First time through BGII, I didn't follow the Kangaxx construction quests to their ultimate conclusion. I have to say now, I regret that, as I missed out on quite the entertaining and for a while, difficult, battle...and I haven't even reached the end of it all just yet.
After entering the correct door in the bridge district with the correct item, my party had to first lie through their teeth and pounce on an unlikely intruder, in order to save the currently effeminate Edwin being accosted and taken away from us. I wonderered if this encounter was set for triggering inside this area, or whether it was just a coincidence of timing...
Anyway, little was I prepared for the dire nastiness Shangalar had awaiting us. I must have reloaded in a dark, anxious state 10-20 times, I was almost going to reload the autosave and rest again and come back to try again some. However, just this morning I managed to luck out somewhat but seemingly at some cost. Here's what eventuated:
My party wasn't at its fullest strength at this time. But I had my Avenger barkskin, use a couple of potions and then shapeshift into sword spider form for most of the battle. Viconia cast prot from evil 10 radius, defensive harmony, chant and then I had her draw holy might whilst Jan cast a series of defensive spells on himself, used the staf of air to conjure an Air elemental and cloudkill the area near where the beholder appears. Edwin cast a small Fire elemental, his own minor sequencer for defensive purposes, whilst the tanks Korgan and Minsc drank potions of fire giant strength. Jan then cast haste and we were ready to go.
I had Korgan trigger dialogue and then as Shangalar teleported, rushed back into the alcove with everyone else. I had Minsc prepositioned armed with the Mace of Disruption +1 and I almost fell out of my chair when on his second swing, just before the lich could get any defensive spells away, it failed a save and was utterly annhilated by the mace. I had little time to celebrate, as there was still a battle to be won I put Minsc in bow mode and had him on the perimeter, firing at Ravenek, the fighter. I got a bit game with Korgan, as the elementals had just gone down, sending him into bezerk mode head on with the beholder. It went down fairly quickly after a "scone breaker", as did the fighter, leaving only Shyressa the Vampire, and the mage who despite having cast protection from evil was still humourously engaged in a battle with her own gated Pit Fiend.
This is where I make a small tactical mistake by getting Edwin to use the wand of summoning too close to the hastily approaching vampire who homes in on him, managing to drain four levels in what was the only real blight upon the battle. Minsc and Korgan chased it down swinging wildly as Edwin retreated, and Jan cast a flame arrow to slow it down some more. It was eventually smited and I then managed to get a cheesy quicksave in the alcove. The remaining mage was still surprisingly a decent challenge to conquer, although I had thought the Pit Fiend would make it easier. Korgan got lucky with another 'sconebreaker' as did Jan with a backstab which ended her existence, gaining a very well endorsed/much spoken about magic item.
I got a bit of a shock though when as I was about to retreat to the alcove to save again and loot, when the Pit Fiend made another very sudden reappearance. I figure it must have been under the influence of invisibility 10 radius or improved invisibility or something. I didn't see. It wouldn't attack, but I decided to send it to oblivion anyway. Ahh, finally. It was done. Or was it?
Now, this is where I got panicky. Where was the torso piece which I assumed (from other posts and Kangaxx's plea) must lie. I found the beholder eye and assumed it to be what was needed to leave and looted the remaining corpses of summoned creatures etc. Shangalar's corpse lies exactly where it first appears within the alcove, but with nothing on it!
Am I being punished for lucking out in killing him so quickly? Does the item only appear if you allow him to appear in his full glory? Or hopefully I have got this encounter confused with something else in that the item isn't found here. Anyway, I'll make a save in there for the time being unti I know for certain what's happened....
Cheers,
Cerebrodragon
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