Monk: can't do stunning

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I'm new to the forum and to IWD2. Thanks to all who read and answer beginners' questions! I can't make my monk character use the stunning attack ability available from the special ability button. I click on the icon for the stun, but on the next attack nothing happens, and the number of attacks available per day doesn't decrease afterward. (Also, the button doesn't highlight, but I don't know if that means anything.) I'm playing from the Collector's Edition, which I think is patched. No doubt there is some "stunningly" obvious answer to this, but I humbly request instruction from the Masters.

 

Quick question: Are you using an unarmed attack?

 

Yes, there is nothing in either hand, and the only item being worn is the sash bought in Targos - can't remember the name of it right now.

[ December 05, 2006, 21:20: Message edited by: revmaf ]

 

Well, folks, just to try again I started a brand new party with a 1st level monk and stunned a goblin on the docks. Go figure why my 7th level monk never managed to do it once. As far as I know I didn't do anything different, although I didn't have that sash on - but much of the time I was trying to stun with the other character I didn't have the sash either. I'd click the special abilities button then click the button for stunning blow, and then the game instantly went back to the main screen with an attack (sword) icon available to target an enemy. I'd target the enemy and go. I had information scrolling by saying that the monk had landed blows, but until this second try I never stunned anything.

I suppose it is mathematically possible I had a very, very long string of bad rolls, or that my enemies had a very, very long string of good rolls. (Though that doesn't explain why the number of attacks left per day on the icon never went down - it did once my 1st level guy landed a stunning blow.)

I'll leave this topic open for a bit in case someone does have an idea why I couldn't get this to work for so long.

 

Well, if it indeed was the case of bad rolls, I think you could have seen things like "Goblin - Save vs. (can't remember what the correct saving throw was...)"
So, if there wasn't something like that, it's probably a bug.

 

or he just missed the target and wasted the stun attack

 

I'm pretty sure that in IWD2 Stunning Attack is like a spell that you have to "cast". After "casting" it, hit something barehanded for the stun effect.

 

yes you cast it - the graphic comes out on your character's portrait - then you must make an unarmed swing on something -> if the swing misses the "stun" is wasted. If The swing hits the target - you get target immune to stunning or the fortitude roll. If the target fails the save -> it's stunned.

 

I think I'm doing what you're saying to do, by selecting the appropriate icon out of special abilities. What puzzles me is that all the time I was not succeeding with the other character, the number ot attacks still available on the icon - you get one per level per day - was not going down. When I was at seventh level I'd click on the stunning blow icon, go back into combat (maybe I didn't mention I was paused while methodically doing all this) and after combat, when noone got stunned, I'd go back and look and there would still be seven attacks left.

I don't think I got any messages like what you're describing.

BTW, this unlucky fellow was not a multiple-class character - created a monk, always a monk, never had a weapon in either hand, never had armor though did, later on, have the sash from the Targos merchant.

But, as my poor little first level monk showed, it can be done. So maybe I had - ahem - stunningly bad luck, before.

 

the stun is not casted instantly.

If you select stun while on pause and then click on a target -> you will cancel stun casting and in fact order your character to attack instead. While on pause select click on abilities- stun -> unpause - wait for the monk to actualy cast stun -> the graphic should now appear on his portrait(can have the game to autopause on spell cast) - now order him to make his unarmed attack.

[ December 07, 2006, 21:15: Message edited by: el M ]

 

AHH! el M may have it! Will get back with latest try, when I'm back at the computer with the game - my internet access is at one place, the game at another.

But I bet this is it, because I'm a major pauser.

 

Yep, sounds like el M has it exactly.

I'd recommend you turn on all of the autopause features in feedback if you pause that much. I have everything selected execpt for "end of round" and "character attacked". It's especially useful for when your characters cast spells or spell-like abilities.

 

el M has solved my problem. Yes, sports fans, the old revmaf was innocently cancelling every attempt at stunning by targeting before the stun took effect. Duh. That's why they call us newbies.

And Acrux, thanks for the suggestion about turning on the autopause options. That may be the best thing for a slowpoke like me.

Many thanks, folks. Moral: ask someone who knows.

 

One last post: monk now successfully stuns, with el M's instructions. You get a little icon and a tiny spell sound when you select the stunning icon under special abilities. Once those have happened, then you can target your attack. Sometimes there's a miss, sometimes a hit.

Thanks for all who helped me out.