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Benjifer posted:Neither of those spells are really quite as overpowered as they seem. Endurance of Ilmater has a short duration and is only able to be used a maximum of once per day. Flame Strike does damage to a single enemy. Also "once per day" means nothing when you can rest forever 
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Jul 7, 2014 12:57
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ANIME MONSTROSITY posted:Flame Strike does damage to a single enemy. Also "once per day" means nothing when you can rest forever I disliked abusing the rest mechanic in my playthroughs. Quite apart from the roleplaying aspect, it just seemed boring to re-memorize and re-cast your wombo combo after every battle. Playing with limited resources forces you to think about making the best tactical use of them.
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Jul 7, 2014 13:44
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ANIME MONSTROSITY posted:Flame Strike does damage to a single enemy. Also "once per day" means nothing when you can rest forever The mod that changes Call Lightning also changes Flame Strike to give it an area of effect.
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Jul 7, 2014 23:16
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I'm running through BG2:EE as a Fighter/Mage using characters I never really touched before, and it's pretty interesting. Nalia is a pretty good option since I like the mage/thief combo and would like to go sans Imoen this time. As a lark, I installed her romance mod. Impressions so far - surprisingly not bad at all, she comes off as well adjusted with no real WAH MY PAST baggage but her romance theme is too-loud acoustic guitar which doesn't really mesh well with the game. Korgan is universally awesome. He has the best banters.  Mazzy is surprisingly kickass. Grandmaster in Bow with paladin-ish innates? (I'm using BG1 style proficiencies) Yes please. I'm probably going to keep Viconia as healer due to her awesome cleric status. Jahiera is rather universally redundant. I'm not sure who I'd replace her with though. Maybe keep that slot open as the quest/guest NPC spot?
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Jul 8, 2014 06:00
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Yeah, there are so many NPC-specific quests that you do generally want at least one revolving spot. You can always pick a permanent one later after you've trialled them all.
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Jul 8, 2014 09:13
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Blasphemaster posted:Jahiera is rather universally redundant. Best description of Jaheira in BG2^. She's a good divine spellcaster but Aerie and Viconia are better, she's a good fighter but others are better, she's the best tank in early BG2 but tanks aren't necessary for long... I rarely find a reason to keep her in the party, occasionally I use her for her summons is about all.
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Jul 8, 2014 09:44
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fong posted:Best description of Jaheira in BG2^. She's a good divine spellcaster but Aerie and Viconia are better, she's a good fighter but others are better, she's the best tank in early BG2 but tanks aren't necessary for long... I rarely find a reason to keep her in the party, occasionally I use her for her summons is about all. Jaheira can become amazing in ToB, actually. Dualwielding scimitars combined with Critical Strike purees enemies, and she can instant-cast Iron Skins for tanking, which makes her a great frontliner. She also gets Insect Plague for your anti-mage needs, and Harm is pretty good on a fighter multiclass. But she needs a lot of levels before she can do all that, so yeah, I don't usually use her either.
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Jul 8, 2014 11:00
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blizzardvizard posted:Jaheira can become amazing in ToB, actually. Dualwielding scimitars combined with Critical Strike purees enemies, and she can instant-cast Iron Skins for tanking, which makes her a great frontliner. She also gets Insect Plague for your anti-mage needs, and Harm is pretty good on a fighter multiclass. But she needs a lot of levels before she can do all that, so yeah, I don't usually use her either. That's the thing, she's never BAD, she's always useful in some way. She's just not really the preferred option for any role in a party.
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Jul 8, 2014 14:00
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Yeah, Jahiera is kind of a jack of all trades, master of none. It's wierd playing without Aerie, since I would almost always grab her ASAP and slap the Robe of Vecna on her for awesome casting action, and the romance was rather sweet. Having it on Nalia as disabler is pretty awesome. OH poo poo LOTSA FIGHTERS *BAM* insta-confusion. 
Blasphemaster fucked around with this message at 19:12 on Jul 8, 2014 |
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Jul 8, 2014 19:08
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Yeah the game is weird that way. What makes Jaheira good is also what makes the Kensai/Mage option so powerful - if you can get the various mage buffs on somebody who knows how to hit a guy with a sharp stick you basically have yourself a juggernaut.
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Jul 8, 2014 19:24
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Shugojin posted:Yeah the game is weird that way. What makes Jaheira good is also what makes the Kensai/Mage option so powerful - if you can get the various mage buffs on somebody who knows how to hit a guy with a sharp stick you basically have yourself a juggernaut.  You're supposed to do it because it's goddamned funny. Same as a half-orc swashbuckler.
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Jul 9, 2014 00:28
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Going Dual-Subclasses is just loving nuts, so I'm not going there. Also you need to be poo poo at the game to need that as your CHARNAME. 
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Jul 9, 2014 01:57
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No you do it once because it's so obscenely overpowered that you can't truly claim to have snapped the game over your knee until you did it. It's also really boring. You can have a similar experience without being stupidly overpowered by just playing a bard
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Jul 9, 2014 03:17
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Speaking of Bards, Haer'Dalis makes a good show of things in the game. As a Blade, he's essentially a fighter with stoneskins. Every single character (in vanilla BG2 at least) has good things going for them in some way or another. Some are obvious (Korgan, Edwin and Aerie) others not so much (did you know that Valygar can average 70 damage per round?)
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Jul 9, 2014 11:26
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Benjifer posted:Speaking of Bards, Haer'Dalis makes a good show of things in the game. As a Blade, he's essentially a fighter with stoneskins. *Cough* Cernd *cough* Fake edit: Still at least he's a single classed druid those can be pretty good at times even he does have the most gimped kit.
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Jul 9, 2014 11:35
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What does Nalia have going for her (other than immediate accesability) that Imoen doesn't?
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Jul 9, 2014 13:27
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Jul 9, 2014 13:35
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Having actual banters and dialogs in SoA?
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Jul 9, 2014 13:38
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Finally realizing this LP made it to BG2, and seeing how far BWP/BWS has come in the past couple years made me want to try to install everything again as well. I was just curious if anyone else who tried recently had any issues installing the Uldar NPC mod or the restored characters component of Almateria's Restoration Project. Using both the Standard or Tactics install causes the same two problems and while it isn't like they actually matter, it is annoying when you have... just over 200 mods installed and only 2 don't function.
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Jul 9, 2014 13:45
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Ferrosol posted:*Cough* Cernd *cough* There's a mod that makes his kit pretty overpowered, I think? So he might just be usable here.
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Jul 9, 2014 14:00
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Ferrosol posted:*Cough* Cernd *cough* I forgot about Cernd... The Shapeshifter kit is broken in the original game so it doesn't work quite as well as it should do. He does allow you to sort of control the Druid Grove though. Plus, he's not bad as a caster. sebzilla posted:What does Nalia have going for her (other than immediate accesability) that Imoen doesn't? She's a better mage and only marginally worse as a thief. She also has a custom item that isn't too bad.
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Jul 9, 2014 14:13
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Klaoth posted:Finally realizing this LP made it to BG2, and seeing how far BWP/BWS has come in the past couple years made me want to try to install everything again as well. I was just curious if anyone else who tried recently had any issues installing the Uldar NPC mod or the restored characters component of Almateria's Restoration Project. Using both the Standard or Tactics install causes the same two problems and while it isn't like they actually matter, it is annoying when you have... just over 200 mods installed and only 2 don't function. I got errors with the Uldar NPC mod and ended up removing it from the install. Plenty of other NPC mods. I did the tactics install of BWS and didn't have any problems with Almateria. It's interesting that we all had different minor issues with the same install tool. Really impressive that the issues are only minor but weird that their is so much variation.
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Jul 9, 2014 19:56
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Benjifer posted:I forgot about Cernd... The Shapeshifter kit is broken in the original game so it doesn't work quite as well as it should do. He does allow you to sort of control the Druid Grove though. Plus, he's not bad as a caster. I'm pretty sure Imoen and Nalia have the same Int and Imoen gets specialist bonus spells despite the fact that she isn't a specialist mage. I don't remember if Nalia gets any bonus spells or not. I don't think so, but I could be wrong.
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Jul 9, 2014 23:25
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ANIME MONSTROSITY posted:Having actual banters and dialogs in SoA? This is a big plus for her. I like that everyone in the party actually interacts with each other, but I'm not sure how much of it is the banter packs, aside from the obvious non-voiced bits. It's amusing to see Nalia calling out Viconia on being a psycho bitch and then scream about helping the needy while we're being swamped by Vampires.
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Jul 10, 2014 05:08
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LLSix posted:I got errors with the Uldar NPC mod and ended up removing it from the install. Plenty of other NPC mods. Yeah I don't get it. Though the BWS tool having several updates come out in the last month probably didn't help matters. The only thing that I think makes my install special besides the exact version I'm using is that I was lazy and used the GoG install rather than the CDs, but that normally only causes issues with not being able to find some base file.
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Jul 10, 2014 05:08
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Well this is odd. I just got to the part of the Firkraag/Windspear quest where you have to enter the dungeon...but there is no way to enter the dungeon. No transition or anything. Maybe a bug in the Enhanced Edition?
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Jul 15, 2014 18:13
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It should be activated after Garren's kid is kidnapped. Probably EE gucked up again. Also, wrong thread.
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Jul 18, 2014 10:31
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 ?? ????, ???? Gameplay note: Turns out the mod that allows the main character to die was bugged after all, and saving at this point screwed it up. I had to replay the entire cave up to this point. But I made sure to still get rid of all of the Arrows of Detonation and re-kill the familiar, because that's how we roll in this Let's Play. Somehow Dar got us all outside, rested, and raised from the dead. After a good night's sleep, we return to the caves and clear out the side passages.  There isn't much remaining resistance. There are, however, some good loots.  We take everything. Even the strange potions of healing that just make you drunk.  We stuff it all into the Bag of Holding. I don't want to be poor anymore. It is during this time that I turn to consult with my familiar about a gem, when I realize it is gone.  Ouch! The hole in my soul! Gameplay note: I'm down to 15 CON because my familiar died. I started out with 17 CON but two familiars have died, giving me -1 CON each time. Life leaves marks on us all... We find the supply crates from the wagons, too.  I find a Horror scroll, something that Imoen hasn't memorized up until now. I try to get her to memorize it, but she just can't.  Gameplay note: My font mod screwed up this message. What it is supposed to say is "You have learned the maximum number of spells at this level for your intelligence." We're going to have to boost Imoen's INT if we want her to be a better mage! She seems to be limited in her intelligence, at least compared to me. It concerns me. There has got to be something I can do about this. Then, with bad news, we return to town to sleep until morning.  Then it's off to Pomab's Emporium to unload all our loots!  We end up selling: * 5 Winter Wolf pelts * 6 Tiger's Eye gems * 1 Star Diopsode gem * 2 Iol gems * 29 Battle Axes * 42 Leather Armors * 5 Moonstone Gems * 11 Helmets * 2 Greenstone rings * 10 Short Swords * 1 Fire Agate gem * 3 Silver Necklaces * 9 Long Bows * 2 Bloodstone Gems * 1 Waterstar Gem * 3 Morning Stars * 4 Turquoise Gems * 5 Silver Rings * 2 Snowflake Obsidians * 2 Bastard Swords * 1 Tiger Cowrie Shell Necklace * 1 Lynx Eye Gem * 3 Two-handed Swords * 1 Zircon gem He wouldn't accept any of the fake healing potions. A pity. We end up with a total of 869 gold for this! Now to tell that self-important guy about the fate of his goods' shipment.   Hmm... strange. It is not usual for orcs to be so brazen as to attack caravans so close to town. I wonder if it is the anticipation of the coming winter that is driving their actions, or if it is something more. In any case, at least we can still retrieve the supplies, thanks to you. You've proven yourself to be quite capable... I'm glad you've decided to come along with us to Kuldahar. Thank you. When do we leave? We still have preparations to make before we can depart for Kuldahar. Take this list of supplies to Pomab's Emporium across town. While you're there you might outfit yourselves with whatever gear you think you may need. Return here when you are packed and ready to go. And please talk to Accalia. She is an initiate at the temple of Tempus. I have recently spoken with her. She is willing to join our expedition. Very well. I shall return shortly.On the way back over to Pomab's, I take a look at the supply list Hrothgar gave me.  Then we go over there.   Very well, give it here. Now, be on your way. The expedition will be departing shortly. It would be a shame if they left without you.I end up buying 3 healing potions, and a sling with bullets for Dar. Can't go without ranged weapons for anyone in the party, not even the tank cleric. We also stop by the temple again...  And talk to Accalia, like Hrothgar said we should.   Yes, I have already discussed this matter with Everard. He also thinks that my faith should be proven with my deeds. So would you like me to join your group? Yes, you're welcome among us. Thank you, Syvishtar. I shall try to do my best.And the Golden Company grows again, to a grand total of 5 members! Gameplay note: Previously, Dar was the most powerful cleric we had ever encountered, with 9 levels in clericness (and another 9 in fighterness). But Accalia blows him away with 10, count em, TEN full levels of cleric.  Gameplay note: She's also a special kind of cleric.  Gameplay note: I think whoever designed this mod really liked clerics. She also has some different spells from Dar, starting at 3rd level.  Gameplay note: She can cast this because she's a neutral cleric, unlike Dar.  Gameplay note: Strangely enough Dar has the 2nd level version, Cause Moderate Wounds, but only Accalia has this one.  Gameplay note: Accalia also has Holy Smite, the good-aligned version of this spell. She is versatile. She has unique level 4 spells too.  Gameplay note: Wow, this is an extreme form of berserk. You can't even see the hit points of characters, and the 3 STR penalty afterwards? Harsh. Looking forward to casting it, though.  Gameplay note: Just your standard evil or neutral cleric spell. No biggie. And also, at level 5, she's got the more powerful version.  Gameplay note: I noticed that the spell name in the title and the spell name in the description are sliiiightly different. Must be a mod. She's got pretty acceptable equipment, a Chainmail +2 and a Rift Hammer +2.   I'm pretty confident in our chances now that we have two high-level clerics in our party. Time to get this expedition on the road!  Would you like me to join your party or shall we go separately? Hrothgar, you are always welcome among us. Thank you, my friend. But before we continue I would like to ask you a question Syvishtar. Pomab came to me with a story of how you entered his store by way of the stairs from his living quarters. He was most alarmed and thought I should know, seeing as how I had asked you to join this expedition of mine. He swears you did not walk past him in his shop. Because I needed volunteers and you seemed keen to help, I never thought to question your arrival in Easthaven. However... ... and please do not take this as a sign that I do not trust you, but visitors are indeed rare this time of year, so I would appreciate you telling me just how you came to be in my town? I doubt you would believe me if I told you Hrothgar. I have seen many strange and wondrous things on my travels Syvishtar. I have learnt not to dismiss a tale because it sounds impossible. There is much in the world that *is*, but we have no idea why or how it can be, it just... well, *is*. What do you know of portals, Hrothgar? Portals that carry a person from one place to another, regardless of distance? I have heard of such portals, often used by beings from other planes to access this one. There is also the gating that wizards use when they bring forth demons, though, not quite the same, it is still a portal of sorts. Might I know from where this portal brought you? Where is not as important as when we entered the portal, the year was 1369. You, Hrothgar, are known to me, but only in legend, a hero of The Realms, if legend is to be believed. (*laughs loudly*)... Legend you say? Well, it is nice to know one is remembered after their passing. 1369 you say then you ... no, I must not ask and you must not tell me. There is more at stake than knowing one's future. Fate must be allowed to play her hand. But tell me instead of the creation of such artifacts as this portal? You show little surprise at my words. I find that strange, maybe I should worry that you already know how we come to be here and why? You have no need to fear me, Syvishtar. I have no more understanding than you as to why you are here. My surprise is overshadowed by my awe that marvels such as this portal you speak of will come into being in the future. I can only wonder at the genius it takes to create such artifacts. Irenicus's mind was not so much genius as insane! You see Hrothgar, we were fleeing the torture and imprisonment of this wizard when we happened upon his portal. I do not understand? You say this Irenicus held you captive, that he tortured and abused you, but what reason could he have to treat you so barbarically, Syvishtar? That is something I intend to ask him when I catch up with him, and not too politely either! If that is so, then you were lucky to find the portal and make good your escape before this Irenicus discovered you gone. What I cannot understand is why the portal led you to Easthaven and why this particular time? A mystery to me also, and one I may never know the answer to, because the portal closed immediately after our arrival. I shudder when I imagine what you have suffered Syvishtar, at what you have all suffered, but let us give thanks to the gods that your ordeal is over and that they grant you a lighter road to walk. Come, let us concentrate on the task ahead and speak no more of that place.I'm right, I do remember now. Hrothgar, Easthaven, Kuldahar, Icewind Dale... It's all coming back to me now. Hrothgar was the Hero of Easthaven, who drove back ... something? And helped... someone? I think there was an oak tree involved. I remember being especially distracted that day. There was a new girl in history class, named Evelyn... yeah. I do remember the dates, though. Hrothgar saved everyone in the Year of the Cold Soul. I remember thinking that every year was probably called the Year of the Cold Soul up in Icewind Dale. But I remember the date still, 1281. Don't ask me why. Well, I guess its all okay that I spaced out in that history class, because now I've got a front-row seat to these historical events! It is 10 Mirtul, 1281, the Year of the Cold Soul, 89 years and 6 months BEFORE I kill Sarevok in the catacombs beneath Baldur's Gate, almost to the day. Wow. Irenicus really doesn't gently caress around, does he? After those quick calculations, we are ready. We set out on our trip to Kuldahar, never suspecting what lies in store for us.   That was scary!!! Thank Tempus we are safe, but it saddens me so few of us made it through.An unkempt old man stares at us as we walk up.   I know. I saw the whole thing. I was dozing off in my cave over yonder when I felt the ground begin to shake and heard a rumble something fierce. I stumbled outside just in time to see the avalanche come crashing down. It's a good thing you ran forward instead of back into the pass like the others. Poor bastards. One thing's for sure... I'm not digging their bodies out from under there. They'll have to wait 'til the snows melt to receive a proper burial. We're touched by your concern for our fallen comrades. Do you, by any chance, know the way to Kuldahar? Kuldahar? Why would you want to go to that miserable little berg? Nothing there but a big tree and a bunch of shacks and lean-tos. It's an eyesore, if you ask me. There has been word that some sort of trouble has befallen the town. We've come to lend whatever aid we can. Humph. A fool's errand. You'd be better off worrying about yourselves and leaving them *townsfolk* to deal with their own problems. We appreciate the advice. Now, do you know the way or not? I suppose it wouldn't hurt to point you in the right direction. Follow this trail east through the valley. Kuldahar lies just beyond the old mill. But you'd do well to keep your guard up. There are goblins everywhere between here and town. Filthy little buggers... ever since them townsfolk abandoned their farmsteads, they've been crawling all over the valley like they own the place. Thanks for your help. Farewell.Gameplay note: I want to take a look at Hrothgar, now that we have him in our party too. Turns out he's also got a custom class. He's a Moon Knight.   Gameplay note: So, bad point - he's a paladin. But good point - he refuses to see actions as either good or evil. I think I can work with this. He's also got Full Plate Mail +1 on, and a special axe.   I feel well-protected now, with all this good equipment on all these good meatshields. I think we're going to make it! In order to make sure we make it, I tell Shar-Teel to use a bow.  Three ranged attackers in back, 3 melee fighters in front, and the two in the middle row are clerics. I couldn't ask for a better tactical setup. Let's DO DIS! We find goblins just across the bridge.  It's pretty much a turkey shoot.  A little down the path and we meet some more mean-looking goblins.  But Shar-Teel takes care of them.  Hrothgar seems to regularly check for evil.  Gameplay note: This is part of one of the latest BP scripts I'm using. I've set Hrothgar up with the script "bppaldin", which has support for all paladin abilities, including apparently periodically casting Detect Evil in combat. Pretty sweet! The goblins keep coming, but none of them are a threat. Everyone just goes into auto-kill mode while I walk behind and loot everything.  On a small outcropping of rock overlooking the main road we find a small tower.  In the tower is a big red orog, or ogre, or something.   No know. Walk here from my cave. Need to answer call. Now cannot, and the head! It hurts! Ghereg want to pound head against wall to make head okay. I think that's an excellent idea, Ghereg. Hitting your head against the wall *as hard as you can* will certainly make the pain go away. It's an old Reghedmen barbarian remedy. Try it, you'll see! Ha ha. No funny. Ghereg head hurt. You insult me. Now Ghereg make your head hurt. *That* funny. Uh...He attacks us. So much for a joke!  We all get hits in, but Imoen puts him down.  He has a leather armor and a bastard sword. Nothing amazing. But he said something was calling him to be here. Hmm... We go check north of the tower.  There are a whole lot more goblins to slaughter!  It is all fun and games until I get hit with magic missiles from a Rakshasa!  I pick him out of the crowd, but he's got the blur of Improved Invisibility about him.  I try to dispel it.  Detect Illusion doesn't work. I notice that Hrothgar, Dar, and Shar-Teel are all immobilized by some sort of disease, so I throw a Dispel Magic out there.  That knocks off the Improved Invisibility. Imoen and I follow it up with other spells.  Then a goblin captain closes the gap between us and him, and Imoen and I both throw up Mirror Images.  We take him out, but the Rakshasa is seriously injuring our front line. We try to focus fire on him, but he cuts Shar-Teel down!  Dar and Hrothgar double-team the evil cat creature, and finally Dar takes it out.  We try to rest here, so that Dar can memorize his Raise Dead spell and resurrect Shar-Teel, but we are interrupted 3 times by goblins.  So we decide to press on. We can resurrect Shar-Teel later.  Turns out there's not much pressing to do, just a cave in the side of the hill.  We are able to rest inside this cave, and then Dar resurrects Shar-Teel.  Accalia looks at me strangely as well as we wake up. Have I been looking at her too much? I tried not to stare...  No Accalia, of course not. It is that your resemblance to another traveling companion of mine, also a priest of Tempus, is so striking that I have to remind myself that it is Accalia and not Branwen... as was this young woman's name... that walks beside me now. I would like to hear more of this Branwen, this priest of Tempus whom I put you in mind of so much. I have already said how like you she was, in mannerism, looks, even your voice, but I do remember her saying she left her home in the northern isles to become a priest, which could give rise to her sounding much like yourself. The northern isles you say? If things are then as they are now, then such a vocation is frowned upon for a woman. She must have struggled hard to enter the priesthood. So it was on her journeys in your part of the world that she became part of your group, Syvishtar, yes? In a way, Accalia. When I came upon Branwen, she had unfortunately been petrified and was being exhibited at a local fair near the town of Nashkel. The minute I learned of her circumstances I returned her to flesh and blood. That is monstrous! So cruel, to be put on display for all to poke and peer at, the poor child! Did she say how she came to be in such a pitiful state? She did indeed. She told me of how she had joined a group who, unbeknownst to her, were involved with banditry along the Sword Coast. When she discovered their plot to attack an unarmed caravan she balked, and in the ensuing fight the group's mage turned her to stone. What an appalling ordeal for the young woman, and yet she served you as a priest of Tempus. Her faith had not wavered at all throughout this time? Not once. I am not sure that I would have retained my faith in a god that allowed a priest of his to succumb to such a cruel fate. The gods are sometimes known to be cruel in their demands on their servants, Syvishtar. It would seem to me that Tempus, for reasons known only to himself, decided to test the strength of Branwen's faith. You were then chosen to do his will and release her when he decreed it was time. If her faith remained as strong as you say, then Tempus would have been well pleased with her. She was an honorable woman and a credit to Tempus. I could not fault her loyalty to me nor her loyalty to her god, Accalia. She became a trusted and reliable ally to us all. Then let it be Tempus' will that I serve as honorably as she.Oh, did I mention the nights of passion...? Heh. So there's this cave full of goblins, and a raksasha was leading them. They're all dead now, so mission accomplished I guess? We head back out into the blinding snow.  But Dar does not answer. We return to the trail, to the only other structure we had found - an old mill. We had already killed all the goblins around it, but then we decide to explore. As we climb up to the door, we find a goblin riding a warg, a look of confusion on his face.   Of course. Not all goblins are idiots... just most of us. Rrrrrraaaaa! What is the buzzing in my head? Hmmm... buzzing? That could be mind-affecting magic. I don't know what's causing it, but it's driving me mad. It feels like my head is tearing itself apart. It wasn't so bad when I could follow the pull, but now I'm trapped in this damned pass. RrrrrrAAAAAGH! The pain!I totally expect him to attack at this point, but he doesn't. He just sits there, moaning about the pain.  Huh. This goblin is weird. Inside the mill, we find more confused monsters led by an orog.   Do not mock Chief of Bleeding Eye! You give tribute now or die! Give tribute or die, eh? Well, it's getting pretty late. I should probably be going. Farewell.It was worth a shot, but they don't fall for it.  There's no room or time for fancy spellwork, so I just cast Haste. It is enough.  We loot them and then leave. Looks like this pass has been cleared out.  We are probably in the clear all the way to Kuldahar! We know we have come to someplace special when the snow starts going away...  We are greeted by a happy, childish voice.   I'm Nate. Arundel said that help was on its way. I've been out here every day, keeping a lookout for you. Where is the rest of your army? Are you just the scouts or something? Who is Arundel? Arundel's my friend. He's the oldest and smartest man in the whole world. He can talk to animals, you know. You should probably go see him... he'll be wanting to talk to you too. Very well. Where can we find this Arundel? He lives across this bridge, on the other side of the brook. Just look for the house with the three big rocks out front. Thanks, Nate. Farewell.I find the three big rocks easily enough.   My sympathies for your fallen comrades -- What happened? The Pass is snowed in, and to make things worse, there's a horde of creatures in the Pass, mostly goblins and orcs. I doubt any caravans will be through for quite some time. That is grim news indeed. I fear things here in Kuldahar are not much better -- you may wish you'd stayed in Easthaven. Tell me about Kuldahar. What did you want to know about Kuldahar? Or did you want to know what's been going on *around* Kuldahar? "Around Kuldahar?" Do you mean the weather? This winter's been a season of evil here in Kuldahar - people vanishing, sudden storms, monsters sighted in the Pass - it's all going to get a lot worse before the year is done, mark my words. I see. Anything else you can tell me? Ask some of the other townsfolk - they might know something I don't, and you'll never know what bit of information they got in their heads they might randomly cough up when asked. Very well, then. Can you tell me a little about the town? Well, Kuldahar's not a big place, but I can tell you a bit about if, if you want. How long has that tree been here? It's huge. Been here as long as I can remember - a blessing as near as I can tell. The chilly weather doesn't even touch the town with the tree growing here; it radiates enough heat to keep things green, which is a sight for tired eyes here in the North. But hells, if you came through the pass, you'll know that already. I must take my leave. Farewell.I guess that the archdruid's house is right next to me, but I decide to take a quick tour of the place before talking to more people. I want to get perspective. I find a nice statue.  I explore all of the areas kept green by the tree. It is quite exrtaordinary!  In the northwest we seem to have some kind of wizard's tower. The center has a few houses. Up north there is a blacksmith. To the northeast there looks to be some kind of parked flying ship? And just below that, a temple to Ilmater. Then, in the south central area of the town, there is the archdruid's house. I guess we should go talk to him.  He greets us as soon as we walk in the door.   Yes, I am Arundel, known to some as the Archdruid of Kuldahar. Though I invite you to dispense with the formalities and just call me Arundel, plain and simple. Titles tend only to serve one's own vanity and aren't really of much use in this small mountain community. Very well. Tell me, Arundel, do you know anything about the reports of disturbances in these mountains? I see Hrothgar amongst you. It's a good sign. How do you do, my friend? We were lucky surviving in the avalanche. But I mourn the loss of my people. I know, and I am truly sorry. It was I who sent Hallaster to Easthaven for help. His death weighs heavily upon my conscience, for not only was he a student of mine, but he was also a friend and trusted companion. He will be missed. You know about the avalanche? Oh yes, I know. I also know that it was not accident. Someone or... *something* did not want your party to reach Kuldahar alive. This someone or something, I presume, is the reason you sent for help? There are malevolent forces at work in these mountains, forces that seek to undermine the delicate balance we druids have struggled to preserve for centuries. Malevolent forces? Could you be more specific? Would that I could. The face of the evil remains hidden, but its presence is unmistakable. All about us, there are signs of its damaging influence on the balance... the unnatural weather, the recent rash of abductions, the numerous monster sightings in the pass... These all point toward something sinister. Even the animals sense something is amiss. Can you tell me more about these disturbances? I can only tell you of what little I know. Which disturbances would you have me speak of? Tell me of the unnatural weather. The weather in these mountains has always been harsh, but never like this. Fierce storms ravage the valley without warning, often lasting for several days at a time before vanishing as quickly as they come. It is barely midway into Leafal, and yet the pass to the south has been snowed in entirely. Weather such as this is most unnatural. Nature presents itself in cycles that are predictable by those who know what to look for. Tell me about the recent rash of abductions. Ah, yes. Terrible. Terrible. At first, there were tales told by travelers of companions disappearing into the night, snatched up from their bedrolls as they camped along the narrow trail that winds through the pass. We did not think much of these tales, for such occurrences are not unheard of in these mountains. Then one night Conlan's boy, Sheemish, went missing. The next morning, the whole town searched for the boy but turned up nothing. He was just gone. Vanished without a trace. That is strange indeed. The boy was just the first. Several nights later, another disappeared - Maegan Potts, the local midwife. Her husband Kaleel was grief-stricken to the point of madness. With barely a word to anyone, he snatched up his sword and marched off into the darkness after his wife. No one has heard from him since. And now, the abductions are occurring *more* frequently. Eidan, the old innkeeper from the Evening Shade, was taken only three days ago. Tell me about the monster sightings. As I'm sure you have noticed by now, there seems to be quite a few goblins about. It is not usual to see so many of their kind roaming the mountains so late in the year. It is almost as if something has drawn them out of their holes, like carrion birds drawn to the scent of death. As if the goblins weren't enough, several giants have been spotted moving through the pass in groups as large as ten. That many giants traveling together in such numbers indicates they are organized and are acting with a singular purpose. I have watched their activities closely. Their tracks trace a deliberate pattern through the mountains, almost as if they were on patrol. Another thing... while I was out scouting the giants, I discovered other sets of tracks, tracks I have never encountered before. What manner of beast made them... I could not say. You spoke before of balance. What sort of balance are you talking about? *The* balance. It is what the druids of Kuldahar hold sacred and have worked to preserve for generations. It is all around us. It *is* us. Balance is the harmony that is achieved when man and nature learn to coexist, no longer contending with one another, but coming together as two parts of a whole. What can you tell me about the druids of Kuldahar? Balance is the belief that this town is built upon... the very reason for its existence. Druids of Silvanus, the Oakfather, have tended this shrine since the beginning. For hundreds of years, we have striven to achieve the ideal balance between man and nature. When settlers finally came to this pass, it was Archdruid Tolben, my predecessor, who laid the foundation for the relationship that led to the birth of this community. Shrine? What shrine are you talking about? The Great Oak. The massive tree that stands above us... around us. It is a holy shrine to Silvanus, for it was he who planted its seed when Faerun was first born. It is a testament to the raw power of nature, a monument to its ability to thrive in the face of adversity. Thanks to Tolben, the Great Oak we druids called the Kuldahar, and the town that has come to be known by the same name, have together become a monument of even greater significance... a monument to the balance. I see. So what are we to do about all this? I fear that if we do not soon discover the source of these disturbances, then all that we have worked for will be destroyed. The evil that has come to these mountains infects this town like a disease. As its people suffer, so does the tree suffer from the sickness that attacks the balance, corrupting it with its very presence. Already, the circle of warmth that radiates from the Great Oak has begun to recede. We were forced to abandon the outlying farmsteads as a result of the shrine's fading power. If we do not take action soon, I am afraid that the life-giving warmth will cease altogether. Both the Great Oak and the town nestled within its roots will die. This must *not* happen. We need your help.Do I care about all this? I search deep within my heart, and realize that I don't. What? Help you? I don't think so, old man. I'm only interested in getting out of these miserable mountains alive. Understand? I understand, but the circumstances leave you little choice *but* to get involved. I needn't remind you that the avalanche that wiped out your expedition, the one that you were fortunate to survive, has blocked the way back to the Ten-Towns. As I mentioned before, the pass south has been entirely snowed in. Syvishtar has probably forgotten that this is my expedition. I came here looking for evil forces to destroy. And I am going to continue my mission with or without you. I understand if it is too dangerous for you and your companions. Moreover, you don't belong to my world. You are strangers in our lands, and I shall not blame you turning away from me.What? Too dangerous? Listen here bud, I killed *Sarevok*! Alone! With bunnies! BEFORE BREAKFAST! I'll show you too dangerous! Sorry, Hrothgar. You are right. We shall continue on our mission. You lost many friends to come here, and we will not turn away from you. Thank you, Syvishtar. There is no other way out of this valley. Your fate and the fate of Kuldahar are intertwined. You *must* discover the source of the disturbances and restore the balance... or we shall all perish together. I see your point. Well then, where shall we begin? I suggest you begin by investigating the Vale of Shadows. It is a place not far from here. Darkness has always clung to the floor of the small canyon, as if the light of the sun itself were wary of the place. There are a number of ancient crypts hidden within the shadows of the Vale's narrow cliff walls. There have been rumors of the dead awakening and emerging from their dusty tombs to walk once more amongst men. If these rumors are true, then I suspect that whatever is responsible for disturbing their slumber may be behind the other disturbance as well. Go to the Vale of Shadows. I shall open a passage for you to the east of Kuldahar. Learn what you can about the happenings there, then return here and we shall discuss a course of action. Good luck, and farewell. (*Impatiently*) Yet more errands to be run for a man too up himself and full of his own self importance to risk his neck! What are we, warriors or bloody gophers? You've made your opinion of men very clear Shar-Teel... in fact you've reminded us so many times that I am beginning to wonder whether it's us or yourself you are trying to convince. I need no convincing paladin, you and your kind are the worst sort of pathetic! You can't help sticking those oversized noses of yours into things that don't concern you. That old druid looked more than fit enough to sort this town... *his* town's problems, but no, Hrothgar the righteous has to stick his oar in and volunteer our necks instead whilst the druid does what... sits comfortably by his hearth contemplating his navel?! Men really are... (*Sternly*) Listen here my girl, you knew the nature of this mission before we left Easthaven! If you were not happy to follow with the rest of the group, then you should have stayed behind. I don't recall anyone forcing this quest upon you. Now if it is your intention to remain with the group, then please keep your disparaging remarks to yourself! No one here, least of all me, wants to listen to you harping on continuously. We all need to watch out for each other and, quite frankly, your attitude is sch that I'm not entirely sure that I want you watching my back Shar-Teel! Do not question my intentions. You don't have the power to dismiss me Paladin. An oath is an oath and I pledged my sword to aid Syvishtar, my word is my bond but make NO mistake... I follow only because of his prowess in battle. When that falters, so does my loyalty.Hey! As for you paladin... I have no such loyalty to you, but you can be sure that as long as you don't cross me you have nothing to fear... cross me and it'll be your front you need to watch... backstabbing is the way of weak cowards! Then I guess we understand each other a little better. Now, to continue with our mission...Yes. Our mission. The Vale of Shadows. Undead. Yay.
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Jul 21, 2014 19:12
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I'm lolling at everything regarding Hrothgar right now
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Jul 21, 2014 21:46
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And Shar-Teel slips into a solid tie for second place in the Roll of the Dead. Finch still commands the lead, but I don't think that will last.
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Jul 21, 2014 21:51
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So is there a real reason that Syvishtar should help these people out? Does Syv care about things like the balance of nature and great evil rising? Previously, he was always constantly defending himself against the Iron Throne and Sarevok himself. Now is the first time he's not under constant attack by an antagonist. Would he, should he, care about Kuldahar's tree?
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Jul 22, 2014 19:16
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Vorgen posted:So is there a real reason that Syvishtar should help these people out? Does Syv care about things like the balance of nature and great evil rising? Someone dropped half a mountain on his head. That someone needs to be found and taught not to mess with the son of the lord of Murder. Whoever it was seems to be hostile to this town as well: by helping them, we help ourselves.
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Jul 22, 2014 19:43
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Vorgen posted:So is there a real reason that Syvishtar should help these people out? Does Syv care about things like the balance of nature and great evil rising? Having powerful individuals indebted to Sy would be a great help towards getting him/her back to his/her own time. And if that's not enough, then to paraphrase Zevran, "A whole lot of money and rare artifacts seem to turn up when you're around."
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Jul 22, 2014 19:43
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I don't think he should care. He's just around as the party mage since its clear that Hrothgar's has taken over as party leader here. This is hrothgar deal but he needs the help of syv and syv/immy/shar are just tagging along until a way back home to deal with that mage is found. but hey, maybe syv will find some long forgotten spells/items/whatever to make suffering hrothgar's poo poo worth it? also sidenote, how do they know the name irenicus at this point? or does the mod just stupidly assume you explored the dungeon before going to iwd...
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Jul 22, 2014 19:47
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Just because no one is directly and expressly attacking Syv at this particular moment doesn't mean they won't stop forever. One way or another someone powerful enough to be a problem will start to view Syv as a threat or as a target for some mystical reason due to his/her relationship to the Lord of Murder. The best way to prepare for such eventualities is to gather together as many people as possible to use as meat-shields/useful foils against future opponents whilst maintaining a healthy stack of owed favours from people spread far and wide. Not to mention the gaining of those favours will likely involve a fair amount of corpse/ruin/abandoned temple/idiotic peasant's home/unattended cargo crate looting, not to mention any reward money that may be involved. All of which can be used to replenish Syv's wealth stocks and guard against the wild surges disappearing chunks of said money every so often. All of which can be used to purchase magical spells and equipment. Plus even if the people who dropped a mountain on Syv's head weren't aiming at him/her specifically they should still take a dirt nap as soon as possible on the principle of the thing. After all if you don't brutally massacre anyone who tries to kill you then it's just an invitation for others to try and do the same thing! It's like with bandits, you don't simply fend of their attack and then shrug your shoulders and move on, you find their camp, surround and capture them in the dead of night and then hang one on the roadside every quarter mile through the territory they used to prey upon. Examples must be made.
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Jul 22, 2014 20:18
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One golden radiance calls to another?
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Jul 22, 2014 23:02
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How does Syv even know this is real? I suspect, in his place, I'd go along with the Crazy just because -- to paraphrase Morpheus -- I expect to wake up.
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Jul 22, 2014 23:13
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Deaderinred posted:I don't think he should care. He's just around as the party mage since its clear that Hrothgar's has taken over as party leader here. This is hrothgar deal but he needs the help of syv and syv/immy/shar are just tagging along until a way back home to deal with that mage is found. but hey, maybe syv will find some long forgotten spells/items/whatever to make suffering hrothgar's poo poo worth it? I think Imoen mentions it in the first conversation of BG2. Also, I found this pic of Kuldahar. I always liked Icewind Dale's aesthetic.  Vorgen fucked around with this message at 05:27 on Jul 23, 2014 |
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Jul 23, 2014 05:24
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Interesting that the mod directly addresses the fact that Accalia looks like Branwen. I haven't played this mod, but I wonder if Accalia might be Branwen's great-grandmother or something. Either way, I'm thinking Syvishtar had better not romance Accalia. Maybe I'm being a little overly cautious here, but after seeing the Imoen romance and Saerileth romance mods, I wouldn't put it past some of the weirdo freaks that write mods -- and these freaks are not representative of the modding community as a whole, as there are quite a few respectable BG modders who frequent this forum and this thread -- but I wouldn't put it past the weirdo-types to write a romance that causes you to have a child you didn't know about who goes on to become the parent of one of Branwen's parents, meaning that in the first game, you and your own great-granddaughter spent almost the entire game... um... What I'm trying to say here is, if there's a romance option for Accalia, please don't take it.
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Jul 23, 2014 05:46
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I'm guessing Accalia and Branwen are the same person, with a few decades of petrification to account for the name change or something.
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Jul 23, 2014 12:23
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