Part III of the Icewind Dale 2 Walkthrough. Continuing from Part II: Targos.
Shaengarne IWD2
We need to fight through hordes of monsters in Shaengarne River, Shaengarne Woods, Shaengarne Pass and Shaengarne Ford in order to reach and save the Shaengarne Bridge.
Our go-to spell is Fireball followed by Skull Trap. We do not need to inflict immobilization (Web) because we will get Animate Dead to hold back the aggro.
Shaengarne River Walkthrough
(AR2000). An orc named Torak Skullsplitter will confront you upon your arrival. Torak is the chieftain of the Broken Tusk Clan, who have overrun the River and Woods maps.
Ok, make a named savegame after Torak speaks with you. This is the last time I will mention that you should be making named savegames with regularity. You are going to be facing off against about 70 orcs! Buff with Mage Armor and Mirror Image before drawing the first wave of aggro and dispatching them with Fireball.
Beware of Kegs of Blasting. What happens is, an orc runner sets the keg down and runs back to safety. Then, his firestarter buddy ignites the keg with a flaming arrow, causing it to explode like Fireball.
SORCERER 7: New Spells: Identify, Invisibility, Skull Trap. Some very nice spellpicks here. Identify is chosen not because it saves us money but because it allows us to ID magical items when we don't have easy access to a vendor. Invisibility allows us to withdraw from battle any time we like, and also redirect any aggro we have attracted back onto our summons (we don't have Animate Dead yet, ofc). Improved Invisibility and Mass Invisibility will render it redundant, but I like to spread Invisibility spells over spell circles. Skull Trap is an AoE that inflicts uncapped slashing damage; it's an end-game spell that we will even want to use on Slayer Knights of Xvim.
Head north and east, taking out another 14 orcs. Save the druid, Dereth, from captivity by the orcs (750 XP). Tell him you have freed his home of the orcs (500 XP). He will clear a path for you back at the starting point and ask you to rescue Sabrina.
Dareth will open a path in the south. You can now rest outside his home, without threat of respawn.
Head back to your starting point and follow the western path through the woods, slaying the 16 orcs en route to Sabrina in the northwest.
Free her for 500 XP and learn of the trap for 375 XP. Offer to escort her for a 375 XP. She will open a path north of their home that leads to a lookout.
SORCERER 8: Charisma +1, Fourth Circle Spells: Stoneskin. Actually, Stoneskin is not really that useful. Not for the Sorcerer herself, anyway. We are mainly going to use it to beef up our summons. That is how Stoneskin is useful.
Head back to the druid's home, report to Dereth (375 XP), trade with Sabrina, and rest up before heading north.
Buff with Mage Armor, Mirror Image and Stoneskin before taking on more orcs at the lookout (16 of them).
Once they're dead, break the logs free near where Dareth was held captive; then, make your way to the other side to break the rest of the logs free.
Torak will knock down a slab of stone and then use it as a bridge to escape, leaving nine orcs to die by your hand.
• Hostiles: Orc Archer x27, Orc x3, Orc Warrior x23, Orc Shaman x5, Orc Firestarter x7, Orc Runner x3,
• Kill count: 68 (172).
Shaengarne Woods Walkthrough
(AR2001). A cutscene will fire showing a troll stealing a blade from Priestess of Selûne, Emma Moonblade. Once Torak's dozen orcs are dead, speak to the priestess and agree to recover her Moonblade.
Head directly east and Kaitlin will force-talk you. She will ask you to free the villagers.
You need to sneak into the orc camp in the north and free the villagers. We have the Invisibility spell for that, but there is also an Invisibility potion hidden in the nearby ruin.
Broken Tusk Clan Camp
Sneak into Torak's camp under the effect of Invisibility and interact with the wheel to open the adjacent camp in which the villagers are imprisoned. Note that interacting with the wheel will not break your stealth like looting does. Slay the 17 orcs, bash the barrels to free the villagers, and inform Kaitlin of your success in securing their release (750 XP). This also spawns the merchant, Arte, who, however, offers nothing of value to you.
Slay Torak and the 18 or so orcs backing him up. I just stunned him with Chromatic Orb and then used a combo of Skull Trap and Fireball to mop up the mob. Loot the Highland Gate Key from Torak's corpse.
Inform Kaitlin of Torak's demise (750 XP), learn the way to Shaengarne Ford (375 XP), and learn of the dam (375 XP).
Dispatch more orcs en route to Vrek Vileclaw's cave in the northeast.
SORCERER 9: Spirit of Flame, New Spells: Eagle's Splendor, Slow, Emotion: Despair. Note that Magic Missile now fires five missiles per casting. Slow reduces the movement rate, attack rate, to-hit and dmg of mobs caughts in its AoE. Emotion: Despair reduces saving throws, to-hit and damage on the mob, too. Eagle's Splendor gives is 1d4+1 to Charisma for 10 rounds +1/lvl. Nice.
• Hostiles: Orc Archer x13, Orc x17, Orc Warrior x14, Orc Firestarter x1, Torak Skullsplitter.
• Kill Count: 46 (218).
• Buffs are now: Stoneskin, Mage Armor, Mirror Image and Eagle's Splendor.
Vrek Vileclaw
Yay, our second dungeon. Like the goblin warrens, this one is pretty straightforward, too. You will be up against an assortment of 30 enemies: slimes, jellies, carrion crawlers and zombies. Lure them together and cook them to a crisp. Fireball x3 will clear out the cave.
Now, for the troll: Vrek Vileclaw. Tell him you don't fear him, talk about the sword, and ask him why he stole it (375 XP). Then slay. Note that Vrek is a troll so you will need to finish him off with fire or acid.
Emma Moonblade
Deliver the Moonblade to Emma (750 XP, 2,000 GP). Now attack her and she will teleport away. We will fight her later.
Sell off all your garbage to Arte.
Ok, time to progress. Use the key to get through the northern gate, the gate behind where the villagers were imprisoned. Slay the two cats behind the gate, and area-transition.
Hostiles: Ochre Jelly x4, Slime x6, Slime Zombie x5, Carrion Crawler x2, Olive Slime x1, Orc x2, Orc Archer x2, Orc Warrior x4, Orc Shaman x1, Vrek Vileclaw.
• Kill count: 28 (246).
SORCERER 10: Fifth Circle Spells: Animate Dead. This is a key spell for the upcoming area. At this caster level, it will enable you to summon randomly between Zombie Lord and Greater Boneguard.
Summons allow you to keep your distance from rival casters who will attempt to immobilize you and remove your spellcasting ability (stun, silence, miscast magic). They will hold the front line, allowing you to nuke the enemy and not hit the summons (though careful placement of the AoE is required). This is a very important tactic to use in the next area and the areas subsequent. Remember that you can buff your summons with Stoneskin in order to increase their longevity. You can also Mass Haste them later in the campaign in order to turn them into juggernauts.
Want to rip the enemy a new one? Summon several of these bad boys.
Shaengarne Pass Walkthrough
(AR2100). Ok. there is all sorts of crap to kill here: snakes, wererats, orcs, ettins, harpies, spiders, ogres. Be very careful not to get boxed in. Note that Gaernat sports True Seeing. Don't bite off more than you can chew here. Even fully buffed, if you get boxed in with no room to move, you will be ripped a new one in the blink of an eye. In addition, watch out for hold and miscast magic! Best thing to do is, under cover of Invisibility, scout out where the mobs are and then send your summons in. Lay down Skull Traps with pinpoint accuracy.
You will catch up with a hostile Emma in the southwest. She will call you a pig for attacking her, and you are. Animate Dead is your friend.
• Hostiles: Highland Snake x3, Verbeeg x3, Orc Shaman x5, Wererat x6, Werebadger x6, Orc Archer x5, Gaernat Sharptooth, Harpy x4, Spider Queen, Spider x6, Emma Moonblade, Kristian Deylore, Warrior of Virtue x3.
◦ Kill Count: 45 (291).
Shaengarne Ford Walkthrough
(AR2101). Entangle-spam from Malarite Priests will prove annoying in this area. Almost 20 of the assholes. Don't worry about their AoEs so much, they do petty damage. Just be on the lookout for hold and disease. If you get diseased, you are in trouble. Backtrack to Dereth Springsong in order to cure it. But yeah, keep your summons in front of you and you should do ok.
Destroy three support beams in order to weaken the dam (750 XP). One of them needs to be bashed and the central one requires that you cast ranged spells or fire projectiles at it.
Use the wood to repair the bridge (750 XP). Buff before area-transitioning!
• Hostiles: Malarite Priest x19, Arctic Boar x9, Mad Cat x7, Highland Cat x3, Orc Archer x6.
◦ Killcount: 44 (335).
Shaengarne Bridge Walkthrough
(AR2102). A cutscene will fire showing the bugbear Chieftain, Guthma, ordering his forces to destroy the bridge. You will see two ogres start bashing at the bridge supports. And yeah, there is a time limit but you don't have to worry too much about it.
Just dont allow yourself to be delayed by Xuki's fake negotiation tactic (525 XP). Loot her corpse for the Bag of Holding and Witherbranch Boots (Immunity: Entangle). Now, you are immune to Fear/Panic and Entangle. Handy!
Leave nothing standing in the area except the caravan bridge (1,575 XP).
• Hostiles: Orc Archer Elite x5, Orc Elite x7, Orc Warrior x3, Orc Archer x11, Bugbear x6, Orc Shaman x2, Wererat x3, Werebadger x2, Mage x2, Harpy x3, Mad Cat x1, Highland Snake x1, Malarite High Priest x1, Xuki, Ogre x2.
• Killcount: 50 (385).
Exit to the east to bring up the World Map, and fast-travel back to Targos Town.
Report back to Ulbrec Dinnsmore in Targos (1,575 XP).
Purchase from Elytharra the Staff of Corrosion for its on-hit 1d6 acid dmg. Remember that the AC of immobilized enemies is null and void. When you're finishing off an incapacitated enemy, it's more efficient to bludgeon them inbetween Magic Missile castings (for example). Cast MM, whack-whack, cast MM, whack-whack.
Shawford Crale will congratulate you. Tell him it was a suicide mission, that you expect to be rewarded accordingly, and that you're here for gold, not compliments. When he coughs up, tell him to watch that tone of his (3,000 GP).
Take me to Part IV: Horde Fortress Icewind Dale 2!
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