The least frustrating path

[Deathstalker]

Just started playing IWD again after a few months off, I was getting frustrated with LDD and started NWN, which now doesn't work after upgrading to XP(but that is for another forum). After learning it is better to start HOW/ToTL and then return to IWD, I started in Lonelywood and got as far as stepping onto Burial Isle? and engaging the first group of nasties. Scouting that island and seeing the forces against me prompted me to start into ToTL. Cleared the first area fine then decided to rest up in Stubby's house. Left his house turned the corner, rut ro reorge!

At this point I want to finish IWD so I can move to IWDII or back to NWN if I get it running. I would like to know the least frustrating way from my three saved games. First my party stats:

Class IWD|HOW
Ranger 11|12
Fighter 11|12
Cleric 11|12
Thief 13|14
Mage 11|12
Cler/Mage 10/9|11/11

IWD Save: In LDD just cleared Ilmaiden and her fire giants to get my fourth badge Have made forays into most of the areas to test defenses.

HOW Save: On Burial Isle, cleared wights and shamen from landing point thinking of going back to get special undead killing weaponry and returning.

TOTL save: Rested in Stubby's house and went outside to harpy heaven?

Which save would be the easiest\less frustrating to continue. I'm leaning toward the HOW save after getting those toys. Thanks for any imput.

[General Nosaj]

When I finnished the game I simply played upto a point close to the end of IWD and the went on and finnished HOW as I had like yourself completed burial isle. That worked out fine and gave a bit of variety to the game. Never heard of TOTL. And the General welcomes you to Ironworks Deathstalker.

[ 04-23-2004, 11:16 AM: Message edited by: General Nosaj ]

[Lymond]

I would complete IWD first. It's level appropriate, and you should be having fun with it. Some people jump to HOW early, so they can come back and cream the IWD boss that frustrated them in the last game they played. The important thing when doing that is to do it before you get to the point of no return in IWD. I don't remember exactly when your exit to HOW goes away, but if you want to go that route, I'm sure someone knows. I've always finished IWD first, though and been happy to do that.

TOTLM is a judgement call, based on your level. It's not easy, so you might want to wait until you've gone a way into HOW. You must do TOTLM before you go to the sea of moving ice, however.

Another option overall is to play with the difficulty level. It could be that you have a weak party. I did my first game, and I was very frustrated to make it to the final fight with a party that was too weak to fight the final boss. But it happens. So you might want to lower the difficulty level. Later, if you find the game too easy, you can always put it back, or even higher.

It shouldn't be frustrating for you.

[NobleNick]

Deathstalker,
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[img]graemlins/happywave.gif[/img] . [img]graemlins/happywave.gif[/img] . [img]graemlins/happywave.gif[/img] . WELCOME TO THE IWD FORUM!!! . [img]graemlins/happywave.gif[/img] . [img]graemlins/happywave.gif[/img] . [img]graemlins/happywave.gif[/img]
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(slight spoilers below)
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Lymond has been beating around the bush: not quite saying what I think he meant to ---> Your biggest problem is that your party has ventured into territory beyond its level (clvl 12 in HoW is more of a challenge than I want. And clvl 12 in TotLM? Yiikkes!!)

The quickest path is to press straight on with your IWD group, collect all badges and move to the IWD end game. But you asked for the least frustrating path; and your party, which is a fine main-stream build, seems a bit light on fighters and expo to fare well in the final battles. I, personally, would not want to confront RBP with characters less than clvl 13; and especially so with a party not heavy on full-contact, in-your-face melee artists. You might have to reload the final battle many, many times with your party in its current state.

Have you completed all the quests that were handed out in Severed Hand? Several of these require returning to SH after visiting LDD; and the combined expo is about 400K, or almost 70K per character --> That should buff your guys up a bit. To get more expo, maybe clean up LDD and collect all 6 badges & clear the way to meet RBP (but don't actually confront him). Then, if you need more expo, go to HoW. (Hint, with your party well-represented in the Cleric department, you shouldn't find the surface levels of BI too hard.)

Once your guys are all at least clv13 (even 13/13 for your Mage/Cleric is not a bad idea), melee guys (for your party this, of necessity, includes your Ranger and at least one of your Clerics, in addition to your Fighter) armed with at least +3 close-in (not ranged) weapons, and you have buckets full of high-level buff spells/potions available (like Stoneskin, Haste, Blur, Mirror Image, Improved Invisbility, fire resistance potions, etc.) then I think you have the basic ingredients needed to confront RBP and enter the chain of events that culminate in squeaking through the final battle (after being humbled a few times, of course).

Hope this helps.

--------------------
What's a party,
without a song?
Bards ROCK!
Party On!!

[Deathstalker]

**spoilers**
That's right I do have some unfinished business in the Severed Hand! Thanks, I completely forgot about that. I have decided to try and finish off some of the LDD places and quests before venturing to HOW. I'm having trouble with the undead room with the Greater Mummys and the Idol, but I'm not going to tackle that until the end since I suspect that those stairs need the 6 badges to function. I took on Malevon? and his two Iron buddies but got crushed. I took out Malevon with a backstab but that brought the 4 Hulks into the fray. I fought a running battle with the 2 golems but the only damage I was inflicting was from my dwarf wielding Conlan Hammer. Here is my stategy for round two: Keep Malvo from casting with acid arrows/magic eventually killing him. Dwarf with hammer drinks oil of speed and pot of Storm str and starts banging on golems. If Hulks try to enter battle, Web/grease to slow them in gas field. Gangup on golems with +3 melee weapons and then finish off Hulks. Thanks for the help I'll let you know how it goes.