Baldur's Gate Suggestions

[karka]

I've just bought an used BG + Expansion. I have no experience with Baldur's Gate series. So, have you got any suggestions?

 

- What is the ideal party?

- Should i install expansion pack before starting a new game or after beat the game?

- Any other suggestions?

[Darque]

Go ahead and install the expansion, you can access it within the main game.

 

For an easy game, make your main character a fighter, then dual class to mage at level 7 (I think there's enough xp to go fighter 7/ mage

 

For a solid party go

 

You

Imoen

Khalid

Jaheria

Minsc

That other person that follows Minsc

[Tigranes]

BG series isn't very hard. (unless you found, say, KOTOR hard.) So just recruit whoever you like, to a reasonable extent. But yes, common sense dictates that for a good party, you'd usually want at least 1 full-time mage (e.g. Dynaheir, Xan, Edwin), and 1 full-time fighter (e.g. Khalid, Minsc..). Somebody should have at least partial thief skills. Other than that... *shrug*

 

And yes, install xpack right off the bat.

[Walsingham]

I envy you the fact you will eb playing this for the first time. My advice: relax and smell the flowers as you go through. Talk to people and even experiment with people just because they are there to go into the party.

 

I enjoyed playing evil, and if you do you won't want the list Darque gave. I won't spoil the fun by telling who you should have, but you won't necessarily want them.

 

My advice is to take a fighter thief, two proper fighters (plus yourself as fighter) a mage, and a cleric for healing. Don't rely on clerics or druids to provide battlefield support fire. They're crap in BG1. Note that you will need trap defusing at some point in teh expansion ( I won't say when) so bear this in mind when developing your thief.

 

My only caveat would be that you should take Minsc (and Boo!) irrespective of aligment. Do not worry about the fact that annoying witch appears to go with him. There is a 'certain' bottle or two of poisonous material you will find around the same time as his quest and she can be discretely poisoned. He will not leave the party if this happens.

[Monte Carlo]

Coran. You'll bump into him eventually, Elven Ftr/Thf. Played properly he's a level-clearing death god. You'll sit the party near the dungeon entrance and just use him to backstab/ shoot (archery is totally over-powered in BG1) everything. Great fun. I also like Eldoth the Bard. Useless stats, not very powerful but sort of a challenge with a great soundset.

 

I usually finished BG with a thief dual-classed to fighter, Imoen (as a single-classed thief), Coran, Minsc, Dynahier and depending on my mood Eldoth, that Cleric chick or Yeslick.

 

Cheers

MC

[Musopticon?]

Coran is great. So is that ranger dude which you find in High Hedge. Can't remeber his name.

[Judge Hades]

Kivan.

 

Also the invoker that follows Minsc is named Dynaheir (msp?)

[Walsingham]

Yes is Dynaheir. You may find a more interesting female priestess, who is EEEEVIL, but fantastic. Shan't say where or why. BG is great for exploring. Don't rush through the main plot. It will wait for you.

[Darque]

Usually (well always actually) I'll dump minsc +1 for Kivan and Safana

 

Kivan is "the stealth killer"

 

Safana is perfect (and I mean perfect) for taking on Durlag's Tower. Especially if you plan on dual-classing Imoen (and why wouldn't you?)

[Calax]

does minsc have the boo man with him?

[Musopticon?]

Yeah. But it's not much than a used quick slot in BG 1.

[Gabrielle]

Imoen

Jaheira

Khalid

Minsc

Dynaheir

 

They are my most used party members. Other games I'll try different npcs but I prefer those five.

[Oerwinde]

Also, don't get discouraged if you keep dying at the beginning because you keep getting those random encounters with 15 bandits all with bows that kill you in like 3 seconds. You shouldn't get them very often and once you get far enough they start missing and you can manage to kill them. My ex gave up on the game after 15 minutes because every time she tried to leave a map she got one of those encounters and died before even getting to one of the bandits.

[roshan]

Kivan sucks in coimibat, buit hes coioil!

 

Coiran is the best thoiuigih!!!!!!

 

Imoien and Ajantis are alright.

 

I hate minsc, dynaheir, khalid and jaheira. Buit moist peoiple take them since theyre basically the first goioid npcs yoiiui find and soii they foiirm the "classic" party.

[Darque]

roiiishaiiin sucks at using Kivan in coimibat, buit hes coioil!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Fixed

 

Anyone who can take out a major demon in combat by himself does not suck. :cool:

[karka]

Hey guys! Thanks. Now i can start my new, big adventure.

 

But i have a question. Can i export my BG 1 char. to BG2? Is it possible?

[Tigranes]

Yes, but this will stop you from taking advantage of BG2's new classes and subclasses. You also lose all your equipment. The only real reason to "import" is for roleplaying continuity, and to keep your statistics (you can raise them, uh, by special means unique to BG1.)

[julianw]

Hmm... As I recall(from many years ago) if you import your BG1 character to BG2, you actually get to find some of your old equipments in the beginning dungeon.

 

The expansion pack of BG1 also allows you to raise your stats and give your imported character more experience points to start BG2 with as well, so I wouldn't say it's too bad of a deal.

[Lord Tingeling]

Hmm... As I recall(from many years ago) if you import your BG1 character to BG2, you actually get to find some of your old equipments in the beginning dungeon.

 

The expansion pack of BG1 also allows you to raise your stats and give your imported character more experience points to start BG2 with as well, so I wouldn't say it's too bad of a deal.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

To keep *all* of your character's equipment in BG2, do the following:

 

1) Load your PC with whatever crap you want to keep.

 

2) Save and export the character.

 

3) Start a new game in ze Gate of ze Baldurian 2.

 

4) Pause the game (before whiny groan sound from PC), use the command for bring up the interface.

 

5) Go into inventory, drop the crap on the floor. Unpause the game.

 

6) ????

 

7) PROFIT!

[Tigranes]

The only stuff you find that used to be yours are the easter egg stuff, like the pantaloons.

 

I wasn't aware of the stat-raising option, though. Is that when you are importing when running BG2, or...?

[Serious Callers Only]

The charm spell has some unique hidden dialogue with some fairly important characters (that try to kill you). Try it. Its funny.

[Lord Tingeling]

The only stuff you find that used to be yours are the easter egg stuff, like the pantaloons.

 

I wasn't aware of the stat-raising option, though. Is that when you are importing when running BG2, or...?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Edited.

 

Helm of Balduran. The Amulet of Metaspell influence (pimp amulet!), Kundane, The short sword of backstabbing +3, the warhammer +1,+4 vs giant humanoids

(can't remember the name), Ashidena, the two handed sword of berserking...

 

There are others, but I tried to pick stuff that's somewhat unique (ergo no rings of protection, etc).

[julianw]

The only stuff you find that used to be yours are the easter egg stuff, like the pantaloons.

 

I wasn't aware of the stat-raising option, though. Is that when you are importing when running BG2, or...?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't remember any specifics, but I think you could find a few of your magical equipments scattered around the prison. But I could easily be wrong since I play the new classes most of the times.

 

I think you can raise your stats during the expansion pack. It's not really an option when importing to BG2, but you do start with a few more levels by finishing the expansion pack.

[Serious Callers Only]

Maybe Gemrb could someday make those classes avaiable in BG1.

 

That be a nice perk. Continue the good work Avenger.

[Lord Tingeling]

The only stuff you find that used to be yours are the easter egg stuff, like the pantaloons.

 

I wasn't aware of the stat-raising option, though. Is that when you are importing when running BG2, or...?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't remember any specifics, but I think you could find a few of your magical equipments scattered around the prison. But I could easily be wrong since I play the new classes most of the times.

 

I think you can raise your stats during the expansion pack. It's not really an option when importing to BG2, but you do start with a few more levels by finishing the expansion pack.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Minor spoils:

 

 

 

*The Manual of Bodily Health can be found in the flesh golem cave. Yes, the one Safana has cased looking for the phat lewt supposedly contained inside.

 

*The Manual of Gainful Exercise can be found in the Candlekeep catacombs.

 

*The Tome of Leadership and Influence can be found in a cave near the Gnoll Stronghold.

 

*The Manual of Quickness of Action can be found in a barrel behind Black Lily (BG thieves guild).

 

*The Tome of Clear Thought can be found in Ramaziel's tower.

 

*One Tome of Understanding can be found from a certain quest ("Lothandar's Geas") in Baldur's Gate.

 

*Another one can be found inside the Candlekeep Catacombs.

 

Can't remember where you find the third one. You need the expansion for it if memory servers.