|
My first time trying E1 after playing a bit of E3 as a kid resulted in my party slowly starving to death.
|
#
?
Dec 8, 2022 00:41
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 6, 2024 09:55 |
|
|
BackupDancer posted:I tried to play Exile 1 for the first time a while back and boy, that's not an easy game to pick up. There were many, many horrible deaths to bandits. I did the opposite. I had some inside information from berryjon's LP for starters, but I was so careful in that game, did so much grinding and stocked up on so many skill potions that I have a party that could kill God and Another, Slightly Larger God even though I didn't finish any of the three main quest. Then I took a break from the game and now I can't remember what to do next.
|
|
#
?
Dec 8, 2022 00:54
|
|
|
JustJeff88 posted:I did the opposite. I had some inside information from berryjon's LP for starters, but I was so careful in that game, did so much grinding and stocked up on so many skill potions that I have a party that could kill God and Another, Slightly Larger God even though I didn't finish any of the three main quest. Then I took a break from the game and now I can't remember what to do next.
|
|
#
?
Dec 8, 2022 02:38
|
|
|
BackupDancer posted:I tried to play Exile 1 for the first time a while back and boy, that's not an easy game to pick up. There were many, many horrible deaths to bandits. I remember the first time I played Exile 1, back in the mid-90s - I must have been 7 or 8 or so. I tried attacking trees and filth piles inside Fort Exile because they looked weird. Eventually moved on to attacking goblins... and leaving gold on the battlefield because i thought it was monster guts.  I got quite a bit farther after figuring out the Look and Talk buttons.
|
|
#
?
Dec 8, 2022 06:19
|
|
|
My Exile 1 tutorial story is I missed the guy in Fort Exile who hands out extremely basic starting gear. That's still a lot better than nothing, it turns out.
|
|
#
?
Dec 8, 2022 20:21
|
|
|
   Two drakes. Three drakes. Another for me. drat you! You must be cheating. Nonsense. I simply know how to make the cards be what I need. No more rounds. Get her up. …five more minutes… I happen to have a spell for summoning cold water. I’m up! I’m up. Good. So. We are here to investigate a curse, or plague, or some such problem. First order of business is seeing the commander. Then, we save the valley! And get handsomely rewarded. I can’t wait. Welcome to Fort Talrus. We can return to this room at any time for a full HP/SP restore. Otherwise we’ll need to pay at an inn, camp, or simply let time pass outdoors. They could have given us more space. Or beds with fewer lumps. Nonsense! Ever slept on dirt? Or next to Zeetha? But then, gratitude is a virtue. That’s very kind of him. Me first!  Woah. I barely saw you move. Nothing like looting a fresh room to start the day off right! Though I’m surprised he left us these… Yes, the commander gave us lockpicks. These make it possible to pick locks at your own level; there’s an extreme penalty if you have none. Better lockpicks exist. Oh yes. Well, you don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Aye, you check its flanks. That’s where the meat is! Oh, we didn’t mean to disturb you, mister…? …Avizo. Tell me, w- Your cough is horrible! Thank you, Gwen. As I was about to ask, are you here on business?  Anymore? Then you were, once. So you leave. We’re staying. We’re here to cure the curse, and we won’t leave until we do.   The best thing would be leaving him to his melancholy. A curse on this scale will have many victims. Then we need to move quickly to prevent even more. We’ll see about that… Bashing works, but relies on strength, which is much more expensive to train than tool use. We will be picking every lock we see. Gwen’s got a skill of 5. I keep spare points on my lockpicker in case we run into a particularly rough door, but that should cover us for now. Picks can also break, but that’s what quicksave is for. I choose to live in the best of all possible worlds.   Best thing in here is our first heal potion.  The commander is waiting, this is not the time to pick every lock you find! Look around you. See any guards? No…? Then this is the time. Here… Excellent work, we’ve found their lumber storage. You never know. What’s the going price for planks these days? Not what it used to be. This cloak would fit you perfectly, Zeke. This feels morally wrong. You have a big heart, man. Tell me. The next time you are bitten by a wild animal, how much do you want it to hurt? Fine, fine.Theft is only a problem if other people see it. We will be taking anything that isn’t nailed down.  Fresh water. They can withstand a long siege here. A siege? Who would possibly attack this place? Foolish question. When you build a fortress, you build it right, no matter what. Books! At last! Are you…drooling? You wouldn’t understand. I’m beginning to.Scrolls like this are useful early on for rapidly dealing damage, as they don’t take your entire turn to use.  Now what’s this room? Sign says “Empire Liaison.” Meaning? A representative of the Empress, here to keep an eye on things. But no one’s here. Strange. And nothing on these shelves but old records. No use to us.You can’t put things back on shelves or in boxes. I’ll just kick it under this plant. Alright everyone, best behavior. Don’t let him ask why we’re late. Oh please. We’re here to rescue the valley! He should be offering us his best equipment. And thanking us for taking it. Hail, Commander! Reporting for duty. Tell us everything you know about this curse.   That’s…big. No wonder that Avizo was leaving. Did you say we are not capable? A scrub? A SCRUB? Why you little… Zeetha no! He’s military! Ignore her, sir. How fares the fort?  We have noticed the Empire’s…laxity. With the disaster, it seems unjust. We will do what we can. Anything we can do around the fort? For pay? Ooh, yes. Consider it done. Unhand me, you tiny man! I won’t hurt him. Fine, fine. That pale green thing is a magical mine. This kind can’t be disarmed. But we can control who’s around when it goes off. Now this, we should not be doing. He’s right there! Say, Gwen, let’s keep our distance. I’ll handle this. My flesh!That mine was likely to kill one or more of us if I let everyone get hit. And it had a range of at least five squares, into the next room! Guess that’s where the budget has gone. He’ll need a new one. …oh. That’s just sad. You don’t take someone’s last dagger. Best be going, then.That's two locked doors, a mine, and a magical trap protecting a dagger and an okay shield. But who's counting?  Enough time in these cramped corridors. I am eager to explore! I am too, but we need to check everything. Absolutely not. No, not when it’s our first real job in months. And not when people are suffering! Ah, a barracks in use! Hail, guard. What can you tell us of this valley? They’ve been talking a while. …no, I can’t say I’ve got a favorite armor polish. Tell me more? Get him out of there! On it. Goodbye, friend! Thank you Zeetha. Say, do you all smell that? Mmmm. I do. Through here. You are the cook here? Unfortunates? No crops at all? Again with the Empire. We have heard of its…inattention to the vale. She tells us of three towns: Sweetgrove, the largest; Blinlock, a mining town; and Marralis, a hard-hit farming village to the west. What of the guards you feed? That’s what we’re here to solve. What can you tell us?  And if we wanted a meal? Thank you, Maria. She wasn’t lying. This is meagre. Best leave it alone, then. After all, we have the luxury of travel. I’m starting to get worried about the state of the valley, if they’re begging to an Empire fort for food. That’s why we’re here. We fix the problem, the people grow food again, they love us, we’re heroes. Simple. More abandoned rooms, nothing useful here.Those white cubes are spiderwebs. If you walk into them, you get webbed. Like in BoE, webbed characters lose one AP per level of the debuff, and can remove one level by taking their whole turn.  They’re even growing food in the courtyard. This is a rare sight. She seems to be in charge. Greetings. We are the adventurers tasked with saving the valley. And yes, we’ve talked to the commander.  He did seem stressed. But I am more curious about you. What are you doing here? Unusual, certainly.  Now that is useful information. Tell us of the water in the valley?  We’ve already talked to Terrance! Now now, she’s just trying to help. And I believe she has. How’s this for help. They’re unclaimed! And furs go for a lot. More than planks? Unclaimed? They’re in the back of a wagon, in a guarded courtyard, in a fortress of the Empire. Practically begging to be taken. What is moving over there? Cat. … Oh, stop looking at me like that, you two. You’re all related to monkeys, but I’m not going to act weird about it! What is this…monkey? Primate native to the equatorial regions of the Empire. They meant no offense. None taken, not really. But I can tell when someone grew up around only humans. Drat.In this area of the fort, a loud meow sound plays whenever it catches a rat.   Oh well. We have rats of our own to catch. Finally, some combat! Oh, there’s…a lot of them. Fear not, little mage. This is the ability screen. D deletes the character, Q changes name, and R changes appearance. Zeetha also has I, berserker rage, for a free blessing/protection spell once per day. Blessing increases your hit chance and damage; Protection makes you harder to hit and take less damage. With both, Zeetha’s a beast. KYA! Wow. Rats? Pfaugh. Only good for dulling my sword.You aren’t forced into combat mode when you see an enemy, unlike later games. Zeetha plows through the rats solo. For some reason, damage numbers or spells didn’t display in screenshots this update. We will have to use our imaginations.  I don’t like the look of that one… To arms! Combat mode. The characters all move independently according to their APs. Besides more health and damage, the Vapor Rat has a spell. It hits Zeetha with Curse and Weakness, which respectively do the opposite of Blessing and Protection. This early in the game it’s nasty. How dare you curse me, vermin? KYAA- -AAHhhgkg I’ll keep Zeetha alive, you two destroy that rat! On it! Nice shot, JV. I almost had it. It almost had you! Hmph. She’ll heal. That was a harder fight than I expected from some rats. Perhaps we should take more care poking our noses into tunnels. Thank you, commander. Fifty coins? You could buy a coat with this, but it won’t have buttons. I tire of this fortress. Let us leave. Agreed. I would feel more confident if we only knew the cause. If we knew what it was, it would be solved. We need to find out what it is. Yes, yes. But that does not make my statement false. Why worry? Work is work is work. That is true. But something is deeply wrong here. You mean the curse? Or more than that? The fortress is undermanned, and the Empire unhelpful. Yes, all of that. And the commander, while sympathetic, is… Weak? Geez, Zeetha. He’s trying. His subordinates pity him. He’s helping feed the people, he’s barely got guards. I counted six. Even with some on patrol, that’s a skeleton crew. And half the place was locked up or empty. Exactly. What else can he do? It does seem an impossible situation. I have to wonder. In all this, where is the Empire? Next time: into the Valley!
|
|
#
?
Dec 10, 2022 00:15
|
|
|
I like the character banter!
|
|
#
?
Dec 12, 2022 06:11
|
|
|
The Great Outdoors Oh. Oh no. I’ve never seen a…a place suffer like this. This is our opportunity to study the effects of the curse. We should do a careful survey of this 25-mile stretch before we report to Mayor Crouch. Looks like a pretty straight shot, the road and two parallel valleys. After Sweetgrove it opens up. Are we “Empire Agents” now? Don’t believe everything you read. Anyone know what this means? That’s one thing we didn’t cover in class. Simpler than you think. D-UZ is just “designation-unhealthy zone.” And that last string is the specific order code, so they can refer to it in documents. In triplicate, no doubt. Movement on the road ahead. Same story everywhere. People move out, monsters move in. I wonder what we’re dealing with. Let’s check out that watchtower. How do you know it was kobolds? Right here. “Kboldes wuz heer, suq my-“ Yes, yes, I’m convinced. You can read that awful bubbly letter style? Used it myself, a couple times. Same situation in this side valley. It’s like the color is leeching out of the land. The stink is the same, too. Kobolds! Let’s kill them all. Wait, wait. Don’t be so rash. This is an opportunity. What are you possibly talking about? Kobolds go places that humans don’t. And they are residents of the valley too. They might know something. Hail the camp! Zeetha? Hmm? Time to be rash. With pleasure.  Outdoor combat. Enemies and the party are placed semi-randomly, with the terrain determined by where the fight happened in the overworld. Forests and bridges make interesting combat spots, and there’s a few custom battle maps we’ll be seeing. On your guard, everyone. This isn’t practice! Zeke’s spells. In alphabetical order: Minor Heal, Cure (cures poison, acid, disease), War Blessing (blesses one character per cast), Terror (makes an enemy run), Repel Spirit (high damage to undead, multitarget), Smite (low cold damage, multitarget with enough skill), Summon Shade (summons an allied spirit), Prismatic Shield (overheals a character by 30 or so; extremely powerful, especially early), and Unshackle Mind (cures one character’s mental effects). If you train Priest enough during character creation, you get all these spells free. He chooses to bless Zeetha.  And Jeffogel’s spells. In order: Bolt of Fire (single-target fire missile), Light (works like a torch), Call Beast (beginner summon – that bat in the back is Gwen’s), Spray Acid (coats one target in the Acid debuff, doing some damage over time), Haste (gives one character 2 extra AP, allowing a second attack), Slow (chance to skip enemy turns), Ice Lances (multitarget cold damage), and Unlock Doors (removes magical locks). Likewise, these all come for free if you train Mage enough at the start. You really want Ice Lances.  For obvious reasons. Yes, die, die!! Gwen shoots a kobold. This frame is between it getting hit and dying.  You…you shot me! You should have kept on the straight and ARROW! YOOOOOO! Oh, the agony! Invigorating! You should negotiate more often. Don’t gloat. I’m still wiping off this, uh, mud. Not much here, but they won’t be writing any more graffiti. Heroism is its own reward. Goblin parties spawn randomly in this area. Not difficult fights, so I’ll skip over most of them.  I knew I saw something here.  Guess the wolves didn’t want it. No better than what I already wield. Back to goblin hunting, then? They can’t run forever. No, WE are the predators, and they the prey! They may not know that. Time to teach them! Goblins, wolves, this won’t be much trouble. If we can get the wolves first, that drops their flanking power, and then we close the- Dear, dear Zeke. You’re overthinking this. Yes, freeze! Muahahaha! I see your ice lances and raise you: hasted Zeetha. In this pic: an assassination! Extra melee damage applied to a hit, higher damage if your PC is higher level than the target. Didn’t end well for the goblin. I fold. Some hunting party. They should have tried hunting for some, uh. Somewhere to hide? You can do better. Bad sign for the valley that they’re roaming like this. Where there’s one goblin hunt, there’s a dozen. More targets then. Hang on, those aren’t goblins. Brigands! They’re wearing…purple suits? I wonder if they’re acid-proof! …yes?It’s not a great spell.  Good thing you’ve got backup. Oh, posh. I could have turned them all into purple icicles. Nothing in this canyon. Odd. Natural rock formations, they don’t all need something at the end. Night is falling. Let’s get back to the road and camp. This place will be safe. Safer with everything nearby dead. This valley isn’t cleared yet. Who wants first watch? Now I can truthfully say I’ve slept on dirt. And? And those beds in Fort Talrus were preferable. A little. You’re never the same after the first dirt-sleep. Fortunately, they won’t have to. So some life is possible here. For now. If things have gotten this bad in six years, they may get worse. Yes, they may. Hello the house? I think sometimes of settling on a farm. You? Not afraid of going soft? Clearly you’ve never grappled a cow. Not this farm, though. It’s a good sign they’re still sending out patrols. If they lose the road to Talrus, they’re truly up a cave-creek without a cavewood paddle. Can’t say I’ve heard that phrase before. I adopted some idioms down in Avernum. Another sad case. How tragic, the losses of the small farmer in times of- Hold the lamentations, I see movement.  What a lovely farm you have! What an intricate crossbow! What a finely sharpened bolt! What a sucker!Like most Spiderweb vendors, Cole doesn’t have anything worth buying. But we sell some 250 gp worth of useless goblin equipment.  Another tunnel into the mountains. Maybe we find more equipment? In a sense, yes. But they’re still wearing it. Hmm, bandits. They may know something about- Not this time, friend. To glorious battle! Could we just let her go ahead? There are many bandits. You don’t get it. If she dies, what are we? Uh…three fragile spellcasters, travelling alone. Oh no. Oh yes. We have to follow that crazy woman anywhere she leads. Usual procedure. Bless up Zeetha, then provide support. Way ahead of you. Get that mage! The guy in yellow is an Apprentice Mage. He could be dangerous, but spends most of the battle casting summons. AAIIIEEE! Not the face! Hit him! I’ve never swung a sword before! Just hit him! But then, fireballs work at close range. Hmm. I feel…stronger. Faster. Smarter.Each level gains you some health, some SP, and five skill points; Zeetha and Zeke gain their first in this battle. In order, our PCs take 1300, 1250, 1400, and 1550 xp to level up. The difference will start to tell eventually.  Got that mage! Then the rest are already dead. What a fight. Gather their things, and let’s go.  This is too small. Here, I have a resizing spell.  Appreciated, but the shoulders are still cramped. I’ll do the detailing later, you big baby. Zeke? Hmm? Don’t you have offensive spells? In theory. Ever going to use them? I’m not planning on it. Why not? Eventually we might need you to. I became a priest to heal and protect. I don’t know if I could kill using magic. But you’ve watched us kill and kill…so many things, in just two days. And that is uncomfortable enough. Please do not press me. Alright. Just. We need you to have our backs. I do. My way. Hello again, our most valued trading partner! Don’t overdo it, he’s still got that crossbow. Enough dallying. We need to see the mayor. Dallying? We’ve gloriously exterminated half the bandits in the vale! No, he’s right. The bandits are symptoms. The real problem, we still do not know. It’s alright Zeetha, it looks like a real town. Think of all the locks we can pick! The homes we can break into! Hmm. The heirlooms we can find and fence! Besides, while we’re occupied in there, the remaining bandits might think it’s safe to come out. And then? Then we get them. Violently! I like how you think. … It’s a plan.Next time: The Sour Streets of Sweetgrove!
|
|
#
?
Dec 13, 2022 22:09
|
|
|
This is why I don't like four-person parties (no offence to our intrepid LPer). If you want to go for redundant casters, and I always do, it leaves just one tank and I wonder how that is going to work in terms of holding battle lines. In Exile 1, I had a full priest, full mage and priest/mage, but I also had a sword & board fighter, halberd fighter and rogue skirmisher who dual-wielded daggers but was good with a bow. I don't understand why the major cuts in party size from BoE and why so drastic; I think that it lowers options and reduces potential fun/replayability.
|
|
#
?
Dec 13, 2022 22:52
|
|
|
Loving the dynamic with our four gremlins.
|
|
#
?
Dec 14, 2022 07:04
|
|
|
A pity the maker of this module didn't at least recolor the grass to fit the descriptions.
|
|
#
?
Dec 14, 2022 17:33
|
|
|
By popular demand posted:A pity the maker of this module didn't at least recolor the grass to fit the descriptions. It's an extremely vibrant, color-popping, fatally diseased valley.
|
|
#
?
Dec 14, 2022 21:34
|
|
|
It's what the brown dirt tiles are supposed to represent.
|
|
#
?
Dec 15, 2022 01:17
|
|
|
I think the grass could've used a lovely puke green discoloration. The dirt in between doesn't really communicate the disease, since that could happen for any number of reasons. That vibrant pine-green grass everywhere is kind of contradicting the writing. I think what's bothering me over the original is that the original still had that puke-green for the foothills and such. It's not perfectly matching what the writing is saying is happening, since it's supposed to be worse on the lower ground than the higher, but it still gave me the visualization feeling of patches of healthy-ish grass interwoven with lots of dying batches.
|
|
#
?
Dec 15, 2022 04:11
|
|
|
Man, I always love the first quarter or so of Spiderweb games, but tend to get bogged down in the gameplay remaining essentially unchanged from the midpoint onwards in most of them, which makes me sad because the writing is more or less always excellent. Looking forward to seeing one of the ones I didn't get around to trying.
|
|
#
?
Dec 15, 2022 04:22
|
|
|
PurpleXVI posted:Man, I always love the first quarter or so of Spiderweb games, but tend to get bogged down in the gameplay remaining essentially unchanged from the midpoint onwards in most of them, which makes me sad because the writing is more or less always excellent. Looking forward to seeing one of the ones I didn't get around to trying. Would you ever LP one, Purple, or are they too good? 
|
|
#
?
Dec 15, 2022 21:33
|
|
|
JustJeff88 posted:Would you ever LP one, Purple, or are they too good? Don't make me bop you. But in seriousness, I think they're games that aren't really for me, in that sense. Like I could have a lot to say about the writing, but I'll be honest and say that any Spiderweb game I've finished, I've had to start cheating from somewhere between 50% and 75% through. Not due to any sort of difficulty spike, but just because the slow pace, the repetition and the very deliberate pace of the game eventually just starts boring me. So from then on it just becomes a matter of getting to the juicy writing and character moments. Which makes me feel like I'd be a poor choice for LP'ing them. In any case, I've chained myself to Gothic 3 and that'll probably take a loving year to LP.
|
|
#
?
Dec 15, 2022 21:40
|
|
|
The Sour Streets of Sweetgrove Zeke, I know we have to be here for the mission. We do. And talk to everyone, lest they know something useful. And investigate every field, and taste every source of water. We might want to check on any animals we find too. Oh, and- Go on, Gwen. Is there a ‘but’ coming? But I wish we could skip to the rescuing. I do too, but we cannot. We must put in the legwork. The armwork comes later! Starting with the guards. Ah, military service. The great equalizer! Where noble sons and the children of crude laborers can glory in mutual heroism. Where the few stand tall to protect the many. Oh, the things they must know. “It doesn’t respond” is the same text you might get from talking to a cow, or an inactive machine. They aren’t telling. One less tale of woe to hear. Say, young girl, what’s your name? Oh no. Don’t be afraid, girl. Have you ever seen adventurers before?  What are you doing out here, child?  Lonely? Smart of others to leave while they could. Do you know where? Where? Where is he? You scared her. Hmph. We need information. This is terrible. Why doesn’t everyone leave this valley? Moving is uncertain, expensive, time-consuming. And the Empire does not make it easy. Many people probably hold hope that the curse will go away as suddenly as it began. People here will surely know something. If there’s any bazaar left. Business won’t be booming. We should see Mayor Crouch first. Okay, city hall. Everyone be on your best behavior. JV, stand up straight. Fine, fine. Everyone ready? Good. The following is one of a few in-game cutscenes.              We are reporting for duty. Let us begin. Tell us about it. Everything that might mean anything, we want to hear.   Good to know. The water, the plants, the animals, then the people. Children hurt worst of all…it seems to have started with the water. As I suspected… Tell us of your work here.  Liaison – that sounds important. You’ve forgotten what it means, haven’t you.  Wow, so you mean the Empire’s failing you. Of course. Might any of the paperwork help us? Hmm, no. That is the most intelligent thing you have ever said. Tell us of this city? And the vale?  Ironic, with a name like that. Anything else need doing around town? In exchange for, say, money? Oh, and I will. Take heart! We have slain many bandits and goblins. Thank you for your time, Mayor. We will keep you in the know. That was informative. I think we- Uh… We’ll have to follow up on that. Later. We need to ask around, see if the locals know anything. Agreed. This is a big town. Let’s split up and meet back later.Some time later…  You can have my seat, Zeetha! No. I am a warrior. Oookay. But the offer stands. As will I. So, I know I have a lot to report. Who would like to begin? Drinks first. Hear hear! Eewwwww ew ew ew it’s horrible! Cave-drat, man, what’s wrong with this stuff? That sounds like what we know already. The beer too? Why even live? We’ll just have to converse without it. So. Who wants to go first? I can! I went back to the bazaar. The floor was scuffed up, there used to be a lot of commerce here. Not much is left. There was a mage, a healer, and an Imperial trainer. All the way out here? JV, you’ll want to inspect the mage’s books. And? And you should try it. …okay. The mage is a real piece of work, though. Don’t talk to her if you can help it. She already knew why we were here. I told her grand high stuffiness that we’re different from those other adventurers, but she didn’t seem to believe me. She makes scrolls and potions, but nothing we need to spend money on. And she kept going on about “seeking knowledge.” That’s when I learned something very interesting.  Seems there was an old school of magery in this valley. Apparently there’s a guy named Axel who knows more? I spoke to him about it! That’s good, then. I asked if she had any work we could do. And yes, she actually wants us to break into someone’s house. She wants it? I swear it on my honor. … And on my mother’s life. Huh. Then we’ll do it. I also asked about her research. And then I left before I could snap and use her as a pincushion. Smart. They had a healer too, probably the best for a hundred miles.  How insulting. I heal you people for free. You people? For free? Well, contingent on my cut of the spoils.If you pay the fee…  Full heal, and a slight overheal, on one character. Not worth it. She didn’t seem confident in her abilities. I cannot blame her, with this curse on the vale.  Her daughter is sick, and her husband isn’t taking it well. Jenette? Yes, that’s her name. Her husband is the smith, then. We spoke.  More pertinent is this. Remember Avizo? Apparently he went crazy and fled not long ago. We must have caught him on his way out. And we might have to go back. Yes, yes we might. But go on. In the back, I met the trainer.  She had a nice little gymnasium, and she was keeping fit.  In the Exile series, you had to find a trainer to improve your skills. Nowadays, you can train yourself in any town or dungeon. She’s trying to keep the peace and hold the roads. And having a hard time of it.  She said to watch out on the roads, but we knew that. Ha! Let the bandits try. I’m itching for a battle. And I got us more work!  Nicely done, Gwen.  Did she know anything of the old school? No, she hasn’t been here long. Speaking of banditry… So the eats aren’t good and the booze isn’t cheap, eh? I asked around at the inn, to see if anyone knew anything. The guard wasn’t talking, but I did speak to that fellow over there… The one trying really hard to drink this beer? The same. Seems he’s here for a bounty.  And one bandit in particular, some fellow called Efram out west. He would like to help with the curse, but not while that bandit is at large. I would never refuse an able fighter.Yes, you can bring this guy onto the team. I’ll show that off later. That could be work for us. It should be. No reason to let a bandit live. You say that, but I’m right here. You have finesse. And you steal to help us. Finesse? Oh, and he hates the beer. And you didn’t tell us? I thought it was worth a try. Anyway, I also saw what the innkeep knew. Him? Doesn’t seem…too bright. Maybe so, maybe not. But an innkeeper sees most everything that goes on in a town like this. He’s got rooms for cheap, food, and of course the beer. Didn’t try any without us, right? Of course not. I asked why business was slow. Hoped he could tell us something useful.  Yes, it turned out he knew nothing. Then I have good news for you. I went to see Axel, the town sage. I knew he must be well-informed, as a fellow man of learning.   The laboratory was relatively well-appointed, for a town this rustic. Say, sages study crystals, don’t they? Valuable ones? No comment. I asked what he knew, and I was happy to see my suspicions were correct. He can identify items…  This is the only guy in the scenario who can identify magical items. We’ll be picking up mystery swords and such and bringing them to him. The party has some item lore, but not a lot. More importantly, he’s willing to bend the rules and teach us magic! Ooh…  Though my knowledge already outpaces his.The first magic trainer is here, there’s one for priest spells later. The first level of a spell is most important, as that unlocks it for use. Subsequent levels just marginally improve damage, duration, or effect; it’s almost always more cost-effective to train your chosen spell skill or Intelligence. The Avernum re-remakes fixed this by having higher spell levels add effects like bonus damage, extra curses, or extra blessings. I don’t suppose you learned anything new from this guy? Well, he knew of the school. Knew more than anyone else in town, I’ll reckon. Ugh. Wish I had talked to him instead of Karen.   He also referred me to Avizo. We’ll have to follow up on that. Apparently the doors are shut tight. If there’s one area where the Empire is thorough, it’s sealing off magic. Can’t let the common folk get power. Finally, I managed to inspect the door to his private rooms. And? Difficulty 8. I see you already vibrating with excitement. But the lock was intricate. Might want to come back to this one later. Fine, I’ll be patient. And Zeetha? Where did you end up? I went to the north side of town, and spoke to the smith. It’s up the road from city hall. As the only one in Sweetgrove, he has some experience with everything. His smithy was littered with lower-grade equipment.   I looked at his wares. Nothing we need.Here’s how weapons work: Divide the higher number by the lower to get the type of hit dice. The dagger is d3, the spear is d5. All weapons have a base of one or more dice, with an additional one rolled for every relevant skill level: melee weapons get extra dice for every level of strength and melee; pole weapons strength and pole; ranged weapons get one per level of appropriate ranged skill (bows or thrown missiles) and one for every two points in Dexterity. Additional damage comes from special skills like Assassination or Lethal Blow. Pole weapons tend to have higher hit dice, that pike is d6. Zeetha is specced for swords, so we pass it up. Few traders have anything worth buying; you can usually find better stuff in dungeons. He seemed distracted. I asked why.   A simple man. But sincere. Jenette…no wonder everyone’s been so helpful. Zeetha, is that all? No. I checked around the back and found another child. Oh no. Another one? Children are not born to fill your heart with joy.    His father is McKean. The innkeep? The same. Why he was there instead of here…  There was nothing else to say. So you left? …yes. Another reason to solve this curse. As if we needed more. We didn’t. There is more to the town. The corners, a few shuttered buildings, and that beggar. And don’t forget Avizo, he might know how to enter the school. And I get the feeling it’s tied up in this somehow. Why’s that? Think about it. A mystery curse hits this valley in particular, no one knows where it’s coming from. The only other important thing that ever happened here was that school. Maybe they summoned a haakai. Or created some type of poison lizard that escaped and bred! A haakai? You think big. It’s a big curse. It would be a good death. We don’t know yet. But I like your logic, JV. Let us finish investigating this town, then pay that school a visit. And then we get in and kill it. Easy as pie. I wish I had your confidence.Next time: The Dark Corners of Sweetgrove!
|
|
#
?
Dec 16, 2022 00:17
|
|
|
quote:Subsequent levels just marginally improve damage, duration, or effect; it’s almost always more cost-effective to train your chosen spell skill or Intelligence. The Avernum re-remakes fixed this by having higher spell levels add effects like bonus damage, extra curses, or extra blessings. The "higher spell levels add effects" sounds cool but there's one big problem: It puts tons of emphasis on making sure you explore everywhere because the level 3 spells were rewards for various things like quests or dungeons. So because of that, most of the level 3 spells only had a single source (to avoid making any quest/dungeon totally meaningless), so if you missed it or skipped something or etc, you were basically stuck with the single-person version forever. Whereas with if it's just effectiveness, they can give you multiple places to get it so you don't miss it - which typically also included at least one vendor so if you were really desperate you could always spend money to unlock the spell. There's no major upgrades of the spells, but it also means you can't accidentally miss out on a vital upgrade because you missed reading the one bookshelf in a single random dungeon. Practically speaking here: I usually would pay money to upgrade my most-used damage spell or heal, but otherwise, buying spell levels just for spell levels usually isn't worth it.
|
|
#
?
Dec 16, 2022 01:25
|
|
|
That's a good point. I tend to powergame so I hadn't considered how it affects someone just playing normally. In the Avernum 2 reremake, one spell upgrade spray acid is gated behind a single character having enough of both tool use and arcane lore, both of which are party-wide utility skills the entire rest of the game. Unless you know about it way in advance, you're not gonna get it.
|
|
#
?
Dec 16, 2022 02:22
|
|
|
BackupDancer posted:
... uh ... do the characters really not understand that "taken away" is a euphemism for "dead"?
|
|
#
?
Dec 16, 2022 02:31
|
|
|
TheDavies posted:... uh ... do the characters really not understand that "taken away" is a euphemism for "dead"?
|
|
#
?
Dec 16, 2022 03:23
|
|
|
TheDavies posted:... uh ... do the characters really not understand that "taken away" is a euphemism for "dead"? Huh. You know, I genuinely read that as "their parents moved out of the valley." But it is a Valley of Dying Things, after all.
|
|
#
?
Dec 16, 2022 03:23
|
|
|
They did say that the school is up north, and I believe that is the direction the river flows from. What is currently rather odd is that the school has been closed for over 100 years and this has only started happening recently.
|
|
#
?
Dec 16, 2022 05:35
|
|
|
Things are really bad in this valley, better go slaughter some bandits or something to distract everyone from the misery.
|
|
#
?
Dec 16, 2022 12:07
|
|
|
berryjon posted:In this case, with people fleeing the Valley, it can be quite literal, and not metaphorical. The old euphemism of 'moved to a farm up north' could very well apply in this case, given that up north the land and water isn't toxic.
|
|
#
?
Dec 16, 2022 17:39
|
|
|
6: The Dark Corners of Sweetgrove Mayor, what do you know of the School of Magery? Nothing we don’t already. On with the exploration then! Might be something in here… You’re not wrong. Die, vermin!  Nothing. Just trash. And a…fresh steak? Good eating on that. Hang on, you all. See this? You could kill a bear at fifty paces if you used this right.The sling is unique in that it doesn’t need ammunition. Great for warriors and casters to have as a backup.  That shabby man spoke to us earlier. Be nice. Ah, hello sir. What may we call you? Not the best spot for a career beggar, eh? And we can help each other?   Ridiculous. We won’t- Here you go, friend. We’ve done a good deed. Even if this stone is worthless? Especially if it is. This water is rancid…they can’t be drinking this! Hey, what’s going on over there? Is that…bones? We must investigate. Get behind me. Undead! Here?! What the- They’ve scented us! Ghouls get two attacks each. The first three missed, and Zeetha’s armor protected her from the last. In a game with a zero-hp safety net like this, ghouls are the first of many enemies that can knock you down to zero on the first hit, then kill you on the second. They are dangerous out of proportion to their level.  But then, this is Zeetha. KYA! This is a good weapon. Anyone feel like picking up melee? Against things like those? I’ll stay in the back. More glory for me. Terrifying that they made it so close to the town. If someone else had stumbled on them first… Most people know to run at the first sign of trouble. We don’t do that. Oh, we run. Just in the opposite direction. I saw four buildings here, they looked like houses. Ohohoho! Gwen, we will investigate. But no more stealing people’s clothing. But what if it’s really nice? Or magical? Then we’ll consider it. That’s all I needed to hear. First one…hmm, nothing here but some dishes and flagons. In my more desperate days, maybe…nah, let’s check the next house.  Probably not much, but they did leave in a hurry, so maybe…here!  Cleansing powder? With the state of the vale, this is very useful. And these people are long-gone, so it’s guilt-free! As for this one…no, no, just some old clothes…what’s that book? Looks like tips for melee combat? Zeetha, is this useful at all? Pfagh, what could a book possibly teach about pure, raw, life-or-death battle? Come to think of it, I could be noisier… Disappointing so far…here, however! Isn’t this the house that snooty mage wanted us to search? These barriers are…not that one, not that one, this one though…yes. Zeetha, how much do you trust me? Until you said that, very much. Excellent. That barrier to the left is passable, but it will hurt. You’re going to have to take the lead here. Then Zeke, you’ll get burned too. But we’ll be able to look at that shelf and the chest. Not sure I like this plan. You have healing magic, you’ll be fine. Magical barriers come in two varieties: some can be crossed but dish out magical damage when you enter them, while others are impassable. Both can be taken down. There’s a crystal that dispels lower-level barriers, and a spell that you can level up to dispel anything. We have neither, so it’s time to hurt. The burn reminds me I’m alive! (ow) Nothing useful here. (ow) Karen will be disappointed. (ow) A wand! What kind of wand? What does it matter! Take it take it take it! You can’t open containers in combat mode. Ending combat also teleports your party into a line, avoiding passable-but-occupied spaces like barriers. So we crossed the barrier out of combat, looted, then entered combat to escape. The zero-hp safety net kept Zeke alive, and Zeetha relied on an overheal. Phew. Smoothly done, all. You go first next time. I thought you were the big strong warrior? I thought you were the thief? The wand is alright, it’s a stronger bolt of fire than our mages have currently. Wands are valued per charge, so with three left at 50 per it’s 150 coins. Say, while we’re up here. I wonder if that smith knows about the school? Hardly unexpected. No one here will know more. If you want something done right, do it yourself. Very true. And we will. Healing potion and a level up. Can’t complain. Thanks for the reward, Karen!  There’s one more spot I want to visit.  I was wondering about this place. He owned a home here? No wonder he was so broken up over leaving. He lost more than that. Guess we’d better investigate… By all means. Should we talk to Avizo first? He’s leaving the valley, I’m sure he won’t mind. That lock was pathetic! I built better ones as a baby. You…built them? Yep! Out of scrap metal, twine, and branches. If necessary. And then picked them open. That explains a lot. We didn’t have much for entertainment. Quiet, you two! Do you feel that? Nothing in here… Let’s check the back room. A magical trap? Interesting, but weak. Some locks and all traps give you xp when you disarm them. Better get the other one too. Why do I feel…smarter? It’s a side effect of watching me work. That can’t be right. Alright everyone, search the place. This magic is coming from somewhere. Aha! …a potion. That’s it? I don’t see anything else, do you? No, but I feel it. Let us pay a visit to Avizo. That was a long walk, you had better have information about the stone. We don’t think so.  Why care about some old caves? I have to agree with him. Did you manage to get in?  What have you lost? Let us go back. Night is falling. Once we’re finished with our business, we can retire to the inn. And to real beds! We can’t stick to towns forever, little mage. Eventually it will be dirt again. Let me have this moment, please. He said it would be around this plant somewhere… You don't technically need to talk to Avizo to get the stone, if you know where to look. The clue is that this is the only searchable potted plant in the game. Aha again!  Feel this. Warm to the touch. And the exact same as what that beggar sold us. Strange… A good day’s work. To the inn? Hello again, McKean. A room, please.  …five more minutes… Ugh, I feel like a fire lizard used me for a flute. Chins up, everyone! It’s a bright new day. And we know where we have to go next.Next time: Into the School!
|
|
#
?
Dec 17, 2022 20:51
|
|
|
By popular demand posted:Things are really bad in this valley, better go slaughter some bandits or something to distract everyone from the misery. Yeah, I forgot how grim the first town was. Lighthearted slaughter coming soon.
|
|
#
?
Dec 17, 2022 21:01
|
|
|
BackupDancer posted:Yeah, I forgot how grim the first town was. Lighthearted slaughter coming soon. Blame and aggression towards a nebulous outside threat is the classic dodge. When the power structure can't or won't deal with an internal problem, find someone or something that's 'outside', blame it and then attack it without actually doing anything so that one always has an excuse to avoid the real problems. quote:We’ve done a good deed. I enjoyed this bit.
|
|
#
?
Dec 17, 2022 22:57
|
|
|
In the near future… Oh no! It seems we are faced with a classic adventurer problem. Just so! Which of these two staircases should we descend? Verily! It seems we are presented with one which is large and easy to find. And the other, darker, narrower, and hidden. Uh, indisputably! The solution seems obvious! Indeed! Let us all say at once which we prefer! One agreement on the method of counting down later… We should descend- -the first! -the second!… Uh-oh.Decision time! This will resolve in a future update, but deciding now lets me keep playing ahead. When we get there, should the team go down… A) The larger, more obvious staircase? B) The smaller, darker, and hidden staircase? Let me know, and don’t worry – we will see both eventually.
|
|
#
?
Dec 18, 2022 00:31
|
|
|
Small, dark, hidden and spooky? I'm out.  Large and obvious
|
|
#
?
Dec 18, 2022 00:37
|
|
|
Large and obvious? Sounds like a trap. Go for the small, hidden staircase!
|
|
#
?
Dec 18, 2022 03:05
|
|
|
Why would they hide the loot in the big obvious staircase? Clearly, they would have put it in the hidden staircase.
|
|
#
?
Dec 18, 2022 03:43
|
|
|
Always take the path that they try to hide from you.
|
|
#
?
Dec 18, 2022 05:17
|
|
|
Hidden staircase, of course.
|
|
#
?
Dec 18, 2022 05:21
|
|
|
See what the hidden staircase is hiding.
|
|
#
?
Dec 18, 2022 10:07
|
|
|
Slaan posted:Small, dark, hidden and spooky?
|
|
#
?
Dec 18, 2022 15:05
|
|
|
Joke Vote from the Guy Running the Other LP, and should therefore be ignored: Leave the Valley! Everyone else with two brain cells to rub together (and isn't a child) already has, so run away! 
|
|
#
?
Dec 19, 2022 03:53
|
|
|
Take the big staircase, it's big and obvious so it's obviously better. They hid the other one in the dark because it's small and it sucks. Small staircase more like smelly staircase
|
|
#
?
Dec 19, 2022 04:10
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 6, 2024 09:55 |
|
|
Small staircase will be easier to forget and harder to find later, so go for it now. Big staircase will be waiting for you.
|
|
#
?
Dec 19, 2022 04:26
|
|
