General — Encounter Notes

Difficulty scale (calibrated for honour mode at appropriate level)

• 🟢 Easy — minimal risk if you don’t make stupid mistakes
• 🟡 Medium — requires positioning + spell management
• 🔴 Hard — run-killer if underleveled or unprepared
• ⚫ BOSS — scripted boss, unique mechanics, often legendary actions

Boss-fight pre-fight ritual (apply to all ⚫ encounters)

Run this checklist before initiating any boss fight:

1. Long rest beforehand (full slots + sorcery points + CD charges)
2. Heroes’ Feast (Shadowheart L11+) — party HP buff + fear/poison immunity
3. Aid (Shadowheart L3+) — +5 max HP party-wide
4. Mage Armor on both sorcs (8-hour buff)
5. Stoneskin on Lae’zel from Shadowheart (concentration — drop Bless for this fight)
6. Elixir of Vigilance all 4 characters (initiative)
7. Position before triggering dialogue — high ground, spread out, sorcs 12m+ from melee zone
8. Channel Divinity ready (Destructive Wrath toggled OFF — toggle ON when you cast lightning)
9. Kill order plan — agree with friend before engaging: focus boss vs adds first?

Run-killer mistakes (don’t do these)

1. Engaging Phase Spider Matriarch underleveled (need L4+ minimum, ideally L5).
2. Long-resting after entering Auntie Ethel’s lair — she ambushes during rest.
3. Splitting party in Act 2 Mind Flayer Colony — the 3-phase boss starts immediately, no time to regroup.
4. Pickpocket failure on Helsik / Lorroakan — hostile vendor = lost.
5. Dialogue-trap clicks (“threaten” or “attack” options often roll Initiative immediately) — read every option.
6. Triggering Steel Watcher patrol while in dialogue — they hear you talk too loud. Stealth approach matters.
7. Casting Hold Person/Monster on legendary enemies without checking creature type — most non-humanoids are immune.
8. Standing in your own surfaces — Cloud of Daggers, Cloudkill, etc., damage YOU too.
9. Friendly fire from your friend’s Fireball without Careful Spell — they need Careful metamagic, you need to spread out.
10. Resting too often — some Act 1 events (Tiefling Party, Ethel ambush, Karlach engine) lock if you rest at the wrong time.