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→Atop the Netherbrain: +adding a bunch of info I gleaned from my recent attempt at this fight. -removing bit about "mirrored ability scores" in favor of just confirming that special entities are used, because I can verify that "The Snapping of Strings" bard-type thrall did not match the same ability scores of "Daisy", the custom Tav character I was using.
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ArcaneFocus (talk | contribs) (→Atop the Netherbrain: +adding a bunch of info I gleaned from my recent attempt at this fight. -removing bit about "mirrored ability scores" in favor of just confirming that special entities are used, because I can verify that "The Snapping of Strings" bard-type thrall did not match the same ability scores of "Daisy", the custom Tav character I was using.) |
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=== Atop the Netherbrain === | === Atop the Netherbrain === | ||
If Orpheus was sided with rather than the Emperor, the Emperor appears on top of the Netherbrain to stop the party. The Emperor conjures up several Dream Visitors to fight alongside him, stating he knows the party's every weakness. He is joined by several Mind Flayer Arcanists and an enthralled Red Dragon | If Orpheus was sided with rather than the Emperor, the Emperor appears on top of the Netherbrain to stop the party. The Emperor conjures up several Dream Visitors to fight alongside him, stating he knows the party's every weakness. He is joined by several Mind Flayer Arcanists and an enthralled Red Dragon. | ||
If the Emperor was sided with instead of Orpheus, the Netherbrain itself spawns several powerful thralls to join the Dominated Red Dragon and [[Illithid Arcanist]]s. The specific thrall enemies summoned by the Netherbrain depend on the classes of the current party members.<ref>The ability scores of these thrall enemies seem to be affixed to the specific entity, and set up in a way that is mostly favorable for the abilities of the specific ''class'' of that enemy, such as [[Rage Queller]] the Barbarian equivalent having a high Strength score.</ref> | |||
The physical structures of the "Atop the Netherbrain" map area allow for multiple "safe" paths across the brain matter, including two visible paths along the "ridges" of the Crown to the east and west. Staying on these paths will prevent additional Tentacle entities from appearing and attacking the party. | |||
From the start of this fight, a counter is issued for 4 turns, after which a Nautiloid ship will arrive and begin using the same "targeting" abilities as seen during the players' ascent in the High Hall.<ref>At time of writing, the turn counter UI element may display as having five "sections" around its circle, with one section depleted, but still otherwise functions as only allowing up to 4 turns. It's basically impossible for a regular player to confirm if this UI element behavior is a "bug", or if it had to be implemented this way for another reason.</ref> | |||
The illithid party member that is "holding" the Netherstones needs to travel close enough to the Crown of Karsus, and then perform Karsus' Compulsion for several turns. The party member ''can'' be attacked, possibly interrupted, and even killed while attempting to cast this spell. If a character casting Karsus' Compulsion is killed, no other party members will be allowed to cast the spell in their place, but once the character is resurrected they will be allowed to try casting Karsus Compulsion again, at their next available opportunity.<ref>Players should be aware that, when a character is resurrected, even if they are "the" illithid party member for this fight, they will still have the usual effects of being resurrected while in-combat, and it may be multiple turns before they are capable of taking actions again.</ref> | |||
Successfully casting Karsus' Compulsion opens up a portal to the "Mind of the Netherbrain" area, where a physical manifestation of the brain can be attacked. Killing the brain before the turn limit allows the brain to be defeated, once and for all. | |||
===Mind of the Netherbrain=== | |||
This area contains a number of loosely connected floating platforms that are ''breakable'' if they take enough damage, though they appear to be immune to multiple specific damage types. Once a platform is destroyed, any entities that were on the surface are instantly killed and cannot be resurrected during the fight (Death in this manner does not, however, cause the character to have a different "ending" upon winning the fight, if applicable). | |||
When at least one character successfully passes through the portal, the initiative order will introduce an entity representing the Netherbrain into the turn order.<ref>If Examined, the full name of the Netherbrain's entity is revealed to be "The Unbreakable Will of the Netherbrain", but in the Combat Log and Initiative Order this entity is still labelled as "The Netherbrain."</ref> | |||
To reach "The Mind of The Netherbrain" after this trigger occurs, ''each individual character and summoned creature'' under the players' control must directly interact with the portal to be brought through, or else they will remain in the "Atop the Netherbrain" area. | |||
Upon successfully interacting with the portal, the character will appear somewhere inside "The Mind of the Netherbrain", on one of the aforementioned breakable platforms (out of the rough "half-ring" grouping of platforms that is farthest away from the Netherbrain). Once all party members are ''either'' inside the "Mind of the Netherbrain" area, or have ''died'' while still in the "Atop the Netherbrain" area, the turn order will truncate down to include just the entities present inside the "Mind of the Netherbrain." | |||
===The Unbreakable Will of the Netherbrain=== | |||
When the Netherbrain is added into the turn order, a new counter will appear, overwriting the state of the prior timer. If the players do not successfully kill the Netherbrain entity within the alotted turns, a Game Over screen will occur. | |||
At the start of each of the Netherbrains' turns, it may attempt to cast a spell called "Orb of Negation" which summons an entity of that name with an aura condition attached to it, and adds the orb entity into the turn order. When the turn of an orb entity arrives, any platforms or characters afflicted with the orbs' condition '''will die''' (or in the case of the Platforms, destroyed). | |||
The first time within each round that the Netherbrain takes damage from another character, it may attempt to cast an ability called [[Retributive Brainquake]], which deals 10-60 damage (minimum of 5 damage if an unspecified save is passed) to all characters who are within 30m of the Netherbrain. | |||
When the Netherbrain reaches 0 hit points -- '''Congratulations''' - the Netherbrain has now been defeated, and a Conversation will trigger allowing the player to make their final choices and play through the closing interactions of the game. | |||
===Final Choice=== | |||
After the Netherbrain has been defeated, the choice must be made to either [[Control the Elder Brain]] or [[Destroy the Elder Brain]]. Regardless of the choice, this is the end of the game. | After the Netherbrain has been defeated, the choice must be made to either [[Control the Elder Brain]] or [[Destroy the Elder Brain]]. Regardless of the choice, this is the end of the game. | ||