Chapter 4: Inner Sanctum - Chosen Ones & Morag

Jereza · Post by **Jereza** » Thu Oct 28, 2004 3:08 am

Hello, I'm lvl 16 Wizard and I've finally got to the Morag, but I can't do anything to kill her. I've spent most of my spells on the Cleric & The Chosen Ones. My henchie and summoned Pantera have managed to survive. But my main problem is that I cannot rest, nor go back to the Halls of Justice because I can't use the Stone of Recall in the Inner Sanctum. I managed to kill one Morag's hand with finger of death, but I've got no spells left to kill the other hand & two minions, not to mention that I can't make more than 50% damage to the protectors.
I don't know what to do. I even moved the difficulty slider from normal to easy, but that didn't help. Looks like the makers of the game didn't care very much about the spell casters in this part of the game. Can I get my spells back by waiting, or something?! Has anyone got any advice?
Please, help! I'm desperate!
Thanks...

Zel Greywords · Post by **Zel Greywords** » Thu Oct 28, 2004 6:09 am

I know what you mean... the endgame of the main campaign is a really tough spot for all spellcasters, especially if they go in -without- knowing what awaits them. (i.e. anyone who plays it through for the first time)
There have even been formal complaints about this over at the bioware boards, but it doesn't seem as if the devs want to change anything about that anymore.

So... I'm afraid if you don't want to cheat, your only remaining option is reloading an older savegame, stocking up on scrolls and relying on them during the earlier battles, so that you can save your "real" spells for the encounter with Morag.

-Zel

ladyblack · Post by **ladyblack** » Thu Oct 28, 2004 6:25 am

I know what you mean. It took me several attempts to defeat her and I nearly gave up. It does seem to depend on the luck of the dice rolls as much as anything. Funnily enough I did better on my first attempt than on the others, where I went in and attacked whatever was nearest, so I rushed off and attacked the cocoons and then went and fought Morag. Needless to say, I got slaughtered, but only because I had used ALL my spells and she kept casting that spell that engulfs you in a plant which reduces your hit points by half. If I remember rightly, the time I won I went straight over to the protecting bods people, used chain lightning and killed of some of them. Then just cast spell after spell until I was left with Morag. I don't think I had any hench men left, but I did have several animal companions. I know I was really scratching the bottom of the barrel with my spells, using level 2 stuff in the end, and finally finished her off with my rapier of the High Road and some other sword. But it was frustrating and I was level 19. You've taken your potions and all that jazz?

Otherwise, if you can bear it, start the final module again so you will be at least level 19 when you fight her. Hopefully other people will be able to help you though.

Zel Greywords · Post by **Zel Greywords** » Thu Oct 28, 2004 6:44 am

I could offer you a little hack that turns your "Rod Of Frost" into a true instrument of nightmares... apart form that... not much one can do.

Back when I finished the main campaign with my sorceress, I already knew what to expect - so I didn't hesitate to use my custom spells on the Dragon Guardians and the other minions so that I could save my "normal" ones for the final cavern.
And even then it took my whole arsenal to just dispose of her "Warding Guardians"... in the end all I had left was my one-shot GigaSlave. Not having much of a choice, I cast it and gambled on my survival... and won, against all odds.
In terms of dramaturgy, it was nothing short of spectacular. And now, looking back, I must say I really loved that particular playthrough.

But if I consider that without all my custom spells (i.e. just using normal ingame means), I'd have had to basically take on all those minions bare-handed, I really think that there's something wrong about the balancing of that section. At least when you play as a spellcaster.

-Zel

Jereza · Post by **Jereza** » Thu Oct 28, 2004 8:10 am

Thank you for your replies!

I tried to beat the chosen ones again, but in the end I was left with less spells than the first time. However, when I tried to play my latest savegame, I managed to kill the remaining Morag's hand (I was very lucky because I'd just save the game and when my minions hit it, I'd save it again, so in the end they'd make many hits and the hand couldn't return - I'd reload the savegame if the hand hit my allies - thanks to the D&D rules

) and one minion.

I even disarmed the blade trap in front of the morag and her protectors (I didn't know that destroying the statue will actually destroy the trap - I thought that it might summon another Morag's creature or sth). The trap was so annoying because when Morag casted a spell, Red Tiger and Pantera would attack it and automatically drop dead over the blades. I also found potion of heal very useful because I didn't know that you could just drag the potion to your henchman to heal him... Usually I healed him with healing kits; this way he restores all of his health.

But when Morag destroys the fourth egg, I manage to make Red Tiger and the Pantera to somehow kill the minion. When they do, Morag casts something big (looks like another big minion which I cannot hit nor see by pressing TAB) which kills Red Tiger or Pantera instantly (no matter if he has full health), so I don't know what to do then because I don't want him dead

.

I just remembered that i have many expensive daggers in my backpack (I didn't sell any of the daggers I've ever found). So I can actually hurt some of the protectors. I do about 5-6 cold damage with one. But Morag usually kills me before I kill the protector.

And one offtopic question - I have few wands and staffs which have some spells on them (eg. one has fireball 4 charges). So, when I spend those 4 charges, can I somehow recharge the staff?

Thanks!

Zel Greywords · Post by **Zel Greywords** » Thu Oct 28, 2004 8:34 am

Hmmm... if you want your familiar/henchmen to last longer, you can try casting stuff like "stoneskin" and other lower-level buffing spells on them. You probably wont miss those minor spells that much in combat, but they do make some difference for your companions. Of course old Morag has that unhealthy compulsion of dispelling any buffing enchantment within sight...

As for those charges: They dont come back. Once you spent one of the charges on a spell residing on that item, that charge is gone forever.

(well... "forever" as in "you cannot recharge such items in the NWN main campaign".
There are ways to recharge items in the two expansions. In SoU, you can do it with the help of certain NPCs and stationary machines ... and iirc, in HotU there is even a portable device that allows you to recharge stuff by breaking down lesser magic items into energy.)

-Zel

Jereza · Post by **Jereza** » Thu Oct 28, 2004 8:51 am

I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I killled Morag and her last minion!
I remembered that I had some nasty staffs in inventory which I never used because I never wanted to use the spells in the staff... Don't know why. I guess i wanted it to be charged forever

.

Anyway, after digging in my inventory, I found Horrid Wilting & The Staff of Power, I think. I casted Horrid Wilting on the Protector from Swords. After trying a few times, Two of the protectors died (sword & the one to the right). I've already killed the Fire Protector. I started casting fireballs with the staff on the minion untill it died. Then Morag casted Wail of the Banshee which killed all of my companions (including Daelan). I summoned that.... Sword with the armor... Don't know the exact name. Anyway, I dragged the Sword to the Morag and it sliced her in very few moves!!! And I've found my hencheman in the beginning of the map (where the exit disappears)...
Thanks for your help!!!

Fiberfar · Post by **Fiberfar** » Thu Oct 28, 2004 2:10 pm

[QUOTE=Jereza]

Anyway, after digging in my inventory, I found Horrid Wilting & The Staff of Power, I think. I casted Horrid Wilting on the Protector from Swords. After trying a few times, Two of the protectors died (sword & the one to the right). I've already killed the Fire Protector. I started casting fireballs with the staff on the minion untill it died. Then Morag casted Wail of the Banshee which killed all of my companions (including Daelan). I summoned that.... Sword with the armor... Don't know the exact name. Anyway, I dragged the Sword to the Morag and it sliced her in very few moves!!! And I've found my hencheman in the beginning of the map (where the exit disappears)...
Thanks for your help!!![/QUOTE]

Does horrid Wilting work on the protectors???? Didn't know that, but i know that maximised negative energyburst does around 60-70 damage on all protectors except one, because he don't have damage resistance decreased

Jereza · Post by **Jereza** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 3:12 am

It worked for me... Don't think I did something to lower the protectors' resistance. I only know that I killed Fire Protector first. Horrid Wilting did more than 120 dmg on two of the protectors

and killed them, and two left badly wounded.

I never used maximize spells or stuff like that... Is that worthly when you compare it to all of those new spells from higher levels?

kena · Post by **kena** » Sat Oct 30, 2004 8:39 pm

I had a level 15 Sorcerer/level 1 Paladin and didn't find the battle difficult. I was using Red Tiger.

I only used 3 or 4 ice storms on the chosen ones and had the rest of the spells left.

A few fireballs finished off the statue and the fire Warding Guardian.

I summoned a few swords and used fire-based spells (having an item that gives haste helps a lot, you can cast two spells per round).

I had used Flame Weapon on Red Tiger (adds +16-19 fire damage to his weapon).

Morag tried to use a few spells on me, but didn't have much success (excellent saves due to the Paladin level).

Zel Greywords · Post by **Zel Greywords** » Sun Oct 31, 2004 1:22 am

[QUOTE=Jereza]I never used maximize spells or stuff like that... Is that worthly when you compare it to all of those new spells from higher levels?[/QUOTE]
Well... just to give a simple yet impressive example:
Maximized version of "Isaacs Greater Missile Storm" = 240 damage guaranteed.

Not bad, huh?

I always found "MaximizeSpell" to be quite useful, especially because it makes even your low-level damage spells a bit more interesting again. Not to mention that IsaacsGreater became something like my main full-attack spell.
The other metamagic spellfeats, though... well, I don't see much use in them. I dislike QuickenSpell because I always go for "Boots Of Speed" (Perma-Hasted) in my chara builds and Quicken is just a tuned-down version of what Haste can do, so its useless for me. "Empower Spell" doesn't sound all too reasonable either since it only multiplies the spell parameters by 1.5 - and in NWN you typically are better off to simply rest and then use a maximized version instead.
"Still spell" can be kinda useful if you actually aim for an armored-mage, but I never tried it after I noticed that in the end, (when being well-built) unarmored NWN characters tend to have the same or even better AC as heavy-armored ones.

-Zel

Fiberfar · Post by **Fiberfar** » Sun Oct 31, 2004 4:57 am

[QUOTE=Zel Greywords]I always found "MaximizeSpell" to be quite useful, especially because it makes even your low-level damage spells a bit more interesting again. Not to mention that IsaacsGreater became something like my main full-attack spell.
The other metamagic spellfeats, though... well, I don't see much use in them. I dislike QuickenSpell because I always go for "Boots Of Speed" (Perma-Hasted) in my chara builds and Quicken is just a tuned-down version of what Haste can do, so its useless for me. "Empower Spell" doesn't sound all too reasonable either since it only multiplies the spell parameters by 1.5 - and in NWN you typically are better off to simply rest and then use a maximized version instead.
"Still spell" can be kinda useful if you actually aim for an armored-mage, but I never tried it after I noticed that in the end, (when being well-built) unarmored NWN characters tend to have the same or even better AC as heavy-armored ones.

-Zel[/QUOTE]

A player after my own heart

But if you are going for a fullplate mage, it could be a good idea to take automatic still spell 1-3. You could then cast Wail of the Banshee in fullplate with no spellfailure, Which is pretty handy. But I allways goes for a caster without armor.