Thug Hideout balancing

[bobofwestoregonusa]

Hello! I'm going to be writing about a subject I'm salty about!

Okay, so here's a big issue with the dungon. It's massively populated with enemies at a low-mid range. Every single room has tight quarters with enemies who use bows, a lot of them. And every room also spams tanglefoot bags and dispel magic objects that strip buffs.

As it is it's a total death trap and any time I've done it where I did survive I did because I had to drink any reward it offered away. Recently I actually had to drink ten cure serious wounds potions for a very middling level quest.

So my suggestions are as follows:

• Consider lowering the enemy count
• Drastically reduce the number of ranged enemies per room
• Drasically reduce the amount of throwable spam. They use four or five per room with a group of three players.

Other than that I can't think of anything. In reasonable numbers without the constant use of throwables they're pretty reasonable enemies for their designated level range; there's just enough of them to constitute a standing army.

[ArmyOfOne]

Hi, currently playing Arthur Caernan and I agree this quest does seem a bit harsh for someone playing a barbarian at least, a warrior role of high hp at the cost of low AC, he didn't survive two rounds walking into one of the rooms here. There's no damage mitigation items aside from potions, just something simple as those basic archer's/swordsman/brawler belts with 5/- to a specific type in an accessible area would be a great help.

I can spend all my gold drinking blurs but then the class just doesn't work when enchanted weapons are involved, and the creatures just hit too high, and it seems like I may as well play a rogue if flanking is all a barbarian is supposed to be doing.

Or is a barbarian role here supposed to be using heavy armor + expertise if AC is the only supported mitigation? In that case I'll need to remake, but I won't have the charisma for the unique rages.

I kind of need advice on what a barbarian is supposed to do, or gear/build for if I come across quests like this where things can and do hit repetitive 10-15+ damage and I can't play the role my character is supposed to be roleplaying.

[Providence]

I was there when we did this quest and the reason we got slaughtered was because we decided to do it without resting first. Yes, the dispel spam sucks but typically you can murder the guys quickly enough not to experience a huge risk.

That said it's certainly harder than most quests in the max 6 range, but IMO there should be some harder quests for the more mechanically advanced players so they don't fall asleep playing NWN 1 for the 12th year or so.

[The Old Hack]

I have played this quest a few times and yes, it is hard. But I do not think it is too hard. I honestly think it is a barbarian issue rather than a quest issue. Barbarians have had trouble cutting the mustard for a while and this quest all too clearly shows it because its difficulty level is in the upper range at a tipping point where the poor barb can't keep up. :/

[Kinslayer988]

I do this quest very often and can say that it is one of my favorites. It is fine as is and can be tough if you are completely unprepared. Please do not change this quest.

The complaint of the barbarian being wrecked is a problem more pointed to barbarians and should be treated as such.