D's Zerth Blade

Chingiz · Post by **Chingiz** » Thu Aug 09, 2001 3:40 pm

I must say this has got to be the most frustrating weapon in the game. I was all excited when I downloaded the CE patch, only to discover the player has to have actively equiped to use the special abilities. I gave Imoen her next slot in Katana thinking it would be a great way to boost her spells. Everytime I switched her to short bow for a ranged attack the spells would disappear. The only way I could figure out to make it work is stick the blade in her off hand, making her utterly useless if she's not casting a spell. I'm certainly not going to melee her.

I'm slowly beginning to realize that this weapon is designed for the infamous Kensai/Mage everyone is always going on about. I'm assuming its supposed to be equipped off hand so you accidently don't unequip it. It also has the AC bonus. Otherwise I can't see any other use for this thing whatsoever. Anyone else been able to use it effectively (without having to create a special character designed around it)?

Anyway, I shouldn't really be saying anything. I've done a horrible job planning out weapons and proficiencies. It is my first time through so I have a reasonable excuse. I still, for the life of me, can't figure out how I managed to get four characters each with some level of proficieny in Katana despite the warnings. I completely prepped Minsc for 2H swords when I began hearing about the infamous Soul Reaver and Casomyr only to discover he couldn't use either. The Silver Sword made me feel a little better. At level 18 I finally gave someone a proficiency slot in long sword, the first anyone has in the game. At the rate I'm going everybody in my party is going to be dual-weilding Katanas (I can always dump the ones who can't use it). I wonder if there are actually enough of them (both magical and non-magical) to do that?

Anyway, my reason for this post relates back to the Zerth Blade question. But feel free to make fun of my party planning as much as you like.

Yshania · Post by **Yshania** » Thu Aug 09, 2001 4:08 pm

I could not make fun of your party planning! My PC's sword proficiency (as a Druid Avenger) is limited to scimitars. Not many great ones around in SoA, the one of the Djinni and Belm. That is it.

Jaheira can also use scimitar, but that was where her sword proficiency stopped.

My party formation had no sword proficiency other than short sword (Mazzy) I therefore could not use Carsomyr/Soul Reaver/Black Razor plus MANY other decent weapons. No mace proficiency (had to use Mace of Disruption with a penalty). No flail/hammer proficiency (bye bye Flail of Ages).

My gripe with the game would have to be that most of the best weapons are long/two handed swords.

My party is now

PC - Druid Avenger prof = spear/scimitar/staff
Jaheira prof = club/scimitar/staff/sling
Imoen prof = dagger/staff/bow
Edwin prof = staff/dagger/sling
Sarevok prof = 2H Sword/halberd/xbow
Mazzy prof = short swords/short bow

With Sarevok I can now use a two handed sword without penalty. I have a bag of holding full of great stuff I cannot use

PS - Welcome to Gamebanshee!

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[ 08-09-2001: Message edited by: Yshania ]

THE JAKER · Post by **THE JAKER** » Thu Aug 09, 2001 4:22 pm

Hey, dude, don't worry about it - there's always next time to get everything right

As far as the Zerth blade, because of the way that you lose spell slots if it is not selected as a weapon, it definitely is suited to fighter/mages kensai/mages that dual wield exactly like you say...

This is definitely kindof a bummer, but it really isn't SO bad. Having one less person in a missile assault doesn't make all that much of a difference, and if you've already cast the spells in those extra slots that day, you can de-equip the blade and put in a missile weapon, like if your mage is out of spells and needs to just hang back... Just try to put spells in those slots that you'll want to cast early.

White Rabbit · Post by **White Rabbit** » Thu Aug 09, 2001 5:24 pm

Put the sword into a mages off hand and use the spell that gives you throwing meteors a lot. i forget its name.... whatever. when you chuck the meteors you will atack with the sword as well! giving you a long range katana. yes yes i smell it to, a very strong smell of cheese.

two · Post by **two** » Thu Aug 09, 2001 5:43 pm

Yes there is an odd bug with Melf's Minute Meteors that I came across as well. If you have a weapon off hand (like Crom F) and you start throwing Melf's, you will occasionally get the off-hand attack as well! Also, I'm not sure but I think strength bonuses apply when throwing... maybe not. I'm really not sure, I just know when I had CromF off-hand and was chucking them around, they were really really great instead of simply great.

D'Zerth also good for BARDS. At about levels 11-15 or so it's the perfect off-hand weapon. Yes it sucks to lose spells when you do ranged, so just melee! After you get to level 15+ or so, however, the AC bonus and spells are not as good as a solid off hand weapon like belm or kundane that gives an extra attack. That's for heavy melee bards. What other kind are there?

THE JAKER · Post by **THE JAKER** » Thu Aug 09, 2001 6:49 pm

^^^^^When this guy talks about tough bards^^^^

LISTEN!!!!!!

AznA$$assin · Post by **AznA$$assin** » Thu Aug 09, 2001 6:55 pm

IMO D's zerth blade is ONLY good for bards... it gives u +1 AC which is like nothing for high level kensai/mages (i can get like -12 AC from spells alone), and it's just a +2 katana! so it doesn't do much damage at all, and plus memorizing an extra 2nd, 3rd, and 4th level spell would also be nothing for a powerful mage. if it were an extra 5th, 6th, and 7th, or maybe even 8th, than the weapon might prove useful. Which is why i think that D's zerth blade would be a good weapon for bards if they like katanas, but crappy for everyone else

.

Astafas · Post by **Astafas** » Fri Aug 10, 2001 12:52 am

@Chingiz:

You do know that you can change profiences with ShadowKeeper, right? I agree that the Zerth Blade should be used as an off hand weapon when dual wielding. It really is a great weapon for Bards as they get a bonus to AC (especially since they can't use shields in the beginning) and they don't have so many spell slots. Another frustrating weapon is the Staff of Arundel, which works the same way. A true horror when equipped by Cernd as he looses the extra spells when changing to Werewolf!

UserUnfriendly · Post by **UserUnfriendly** » Fri Aug 10, 2001 2:55 am

I think darts or throwing daggers will work with the zerk blade in the offhand.

a really great one is firetooth the flaming dagger that returns instantly, it does about as much damage as a sword strike, and possibly in TOB the dart that comes back, because darts have a really high rate of fire.

I think in terms of how many attacks per round, bows and slings are equal, crossbows the slowest, and I hink darts are the fastest. put enough proficiencies in it, you can really have a submachine gun...use the bag of holding to hold your ammo. also I seem to recall you actually get a strenth bonus for darts...

Saruman · Post by **Saruman** » Fri Aug 10, 2001 3:12 am

unfortunately you cannot equip any kind of ranged weapon (even sling or darts) when you have an off hand weapon.

The only exeption to this are minute meteors and energy blades.

And yes when you use meteors or blades you do occasionally get an off hand weapon attack at range, that's why my fighter mage is using the improved axe of unyielding in the off hand, coz ranged vorpal deaths are exeedingly funny (as well as being exeedingly cheesy)

Astafas · Post by **Astafas** » Fri Aug 10, 2001 3:32 am

Originally posted by UserUnfriendly:
<STRONG>
use the bag of holding to hold your ammo.</STRONG>

I would hardly recommend this. The Bag of Holding is far from bottomless, even if you could get that impression at first. Should you put 20 darts in the bag, those will count as 20 items, whereas if you keep them in the inventory, they take up one single slot. So if you want to use the bag effectively, free your inventory slots by putting everything else in the bag and leave missiles/ammo outside.

Chingiz · Post by **Chingiz** » Fri Aug 10, 2001 8:41 am

Thanks for the welcome.

Bards! Of course. I didn't think about that. My D&D arcana is still submerged in the 1st edition rules, in which bards are some kind of super dual-classed nightmare and Rangers cast mage spells (I keep expecting Valygar and Minsc to start popping off mage spells at every level).

Also, I don't know if any of you are old enough to remember Bards tale (kind of souped up Wizardy. It came on three --count 'em 3 -- 5" floppy disks), but it everytime you'd have to play the entire game with this crackly horrible minstrel music eminating from the computer if you wanted to use your bard song. I've had kind of a sour taste about bards since then. The new edition bards and the BGII bards are looking a little more appealing though.

Path of Wind · Post by **Path of Wind** » Fri Aug 10, 2001 8:42 am

All weapons in the game that grunt extra spells work the same way. I think it is logical. You have to hold it to feel the effect of the weapon. Quick weapon slot is NOT your hand, that is. No one is surprized when a character loses spells if you decide, say, to move Ring of Wizardy from left hand to right, don't they? You lose a contact of the ring with the proper place (your finger), hence spells are gone. Why weapons should work differently?

[ 08-10-2001: Message edited by: Path of Wind ]

[ 08-10-2001: Message edited by: Path of Wind ]

Chingiz · Post by **Chingiz** » Fri Aug 10, 2001 8:58 am

Why weapons should work differently?

I suppose you're right Path. It makes perfect sense. I was more lamenting the fact that you have to a very specific type of character to use the Zerth Blade effectively: One that only melees, one that doesn't switch weapons, and one that casts mage spells. The only NPC in the game that fits that description is Haer Daelis. I was hoping to use it as a quick fix for Imoen since when I got her she was 1 million XP below my party.

Alas, now I must actually work to make Imoen effective. Bummer.

Path of Wind · Post by **Path of Wind** » Fri Aug 10, 2001 9:03 am

Originally posted by Chingiz:
<STRONG>.

Alas, now I must actually work to make Imoen effective. Bummer.</STRONG>

It's life, isnt'it? You must "actually work" to make anything effective. I think it adds some spice.

Chingiz · Post by **Chingiz** » Fri Aug 10, 2001 9:12 am

Imoen's kind of a project too. But I think she's worth it. Once she got to level seven spells she's started to prove her worth. For the longest time, her info said the most powerful enemy vanguished was a mephit. After the Underdark it was only a Mind Flayer. Then she blossomed. It reads Th'x (the Shadow dragon -- can't spell it) now. It's amazing how much damage is done after two Lower Resistance spells, a Greater Malison and a sequencer with three lightning bolts. The dragon failed every single save. I was amazed when I scrolled back through the battle box. With the exception of as single initial hit from my PC, not a single other character besides Nalia (Magic Missle) scored a hit on the dragon. Must be that Bhaal Essence welling up. Scary.

Path of Wind · Post by **Path of Wind** » Fri Aug 10, 2001 9:18 am

I like Imoen, too. Kept her in every single party I played with. Maybe it is that brotherly love?