Cool. In the mean time I'm gonna roll a healthy Ranger/Cleric to start his journey. ;)

Wait, no, I still have to finish my no-reloads party ... :D
(they are in WK on level 3 if anyone is interested)

Okay, done some testing and here are the results:
I used the following (cheated) party
<font color=#FF0000>Warden</font>:Mage/Cleric, lvl 50/50, all available Imprisonment spells
<font color=#0000FF>Saver</font>:Ranger/Cleric,lvl 50/50, all saves 1
<font color=#FFFFFF>Resister</font>:Ranger/Cleric,lvl 50/50, all resistances 100
<font color=#FFFF00>Buffer</font>:Fighter/Mage/Cleric, lvl 50/50/50, all available defensive spells
.
First for the Imprisonment spells
there are four of them:
</font>

• SPWI910 (Imprisonment): standard Wizard spell, long casting time, Touch Range</font>
• SPIN580 (Imprisonment): faster casting time, Touch Range</font>
• SPIN786 (Banishment): visual candy/animation only, long range but does nothing (not even on lvl1 characters)</font>
• SPIN788 (Demilich Trap Soul): The mighty Gaxx's spell, fast casting, ranged but not too far</font>

.
Now on the results with the different candidates
<font color=#0000FF>Saver</font>: No survival chance with any of the spells (except for Banishment which does nothing anyway)
.
<font color=#FFFFFF>Resister</font>: Same thing here, goes bye-bye every time (except for Banishment again)
.
<font color=#FFFF00>Buffer</font>: Survived, when using the following buffs
Arcane
</font>

• Spell Trap</font>
• Mass Invisibility</font>
• Spell Turning</font>
• Spell Deflection</font>
• Spell Immunity: Abjuration</font>
• Improved Invisibility</font>
• Invisibilty 15' Radius</font>
• Invisibility</font>

Divine
</font>

• Shield of the Archons</font>
• Pixie Dust</font>
• Sanctuary</font>

Survival of <font color=#FFFF00>Buffer</font> was tested with standard Imprisonment (SPWI910) and if successful with all the others.
Sidenotes: Invisibility spells can be disabled easily, Shield of the Archons absorbs half your caster level (so you need to be a lvl18 cleric for one spell to be absorbed)
----------
So basically as a Ranger Cleric you're screwed :(
If you are high level enough you can try Shield of the Archons, (hope you're not a multi-class). Invisibility will probably be dispelled fast and Sanctuary will only protect you as long as you don't do anything.
There's on hope remaining. If your enemy does not use the Gaxx version you can try to stay out of touch range to avoid the Imprisonment. If he does however you better pray (which probably won't help on a solo/no-reload)
I sincerely hope that I have overlooked something useful, but if not it's gonna be tough/impossible.

[ 10-25-2003, 06:53 PM: Message edited by: Faceman ]

Why not just use a Scroll of Protection from Magic?

Because that's what Xen excluded in his question
At least I think he did (Protection from Magical Weapons does not hinder Imprisonment so I guess it was a typo). Don't ask me why he doesn't want to use it, Xen works in wondrous ways :D
BTW: Is there any way to bring PfM (scroll) down?
And some other thing that bugged me during testing: Shield of the Archons is supposed to deflect half of the casters level of spells. So for a lvl50 caster (like my test objects) this would be 25 levels. Yet is always dissipated after two Imprisonments (18 levels). Any explanation (I have the lvl50 ruleset from TeamBG in addition to the XP cap remover)

[ 10-25-2003, 07:56 PM: Message edited by: Faceman ]

In my experience, the Minor Avatar's Spear allows no Saving Throw vs. the Imprisonment, there's simply a pretty small chance per hit that the spell will fire. A scroll of Protection From Magic will be of no help, since it does not block magical weaponry--but by the same token, PfMW will save you. Tough luck for a Ranger/Cleric. Also, Mirror Image will postpone the killing thrust--again, tough luck for a Ranger/Cleric.

The good news: You can buff up with whatever you want, since neither the Avatar nor the Priestess will Dispel or Remove it. Her "Shark-Father's Swift Blessing" is 17 buffing spells (on her) and a Greater Malison (on you). Assuming you've got the Boots of Speed, you can run the Avatar around in circles all you want until the GM (and the Priestess's True Sight) wears off.

The bad news: He's hit only by +3 weapons and up, which means you're stuck with Sunstone Bullets if you're trying to outrange him. Forget about poking him with a 2-handed weapon and running away--his Spear is just as long. But there was that Staff of Thunder and Lightning you picked up in Spellhold....with a chance of Stun on hit.

My Advice: If you're playing No-Reloads, forget the damn Minor Avatar. Be content with the good Cloak and let the sharks keep their cheese.

Hmm, for a no-reloads game the Cloak is very much needed. :D

Thinking back to Aragorn's Story you'll have to use the same tactic I used against Wraith of Wrath. ;)


To Six: Minor Avatar AND Priestess use some sort of Aura of Magic something, that dispels everything and for some time you have 100% spell failure. If you haven't experienced that is becuse maybe that happens only on Insane difficulty. Just speculating though. And I also am not sure how many times they can use it. It might be just one time ability.

Some testing should definately take place before attempting a no-reloads game.

[ 10-26-2003, 04:31 AM: Message edited by: Leslie ]

That does it! I'm installing tactics so I can constructively participate in discussions like this one.
Well, I guess I pick up my BGT solo monk project before, but then it's tactics and more accurate testing from me I promise [img]smile.gif[/img]

Memory's rusty, but wouldn't killing the Priestess suffice if you just want the cloak? With the Boots of Speed I'm sure there's some way to dispose of her while keeping out of harms way from the avatar. I imagine the Avatar is way out of your league with the item and spell selection you currently have, so skip, if you can.

On the other hand, the C/R does have a few spells that could work if you do want to kill him. Since melee combat is out of the question with his Imprisonment ability, I'd say your one shot is to hit him from out of range, right? The level 6 spell Fire Seeds is one way, they aren't stopped by MR and hit as +6 weapons, though I doubt you can amass enough to kill him without sleeping, (maybe you can find a way to break away from his hunt and rest in mid-combat?) they do pitiful damage and are mostly useful in combination with Deathblow. Alternatively, if you have some HLA's, a few Implosions should pack enough punch to kill him, it ignores MR, so if you got it, it's a sure shot.

Wow, where have you been Rataxes ?
Haven't seen (hmm, read) you for a long time ...

Very good point there you have. I forgot about Implosion ignoring MR so that's another one to remember. ;)

Never left. I check out these forums every day, just rarely find the time to make any proper posts :(