The Dark Messiah Bestiary

[Angelspit]

<img src="/http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/8774/arkane9hd.jpg" align=right vspace=10 hspace=10>If you are having problems beating a particular monster in Dark Messiah, of if you want to learn a little more about the inhabitants of Ashan, check out the <b><a href="/https://www.celestialheavens.com/650">Monster FAQ</a>/b> written by Exaggeration17A. The well-written article is a great complement to the <a href="/http://www.gamespot.com/features/616041 ... ">GameSpot walkthrough</a> that was posted on the Web a couple of weeks ago. All the game's creatures are reviewed based on their type (common or boss) and nature (human, undead or demonic), and the author tells you how much of a thread they really are and how you can defeat them. Here is his strategy for the spiders, possibly the most annoying monster in the whole game:



<i>"Since there are usually no other creatures around when you fight these spiders, I recommend ignoring the poison effect until you've used whichever tactic to kill every last spider, then heal yourself. Don't bother drinking an antidote potion when you're poisoned and other spiders are still around (you'll probably just get poisoned again), and don't bother trying to heal yourself before the poison wears off (it won't make the poison wear off any sooner)."</i>



The second part of the FAQ, which deals with the various items and weapons you can find around Stonehelm, will be published in a couple of days.

If you would like to take a look at the original page visit this link:
https://www.celestialheavens.com/650

[arturchix]

Awesome guide though I already figured out most of the tricks myself. Hints on fighting spiders would have greatly helped me during my 1st run - they were extremely hard to fight against, especially that they love to come in packs and inflict poison with every hit, making cure poison close to useless.



Goblins are very fun to fight against, sometimes just to watch their actions, when they are cowardly running away and calling for help - quite reminds me Black Guards and their "need backup".



I found the Arantir and Bone Dragon fight quite a pushover - I finished the game two times and each time killed Arantir/Bone Dragon within 30 seconds but that's probably because I was a pure warrior - for a stealth based character this final battle might be a nightmare. However, I didn't think of that it's possible to simply backstab him!



Battle-wise, from all of these monsters I enjoyed fighting especially against orcs (Aratrok!) and cyclops - they are quite tough. I wish there was some real combat with the Paokai.

[CloudRiderX]

"As you might expect, lightning does nothing against them(facehuggers)"



Strangely enough, this is NOT true. Defending one of their attacks with the Lightning Shield stuns them with electricity just like any other monster. I've done it several times.



"They're also one of the few enemies who avoid being lined up for an instant kill kick"



Also not true. In the Necromancer lair, their are many stairs going up and down to the spider pit. Vampire Knights will dash towards you at amazing speeds, and when the get next to you on the steps, just kick them off. Its really quite convienient. And that's not the only time it works, you can kick them at any point in time, but it works the best when their is a fall involved so it usually kills them.



"They're(zombies) best dealt with at a distance"

Absolutely correct. If you encounter a large number of zombies, use the bow to take them out one by one - if you aim at their heads just right(it usually works best when the side of their heads are exposed) and fire, the zombie head will be shot off completely, instantly killing them. This does take a bit of practice to get down, but it eliminates the risk of poison, damage, and possibly death. Don't bother trying it on Ghouls, it doesn't work at all.
Edited on Mon, Nov 27 2006, 15:47 by CloudRiderX

[exaggeration17a]

CloudRiderX:

I meant to change the Facehugger info in my last update... the first time I fought them, I fired a lightning spell which had no effect so I jumped to that conclusion. In retrospect, I think my spell missed.

As for Vampire Knights, their avoidance depends on the circumstance. They charge when they first spot you and yes, this is an excellent time to kick them into oblivion. After this initial charge though, they manuver pretty well. Some areas of the game definitely offer opportunities that trump enemy AI regardless.



I still need to correct some typos and make other changes, particularly in the "Bosses" section, but I'm glad people like it as is. Be sure to check out the items FAQ when it's up, too!

[CloudRiderX]

Oh don't worry dude, I am not flaming you, just inserting my experiences. Besides the errors and typos, the Bestiary is awesome work.

[exaggeration17a]

LOL... it's okay, I didn't think you were flaming me. In fact, I just sent an update to GameFAQs fixing some of the typos and misinformation and credited you with a couple of the changes, so I wanted to say thank you for the feedback!

[CloudRiderX]

Sure, any time.