Mask o' the Betrayer!

[Spider]

Although you really don't want to turn most undead you meet anyway. There is so much better things to do to them (hint: Eternal Rest).

[Pop]

So far I'm going to have to say that the CNPCs in this one are a lot better than the OC's. There isn't one that grates on the nerves even slightly.

[Pop]

It's also worth asking, how do you get the girl in the Well of Lurue to go to sleep, so that you can enter her dreams? I try waiting and sleeping until all different parts of the day, but she's always in there, pacing. Do I have to cast a sleep spell on her, or something?

[Avakki]

When you go to Slumbering Coven, you get an ability that allows you to step into her dreams.

[Pop]

When you go to Slumbering Coven, you get an ability that allows you to step into her dreams.

Yeah, I got that. I went there before I ever went to the Well of Lurue. So I went in and they told me to wait until she goes to bed to enter her dream, but she never goes to bed.

[Avakki]

Make sure that Gann is in your party, he's the trigger

[Pop]

Gann's there, and I have the hag's eye, and I've spoken to her and determined the Gann in her dreams is of her own design, and spoken to her father about it, and the girl keeps walking in a triangular pattern. I'd swear it was a throwback to PS:T.

[Zoma]

Strange, talking to the girl will give me the option to 'enter into dreamworld'.

 

Though it seems from the feedback in the forum, you're not the only one suffering from this bug. Hopefully Obs will fix it.

[Starwars]

It's pretty amusing how you can get large amounts of influence with One-of-Many (and Kaelyn to for that matter) by Bluffing/Lieing Kaelyn in her conversations. I feel kinda bad about it since Kaelyn is my favourite character, but hey... I'm playing an evil Warlock.

 

One-of-Many is pretty funny to bring along, pretty much evil incarnate. Highlight was allowing it to devour the Sleeper, and how happy it became when I devoured the Woodman. It was also satisfying to see that one witch (the one that is always really rude to you) break off from her two friends side after threatening to devour the witches and pretty much all of Rashemen. Bahahaha.

 

I'm usually not one for evil playthroughs, but I'm enjoying MotBs so far.

[Pop]

Durr

[jaguars4ever]

The nicest lich I've ever met!

 

 

This guy's obviously been to finishing school.

[Pop]

Just finished it with a human Bard 1 / Fighter 8 / Red Dragon Disciple 10 / Divine Champion 10. My character was pretty munchkin-y (nat 28 strength, nat 26 cha) and I had a good time, even if I wasn't terribly challenged. Next up is either Monk or Warlock, with a new race. Word up.

 

SPOILERZ FOR THE END TIMES:

 

I liked it a lot, actually, but I have a gripe in that I really, really wanted to tear that wall down. I realize that Kelemvor would've just squished me, but I came there with a purpose, damnit.

 

The Kaelyn ending, while inevitable, still saddened. Was there a way to stop that lich?

 

Not really agreeing with some of the gripes I've heard about the companions from the OC. Sure, it would've been nice to hear from more people than Bishop and Ammon Jerro (and a it would've been nice to see Jerro in the endgame as well) and to get a definitive status report on Sand and Githgirl, but it was adequate, at least.

 

Also, some silliness in regard to the "official" OC outcome - Elanee left the party? How many people actually had that happen to them? I know it clears the way for the Thayvian romance (nicely done with that, as well. It was mighty tasteful.) but still.

 

 

And man, I really wish they would've included epilogues for the CNPC that wasn't in your party at the end of the game. I split my playtime evenly between Gann and Kaelyn, made good progress with both, and went with Kaelyn to the endgame (mass heal was too good to pass up) so I'm a tad annoyed by Gann's absence at the end. Oh well.

 

OH HEY LOOK I'M LEVEL 5 WHAT NOW

Edited October 14, 2007 by Pop

[Zoma]

You can change Kaelyn's ending.

 

Before the battle at the Kelemvor city starts, choose to assist Rammaq in acquiring his tome. I won't spoil you what must be done during your quest, but you do have the chance to change Kaelyn's ending into a happier note.

 

 

 

Is it just me who thinks that romancing with Safiya will only result in another circle of doomed romance? She worships no deity(Check her character sheet) and I suspect if she dies, a dedicated and devoted PC would simply become another Akachi.

Edited October 15, 2007 by Zoma

[Oerwinde]

Also, some silliness in regard to the "official" OC outcome - Elanee left the party? How many people actually had that happen to them? I know it clears the way for the Thayvian romance (nicely done with that, as well. It was mighty tasteful.) but still.

 

If you don't use that conversation option then when you ask about your companions he says she died pushing you out of the way of falling debris. Either way, you're free to get it on with Safiya. Basically when he asks you what you remember, thats just determining the variables that were possible in the OC.

 

I laughed out loud at Gromnar's fate.

[Pop]

I laughed out loud at Gromnar's fate.

Who's Gromnar?

[Tigranes]

Grobnar.

 

MYYYY COOOONSTRUCT

[Pop]

In the shadow Mulsantir temple, there were 2 doors down a corridor to the west of the main chamber (when you enter the corridor the party is ambushed by vampire monks) that seemed to require a key to unlock. Where do you get the key?

 

It may have been the case that I needed the Myrkul high priest's key (that I dropped shortly after opening the lower vaults, I believe) but I wanted to double check.

[Tigranes]

Hrm. I've definitely been able to open them in my first playthrough (I haven't gone that far in 2nd yet). I actually got all the way up to the Betrayer's Gate even before going to Ashenwood (I wondered why it was so hard): but I couldn't open the two doors you talk about. Seemingly, I could when I returned, but I don't know what had changed.

 

If you dropped a key I'm sure you could go back and find it, loot on ground is permanent in MOTB.

 

Just finished Sunken Coven myself as evil 2nd playthrough, I really really hate the Skein just because the copious amounts of water make the whole place run on 3fps the whole time. It was rewarding going there with Gann though.

 

I killed the Coven by the way, damn they're annoying. Apparently you can get their essences, but I don't know how, and the Wood Man Essence + Large Charred Branch recipe isn't working. So much for the material benefits of eeeevil. Though I do like it that for once in a CRPG, you get significantly more material benefits for being evil than being good!

[tripleRRR]

So what did everyone think of the romances in MotB?

 

Finished the game romancing Safiya and going to work on Gann's at some point.

 

Safiya's romance was, to me anyway, very uninspired and uninvolved. I am very disappointed because I was hoping for a great improvement over the OC romance Elenee. Instead there was practically no "courtship" period, almost no flirting whatsoever, and a typically sappy "I love you!" declaration at the very last moment.

 

At least Gann promises to be somewhat more interesting, though usually I can't stand male NPC romances.

 

So those are my thoughts on the romances, anyone else have opinions?

 

I killed the Coven by the way, damn they're annoying. Apparently you can get their essences, but I don't know how, and the Wood Man Essence + Large Charred Branch recipe isn't working. So much for the material benefits of eeeevil. Though I do like it that for once in a CRPG, you get significantly more material benefits for being evil than being good!

 

 

You get the essense of the coven by using devour spirit to kill them. You can then use those essences to make a powerful mask, the more essences you use the more powerfull the mask. As for the charred branch I believe that is either used with the shape of fire's essence or gnarlthorn's essence, not the woodman's.

Edited October 18, 2007 by tripleRRR

[Pop]

I thought the romance was tastefully done, which is what I was expecting they'd go for after the, uh, ****fests of earlier D&D games.

 

Since I guessed Safiya's twist fairly early on, it actually worked a lot better, because I sort of incorrectly assumed that the romance was a repeat of history with the PC in the place of Akachi. It was another one of those elements that reminded me of PS:T, in that it was pretty subtle and didn't make a big show of trying to please the player.

[Tigranes]

See, that's what i thought, but it would keep getting Invalid Target.

 

Apparently 5 coven spirits gives you a helmet with +9 to three abilities, it would have been nice to have that. I also couldn't pick up Gnarlthorn's essence - and nobody's released MOTB item codes so I cant even cheat it in. Oh well.

 

Where's the woodman used for then?

[Zoma]

Actually, there's some flirting with Safiya moments during one of the conversation.

 

Regardless I do agree it would do well fleshing out more in a subtle manner(Preferbly in gestures and expression with minimal words) for Safiya's feelings towards the main PC gradually until the confession. I thought the Handmaiden in KOTOR2 does it very well.

[Cantousent]

I thought Safiya was better as a companion than a love interest. I'm shallow, but I want my in game love interest to have a sexy voice.

 

However, I agree with Pop that it was tastefully done. There were opportunities to flirt with Safiya, and I think it would be great to have an added layer to the influence system where they could be your steadfast ally, your love interest, or both. You know, you can become companions and entrust each other with your lives. You can fall in love with her, even though you wouldn't necessarily be friends. ...Or you can become friends and also find love. I don't mind the fact that some of the more flirty moments depend on the PC dialogue choices throughout the game. ...But if the PC doesn't find or choose those options, then Safiya should not become a love interest.

 

I didn't do much with the romances. I rarely do. I like playing female characters and, while I don't take offense at the idea, I'm just not into role-playing a romance with a male character. I mostly like playing females to look at female avatars. In NWN2, where the female avatars are not particularly appealing, especially elvish avatars, I've been playing male characters. Safiya makes a good Red Wizard but doesn't elicit much romantic feeling in me. Maybe because she is so detached in her mannerism. We don't choose love, of course. It chooses us. Love didn't choose Safiya for me and I'm not likely to choose her for myself.

 

However, I'll probably pursue romance the next time just because it's a good perk.

 

The two NPCs that I consider a must for devotion are Safiya and Okku. Safiya because I'm a mage and Okku because his perks fit in with my playing style the most.

[taks]

so, where did those that got the mystra's blessing from gamestop find it? it is apparently and item, and i even heard a rumor that there's some book with a quest you find in the same place, both in the barrows, yet i did not see it. i can add them through the debug console (well, the blessing), but i'd rather _find_ the damn thing since semi-paid for it... (no actual money, just the fact that i got it from gamestop).

 

taks

[Cantousent]

The books were supposed to be in a stack of scrolls next to a burnt out campfire very early in the lower barrow. In fact, that's where you fight the first barrow guardian also if I remember correctly. At one point, all three scrolls were there when we first tested, which meant we could make a pretty awesome weapon right away.