What are you playing

[N00byStance]

The Hammer of Thunderbolts, a +3 Warhammer, can be found in the Sewers under the Temple District after taking a visit to the Windspear Hills and retrieved the 'sewer key' right before facing Firkraag. Be careful when searching for the hammer though, as it is heavily guarded by the Mind Devourers, the Illithyd's... or Mind Flayers, if you prefer. To make matters a little worse, there is a more powerful kind of those creatures around there too, which the names is something I forgot currently. To increase the difficulity a little more, in the final room is the (except for one) strongest Mind Flayer you could face in the game. Truth to be known, I never noticed a difference in strength, but it has more resistences.[/b]

I don't know if the component is dropped by one of the monsters or lies in the container in center of the last room in the fortress, but if it's the second case, you do following:

You can avoid fight, using the Mage's Staff found in Twised Rune (I finished it finally btw). Your mage wears staff and becomes invisible. You go to the last chamber in the fortress without fight, unseen, using only mage. You pick up items from container instantly and wear the staff once again. Go back to first room closing all doors behind and go out to the sewers...

BTW, I found Twisted Rune not that hard to finish, the matter was how to protect Jan from dying under Meteor Swarm (good name?) and melee fight The staff I found is pretty useful

 

[Xeridanus]

In Monster Bash: i thought it was their hands that came after you? cos the triple shot was really good at hitting them, cos they were so low to the ground. anyway, i do remember something about flying broom sticks... it was too long ago though. i don't remember those kiddie games, but one game i do remember: Space Empires II, god that was a good game. and space empires IV is out, SE V will be out very soon, if not already.

Warhammer 40k, that is an awesome game. can you imagine starcraft 2 in that engine? marines flying around the place, getting smashed up by a stampede of ultralisks. Zerglings getting flung every which way, landing on their feet and coming back just as hard. *Drools*

 

[Fladian]

I don't know if the component is dropped by one of the monsters or lies in the container in center of the last room in the fortress, but if it's the second case, you do following:[/b]

I'm not sure either... I thought that the last Mind Flayer dropped it.

Invisible Stalkers and Skeletons are completely immune to everything a Mind Flayer can do; however, their physical attack (which they use from time to time) can still damage them, and there are also Umber Hulks to play along.
With a little skill, you can throw 2 - 3 fireballs in the first and second room to take care of the creatures. After that they gain an immunity and you'll have to deal with them in an other way.

You can avoid fight, using the Mage's Staff found in Twised Rune (I finished it finally btw). Your mage wears staff and becomes invisible. You go to the last chamber in the fortress without fight, unseen, using only mage. You pick up items from container instantly and wear the staff once again. Go back to first room closing all doors behind and go out to the sewers... [/b]

Cheap way But it works.
The creatures cannot detect invisibility. Killing them is quite worth it as well... they give a nice sum of experience. Luckily there are only a handful of times you really have to face them. This is an option quest after all... or actually, it isn't a quest at all.

BTW, I found Twisted Rune not that hard to finish, the matter was how to protect Jan from dying under Meteor Swarm (good name?) and melee fight The staff I found is pretty useful
[/b]

Alright, now try it on hard
I usually get into trouble when I have to neglect one of the creatures. The fighter is easily dealed with and the vampire doesn't give too much trouble usually either. With some luck, I usually managed to kill off the beholder before it starts doing anything scary. By the time I finished that, a double time stop takes place. The Meteor Swarm (yeah, that's the name) is usually quite fatal for me though.
I usually ignore the lich while fighting the other two though.

But then again, I use a lot of character with low health in general. Aerie, Jan, Viconia, Jaheira, etc.

 

[MeTaL GuArD]

And me and my brother stick to a pattern like this(perhaps its already known): 3 fighter classes, 1 mage, 1 healer, 1 rogue/one more mage. It works pretty well.

 

[Moagrim]

But then again, I use a lot of character with low health in general. Aerie, Jan, Viconia, Jaheira, etc.[/b]

I never Use that many weak characters when I do it it normally goes

>My Character, Dwarf Berserker
>Minsc
>Korgan Bloodaxe
>Aerie/Nalia
>Edwin (or w/e that Red evil mage guy is called)
>and a thief character,first time I fdid it I took Yoshimo but learnt the mistakes of that, and I always takew back Imoen near the end.

Fladian, have you ever taken Edwin ad he gets turned into a female? if so, do you know a way to reverse it??

 

[N00byStance]

Alright, now try it on hard I usually get into trouble when I have to neglect one of the creatures. The fighter is easily dealed with and the vampire doesn't give too much trouble usually either. With some luck, I usually managed to kill off the beholder before it starts doing anything scary. By the time I finished that, a double time stop takes place. The Meteor Swarm (yeah, that's the name) is usually quite fatal for me though.I usually ignore the lich while fighting the other two though. [/b]

Two correct fireballs at one time (Jan & main character), few Holy Strikes & Holy Word from Anomen and you're home

 

[Shadarak]

In Monster Bash: i thought it was their hands that came after you? cos the triple shot was really good at hitting them, cos they were so low to the ground. anyway, i do remember something about flying broom sticks... it was too long ago though. i don't remember those kiddie games, but one game i do remember: Space Empires II, god that was a good game. and space empires IV is out, SE V will be out very soon, if not already.

Warhammer 40k, that is an awesome game. can you imagine starcraft 2 in that engine? marines flying around the place, getting smashed up by a stampede of ultralisks. Zerglings getting flung every which way, landing on their feet and coming back just as hard. *Drools*
[/b]

Monster bash> you just have to crouch on the ground and shoot to hit the hands, and the zombie head rolls around until destroyed.

WH40k> Yeah. I can just picture an Infested Terran going into the midst of a Protoss army, blow up, and send them Zealots, Templars and Dark Templars flying.

I also still remember playing Heart of Darkness, and still play it when there isn't anything better to play on my PS2. Sure Heart of Darkness has a crappy storyline, but it's the gameplay that rocks (and is loaded with inspiration I can use).

 

[Fladian]

And me and my brother stick to a pattern like this(perhaps its already known): 3 fighter classes, 1 mage, 1 healer, 1 rogue/one more mage. It works pretty well.
[/b]

Eveyrthing can work "pretty well," after all, I tend to play with 5 'healers and still easily get through just about everything.

Although I do keep myself to something similar though. With Anomen as my (together with myself) as a main fighter, and usually a third character for back up. Most recently it was Mazzy, though mostly thanks to her Mastery in Short Bows and the only fighter (Minsc and Valygar are Rangers) in the game, besides Korgan (who's evil) and Sarevok (who is not available in SOA). By the time I finished the game, she already had a mastery in Two-Handed swords as well.
I always have a cleric behind my fighters (I use a 'T' formation) as well, who is usually armed quite decently. If I decide to focus a bit on the fighting, it usually is Jaheira. If I am playing in my usual type of game, then it is Viconia; and if I am just trying to do the stuff with other characters, it's Cernd. Haer'Daelis once took that position too, despite not being a cleric. The only time I finished the game with Haer'Daelis was a tough one though... and I'll never do so again.

I never Use that many weak characters when I do it it normally goes[/b]

Depends a bit on what you refer to being weak. The first time I played the game, I was a Paladin, and collected a party of Minsc, Nalia, Jaheira, Anomen and Yoshimo - which later was replaced by Imoen. The party is heavily focused on fighting styles as well - especially because I don't keep thieves on the background, but send them forward, with an exception of Jan - but when I look back at that party (or my Anomen, Keldorn, Valygar party for that matter) and the one with my most successful times, I'd easily say that I'd rather pick an all cleric-party again instead of that.
But then again, Anomen and Viconia are pretty much a must in my team anyway...

In general, I just like having a cleric as my main character. Most preferred a dual classed Ranger, or a Half-Elf Ranger/Cleric, who is able to cast druidic spells.

>My Character, Dwarf Berserker
>Minsc
>Korgan Bloodaxe
>Aerie/Nalia
>Edwin (or w/e that Red evil mage guy is called)
>and a thief character,first time I fdid it I took Yoshimo but learnt the mistakes of that, and I always takew back Imoen near the end.[/b]

Jan is a great thief, in my opinion and a very decent mage... but that doesn't make up for his low health. However, his jokes are just too good ot pass by. ("You know... I've been a God myself once. For only a week though." - Jan Jansen, (Jansen is one of the three most common names in the Netherlands, together with 'de Jong' and 'de Vries') in ToB) They get extremely annoying after playing the game for years though... but a cleric/thief just isn't a fine a class...

Still, I'd prefer a different team. With three pure fighting-type characters (Korgan and Aerie don't get along, nor do Edwin and Minsc) and only a single cleric, I find it quite... boring.

Fladian, have you ever taken Edwin ad he gets turned into a female? if so, do you know a way to reverse it??
[/b]

About 20 days after being transformed into Edwina (if anyone of you is going to call me Edwina, I'll ban you ), you'll have someone asking for Edwin, as I recall. I'll leave it to you to make the decisions. Don't worry about it too much... and his female form definitely got a laugh from me. Quite unexpected as well, might I add.

Two correct fireballs at one time (Jan & main character), few Holy Strikes & Holy Word from Anomen and you're home
[/b]

Again, the Lich is no real problem. I usually take my time to heal before facing Mr. Shangalar (as I recall, that was his name). Not to mention that I stay at enough distance to save before facing him (again). In theory, the battle isn't very hard, but a critical strike (of me, or at me) at a bad moment or a bad saving throw, usually forces me to reload because a permanent death is caused. The vampire's level drain, the petrify of the Beholder, the Meteor Swarm of the mage and a death spell of the Lich are all able to cause it; something I... hate.

Shall we make a seperate thread for this?

 

[Moagrim]

Still, I'd prefer a different team. With three pure fighting-type characters (Korgan and Aerie don't get along, nor do Edwin and Minsc) and only a single cleric, I find it quite... boring. [/b]

Some would find it boring, but I don't I tend to find myself liking the fighter characters more than mages (On every game where your faced with a choice of "classes" I'll choose the "hard-as-nails" Warrior character) I've once had Keldaron (the guy in the sewars, paladin) in that roster too.

Another thread for this would be a good idea, Just talking about it's made me want to buy toB and start playing again.

 

[N00byStance]

I leave it for your decision

Well, I instantly enter the room before the guy on the table spawns. I place my party near that machine you need to return back to Bridge District using pentagonal (?) formation (common to me). After his blah blah his friends come up, I instantly pause, order Jan to strike fireball behind beholder, my character to cast other fireball near the mage, Anomen to cast Holy Strike somewhere near. Beholder dies instantly, the rest is matter of few hits, excluding mage & lich (?) near enterance.
I use Nishruu to take care about mage when I'm fighting with other enemy.

 

[Fladian]

Some would find it boring, but I don't I tend to find myself liking the fighter characters more than mages (On every game where your faced with a choice of "classes" I'll choose the "hard-as-nails" Warrior character) I've once had Keldaron (the guy in the sewars, paladin) in that roster too.[/b]

Of course, of course, everyone has their own taste in it. I'm not here to convince otherwise, except than I am extremely fond on the healing-type-of-class with an exception of the druid. (The druid needs most experience of all classes to level up, as I recall)

Also, a cleric (not necessarily a multiclass or a dual classed from a fighting-type) can easily be put on the front lines as well. They can carry heavy armor and there are a high number of powerful blunt weapons. The Flail of Ages and Crom Faeyr are two good examples.

Another thread for this would be a good idea, Just talking about it's made me want to buy toB and start playing again.
[/b]

Yeah, I'm getting interested to start it up every time I read this thread... I just don't have the time to go and play a game, as I have to alt-tab it every few minutes, which really drains all the fun out of it.

Well, I instantly enter the room before the guy on the table spawns. I place my party near that machine you need to return back to Bridge District using pentagonal (?) formation (common to me). After his blah blah his friends come up, [/b]

Did you actually notice that there was never a quest for the Twisted Rune? I'm not sure if 'Unfinished Business' fixed it, but it has already be confirmed that they, and the Guarded compound are related to the Slaver's Quest (Copper Coronet), but the quest was never really finsihed.

I instantly pause, order Jan to strike fireball behind beholder, my character to cast other fireball near the mage, Anomen to cast Holy Strike somewhere near. Beholder dies instantly, the rest is matter of few hits, excluding mage & lich (?) near enterance.[/b]

Hmm, that doesn't seem to work fine for me. By casting that fireball, it is supposed to hit the mage behind him... uh... it, (try to confirm the gender of a Beholder, I only managed to confirm one of them ) right? The other/next Fireball is to finish it.
That usually doesn't really do the trick for me. Either a time stop has already been cast before I am finished casting my spells, or she is already a step ahead of me by casting an invisibility or a mantle spell, making the fireball useless on her.
Because my low health-characters, I try to stay away from death spells, so I immediately have to leave the pressence of the lich, not to mention then trying to avoid the fireball I am supposed to cast.

Regardless, the battle is either quite hard, or it's quite easy. Most people stay convinced they are having a hard first time on it. I already mentioned what really makes me careful, and it happens a bit too often when a character of mine 'dies' permanently.
I... really don't like that.

I use Nishruu to take care about mage when I'm fighting with other enemy.
[/b]

I don't use Nishruu's or any of their family-kind (I forgot the names of those)

 

[N00byStance]

I don't use Nishruu's or any of their family-kind (I forgot the names of those)[/b]

I started to experiment with them They're pretty useful to keep mages' attention.

 

[Fladian]

They are; that's their full purpose. Unfortunately, they also drain wands and other kind of stuff. A bug used to drain some items too, but I think that one has been fixed.

 

[Moagrim]

I hate those demon summoning spells, the Protection from evil counter never seems to work for me and I always end up being mauled by my own beast (except when its a simple monster or beast summon, though) .

Also, what's a good way of beating dragons? , I always find myself talking my way out of fighting them rather than tussiling with 'em even with the dragon slayer sword & shield, and fire resistences, lol.

 

[Shadarak]

@Xeridanus> Aside from Monster Bash, have you ever tried out Heart of Darkness, even though I've mentioned it quite a few times already?