Badguy, Goodguy ratio 400:4 (Fortress Cave SPOILER)

[Nanobyte]

When does this get a little easier? It took me close to 3 hours to defeat 2 ice trolls, an elite orc archer, a goblin shaman, an ogre, and one named orc shaman. Now I've gotten farther into the fortress, the caves where you find the wooly spiders, but gosh dang what the heck am I supposed to do? My party is:

1 fighter
human
lvl 6
weapon specialization in long sword
power attack (like it matters, I don't know how to use this)
inflicts and takes mass damage 19 STR

1 rogue
human
lvl 5 (or maybe 6?)
has the goblin dagger +2 vs. goblins
she has that feat that gives the bleeding attack at the cost of her sneak attack
backstab x3 17 DEX

1 ranger/sorceress
tiefling
lvl 3/3
has bow +1
rapid fire and precise shot
burning hands, magic missle and sleep

1 demarch of mask/conjurer
drow
lvl 2/3
returning frost dart
spell penetration
burning hands x2, chill touch, sleep, minor healing x2, bane, mirror image, melf's acid arrow x2, mage armor

anyways, I have no idea how to manage this. I cannot fight a swarm of 30+ at one time, not to mention do it consecutively around 3 to 4 times. can anyone give me any pointers?

[Luvian]

Add about 2 more tanks to your team. I suggest fighters or barbarians.

[Luvian]

Getting a single classed priest would be a good idea too, as you will need LOTS of healing.

[Nanobyte]

I was hoping there would be another way. I might have some difficulty adding two chars in, especially modifying their levels.

Also, I had a 5 person party before this and I didn't even make it into the caves with them, if I remember correctly they were:

1 Ranger/Sorceress
1 Barbarian
1 Paladin of Helm
1 Morninglord of Lathander
1 Monk of the Old Order

And I know people have been making it PAST this with one or two chars, so I know it's possible. I'm just wondering when it will get a little easier. And.. what level is a 6 person party when they reach the Goblin Fortress caves?

[ 10-06-2002, 11:16 AM: Message edited by: Nanobyte ]

[Nightowl2]

I wouldn't recommend Drow for any spellcasting class. Two levels back is too much of a deficit when it comes to magic. Especially if you multiclass.

Also, it's much better to go through the first time with a full party of six, so you know what you're up against.

You can bring in new characters through the arbitration screen. Then you can bring them up to current party level through the cheat console. Of course, you should have some spare weapons and armor handy, as the newbies will arrive with no armor and just those silly quarterstaves.

And if you're having trouble now, you probably won't be able to survive the next level up (or is that down?). Some tough encounters await.

Nightowl2

[Luvian]

Ranger/sorceress is a very bad combo. Ranger are tank, but when you give them spellcaster levels, you lower their hitpoints, to hit rolls and restrict the armor they can wear.

[Nanobyte]

Originally posted by Nightowl2: I wouldn't recommend Drow for any spellcasting class.

I thought they made the best spellcasters, with their MR and all. I figured since nearly the entire female population is cleric.. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Originally posted by Luvian: Ranger/sorceress is a very bad combo. Ranger are tank, but when you give them spellcaster levels, you lower their hitpoints, to hit rolls and restrict the armor they can wear.

Yea. You know how you construct a character and can never really get the urge to get rid of them, as they seem to reappear in every single party you make? That is this one. I'm trying to get rid of her, I just need some more time..

[ 10-06-2002, 06:26 PM: Message edited by: Nanobyte ]

[Nightowl2]

Being two levels back really hurts, particularly for sorcerers. They have very limited spell selection, for one thing. Even as a wizard, you don't do too well. My first party had a drow sorc and a moon elf wizard. I abandoned this one in chapter five. Started over, with two moon elf sorceresses, and that was much, much better.

Nightowl2

[Luvian]

I really like my drow sorcerer. I used to have an elven sorcerer, but replaced her with my drow sorcerer, and don't regret it.

[Night Stalker]

My Drow Evoker kicks *(@!!! The slower leveling doesn't hamper that much, unless you *NEED* a bazillion 9th lvl spells to cast. He actually is not too far behind in kills than the tanks - even more than the archer. It's not so much about levels as what you do tacically with the resources you have.