There are two types of summoned critters: Summoned, and Gated.

Summoned creatures are your basic monsters--Kobolds, Ogres, Carrion Crawlers, Wyverns, Aerial Servants, Fire Elementals, Mountain Bears, Skeleton Warriors, Invisible Stalkers, Nishruu.....etc, etc, etc.

Gated creatures are unique in that they are summoned through a demonic or celestial Gate. These include things like Cacofiends, Pit Fiends, (Fallen) Devas and (Fallen) Planetars.

Summoned creatures, no matter what they are, where they're from, or what kind of immunities or resistances they have, will automatically meet instant death upon meeting a hostile Death Spell. Nothing can stop it; not even your own Simulacrum or Project Image, even while under the protection of Spell Immunity: Necromancy.

Gated creatures, however, can walk through Death Spell after Death Spell and not feel a thing.

Also note that the game likes to cheat by "creating" monsters instead of actually Summoning them. If you actually SEE the enemy casting Monster Summoning II and you SEE the group of Worgs appear, then yes, you can zap 'em all with a Death Spell. But if the creature is placed via a script (such as, say, the Elemental Lich), then the creature is not flagged as "Summoned," and therefore is immune to Death Spell if it's Level 9 or higher.

<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="2" COLOR="#00ff00">i also heard that in one part of the game with the illithids, they are categoried as summoned creature.i forget, maybe its in the mind flyer city, or some part of the place in the underworld.</FONT>

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Easiest way: install also ToB and do as many quests as possible, get into as many fights as possible and so on. Grab that XP [img]smile.gif[/img]

Frankly, the fight with Irenicus was over even before it really started. I figured lately to play some BG again, so installed BG1, BG1: ToTSC, BG2: SoA and BG2: ToB. I also added some modules, like the.. uh.. what's it called, improved encounters? To have some better random fights then the original pointless ones. And some other modules as well (Tactics, Ascension, Redemption, that Improved Items one). Did as many quests as possible, i.e. grabbed some NPC in party and did all of his/her quests, then booted him/her and took next one. Sure, the game got kinda long (by the in-game days) but doesn't matter.

I didn't even do it all, still had to do quests for 2-3 NPC's, when I was lvl 29 already and faced Irenicus in Abyss. Used the usual tactic, sending the mages/ranged people tad back at the start and tanks taking down the demons. Eh, that went fast, before I even blinked the eyes for 3 times, they were all chopped down. Only Irenicus was left. He did his usual teleport-kinda trick, but that wasn't much of a help. As soon as he landed, I had him stripped of most of his protections and my main tank - my char - was hitting him hard and fast already. He didn't get any spells off on his own, only the contingencies and triggers and such were working, everything rest was knocked away. So he did another move, another teleport, but had already no protections on, literally. Just before he landed, Imoen used Time Stop and on his landing spot, for good measure, some Abi Dahlzims were places, with some other goodies. I overdid it, I suppose, since he probably had anyway only couple of HP's left...

He was dead as soon as Time Stop wore off and he landed, basically he landed flat on his belly and started to scream. Good for me, I hate the long lasting, annoying battles.

Of course, can do it well without ToB as well, done it more times then I can remember [img]smile.gif[/img] But my basic tactics was always the same: make sure all are Hasted, this will allow to reposition them fast. Mages/ranged chars fall back as soon as the fight starts to take better position and get out of melee range, while melee people take demons on. I never worried about Irenicus that much right at the start, as he seems to be more content on watching your struggle with demons. Minsc, Jaheira and Anomen can basically thwack them. As soon as ranged chars or casters have taken the place, let them cast needed spells - True Sight and such, heal the tanks if they need. Learn the positions to what Irenicus will go during the fight, easier to position then.

And then it's the basics - keep his illusionary chars down (True Sight), strip protections, melee's should be stuck on him like cheap suit at the prom night. Haven't done it in the "old" way for a long time, so can't give any details, but I am sure here's plenty of people who can, from tactics to those pesky spell names I never remember (bah, spells-schmells, fighter needs no such stuff!) :D

Well, my tactic was slightly different. I summoned some creatures before putting in the final tear, and when Jonny appeared I moved everyone back. That way, most of the demons were mincing up my monsters while two ran after my party. My tanks handled them easily and finished off the other demons just as easily (by now all summoned creatures were dead) and only Irenicus was left. I stripped his protections and used the hit-and-run tactic, switching characters that got too hurt with healthier ones. It worked, and at the end I let everyone rip up on him. Game, set, match to me! :D

EDIT: Oh yeah, if you check my stats at the top, I was no way near lvl 29 ;)

[ 06-30-2003, 07:13 AM: Message edited by: slicer15 ]