Nessie

[Barak]

After about 20 attempts I do not seem to be able to defeat the nessie at the shallows.
I even tried cybermans trainer, but it only makes the game crash.
My party is average level 18, I have two spellcasters (Psionic and Wizard), but they do not know the spells like shadow, hide, shields etc mentioned in other posts. I tried summoned elementals, used canned elementals, used all my potions of superman - I bring the nessie down to about 700 HP and that's when my characters die, my bard uses one round drinking potion of stamina and next round to use dulcimer of mending, but that seems to be too slow.

Questions:

1. What else can i try, what is the trick?????

2. Is there another way to the sea caves???

3. Is it possible to finish the game without going to martens grave???

4. would it be a good idea to go to the rapax rift etc. first to gain more XP??

Help most appreciated Barak

[Oruboris]

My method:

1>Save game just before leaving the underwater caves: you will need to re-load from this point if you really, really want excaliber [assuming you have some one who can weild it].

2> Run past Nessie to the cave where Excaliber may be-- She WILL engage you before you get there, but just keep running every turn till you are safe inside. If no excal, reload.

3> Once you have excal, sleep until all are at full health and manna, and save again.

4> Cast standard buffs, using scrolls or potion if need be. Make sure everyone is using their most potent weapon or ammo. Very important to have enchanted blade, magic screen, and armour plate running! {Hint: if you don't have these but do have portal, set a portal here, leave, get the necessary stuff and return. Croc, Sadok or the Umpani may have the spell books: You are well past the minimum requirements for what you'll need.}

5> Exit cave and engage Nessie. You must be close enough that at least one party member can attack her with ranged weapon or spell. All others should finish buffing with 'in combat only' spells [some of which are really important, esp. haste, and element sheild] or cast body of stone, superman, eye for eye, etc.

6> If your best fighters are short range, run up to her. Now its time to summon elementals, etc. Casting summon elemental until you are in the open is risky: if done while still behind the rock pillar, the elemental may not be able to move to nessie to attack, and prevent you from attacking as well.

7> Seems to me draining cloud and hex work well against her, but use your casters mostly to reinforce buffs, purify air, rest and heal.

Clearly, this is NOT the only approach that works, but it can be an effective strategy, even for smaller parties.

Oh, there is another route you can take: use the tunnel in the swamp to get to Bayjin, collect scuba gear from there, and proceed through the giant skeleton to the tunnel that takes you to the shallows. Be sure and collect a light sword from the bucaneer ghosts if taking this route.

BOL!
Oru

[jsteng]

This all depends on the level of your characters.

My first team, everyone were below level 12. Got killed even before I could finish 2 rounds. Knowing that I did something very wrong with the team, I decided to make a new game out of frustration.

My second team was better. By the time we go to Nessie, everyone were at level 14: 1 Bishop, 1 Ranger, 1 Samurai, 1 Ninja, 1 Gadgeteer, 1 Bard. I simply run towards her and keep on hacking! Gadgeeter and Bard where doing heal all while the Samurai, Ninja and Ranger did all the physicals and the Bishop doing buffs.

[Phoonzang]

I seem to remember being able to completely over-power Nessie. Not sure how I did that but I think if you get you chars up high enough you'll be able to whoop her arse!

[Grellan]

know how you feel. first time encountered nessie wasn't expecting it at all and whole party got annihilated within 2 rounds.

anyhow, it is possible to get past nessie to the sea caves without fighting him/her/it??. jump down from the entrance behind the rocks. then run to your right, hugging the walls. you'll come to another few big rocks where there are some dog tags of uif soldiers and where you can hide from nessie. here there is one of those rocks with bubbles coming up from it: step over it and you get carried up onto another ledge which is part of a set of tunnels that skirt around the open space where nessie is. follow these, heading south east approx and you'll get to the sea caves exit. likely to face a bunch of deep dwellers, psi sharks etc but nothing extreme.

[Gimli]

Well what I always did with Nessie was invite a few friends over to kill her - summoned elementals [img]smile.gif[/img] I would stay within sight distance of her and engage her before she engages you - what you want is to gain a free round of surprise on her that way. In the free round, have everyone who can summon an elemental, either by spell or potion (Crock sells canned elementals BTW). One character should hit her with an area effect spell to make sure she'll engage you - sonic boom is my favorite for this. Next round start buffing, against Nessie you especially want soul shield and element shield up with eye for an eye. Your elementals should rush up to her and keep her busy. Close in on the next round and try to move behind any gaps in your wall of elementals so you can take ranged shots at her. One great spell at this point (have to make sure you move close enough to hit her with it) is armormelt. Also any other buffing spells, like bless, haste, etc - and now those buffs will effect your elementals as well. Once you're at this point, just pelt her with spells, ranged weapons, and heal as needed, maybe summon some fresh elementals as she'll kill some off. Really in a few rounds, even if you just watched and did nothing else, the elementals (I've seen her at most maybe kill 4 of them) should finish her off after she's armormelted and they're buffed.

[Wereboar]

I have two spellcasters (Psionic and Wizard), but they do not know the spells like shadow, hide, shields etc mentioned in other posts.

Part of your problem is that you don't have access to priest spells.
So you lack Armorplate and Rest All (maybe even Stamina?)

Use Magic screen (Bard). Use Elemental shield (mage). Use Soul Shield (Bard or Psionic). That should keep the damage from Nessies Breath ans spells down.

Very important: Use Armormelt (Psionic). You'll be surprised how much more often you'll hit.

If you have anybode with a stamina spell, use this spell to restore the stamina of your bard. Be sure to have mana stones or potions on this character.

I usually fight Nessie from the entrance of one of the tunnels (bayjin tunnel works best). With range attacks. If you plan this, be sure to have some good ammo with you.

When i have a bard, he's usually developed for initiative, so he goes first each round. If this is the case, it's usually enough to play Heal All every 3 rounds.

3. Is it possible to finish the game without going to martens grave???

No.
But you might be able to run past Nessie (south tunnel) during combat. She can't follow you into tunnels.

4. would it be a good idea to go to the rapax rift etc. first to gain more XP??

Depending on your party, you'll get some very nice items to buy from Ferro.

[Vaprakgruumsh]

(Hrm, should have done the run for the chest with [possible] Excalibur! Would have been the way to go. LOL)

Anyway - what I did - walked in, to where I could see her, but I was still behind some rocks. Then I engaged her myself (by using the sword icon down at the bottom)

My mage summoned his highest elemental, everyone else had canned elementals (thanks Crock!)

So I unleashed 7 or 8 (Vi was gone, but I think I had RFS-81)... let the elementals go to town on her. They'd often miss, but by the same token, she'd often miss them.

From the back, I'd cast Armormelt on her, superman on the elementals, guardian shield on the elementals, all at their highest. After a bit of letting the elementals take her down, did another round of guardian shield on myself, with super man on the tanks, and marched in.

I remember it took me two tries to beat her, but once I found this method it worked each time.

I'd beat her, check for Excalibur and reload.

I did this 6 times before finally deciding Excalibur wasn't meant to be mine, and just pressed on.

[Barak]

I did what Grellan suggested: running south during combat and use the bubbles out of the stone. First try I had to resurrect 3 characters, second try I checked if excaliber is present (no excaliber), third attempt I went directly to the bubbles and came out without having to resurrect anyone. Now I am in the sea caves.

Getting out should be no problem since I have two portals set.

I came to the shallows from bayin and had to kill the buccaneer ghost, but recieved no light sword.

Thanks a lot Barak