ScS 5 - Zordal

[Guest PetrusOctavianus]

I'm playing through EasyTutu again, this time with the latest version of ScS.

This time I'm playing with Mages and Clerincs Pre-buffing installed for an extra challenge.

 

Tarnesh was in fact easier this time, since he did not cast Magic Missile for some reason. Since the battle is outdoors, his Sleep and Horror spells are not that effective, since my party can scatter when they see the spells coming, thus not making the *entire* party helpless.

 

The Cleric assassin in the Nashkel Inn (Neira?) was a tough fight. The main problem is hitting her at all. With no god archers (I had K&J, Xzar&Monty, plus Kagain and my main Kensai) it was bloody hard hitting the bitch, even after Jaheira casting Doom.

The Wand of Missiles was invaluable in this fight and was the surest way of disrupting enemy spell casting.

 

But the most frustrating battle so far was Zordal, the evil mage a tent at the Nashkel Fair. With pre-casting Mirror Image, Armor and Prot Normal Missiles, only by luck can you hurt him before he casts the crippling Sleep and Horror spells. Being in a very confined space there is no place to run, so only Jaheira or Khalid saves against Sleep, only to be Dire Charmed. Then Zordal can take his time killing off my party members with Melf's Acid Arrow and Magic Missile.

 

It makes sense that the two bounty hunters will buff before engaging the party, and they provide a challenge without being too frustrating, but Zordal is a bit too much. He is *surprised* by the party entering the tent and should not be allowed to pre-buff, IMO.

[DavidW]

Good argument (especially as Zordral is extraordinarily difficult, despite being a minor sidequest). I'll add him to the (short) list of people who are exempted from pre-buffing, unless anyone has any good counter-argument.

[Lemernis]

Love the tougher Zordal, though. Maybe he could immediately quaff an invisibility potion and buff? Or offer him in pre-buffed and non-pre-buffed versions?

[Guest PetrusOctavianus]

Good argument (especially as Zordral is extraordinarily difficult, despite being a minor sidequest). I'll add him to the (short) list of people who are exempted from pre-buffing, unless anyone has any good counter-argument.

 

I think the four Zhentarim in Sorcerous Sundries should not pre-buff, either, since they attack due to being interrupted in a ritual (or so they say). That fight is hard enough without the buffing, with their leader doing some serious damage with his Wand of Fireballs.

And since they are initially neutral, and they are inside a shop there's no reason for my own party to buff either.

[Curwen]

For me this fight ended up coming down to Branwen getting Command off and Zordral failing his save. The first two attempts he saved and killed my party. On the third he failed and my band of brave heroes and myself quickly set about tenderizing and mincing him. Montaron later received rave reviews of his bolognese dish at the Nashkel carnival cook off with one taster describing it as "Magical". Nobody suspects a halfling.