10 replies to this topic

[T.G.Maestro]

I was wondering if it is only me, or did anyone else find this battle the most difficult encounter in the entire expansion (HotU). I'm talking about the encounter where you have to face Grimgnaw, Balpheron, Kloth, Maugrim and Crimson all at once. To be honest, I was bathing in sweat after I finally managed to bring them down (Protagonist: 10th level Fighter, 24th level Blackguard, Nathyrra: 10th level Mage, 4th level Rogue, 10th level Assassin, Aribeth: 16th level Paladin, 8th level Blackguard). Actually, I had to quicksave the game after each successful kill, and reload from that "safe point" after the other opponents beat me to death again and again...
Mephistopheles at the end (in his full power) was nothing compared to this battle IMO. Gods, he never even used his Hellball...

So again, is it only me, or is this battle slightly too difficult at that point of the game?

[Archmage Silver]

Aye, 'tis difficult for certain characters. My level 10 fighter/ level 22 sorcerer made the battle easier, but with other chars it was more difficult i.e my level 20 paladin/ level 13 cleric had some big troubles with it.

[Feanor]

I was wondering if it is only me, or did anyone else find this battle the most difficult encounter in the entire expansion (HotU). I'm talking about the encounter where you have to face Grimgnaw, Balpheron, Kloth, Maugrim and Crimson all at once. To be honest, I was bathing in sweat after I finally managed to bring them down (Protagonist: 10th level Fighter, 24th level Blackguard, Nathyrra: 10th level Mage, 4th level Rogue, 10th level Assassin, Aribeth: 16th level Paladin, 8th level Blackguard). Actually, I had to quicksave the game after each successful kill, and reload from that "safe point" after the other opponents beat me to death again and again...
Mephistopheles at the end (in his full power) was nothing compared to this battle IMO. Gods, he never even used his Hellball...

So again, is it only me, or is this battle slightly too difficult at that point of the game?

It's difficult because of the NWN style, regarding the impossibility of controlling your henchmen. If you have a character who can use scrolls, cast Time Stop several times and you can hack the whole bunch of them into pieces. If you don't have the Timestop option, you are in trouble.

[T.G.Maestro]

I'd like to correct my stats: my protagonist was level 10 (fighter) and level 14 (Blackguard). Not a 24th level Blackguard as I wrote earlier...

Have you still got the stone from under the beholder tunnels that negates magic?

Nope. I haven't been in the Beholder lair.

spell casters are your highest priority targets. I?d suggest killing Maugrim first, as Belpheron may throw area damage spells that hurt his own side

Um, actually, my biggestproblem was Kloth the Minotaur - his attacks inflict damage between 30-50 (without any criticals), and that is enough to rip apart anyone in my party. :glare: My 400 HP won't help that much here.

Oh, and forget Crimson, she does nothing serious

Once she starts melee, she never deals under 50 points of damage - and seem to have a most nasty Attack score...

[T.G.Maestro]

raise your defence as high as you can with Expertise/Improved Expertise so he doesn't hit so often

I haven't picked those feats.

doesn't the Blackguard have Summon Fiend as a class ability or epic feat? That should give you another melee combatant.

At that point I only had Summon Fiend, and that goes down rather quickly against any of these opponents, even the spellcasters. The same goes for Summon Undead.

She's a typical rogue/assassin type, really effective when flanking but horribly vulnerable to an all out attack.

Well, not entirely for me: first, she is under the effects of Improved Invisibility, granting her 50% concealment. And as strange as it may seem, my characters had a moderately hard time hitting her, especially since she keeps running away once she gets hurt.

Anyway, I already passed this battle -as I said in my first post- I was merely curious about the opinions of others.

[Gothic Rose]

I didnt have any problems with that battle. I was playing opposite of you PC-wise, though. Paladin 12/Champion of Torm 12, or something like that. Nathyrra, and Aribeth (paladinic aribeth).

I just charged in, smote the cleric, then the wizard, then mopped up. Geek the mages first, as they say in Shadowrun.

[taza]

The battle fits in there just fine difficulty-wise.

My first HotU char just cleaved trough them, starting with the spellcasters. Same with Vix'thra and Memphi though...

Ok, maybe it was because I was playing a bard. They're damn uber.

If you can't handle melee, get the sneaker first and then the minotaur - if you can, get rid of the spellcasters. Use lots and lots of Heal potions too.