Questions and comment about rakshasa

[Guest John]

I've not played PnP games, only CRPG games such as BG2, so this may be the wrong place to ask my questions and make a comment.

 

As I understand it, the Fixpack changed aspects of rakshasa's ability to be hit and maybe magic resistance. I only noticed this when I got to the rakshasa in the sewers of the Temple District. In my current game (solo sorcerer until can rescue Imoen), the rakshasa seems to be unaffected by things such as greater malison, slow, magic missile. I haven't seen any affect from MMM either but that may be an attack range issue. I have found contradictory statements: some say rakshasas are not affected by spells below level 8, others say only level 9. Nor have I found any clues as to what weapons will harm rakshasas.

 

Will somebody shed some light as to what spells do affect the rakshasa?

Will MMM hurt the "new" rakshasa?

Will Lower Resistance work on rakshasa?

What weapons (for example, +1 blunt weapons) will hurt the "new" rakshasa?

Will skeleton warriors hurt rakshasas?

Are there any summons whose attacks can hurt rakshasas?

 

My gripe is simply that the change I read about in the "core fixes" changes the encounter in the Temple sewer from something suitable early in the game to a nightmare if you don't have the right spellcasting choices or the right equipment.

 

It's always seemed to me that the Temple sewer system, with the exception of the mind flayer lair, was aimed for groups in the early part of the game, and that the pc and his group would eliminate the monsters there before going on to bigger and better things. The m.f. lair was optional and could only be accessed after accomplishing at least part of another quest. The monsters were tough could be handled by an early stage party. The change to the Temple sewer rakshasa just seems contradictory because it seems overpowering for an early stage party.

 

Keep in mind that I'm just frustrated at the moment with this development

 

Who knows, this could spur adding some books into the Ohgma (sp?) library that give tips on spell immunities and what types of weapons can harm monsters in the SoA portion, equivalent to Elminster's book about exotic monsters in ToB

 

TIA for your help about the rakshasa.

 

John

[Gorilym]

Hmm, can't say I've noticed any huge difference with Rakshasas post-fixpack... The only relevant listing in the Core Fixes documentation is this one:

Rakshasas have an item that emulates their racial abilities, notably being immune to spells of level 1-7. Because of how they're handled by the engine, however, cloud-based attacks were still affecting them (notably, they would stand in their own cloudkill and die). Immunities to these spells have now been added.

 

Files altered: rakring.itm

Being immune to spell levels 1-7 would stop spells like greater malison, slow and magic missile. Doesn't look like that is actually "new", though the immunity to cloudkill etc. is. For a solo sorcerer, summoning a Skeleton Warrior or two to take the rakshasa down in melee sounds like a good strategy IMHO.

[NiGHTMARE]

The contradictory statements regarding the spell immunities come about because in BG2, rakshasas can be affected by spells of levels 8 and 9, whereas in 2nd Edition pnp they can only be affected by spells of level 9.

 

Regular rakshasas are immune only to non-magical melee weapons, but ruhks, rajahs, and maharajahs are immune to +1 melee weapons as well. I think, but could be mistaken, that even an unenchanted missile will harm all types of rakshasas.

 

All of the above is true in the unmodded game - none of it is introduced by the Fixpack.

[CamDawg]

Lower Resistance wouldn't do anything anyway as they have 0% magic resistance. It's their blanket resistance to spells of level 7 or lower that's the issue--good thing you're not soloing a cleric...

 

As long as they haven't cast Protection from Magical Weapons, absolutely. Same as before I don't think they know this spell in an unmodded game anyway.

Bioware generally didn't care too much about creature spellbooks, instead going for force-casting spells via script. They don't have it memorized, but the raks in Suldenesselar force-cast PfMW. I don't thnk any of the other raks use it, though.

[Guest John]

Thanks for the replies, everyone.

 

From what I read, it seems that my pc should do one (or more) of the following:

 

1. avoid rakshasa till he can cast ADHW

2. avoid rakshasa till he can animate skelly warriors (lvl 15)

3. avoid rakshasa period

4. at least equip a +2 staff

5. run faster than the rakshasa to effectively use MMM

6. test a Wand of Monster Summoning for kamikaze wave attacks

7. test if any of the 5th or 6th level summoned creatures can harm rakshasa

8. add a tank

9. test if the pc could win a 1:1 fight using Tenser's Transformation and min +2 weapon

 

Well, in this specific game, I don't think #8 will happen

 

Cam Dawg, I think that at least the Temple rakshasa might not have presented as much of a problem for a solo cleric only because my cleric pc's tend to like to mix it up in battle and equip and buff up accordingly. I do know that I soloed a cleric one time, and there was one monster I ran across that the cleric just couldn't handle. ATM, I forget which monster it was but that it took the fun out of the game, and I just stopped

[Guest Guest]

Thanks for the replies, everyone.

 

From what I read, it seems that my pc should do one (or more) of the following:

 

1. avoid rakshasa till he can cast ADHW

2. avoid rakshasa till he can animate skelly warriors (lvl 15)

3. avoid rakshasa period

4. at least equip a +2 staff

5. run faster than the rakshasa to effectively use MMM

6. test a Wand of Monster Summoning for kamikaze wave attacks

7. test if any of the 5th or 6th level summoned creatures can harm rakshasa

8. add a tank

9. test if the pc could win a 1:1 fight using Tenser's Transformation and min +2 weapon

 

Well, in this specific game, I don't think #8 will happen

 

Cam Dawg, I think that at least the Temple rakshasa might not have presented as much of a problem for a solo cleric only because my cleric pc's tend to like to mix it up in battle and equip and buff up accordingly. I do know that I soloed a cleric one time, and there was one monster I ran across that the cleric just couldn't handle. ATM, I forget which monster it was but that it took the fun out of the game, and I just stopped

 

 

If it;s taking the fun out of the game, here's an idea... pick up some NPC's and play as the game was meant to be played.

 

DnD was always meant to be a PARTY based game anyway. I can see the fun in trying the challenge of soloing, but if you can't progress and it stops your fun, is it worth it?

[Guest John]

If it;s taking the fun out of the game, here's an idea... pick up some NPC's and play as the game was meant to be played.

 

DnD was always meant to be a PARTY based game anyway. I can see the fun in trying the challenge of soloing, but if you can't progress and it stops your fun, is it worth it?

 

 

Been there, done that