Randomizer

There are three Augmentation potions available in the Demo. Two can be purchased just south of Hrickris and one is hidden in a dungeon. Even with these your character is probably going to be fried if you do too much damage to Hrickris in one attack. He loves to Lightning Spray people. Slow damage like Acid Spray will usually only trigger a lesser attack and/or summoning creatures. It can be a tough battle if you are not careful and have one spellcaster hold back to Unshackle Mind your terrified party (watch the range since it won't work if you are too far from the terrified member).

Resistance requires Endurance, Dexterity, and Hardiness at 8. I know from running a singleton up to get it to test how resisting damage worked as a way to play the game. It doesn't seem to be worth it because by the time you reach that level you need skill points for tool use and spell casting levels in Priest if you want to get Divine Retribution before the end game.

Resistance requires Endurance, Dexterity, and Hardiness at 8. I know from running a singleton up to get it to test how resisting damage worked as a way to play the game. It doesn't seem to be worth it because by the time you reach that level you need skill points for tool use and spell casting levels in Priest if you want to get Divine Retribution before the end game.

The only point is to gain experience. Otherwise there is no real treasure until the second quest in that series. Most people have some qualms about doing it (see Moral Dilemmas).

After you get south of the checkpoint in the Nephil Lands, head west to the river and follow it south to fight 3 lizards along the Lizard Shore. One of them is guarding a hidden cache with a piercing crystal. I think there is a piercing crystal in the lizard pit southeast of Formello. You should be able to get more piercing crystals than you need through out the demo and well into the Eastern Gallery.

Be sure to buy first aid and nature lore before getting the reward for Fort Dranlon quests for finding Tella and the route to the spires across the river. Otherwise you can't buy one extra training if you haven't already trained all your characters to level 2.

Not if you live in the neighborhood as you will find out when you get into the Eastern Gallery. Save the game so you can see the different reactions you get to certain statements you make to Goodman Williams.

I've found between 5 and 6 gives you a good enough chance. When hasted usually one of the two attacks gets an extra hit 2 out of 3 rounds. But this might have just been luck since I haven't been keeping statistics. Even 1 in quick action is worth it for the boost in action order.

Some tools are useful, but you won't have any trouble getting them when you need them. It's like the hammer in Avernum 1, there's always one in relatively easy reach.

Unless you are using an iBook where F3 controls the mute and F4 lowers the volume. I've gotten very good at command-S saves.

You'll want to rethink your no offensive magic policy when you get to the Honeycomb and its Draining Slimes. While you can kill them without magic, they will inflict some major damage when they hit your "invincible" party. Not to mention that it wll take at least five times as long to get through them when they start splitting. Also the Shard Arachnea take almost no damage from weapons. I never got more than 5 from even Spear of the Fens. I forgot to try Oozing Sword, but even that will be terribly slow.

Check your autosave file, although it's probably too late by now. You may have to refight the battle, but you might get a better result with practice.

I agree with Thuryl. I stopped using my bonding knife because I couldn't carry my equipment without a severe action point penalty. As a singleton you need to use other equipment like belts to negate one penalty just to stay even. In my party of four, one spellcaster got the emerald chestguard and the other the bonding knife and a leather armor. I have to keep all the other equipment weight below encumbered level.

I agree with Thuryl. I stopped using my bonding knife because I couldn't carry my equipment without a severe action point penalty. As a singleton you need to use other equipment like belts to negate one penalty just to stay even. In my party of four, one spellcaster got the emerald chestguard and the other the bonding knife and a leather armor. I have to keep all the other equipment weight below encumbered level.

Jeff already said that there would be more character graphics for Avernum 5. If you want more choices then someone is going to have to donate the art work. The chitrach only really got fixed in the Mac version because a better one was sent while Jeff fixed problems with the games.

The screen shot looks about as bad as what I get on my Mac iBook with the screen at medium range. Fight mode or tab will at least identify monster locations. From the late Douglas Adams' Restaurant at the End of the Universe "It's the wild color scheme that freaks me," said Zaphod whose love affair with this ship had lasted almost three minutes into the flight. "Every time you try to operate one of these weird black controls that are labeled in black on black background, a little black light lights up to let you know you've done it." As quoted from the essay on ergonomics, "Beware of the Leopard," in The Anthology at the End of the Universe.

I wish I had a copy to post from the early 80's. A writer was trying to tell his new secretary how to do print screen. He was talking over the phone and was having trouble remembering the keyboard. He never got her to do it right and when he finally came in person he found he had forgetten about the print screen key and was trying to get her to use another key command that would do the same thing.

Avernum got rid of the two weapon buzzsaw effect. Two hits per attack and more attacks from Major Blessing, Major Haste, etc was just too good to last. Sliths are the only ones to truly benefit from pole weapons since they start with it at 2 and get more powerful without any work. It doesn't take that long to get an iron spear. With quick action around 5 or 6 and Elite Warrior slith can give a couple of 40 hits without much more. Have enough dexterity and defense to aid dodging and you can tough out the lower armor. Sword and shield works best for most characters since the spellcasters can use the defensive bonuses and use bows for their offensive weapon. Shielding knife, Bonding blade, Ghostly Knife are great for them in a party of four. As a singleton I started with the shielding knife, went to fine cleaver, then the ghostly knife. The bonding blade hurts too much on strength. I'm saving the oozing blade for later when I have enough other protections.

Avernum got rid of the two weapon buzzsaw effect. Two hits per attack and more attacks from Major Blessing, Major Haste, etc was just too good to last. Sliths are the only ones to truly benefit from pole weapons since they start with it at 2 and get more powerful without any work. It doesn't take that long to get an iron spear. With quick action around 5 or 6 and Elite Warrior slith can give a couple of 40 hits without much more. Have enough dexterity and defense to aid dodging and you can tough out the lower armor. Sword and shield works best for most characters since the spellcasters can use the defensive bonuses and use bows for their offensive weapon. Shielding knife, Bonding blade, Ghostly Knife are great for them in a party of four. As a singleton I started with the shielding knife, went to fine cleaver, then the ghostly knife. The bonding blade hurts too much on strength. I'm saving the oozing blade for later when I have enough other protections.

You only see him from certain positions because of the way the tunnels bend. He is really easy to miss.

I wouldn't mind the character editor for when I forget to save my game before selling suff and accidentally sell something I wanted to keep. I've only used one three times before. Once I came back to the save game to find my boat was gone and there was no other way back in Exile 2. In Blades of Exile, A Small Rebellion scenario, I was piling up experience and loot from a gold mine filled with spirits when my money went to negative 32,000 something instead of maxing out. The only time it was my fault was in Avernum 2 when I needed spell points for Move Mountains to get out an area that I should have caught as a trap and had no save files before it. I wouldn't mind being able to tweak an existing character to change spent skill points.

There is a line somewhere, I think in the instructions for the spells, that Repel Spirit is less effective on demons than undead. I found Smite quite effective on demons, but haven't tried Lightning Spray yet.

If you lead the shade towards a direction with people after attacking it he will sometimes kill people. I saw him kill Hoernell (?), the supply store owner in Formello, when I made the mistake of running south. The shade killed a guard in Silvar when I went north. The safest way to test him is in Formello and head west to the pylon area. He will usually go back to the park if you then head south in hasted mode. Always wait for the message that he goes back to be sure.

While most people should, there seem to be enough that will have trouble. Just using repel spirit burns through spell points very quickly when you don't have to do it. I spend enough time running back to town to recharge and first aid works best when you buff your party and then refrain from major spellcasting until a few battles recharges the spellcasters.

For those starting the game and those who just use Repel Spirit to slay undead there are a few other options. Hrako and company are found in the tunnels south of Fort Monastary. You need Tool Use 8 to unlock the door. Stand in the doorway a slay the skeletons with normal weapons or Bolt of Fire. Just like in the martial arts movies, they come to the door one at a time. The zombies take more damage, usually two bolts. Hrako is the only one that really needs repel spirit. Bring a Fiery Wand along if you need extra fire power. The shade in the first testing place takes damage from Acid Spray. Two doses goes along way to helping you pass. Under Grindstone, there are three types of shades. I think it was the Decaying Wisp that takes more damage from Acid Spray than Repel Spirit. Repel Spirit and/or Bolt of Fire work for the other two. The Crystal Shade has higher health so go upstairs to recharge or save points to nail him. The Haunted Mines have the most undead for the start. A combine spellcraft and magery of 3 boosts damage so Bolt of Fire takes out skeletons most of the time. Add Blessing and you have a good chance with zombies. Ghouls take two bolts or one repel spirit. Use tab to check undead types because there are a few specials in the mines with higher healths. Hrickris's undead have more health than the mines. Repel Spirit or two bolts are needed. Don't get swarmed on the upper level. The testing cirlce east of Formello isn't that hard if you are blessed and hasted. Except for one shade at the end two bolt or one repel spirit will kill each one. The ruined fort of Lord Bragg has an undead room. The crumbling skeletons take two bolts or one Repel Spirit. The Mertis Spiral is where Bolt of Fire really works. It does about 90% of the damage that Repel Spirit does at lower spell point cost. The only undead that takes more damage from Repel Spirit is the the one at the center of the lower level. This should help you with them.