Introduction - Bienvenue sur Aide au Choix

Introduction
The Throne of Bhaal... “What is it?”, I have often been asked by friends and strangers alike. The truth is that
I don’t know, but I intend to find out. I want to put an end to the suffering that I have caused to innocent
people over the years - pain that I willingly, or unwillingly caused them by virtue of my birthright as a Child
of Bhaal.
Only recently have I discovered that my dear friend Imoen is also a Child of Bhaal - my sister in name, blood,
and trust. Together we fought the evil that was Irenicus and Bohdi, and vanquished their evil with our power,
both to survive and to learn who we are, and more importantly, why we are who are! Why are we, who were
once normal, so unnatural, so different from everyone? What is our purpose in life, and what can be do about
it? Are we fated to live predestined lives, or can we ourselves control our fates?
Every day, that last thought distances itself from me as we hear that the two of us (three of us with my departed
brother, Sarevok) weren’t the only Children of Bhaal, The Bhaalspawn are everywhere! They have started a
war, killing each other, and murdering innocents - something I can’t allow! Even though I have seen my own
share of bloodshed, and caused a lot of it myself, the oath I spoke before Mielikki all those years ago, still
resonates within me. I must somehow stop this war of the Bhaalspawn and bring peace back to the Sword
Coast - both for the innocents, and for myself.
And who are these Five, the Bhaalspawn at the forefront of their armies, the ones causing all the death and
destruction? I only know what the rumors say - they are powerful, more powerful than I can ever hope to be.
I know I will likely encounter them - nay, that I will definitely encounter them within the next months, seeing as
they are intent on destroying all my brothers and sisters! There I said it - how could I even think of all those
strangers as being my own flesh and blood? I don’t know, but I can’t help but feel tied to them, feeling sympathy
for them, and the fates that they must endure. Unlike them, I have power - the power to protect myself and
others. I hope to meet the Five, and tear from them the truth of my birth, the purpose behind this war they
wage against their siblings. I also warn them to stay away from me, because I hold no forgiveness for their evil
ways, and I will put a stop to it. I will offer no forgiveness, as I offered Irenicus, and even my own brother, no
forgiveness. They chose to walk the dark path, not I.
Father? If you’re out there still, know that I, your daughter, Rane Kymondent, wish no part in your evil
machinations and will try my best to put a stop to them, however tough it may be! I will fight this supposed
destiny, and free Faerun of your presence for all eternity!
Guide by: Sean Kepper
Layout by: El Sexo
--The final entry from the journal of Rane Kymondent,
heroine and savior of the Sword Coast
If you downloaded this from anywhere but IGN Insider, please email us at [email protected].
Introduction
The Throne of Bhaal is indeed a mysterious place, as is the events surrounding your main character
(in my case, Rane Kymondent, an Archer of Mielikki). I chose not to divulge much here, or elsewhere
during the guide, but be warned that some spoilers are indeed contained within the following pages,
so don’t read too far ahead. I have planned the guide to be of help to beginning players, those that are
new to Baldur’s Gate, or those that don’t have knowledge of the Dungeon and Dragons rules. I have
tried to leave the rules out of the guide, but will suggest that you learn the rules, since the pen and
paper game can be far funner than a PC game could ever be! The basic rules are all covered in the
manuals that came with the games, so if you have trouble with them, please check there before asking
me for explanations (I was getting two or three requests per day once I original brought out the first
guide, asking what things like THAC0, or AC was). They should all be covered there.
Since this is the final part of the Child of Bhaal series, the battles are pretty tough. As the guide
progresses I start lessening the amount of description that I use for individual battles, eventually just
telling you what enemies are there and giving an order that they should die in. This is done both
to save me time while writing this guide, and to lower the time it takes to read it. I also assume
that your skill has progressed to a point where menial battles are not a challenge for you. Tougher
battles still got a bit more attention, but not much, since by this time I expect you to have some
knowledge of the game.
Another thing to note about the style of the guide - I didn’t mention the location of all the treasure! A
lot of it is random, or not necessary to find. Interesting things, like combination items, I mention in the
normal text of the walkthrough - search it to find the desires item (Control-F with Internet Explorer).
It just would have just taken too much time to do. And, you can’t forget that some of it is random.
The same goes for creature numbers - I might say there are three when you fight two or four. This
is because the game sometimes scales for level, power, difficulty setting, or might be random - there
is no way for me to tell.
The game consists of three additional chapters that are added on directly to the original’s storyline. I
have put in all the optional quests (the few that there are) within these boundaries, except for the large
side adventure within the Watcher’s Keep. This has its own section. A list of the changes between this
game and the original has its own section, including some few strategies for using high-level skills,
and the recipes for the combination items. I have some notes in the Getting Started section, but I feel
obligated to point you towards my last guide, since it is more detailed and describes all the characters.
One more thing - if you want to do the Watcher’s Keep quest, I suggest going there right after Chapter
8, or latest after Chapter 9. As soon as you go to the Throne of Bhaal it is too late to go back.
As with all my other guides, send me comments or questions at [email protected]. Make sure
you put ‘Throne of Bhaal’ in the subject line, or I won’t respond. It makes it easier for me to prioritize
my mail (newer games first), allowing me to answer your questions sooner.
Changes
For the most part, the game stays the same during the conversion. Mage battles are still annoying,
dragons are still tough little bastards, but those aren’t the changes I will discuss here. This section
is reserved for a discussion on the high-level skills and some words on how to assemble the most
powerful weapons in the game (even though this isn’t a change, I put it here because I wanted to, and
because it is a change from just assembling the items - here you upgrade them, for the most part).
High-level Character
First of all, high-level characters continue to get extra spell slots, more hit points, higher lore, and
more weapon proficiencies. What they don’t improve in is their THAC0 and their saving throws after
hitting level 20. Different character classes also benefit (or are cursed by) other changes to the specific
classes, which are described in the manual. Here I will run through a list of the character classes, and
tell you which skills to get and in which order. I will instruct you on which are useful and which are not
over the course of the game. These are the skills that will enable you to survive through tough battles
that were previously impossible, or as close to it as it can get (think of Kangaxx).
Some skills, namely Spellcaster skills, can only be gotten once. Others, like the fighter skills can
be acquired multiple times, allowing you to use them that many times per day. I will tell you which
ones are useful - they aren’t all as good as they seem. I hope you take my advice, since it will help
you later in the game.
Cleric: Clerics should get the following spells first - Summon Deva/Fallen Deva, and Implosion.
They were the only spells I used frequently throughout the game. These spells require level 7 spell
slots to prepare.
Druid: Druids have the same recommended spells as do Clerics, albeit with one exception. After
getting those two aforementioned spells, get the Elemental Summoning and Greater Elemental
Summoning spell - they are loads of fun! The Transformation spells are fun too!
Fighter\Barbarian\Monk\Rangers\Paladins: These characters should get Whirlwind Attack,
followed by Greater Whirlwind twice, then Power Attack, Critical Strike, Smite, then Hardiness. All
other levels should be used to get more uses of Greater Whirlwind Attack. This latter skill is really
useful, since it allows you to have ten attacks a round! Paladins should get the Summon Deva skill
before Power Attack, and Rangers should ignore the Tracking skill, or only after getting everything
else. All these are used as abilities and can be used as many times per day as points are spent
on them. Also, if you are having trouble with enemy magic, put a point into Resist Magic. It’ll save
you some hair!
Sorcerer\Mage: Comet, Summon Planetar\Dark Planetar and Dragon’s Breath are the best abilities. Dragon’s Breath has a wide area, while Comet has a smaller area and close to no casting time!
Just take any of the leftover skills after getting these three. These tenth level spells all take level
nine spell slots to prepare.
Thief: Thieves should start by taking the Use Any Item skill - allowing them to have fun with every
item in the game. It makes them more versatile to. Plus, it is a passive skill, meaning that it is always
in effect! They should also take the Assassination skill along with the Time Trap skill (nice combination,
don’t you think - think of a Fighter\Thief using a Time Trap\Greater Whirlwind Attack from the back, or
possibly in conjunction with Assassination!). Their two Evasion skills are good, but you should never
spend more than one point in the first of the two, for obvious reasons. The Alchemy, Spike Trap and
Exploding Trap skills are the only other ones that you should take. The rest are pretty useless.
Bard: Bards are much the same as Thieves, except they should take Enhanced Bard Song instead of
Assassination and Magic Flute sometime after, but only because of its amusement factor!
Recipes
I know I said I wouldn’t, but I feel pity for you and will include the locations of those items that I
remember where I got them. Also, if you don’t already know, these are Cespenar’s recipes, a small
imp that lives in your Pocket Plane. If you have the money, I suggest making all these items - money
is easy to come by - just shove everything you find into a Bag of Holding and sell it all off at the
same time to make a ton of it! All the items here are improvements over their ingredients. They are
worth the cost of upgrading, unless you don’t use that kind of weapon! Some improved items have
the same name as one of the ingredients. In most cases, it’ll have a larger plus (I’m not listing the
pluses here - just assume that they are better), or more abilities. Read the item descriptions in the
game for a list of these!
There are a pair of items that can be used for multiple different purposes. These are the Bowstring
of Gond and the Eye of Tyr. With the Bowstring, wait until you get all three bows before making the
upgrade, and make the choice based on their abilities. As for the Eye, it can be used both on the
Carsomyr and the Purifier, both of which are Holy Avengers. If you have the Carsomyr upgrade it,
otherwise the Purifier is the way to go. Also, the Golem Manual is a bit strange. There are three
different ways to change it. I am not sure what the effects are, or if it is even possible to modify it more
than once. It always tells you that it can only use the most powerful Page that you found.
Angurvadal
Needed items: Angurvadal (Watcher’s Keep - Githyanki Captain), Liquid Mercury (Sendai’s Enclave)
Cost: 5,000 gold
Aslyfernd Elven Chainmail
Needed items: Bladesinger Chainmail (BG2), Scroll of Protection from Normal Weapons (Lazarus’
shop)
Cost: 40,000 gold
Axe of the Unyielding
Needed items: Axe of the Unyielding (Watcher’s Keep), Baalor’s Claw (Yaga-Shura’s Lair)
Cost: 5,000 gold
Bag of Plenty
Needed items: Bag of Plenty (Yaga0Shura’s Lair), King’s Tear
Cost: 10,000 gold
Blessed Bracers
Needed items: Paladin’s Bracers (Watcher’s Keep)
Cost: 10,000 gold
Blue Dragon Plate
Needed items: Blue Dragon Scales (Abazigal’s Lair)
Cost: 5,000 gold
Carsomyr
Needed items: Carsomyr (BG2), Eye of Tyr (lich in Sendai’s Enclave)
Cost: 5,000 gold
Case of Plenty
Needed items: Case of Plenty (Watcher’s Keep)
Cost: 5,000 gold
Circlet of Netheril
Needed items: Circlet of Netheril (Watcher’s Keep), Bronze Ioun Stone (the Old Prison)
Cost: 5,000 gold
Club of Detonation
Needed items: Club of Detonation (Watcher’s Keep), Ring of Fire Resistance (one of the shops)
Cost: 5,000 gold
Dagger of the Stars
Needed items: Dagger of the Stars (Demi-lich in Watcher’s Keep), five Star Sapphires
Cost: 5,000 gold
Darkre Bow
Needed items: Darkfire Bow (Amkethran), Bowstring of Gond (Sendai’s Enclave)
Cost: 5,000 gold
Erinne Sling
Needed items: Erinne Sling
Cost: 5,000 gold
Firetooth Crossbow
Needed items: Firetooth Crossbow (shop at Watcher’s Keep), Bowstring of Gond (Captain Egeissig in
Sendai’s Enclave). Note: there is a bug in the game that will let you create this item out of nothing,
as long as you have the cash to do so. This only works before you use the actual Bowstring of Gond
on one of the other two bows.
Cost: 5,000 gold
Foebane
Needed items: Foebane (Watcher’s Keep), Fflar’s Scabbard (Castle Basement)
Cost: 5,000 gold
Golem Manual
Needed items: Golem Manual (Watcher’s Keep), and one of Clay Golem Page (Watcher’s Keep),
Stone Golem Page (Yaga-Shura’s Lair), or Juggernaut Golem Page (Abazigal’s Lair). I am sure you
can upgrade along the chain, so don’t worry about wasting the book (if you are worried, save the
book until you get the last page).
Cost: 15,000 gold, but can be lower when not using the Juggernaut Golem Page, which is the first
one I used after getting the Manual itself.
Heartwood Ring
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Purier
Needed items: Purifier (Watcher’s Keep), Eye of Tyr (lich in Sendai’s Enclave)
Cost: 5,000 gold
Quiver of Plenty
Needed items: Quiver of Plenty (Watcher’s Keep), Rogue Stone
Cost: 10,000 gold
Ravager
Needed items: Ravager (Yaga-Shura’s Lair), Serpent Shaft (Watcher’s Keep)
Cost: 5,000 gold
Runehammer
Needed items: Runehammer (Yaga-Shura), Rune of Clangeddin (cabin in North Forest)
Cost: 5,000 gold
Spectral Brand
Needed items: Spectral Brand (Gambling Cambion in Watcher’s Keep), Skull of the Lich (lich in
Sendai’s Enclave)
Cost: 5,000 gold
Staff of the Ram
Needed items: Staff of the Ram (chatty dragon in Watcher’s Keep), Roranach’s Horn (Gromnir)
Cost: 5,000 gold
Sword of Grief
Needed items: Sword of Grief (Abazigal’s Lair), Heart of the Damned (Sendai’s Enclave)
Cost: 5,000 gold
Taralash
Needed items: Taralash (Watcher’s Keep), Bowstring of Gond (Sendai’s Enclave)
Cost: 5,000 gold
White Dragon Scale
Needed items: White Dragon Scales (Watcher’s Keep)
Cost: 5,000 gold
Wondrous Gloves
Needed items: Bard’s Gloves (Watcher’s Keep), Sapphire, Diamond, Emerald, Rogue Stone
Cost: 5,000 gold
Getting Started
Firstly, I would like to refer you to the character creation section (as well as the NPC page) in my
Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn guide. There you will find a breakdown of the different NPCs, as well
as my opinions on them as people, and them as a part of your party.
Character Creation
Good character creation is the key to surviving through the game. Not only to survive the battles,
but to actually make it through the game as well. I have known people that decided to take a ‘cool’
character class/race combination, but lose total interest in the game since they come to hate their
main character. The main character is you, so try to choose something that you really like, and not
something that you find really cool. Characters like blades, sorcerers and monks don’t make great
main characters, much like those that can’t wear heavy armour (the game does end if the main
character dies, you know!). But, on the ther hand, taking these characters does add on a challenge,
and should only be used for those who have beaten the game and need the extra challenge. Those
are not the people for whom this guide was written, but instead for those that are less experienced and
want to have as much power as they can muster from the beginning on.
In the pursuit of this power I suggest the following classes: Fighter (any kit, bit Kensai), Paladin (any
kit), Ranger (any kit but Beast Master), Mage (any school, but the plain mage is better), or a Cleric of
any faith. Druids are limited and their special abilities aren’t really worthwhile. Although their spells do
have some power, they lack the ability to wear heavy armour, so they usually don’t live long. Thieves
don’t have the life expectancy since their role is that of trap-finder. Bards are not disciplined enough in
one area, and suffer from the same problems as thieves.
To finish this discussion, I suggest you take a look at the character list in my previous guide and
decide on what you want your party to be made of. Then from the list you can easily select a party
and create your main character to suit them.
Party Selection
At the very start of the game you will have a chance to make your party. You will have to create a
main character and then choose from a variety of NPCs for the rest of your party (multiplayer games
let you create the whole party, or choose from the NPCs as you see fit). You can always return to
change your party around (in the dimensional side-pocket), but I suggest that you stick to a single
group for the entire game, so that you can raise them to the higher levels, and take advantage of
the new high-level skills.
One thing I should mention early here is that there is only a single new NPC in the game - Sarevok.
Yes - that bastard is playable in this game! He is a level 18 fighter with very high stats, so I suggest
using him!
Most people, when playing this game would want to transfer over their characters from the original
game, and I strongly suggest this over creating a new Throne of Bhaal party. The reasons for this
are simple - a transfered party will have higher levels, better equipment, more spells, and most
importantly, higher sentimental value! This doesn’t mean that Throne of Bhaal characters are weak, or
anything, just that they aren’t as strong. They are still really powerful, but just not AS powerful. Plus,
why would you want to skip the original game?
I strongly suggest having the following elements in your party - 2-3 fighters, 1-2 clerics, 1-2 mages,
and a thief. This can be easily done by taking into account the abilities of each of the character. It is
then easy to create a main character (or bring one in) that fits the needs of the party.
Here is a sample party (the one I used) that worked really well for me. I used Valygar (1 fighter),
Keldorn (second fighter), Imoen (thief and a mage), Nalia (second mage with some thief skills), and
Viconia (cleric). My main character, Rane, fit the party perfectly. She is an Archer, a ranger kit with
great fighting capabilities, as well as some minor clerical abilities (healing spells). Thus, my party was
made. Upon bringing them to the expansion, I decided to lose Valygar and invite Sarevok (nothink like
having three Children of Bhaal in the party!) to join my group. His addition to the party is his great
fighting prowess - he is far better than Valygar! He is also the new wielder of the Silver Sword, one of
the best weapons from the original game!
Just a few side notes. There are no more personal quests for any of the characters - you can no longer
travel to the areas of the original game. There are no more uses for the strongholds, so don’t worry
about them. Another thing is that I might mention weapons, events, or places from the original game.
Never fear, these are all covered in the original’s guide and can be easily found within its pages.
Chapter 8: Yaga-Shura, Hunter of Bhaalspawn
The beginning of the expansion is where you want to select your party. This can be done in the
Pocket Plane that your main characters creates - it also sets the stage for what must be done during
the rest of the game!
1: The Beginning
Right at the start they’ll tell you to look at your spells and your equipment. Do so and make sure
that everything is in order. You can then rest to regain your spells (you might have cast them in the
last game, or they were granted by magic items and have to be granted again). This is an important
step on the way to starting the game - without spells to help you on your way, you are going to
have a hard time indeed!
Right after your preparations, just talk to one of the spirit statues (big statues of heads that look like
they come from Easter Island). It’ll utter a poem and then warn you of approaching danger. Move
to an open spot and get your weapons ready - this will be your first encounter with a Bhaalspawn,
Illasera. When she finally arrives, just sit patiently until the talking ends and send out a pair of fighters
to block off the Black Reavers, while the rest of the party focuses on Illasera herself. She isn’t hard
to kill, and her cohorts flee the battle when she falls. At that precise moment everyone disappears
and appears in the...
2: Pocket Plane
A place to form your party, rest and store stuff.
Right away you’ll be confronted by a Solar, a
being who tells you a bit about your destiny, but
nothing that is really useful. Then you’ll meet up
with the spirit of Sarevok. Agree to help him and
he’ll be returned to life. When in that state of
being he offers to join your group. If you let him
in, just remember to unequip whoever is being
replaced - that stuff could prove invaluable as
you proceed in the game! (Sarevok is a level 18
fighter with high stats - I recommend taking him
over Minsc, Jaheira, Valygar, and Korgan).
Sarevok spoke of a test that you have to undergo to exit the Pocket Plane. Rest up if you have to and
switch characters by using the spirit statue, if you want to. You can also use the weird chest thing to
store any extra stuff you might have. When you are done, head to the northwest room, and talk to the
murderer. He will test you by sending in waves of enemies - Kobold Commandos, Ogre Magi, Gnoll
Captains, Sahuagin, Doppelgangers, Drow Warriors and sometimes, Drow Priestesses (make sure
you take these out before they cast their spells!). Just spread your guys out and always concentrate
on the tougher enemies first. Mages should stay back and cast low level spells to keep the enemies
occupied. This isn’t a hard battle - just a little long - but nothing that should challenge a high level
party! As a reward, your main character gets the ability to exit and enter the Pocket Plane (whenever
they want to).
Make sure that you are ready to go, with a clean inventory, and the right party before you leave the
pocket plane via the main entrance. When you are sure you are ready, leave the Pocket Plane.
3: Saradush
Here it is - the first major area of the game.
The city of Saradush is in the middle of a war
- Fire Giants have surrounded the city and are
slaughtering those that are on the walls. Your
main goal here is to break into the castle and
talk to Gromnir, but first, there are a few side
quests for you to do. The rewards for these
quests are anything from just XP to being able
to buy ninth level scrolls! So, in short, I am
going to start with the side quests, followed by
the main quests for this region.
You’ll appear in the beleaguered city of Saradush. The city is torn by war, which is evident
within seconds of your arrival. You’ll arrive at
an opportune time and will have to battle some
guards of the mad lord of Saradush. After the short and easy battle, you’ll have a chance to talk to
Melissan, a woman who invited the mad lord (once a general) to find shelter within the city. She seeks
to protect the world from Bhaal, by keeping his spawn in check. Since her plan failed, she asks you to
find a way into the castle, so that you can talk to Gromnir.
After the conversation, a nearby peasant gets flattened by a flaming boulder. Have a cleric talk to his
son to raise him and get some XP. This is a warning for you too - watch out for falling boulders they can and will flatten you too! The next thing to do is to talk to the elves at point 1 (referred to as
(1) from now on). Get rid of their harassers and tell them that you’ll help them find a place to stay.
From there go to the barracks (10) and kill the soldiers inside. You should also stop the fight outside of
the barracks for some extra XP. Go to the Temple of Waukeen (2) and tell the Priestess of the elves’
problem. She’ll offer to put them up. Go tell them that to get your reward.
From there, go to the mageware shop (3) and talk to Lazarus. He needs his spellbook back. It was
stolen from him by a man named Hectan. Make sure that he tells you about the footprints. Go to the
tavern (4) and talk to Hectan. He tells you nothing interest. Go back to the mageware shop (3) and
talk to the young boy, Squip, who is standing just outside. Pay him the money he asks for to get his
cooperation. Go back to the tavern and tell Hectan about Squip. He wants a Scroll of Teleportation
before he’ll give the book back. Get one from Lazarus and return to Hector to get the book back.
Make sure that you warn the guy of the danger that the scroll offers. Return the book to Lazarus
to get your reward - the capability of buying scrolls! Not just any scrolls, but level nine scrolls too!
Make sure that at least one of your mages has Spellstrike, Chain Contingency, Time Stop, Freedom,
and Gate. I personally spent all my cash on spells, giving my two mages as many level nine spells
as I could.
Now it is time to head to the jail (5). Once there, talk to Captain Samand and agree to help him with
his problem. Talk to Mateo in the cell, then head to Kiser Jhaeris’ home (6) and talk to him to learn of
his kidnapping of Ardic. He wants you to kill Errard. Agree to his demands. Now head to the Countess’
home (7) and talk to her. Then go to Errard (8) and tell him about Kiser’s request for you to kill him.
Make sure you say that you aren’t going to do it. He’ll cast a spell to determine Ardic’s location
- the basement of Kiser’s home. Head there and go down the stairs. Kiser will get angry at you
and will attack you. Kill off him, the three fighters and the thief that comes at you. They aren’t that
hard. Go through the small room and enter the secret hallway. There you’ll have to battle a high
level mage. I suggest that you cast Breach on him before pounding him into the ground with your
fighters. Then proceed down the hallway to find Ardic. Once he is free, return to the Countess to
get a 2,000 gold reward.
Now it is time to enter the castle. Go to the Temple of Waukeen (2) and ask the Priestess about the
castle. she’ll tell you of a dangerous undead creature that she trapped in the old prison - a prison
that is supposedly connected to the castle. She’ll give you the key to open the prison and asks you
to destroy the undead creature. Buy some Holy Water before leaving the temple and going across the
street to the old prison (9). Open the door and enter it.
4: The Old Prison
There is not much to do here but kill a few
vampires (remember the tale told by the mad
guy at the tavern?) and put an old spirit to
rest. Make sure you come prepared with some
means of returning drained levels (ie. Restoration spells or scrolls).
One thing to remember here is to keep your
group together. Some of the vampires (marked
as ‘e’ on the map) will open the doors to get at
single characters. They are not hard to kill, but
just annoying. Their level drain ability causes
you to lose a level AND experience, even if
the level is restored. So, keep your characters
together and gang up on the beasts. You could
also use Negative Plane Protection to negate their energy drain ability.
This mini-level is quite straightforward. A) Kill the Vampires. They are marked for you. B) Restore
the old beggar’s spirit to peace. C) Kill Phlydrian and exit the old prison. Easy enough. A has been
explained. To do B, go to (1) and pick up the skull. Take the skull to the cell with the body (2) and
place it on the bunk. Get the amulet from the next cell and put it there too. Then the spirit of the old
beggar should appear. Make sure you have some Holy Water and use it while in the cell to purify
the body. When purified, the spirit takes you to another cell (4) and opens the door. Inside is another
vampire, as well as a Bronze Ioun Stone.
Now head to the exit (3) and beat up Phlydrian (a vampire) and his cohort. Once again, it isn’t a
difficult fight, just one that you have to be careful while fighting. Once they lie dead at your feet,
exit the old prison.
5: The Castle of Gromnir
The Castle Dungeon is a unique place in
my experience, as it had traps that I couldn’t
disarm! They were tiny things that I just walked
around anyway. They are in the halls between
points 1 and 2 on the map.
Upon entering the Castle Basement (the only
map I have for the castle - it is a small place),
you’ll encounter another Bhaalspawn. Talk to
her for awhile and heed her warning about the
traps and alarms. Open the door (1) and be prepared to fight a stream of thieves and fighters
that come at you from the hallways, especially if
the alarm is tripped. A mage may also come (he
is stationed by the western prisoners). You can rescue the three prisoners (p), if you want.
Then enter the next room (2) and get ready to battle some orogs and orcs. You’ll fight them straight
though until you come to the last room (4). There is a secret door in the little room (3) that leads to
the sewers. The stairs to the next floor of the castle are in northernmost room (4). Also in the first
room (2), there is the Fflar’s Scabbard to be found. Don’t leave this item behind! When you are ready,
climb the stairs to the next floor.
On the ground floor you’ll have your first nasty battle of the game. It is tough since you start off
cramped by the stairwell. Just keep your fighters hacking at their fighters and thieves, and have your
mages work away at the defenses of their mage. When his defenses fall, have your fighters change
targets to take out the mage. Once he is dead, the rest of the battle should go rather quickly! Heal
and climb up to the second floor.
Once you get to the next floor you’ll witness a meeting between Melissan and Gromnir. She tries
to reason with him, but doesn’t succeed. Afterwards, your party approaches and he attacks without
provocation. This is a tough battle, unless you have high level spells like Dragon Breath and AbiDalzim’s Horrid Wilting. If you have these spells, just aim them both at Gromnir and they should
take him and the mages out. Your fighters could do cleanup them. Have a couple of your melee
characters keep the rest of the guys busy (the ones by the stairs) until the whole party can turn on
them. After the battle, make sure you loot the corpses (I think Gromnir holds the Roranach’s Horn).
After a discussion with Melissan, you are left with a few options as to where to go. Return to town,
heal, and clean up your inventory.
Before leaving town you may want to clean up the sewers beneath the town. You can get to them via
the Castle Basement. The only important fight in there is the one that occurs against the sappers sent
by Yaga-Shura. As a whole the sewers isn’t very hard to clear and it is only from here that you can
open up the grates leading to the sewers. I suggest clearing them solely for the large amount of gold
that you get for selling the spoils of war. Then you can buy more scrolls!
Now return to the Pocket Plane via your special ability. When there, have your main character talk to
Cespenar (an imp). He offers to make new items for you. Take a look at what he offers to make for
you and if you need any scrolls, just remember that Lazarus probably sells them! On top of the listed
ingredients, he will also require lots of gold. In the Changes section, I will give a list of his recipes as I
find them. When you are ready exit the Pocket Plane and head to the Marching Mountains.
6: En Route to the Marching Mountains
Unfortunately, you have to pass through a pair of overworld areas
before being able to reach the Marching Mountains. Take advantage
of this time and try to raise a level (as if the enemies give enough!).
You’ll start off in the North Forest. This is a really simple area. All
you basically have to do is head east to continue on your way. This
is not easy though - Yaga-Shura has troops stationed throughout the
region.
There is a merchant caravan under attack to the north of where you
start (1). If you manage to kill off all the soldiers that are attacking it
before the merchants die, you will be rewarded and will have another
merchant from whom you can buy magic items from. He also has
some scrolls, which are cheaper than Lazarus’ prices.
Before the bridge (2) you’ll encounter some Fire Giants. For your
party, these big guys will be pushovers. They aren’t a threat to you
or anybody (unless they are lower than level 15)! Later (3), soldiers
will swarm you with the help of a mage. Even later (4), you’ll have
to fight both a large group of soldiers and a pair of Fire Giants. Just kill them and exit from the
eastern edge of the map.
Now head to the “Forest of Mir - The Temple”. There are two really tough battles there. The first is
right outside the gate (1). Make sure all your characters are protected from level drain (Negative Plane
Protection) and then head forward. A Master Wraith, in the form of Gorion, confronts you and tries
to piss you off, every once and a while damaging your main character or the entire party. Once he
is done with his little speech and accusations, get ready for a TOUGH battle! He summons all kinds
of shadows and wraiths to battle you. Without the Negative Plane Protection they will usually kill you
really fast. With it you stand a chance. Just concentrate on killing all the enemies but for the Master
Wraith, and when they are all done, gang up on him. Low level spells, as well as higher ones that hit
but a single target work really well here (as well as a Dragon Breath in the middle of all the enemies!)!
After the battle save your game and start summoning monsters.
Send the summoned monsters through the gate to draw the skeletons out (2). Pounce on them as they
come out and try to kill them one at a time. Have your mages pick on the skeleton cleric and mage
when they decide to show up. When the skeletons are all dead, grab the Nymph’s Tear (3) and go up
the stairs. Talk to Nyalee (4) to discover the truth about Yaga-Shura’s immortality. Apparently he has
hidden away his heart (a classic method!) and is invulnerable while the heart is safe. She bids you to
retrieve both his and her hearts from his lair in the Marching Mountains.
7: The Marching Mountains
The Marching Mountains are pretty dangerous for the foolhardy
adventurer. The Fire Giants travel in groups and are much tougher
here than before! Also, beware of resting while outside - if it is
interrupted, a swarm of enemies is the reason!
The overworld area here is rather simple. Go to the dead-end and
kill the midgets. God to I hate those guys. Then backtrack and go
to the entrance to Yaga-Shura’s Lair (2). Just be careful of the Fire
Giants here. Sometimes they attack in groups of three. I don’t have
to tell you twice how dangerous that can be! Just watch your backs and you’ll make it to the cave
just fine.
It might just be me, but I think that Yuga-Shura’s Lair is really hard. The enemies always outnumber
you and they are new and never before seen too! I’ll talk about them when you first encounter them.
Just make sure that you have some cold and acid spells prepared before entering the place. Right
away, as you enter, you’ll have to fight off six Fire Giants (1). That’s right - SIX! This is when you
use all your high level spells to kill them and summoning spells to distract them! Just make sure that
your fighters are in front of your mages and that mages have some good spells like Abi-Dalzim’s
Horrid Wilting, or Comet. You might also use your
Whirlwind Attacks, or Critical Strikes (if you have
them!). If played properly, the battle shouldn’t last
too long. Just remember to replenish your spells
if you have to (or want to) - you can always
return to the Pocket Plane to heal!
The object of this floor is to find four Wardstones
- Skull, Hammer. Flame and Blood, in that order.
They are difficult to get and the floor is riddled
with traps. Make sure that you have a full thief (or
Imoen with some Potions of Mastery Thievery!)
to deal with them, or just walk around them.
Save after every battle, and never go after a
Wardstone with a character whose inventory has
less than four spaces free. To start, I am going to
suggest a simple but effective strategy - clear out all the enemies before freeing a new bunch. What
I’m asking is for you walk all the way up (2) and deal with the Fire Giants, as well as the ELITE Fire
Giants (yes they do get tougher!) in the same way you defeated the first bunch. Then, and this is very
important, equip your fighters with the normal (non-magical) weapons that they drop. Make sure they
are using their biggest (+3 or better) weapons and have them all withdraw from the room. Then send
one guy to the that thing in the center of the fire (3) and have him grab the Skull Wardstone, as well
as the other stuff there (the Ecologies are important for the information that they contain, but I’ll repeat
the information found therein as it is needed), then have him quickly run out and join the rest of the
party. When there, take a look at your opponents - a Clay Golem, an Adamantium Golem, and a Magic
Golem! Your mages are pretty much useless in this fight - equip them with some of the normal staves
you found and have them hack at the Magic Golem (the only way to kill it). Then split up the rest
of the party - those using bludgeoning weapons should go for the Clay Golems, and the rest should
square off against the Adamantium golem. Use the gang-up strategy to kill them, but make sure that
you switch weapons to more appropriate ones as you go!
After the battle head across the hall, and once again leave your party in the large center chamber.
Take one out to get the Hammer Wardstone (4) in the same manner as the last one and him run out
as soon as he has both it and the Girdle of Fire Giant Strength. Return him to the party and have them
set up the battlefield for the Fire Trolls and Salamanders that are bound to join you. The Fire
Trolls are just like normal trolls, except that they can only be fully killed by cold and acid spells
or effects (some strong weapons like the Silver Sword deals permanent damage to them, so they
still die to it). The Salamanders are weak foes, so you needn’t worry about them. Just remember to
use your superior thinking power to keep the mages behind the action, so that they can cast the
needed spells when they have to.
Now it is time to start opening those shimmering gates that were off of the main hall. Once again, they
are going to be done one at a time, since the enemies there cause you to run in terror (you don’t want
the extra traps around, or the extra enemies!). Now position them all outside of the middle left room (6)
and have a single character go down the bottom left room (5) and hit the gong. That should open the
gate for room (6) (if not it opens the gate to the room on the other side - sorry for not remembering
which it was). Bring him back to the party and have him venture into the room. As soon as you see
some enemies, have him get out of there! The Burning Men (or the Flaming Skulls, I’m not sure) have
a Keening ability that causes your characters to panic and run amok. It is inevitable that at least one of
your characters will end up running around. Just use the rest of the party to kill the enemies. There are
Salamanders, Burning Men and Flaming Skulls. They can all be taking care of easily, with the
help of low-level spells - as long as you keep your wits about you! After the battle, save and then
go into the room to get the Flame Wardstone (same strategy as before). Have him run back to the
party when the enemies appear and win this battle like the previous one (make sure that you pick
up the Psion Blade here - if it isn’t here than it is with the last Wardstone). The enemies here are
two Burning Men and two Greater Fire Elementals, the easiest battle here so far. Heal, save and
get ready for the next step.
Now position your guys outside of room (8) and have another runner run down to the gong at (7).
Make sure that you watch out for the Delayed Blast Fireball trap that is just outside of the room. Hit
the gong and return to the party. Have him then walk into the room to draw out the enemies from
within - Fell Cats, Burning Men, Flaming Skulls, and Salamanders. Use the same strategies as before
to kill them (Skulls first, then Burning Men, then the rest). Then regroup and send in a representative
to get the final Wardstone, the Blood Wardstone. Have him run back to the party and just wait for the
enemies to follow him. This time it is just a pair of Bone Fiends and an Erinyes. Watch out for the
latter’s spells and walk through the rest of the enemies. Once they are all dead, head to the top room
again and insert the four Wardstones into the machine (9) to release the force field from the stairs.
Now is definitely a time to return to the Pocket Plane to heal, prepare spells, and store unneeded
equipment. When you are ready, return to the
Lair and go up the stairs.
Right once you get up the stairs you’ll have
to deal with a pair of Fire Giants. Take the out
and then walk along the hallway to the west. Go
through the archway to enter a really large room.
There are three ‘chests’ like the ones from which
you got the Wardstones. These aren’t protected,
but contain little. At point (1) you’ll encounter the
Fire Giant mage, Berren and his cohorts - a Fire
Giant, two Elite Fire Giants and a Fell Cat. Kill
them like you normally would 9it isn’t a hard
battle) and search the bodies to find the Baalor’s
Claw. Look for traps while trying to clean out the rest of the room - there are more Fire Giants and Fell
Cats to be found. Then go to the altar (2) and beware of the two long traps along the sides of the fire.
The only safe crossing point is the red strip of fire that runs to the middle ‘fountain’. Take Yaga-Shura’s
heart and then go to the northeastern corner of the room.
Have your strongest character open the door. Free the slave woman (3) beyond to get some XP and
some information. Then go a bit to the west and open the locked chest on the wall. Grab the Stone
Golem Page. Go west again and open the weird thing on the floor to get Nyalee’s Heart and the
Bag of Plenty +1. Further to the west is a pair of Burning Men, a thousand traps, and Inix. The fight
should be handled as previous fights - Burning Men first, then Inix. Inix drops the Ravager +4 and an
Amulet of the Master Harper (makes a thief even better - really good for Imoen). Now it is time to leave
Yaga-Shura’s Lair. Make your way back to the Temple.
8: Chapter Finale
The battle against Yaga-Shura requires great patience. It is easy to die, despite your best efforts. Just
be patient and try out the strategies I suggest, and if they don’t work for you, try something else! There
is nothing wrong with finding your own solution!
Back at the Temple, talk to Nyalee. She’ll do what she said she’d do, but then turns on you. She
summons a pair of Shambling Mounds, Nymphs and a Vortex Spider. Just kill them (it isn’t hard) and
grab her stuff. Now head out to the Siege Camp.
Once you get there you are in for a big surprise - Saradush has been smashed into the ground!
Apparently, Yaga-Shura tore it apart while looking for you, and in a fit of rage had all the peasants
killed too. Once you arrive, you’ll see just that - his troops are chasing after some peasants that
are yelling for help. Quickly kill those soldiers and get prepared for the toughest battle yet. Run the
rest of the way across the bridge until you see Yaga-Shura. Hit him a few times and he flees to
get reinforcements. In the meantime, have your mages entrench themselves away from your main
group (or in the middle, as long as you think you can keep them safe), all while battling the lesser
minions of Yaga-Shura.
Thirty seconds after he leaves, Yaga-Shura comes back (fully healed) and with a few Lieutenants
(Fighter, Mage, Cleric, and Thief). The Lieutenants make the battle much harder than it needs to be!
Just ignore them and keep using potions to heal your characters when they are low. Just concentrate
on attacking Yaga-Shura - Called Shots, Magic Missiles, Critical Strikes, Smites, and Whirlwind
Attacks work really well! As an alternative, area effect spells that don’t harm your party are also
good to use here, since they will wipe out the minions, which is exactly what I did. I cast two Horrid
Wiltings, a Comet and a Dragon Breath over the whole course of the battle to significantly weaken
his forces. After Yaga-Shura dies, the battle is over and his forces flee (equip ranged weapons and
fire on them to get some XP!).
Right after the battle, the Solar summons you back to the Pocket Plane and tells you of your past. You
are then returned to the battlefield, where you can loot the corpses. Make sure you grab Yaga-Shura’s
stuff - Shield of the Order +4, Runehammer +4, and Shuruppak’s Plate. Melissan will arrive and will tell
you of the two other Bhaalspawn that want you dead. She tells you to meat her at Amkethran, a city in
the Calim Desert. Before you go to the Oasis, stop to rest and make a permanent save game.
The Oasis is a simple place. Just head east though the Tethyrian soldiers. On your way you’ll learn
that the King of Tethyr has placed a 100,000 gold reward on your head! Return to the Pocket Plane
and head to the area of the second challenge. There you’ll encounter yourself, as you might have
been, had Gorion saved Sarevok instead of you. After the battle you’ll get some nice XP! Now return
to the Realms and head to Amkethran.
Chapter 9: Drow and Dragons
This chapter debuts the really high level battles. If you thought the game was hard so far, wait until
you have to battle the dragons - then you’ll know how tough things can be! There is a brand new
town for you to explore here, although it is not as interesting as the Saradush. Good luck with the
battles here - you are going to need it!
1: Amkethran
Like Saradush, there is a lot to do here. Start
with the subquests and meet the locals.
The first thing to do is meet Balthazar. He
meets you outside of the gates of the Monastery (1). He tells you that Melissan is gone
and he gives you the locations of the two
Bhaalspawn enclaves. He tells you to leave
the monks alone while in town. Very fishy guy,
if you ask me. Now head west and disrupt
the dispute between Asana Haraad and the
mercenaries (2). Give them the 5,000 gold and
Omar will give you Montolio’s Cloak. No head
south to see an old friend, Saemon Havarian.
He sets a pair of mercenaries on you, then runs. Further to the south, just outside of the Temple of
Waukeen (5) you’ll see a Priest and a monk (4) arguing. Attack the monk and then give the priest
1,000 gold for food. He’ll give you the Oaken Ring for the aid that you have given him. Now go to the
Smuggler’s Cave (10) and kill the monks. Buy the Glasses of Identification and the Rod of Reversal.
Near to where you entered town for the first time there is a group of mercenaries that are summoning
creatures and killing them for practice. Kill the group to get the Darkfire Bow +4.
Now head to the tavern (9). There you’ll meet Marlowe, who tells you to meet him at his home. To get
there, you have to go through the easternmost hut to get to the roofs. Once there, pass by the smithy
(6) (you can fashion weapons there - I never found out what he does, as well as buy scrolls) and go to
his house (7). Once there he asks for your help in dealing with a lich named Vongoethe. Agree to help
him and go talk to the lich in the cemetery (8). Then you have two choices. You can attack him, or you
can get Marlowe for him. If you choose to get Marlowe, go get him and he’ll come willingly. Agree to
take the soulstone and you’ll have two choices again - you can attack or leave the lich alone. I chose
to rid the world of the lich at this point and so I attacked him (I believe this method results in the
greatest reward). Upon getting attacked, Vongoethe summons some Banshees, Skeleton Warriors and
Skeleton Archers. I suggest you take out the Banshees first and then deal with the Skeleton Warriors.
Use spells to both weaken the spell defenses of Vongoethe, and to kill the Skeleton Archers that are
above you. It is in your best interest to rid the floor of some of the enemies before taking on the lich
himself. But once you finally do get through his defenses, Vongoethe is not a challenge. After the battle
return to Marlowe’s home, revive his daughter and give her 5,000 gold so that she can start anew. This
results in some XP and a point of reputation.
Now, get ready to leave and head to Sendai’s Enclave.
2: Sendai’s Enclave
Who would have known that such a peaceful woodland area was home to such dark creatures? Rane
knew! Nothing can get by her! Starting here you might want to start keeping a dedicated loot Bag of
Holding. What I mean is that you should identify all treasure and then shove it into the bag. This way,
you can always keep all the stuff you find and have nice clean inventories! (I believe the merchant in
North Forest sells one of these bags.)
The forest here is indeed peaceful and full of wonderful animals!
Of course, you know that there are drow about, so don’t let your
guard down. Talk to the woodcutter (1) and he’ll direct you to
remains of some wagons to the west (2). Go there and some
enemies teleport in. They consist of two Drow, two Elder Umber
Hulks and a Hive Mother, an uncommonly large Beholder. Keep
away from the Beholder until your mages have had a chance to
Breach her Improved Mantle defense, then gang up on her until
she is dead. Then go for the Elder Umber Hulks, followed by the
Drow. Once they are dead, return to the cabin (1).
The woodcutter then directs you to the northern graves (3). Head there next and some more enemies
will teleport in. Kill the Drow Wizard and five Drow, but only after killing the two Gauth, or miniBeholders. Return to the cabin (1), where the woodcutter finally reveals his true colors! At this point
in time, all the animals in the forest Shapechange back to their drow forms. You’ll then be surrounded
by four or five Drow Warriors, their Captain and a Wizard. One of your mages and one of your
fighters should take out the wizard, and you should spread the rest of your party amongst the
remaining foes. After the battle, make sure you loot the corpses, as well as the inside of the cabin.
In there, in a locked chest, is the Rune of Clangeddin. With the death of the Captain, the entrance
to the underground lair appears (4). Before going down there, make sure you clear the forest of any
remaining drow influence!
When inside just take this one warning to
heart - this place is crawling with enemies! I
am not going to tell you where they are all,
since it will take too much time, and I want to
get back to the game! There are Drow, Drow
Warriors, Drow Priestesses, Umber Hulks,
Elder Umber Hulks, Myconids, Mutated Spiders (fast little things that have nasty poison kill them first), Vortex Spiders, Phase Spiders,
and Sword Spiders - I think that’s all! As of
point (1) on the map, you’ll have a chance of
running into them everywhere.
Go to the room at the end of the long passage (4) and enter it. You’ll be confronted by Thelynn’ss
and his troops. Destroy them all to get the Amulet of Cheetah Speed and the Drow Guard’s key.
Then return to the larger area and choose a passage to take - (2) leads to a tunnel full of Derro
slaves (they keep coming, even after you kill a bunch - great place for XP!) and (3) takes you to
Lashar’ra’s Lair, Sendai’s pet. The latter is the funner way to go about things, since it is just a lot
of fun squashing big bugs. Just head east in both of those areas to reach the next area, which
happens to be the same.
If you took the spider route, you will be at (1). If you took the Derro route, you’ll be at (2). Just go to
the lich’s lair (3) and destroy the guy. Odmaron (I think that’s right) is a powerful lich, but nothing that
you can’t deal with. Use standard anti-wizard techniques to beat him and he should fall quickly (it is a
six-on-one fight!). Make sure you get the Skull of the Lich, Heart of the Damned, Drow Wardstone, and
Eye of Tyr before leaving. When outside, head through the remaining door (4).
In the next little area you’ll encounter Diaytha, Sendai’s Priestess. She tells you that you are beneath
her, and tells you that she’ll only challenge you if you manage to beat Ogremoch, the Prince of the
Earth Elementals. She opens the door leading to him. Send one character through the door and make
sure he is going slowly. Try to catch the attention of the two Greater Earth Elementals. Kill them when
they get out. Then rush in there and attack Ogremoch. This elemental has the ability to constantly
cast Stoneskin on itself - a barrage of Breaches is necessary to lower his defenses. You should also
watch for his earthquake attack - it knocks your characters off their feet! Make use of your high-level
fighter abilities to win with minimal loss.
When you get back to the main room you’ll notice that the other door is open. I suggest sending one
of your guys in their to pick up a few minions before charging in there. You can also try summoning
a big creature (like a Fallen Deva or a Deva) to take point.
Whichever way you do it, you’ll have to kill Diaytha, a Vampire,
an Abishai (a weak demon), a Hive Mother and a Black Knight.
If you were lucky, you would have been able to draw both
the Vampire and the Black Knight from the room, and if so,
the battle will be much easier. When in there make sure the
enemies die in the following order: Vampire (level drain is a
bitch), Diaytha (her spells are nasty), Black Knight (they hit
hard), Abishai (just to get him out of the way), and finally the
Hive Mother (make sure you breach the Improved Mantle!).
When they are dead, heal and go through the last door.
Here is a fun little part of the level. Here you’ll encounter Captain Egeissig and the Spectator Beholder
you helped in the Sahuagin City (I love that guy!). The Spectator suggests a duel between the Captain
and your main character. If your main character is fighter based, I suggest using skills like Greater
Whirlwind Attack to take the guy out. Spellcasters will have to defend themselves first, then attack with
their best spells, hoping for a quick fight. In any case, after the victory, pick up the Bowstring of Gond,
and go through the door to reach the next area.
Right away you’ll have to battle Illithids. These things have powerful mind attacks, but never mind
them. Between your high saving throws and the Psion Blade you found earlier, this battle should be
pretty quick. Make sure that you pick up the Liquid Mercury from the pool in the first room. The bottom
two doors each lead to a cell containing a single Vampire Illithid. Kill those two and then open the
door at the top, then the next one to get to a room containing Mithykyl and two other Illithids. This
battle is a bit tougher than the last three, but shouldn’t take too long, especially if you drop a Comet
(or something similar) on them! Go through the door when you are fully healed and rested. You are in
for one of the toughest battles of your life!
Sendai is a really nasty foe. She has seven statues awaiting of herself, each of a different class. She
then jumps from statue to statue, taking their equipment, as well as their abilities. Also, every time
she dies, more Drow pour through the door and attack you. I suggest using summoned monsters to
keep these busy, while your party attacks the different Sendai’s. As far as I can see, here is the order
of her forms - Cleric, Sorcerer, Thief, Barbarian, Mage, Ranger/Druid, and finally Mage again. It is
possible that she uses protection spells in all her forms, so make sure that you cast the appropriate
counterspells when they are needed. Just treat this battle as one really long mage fight! After her final
death, you’ll be transported to the Pocket Plane to have another conversation with the Solar. Then
you’ll be brought back to the Enclave. Take your time getting the treasure before leaving - there is a
Wand of Cursing, Studded Leather of Thorns +6, and Wong Fei’s Ioun Stone to be found. Then take
the Dimension Door and escape the place.
Go back to Amkethran and sell your loot (directly out of the Bag of Holding, all articles of the same
type at the same time to make more money). I made 223,000 gold this way! Then return to the Pocket
Plane. There you’ll have to battle the Slayer again. I can’t stress this enough - make sure you rested
and use all your high level combat skills on him. Also, make sure that your main character always gets
healed. I had Viconia stand behind Rane and all she did was cast Heal on her. After the battle you get
a bunch more experience. Rest up again and then head to Abazigal’s Lair.
3: Abazigal’s Lair
Killing dragons is hard - really hard (unless you put the challenge down). I suggest having a lot of
patience, if you want to survive this place.
Before you can even enter the Lair, you’ll have to fight through the gate’s guard, Draconis. Draconis is
a dragon mage, or in other words, a major threat! He is tough to take out and won’t go down easily. At
the start of the battle he attacks you in human form. Deal with him as you would any other mage. Use
area effect spells to get rid of the creatures he summons and for the most part you should just ignore
them. In any case, you should be able to knock him down pretty quickly.
always, I mean always (I can’t stress this enough), have idle Spellcasters cast summon spells! These
can be used to deal with his summoned minions (in this case, my Fallen Deva was immune to the
attacks of all his summoned minions), and they can also be used to buy your party some healing
time! They are also a great annoyance for the Dragon, since they get in his way of squashing you!
Even with all these helpful tactics, it is still possible for a quick death against a Dragon, since luck
is still needed to pass the initial saving throws against its aura of fear. Just keep trying, if you lose.
If the battle still doesn’t go your way, you can always go to the Watcher’s Keep, or just take a break
from the game.
After the battle, pick up Draconis’ Head, as well Tzu-Zan’s Bracers (Monk only item). Heal and enter the Lair. Inside you’ll have
to kill some Lesser Earth Elementals, as well as a Greater
Werewyvern. It is an easy battle. Make sure that you pick up the
Empty Breath Potion bottle. Jump down into the leftmost pool (1).
Kill all the Frost Salamanders and proceed into the next room.
There you’ll have to deal with a pair of Bone Fiends. Fill up the
Breath Potion at the pool and then return to the main cavern.
Jump into the rightmost pool (2) now and when on the other side
get prepared for a lengthy battle against Kuo-Toans (Warriors,
Priests and Whips) and Greater Water Elementals. You’ll also have to fight Olhydra, a special Water
Elemental. All these enemies here are easy to kill. After the battle, talk to the Monk in the cell and
make sure you get the Rope and Hindo’s Hand. With the rope in hand, return to the main cavern.
Now it is time to get the Scroll of Reversal. Go to the upper of the two
remaining pools (3 on old map) and dive under the water. When you
surface, be prepared to battle some weird floating eye things that go by
the names of Eagle Eyes, Vigilants, Sentinels and Seekers. They fire little
bolts at you, as well as low level spells. They do low amounts of damage,
but their speed and their numbers make them real threats. They are easy
enough to kill, however.
From your starting position on the map (1) head to Iycanth and the ‘brave’
adventurers (2). Talk to the mage and he’ll ask you to do a favor for him. Agree and then go through
the pool that is in the vicinity. You’ll appear in his lab. Search the tables to find a Scroll of Stone to
Flesh. Unbar the door and use the scroll on the statues. Either tell them to sit still, or tell them to get
the Eyestalk for you. I suggest getting it yourself (I love killing Beholders!). The pool leading to the
Gauth (and three Elder Orbs) is just east of the lab (3). Dive under and attack the Gauth first (you
can always grab the Eyestalk and run at this point) and then pick on the Elder Orbs. Just remember
one thing - don’t cast any spells at them! Their Spelltraps will nullify any spell cast at them, but for a
Spellstrike! Just kill them the traditional way.
Bring the Eyestalk back to the mage and he’ll give you the Scroll of Reversal. Make sure that you
grab the Juggernaut Golem Page. Also, tell the adventurers to leave and you’ll get their entire loot 3 measly gold. Now head to pool (4) and dive down to get to the area under guard by the Geased
Dragon.
From your entrance to this area (1) head to the Dragon (2). Fll’Yissetat
asks you to use the Scroll of Reversal to free it from the Geas. He
offers you Abazigal’s Wardstone in exchange for his freedom. Offer
him that much and make him stick to his word. He’ll leave peacefully,
but only after telling you that you are a fool. Walk into Abazigal’s lair.
Abazigal fights you first in human form and then in Dragon form. He
is in no way as challenging to beat as Draconis. He heals a bit more
often, but he doesn’t turn invisible all the time, either. Don’t kill the
Frost Salamanders here - let them sit next to Abazigal and cause him damage with their frost auras!
For a Dragon, he is a real pushover! After he dies, make sure you pick up the Blue Dragon Scales,
Gram Sword of Grief +5, and the Electrical Flail Head. You’ll be allowed to see a flashback in which
Melissan gets captured and Balthazar is revealed as the final of the Five. You also get a chance to chat
with the Solar again, a conversation in which you learn the truth of the Five. After all this occurs, take
the exit offered by the magic mirror in Abazigal’s Lair. Once outside, Elminster teleports in and gives
you some hints. Head to the Pocket Plane.
Now it time to take on Challenge #4. Go to the chamber and talk to Cyric. Assure him that you don’t
want his job, and he’ll challenge you with some minions. They are fast, but not too challenging. Kill
them and then head back to Amkethran.
4: Chapter Nine Finale
Amkethran is now a hostile place to be. All the monks and mercenaries will attack you on sight. Watch
out for them and kill them when possible. If you haven’t done the Watcher’s Keep quest yet, I suggest
you do it before killing Balthazar - you might not get a chance afterwards to do it!
There are three ways to enter the Monastery. Method 1: Kill the guards by the Monastery Gate and
grab the key. Method 2: Talk to Saemon in the Smuggler’s Cave and ask him to escort you in (I hate
the guy and didn’t want him along for this one). Method 3: Talk to Saemon and tell him you want the
hard way. Talk to Faheed to get the key to the secret passage (Faheed lives next door to Marlowe).
Then go to the cemetery and use the four tables to release monsters. Kill the monsters (the Fission
Slimes are killed easiest by fire) and then climb the right ladder and go through the maze of doors.
The last one will lead to the Monastery.
Talk to Balthazar. He will tell you of his role in the Five, as well as Melissan’s. He will then attack you,
along with his guards. Have your mages deal with the minions, while the fighters pick on Balthazar. He
has some pretty cool tricks, but isn’t really that hard to kill. Once he is dead and after you have spoken
to Amelyssan, leave the Monastery, heal and return to the Pocket Plane.
Once there, head to the fifth challenge. There you’ll have to fight the Ravager, an upgraded version of
the Slayer, but not that much harder to kill. Once he is dead, heal and say bye to the Pocket Plane.
Make sure you make a permanent save here - there is no coming back from the Throne of Bhaal.
Make sure you have lots of Breach spells and Summon Deva, Planetar and Solar spells. All kinds
of healing spells are necessary too, as well as Wish spells (bring some Potions of Inisght too - they
are available at the Temple of Waukeen, or Lazarus’ shop) to rest. Wands of Spellstriking (found in
the Watcher’s Keep) are really nice to have here, since they offer the power of Breach spells, with
no casting time whatsoever. Leave and tell the plane that it is time for you to face your destiny. You’ll
be taken to the Throne of Bhaal.
Chapter 10: Throne of Baal
The finale for the game, nay - the whole series! You have no time to rest (short of high-Wisdom
Wish spells - use a Potion of Insight, save, cast Wish, and take the option to rest and memorize
spells - load if the option isn’t offered, then try again). There are seven battles here, so be prepared
for a long set of battles.
You’ll start off in a battle with Melissan right away. She can summon monsters at will (Slayer Shadows,
Death Tyrants, or Glabrezu) and will cast Stoneskin when it is needed. Just attack her (use high level
skills sparingly, unless you have a Wish spell with which to rest) and ignore the summoned creatures.
Cast Breach when necessary. After the battle, she retreats and opens up the way to one of the soulpools. Head there (2) and do battle with the Air Elemental Prince, Yan-C-Bin. Kill him and his followers
and then wait a bit before draining the pool. Use that time to wait for hostile effects to wear off, heal
your characters (you might want to use that Wish trick right now, and after every battle) and save.
Make sure you summon a Planetar or Deva and send them to point (1) to await Melissan.
Drain the pool and Melissan returns to fight you. Your party will be brought back to her. Use the
same tactics to kill her - have your summoned aid keep her summoned creatures busy. She dies
much the same way as she does the first time. She opens up the path to the second pool (3), where
you have to kill Cryonax, Blizzard Trolls and Ice Salamanders - an easy task. Then heal using the
same process as before and set up another summoned creature. Empty the pool to prompt your
third battle with Melissan.
Melissan is now at her toughest. She often casts Dimension Door and keeps a Blade Barrier around
her. Now is the time to start using your high-level skills, but make sure you save at least one Greater
Whirlwind attack per fighter. Use Breach when needed and attack her when she is open. Follow her
when she teleports around, and ignore her minions - your summoned creature can handle them. After
she falls for a third time, the path to the last soul-pool (4) opens.
Send in your summoned creature, then arm your characters with ranged weapons and fire on the
Alu-Fiend and the Succubus (they have to die, or you risk being Dire Charmed). Then go after the
Marileths (Breach may be necessary) and then the Fallen Solar. Now is when you want to heal and
make a permanent save. Summon a Deva or Planetar and send it to point (1) to await Melissan.
Drain the soul-pool and attack Melissan as fast as possible. If you pull off three Greater Whirlwinds
after her Stoneskin is Breached, you could kill her in under thirty seconds! This is the last battle -
and it ends so easily! With your last saved game, you could witness all the endings that are available
to your character! (I know that there are at least three, but I’m not going to tell you what they are
- that is up to you to find out!). Congratulations! You have now finished the whole series! (at least
until Dark Alliance comes out!)
The Watcher’s Keep
The Watcher’s Keep is a huge dungeon found to the northwest of Saradush. It is available in both
versions of the game while the Throne of Bhaal is installed. I suggest entering here only after beating
Chapter 8, or even possibly 9 in the main storyline. The treasure here is bountiful, and necessary, if
you want to build some of the really cool items in the game!
Outside of Watcher’s Keep
Once you have travelled here, go to Odren (1) and talk to
him. He tells you that he needs the help of some brave
adventurers to seal an ancient evil, which they only know as
the ‘Imprisoned One’. It is said that this demon was once
a powerful enemy of Helm and that in a great battle the
god imprisoned the demon in the keep. There, a select few
of followers known as Vigil Knights, would stand guard and
strengthen the seals as necessary. Unfortunately the portal
system broke down and the place has been flooded with
demons, barring the way for weaker people than you. In any
case, agree to help and he’ll lead you up the stairs (2) to the
summit (3).
There he introduces you to his group. Talk to the one on the
right to get the Ritual Scroll and the Holy Symbol. You need the Symbol to be able to leave the place
- without it your path is barred. You are also told that every floor has a puzzle that activates the portal
to the next floor. Only by correctly solving the puzzle can you go. He also points out that each floor
also has a portal that leads out of the keep - that’s what the five doors on the side of the keep (4) are
for. Unfortunately, they are barred from the other side and can only be opened from that side, but can
be used from any side once unlocked. (Or you can be like me and do it in one trip, exiting just to the
Pocket Plane to make items!) Once you are ready, enter the keep.
Floor 1
As soon as you enter Watcher’s Keep, be prepared for
some seemingly harmless battles. The enemies here
(Trolls, Spectral Trolls, Giant Trolls, Stone Golems, Wandering Horrors, Poison Mists, Vampiric Mists, Mustard
Jellies, and Spellhaunts), if you have already started
on the actual expansion quests. In the room directly
to the left of the entrance you’ll find a set of Paladin’s
Bracers.
To open the portal to the second floor, you must complete a ritual. For it to succeed, you need all the items
necessary to do the ritual. First, go to the western
library (1) and pick up the Golem Manual, Case of Plenty and the Bell. The Candle is in the next
room (2). Now go across the hall and pick up the Old Slippers, Quiver of Plenty, Ammo Belt, and the
Tinderbox from the small room (3). In the eastern library (4) and the small room beyond it (5), you’ll
find a pair a Wardstones. In the next small room (6), there is a Key you’ll need. Grab it and head to the
fireplace in the northwestern room (7). Light the fireplace and talk to the spirit of the Archivist. Now go
and open the door to the crypt (8) and search the sarcophagus. Give the old ghost his Old Slippers
and you’ll have gotten the verse for the ritual. Now you have all the necessary items.
Go to the Altar (9) and place both the Bell and the Candle upon it. At this point, four of the statues will
animate and attack you. Destroy them (start with the cleric statue on the left) and then return to the
ritual. You must ring the bell twice, light the candle, open the book, then ring the bell a third time to
complete the ritual. This opens the gate to the next floor - and brings the remaining statues to life! An
easy solution to this battle lies in the use of large spells - Delayed Blast Fireball, Comet, Abi Dalzim’s
Horrid Wilting, etc. Just drop a single one on your party, if you have to - you should survive the blast,
the enemies won’t! Search the remains of the statues to find Usuno’s Blade +4 and Foebane +3. Once
you are done here, rest and use the portal to get to the second floor.
Floor 2
As soon as you emerge from the portal, a Chromatic
Demon starts talking to you. He tells you that he;d
give you the key, but only if you free him. To free him,
you’ll need the four Scepters, which were in the hands
of the Masters of Air, Slime, Ice and Fire. Apparently,
each of the masters hated the others and had plotted
a way to kill the other’s minions. They also know how
to harm the different forms of the Chromatic Demon.
To start you’ll have to pick up the Key from the southeastern room (2). There is a Horn in the bottom left
room (3) and you should clear out the northeastern
room too. Then go to the northwestern room and talk to the Imp there (make sure you get the Helm
of the Rock too - I think it is in this room). He tells you about the fan. Open the door and have one
character run into the Air Lab. Twist the valve in the center and lure the Air Elementals out of there. Kill
them then return to slay the Guardian of Air. Pick up the Air Scepter and twist the valve again.
Open the Air Lab’s eastern door and then the Slime Lab’s southern door (one character should do it,
then run back to the other side of the lab). Open the northern door, run in and slay the guardians. Pick
up the Slime Scepter and the Poison Flail Head. Open up both the eastern door to Ice Lab, as well as
the western door to allow the poison into it. Then kill all the creatures inside and grab the Ice Scepter.
Return to the Air Lab and twist the valve again.
Station all your characters in the cold room and have the fastest run out and open the southern door
to the Fire Lab. Wait there and ignore the Fire Giant. When there is a Greater Fire Elemental, make
it follow you back to the Ice Lab. When it is inside, kill it (if you kill it elsewhere, it comes back to life).
Repeat the process four times and then go kill the Fire Giant. Grab the last of the Scepters.
Take the Scepters to the Chromatic Demon. Release him and you’ll have to do battle with him. He
is incredibly resistant to physical attacks, but always has a weakness to specific types of magic,
depending on his form. When he is red with wings, use cold magic. When he is big and green, use
lightning magic. When he is gaseous, use acid magic. In his other form, use fire magic. All in all,
an easy foe. He drops a Portal Key, the Circlet of Netheril, and Ixil’s Spike upon being defeated. Go
through the right portal to get down to floor three.
Floor 3
This floor is a maze. The portals always bring you to the northern side of a room, and the one that
you just exited won’t take you back to where you were. At the start, follow Yakman to the south (notice
the compass) and talk to him. You’ll need to find three Portal Gems and the Scepter of Radiance.
Make sure that you pick up the Scepter of Radiance and the Bard’s Gloves before leaving the room
via the north portal.
Go east and kill the demons. Look at the inscription on the stone and then search the back of it to get
the Purifier +4 (must be lawful good). Go east and kill the demons there. Grab the first Portal Gem and
Tahazzar’s Black Heart, then head north. Back in the stone room, head south and kill the fiends (watch
out for their Dire Charm attacks). Going south again will bring you to Ka’rashur’s chamber. Kill him and
his buddies to get the second Portal Gem, as well as his Black Heart. Go south and kill more demons,
then head west. There you’ll have to fight some planars (Tieflings) before heading north. You’ll fight
some Demon Knights before heading north. In the next room you’ll have to fight a Demon Wraith,
along with a bunch of Slaves. Ignore the Slaves and concentrate on killing the Demon Wraith (very
hard with weapons - use spells and skills). Once he dies, so do the others. Pick up the White Dragon
Scales before heading north and out of the maze.
In the next area you’ll encounter a Gambling Cambion. Make sure that you gamble for the Spectral
Brand (I think you automatically win) and then for the Wish spell, if you want. Then offer up the Holy
Symbol for the gem - win or lose you get both of the items. Just be careful - if the Guile card comes
up, it means you’ll be swarmed by Assassins, really annoying enemies. Once you are done, head east
and through the portal to floor four.
Floor 4
On this floor you have to deal with another madman. This time it is Carston, an archmage who enjoys
spending his time in a glass bubble (1). Needless to say, you have to find a way to free him. The same
machine that he so loves is the key to leaving this floor. All those notes you found by Lum the Mad
refer to this machine, but are not necessary for dealing with it.
To start, head to the blue pool (2) and pick up the Blue Oil. To kill the Magic Golems that guard it, use
non-magical weapons. Now head to the Illithid Encampment. Once there, be prepared to kick some
Mind Flayer ass. They aren’t that hard and should pose no problem to you. Head west and get the
first Illithid Rod. Then head south into the cell block. Talk to the Apprentice and then head south to get
the second Illithid Rod. Then head west and open the locked door. Get the Red Oil from the vat and
kill the pair of Vampiric Illithids.
Now return to the main chamber
of this floor.
Now go to the Githyanki
Encampment. The Gith are
much easier foes than the Illithids, and should die that much
easier. In the first room make
sure you get the Flint and
Tinder. Later, you’ll encounter a
large group of the Gith - along
with a giant ship. Kill the Captain and make sure you get the
following items from the room
- Purple Oil, Montolio’s Clasp,
and Angurvadal +4. There are
two sets of stairs leading down. The western stairs leads to a Demi-Lich’s tomb (remember Kangaxx?
This one is easier). With your weapons and high-level skills (like Greater Whirlwind and Critical Strike),
you should have no problems killing this guy. Make sure you cast Freedom to bring back all lost party
members. Pick up the Dagger of the Star after the battle and climb the stairs. The eastern stairs leads
to Saladex, a Dragon. This Dragon is a pushover compared to all the other dragons you have fought!
Draconis makes this guy look like an orc... He drops the Staff of the Ram +4 when he dies. Return to
the main chamber of the floor when you are done with him.
Now head to the torches (3). Light them up in the following manner: left from top to bottom - Red, Red,
Purple, right from top to bottom - Blue, Purple, Red (the solution is given by the colored shapes on the
floor in the rooms flanking the main chamber). The doors then open, giving you access to the vault (4).
Kill the guards and make sure you get the Crystal Mallet, the Clay Golem Page, and the almighty Axe
of the Unyielding +2. Return to the main chamber.
Free Carston by tapping the glass shield six times with the Crystal Mallet. Then let him go. His journal
reveals how to open the portal - Press the Triangular Button, Turn the Red Dial, and Pull the Medium
Lever. Now heal, have Cespenar make you new things, and go through the portal to the fifth floor.
Floor 5
This floor is pretty tough, yet kind of cool. First,
go south and talk to the Helmite Spirit (2), Go
into the left door and Beat up the Orcs until
the Spirit tells you that you have great Perseverance. Make sure you pick up Ixil’s Nail +4,
while you are there. Then leave and go through
the middle door. Kill the Dragon within (wimpiest
Dragon ever!) to get the Warrior’s Skull and Hindo’s Doom +3. That was the test of Courage.
Now return to the last chamber and go through
the right door. Answer the Imp’s first question
with ‘Seven’ and solve the next with “Take two,
take three, take 1. You’ll then have solved the
test of Wisdom. Leave the Imp’s room and the
Spirit will give you the first key.
Go to the northeast and place the Warrior’s Skull onto the Altar (3) after killing the Golems that
inhabit the room. You’ll be brought to an interest mini-game. Follow these step by step instructions (I
abbreviated them for convenience) to get the key - North, north, attack, open, east, south, search,
east, attack, search, south, examine, attack, open, west, attack, west, north, north, east, east, open,
north, scroll, west, open, archway, and then, finally, use the wand. That’ll get you the second key.
The third key is also fun to get. Go to the northwestern corner (4) and you’ll see weird machine.
You have to push each of the colored buttons once to get an Orb of the appropriate color. For the
fun of it, press each button four times. Each time you push a button, monsters are summoned. Red
summons, in order, Hobgoblins, Kuo-Toans, Trolls, and Greater Werewolves. Blue just summons four
mages of increasing levels. Green summons Mutated Spiders, then Umber Hulks, followed by Greater
Earth Elemental and then Beholders. Purple summons Skeleton Warriors, Devil Shades, Vampires
and finally a pair of Lichs. Then take the last of each of the colors of Orbs and place them in the right
pillars (Purple top left, Red top right, Blue lower left, Green lower right) to get the last key.
Now there is just one set of challenges left to undo the Final Seal. You have to put the keys in the locks
and then turn them, one by one. Each time you turn one, the guardians of the lock appear and cause
havoc. These battles are really challenging, so I suggest that you rest between each one.
Challenge 1: Open the southern lock first to summon Azamantes, a Lich, and a trio of Flaming Skulls.
The Lich is more of the same - the Flaming Skulls are new. The Flaming Skulls revel in using low
level fire spells and explode when killed, so kill them from a distance to avoid this fate. Try to kill the
Lich first, but if he is protected by spells, attack the Flaming Skulls while your mages deal with the
defenses. After the Lich falls, attack a single Flaming Skull at a time - with ranged weapons. Once they
are all dead, be sure to pick up the Erinne Sling +4 and the Serpent Shaft.
Challenge 2: Position your characters next to the left lock, but have a single character open the right
one. Six Rilmani’s teleport in, with the hardest being right next to your party! Kill the Aurumnach
Rilmani first, then deal with the lesser Ferrummachs. After the battle grab the Club of Detonation +3.
Challenge 3: Position your party just below the left keyhole and then turn it. A bunch of creatures
appear all around the seal. The easiest way to kill them is to go from left to right, ignoring the ones you
aren’t directly dealing with. With the positioning of the party in such a manner, you should be able to
kill the Marileth before it has a chance to defend itself. Then you should kill Nalmissra, followed by the
Hive Mother. The remaining three foes - Xin Wei Toh, Ameralis Zauviir and The Huntress - should all
fall in the order I wrote their names in. Make sure you grab the Wish Scroll, Gauntlets of Extraordinary
Specialization, and the Taralash +4.
You can now operate the device to open up the Final Seal. I suggest you save and heal before
doing so.
Final Battle
Once you get to the final chamber, a disembodies voice speaks to you with images. Tell it that you
are going to read the scroll. Equip it and read it. Once it is done, you will be trapped there. Then
talk to the voice again and tell it that you want it to appear so you can kill it. It reveals itself as
Demagorgon, the Prince of Demons! Get prepared for what could possible be the toughest, or easiest
battle in the game!
At the start of the battle Demagorgon summons two Mariliths. My suggestion is to ignore them, or
have summoned creatures fight them. Instead, just sit there and use all your high level skills to wear
down his life and have your mages cast spells to wear down his defenses. A well placed Comet
can displace the Mariliths and give you some time to kill the main guy. Regardless, you will have
to kill the Marileths after Demagorgon is dead, but it is not a difficult task! You get a ton of XP for
killing this nasty guy.
Leave the chamber via the portal and go up the stairs to talk to Odren. Turns out he knew who the
Imprisoned One was all the time, and had sent you down with full knowledge that you would be caged
there as well. It was in fact his duty to be caged, but he was too cowardly to accept it. Just let him
go for the greatest XP reward. Congratulations! You have just beaten the Watcher’s Keep, the only
optional (and long) dungeon in the game!