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i. Introduction
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Strange things are happening in the Sword Coast. The iron has gone bad,
every weapon forged with it is completely worthless. Bandits plague the
Coast stealing everything else that already isn't ruined. And people are
muttering that it is all the work of an outside interest bent on domination.
Some say that it is the Zhentarim, some say that it is the Amnish, although
they have troubles of their own.
Amidst all of this you have grown up in seclusion in the Candlekeep fortress,
a keep of knowledge. You have never known your parents, instead you were
raised by the Sage Gorion. You might have remained in this sheltered life
forever, had not fate played its hand. Because of the growing threat of evil
in the world, Gorion feels compelled to remove you from Candlekeep, and take
you to another hiding place where he will "explain everything".
And so it began...
Baldur's Gate is the latest in a long string of games set in the Forgotten
Realms. The game uses (for the most part) the AD&D rules to set the
gameplay. It also endeavors to create the sense that you are on an AD&D
quest yourself, and not just playing the game, but rather are in the game.
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ii. Creating a Character
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Creating a Character is the most important thing that you do in the game.
Period. This has an effect on everything else in the game. If you do it
well, you will succeed and easily, if you do it poorly, you will have a much
harder time of it, and possibly even fail.
So let's run down the basics of creating a character:
Gender: This doesn't matter, except as a personal choice.
Race: I usually take a Human here as they are good all around. It should
be noted that there are considerable benefits to taking other races,
such as Elves getting a bonus to Dexterity (a Max of 19) and Dwarves
getting a bonus to Constitution (a Max of 19), but they also have
drawbacks; such as Elves having a Max Constituion of 17 and Dwarves
having a Max Dexterity of 17.
Also if you want to be a Multi-Class character, you should probably
take Half-Elf. Personally, I would avoid Multi-Class characters, as
they take longer to level up, and are usually weaker to start with.
So, I'd take a human.
Class: Here, I'd take Fighter. They level up well, and have good all
around fighting abilities. If you take a Ranger or a Paladin, you
get a couple bonus abilities, but it takes longer to level up,
which just isn't worth it to me. And since you get Special
Abilities anyway (see General Strategies below), you don't really
need to be a Cleric. Imoen is a good thief, and she pretty much
starts with you, so you don't need to be a thief.
So, I'd be a Fighter.
Alignment: Go with Lawful Good. This starts your reputation at 12, and
reputation is a good thing to have in abundance. (it makes
things cheaper)
Alternatively, you could go with an evil party, but keep the
reputation above 6 or the guard will start to attack you
wherever you go.
Abilities: This is the most important part of character creation! You
have to try to get the best stats that you can possibly get,
and the only way to do that is to reroll constantly. How good
of stats you get mostly depends on how patient you are in
rerolling. You can customize your stats, if you want. Simply
decrease the amount in one stat, and use those points to
increase another stat.
If you are a fighter here are the recommended minimum stats to
try for:
STR: 18/51
DEX: 11*
CON: 18
INT: 10
WIS: 10
CHA: 18
* DEX can be low because of the Gauntlets of Dexterity, see
General Strategies below.
Make sure not to neglect Charisma! It's more important than
you might think (stores sell things cheaper, and people may
treat you better). Of course, you can just cast Friends on
yourself to become more... Charismatic.
If you aren't a Fighter, then drop STR and improve the stat
most associated with your ability. INT for Mages, WIS for
Clerics, etc.
Skills: These are your proficiency points. Think of it as which weapons
your character is skilled in. Based on which class you are, set
two points to that characters likely primary weapon:
Fighter, Paladin -- Large Sword
Thief -- Small Sword
Ranger -- Bow
Then give the other points to either Bow or Missile Weapons.
Note: If you are a Ranger, then you also have to select your
Racial Enemy here. I'd take Spider, as they seem to be
most prolific.
Appearance: Whatever you think looks good.
Name: Whatever you think sounds good. Check out Appendix D. Guide to
Naming Characters if you need some ideas.
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iii. Items
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Note: Prices are all based on an average reputation, where they neither give
you the "Hero's Discount" or the "Villain's Markup". These prices were
also based on a "Super Charisma", that is, two over 18. To get a Super
Charisma start by having 18, and then wear Algernon's Cloak. And if you
find a Tome of Leadership and Influence (Charisma +1), you can get up to
21 Charisma. The worse your Charisma, the higher these prices will be!
Note: Mage Scrolls are listed in section iv. Spells, wheras Cleric Scrolls are
listed here. (this is because you can Write Magic from a Mage Scroll but
cannot from a Cleric)
Note: Although Inns are open 24 hours a day, most shops close during the
night.
Note: Your alignment effects how expensive Raise Dead is going to cost for
you, depending on the temple that you are in. If you are an Evil
character in a Good Temple, it will be quite expensive (10000 gp).
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Shops (a * indicates that this item is only found in the Expansion Pack)
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There are four types of business (or "shop")
- Store (Buy and Sell)
- Tavern (Drink)
- Inn
- *Inn (Drink and Peasant rooms)
- **Inn (Drink, Peasant and Merchant rooms)
- ***Inn (Drink, Peasant, Merchant and Noble rooms)
- ****Inn (Drink, Peasant, Merchant, Noble and Royal rooms)
- Temple (Healing, Donate, Buy and Sell, Identify)
All temple priests will identify items and so will some store owners.
There are some stores you can steal from. Stolen (fenced) items cannot be
sold.
CANDLEKEEP:
- Candlekeep Inn (AR2616) ****INN + STORE - Winthrop (can steal)
Battle Axe 5gp Quarter Staff 1gp
Throwing Axe (5) 5 Bastard Sword 28
Club 1 Long Sword 16
Flail 16 Short Sword 11
Mace 8 2-Hnd Sword 56
Morningstar 11 Scimitar* 61
Composite Long Bow 112 Bullet (20) 1
Long Bow 84 Heavy Crossbow 56
Short Bow 33 Light Crossbow 39
Dagger 2 Bolt (20) 1
Throwing Dagger (5) 5 Arrows (20) 1
Darts (10) 1 Chain Mail 84
Halberd 11 Splint Mail 89
War Hammer 2 Leather Armor 5
Sling 1 Studded Leather 22
Spear 1 Small Shield 3
Buckler 1 Medium Shield 7
Large Shield 11 Helmet 1
- Temple of Oghma (x 4048 y 547) TEMPLE - Priest of Oghma
Cures:
Cure Light Wounds 50gp Cure Serious Wounds 100gp
Dispel Magic 200 Slow Poison 150
Remove Curse 500 Raise Dead 2000
Sells:
Potion of Healing 84gp Antidote 112gp
Elixer of Health 560 Stone to Flesh Scroll 168
FRIENDLY ARM INN:
- The Friendly Arm (AR2301) ****INN + STORE - Bentley Mirrorshade
Battle Axe 6gp Long Sword 19gp
Throwing Axe (5) 6 Short Sword 12
Club 1 2-Hnd Sword 63
Flail 19 Heavy Crossbow 63
Mace 10 Light Crossbow 44
Morningstar 12 Arrows (20) 1
Composite Long Bow 127 Bolts (20) 1
Long Bow 95 Bullet (20) 1
Short Bow 38 Chain Mail 95
Dagger 2 Splint Mail 101
Dart (10) 1 Leather Armor 6
Halberd 12 Plate Mail 762
War Hammer 2 Small Shield 6
Sling 1 Medium Shield 8
Spear 1 Large Shield + 1 2540
Quarter Staff 1 History/Fateful Coin 2
Bastard Sword 31 History/Unicorn Run 2
- Temple of Wisdom (AR2304) TEMPLE - Gellana Mirrorshare
Cures:
Cure Light Wounds 50gp Cure Serious Wounds 100gp
Dispel Magic 200 Slow Poison 150
Remove Curse 500 Raise Dead 2000
Items:
Potion of Healing 84gp Antidote 112gp
.. of Genius 336 Elixer of Health 280
.. of Mind Focusing 560 Stone to Flesh Scroll 168
.. of Insight 336
BEREGOST:
- Feldepost's Inn (AR3351) ****INN + STORE
History/Fateful Coin 2gp Bracers AC8 3360gp
Amulet + 1 3360 Bullet + 1 17
Arrow + 2 (2) 40 Chainmail + 1 1792
Battle Axe + 1 1680 Medium Shield + 1 1680
Flail 16 Bastard Sword + 1 2800
Comp. Long Bow + 1 2800 Two Handed Sword 56
- Jovial Juggler (AR3304) ****INN
- Red Sheaf (AR3357) **INN
- Burning Wizard (AR3307) ****INN
- Thunderhammer Smithy (AR3301) STORE - Taerom Fuiruim (will identify)
Weapons:
Battle Axe 5gp Spear 1gp
Throwing Axe (5) 5 Quarter Staff 1
Club 1 Quarter Staff +1 560
Flail 16 Bastard Sword 28
Mace 8 Long Sword 16
Mace +1 1680 Long Sword +1 1600
Morningstar 11 Short Sword 11
Composite Long Bow 112 Short Sword +1 896
Long Bow 84 Heavy Crossbow 56
Short Bow 33 Light Crossbow 39
Short Bow +1 1680 Arrows (20) 1
Dagger 2 Arrows +1 (10) 112
Dagger +1 336 Arrows of Ice (10) 336
Throwing Dagger (10) 11 Arrows of Biting (10) 560
Dart (20) 1 Arrows +2 (10) 201
Dart +1 (10) 89 Bolt (20) 1
Halberd 11 Bolt +1 (10) 112
War Hammer 2 Bullet (20) 1
Sling 1 Bullet +1 (10) 89
Sling +1 112 Light Crossbow/Speed 8960
Dagger of Venom 11200
Armors:
Chainmail 84gp Medium Shield 7gp
Splint Mail 89 Medium Shield +1 1680
Helmet 1 Large Shield 11
Leather Armor 5 Buckler 1
Leather Armor +1 1120 Full Plate 6720
Studded Leather 22 Shadow Armor 11760
Small Shield 3 Plate Mail 672
Small Shield +1 1120
HIGH HEDGE
- High Hedge (AR3202) STORE - Thalantyr (will identify)
Items:
Dart +1 (5) 44gp Potion of Perception 392gp
Arrows +1 (5) 56 .. of Regeneration 560
Acid Arrows (5) 280 Potion of Insight 336
Bolt +1 (5) 56 Potion of Strength 392
Bolt of Lightning (5) 168 Potion of Freedom 280
Bolt of Biting (5) 420 .. of Magic Blocking 1680
Bullet +1 (5) 44 .. of Mirrored Eyes 448
Potion of Fire Resist 448 Wand of Sleep 1680
Potion of Healing 84 Wand of Fear 2240
Elixer of Health 280 Horn of Kazgaroth 10080
Potion of Cold Resist 280 Claw of Kazgaroth 11200
Potion of Explosions 504 Robe Good Archmagi 22960
Potion of Infravision 112 Robe Neutral Archmagi 22960
Potion of Insulation 190
Protection Scrolls:
Protection from Acid 840gp
Protection from Cold 840
Protection from Electricity 840
Protection from Fire 840
Protection from Magic 2240
Protection from Poison 840
Protection from Undead 840
Spells: The spells can be found in the spells section below.
NASHKEL
- Temple of Helm (AR4802) TEMPLE - Nalin
Cures:
Cure Light Wounds 50gp Cure Serious Wounds 100gp
Dispel Magic 200 Slow Poison 150
Remove Curse 500 Raise Dead* 600-10000
Items:
Potion of Healing 84gp Antidote 112gp
Elixer of Health 280 Stone to Flesh 168
* - Raise Dead costs differently depending on the person's alignment
- Nashkel Store (AR4803) STORE (will identify and can steal)
Battle Axe 5gp Long Sword 16gp
Throwing Axe (5) 5 Short Sword 11
Club 1 2-hnd Sword 56
Flail 16 Heavy Crossbow 56
Mace 8 Light Crossbow 39
Morningstar 11 Arrows (20) 1
Composite Long Bow 112 Bolts (20) 1
Long Bow 84 Bullets (20) 1
Short Bow 33 Chainmail 84
Dagger 2 Splint Mail 89
Dart (10) 1 Leather Armor 5
Halberd 11 Plate Mail 672
War Hammer 2 Small Shield 3
Sling 1 Medium Shield 7
Spear 1 Large Shield +1 2240
Quarter Staff 1 History/Fateful Coin 2
Bastard Sword 28
- Belching Dragon Tavern (aka The Northern Light) (AR4809) TAVERN
- Nashkel Inn (AR4801) ***INN
NASHKEL CARNIVAL
- Merchant Tent (x 2523 y 2837) STORE (will identify)
Necklace of Missiles 2240gp Protection/Acid 840gp
Amulet/Protection +1 3360 Protection/Cold 840
Shield Amulet 560 Protection/Fire 840
Ring of Infravision 840 Protection/Electricity 840
Protection/Petrification 840
- Carnival Shop (x 2827 y 3008) STORE (will identify and can steal)
Battle Axe 5gp War Hammer 2gp
Throwing Axe (5) 5 Spear 1
Club 1 Quarter Staff 1
Flail 16 Bastard Sword 28
Mace 8 Long Sword 16
Morningstar 11 Short Sword 11
Dagger 2
- Carnival Shop (x 3194 y 3282) STORE (will identify and can steal)
Throwing Axe (5) 5gp Heavy Crossbow 56gp
Composite Long Bow 112 Light Crossbow 39
Long Bow 84 Arrows (20) 1
Short Bow 33 Arrows/Piercing (2) 112
Throwing Dagger (5) 5 Bolt (20) 1
Dart (10) 1 Bullet (20) 1
Sling 1
- Carnival Shop (x 3246 y 2618) STORE (will identify and can steal)
Chain Mail 84gp Small Shield 3gp
Splint Mail 89 Medium Shield 7
Leather 5 Large Shield 11
Studded Leather 22
TEMPLE
- Song of the Morning Temple (AR3402) TEMPLE - Keldath Ormlyr
GULLYKIN
- Temple of Yondalla (aka Temple of Helm) (AR4003) TEMPLE - Alvanhendar
Cures:
Cure Light Wounds 50gp Cure Serious 100
Dispel Magic 200 Slow Poison 150
Remove Curse 500 Raise Dead 600-10000
Items:
Potion of Healing 84 Antidote 112
Elixer of Health 280 Stone to Flesh Scroll 168
BALDUR'S GATE
- Lucky Aello's Discount Store (AR 0800, x 3123 y 1011)
Oil of Speed 168gp (cursed)
Potion of Healing 168
Antidote 56 (cursed)
Potion of Perception 392
Various Cursed Scrolls 1
- Bar (AR 0800, x 3400 y 1700) -- Rest, Drinks
- Elfsong Tavern (AR 0800, x 1800 y 2370) -- Rest, Drinks
- Elfsong Tavern Second Floor -- Buys/Sells, Identifies
Necklace of Missiles 2240gp Protection/Cold 840gp
Amulet/Protection +1 3360 Protection/Electricity 840
Shield Amulet 560 Protection/Fire 840
Ring of Infravision 840 Protection/Petrification 672
Protection/Acid 840
- Silence Shop (AR 0800, x 3360 y 2000) -- Rest, Buys/Sells
Dagger 2gp Cloak of Protection +1 5600gp
Leather Armor 5 Dart +1 (5) 44
Sling 1 Dart of Stunning (5) 560
Bastard Sword 28 Sling +1 112
Long Sword 16 Potion of Master Thief 448
Short Sword 11 Potion of Agility 336
Studded Leather 22 Bullet (20) 1
Studded Leather +1 1680 Bullet +1 (20) 179
Leather Armor +1 1120 Bullet +2 (20) 336
- Sorcerous Sundries (AR 0800, x 1025 y 1950) -- Buys/Sells 77, Identifies
Hide Armor 7gp Antidote 112gp
Battle Axe +1 1680 Potion of Clarity 784
Dart +1 (5) 44 Potion of Cold Resist 280
Dart of Stunning (5) 560 Potion of Defense 784
Dart of Wounding (5) 280 Potion of Explosions 504
Bastard Sword +1 2800 Potion of Firebreath 280
Long Sword +1 1400 Potion of Fortitude 560
Arrows +1 (5) 56 Potion of Genius 336
Arrow of Slaying (1) 2800 Potion of Infravision 112
Acid Arrows (5) 280 Potion of Insulation 190
Arrows of Biting (5) 280 Potion of Magic Blocking 1680
Arrows/Detonation (5) 1680 Potion of Magic Protect 1120
Arrows/Dispelling (5) 1680 Potion of Magic Shield 1400
Arrows of Fire (5) 140 Potion of Master Thief 448
Arrows of Ice (5) 168 Potion of Mind Focusing 560
Arrows of Piercing (5) 280 Potion of Mirrored Eyes 448
Arrows +2 (5) 100 Potion of Perception 392
Bolt +1 (5) 56 Potion of Regeneration 560
Bolt of Lightning (5) 168 Potion of Insight 336
Bolt of Biting (5) 420 Potion of Strength 392
Bolt +2 (5) 84 Potion of Freedom 280
Bullet +1 (5) 44 Potion of Stone Form 560
Bullet +2 (5) 84 Protection from Acid 840
Potion of Fire Resist 448 Protection from Cold 840
.. of Hill Giant Str 336 Protection/Electricity 840
.. of Frost Giant Str 840 Protection from Fire 840
.. of Fire Giant Str 1120 Protection from Magic 2240
.. of Cloud Giant Str 1400 Protection from Poison 840
.. of Storm Giant Str 1680 Protection from Undead 840
Potion of Healing 84 Wand of Fear 2240
Potion of Heroism 896 Wand of Magic Missiles 560
Potion of Invisibility 280 Wand of Paralyzation 2800
.. of Invulnerability 1344 Wand of Fire 9856
.. of Stone Giant Str 560 Wand of Frost 3360
Oil of Fiery Burning 560 Wand of Lightning 4480
Oil of Speed 560 Wand of Sleep 1680
Elixer of Health 280 Wand/Monster Summoning 5600
Potion of Absorb 672 Wand of the Heavens 3360
Potion of Agility 336
- Maltz's Weapon Shop (AR 0800, x 1111 y 2935) -- Buys/Sells, Ident, Steals
Battle Axe 5gp Short Sword 11gp
Throwing Axe (5) 5 Two Handed Sword 56
Club 1 Arrows (20) 1
Flail 16 Bolts (20) 1
Mace 8 Bullets (20) 1
Morningstar 11 Chainmail 84
Dagger 2 Splint Mail 89
Halberd 11 Leather Armor 5
War Hammer 2 Studded Leather Armor 22
Sling 1 Plate Mail 672
Spear 1 Small Shield 3
Quarter Staff 1 Medium Shield 7
Bastard Sword 28 Large Shield +1 2240
Long Sword 16
- Thieves' Guild, Black Lily (only available in Chapter 7!) -- Buys/Sells,
Identifies
Dagger 3gp Studded Leather +1 2250gp
Dart +1 (5) 60 Leather +1 1500
Dart of Stunning (5) 750 Cloak of Protection +1 7500
Sling 1 Potion of Master Thief 600
Sling +1 150 Potion of Agility 450
Bastard Sword 37 Potion of Heroism 1200
Long Sword 22 Potion of Fire Giant STR 1500
Short Sword 15 .. of Frost Giant (2) 2250
Bullet (20) 1 Oil of Speed 750
Bullet +1 (10) 120 Antidote 150
Bullet +2 (10) 225 Potion of Magic Blocking 2250
Arrows of Dispel (5) 2250 Potion of Magic Protect 1500
Arrows +2 (5) 135 Potion of Magic Shield 1875
Arrows +1 (10) 150 Potion of Healing 112
Arrows of Biting (5) 375 Potion of Power 2550
Leather Armor 7 .. of Cloud Giant STR 1875
Studded Leather 30
BALDUR'S GATE SE SECTION
- Potion Shop (AR 1300, x 2150 y 415) -- Buys/Sells, Identifies, Steals
Potion of Regeneration 540gp Antidote 112gp
Potion of Insight 336 Potion of Cold Resist 280
Potion of Freedom 280 Oil of Speed 168
Potion of Fire Resist 448 Potion of Defense 784
.. of Hill Giant STR 336 Potion of Healing 168
Potion of Healing 84 Potion of Infravision 112
Potion of Invisibility 280 Potion of Insulation 190
Oil of Fiery Burning 560 Antidote 56
Oil of Speed 560 Potion of Magic Protect 1120
Elixer of Health 280 Potion of Magic Shield 1400
Potion of Absorbtion 672 Potion of Master Thief 448
Potion of Agility 336 Potion of Stone Form 560
- Potion Shop 2 (AR 1300, 825 y 2563) -- Buys/Sells, Identifies, Steals
Potion of Regeneration 540gp Antidote 112gp
Potion of Insight 336 Potion of Cold Resist 280
Potion of Freedom 280 Oil of Speed 168
Potion of Fire Resist 448 Potion of Defense 784
.. of Hill Giant STR 336 Potion of Healing 168
Potion of Healing 84 Potion of Infravision 112
Potion of Invisibility 280 Potion of Insulation 190
Oil of Fiery Burning 560 Antidote 56
Oil of Speed 560 Potion of Magic Protect 1120
Elixer of Health 280 Potion of Magic Shield 1400
Potion of Absorbtion 672 Potion of Master Thief 448
Potion of Agility 336 Potion of Stone Form 560
- Blade and Stars Inn (AR 1300, x 200 y 666) -- Rests, Drinks
- Anonymous Inn (AR 1300, x 1700 y 2300) -- Rests, Drinks
BALDUR'S GATE HARBOR
- Low Lantern (AR 1200, x 3420 y 3090) -- Rests, Drinks
- Jopalin's Tavern (AR 1200, x 2675 y 550) -- Rests, Drinks
BALDUR'S GATE SW SECTION
- Potion Shop (AR 1100, x 3120 y 600) -- Buys/Sells, Identifies, Steals
Potion of Regeneration 540gp Antidote 112gp
Potion of Insight 336 Potion of Cold Resist 280
Potion of Freedom 280 Oil of Speed 168
Potion of Fire Resist 448 Potion of Defense 784
.. of Hill Giant STR 336 Potion of Healing 168
Potion of Healing 84 Potion of Infravision 112
Potion of Invisibility 280 Potion of Insulation 190
Oil of Fiery Burning 560 Antidote 56
Oil of Speed 560 Potion of Magic Protect 1120
Elixer of Health 280 Potion of Magic Shield 1400
Potion of Absorbtion 672 Potion of Master Thief 448
Potion of Agility 336 Potion of Stone Form 560
- Potion Shop 2 (AR 1100, x 2535 y 2317) -- Buys/Sells, Identifies, Steals
Potion of Regeneration 540gp Antidote 112gp
Potion of Insight 336 Potion of Cold Resist 280
Potion of Freedom 280 Oil of Speed 168
Potion of Fire Resist 448 Potion of Defense 784
.. of Hill Giant STR 336 Potion of Healing 168
Potion of Healing 84 Potion of Infravision 112
Potion of Invisibility 280 Potion of Insulation 190
Oil of Fiery Burning 560 Antidote 56
Oil of Speed 560 Potion of Magic Protect 1120
Elixer of Health 280 Potion of Magic Shield 1400
Potion of Absorbtion 672 Potion of Master Thief 448
Potion of Agility 336 Potion of Stone Form 560
- General Store (AR 1100, x y ) -- Buys/Sells, Identifies, Steals
Battle Axe 5gp Short Sword 11gp
Throwing Axe (5) 5 Two Handed Sword 56
Club 1 Arrows (20) 1
Flail 16 Bolts (20) 1
Mace 8 Bullets (20) 1
Morningstar 11 Chainmail 84
Dagger 2 Splint Mail 89
Halberd 11 Leather Armor 5
War Hammer 2 Studded Leather 22
Sling 1 Plate Mail 672
Spear 1 Small Shield 3
Quarter Staff 1 Medium Shield 7
Bastard Sword 28 Large Shield +1 2240
Long Sword 16
- Inn (AR 1100, x 1100 y 2200) -- Rest, Drinks
BALDUR'S GATE CENTRAL SECTION
- Drakon Tavern (AR 0700, x 1560 y 1360) -- Rest, Drinks
BALDUR'S GATE NE SECTION
- General Store (AR 0300, x 2180 y 2515) -- Buys/Sells, Identifies, Steals
Battle Axe 5gp Short Sword 11gp
Throwing Axe (5) 5 Two Handed Sword 56
Club 1 Arrows (20) 1
Flail 16 Bolts (20) 1
Mace 8 Bullets (20) 1
Morningstar 11 Chainmail 84
Dagger 2 Splint Mail 89
Halberd 11 Leather Armor 5
War Hammer 2 Studded Leather 22
Sling 1 Plate Mail 672
Spear 1 Small Shield 3
Quarter Staff 1 Medium Shield 7
Bastard Sword 28 Large Shield +1 2240
Long Sword 16
- Splurging Surgeon (AR 0300, x 411 y 2885) -- Rest, Drinks
- Blushing Mermaid (AR 0300, x 200 y 1750) -- Rest, Drinks
BALDUR'S GATE W SECTION
- High Hall of Wonders (AR 0600, x 3800 y 940) -- Cures, Donate, Buys/Sells
Identifies
Cures:
Cure Light Wounds 50gp Cure Serious Wounds 100gp
Dispel Magic 200 Slow Poison 150
Remove Curse 500 Raise Dead 600-10000
Items:
Potion of Healing 78 Elixer of Health 262
Oil of Speed 525 Stone to Flesh Scroll 157
Antidote 105
BALDUR'S GATE NW SECTION
- Helm and Cloak Inn (AR 0100, x 3550 y 2900) -- Rest, Drinks
- Inn (AR 0100, x 3025 y 1670) -- Rest, Drinks
BALDUR'S GATE N SECTION
- Temple of Helm (AR 0200, x 1550 y 1090) -- Cure, Donate, Buy/Sell, Ident.
Cures:
Cure Light Wounds 50gp Cure Serious Wounds 100gp
Dispel Magic 200 Slow Poison 150
Remove Curse 500 Raise Dead 600-10000
Items:
Potion of Healing 84 Stone to Flesh Scroll 168
Antidote 112 Elixer of Health 280
- Three Old Kegs (AR 0200, x 3700 y 2370) -- Drinks, Rest
ULGOTH'S BEARD (Tales of the Sword Coast)
- Ulgoth's Beard Inn (x 2360 y 535) -- Buys/Sells, Rest
Battle Axe 7gp Arrows (20) 1gp
Throwing Axe (5) 7 Acid Arrows (10) 710
Club 1 Arrows +2 (10) 255
Flail 21 Bolt (20) 1
Mace 11 Bolt +1 (10) 142
Morningstar 14 Bolt of Lightning (10) 426
Composite Long Bow 142 Bullet (20) 1
Long Bow 106 Bullet +2 (10) 213
Short Bow 42 Chainmail 106
Dagger 2 Splint Mail 113
Dart (10) 1 Hide Armor 9
Dart +1 (10) 113 Leather Armor 7
Dart of Stunning (10) 1420 Plate Mail Armor 852
Halberd 14 Small Shield 4
War Hammer 2 Medium Shield 9
Sling 1 Large Shield +1 2840
Spear 1 Potion of Healing 106
Quarter Staff 1 Antidote 142
Bastard Sword 36 Potion of Mirrored Eyes 568
Long Sword 21 Cloak of Displacement 4970
Short Sword 15 Quarter Staff +3 7810
Two Handed Sword 71 Greagan's Harp 8378
Scimitar 78 Wand of the Heavens 5325
Heavy Crossbow 71 Wand of Frost 6177
Light Crossbow 49 Ring of Invisibility 24850
Greenstone Amulet 4260
DURLAG'S TOWER (Tales of the Sword Coast)
- Erdane (x y )-- Buys/Sells
Hide Armor 7gp Bolt +1 (10) 112gp
Dagger 2 Bolt of Lightning (10) 336
Dart (10) 1 Bullet (20) 1
Dart +1 (10) 89 Bullet +1 (10) 89
Dart of Stunning (10) 1120 Bullet +2 (1) 16
Scimitar 60 Potion of Healing 84
Arrows (20) 1 Potion of Master Thief 448
Acid Arrows (10) 560 Potion of Agility 336
Arrows +1 (10) 112 Potion of Hill Giant 336
Arrows of Fire (10) 280 Antidote 112
Bolt (20) 1 Potion of Perception 392
Wand of Fire 4928
_____
Wands
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Wands last for 20 uses, and then fizzle away. Although no way exists to
directly check how many charges are left in a wand, you can try to sell it
at a shop. The more the shopkeeper will pay, the more charges you have
left. You can also use the shopkeeper to recharge the wand (I think),
simply sell it to him, and then buy it back.
_________________________________
Jewels, Gems, and Other Valuables
ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ
I've listed the selling prices here so that you can prioritize what to keep
and what to toss if your inventory gets too cluttered. Never keep anything
silver, they are far too common and almost worthless.
Gems: selling price
Andar 15gp
Aquamarine 75
Black Opal 150
Bloodstone 25
Chrysoberyl 35
Diamond 500
Emerald 750
Fire Agate 5
Garnet 175
Horn Coral 62
Iol 20
Jaspar 17
King's Tears 2000
Lynx Eye 7
Moonbar 187
Moonstone 25
Pearl 100
Rogue Stone 2500
Shandon 45
Skydrop 20
Sphene 112
Star Diopside 47
Star Sapphire 1000
Sunstone 12
Tchazar 17
Turquoise 2
Water Opal 175
Waterstar 40
Ziose 30
Zircon 45
Necklaces:
Agni Mani 20gp
Bloodstone 150
Bluestone 15
Gold 30
Laeral's Tear 3000
Pearl 500
Rainbow Obsidian 25
Silver 5
Studded w/Zios 75
Tiger Cowrie 27
Rings:
Angel Skin 50gp
Bloodstone 30
Fire Opal 250
Flamedance 62
Gold 20
Greenstone 5
Jade 40
Onyx 25
Ring (plain) 5
Silver 2
__________
Misc Items
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Ankheg Shells -- can be made into an armor (AC 1), which costs 4000gp
(Thunderhammer Smithy, Beregost). Or you could sell them for 500gp.
Note: You can only sell shells once! After that you can't even get him
to make you an armor! Sell the shells one at a time (by dropping
the others) to get 500GP each. You can even go back and get some
more but Thunderhammer will stop buying shells and refuse to make
the armor 10 days after he first offered to buy the shells or as
soon as you get him to make the armor. (info from Duncan Clay)
Tip: There are 9 shells in the Akheg nest, turn up with these and the
armor won't cost you anything.
Wyvern Heads -- give the first to Keldath Ormlyr (priest at temple) for
2000 gp, then sell any others to Thalantyr (mage at high hedge, or
elsewhere) for 500 gp each, and drops down to 200 gp. Officer Vai will
buy heads for 1000 gp each, however this lasts only as long as she is
still in Beregost.
Winter Wolf Pelts -- sell these in the shop in Nashkel for 500gp each, no
limit to how many you can sell. You can also sell these to Officer Vai
(at least as long as she is accepting Scalps) After she has gone you can
sell them at Feldpost Inn for 25GP which will drop to 10GP.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
iv. Spells
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This section tells you where you can buy spells, and for how much. Spells have
all been sorted Alphabetically, so the list you see here won't match the order
that the seller has.
HIGH HEDGE
- Thalantyr
Armor 112
Blindness 112
Burning Hands 112
Charm Person 112
Chill Touch 112
Chromatic Orb 112
Color Spray 112
Detect Invisibility 224
Flame Arrow 336
Friends 112
Grease 112
Hold Person 336
Horror 224
Identify 112
Infravision 112
Invisibility 224
Larloch's Minor Drain 112
Luck 224
Magic Missile 112
Mirror Image 224
Protection from Evil 112
Protection from Petrification 112
Resist Fear 224
Shield 112
Shocking Grasp 112
Skull Trap 336
Sleep 112
Strength 224
Vampiric Touch 336
BALDUR'S GATE
- Sorcerous Sundries
Agannazar's Scorcher 224gp
Armor 112
Blindness 112
Blur 224
Burning Hands 112
Chaos 560
Charm Person 112
Chill Touch 112
Chromatic Orb 112
Clairvoyence 336
Color Spray 112
Confusion 1344
Detect Evil 224
Detect Invisibility 224
Dimension Door 1344
Dire Charm 336
Dispel Magic 336
Fireball 1008
Flame Arrow 336
Friends 112
Ghost Armor 336
Ghoul Touch 224
Grease 112
Greater Malison 448
Haste 1008
Hold Person 336
Horror 224
Identify 112
Infravision 112
Invisibility 224
Knock 224
Know Alignment 224
Larloch's Minor Drain 112
Lightning Bolt 1008
Luck 224
Magic Missile 112
Melf's Acid Arrow 224
Minor Globe/Invulnerability 1344
Mirror Image 224
Monster Summoning I 336
Monster Summoning II 1344
Non-Detection 336
Otiluke's Resilient Sphere 448
Polymorph Self 448
Protection from Evil 112
Protection from Petrification 112
Protection/Normal Missiles 1008
Remove Curse 448
Resist Fear 224
Shield 112
Shocking Grasp 112
Skull Trap 336
Sleep 112
Slow 336
Spirit Armor 448
Stinking Cloud 224
Strength 224
Vampiric Touch 336
Web 224
ULGOTH'S BEARD
- Ulgoth's Beard Inn
Defensive Harmony 568
Emotion 568
Greater Malaison 568
Improved Invisibility 1704
Mental Domination 568gp
Protection from Lightning 568
Remove Curse 568
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
v. NPC's
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unless it is otherwise mentioned, any NPC you say "no" to (or remove later)
will stay put wherever you put them. To see the X,Y coordinate of where you
are, press "L". The top left of any map is (x 0 y 0).
Special Abilities are those abilities that that character intrinsicly has.
Some of them they have before they join you, others they gain later.
Note: If you turn both Khalid and Jaheira down in the FAI, you can't ever get
them to join.
Pairs: (you can't have one without the other)
Khalid -- Jaheira
Xzar -- Montaron
Minsc -- Dynaheir
Eldoth -- Skie
Note: To get one of these in the pair without the other, simply send the
other person into a building (the person you want to get rid of), and
then reform the party to kick them out. This way they can't come up to
you and talk to you.
Here's the party I like:
You -- as a Lawful Good Fighter
Kivan -- give him a Composite Long Bow +1, or the Long Bow of Marksmanship,
and the Bracers of Archery; and you have a really effective sniper.
Minsc -- a very good warrior
Dynaheir -- a good mage, plus if you get her at the right level, she starts
with Fireball. Edwin is a better mage (higher Int, and better
special ability), however, he is Evil which complicates things.
Yeslick -- a good cleric (you could also sub in Branwen or Viconia here)
Safana -- you need a thief, and I like Safana. (you can also sub in Imoen
here)
And here are some interesting party combinations:
Have Minsc, Dynaheir and Edwin in the same party. Since Edwin wants to kill
Dynaheir, Minsc gets all surly and protective.
Viconia and Kivan have a love-hate relationship, and also Viconia is very
dimissive about Xan.
Put Yeslick and Kagain together to see just how different two Dwarves can be.
Yeslick DESPISES Kagain.
Safana and Coran. Coran will flirt shamelessly with Safana, and she will
rebuff his every attempt, quite humorously.
Quayle and Tiax. These two really don't like each other. Plus they're
fairly amusing on their own.
Faldorn and Jaheira don't like each other either, as they belong to opposing
druidic groups.
Put Eldoth, Skie, and Garrick together for a wild Love Triangle. Heh.
And now the BIG LIST of every NPC complete with a description, and where they
are. This list is sorted by alignment, Good first, then Neutral, and Evil
last.
GOOD: S D C I W Ch Race Class Alignment
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Ajantis 17 13 16 12 13 17 Human Paladin Lawful Good
Ajantis is a simple person, all he wants to do is vanquish evil.
Special Abilities: Lay on Hands, Detect Evil, Protection from Evil
Where he is: Farm N of Friendly Arm Inn (x 1572 y 3139)
Dynaheir 11 13 16 17 15 12 Human Invoker Lawful Good
Dynaheir was kidnapped by the Gnolls, and must be rescued with Minsc in
your party. She is also linked to Minsc and if one leaves, the other does
too. She makes a good mage because she already knows such spells as
Fireball.
Dynaheir will disappear if you reject her offer to join.
Special Abilities: Slow Poison
Where she is: Gnollish Stronghold (x 2529 y 1440)
Yeslick 15 12 17 7 16 10 Dwarf Fighter/Cleric Lawful Good
You find Yeslick in the Cloakwood Mines, and all he wants to do is help.
How noble. If you reject him he will leave forever.
Special Abilities: Dispel Magic
Where he is: Cloakwood Mines, Level 2 (x 851 y 1727)
Imoen 9 18 16 17 11 16 Human Thief Neutral Good
Imoen automatically will join you immediately after Gorion's death. Unless
you run away, that is. Sometimes she comes with a Wand of Magic Missiles,
now who did she steal that from?
Khalid 15 16 17 12 10 9 Half-Elf Fighter Neutral Good
See Jaheira below for a description.
Where he is: Friendly Arm Inn, Ground Floor (x 329 y 685)
Minsc 18/93 15 15 8 6 9 Human Ranger Neutral Good
Minsc's life partner Dynaheir was kidnapped by Gnolls, and he wants your
help to get her back! If you don't rescue her in a timely fashion, Minsc
will leave.
Special Abilities: Berserk, Charm Animal
Where he is: Nashkel (x 3387 y 1957)
Alora 8 19 12 14 7 10 Halfling Thief Chaotic Good
You'll find Alora burglarizing the Hall of Wonders at night. Agree to
stand watch for her, then talk to her twice more and she'll offer to join.
Where she is: Baldur's Gate W Section (AR 0600, x 1600 y 2200)
Coran 14 20 12 14 9 16 Half-Elf Fighter/Thief Chaotic Good
Coran wants to go sack some Wyverns in the 4th Cloakwood forest, so do that
immediately or he will leave. After you beat the wyverns, he will stay
forever.
Where he is: Cloakwood 1, On a Bridge (x 1515 y 691)
Kivan 18/12 17 14 10 14 8 Elf Ranger Chaotic Good
Kivan wants to hunt some bandits. If you kick him out of the party, he
stays gone for good!
Special Abilities: Charm Animal
Where he is: High Hedge (x 3652 y 1472)
NEUTRAL: S D C I W Ch Race Class Alignment
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Xan 13 16 7 17 14 16 Elf Enchanter Lawful Neutral
Xan is a depressing person, but he is a capable mage (although he has the
very large flaw of not being able to cast such spells as Magic Missile and
Fireball!) and he has a Moonblade. If you're overly rude to him he'll
leave and never return.
Where he is: Nashkel Mines Interior (Fourth Level, Cave x 793 y 588)
Branwen 13 16 15 9 16 13 Human Cleric True Neutral
To get Branwen in your party all you have to do is to free her from the
Petrification enchantment that was placed on her by the Mage Tranzig. Free
her using a Stone to Flesh spell (you can buy them in Nashkel for 168gp or
from Zeke at the Carnival for 500gp). If you reject her, she will leave
forever.
Special Abilities: Spiritual Hammer
Where she is: Nashkel Carnival (x 3253 y 2882)
Faldorn 12 15 11 10 16 15 Human Druid True Neutral
Faldorn wants to free the forest from the evils of the Iron Throne, which
has taken up residence in the Cloakwood Mine.
Special Abilities: Summon Dread Wolf
Where she is: Cloakwood 3, In the Druid Shrine (x 639 y 2885)
Jaheira 15 14 17 10 14 15 Half-Elf Fighter/Druid True Neutral
Jaheira and Khalid were good friends of Gorion, and will go with you every-
where. However, if you say "No" to them the first time they want to join,
you won't be able to get them. Ever.
Where she is: Friendly Arm Inn, Ground Floor (x 329 y 685)
Skie 11 18 15 15 8 13 Human Thief True Neutral
When you first enter the NW Area in Baldur's Gate Eldoth (if he is with
you) will offer to take you up to Skie's father's estate. Go inside the
estate and you will find Skie. She will only join you if Eldoth is with
you, otherwise she thinks that you are thieves come to kill her.
Where she is: NW Section (AR 0100, x 1170 y 1625)
Garrick 14 16 9 13 14 15 Human Bard Chaotic Neutral
Garrick will join you only after you finish the Silke subquest in Beregost.
If you reject Garrick, he will leave, but he'll be back later.
Where he is: Beregost, by the Burning Wizard Inn (x 2564 y 2284)
Quayle 8 15 11 17 10 6 Gnome Cleric/Illusionist Chaotic Neutral
Quayle is an insulting little person, who will join up for no apparant
reason. No matter which direction you say that you are going, he is going
that way too. Can't get him until the Cloakwood mines are clear.
Special Abilities: Invisibility
Where he is: Baldur's Gate Bridge (x 486 y 797)
Safana 13 17 10 16 9 17 Human Thief Chaotic Neutral
Safana wants to find some treasure in the Flesh Golem cave, and afterwords
she will stay with you forever.
Special Abilities: Charm Animal
Where she is: Lighthouse (x 3750 y 2390)
EVIL: S D C I W Ch Race Class Alignment
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Edwin 9 10 16 18 9 10 Human Conjurer Lawful Evil
Edwin wants your help in hunting down and killing Dynaheir. If you talk to
Edwin with Dynaheir in your party you would think that he would attack, or
at the least wouldn't want to join, but he will. Although he has some bad
things to say about Dynaheir. If you refuse him with Dynaheir in your
party he leaves forever.
Special Abilities: Extra Spells, 1st and 2nd Levels
Where he is: Nashkel (x 2883 y 2959)
Kagain 16 12 20 15 11 8 Dwarf Fighter Lawful Evil
Kagain runs a Mercenary business, and one of his caravans has disappeared.
Help him recover it, and you get to keep what you find. Goodie. Take him
to the Area S of the Friendly Arm Inn and he will get disgusted with
looking for Caravans, but will still stay in your party.
Where he is: Beregost (Shop North of Feldepost Inn) (x 1549 y 2031)
Eldoth 16 12 15 13 10 16 Human Bard Neutral Evil
Eldoth wants to join you so that he can "rescue" his lover Skie from her
father in Baldur's Gate.
Special Ability: Create Poison Arrows
Where he is: Cloakwood 3 (x 3181 y 3492) (in the forest)
Montaron 16 17 15 12 13 9 Halfling Fighter/Thief Neutral Evil
Montaron is the dumb half of Montaron and Xzar, and goes where Xzar goes.
If you reject him, he leaves forever.
Where he is: Crossroads (E of Candlekeep) (x 4515 y 2707)
Viconia 10 19 8 16 15 14 Drow Elf Cleric Neutral Evil
When you first encounter Viconia she asks you to help her with a small
matter of the Flaming Fist trying to kill her. Help her out and she offers
to join. However, if you turn Viconia down when she asks to join, she
vanishes forever. Once she joins your reputation goes down 2.
Special Abilities: 50% Magic Resistance
Where she is: Peldvale (x 447 y 731)
Shar-Teel 18/58 17 9 14 7 11 Human Fighter Chaotic Evil
When you first meet up with Shar-Teel she challenges your "Best Male
Fighter" (this seems to be randomly chosen) to a duel. If you don't have a
Male in your party, you can't get her. If you turn her down, she leaves
forever.
Where she is: Area E of Temple (x 273 y 303)
Tiax 9 16 16 10 13 9 Gnome Cleric/Thief Chaotic Evil
Tiax is a very bizarre fellow who believes that he will one day "ascend" to
become the ruler of the Realms. He thinks that that is his "destiny" as
foretold to him by Cyric.
Special Abilities: Summon Ghast
Where he is: Baldur's Gate SW Section (AR 1100, x 1440 y 1610)
Xzar 14 16 10 17 16 10 Human Necromancer Chaotic Evil
Xzar and Montaron will join you on the crossroads right out of Candlekeep,
and they want to go investigate the Nashkel mines (who doesn't). He's also
extraordinarily insane. If you reject him, he leaves forever.
Where he is: Crossroads (E of Candlekeep) (x 4577 y 2693)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
vi. General Strategies
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
___________________________________
Play as Multiplayer, even if Alone:
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It is quite beneficial to play every game as a multiplayer (although it does
create a bit of a hassle). It gives you the benefit of being able to create
all 6 players in your party rather than depending on NPC's, and you can also
Export and Import characters in and out at any time. To create a Multiplayer
game just click the Multi Player button. At the next menu click "Connect".
Now you have to set the type of Multi Player (the top button), using Serial
is fairly easy (although it requires that you have some Networking
installed...) Now click "Create Game" (whenever you are playing by yourself
in the Multiplayer always use "Create Game", never use "Join Game"!). Name
the session to whatever you want, and enter in your own name. Finally click
"New Game". Now you can create as many characters as you want. Then once
they are all created, click the little skull icon by each created characters,
and then click the "Done" button. Voila!
Note: Another good effect of playing in the Multiplayer is that you can look
at your inventory while paused!
________________________
Charisma is your friend:
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So what does Charisma really get you? Well if you have a low charisma you
may not be able to get NPC's to join you, if you pass a quest, the treasure
may not be as good as it normally would be, (or there may be no treasure at
all!) and shops WILL charge you more. So don't skimp out on the charisma.
__________________________
Low Dexterity, Not So Bad?
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If your stats just aren't turning out so good, consider skimping on
Dexterity. Why? There are Gaunlets of Dexterity out there that bring you up
to a full 18! Don't skimp out too much since as you still have to fight to
get those gauntlets. You can find the Gauntlets at the entrance to the
Gnollish Stronghold (see the Nashkel and Gnollish Stronghold sections for
more information). And if you skimp out on a LOT of Dexterity you will want
to get down there as soon as possible! The downside of this strategy is if
you find a Book that increases your Dexterity, it will increase your old
Dexterity. So if you had a 3 before, and an 18 with the Gauntlets, you'll
get a 4 base and still have 18.
On the other hand...
Don't skimp out on dexterity since it gives two things: First, a character
with a high dexterity has a lower Armor Class, and Second, a high dexterity
allows a character to actually hit the enemy when he attacks instead of
missing him. Personally, I suggest skimping out instead on strength even
for a fighter. It is often better to hit the enemy often but with less force
than to hit the enemy rarely but doing more damage (especially true when
fighting magic users, you need to hit them just to break their spellcasting
so there is no need to do a lot of damage, just as long as you hit them).
__________________________
Party Recruitment Strategy (from Duncan Clay)
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Straight away I recommend recruiting anyone you bump in to until your
group reaches six members as this keeps your XP low! - Yes, low!!! You
should try and pick up all your party members before you have more than
1000XP (don't kill anything unless absolutely necessary). This allows
you to shape their development (particularly thieves and fighters) but
rules out any NPCs you can't meet until after Cloakwood.
My party is made up of
2 tough fighters for the front lines
2 archers for support
2 thieves - 1 to specialise in traps and locks and 1 for pickpocket
(stealth is done with clothing)
1 cleric for first aid
1 mage to use all those scrolls
1 charismatic person with Algernon's Cloak for group leader
That's 9 people, so how is it done.
Me - Fighter
Khalid - Fighter (no choice since he is the only non-evil fighter you
can give 5 proficiency points to)
Kivan - Stealthy Archer
Branwen - Cleric (because you can get her early)
Safana - Charismatic Thief and Archer (since thieves have high DEX it
makes them good archers)
Imoen - Thief
So where's the Mage? Well there are no NPC Mages, only specialist
mages.
This is the clever bit. There are only two NPCs in the whole game that
can Dual-Class, Imoen and Shar-Teel.
( Dual-Class reminder )
( You must be human and not a Paladin or Bard )
( You must have 15 in you first class and 17 in your second class )
Most people say Imoen is rubbish because she has a strength of 9 (not
much good as a stealthy backstabbing assassin).
However her total point of 87 is one of the highest in the game and she
also has an INT of 17 (which I believe was no coincidence by the game
designers - why else would a thief need a high INT?).
With an XP limit of 89,000 (in BG) you must dual-class Imoen by level 6
if she is to become a level 7 Mage/Thief. I dual-classed her at level 5
(10,000XP) as by then she had 3x backstab and 100% pickpocket and her skills
as a Mage/Thief would be available earlier in the game (at a total of
50,000XP). Don't forget to assign proficiency points to different weapons
as a Mage because the Thief ones will become available once she reaches
level 6 (i.e. they are not cumulative so if you give 1 to missile as a
thief and 1 to missile as a mage you will only have 1 for missile as a mage
thief whereas you could have had 1 for bow AND 1 for missile).
_________________
Fighting Battles:
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Let them come to you. When you first see an enemy, your first instinct may
be to run over to it and slaughter it. Well don't. Let it come to you, and
attack it there. This way if there are 50 more of these creatures, they
won't see you and won't attack. You can then pick off each creature one at a
time. This is especially useful in dungeons where the enemies may be more
difficult. So when you first see an enemy (let's say that it's a Battle
Horror), turn off the AI (it's the left button in the bottom right corner of
the screen), and let him come up to you. You should also have your
archers/mages hit the enemy with everything they can, but don't move any
closer to the enemy! The last thing that you want is to fight TWO Battle
Horrors at the same time!
Also realize that some monsters (like Vampiric Wolves) require that you hit
them with Magic Weapons only. You should never use Magic Arrows on a normal
creature; you should save the arrows for enemies that need them, such as
Battle Horrors, Demonknights, etc.
Area spells can take out a lot of enemies without them even knowing that you
are there. Suppose for a moment, that you are walking along, and a Gnoll
comes to attack you. You immediately stop, wait for him to come to you and
kill him. Well, where there is one Gnoll there are probably more, so you
launch a fireball in the direction that the Gnoll came from, and immediately
hear the screams of dying Gnolls. This is a great way to cut enemies down
quickly, but you probably want to save your fireballs for bigger enemies than
the common Gnoll. (fry the Dryads instead!) Another good example is if you
are attacked by an NPC assassin of some sort. If you are out in the wild,
it's likely that there is a party of them, so you launch a Fireball (or a
Cloudkill) and kill them before they even know you exist.
________________________________________________
Fighting Sirines (and other "Charm"ing monsters)
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(from Gonzalo Jéldrez)
I had some trouble fighting the three sirines (Sil) in the Lighthouse, but I
casually discovered a good technique: I sent Minsc alone to the combat with
Berserk activated, and when the Dryads charmed him, he continued attacking
them! He killed the three of them, but of course losed the 15 hp for
berserking. I don't know if the rest of the party needs to be far away from
the combat, anyway.
__________________________________
Monsters are constantly respawning
ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ
In some areas, monsters will keep respawning even if you kill them all.
Sometimes, you can actually determine that monsters are respawning in the
same general area in a map. Let's use an example: The Gnoll Fortress.
Here, Gnolls keep respawning and always in the same spot; and, when
respawned, they do not move or wander around aimlessly. So, once you have
determined an area where they respawn, get rid of them and leave a character
there. Monsters do not respawn if there is an eye of sight with a character
(if a character is in the area and could immediately see the respawned
monster). So, you can leave a couple of weak characters in those areas while
the others handle the beating.
There are some areas where this strategy will not work though. In Werewolf
Island, Werewolves will keep respawning even with an eye of sight with a
character (it is not a good idea to leave a low level mage where 4 Werewolves
will be respawned when you will load a game). Another example is the
Firewine Bridge Ruins. Although the Kobolds Commandos do not respawn when
there is an eye of sight, there are a lot of places where they actually
respawn and because when respawned, they wander around aimlessly so you can't
leave a character behind (unless he's prepared to fight some Kobolds
Commandos every now and then).
_____________________________
Useful spells and tough NPC's
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When fighting 2 or more difficult NPC's (assassination attempts come to
mind), use the Charm spell to quickly turn the odds in your favor. If you
have two magic users who can cast charm in the first round of a fight, not
only does the enemy lose two characters, you gain them temporarily (so the
odds can change from 10 enemies vs. 6 of you to 8 enemies and 8 of you).
Once they are charmed, pull back your big bruisers from the front lines and
replace them by the newly acquired members while continually pelting the
remaining enemies with ranged weapons. If any charmed characters survive the
encounter, simply force-attack them to get rid of them. If you have Dire
Charm, use that instead of the regular Charm.
Also, the spell Entangle is pretty useful to stop those annoying fighters
with melee weapons from closing in on your party. Once entangled, they can't
move and you can get rid of them easily and safely with ranged weapons. The
spell Web is also good since a webbed creature can't even attack with a
ranged weapon, but the spell can last for several rounds and could eventually
web some of your own party members from round to round if they get in the
affected area.
Lightning Bolt, however, is a pretty crappy spell. Although it deals a lot
of damage, it will usually hit a wall and come right back at the person who
cast it. I've gotten rid of some enemy mages that way (the mage in
Firewine, Davaeorn and Rieltar come to mind). They cast Lightning Bolt at
my characters, I was hit once, moved out of the way and continued the beating
afterward. The mage was then being hit by his own lightning bolt and by my
characters. At that point, it was a bit tedious for him to not get hit by
something when trying to cast a spell). Unless you are outdoors, don't use
or memorize lightning bolt.
Monsters summoning is a great spell. Although the summoned monsters do not
do a lot of damage, their primary purpose resides in the cannon fodder that
they become. While they keep the enemy busy, you can pick them off one by
one with ranged weapons or spells (saving all your potions, and more potent
spells for later more powerful enemies). When fightings werewolves in
Balduran's Shipwreck or the Aec'Letec are great examples of where to use this
spell.
Fireballs and those other major area effect spells should be used only to
weaken the enemy or for luring them to you and thus, do not memorize a lot
of these (memorize others instead). These major area effect spells, when
not cast at the right place, can literally damage your whole party so unless
you know exactly where to cast them, don't use them. Keep them instead for
when an area is completely filled with a group of weaker enemies to get rid
of them quickly and with minimal damage (happens when you quickloads or loads
a lot of times in the same map). The Crypts below Candlekeep is a good
example of this (I once had 40+ skeletons archers pounding my fighter). Two
fireballs got all of them. Fighting them any other way would have caused
unnecessary damage to almost all my party members.
Memorize a lot of Dispel Magic spells. Dispel Magic negates any magic
affecting your party (fear, horror, paralysis, entangle, slow, etc...) while
it can also be used to dispel the enemy magics that they use (haste, minor
globe of invulnerability, protection from normal missiles, etc...). Never
forget that casting dispel magic will negates both magics affecting your
party and the enemy so knowing when to cast what spell when is crucial in an
important battle. Usually, though, it is preferable to dispel everyones
magic's than having one or more of your party members being paralysed,
charmed, running in fear, etc...
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Lure the enemy to you (especially NPC's)
ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ
This is a good tactic to use in battles with enemy NPC's. Keep your party
away from the future battle ground and move only one of your character near
the enemy's NPCs. When one of them see your character, quickly pull him back
toward your main group then let the poor little dude get it. This way, you
can chunk out some annoying NPCs before you tackle the rest (the group of
mercenaries in the Eldercity and the last battle with Sarevok and friends
come to mind).
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Save a Lot:
ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ
There are 3 times when you should definately save the game. When you win a
battle, before you go to sleep, and everywhere else. You never know when you
will go to a new area, have your best warrior charmed, and have half your
party killed. So save often. Also don't just save over the same slot over
and over, use at least 10 slots. This is especially necessary in Durlag's
tower. This also means you should probably avoid the Quick Save. Well...
not avoid, just don't use it exclusively.
What I would do is to create an "Archive Save" whenever you enter a new major
area. So when you start Durlag's Tower create a "Durlag's Beginning Save" so
if you screw up, you can start over from the start of the tower.
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Resting:
ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ
No matter where you rest, you won't get very many HP from resting. In fact,
for an 8 hour rest, everyone will get exactly 1 HP (unless they have 19 CON).
So before you rest make sure to (after you save it, if you are not in an inn)
heal everyone with spells. You get all magic memorized during the night, you
do not, however, get all your HP's. In fact you only get 1 hp during a
normal rest (you get more in an inn if you spring for the more expensive
rooms).
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The Guard:
ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ
When you rob someone, they might summon the guard. Keep that in mind (you
will want to save the game before you rob someone). Also bear in mind that
the guard is strangely NOT summoned if you kill someone, like in an inn. To
be more precise, the Guard is only summoned if you steal something with
someone in the room who is able to summon the Guard. I'm not saying that you
should kill people so that you can rob their room, it's just that you can
kill SOME people without the Guard caring. How do they know that that person
attacked you?
In any case, if the Guard is summoned they will try to talk to you. If you
can get away without them talking to you, you have gotten off scot free (not
as easy as it sounds). You can't bribe them (at least you can't do it more
than once), so tell them that you'll cleave them limb from limb, then simply
leave the room. Don't attack them! Once you're out of the room you're fine,
you can even come back later and they'll vanish. This way you lose only 1
reputation rather than the 5 or so you get by killing a Flaming Fist.
edwardalacey sent me this:
"Whether you can bribe guards depends on who exactly they are. If you steal
in Beregost or Baldur's Gate the Flaming Fist will arrive, and they cannot
be bribed. In Nashkel or the Carnival you get Amnish soldiers, who can be
bribed with 200 gold. In Candlekeep a watcher will arrive and demand that
you donate all your money to the library, and you are let off if you do
this."
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Reputation:
ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ
You really want a high reputation. The higher the better. Even if you have
an evil party you want a high reputation. If you have a good or neutral
party, try for a reputation of 20, if you have an evil party, you still want
a reputation of 18 (the highest you can go before all the evil people start
leaving). Because of these various things, I would not recommend having a
mixed alignment party. By mixed I mean good and evil combined. The best
part about a good reputation is that everything is given the "hero discount",
up to 50% off of items in stores!
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Stealing without Loss of Reputation:
ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ
So you want to steal something from a house without losing reputation. It
is actually quite an easy thing to accomplish. Simply de-equip your weapon,
and whack all the people in the room until they are unconscious (be careful
to not KILL the people, so turn off the AI, or de-equip everyone's weapons).
Now you can steal anything you want. Since they aren't awake to complain
about it, you can't lose reputation.
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Cursed Protection scrolls
ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ
To give you an idea if the Protection from XXXXXX Scroll that you just found
is cursed, give it to a character with a high Lore Ability (they can normally
identify these scrolls without any magical means) and right click on it.
If the scroll is still not identified at that point (you still do not know
what that scroll does) then it probably is a cursed scroll. Another strategy
is to keep one Identify spell memorized. Simply save before you identify the
scroll, identify it (so you know if it is cursed or not and if it is worth
keeping) then reload.
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Cursed Potions
ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ
You may already have noticed this, but there are cursed potions in the game,
which all have the same names as normal potions. There are hints in their
descriptions, but they are all clearly recognisable by their colours: cursed
healing potions are dark pink, antidotes are purple, and oils of speed are
multi-coloured (as opposed to blue, green and white respectively). The
antidote in the pile of corpses in Ulcaster is cursed, as are all the potions
Lucky Aello sells except the potion of perception. (from edwardalacey)
______________________
MartectX's strategies:
ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ
- Stealing without Loss of Reputation: I got on this while trying to steal
the Rogue Stone from the Hall of Wonders: Just charm all people around!
They won't call any wardens.
- If a NPC who is supposed to give you an important information or quest was
threatened by you and turned "red" - charm him using Nymph's cloak (or
Algernon's of course...) and force-talk to him.
- So you are fighting mighty NPMages? Like I described above do the
following: Enter the room and the mage should begin casting a spell.
Quickly run out and get straight back in. The mage will cast another spell
and so you should get out again. Once the mage is out of his spells he'll
direct you in hand-to-hand combat (where he should be a real dog-biscuit).
This surely only functions if there's a "real" door, not only a hole in the
wall - the game has to load another level, you get it?
__________________
Special Abilities:
ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ
Your main character will gain new special abilities as you sleep. The first
couple are "Cure Light Wounds" (assuming that you have a good reputation).
They come in the form of strange dreams, which usually occur at the beginning
of new chapters (whether you sleep in an inn or not). You are not guaranteed
to gain an ability just because it's a new chapter and you are sleeping in an
inn, however, it will happen eventually.
So which of the two will your character gain, good or evil? That depends on
your Reputation (not your alignment). If it is 10 or above, you get the good
abilities, if it is less than 10 you get the evil abilities. Reputation is
checked at the time you have the "dream", not at the beginning of the
chapter. (from Kelvin Groves)
Good Abilities: Evil Abilities:
ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ
1. Cure Light Wounds 1. Larloch's Minor Drain
2. Cure Light Wounds 2. Larloch's Minor Drain
3. Slow Poison 3. Ghoul Touch
4. Slow Poison 4. Ghoul Touch
5. Draw Upon Holy Might 5. Vampiric Touch
6. Draw Upon Holy Might 6. Vampiric Touch
