Sanchuwhatchamacallit

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So: I've installed the expanded thieves' stronghold mod. (I won't even mention the new & improved Mae'var, especially since I already have..) On my way back to check in with my thieves after having successfully lifted CF off the corpse of a certain bad guy, I'm confronted by an exceptionally powerful fellow (I think, anyway...his voicepack sounded suspiciously like my grandmother..) who collects powerful katanas. Needless to say, he's also *wielding* an exceptionally powerful katana:

Sanchusomethingorother:

katana +4
regenerates 1 hp per second
1d10 + can't recall how much acid damage
AND, here's the clincher: the Acidic backlash. Anyone who does damage to the wielder, be it via melee, spell, or other, is hit with what looks like Melf's Acid Arrow. Now, this quality of his katana seriously kicked the bejesus out of my party (pc assassin, korgan, haer daelis, tashia (downloaded npc ng elven sorceress, and whatacutie!!!), and jaheira, several times in a row. I actually had to haste my party in order to go and buy protection from acid scrolls before he spawned in order to beat him...

Nonetheless, this new katana feels suspiciously like ill-gotten gains. Although I really had to bust my rump to earn it, it still seems too powerful. I've continued to use CF, keeping Sanchuthingy in my inventory...and probably won't pull it out 'til ToB.

In case you haven't guessed, I'm undergoing an SoA moral dilemma. Thoughts and opinions, please.

(p.s. Is there a point to the thieve's stronghold? I keep running back there to direct my thieves and pay the quartermaster, or quotamaster, or whatever, but it doesn't seem to provide anything other than cash. Is there not some nifty item awaiting me at the finish? Something as cool and unusual as the mood dog, for example? Thanks for comment.)

 

use the katana. dual it with Cfury. the acidic backlash for some reason dosent work reliably so..sometimes it hits everytime you get hit, sometimes it dosent. Also, there is no point to the orginial thives guild, i dunno about the expanded one..where did you get this?

 

Sounds like another overpowered weapon. Read former posts about Crom, Celestial Fury, Carsomyr, etc. about whether you want to use it or not. Oh, and IIRC, after the first two subplots on the thieves' stronghold, it's just cash.

 

Whoops...meant to say "Moon Dog."

Got the expanded thief stronghold mod from I can't remember which site, but here you go: In SP, when you download the Solufein romance pack, it directs you to a site with a host of other downloads...aforementioned thieves' mod, Tashia download (well worth it, I can attest...just starting the underdark, so I can't vouch for the Solufein mod), and, IIRC, another download-able npc sorcerer named Kelsey, which I didn't use.

Extremely powerful, yes...overpowered, I'm not so sure. It was more difficult to acquire than CF (when you opponent is stoneskinned, mirror imaged, spell-trapped, and regenerates 1 hp per sec, it's hardly easy pickings), and for backstabs (its principle use), not as powerful as CF. (It's nice to hit a bad guy for 110 pts of damage, stun him, run away, hide in shadows, repeat, etc.)

The problem I have is with the Acidic backlash against spellcasters. That's what makes it too powerful. It's not that it damages spellcasters. It's that, like Melf's, it prevents them from casting spells for a few rounds. (It even works against area of effect spells.) I wouldn't mind if it dealt out damage like a fireshield, but it makes fighting mages child's play. Provided you can withstand the instadeath spells, it gives you ample time to break down spell/combat defenses, etc.

I guess I'm answering myself here. It's extremely upsetting. I don't mind powerful weapons, but when it removes my need to think tactically in the game, what's the point in playing?

Thanks for the input...

(And incidentally, I've done all the other stronghold quests, except for bards, and given that I have to run home every five days to manage things, with *no* return...I've very disappointed. It stinks that the returns for finishing the quest for a non-thief are infinitely more rewarding...i.e., 10 grand in gold + the short sword of backstabbing. Very disappointed indeed.)


edit for type-o's, and to say: Yippee, I'm an orc now!

[This message has been edited by Gonzago (edited May 01, 2002).]