First Timer in Underdark

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The subject is a bit of a misnomer - while it is my first time in Underdark, my major issue is not solely limited to it.

The level of fighting has stepped up considerably - before this, all my fights were relatively simple.

However, when I started opening the Soul Gem, I ran into one major problem - the lich. (I had fought only one lich before, the one in the Crooked Crane - but for him I led him out of the tomb and he was killed by the traps I had lain in the inn. This is problematic because I'd rather not rely on traps - I had to leave Jan behind in spellhold to bring Imoen... who can't trap to save her life.)

Anyway, I ultimately beat him by moving my party away and first sending in some Skeleton Warriors - who absorbed the brunt of his spells. Then I sent in Minsc, protected from magical energy, and wearing the cloak of spell reflection (the name escapes me because there's the other one that reflects only electricity...). He beat down the Lich in three hits, but only after I had waited out the Lich's protections.

In the future I'd like to resolve the issue of a Lich quickly. However, I do not have Khelben's Warding Whip (where can I get another scroll?), and secret word only removes a single protection. Also, would either of these actually remove that protection that is a shimmering globe of white moving lines? (I also have pierce magic if that helps).

Then there are the drow - they shot so many spells at once that I nearly died. I pulled through miraculously, but if I have to deal with some in the future I'd like to be prepared. So, how does one go about protecting Minsc? (three of my other characters can all stoneskin, or iron skins, and three of them can mirror image. This leaves Viconia and Minsc without specific spells to protect them - I throw on armors of faith, but they seem fairly useless).

Basically it comes down to these questions:
1. How can I get scrolls of Warding Whip, Ruby Ray of Reversal, other spell protection removals - and to kill a lich, is it a simple matter of stripping then hitting?
2. When I reach the surface again I plan on taking on Kangaxx - where can I get more scrolls of undead/magic protection?
3. In big battles with the Drow or anyone else with mages, how should I efficiently use my spell removals, and how do I protect Minsc and Viconia, who have no Stoneskins?
4. One thing that has been particularly annoying have been Stun/Confusion... How do I get rid of these? Half of my characters spend most of their fights wandering around lost, or standing and dying. Also, I seem to get Held a lot - is memorizing lots of Free Actions worth combatting this?

Thanks.

 

I suck when it comes to spells, but to protect Minsc and Vicona, just grab some of that snazzy drow armor, it is very good stuff, the plate is -5 IIRC.

I'm sure others will chip in to help with the rest.

 

Azuredge is the ultimate weapon to kill lichs quickly.
Especially if improved by the Item Upgrade Mod

Since lichs can't be breached I mostly use dispel magic to remove their protection against magical weapons. Having an Inquisitor in your party helps a lot.

To counter against Confusion the cleric spell 'Chaotic Commands' is best.

There are not many protections against Stun.
Berserker rage makes you immune to it.
And having Arbane's (short) sword equipped.
Since Stun is mostly caused by the spell 'Symbol, Stun' Spell Immunity against 'Conjuration' should help as well.
And a very low saving throw against spells will do the job too.

'Held' can be countered by the cleric spell 'Remove Paralysis' to remove the effect.

 

Free Action, rings or spells should help against stunning, or being held, or webbed, or entangled, or slowed, or whatever.

Does dispel magic ability of the Inquisitors work against liches? I did not know that. I thought since they are immune up to level 5 spells in general, they are already immune to 3rd level spellispel. In any case, liches in my game are level 25 conjurers (looked at with SK) so it will be hard to win the dispelling check anyway.

1-When a lich casts Protection From Magic Weapons, retreat. You can not touch him via weapons now. Count to 24 (4 rounds) and use summons to bait him. He will use most of his spells on the lowly summons, ofcourse you should supply new summons (from wand of summoning), he will first use death spell, then other more dangerous ones against them. When his PfMW is not active, attack with ranged attacks (as he will most likely to have Fire Shield) and try to knock out his stoneskin. If nasty contingencies do not trigger, you can kill it quickly.

2-Ribald sells TWO Protection From Magic Scrolls and that is all you can find AFAIK. However, every temple should have a good amount of other Protection Scrolls like fire, cold, acid, and undead.

3-Drows:Use SUNFIRE. (5th level mage spell) It ignores MR, since it is not considered a magical explosion like the lowly fireball, and thus it will burn the drows fast enough. Or Firestorm (level 7 cleric spell) does more damage and ignores MR too! BURN the drow! Your mages can kill the whole drows, as long as they are stoneskinned, mirror imaged, protected from magical weapons, and keep blasting Sunfries. Your tanks should hide for a cover. Ofcourse, I am a magic heavy player so this is my favourite strategy!

4-Free Action will make the recipient immune to hold, stun, paralyse, web, entangle, slow. Remove Paralysis will cure a lot of people from those effects. Chaotic Commands make you immune to many psychic things. There are some items which protects against the confusion too!

 

As Latro said the easiest way to kill a lich is to hit it with Azuredge (even if you don't have the improved one from Item upgrade mod).

Cast imp.haste on one of your fighters and have him attack the lich with Azuredge.Only prot.from magic. weapons can stop it.Stoneskin and mirror image will not.

There is also the upgraded Mace of Disruption which does the same, but Azuredge is better,since you can attack from a safe distance.

IIRC Inquisitors' Dispel Magic works against liches although it shouldn't.
Another easy way to get rid of their protections are the arrows of Dispelling.Although they cannot hurt the lich (low enchantment),their dispel effect works fine against them .Of course only when they are not protected from magical weapons.

 

Wait a minute. This is a whole new realisation. So Inquisitor's Dispel ability works against liches?



Wow. Then...I adore Keldorn soo much all of a sudden! Nay, he will make my game all to easy I guess.

Dispell Arrows's dispelling effect will still work even if they can not hit the lich? I thought since the weapon is ineffective, it can'T dispel. Isn't this same when they cast a PfMW?

 

If you have the Staff of the Magi, go whack him with it. If you don't, go have Keldorn whack the lich with his Carsomyr +5.

If you dont have THAT either...just have your cleric turn him.

My lvl 40 cleric turned Kangaxx...so... I dont think you should have worries about regular liches.

About Kangaxx...Ring of the Ram is your friend. As is ring of energy, as is any +4 weapon, as is SI:Abjuration, as are scrolls of Protection from Magic.

 

Silverstar,I am not sure at all about that
Someone else must confirm this ...

 

1. Try Ust Natha. I'm fairly sure one of the drow merchants sells them.

2. You need to pick of those green Prot. from Undead at various shops and temples. Ribald has 2, Umberlee temple in Brynnlaw has 2 and there is a merchant in the Promenade who has them. Also, check the temple district.

3. I use Remove Magic mostly and Breach. Unless I'm really desperate, I don't use Dispel Magic except as a last resort because it remove my protections as well. Try holding onto normal weapons for when/if they cast Mantle. Cast Insect Plague or Creeping Doom. Have Jaheira/Cernd memorize 2 or 3 of these.

Minsc and Viccy can cast Armor of Faith.

 

I thought Mantle and Improved mantle made you immune up to certain enchantment, including normal weapons. So normal weapons is useless if the enemy uses Mantle or Improved Mantle, for it makes the caster immune to both Normal and Magical weapons to an extent. If they cast Pro from Magical Weapons then, normal weapons may work unless the caster is supernatural and thus already immune to normal weapons. (ie:a lich) Absolute Immunity will make you immune to all except +6 weapons I guess?

 

Yes, it's as you said.And a lich with PFMW is immune to all weapons...

Actually I could hit all the Tactics'liches with them.Kangaxx's lich form included.
So their enchantment in the description is wrong I guess...

Up to what enchantment's weapons are the liches immune BTW ? +2 ?

 

The Inquisitor's Dispel ability works against lichs !
I just checked it again in my current game.

 

^Ahh, thanks Latro. I feel dumb. I have been through a lot of hard times against improved liches, all the time thinking their protection spells were simply un-dispellable.

But, with a level 13 inquisitor, it is doable right? As level 13 inquisitor's dispel magic will hit like 26th level, and most common liches are level 25 conjurers? It still has a chance not to work, though.

 

hey hey hey. just to make something clear. it's your guys hard ass mods that make liches immune to breach. If I can knock down the other defenses on a lich I can breach one with no problem at all in my minimally modded game.

 

^Normal, unmodded liches can be breached? I really don't think so. I knew liches are immune up to 5th level spells, including Breach. Which lich did you breached BTW?

 

I just use Spell Thrust and Breach on everything. It does work if you use them a couple of times each. The only drawback is that you have to rest quite a bit to regain all of your spells...

 

The Liche in the underdark. And a couple of the ones needed to put Kangaxx together. I usually ruby ray or pierce them first though to get rid of other protections that will swallow up breach because they suck up spells cast at the target. All of them that I can think of tend to activate either spell turning or spell trap as part of their initial triggers and I think again when they are half or 3/4ths dead.

 

Ruby ray or Pierce Magic or Shield will work, but I still don't get it how Breach works against a lich? It is totally against my knowledge about BG2 if I have any.

 

Don't worry Silverstar,it's OK

In my game all liches are immune up to 5th level spells too.
So no Spell Thrust,Breach, Remove Magic,etc...

But I can't remember how was it in the original game Maybe unmodded liches are not immune to these spells,although they should...

 

But alas, I read some vanilla game strategie guides and they all mentioned liches were immune up to 5th level spells...