Who to drop for Sarevok: Keldorn or Valgygar? And some other questions [long post]

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Hi all,

You may remember me as "Parvini", I posted here quite frequently back in 2001-3. Forgot my password so re-registered.

I have been playing through BG2/ ToB again recently and am in Chapter 6 after killing Bodhi.

My main PC is about a lvl 17 Mage dualled from an Assassin at lvl 11, the rest of my party looks like this:

Keldorn (lvl 22) Holy Avenger
Anomen (lvl 26) Fail of Ages (+3)
Valygar (lvl 18) Celestial Fury
Jaheria (lvl 14/14) Scimiter +2
Edwin (lvl 16) Robe of Magi/ Sling of Everand +5 (w/ Rove of Vecna)

I've decided to do Watcher's Keep now Keep.

However - I am already planning to take Sarevok with me in ToB as I played through Evil last time and want to see if I can change his allignment and see his other ending.

Trouble is - who to drop? I'm romancing Jaheria and Edwin is too good to drop - I also figured that Jaheria doesn't offer all the Cleric functions that Anomen fulfills - so it's between Keldorn and Valygar.

I am worried that Sarevok will be too low level when I meet him but really want to take him. I am also concerned that he'll distrub the balance of the party.

Right now Valygar is a support tank for Keldorn single-weilding CF and the Holy Avenger/ Celestial Fury combo is deadly - I can't give Sarevok CF to weild - it wouldn't look right and logic dictates that he needs a two-handed sword. When Valygar isn't doing that I use him with a long bow (the decent +3 or +4 one).

Now my PC is an assassin/mage and has Dakkon's Blade (2 proficiencies in Katana's) and the Gesen short bow. So essentially Valygar and my PC overlap quite a bit and I can always give my PC the CF but my PC would be considerably exposed on the frontline even in a supporting capacity (I don't want to waste the CF). Valger has a horrible habit of dying alot too.

My question is then I guess - is there any reason to keep Valygar OVER Keldorn or Sarevok? What does he offer that the others can't do (considering my PC has a x4 backstab multiplier and over 150 stealth)?

Now for some other questions that I have, I'll list them numerically for convenience's sake.

1. I have had great difficulty find a decent weapon for Jaheria. She has a +3 sling-shot but I'd like for her to be SOME use on the front-line if needed. She currently weilds "Rashod's Sword" (or whatever, a stadnard Scimiter+2). The reason I have her with a Scimiter is that she's wearing the Shield of Balduran (with Girdle of Frost Giant Strength). I'd prefer the AC bonus of the shield than leaving her more exposed with a two-handed weapon. Her AC sucks but I got her down to -9 or -10 with the shield. Are there ANY good scimiters, clubs or whatever that she could use? Also - what do you DO with Jarhria? I could easily drop her and barely notice that she was gone (apart from all the dialogue), at the mo' she tends to stay at the back with a sling. I've found she gets killed further forward and haven't found a great deal of use for her druid spells. Advice on how to play with her would be appreciated as she's kind of a spare tire right now.

2. What sword should Sarvok use? I'm guessing Soul Reaver +4 or Vorpal Blade.

3. What is the best armour that my assassin/ mage can wear and still cast spells? Currently he has a bog-stanard Elven Chain-mail that I picked up off *I think* Ma'ever or Gaal - or someone of that ilk.

4. At present I am finding the game INCREDIBLY easy. I have simply breezed through it. I don't quite understand how it is so easy as I've really struggled in the past. I'm playing on "normal" level. I don't want to give the enemies 'double-damage' or anything cheesy like that but would like some more challenge. It's ridiculous - Twisted Rune? Less than 5 minutes!! I don't know what happened there but the Lich died almost instantly (I think with finger of death after ruby ray/ kelbern's warding whip etc.) and Deva helped out too: it was a breeze - I don't think I even took any damage. Bodhi? Forget it. Firkrag? Pathetically easy. I've just defeated the Chromatic Demon in WK and am thinking that something must be done. What EXACTLY is the core rules setting?

I've also been looking at the Ascension and Redemtion add-ons - are they REALLY worth it? Judt HOW hard is it? I don't want the game to be impossible, just a bit more of a challenge you know? I can't even remember the last time I reloaded and after facing Kangaxx, the Twisted Rune and Bodhi practically unscathed I'm feeling a little over-powered. What to do?

That is enough for now methinks - I eagerly await your advice!

 

Hi Parvini - I registered in your absence, so welcome back!

I guess it depends on how you play. From an effectiveness POV, drop Valygar. Stalkers are cool, but Keldorn and Sarevok are just plain better.

(minor spoiler warning for BG2 neophytes)

(very minor...)

1. There is a +3 Scimitar in Chapter 5; IIRC it's in House Ja'ellat. There is also a +2 Scimitar of Speed in the Druid Grove. Also, you get an awesome +4 Staff in the lead-up to the finale in SoA in Suldanesselar. Jaheira can tank with the best of them using Iron Skins, while Insect Plague is a great mage-disrupting spell, and the HLA elemental prince summoning spell is quite good as well. In my parties, she does a bit of fighting and most of the healing (can't stand Anomen).

2. Sarevok usually gets Soul Reaver or the Silver Sword when he's in my party. He also gets the Wave halberd and in later ToB, ends up with Gram and/or the Ravager as his weapons. If you install Ascension (IIRC), and then give him back "his" Sword of Chaos from Jon's Dungeon, it is greatly improved and becomes a worthy weapon for Sarevok. This may be the consequence of a different mod - one of the more experienced SPers may be able to confirm or correct that.

3. Until the end of SoA, that's close to as good as it gets. Bracers of Defence AC 3 or a Robe of The Arch-Magi/Robe of Vecna fit the bill as well and weigh much less. You can get Bladesinger Chain in Suldanesselar and upgrade it in ToB.

4. If you want a challenge, either: don't abuse reload knowledge (easier than you think), don't use cheese tactics, or install the Tactics mod. Trust me, if you thought Twisted Rune, Kangaxx and Bodhi were too easy, install those components of Tactics and/or Solaufein and prepare for one hell of a fight!

Ascension is good, although the end battle is ludicrously hard unless you're power-gaming. The tougher bosses are also interesting (although Improved Abazigal is a freakin' monster). I haven't played Redemption yet, although there is another mod (The Longer Road) which addresses a similar goal. Again, can't comment on it, since I haven't played it.

[ October 13, 2005, 08:25: Message edited by: NonSequitur ]

 

Dump Valygar; your PC is filling his niche already, and once you've got Sarevok you'll have more tanks than you need. Also, if you want to change Sarevok's alignment, you should check out my guide (sixth one from the top). If you don't want spoilers, just stick to the general hints on the first page of the guide.

1. Didn't you get Belm? There's a couple different +3's out there as well, but the best you can find is the Spectral Brand in WK (it's upgradable, too).

And you don't have to equip her with a sling; she can majorly disrupt spellcasters and wear down stoneskins with the 3+ attacks per round she gets using darts. IIRC, there's a +3 returning dart early in WK that she could use.

2. Though it would be ironic to give him the Chaos Blade from the first dungeon (the desc. mentions that it was the one Sarevok used against you at the end of BG1), I imagine you no longer have it and probably want a better weapon anyway. Soul Reaver is okay, but I'd go with Gram the Sword of Grief. It poisons the enemy (10%), and the upgraded version can turn the tables with level drain. I've also heard numerous stories of having him wield Ravager +6, which is a vorpal halberd.

3. Bladesinger Chain +4 is just elven chain +4. It'll allow you to cast spells and use your thief abilities while granting you an AC of 1. Don't forget to bring a PfNM scroll with you into ToB so you can upgrade that too.

4. Core rules is playing the game by the original D&D rules. As a hardcore D&D fan, I've never changed the slider, and I never intend to. I don't mess with mods either, except maybe for NPC mods, but that's just me.

[ October 13, 2005, 14:12: Message edited by: Taluntain ]

 

Spoiler Warning!


What is with you people always sticking a scimitar on Jaheira? I do it, too, but only after WK. I keep her on clubs to start and when she gets a prof point, I put it in daggers so she can use the Boneblade +4. How I equip her: green ioun stone, Harper pin, gorgon plate and Saving Grace shield +3. I can tank her with an AC of -11.

Who to dump? You're probably depending on Keldorn for his Dispel Magic and True Sight, like me. Dump Valygar. The Celestial Fury is quite pointless in ToB and I didn't find the other katanas worth wielding.

Sarevok joins at level 19. He has grand mastery in 2 handed swords and 2 points in crossbows. I would put him on the Vorpal blade until you can get the Ravager halberd. Another backup weapon is the Psion blade that I let Sarevok hold onto for certain 'brain pickers'. I don't know if he dukes it out with Keldorn due to his evilness or not.

Best armor? Aslyferund Elven Chain +5. It get upgraded from +4 to +5 in ToB thanks to Cespenar. Save a scroll of Immunity to Normal Weapons for this!

 

Sarevok actually starts with these:
2-handed sword +++++
Halberd +
Cross Bow +
2-handed style ++

I usually have him use Soul Reaver +4 and the Silver Sword as his main weapons, on range the Crossbow of Affliction until I get Firetooth, the Wave for fire elementals, and finally, Dragon's Breath +4 for stoneskinned mages.

Yeah, and dump Valygar - strictly based on Keldorn having True Sight. Very useful in TOB.

To my knowledge there are no NPC conflicts (that end up in exchanging blows) in TOB. And on a sidenote, I found that no matter what your reputation is, no one will get past "angry" and into "break." So no one will die or leave for those reasons.

 

@NParvini: No brainer mate. Drop Valygar, keep Keldorn and Sarevok.

As far as using Jaheira goes...WHY are you having her weild a sling?

Have her buff and then wade into melee!! Give her a decent platemail, have her cast Iron Skins and just whack stuff till it keels over dead. And of course, have Keldorn and Sarevok get targetted, then send her in.

If things get bad, chuck out a Nature's Beauty. She's one of the MOST powerful NPCs in the game! Spare tire? The shame!!!

 

Yes! Back online are raring to go.

Tal - you can now deactive the other account...

I now have a question about Iron Skins...

Does it stack? Can you use bark skins too?

What exactly does it protect you from - ANY damage or just melee/ projectile damage?

Also - do you have Jaheria with a shield as I do or dual weilding or using a two-handed weaopon?

I'm really at a loss for what to do with her. And what can you tell me about the spell "Delorious Decay"? It doesn't seem to work as it should.

 

1. Iron Skins will stack with Barkskin, yes. They do different things. Iron skins is like Stoneskin, but less cheesy because its duration is only a few turns, as opposed to 12 hours. Barkskin just lowers your base AC.

2. All physical damage. Any elemental or magic damage will bypass Iron Skins, though.

3. Generally, I have Jaheira using a Scimitar/Shield or Club/Shield combo, rather than dual-wielding.