Ironman: Icewind Dale

[Oner]

Soon.

 

Once again the day is saved, thanks toooo

Onerpuff Posts!

Edited August 30, 2010 by Oner

[Tigranes]

And so we come to the end of our IWD adventure. An LP that reaches the end - yeah, I know, I'm shocked as well. I guess Haste really makes miracles. Thanks for the support guys, the monkeys are really really appreciative.

 

The Obsidianites are pretty confident going into the final encounter - they've managed to beat off the dragon and other tough enemies fairly well. The downside is that I really can't remember anything about what happens in here, so I can't really prepare.

 

Is this actually a safe place, I can't remember? Of course, every death-defying, seasoned adventurer knows that you judge the safety of a resting spot by the puffiness of the pillows.

 

We appreciate how the game likes to tell us what's going on when there are imposters, people with hidden agendas or backstabbers in our midst with helpful labels. Games were sure dumbed down back before 2006.

 

We get a group of false pomabs. I think this is simple, but we are forced to revise our opinion: the Pomabs won't take damage. I soon work out that the sentry has to be down knocked out before the respective pomab can be killed off.

 

Thankfully, the lightnning bolts are easy to avoid...

 

Bye, False Pomab. I'd have prefered a good old high level mage, actually, maybe, say, an 18th or 19th level one that casts Minor Globe of Invulnerability, Mirror Image & Stoneskin before battle. IWD really lacks a good magefight.

 

We commit a potentially fatal error here by clicking on a mirror in the next area, which immediately teleports us to the final battle. We hardly cast a spell against Pomab, but this is still bad news... Poquelin/Belhifet gives the exposition.

 

A long exposition.

 

Monty tries to use his razor sharp wit again to confuse his demented enemies.

 

However, it doesn't work, and Everard is forced to intervene, giving his life to... well, seal the portal that Poquelin JUST unsealed. Talk about futility.

[Tigranes]

And so the battle begins. We know that iron giants pack a punch and will take a while to bring down - they present the immediate threat. We recast the standard Haste + Hopefulness + Recitation combo, then retreat to a corner.

 

As predicted they are hefty, but Wals does a good job healing up Monty and we can use all our remaining potions of heroism / invulnerability. After a Greater Malison, Numbers FOD's a Cornugon.

 

Soon, the critters are dead and we can focus on Belhifet - who seems to be immune to all ranged weapons I have, rendering Purkake useless (which he sadly has been for the last ~3 updates, really). The traps are very annoying as Purk can't disable with max traps, and they dispel our buffs.

 

We face a dangerous moment when Numbers' Horrid Wilting (item ability) kills our own summons, and leaves Belhifet unharmed... but Monty swings and swings and swings...

 

And he's down. Too easy. The game gives a longwinded ending with a nice photo shoot of the brave Obsidianites. The artist's creative license, it seems, has extended to giving Numbers a pair of gazongas.

 

OK, that was a bit too anticlimactic - HOW & TOTLM really overlevelled us for this, maybe. So here, just a treat, we're going to try this again on Insane (we played on Core, remember). Same spells and same opening - but that 2x damage really hurts and the Iron Giants knock out Volourn in the first 3 turns (50 freaking damage!).

 

With the increased damage we just can't hold on long enough to keep up a steady front, and are forced to run amok getting hits in when we can. Unfortunately, Belhifet then decides to teleport behind our spellcasters and issue his periodic flame blast, killing off mkreku and numbers.

 

Well, it's not the end of the world. Wals has 2 scrolls of Raise dead and we should be able to get it back together. He goes for Numbers first... bad idea. the casting takes longer than I thought and the iron giants squish Wals with one hit just as numbers is back. Now we can't revive any more, and Monty remains the only real melee damage-dealer.

 

We get the cornugons down pretty quick, as Purk's piercing arrows can damage them, and Monty manages to actually bring down the iron giants on his own, with some shielding from numbers' earth elementals. That's where our luck ends, though, as belhifet casts a fire storm (does he only do that in insane?) and takes out Purk.

 

After that, well, not even finger of death did a thing against Belhifet - I really hate hyper MR enemies, it takes the fun out of boss fights. So I have numbers distract while Monty heals and swings and heals and swings. Belhifet's down to Almost Dead here, Numbers is dead, and it's the Tunnel Fighter against the Final Boss, mano e mano...

[Tigranes]

...but he doesn't make it. He had gone through 2 haste spells and an oil of speed by this time, so that cumulative fatigue struck again, and he was just making a lot of Critical Misses. I think if Wals was a bit more prudent with the Raise Dead and one more fighter had survived we'd have made it, or if Monty had landed one or two more hits, though - a heroic attempt on Insane.

 

And thus ends the heroic adventures of the Obsidianites, who, in canon, live to see another day. The final body-count (before Belhifet fight) reveals an incredible 689 kills for Monty, now labelled the Genocide Machine.

 

Volourn comes second, with a respectable 467 kills, and of course a lot of laying on of hands, on himself and others. A true hero of the cause.

 

The big surprise is Sir Mkreku Diesalot, clocking in at 455. He did grow more useful after we got Haste, I suppose, but a real dark horse nonetheless.

 

After that it's numbers at 233, not bad for a pure mage - and also has the credit of felling Yxunomei, who has sent many an ironman party to their graves. He did hog all the area damage spells, so that would have helped.

 

Unlucky Purkake comes just behind at 226, and he surely would have been fourth if not for his inability to do anything more than nick people by the end of the journey. I guess that's what you get with pure thieves, but his recon really was valuable all throughout.

 

And finally - we have wals at 115. I was quite surprised by how low it was, he had his fair share of melee combat. I guess he just showed up then didn't do much there. I really don't know what I was thinking - he should have been a treehugger instead.

 

And there you have it gentlemen. Icewind Dale Ironman is complete. Depending on the weather and bird entrails, the party might resurface for an icewind dale 2 run in the near future - probably with the same or similar party. In fact, feel free to comment on your favourite members from this run that should be kept, and new ones you'd like to see!

[HoonDing]

I still have no idea what Belhifet is supposed to be. A baalor? He looks more like a crossbreed of a rakshasa and a minotaur.

[WorstUsernameEver]

I still have no idea what Belhifet is supposed to be. A baalor? He looks more like a crossbreed of a rakshasa and a minotaur.

 

He looks cooler than the official art (of the 3rd ed. at least) Balors though.

[Hassat Hunter]

Probably HOW and such yeah. When I did that battle before HOW I only had one party member who could even harm the guy, immunity to all the rest .

 

And the Poteb's... I remember reading in the walkthrough that the sentries are supposed to arrise again, but for me, they chuncked and stayed dead during that battle. Made it quite a bit easier :D. No idea why though.

 

And, nice LP. Congrats on actually making it on Ironman, I probably would have been ended right after leaving Easterwind 0_0.

Looking forward to IWD2 (do it!). I remember, due to a certain conversation, I hoarded each and every catbody I found to the end battle. Might be an idea for you for some weird creepy variation .

[sorophx]

I remember, due to a certain conversation, I hoarded each and every catbody I found to the end battle.

oh so I don't really have to? those are pretty heavy and take up space in my bag of holding. can I throw 'em away bury 'em finally?

[Hassat Hunter]

Well, I heard it brings good luck in the North, so you better hold on to them .

[Slowtrain]

Awesome Iron Man run. Making it that far is just as good as finishing, really. The kill numbers are pretty nuts, I had forgotten how much pure slaughter was in that game.

[Monte Carlo]

I am awesome, even when I'm in someone else's game.

 

Monty must return in IWD2, can I have a couple of rogue levels for the sneak attack given it's 3E elements?

 

Sneak attacking with a 6' long halberd is too cool for skool.

[mr insomniac]

That was truly epic. Thanks for the entertainment Tigranes.

 

Looking forward to seeing IWD2. I only ever completed it once, back when it first came out, and all I really remember is the Ice Temple *shudder*

[WorstUsernameEver]

Awesome Iron Man run. Making it that far is just as good as finishing, really. The kill numbers are pretty nuts, I had forgotten how much pure slaughter was in that game.

 

Ehrm, maybe I misinterpreted but didn't Tig finish the game and then retried the final battle at Insane just for fun?

[Enoch]

I'd suggest at least a little tinkering with the lineup in IWD2-- that solo unarmed portion would be absolute murder on Ironman without a Monk or Druid in the party.

[Big Bottom]

IWD games should always be played with a druid.

[Slowtrain]

Awesome Iron Man run. Making it that far is just as good as finishing, really. The kill numbers are pretty nuts, I had forgotten how much pure slaughter was in that game.

 

Ehrm, maybe I misinterpreted but didn't Tig finish the game and then retried the final battle at Insane just for fun?

 

 

I may have gotten lost somewhere along the way. lol

[HoonDing]

I'm not sure whether I'm looking forward to the horrors of 3rd edition D&D.

[Tigranes]

Yep, Core Belhifet died too fast so I tried Insane.

 

I'm gonna need you guys to help me tinker the party for IWD2, I'm still not very good with 3E rules and often make crippled characters. I really suck at mixing matching different class levels.

 

I think Wals will definitely convert to druid, and as Monty says we can give him a couple rogue levels, what else? We might consider changing/ditching Volo into a different type of character altogether, and Purk needs to change form pure rogue as well.

 

In my previous walkthroughs I've identified a few trouble spots (for me): the game seems to be designed with a couple of 'checkpoint' hurdles where if you've designed a bad party or have done a couple of dumb things you really can't beat them. Sherincal is one, the child-kidnapping witch-dragon is another. Hell, even Targos is dangerous.

[HoonDing]

There's an awesome LP of IWD2 on youtube:

 

This person basically min-maxed his party and went through everything like a Sherman tank through paper.

Edited August 30, 2010 by virumor

[Slowtrain]

I only got through IWD2 by resting a lot. The Ice Temple was a true test of will to keep playing through. Haven't played any D&D crpgs since.

[Gorth]

It's been too long since I've played IWD2, I keep confusing options and abilities with NWN2 (having played a lot of SoZ recently)

[I want teh kotor 3]

All this is making me wanna bootcamp to win95...

[Tigranes]

OK, I've just installed IWD2 and have designed a party which I think is sufficiently powergamey enough to survive. Feedback? I'll set this up soon... mostly the same party butwith some changes.

 

(3 Rogue) + Fighter, Dwarf

(1 Sorc) + Monk, Half-Orc

(2 Pal) + Sorc, Aasimar

Druid + (1Barb), Half-Elf

Wiz, Drow

Rogue + (1Ranger), Halfling

 

Maybe take out 1 Sorc for the monk as it gets the XP penalaty.

[Gorth]

OK, I've just installed IWD2 and have designed a party which I think is sufficiently powergamey enough to survive. Feedback? I'll set this up soon... mostly the same party butwith some changes.

 

(3 Rogue) + Fighter, Dwarf

(1 Sorc) + Monk, Half-Orc

(2 Pal) + Sorc, Aasimar

Druid + (1Barb), Half-Elf

Wiz, Drow

Rogue + (1Ranger), Halfling

 

Maybe take out 1 Sorc for the monk as it gets the XP penalaty.

Is it worth it having Aasimar and Drow as spell casters? Isn't the level penalty (especially for the drow) more a hindrance than whatever other benefits they may get.

[Monte Carlo]

Make your spellcasters non ECL races, and install Undead Targos mod.

 

Rog 3 / Ftr 'X' is all you need, am just after the sneak attack bonus.