Whats the deal with soul eaters? Chapter 4

[Chimbledon]

On the Varnhold questline and got into a combat with waves of soul eaters. Only Nok-Nok, Tristain, and MC can target them, and only one each, forced attacks/damage like Serenity and the stormwalkers Flash Step don't do damage, even if they hit.

[Duder]

Originally posted by Chimbledon:

On the Varnhold questline and got into a combat with waves of soul eaters. Only Nok-Nok, Tristain, and MC can target them, and only one each, forced attacks/damage like Serenity and the stormwalkers Flash Step don't do damage, even if they hit.

They were the ones named, only they can attack their respective soul eater. If you don't give the Raven names it's random.
That's a hard fight. I got lucky with Tristian casting Dismissal, since they're outsiders. But you get 0 XP for that.

[Radiac]

That whole sub-stroyline is super dumb and awkwardly implemented. Please allow me to belly-ache about it at length:

1. The raven keeps trying to get you to tell it your name, as if it needs you to say your own name for some reason. Even if you wisely refrain from doing that, it will always definitely eventually learn your name somehow anyway, making that entire sequence of interactions totally pointless. And if and when you do interact with the crow in dialogue text, you cannot name any custom merc that you currently have on the team, nor can you name any of the prefab companions that are not currently on the team. Nor can you name, say, Tartuccio, Irovetti, Natala Surtova, or any other named character whom you'd know. Nor can you make up a fake name to tell the crow. Nor can you tell the crow that IT, the crow, is your best friend, or your most powerful ally. In short, you have play this game with only the moves the devs are willing to allow, all of which are super dumb, in order to move the story forward in the one and only direction that the devs wanted it to go in.

2. Soul Eaters, encountered in other places, don't seem to have any problem attacking and being attacked by pretty much anyone, so why are these ones so special that they need to know a name? Also, some of those regular Soul Eaters show up during this fight. Whycome they don't need to know names?

3. And if these Soul Eaters are, like, DIFFERENT from the regular kind of Soul Eaters, why are they not given unique names like "Schecky" and "Jim-Bob" or at the very least, "More Different Soul Eater". The "names matter" variety of Soul Eaters are just called "Soul Eater" like EVERY other Soul Eater in the game. I mean the game even gives different types of Hydras different names like "Primal" and "Poisonous" to differentiate them from each other.

4. During the fight with the "names matter" Soul Eaters, the first one, who summons the other three, is completely unattackable until you defeat the three "names matter" ones, despite having no read-aloud text and no storyline value at all which might require plot armor.

[Duder]

Originally posted by Radiac:

That whole sub-stroyline is super dumb and awkwardly implemented. Please allow me to belly-ache about it at length:

1. The raven keeps trying to get you to tell it your name, as if it needs you to say your own name for some reason. Even if you wisely refrain from doing that, it will always definitely eventually learn your name somehow anyway, making that entire sequence of interactions totally pointless. And if and when you do interact with the crow in dialogue text, you cannot name any custom merc that you currently have on the team, nor can you name any of the prefab companions that are not currently on the team. Nor can you name, say, Tartuccio, Irovetti, Natala Surtova, or any other named character whom you'd know. Nor can you make up a fake name to tell the crow. Nor can you tell the crow that IT, the crow, is your best friend, or your most powerful ally. In short, you have play this game with only the moves the devs are willing to allow, all of which are super dumb, in order to move the story forward in the one and only direction that the devs wanted it to go in.

2. Soul Eaters, encountered in other places, don't seem to have any problem attacking and being attacked by pretty much anyone, so why are these ones so special that they need to know a name? Also, some of those regular Soul Eaters show up during this fight. Whycome they don't need to know names?

3. And if these Soul Eaters are, like, DIFFERENT from the regular kind of Soul Eaters, why are they not given unique names like "Schecky" and "Jim-Bob" or at the very least, "More Different Soul Eater". The "names matter" variety of Soul Eaters are just called "Soul Eater" like EVERY other Soul Eater in the game. I mean the game even gives different types of Hydras different names like "Primal" and "Poisonous" to differentiate them from each other.

4. During the fight with the "names matter" Soul Eaters, the first one, who summons the other three, is completely unattackable until you defeat the three "names matter" ones, despite having no read-aloud text and no storyline value at all which might require plot armor.

I think they were named uniquely, Ferocious Soul Eater.
Idk I didn't mind it. I liked the whole Vordakai chapter, the Raven is his familiar and trying to give him an advantage, since he is obviously scared of the MC
But I'll agree that it was weird at least. They should have just done more damage and been buffed against the named characters. Like you said not sure what made them different. Maybe some of Vordakai's ancient magic

[Dragon Master]

Originally posted by Radiac:

That whole sub-stroyline is super dumb and awkwardly implemented. Please allow me to belly-ache about it at length:

1. The raven keeps trying to get you to tell it your name, as if it needs you to say your own name for some reason. Even if you wisely refrain from doing that, it will always definitely eventually learn your name somehow anyway, making that entire sequence of interactions totally pointless. And if and when you do interact with the crow in dialogue text, you cannot name any custom merc that you currently have on the team, nor can you name any of the prefab companions that are not currently on the team. Nor can you name, say, Tartuccio, Irovetti, Natala Surtova, or any other named character whom you'd know. Nor can you make up a fake name to tell the crow. Nor can you tell the crow that IT, the crow, is your best friend, or your most powerful ally. In short, you have play this game with only the moves the devs are willing to allow, all of which are super dumb, in order to move the story forward in the one and only direction that the devs wanted it to go in.

2. Soul Eaters, encountered in other places, don't seem to have any problem attacking and being attacked by pretty much anyone, so why are these ones so special that they need to know a name? Also, some of those regular Soul Eaters show up during this fight. Whycome they don't need to know names?

3. And if these Soul Eaters are, like, DIFFERENT from the regular kind of Soul Eaters, why are they not given unique names like "Schecky" and "Jim-Bob" or at the very least, "More Different Soul Eater". The "names matter" variety of Soul Eaters are just called "Soul Eater" like EVERY other Soul Eater in the game. I mean the game even gives different types of Hydras different names like "Primal" and "Poisonous" to differentiate them from each other.

4. During the fight with the "names matter" Soul Eaters, the first one, who summons the other three, is completely unattackable until you defeat the three "names matter" ones, despite having no read-aloud text and no storyline value at all which might require plot armor.

Likely because in a loading screen it makes the point that a soul eater becomes more dangerous if it knows your name.

Effectively, the Raven told the soul eaters the names it had been given so the soul eaters are now linked to those names and characters.

[forkofspite]

Forced solo encounters have appeared in other D&D settings (such as the Living Greyhawk 3.5 campaign - don't remember the scenario). Most commonly, they involve splitting the party somehow.

This encounter is adapting the actual paizo version of a soul eater. When summoned, a soul eater can unerringly locate an individual named by the summoner. If the soul eater fails to kill that individual bad things happen.

I think unique encounters such as these enrich a game - especially in a CRPG where you can learn from experience and try again.

[razvedchiki]

if you remember an earlier conversation you had with the green lady, she refuses to give up her name to you because at that stage you are enemies and names carry power ( reload power).

[Immortal Reaver]

One exception. Wilcards DLC tiefling twins. You can use their fake name, and soul eater will say no such person is there.

Originally posted by Radiac:

1. The raven keeps trying to get you to tell it your name, as if it needs you to say your own name for some reason. Even if you wisely refrain from doing that, it will always definitely eventually learn your name somehow anyway, making that entire sequence of interactions totally pointless.

You can totaly avoid it.

[forkofspite]

Originally posted by Immortal Reaver:

You can totaly avoid it.

Technically, yes. However, proceeding while avoiding it requires some obscure guesswork (i.e. online help) because the clue refers to something that doesn't exist in the game.

Plus, where's the fun in ignoring the end of the Along the Cold Trail quest?

edit:
I will grant that following that in-game clues leads to potentially the worst possible circumstances for this encounter due to stupid allies. It's certainly questionable design that following the clues can lead to the worst case scenario.

[blackvoid]

Sister at the camp gives out your name. And Valerie blurts hers out in one of the rooms inside the dungeon.

So even if you are diligent with names, you and Valerie will get to fight your personal soul eaters alone.

[The.Spaz.]

Oh yeah this was pretty neat twist. So the soul eaters that mentions a specific characters name in your party is the only one that can damage it. You can buff and debuff to a certain extent but say the specter mentions Linzie's name then she will have to strike it down. It will not harm the others but neither can they harm it.

[Duder]

Originally posted by blackvoid:

Sister at the camp gives out your name. And Valerie blurts hers out in one of the rooms inside the dungeon.

So even if you are diligent with names, you and Valerie will get to fight your personal soul eaters alone.

In my game Amiri volunteered hers, likely because stupid.
I told the Raven my name when I first met it.
Tristian got named too, even when I tried avoiding the names, because they cram that "soul eaters are more dangerous if they know your name"
I think it's random to whomever is in your party.
I wonder what happens with mercs

[forkofspite]

Was actually wondering if Tristain was an option. I've had him for this part every time (five), and he never volunteered.

[Duder]

Originally posted by forkofspite:

Was actually wondering if Tristain was an option. I've had him for this part every time (five), and he never volunteered.

I can't remember exactly what happened unfortunately. I might have said his named when asked who is weakest, or something else.
I remember him because his only chance was casting dismissal on the soul eater. A scroll at that, got lucky

[Immortal Reaver]

For people blurting out names, it chooses character at random, it can be any story companion.

[Radiac]

You cannot choose to voluntarily name any merc, and the only companions you can name are ones currently in the party while you're locked in the tomb.