What quests do you avoid in a "no reloads" game?

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I know there are some quests that just aren't worth the risk in a no reloads game. What quests do you avoid?

[ September 18, 2006, 17:52: Message edited by: Blackthorne TA ]

 

Pretty much anything involving a Lightning Bolt. Seriously. This includes attacking Silke (unless you're really desperate for a +1 quarterstaff; Garrick can be gotten via the other path), Kahrk-in-a-jar at Firewine, the house in BG with 5 ogre magi, etc. The only exception to this rule is whacking Ramazith, and that only because of not only the stuff you get, but that you're guaranteed to be high level by that point, so your tank can probably take a Lightning Bolt on the chin.

Another thing I wouldn't do is take the statue out of the cavern in Brage's area. Heck, I don't do it half the time normally, to say nothing of a no-reload game. 4000 XP just isn't worth that hassle; you might as well go rest in the flesh golem cave a couple times and call it even.

 

I certainly agree about the Firewine ruins, the combination of a confined space and a lightning bolt is a recipe for all sorts of unpredictable outcomes. But Silke is a piece of cake if you have a F/M with mirror image up. In general mirror image will always counter lightning bolt unless the bolt bounces through you 4 times (which can certainly happen in firewine).

Even without mirror image, Silke is striaghtforward with a party. As long as the PC is far away the lightning bolt will only get one character who can be raised as soon as the battle is over.

 

Actually, I rarely have any problems with Silke. The key is to hit her hard and fast with the wand of magic missiles, plus any other mm's memorized by any spellcasters in the party and keep up the missile fire while your designated patsy...I mean tank...gets up close and personal with her. Often she goes down without successfully casting a single spell.

Now Firewine is a different matter entirely...

 

Yes, usually she's no trouble at all. But on the off chance that she'll fry someone (maybe your PC, who isn't raisable), for only a +1 quarterstaff...why bother?

 

Firewine is about the only place I will avoid, as there really isn't anything noteworthy to get there anyway. The XPs suck, and there really aren't any good items (although based on another thread there IS a second longbow of Marksmanship, so there is one item worth getting if you have need for a second LBoM).

Anyway, with all the traps and hassle for that area, I just don't bother doing it. However, I ALWAYS fight Kahrk. I'm usually a pretty high level when I do that too, however, so I can usually take a lightning bolt (provided it doesn't bounce off something and hit me twice, but that's an open area, so it shouldn't happen).

I only fight Silke if I'm taking Garrick (I didn't know there was any other way to get him - please explain), so in other words, quite often. If you don't want your PC to die, just use a missle weapon, and make sure your PC isn't standing directly behind one of your tanks.

I usually don't take the statue from the Brage area anyway, as I'm usually pretty low level at that point, but I definitely wouldn't be taking it in a no-reload game.

 

I have never tried a no-reload game. I guess I'll have to sometime.

I think the other path to Garrick is to go along and kill the merchants, but I am not sure.

 

I have never played a no-reload game either but I also don't have to reload in BG that often. It has been quite awhile since I last played so I will have to give it a try.

Silke, IMHO, is quite easy to defeat but I never take Garrick. Any small place with a lightning bolt is a very bad place to be. I always pick the casters first then hit them fast and hard.

 

Something else I thought bout came to mind, some people rush to the Naskel area to get either Minsc or Edwin and therefore must do their quest right? Well the Knoll Stronghold must be QUITE annoying for a low level party, what with the insane amount of spawning. Not as bad as Firewine but still! I guess if you want that extra point of Charisma then you have to do it ...

 

heh just watch for that lightning bolt trap in the cloakwood mines right before you get to the mage...can't remember his name, but he's the one with robe of evil archmagi.

 

^That would be Davaeorn.

 

I seem to recall running into a lot of Black Talon Elites before getting to one of the two contacts in the forest areas. Be VERY careful around here because these guys can rip you to shreds Even Kobold Commandos can kill you quick if you're not careful

 

It's not that bad, because they don't use missile weapons. If there were koblod commandos, or other things with bows, yeah, that would suck. Most of my party is level 2 or 3 when I do this area. I usually do it before I do the Nashkel mines. The gauntlets of dexterity alone make it well worth the trip.

Well, you don't HAVE to meet up with contacts in the forests to do the bandit camp. Once you kill Tranzig in Beregost, you can proceed to the camp directly through the ankheg area - although I'm not sure that's a preferable route in a no-reload game. However, if you hug the very bottom portion of the map, you can usually get lucky and avoid an encounter. Besides, by this point in time you should have characters of at least 4th level, and they should be able to handle an ankheg or two. Actually, the more I think about it, regardless of what level your party is, I'd rather run into a couple of ankhegs rather than a half dozen black talon elites firing ice arrows at you - those guys can ruin your day in a hurry.

 

True that BUT if you don't join up with one of the contacts then you have to take on the camp straight away, rather than them being allied to you. There's quite a lot of bandits round here (OBVIOUSLY) and that Tareum Thunderhammer guy is quite dangerous when hostile ...

 

If you join the bandits you'll have to figh Tazok, not really easier.
And Tareum Thunderhammer alone shouldn't be a problem for a party using advanced tactics.
His equipment is worth fightíng him unless you do a speedrun.

 

Tareum Thunderhammer? The Beregost smith?

Is there a reason he would be turning hostile when you attack the bandits? I've always been on good terms with him.

 

Taurgosz Ten-Hammers is the bandit. It's easy to get them confused.

 

Since I'm doing a no-reload right now, here are my 2 cents:

During this run I realised that Lightning Bolts can be easily covered with Potions of Absorption. They give 100% elec-resistance, last a long time, and I'm finding them in abundance, so just let everybody shoot up before a battle known to include Bolts.

My biggest problem were the Sirines: that Dire Charm is a tough one to get past, and they've got two or three each (I'm not sure, but I think a Dire Charmed PC means end of game). I've done them during this run, but would advise against them in a no-reload game.

You can still get the Tome and other goodies using Invisibility (or even better, like my Cleric did, using Sanctuary; that stays on even after getting the treasure).

 

Yes, but AFAIK only when solo or when all other partymember are dead.

 

Oops sorry I was thinking of the wrong thing!

Regarding Dire Charm I just thought (when going through solo or you've become alone) that you just have to wait 'till the effect wears off, not an end of game sequence?