Strongest vanilla character and party (surprises within)

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My problem is that he usually gets either Horror or Mirror Image off before I can cast it. It's been a couple years since I played the original game, but IIRC Jahira cannot cast remove fear, and the horror spell is usually far more effective than the +2 save bonus would suggest, usually terrifying most if not the entire party. Then the mirror image goes off and I can't land the spell.
As I said, it has been at least two years, maybe more.

 

Tarnesh is definitely miles harder than Silkie. I don't disagree with whoever said it's one of the hardest encounters in the game because of how low level you a at that point, and without a full party.

I think timing is important. The FAI guards will help out, so use that to your advantage. Have Tarnesh come towards you, don't walk up the steps. With LMD, I have it readied and try to time it so I cast it just when he's about to initiate dialogue. You can hit him before he does a mirror image if you time it just right. Horror shouldn't be so bad if you're in the courtyard and not bunched up on the steps. Your party will scatter more easily and the guards will have a better shot at Tarnesh. I don't think you get the XP if the guards kill him, but a kill's a kill. But if he casts Horror as his first spell you should have much less of a problem than if he casts mirror image and then Horror.

I think it's harder depending on what class you pick of course. If you pick say a mage then I wouldn't feel too bad about having to reload a lot.

 

Also having a cleric can help, if you can cast remove fear before the encounter it negates the horror spell and he gets A LOT more manageable.
I just remembered that you don't meet Jahira and Kahalid until AFTER fighting him, so if Jahira can or can not cast remove fear is irrelevant.
What would be nice is if you could find a clerical scroll of remove fear before leaving Candlekeep. There is still the issue of Charname not necessarily being able to use it (only a Cleric, Druid, Paladin, or Ranger can), and neither can Monteron, Xar, or Imoen, but it would help with that encounter and teach the player how useful the seemingly useless spell is.

 

Another way that can help is if you know you do not want to keep a certain party member. For instance I usually do not want to keep Montaron so if I put him up close and keep the rest of the party far away enough that they will not be hit with horror but will be able to engage the mage as soon as combat starts. Montaron may fail his save but who cares the mage will continue to target him while the rest of the party continues to attack. Imoen with a bow and Xzar using minor drain (a more advanced tactic is to be sure to try to time your spell so that it hits as the mage casts his spell thus allowing you to disrupt it) can make for success.

 

The whole point is that I can't see a way to beat him without meta-gaming and a bit of cheese. Split the party and use a sacrificial lamb to eat his horror spell while the rest gather around the guards like a bullied high school student would stay near the security guards/hall monitors during lunch time. The guards will assist.
Half the time the person who failed his horror spell save will just run away and Tarnesh will then go after somebody else, allowing the guards to get into the act.
However if you don't know about the coming attack, your party will be in formation and get their butts kicked. If you do know about the ambush,
Another meta-game is to just use Remove Fear if you can cast it, which requires Charname to be a cleric as I can't see a reasonable way to recruit a cleric or druid before this point without the "Early NPCs" mod (highly recommended). Viconia and Branwin are difficult to get (well, Branwin needs a bit of money but is doable, the map with Vicy is a bit tough for level 1/2 characters), Yeslick is in Cloakwood that you can't get into until after finishing with Nashkel, while Quayle and Tiax are in Baldur's Gate which is inaccessible until half way through the game.

 

Agree on Branwen, other than the option of pickpocketing (if you have the skill) a StF scroll from that runt barker standing in front of her. That is a bit of metagaming, though.

Kind of disagree on Viconia, though. If you have 4 in your party, and only skirt the west edge of her map, after leaving the FAI map, you should be able to defeat the mercenary. Viconia herself fights with you, casting Command on him, which makes the battle fairly easy. Again metagaming a bit, though.

 

Viconia's map is a lot more gentle than Ajantis'....

Not that I would advise you tackle either at Lvl1. Just nab them and get out of there.