Finished Icewind Dale II

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I decided to play the game the following way:

- don't use level spuatting
- don't use a walkthrough
- try to finish it without reloading

The game was fully patched, I didn't use any cheats or mods.

I decided not to try to build the most powerful party possible.
Pure spellcasters are more fun than the multiclassed powerbuilds suggested in some party creation guides I read.

So my party consisted of

Aasimar Fighter4/Paladin x 18-10-17-3-12-20
Shield Dwarf Battleguard of Tempus 18-16-20-3-18-1
Human Bard 11-18-18-3-10-18
Human Druid 16-18-18-3-18-3
Human Sorcerer 9-18-18-3-12-18
Human Rogue3/Wizard x 11-18-18-18-10-3

I knew I would make many mistakes, but I decided I wouldn't care.
If the wrong character did the wrong talking for example I had to live with it.
My party didn't pickpocket at all and didn't try loot all chests because I was afraid nearby people could attack.


The sorceress was my party leader because I wanted her to level up as fast as possible.
At the end my Aasimar was level 16, the rest level 17.
Gaming time 65 days, 4hours
I never used a magic arrow,bullet or bolt exept the not really magical everlast arrow, although I carried many of them around.
Scrolls were only used for scribing.
The potion of holy transference was the only potion used besides about three healing potions.
No wands or rods were used, the only charges from magical items used were from the clenched fist to get a gp.

I didn't do level squatting.

I used a walkthrough in the lower Ice Temple (had to know how and if the battle squares were really worth fighting) and the first part of dragon's eye.
I didn't know that I had to click on the corner of the torture device, i searched and clicked on the middle for a long time since I couldn't see what exactly this unsharp device was.
The ghost didn't appear first because I found the corpse before talking to the mage, poisoning water seemed to be idiotic to me.
Hearing or reading that I had to wait or come back later was really a torture. Rest: nothing has changed. Leave area, rest, reenter area: again nothing has changed.
This increased my in game time quite a bit. I would have had to repeat this for a week and mix in a few travels to Kuldahar and still wouldn't have known if this was time or event dependent.

About reloading: It worked until the battle squares. I had to use "Powerword: Reload" 7 times.

1.reload: After a few battle square battles I searched Nickademus to rest. Since he was far away my rogue looted his bedroom.
When I found him Nickademus got hostile and killed - game over.

2.reload: When fighting a feyr in the battle squares he teleported into the closed room where my party was during the battle.
Nickademus was also there. Somehow he got hostile and killed - game over.

3.reload: When taking the mining tools from the duergars my party took some other things too.
The duergars and their slaves turned hostile and my party killed them.
Since I was afraid this could ruin the game I decided to reload.
Later I realized that was a big mistake. So I never got the hell bolter.

4.reload: The holy avenger battle. The 6 foes on kuldahar graveyard tore my party apart.
My badly prepared party didn't stand a chance. They ran away, but for some odd reason they couldn't leave the graveyard and got slaughtered.

5.reload: The time loop area. I didn't think stopping the spellcasting was time critical. - Game over

6.reload: The time loop area. After stopping the spell I decided to loot the chest on the isle before escaping. It was empty.
While leaving through the exit my sorceress died. When Nickademus summoned the party she left her gear behind.
Since I didn't know if the party could get it again I reloaded.

7.reload: After talking to the two immortal glabrezus in the throne room I misinterpreted the "Should we test their immortality ?" journal entry as advice.
I was pretty surprised when they continued attacking my party after rising again. I'd exspected a "see, you can't hurt me" banter and XP instead.
Since I didn't want to play the rest of the game with 2 demons (although they are pretty weak) hunting my party I reloaded.


The final:

After a frustating but successful "try portal,get hurt, heal, sleep, try next portal" time my party decided to rest before visiting Orrick.
This was the last rest.

After beating Xvim and his friends and finishing the Ilmater ritual my party got "healed" from their buffs like bull's strength and eagle's splendor and complained about being tired.

I decided to get some easy XP before sleeping. So the party destroyed the globe and the demons, freed the slaves and reported success to the priest and the drow.
The drow said that the delegates could arrive at any moment, so my party had to stop them fast although they were tired.

After some running around the meeting was interrupted and the party victorious.
After looting and some healing I wanted to send them down to sleep somewhere, but they were invited to meet the twins.

They were already low on spells and unprepared but at least they got help from the monks.
The battle didn't go very well, there were always new monsters appearing out of nowhere, the druid and the rogue died.
But all of a sudden the twins retreated. The paladin spotted the summoner and killed him in less than one round with his two-handed sword and soon the battle was won.

When I tried talking to the monks afterwards, they only shouted that it's time to fight for our lives, not for talking and other funny stuff.
So I knew that the party couldn't rest before the twins were defeated.

Luckily the priest had 2 "raise dead" spells memorized, so the dead were raised and the party was healed by casting two heal and many converted instant healing spells.
A few healing spells were spent on the monks, the druid cast her static charges and remaining summoning spells were used to summon helpers.
There were not many spells left, no emotion: hope or haste spells any more.

It was a big shock that both the monks and the summons were left behind when the party confronted the twins and their helpers.
They weren't able to defeat any of them, but all 6 survived and could run away when the twins died and the tower started collapsing.


I plan starting HoF with a new party consisting of 1 cleric, 1 druid, 1 rogue/transmuter and 1 sorcerer next. 2 deep gnomes and 2 drows.
This game will be really different.

[ January 08, 2006, 01:32: Message edited by: kmonster ]

 

Congratulations. Keep us posted on the HOF version too.

 

I like the style

Congratulations!

 

Wow. Congratulatlons.

I had the same problem with the torture rack. Holding ALT to see what is clickable doesn't work for it, unlike nearly every other object in the game.

I suspect you will need more than seven reloads in HoF...

 

Only 7 reloads? I don't think I could do it with less than about 70!

 

really stupid question, hijacking as well (sorry)

I just finished basic IWII

How do I begin HoF with those same guys?

 

You need to run the Configuration, tick the Heart of Fury mode, create a new party, in the character creation screen, import your old character, then just start the game.

Hope this help.

 

I think I did about half my reloads during the fight for the Holy Avenger, my god, that fight can get ridiculous, the Duergar could take out a party member with one critical hit, same with the storm giant cambion fella, seeing cirtical hits landing anywhere from 90-110 points of damage is just scary. I beat the mages into the ground with ease, the archer was moderately difficult, the monk was hard (specifically when he decided to was time to chase my drow enchantress and her 8 constitution), but the two warmongers where damned near impossible, just about immune to everything you could throw their way.

 

" the two warmongers where damned near impossible, just about immune to everything you could throw their way."

Which is why you should always read the Cera Sumat related amulet's description to learn each character's immunities and vulnerabilities. It's the one battle where the game actually provides a blueprint for defeating the enemy.


==========

Regarding starting a new HOF game with imported characters ...

Please note that you will lose all of the scroll, potion, and jewel bags and bags of holding, and their contents.

A trick that I've used is to restart my final save in Normal mode and pause the game, then readjust the various inventories to empty out the various bags, drop whatever I don't need, drop various "quest" items that will be eliminated as well. Also try to be careful to not overburden any character, since a character who is overloaded won't be able to move once you start HOF.

It's a useful tactic, since while you may hardly need all those extra weapons, you can sell them for gold.

[ January 31, 2006, 00:38: Message edited by: crucis ]

 

Oh I read about their weaknesses, it's just kind of hard to deal with certain characters when no one in the party deals crushing damage, I had a couple of crappy maces and such for dealing with golems (I always come prepared for those clay golems even though I don't remember one in IWD2, just those crystal golems needed blunt weapons), but no decent warhammer/mace/flail. The Storm Giant Cambion is basically immune to magic (which means LONG and drawn out fight) and the Duergar is immune to hold person and had such a high will save my enchantress could basically do nothing against him.

Besides, the Duergar and Storm Giant Cambion have so many hit points that they tend to drop at least one character before you can drop them. Each of the two warmongers dropped multiple critical hits every time through which made for no chance in hell for my druid to keep up with heals. In the end I merely exploited poor AI to keep that Storm Giant Cambion following my rouge or enchantress, while summons kept the monk and duergar at bay while my fighters pounded the necromancer, the conjurer and archer into oblivion, then worked over to the monk, then ran one of my other characters around for the Duergar, taking advantage of my barbarian's high movement to beat the duergar into oblivion without being attacked by the duergar, repeated the same technique against storm giant. I had the cheese the fight, I don't know how it's possible to defeat those two standing toe to toe with them, letting one or two character get knocked around by those two warmongers.

 

IS, What "storm giant cambion" are you talking about? I don't remember any storm giant cambion in the fight for Cera Sumat.


My strategy for that battle is as follows:

1. Fully pre-battle buffing and summoning of monsters.

2. At the very start of the battle, I assigned 1 monster each to engage the archer, the monk, the non-dwarven tank, and the summoning mage (to the south). Assuming I have one, I have a boneguard skelly attack the archer, since it will have a strong resistance to piercing damage.

3. I have the character being targetted by the very nasty dwarven tank run, run, and run some more. I do not engage the dwarf in melee until all of the other enemies are dead.

4. I attack the nasty enemy mage to the north with the remainder of my PC's. I believe that the "top" mage is poptentially the most dangerous enemy, if, if, IF you let him start casting without opposition. I make taking this mage out priority number one.

5. After the dangerous mage is dead, I then start spreading out my PC's attacks around. One or two will assist the boneguard against the archer. I'll have another join the attack against the summoner. And others against the monk or the other tank. But I leave the dwarven tank untouched.

I tend to make taking out the archer priority #2 because he's fairly easy to kill and it's hard to avoid him, unlike the dwarven tank who can be run away from.

6. As I take out each enemy in turn, I continue to concentrate my PC's attacks against the remaining enemies, but leaving the dwarven enemy tank until last.

7. Eventually, once all other enemies have fallen, I concentrate all of my PC's and remaining summons on the dwarven tank. I keep my cleric out of the melee so that he can be ready to cast Heal spells as needed.

 

The last time I played that fight I cast an undead ward on the place where my gang stood. About half of the times one of the bad-guys entered they got turned and just stood there not doing anything for some time. This worked fine even though my cleric had only 1 in charisma.

[ January 31, 2006, 11:05: Message edited by: Mudde ]

 

Otilukes Sphere of Resilence, awesome spell.

 

Raptor, are you using ORS to protect someone or to protect you from someone (presumablely, the very nasty dwarven tank)?

Certainly, a very interesting and worthy tactic.

 

I think i reloaded about 15 times when I finished this game. Figured it would be just as much hack and slash as the previous Icewind dale game so I went with a combat heavy party.

1. aasimar paladin of helm, gave him 4 levels of fighter just to be cheesy.
2. Half orc barbarian also 4 levels of fighter.
3. dwarf barbarian 4 levels fighter
4. human battleguard of tempus
5. elf druid
6. tiefling wizard

worked like a charm.

 

Crucis: pick your least useful lcharacter in this combat, and use him alont to charge towards your enemies. All your enemies "locs on" t him, cast Otiluke's Resilent Sphere on your character.

you now have a bunch of enemies trying to kill your invulnerable bubble.

 

In the above discussed battle, you have no choice about whom the dwarven tank chooses as a target. He locks onto whomever HE chooses. I've often thought that he may choose to lock onto the character in the number #6 slot in a full party, but not always.

This isn't a tactic that I've ever used, cuz it has always seemed too cheesy to me. But if you like it, enjoy.

I would always just have my dwarven tank "target" character just run-run-run around the battlefield, while the other 5 characters and my summons fought that battle. I would often make a quick jump into the inventory and put boots of speed on him. And if he'd put enough distance between himself and the dwarf, I'd have him make an attack here and there during his jog around the graveyard.

Admittedly, it would be easier to just slap an ORS on him, so that I wouldn't have to micromanage him. But then he wouldn't be available to make an occasional attack either.

Still and all, it's a tough, challenging, and entertaining battle that I do every time, whether I have a pally or not.

 

I consider the "ORS on PC/summon" tactic to be unacceptably cheesy, because it sucks all the challeneg out of the battle. If you're willing to use it, you might as well use it all the way: Make 6 summons (they don't have to be good ones) before activating the grave. When the bad guys attack, scatter the party and summons so you can see who has been locked on to. ORS everyone who is being chased, then kill the enemy at your leisure with summons, spells, and missiles.

 

I understand what you're trying to say, JT, but that's a bit extreme. I would simply never let the very nasty "top" spellcaster get any spells off unopposed. If you start "letting" him cast spells without trying to kill him ASAP, you are begging for a severe buttwhupping.

 

I think that fight would have been alot easier if I wasn't using an enchanter as my primary spell caster, I had NO acess to evocation. Enchantment, Transmutation, Necromancy (aside from animate dead) and Abjuration was basically useless in that fight (I think my Enchanter with her greater spell focus in enchanment may have, maybe, been able to land a hold person on the archer), had to rely almost solely on the Conjuration School.