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[Grond0]

Gate70/Grond0 multiplayer attempt 34 - (4th and final update)
Spiro, half-elf beastmaster (Grond0) & Schuern, elf enchanter (Gate70)

Back in the City from Candlekeep Schuern toyed with the guards for a while before the duo went to find Slythe.  He was easy meat - picking up a dispelling arrow on his way to tackle some summoned monsters.  On to the palace where Spiro buffed up with potions, while Schuern provided ranged support and more monsters.  She also tried an opening horror, which proved very effective and pretty much guaranteed the dopplegangers defeat, although one of the scared dopplegangers did go berserk and badly wound Schuern.  Sarevok himself proved more problematic as he didn't seem interested in chasing Spiro and instead cut down Liia and was hitting Belt when he eventually teleported away.

Spiro used stealth attacks to clear creatures from the maze before resting to acquire his final Bhaal power (DUHM).  With her spells renewed Schuern accounted for the Undercity party - 4 x skull traps killing several and some summoned monsters persuading Rahvin to blast another with his arrows of detonation.  After Spiro stealth-shot Rahvin Schuern saw that Shaldrissa was still neutral (her mirror images had protected her from damage) and promptly blinded her at the 3rd attempt.

In the temple Spiro stealthed towards Sarevok, setting off scripted stinking cloud and web traps (not sure why they're done like that - it seems a bit non-sensical).  After waiting them out he got in close enough to trigger Sarevok's dialogue and Semaj teleported out.  Despite immediately being dispelled and poisoned he used trigger spells to re-buff and wound Schuern and Spiro added a bit more damage to her by firing a dispelling arrow at her to clear chaos after Semaj was dead.  Sarevok was then pulled out alone and treated to a dispelling arrow of his own.  That made it easy for Spiro to hide from him around the pillars and guide in Schuern's skull traps.  A few more stealth attacks after that and Sarevok had had enough.

Stats:
Spiro, beastmaster 7, 81 HPs (incl. 6 from familiar, 5 from Helm), 167 kills
Schuern, enchanter 8, 34 HPs, 55 kills, 2 deaths

Edited by Grond0, 05 January 2014 - 06:55 PM.

[Gate70]

All was progressing well including level ups until a slightly wounded and fatigued Carthusian was ambushed by bandits. At this point he glugs a potion and escapes.


The usual focus (reputation 20, some nice equipment and a haul of potions). Mulahey is next on the list.

[Grond0]

Velvet {2} - halfling swashbuckler (final update)

Velvet eventually made it through BG1, although not in the style I was looking for.

In the City Velvet picked up the tome of dexterity.  For the wisdom tome she used potions of master thievery to pickpocket rather than bothering with the poison quest.  Ramazith failed his save against Velvet's first use of bolts of biting and was unable to cast anything - allowing Velvet to sneak upstairs to get the intelligence tome.  She also picked up the Helm of Balduran, just in case that's wanted in BG2, before sneaking into the Iron Throne and getting sent to Candlekeep.  Once there she used stealth to bypass enemies while she disarmed the traps and looted the tombs.  Then she sneaked out.

Back in the City she went to take on Slythe.  A first bolt of biting badly injured him (his haste means the poison damage is doubled).  A second had him at near death although he saved; he saved again against a third, but must have been very close to death.  Velvet then missed several more stealth shots before failing to hide again.  Rather than go invisible I intended to finish him off with a potion of firebreath, thinking that would activate even before his fast weapon speed.  However, I think probably his haste took him through the activation distance window quicker than I expected and Slythe was able to get a stab in on Velvet before he died.

I had intended to use the stairs in the palace, but with Velvet already having taken damage I decided she would just glug a few potions and fight.  A Bhaal horror at the start of the contest affected 3 of the dopplegangers, leaving them with no real chance of success and Velvet won the contest at the cost of getting hit just once more.

To speed things up Velvet used a potion of invisibility to go through the maze.  However, I got slightly careless in disarming one of the traps and moved forward too quickly - so she had to use a potion of absorption to protect against lightning.

Inside the temple Velvet didn't have a bow to dispel Sarevok's haste, but she drew him out alone with a crossbow attack.  Her boots and a potion of speed gave her a big movement advantage anyway and it only took a couple of minutes of hiding round the pillars and backstabbing Sarevok repeatedly to make him give up.  The experience from that got Velvet her final BG1 level.

Stats:
Velvet, swashbuckler 10, 61 HPs, 145 kills

[Serg BlackStrider]

Congratulations with both Spiro/Schuern and Velvet success, guys!

[corey_russell]

Nice work Grond0 and Grond0/Gate70! Hope your guys' runs can last for a while in Amn...

[Gate70]

Carthusian 9ish. Using the dagger of venom.

The action this afternoon starts with Meilum yielding his bracers. Then down into Nashkel Mine where Mulahey was the subject of 3 shadowy stabbings. Nimbul got a brace, while Tranzig fought back more than most but ran away in fear with poison dripping after him.

The bandit camp was an overnight job, both Ardenor and Taugosz going down with their helpers. Venkt survived a poison attempt but Raemon and Britik should know better than to chase an attacker into the night. A second stab was enough for Venkt and Hakt was an easy target after that. Not much action in Cloakwood until a group of mercenaries were spotted at the mine.

A failed hide after an oil of burning saw Drasus harry Carthusian, the monk stopping every round or so to strike out with his dagger. As Drasus fell Carthusian was unable to hide because Genthore turned up a moment too soon. This gave Kysus the chance to cast chaos but Carthusuan was running fast.Fast enough to activate the greenstone amulet even if that gave Genthore a free hit.

Carthusian used his speed to hide and kill Genthore, taking a flame arrow from Kysus before adding him to the tally. Rezdan saved against a poisoned stab and cast mirror image but the return for a second stab went through the images and the mercenaries were defeated.

Down into the mine, a few guards eliminated but Hareishan, Natasha and the Ogre Jailor mage were left alone. The two battle horrors on the final floor chased after Carthusian and a game of hidden stabs continued on the floor above with several hobgoblins dying to get in on the action.

With one battle horror badly wounded Carthusian glugged a stone giant potion to help (was missing quite a lot and failing to hide quite a lot). This sped things up and both horrors were soon eliminated. Two guards had arrived to help Davaeorn (failed a rest downstairs before tackling the horrors) so they were dragged to one side and shown the error of their ways.

Davaeorn doesn't like hit and run attacks, but gets a hold person off. Carthusian is already in the shadows and runs to the entrance. He could head upstairs but that's not cricket, so he gamely braves the spell - HELD.

No sign of Davaeorn and when the hold expires Carthusian is still hidden. In towards Davaeorn who is casting again - OK, not hidden then.

A critical hit lands on the real mage for 32 damage and Carthusian is running and hidden again. No sign of the spell so back again and down goes the mage. Carthusian loads up his backpack and readies himself for the journey to Baldur's Gate.

[Grond0]

Silk - halfling swashbuckler (update 1)

After Velvet's sad end I thought I might have a (lucky) third attempt at this type of character.  This time I've given Silk my preferred short bow proficiency rather than crossbow. 

As last time I'm attempting to see how far I can get without taking any damage.  Silk has already had an early escape against Montaron when she was doing run & shoot and hit him with a critical - the screen displacement meant I wasn't sure where she was and Montaron got an attack in, fortunately missing.

She's followed a pretty normal path so far.  Started at Shoal then down via Beregost to Nashkel, then the valley of the tombs, picking up 4 invisibility potions on the way.  She's also visited High Hedge and just returned Landrin's goods at the FAI.

Other than her starting thieving points, everything has gone into stealth.  So she's already pretty capable of sneaking around at night-time, i.e. it's relatively easy to use stealth shots on enemies with distance attack capability.

[Gate70]

Sneak on, Grond0.

Carthusian 9ish abused stealth, boots of speed and dagger of venom for most enemies. The remaining tomes were hunted down, 6 sirines and 3 flesh golems dealt with, and the Candlekeep gatekeeper asking if I had everything. Yes! No! Back for a potion of giant strength to bash open a tomb or three.

Slythe was runner up in the sneaky stabby game.

The Duchal Palace was a concern but a buffed Carthusian was able to fight them without being shredded, only heading upstairs because the dukes were being targeted. A couple of trips downstairs and up again saw 3 greater doppelgangers remaining. Carthusian scared one off then meleed the other two and kicked the final one to pieces.

The thieves maze was going well until fists and dagger both proved useless against mustard jellies (I'd remembered a couple of minutes before but RP'd it) so Carthusian sneaked away. The two Doom Guards received a hefty kicking but the skeleton warriors almost gave as good as they got. Carthusian glugged 5 healing potions - only 20 or so left...

Rahvin was left ruminating, on to Sarevok instead. A bullet +2 from the sling +1 grabs his attention so it is 1 on 1 (a much safer option with a hasted Sarevok around). Sarevok hid around a pillar, wondering how to turn up the lights and eliminate shadows as Carthusian had a sly tipple or 6. Time for fists, Sarevok is rarely if ever affected by venom.

Although it is possible to fight without pausing the dummy attacks add difficulty as I find I either stay too long before realising an attack was made or depart too early when a dummy attack is made.

Sample of the Bhaalspawn temple combat.


Back to pick up the golden pantaloons and ring of Koveras then over to Belt and off to Amn.

Monk 8, 52hp. 167 kills, Greater Basilisk.

[Serg BlackStrider]

Well done, Gate! Safe travels in Amn!

[Grond0]

Congratulations Gate.  Get those kicks going in Amn!

Silk - halfling swashbuckler (2nd and final update)

Shot Meilum to get his bracers.  Walked into a kobold archer ambush on the way to help Hulrik's cow and used her first invisibility potion.

On to the basilisk area where the basilisks were shot before Korax joined Silk to paralyse Mutamin.  He did the same to Kirian, but most of the damage was done there by 3 shots from the necklace of missiles.  The invisibility potion taken from them was immediately used in a bandit ambush on the way to the Nashkel mine.  Sneaking down through that Silk got to Mulahey and shot him from the shadows.  After emerging from the mine 2 more necklace blasts killed all the amazons.

Nimbul and Tranzig were stealth-shot and Silk moved on to the bandit camp.  She started stealth-shooting all the bandits there so that she would have free rein to move in and out of the main tent.  Shooting bandits is a ticklish business because they move around a lot and shoot quite quickly themselves, but she was making a good job of things and had eliminated Taugosz and all but one of the bandits from the eastern end of the camp. She was in the process of finishing off the last one when this happened.

Thinking that she was safe she hadn't scouted beyond the one she was attacking and unfortunately another bandit moved forward at exactly the moment Silk started her shot and got a shot off in return.  Initially I thought I had miscounted the bandits, but I suspect the interloper was actually one of the bandits from the west side, who could patrol that far to the east although not as far as the main tent.

I'll leave Silk's run there.

Edited by Grond0, 11 January 2014 - 01:38 AM.

[Gate70]

Carthusian 9ish made a decent start in SoA over 2-3 hours then got caught by the Umar Hills Mimic. Had Arbane too...

Carthusian 10orso has left Candlekeep and dealth with the likes of Shoal, Brage, Joseph. Currently 27hp at level 4.

[Grond0]

Ludd - elf wild mage (update 1)

Without particularly intending to play I started generating a wild mage this morning.  Decent stats appeared almost at once, so I did start him off and things have gone surprisingly well so far:
- got the maximum 12 HPs for the 2 levels for killing Shoal
- learnt invisibility at the second attempt
- completing tasks around Beregost got another level with another maximum 6 HPs
- more tasks around Nashkel
- just the one surge so far (out of combat), although Ludd's used plenty of blind and sleep spells along with a few invisibilities and the odd friends, find familiar and magic missile.

[Grond0]

Ludd - elf wild mage (update 2)

Picked up Meilum's bracers and the ring of wizardry.  Robbed the ankheg nest to get a wand of fire.  Ludd tried to help Tenya, but she insisted on dying instead - got level 5 there with just the 4 HPs this time.  Darting the basilisks provided level 6 (another 6 HPs) before the wand of fire was put to good use on Kirian's party.

Ludd has just completed a tour through the Cloudpeaks.  He's still not taken any damage (including self-inflicted) yet, although the fairy dragon received his first 2 HPs from a xvart in their treasure cave.  The only nasty moment for Ludd was in the cave in the xvart village when I misjudged how close the edge of a stinking cloud was and he fell unconscious.  The fairy dragon, who was invisible, did sterling work in blocking the bear until it fell over and Ludd shortly after got up to finish it off.

[Gate70]

Good luck with the surges Grond0, you've certainly had it with the HP rolls

[Grond0]

Indeed.  He's still going, though more luck than judgement involved after playing when I was too tired!  He's had loads of surges, but nothing really nasty yet.

Ludd - elf wild mage (update 3)

Helping Ardrouine got Ludd to level 7 and yet another 6 HPs.  A bit more reputation was gathered when taking on the doomsayer - the invisible blocking familiar doing its work there again.  Getting a lift back to Nashkel with Brage took his reputation to 20 and he bought the Robe of the Good Archmagi.  Back at the lighthouse area Ludd skull-trapped the first group of sirenes, but nearly came a cropper at the second.  I thought he was out of sight range of the sirenes, when one of them suddenly started casting at him - his save against the charm was a bit too close for comfort!  After finishing them off Ludd used magic darts on the golems and looted the treasure - providing him with just enough money to buy the Claw of Kazgoroth.

Ludd sneaked through the Nashkel mine (the familiar triggering the traps) and used his wands on Mulahey.  The amazons all died to a pair of skull traps (level 8 - +5 HPs).

Tranzig caused Ludd's first damage.  First he cast skull trap against Tranzig and, once again, I mistakenly thought he was out of line of sight.  Even so, when Tranzig first cast ghost armour and then started casting an acid arrow I assumed Ludd would be able to prevent it with a magic blocking potion, but it seemed to take a long while to be consumed and the acid arrow struck first.

At the bandit camp 3 stinking clouds prepared the way for 3 skull traps and a couple of magic missiles.  Hakt got one shot off in response, but missed.

Moving invisibly on to the Cloakwood mine a couple of webs and a stinking cloud occupied the casters for long enough to be fried.  Drasus broke free though and was able to get one strike in before he was finished off.  More invisible movement down to Daveorn saw a couple of battle horrors webbed and killed by 3 skull traps.  The mage himself managed to tag Ludd with his trademark lightning bolt cast through 2 walls, but Ludd then used a magic blocking potion to close in and magic missile the mage to death.

The green amulet allowed him to get the wisdom tome from Durlag's Tower and he also used the red potion to learn the spells from Ulgoth's Beard - particularly improved invisibility - before heading to Baldur's Gate.

[Grond0]

Ludd - elf wild mage (4th and final update)

Ludd picked up the tomes in the city - Ramazith and Jalantha were webbed and couldn't escape; Marek was blinded before talking to him.  Ludd also bought scrolls he hadn't learned yet along with a couple of potions of genius to learn them.  He got to level 9 against Jalantha and picked up 6 more HPs!

Back to Candlekeep.  Robbed the tombs without taking any damage using MGoI and MI before leaving invisibly.

Returning to the City Ludd brought out some monsters to help with Slythe.  At the palace some hasted, summoned monsters were supported with wand of paralysation and darts of stunning, while Belt was aided with an opening improved invisibility.  Liia died, but Belt was still going when the last doppleganger was frozen in place.

After going invisibly through the maze Ludd encouraged Sarevok out on his own with a magic missile.  He did briefly catch Sarevok in a malisoned web for a while, but most of the damage was done with spells while Sarevok was occupied with summoned monsters.  There were 2 surges in that lot, but neither was serious.  Ludd ran out of magic missiles and acid arrows with Sarevok still just going and resorted to a magic missile scroll to finish him off.

Here's his record on arrival in Irenicus's dungeon.

Edited by Grond0, 12 January 2014 - 11:01 AM.

[Serg BlackStrider]

Well done, Grond0! Keep rocking in Amn.

[Charlestonian Knight Templar]

My new PC is Reginald Front-de-Boeuf of Candlekeep. He is very much Lawful and just as Evil. Gorion, his step-father and a powerful mage and minor nobleman from Candlekeep, raised Front-de-Boeuf to respect honor, chivalry, strong, well organized government… and goodness. On the former traits, Gorion was successful but Front-de-Boeuf has become cruel of heart and evil to the core. Best he can tell, his secret remains with him alone, as Gorion has never once expressed concern. Front-de-Boeuf has always feared that Gorion, the Priest of Oghma or one of the many sage-like visitors who regularly pass through Candlekeep would detect his bent toward evil.

He was not always so. Front-de-Boeuf studied under the monks of Candlekeep, spending hours grinding through the tomes of Candlekeep and developing into the person Gorion hoped he might. But one day, while studying, he came upon a tome about the Reckoning of Hell. Something in his heart changed as he read about the Nine Hells of Baator. He was thrilled and excited by the strict and brutal hierarchy in which devils exist and battle to work their way up the ladder of power. He became enamored with the Arch-Devil Geryon and admired Geryon’s loyalty to Asmodeus during the Reckoning. He sympathized with Geryon when he learned that, despite his fierce loyalty, Asmodeus gave rulership of the 5th Layer of Hell, Stygia, to another Arch-Devil, Levistus, while deposing and humiliating Geryon.

His tutors, the monks, tried to focus Front-de-Boeuf on prophesy and The Time of troubles in Faerun but his mind always wandered far and deep from Faerun to the struggle for supremacy in the Nine Hells. He had little use for prophesies pertinent to the Prime Material Plane even though he sensed somehow that they somehow seemed hauntingly familiar. Instead he wondered about the politics of Hell. He imagined himself leading an army of devils in a battle to restore Geryon to rulership in Stygia and favoritism in the eyes of Asmodeus.

One day, as he imagined himself Geryon’s ally on the Prime Material Plane…he suddenly felt a surge of diabolic power conferred upon him by Geryon, whose consciousness still exists in the Outer Darkness beyond the planes as a vestige. From that time forward, Front-de-Boeuf has waited for his opportunity to lease his skills as a Black Guard. Though no one suspected it, the tunics he asked a seamstress at Candlekeep stitch for him, yellow with Black Bulls heads on them, and the shield he had painted for himself with the same design, were secretly a symbol of his gratitude to Geryon. Geryon is still worshipped by many Minotaur’s whom he could once summon with a great Rams Horn (though many have flocked to the Demon Lord Baphomet in Geryon’s absence). Front-de-Boeuf thought the tunics and shield an appropriate, if disguised, symbol of his loyalty to the deity of his choice.

This PC is based upon Front-de-Boeuf, from the novel, Ivanhoe. Despite his secret, Front-de-Boeuf ‘played the game’, keeping anyone in Candlekeep from doubting that he was a Lawful Good and chivalrous knight. In reality, Front-de-Boeuf is a beast, or more precisely a bull, literally and figuratively. His huge size alone is enough to strike fear in others. His visage, too, is unrelenting when he so chooses. He has been biding his time, waiting for his opportunity. He hates Hull and Fuller for talking down to him and would seize the opportunity to kill them before he leaves Candlekeep, especially if he could get their armor but he is wise enough to know the opportunity is not likely to present itself.
Front-de-Boeuf, is a lawful evil villain & will methodically take what he wants within the limits of his code of conduct without regard for whom it hurts. He cares about loyalty and order but not about freedom, dignity, or life. He plays by the rules & might be willing to offer mercy in some instances but might just as quickly destroy a foe if it suits his ends. He is comfortable in a hierarchy and would like to rule, but is willing to serve. He does not trust anyone or anything chaotic evil and came to loathe demon kind when reading about the blood-war between Devils and Demons. He condemns others not according to their actions but according to race, religion, homeland, or social rank. He is loath to break laws or promises. But…along with the diabolical Black Guard power granted him by Geryon, Front-de-Boeuf has also been imbued with Geryon’s most defining personality trait, an irrational and self-destructive loyalty in the face of betrayal. His journey begins today.

Edited by Charlestonian Knight Templar, 12 January 2014 - 06:01 PM.

[Grond0]

Nice backstory CKT - I'm looking forward to more instalments, so keep him alive!

[Gate70]

Good luck CKT & a nice write-up.

When we last saw Carthusian he was nursing a lowish 27hp at level 4, which increased to 33 at 5 (average rolls would have given 36 by this stage). By this time I was thinking he'd be unlikely to reach 50hp by level 8 so a critical by Tazok or Sarevok would be somewhat deBhaalitating even before SoA or ToB introduce big hitters and nasties like PW:Stun.

Much relief then as he rolls 2 10's to reach 53hp at level 7 and open up the city of Baldur's Gate.

[Charlestonian Knight Templar]

Key Event: Knockin’ off that smart-ass Fuller & the Watcher & getting their Plate Mail. Taking out the second Watcher gives me a second set of Plate Mail just in case. I can’t imagine having survived till now if I had been wearing anything less than Plate Mail. Darn the luck! I was attacked by two assassins @ Candlekeep & killed them both. How then could they not just as easily tie the deaths of Fuller & that Watcher to the same assassin’s? I left wearing the cheap Studded Leather I bought from Puffguts so that no one would wonder how I could afford Plate. My reputation has taken a serious hit. I sent Imoen to the Friendly Arm (FAI) after she caught up to me & told me that after Gorion & I left some were suspecting me of killing them. I couldn’t go to the FAI because I don’t need her pestering me to let her come along. I chose Beregost.
 
In route to Beregost I battled hordes of Gibberling’s and some Kobolds & increased in power as I felt a surge of new power fill me and gained use of the Aura of Despair. I met a Bard on the road who wanted to join w/me & to work some scheme against a noble family, Silvershield by name, involving his girlfriend. He agreed to accompany me on anything I was up to just as long as we eventually went & rescued his girlfriend from the Silverstein family. I’ll keep him in mind.
 
In Beregost, I tried to get a night’s rest @ the Red Sheaf, where I was attacked by a dwarf w/an axe. I released my Aura of Despair & then cast Doom @ him. I cracked him good w/my Flail once & he quaffed a Potion of Extra Healing. I ducked out of the door a time or two to try & get the shrimp to follow me but finally gave up on that & decided to go toe to toe w/him. I used Poison Weapon w/my flail and just beat him senseless. He never landed an axe. From there I met another Dwarf, Kagain, one of those Berserkers. After talking w/him I decided I can use him. He owns a business that provides security for caravans. He needed some help tracking one of them down that had gone missing. We headed north back toward Coast Way & he thought we’d find it east of the road. Sure enough, we found it & four bandits & killed them, including their mouthy ‘Bandit Leader’. 
 
From there, I went south toward Nashkel. We encountered & killed two Ogrillons before we were approached by three Flaming Fist Mercenaries. They accused us of banditry but we talked our way out of it. I need to lay low for a while & not do anything else to injure my public reputation. Kagain & I defeated a band of Hobgoblins & four bandits but luck was against us & we took some hard hits. I have revenge to seek against a mouthy amazon wench that accosted me w/two long-swords. I’d have gotten that revenge already had it not been for some pesky bandits that attacked us after we came back for her. I lost that little wimp Kagain in another battle w/Hobgoblins on the North Nashkel Road.  I was taking care of about 8, 10 of the things & left him to deal w/two. He was enraged but after we’d won he suddenly died. I’m was just getting used to the ’little man’ & might have him raised if I can find a temple. I think the temple in Nashkel is to Helm so thought I might be able to raise him there but the Amnish Guard accosted me as soon as I tried to enter the town so I can’t go there. Not sure it’s worth it b/c now I had to drop his Splint Mail, so in addition to having him raised I’d have to outfit him again too.  Still, I feel this annoying loyalty to the little runt for serving me.  Darn, this softness of heart!


 
Treasure of Note: Some gems, scrolls I can sell & some potions but I can’t yet identify them for sure. 

Current Disposition: Making camp east of Nashkel. I hear the sounds of fun and frolicking nearby. 

Next Steps: I’m gonna head toward the sounds I hear nearby. Find out what’s there

Level Up: 2nd Level after killing a horde of Gibberling’s in Coast Way & gained Aura of Despair. I gained 3rd Level later & was granted a 2nd Doom spell The Dwarf Berserker was 2nd level when he joined me & gained 3rd after we killed the bandits by that caravan he was looking for. 

Current Party: (Reputation: 4 - Despised)
Gerald Front-de-Boeuf: Ftr (Blk Gd)/3 Plate Mail w/LShield**, Flail**. BSwd*
Kagain: Ftr (Bkr)/3 SpMail, BAxe***, ThAxe*** (2WS**)

Mods Used: HardTimes-v2; BG1UB_v12; bg1npc-v20; X0black101 (Blackguard); level1npcs-v1.9; bg2_tweaks-v14; Randomizer-v68; scs-v21 (- Tactical Challenges)
 
Reloads: 0

Edited by Charlestonian Knight Templar, 12 January 2014 - 07:35 PM.

[corey_russell]

 Russell V the Inquisitor entering Trilogy No-Reload Challenge...
Traveling with: Hanna (Undead Hunter), Misty (Cavalier), Joshua (Undead Hunter), Forrest (Paladin), Paja (Cleric/Thief)

I've tried all paladin groups 4 times now in no-reload, all with varying degrees of success. While an all paladin group is strong, it would be stronger with support. So instead I have 5 paladins and a cleric/thief. Only paladins can join, EXCEPT a thief or cleric can join if Paja gets chunked. In BG 2, that would mean only Viconia or Yoshimo could join - more options in BG 1.

The group is exactly the same as Rusell IV's group, except Paja has been re-rolled as a gnomish cleric/thief. The group is level 4, defeated the early assassins, solved Nashkel Mines problem, and trying to get equipped/experience before hitting the Bandit Camp. No deaths yet.

Russell V (protagonist)


The rest of the party:

[Charlestonian Knight Templar]

Problem is, I can’t freakin’ make up my mind what I want to do. I visited the area east of Nashkel to see what the commotion was. It was a carnival & I didn’t find much of interest there. Some thief pickpocketed 100gps from me to really jerk my string. I sold the stuff I was luggin’ w/me & then decided to try & slip into Nashkel unnoticed. 
 
I was seen once, backed off, & then came back & found the temple easily. Sure enough, I raised Kagain. He better keep his scrawny butt alive though, cause I’m not spending good gold on him again.
 
On the way to the temple, the mayor, who doesn’t seem to share the Amnish soldiers dislike for me, approached me & asked me if I would investigate the problems in the Nashkel Mines? I agreed but I’m not ready for that yet I don’t think. I wish I could get a plan instead of wandering aimlessly. We did meet a mage, Edwin & I invited him to join us too. He wants to kill another ‘witch’ & that’s fine if it brings me wealth & more power. I’m just not getting involved w/mages of any sort – if we find her, he can kill her. I can’t stand mages!  When I was @ that carnival, I went into a tent & found one mage getting’ ready to kill another. I got out of there, & then after I raised ‘runt’ & added that big-mouthed Edwin, we went back & saved the good witch. You’d think I’d get some accolades for that but my reputation is still in the chamber pot.   

NOT EVEN SURE EDWIN DID ANYTHING TO HELP AGAINST THIS MAGE! PLUS, NOW THAT HE'S DEAD, I CAN THINK WITHOUT HIS INCESSANT MOUTH RUNNING!
 
I still couldn’t get my bearings. I took Edwin to Beregost & some 'local yocal' told us of a Mage who lived in a manor house west of town. I wanted Edwin to learn to Identify magic & enchanted items. Then he tells me his school doesn't permit him to memorize the identify spell.  That was one of the main things I wanted him to do for me. Later, I decided to go back & get that Bard in the Coast Way, if I could find him & see about the ruse w/his fiancé. On the way to find him, Edwin said something along the lines that he’d 'commanded me' to go find the Rasheme witch. I asked him if I cut his throat if his blood be the same color as his robe. Next thing I know he casts a Fireball out of nowhere! Where the heck did he get that? I thought about killing the bastard then but decided to bide my time. I found the Bard & headed back to Beregost where another Bard asked us if we were interested in hiring out to his mistress. We were but she was trying to murder some weaklings & I figured she probably be worth more to me dead than they would so I had the group turn on her instead. I used my Aura of Despair, cast Doom and used Poison Weapon after quaffing a Potion of Invulnerability. Kagain went in a Berserk state & started swingin' axes everywhere, Edwin cast Melf’s Acid Arrow & the Bard,Eldoth, played his little Bard’s Song. The mage, Silke, blasted Edwin to kingdom come & took out Eldoth too. I’m definitely not spending gold on that smart-assed mage & after allowing the wishy-washy Bard, Garrick, to join (and finding out he already knew the Identify spell) heck, I have no need of that worm Eldoth either. I bought me an Elixir of Health instead & had Garrick Identify all the potions I was carrying. Win-win-win for me! Got my potions identified and killed Edwin w/o having to life a finger. Somehow he forgot I was the top dog in this heirarchy!

Oh, I gave some gold to that Temple of the Morning just to try & earn some good will in Beregost.  Even Garrick asked, "why did we just do that?"  Oh well, when in Beregost...
 
Key Event: Watching that blowhard Edwin getting blasted to the nine hells!!! Maybe one day I'll have the pleasure of being his personal tormentor in Stygia. 
 
Treasure of Note: Potions of Invulnerability, Heroism, Extra Healing & Defense (Me); Potion of Speed (Kagain)

Current Disposition: Still in friggin’ Beregost 

Next Steps: I was gonna go find Edwin’s witch but he’s assumed room temperature so I’ll either start some aimless adventuring checking out what’s left in the Coast Way & Lion’s Way & on the South Beregost Road North Nashkel Road…or I could go into those mines. 

Level Up:
Current Party: (Reputation: 5 - Disliked)
Gerald Front-de-Boeuf: Ftr (Blk Gd)/3 Plate Mail w/LShield**, Flail**. BSwd*
Kagain: Ftr (Bkr)/3 Plate Mail, BAxe***, (ThAxe)*** (2WS**)
Garrick: Bard/4 w/ShSwd* & Lt C/Bow*
Edwin: Mage (Cjr)/3, QStaff* (In hell)
Eldoth: Bard/4 Studded Leather, ShSwd*, Dgr*, Sh Bow* (Dead as doornail, likely in Hell)

Mods Used: HardTimes-v2; BG1UB_v12; bg1npc-v20; X0black101 (Blackguard); level1npcs-v1.9; bg2_tweaks-v14; Randomizer-v68; scs-v21 (- Tactical Challenges)
 
Reloads: 0

Edited by Charlestonian Knight Templar, 13 January 2014 - 07:05 PM.

[Serg BlackStrider]

Best of luck both CKT (nice write-ups indeed!) and Corey!

[corey_russell]

Thanks Serg! Hopefully I won't need luck, but we know how that goes...