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CHAPTER 1 | CHAPTER 2 | CHAPTER 3 | CHAPTER 4 | CHAPTER 5 | CHAPTER 6 | CHAPTER 7 | CHAPTER 8 | CHAPTER 9 | CHAPTER 10 | |
Good Ascension | Evil Ascension | |
GOOD ASCENSION
Irenicus and Bodhi
I reconfigure my spells to phase out spells that I'm not likely to use for the last part of the game, while memorizing multiple instances of spells that I'm likely to use, like Breach, Skeleton Warrior, Mordenkainen's Sword, Remove Fear, Mirror Images, Stoneskins, Ironskins, etc. Note that I also phase out things like Spell Sequencers and Spell Triggers, since I'm heading for the last battle of the game.
Note also that Jaheira and Anomen each memorize two instances of Harm. There's a specific reason for this.
I do some buffing up, including Remove Fear, Spell Immunity: Abjuration for Avastrian, and Magic Resistance for Anomen and Jaheira. I then step through to start the final chapter.
I have about a split second before Melissan starts dialogue, so I hit pause as soon as I can. I then have Avastrian create a Simulacrum, Keldorn summons a Deva right in front of me, Jaheira summons a Fire Elemental Prince to the left, and then Imoen summons a Mordenkainen's Sword.
Melissan resurrects Irenicus, who in turn resurrects Bodhi. Melissan also forces Imoen to turn into the Slayer. There will also be two Fallen Solars off to the sides. I don't worry about Imoen. She'll revert to her old self later on. I simply have to tough it out.
My immediate priorities are as follows:
Now only Irenicus is left. Avastrian now seizes the opportunity to cast his own Time Stop spell. He then goes into an extended Time Stop sequence that outlasts the Protection from Magic Weapons that Irenicus has in place. Avastrian then finishes off Irenicus.
Once the battle is over, Anomen casts a Lesser Restoration on Imoen. She can now reset her spells. No worries, there will be an opportunity for Imoen to get her spells back.
Energy Pools
I have to speak to Balthazar to be able to reach the three energy pools. A horde of Demons of various sorts will appear the first time I click on any of the pools. I hope by now you're proficient enough to handle this kind of combat without relying on a walkthrough writer to walk you through it, so I won't provide a step by step breakdown here. One guideline I will suggest though is to go after the Succubi and Alu-Fiends first. Some of my characters are protected against Charm spells, but not all. It is best to prevent this annoyance from occurring as soon as possible.
Whenever I click on a pool for the second time my party is healed, has its powers restored, and Avastrian receives some Bhaalspawn powers.
The Bhaalspawn powers received from the northeast pool are Dimension Door, and Focus. Focus allows brief immunity to Time Stop, Maze, and Imprisonment. Will prove very useful during the final battle.
The Bhaalspawn powers received from the southeast pool are the ability to Teleport, the ability to control Demons (subject to the Demons making their saving throws), and complete immunity to Maze and Imprisonment.
The Bhaalspawn powers received from the southwest pool are immunity to death magic and vorpal effects, as well as the ability to unleash a destructive bolt of energy.
But I save the southwest pool for last, and before I actually click on it a second time ...
Ascension
There are certain objectives that I feel are essential to successfully toppling the Ascension version of Melissan:
Phase One: Preparation
Of course, all along the party has changed the orientation of its spellbooks to multiples instances of Stoneskin, Breach, Mass Healing, etc. for the climax of Ascension. Preparatory spells are obviously recommended before you click on the pool.
Just before I started the right, I had Imoen cast Project Image. The Image spams in two Mordenkainen's Sword and two Planetars. The Warriors immediately kill off the Image.
I position the Swords to the left to hold up Yaga-Shura. I position the Planetars to the right to hold up the other Bhaalspawn. The point is to hold up the Five until Avastrian and Imoen can get off their Time Stops.
I quick-save after this. Avastrian then creates a Simulacrum via his Vhailor's Helm. Note that the Simulacrum inherits all of Avastrian's inherent powers, including Focus, as well as the Protection from Magic scrolls in Avastrian's quick-item slot. This is a crucial point. Anomen then casts Remove Fear over everything. Now I click on the pool.
Phase Two: The Inevitable Dialogue
I click on the pool, which soon prompts Melissan to show up and summon the revived members of the Five, as well as Gromnir Il-Khan. She also makes an offer to Sarevok. But Avastrian didn't compel Sarevok's obedience through a Geas, and convinced Sarevok to willingly change his ways. This means Sarevok stays in my party.
Phase Three: Nullifying Illasera
Illasera by herself isnt THAT dangerous. Alongside the other Bhaalspawn, she is positively lethal. Her missiles will rip down any magical defences, and leave the character with a Miscast Magic effect. Jaheira has brought along the Reflexion Shield +1 from Ribalds Adventurer Mart, at least in part with this very occasion in mind. She immediately heads straight for Illasera, protected by Iron Skins of course, and stays on top of her.
Phase Four: Imoen's Time Stop Sequence
Avastrian immediately begins casting Time Stop. His Simulacrum, and this is crucial, uses its Focus power that it inherited from Avastrian. Imoen immediately casts Project Image. The Image in turn immediately begins to cast Time Stop and gets it in first. By the way, I also immediately send Sarevok to the left and near Yaga-Shura.
The result is that Imoen's Image and the Simulacrum are active while everybody else is stuck in Time Stop. Each has their roles to play during the Time Stop.
During the first round of Time Stop, Imoen's Image walks right up to Abazigal and uses one of the spammed Spell Strike scrolls from the quick-item slot.
At the same time, the Simulacrum uses one of its spammed Protection from Magic scrolls on Sendai, who is now rendered more or less helpless. One of the points behind sending Sarevok to the left was to expand my view of the field so to speak, so that the Simulacrum wouldn't get lost beyond the 'fog of war'.
The Image immediately begins to cast a second Time Stop. I now have the Simulacrum use a Greater Whirlwind Attack with its Flail of Ages on Yaga-Shura. The point is not to kill Yaga-Shura, but to subject him to the Slow power of the Flail of Ages.
Imoen's Image backs away a little from Abazigal, and then hits Abazigal with Breach. It is important to make sure that the Breach hits AFTER the Spellstrike. The Image then spends the rest of the Time Stop spamming in two more Planetars to the right. The Simulacrum meanwhile continues to use its Flail of Ages and Greater Whirlwind Attacks on Yaga-Shura.
Phase Five: Bring the Bhaalspawn to Death's Door
An important note for this phase, Avastrian has kept and preserved every extra Time Stop scroll (that wasnt enscribed by Avastrian or Imoen) that could be found in SOA or TOB for this very occasion.
The idea here for Avastrian is to string together in a constant sequence both his own Time Stop spells, and the Time Stop scrolls from his Quick-Item slot, so as to hold everybody still for a lengthy period of time. Within this sequence, he is constantly dishing out Greater Whirlwind Attacks to the Bhaalspawn just short of killing them (i.e. 'near death'). The weapon that he uses for the occasion is the Flail of Ages, which will also leave them Slowed down.
He starts with Sendai, who happened to user her Onyx Ring to teleport right next to Keldorn. Then he goes with Gromnir Il-Khan, and then Abazigal.
Phase Six: Bringing Melissan into it
He ends the sequence by killing Illasera. The reason is that Illasera can herself prove to be quite a slippery fish with her ability to go Ethereal and use her down-time to recover her hit points, and then put party members in danger with her arrows. It is best to take her out first and foremost. This means that Melissan will immediately join in.
Phase Seven: Mopping Up
The ideal is now to kill the remaining Bhaalspawn in as rapid a succession as you can manage, with the additional benefit of knocking Melissan down and interrupting her attacks.
Sendai had a Heal Contingency that brought her back to full health. But she happened to use her Onyx Ring to teleport herself right next to Anomen and Keldorn. Keldorn immediately whips out a Greater Whirlwind Attack. He and Anomen soon cut Sendai down.
Imoen's Image immediately let off a Dragon's Breath to the right, and this finished off Abazigal. By the way, I could have had the Simulacrum use a spammed Protection from Magic scroll on Abazigal, but I decided not to. The possibility of getting him with a fire-based spell that couldn't be blocked by magic resistance was precisely the reason why I chose the Spell Strike + Breach method instead.
Avastrian, Jaheira, and Balthazar soon cut down Gromnir.
That leaves Yaga-Shura. I had hoped to have Jaheira use Harm on Yaga-Shura, but she was being hounded by Melissan. It fell to Anomen to cast Harm, and then walk up to Yaga-Shura and hit him with a touch attack. This brings Yaga-Shura's hit points to 0, and Sarevok immediately finishes him off. Now Melissan can be killed.
Phase Eight: Laying the Boot on Melissan
Once all the Bhaalspawn have died, it's time for Melissan. Since shes by herself, it may be worth your time to bring in summoned monsters like a Deva or an Elemental Prince. I somehow think its appropriate to describe the concluding phase by the roles that the characters play.
The Warriors: The fighters are obviously wanting to clamp the vice down on Melissan and finish her off. There is one fact that you need to be aware of. Melissan can at will bring up Spell Trap, Absolute Immunity, and Blade Barrier. This admits but of one weakness. Weapons of +6 or greater enchantment can still harm someone protected by Absolute Immunity. All those +6 weapons that I have accumulated will now become worth their weight in gold for this battle. As soon as Melissan is the last remaining, Jaheira switches out her shield and scimitar, and equips the Staff of the Ram. She, Sarevok with his Ravager, and Keldorn with Carsomyr, immediately go on the attack. In fact, Keldorn helps matters even further when his Carsomyr +6 dispels Melissan's buffs. This means Avastrian doesn't even bother to switch over to Ixil's Nail. He protects himself with his Spell Trigger (after a complication that I describe below), and then joins in the fun. He starts pounding Melissan and Slowing her down with his Flail of Ages. The warriors in the party begin pounding her with multiple Greater Whirlwind Attacks round after round.
The Mage: Since the Warriors already have a ready made way of bypassing Melissans protections, Breach isn't so important anymore. On the other hand, Melissan really starts to let loose with Demon gating. It may thus be appropriate to bring in more summons like Mordenkainen's Swords. Imoen used another Project Image to spam in another Planetar.
The Cleric: There isnt a +6 weapon besides the Staff of the Ram that a Cleric can equip. I prefer to leave that weapon to Jaheira, who keeps herself protected in Iron Skins. At the same time, the fighters are going to being taking damage from one source or another. It is usual for me to have Anomen casting Mass Cure spells in straight succession, or Heal when the situation warrants it.
I lucked out here. Melissan got off her Time Stop, but spent the first round of it summoning Demons. She then teleported right next to Avastrian and started attacking. Fortunately, Avastrian still had enough on his Stoneskin to survive the assault. Ideally I should have used my Focus ability when Melissan was using Time Stop from off-screen, so I admit that I did luck out. But this kind of battle really does depend on a few bounces coming your way.
Melissan eventually bites the dust. The Solar shows up to declare me the winner, and offers me the choice between godhood and mortality. Avastrian decides to remain mortal and stay with Jaheira.
Epilogues
And here are the Ascension Epilogues for Balthazar, Anomen, Sarevok, Imoen, and Keldorn, as well as the Flirt Pack Epilogue for Jaheira.
*** THE END ***
