IWD/TOTL: Spectral Guards

[Dancing Virginia]

I'm getting my butt kicked by spectral guards. They seem to have an abnormally high THAC0 and a lot of magic resistance. Any tips? I'm getting really frustrated.

Thanks.

[xander12402]

It has been a long time since i played TotLM,so someone correct me if I am wrong,but if you have a druid with shapeshifting ability use the water elemental shift as they are 75% resistant to slashing damage, and try not to have too many fighting you at once.

[Black Swan Gauntlet]

100% slashing resistance is definitely the way to go - otherwise, you may have to go through a few reloads and some rest cycles.

I'm not entirely sure how to get your resistance that high - you may want to check some of the HoF threads. I know some of those crazy folks have done it.

[Aerich]

It's not that crazy. A lvl 15 druid with items can do it with ease. It gets even better if you have a bard - War Chant gives +10% to physical resistances as well as regeneration. Don't forget to cast multiple Static Charges before shifting.

75% from water elemental shapechange
5% from Clasp of Bron's Cloak (available from Orrick)
15% from Studded Leather of Resistance (random, multiple spots)
50% from Bone Marrow Belt (random)
15% from Great Shield +3 (random, multiple spots) or 10% from Tiernon's Shield

With a bard, you can get 100% resistance on a high level druid from non-random items (water elemental shapechange, War Chant, Clasp, and Tiernon's Shield).

Edit: note that a damage resistance over 100% (max possible is 127%) lets you regenerate if hit for enough damage by that damage type (e.g. a damage resistance of 110% gives back 1 HP if hit for what would normally be 10 damage).

Another way to do it with a druid is to summon Shambling Mounds with the 7th lvl spell Stalker - they, as well as some elementals, have a little slashing resistance (I think shamblers do anyway - I KNOW they are resistant to blunt damage).

They are undead, so a very high level paladin or cleric can turn or destroy them. If you turn them successfully, focus fire with missile weapons. If you are running out of ammo, use Spiritual Hammer or Mordenkainen's Sword.

If you don't have a druid and your turning skill is too weak, you have to fall back on the tried and true - buff one character's AC to the max, use multiple summons, use spelltraps, use AoE damage, and focus-fire on the injured.

[ 06-16-2007, 11:55 PM: Message edited by: Aerich ]

[Roboghost]

If in HoF, Spectral Guards will doom even a full 6-pack level 30 party, so do this:
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Just stand in a doorway with a fighter guarding the rest of your party behind him/her. Your main fighter should have Grand Mastery in maces. Start your game over if not -- seriously.

Your fighter should be wearing and wielding the following:
Studded Leather of Resistance +3 (1 random & 1 fixed)
Bone Marrow Belt (random)
Clasp of Bron's Cloak (purchase)
Sundered Shield of Tiernon (repair)
Morning Star +4: Defender (random)
15 + 50 + 5 + 10 + 20 = 100% slashing resistance

The BM Belt and MS +4: Defender [above] are the two most single important random items in a HoF game. Let the dice roll where they fall on all the other random items if you must, but not these two babies.

Now, if you have a bard, he/she doesn’t have to sing the War Chant of Sith. Have the bard sing The Ballad of Three Heroes instead to speed the kills up. Also, have your Fighter/Cleric gets some whacks in from behind with the deadly to the undead Three White Doves -- just don't let the little buggers slip past your door guard!

[Aerich]

The real difficulty in fighting spectral guards is when they attack from more than one direction. Fighting in doorways is the most important thing you can do.

No need to start over. To say that you have to have GM in maces to get through is erroneous. Spelltraps, meatshields and focus firing can get you through even if you don't have a druid or a bard - it just requires micromanagement.

Tactics and spells are much more important than items, although some items (Bone Marrow Belt) are overpowered and therefore make this area much easier.

A lvl 30 cleric will be able to Turn spectral guards - if you happen to have a cleric or pally of that level, give Turning a try. Spectral guards aren't that bad if you can fight them singly instead of in packs.

[Dancing Virginia]

Thanks for all of the help. I have a fighter/druid that with the bone marrow belt and Shield of Teirnon and Clasp of Bron's Cloak that I shapeshifted to water elemental and drew all the attacks that way. While she is distracting the spectral guards, I have my cleric with the Three White Doves (thank the gods for this weapon vs. undead!) come up from behind and wack at them. Strangely enough, they don't seem to even acknowledge my cleric and continue to slash away at my druid heedless to the fact that she actually GAINS hit points from their attacks due to astronomically high resistances. This works well in areas where there is a door and I can put my druid out in front. Its harder in the courtyard when they appear and surround my party from all sides. My bard, mage, and thief were getting diced up despite the fact that they all dual classed from fairly low level fighters (for hp).

And just to prove that my tactics are getting more sophisticated, keep reading.

SPOILERS

Another place in ToTL that I had to use some good strategy was with the Rakshasa battle in the eastern courtyard. Since enemies appear from all sides after you talk to Hobart, I strategically placed my paladin, fighter/cleric, and fighter/druid near where the magic users would appear. About 80% of the time, their melee attacks could disrupt the Rakshasa spells. I used all of my normal buffs and then hasted my entire party. I think Haste was key considering the sheer number of enemies coming at you from all directions. The biggest problem was keeping my bard alive but I found that using Globe of Invulnerabilty and lots of buffs kept her going. Also, since this particular battle is kind of spread out, War Chant is not as effective. So she became a backup arcane caster and melee in a pinch. Probably wouldn't work on HoF but on Insane I did quite nicely.

MORE SPOILERS

I also had my first run in with beholders. I've always heard they are extraordinarily difficult. Again prolly in reference to HoF. Since they usually cast Dispel Effects as soon as they encounter you (thus negating all buffs), I usually sent my thief ahead to scout with my cleric not far behind. When my thief came out of the shadows, the beholder would only dispel effects on her, thus leaving the rest of my party fully buffed. But for me, all of these buffs were simply a backup should my secret weapon fail. And that weapon is the cleric spell Symbol of Hopelessnes. Hasn't failed to stop a beholder yet. Power Word Stun seems to work great too. Then I can just plug away with ranged weapons. Power Word Kill, once I've rendered my enemy hopeless, takes down a beholder in a snap. Its just so satisfying to see that big scary thing fall to the ground dead with so little effort.

LAST SPOILER

I LOVE Horrid Wilting on Water Kin Elementals. Just send forward some summons to keep the enemies busy and cast the spell from afar. SEVERELY damages them or takes them out in one fell swoop!

[Aerich]

Good stuff. I find beholders more annoying than anything. Their eye-rays (or whatever you want to call their spell-like effects) seem to be abnormally difficult to save against - considering they cast Disintegrate, among other nasties. The Anti-Magic Shell also does not work against them, making that spell of about as much use as Infravision.

[Roboghost]

Beholders:

I usually send in waves of druid beetles -- along with my thief popping in and out of shadows shooting them with acid arrows. The beetles will shoot that acid spray of theirs and it's all over for the beholder then...

I've also combined items and spells to be over 50% resistant to magic -- that gives them a hard time too. Risky though: I had to turn my guy back to flesh from stone once (keep a couple of these spells in book in these areas!)

Spectral Guards:
Getting the Spectral Guards in a doorway when they come from all sides: I keep one character invisible to set the swarming traps off, thus they run right up to my fighter waiting for them to take their beating...

That Marrow Belt does have a negative effect, so it's not too overpowered. I forgot I had it on my character once and an Iron Golem kept pulverizing my character until I finally figured out why!