Trapped! quest with Shadowblade - exploit

[keekooceeaou]

I got Trapped! quest for the first time with a rogue (Shadowblade - level 5).
On second level of tunnels i discovered, that assassins were neutral to me. So i pushed everyone except assasin lord to the left side of the level, killed the boss before his minions got to me and then escaped with merchant.

Don't know though, if this exploit should be allowed, or should they all be unmovable.

[PowerWyrm]

Assassins are always neutral until you talk to the Assassin Master. Perhaps the dialog with the Assassin Master should be triggered as soon as you arrive on the level to avoid being able to move the merchant to safety first.

[darkgod]

Fxed

[Fela]

The problem is not in the minions getting to you, the problem is them getting to the merchant . Even going all out it's almost impossible with a pure melee to protect that guy adequately, so i've been using that exploit since the first time he died on me.

It also seems that once the assassin lord is dead, it's much easier to protect that mechant. If i'm not mistaken he stops trying to get to the AL's goons then.

[Grey]

Y'know it really doesn't make much sense for the merchant to try to fight back against overwhelming odds, or for the rogues to want to kill him (I assume they're holding him to ransom or something). Would be nice if the merchant tried his best to stay the hell out of the fight - it's difficult enough with low level characters just surviving the situation.

The only time I managed to kill all the bandits and save the merchant he then stepped on a summon alarm and got promptly killed by three bandits. Bah...

[Feanor.81]

Y'know it really doesn't make much sense for the merchant to try to fight back against overwhelming odds, or for the rogues to want to kill him (I assume they're holding him to ransom or something). Would be nice if the merchant tried his best to stay the hell out of the fight - it's difficult enough with low level characters just surviving the situation.

Completely agree, and could be done quite easily by just keeping him neutral after you decide to help him out.

[Mushroomhermit]

Completely agree, and could be done quite easily by just keeping him neutral after you decide to help him out.

I believe thats how it used to be... makes more sense that way IMO.

[Repton]

The problem is not in the minions getting to you, the problem is them getting to the merchant . Even going all out it's almost impossible with a pure melee to protect that guy adequately, so i've been using that exploit since the first time he died on me.

It also seems that once the assassin lord is dead, it's much easier to protect that mechant. If i'm not mistaken he stops trying to get to the AL's goons then.

My strategy:

1. Displace the merchant one square away (up-right).
2. Talk to the assassin lord.
3. Retreat SE into the alley.
4. Kill everyone.

Hasn't failed yet
(well, that's only a half-dozen trials)

[Fela]

1. Displace the merchant one square away (up-right).

Edit for clarity:
How? Bumbing into him starts a dialogue instead of switching places?

[Repton]

Yeah, but nothing happens. Combat doesn't start until you talk to the assassin lord.

[Gwai]

I don't understand either. Nothing happens besides a conversation when you bump the merchant, so how can you move him?

[madmonk]

After you have had the conversation, he is moveable. I usually trap him in the room above.

[Hedrachi]

Um... what? Hmm, guess I found a bug with my Archmages then, in 11b and 12b: I just phase door him into one of the rooms with closed doors before even speaking with the AL. Chat for that is probably messed up, he remains neutral and doesn't move. By the time I go collect him everything else is dead. I go up the stairs, get the achievement and 8g, ego store works just fine.

[PowerWyrm]

Yeah, but nothing happens. Combat doesn't start until you talk to the assassin lord.

Beta 13 will get rid of this misbehavior IIRC.

[asdu]

Y'know it really doesn't make much sense for the merchant to try to fight back against overwhelming odds, or for the rogues to want to kill him (I assume they're holding him to ransom or something).

This is what I assumed the first (and so far only) time I ran into the quest.
So I expected him to just stand still and wait for the fight to end and the assassins to only go after me. When he started running towards me I tought I had made him hostile by accidentally hitting him with an AoE spell and I spent the whole fight running from both him and the assassins.
This "tactic" seemed to work as both the merchant and I survived