Disintegrate?

Discussion in 'Arcanum Hints & Tips' started by Grindstone82, Nov 15, 2010.

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  1. Grindstone82

    Grindstone82 New Member

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    So, with Disintegrate working as it does, be it bugged or not, are there ways to survive it? I'm specifically thinking of Dweomer, Reflection Shield, magic resistance and tech aptitude (though in the case of tech apt, I guess it would only reduce the damage, and what's left over is still enough to kill you?).

    From the manual:

    Which isn't true as we know. But, from the UberFAQ:

    So, ambiguity galore.
     
  2. Frigo

    Frigo Active Member

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    Can you try with dweomer/reflection shield on your follower?
    Or try spending a fate point to protect against magick, that might work.

    Magic resistance sure as hell won't do squat since it is maxed at 95%.
     
  3. Muro

    Muro Well-Known Member

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    Even a fate point save against magick doesn't do a thing to protect from Disintegrate. Neither does 100 TA.

    There are ways to protect oneself from the spell, though. The direct methods consist of casting either Dwoemer Shield or Reflective Shield on yourself. In the first case a mage can't cast Disintegrate on you, and in the second, if he is unwise enough to try (and if the mage is controlled by the AI, he is), he will Disintegrate himself (in fact, casting Reflective Shield on any object and then attempting to disintegrate is the quickest suicide method known to man).

    The indirect methods are based on depriving the enemy mage of the ability to cast the spell. The consist of casting either Drain Will (if his Will Power is lower than 20), Dwoemer Shield or Bonds of Magick on him or using a Mental Inhibitor on the pest.
     
  4. Grindstone82

    Grindstone82 New Member

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    I L U

    Indeed the coolest opportunity that could possibly arise for this spell (Reflection). Also, the Meta college finally shines (apart from glitch abuse)
     
  5. Zanza

    Zanza Well-Known Member

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    What about those Fire Elemental guys that are immune?
     
  6. Muro

    Muro Well-Known Member

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    I'm receiving a lot of love recently. Good for me.

    The are no longer immune in the UAP, though (their Fire, Poison and Electric resistances have all been lowered from 100% to 95%), so they are killed anyway.

    Still, that was an interesting question. Interesting enough for me to install a 1.0.7.0 game in order to check it there. The result? The Fire Elemental's 100% Electric resistance protects it entirely from the massive damage of the Disintegration, but it does not protect it from disappearing.

    In other words, just like in every other case Disintegrate firstly kills the enemy and then makes his body vaporize, in case of a 100% electric resistant foe it makes him disappear without killing him.
     
  7. Dark Elf

    Dark Elf Administrator Staff Member

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    While some evidence might point to the contrary I'm getting more and more convinced that Muro actually isn't a human being, but a piece of prophetic code written by the hands of whatever deity created Tim Cain, destined to reveal all the fancy quirks of Arcanum.

    I also wonder, is it possible to have 100% Electric resistance, cast Reflection Shield on an enemy followed by Disintegrate?
     
  8. Frigo

    Frigo Active Member

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    No, it maxes out at 95% in vanilla.
     
  9. Zanza

    Zanza Well-Known Member

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    Vanilla? Surely you jest in this name for there is no true Arcanum other than the original.
     
  10. Muro

    Muro Well-Known Member

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    Aaand there goes my cover-up.

    If I ever even had any doubts about Arcanum with UAP being better than vanilla, they irreversibly disappeared the moment I saw all of those restored sprites for different angles. No more mirrored sprites for me, no sir.

    As Frigo pointed out, it isn't, but it is possible to "survive" Disintegrate, even when it hits you. How to do it?
    • 0) Have a spare Fate Point.
      1) Open the Fate Point management window (it's crucial to do it while you're alive, because it becomes unopenable once you die).
      2) Cast Reflective Shield on any object.
      3) Cast Disintegration on the said object.
      4) After the Disintegration makes your body go boom, choose "Full health now" from the fate point management window.
    The result? Your body is no more, but you're still alive according to what the game thinks. Hell, if you're quick enough, you can even run around carelessly for a second while being disintegrated.

    Funny side note: Saving and loading after the above trick banishes you to the one true Void of Arcanum.
     
  11. Zanza

    Zanza Well-Known Member

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    That is the initial vendor at the beginning of the game right?
     
  12. Muro

    Muro Well-Known Member

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    Yessiree, in all his glorious nakedness.
     
  13. Grossenschwamm

    Grossenschwamm Well-Known Member

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    I always hated that guy. Usually I met him after I corrupted a save file. It happens.
     
  14. Muro

    Muro Well-Known Member

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    It were probably the Gods of Gaming punishing you harshly for abusing the character editor. Repent! Repent for your sins!
     
  15. Grossenschwamm

    Grossenschwamm Well-Known Member

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    It's been years since actively cheating at arcanum. I had a run of bad playthroughs that started with a human technologist and always ended with a critical failure in the BMC mines. I reloaded the save three times, and I kept killing myself through critical failures. I decided, at that point, that I wasn't meant to play through as a human technophile. So I decided on a half orc technologist...much better with everyone being a bigot toward him.
     
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