*SPOILERS POSSIBLY LURK BELOW*


In the Cloakwood Forest, in the giant mound where the fat spider broad lives, and also where you get Spider's Bane, how do you fight off the sword spiders without getting your hat handed to you? In past games I used to pickpocket the magic cloak in the inn in Beregost, the cloak that could charm anyone from any distance as long as you could see them. Well I don't want to use that anymore as it seems like cheating and takes the fun out of it. So what tactics are good for this arena of mayhem? Let's hear 'em!

Coran cleaned up in there practically on his own for me. Equip him with a beefy longbow and preferably boots of speed and he's a monster in there doing hit'n'run tactics.

Try and lure them a couple at a time, and use your fighters as the cannon fodder, taking the hits, while you get everyone else to use long range weapons. Also, you can cast a couple of MM's on them when they start to run out of health.

I would dart in with a mage and Wand of Fireball, fire the fireball, wait to see the damage the spiders took, and run out. Then repeat. It exploits the spiders' inability to follow you out the door, but I couldn't find any other way to do it.

run is with your tanks, put them at the front with a cleric behind them constantly casting healing spellsthen have mages lay into the fat one and then kill off the spiders at your leasure

Blast away. Send in a fireball, and a couple of potions of explosions while your whole party stays at the door. The clean up whatever is left over with bows and direct damage spells.

Leave the weakest outside. Usually Imoen in a "standard" party. I did it just a few hours ago with Charname, Minsc, Branwen and Dynaheir. The sword spiders usually hit you left and right flank so have your tanks there, in this case me and Minsc. Branwen is in the centre throwing entangle to stop anything else from approaching, and the few that does she engage. Meanwhile Dynaheir sends two fireballs centred just behind Centreol to clear the ettercaps and what else got caught and proceeds to toss magic missiles at the sword spiders where there is most trouble. I didn't have to do any cheese tricks at all.
So to sum up: Tanks on the right and left flank, cleric in the vanguard centre and mage in the rearguard centre is a good way to deal with them.

I always like stinking cloud, since I think the spiders are immune to web, cast stinking cloud, in the center of the group of them, then soften them up with either fireballs or wands of fire.

A tank with boots of speed is essential, mostly in order to keep the spiders away from your spell lobbers. A your cleric needs to be casting defensive harmony, chant and any other spells that stack for better AC/THAC0 (preferably before you go into the lair), other than that, be prepared to reload and keep slugging away. (I tended to send minsc in with the boots of speed as soon as the spider chick is dead to grab spiders bane and then go nuts, a tactic that works well in PnP D&D as well, go for the hoard before going for the monsters you can't hurt).

What is this Charname? I have seen it around on other sites and posts.

character name (the main character)