balthazar: my GOD

prateek · Post by **prateek** » Fri Jul 27, 2001 6:23 pm

plain and simple, he and his goons are kicking my ass:

my party:

me (sorc)
minsc
sarevok
anomen
vacnoca
imoen

i usually buff up my chars, summon after the dialogue, blah blah blah. Now, it's the real trouble:

i usualy use 3 pierce magics, to lower resistance on balthazar, yet that seems all and well, i have spells like globe of blades on anomen, i usually use spells like horrid wilting, etc.

It's really the save vs death i have to make everytime i get hit, and really the fact he clan just throw me across the whole friggin' throne, and the fact he's got an INSANE amount of hps which really kills me.

Hmm, note that i haven't tried deathward yet ( i will) and i'll try get someone to scribe the spell: wish so i can buff up in the middle of the battle (i heard good cleriecs can also get this spell? is that true? if so, it'll be handy with vaconica and her 19 wisdom thank you lum machine)

polaris · Post by **polaris** » Fri Jul 27, 2001 9:43 pm

When Amkethren goes hostile you MUST have and keep deathwards on all your characters. Those monks can make you save or die with every hit. Fortunately the spell (4th level cleric) DEATH WARD lasts a very long time (especially at this level) and Viconia gets a LOT of them (esp with a 19 wisdom).

I found Balthazar rather pathetic really. If you have Minsc go into his Beserker rage while your Socercer summons Plaetars with Globes of Blades (they are immune from stun and death magic), I assure you that Bathezar will not last long.

WARNING: UNLESS you are a fighter/mage dual who can take on Bathezar toe to toe, do NOT USE TIME STOP! He is immune to it, and he will kill one of your characters. OTOH if you *are* a fighter/mage, go ahead and take him out mano-a-mano

Just a few of my thoughts. Your milage may vary.

-Polaris

Laurelei · Post by **Laurelei** » Sat Jul 28, 2001 12:20 am

Funny, Balthazar was easy for me after Sendai and Abazigail...kind of like "Bhaalspawn lite". Don't remember using any special techniques or magic, just mostly whaling on his butt with melee and maybe some greater whirlwinds.

Random · Post by **Random** » Sat Jul 28, 2001 12:26 am

Sarevok got his "Deathbringer Assault" when I fought him. That battle didn't last long. mirror image, stoneskin, prot from magical weapons, improved haste and tensors make a fighter mage whup him. Heck I'd suspect a normal mage with the staff of ram could whip him.

Xyx · Post by **Xyx** » Sat Jul 28, 2001 4:22 am

Originally posted by Laurelei:
Don't remember using any special techniques or magic, just mostly whaling on his butt with melee and maybe some greater whirlwinds.

Greater Whirlwind doesn't qualify as a "special technique" nowadays?

Originally posted by Random:
mirror image, stoneskin, prot from magical weapons, improved haste and tensors make a fighter mage whup him.

Does the Quivering Palm get through Protection from Magical Weapons?

Random · Post by **Random** » Sat Jul 28, 2001 4:42 am

I don't know if his fist counts as magical or not. He never broke through my mirror images and stone skin. I wish my monk had his abilities though, they are pretty cool.

Edit: Yes, as he is a monk his attacks should count as magical. Because of that quivering palm should not get through.

[ 07-28-2001: Message edited by: Random ]

polaris · Post by **polaris** » Sat Jul 28, 2001 4:59 am

I agree that prot from magical weapons should protect vs quivering palm, but I stand by my earlier statement. You simply MUST deathward your party when Amkethran goes hostile. Prot from Magic weapons lasts 4 rounds (24 seconds). Deathward will last almost a game hour, and it is a cheap and easy 4th level clerical spell.

-Polaris

spork · Post by **spork** » Sat Jul 28, 2001 10:25 pm

My advice is to run around and try to isolate some of his buddies first. After you thinned them out, Balthasar isn't hard in simple melee combat. Remember, their quivering fist ability expires quickly. If you see them powering it up, run like a chicken. Fight on your terms. I killed him with just a 2-person party (a thief and Sarevok) no spells.

Laurelei · Post by **Laurelei** » Sun Jul 29, 2001 5:05 am

@Xyx No, greater whirlwind is a special "ability" not a special "technique"

Seriously, just a matter of semantics I guess, I think of technique as strategy, ie "place your guys here and here and here, cast this, trap that, use a wand here, summon this and place it here". Sorry if that sentence sounded like a contradiction

incandescent one · Post by **incandescent one** » Sun Jul 29, 2001 6:19 am

Try to get him in such a position that your facing the stairs. His "solar stance" (the coolest move I have ever seen) is really nothing more than a wing buffet ala dragons. The thing about it is that your guys will get launched back and probably down the stairs. The worst part is, you can't wake up until they stop moving, and when he did that to me, Sarevok, Keldorn, Anomen and Jaheira got knocked all the way back to the exit and got swarmed with monks.

I forgot all his other special abilities. Can someone go through the guts of the game, and post them up here ?

kniVur79 · Post by **kniVur79** » Sun Jul 29, 2001 6:50 am

Originally posted by prateek:
plain and simple, he and his goons are kicking my ass:

my party:

me (sorc)
minsc
sarevok
anomen
vacnoca
imoen

i usually buff up my chars, summon after the dialogue, blah blah blah. Now, it's the real trouble:

i usualy use 3 pierce magics, to lower resistance on balthazar, yet that seems all and well, i have spells like globe of blades on anomen, i usually use spells like horrid wilting, etc.

It's really the save vs death i have to make everytime i get hit, and really the fact he clan just throw me across the whole friggin' throne, and the fact he's got an INSANE amount of hps which really kills me.

Hmm, note that i haven't tried deathward yet ( i will) and i'll try get someone to scribe the spell: wish so i can buff up in the middle of the battle (i heard good cleriecs can also get this spell? is that true? if so, it'll be handy with vaconica and her 19 wisdom thank you lum machine)

I personally found Balthazar to be the easiest of the bhaalspawn. Here´s how I did it.

My party:

Fighter/thief (me with 4+ longsword and Crom Fayer)
Minsc (dual wielding flail of the ages and skullcrusher)
Sarevok (with Lilacor)
Jaheira (with a 3+ sling)
Viconia (also with a 3+ sling)
Imoen (the Gesen bow)

I went with Saemon and did the group outside the door. Then I went in and after Balthazaar had delivered his sanctimonious speech I kicked into gear. I had Jaheira, Viconia and Imoen pelt B. while my three tanks activated the greater whirlwind special ability. They moved in and after a few seconds B. was reduced to chunky bits. His flunkies were easy as well.

Pretty easy if you ask me. Maybe I was lucky.

Callimar · Post by **Callimar** » Sun Jul 29, 2001 6:56 am

Balthazar himself is pretty easy to kill. Sure, he does lots of prancing around and posing (and knocking your party across the room and stuff) but he himself isn't tough if you can actually get close to him before he buggers off to another side of the room and starts some more prancing. Just a thought... it would probably be possible to lay traps at the entrance (loads of traps, especially those incredibly powerful spike traps) then lure him or some of his buddies to their deaths. This is my tactic for most enemies which I still can't defeat after the second re-load. Fill 'em full of spikes, and their palms'll be quiverin' fer other reasons.

prateek · Post by **prateek** » Sun Jul 29, 2001 9:51 am

look, i could'nt have played him yet, my dad's been busy on the comp, but anyway:

he's actually been the TOUGHEST bhaalspawn i fought. the only tougher thing i fought in any dungeons was draconis.

Azbigal was just plain pathetic-i was expecting a draconis like person, yet sooner than i knew it, he was already down to "badly injured"

Sendai wasn't too hard, keep 2 tanks at the entrance while another one takes the statues out

Yaga Shura, eh, beat him on my first try

Llasera got her ass handed to her by valygar (don't got him anymore, thank you sarvok)

average joe · Post by **average joe** » Sun Jul 29, 2001 2:52 pm

maybe i shoulda started a new topic for this one, but i need a little help. after smacking balthazar around like the little sissy he was, my game crashed. well, alright. so i reload, and smacked him around some more. the game didn't crash, but after beating him i didn't get teleported to my abyssal stronghold. so, yeah, i'm kinda stuck. i've already left the area, cuz i didn't know i was supposed to be teleported afterwards, so i don't have any saves prior to the fight. both times i killed him, i cast harm on him and then took him out. could that be why? the only thing i haven't done in the game is beaten the demogorgon. i downloaded the baldurdash harder version, and everytime i fight him i'm the one gettin smacked around. could that be why i didn't get sent to the stronghold? what the heck! it seems i can't go on in the game. i went to the stronghold myself, but the fifth challenge is still sealed off and Solar never showed up. so any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

kniVur79 · Post by **kniVur79** » Sun Jul 29, 2001 2:54 pm

Originally posted by average joe:
maybe i shoulda started a new topic for this one, but i need a little help. after smacking balthazar around like the little sissy he was, my game crashed. well, alright. so i reload, and smacked him around some more. the game didn't crash, but after beating him i didn't get teleported to my abyssal stronghold. so, yeah, i'm kinda stuck. i've already left the area, cuz i didn't know i was supposed to be teleported afterwards, so i don't have any saves prior to the fight. both times i killed him, i cast harm on him and then took him out. could that be why? the only thing i haven't done in the game is beaten the demogorgon. i downloaded the baldurdash harder version, and everytime i fight him i'm the one gettin smacked around. could that be why i didn't get sent to the stronghold? what the heck! it seems i can't go on in the game. i went to the stronghold myself, but the fifth challenge is still sealed off and Solar never showed up. so any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

You're patched, right?

prateek · Post by **prateek** » Sun Jul 29, 2001 4:19 pm

hmmm, i kicked his ass quite easily now. Deathward saved me big time, same with a planetear, minsc, and sarevok. Beserker fury helps a lot!

average joe · Post by **average joe** » Sun Jul 29, 2001 5:02 pm

ToB Beta Patch 26464? Yeah, got it. i've got improved balthazar and improved demogorgon patches from baldurdash...possible bugs?

kniVur79 · Post by **kniVur79** » Sun Jul 29, 2001 6:07 pm

Originally posted by average joe:
ToB Beta Patch 26464? Yeah, got it. i've got improved balthazar and improved demogorgon patches from baldurdash...possible bugs?

I read from some reviews that certain cutscenes would crash the game occaisonally. So I downloaded the Beta patch when I got the game. Everything has been peaches and cream so far. Yeah, maybe those extra patches are screwing something up. Mind you I´m not a programmer meself.

average joe · Post by **average joe** » Sun Jul 29, 2001 8:53 pm

yeah, i'm still pretty much screwed....

koz-ivan · Post by **koz-ivan** » Sun Aug 12, 2001 3:59 pm

ack!

anyone come up w/ a solution to the no cut seen after improved balth fight?

edit: baulderdash says delete ar5505.bcs from overide folder.

fingers crossed.

[ 08-12-2001: Message edited by: koz-ivan ]