Soloing the Sphere without Valygar?

Xyx · Post by **Xyx** » Sat Sep 01, 2001 2:33 pm

I have a problem...

I'm soloing. Really soloing, which means I don't get Yoshimo to steal Ribald's Ring of Regeneration or other such outside help.

I don't have a real reason to kill Valygar. I hate Cowled Wizards, he hides from them, why should I change that?

I want Crom Faeyr. That means getting the Gauntlets of Ogre Power out of the Sphere somehow...

What am I to do? Give up my beliefs by letting Valygar join for the sole purpose of opening up the Sphere? Kill him because I'm power hungry? I was hoping there would be another way to get in...

How do the other soloers out there deal with this? Is it either "Kill Valygar" or "No Crom"?

Xandax · Post by **Xandax** » Sat Sep 01, 2001 2:46 pm

Well depending on what kind of character you are you either have to kill him or not, as you have stated.

If your character is motivated by the treasure inside the sphere, well then you either need to kill him, or cheat. (I'd say number 1)
If you're more motivated by what is good and right, then you need to live without the little toyhammer

(or cheat

)

I useally kill him because I can do more good with the toyhammer than with him being in hiding - but then again I'm chaotic

[ 09-01-2001: Message edited by: Xandax ]

Meerlight · Post by **Meerlight** » Sat Sep 01, 2001 2:49 pm

Uhhh... Find a reason to kill Valygar. How about: Your ranger thugs attacked me outside! Now you will pay!

If you are lawful, you should kill him just because you were told to do so and he should be brought to justice for the crimes he has committed. (you never get to know the whole story)

OR you could just believe that Valygar is lying to you and he really did kill those wizards in cold blood. Think about it... He hates wizards doesn't he? So why wouldn't he kill them in cold blood?

I'm sure you'll find some way to do the quest.

Lykwid · Post by **Lykwid** » Sat Sep 01, 2001 3:46 pm

You could just take him in your party to "escort" you inside the sphere, then drop him from your party, thats not cheating and it is still soloing really.

Stoner Cold · Post by **Stoner Cold** » Sat Sep 01, 2001 3:53 pm

no, xyx said he didnt want to do that

nael · Post by **nael** » Sat Sep 01, 2001 4:07 pm

i have never played a lawful good character, only chaotic good or other alignments. with chaotic good, the ed justifies the means. i was willing to sacrifice valygar for the greater good.

UserUnfriendly · Post by **UserUnfriendly** » Sat Sep 01, 2001 4:45 pm

Xyx, I hpe you're playing lawful neutral so you can at least get mr ferret using the potion swap tech to summon familiar, eh?

I ran into the same problem in my last game, where I had the party composition down pat and had to hold off getting aerie until the quest was over and letting him go after fufilling lavoks wish.

I know, gate in a demon, let it finish him off and kill the demon!!!

Ethical problem solved!

Stoner Cold · Post by **Stoner Cold** » Sat Sep 01, 2001 4:58 pm

lol, what a great way to solve the problem. what class are you, and how do you avoid the traps?

Cynik · Post by **Cynik** » Sat Sep 01, 2001 11:36 pm

I too had a problem with that. I couldn't really find a solution so I did take him into my party and brought him to the sphere, where I kicked him out.

I did not hire Yoshimo to pickpocket or anything like that, my reasoning here was I have chosen to solo a certain class - if I wanted to pickpocket I would've chosen another class. Valygar on the other hand is (to me) poor implementation, it should've been as with Cernd so I pretended it was.

Xyx · Post by **Xyx** » Sun Sep 02, 2001 3:04 am

Ah, thanks for all the wonderful suggestions. I really like the "Gate" one. I can see it happen:

Zhycxss: Watch out, Valygar! I hear monsters coming! I'll get ready for battle.

Zyhcxss: Protection from Evil - Zhycxss
Zyhcxss: Gate
Pit Fiend: Attacks Valygar
Valygar: Death

Zhycxss: Oops.

Well, one way or another, Vally is gonna get it. It still kinda stings, since I'm playing a Chaotic Good character (although I've felt a distinct slide towards Chaotic Neutral over the past few weeks...).

Hey, I know! I'll just use the Rod of Resurrection on him.

I'll see if I can take him into the party, bash his brains in (Sorry, Val, this'll hurt me a lot more than it'll hurt you... NOT!), drag his dead a$$ to the Sphere, get in, resurrect him and kick him out.

Not a true solo that way, but I won't be able to resurrect him if he's not in the party...

Originally posted by Stoner Cold:
<STRONG>what class are you, and how do you avoid the traps?</STRONG>

I'm a Berserker/Mage. I "avoid" traps by:

casting Minor Spell Turning or Spell Turning (depending on whether I fear Maze or Energy Drain)
having 143 Hit Points

GrimReaper · Post by **GrimReaper** » Sun Sep 02, 2001 7:57 am

For the Gate idea, you could just say you were trying to summon a demon to show Valygar your power and that you could protect him if only he helped out, but you lost control of the demon. Luckily, you were protected from evil (incase Valygar was what the Coweled Wizards said he was), but unfortunately Valygar wasn't and you were knocked back because of your failed summoning. After coming to your senses, you found Valygar dead and a demon waiting for you. Oops is right.

Sarkyn · Post by **Sarkyn** » Sun Sep 02, 2001 8:42 pm

I allowed him to join, ran straight to the city avoiding all fights, got him to open the door, then kicked him out of the party before we'd even taken off our coats inside the sphere

I figure, I was "soloing", he was just like a larger than average quest-item

UserUnfriendly · Post by **UserUnfriendly** » Sun Sep 02, 2001 8:54 pm

Amazing how many problems a pit fiend from hell can solve.

Don't want to kill chickens at umar hills to look for a stinking gem?

Pit fiend!

Cowled wizards get you down?

Pit fiend!

Don't want to pay the tab at the sea's bounty?

Pit fiend!

Better than the dungeon express card!

Check my thread about running the planar sphere before the circus quest to see why a pit fiend is the best solution for the sphere.

spork · Post by **spork** » Tue Sep 04, 2001 11:47 am

I like these pit fied ideas... So let's say you solo "honest" like Xyx, and you've bought everything you would even need from Ribald. Will everyone turn hostile against you if a pit fiend happens to kill him and you agree to protect his Ring of Regeneration?

Well, maybe it's not all that useful an item, since by the time you summon pit fiends, you'll probably have the Ring of Gaxx, and it seems to me regeneration doesn't stack.

Saigo · Post by **Saigo** » Tue Sep 04, 2001 11:52 am

Originally posted by spork:
<STRONG> <snip>...and it seems to me regeneration doesn't stack.</STRONG>

(yes, it does.)

Xyx · Post by **Xyx** » Tue Sep 04, 2001 1:00 pm

Who cares if they stack!

The Ring of Regeneration is incredibly slow compared to the Ring of Gaxx, and when enemies have worn through Stoneskin and Mirror Images and I start getting hit, it's time for a change of tactics anyway...

Anatres · Post by **Anatres** » Tue Sep 04, 2001 1:03 pm

Has anybody tried just killing him and taking his body to the sphere? After all he does say something to the effect that 'my blood should open the door'....

Just curious.

nael · Post by **nael** » Tue Sep 04, 2001 1:41 pm

@anatres - yes, you can just kill him and take hiis body to the sphere that's what this topic is about. Xyx wants to solo, but is playign a good character so doesn't want to kill valygar

Anatres · Post by **Anatres** » Tue Sep 04, 2001 1:45 pm

Thanks @nael.....

spork · Post by **spork** » Tue Sep 04, 2001 5:28 pm

So people have tested whether regeneration stacks? I admit my own tests weren't very formal. I just sat there with a stopwatch and compared how many seconds it took to regenerate 20 HP with the Ring of Gaxx to how long it took with Gaxx plus the Ring of Regeneration, Blackrazor, the +6 vorpal axe and that regenerating Ioun Stone from Sendai. I got pretty much the same numbers. Like I said, though, the tests weren't very scientific. I'll try it again.