Balor

My last game was many mods ago, I beat the Balor with a lvl 8 party from what I remember and beat up but alive.

I'm 11 now with Ronald as well and this new balor is summoning and using fear and I can't penetrate it with my spells (the fear).

What are good tactics on this thing and anything that can really resist this fear?

 

I killed him just once, 3 people killed and then my game crashed.

The most frustrating part of this battle is his use of fear. Calm emotions I'm lucky if 1 in 5 uses its successful on 1 of my 6 characters, so I'm left waiting at least 10 rounds plus the 0 round for this affect to wear off.

I'm throwing a constant wave of earth elementals at him in order to stall time. When it does wear off he uses cheap death spells to knock people off.

 

A few suggestions, most character specific:

Bard: start your courage song before the battle, it helps with your saves, Bard can also countersong the fear effect.

Cleric: bless, protection from evil 10' before battle, then early in the battle Prayer, helps you, hurts him. If you can get off some summons for cannon fodder before the prayer, it will help them too.

Druid: summons are obvious, but try an Entangle, I've had it effect him on a couple of occasions, couldn't hurt.

All your spell casters: you did get the Feat Spell Penetration, helps vs magic resistance.

Wiz/Sor/Cleric: If you got nothing else, try dismissal. Now I have never had it work, but if your spell caster is level 10+, with spell focus/ greater spell focus (to increase your DC) you can beat his save. The few times I tried it he rolled a high save (maybe not a coincidence) so it should be possible.

Also before this fight, it would be a good time to Create a few things for your frontliners: best Holy/ Axiomatic weapon possible. Also amulets of health +6 really can help. Cloaks of resistance (for the fear effect), belts of giant strength.

Monk: Now here is how I beat him on two occassions (due to crashing right after the first). My 12th level 1/2 orc monk, with Belt of Giant Strength +6, Gloves of Dex +6 (borrowed from rogue who couldn't hit the ocean from the beach), Amulet of Natural weapon +3 hit him a few times with dual weilded Holy Kamas+2, along with fighter weildinf Frag. Doing decent damage, but getting waled upon, went for a trip attack and got him! So i surrounded him with everybody, and as he tried to get up everybody got a free shot on him. When it was the monks turn again, repeat the trip attack. I got him 3 out of 4 times. Also he looks funny lying on the ground. Just pounded him while he was down and eventually wore him out.

 

I forgot my potions of protection against outsiders and magic that might help. Thanks for suggestions.

I summon lots of earth elementals (I now have 3 elemental nodes in the skull).

With Ronald crafting I'm adding axiomatic, they want alot experience it seems for it.

I'm going to do the Moathouse repawn then try him again.


BTW: so I've learned you need to be lawful and have law domain to get axiomatic, the knowledge will help to earn it earlier on in next game. So what do I need to get the KEEN ability on a weapon?

Way I look at it I'm trying a NG party next. Cleric, lawful good. Will do the axiomatic and holy upgrade and maybe a druid for other upgrades. I want Keen so I was wondering what setup to have for that and if I'll need the wizard (burst opinions) require mage spells right?

 

Keen = Keen Edge spell (a 3rd or 4th lvl arcane spell) so you would need a Wizard/Bard/Sorcerer (Wizard is the best bet) to craft it. But it doesn't stack with Improved Critical, so I rarely use it in ToEE.

Bursting only requires a higher level (10th instead of 7th-8th mostly) so if you can put Flaming on your weapon with a Cleric or Druid, you will be able to put Flaming Burst on it when he gets to 10th level.

 

TRIPPING THE BALOR??!! :yikes:

Now THAT'S funny!!

I'd love to see a screen shot of that!! :thumbsup:

 

Good to know. I think I'll stick with axiomatic, holy and as many burst bonses as I can get on it.

Now that I know more of the quests I'm wondering what order is best to do them in?

My thought so far is:

Hommlet quests (any I undertake)
Moathouse
Emridy Meadows (except giant)
Deklo Grove
Orc Lair
Gar Quest
Moathose repawn - Gnarly Woods (Is it a week before it repawns)?
Temple quests
Verbonoc Quest
Finish Temple - and nodes
Endgame battle.

I don't know where Hickory Branch fits in, how hard is it?

 

I'm also trying to plan my next party. I want them strong but a little different.

This one was mostly pure, a fighter (longsword), a barbarian (longspear), Rogue/Ranger (dagger and longbow), wizard and a cleric. I also had ronald for extra healing, but am considering getting by with 5 people and 1 healer if I can manage it.

Next time I want my cleric crafter doing axiomatic and holy so I'm thinking a nuetral good party instead of a chaotic good one. I keep imagining a Monk with spiked chain. Considering a druid to. If I take a bard he'll use the longsword this time. I may duel him to a rogue, can I get by without a rogue? I've also been thinking of a fighter with great axe specialty.

I'm trying to round it at 5 people and I want burst so so I think I need a mage.

With magic resistants the way they are I'm surprised no one has gone the BG2 route and made spells like lower spell resistance.



And it was suggested to me to select longspear, I still can't see why it was chosen over the seemingly superior Ranseur that does more damage. I thought there might have made magic longspears in the game, but I havn't seen any thus far.

 

Spiked chains aren't monk weapons, so you can't use them with flurry (and it will cost a feat to use). A fighter probably makes a better spiked chain guy.

 

For fighter types, both glaive and ranseur are superior damaging reach weapons - but the longspear is a simple weapon, so it is a good choice for druid/cleric/rogue if you want to go with reach. In fact, I think a longspear is a great choice for a cleric or druid: it gives him the ability to stand behind your frontliners and still be able to hit the opponent without risking AoOs when you need to cast healing or other spells in combat. Extended reach sneak attacks and multiple AoO sneak attacks (rogue with Combat Reflexes) is fun, too.

 

I persionally never use a rouge, just don't like them. Tried a coupple of times and just didn't appeal. Yes they are handy for oppening locks, but there are ways
round that like the wizars's knock spell (love that one).

You could allways use furnock, (or whatever his name is, the gambling one). If you don't want a NPC ( yet another thing I never have) you could allways use his services and open that chest then dissmiss him untill the next one.

 

I've got a human rogue/ranger (go with rogue first for the skill points) dual weilding mighty cleavers, they are cheap and you can buy one early on in Homlett. Then upgrade to masterwork, then craft them to magical later on. You can finesse them, as they are light weapons. He is a killing machine, just make sure NOT to give him improved initiative as you want him going after someone else (although you could just move him down the line order) so he always fights someone flanked for sneak attack ability. With just a 14 STR he did 57 points of damage to a troll at 5th level (3/2).

 

Uh, no they're not. Great Cleavers use the handaxe weapon proficiency (handaxe is a light finessable weapon,) but they are medium weapons that should most definitely not be finessable. I know they don't count as light weapons for dual-wielding.

 

I can agree with you there. I have a level 6/6 Rogue/Ranger using a dagger doing well. Her backstab helps out a lot as well.

I am thinking of going without a rogue though next time and scribing knock scrolls.