Grimoire gameplay and hints thread

[Dorateen]

That verse does suggest a connection with the Lysandra, but I believe it's misleading. I was getting so desperate to find the Aurora tablet (was the last one I picked up) that I almost initiated combat with the harp, thinking she might drop the tablet.

It's probably more about the instruction to summon the kelpy so you can explore the lakes.

 

[Melan]

Klytus, I'm boooooooored! I want to play Grimoire again (and I finally have time for it). The last time, I got reasonably far, maybe 50-60% in, but was halted by a quest-breaking bug, and then real life stuff.

Recommend me a decent starting party. I am thinking of six PCs, Sir Coffergus, and one slot for extra NPCs if required. If bards have been toned down reasonably (which I think was the case), I wouldn't mind having one.

 

[index.php]

You can just make a full party of 8 and temporarily dismiss some of your PCs as needed.

 

[Melan]

I could, but I like the idea of picking up NPCs. I have a party concept in mind (partly based on reading this thread):

1) Saurian Berserker
2) Drake Metalsmith
3) Rhattu Assassin (is this a good idea? Seems to have a great skill bonus, but isn't Assassin a better late-game class?)
4) Wolfin Ranger /// OR /// ????? Bard (I would go Human, but I learned by lots of pain their mana recovery is shit). This would be the lockpicking character.
5) Wolfin Cleric
6) Aeorb Sage (for identify)
7) Sir Coffergus (placed into slot 4)
8) Raghilda or some other spellcaster

Does this seem okay?

 

[Dorateen]

Berserker, Ranger and Metalsmith are great offensive characters to start with. Sage is indispensable for utility spells. And the wolfin cleric should recover his magic quickly.

 

[Lady_Error]

Personally, I wouldn't pick Aeorbs due to their squishiness. And I kind of like 4 melee and 4 magic classes. If you take Coffergus, I'd pick a mage or Thaumaturge instead of the Ranger or Bard. The Sage can use music instruments.

Do you plan on doing class changes to get the Jester, for example? In that case you need a Barrower Thaumaturge, which is the best multiclassing character.

 

[Melan]

I am interested in light multiclassing; probably not enough to get one of those impossible classes/combinations.

My issue with Barrowers is their seeming "dead-end" nature in spellcasting specialisation. Although perhaps a Barrower Thaumaturge --> Wizard / Cleric ---> Necromancer path might work?

 

[Butter]

This was what I chose for my current playthrough:

1) Drow Assassin/Warrior/Berserker/Ranger/Thief/Bard/Sage/Cleric/Templar
2) Barrower Metalsmith/Warrior/Berserker/Ranger/Thief/Bard/Cleric/Sage/Thaumaturge/Wizard/Necromancer
3) Giant Warrior/Berserker/Ranger/Thief/Assassin
4) Wolfin Ranger/Warrior/Berserker/Pirate
5) Barrower Thaumaturge/Wizard/Necromancer/Sage/Cleric/Templar/Warrior/Berserker/Ranger/Thief/Bard/Jester
6) Rhattu Thief later dismissed for Dahlia
7) Aeorb Sage
8) Wolfin Cleric

My 2 and 5 are god characters that could probably run the game by themselves, but it requires really diligent attribute-maxing every level-up until you hit your final class.

 

[Lady_Error]

I am interested in light multiclassing; probably not enough to get one of those impossible classes/combinations.

My issue with Barrowers is their seeming "dead-end" nature in spellcasting specialisation. Although perhaps a Barrower Thaumaturge --> Wizard / Cleric ---> Necromancer path might work?

The Jester is really the only impossible class. All the others can be rolled on startup or multiclassed into easily.

There is also an NPC Jester in the mid-game you can recruit.

 

[Melan]

Good old Chuckles! I knew him well.

 

[Gunnar]

I could, but I like the idea of picking up NPCs. I have a party concept in mind (partly based on reading this thread):

1) Saurian Berserker
2) Drake Metalsmith
3) Rhattu Assassin (is this a good idea? Seems to have a great skill bonus, but isn't Assassin a better late-game class?)
4) Wolfin Ranger /// OR /// ????? Bard (I would go Human, but I learned by lots of pain their mana recovery is shit). This would be the lockpicking character.
5) Wolfin Cleric
6) Aeorb Sage (for identify)
7) Sir Coffergus (placed into slot 4)
8) Raghilda or some other spellcaster

Does this seem okay?

I'd recommend Naga Assassin, and make him unarmed. You may want to think about some multiclassing, as this will produce much stronger characters, but you don't have to do that to beat the game. You don't need lockpicking, unless you want to I guess.

 

[Butter]

I seem to have skipped picking up the Havoc Seed. Does anyone remember where to get it?

 

[Lady_Error]

It's on that battlefield/waste map that is one of the starting locations.

 

[Baron Dupek]

Finally beat the game after what felt like eternal journey. Still play old games these days but had to take a peek once or twice because something was missing in my own notes.
It was little annoyance that you gather so much "critical" items yet one of these boxes (for quest items) just doesn't work. And then there's this green bag for... something?
Still feels bitter that I spammed map button and, at the same time, ignored autowalking up until endgame. Don't ask.
Had to return back from endgame up to Moravia for some pipes to fix the clock. Saucer ending felt more fulfilling that seed/team delivery one. But how do you trigger bounty hunter(s) ending? Got these notices, explored both Dominion Exemplar and Blackspike and never met them there, even though Owl said they were after him.

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

Mr. Zyrinx should randomly appear in BlackSpike Mountains, and Mr. Nebulon should randomly appear in BlackSpike Summit. Returning to one of them with the Havoc Seed in your possession triggers the proper ending.

 

[Baron Dupek]

Mr. Zyrinx should randomly appear in BlackSpike Mountains, and Mr. Nebulon should randomly appear in BlackSpike Summit. Returning to one of them with the Havoc Seed in your possession triggers the proper ending.

Wandered in both places - running, sleeping, all with increased encounters rate (not sure if that affects NPCs), also did 1st and 2nd fix for the clock.
No dice. They don't even shows up in Locate Person spell.

I DO remember that sprite in your screenshots from previous encounter but not sure if that was him, it was somewhere around the time when my team was send to get 2nd tablet. And like any other encounter with NPCs - they should show up again when passing through but for some reason it's not the case?
Or maybe they're related to Lord Ahriman and kicking his shiny metal arse prevent bounty hunters from coming for me?

Based on the guide they ask for Black item, have Havoc item in my possession but iirc they are the same?

I got similar issue with Shriek, it was before he gave me 3rd task. There was a case when I could not trigger encounter with him no matter what, usually he shows up every time my team get through the city but that was exception.

 

[Lady_Error]

Wandered in both places - running, sleeping, all with increased encounters rate (not sure if that affects NPCs), also did 1st and 2nd fix for the clock.
No dice. They don't even shows up in Locate Person spell.

I had no problem getting those endings in V2. Maybe there is some kind of weird bug?

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

Wandered in both places - running, sleeping, all with increased encounters rate (not sure if that affects NPCs), also did 1st and 2nd fix for the clock.
No dice. They don't even shows up in Locate Person spell.

I DO remember that sprite in your screenshots from previous encounter but not sure if that was him, it was somewhere around the time when my team was send to get 2nd tablet. And like any other encounter with NPCs - they should show up again when passing through but for some reason it's not the case?
Or maybe they're related to Lord Ahriman and kicking his shiny metal arse prevent bounty hunters from coming for me?

Based on the guide they ask for Black item, have Havoc item in my possession but iirc they are the same?

I got similar issue with Shriek, it was before he gave me 3rd task. There was a case when I could not trigger encounter with him no matter what, usually he shows up every time my team get through the city but that was exception.

Defeating Lord Ahriman didn't prevent Nebulon from re-appearing for me so that I could obtain the ending seen in the screenshot I posted. However, that playthrough occurred three years ago in what is now considered "Grimoire V1", and it's possible that a relatively recent change to Grimoire introduced an error, so I suggest you point out this issue to Cleve himself and have him look into it.

 

[Cleveland Mark Blakemore]

Mr. Zyrinx should randomly appear in BlackSpike Mountains, and Mr. Nebulon should randomly appear in BlackSpike Summit. Returning to one of them with the Havoc Seed in your possession triggers the proper ending.

Wandered in both places - running, sleeping, all with increased encounters rate (not sure if that affects NPCs), also did 1st and 2nd fix for the clock.
No dice. They don't even shows up in Locate Person spell.

I DO remember that sprite in your screenshots from previous encounter but not sure if that was him, it was somewhere around the time when my team was send to get 2nd tablet. And like any other encounter with NPCs - they should show up again when passing through but for some reason it's not the case?
Or maybe they're related to Lord Ahriman and kicking his shiny metal arse prevent bounty hunters from coming for me?

Based on the guide they ask for Black item, have Havoc item in my possession but iirc they are the same?

I got similar issue with Shriek, it was before he gave me 3rd task. There was a case when I could not trigger encounter with him no matter what, usually he shows up every time my team get through the city but that was exception.

They are supposed to wander around Blackspike after you get the Seed waiting for you to emerge ... it's been a while but I believe if you kill Lord Ahriman they may give up and go home so you can't get those particular endings.

 

[Lady_Error]

They are supposed to wander around Blackspike after you get the Seed waiting for you to emerge ... it's been a while but I believe if you kill Lord Ahriman they may give up and go home so you can't get those particular endings.

I killed Ahriman relatively early but still could get the two bounty hunter endings.

 

[MadMal073]

How do you "improved identify" items that you've previously identified? My bard assayed stuff she pulled from a treasure chest and had skill high enough to provide basic information about the item (which is really quite minimal), and when I cast improved identify on my sage to see if he could do better, I don't get a journal entry or any additional information about the item like I do when he's improved identified stuff from scratch in the past. Can you only ever "improved identify" items that you've not yet identified at all?

 

[Lady_Error]

How do you "improved identify" items that you've previously identified?

It should work. You may simply have cast at a too low level for that item, or the spell casting simply didn't succeed.

 

[Dorateen]

Actually, I think that is the case, you are unable to get the full information from items that you identified earlier before the Improved ID spell. However there are Oracles in the game world that you can use to fully ID items, and I think having NPCs ID items (like the blacksmith in Crowl) will also get those earlier items fully identified.

 

[MadMal073]

Actually, I think that is the case, you are unable to get the full information from items that you identified earlier before the Improved ID spell. However there are Oracles in the game world that you can use to fully ID items, and I think having NPCs ID items (like the blacksmith in Crowl) will also get those earlier items fully identified.

Thanks! This worked.

One other question. How on earth do Locksmith's keys work? I understand they're supposed to be able to bypass locks on chests and doors, but I've tried to use the key in many ways on a variety of chests and doors, and it has never done anything. Are they bugged.

 

[Cleveland Mark Blakemore]

Actually, I think that is the case, you are unable to get the full information from items that you identified earlier before the Improved ID spell. However there are Oracles in the game world that you can use to fully ID items, and I think having NPCs ID items (like the blacksmith in Crowl) will also get those earlier items fully identified.

Thanks! This worked.

One other question. How on earth do Locksmith's keys work? I understand they're supposed to be able to bypass locks on chests and doors, but I've tried to use the key in many ways on a variety of chests and doors, and it has never done anything. Are they bugged.

They are supposed to open any chest lower than level 20. There may be chests they do not open.