Balthazar BG2
Balthazar is a Baldur's Gate enemy in BioWare's cRPG of 2000-2001, Baldur's Gate 2. In Throne of Bhaal, Balthazar is a Human Monk Bhaalspawn BG2 most notable for his lightning mobility, incredible survivability and unique stances and special attacks.
Balthazar Location
Balthazar can be found in his monastery in Amkethran in Chapter 9 of ToB.
How to Beat Balthazar
Much more than the average epic Monk BG2, Balthazar is a highly lethal combat unit due to the unique abilities listed in the infographic, and outlined below.
Balthazar has a THAC0 of -12 and his +3 enchanted fists (1-20 +3) inflict an average of 23.5 crushing damage at a rate of 3 ApR. While his ApR is pretty pedestrian, Balthazar inflicts crippling immobilization on the party with alarming frequency. If everyone else is forced to stand still doing nothing, 3 ApR is suddenly scary.
Defensively, Balthazar's AC is -8 and he has 100% magic resistance BG2 and 298 HPs (max 338).
Balthazar has innate true seeing and regenerates hit points at a rate of 5 per second. Coupled with three different ways of healing himself (Potion of Superior Healing, Lay On Hands and Second Wind), he's not easy to take out if the party is lacking in damage output per round.
In addition to his Monk-based special attacks (Quivering Palm, Stunning Fist), Balthazar employs special stances and unique special attacks with attack combos.
The best advice that can be given is to tank Stunning Fist, Quivering Palm and his three unique special attacks (Hand of Murder, Tiger Strike and Dragon Fist) with PfMW. If we are buffed with PfMW, we have just removed five of his most lethal abilities from the equation.
To inflict damage on Balthazar, we need a Fighter Mage BG2 of some sort or simply warriors wielding weapons equal to or greater than +2 enchantment -- buffed with Improved Haste or GWW.
Any suitably equipped warrior can smash Balthazar to pieces. All we need is a good weapon, good armor and solid THAC0, AC, ApR and damage output. Most parties should have a few of such warriors.
Balthazar yields 40,000 XP when slain.
Balthazar Stances
Stances are employed by Balthazar at intervals, and in proximities, in order to befuddle the player and force adjustments: one moment, Balthazar is invisible, the next he is knocking the party back, and the next he is "casting" arcane spells... as a Monk.
Lunar Stance
As per the Avoid Death HLA, Lunar Stance buffs Balthazar's save vs. Death by 5 points, grants a hit point bonus of 20 and bestows immunity to Time Stop, Disintegrate, Level Drain, Petrification, Imprisonment and Vorpal for 5 rounds.
In addition, Balthazar instantly casts a spell combo consisting of Magic Missile (18 magic damage), Bigby's Clenched Fist and Greater Malison.
Lunar Stance is an extremely powerful ability that Balthazar can activate at the start of battle.
Solar Stance
Solar Stance emits a fireball centered on Balthazar (like Sunfire) that inflicts 1-8 no-save crushing damage, save vs. Spell for half 12d6 fire damage, and knocks the party back and out like Smite BG2 or Wing Buffet.
Shadow Stance
Shadow Stance confers Invisibility for 1 turn and Improved Invisibility for 5 rounds on Balthazar, as well as a 6-point AC bonus for 2 rounds. The illusion can be dispersed with Detect Illusions (Jan BG2) or scrying spells such as True Sight.
Balthazar Special Attacks
Balthazar's special attacks are activated at intervals. Due to the number of them that he switches between, and coupled with his Monk abiltities such as Stunning Fist and Quivering Palm, he always seems to have something lethal up his sleeve.
Hand of Murder
As per the Critical Strike HLA, Balthazar's Hand of Murder upgrades all hits to critical hits for 1 round.
Tiger Strike
Similar to the Smite HLA, Balthazar's Tiger Strike inflicts an auto-critical that knocks back victims and stuns them for 1 round (no-save).
Dragon Fist
As per the Power Attack HLA, Balthazar's Dragon Fist inflicts Stun for 2 rounds on a failed save vs. Death at -4.
Shadowless Kick
Similar to Wing Buffet, Shadowless Kick is an MR-bypassing, no-save AoE that inflicts 4d8 crushing damage, knocks the victims back, and also knocks them unconscious.
Other Abilities
Faster than the Eye
Increasing his already impressive monk-mobility, Faster than the Eye allows Balthazar to instantly teleport to one of three fixed positions in his throne room. These positions can be viewed with Ctrl +4.
Second Wind
As per the Heal spell of Cleric, Balthazar employs Second Wind in order to replenish his hit points completely. Thankfully, he can only do so once in the battle.
Balthazar Immunities
Balthazar is immune to non-magical weapons and weapons up to and including +2 enchantment. He is immune to backstab as well as first and second level spells. In addition, Balthazar is immune to Disease, Slow, Petrification, Polymorph, Power Word: Sleep, Sleep, Vorpal, Imprisonment, Charm, Panic, Level Drain, Berserk, Power Word: Kill, Disintegrate, Dire Charm, Poison, Stun, Paralysis, Hold and Web.
Monk Backup
Several of Balthazar's 18th level Monks hassle the party over the course of the battle. The Monks can activate Quivering Palm, have THAC0s of 0, and inflict an average of 13.5 crushing damage at a rate of 1 ApR. They have ACs of -4, 163 HPs, 100 MR and 2x Potions of Superior Healing quick-slotted.
10,000 XP.
cf. Ascension Balthazar.
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