I'm currently exploring the druid grove and can't seem to explore more than half the map - there isn't an unblocked passage further up.

FWIW, I had a full party, and didn't want to drop one member to allow the druid to join up, but I didn't think it would matter. I also dismissed Jaheira so I could recruit Anomen. It occurs to me that I might need a druid to get further...is this so or is there a passage I must find?

btw, my party has 3 custom characters (kensai, bard, and elven mage), plus Minsc, Anomen, and Nalia for thief support.

First of all [img]graemlins/wavey.gif[/img] Welcome to Ironworks!
Second: Go to the bottom of the map, there should be a little path leading somewhere.
Third: You don't have to have a druid in your party, you can simply tell Cernd to challenge the evil druids and you will watch them fight.
Fourth: Nalia sucks as a mage!!!

Did you get stuck just north of the Troll mound? I got stuck there when I first found the place... It looks kind of like a solid wall, but it's not, you can walk to the right.

I have to agree, Nalia sux as a mage, but I use her for thieving...put all points to unlocking and untrapping, bards pickpocket! [img]smile.gif[/img]

Anomen rocks as a combat cleric...and my custom elven mage has 19 dex, he also has a magical amulet that gives him a couple of bonus spells, plus the bard can cast, so I don't really need another mage.

Now that I've heard about Jan (from this board) I'll get him instead.

I guess I'll have to stumble around looking for the narrow path...

<font color="lightblue">You can`t change Nalia`s thief skills without cheating; she is a Thief dualled to a Mage.
And she doesn`t have that many skillpoints anyway: she dualled at level 4; even if you DO rearrange them, but don`t increase the total, she will barely get you through Chapter 3, let alone the whole game; unless you cheat.
She is a far better mage than Thief; and infact the best mage in the game for a good/neutral party, short of Jan Jansen.
</font>

the map seems impassable but it can be explored. hey dont drop nalia, you can rely on her. her knowledge in bow makes a good advantage, not to mention her ablity in magic. i am playing soa for the fourth time with an archer pc and 2 mages by my side (nalia and eirie), trully fantastic.

Found the path - it looks like an impassable pile of rocks, but it's really the path. I'd been trying to click _around_ it! =8-)

By far, the druid grove and stronghold are the most IRRITATING and time consuming in the game. It's easier to just keep resting outside the grove about seventy times so you can get the quest OVER with so you can never come back. The stupid party AI needs to be handwalked through the map, even with the path-search thingy maxed out. And to top it all off, the stupid stronghold doesn't have a single container! Hmph.

I have to agree with Lennon, Nalia does not suck as mage. She's the second best mage in the game after Edwin, making her the best for a good/neutral party. Her 17 int doesn't become a hindrance until ToB, and even then it's easily gotten around with potions of genius. The only real drawback I see to her is her low wis if you want to cast wish spells.

[ 09-16-2002, 06:13 PM: Message edited by: Lharae ]

I partly agree with your point. Nalia DOES NOT suck however I disagree that she is the second best mage. Imoen is better. First of all she is a better thief and you can get by with her as your only thief(although I'm a big Jan Jansen fan and always take him) unlike Nalia who is a downright BAD thief. Imoen has more wisdom which is useful with the limited wish(SOA) and wish spells(TOB) and she gets an extra spell per a level like a specialist mage even though she isn't. This is the main reason I'd say Nalia is the third best mage not the second. Just my two cents [img]smile.gif[/img]