COMBAT HELP!!!!

[TYTONK]

Need some tips on combat. Wizardry and Might & Magic veteran. Only D & D game I have ever played is an old one called Dungeon Hack. Started one game with a Paladin, made it to the Friendly Inn but got my arse kicked many times on the way there. Started over and am currently playing a theif. Made it to the friendly Inn again with better luck. It seems things happen so fast during combat that you are dead before you can do anything. Which auto-pauses, if any, do you all use? Trying to use bows but the creatures are on me before I even get a shot off! Any help would be much appreciated!

[Intimadater]

Well I think it is easier to pause manually and a paladin wasn't a bad choice because you can get iomoen and she is a theif but it doesn'y really matter. You run into Xar and Montaron on the way to the Friendly Arm that you should pick up and also Khalad and Jaheira in The Freindly Arm Inn.
[img]graemlins/2gunfire.gif[/img]

[Ar-Cunin]

First tip: get as many partymembers as possible - It doesn't matter who they are at first. (you can get three in the first area) More attacks = more hits

Buy extra armor and weapon at candlekeep so that you equip all of them with missile weapons.

Use the "run-around" tecnic: have your best-armored character continually move around while the rest of your party use missile weapons against the enemies.

[TYTONK]

Anyone else have any combat tips? Hopefully I just need to get the hang of it. If not, I think I am going to be very disappointed in this game.

[teodulo]

Well, first you have to pick up with you all the NPG you can. Buy the best armor and shield you can. Than use always the space bar to pause the game. Do this immediately, when your opponent becomes red. Think about the place, the space you have around, move your mage far from the battle. Don't be anxious, everything is under control. At the beginning, stay away from enemies as much as possible, use bow (but remember: if you use a bow, you can't have a shield). Using bow, it is better if during combat your party is not united: if characters are spreaded on the field, you will defeat your enemy easily. Don't worry: it is a matter of time!

[SixOfSpades]

My own technique is to have at least one party member designated as a Tank, which is essentially your best Fighter hopped up on steriods. Since you're a Paladin, you should fit this role admirably. Give all your best equipment to your Tank, so he's got the best Armor Class, highest hitpoints, and lowest Saving Throws. Now that this guy is practically invincible, what you do with him is shove him into the enemy's face--and keep him there. The enemies tend to focus on whichever member of your party they see first (so try to keep your Tank in front at all times), and if they have ranged weapons like Bows, they will stop shooting at your Mages & Thieves as soon as your Tank gets within melee range of them.

Most parties do well with 1 or 2 Tanks, some parties will have as many as three. A few people have reported doing well with parties of 6 archer-type characters, but I wouldn't suggest you try this yet. Also, you don't really need a Mage yet. If you want one, go ahead and have one, but don't feel like you need to drag one around just because you heard they were valuable. In the earlier stages of the game, you might just be happier with another Fighter-type to help you pound bad guys.

What I think your main difficulty is: You're a low-level party. None of you has any real hitpoints yet, so if anything happens, you die. Just grit your teeth, gain some EXP, and get those Level Ups.

[Mellagar]

When your thief gets to a decent level and you have the boots of hiding, or whatever they're called, have your thief scout the area first. You're somewhat safe if you stick to the roads at the beginning, but the further south you go you'll run into bandits and kobolds. They can wipe you out pretty quick regardless of your armor and such mainly because you don't have many hitpoits to spare in combat. Best thing to do is send forward a thief to scout around. Then if you find a really nasty enemy, as long as the opponent can't fire back with an arrow, have your thief take a shot at them. Lead them right up to your tanks and other archers who are waiting for them, and tear the creature apart. Sometimes its best to take on a group of baddies one at a time. Magic is somewhat useless in the beginning because the mages you get in your party are pretty weak such as 6-9 hitpoints. One hit regardless of an armor spell and their dead. However I like having a mage solely for the purpose that they can help dispell enemies who try and cast spells on your group. Such as magic missle, and burning hands. Large shields are a must, so when you get Khalid and Jaheira in your group at the beginning, (if you select them) then give chainmail and shields. I make Khalid my right hand fighter, with Jaheira as a tank as well. Give Jaheira the boots of cat senses, anhkeg armor, any helm, +1 sling, and +1 staff (if you have TotSC then later I give her the +3 staff) and she can duke it out with the best. At the beginning however archers are rather useless because they have no shield to protect them. Health potions will become almost a necessity. Well enough ranting from me, good luck and I'm certain with time you'll grow to enjoy the game.

[Lanthir]

It isa big help to talk to the tutors in and around Candlekeep the one that is armored near the South east will ask if you want to train take him up on the offer you will be teleported into aroom where you wil lbe able to control a group and fight in different situations to give you som eidea of what it s like. When you feel you have the hang of it just talk to the tutor an dyou will be sent back outside. For me being very unfamiler with D&D it wasa a very big help to do a couple of battles It gave me areal leg up on combat using wands and spells and all.

[Evergreene]

Ar-cunin had the good idea- the one where someone runs around and then the other member/members shoot arrows. If the "runner" loses aggro, then the new person to be attacked begins running and the 1st runner shoots from the range. This is called "kiting" in the MMORPGs i have played (Everquest). The creature often bounces back and forth between the party members and often no one will get hurt.

Pausing: i have a LOT of auto-pause options on. "Enemy sighted" is CRUCIAL! Often, as soon as you see one monster, he will be the first of a whole gang of them. but.. if you are PAUSED and see that first initial monster, make the party move BACK a bit.. often, only that ONE creature will come, and it is easier to deal with. Keep going back to pick out one more creature.

[Lanthir]

You must have been a druid in EQ