Titan Quest dynasty - slow ride through "Legendary" play

[hoopsguy]

The very next encounter, we run into an Ichthian hero. This is the first time this has happened since applying the patch, as I see a pop-up at the conclusion of the battle showing the experience for defeating him (1443). Glad to have the new staff for that battle, as he had a ton of health, moved fast, and had a cold ranged attack.

All in all, a fun cave if you get past the whole dying thing ...

From the cave, it is a short walk to Megara. What are the chances they will have a caravan here? I now have 10 unique relic/charm types and another seven slots taken up by rings and beads - over 25% of my total inventory. Mission accomplished, as the Caravan is indeed here. There are 40 slots available for storage initially with more available for the cost of 10,000 gold. I don't need it yet, but won't hesitate to pay for it later.

New side quest in Megara - seek out the Skeleton Raiders.

Hmm, pretty darn good ring available in town for 85K - 30 more than I have. 31% Fire Resist and +12 Dexterity. That is definite improvement over the stuff I've seen earlier.

What I will pop for is a the best armor I've had yet.

Sturdy Bracelet:
22 Armor
+10 Armor (all in all, a 14 Armor upgrade!)
+20% Energy Regeneration
I lose out on +12 Dexterity and 11% Cold Resistance. I'll keep that item on the caravan for potential later use.

There was a really terrific rare Circlet here, but it runs 110K and requires Level 11. I expect to start seeing some equipment upgrades in the next couple of levels based on what is in stock in this town.

[hoopsguy]

I meet Timon, who tells me to take a branch from the sacred olive tree located in a nearby grove. This will be my offering to the Oracle. Timon seems concerned that Leonidas had to send me to address this matter. He also gave us extra inventory space - basically doubling what I can carry around in the field!

I also get a little more detail on the Skeleton. There is a ruined Mycanean city named Old Eleusis. The Raiders come from there. There are three undead princes who rule the ruins.

One more side quest - find the wreckage from a ship wreck on a beach along the Halcyon Coast.

[Peregrine]

I'm enjoying this game, though I need to figure some things out. The inventory system is really annoying me, it's constantly filled up and I have to dump a ton of loot because I don't want to have to walk way, way back to the last town.

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by Peregrine

I'm enjoying this game, though I need to figure some things out. The inventory system is really annoying me, it's constantly filled up and I have to dump a ton of loot because I don't want to have to walk way, way back to the last town.

Very early in the game, you can create teleport gates to towns that you have been to. You can teleport to the town, dump loot, and then teleport back to exactly where you were (as long as you don't create another teleport gate before going back.)

[Peregrine]

Hmm, okay. I knew about the portals but I thought they were only good from going from town to town, which I haven't needed to do. I'll try that.

[hoopsguy]

Also, that is why I have been harping on the caravan for the last day - I wanted to clear inventory space so I wouldn't have to teleport back so often.

The first time I played through, I didn't see the teleport option on the character, so I was walking back to town for 30+ levels. Ugh.

[hoopsguy]

And the road to Athens is out. It appears that a bridge over a large river was the only path, and a Cyclops destroyed it just recently. I'm pretty sure I'm not ready yet to battle a Cyclops ... and I could see the entrance to Athens across the river. Drat.

Old Elysius is near the riverbed as well. As expected, there is a ton of undead on the grounds. We (well, me and the wolf) storm the gates and make our way into the ancient ruins. More undead and spiders, and a ton of sarcophagi. I find three more staffs, and I'm too dumb to use each of them. Time to double down on intelligence next level, I suppose. I'm also seeing a number of items with multiple bonuses on them, which sell for more and provide significantly greater value. Nice to see ...

New Armor - Pupil's Padded Mantle of Spirit
22 Armor (4 better than old set)
+59 Energy (18 better than old set)
+50% Energy Regen (+11% better)
I lose out on +60 Health.

I'm just about to ding level 10. I think I would like to have that level in hand before taking on the Skeleton Princes.

[Peregrine]

It looks like we're in about the same place. I'm dealing with the skeleton princes now, particularly one nasty one who has killed me twice now.

[hoopsguy]

Level 10 is in the books, and we celebrate with a new item! Well, until seeing the Level requirement. The Colossal Squid is displeased!

Stately Circlet:
20 Armor (same as current helmet)
+6% Strength
+7% Intelligence
+7% Dexterity
+18% Energy Regeneration
Required Level: 18

I put two points into Nature Mastery, opening up another four spells:
- Tranquility of Water: builds on Heart of Oak, chance to reduce energy costs by 50% while using skills
- Dissemination: builds on Regrowth, helps heal multiple people
- Stinging Nettle: builds on Briar Ward, adds poison retaliation
- Sylvan Nymph: another pet, ranged attacks with bow. Two pets, wow!

Last point goes towards the Nymph. I expect I'll be devoting the majority of my points between familiars for a few levels.

Both attribute points go into Intelligence.

Health: 695
Energy: 655
Strength: 74
Intelligence: 130
Dexterity: 90

15% Fire, Cold, Electricity Resist. 7% Pierce Resist

DPS: 33
Combined Armor: 84

Energy Regeneration: 5.12
Offensive Ability: 90
Defensive Ability: 106
Run Speed: 115%

Gold: 59,917

[hoopsguy]

Colossal Squid and party (now with nymph!) rip Menon, the Bow Prince, in half.

Next, we see our first trap - it is a fire trap that sits in the middle of the room and spits fire in all directions. They are easy to deal with on their own, but harder when you have enemies attacking in all directions.

I'm finding tons of relic shards here - four of them between the time arrived and taking on the second Skeleton Prince. And that prince is Artemis, Prince of the Storm. Again, easy pickings. I've had to use three potions combined to take out these two. I believe Peregrine has been struggling with the third of the princes ...

Another sweet item dropped that I can't use. This one has a cap at Level 15 and doesn't scale benefits like the last one. Bah.

The third skeleton warrior doesn't hold up well either. One more potion needed - definitely helps to have three people on the attack. And that side quest is wrapped up.

[hoopsguy]

So another minor annoyance - the last Green item I found will only sell for 10K. That is the cap for item value at this point in the game. As the game goes forward that value continues to rise. So I'm contemplating stashing it so I can get full value.

I did find a new Helmet that I can use - Sturdy Circlet of Proficiency:
20 Armor
+9 Armor (jump of 9 from current)
+19% Energy Regeneration
+27 Defensive Ability (jump of 11 from current)
I lose out on 7% Pierce Resist, which I'm willing to trade gladly for the Defensive bonus

I'm now up to eight partially completed relics (2+ components) with four more single shards in the collection.

By the way, that Cyclops? Yeah, he was right by here. And he is an enormous pain for most of my builds. But with this one he basically chased me while my two pets nipped at him. Only needed one or two potions to finish him off. He is by far the toughest opponent I've faced yet (says so on the character profile) and I believe he remains the toughest for a few levels to come.

[Peregrine]

It's the Storm Prince that's beating me down, my character doesn't have any ranged attacks or pets, so trying to survive against his magic spells and the trap is just brutal, I almost killed him last time. But then I'm dying a lot more than you in general, I've died probably eight or nine times up till now.

[hoopsguy]

Shortly after leaving the Cyclops behind, the trail leads down to the beaches of Halycon Coast. It didn't take long to find the shipwreck and the treasure, taking it away from undead sailors. Inside was another magical staff for my collection (green one).

Sanguine Stout Staff of Thunder:
5-22 Base Lightning Damage
Speed: Slow
+10% Lightning Damage
18 Life Leech over 3 seconds
7 Lightning Damage
+1.0 Energy Regen per second

The DPS stays the same as my current weapon, but rare items can be slotted with relics while epic ones cannot. Looks like I have a new weapon. I'll keep the old one in storage for creatures susceptible to fire for a couple of levels.

Incidentally, I'm over the 100K mark for gold for the first time ever after hawking the cyclops and shipwreck items.

[hoopsguy]

Originally Posted by Peregrine

It's the Storm Prince that's beating me down, my character doesn't have any ranged attacks or pets, so trying to survive against his magic spells and the trap is just brutal, I almost killed him last time. But then I'm dying a lot more than you in general, I've died probably eight or nine times up till now.

Keep in mind this is my fourth character I've played, so I know what kind of encounters I'm going to be facing and have a ton of hours playing the game - good for knowing how to run away more efficiently when I'm overmatched.

[hoopsguy]

Level 11 comes fairly quickly. One more point to the Nymph and another two into Nature (18/32 now). I want to have a full assortment of spells - even if I don't have a ton of points in them - by Level 20 so I can then focus on which ones to buff. The attribute points go to strength and intelligence, as I'm too weak to use a ton of weapons.

Health: 735
Energy: 687
Strength: 78
Intelligence: 139
Dexterity: 93

Resist: 15% Fire, Cold, Lightning

DPS: 34
Combined Armor: 93

Energy Regeneration: 5.59
Offensive Ability: 93
Defensive Ability: 120
Running Speed: 115%

Gold: 137,847

[hoopsguy]

So despite having had Heart of Oak for a couple of levels, I had not moved it into my quick slot lists and thus had not been casting it. It is now a fixture and our party is that much stronger with the speed and health bonuses.

I die for the second time as I'm quickly routed by a centaur who plants a battle standard. I think it is the first time this game I've seen that. He came from the south, over an area I thought was already explored, and attacked when I was short health. Again, two really worthless deaths so far this game. Guess it is good to keep from getting cocky. Or something.

OK, upon further review maybe it wasn't the dumbest death ever. The damn centaur almost got me again. He threw down the flag and the damage was really insane - I'm definitely going to need better defense against those type of attacks later in my adventuring career. My sidekicks took him out while I fled.

I complete my first relic - Boar Hide:
10 Armor
Bonus: 4 Armor

So, a +14 Armor bonus is pretty helpful. I can enhance any armor type. Since torso is the most likely area to be attacked I would look to improve that, all things being equal. But that item is begging to be replaced in my mind, and I would prefer to keep this item around for awhile. I know the invokers can separate them later, but I think the highest value add is on my greaves. I'm stuck with only 10 Armor there and want to keep them for the Elemental Resist, Elemental Damage, and Movement. So moving from 10 to 24 armor makes them valuable for a few more levels, I expect.

[hoopsguy]

So as I continued to make my way across the Ambrossos Farmland, I encountered Chiron, a centaur who spoke to us. It appears that he is not bloodthirsty like the rest of the centaurs we have encountered. He has asked me to retrieve his bow from a cave. The reward is two attribute points, plus some experience. I'm fired up about this quest.

Inside the cave I find Maenads, which are blue cat-like creatures. They are fast and aggressive, but fall quickly to our forces. The leader of their troop falls pretty easily, allowing herself to be distracted by the wolf while the nymph and I bombed away from long range. I spend the attribute points on Strength (up over 80 now, which should open a few items up) and Intelligence.

The village of Ambrossos is just ahead. No teleportation chamber here but a chance to unload some loot. I learn of a skilled blacksmith in the forest ahead (side quest) who has good prices for quality wares. Another side quest is available, as a merchant has lost his goods when he fled robbers. The goods are mine if I can find them.


I cross Helicos Pass and meet Eurytimus, whose grove is burning. There is a fearsome spider beast that has taken up residence in the grove. The Spider Queen throws poison clouds that are a load for a solo fighter, but fleeing and letting the wolf and nymph take their shots, while closing for attacks of opportunity, worked pretty well here. And now I have my proper offering.

And I find a better Padded Wraps of the Pegasus than the ones I just upgraded. 18 Armor to 10, 6% better Elemental Resist, 5% better Elemental Damage, 3% better movement. Killer, but I'm going to have to pay them to remove the Boar Hide from the old one. And that will destroy the old item. Oh well. Yikes! The cost is 102,209!!! I have 189,078, so it isn't the end of the world but I did not expect it to be THAT expensive!

I also picked up a nice ring, Protective Loop of Reasoning. 17% Fire Resist, +13 Intelligence. That will replace the +8 Intelligence ring in a hurry.

Time to find the next life stone, an area where you are restored after loading a new game, and call it a night.

[Peregrine]

Another question, hoops - sorry to keep interrupting your dynasty. What's the best way to see all the items that have been dropped? Up till now I've just been using the z button to display all the names, but I wonder if there's an easier way to do this.

[hoopsguy]

Yes, the ALT button is the shows everything on the ground.

No problem with the questions/comments. I'm glad that you are enjoying the game.

Also, if you have any feedback that would make the dynasty a more interesting read let me know.

[gi]

Finished my MBA, sounds like a fun multiplayer game...hmm.....might have to pick this up.

[Peregrine]

I think it would be fun to make some characters for a FOFC group, we could just play them occasionally when we could all be on at the same time.

[hoopsguy]

Congrats on the MBA, gi.

I would be all for a FOFC group, whether we start from Level 1 or with existing characters. But the multi-player here is not as rich as games like WoW, so I want to make sure expectations are set accordingly.

[gi]

Originally Posted by hoopsguy

Congrats on the MBA, gi.

I would be all for a FOFC group, whether we start from Level 1 or with existing characters. But the multi-player here is not as rich as games like WoW, so I want to make sure expectations are set accordingly.

If it is like Diablo, I'd be satisfied.

Thanks, took me a long time. Started when we were playing City of Heroes.

[damnMikeBrown]

I'm reading, and becoming pulled in to buying. . .

[hoopsguy]

Originally Posted by damnMikeBrown

I'm reading, and becoming pulled in to buying. . .

To give you some idea, I'm about 1/3 of the way through the first "chapter" of the game. There are four chapters (expansion pack adds the 4th, which will be brand new for me as I write it) per difficulty level. So you get a lot of game play for the price.

And, like Diablo there are three difficulty levels. Unlike Diablo, I think there are a TON of ways to play characters, even if you are going with the exact same mastery combinations. I usually do not linger very long with a new character after beating the game, but I've really enjoyed that aspect of this one.

OK, Titan Quest sales pitch over. Colossal Squid will return later this afternoon to find the Oracle and start to unravel the mystery behind the creatures marauding Greece.

[Peregrine]

Well, I decided to re-start with a different character, I realized that I wanted to play sort of a melee, running into the center of everything guy, and my Dream guy wasn't cutting it. I'm now playing a Warfare character and it's much more fun and effective for that playstyle.

[hoopsguy]

I've done the same thing with a Defense guy - although that is the only one of my four characters who has been a hardcore melee type.

[hoopsguy]

It didn't take long to find the abandoned goods. There were a lot of undead guarding them, but not particularly tough undead - nothing like the Princes.

Just after that I hit Level 12. Two more points in Nature Mastery (20/32) and one more for the Nymph (3/16, closing in on my 5/16 wolf). One point for strength, one for intelligence.

Health: 775
Energy: 719
Strength: 86
Intelligence: 157
Dexterity: 96

Resistances: 38% Fire, 21% Cold and Electricity

DPS: 35
Combined Armor: 115

Energy Regeneration: 5.77
Offensive Ability: 96
Defensive Ability: 123
Run Speed: 118%

Gold: 87,483

[hoopsguy]

White crossing the Phocian Swamps, I complete my second relic - Turtle Shell:
+5% Shield Block
-5% Shield Recovery Time
Bonus: +60 Health
Enhance shields only

Since I don't use a shield this is not very exciting news.

[hoopsguy]

After finishing with the swamps I find myself in lower Delphi. Hopefully it isn't too much further now ... I've been pointed towards the Oracle for quite awhile now and I'm eager to see what else there is to learn. Not that mindlessly killing forest creatures and undead doesn't have an allure all its own, but I'm looking for some kind of explanation eventually.

Nestled deep in a forest, just past the bridge that leads towards Delphi, I find the master blacksmith. Another side quest completed, now lets see if there is anything here that will cut into the bulk of my 112,000 gold.

Nope - there is some nice stuff. And a couple of items that are almost buys, but I don't pull the trigger on anything. Too bad.

The next region is Crisaeos Falls - many Satyrs here, including the big fat Ravegers that have more hit points. But these creatures have never given us much trouble and still don't.

On to the Delphi Highlands. I'm continuing to see a number of enemy camps, and I'm clearing them out as quickly as I can.

Just a few moments ago I was complaining that I don't use shields - well, I have one now to use if I'm so inclined.

Outrider's Buckler (rare)
10% chance to block 55 damage
23 Damage
10.0 Chance of 96% Damage Resistance
16% Pierce Resistance
7% Lightning Resistance
+7 Strength
+9 Dexterity
+8% Attack Speed

And I could enchant it with the turtle shell - if I want to go hand-to-hand at some point I've got better options. Might do it on a lark at some point when I'm feeling particularly cocky and funny.

[hoopsguy]

We make our way up a hillside and see the outskirts of Delphi! It appears to be under attack from some aggressive Maenads who have a nasty poison attack. But nothing that we can't handle.

I meet the captain of the guard at Delphi and he seems to be an odd combination of proud and bitter.

I encounter a grieving widow, who tells me how her husband went to battle the beasts. His ghost now visits the wife, asking for someone to kill the beast responsible for his demise.

The town has all the shops that you would expect of a center of commerce, but first things first. I present my gift to gain entry to see the Oracle.

And she has a vision! Her voice changes, as she rattles off a poem. It speaks of powerful foes that threaten both man and the gods. There appear to be three battles to be fought, in distant lands. I'm told to travel through the caves of Parnassus to find the answer of what sent the beasts.

[hoopsguy]

One new game option that becomes available in this town is the Mystic. This person can allow you to re-distribute skill points for a fee. So if I didn't like how I've allocated my points in pets instead of other spells, I could change them with his help. I'll keep him in mind, but no major changes at this time.

Now seems like a decent time to give a recap on my spells. I've devoted all of my points to Nature Magic so far.

Nature Magic: 20/32
Regrowth: 1/16 (Heal)
Call of the Wild: 5/16 (Wolf)
Heart of Oak: 1/12 (Extra Speed/Health for party)
Maul: 3/12 (Wolf attack)
Survival Instinct: 1/16 (Wolf power)
Sylvan Nymph: 3/16

[hoopsguy]

The Squid has a new walking stick! For the bargain price of 90,821 (have 46K left) I'm able to upgrade my DPS from 39 to 48 with this item:

Smoldering Carved Staff of Thunder (rare)
10-29 Base Lightning Damage (up 5-7)
Speed: Slow
+9% Lightning Damage (down 1%)
2-5 Fire Damage
6 Lightning Damage (down 1)
+1.) Energy Regeneration
Losing out on 18 Life Leech over 3 seconds

I'm pretty excited about making significant gains in both DPS and Combined Armor over the last two levels.

And off to the Parnassus Foothills. Lots of spiders at the outset. The extra damage is pretty apparent, as I'm just mowing stuff down right now. One of the spiders drops a fun little epic item - not really my cup of tea but could go with that shield I found earlier ...

Patroclus' Shortblade
22-26 Damage
10% Piercing
Speed: Fast
15 Reduced Armor for 3 seconds
7% Cold Resistance
8% Energy Leech Resistance
+14 Strength
+18 Dexterity
+14% Attack Speed
Required Strength: 105 (darn)

With the strength requirement I would not be able to use this for a couple of levels. Oh well.

And for my next trick - my first ever Arcane Formula! This is a new addition with the expansion pack, so I've never had these. This is a recipe with three ingrediants - three completed relics. Of course, I have one part of one of the three completed relics, so this will take awhile (Essence of Zeus' Thunderbolt - 1/3, Mechanical Parts - 0/5, Spectral Matter - 0/5). The Pendant isn't bad - +7% Lightning damage will scale along with some other damage and a +4% Speed jump. But I've got a ton of work to get to the point where I can build it.

And shortly thereafter I enter the Parnassus Caves.

[hoopsguy]

We encounter a new foe here - Ratmen. They are one of the weaker foes in the game, based on past experience. But who knows, maybe they match up particularly well with Nature Mages ...

The next new monster was a lot tougher - Limos, Demons that steal health. They are tough at this level in the game. They were accompanied by fire breathing dogs who also deal out a bunch of damage.

After having to fall back against the Limos, we just flat overwhelm the creature who murdered the husband of the grieving widow. Weird, we seem to maul the purple (denotes higher level, I believe) creatures but sometimes struggle with the less powerful ones.

[hoopsguy]

I increase my efforts to spend my fortune, depositing nearly 60,000 to upgrade my armor.

Sturdy Padded Mantle of Reprisal
18 Armor
+10 Armor (upgrade of six points)
15% chance of 7-11 Life Leech Retaliation per Second
+42% Energy Regeneration (down 8%)
I also lose +99 Energy

I figure I haven't had any issues with running out of energy. Right now I have 26 Energy Potions and can count on one hand the number of times where I have even felt like my energy was low. Not a problem yet in the game. That leaves me with 35K, or an amount low enough that I won't be able to afford something cool next time I hit the stores.

It isn't long after the return to the caves that I hit Level 13. I've been neglecting my wolf since getting the Nymph, so I spend a point on Maul (10 more damage per attack) and the other two points on Nature Magic - next level I'll have four new spells available. Attributes go to Strength and Intelligence.

Health: 896
Energy: 652
Strength: 90
Intelligence: 166
Dexterity: 99

Resistances: 38% Fire, 21% Cold and Lightning

DPS: 49
Combined Armor: 121

Energy Regeneration: 5.70
Offensive Ability: 99
Defensive Ability: 126
Cast Speed: 110%
Run Speed: 128%

Gold: 36,082

OK, I have no idea what bumped my speed ratings by 10% - maybe something with hitting level 13? I don't see an item that should be doing this.

[hoopsguy]

And after fighting through a few more Limos and assorted demons, I emerge in the Parnassus Hinterlands. To be continued over the weekend.

[PiemasterUK]

After reading this thread, I've decided I'm buying this game, probably going to order from Amazon tomorrow. As a result I have stopped reading the thread, so as not to get too many spoilers.

Sorry

[hoopsguy]

Hope you enjoy the game, Piemaster. And play it quickly so you are ahead of me and can resume reading

[Brillig]

I just picked this up a few days ago. Definitely fills the Diablo-shaped void.

One thing, anyone considering buying this should definitely get the expansion. Inventory management without it is a nightmare.

Hoops, that +10% you're wondering about comes from Heart of Oak - that has a generic +10% to all speed. Also, sounds like you haven't found any artifact formulas yet. You'll be happy soon, I expect. And even happier once you collect the oddiments to make it.

Oh, and I hate Limos. Hate, hate, hate.

[hoopsguy]

Thanks for the update on Heart of Oak - forgot I had it turned on when looking at the character. Although I've had it for a few levels I had forgotten to slot it and really have only started activating it over the last couple of levels.

"Artifact formulas" - are those different than the "arcane formula" that I mentioned in Post #83? If so, then I haven't seen those yet and will definitely be looking forward to another new expansion pack goody. If not, then I'm just now on my way to seeing how this feature plays out.

In my past characters I've found Limos scary early in the game, but not as much later on. I would comment further on this, but I don't want to drop spoiler-ish stuff that is well ahead of where Colossal Squid is in his adventures.

[Brillig]

Woops! I somehow missed that post. Yeah, that's the one. There seem to be quite a few - I've gotten three formulas, but only managed to build one. (Spectral Matter seems to be a common requirement, but one you can't get early.)

About the purple mobs - I think purple is just a 'quest mob' tag that gets put on when the quest mobs are normally white (or yellow)? Remember even the early quest mobs like the shepherd's cave one are tagged purple even though they're no harder than ordinary grunts. I think only the oranges and reds keep their colors when they're quest mobs.

Oh, and I forgot to add

Spoiler

when you complete an artifact, you get a completion bonus, just like you do for a relic or charm. So every artifact has the potential to be unique.

[hoopsguy]

Nice use of the spoiler tag

[hoopsguy]

As I work my way across Parnassus I encounter our newest teleportation location - right across from an enterprising Satyr who is hawking goods! He is not much of a conversationalist, but he does have a reasonable selection.

I hope he didn't have strong feelings for the dozens of Satyr's in camps behind him, as they were mowed down by our troop. We cross a bridge and find a massive, massive war camp - there are just a slew of camps holding different types of creatures here.

It starts off with Satyrs again - in bigger packs, with more Ravagers and Shamans. Doesn't really slow us down, although I have to dip into my stock of 40+ healing potions every now and again. From there, we find a cave loaded up with demons, including a couple of Limos - they don't mob, so we take each one out from range before it can close and start sucking away life.

After that, it is a mixture of demons and undead. They swarm and force a momentary retreat, but we push through them after imbibing potions and summoning replacement pets. The reward? The third and final piece for the Essence of the Valor of Achilles.

5 Damage
+12% Attack Speed
33% Slower Attack for 3 seconds
Can enchant all weapons

This is a really nice relic! Increased attack speed translates directly to DPS, and slowing down opponents I hit is just a super added bonus. I think I'll add it to my staff right away and detach it when (not if) I find a better weapon.

Wow, DPS jumps up by 10 points! Or by 20%, depending on how you measure.

[hoopsguy]

At the east edge of the "Lower War-Camp" we find what appear to be ruins - I'm guessing we'll get more undead here. And we do, but happen across a man hiding in a nook. He warns us of an army of monsters, with the worst of the monsters ahead in a cave. The biggest concern is that it sounds like some of these monsters can turn you to stone? Yikes - medusa ahead?

For starters, there are a ton of undead and bats ahead. And Level 14 arrives as well. Time to head back to camp, sell some gear, and take care of the level points.

Two more points to nature magic open another four spells:
- Permanence of Stone: builds on Heart of Oak, provides Elemental Resistance
- Strength of the Pack: builds on Call of the Wild, increases damage, speed, and armor
- Overgrowth: builds on Sylvan Nymph, absorbs damage and retaliation strike
- Susceptibility: builds on Plague, opponents take more damage and elemental damage

Some neat stuff. I put one point into Strength of the Pack. So I now have two buffs to help out with our group attacks. Attribute points go to strength (will keep doing that up to 100, I think) and Intelligence.

Health: 940
Energy: 684
Strength: 94
Intelligence: 175
Dexterity: 102

Resistances: 38% Fire, 21% Cold and Electricity

DPS: 60
Combined Armor: 121

Energy Regeneration: 5.79
Offensive Ability: 102
Defensive Ability: 129
Cast Speed: 110%
Run Speed: 128%

Gold: 94,144

[hoopsguy]

Finished another Monster Charm.

Bat Fang:
30 Life Leech over 3 seconds
Bonsu: 24 Energy Leech over 3 seconds
Can enhance all weapons

Not nearly as good as what I have at the moment, in my opinion. I'll hold onto it for awhile in case I change my mind or need it for some kind of arcane formulas.

We make our way into the courtyard in front of the cave and slaughter pack after pack of ratmen. It isn't very fair, their heavy hitters can't get shots off as we are killing them too fast. The loot is falling fast and furious, but nothing noteworthy until we head back to the trader.

Diogenes' Loop
+12% Intelligence
+6% Energy
Required Level: 15

Can't use it yet, but the 12% Int would be worth about 20 points right now - better than the 13 I'm getting from my current ring. The fact that it, and the energy scale, are more than enough to give up 17% Fire Resist. It cost 75K, leaving me with just over 50K on hand.

[hoopsguy]

The stairs leading into the cave include a number of very life-like statues - should we be worried? I'm cautious enough to save the game ...

There are a total of three Gorgon Queens behind a heavy door. Their attacks are not all that powerful, but they are ranged. It helps to have a ton of potions, a healing spell, and two companions to draw fire. We systematically take down our opponents - not quickly, but effectively. There are a number of "Gorgon" magic items left in their wake. Near the back of the room is a woman named Feiyan.

Feiyan is upset that she was bested by the gorgons. She asks if I'm familiar with a Telkein - it is a great sorcerous beast who leads the armies. It is headed towards Athens, and she means to slay it for destroying her village. She storms out of the room. Thanks for the info and the attitude. I'll just help myself to this Majestic Chest ...

We find an epic bow - I'm sure this would be a good item for someone that is not me. Like, perhaps, my nymph, but that isn't an option.

Telliam's Will
18-35 Damage
Speed: Very Slow
+30% Damage
+30% Pierce Damage
+10 Dexterity
+2 to Marksmanship (skill I don't have)
Required Level: 6
Required Dexterity: 96

If anyone reading along is playing a character who can use this, let me know. I'll stash it for now, but it looks like a really solid weapon for an early level character.

[hoopsguy]

After defeating the Gorgon Queens we encounter a number of Gorgons while making our way through a back passage of the caves. We emerge in a new land and are greeted by another merchant. Athens is fairly close to here - we will want to make progress to see how we measure up against this great sorcerer. I expect that a few hundred Satyrs and Ratmen would consider me a great sorcerer, but I'm looking for a better measuring stick.

On an amusing note, I'm now on the other side of the river where the Cyclops had destroyed the bridge.

This land is littered by centaurs, including one particularly tough leader who had a flame attack that wiped out a nymph. He also had a pack of other centaurs with him. Normally I like to try and wipe out the minions first so I don't have others cherry-picking at us while fighting the boss, but this bad guy didn't have a ton of health and dealt mucho damage, so he went down first.

I'm pretty sure I have not mentioned yet just how much I hate Maenad traps. They aren't the only creatures out there to use them (only ones we have seen so far, but I digress) however the traps just whale away at our group until we take down the creature who set it.

There is a tomb on the road to Athens; we are greeted by Ratmen. Huh? I thought only undead hung out in places like this. Sure enough, we find skeletons and bats hanging out here as well. Throw in a couple of demons, as we have a nice cross-section of evil.

While selling goods, I pick up a new Necklace for 31,842. Beastcaller's Necklace of Insight. Same as my current necklace, but adds +7 Intelligence. Kind of a steep price to pay, but I have 145K right now and no immediate cash needs. I'm sure once I do this I'll find something that makes me regret spending the money but I do it anyway.

[hoopsguy]

I think "tomb" must be a codeword for "Colossal Squid Vault" as there is so much loot in just about every one of these. I quickly replentish the gold spent on the necklace upgrade as I complete the cleansing of the tomb.

However, I actually die in here to a particularly nasty poision trap. I hit it by accident when trying to attack an opponent and wasn't able to move away quickly enough. OK, that is three times I've died now with each being more stupid than the next. I make my way back to the tomb, find my tombstone (you recover some of the experience you lose on death by doing this) and then make my way to the next saving spot. Back at this again later in the morning. Level 15 is in site, along with Athens and hopefully an epic battle. Historically, I do better in those than I do against the rank and file creatures - or traps, in this case.

[hoopsguy]

The swamps of the Kephisos Valley are loaded with Harpies, Crows, Turtles, and Ichthians. One of the birds drops the last piece of a Pristine Plumage.

Pristine Plumage:
20% Poison Resistance
Charm Bonus: +15 Defensive Ability
Can enhance all armor

Poison Resistance is one of the harder Resistances to find, since it isn't included with the Elemental Restistance group. So this is a significant bonus. But I'm not excited about any of my armor - torso, helmet, bracers - that doesn't currently include a slot. So I'm going to sit on this one for a little while. It would be really nice to find a rare armor sometime soon ...

Level 15 comes in after slaughtering boars and centaurs. Two more points in nature magic (should have capped at 32 points by Level 18) and one point into Regrowth to jump my healing spell. With increasing health, and damage dealt by foes, this needs to be addressed. Attributes - Strength and Dexterity this time. I'm not seeing items that I'm too dumb to use, so I'll focus on the physical attributes until I start seeing that issue. Finally, I swap out the rings to bump up my Intelligence while giving up the 17% Fire Resist.

Health: 984
Energy: 758
Strength: 98
Intelligence: 194
Dexterity: 109

Resistances: 21% Fire, Cold, Electric. 5% Poison

DPS: 63
Combined Armor: 121 (has been stuck in this range for a couple of levels now)

Energy Regeneration: 5.99
Offensive Ability: 109
Defensive Ability: 136
Cast Speed: 110%
Run Speed: 128%

Gold: 145,969

[hoopsguy]

A Maenad dropped an epic spear.

Shadowstring:
30-46 Damage
50% Piercing (WOW)
Speed: Very Slow

16 Energy Leech per Second
6-10 Vitality Damage
13% Life Leech Resistance
+10 Dexterity
+13 Offensive Ability
Required Dexterity: 116 (would need to spend two points on Dexterity next level to use)

This thing deals an awful lot of damage. I'm curious what my DPS would be with this, since it is Very Slow. I'm still guessing at least as much as my current tweaked-out staff.

Another completed relic, and this one looks immediately useful.
Essence of Dionysus' Wineskin:
6% Damage Resistance
+45 Health
Completed Relic Bonus: 10% Cold Restistance
Can enchant rings and amulets

I don't have any killer rings or amulets at the moment - the Diogenes ring is rare, but probably not a long-term keeper - but I do have three of them to choose from. And if I have to upgrade the item, I probably would not pay 100K to retain this relic - I'm expecting to see better stuff emerge over time. But for right here and right now, I like this and want to use it. It goes onto my necklace - a very rare usage of a charm on a non-rare item for me.