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Post by Daos on Jul 4, 2009 23:32:46 GMT -8
Many gamers hail Baldur's Gate and its sequel to be among the best western CRPGs ever made. Being the 2E nut that I am, it probably might shock you to learn that while I've had the first game for many years, I've never actually finished it.
That's right. In fact, Heather has actually made it further in the game than I have, getting all the way to the wyverns, if I remember. Me, I never really got past the part where you infiltrate the bandit camps.
So since I'm on a roll with Fallout, I decided to start up a new BG game, as well. I'm playing my favorite cleric halfling, Halo!
His ability scores are from the original incarnation from Matthew's game, not the super stats from Keith's. They are:
STR: 13 DEX: 16 CON: 11 INT: 9 WIS: 17 CHA: 13
He's level 1 with 8 HP and an AC of 5 (Leather armor, a buckler shield, and a good DEX score). He's LG, of course and is proficient with blunt weapons (mace) and missile weapons (sling).
I decided that I won't use any reloads, unless Halo dies of course. Thus whatever happens, happens.
I had Halo complete all of the sidequests in Candlekeep before moving on. He met up with Imoen (Human Thief 1 NG) and then recruited Montaron (Halfling Fighter/Thief 1/1 LE) and Xzar (Human Necromancer 1 CE). I figure I need all of the help I can get, and can always replace them later for good characters.
I imagine if this was actually being roleplayed, Halo would find Montaron and Xzar a little disturbing, but would put up with them as long as they weren't killing people. Imoen is a childhood friend, of course.
They head to the Friendly Arms Inn and do all of the sidequests there, as well as recruit Khalid (Half-Elf Fighter 1 NG) and his wife, Jaheira (Half-Elf Fighter/Druid 1/1 TN). I personally think Halo would like both of them, particularly the timid Khalid.
On the way to Beregost, Jaheira reached level 2 in both classes. However, this city proved to be our undoing. We were fighting Silke, Thespian Extraordinaire (and sorceress), and she had been unable to get off a single spell. In the last round of combat, though, she fired a Lightning Bolt right at Montaron, who was sneaking up for a backstab.
The bolt fried the halfling, bounced off the inn wall, and then proceeded to strike down Silke, Imoen, and Jaheira. Evidently, Montraon and Imoen took so much damage, they were perma-killed. I was unable to raise either of them, but I did save Jaheira at the local temple. Awww, man. I lost both of my thieves, not to mention my childhood friend!
I recruited Garrick (Human Bard 1 CN) and Kaigan (Dwarf Fighter 1 LE) to recoup my losses. We're now working on the sidequests in Beregost. It's more than a little disquieting, however, to see Imoen's charred corpse every time we walk by that inn.
Currently, Halo got an equipment upgrade. He's wearing chain mail and a medium shield (improving his AC to 2) and a horned helmet. No magical gear yet, though. I gave Imoen's Wand of Magic Missiles to Xzar and Silke's Quarterstaff +1 to Jaheira. Halo is very, very close to level 2.
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Post by Daos on Jul 14, 2009 3:39:20 GMT -8
We reached Nashkel. We'll be exploring the town and carnival first, before plunging into the mines. Jaheria is impatient, as always, but she can wait a few more hours, I'm sure. Before arriving, I did a few sidequests in Beregost for XP and gold. I retrieved the halfling Perdue's short sword from the gnolls AND retrieved the other halfling Zhurlong's boots from the hobgoblins. Halo would naturally want to help out his fellow species, although one wonders why these goblinoid races are beating up halflings and taking their stuff. We also retrieved Mirianne's letter and helped Melicamp the chicken ("Forsooth! Methinks this is no ordinary talking chicken!") polymorph back into a human. He still looks a little cock-eyed, but he always did according to his master, so I guess that doesn't count. Halo reached level 2! He also now wears a Helm of Infravision and a Ring of Protection +1. I mostly have the little guy prepare CLW prayers. He can now Lay on Hands, once a day as well. Xzar is growing impatient with us. Not only because we haven't explored the Nashkel Mines yet, as we agreed when we recruited him...but he also seems fed up with our 'constant benevolence.' He's currently the most useless party member, as he can only cast two spells then take a nap. Khalid is pretty awesome, even at level 1, if he has the right gear. I found some Ankheg Plate Mail in Nashkel and handed it over to him. Dude has AC -2 now. Almost nothing can touch him! This makes Halo's healing duties much easier. Jaheira is primarily melee like her husband, although she tosses an Entangle or CLW now and again, as well. Garrick also just reached level 2. I taught him Charm Person. During battle, I TRY and make him play his bard song, but his AI keeps making him fire his crossbow instead. That's Chaotic Neutral for you, I guess. Kagain, like Xzar, is getting upset about our altruistic deeds. But the little dwarf has a CON of 20, making him almost as hardy as O-Chul. For the life of me, I have no idea how he pulled that off, either. Even with racial bonuses, naturally he could only pull off a 19. I'd ask him myself, but he has the shortest backstory of any character I've seen so far (only one paragraph).
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Post by Daos on Jul 19, 2009 1:57:43 GMT -8
Where was I? Oh, right. Nashkel.
So first, we visited the carnival. Always fun, that. Especially Oompah the Exploding Ogre. I never get tired of that act. (Sadly, Oompah sometimes does!)
We then headed toward the mines, but first we found Prism. I had heard about him in town; there was a bounty on his head. He had stolen two valuable emeralds. It turns out he was something of an artist, and HAD to have the emeralds to complete his masterpiece--a stone carving of a beautiful woman he had seen but never had the courage to speak to. Apparently, he had been working around the clock, not even stopping to eat or sleep, and drinking Potions of Speed. Well, I hear they DO give you wings...
But a bounty hunter named Greywolf appeared. We asked him to let the poor guy finish his statue, but he attacked us in response. Had no choice, had to take him down. But he had a pretty nifty Frost Long Sword +2 that I gave to Khalid. Between that and his ankeg plate mail, he's pretty badass for a guy with a st-st-stutter.
Sadly, Prism died moments after he finished his work. I guess all of those Potions of Speed aren't good for you after all.
Then we went into the mines. Without a thief, I had to use Detect Traps. Unfortunately, there was no safe way to trigger them. So I'd buff up Kagain with an Aid or something and send him plowing in. Don't worry, I healed him up again.
In the deepest level of the mine we found the problem--a half-orc cleric named Mulahey and his small army of kobolds. When we found him, he called a couple of squads of the yipping ankle-biters on us, as well as summoned some skeletons.
The battle wasn't easy. I had Khalid, Kagain, and Garrick focus on Mulahey. Halo was the healer and Jaheria took out the skeletons. Xzar dealt with the kobolds with his spells and the Wand of Frost we found outside the mines. Those little suckers exploded into ice cubes every time.
So now we are in chapter 3! I don't think I've ever made it past chapter 4 before, so I'm doing pretty good.
Halo is now level 3! I got him a spiffy suit of plate mail. He found a Ring of Holiness on Mulahey, which is basically a Ring of Wizardry but for divine casters. He can lay on hands twice a day now and access 2nd level spells. Whoo! This is also the level Halo made it to in Matthew's game. Our reputation is now 18 (Heroic).
Khalid is pretty happy with our group. He is sure to remind me often that Gorion would be proud of my actions. He also reached level 3, so I gave him an extra WP slot in long swords. That, combined with his +2 weapon, brings his THAC0 up to 13. Pretty damned good at level 3.
Jaheira now has splint mail and Darts of Wounding, although she prefers her Quarterstaff +1. She also now wears Boots of Grounding.
Garrick is also now level 3. When we start out in the morning and he has his spells, I have him use his light crossbow and cast Armor on himself. When he runs out of spells (he only has two), I have him switch to wearing his new Leather Armor +2 and using his Short Sword +1. Dude can melee now, whee! Life IS glorious! Also, he seems to be becoming friends with Khalid.
Kagain - Kagain is now level 2. And boy, is he getting grumpy with our heroic deeds. They make him want to puke. He mostly got into arguments with Xzar, though. I've got him in splint mail now, but he's the only character in the group who has no magical items (save for some potions).
Xzar reached level 2 and did okay, but when we reached the end of the mines, we decided to part ways. He had what he wanted, and he couldn't stand our group anymore. And frankly, the others weren't too fond of him, either.
But! We found trapped in Mulahey's cell another wizard named Xan (Elf Enchanter 2 LN). Xan is like...Eeyore, really. He's a miserable fellow who always looks at the less bright side of things. He's hilarious, really. I gave him some Knave's Robes and Xzar's Wand of Frost. He knows the spells Charm Person, Sleep, Color Spray and Identify. On the one hand, being an Enchanter means he cannot cast spells like Magic Missile, Fireball and Lightning Bolt. But on the other hand, he has a Moonblade. It's a special elven short sword only he can use, but it has a +3 bonus to hit/damage, grants a +1 bonus to AC, AND gives him 50% MR to fire magic. And it's on fire. Blue fire. All of the time.
Sweeet.
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Post by Daos on Jul 27, 2009 0:20:57 GMT -8
Time for sidequests!
Let's see...I found a boy out in the woods, looking for his lost puppy, Rufie. He gave me Rufie's chewtoy to help find him. I found him all right, but he was no puppy! He was as big as a dire wolf! When I returned the 'puppy' to the boy...he thanked me and then transformed into some kind of devil and gated back to the Nine Hells.
So...yeah.
I was also attacked by a pair of bandits, one of which calling himself the 'fastest dart thrower in the west.' He ain't throwing darts any more, that's for sure. I gave his Bracers of Archery to Garrick.
I came across a farm run by an old man named Hentold. His cow was being attacked by Xvarts. I managed to save the old girl with a well-placed sleep spell from Xan.
Oh, and I also came across a mad wizard doing experiments on Mustard Jellies. I asked him about his work and he accused me of trying to steal his idea. He went down quickly enough, but the pair of mustard jellies were tough as hell. They can only be hit by magical weapons (Kagain, Halo, and Garrick don't have any) and although the MM says they have 10% MR, they evaded every spell I threw at them anyway.
I also sought out the mad cleric of Cyric, Bassilus. The Temple of Lanthador had a big bounty on his head. He had animated a bunch of undead and were talking to them like they were his family. I guess he really was mad. Long story short, Halo now has a spiffy Warhammer +2 of Lightning.
Cameos galore! I ran into Drizzt Do'Urden fighting off a pack of gnolls. He asked for my help, but it was hardly needed. He kept one-shotting them before I could even attack. I also ran into Elminster in Beregost. (I hate that guy.)
When we defeated Mulahey, I found a note from a guy named Tranzig. This Tranzig fellow apparently is Mulahey's superior, and the note mentioned he would be staying at the Feldpost Inn in Beregost. Sounds like a good time for an ambush!
Since we knew we were in for a fight, we buffed up like hell first. This made the battle a breeze. I had Jaheira cast Remove Fear on the party, Xan cast Luck on Khalid, and then Halo cast Bless and Chant on the party, Aid and Protection from Evil on Khalid. Total overkill, but it worked like a charm.
The party is now at Reputation 20 (Heroic) so I'm hearing a LOT of bitching. It dawns on me now that other than Halo, only Khalid is of good alignment. No wonder the others don't shut up.
Halo is now level 4. I still have him rely on his sling because for some reason clerics can't have more than one weapon handy, but thieves can even though clerics are generally better warriors than thieves. Bleh. What I mean is, Fighters can have up to 4 weapons 'on hand' at the same time, Thieves get 2, and Mages, Bards, and Clerics get one. This means that for say, Khalid, I can have him switch from his sword to his act instantly. But for Halo, if I want him to switch from his sling to his hammer, I have to go into my Inventory (game cannot be paused while the Inventory screen is up), manually switch the weapons out, then return to the game. D'oh!
Khalid is now level 4 and kicks all kinds of ass. He's by far my best meatshield, which his amazing AC and THAC0 scores. I still have to heal him regularly, though. Computer sure gets a lot of lucky rolls.
Jaheira is now level 3 in both classes. I mostly use her as a secondary fighter and secondary healer, although now and again her Entangle spell comes in handy. But she sure has been bitching about the party's reputation lately.
Garrick is now level 4 so can cast two spells: Charm Person and Armor. His 2nd level spell is Invisibility. He is also complaining a lot about our reputation.
Kagain is now level 4, having caught up with the others. He's threatened to leave the party a few times and I figure it's only a matter of time. I've stripped him of any valuable gear, just in case. I'm going to replace him as soon as I can, because knowing my luck he'll run off when I'm out in the wilderness, surrounding by monsters.
Xan is now level 3, and I gave him the Luck spell. He has a ton of awesome scrolls I've picked up, like Lightning Bolt, Cloudkill, Chromatic Orb...too bad he can't actually use any of them. And his moonblade isn't as impressive as I first thought. His Sleep spell does come in handy often, though. He also is complaining, but not as much as the other two.
I think it's about time I started seeking out some good aligned people to replace some of my complainers. And I know just where to look!
Next: Gnollish Stronghold!
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Post by Daos on Sept 2, 2009 1:39:02 GMT -8
"Money makes the world go 'round, and until you learn that, you'll never get anywhere, kid," Kagain complained as the party stopped off in Nashkel. "If word gets out that I'm doing charity cases, I'll never that rep down. So smell ya later."
And with that, we were down a member. Nobody was particularly upset to see him go, however. The dwarf never bathed and had a tendency to belch inappropriately.
As luck would have it, though, we ran into another adventurer in Nashkel. A Rasheman barbarian, who claimed to be an expert tracker and a hater of gnolls--he called himself Minsc. He claimed his ward, a woman named Dynaheir, had been captured by gnolls and he wanted to go after her. There was a gnollish stronghold to the west, but it was too well-guarded for him to go alone.
This seemed a noble quest, so Halo was quick to agree. Although Xan and Garrick questioned the practicality of attacking a gnollish stronghold. Their concerns were greatly amplified when Minsc then chose to introduce the party to his animal companion, Boo, a 'miniature giant space hamster.' According to the ranger, he had known Boo ever since his 'first' head injury...
Halo managed to calm down the rest of the group. After all, just because the guy talks to his pet hamster doesn't make him crazy, right?
Right...?
The trip took a couple of days. Along the way, the party saved a dryad's tree from a couple of thugs and ran across a village of Xvarts. The Xvarts' leader, some kind of shaman, summoned a bear to fight us. However, Jaheira managed to charm it to fight on our side instead.
Anyway, we managed to infiltrate the gnoll stronghold easily enough, as there weren't many guards at the main gate. Clearly, they had not been expecting trouble. Things went pretty smoothly at first, but it was clear Minsc was growing more and more agitated at the sight of his species enemy. Finally unable to contain himself any further, he draw his massive great sword and charged a whole squad of them in a berserk rage, crying, "Go for the eyes, Boo! Go for the eyes! RAAAGHHHHH!"
It was touch and go there for awhile. I've never seen so many gnolls in one place before in my life! We managed to keep them from overwhelming us with Xan's Sleep spells and Jaheira's Entangle.
We fought our way toward the pit where they were keeping Dynaheir. She was wounded, haven taking quite a beating from her captors. Halo healed her up while they quickly introduced themselves. She was also a Rasheman barbarian, having studied the arcane arts (particularly the school of Evocation). She asked if she could work with us for awhile longer, since there is safety in numbers and to pay us back the debt of rescuing her. Halo agreed, much to Xan's annoyance.
"This quest was doomed from the start, but bringing along that crazed barbarian with us will only expedite our untimely deaths. I have more than paid my own debt to you, little hobbit, and will now find my own way out of here. Farewell," the elf grumbled, and then he ran off.
There was no time to go after him, as the gnolls had managed to find us and bring back-up. Dynaheir had no spells memorized and the rest of us were getting weak. Fortunately, Xan had left behind his Wand of Summoning and Dynaheir used it to conjure a group of wolves and hobgoblins, which managed to help keep the gnolls off of us.
Once we made it past the gates, wounded and fatigued, we high-tailed it back to Nashkel for some healing and rest.
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Halo is now level 5! That means he can access the Third Hymn. I found a Tomb of Leadership that boosted his CHA by one point permanently and some Gauntlets of Dexterity which improved his DEX to 18. Now he is a crack shot with that sling of his.
Khalid is still level 4 and hasn't really changed much since the last update. I don't understand how a guy who kicks so much ass and has a really hot wife could be so unsure of himself.
Jaheira, who probably doesn't appreciate being called a 'hot wife,' is now level 4/4. Since Minsc has joined the group, I've moved her back to the backrow to focus on prayers but she still melees quite a bit, too.
Garrick is now level 5, but hasn't learned any new spells. No other changes.
Minsc is level 4 Human Ranger with NG alignment. He can use a berserker rage once a day, but it's quite dangerous to do so. He loses 15 HP when it ends and will attack party members if he finishes the enemy before the rage ends. He always carries his animal companion, Boo, with him which takes up an inventory slot. He fights with a Great Sword +1, a composite long bow, and a Short Sword +1. He wears Studded Leather +1, which means he tends to get hit a lot more often than the others. I'll have to find a way to fix that, even if it means ruining his ability to move silently.
Dynaheir is a level 4 Human Invoker with LG alignment. In addition to her many powerful spells, she can also use Slow Poison once a day. She fights with a sling when not using spells like Magic Missile, Stinking Cloud, Chromatic Orb, and when she's powerful enough, Lightning Bolt.
Up next: Ulcaster!
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Post by Daos on Oct 13, 2009 23:50:44 GMT -8
Dungeon Crawling Fools
Last we left our intrepid heroes, they were resting up at the inn in Nashkel. After a hearty breakfast (Halo had three helpings!), they discussed their next step.
"Next step?" said Jaheira incredulously, banging her fist on the wooden table. "I thought we were going after those bandits, yes?"
"Well, yeah," Halo mumbled between bites, crumbs spraying as he spoke. He swallowed and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "But we'll need more power. The six of us are no match for a whole bandit camp."
"If it is power you crave," Dynaheir spoke up, "I know of where to go. Ulcaster's school."
"School? Minsc has no need for school!" the barbarian interrupted.
"Err, didn't Ulcaster's school of sorcery burn down years ago?" Garrick asks, tuning his lute.
"Blew up, actually--three hundred years ago. Or so the stories go. But I believe there are still treasures to be found in its ruins," Dynaheir said.
And so we were off! The ruins were fairly empty, although we did run into a small squad of hobgoblins that we quickly dispatched (one of them was wearing Boots of Stealth, which we gave to Minsc).
It was nightfall when we go there, which made the place all the more creepy. As we explored the remains of the ground level, some undead creature appeared before us. It said it wanted to eat our flesh to sustain itself. That hardly appealed to us, so we took it down. After healing up, we continued.
Eventually, Minsc found an opening to the basement. Before we went in, though, a ghost appeared before us! It didn't attack, but rather moaned about the loss of the school and how all of the knowledge and books were lost forever. Could this have been the ghost of Ulcaster?
The basement was hell! There were several fireball traps and we had no thief to bypass them. Halo would cast Find Traps with limited success. Then we would buff up Khalid (Aid, Resist Fire) and have him trip them. Suffice to say, he was a little hesitant on the whole idea.
Still, we found a ton of great magical items. On a pile of old skeletons, Halo also found an old book. Once back on the surface, he gave the book to the ghost, and this seemed to calmed the spirit a bit.
On the way back to civilization we ran across a large patch of farmland. It was very peaceful and serene...except for the dozens of Ankhegs!
Good gravy, there was no end of them! Often they would attack us in pairs! Luckily, Dynaheir had collected a fairly impressive arsenal of magic wands and scrolls at the school, or else we would have been bug food.
We weren't the only ones having trouble, though. A young man was fighting off one of his own, so naturally we helped him out. He thanked us and introduced himself as Ajantis, Paladin and Squire of the Order of the Most Radiant Heart, a noble out of Waterdeep.
He explained that in order to qualify for full knighthood, he has sworn an oath to wipe out the local bandits that are plaguing the Sword Coast. Well...what a coincidence! Naturally, Halo invites him to join forces with his own group.
"Aggh, you guys are worst than Selkie!" Garrick exclaimed.
"What?" asked Halo.
"Who?" asked Minsc.
"Selkie was evil, not good!" Halo pointed out.
"Whatever, it's all the same. It'll get you in the end," the bard continued. And with that, he left our company. Well, his bitching was getting annoying (and nonsensical) anyway.
So with our newfound teammate, we took shelter in one of the farmhouses from all of the ankhegs. We met an old man there named Brun, who was worried about his son. He told us his son, Nathan, had run off to find some last cattle but never came back. He was last seen heading west.
After a bit of rest, we decided to head in that direction. What we found was...unexpected. It was a giant hole in the ground.
"What do you think is down there?" asked Ajantis.
"Probably a lot more Ankhegs," Halo responded.
"W-We are g-g-going down there, aren't w-we?" Khalid said.
"Do you even need to ask?" Minsc questioned before leaping in blindly.
I think we wound up fighting another five or six of those damned acid-spitting bugs before we found a big treasure cache. Among the gold, potions, and artifacts was...a young man's body. Ohhh.
We managed to bring the corpse back to the farmer and tell him the bad news. He was quite upset and began to cry. Not only was his only son dead, but he was too old to run the farm himself and he couldn't afford to hire on help.
Feeling terrible, Halo grabbed one of his belt pouches (one that held 100 gold pieces inside) and handed it over to the farmer. "This money is weighing us down, we have so much of it now. You'd be doing me a favor taking this. I'm a little guy, so I can only carry so much."
The old man was grateful. Ajantis seemed impressed with this act. "Perhaps it was not coincidence we met, Brother Halo. I think Helm wanted us working together."
Yeah, I like this guy much better than Garrick.
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Halo bought a Sling +1 and a Mace +1 in Beregost (with our many hundreds of gold pieces). He gave his magic thunder hammer to Ajantis, as he was lacking in magical weapons when we found him.
Khalid is now level 5 and the stronger front-liner in my party. He has so many HP, he is great at disarming traps...the hard way. Poor guy.
Jaheira is now level 4/5, which means she can access the Third Hymn. Which means CALL LIGHTNING! Oh, gods, I can't wait to try this one out. Neither can she. She is also now armed with several varieties of deadly, magical darts. Awesome.
Minsc is now level 5. I have moved him to the back of the row and let him mostly shoot arrows, but I still let him melee it up when necessary. That undead thing we fought outside of Ulcaster had a wicked looking helmet with dragon-like fins on it. Minsc wanted it pretty badly, to help prevent further blows to the head. How could we deny him?
Dynaheir is now level 5, which means...LIGHTNING BOLT! Good gravy, teaming her up with Jaheira means an apocalyptic thunderstorm that would make the gods envious! Now I just need to teach her to cast Fireball.
Ajantis is a level 4 Human Paladin of Helm with LG alignment. He's now armed with Chain Mail +1, a Long Sword +1, and that thunder hammer I mentioned earlier. He can Detect Evil, Lay on Hands, and Protect from Evil.
Next time: Bandits!
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Post by Daos on Oct 14, 2009 23:11:01 GMT -8
Subtlety? What's That?Previously, our heroes had just returned to Beregost after exploring old ruins and saving a farmer from debt. They then set out for the forests, hoping to track down the bandits hideout. "Tread lightly, you must show respect in nature's house," Jaheira said quietly. "I am much more at ease in the forest," Khalid said, almost looking relaxed. "Really?" asked Minsc in surprise, as he absently patted his hamster, Boo, on the head. "This, I find surprising." "Oh? W-Why is that?" the warrior asked. "Well, the forest, she is full of big and nasty things, yes? Wolves and bandits, giant spiders, poison ivy, man-eating squirrels, brownies, dragons (green ones, usually)...BUGS! Big, creepy bugs with creepy crawly legs and hundreds of eyes!" "Err, I think he gets the idea, Minsc," Halo said upon seeing the half-elf bend over and put his head between his legs. The cleric patted Khalid on the back before the group moved on. Anyway, we ran into several groups of bandits in the forest. Halo had suggested the idea that they pretend to be bandits themselves and want to join up, in order to infiltrate their base. However, neither Ajantis or Minsc would hear of it. "As a Paladin of Helm, I refuse to consort with criminals and violent thugs," Ajantis said haughtily. "I find this plan doesn't have nearly as much stabbing as I prefer," Minsc agreed. So we did what we always did. Charging forward blindly. "It's worked pretty well for us so far," Jaheira pointed out. Well, the lady has a point. Suffice to say, the fights we got drawn into were quite tiring. Bandits kept ambushing us with their bows. For some reason, Ajantis was an arrow magnet. I swear, he took more hits than anyone else. After finally fighting our way up to the main cabin, we came across four rather powerful bandits: a gnoll warrior, hobgoblin archer, human thief, and another human mage. But working together, we took care of them pretty easily. The bandits had taken a man prisoner. Once we freed him, he told us that the Zhens were not behind this, but rather the Iron Throne was. That threw us all for a loop. He said we should check out Cloakwood Forest to find out more. ========================== Halo had another dream. He cast Lay on Hands twice a day and now he can also use Slow Poison once a day. Khalid is practically invincible, but still frightened of everything. Especially his wife. Jaheira still hasn't had a chance to use Call Lightning yet. Minsc now has Chain Mail +1 even though that ruins his stealth ability. But I never had much use for it anyway. He can also now Charm Mammals once a day. Dynaheir learned several new spells, including Agannazar's Scorcher, which I had never heard of before. Ajantis now has Full Plate Mail and a Medium Shield +1 so he's not in constant need of healing anymore. Yay! Next time: Lighthouse!
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Post by Daos on May 5, 2010 1:23:31 GMT -8
After dispatching the bandits we were on our way back to Beregost when we ran afoul quite a few giant spiders. Like a whole nest of them, including a wraith spider, a sword spider, and even a couple of phase spiders. Yikes.
"You see? What did I tell you!" Minsc proclaimed proudly.
"Aggh! So many legs! So many l-l-legs!" Khalid cried.
Well, I guess all of our hacking and slashing of giant arachnids made a bit of noise and caught the attention of a small coven of mages that were using this particular spot of wilderness for some kind of secret meeting.
They were not happy.
"Hold there, intruders," said their leader, Denak. "We are the fearsome Red Wizards of Thay, and we do not tolerate your presence here."
"Intruders? This land belongs to us all!" Jaheira protested, but Halo calmed her and decided to negotiate with them.
"We beg your pardon for disturbing you, good mages. It was not intentional. We are but simple adventurers and were just looking for a quick way back to Beregost. We will be on our way and trouble you no more," the diplomatic cleric said.
"No, it is far too late for that," said Denak as it softly began to rain. He turned to his three red-robed companions. "Destroy them!"
"I tried to be nice," Halo warned. "You brought this on yourselves."
Jaheria smiled wickedly and looked up at the sky, allowing the rain drops to fall on her face. "Call Lightning?" she asked.
"Call Lightning," Halo confirmed.
While Ajantis, Khalid and Minsc charged forward, the casters (on both sides) fell into their respective trances and began to chant and pray. The four wizards began by casting protective spells on themselves: Mirror Image, Armor, and the like.
Halo responded with a well-placed Dispel Magic, stripping away all of their defenses just as Dynaheir fried one mage with a lightning bolt and Jaheira called forth the thunder above to absolutely smite another.
"I am certainly glad you are on our side," Dynaheir said to the druid, after casting Web to ensnare another wizard, leaving her helpless before Minsc's great sword.
"H-How is this possible?" Denak demanded before passing out thanks to Halo's Command prayer. Ajantis finished him off then.
"So much for diplomacy," Halo said in disgust.
We returned to Beregost to tell the authorities what we had done and then went to the Jovial Juggler to consider our next move.
"This is a pint!" Halo exclaimed at the frothy mug in his hand before gulping it down greedily.
"So it is, but should we proceed to the Cloakwood Forest?" asked Jaheira impatiently.
"W-We may n-n-not be strong enough just y-yet, my love," Khalid worried.
Dynaheir laughed. "How can you say that, when we bested four Red Wizards without breaking a sweat?"
Having finished his drink and wiped his mouth with his sleeve with a content sigh, Halo spoke up. "There's no crime in being cautious. Let's not get too cocky, lest we make a mistake."
"There may be treasures yet undiscovered hidden on the coast itself," Minsc suggested.
And so it was decided.
The Sword Coast is no playground, though. Aside from being infested with ogre and ogre-kin, there are also a few sirines--very dangerous and magical beings.
But we were all quite surprised to see a nereid, a beautiful creature of the sea, stranded on dry land.
"Please help me," she said demurely, her lips pouting. "I have become lost and cannot find my way."
Halo frowned. Something about this did not seem right. "Be careful--"
"My lady, I am here to serve," Ajantis interrupted, approaching the blue-skinned woman and bowing deeply. "I would be honored to escort you back to the sea."
"Oh, my!" she said, practically swooning. "What a strapping and handsome man you are. Might I reward your efforts with a sweet kiss?"
The paladin blushed. "M-My lady, that is kind of you, but it is not necessary. I ask no reward for my assistance."
"Oh, but I insist!" she said, and grabbing the holy warrior she pressed his lips to her own with gusto.
"All right, Ajantis!" Minsc cheered.
But Halo felt something amiss. "No, get off him!" he cried, coming between the two and shoving them apart. But it was too late. Ajantis collapsed to the ground, his lungs full of water. The cleric knelt beside him, but he was not breathing.
"Now to finish this," the nereid said with sinister intent. But before she could start her first spell, Halo had drawn his mace and thrust it between her legs, knocking her to the ground. Hopping on top of her, he raised his weapon overhead ready to crack her skull like a clay vase.
"Bring him back!" the cleric demanded, grabbing the woman's chin with his free hand. "Do so, or I will grind you into a fine paste, you gods damned witch!"
The others simply looked on in horror, unable to act. First Ajantis' surprising death, but now Halo acting so violent. Although none could blame him for being upset, nobody had ever seen him so angry and full of bloodlust before.
"I...I am not responsible for my actions!" she pleaded. "An evil ogre--Droth, he took my shawl, my very essence. I am forced to do his bidding, I have no choice! B-But if you were to destroy him, I would happily restore your friend."
"Do it. Now. Before I change my mind," the hobbit said, getting off of her. Quickly, the nereid cast a spell, and Ajantis began coughing and spewing, alive again.
"What...what happened?" he asked, dazed.
"Your first kiss," Minsc said, helping him to his feet. "The gods forbid you ever get laid," he joked.
The ogre, or rather, the ogre-mage, appeared then, demanding to know what was going on. The party attacked, killing him easily. The nereid apologized and thanked the group, quickly heading back to the ocean.
"I spy a lighthouse to the south," Halo said. "Let's head there." And so they did. But the hobbit did not notice his companions exchanging worried looks among themselves.
After a few minor adventures, including rescuing a kid stuck up in the lighthouse (that was surrounded by worgs) and encountering a palm reader who took one look at Halo's past and ran screaming into the night, the party encountered a rather sensual and beautiful woman who introduced herself as Safana.
"Oooh, what big strong men you are all..," she purred.
"Right, this again," Minsc said, drawing his great sword and strolling up to the woman.
Halo quickly interposed himself between them. "Minsc! It's okay, this one is human, not a nereid."
The ranger shrugged. "Fair enough. But no kissing." He tossed a glance at Ajantis. "You can control yourself, yes?" The paladin blushed and looked away with a harrumph.
All of this commotion seemed to confuse Safana greatly. "I, uh...what now?"
"I apologize for my companions. They are just a little edgy. Part of traveling these dangerous lands," Halo said.
"Don't fret it, handsome," Safana said, running her fingers through his curly hair. "Annnnyway, I was wondering if I might use some of that rippling muscle of yours on a small job for me. I found a map for what I believe is the secret treasure of the great dread pirate that once terrorized these lands," she explained, approaching Khalid, and tracing her finger in a circle upon his breast plate.
"I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I--," Khalid eloquently responded.
Her face reddening a bit, Jaheira stepped in and used her quarterstaff to separate the two. "And why should we help you find this treasure?" she asked suspiciously.
Safana gave a throaty chuckle. "I would gladly give you half of the treasure found in there for helping me. Isn't that fair?" she asked, approaching Ajantis, her hips swaying hypnotically.
Of course, the paladin backed away and put a hand to his sword, as if she had suddenly grown a second head.
"Whoa, tough crowd," the thief said to herself under her breath.
"All right, we'll help you out," Halo agreed. "Lead the way."
"I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I--," Khalid continued in the background, until a sharp elbow from Jaheira snapped him out of it.
So anyway, we accompanied the woman down to some cave by the shore. It was guarded by three sirines, but we managed to take them down fairly easily. Inside were a trio of flesh golems, but thankfully we were all armed with magical weapons.
Deep inside, we found the treasure stash. As Halo picked up an old book, curious why it would be here of all places, the others poked around at the treasure.
"Say, where did the thief go?" asked Dynaheir, who had been admiring a magical wand.
Looking around, they realized she had vanished. As it turns out, so had most of the treasure.
"You boys really need to stop trusting beautiful women, yes?" Jaheira said.
"Except for us, of course," Dynaheir corrected.
"Yes, except for us," Jaheira agreed.
==========================
Halo is now level 6. That old book he found was a magical tome that increased his CON score by 1 point. He now has CON 12!
Khalid is now level 6, and I put his extra WP slot into long swords, making him an even stronger powerhouse.
Jaheira is now level 5/6. I bought her a suit of full plate mail. Also, I love Call Lightning. She is a weather goddess now! Furthermore, among the treasures found in the golem cave were a magical cloak that lets her shapechange into a wolf at will, boosting her DEX to 17 and her STR to 18. Nice. And quite druidic.
Minsc is now level 6. I put his extra WP slot into...Spears. I'm not sure why, it was a spur of the moment sort of thing.
Dynaheir picked up a Ring of Energy from one of the Red Wizards of Thay. Between that, her three wands and half a dozen scrolls, she's pretty well set magically-wise. I also bought her a Robe of the Archmage.
Ajantis is now level 5. Although he is one of the more boring characters, I still like him because...well, he's a paladin. I like paladins.
Next time: Cloakwood Forest!
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