The Diary of Llywode (spoilers)

[Kyrvias]

Hehe... Drow with a sense of humor...

[Dirty Meg]

1 Kythorn 1396

White rabbits. Nothing important happened today. Finally escaped the underdark. Most of the day spent walking. A bit of shopping and a suprise attack by the gith.

2 Kythorn 1396

Took on Bodhi. Was intending to put her black heart on a pike, but no one seems to sell them. Will put it on my mantlepiece instead.

Accidently wandered in on some sort of cult. Scary but ultimately quite rewarding.*

* From careful analysis of the writings of Llywode, have come upon a marvelous technique for dispatching liches. Unfortunately, I can't find room for it in the margin - Phlydia of Candlekeep

[ 11-07-2005, 08:07 PM: Message edited by: Dirty Meg ]

[Dirty Meg]

3 Kythorn 1396

Mostly walking again today. Exchanged some blunt words with the elven commander. I'd have preferred a mace.

4 Kythorn 1396

My first dragon battle! Tried to sweet talk it into giving me the cup, but in the end had to fight. Pelted it with energy blades and summoned beasties. Now I have two of the artifacts needed to summon rillifane's avitar. I just need to find an elf who's got the horn.*

* Groan - Phlydia of Candlekeep

[Dirty Meg]

5 Kythorn 1396

The final showdown. Cast all my buff spells, and then hurled all my offensive spells at Irenicus and his demonic friends. A crude, but as it turns out, effective technique. Irenicus is dead!

[Dirty Meg]

Final thoughts (no longer in character).
Survived a no reload game. For a party with no fighters and three spell-casters, there are no really difficult battles, but few really easy ones. If you throw everything you have at one opponent they are bound to die. On the other hand, I found myself frequently having to use spells against enemies which usually wouldn't be a challenge.
Party members
Llywode - I knew druids were great spell-casters, but I didn't realise they could fight as well. With ironskins, shapeshift type abilities and energy blades, they can actually kick proverbial arse.
Haer'Dalis - Once playing BG1, I took Xan, merely out of curiosity. I found that far from being useless, the inability to cast magic missle and fireball opened up intresting possibilities which hadn't previously occured. I found the opposite effect with Haer'Dalis. He really sucks. Even with all his buff spells and extra abilities, he is a mediocre fighter. He nearly always fails his saves, as a result of which he spent most of the vampire and mind-flayer dungeons standing in the corner facing the wall to prevent him from being a danger to the rest of the party.
His spell slots were mostly used for spells which keep him alive which, at the risk of sounding uncharitable, rapidly became a matter of indifference. He can buff and then cast tensers transformation and be fairly useful in a fight but a mage could do exactly the same thing. In effect he is no better in a fight than a mage, not nearly as good as a druid, and not half as good a spell-caster as either. In ToB I intend to aquire a new front-liner. It speaks volumes about Haer'Dalis's ineptitude in a fight that he is to be demoted to the back row rather than my druid.
Jan - Very useful all-rounder. Covers all thieving needs superbly, as well as being a good mage. Has the ability to sneak up to a group of enemies, blast 'em, and run away to hide in shadows again. A very useful party member.