Warhammer: Vermintide 2

Because vermins are resistant to eradication!

The Skaven are back, this time with the forces of Chaos backing them up and it's up to the same five heroes as last time to cooperatively thwart them in a 10 mission campaign.

The devs basically took everything that was good in the first game and just expanded on it without actually changing the basics which is awesome. There are more types of foes now with bosses, new skill trees per character, and a new keep/base that expands as you level up.

It's great when you can line them up.

If you only play for the story you'll be done over a weekend, but if you are a completionist and don't mind some grind then this will keep you busy much longer. I recommend this good co-op game and give it four ratling gunners out of five.

Game of Thrones (TV Series)

You win or you die.

Eight years ago I posted about this, and that write up of this book based TV series is still quite valid now that it is finished. The story, production, writing, acting, music... you name it, have all been top notch throughout.

Inspiring everyone to sit on uncomfortable chairs!

As with all things though, even this had minor dips during the course of the show, most likely stemming from the "getting ahead of the source material" problem which frequently happens in anime.

Many fans are particularly unhappy with the last season and personally, I would have preferred a different order of bad guys at the end but am quite ok with how it played out. Don't let that stop you from watching this magnificent production if you haven't already. It's fantastic!

KCD: Pribyslavitz

[Part of the Kingdom Come: Deliverance journal.]

This distant ruin is worth a post on its own as it is the center for a few fun events for the main quest. Firstly it is occupied by enemies and while only hinted at, you can actually walk around in plain view provided you are wearing the correct attire and face covering gear. It makes sabotaging things a whole lot easier!

You can't even tell which one is me.

The top camp would be the hardest to mess with, but if you are feeling brazen just pop a marigold potion and quickly do all your objectives in plain view of the bad guys. Yes they will aggro you so be fast then run like the wind. Preferably on a horse.

This is also the site of the first major battles with many NPCs on both sides. In situations like this, attack any enemy not looking at you to score free hits. There's a semi boss fight here too, but one head cracker master strike was all I needed.

Lastly, if you have "From the Ashes" DLC, you will also be given an opportunity to rebuild the place from your own pocket. 80,000g is enough to get everything done and it is pretty cool watching it be reconstructed.

This is my last post about Kingdom Come: Deliverance, so hopefully you're curious enough to try it out yourself! I definitely recommend it. :)

KCD: Forest Commando

[Part of the Kingdom Come: Deliverance journal.]

Probably a tactic better served if you have the "Forester" perk (increases stealth in forests) in the hunting skill tree as every enemy camp is in or beside a forest, it is a different method of assassination that I like to use if I find an active enemy camp during the day. Waiting for night is silly.

It's pretty simple. Be as stealthy as possible (no plate armor), sneak up to a vantage point of the camp and shoot an arrow into one of the enemies and displace immediately - move deeper into the woods and then stay still.

Arrows to the back are the best type of arrows.

The baddies will trigger a mass alarm and sprint to where the shot came from, look around for awhile then go back. Repeat it a few times. With luck some of them are already dying/dead from arrow blood loss.

"But that's boring!" you say. Well, did you know that enemies also have a stamina meter? What happens when you full sprint in plate over and over in the woods? That's right. They get tired, then they go to sleep - in the middle of the day! Once everyone is napping just stroll in (quietly) and have your way with them. It's awesome!

KCD: Ghost Assassin

[Part of the Kingdom Come: Deliverance journal.]

I've spoken briefly about stealth and it is great fun to use against enemy camps, unless you use the most boring option. That is, sneak in - drop a pile of rotten food and/or poison/bane potions in their stew, sneak out then wait till the next meal time. Wandering back in to a camp full of dead bodies felt even cheaper than Leash Killing.

More fun is to stalk the sentries and stealth kill them or ghost past the sentries, and kill the low alert/sleeping enemies in the camp. For bonus points, drag the bodies out into the woods so none are the wiser. Regardless of the order, make sure to kill all of them for their loot. It's a great feeling!

The best battles are won without fighting.

Stealth kill is instant, regardless of armor, but only works if you aren't detected. You could also use stealth knock out then drag them out to the woods one by one and stomp or neck break them there which is also an auto kill. Useful if you aren't high enough level yet, or if your dagger broke from murdering all the other guys.

While this type of ghosting (no alarm being raised) is hard work, you can always do the more messy alternative - forest commando, that's up next!

Note: Speaking of food, you never need to carry any for eating as there are enough of these "endless stews" just sitting around. How it isn't poisoned by default is beyond me.

KCD: Leash Killing

[Part of the Kingdom Come: Deliverance journal.]

When you lead a bad guy far enough from his spawn point he will eventually shrug and give up, putting his weapons away and begin casually walking back or standing still. This is the best time to ride back to said bad guy and put an arrow into his back or butt which usually kills him. If not, just repeat.

This trick is easiest done on horseback.

Yes, it's super cheap and more problematic is that if he was a random roadside encounter chances are his buddies have long de-spawned along with their loot. It does work wonders for enemy camps though, especially at the start when you aren't yet a master of anything.

Speaking of enemy camps, you have way more options to mess enemies up there and I found it was super fun to assassinate them! That's coming up next.

Note: Keep an eye on your arrow count. Early in the game you are in danger of running out and later on you are in danger of suddenly carrying hundreds of a type you never use - be sure to sell off that waste of weight!

KCD: Skirmisher

[Part of the Kingdom Come: Deliverance journal.]

If you find yourself ambushed on the road by a band of brigands and want to kill them you need to have a few things to improve your odds, the most important of which is space. A stretch of road will do. Any space that you won't get cornered because if you get cornered you die.

The walk back method is good depending on how much room you have, but you also need to circle to try ensure only one enemy is attacking at a time. It's worth noting that enemies you aren't "focused" on do not parry so you can score free hits by swinging when someone walks in between you and your target.

Enemy archers can also hit their allies so try keep a meat shield between you. Alternatively, rush the archer and wound him while he's switching weapons. If you are mounted and are patient, you can also use horse archery. Shoot, gallop away. Shoot. Etc. remembering that a head shot is fatal for people without helmets. Or helms without face protection.

Taking it on the chin like a champ!

Lead them far enough away and you might even trigger my a cheap method of winning: leash killing. That's coming up next!

KCD: Duel Master

[Part of the Kingdom Come: Deliverance journal.]

To be the best fighter you can be, make sure to spar with Captain Bernard at the Rattay training grounds until he teaches you master strikes. These unblockable counters are amazing and will make you unstoppable in one on one combat. Just watch the shoulders of your enemy and press the button (Q on PC) to execute. Once you perfect this you will certainly win the Rattay Tourney each time.

Bernard could probably win the game too.

Other nice things to remember: using a bow in melee is bad, so against a lone enemy archer take some cover and get up to him (he will most likely come to you, they aren't smart enough to circle wide).

Also polearms cannot be used to block (ever), but do severe damage. You will probably never use them yourself since you can't "pack it away" but enemies wielding them have the same boon and limitations.

That's all well and good in duel situations, but what happens when you are alone fighting many enemies? That's coming up next!

KCD: Clinch Lock

[Part of the Kingdom Come: Deliverance journal.]

If the walking backwards method sounds cowardly then this post is for you. If you want to be aggressive, make sure you have the armor to back you up. Winning a fist fight is easy in full plate so use the opportunity to practice "clinching"!

A "clinch" happens when you walk into an enemy and you try push each other away (F key mashing on PC). It helps to have heavier armor and higher strength. Winning it pushes your foe back and leaves them open to one free shot if you don't delay. I recommend the over hand or pierce as previously stated.

Clinching enemies into corners leads to quick victories!

In a tournament style combat where there are "corners" you can easily win if you can force your opponent into a corner then clinch lock him (clinch - bash - repeat until low stam). Remember that the more you fight, the better you get at fighting so always participate in the Rattay Tourney when it comes around - even if you feel you aren't ready!

Eventually, you'll be of a high enough level to learn "master strikes" - in the next post!

KCD: Combat Basics

[Part of the Kingdom Come: Deliverance journal.]

Combat here is based on HEMA, which is great, but doesn't translate too well in game so I'm going to cover a few things I've "Learned through Doing". First of all, all those combo moves that you unlock per weapon? They are useless. You will almost never be able to chain a sequence without interruption. Don't worry too much about learning the sequences.

Next, you take the most damage when you are out of stamina. The same is true for your opponent. Remember too that max stamina is tied to current health.

Holding your swing (left mouse) and then moving the attack to where your opponent doesn't have his weapon to block works sometimes against low level guys. The same goes for doing a perfect parry followed by an attack (called a riposte). Better opponents will dodge and/or counter.

More effective is walking backwards as the AI will eventually drop his guard and run towards you. At this time, stab while they are open or if you are using a mace type weapon use the over hand (top of the star) attack. Once you unlock the head cracker perk you should do the over hand with all your weapons. Unless you want to pierce and bleed them first with a stab.

When they drop their guard and run at you they are wide open.

This is most effective with a poisoned weapon meaning you don't have to do all the work. I'd recommend poisoning your weapon anyway because it's fun watching enemies collapse on their own. :P

More combat tips coming up in the next post!

KCD: Learn through Doing

[Part of the Kingdom Come: Deliverance journal.]

It is worth mentioning that every skill and trait in this game is improved through use (once unlocked). If you want to gain stamina, jog everywhere. Want to be better at fighting? Fight more. Want to be the best thief locksmith around? Pick every lock you see.

If you have the coin, I also recommend paying a trainer of a said skill to level you up (though that only works four times). Alternatively, reading skill books will help. Of course, Henry doesn't know how to read / is dyslexic (remember he sucks at everything at the start) so you first need to pay for tutelage in that but it is well worth it. If only he could take swimming classes too...

It gets less jumbled the higher your reading skill.

Special mention needs to be made of archery. While you -the player- can make up for Henry's shaky aim via practice at an archery range, make sure to wear vambraces / arm protectors until you get past archery level 5, otherwise you will hurt your own arm with each shot. The bow also serves as your "interaction" device for things out of reach, like nests and branches.

KCD: Money solves Everything

[Part of the Kingdom Come: Deliverance journal.]

To the surprise of no one at all, money can solve everything in this game! Not only can you buy better gear or better horses, you can also use it to buy things NPCs want (rather than find them), or to bribe people and pay fines. Fines?

Well, when you are seen committing a crime such as picking a lot, robbing a place, pick pocketing, or knocking people out - you get a fine (remember to surrender to the guards "G" unless you want to try killing everyone). The highest I've seen is 750g which is chump change for someone walking around with over 100k.

It's also worth noting that in Rattay, the guards have a mandate to search you randomly while in the city and will confiscate and fine you if they find stolen goods on your person. If said stolen goods are on your horse you are fine. Or, bribe him with 20g to let you carry your high value illicit goods as you please. :P

The correct answer is always to pay.

Lastly, remember to buy Saviour Shnapps - the "save game" potion. Yes, you can only save the game by drinking this or by sleeping in a bed allocated for you. These restock daily and can be found at inns, taverns, bathhouses, alchemists, and regular traders.

KCD: Cloak and Dagger

[Part of the Kingdom Come: Deliverance journal.]

Since we're talking about all things shady, now is a great time to cover the basics of the stealth mechanic. Crouch walking will only get you so far, and a big help will come from your choice of attire. Armor and spurs make a lot of noise while bright colors attract attention.

This means I'm mostly in dark leathers and cloth when I'm in sneaksie mode, the only trade off being that NPCs think less highly of me since everyone knows noble born like faffing about in loud and bright gear.

Speaking of gear, having a supply of nighthawk potions (night vision) is really handy since you won't want to be holding a lit torch while sneaking in the dark. Also most important, always have a dagger with you.

Let the bad guys carry torches for light,
that way you can swing with both hands or use a shield.

The game never makes it clear but you need it to stealth kill (once you get that perk) and to harvest bits from woodland animals such as antlers and skin. Note the animal bits are random, so just because you know how to skin a rabbit doesn't mean each rabbit will supply skin. It is slightly annoying.

KCD: Getting into their Pants

[Part of the Kingdom Come: Deliverance journal.]

While pick pocketing has its merits, I've found the simplest method is to simply knock out the target and loot them dry (faster than looting individually). How can you do such a thing in a crowded city or town or tavern though? Turns out the answer is "easily".

Uh, you can do that type of getting into their pants too...

There are areas which are off-limits to Henry, and simply standing in them makes a relevant NPC of that area come to keep an eye on you and warn you to "get out". So use this in your favor to move people into rooms or behind corners others can't see (remember to close doors). And then crouch dance! Crouch dance?

Out of combat NPCs are slow to pivot on the spot, so if you crouch and side step around them quick enough you can get to their back and will get the auto-knock out option (Tap E on PC). Be careful not to kill them accidentally though (hold down E on PC). Once they are no longer resistant, have your way with their belongings and then get the heck out of there before they wake up.

If you picked your spot well, you shouldn't even need to carry and dump their body anywhere, which is always risky in high traffic areas.

KCD: The Millers Guild

[Part of the Kingdom Come: Deliverance journal.]

An interesting theme in this world is that most millers are scum. That is, to say they are the "thieves guild". It does pay to help Peshek (the first one you meet) out as this unlocks more traders to sell loot to, and he can teach you the basics of lock picking and pick pocketing, both of which are very illegal activities and will get you in trouble if there are witnesses.

Lock picking is simple fare here. Simply move the mouse till the cursor becomes a big, gold circle and then press "D" (on PC) to turn the lock anticlockwise. You need to move the cursor and keep it in the same "spot" as the lock turns to succeed. A lock beyond your skill level will say so and not even let you attempt. That's it. The only hard part is unlocking everything you find to skill up.

"I'm actually a master burglar."

The pick pocketing mini-game is much more dicey, and honestly less useful. As Peshek says, it's best to practice on sleeping folk in out of the way areas to not get spotted, but this is ridiculous as there's a much simpler way to get into someone's pants. I will cover that in the next post. 

KCD: Ninja Horse

[Part of the Kingdom Come: Deliverance journal.]

Travel is always better by horse and not long into the game you get old "Pebbles" to ride on, unless you are overburdened in which case no riding for you! While Pebbles is a fantastic upgrade from walking and also helps by being able to carry around three dead bodies worth of loot, you should seriously consider upgrading your steed when you can.

You can dress your horses up too!

My preference is Bucephalus from the Neuhof stables. He's not much faster than Pebbles but can go much further due to his larger stamina pool and can get you across the entire map in under a day (of manual cross country gallop). Remember to also buy saddlebags upgrades when you can. With the noble four pack saddle, he can carry around nine dead bodies worth of loot!

It's also worth mentioning Pebbles will throw you at the first sign of trouble (melee enemy) which is another negative. Fortunately all your horses are of a ninja class though. Whistle for them and they shall appear from thin air, behind you!

KCD: You had One Job!

[Part of the Kingdom Come: Deliverance journal.]

You are Henry the peasant and Henry sucks at pretty much everything so you'll need to pay attention to the fantastic (and somewhat lengthy) intro that gives you the bare basics of the game, such as when faced with a strong enemy force, RUN THE HECK AWAY.

Now would be a good time to do that.

Since the map is huge, you might be tempted to use the fast travel system that unlocks as you find villages, towns, and random encounters. Good news, it will save you the player some time! Bad news, Henry also sucks at fast travel and will take the slowest route possible. You also can't stop midway to go exploring.

In a game where you have timed quests and missions where you must be at location x at a particular time, this isn't really ideal. Going cross country with stamina management is faster in game (handy to remember during races), but makes it more walking simulator for you. Especially if you are overloaded with gear, because if you are - you can't fast travel anyway!

Kingdom Come: Deliverance

This was a surprise for me as it wasn't even on my radar until Juris gifted it and as soon as I tried it I knew... that I had to tone down the graphics settings! Yep, it's a beast of a game and fortunately it is still pretty on lesser settings. Most importantly it is very immersive, and a prime candidate for my next journal.

Now I'm going to try something different this time and write less about story and more about mechanics. Hopefully it will still be as fun to write and read about... and it will definitely be shorter! :P

Entry 1 - You had One Job! 
Entry 2 - Ninja Horse
Entry 3 - The Millers Guild
Entry 4 - Getting into their Pants 
Entry 5 - Cloak and Dagger
Entry 6 - Money solves Everything
Entry 7 - Learn through Doing
Entry 8 - Combat Basics
Entry 9 - Clinch Lock
Entry 10 - Duel Master
Entry 11 - Skirmisher
Entry 12 - Leash Killing
Entry 13 - Ghost Assassin
Entry 14 - Forest Commando
Entry 15 - Prybyslavitz

Thanks for reading!

The Revenant

Never get in between a mama bear and her cubs.

Due to a string of unfortunate and painful events, Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) finds himself struggling to survive the wilds and to return to civilization. Now while I had some trouble understanding Tom Hardy's character, acting was great across the board and it had to be.

There are many shots that just keep going and don't cut (or cut obviously), which is something I really enjoy in film and TV. This means everyone has to do their bit perfectly or the whole take is ruined! Having fantastic cinematography and locations to shoot also helps as does the decent plot.

A bear springs from hiding!

My only negative is that it doesn't end as strongly as it starts, but it still gets my recommendation to watch. I'd certainly watch it again, though maybe not so soon, and give it 3.5 maulings out of 5.

Romeo must Die

Neatly portioning gangs through racism!

When Han (Jet Li) learns of his brothers death due to gang violence, he goes to get to find the guilty party and makes a friend in Trish (Aaliyah), the daughter of ther rival gang boss.

The average acting and script is what most lets this movie down. There's definitely a sound issue too with loud rap songs drowning out character conversations early in the piece - making it much better when Aaliyah's quieter songs are played later on.

Wire-Fu is present in this film.

There are still funny bits, some of which being the heavy use of wire work that they don't even bother to try hide and Jet Li does get to kick some ass, but not as much as in some of his other films. I give this one and a half "baby girl's" out of 5 and only recommend it for fans of Mr. Li or Aaliyah, everyone else can give this one a miss.

Project A

There's just no safe way to fall from a clock tower. Ow.

An elusive pirate needs to be brought to justice and who better than Dragon (Jackie Chan) and his ragtag band of police hating coast guards to bring him in using the titular "Project A"? Well, probably anyone else actually but none would be as entertaining to watch!

The kickass trio.

There's a particular appeal to these old flicks, especially since special FX use was still quite low and relied more on physical stunts and wondrous fight choreography that is often lacking these days. It's a contrast to the "light" plot that's heavy on humor.

While there are no surprises in the story, this is still a very entertaining watch especially for martial arts fans. I give it 3 bicycles out of 5 and would definitely see it again.

Deponia: The Complete Journey

You are your biggest enemy.

This point and click adventure follows the adventures of Rufus on his junk home planet and is actually three games rolled into one (Deponia, Chaos on Deponia, and Goodbye Deponia). The art style is great, and so is the humorous story along with the short musical interludes. There are also various mini games peppered in which helps keep things fresh.

Some memorable characters for sure!

That said, it is also hard, despite the clues that you can spot in hind-sight, as some puzzles verge into trial and error. Chasing an animated toothbrush in the first room gives you a taste of this. Later on there's a part where you need to turn down the in game music volume in game because the protagonist keeps getting it in his head while trying to remember a different tune. Good luck working that out!

On top of that, Rufus is a selfish prick which doesn't really make it easy to root for him - especially since his antics often put everyone in jeopardy. An amusing game but one I definitely needed breaks while playing, I give it 3 petting zoos out of 5 and only recommend it to fans of this genre.

Avengers: Endgame

There is only one way to win.

In this continuation of Avengers: Infinity War, the heroes band together once more to "avenge" what happened previously. It's safe to say you probably want to watch Infinity War first despite the decent Hawkeye opening that fills in what happened for new comers.

Like the previous movie, there are a lot of characters here and all but the main ones get very few lines or do one move then leave the scene especially at the end. I didn't mind it, and was quite entertained by the high budget "everything" that we've come to expect from the Avengers movies.

The gang's all here!

I did feel that there needed to be a higher body count though, especially on the good guys side. I guess everyone is wearing plot armor? Or perhaps they couldn't really dismember people (one exception that was sort of take backsies) viscerally on screen in a Disney backed film? Whatever the case, that weakened it a bit for me, and that bit where all/most of the female heroes manage to group up mid fight was literally bull-cheese. As if Captain Marvel needed back up anyway... lol!

All up I give this 4.5 power stones out of 5 and highly recommend to watch it (provided you've at least seen Infinity War). I'll definitely want to see it again. :)

The Cursed: Sarevok

[Part of the Cursed story line]

The team appears in the thieves guild, which is odd, but the residents helpfully point out that Sarevok ran down through the maze below so the girls follow fighting through middling monsters and traps with ease. After Durlag's tower, everything is easy in comparison.

It eventually leads to a large underground ruin populated by lesser undead. Inside a skull themed temple they find Sarevok waiting so Catharina cloud kills him from a distance. To her surprise he aggros and charges! Lu Lingqi gets in his path and despite Elizabeth's best healing, she dies to his blade.

Sarevok's allies then start arriving but it is too late as Catharina finishes him off with magic missile, killing her step brother. The remaining foes flee as Sarevok's corpse crumbles into dust, ending the story of Baldur's Gate.

Game over man.

Insight: Magic missile is one spell that is always better cast rather than using a wand. The reasons are two fold. One it is pretty fast to cast naturally so it's rare to get interrupted, and second a wand fires one missile while higher level mages launch multiple missiles by default.

The Cursed: Fool's Crown

[Part of the Cursed story line]

After breaking out of prison (again), the quartet head for the Iron Throne headquarters and find it in shambles with the remaining people furious at Sarevok for taking their funds to become the next Grand Duke. Only one Sarevok loyalist is found and killed, holding proof of his treachery.

The girls then use the sewers to avoid the guard patrols but instead run into an assassin pair employed by Sarevok, who have already killed Scar and Duke Eltan. The assassins are defeated and their invites to his coronation ceremony looted from their corpses. These trump being wanted apparently as the guards at the palace just wave the party through.

Sure enough, Sarevok is there wearing the same armor he used when killing Gorion. Half the audience shift into doppelgangers and attack the other lords but the party manages to save one of them who then looks over the evidence gathered and agrees that Sarevok is an asshat. The mighty Sarevok then runs away (via gate) like a little bitch but the duke manages to divine his location through his god (holy sheet!) and teleports the party in pursuit.

Because clerics can be bad ass too.

Insight: This is the only time you need to make sure you hang onto those important documents as they actually come into play.

The Cursed: Secrets of Candlekeep

[Part of the Cursed story line]

With all things Durlag finally out of the way, Catharina, Elizabeth, Lu Lingqi and Party Girl return to Baldur's Gate where Scar introduces them to Grand Duke Eltan who sends them immediately (via gate) back to Candlekeep to investigate the Iron Throne leadership. Wait... so the bad guys were there the whole time? Lol!

Back to the beginning!

Despite a cameo of said guys, Catharina is distracted by the presence of doppelgangers within the walls, finding out via letter from Gorion that her real father is actually a dead, murderous god and her blood brother Sarevok (same guy leading the conspiracy) is acting out a highlander style, "there can be only one" deal.

The team is soon arrested and convicted of the murder of those Iron Throne guys (framed) but manage to escape using some doppleganger filled tunnels. To speed things up, Catharina just turns everyone invisible and walks past them all escaping easily only to then wind up right back in prison when they return to Baldur's Gate and are arrested by the flaming fist.

Insight: You actually run into Sarevok here, but can't kill him since he's immune to damage.

The Cursed: Durlag's Legacy

[Part of the Cursed story line]

The team returns to Ulgoth's Beard to return a knife taken from the demon knight. Alas, they are jumped by a band of cultists who put up a decent fight. While this group is slain, one of them does manage to steal said knife and escape.

Turns out this knife holds the soul of the greater demon Aec'letec, whom Durlag had defeated long ago. Party Girl tracks the cultists to the arch mages home and after dealing with the guards, Catharina (while invisible) finds the remainder performing a summoning ritual in the basement.

Greater demons still can't see invisible things though!

A cloud kill deals with the last of the cultists but it is too late - Aec'letec (also magic immune/resistant) comes forth. Fortunately he doesn't see Catharina slip by invisibly to prep her team upstairs. Using the same plan that defeated the demon knight, the team engages and slays the mighty demon - though Sir Erland gives his life in the process.

Insight: These cultists were actually bad news, as they had hidden back stabbers! Remember to use cover when you can to lower the dps of enemy archers and mages. As for the hidden guys, they are opportunistic and go for who they can reach so keep your weaker members in the center of your formation.

The Cursed: The Depths of Durlag

[Part of the Cursed story line]

Taking stairs down from the chess chamber, the party ventures through a large labyrinth of surprisingly more manageable traps and monsters. The focus here is to answer historical questions about Durlag, which isn't too hard since the material is easily accessible on this floor and the floors above.

Passing all the tests, Durlag's spirit opens a door to the deepest part of the tower. There the team finds the last surviving member of another adventure group - this one losing her allies to the demon knight and his magical mirror. Apparently it makes evil duplicates of whoever looks at it.

A chair is important when waiting for heroes.

Sure enough the demon knight waits in the next chamber, and he can't be cheesed as he is magic immune. Catharina opts for the next best thing then, casting haste and invisibility on the party. This lets the heavy hitters close distance safely and in a fast but intense confrontation the demon knight and Yeslick lie dead on the floor. Thankful for their service, the ghost teleports all the survivors out of the tower.

Insight: Haste is an amazing buff for fighters as it increases their attack rate. Useful for encounters such as this where direct spell damage is less effective.