I'm trying to get the wand of magi and the ring of gaxx before the underdark. Kangaxx should't really be a problem but I'm running a solo mage/kensai and didn't realise just how much easier it is with a sorcerer, grabbing the best spells as soon as you can use them. Anyway I'm trying to plot a way in to getting ADHW to help me out with the fight for the staff but the only way I can see is from the mage stronghold but this looks a bit precarious. when does the game 'decide' an outcome of a task if I need to save scum? a random project image scroll would come in handy also....

Do you mean the Staff of the Magi? As in, the one from that chick who hangs out with the beholder and vampires? Forgot her name, but her lair is accessed by using a rogue stone on a door in the Bridge District. That is indeed a tough battle. I think I used a lot of traps and invisibility the first time I cleared that room.

Are you asking how to get access to the Horrid Wilting spell as soon as possible? Of that, I'm not sure. That bonus merchant scroll-selling gal (assuming you have access to her) in the Adventure Mart doesn't sell that scroll?

That is indeed the staff. ADHW is a ridiculously OP spell, its basically a nuke that is even party friendly and will take down almost anything. The spell isn't available anywhere until you get to the underdark I believe unless you strike gold and somehow get a random drop, but the one place it is available is the through the mage stronghold, I think the second challenge you set your students is to scribe a scroll, ADHW is the middle option so brings with it some risk, but like all the options there is even a chance that they can't even produce what you ask. I'm trying to understand how the RNG gods are presiding over this one.

The only other way to get Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting is from Ribald, but that's not available until he sells his special stock in chapter 6.

Project Image scroll is also not available before the Underdark: you get it from Carlig *in* the Underdark. Good luck on waiting for a random one.

About ADHW and the students, I've checked with NearInfinity in the original version of BG2 (I don't know if it is the same in BGII:EE):

- the probability of success is 75 %

- if the students say it will take 4-5 days they will succeed, if they say it will take few days they will fail.

OK thanks for that, do you know at what point the rng calculates the decision, can you simply reload the conversation?

The random value is set when you ask for the scroll, so you can just reload the conversation.

Also I must add that the information in my previous post is correct only if you are using the BG2 Fixpack. I've checked a second install without the fixpack and in that case they will always succeed when creating the ADHW scroll (unlike the other scrolls) because of a bug.

Alternatively you can check and/or set the GLOBAL variable "Apprenti". For them to successfully create an ADHW scroll, its value must be 9.

I read a walkthrough someone did for a solo mage. Google for the journal of Elmonster. He acquires the staff in the Day 11 entry, using boots of speed, a Protection From Magic scroll, and a few charges from a wand of Cloudkill. He grabs the staff after the enemy mage drops and uses it to finish off most of the rest of the enemies that survived to that point.

Another approach you could try is to protect yourself from your own spells. For example, cast Protection from Fire and your fireballs won't hurt (if you are not playing the EE, you could even cast a second PfF and have your own Fireballs actually *heal* you). Or, if you are playing the EE, cast (minor) Globe of Invulnerability (or Spell Immunity: Necromancy) and you will not be affected by your own Skull Trap spells (note that this does not work in the classic version for whatever reason).

Of course, there's also Sunfire, which makes you immune to fire just long enough to not get damaged by the spell; as an added bonus, if you are not playing the EE, this will also ignore magic resistance.

(Yes, the EE did change a few mechanics here, so strategies that work on one version might fail on the other.)

Interesting strategies but I always seem to get screwed over by something, for instance I never quite know what those beholders are throwing at me, there is always some kind of nasty thing in there that gets me and I never quite understand what it was.

It's not just the Enhanced Edition. In my most recent play-through of BG1 original, I had protection from lightning on Ajantis. Boots of grounding and potion of absorption, to be specific. He was about to kick the bucket, but a mage cast lightning bolt and he was actually healed to full health.

The difference is that, to my understanding, the Enhanced Edition doesn't generally let you stack the *same* effect twice. In your case, you had three *different* effects stacked, which in turn gave your character resistance above 100%, which turned you damage into healing.

NOOOOO it's the opposite!!! just mentioning it so that OP doesn't do a lot of things in these days and has to reload

https://www.gamefaqs.com/pc/258273-baldurs-gate-ii-shadows-of-amn/faqs/34147

Note: You can tell if they are going to succeed in
their tasks, if when they tell you how long it
will take they say it will take a "few days".
If they say "few days" then they will succeed,
if they say "4 days" then they will fail. (this
works for the final choice as well)

That guide is great, but sometimes it contains incorrect information like in this case.

What I said in my two posts is correct assuming that you are using the current BG2 Fixpack for the oginal BG2 (first post) or the unmodded original game from GOG (second post).

maybe you are right, I just remember playing the original bg2 with and without the bg2 fixpack and had to look for the "few"