Tips on beating the vampire mob in Windspear.....(spoils)

[Rogue_At_Heart]

I started a new party since my last posting, this time with a sorcorer PC, Minsc, Yoshimo, Ariel, Korgan, Viconia. I'm in Windspear Hills dungeon looking for Firkraag and have cleaned out the first few rooms including the Adamantite Golem (rough). I'm at a point where I cant get past the Vampire mob on the far east side, they just blow through my party like tissue paper despite all the anti-dead spells I've tried casting on them. Anyone have any clues that would help? Most of my party is lvl 11-14 now, cept for Korgan and Viconia since theyre new. And also, how exactly do you use the wooden spikes in the graveyard? They're not equipable on any character I have, but I'll probly have to re-kill the vampires I found in there to use them.

(aside from the official patch, im playing completely mod-less)
(BG2 Collector's Ed. - SoA and ToB, fully installed)

[ 06-13-2004, 01:35 PM: Message edited by: Rogue_At_Heart ]

[teardropmina]

1. make everyone immune to charm.
2. Summons to hold those vampires from passing through the door, and then use range weapons attacking them. Sorcerer PC and Aerie fire death spell might help (lvl 14 won't have ADHW yet). Holy Smite works great as well, just be careful positioning Korgan and Viconia. If you do let them break through the door, have Aerie and Vicoina cast Negative Plane Protection on Misnc and Korgan, preparing for close battle.

as for the stakes, all you need is that you have stakes in your inventory (don't need to equip them), and then click on the coffin.

[ 06-13-2004, 02:54 PM: Message edited by: teardropmina ]

[Raistlin Majere]

to clarify Tears advice on the stakes, you can only use them in the vampire lair...youll know what I mean when you get there

[Feral]

Do you have a longsword called Daystar? It has a nifty special ability which really helps in this room.

If teardropmania's advice doesn't work (though it is good), you might wait until Viconia levels up a bit and gets those great anti-undead spells and turning abilities.

Also, try fire spells (eg. fireball).

What are the best summons you can swing? Some are much better than others against the undead (and in general).

And Black Baron [see below] is right about Korgan. If only he could use Azuredge...

[ 06-13-2004, 03:10 PM: Message edited by: Feral ]

[Black Baron]

Korgan should go berserk, imho he will be immune to level drain then (or just cast negative plain protection on him and tank the undead). Buy Azuredge-the axe from Copper coronet, and give it to minsc. You will turn these bloodsuckers to ash in no time. magic missiles are very useful too.

[Rogue_At_Heart]

I do have Daystar, but wasn't sure who to use it on to offset the mastery penalties, but probably Korgan? I also have Aerie and Viconia using False Dawn but it seemed to have very little effect, as well as fire spells, Sol's Orb and Fireball variations. I will go back and get Azureedge Axe form CC, I remember seeing that one. Also using mace of disruption +1 on Viconia if they get close to her but she didnt live long enough to switch over to melee from spells

[Feral]

I meant Daystar's special ability (sunray - an awesome 7th level divine spell). Anyone can use that. If you can "detonate it" in the room (IIRC sneaking in protected by improved invisiblity works), you're half-way there. Of course, that character will need to run pretty fast afterward. For that reason, you might want to cast negative plan protection on that character as well.

Is Viconia your only character who is proficient with a mace? Her low number of attacks per round (1) makes her a poor choice to wield the Mace of Disruption.

SPOILER regarding the Mace of Disruption:
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By the way, if you have the Mace of Disruption +1, you might (to put it mildly) want to upgrade it.

[ 06-13-2004, 08:42 PM: Message edited by: Feral ]

[SixOfSpades]

People put too much emphasis on proficiency points when discussing who should use a weapon. Proficiency points are only important when
A) You're a Warrior and you're using this weapon as your primary means of killin' stuff, and
B) You're a non-Warrior and you want to have a chance of hitting something.

This means that proficiency points are NOT important when
A) Using a weapon in your offhand
B) Using a weapon for its defensive qualities and/or Item Abilities alone
C) Using a weapon only for a specific situation.
Korgan using a Berserker Rage and charging in to use the Sunray from Daystar (and then switching back to his Axe) would be situation A, and Korgan swinging the MoD+1 would be situation C. A Warrior will always have a better THAC0/ApR than a Priest, even if Viconia has a proficiency point in Maces and Korgan doesn't.

[Rogue_At_Heart]

I'm pretty fuzzy on thaco, I never played D&D as a kid. Viconia has the MoD+1 because Korgan already is using Daystar/Hangard's Axe +2/Dragon Blade. I might've put the MoD +1 on Minsc, but he's already using Lilarcor/AzureEdge Axe. Please keep in mind I'm not using anything (weapons/armor) aside from what I've found in my travels (as it should be, imo)

[SixOfSpades]

THAC0 = "To Hit Armor Class Zero." Basically, a Warrior will always have more attacks than a non-Warrior, and have a better chance of hitting the enemy. So, even though Korgan has no proficiencies in Mace, you would be better off giving him the MoD, Berserking him, and sending him in against the Vampires, than you would if you cast Negative Plane Protection on Viconia and had her attempt the same thing.

What would be best, though, is giving Minsc the MoD, Daystar, and Azuredge, casting NPP on him, and sending him in, since he doesn't need proficiencies to use the Sunray from Daystar, and he's got full proficiencies in Mace and Axe. (And his Racial Enemy is Vampire, to boot.) But he's got to be fast: NPP has a frightfully short duration.

I'm not using anything aside from what I've found in my travels

How could you be using anything else? [img]graemlins/1ponder.gif[/img]