at that. Look at that. Syv's got god-like levels of intelligence. Also, pretty sure the core rules never let your AC go below -10, because that was supposed to be "impossible". Also, where Great Gold Wyrms ended up for AC. Might be thinking of plain old AD&D, though, before 2nd Ed. Still, -17. Goddamn, Xan.
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Jun 13, 2013 17:50
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"You all take ten points of acid damage." "But I only have 21 hit points..." "Well, now you have eleven!"
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Jun 13, 2013 18:14
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Shei-kun posted:Look at that. Look at that. I just checked my AD&D 2nd edition monster manual and Great Wyrms of gold and red both went below -11 AC. BTW, what unholy conglomeration of equipment have you got on him, Vorgen?
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Jun 13, 2013 18:21
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Shei-kun posted:Look at that. Look at that. Actually, some dragons had AC in the -12 range. But that was supposed to be nigh-impossible to get.
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Jun 13, 2013 18:28
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Shei-kun posted:Look at that. Look at that. God-like levels of dexterity, too. Which is even weirder, for a mage.
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Jun 13, 2013 21:06
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stille posted:God-like levels of dexterity, too. Which is even weirder, for a mage.
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Jun 13, 2013 23:41
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Shei-kun posted:Look at that. Look at that. Just straight-up immune to them. This would include mirror images and invisibility. Syv is so smart that he can see things that the universe has been convinced cannot be seen.
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Jun 14, 2013 03:28
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Sejs Cube posted:I don't know that it's carried over like it should be into Baldur's Gate, but from tabletop at this point Syv is so intelligent that he can't be fooled by 1st and 2nd level illusions. Wait wait wait what. That wasn't in 3(.5)E!
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Jun 14, 2013 03:45
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Cat Army 
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The Iron Rose posted:Wait wait wait what. That wasn't in 3(.5)E! That's because 3.x works differently. 2nd edition, stats go up to 25, stop. 25 is basically "godly". Anything above 18 is beyond human. 3.x, stats go up to.. well, as high as you want, really. 50s is gods, generally. So, it's a very different paradigm (and stats only provide specific bonuses, and don't have these kinds of tiered extras).
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Jun 14, 2013 05:00
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Shei-kun posted:Look at that. Look at that. The other aspect of his stats is that he's willingly donning the Robe of Dh'ar'lome, which reduces his INT to 19. It also boosts his WIS to 19, and gives him something like 50% magic resistance and increased spellcasting speed. But he's willingly dumbing himself down for the conveniences of the robe.
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Jun 14, 2013 05:44
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stille posted:Holy poo poo, dat AC on Xan. With 20something HP, he's going to need it. I didn't realize Xan had so little life,even at level 5. No wonder he's so depressive, an unlucky crit from anything larger than a kobold could still take him out. What mod is this anyways? I know there'll be lots of opportunities for horrible death in Candlekeep,but the theft of the book isn't from the original game.
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Jun 14, 2013 10:50
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The Vault. Return to Nashkel, to be more precise
stille fucked around with this message at 11:13 on Jun 14, 2013 |
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Jun 14, 2013 11:10
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 15 Flamerule, 1370 We arrive in Nashkel after sundown, planning to get a room and go to the mines the next morning.  But just as we cross the bridge...  We shall see about that.And before any of us can get a spell off, Zernan turns himself invisible.  Again he throws more minions at us. Again with the Invisible Stalkers!  Imoen and Kivan run to the start of the bridge, Imoen summoning some minions to protect them.  I cast Mirror Image, and then Tenser's Transformation, and wade into melee with one of the Invisible Stalkers. That's when Zernan attacks me!  Finch finds herself between two of the enemies, and hurts for it.  She runs away, and Imoen actually takes our Zernan!  I rush to his body and search it. Three diamonds, 30 magical arrows, a dagger, and a note. NO BOOK! Finch can't get away from the Invisible Stalker, uh, stalking her, and she keeps running away and bleeding. I throw her some healing potions, and we all attack the enemy going after her. We manage to distract it.  Each stalker requires concentrated effort of 4 of us to take out. I'm so glad Zernon is dead. We won't have to deal with any more of these!  Yeslick calls upon the power of the gods to take them out.  And he does indeed take out the last.  Then we turn to the relatively harmless thieves that popped out of the shadows.  They shouldn't have agreed to this contract. When we kill them, Xan reveals that his mind was elsewhere.  Syvishtar, why me in particular? Why not one of the heedless, handsome youths from whom you might choose as and when you would? My choice accords with the moonblade's. I fnd worth in you. Oh, you certainly have a lot in common. Namely that I will die if separated from either of you.I almost answer with "You'll die because of us, too," but I stop myself. It is a horribly morbid thing to say, and why would I even think that? The only thing of worth that we got out of this fight was a note on Zernan.  Ok, carnival outskirts north of the hill. Screw sleeping, I'm going straight there now. When we arrive, I realize that there are several hills north of the carnival at the outskirts.  It turns out to be the east-most one.  You are correct. Zernan has sent me here to, um, collect his reward. I know not who you are, but you are a poor liar! What has become of Zernon?! Ah, it matters now, I must slay you to keep your silence! So be it.He begins to cast, and I back away, preparing for more Invisible Stalkers. But no, this one summons Stone Golems.  I remember the cure for Stone Golems! Lots of summoned fodder. Imoen and Kivan take care of that.  We back up to allow the minions to do their work. But the Invisible Stalkers show up again! Crap!  Kivan drinks a healing potion and switches to melee. I know what's coming next - I cast Detect Invisibility. HA!  Mysterious Man, you can't fool me twice. To keep him visible for the rest of the fight, I tag him with an Acid Arrow.  Kivan summons a wyvern and takes off, but the stalker follows him. Another backstabs Xan! They're everywhere!  I back off and try to take out the mystery man from afar. But the Weave tells me I should attack him face-to-face.  Fine. I will. But as I go up to touch him with my ghoulish touch, Imoen kills him with a minute meteor.  The Invisible Stalker slaughtering goes well down south too, and there is only a stone golem left.  Yeslick takes that one out, and I breathe a huge sigh of relief.  There is nothing on the mysterious man's corpse but a +1 sling, some bullets of fire, and two books on the History of the Drow. What?! Where's my tome! Ok. Maybe we should rest. See if I can come up with any magical defense against Invisible Stalkers. Read these books. Try to decide what to do next. I lead the party back to the Nashkel Inn. When we get there, I notice that Imoen and Xan have been in a quiet conversation for a while. Both of them seem to be discussing the Invisible Stalkers and how to defeat them. They seem wiser than before - more experienced.   Gameplay note: He now has 4 pips in Long Sword, making him a High Master of Long Swords. That means -1 speed factor added to the other benefits that he has of +2 THAC0, +3 damage, and +1/2 attacks per round.  Gameplay note: You can see now that his THAC0 is -1. Someone in the thread asked for details of Xan's ungodly equipment. Let me break it down. This is Xan with no equipment, not even his moonblade:   Gameplay note: He's got 21 hit points (just leveled) and an 8 AC. Usually naked people have a 10 AC, but he's got high DEX, so he gets a 2 point bonus. And he has a base THAC0 of 15, like every level 6 fighter. I think? Put on his moonblade and his AC drops to 5, while his THAC0 drops to 9.   Gameplay note: His THAC0 drop is because he's got High Mastery in Long Swords, and his moonblade counts as a Long Sword. His moonblade is supposed to give him +1 AC, but it counts as +3. Maybe because of a DEX bonus? Not sure. His Moonblade also gives him 50% Fire Resistance, which is useful. Then we put on Elven Chain Mail +1, because he can't use the +3 version. There are only 2 of those, and only Yeslick and Finch can use them. Not sure why. Anyways, the Elven Chain Mail +1 sets his AC to -3.  Gameplay note: Then we put on the Helm of Protection, an item that gives +2 AC bonus and 25% fire resistance. It doesn't have the strange exaggerated effects that the other items have, it just works as advertised:  Gameplay note: Next is his favorite shield, the Medium Shield +2 'Heart of the Dragon'. It gives a +4 AC bonus, increased hit points, and +5% magic resistance. It also increases spellcasting time by 2 but who cares? It's only Xan. He puts it on and gets +2 more AC and +10 hit points. Why +2 and not +4, as advertised? I have no idea.  Gameplay note: Next is the Ring of Protection +3. We only have one of these. Putting it on takes Xan's AC down to -10.  Gameplay note: Normally if you wear one Ring of Protection you can't wear another, but we have a way around that with the Talisman of Protection from the Stone of Askavar quest. It doesn't conflict with Rings of Protection, so that goes on the other ring slot for another -1 AC.  Gameplay note: Next is the Fast Boots of Protection. They say they give Haste and +1 AC. But when Xan puts them on, they give a +3 bonus. His AC is now -14.  Gameplay note: Then we give him the Cloak of Protection +2, which also doesn't conflict with the Ring of Protection or the Talisman of Protection. It gets his AC up to -16.  Gameplay note: All of this equipment so far has been defensive, and has not affected Xan's THAC0. The next item affects both AC and THAC0, however. It is the Bluestone Necklace of Dexterity. It gives +3 DEX and +3 THAC0. Putting it on brings Xan's AC to -17 and his THAC0 to 6.   Gameplay note: We have two other items that give him a damage and/or THAC0 bonus. The first is the Warrior Gloves, which give +3 to damage and +3 to THAC0.  Gameplay note: And the last is the Improved Girdle 'Elves' Bane'. It sets his STR to 22, and gives a +3 AC bonus vs. piercing weapons. Going from 13 STR to 22 STR brings down Xan's THAC0 to -1, because it gives him a +4 to hit and +10 to damage to be that strong.  Gameplay note: So with all this equipment on, Xan is a super-strong, super-dextrous golden god that can slice fools in half with one swing of his moonblade. He still gets knocked over in a light breeze, though. If the light breeze can manage to bypass his armor. But he's just about the elfiest elf that ever elfed. I mean, just LOOK at him!  Gameplay note: And in 2 more levels he can cast spells in that getup. Oh, I forgot something else. Yeslick is carrying the Shield of Falling Stars. That means that allies within 6 feet get an AC bonus. So stick Xan next to Yeslick, and he suddenly has an AC of -21!  Gameplay note: So as long as he sticks next to the dwarf, he should be invincible. Imoen goes off to contemplate her own role in the scheme of things.    Gameplay note: Ooh, level 5 spells now! I get her to memorize Shadow Door, Phantom Blade, and Summon Monster III.  We all eventually gather around the crackling fireplace, and listen to Finch read the two new volumes of Drow lore that we picked up. I hope there's a clue in there somewhere on what we should do next.  History of the Drow, The Descent posted:... two cruel deities, Ghaunadaur and Lolth, forced elves, humans, dwarves, and others to ally against them.  History of the Drow, The Dark Wars posted:...priestess, for rule of their new realm. This all-out war ended amid great magical explosions that brought down the roof of the largest dwarven cavern they had seized, great Bhaerynden. The ceiling collapsed entirely, burying many drow and the shattered dwarven cities. The cavern, now open to the sky, became know as The Great Rift. The surviving drow nobles gathered what people, slaves, and equipment they could seize, and fled into the Underdark in search of places to dwell. "The Scattering" brought about the many rival, self-interested cities where most drow live today. Why would this mysterious man be researching the Drow? Okay, actually, I think that there is only one explanation. He was dealing with them somehow. There are Drow around here and I am going to have to fight them. Great. Sleep well, me! But sleeping well is not to be. In the night, I dream. The next morning I wake early, and research Invisible Stalkers. I actually have that spell in my spellbook already, but I just can't cast it reliably yet.  Okay then. I do not know how to counter them better than what we are doing now, which is drinking a ton of healing potions. Maybe Detect Invisibility? Maybe Glyphs of Warding from the priests to hit them and not us? It is worth a shot. We prepare our spellbooks for the strategy, in case we encounter more of them. I also feel different somehow.  Gameplay note: I have gained the ability Divine Might. It is like the priest spell Draw Upon Divine Might, but gets better with levels. And, oh, hey, I didn't notice before, but I also have the Scribe Scroll ability. Sweet! Now Firebead Elvenhair doesn't need to stay in my pocket plane anymore. After thinking about our situation, I feel as though we should check out the mines. Zergan did mention them, after all, and that's the reason that I'm down here. I killed him in Nashkel proper, and his friend at the carnival, but I didn't actually get to the mines yet. Maybe that's where I can find my book. Probably taken by Drow, too. drat dark elves! Wish that I could be rid of you forever. As soon as we get to the mines, we are attacked by a phase spider!  This must be drow work. Xan protects me.  More spiders appear near the mines. We are definitely on the right track.  It really is overkill, what we do to them.  We find even more spiders at the mine entrance!  I find the mine overseer just as I did so very long ago. He's still not happy to see me, and still gives me an insane deadline. But why should he change? I haven't!  LETS DO THIS!! Vorgen fucked around with this message at 04:49 on Jun 15, 2013 |
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Jun 14, 2013 16:21
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Vorgen posted:Okay then. I do not know how to counter them better than what we are doing now, which is drinking a ton of healing potions. Maybe Detect Invisibility? Maybe Glyphs of Warding from the priests to hit them and not us? It is worth a shot. We prepare our spellbooks for the strategy, in case we encounter more of them. Their main weakness is lack of Magic or Elemental Resistances, so I would highly recommend dropping Holy Smites on them. Potions of Firebreath or Agganazar's Scorcher should also be extremely effective. They have many status immunities, but Fear is not one of them so load up on Horror and spam that. They are not immune to Slow, so spam that.
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Jun 14, 2013 19:14
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Vorgen posted:Gameplay note: Next is his favorite shield, the Medium Shield +2 'Heart of the Dragon'. It gives a +4 AC bonus, increased hit points, and +5% magic resistance. It also increases spellcasting time by 2 but who cares? It's only Xan. He puts it on and gets +2 more AC and +10 hit points. Why +2 and not +4, as advertised? I have no idea. My guess is the +4 of the shield is overriding some other +2 bonus, so you only get an extra 2 when you have Xan use the shield. Probably thet Helm of Protection. Try removing it and see if Xan's AC changes (it shouldn't) Of course, we demand that you optimise your 200+ equipped items so you don't waste a single AC point. VVVVVV Well, there goes my theory. It's been too long since I've played D&D, and I'm mixing things up. Fat Samurai fucked around with this message at 20:48 on Jun 14, 2013 |
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Jun 14, 2013 19:45
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Fat Samurai posted:If I remember correctly, in D&D there are several classes of AC boosting effects. Off the top of my head, the AC bonus can be classified as deflection, armor, shield, dodge or natural armor bonus. All those stack with each other, but if you try to put two of the same class in the same character, the biggest one will override the other. For example, stoneskin and barkskin (both natural armor bonus) do not stack, but a ring of protection (deflection, I think) and a barkskin spell will. Number one, the codified bonus types were a 3rd edition innovation, and number two, by those types a shield enhancement bonus would normally stack with everything that isn't on a shield (or isn't the Shield spell). In 2nd, Rings of Protection aren't supposed to stack with themselves or with magic armor bonuses, although the latter isn't true in Baldur's Gate, but beyond that any given source of AC stacks with every other. Mostly that's because there really aren't that many alternatives, at least not in base 2nd edition.
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Jun 14, 2013 20:01
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This implies modders kept to D&D rules rather than building up the buggy monstrosities we've all come to know and love.
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Jun 14, 2013 20:04
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BG2 has specific AC against slashing, crushing, piercing and missiles, so perhaps some of the AC is in those categories.
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Jun 14, 2013 21:13
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