MOD SPOILERS MAY FOLLOW
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~

I've been sweeping through the tactics mod with my solo kensai, but i've suddenly come to an abrupt halt whilst doing the ritual quest.

My problem occurs whilst encountering the skull + defenders in the northern centre of the map. I can easily slay the guardians for this particular skull, all but for one little bugger - Ender - the Ritual Captain, the invisible Ritual Captain......

As a pure class warrior, I have no dispelling abilities or detecting of illusionary capabilities, so how the hell do I kill this guy? He has around 5 potions of invisibility, as well as 3 level 2 invisibility spells. He never tries to attack me, and just stands there, quaffing potion after potion or casting invisibility spell after invisibility spell if dispelled!! (I used the cheesy quaff a potion in an inventory slot, and then replaced it for an oracle scroll approach, just to see where he was, but as soon as his invisibility was dispelled, he quaffed another invisibility potion/cast another invisibility spell. He keeps doing this as long as he has means of becoming invisible, and even after he can no longer fade from my sight, he just stands there like a total MUPPET!!)

I can't of course destroy the skull until I get this guy, but with 8 individual means of making himself invisible, absolutely nothing but a true seeing spell will surfice (and of course, I don't have access to this as a warrior).

So to summarise, I cannot lidgetimately dispel his invisibility (and certainly not 8 instances of it), and since he does not attack, he never brings himself out of his invisibility state, so I cannot kill him. I therefore cannot kill the skull and therefore cannot complete the ritual quest :( .

I thought about using arrows of detonation on the nearby skull to zap him with an area of effect fireblast (he only has 62 hp), but of course, the kensai can't use a bow, and wands of fire/frost/cloud kill are all restricted and cannot be used by a fighter. Does this mean that it is *impossible* for a solo Kensai to finish the Ritual? GRRRRRRRR :mad: . I'm sure our good pal Weimer would not have made this so. Every character should be able to finish every quest by using the cleverist of tactics, but I see no solution here....

Has anyone got any suggestions about how to deal with this? I refuse to use the cheesy potion ->cast spell approach, and only wish to use ledgitemate ways to kill him. Is there a summon that I can access that has true sight as an innate ability? I tried Ras and the Improved Kithixx but to no avail!

On a completely random side note, I now see why Ras is so damn expensive for a crappy +2 long sword.....its dancing summon may only last for 4 rounds, but for these rounds, the thing is completely immune to everything - the elements, physical damage and even magic (not even Mordies Sword has this last one!). This means that I can send Ras into the heat of a battle, and for 4 rounds, my hard hitting kensai can flank the enemy (and belive me, not much stands after 4 "5 APR assaults" from a high level kensai). Priceless!

EDIT: Forgot the spoiler tag!

[ 02-10-2003, 06:16 PM: Message edited by: Jim ]

Eureka!!

LOL I really didn't think this one through too hard!! I can see a few options now:

</font>

• Complete Watchers keep, get the club of Detonation, and the use GWW on the skull and hope I get enough 10D6 fireballs to destroy Ender (who is conviniently stood by the skull) - could do the same for Harbringer, although the odds are less. Bit suicidal this one so I'd need protection from fire.</font>
• Use a potion or 2 of firebreath on the skull, and then manouver the flames (same as Agannazar's Scorcher) around to get Ender.</font>
• and....(this must be it), go and see Roger the Fence and buy multiple potions of Fiery Burning!! These work exactly as fireballs, so a few of these up his a** and hes agonna.</font>

Right, must try it.....

AAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

LMAO.....the guy's 100% resistant to fire. Well that rules that tactic out :( . Any one care to shed a little wisdom?

Don't know if it's usable by Kensai's (says nothing about usability in the description), but doesn't the Wand of Wonder from the Illithid lair in the Temple district sewers have any spell you could use to kill him with?

Of course, a more obvious solution would be to use the True Sight spell that the Book of Infinite spells provides you with. But I take it you missed the book when passing Brynnlaw?

[ 02-10-2003, 05:38 PM: Message edited by: Rataxes ]

The wand of wonder needs to specifically target a creature, so unfortunately this wont work on an invisible creature.

GENIUS!!!

I totally forgot about the book. I'm still on chapter 3 and so haven't been to Brynnlaw yet, but I'll come back to this quest (reload from an older save) and venture onwards. Cheers! [img]smile.gif[/img]

Well glad to be of help [img]smile.gif[/img]

About the Wand of Wonder, I was thinking you could maybe target the Skull, and then once in a while you'd maybe get a Chain Lightning or Skull Trap or something that would harm him as well.

ring of the ram?

Ah yes, possibily. Does anyone know all the effects of the Wand of Wonder and their associated probabilities?

This unfortunately won't work, as it specifically needs to target a single creature, and invisible creatures cannot be targeted until you dispel the invisibility. It also only does 5D6 damage, so I'd need at least 3 charges even if I could target him, and resting is unfortunately not an option in this quest. Thanks for the response though.

Extra credit to those who can think of a reliable solution without me needing to come back to this quest in chapter 6! Dundee, Alson, Daan, Six? Any ideas?

[ 02-11-2003, 04:28 AM: Message edited by: Jim ]

Are there any items that cast glitterdust?

I was going to suggest the Book of Infinite Spells, but Rataxes robbed me. :D Hmmm...

Dragonslayer +2 has a Detect Illusions item ability, but that's instant. Ditto Alburin +1, but that's post chapter 3.

Horn of Blasting can damage him a bit, but not enough no kill him.

Namarra +2 can silence him, making his Invisibility spells obsolete. Ditto Horn of Silence.

Daystar's Sunray is more effective against Undead, but it'll hurt him, too.

That's all i can think of. Tell us how it went. [img]smile.gif[/img]

And extra credit you may well have laddie! I sold the Dragon Slayer, but its detect invisiblity use one per day ability may be all that's needed here (must return to Ribald!).

Ender has a save vs spells of around 6 IIRC. My kensai has Grandmastery in Katana's, and has Celestial Fury in his posession (Speed factor will be 0). If I can get close enough to him, use dragon slayer to dispel his invisibility, and then *instantly* strike him with CF, I will have around a 30% chance of stunning him, and then it's simply game over for him. This might well work Alson! Thing is, I've got such a small window of opportunity to make this assault before he quaffs his potion.

Yes, 2D10 damage IIRC.

Yes, this will potentially remove 3 of his means of becoming invisible, although the other 5 can still be used...

3D6 damage....its still significant, although my damage range is still 5-38 damage combining this with the Horn of Blasting....Good, but only enough to take him to the "badly injured" state (and that's assuming max damage).

I reckon I can pull off the CF stun approach. Thanks for an intelligent reply.

*does Queen E hand-wave* [img]graemlins/blush.gif[/img] [img]smile.gif[/img]

I like your Stun approach. As much as i admire Celestial Fury (you should know by now that it's my favorite), though, i think the Horn will serve you better, here, since Fury's stun lasts a mere round, while the Horn's stun lasts two. Try this:

Round 1: You use Horn of Blasting. Edner is stunned and damaged a bit.

Round 2: You use Dragonslayer's Detect Invisibility ability. Ender is still stunned -- attack him ASAP. With a little luck, Ender is stunned again.

Round 3: Keep attacking Ender. Fury's Stun cuts right through Stoneskin.

This should work, though it might take a reload or two for you to get lucky with the saves. Good luck. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[ 02-11-2003, 09:17 AM: Message edited by: Alson ]

Got him :D FINALLY!

I couldn't seem to get him to fail his save vs death for the horn (despite his save being 5) so I settled for this: Use Dragonslayers detect invisibility to pinpoint the static Ender. Reload. Enable improved haste from Ring of Gaxx (lasts 2 rounds) wielding CF and Ages (9 APR). Stand right next to Ender and detect invisible at start of next round. Pause when he's visible and attack (still have the ability to make 9 attacks in very rapid succession for one more round). CF's stun kicks in with the first strike, and then the next 8 attacks strip his stoneskins and only 2 strikes are needed to remove his 62 HP. We now have one dead Ender.

I used the Ring of the Ram on the currently invincible skull to push him away from Ender. This stopped him from using his annoying "Project Force" ability, that has a wing buffet effect, which would push my character away, disrupting this very precise sequence. Since the skulls are immobile, this removed it from the equation once it was off the screen.

Thank you all for your contributions and ideas!

Excellent work, Jim. Glad it worked out for you! [img]smile.gif[/img]