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I only finished Dragon Commander, which ironically might be their worst game (except Beyond Divinity). I did play Divinity 2, but only in the Dragon Knight Saga edition.
Draconis was more annoying than difficult. His acid breath was the worst to deal with as it killed The Codex in 3 hits, but with Protection From Energy (which gives 75% elemental resistance) that turned into 13-14 hits, making this ability irrelevant. However, he also had a lot of cheap physical attacks that bypassed Stone Skin, and those were the main threat here. Maybe Protection From Magical Weapons would have taken care of those, but I did not bother to check.
There is a slight chance that the next update will appear today, but do not cancel your evening plans just yet.
Update #107: A Farewell to Dragons, part II - Dragon Slave
I knew this side of that huge door would not be spacious enough for dragons.
Note to self: greater werewyne... werevy... werevyr...
Note to self: hard spelling can kill you.
Good thing no AI paths were designed between those areas.
Let me just grab a shield, so that were-something does not get to bite me so easily.
Also, we renewed stone skin, just in case.
So, this is someone who turns into a wyvern at full moon?
I do not think the full moon rule works in D&D. They just turn whenever they want, as far as I know.
Turns out it had a crapload of hit points, but not that many levels to drain.
Ooh, yeah. I love this sword so much I would have sex with it if I could.
Huh?
Item descriptions giving hints on what to do next. That is some Dark Souls level intricacy. Or just lazy writing.
Seriously? They put a trap right at the main entrance? Those two guards I killed had charged right through this thing!
I imagine after dozens of accidents the remaining personnel finally learned to step over this trap instinctively. Also, it must have had a hilarious prank potential for new recruits.
I won't even bother to search for my 'staff of killing these things'.
I don't remember who I had to kill or maybe sacrifice to get this sword, but it was worth it!
Maybe in a moment.
There are still piles of dirt to clean up here.
Between this and pest control, I put the almighty janitor trope to the next level.
Uh-huh.
Typical.
At least the message is different from the generic 'no lockpicking or simple spells allowed'.
Well, I HAD to check.
See you on the other side.
What, you were maybe expecting Dagon?
Note: I forgot about the Wave halberd, or this fight would have been much easier.
It's not exactly hard, but their frost aura does sting a bit.
I have regenerated so often in my life that my cells must think they're two hundred years old.
Maybe your cells just do not get bored, and may divide indefinitely.
Ok, so it's a two-way tunnel. I'll be back.
Oh, hello there. You provide a great opportunity for me...
...to try out my New And Improved(TM) Runehammer.
And they turned out not to be undead. Typical.
I told you. There will be no more undead in the game. That Runehammer improvement was either trolling or New Game Plus shenanigan.
By the way, readers, if you have never tried playing BG2 with your end-of-ToB exported character, I encourage you do that, as it is pretty hilarious. For example, not that many enemies from regular Shadows of Amn can hurt someone immune to normal and +1 weapons. Some of the weapons are downright game-breaking, and Runehammer is not even a serious contender here.
First of all: how the fuck is this room even here. Second: why were those bone constructs inside. Third: HOW DOES THIS TRAP MAKE ANY SENSE?
Fine. At this point, nothing can surprise me.
Want to bet?
Alright then.
With my stats and powers I should be able to hold my breath indefinitely, or even breathe underwater.
However, the potion alone is not enough. We also need a rope.
A rope. Which is a common item I should be able to buy pretty much anywhere...
...But will need to get in a specific place in this dungeon. Yup.
While this 'swimming through underwater tunnels' gimmick is pretty cool, it does not really fit this type of game and feels out of place. I like it much more in action RPGs like Gothic or even straight-up Tomb Raider / 3D Zelda style action-adventures.
Fish people? It's been a while since I've fought these.
They haven't gotten any tougher, I see.
It's sushi time!
What they lack in, well, everything, they make up in numbers.
Water elementals! I never expected to meet those!
See, I told you that you can still be susprised. Do not get used to them, however. I do not think they even appear anywhere else in the game.
Note the 'weapon ineffective' message in the log. Kuo-Toa (Kuo-Toas?) literally cannot hurt our hero.
You are relieved of duty, captain.
Indefinitely.
Imagine if water could get angry and bite you in the real world. I think the pollution problem would have been resolved pretty fast then.
It is sad to even think about it, but this might be the last priest I ever kill.
True.
But not the last priestess.
I can tell you one thing about water elementals: they are boring.
This thing's tougher.
Why do I always get suckered into fighting fire shield enemies up close?
Lol, +2 weapon immunity.
Good thing I've brought a couple of hundred of these.
This thing is casting a lot of spells. Or trying to anyway.
See, that wasn't so hard.
Are you lost?
Apparently fish people do take prisoners. Who would've thought.
Hopefully it's something good, and not just 'you need to use a rope'.
I hate my life.
Wow, this guy just brings revelation after revelation.
Oh great. Yet another quest item hunt. I can never get enough of these.
I bet he won't tell me *that*, since this would actually be interesting.
Called it.
That saves me the trouble of killing him.
The fuck?
WHY DID HE HAVE THIS?
Or, you know what, fuck it. Let's go.
We also got the rope.
It's longer tunnels then. I forget which ponds lead there.
Ok, this is definitely a new place.
Sensible design (not every pond needs a tunnel) or cut content, how do you think?
Don't care.
I was actually asking the readers.
Don't care.
'Ruthless might', lol.
Apparently Bioware in 2001 did not possess the arcane knowledge of using quote marks to distinguish between narration and dialogue, like it was done in PST.
Mods will fix it! Oh, wait...
There is literally nothing else here, except that dragon, so I might as well move on.
Ouch! The fuck?
That is a warm welcome.
And there's more of them...
They-ouch-die-ouch-easily, but-ouch-they are also-ouch-ripping my-ouch-flesh away.
Well, that was bad.
Death Count: 393
Loading.
That must be one of the most unpleasant enemies I have ever encountered.
To the point when I am considering skipping them entirely.
Well, I definitely am not fighting all of these at once.
But hunting down these separated ones is a viable option.
Summoned fodder.
Let's see if I can reliably kill them with bow and arrows.
Looks like it.
War dogs. What is even the point?
What is with this non-hostile eye casting spells on me all the time?
I have no idea. It does not seem to do us any harm, so just ignore it.
Since I constantly hit them in the eyes, every strike should count as a critical hit.
Fuck, this hasn't gone very smoothly.
At least you are not dead.
Before I level up, let me check...
Okay, leaving now.
I wonder if we will max out regular whirlwinds too.
Level ups ain't what they used to be. They lose their appeal past a certain point.
Not according to JRPG and MMO designers.
Okay, those eagle eyes are NOT my favourite enemies in the world.
And apparently these eye things can be backstabbed. I don't even.
You can call me 'the silent death'.
More like invisible death, I think?
As long as 'death' is in my nickname, the rest is not as important.
To be continued.
Next time: The Codex will become a quest giver, and attempt some dragon diplomacy.
That will definitely happen no sooner than near the end of the month, maybe even early June.
Update #108: A Farewell to Dragons, part III - Dragon's Lair
The fuck is this?
Let's see, does this open...?
WHOA.
I like the clash between his actual name and how he introduces himself. Quite clever writing.
But his, 'lol so mad and random' personality is pretty annoying. I guess they must have used up the writing budget for that name joke at the start.
I should have expected that. And I did.
You were lucky. It could, and should, have killed you.
How do you confuse kobolds with elder orbs?
That is the joke.
Oh. Funny. Except it's not.
That actually sounds like it could be mildly amusing.
Coincidentally - yeah right - I have found a stone-to-flesh scroll quite recently. Only one, though.
Fortunately it turns out to be the one AoE Stone To Flesh scroll in existence and works on all three statues at once. That is just fucking lazy, Bioware.
The Codex rescuing innocents from Bioware oppression. Exactly as if a Dragon Age game has been released recently.
So, are you Bondari Quickhand or Bondari Halfman?
I wonder if anyone even proofread this part.
Technically, it's all true.
You already got a free stone to flesh scroll, you fucking ingrates.
I have a feeling this is going to end in a disaster.
Several DAYS? How long can you take to kill a bunch of kobolds?
Seriously.
Explanation: a cutscene in which The Codex turns into Slayer and kills the rookie adventurers.
Oh shit, they have the load game superpower too! That makes them the biggest threat in the world, I should kill them right now!
Do not bother. They would only reload again.
...
FUCK!
Well, at least that's done.
What...? Oh, wait, someone mentioned these.
We shall find a use for them soon.
Hopefully it is still in good enough condition for the madman.
How am I fatigued if I have just been resting for days?
Waiting for days, in killer eye infested corridors.
That doesn't even make any sense. I would've found a more suitable place to pass the time.
Dude, I am not a GM you could argue your way with, just accept that you are fatigues and move on.
Let's see if the rookies maybe missed something.
Seems so.
What. The. Fuck.
Chaaaaarrrrrrge!
And they have spell triggers too! Talk about unfair!
But unfair is how we like it.
Or at least pretend to.
DAMN RIGHT THAT'S HOW WE LIKE IT!
YES...! FUCK! Imprisonment! NO!
Maybe Carsomyr would have been a better weapon of choice here, but is Imprisonment even affected by magic resistance?
Death Count: 394
Loading.
I should try using Carsomyr.
...Okay.
Armed and ready!
Now they won't be able to fucking touch me.
Three out of four times, at least.
Taste the darkness!
I am not sure if the dark taint even worked.
Ok, fuck magic resistance, let's just vorpal death them all.
GO STRAIGHT TO EYEBALL HELL YOU FUCKER!
Fucking A.
We are still failing stealth checks in full plate, by the way. I am not sure if you can boost thieving skills high enough for it to always work.
I AM THE WHIRLWIND!
I hope we will get another opportunity for set snare spam. The attempt against Sendai was pretty lacklustre.
Oh, great, the eyes are respawning too.
How the fuck am I supposed to deal with something like this?
Ok, I know.
This one should lead to the madlab.
Bingo.
What's that?
That probably sounds better than it is, but I'll take it.
You don't have to get all salty on me. Just asking.
Iycanth don't take no shit from nobody.
I should have gone straight to business in the first place.
By 'may' they mean 'will'.
I've got a feeling this will end in violence one way or another.
The use of the word 'bondage' suddenly makes me realize why Abazigal wants to have a female dragon under such a geas, security boons aside.
A wardstone? That's it? I could have just taken it from the dragon's corpse. All that crap in between was an unnecessary waste of time!
Which is how we like it!
Not really.
Why is that foolish?
How does this place differ from any other, when it comes to killing dragons?
Never mind.
And I have ended picking up the wardstone up from the dragon's corpse. I guess the joke's on me.
The other item was a plain ring of invisibility.
Alright. Party time!
A welcome wyvern? Original. I shall shoot it down.
Or... not?
Abazigal's bodyguard wyverns can go invisible at will, which makes them extremely annoying.
BTW, Quenash is reused name, but I will not blame you if you do not remember her.
Rance is a reused name too.
Ooh, someone is unsecure about his heritage.
Honestly though, this looks like a pretty shitty situation to be in.
GAAAAAAH! Claws and teeth everywhere! EVERYWHERE!
Will we ever learn not to approach dragons without protection from fear?
Death Count: 395
Load.
How do we get out of this one?
I am not sure yet.
Let us try the usual first. Stoneskin, to not get squashed.
Spell trap, to not get mazed.
Resist fear...
...Because dragons are fucking cheaters and Jet Li is awesome.
And then we run to other side of the room, to hopefully be able to engage enemies on our terms.
Yeah, it doesn't work.
We are yet to establish a foothold in this place.
Death Count: 396
Load game.
This is going to be a long update.
You are dying before you can actually do something. We need more time.
Like this?
Whatcha gonna do, when The Codex comes for you!
Let's soften the scalies up.
What's better than horrid wilting? Two horrid wiltings!
This is kind of ironic, isn't it?
Ok, I'm ready. Let the time flow again!
What, none of them actually died?
Let's rectify that!
Our Stoneskin did not last long.
I think I'm dead now.
Let's go for an all-in!
Holy crap, 74 damage?
To be honest, I do not think the double damage has done much difference here.
Death Count: 397
Reloading.
I don't think I can fight them all at once, we need to reduce their numbers somehow.
Well... the most obvious choice is to stand in the corner, when they can only approach you one or two at a time.
Let's try that.
Those wyverns have annoying elemental attacks which bypass my stone skin.
Ergo, they need to go.
Alright, that's one!
And two!
Fuck you and your breath weapon!
Oh yeah!
The good news is, we killed three wyverns. The bad news is you are next to Abazigal, who can deal 74 damage per hit, and you only have 64 HP left.
I've got that covered.
Something clearly did not work.
Death Count: 398
Loady-load.
HOW THE FUCK- Actually, doesn't matter. Let's just kill them.
Since time stop seems to be only spell that actually works here, I will abuse it to hell and back.
Seems like I got his attention.
Fun fact: when Abazigal receives enough damage in his human form, he automatically transforms into a dragon, causing an explosion with knockback around him.
Fun observation (not 100% sure, but it definitely seems so): this transformation also cancels our Time Stop - Abzigal is just that powerful.
Now I've got you right where I want you!
Hopefully it works better this time.
Well, shit.
Death Count: 399
Quit.
Next time: We will fight powerful monsters such as frost salamanders, wyverns, dragons, demi-gods and the worst kind of them all - script bugs.
We have managed to rage quit before breaking the 400 deaths mark - but will it happen in this update?
It will.
Update #109: A Farewell to Dragons, part IV - Dragonslayer
Remember how we tried to move to another part of this area to better control the fight, and later we tried to stay in the corner to not get surrounded - now we have decided to combine both approaches.
Yeah, because they've shown a lot of promise.
I guess I won't be able to find a better spot than this.
Ready...
Nice!
Fuck!
Ok, this is going badly.
That's another, but I don't think I'm getting out of this.
Or maybe I am?
Or maybe you are not.
Death Count: FOUR HUNDRED
Load.
I'd like to try my Time Stop spam again.
Suit yourself.
Ok, Stage 1: let's all sing together...
This should come handy when Abazigal dragonsplodes.
Stay still, bro.
That's stone skin gone, if you had it.
Stage 2: force him to morph into his Final Form (TM).
Okay!
Stage 3...
Let's beat the crap out of him.
I do not even want to know what is Abazigal's Shockwave and why it activates during Time Stop, even though no Spell Trigger released it.
Die already!
Fuuuuuck! Why won't you die!?
Get the fuck away from me!
I believe we could call this an improvement of sorts.
Death Count: 401
Loading.
Fuck! I feel like I was THIS close to succeeding.
Yeah, let us try again.
Everyone calm down, this is a robbery dragonslaying!
One gentle smack on the head with the anti-magic stick.
Time for some rib-crushing!
By the way, we have switched to Staff of the Ram because if its higher damage output (vorpal hit does not work on Abazigal anyway).
Which is by the way.
Ok, he got serious.
Time for another quiet moment.
You won't need those protective spells right now.
Ready to experience the AWESOMENESS OF THE CODEX!?
Die! Die! Die! Die! Die!
This was the moment when I realised there was some kind of problem. We had dealt a crapton of damage to Abazigal when he was in 'near death' state, but there had been no effect.
Turns out, Abazigal should trigger a 'dying speech' when he is close enough to death (but not too close). Slashing at him during Time Stop causes the script to not trigger (we 'overshoot' it because of too much damage dealt too fast) and makes him hang at 'near death' state forever. Or rather until we run out of Time Stops, after which he quickly restores himself to full health.
That last part is just cheap, by the way.
Fuck! I don't need time stop to kill you, you overgrown iguana!
He must have taken offense at that insult.
Death Count: 402
L.O.A.D.
I'm out of ideas.
Let us try the same thing once again. Ok, almost the same.
Yada, yada, time stop.
Yada, yada, improved alacrity.
This helps with casting another Time Stop after the first one is broken.
Uh, lower resistance? Why?
Trust me on this one.
Okay...
This one is cast twice, by the way.
I want to remind you, this did not work all that well previously.
What? WHAT HAPPENED!? Did the game crash!? Tell me it didn't crash!
Calm down, this is just a cutscene.
Ooh, this is actually interesting.
Heh, heh, heh. Go Baltie!
Oh yeah, take her!
What? Hey! Not fair! I wanted to see that!
Oh fuck, what the hell is going on!?
We are still in combat, do not forget.
I think it's time for a tactical retreat.
I concur.
What.
WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!?
Death Count: 403
Yeah, load.
Tell me that is some kind of a bad joke.
It is. But that does not make it any less real.
FINE! I have done this once, I can do this again.
Here is the abridged version: Abazigal turns into a dragon.
The Codex casts a fuckload of spells.
And I kill the fucker!
This time after the Melissan cutscene we are immediately transported to our pocket plane. No idea why this did not happen previously.
Oh, fuck, she's going to nag at me again.
When exactly did I agree to marry her?
You did not have to, it was an arranged union.
Actually, that is false. Five runner-ups to the title of most powerful child of Bhaal gathered.
Yeah, like I care.
Seriously? You summoned Dumbo? Why not the drow chick, I liked her better.
Obligatory Sendai softporn image:
Didn't take much to convince him.
They were one step ahead of Sarevok. I wish he was here to see this. Almost regret killing him. Almost.
Why would Bhaal need five right hands? Does he have five dicks and wants to masturbate efficiently?
Don't tell me I will have to kill him too.
I don't think Solar likes her job very much.
tl;dr: Apparently we actually are supposed to stop Bhaal from his second coming, or something. Does anyone really care at this point?
Yay, a challenge.
We have another challenge to deal with first, and that is escaping Abazigal's lair to SAVE THE GAME.
Fuck yeah, I wouldn't want to talk to Yaga-Shura again.
Luckily, we manage to escape this time, only losing 90 HP in the process.
'Only.' Losing each and every one of those hurts, you know.
Alright, I am ready to strike back with great vengeance and furious anger.
But also with reason and common sense.
First, Abazigal's bitch.
I have no idea whether she is immune to vorpal hits too, so...
...I'll just beat her to death.
And now the little ones.
Shit, just got Rill.
This is the part when my time stop runs out.
Fighting the rest of these wyverns is going to be a pain.
Exactly what I meant.
Not only they go invisible and use breath attacks, but also cast spells, like stoneskin.
Some designer had FUN with that.
Anyway.
STOP doing that.
Stoneskin, you said?
FUCK YOU!
At this rate I might even die here, so let's try and not do that.
SHIT!
FUCK OFF!
C'mere, you bastard!
Anyone else invisible around? No?
I believe we have killed them all.
What do we have here?
Okay.
Meh.
This looks promising.
Tamah dropped nothing interesting.
Wow, now I have three of these.
Let me guess, this is the exit shortcut?
Oh shit, it's Santa!
Can I fight him?
Obviously not.
And for that I need to find Saemon Havarian, right?
Not if we can avoid it.
Uh-huh. Thanks for nothing.
And he disappears as soon as he stops talking. Typical.
Next time: The Codex will find just the right pants for fighting Balthazar.
That will happen sometime this month. Probably.
VOTING TIME!
So, bros, Ascension allows us for 'peaceful' dialogue-based resolution of the conflict with Balthasar, instead of combat. Do you want the Codex to go Fallout on him, or just kill the fucker?
Balthazar being Lawful Good, and the game originally only allowing for a "quick banter then fight" option, I would normally suggest a more sensible option than violence.
Then again, this is The Codex playing. I vote for a dirt nap.
Luckily I never have evening plans!!!
by the way.
