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THE WENDERSNAVEN
Yask
The next quest originates in Port Llast.
At #1 will be a merchant named Yask. Neeshka pickpockets him for some gp as well as the Thieves Hood (immunity to knockdown, immunity to poison, +1 Concentration, +2 Open Lock, +2 Search, Rogues). However, I still prefer the Anagry's Mindmaze for Neeshka, since it gives her much-needed immunity to mind-affecting spells.
I prefer to give it to Ammon Jerro. The immunity to poison is redundant with the Greater Amulet of Health, but that's a minor point. The +1 to Concentration is nice, but the real point is immunity to getting knocked down. And indeed, Ammon will be only one of two characters that can use the True Name scroll on the Shadow Reavers, so it's certainly a good idea to immunize him against the shock wave that they often emit.
The one item I do buy from Yask is the Shukenja Helm (+1 0-level Sorcerer spell, +1 1st-level Sorcerer spell, +1 2nd-level Sorcerer spell, +1 3rd-level Sorcerer spell, +1 Concentration). It is the natural choice for Qara for the rest of the game.
Haljal Throndor
Nearby and also at #1 is another merchant, a Dwarf named Haljal Throndor. Neeshka goes to work on him, stealing some gold and a rapier called Bleederkin (Rapier +2, Wounding DC=14). Sounds like a worthy item, but the wounding quality is useless against any enemies with any kind of damage reduction. Pass, I may just sell it to Uncus.
There are a few items that I buy from him, some of which require exposition on my part. One of them is the Hammer of the Beast (Light Hammer +2, Slow DC=14 50% / 2 rounds). I take it back to the Sunken Flagon, and place it in the Magician's Workbench along with the other Star Sapphire I found, a Glowing Air Essence, and a Weak Power Essence. Qara casts Light on the Bench to raise the enhancement bonus to +4. I then add a Weak Earth Essence and an Emerald to the Bench. Qara casts Melf's Acid Arrow on the Bench to give the weapon +1d6 acid damage. Neeshka has her main-hand weapon for the rest of the game.
Neeshka can be absolutely devastating with her critical hits. However, a frequent complaint against her is that her utility drops off and her vulnerability increases concomitantly when she's faced with critical immune enemies like undead and elementals. There are weapons that can inflict certain conditions like stunning, dazing, confusion, etc. The problem is that critical-immune enemies will be immune to these effects as well. A notable exception is the Slowness effect (-1 armor class, -1 attack bonus, -1 attack per round), which will work on critical-immune enemies. It is for this reason that I choose to purchase and then enchant further the Hammer of the Beast as Neeshka's main weapon. It isn't exactly game breaking. But for those of you who have Neeshka as a mainstay party member, it will at least give her some kind of resource against the critical-immune enemies that will become more and more frequent during the later stages of the game. The extra acid damage doesn't hurt either.
Different items are available by asking to to view Haljal's special stock. One item that I bought for Bishop is a pair of gloves called the Favor of Ilum Lura (+4 Dexterity, Rangers only). The gloves allow him to take full advantage of the maximum +6 Dexterity bonus of his Greenleaf Leather Armor. They increase his ability to hit his targets with his bow. They will also increase his Reflex saving throws and thus improve his use of his Evasion ability as well.
Another item is the Helm of Gram the Mouse (damage reduction 2, Piercing damage reduction 5/-, Paladins only), which is a natural choice for Casavir.
The last item that I purchased is the Pharaoh's Mace (Mace +2, Extra Turning, Destroy Undead DC=22). The mace's Destroy Undead power has a very high saving throw difficulty class, much more so than the Maces of Disruption, which will really come in handy when Valeria encounters more and more undead during the later stages of the game. The mace also allows Valeria to set up a certain dynamic. She'll use her Eladrin Blade against humanoid foes, often in conjunction with the Blade Weave spell, but then switch over to Pharaoh's Mace when she encounters undead. The mace is also a light weapon, so it benefits from Valeria's high Dexterity and her Weapon Finesse feat. A potential concern is that its enhancement bonus is only +2, but Valeria can easily address that with a Greater Magic Weapon spell.
Nya
I go over to Nya, who's at #2. I purchased the following:
Noduab and Enleva
Now I head over to #3. It takes a while, but the point is to suffer through the rather prolonged and inane conversation in order to learn the possible location of the fabled Wendersnaven. I also get 250xp for the discovery.
The Relentless Poet
The Strange Clearing will now be available on the world map. I bring along Casavir, Bishop, Khelgar and Grobnar. I do a little pre-buffing that includes Grobnar activating his Inspire Toughness inspiration to increase saving throws, and Bishop casting Barkskin on the three characters most likely to engage in up close combat.
In the middle of the clearing will be the Remains of the Relentless Poet. I pick up the Journal of the Relentless Poet from the Remains, which prompts Grobnar to go off on another tangent about the Wendersnaven. The end result is that he gets a magical instrument, the Wenderkazoo (+3 Charisma, +9 Perform, Confusion (10) 1/day, Mass Charm (15) 1/day, unlimited use of See Invisibility (3), True Seeing (9) 1/day). I still prefer that Grobnar use his Lilting Note bow, since its Perform bonus is almost as high and it allows him to inflict physical damage when needed.
Only now I get attacked by several Orc Scouts and a few Orc Shamans. This fight can be difficult since they're spread out and not easily caught by area-effect offensive spells. Also, the Shamans can use a Bigby's Hand-type spell multiple times, hence why I had Grobnar use Inspire Toughness beforehand. This fight also makes a case for making Khelgar a Monk instead of keeping him as a Fighter, since his now higher saving throws and his ever-increasing Spell Resistance allow him to ignore the Shamans' spells and keep on fighting. Bishop also drills Orc Shamans and Orc Scouts from a distance, one by one, with his bow.
Lastly, there is another Ore Deposit in the Clearing.
My next destination is Highcliff.
