In the first level of the goblin warren (Chapter 1, before the fortress) you can get more xp (about 2000 if I remember correctly) by sneaking through the different clans rahter than by hacking your way through them outright. One of my buddies told me about this and when I got my collector edition I had to try it. You see my rogue really likes to hide in the shadows and sneak around… He was nice and decided to share the fun with my bard (using invis, and not hide in shadows) since the 1st time I tried it the spider queen and her 2 friends almost killed my poor lonely rogue.

What I did was: Moved my party near the password door. Then snuck my rogue and bard out and about. Spoke to the hungry goblin, then let the spiders loose and killed the spider queen for the hungry goblin to get the door password. Moved my party away from the password door, then had my rogue, who was hiding speak the password to open the door-then move away quickly and re-hide so the hobgoblin did not see him. Then, my party having rested before opening the door, my bard and mage used invis on everyone and they moved to the exit. They took some trap damage, but they got out without alerting the guards and they received bonus xp for making it through without alerting the goblin clans to their presences (at least that was what it said when the extra xp scrolled up).

Now for all you, myself included, who think goblin scum should be exterminated-take heart. After you win the initial battle in level 2 of the warren you can always go back to level 1 and wipe out all the goblins, orcs, orogs, and trolls that infested the area. So, you get more xp for your sneaky ways and then you get to enjoy the sensation of cleaving a few clans of orcs and goblins.

With this method though you will probably not get the experience that some goblin guy gives you for convincing him to leave and you don't get to pick the two magical items for doing the quests for that evil dude and the goblin dude

Yeah, man. I just went in like the US Marshals.

I dropped that goblin punk, then that demon too, 'cause he started lippin' me after I had owned everyone else. I actually had my rogue open a cage of firebeetles, and they totally chewed up a group of orcs. Didn't even have to deal with a shaman, just some fire beetles. Those guyz rock!!!

That's my philosophy. Send in a team of Jedi, and let them do their jobs. Don't start throwing in "38th parallel" kinda stuff. Just stand back, and let the professionals do what they've been trained to do.

The cleanup team is just suckin' !!!

Actually, HeartofDarkness, I did get the xp for convincing the goblin to take his clan and leave. You can sneak around and still do that “quest”. Plus, since I came back afterwards and wiped out everyone I still got all the goodies from raiding their camps, I just went through the level first and found one battle on the second level of the warren and then came back to go medevial on them.

And I did do the quests for the Barghest Whelp. EJ, I too like to let the jedi do their work so after I completed the barghest’s quest he too met his fate and was sent back to whatever level of hell he came from. And the fire beetles were actually in the cage on level 2 of the warren, and yes it was fun to release them and the other monsters on the orcs and ogres.

[ September 25, 2002, 12:53: Message edited by: Grey Ghost ]