"Something about Meleny"

:gotmyatte The issue of using Meleny as an NPC has been discussed several times in the threads,but even so what is she exactlly?

Your wife is a Druid of Beory,albeit very poor stats. You can find this via the 'levelup' console command or by playing.

STR: 8
DEX: 13
CON: 12
INT: 10
WIS: 17
CHR: 15

So how can you make her survivable and useful in game? He strength means she can carry little and she is also hunted by most nasties you encountered,that is they run past you and head for her! When you encounter the assassin and 250hp BugBear Temple Guards..yeah well you understand..:doublethu

In battle I have used: Sling + Scimitar + Leather Armour + QStaff,and barely manages,at current 3rd,she uses entangle and the Fungi Figurine. Her party use is Read magic scrolls and CLWounds&Heal skill. And has a pet wolf. But for survivability this has been not enough,so at 20th level mod,I ask what class can you use her for,apart from Druid??? She can not use Wizard,only Sorcerer,and she is LN..accessing the Monk.

On stat upgrade I use WIS(4th)/DEX(8th)/STR(12&16) and CHR(20th),just ideas. I select MONK as second class so she can ditch armour and use wisdom bonus(+4 AC) and by 3rd level she can run faster and have defensive bonuses-evasion&deflect arrows,and the tumbling skill to escape unhurt. I go to 3rd druid then to Monk for 3 levels before resuming druid(I have another Druid already in party). Meleny can pick up +3 Armour Bracers in Nulb also for sale and Gloves of Dex +2&+4,in addition to Rings +1 and other things.

Any suggestions for mwah Honey???

And yeah she gets eaten by Ochre jellies sad tale...:sadblinky

 

Hi Kylan
I always leave Meleny as a Druid. I usually equip her with a crossbow and leather armor, and stick her in the middle of the party. What really stinks, is the way the game handles your "marching order". I usually save before and after every major battle, because I know the game will screw up my marching order, and Meleny will end up out in front when (for example) I encounter Zert and friends after killing Lareth. To be honest with you, I never bother to get Meleny (or any ranger or druid in my party) an animal companion, because, as far as I am concerned, they don't last long and don't do much (if any) good. I like to use Meleny as a "Fire Support Specialist" and a crafter. The spells that I pick for Meleny are Entangle, Produce Fire, Barkskin, Call Lightning, Call Lightning Storm, Ice Storm, and Flamestrike. For feats I usually pick "Craft Wondrous Item" and "Craft Magic Arms and Armor". I just realized that one of the things that Meleny can do (at higher levels) is to craft an item that allows her to Wildshape into a Hill Giant. Give her a spear, have her Wild Shape into a Giant and look out !
TRC

 

Hi Kylan

This is only true if you don't encounter (and kill) an Ochre Jelly at some point during the adventure. I have played the game several times and have never received the "Meleny got eaten by an Ochre Jelly" message at the end of the game. If I remember correctly there are one or two Ochre Jellies on either Level 3 or Level 4 of the Temple, just search and destroy.
TRC

 

Belt of Giant Strength works wonders for her, if just the carrying capacity. Have her drop the wolf, pick up a jackel until she can get a bear. Wildshape works great for melee combat, but just keep her back and use a sling. Better than a crossbow since she can throw 2 stones vs 1 bolt. She makes a good crafter until you find the trader who has it all.

 

Mel's stats are well within reason if you are using a point-buy party Quite good, in that case, really.

Have you tried a jackal for low levels and brown/polar bears for higher levels? They seem to make a huge difference and have very healthy hit points. They are particularly good if you take care of them (healing). In addition, should they die, you can always summon another a day later. Every little bit counts!

 

As I've said before: Console her to a 1/2 orc with 18 str. Give her the Unholy Doubleaxe. Viola! Perky Death.:dead::chick:

 

I was thinking of console her up,but heck,let me see what I can cook for the missus?

I do not know the stats between WOLF & JACKAL? Just select wolf as in wilds a wolf is stronger,real life???

I give her crafting also for special Druid items,but I heard about some Monk Belt also but missed somewhere?

She is vulnerable and yep the marching order gets screwed so she becomes point man with a big "HIT ME!" sign on her upon encounters.

I use the Sling as quicker and less weight more than anything,but if OK weight I use Light CrossBows. She can carry "chunks of Meat" at no weight also(Lodriss&WelcomeWench- acting as 'Cure Minor Wounds')as my 'nurse'.

Animal companions are to distract an enemy from targeting you,that is their purpose,so i find them useful. She has the Fungi Figurine as bonus.

Spells,well I know the higher level ones,but now she is 3rd..so entanglement and produce flame are the normal..until later. Same with shapechanging have to wait.

I accidentally met Zuggotomy once and took the gems,lol,ending the game. The ending says we lived happily until she and then her sister got eaten by jellies,lol.

 

As the senior modders taught me some time ago, the way to protect Meleny, Spuggy, etc... when entering a new map is to arrange their icons after the PC. So, normally, you put your face-man in slot 0 (MUST BE A PC), then the weaklings in slots 1,2, and your skull bashers in slots 5,6,7 (assuming full-size party of 8).

The marching order means nothing when changing maps! When going through a portal, use your slot 0 man to enter and all the others will be arranged around him in order.

So, no more whining about Meleny! Mine rarely gets attcked.

 

Sorry I am greatful for the tips on party order,but AI always sends some bestie after Meleny,even if far away. I gave her a Ring of Invis to avoid combat also. It is a frequent event. The AI seeks the 'weakest' link,ie low hps/AC or Wizards it seems in its attack planning. Your Mel is lucky! I think I will add Fruella to scare anything off!!!

 

Ah, yes! Fruella is awesome! Nevermind the overpowered Cleaver, use Combat Expertise to move around for tactical advantage, then trip.

I agree with you about the AI going after the weakest link - especially orcs. ToEE has the smartest damn orcs in all of Oerth! If you believe or know the enemy will blitz, you can Ready: Approach and try to trip them when they come.

I find the tricky thing is dealing with archers that Ready vs. Spell. For me, that is what hurt my Mel.

 

Druids are, bar none, the best Battlefield Control spellcasters in ToEE. At early levels Entangle is any party's best friend, and by the middle levels Spike Stones and Spike Growth, plus Summon Nature's Ally X, are all great for slowing and harming enemy melee troops.

Granted, Meleny's got a crappy STR . . . and Wild Shape is no help with carrying capacity . . . but as others have already said you can pretty much cure that with a Belt of Giant Strength, which she can craft herself given the right feats.

Her great battlefield control spells, however, aren't a helluva lot of good to anyone if she doesn't get to go until every frikkin' monster in the room has already moved up into melee. I recommend giving her Improved Initiative as quickly as possible, and getting her a pair of Gloves of Dexterity as soon as you can. Combat Casting is a nice addition (if she doesn't start with it, I forget), but unnecessary as long as you crank up her Concentration skill for those monsters that get by her spells, animal companion and summoned allies. And you SHOULD crank up her Concentration skill, as most of a Druid's skills (diplomacy and party-assistance skills like Survival) either can't be used by NPCs or seem to have no effect.

BTW "animal companion" in this game should be used interchangeably with "meat shield". It's there to soak up damage points for the Druid. Take the highest-HP-capacity creature you can find (as courteld said earlier, Jackal, Brown Bear, Polar Bear), kit it out with Barkskin, Bear's Endurance and (maybe) Magic Fang/Greater Magic Fang, and put it between Meleny and the enemy. Usually they'll go after the animal companion if it's closer than Meleny is.

Oh . . . Dragonhide Plate. That's all I'm sayin' . . .

 

Hi Kylan
Last night (or more accurately early this morning: 3 AM) I finally managed to clear the Fish Hunt with a 3rd Level party. Below are a few notes on what worked and what didn't.

TRC

 

Hi Grinner

TRC

 

Why does everyone complain about this point? I gave her Troll Bone Armor (which should be Heavy Armor and thus non-proficient) and a large wooden shield +1, which is only paid for with blood - not coin. Yes, she complains a lot, but that is to be expected :blink:. Does she complain if she is Wild Shaped? Her encumbrance drops to zero, that I know. The only hassle is that you can't manipulate her inventory. If Wildshape gets her to shut up then Natural Spell is a must.

I manipulated protos.tab and gave her Spell Focus (conj.) and Augment Summoning instead of her original feats. I think NONE of the Druid offense spells are Conjuration. I then gave her two Craft feats for 3rd and 6th, which I hardly use, and Natural Spell at 9th (used only a few times). When I use her for a new campaign, I will probably try Spell Focus (Transmutation) and only one Craft feat.

As you can see, I prefer her as a spell caster rather than as a fighting bear. The buff items don't work when she's shapechanged, do they?

 

Hi Basil

TRC