When do you fight the Demi-lich?

[Nabeghlavi]

So I managed to kill 2 of the 3 liches, but wondering if I'm a bit underpowered. Done almost all the sidequests in chapter 2 with the exception of Windspear Hills and Planar Sphere. Took out the first 2 liches without many problems, just let them cast their deadly stuff on summoned junk basically. Also, was able to kill the shadow dragon first try. Party is main char (assassin), Jaheria, Aerie, Neera, Minsc, Kheldorn with levels from 10 to 14 depending on if they're dual classed etc. However, looks like the Lich / Demilich fight is in a cramped basement where all characters have to be present. You cannot simply have a stealthed character leading around summons. Should I wait until after Firkag and Planar Sphere in chapter 2? Thanks!

[danconnors]

The demi lich is extremely dangerous. He has two lives, as a lich, then the demi lich. As the lich he is harder to kill than the other liches around town. But when you kill him, he comes back as the demi lich. Then he starts casting imprisonment spells. There is no saving throw against imprisonment.

As you watch your party roster shrink, as npc after npc is imprisoned, you will notice the real need to kill this character quickly. Depending on your distance, you may be the last of the party to go. He is EXTREMELY hard to hit, and he regenerates his health at an apallingly fast rate.

I'd go in with a pretty high level group if I were you.

[Nabeghlavi]

yeah, was a pretty awful fight. Spent all night trying various tactics. Found some stuff that works and wrote a guide about it to help others. Imprisonment is such a cheesy spell.... :<
Had to cheese him back and then some : D

[danconnors]

On his first incarnation you need to force attack him before he goes hostile. Get in some cheap shots early, if possible. He's vulnerable to Melf's Minute Meteors, which strike as a +5 weapon. The berserker/mage goes berserk only AFTER the first incarnation dies. Only as the demi lich does Kangaax cast imprisonment spells, and he has an infinite supply of them apparently. I usually bring in Korgan, the evil dwarf berserker to keep him busy and bleed off his imprisonment spells. While berserk the berserker is immune to imprisonment. But the berserk state only lasts about one minute, so you have to dish out damage fast and furious.

The payoff is Kangaax's ring, which is probably the best ring in the game. You no longer have to heal yourself while wearing it. You regenerate about one hit point every couple of seconds.

[Soft Lockpick]

As soon as you get a scroll of protection from undead and a weapon that can hit him

[danconnors]

I read the description of the protection from undead scroll. It said it offered no protection from spells the undead might cast, so I'm wondering what good it would do.

[kente]

Originally posted by danconnors:

I read the description of the protection from undead scroll. It said it offered no protection from spells the undead might cast, so I'm wondering what good it would do.

the protection from undead scroll protects you only from phyiscal attack, but not from spell, ability or from the effects the attack can make (i.e. level dran)

[AlexMBrennan]

I read the description of the protection from undead scroll. It said it offered no protection from spells the undead might cast, so I'm wondering what good it would do.

This is what that fight looks like with the protection from undead scroll.

Imprisonment requires a target, and whilst the lich should in theory be able to use AOE spells (like you might do if you encounter an enemy under the effect of sanctuary) the AI isn't smart enough for that; it also helps that the demi-lich ONLY has two spells - imprisonment and demilich howl (aoe save or die, and thus easily countered with death ward)

It would be useful to have one of the items that instantly destroy undead, which can be obtained as soon as you pay a certain vampire http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=411128555

But yes, I agree that imprisonment sucks and is basically the reason I always take Korgan or play a berserker or mage multi myself.

[Soft Lockpick]

Originally posted by kente:

Originally posted by danconnors:

I read the description of the protection from undead scroll. It said it offered no protection from spells the undead might cast, so I'm wondering what good it would do.

the protection from undead scroll protects you only from phyiscal attack, but not from spell, ability or from the effects the attack can make (i.e. level dran)

See the video above. That scroll makes it so the undead can't see you basically. It doesn't make you immune to things they do (So, say, if you're in a big fight and someone protects themselves with it, but another person is nuked with a cloudkill, you will be affected) but it makes you immune to being what they do it to.

Hide everyone else out of sight. Prot Undead. Game over for Kangaxx

[danconnors]

It's worth a try. In a way it'd be a pity if it did. It's SUPPOSED to be a very hard fight. After getting to the point where Firkraag only lasted two seconds last time I killed him, tough fights are getting hard to find.

[Soft Lockpick]

It's not tough in a "This takes skill" way though. It's tough in a "This is an annoying arbitrary gear/immunity check" way.

I love me some BG, but there are some serious game design flaws in old D&D.

[AlexMBrennan]

It's not tough in a "This takes skill" way though. It's tough in a "This is an annoying arbitrary gear/immunity check" way.

Much of the game works in this way - if you have to fight basilisks without protection from petrification, you are in trouble but otherwise they are pushovers. If you have to fight vampires without a cleric then you are in trouble, but otherwise they are pushovers. If you have to fight beholders without the cloak of cheese then you are in trouble, but otherwise they are pushovers. If you have to fight mindflayers without the ability to summon skeletons then you are in trouble, but otherwise they are pushovers. If you have to fight a mage with stoneskin without the ability to dispell magic then you are in trouble, but otherwise he's a pushover.

If you have to fight kangaxx without a berserker to wield the mace of disruption then you are in trouble, but otherwise he's a pushover.

The skill is knowing enemy tactics, and how to counter them.

[Soft Lockpick]

Originally posted by AlexMBrennan:

It's not tough in a "This takes skill" way though. It's tough in a "This is an annoying arbitrary gear/immunity check" way.

Much of the game works in this way - if you have to fight basilisks without protection from petrification, you are in trouble but otherwise they are pushovers. If you have to fight vampires without a cleric then you are in trouble, but otherwise they are pushovers. If you have to fight beholders without the cloak of cheese then you are in trouble, but otherwise they are pushovers. If you have to fight mindflayers without the ability to summon skeletons then you are in trouble, but otherwise they are pushovers. If you have to fight a mage with stoneskin without the ability to dispell magic then you are in trouble, but otherwise he's a pushover.

If you have to fight kangaxx without a berserker to wield the mace of disruption then you are in trouble, but otherwise he's a pushover.

The skill is knowing enemy tactics, and how to counter them.

Right. Flawed.

[kente]

hi, when i tryed in my currnet game, for me it worked a protection from magic scroll. Anyway i noticed, when you hit him, he will have a "failed casting spell". In my case i had Minsc with protection from magic (i don't remember what weapon he had, i think the daystar) and he killed the demilich without problem: every hit of minsc, the demilich was interrupted, and when the demilich succed to cast the spell, minsc had protection from magic.

[madocs]

Where do you get the mace of disruption?

[Soft Lockpick]

http://mikesrpgcenter.com/bgate2/weapons/maces.html