Polymorph Self Spell?

[danconnors]

I just got my mage the polymorph self spell. I had her cast it, but noticed no change in her appearance. Is the spell ineffective outside of combat?

[wendigo211]

It should change your appearance. I use the Mustard Jelly form (100% MR) against Beholders a lot in BG2.

Neera isn't your mage, is she? If so it could have been cancelled by a wild surge.

[voehringer_nitron]

The different forms are added under the special abilities button.

[danconnors]

No, my mage is Dynaheir, Minsc's witch. I didn't know you had to also use the special ability button. Thanks. Thousands of hours playing this game, and I never used this spell. I'm hoping the spell will allow the mage to remain alive longer in Sarevok's lair.

[wendigo211]

IIRC, you're playing SoD, is this the fight with the Shadow Aspect? That's a tough fight. Here are some tips that might help:

• Send Dynaheir in first buffed with a potion of Agility, Stoneskin, Mirror Image and Ghost Armor. Make sure she keeps up Stoneskin and Mirror Image (fill her 2nd and 4th level slots with those spells.) She should be tanking the backstabs. Put Hold Undead in her 3rd level slots.
• If you have Jaheira in you party, have her cast Insect Plague on the Shadow Aspect. There's no save against the spell failure and It will prevent the SA from casting Mislead all the time.
• If you have a thief with a good Detect Illusion skill or a Cleric with True Seeing use it, this fight is all about illusions.
• If you have a cleric with Negative Plane Protection make sure he casts it on himself and Dynaheir.
• Have everyone focus on the Shadow Aspect. When it gets down to about half health, it will summon a ton of spectral undead, this is when you have Dynaheir start chain casting Hold Undead.
• I'm not sure if the Shadow Aspect is considered undead, if it is you might be able to cheese this fight with a scroll of Protection from Undead.
  
• The Shadow Aspect puts down some kind of darkness aura at the beginning of the fight that will blind everyone. I'm not sure if it can be dispelled, I didn't try, but Zone of Clean Air or Remove Magic might work.

Edit: I just checked, the Shadow Aspect is undead (race=Spectre), a scroll of Protection from Undead should do the trick.

[danconnors]

I'm talking about the fight in Baldur's Gate in Sarevok's lair. That guy has more lives than a cat. He comes back in SoD? He's back in BG 2 and Throne of Bhaal and I made him one of my companions. I still remember how he screamed in agony when I decided to give up the throne.

[wendigo211]

It's not Sarevok, but he does have a lair (secret room) in a Temple of Bhaal where there's a powerful guardian and a nice short sword (+3, 50% chance to dispel illusions on the target when they're hit, 10% chance of casting a 3 round, 3 image, Mirror Image on the wielder whenever they are hit).

[danconnors]

Is that the starter dungeon, SoD?

[wendigo211]

No it's the dungeon with the Green Dragon (Chapter 9 I think). But, you do find the code to enter the secret room in another hidden room in the Korlasz tomb.

[danconnors]

You get a dragon in SoD? Green is the easiest if I remember my D&D bestiary. But still, a dragon!

[wendigo211]

I think white is considered the easiest. But yeah, it comes with a ton of adds if you play on insane or higher.

[red255]

you can sneak by the dragon, not that anyone does.

its poison based I think, so immunity to poison and you should be fine with it.

never noticed Sarevoks secret lair in the dungeon. theres apparently a clue in the first dungeon where you find a burnt torch, light it with a purple torch to get in a secret room and get a note.

the note says 3-1-4 which apparently is related to some masks on a wall in the Bhaal temple later on.

never noticed it though so I don't know about the insuing fight. its a +3 short sword, might be useful to have for the final fight if you have a short sword user as the final boss requires +3 weapons to hit.

anyways regarding the Sarevok fight, did it on core rules.

i started the fight I summoned some animated deads to create distractions, I sent my mage up and had her launch a fireball to get the bad guys attention. this split off his mage from the group and we killed the mage, healed up and did it again with sarevok and the archer.

just avoid the trapped middle pit and you should be fine. you've got plenty of time to buff before you go hitting stuff.

to make a mage survivable the general solution is stoneskin and mirror image, both cast rapidly and make her take alot of hits.

[wendigo211]

Immunity to Poison keeps you from getting poisoned by the dragon breath attack, but you still take the poison damage. I.e. you take 50 points of poison damage, but you're immune to the extra 2 points of damage a round for the next 10 rounds. I'm not sure if it's a bug, but it makes it a much harder fight than it should be (at least on Insane and LoB), since it's effectively unavoidable damage (which gets doubled on the higher difficulties). It doesn't help that the additional enemies that spawn are 5 greater wyverns and 2 young green dragons who also have unavoidable breath attacks.

Against Sarevok, I usually start the fight with a Fireball, while Sarevok and group are off screen. Most of the time, that means only Sarevok and one of his mages get aggroed. I take out the Mage and then it's just my party against Sarevok. He might be an uber fighter, but 6 vs. 1 he'll drop pretty quickly.

I've soloed him with a dual wielding Berserker on Insane. It was a close fight, but I buffed with a Potion of Cloud Giant Strength, Potion of Heroism, Potion of Invulnerability, Oil of Speed, Draw Upon Holy Might and Rage. I also had the girdle that gives you +3 AC vs. Slashing.

I've heard the trapped symbol of Bhaal in the centre is an equal opportunity trap. If you lead Sarevok over it repeatedly, it will eventually kill him.