just started

[pschub]

I just started the game and have died too many times in De'Arnise hold. I believe I may need to go back to the slums and make some other preperations for this quest

[Wilbur]

If this is your first time playing a game like this that might be a good idea if thats what you want to do. Are you using your spells and making sure to kill the trolls with fire or acid?

[The Dragon Reborn]

I don't exactly know what your question is but I can tell you
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That you need lots of fire and acid spells to fight the trolls, also you can buy a flame sword from the Adventure mart. It would help to know who your party members are.

[Iced Earth IV]

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If this is your first time playing the game, I reccomend doing the quests like this ->

1. Circus
2. Mencar Pebblecrusher
3. Free Hendak in Slums
4. Destroy Slaver Compound
5. Mae'Var Quests
6. Baron Ployer Quest (if applicable)
7. Skinner Murders in Bridge District
8. Neb quest for Temple
9. Fallen Paladins
10. Trademeet
11. Umar Hills
12. Haer'Dalis Quests
13. Unseeing Eye Quest
14. De'Arnise Quest
15. Planar Sphere Quest

I usually leave all the others until Chapter 6. Doing it this way has its advantages. You get all the minor quests and easy quests out of the way first so that you can take on the BIG quests at the end. The reason I leave the De'Arnise quest till 14 is that once I get that experienced, I can breeze through it in half an hour or less, same with the Planar Sphere.

If you want mya dvice on how to kill Trolls, I reccomend purchasing the Stonefire Axe +3 from Bernard in the Copper Coronet. It tacks on fire damage with each hit, eliminating the need for a mage to always be equipped with Flame Arrow, Melf's Acid Arrow, or Melf's Minute Meteors. You just can't equip Kagan with it because he is evil and the axe is restrictive to good characters.

[pschub]

thanks for the tips I am really enjoying this I played bg1 and some other crpg

[LennonCook]

Where in the keep is it that you keep dying ?? Who do you have in your party (incl. levels) ??

BTW-IE4: I disagree a bit with your ordering, I would usually do Circus, Mae`var, Decide who to work for, De`Arnase, Trademeet, Umar Hills, Windspear Hills, Pay the Fee, Planar Sphere, Free Haer`Dalis Unseeing Eye, Mencar, Slavers, Guild Quests; changing the order very slightly each game by doing my stonghold before paying the fee; I also usually start the Unseeing Eye quest early, but don`t actually DO it until later; so I have Keldorn in my party, and everyone at a high level. I mix my stonghold maintainance quests in a bit, aswell as NPC specific quests, doing them as soon as I get them [img]smile.gif[/img] ... harder fights, such as the Dragons, Twisted Rune, and Kangaxx I leave till last thing before going to Brynlaw. This is because the De`Arnase keep is one of the easier quests (if you use the right tactics), as are the Trademeet Quests. The hills are medium, the interplanar quests are medium-hard, and the Unseeing Eye is the hardest of the stonghold quests, atleast IMO [img]smile.gif[/img]

[pschub]

Down in the basement (umber hulks) and in the room with Glaicas are areas that I cannot currently deal with. Also is it neccesary to get the dog food?

I currently am freeing the slaves under the Copper Coronet, but must I recieve the quest first to get the experience points upon its completion?
TIA

[philip]

Originally posted by pschub: I currently am freeing the slaves under the Copper Coronet, but must I recieve the quest first to get the experience points upon its completion? TIA

I think not, at least when doing the slave quests not. I don't know where you are but SPOILER
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if you didn't talk to Hendak first (for receiving the quest to free him) and killed the beastmaster you will still get the XP. BTW if you want more XP free the boy and the girl in the cells next to him first.

[Dundee Slaytern]

Originally posted by pschub:

Down in the basement (umber hulks) and in the room with Glaicas are areas that I cannot currently deal with. Also is it neccesary to get the dog food?

Umber Hulks are vulnerable to spells like Cloudkill, Death Fog and Death Spell. Do you have any of them? Items/spells that will make you immune to their Confusion spells include Lilarcor, Potions of Clarity, and Chaotic Commands among others.

You can get Lilarcor in the Copper Coronet Sewers. It is a very simple quest, so go get it if you still have not, and stick it on somebody who can use it to tank the Umber Hulks.

My tactic with the Umber Hulks is to lure them out one by one. This is why immunity to Confusion is so important. They will hurl Confusion at the tank and chase after the tank into another room where your entire party can gang up on one Umber Hulk. Rinse and repeat with the rest of the Umber Hulks.

If you have a Wand of Cloudkill however, or memorised any of the spells I listed above, just cast them into the room and listen to them die... ...

The dog food is optional, but getting 11,500 Xp never hurts, and all you need to do is place it in a container to get it. The location of the container is in the dungeons, next to the room where all the Umber Hulks are.

[johnny]

Go do some other quests first, so you have more experience once you get to D'Arnise stronghold quest.