Yeah, good thread, I couldn't fully read everyone's post though because I'm at work, working, so sorry if I state something that's been said before.

I tend to agree with everyone's feelings but I would also like to play devil's advocate for a sec. The decision to make her ultra powerful or adhere to the "rules" is a no win situation for Weimer. If you're powergaming, which one must admit a lot of people who download this mod do, she can be easily beatable by buffing before hand and simply tossing in one weapon of choice.

Before - honestly before, I saw Six's post about beating her I pretty much did the same thing with my Druiserker level 11/13. And I just about beat her without throwing in my spear. My initial thought was to go in with 100 percent magic resistance from the potions and cast an earthquake and get her to fail her save laying there comatose. Unfortunately the bitch is immune to earthquake as well. So I had to melee. With poitons of defense and agility plus defensive harmony your AC can be -6, mine with my berserk became -8. She had a hard time hitting me and at level 13 I had 6 ironskins at my disposal. Defense was not a problem.

Offense, however. I think some of you forgot a couple of low level Druid spells available, Shillehea(I know), and Flame Blade. Both of them hit her for damage just not the FB's fire. The only reason I couldn't beat her into Druid sausage with those is her never ending, insane regeneration rate. Get rid of that and voila. But later I accidentally found out I could toss items into the ring. Enter spear, exit Faldorn's dead carcass. Now she is the one who has no chance whatsoever.

I know I was using a Berserker/Druid. I know I drank every potion I possibly could and had elemental resistance from scrolls. I know I had reload knowledge. But all of these are available at everyone's disposal. The only semi-cheesey tactic is throwing in a weapon, which I don't know if that was possible pre mod. Maybe this was an addition to his mod to level the playing field.

All I'm saying is, he can make these battles as tough as he wants to, from uber kensai/mage to whatever else and powergamers will find a way to beat them. For me it's usually a welcome challenge, for some maybe another mod would be better.

Now how did you toss items into the ring then, if I may ask?

I don't think they were forgotten about, just discarded as not useful, for the same reason you did - you couldn't do enough damage with them. Besides, they're really only useful for a Fighter/Druid of some sort. Trying to melee in human form with a single-class Druid is suicide under the best of circumstances.

And this is still the main problem I have with Improved Faldorn - you catered your game to her, waited til you were high level, & still had to use cheese to win. I don't have too much of a problem making it tougher for a Druid to get a stronghold (even if this was just the challenge to become the Great Druid, though, I'd still say it's too strong), but there needs to be an alternate way to save Trademeet & get on with the quests & the game without requiring a high level Druid PC, Jaheira, or Cernd.

Tossing items into the pit has always been an option & has always been cheesy.

- Imrahil

You just move another character close enough to the pit to move equipment from that character's inventory to the Druid's inventory. "Tossing it into the pit" is just a way of rationalizing it. [img]smile.gif[/img]

- Imrahil

What happens if you do the quest in evil way?
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If you poison the druid pond?

It is cheesy, true for several reasons. Two of these reasons are: (1) You're supposed to fight her without equipment, presumably per the rules of the druidic challenge right? (2) It's also cheesy because it's unrealistic, that you could pause time while you equip every armor and item your friends toss over, and presumably you catch every potion bottle?

BUT, you could de-cheese yourself on #2, if time was eaten up with each item you throw over. In other words, wait a round, toss over 1 weapon, unpause, play for a round before tossing anything else, and say no-armor even though it lets you.

I agree, and the thing that peaves me off most is that Cernd can't automatically beat her while he's not in your party. If that were the case you could still save Trademeet at an early level. Letting the two of them face off and Control 'y'ing Faldorn would essentially be the same. The only problem with that is the not everyone, myself included, enters the debug code.

I guess it's worth noting that a Level 13 Cernd with "Rebalanced" Shapeshifter installed (plus a few Ironskins memorized) can take out Faldorn. You need to hold off on making his first transformation until you're in the pit, otherwise he doesn't get to bring The Paw with him. Not a good solution, but it's a solution, especially if you don't intend to take Cernd with you beyond the Grove.

Cure Disease & Dolorous Decay (good call, Assassin) help.

Improved Kitthix won't Dimension Door in to help out, by the way.

- Imrahil

... Rebalanced Shapeshifter is grossly overpowered...

Indeed. Even though I've installed the NPCTweak that turns him into a Totemic Druid instead, I still refuse to install Overbalanced Shapeshifter because of what it does to the Druid spells, specifically Conjure Animals.