Gerth won't buy

Checkpoint1918 · Post by **Checkpoint1918** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 8:13 am

It's regarding the several keys found in The Vale of Shadows.

I've tried to get rid of them at Gerth's place, but the keys are all greyed out like he dosn't want to buy them?

So now I'm 'stuck' with a load of keys and missing out on potensial spell/potion buying gold....

Iv'e installed the I and II + expansion pack for the game.

Any hints for me?

mr_sir · Post by **mr_sir** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 9:52 am

You'd only get 1 or 2 gold anyway so its not worth worrying about

Checkpoint1918 · Post by **Checkpoint1918** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 10:07 am

Ok, thanks. I'll just drop them then.

By the way, got any tips on how to get those verbeegs?

Seem to get slaughtered too easy in the Temple.

Any magic recommended?

mr_sir · Post by **mr_sir** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 10:35 am

Use summoning spells to keep them away from your party and use ranged weapons and spells like magic missile. They hit hard so its best not to take them on using melee unless you have run out of spells. Also, try to make sure you cast haste on your party and use spells like the cleric prayer, chant etc. to increase your hit chances etc. and decrease their hit and save chances.

Aerich · Post by **Aerich** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 12:13 am

The tried-and-true method of taking out heavy melee hitters is to make sure they can't hit you.

Mr Sir gave you one method (summoning + missiles/magic), and I'll give you another. Disabling spells and/or movement-inhibiting spells are also excellent ways to prevent yourself from being hit. Try Web, Grease, Entangle and Chromatic Orb. If you can cast Prayer and/or Curse (avoid Chant, since it prevents further spellcasting), so much the better. Follow up with missiles/magic; on truly disabled enemies (e.g. those that are stunned by Chromatic Orb, Icelance, etc or held by Hold Person, which does not work on verbeeg) you can even use melee.

When you get access to it, Slow is also a great spell for keeping tanks alive.

Checkpoint1918 · Post by **Checkpoint1918** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 11:31 am

Thanks a lot to both of you!

I've managed to clear the temple without getting TOO battered....

What I find difficult (among many things

) is WHICH spells the priest and the mage should use as memorized in the available slots.

I've found myself starting areas over again several times because of 'bad' or unsuitable spells.

Oh, well. It's all a part of the learning process I guess.

I'll go looking for some tips on which to choose before each area (are there any threads covering that area BTW?)

Again, thanks a lot!

Aerich · Post by **Aerich** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 1:38 pm

The sticky at the top of the page called "IWD: Tactics 101" has some information, although some of the tactical advice could be slightly improved. However, it also has some spoilers - e.g. gives a reader significant information about what is ahead.

You could just search the forum for key terms (e.g. Dragon's Eye) or start a new thread to ask questions as they arise.

Redrake · Post by **Redrake** » Sat Mar 24, 2007 11:51 am

A ranger using a 2H sword having favorite enemy giants could get you through that area without too much trouble. There's also a sling available at Conlan's store with +4 bonus to THAC0 and damage against giants.

Aerich · Post by **Aerich** » Sat Mar 24, 2007 2:09 pm

I beg to differ. The ranger will still get hit, as the verbeeg come in small packs. Verbeeg do a lot of damage, comparatively, considering that characters on normal difficulty will have maybe five levels. That means you have a dead ranger after it takes 3-4 hits. You still need tactics other than "Charge!" to beat the area.

As for the sling, gold is hard to come by at that stage of the game. You might be able to afford the Giantkiller sling, but there's stuff in Kuldahar that's a higher priority to buy.

Redrake · Post by **Redrake** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 12:49 am

Aerich wrote:I beg to differ. The ranger will still get hit, as the verbeeg come in small packs. Verbeeg do a lot of damage, comparatively, considering that characters on normal difficulty will have maybe five levels. That means you have a dead ranger after it takes 3-4 hits. You still need tactics other than "Charge!" to beat the area.

That is so untrue. In all of my parties (and I play the game since 2001), I have a ranger with giants as favorite enemy and that part is a cakewalk. Use bows while they are at distance and then switch to great swords when they get close. Of course, I didn't said Charge!, but rather draw them out one by one, although they will come in packs, but easy to contain. And the final battle in the second level is where pit of doom is the way to go, web&entangle&grease&stinking cloud and they will go down.

Aerich · Post by **Aerich** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 2:01 am

You said that my post was "so untrue", but it was not entirely clear to me which aspect(s) of it you considered to be untrue. I suppose that you took issue with my disputation that a ranger with a two-handed sword and giants as a favoured enemy can clear the area with not much trouble. That may be true, but was it true the first time you ever played through the game? What if you don't have such a character in your party? I still don't believe that this method is very easy, comparatively, for a beginner player who I am assuming has HoW with its Call-to-Arms feature. The verbeeg aren't so easy to contain if one doesn't use the appropriate spells or tactical placement - as Checkpoint1918 was getting beat and asked for help, he obviously felt that his spells and tactics were insufficient.

Note that Checkpoint1918 didn't post his party, so we don't know if he has a ranger, never mind whether or not said ranger has giants as its favoured enemy. Having come this far, he's not likely to start over, so he needed other strategies to get through the Temple. I took the opportunity to give advice that should be helpful at most stages of the game, in addition to the Temple.

There are three areas in particular where parties can be swamped by verbeeg; the entrance fight, the fight right after entering the second level, and the final fight. I find that fighting straight-up in those three areas is generally a high-risk way of playing. Even a simple Grease or Chromatic Orb can be significant in terms of keeping characters alive.

Anyway, I haven't played any difficulty level other than HoF (with rookie characters) for about the last two years, so I am more or less forced to prioritize disabling spells, just because it takes so much longer to kill things. I gave advice which works for me.

Redrake · Post by **Redrake** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 5:48 am

When I said that it was untrue, I was speaking about your statement that a ranger is going to get hit and die in 3-4 hits. A ranger benefits from the largest number of attribute points, so it can be very easy to build a one with 18 in at least Str, Dex and Con. In normal game, a veerbeg can die in maximum 3 rounds (ranger hits 2 times/round with a 2H weapon) from a ranger. By that point a ranger should have plate mail armour and with 18 dex that makes -1 AC. Not so easy for a veerbeg to score a hit even with their 18 Str and that's because they have a very bad THAC0, Con and Dex. Furthermore, usually giants concentrate on the characters closer to them. A 2H sword hits from afar, so the chances for the ranger to get hit are lower.
As for the second part of inquiry, yes, I didn't used the ranger the first time I went through the game (but HoW was not released at that time, so I could draw them one after another), my party was a noobish one, paladin, 3 fighters, bard and conjurer.

Aerich · Post by **Aerich** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 2:05 pm

I see. Your strategy wasn't entirely clear to me. I assumed the two-handed sword was for damage potential, not range. You still have to have another character to draw their attention at least some of the time so the ranger isn't the focus of attacks all the time.

Verbeeg still hit quite hard, and your strategy may require some fancy footwork if more than 1 or 2 attack at a time. Surely you must use some spell support for this area...

Redrake · Post by **Redrake** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 11:07 pm

Not necessarily, but my party usually is made of 3 melee characters and 3 ranged ones (while the ranger uses both depending on enemies). Many times veerbegs focus on another melee character and since those usually have shields, they have better AC and even better chance of dodging an attack. At that point in game there no good buffs, except if you bought some small spells like cat's grace or magic mirror (for melee fighter/mages or cleric/mages). As I said, the terrain overs a lot of options to contain them. For example right next to the statue at the entrance. That's my favorite place to tackle with them.

Aerich · Post by **Aerich** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 1:14 am

That can get tricky though, right? The verbeeg do come from both sides. Early in the game, I prefer to abuse missile weapons and the rings of free action instead of memorizing many healing spells.

Redrake · Post by **Redrake** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 1:22 am

Aerich wrote:That can get tricky though, right? The verbeeg do come from both sides. Early in the game, I prefer to abuse missile weapons and the rings of free action instead of memorizing many healing spells.

So you just admitted to be a thief.

Verbeeg don't come from both sides. At least not at the same time. First the come from the left and then it is possible one more will come from the right (is actually random, it might come a verbeeg or an acolyte).

mr_sir · Post by **mr_sir** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 2:20 am

Redrake wrote:So you just admitted to be a thief.
Verbeeg don't come from both sides. At least not at the same time. First the come from the left and then it is possible one more will come from the right (is actually random, it might come a verbeeg or an acolyte).

With HoW they can come from both sides if you are not careful

Redrake · Post by **Redrake** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 3:24 am

You think I'm playing it without HoW? They don't, unless there's a difference between various IWD versions (I doubt it).

mr_sir · Post by **mr_sir** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 3:32 am

On the first level alone, if you are not careful and go left when you enter , the verbeegs from the other side can actually come round behind you - i know because it happened to me and I could probably find a save game that will prove it too if I look hard enough. Just because it didn't happen to you does not mean that it cannot happen.

Redrake · Post by **Redrake** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 5:05 am

As I've said is totally random. Besides, you shouldn't send all your party left. Send only one to draw them out.