New all purpose Baldurs Gate thread

[Jamski]

Playing at that res will indeed show more of the map on screen.

You can press "H" at any time too to toggle the interface panels on/off, which I like to do for Dragon fights and so on.

-Jam

[duke o' york]

Thanks Jamski.
I don't need to read the manual when I've got you around.
(Although I really should)

[Traianvs]

I have lost my manual so...
Well I'm not going to start my game yet, because my ToB cd is still at home, and I'll only be getting it this weekend.

Oh and btw I don't need any more Bioware patches if I have ToB installed, right?

[Kassiopeia]

I tend to select the characters by clicking on the portraits anyway.

I use the number keys, I'm trying to avoid the mouse as much as possible since my right arm has been hurting like hell lately. BG2 addiction isn't really helping that

[Jamski]

Oh and btw I don't need any more Bioware patches if I have ToB installed, right?

You NEED the ToB patch from Bioware and the ToB fixpack from Baldurdash (unless you like bugs/crashes)

-Jam

[duke o' york]

As a point of interest, if I were to spot a bargain, then would it be worthwhile buying the RPG collection (with Icewind Dale and er, something else), or just BG2 on its own?

[Jamski]

It would be worth getting IWD as well if you see it. Its out of print otherwise.

Not such a good story as BG, but a better hack'n'slash

-Jam

[Traianvs]

I have ToB installed now together with the patches
My chaotic good fighter/mage/thief:

strength: 14
dexterity: 16
constitution: 14
intelligence: 18
wisdom: 10
charisma: 12

++ sling
++ sword and shield style
+(+ because I have already gained a level and an extra star ) axe

and I started with 100% find traps, so I don't have to bother raising that later

Let's kick ass, harhar. Unfortunately he only has about 22 puny hitpoints right now (and he only seems to gain 1HP/level) so anybody can take this sucker down!

[Jamski]

Stoneskin and Mirror Image = another fight with no injuries.

As for your HP, you get the HP for each class, divided by 3 each time you level (because you have 3 classes) You only have 14 CON, so 1 or 2 HPper level sounds about right. After level 9/9/9 it SHOULD be less than 1 per level.

But noone can hit you so its not important.

-Jam

[Traianvs]

I see, well I always feel tempted to use the invisibility-backstab combo, and I'm having a 3x multiplier right now which could do some leet damage with a decent weapon. After that I run away like a little girl and then cast some more carnage. So there's why my character could get some severe punishment

[duke o' york]

I'm tempted to have a fighter/mage/thief as my character next time I go through BG1. (He says, only about a fifth or so through the game now, and probably less than that!) The other option is to play MP and choose the characters I want, although that would make things very easy at the beginning. How does MP with other people work? Can you play online?
(Dial-up man would be a massive drag on any party )

[Jamski]

BG online is not really an option... I suppose you could play on a LAN, but its quite sadistic to play over the net. Just getting it to work is a pita.

My first completion of the whole saga was with a F/M/T solo. She was so good by the end of Chapter 2 in BG2 that it HURT. The combination of mislead and backstab with a fighter's THACO is sick.

-Jam

[Traianvs]

I found my manual again and I noticed some things.

Is wisdom important for a mage? I have 10 points, but apparently 10 points gives 15% of spell failure, or does that only apply to priests?

I have 14 constitution, but I might as well have 6 constitution because 6-14 has no HP adjustment. If I have 16 I have +2 adjustment

And instead of having 16 dexterity (-2 AC) I could allot 18 points to dexterity (-4 AC)

I could get those 4 points from my charisma that is currently 12. However it gives 0 reaction adjustment, and 8 charisma also gives 0 reaction adjustment.

So I should go and change those stats?

[Jamski]

Yes, you should

Wisdom has no effect at all except for give priests a few extra spells. It was meant to effect casting success and saving throws, but it was never implemented. The only thing that you might need WIS for is if you are casting Wish or Limited Wish a lot... but who's doing that except cheeze merchants?

If you have ToB, then INT doesn't even effect the maximum spell level a mage can learn.

Ultimate Fighter/Mage/Thief minimum stats :

STR - not important, cast the spell "Strength" for 18/50 the whole day or wear one of the many belts that give 19 STR or higher.
DEX - as good as possible is nice, or ignore DEX and use lots of Stoneskins, Mirror Image, Blur, Improved Invisibility etc.
CON - either 8 or 16. No other amounts are worth considering.
WIS - either 3 or 18, depending if you intend to cast "Wish" at any point.
INT - 18 is nice so you can learn 12(?) spells per level, and when you get this up to 19 you can learn all the spells. Or just drink a potion of genius (INT set to 25) when you want to scribe spells.
CHA - 3, and wear the Ring of Human Influence if you want to talk to anyone/buy anything.

See, you don't need extraordinary stats. I soloed the game with a sorceror who had MINIMUM stats, who also used no stat boosting items. His STR was so low he couldn't move after he cast Melf's Minute Meteors (they are too heavy)

-Jam

[duke o' york]

I am currently on the third level of the Nashkel mines, but can't make it past the commandos with fire arrows without losing at least one of my party. Well, I've only tried a couple of times, but after the many reloads and then surrender when trying to fight the bloke who chucks darts without getting Minsc killed then I got a bit cheesed off.
Can I have some hints with how to take on these fire arrows? I am tempted to cast Armour on Minsc, get him to drink the potion of Fire Resistance I picked up somewhere, and then charge in single-handed. He's got a +2 longsword so should make pretty short work of them, but is this a waste of the potion? I've picked up all the traps apart from one, but Minsc blundered in and hardly got harmed at all.
I'd also like some tips on how to kill the two men with the dart-throwing. I want some of those super-powerful darts! I'm tempted to back-stab the dart-chucker, because Minsc could do the other one single-handed, but I just need to get him enough time without being killed by darts. Help!