A6 - Killing Melanchion? (spoiler)

[VCH]

How can Melanchion be killed? His fire damage and the death curse are powerful.

[Randomizer]

Death curse can be reduced using an invulnerable potion/elixir. Same for fire damage if you don't have the health.

 

Also

Click to reveal..

Leave combat mode and use return life to revive dead party members.

[Lilith]

Originally Posted By: Randomizer

Also

Click to reveal..

Leave combat mode and use return life to revive dead party members.

This is a wonderful and hilarious tactic for any late-game fight that puts out more damage than you can comfortably deal with. It's not at all efficient in terms of spell point consumption, and jumping in and out of combat mode like that causes your buffs to wear off more rapidly, but it does have its uses.

[elchipeo]

i thought it was kind of funny that, while melanchion was hostile, his worshippers weren't, so when he does the first fireblast thingy, he kills almost all of his dudes, even though they're all buffed cause of me

 

but yeah, one wonderful spell for this situation is the third cloak, the one that protects you against the elements, and dressing for the occasion, meaning maxing out (90% is max) fire resistance with items/the resistance skill.

 

His melee attacks are suprisingly weak, his mom hits harder than he does

[LetheRunner]

I found that his worshipers *were* hostile. Of course, I did get him mad by raiding his trove. Does that make a difference?

[*i]

There's a slight oddity in the A4-6 engine which causes only the person you attack to become hostile for one combat round or so. Eventually the game figures it out and switches everyone. It is possible to get Melanchion to blast away all his followers in the interim, however.

 

I've always wondered why Jeff does not all Return Life in combat. It seems to be a logical thing to allow. Maybe something with doing party member placement...

[ex post slarto]

I think the idea is that it's a long, complicated process to resurrect somebody. That makes sense to me -- frankly I'm always put off by the near-instantaneous resurrections that have become the standard in CRPGs.

[Lilith]

But it's easy enough to end combat at the end of every round anyway: the only real cost is that your party's positioning is messed up and your buffs wear off more quickly.

[*i]

Exactly, so why not just make it available during combat seems to make no sense. Yeah, it probably is more complex to revive someone, granted it is magic and it is a game.

[ex post slarto]

I think we can put this in the wide category of "unfortunate side effects of free interchange between discrete walkabout and combat modes on the same map" -- something that is relatively unique to SW games. Just about every other RPG either uses different maps for combat, or has only one mode used for both combat and walkabout.

[Lilith]

Originally Posted By: Bilgy Bow-Builder

I think we can put this in the wide category of "unfortunate side effects of free interchange between discrete walkabout and combat modes on the same map" -- something that is relatively unique to SW games. Just about every other RPG either uses different maps for combat, or has only one mode used for both combat and walkabout.

fallout

[Alorael at Large]

Many games that have the same mode for combat and non-combat still include some kind of check for combat. Looking for nearby hostile creatures (already used in Geneforge and A4-6!) or just putting a timer on the end of combat is relatively common.

 

—Alorael, who isn't sure why the party is allowed to force a return to non-combat mode at all. It's a feature that prevents hostiles unable to reach you from slowing your movement to a crawl, presumably, but Geneforge immediately drops you back into combat mode. Avernum gives you the pesky opportunity to abuse out of combat spells. Maybe those spells should also have a post-combat timer.

[Lilith]

Originally Posted By: Reign in fog and filthy air

—Alorael, who isn't sure why the party is allowed to force a return to non-combat mode at all. It's a feature that prevents hostiles unable to reach you from slowing your movement to a crawl, presumably, but Geneforge immediately drops you back into combat mode. Avernum gives you the pesky opportunity to abuse out of combat spells. Maybe those spells should also have a post-combat timer.

The way it works now seems pretty likely to be intentional, if misguided. If Jeff wanted to prevent you from casting Return Life in the middle of a fight, he'd make it like changing armour, where you simply can't do it if there's a hostile creature in your sight range.

[ex post slarto]

I actually wonder if that's unintentional. He's done that before, as with Beast Ceremony in Nethergate.

[Silver Shadow]

Originally Posted By: Serious Times Come

—Alorael, who isn't sure why the party is allowed to force a return to non-combat mode at all. It's a feature that prevents hostiles unable to reach you from slowing your movement to a crawl, presumably, but Geneforge immediately drops you back into combat mode. Avernum gives you the pesky opportunity to abuse out of combat spells. Maybe those spells should also have a post-combat timer.

I think it might have something to do with the fact that you can't use stairs in combat mode. On occasion, I've used the forced non-combat mode to run away from an angry mob I didn't want to deal with.