The Cursed: Charming Lady of Murder

[Part of the Cursed story line]

The Mariliths require severe magic piercing/negation to damage, and even force Catharina into slayer form to defeat. However, with all the focus on them - a sneaky succubus charms Sarevok who then relentlessly slays Imoen before Catharina can dispel it. Obviously he does the same to the succubus after. Alas, Imoen is in too many pieces to revive.

Healing up with potions the remaining pair destroy the last well and face Melissan and her glabrezus for the final showdown. They basically throw everything they have at her, and with Catharina down to 20% health, Sarevok and Melissan exchange killing blows and both crumble to the ground. The remaining minions vanish as a Solar sent by the gods appears.

She says Catharina is strong enough now to make a choice: relinquish all her power to become mortal and destroy Bhaal's taint for good, or take the throne and ascend to god hood. Covered in blood and shivering with power, she chooses the latter - becoming a balancing force for the world: The new Lady of Murder.

All hail the Red Lady!

Insight: Charm protection. It's a thing. I even had a helmet that auto-does it, but was it equipped? Nope!

The Cursed: The Last Well

[Part of the Cursed story line]

The second well of power is defended by ice themed guards led by Cryonax (Prince of Evil Cold Creatures) and while his minions are easy enough he is quite resilient. Catharina uses a projected image to time stop and imprison him while Imoen destroys the well.

Cryonax is one ugly customer.

As expected Melissan appears again, this time with shadow slayer demons who are kept busy by summoned skeletons and sword spiders - just long enough for Sarevok and a planetar to beat Melissan down again. Once more she retreats to power up and the team heads for the final well, guarded by a fallen Solar and high level demons!

The Solar destroys the teams planetar but Sarevok manages to finish it off. Catharina's images don't work in this battle so she and Imoen go through many summoning scrolls to handle the others - using djinns, efreets, mord-swords, an adamantine golem and demons of their own but those Mariliths just won't go down!

Insight: Unlike the Black Pits 2 finale which is super intense and short, this is a marathon of a fight since you cannot rest on the platform at all. Though, if you have high enough wisdom (naturally or via potion/gear) a wish spell can rest/recover all your spells and fatigue. That's why Catharina has it memorized. ^_~

The Cursed: Contingencies

[Part of the Cursed story line]

Upon arrival at the Throne of Bhaal, which is a large platform floating in Abyssal space - the pocket plane is destroyed by Melissan, aka Amelyssan the Blackhearted now in her battle gear, grinning on the notion that she's trapped her prey. She is caught by surprise then at the instant trio of horrid wilting cast upon her as Catharina has learned the chain contingency spell (Insta Cast 3 spells of your choice on nearest enemy upon sighting an enemy).

So... what are the feathers for? Vanity?

She quickly flees to absorb more Bhaal essence she was collecting to power up... the fool didn't expect Catharina to be so strong! This gives the team the opportunity to destroy one of the wells of power nearby guarded by spirits and Yan-C-Bin (elemental Prince of Evil Air) whom Sarevok thrashes easily.

Melissan returns to fight again, summoning bone fiends and spirits this time but they are ineffective as the trio have protection from undead active (all attacks from undead insta-miss, letting Sarevok and his simulcarum beat her down with greater whirlwind attacks. She retreats to power up again, and there are two more wells of power to go.

Insight: Defeating Melissan also auto-defeats her summons!

The Cursed: Test of Ravaging

[Part of the Cursed story line]

After selling loot and spending all their gold on potions and scrolls the team returns to the pocket plane which Sarevok says can take them to the Throne of Bhaal. Unfortunately it refuses, as Catharina must pass two more tests first.

In one, Cyric himself sends his three favored champions to battle the team but they are easily dragon breathed to death. The final test is much more difficult - the Ravager, what Catharina will turn into if she lets the Slayer take over for too long, is a powerful demon that enjoys summoning bone blades.

For some reason the Ravager looks like these guys in Hexen...

The team fields all the summons they can and with Imoen and Catharina repositioning frequently to avoid the flying weapons and dragon breath and horrid wilting the monster till it finally dies. The pocket plane is finally happy to take them to their desired destination so the team rests up one last time before their battle with Melissan.

Insight: Dragon breath is quite handy in the Ravager fight as the blast also pushes back the bone blades. Your own summons are crucial though, since they too hold back the bone blades and the Ravager. Killing the blades just makes them respawn on your mages so focus on the big guy.

The Cursed: The Big M

[Part of the Cursed story line]

Upon returning to Amkethran the team finds that they are now being hunted by Balthazarr's monks and mercs. This doesn't stop them from selling loot, buying supplies or restoring that girl with her soul stone that Hexxat was borrowing. Once ready they find a quiet way into the monastery via the graveyard cavern, avoiding all the guards.

The unarmed guards.

Summoning up a small army they then confront Balthazarr, who wants to be "the one", and his few monks. As expected, fists and feet can't do much against planetars and mord-swords. Balthazar himself is cut down by Sarevok. At this point Melissan appears and reveals she was actually Bhaal's high priestess but instead of using the Bhaalspawn souls she's been collecting since forever to revive him, she's going to do a Jon Irenicus and use it herself to become the new goddess of murder.

Because she doesn't have a handy magic tree to drain, she just needs Catharina's soul as the final piece. However its now too strong to take here in the prime material realm so Melissan challenges her to battle at the Throne of Bhaal before vanishing into thin air.

Catharina just stared blankly at the space Melissan vanished from, then after a short silence she suddenly asked "Sarevok, you know where that is right?"

"Sister, you are an idiot," Sarevok sighed.

Insight: Yay, after the slog of getting through Sendai and Abazigal's lairs, Balthazarr is a breath of fresh air. He also doesn't cheat too much (that I saw) and is around the level of combat I enjoy. The designers really need to put it more normals / low level fights.

It's absurd that all those nameless soldiers after Irenicus have +1 to +3 gear and are backed by what must be a surplus of level 20 casters. Just like how liches are "common" now, it's a sign that the creators just wanted to make artificial challenge than follow the role playing world their game is set in. Stupid design!

The Cursed: Abazigal's Bath Time

[Part of the Cursed story line]

A summoned planetar (who happen to be fantastic healers) is able to resurrect Sarevok and restore him fully - leading to Imoen and Korgan making fun of him a bit. No such luck for Hexxat though - she's gone for good.

The interior of the lair is a network of underwater tunnels guarded by lesser enemies - frost salamanders, kuo-toa with water elementals including a very weak Olhydra (Elemental Princess of Evil Water), a lair of strange eyeballs and a geas-ed dragon whom Catharina just imprisons while it's monologuing.After the fight outside, she's had enough of dragons.

Olhydra is one gnarly wave dude.

There is one more to defeat though, Abazigal himself who transforms from fighter mode to a blue dragon! He's not as clever as his son but is immune to time stop meaning its back to waves of planetars, mord-swords and dragon breath spells for him. He manages to fatally toss Korgan against the cave wall before Imoen's summoned pit fiend (she was getting desperate) can finish him off.

Due to the state of his corpse, Korgan is unable to be resurrected.

Insight: If you're wondering why I'm not just casting Imprisonment of everything it's because most of the "bosses" are immune to it somehow. Just like being immune to time stop. It really undermines any "power gain" you as the player might feel wasting a slot on a spell that doesn't work against something - especially without any hints before hand that it won't work. Aka terrible design.

The Cursed: Biting Back

[Part of the Cursed story line]

With Sendai's demise a new "pocket test" is unlocked that the team easily passes: defeating Catharina's second demonic form: the slayer which happens to be good foreshadowing of what is to come. After selling stuff at the village they proceed on to Abazigal's lair which, unlike Sendai's, is not hidden at all.

The entrance is huge, opulent and guarded by one wizard, Abazigal's son. A fight ensues and Hexxat manages to sink her teeth into the fool. To her surprise, he then transforms into a green dragon and bites back - ripping her to shreds! Sarevok is also killed via claw impalement.

With things not looking good, Catharina uses the next cheesiest method to win the fight. Spell Strike (remove all magic defenses of target - no save), time stop, shape shift into a mind flayer, and then attack physically. Creatures affected by time stop are counted as "at your mercy" since they aren't moving so you will always hit, and mindflayers do tiny damage physically but each hit reduces INT by 5. When INT reaches 0... dead dragon.

So much for all your shields and hundreds of hit points.

Insight: This took me a few attempts to win against this guy as he was regularly re-upping his shields, using invisibility, full healing, using haste on himself and dispeling summons - projected images included. That's on top of the regular dragon abilities!

The Cursed: Mirrors of Sendai

[Part of the Cursed story line]

Sendai's base is quite well concealed in the forest, and humorously guarded by Drow disguised as woodland critters. Inside, more Drow, a lair of myconids, pet umberhulks, a slave army, a lich, mindflayers and minor demons all serve as guardians but they are all planetar-ed out of the way.

Even Ogremoch himself, the elemental Prince of Evil Earth (yeah, "Earth" not Faerun), is present but doesn't get to do much as Catharina imprisons it as her opening move. Finally they reach Sendai who proves to be an exciting battle as she makes seven statue clones of herself and has constant Drow reinforcements arriving during the fight.

You can imprison the Prince of Earth, in the Earth? Okay then!

Catharina and Imoen make good use of breach (anti magic), pierce (anti magic), horrid wilting, planetars, mord-swords, true sight and the dragon breath ability (20d10 fireball with knock back) coupled with projected images to prolong spell use (as their spells aren't tied to the original casters memory somehow). After an epic fight, Sendai finally is slain when Catharina "wishes" all magic defenses down and lands a Melf's acid arrow on her.

Insight: For extra cheese, project image also makes copies of the quick slot items so that one powerful scroll you have can be used as much as you like, as long as it is only ever used by a projected image. Obviously, one scroll means each image can only use it once though.

The Cursed: Unexpected Aid

[Part of the Cursed story line]

Eager to rest outside the pocket plane for a change, the squad goes to the Amkethran tavern where they are surprised to find the vampire Hexxat! Since she wasn't staked last time she's survived and using a day-walking cloak has found herself here, to ask Catharina for help with a lich. Not to kill it, but to enslave it for her master.

Guess we didn't kill her good enough last time.

That sounds all sorts of wrong but since help is hard to come by, Catharina agrees as long as the vampire helps her kill a few Bhaalspawn first. Hexxat finds this acceptable. There is a local lich in the village (these things are everywhere!) but this soul trader is not Hexxat's target. They do manage to get a young girl's soul stone from it though, by trading the one of her stupid father.

Instead of using it to restore the child, Hexxat keeps it for herself as it gives nice bonuses. With that, it's finally time to hit one of those Bhaalspawn bases so the team votes to head for the closer one: Sendai's enclave.

Insight: While the day walking cloak lets Hexxat not burn out in the sun, remember to take it off in dungeons as it significantly reduces her stats when worn.

The Cursed: Amkethran

[Part of the Cursed story line]

Whatever protection Amkethran village has going on is pretty powerful stuff, as the pocket plane refuses to teleport the team there. Instead they have to walk across the desert and at an oasis encounter a sizable force of Tethyr soldiers wrongly hunting Catharina for the crime of destroying Saradush.

Korgan was tempted!

After slaying and looting those idiots dry, the team finally reaches Amkethran - a quaint little place that is brimming with mercenaries. Seems Balthazarr is also assembling an army of his own. The team ends up killing a few: the ones being ass hats to the locals and the idiots tricked by a weasel smuggler that the team, not him, are the smugglers.

For this, the team subsequently assists the mercs take out the local smuggler base which earns them a brief meeting with Balthazarr who follows Melissan's instructions and points out the base locations of Yaga-Shura's allies. Before leaving, the team finds another survivor from Saradush, a magic scroll vendor, whom they spend all of their 305k gold on in preparation for the battles ahead.

Insight: It pays to loot everything. Portable containers will help with that: gem bags, ammo bags, potion bags, bags of holding. Also don't forget your handy and accessible pocket plane that has three boxes you can use if overloaded!

The Cursed: Burning Yaga-Shura

[Part of the Cursed story line]

With the ritual done, the team pocket plane deploy right into Yaga-Shura's face for an anti-climatic battle where Korgan beheads the fire giant, causing his army to scatter and flee. It is too late for Saradush though, as while they were gone Yaga-Shura's army breached it and killed almost everyone inside.

Fire Giant vs Dwarf!

Only a few non-Bhaalspawn folk remain, including Melissan who warns that Yaga-Shura's allies and their armies will most likely come for Catharina next. Catharina, eager to destroy these threats before they can react, is instructed to use the desert village of Amkethran as a staging point as it is protected by Melissan's friend, Balthazarr - apparently a person of some power having somehow survived a cataclysm long ago.

The team agrees but first faces the second "pocket test" which involves fighting a Catharina not raised by Gorion. This is very tough as evil Catharina exclusively hunts her twin, and is only solved by Imoen casting improved invis on good Catharina and making her "sit out" of the combat. Fortunately Imoen can also summon planetars at this point!

Insight: Enemies will swarm endlessly until Yaga-Shura dies. Don't let him live for too long.

The Cursed: Marching Mountains

[Part of the Cursed story line]

Melissan is upset at Gromnir's death, saying that the only chance Saradush has now is for someone to kill the general of the attacking force: Yaga-Shura. A towering fire-giant, said to be invincible and also a Bhaalspawn. Learning the squad can teleport around via pocket plane, she suggests they investigate his home in the Marching Mountains to find a weakness.

Since it sounds like a solid plan, the team do as instructed and are soon marching up those appropriately named mountains where they encounter a witch who knows a ritual to undo Yaga-Shura's invulnerability. She just needs the reagents found in his fortress, which is a lava filled sweat bath.

Looks like some of them have played Dark Souls.

The planetars actually take some serious damage here, but when backed by mord-swords and two crazies (Sarevok and Korgan) the fire giants and fire themed guards all die. The witch does her ritual, then tries to overstep and kill the party. Unlucky for her, Catharina has been working on a new spell that was previously used on her party in the Watchers Keep: Imprisonment.

There is no save.

Insight: The pocket plane is fantastic as you can port back to it at any time and then gate exactly to where you left off. This makes it the ideal place for uninterrupted rest.

The Cursed: Paranoia at Saradush

[Part of the Cursed story line]

Having passed the test, the pocket plane spits out the party at the besieged city of Saradush and meet Melissan, a nun of sorts who has been working to collect and protect all the Bhaalspawn here, and there are many - most of whom are just commoners and cowards.

While the militia do their best to hold the walls, the actual lord of the place - Gromnir Il-Khan is more interested in saving himself. Melissan asks the team to try talk sense into him and they accept though getting to him is tricky as he's barricaded in.

It takes blackmailing a priestess to gain access to the old, vampire filled prison - then clearing it out as well as a number of Gromnir's orcs before getting to him. Gromnir, a Bhaalspawn himself, is filled with paranoia and claims Melissan is out to get him and all others like him. With no chance to reason with him, the general attacks the party and soon finds himself very, very dead.

Orcs are stupid cowards. Have always been. Will always be.

Just like Blizzard.

Insight: Don't idle out on the streets as fireballs from the attacking army seem to heatseek the party every now and then.

The Cursed: Time of Prophecy

[Part of the Cursed story line]

Imoen and Catharina spend a good amount of time with the elves, but the peace is broken by the arrival of a Bhaalspawn hunter who happens to be a Bhaalspawn herself. Unfortunately for her, she and her mercs are not equipped to deal with a planetar and are promptly killed.

Pretty sure this fella classifies as a Planetar too!

Right after she falls, the step-sisters are brought to a pocket plane dimension created by Catharina's subconscious where they meet a Solar (one step up from planetar) who vaguely says they must train as the prophesied time is at hand before vanishing again. Also present is ghost Sarevok, for whom the small price of a sliver of Catharina's soul lives again and joins the party!

Catharina is also able to summon any living previous ally which turns out to be a one name list. Korgan, the evil dwarf beserker is called and rejoins the team. He and Sarevok pass the first "pocket test" for the party, killing angry civilians and knights out for Bhaalspawn blood.

Insight: Sure hope this game is solo-able (winnable with a one person party), as it seems to quickly be heading that way!

The Cursed: Irenicus

[Part of the Cursed story line]

The duo find Irenicus sucking the power of the great tree to become a god and promptly kill him with summons. Unfortunately, since he still has Catharina's soul, she and Imoen (maybe he took some of hers too?) follow him down into hell where a small gauntlet of tests await them to see which one deserves to be Bhaalspawn.

Both Catharina and Irenicus pass, leading to the actual final confrontation where Irenicus transforms into his demon form and summons greater demons to aid him. The girls summon their own assistance as usual, and because they have more experience with summon tactics - as well as copious amounts of Horrid Wilting spells - they win. Catharina takes her soul back, and Irenicus dies.

Sucker got horridly wilted.

She and Imoen then wake in Suldanessellar, where the Elf queen declares them heroes and lets them stay for as long as they need to recover from this whole ordeal.

Insight: The only trick to beat Irenicus both times is to remember to reposition as needed.

The Cursed: Suldanessellar

[Part of the Cursed story line]

Upon returning to Athkatla, Catharina finds Imoen at the Copper Coronet who needs help with that lead for the missing elf city. Together they return to the Harper house at the Docks District and planetar the evil mercs now residing there. Upstairs they rescue Jaheira, who was reduced to being their play thing this whole time.

As Imoen suspected, she knows where Suldanessellar is and using the magic lantern reveals the city once more. Inside, the elves are still bravely fighting Irenicus' forces which are mainly comprised of golems and rakshasas. He has also magically sealed the palace of the great tree, and the team needs to summon a woodland avatar to open it.

A wood land avatar that looks like Swamp Thing.

Collecting the items for the summoning ritual is mostly easy, except for the one item held by Irenicus' black dragon. It is a long fight, and Jaheira is melted by dragon vomit before it is slain. Catharina and Imoen then proceed into the palace for the final confrontation.

Insight: I quite like big maps now. Just summon the planetar early, haste it and send it forth then supplement mord-swords as needed. It was also interesting to see it solo a balor and a pit fiend, this is because its sword has a chance to auto kill anything it hits.

The Cursed: Summoners Rule

[Part of the Cursed story line]

The remaining trio of Keldorn, Lu Lingqi and Catharina then proceed to the Illithid area and heavily use summons to clear it out before leaving the Keep to regroup. To their surprise Nalia, Edwina and Aerie are there waiting for them.

Apparently there was still no luck on the missing city front so Imoen sent them here as backup while she chased another lead. With the extra casters, the main floor of Level 4 is easily cleared via summon abuse.

Adds are great, when they're on your side!

The team eventually finds a crystal hammer which Lu Lingqi uses to smash open the machine and spare the crazy mage (who was just an adventurer that got stuck there). Catharina fiddles with the device a bit until the portal down opens and the team descends to Level 5 - which is centered around a tri-locked vault. "The Imprisoned One" must be close now!

Insight: Gone are the days of invis, skull trap, and cloud kill. Now it's just easier to summon a horde of powerful minions, haste them and send them ahead of the party.

The Cursed: Whining Woods

[Part of the Cursed story line]

With the city now lich free the team begins the search for Suldanessellar, scouring the new forest zones with the magic lantern but come up empty. They do run into ex-team mates Coran and Safana, now a couple as Coran saved Safana from her wyvern sting, who are now working as bounty hunters... for Irenicus. They and their wolfwere allies are slain.

Well, someone's been playing too much of this!

Edwin also manages to transform himself into a woman (and can't change back) which leads to some comical teasing from Nalia and Aerie. Catharina's mind is elsewhere though, namely the Watcher's Keep, for if a magic team was strong against the liches maybe a melee team would triumph in that messed up magic maze?

She decides to find out and leaves with Lu Lingqi, instructing Imoen, Aerie, Nalia and Edwina to continue the search in their absence.

Insight: Another reason I left them is the whining. My god, the whining. Aerie, Nalia and female Edwin constantly ask to rest in the most irksome decibels.

The Cursed: Lichless City

[Part of the Cursed story line]

Catharina decides the search for the Elf city can wait, having been impressed by this magic heavy party and decides to hunt all the liches resting beneath Athkatla. The first one nearly ends in disaster with everyone near death upon victory. Nalia seems very concerned for Aerie.

The second lich battle goes much better, having summons and buffs ready. Despite it managing to summon a pit fiend, the lich's own protection spell is disabled and the demon destroys its own summoner. The third lich goes down even quicker.

Because pieces of lich are more powerful than a full size one?

The final lich is Kangaxx, and he is uber powerful - munching through summons and continually resetting his defenses. Worse, upon being killed he transforms into a fast regenerating Demilich that is immune to almost all forms of damage. Catharina is forced to transform into her demon form to destroy it, and save the others from certain doom.

Insight: The Adventure Mart sells Vhailor's Helm which can cast Simulcarum once per day. This is very handy as it makes a double (albeit slightly weaker version) of whomever is using it, including all equiped items.

In my party, I gave it to Lu Lingqi carrying the +4 halberd. She also has the Ring of the Ram which does an non-negatable 5-30 damage. Both great when multiplied by two.

The Cursed: Return to Dust

[Part of the Cursed story line]

Not willing to let Bodhi escape this time, Catharina plans to bring as many people into the lair as she can for the assault - recruiting the Shadow Thieves, Paladins and even Drizzt Do'Urden and his allies who conveniently happen to be nearby.

Also recruited are Aerie, the circus Elf who is actually a cleric/mage and old Thayan frenemy Edwin Odesseiron who has ulterior motives at the graveyard district, namely the recovery of a magic scroll from a lich!

Baddies have no chance when Drizzt is around.

This team has no problem wiping out both the lich and the vampires, with Imoen staking Bodhi at the climax and retrieving her lost soul. As expected, the magic lantern is found in her coffin. All that's left to do now is to use it to find the missing Elf city!

Insight: Let the NPCs take all the drain damage. You should probably throw in some summons too (hastened Mord-swords are nice) to support them.