Randomizer

Well after a lot of cutting with a herringbone and three days lost when I overwrote a character's file, I got all three singletons across the Sulphorous Flats, through the inadequate trap, cleared Camp Samuels, reached the Castle, and visited the nicer parts of Almaria. All that only got me two more levels. Heading south to get rid of two more bandits and the fourth test pushed them up another one. I'm putting the human PS EW and nephil NM DT on hold for now. The first is being hampered by not having the intelligence to boost magery for a few more levels so my damage is less than I would like. The Natural Mage is going to need almost every point in his remaining levels to get priest spell up to 15 and tool use over 12. I need an accurate count of the number of wisdom crystals and knowledge brews that I can get before confronting the shades, Meanwhile the nephil PS DT is slogging his way through the slith lands for extra money. I can't buy anymore spells until I get more spell levels. I'm using up more energy potions than I want to when I get swarmed. Fight and retreat to town for recharges is going to be very boring.

Well after a lot of cutting with a herringbone and three days lost when I overwrote a character's file, I got all three singletons across the Sulphorous Flats, through the inadequate trap, cleared Camp Samuels, reached the Castle, and visited the nicer parts of Almaria. All that only got me two more levels. Heading south to get rid of two more bandits and the fourth test pushed them up another one. I'm putting the human PS EW and nephil NM DT on hold for now. The first is being hampered by not having the intelligence to boost magery for a few more levels so my damage is less than I would like. The Natural Mage is going to need almost every point in his remaining levels to get priest spell up to 15 and tool use over 12. I need an accurate count of the number of wisdom crystals and knowledge brews that I can get before confronting the shades, Meanwhile the nephil PS DT is slogging his way through the slith lands for extra money. I can't buy anymore spells until I get more spell levels. I'm using up more energy potions than I want to when I get swarmed. Fight and retreat to town for recharges is going to be very boring.

Was it my imagination or are Terror wands more effective against him if used by a Natural Mage trait character? Terror slows him to only one offensive attack per round. Invulnerability potion helps for a short time to reduce damage, but don't use it before he completes his summoning.

Like The combat system because it makes more sense. You no longer delay action in order to have the last spellcasting of haste and slow. The magic system seems to be better although I miss mass haste. Dislike No elevations and the game is one continous closed in board. The new experience system is like Advanced Dungeons and Dragons (3rd Ed.) with the ratio of adventure to monster level. But that means that very soon all the major experience is from doing minor quests. You plateau between job boards and quests in the cities is boring. Also there is no point in taking disadvantage traits or low penalty advantage ones. Even less in running a human in this game. Maybe Avernum 5 will have NPC reactions based on party racial makeup like A3. Comparing two singletons with 30% and 55% experience penalty, after leaving the Eastern Gallery there is an almost constant 2 character level difference, Miss the old terrain and watching for their effects.

You are west of the river that borders the Eastern Gallery fighting Nodicaus. He is the hardest, nastiest fight in the over the first half of the game. If you kill him you get Mecuric Leather Armor and a Null Wand. His bedroom links to a room with a spellbook for Repel Spirit, Summon Shade, and Unshackle Mind. The Emerald Chestguard is in another room with a lot of nice treasure. He requires some planning and teamwork. Always have a spellcaster hang back to heal the party. He can also charm party members so one with Unshackle Mind near the front helps. He can be taken out by wearing him down and getting rid of his demon buddy first. Have someone keep them bottled up in that room while your strongest and highest health fighter goes in to whack on him. You'll figure it out after a few tries.

If you had a higher dexterity and defense instead of tool use you might get hit less, but those bats have high speed and usually get at least one hit in a round. I used acid spray on almost everything down there, but maybe if you can keep them only getting at you one at a time you might get them. Arrow attack for range and spear for close might work, but it will be hard. Those monsters have high enough health that they will take two or three hits. The young dragon will bring in friends and haste them so good luck. Update Trying going after Kravvit-bok, the Vahnatai on the east side of the lower level. That will give you enough experience to make level. There is a wisdom crystal in the room beyond him. You will not get enough experience to make more than level 15 in the demo as a singleton. Use the skill points to boost dodging by raising dexterity, defense, or luck. There is a golem in the room north of the west side that will "help" you as another target.

If you had a higher dexterity and defense instead of tool use you might get hit less, but those bats have high speed and usually get at least one hit in a round. I used acid spray on almost everything down there, but maybe if you can keep them only getting at you one at a time you might get them. Arrow attack for range and spear for close might work, but it will be hard. Those monsters have high enough health that they will take two or three hits. The young dragon will bring in friends and haste them so good luck. Update Trying going after Kravvit-bok, the Vahnatai on the east side of the lower level. That will give you enough experience to make level. There is a wisdom crystal in the room beyond him. You will not get enough experience to make more than level 15 in the demo as a singleton. Use the skill points to boost dodging by raising dexterity, defense, or luck. There is a golem in the room north of the west side that will "help" you as another target.

Get used to using the Train button and keeping track of previous experience. After a while most of the experience only comes from quests and you won't want to see how little comes from monsters.

Even as a singleton on Torment, Hrickris can be nailed by hasting yourself and then popping around the corner to acid spray him and on another turn the pylon. Make sure you stay hasted since he will cast slow. That way he can't use attack spells on you. You will have to fight off summoned monsters from both directions. My only mistake one time was staying after Hrickris died and getting nailed by one of his summoned monsters. They will disappear in a few rounds. Kravvit-Bok in Motrax's cave should fall to just bow damage if you stay along the east wall to destroy the pylons first. You need a high dodge (dexterity and defense) to avoid his missle attacks. He will summon monsters, so that will slow you down. The Black shade has such high health so you can't kill it without fulfilling all the quests from the Castle to get what you need to destroy the regenerative mist. I think a well prepared party of four in the later part of the game might be able to do 1000 points of damage in a round with spells and wands.

In A4, X is finally out of the library and both his new tower and old office have anvils in them. I guess he has started trying out his spell. At least he doen't ask us to stand there while he tries that one out. Anyone want to guess which recently dead wizard X is trying to raise with his failed shade exoeriment? I think X is going for Erika.

You need to finish the rat quest in order for Captain Graham to post on the job board the Hrickris slaying quest. Just take your time and slay a few rats on your way back and forth to the Barren Tunnels/Motrax Cave area.

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.