[SPOILERS] Getting into Felds electrical (AFTER the shivers check); another point to softlock the game?

[WarMom]

So, I'm hunting down Ruby. I understand the shivers checks on the Fels building mural are definitely mandatory, but you can literally get them to an unfailable state by doing sidequests (literal +20 modifier is what I had). What concerns me is right after, when you can do a savoir faire check to get up the ladder, OR a physical instrument check to get in the pipe. My character has low of both of these. I have done every available sidequest I can find so I can't further level up. So if I fail both of these checks, one of which is mandatory to proceed, am I screwed and the game busted or is there a modifier I can get?

[xyrilyn]

There are modifiers for the Drainage Pipe and the Feld Ladder, but the ones I know of may not be of much help.

Drainage Pipe
Physical Instrument - Heroic 15 [White Check]
Skill Level 5: 58% Even, Modifiers: (+1 Broke into Cuno's apt, +1 Broke into communist apt, +1 Broke bookstore door)

Notes: Breaking into Cuno's apartment requires the chaincutters. Same for the communist apartment in the same building. The bookstore door requires Pain Threshold (?) or some Red Skill.

Feld Ladder
Savoir Faire - Challenging 12 [White Check]
Skill Level 3: 58% Even, Modifiers: (+2 Saw Tiago climbing)

You might need to reload saves and try again.

[WarMom]

I had all those modifiers and still failed both. I did reload, but I'm less interested in 'what can I do' and more interested in 'uuuh did the developer have the foresight to make the shivers check unlosable if you did sidequests but then ♥♥♥♥ up on the next checks making the game unwinnable?'

[MeanJim]

I just posted on the GOG forums, where I own this, because I think I'm stuck in this exact situation. My character has low Savior Faire and Physical Instrument skills. I tried the drain pipe first because I didn't want pick the option to say that teleport line. I failed it three times. I think I initially had the lowest possible chance to pass (3%) despite having a +1 from a thought One More Door. I thought Kim said something about taking a break and trying later, so I assumed after some time it would re-open and be easier, like getting the body down. I went off and did (or tried) some side quests. I managed to do the quest for Cuno, breaking into his apartment, which unlocked the check, but I failed again. I began wandering around looking for anything to do, and ended up in the dice maker's place, which I'd forgotten I ordered a die from the previous day. Lucky for me, the die I ordered (the Cursed Iilamaraan die) gives a +1 to this check, so it re-opened. It's only up to 17% with the +3 modifier, and I failed it.

I decided to go back to the ladder. I have more items to boost Savior Faire and the +2 from seeing Tiago in the church. That gets it up to 58%, but I still failed it.

I went everywhere I could and managed to find a few little things I missed, but not enough to level up. Even if I had a skill point, neither of those skills is something I want my character to focus on, so I don't want to waste it on putting it into a skill just to unlock a white skill check.

I literally have no other quests to do now. The only ones I have not completed yet are related to the church. I agreed to help the woman there recover the data if she would let the ravers in and set up their club, but I'm stuck on those too due to failed white checks. I can't open the ice cream maker where the data cube is, even though I unplugged it on day two, long before getting the quest, I have the tool she gave me equipped, and get +1 for having gloves on. Being unplugged is only giving +2 (even though it had been unplugged for 4 days), but it was still impossibly low and I failed. I thought that as more time passed, the thing would thaw more and re-open the check and become easier as it thawed, but two days have passed since then and the check hasn't re-opened.

Luckily my oldest save is right before attempting to climb the ladder, so if I really am stuck, I can load that up. I really hate the idea of having to save scumm to advance the story. And that save was made two days ago, so that's a lot of wasted play time and stuff to re-do if I have to go back that far.

[figbyfigbyfigby]

Originally posted by xyrilyn:

Feld Ladder
Savoir Faire - Challenging 12 [White Check]
Skill Level 3: 58% Even, Modifiers: (+2 Saw Tiago climbing)

For this there's a +1 or 2 (can't rember) if Coach Physical Instrument thought is internalized, "do it for Coach!"

[blory]

take drugs

[MeanJim]

Originally posted by corywatch:

take drugs

There are problems with that. For starters, it doesn't unlock failed white checks, which is the problem here. I've become stuck in a situation where I can't advance in the game because the two possible skill checks required to proceed are locked, and I can't find a way to unlock them to even try again. Even if it was an option, it's not an option because this is an RPG and it's not something my character does (anymore).

[blory]

drugs do unlock failed white checks though, don't they?

[MeanJim]

No, they just boost base stats, which gives +1 (or +2 with thoughts) to all associated skills and temporarily raises the learning cap. This will only slightly increase the chances of passing skill checks.

[MoreEvilSquid]

Originally posted by MeanJim:

No, they just boost base stats, which gives +1 (or +2 with thoughts) to all associated skills and temporarily raises the learning cap. This will only slightly increase the chances of passing skill checks.

Often it's more than "slightly" - it can often be the difference between failing and not failing.

[MoreEvilSquid]

Originally posted by xyrilyn:

There are modifiers for the Drainage Pipe and the Feld Ladder, but the ones I know of may not be of much help.

Drainage Pipe
Physical Instrument - Heroic 15 [White Check]
Skill Level 5: 58% Even, Modifiers: (+1 Broke into Cuno's apt, +1 Broke into communist apt, +1 Broke bookstore door)

Notes: Breaking into Cuno's apartment requires the chaincutters. Same for the communist apartment in the same building. The bookstore door requires Pain Threshold (?) or some Red Skill.

Feld Ladder
Savoir Faire - Challenging 12 [White Check]
Skill Level 3: 58% Even, Modifiers: (+2 Saw Tiago climbing)

You might need to reload saves and try again.

You can get a pretty big boost for the Feld ladder by talking to the guy in front of the building with his son (during the day when he's there). Ask him about his martial arts...