Its happening again...Mind flayers

Snoon · Post by **Snoon** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 1:37 pm

Yes, sorry about replying to an old thread. Was searching for something at the time, and replied to a thread that looked interesting. Too bad the date is written in such tiny text... I'll have to pay closer attention next time.

Well anyways, seems I didn't reinvent the wheel with the projected image summoning thing, found an old thread that mentioned it. I hadn't seen it mentioned before however, so thought I'd tell about it. Another cool thing that I hadn't thought about was using wizard eye to guide summoned monsters around. I've never even used that spell before, I should make a point to give it a try. I think you can be hurt by beholders if you use it though, it says that "gaze attacks" can hurt the caster through the eye. But if they can't stun or hold you, it's not a problem, a little damage is easily fixed.

Deadalready · Post by **Deadalready** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 1:51 pm

If I'm not mistaken gaze attacks refers to (or I thought it referred to) enchantment type spells like Nature's Beauty, Domination and Charm spells.

If I'm wrong then shoot me, but I have to bring up that Beholders can often see invisible and will always cast death spell and dispel magic on wizard eyes. Regardless it's quite a good spell to use though in conjuction with project image, but the major problems with that spell are it's duration and strangely botched duration still being active if the stupid thing gets death spelled. When my wizard eye got dispelled I found I couldn't cast another until the original time ran out.

I'm thinking that farsight might be better in several applications due to it's longer duration and the fact it can't be countered.

Badseed · Post by **Badseed** » Mon Jan 31, 2005 8:20 am

Lol, this is crazy. I remeber, faintly, this thread. And now I start getting emails again about it.

Funny thing is that I just reloaded BG2 again and started playing again.

I finished the Mind Flayer area in the sewers this weekend with my Paladin only. I seperated him from my group, cast Chaotic Commands on him, drank a speed potion, and sent him in. He whiped out the whole place. And I was only in Chapter 2. Had to be careful about getting hit though, Intellegence didn't last long, and had to reload a few times.

(This is the best game ever made. I have played through it multiple times, and can still pick it up a year or two later, and it still rocks)

MitchMc · Post by **MitchMc** » Mon Jan 31, 2005 12:19 pm

[QUOTE=Badseed]Lol, this is crazy. I remeber, faintly, this thread. And now I start getting emails again about it.

Funny thing is that I just reloaded BG2 again and started playing again.

.....................................................

(This is the best game ever made. I have played through it multiple times, and can still pick it up a year or two later, and it still rocks)
[/QUOTE]

Just how i feel have played it since BG 2 came out (it was my kids birthday present he left it on and I sat down...he never got it back

)

Love playing with all the new mods, if you havent tried them check out the ballaced mod thread pinned at the top of the forum. Easy to install and all things considered very little conflict between them.

Cheers
Mitch Mc

Badseed · Post by **Badseed** » Mon Jan 31, 2005 1:11 pm

Actually, the new mods are what got me going again. I have spent the last 2 or so years in MMOs, and I have started to detect a pattern in my gaming. When I am getting bored/frustrated with a MMO, I always turn to BG. This usually signals the end of that MMO. The flavor this year was SWG, I just got tired of it. I've crafted, hunted, looted...now I'm done, I think.

Anyways back to topic. I just discovered the mods that were out there. Started playing around with my own actually, nothing final lol. I Created a weapon: Spear of Application Crashing +5

I was getting so frustrated trying to fight the Flayers last night. Then I read on GB's BG2 Strategy section about Mind Flayers and Chaotic Commands. (I am horrible with spells, I am a knuckle-dragger tank Fighter usually, I just don't get spells.) My guy owned the whole dungeon after that.

By the way, if anyone knows if there is a 'Mages for Idiots'-type thread out there, let me know.

Snoon · Post by **Snoon** » Mon Jan 31, 2005 3:32 pm

Hmm... I'm not sure what exactly constitutes a "gaze attack". I guess that I figured that because beholders have all those eyes, that they would be using "gaze attacks."

I thought that a basillisks petrify attack was from its gaze also. I'm not really sure though.

@Badseed: Hmm, I'm not sure about "Mages for idiots" type threads, but there are many threads on this forum about Sorcerors, and which spells are best for them. Perhaps checking out a solo guide for the specific type of spellcaster you're interested in might help.

boo's daddy · Post by **boo's daddy** » Tue Feb 01, 2005 10:33 am

[QUOTE=Badseed]Then I read on GB's BG2 Strategy section about Mind Flayers and Chaotic Commands. [/QUOTE]
If you take a couple of potions of genius on top, you've got a one-man Flayer flayer.

fable · Post by **fable** » Tue Feb 01, 2005 10:50 am

[QUOTE=boo's daddy]If you take a couple of potions of genius on top, you've got a one-man Flayer flayer.

[/QUOTE]

Only until they wear off, which could happen long before you kill all the mindflayers. Then you've got a dead moron.

FireLighter · Post by **FireLighter** » Tue Feb 01, 2005 2:44 pm

[QUOTE=fable]Only until they wear off, which could happen long before you kill all the mindflayers. Then you've got a dead moron.[/QUOTE]
Hahaha.
Then again, thats why i always carry around a potion case packed with potions I use (master thievery, int and wisdom for learning spells/wish spell, regen potions when soloing... etc). By packed, I mean that i have at least 10 of each (depending on scarcity) at all times.

fable · Post by **fable** » Tue Feb 01, 2005 4:28 pm

[QUOTE=FireLighter]Hahaha.
Then again, thats why i always carry around a potion case packed with potions I use (master thievery, int and wisdom for learning spells/wish spell, regen potions when soloing... etc). By packed, I mean that i have at least 10 of each (depending on scarcity) at all times.[/QUOTE]

That's wise, though what's the limit on the potion case in terms of what it can carry? I've never bothered to check.

Snoon · Post by **Snoon** » Tue Feb 01, 2005 11:15 pm

I don't have ToB, so no potion case. I don't use potions very often anyways, as I'm so stingy. I have this hoarding mentality, where I only use them if I feel it is absolutely necessary. So, I guess what fable was saying is that the effect of the potions can run out while the character is still Intelligence-drained, leaving them with below 0 int, and they bite the dust instantly? A bit like having below 15HP once a berserker rage ends.

BTW, has anyone before mentioned the nice little exploit to gain loads of EXP in the 'flayer dungeon in the underdark? There is a room where a mind flayer teleports in every minute or so, if one isn't already present. It was made that way so that you wouldn't need to resort to the slayer change to open that door, there will always be a flayer teleporting in for you to use a circlet on. Well, if you leave some summoned monsters in the middle of the room, they will bash the flayer that comes in pretty quickly, giving you 9000EXP each time. You just walk your party elsewhere and let the monsters do the job. A lone mind flayer isn't even a match for a pack of ordinary skeletons, if it is surrounded by them (I think evel 2-3 ordinary skellies will beat it). So if you wanted, you could just leave some long-lasting summoned monsters there (skeletons/skeleton warriors, Invisible Stalkers), and then leave the computer and do something else, come back later and have loads of EXP. Too bad the game seems to pause when you minimize it.

Edit: I still say summoning monsters is the way to beat everything! Monsters, monsters, and more monsters! Just keep sending the cannon fodder in!

Promil · Post by **Promil** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 11:57 am

1st: skeletons, mordekeinen swords, stealth stalkers summoning are great against them so use it wisely.
2nd good thief/archer with sneak: ranger hits some MF and move back, hide in shadows then attack again, Thief backstab, run away, hide and attack again.
3rd: Illithid serum: gives protection against psionics for some time, use it...
4th: with unpatched version propably deadly cloud wand can kill them as it breach their MR.
5th USE THE DOORS-even smartest monster in BG cant open doors for itself, use ur advantage against them.
Why I dont write about other summons? Because they're not immune to psionic strike and there is great chance summoned ex. 24HD fire elemental will become hostile <and few of them can be much to dangerous>.

Snoon · Post by **Snoon** » Mon Feb 14, 2005 3:38 am

I'll still use the weaker monster summoning spells to distract them... they at least give me some time to retreat, if need be, and they don't take too long to cast.

I have the latest SoA patch, and the Baldurdash fixes, and cloudkill doesn't often get through Mind Flayer magic resistance. Does the want totally bypass the MR, and the spell itself does not? Cloudkill at least takes the Umber hulks down quickly, which is nice.

I read in a post on this forum once that you could pickpocket a Mordenkainen's sword to get a greenstone amulet, which protects against psionics. Unfortunately, this doesn't work for me, so probably it was changed in one of the fixes that I installed. Makes pickpocketing skill pretty useless for me now.

Promil · Post by **Promil** » Mon Feb 14, 2005 7:40 am

When u summon mordekeinen swords and if they by some effect rise against you and u get them killed almost always drop greenstone but i dont know if it can be wear...can throw it away...even equiped have only 1 charge. "gate" give u also some time, demons are really hard to kill even by illithides. Wand propably ignore MR so proper wand should work fine.

Deadalready · Post by **Deadalready** » Mon Feb 14, 2005 11:30 am

The Baldy patch gets rid of the amulet that Morkainen's Swords wear, even more disturbing is that Morkainen's Swords have become much weaker as a result too.

I should point out that if you needed to you can simply sell the amulet to a storekeep and recharge it to 50 casts. This amulet however does not protect from psionics very well and has very short duration.

FireLighter · Post by **FireLighter** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 5:13 pm

[QUOTE=Promil]<snip>
"gate" give u also some time, demons are really hard to kill even by illithides. Wand propably ignore MR so proper wand should work fine.[/QUOTE]
Hmmm. Very interesting, I will have to try this on my current run through the game. If nothing else, gate AND invis stalkers should work VERY nicely.

Deadalready · Post by **Deadalready** » Wed Feb 16, 2005 1:20 am

Pit fiends need +3 to hit I suppose and if Illithids only have +1 to hit then it would work...

Though when I tried using demon summoning class monsters they were killed instantly. Strangely also were my skeletons too, possibly due to intelligence drain...

-_-

Promil · Post by **Promil** » Wed Feb 16, 2005 1:37 am

skeletons cant be int drained...It is negative energy ability which skeletons are immune as undead (at AD&D3 they would gain int instead by this). But normal weak skeletons died because of melee wounds. If u have TDD installed u get skeletal warriors at proper cleric lvl and they are the most efficient illithides killers in whole game. Even slayer form can die by illithides...but skeletal warriors dont

4 of them is sufficient to kill all mind flayers in underdark. Also they are very effective against beholders and gauths...as much as elementals

summoning spells are highly recomended at this places.

FireLighter · Post by **FireLighter** » Wed Feb 16, 2005 2:24 pm

Invis stalkers cannot be seen by mindflayers (illythids) to the best of my knowledge. Correct me if I am wrong please. Baldurdash doesn't change this or skeletal summons to make them more susceptible to mindflayer int drain does it? Just wondering.

Deadalready · Post by **Deadalready** » Thu Feb 17, 2005 10:28 am

Why do all my skeletons die by only taking 1 point of damage??? I should get some screenshots since my sorceror is in the Illithid lair.