Icewind Dale No re-loads thread

wise grimwald · Post by **wise grimwald** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 4:30 am

Having just moved to Kuldahar (The city of Pokhara which is very warm/hot and which lies on the bank of the Seti Khola, fed by glaciers and which has fabulous views of Annapurna and Macchapuchare) I decided it was apt to turn to it again after having spent a long time in Baldur's Gate.

I am planning on playing through Heart of Winter as well. I thought other players might be interested in a similar challenge and this post is where to post your adventures as will I.

For the challenge any mods should be declared. Any size of party can be used.

Mine consists of a paladin, a halfling fighter thief, and a gnomish cleric/illusionist.

Stats will be put in a later post. My initial two tries stopped short of Kuldahar, but this time I have even killed a few yeti. If I remember rightly, it is only after going to an elven city that things start getting difficult.

If anyone else is interested in the challenge, please post below.

Trials of the Luremaster not installed as I discovered that it takes over 19 hours to download here, and sice we only get 8 hours of electricity at a time!!!

If you have it, just say so.

Stworca · Post by **Stworca** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 4:46 am

Edit : Ah, damn it! Wrong thread!

Good luck with the no-reload challenge

wise grimwald · Post by **wise grimwald** » Sat Mar 12, 2011 3:47 am

Multiple post

wise grimwald · Post by **wise grimwald** » Sat Mar 12, 2011 3:47 am

Stats of my party as follows:

Mercy Paladin
Str 18/17
Dex 18
Con 18
Int 10
Wis 14
Cha 18

Grace (Gnome)
Cleric/Illusionist
Str 12
Dex 18
Con 18
Int 19
Wis 17
Cha 03

Virtue (Halfling)
Fighter/Thief
Str 17
Dex 19
Con 18
Int 17
Wis 03
Cha 03

Diary of Mercy
Have cleared the valley and caves apart from the last one. It is beginning to get difficult. Mercy stepped on a trap and she only just survived. Lots of healing later, we have re-entered the realm of the undead. It is rather creepy in here. I'd rather face flesh and blood any day. Still if I'm going to rid Kuldahar of the evil, I must continue.

wise grimwald · Post by **wise grimwald** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 9:28 pm

Nobody else wanting to join the challenge?

I have now been sent elswere having gained Kresselack's sword. On the way to getting it I had to sleep, a LOT.

(I have forgotten where the traps are!!

Stworca · Post by **Stworca** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 5:21 am

wise grimwald wrote:Nobody else wanting to join the challenge?

These are gamebanshee forums, wise grimwald. [url="http://www.gamebanshee.com/forums/baldurs-gate-ii-shadows-of-amn-9/interactive-aar-118725.html"]I've had my share of disappointments[/url]
I'd join you in the challenge, but i haven't seen my ID1 cd for years now.

Crenshinibon · Post by **Crenshinibon** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 6:09 am

I would gladly join the two of you had I the time. Most likely as a bard.

Unfortunately, time is scarce now, and will be for the next half a year or more.

Philos · Post by **Philos** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 8:54 pm

Wise grimwald, I've been off line for a few days and just saw this.

I have been flipping back and forth between BG and IWD 1 lately. I recently bought BG1 and I'm taking an elven fighter/mage all the way through ToB. I am about to finish BG2 in that one. In IWD 1 I started a no reload party of 4 a few weeks back. The party is one human (I wanted a paladin) and three elves. This party is currently finishing The Hand of the Seldarine (Severed Hand).

I do have TotL installed and will go through all three in order continuously. I know some prefer to finish each in turn (original IWD 1, Heart of Winter, and then Trials of the Luremaster) and start the next episode with a fresh load. I like the continuous route as it feels more like one story/game that way. Just my preference.

I start in the original and go all the way until the time in chapter 6 to confront Brother P and trigger the end game. I then go back to Khuldahar and go with the Shaman to Lonelywood for Heart of Winter. I again do everything until the Final trip to face "Issy". I then go with the halfling to do Trials of the Luremaster. I completely do TotL, return to Lonelywood and finish HoW (I realize I am above what the designers planned for HoW but the fight didn't seem much harder even when I hadn't done TotL. When I finish HoW I am returned to Kuhldahar and then return to face Brother P and finish IWD 1. Least you think I would be "way" overpowered at this point, I noticed that the game adds a little twist to the original IWD 1 final battle if you have done TotL and makes it much tougher.

wise grimwald · Post by **wise grimwald** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 11:09 pm

Had problems in the temple of the forgotten God. Two party members held which resulted in the death of mercy. Rather expensive that, but party continuing after she was raised.

Philos · Post by **Philos** » Sat Mar 19, 2011 11:48 am

Correction to my party. I forgot I had "two" parties of four saved (the one I mentioned above is on my laptop). My no reload party is four PCs that are all elven or half-elven and multiclassed. I gave them the name of "The Lavender Shields" (and of course set their minor trim color to purple).

They have just finished the "Hand" and are in the initial cave of Dorn's Deep. SPOILER

Spoiler

Hate the myconids throwing spores and especially how they respawn if you leave the cave and return. So gotta do it in one shot! They are more irritating than the Ettins.

Leader: Ohlanna (Elf)
Fighter/Thief (currently 8/10)
Str 18/97 (that was the actual stat roll without any adjustment!)
Dex 19
Con 16
Int 11
Wis 9
Cha 14

Tarrelon (Elf) I created this one to mirror my favorite PnP DnD character.
Fighter/Mage (currently 8/9)
Str 17
Dex 19
Con 17
Int 18
Wis 6 I dropped this down to match my PnP character I normally try to not gut Wisdom and Charisma
Cha 15

Farrelon (Half Elf and Tarrelon's half brother)
Cleric/Mage (currently 8/9)
Str 9
Dex 17
Con 16
Int 16
Wis 17
Cha 9

Jernicia (Half Elf) never understood why elfs cannot be druids in the 2nd Ed!?!
Fighter/Druid
Str 16
Dex 17
Con 11
Int 9
Wis 18
Cha 15

wise grimwald · Post by **wise grimwald** » Sat Mar 19, 2011 11:54 pm

We are currently in the dragon's eye. The enemy so far has not been a major problem. however that could change. I forgot to mention the fact that our party was not wiped out earlier was largely due to the helm of the trusted defender. My only major purchase. It enabled my cleric to do her job and heal my thief enough for her to survive. We have come across a door into another part of the cave, but before entering, I want to ensure that the area to my rear is clear in case I need to run.

Seems that I have already been overtaken. You are doing well. It has been so long since I have played that it is almost like playing a new game. I am therefore enjoying it more than I thought I would.

I miss the banter found in BG. I'll have to see if any mods add NPCs banter, romance etc. in case I play again.

Philos · Post by **Philos** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 8:41 am

You'll probably catch up as I am focusing on finishing BG2 (completed Suldenessaril last night) at the moment and then starting ToB. It has been probably 3 or so years since I played ToB. So like you and IWD 1 it will be "almost" like a new game. Never tried IWD with just three. Did it several times with 6 and once with 5. These two 4 member parties are my most "daring" attempt yet. :laugh:

(To me) there wasn't much difference between 5 and 6 PCs but going down to 4 seems to be a big difference. One lucky spell by an enemy caster, followed with poor saves by the party, can ruin the day. I feel your pain from the Forgotten Temple. Fewer members means less back up in those cases to count on. Had one close scrape in Dragon's Eye (won't spoil it) where 3 of the 4 got immobilized. I can't imagine soloing the game without reloads, odds seem stacked against it.

wise grimwald · Post by **wise grimwald** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 10:00 pm

Diary of Mercy
It is well that I can trust my companions. Also that I am not an elf.
for the second time they have had to raise me from the dead!
This time, the problem was that the anti-venom potion did not work quickly enough to save me when poisoned by phase spiders in the dragon's eys

. Either that, or they poisoned me again straight after taking the potion.
I have now returned, much poorer, but perhaps a little wiser.

Philos · Post by **Philos** » Thu Mar 24, 2011 6:16 pm

Excerpt from Ohlanna's Journal

Well, those "mushroom men" are certainly nothing to treat lightly. One, by itself is not much of a problem. But they tend to clump up in clusters of 3,4, or even 5. Twice my friends had to save from being bludgeoned to death after their spores froze me in place. My natural elven abilities have not proven much defense to those spores when 3 or 4 launch them at me at once. Almost died on one occasion before the others could take down the 4 pounding on me. We have cleared a side cavern of Orogs, I hope we can rest here without those mushroom men regrowing and refilling the cavern again. Our spells have been depleted.

wise grimwald · Post by **wise grimwald** » Sun May 01, 2011 10:13 pm

Having spent a week inn the Real Icewind Dale, I haven't had time to play much, but I have reached the Severed Hand. However I got a bit bored with no interaction with other party members and so restarted using the Icewind Dale NPC Project. I am playing a female fighter dualled to Cleric at level 3.
The human fighter in the project was dualled to a druid at the same time. A mistake I think. I should have dualled my character to Cleric later. Still, we have survived though the battle againt Yx***** ended up with both my bard and paladin being killed. Expensive to raise them, but I wanted to keep them.

I like the banter etc. It makes the game far more interesting even if the characters are not quite as strong as I would have liked.
Now on to the Severed Hand.

wise grimwald · Post by **wise grimwald** » Mon May 09, 2011 2:05 am

Cleared most of the area apart from the last tower.
Doing it slowly and carefully meant that there were no major problems.
Every time I try to enter, the game fails to recognise my disc, though it has done so without problems up until now. Any ideas as to what could be the problem?

Philos · Post by **Philos** » Mon May 09, 2011 7:27 pm

Good to see you back Wise Grimwald.

I believe I had a similar problem a few years back, but cannot recall for certain. If I haven't mixed up which game this happened on, the problem was a corrupted game file. Not sure what caused it. Had to take a slightly older save and restart from there. I have never replaced party members in an ongoing game, wonder if that caused it?

wise grimwald · Post by **wise grimwald** » Wed May 18, 2011 9:39 pm

Have done a reinstall to try and solve the problem.
At first computer had problems reading my Icewind dale discs. Said there was no disc in the drive when Windows said that there was no problem.
Now have the same problem with my Heart of Winter disc.
Cannot start the expansion by itself, as according to Icewind Dale, no disc in the drive. According to Windows, Icewind Dale 3 is in the drive.

I may try to finish using the method advised by Philos, at least up to the HoW part. I am playing with Icewind Dale NPCs installed and am wondering if that is causing the problem.

wise grimwald · Post by **wise grimwald** » Wed May 18, 2011 10:12 pm

Reinstallation has solved the problem of getting to meet Kaylessa. So will try and finish that before trying to solve the HoW problem.
Maybe another HoW reinstallation will solve that problem too.