Its a long hard road to the top.
I guess there aren't many people who have played BG2 for five years
without
ever reaching the end of TOB, and there is shortly going to be one fewer.
It would have saved years if my first character, a Paladin, had been able
to
turn a blind eye to the suffering and evil of the Underdark... but he
couldn't. There were no survivors.
It would have saved further years if I hadn't decided that Ascension
sounded
like a great way to end the saga. However, I'm going to make it. I've
failed the last battle something like 30 times, including wading right
back
through the demonspawn a second time to bring along better set of buffs.
But I'm going to make it. And to encourage any other seekers after
ultimate
power and to commemorate the result, I thought I'd keep a record of the
final assault. Or, much more likely, assaults.
"So I memorized 2x Wish, 4x Project Image, 2x Time Stop, 1x Planetar, 2x
Mordy."
-- Westley Weimer, soloing on impossible just to make us all feel better.
"I had Edwin wearing Vecna [to] Time Stop before Sendai ... I have Imoen
cast a Spellstrike at Abazigal ... Edwin casts Improved Alacrity"
-- Trent on mincing around on Hard.
All these preparations makes me feel a touch better, but only a touch
because I'm not even playing this battle on Core. I _like_ Normal and on
the evidence to date I have definitely found my level.
Guess I'd better get my excuses in early:
Even a L40 Blade needs scrolls for all his L9 spells.
As I face the five, Sarevok, Viconia and Valen are "just" high L20s.
I seem to be missing some juicy kit that figures in most accounts.
I suspect Tactics/Smarter Mages makes quite a difference.
Of course, with luck the rest of the account will be one gigantic spoiler.
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Long, sad, painful experience has taught me that:
Timestop traps are quite double-edged given that two (usually) enemies
are immune.
Summons and simalcra really don't last long.
Nor do buffs.
Invisibility doesn't seem to accomplish much, even with Immunity to
Divination.
Reincarnation Rods rule -- or at least postpone the inevitable longer
most things.
Ruby Ray and Breach wands also see a lot of action.
Ruby Ray + Breach + Whirlwind works, sometimes. Eventually.
If you don't keep her busy Sendai soon gets off a timestop, with
unpredictable but painful results.
Though I've never got Mel close to wounded, she can at least be hit.
Its tough to find things for Viconia to do until she starts full-time
Resurrecting. Her sling is a waste stone.
Still, I'm going to make it. Hours of research in the agb-g annals of
have
thrown up many new suggestions and tricks. For example, researches
suggest
that I can take down Yaga-Shura with magic -- and presumably Balthazar
when
his "switch resistance" makes him immune to physical attack. Valen can
level drain Yaga-Shura. Some spells, including Holy Smite (?) seem to
ignore magic resistance; maybe I can disrupt Sendai, if I can target her?
Perhaps Vic can't, but wands should be able to target her after a True
Sight, Detect Illusions or area effect spell has put her semi-visible?
Those of you to whom these discoveries appear quaint will now perhaps
understand the length of my struggle.
Those of you to whom these are still arcana have a fascinating journey of
discovery ahead, stop reading now 8-)
I have a scroll of chain contingency that might be of some use, among
hundreds of items of mixed junk. And a control circlet. Just need to
work
out how to put it all together...
High elemental resistances via potions etc are no problem, but they tend
to
get dispelled. Magic resistances vary, but are generally below 50%, and
physical resistances generally too low to matter. However, research also
suggests I can stack immunities eg both abjuration and divination. I'm
sure
I concluded you could only have one at a time... but probably I had tried
SI Abjuration first, hence blocking my second SI! Casting SI Divination
first works beautifully... SI Div may not be accompli****ng much as so
many
seen impervious to invisibility, but it might keep an Image alive, or an
Imp
Invis untargetable.
So, lots of ideas. Could go back to an old pocket-plane save and chew my
way through piles of demons for a third time, but first lets see how I do
without. Unfortunately I have Timestop Traps from both Valen and Kaskar
scattered around, as well as spike traps that don't seem to achieve
anything. Could certainly do better another time... should maybe
remove...
but for now lets just see how it goes. Buff up with some nice antidispel
boots on Sarevok and dual immunities for Valen and Kaskar, elemental
resistances around 100 and suitably Godlike stats. Call in a few
elementals, couple of simalcra.
And here we go.
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Unfriendly chat, guys haven't we sorted this out once before? Focus in
time
to catch the Timestop traps.
Valen slurps Yaga-Shura during one of her TSTs. Message claims I
control-circleted him just before he went, bit of a waste if true. Focus
definitely helps with those timetrap blues, and even makes Sendai's (no
message but assume its hers, otherwise she slipped in an immunity somehow)
a
pleasure rather than a pain though its hard to understand who hit what
with
what on who when, or which protections remain once its over. Wilting
doesn't seem to accomplish anything, but Y-S and Illasera go down at the
end
of the TS and Melisan pops up.
Think Sarevok must have largely chunked Illasera before TS started, wasn't
watching but he does that kind of thing.
Couple of elementals still around and all resistances apparently still
up...
this is looking good. Pity the simalcra have died/gone/something, they've
taken the bardsong with them. However I'm not sure they were doing
anything
much other apart from Valen's soaking a little damage. Could be that
buffing and chatting took so long they popped in the first couple of
rounds.
Don't seem to have hit Sendai yet, but she's semivisible and should be
breached. Doubt Melisan is worth targeting yet, Balth/ Abz still hale and
hearty but for the first time ever there seem to be more of us than of
them.
Looking good, but what now? Balthazar has switched resistances, makes me
wish Valen were carrying some more decisive scrolls. Lets see if Kaskar
can
Imprison.
Hah! Balthazar goes to a well earned rest, hopefully permanent, but as he
called for help I wonder if anyone will try a freedom? Better keep
whacking
Sendai. Unfortunately she has managed a scroll, probably Stoneskin -- no
message but Valen seems to be bouncing off her now. I don't think V can
do
any elemental damage. Wonder if Skullcrusher would get through? Or
Bloodbane from Kaskar? Seems not. Energy blades from Vic might do the
trick if I had any. Of course if Valen is really getting in the 7 attacks
she deserves and really is just a stoneskin then it won't matter for long.
Abazigal is running away, makes a most pleasant change. Sarevok seems to
have all his buffs still up and only modest damage, a couple of elementals
are still hanging in with Melisan. I'd only give them another round or
so,
but as Vic is idly skipping stones lets get them in a couple of Fallen
Devas
for company. Definitely starting to like this.
Not so good. Kaskar KO'd by something (Melisan? Sendai's scroll?),
better
wake up before Mel chunks him. Guess something like Heal or Restore
should
do the trick, both necromancy so Imm Ab won't get in the way.
Mel is casting something, guess Timestop, could be Death Spell against the
summons. Or Freedom. Wonder if anyone can hit her before it goes off?
Sarevok and Balth now trading blows on roughly equal terms, not obvious
who
goes down first. Wonder if Sarevok has a Hardiness up? Otherwise I need
to
get a cure to Vocky in the next couple of rounds. Looks as if that second
Deva was a mistake, but maybe the first could try a mass heal.
Was a timestop, ouch. Thats us clean out of elementals, with the first
Deva
next on the menu. Still, Vocky stuck 54 points on Abz just before
freezing
and Kaskar wakes up. Still hanging in there, but not sure how to hurt
anyone right now. Drat, Balthazar is back and swinging after only 2
rounds.
So much for "Till the end of time", might as well have been a Maze.
Maybe Balth is vulnerable to unleash now he is resisting physical damage?
Got to get rid of him somehow... Well, "vulnerable" might be putting it a
bit high, 3 points of damage is one very small step for Bhaalkind. Can't
find a Maze scroll but theres another Imprison, lets try it next round.
Mel disrupts the casting of Deva number two. Anyway Vic had better heal
Sarevok. With Hardiness, 3/sec regeneration and a solid set of magic
resistances you wouldn't think he'd be taking so much pain, but I guess
Abazigal is keeping busy.
Hah! Seems Sendai isn't immune to level drain either, and the "Stoneskin"
wasn't blocking it. Chalk up two to Fangy, and now its Mel's turn to take
a
nap. Somehow I doubt Imprison is going to hold a Godling, what else might
be worthwhile? Abz goes Stoneskin, not ideal against Unholy Reaver, but
Sarevok is badly hurt and that heal is taking its time arriving.
Would sounds like a great Timestop time if Balth hadn't just thrown a
Lunar
Stance. I wonder, did Unleash splutter because his magic resistance is
back
where it belongs, or are his resistances still switched but the physical
ones caught it somehow? Lets see if V can get any worthwhile physical
hits
and prod him into reversing again. With Sendai out of the way any
Freedoms
would be down to Mel... for what thats worth, as it was probably her that
freed him last time.
Looking ahead, at some stage Mel will deserve a couple of Ruby Rays or
Spellstrikes. She has Spell Trap and some other stuff up and I doubt mere
L5 spells will land so no Lower Resist, but maybe Pierce ****eld would
work?
Or just hit her lots when I've dealt with A&B. However, she's out of my
hair right now though, so not obvious this is a good time to start. Abz
can't have that much left, though he just says injured I think another
couple of Whirlwinds will do it unless he can get off a MW immunity.
Hmmm,
maybe tag him with a pro-active breach just in case he already has one on
the way?
Yes, Valen thwocks Balthazar, looks as if after his kip he ****ged the
resistance back into place just in time to block the Unleash. Very smart,
I'd hate to think of a Grandmaster relying on luck.
Speaking of kips, someone Timestops and I'm guessing its Mel even though
she
has only just stood up as its just the two of us still strolling around.
I
did kind of hope Sendai had put her down for a whole round.
This is bad news for both Sarevok and Valen, they could both die before I
can get a heal to them even though two are already on the way. I can
probably distract Mel from Vocky, but not Balthazar as well...
But the odd thing is that Focus isn't up. Looks as if this may be an
own-goal Timestop from Kaskar? What an embarrassing way to lose
friends...
but nothing shows in the log. Or maybe Mel wandered south enough to
trigger
a lurking TST of mine? Seems to be lasting a bit long though, Spellstrike
to Abz, Resurrect to Valen. As this seems to take effect during the TS
(why?) its a pity it wasn't aimed at Vocky... but then again Mel decides
to
munch Vic, promoting her to top priority. Mel vs Vic is about as fair
as...
well, Valen vs those poor cultists.
Surprise, Vic still just about standing when the TS ends, I doubt the mass
heal will make it but the Resurrect is coming and should keep her down
time
to a minimum. Sarevok now on 278/208 HP, maybe the TS meant both
resurrect
and heal took effect? Abz tries to run again, though I don't think the
Spellstrike has hit yet and I haven't even started the breach. Get on
with
it S, what more do you want?
Vic falls and rises so fast it take me a while to realise I'm now gazing
at
her lovely grey face without those 20 ****ny buffs. Welcome back, pick up
your gear, get on with the job. Heal arrives, but everyone except Valen
is
at full health for the first time since the battle began, and Valen seems
to
be out of range. Balthazar flips again, she may as well go finish Balth
and
leave Kaskar try a maze. Or something. Sarevok back to high 190s with no
obvious hits or messages so I guess the 278 sorted itself out. Pity.
For Vic... well, running sounds good, there is not a lot of point
standing,
fighting or casting. Somehow doubt Sanctuary will cut much ice but may
give
it a shot mid-run if desperate enough.
Mel decides to chunk Deva instead, and Holy Might looks good now Vic is
back
to her un-buffed weedy self. Then maybe... don't know, wish I had some
energy blades. Balth flips yet again, no idea which way round he is now.
Great to see the ultimate force of law under such a chaotic effect. I'd
love to be able to tell him, he might stop hitting me and meditate on it.
Valen seems to be dancing round him rather than attacking, lets find out
if
she can land.
<Pouf> Abazigal takes one too many thwock from Vocky so Mel briefly stops
chunking Deva. Four down two to go, kills tied 2:2 between Valen and
Vocky
with a couple of assists from Kaskar, everything to play for.
Vic will be little more than a jobbing ressurectess (rubbish armour,
rubbish
hits, no buffs, offensive spells gone) but everyone else is still fine and
chirpy. Holy Might gives Godly Strength and Dex, but as she's never going
to hit anything and nothing will ever miss her that wasn't really the
point,
her Constitution _still_ doesn't give her decent HP. Mel would easily
take
her in a round now. Maybe a stoneskin, but I doubt it would work so
probably just keep running.
Time to find out what Balth is made of. Maze will just delay things and
I'm
well buffed, so lets try another Imprison, this time lets see if we can
distract Mel enough to keep him down. But first I feel Focus would be
wise,
its been a while since Mel stopped time and with one now they'd make hay.
OK, change of tack, Balth's resistances are turning Whirlwinds into
acupuncture, its going to take forever. Lets have a Mordy and another
elemental to soak up some pain, get the Deva to start another healing, try
a
Harm from Vic and Imprison from Kask. _Something_ must stick... though
Mel
is casting again, which has to be bad news. Wonder who draws Mel-bait
duty
this time; guess Vic because she has least to lose? Still lets get that
Harm off first.
Nope, its back to old tack as the earth elemental lands a solid hit on
Balth
and I somehow know those spells are going to be a big waste of time...
unless of course he flips again before they land. GWW time Vocky...
Vocky?
Concentrate Vocky, theres a job to be done, Balth is thataway.
Solar stance stuns everyone this time, but what's new is that it also
grazes
Mel, first hits she's taken this battle, hopefully first of many. Should
delay her spell, maybe hints Holy smite might get through the mantle,
immunity, trap, ****eld etc.
Valen takes a quick blood-break with shot at level-draining Mel, but
business before pleasure -- back to work on Bal, who takes a potion.
Seems
everyones thirsty, but wonder what it was? Can't see any changes. Still
hurt, still deadly, flips AGAIN. I'll just have to try magic + physical
at
the same time, I have absolutely no idea which will land if any.
Good, if puzzling news -- Mel criticals Valen but only does 15 damage.
Don't really understand why, she has no physical resistances. Maybe
helmet
blocks the effect but not the message. Call it a gentle hint on
Hardiness.
But I'm forgetting something. Balth may be shrugging off 90% of the
physical damage, but those hits _are_ getting through. So if I were to
hit
him with a whirlwind and a half of Dex drains, he should go down...
Surely
I've got the Sword of Chaos somewhere? A most appropriate way to take out
a
monk.
Mel puts up another Divine Mantle. Maybe Valen tickled her... and things
get very confusing as Balth disappears.
No pic, no message, no stance, tele****t or death, he's just not there.
Things aren't helped by the fight being now half behind the column, I can
tell M is there because she's fat as well as ugly and evil, but I can't
spot
B. Maybe hiding behind her? Out of character. Imprisoned? Ditto, and
no
message or bars. Maybe just watch where Sarevok and Valen go, though its
not as if they are good at keeping their minds on the job...
Good Lord, who would have thought it. Make that 2:2:1, with the 1 to
Viconia -- critical hit with Harm and he just disappeared. I'd forgotten
all about it, he's probably flipped twice since she started to cast.
Go girl, that maybe that Godlike strength paid off after all. OK, so I
lose
all my summons to Mel's Death spell but can't complain about the exchange,
only one to go!
Long odds are against a 3-way tie, but its possible that big K bags this
one
to put them all on the scoresheet. If not I'm guessing Vocky, even though
he has looked out of form since Illasera, and distinctly lazy against Abz.
No, Balthazar, you're dead. Second wind doesn't count.
Kaskar Bis, please loosen your grip on that Staff for a second while Vic
gets you restored.
Mel nearly mortal? Like the sound of this. Running away I like even
more,
though I better not let her get too far... there may be some of my TS
traps
untriggered, which would be bad news as I like the odds just the way they
are.
Oh dear. Mel runs, Mel DDs, and party spreads out to find her. Kaskar
draws the fat straw and walks straight into a TS. Without Focus this is
going to hurt, it would be a real shame to lose it now...
Agonising wait...
Could have been so much worse, hurt badly and she gets her spell trap and
****eld back up, but a polymorph bounces of my buffs and I can't even see
what the other piles of stuff were meant to do. Ruby Ray time, yet again.
And a few Pierce Magics for luck because theres a spell ****eld as well as
trap. And get healed. Then a breach, then lets see if we can hit... and
if not then I guess repeat though I'm running very low on those wands.
You know, Bone Blades really don't sound like the right way to tackle
Valen.
Thinking of which, lets see if Mel fancies hitting Vic through some proper
****ny ones... Hah! Copycat Mel puts up her own blades, and Valen *still*
can't stick her with a Dex drain, better work out what I missed in Mel's
spell defences. I'm down to my last Spell Strike so better get it right
this time.
Come on Vocky, lets see if you can do anything useful with Unholy Reaver.
And give that RR wand to someone else, it just makes you look silly.
RR, Pierce Magic x 2, Breach, and Sarevok starts collecting neat little
10-point Melisan sa****mi. This will take some time. Valen may well get
there first with Dex drain, if I can get her to stop gazing into that
pool.
I don't know what she sees in it, can't be anything good. Interestingly,
looks as if I could activate the pool again... though now is perhaps not
the best time to gate in a load of demons. Perhaps Valen was trying to
warn
me.
Weapon Ineffective. Well, I guess a +2 sword bouncing off a Godling is
fair
enough, assume the Dex drain bounces as well. Lets try Star Dagger, only
seems to be worth 5-point wafers, but at least I'm slicing alongside S.
Actually, when I get GWW up The Answerer would be a better choice, if I
can
flatten Mel's MR she must be toast.
She doesn't hang around does she? Knock her down to injured and she pops
up
another Mantle+Immunity. There goes my last wand Breach, wonder if I've
packed any scrolls.
At long last Vic gets in that Holy Smite, but it bounces. Puts Vic back
onto persuading Mel to play with the pretty knives I guess? Kaskar-Bis
stops strumming and puts an Improved Haste onto Valen -- poor choice as
its
Vocky who is out of whirlwinds, but Kaskar dredges up and discards another
breach wand and we're back in business.
Vic seems trying to swing a hammer at where Mel used to be, there must be
something more productive to do. Bottom of the barrel I know, but maybe a
Doom? If those MR drains are getting through she should be quite low now
could be worth hitting her saves... if by some remote chance she can be
hit
by first level spells.
Mel whirlwinds. This is new, could she be running low on Timestops,
Mantles, Spell Traps and those knockout things? Someone better get ready
to
run... Valen's elected, hides behind Viconia... and Mel wades straight
through her Budgerigar Barrier. Innate immunity to yellow birds I guess.
Lets see which of the girls runs fastest.
.... which turns out to be an easy one as Vic (and everyone else bar
Valen)
is stunned again. Guess Mel isn't out of magic yet. Vic dies again, way
under a round, but Valen and Vocky wake up and get back to slicing and Mel
fails a spell! Another first, unless Balth's Solar Stance snuffed one
without a message.
Probably tried something slow this time, guess another Timestop... so no,
she isn't down to brute force just yet. Badly injured now though, as well
she might be after absorbing 4-5 whirlwinds in 3 rounds. Thinking of
which,
if The Answerer is correct she must be near zero resistance now. Time to
find out?
Hi again Vic. Yes, you look lovely, death becomes you and vice versa.
Not
sure why you were raised here, but all your kit is still there beside that
one-woman ravening horde, and you have a choice. Either stand here
looking
cute but chilly and casting the odd spell, or get over there and try to
pick
up all that useful stuff before you die a third time... Hell, stick
around,
you're good for my morale.
Damn, did Vocky's free action block that Improved Haste? What a waste...
But guess not, seems it was just slow arriving.
Lets try PW Blind. No save, might make her miss an attack someday, and
its
a good test of her MR. If it sticks then after a few more hits PW Kill
may
finish the job? Actually, as Kaskar Bis has a PWK scroll ready to go lets
try both at the same time. The big Vs take her down to near death this
round so the Kill may actually live up to its name...
Don't know about Blind, but Kill definitely fizzles. Just have to carry
on
doing this the old fa****oned way, Kaskar Bis gets back to singing and just
to look busy K tests out Mel's poison resistance, which is doing fine.
Alright, now she was near death at the start of the round and she's just
taken another 100 thanks to a beautifully timed Deathbringer Assault that
if
there were any justice would have ended it right there. Near Death is NOT
near enough. Well, if her MR is down, maybe Magic Missile...?
..
..
..
And its over. Another ****ge from Sarevok and Valen, another from Kaskar's
Magic Missile and down she goes. Maybe six hours play and scribbling,
after
at least six hours researches, after 30 failed attempts. Probably took
20-25 rounds this time, many of the buffs are still up though I've eaten
through a vast stack of items.
Scores end 2:2:1:1, but the biggie falls to Kaskar. How appropriate,
especially as he got everyone else to take 90% of the hits and do 95% of
the
damage -- though he gets to inspire the hymns and this latter detail may
not
figure.
Surveying the carnage, what can I say? Bhaal had a few good ideas,
Melissan
gave it her best shot... but Kaskar eclipses both.
And it all began with some scraps of tainted iron...
Robert
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