Beastmaster's bracelet (spoiler and cheat)

[Randomizer]

I was thinking about how long it takes a Roman singleton to get the beast circle spells. Then I thought of a cheat to get them earlier than normal.

 

Once you finish Moonfire's quest in Galag-Trav and get the rod of safe descent, you can go to the Circle Warrens. Walk south from talking to Harun to the edge and move east to the wall. Use a charge from the rod and jump. The first ledge has Sylak's amazing bricks, then jump again and search the bodies. Among them is

 

Beastmaster Bracelet (+3 Beast Circle) — L body — SE

Quality Battle Axe (2-14 dmg, +1-7/level) — R body — SE

Bronze Plate Mail (blocks 30%), Iron Pike (3-21 dmg, +1-7/level) — C body — SE

 

SECRET AREA — SE — west to portal out

 

SYLAK ITEM: Sylak's Amazing Bricks — use Rod of Safe Descent to jump down cliff — C S

 

You can use the portal to get back to the top and then it's off to Vanarium to learn the first 3 beast circle spells. After you clear the fomorians that block the bridge to the Holllow Hills, you stop at Hagfen to buy a level of beast circle and can then learn the 4th spell, charm beast.

 

This makes the game easier for the Romans.

[Lilith]

In what sense is this a cheat?

[Synergy]

It may not be a cheat, though I wonder if Jeff was thinking this would be possible. It is fiendishly clever, I must say.

 

-S-

[Randomizer]

I thought it was a cheat since you need knowledge of where the item is and how to get it without the big battle with Titus. It's like making items in Geneforge before getting the recipe.

 

It's really helpful for a singleton since it increases beast circle levels and allows you to charm beasts when you face large groups of them. The spell is also perfect for dealing with basilisks now that all the protection versus petrification items are only +80%. I rarely get through a straight fight without a reload.

[Slawbug]

Basilisks on Torment, btw, are the end of the world, as they have fairly high HP and can no longer be easily despatched. I think Charm Beast + reloads may well be a necessity against them.

[Spidweb]

"It may not be a cheat, though I wonder if Jeff was thinking this would be possible."

 

Not a cheat. I did think it would be possible. In fact I specifically designed it that way. That's why I put the bracelet where I did. I wanted to add more motivations for clever use of the floaty wand.

 

- Jeff Vogel

[Synergy]

I'm glad you think this way. More fun for the powergamers who want to seek out every exploit.

 

-S-

[Slawbug]

You don't even have to wait for the floaty wand... in my game, I haven't yet been able to beat the bridge to Nethergate, but I jumped down using only Luck to survive. (In original Nethergate you could never survive a fall with Luck!) The bracelet was worth it.

 

I do notice that Charm Beast is remarkably ineffective for me. I suspect the cause is my low spell power (1 Int, 6 Druidism, 4 Beast) and not the Torment setting, seeing as my charming scrolls work great. The spell mostly just works on lizards and rats.

[Randomizer]

You could very rarely survive a fall with luck in old Nethergate. Tyranicus managed to do it and someone did it recently in Nethergate: Resurrection.

 

I'm thought that charm beast would work better. I never had any real trouble in my Celtic games, but they had at least intelligence 4.

[VCH]

I had one character survive that fall at the beginning of the game too. I think I had luck at 1 and maybe a lucky braclet.

[Tyranicus]

Luck is very unlikely to save you from a fall in the original though. No matter how many times I tried, I could never get a character to survive that fall again.

[VCH]

Actually I remember having my entire group survive that fall in the original demo. I think I tried many many times, mainly because I had no idea that there would be a wand to help latter on.