Exile III no spellcaster run

[Fireball Fodder]

I've finally decided to try a challenge run in which I have a 6-PC party without any Mage or Priest skills. I wonder if it's even possible to win, but I guess I can use the editor if I end up blocked off because I lack some spell - like Move Mountains.

 

I've just started clearing out the goblin cave - the goblins and wolves aren't too bad, but that single Chitrach is a thing of nightmares... Also need to find more arrows. A lot more.

 

I'll try to update semi-regularly, if anyone's interested. Wish me luck!

[Edgwyn]

The lack of move mountains and dispel barriers may be an issue.  Piercing crystals dispel barriers, but I do not recall if they work on the rock piles

[Fireball Fodder]

21 minutes ago, Edgwyn said:

The lack of move mountains and dispel barriers may be an issue.  Piercing crystals dispel barriers, but I do not recall if they work on the rock piles

Pretty sure the crystals don't work on rock piles. They do work on magically locked doors in Exile I, but not sure if it's still true in Exile III. Hopefully yes, as I don't know how an Anama playthrough would work otherwise.
I also don't remember if Ritual of Sanctification is needed for completing the Troglo/Giant quest.

[Celtic Minstrel]

Wasn't there a different crystal that casts Move Mountains?

[Fireball Fodder]

Cleared out the goblin and bandit lairs, though I couldn't get the bandits' treasure yet because I couldn't open some doors. Remains to be seen whether they're magically locked or if I just need to invest more in Lockpicking.

 

Now working on the Slimes. I know I'll need Fireball from somewhere, but am still trying to find someone who sells either scrolls or wands of fireball. Anyone remember?

 

On 9/20/2024 at 4:01 PM, Celtic Minstrel said:

Wasn't there a different crystal that casts Move Mountains?

Not that I know of, unless it's a hidden side effect of Piercing Crystals or some other magic item that I've never heard about.

Maybe something like that exists in Avernum?

 

[Randomizer]

Looking through the walk throughs since it has been decades since I played the games:

 

There are wands and scrolls of fireball.

[Quiconque]

I don't think there's a Move Mountains replacement.  I also don't think you 100% need it to complete the game successfully, though it's been a long time...

[Celtic Minstrel]

5 hours ago, Fireball Fodder said:

Not that I know of, unless it's a hidden side effect of Piercing Crystals or some other magic item that I've never heard about.

Maybe something like that exists in Avernum?

 

Hmm… it's possible that's what I was thinking of. I even checked the Blades of Exile base item set, and didn't see a "shattering crystal" or anything like that, but I thought I remembered using such a crystal in one of the game. I'm not confident it was Exile rather than Avernum though.

[Randomizer]

From what I remember of the graphic, Shattering Crystal was an Avernum item. I think it was part of the use once a game day class item.

 

I didn't see any similar item in the list of items in the third walk through where there was a long list of items found in the game.

[Fireball Fodder]

Finally found Scrolls of Fireball on sale in Farport, but at 320 a piece - ouch! There's one more I found somewhere, but I used it to destroy the pool in Jordan's tower.

[Quiconque]

There are wands of fireballs in the Shayder sewers and Golddale mines.

[Fireball Fodder]

7 hours ago, Mea Tulpa said:

There are wands of fireballs in the Shayder sewers and Golddale mines.

Thank you. I did find the one in the sewers, but had to cheat myself a couple of Piercing Crystals to get it. Namely, one of the ways into the sewers is behind a magic lock and the other is behind a cracked wall, which I can't get through without Move Mountains.

 

In fact, I've already found so many magically locked doors that I decided to just give myself a bunch of Piercing Crystals, as getting them normally would just be too tedious.

It more than confirmed the common wisdom that the Lockpicking skill is essentially useless.

[Quiconque]

I believe Magic Lockpicks allow you to open magically locked doors using regular lockpicking skill.

[Randomizer]

17 minutes ago, Mea Tulpa said:

I believe Magic Lockpicks allow you to open magically locked doors using regular lockpicking skill.

I thought they were just a better version of lock picks. Although I never kept track of magically locked doors to compare using the different lock pick types. 

[Fireball Fodder]

6 hours ago, Mea Tulpa said:

I believe Magic Lockpicks allow you to open magically locked doors using regular lockpicking skill.

Not sure about that, I think they can't but I will check it out.

 

I guess a way to get Piercing Crystals early would be to join the Anama, as they sell them to members for only 50 gold. But that does require a hazardous trek across the Isle of Bigail - Cockroaches are much more dangerous when you don't have Cure Disease.

[Quiconque]

Hmm.  I may be wrong on that.  I guess Pick Locks is even worse than I thought it was...

[Randomizer]

I don't remember how high I got Pick Locks as a skill, but you also need it for traps.

[Quiconque]

Isn't Disarm Traps separate?

[Randomizer]

I forget. It has been over 20 years.

[Celtic Minstrel]

On 9/25/2024 at 6:30 AM, Fireball Fodder said:

Cockroaches are much more dangerous when you don't have Cure Disease.

Makes me wonder how difficult it is to obtain Graymold Salve… either the recipe and skill to make it, or a shop that sells it.

[Randomizer]

You can avoid some to them by knowing where the ambushes are on the roads and going back on a cleared path, but some can't be avoided like Point Contemplation and the south lighthouse. It might make senses to postpone Bigail until later.

[Fireball Fodder]

On 9/26/2024 at 6:35 AM, Mea Tulpa said:

Isn't Disarm Traps separate?

It is. Jeff combined them in Avernum (a good design choice IMO).

 

  

15 hours ago, Celtic Minstrel said:

Makes me wonder how difficult it is to obtain Graymold Salve… either the recipe and skill to make it, or a shop that sells it.

According to the Hint Book (still have it!), the recipe is sold in Lorelei and Ghikra, so you can get it early.

The potion I don't really remember seeing for sale, though I'm pretty sure you can get Dust of Cleansing somewhere.

Edited September 27 by Fireball Fodder

[Celtic Minstrel]

What about the alchemist in the lake in Upper Exile? I don't remember what she sells exactly.

[Randomizer]

You have to be certain minimum level or reputation before she sells potions.Otherwise all she gives you are cookies?

[Math Freak]

On 9/27/2024 at 11:37 AM, Fireball Fodder said:

It is. Jeff combined them in Avernum (a good design choice IMO).

 

  

According to the Hint Book (still have it!), the recipe is sold in Lorelei and Ghikra, so you can get it early.

The potion I don't really remember seeing for sale, though I'm pretty sure you can get Dust of Cleansing somewhere.

 

There is no graymold salve potion for sale. Graymold Herbs are sold by Harmon in Lost Isle and Mundt in Lorelei. They can also be found laying around in multiple places.

 

You can find Cleansing Powder in places Tower of Magi, Slime Pit, Filth Factory, Woodsy Tower. It is also sold by Anama shop near House on the Hill area (although you need to be a Anama member to access that shop), McElton in Greendale and Shane in Blackcrag Fortress (if you want to get ripped off).

 

You can also find an Aescal's Ring in the Tower of Magi and Drake Aerie for unlimited disease heal (nvm, it seems this item is bugged).

Edited September 28 by Math Freak
item doesn't do what it says

[Fireball Fodder]

On 9/28/2024 at 11:27 AM, Math Freak said:

 

There is no graymold salve potion for sale. Graymold Herbs are sold by Harmon in Lost Isle and Mundt in Lorelei. They can also be found laying around in multiple places.

 

You can find Cleansing Powder in places Tower of Magi, Slime Pit, Filth Factory, Woodsy Tower. It is also sold by Anama shop near House on the Hill area (although you need to be a Anama member to access that shop), McElton in Greendale and Shane in Blackcrag Fortress (if you want to get ripped off).

 

You can also find an Aescal's Ring in the Tower of Magi and Drake Aerie for unlimited disease heal (nvm, it seems this item is bugged).

Thanks. It seems items that cure disease are hard to acquire early in the game. However, I did find there's an infinite curing special at the Contemplation Point, which is easy to clear out (the roaches won't respawn after you clean the place out). It was sometimes a bit of a hassle to backtrack there every time my PCs got diseased, but doable.

 

The roaches have been defeated, and even proved easier to beat than the slimes. It's probably because my PCs are by now able to tank the bad effects from the diseases, and their armor gives good protection against roach attacks.

 

Yep, Aescal's Ring is bugged. I've also noticed the Ring of Free Action has Ability Strength = 0, so I wonder if it's bugged too. Ah well.

 

I'm having serious trouble with high-level enemy mages when out in the open - currently I can't beat the Ogre Mage in Upper Exile without taking casualties. They keep summoning stuff (Demon is really nasty), and their spells can hit really hard. Some of them have really high Armor, so it's hard to damage them without being blessed (I don't have Strength Potions yet). Blocking their LoS can work wonders (e.g. using the terrain and the Goo Bomb), but even that's no guarantee I'll be able to kill them quick enough. Guess I'll have to get my hands on a bunch of Wands of Nullity.

[Math Freak]

The Ogre Mage area and Nephilim chief (can drop high level items) in Upper Exile can be quite a tough battle. Magic resisting wearables would help to ease the damage from the spells. You could try using various scrolls and wands to haste yourself and slow down the opponent. Poisoning mages and hiding or running out of reach might also be an option.