brian14
12-07-2010, 10:06 AM
Getting hireling/pets across large bodies of water, like the swamp in Vale is never a problem. They stay on shore when you jump in, but if you click "feet" while swimming the hireling will swim along, and the pet simply appears by your side when you come ashore.
Small bodies of water, OTOH...
Last night I did Doom of the Witch-Doctor (penultimate part of Splinterskull chain) on Hard with my Bard 8 and a fighter 8 hireling; I usually get melee hires when soloing that toon because bard can heal himself. Went absolutely without a hitch until I went for the optional -- three Earth Elementals on a little island in a pond.
I swim down the tunnel, climb onto little rock and try to summon my hireling in order to buff him. Stubbornly he stays on the next rock over, just out of range. After few tries I give up and swim across, figuring that if fight starts, he'll come to me. I play Fascinate song, and all three elementals are swaying in trance. Then I make a mistake of casting Suggestion spell on one instead of playing Suggestion song. He breaks out of trance and attacks. My hire is not moving. I lose half of my HP and jump into water. Climb onto little rock -- other two elementals break out of trance, keep hitting me with Earthgrab and somehow I take damage every time. I shoot Bane arrows at elementals and click "sword" a few times; my hire still stands like an idiot. I summon an air mephit AND a snow elemental. Swim across, play Enthrall song -- air mephit follows me, attacks, and quickly dies, while Snow Elemental also just stands where I summoned it! Again below half my HP I dive in, swim to a rock on the opposite side, which is a longer swim. Snow Elemental appears next to me. My hire somehow ended up standing on the ramp to the elementals' isle, and not doing anything. One last try -- I cast Jump, drink heal potions (my SP is all gone), shoot remaining Bane arrows at the Elemental with lowest red bar (he dies), and get back to the island. NOW my snowman appears next to me and makes a short work of last two Earth Elementals. Probably my hire joined in, but I was too busy trying to stay alive to pay attention.
Lesson learned -- pets and hirelings don't like to get wet, and if the distance between you and them is small enough they think they are still "near" you, and make no effort to move. Which may keep them out of a fight.
Small bodies of water, OTOH...
Last night I did Doom of the Witch-Doctor (penultimate part of Splinterskull chain) on Hard with my Bard 8 and a fighter 8 hireling; I usually get melee hires when soloing that toon because bard can heal himself. Went absolutely without a hitch until I went for the optional -- three Earth Elementals on a little island in a pond.
I swim down the tunnel, climb onto little rock and try to summon my hireling in order to buff him. Stubbornly he stays on the next rock over, just out of range. After few tries I give up and swim across, figuring that if fight starts, he'll come to me. I play Fascinate song, and all three elementals are swaying in trance. Then I make a mistake of casting Suggestion spell on one instead of playing Suggestion song. He breaks out of trance and attacks. My hire is not moving. I lose half of my HP and jump into water. Climb onto little rock -- other two elementals break out of trance, keep hitting me with Earthgrab and somehow I take damage every time. I shoot Bane arrows at elementals and click "sword" a few times; my hire still stands like an idiot. I summon an air mephit AND a snow elemental. Swim across, play Enthrall song -- air mephit follows me, attacks, and quickly dies, while Snow Elemental also just stands where I summoned it! Again below half my HP I dive in, swim to a rock on the opposite side, which is a longer swim. Snow Elemental appears next to me. My hire somehow ended up standing on the ramp to the elementals' isle, and not doing anything. One last try -- I cast Jump, drink heal potions (my SP is all gone), shoot remaining Bane arrows at the Elemental with lowest red bar (he dies), and get back to the island. NOW my snowman appears next to me and makes a short work of last two Earth Elementals. Probably my hire joined in, but I was too busy trying to stay alive to pay attention.
Lesson learned -- pets and hirelings don't like to get wet, and if the distance between you and them is small enough they think they are still "near" you, and make no effort to move. Which may keep them out of a fight.