Vee

Thank you! I wish the journal recorded images as well as text.

I got the "map" for the Concealed Tunnel, but I absolutely can't find it. It's not marked on the overworld map as far as I can tell. Please toss me a bone here...

I was thrown by the lack of arrows! If there are arrows, they're not showing up for me. However, Ess-Eschas was on the money -- there's a "Change Party Order" in the training screen that I simply didn't see. (No arrows there either, haha!) Thank you guys so much!

I'm replaying Avernum 4 on PC, and for the life of me, I can't figure out how to rearrange my party members. Help! 

There are some incorrect tooltips, too. Off the top of my head, the sorceress's arcane shield tooltip says the move affects all party members regardless of what rank the skill actually is. For a while I thought I just didn't have my party clustered tightly enough.

2. You get no experience and can't finish the quest even if you kill all the spies. This is a scripted quest.

 

There is a Hand in the Hand Quarters that can tell you how to get past the barrier in the Sinkhole once you have been there, When you exit on the south side, be sure to stay away from the west zone exit otherwise the quest may not end.

 

For some reason, the little chat isn't triggering even though I got the dialogue at the barrier... Hrm.

I'm having trouble with resolving a couple of quests gained after Fort Foresight opens up. I have turned in an invitation but not yet begun The Final Meeting.

1. The Library at Velusa - I haven't found a way through that doesn't result in teleportation. Is there some alternate access point I'm missing? Do I need Nathalie in the party?

2. Spies - I'm definitely missing something here; if I approach from the west and pass the spies' camp, they spawn in behind me and immediately book it for the western map exit. I've explored both ends of the barred cave/sinkhole passage. I managed to kill all but one of the spies in one attempt, I think, but one slipped away and the quest didn't conclude. Nothing in the area seems interactive besides chests, so I guess it's not about building a barrier/blocking passage.

This is a little spoilery, so if you don't want to read about a companion quest, beware!

I completed Nathalie's quest at the Spiral and spoke with her back at camp. I later returned to Svar's Peninsula, and Nathalie immediately forced her way back into the party with some dialogue about investigating the library, even though that quest line was already complete. (Fort Foresight is obviously already my new home base, but I had not yet gone to the Woods or Temple zones.)

Whoa! Thanks. I wouldn't have thought to return in a million years.

So I think I broke whatever triggers the ending. I faction-hopped a bit, ending with the Takers.

I wiped out Barzahl, the Radiant College, the leadership at Gheth and Medab, and the Awakened labs.

I helped the Big 3 with their plans, but when Akkat used the Geneforge, I killed him, Easss, and then returned to Benari-Uss Shaping and killed Rhakkus (who apparently can run away quite quickly!). Then I killed Syros.

I returned to the loyalist encampment to see if any dialogue had changed -- the leader there acknowledged Barzahl was dead, but no dialogue changed for the drayk/drakon deaths. So I returned to the Geneforge and threw in the gloves. Then I went back to the loyalist leader again -- no change.

Do I need to go murder Zakary to get an ending?

I ended up at Ornotha Ziggurat waaaay too early. The entire zone was a stairwell of hurt. I had to use a great deal of strategic positioning, and on a few fights ended up accidentally pulling enemy reinforcements. It was pretty grand, with the exception of being choked out several times by a certain pair of mages who could have 3 summons apiece.

I completed the "Destroy the Portal" quest and spoke with Mahdavi, but the "Raid the Portal" quest remains outstanding (even though she's the quest giver). Spoke with the King, Erika, Solberg, and Gilda too, just in case... What gives there?

Arrrgh! I guess it'll have to wait for a second playthrough. What about that zone with the unawakened Vahnatai where you find only the bottom halves of the rites?

Is there any way to return to the riverway between Formello and the Vahnatai lands after you've finished your journey the first time? I feel like so much was left undone!

Somehow I figured it out. For anyone else who struggles with this section:

The circular platforms are not traps. They are where new foes will show up when you trigger a spawn trap (the square tiles and various wooden platforms. Uncertain what happens if you cross green runes, did not attempt). As soon as you enter, go left and walk over those circles. Once you're in the left corner, head up. Before you step on the wood platform, maybe take a moment to buff. Physical defense is all you need. Once you step on the wood platform, golems will spawn and the floor will take on a cold effect that only disappears after several rounds. The sentinel golems are immune to cold. Wail on them without stepping on any other trap platforms excepting the one you activated to spawn them. Once they are defeated, continue north along the west wall and cross the next wooden platform. Nothing spawns! Walk over the circular platforms until you are on the northern wall. Head east, then walk straight down the middle path (crossing another platform; nothing spawns!) and claim your prize. Leave the same way you came.

If you cross one of the outlined platforms in or out of combat, additional friends will join (gazers). I find them more difficult due to their array of magical attacks and the fact that they are reluctant to come within hugging distance. Consider yourself warned.

I am in Kothtar and attempting to recover the Orb of Thralni. Is there basically no way to approach this chamber besides "step on plates, be murdered by ice area of effect and multiple foe spawns"? I am trying to step on as few spawn plates as possible, but this does not feel doable. I am wondering if I'm missing a better way.

Do foes have the accuracy cap, too? It feels like they don't suffer from that, but I can't be sure. I know one thing that frustrated the daylights out of me was casters "breaking the rules" on summon caps in Ornotha Ziggurat. On the last floor in the training area, there are a pair of mages who are capable of summoning at least three beasts apiece. Combined with the limited approaches to the room, I had to re-do that section six or so times before I was able to eventually succeed at bumrushing the jerks. There's another pair of mages in the dining area who do the same thing. If the enemies are subject to the same mechanical restraints as I am, then it doesn't feel too unfair. However, if they're not only stronger but adhere to completely different rules, it gets frustrating.

Not sure when Townsend's extra items open up--potentially after you return from your initial encounter with the vahnatai? I visited him after retrieving the first mcguffin and earning crown clearance. Then had the option to ask if he had learned to make anything new. This opened up more crafting options. That is a necessary dialogue step before he will offer the new shininess.

Renee in Harston teaches 1st Aid for 1100cc. Unless there's a quest which reduces the rate? If so, that would be a handy note.

Argh... I kept re-checking it as I raised arcane lore just in case. Gonna go blow that sucker up now.

One of those solo areas seems to be an unreturnable spot. I'm guessing it's the Icy one. I'm pretty sad to not get that point, since I use that spell in pretty much every encounter.

How many lore points do you need to read the thing?

Aaaaaaaa Q_Q! Also I think the fire might be just a little too fast at the outset. Had to reload a couple times because my last guy in line kept getting, uh, crisped right when I switched to combat mode before my party had a chance to move. Intentional...? Poor Hrrrothgrrr.

Disabling automove would be great. The AI displays truly bizarre pathing at times.

So I've finally nibbled all the way to the gooey center of the Orthogon Ziggurat and I'm having a little faceoff wherein the text is telling me to flee south. Is this the only spot where it's possible to kill the Big G? Or should I be fleeing southwards? (Names changed to protect the guilty, etc.)