Is there any way to know how strong or wounded your occasional fellow travelers are. I'm fed up with a certain barbarian charging unarmed and unarmored after every creature he can reach and dying in the ensuing fight.
I tried killing the creatures before he reaches them by running into combat (not my usual tactic) but he always manages to position himself between me and the creatures. And that only results in him getting killed even faster because he then recieves my blows too.
When he miraculously survives an encountere it is for me to guess how badly wounded he is to administer some healing.
Is their any way to know how badly he is wounded? Or perhaps to give him some weapons or armor. I'm losing my patience having to reload because the stupid bugger died on me again. And again. And again....

It's better to travel alone. Why do you even want a companion ? Is it for a quest ?

Yep, It's for a quest. And the quest doesn't involve the questgiver (ie the barbarian) to die. <Sigh>

BTW: That was one fast reply Johnny. Been waiting?

No, i'm constantly jumping from one forum to another, and i just bumped into your post, read it and replied. It's becoming an automatic thing. :D

Edit: what quest are we talking about here ? A quest from Bloodmoon ?

[ 07-17-2003, 09:39 AM: Message edited by: johnny ]

No,
*slight spoiler following*
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it is one of those quests where you encounter a lonely (and naked) barbarian type beside the road with a sad tale. This one is about an encounter with a witch that paralyzed and robbed him. He wants you to help him kill the witch, but he doesn't know where she is exactly. If you accept to help him he will follow you untill he dies or you find the witch (I hope)

[ 07-17-2003, 09:47 AM: Message edited by: Deejax ]

Okay, i remember this quest, except i never did it. Here's what i would do. Accept to help him, then run up a hill where he can't follow you. Once you got rid of him, proceed to the witch alone, kill her, and return to the barbarian. It should be okay then, though i'm not sure. Just try what i said, but save before you do it.

Or you could use a bow, circle around the witch, so you don't hit the barbarian, and finish her off with a couple of well aimed shots.

I was thinking of using a teleport spell (recall, divine or almsivi) to leave him somewhere save. Going to try tonight. But that still leaves me with some other quests where the whole point is to escort someone somewhere.

Using a bow won't help because the one you are escorting charges into the battle as soon as the opponent notices you. So you can get of one shot and then the fun starts.


Johnny, do you know a way to tell if a NPC is hurt?

No, you can't click on any of the NPC's to receive stats on that. Neither on friendly or enemy NPC's. That's a bit annoying if you ask me.

Can't you try to fight the witch unarmed ? If your unarmed skill is high enough, you should be able to defeat the witch with just a couple of blows. that way you can't do too much damage to the barbarian if you accidentally hit him. Just a thought.

[ 07-17-2003, 10:08 AM: Message edited by: johnny ]

Nice idea.
Problem is I NEVER trained my unarmed skill. So it is probably something like 5.
Maybe the solution lies in using magic like drain fatigue or burden.
Drain fatigue won't kill him and burden will put a stop to him moving into the combat. It will have to be a giant burden, because he isn't carrying anything. Maybe drain fatigue is better :D

If i were you, i'd loose the barbarian, kill the witch on my own, and return his stuff to him. That should be good enough. What's the reward btw ?

Don't know. Haven't found the witch yet.
That's another part of this quest that is quite annoying. The only hint you get about her location is from the barbarian. And that is: "I think somewhere to the northwest, but I'm not sure."

I do wonder about the reward though. He is naked. Doesn't carry anything around. What can he give me? His everlasting thanks? His solemn oath to eradicate my adversaries?

Oh, no.
He won't offer to accompany me forever won't he. :eek:

Aaaargh.... maybe he'll ask you to marry him. :D

How did you know that I am playing a very eligible and even more beautifull female adventurer?

Though I don't think I want to find my future husband beside the road, dumped there by another woman. :D

Why don't you just talk to him and ask to "wait here"? You can kill whatever you wish, then ask him to follow you again. All the quests involving companions I know of allow this option. It can be a bit boring, but it's surely effective.

You might want to buy or create a spell " Heal Companion ". it enable you to heal other people. thus stopping them from dying.

SPOILERS maybe:
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1)) yes you can tell the barbarian to wait while you go on your quest. do your mark spell so you can find him again.
2) he offers a nice axe, if i remembered right. if you don't like him, you can probably kill him once you receive the ax. but taunt him instead. also that witch makes her own proposition to you against the barbarian of course
3) or go to the morrowind summit site and there is a mod (sorry forgot the name but i do have it at home) that displays hitpoint stats for all NPCs and monsters. haven't installed it yet but i will soon. just do a seach for hitpoints or displays.

Oddly enough, she isn't that far from where you find him. She is on the road though. I can't remember exactly, but the first time I tried to complete this mission I ran from Hla Oad, to Ald Ruhn looking for her, and all places in between! I had the woman with a certain pair of boots as well. Guess it was my day for charity work. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Umm, you can't ask him "wait here". Don't know if it is a bug, because I have seen it with other companions. It simply isn't available in the possible dialogue with this barbarian.

I have the spell. The problem is that I haven't got a clue if an NPC is wounded and how much effect my spell has on him/her. I think i'll check out the mod GForce mentioned.


I had the same experience. Walking to ald ruhn with two people trailing you. ;)
And I don't think it is all charity: that's a nice pair of boots (if you have the magic resistance to wear them)

BTW: I finally found the witch

Spoiler (witch location)
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The witch is to the north-northwest of the barbarians original position. Just follow the road there.

GForce, can you lookup the name of the mod that shows the hitpoints etc.
I searched morrowind summit but haven't found it :(

Okay I did the search and it's called Kobu's Damage Report Mod or something like that. Just do a search for the author who is Kobu. Appearently that mod only reports non-NPC creatures. Sorry for leading you on. BTW if you need help fighting, just summon two or three skeletons before the battle. That should help. Or better yet golden saints.

Actually, IIRC he asks you to retrieve the axe. If you do so, he trains your strength (+5 I think).

Actually, IIRC he asks you to retrieve the axe. If you do so, he trains your strength (+5 I think). </font>[/QUOTE]He'll train your strength +2.

That's right. I remember it wasn't too significant, but well worth the quest.

When I spoke to the witch she told the barbarian to meet her at Caldera in 3 days. The barbarian wouldn't accept that and attacked. After the barbarian's death she thanked me and wandered off (I think she gave me something).Must have been the good witch of the north

I've actually found at least 2(maybe 3) nord axe quests. The one I think you are talking about was the first one I found. The witch was up the road and then right at the fork which leads up into the hills which is like what was said north-north-west. Anyway I didn't know that he would train your strength. That would have been nice. I sided with the healer lady.
The second nord axe quest once you killed the witch and returned the axe (fortify axe skill 10 or something) he will train your axe skill by 1 (or 2?). I think he was somewhere over by the ashlander camps somewhere.
Oh I remember now the third was the one where the nord was paralyzed (sp?) and you have to either cast a spell or get a potion to free him. I remember that being over the hills and in the swampy area west of balmora but am not too sure. There's a city in there somewhere but I can't remember it's name.

Yeah, the witch is very nearby: just north and a little west... You should only have an encounter or two on your way to her, pretty low level, nix hound stuff.

And when you find her, you have to decide who to beleive: naked guy or witch. More profitable to trust naked guy.

I like using bows for encounters with companions: your odds of accidently killing your companion is lower, and you can manuver around to get a clear shot. Plus, if you have a decent bow and any marksmanship, you can generally kill the enemy before your companion gets in the way.

This is one of several 'help-the-strangers' quests where you can't leave the NPC behind...

So buy the 'heal companion' spell when you get a chance: very inexpensive to cast. I heal them after every encounter, just to be safe.

You do run into the redgaurd trader girl who wants to go to the coast in the same area, as well as the orc who wants you to take a note to his mommy. The redguard quest is MANDATORY for me: couldn't bear to play this game without those boots... BUT don't take on more than one side quest at a time, and don't even speak to anyone unless you are willing to take on their quests. They'll stick around forever, so you can always go back, but once you turn them down, you usually don't get a second chance.

Oru