Unfinished Business - Throne of Bhaal

[Lector87]

I never properly finished Throne of Bhaal. The time has come to rectify this oversight.

This isn't a full Let's Play, and I'm assuming a degree of familiarity with the series, so there will be no spoiler warnings.

My hero is Lady Gerd, a Cavalier who has cleared Baldur's Gate and Shadows of Amn solo, a one-woman army of righteous fury. I intend to take her through Throne of Bhaal without NPC assistance, except for any instance where having an NPC in the party is necessary to accept or complete a quest. She has already cleared Watcher's Keep and beaten Demogorgon, so I doubt Melissan and her schemes will pose much of a problem.

Lady Gerd is maxed out, so far as BG2 allows. Her current profile:

https://i.imgur.com/IsJmYMyl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/PvklZ9ul.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/jgIfz0Bl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/sdw1yQ5l.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/15VXTwal.jpg
Her favored weapons are Carsomyr, Purifier, and Foebane. She has a bag of holding chock full of other weapons, for when a special damage type is called for. Greater Whirlwind Attack usually suffices for most foes, but when pressed she can also Draw Upon Holy Might and cast Simulacrum and Summon Deva.

Again, this isn't a full Let's Play, more of a progress log. I'll mostly post maps of cleared areas, and maybe videos of boss fights.

As the story begins, we find Lady Gerd in a strange grove, surrounded by standing stone faces. Their eyes seem to burn with ancient life...

[Lector87]

So Lady Gerd went for a walk in the woods and some crazy woman started talking to her about prophecies or whatever. Gerd gibbed her before she started handing out pamphlets.


https://i.imgur.com/mxStHgr.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/L0R9wXy.jpg

Gerd hates pamphlets.

Edit: I may have lied about the maps. And the videos. And the updates.

BUT ONLY TIME WILL TELL

[Lector87]

So then some magical BS happened, and Gerd wound up back in Hell, I guess? Which, on balance, is actually more fun than hanging out in the Elven Kingdom of Twee Fruitcakes.

Anyway, the decor sucks and her new roommates are NUTS, but apparently this is Gerd's new home, so she'll have to make the best of it.

https://i.imgur.com/yoOPFgd.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ldssmxT.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/2twgkVI.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/oYG2noP.jpg
First thing, let's throw a house-warming party.

https://i.imgur.com/UKsEqsn.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/deBtBEO.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/277HZM4.jpg

[Lector87]

For some reason throwing a blowout murder party led to Lady Gerd being YET AGAIN magically teleported to somewhere she's never heard of. A city chock full of her half-siblings, who have all been herded there by some definitely-not-evil woman, so they can be penned up and slaughtered by yet another of her wacky half-siblings.

https://i.imgur.com/0d1QLXt.jpg
Some nut named Gromnir was running the defences, but he and Gerd didn't see eye to eye about how to handle the situation. At least, they weren't eye-to-eye for very long...

https://i.imgur.com/3XuNwKX.jpg

So after that dispute was resolved, Selfless Public Servant Melissan suggested that our heroine go out and discover how to kill yet another dangerous lunatic.

https://i.imgur.com/OiS0HyW.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/DWlcYBX.jpg
Somewhere during the above, Lady Gerd also took the time to solve a mystery, recover a stolen spellbook, find lodging for some elven hobos, and raise a man from the dead.

She'll make sure to add it to her bill.

[Lector87]

The North Forest - Cleared!

Teleporting out of Saradush (on purpose this time), Lady Gerd finds herself on the road to Yaga-Shura's ancestral digs.


https://i.imgur.com/Zu9Y2Bo.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/paUDjIi.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/fvgdAHF.jpg
The region is swarming with dear brother's soldiers, as well as a passel of Fire Giants who had a bit of trouble denting her Red Dragon gear - but most dangerously, representatives of the vile Ursine Menace continue to wander the earth! When will we be delivered?

https://i.imgur.com/rCLApsC.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/AXawLcg.jpg
Next: The Forest of Mir

[Keltest]

Is Lady Gerd having image issues again? I thought she got over that phase?

[Lector87]

In-universe explanation - she flips between Red Oni and Blue Oni without warning. Side effect (possible cause?) of lone adventuring.

Meta explanation - I'm occasionally trying to record gameplay, and didn't want to upload to the You of Tube while using an artist's work as my character pic without their permission.

[Lector87]

The Forest of Mir, The Marching Mountains, Yaga-Shura's Stronghold Level 1 - Cleared!

https://i.imgur.com/5kYbNse.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/7nHPJDi.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/PIEg1q6.jpg
Pop quiz! In order to clear the next plot hurdle, our heroine has to collect...

A. Brains
B. Hearts
C. Livers
D. Kidneys
E. Strongly-worded letters to the editor

Don't click Spoiler until you've guessed!

https://i.imgur.com/QytFQbK.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/pVgaIJI.jpg

[Lector87]

Yaga-Shura's Stronghold and The Siege Camp - Cleared!

https://i.imgur.com/itV0Lms.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/frYdvKA.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/xHTbFps.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/iRb2cH7.jpg
Naturally, Lady Gerd was too late to save Saradush. And naturally, the local authorities blamed her for ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING.

https://i.imgur.com/bdBYWUa.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/EoPIF3r.jpg
At least that nice lady Melissan is still on her side.

[Lector87]

The Oasis - Cleared!

https://i.imgur.com/KyyOLTG.jpg

[Lector87]

Exploring her new home of Amekthran (any bets on how long it takes for THIS place to go up in flames?), Lady Gerd encountered a fellow with a suspiciously literary name...

https://i.imgur.com/OQbi0RM.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/YGgPT3W.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/XKT7lJP.jpg
Turns out our quest-giver wasn't telling the whole story. WHAT A SHOCKING TWIST.

https://i.imgur.com/MfsvRly.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/FEOm6Dr.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/yd76JLx.jpg
So our heroine had to engage in some sneaky sneakiness to get the girl's soul back in one piece...

https://i.imgur.com/8PfhAyF.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/yCOFlGt.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/N61StHl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/8lchSaw.jpg
Protection from Undead and Sunray pretty much took care of the rest.

https://i.imgur.com/YYlfZPk.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/8IUGS6E.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/kHdwACj.jpg
Oddly, Marlowe actually survived the fight, but I couldn't talk to him, and I think the daughter's dialogue makes clear he's supposed to die no matter what. Oh well.

Next up, Abazigal's lair!

[Lector87]

Guess who has two thumbs and no brains and JUST realized you can teleport to the Pocket Plane to rest whenever you need.

THIS BERK.

[Lector87]

Abazigal - Slain!

https://i.imgur.com/5k27QAD.jpg
And I have begun experimenting with recording in OBS and uploading to Youtube - check out the full fight here! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gwSa6U_IAQ)

Mostly I run around in circles and chug health pots.

Brutal criticisms of my tactical decisions and video quality are welcome and encouraged.

[Lector87]

HAX!

Sendai cheated, and I have proof!
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTaIZHhvSKk&feature=youtu.be)
Seriously, if anyone can tell me what happened there, I'd appreciate it...

Death Tally: 1

[Lector87]

Holy Crapola, that must have been Harm:

"This spell is the reverse of Heal. Instead of healing the creature touched, it causes damage. On a successful touch from the priest, the spell reduces the target to 1 Hit Point. The next attack that the priest makes will inflict this effect; however, the priest only has 2 rounds to make the attack before the spell fizzles. If the priest misses the target creature, the spell is wasted. There is no Saving Throw."

Daaaaaaaang.

[Keltest]

Holy Crapola, that must have been Harm:

"This spell is the reverse of Heal. Instead of healing the creature touched, it causes damage. On a successful touch from the priest, the spell reduces the target to 1 Hit Point. The next attack that the priest makes will inflict this effect; however, the priest only has 2 rounds to make the attack before the spell fizzles. If the priest misses the target creature, the spell is wasted. There is no Saving Throw."

Daaaaaaaang.

As a paladin in uber armor, a successful hit is still no easy feat.

[Lector87]

SWEET VENGEANCE

https://i.imgur.com/q0etL1P.jpg
And now, with Sendai's Enclave cleared and a couple of hard as butts fights still to go, our Lady Gerd upgrades her hardware.

https://i.imgur.com/aEV9rSO.jpg
By the way, in spite of temporary setbacks, this fight provided me with one of my favorite combat logs in the dialogue box:

https://i.imgur.com/B8tYwLQ.jpg

[Lector87]

ARGHGHG

Two deaths against Balthazar - and then I beat him in an EPIC mano-a-mano slugfest - and then the game crashed before I could save...

Here goes again...

[Lector87]

Balthazar and The Ravager - Dead and Dead!

https://i.imgur.com/eRa5xQW.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/hBHTrEk.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/SJUAWGx.jpg
Of all the things that have irked me throughout this playthrough, I think watching all that XP go down the drain after Gerd hit 34 was almost physically painful.

Now the big question - what the sweet flippin' heck do I do about Melissan?

My trouble in one word: Stoneskin. Honestly, nothing else about this fight - the summons, the multiple phases, the debuffs, whatever - nothing is as big a pain in the neck as her constantly recasting total immunity to melee weapons. Without a mage, I don't have any reliable dispel. What the heck do I do?

[Keltest]

Doesn't... doesn't your Holy Avenger have dispel? Or is that too low level?

[Lector87]

Doesn't... doesn't your Holy Avenger have dispel? Or is that too low level?

It absolutely does, and that's what I was counting on. But I've had a couple goes at the Big M, and no matter how many times I whap her, it doesn't seem to be doing anything!

I think you're right about the level - Dispel might not be powerful enough to take down her shield. Maybe it has to be a higher-level spell, like Breach or Spellstrike?

[Lector87]

Hmmm, the wiki description of Stoneskin:

"The skins will remain on the wizard until they are affected by Dispel Magic, Remove Magic, or similar dispelling spells, all of the skins are removed due to physical attacks, or the spell duration expires."

So Carsomyr SHOULD be blowing right through it. Maybe she's also tossing on a PFMW?

[Lector87]

Here's an experiment (which I may not get to try today)...what about using a Protection from Magic scroll on her? Wouldn't that take out all her buffs AND prevent her from casting?

[Lector87]

What to wear, what to wear?

Amulet:
Amulet of Power
Armor:
White Dragon Scale, or Shuruppak's Plate
Boots:
Boots of Speed
Bracers:
Blessed Bracers
Cloak:
Cloak of Mirroring
Gauntlets:
Legacy of the Masters
Girdle:
Girdle of Fire Giant Strength
Helmet:
Helm of Balduran
Rings:
Edventar's Gift, Ring of Gaxx

...that should do it, I think?

EDIT: just realized that Bracers and Gauntlets occupy the same spot, durrr - prob go with Legacy of the Masters
EDIT EDIT: Edventar's Gift cancels out Boots of Speed. Reckon I'll put on the cold resist boots (name?) since I think I remember Big M doing cold damage.

[Lector87]

Two fights down, two to go!

https://i.imgur.com/2V0g69u.jpg
At least you can save between scraps, even if you can't rest.

[Lector87]

Divine Destiny - Fulfilled!

https://i.imgur.com/8lH5fS9.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/k9CjBCU.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/V9HutZm.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Ujut8c7.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/hCxDXol.jpg
Carsomyr+6, GWW, Summon Deva, and Simulacrum = one dead priestess of one dead god.

Lady Gerd, Goddess of Righteous Fury, will empower her followers with the holy invocation "Butt-kicking for goodness!"

Thanks everybody!