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Demetrios1453 Plays the Gold Box Games
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<blockquote data-quote="Demetrios1453" data-source="post: 9285692" data-attributes="member: 6801060"><p><strong><em>Pool of Radiance</em> (Part 13): Sokal Keep (Part 3)</strong></p><p></p><p>So, as can be seen at the end of the last post, we've got quite the army to take down in this battle. They're a bit away across the room, so the first impulse might be to run over there and battle them there, but this is a very bad idea. This will allow them to surround isolated characters, which will only result in a lot of hits, lots of damage, and likely character deaths. We'll take a more conservative approach to this battle, and let them come to us.</p><p></p><p>We've got some nice walls on either side of us (having just come through a door - if you haven't noticed, the battlefield maps are faithful to the actual maps). Bant actually gets to go first, so I retreat him back one space, even with Baroness Bella so as to guard both their flanks, and set him to "Guard" so that the first foe that gets within melee range is automatically attacked.</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]350601[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>Brother Baltor goes next, so I move him down two spaces to guard the opening to the south. While this leaves spaces open to the right of him, and below Baroness Bella, foes won't go charging through those slots as doing so will result in opportunity attacks (although they weren't called that at the time) as they move from space to space. Instead of choosing "Guard" however, there are some foes in spell casting range down there, so...</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]350602[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>Spell casting isn't instantaneous in 1e though (other than some 1st level spells like <em>magic missile </em>and <em>sleep</em>), so we have a bit of time before he'll complete casting. In the meantime, Brin's turn comes up. You'd think that this is the perfect time to cast <em>sleep</em>, but no, most of them are too far away, and we have another target for my ranged - the orc leaders with bows. We'll concentrate on taking them out (there are five of them) before they can do too much damage.</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]350605[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>Brother Baltor has completed casting his <em>hold person</em> spell, and it now goes off. This is something VERY important from here on out, since if a spell is interrupted by taking damage during casting, it fizzles and is lost. So it's important to both make sure you can get your own spells off, as well as interrupting enemy spell casters. Even more importantly, beyond this is that any spellcaster who is damaged in a round can't cast a spell afterwards in that round as well. So hitting enemy spellcasters early each round is your #1 priority in any battle. Granted, PoR takes its time before you have to fight any spellcasters, so it's not important quite yet (other than to make sure my spellcasters are safe), but after we start seeing them, it's going to be quite important from then on out. (PoR is much nicer than the first Dragonlance game, <em>Champions of Krynn</em>, where like the third battle is with a spellcaster, and doesn't let up afterwards at all).</p><p></p><p>In any case, <em>hold person </em>has been successfully cast. It can affect up to three targets (chosen at the time of casting), although if you only choose one or two targets, they will have tougher saving throws as a result. Brother Baltor chose three southernmost orcs in the room below where he is guarding:</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]350606[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>Two are affected, but this one made its saving throw and is unaffected.</p><p></p><p>Meanwhile, thee are so many orcs and hobgoblins in the main room that some are just unable to move at all.</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]350607[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>It takes <em>forever</em> for all of them to go through their actions, so it's just a matter of waiting until my six characters get their turns. Some of the ones in the front are beginning to trickle over.</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]350608[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>(You can see the two held orcs with the "X" over them). With enough moved forward, it's finally a good time to cast <em>sleep </em>to catch a bunch together right in front of the party.</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]350609[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>We continue to concentrate on the leaders further back.</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]350610[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>And they go down, one by one:</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]350611[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>We cast <em>sleep </em>again to catch a bunch together right in front of the party.</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]350612[/ATTACH]</p><p>[ATTACH=full]350613[/ATTACH]</p><p>[ATTACH=full]350614[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>This will help funnel them into a smaller killing zone.</p><p></p><p>We've cleared out a number of them, including all the orc leaders, and now quite a few are helpless:</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]350615[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>This time, we're judiciously killing helpless foes instead of just letting them hang out there for a few rounds, just to clear the field. After a bit of that, it's time for another <em>sleep</em> spell...</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]350616[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]350617[/ATTACH]</p><p>[ATTACH=full]350618[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>And Brother Baltor gets back on the action to neutralize the ones near him:</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]350619[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]350620[/ATTACH]</p><p>[ATTACH=full]350621[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>Got all three this time! Shortly afterwards, their morale begins to break and they begin to surrender</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]350622[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>Until the only ones left are helpless</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]350623[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>And the battle is over</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]350624[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>And with a surprisingly small amount of damage, mainly from the orc leaders before they were taken out.</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]350625[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>Sadly, not much of interest in the loot. Lots of low value currency and typical non-magical gear.</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]350626[/ATTACH]</p><p>[ATTACH=full]350627[/ATTACH]</p><p>[ATTACH=full]350628[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>But...</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]350629[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>This is the first time we've encountered the journal entry mechanism in this game (but far from the last!). Basically, they didn't want to take up the limited space to put a bunch of text in game, so it was in printed in the manual that came with the game (in mixed-up order, and with some fake entries to throw off anyone reading through ahead of time). Journal Entry 57 reads as follows:</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]350630[/ATTACH]</p><p>[ATTACH=full]350631[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>Hmmm.... Who is this "Boss"?</p><p></p><p>But that's something to ponder at a later time. We cross the room to one of the doors directly across:</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]350632[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>We move a couple of spaces over...</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]350633[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>This is ominous...</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]350634[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>Uh-oh</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]350635[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>We choose one of the code words found on the dead elf's body.</p><p></p><p>(also, notice that the spectre appears and disappears in the picture window. Most creatures have this sort of minimal animation, with two frames back and forth, usually waving a weapon around. It's not something that's easily shown in still screenshots).</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]350636[/ATTACH]</p><p>[ATTACH=full]350637[/ATTACH]</p><p>[ATTACH=full]350638[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>After going so long before we had our first journal entry, our second appears almost immediately afterwards. Journal Entry 3 reads as follows:</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]350639[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>Also, treasure!</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]350640[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>It's just coins and gems, but still a nice haul!</p><p></p><p>We head back out to the room where we fought the big battle, and investigate the room to the south</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]350644[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>Let's take a look at the altar there:</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]350645[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>Another spectre, apparently. We try "Parlay" here, and type in "Lux" again.</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]350647[/ATTACH]</p><p>[ATTACH=full]350648[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>Telling the truth seems to be the smart thing to do here...</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]350649[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>Well, that's certainly interesting, likely important, information!</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]350650[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>Hmmm... weren't we tasked to find books, maps, and the like?</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]350651[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>Thankfully he faded away before I had to tell him that his "guards" (the undead patrols) are now just broken bones and scattered rotten flesh.</p><p></p><p>I think we've explored everything of interest here:</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]350654[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>And Bant is ready to level up (and has been since we got the coins and gems in the previous room, I just didn't get around to doing it)</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]350655[/ATTACH]</p><p>[ATTACH=full]350656[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>Let's head back out</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]350657[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>You mean the piles of dead orc and hobgoblin bodies all over the place?</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]350659[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>And back to Phlan we go. And, having reached the maximum number of attachment uploads, we'll get our rewards in the next post....</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Demetrios1453, post: 9285692, member: 6801060"] [B][I]Pool of Radiance[/I] (Part 13): Sokal Keep (Part 3)[/B] So, as can be seen at the end of the last post, we've got quite the army to take down in this battle. They're a bit away across the room, so the first impulse might be to run over there and battle them there, but this is a very bad idea. This will allow them to surround isolated characters, which will only result in a lot of hits, lots of damage, and likely character deaths. We'll take a more conservative approach to this battle, and let them come to us. We've got some nice walls on either side of us (having just come through a door - if you haven't noticed, the battlefield maps are faithful to the actual maps). Bant actually gets to go first, so I retreat him back one space, even with Baroness Bella so as to guard both their flanks, and set him to "Guard" so that the first foe that gets within melee range is automatically attacked. [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 213946.png"]350601[/ATTACH] Brother Baltor goes next, so I move him down two spaces to guard the opening to the south. While this leaves spaces open to the right of him, and below Baroness Bella, foes won't go charging through those slots as doing so will result in opportunity attacks (although they weren't called that at the time) as they move from space to space. Instead of choosing "Guard" however, there are some foes in spell casting range down there, so... [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 214046.png"]350602[/ATTACH] Spell casting isn't instantaneous in 1e though (other than some 1st level spells like [I]magic missile [/I]and [I]sleep[/I]), so we have a bit of time before he'll complete casting. In the meantime, Brin's turn comes up. You'd think that this is the perfect time to cast [I]sleep[/I], but no, most of them are too far away, and we have another target for my ranged - the orc leaders with bows. We'll concentrate on taking them out (there are five of them) before they can do too much damage. [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 214134.png"]350605[/ATTACH] Brother Baltor has completed casting his [I]hold person[/I] spell, and it now goes off. This is something VERY important from here on out, since if a spell is interrupted by taking damage during casting, it fizzles and is lost. So it's important to both make sure you can get your own spells off, as well as interrupting enemy spell casters. Even more importantly, beyond this is that any spellcaster who is damaged in a round can't cast a spell afterwards in that round as well. So hitting enemy spellcasters early each round is your #1 priority in any battle. Granted, PoR takes its time before you have to fight any spellcasters, so it's not important quite yet (other than to make sure my spellcasters are safe), but after we start seeing them, it's going to be quite important from then on out. (PoR is much nicer than the first Dragonlance game, [I]Champions of Krynn[/I], where like the third battle is with a spellcaster, and doesn't let up afterwards at all). In any case, [I]hold person [/I]has been successfully cast. It can affect up to three targets (chosen at the time of casting), although if you only choose one or two targets, they will have tougher saving throws as a result. Brother Baltor chose three southernmost orcs in the room below where he is guarding: [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 214219.png"]350606[/ATTACH] Two are affected, but this one made its saving throw and is unaffected. Meanwhile, thee are so many orcs and hobgoblins in the main room that some are just unable to move at all. [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 214302.png"]350607[/ATTACH] It takes [I]forever[/I] for all of them to go through their actions, so it's just a matter of waiting until my six characters get their turns. Some of the ones in the front are beginning to trickle over. [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 214309.png"]350608[/ATTACH] (You can see the two held orcs with the "X" over them). With enough moved forward, it's finally a good time to cast [I]sleep [/I]to catch a bunch together right in front of the party. [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 215111.png"]350609[/ATTACH] We continue to concentrate on the leaders further back. [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 214922.png"]350610[/ATTACH] And they go down, one by one: [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 214931.png"]350611[/ATTACH] We cast [I]sleep [/I]again to catch a bunch together right in front of the party. [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 215100.png"]350612[/ATTACH] [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 215111.png"]350613[/ATTACH] [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 215122.png"]350614[/ATTACH] This will help funnel them into a smaller killing zone. We've cleared out a number of them, including all the orc leaders, and now quite a few are helpless: [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 215131.png"]350615[/ATTACH] This time, we're judiciously killing helpless foes instead of just letting them hang out there for a few rounds, just to clear the field. After a bit of that, it's time for another [I]sleep[/I] spell... [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 215453.png"]350616[/ATTACH] [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 215501.png"]350617[/ATTACH] [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 215523.png"]350618[/ATTACH] And Brother Baltor gets back on the action to neutralize the ones near him: [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 215616.png"]350619[/ATTACH] [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 215640.png"]350620[/ATTACH] [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 215651.png"]350621[/ATTACH] Got all three this time! Shortly afterwards, their morale begins to break and they begin to surrender [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 215835.png"]350622[/ATTACH] Until the only ones left are helpless [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 215845.png"]350623[/ATTACH] And the battle is over [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 215919.png"]350624[/ATTACH] And with a surprisingly small amount of damage, mainly from the orc leaders before they were taken out. [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 215927.png"]350625[/ATTACH] Sadly, not much of interest in the loot. Lots of low value currency and typical non-magical gear. [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 215942.png"]350626[/ATTACH] [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 220024.png"]350627[/ATTACH] [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 220030.png"]350628[/ATTACH] But... [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 220116.png"]350629[/ATTACH] This is the first time we've encountered the journal entry mechanism in this game (but far from the last!). Basically, they didn't want to take up the limited space to put a bunch of text in game, so it was in printed in the manual that came with the game (in mixed-up order, and with some fake entries to throw off anyone reading through ahead of time). Journal Entry 57 reads as follows: [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 220156.png"]350630[/ATTACH] [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 220207.png"]350631[/ATTACH] Hmmm.... Who is this "Boss"? But that's something to ponder at a later time. We cross the room to one of the doors directly across: [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 220859.png"]350632[/ATTACH] We move a couple of spaces over... [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 220915.png"]350633[/ATTACH] This is ominous... [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 220957.png"]350634[/ATTACH] Uh-oh [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 221023.png"]350635[/ATTACH] We choose one of the code words found on the dead elf's body. (also, notice that the spectre appears and disappears in the picture window. Most creatures have this sort of minimal animation, with two frames back and forth, usually waving a weapon around. It's not something that's easily shown in still screenshots). [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 221033.png"]350636[/ATTACH] [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 221043.png"]350637[/ATTACH] [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 221110.png"]350638[/ATTACH] After going so long before we had our first journal entry, our second appears almost immediately afterwards. Journal Entry 3 reads as follows: [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 221138.png"]350639[/ATTACH] Also, treasure! [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 221237.png"]350640[/ATTACH] It's just coins and gems, but still a nice haul! We head back out to the room where we fought the big battle, and investigate the room to the south [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 220304.png"]350644[/ATTACH] Let's take a look at the altar there: [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 220320.png"]350645[/ATTACH] Another spectre, apparently. We try "Parlay" here, and type in "Lux" again. [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 220403.png"]350647[/ATTACH] [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 220414.png"]350648[/ATTACH] Telling the truth seems to be the smart thing to do here... [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 220426.png"]350649[/ATTACH] Well, that's certainly interesting, likely important, information! [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 220438.png"]350650[/ATTACH] Hmmm... weren't we tasked to find books, maps, and the like? [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 220448.png"]350651[/ATTACH] Thankfully he faded away before I had to tell him that his "guards" (the undead patrols) are now just broken bones and scattered rotten flesh. I think we've explored everything of interest here: [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 221610.png"]350654[/ATTACH] And Bant is ready to level up (and has been since we got the coins and gems in the previous room, I just didn't get around to doing it) [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 221247.png"]350655[/ATTACH] [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 221254.png"]350656[/ATTACH] Let's head back out [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 221625.png"]350657[/ATTACH] You mean the piles of dead orc and hobgoblin bodies all over the place? [ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot 2024-03-07 221759.png"]350659[/ATTACH] And back to Phlan we go. And, having reached the maximum number of attachment uploads, we'll get our rewards in the next post.... [/QUOTE]
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