I am playing through 8.0.1 and finally got to level 10 and Verb. I am enjoying the new layout of the city (nice work Gaear!). I decided to start with the content that I know best, so I began with the drow invasion of the gnome quarters. The huge spiders took me off guard, they seem a lot harder than usual (damn you Gaear! ). However, what took me by surprise the most is the ancient white dragon. While he is normally a tough fight, he has 400+HP for me and fears 6 or 7 out of 8 of my characters for 10 turns. Is he really supposed to have this high of HP? I feel it is a little out of balance compared to the drow I fought beforehand.
Wait until you see Hickory Branch. I expected the drow and the dragon to be tougher, since all of the Verbobonc content has been placed after the fall of Zuggy (I think the last one I played to completion was 5.8.0). Placing it later and making it harder was a great idea, BTW.
Well, the SRD says 30d12+180 (375) for an ancient white. Throw in a 'Toughness' feat, or a toad , and a few too many 12s in those dice rolls, and its spot on.
The spiders and dragon are definitely a challenge when encountered between levels 10 - 13, which is where I'm usually at by the time I encounter this quest. I've always found the drow to be too easy though by that stage. Is there any reason why they are so low level in comparison to other enemy NPCs at that stage?
I know what you mean, I usually just have my cleric with the boots of speed on, run up between them and whisper the word "Holy".
There was indeed demand to toughen up the white dragon, which did make sense (and moreso as the NC was all quantified to late game) since the late game became progressively higher level with the post-Zugg switchover. We'll see about toughening up the drow too. It's all largely feedback-based, so keep feeding back.
The Drow need to be better equiped I think. Similar to the Slave traders probably, so they can hit you. By the time I get to Verb, My AC is so good, I rarely get hit by anything melee wise until I get to the traders. The dragon is a good fight though, fear really keeps the battle going good. Paladins come in handy fighting the dragon. :thumbsup:
When I send my fighter, paladin, barbarian into the fight they get hardly ever hit. It's only a challenge to keep away the thief, assasin like drows from my wizard. I would definetly enjoy drows with a significant higher attack bonus where my fighters really had to take care of themselfs. Maybe this is in general a problem of how you play the game. Like a lot of players I've been through the game quite a few times, so I know all of the more hidden ways in the game to get really every quest that is worthwhile (ambush in your house in Nulb f.e.). So I'm about lvl 13 or 14 when I reach the drow tunnels. When for a player of lvl 11 the content here would still be a challenge for someone of lvl 14 it is rather routine.
I find that the underground difficulty is perfect, the dragon is tough but with greater heroism om the fighters you can at least fight it on fair terms. Using holy word with the drow is a bit much as if you are level 13 you should be able to cope without it. (holy word is too powerful, should be a level 9 spell) I remember one fight with the drow when they managed to keep me from their spell casters. Then after 6 rounds or so it got nasty, all kind of fog from the wizards and the cleric cast the anti holy word spell that crushed me. But usually i can eliminate the casters in a few rounds and then it is a walkover. So maybe some better protection orlet them join the fight when you enter the first drow/spider room
I agree the ol "Boots of speed and Holy" is a cheesy tactic, but it's fun. heh heh I wonder how tough it would be if we ended up fighting a group that is well trained and practiced in the art of war that is NOT of the evil nature? Maybe a warband that is LN and mistakes my party for some other group. :yikes:
The drow in the gnome tunnels and the drow in the Gnarley Forest need to be made significantly more powerful because they are absolute pushovers at the moment!
Agree re the Season of the Witch drow- I used to play this as soon as possible, which used to be about level 8 or 9 I think. I can't remember where it now falls (post WOTGS??) but in my last playthrough only one drow even lived long enough to take an action...
