Inactive Let's break some boots in the RoA! (Escape from Castle Orkenstein)

[lightbane]

Holga must have angered the gods too many times.

Realms of Arkania, truly hardcore-EXTREME even before EXTREME itself was invented.
So, did you slaughter everyone in that pirate town?

 

[Edward_R_Murrow]

Thanks to the immense usefulness of Murrow's pentrate&teleport combo

Penetrate and teleport...sounds like the way to do things.

What level is Transversalis Teleport at now, by the way?

 

[Pussycat669]

Hey, some people are still reading this!

You're almost at the end by the looks of it, what's left, Phexcaer?

Pretty much, yeah. Only three dungeons left that I could find and a few text adventure segments. I was originally going to do separate updates for the last map piece and the finale but there is really such a lack of action in the east that I'll probably just stick them together.

So, did you slaughter everyone in that pirate town?

Those punks all had it coming if you ask me. Only the old man won't fight you so he survives and the brown huts have pretty much the same function as in every other village: none.

@Edward_R_Murrow
Still -2. You got a 3 out of 5 hit-rate so far though so it's not as bad as it sounds.


Just imported the characters over to RoA 2 after finishing Blade of Destiny and, well, there has been a problem.

This seems to be a known bug and there is a patch for it but it doesn't work out of the box as you apparently have to unzip some files manually. Anyone ever got this patch to work? Otherwise I guess I'll have to use an Hex-Editor.

 

[golgepapaz]

Superstition -1 success! :fanfare:

hahaha finally

Dance +1 Embarassed

A gentleman should know how to move in both a battlefield and a hall...

9 skill increases this level and that's alot considering previous ones , Don't you get 20 attempts per level? In ROA2 it seems easier the increase them, or I get lucky maybe

 

[Pussycat669]

Yeah, 20 attempts for everyone except for mages (who only get 15). Skills increase fairly quickly for beginners but it becomes harder the better you get so you'll probably waste a lot more attempts later on if you want to specialize.

 

[korenzel]

Just imported the characters over to RoA 2 after finishing Blade of Destiny and, well, there has been a problem.

This seems to be a known bug and there is a patch for it but it doesn't work out of the box as you apparently have to unzip some files manually. Anyone ever got this patch to work? Otherwise I guess I'll have to use an Hex-Editor.

Are the portraits the problem you refer to ? If so, you can right click in Inventory and choose the "Change Appearance" option to be given a list to choose from. Some portraits have been more or less edited but there are equivalents to the first game's.

 

[Pussycat669]

That won't help, sadly. From my understanding, the bug screws up some digits during the import progress which makes the game think that the PCs are under an active illusion spell. It's not such a big problem from the looks of it as you can just fix those numbers with an hex-editor but it would be good to know if the patch is actually worth something. Maybe the GoG version is already patched. I'll experiment a little once I get home.

 

[Pussycat669]

Ok, the GoG version has the same problem (at least I got all the gimmicks of the CD version now, like the animated intro) so I had to fix it per hand. If you wonder how it works: make a new save after you imported your old party, edit the savegame with the hex-editor of your choice and change the first '10' you find into '00', save changes, start game and reload the save (note that the game doesn't start up with the last savegame but a separate autosave). If no character changes back into his original appearance, you revert your changes, otherwise just repeat the progress with the next '10's until everything is back to normal.

Anyways, our party is ready to roll out for a new adventure once I manage to get the next update done. Everyone receives a face lift and a new level up. The import seems to be a little faulty as many piece of our equipment is now magical (including a crowbar) and Murrow's shield is 'broken' although he can still equip it.

Spoiler

It's ok though since we're going to lose most of our gear anyways at one point or another.

XP distribution is also a screwy from the looks of it as Holga now has a lot less XP than her fellows. Most of our 2000 ducats has vanished too which is probably intentional but still hurts.

... and toastboy looks like he could use a good cup of cofee. :/

:
Charisma +1
Superstition -1 failure
Magic resistance +5
HP +1

Combat:
Pointed Weapons +1 (+1 attack)

Craftsmanship:
Pickpocket +1

Social:
Convert +1
Seduce +1
Haggle +1

Intuition:
Danger Sense +1
Perception +1

:
Courage +1
Superstition -1 failure
HP +1

Body:
Climb +1
Swim +1
Self Control +1

Lore:
Tactics +1

Intuition:
Danger Sense +1
Perception +1

:
Dexterity +1
Violent Temper -1 success!
HP +1
MP +2
Convert spell attempt into MP? No
Convert skill attempts into spell attempts? No

Combat:
Pole Arms +1 (+1 attack)

Lore
Alchemy +1
History +1
Ritual +1

Intuition:
Danger Sense +1
Perception +1

Dispell:
Gardianum (now Guardian) +2
Transformation +1

Domination:
Bambadalam +2
Horriphobus +3
Respondami +3
Somnigravis +1

Clairvoyance:
Analyze +2
Penetrating +2

Combat (magic):
Plumbumbarum +1

:
Courage +1
Violent Temper -1 success!
Magic resistance +1
HP +3
MP +4
Convert skill attempts into spell attempts? No

Combat:
Pole Arms +1 (+1 attack)

Craftsmanship:
Treat Poison +2
Treat Wounds +2

Nature:
Animal Lore +1

Intuition:
Perception +1

Dispell:
Domination +2

Domination:
Confusion +2
Dance! +1

Combat (magic):
Lightning +1
Iron Rust +1

Transformation:
All the increase spells except for charisma

Transmutation:
Fiat Lux +1

:
Agility +1
Necrophobia -1 success!
HP +3
MP +3

Combat:
Missile Weapons +1

Body:
Climb +2

Intuition:
Danger Sense +1
Perception +1

Dispell:
Domination +1

Domination:
Bambaladam +1

Healing:
Rest the Body +2

Combat (magic):
Lightning +2
Fulminictus +1

 

[korenzel]

Glad to hear you've got it fixed. Despite having less experience than the rest of the party, Holga is level eight while the rest of the party is level seven.

 

[Pussycat669]

There is actually another level up waiting for you, golgepapaz and toastboy right outside the temple but I didn't want the heroes to get ahead of themselves

 

[Pussycat669]

Today we reach the end of this little tale and a bunch of silly pictures happen.

First we return to Thorwal to collect some rumours we've missed before.

Sure doesn't take long to find the ship in question.

The ship is notorious for hidden trapdoors that can separate your team but our group is so overpowered at this point that we can just autobattle our way through the undead crew. Most of the party ends up in the bilge after a while.

There was an amulet amongst the loot.

No stairs to be found so we'll have to look for another route.

Climbing back up requires a rope. Holga is carrying a grappling hook but she's currently wandering in the dark one floor above and can't find her way down. Her missing lock picks are less of a problem, thanks to some old fashioned video game violence.

Finally, Holga plunges downwards.

It’s still no good. This pretty much means game over for us. Funnily enough I remember that happening to me on my first playthrough as well.

If you've listened to the sailor from before, you should know the answer to that one. The chest contains nothing but a simple key.

A bit too late for that. We find our way up to the captain's quarters or some such.

The thing requires a keycard.

Say hello to my little friend.

Killing the demon lifts the curse over this vessel but that comes with an unpleasant side effect.

Let's do this right.

Another, less hazardous danger awaits on our way back to Thorwal.

Nothing going on in this part of the world.

Another VIP lives here although he's more of an info dump than anything.

Bee finds a 'shortcut' through the woods.

It's too early to go to the mountains yet so we head back to Skelellen.

He has a magic amulet on him but nothing what we haven't seen before.

That's it for the east.

Not much to plunder in the sleeping quarters.

Food could be better too.

Each one of these events will trigger a fight but the XP bonus is well worth it.

Meh, crossbow traps were far worse.

We can finally put Murrow's academic knowledge to a test.

It’s always good to know your enemy.

Ok, maybe not that good.
We discover a treasure chamber nearby where Holga recovers a vital piece of information. It is again up to Murrow to present us the big picture.

It's a date then.

This town is fairly interesting to explore as you may stumble on some unexpected quest opportunities.

Something is obviously wrong in this temple so we decline the offer next time we get a chance.

With that he actually means the temple itself.

It's a fairly easy fight yet yields tons of XP. Re-entering the building will again trigger the 'Get them!' dialogue but no more combat will occur.

This temple doesn't serve any higher purpose from the looks of it except that you can be booted out if you're not nice enough.

The one good thing about playing without a walkthrough is that you sometimes find places no hint book would ever mention.

We look for a little more practical amusement.

Another magical amulet is our reward.

Hey, I even know the answer to that one! (for anyone who is confused: the broken wheel is the symbol of Boron, the god of death)

His advice will come in handy.

The unicorn never turns up again. Those mystical creatures really are unreliable.

We decide to take a tour around the lake for good measure.

This part I hate.

It takes a few retries before we can pass the swamp without losing anything irreplaceable.

Thanks for more old news.

We don't have such luck on our way back to Kravik.

Still too early for that.

Not this shit again.

With the Stony Oak Forest finally behind us, we now can go and retrieve the last piece of the puzzle in Angbodirtal.

Alright, buster, we're done playing sissy.

Our journey is almost at an end. Let's go out for some treasure hunting.

Could this be it?

Of course it's not. Nothing but worthless rubble is found during the first few minutes of aimless search.

There are again a lot of empty chests standing around in the next level with only one exception.

An unbreakable door is hindering our progress.

The door didn't open. It's obviously a delicate task meant to challenge the player's wit.

Sorry for not being sorry skipping that one. Some unhappy undead attack us with righteous rage a few steps further and the place itself is also still a hazard in itself.

We pass through the former food storage.

Our heroes enter the great dinner hall where the undead have a big battle and a surprise waiting for us.

It figures. We check the last few remaining rooms for valuables.

Ho ho ho... no.

Seriously, my ADD isn't that bad. We escape this joint.

Sorry, pals, but our path is set.

Our champion is ready.

Here it comes!

It is done.

We'll see if our seasoned heroes will be able to bring the lovin' back to the dwarves and elves. See you in the next season.

 

[Drakron]

 

[Azira]

 

[Edward_R_Murrow]

Nicely done. Looking forward to the next game.

Good choice with Johnny Cage too.

 

[good little toastboy]

A well deserved silver sperm whale! Great LP!

 

[lightbane]

So, what happens if you touch the cursed treasure anyways? Instant game over?

It seems Andyman worked in this game long before the Codex existed.

But can you really cheat or something? Is it possible to break the rules of that duel?

Oh, and many for finishing this game.

 

[Pussycat669]

The curse won't allow you to leave the dungeon, I think, and you are forced to either reload or starve to death. I remember being quiet pissed about it back in the day since you can actually miss Hyggelik and his warnings on the way to the treasure vault which I did.

Cheating during the duel (except with potions) isn't a smart move. Magic users will die instantly when they try to cast spells and getting anyone but your fighter involved will upset the surrounding orcs. You can still win the fight but the XP output is the same so it's more of a waste of time.

 

[Crooked Bee]

Tentacle raep!

Bee finds a 'shortcut' through the woods.

Meh, crossbow traps were far worse.

The one good thing about playing without a walkthrough is that you sometimes find places no hint book would ever mention.

Phew, the update is huge. Will read more later.

 

[Bee-chan]

So gullible, that bee.

Moments like these truly are precious.

 

[korenzel]

Was the orc chieftain only doing one damage to Golgepapaz ? Not much of an opponent if that's the case.

Congratulations for another successfully completed Let's Play, and onwards to Star Trail!

 

[Pussycat669]

And here we are at level eight. Anyone remembers if there was a level cap in the trilogy?

:
Charisma +1
Superstition -1 success
Magic resistance +1
HP +4

Combat:
Pointed Weapons +1 (you can no longer chose between attack and parry)

Body:
Hide +1
Carouse +1

Social:
Seduce +2
Streetwise +1
Human Nature +1

Intuition:
Danger Sense +1
Perception +1

:
Intuition +1
Superstition -1 success!
Magic resistance +1
(I made a few mistake with the R in the last two updates. Protection amulets no longer need to be worn anymore to take effect so it all got a little messed up)
HP +7 (that shouldn't be possible but I ain't complaining)

Combat:
Swords +1

Body:
Climb +1
Phys. Control +1
Swim +1
Hide +1
Carouse +1

Lore:
Tactics +1

Intuition:
Danger Sense +1
Perception +1

:
Courage +1
Curiosity -1 failure
Magic resistance +1
HP +2
MP +8
Convert spell attempt into MP? Yes
Convert skill attempts into spell attempts? No

Combat:
Pole Arms +1

Body:
Climb +1
Phys. Control +2
Swim +1

Intuition:
Danger Sense +1
Perception +1

Dispell:
Domination +1
Destruction +2
Guardian +2
Illusion +2
Transformation +1

Movement:
Foramen +2

Combat (magic):
Lightning +1
Fulminictus +1

Transmutation:
Darkness +1
Freeze Soft +2
Melt Solid +2
Silentium +1

:
Charisma +1
Curiosity -1 failure
HP +3
MP +4
Convert skill attempts into spell attempts? No

Combat:
Pole Arms +1

Craftsmanship:
Treat Poison +2

Intuition:
Danger Sense +1

Domination:
Evil Eye +2
Dance! +2

Demonology:
Banish Spirits +2
Conjure Spirits +2

Combat (magic):
Lightning +1
Iron Rust +1

Transformation:
All the increase spells

Transmutation:
Abvenenum +1
Aeolitus +1
Darkness +1
Silentium +1

:
Intuition +1
Claustrophobia -1 failure
HP +2
MP +3

Combat:
Swords +1
Missile Weapons +1

Body:
Climb +1
Phys. Control +1

Nature:
Track +1
Orientation +1

Intuition:
Danger Sense +1

Dispell:
Illusion +1

Domination:
Bambaladam +1
Somnigravis +1

Movement:
Acceleratus +1

Healing:
Rest the Body +1

Combat (magic):
Lightning +1
Accurate Eye +1

 

[Crooked Bee]

MOAR!!

 

[Fafnir]

MOAR!!

 

[Pussycat669]

About time this thread earns its title (enchanted intro can be found here).

It’s a fairly uninformative piece of narrative. Hopefully our trusty journal will provide more insight about what's going down.

A temple again? :/

Yeah, we get booted out.

As you know, an Orcish uprising was crushed once before, but only by the cooperation of the Dwarves and Elves. As a sign of friendship a magical artefact, the Salamander Stone, was created to mark the occasion. But the friendship has sundered and the Salamander Stone was lost.

Dramatic face close-up:

In order to resist this new Orcish threat, the Salamander Stone must be delivered into the hands of the Dwarf Ingramosch!

You had contact with an Elf, haven’t you. An Elf pretending to be an ambassador? A child could tell you there is no such thing as an Elf ambassador! Did he speak of the friendship between Elves and Dwarves? What a nonsense! They can no more coexist than fire and water! The Salamander Stone has many different abilities to those in the know…

[He's actually right about Starlight who, according to canon, only pretends to be an ambassador to add some weight to his name. Since this businessman is obviously evil however and therefore can never speak truthfully, I guess we'll have to roll with it.]
Dramatic eye close-up:

…And it’s worth a lot. A tremendous lot! I’ll pay you 1000 Ducats for it! If you take the stone to Vindaria Leechbronn in Lowangen.

First things first…

Well, that was pointless.

Distrustful folks around here, that's for sure.

You’re one useless barkeeper.

There isn't much else to do at night so our heroes hit the pillow.

*Boing*

Phex be with you,

leave your weapons where they are.

I wish to propose a business arrangement. The famous axe, Star Trail, was stolen from the temple. Supposedly it is being held inside an Orcish fortress, and guarded by some rather peculiar Orcs. Return the weapon to me and you will not go unrewarded. You shall receive a piece of the temple treasure, a piece of your choosing, and Phex shall forever favour you.

The thief makes his graceful escape.

A new dawn rises. We'll need to gear up for what promises to become a long journey. Coincidentally, today is market day.

We get rid of some of our 'new' magical equipment.

We also buy travelling gear which will hopefully protect us from diseases, one of the most dangerous enemies in the game.

Herbalists are the easiest way to regain cash for imported characters since money is usually not transferred but all the precious herbs are. The owners usually have some sound advice too.

Following our old RoA 1 instincts, we check out the nearby huts. Most citizens aren't very helpful.

Some however are more than happy to share their wisdom and rumours with us. It's usually a lot more useful than asking people directly.

Rumours Corner

Random events make a comeback as well.

Events Corner

That's all for Kvirasim.

The priestess is still mad at us, what else is new?

Tavern number two but again nothing that could indicate where we're supposed to go from here.

The local healer and quiet a good one too.

Some old-school copy protection.

The automap. You can fast travel to any explored spot in a town with a double click, a very handy feature. Now what’s there to do?

Sounds like we've got our work cut out for us.

There is only one way out of town and it is leading south so that's the direction we're heading.

Our first rest. Many shall follow.

The innkeeper is quiet talkative for a change.

Moving onwards…

Some orcs followed us from Thorwal. We are at least three levels above the average so most battles can be resolved by the computer.

I never get tired of that one.

We follow Iwain’s suggestion and leave the explored world to find an unbeaten path that can lead us north. A jester ambushes the group at the campfire.

The dialogue has revealed new routes which can be programmed into our GPS from now on. Still, the terrain is rough and it takes a while before we can get anywhere.

She won’t be the last.
Sick heroes can infect other party members and some disease can also take on worse forms if they are left untreated so it’s important to get rid of them fast.

One catastrophe averted
I just fear the day when Korenzel himself catches something.

Whatever north that fool was talking about, this is not the one. We return to the main road and continue to walk down south.

Some wildcats are defending the prey. It’s a forgettable skirmish.

Finally, back to civilization!

No peace for the wicked it seems.

I smell a quest coming up.

As you might imagine, Gashok has one tight community.

From the shadows of the surrounding houses appear a few figures wearing tan robes and armbands, that Murrow recognizes as members of the Order of Anathema, a fanatical congregation of Praios adherents.

[Praios is the ueber god of law and order and as such not a big fan of reality defying magic.]

The figures light a number of brushwood bundles they have brought along and in a giant flare-up flood the whole square with a reddish glow bright as daylight but only minutes later, the fire has burnt down, and the wind carries the ashes across the deserted market square like fine white dust.

Got to admit, this lightshow gave me slight chills.

Rumours Corner

Events Corner

Nice!

Not so nice.

Still fascinated.

That cheese toast stuff again. Just what is this all about?

And now, back to the racism.

This woman’s aversion is a little bit more understandable.

Holga wouldn’t be happy in there anyways as the elf at the bar mainly serves tea. The obvious dispute between the two races may still become a problem later on though.

A ‘male’ general store. Nothing of interest.

A male healer. He’s an incompetent buffoon.

We’re done talking anyways. There is a crime waiting to be solved.

The market witch is our only lead.

We follow his trace.

Whoopsie, forgot to put him into the lead.

Of course, our punishment is soon to follow.

Obviously a very sensitive topic. What about option three?

We know just the person to talk to about the strangers.

And while we’re at it:

It’s time to improve our who’s who.

No need to kick in doors just yet.

Deregorn is actually at home and attacks us on sight. We soon find out why.

It is getting dark. We’ll need a bed for the night while we try to figure out how to end this quest.

At least some people remember how to be polite.

Their room is up there. Go on!

This must be it.

*BANG*

Get on with it, get them!

Our heroes get dragged onto the street in their underwear.

There they are – murderers!

Tomatoes are thrown in their direction.

We are not amused.

Kill them! They don’t deserve better – kill them!

Stop! They shall have a chance to defend themselves.

You are accused of murdering a citizen of our town.

Wait, the strangers have evidence that Deregorn is the leader of the Anathematizers.

We shall allow you to go. But you better not show your faces around here again.

Not exactly what I consider a heroic victory but we’re finished here. Before we can get this god forsaken town behind us however, we have a question for the local priestess of Phex.

Tiefhusen will be our next destination then, once we’ve collected our reward.

Almost makes up for getting a crossbow bolt to the face I would say.

Current boot status:

 

[SCO]

spot the celebrity.

Especially the king.