Temple of Elemental Evil discussion thread (merged)

[Olgar Shiverstone]

- How do I use skills? -
From the radial menu I can only access Sneak and Search, and Sleight of Hand for the Bard. Isn't it possible to try identify scrolls with Spellcraft instead of using Read Magic? Also, when you use Search where are you actually searching, a 5ft square or a larger area (never found a thing so far)?

You can' tidentify scrolls through Spellcraft even in PnP (and potion ID via Spellcraft isn't implemented). Search searches the room you're in -- try it in the zombie rooms below the moathouse.

- How do I ready an action? -
I tried to select for example Ready vs. Approach from the radial menu, and the message "Action readied" appears and the initiative goes to next character. I never get to do the readied action tho, which by the way I didn't even have the chance to define.

The readied action only triggers if the action occurs to set it off. "Ready vs Approach" allows you to attack when someone approaches -- when someone enters your threatened area, the game will shift to that character to give an attack.

Also, why sometimes some of the actions in the radial menu have the yellow colour? I get that when they are green you can do them and when red you cannot, but yellow? Does it simply mean you can do them but they are full-round actions? For example, the Monk has Flurry of Blows active by default, but if I attack it usually get one attack only, unless I first click on the yellow Full Attack.

The yellow color means that the action can be executed with a standard action remaining. If you move first, you'll see that a number of standard actions shift from green to yellow, while the full-round actions go from green to red.

 

[Hypersmurf]

You can' tidentify scrolls through Spellcraft even in PnP.

Exactly right. Except for the part about identifying scrolls through Spellcraft.

From the SRD:

DC 20 + spell level: Decipher a written spell (such as a scroll) without using read magic. One try per day. Requires a full-round action.

-Hyp.

 

[Iron_Chef]

I beat ToEE finally, and must say the end of the game is too easy, too quick, and happens with little warning. The end "cut scene" (after a short death animated death or banishment scene for Zuggtmoy) is a bunch of boring still images with text that go on forever talking about characters I've either never heard of or don't care about, and the great "reward" for my female rogue 8/fighter 2 is marrying the herdsman and having many children (?!). LAME. The only cool thing was that Zuggtmoy looked hot compared to her horrible picture in the PnP version, which made her more fun to fight. Why can't game endings be cool?

Also, there is an impossible fight in the earth node with about a gazillion galeb duhr (boulder men). They are obviously elemental earth creatures, yet my shatter spells don't work on them "target invalid, not of type (earth)" is what the game tells me. The rock men are immune to almost all physical damage (except from Scorrp), but have an insanely high AC as they hardly ever get hit even after adjusting power attack down! After many rounds of battle, I'm lucky to get 1 of these jerks dead, and they keep trying to flank my weeny characters when I'm not looking. This fight is bugged for sure. The best thing to do is avoid it by not going south when you first arrive in earth node; you never need to fight them to finish the game.

 

[Murrdox]

The fight with the Galeb Dur is definitely possible. I successfully completed it. The Galeb Dur have a very high DR and also a very high AC, which makes them very hard to beat. They also have a token amount of SR, which makes it even more difficult.

I completed the fight by Entangling most of them at the beginning of the fight, and enhancing my fighters as MUCH as possible beforehand through Bless, Greater Magic Weapon, Prayer, etc. Then Flank them (using summoned creatures helps a lot here) and Power Attack as much as possible to overcome the DR. You won't hit very often, but you'll damage them when you do. Stoneskin the party to protect yourself from the massive damage they can deal. There is a sorceress in the Fire Node who has Stoneskin as one of her known spells, and she comes in handy. Fireball and Lightning bolt the Entangled Galeb Dur while you fight one at a time.

I agree it's stupid that Shatter doesn't work on them. They SHOULD be of the Earth type. This should be listed as a bug, since they're the Earth subtype as far as the MMII goes, and that's the manual where they appear.

 

[Li Shenron]

Ok, I finished the demo yesterday night. It was definitely too short and way too easy I had a TPK with the second brigands encounter (first level of the moathouse) and the dire rats altogether, but I have to say that after the first PC died I really didn't play carefully at all but just speed it up so that I could reload the saved game; even by playing fast and awfully, there was only 1 brigand left at the end. Then I reloaded and this time I buffed my chars up before opening the door and they easily won with almost no scars.

Probably, the most difficult encounter would have been the guards before the wizard at the end, but I cast Stinking Cloud from the scroll and got 8 of 9 guards failing the ST, and they were almost helpless.

Overall it seemed to be a very good game. I'll look forward to hear when most of the bugs are covered by the patches and I think I'll buy myself this game.

 

[Wycen]

Well, I bought the game last Friday, actually it was an early Christmas present.

I made sure to read up on it and got the patch AND the Council of 8's mod patch installed before I started playing.

After some slow starting, (mostly travelling around the village and cursing how or where was the building I was supposed to find next), I then found my next issue, the fact casting Identify actually cost money! I am so used to BG, IWD, NWN that it didn't dawn on me somebody wouldn't follow that model. So, I identify the first couple items I get them, "Not enough money to cast". That then leads me to discover they don't used just gold coins, but copper, silver and platinum!

The random encounters can be deadly, when they surround you.

Interesting, I did a reload after finding this out, you can marry Fruella AND Meleny and they don't seem to mind. I might consider that for my next game.

 

[Greybar]

The random encounters can be deadly, when they surround you.

I've noticed that in one of my games the badguys start right on top of me, but the other party usually spots them at a distance. I'm not sure if that's based on their Spot/Listen checks or not - the high level group has been having the low-level wandering monsters popping up on them, so that doesn't seem to make sense either. I sure would like to keep more room between.

Oh, for the long-playing folks. Two of my PCs have been put under suggestion by a certain high-level badguy in the fire node. I can't get the spell to go away. I've tried Dispel Magic, Break Enchantment, Remove Curse, etc.... I've also tried waiting it out (over 20 days of rest).

any ideas would be appreciated.

john

 

[Wycen]

I've noticed that in one of my games the badguys start right on top of me, but the other party usually spots them at a distance. I'm not sure if that's based on their Spot/Listen checks or not - the high level group has been having the low-level wandering monsters popping up on them, so that doesn't seem to make sense either. I sure would like to keep more room between.

Oh, for the long-playing folks. Two of my PCs have been put under suggestion by a certain high-level badguy in the fire node. I can't get the spell to go away. I've tried Dispel Magic, Break Enchantment, Remove Curse, etc.... I've also tried waiting it out (over 20 days of rest).

any ideas would be appreciated.

john

I have 1 character with some points in survival, which is supposed to help you avoid random encounters, but I think it is best to use your judgement regarding your parties current level of readiness, versus what the enemy force consists of. Sometime that can be tricky.

As for your suggested party members, I don't know if this will work, but have you tried your own suggestion or charm person?

 

[Tars Tarkus]

I have cleared out the Earth Temple but a couple of things has me stumped. There is a magically held door in the Earth Temple cave/shrine. I tried to use a Knock spell but it will not work on the door. How do you get the door open?

Also I have several diaries and letters from bad guys that I have killed. How do you read them?

One more thing. Where can I get a bow? For the life of me I can only find crossbows but not a single shortbow or longbow anywhere.

 

[Greybar]

Earth Shrine: I believe that is one of the doors that can't be opened. They didn't implement what's on the other side. Yeah, it bugged me for a long time too.

With the diaries and letters, just drag them to the Use Item button in your inventory.

john