Wow. Paralyze is the Super combatant killer!

jbw · #1 December 23rd, 2003, 05:01 AM

I've found that a pretender Lich with magic resistance enhanced to 26 is easily paralyzed by a few Illithid soldiers (using their mind attack) before he can make a single move. I'm still trying to come up with an effective tactic to counter this (besides raising huge armies to fight a few soldiers).

Incidentally, I noticed that when you examine a paralyzed unit and click on the paralyzed icon, it gives you a number. Does anyone know what the number means? I thought it might mean the number of turns you were paralyzed, but when it was 3 the unit was still paralyzed 5 turns later.

In that particlar case, I attacked an army of illithids, trolls, and humans with my Lich pretender and some human commanders and soldiers. The illithids routed all my soldiers and then paralyzed my pretender, but only after he had cast Fire Shield and Breath of Winter. The entire army (60 units) surrounded and attacked my paralyzed pretender, and all of them died trying to finish him off, so I won the battle after my army had been routed.

Saber Cherry · #2 December 23rd, 2003, 06:10 AM

Hmmm.... maybe paralysis has no MR save. That would not be good at all. It certainly neutralizes any small army of powerful units against ryleh or any paralyze-casting nation. Completely neutralizes them.

apoger · #3 December 23rd, 2003, 06:14 AM

It does have a save.

I have found that paralyze will affect a pretender (unaugmented) about 25% of the time. Not shabby.

In contrast spells like soul slay works about 5% of the time.

Graeme Dice · #4 December 23rd, 2003, 06:18 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Saber Cherry:
Hmmm.... maybe paralysis has no MR save. That would not be good at all. It certainly neutralizes any small army of powerful units against ryleh or any paralyze-casting nation. Completely neutralizes them.

Mind bLast does have a MR save, which is obvious when you watch a replay. Troops often survive a single attack while taking no damage and gaining no paralysis.

Mind bLast has a penetration of 11 or 12, so to get past a MR of 26 takes a lucky roll on the part of one illithid and an unlucky roll on the part of the Lich.

Saber Cherry · #5 December 23rd, 2003, 07:29 AM

Do either of you know the specific formula for MR save rolls?

Pocus · #6 December 23rd, 2003, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Saber Cherry:
Do either of you know the specific formula for MR save rolls?

as a regular attack vs defence formula, nothing specific.

Pocus · #7 December 23rd, 2003, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Saber Cherry:
Things with "poisoned claws", like ghouls and Ermor priests, have paralyzing poison... but as far as I can tell, it just does fatigue damage (50, perhaps?), not paralysis.

Also, Woodsman Blowdarts do paralyzing poison damage, and I'm not sure which kind. But with 2 AP damage, they can't hit anything armored, anyway...

I'm rather sure that blowdarts add the strength of the unit firing. It comes from my experience where many time the woodmen get past the prot 19 of a group of hoplite (to the point of some were killed by a single shot)