Shade Lord help (SCS/Hard)

[Daxtreme]

Well, seeing as you put like, basically, ALL the most challenging encounters and optional AI mods possible, I would say that gimping your XP might not be the best course of action here.

 

Having SCS on is one thing, but SCS + all tactical options through the roof + Spell Revisions is just hell on Earth. In fact, some fights in BG2 and above will be challenging with those settings even if you had a full lvl 30 party!

 

As for SCS Lavok, barring some big cheese/glitch, I don't think you're meant to kill him at level 9

Edited February 25, 2018 by Daxtreme

[fluent]

Huh. I guess I missed all that before installing. Oh well. Guess I'll try again some other time. Didn't realize those options would render the game impossible.

Edited February 25, 2018 by fluent

[Daxtreme]

Well, the game is not impossible per se with those options installed, it's simply meant for veteran players.

 

Don't be disheartened

 

You can still beat those encounters, provided you are high level enough, which is why you shouldn't gimp your XP progression.

 

Just go back to the Planar Sphere later, or cheese your way out of Lavok. Unfortunately I play with SR on so I don't recall especially which vanilla spells could help you here, but summoning lots of stuff and letting the mage waste spells on them usually works decently enough.

 

If you have access to level 5 spells, Lavok is not a Lich so he's technically not immune to Breach. Normally it should work as some point! Try Summoning stuff then spamming Breach, maybe the summons will get him.

 

You alternatively might find a way to let his buffs expire, although SCS will try to prevent you from doing that as much as it can.

 

SCS makes Lavok a real, actual threat especially this early in the game when players expect this guy to fall easily from the vanilla playthroughs

 

I wish I could help you more but apart from leveling more if you absolutely can't defeat him, I don't know what to say! Do you have a protection from magic scroll? Cast it on main fighter and try to bash him to death while your team kill the summons.

[fluent]

Right right, thanks for the tips. Yeah, I was going to try a Protection From Magic scroll + a few other possible tricks (3 Improved Invisible characters, Valygar backstabbing + Wand of Heavens from the shadows and a strong attack from my Cavalier to start the battle, then spam Monster Summoning/Breach/Dispel if necessary.) So yeah, hopefully that works.

 

My main question now is - what should I do about future XP? The game is not "hard" in that it's too hard or too tricky, it's "impossible" because I'm too low level. So I was thinking of running 150% XP for a few hours, doing a quest or two with that setting and trying to catch up to where I should be.

 

Roxanne, you start BG2 usually at level 11, correct? So I should try to catch up to that I think. That's my main concern right now (I can get past the Lavok battle I think, had him Badly Injured last time.)

Edited February 25, 2018 by fluent

[fluent]

It was hell on Earth indeed but I got past it. Turned up XP gain to 150% for a few to catch up and will set it back to 50 probably once it's balanced out. I guess the 250k cap for SoD was a bad idea after all. Guess I gotta learn the hard way, lol.