Temple of Elemental Evil discussion thread (merged)

[green slime]

Try casting read magic for scrolls (just like in PnP); if you have the Circle of Eight patch this works for both potions and scrolls.

Thanks for that tip! I spent most of yesterday reading the Circle of Eight and Atari Community web sites.

Still haven't worked out how to apply those metamagic feats my wizard has taken. Any tips?

I find it quite frustrating reading through the AtariCommunities "Character Potrait" discussion to discover just how poorly this game was tested. Seriously why couldn't they wait ten weeks? Still would have made the Christmas sales period.

Circle of Eight have now resolved almost all play issues that I have with the game, within a few weeks. Quite pathetic, really.

 

[Thanee]

About Metamagic.

Get into the inventory screen, then open the spell screen (rightmost of the three icons above the inventory).

Left to the spells you find a little icon. Click there to enter the metamagic screen. Rest should be obvious.

1-2 pages back (edit: page 9, post 4 by Hypersmurf), there is a link to a file, that you want to download and replace the original with, as there is a really, really, really stupid bug with metamagic (read my earlier posts about metamagic and the replies for details).

And yes, it's really pathetic how they have so many horribly obvious bugs in the game, which are so easy to fix as it seems. Playtesting must have been very weak for that game, as some of the errors just can't slip by, if even two people play the game through only once.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Thanee]

So, has anybody already played it through?

I'm about half-through I guess. There are plenty who have finished it already, tho.

Is it based on 3.0 rules entirely or 3.5? What are any differences worth of note?

3.5 and the rules are quite well done. Of course there are differences, but they are not as numerous as with NWN.

Combat works pretty much like 3.5, altho you have to do some preparations (like assigning a key to 5' step). You can even do some of the special maneuvers, like tripping.

Are there any hard restrictions? For example, I am quite sure that Leadership doesn't exist, but what about familiars/animal companions?

You have 5 PCs and up to 3 followers (hirelings, not from leadership). You can summon familiars (but they only work like items, sitting in the inventory and providing bonuses) and animal companions (which are actual creatures).

One of the limits of BG's series was that too often there was just a way to open a door, get an item or kill a monster... despite the fact that 3rd edition rules offer countless of options in "live" RPGing. Does ToEE has this sadness still? For example, BG had some many times this kind of situation: a closed door to a secret room, but no way to open it even with a top-skilled rogue or with the most powerful spell, or to smash it with the strongest creature; no way, unless you go through the subplot and find the exact item that magically opens the door.

Well... this is the way computer games are...

You can only open a door by a predetermined set of ways. Often obstacles are done the way you describe to have quests work.

It's not too bad, tho. Still there are many limits, like you cannot force open doors by strength, but actually have to use open lock or knock.

In the end, it's still just a computer game, not a roleplaying game with the level of interaction that makes it fun!

The game is still quite enjoyable, once you have the Co8 patch (or an official patch comes out), as some of the bugs are hard to bear, really.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Grog]

I have a question. I don't have the game yet, but I'll be getting it soon, and I was considering making a fighter with a reach weapon and Improved Trip. My question is, when you get an AoO, do you just automatically attack, or do you get to choose the type of attack? i.e., can you trip as an AoO?

 

[Henry]

SPOILERS:
I'm already down to the bottom level of the temple.

Spoiler

I'm playing the elemental Nodes now, looking for the skull-gems. GOOD GOD, HOW DO THEY EXPECT YOU TO BEAT A BALOR!?!?!?!
The thing has a +27 save bonus versus Dismissal, and About 600 hit points!?!?! It was tough enough using dismissal on the Hezrou in the Water Node, but I made it work.

All I can say is, whoever came up with those end-monsters screwed up big time. They nowhere near follow the book specs.

 

[Dark Jezter]

SPOILERS:
I'm already down to the bottom level of the temple.

Spoiler

I'm playing the elemental Nodes now, looking for the skull-gems. GOOD GOD, HOW DO THEY EXPECT YOU TO BEAT A BALOR!?!?!?!
The thing has a +27 save bonus versus Dismissal, and About 600 hit points!?!?! It was tough enough using dismissal on the Hezrou in the Water Node, but I made it work.

All I can say is, whoever came up with those end-monsters screwed up big time. They nowhere near follow the book specs.

Did you know that you can

Spoiler

use the Orb of Golden Death (the skull that you place the elemental gems into) as an item? If you've already cleared all the other nodes, you can use it to summon a vrock, a glabrezu, and a hezrou to help you. When you beat the balor, you'll get its elemental gem and the ability to summon it using the orb of golden death, which will come in handy during the final battle.

Strangely enough, though, the first time I fought the Balor, I successfully managed to cast dismissal on it.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

I have a question. I don't have the game yet, but I'll be getting it soon, and I was considering making a fighter with a reach weapon and Improved Trip. My question is, when you get an AoO, do you just automatically attack, or do you get to choose the type of attack? i.e., can you trip as an AoO?

AoO's are automatic attacks. You can't choose to trip as an AoO. Improved Trip (particularly with a reach weapon) is still worth it, though.

 

[Grog]

Okay, I downloaded the game of Kazza (the legal version with the 6 hour free trial) and I've been playing it a bit, and I have another AoO question. I made a fighter with the Combat Reflexes feat and gave him a glaive (10' reach weapon). Problem is, he never seems to get AoOs on enemies that close with him. Is there some option I need to set somewhere? I can't tell if I'm doing something wrong or if I've just run afoul of a bug.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[JamesL85]

Okay, I downloaded the game of Kazza (the legal version with the 6 hour free trial) and I've been playing it a bit, and I have another AoO question. I made a fighter with the Combat Reflexes feat and gave him a glaive (10' reach weapon). Problem is, he never seems to get AoOs on enemies that close with him. Is there some option I need to set somewhere? I can't tell if I'm doing something wrong or if I've just run afoul of a bug.

Any help would be appreciated.

This has been an argumentative point in our group more than once.

The way I remember it (as far as 3.0 is concerned) is that a weapon with a 10' reach does not threaten adjacent squares (squares that are 5' from PC's), but I thought that this point might have changed in 3.5. I DO know that the "spiked chain" DOES threaten adjacent squares and is the weapon of choice for fighters with Combat Reflexes......

Other than that.....I've been absolutely no help whatsoever......

 

[Hypersmurf]

Well, I've certainly found that Reach weapons get to make a bunch of AoOs (I've got Otis, Elmo, and an Improved-Trip Fighter all using Glaives, and a Ranger/Rogue with a longspear). Especially if you trip someone - they automatically stand on their initiative, so all those reach weapons are almost bound to get a free whack.

However, something I've noticed with ettins, ogres, and trolls - if I try to move past them, or make any sort of movement within their threatened area, I get the little AoO Warning icon... but if I'm outside their area and do a straight-line move-up-and-attack, they don't get the AoO for when I move from 10' to 5'.

Maybe that's your Glavier's problem - the enemies are exploiting that same weirdness in the reach behaviour?

-Hyp.