underdark help

[lansun]

hi there folks
i was wondering if it was possible to do the 3 lairs before u enter drow city ..well the reason i want to do beforehand is because my previous party did not finish Kuo Toa lair in time (phaere found my party and then turned hostile)
and if so which 3 lairs should i start first and which to finish last

thx much for the help

-ryce

[Grojlach]

Of course you can do them beforehand! No problem whatsoever. [img]smile.gif[/img]
It doesn't really matter which one you wish to do first though... Let's just say that the Kuo-Tan dungeon (quite well hidden and the center left of the map, quite hard too find) is the easiest and takes the least time to go through, the Beholder dungeon is medium on both accounts (even though it might be the easiest one of all if you use a certain magical item which I won't mention), the Illithid dungeon will probably take the most time and more than just "hack & slash!" tactics to deal with. But with the right tactics, none of the dungeons is particularly hard. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[lansun]

thanks Grojlach!

bah...i think i just figured this the hard way [img]redface.gif[/img] con reduces dmg i believe?
my paladin only has like 9 and he gets dealt 10+ dmg everytime

i got another question about behloders and mind flayers..whats so different about them? can they both mind control? and if mind controled what is the best tactic to reverse the effects? does charming your own party mates get them back on your side?

and a question about mages..are they sorcerors? because i find imoen to be able to learn most spells whereas jan cant learn necromancer spells

my final set of question are which lvl is recommended to tackle quests in planar sphere umar hilsl windspear and temple district..and those darn dragons [img]redface.gif[/img]

currently my main character is lvl 11 ..he's on the weak side with the 9 con and 14 str [img]redface.gif[/img]

another question that has been broguht to my attention is which is the ideal weapon for a thief/mage and a cleric..should range weapons like slings and bows be used ..or should i have proficiencies in a melee weapon for massive melee slaughter?

thx for being patient [img]smile.gif[/img]

-ryce

[Grojlach]

bah...i think i just figured this the hard way [img]redface.gif[/img] con reduces dmg i believe?
my paladin only has like 9 and he gets dealt 10+ dmg everytime

Yup, your constitution is essential for the number of hitpoints your character will get during the first 9 levels... After that, it's a certain amount of hitpoints being added every time you level up.

i got another question about behloders and mind flayers..whats so different about them? can they both mind control? and if mind controled what is the best tactic to reverse the effects? does charming your own party mates get them back on your side?

Mind Flayers use special "minions" (the Umber Hulks) who are throwing stun spells around, making your character in a state of mental weakness, followed by the Mind flayers who start to "suck" your intelligence away; once your intelligence score drops zero, you're dead. A good way to deal with the stun spells is using the level 5 cleric spell "Chaotic Commands", which will make you immune to it; it won't stop the mind flayers from feeding on your brain, but at least you can still run away if the need is highest.
As for the Beholders, well... Only certain beholders use mind control spells, I think mostly domination spells, but don't pin me on that... I never really had that much problem as my characters are normally of such a high level by this time that they're almost completely unaffected by the Domination spells, so I can't give you clear tips on that... Perhaps Chaotic Commands helps against those as well, I'm not sure.

and a question about mages..are they sorcerors? because i find imoen to be able to learn most spells whereas jan cant learn necromancer spells
No, there's a clear difference between mages and sorcerers. Mages learn a certain number of spells every day, also keeping an eye on the number of times they learn a certain spell, while sorcerers are simply able to cast 6 level 1 spells a day by choice, chosen from a pre-selected number of level 1 spells. And while mages have to memorize their spells from scrolls, sorcerers simply "get" them for free when they level up and are able to cast higher level spells.

my final set of question are which lvl is recommended to tackle quests in planar sphere umar hilsl windspear and temple district..and those darn dragons [img]redface.gif[/img]

I think someone else is better fit to answer that one than I am, as I always deal with those quests quite early in the game... But if you're in the Underdark now, I have no doubt you'll be of a sufficient level by the time you get out of it.
But level 14, 15 should be good enough I think. [img]smile.gif[/img]

another question that has been broguht to my attention is which is the ideal weapon for a thief/mage and a cleric..should range weapons like slings and bows be used ..or should i have proficiencies in a melee weapon for massive melee slaughter?

Not sure what unofficial handguides say about this, but I normally equip my party cleric with the Flail of Ages, a flail assembled during the quest concerning Nalia's keep. Not sure if you've already done it or managed to assemble the flail or not, but I think it's one of the best cleric weapons in the game.
As for thieves... Well, that depends on your preferences, I guess. I normally combine a short bow and a short sword/dagger during combat, using the dagger or short sword to backstab during the initial stages of a battle and the bow with arrows if the situation asks for it.
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[lansun]

thansk Grojlach for beign so quick to answer [img]smile.gif[/img]
time to start up bg2 O_o

[Ctenas]

You can do all these quests before or after leaving the underdark. I recomend before, so that you get used to underdark settings and Gets all the xp you can before moving on. Another tip: you know that Phaere gives you a limited amount of time between her requests. Be smart and uses all available time you can spare inside the city to do the sub quests, or you will miss lots of xp and cool itens.

If you care to read, I´ll descrybe my prefered tatics against beholders and Mind flayers

Beholders:

3 tipes in the game: litle green ones, regular beholders, elder orbs (look like beholders). They attack in melle combat (their thac0 and AC sucks) and magical atacks (domination, cause severe wounds, petrification, dispel effects, mainly). He can casts magic atacks very quickly and does not stop the melle atack during spellcasting. If you can nulify the magic, protect one character agains petrification and domination and this shound be a easy fight. I used A cloac of magic reflection, a sword that protects from domination spells, regenerative rings and protection from petrification and attacked them with only one fighter. Believe or not, it works.

To fight the flayers I use a wand of cloudkill. They are very resistant to magic, but somehow (I dont know if it´s a loophole) they have no defense agains wands. The architecture of flayers lairs are very friendly to this tatic. First you need a thief with hide in shadows on that opens a door (usualy makes the thief leave shadows in few moments. Just take them them away from the door and leave them open and hide again). Use it to count and search the flayers and Hulks next room. With a mage send a well positioned cloudkill and watch all the Hulks die and the flayers go to at least "badly injuried". Retreat a room let the survivors enter the room you are in with a hided thief and repeat the preocess. If there are any survivor they can be easily taken care of with backstabs.

[lansun]

thanks Ctenas
i taken your strategy in account and it works wonders..usually i cloudkill then follow up with some fireballs while i retreat back to my party which waits for the ambush on the beholder [img]smile.gif[/img]

this is a really noob question but..how do you hotkey spells in that f5 and f6 slot
and with wands...if u use them once they are gone right?

if i do the lairs and then get the items..what would matron mother do? so if i meet her for the first time once i enter drow city will she automatically take the quest items and give me some award or something?

lastly ..is there anyway to bypass that thing where you cannot equip a magical equipment when one is already equipped..i hate it when that happens [img]redface.gif[/img]

[philip]

Originally posted by Grojlach: Let's just say that the Kuo-Tan dungeon (quite well hidden and the center left of the map, quite hard too find) is the easiest and takes the least time to go through, the Beholder dungeon is medium on both accounts (even though it might be the easiest one of all if you use a certain magical item which I won't mention), the Illithid dungeon will probably take the most time and more than just "hack & slash!" tactics to deal with. But with the right tactics, none of the dungeons is particularly hard. [img]smile.gif[/img]

the beholder dungeon is the shortest. there are only 2 beholders (or something like them) or is this a bug?

[ 07-07-2002, 10:09 AM: Message edited by: philip ]

[Kaltia]

5th level priest/druid spell "chaotic commands" makes you immune to illithid attacks but not intelligence drain which can still kill you. SPOILER BELOW

Also, if you have ToB installed, golems are immune to mind attacks; you can get a book to summon golems in the first floor of wk. In the beholder dungeons there is a greenstone amulet which grants you NEAR-immunity to psionics (mind flayers).

[ 07-07-2002, 10:11 AM: Message edited by: Kaltia ]

[philip]

Originally posted by lansun: thanks Grojlach! and a question about mages..are they sorcerors? because i find imoen to be able to learn most spells whereas jan cant learn necromancer spells

jan can't learn necromancer spells because he is a illusionist
specialized mages can't use opposite class' spells

my final set of question are which lvl is recommended to tackle quests in planar sphere umar hilsl windspear and temple district..and those darn dragons [img]redface.gif[/img]

I think you can do the Umar Hills and the Windspear hills by now
if you get stuck somewhere just go back and try later with other weapons and stuff (maybe higher level)
the planar sphere is somewhat easier than the Cult of the eyeless quest (the rest of the temple district's quests aren't that hard)

for the dragons: just try if you can't kill them return later

TIP : always keep a save game before entering the planar sphere