Completed Sage with Solo Necromancer

Rockstar · 04-06-2006, 08:32 AM

Throne of Bhaal Journey

Solo Mage Journey

DISCLAIMER: this is the final installment of a three part solo mage saga. Check out these other threads to discover how the series is possible only using the arcane arts.

PART 1: Baldur's Gate:
http://www.ironworksforum.com/ubb/cg...c;f=1;t=004116

PART 2: Baldur's Gate 2 SOA:
http://www.ironworksforum.com/ubb/no...c;f=2;t=025473

Conventions:
- Solo play: no NPC’s ever enter my party.
- Because I am a Necromancer, the spells I use will be strongly focused in the field of necromancy to take at least somewhat of a RolePlaying approach to my game. I will try to include at least one necromancy spell in each level, if not more.
- not using any cheesy items like the cloak of reflection, please tell me of any other notoriously cheesy items that I should not use that could discredit my play.
- Most of all: I am engaging every single fight. I am only using area of effect spells on enemies in my sight and not using them against shrouded enemies before they see me (ie, using fireball or cloudkill before they see you… this is the single biggest cheating tactic there is and I’m not going to use it at all). I may, however, inch out against groups of enemies to take them on one by one where possible but this is not cheating as they have a chance to fight.
- No abusing the staff of the magi’s invisibility
- No using cheats or game editors!
- No using “protection from energy”

Character Information

Arkaon
Human
Necromancer

Str 19 (21 with girdle)
Dex 19
Con 18
Int 19
Wis 19
Cha 5

Equipment
Ring of acurity, ring of wizardry, gauntlets of weapon xp, belt of frost giant, boots of speed, cloak of protection +2, circlet of netheril, amulet of power, robes of vecna, staff of the magi, sling +3

Intro:

Recent events show that 5 powerful Bhaal spawn have been plaguing the world. They need to be stopped. The prophecy is unfolding and I sense the end for one sort or anther coming. … Although I do wish to use my power for good, the temptation of godhood does not slide by me unnoticed… I could only cast 2 spells that day gorion and I left candlekeep and now I am nearly devine in my power and I am a mere mortal… nothing can stop me… but I must do the right thing. I will put an end to the five

Chapter 8

Grove:
the ghosts informed me of what is to come and I see a stranger coming my way.

Battle With Illasera: I cast spirit armour. She is illasera, one of the 5. We begin. I cast prot magic energy. She casts monster summoning. I stop time and summon skeletons and lower her resistance x3 with a greater malison. time restarts and I my skeltons carve up the summonings and a finger of death leaves her crying a shrill scream before falling lifelessly on the floor.

Pocket Plane: met cespenser and sarevok who opened the way in exchange for a small portion of my soul. I let him go afterwards and went to the first challenge in the corner.

First Challenge: the first wave I just used summonings and melee attacks to defeat. The second wave I used greater malison then death spell to kill some of the knights and then a ADHW and magic missles and melf’s arrows to finish them off. Then final wave I used time stop/alacrity then cast x2 lower res and a finger of death on Elimsmer, ADHW and true sight to reveal lindvale. Another ADHW then I summoned 2 swords to kill him and the duke. The duke fell then after dispelling linvale’s protections he also fell. First challenge completed. I gained the pocket plane ability!

My spell book is nearly completed. There are three spells that I still desire for it to truly be complete… ruby ray of reversal, spell trigger and wish. Before I leave I load my sequencers. minor sequencer: x2 magic missles. Sequencer: x3 skull traps. I then rest and replace the sequencers with actual spells .I enter the portal to saradash…

[ 04-06-2006, 08:39 AM: Message edited by: Rockstar ]

Rockstar · 04-06-2006, 08:40 AM

Saradash: I am greeted by Melisan and some guards which I killed. I agreed to help reclaim the city of saradash. I helped lazerous get his spellbook. I found the thief and pointed the finger at him … finger of death that is, presumptuously killed him. Good thing I was right! gave the book back and bought spell trigger and wish 
I spoke to the cleric on the basis of some info that cost me $1000 from a bar man and got the key to the celler. Some annoying undead on the way but no problem. Got the ion stone from the ghost and created the circlet of netheril… finally my outfit for the entire game is completed!

At last! I am an arch-magi of untouchable power! I am the most powerful mage ever to exist! nothing can stop me… nothing! I have all the items and spells I want now muhaha!

Underceller: I battled my way into the castle first floor and used ADHW with stoneskin to kill the guards there.
Battle with Gromnir Il-Khan: I am surrounded by enemies with the bhaalspawn running at me. Time stop/alacrity. x2 lower resist on gromnir and x2 greater malison to get all enemies. x2 ADHW and time restarts whilst casting a 3rd. All enemies fall but Gromnir and an archer. Finger of death on the archer. Gromnir who is badly injured smashes away at my stoneskins before I point the finger of death at him. He falls… Malison tells me to defeat Yaga-shira I must take his immortality from him. I pocket plane to the mountains.

Forest: I used morderkiens swords with skull traps and ADHW to kill the fire giants. Other enemies weren’t of any nuicence.

Temple: I got into a battle with a master wraith and killed him Met Nyalee who told me she can destroy the heart of Yaga-shira if I bring it… onward I march

Marching Mountains: I used my staff to sneak into the lair. In the lair I got the two tablets and killed the enemies that spawned out. Had to stock up on acid arrows to finish fire trolls. Fire giants fell to multiple ADHW and skull traps. Morderiken swords helped a lot here. I got the last two tablets and defeated the enemies to remove the wall and moved onward…

Inner chamber: had to rest in here a couple of times but was easy with morderkien swords which are invincible to the giants and ADHW and skull traps made them fall. I killed his guard and took the heart. Moved into the next room and killed ajax and his fiends with some summonings and offensive spells. Took the second heart and I’m on my way!

I have now got the girdle of fire giant strength boosting my strength to 22 … who says wizards can’t fight? Time to rid the world of a pesky giant…

Temple: I gave her the hearts and she made yaga-shura mortal. She turned on me but I stopped time and with alacrity cast enough ADHW and skull traps to make everyone but one archer fall. Finished her off and now its time to make number two my hit list!

Battle with Yaga-Shira: Saw yagashira and attacked him causing him to retreat. I caught up with him again and kept hitting and running with ADHW. His troops tried to surround me but I kept weaving around. The giant got frustrated but I final ADHW and he drew his final breathe then fell. Now 3 to go… Melissan met up with me after I found out more of my past. Now to do the second challenge. I have now hit my XP cap at level 31  my character is now complete and ultimate… now to prove I really am the most powerful mage ever…

Ok, I am finding my tactics against tough enemies very similar and to save repetition I will call the following a Time Stop Assault (TSA). This involves stoping time, immediately casting improved alacrity. My robes of Vecna combined with my amulet of power mean casting low and mid level spells is instant. In a TSA I usually cast lower resist 3 times on the enemy (or on individuals in the case of a tough group) and then greater malison, 3 skeletons, any dispelling spells or spell protections if against a lich or powerful mage, and 3 ADHW’s. Upon casting the final ADHW time will usually restart but my alacrity will still be in play allowing another ADHW if necessary. This cripples, if not kills, most powerful groups of enemies. Sometimes I throw in a dragon’s breath to knock enemies over or a finger of death after lowering resistance

Second Challenge: I buffed with stoneskin and spirit armour. TSA with a morerkien sword thrown in killed all but angelo. Summonings killed him. Challenge complete. Time to meet Melissan…

Oasis: I got ambushed. I used hit and run with skull traps and ADHW to kill the first horde then used my staff to sneak by the rest unnoticed.

[ 04-06-2006, 08:41 AM: Message edited by: Rockstar ]

Rockstar · 04-06-2006, 08:41 AM

CHAPTER 9:

Getting close to the end of things now… I am as powerful as I can be now and only a few lie between myself and destiny.

Akaltanita: Met Balthazar and agreed to kill the two bhaal spawn. Rested up then on the way to the exit saw that snake saemon! He turned on me again and escaped. I cast Finger of death at him but he saved and escaped wounded… damn! At the exit I saved a priest from being killed but got warned not to meddle with monk affairs again…

Sendai’s Enclave: Met a woodsman and got ambushed by a group of drow. I killed them and discovered some graves. The woodsman was a drow and attacked me. My summonings from the previous battle helped me win. I used my staff to sneak into the area without getting into any more fights. I stormed the first area with buffed summonings easily. I stocked up for the first kensai general battle. I entered the room and a drow attacked me. I summoned a skeleton and stood behind him. I summoned more skeletons and swords and that drew the attention of 4 more drow. I killed them, charged forword and cast time stop. TSA of all ADHW and skull traps slaughtered all but one… a final ADHW killed him. Took the key and entered the top door.

Spider nest: Summons fought through and killed the spiders with ease. Killed the queen by casting spell strike to remove her turning spell then lowered her resistance for a finger of death. Used my staff to run past the drow then into the temple. I killed the lich with TSA but included spell strike, warding whip and spell turning. He fell with ease.

Generals: The next battle was with Sendai’s cleric. I killed her beast then used a TSA and summonings to beat her. Then the next room had a general kensai who agreed to fight me one on one and all of our partners die if we lose… sweet deal for me! I killed him and made my way to the next area…

Battle with Sendai: Ok, this is by far the most difficult battle of the game so far! She prepared a gauntlet of 7 statue replicas of herself and sent them at me one at a time. But there is a catch. Every statue I kill another is wakened and a few drow enter the room. I have neither the spells or the patients to kill everything so I used a strategy which involved keeping to the far right of the room so no drow could see me and caught the attention of every statue. Doing this I was able to quicksave several times in battle. I used basically all of my spells just defeating the statues so when true sendai appeared I seemed to be in trouble when she started summoning hordes at me but the trick was on her. She was summoning spiders and invisible stalkers at her frontline who use normal weapons (which I am now immune to

) so I used them as a buffer to distance me from lethal skeletons and summoned a hasted sword to flank around to sendai while I used +4 bullets on her. I only had one ADHW and She kept healing but eventually fell to a bullet in the eye.  3 down 2 to go!

Abazigal’s Enclave: This one was a lot easier than Sendai’s. Draconis attacked me. Killed his human form with ADHW’s and then TSA when his dragon form appeared: x3 lower resist, x3 skull trap and x2 ADHW. Fell with ease. I enter the enclave.
I managed to avoid most enemies with my staff as I had encountered and killed them all before, so with nothing to prove I killed the gauth with a TSA and brought the stalk to the mage and freed the dragon.

In the mage’s desk I found a golum book page and upgraded my golum summoning to an Iron Golum! Excellent!

Battle with Abizgal: Buffed up with stone skin, spirit armour, prot from magic energy. I summoned and hasted a horde (a sword, spider and x3 skeletons) and killed a few ice salamanders before seeing him. I lowered his resistance x3 straight away and mainly slammed him with acid arrows and magic missles but he carved through my all summonings before being turned a dragon. TSA immediately! this was lethal. Spell trigger of x3 lower res, x3 skull traps, morderkien’s sword and x3 ADHW. Follow through with a final ADHW to kill the beast! 4 down 5 to go!

I have learned that I must now kill Balthazar but I still have 2 more challenges to complete back in the pocket plane…

3rd challenge: this was amusing. The slayer only went for me so I just circled round a group of my summons who kept hacking away at him till he fell…. easy money.

4th challenge: here I met cyric. He sent 3 assassins at me and I summoned a sword and an iron golum. I spelled away at them and they fell after healing themselves many times.

back to the real world…

Amkethran: Went to the tavern and got attacked but killed them and sold some wares. I’m cloak myself with my staff to get to the monestary.

Rockstar · 04-06-2006, 08:45 AM

Balthazar: I TSA the guards out the front before healing and resting to prepare (buffed with spirit armour and stone skin as usual). I entered his palace then after a chat did a victorious TSA: x3 lower resist, a spell trigger (x3 lower resist), spell sequencer (x3 skull traps), x3 skull traps, then moved away and cast 2 ADHW before time restarts. Takes him to near death and a final ADHW killed him. all 5 down! but a new enemy is revealed. Melissan is the true enemy and solar revealed that she is a high preastess of Bhaal but aims to take everything for herself. Solar revealed my final challenge… the ravager…

Battle the Ravager: OK this is THE hardest battle by far in the game (excluding the final battle which I have yet to attempt). The ravager has ultra high magic resistance and is immune to lower resist spells and any other buff removing spells are ineffective against him. This means that I must single handedly kill him via melee… but who says summons can’t help. I died a couple of times using my usual summoning layout but in the end I just was circling around the ravager and his bone blades slinging at him, missing half the time and only doing 5 damage when I’m guessing he has well over 150 hp so it was quite futile. I needed a new strategy … he seemed unbeatable… I am the greatest mage in the farum! nothing cannot be beaten… all will fall to me!

Time to rethink my spell list… I need summonings so I maxed all level 5 spells with skeleton warriors, all level 7 spells with mordenkein’s swords and all level 9 with gate. Both the gate fiends and swords are immune to the bone blade attacks and my staff of the magi has protection from evil so I am safe from the fiend… I also need a way to hit him with my melee and sling attacks. I fill my level 6 spells half with tensors transformation and the other with improved haste. Improved haste doubles my attacks per round to 2 and tensors transformation significantly reduces my THACO so I hit practically every time rather than missing ¾ shots.

Battle begins. I immediately cast gate in front of the ravager. I dash round the back of him and summon a sword. I lured the fiend away from the ravager and the bone blades kept following the pit fiend leaving the ravager in the open attacking my sword. I cast improved haste then tensors transformation and start hitting away. I got many hits in then the my sword unsummoned and the fiend died, sending all the blades towards me! I cannot use my spells because the tensor spell is still working! I run around the outside slinging bullets in a hit and run fassion till I can recast a mordenkeins sword to divert their attention then repeat the process by recasting gate to lure the bone blades away and then running up to the solo ravager (who is attacking the fiend and not me of coarse ) and then imp haste and tensor’s transformation to take him well past half way. I repeated the process again and got him to near death but then he started facing me (but I still had the bone blades stalled with a couple of swords). I knew these swords would unsummon soon and then I’d be screwed coz they would all be onto me and I can’t cast spells! so I dashed back and used +4 bullets on him. He was throwing knives at me but my stoneskin still stood strong till a final +4 bullet to the head took him down… victory!!!

Rockstar · 04-06-2006, 08:47 AM

Adkathla: I just purchased some final spells to keep as scrolls for the final battle

Watcher’s Keep level 5: ok here I had to do a series of trials, none of which were of any hassle. But things got harder as I had to unlock the helm seal. I had to defeat 3 lots of enemies. The first lot of guards I beat mainly with summons, the second was a lich and company which a TSA and some summonings helped with. I had to wait till his spells were drained then I ran in with my summons to kill him. The final battle was another party, but I used a TSA then dashed away so I could take them on one at a time (I found this distasteful because it’s the first time in the game I have done this... but it will be the only time I run away from a battle for my own advantage. The watcher’s keep is optional after all). I move down to the next level.

Lair: I cast the scroll dispite the imprisoned one’s warnings. I made a deal to go to the surface and lure the helmites down here. Instead I told them of what had happened and forgave them.

Rockstar · 04-06-2006, 08:48 AM

FINAL BATTLE:

This battle was definitely challenging and she is the most powerful opponent I have ever faced. She is the only being that has ever made even casting a TSA difficult. Her strength is that she can summon many summonings and powerful spells and is immune to time stop. However, i found a weakness. She only has one timestop spell at a time. If I stop time the only thing she can do is melee attack as thrown weapons, spells and summonings are out of play when time is stoped. To beat her I must disrupt her time stop with a fireball or dragons breath and then cast my own TSA to defeat her… the battle begins… this is it!

Melissan came from her energy gathering to face me. I immediately stop time, alacrity and lowered her resistance x3. Then x4 ADHW’s and melissan and her summons were beaten and she retreats to gather more energy

I faced the wind prince with x3 skull traps and summoned a sword to help me. Me and my sword finished them all off with ease. I cast wish and got all my spells back… time for round 2 melissan!

She started the fight by pushing me away and summoning 2 bone golums but luckily I cast raise dead before she pushed me and my skeleton took the focus. I interrupted her time stop with a sunstone sling bullet. I cast my TSA of x3 skull traps, x3 lower resist, and x3 ADHW and run away so that the throwing daggers she threw don’t all hit me at once and kill me. She retreats and the throwing daggers coming at me come out of play.

I beat the ice prince with 2 opening ADHW and then used bullets, hasted summons and low level spells to beat them all down… wish for my spells back but this time with a slight adjustment. I removed spell strike and replaced it with pit fiend… spell strike is useless in this fight and I need all the reinforcements I can get (my staff grants protection from evil) … one skeleton still stood. I raise another, 2 swords and summon a pit fiend then dash to cut the flow to start the fight before it can attack me… time to go!

Melissan stands ready again but this time I am circled by slayers! the pit fiend draws their attention and a war breaks out. Melissan teleports to the north and I run after her, leaving the fight behind. She starts casting time stop but dragons breath interrupts her. I cast my own timestop and do a TSA the same as last time. I retreat back so her throwing knives don’t hit me and she retreats again… she is running out of luck … Muhahaha!

Cast wish to get my spells back again. The last area had a minature army. I stopped time and a carefully placed TSA to kill the fallen solar and all other enemies but (yes, yes I know! one always survives ..) one marilith. Improved haste then tensors transformation to dispel its stoneskins and beat it down with my staff of the magi. I wish my spells back… ok this is it… no more essence. no where else to hide! This is it! Melissan shall die here and I will prove to be the most powerful being to EVER walk the plane!

The final round begins. I have x2 swords, x2 skeletons and again cast pit fiend before cutting the flow. I cast wish: imp haste on all party members. They all surge forward. Melissan kills them all with the death spell but the pit fiend stands to attack the summonings she creates. I interrupt her time stop again with dragons breathe. Time stop!! Arkaon’s eyes blazed sadistically! This is why he had come all the way from candlekeep! This was it… now to finish it! alacrity, x3 lower resist, x3 skull traps and x3 ADHW. She frantically calls more minions. Time restarts and the jiggered skull traps rip through her… the horrid wiltings cause blood to splurt out of her skull as she shreaks arkaon finishes screaming the last word of his final horrid wilting to overkill her… She screams in agony and falls to the floor in a pool of her own blood… it is over… “I” am the victor…

Melissan, bloodied and beaten, gets to her feet to be greated by solar. Solar explains to me the choice I have before me…. it is a hard choice. I am already the most powerful being in the farum, do I need godhood to prove this? yet I am worthy of this power and I am already a power in itself.

My choice is made. I choose to become a god and always upholding the good ways that Gorion taught me and standing for a symbol of what is right. The final battle ground collapses on melissan as the throne of bhaal is destroyed with her and all that is evil and weak.

Bhaal will never rise again and I will watch over everyone and make my stepfather proud and stand as a power greater than any man has ever dreamed.

End of Game Summery

Arkaon

Human

Necromancer

Str 19 (22 with belt)
Dex 19
Con 18
Int 19
Wis 19
Cha 5

Memorized Spell List:
This is basically the spell list I used for the whole second half of the game and the one I took to the final battle. It has defensive buffs, good offensive projectile spells, good spread damage spells like skull trap and ADHW and strong summonings.

Level 1:
- magic missles x6

Level 2:
- horror
- melf’s acid arrow x4
- glitter dust
- dispel invisibility
- knock

Level 3:
- haste
- flame arrow
- melf’s minute meteors
- remove magic
- skull trap x3

Level 4:
- spirit armor
- spider spawn
- greater malison x2
- stoneskin x2

Level 5:
- skeleton warrior x3
- lower resist x3
- breach

Level 6:
- chain lighting
- true sight
- protection from magic weapons
- protection from magical energy
- improved haste
- tensors transformation
- pierce magic
- death spell

Level 7:
- mordenkein’s sword x3
- warding whip
- minor spell turning
- limited wish
- delayed fireball
- finger of death x2

Level 8:
- Abi Dalzim’s Horrid Wilting x7
- Improved Mantle

Level 9/10:
- time stop
- alacrity
- wish
- dragon’s breath
- spell strike (but in final battle replaced with ‘Gate’)

Sequencers:
- minor sequencer: x3 magic missles or x3 melfs arrows
- sequencer: x3 skull traps
- spell trigger: x3 lower resist

Rockstar · 04-06-2006, 10:12 AM

That's it!! the whole saga wrapped up for you! I was doing it part time on and off and it's taken me a long time. I would just like to put it out to people that soloing is nowhere near as hard as it seems. Yes, it is difficult but it is actually more enjoyable than a party of 3 or 6 imho. Doing this gives you great insight on every weakness, and most of all strength, of a particular class. It is immense fun starting at level 1, gathering the tombs and then moving onto BG2 as you really get a sense of personality for your character. I highly recommend this to anybody!

Thanks so much for reading [img]smile.gif[/img] it's great to be able to share on these forums

I'm thinking of starting a new solo hero. Last time i did it good with pure magic, next i'd do it evil with pure strength: a Chaotic Evil Dwarven Fighter (then in BG2 converting to a bezerker). If anybody is interested in me doing this and writing up then please post here and let me know [img]smile.gif[/img]

[ 04-06-2006, 09:00 PM: Message edited by: Rockstar ]

Kyrvias · 04-09-2006, 01:42 PM

Well, it seems you did an evil necromancer last time, so maybe you should do a pure good Paladin? Or cleric turned cleric of Lathander?

Just my two gold pieces worth.

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04-06-2006, 08:32 AM	#1
Rockstar Zhentarim Guard Join Date: January 4, 2003 Location: Australia Posts: 300	Throne of Bhaal Journey Solo Mage Journey DISCLAIMER: this is the final installment of a three part solo mage saga. Check out these other threads to discover how the series is possible only using the arcane arts. PART 1: Baldur's Gate: http://www.ironworksforum.com/ubb/cg...c;f=1;t=004116 PART 2: Baldur's Gate 2 SOA: http://www.ironworksforum.com/ubb/no...c;f=2;t=025473 Conventions: - Solo play: no NPC’s ever enter my party. - Because I am a Necromancer, the spells I use will be strongly focused in the field of necromancy to take at least somewhat of a RolePlaying approach to my game. I will try to include at least one necromancy spell in each level, if not more. - not using any cheesy items like the cloak of reflection, please tell me of any other notoriously cheesy items that I should not use that could discredit my play. - Most of all: I am engaging every single fight. I am only using area of effect spells on enemies in my sight and not using them against shrouded enemies before they see me (ie, using fireball or cloudkill before they see you… this is the single biggest cheating tactic there is and I’m not going to use it at all). I may, however, inch out against groups of enemies to take them on one by one where possible but this is not cheating as they have a chance to fight. - No abusing the staff of the magi’s invisibility - No using cheats or game editors! - No using “protection from energy” Character Information Arkaon Human Necromancer Str 19 (21 with girdle) Dex 19 Con 18 Int 19 Wis 19 Cha 5 Equipment Ring of acurity, ring of wizardry, gauntlets of weapon xp, belt of frost giant, boots of speed, cloak of protection +2, circlet of netheril, amulet of power, robes of vecna, staff of the magi, sling +3 Intro: Recent events show that 5 powerful Bhaal spawn have been plaguing the world. They need to be stopped. The prophecy is unfolding and I sense the end for one sort or anther coming. … Although I do wish to use my power for good, the temptation of godhood does not slide by me unnoticed… I could only cast 2 spells that day gorion and I left candlekeep and now I am nearly devine in my power and I am a mere mortal… nothing can stop me… but I must do the right thing. I will put an end to the five Chapter 8 Grove: the ghosts informed me of what is to come and I see a stranger coming my way. Battle With Illasera: I cast spirit armour. She is illasera, one of the 5. We begin. I cast prot magic energy. She casts monster summoning. I stop time and summon skeletons and lower her resistance x3 with a greater malison. time restarts and I my skeltons carve up the summonings and a finger of death leaves her crying a shrill scream before falling lifelessly on the floor. Pocket Plane: met cespenser and sarevok who opened the way in exchange for a small portion of my soul. I let him go afterwards and went to the first challenge in the corner. First Challenge: the first wave I just used summonings and melee attacks to defeat. The second wave I used greater malison then death spell to kill some of the knights and then a ADHW and magic missles and melf’s arrows to finish them off. Then final wave I used time stop/alacrity then cast x2 lower res and a finger of death on Elimsmer, ADHW and true sight to reveal lindvale. Another ADHW then I summoned 2 swords to kill him and the duke. The duke fell then after dispelling linvale’s protections he also fell. First challenge completed. I gained the pocket plane ability! My spell book is nearly completed. There are three spells that I still desire for it to truly be complete… ruby ray of reversal, spell trigger and wish. Before I leave I load my sequencers. minor sequencer: x2 magic missles. Sequencer: x3 skull traps. I then rest and replace the sequencers with actual spells .I enter the portal to saradash… [ 04-06-2006, 08:39 AM: Message edited by: Rockstar ]

04-06-2006, 08:40 AM	#2
Rockstar Zhentarim Guard Join Date: January 4, 2003 Location: Australia Posts: 300	Saradash: I am greeted by Melisan and some guards which I killed. I agreed to help reclaim the city of saradash. I helped lazerous get his spellbook. I found the thief and pointed the finger at him … finger of death that is, presumptuously killed him. Good thing I was right! gave the book back and bought spell trigger and wish  I spoke to the cleric on the basis of some info that cost me $1000 from a bar man and got the key to the celler. Some annoying undead on the way but no problem. Got the ion stone from the ghost and created the circlet of netheril… finally my outfit for the entire game is completed! At last! I am an arch-magi of untouchable power! I am the most powerful mage ever to exist! nothing can stop me… nothing! I have all the items and spells I want now muhaha! Underceller: I battled my way into the castle first floor and used ADHW with stoneskin to kill the guards there. Battle with Gromnir Il-Khan: I am surrounded by enemies with the bhaalspawn running at me. Time stop/alacrity. x2 lower resist on gromnir and x2 greater malison to get all enemies. x2 ADHW and time restarts whilst casting a 3rd. All enemies fall but Gromnir and an archer. Finger of death on the archer. Gromnir who is badly injured smashes away at my stoneskins before I point the finger of death at him. He falls… Malison tells me to defeat Yaga-shira I must take his immortality from him. I pocket plane to the mountains. Forest: I used morderkiens swords with skull traps and ADHW to kill the fire giants. Other enemies weren’t of any nuicence. Temple: I got into a battle with a master wraith and killed him Met Nyalee who told me she can destroy the heart of Yaga-shira if I bring it… onward I march Marching Mountains: I used my staff to sneak into the lair. In the lair I got the two tablets and killed the enemies that spawned out. Had to stock up on acid arrows to finish fire trolls. Fire giants fell to multiple ADHW and skull traps. Morderiken swords helped a lot here. I got the last two tablets and defeated the enemies to remove the wall and moved onward… Inner chamber: had to rest in here a couple of times but was easy with morderkien swords which are invincible to the giants and ADHW and skull traps made them fall. I killed his guard and took the heart. Moved into the next room and killed ajax and his fiends with some summonings and offensive spells. Took the second heart and I’m on my way! I have now got the girdle of fire giant strength boosting my strength to 22 … who says wizards can’t fight? Time to rid the world of a pesky giant… Temple: I gave her the hearts and she made yaga-shura mortal. She turned on me but I stopped time and with alacrity cast enough ADHW and skull traps to make everyone but one archer fall. Finished her off and now its time to make number two my hit list! Battle with Yaga-Shira: Saw yagashira and attacked him causing him to retreat. I caught up with him again and kept hitting and running with ADHW. His troops tried to surround me but I kept weaving around. The giant got frustrated but I final ADHW and he drew his final breathe then fell. Now 3 to go… Melissan met up with me after I found out more of my past. Now to do the second challenge. I have now hit my XP cap at level 31  my character is now complete and ultimate… now to prove I really am the most powerful mage ever… Ok, I am finding my tactics against tough enemies very similar and to save repetition I will call the following a Time Stop Assault (TSA). This involves stoping time, immediately casting improved alacrity. My robes of Vecna combined with my amulet of power mean casting low and mid level spells is instant. In a TSA I usually cast lower resist 3 times on the enemy (or on individuals in the case of a tough group) and then greater malison, 3 skeletons, any dispelling spells or spell protections if against a lich or powerful mage, and 3 ADHW’s. Upon casting the final ADHW time will usually restart but my alacrity will still be in play allowing another ADHW if necessary. This cripples, if not kills, most powerful groups of enemies. Sometimes I throw in a dragon’s breath to knock enemies over or a finger of death after lowering resistance Second Challenge: I buffed with stoneskin and spirit armour. TSA with a morerkien sword thrown in killed all but angelo. Summonings killed him. Challenge complete. Time to meet Melissan… Oasis: I got ambushed. I used hit and run with skull traps and ADHW to kill the first horde then used my staff to sneak by the rest unnoticed. [ 04-06-2006, 08:41 AM: Message edited by: Rockstar ]

04-06-2006, 08:41 AM	#3
Rockstar Zhentarim Guard Join Date: January 4, 2003 Location: Australia Posts: 300	CHAPTER 9: Getting close to the end of things now… I am as powerful as I can be now and only a few lie between myself and destiny. Akaltanita: Met Balthazar and agreed to kill the two bhaal spawn. Rested up then on the way to the exit saw that snake saemon! He turned on me again and escaped. I cast Finger of death at him but he saved and escaped wounded… damn! At the exit I saved a priest from being killed but got warned not to meddle with monk affairs again… Sendai’s Enclave: Met a woodsman and got ambushed by a group of drow. I killed them and discovered some graves. The woodsman was a drow and attacked me. My summonings from the previous battle helped me win. I used my staff to sneak into the area without getting into any more fights. I stormed the first area with buffed summonings easily. I stocked up for the first kensai general battle. I entered the room and a drow attacked me. I summoned a skeleton and stood behind him. I summoned more skeletons and swords and that drew the attention of 4 more drow. I killed them, charged forword and cast time stop. TSA of all ADHW and skull traps slaughtered all but one… a final ADHW killed him. Took the key and entered the top door. Spider nest: Summons fought through and killed the spiders with ease. Killed the queen by casting spell strike to remove her turning spell then lowered her resistance for a finger of death. Used my staff to run past the drow then into the temple. I killed the lich with TSA but included spell strike, warding whip and spell turning. He fell with ease. Generals: The next battle was with Sendai’s cleric. I killed her beast then used a TSA and summonings to beat her. Then the next room had a general kensai who agreed to fight me one on one and all of our partners die if we lose… sweet deal for me! I killed him and made my way to the next area… Battle with Sendai: Ok, this is by far the most difficult battle of the game so far! She prepared a gauntlet of 7 statue replicas of herself and sent them at me one at a time. But there is a catch. Every statue I kill another is wakened and a few drow enter the room. I have neither the spells or the patients to kill everything so I used a strategy which involved keeping to the far right of the room so no drow could see me and caught the attention of every statue. Doing this I was able to quicksave several times in battle. I used basically all of my spells just defeating the statues so when true sendai appeared I seemed to be in trouble when she started summoning hordes at me but the trick was on her. She was summoning spiders and invisible stalkers at her frontline who use normal weapons (which I am now immune to ) so I used them as a buffer to distance me from lethal skeletons and summoned a hasted sword to flank around to sendai while I used +4 bullets on her. I only had one ADHW and She kept healing but eventually fell to a bullet in the eye.  3 down 2 to go! Abazigal’s Enclave: This one was a lot easier than Sendai’s. Draconis attacked me. Killed his human form with ADHW’s and then TSA when his dragon form appeared: x3 lower resist, x3 skull trap and x2 ADHW. Fell with ease. I enter the enclave. I managed to avoid most enemies with my staff as I had encountered and killed them all before, so with nothing to prove I killed the gauth with a TSA and brought the stalk to the mage and freed the dragon. In the mage’s desk I found a golum book page and upgraded my golum summoning to an Iron Golum! Excellent! Battle with Abizgal: Buffed up with stone skin, spirit armour, prot from magic energy. I summoned and hasted a horde (a sword, spider and x3 skeletons) and killed a few ice salamanders before seeing him. I lowered his resistance x3 straight away and mainly slammed him with acid arrows and magic missles but he carved through my all summonings before being turned a dragon. TSA immediately! this was lethal. Spell trigger of x3 lower res, x3 skull traps, morderkien’s sword and x3 ADHW. Follow through with a final ADHW to kill the beast! 4 down 5 to go! I have learned that I must now kill Balthazar but I still have 2 more challenges to complete back in the pocket plane… 3rd challenge: this was amusing. The slayer only went for me so I just circled round a group of my summons who kept hacking away at him till he fell…. easy money. 4th challenge: here I met cyric. He sent 3 assassins at me and I summoned a sword and an iron golum. I spelled away at them and they fell after healing themselves many times. back to the real world… Amkethran: Went to the tavern and got attacked but killed them and sold some wares. I’m cloak myself with my staff to get to the monestary.

04-06-2006, 08:45 AM	#4
Rockstar Zhentarim Guard Join Date: January 4, 2003 Location: Australia Posts: 300	Balthazar: I TSA the guards out the front before healing and resting to prepare (buffed with spirit armour and stone skin as usual). I entered his palace then after a chat did a victorious TSA: x3 lower resist, a spell trigger (x3 lower resist), spell sequencer (x3 skull traps), x3 skull traps, then moved away and cast 2 ADHW before time restarts. Takes him to near death and a final ADHW killed him. all 5 down! but a new enemy is revealed. Melissan is the true enemy and solar revealed that she is a high preastess of Bhaal but aims to take everything for herself. Solar revealed my final challenge… the ravager… Battle the Ravager: OK this is THE hardest battle by far in the game (excluding the final battle which I have yet to attempt). The ravager has ultra high magic resistance and is immune to lower resist spells and any other buff removing spells are ineffective against him. This means that I must single handedly kill him via melee… but who says summons can’t help. I died a couple of times using my usual summoning layout but in the end I just was circling around the ravager and his bone blades slinging at him, missing half the time and only doing 5 damage when I’m guessing he has well over 150 hp so it was quite futile. I needed a new strategy … he seemed unbeatable… I am the greatest mage in the farum! nothing cannot be beaten… all will fall to me! Time to rethink my spell list… I need summonings so I maxed all level 5 spells with skeleton warriors, all level 7 spells with mordenkein’s swords and all level 9 with gate. Both the gate fiends and swords are immune to the bone blade attacks and my staff of the magi has protection from evil so I am safe from the fiend… I also need a way to hit him with my melee and sling attacks. I fill my level 6 spells half with tensors transformation and the other with improved haste. Improved haste doubles my attacks per round to 2 and tensors transformation significantly reduces my THACO so I hit practically every time rather than missing ¾ shots. Battle begins. I immediately cast gate in front of the ravager. I dash round the back of him and summon a sword. I lured the fiend away from the ravager and the bone blades kept following the pit fiend leaving the ravager in the open attacking my sword. I cast improved haste then tensors transformation and start hitting away. I got many hits in then the my sword unsummoned and the fiend died, sending all the blades towards me! I cannot use my spells because the tensor spell is still working! I run around the outside slinging bullets in a hit and run fassion till I can recast a mordenkeins sword to divert their attention then repeat the process by recasting gate to lure the bone blades away and then running up to the solo ravager (who is attacking the fiend and not me of coarse ) and then imp haste and tensor’s transformation to take him well past half way. I repeated the process again and got him to near death but then he started facing me (but I still had the bone blades stalled with a couple of swords). I knew these swords would unsummon soon and then I’d be screwed coz they would all be onto me and I can’t cast spells! so I dashed back and used +4 bullets on him. He was throwing knives at me but my stoneskin still stood strong till a final +4 bullet to the head took him down… victory!!!

04-06-2006, 08:47 AM	#5
Rockstar Zhentarim Guard Join Date: January 4, 2003 Location: Australia Posts: 300	Adkathla: I just purchased some final spells to keep as scrolls for the final battle Watcher’s Keep level 5: ok here I had to do a series of trials, none of which were of any hassle. But things got harder as I had to unlock the helm seal. I had to defeat 3 lots of enemies. The first lot of guards I beat mainly with summons, the second was a lich and company which a TSA and some summonings helped with. I had to wait till his spells were drained then I ran in with my summons to kill him. The final battle was another party, but I used a TSA then dashed away so I could take them on one at a time (I found this distasteful because it’s the first time in the game I have done this... but it will be the only time I run away from a battle for my own advantage. The watcher’s keep is optional after all). I move down to the next level. Lair: I cast the scroll dispite the imprisoned one’s warnings. I made a deal to go to the surface and lure the helmites down here. Instead I told them of what had happened and forgave them.

04-06-2006, 08:48 AM	#6
Rockstar Zhentarim Guard Join Date: January 4, 2003 Location: Australia Posts: 300	FINAL BATTLE: This battle was definitely challenging and she is the most powerful opponent I have ever faced. She is the only being that has ever made even casting a TSA difficult. Her strength is that she can summon many summonings and powerful spells and is immune to time stop. However, i found a weakness. She only has one timestop spell at a time. If I stop time the only thing she can do is melee attack as thrown weapons, spells and summonings are out of play when time is stoped. To beat her I must disrupt her time stop with a fireball or dragons breath and then cast my own TSA to defeat her… the battle begins… this is it! Melissan came from her energy gathering to face me. I immediately stop time, alacrity and lowered her resistance x3. Then x4 ADHW’s and melissan and her summons were beaten and she retreats to gather more energy I faced the wind prince with x3 skull traps and summoned a sword to help me. Me and my sword finished them all off with ease. I cast wish and got all my spells back… time for round 2 melissan! She started the fight by pushing me away and summoning 2 bone golums but luckily I cast raise dead before she pushed me and my skeleton took the focus. I interrupted her time stop with a sunstone sling bullet. I cast my TSA of x3 skull traps, x3 lower resist, and x3 ADHW and run away so that the throwing daggers she threw don’t all hit me at once and kill me. She retreats and the throwing daggers coming at me come out of play. I beat the ice prince with 2 opening ADHW and then used bullets, hasted summons and low level spells to beat them all down… wish for my spells back but this time with a slight adjustment. I removed spell strike and replaced it with pit fiend… spell strike is useless in this fight and I need all the reinforcements I can get (my staff grants protection from evil) … one skeleton still stood. I raise another, 2 swords and summon a pit fiend then dash to cut the flow to start the fight before it can attack me… time to go! Melissan stands ready again but this time I am circled by slayers! the pit fiend draws their attention and a war breaks out. Melissan teleports to the north and I run after her, leaving the fight behind. She starts casting time stop but dragons breath interrupts her. I cast my own timestop and do a TSA the same as last time. I retreat back so her throwing knives don’t hit me and she retreats again… she is running out of luck … Muhahaha! Cast wish to get my spells back again. The last area had a minature army. I stopped time and a carefully placed TSA to kill the fallen solar and all other enemies but (yes, yes I know! one always survives ..) one marilith. Improved haste then tensors transformation to dispel its stoneskins and beat it down with my staff of the magi. I wish my spells back… ok this is it… no more essence. no where else to hide! This is it! Melissan shall die here and I will prove to be the most powerful being to EVER walk the plane! The final round begins. I have x2 swords, x2 skeletons and again cast pit fiend before cutting the flow. I cast wish: imp haste on all party members. They all surge forward. Melissan kills them all with the death spell but the pit fiend stands to attack the summonings she creates. I interrupt her time stop again with dragons breathe. Time stop!! Arkaon’s eyes blazed sadistically! This is why he had come all the way from candlekeep! This was it… now to finish it! alacrity, x3 lower resist, x3 skull traps and x3 ADHW. She frantically calls more minions. Time restarts and the jiggered skull traps rip through her… the horrid wiltings cause blood to splurt out of her skull as she shreaks arkaon finishes screaming the last word of his final horrid wilting to overkill her… She screams in agony and falls to the floor in a pool of her own blood… it is over… “I” am the victor… Melissan, bloodied and beaten, gets to her feet to be greated by solar. Solar explains to me the choice I have before me…. it is a hard choice. I am already the most powerful being in the farum, do I need godhood to prove this? yet I am worthy of this power and I am already a power in itself. My choice is made. I choose to become a god and always upholding the good ways that Gorion taught me and standing for a symbol of what is right. The final battle ground collapses on melissan as the throne of bhaal is destroyed with her and all that is evil and weak. Bhaal will never rise again and I will watch over everyone and make my stepfather proud and stand as a power greater than any man has ever dreamed. End of Game Summery Arkaon Human Necromancer Str 19 (22 with belt) Dex 19 Con 18 Int 19 Wis 19 Cha 5 Memorized Spell List: This is basically the spell list I used for the whole second half of the game and the one I took to the final battle. It has defensive buffs, good offensive projectile spells, good spread damage spells like skull trap and ADHW and strong summonings. Level 1: - magic missles x6 Level 2: - horror - melf’s acid arrow x4 - glitter dust - dispel invisibility - knock Level 3: - haste - flame arrow - melf’s minute meteors - remove magic - skull trap x3 Level 4: - spirit armor - spider spawn - greater malison x2 - stoneskin x2 Level 5: - skeleton warrior x3 - lower resist x3 - breach Level 6: - chain lighting - true sight - protection from magic weapons - protection from magical energy - improved haste - tensors transformation - pierce magic - death spell Level 7: - mordenkein’s sword x3 - warding whip - minor spell turning - limited wish - delayed fireball - finger of death x2 Level 8: - Abi Dalzim’s Horrid Wilting x7 - Improved Mantle Level 9/10: - time stop - alacrity - wish - dragon’s breath - spell strike (but in final battle replaced with ‘Gate’) Sequencers: - minor sequencer: x3 magic missles or x3 melfs arrows - sequencer: x3 skull traps - spell trigger: x3 lower resist

04-06-2006, 10:12 AM	#7
Rockstar Zhentarim Guard Join Date: January 4, 2003 Location: Australia Posts: 300	That's it!! the whole saga wrapped up for you! I was doing it part time on and off and it's taken me a long time. I would just like to put it out to people that soloing is nowhere near as hard as it seems. Yes, it is difficult but it is actually more enjoyable than a party of 3 or 6 imho. Doing this gives you great insight on every weakness, and most of all strength, of a particular class. It is immense fun starting at level 1, gathering the tombs and then moving onto BG2 as you really get a sense of personality for your character. I highly recommend this to anybody! Thanks so much for reading [img]smile.gif[/img] it's great to be able to share on these forums I'm thinking of starting a new solo hero. Last time i did it good with pure magic, next i'd do it evil with pure strength: a Chaotic Evil Dwarven Fighter (then in BG2 converting to a bezerker). If anybody is interested in me doing this and writing up then please post here and let me know [img]smile.gif[/img] [ 04-06-2006, 09:00 PM: Message edited by: Rockstar ]

04-09-2006, 01:42 PM	#8
Kyrvias Lord Ao Join Date: May 15, 2005 Posts: 2,092	Well, it seems you did an evil necromancer last time, so maybe you should do a pure good Paladin? Or cleric turned cleric of Lathander? Just my two gold pieces worth.

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