Killing mind flayers with a solo mage.. plz help

[uss]

i once did a solo mage. when i got to the mind flayers, i really didn`t know how to kill them. they have a damn big magic resistance.
now im doing a new solo mage and could you please tell me how to kill mind flayers. mages dont have skeletons, so that wont work.

[J'aran]

Magi can learn Animate Dead, it's a fifth level spell for them, so that strategy isn't entirely out of the question.
Also, Cloud Kill seems to work wonders here. I haven't tried this myself, but I heard of many people who open the door to a room full of Illithids, quickly use a Wand of Cloudkill to toss in a few clouds, close the door and wait until the Illithids are fried in there with no option for escape.

[daan]

True, Animate Dead is the only easy way to kill a mindflayer, if you're a mage. But you yourself CAN provide great back-up !!!

Summon 1-5 (preferrably five) skeleton warriors,
(skeleton warriors are summonable at 15th lvl, with the 5th lvl-spell animate dead, before 15th lvl you'll only be able to summon normal skeletons)
Skeleton Warriors have 95% magic resistance, and are great for Mindflayer whacking.

Haste the warriors, maybe IMPROVED haste yourself, and provide backup with Melf's Minute Meteors (MMM). MMM will be able to injure Mindflayers, and (improved) haste, will make you a MMMM ....
(Melf's Minute Meteors Machine-gun).

hope it works [img]smile.gif[/img]


P.S. If you follow J'aran's advice, and throw in a couple a cloudkills
(probably from a wand, since cloudkill is 5th lvl too, you wont have any slots left), It'll work even better. Skeleton Warriors usually dont get injured by the gasses, so its all good for you [img]smile.gif[/img]

[ 02-02-2002: Message edited by: daan ]

[Jim]

IIRC, mindflayers have 8 hit dice. You can therefore kill a room full including the umberhulks with the spell "death spell", upon which they gain no saving throw, and magic resistance is bypassed. I seem to remember being able to kill Ulitharids with this spell too.

[uss]

thanks, but where can i get a scroll of "death spell" or "animate dead" ??

[Memnoch]

quote:

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Originally posted by uss:
thanks, but where can i get a scroll of "death spell" or "animate dead" ??

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You should have got one earlier - they're available early in the game. You should still be able to pick one up at either the svirfneblin village, the duergar traders, or the drow city (if you've found it already).

It doesn't have to be only Death spell - any instant kill spell will get rid of the umber hulks. You'll have to have a lot of skeleton warriors to put between you and them. Try using terrain to your advantage - put the skeleton warriors just behind the doors so that each illithid has to face them one at a time. It will probably be a good idea to cast mislead before the fight if you don't have a cleric to cast Chaotic Commands on you. Then, while the skeleton warriors are preventing the flayers from getting to you just keep hammering them with AOE spells (after casting Greater Malison). They have high MR so you may need to cast Lower Resistance on some of them.

I didn't say it was going to be a quick fight, at least not if you want to be uncheezy. Of course, you could always to the cheezy open door/cast Cloudkill/slam door/wait/go back to beginning until they're all dead tactic. That will work just as well.

[Nifft the Nimble]

quote:

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Originally posted by Memnoch:

I didn't say it was going to be a quick fight, at least not if you want to be uncheezy. Of course, you could always to the cheezy open door/cast Cloudkill/slam door/wait/go back to beginning until they're all dead tactic. That will work just as well.

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In my humble opinion, if you're soloing, you're entitled to as much cheese as you can eat

-- Nifft

[Sir Michael]

My favorite spell for dealing with mind flayers is Mordenkainen's Sword. The sword itself is immune to INT drain and psionics, and does great damage. Cast Haste on it for even greater effect.

[Nerull]

quote:

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Originally posted by Sir Michael:
My favorite spell for dealing with mind flayers is Mordenkainen's Sword. The sword itself is immune to INT drain and psionics, and does great damage. Cast Haste on it for even greater effect.

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Also good are Invisible Stalkers. They are completely immune to psionic attacks (you will see the little symbol above their heads, like they have been confused, feared, etc., but in fact nothing actually happens), and they last for 9 hours if not killed. The only real problem is the Umber Hulks; their physical attacks can wipe the floor with the stalkers. Best bet is to open the door, fire cloudkill into room (cloudkill eliminates Umber Hulks), close door, and wait for duration of cloudkill to end. Then summon stalker(s), open door, and send them to wipe the floor with the illithids (you can use Skeleton warriors to back them up, since they last 8 hours themselves and are also immune to psionic attacks). The key here is patience; if you start running low on spells, or are in a bad spot, run away and come back later after resting.

Hope this helps!