AgentElrond

Steam just updated with version 1.0.3.0530. I confirmed that the door now works in the Raedric's Keep dungeon and I imagine all the other similar doors are also fixed. Thanks for the quick fix!

Two notes about that, you can do the blacksmith quest 100% combat free (just sneak in the northwest side of camp when the guard moves, should work even with stealth 2). Also, you can kill both spiders for their legs in blackmeadow 100% combat free (just pull the right spider to the stag, who will then seem to charge into the woods and kill the other spider as well). You can help him finish the spiders off if you want a chance at XP. The downside of course is you get less XP and a little less gear without killing everything but that's not a showstopper. I still managed to get to level 4 with the figurine before the temple, without killing any NPCs. I might be able to get the blunting belt if Obsidian hotfixes the bugged doors so I can sneak into the bottom of Raedric's Keep and try to kill one or two enemies to rescue the guy there. However, blunting belt isn't my problem since I've been failing to kill the phantom at the end of the temple with two fan of flames scrolls trying to follow that youtube video. I may stop my barbarian attempt if I ever get lucky and get past temple + maerwald, since the person I'm imitating just mentioned today that the final fight(s) in the game seem impossible without using a bug.

Be aware that cheats might be manipulating things so it's not exactly the same as my game. With the stats and skill order I mentioned, I couldn't 1v1 either that guy or the raedric's roof guard unless I burned potions, got lucky, or purchased expensive armor. I just tried a few failures at the temple with the figurine. I fail to see how the player on youtube hit the phantom with 2 fan of flames spells in a row, let alone hitting 5 enemies at once. 76 reflex means the phantom dodges those spells easily, and once the phantom touches you, you're guaranteed dead -- I even tried the battle from the other side with gaun's share and still died once a phantom touched me. The frost cloak, level 4, 11+ freeze DR, nothing helped. Maybe the youtube run was extremely lucky, but that means 1.5-2 hours spent every single time just to attempt that battle, on path of iron. I'll probably try a few other attack positions tomorrow just in case I get lucky.

What's your statline? 15/12/16/11/16/8, frenzy -> accurate carnage -> savage defiance -> stalwart defiance. I used beer + spirit shield potion + accuracy potion and finally defeated the Raedric's guard, allowing me to loot enough gold in the keep for the figurine. I'll give the temple a few tries with the figurine.

You had the 1v1 build, and more endurance at level 3 than my level 4 barbarian has. I am guessing that helped. There's a 250 gold "breastplate" that's the closest cheap thing to platemail. That's what I was referring to.

I experimented and failed the temple a couple more times even at level 4. The double fan of flames WOULD probably kill the phantom...but the phantom has 71 reflex. I tried a tanglefoot scroll to make it easier to hit, but of course that scroll failed against the 71 reflex as well. Only hitting one fan of flames wasn't enough in the doorway -- the phantom came through after other enemies died, and stunlocked me until death.

That's what I was doing, mace level 3 versus that guy. I think I managed to take him down if I bought plate mail or blunting belt first, but that sort of defeated the purpose. I understand that with different stats it's possible (your character is much more tanky and better 1v1 than mine for example), but I suspect that stats similar to these are needed later in the game per the youtube videos. No offense, just trying to explain the differences. At level 4 I still lose with mace + breastplate + ring of protection + ring of deflection to the raedric's keep guard, and with stealth 4 I'm coming just short of hitting the door, so I guess I have to finish the temple after all.

Interesting, you went with a lot more CON and a lot less INT than me. I figured INT was very important for barbarians to increase the carnage splash. You didn't get frenzy, accurate carnage, OR savage defiance? The person on youtube said they were key, at least savage defiance, so let me know how it goes. I'm 5 XP away from level 4 now...I don't know if it's at all reliable, but I burned a bunch of items to max out the wolf and xaurip XP, and managed to talk to Ranga. I think I can get the remaining 5 XP from the entrance of Raedric's dungeon, and we'll see if level 4 gets me anywhere.

I'm guessing the NPC you are referring to is Theal, the one to the right of the tree? He has DR 12, so even with the mace I only got him to "badly injured" before dying through triple moonlike healing and savage defiance. That doesn't exactly seem "free" platemail. All attempts to hit the phantom in the temple using fan of flames without the figurine have failed, and I know of no method to stealth through or beat the Caed Nua hallway without the figurine. I'd love to know if there are possible ways, but I'm saying with the build I'm using, trying to follow the videos I have, I just don't see the possibilities yet.

I'd consider it, but I honestly don't know which NPC you're talking about who has the platemail. If I spend 1500-3000 gold on fine mail and/or blunting belt, that means I might kill the wolves, but I still don't get to level 4 and now will be 4000 gold behind the figurine. If I don't buy platemail and blunting belt, I have about 4000 gold after selling most everything good and disposable besides ingredients. 5599 XP.

At what level can you kill the bear though? Moonlike barbarian as well I assume. Which NPC is that? I tried armored plate just now, and had basically the same result I've had every time. Killed all the small wolves, died to the big wolf which was only "badly injured", using a mace no shield. Part of it might be that I'm using frenzy before fighting the big wolf, but I feel like using frenzy then would just make me get knocked down more often.

Don't think that's possible with level 3 barbarian. You take 40-50 or more slash damage crits from a single one of them (let alone 3), through 9 slash DR. Did you get the platemail from the backer NPC? Nope, I've been trying to avoid murdering NPCs to see if there's any way around it. I'll buy some platemail if the blacksmith has it and see if that makes any difference as a test.

I'd love to find a way to get to level 4 and try it. I feel like the game would have a lot of possibilities past Maerwald with barbarian. I found some extra XP and gold I missed in Valewood, but I still can't reliably kill the wolves in the bottom right corner. I've tried using a fine dagger, no shield. I've also tried using a mace, no shield. In both cases I used frenzy, savage defiance, and with the dagger even burned two endurance potions. I chokepoint the wolves so I fight one or two at a time. Even with all that, I always end up dying, usually shortly after fighting the big wolf. I don't know of any way to only pull one wolf, either.

Don't think that's possible with level 3 barbarian. You take 40-50 or more slash damage crits from a single one of them (let alone 3), through 9 slash DR.

You don't get any XP for killing NPCs. I just tried attacking Nonton, and then attacking the rogue in the house waiting for him. Got no XP, only the ring. No side quest, no failed quest, nothing.