need advice for Avernum 1

[clemmie]

I managed to finish off the Nepharim fort without getting the demonslayer pommel. Now, when I go back, I can't search the sarcophagus to get it. Is there any other way in? Can I kill off Haakai without it?

 

Thanks!

[Micawber]

You don't need demonslayer to fight haakai, it merely does a little extra damage.

 

Are you sure you're looking in the correct Nepharim fort? The demonslayer pommel is in the one by the lake, west of Fort Duvno.

[Randomizer]

Demonslayer does extra damage versus demons, but there are plenty of other nice weapons. Especially since in Avernum 1 it is two-handed. The only place it is really worth it is the big fight with Grah-Hoth.

[The Mystic]

Personally, I don't bother using Demonslayer against anything; I just find it, repair it, and sell it.

 

Thanks to all my characters being priests (slightly unrelated note: they're also all mages), I prefer to use Repel Spirit at level 3.

[Randomizer]

I like to have a couple of fighters for carrying all that heavy loot and dealing with mung demons and other spell energy drainers.

[clemmie]

Thanks, guys. I got past Haakai easily but am having more trouble with Grah-Hoth (sp?). I lose too many spell points getting to him. Any suggestions for that one?

 

Clemmie

[The Mystic]

Get some Energy potions and elixirs, as well as some Potions of Clarity. A few speed potions per PC wouldn't hurt, either. I also recommend anything that can do extra damage to demons.

Quote:

Originally written by Randomizer:

I like to have a couple of fighters for carrying all that heavy loot and dealing with mung demons and other spell energy drainers.

By the time I face them, my combination archmage/high priest PCs also have quite a bit of strength to bring everything home, too; in fact, I pretty much work on all three of these at once. It's a very expensive route, I know, but rewarding when your PCs can literally carry their own weight--and sell it for twice the price (I load up on Barter too).

[Ephesos]

It's a lot easier if you can get the skill points to give your fighter one level of mage/priest spells. Then, the mung demons will try to dumfound the fighter, rendering them ineffective.

 

Basically, haste and bless your fighter as much as possible, hand them Demonslayer, haste your priest to allow for healing and demon-smiting in the same round, and Slow the other demons (if it's possible... I can't remember). After a handful of reloads, I got this to work in A1.

[The Loquacious Lord Grimm]

Useable items are your friends.

Heroic brews can do wonders to influence battles, when used properly.

If used in conjunction with potions of protection, energy elixirs, and certain scrolls, you can effectively take out any size force with a suitably trained party.

 

There is a trick technique involving line-of-sight that you may also be able to use.

This involves getting your party along a wall near a corner, so that you can't see the enemy that you expect to be there, and they can't see you.

Casting spells like Beast Ceremony, Battle Frenzy (bless), Haste L3, Arcane Shield, Divine Warrior, etc, becomes a breeze, as your enemy does not know you are there.

Once you finish your casting, go into combat (if you haven't done so already) and wait a full round (that's wait, not parry) before rushing the enemy.

In my experience, even Grah-Hoth and his minions can't respond fast enough to that.

 

Yes, you will lose a lot of MP, so keep those potions handy and those casters going.

Your priest with Dispel Spirit L3 is indespensable in keeping the lesser demons away from your melee fighters. Worst comes to worst, lightning is an effective demonic deterrent.

 

--------------------

The Silent Assassin has gone off to admire the snow.

Finally, some peace and quiet.

[Emperor Tullegolar]

What's this? You don't want Demonslayer?!? Look, you can defeat demons without it, but you really should get it anyway, otherwise you're missing out on an important Avernum tradition.

 

The pommel is not in the Nephilim Fortress, but the 'Underground Fort,' which is indeed West of Fort Duvno. It's full of nepharim, not nephilim. Far Northwest corner of the fort, search the sarcophagus.

 

Do it! Otherwise, how are future adventurers supposed to have access this most famous of blades?

[Randomizer]

I found that if you prepare all your characters with spells before the big battle it helps. Divine Warrior and level 3 haste are a must. Since you know where it is you know when to get ready.

 

When actually attacking send your fighters after the mung demons and have you spell casters hang back and deal with all those others in the south part of the room. Level 3 repel spirit or ice lances spells work great and by the second round they are all dead along the walls. Then the spellcasters can move forward and help finish off the mung demons before going after the main event, Grah-Hoth.

[clemmie]

Thanks again. I had accidentally found out that, if I killed off Grah-Hoth first, then the others would evaporate. I'm going to go back for Demonslayer, but, right now, I am stuck in the maze thing in the Final Gauntlet. I've tried several times to drink the floating water but can't get back to the bridge before it wears off, even with several Hastes, so I am engaged in the tedious task of turning the wheels in different orders to see if that will work. This is boring! Clem

[Kelandon]

If you'd like a diagram of how this is supposed to work, you can look here .

[clemmie]

Emperor Tullegolar: I went to the Underground fort, but, when I hit "l" it says there's nothing there but the sarcophagus. I think that I can't get close enough to search it because of the three basalt things that i can't pass. Is there any other way to get to it?

 

Clemmie

[Kelandon]

You do know that you can move both diagonally and straight, right? Make use of the mouse or the keypad or something else in order to move in directions that currently seem inaccessible.

[clemmie]

Thanks, Kelandon. I did a search to find out how this works. Do you know? I went to the fort, and, in total frustration, managed to hit the number(s) that let me through, but then, in even more frustration, couldn't get out. Sigh. Clemmie

[clemmie]

PS Kelandon, I have a Mac. I found some advice for Windows, but it doesn't work for me. Sorry! C

[Kelandon]

If you're using a computer that has a mouse, you can click with the mouse.

 

If you're using a computer with a full keyboard, you can use the keypad (the number keys on the far right).

 

If you're using something that doesn't have either, then you have to do something a little more complicated, and I'm not sure how it's done.

 

By the way, if you need to add small amounts of additional information to a post, use the "Edit" button instead of posting twice in a row.

[Alorael at Large]

What Mac doesn't have a mouse? In any case, you can hit numlock and use the I key and the eight surrounding keys as a keypad equivalent so that 8 is up, 9 is diagonally up and right, O is right, and so on.

 

—Alorael, who is completely incapable of navigating with a slanted keypad that's slanted opposite the isometric layout of Avernum.

[Randomizer]

Quote:

Originally written by Drakey is a talentless hack.:
What Mac doesn't have a mouse? In any case, you can hit numlock and use the I key and the eight surrounding keys as a keypad equivalent so that 8 is up, 9 is diagonally up and right, O is right, and so on.

—Alorael, who is completely incapable of navigating with a slanted keypad that's slanted opposite the isometric layout of Avernum.

You can get used to it, but I never really have and just use the four arrow keys to avoid going diagonally. (Quoted to keep the PDN)

[Kelandon]

Quote:

Originally written by Drakey is a talentless hack.:
What Mac doesn't have a mouse?

Well, it could be an Apple laptop.

And this PDN truly is priceless. It's funny because it's true.

[Alorael at Large]

All Apple laptops come with fully functional mouse substitute in the form of a trackpad or, if you have a very old Powerbook, a trackball. If you have no way to move the cursor, you've got an odd computer. Actually, with a Mac at least you can still enable cursor movement using the numeric keypad through Universal Access, but on a laptop you'd then need to activate yur keypad too.

 

—Alorael, who isn't quite sure how to go about changing Universal Access settings without a mouse to do it with. It's one of Apple's great mysteries.

[clemmie]

It is an Apple laptop, an iBook. Anyway, it worked. I had to use "k," I think, instead of "i," to get the movement I needed, but I now have demonslayer and am headed, slowly but surely, toward Emperor Hawthorne. Without going diagonally, which I can't do with the arrow keys, I couldn't have gotten to the pommel. Anyway, I appreciate all your help. I think I can manage to finish on my own, so I won't need to bother you anymore, except to ask what's a PDN? Clemmie

[Lilith]

Publicly Displayed Name

[Randomizer]

A PDN is the publicly displayed name shown for the person making the post. Alorael changes his almost daily and the UBB does funny things when you try to change back to an old PDN.

[Synergy]

What do you mean, funny? There's nothing funny at all about discovering you can't just call yourself "Synergy" anymore.

 

-S-

[Randomizer]

Have you tried using a space either before or after your name? It would be nice to see Synergy back.

[Dikiyoba]

I suspect spaces won't work, but you could try to plain Synergy again. Sometimes, waiting a while seems to do the trick.

 

Dikiyoba.

[Alorael at Large]

There is no almost in my daily name changes. Sometimes I'm late and sometimes I'm a little early, but on average it's once per 24 hours. Vacations and extended power outages don't count.

 

You might be able to use space, and you can definitely use a period. The UBB is no match for human ingenuity!

 

—Alorael, who really finds clicking to be the much more convenient solution for occasional diagonal movement. That's what cursors are for.

[Synergy]

Well, I'll be.

 

Hooray.

 

-S-

[Randomizer]

Welcome back Synergy.

 

Next time create a new account when you feel the sudden urge to change you name.

[Synergy]

Thank you.

 

The transformation is complete. No further mutations required.

 

It only took me about a year to get my nick back.

 

-S-

[Alorael at Large]

It could be worse. At least the boards didn't eat your account.

 

—Alorael, who offers up bright orange libations to the Random Number Gods and the UBB in the hopes that both will have mery on him. Strangely enough, Angband seems not too much more arbitrary or dangerous than these very boards.

[Dintiradan]

It's all so clear now: the only reason Alorael changes his name is because every twenty-four hours he attempts to return his PDN to 'Alorael'. When this fails, he bangs out a random string of characters in frustration.

 

--------------------

OK, gang, goblins up ahead. Everyone make your Move Silently check.

Right.

Got it!

I got a 17.

I got a 24.

I got a 19.

I GOT A 4! DID YOU HEAR ME? I GOT -

(OotS #90)

[Micawber]

Quote:

Originally written by Synergy:
It only took me about a year to get my nick back.

The UBB is clearly in a forgiving mood, it has now let me have my moniker back as well.

[Slawbug]

Actually, I am beginning to think that Alorael's daily name changes are the waste product of the supercharged Angband name generator he's been working on all these years. The PDN changes when he is forced to reroll.

[Tyranicus.]

Quote:

Originally written by clemmie:
It is an Apple laptop, an iBook. Anyway, it worked. I had to use "k," I think, instead of "i," to get the movement I needed, but I now have demonslayer and am headed, slowly but surely, toward Emperor Hawthorne. Without going diagonally, which I can't do with the arrow keys, I couldn't have gotten to the pommel. Anyway, I appreciate all your help. I think I can manage to finish on my own, so I won't need to bother you anymore, except to ask what's a PDN? Clemmie

What keyboard could use I. Every laptop I have ever seen has used I as the 5 key, which means you won't move at all.

[Micawber]

Well by the same token, K would normally be directly down; whereas clemmie apparently found it moved her diagonally. Weird keyboard.

[Sudanna]

Quote:

Alorael:
At least the boards didn't eat your account.

You know, your post count will eventually become too great for the UBB to handle. It will either be reset, or you will digi-die.

[Alorael at Large]

Quote:

Originally written by Micawber:
Well by the same token, K would normally be directly down; whereas clemmie apparently found it moved her diagonally. Weird keyboard.

I said that I was the center of the keypad (the 5 equivalent), and clemmie said that K moved down. K is the equivalent of 2, so that's reasonable. Pressing I shouldn't move you at all.

If you move by using the arrows, they move you north, east, south, and west so that pressing up moves you up on the automap but diagonally on the main screen because of its perspective. The keypad moves you according to the screen, not the map, so pressing 2 (or K) moves you straight down, or southeast.

—Alorael, who thinks the arrow keys were well planned. Only moving on the diagonals would make the game entirely impossible to play. Bishop's Avernum would at least be an interesting challenge, though.

[Lilith]

Quote:

Originally written by Jeff Vogel is an unsellable trowel.:
I said that I was the center of the keypad

You are?

[Alorael at Large]

I was. Downsizing is no fun at all.

 

—Alorael, who is now only a temp filling in as the special function buttons on fancy keyboards.

[Micawber]

Oh of course - this reminds me why I never use the keyboard in Avernum. I hate that 45º rotated movement thing, because I always look at the Automap, not the main screen, when I walk.

[Upon Mars.]

In the happy friendly spider pit there is a liquor once rubbed around your body you won't have any problems for a wile with sticky annoying webs.

[Lilith]

Actually, that only lets you past one specific web barrier. It doesn't help you against normal webbing, I don't think.

 

Also, I think you posted in the wrong topic.

[The Mystic]

You're right, it doesn't work against normal webs. And it's actually from A2.

[Aurabolt]

Although I found the only thing useful for doing all that work was the Key Item. I sold everything else of value, except for the Strength Potion. Lifesavers against Blademasters and Null Bugs in the masses from levels 13-17. Also nice for a small boost to pull me through the fight.

 

Oh yeah. Hi everyone. I just joined. Sorry.