I wanted to share my story with everyone about how I acquired the pyrotechnic axe. I was trying to get through the Black Mountain Mines with just a balanced sword on my Fighter character, along with Virgil and Magnus. I encountered my first Ore Golem and was quickly dispatched by it due to my ill-equipped characters. I read about the pyrotechnic axe and left the mines to search for it.

I found out that the specs for it were contained in a chest within the Tarant sewers. My first attempt ended in death, when I finally broke open the vault door it was behind, due to the mechanical arachnids on the other side. I then discovered a ladder before dying in the back of the room. I found the house that held the trapdoor to that ladder, and then died a second time because I faced the arachnids directly, again.

Third time was a charm. I left my compatriots in the house above, turned on real-time fighting, and descended the ladder. I bashed the crap out of that chest before the arachnids opened up, then climbed the ladder in low health without the spoils. I was healed by Virgil, then descended once more. I broke open the chest finally, looted the contents, and left the room with the glorious specs.

I love this game.

That sounds like fun. Possibly more fun than the way I did it:

I used my mystical chakram to bash down the metal dungeon door, and then (without actually entering the room) to take out the arachnids one at a time, with no risk to myself or my party. (I did hit F5 first, to stop my followers from scrambling through the doorway and suicidally charging the beasts head-on.)

Pluses: no damage or danger.
Minuses: no drama.

This is why I love this game. Every problem has at least two, and sometimes five or six solutions.

Haha, exactly. I love the countless solutions to scenarios like this. I'm pretty sure Arcanum is one of my top games, now.

There's a quest-driven way to get down there semi-legitimately, too. It's been so long since I did that one I can't remember how it goes.