BG2 = getting started

[lord of the mark]

so much to remember.


Ive given up for the time being on finding the child slayer in the bridge district (after finding out about the oak - checking my journal later there are more folks to check for hints, so I'll go back)

Did pretty badly fighting the vampires. Several reloads. Sometimes lost PC. Last time lost Amonen, and no opportunity to resurrect, so i reloaded and left the district. are vampires undead? Some kind of protect from undead spell to fight them?

I think i may have given the wrong answer to amnonen, and he left, but that was before i reloaded. SInce i dont think ive gotten the question.

In the docks ive agreed to work as the shadow thieves spy. Making minsc unhappy. WIll he leave, or will his desire to protect his witch, who is romancing the PC, keep him in?

Also the cowled wizards. I had them show up and warn me before for using magic in public, but then i reloaded. I did it again, by mistake. If i use magic repeatedly in public will they really come after me, or are the warnings meaningless? Again, this effects how i fight the vampires, since that is a public fight, one of the few really hard public fights so far.

[Dis]

public fight? are you talking about vampires that appear at night? I thought you were talking about the vampire fight in the sewers beneath the graveyard district. That's a hard fight. You should do too bad against regular vampires by themselves. But if you are a low level, they may seem tough. You just have to hit them hard and fast. And yes they are undead. Cleric spells can work wonders. Keep your cleric back and cast spells (you don't want your cleric level drained, or they may lose their restore spell that cures level drain). Negative plane protection protects against level drain, but doesn't last very long. There are some items/weapons that work really well against undead. Like the mace of disruption.

The bridge murder is a hard quest. I don't think I was able to do it without looking in the hints.

don't worry about being the shado thieves spy. Minsc won't leave.

As for cowled wizards. Eventually they will come after you, and keep coming after you (though I hear once you defeat the top guy they stop coming after you ). If you have 5000 gold, you can go to the goverment district and payoff the wizards to allow you to use magic in public. It's worth it imho. You'll have plenty of gold. In fact I don't like to get the "20000" gold too early. I like to raise my guys up several levels before I get the money to find Imoen.

[lord of the mark]

Yes i meant the vampire fight in the bridge district.

Ive gone to the govt dist to get permission to use magic, but then got killed in an ambush on return to the bridge district, and hadnt saved, so ive got to go do the govt district and some stuff in the docks again.


Is it worth having a "familiar"?

[Fake Boris]

The Cowled Wizards will come after you after their first warning. If you don't want to pay the 5,000 gold you can fight them. Be careful though, some very powerful mages will be dimensioning in. Probably too hard for you, unless you're ready to use cheeses tactics. Trap the area with your thieves, set glyphs of warding, and cover the area with cloudkills.

As for vampires, you can find a mace that protects against level drain. There is also an amulet, but I can't remember at what point you find it. Just turn undead with your clerics and cast false dawns, that should do the trick.

Familiars aren't all that great, except perhaps when you're soloing and need the thieving skills. But there's always the extra 15 hit points they give you. Just cast find familiar and keep your pet in your inventory.

[Dis]

and you can only have a familiar if your PC is a wizard or sorcererer. You can't have Edwin, Nalia, Jan, or Aerie cast a familiar.

[lord of the mark]

well my PC IS a mage. But it doesnt sound like the familiar is real helpful.

[Dis]

no reason not to do it. It's even better for a wizard since they only have to cast the spell once (don't need to memorize it after that). Sorcerers have to take up one of their slots for it.

Just try not to get him/her killed or you will lose 1 constitution. You can just keep him in your backpack the entire game to avoid getting him killed. You lose 1 inventory slot, but it's worth the extra 15 hp's.

[Nims]

Sorcerers have to take up one of their slots for it.

Certainly not. They simply cast the spell from a scroll. There is one in

Spoiler:

the De'Arnise Hold.

You might also be able to buy one.

You can just keep him in your backpack the entire game to avoid getting him killed

You might let him out sometime if you have one of the following familiars as the listed abilities can be useful:

Chaotic Good Fairy Dragon Casts Invisibility 10' Radius
Lawful Neutral Ferret 75% Pickpocket
Neutral Evil Dust Mephit Casts Glitterdust 2/day
Chaotic Evil Quasit Casts Horror

[lord of the mark]

after we got rid of Plover, Jaheira still has her curse, and this lock of hair. Is there something I should do with that?

The armorer wasnt able to do anything for me even though ive got a pommel jewel and a broken sword. Is there something else I need?

I did the Amnonen sister quest the Lawful Good way - will he become a Paladin?

Both Jaheira and Aerie are becoming annoying.

I got the quest from Edwin to kill this guy Rayas (?) but ive also got a quest to take this injured guy I picked up after a fight there to be healed. Will I be able to fulfill both quests?

Should I keep doing all the quests in the city I can before heading out? Im not sure how to head out.

Im not sure at what point I should pay the guys to help me find Imoen (though Ive only got 7000 or so gold now)

[Nims]

after we got rid of Plover, Jaheira still has her curse, and this lock of hair. Is there something I should do with that?

You need to rest in an Inn till the curse wears off. The lock is useless.

The armorer wasnt able to do anything for me even though ive got a pommel jewel and a broken sword. Is there something else I need?

Without spoiling too much, it will take quite some time till you find the two other parts that are needed besides the pommel jewel.

Both Jaheira and Aerie are becoming annoying.

Well, if you like neither of them, then there's only one romance option left, though I think you wouldn't take her into your party, being evil and all.

I got the quest from Edwin to kill this guy Rayas (?) but ive also got a quest to take this injured guy I picked up after a fight there to be healed. Will I be able to fulfill both quests?

You're mixing two completely separate quests here. The injured man goes to the harpers. Rayic Gethras lives in the house north of the harper hold. So yes, you will be able to fulfill both quests.

Should I keep doing all the quests in the city I can before heading out? Im not sure how to head out.

Go to the City Gates district, there you can leave onto the world map.

Im not sure at what point I should pay the guys to help me find Imoen (though Ive only got 7000 or so gold now)

If you're RPing, then as fast as you get the gold. If you're powergaming or don't care for her, take your time.

[Dis]

If you are RP'ing that you hate your ***** of a sister, then it's okay to let her rot in prison.

The underdark will be much easier if you are a higher level.

The broken sword is useless, but keep the pommel jewel. Though I don't think I've ever used that sword that it makes. I'm not sure how good it is.

The anomen sister quest will take some time It's either 7 or 10 days. When you are inside a city someone will come up to your party and instruct Anomen to report to the radiant heart place (in the temple district)

Just be careful in the instances when someone comes up to your party. I've always been scared of messing up quests if you do something wrong (like kill the messenger ). I don't think they would approach you if you are in a fight, but who knows. But if you don't see them and leave the map, I'm not sure if they will be there when you return.

Usually they will approach you when you enter a new area. For me it's usually the slums. Funny how I spend most of my game there. . I always use the copper coronet to sell my items.

[Fake Boris]

Originally posted by Nims

If you're RPing, then as fast as you get the gold. If you're powergaming or don't care for her, take your time.

Indeed. I've always hated that dilemma, as I try to genuinely roleplay.

[Fake Boris]

Originally posted by lord of the mark
I did the Amnonen sister quest the Lawful Good way - will he become a Paladin?

No, but he will get more powerful. You'll see.

[Fake Boris]

BTW LOTM did you find a way to kill the lich?

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Oncle Boris
BTW LOTM did you find a way to kill the lich?

I havent gone back to where i found them - ive got enough quests to complete. I hate to not complete ones ive taken, and i find it hard to turn them down.

I gave the body back. I lost Jaheira, and got her back. I went to the Harpers hall again with her - oops, reload, dont try that again till im a higher level i guess (and better with all these spells)

I manage to defeat the stone golems, but got beat by Rayas - I think if i go rest, and load with carefully selected spells, I can win that. Somehow I stole something or did something violent by accident in the inn in the docks area, and so i have to leave the docks to rest. Kind of a pain.


I may go back to the Copper Coronet, and try to get the slavers in the back (ISTR thats whats back there?) I should be high enough up now.

Despite the annoyingness, im still romancing Aerie (and, to a lesser extent Jaheira)