[Cerek the Barbaric]

DEATH OF A KENSAI


Setting: Waukeen's Promenade

Enemy: Kurosian, the Acid Kensai

Party members:
Cerek (Wizard Slayer/Thief 24/26)
Minsc
Keldorn
Jaheira
Imoen


During my first encounter (first several encounters actually), I found out just why this guy has such a massive Reputation. I had my party "buffed" as much as possible with pre-cast spells, But Kurosion blew through them like an F5 Tornado. I haven't faced any other opponent that could single handedly kill my entire party so quickly. Not even the various dragons killed me this quickly.

So I finally browsed the forum looking for threads telling how others beat this guy. The best advice came from weimer, who had created the mod that included the Acid Kensai. He suggested having the party "run around" waiting for Kurosion's various defensive spells to wear off. I didn't want to control the entire party, so I put them in the inn where we fought the dwarf and his party right after Chateau Irenicus - then took Cerek outside to face Korusion alone.

I tried running from him, which led to some pretty comical visuals that reminded me a lot of the 3 Stooges. I would walk to the door of Ribald's Adventurer's Mart, then equip Celestial Fury - which prompted Kurosion to show up. After going through the dialogue (and refusing to hand over Celestial Fury), Korusion would attack and my character would take off with his Boots of Speed. I would run up one staircase as he came down a different one. I finally settled on the area just above the Adventurer's Mart. There are two staircases there that are a fair distance apart. I would literally just run in circles waiting for his spells to wear off. Then I would use a Wand of Spellstriking to Breach his defenses and attack. This proved to be humorous to watch, but ineffective. He either killed me or just ran away once his spells wore off.

Then it hit me....I knew what I was overlooking......MY TRAPS!!!!!

This led to a new strategy. I came out of the inn and down to the floor of the Promenade. I moved forward a little (just behind and to the side of Aerie's circus tent) and set the following traps: 2 Spike traps, 1 Exploding trap, 1 Time trap, and 3 regular snares. That's all the game would allow.

Once the traps were set, I brought out the rest of the party. I left Minsc, Keldorn, and Jaheira up on the wall just outside the entrance to the inn and I brought Imoen down to the floor level and set her back against the wall just under her friends. This should put her far enough away from the traps to avoid the Explosion from my traps. Then I moved back to my normal spot and began the whole "run in circles" tactic again. I remembered to attack Kurosion as soon as the first wave of his spells wore off, so that he would come after me rather than running away. I then tried to lure him towards my traps and the waiting ambush. I planned to have Imoen cast ShapeChange and FireShield on herself. Then she could transform into an Earth Elemental or Iron Golem and just pound the kensai into the ground. I would use my Wand of Spellstrike to cancel out his Acid Resistance and the acid backlash from the Fireshield should hopefully kill him.

Good plan, but Kurosion was never cooperative enough to run through all of my traps. Some would go off, but he was healed of the damage almost instantly. {sigh}. Finally - after MANY tries - my strategy paid off, but not in the manner I was expecting.

I had gone through the whole setup again, with Minsc, Keldorn, and Jaheira ready with missile weapons and Imoen ready to Shapechange. I went towards my regular spot and equipped Celestial Fury. There was a loud explosion and a completely different dialogue from Killer K. Instead of trying to talk me out of the sword, he attacked immediately.

I couldn't figure out what happened until I scrolled across the screen. Instead of appearing on the wall above the Adventurer's Mart (where he usually showed up), Kurosion had "popped in" right in the middle of my traps!!! They had gone off before he had a chance to do any of his "buff up" spells and he had taken a bucket-load of damage. I quickly charged to the attack with Celestial Fury in one hand and Purifier (+4 and an extra 20% Magic Resistance) in the other. Imoen cast her Shapechange and - instead of firing missile weapons - I had Keldorn summon a deva and Jaheira summon a Greater Elemental. But I didn't need any of them. Kurosion was so badly injured from the traps that Cerek literally sliced him in half before the deva and elemental even showed up. [img]graemlins/wow.gif[/img]

After hours of planning and several reloads - I have to admit it was rather anti-climatic...but I STILL took HIS katana for myself and divided the rest of his stuff among my fellow party members.

[ 02-05-2003, 09:23 AM: Message edited by: Cerek the Barbaric ]