{"id":1262,"date":"2024-11-06T21:56:01","date_gmt":"2024-11-07T00:56:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/revolutionarena.com\/english\/?p=1262"},"modified":"2024-11-06T21:56:04","modified_gmt":"2024-11-07T00:56:04","slug":"baldurs-gate-ii-enhanced-edition-complete-walkthrough-step-by-step-strategy-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/revolutionarena.com\/english\/baldurs-gate-ii-enhanced-edition-complete-walkthrough-step-by-step-strategy-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Baldur’s Gate II: Enhanced Edition\u00a0\u2013 Complete Walkthrough (Step-by-Step Strategy Guide)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Complete Walkthrough (Step-by-Step Strategy Guide) of\u00a0Baldur’s Gate II: Enhanced Edition<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Table of Contents\no======================================================================o\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>GAMEPLAY INFORMATION<<<<<<<<<<<<<<\n\nI. Introduction\t\t\t\t{INT001}\n\t1. Using this FAQ\t\t{INT002}\n\t2. Items\t\t\t{INT003}\n\t3. Rewards\t\t\t{INT004}\n\t4. Traps\t\t\t{INT005}\n\t5. Videos\t\t\t{INT006}\n\t5. Active Pause\t\t\t{INT007}\n\t6. Scaling Enemies\t\t{INT008}\n\t7. Difficulty Settings\t\t{INT009}\n\t8. Enhanced Edition Notes\t{INT010}\n\t9. Console Commands\t\t{INT011}\nII. 2nd Edition Dungeon and Dragons\n    Mechanics (Character Creation)\t{DND001}\n\t1. Composition\t\t\t{DND002}\n\t2. Gender\t\t\t{DND003}\n\t3. Race\t\t\t\t{DND004}\n\t  3.1 Class Restrictions by Race{DND005}\n\t  3.2 Human\t\t\t{DND006}\n\t  3.3 Elf\t\t\t{DND007}\n  \t  3.4 Half-Elf\t\t\t{DND008}\n\t  3.5 Gnome\t\t\t{DND009}\n\t  3.6 Halfling\t\t\t{DND010}\n\t  3.7 Dwarf\t\t\t{DND011}\n\t  3.8 Half-Orc\t\t\t{DND012}\n\t4. Class\t\t\t{DND013}\n\t  4.1 Dual-Classing\t\t{DND014}\n\t  4.2 Multi-Classing\t\t{DND015}\n\t  4.3 Dual-and-Multi-Classing in{DND016}\n\t      Baldur's Gate 2\t\n\t  4.4 Class Kits\t\t{DND017}\n\t  4.5 Barbarian\t\t\t{DND018}\n\t  4.5 Bard\t\t\t{DND019}\n\t  4.6 Blade\t\t\t{DND020}\n\t  4.7 Jester\t\t\t{DND021}\n\t  4.8 Skald\t\t\t{DND022}\n\t  4.9 Cleric\t\t\t{DND023}\n\t  4.10 Priest of Talos\t\t{DND024}\n\t  4.11 Priest of Helm\t\t{DND025}\n\t  4.12 Priest of Lathander\t{DND026}\n\t  4.13 Cleric\/Ranger\t\t{DND027}\n\t  4.14 Druid\t\t\t{DND028}\n\t  4.15 Totemic Druid\t\t{DND029}\n\t  4.16 Shapeshifter\t\t{DND030}\n\t  4.17 Avenger\t\t\t{DND031}\n\t  4.18 Fighter\t\t\t{DND032}\n\t  4.19 Berserker\t\t{DND033}\n\t  4.20 Wizard Slayer\t\t{DND034}\n\t  4.21 Kensai\t\t\t{DND035}\n\t  4.22 Dwarven Defender\t\t{DND036}\n\t  4.23 Fighter\/Cleric\t\t{DND037}\n\t  4.24 Fighter\/Druid\t\t{DND038}\n\t  4.25 Fighter\/Mage\t\t{DND039}\n\t  4.26 Fighter\/Mage\/Cleric\t{DND040}\n\t  4.27 Fighter\/Mage\/Thief \t{DND041}\n\t  4.28 Fighter\/Thief\t\t{DND042}\n\t  4.29 Mage\t\t\t{DND043}\n\t  4.30 Mage\/Cleric\t\t{DND044}\n\t  4.31 Mage\/Thief\t\t{DND045}\n\t  4.32 Monk\t\t\t{DND046}\n\t  4.33 Dark Moon Monk\t\t{DND047}\n\t  4.34 Sun Soul Monk\t\t{DND048}\n\t  4.35 Paladin\t\t\t{DND049}\n\t  4.36 Cavalier\t\t\t{DND050}\n\t  4.37 Inquisitor\t\t{DND051}\n\t  4.38 Undead Hunter\t\t{DND052}\n\t  4.39 Blackguard\t\t{DND053}\n\t  4.40 Ranger\t\t\t{DND054}\n          4.41 Archer\t\t\t{DND055}\n\t  4.42 Stalker\t\t\t{DND056}\n\t  4.43 Beast Master\t\t{DND057}\n\t  4.44 Sorcerer\t\t\t{DND058}\n\t  4.45 Dragon Disciple\t\t{DND059}\n\t  4.46 Thief\t\t\t{DND060}\n\t  4.47 Assassin\t\t\t{DND061}\n\t  4.48 Bounty Hunter\t\t{DND062}\n   \t  4.49 Swashbuckler\t\t{DND063}\n\t  4.50 Shadowdancer\t\t{DND064}\n\t  4.51 Thief\/Cleric\t\t{DND065}\n\t  4.52 Wild Mage\t\t{DND066}\n\t  4.53 Wild Surge Table\t\t{DND067}\n\t5. Alignment\t\t\t{DND068}\n\t  5.1 Reputation Effects\t{DND069}\n\t6. Abilities\t\t\t{DND070}\n\t  6.1 Strength\t\t\t{DND071}\n\t  6.2 Dexterity\t\t\t{DND072}\n\t  6.3 Constitution\t\t{DND073}\n\t  6.4 Intelligence\t\t{DND074}\n\t  6.5 Wisdom\t\t\t{DND075}\n\t  6.6 Charisma\t\t\t{DND076}\n\t  6.7 Improving Your Abilities\t{DND077}\n\t  6.8 Suggested Abilities by\t{DND078}\n\t      Class\t\n\t7. Skills\t\t\t{DND079}\n\t  7.1 Weapon Proficiencies by\t{DND080}\n\t      Class\/Level\n\t  7.2 Weapon Proficiency Perks \t{DND081}\n\t      by Rank\n\t  7.3 Fighting Style Perks\t{DND082}\n\t      by Rank\n\t  7.4 Proficiency Selection by\t{DND083}\n\t      Class\t\n\t8. Thieving Skills\t\t{DND084}\n\t  8.1 Pick Pockets\t\t{DND085)\n\t  8.2 Open Locks\t\t{DND086}\n\t  8.3 Find\/Remove Traps\t\t{DND087}\n\t  8.4 Move Silently\/Hide in\t{DND088}\n\t      Shadows\n\t  8.5 Detect Illusion\t\t{DND089}\n\t  8.6 Set Traps\t\t\t{DND090}\n\t9. Hit points\t\t\t{DND091}\n\t10. THAC0 and Armor Class\t{DND092}\n\t  10.1 THAC0 by Class\/Level\t{DND093}\n\t  10.2 Armor Class Modifiers by\t{DND094}\n \t       Weapon Type\n\t11. Saving Throws\t\t{DND095}\n\t12. Starting Spell Selection\t{DND096}\n\t  12.1 1st-Level Spells\t\t{DND097}\n\t  12.2 2nd-Level Spells\t\t{DND098}\n\t  12.3 3rd-Level Spells\t\t{DND099}\n\t  12.4 4th-Level Spells\t\t{DND100}\n\t13. Lore\t\t\t{DND101}\n\t  13.1 Lore by Class\/Level\t{DND102}\n\t14. Experience Point (EXP Cap)\t{DND103}\n\t15 Epic Feats by Class\t\t{DND104}\n\t  15.1 Warrior Feats\t\t{DND105}\n\t  15.2 Wizard Feats\t\t{DND106}\n\t  15.3 Priest Feats\t\t{DND107}\n\t  15.4 Rogue Feats\t\t{DND108}\n\t16. My Protagonists\t\t{DND109}\n\t  16.1 The Fighter\/Mage\t\t{DND110}\n\t  16.2 The Fighter\/Mage\/Thief\t{DND111}\n\t  16.3 Importing your Character {DND112}\n\t       from Baldur's Gate 1\nIII. Characters\t\t\t\t{CHR001}\n\t1. Character Starting Stats\t{CHR002}\n\t2. Aerie\t\t\t{CHR003}\n\t3. Anomen\t\t\t{CHR004}\n\t4. Cernd\t\t\t{CHR005}\n\t5. Dorn\t\t\t\t{CHR006}\n\t6. Edwin\t\t\t{CHR007}\n\t7. Haer'Dalis\t\t\t{CHR008}\n\t8. Hexxat\t\t\t{CHR009}\n\t9. Imoen\t\t\t{CHR010}\n\t10. Jaheira\t\t\t{CHR011}\n\t11. Jan\t\t\t\t{CHR012}\n\t12. Keldorn\t\t\t{CHR013}\n\t13. Korgan\t\t\t{CHR014}\n\t14. Mazzy\t\t\t{CHR015}\n\t15. Minsc\t\t\t{CHR016}\n\t16. Nalia\t\t\t{CHR017}\n\t17. Neera\t\t\t{CHR018}\n\t18. Rasaad\t\t\t{CHR019}\n\t19. ???????\t\t\t{CHR020}\n\t20. Valygar\t\t\t{CHR021}\n\t21. Viconia\t\t\t{CHR022}\n\t22. Yoshimo\t\t\t{CHR023}\n\t23. Table of Character \t\t{CHR024}\n\t    Attributes\n\t24. Chart of Characters by Role {CHR025}\n\t25. Suggested Parties by Role\t{CHR026}\n\t26. Good Party versus Evil Party{CHR027}\n\t27. Character Builds and Weapon {CHR028}\n\t    Loads\nIV. Spell Tactics\t\t\t{SPT001}\n\t1. Healing Spells\t\t{SPT002}\n\t2. 1st Level Cleric Spells\t{SPT003}\n\t3. 2nd Level Cleric Spells\t{SPT004}\n\t4. 3rd Level Cleric Spells\t{SPT005}\n\t5. 4th Level Cleric Spells\t{SPT006}\n\t6. 5th Level Cleric Spells\t{SPT007}\n\t7. 6th Level Cleric Spells\t{SPT008}\n\t8. 7th Level Cleric Spells\t{SPT009}\n\t9. 1st Level Druid Spells\t{SPT010}\n\t10. 2nd Level Druid Spells\t{SPT011}\n\t11. 3rd Level Druid Spells\t{SPT012}\n\t12. 4th Level Druid Spells\t{SPT013}\n\t13. 5th Level Druid Spells\t{SPT014}\n\t14. 6th Level Druid Spells\t{SPT015}\n\t15. 7th Level Druid Spells\t{SPT016}\n\t16. 1st Level Arcane Spells\t{SPT017}\n\t17. 2nd Level Arcane Spells\t{SPT018}\n\t18. 3rd Level Arcane Spells\t{SPT019}\n\t19. 4th Level Arcane Spells\t{SPT020}\n\t20. 5th Level Arcane Spells\t{SPT021}\n\t21. 6th Level Arcane Spells\t{SPT022}\n\t22. 7th Level Arcane Spells\t{SPT023}\n\t23. 8th Level Arcane Spells\t{SPT024}\n\t24. 9th Level Arcane Spells\t{SPT025}\n\t25. Spell Buff Order\t\t{SPT026}\n\t26. Buff Combo: Spell Buff to\t{SPT027}\n\t    the Max!\n\t27. Buff Combo: Dragons and\t{SPT028}\n\t    Demons\n\t28. Buff Combo: Illithids\t{SPT029}\n\t29. Buff Combo: Liches,\t\t{SPT030}\n\t    Beholders, and other pesky\n\t    Mages\n\t30. Buff Combo: The Throne of\t{SPT031}\n\t    Bhaal General Buff\nV. General Tips\t\t\t\t{TIP000}\n\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>MAIN WALKTHROUGH<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<\nVI. Chapter 1\n\t1. Sequence #1\t\t\t{WLK001}\n\t\tEscape from Irenicus'\n\t\tDungeon\n\t\t(30 Steps)\nVII. Chapter 2\n\t1. Sequence #1\t\t\t{WLK002}\n\t\tFive Finger Discounts\t\n\t\t(14 Steps)\n\t2. Sequence #2\t\t\t{WLK003}\n\t\tRandom Encounters in\n\t\tAthkatla\n\t\t(10 Steps)\n\t3. Sequence #3\t\t\t{WLK004}\n\t\tRecruiting Anomen, Dorn,\n\t\tHexxat, Korgan, Viconia,\n\t\tand Jan\n\t\t(17 Steps)\n\t4. Sequence #4\t\t\t{WLK005}\n\t\tJammin' with Jan\n\t\t(Jan's Family Quest)\n\t\t(8 Steps)\n\t5. Sequence #5\t\t\t{WLK006}\n\t\tMae'Var's Guildhall\n\t\tQuests\n\t\t(Recruiting Edwin)\n\t\t(24 Steps)\n\t6. Sequence #6\t\t\t{WLK007}\n\t\tThieves' Guild Quests\n\t\t(Optional)\n\t\t(5 Steps)\n\t7. Sequence #7\t\t\t{WLK008}\n\t\tThe Book of Kaza and the\n\t\tNether Scroll (Securing\n\t\tKorgan and Edwin)\n\t\t(27 Steps)\n\t8. Sequence #8\t\t\t{WLK009}\n\t\tUnseeing Eye Quest\n\t\t(Recruiting Anomen and\n\t\tKeldorn, Securing \n\t\tKeldorn)\n\t\t(28 Steps)\n\t9. Sequence #9\t\t\t{WLK010}\n\t\tFamily and Honor\n\t\t(Keldorn and Anomen's\n\t\tFamily Quests)\n\t\t(14 Steps)\n\t10. Sequence #10\t\t{WLK011}\n\t\tCleric Temple Quests\n\t\t(Optional)\n\t\t(6 Steps)\n\t11. Sequence #11\t\t{WLK012}\n\t\tAstral Prison Quest \n\t\t(Recruiting and Securing \n\t\tHaer'Dalis)\n\t\t(22 Steps)\n\t13. Sequence #12\t\t{WLK013}\n\t\tBard's Playhouse Quests\n\t\t(Optional)\n\t\t(9 Steps)\n\t12. Sequence #13\t\t{WLK014}\n\t\tObtaining Celestial Fury\n\t\t(2 Steps)\t\n\t14. Sequence #14\t\t{WLK015}\n\t\tCircus Tent Quest\n\t\t(Recruiting and\n\t\tSecuring Aerie)\n\t\t(8 Steps)\n\t15. Sequence #15\t\t{WLK016}\n\t\tPlanar Sphere Quest \n\t\t(Recruiting and Securing \n\t\tValygar)\n\t\t(27 Steps)\n\t16. Sequence #16\n\t\tMage Stronghold Quests\t{WLK017}\n\t\t(Optional)\n\t\t(13 Steps)\n\t17. Sequence #17\t\t{WLK018}\n\t\tde'Arnise Keep\n\t\t(Recruiting and Securing\n\t\tNalia)\n\t\t(17 Steps)\n\t18. Sequence #18\t\t{WLK019}\n\t\tFighter Stronghold\n\t\tQuests (Optional) and\n\t\tNalia's Quest\n\t\t(15 Steps)\n\t19. Sequence #19\t\t{WLK020}\n\t\tThe Skinner Murders\n\t\t(22 Steps)\n\t20. Sequence #20\t\t{WLK021}\n\t\tUmar Hills (Part I)\n\t\t(Recruiting and Securing\n\t\tMazzy, Mazzy's Family\n\t\tQuest)\n\t\t(21 Steps)\n\t21. Sequence #21\t\t{WLK022}\n\t\tTrademeet (Recruiting\n\t\tand Securing Cernd,\n\t\tCernd's Family Quest)\n\t\t(39 Steps)\n\t22. Sequence #22\t\t{WLK023}\n\t\tDruid Grove Quests\n\t\t(Optional)\n\t\t(5 Steps)\nVIII. Chapter 3\n\t1. Sequence #1\t\t\t{WLK024}\n\t\tSiding with Bodhi\n\t\t(17 Steps)\n\t2. Sequence #2\t\t\t{WLK025}\n\t\tSiding with Gaelan Bayle\n\t\t(26 Steps)\n\t[End of Chapter 3 Stats]\nIX. Chapter 4\n\t1. Sequence #1\t\t\t{WLK026}\n\t\tBrynnlaw\n\t\t(14 Steps)\n\t2. Sequence #2\t\t\t{WLK027}\n\t\tSpellhold Dungeon\n\t\t(38 Steps)\n\t3. Sequence #4\t\t\t{WLK028}\n\t\tTo the Underdark\n\t\t(19 Steps)\nX. Chapter 5\n\t1. Sequence #1\t\t\t{WLK029}\n\t\tExploring the Underdark\n\t\t(23 Steps)\n\t2. Sequence #2\t\t\t{WLK030}\n\t\tIllithid City\n\t\t(18 Steps)\n\t3. Sequence #3\t\t\t{WLK031}\n\t\tBeholder Den\n\t\t(7 Steps)\t\n\t4. Sequence #4\t\t\t{WLK032}\n\t\tUst Natha\n\t\t(44 Steps)\n\t5. Sequence #5\t\t\t{WLK033}\n\t\tEscaping the Underdark\n\t\t(7 Steps)\n\t[End of Chapter 5 Stats]\nXI. Chapter 6\n\t1. Sequence #1\t\t\t{WLK034}\n\t\tSettling into Surface\n\t\tLife\/Romancing Jaheira\n\t\t(Baron Ployer's Curse)\n\t\t(The Harper Hold Quests)\n\t\t(28 Steps)\n\t2. Sequence #2\t\t\t{WLK035}\n\t\tKangaxx the Demilich\n\t\tand The Twisted Rune\n\t\t(8 Steps)\n\t3. Sequence #3\t\t\t{WLK036}\n\t\tSlavers in the Slums\n\t\t(Copper Coronet Quest)\n\t\t(Slaver Stockade Quest)\n\t\t(22 Steps)\n\t4. Sequence #4\t\t\t{WLK037}\n\t\tClerical Competition\n\t\t(Sir Sarles' Quest)\n\t\t(Dawn Ring Quest)\n\t\t(Fallen Paladins Quest)\n\t\t(23 Steps)\n\t5. Sequence #5\t\t\t{WLK038}\n\t\tUmar Hills (Part II)\n\t\t(14 Steps)\n\t6. Sequence #6\t\t\t{WLK039}\n\t\tRanger Stronghold Quests\n\t\t(13 Steps)\n\t7. Sequence #7\t\t\t{WLK040}\n\t\tFirkraag\n\t\t(37 Steps)\n\t8. Sequence #8\t\t\t{WLK041}\n\t\tPaladin Stronghold\n\t\tQuests\n\t\t(9 Steps)\n\t9. Sequence #9\t\t\t{WLK042}\n\t\tIllithid's Under\n\t\tAthkatla (Obtaining\n\t\tCrom Faeyr)\n\t\t(5 Steps)\n\t10. Sequence #10\t\t{WLK043}\n\t\tLimited Wish Quests\n\t\t(14 Steps)\n\t11. Sequence #11\t\t{WLK044}\n\t\tExploring Outside of\n\t\tAthkatla (North Forest,\n\t\tSmall Teeth Pass,\n\t\tForest of Tethir)\n\t\t(12 Steps)\n\t12. Sequence #12\t\t{WLK045}\n\t\tDorn's Bloody Path\n\t\t(Part I)\n\t\t(17 Steps)\n\t13. Sequence #13\t\t{WLK046}\n\t\tHexxat's Request\n\t\t(Part I)\n\t\t(30 Steps)\n\t14. Sequence #14\t\t{WLK047}\n\t\tNeera's Hidden Refuge\n\t\t(30 Steps)\n\t15. Sequence #15\t\t{WLK048}\n\t\tRasaad's Journey\n\t\t(Part I)\n\t\t(20 Steps)\n\t16. Sequence #16\t\t{WLK049}\n\t\tShowdown with Bodhi\n\t\t(13 Steps)\nXII. Chapter 7\n\t1. Sequence #1\t\t\t{WLK050}\n\t\tSuldanessellar\n\t\t(20 Steps)\n\t2. Sequence #2\t\t\t{WLK051}\n\t\tHell\n\t\t(18 Steps)\n\t[End of Chapter 7 Stats]\nXIII. Chapter 8 (THRONE OF BHAAL)\n\t1. Sequence #1\t\t\t{WLK052)\n\t\tThe Prophecy Begins\n\t\t(8 Steps)\n\t2. Sequence #2\t\t\t{WLK053}\n\t\tSaradush\n\t\t(25 Steps)\n\t3. Sequence #3\t\t\t{WLK054}\n\t\tGromnir Il-Khan\n\t\t(20 Steps)\n\t4. Sequence #4\t\t\t{WLK055}\n\t\tWatcher's Keep, First\n\t\tLevel\n\t\t(15 Steps)\n\t5. Sequence #5\t\t\t{WLK056}\n\t\tWatcher's Keep, Second\n\t\tLevel\n\t\t(13 Steps)\n\t6. Sequence #6\t\t\t{WLK057}\n\t\tWatcher's Keep, Third\n\t\tLevel\n\t\t(18 Steps)\n\t7. Sequence #7\t\t\t{WLK058}\n\t\tWatcher's Keep, Fourth\n\t\tLevel\n\t\t(17 Steps)\n\t8. Sequence #8\t\t\t{WLK059}\n\t\tWatcher's Keep, Fifth\n\t\tLevel\n\t\t(15 Steps)\n\t9. Sequence #9\t\t\t{WLK060}\n\t\tYaga-Shura\n\t\t(21 Steps)\nXIV. Chapter 9\n\t1. Sequence #1\t\t\t{WLK061}\n\t\tAmkethran\n\t\t(15 Steps)\n\t2. Sequence #2\t\t\t{WLK062}\n\t\tDorn's Blood Path\n\t\t(Part II)\n\t\t(9 Steps)\n\t3. Sequence #3\t\t\t{WLK063}\n\t\tHexxat's Request\n\t\t(Part II)\n\t\t(17 Steps)\n\t4. Sequence #4\t\t\t{WLK064}\n\t\tDestroying the Order of\n\t\tEight Staves\n\t\t(12 Steps)\n\t5. Sequence #5\t\t\t{WLK065}\n\t\tRasaad's Journey\n\t\t(Part II)\n\t\t(20 Steps)\n\t6. Sequence #6\t\t\t{WLK066}\n\t\tSendai\n\t\t(18 Steps)\n\t7. Sequence #7\t\t\t{WLK067}\n\t\tAbazigal\n\t\t(16 Steps)\n\t8. Sequence #8\t\t\t{WLK068}\n\t\tBalthazar\n\t\t(7 Steps)\nXV. Chapter 10\n\t1. Sequence #1\t\t\t{WLK069}\n\t\tThrone of Bhaal\n\t\t(7 Steps)\n\t[End of Chapter 10 Stats]\n\n\tTotal Walkthrough: 1202 Steps\n\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>VIDEOS<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<\nXVI. Walkthrough Videos\n\t1. Temple District Sewer Fight\t{VID001}\n\t2. Celestial Fury\t\t{VID002}\n\t3. Twisted Rune\t\t\t{VID003}\n\t4. Kangaxx the Demilich\t\t{VID004}\n\t5. Shadow Dragon\t\t{VID005}\n\t6. Firkraag\t\t\t{VID006}\n\t7. Ur-Gothoz and Azothet\t{VID007}\n\t8. Nizidramanii'yt\t\t{VID008}\n\t9. Irenicus in Suldanessellar\t{VID009}\n\t10. Irenicus in Hell\t\t{VID010}\n\t11. Gromnir Il-Khan\t\t{VID011}\n\t12. Chromatic Demon\t\t{VID012}\n\t13. Tahazzar\t\t\t{VID013}\n\t14. Ka'rushur\t\t\t{VID014}\n\t15. Demon Wraith\t\t{VID015}\n\t16. Saladrex\t\t\t{VID016}\n\t17. Mind Key\t\t\t{VID017}\n\t18. Test of Courage\t\t{VID018}\n\t19. Heart Key\t\t\t{VID019}\n\t20. Demogorgon\t\t\t{VID020}\n\t21. Lunia\t\t\t{VID021}\n\t22. Vicross and Szass Tam\t{VID022}\n\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>MISCELLANEOUS<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<\nXVI. Items\t\t\t\t{ITM000}\n\t1. Finding Recorded Items in \t{ITM001}\n\t   the Walkthrough\n\t2. Item List\t\t\t{ITM002}\n\t3. Item Description\t\t{ITM003}\n\t4. Book of Infinite Spells\t{ITM004}\n\t5. Deck of Many Things\t\t{ITM005}\n\t6. Wand of Wonder\t\t{ITM006}\n\t7. Crafted Items\t\t{ITM007}\nXVII. List of Mage Spells\t\t{SPL000}\n\t1. 1st-Level Mage Spells\t{SPL001}\n\t2. 2nd-Level Mage Spells\t{SPL002}\n\t3. 3rd-Level Mage Spells\t{SPL003}\n\t4. 4th-Level Mage Spells\t{SPL004}\n\t5. 5th-Level Mage Spells\t{SPL005}\n\t6. 6th-Level Mage Spells\t{SPL006}\n\t7. 7th-Level Mage Spells\t{SPL007}\n\t8. 8th-Level Mage Spells\t{SPL008}\n\t9. 9th-Level Mage Spells\t{SPL009}\nXIII. Experience List\t\t\t{EXP000}\nXIX. Updates\/Thanks\t\t\t{UPD000}\n\n*Note: When searching for items in the FAQ, be sure to include the\n{} brackets. When I reference other parts of the FAQ outside of the\nindex, I put them in [] brackets, so as to make general searches using \nthe index more efficient. For example, when I tell you in the Characters\nsection of the FAQ to look at the Walkthrough to find more information\non an Character quest, I'll refer to that section as [WLK###], when it\nshould be understood to search for {WLK###}. This is an organizational\nscheme used to prevent you from having to scroll through several\nreferential brackets in order to find what you're looking for, as I\nreference other parts of the FAQ much more frequently in this guide\nthan I do in other FAQs I have written. \n\no======================================================================o\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|\t\t\tIntroduction {INT001}\t\t\t       |\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\no======================================================================o\nWhew. It seems like I devoted most of 2013 to the Baldur's Gate: \nEnhanced Edition guide, going through no fewer than four versions of\nthat guide in one year. I cranked out v1.04 just a few days after the\nrelease of Baldur's Gate 2: Enhanced Edition, and the same day that\nversion of the BGEE guide went up, I downloaded and started work on\nthe BG2EE guide. As with the previous guide, I massively converted my\noriginal Baldur's Gate 2 guide into an Enhanced Edition version, using\nthe same basic layout, but making changes wherever necessary. As for\nthe game itself... What can you really say about Baldur's Gate 2? It's\neverything the first game was, but more, bigger, better. All things\nconsidered, the two Baldur's Gate games (and their expansions) are\nprobably my favorite RPGs. I can't honestly think of a better gaming\nexperience than that which beings in candlekeep, and ends at the Throne\nof Bhaal. So, download yourself the BG2EE, import your character from\nthe BGEE, get ready to fight the worst foes 2nd Edition Dungeons and\nDragons has to offer... and collect some really epic loot along the\nway. Most of all, however, enjoy the HaeravonFAQs guide \"Beating\nBaldur's Gate 2: Enhanced Edition in 1202 Steps\" of varying length,\ncomplexity, and importance!\n\nUsing this FAQ\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{INT002}\no======================================================================o\nBelow I will list some of my quirks, organizational methods, and various\nother tidbits that will help you navigate this guide. For starters,\nduring the main FAQ I'll break up the various chapters and \norganizational components of the guide with a large heading:\n\no======================================================================o\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|\t\t              Large Heading  \t\t\t       |\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\no======================================================================o\n\nDuring the FAQ, I'll break up different areas with a thick line:\n\nThick line\no======================================================================o\n\nMultiple parts of a mission in the same area will be broken up with a \nthin line. This breaks up the missions into a series of steps, and \nlimits how much unbroken text you'll have to read at once. Nobody likes\nwordiness:\n\nThin line\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n\nOf course, I reserve the right to break my own rules during the FAQ..\nmostly due to being scatter-brained and working on the FAQ in shifts\nover the course of time. Life and all. So cut me some slack. Besides,\nthis organizational scheme is mostly for consistency and ease-of-use.\n\nSequence of Events\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nUnlike some of my other guides, this FAQ does hold your hand through the\ngame. As I go through areas I will list what I do sequentially. To help\nstreamline the guide and make your life easier, I've included a list of\nsteps at the beginning of each section, so you can see in what order I\nam about to do things. Each different Sequence of Events is separated by\na large heading, while each step is divided by a thick line (if we\ntravel to a different area) or a thin line (if we don't.)\n\nItems \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{INT003}\no======================================================================o\nI'll list items found in containers-bookshelves, chests, environmental\nbodies, etc.-in the ***ITEMS*** category, I'll also list the (x=, x=)\ncoordinates the container is found at. The container could be quite\nlarge, but I try to find areas in the 100s or at least the 10s if\npossible. For example, I wont give you (x=1996, y=217) when I could give\nthe coordinates (x=2000, y=200). I'm not going to be as thorough in this\nFAQ as I am in others-there's no reason for me to go around telling you \nevery crate that has a handful of gold in it-but I will typically be \nmore thorough in dungeons and what-not. If it's important, I'll record \nit; if not, I'll ignore it. Largely this means you'll be free (and \nexpected) to go about towns looting as your heart desires. Just be \ncareful about stealing... the watch doesn't like it. If you open a lock\nwith your Thief skills you'll get 400, 950, or 1550 experience per \nlock, which is the only real incentive to use a Thief rather than to use\na Knock spell.\n\nNote that much of the loot you'll find throughout the game is random.\nGold coin values will almost certainly be different from game to game,\nbut it's also possible that you'll find different gems or jewelry in\nsome containers (for example, in Irenicus' Dungeon I found a Tchazar Gem\non one playthrough, and a Laeral's Tear Necklace on another-a huge value\ndifference.) Don't be surprised if what you find is somewhat different\nfrom what is listed-there's a bit of randomness involved. The major\nitems should be the same (you'll always find the Pommel Gem to the\nEqualizer in the same area, for example), so don't sweat the small\nstuff. The biggest problem the randomness causes is when I tell you one\nscroll will drop and you get another, but still, many of the better\nscrolls are static loot, dropped from enemies, or bought from stores,\nso you shouldn't find (or miss) anything game-breaking.\n\nRewards\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{INT004}\no======================================================================o\nWhen you complete a quest, or otherwise gain some story award, I will\nlist it in the ***REWARDS*** section in the appropriate step in the FAQ.\nI won't go out of my way to label the start and end of quests, as some\nquests have long stretches of game in between their assignment and \ncompletion. I will tell you to go activate the quest (even if you don't\nneed to activate it to complete it), but I typically include the reward\nupon the quest's conclusion, occasionally requiring you to go back to\nthe assigner on your own.\n\nTraps \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{INT005}\no======================================================================o\nI'll list the location of traps in a section similar to the items\nsection, except it's wisely called ***TRAPS***. I didn't bother\nrecording what sort of trap it was, I intended to disarm traps I come\nacross, and frankly, it's just too much of a bother determining the sort\nof trap. If you think you can figure out how to use traps to cause\ncollateral damage, that's fine with me, I'll point as many out to you as\nI found. Note that in Baldur's Gate 2 you get experience for disarming\ntraps, either 1750, 2750, or 3250 experience per trap.\n\nVideos\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{INT006}\no======================================================================o\nVideos have been provided for some of the larger, more difficult, or\nmore interesting encounters in the game... you know, because a picture\nis worth a thousand words, so a gameplay movie has to be worth millions!\nYou'll find links to videos throughout the walkthrough under the heading\n***VIDEO***. The videos are relevent to the Step they are found in. You\ncan also find a list of all the videos in the guide in the index, and\nuse search keys to find a specific video in the walkthrough. The tactics\nin the videos are the same as those provided in the walkthrough.\n\nActive Pause\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{INT007}\no======================================================================o\nYou can pause the game any time by pressing the 'space bar' button. In\nthe original game, the game would not remained paused in your inventory\nscreen (which was just Bioware's idea of being hardasses.) In the\nEnhanced Edition, they rightfully allowed the game to remained paused\nin your inventory screen (like in Baldur's Gate 2). Anyways, you'll use\nthis option often to reorganize during battles, select new targets...\nyou know, make tactical decisions. It's not just helpful, it's vital. If\nyou plan to play any other old school Black Isle games, like Planescape\nor Icewind Dale, they'll also use the same system.\n\nScaling Enemies\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{INT008}\no======================================================================o\nI'll tell you what enemies I faced on the way through the game, but\nkeep in mind that as you progress in levels, some encounters might scale\nin difficulty-either by adding more enemies, stronger versions of the\nenemies that normally appear in the area, or both. If you want to be\nabsolutely sure that you'll fight what I fought when I fought it, do\nthe quests exactly in the same order I do them. It shouldn't make a huge\ndifference, as most 'random' or variable encounters aren't terribly\ndifficult. Sure, having to fight a Lich instead of a group of normal\nundead, some Beholders where there were formerly Gauth, or Adamantine\nGolems when you would have fought Stone Golems at lower levels kinda\nsucks, but at higher levels, you'll ideally have better gear and\ncharacters more suited for the challenges ahead. Just be aware that your\nencounters might not exactly match mine, but the set battles with unique\ncharacters should remain static.\n\nDifficulty Settings\t\t\t\t\t\t{INT009}\no======================================================================o\nThere are five difficulty settings as follows:\n\nINSANE (far right): Hit Point rolls are random, characters can\n\t\t    permanently die, scribing spells can fail, enemies\n\t\t    do 200% normal damage.\n\nHARD (middle-right): Hit Point rolls are random, characters can\n\t\t     permanently die, scribing spells can fail, enemies\n\t\t     do 150% normal damage.\n\nCORE RULES (middle): Normal rules. Hit Point rolls are random,\n\t\t     characters can permanently die, scribing spells can\n\t\t     fail, enemies do 100% normal damage.\n\nNORMAL (middle-left): All Hit Point rolls are maxed, characters cannot\n\t\t      permanently die, all spells are automatically\n\t\t      learned, enemies do 75% normal damage.\n\nNOVICE (far left): All Hit Point rolls are maxed, characters cannot\n\t\t   permanently die, all spells are automatically\n\t\t   learned, enemies do 50% normal damage.\n\nMy suggestion? Play the game under CORE RULES, but when you level up\nor scribe scrolls, switch to NORMAL. Look, I don't know about you, but\nin the original game I always save\/loaded to get maximum Hit Points per\nlevel and to ensure I always succeeded at scribing scrolls. Manipulating\nthe difficulty settings just saves time, and life is too short (as is my\npatience) to waste it save\/loading Baldur's Gate.\n\nEnhanced Edition Notes\t\t\t\t\t\t{INT010}\no======================================================================o\nI will admit, I am too much of a fan to resist pointing out story\/event\nchanges throughout the guide as I notice them. These changes (usually\ninconsequential stuff) will be noted under the ***ENHANCED EDITION***\nheading. This is just me showing off what knowledge I have of the game\nand is entirely useless fluff... But, it interests me, so it's in\nthere. It may contain spoilers (although I've tried to keep them fairly\nminor) but if you want to play it safe, just ignore them. I've also\nstarted to use them to discuss various changes between Enhanced Edition\npatches, as well.\n\nConsole Commands\t\t\t\t\t\t{INT011}\no======================================================================o\nIn a game the size of Baldur's Gate 2, there's bound to be bugs. Rather\nthan let them ruin your day, you might want to try entering console\ncommands to set things right. I'm not going to provide any commands-you\ncan look up fixes found by people smarter than myself, but if you need\nto get the console working you can do so by editing the Baldur.ini\nfile, which is found (for Windows users) in the following folder:\n\nDocuments\/Baldur's Gate II - Enhanced Edition\n\nAll you have to do is open said file in Notepad and copy\/paste the\nfollowing line:\n\n'Program Options',\t'Debug Mode',\t'1'\n\nThe tab-spaces are necessary between each item, and the preceeding\noption line... just let the other options be your guide. Place that\nline at the bottom of the file, just below the last option, but before\nall the ',',\n gibberish.\n\nOnce in the game, hit (control + space) to bring up the console\ncommand entry bar.\n\nAnd of course, be smart-make a safety version of Baldur.ini, and play\naround with the console commands on a disposable save game.\n\no======================================================================o\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|              2nd Edition Dungeons and Dragons Mechanics\t       |\n|\t\t      (Character Creation) {DND001}\t\t       |\no======================================================================o\nBelow are some suggestions for character creation in Baldur's Gate 2,\nAlong with a number of tables, charts, and rules used by the game. \nEither blindly follow my lead or read up on the section below and make\nyour own choices. I'll give opinions and brute facts, but I won't be \nrating anything. Feel free to make your own-informed-decisions.\n\nComposition \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND002}\no======================================================================o\nUnlike in Icewind Dale, you only create one character-the protagonist.\nThis means your character will need some help on their journey through\nBaldur's Gate 2. In any Dungeons and Dragons game you need a Cleric,\nFighter, Mage, and a Thief, the four 'base' classes. No matter what\ncharacter you make, you NEED one representative of each of those four\nbase classes in your party. A party without a front line, spell buffs,\nhealing, and trap finding is a party that is probably losing.\n\nGender \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND003}\no======================================================================o\nGender is pretty irrelevant, the only time I can think of where it comes\ninto play is during romances. If you're male you can't romance Anomen\n(even though I wonder about him sometimes...) and if you're female you\ncan't romance Aerie, and so on. If you want romances, and you don't want \nto use a mod to remove limitations, I'd suggest not playing a Dwarf, \nGnome, Halfling, or Half-Orc. No promises any of the in-game PCs will \ngo for that kind of fling.\n\nRace \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND004}\no======================================================================o\nThere are more pronounced differences between the races in the Enhanced\nEdition, but the big restrictions are still what they were in the\noriginal. Humans can dual-class, everybody else cannot. All the other\nraces can multi-class (to varying degrees), but Humans cannot. I\nSTRONGLY advocate either dual-classing as a Human, or multi-classing.\nClass restriction by race are shown on the table below.\n\nClass Restrictions by Race\t\t\t\t\t{DND005}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n\t\t\t|Human\n\t\t\t|   |Elf\n\t\t\t|   |   |Half-Elf\n\t\t\t|   |   |   |Gnome*\n\t\t\t|   |   |   |   |Halfling\n\t\t\t|   |   |   |   |   |Dwarf\n\t\t\t|   |   |   |   |   |   |Half-Orc\n\t\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nBarbarian\t\t| x | x | x | x | x | x | x |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nBard\t\t\t| x |   | x |   |   |   |   |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nCleric\t\t\t| x | x | x | x | x | x | x |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nCleric\/Mage\t\t| d |   | x | x |   |   |   |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nCleric\/Ranger\t\t| d |   | x |   |   |   | x |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nCleric\/Thief\t\t| d |   |   | x |   |   |   |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nDruid\t\t\t| x |   | x |   |   |   |   |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nFighter\t\t\t| x | x | x | x | x | x | x |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nFighter\/Cleric\t\t| d |   | x | x |   | x | x |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nFighter\/Druid\t\t| d |   | x |   |   |   |   |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nFighter\/Mage\t\t| d | x | x | x |   |   |   |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nFighter\/Mage\/Cleric\t|   |   | x |   |   |   |   |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nFighter\/Mage\/Thief\t|   | x | x |   |   |   |   |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nFighter\/Thief\t\t| d | x | x | x | x | x | x |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nMage\t\t\t| x | x | x | x |   |   |   |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nMage\/Thief\t\t| d | x | x | x |   |   |   |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nMonk\t\t\t| x |   |   |   |   |   |   |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nPaladin\t\t\t| x |   |   |   |   |   |   |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nRanger\t\t\t| x | x | x |   |   |   |   |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nSorcerer\t\t| x | x | x |   |   |   |   |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nThief\t\t\t| x | x | x | x | x | x | x |\n\t\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\n\n* = Instead of a Mage, they are always an Illusionist.\nx = Race\/Class combo is allowed.\nd = Can dual class, not multi-class.\n\nHuman\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND006}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nHumans are the vanilla race of the fantasy genre. I'll bet most of my\nreaders are Human (the rest are whatever race Anne Coulter belongs to-\nthe reptilians), which begs the question... why play it? Doesn't it\njust inject a bit of mundanity into a fantasy setting? And why would you\ndo that? Whatever, the only thing special about Humans is that they can\n(and should) dual-class. Oh, and they can be every class in the game.\nSo if you're really hard up for a Monk, Paladin, or some types of\nspecialist Mage... well... this is your only option.\n\nHumans have the following traits:\n  -->\tThief Skills: +15% Pick Pockets, +10% Open Locks,\n\t+5% Find Traps, +10% Move Silently, +5% Hide in Shadows.\n\nElf\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND007}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nEverybody hates Elves these days. Probably because of Orlando Bloom.\nAnyways, Elves have some solid multi-class options, and are decent\ncharacters all around. The Dexterity bonus is nice... but it's not\nnearly as helpful as the Constitution bonus is harmful. Still,\nconsidering all the stat boosts you'll find in the game, it's not a big\ndeal.\n\nElves have the following traits:\n  --> \t90% resistance against charm and sleep magics.\n\n  --> \tInfravision.\n\n  --> \t+1 THAC0 bonus with bows, short swords, and long swords.\n\n  -->\tThief Skills: +20% Pick Pockets, +5% Open Locks,\n\t+5% Find Traps, +15% Move Silently, +15% Hide in Shadows.\n\n  --> \t+1 Dexterity, -1 Constitution.\n\nHalf-Elf\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND008}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThe bastard off-spring created by Humans and Elves... nobody seems to\ncare that an Elf boning a Human is just kind of... weird. I mean, how\nmuch older is the Elf, on average? It would make for great a fantasy\nMaury show... They've got a few bonuses that Humans don't have-stuff\nyou won't really miss-but they trade the ability to dual-class for the\nmost extensive multi-class options in the game. They're a great choice\nfor any protagonist.\n\nHalf-Elves have the following traits:\n  --> \t30% resistance against charm and sleep magics.\n\n  --> \tInfravision.\n\n  -->\tThief Skills: +25% Pick Pockets, +10% Open Locks,\n\t+5% Find Traps, +10% Move Silently, +10% Hide in Shadows.\n\nGnome\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND009}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nGnomes are retarded and everybody should hate them. They're nothing but\nincompetent Dwarves without any of the cool Dwarfiness. Gnomes have\none advantage over Dwarves-they can become Mages. But... since they\ndefault to Illusionists, it's not so great of a bonus.\n\nGnomes have the following traits:\n  --> \t+2 bonus to Saving Throws vs. Rod\/Staff\/Wand and vs. Spell\n\twith additional bonuses based on Constitution.\n\n  --> \tInfravision.\n\n  -->\tThief Skills: +15% Pick Pockets, +15% Open Locks,\n\t+15% Find Traps, +15% Move Silently, +10% Hide in Shadows,\n\t+10% Detect Illusion, +5% Set Traps.\n\n  --> \t+1 Intelligence, -1 Wisdom.\n\nHalfling\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND010}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nIf you wanted my opinion on Halfings... well... look at my opinion\nabout Gnomes. It's not a short person thing, I'm not too tall myself,\nbut... their class options suck and their racial traits just aren't\nvery good. Honestly, I've always hated Halflings. They seem like a\nwaste of a race, and in my gaming sessions, I've never been able to find\na use for them. What are they, always? Wandering thieves and pranksters.\nAlmost without variation. Who always plays them? The annoying kid who\njust wanted to be a pain in the ass and slow things down. On the plus\nside, Halflings arguably make the best Thieves in the game, starting\nout with whopping skill points bonuses into what are the most useful\nTheiving skills, and that Dexterity bonus doesn't hurt, either. Still,\nwith the level cap in Baldur's Gate 2, even a triple-classed Thief will\nearn more skill points than they know what to do with.\n\nHalflings have the following traits:\n  --> \t+2 bonus to Saving Throws vs. Paralyzation\/Poison\/Death, vs\n    \tRod\/Staff\/Wand, and vs. Spell, with additional bonuses based\n\ton Constitution.\n\n  --> \t+1 THAC0 bonus with slings.\n\n  -->\tThief Skills: +20% Pick Pockets, +15% Open Locks,\n\t+10% Find Traps, +20% Move Silently, +20% Hide in Shadows.\n\n  --> \t+1 Dexterity, -1 Strength, -1 Wisdom.\n\nDwarf\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND011}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nNow Dwarves are where it's at. Who doesn't love Dwarves? They're always\nawesome. Nothing's better than a heavily-armed, ill-tempered, hairy,\ndrunk demi-human. Fortunately for you, the game does a decent job in\nsupplying you Dwarves to tag along with-leave the Dwarfing to your\nallies and pick stronger multi-or-dual-class options, instead.\n\nDwarves have the following traits:\n  --> \t+2 bonus to Saving Throws vs. Paralyzation\/Poison\/Death, vs.\n     \tRod\/Staff\/Wand, and vs. Spell, with additional bonuses based on\t\n\tConstitution.\n\n  --> \tInfravision.\n\n  -->\tThief Skills: +15% Pick Pockets, +20% Open Locks,\n\t+20% Find Traps, +10% Move Silently, +5% Hide in Shadows,\n\t+5% Detect Illusion, +10% Set Traps.\n\n  --> \t+1 Constitution, -1 Dexterity, -2 Charisma.\n\nHalf-Orc\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND012}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nNot much to say about this class-they have the same appeal as Dwarves\nin my book. Fugly warriors that almost always seem to fall into a well-\ntrod stereotype. In this, they excel, and if you plan to make any\nsingle-class warrior type, go with a Half-Orc. You won't miss that\nIntelligence.\n\nHalf-Orcs have the following traits:\n  --> \t+1 Strength, +1 Constitution, -2 Intelligence.\n\n  -->\tThief Skills: +15% Pick Pockets, +10% Open Locks,\n\t+5% Find Traps, +10% Move Silently, +5% Hide in Shadows.\n\nClass\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND013}\no======================================================================o\nSince you can recruit a character that pretty much covers whatever you\nmay lack, you have the freedom to create a character that plays how you\nwant. Versatility and power are my goals in character creation, and that\npretty much cries out for dual-or-multi classing. Also, if the\ndevelopers were so kind as to provide you with a recruitable ally with\ntheir own unique voice, portrait, history, and statistics, why bother\nmaking a similar character? Since dual-or-multi class characters are\ninvariably stronger in Baldur's Gate 2, they are what I suggest. You\nsimply get stronger, more versatile characters if you dual-or-multi-\nclass.\n\nA Fighter\/Mage is arguably the strongest class in the game by the end of\nBaldur's Gate 2. Magic in Baldur's Gate is incredibly important and\ndeep, and controlling a protagonist who cannot cast spells seems\nrather..  blasphemous. And if you can destroy any foe in melee combat as\nwell, all the better. Alternatively there's the Fighter\/Mage\/Thief, who\nisn't as much of a Fighter or Mage, but you don't have to rely upon a\nrecruitable Thief to do your trapfinding. There's also the\nFighter\/Cleric, but the spell buffs a Mage can cast are more powerful,\nand a Mage wont be limited to blunt weapons like a Cleric. If you're at\nall interested in making a Fighter\/Cleric, try a Ranger\/Cleric instead.\nPretty much the same thing in terms of weapon selection, and Hit Points,\nbut they'll also get Druidic spells, in addition to their Clerical\nspells. This means Insect Plague, Elemental Summoning, and Iron Skins...\nit's something to get excited about, trust me, I've never played as a \nFighter\/Mage\/Cleric, but... it certainly sounds interesting. In the end\nI feel a Fighter\/Mage is a great protagonist, a great play, and\ncertainly a good choice to write a guide around. For the evil party\nplay-through (Version 1.02 of the original Baldur's Gate 1 guide) I\ncreated a Fighter\/Mage\/Thief so I could use many of the strategies with\nwhich I am familiar, but also because of how desperately the evil party\nneeds a Thief in Baldur's Gate 2. For the record, Hexxat alleviates the\nneed for a Thief somewhat, but in my mind, she's just nowhere near as\nstrong as a Fighter\/Mage\/Thief protagonist. My girlfriend's choice was\nmuch the same, except she used a Fighter as her protagonist and created\na Fighter\/Mage\/Thief sidekick in the sequel to overcome the crippling\nThief-shortage. It might be cheap, but it's better than dragging around\nHaer'Dalis.\n\nDual-Classing\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND014}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nTo dual-class you must be a Human, and you must be at least 2nd level in\nthe class you started out as to dual-class. You must have a 15 in the \nprime requisites of your current class, and 17 in the prime requisites \nof the class you want to change to. The prime requisities for each of \nthe four base classes are as follows:\n\nCleric:\t\tWisdom\nDruid:\t\tWisdom, Charisma\nFighter:\tStrength\nMage: \t\tIntelligence\nRanger:\t\tStrength, Dexterity, Wisdom\nThief:\t\tDexterity\n\nOnce you dual-class the experience of your previous class will be capped\nat the minimum required to meet the last level you attained, and it will\ngo inactive. You can no longer gain levels in this class, or use any of\nthe class abilities. The only thing you keep from that class are the Hit\nPoints, you temporarily lose weapon and armor proficiencies, skills,\nspells, THAC0, and even saves.\n\nYou now begin advancing as your second class, following all its rules.\nYou pick new proficiencies, and spells or thief abilities, if\napplicable. For example, if you were a Fighter and dual-classed into a\nMage, you would be bound by the weapon and armor restrictions of the\nMage. You'd have the saves, THAC0, proficiencies, and spells of a 1st\nlevel Mage, but you'd have your Fighter Hit Points. Once your level in\nyour new class exceeds your level in your old class, your old class\nbecomes active again. You cannot gain experience in your old class, but\nyou gain back any previously attained abilties, weapon and armor\nproficiencies, skills, spells, THAC0, and saves, if they are better than\nwhat you have now. Keep in mind that proficiencies are not cumulative.\nFor example, take the following case. Start out with a level one Fighter\nand you'll get four weapon proficiencies to spend-you can spend up to\ntwo points (become Specialized) in any one weapon class or fighting\nstyle. Let's say the proficienies were allocated as follows:\n\nLong Sword\t\t++\nTwo-Weapon Style\t++\n\nAt level two, the character dual-classes to a Thief. They temporarily\nlose those proficiencies, but being a brand-spanking almost new Thief,\nthey get two points to distrubte. Let's say it goes as follows:\n\nKatana\t\t\t+\nShort Sword\t\t+\n\nOnce the newly dualed Thief becomes level three, they'll get their\nFighter stats back... at least until their Thief THAC0 and Saving Throws\nsurpass whatever their Fighter level gave. Their proficiencies now look\nlike this:\n\nKatana\t\t\t+\nLong Sword\t\t++\nShort Sword\t\t+\nTwo-Weapon Style\t++\n\nSo, when dual-classing, do NOT overlap proficiencies. Any overlap\nresults in wasted points. On the other hand, one of the bonuses you\nwill retain while dual-classing is Weapon Proficiency progression-a\nFighter\/Thief dual-class will, for example, still be able to attain\nGrand Mastery, a Ranger\/Cleric can attain Specialization, and so on.\n\nA good tactic is to start out as a Thief and gain their Find Traps\nskill, get it as high as you need, and then dual-class into something\nmore useful, like a Fighter or Mage. This gets you the essential Thief\nskill without having to waste an entire character on a class that,\nfrankly, isn't great on its own. Another option is to make a Fighter,\nget up to a high level and attain its high Hit Points, THAC0, and maybe\neven Grand Mastery, then dual-class into something else to retain those\nexcellent combat stats to make a more 'hardy' version of that class.\nThe experience gained by the first class does count towards your total\nexperience, and hence towards the experience cap. If you dual-class a\ncharacter, be sure to dual class early enough so you have enough \nexperience left to exceed your previous classes' level with your new\nclass. If you never exceed your first class with your second, it will\nnever become active, making the whole process a waste and stunting your\ncharacter. This is obviously more of a preparatory tactic for the \nsequel, as you will not gain enough experience to get the most out of\ndual-classing for some combos in the first game. If you want to make a\ndual-class Fighter or an Assassin\/Fighter, you'll have to play through\nthis game as a single-classed character. For characters like Imoen,\ndual class away, but for your main character I do not suggest\ndual-classing until the sequel.\n\nMulti-Classing\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND015}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nMutli-classing is a bit simpler than dual-classing. Most races besides\nHuman can multi-class into something, but Half-Elves are by far the\nmost versatile multi-classers. Whereas dual-classing means dropping one\nclass in favor of another, only to gain the benefits of the previous \nclass back after you exceed its level with the second class, multi-\nclassing means pursuing both classes simultaneously. You get the better\nchoice of THAC0 and saves between the classes, meaning a Fighter\/Mage\nwould use their better Fighter THAC0 instead of their worse Mage THAC0 \nor some composite. Hit points, however, are a composite, essentially\nhalving the dice rolls of both classes and giving them to you. If a \nFighter\/Thief levels up in both classes, they get a maximum of eight\nHit Points (10 + 6 = 16\/2 = 8.) Note, however, that if you are a Fighter\nmulti-class, you get the highest benefit of your Constitution, meaning\na Fighter\/Cleric with a Constitution score of 18 would get a +4 bonus to\ntheir Hit Points per composite level, instead of only +2 as a single-\nclassed character would. Triple-class characters work the same way,\nexcept their Hit Points per class\/level is split three ways. For\nexample a Fighter\/Mage\/Thief only receives six Hit Points per composite\nlevel (10 + 6 + 4 = 20\/3 = 6.67~, always rounded down = 6).\n\nExperience is split evenly between the two (or three) classes, which can\nlevel up independently. This results in a slower rate of leveling than\na single-classed character. Multi-classed characters typically make up\nfor it with versatility, being able to effectively combine multiple\nclass abilities to maximum effect. After all, a Thief who can hide in\nshadows and backstab with a Fighter's THAC0 and higher weapon\nproficiencies is better than just a Thief, and a Fighter who can use\nMage spells to spell buff themselves with Mirror Image, Haste,\nStoneskin, and Improved Invisibility will be MUCH more effective than\njust a Fighter. Multi-classed characters must abide by the restrictions\nof BOTH classes. A Fighter\/Mage could wear Fighter armor, but not cast\nspells while so doing. A Fighter\/Cleric could not use Swords or Bows.\nA Thief\/Cleric could sneak, but not in heavy armor, and so on. But on\nthe plus side, a high level multi-classed character will be able to pick\nepic feats from both trees. A Fighter\/Thief could spend all their epic\nfeats on Whirlwind and Greater Whirlwind, for example, if they so\nwished, instead of having to pick between the two (i.e. Thief feats on\nThief levels, Fighter feats on Fighter levels.) This gives them\nanother massive benefit over dual-classed characters.\n\nDual-and-Multi-Classing in Baldur's Gate 2\t\t\t{DND016}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThere is one significant advantage to multi-classing over dual-classing\nin Baldur's Gate 2, namely in the selection of Epic Level Feats. Upon\nreaching a certain experience threshold (and every level thereafter)<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
you'll get to pick a feat, many of which are phenomonally strong. If\nyou dual-class, you'll never again level up with your dormant class,\nmeaning you'll never get these feats. A dual-class Fighter\/Thief might\nhave all the perks of a Fighter, and unimpeded progresion in thieving\nskills as well, but they will never get the Epic Fighter feats. A\nmulti-classed Fighter\/Thief will, however. Of course another thing to\nkeep in mind with multi-classing is that you will not get as many of\nthese feats for each class as a single-classed or dual-classed\ncharacter will. It's a fair balancing act I think, and a good\naddition to a game that ultimately penalizes single-classed characters\ntoo harshly. Consider yourself duly warned-if your 'uber' Fighter\/Thief\nturns out to be a sissy late in the sequel because you can't get\nGreater Whirlwind Attack(s)... it's on you.\n\nClass Kits\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND017}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nIn Baldur's Gate 2 most single-classes have 'kits' which are basically\nvariants of the normal class. These include everything from shape\nshifting Druids, combat-focused Bards, Paladins skilled at thwarting\nMages, sword saint Fighters, and Rangers who are truly dedicated \narchers. For the most part the kit functions like the normal class, with\na few advantages and disadvantages thrown in. Note that you cannot \nmulti-class with a kit, but you can start out with a kit or \nspecialization and then dual class into a class without a kit or\nspecialization.\n\no==========================o\n|Barbarian\t\t   |\t\t\t\t\t{DND018}\no==========================o\nCLASS FEATURES:\n  --> \tMay not wear armor heavier than splint mail.\n\n  --> \tMay not exceed Specialization (two slots) with any weapon class.\n\n  --> \tMay achieve Specialization (two slots) in any fighting style and\n     \tallocate three slots in Two-Weapon Style.\n\n  --> \tMoves 2 points faster than other characters.\n\n  --> \tImmune to Backstab.\n\n  --> \tMay use the Rage ability once per day every 4 levels (starts at\n\t1st level with one use).\n\nRAGE: The enraged status lasts for five rounds and provides a +4 bonus\nto Strength and Constitution, a -2 penalty to Armor Class and a +2 bonus\nto Saving Throws vs. Spell, as well as immunity to all Charm, Hold,\nFear, Maze, Stun, Sleep, Confusion, and Level Drain spells.\n\n  --> \t11th level: Gains 10% resistance to crushing, slashing,\n\tpiercing, and missile damage. An additional 5% is gained at\n\tlevel 15 and 19.\n\n  --> \tHit Dice: d12\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nA Barbarian certainly looks like a viable choice for any warrior, but\nkeep in mind that they aren't great on defense, as they can't use the\nheaviest armor in the game. It doesn't help that one of their key\nabilities actually lowers their Armor Class further, so don't rely on\nthem to 'hold the line', although the extra Hit Points gained from\nraging will certainly help, even more so considering that Overhaul Games\nhad to good sense to actually give them the d12 Hit Dice they were\nsupposed to have had in the original Baldur's Gate 2. Their rage ability\nraises their Strength and Constitution by 4 points, which is HUGE, but\nsince it lasts only five rounds... well... you'll need to burn through\na lot of them just to finish a fight, while a normal Fighter could do\njust fine with potions of giant Strength, and later on in a sequel that\nStrength superiority will be rendered less impressive. Girdles of Giant\nStrength means any Fighter can enjoy being part of the high-Strength\nclub... all the time... with no fatigue. All things considered, it might\nbe better to just get a Fighter with Grand Mastery. They keep those\ncombat bonuses all the time, and can wear heavier armor. Unless you're\nreally into role-playing a baba, I can't really recommend them over a\nFighter, even though they move faster and gain some resistances to\nslashing, piercing, crushing, and missile damage. Of course, if you're\npatient and you get your hands on some sweet White Dragon Scale armor\nthose Armor Class woes will become a thing of the past...\n\nBarbarian\nLevel\tEXP\t\tHP\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n1\tn\/a\t\t1d10\n2\t2,000\t\t2d10\n3\t4,000\t\t3d10\n4\t8,000\t\t4d10\n5\t16,000\t\t5d10\n6\t32,000\t\t6d10\n7\t64,000\t\t7d10\n8\t125,000\t\t8d10\n9\t250,000\t\t9d10\n10\t500,000 \t9d10+3\n11\t750,000\t  \t9d10+6\n12\t1,000,000 \t9d10+9\n13\t1,250,000 \t9d10+12\n14\t1,500,000 \t9d10+15\n15\t1,750,000 \t9d10+18\n16\t2,000,000 \t9d10+21\n17\t2,250,000 \t9d10+24\n18\t2,500,000 \t9d10+27\n19*\t2,750,000 \t9d10+30\n40\t8,000,000\t9d10+93\n\no==========================o\n|Bard\t\t\t   |\t\t\t\t\t{DND019}\no==========================o\nCLASS FEATURES:\n  --> \tMay not wear armor heavier than chain mail. (Spells canont be\n\tcast while wearing armor.)\n\n  --> \tMay not equip shields larger than bucklers.\n\n  --> \tMay only become Proficient (one slot) in any weapon class.\n\n  --> \tMay only become Proficient (one slot) in any fighting style.\n\n  --> \tThieving abilities: Pick Pockets.\n\n  -->\tIncreased Lore score.\n\n  -->\tMay cast arcane spells starting at 2nd level.\n\n  --> \tMay use Bard Song ability. While active, the Bard Song has the\n     \tfollowing effects:\n\t\n\tRestore Morale to its average value\n\t\n\tRemove Fear\n\t\n\tProtection From Fear\n\n  -->\tAlignment restricted to any neutral.\n\n  --> \tHit die: d6\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nBards were a good class in Baldur's Gate 1, mixing light armor with\na decent spell selection that went all the way up to 4th level spells,\nproviding extra spell power in a pinch. However, they'll reach their\nspellcasting zenith in Baldur's Gate, and while 4th level spells might\nhave stacked up well against 5th level Mage spells in Baldur's Gate 1,\na Bard with 6th level spells will be unimpressive against 9th level Mage\nspells in Baldur's Gate 2. They're segregated more than ever into a \nsupport roll, able to cast buffs like Haste and and a few defensive \nspells to keep them handy, but they'll never contribute to a fight as \nmuch as a Fighter, Cleric, or Mage will. The game does say they are \njacks-of-all-trades, masters of none, and they mean it... but by now \nspecialization is paying big dividends to single-classed characters, and\nmulti-and-dual-classed characters are excelling in two or more fields. \nSimply put, a Fighter\/Thief and Fighter\/Mage... or especially a \nFighter\/Mage\/Thief just leave the Bard far behind. You can grab the \nEnhanced Bard Song feat when you get access to epic feats and make the \nBard that much more effective at what they do best: supporting the \nparty. While it's an impressive ability, it's poor compensation when you\nlook at a Fighter\/Mage who can Time Stop and use Greater Whirlwinds.\n\nBard\nLevel\tEXP\t\tHP\tSpells\t\tPick Pockets\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n1\tn\/a\t\t1d6\t\t\t40%\n2\t1,250\t\t2d6\t1\t\t45%\n3\t2,500\t\t3d6\t2\t\t50%\n4\t5,000\t\t4d6\t2\/1\t\t55%\n5\t10,000\t\t5d6\t3\/1\t\t60%\n6\t20,000\t\t6d6\t3\/2\t\t65%\n7\t40,000\t\t7d6\t3\/2\/1\t\t70%\n8\t70,000\t\t8d6\t3\/3\/1\t\t75%\n9\t110,000\t\t9d6\t3\/3\/2\t\t80%\n10\t160,000\t\t9d6+2\t3\/3\/2\/1\t\t85%\n11\t220,000\t\t9d6+4\t3\/3\/3\/1\t\t90%\n12\t440,000\t\t9d6+6\t3\/3\/3\/2\t\t95%\n13\t660,000\t\t9d6+8\t3\/3\/3\/2\/1\t100%\n14\t880,000\t\t9d6+10\t3\/3\/3\/3\/1\t100%\n15\t1,100,000\t9d6+12\t4\/3\/3\/3\/2\t100%\n16\t1,320,000\t9d6+14\t4\/3\/3\/3\/2\/1\t100%\n17\t1,540,000\t9d6+16\t4\/4\/3\/3\/3\/1\t100%\n18\t1,760,000\t9d6+18\t4\/4\/4\/3\/3\/2\t100%\n19\t1,980,000\t9d6+20\t4\/4\/4\/4\/3\/2\t100%\n20\t2,200,000\t9d6+22\t4\/4\/4\/4\/4\/3\t100%\n21\t2,420,000\t9d6+24\t5\/4\/4\/4\/4\/3\t100%\n22\t2,640,000\t9d6+26\t5\/5\/4\/4\/4\/3\t100%\n23*\t2,860,000\t9d6+28\t5\/5\/5\/4\/4\/4\t100%\n40\t8,000,000\t9d6+62  5\/5\/5\/5\/5\/5\n\t\t\t       (max at level 38)(max at level 14)\n\nBlade\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND020}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nA Blade might seem like a good idea on paper, as it gets Offensive Spin\nand Defensive Spin, but think about it. Offensive Spin doesn't stack\nwith Haste, so it's really only giving you a +1 bonus to attack and +2 \ndamage, which will not make a you a competitive front-liner, even if the\nmax damage is nice. Defensive Spin might not go past -10, but for a Bard\nthat's still a pretty hefty benefit. Your Bard song sucks anyways, and\nyou can just grab Enhanced Bard Song to break even with the best a \nnormal Bard has to offer. Pick Pockets can be raised with potions, and\nwon't be a huge issue, and Lore is pretty useless anyways. Keep in mind\nthat these benefits are largely going to be redundant by the time you\nreach Throne of Bhaal, your -10 Armor Class isn't going to protect you\nmuch, and Offensive Spin will not compete with Whirlwinds. A Bard is \nbetter off casting defensive spells and using Enhanced Bard Song, making\nthis kit rather useless.\n\nAdvantages:\n  --> \tMay play 3 slots in Two-Weapon Style.\n\n  --> \tMay use the Offensive Spin and Defensive Spin abilities once per\n     \tday per 4 levels.\n\nOFFENSIVE SPIN: During the next 24 seconds, the Blade's movement rate\ndoubles and she gains a +2 bonus to hit and damage rolls as well as an\nextra attack per round. All attacks deal maximum damage for the\nduration. Offensive spin may not be used in conjunction with the Haste\nor Improved Haste spells.\n\nDEFENSIVE SPIN: During the next 24 seconds, the Blade is rooted to the\nspot and gains a +1 bonus to Armor Class per level, up to a maximum of\n+10.\n\nDisadvantages:\n  --> \tOnly has one half normal Lore value.\n\n  --> \tOnly has one half normal Pick Pockets score.\n  \nJester\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND021}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThe Jester has been improved somewhat in the Enhanced Edition, and it\nmight have been kind of cute-seeming in the first game. You might have\nlooked at it and determined that most of its abilities would be out of\nreach until the sequel, where this class would 'mature'. Granted, it\ndoes stack effects as you level up-adding a chance to Slow and later,\nknock foes unconscious to the base confusion effect, but there are a\nfew things to consider. First, all the saves made against these effects\nare at a +2 bonus. That might have cut it in the first game, when saves\nwere generally high, but we're dealing with bigger, badder, better foes\nin this game. Any foes of substance will generally resist the effects,\nand really, you're going to be counting on the brute 5% fail rate\n(rolling a natural one on a d20 roll-a critical failure) for each\nsuch effect. On the other hand, any Mage can use Chaos or Slow to do\nmuch the same thing-except they don't need to be standing near the foes,\nand their spells actually impose a -4 save penalty, which has a much\nbetter chance of working. Even a Jester itself would be better off just\ncasting spells than performing their bardsong, which makes me wonder...\nwhy not pick a kit that actually adds something else?\n\nAdvantages:\n  --> \tJester's song does not help allies. Instead, every opponent\n\twithin 30 feet must save once per round to avoid falling under\n\tits effects:\n\n\t1st level: Enemies must save vs. Spell with a +2 bonus or be\n\tbe confused\n\n   \t15th level: Enemies must save vs. Spell with a +2 bonus or be\n\tconfused, and must save vs. Spell or be slowed.\n\n\t20th level: Enemies must save vs. Spell with a +2 bonus or be\n\tconfused, must save vs. Spell at +2 or be knocked unconsious,\n\tand must save vs. Spell or be slowed.\n\nDisadvantages:\n  --> \tNone.\n\nSkald\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND022}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nNow if you want a melee handy Bard, this is the way to go. +1 to hit and\ndamage all the time beats a Blade's offering. And what about their Bard\nsong? That looks a lot like... wait... it IS Enhanced Bard Song! They \nalready get it! Pick Pockets isn't necessary anyways, so don't worry\nabout having a low value there. You can always use potions when you need\nto. \n\nAdvantages:\n  --> \t+1 to hit and +1 to damage rolls.\n\n  --> \tThe Skald's song is different from the typical Bard's and varies\n     \twith level:\n\t\n\t1st: Grants allies a +2 to hit and damage rolls, and a +2 bonus\n\tto AC.\n\t\n\t15th: Grants allies a +4 to hit and damage rolls, a +4 bonus\n\tto AC, and immunity to fear.\n\n\t20th: Grants allies a +4 to hit and damage rolls, a +4 bonus\n\tto AC, and immunity to fear, stun, and confusion.\n\nDisadvantages:\n  --> \tOnly has one quarter the normal Pick Pockets score.\n\no==========================o\n|Cleric\t\t\t   |\t\t\t\t\t{DND023}\no==========================o\nCLASS FEATURES:\n  --> \tMay wear helmets.\n \n  --> \tMay wear any armor.\n\n  --> \tMay only use non-bladed, non-piercing weapons (war hammer, club,\n     \tflail, mace, quarterstaff, sling).\n\n  --> \tMay only become Proficient (one slot) in any weapon class.\n\n  --> \tMay only become Proficient (on slot) in any weapon fight style.\n\n  --> \tMay Turn Undead.\n\n  --> \tMay cast priest spells.\n\n  --> \tHit Die: d8\n\nPrime Requisite for Dual-Classing: Wisdom\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nClerics are essential to any party, being good buffers and healers, and\nwhile generally not as good at dealing damage, ripping through spell\ndefenses, and debuffing as a Mage, there are instances in which they\nshine. They get great spells against undead, namely Sunray, which is\nyour best chance of taking down Liches. They also get good offensive \nspells such as Greater Command, Holy Smite, and Finger of Death, not\nto mention their defensive spells like Death Ward, Chaotic Commands, \nDefensive Harmony, Protection from Evil 10' Radius, and Dispel Magic.\nAnd yes, they get healing Spells such as Heal and Restoration, both of\nwhich are indispensable. They can also typically hold a battle line,\nbeing able to equip shields and plate armor, even if they can't hold\nup quite as well as Fighters. When you hit epic levels you can get some\nreally awesome abilities, such as the defensive Globe of Blades, Aura of\nFlaming Death, and Summon Deva abilities, which further improves their\ndefensive capabilities. Frankly, however, it's a poor choice for a main\ncharacter. Firstly, it seems silly for the child of a dead god to be \nworshiping another deity, especially with so much potential... but\nreally, Anomen already beat us to the punch, being a dual-classed\nFighter\/Cleric. And no main character can equal Viconia's natural\nresistance to magic. Don't worry, the game already has plenty of great\nrecruitable Clerics. Clerics also get the ability to turn undead, but\nit's not too great of an ability. Big things won't be affected, and\nlittle things can just be smote. Unlike most classes there is no reason\nto not pick a Cleric kit... they're all beneficial with no downside.\nWhen a Cleric hits 25th level they gain a holy symbol from their deity,\nwhich gives them +1 to Strength, 5% magic resistance, and allows them to\nmemorize another 6th and 7th level spell. For Clerics with high\nStrength, this can put them over the top, letting them go around without\nhaving to worry about Girdles of Giant Strength and the like\n(read: Anomen).\n\nCleric\nLevel\tEXP\t\tHP\tSpells\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n1\tn\/a\t\t1d8\t1\n2\t1,500\t\t2d8\t2\n3\t3,000\t\t3d8\t2\/1\n4\t6,000\t\t4d8\t3\/2\n5\t13,000\t\t5d8\t3\/3\/1\n6\t27,500\t\t6d8\t3\/3\/2\n7\t55,000\t\t7d8\t3\/3\/2\/1\t\n8\t110,000\t\t8d8\t3\/3\/3\/2\/1\n9\t225,000\t\t9d8\t4\/4\/3\/2\/1\n10\t450,000\t\t9d8+2\t4\/4\/3\/3\/2\n11\t675,000\t\t9d8+4\t5\/4\/4\/3\/2\/1\n12\t900,000\t\t9d8+6\t6\/5\/5\/3\/2\/2\n13\t1,125,000\t9d8+8\t6\/6\/6\/4\/2\/2\n14\t1,350,000\t9d8+10\t6\/6\/6\/5\/3\/2\/1\n15\t1,575,000\t9d8+12\t6\/6\/6\/6\/4\/2\/1\n16\t1,800,000\t9d8+14\t7\/7\/7\/6\/4\/2\/1\n17\t2,025,000\t9d8+16\t8\/8\/8\/8\/5\/3\/2\n18\t2,250,000\t9d8+18\t9\/9\/8\/8\/6\/4\/2\n19\t2,475,000\t9d8+20\t9\/9\/8\/8\/6\/4\/2\n20\t2,700,000\t9d8+22\t9\/9\/9\/8\/7\/5\/2\n21*\t2,925,000\t9d8+24\t9\/9\/9\/9\/8\/6\/2\n25\t3,825,000\t9d8+32\t9\/9\/9\/9\/9\/7\/3 <-- Holy Symbol Obtained\n40\t8,000,000\t9d8+62\t9\/9\/9\/9\/9\/8\/7\n\t\t\t\t(max at level 38)\n\nHoly Symbol: When a character reaches 25th level as a Cleric, they\nwill receive a unique 'ring'. This Holy Symbol differs in name based\nupon alignment, evil characters will have a Holy Symbol of Talos, good\ncharacters will receive a Holy Symbol of Lathander, and neutral\ncharacters obtain a Holy Symbol of Helm. Regardless of which one they\nget, they're all alignment-conditional Cleric-only items with the same\nproperties. If you're a multi-classed character you won't reach this\ntotal until you max your experience, but single-classed Clerics should\nobtain this Holy Symbol early in Throne of Bhaal. Each one gives a\n+1 bonus to Strength, 5% Magic Resistance, and a bonus 6th and 7th\nlevel spell slot.\n\nPriest of Talos\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND024}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLightning Bolt isn't a great spell, but Storm Shield provide some\ninteresting bonuses to your resistances, at least. Once per day per ten\nlevels of the caster means... once or twice, in Shadows of Amn.. but at \nleast it lasts a long time.\n\nAdvantages:\n  --> \tMay cast Lightning bolt once per day per 5 levels of the caster\n     \t(starts at 1st level with one use.)\n\n  --> \tMay cast 'Storm Shield' once per day per 10 levels of the caster \n     \t(starts at 1st level with one use), as detailed below.\n\nSTORM SHIELD: This spell lasts 1 round per level of the caster. It\nprotects the caster from lightning, fire, cold, and normal missiles.\n\nDisadvantages:\n  --> \tAlignment restricted to evil.\n\nPriest of Helm\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND025}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThe Priest of Helm may be the best variant, especially for evil parties.\nHaving some extra True Sight spells cannot be underestimated. Seeking\nSword is a little lame, but it does give you a +4 weapon, allowing you\nto hit things like Kangaxx the Demilich and many demons. Its damage\ndoesn't stand up, but it does give you three attacks per round, even\nthough it takes away your ability to cast spells for its duration, which\nblows.\n\nAdvantages:\n  --> \tMay cast True Sight once per day per 5 levels (starts at 1st\n\tlevel with one use).\n\n  --> \tMay cast Seeking Sword once per day per 10 levels (starts at 1st\n     \tlevel with one use), as detailed below.\n\nSEEKING SWORD: This spell creates a sword in the Cleric's hand (that \ncannot be dropped or unequipped). The sword is +4 for purposes of \ndetermining what it can hit (but this bonus does not apply to attack or\ndamage rolls), and it deals out 2d4 damage to any target it hits. The\nweapon sets the number of attacks of the Cleric to 3. It lasts for 1\nround per level of the caster. When equipped the wielder cannot cast\nfurther spells.\n\nDisadvantages:\n  --> \tAlignment restricted to neutral.\n\nPriest of Lathander\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND026}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAnother good Cleric kit, if you really don't like undead, this is worth\na glance. Hold Undead is decent at stopping some undead, but it probably\nwon't work terribly often. The Boon of Lathander, however, is a very\nnice ability, making the Cleric more potent for its fairly lengthy\nduration. There are few enough good ways to make yourself immune to\nlevel drain in Shadows of Amn... unless you're a Mage of some sort, or\nbetter yet, a multi-or-dual-classed Mage who can take on undead while\nprotected. Having this kit and the Boon of Lathander ability will give\nyou a character fully capable of taking the fight to Vampires, Wraiths,\nand various Mists without flinching.\n\nAdvantages:\n  --> \tMay cast Hold Undead once per day for every 5 levels of the\n\tcaster (starts at 1st level with one use).\n\n  --> \tMay cast Boon of Lathander for every 10 levels of the caster,\n     \t(starts at 1st level with one use), as detailed below.\n\nBOON OF LATHANDER: This spell lasts for 1 round per level of the \ncaster. It gives the caster a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls, a +1\nbonus to all Saving Throws, and 1 extra attack per round. It also\nprotects the recipient from level drain.\n\nDisadvantages:\n  --> \tAlignment restricted to good.\n\no==========================o\n|Cleric\/Ranger\t\t   |\t\t\t\t\t{DND027}\no==========================o\nAlright, full disclosure: I was completely wrong about the\nCleric\/Ranger multi-class, and everything that I'm going to say below\nhas been revised based on better research. All of this information is\ndue to the e-mail I got from Rick Taylor, who tipped me off to the\nmerits of this class combo. Now that I got that shameful admission out\nof the way, the Cleric\/Ranger is very similar to the Fighter\/Cleric.\nYou'll essentially get a stronger, healthier, more melee-competent\nCleric with a slower spell selection. But the Ranger\/Cleric has one\nhuge bonus over its Fighter\/Cleric counterpart: they'll get the full\nselection of Drudic spells each level as well as all the Cleric spells.\nGranted, there's a lot of overlap, but you'll have all the combat perks\nand spells of a Fighter\/Cleric, with the addition of spells like Insect\nPlague and Iron Skins... the latter of which is a huge contribution to\nthe character's defenses, being essentially the Cleric version of\nStoneskin. You'll get more spells than a Fighter\/Cleric, you'll get\nmuch better fighting abilities (better Hit Points, THAC0, and feats)\nthan a Cleric, and as compared to a Druid you'll have faster spell\nprogression AND better fighting abilities. Not to mention you can also\nsneak (if you wear light armor) and you will start out specialized in\nthe Two Weapon Style, if you're interested in taking full advantage of\nyour awesome melee prowess by wielding, say, Flail of Ages and Crom\nFaeyr. This is the best class to pick if you want to combine fighting\nprowess and divine spells... which is to say, if you want divine spells\nat all, you'll be doing yourself a huge favor by playing a \nCleric\/Ranger.\n\no==========================o\n|Druid\t\t\t   |\t\t\t\t\t{DND028}\no==========================o\nCLASS FEATURES:\n  --> \tMay not wear armor heavier than studded leather.\n\n  --> \tMay not equip shields larger than bucklers.\n\n  --> \tMay only use the following weapons: scimitar, dagger, club,\n\tspear, quarterstaff, dart, sling.\n\n  --> \tMay only become proficient (one slot) in any weapon class.\n\n  --> \tMay only become proficient (one slot) in any fighting style.\n\n  --> \tMay cast druidic spells.\n\n  --> \t7th level: May Shapeshift into a wolf, black bear, or brown bear\n     \tonce per day.\n\n  --> \t15th level: Becomes immune to poison.\n\n  --> \t18th level: Gains 10% resistance to cold, fire, electricity and\n     \tacid, gains a further 10% resistance at levels 21 and 24.\n\n  -->\tAlignment resticted to true neutral.\n\n  --> \tHit Die: d8\n\nPrime Requisite for Dual-Classing: Wisdom, Charisma\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nDruids, well... let me be frank. Druids suck. They gain their own set of\ndivine spells, but most of them are wholly inferior to the Cleric's\nspell selection. In addition they're not able to wear heavy armor or use\nmost weapons... even the Cleric's own limited martial selection will be\nwelcome after seeing the Druid, unless you just like Clubs and Quarter\nStaffs. They can use Scimitars, but with their crappy Armor Class, that\nis just asking for trouble. They get some buggy shapeshifting abilities\nthat let you transform into monsters that aren't very strong in a sad\nattempt to counter their lack of martial prowess. Is that going to make\nup for it when a Cleric can use things like Crom Faeyr and Flail of the\nAges, along with enchanted shields and armor which bring their Armor\nClass down to Fighter-esque levels? No, it's not. A Druid can, however,\nwear unconventional armors, such as Ankheg Plate Mail, Red Dragon Scale,\nand Shadow Dragon Scale, since these are not made out of metal.\nUnfortunately this only brings them to the doorstep of combat-\neffectiveness, as they still cannot use a shield like Clerics can. The\nonly reasonable counter to this is to load them up with defensive\nequipment to bring their Armor Class up to snuff, or better yet, to\nmake them specialize in Spears, of which several useful specimens\nexist in both Shadows of Amn and Throne of Bhaal, although in my mind,\nSpears are decidedly weaker than Halberds over the course of both the\nmain game and the expansion. And of course the fact that they won't\nget Whirlwind makes them patently inferior to any warrior, but at\nleast they can-eventually-become useful enough in combat not to scoff\nat... even though a Shielded Cleric with Flail of the Ages or Crom Faeyr\nwell out-classes an unshielded Druid, even with Ixil's Nail. On the\nother hand, a Druid is a pretty good class to dual-or-multi class with,\nas a Fighter's martial selection will do wonders to ease the Druid's\nArmor Class woes. Unfortunately, Jaheira already exists, so why bother?\nAt least they get immunity to poison and 10% resistance to cold, fire,\nelectricity and acid (up to 30% at level 24), which somewhat offsets\ntheir defensive deficiencies. I feel compelled to point out the Druid's\nerratic experience spikes, and the massive boost to their spells they\nget if they do manage to climb those hurdles and reach levels 13, 14,\nand 15. Sometimes I think all classes should be like that, every level\ntakes twice as much as the previous level, but each time you level up\nyou get dramatically stronger. What's the difference between an 14th\nand 15th level Thief? Not much. What's the difference between a 14th\nand 15th level Druid? Well. Look for yourself.\n\nDruid\nLevel\tEXP\t\tHP\tSpells\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n1\tn\/a\t\t1d8\t1\n2\t2,000\t\t2d8\t2\n3\t4,000\t\t3d8\t2\/1\n4\t7,500\t\t4d8\t3\/2\n5\t12,500\t\t5d8\t3\/3\/1\n6\t20,000\t\t6d8\t3\/3\/2\n7\t35,000\t\t7d8\t3\/3\/2\/1\n8\t60,000\t\t8d8\t3\/3\/3\/2\n9\t90,000\t\t9d8\t4\/4\/3\/2\/1\n10\t125,000\t\t9d8+2\t4\/4\/3\/3\/2\n11\t200,000\t\t9d8+4\t5\/4\/4\/3\/2\/1\n12\t300,000\t\t9d8+6\t6\/5\/5\/3\/2\/2\n13\t750,000\t\t9d8+8\t6\/6\/6\/4\/2\/2\n14*\t1,500,000\t9d8+10\t6\/6\/6\/5\/3\/2\/1\n15\t3,000,000\t9d8+12\t6\/6\/6\/6\/6\/6\/6\n31\t8,000,000\t9d8+44\t9\/9\/9\/9\/9\/7\/7\n\t\t\t\t(max at level 25)\n\nTotemic Druid\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND029}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nYou can summon weak monsters, but you can't shapeshift into weak\nmonsters. Huzzah.\n\nAdvantages:\n  --> \tMay summon a special spirit animal (spirit bear, spirit wolf,\n     \tspirit lion, spirit snake) once per day ever 5 levels. The\n\tTotemic Druid can call a 1 HD animal at level 1, a 3 HD animal\n\tat level 3, a 5 HD animal aat level 5, a 7 HD animal at level\n\t10, and a 10 HD animal at level 10.\n\nDisadvantages:\n  --> \tCannot Shapeshift.\n\nShapeshifter\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND030}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nYou can become a Werewolf, and eventually a Greater Werewolf, which\nis... well... everything to this kit. Unfortunately in the original\nBaldur's Gate 2 this class was nerfed-the Werewolf you got was nowhere\nnear where it should have been... even still, if it wasn't nerfed, it\nwould be nowhere near as strong as it would need to be to compete.\nThings honestly didn't look good for the Shapeshifter in the first\nEnhanced Edition game-Overhaul Games didn't fix anything with the\nShapeshifter... meaning you weren't even getting the better version of\nan obsolete shapeshift. Simply put, even if the Greater Werewolf was as\nstrong of a transformation as it was an enemy, it would still be\nout-competed by pretty much any late-game Fighter. And by late-game I\nmean towards the end of Shadows of Amn-this class is pathetically\nunder-powered in Throne of Bhaal.\n\nAdvantages:\n  --> \tMay shapeshift into the form of a Werewolf once per day for\n\tevery 2 levels (starts at 1st level with one use).\n\n  --> \tAt 13th level gains the ability to change into a Greater\n\tWerewolf once per day.\n\nDisadvantages:\n  --> \tMay not wear any armor.\n\n  --> \tNo other shapeshifting abilities due to the effort required in\n     \tmaintaining balance in his primary forms.\n\nAvenger\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND031}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nWell, I'll admit that Improved Invisibility, Chaos, and Chain Lightning\nare all good additions, but the shapechanges are worthless. And losing\nthe Strength and Constitution? The Constitution isn't bad for a single-\nclassed Druid as they can't exceed a +2 bonus at 16 anyways, but the\nStrength? That hurts. It's not a like a Druid was going to be very\nstrong anyways, so the loss of one point of to hit and damage isn't\nvery severe, and nothing a Giant Strength item can't fix, and losing\naccess to Studded Leather Armor is, well, annoying, but there's not a\nhuge difference between one sucky suit of armor and the next anyways. \nIt's rather hard to critique this subclass at all, given the whole \nfeeling of 'who cares' when talking about the Druid in general... Still,\nwhile the 4th, 5th, and 6th level all spells are decent, Improved\nInvisibility can be duplicated by a Ring of Air Control, Chaos will\nhave to compete with Insect Plague, and Chain Lightning is a mediocore\ndamage-dealer. At the end of the day, you're probably better off being\nable to wear better armor than being able to cast Improved Invisibility,\nwhich is easily duplicated and will be quickly dispelled later in the\ngame, and there are plenty of Mages to cast Chaos-but only Druids can\ncast Insect Plague, so why not stick to what they're good at? This class\nis essentially a dubious defensive trade-off in return for a spell you\nwon't need to memorize and an okay damage-dealer. It has its good\npoints, sure, and is clearly the least-offensive Druid kit... but at the\nend of the day you're still stuck with playing a Druid.\n\nAdvantages:\n  --> \tMay shapechange into the form of a sword spider, baby wyvern,\n\tand fire salamander besides the normal shapeshifting abilities.\n\n  -->  \tSix mage spells are added to his repertoire, all the way up to\n      \t6th level.\n\t\n\tThese are listed below:\n\t\n\t1st level: Chromatic Orb.\n\t\n\t2nd level: Web.\n\t\n\t3rd level: Lightning Bolt.\n\t\n\t4th level: Improved Invisibility.\n\t\n\t5th level: Chaos.\n\t\n\t6th level: Chain Lightning.\n\nDisadvantages:\n  --> \tMay not wear heavier armor than leather.\n\n  --> \tIncurs a -2 penalty to Strength and Constitution.\n\no==========================o\n|Fighter\t\t   |\t\t\t\t\t{DND032}\no==========================o\nCLASS FEATURES:\n  --> \tMay wear helmets.\n\n  --> \tMay wear any armor and use any weapon.\n\n  --> \tMay achieve Grand Mastery (five slots) with any weapon class.\n\n  --> \tMay achieve Specialization (two slots) in any fighting style and\n     \tallocate three slots in Two-Weapon Style.\n\n  --> \tHit Die: d10\n\nPrime Requisite for Dual-Classing: Strength\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThe best perk of a Fighter is that they can gain Grand Master in a \nweapon. This allows them to do the most damage, wear the best armor,\nand generally outclass every other character in melee combat. The \nBarbarian might have rage, but the perks of picking a Fighter don't\nlast merely 5 rounds. The Fighter is also the safe, if dull choice, as\nthere's not much strategy involved in playing one. You pick a weapon,\nyou put as many points as you can in it, and you hold the line. That\nsaid, this is a great dual-or-multi class option, and Fighters only get\nstronger with Throne of Bhaal, which gives them access to Greater\nWhirlwind, the feat that makes them better at what they do best: hitting\nthings.\n\nFighter\nLevel\tEXP\t\tHP\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n1\tn\/a\t\t1d10\n2\t2,000\t\t2d10\n3\t4,000\t\t3d10\n4\t8,000\t\t4d10\n5\t16,000\t\t5d10\n6\t32,000\t\t6d10\n7\t64,000\t\t7d10\n8\t125,000\t\t8d10\n9\t250,000\t\t9d10\n10\t500,000 \t9d10+3\n11\t750,000\t  \t9d10+6\n12\t1,000,000 \t9d10+9\n13\t1,250,000 \t9d10+12\n14\t1,500,000 \t9d10+15\n15\t1,750,000 \t9d10+18\n16\t2,000,000 \t9d10+21\n17\t2,250,000 \t9d10+24\n18\t2,500,000 \t9d10+27\n19*\t2,750,000 \t9d10+30\n40\t8,000,000\t9d10+93\n\nBerserker\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND033}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nIf you want to be like your pal Minsc, this is the way to go. Rage is\na decent ability that gives you a bonus to hit and damage, but imposes\nan Armor Class penalty. One turn is a fairly long time, and since you\nget many of them, you'll be able to keep yourself juiced up. I think\nevery Fighter should have a ranged option, however, and not being able\nto specialize in ranged weapons... well, you could always use a Throwing\nAxe or something similar. It's a decent kit, although even with Korgan\n I hardly ever used the abilities it provides. Again, not because it's\nnot good, but because I was wary of the Hit Point loss at the end.\nI never felt it absolutely necessary to have those bonuses at the\npotential risk of having a character come down from Rage and die. Also\nnote the penalties after you exit Rage-it's not a free ride. Still, all\nthings considered it adds a little extra potential to the Fighter with\nno significant downsides. I give it a pass, especially since the list of\nimmunities while enraged has increased a good deal in the Enhanced\nEdition. Immunity to imprisonment, stun, and level drain? Yes please.\nPop this ability on every time you have to fight some stupid undead who\nwants to drain your levels, and your tank can go fisticuffs with the\ncreatures and draw their attention away from your less drain-resistant\ncharacters... you know, like a tank? Since this class makes a great\nsingle-class option, it should be no surprise that it would also make a\ngreat dual-class base. A Berserker\/Thief, Berserker\/Mage, or\nBerserker\/Cleric certainly wouldn't be hurt by the ability to Rage.\n\nNote that you gain 15 'temporary' Hit Points when you use enrage.\nTemporary is not the same as free. If you lose any of these Hit Points,\nyou'll suffer when you come out of Rage, this just allows you to weather\na little more damage before you die while in Rage. Be sure to have a\nCleric handy to heal a Rage-using Berserker if their Hit Points are low.\nNothing sucks more than having a character fall over dead after winning\na tough fight. Right Aec'Letec? Asshole.\n\nAdvantages:\n  --> \tMay use Rage ability once per day every four levels.\n\nRAGE: The enraged state lasts for 1 turn. While enraged, a Berserker\ngains a bonus of +2 to his attack and damage rolls as well as his Armor\nClass, and becomes immune to charm, confusion, fear, feeblemind, hold,\nmaze, imprisonment, level drain, maze, stun, and sleep. The Berserker\nalso gains 15 temporary Hit Points which are taken away at the end of\nhis berserk spree, possibly killing him.\n\nDisadvantages:\n  --> \tBecomes winded after berserking: -2 penalty to Armor Class,\n\tto-hit rolls and damage rolls.\n\n  --> \tMay not Specialize in ranged weapons.\n\nWizard Slayer\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND034}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThe Wizard Slayer is good against spell casters, but weak against\neverything else. Their lack of the ability to use any magical equipment\nsave weapons and armor might actually make them more vulnerable to Mages\nthan a straight Fighter! And they do mean ANY magical items except \narmor. Fortunately this allows them to wear Helmets and use Shields, but\nno Cloaks, Rings, Bracers, Girdles or Necklaces. Honestly, an Inquisitor\nPaladin kit is a MUCH better Mage-killer than this class could ever\naspire to be. Being able to drop a True Sight or Dispel Magic at will\nabsolutely confounds most Mages, especially with their quick cast times.\nIf you want a Mage-buster, do that instead. The Inquisitor suffers no\nsignificant drawbacks and gets-for my money-better abilities in return.\n\nAdvantages:\n  --> \tEach successful hit bestows a 10% cumulative chance of spell\n     \tfailure on the target.\n\n  --> \t1% Magic Resistance per level.\n\nDisadvantages:\n  --> \tMay not use any magic items except for weapons and armor.\n\nKensai\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND035}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAgain, I prefer all my characters to have a ranged option, and this \nclass takes some of the better options away from my characters. Granted\na Two Weapon Style Fighter will probably not use a ranged weapon very\nmuch, but there are more severe problems than that. A +2 bonus to Armor\nClass does not counter the lack of wearing any armor at all, and the\nfact that you can't wear gauntlets or bracers means you can't even shore\nup your defenses with Bracers of Defense. Sure, there are plenty of\nitems that increase your Armor Class marginally, but the Kensai is going\nto be chewed up in combat nonetheless. Its bonuses are good, but in my\nmind I just don't think the bonuses to hit and damage and a few rounds\nof the 'kai' ability make up for the total lack of armor. And of course,\nif you're throwing every scrap of Armor Class lowering gear on the\nKensai, every other character who needs it will suffer, too. They just\ndrag the whole party down with their suck. I almost hate to say it, but\nthe Berserker, Inquisitor, or even a plain Fighter will be stronger, all\nthings considered. In fact, I'd even rather play a Skald through both\ngames than play a Kensai. At least the Skald could temper their inferior\noffense with magic and a great Bard Song. But wait... maybe I'm missing\nsomething... right, this is the Enhanced Edition! One of the big draws\nof any Fighter is their ability to dual-class, right? But in the\noriginal guides, I wanted continuity, which meant I couldn't (for\nobvious reasons) start as a Kensai in Baldur's Gate 1, then dual-class\nin Baldur's Gate 2. Of course, I could have made my own Kensai in\nBaldur's Gate 2 and dual-classed... but what fun is that? I wanted to\ngo through BOTH games with the SAME character. Now you can have your\nKensai and eat it too. If you were thinking about dual-classing with a\nFighter as your base class, it might not be a terrible idea to get some\nof those Kensai bonuses. A Kensai\/Mage or Kensai\/Thief isn't a terrible\nidea, and in the sequel you can cover up your Armor Class woes a bit by\ngetting some of the superior Bracers of Defense the game offers. I still\ndon't find the dual-class option nearly as appealing as a multi-class\none, but the bonuses gained by a Kensai will make a superior character\nbase to dual with. After all, a dual-class Kensai\/Mage will have\ndefensive buffs to help them out, and a dual-class Kensai\/Thief\nshouldn't be expected to hold the line anyways. A single-class Kensai,\nhowever, is garbage.\n\nNote that the Kensai's armor exemption really does mean ALL armor, even\narmor which isn't encumbering enough to block spells such as Bladesinger\nChain. There is one exception though.. the Big Metal Unit near the end\nof the sequel, which will bestow upon the character a phenomenal armor\nclass, if you can make it to the end of Throne of Bhaal, anyways. By\nthen you're pretty much done with the game though.\n\nAdvantages:\n  -->\t+2 bonus to Armor Class.\n\n  --> \t+1 to hit and damage rolls every 3 levels.\n\n  --> \t-1 bonus to Speed Factor every 4 levels.\n\n  --> \tMay use the Kai ability once per day ever 4 level (starting at\n\t1st level with one use).\n\nKAI: All successful attacks within the next 10 seconds deal maximum\ndamage.\n\nDisadvantages:\n  --> \tMay not wear any armor.\n\n  --> \tMay not use missile weapons.\n\n  -->\tMay not wear gauntlets or bracers.\n\nDwarven Defender\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND036}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThe only class the Human can't play, the Dwarven Defender, as its name\nsubtly implies, requires a Dwarven protagonist. As you might expect,\nthis class is all about fitting into cliches and defense. What do\nDwarves fight with? Axes and War Hammers. So what are the only two\nweapons the Dwarven Defender can attain High Mastery (four ranks) with?\nAxe and War Hammers, of course. Fair enough, one of the best weapons\nin the game is a War Hammer, which can be obtained almost right out of\nCandlekeep, and whilest good magical axes are scarce, they're not\nnon-existent. Not being able to Grand Master in any weapons might hurt\nin the long-run (and when it comes to character creation, this is a\nlong-run kind of guide), but many other classes get away with worse\nrestrictions-it all depends on what other abilities they bring to the\ntable. On this account the Dwarven Defender does alright. Their\nDefensive Stance seems great-the 50% resistance to physical damage,\nespecially, but one turn is ten rounds, which isn't the longest period\nof time, especially when they're moving at half speed. Also, mind that\nthe resistance is to 'physical damage'. This will not help a bit against\nspells, which will be much more of a concern in the sequel, but at least\nthey throw in a +2 bonus to Saving Throws, whatever small measure that\nis. I'm also concernted about the movement speed issue, which might make\ntactical withdrawals (not retreats!) for healing less likely to end in\npreserving the life of the Dwarven Defender... an ironic disadvantage,\nto be sure. More mouth-watering to gamers will be the brute 5% damage\nreduction gain every 5th level (maximum 20% at 20th level) and the d12\nHit Dice per level... but wait... this sounds awfully familiar, doesn't\nit? Pretty much identical bonuses to what the Barbarian gets. Good thing\nthe Dwarven Defender has better proficiency selection and can wear\nheavier armor, making them the superior choice in my book. The Dwarven\nDefender might be one of those rare kits which is actually better than\nthe base class-but it still pales in comparison with some of the better\ndual-and-multi-class combinations out there. Surely no character who\ncan cast Stoneskin will care a bit about any of the Dwarven Defender's\nresistances.\n\nAdvantages:\n  -->\tMay use Defensive Stance once per day every 4 levels (starts at\n\t1st level with one use).\n\nDEFENSIVE STANCE: For 1 turn, the Dwarven Defender gains +50% resistance\nto all forms of physical damage, a +2 bonus to Saving Throws, and a 50%\nmovement rate penalty.\n\n  -->\tGains 5% resistance to crushing, slashing, piercing, and missile\n\tdamage every 5 levels to a maximum of 20% at level 20.\n\n  -->\tHit Dice: d12\n\nDisadvantages:\n  -->\tRace restricted to Dwarf.\n\n  -->\tMay not exceed High Mastery (four slots) in axes and war\n\thammers.\n\n  -->\tMay not exceed Specialization (two slots) in any other weapon.\n\no==========================o\n|Fighter\/Cleric\t\t   |\t\t\t\t\t{DND037}\no==========================o\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAn interesting combination with slightly higher fighting skills than\nthe Cleric and some defensive buffs to supplement the Fighter. Frankly,\nhowever, a Cleric doesn't have as good of a defensive spell selection as\na Mage, and by itself a Cleric is already a pretty stout Fighter. Sure\nit helps to add more attacks and damage, but it's just not quite as\npotent as the Fighter\/Mage. For one, you don't get Time Stop. But at\nleast neither of your classes are hurt by wearing heavy armor, so you\ndon't need the spell buffs quite so much. A very good thing about this\ncombination is they will get both the Fighter and Cleric feats. Having\na strong melee Fighter who can go up in combat with an Aura of Flaming\nDeath, a Globe of Blades, and then use Greater Whirlwind Attacks is a\nthing of beauty. Especially if they can retreat from combat and use Heal\non themselves before jumping right back into the fray. They can't\ndecimate enemies quite as well as a Fighter\/Mage, but they can certainly\nmake an impact. Unfortunately you'll be regulated to a few types of\nweapon because of the Cleric. You can either go with Flail of the Ages\nor Crom Faeyr and use the Sword and Shield Style, or go with both using\nthe Two Weapon Style and really lay waste to enemies. Note that with\nthis combo you will still get enough experience to get your holy symbol\nat level 25. Nice.\n\no==========================o\n|Fighter\/Druid\t\t   |\t\t\t\t\t{DND038}\no==========================o\nThis combination works almost exactly like the Fighter\/Cleric, except\nthat you will of course have Druid spells instead of Clerical ones, and\nyou will have the Druid weapon selection, which includes Scimitars, but\ndoesn't allow War Hammer, Maces, and Flails. The game provides you with\na perfectly fine recruitable Fighter\/Druid in Jaheira, so I don't know\nwhy you'd ever need to make your own. Note that as a Fighter\/Druid\nyou'll still get enough experience to get the really good Druid levels,\nmaking this combo in every way preferable to a single-classed Druid.\n\no==========================o\n|Fighter\/Mage\t\t   |\t\t\t\t\t{DND039}\no==========================o\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nMy favorite class, and possibly the strongest in the game. You can't\nwear armor and cast spells, but that's hardly an issue in this game,\nwhere you have many ways to improve your Armor Class without having to\nwear armor. Bracers of Defense are one, obvious way, but in this game\nyou will also get your hands on Elven Chain Mail, which allows you to\ncast spells while wearing it. With the better weapons and combat styles\nof Baldur's Gate 2 I drop any and all pretenses of being an archer and\ngo for the Two Weapon Style. Thanks to my Fighter levels, I can afford\nto do this, and the amazing defensive spells a Mage has keeps me safer\nthan a single-classed Fighter, armor be damned. The best thing of all is\nthat a Fighter\/Mage can access both Fighter and Mage feats, allowing\nthem to pull off Time Stops and Greater Whirlwinds in unison. This is a\nversatile character who can debuff and cast offensive spells at enemies,\nor go toe-to-toe with most anything in melee combat once fully spell\nbuffed. It almost makes you feel sorry for the single-classed Mages and\nFighters you'll slaughter. Almost.\n\no==========================o\n|Fighter\/Mage\/Cleric\t   |\t\t\t\t\t{DND040}\no==========================o\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAn interesting option, this class combines the power of two strong\nspell casters with the solid backing of the Fighter class. Keep in mind\nthat your progression will be horribly slow with a triple class\ncharacter, meaning you'll always be one or two spell levels below a\nsingle-classed character. This class actually has a slightly better hit\npoint range than the Fighter\/Mage, but worse weapon selection and the\nsame lack of armor. I feel this class might be a bit too much, honestly.\nNot as in over-powered, but you're only one character, with one action\na round just like everybody else. Even having such variety there's only\nso much you can actually DO in a given span of time. It's probably best\nto do fewer things better. I mean, are you ever going to actually get\nout a significant number of Cleric and Mage spells, and then still have\na battle left to fight? It's a good concept, but this class might just\nbe trying to do too much at once. As for weapons and tactics, you're \nprobably better off trying to do what the Fighter\/Mage does, but with\nCleric-allowed weapons. Note that with this build you will not get 9th\nlevel spells, negating the whole Time Stop tactic that the Fighter\/Mage\ncan employ. Also, you won't get access to any of the Mage feats, like\nComet and the bonus 6th, 7th, and 8th level spell slots.\n\no==========================o\n|Fighter\/Mage\/Thief\t   |\t\t\t\t\t{DND041}\no==========================o\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis class suffers from many of the problems the Fighter\/Mage\/Cleric\nsuffers from, but to a lesser degree. Firstly, most Thief skills are\nonly useful out of combat, or as telling first strikes. It's not another\nhost of spells you're trying to cast in a finite window of time, meaning\nthe Thief actually enhances the Fighter and the Mage. Also, the Thief is\ncapable of using a much greater selection of weapons than the Cleric,\nallowing you to diversify your weapons and tactics much more. A \nFighter\/Mage\/Thief in essence works like a combination of the\nFighter\/Mage and Fighter\/Thief. Go in with Two Weapon Style, attempt to\nscore backstabs, and use defensive spells to compensate for your lack of\narmor. A Fighter\/Mage\/Thief will not get 9th level Mage spells. Also,\na Fighter\/Mage\/Thief will not gain any of the Mage feats. No Comet,\nno extra 6th, 7th, and 8th level spells slots. For the evil party,\nmaking your protagonist a Fighter\/Mage\/Thief is the best solution to the\ndistinct lack of recruitable Thieves in the game. You'll be able to pull\noff many of the Fighter\/Mage tricks (uber spell-buffing in order to\nbecome nearly invulnerable to enemy spell casters) and handle all the \nthieving requirements your party will need. You won't be able to pull\noff the devastating Greater Whirlwind\/Timestop combo, but being able\nto spell-buff and perform Greater Whirlwind attacks is still quite\nrespectable.\n\no==========================o\n|Fighter\/Thief\t\t   |\t\t\t\t\t{DND042}\no==========================o\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAs you may have learned in Baldur's Gate 1, the Fighter\/Thief was a\npotent combo, easily matching a Ranger's skill with weapons while\nhaving the same quirks. Some important differences remain, a\nFighter\/Thief can disable traps and backstab, while a Ranger cannot. \nThis makes a Fighter\/Thief in my eyes every bit more powerful than a\nRanger. Sure, the Ranger will have higher Hit Points and some minor\nDruid spells, but a Fighter\/Thief can access both the the Fighter and\nthe Thief feats. Things only get better for the Fighter\/Thief in \nBaldur's Gate 2 as their backstab reaches a mighty x5 and a deeper melee\nsystem allows them to abuse it to its fullest advantage. Going for a\nFighter\/Thief with the Two Weapon Style is a very fun thing to do in\nthis game.\n\no==========================o\n|Mage\t\t\t   |\t\t\t\t\t{DND043}\no==========================o\nCLASS FEATURES:\n  --> \tMay not wear any armor.\n\n  --> \tMay only use the following weapons: dagger, quarterstaff, dart,\n     \tsling.\n\n  --> \tMay only become Proficient (one slot) in any weapon class.\n\n  --> \tMay only become Proficient (one slot) in any fighting style.\n\n  --> \tMay cast arcane spells.\n\n  --> \tHit Die: d4\n\nPrime Requisite for Dual-Classing: Intelligence<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nFirstly I just want to say that there is no reason to make a single\nclassed Mage protagonist. Edwin out-guns you. Period. If you must make a\nMage, make a Fighter\/Mage or Fighter\/Mage\/Thief, which increases your\noptions immensely. Other than that, if you make a Mage, make a Conjurer.\nThey get an extra spell per day per spell level and lose a handful of\nspells that aren't even all that good. The best ones I can think of are\nIdentify-which can be replicated with items that have unlimited uses,\nand True Sight, which is more of a significant loss. Still, if you\nhave Jaheira and Anomen\/Viconia in your group you have two other casters\nwho can provide that spell, not to mention the possibility of Keldorn,\nand the Book of Infinite Spells. If you must make a Mage, start out as\nsomething else first. A Fighter can get to level 8 and dual-class into\na Mage without wasting a single experience level of the Mage, giving you\na high hit point Mage who can use Bows, Swords, or whatever your little\nheart desires. A Thief can get to level 9 before dual-classing into a\nMage, again without using a single level. This negates the need for a\nThief at all, as you can build a Mage who can Find\/Remove Traps on his\nown, as well as having a few more Hit Points and the ability to use Short\nBows. It is MUCH better to dual-class into a Mage than to go straight\nMage. Note that if you dual-class into a Mage you cannot legitimately\ndual-class into a Conjurer, or any other type of Specialist. This\nperplexes me to no end, as it was entirely possible to do this in\nBaldur's Gate 1. If you want to do this, you'll have to cheat with a\nsave game editor like Shadow Keeper. Oh, and don't bother playing a\nWild Mage. All their spells have a chance to do something bonkers, and\na Mage will be casting a lot of spells through the game. Why shoot\nyourself in the foot?\n\nSpecialist\tSchool\t\t\tOpposition School\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAbjurer\t\tAbjuration\t\tAlteration\nConjurer\tConjuration\/Summoning\tDivination\nDiviner\t\tDivination\t\tConjuration\nEnchanter\tEnchantment\/Charm\tInvocation\nIllusionist\tIllusion\t\tNecromancy\nInvoker\t\tInvocation\t\tEnchantment\nNecromancer\tNecromancy\t\tIllusion\nTransmuter\tAlteration\t\tAbjuration\n\nMage\nLevel\tEXP\t\tHP\tSpells\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n1\tn\/a\t\t1d4\t1\n2\t2,500\t\t2d4\t2\n3\t5,000\t\t3d4\t2\/1\n4\t10,000\t\t4d4\t3\/2\n5\t20,000\t\t5d4\t4\/2\/1\n6\t40,000\t\t6d4\t4\/2\/2\n7\t60,000\t\t7d4\t4\/3\/2\/1\n8\t90,000\t\t8d4\t4\/3\/3\/2\n9\t135,000 \t9d4\t4\/3\/3\/2\/1\n10\t250,000 \t9d4+1   4\/4\/3\/2\/2\n11\t375,000 \t9d4+2   4\/4\/4\/3\/3\n12\t750,000  \t9d4+3   4\/4\/4\/4\/4\/1\n13\t1,125,000\t9d4+4   5\/5\/5\/4\/4\/2\n14\t1,500,000\t9d4+5   5\/5\/5\/4\/4\/2\/1\n15\t1,875,000\t9d4+6   5\/5\/5\/5\/5\/2\/1\n16\t2,250,000\t9d4+7   5\/5\/5\/5\/5\/3\/2\/1\n17*\t2,625,000\t9d4+8\t5\/5\/5\/5\/5\/3\/3\/2\n31\t7,875,000\t9d4+22  5\/5\/5\/5\/5\/5\/5\/5\/4\n\t\t\t\t(max at level 34)\n\no==========================o\n|Mage\/Cleric\t\t   |\t\t\t\t\t{DND044}\no==========================o\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nNot only do you have an ally who fits this role, I'm not entirely\nconvinced it's a role worth fitting. It's a good thing to have a \ncharacter who can pump out Horrid Wiltings, Time Stops, Hastes, Finger\nof Death, and other great Mage spells and then to be able to heal up the\nparty after the fight is over... that's nice. But I remain doubtful\nwhether the two spell types rolled into one character is terribly\npractical in combat-again, they might have more spell selection, but\nthey still can only cast one spell at a time. Having four characters who\ncan cast one type of magic well is going to work out better than having\ntwo who can cast both poorly. Despite being a Cleric, being hampered by\na lack of armor, as slower progression, and worse Hit Points will all\nbut eliminate them from a combat role. On the other hand, adding some\npowerful defensive Mage spells to mingle with the epic level Cleric \nspells is a devastating combination. Your THAC0 will be lower than a\nFighter, and your AC will suffer from lack of armor. If you're willing \nto invest Bladesinger Chain to this character and deal with the poor \nweapon selection and slow proficiency progression, you may at least be \nable to stand up in combat... but why pick two spell casting classes if\nthat's what you want to do?\n\no==========================o\n|Mage\/Thief\t\t   |\t\t\t\t\t{DND045}\no==========================o\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nI find it hard to imagine any case in which a Mage\/Thief would be\nparticularly useful, especially compared to a Fighter\/Mage or\nFighter\/Thief. Being able to use Bows is fine and all, but Mages should\nhave something better to do in most combats than shoot things. And you\nnever need to hide if you have Invisibility. Imoen has it right, this is\nbest done as a dual-class option for the sake of versatility. There's\nnothing wrong with getting a Mage with some Thief abilities, especially\nsince you get get plenty of ranks into Find Traps while sacrificing no\npotential Mage levels. You can get to 9th level as a Thief (110,000\nexperience) and dual-class into a Mage and reach the maximum level of\n31 (7,875,000 experience) for maximum effect. Frankly, if you're even \ngoing to bother making a Mage as your main character, I'd suggest doing \nthis. At least then you can dispense with having a Thief altogether. And\nyou'd have extra Hit Points and THAC0 to boot. You lose nothing and gain\na great deal.\n\no==========================o\n|Monk\t\t\t   |\t\t\t\t\t{DND046}\no==========================o\nCLASS FEATURES:\n  --> \tMay not wear any armor.\n\n  --> \tMay only use weapons available to the Thief class (except two-\n     \thanded).\n\n  --> \tMay only become Proficient (one slot) in any weapon class.\n\n  --> \tMay only become Proficient (one slot) in Single Weapon Style and\n     \tmay not put slots into any other style.\n\n  --> \tMoves 2 points faster than other characters. Movement rate\n\tfurther improves by 1 every 5 levels.\n\n  --> \tMay make 1 unarmed attack per round. An additional 1\/2 attack\n\tper round is gained every 3 levels. Damage dealt by unarmed\n\tattacks increases with level as follows:\n\t\n\tLevel 1-2: 1d6\n\t\n\tLevel 3-5: 1d8\n\t\n\tLevel 6-8: 1d10\n\t\n\tLevel 9-14: 1d12\n\t\n\tLevel 15+: 1d20\n\n  --> \tAt level 9, unarmed attacks are treated as a +1 magical weapon\n\tand gain a +1 bonus to hit and damage rolls. This enchantment\n\timproves to +2 at level 12, +3 at level 15, and +4 at level 25.\n\n  --> \tReceives a +2 bonus to Saving Throws vs. Spell.\n\n  --> \tDeflect Missiles: +1 bonus to AC vs. missile attacks every 3\n     \tlevels.\n\n  --> \tStarts with an Armor Class of 9 at 1st level and gains an\n     \tadditional +1 bonus every 2 levels.\n\n  --> \tMay use Stunning Blow ability once per day every 4 levels.\n\nSTUNNING BLOW: All successful attacks within the next round force\nthe victim to save or be stunned. This special ability automatically\nmodifies normal attacks, no targeting needs to be done.\n\n  --> \t5th level: Becomes immune to all diseases and cannot be slowed\n\tor hasted.\n\n  --> \t7th level: May use Lay on Hands ability to heal 2 Hit Points per\n     \tlevel.\n\n  --> \t8th level: Gains a -1 bonus to Speed Factor.\n\n  --> \t9th level: Gains a +1 bonus to all Saving Throws and becomes\n     \timmune to Charm.\n\n  --> \t11th level: Becomes immune to poison.\n\n  --> \t12th level: Gains another -1 bonus to Speed Factory.\n\n  --> \t13th level: May use the Quivering Palm ability once per day.\n\nQUIVERING PALM: The next successful attack forces the opponent to save\nor die. This special ability automatically modifies normal attacks, no\ntargeting needs to be done.\n\n  --> \t14th level: Gains 3% Magic Resistance per level (starting with\n\t42% at 14th level).\n\n  --> \t20th level: Becomes immune to non-magical weapons.\n\n  -->\tAlignment restricted to lawful.\n\n  --> \tHit Die: d8\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAh, the Monk. There's nothing that frees a player from thought quite as\nmuch as this class. They're easy to roll up and they can only be Humans,\nwhich is easily the white-bread choice of the game. They don't require a\nbig investment of equipment, and there are no choices to make as to how\nthey progress. A Monk needs no gear, they simply go around pummeling\neverything with their fists, and at this they excel. The one problem is\nthe fact that they can never control the upgrades to their unarmed\nattacks. They gain damage, speed, and magical enhancement bonuses as\nthey level, but this is typically well behind the weapons the rest of\nthe party will have access to. For example, you can't even hit anything\nthat requires a +4 or better weapon to hit until level 25. That's a HUGE\nhandicap, although you can learn to use Thief weapons, but you'll never\nbe better at fighting with them than a single-classed Thief, and that's\nnot what you played a Monk for, is it? If you can handle not being able\nto attack creatures that require magical weapons to hit, the Monk is\nactually a very solid choice of character. They're fast, they're strong,\nand they just get better as they level up. At level 20 they'll have a\nbase Armor Class of -1. With a good Dexterity score, some Bracers of\nArmor, and a protection item, this could potentially take their Armor\nClass very low. Add that to the fact that they get +1 to all saves,\n+2 to saves versus spells, and up to 78% magic resistance and you have\na very good defensive character. On top of this they gain extra bonuses\nagainst missiles, up to a presumed +6 to Armor Class at level 18. They\ncan't be hasted, however, but with their speed and high number of\nattacks they'll be hitting more often than most anybody else anyways.\nOh, yeah, and a Monk gains access to warrior feats, meaning they get\nWhirlwind Attack. This is a good thing. Last and not least, Monks can\nsneak. Sure, they can Detect Traps, but they can't do anything about\nthem, which makes me wonder... why bother spending points in it?\n\nMonk\nLevel\tEXP\t\tHP\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n1\tn\/a\t\t1d8\n2\t1,500\t\t2d8\n3\t3,000\t\t3d8\n4\t6,000\t\t4d8\n5\t13,000\t\t5d8\n6\t27,500\t\t6d8\n7\t55,000\t\t7d8\n8\t110,000\t\t8d8\n9\t225,000\t\t9d8\n10\t450,000\t\t9d8+2\n11\t675,000\t\t9d8+4\n12\t900,000\t\t9d8+6\n13\t1,125,000\t9d8+8\n14\t1,350,000\t9d8+10\n15\t1,575,000\t9d8+12\n16\t1,800,000\t9d8+14\n17\t2,025,000\t9d8+16\n18\t2,250,000\t9d8+18\n19\t2,475,000\t9d8+20\n20\t2,700,000\t9d8+22\n21*\t2,925,000\t9d8+24\n40\t8,000,000\t9d8+62\n\nDark Moon Monk\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND047}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nOnce upon a time, just having the Monk was good enough... then Overhaul\nGames had to add new classes, force me to stir from my lair, and\ncomment on two more freakin' Monk kits... *sigh*... okay, let's get this\nover with... The changes aren't very big, essentially you're\nrestricted to one set alignment (Lawful Evil) and you trade your\nunimpressive Lay On Hands and Stunning Blow abilities for a bunch of\nlow-level spell-like abilities. Since these include Blur and Blindness,\nhowever, it's not really a bad trade-off. Sure, Frozen Fist probably\nisn't as good Stunning Blow (although with no save penalty, it'll\nrarely be a primary debilitation attack anymore anyways) but you can't\npoo-poo Blur and Mirror Image. These themselves will grow increasingly\nmore obsolete as the game goes on, however, as more and more foes will\ncome ready with True Sight to tear down your illusions So... you're\ngiving up Stunning Blow and Lay on Hands for two points of cold damage\nper attack for one round per level. Trying to decide what's better, when\npaired with Greater Whirlwind... stunning, or extra cold damage... Eh.\nIt's really a wash.\n\nAdvantages:\n  --> \tPerception: +2 bonus to Saving Throws vs. Illusion spells.\n\n  --> \tMay cast Frozen Fist once per day ever four levels (starts at\n\t1st level with one use).\n\nFROZEN FIST: When this ability is activated, the Dark Moon Monk's fists\nare wreathed in a frosty shell. For one round per level, the Dark Moon\nMonk's unarmed attacks deal an additional 2 cold damage per successful\nattack.\n\n  --> \t1st level: May cast Blindness once per day.\n\n  --> \t3rd level: May cast Blur once per day.\n\n  --> \t7th level: May cast Vampiric Touch once per day.\n\n  --> \t11th level: May cast Mirror Image once per day.\n\nDisadvantages:\n  --> \tAlignment restricted to lawful evil.\n\n  --> \tMay not use Lay on Hands ability.\n\n  --> \tMay not use Stunning Blow ability.\n\nSun Soul Monk\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND048}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nI really want to call this class a piece of shit, and settle into\nredundant mockery... but, you know what? It's actually pretty good.\nI know, I'm shocked, too. It trades off Stunning Blow and Quivering\nPalm in return for a bunch of flamey-sunny abilities, which are probably\nworth the trade off... you know, since neither Quiver Palm nor Stunning\nBlow have Save penalties. The staple ability is, in my eyes, Flaming\nFists, which adds 2d6 fire damage to the Monk's attacks, and once\nleveled, lasts for several rounds. Far more reliable than Stunning Blow.\nIt'll only get better when your Monk starts performing Whirlwind\nAttacks-that +2d6 damage doesn't seem like much, but when you're getting\nten attacks per round, it adds up. They also have a Sun Soulray (low\ndamage attack), Greater Sun (Fireshield (Red)), and Sun Soulbeam, an\narea-of-effect, moderately damaging attack that for some stupid reason\nmust succeed at an attack roll. Sure, the abilities aren't overwhelming,\nand it's debatable whether it's better than the Monk... but it's less\nuseless than the Dark Moon Monk. At the very least, the Sun Soul Monk\nwas designed with abilities that extend past 11th level.\n\nAdvantages:\n  --> \t2nd level: May cast Sun Soulray once per day.\n\nSUN SOULRAY: The Sun Soul Monk projects a blast of light from her open\npalm, dealing 1d8 damage every 2 levels to a maximum of 5d8. This\nability does an additional 6 damage vs. undead.\n\n  --> \t5th level: May cast Flaming Fists once per day.\n\nFLAMING FISTS: The Sun Soul Monk channels her inner light into her\nunarmed attacks, turning her fists into flaming weapons that deal an\nadditional 2d6 fire damage per hit for the next round. The duration\nincreases to 2 rounds at level 9, 3 rounds at level 12, 4 rounds at\nlevel 15, and 5 rounds at level 25. This special ability automatically\nmodifies normal attacks. No weapon-switching needs to be done.\n\n  --> \t6th level: Gains an additional use of Sun Soulray.\n\n  --> \t8th level: May cast Greater Sun once per day.\n\nGREATER SUN: The Sun Soul Monk wreathes herself in flames that act as a\nFireshield (Red), granting the Monk 50% Fire Resistance and protecting\nher from attacks made within a 5-ft. radius. An opponent that hits the\nMonk with any weapons or spells within this radius suffers 1d8+2 points\nof fire damage.\n\n  --> \t10th level: Gains an additional use of Sun Soulray.\n\n  --> \t13th level: May cast Soul Sunbeam once per day.\n\nSUN SOULBEAM: The Sun Soul Monk emits a dazzling burst of light that\nstrikes at all other creatures within a 30-ft. radius. The Sun Soulbeam\ndoes not automatically hit all targets, but makes a melee attack using\nthe Monk's current THAC0 (+3 to hit vs. undead). Struck creatures\nsuffer 9d6 points of damage (9d6+3 if undead), unless they save vs.\nSpell for half. In addition, all creatures except the Monk must save\nvs. Spell or be blinded for 10 turns.\n\n  --> \t15th level: Gains an additional use of Sun Soulray.\n\nDisadvantages:\n  --> \tAlignment restricted to lawful good.\n\n  --> \tMay not use Stunning Blow ability.\n\n  --> \tMay not use Quivering Palm ability.\n\no==========================o\n|Paladin\t\t   |\t\t\t\t\t{DND049}\no==========================o\nCLASS FEATURES:\n  --> \tMay wear helmets.\n\n  --> \tMay wear any armor and use any weapon.\n\n  --> \tMay not exceed Specialization (two slots) in any weapon class.\n\n  --> \tMay achieve Specialization (two slots) in any fighting style and\n     \tallocate three slots in Two Weapon Style.\n\n  --> \tMay use Lay on Hands ability once per day to heal a target for\n     \t2 Hit Points per level of the Paladin.\n\n  --> \tMay cast Detect Evil once per day per level (starts at 1st level\n     \twith 3 uses).\n\n  --> \tMay cast Protection from Evil once per day per level (starts at\n     \t1st level with one use).\n\n  --> \tMay Turn Undead as a Cleric two levels lower, starting at\n\tlevel 3.\n\n  --> \tMay cast priest spells starting at level 9.\n\n  --> \tReceives a +2 bonus to all Saving Throws.\n\n  -->\tAlignment restricted to lawful good.\n\n  --> \tHit Die: d10\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nPaladins are holy warriors, and as such they gain a slew of abilities\nto help them combat evil. They aren't as combat savvy as Fighters, only\nbeing able to buy two ranks in any weapon proficiency, and they cannot\nmulti or dual class. In exchange you'll get the ability to lay on hands\n(heal a character 2 Hit Points per level), detect evil (useful for\ntelling which NPCs are bad or not and detecting enemies on the map\nbefore you even scout), protection from evil, and they can turn undead\nas if they were a Cleric two levels lower than their paladin level.\nPaladin's make great party leaders due to their high minimum Charisma\n(17). In Baldur's Gate 2 you might as well get proficiency points in\nTwo Handed Swords, because the best sword in the game is such a weapon,\nand it's only for Paladins. Frankly though, since Keldorn is on the\nscene there's really no reason to make your own Paladin.\n\nPaladin\nLevel\tEXP\tHP\t\tSpells\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n1\tn\/a\t\t1d10\n2\t2,250\t\t2d10\n3\t4,500\t\t3d10\n4\t9,000\t\t4d10\n5\t18,000\t\t5d10\n6\t36,000\t\t6d10\n7\t75,000\t\t7d10\n8\t150,000\t\t8d10\n9\t300,000\t\t9d10\t1\n10\t600,000\t\t9d10+3\t2\n11\t900,000\t\t9d10+6\t2\/1\n12\t1,200,000\t9d10+9\t2\/2\n13\t1,500,000\t9d10+12\t2\/2\/1\n14\t1,800,000\t9d10+15\t3\/2\/1\n15\t2,100,000\t9d10+18\t3\/2\/1\/1\n16\t2,400,000\t9d10+21\t3\/3\/2\/1\n17*\t2,700,000\t9d10+24\t3\/3\/3\/1\n34\t7,800,000\t9d10+75\t3\/3\/3\/3\n\t\t\t\t(max at level 20)\n\nCavalier\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND050}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis is a pretty nice kit, even given the lack of missile weapons.\nHaving immunity to fear, charm, and poison are all very nice abilities,\nand getting +3 bonus to hit versus Demons and Dragons is great too. You\nmight not come across Dragons much, but Demons are fairly common, and \nyou're going to want every bonus you can get against them. Having \nRemove Fear once per day per level essentially means that at any time \nthis character can get your party back in line, which is almost as good\nas having a party that's immune to fear as well! It certainly means that\nyour Clerics and Mages don't have to focus so much on keeping fear\neffects subdued. A very nice kit indeed.\n\nAdvantages:\n  --> \t+3 bonus to hit and damage rolls against all fiendish and\n     \tdraconic creatures.\n\n  --> \tMay cast Remove Fear once per day per level.\n\n  --> \tImmune to fear and morale failure.\n\n  --> \tImmune to charm, fear, poison, and morale failure.\n\n  --> \t20% resistance to fire and acid.\n\nDisadvantages:\n  --> \tMay not use missile weapons.\n\nInquisitor\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND051}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis is probably the best kit in the game, and certainly the best of the\nPaladin kits, even though the other two aren't bad. Being able to cast\nDispel Magic at TWICE your Paladin level means Inquisitors will rip \nthrough spell defenses, and will be able to do it often. True Sight is a\nfairly high level debuff, and a very good one. No more can creatures get\naway with Improved Invisibility, Shadow Door, Mirror Image, or anything\nof the sort, and they will try. This frees up spell casters to prepare\nother spells. The disadvantages might seem bad, but you can get plenty\nof healing elsewhere without Lay on Hands, and the turn undead and\nPaladin priest spells are both weak anyways. Would you trade a handful\nof low level Priest spells for two very powerful, very useful, mid level\nspells? I would. This is the class Keldorn is, and it's one of the \nreasons he's so good.\n\nAdvantages:\n  --> \tMay cast Dispel Magic once per day per 4 levels (starts at 1st\n     \tlevel with one use). The spell is cast at Speed Factor 1 and\n\tacts at twice the Inquisitor's character level.\n\n  --> \tMay cast True Sight once per day per 4 levels (starts at 1st\n\tlevel with one use).\n\n  --> \tImmune to hold and charm.\n\nDisadvantages:\n  --> \tMay not Turn Undead.\n\n  --> \tMay not use Lay on Hands ability.\n\n  --> \tMay not cast priest spells.\n\nUndead Hunter\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND052}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nBeing immune to level drain is nice, but there are spells that do the\nsame... granted, there are spells that do the same things that the other\nkits do... but +3 to attack and damage versus undead can't compete with\nthe massive debuffs that the Inquisitor has, nor the slew of resistances\nthat the Cavalier has. And what's the strongest undead anyways? A Lich.\n+3 to attack and damage isn't going to help you kill a Lich as much as\ndisabling its defensive spells will. Frankly, the Inquisitor is a\nbetter Undead Hunter than the Undead Hunter when it comes to big game\nhunting! The Undead Hunter will, however, excel against Vampires.\nStill, undead are quite common, so picking up this kit certainly is\nbetter than playing a vanilla Paladin.\n\nAdvantages:\n  --> \t+3 bonus to hit and +3 to damage rolls against undead creatures.\n\n  --> \tImmune to hold and level drain.\n\nDisadvantages:\n  --> \tMay not use Lay on Hands ability.\n\nBlackguard\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND053}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nHoly crap! A new kit! The Blackguard is actually a pretty decent kit,\ntaking the Cavalier's nice immunity level drain and adding immunity\nto fear. They also have the ability to steal health from foes-similar to\nthe Lay on Hands ability... but evil! Yeah, it's pretty uninspiring,\nespecially since it allows a Save vs. Spell at no save to negate it.\nPoison weapon really just deals an extra twelve damage-again, making it\na lack-luster bonus. On the other hand, the Aura of Despair ability can\nget pretty damn good-essentially acting like the Skald's Bard Song...\nbut in reverse. All in all, it's an interesting possibility for the\nevil party, with a good pair of immunities and a wonderful debuff. Does\nthis class compare to an Inquisitor? No, it doesn't, but that's not\nreally fair.\n\nAdvantages:\n  --> \tImmune to level drain and fear.\n\n  --> \tMay Rebuke Undead as Paladin of the same level.\n\n  --> \tMay use Absorb Health ability once per day.\n\nABSORB HEALTH: Deals 2 points of damage per level to an enemy, healing\nthe Blackguard the same number of Hit Points. A successful Saving Throw\nvs. Spell negates the effect.\n\n  --> \tMay use Poison Weapon ability once per day every 5 level\n\t(starting at 1st level with one use).\n\nPOISON WEAPON: Each successful hit within the next round will inject\npoison into the target, dealing an extra 2 points of damage per second\nwith no Saving Throw (for a total of 12 points of damage). Moreover, if\nthe target fails a Saving Throw vs. Poison, he will suffer 1 additional\npoint of damage per round for 4 rounds thereafter.\n\n  --> \tMay use Aura of Despair ability once per day starting at 3rd\n\tlevel, with effects that improve based on level:\n\n\t3rd level: Bestows nearby enemies with a -1 penalty to hit and\n\tdamage rolls and a -1 penalty to Armor Class.\n\n\t6th level: Bestows nearby enemies with a -2 penalty to hit and\n\tdamage rolls and a -2 penalty to Armor Class.\n\n\t15th level: Bestows nearby enemies with a -4 penalty to hit and\n\tdamage rolls and a -4 penalty to Armor Class, causes Fear in\n\tenemies of level 8 or below.\n\n\t20th level: Bestows nearby enemies with a -4 penalty to hit and\n\tdamage rolls and a -4 penalty to Armor Class, causes Fear in\n\tenemies of level 18 or below.\n\nDisadvantages:\n  --> \tAlignment restricted to evil.\n\n  --> \tMay not cast Detect Evil.\n\n  --> \tMay not cast Protection from Evil.\n\n  -->\t May not use Lay on Hands ability.\n\no==========================o\n|Ranger\t\t\t   |\t\t\t\t\t{DND054}\no==========================o\nCLASS FEATURES:\n  --> \tMay wear helmets.\n\n  --> \tMay wear any armor and use any weapon.\n\n  --> \tMay not exceed Specialization (two slots) in any weapon class.\n\n  --> \tMay achieve Specialization (two slots) in any fighting style.\n\n  --> \tBegins Specialized (two slots) in Two-Weapon Style and may place\n     \ta third slot into it.\n\n  --> \tMay select a racial enemy, which grants a +4 bonus to hit and\n     \tdamage rolls against the selected enemy race.\n\n  --> \tMay use Charm Animal ability once per day every 2 levels (starts\n     \tat 1st level with one use).\n\n  --> \tMay Hide in Shadows while wearing no armor, leather armor, or\n     \tstudded leather armor.\n\n  --> \tMay cast druidic spells starting at level 8.\n\n  -->\tAlignment restricted to good.\n\n  --> \tHit Die: d10\n\nPrime Requisites for Dual-Classing: Strength, Dexterity, Wisdom\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nRangers are defenders of the wilderness, hunters, scouts, and \noutdoorsmen. They can only get two ranks in a weapon proficiency, but\nin compensation they can use stealth, charm animals, and eventually\ncast druid spells. The stealth ability can only be used in light armor,\nLeather, Studded Leather, or Hide, but it makes them invaluable for\nscouting ahead of the party. Being strong enough to fight their way out\nof trouble helps too. The charm animal ability sucks, but once in a\nwhile if you want to play with it and charm a bear or something... eh...\nthey'll still turn hostile on you when it's over, so why bother? The\ndruid spells are a long time in coming, but adding Armor of Faith,\nSlow Poison, Dispel Magic, and some basic healing spells can't hurt.\nLast but not least, the Ranger has a racial enemy they can choose,\nagainst which they'll deal +4 damage. A decent boost, but there's alot\nof foes-what do you pick? As far as I'm concerned, picking something\ndangerous as well as common is a good choice, but also picking foes\nthe damage will actually help against is better, still. Dragons,\nLiches, Mind Flayers, Beholders, Vampires, and Demons are all fair\nenough choices, but the first two are too uncommony, against the next\nthree I've developed strategies against that, honestly, +4 damage\nwouldn't really do much to make any more likely do succeed. In my\nmind, the Demonic\/Fell category is the best one to choose-they're\ncommon, dangerous foes against which brute damage will be much more\nappreciated.\n\nRanger\nLevel\tEXP\t\tHP\tSpells\t\tStealth\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n1\tn\/a\t\t1d10\t\t\t15%\n2\t2,250\t\t2d10\t\t\t20%\n3\t4,500\t\t3d10\t\t\t27%\n4\t9,000\t\t4d10\t\t\t33%\n5\t18,000\t\t5d10\t\t\t40%\n6\t36,000\t\t6d10\t\t\t47%\n7\t75,000\t\t7d10\t\t\t55%\n8\t150,000\t\t8d10\t1\t\t62%\n9\t300,000\t\t9d10\t2\t\t70%\n10\t600,000\t\t9d10+3\t2\/1\t\t78%\n11\t900,000\t\t9d10+6\t2\/2\t\t86%\n12\t1,200,000\t9d10+9\t2\/2\/1\t\t94%\n13\t1,500,000\t9d10+12\t3\/2\/1\t\t99%\n14\t1,800,000\t9d10+15\t3\/2\/2\t\t99%\n15\t2,100,000\t9d10+18\t3\/3\/2\t\t99%\n16\t2,400,000\t9d10+21\t3\/3\/3\t\t99%\n17*\t2,700,000\t9d10+24\t3\/3\/3\t\t99%\n34\t7,800,000\t9d10+75\t3\/3\/3\t\t99%\n\t\t\t       (max at level 16)(max at level 13)\n\nArcher\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND055}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nNow this is a kit. Take something and do it VERY well. The bonuses to\nhit and damage with arrows eventually increase to +6 at level 18, and\nby the end of Throne of Bhaal it's up to +9, which is a HUGE bonus to\nyour rolls. Somebody who is specialized in bows to that extent isn't\ngoing to want to use metal armor anyways, and besides, you're a Ranger,\nyou want to be able to sneak. The lack of proficiency with melee \nweapons hurts though, as that costs us half an attack if we ever need to\nget into melee. Keep in mind one tiny little problem. There are no +4\nArrows, so you'll never be able to hit anything that requires a +4 or\nbetter weapon to hit with most bows. Also, +3 Arrows aren't unlimited.\nThe best unlimited ammo you get are +2 Arrows, and by Throne of Bhaal\nmany things won't be bothered by those. In big fights against powerful\nenemies, your Archer isn't going to be able to contribute, at least not\nagainst the main event. Balors, Greater Wolfweres, Greater Mummies, Pit\nFiends, and some Vampires will all be out of your league. There are a\nfew exceptions, however-there are two Short Bows in this game that\ngenerate their own ammo-Tansheron's Bow +3 and the Gesen Bow +4.\nObviously the latter is superior, providing unlimited ammo that counts\nas +4 for determining what it can hit. Also, since this class improves\nall missile weapons, you could always use a Sling or throwing weapon\ninstead. In the latter case, there are plenty of good throwing Axes\nthroughout both games, even a +4 specimen in Throne of Bhaal. The only\nproblem? You will only be able to become proficient with throwing\nweapons, and you will not attack particularly fast with them... at least,\nnot compared to bows. Still, as an anodyne for our suffering Overhaul\nGames decided to fix the Called Shot ability-it's now cumulative,\nmeaning the higher you level the more your arrows do. Previously the\nCalled Shot ability only did whatever your level plateau indicated,\ninstead of keeping the bonuses you had at lower levels. It's a big\nimprovement. If you're planning on making an Archer, I'd suggest\nfocusing on Shortbows, as the only two bows that generate their own\nammunition (which strike as +3 and +4 weapons) are Shortbows. Simply\nput, Shortbows can harm foes that Longbows can't, and one such bow can\nbe obtained fairly early in the game, making Longbows obsolete\nthroughout the game.\n\nAdvantages:\n  --> \t+1 to hit and damage rolls with any missile weapon for every 3\n     \tlevels.\n\n  -->\tMay achieve Grandmastery (5 slots) in longbows, shortbows, and\n\tcrossbows.\n\n  -->\tMay use Called Shot ability once per day every 4 levels.\n\nCALLED SHOT: All successful ranged attacks within the next 10 seconds\nhave the following cumulative effects besides normal damage, according\nto the level of the Archer:\n\n\t4th level: -1 penalty to target's THAC0.\n\n\t8th level: -1 penalty to target's Saving Throws vs. Spell.\n\n\t12th level: -1 penalty to the target's Strength score.\n\n\t16th level: +2 bonus to damage roll.\n\t\t\t\t\nDisadvantages:\n  --> \tMay not wear any metal armor.\n\n  --> \tMay only become proficient (one slot) with melee weapons.\n\n  -->\tMay not use Charm Animal ability.\n\nStalker\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND056}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThe 'may not wear armor greater than studded leather' disadvantage isn't\ntoo bad, as that's the highest grade of armor I tend to throw on a \nRanger anyways, so let's look at the advantages. +20% to Stealth is\nnice, but there's always a chance of failure, and considering how many\nlevels you can get... well... any Ranger is going to be good at stealth,\neventually, making the bonus Stealth incredibly short-sighted. The\nbackstab modifier is very nice, as it allows a Ranger to play like a\nThief. Haste is a good spell for any character to have, and Minor Spell\nDeflection might come in handy. It won't save the Ranger from\nImprisonment or Horrid Wilting, but it will stop Disintegrate and Finger\nof Death, and a whole host of other annoying low level spells (like \nCharm, Chaos, and Hold Person). This kit might just be better than the\nnormal Ranger, but it's really just a poor substitute for a Fighter\/Mage\nor Fighter\/Thief, both of which will be far, far superior.\n\nAdvantages:\n  --> \t+20% to Move Silently and Hide in Shadows.\n\n  --> \tMay use Backstab ability, although for a lower damage multiplier\n     \tthan Thieves:\n\t\n\tLevel 1-8: x2\n\t\n\tLevel 9-16: x3\n\t\n\tLevel 17+: x4\n\n  --> \t12th Level: May memorize 3 Mage spells: Haste, Protection From\n     \tNormal Missiles and Minor Spell Deflection.\n\nDisadvantages:\n  --> \tMay not wear armor heavier than studded leather.\n\nBeast Master\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND057}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAnd again with the suck. Who wants to play a Ranger that is more like a\nDruid? Druids suck, and Animal Summoning sucks. Don't even give this kit\na glance, it's not worth your attention.\n\nAdvantages:\n  --> \t+15% to Move Silently and Hide in Shadows.\n\n  -->\tMay use Find Familiar ability to summon a Psuedo Dragon (if\n\tlawful or neutral good) or Fairy Dragon (if chaotic good)\n\tcompanion.\n\n  --> \t8th level: May cast Animal Summoning I\n\n  --> \t10th level: May cast Animal Summoning II.\n\n  --> \t12th level: May cast Animal Summoning III.\n\nDisadvantages:\n  -->  \tMay not use any metal weapons (for example: swords, halberds,\n\twar hammers, or morning stars).\n\n  --> \tMay not wear armor heavier than studded leather.\n\no==========================o\n|Sorcerer\t\t   |\t\t\t\t\t{DND058}\no==========================o\nCLASS FEATURES:\n  --> \tMay not wear any armor.\n\n  --> \tMay only use the following weapons: dagger, quarterstaff, dart,\n     \tsling.\n\n  --> \tMay only become Proficient (one slot) in any weapon class.\n\n  --> \tMay not place any slots in any fighting style.\n\n  --> \tMay cast arcane spells.\n\n  --> \tMay not scribe spells into their spellbooks as Mages do. Instead,\n     \tSorcerers learn a small number of spells at each level, which\n\tthey can cast daily without memorization.\n\n  --> \tHit Die: d4\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nIf you're familiar with 3rd Edition Sorcerers, you'll be familiar with\nBaldur's Gate 2's Sorcerer, they're just alike. That said, I never liked\nSorcerers. They function like Mages, except they can only know a handful\nof spells, from which they can cast any of their known spells without\nhaving to memorize them, although they are still limited to a maximum\nnumber of spells per day. Ultimately a Sorcerer can know only several\nspells of each spell level, and for many spell levels that's fine. \nChances are you won't find too many more 9th level spells, at least\nnot ones you'll use often. On the other hand this takes down their\ntactical flexibility a great deal. You either know the spell, or you\ndon't, there's no learning it from a scroll or preparing it for a big\nfight when needed. They do get one more spell per day per spell level\nthan a normal Mage, but what do they have that Edwin doesn't have? He\ngets two spells per day per spell level over a normal Mage AND has \ntactical flexibility. On the other hand, when you get right down to it,\nthere are only a handful of spells each level that get used frequently,\nand not having to choose the exact number of each to prepare can be\nhelpful.\n\nSorcerer\nLevel\tEXP\t\tHP\tSpells (Known)\t   Spells (Cast)\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n1\tn\/a\t\t1d4\t2\t\t   3\n2\t2,500\t\t2d4\t2\t    \t   4\n3\t5,000\t\t3d4\t3\t\t   5\n4\t10,000\t\t4d4\t3\/1\t\t   6\/3\n5\t20,000\t\t5d4\t4\/2\t\t   6\/4\n6\t40,000\t\t6d4\t4\/2\/1\t\t   6\/5\/3\n7\t60,000\t\t7d4\t5\/3\/2\t\t   6\/6\/4\n8\t90,000\t\t8d4\t5\/3\/2\/1\t\t   6\/6\/5\/3\n9\t135,000 \t9d4\t5\/4\/3\/2\t\t   6\/6\/6\/4\n10\t250,000 \t9d4+1   5\/4\/3\/2\/1\t   6\/6\/6\/5\/3\n11\t375,000 \t9d4+2   5\/5\/4\/3\/2\t   6\/6\/6\/6\/4\n12\t750,000  \t9d4+3   5\/5\/4\/3\/2\/1\t   6\/6\/6\/6\/5\/3\n13\t1,125,000\t9d4+4   5\/5\/4\/4\/3\/2   \t   6\/6\/6\/6\/6\/4\n14\t1,500,000\t9d4+5 \t5\/5\/4\/4\/3\/2\/1\t   6\/6\/6\/6\/6\/5\/3\n15\t1,875,000\t9d4+6 \t5\/5\/4\/4\/4\/3\/2      6\/6\/6\/6\/6\/6\/4\n16\t2,250,000\t9d4+7 \t5\/5\/4\/4\/4\/3\/2\/1    6\/6\/6\/6\/6\/6\/5\/3\n17*\t2,625,000\t9d4+8\t5\/5\/4\/4\/4\/3\/3\/2\t   6\/6\/6\/6\/6\/6\/6\/4\n31\t7,875,000\t9d4+22  5\/5\/5\/5\/5\/5\/5\/4\/4  6\/6\/6\/6\/6\/6\/6\/6\/6\n\t\t\t\t\t\t   (max at level 20)\n\nDragon Disciple\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND059}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nOh my... where to even begin? Well, lets start out with the obvious.\nWhat is the primary role of a Sorcerer? Casting spells. What's their\nbiggest limitation? The number of spells per level they know. If there\nis any one problem with the Sorcerer, it's that their spells per day\nlimit their tactical flexibility. Their biggest perk is the ability to\nbe able to cast any of their known spells at will, up until their number\nof spells castable per level per day. So, any class kit that proposes\nto reduce the number of spells the Sorcerer can know absolutely must\nprovide outstanding benefits to compensate... preferably ones that\namplify in other ways the magical prowess of the class. Is that the\ncase, then, with the Dragon Disciple? Of course not. What do you get in\nreturn for shearing off one spell known per day? 100% Fire Resistance,\n+4 Armor Class, +2 Constitution, and an 8d8 breath weapon. First, you\ncan get Fire Resistance from all sorts of sources, but since we're\ntalking about Sorcerers, lets assume they could get them from spells-\nspells they would have the flexibility to learn if you had just picked\na normal Sorcerer, or better yet, a REAL Mage. Armor Class shouldn't be\nvery important for a Mage, who belongs out of melee combat... but it can\nalso be improved by spells... again, more spells known, more defensive\nspells available. Third, why the hell do you need the Constitution\nbonus? Start out with a sixteen, the Sorcerer can't get more than +2\nHit Points per level anyways. Lastly... a once per day 8d8 damage\nbreath weapon? Fireball will deal comparable damage, why not use that?\nNot saying it's not beneficial, but is it really worth the loss of\nspells? Heck, you can find a book that will allow you to cast a Fireball\n(amongst other spells) once per day, and that item is rarely useful, so\nhow often do you think you'll need to call upon your inferior breath\nweapon? The best perk this class adds is the superior d6 Hit Dice.\n18 extra Hit Points is not bogus, but the rest of this class's perks\nare replacable with spells... spells you would know if you weren't this\nclass! Worse still, almost all the bonuses of this class are defensive,\nand defensive boosts that a Mage doesn't really need. I say, just be a\nnormal Sorceror, or better yet, a Specialist Mage, or best of all, just\nrecruit Edwin.\n\n  --> \t1st level: +1 bonus to AC.\n\n  --> \t3rd level: May use Breath Weapon once per day.\n\nBREATH WEAPON: The Dragon Disciple breathes a gout of flame up to 30 ft.\nlong, inflicting 3d8 points of fire damage on all creatures caught\nwithin the 140 degree cone.\n\n  --> \t4th level: Gains 25% innate Fire Resistance.\n\n  --> \t5th level: +1 bonus to AC and Constitution.\n\n  --> \t6th level: Breath Weapon damage increases to 4d8.\n\n  --> \t8th level: Innate Fire Resistance rises to 50%.\n\n  --> \t9th level: Breath Weapon damage increases to 5d8.\n\n  --> \t10th level: +1 bonus to AC.\n\n  --> \t12th level: Innate Fire Resistance rises to 75%.\n\n  --> \t12th level: Breath Weapon damage increases to 6d8.\n\n  --> \t15th level: +1 bonus to AC and Constitution.\n\n  --> \t15th level: Breath Weapon damage increases to 7d8.\n\n  --> \t16th level: Innate Fire Resistance rises to 100%.\n\n  --> \t18th level: Breath Weapon damage increases to 8d8.\n\n  --> \t20th level: +1 bonus to AC.\n\n  --> \tHit Dice: d6\n\nDisadvantages:\n  --> May cast one fewer spell per level per day.\n\no==========================o\n|Thief\t\t\t   |\t\t\t\t\t{DND060}\no==========================o\nCLASS FEATURES:\n  --> \tMay not wear armor heavier than studded leather.\n\n  --> \tMay not equip shields larger than bucklers.\n\n  --> \tMay only use the following weapons: long sword, short sword,\n     \tkatana, scimitar, dagger, club, quarterstaff, crossbow,\n\tshortbow, dart, sling.\n\n  --> \tMay only become Proficient (one slot) in any weapon class.\n\n  --> \tMay only become Proficient (one slot) in any fighting style.\n\n  --> \tMay distribute 25 points per level (40 at level 1) in thieving\n     \tabilities: Open Locks, Pick Pockets, Find\/Disarm Traps, Move\n     \tSilently, Hide in Shadows, Detect Illusions, Set Traps.\n\n  --> \tMay use Set Snare ability once per day every 5 levels (starts at\n     \t1st level with one use).\n\n\t1st Level: Deals 2d8+5 missile damage.\n\n\t11th Level: Deals 2d8+5 missile damage and additional deals\n\t2d6 poison damager per round for the next 3 rounds.\n\n\t16th Level: Deals 3d8+5 missile damage and 4d8+2 fire damage.\n\n\t21st Level: Deals 3d8+5 missile damage and 20 poison damage\n\twith no save, slays target if a Save vs. Death with a +4\n\tbonus is failed.\n\n  --> \tMay use Backstab ability for increased damage.\n\t\n   \tLevel 1-4: x2\n\t\n\tLevel 5-8: x3\n\t\n\tLevel 9-12: x4\n\t\n\tLevel 13+: x5\n\n  -->\tHit Die: d6\n\nPrime Requisites for Dual-Classing: Dexterity\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThe Thief isn't as combat savvy as the Cleric, and they don't have\nspells. What's the draw then? Their thieving abilities. These allow them\nto pick pockets, find and disarm traps, open locked objects, and hide\nfrom enemies. Of these skills, one is essential, so some character or\nanother with thieving abilities is required in any party. As for combat,\nthey can only wear the lightest armors, but they do have access to a \nvariety of weapons. Most importantly, as they gain levels they get the\nability to 'backstab'. If they are hidden and attack an enemy they\nmultiply the damage they deal by their backstab modifier. They are a\nwaste of a class on their own, but it is a great dual or multi class\noption, as it gives any class the ability to be more lethal by\nbackstabbing... and if you make your own, you don't have to drag around\na character to do the thieving for you. A Fighter\/Thief is a potent\ncombination, and so is a Fighter\/Mage\/Thief. For more information on\nThief abilities, see [DND084].\n\t\t\nThief\nLevel\tEXP\t\tHP\t\tBackstab Multiplier\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n1\tn\/a\t\t1d6\t\tx2\n2\t1,250\t\t2d6\t\tx2\n3\t2,500\t\t3d6\t\tx2\n4\t5,000\t\t4d6\t\tx2\n5\t10,000\t\t5d6\t\tx3\n6\t20,000\t\t6d6\t\tx3\n7\t40,000\t\t7d6\t\tx3\n8\t70,000\t\t8d6\t\tx3\n9\t110,000\t\t9d6\t\tx4\n10\t160,000\t\t9d6+2\t\tx4\n11\t220,000\t\t9d6+4\t\tx4\n12\t440,000\t\t9d6+6\t\tx4\n13\t660,000\t\t9d6+8\t\tx5\n14\t880,000\t\t9d6+10\t\tx5\n15\t1,100,000\t9d6+12\t\tx5\n16\t1,320,000\t9d6+14\t\tx5\n17\t1,540,000\t9d6+16\t\tx5\n19\t1,760,000\t9d6+18\t\tx5\n20\t1,980,000\t9d6+20\t\tx5\n21\t2,200,000\t9d6+22\t\tx5\n22\t2,420,000\t9d6+24\t\tx5\n23\t2,640,000\t9d6+26\t\tx5\n24*\t2,860,000\t9d6+28\t\tx5\n40\t8,000,000\t9d6+62\t\tx5\n\t\t\t\t (max at level 13)\n\nAssassin\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND061}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nYou'll be slower with your Thief skills progression, but that seems a\nworthy trade for the x7 backstab multiplier! +1 to hit and damage is\nnice too, but it's totally out-shadowed by the backstab. This is a great\nclass to dual-class into a Fighter with. Get your Thief skills in place\nand enjoy your bonus THAC0, damage, and backstab multiplier. There is\nnothing preventing you from poisoning your weapon before you backstab,\neither, although the poison is by itself fairly weak, any little bit\nhelps, especially with such a resounding first strike. The only problem\nis you need to make it fairly far as a Thief to get that juicy x7 \nmultiplier. Thankfully, however, the Thief is the lowest class to raise.\nGetting to level 13 will only take 660,000 experience, leaving enough\nleft over for you to reach level 37 as a Fighter, which is more than\nenough. It'll be a long time hitting level 14 to get your Thief skills\nback... probably not a thing a new player wants to attempt. But \nworthwhile if you pull it off.\n\nAdvantages:\n  --> \t+1 bonus to hit and damage rolls.\n\n  --> \tBackstab ability reaches x7 multiplier instead of capping at x5.\n\n  --> \tMay use Poison Weapon ability once per day ever 4 levels.\n\nPOISON WEAPON: Each successful hit within the next round will inject\npoison into the target, dealing an extra 2 points of damage per second\nwith no Saving Throw (for a total of 12 points of damage). Moreover, if\nthe target fails a Saving Throw vs. Poison, he will suffer 1 additional\npoint of damage per round for 4 rounds thereafter.\n\nDisadvantages:\n  --> \tMay only distribute 15 skill points per level among thieving\n     \tskills.\n\nBounty Hunter\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND062}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nSome changes were made to this kit in recent patches, so let's take a\nlook... the first two traps are somewhat decent, although 3d8+5 damage\nand Slow isn't nothing to go crazy over, either. After that, though,\nthe traps just get worse. I'd rather have the slow at a -4 Save than\nHold at -1-a slowed enemy is so crippled they might as well be\ndefenseless. By level 16, this class is a joke. Otiluke's Resilient\nSphere just removes a foe from combat for a short while, and Maze?\nPretty much the same thing, for a period of time that varies based on\nIntelligence. Is this kit supposed to compare in any way to the\nAssassin, Swashbuckler, or Shadowdancer? Because it fails. I can't see\nhow any of these would be terribly useful against most foes in Baldur's\nGate 2, and getting sixteen levels in a class just so you can use a less\nreliable version of Otiluke's Reslient Sphere-a 4th level Mage spell\njust seems incredibly stupid. Hell, I'd rather have the normal Thief's\n21st level trap than the Bounty Hunter's; 3d8+25 damage with Save vs.\nDeath or die is much better than freakin' Maze. Point is, this kit is\nfull of suck. Someone, somewhere, is laughing at if you if you pick\nthis kit.\n\nAdvantages:\n  --> \t+15% bonus to Set Traps.\n\n  --> \tMay luse Set Special Snare ability once per day every 5 levels\n\t(starts at 1st level with one use) in addition to the normal\n\tThief's Set Snare.\n\nSET SPECIAL SNARE: Set a trap in the chosen location when no hostile\ncreatures are in sight. Traps grow more powerful with the Bounty\nHunter's level and can only be triggered by enemies.\n\t\n\t1st level: Deals 3d8+5 missile damage and slows target for 5\n\trounds is a Save vs. Spell with a -4 penalty is failed.\n\n\t11th Level: Deals 4d8+5 missile damage and holds target for 5\n\trounds if a Save vs. Spell with a -1 penalty is failed.\n\n\t16th Level: The trap erects an Otiluke's Resilient Sphere around\n\tthe target for 7 rounds if a Saving Throw is failed.\n\t\n\t21st Level: The trap mazes the target.\n\nDisadvantages:\n  --> \tMay only distribute 20 skill points per level among thieving\n     \tskills.\n\nSwashbuckler\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND063}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis is at least a legitimate attempt to make a character who is not a\nFighter actually able to fight. The bonus to Armor Class and attack and\ndamage are both pretty good, and almost overcome the handicap a Thief\nsuffers against a Fighter in armor and THAC0. The ability to specialize\nis very welcome, especially in the Two Weapon Style. The only down sides\nare the fact that the Thief loses the backstab ability, and for all its\ntrying, a Fighter it is not. Namely they're still losing sorely in the\nHit Point department. This makes me wonder one thing. Why not make a\nFighter\/Thief instead of a Swashbuckler? You'll have the better THAC0 of\na Fighter, better Hit Points than a Thief, the ability to specialize in\nweapons, including all the Fighter weapons, and you get to keep your\nbackstab. It's a nice offer, but frankly multi-classing still wins.\n\nAdvantages:\n  --> \t+1 bonus to Armor Class at 1st level, plus an additional\n\t+1 bonus every 5 levels.\n\n  --> \t+1 bonus to hit and damage rolls every 5 levels.\n\n  --> \tMay Specialize (two slots) in any melee weapon available to\n     \tThieves.\n\n  --> \tMay place 3 slots into Two-Weapon Style.\n\nDisadvantages:\n  --> \tMay not use Backstab ability.\n\nShadowdancer\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND064}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThe Shadowdancer once had its merits, but I now consider well and\ntruly nerfed by Overhaul Games. First, however, let me just point out\nthat I consider it a waste to make a single-classed Thief for any\nreason, no matter what the kit. The point of having a Thief is, first\nand foremost, to get that necessary Find Traps skill into your party.\nFortunately, you can multi-class and dual-class to make the best of\nhaving a Thief. Not that a Thief is terrible, but a Fighter\/Thief or\nMage\/Thief (or best yet, a Fighter\/Mage\/Thief!) is much better than\na single-classed Thief. The draw of mixing a Shadowdancer into a\ndual-classed kit is, of course, its superior back-stabbing abilities,\nthanks to its Hide in Plain Sight ability-so good it had to be ripped\nout of 3rd Edition (except for the Assassin and Ranger, who just get\nscrewed here). What does it do? Lets you hide... in plain sight!\nNormally if a foe spots you, you can't hide. I know, this ability is a\nlittle lame because you can always run around a corner or cast\ninvisibility... so a multi-class Thief who can cast Mage spells need\nnot worry, nor does any Thief equipped with The Paws of the Cheetah,\nand ignoring the fact that invisibility items are common as dirt in this\ngame, it's a good ability. They also get Shadowstep once for every\nfive levels, which acts like a non-combative Time Stop, allowing\nyou to move for one round while everything else is frozen... which is\nactually a pretty good tactical ability. Need to get behind that Mage\nin the midst of a group of guards before they can expose your\ninvisibility, and want to get back out in one piece after attacking?\nHere you go. The downsides to this kit always limited the benefits,\nbut less so before than now. The folks at Overhaul Games apparently\nrealized that a Shadowdancer with good Hide in Shadows and Move\nSilenty could essentially backstab foes at will thanks to Hide in\nPlain sight, and responded with putting a cooldown timer (about one\nround) on the Stealth skill after using Backstab. Worse still, they\nnerfed the Shadowdancer's short-term Backstab multiplier in favor of<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
long-term gains, which is not what we want as a potential dual-class.\nPreviously you could obtain a x3 multiplier by the time you hit 9th\nlevel, but the same bonus now requires an 18th level Shadowdancer.\nYou'd have to exceed that level with a second class to get your original\nbonuses back, and that is simply impractical, even if you're rather\npower-gamey (by comparison, an Assassin would enjoy a x7 backstab at\na lower level, plus a flat +1 bonus to attack and damage). Put those\ntwo together and you've got a class that can't quite backstab with\nimpunity, and doesn't even recieve a backstab damage bonus until 9th\nlevel.\n\nAdvantages:\n  -->\t+10% bonus to Hide in Shadows and Move Silently.\n \n  -->\tHide in Plain Sight: A Shadowdancer may Hide in Shadows even\n\twhile being observed.\n\n  -->\tMay cast Shadowstep once per day every 5 levels.\n\nSHADOWSTEP: Step into the Shadow Plane and move for 7 seconds while\nothers are frozen in time. The Shadowdancer cannot attack or cast spells\nwhile in the Shadow Plane:\n\n  -->\tSlippery Mind: +1 bonus to Saving Throws.\n\nDisadvantages:\n  -->\tAlignment restricted to any non-lawful.\n\n  -->\tMay use Backstab ability, although for a lower damage mutliplier\n\tthan Thieves:\n\tLevel 1-8: x1 (no multiplier)\n\tLevel 9-17: x2\n\tLevel 18-24: x3\n\tLevel 25+ x4\n\n  -->\tMay only distribute 20 skill points per level (30 at level 1)\n\tamong thieving skills.\n\n  -->\tMay not use Set Snare ability.\n\no==========================o\n|Thief\/Cleric\t\t   |\t\t\t\t\t{DND065}\no==========================o\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nWell, might as well mention it eh? The Thief\/Cleric is an odd, and at\nodds with itself character. You won't be wearing any heavy armor if you \nwant to keep your Thief skills, but you can certainly wear light armor \nwith no problem. Of course, you're stuck with the Cleric's selection of \nweapons, but you'll be able to use all the Thief skills, including \nbackstab. Honestly the Mage spells seem a better fit for a Thief, which \nis more of a stay back out of the way kinda class, as opposed to the \nCleric, which is often a decently armored character who can stand up in \ncombat. This might be an interesting dual-class, provided you don't care \nthat your Cleric won't be as tough as if you had dual-classed with a \nFighter.\n\no==========================o\n|Wild Mage\t\t   |\t\t\t\t\t{DND066}\no==========================o\nCLASS FEATURES:\n  -->\tMay memorize one additional spell per level.\n \n  --> \tMay cast the 1st level spell Nahal's Reckless Dweomer.\n\n  --> \tMay cast the 2nd level spell Chaos Shield (included in spellbook\n     \tfor free).\n\n  --> \tMay cast the 7th level spell Improved Chaos Shield (included in\n     \tspellbook for free).\n\n  -->\tUpon casting a spell, there is a 5% chance of incurring in a \n     \tWild Surge.\n\nWILD SURGE: A Wild Surge generates a completely random magical effect\nfrom the spell being cast. Its effects may be either beneficial or\ndetrimental to the Wild Mage and her allies.\n\n  -->\tCasting level varies slightly whenever she casts a spell--\n\tanywhere between five levels lower and five levels higher than\n\tthe WildMage's true level.\n\n  -->\tHit Die: d4\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nYou take a normal specialist Mage, remove their prohibited school, and\nadd massive randonmess to everything they do, and you've got the Wild\nMage. I know that when I cast spells, I always find myself wistfully\nwishing that I had a chance to change my gender or cast a Fireball on\nmyself. Seriously though, the odds of having Wild Magic doing something\nbeneficial actually isn't that low. Having it do the RIGHT beneficial\nthing to the right target, however, is rather uncommon. You're\nessentially trading the known penalty of a prohibited spell school for\nthe random 5% chance to... well... check out the table below [DND069].\nSuffice to say, I don't find randomness helpful when it comes to my\nMages. We already have to deal with targeting, Magic Resistance, Saving\nThrows, and the possibility of getting interrupted by damage. Magic is\nbusy enough already. On top of that, every spell they DO successfully\ncast without triggering a Magic Surge also fluctuates by up to five\nlevels (plus or minus) the caster's level. At level one, this doesn't\nmatter much-you really only stand to gain, but as you level up, this\nadds serious uncertainty to the duration and damage of many spells. All\nin all, what does a Wild Mage have over a Conjurer? Identify, True\nSight, and massive randomness to everything they do, that's what.\n\nWild Mage\nLevel\tEXP\t\tHP\tSpells\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n1\tn\/a\t\t1d4\t1\n2\t2,500\t\t2d4\t2\n3\t5,000\t\t3d4\t2\/1\n4\t10,000\t\t4d4\t3\/2\n5\t20,000\t\t5d4\t4\/2\/1\n6\t40,000\t\t6d4\t4\/2\/2\n7\t60,000\t\t7d4\t4\/3\/2\/1\n8\t90,000\t\t8d4\t4\/3\/3\/2\n9\t135,000 \t9d4\t4\/3\/3\/2\/1\n10\t250,000 \t9d4+1   4\/4\/3\/2\/2\n11\t375,000 \t9d4+2   4\/4\/4\/3\/3\n12\t750,000  \t9d4+3   4\/4\/4\/4\/4\/1\n13\t1,125,000\t9d4+4   5\/5\/5\/4\/4\/2\n14\t1,500,000\t9d4+5   5\/5\/5\/4\/4\/2\/1\n15\t1,875,000\t9d4+6   5\/5\/5\/5\/5\/2\/1\n16\t2,250,000\t9d4+7   5\/5\/5\/5\/5\/3\/2\/1\n17*\t2,625,000\t9d4+8\t5\/5\/5\/5\/5\/3\/3\/2\n31\t7,875,000\t9d4+22  5\/5\/5\/5\/5\/5\/5\/5\/4\n\t\t\t\t(max at level 34)\n\nWild Surge Table\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND067}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis table was taken straight from the Throne of Bhaal manual.\n\no====o=================================================================o\n|Roll|                        Wild Surge Effect              \t       |\no====o=================================================================o\n|  1 | Repulsion field centred on the caster\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n|  2 | Wild colour changes upon the caster\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n|  3 | Squirrels appear around caster\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n|  4 | The caster becomes itchy\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n|  5 | The caster glows\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n|  6 | A fireball centres on the caster\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n|  7 | The caster\u2019s sex is changed\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n|  8 | The caster\u2019s colour changes\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n|  9 | Every one in the area changes direction\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 10 | Explosion centred on caster\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 11 | Entangle spell centred on caster\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 12 | Slow spell centred on target\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 13 | Target polymorphed into a wolf\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 14 | Caster held\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 15 | Caster hasted\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 16 | Caster changed into a squirrel\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 17 | Gold on the caster is destroyed\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 18 | Target weakened\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 19 | Sunfire spell centred on caster\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 20 | Movement rate lowered on target\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 21 | Fireball centred on caster\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 22 | Caster held as per the spell Hold Person\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 23 | Fear spell centred on target\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 24 | Roll twice more. Both effects apply\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 25 | Entire area explored\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 26 | Globe of invulnerability centred on target\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 27 | Silence 15 foot radius centred on caster\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 28 | Caster dizzy\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 29 | Target invisible\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 30 | Pretty sparkles! No other effect\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 31 | Caster is spell\u2019s target\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 32 | Caster becomes invisible\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 33 | Colour spray from caster\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 34 | Birds appear around the caster\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 35 | Fireball centred on caster. No damage done\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 36 | Gems created on caster\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 37 | Combat music starts\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 38 | Goodberries created on caster\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 39 | Fireball flies toward target\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 40 | Charges drained on area effect around target\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 41 | Random treasure created on caster\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 42 | Caster is combat ready (+2 THACO +2 Damage)\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 43 | Teleport field spell centred on caster\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 44 | Teleport field spell centred on target\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 45 | Area effect hiccups centred on target\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 46 | All doors in area of effect open. If there are no doors, then   |\n|    | roll twice and use both effects\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 47 | Caster polymorphs into wolf\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 48 | Change target randomly\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 49 | Caster recuperates as if he rested\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 50 | Monsters summoned by target\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 51 | Start snowing if outside, otherwise roll twice more\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 52 | Loud noise. Target must save or be stunned\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 53 | Target\u2019s hit points doubled\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 54 | Summon demon to attack target\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 55 | Spell fired but with squealing noise\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 56 | Spell goes off but duration is halved\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 57 | Strange visual effect, but the spell fizzles\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 58 | Projectile speed halved\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 59 | All weapons in the area glow\t\t\t \t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 60 | No saving throw is allowed against the spell\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 61 | Target is held as per the Hold Person spell\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 62 | Detect magic spell centred on target\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 63 | Roll 4 more times. All effects happen\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 64 | Slow spell centred on target\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 65 | Instead of the chosen spell, a different spell of the same level|\n|    | goes off\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 66 | Lightning bolt spell cast at target\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 67 | Target strengthened\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 68 | Heal centred on the target\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 69 | Entangle target\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 70 | Caster weakened\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 71 | Fireball spell centred on target\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 72 | Flesh to stone on target\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 73 | Spell fired. Caster also recuperated as if rested\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 74 | Heal spell centred on caster\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 75 | Target dizzy\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 76 | Sunfire centred on target (caster unaffected)\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 77 | Target held\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 78 | Target blinded\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 79 | Target charmed\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 80 | Gems created on target\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 81 | Target\u2019s movement rate reduced\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 82 | Random treasure created on target\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 83 | Target polymorphed into squirrel\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 84 | Silence 15 foot radius centred on target\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 85 | Target\u2019s sex changed\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 86 | Fake explosion (no damage) centred on target\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 87 | Stinking cloud centred on target\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 88 | Cow falls from sky on the target\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 89 | Target dizzy\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 90 | Spell has 60 foot radius at target (change projectile)\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 91 | Target itchy\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 92 | Casters hit points doubled\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 93 | Target held\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 94 | Target hastened\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 95 | Destroy all gold on target\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 96 | Spell casts at double effectiveness\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 97 | Spell cast, -4 to target\u2019s saving throw\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 98 | Target\u2019s colour changed\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 99 | Spell cast at double level\t\t\t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n|100 | Spell casts normally\t\t\t\t\t       |\no====o=================================================================o\n\nAlignment\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND068}\no======================================================================o\nThe alignment of your protagonist only matters so much in the first\ngame. In the sequel the allies you choose will react to your alignment\nmore, so you should try to choose party members who have an alignment\nsimilar to yours. Where alignment really matters is between your NPCs.\nEvil characters will react poorly to good characters, and vise-verse,\nand in some instances violence may erupt between two allies. This is\nless of a problem in the first game than in the sequel, but spare\nyourself the aggravation and choose party members of like alignment.\nIf your protagonist is good-aligned, choose good or neutral characters.\nIf your protagonist is evil-aligned, choose evil or neutral characters.\nIf your protagonist is neutral, pick either good, or evil, but not\nboth.\n\nAnother reason for having some continuity of alignment within your\nparty is your reputation. Good characters will be happy with a high \nreputation and unhappy with a low reputation, while evil characters\nwill be happy with a low reputation and unhappy with a high reputation.\nAt a neutral reputation, nobody is happy. If your reputation gets too\nhigh (19+), your evil characters will disband. If your reputation gets\ntoo low (2-) your good characters will disband. Since a high reputation\nwill earn you discounts at shops, it's always a good idea to keep your\nalignment in the teens, at least. Discounts are good, and you can't\nreally afford to be pure 'evil' anyways, as a reputation of 1 will earn\nyou some pretty serious harassment by groups of Cowled Wizards and\nKnights of the Heart. That's right, even evil characters will want to\nkeep their reputation reasonable... fairly high, even, for the purpose\nof purchasing items. Speaking of reputation and alignment, your starting\nreputation varies depending upon your protagonist's alignment, as\nfollows:\n\n\t\to===============o===============o\n\t\t|   Alignment\t|   Starting\t|\n\t\t|\t  \t|  Reputation\t|\n\t\to===============o===============o\n\t\t|  Lawful Good\t|      12\t|\n\t\t|---------------|---------------|\n\t\t| Neutral Good\t|      11\t|\n\t\t|---------------|---------------|\n\t\t| Chaotic Good\t|      11\t|\n\t\t|---------------|---------------|\n\t\t|Lawful Neutral\t|      10\t|\n\t\t|---------------|---------------|\n\t\t| True Neutral\t|      10\t|\n\t\t|---------------|---------------|\n\t\t|Chaotic Neutral|      10\t|\n\t\t|---------------|---------------|\n\t\t|  Lawful Evil\t|       9\t|\n\t\t|---------------|---------------|\n\t\t| Neutral Evil\t|\t9\t|\n\t\t|---------------|---------------|\n\t\t| Chaotic Evil\t|\t8\t|\n\t\to===============o===============o\n\nReputation Effects\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND069}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThese are derived from the manual... save that the manual misprints the\nrequired donation at reputation values of 13 and 14 as 200 gold and\n500 gold. They should be 1200 gold and 1500 gold, respectively.\n\t\t\t\no======================================================================o\n|Reputation|Item Cost|Donation Required|        Additional Effects     |\no==========o=========o=================o===============================o\n|    20    |  -50%   |       --        |+4 Reaction Adjustment\t       |\n|    19    |  -40%   |       --        |+3 Reaction Adjustment\t       |\n|    18    |  -30%   |       --        |+3 Reaction Adjustment\t       |\n|    17    |  -20%   |      5000       |+2 Reaction Adjustment\t       |\n|    16    |  -10%   |      2500       |+2 Reaction Adjustment\t       |\n|    15    |  -10%   |      2000       |+1 Reaction Adjustment\t       |\n|    14    |  base   |      1500       |+1 Reaction Adjustment\t       |\n|    13    |  base   |      1200       |N\/A\t\t\t       |\n|    12    |  base   |       900       |N\/A\t\t\t       |\n|    11    |  base   |       700       |N\/A\t\t\t       |\n|    10    |  base   |       500       |N\/A\t\t\t       |\n|     9    |  +10%   |       400       |N\/A\t\t\t       |\n|     8    |  +20%   |       300       |N\/A\t\t\t       |\n|     7    |  +20%   |       200       |-1 Reaction Adjustment\t       |\n|     6    |  +30%   |       400       |-2 Reaction Adjustment         |\n|     5    |  +40%   |       500       |-3 Reaction Adjustment         |\n|     4    |  +50%   |      1000       |-4 Reaction Adjustment         |\n|     3    | +100%   |      1000       |-5 Reaction Adjustment*        |\n|     2    |will not |      1200       |-6 Reaction Adjustment*        |\n|     1    |  sell   |      1500       |-7 Reaction Adjustment*        |\no======================================================================o\n\n*Indicates that at this reputation you may get attacked by Cowled \nWizards and Knights of the Heart. This is not a good thing, and you \nshould try to ensure that your reputation stays above this mark.\n\nItem Cost: The rate of increase or decrease of the cost of items in a\nstore. It's funny, you'd think a thieves guild or dark elves would \nreward a low reputation, or simply not know about your reputation at \nall. Either way, the principle is simple, the higher your reputation, \nthe cheaper things will be.\n\nDonation Required: Give money to churches, and your reputation\nincreases. Why we assume that churches morally benefit humanity, I will\nnever be able to understand. It reminds me of watching the 700 Club\nwhen I was bored, listening to these predators telling desperately\npoor people that they can afford to give money to 'Jesus'... anyways,\nin a world with good and evil deities (as opposed to reality, which just\nhas evil ones) wouldn't giving money to an evil diety like Umberlee\nlower your reputation? Evidently not. Even if you give money to sexist,\njealous, petty gods who delight in killing humans, your reputation\nimproves. Talk about art imitating reality..\n\nAbilities\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND070}\no======================================================================o\nYour abilities define what your character is good at. I prefer to call\nthem attributes, so if I mess up and refer to them as attributes later,\nwell, I'm talking about abilities. You have six abilities, and you can\nre-roll them until you get what you want... or close to it. Take\nadvantage of it, get comfortable, and get rolling. Before that, let me\nexplain them a bit, so you know what to shoot for.\n\nStrength\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND071}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nStrength is important for many reasons-obvious reasons. The stronger\nyou are, the more likely you are to deal effective blows, and the more\ndamage you deal in combat. To hit and damage bonuses are good things,\nand higher carry weight can reduce annoying trips back to town. Also,\nyour Strength limits what arms and armor you can equip. For that\nreason any and all characters who wish to compete in melee should\nstrive for an 18 Strength. Period. Mages can afford to use this as a\ndump-stat, but even Thieves and Bards are going to want to have enough\nStrength to wear some armor, wield swords and bows, and whatnot.\nWarrior types (Barbarians, Fighters, Paladins, Rangers, single, multi,\nor dual-classed) will automatically get exceptional Strength if they\nstart out with a Strength score of 18. This is a randomly generated\npercentile from 1-100, commonly known as exceptional Strength. While\nit becomes moot when you get the Manual of Gainful Exercise (thus\nbypassing exceptional Strength altogether an boosting your Strength by\na point-ideally from 18 to 19), for single-classed warriors starting\nout with a high exceptional Strength should be something to shoot for.\nI mean, a Fighter only needs three attributes at 18, which is easy\nenough to do. For multi-classed Warrior, however, don't sweat the\nexceptional Strength percentile. It's more important to get 18's in\nyour Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, and whatever other attribute\nyour class would be aided by (Intelligence for Fighter\/Mages, Wisdom for\nFighter\/Clerics, etc.).\n\n\t\to========o=====o======o======o=====o\n\t\t| Score  |THAC0|Damage|Weight|Bash%|\n\t\to========o=====o======o======o=====o\n\t\t|    3   | -3  |  -1  |   5  |  3  |\n\t\t|    4   | -2  |  -1  |  15  |  4  |\n\t\t|    5   | -2  |  -1  |  15  |  4  |\n\t\t|    6   | -1  |   0  |  30  |  6  |\n\t\t|    7   | -1  |   0  |  30  |  6  |\n\t\t|    8   |  0  |   0  |  50  |  8  |\n\t\t|    9   |  0  |   0  |  50  |  8  |\n\t\t|   10   |  0  |   0  |  70  | 10  |\n\t\t|   11   |  0  |   0  |  70  | 10  |\n\t\t|   12   |  0  |   0  |  90  | 12  |\n\t\t|   13   |  0  |   0  |  90  | 12  |\n\t\t|   14   |  0  |   0  | 120  | 14  |\n\t\t|   15   |  0  |   0  | 120  | 14  |\n\t\t|   16   |  0  |  +1  | 150  | 16  |\n\t\t|   17   | +1  |  +1  | 170  | 18  |\n\t\t|   18   | +1  |  +2  | 200  | 20  |\n\t\t|18\/01-50| +1  |  +3  | 220  | 25  |\n\t\t|18\/51-75| +2  |  +3  | 250  | 30  |\n\t\t|18\/76-90| +2  |  +4  | 280  | 35  |\n\t\t|18\/91-99| +2  |  +5  | 320  | 40  |\n\t\t| 18\/00  | +3  |  +6  | 400  | 45  |\n\t\t|   19\t | +3  |  +7  | 500  | 50  |\n\t\t|   20\t | +3  |  +8  | 600  | 55  |\n\t\t|   21   | +4  |  +9  | 700  | 60  |\n\t\t|   22   | +4  |  +10 | 800  | 65  |\n\t\t|   23   | +5  |  +11 | 1000 | 70  |\n\t\t|   24   | +6  |  +12 | 1200 | 75  |\n\t\t|   25   | +7  |  +14 | 1600 | 80  |\n\t\to========o=====o======o======o=====o\n\n\nDexterity\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND072}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis affects your Armor Class and your THAC0 adjustment for missile \nweapons. EVERY character should get an 18 Dexterity for the wonderful \n-4 Armor Class modifier. Period. Anybody else find it odd that the\nhighest bonus a PC can legitimately have (18, -4) is only two points of\nArmor Class shy of the Armor Class bonus gained by the fastest critters\nin 2nd Edition (25, -6)? Ah, 2nd Edition was funny...\n\n\t\t\to=======o=======o=======o\n\t\t\t| Score |Missile| Armor |\n\t\t\t|\t|Adjust.| Class |\n\t\t\to=======o=======o=======o\n\t\t\t|   0\t|  -20\t|  +5\t|\n\t\t\t|   1\t|  -6\t|  +5\t|\n\t\t\t|   2   |  -4\t|  +5\t|\n\t\t\t|   3   |  -3   |  +4\t|\n\t\t\t|   4   |  -2   |  +3\t|\n\t\t\t|   5   |  -1   |  +2\t|\n\t\t\t|   6   |   0   |  +1\t|\n\t\t\t|   7   |   0   |   0\t|\n\t\t\t|   8   |   0   |   0\t|\n\t\t\t|   9   |   0   |   0\t|\n\t\t\t|  10   |   0   |   0\t|\n\t\t\t|  11   |   0   |   0\t|\n\t\t\t|  12   |   0   |   0\t|\n\t\t\t|  13   |   0   |   0\t|\n\t\t\t|  14   |   0   |   0\t|\n\t\t\t|  15   |   0   |  -1\t|\n\t\t\t|  16   |  +1   |  -2\t|\n\t\t\t|  17   |  +2   |  -3\t|\n\t\t\t|  18   |  +2   |  -4\t|\n\t\t\t|  19\t|  +3   |  -4\t|\n\t\t\t|  20\t|  +3   |  -4\t|\n\t\t\t|  21   |  +4   |  -5\t|\n\t\t\t|  22   |  +4   |  -5\t|\n\t\t\t|  23   |  +4   |  -5\t|\n\t\t\t|  24   |  +5   |  -6\t|\n\t\t\t|  25   |  +5   |  -6\t|\n\t\t\to=======o=======o=======o\n\nNote: Your Dexterity will also affect your Thief abilities... if you\nhave any, of course. See [DND084] for more information.\n\nConstitution\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND073}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis attribute gives you Hit Points. Hit points are good. At 16, you \ngain a +2 bonus to Hit Points gained per level, which for non-warriors \nis the highest bonus possible. The number to the right lists the bonus \nfor warriors (Fighters, Paladins, Rangers, and their kits), which is +4\nat 18. All warriors should have an 18 Constitutuion, but non-warriors\nonly really need a 15. Once they get the Manual of Gainful exercise,\nthey'll raise to 16, and be good to go.\n\n\t\to=======o===============o=======o\n\t\t| Score |Hit Points per |Regen. |\n\t\t|\t|     Level\t| Rate\t|\n\t\to=======o===============o=======o\n\t\t|   1\t|      -3\t|   0\t|\n\t\t|   2\t|      -2\t|   0\t|\n\t\t|   3   |      -2\t|   0\t|\n\t\t|   4   |      -1  \t|   0\t|\n\t\t|   5   |      -1  \t|   0\t|\n\t\t|   6   |      -1  \t|   0\t|\n\t\t|   7   |       0  \t|   0\t|\n\t\t|   8   |       0  \t|   0\t|\n\t\t|   9   |       0  \t|   0\t|\n\t\t|  10   |       0  \t|   0\t|\n\t\t|  11   |       0  \t|   0\t|\n\t\t|  12   |       0  \t|   0\t|\n\t\t|  13   |  \t0  \t|   0\t|\n\t\t|  14   |  \t0  \t|   0\t|\n\t\t|  15   |  \t+1  \t|   0\t|\n\t\t|  16   | \t+2  \t|   0\t|\n\t\t|  17   |     +2\/+3\t|   0\t|\n\t\t|  18   |     +2\/+4\t|   0\t|\n\t\t|  19\t|     +2\/+5\t|   0\t|\n\t\t|  20\t|     +2\/+5\t|  60\t|\n\t\t|  21   |     +2\/+6\t|  50   |\n\t\t|  22   |     +2\/+6\t|  40   |\n\t\t|  23   |     +2\/+6\t|  30   |\n\t\t|  24   |     +2\/+7\t|  20   |\n\t\t|  25   |     +2\/+7\t|  10   |\n\t\to=======o===============o=======o\n\nNote: In the Regeneration Rate column, what the hell do those numbers\nmean? Well, they're a measure of the time it takes to regenerate a lost\nHit Point... but not REAL time, no, that would be too simple-it's the\nnumber of game-time seconds it takes to regenerate a lost Hit Point.\nSo for a Constitution score of 20, it takes 60 seconds-one minute-of\ngame-time to recover one Hit Point. One minute of game-time is 2.5\nseconds of real time, so our rate of time-lapse difference is\n60\/2.5 = 24:1. This makes sense, doesn't it? It means that one hour\nspent playing in real-time is one day of game-time. So divide all those\nnumbers by 24, and that's how many seconds it takes to recover a lost\nHit Point.\n\nIntelligence\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND074}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nIf you're a Mage, get an 18, if not, it's a dump stat. By 'dump stat',\nI mean lower it to 10 or so to put the excess points in other attributes\nyou actually need. 'Max Spell Level' refers to the highest level of\nspell you'll be able to cast if you're a Mage. Note that if you're a\ntriple class Mage, you only need a 15 Intelligence as you'll never be\nable to memorize 9th level spells anyways (the tome will raise your\nintelligence high enough to cast 8th level spells.) 'Max Spells per\nSpell Level' is the maximum number of different spells you can have in\nyour spell book per level. This will never be a deciding factor as you\ncan simply drink a potion to temporarily allow you to scribe more spells\nthan your spells per level allowance. In fact, you can just use potions\nin a timely manner to scribe all the spells you wish, allowing you to\nhave as low of an Intelligence as you please regardless of your natural\n'Max Spell Levle or 'Max Spells per Spell Level'. Still, it's just more\nconvenient to have the natural Intelligence instead of having to rely on\npotions all the time and scribing spells all at once. If you fail at\nscribing a scroll, simply reload until you succeed. Lore is your ability\nto identify magical  items. You'll legitimately never get high enough to\nidentify everything, so you'll always need the Identify spell, making\nlore a non-issue. \n\n\to=======o=======o=======o===============o=======o\n\t|\t| Learn\t|  Max\t|Max Spells per |\t|\n\t| Score\t| Spell\t| Spell\t|  Spell Level  | Lore\t|\n\t|\t|Chance\t| Level\t|\t\t|\t|\n\to=======o=======o=======o===============o=======o\n\t|   0\t|   0%\t|   -\t|\t-\t|  -20\t|\n\t|   1\t|   0%\t|   -   |\t-\t|  -20\t|\n\t|   2\t|   0%\t|   -\t|\t-\t|  -20\t|\n\t|   3   |   0%\t|   -   |       -       |  -20\t|\n\t|   4   |   0%\t|   -   |       -       |  -20\t|\n\t|   5   |   0%\t|   -   |       -       |  -20\t|\n\t|   6   |   0%\t|   -   |       -       |  -20\t|\n\t|   7   |   0%\t|   -   |       -       |  -10\t|\n\t|   8   |   0%\t|   -   |       -       |  -10\t|\n\t|   9   |   0%\t|  4th  |       6       |  -10\t|\n\t|  10   |  35%\t|  5th  |       7       |   0 \t|\n\t|  11   |  40%\t|  5th  |       7       |   0 \t|\n\t|  12   |  45%\t|  6th  |       7       |   0 \t|\n\t|  13   |  50%\t|  6th  |       9       |   0 \t|\n\t|  14   |  55%\t|  7th  |       9       |   0 \t|\n\t|  15   |  60%\t|  7th  |      11       |  +3 \t|\n\t|  16   |  65%\t|  8th  |      11       |  +5 \t|\n\t|  17   |  75%\t|  8th  |      14       |  +7 \t|\n\t|  18   |  85%\t|  9th  |      18       |  +10\t|\n\t|  19\t|  95%\t|  9th  |      All      |  +12\t|\n\t|  20\t|  96%\t|  9th  |      All      |  +15\t|\n\t|  21   |  97%\t|  9th  |      All      |  +20\t|\n\t|  22   |  98%\t|  9th  |      All      |  +25\t|\n\t|  23   |  99%\t|  9th  |      All      |  +30\t|\n\t|  24   | 100%\t|  9th  |      All      |  +35\t|\n\t|  25   | 100%\t|  9th  |      All      |  +40\t|\n\to=======o=======o=======o===============o=======o\n\nWisdom\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND075}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nIf you're a Cleric or a Druid, you want an 18. If you're a Mage, you \nmight want at least a 14 to use the Wish spell effectively in Baldur's \nGate 2. Otherwise, it's a dump stat. For Clerics and Druids you don't \nhave a spell level maximum for a low Wisdom in 2nd Wdition, but higher\nWisdom nets you bonus spells. Definitely a draw for single class\ncharacters, but if you simply cannot spread your points out enough to\nget a great Wisdom, it's not that big of a deal. And keep in mind, there\nare three tomes in the game that add a 1 point bonus to this stat. The\nbonus spells are listed by level, at 17 you'd get 2 first level spells,\n2 second level spells, and 1 third level spell. \n\n\t\to=======o===============o=======o\n\t\t| Score | Bonus Spells  | Lore  |\n\t\to=======o===============o=======o\n\t\t|   3   |-              |  -20\t|\n\t\t|   4   |-              |  -20\t|\n\t\t|   5   |-              |  -20\t|\n\t\t|   6   |-              |  -20\t|\n\t\t|   7   |-              |  -10\t|\n\t\t|   8   |-              |  -10\t|\n\t\t|   9   |0              |  -10\t|\n\t\t|  10   |0              |   0 \t|\n\t\t|  11   |0              |   0 \t|\n\t\t|  12   |0              |   0 \t|\n\t\t|  13   |1              |   0 \t|\n\t\t|  14   |2              |   0 \t|\n\t\t|  15   |2\/1            |  +3 \t|\n\t\t|  16   |2\/2            |  +5 \t|\n\t\t|  17   |2\/2\/1          |  +7 \t|\n\t\t|  18   |2\/2\/1\/1        |  +10\t|\n\t\t|  19\t|3\/2\/1\/2        |  +12\t|\n\t\t|  20\t|3\/3\/1\/3        |  +15\t|\n\t\t|  21   |3\/3\/2\/3\/1      |  +20\t|\n\t\t|  22   |3\/3\/2\/4\/2      |  +25\t|\n\t\t|  23   |3\/3\/2\/4\/4      |  +30\t|\n\t\t|  24   |3\/3\/2\/4\/4\/2    |  +35\t|\n\t\t|  25   |3\/3\/2\/4\/4\/3\/1  |  +40\t|\n\t\to=======o===============o=======o\n\nCharisma\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND076}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nCharisma affects NPC reactions to you and determines shop\nprices. Rarely you'll get a better reward for having a higher Charisma.\nIt's a dump stat for everybody except Bards, who should get an 18 in it,\nand Paladins, who don't really have much of a choice when it comes to\nCharisma. To get the best discounts, make sure to have your character\nwith the highest Charisma as party leader when interacting with the\nshopkeeper.\n\n\t\t\to========o========o\n\t\t\t| Score  |Reaction|\n\t\t\to========o========o\n\t\t\t|    3   |   -5   | \n\t\t\t|    4   |   -4   |\n\t\t\t|    5   |   -3   |\n\t\t\t|    6   |   -2   |\n\t\t\t|    7   |   -1   |\n\t\t\t|    8   |    0   |\n\t\t\t|    9   |    0   |\n\t\t\t|   10   |    0   |\n\t\t\t|   11   |    0   |\n\t\t\t|   12   |    0   |\n\t\t\t|   13   |   +1   |\n\t\t\t|   14   |   +2   |\n\t\t\t|   15   |   +3   |\n\t\t\t|   16   |   +4   |\n\t\t\t|   17   |   +4   |\n\t\t\t|   18   |   +5   |\n\t\t\t|   19\t |   +8   |\n\t\t\t|   20\t |   +9   |\n\t\t\t|   21   |   +10  |\n\t\t\t|   22   |   +11  |\n\t\t\t|   23   |   +12  |\n\t\t\t|   24   |   +13  |\n\t\t\t|   25   |   +14  |\n\t\t\to========o========o\n\nIncreasing Your Abilities\t\t\t\t\t{DND077}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nIn Baldur's Gate 1 there were lovely little books that increased an\nattribute by one when read... no such luck for Baldur's Gate 2, but\neven though you won't be reading your way to superiority, there are\nsome ways to improve your attributes in Baldur's Gate 2, which I will\nlist below. Most of them are kind of questy, so if you're skittish about\n***SPOILERS*** you might want to stop reading. Oh, and this list only\nincludes permanent attribute increases, and, in a few instances,\npotentially unavoidable losses.\n\n  -->\tAfter being captured by Irenicus in Spellhold, during the\n\tCandlekeep dream sequence immediately after losing your soul,\n\tyou'll have to talk to a Demon at the entrance to the\n\tCandlekeep Library. This Demon will require an attribute\n\tsacrifice. It's a quest in the main story, and there is no way\n\tto avoid this loss, so just pick the least harmful loss you can.\n\t\nAttribute LOSS:\t[Dexterity -1]\t  or\n\t\t[Constitution -1] or \n\t\t[Intelligence -1] or\n\t\t[Wisdom -1]\n\n  -->\tAfter defeating Irenicus in Suldanesselar you will arrive in\n\tHell, where you must complete several tests. If you pick the\n\tevil path during the Test of Fear, you will gain Constitution.\n\nAttribute GAIN:\t[Constitution +2]\n\n  -->\tAfter defeating Irenicus in Suldanesselar you will arrive in\n\tHell, where you must complete several tests. If you pick the\n\tgood path during the Test of Selfishness, you will lose\n\tDexterity.\n\nAttribute LOSS:\t[Dexterity -1]\n\n  -->\tAfter defeating Irenicus in Suldanesselar you will arrive in\n\tHell, where you must complete several tests. If you pick the\n\tevil path during the Test of Wrath, you will gain Strength, or,\n\tif you pick the good path during the Test of Wrath you will gain\n\tWisdom and Charisma.\n\nAttribute GAIN:\t[Strength +2]\tor\n\t\t[Wisdom +1] and [Charisma +1]\n\n  -->\tWith the Deck of Many Things, if you draw the 'Star' card, that\n\tcharacter will gain on attribute point, depending upon their\n\tclass.\n\n\t(Note: For multi-classed combos, the Fighter class is\n\tconsidered secondary to every other class. A Fighter\/Thief will\n\tgain Dexterity, a Fighter\/Mage will gain Intelligence, and a\n\tFighter\/Cleric will gain Wisdom.)\n\nAttribute GAIN: [Strength +1]     (Warriors)      or\n\t\t[Desterity +1]    (Bard\/Thief)    or\n\t\t[Intelligence +1] (Mage)          or\n\t\t[Wisdom +1]       (Cleric\/Druid) \n\n  -->\tIn Watcher's Keep you will find the Machine of Lum the Mad.\n\tIf you input the following code: Circle, Blue, Long, you will\n\tgain Intelligence.\n\nAttribute GAIN: [Intelligence +1]\n\n  -->\tIn Watcher's Keep you will find the Machine of Lum the Mad.\n\tIf you input the following code: Circle, Red, Long, you will\n\tgain Constitution.\n\nAttribute GAIN: [Constitution +1]\n\n  -->\tIn Watcher's Keep you will find the Machine of Lum the Mad.\n\tIf you input the following code: Circle, Square, Triangle, you\n\twill gain Wisdom.\n\nAttribute GAIN: [Wisdom +1]\n\n  -->\tIn Watcher's Keep you will find the Machine of Lum the Mad.\n\tIf you input the following code: Square, Blue, Short you will\n\tgain Dexterity.\n\nAttribute GAIN: [Dexterity +1]\n\n  -->\tIn Watcher's Keep you will find the Machine of Lum the Mad.\n\tIf you input the following code: Square, Short, Medium, you will\n\tgain Strength.\n\nAttribute GAIN: [Strength +1]\n\nSuggested Abilities by Class\t\t\t\t\t{DND078}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nBelow are the starting abilities I would suggest rolling for each class\nat a minimum, ignoring racial modifiers and class modifiers. All classes\ninclude their kits-an Inquisitor needs the same abilities as a Paladin,\na Skald needs the same abilities as a Bard, etc. This list is not set\nin stone-especially for dual-class combos. An Assassin\/Fighter, for\nexample, need not worry about warrior-esque Constitution (17+) if they\nplan to gain more than ten levels as an Assassin, early dual-classing\nMages need not worry about high Intelligence, etc. Note that it is\npossible-but extremely time-consuming-to surpass even some of the\ntougher suggestions here-I've rolled up a Fighter\/Mage with the\nsuggested stats below plus four points to spare before. Three 18's is\neasily attainable if you roll a bit, four 18's is difficult-but possible\nif you're willing to spend... an hour or so. Anything more, and... good\nluck. I know, I know, who wants to spend all day rolling up a character?\nBut if you plan to play both Baldur's Gate games with one character,\nthat's a lot of time in itself... might as well make sure you've got a\ncharacter who's up to snuff before you start, I say.\n\n\t\t\tSTR\tDEX\tCON\tINT\tWIS\tCHA\nBarbarian\t\t18(91+) 18\t18\t10~\t10~\t10~\nBard\t\t\t10~\t18\t15\t13~\t10~\t18\nCleric\t\t\t18\t18\t15\t10~\t18\t10~\nCleric\/Mage\t\t18\t18\t15\t18\t18\t10~\nCleric\/Ranger\t\t18(xx)\t18\t18\t10~\t18~\t10~\nCleric\/Thief\t\t18\t18\t15\t10~\t18\t10~\nDruid\t\t\t18\t18\t15\t10~\t18\t15~\nFighter\t\t\t18(91+)\t18\t18\t10~\t10~\t10~\nFighter\/Cleric\t\t18(xx)\t18\t18\t10~\t18\t10~\nFighter\/Druid\t\t18(xx)\t18\t18\t10~\t18\t15~\nFighter\/Mage\t\t18(xx)\t18\t18\t18\t10~\t10~\nFighter\/Mage\/Cleric\t18(xx)\t18\t18\t18\t10~\t10~\nFighter\/Mage\/Thief\t18(xx)\t18\t18\t18\t10~\t10~\nFighter\/Thief\t\t18(91+)\t18\t18\t10~\t10~\t10~\nMage\t\t\t10~\t18\t15\t18\t10~\t10~\nMage\/Thief\t\t10~\t18\t15\t18\t10~\t10~\nMonk\t\t\t18\t18\t15\t10~\t10~\t10~\nPaladin\t\t\t18(91+)\t18\t18\t10~\t13~\t17~\nRanger\t\t\t18(91+)\t18\t18\t10~\t14~\t10~\nSorcerer\t\t10~\t18\t15\t18\t10~\t10~\nThief\t\t\t10~\t18\t15\t10~\t10~\t10~\nWild Mage\t\t10~\t18\t16\t18\t10~\t10~\n\nSkills\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND079}\no======================================================================o\nYou have a selection of skills... or rather, weapon proficiencies to\nchoose from, which has been greatly expanded from the first game. By\nexpanded I of course mean separated, so you simply need more points now\nto achieve the same thing. For example, Large Swords has been broken up\ninto Two Handed Sword, Long Swords, Scimitars, and Bastard Swords. I'll\nlist some suggestions by class for what weapons you might want to look\nout for, and hence, what kinds of proficiencies you want to buy.\n\nWeapon Proficiencies by Class\/Level\t\t\t\t{DND080}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n\t\t       \t          LEVEL\n \t\t   1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10 11 12\t\nWarrior\t\t   4  -  1  -  -  1  -  -  1  -  -  1  ...+1\/3 levels\nWizard\t\t   1  -  -  -  -  1  -  -  -  -  -  1  ...+1\/6 levels\nPriest\t\t   2  -  -  1  -  -  -  1  -  -  -  1  ...+1\/4 levels\nRogue\t\t   2  -  -  1  -  -  -  1  -  -  -  1  ...+1\/4 levels\n\n -->\tPriest includes Druids and Monks.\n\n -->\tRogue includes Bards.\n\n -->\tWarrior includes Barbarians, Paladins and Rangers.\n\n -->\tWizard includes Sorcerers.\n\nWeapon Proficiency Perks by Rank\t\t\t\t{DND081}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThese are the bonuses you gain by spending proficiency ranks in a weapon\ntype, taken straight from the screen.\n\no===============o=======o=======o=======o===============o==============o\n|     Level\t| Ranks\t|To Hit\t|Damage\t| Attacks\/Round\t| Speed Factor |\no===============o=======o=======o=======o===============o==============o\n|  Proficient\t|   1\t|  +0\t|  +0\t|       1\t|      +0      |\n|---------------|-------|-------|-------|---------------|--------------|\n|  Specialized  |   2\t|  +1\t|  +2\t|      3\/2\t|      +0      |\n|---------------|-------|-------|-------|---------------|--------------|\n|    Master     |   3\t|  +3\t|  +3\t|      3\/2\t|      +0      |\n|---------------|-------|-------|-------|---------------|--------------|\n|  High Master\t|   4\t|  +3\t|  +4\t|      3\/2\t|      +1      |\n|---------------|-------|-------|-------|---------------|--------------|\n| Grand Master\t|   5\t|  +3\t|  +5\t|       2\t|      +3      |\no===============o=======o=======o=======o===============o==============o\n\n -->\tBards, Clerics, Druids, Mages, and Thieves can only reach the\n\trank of Proficient.\n\n -->\tPaladins, Rangers, and multi-classed Fighters can only reach the\n\trank of Specialized.\n\n --> \tThe bonus attacks per round only applies to melee weapons.\n\n -->\tNon-warriors (Barbarians, Fighters, Paladins, Rangers, multi,\n\tsingle, or dual-classed) do not gain bonus attacks per round,\n\taccording to the game text. Of course... outside of the afore-\n\tmentioned warriors, only the Swashbuckler (Thief kit) can\n\tbecome Specialized in a weapon class, so it's mostly a moot\n\tpoint, anyways.\n\nFighting Style Perks by Rank\t\t\t\t\t{DND082}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nOf course, there's more to proficiencies than just the weapon classes-\nthere's also fighting styles! They don't give stock bonuses like\nweapon class proficiencies, and they aren't weapon specific-instead,\nthey potentially affect bonuses derived from fighting with a variety\nof weapons. Here it doesn't matter what you use, so much as how you use\nit. All fighting styles have two ranks, save Two-Weapon Style, which has\nthree ranks. In the case of the latter, you're not gaining bonuses so\nmuch as you're eliminating penalties-being able to fight with two\nweapons simultaneously is enough of a benefit.\n\nTwo-Handed: This fighting style allows the character to use a two-handed\n----------- weapon and receive special bonuses.\n\n  Proficient (1 rank): The wielder gets a +1 bonus to damage rolls, a -2\n  bonus to Speed Factor, and the ability to score critical hits on a\n  roll of 19 or 20 (instead of just 20) when using a two-handed weapon.\n\n  Specialized (2 ranks): The wielder gets a further -2 bonus to Speed\n  Factor.\n\nSword and Shield: Anyone can pick up a shield and get its basic\n----------------- protection bonuses, but by spending slots on this\n\t\t  fighting style, an adventurer can maximize the\n\t\t  benefits received.\n\n  Proficient (1 rank): The wielder gets a -2 bonus to AC against missile\n  weapons.\n\n  Specialized (2 ranks): The wielder gets a -4 bonus to AC against\n  missile weapons.\n\nSingle-Weapon: This fighting style is for characters who do not wish to\n-------------- use a shield but want some bonuses when using a one-\n\t       handed weapon.\n\n  Proficient (1 rank): The wielder gets a -1 bonus to AC and inflicts\n  critical damage on an attack roll of 19 or 20.\n\n  Specailized (2 ranks): The wielder gets a -2 bonus to AC and inflicts\n  critical damage on an attack roll of 19 or 20.\n\nTwo-Weapon: This fighting style allows the character to use two weapons\n----------- at the same time with fewer penalties. A character wielding\n\t    two weapons without a slot in this fighter style would incur\n\t    a -4 penalty to attack rolls with the main weapon and a -8\n\t    penalty with the off-hand weapon.\n\n  Proficient (1 rank): The wielder's penalties are reduced to -2 with\n  the main weapon an -6 with the off-hand weapon.\n\n  Specialized (2 ranks): The wielder's penalties are reduced to 0 with\n  the main weapon and -4 with the off-hand weapon.\n\n  Master (3 ranks): The wielder's penalties are reduced to 0 with the\n  main weapon and -2 with the off-hand weapon.\n\nProficiency Selection by Class\t\t\t\t\t{DND083}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nBelow you'll find listed the different weapon types in the Enhanced\nEdition of Baldur's Gate, and the classes who can use them. Remember\nthat in the case of multi-and-dual-classed characters, weapon\nproficiencies are additive-you get the best selections of all your\nclasses... unless you're a Cleric or a Druid, then it's restrictive.\nA Fighter\/Mage gets all the proficiency options of a Fighter.\nA Fighter\/Druid is restricted to using Druid-allowed weapons.\n\n\t\t\t|Barbarian\n\t\t\t|   |Bard\n\t\t\t|   |   |Cleric\n\t\t\t|   |   |   |Druid\n\t\t\t|   |   |   |   |Fighter\n\t\t\t|   |   |   |   |   |Mage\n\t\t\t|   |   |   |   |   |   |Monk\n\t\t\t|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |Paladin\n\t\t\t|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |Ranger\n\t\t\t|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |Sorcerer\n\t\t\t|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |Thief\n\t\t\t|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |\n\t\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nBastard Sword\t\t| x | x |   |   | x |   |   | x | x |   |   |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nLong Sword\t\t| x | x |   |   | x |   | x | x | x |   | x |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nShort Sword\t\t| x | x |   |   | x |   | x | x | x |   | x |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nAxe\t\t\t| x | x |   |   | x |   |   | x | x |   |   |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nTwo-Handed Sword\t| x | x |   |   | x |   |   | x | x |   |   |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nKatana\t\t\t| x | x |   |   | x |   | x | x | x |   | x |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nScimitar, etc.\t\t| x | x |   | x | x |   | x | x | x |   | x |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nDagger\t\t\t| x | x |   | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nWar Hammer\t\t| x | x | x |   | x |   |   | x | x |   | x |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nClub\t\t\t| x | x | x | x | x |   | x | x | x |   | x |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nSpear\t\t\t| x | x |   | x | x |   |   | x | x |   |   |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nHalberd\t\t\t| x | x |   |   | x |   |   | x | x |   |   |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nFlail\t\t\t| x | x | x |   | x |   |   | x | x |   |   |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nMace\t\t\t| x | x | x |   | x |   |   | x | x |   |   |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nQuarterstaff\t\t| x | x | x | x | x | x |   | x | x | x | x |<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nCrossbow\t\t| x | x |   |   | x |   |   | x | x |   | x |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nLongbow\t\t\t| x | x |   |   | x |   |   | x | x |   |   |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nShortbow\t\t| x | x |   |   | x |   |   | x | x |   | x |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nDart\t\t\t| x | x |   | x\t| x | x | x | x | x | x | x |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nSling\t\t\t| x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nTwo-Handed Weapon Style | x | x | x | x | x | x |   | x | x | x | x |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nSword and Shield Style\t| x | x | x | x | x | x |   | x | x | x | x |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nSingle-Weapon Style\t| x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nTwo-Weapon Style\t| x | x | x | x | x | x |   | x | x | x | x |\n\t\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\n\n  --> \tThe Blade (Bard kit) can Master (three ranks) in the Two-Weapon\n\tfighting style.\n\n  -->\tThe Kensai (Fighter kit) cannot allocate any ranks into missile\n\tweapons of any kind-crossbow, longbow, shortbow, dart, or sling,\n\tnor can they put any ranks into the Sword and Shield fighting\n\tstyle.\n\n  -->\tThe Berserker (Fighter kit) can only become Proficient\n\t(one rank) in missile weapons-crossbow, longbow, shortbow,\n\tdart, or sling.\n\n  -->\tThe Dwarven Defender (Fighter Kit) can attain High Mastery\n\t(four ranks) in Axes and War Hammers.\n\n  -->\tThe Dwarven Defender (Fighter Kit) cannot rise above the level\n\tof Specialized (two ranks) in any weapon class save Axes and\n\tWar Hammers.\n\n  -->\tThe Cavalier (Paladin kit) cannot allocate any ranks into\n\tmissile weapons of any kind-crossbow, longbow, shortbow, dart,\n\tor sling.\n\n  -->\tThe Ranger (and Ranger kits) can Master (three ranks) in the \n\tTwo-Weapon fighting style, and automatically start out\n\tSpecialized (two ranks) in the Two-Weapon fighting style.\n\n  -->\tThe Archer (Ranger kit) cannot rise above the level of\n\tProficient (one rank) in any melee weapon class.\n\n  -->\tThe Archer (Ranger kit) can attain the rank of Grand Mastery\n\t(five ranks) in missile weapons.\n\n  -->\tThe Beast Master (Ranger kit) cannot allocate any ranks into\n\tany metal weapons. They can only allocate ranks into the\n\tfollowing weapon classes: club, quarterstaff, crossbow, longbow,\n\tshortbow, dart, sling, and the fighting styles.\n\n  -->\tThe Swashbuckler (Thief kit) can Specialize in all the weapon\n\tclasses a Thief can allocate ranks into, and they can attain\n\tMastery (three ranks) in the Two-Weapon fighting style.\n\nThieving Skills\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND084}\no======================================================================o\nIn case you're wondering where to allocate your Thief ability points,\nI'll cover that here. In general though, you'll want to shoot for Find\nTraps. Once you have 100% Find Traps, you can move onto other things.\nFind Traps is the only thing that Thieves can do that a spell cannot.\nBelow are tables detailing how a character's race and Dexterity affects\ntheir Thief skills.\n\n\t\t|Pick Pockets\n\t\t|     |Open Locks\n\t\t|     |\t    |Find Traps\n  \t\t|     |     |     |Move Silently\n  \t\t|     |\t    |\t  |\t|Hide in Shadows\n\t\t|     |     |     |     |     |Detect Illusion\n  o=============o     |     |     |     |     |     |Set Traps\n  |    Race\t|     |     |     |     |     |     |     |\n  o=============o=====o=====o=====o=====o=====o=====o=====o\n  Human\t\t| +15 |\t+10 | +5  | +10\t| +5  |  0  |  0  |\n  <-------------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|\n  Dwarf\t\t| +15 |\t+20 | +20 | +10\t| +5  | +5  | +10 |\n  <-------------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|\n  Elf\t\t| +20 | +5  | +5  | +25 | +15 |  0  |  0  |\n  <-------------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|\n  Gnome\t\t| +15 | +15 | +15 | +15 | +10 | +10 | +5  |\n  <-------------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|\n  Half-Elf\t| +25 | +10 | +5  | +10\t| +10 |  0  |  0  |\n  <-------------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|\n  Halfling\t| +20 | +15 | +10 | +20 | +20 |  0  |  0  |\n  <-------------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|\n  Half-Orc\t| +15 | +10 | +5  | +10\t| +5  |  0  |  0  |\n  <-------------o=====o=====o=====o=====o=====o=====o=====o\n\n\t\t  |Pick Pockets\n\t\t  |     |Open Locks\n\t\t  |     |     |Find Traps\n  \t\t  |     |     |     |Move Silently\n  \t\t  |     |     |\t    |\t  |Hide in Shadows\n\t\t  |     |     |     |     |     |Detect Illusion\n\t\t  |     |     |     |     |     |     |Set Traps\n\t\t  |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |\n\to=========o=====o=====o=====o=====o=====o=====o=====o\n        9\t  | -15\t| -10 | -10 | -20 | -10 |  -  | -10 |\n\t<---------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|\n\t10\t  | -10\t| -5  | -10 | -15 | -5  |  -  | -10 |\n\t<---------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|\n\t11\t  | -5\t|  -  |\t-5  | -10 |  -  |  -  | -5  |\n\t<---------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|\n\t12\t  |  -\t|  -  |  -  | -5  |  -  |  -  |  -  |\n\t<---------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|\n\t13-15\t  |  -\t|  -  |  -  |  -  |  -  |  -  |  -  |\n\t<---------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|\n\t16\t  |  -\t| +5  |  -  |  -  |  -  |  -  |  -  |\n\t<---------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|\n\t17\t  | +5\t| +10 |  -  | +5  | +5  |  -  |  -  |\n\t<---------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|\n\t18\t  | +10\t| +15 | +5  | +10 | +10 |  -  | +5  |\n\t<---------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|\n\t19\t  | +15\t| +20 | +10 | +15 | +15 |  -  | +10 |\n\t<---------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|\n\t20\t  | +20\t| +25 | +15 | +18 | +18 |  -  | +15 |\n\t<---------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|\n\t21\t  | +25\t| +30 | +20 | +20 | +20 |  -  | +20 |\n\t<---------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|\n\t22\t  | +30\t| +35 | +25 | +23 | +23 |  -  | +25 |\n\t<---------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|\n\t23\t  | +35\t| +40 | +30 | +25 | +25 |  -  | +30 |\n\t<---------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|\n\t24\t  | +40\t| +45 | +35 | +40 | +30 |  -  | +35 |\n\t<---------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|\n\t25\t  | +45\t| +50 | +40 | +35 | +35 |  -  | +40 |\n\t<---------o=====o=====o=====o=====o=====o=====o=====o\n\nPick Pockets\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND085}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nPicking pockets is a pretty big deal in Baldur's Gate 2-certainly more\nimportant than in the first game. In particular, stealing from shops\nis the best way to score a full arsenal of spell-scrolls for your Mages\nto scribe. There are also a number of arms and armor you can steal\nearly on that'll make life much, much easier. It's not necessary, but\nit helps.\n\nOpen Locks\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND086}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nYou can use Open Locks to... well... open locks. Of course, once you get\nthe knock spell you won't need this anymore. Sure, it's nice to have\na Thief who can pick locks without having to use up 2nd-level spell \nslots, but it's not essential. You can ignore this skill unless you are\njust overflowing with points to spend.\n\nFind\/Remove Traps\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND087}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis is the essential Thief skill. Clerics can find traps with a spell,\nbut they can't disarm them. To safely eliminate traps, you need a Thief\nwith this skill, and traps can be a problem in this game. In fact, this\nskill is really the reason you need a Thief in your party at all. No\nmatter who you have, get their Find Traps to 100% before you do anything\nelse.\n\nMove Silently\/Hide in Shadows\t\t\t\t\t{DND088}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThese skills work together to serve the same purpose-to keep enemies\nfrom detecting you. In the original game, these skills were lumped up\ninto one skill, 'Stealth'. In Baldur's Gate 2 the skills were split to\nmake you waste extra points, and so the Enhanced Edition follows suit.\nStill, they're practically the same thing-getting one is a waste of\ntime, so they'll be discussed in tandem. If you enter into Stealth mode,\nyou can move about undetected by foes and, if you're a Thief, backstab\nenemies for heavy damage. This is pretty much the one combat upside to\nbeing a Thief, and it's deceptively good. Seriously, if you have a Thief\nwith a good strength score, a magic weapon, and a good backstab\nmultiplier, you could end up doing well over 50 damage in a hit.\nConsidering that the most powerful enemies in this game will be lucky\nto push 200 Hit Points, that's good stuff. For a combat-focused Thief,\nthis should be a priority... after Find Traps. You should aspire to get\nthese skills both up to 100, but keep in mind that later on in the game\nany sneakiness will draw a True Sight counter, making it much less\neffective.\n\nDetect Illusion\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND089}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nYou can use this ability to dispel illusions as if you were using\nTrue Sight. To activate it, just detect traps and if your score is\nhigh enough those bad illusions will vanish. Of course, we have many\ncharacters who can use True Sight, and while you're busy detecting\nillusions, you can't attack.\n\nSet Traps\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND090}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis ability allows you to.. wait for it.. set traps. Traps are static\nand can't be set during combat, which vastly limits their effectiveness.\nI assume this score makes you more likely to succeed at setting your\ntraps, but honestly, I don't care enough to play around with it. Most\ntraps deal 2d8+5\/3d8+5 damage, which is fair enough, but for all the\ntrouble it takes to set a trap and lure a foe onto it, you're probably\nbetter off just using a bow.\n\nHit points \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND091}\no======================================================================o\nYou run out of Hit Points, and you die. These are important. \nMulti-classing averages your Hit Points\/level across your classes.\nFor example, take the Fighter\/Mage:\n\nFighter (Hit Die: d10) + Mage (Hit Die: d4) = 14\nHit Points per Level: 14\/Number of Classes: 2 = 7\nTherefore the Fighter\/Mage would have a maximum of 7 Hit Points per\nlevel, or 5 for each Fighter level and 2 for each Mage level... plus\nany relevant Constitution bonuses.\n\nA multi-classed character will still get bonus Hit Points for having a\nFighter class and a high Constitution, but a dual-class character can\nstart out 9 levels of Fighter, get all 9d10+36 Hit Points,and dual-class\ninto something else. This is in every way favorable, and given the\nexperience cap in Baldur's Gate 2, nine levels of Fighter will have\nvirtually no effect on your second class' progression.\n\nTHAC0 and Armor Class \t\t\t\t\t\t{DND092}\no======================================================================o\nTHAC0 is an acronym for 'To Hit Armor Class 0'. This is the roll on a\nd20 (a 20 sided dice) that you'd need to hit somebody with an Armor\nClass of 0. Statistically, each point is a 5% chance to hit Armor\nClass 0, and a roll of 20 is ALWAYS a hit, and a roll of 1 is ALWAYS a\nmiss, regardless of your THAC0\/their Armor Class. Fighters get a lower\nTHAC0 quicker (hence a better chance to hit) than other classes, and\nMages have the worst THAC0 progression. A lower THAC0 and lower Armor\nClass are better-which seems counter intuitive, but that's 2nd Edition\nfor you. (Nostalgia for a moment here.) Having a negative Armor Class\nessentially raises the enemies' THAC0. For instance, if my Paladin has a\nbase THAC0 of 5 (-2 with all her proficiencies, Strength, the bonus on\nthe weapon, etc), and my Ranger\/Cleric has an Armor Class of -13, my\nPaladin would need an 11 on a d20 to hit her (-2 +13 = 11). That's a\n55% chance to miss-a 45% chance to hit. So, for a general rule, lower\nTHAC0 and lower Armor Class are good. Unless the enemy has them. Then\nit's not so good.\n\nTHAC0 by Class\/Level*\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND093}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n*This is taken straight from the 2nd Edition Dungeons and Dragon's\nPlayers Handbook.\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\tLEVEL\n \t1  2  3\t 4  5  6  7  8  9  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20\nWarrior 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1 \nWizard\t20 20 20 19 19 19 18 18 18 17 17 17 16 16 16 15 15 15 14 14\nPriest\t20 20 20 18 18 18 16 16 16 14 14 14 12 12 12 10 10 10 8  8\nRogue   20 20 19 19 18 18 17 17 16 16 15 15 14 14 13 13 12 12 11 11\n+Priest includes Monks and Druids.\n\n  -->\tWarrior includes Barbarians, Paladins and Rangers.\n\n  -->\tWizard includes Sorcerers.\n\n  -->\tPriest includes Druids and Monks.\n\n  -->\tRogue includes Bards\n\nMulti-class characters use the best THAC0 progression of either of\ntheir classes-Fighter\/Mages use the Fighter's THAC0 progression, and\nthe Cleric\/Thief use the Thief's THAC0 progression.\n\nDual-class characters use the THAC0 of their active class if they\nhaven't regained their bonuses from the previous (inactive class). If\nthey have, they use whichever gives them the best THAC0.\n\nArmor Class Modifiers by Weapon Type\t\t\t\t{DND094}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nDifferent armor types are strong against different attack types. It\nmight seem like information overload, but keep it in mind when picking\nbetween various types of armor. A suit of Leather Armor +3 versus a\nsuit of Studded Leather Armor +2 might both give the same armor class,\nbut because of the modifiers the Studded Leather is by far the better\nchoice. It comes up.\n\no===============o===============o===============o===============o\n|    Armor\t|   Slashing    |   Piercing    |  Bludgeoning\t|\no===============o===============o===============o===============o\n| Leather Armor\t|\t0\t|      +2\t| \t0\t|\n|---------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|\n|Studded Leather|      -2\t|      -1\t|\t0\t|\n|---------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|\n|  Chain Mail\t|      -2\t|\t0\t|      +2\t|\n|---------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|\n|  Splint Mail  | \t0\t|      -1\t|      -2\t|\n|---------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|\n|  Plate Mail\t|      -3\t|\t0\t|\t0\t|\n|---------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|\n|  Full Plate\t|      -4\t|      -3\t|\t0\t|\no===============o===============o===============o===============o\n\nSaving Throws\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND095}\no======================================================================o\nThere are some things that speed and armor just can't protect against.\nThis typically means magic, in some form or another, and really, a\nFireball doesn't care about your Plate Mail Armor. An enchantment can't\nbe blocked by a shield, and being fleet of foot won't stop a Lich from\nusing vile necromancy to rip the soul from your body. Nope, for that,\nwe resort to Saving Throws, needlessly sorted into five categories that\naren't always as self-explanatory as they seem to be. When your\ncharacter is forced to making a saving throw check against something,\nthey 'roll' a d20 and must exceed their Saving Throw. So like Armor\nClass, the lower the better.\n\n\t\tParalysis\/Poison\/Death\n\t\t\t|Rod\/Staff\/Wand\n\t\t\t|\t|Petrification\/Polymorph\n\t\t\t|\t|\t|Breath Weapon\n\t\t\t|\t|\t|\t|Spells\nWarrior\t\to=======o=======o=======o=======o=======o\n  Level 1-2\t|   14\t|   16\t|   15\t|   17\t|   17\t|\n  Level 3-4\t|   13\t|   15\t|   14\t|   16\t|   16\t|\n  Level 5-6\t|   11\t|   13\t|   12\t|   13\t|   14\t|\n  Level 7-8\t|   10\t|   12\t|   11\t|   12\t|   13  |\n  Level 9-10\t|    8\t|   10\t|    9\t|    9\t|   11\t|\n  Level 11-12\t|    7\t|    9\t|    8\t|    8  |   10\t|\n  Level 13-14\t|    5\t|    7\t|    6  |    5\t|    8\t|\n  Level 15-16\t|    4\t|    6\t|    5\t|    4\t|    7\t|\n  Level 17+\t|    3\t|    5\t|    4\t|    4\t|    6\t|\nWizard\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|\n  Level 1-5\t|   14\t|   11\t|   13\t|   15\t|   12\t|\n  Level 6-10\t|   13\t|    9\t|   11\t|   13\t|   10\t|\n  Level 11-15\t|   11\t|    7\t|    9\t|   11\t|    8\t|\n  Level 16-20\t|   10\t|    5\t|    7\t|    9\t|    6\t|\n  Level 21+\t|   8\t|    3\t|    5  |    7\t|    4  |\nPriest\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|\n  Level 1-3\t|   10\t|   14\t|   13  |   16  |   15\t|\n  Level 4-6\t|    9  |   13\t|   12\t|   15\t|   14\t|\n  Level 7-9     |    7\t|   11\t|   10\t|   13\t|   12\t|\n  Level 10-12\t|    6\t|   10\t|    9\t|   12\t|   11\t|\n  Level 13-15\t|    5\t|    9\t|    8\t|   11\t|   10\t|\n  Level 16-18\t|    4\t|    8\t|    7\t|   10\t|    9\t|\n  Level 19+\t|    2\t|    6\t|    5\t|    8\t|    7\t|\nRogue\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|\n  Level 1-4\t|   13\t|   14\t|   12\t|   16  |   15\t|\n  Level 5-8\t|   12\t|   12\t|   11\t|   15\t|   13\t|\n  Level 9-12\t|   11\t|   10\t|   10\t|   14\t|   11\t|\n  Level 13-16\t|   10\t|    8\t|    9\t|   13\t|    9  |\n  Level 17-20\t|    9\t|    6\t|    8\t|   12\t|    7\t|\n  Level 21\t|    8\t|    4\t|    7\t|   11\t|    5\t|\nMonk\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|\n  Level 1-3\t|   10\t|   14\t|   13  |   16  |   13\t|\n  Level 4-6\t|    9  |   13\t|   12\t|   15\t|   12\t|\n  Level 7-8     |    7\t|   11\t|   10\t|   13\t|   10\t|\n  Level 9\t|    6  |   10  |    9  |   12  |    9  |\n  Level 11-12\t|    5\t|    9\t|    8\t|   11\t|    8\t|\n  Level 13-15\t|    4\t|    8\t|    7\t|   10\t|    7\t|\n  Level 16-18\t|    3\t|    7\t|    6\t|    5\t|    6\t|\n  Level 19+\t|    1\t|    5\t|    4\t|    7\t|    4\t|\n\t\to=======o=======o=======o=======o=======o\n\n -->\tWarrior includes Barbarians, Paladins, and Rangers.\n\n -->\tPriest includes Druids.\n\n -->\tRogue includes Bards.\n\nNote: Multi-classed characters take the lowest Saving Throws offered by\nany of their classes. For example, a high level Fighter\/Mage uses the\nbetter Fighter Saving Throws versus Paralysis\/Poison\/Death, and the\nbetter Mage Saving Throws versus Rod\/Staff\/Wand.\n\nStarting Spell Selection\t\t\t\t\t{DND096}\no======================================================================o\nIf you starting over as a Bard, Mage, or Sorcerer, you'll get to choose\nwhat spells your character has in their spellbook... essentially what\nspells your character knows and can choose to prepare and, eventually,\ncast. If you imported from the first game, you'll get to keep the\nspells you previously learned, which is a big improvement over the\noriginal game. For newbies, however, the number of spells you'll get by\nlevel are as follows, in the next several sections below you'll find\nsuggested spell picks by level:\n\n\t\t\to===o===o===o===o\n\t\t\t|1st|2nd|3rd|4th|\n\t\t\to===o===o===o===o\nBard\t\t        | 6 | 5 | 4 | - |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|\nMage\t\t\t| 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|\nMage (multi-class)\t| 5 | 3 | 3 | - |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|\nMage (triple-class)\t| 5 | 3 | 2 | - |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|\nSorcerer\t\t| 5 | 3 | 2 | - |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|\nSpecialist Mage*\t| 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|\nWild Mage*\t\t| 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 |\n\t\t\to===o===o===o===o\n\n*Wild Mages must pick the class-specific spells Nahal's Reckless\nDweomer (1st-Level) and Chaos Shield (2nd-Level). Specialist Mages\nmust chose at least one spell from their chosen spell-school per spell\nlevel.\n\n1st Level Spells\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND097}\no----------------------------------------------------------------------o\nSpell\t\t\t       Priority\tDescription\n\nBlindness\t\t\t(5th) \tIt'll out-last combat and \n\t\t\t\t\tseverely impair one creature in\n\t\t\t\t\tmelee, which is good at low\n\t\t\t\t\tlevels for bringing down tough\n\t\t\t\t\tcustomers.\n\t\t\t\t     \nBurning Hands\t\t\t(3rd)\tYou can use it to kill trolls,\n\t\t\t\t\tif need be.\n\nChromatic Orb\t\t\t(4th) \tAt 7th level and above (which\n\t\t\t\t\tnearly every spell caster\n\t\t\t\t\tstarts out at or above) it deals\n\t\t\t\t\tsome damage and has a small\n\t\t\t\t\tchance to take an enemy out.\n\nIdentify\t\t\t(1st)\tLets you know what magical items\n \t\t\t\t\tdo.\n\nMagic Missile\t\t\t(2nd)\tGuaranteed 10-25 damage at 9th\n\t\t\t\t\tlevel, great for whittling down\n\t\t\t\t\tenemies and disrupting spells.\n\nSleep\t\t\t\t(6th)\tNot really a great spell\n\t\t\t\t\tanymore, as most critters who\n\t\t\t\t\tare actually dangerous are too\n\t\t\t\t\tstrong to be affected by Sleep.\n\t\t\t\t\tStill, a few foes in the\n\t\t\t\t\tearly-going might be hindered\n\t\t\t\t\tby it... and you really can't\n\t\t\t\t\texpect too much from 1st-Level\n\t\t\t\t\tspells.\n\n2nd Level Spells\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND098}\no----------------------------------------------------------------------o\nBlur\t\t\t\t(3rd)\tMakes all attacks take a -3\n\t\t\t\t\tpenalty and gives you a +1 bonus\n\t\t\t\t\tto your saves. A basic defensive\n\t\t\t\t\tspell you'll use a lot, \n\t\t\t\t\tespecially if you're a dual or\n\t\t\t\t\tmulti class Mage.\n\nKnock\t\t\t\t(2nd)\tOpens locked things and allows\n\t\t\t\t\tthieves to focus on other \n\t\t\t\t\tskills. Absolutely essential.\n\nMelf's Acid Arrow\t\t(5th)   It can put trolls down for good\n\t\t\t\t\tand deals continuous damage that\n\t\t\t\t\tcan disrupt spellcasters.\n\nMirror Image\t\t\t(1st)\tNot as strong as in Baldur's\n\t\t\t\t\tGate, you can now be hit instead\n\t\t\t\t\tof an image. but it still gives\n\t\t\t\t\tenemies a much greater chance to\n\t\t\t\t\thit an image.\n\nStinking Cloud\t\t\t(4th)\tCapable of incapacitating groups\n\t\t\t\t\tof enemies and setting them up \n\t\t\t\t\tfor missile attacks. It won't \n\t\t\t\t\twin every fight like it did in \n\t\t\t\t\tthe first game, but it'll come \n\t\t\t\t\tin handy once in a while.\n\n3rd Level Spells\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND099}\no----------------------------------------------------------------------o\nDispel Magic\t\t\t(1st)\tHas a chance to dispel all spell\n\t\t\t\t\teffects on a creature, useful\n\t\t\t\t\tdefensively or offensively.\n\t\t\t\t\tTear down an enemies' buffs or\n\t\t\t\t\tremove debuffs from your party.\n\t\t\t\t\tYou really need this spell.\n\nFireball\t\t\t(4th)   Good for crowd control, and for\n\t\t\t\t\tblazing lots of trolls at once.\n\t\t\t\t\tMost enemies will survive this,\n\t\t\t\t\tso it's not the problem-solver\n\t\t\t\t\tlike it was in the first game,\n\t\t\t\t\tbut it's good for softening\n\t\t\t\t\tbaddies up until you get Chain \n\t\t\t\t\tLightning and Horrid Wilting.\n\nHaste\t\t\t\t(2nd)\tYou get double the attacks and\n\t\t\t\t\tmovement speed, essentially\n\t\t\t\t\tdoubling your offensive power.\n\t\t\t\t\tIt leaves you fatigued \n\t\t\t\t\tafterwards, but it has enough\n\t\t\t\t\tduration to last most major \n\t\t\t\t\tfights. This spell is one of the\n\t\t\t\t\tessential spell-buffs for this\n\t\t\t\t\tgame.\n\nSlow\t\t\t\t(3rd)   Enemies save at a -4 penalty or\n\t\t\t\t\tthey are reduced to half their\n\t\t\t\t\tattacks and movement speed, and\n\t\t\t\t\tsuffer a -4 penalty on their\n\t\t\t\t\tattacks and Armor Class. This\n\t\t\t\t\tis a death sentence for a melee\n\t\t\t\t\tcharacter, and used on a group\n\t\t\t\t\tof strong Fighters can have as\n\t\t\t\t\tdetrimental an effect as Haste\n\t\t\t\t\thas a beneficial effect.\n\n4th Level Spells\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND100}\no----------------------------------------------------------------------o\nGreater Malison\t\t\t(3rd)\tMakes all enemies save at -4 for\n\t\t\t\t\t2 rounds\/level. This should be\n\t\t\t\t\tused at the beginning of every\n\t\t\t\t\tbig fight, making Confusion, \n\t\t\t\t\tChaos, Insect Plague, Finger of\n\t\t\t\t\tDeath, and Vorpal effects all\n\t\t\t\t\tmuch more likely to succeed. An\n\t\t\t\t\tindispensable offensive debuff.\n\nImproved Invisibility\t\t(1st)\tEnemies cannot target you with\n\t\t\t\t\tspells, and they take a -4\n\t\t\t\t\tpenalty to attack rolls. You\n\t\t\t\t\talso get a +4 bonus to your\n\t\t\t\t\tsaves. One of the best defensive\n\t\t\t\t\tspells in the game.\n\nStoneskin\t\t\t(2nd)\tOne of the reasons you need\n\t\t\t\t\tDispel Magic, this gives you\n\t\t\t\t\t(and enemies who can cast it)\n\t\t\t\t\tA number of 'skins' equal to\n\t\t\t\t\tone every two levels. Each skin\n\t\t\t\t\tessentially negates a melee or\n\t\t\t\t\tranged attack. Stacked with\n\t\t\t\t\tGreater Invisibility, Blur, and\n\t\t\t\t\tMirror Image and you can see how\n\t\t\t\t\tcharacters with defensive spells\n\t\t\t\t\tbecome hard to kill.\n\nLore\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND101}\no======================================================================o\nLore is a minor statistic that rates your ability to identify unknown\nmagical items. Bards have the best lore, but the identify spell is the\ngreat equalizer. So long as you get a high enough lore on a character\nto identify minor items that you receive a lot of (such as ammunition)\nyou're fine. Lore is even more redundant in Baldur's Gate 2, as 1st\nlevel Mage spells slink further back into obscurity. You even get\nglasses that let you identify things a number of times per day near the\nbeginning of the game! \n\nLore by Class\/Level\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND102}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nEverybody Else\t  1 Lore\/Level \t\nMage\t\t  3 Lore\/Level\nThief\t\t  3 Lore\/Level\nBard\t\t  10 Lore\/Level\n\n  -->\tThe Blade (Bard kit) only receives half the normal Lore per\n\tlevel.\n\nExperience Points (EXP Cap)\t\t\t\t\t{DND103}\no======================================================================o\nYou kill things, you complete quests, you earn Experience Points. You\ngain Experience Points, you Level up, you gain Levels, you get stronger,\nyou can kill more stuff. Fun. In Shadows of Amn you have a maximum\nexperience cap of 2,950,000, which is pretty damn high. In Throne of\nBhaal they just say screw it and let you go wild, up to 8,000,000\nexperience points. This gives you nearly unrestricted level achievement\nin this game... even I had to grind to hit the maximum, which is a\nwelcome change from the first game. Below is a list of the maximum\nlevels that can be achieved by the various classes with the two stated\nexperience caps. Note that once Throne of Bhaal is installed the\nexperience cap is moved to 8,000,000. Like in Tales of the Sword Coast\nyou do not actually have to reach the expansion to benefit from the\nexpanded experience cap.\n\t\t\n                       \to==========o==========o\n\t\t\t|Shadows of|Throne of |\n\t\t\t|    Amn   |  Bhaal   |\n\t\t\to==========o==========o\nBarbarian\t\t|    19    |    40    |\n\t\t\t|----------|----------|\nBard\t\t\t|    23    |    40    |\n\t\t\t|----------|----------|\nCleric\t\t\t|    21    |    40    |\n\t\t\t|----------|----------|\nCleric\/Mage\t\t|  14\/13   |  25\/20   |\n\t\t\t|----------|----------|\nCleric\/Ranger\t\t|  14\/12   |  25\/21   |\n\t\t\t|----------|----------|\nCleric\/Thief\t\t|  14\/16   |  25\/28   |\n\t\t\t|----------|----------|\nDruid\t\t\t|    14    |    31    |\n\t\t\t|----------|----------|\nFighter\t\t\t|    19    |    40    |\n\t\t\t|----------|----------|\nFighter\/Cleric\t\t|  13\/14   |  24\/25   |\n\t\t\t|----------|----------|\nFighter\/Druid\t\t|  13\/13   |  24\/21   |\n\t\t\t|----------|----------|\nFighter\/Mage\t\t|  13\/13   |  24\/20   |\n\t\t\t|----------|----------|\nFighter\/Mage\/Cleric\t| 11\/12\/12 | 18\/17\/19 |\n\t\t\t|----------|----------|\nFighter\/Mage\/Thief\t| 11\/12\/14 | 18\/17\/22 |\n\t\t\t|----------|----------|\nFighter\/Thief\t\t|  13\/16   |  24\/28   |\n\t\t\t|----------|----------|\nMage\t\t\t|    17    |    31    |\n\t\t\t|----------|----------|\nMage\/Thief\t\t|  13\/16   |  20\/28   |\n\t\t\t|----------|----------|\nMonk\t\t\t|    21    |    40    |\n\t\t\t|----------|----------|\nPaladin\t\t\t|    17    |    40    |\n\t\t\t|----------|----------|\nRanger\t\t\t|    17    |    40    |\n\t\t\t|----------|----------|\nSorcerer\t\t|    17    |    31    |\n\t\t\t|----------|----------|\nThief\t\t\t|    24    |    40    |\n\t\t\to==========o==========o\n\nEpic Feats by Class\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND104}\no======================================================================o\nWhen you reach around 3,000,000 experience, whether you're single, dual,\nor multi-classed, you'll start earning 'High Level Abilities'. For most\nsingle-classed characters, this is around 20th-level, which marks a\nplateau known more commonly as 'Epic level'. Since many of these\nabilities emulate 3rd Edition Feats (Baldur's Gate 2 came out near the\nsame time as 3rd Edition Dungeons and Dragons, but a 3rd Edition video\ngame wouldn't come until Neverwinter Nights) I prefer to call them\nEpic Feats. Different classes-groups have their own selection of Epic\nFeats to choose from-Warriors (including Rangers, Paladins, Barbarians,\nMonks and of course, Fighters), Wizards (Mages-Specialist, normal, and\nWild-and Sorcerers), Priests (Druids and Clerics) and Rogues (Bards and\nThieves), including all relevant kits. All the Epic Feats in the game\nare actually described below in the next section, organized by class.\n\nWarrior (Fighters, Rangers, Paladins, Barbarians, Monks)\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nCritical Strike (requires Power Attack)\nDeathblow\nGreater Deathblow (requires Deathblow)\nGreater Whirlwind Attack (requires Whirlwind Attack)\nHardiness\nPower Attack\nResist Magic\nSmite (requires Power Attack and Critical Strike)\nSummon Deva (Paladins)\nSummon Fallen Deva (Blackguards)\nTrack [Ranger only]\nWar Cry\nWhirlwind Attack\n\nWizard (Mages, Sorcerers, Specialist Mages, Wild Mages)\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nComet\nDragon's Breath\nEnergy Blades\nExtra Level 6 Spell\nExtra Level 7 Spell\nExtra Level 8 Spell\nImproved Alacrity\nSummon Dark Planetar (evil Mages)\nSummon Planetar (good, neutral Mages)\n\nPriest (Clerics, Druids)\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAura of Flaming Death\nElemental Summoning\nElemental Transformation (fire) [Druid only]\nElemental Transformation (earth) [Druid only]\nEnergy Blades\nGlobe of Blades\nGreater Elemental Summoning (requires Elemental Summoning) [Druid Only]\nImplosion\nMass Raise Dead\nStorm of Vengeance\nSummon Fallen Deva [evil and neutral Priests]\nSummon Deva [good and neutral Priests]\n\nRogue (Bards, Theives)\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAlchemy\nAssassination\nAvoid Death\nEnhanced Bard Song [Bard only]\nEvasion\nGreater Evasion (requires Evasion)\nMagic Flute [Bard only]\nScribe Scrolls (requires Use Any Item)\nSet Spike Trap\nSet Exploding Trap\nSet Time Trap\nUse Any Item\n\nWarrior Feats\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND105}\no======================================================================o\n\nCritical Strike\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nSpecial Requirements: You must know the Power Attack. You can only\nchoose this ability once.\n\nA high-level warrior's intimate knowledge of vital spots on opponents\nallows him to, once per day, concentrate all of the attacks in one round\nto strike a vital area every time. With this ability, every attack roll\nmade in the next round is a natural 20, a critical hit.\n\nHuh. And here I thought that a warrior was ALWAYS concentrating his\nattacks on vital areas? I guess most of the time they're just screwing\naround trying to score flesh wounds. The best thing about it is that\nit ensures you hit every time in the next round. The criticals are nice,\nbut sadly, many things are immune to critical hits.\n\nDeathblow\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThe Deathblow ability allows the warrior to blow through the defenses of\nany lesser creature. For the next 2 rounds, any creature of 8th level or\nlower is instantly killed when struck by the warrior.\n\nI just have one question here... By Throne of Bhaal, what, exactly, is\nbelow 8th level? Almost nothing. And if it is you can kill it just fine\nwithout using a feat. This is useless.\n\nGreater Deathblow\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nSpecial Requirements: You must know the Deathblow ability.\n\nLike Deathblow, this ability allows the warrior to vanquish lesser foes\nwith a single blow. When struck with a Greater Deathblow, any creature\nof 12th level or lower is instantly killed. The ability lasts for 2\nrounds.\n\n12th level is a little better than 8th, but still too low to make a\nhuge difference, even if it lasts twice as long.\n\nGreater Whirlwind Attack\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nSpecial Requirements: You must know the Whirlwind Attack ability.\n\nA more powerful version of the Whirlwind Attack, Greater Whirlwind \nAttack gives the Fighter the same bonuses without penalties. Their \nnumber of attacks per round are set to 10 for one round.\n\nIf you hit things with melee weapons, you need this feat. You need it\nmany times over. Period. Ten attacks a round? It almost makes up for\nthem nerfing grandmastery. In fact, it makes me wonder what the big deal\nwas with grandmastery if they were going to throw this monster in? It's\nawesome enough for a Fighter, but think of what it can do for a \nFighter\/Mage who is using Time Stop? Absolutely magnificent. It's the \ncombo of winners.\n\nHardiness\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nCalling upon hidden reserves of Strength during times of danger, a\nwarrior can use the Hardiness ability to gain 40% resistance to all\nforms of physical damage The ability lasts for 1 round for every 2\nlevels of the warrior.\n\nWell, if you don't have any other way to defend yourself, here you go.\nIt's great for single-classed Barbarians, Fighters, and Monks, none of\nwhich can cast spells. When you hit level 40 it'll last some 20 rounds,\nwhich is phenomenal. This means you only need to get it once, as it'll\nlast you pretty much an entire fight. If you're a Fighter\/Mage,\nFighter\/Cleric, Ranger\/Cleric, Fighter\/Druid, Fighter\/Mage\/Thief, or\notherwise have some means of putting up defenses, you really don't need\nto waste a pick.\n\nPower Attack\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nA Power Attack allows the warrior to strike blows so forceful that they\nstun an opponent for 2 rounds if it fails its save vs. death at a -4 \npenalty. The ability lasts for 2 rounds.\n\nI suppose if you followed it up with a Whirlwind Attack... no really,\nyou can't Coup'de'Grace in Baldur's Gate 2, so stunning is useless. It\ncan delay an enemy, but wouldn't you rather use another Greater\nWhirlwind instead? Why stun when you can kill?\n\nResist Magic\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis ability allows the warrior to temporarily tap a great inner \nStrength and fight off the effects of malevolent magic. For 4 rounds the\nwarrior's magic resistance is set to 50 %. This is not cumulative with \nother forms of magic resistance so if the warrior already has 50 % magic\nresistance or greater, the ability is useless.\n\nThe ability is useless. They got that right. Four rounds? That's \npathetic.\n\nSmite\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nSpecial Requirements: You must know the Power Attack and Critical Strike\nAbilities.\n\nWith the Smite ability, the warrior gains the ability to strike a mighty\nblow, knocking an opponent back for a considerable distance and stunning\nthe opponent for 1 round. All attacks made in the first round are\ncritical hits. The ability lasts for 2 rounds. Large creatures such as a\ndragons or giants will not be knocked back or stunned.\n\nThis ability isn't terrible. At least it's always going to stun\napplicable creatures, and if they're near a wall or boxed in, you can\nattack in unison with other characters, potentially knocking a dangerous\nfoe back long enough for other Fighters to get ready to Whirlwind \nAttack. I still have to balk at wasting a total of three feats to get\nthis, however. I'd rather just hit them with more Whirlwind Attacks.\nThey can't do any damage to me if they're dead.\n\nSummon Deva\/Fallen Deva (Conjuration\/Summoning)\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLevel: Quest \nCasting Time: 5\nRange: 40 yards \nArea of Effect: Special\nDuration: 4 rounds + 1 round\/level\nSaving Throw: None\n\nThis spell opens a celestial gate and calls forth an angelic Deva to \nfight at the caster's side until the spell expires or the Deva's \nearthly avatar is slain.\n\nThis spell opens an abyssal gate and calls forth a demonic Deva to fight\nat the caster's side until the spell expires or the Deva's earthly \navatar is slain.\n\nFor Paladins and Blackguards, this is a no-brainer. Instead of being\nadded to their list of Clerical spells as a 7th-levell spell (which\nthey couldn't cast anyways) they get this as a special ability, usable\na number of times per day equal to the number of times they selected\nthe feat. Why would you not want to give a warrior the ability to\nsummon such a potent ally, and thus spare your Clerics from having to\nbother? It's just a great move for Dorn\/Keldorn.\n\nTracking (Ranger only)\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nWith an intimate knowledge of his surroundings and the creatures that\nlive within them, a Ranger can use the Tracking ability to give himself\na general idea of what creatures are in an area and which direction they\nare. Red arrows at the edge of the screen will point in the general\ndirection of the creatures in the area.\n\nOr you could just follow my guide. :)\n\nWar Cry\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nWith a War Cry, the warrior emits a powerful and frightening yell that \nwill leave all opponents in a 30' radius stunned with fear if they don't\nmake their save vs. spell.\n\nOr... a Mage could cast Chaos, which takes enemies out of the fight and\nsaves at a -4. Then the Fighter can go use the Greater Whirlwind he\nsaved by not wasting his time with this feat. Everybody wins.\n\nWhirlwind Attack\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis ability allows the warrior to unleash a flurry of super-fast blows.\nThe ability sets one's number of attacks per round to 10 but one's THAC0\nand damage suffer a -4 penalty. The whirlwind attack lasts for one \nround.\n\nGet it as a pre-requisite for Greater Whirlwind, and then ignore it. If\nit weren't for Greater Whirlwind, this would be the go-to feat, even\nwith its penalties.\n\nWizard Feats\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND106}\no======================================================================o\n\nComet (Any School)\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLevel: 10 \nCasting Time: 9\nRange: 90 yards \nArea of Effect: 30' radius\nDuration: Instantaneous S\nSaving Throw: None\n\nA more powerful and specialized version of Meteor Swarm, a huge meteor\nor comet strikes the earth damaging all enemies in its path and sending\nout a powerful shockwave that knocks away all foes in the area of \neffect. Those knocked down must save vs. paralyzation or be stunned for\n1D4 rounds. The comet itself does 10D10 damage This spell will not \nharm party members.\n\n10d10 is a nice chunk of damage, and it has a good radius, and it\ncan stun and knock enemies down as well? This opens them up for further\nabuse, or at least gets them off of you for a while, allowing you to\nmake a telling first strike followed by opportunistic warriors or\nfurther spell abuse. Any Mage worth their spell-books should get this.\nThe best part is, however, it won't cause any collateral damage! It's\nan upgrade over Horrid Wilting to be sure. What it might lack in damage\nit makes up for in stunning and in not allowing the enemy to save for\nhalf against what damage it does do.\n\nDragon's Breath (Any School)\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLevel: 10 \nCasting Time: 3\nRange: Visual range of caster \nArea of Effect: 30-foot radius\nDuration: Instantaneous \nSaving Throw: Special\n\nThis spell causes a disembodied head of red dragon to appear and \nbreathe fire with the Strength of an adult red dragon. In addition to \nthe enormous 20D10 fireball, the force of the dragon's breath knocks an\nopponent off their feet and away from the caster. The victim can save\nvs. breath to take half damage and not be blown backwards. This spell\nwill not harm party members.\n\nWell... one glaring problem is it's lack of a save penalty, meaning that\nmore likely than not they'll be taking half damage, or 10d10, instead of\n20d10. Also, there's no chance to stun, so why not just pick Comet\ninstead?\n\nEnergy Blades (Any School)\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLevel: 10 \nCasting Time: 3\nRange: Special \nArea of Effect: Special\nDuration: 4 turns \nSaving Throw: None\n\nAn energy blade is a discus made of pure energy. The disc gives +10 to \nTHAC0, and when thrown does 1D4+5 missile damage as well as 1D10 \nadditional electrical damage This spell creates 1 energy disc per level \nof the caster and sets the caster's attacks to 9 as long as the discs \nare held.\n\nThis spell allows you to do 1d4+5 plus 1d10 electrical damage per blade\nto one creature, or 7-19 damage per Energy Blade. Since you can fire off\nnine blades in one round... That's 63-171 damage if you hit with each\nattack, which you may just do thanks to the THAC0 bonus. Of course, you\nare wasting time throwing things when you COULD be casting more spells,\nbut during a Time Stop sequence this will allow you to do some serious\ndamage to one creature. Of course, using a Spell Sequencer with three\nFlame Arrows deals 60d6 damage (60-360 damage) with a minimum on a save\nof 36d6 damage (36-216 damage) Or even look at the humble Magic Missile\nwith the same spell, which would do a happy 30-75 damage. The point?\nIt's not worth a feat. You'll have to get it anyways, but as a Mage,\nI'd never bother wasting a 9th-level spell slot on it.\n\nExtra Level (6, 7, 8) Spell\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nChoosing this ability allows the wizard to cast one additional Level 6,\n7, or 8 spell.\n\nThere are three of these feats, one for 6th-level spells, one for 7th,\nand one for 8th. They're no-brainers why would you not want another\nDeath Spell, Pierce Magic, or Horrid Wilting? 7th-level spells aren't\nstellar... but since you need it to get an extra 8th-level spell. Oh,\nalso, most Mages won't have much choice but to get these, anyways.\nLimited number of feats and all.\n\nImproved Alacrity (Any School)\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLevel: 10 \nCasting Time: 2\nRange: Unlimited \nArea of Effect: Special\nDuration: 2 Rounds \nSaving Throw: Special\n\nImproved Alacrity essentially erases the pause between casting spells. \nWhen cast, the Mage can begin casting a new spell the instant his is \nfinished casting his current spell. The effect lasts for 2 rounds.\n\nOr you could just cast Time Stop. Longer effect, same results, and you\ndon't waste a feat. Or if you used the two together...\n\nSummon Planetar\/Dark Planetar (Any School)\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLevel: 10 \nCasting Time: 5\nRange: 40 yards \nArea of Effect: Special\nDuration: 4 rounds + 1 round\/level\nSaving Throw: None\n\nThis spell opens a abyssal gate and calls forth a fallen Planetar to \nfight at the caster's side until the spell expires or the Planetar's \navatar is slain.\n\nThis spell opens a celestial gate and calls forth a Planetar to fight at\nthe caster's side until the spell expires or the Planetar's avatar is \nslain.\n\nA nice spell indeed, but frankly it doesn't equal a Time Stop, and it\ncan be done just as well by a Cleric or Paladin summoning a Deva.\n\nPriest Feats\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND107}\no======================================================================o\n\nElemental Summoning\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLevel: Quest \nCasting Time: 1 round\nRange: 10 yards \nArea of Effect: Special\nDuration: 10 rounds \nSaving Throw: None\n\nDrawing power from the environment, this spell summons 2 16HD elementals\nrandomly chosen from earth, air or fire. The elementals stay for 10 \nrounds and will obey the caster as long as they remain summoned. There \nis a 10% chance that a randomly chosen Elemental Prince will be summoned\ninstead.\n\nThe Elemental Princes rule over other elementals in their respective\nplanes. The Elemental Prince of Air is Chan. The Elemental Prince of\nEarth is Sunnis. The Elemental Prince of Fire is Zaaman Rul.\n\nTen rounds for two 16HD elementals? Not worth it. But it is a pre-\nrequisite for another, better spell.\n\nElemental Transformation (Earth), (Fire)\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLevel: Quest \nCasting Time: 4\nRange: 0 \nArea of Effect: Caster\nDuration: 5 turns \nSaving Throw: None\n\nHarnessing the power of the earth, this powerful shapechange ability\nallows the druid to become a 24HD earth elemental of immense Strength.\nThe elemental form has an AC of -5, a THAC0 of 2 and does 2D10 crushing\ndamage with its attacks. When the druid returns to human form, he is\nalso healed 3D10 damage\n\nHarnessing the power of fire, this powerful shapechange ability allows\nthe druid to become a 24HD fire elemental of immense Strength. The\nelemental form has an AC of -5, a THAC0 of 2 and does 1D10 normal and\n1D10 fire damage with its attacks. When the druid returns to human form,\nhe is also healed 3D10 damage\n\nA THAC0 of 2 is pretty good... unless you consider the fact that every\nFighter will surpass it with ease, especially when you include their\nmagical weapon bonuses, which you won't have. Also a -5 Armor Class is\nnot very good. If you're a single-classed Druid, you're beyond help \nalready, and this isn't going to change things.\n\nEnergy Blades (Any School)\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLevel: 10 \nCasting Time: 3\nRange: Special \nArea of Effect: Special\nDuration: 4 turns \nSaving Throw: None\n\nAn energy blade is a discus made of pure energy. The disc gives +10 to \nTHAC0, and when thrown does 1D4+5 missile damage as well as 1D10 \nadditional electrical damage This spell creates 1 energy disc per level \nof the caster and sets the caster's attacks to 9 as long as the discs \nare held.\n\nThis spell allows you to do 1d4+5 plus 1d10 damage per blade to one\ncreature. This allows you to do a range of 7-19 damage per Energy Blade,\nand fire off up to nine blades in one round... That's 63-171 damage if\nyou hit with each attack, which you may just do thanks to the THAC0\nbonus. For a Mage, this spell is kind of a boner-it takes up a 9th-level\nspell slot which could be used for Time Stop or Comet. For a Cleric,\nwith their better THAC0 and less potent 7th-level spells, it might be\nworth casting once in a while... especially for Viconia, who isn't much\nuse in melee, anyways.\n\nGlobe of Blades (Evocation)\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLevel: Quest \nCasting Time: 9\nSphere: Guardian\/Creation \nArea of Effect: Special\nRange: 0 \nSaving Throw: Special\nDuration: 1 turn\n\nThe priest employs this spell to set up a globe of razor-sharp blades.\nThese whirl and flash around the caster, creating an impenetrable \nbarrier. Any creature attempting to pass through the blade barrier \nsuffers 10D10 points of damage Creatures within the area of the \nbarrier when it is invoked are entitled to a saving throw vs. \nspell at -2. If this is successful, the blades are avoided and no \ndamage is suffered. The barrier remains for ten rounds.\n\nIt's better than Blade Barrier, but it can't help but make me wish the\nsave was for half instead of none... Still, that gripe aside it's worth\ngrabbing. Just keep your companions out of the meat grinder. In\nconjunction with Aura of Flaming Death it really makes it painful for\nenemies to attack your Clerics. As well it should be.\n\nGreater Elemental Summoning (Druid only)\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLevel: Quest \nCasting Time: 1 round\nRange: 10 yards \nArea of Effect: Special\nDuration: 10 rounds \nSaving Throw: None\n\nDruids, having a more powerful link to the elements, can cast a stronger\nversion of Elemental Summoning. This spell can summon the Elemental \nPrinces themselves, randomly chosen from earth, air or fire. The \nElemental Princes stay for 10 rounds and will obey the caster as long as\nthey remain summoned.\n\nSummoning the freakin' Elemental Princes themselves? That seems a bit\nmuch, but if you can get it... You won't find better tanks in the entire\ngame, even if it's just for a turn. It's worth it.\n\nImplosion (Evocation)\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLevel: Quest \nCasting Time: 9\nRange: Visual range of caster \nArea of Effect: 1 creature\nDuration: 2 Rounds \nSaving Throw: Special\n\nThis spell creates a rift in the earth beneath the target which implodes\nand closes in upon itself, crushing and burning the target and holding \nit for 1 round. The spell does 10D10 fire damage and 10D10 blunt damage\nThe victim can save vs. spell for half damage\n\nThat's... not quite what the Implosion spell is meant to do, but okay.\nIt's like the Dragon's Breath spell, but it only affects one creature.\nIn other words, it's full of suck.\n\nMass Raise Dead (Necromancy)\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLevel: Quest \nCasting Time: 2\nSphere: Necromantic \nArea of Effect: Up to 5 party members\nRange: Sight of the caster Saving Throw: Special\nDuration: Permanent\n\nA more powerful version of Raise Dead, this spell brings up to 5 party\nmembers back to life and heals 3D10+1 per level of the caster points of\ndamage They can regain the rest of their Hit Points by natural healing\nor curative magic. This spell restores life to dwarves, gnomes, \nhalf-elves, halflings, elves, half-orcs and humans.\n\nWhat are your characters doing dead in the first place? Try harder. This\nspell sucks. If only you could have been given a straight Mass Heal type\nspell instead.\n\nStorm of Vengeance\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLevel: Quest \nCasting Time: 8\nRange: 90 Yards \nArea of Effect: 30 foot radius\nDuration: 3 rounds \nSaving Throw: Special\n\nCasting this spell causes the earth to shake and the heavens to boil \nwith blood and energy. All enemies of the caster are stuck down by \nacidic rain, earthquakes and lightning.\n\nAll enemies of 6th level or lower are slain instantly. The survivors are\nstruck by acidic poisonous rain and lightning. The storm lasts for 3 \nrounds. Each round, the victims suffer 1D6 electrical damage, 1D6 fire\ndamage and 1D6 acid damage They are also poisoned in the first round.\n\n3d6 damage per round for three rounds? 9d6 damage? What a waste. If you\ncan't think of something better to pick, you need to be smacked about\nthe face and neck.\n\nSummon Deva\/Fallen Deva (Conjuration\/Summoning)\n<----------------------------------------------------------------------><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Level: Quest \nCasting Time: 5\nRange: 40 yards \nArea of Effect: Special\nDuration: 4 rounds + 1 round\/level\nSaving Throw: None\n\nThis spell opens a celestial gate and calls forth an angelic Deva to \nfight at the caster's side until the spell expires or the Deva's \nearthly avatar is slain.\n\nThis spell opens an abyssal gate and calls forth a demonic Deva to fight\nat the caster's side until the spell expires or the Deva's earthly \navatar is slain.\n\nThere's less competition for high-end Cleric and Druid spells as\nopposed to the high-level Mage spells that Summon Planetar will take up,\nso I'd suggest getting a Deva instead if at all possible. After all,\nwouldn't you rather give up a Sunray, Greater Restoration, or Finger\nof Death rather than a Time Stop?\n\nRogue Feats\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND108}\no======================================================================o\n\nAlchemy\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nWith Intelligence innate to the class, an experienced rogue has seen\nenough potions in his or her adventuring career to simulate the creation\nof one. With the Alchemy skill, the rogue can create one of eight types\nof potions, once per day.\n\nThe potions a rogue can create are randomly chosen from the following \nlist:\n1) Potion of Master Thievery\n2) Potion of Perception\n3) Potion of Extra Healing\n4) Potion of Superior Healing\n5) Potion of Regeneration\n6) Antidote\n7) Oil of Speed\n8) Potion of Frost Giant Strength, only useable by thieves or bards\n\nOne, it's random, although I guess you could just wait around and stock\nup. Still, these are all items you can buy from stores, and many of the\npotions can be replicated with spells, or aren't very useful by the time\nyou get unlimited access to them anyways. The only interesting one, the\npotion of Frost Giant Strength, can be permanently gained with girdles\non your main Fighters, and since it's only usable by thieves and bards,\nit really only is useful on multi-class thieves.\n\nAssassination\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nUsing every clever trick an experienced Thief has learned in countless\nbattles, this ability allows every strike in the next round to act as a\nbackstab, using the Thief's existing backstab modifier to determine\ndamage\n\nThis is more like it. Every attack counts as a backstab? Obviously the\nmore Fighter you have backing this up, the better, and with Haste it\nbecomes truly devastating. This is a must-have for thieves. Bards... I'm\nnot sure what backstab modifier it's using, exactly. Keep in mind that\nmany big bad things in this game are, sadly, immune to backstabs.\n\nAvoid Death\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nWith a superhuman effort, a high-level rogue can avoid almost certain \ndeath. The effect lasts for 5 rounds and during this time the rogue \ngains a +5 bonus to save vs. death, his Hit Points are increased by 20 \nand the rogue becomes immune to death magic for the duration of the \nability.\n\nEh. I suppose. It only lasts for five rounds, so you really have to know\nthat those death effects are coming, and even then, why not just pop on\na Death Ward spell? It really would protect against, what? Poison? \nNegative Energy? If it lasted longer, it would be useful, but its\nduration makes it iffy.\n\nEnhanced Bard Song (Bard only)\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis is a powerful aid to both the bard and to his allies. The song \ngives the bard himself a 10 point bonus to his AC and 10 % magic \nresistance bonus due to the power of the song. The song also gives his \nallies +4 to hit, +4 to damage, +4 to AC, immunity to Fear, Stun and \nConfusion, +5 % magic resistance and immunity to normal weapons. This \nability replaces the current Bard Song.\n\nA Bard in Baldur's Gate 2 is essentially a support character. And if\nthis isn't a superior support ability, I don't know what is. +4 to hit,\ndamage, and Armor Class is a VERY good thing. I can't imagine any reason\nfor any Bard to skip on this.\n\nEvasion\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nA rogue's natural sense of preservation becomes heightened with the use\nof the Evasion ability. Evasion gives a +4 bonus to AC and +2 to all \nsaving throws. The effect lasts for 3 rounds.\n\nThe best thing to say about it is that it's a requirement for Greater\nEvasion. Other than that, it's about the equivalent of Improved \nInvisibility, but with much worse duration and no protection against\nmagic.\n\nGreater Evasion\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nSpecial Requirements: You must know the Evasion ability.\n\nA more powerful version of Evasion, this ability gives +6 to AC and +3 \nto all saving throws. In addition, Greater Evasion allows the rogue to \nmove so quickly that his movement rate is increased by 2 and normal \nmissiles have no chance of striking him. Greater Evasion lasts for 5 \nrounds.\n\nA little better, I guess. Better than Improved Invisibility in power,\nbut weaker still in duration and magic defense. It at least makes you\nfaster, and makes you immune to normal missiles. It'll help a Thief out\ndefensively, but if you've got spells as well, you probably won't need\nit.\n\nMagic Flute (Bard only)\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis ability creates a magic flute made of pure magical energy. When \nplayed, the flute can be used to cast the following spells:\n\nResist Fear (Party) - 1 charge\nGlobe of Invulnerability - 1 charge\nDelayed Blast Fireball - 3 charges\n\nThe spell-like abilities on the Flute are used in the same way that a \nwand's powers are used. The Flute lasts for 1 day.\n\nWhat ass. Really? Resist fear is a low-level spell, Globe of \nInvulnerability isn't going to protect you from anything in Throne of\nBhaal, and... well, Delayed Blast Fireballs are kinda nice, but it's not\nworth sacrificing a feat over. Getting the bonus spell slots for a Mage\nis one thing... it allows you to prepare any extra spell of that level,\nand is a prerequisite for the 10th level spells, but this? Pass.\n\nScribe Scrolls\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nSpecial Requirements: You must know the Use Any Item ability\n\nThis ability allows a rogue to create low and mid-level spell scrolls. \nThe scrolls that the rogue can create are randomly chosen from the \nfollowing list:\n\n1) Magic Missile \n2) Haste \n3) Fireball \n4) Dispel Magic \n5) Dire Charm\n6) Invisibility\n7) Cone of Cold\n8) Monster Summoning II\n9) Monster Summoning III\n\nBy Throne of Bhaal what use are half of these spells? Magic Missile, \nDire Charm, Monster Summoning II and III are parlor tricks. Maybe back \nin Durlag's Tower this would have been handy, but not now. It doesn't do\nanything a Cleric, Druid, or Mage can't do better and more readily.\n\nSet Exploding Trap\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis ability allows the rogue to set a powerful trap that unleashes a \nfireball which causes 10d6 damage (save vs. spells for half damage) and\nwill knock its victims off their feet.\n\nI generally think traps are pretty useless. Are traps really going to\nhelp you against Beholders, Dragons, and Liches? I doubt it. 10d6\ndamage? That's a fireball, a 3rd level spell. Don't waste your feat.\n\nSet Spike Trap\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis ability allows the rogue to set a powerful spring-loaded spike trap\nthat does 20D6 damage to the unsuspecting creature that sets it off.\n\nNow this is a little better. 20d6 is hefty damage, and dealing that will\nactually bother a powerful creature. If you want to do hit and run\ntactics, this is an option.\n\nSet Time Trap\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis ability allows the rogue to set a magical trap that casts a weaker\nversion of the high level Time Stop spell. For 10 seconds, the flow of\ntime slows for all but the rogue. Often, a rogue will use this trap to\nget behind an opponent for a free attack.\n\nThis is also an interesting ability. 10 seconds is just over one combat\nround, during which time a Thief can hide in shadows, like the\ndescription says, or if they're multi-classed they may... say... pop out\na Whirlwind Attack? Just a thought.\n\nUse Any Item\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nRogues take pride in their ability to adapt and make clever use of \nwhatever is at hand. This ability is an extension of that basic skill. \nOnce learned, the effect is permanent. The ability allows the rogue to \nuse any item, even items that are typically restricted to one class. \nThis allows the rogue to use everything from wands and scrolls to mighty\nweapons that none but a Fighter could otherwise use. This ability is a \nprerequisite to the Scribe Scroll ability.\n\nWell... you never know what is going to be class restricted, but if you\nare a Fighter\/Thief, you can already use those mighty weapons, and if\nyou're a Thief\/Mage, you can already use those wands, right? Not always.\nThere are a few instances where this comes in handy, and Haer'Dalis\nshould always get it. For a Fighter\/Thief or Fighter\/Mage\/Thief\nprotagonist, this is also a must-get. It'll allow you to use such gear\nas Montolio's Cloak or Wondrous Gloves.\n\nMy Protagonists\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND109}\no======================================================================o\nI've played this game quite a few times, and have had many protagonists\nover the years... but for these guides I've focused on the strongest,\nmost power-gamey characters out there, characters who are individually\npowerful, unique, and fit well into various party setups. I first\nstarted built this guide around a Fighter\/Mage protagonist leading a\ngood party, but later added information for you evil folks out there.\nThe evil party was, by necessity, led by a Fighter\/Mage\/Thief\nprotagonist.\n\nThe Fighter\/Mage\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND110}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nFighter\/Mage\nHalf-Elf, Male\nTrue Neutral\n\nStrength:\t18\/74\t(19)\nDexterity:\t18\t(19)\nConstitution:\t18\t(19)\nIntelligence:\t18\t(19)\nWisdom:\t\t10\t(13)\nCharisma:\t10\t(11)\n\nStarting Proficiencies:\nFlail:\t\t\t++\nKatana:\t\t\t+\nTwo-Weapon Style:\t+++\n\nOverview:\n---------\nAt the end of this game, the Fighter\/Mage is arguably the strongest\ncharacter there is. I don't argue it, but I'm sure somebody might. As\nfar as I'm concerned, it's as strong of a protagonist as you can get.\nSince this is your protagonist-the only character whose creation you get\nto determine-you might as well make sure they've got the best possible\nattributes. The ideal is to start out maxed in Strength, Dexterity,\nConstitution, and Intelligence... which I've done. This character is\nfurther boosted by tomes obtained in the first game, and if you're\nfollowing through with me, yours will be, too. It gives us an extra\nadvantage that surely befits our protagonist's paternity, and starting\nout with a 19 Strength really helps this character shine. The Dexterity\nand Constitution give him the ability to survive better, since he will\nnot, for most of the game, have much in the way of armor. Intelligence\nis more of a matter of simplicity, as with a 19 Intelligence our\nFighter\/Mage will not be restricted by a maximum number of spell per\nlevel, and only rarely by failure when scribing scrolls... the latter of\nwhich can be negated just by shifting the difficulty down to normal or\nby save\/loading.\n\nWhat does this character do, you ask? A Fighter\/Mage is what it sounds\nlike, a hybrid of fighting power and magic. Seems cliche, and these\nhybrid characters never work anymore... but go back to the turn of the\nmillenium, when 2nd Edition Dungeons and Dragons ruled the land... or\nwas so recently subverted that it was still fresh in one's mind, at\nleast. The Fighter\/Mage really does get the best of both worlds, and\nthese are two domains made stupidly strong in Baldur's Gate 2. Weapons\nhave never been meaner, and melee attacks soundly leave missile attacks\nin the dust in Baldur's Gate 2, generally having more potent effects\nand requiring no specialized magical ammo to harm creatures. Also,\nfreed from the confines of Baldur's Gate 1's level cap, our warriors are\nfree to rack up multiple attacks per round and drop their THAC0s to\nstupidly low numbers. Nothing kills quite so quickly or dependably as a\nhigh-Strength melee character with a good weapon in this game.\n\nBut that's just one side of the coin. The other, of course, is magic. On\nits own, a warrior would be largely incapable of bypassing the defenses\nof many creatures in this game, or surviving their onslaughts. Stoneskin\nhas a way of nerfing a warrior's potency, and an Illithid-who kills by\ndraining Intelligence instead of chisling away Hit Points-is just a\nthreat a warrior isn't built to handle. The Fighter\/Mage, however, is\nequipped to handle anything. Depending on the foe, they can buff\nthemselves with the appropriate magics to make themselves resistant\n(or out right immune) to attack in ways a warrior can only dream of-\narmor be damned. Thus protected, they've got a better chance of cutting\nor smashing their way through any opposition, whereas a single-classed\nMage or Fighter could not.\n\nTo say that their magic is purely defensive and in service to their\nmelee, however, is not accurate. Certainly spells like Stoneskin and\nBlur protect and thus protected, the Fighter\/Mage is able to endure and\ndestroy, but without spells like Dispel Magic and Breach they, like any\nsingle-classed warrior, would be unable to harm certain foes at all.\nWhen necessary, however, they can just outright play the Mage card.\nLobbing out a Chaos or Slow will hinder enemies more than anything any\nwarrior could hope to do in a single round, and while it's true that\nmost of the death-dealing will be done with the Fighter\/Mage's weapons,\nit's the magic that allows them the security (and deprives the enemy of\nany) to do so.\n\nThe ultimate expression of the Fighter\/Mage synthesis is realized late\nin the game (as a multi-class character, no levels are redundant for the\nFighter\/Mage, who is always improving in significant ways long after\nsingle-classed warriors have stopped gaining anything but Hit Points)\nwith the Time Stop\/Greater Whirlwind combo. A single-classed Mage with\nTime Stop and Horrid Wilting is a brutal thing, as is a single-classed\nwarrior with Greater Whirlwind. But together, you get an attack of such\nbreath-taking potency that even late-game bosses have no choice but to\ntopple over and die in front of it. And of course, the Fighter\/Mage can\nalways just mimic the tactics of either of their component classes, as\nwell, when it suits them. The Fighter\/Mage is the most defensively and\noffensively powerful character out there.\n\nHow to Use the Fighter\/Mage Effectively:\n----------------------------------------\nTo start out the game, he picks the spells he'll need to get him started\nlisted in [DND097]-[DND100]. For his proficiencies, he'll get three\nranks in Two Weapon Style to reduce two weapon penalties by as much as\npossible. He'll also get two ranks into Flails... mostly because Flails\nwere great weapons in the first game, and one of the best weapons you\ncan get in Baldur's Gate 2 is a Flail-which is obtainable rather early.\nLastly, I had him become proficient in Katanas, as Celestial Fury-one\nof the most potent weapons in Shadows of Amn-will be available early\non. Later on in the game he'll get another point into Katanas, and\nstart working on Axes. This will allow him to ditch Celestial Fury\nsometime in Throne of Bhaal so he can equip the Axe of the Unyielding.\nThe entire Fighter\/Mage potency thing I drooled over above depends on\ntwo things-having the best weapons, and the right spells. I intend to\nmake sure it happens.\n\nThe Fighter\/Mage\/Thief\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND111}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nFighter\/Mage\/Thief\nElf, Female\nNeutral Evil\n\nStrength:\t18\/44\t(19)\nDexterity:\t19\t(20)\nConstitution:\t17\t(18)\nIntelligence:\t18\t(19)\nWisdom:\t\t10\t(13)\nCharisma:\t10\t(11)\n\nStarting Proficiencies:\nKatana\t\t\t+\nLong Sword:\t\t++\nTwo-Weapon Style:\t+++\n\nOverview:\n---------\nThe Fighter\/Mage\/Thief is a compromise-but not a bad one. The evil\nparty needs a Thief, so my typical Fighter\/Mage combination puts on a\nThief hat. Simple as. Instead, however, of making a poor copy of my\nFighter\/Mage and adding in some Thief, we should look at this class as\nan opportunity, rather than as a burden. True, it's the Fighter in the\nname that does the killing, and the Mage that allows it to happen, just\nlike with the Fighter\/Mage, but the Thief's offerings are capable of\nboosting the former. The idea here is simple-the best offensive benefit\nadded by a Thief is the backstabbing, so the Fighter\/Mage\/Thief should,\nat every opportunity, strive to backstab. It's not easy to achieve in\nBaldur's Gate 2, however, a game where nearly every Mage will gleefully\nexpose you with True Sight and some foes are just outright immune to\nbackstabs. Also, since my Fighter\/Mage\/Thief acts as the party tank and\nspecialized troubleshooter, it's difficult to work in a backstab when\nyou're drawing the attention... something going invisible would work\nagainst, even if you could do so without being detected.\n\nOur backstabbing abmitions will eventually become a reality, however,\nwhen my evil protagonist obtains the Dagger of the Star +5, which has a\n15% chance to turn the user invisible every time they hit a foe. A bit\nof micromanagement, or simply keeping them behind foes to start with,\nand you can rely on the massive x5 backstab bonus damage to occur. A\nsingle such hit with a high-Strength evil protagonist will likely\nseriously wound or even outright kill most foes in the game.\n\nAdditional tactical flexibility is made possible with the 'Use Any\nItem' ability. Again, taking the glass-half-full approach, since the\nFighter\/Mage\/Thief is denied access to Mage epic feats, getting Thief\nand Fighter, instead. This ability allows the Fighter\/Mage\/Thief to wear\nitems they would otherwise be prohibited from using, allowing them to\ngear up in ways impossible to the Fighter\/Mage. I'm not going to lie\nand claim this makes the Fighter\/Mage\/Thief equal to the Fighter\/Mage.\nIt doesn't. Spell selection and the ungodly Time Stop\/Greater Whirlwind\ncombo will always be points in favor of the Fighter\/Mage, but the\nFighter\/Mage\/Thief is potent in its own right.\n\nHow to Use the Fighter\/Mage\/Thief Effectively:\n----------------------------------------------\nMy Fighter\/Mage\/Thief will likewise pick what spells are best suited\ntowards a combat-active Mage's survival. There were a great number of\npotent Long Swords in the first game, so she starts out Specialized\nin them, mastered in Two-Weapon Style, and Proficient in Katanas. She\nwill, like the Fighter\/Mage, aspire towards Celestial Fury and become\nSpecialized in Katanas as soon as she can. Unlike the Fighter\/Mage,\nhowever, she will not be using the Flail of the Ages-that belongs to\nViconia in the evil party. Korgan, instead of Viconia, will use Crom\nFaeyr (she just has no business having 25 Strength with one attack\nper round), first with a shield in Shadows of Amn, and in Throne of\nBhaal, after building up proficiencies, he'll dual-weild the Axe of\nthe Unyielding, meaning Axes are out in the long run. Instead, my evil\nprotagonist doubles-down on Long Swords and uses the Equalizer as her\noff-hand weapon of choice throughout Shadows of Amn. Afterwards, she\nfocuses her energy on Daggers in anticipation of the mighty Dagger of\nthe Stars, which will turn her into a back-stabbing monster, and\nswitches out the Equalizer for Angurvadal when it becomes useful to do\nso. Other weapons like The Answerer and Hindo's Doom also find their\nway into my inventory, for use in certain situations. As a Thief, she\ngets her Find Traps up to 100 so she can detect and disarm pretty much\nany trap in the game. She also gets her Open Locks up to 100 to negate\nthe need for any Knock spells. Lastly, she starts to partition her\nremaining points between Hide in Shadows and Move Silently until they\nare both 100, in preparation for future backstabbing. In the meantime,\na lower score and Boots of Stealth will do just fine. As for Pick\nPockets... Haer'Dalis works just fine for that purpose... it's certainly\nbetter than wasting my protagonist's pointson it.\n\nImporting Your Character from Baldur's Gate 1\t\t\t{DND112}\no======================================================================o\nIt's quite simple to import from Baldur's Gate 1. Just go to the \ndirectory in which your Baldur's Gate 1\/2 games are saved. Find your \nSave folder in Baldur's Gate 1 and copy the desired save game (ideally \nthe Final Save) and move it into the Save folder of your Baldur's Gate 2\ngame. For me, using Windows 7, these files were found in the following\nlocation:\n\nLibraries\/Documents\/Baldur's Gate II - Enhanced Edition\n\nYou can also export your character from within Baldur's Gate 1 and\nmove the character file over from the Characters folder in Baldur's \nGate 1 to the Characters file in Baldur's Gate 2. When in character\ncreation in Baldur's Gate 2 just click the 'Import' button and pick the\nselected save\/character. If these folders aren't in existence in your\nBaldur's Gate 2 directory, just create them manually.\n\nAmazingly enough, you can also import characters from good old vanilla\nBaldur's Gate 2 to the Enhanced Edition. Just export the character\nwhile playing Baldur's Gate 2 and copy the character files. These files\nwill be found in the 'characters' folder, named whatever you called the\nexport. There are two files you need to get, a .CHR file, and a .BIO\nfile. For example, if you export a character within Baldur's Gate 2\nand name the export 'BOB', the files you'll want to get are BOB.CHR and\nBOB.BIO. Just move them from the vanilla Baldur's Gate 2 'characters'\nfile and into the BG2EE 'characters' file, then start up BG2EE and\ncreate a new character, selecting the 'import' option.\n\nNote: When importing your character, the game will 'reroll' your\nHit Points in some cases. It's not fun when you import a character who\nhad 67 Hit Points at the end of the first game, only to find that for\nthe sequel you're starting out with 48 Hit Points. There is, however,\nan easy work-around for this. Just set the game's difficulty down to\nthe lowest setting before importing your character to ensure your rolls\nare maximized-hence setting them at their end of Baldur's Gate 1 values.\n\no======================================================================o\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|\t\t\t   Characters {CHR001}\t\t\t       |\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\no======================================================================o\nYou'll notice that there are new friends and old to be recruited in\nBaldur's Gate, but most of them, with the exception of Mazzy and ???????\ncan be found fairly early on in the game. You'll also notice that there\nare fewer characters in Baldur's Gate 2. What they lack in numbers they\nmake up for in personality, an immeasurably favorable exchange. As there\nare less characters there are less choices, but there are also fewer\ndead-weight characters in this game. Even the characters from the first\ngame have typically been buffed up a bit.. and why not? Your main \ncharacter certainly gained some attribute points over the course of the\nfirst game, right?\n\nMost characters have quests associated with recruiting and\/or securing\nthem, but many also have some quests that need to be completed when\nthey are traveling with you. They are mentioned in brief in each \ncharacter's description, mostly to point them out and let you know \nwhere to find them in the Walkthrough, since their inclusion can be \nsomewhat... whimsical... at times. It made sense to me when I was \nwriting, honest.\n\nCharacter Starting Stats\t\t\t\t\t{CHR002}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThe starting attributes of recruitable characters can vary wildly\ndepending upon when you recruit them. Like in Baldur's Gate 1, they\nwill gain experience to scale to your level when you reruit them... to\nan extent, anyways. The computer is never as smart about Hit Point rolls\nor proficiency allocation as you will be, however, so try to get to\nthese characters early before the computer nerfs them too much.\n\nAerie\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR003}\no======================================================================o\nFemale, Elf, Cleric\/Mage, Lawful Good\nStr 10, Dex 17, Con 9, Int 16, Wis 16, Cha 14\n\nStarting Proficiencies:\nClub\t\t\t+\nMace\t\t\t+\nQuarter Staff\t\t+\nSling\t\t\t+\n\nOverview:\n---------\nEnter Aerie, both a divine and arcane spell caster as well as a possible\nromantic interest for male protagonists. For reasons I've discussed\nbefore, I don't really find her very useful. I'm tempted to say that\nwith some patience she could pay off, eventually, but I'm restrained\nfrom such optimism with the following question: who would you replace\nAerie with in the good party? This depends, of course, on what role you\nwant her to play, either filling in for a Cleric, or a Mage. If you try\nto fit her in as a Cleric (in place of Anomen), you're significantly\nweakening the fighting ability of your party. Since Aerie has to play\nby Mage rules (no heavy armor), she's not much for melee combat... and\nI'm sure not taking defensive gear from my Fighter\/Mage to accomodate\nher. Her Dexterity means that, technically, she could be moderately\nwell-protected in combat, but her Constitution and Strength just ruin\nher. She would, at best, be a much, much more vulnerable version of\nViconia (lighter armor, no Magic Resistance, lower Dexterity), but\nhonestly, Viconia is only in combat in the first place because of her\ndefensive performance, and even then, only with a Strength-boosting\nitem devoted to the cause. As a multi-class character Aerie will\ndevelop too slowly to really serve as a stand-alone Cleric, much less\none that will need the THAC0 and Hit Points to handle melee combat. If\nyou want to her to replace Imoen, the problem is even more acute-then\nyou need a Thief for the party, on top of the fact that a multi-class\nMage is not sufficient for the party caster. It would be near the end\nof the game before she got any 9th-level spells, and while I'll suffer\nthis downside for a Fighter\/Mage, who can contribute mightily in melee,\nI will not suffer it in what is supposed to be our dedicated party\nMage. Even Imoen is on the cusp of too slow for the position. Failing\nthat, we can insert her instead of Minsc, where she can contribute\nmostly with buffs (since her low level will inhibit both her spell\nselection and potency.) In place of Minsc's bow... eh... it's a wash,\nreally, but if you're at all attracted to dropping Minsc for ???????\nat any point, dragging out Aerie is pointless. She certainly can't\ncompare with ???????'s melee prowess.\n\nRecruiting Aerie:\n-----------------\nYou can find Aerie in the bewitched circus tent in Waukeen's Promenade\n(AR0604). You'll need to go in and free her to recruit her, and defeat\nKalah and finish the Circus Tent quest to keep her-which really isn't\ntoo much more of a requirement. This quest is located in the walkthrough\nat [WLk015].\n\nHow to Use Aerie Effectively:\n-----------------------------\nAerie comes ready to go with Slings, which is fine. It' how she'll be\nable to contribute to fights without casting spells. Of course, since\nshe's a mutli-class Cleric\/Mage, if she's not casting a spell at any\ngiven moment, she's not being used optimally. Her best use for most of\nShadows of Amn is as a buffer and healer... the equivilent in the evil\nparty is Haer'Dalis, save that unlike Haer'Dalis, her caster level will\nbe too low to bother with some spells. This does not, however, prevent\nher from using True Sight, Breach, Haste, Slow, or Chaos... when she\neventually gets them. Her spell progression will be on par with the\nFighter\/Mage's, and hence the easiest fit is to replace Minsc with her,\nand use her as a poor man's Viconia. Give her a suitable melee weapon\n(Flail of the Ages seems profoundly wasted on her), and supplement her\npoor Armor Class with Stoneskin and Blur. She can always inherit the\nBracers of Defense A.C. 3 after you obtain Bladesinger Chain, which...\nwell, is something. Midway through Throne of Bhaal should could actually\nget quite potent, once she can contribute with Horrid wilting, Sunray,\nand Spell Triggers, and she will eventually get Time Stop if you were\ncareful to obtain all the scrolls you can find. For most of the game,\nhowever, she is a buffer\/debuffer and a healer, a secondary spell-caster\nthrough and through.\n\nAnomen\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR004}\no======================================================================o\nMale, Human, Fighter\/Cleric, Lawful Neutral\nStr 18\/52, Dex 10, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 13\n\nStarting Proficiencies:\nWar Hammer\t\t+\nMace\t\t\t++\nSling\t\t\t++\nSword and Shield Style\t+\n\nOverview:\n---------\nAnomen has several perks which makes him the best combat Cleric in the\ngame. First, he's a dual-classed Fighter, and while his dumbass didn't\nstay a Fighter long enough (and didn't spend her proficiency points\nwisely enough) to get the most out of it, he will have multiple\nattacks per round and the ability to Specialize in weaponry. He's also\ngot a passable Constitution and a high Strength score, meaning you can\nwait quite a while before handing him any Strength-boosting items.\nOf course, at 25th-level he'll automatically get a Holy Symbol which\nboosts his Strength, so really, you never need to concern yourself with\nStrength. His Dexterity, however, is poor for a warrior, and while he\nmight benefit from The Brawling Hands, Korgan or Keldorn will benefit\nmore-both of them are worth neglecting a shield with, and hence, Anomen\nwill just have to make do with heavy armor and a shield. He can\ntechnically fit into either party, provided you take his story quests\ndown the right (or wrong) route, but honestly, a good party playthrough\nwith Anomen is all I can stand. The thought of dragging him around with\nme through every playthrough is enough to make me want to poke my eyes\nout and chop off my hands. Not that he's a bad Cleric, he's not, he\njust has a bit of a personality disfunction, and he wears on me... not\nenough, however, that I avoided dragging him around with my evil party\nfor a while. Although I tout Anomen's melee prowess, he is, first and\nforemost, a Cleric. A good one, too. He's not any worse for the position\nthan Viconia, save a few inconsequential extra spells due to Wisdom and\nsomewhat slower progression due to his Fighter levels, but nothing that\nwill be an issue down the road.\n\nHow to Use Anomen Effectively:\n------------------------------\nAnomen is pretty simple-get him some heavy armor and put a blunt weapon\nin his hands. Fortunately for us, he knew he'd be dual-classing into a\nCleric some day, and hence, he avoided putting any ranks into edged\nweapons. Huzzah. He really excels with either a Flail or a War Hammer,\nhowever. Yeah, either the Flail of the Ages or Crom Faeyr, what else\nwould I be talking about? Either one would work for him, but I prefer\nto give him Crom Faeyr and let my protagonist abuse the best two\none-handed weapons in the game. He also could potentially dual-wield,\nbut since this would critically deprive him of Armor Class (and take\nhalf of forever for him to accumulate enough proficiencies to bother\nwith it), I don't suggest it.\n\nRecruiting Anomen:\n------------------\nAnomen can be found in the Copper Coronet (AR0406) at (x=1530, y=1660).\nIn Anomen you'll find all the naive charm of Ajantis. Really, who sits\naround in a sleazy bar in the slums asking people if they are courageous\nand good? In any event, assure him that you are both and he'll offer to\njoin your quest. He seeks to prove his worth so he can join the Most \nNoble Order of the Radiant Heart, and with what this game has in store\nfor him, he'll get the chance to prove such many times over. \n\nAnomen's Quest:\n---------------\nAfter traveling with Anomen for a while, you'll have to deal with\nAnomen's family quest. It's best if you prompt Anomen to stay virtuous\nand ignore his father's request for revenge. It won't help his family\nlife, but it will allow him to join the Most Noble Order of the\nRadiant Heart. If he fails at this, his often antagonistic relationship\nwith Keldorn will turn downright divisive. If you want both in your\nparty, you have to prevent Anomen from taking justice into his own \nhands, however unsatisfactory the results. You'll find this quest\ndescribed in full in [WLK010]. If Anomen stays on the right track and\njoins the High Hall of the Radiant Heart his alignment will change to\nLawful Good and his Wisdom will increase from 12 to 16.\n\nCernd\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR005}\no======================================================================o\nMale, Human, Shapeshifter, True Neutral\nStr 13, Dex 9, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 18, Cha 15\n\nStarting Proficiencies:\nScimitar\t\t+\nDagger\t\t\t+\nQuarter Staff\t\t+\nSling\t\t\t+\n\nOverview:\n---------\nI'm not even going to try to be partial here. Cernd sucks. His stats\nsuck, and his class sucks. Sure, he can shapeshift into a Werewolf, and\neventually a Greater Werewolf. Unless you've got a fix installed,\nhowever, it's horribly nerfed, and even if you unnerf it, I still doubt\nits potency compared to, say, a well-armed Jaheira. His spells are\nfairly effective, but he's not going to cut it as your party's Cleric\n(no Druid really can.) As a Werewolf he's serviceable so long as you're\ncommitted to giving him nearly every Armor Class boosting item you get.\nHe can't wear armor, and a -2 Armor Class just doesn't cut it. Also keep\nin mind he can't cast any Druid spells once he's committed to\nshapeshifting. So what I want to ask is this; why take Cernd over\nJaheira? Jaheira can wear armor, which gives her a vastly improved Armor\nClass without having to give her preferential treatment. A suit of Full\nPlate Mail +1 and a Large Shield +2 is great early-game defense for her,\nand it requires no real special investment of unique gear. Her THAC0\nwill be lower (or at least comparable) to Cernd's in werewolf form, and\nshe doesn't have to shapeshift to get these combat stats. Best of all,\nshe can cast spells while being combat-able. She won't get quite as many\nDruid spells as Cernd, but her ability to obtain Greater Whirlwind\nAttacks makes her far and away a better combatant by the end of the\ngame. There's just absolutely no good reason that I can think of to pick\nCernd over  Jaheira. At least he doesn't need stat-boosting items. You\nmight think he would, but since he's only combat-savvy as a werewolf, he\ncan just augment his stats by transforming. Eventually Cernd will be able\nto get the Elemental Transformation ability, and really, to contribute in\na  fight he'll need it. Still, with a THAC0 of 2 and -5 Armor Class,\nhe'll still be eclipsed by all his party members and-more importantly-\nhis enemies. By the time Jaheira was ready to get her first high-level\nability, she had a THAC0 of 1 and a -8 Armor Class-without transforming\ninto anything. Not to mention she had more Hit Points than Cernd could\nhave hoped to attain, and she could still cast spells while maintaining\nher good combat stats. On top of that, she can grab Whirlwind Attack and\nfurther widen the gap between herself and Cernd.\n\nHow to Use Cernd Effectively:\n-----------------------------\nAnything that can boost his Armor Class-Rings of Protection, the Cloak\nof the Sewers, he's going to need it. He can't wear armor, and even if\nhe could, he can't bring it with him when he shapechanges, which is\nwhere all his offense lies. Given his attributes, it's something he will\nhave to rely on pretty much all the time. In all honesty, though, he's\nprobably better off used as a casting Druid. His shapeshifting abilities\njust aren't good enough to bother putting him in melee combat. Yeah,\nhis defenses get fairly good, but he'll never have the THAC0 to compete\nwith the game's best... or even mediocre, for that matter. As a caster,\nhe does alright... not that Druid spells are so good that the deserve\na dedicated caster. Melee is, and always will be, his core issue. I\nrefuse to waste a spot on my roster for a non-fighting Druid, and\nshapechanged or not, Cernd just can't make a good show for himself in\ncombat. Even if you toss him a Strength-boosting item, White Dragon\nScale, and the Staff of the Ram +6, he won't be up to snuff. On the\nother hand, as a Greater Werewolf, his Armor Class is decent, but his\nmelee prowess still leaves much to be desired. The sheer fact that he\ncan't hit creatures requiring a +3 weapon or better while shapeshifted\nmakes it a useless transformation in Throne of Bhaal, really.\n\nRecruiting Cernd:\n-----------------\nCernd finds himself in a precarious position in Trademeet (AR2000),\nwhere a group of hostile Druids have been attacking. Cernd, trying to\ndefuse the situation, becomes a scapegoat. On your word (and promise to\nset things straight) Cernd will be released into your custody. Cernd's\nprimary interest is resolving the strife between Trademeet and the\nnearby Druids, which is covered in [WLK022].\n\nCernd's Quest:\n--------------\nWhen you return to Athkatla with Cernd in your party (after dealing with\nthe Druids of Trademeet) he'll have to deal with the ghosts of the life\nhe left behind-namely the wife and child he abandoned. The only way you\ncan mess this up (besides simply not doing it) is to abandon him when\nhe confronts the antagonist of this quest. This quest is covered in\nfull in the Walkthrough [WLK022].\n\nDorn\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR006}\no======================================================================o\nMale, Half-Orc, Blackguard, Neutral Evil\nStr 19, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 15, Cha 16\n\nStarting Proficiencies:\nCrossbow\t\t++\nTwo-Handed Sword\t++\nTwo-Handed Weapon\t++\n\nOverview:\n---------\nDorn returns from the first Enhanced Edition game, ready to resume his\nrole as the rightful leader of the evil party. He's got the most\nCharisma of any evil character in the game, eeking out Viconia by a\npoint. What makes him stand out, however, are his physical stats. With\na natural 19 Strength he'll never need any Strength-boosting items.\nHis Dexterity is also passable... at the very least, he's doing better\nthan Keldorn, although his Constitution is just below anything useful.\nOn the plus side, the game is very generous with his Hit Point rolls,\nso his low Constitution isn't as bad as it could be. All in all, he's a\nsturdy addition to the evil party. The only threat to his position is\nthe evil party, at least in MY evil party, is ???????, who out-guns him\nstat-wise... but that's something we need not worry about until Throne\nof Bhaal.\n\nHow to Use Dorn Effectively:\n----------------------------\nStrap the heaviest armor you can find on him, give him some secondary\nprotection items, and put a Two-Handed Sword in his hands-Dorn is a\npretty simple creature. As a Blackguard he's immune to level drain,\nwhich is a very handy trait indeed. Any time foes like Wights and\nVampires rear their heads, send in Dorn to occupy them. It really\nsimplifies such encounters early on, until you get the Amulet of Power.\nHe comes with all the proficiencies you need-in the early game he'll\nmake good use of the Sword of Chaos +2, and for ranged attacks he'll\nbe potent with the Firetooth +4 Crossbow. Two-Handed Swords aren't\nhis end-game future, however. He'll find superior Halberds before long,\neven if he will end Shadows of Amn with the Silver Sword +3. In Throne\nof Bhaal, however, Two-Handed Swords can't compete with the awesome\npotency of the Ravager +6. The best Two-Handed Weapon in the game is\na Halberd, so Specialize in them as soon as you can.\n\nRecruiting Dorn:\n----------------\nDorn's dark shadow taints the Temple District (x=2550, y=3380), where\nhe waits, anticipating his latest murder in the name of his patron.\nOffer to give him and hand and crash the wedding at the nearby High\nHall of the Radiant Heart (x=3330, y=3400) (OH500), where he aims to\nkill Bollard Firejaw. Give him a hand, then promise more slaughter to\nfollow to keep him around. The rest of his quests are recorded in\n[WLK045].\n\nDorn's Quests:\n--------------\nDorn's questline starts out with a pair of assassination missions,\nwhich result in mandatory reputation loss and a few big fights. You'll\nbe ambushed when returning to town from the second one, after which\nyou'll suffer a visit by Azothet and then Ur-Gothoz. The next part of\nDorn's quest involves heading to Resurrection Gorge and resolving,\nthrough combat, whether Dorn'll break free of Ur-Gothoz only to end up\nin the service of Azothet, or whether he will break free from both and\nlose his Blackguard status. In Throne of Bhaal, Dorn will find himself\nplaced on the Scroll of Retribution for his earlier actions, and in\nshort order, so will you. You'll have to assault Lunia-a heavenly plane,\nto remove your names from the Scroll of Retribution... and perhaps pen\na few in their places...\n\nEdwin\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR007}\no======================================================================o\nMale, Human, Conjurer, Lawful Evil\nStr 10, Dex 10, Con 16, Int 18, Wis 10, Cha 10\n\nStarting Proficiencies:\nDagger\t\t\t+\nQuarter Staff\t\t+\n\nOverview:\n---------\nEdwin is a little stronger and wiser than in the first game, but he's\nstill the same glass-cannon he ever was. He is in no way a melee \ncharacter, and his Dexterity ensures he'll never do well in ranged\ncombat either. He is, however, the best Mage in the game, and unlike\nClerics or Druids, I don't expect, nor do I require melee competence\nform my Mages. Edwin is a Conjurer, the best specialist Mage there is,\nand he gets several bonus spells per level. He is, quite simply, a\nbetter Mage than anything you, or I, or anybody could roll up.\n\nHow to Use Edwin Effectively:\n-----------------------------\nHave him learn to use Darts and he's all set. Really, being a Mage makes\nit pretty easy when it comes to  proficiencies. The only downside to\nEdwin is that he can't use Divination spells. As far as applicable uses\ngoes, this means he can't cast Detect Invisibility or True Sight. Still,\nwith Viconia and\/or Jaheira in tow, they can handle our True Sight\nneeds. Still, he comes with a well-stocked spellbook, and what little\nhe lacks can be bolstered by some potion-assisted stealing sprees. He\nreally just is the best Mage in the game, from the moment you start\nexploring the Docks District until the end of the game.\n\nRecruiting Edwin:\n-----------------\nYou can find him in the Docks District of Athkatla, in Mae'Var's\nGuildhall (AR0304)  at (x=850, y=350). To recruit him you need to do a\nbit of work, however. Accept Renal Bloodscalp's mission to investigate\nMae'Var and do some work for both Mae'Var and Edwin, who will both give\nyou two missions. After the second Mae'Var mission he'll offer to help\nyou take Mae'Var down, allowing you to recruit him.\n\nEdwin's Quest:\n--------------\nEven after taking down Mae'Var, Edwin's not in it for the game yet,\nhowever, as you'll need to track down the Nether Scroll before he'll\nstay for good. Fortunately this is near the same area (AR8002) you need\nto  explore to find the Book of Kaza that Korgan wants. Once obtained...\nwell, Edwin will begin translating the damn thing, of course, which\nleads to more trouble. Don't rat him out (but don't refrain from\nteasing him), and if you help him overcome a fellow Red Wizard named\nDegardan, he'll be yours for the rest of the game. This quest is fully\ncovered in [WLK008].\n\nHaer'Dalis\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR008}\no======================================================================o\nHuman, Tiefling, Blade, Chaotic Neutral\nStr 17, Dex 17, Con 9, Int 15, Wis 13, Cha 16\n\nStarting Proficiencies:\nShort Sword\t\t++\nDagger\t\t\t+\nDart\t\t\t+\nTwo Weapon Style\t++\n\nOverview:\n---------\nHaer'Dalis is a poor compromise of a character that might just end up in\nan evil party due to a simple lack of options. He's got a high enough\nStrength to start out, but to do anything meaningful in combat, he's\ngoing to need a Strength-boosting item. His Dexterity is passable, but\nhis class and Constitution both conspire-by depriving him of good armor\nand Hit Points-to keep him off the front lines. At the end of the day he\nmight as well be viewed as a poor substitute for a Fighter\/Mage, with\nless potential Armor Class, Hit Points, THAC0, spell selection, and epic\nlevel feats. Which is to say that he'll fit into that role about as well\nas an elephant fits into a size-0 bikini. Add to this the fact that he\nhas about the most useless starting proficiencies of any recruitable\ncharacter, and we've got a serious... ah... 'fixer upper'. Although he\nonly gets up to 6th-level spells, this is good enough to get him some\nessentials-Blur, Mirror Image, Dispel Magic, Haste, Stoneskin,\nFireshield, Breach, Chaos, Pierce Magic, and True Sight. This will help\nmake up for the fact that my Fighter\/Mage\/Thief protagonist doesn't\nadvance very quickly, and Edwin simply can't cast True Sight. By Throne\nof Bhaal, however, Viconia has enough True Sight to make up for Edwin,\nand my protagonist is now a high enough level that we can safely discard\nHaer'Dalis for ???????, which what I intend to do.\n\nHow to Use Haer'Dalis Effectively:\n----------------------------------\nMy suggestion is you get him out of melee combat as soon as you get him.\nHe's going to have to level a bit, but once he does, give him a Crossbow\nand keep him back as an archer\/support Mage. Of course, while he might\nnot be able to contribute in combat himself, he always has his\nbard-song, which at least allows him to do something. When he levels up,\nhave him become proficient in Two-Handed Swords first, and Halberds\nlater. In many fights later in the game, having an extra hand in combat\nwill be more useful than having a bard-song, even with the Enhanced Bard\nSong feat. To this end, having a powerful weapon with reach will allow\nhim to deal damage without putting himself too much at risk... and did\nI mention he'll make a great support Mage throughout Shadows of Amn?\nHis high level means he'll be a better buffer than pretty much anybody\nelse, so if you need a Haste or Dispel Magic, he's the one to go to.\n\nRecruiting Haer'Dalis:\n----------------------\nTo get Haer'Dalis you'll have to rescue him from the Mage Mekrath, who\nhas a lair in the sewers (AR0705). You can either kill Mekrath, or help\nhim get a mirror back from a wayward imp. Once Haer'Dalis is reunited\nwith his misfit troupe back at the Five Flagons Inn (AR5010) they'll\nattempt to planeshift away from their pursuers. Wouldn't you know it,\nthe bad guys show up and take them hostage. This forces you to complete\nthe Astral Prison quest, after which Haer'Dalis is yours for good. \n\nHexxat ***SPOILERS***\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR009}\no======================================================================o\nFemale, Human, Thief, Neutral Evil\nStr 14 (20), Dex 16 (20), Con 14, Int 12 (14), Wis 10 (12), Cha 14 (18)\n\nStarting Proficiencies:\nDagger\t\t\t+\nLong Sword\t\t+\nShort Bow\t\t+\nShort Sword\t\t+\n\nOverview:\n---------\nTalking about Hexxat necessarily means spoilers. There is no way\naround it-I can either preserve the integrity of the story, or I can\nadequately discuss Hexxat's performance throughout the game. This\nsection is dedicated to the former, at expense of the latter. Spoilers\nfollow, so if you don't want them, don't read beyond this point.\n\nHexxat's stats seem... decent, I suppose. I mean... Okay, they kind of\nsuck. She aspires to be decent in Dexterity, but for a Thief, you really\nwant more. As for Strength and Constitution, her attributes are just\nbelow anything useful. Of course, you'll also notice the more\ndesirably numbers in the parentheses. What gives? Well, Hexxat is a\nVampire-the 'Hexxat' you meet in the Copper Coronet is just a lure to\nbring you to the real Hexxat. Her Vampirism gives her a number of\nintriguing properties-immunity to poison, disease, energy drain and\nmind-affecting effects. She also regenerates. Pretty sweet. Her\nweaknesses are overcome by necessity with the inclusion of a few items,\nwhich you obtain during her initial quest-a cloak that allows her to\ntravel around during the day, and a coffin conveniently placed in a\nBag of Holding. This makes Hexxat even more interesting, as she's much\nweaker with the cloak on (she reverts to the lower stats given above\nwhile wearing this cloak), so you should strive to act indoors or\nduring the night to make the best use of Hexxat. Even cooler, if you\ncarry her coffin around, she will return to it to recover if she should\ndie-just wait a bit (or rest) and she will return, good as new. This\ngive you a character who is capable of more... suicidal approaches. If\nshe falls during a fight-who cares? She'll be back. Unfortunately,\nHexxat-being a single-classed Thief with low Constitution-will never\nbe terribly hardy, which just makes her relative invulnerability more\nwelcome.\n\nAt first look, it might seem like Hexxat is the answer to many of the\nevil party's problems. Baldur's Gate 2 has always been rather sparse\nwhen it came to potent Thieves. Imoen just barely cuts it for the good\nparty, but for the evil party, my only option was to have a Thief\nprotagonist. Granted, a Fighter\/Mage\/Thief, because a single-class\nThief just isn't powerful enough for me to consider as a long-term\nparty member. And therein lies the problem-Hexxat is a Thief-just a\nThief. No kit, no multi-class, and no dual-class. Hexxat tries awfully\nhard to be a powerful single-class Thief, with a slew of Vampiric\nbonuses, abilities, and immunities, and she comes close-so damn close-\nto making it work. Sadly, I just don't think you can overcome the\nweaknesses of a single-class Thief. Even with her stats, by Throne of\nBhaal Hexxat will be no better in melee combat than Viconia, and\nwhen you compare the roster of my chosen evil party-Dorn, Korgan,\nJaheira, Viconia, and Edwin-you'll see that not only do most of those\ncharacters fight as good or better than Hexxat, but they tend to be\nable to do other things, too. \n\nHow to Use Hexxat Effectively:\n------------------------------<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Hexxat will perform competently in both melee and ranged combat-get her\na Short Bow and use her as a spell-less Imoen, but keep in mind that\nher fantastic Strength score should not be squandered at a range. She\njust begs to be used as a first-strike back-stabber. Her most useful\nasset in this regards is her disposability-if she should falter in an\nassault, she'll be back. Keep her in light armor, and allow her\nDexterity to keep her somewhat safe. Her Hit Points will always suck,\nhowever, and she will never aspire to more than one attack per round,\ndue to being a single-classed Thief, so don't expect her to tank much.\nShe starts out Proficient in Daggers so she can use the Dagger of the\nStar in Throne of Bhaal, where she can really make use of her\ndevastating backstab attack.\n\nRecruiting Hexxat:\n------------------\nYou'll find a rather addled and single-minded creature named Hexxat in\nthe Copper Coronet (AR0406) at (x=600, y=1050). She wants to go to the\nTomb of Dragomir in the Graveyard District, and won't take 'no' for an\nanswer. She will, however, suffer as much delay as you care to put her\nthrough. In Dragomir's Tomb you'll uncover the real Hexxat, at the\nexpense of the old one. No big loss.\n\nHexxat's Quest:\n---------------\nAfter the mandatory journey into Dragomir's Tomb to recruit the real\nHexxat, the rest of Hexxat's questline follows. Over the course of time\nshe'll be bothered by Cabrina, who bears the word of Hexxat's employer,\n'L'. Cabrina will bring Hexxat missions, courtesy of 'L', which you can\nbegin as they come up by returning to the Graveyard District. Once you\ngo on such a mission, you're stuck with it until it's done. There's\nreally not much you can do to screw up Hexxat's questline, save by\nrefusing to do her missions or, well, dying, but that's pretty much the\nwhole game. Her Shadows of Amn quests can be found in [WLK046]. In\nThrone of Bhaal her quests will start up again when you enter Zekee's\nTavern in Amkethran with Hexxat in your party. Cabrina will show up\nagain with a final task for Hexxat, for a reward that Hexxat negotiated\nwith 'L' ahead of time. Tackle another dungeon crawl similar to the\nprevious ones and when finished, Hexxat will get her reward. If you want\nto keep her around, you'll need to talk her out of it, however.\n\nImoen\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR010}\no======================================================================o\nFemale, Human, Mage\/Thief, Neutral Good\nStr 9 (10), Dex 18 (19), Con 16, Int 17, Wis 11, Cha 16\n\nStarting Proficiencies:\nDagger\t\t\t+\nQuarter Staff\t\t+\nShort Bow\t\t+\nDart\t\t\t+\n\nOverview:\n---------\nImoen makes it back for Baldur's Gate 2, and like in the first game\nshe's the first recruitable character you'll meet. She's a bit of a\nchore to hang onto, however, as she'll need to be rescued shortly after\nyou escape, forcing parties who want her back to have to jump deep into\nthe story sooner than they might otherwise wish. I sure know I like to\nfool around a lot before doing any major story stuff... just look at my\nguide for Baldur's Gate 1. It took me forever to get to the Nashkel\nMines! Anyhow, Imoen has apparently made the same career move that we\nmade in the first game, and has become a Thief\/Mage dual-class. This\nallows her to fill both the Thief and Mage role for a good party,\nalthough with less potency than Edwin by far. She starts out with the\nability to use Short Bows, which is good for us, but her Find Traps is\nonly 95%... not quite high enough for every trap in the game. It's\npassable, and certainly better than dragging a Thief along, but if your\nprotagonist is a Thief (single, multi, or dual-classed) you might not be\ntoo impressed with Imoen. Although she pales in comparison to Edwin,\nImoen allows me to play a Fighter\/Mage, so as far as I'm concerned, she\nis absolutely indispensible for the good party.\n\nHow to Use Imoen Effectively:\n-----------------------------\nImoen, unlike most Mages, can actually contribute to combat effectively\nwith Short Bows. Sadly, she will be absent for a large chunk of Shadows\nof Amn, forcing you to drag along an understudy like Nalia or Yoshimo.\nOnce she's back, however, load her up with a Short Bow and she's good\nto go. Once you get back to Athkatla you'll be able to assemble the\nShort Bow of Gesen, which is a potent little item that will allow Imoen\nto excel at a range throughout the rest of the game. As I said earlier,\nher Find Traps score is only passable. Equipping a Ring of Danger Sense\non her (perhaps only when necessary) resolves that issue, however. Of\ncourse, Imoen's not really a Thief, is she? She's a Mage. At that role,\nshe... well, she's better than Jan or Aerie. She pales in comparison to\nEdwin, but who doesn't? Her progression will be slower (due to the fact\nthat she tends to miss out on half the experience in Shadows of Amn),\nand she gets fewer spells per level than her red-robed counterpart. She\nwill never have the tactical versatility of Edwin, and it'll become\napparent when the evil party is smiting Umber Hulks with impunity thanks\nto Edwin's Death Spells, and Imoen is... well, really wishing she had\nmore Death Spells, I imagine. You can save yourself some trouble by\nstoring spell scrolls you find early in the game, so that when reunited,\nImoen will be able to fill up her spellbook. This will go a long way\ntowards catching her up to speed. If you're very enterprising, drop\neverybody else out of your party (save your romantic partner, to be\nsafe) and have Imoen scribe (and with Throne of Bhaal installed, erase\nand rescribe multiple copies) spells, which will net a fair bit of\nexperience.\n\nRecruiting Imoen:\n-----------------\nImoen joins you at the beginning of the game, springing you from your\ncage in Irenicus' Dungeon. After escaping from Irenicus' Dungeon,\nhowever, she'll be... well, the subject of the main story for a few\nchapters. You'll have to raise money and take a leisure cruise by boat\nto get her back, and that's just the beginning...\n\n***SPOILERS***\nIn Throne of Bhaal, Imoen will start developing Bhaalspawn abilities \nlike we did during Baldur's Gate 1. Whatever Irenicus did to her, it \napparently unlocked her innate Bhaalspawn powers. She'll develop her\npowers two at a time, and inform you via banters about her changes.\nFirst she'll develop the Cause Serious Wounds and Cure Serious Wounds\nabilities. Next she'll gain the Neutralize Poison and Draw Upon Holy\nMight abilities, and she'll get a one-point boost to her Strength and\nDexterity. Each time she gains new abilities, the party will gain 1000 \nexperience.\n\nJaheira\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR011}\no======================================================================o\nFemale, Half-elf, Fighter\/Druid, True Neutral\nStr 15, Dex 17, Con 17, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 15\n\nStarting Proficiencies:\nScimitar\t\t+\nClub\t\t\t++\nQuarter Staff\t\t+\nSling\t\t\t+\nSword and Shield Style\t+\n\nOverview:\n---------\nAnother ally from the first game, and certainly one of the more\ninteresting females in gaming... at least as far as I'm concerned. She's\nbeen given a considerable Dexterity boost in the sequel, taking her from\nalmost getting a bonus, to a +3 Armor Class bonus. This is a wonderful\nchange, and makes her a much more defensible character... and she's\ngoing to need it in Baldur's Gate 2. In the first game you could control\nher development from start to finish, allowing Jaheira to rack up a\nrespectable number of Hit Points. Not so in the sequel. If you obtained\nthe max roll for her Hit Points in the first game she'd have ended up\nwith 89 Hit Points. She'll start Baldur's Gate 2 with a measely 51 Hit\nPoints. Granted, she's a level lower in this game than she was by the\nend of the first game, but even with another max Hit Point roll, she's\nat 63 Hit Points out of a possible 89. This loss of 26 Hit Points\nrepresents about a quarter of the total Hit Points she could normally\nobtain, and is her single greatest liability. It's so bad, in fact,\nthat a high-level Jaheira will actually have fewer Hit Points than\nViconia, a Cleric who is notorious for her unimpressive Constitution\nscore-and unlike Viconia, Jaheira doesn't have Magic Resistance to\nboost her defenses.\n\nUnlike a single-classed Druid she can use Plate Armor and Shields, which\nmakes her in a different league altogether. She's comparable to a\nCleric, but without actual access to Cleric spells and with better\ncombat abilities. She does, however, gain access to Druid spells,\nalthough her progression will be painfully slow. Once she gets access to\n5th-level spells she can start throwing out Insect Plagues, which is THE\nwinning spell for most of Shadows of Amn, it'll do for you what Stinking\nCloud did in Baldur's Gate 1. And unlike a single-classed Druid, when\nshe's not casting Insect Plague she can contribute to the fight. She's\nnot strong enough to get bonuses in combat, and this paired with her\nslower Fighter progression means she's in dire need of a Strength-\nboosting item. Fortunately, one can be provided rather early in the\ngame, after which point Jaheira really has no downsides... aside from\nthe mediocre Hit Point rolls, anyways. She'll not only be one of your\nbest warriors, but a good healer... not to mention being the only\nservicable Druid in the game.\n\nHow to Use Jaheira Effectively:\n-------------------------------\nGet her a Strength-boosting item-like the Girdle of Hill Giant Strength-\nfrom the Adventurer's Mart as soon as you have the scratch. It'll bump\nher up from a mediocre warrior to a great one in short order. Of course,\nher proficiencies also need some work. There are a few good Scimitars\nin Shadows of Amn, but Daggers are really the power weapons for her, so\nwork on getting her Specialized in Daggers. Once you get toys such as\nBoneblade +4 or Fire Tooth +3, she'll be all set, and one of the few\ncharacter adept at both ranged and melee combat, to boot. In Throne\nof Bhaal you'll find an absolutely fantastic Scimitar, so as soon as\nyou're Specialized in Daggers, get her another rank in Scimitars.\nJaheira might require the investment of a choice item or two, but\nnot any moreso than Keldorn. In the evil party, however, it's not really\npossible to favor Jaheira over Viconia, whose Strength concerns are\nsevere enough to prevent her from being armed and armored appropriately.\nJaheira will have to wait a good while to bring her Strength up to\nsnuff... but hey, it'll happen some day.\n\nRecruiting Jaheira:\n-------------------\nJaheira can be found in Irenicus' dungeon (AR0602), in a cell\n(x=3850, y=2650) in the same room you start out in.\n\nJaheira's Quest:\n----------------\nJaheira has two quests associated with her. First is Baron Ployer's \nCurse, which is pretty simple; find and kill Baron Ployer before time \nruns out and Jaheira succumbs to his curse. The second quest is\nlonger and more complicated. While wandering around in Athkatla you'll\nget a chance to rescue a man named Renfeld. Bring him to the Harper Hold\nin the Docks District and leave him in the care of Rylock, who stands\nnear the door leading to the Harper Hold. Later, Xzar will ask you to\nfind a way into the Harper Hold and rescue Montaron. To convince Rylock\nto let you in you'll need to do another quest for him-kill the monsters\nbeing bred in 'Prebek's Home'. Afterwards you can gain entrance,\nrecover Montaron from the Harper Hold, and bring him back to Xzar.\nAfter Xzar gets what he deserves, Jaheira will be summoned away from\nthe party for a while. Rest up, and when Jaheira returns your presence\nwill be requested at the Harper Hold. Join her, and deal with Galvarey\nand his Harper buddies. After this, Jaheira will be naturally conflicted\nover what happened-banters will pass and she'll be visited by other\nHarpers, who will shake Jaheira's faith in the Harper cause. She'll\ndisband temporarily, but can be retrieved at the Harper Hold. Some\nfights are mandatory, but others can be avoided if you keep your\nreputation high enough (16 or greater). A high reputation will also\nresult in a greater quest reward when Jaheira's quest finally runs its\ncourse. Both of these quests are covered in greater detail in [WLK034].\n\nJan\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR012}\no======================================================================o\nMale, Gnome, Illusionist\/Thief, Chaotic Neutral\nStr 9, Dex 17, Con 15, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 10\n\nStarting Proficiencies:\nShort Sword\t\t+\nDagger\t\t\t+\nQuarter Staff\t\t+\nCross Bow\t\t+\n\nOverview:\n---------\nJan is, at best, a sub-par Mage who will never be able to cast\nNecromantic spells such as Finger of Death or Horrid Wilting, and his\nIntelligence doesn't do him any favors either. He is a potential\nsubstitute for Imoen, and for an evil party, his blend of thieving and\nmagic might be the only option for an  otherwise Thief-less party.\nFrankly, however, I prefer Imoen to him in every way. She'll become a\nmuch better Mage (since she's a dual-classed Thief, and not\nmulti-classed like Jan) and she's got better Dexterity, Constitution,\nand Intelligence. Heck, when playing a protagonist who has levels of\nThief I'd even prefer Aerie, who is less annoying and more versatile.\nHe's not a terrible character, really, but I'm rather adverse to having\na multi-class Mage as my primary party Mage. He could, in the evil\nparty, substitute for Haer'Dalis (with the same goal of getting\nreplaced by ???????), but this hardly gives us the ability to dispense\nwith the Fighter\/Mage\/Thief in the long run, and really, I have to\nwonder how much difference there would be, gameplay wise. At the end of\nthe day, if it comes to hearing Jan talk about turnips, or hearing\nHaer'Dalis call me raven, I'd rather take the fruity Bard.\n\nHow to Use Jan Effectively:\n---------------------------\nIf you do play with Jan... well, he works much like Imoen. Get him Short\nBows and ignore his silly crossbow nonsense when he gets a proficiency\npoint to spend. Just keep in mind he is the weakest recruitable Mage the\ngame offers.\n\nRecruiting Jan:\n---------------\nJan can be found in the Government District of Athkatla (AR1000) at\n(x=2730, y=1750). Trax, a representative of the Amnian Revenue and Tax\nBoard will show up and try to nab Jan for selling illegal merchandise.\nYou can either lie and cover for Jan and get some experience, or you can\nsell Jan out for 100 gold. If you want him in your party you'll either\nhave to lie for him (not a hard thing to do, considering the experience\ninvolved) or pay his 800 gold piece bail and suffer a net loss of 700\ngold... but so annoying is Jan that the Prison Keeper will spot you 200\ngold to get rid of him.\n\nJan's Quest:\n------------\nAfter traveling with Jan for a while we'll be bothered by one of his\nnumerous relatives, Beeloo, who will tell Jan that a former love of his\nis now staying at the Jansen family home. Go meet with this Lissa, and\nyou'll discover that her abusive husband has apparently injured their\ndaughter severely, and we need to get help. Jan stays behind and\nrefers us to his Uncle Gerhardt, who tells us to look for the 'Hidden'.\nTo find the 'Hidden' we need to go to the Government District, talk to\nLady Jysstev, then head into the sewers under the Copper Coronet. The\nHidden will promise to help us if we kill a pair of its pursuers. So\nhead to the Sea's Bounty, talk to The Thumb, then travel to the Five\nFlagons Inn and kill a pair of Githyanki. Return to the Hidden to learn\nthat the girl has been healed, then return to the Jansen home to\nwitness an unhappy turn of events.\n\nKeldorn\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR013}\no======================================================================o\nMale, Human, Paladin (Inquisitor), Lawful Good\nStr 17, Dex 9, Con 17, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 18\n\nStarting Proficiencies:\nLong Sword\t\t++\nTwo Handed Sword\t++\nCross Bow\t\t++\n\nOverview:\n---------\nSomewhat weaker, but healthier, than Anomen, Keldorn has one glaring\nweakness. His Dexterity is ass, and since he's built for Two Handed\nSwords he won't be using a shield. Simply put, he absolutely requires\nThe Brawling Hands. His Strength is decent, but not stellar like Anomen,\nKorgan, or Minsc, so he'll need some Strength-boosting item, eventually.\nThis is, admittedly a lot of equipment for a single character, so why\nbother with him? Several reasons. First, his high Charisma makes him a\nnatural party leader, although on the flip side, his Paladinhood makes\nhim unusually liable to interrupt when you're trying to be naughty. Then\nagain, as an Inquisitor he has the innate ability to cast Dispel Magic\nand True Sight, essential debuffs that make him very capable of taking\non enemy Mages. Having these abilities will make all Mage fights for\nyour party much easier, as he can easily dispel the buffs Mages rely on\nthe defend themselves when conventional spell casters may struggle, and\nhe'll certainly have access to True Sight much sooner than any Cleric or\nMage you'll recruit. And of course, he gets Carsomyr +5, a Holy Avenger,\nthat can only be used by Paladins. Short of making your protagonist a\nPaladin, there's no other way to utilize this awesome weapon. Well, I\nmean, you could make your own Inquisitor, but why? The game already\ngives you one! With the admittedly hefty investment of The Brawling\nHands and a Girdle of Giant Strength, you'll get a great party leader\nwho can debuff at a whim and see through defensive illusions, is very\nmagic resistant, and can support the party with Cross Bow fire when\nneeded. The fact that he can select Summon Deva as an Epic Feat also\nmakes him more versatile, as it saves you from wasting a Cleric's\n7th-level spell slot on the ability. Keldorn truly is win, and if you're\nshooting for a good party, you won't find a better Mage-killing party\nleader.\n\nHow to Use Keldorn Effectively:\n-------------------------------\nKeep on rolling with the Two-Handed Swords, he has no reason to switch.\nCrossbows are also golden, and really, Keldorn comes well-prepared with\ngood weapon proficiencies from the start. You might, however, want to\nget him some ranks in Halberds, as there aren't many great Two-Handed\nSwords in the early game, and you'll need a +3 weapon sooner than you\nthink. Once done, get him ranks in Two-Weapon Style to enhance his\nprimary weapon, and you're good to go. He really does need The Brawling\nHands, though, if you want him to survive in melee combat.\n\nRecruiting Keldorn:\n-------------------\nWhen you visit the Temple District of Athkatla, you'll be witness to a\ntheological debate of sorts. One shifty, lying, fantasy-peddling\nbullshit dealer will do a better job at convincing the sheep that his\nbrand of nonsense is better than another, and the losing side will ask\nyou to investigate this 'cult'. Not getting into the atom-thin\ndifference between a cult and a religion here... you'll find Keldorn in\nthe sewers under this district (AR0701), sent to investigate the cult\nbefore you. He'll join willingly enough, but he'll only stick around\nfor good if you see this cult off.\n\nKeldorn's Quest:\n----------------\nWhen you arrive at the Government District with Keldorn in your party\nhe'll express his desire to go see his family. Indulge him, and you'll\nfind that all is not well at home, and you'll have to go around and\ntry and deal with his wife's infidelity. Keldorn will struggle with his\nneed to avenge his honor, and his love for his wife. Direct him on the\ncourse that will make him the most content-reconciliation with his wife.\nDon't, however, be so helpful as to free him from service so he can see\nto his family affairs, he'll do just as well promising that this will\nbe his last expedition. For more information on this quest, see\nsection [WLK010] of the Walkthrough.\n\nKorgan\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR014}\no======================================================================o\nMale, Dwarf, Fighter (Berserker), Chaotic Evil\nStr 18\/77, Dex 15, Con 19, Int 12, Wis 9, Cha 7\n\nStarting Proficiencies:\nAxe\t\t\t+++++\nWar Hammer\t\t+\n\nOverview:\n---------\nAh Korgan... I guess instead of throwing Kagain into Baldur's Gate 2,\nthey decided to replace the whiny evil greed-Dwarf with a psychotic\nevil murder-Dwarf. Korgan is not a nice guy, and if you provoke him in\nbanters he'll even turn hostile on you! Still, he's the best Fighter in\nShadows of Amn, as well a Dwarf should be, and if you can keep from\nprovoking him and complete his quest in the timely manner he'll be an\ninvaluable asset. He's strong enough, but not so strong that he couldn't\ndo with a good boost to his Strength, and he really needs The Brawling\nHands to bring his Armor Class up. His Strength score will allow you to\nignore him in favor of other characters, and his Hit Points are\ntypically high thanks to being a Dwarf with phenomenal Constitution.\n\nHow to Use Korgan Effectively:\n------------------------------\nHe starts out with Grand Mastery in Axes. This isn't as great as Grand\nMastery is supposed to be, but it's still a very good thing to have. The\nselection of Axes is slim until Throne of Bhaal, at which point one of\nthe best weapons in the game-the Axe of the Unyielding-is obtained.\nSpend his proficiency points in War Hammers until he Grand Masters in \nthose as well, allowing him to use Crom Faeyr. This takes care of any\nStrength issues he may have had. Then have him learn the Two Weapon\nStyle. When you obtain the Axe of the Unyielding have him dual-wield it\nwith Crom Faeyr as an off-hand weapon to have a vorpal weapon with a\nStrength of 25. There is simply no stronger combo in the game. He's one\nof the simpler-seeming characters, but the weapons in the game dictates\na fairly radical shift in fighting style. Anything less than a total\noffensive juggernaut is a waste of Korgan's potential, however, and it\nis fun to see him shift from a modest (and well-defended) axe-and-shield\ncharacter to the Axe of the Unyielding\/Crom Faeyr offensive phenom.\n\nRecruiting Korgan:\n------------------\nYou'll find Korgan in the Copper Coronet (AR0406) at (x=950, y=1870),\nmaking him fairly easy to reach and recruit. Agree to help him track\ndown the Book of Kaza and he'll join up with you. If you delay, he will\nof course go find others more interested in helping him out. It's not a\nterribly hard quest, and it doesn't venture out of Athkatla. Best of all\nit's in the same area Edwin's quest takes you, so you can handle both\njobs in one journey. \n\nMazzy\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR015}\no======================================================================o\nFemale, Halfling, Fighter, Lawful Good\nStr 15, Dex 18, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 14\n\nStarting Proficiencies:\nShort Sword:\t\t+++\nShort Bow\t\t++++\n\nOverview:\n---------\nFirst let me start out by saying that Mazzy is a perfectly fine\ncharacter. Her Strength sucks, but since most Fighters need 18(xx) or\nmore to be optimal, she's only a girdle of giant Strength away from\nbeing potent. Her Dexterity is outstanding, and her Constitution is\nvery good as well. There are only three things that suck about Mazzy.\nFirst, she's proficient in Short Swords and Short Bows. Short Bows are\nwhat Thieves use to contribute to battles, not the weapon of a full-\nfledged Fighter, and Short Swords... well, they tend to suck too. So\nyou're going to have to completely take her proficiencies in another\ndirection to make her strong. Sure, she's an investment, but who's not,\nyou say? The second problem is the fact that she's hidden in the Fallen\nTemple of Amaunator in the Temple Ruins area (AR1401), which requires\nyou to trek all the way out to the Umar Hills and partially complete a\nlengthy quest there. Certainly not ideal. But you have to do the same\nwith Valygar, you say? Sure, but Valygar's quest doesn't require you to\ndeal with a DRAGON. The last and most damning thing I have against Mazzy\nis... well, the other good-or-neutral aligned characters you can\nrecruit. Mazzy might, with the investment of some levels (and new\nproficiencies) and a girdle of giant Strength be a good Fighter, but is\nshe better than Keldorn with his Inquisitor kit, Anomen and his\ndual-classed Cleric spells, or Jaheira and her... well, her Insect\nPlague? No, she isn't. She might outcompete Minsc and Valygar\n(especially if you're playing with a good or neutral Thief-protagonist),\nbut I never bring her along. I have considered using her as a 'good'\nKorgan, but the amount of proficiencies it would take for her to be able\nto use Axe of the Unyielding and Crom Faeyr as well as learn the Two\nWeapon Style are just prohibitive, although you could start her out on\nWar Hammers early. By the time you actually obtain Crom Faeyr she'll\nlikely be at least specialized in their use, and Anomen can just use the\nFlail of the Ages.\n\nHow to Use Mazzy Effectively:\n-----------------------------\nGood question... one I've pondered a bit, myself. You really have two\noptions-make a poor man's attempt at Korgan, either weapon and shield\nor two-weapon style. The latter is... probably just a pipe dream, as it\nwould require... oh... thirteen extra proficiencies to pull off. There\njust aren't enough levels in the game for it, and it seems like a bit of\na waste to strap a shield on a character with such a good Armor Class,\nthough. The compromise? Have her use a superior mainhand weapon (Axe of\nthe Unyielding or Flail of the Ages) in her mainhand, and the Short\nSword of Mask in her offhand... or perhaps take the Short Sword of\nMask as a mainhand weapon (have her use a shield throughout Shadows of\nAmn) while building up War Hammers and Two-Weapon Style, then switch to\na Short Sword of Mask\/Crom Faeyr combo. It's not the ideal setup, but\nit works. Still... it just makes me wish I was using a different\ncharacter.\n\nMazzy's Quest:\n--------------\nMazzy has a rather traditional and uninspired quest that'll pop up after\na few days of traveling with her. Her sister, Pala, has been poisoned,\nand you need to return to Trademeet to hunt down the poisoner-and \nperhaps an antidote. For more information about this quest, refer to \n[WLK021].\n\nMinsc\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR016}\no======================================================================o\nMale, Human, Ranger, Neutral Good\nStr 18\/93, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 8, Wis 6, Cha 9\n\nStarting Proficiencies:\nTwo Handed Sword\t++\nMace\t\t\t++\nLong Bow\t\t++\nTwo Weapon Style\t++\n\nOverview:\n---------\nOur favorite miniature giant space hamster friend, and his Ranger \nsidekick Minsc! The fact that in Mass Effect 2 you can buy a Space\nHamster that, if interacted with responds with the same uncanny\nIntelligence and sophistication as Boo merely goes to show how endearing\nthese characters are to have transcended time and space. That aside,\nMinsc has improved a bit from the first game, as he now has a better\nDexterity and Constitution, making him a much sturdier character. He has\nalso, for some reason, become proficient in the Two Weapon Style, which\nis a complete and utter waste for him. He's not protected enough for\nprotracted front-line action, so the thought of giving him a weapon\nwithout reach is just silly. He's more of a secondary warrior, striking\nwith reach or ranged weapons, as needed. Anything that doesn't require\n+3 weapons can be shot down with bows, and anything that requires a +3\nor better weapon... well, just switch to an appropriately-enchanted\nmelee weapon and let Minsc at 'em. Of course, you could just ignore the\nRanger stealth outright, strap Minsc in heavy armor, and treat him like\na front-liner, but the good party has a busy enough front-line already,\nso I'm fine with having him contribute at a range. The fact that he\ndoesn't need The Brawling Hands or any Strength-enhancing gear makes him\na good fit into the good party. He can still Berserk in this game,\nraising his Strength to 20 and his Dexterity to 18, just make sure you\nhave the Hit Points for the endeavor, as he takes 15 damage when it ends\nfrom his 'improved' Hit Point total. This should last long enough to\nmake a difference in most fights, but it should be viewed as wholly\ninferior to, say, gulping a Potion of Giant Strength. The only real\nquestions about Minsc are, do you prefer Valygar (I don't) and will\nyou bench him in favor of ??????? in Throne of Bhaal?\n\nHow to Use Minsc Effectively:\n-----------------------------\nGet him points in the Two-Handed Weapon style and let him learn how to\nuse Halberds so he can equip one of the best weapons in the game. He'll\nfind plenty of Two-Handed Swords to keep him occupied in the mean\ntime... usually hand-me-downs from Keldorn, but very good ones, \nnonetheless. He's also a decent archer, although ranged combat\nrightfully takes a backseat to melee combat in this game. Keep him from\nbeing the focus of enemy attacks and he'll serve you well as a\nnot-quite-front-line Fighter.\n\nRecruiting Minsc:\n-----------------\nMinsc can be found in Irenicus' dungeon (AR0602) in a cell\n(x=4000, y=2750) in the same room you start out in.\n\nNalia\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR017}\no======================================================================o\nFemale, Human, Mage\/Thief, Chaotic Good\nStr 14, Dex 18, Con 16, Int 17, Wis 9, Cha 13\n\nStarting Proficiencies:\nShort Sword\t\t+\nDagger\t\t\t+\nQuarter Staff\t\t+\nShort Bow\t\t+\n\nOverview:\n---------\nNalia is bafflingly identical to Imoen, making me wonder if the only\nreason she's included is to tide you over until you get Imoen back. She\nhas only four levels of Thief, and because of it she'll never be as good\nas Imoen in combat or with Thief skills, but she does at least come with\na barely passable Find Traps skill. Anything I said about Imoen applies\nfor Nalia, really... But since you can recruit Imoen, why would you ever\ncare to recruit Nalia? Imoen is infinitely more connected to the main\nstory than Nalia, and while you have to do quests to get both of them,\nImoen's is mandatory. If Nalia were at least a romance option, then\nthere might be a purpose for her, but instead she's just a clone of\nImoen. Or if she was Neutral or Evil instead of a bleeding heart noble,\nshe could at least fit into Evil parties, but again, no such luck.\n\nHow to Use Nalia Effectively:\n-----------------------------\nShe'll use a Short Bow, and will serve a dual role as the party's\nThief\/Mage. Just... get her a Short Bow, and eventually the Gesen\nBow... The only perk she has over Imoen is the fact that she will not\ngo on a main-story inspired hiatus which prevents her from gaining a\ngreat deal of experience, and you need not save up spell scrolls for\nher... just, scribe at will. Of course, her Find Traps score is hardly\nsufficient, even with the Ring of Danger Sense, so she can barely even\nserve in the capacity of a Thief.\n\nRecruiting Nalia:\n-----------------\nNalia, like so many other characters, hangs out in the Copper Coronet\n(AR0406). You don't even need to find her-she'll find you and\ndesperately try to induce you into helping her liberate her captured\nfamily castle. Agree and do so, and she'll stick around for the rest\nof the game. This quest is covered in [WLK018].\n\nNalia's Quest:\n--------------\nNalia's quest begins after you rescue the de'Arnise Keep-although it\nwon't begin within the de'Arnise Keep. After wandering around with her\nfor a bit, a messenger will show up and tell her of some problems\narising with a funeral. Accompany her there and meet some of the more\nunsavory nobles which presumably caused her to disparage her fellow\naristocracy. A little later, the trouble-maker from the funeral, Isaea\nRoenall will show up and have Nalia arrested. Afterwards a man named\nKhellor Ahmson will show up and point you in the direction of some\nevidence that may incriminate Isaea. The rest of the quest involves\nfollowing obvious leads and talking to various characters in your\nquest to find dirt on Isaea. When you do, head to the Council of Six\nbuilding and present the evidence to Corgeig Axehand and Nalia will be\nreturned to you. The full details of this quest can be found in \n[WLK019].\n\nNeera\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR018}\no======================================================================o\nFemale, Half-Elf, Wild Mage, Chaotic Neutral\nStr 11, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 17, Wis 13, Cha 11\n\nStarting Proficiencies:\nQuarterstaff:\t\t\t+\nSling:\t\t\t\t+\n\nOverview:\n---------\nNeera is a somewhat interesting addition to Baldur's Gate 2, being the\nmost potent good-aligned (well, neutral, but good enough) Mage you can\nrecruit. As a specialist Mage, her spell-power will prove superior to\nImoen's, and she suffers no prohibited spells, like Edwin. On the other\nhand, as a Wild Mage she's got an innate 5% chance of spell failure,\nwhich adds a good bit of randomness to her performance. Even in the\nbiggest fights in the game, however, it's unlikely that a Mage will cast\nmore than several spells before the matter is decided (not counting\nspell-buffs), so there's a good chance her fickle magic won't affect\nmost fights. Her attributes aren't terribly impressive-her Dexterity\nis good, and it will allow her to compete with ranged weapons handily\nenough. On the other hand, you'll need to feed her Potions of Genius\nto fill up her spellbook, and her Constitution is just a point away\nfrom doing anything useful. Servicable, but Imoen's stats are superior.\nAnother point for Imoen-she'll provide the Thief skills you need. Neera\nwon't. The balancing act for me means taking Neera along with her extra\nspell per day, and changing my Fighter\/Mage into a Fighter\/Mage\/Thief\n(hence losing Time Stop\/Whirlwind combos), or keep Imoen, who can also\nuse the Gesen Bow, and has more Hit Points. With Neera's Wild Magic,\nit's really difficult to sell her over Imoen.\n\nHow to Use Neera Effectively:\n-----------------------------\nAs a Mage, there's not much you need to do-put her in the Robes of\nVecna and give her some kind of ranged weapon for fights that don't\nwarrant spells, or clean-up operations. The best ranged weapon for a\nMage is ultimately the Dagger Fire Tooth +3. Since it's an even better\nweapon for Jaheira, though, make do with Slings at first, then the\nBoomerang Dagger +2, and finally the Crimson Dart +3. As a Specialist\nMage she can handle some redundancy in her spellbook, and as a Wild\nMage, she'll need it. Carry several copies of important debuffs, such\nas Dispel Magic, Breach, and True Sight, to name the ones that win\nfights most frequently.\n\nRecruiting Neera:\n-----------------\nNeera can be found in the Bridge District of Athkatla... but only after\ntalking to Lieutenant Aegisfield and getting started with the 'Skinner\nMurders' questline. Essentially there are events that need to trigger\nand resolve from the original game on the Bridge District so they do not\nover-lap with Neera's quest, both of which occur in roughly the same\narea-the northern part of the Bridge District. Anywho, once you've seen\nthe dead bodies as required by the Skinner Murders questline, return to\nthe Bridge District to witness Neera rescue a child named Mereth from\nsome Red Wizards, led by Lanneth. Leave the district and head anywhere\nelse in Athkatla and you'll be approached by Neera, who'll ask you to\nhelp her with her red scare. Agree and she'll mark the Wild Forest on\nyour map. Head there (OH6000) and talk to Neera (x=1000, y=3530) to get\nher to join up with you.\n\nNeera's Quest:\n--------------\nLike most Enhanced Edition character quests, Neera's comes in two\nmore or less distinct stages. The first part of Neera's quest, after\nmaking your way through the Wild Forest and into the Hidden Refuge,\nrevolves around a series of free-form quests involving Neera's misfit\nWild Mages. Whether you're herding cats or teaching Half-Orcs not to\nhit, they tend to be fairly simple and highly variable in the quality\nof their rewards. The more of these quests you do, however, the more\nWild Mages will survive later, which leads to more rewards. After those\nquests, there are two tasks to complete-one is gather the materials for\nthe creation of a Talisman of the Hearthfire (the creation of which will\nsave yet another, yet unencountered Wild Mage). The other is to go\nretrieve said Wild Mage, so obviously if you plan to save him, you'll\nneed to create the Talisman first.\n\nWhen you do go after this rogue Wild Mage, Daxus, you'll encounter some\nRed Wizard opposition. This 'rescue' operation ultimately ends up with\nall the Wild Mages in captivity (with a few exceptions, depending upon\nwhat quests you've done before). The next task is assaulting the Red\nWizard Enclave (OH6300), which involves a series of rather difficult\nfights... unless you try to use subterfuge and dialogue whenever\npossible. After you defeat Lanneth and save whatever Wild Mages are\nstill alive, the Wild Mages will disperse and Neera's quest with it.\nIn Throne of Bhaal a bird named Jerome will deliver a message to Neera\nrandomly upon entering an area. The Thayans are still hunting Wild\nMages, and if anything, their tactics have improved since we routed them\nin Athkatla. Neera will suggest luring the Thayans into an ambush-she\ngets more than she bargained for when Vicross-leader of the Order of the\nEight Staves-shows up. After defeating Vicross' minions, Vicross flees\nback to Thay, dragging us with her. There you'll meet with Szass Tam,\nwho sends you to deal with Vicross in order to humiliate her master,\nwho is Tam's rival. All you have to do now is assault Vicross' estate,\nkill her and her guards, and hope Szass Tam will keep his word after\nthe reason for your collaboration is gone...\n\nRasaad\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR019}\no======================================================================o\nMale, Human, Sun Soul Monk, Lawful Good\nStr 16, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 11, Wis 14, Cha 14\n\nStarting Proficiencies:\nKatana:\t\t\t+\nScimitar\t\t+\nDart\t\t\t+\nSling\t\t\t+\n\nOverview:\n---------\nAs some might have guessed, the much higher level cap of Baldur's\nGate 2 really allows Rasaad (and all Monks, really) to come into his\nown. The paltry handful of levels in the first game just wasn't enough\nto make a Monk into a decent killer. Now, however, their movement and\nattack speed will keep going up, as will their damage, and their Armor\nClass keeps going down... along with all the other perks of leveling\nup. Most importantly, their fists start couting as magical weapons at\nlevel 9, and in short order, at level 15, as +3 weapons. All of this\nhelps Rasaad, of course, but he's still a poor Monk, all things\nconsidered. He gains no Hit Points from his Constitution, and meager\nbonuses from Strength and Dexterity. Fortunately for him, stat-boosting\nitems are fairly common in this game, and with a few choice items-a\nGirdle of Giant Strenth and Bracers of Armor, for example, any Monk can\nbecome quite dangerous. Rasaad included. Rasaad's base Hit Points are\nquite good, at least... I mean, considering he has no Constitution\nhelping him out-he's only a few points off the maximum.\n\nHow to Use Rasaad Effectively:\n------------------------------\nRasaad's stats suck, and much of his combat prowess will be determined\nsolely by his level. Ironically, then, this Monk's effectiveness depends\nupon the gear you give him. He'll absolutely need a Girdle of Giant\nStrength if you want him to make any impact in melee. If you want him\nto survive, invest him with a protection item and Bracers of Defense.\nThis alone can possibly drop his Armor Class to levels comparable, even\nsuperior to, your best front-line fighters. If you continue to pamper\nhim by giving him items like the Cloak of the Sewers or a Dusty Rose\nIoun Stone will certainly help, but considering that his, Armor Class\nwill only get better with time, you can probably stick to more generic\nitems, saving stackable gear for more vulnerable characters, like Anomen\nand Keldorn. Early on in the game you'll probably want to find him a\nweapon to use-the Scarlet Ninja-To +3 works well. Once he hits\n15th-level he can drop all pretenses of using anything but his fists.\n\nRecruiting Rasaad:\n------------------\nIn Trademeet (AR2000) you'll find Rasaad near the fountain dominating\nthe center of town. He'll get into a scuffle with two fellow Sun Soul\nMonks before walking off. Discuss Rasaad's actions with the two Monks\nhe smacked around, then walk off. Rasaad will come find you, shortly,\nasking for your help in infiltrating a new cult threatening his own.\nTake him along and he's yours.\n\nRasaad's Quest:\n---------------\nAfter recruiting Rasaad, you'll need to take him to the City Gates\nof Athkatla (AR0020), where a 'Cloaked Figure' will point you in the\nright direction. After that, head to the Abandoned Amphitheater area\nand make your way to the north-east to encounter Hammerhelm and his\nMonk recruits. Either by violence or diplomacy, learn the location of\nthe Heretic Temple, then proceed there, fighting or talking your way\nthrough a Sun Soul Monk ambush enroute. Once at the Heretic Temple,\nmake your way inside, where you can either complete the cult's\nchallenges or start fighting. Both result in a revelation about the\ntrue nature of the Heretic Cult and a larger fight. In Throne of Bhaal\nhe'll be ambushed by a group of Sharrans. On one of their bodies you'll\nrecover a map that points out the Deepstone Dwarven Clanhold as the new\nbase of operations for Alorgoth. Head over there and find your way into\nthe Clanhold, defeat the Sharrans and chase Alorgoth into the depths\nof the Shadow Plane itself.\n\n???????\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR020}\no======================================================================o\nMale, Human, Fighter (Deathbringer), Chaotic Evil\nStr 18\/00, Dex 17, Con 18, Int 17, Wis 10, Cha 15\n\nStarting Proficiencies:\nTwo Handed Sword\t+++++\nHalberd\t\t\t+\nCross Bow\t\t+\nTwo Handed Weapon Style ++\n\nOverview:\n---------\n??????? is the best Fighter in the game. Look at those stats! He\ndoesn't need any Strength-boosting items, The Brawling Hands, nothing\nbut a Two-Handed Sword and something to kill! That said, you don't get\nhim until Throne of Bhaal starts, which is too bad, because he would\nhave been great through Shadows of Amn. Note that you can change his\nalignment over the course of the game by generally being trusting, kind,\nand good to him, showing him a superior example, and all that good\nstuff. Just keep that in mind if you're a good party, and want his\nalignment to become more fitting. If you're playing an evil party...\nwell, just keep being the bastard you've always been, and have fun.\n\nHow to Use ??????? Effectively:\n-------------------------------\n??????? starts out with Grandmastery in Two-Handed Swords, so give him\nsomething suitable to use and build up his proficiency in Halberds.\nOnce he gets the Ravager, switch him over and keep on killing. It's as\neasy of an equipment setup as there is.\n\nRecruiting ???????:\n-------------------\nAfter entering your Pocket Plane for the first time (a mandatory step\nnear the beginning of Throne of Bhaal) ??????? will appear and offer\nto help you out... for part of your soul. An insubstantial part, as it\nturns out, just enough to give ??????? what he wants without\ninconveniencing (or threatening) you. Win-win, right? ??????? sure seems\nto think so, and offers to join up. He can see the way the wind is\nblowing, and is more than content to take some of the table-scraps from\nyour epic climb to power. Smart, smart man...\n\n***Changing ???????'s Alignment***\nThanks to Infinity Explorer, I've been able to look into the data files\nand see how all this works. That said, it's probably a good idea to\nexplain in more detail how to change ???????'s alignment. Over the\ncourse of Throne of Bhaal, your new ally will chat with you, as all\ncompanions in Baldur's Gate 2 do. If you say good things, show trust,\nand express good morality, your behavior will rub off on ???????. Have\nat least two positive alignment global variables while conducting the\nthird banter, and you can get ???????'s alignment to change to Chaotic\nGood. Note that it's possible to be... less encouraging, and effect\n???????'s alignment negatively, but this part of the guide is about\nchanging ???????'s alignment to fit into the good party, I'll ignore all\nbut the optimum responses. Also, I've kept the name of this character\nreplaced by question marks, but I've included some lines of dialogue in\nfull, below. The more astute of you may be able to figure out who this\ncharacter is by reading the following... so if you're an idiot, read on\nwith no fear. If you're smart, beware of spoilers. Or, just wait until\nthe beginning of Throne of Bhaal to bother with this at all.\n\no=========o\n|Banter #1|\no=========o\n??????? says:  \"So. I yet remain at your side. I am surprised. But from\n\t\tyour constant wary glances, it seems that you do not\n\t\ttrust my presence, yet.\"\n\nIf you made ??????? take an oath in the Pocket Plane before joining you,\npick any option regarding the oath. When you get a chance to make\nanother response, pick \"No, not really. You paid for what you did\".\nAfterwards, either say that \"No. You're not the same man, are you?\" or\n\"Perhaps. But I already took my revenge. Now you get the benefit of the\ndoubt.\" Either will improve ???????'s alignment. \n\nIf you didn't make him take an oath, you'll get three different\ndialogue options, all inconsequential. After he says \"It eats away at\nme, then, as to why you would agree to take me with you and not force\nsome form of compliance from me through an oath. I told you that oaths\nhad real power in our father's realm.\" you'll get another chance to\nrespond. Don't pick the response \"I take you with me because you may be\nof use. But I don't need an oath of servitude.\" Afterwards say either\n\"You paid for what you did. You're a new man, free to make new mistakes,\nif you wish.\" or \"You might. But everyone gets a second chance, ???????.\nEven you.\"\n\no=========o\n|Banter #2|\no=========o\n??????? says:  \"It appears the seeds that our sire sowed long ago are\n\t\tabout to come to fruition. For good or ill, the issue\n\t\twill be finally resolved very soon.\"\n\nPick whatever dialogue option you wish-if you made him take the oath\nbefore joining you, he'll mention the oath, otherwise he'll say the\nmore neutral term, 'usefulness'. Afterwards he'll ask what you intend\nfor him after it's all over.\n\nYou can pick one of three responses-and really, it doesn't matter what\nyou pick, but to make life easier on myself, if you pick \"So? What about\nit?\" You'll get one of four choices to pick later. Pick \"You'll be free\nto go, as you wish.\", then pick \"Your destiny is your own to forge,\n???????. Make the same mistakes, if you must.\" to improve ???????'s\nalignment by one. In response to this he'll ask \"And do you believe\nthat I have another choice?\" Pick either \"Another choice than being\nevil? Always.\" or \"It all depends on whether or not you want to end up\nin the same place, ???????.\" to improve ???????'s alignment again.\n\no=========o\n|Banter #3|\no=========o\n??????? says:  \"The end draws closer. We both know this to be true.\n\t\tListen to a proposition, then, that I have given much\n\t\tthought to as of late.\"\n\t\t\nPick any option other than \"I'm not interested in what you have to say.\"\nand ??????? will comment on your alignment before rambling on, finally\ngetting to the point by suggesting that you take over as the new Lord\nof Murder, claim your birthright... and allow ??????? to stand by your\nside. He's canny enough to realize that if you can't wield godly power\nyourself, you might as well bask in its favor. Pick option \"I have\nother plans, ???????. Forget it.\" and a whopping eight dialogue options\nwill pop up. Pick any option other than \"It doesn't matter what happens\nto me, ???????... you won't be involved, regardless.\" or \"It's none of\nyour business, ???????.\" to get six more dialogue options. Don't pick\n\"There are better things than power, don't be a fool.\" or \"I'm not\ngoing to discuss this with you, as they don't go anywhere, and don't\npick \"It don't know. But it doesn't have to be used for self-serving,\nevil purposes.\"\n\nThat leaves us with \"You can't take an empire with you when you die.\nYou should know that.\", \"There is much good that can be done with that\npower. That is more important.\", and \"With that power comes great\nresponsibility.\" All three of these options will improve ???????'s\nalignment by one. He'll respond by saying \"After... after all you've\nbeen through? With the taint in your soul, you still believe this?\"\nRespond \"I do.\" If you have at least two positive alignment increases at\nthis time, ??????? will say \"I believe your words may have merit,\n<CHARNAME>. My own methods did not end well... and I have no desire to\nreturn to the Abyss when I perish next.\" At this time, ???????'s\nalignment will change to Chaotic Good and he'll say \"Perhaps it is time\nto rethink my views. I shall have to think on your words most\ncarefully.\"\n\no=========o\n|Banter #4|\no=========o\nIf you had at least one point towards changing ???????'s alignment for\nthe better and followed my advice during banter #3, you should get the\nfollowing for banter #4.\n\n??????? says:  \"I... have been considering your words. I have changed\n\t\tmy outlook, and think perhaps it may be a good thing.\n\t\tI feel I must thank you.\"\n\nYou have three options-but they all result in the same responses from\n???????... this is just a \"hey, I'm a good guy now!\" banter.\n\nValygar\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR021}\no======================================================================o\nMale, Human, Ranger (Stalker), Neutral Good\nStr 17, Dex 18, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 10\n\nStarting Proficiencies:\nKatana\t\t\t++\nDagger\t\t\t+\nSpear\t\t\t++\nLong Bow\t\t++\nTwo Weapon Style\t++\n\nOverview:\n---------\nNotice that his physical stats are identical to Yoshimo's... anyways,\nValgyar is a good Ranger, so you won't be using him in any legit evil\nparty. Also he's got the Stalker kit, which makes him good at back-\nstabbing and gives him the ability to cast Haste, which is always handy.\nThere are few downsides with him, in fact, so few that he's a very\nconsiderable substitute for Minsc if you're willing to invest an item\nof Giant Strength in him. He comes built for two-weapon fighting, and\ndespite his need to stay in lighter armor, his Dexterity makes this\na real possibility. Nothing really bad to say about Valygar, really,\nsave his location kind of sucks... and he'll be waiting for gear for\na long time. Waiting for Katanas to open up, waiting for items of\nGiant Strength... he needs a lot of gear set aside for other characters,<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
but he'll eventually get all he needs-and more-in Throne of Bhaal. I'm\nalso indisposed towards picking him over Minsc, who is, after all, an\nold friend from Baldur's Gate 1.\n\nHow to Use Valygar Effectively:\n-------------------------------\nSee that 18 Dexterity? See those proficiencies? They give you good\nincentive to actually follow through on the Two-Weapon Style\ndual-Katanas thing. The only problem is, of course, that I've co-opted\nKatanas for my protagonist, so what to do? Well, he's already got a\nrank in Daggers. Get Specialized in Daggers, and Master in Two Weapon\nStyle. This will allow him to use whatever Daggers Jaheira isn't using\n(she certainly doesn't need BOTH Boneblade +4 and Fire Tooth +3, if\nValygar is needy.) All in all, it's a great set-up. He'll have to use\nsecond-rate Katanas for most of the game, but he'll survive well\nenough-there are plenty of +2 Katanas that my protagonist will not have\nany use for, like Malakar +2, Dak'kon's Zerth Blade, or hell, even his\nown Corthala Family Blade. In Throne of Bhaal, my protagonist will hand\noff Celestial Fury, which is a good upgrade for Valygar, and in the\nlong run he can aspire to dual-wielding the Dagger of The Star +5 and\nHindo's Doom +4. Give him the White Dragon Scale and he'll have a -6\nArmor Class with nothing else equipped, and once Jaheira hands down her\nGirdle of Hill Giant Strength, he'll be doing pretty well. He's not as\npotent with the whole backstabbing thing as our Fighter\/Mage\/Thief\nprotagonist will be, and he's probably not even as lethal in melee as\nMinsc or ??????? with the Ravager +6, but that doesn't mean he's a\nwaste of a character. If you prefer having another front-line melee\nwarrior with a backstab dynamic over Minsc's more traditional range and\nreach approach, Valygar does that quite well.\n\nRecruiting Valygar:\n-------------------\nYou can find him in the Umar Hills area (AR1100) in his house marked on\nthe map as 'Valygar's Cabin' (AR1101).  To keep him, you're going to\nneed to take him back to Athkatla and deal  with the Planar Sphere in\nthe Slums District [WLK016].\n\nViconia\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR022}\no======================================================================o\nFemale, Elf, Cleric, Neutral Evil\nStr 10, Dex 19, Con 8, Int 16, Wis 18, Cha 14\n\nStarting Proficiencies:\nWar Hammer\t\t+\nMace\t\t\t+\nSling\t\t\t+\n\nOverview:\n---------\nOur old Dark Elven gal-pal has become a bit wiser since the first\ngame... not wise enough to avoid nearly getting burnt to crisp by\nbigots, but still... This will give her a few more low-leveled spells,\nbut otherwise not much has changed. She still has her great Dexterity\nand her Magic Resistance keeping her safe, but in Baldur's Gate 2 Magic\nResistance is purely beneficial... no more will you resist healing and\nspell buffs from your own party members. If anything, this makes Viconia\neven more potent this time around. She does have two glaring weaknesses\nhowever, and you should be able to spot them just by looking over her\nattributes. Her Strength is abysmal for a character who'll be in melee\ncombat often-putting some Strength-boosting items on her is mandatory\nbefore she can ever wear any armor worth talking about. Also her low\nHit Points offset her Dexterity and Magic Resistance quite a bit. In\nthe first game we could get her early enough to roll her Hit Points\nourselves-she ended the first game with 60 Hit Points for me, but she\nwill only start this one with 44, if you get to her as early as\npossible. That's just pathetic. She even has fewer Hit Points than\nEdwin! It's the most serious weakness she has, far more severe than her\nStrength issue, which can be covered up with a Giant Strength band-aid.\nOn the plus side, you can give her the Girdle of Fortitude, or much\nlater on, Draw Upon Holy Might, although in the latter case she'll need\nto be 24th level to make the most of that spell. As far as melee combat\ngoes, she will never be in the same league as  Jaheira or Anomen, but\nwith her Magic Resistance and Armor Class she can at least compete. Get\n her good armor, a good shield, and some Strength and she's a great\ndefensive character. She's also a romantic option this time aroud,\nprovided you can put up with her provocative stories, mood swings, and\ngeneral hatred of the fact that she's falling for you.\n\nHow to Use Viconia Effectively:\n-------------------------------\nWhen you have a point to spend, get her a proficiency point in Flails so\nshe can use the Flail of the  Ages. A better weapon for her you will not\nfind, as Crom Faeyr is a bit  of a waste on her. Her high Charisma, good\ndefensive qualities, and ability to equip the Sensate Amulet all combine\nto make her a decent party leader.\n\nRecruiting Viconia:\n-------------------\nGood old Viconia can be found in the Government District of Athkatla\n(AR1000) at (x=1820, y=1080). Once again, she's gotten herself in \ntrouble. In the first game you had to save her from a Flaming Fist\nMercenary, but in this game she's gotten captured by an angry mob. It\nmakes me wonder why she left your company after the first game... In any\nevent to recruit Viconia you'll have to save her. If you screw around \ntoo long she'll be burned alive and you'll have lost access to the best\nevil Cleric in the game. Click on the logs next to her twice to set her\nfree. You'll have to fight three Fanatics-none of which are very strong-\nfor letting her go. Afterwards she'll ask to join up. If you take her\nalong you'll lose two points of reputation, just like in the first game,\nbut this is a minor penalty for such a good Cleric.\n\nYoshimo\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR023}\no======================================================================o\nMale, Human, Thief (Bounty Hunter), True Neutral\nStr 17, Dex 18, Con 16, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 14\n\nStarting Proficiencies:\nKatana\t\t\t+\nDagger\t\t\t+\nShort Bow\t\t+\nSingle Weapon Style\t+\n\nOverview:\n---------\nWell, he's a Thief, and the lamest of the Thief Kits at that. He's got\ngood stats otherwise though, and his Find Traps skill starts out at 100,\nwhich is all you'll ever really need. His Pick Pockets is only 25 \nhowever, so to do some early game stealing you'll need to invest some\nPotions of Master Thievery into him. Really, he'll have to chug them by \nthe half dozen to do any stealing. He's also promising because you can \ndual-class him into a Fighter and make him significantly more useful. \nAlas, I wouldn't put too much stake in him, as he will not accompany to\nthe end of the game. Take him with you until you get Imoen back, but the\nevil party is left bereft of a Thief still.\n\nHow to Use Yoshimo Effectively:\n-------------------------------\nI wonder if there's really any point to this section? Yoshimo is...\nwell, I better keep up appearances, eh? As a single-classed Thief,\nYoshimo sucks. Fortunately, he's got a 17 Strength, and hence, is\ncapable of dual-classing into a Fighter, which is a far, far superior\nbuild than continuing as a Thief. Given Yoshimo's short-term status,\nhowever, you might not want to bother. You'll need him as a Thief, and\nyou probably won't get enough experience to make the dual-class option\npay off. Equip him with Short Bows and let him shoot at foes, disarm\ntraps, and generally act as a marginal character until you get Imoen\nback.\n\nRecruiting Yoshimo:\n-------------------\nAfter making your way to the second level of Irenicus' Dungeon (AR0603),\nyou'll run across Yoshimo, who is only too eager to join up with your\nparty and get the hell out of there.\n\n***SPOILERS***\n\nYou have been warned, if you don't want spoilers don't read ahead. \nYoshimo is a promising Thief, at least if you dual-class him into a\nFighter. But he suffers from one crippling, inextricable, problem. He is\ngoing to betray you if you take him to Spellhold, as Irenicus has geased\nhim. Without getting into it too deeply, one of two things happens to\nYoshimo. He attacks you at Spellhold and you're forced to kill him, or\nif you leave him behind, he'll die upon sight of the party once they\nreturn from Spellhold. I have heard of one way to get around this. You\nMUST leave him behind in Athkatla instead of taking him to Spellhold.\nWhen you come back you must talk to him BEFORE he can die and have him\nrejoin your party. Then when he dies (and he will) you can simply raise\nhim. He has no more banters, and nobody will interact with him, but you\nCAN keep Yoshimo with this exploit. Since it's clearly outside what the\ncreators of the game intended, I write him off as a dead man after\nSpellhold, but if you're an evil party who is in desperate need of a\nThief, this is a way to keep Yoshimo. If you keep him alive you'll get a\ncharacter with great fighting stats and crappy proficiencies. Whether\nyou have a good or evil party, I'd suggest dual-classing him into a\nFighter and getting him as many ranks into Halberds and the Two Handed\nStyle as possible, allowing him to use the Ravager Halberd you'll\neventually get. In a good party he'd replace Minsc, and in the evil\nparty he'd fill a hole that otherwise needs to be plugged with a\nprotagonist Thief or player-created side-kick. He's certainly more\nuseful than Jan. In any event, if you bring Yoshimo along with you to\nSpellhold, at least you'll get a ton of experience for it-eventually.\n\nTable of Character Attributes\t\t\t\t\t{CHR024}\no======================================================================o\nFor reference purposes, here's a list of the attributes of the\ncharacters you may recruit in the game. It should help you compare their\nstrengths and weaknesses and plan for item distribution  accordingly.\nI also threw in some useless 'averages', just because it  interested me,\nand by deduction, every other sentient being in the universe.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\to=======o=======o=======o=======o=======o=======o======o\n\t\t|  Str  |  Dex\t|  Con  |  Int  |  Wis  |  Cha\t| Total|\n\t\to=======o=======o=======o=======o=======o=======o======o\nAerie\t\t|  10   |  17   |   9   |  16   |  16   |  14   |  82  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nAnomen\t\t| 18\/52 |  10   |  16   |  10   |  12   |  13   |  79  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nCernd\t\t|  13   |   9   |  13   |  12   |  18   |  15   |  80  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nDorn\t\t|  19\t|  16\t|  14\t|  10\t|  15\t|  16\t|  91  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nEdwin\t\t|  10   |  10   |  16   |  18   |  10   |  10   |  74  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nHaer'Dalis\t|  17   |  17   |   9   |  15   |  13   |  16   |  87  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nHexxat\t\t|  20\t|  20\t|  14\t|  14\t|  12\t|  18\t|  98  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nImoen\t\t|   9   |  18   |  16   |  17   |  11   |  16   |  87  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nJaheira\t\t|  15   |  17   |  17   |  10   |  14   |  15   |  88  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nJan\t\t|   9   |  17   |  15   |  16   |  14   |  10   |  81  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nKeldorn\t\t|  17   |   9   |  17   |  12   |  16   |  18   |  89  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nKorgan\t\t| 18\/77 |  15   |  19   |  12   |   9   |   7   |  80  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nMazzy\t\t|  15   |  18   |  16   |  10   |  13   |  14   |  86  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nMinsc\t\t| 18\/93 |  16   |  16   |   8   |   6   |   9   |  73  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nNalia\t\t|  14   |  18   |  16   |  17   |   9   |  13   |  87  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nNeera\t\t|  11\t|  17\t|  14\t|  17\t|  13\t|  11\t|  83  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nRasaad\t\t|  16\t|  16\t|  14\t|  11\t|  14\t|  14\t|  85  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\n???????\t\t| 18\/00 |  17   |  18   |  17   |  10   |  15   |  95  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nValygar\t\t|  17   |  18   |  16   |  10   |  14   |  10   |  85  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nViconia\t\t|  10   |  19   |   8   |  16   |  18   |  14   |  85  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nYoshimo\t\t|  17   |  18   |  16   |  13   |  10   |  14   |  88  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\n\"Average\" PC\t| 14.81 | 15.81 | 14.71 | 13.38 | 12.71 | 13.43 | 84.86|\n\t\to======================================================o\n\nNote: The average result of a 3d6 dice roll is 10.5 (3.5 per d6).\nBioware and Overhaul Games were using some loaded dice to come up with\na lot of those attributes. Then again, if these were 'average'\ncharacters, they wouldn't be worthy traveling companions, right? It's\nalso obvious that many of these characters are blatant archetypes, but\nwe all love  archetypes. Still, we don't get some of the randomness that\nwe saw in some of the Baldur's Gate 1 characters... or in real Dungeons\nand  Dragons. The great thing about anomalies, however, is the\npossibility to dual-class, and in Baldur's Gate 2 major\ncharacter-building is largely-and rightfully-over.\n\nIt also amuses me that the stats that Bioware and Overhaul games found\nthe least useful-Wisdom and Charisma-are the stats that I found the\nleast useful in my days as Dungeon Master. (If I bothered to average\nout stats for Baldur's Gate 2 characters, you can bet I have\nspreadsheets of old campaigns and characters of my own). Many\ncharacters that are fun to play aren't nice (everybody likes to\nplay a jackass, from time to time) and\/or they aren't wise. Crazy\ncharacters... or more politely, dangerously uninhibited characters...\nare often more fun to play than characters who are responsible,\ncautious, and deliberate. I think these are universal traits that\nmost long-time players will discover if they bother to average out\ntheir PC and NPC attributes.\n\nI must also point out that the characters in Baldur's Gate 2 are\ndecidedly superior to the Baldur's Gate 1 characters, being close in\ntwo of the six attributes, and a point on average superior in Strength,\nConstitution, Wisdom, and Charisma, and having an average total of\n84.86 compared to 80.79 in the last game. The main reason for this is\nthe fact that there are much fewer 'junk' characters in this game-higher\nstakes require stronger allies. Only three of the potential allies in\nthis game have a total attribute spread of less than 80 points, while\neight of the twenty-nine recruitable characters in Baldur's Gate 1 had\nless than 80 points. It also doesn't hurt that many of the Baldur's\nGate 1 characters who made it into the sequel have higher attributes in\nthe sequel.\n\nOut of 29 characters in the first game, four had exceptional (18+)\nStrength. Two of them made it into the sequel. In the sequel six out\nof the 21 characters have exceptional Strength.\n\nOut of twenty-one characters in this game, only four do not receive a\nbonus to Armor Class from their Dexterity. Of the seventeen characters\nwho have a bonus to their Armor Class, seven of them have a +4 or\ngreater bonus to Armor Class.\n\nNo character in the game has a higher-than-useful Constitution (a Mage\nwith 17 or 18 Constitution, for example.) No characters receive a\npenalty to their Hit Points from Constitution. Seven Characters do\nnot receive a bonus to their Hit Points from Constitution. Seven of the\nseventeen characters in the game have a Constitution score of 16. All\nof the Enhanced Edition characters have a 14 Constitution.\n\nSeven of twenty-nine characters had a Charisma score of less than ten\nin the first game. Only two have a Charisma of less than ten in this\ngame. Thirteen characters have a Charisma score of 14 of greater.\nWe're a pretty bunch, all around.\n\nChart of Characters by Role\t\t\t\t\t{CHR025}\no======================================================================o\nBelow is a list of all the recruitable characters in the game and the\ndifferent roles they fill. This will list what roles-both in combat and\nout-each character is best suited for. In addition, below this chart I\nwill explain the roles more in-depth, and include why some characters\nmeet certain qualifications whereas others do not.\n\n\t\tFighter\n\t\t    |Cleric\n\t\t    |\t|Mage\n\t\t    |\t|   |Thief\n\t\t    |\t|   |\t|Leader\n\t\t    |\t|   |\t|   |The Brawling Hands\n\t\t    |\t|   |\t|   |   |Needs Giant Strength\n\t\t    |\t|   |\t|   |\t|   |Good\n\t\t    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |Neutral\n                    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |Evil\n\t\t    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |\n\t            |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nAerie\t\t|   | X | X |   |   |   |   | X |   |   |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nAnomen\t\t| X | X |   |   |   | X |   |   | X |   |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nCernd\t\t|   | X |   |   |   |   |   |   | X |   |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nDorn\t\t| X |   |   |   | X |   |   |   |   | X |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nEdwin\t\t|   |   | X |   |   |   |   |   |   | X |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nHaer'Dalis\t|   |   |   |   |   |   | X |   | X |   |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nHexxat\t\t|   |   |   | X |   |   |   |   |   | X |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nImoen\t\t|   |   | X | X |   |   |   | X |   |   |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nJaheira\t\t| X | X |   |   | X |   | X |   | X |   |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nJan\t\t|   |   | X | X |   |   |   |   | X |   |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nKeldorn\t\t| X |   |   |   | X | X | X | X |   |   |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nKorgan\t\t| X |   |   |   |   | X |   |   |   | X |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nMazzy\t\t| X |   |   |   | X |   | X | X |   |   |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nMinsc\t\t| X |   |   |   |   |   |   | X |   |   |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nNalia\t\t|   |   | X | X |   |   |   | X |   |   |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nNeera\t\t|   |   | X |   |   |   |   |   | X |   |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nRasaad\t\t| X |   |   |   |   |   | X | X |   |   |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\n???????\t\t| X |   |   |   | X |   |   |   |   | X |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nValygar\t\t| X |   |   |   |   |   | X | X |   |   |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nViconia\t\t| X | X |   |   | X |   | X |   |   | X |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nYoshimo\t\t|   |   |   | X |   |   |   |   | X |   |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\n\nFighter: Characters who can meet foes in melee combat with regular\nsuccess. These characters typically have decent Hit Points, a good\nTHAC0, and multiple attacks per round. Heavy armor for an exceptionally\nlow Armor Class is also a must. A Cleric is typically better at fitting\ninto this category than a Ranger or Thief, since they do not work as\nwell with heavy armor... and the main point of a Fighter is to tank.\n\nA character who is a multi-class Cleric may not meet the criteria to be\na Fighter (such as Aerie) because she cannot wear heavy armor and get\ninto combat, and her lower Hit Points and THAC0 progression make her in\nevery way a less appealing combatant than, say, Viconia, who might not\nbe ideal, but is otherwise comparably superior. Although Cernd and\nHaer'Dalis are weak in armor like Minsc and Valygar, the latter two have\nbetter options with their proficiencies (such as specialization) a lower\nTHAC0, and better Hit Points. Most importantly, they will both get\nGreater Whirlwind, where Cernd and Haer'Dalis do not, making them much\nbetter at fitting into a Fighter role, despite their lack of heavy \narmor. Hexxat, despite her Strength, will not gain multiple melee\nattacks per round, Specialization, or Whirlwind Attack, nor is she\noverly well-protected by armor or Hit Points, making her a decidedly\npoor Fighter, despite being a heavy-hitter.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nCleric: In order to meet this classification, a character must not only\nbe able to heal, but be able to cure poisons, diseases, restore drained\nlevels, and cast higher level Clerical spells. A Druid fits into this\ncategory just fine in Baldur's Gate 2 thanks to the expanded variety of\nhealing spells. Clerics in Baldur's Gate 2 are pretty simple, if they\nhave the class, they work. In this regards, a Cleric is almost like a\nThief, it's almost useless on its own (and a poor choice for a main\ncharacter). You should pick what Cleric you want to use not because you\nneed one, but because of what other things in addition to Clerical\npower the Cleric brings to the table.\n\nAnomen has the benefits of a dual-classed Fighters THAC0 and Hit Points.\nJaheira is a multi-classed Fighter\/Druid who can specialize in weapons\nand learn Greater Whirlwind. Viconia has magic resistance and a great\nDexterity, making her a superior defensive character. Aerie, in\naddition to her Clerical abilities can cast Mage spells, although she\nsuffers in weapon and armor selection.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nMage: The requirements for a Mage are much steeper in Baldur's Gate 2, a\nBard no longer cuts it... and a triple-class character might not either.\nIdeally a Mage should be able to cast Finger of Death, Horrid Wilting, \nSpell Trigger, Time Stop, and Comet. If they can't cast those, they \nneed not apply.\n\nEdwin is the best pure Mage in the game, gaining an extra spell per\nlevel (above what being a Conjurer gives him) with no downsides. You\nreally can't do better, yourself. Neera occupies the second spot, even\nthough I loathe Wild Mages, I can't argue that her extra spells per\nday makes her superior to Imoen. Imoen\/Nalia will satisfy your need for\na  Thief, as well as provide the third-most potent selection of Mage \nspells in the game. Aerie is multi-classed, which will slow her down, \nand overall she's not as good of a Mage as either Edwin or Imoen\/Nalia, \nbut since she's not a specialist she does place ahead of Jan, who cannot\ncast Necromantic spells.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThief: A Thief only needs to be able to find and disarm traps.\nEverything else can be done another way. Thus, Bards and Rangers do not\nqualify as Thieves, even though they can use some Thief skills.\n\nA Thief is in all honesty a waste of a class. With dual-or-multi-\nclassing it's a valuable asset to be able to hide and backstab, but not\non its own. You'll notice that very few characters can actually fit this\nrole, the best of which are Hexxat and Yoshimo. Hexxat, as powerful as\nshe may be in some respects, is still a single-classed Thief, with all\nthe limitations that'll make her less appealing as the game goes on,\nand Yoshimo, even though he can dual-class into a Fighter, he's not in\nit for the long haul, This leaves us with with Jan, Imoen, or Nalia.\nImoen's prowess as the third best Mage in the game makes her a shoo-in\nfor a good party, but evil parties are left with Jan. He's serviceable,\nand with a bow is a decent addition, probably better than Haer'Dalis,\nin any event. The best thing an evil party can do, however, is to either\nhave a main character who is at least in part a Thief (Fighter\/Thief, \nFighter\/Mage\/Thief, etc), or was dual-classed from a Thief at one point.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLeader: Technically anybody can be a leader, but to be a good leader,\nyou need to have a high Charisma, and you need to be durable enough to\nsurvive in the front. This narrows our selection down a bit, but with \nthe Sensate Amulet and the Armor of Balduran, even a modest Charisma of,\nsay, 14 can get up to snuff. This role isn't a huge deal, as you can\nsimply switch out a character with low Charisma for one with higher\nCharisma when you need to do some shopping. Of course, the Ring of\nHuman Influence makes this role available to anybody able to endure the\npunishment of being in front-provided they've a ring slot to spare.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThe Brawling Hands: This character needs The Brawling Hands to excel.\nThese are typically Fighters with a low Dexterity (and hence, a poor\nArmor Class). Ideally almost every character could use these, but this\ncategory is for otherwise decent characters who become much stronger by\nequipping the gauntlets. This is not a category for characters who do\nnot fit into a fighting role, or characters who will still perform\npoorly in combat with them. It's also not for characters who really\ndon't need these gauntlets to excel. If it's not lowering their Armor\nClass by three or four points, they probably don't need it.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nGiant Strength: These characters need a boost to their Strength to be at\npeak efficiency, pretty much regulating this to Fighter-role characters.\nSince there are multiple such items in the game, including the Hands of\nTakkok, a Girdle of Hill Giant Strength, a Girdle of Stone Giant \nStrength, a Girdle of Frost Giant Strength, a Girdle of Fire Giant \nStrength, Crom Faeyr, Angurvadal, and the Runehammer, to name a few,\nyou have lots of opportunities to address this problem. Your goal should\nalways be to match the best benefits with the best warriors. Obviously\na character with two attacks a round will make better use of a higher\nStrength than a character with one. Practically, however, most of these\nitems come later in Shadows of Amn or in Throne of Bhaal, so this guide\nis more to give you an idea of who to equip the Girdle of Hill Giant\nStrength and the Hands of Takkok on, rather than clue you in to who will\neventually need a Strength-boosting item.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nGood: Characters of Good alignment. These characters can travel with\nNeutral characters, but might fight with characters of Evil alignment\n(especially Keldorn).\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nNeutral: Characters of Neutral alignment. Note neutrality is secondary\nto Good and Evil. Chaotic and Lawful characters do not cause problems.\nA Neutral character can travel with either Good or Evil characters,\nalthough not without some friction.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nEvil: Characters of Evil alignment. These characters can travel with\nNeutral characters. but might provoke Good characters. This doesn't mean\nall Evil characters will get along peachy, but it does mean that they\nwon't defect.\n\nSuggested Parties by Role\t\t\t\t\t{CHR026}\no======================================================================o\nThese are my suggestions for characters, based on their Strengths. The\norder of the character DOES indicate how well I feel they'll fit their\nrole (i.e.: Keldorn is a better party leader than Viconia because he's\nnamed first.) Although keep in mind this doesn't really rate their\noverall usefulness (Korgan's brute Strength over Keldorn's Dispel Magic,\nTrue Sight, and Holy Avenger) it just rates how well they fill a role.\nOverall it's nothing to get your panties in a twist over. Somebody had \nto come first, and with how few characters there are and with the\nvariety of pros and cons they have it's mostly a matter of opinion.\nAlso, you'll obviously have to exclude a party member to make room for\nyour main character, although whom you exclude will pretty much be\nresolved by what class your protagonist is.\n\nLeader (1):\tKeldorn, Dorn, Viconia, Jaheira, ???????, Mazzy\nFighter (2):\tKorgan, Keldorn, ???????, Dorn, Jaheira, Minsc, Valygar, \n\t\tMazzy, Anomen, Viconia, Rasaad\nCleric (1):\tViconia, Anomen, Aerie, Cernd\nMage (1):\tEdwin, Neera, Imoen, Nalia, Aerie, Jan\nThief (1):\tHexxat, Jan, Imoen, Nalia\n\nExample Evil Party\nLeader:\t\tDorn\nFighter:\tKorgan\nFighter:\tJaheira\/???????\nCleric:\t\tViconia\nMage:\t\tEdwin\nThief:\t\tHexxat\n\nDorn is as good of a party leader as you can get-he's got more \nCharisma than Viconia, and he's a tried-and-true front-line warrior.\nKorgan is probably the best Fighter in the game, and Jaheira, while\nnot seeming like much of a Fighter, has many benefits that make her\nmore appealing than any other character-Insect Plague, Iron Skins,\nGreater Elemental Summoning... so what if it takes her three million\nexperience to mature in Throne of Bhaal? Better to take a while to\nbecome great than settle for a character who isn't as good. Once you\nget to Throne of Bhaal you can recruit ??????? and replace Dorn, if you\nfeel like it, since the two fight similarly and ??????? has superior\nattributes. Viconia is just the only good Cleric option the evil party\nhas-just as well, as she's a damn good Cleric. She's not much of an\noffensive character, but she's got great defensive characteristics,\nincluding a high Dexterity and Magic Resistance. Edwin is by and far\nthe best Mage the game has to offer, leaving only the Thief... Hexxat\nis as powerful as a single-class Thief as you can hope to get, but\nthat's still not good enough in my mind. Her slew of resistances and\nhigh attributes just doesn't make up for the fact that she'll never\nget enough attacks nor will she be physically sturdy enough to compete\nwith any of the warriors, nor can she cast spells like Jaheira and\nViconia can. The best option the evil party has is for a Thief-classed\nprotagonist, since  Imoen and Nalia are both Good-aligned.\n\nExample Good Party\nLeader:\t\tKeldorn\nFighter:\tJaheira\nFighter:\tMinsc\/???????\nCleric:\t\tAnomen\nMage:\t\tNeera\/Imoen\/Nalia\nThief:\t\tImoen\/Nalia\n\nKeldorn is a great party leader, as his Paladin class ensures he's got a\ngood Charisma. Also he's relatively well-off in the Armor Class\ndepartment, although he needs The Brawling Hands to bring him up to\nsnuff, especially considering he won't be carrying a shield. His ability\nto Dispel Magic and use True Sight makes him phenomenal for destroying\nenemy Mages, and he's an overall great character. Jaheira can specialize\nin weapons, wear heavy armor, and use a shield. With her improved\nattributes she also has a good amount of Hit Points and Armor Class,\nmaking her a good Fighter. She might not be as great as Keldorn and\nAnomen, but her compliment of Druidic spells puts her well above any\ncompetition she might have. Minsc is a secondary Fighter, and can be\nsubstituted for Valygar, who serves much the same role. There are some\nissues with Valygar that make me pick Minsc over him, however. He's a\ngood bit off the beaten path, whereas you get Minsc right in the first\ndungeon. Oh, his lower Strength makes him more of a liability, too, and\nthe fact that he's built to fight with two katanas means he won't be\nstaying out of melee like Minsc (not to mention the competition he'll\nprovoke for other katana-users.) ??????? makes a good replacement for\nMinsc, if you don't mind doing a little roleplaying to change ???????'s\nalignment, and if you won't miss the stealth too much. Anomen is pretty\nmuch the mandatory Good Cleric... there just isn't another one in the\ngame besides Jaheira, and it's always best to have two characters who\ncan heal. That's not to say he's baggage, mind you. His high Strength\nand starting proficiencies means he'll be as deadly as... well, as most\nFighters, even if he won't have access to Whirlwind Attack. Stick Crom\nFaeyr on him, or his holy symbol, and you've got a pretty damn strong\n'Cleric'. Lastly, we have Imoen\/Nalia, who are practically identical.\nAgain, the lack of a dedicated Thief makes one of them mandatory, as\nwell the fact that there's no Good Mage in the game. They fill dual-\nroles, both of which the Good party desperately needs filled. And no,\nI don't consider Jan a viable replacement. If you don't need a Thief...\nwell, I'd suggest you still stick with Imoen\/Nalia, but even Aerie is a\nbetter choice than Jan.\n\nGood Party versus Evil Party\t\t\t\t\t{CHR027}\no======================================================================o\nNow, hopefully I've stated enough about your potential allies and their\nrelevence in a party to help you build up an idea of what to expect\nfrom each party member-and in combining all the characters in the game,\nwhat to then expect from your party as a whole. However, in case it\nwasn't clear enough, I've made this section to cover the differences\nbetween the parties so you'll know exactly what's going on. Note that\nmuch of this information is found throughout the Walkthrough itself,\nand in the character and party descriptions above. This is merely a\ncondensed and direct comparison of the strengths, weaknesses, and\nresulting tactics covered above.\n\nParty Composition\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis shouldn't be so very complex. In my mind, the game decides who\nyou will travel with as soon as you pick your alignment-with a few\nexceptions. First, let me reiterate. You get five party members plus\nyour protagonist, which is well shy of the total number of characters in\nthe game. However, since good and evil don't mix, you can only pick so\nmany to take with you. If you grab Keldorn, you're not travelling with\nKorgan, Edwin, or Viconia, and so on. Throw in some useless allies like\nCernd and Jan, and consider that Nalia is just a cheap copy of Imoen,\nand you've thinned the ranks. Then there are the dubious characters-\nHaer'Dalis, Mazzy, and Aerie, who are hard to fit into a party for\nvarious reasons-mostly because, although they're decent, they're just\nover-matched. Yoshimo is a long-term bust (don't plan a party around\nhim) and that leaves us with only one real choice... do we bring along\nMinsc or Valygar in the good party? Much, much later on in the game,\n??????? joins up, at which point you must decide... ditch whatever extra\ncharacters you're dragging along in the evil party (likely Haer'Dalis),\nor in the good party ditch Minsc\/Valygar, or tell ??????? to take a\nwalk.\n\nThe Protagonist\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nIdeally a protagonist is simply the strongest character on the screen\nat any given time-a Fighter\/Mage is really the way to go, in my\nopinion. Being able to hold the front-line is good, but being able to\nlend Mage support while you're at it is even better, and the\nTime Stop\/Greater Whirlwind tactic just isn't fair... In a good way!\nAs far as gear is concerned, a Fighter\/Mage can soak up the attacks \nof enemy spellcasters (read: Liches) without getting scratched once\nthe Cloak of Mirroring is obtained. Ilithids are another foe that is\nbest handled almost exclusively by a Fighter\/Mage. With good combat\nstats, a decent Armor Class, and protective spells like Mirror Image\nand Blur, there really is no better character for weathering psionics\nand surviving Intelligence drain. Last but not least, our protagonist\nFighter\/Mage can handle Vampires once the Amulet of Power is obtained.\nThis isn't quite as exclusive as the Illithid tactic, since other\nclasses (Clerics) can pick up the slack. Still, a Fighter\/Mage is more\nlethal in combat (better weapon selection and Greater Whirlwind Attack)\nand has better defensive spells-all in all, it's the best anti-vampire\ncharacter you'll be able to easily build. That's three very dangerous\nfoes that can be completely negated by our protagonist. Of course,\nthey're not capable of handling everything-sometimes a Fighter is needed\nfor brute work, or a Mage is needed to caster higher-level spells (or\nnumerous low-level spells) that the Fighter\/Mage just can't access-yet.\nWhen you slap the Helm of Vhailor on a Fighter\/Mage, all those perks\nare doubled.\n\nLife isn't so simple for the evil party, however. Imoen barely cuts it\nas a Thief for the good party, but the evil party doesn't have access\nto her. Yoshimo isn't in it for the long run, and Hexxat-potent as she\nis-is still a single-class Thief. And no, I do not consider Jan a\nserious option. How then, do we obtain those awesome perks of being a\nFighter\/Mage and still introduce a decent Thief into the party? Easy,\nmake a Fighter\/Mage\/Thief instead. Is it as good as a Fighter\/Mage? No,\nyour spell progression will be even more stunted, as will your Hit\nPoints and THAC0 progression, and you'll never get 9th-level Mage\nspells (without cheating). On the other hand, all the tactics otherwise\nfit seamlessly (save Time Stop\/Greater Whirlwind, obviously), and the\nFighter\/Mage\/Thief gains a few very important benefits. First, being\nable to create your own Thief is much better than borrowing an\nrecruitable Thief. Imoen can't upgrade her Thief skills any-but you\ncan. No stupid kits (Yoshimo), no annoying turnip-Gnomes (Jan), and no\ndragging a single-classed Thief along (Hexxat). Second-and best of\nall-is the backstabbing. Adding x5 damage to an already potent\nBhaalspawn almost ludicriously strong. Of course, many enemies will be\nimmune (no cheap-shots on that dragon!) but for most enemies... it'll\nmake you forget that you're playing what I view as the weaker of two\nalternatives.\n\nJaheira\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nJaheira is not an optional character in my mind. Not in Baldur's Gate,\nor in Baldur's Gate 2. Since she's become even stronger in the sequel,\nthis is a no-brainer. Every party should have Jaheira. She can assist\nthe Clerics in healing and buffing, her Hit Points are some of the best\nyou'll find on a recruitable character, she has the THAC0 and armor to\ncompete in melee, and she's neutral-every party can have her (albeit,\nwith some friction.) Her Druid levels allow you to gain the benefits of\na Druid, without actually having to suffer the crappiness of an actual\nDruid. And Insect Plague just wins... well... much of Shadows of Amn,\nreally. It's the go-to spell of the early-to-mid game. When Jaheira\nlevels up, her tactics change, but if anything she gets even stronger.\nWhen she starts getting high level abilities, she'll be able to compete\nwith the best Fighters in the game with her Greater Whirlwind Attacks,\nand if she learns Summon Elemental Prince she can call upon one of the\nstrongest summoning spells in the game. Finally, a high Armor Class and\nIron Skins makes her the closest thing to a Fighter\/Mage the game offers\nin terms of brute survivability.\n\nFighters\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAs far as I'm concerned, this is a real easy choice. Keldorn can gain\naccess to a very powerful exclusive weapon and whatever he lacks in\nattributes, he makes up for with True Sight and super-powered Dispel\nMagic. An easy choice for the good party. Korgan is the best pure\nFighter in the game. Enough said, and an easy choice for the evil\nparty.\n\nClerics\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nHere you have some options-watch as I whittle them down. Cernd doesn't\ncount for much as a Cleric. Not that Druids can't compete... wait...\nthey really can't. Well, that's settled. That leaves us with Aerie,\nAnomen, and Viconia, and when push comes to shove, Aerie clearly loses\nthe contest. Viconia and especially Anomen are decent Clerics, although\nViconia is the fastest-progessing Cleric thanks to her single-classed\nstatus. Still, this is a matter of a marginal bit of experience, in\nexchange for which Anomen has much higher Hit Points, lower THAC0, and\nall the other perks of dual-classing as a Fighter. What they both can\ndo that Aerie cannot is participate in melee combat from the moment\nyou recruit them. Sure, Anomen's Dexterity sucks, and Viconia has\nHit Point and Strength issues, but a Girdle of Hill Giant Strength\nfixes Viconia's problem, and Anomen can just strap on a shield. Aerie,\nhowever, has to mind her Mage limitations, and offers no easy solution.\nAerie's slow progression kills whatever usefulness she might have had-\nshe's not a good candidate as either the party Mage or the party Cleric.\nOn the other hand, Viconia's Armor Class and magic resistance make her\na potent defensive character, and Anomen's Hit Points and Strength\nmake him a sturdy front-liner. Anomen for the good party, Viconia for\nthe evil party.\n\nMages\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nWe have a variety of Mages to choose from, but let me expel two right\noff the bat. Aerie's slow progression makes her less-than-ideal as\neither the party Mage or Cleric. In particular, Edwin, Imoen, and\nNalia all out-progress her. Jan suffers from the same problem... and on\ntop of that, he's a specialist Mage whose class prohibits him from ever\ncasting any of a variety of potent Necromancy spells. No thanks. Now\nthat we're done with that, we have the aforementioned three. Edwin is\nthe evil party Mage pretty much by default. He'll cast more spells per\nday than any Mage you can make, and this allows us to ignore his lack of\nIdentify and True Sight. On that note, since Edwin just has so much\nmore spell-power than the good-party candidates, the evil party will\nmake much more use of spell-assaults, especially in the early-going.\nHaving two-extra spell-slots per level and unimpeded progression as a\nMage just allows Edwin to throw out a Slow or Chaos spell just about any\ntime he wishes-not to mention other late-game greats like Horrid\nWilting, Comet, and debuffs like Breach and Pierce Magic. Our good-\nparty candidates on the other hand includes a pair of dual-classed\nThieves... practically clones, in fact. This makes me think Nalia only\nexists to supply you with an Imoen while the real Imoen is out of\nreach. So that being the case, why not just go with Imoen? She's a\nbit stunted when compared to Edwin, and you'll really notice how many\nmore spells per day Edwin gets. Even with a Fighter\/Mage on the good\nparty versus a Fighter\/Mage\/Thief on the evil party, Edwin tips the\nspell-power balance towards the evil side. And of course, Imoen has\nbetter Thief abilities, making her absolutely necessary for a good\nparty.\n\nTrue Sight\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nOne main tactic in the game for breaching enemy defenses and keeping\nthem honest is to use True Sight. You'll do this quite early in the\ngame, and it'll be necessary until the end credits roll. How you do it,\nhowever, depends on who you've brought along. In this regards, the good\nparty has a huge advantage in Keldorn. His Inquisitor kit allows him to\nuse True Sight very early in the game, and quite often. He's really all\nyou need to bust enemy illusions. Of course, Jaheira will also be able\nto pitch in, as will our Clerics, Anomen\/Viconia. All that's left are\nour Mages, and here Edwin shows one of his few-yet conspicuous-\nshortcomings. Edwin can never learn Divination spells, and for the\nmost part, who cares? Sadly, one of the few spells (and certainly the\nmost harmful for Baldur's Gate 2) prohibited is True Sight. That means\nthe standard evil party will have no Keldorn, and their Mage-despite\nhis staggering number of spell-slots, can never memorize True Sight.\nThis leaves True Sight entirely up to Viconia and Jaheira. It's a \nlimitation, to be sure, but one that can be overcome.\n\nThieving\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAlready touched upon in the Protagonist section is the issue of Thief\nskills. The good party has Imoen, who is just good enough. The best\nanswer for the evil party is to have a Thief protagonist, but failing\nthat, Hexxat is as powerful of a single class Thief as you can hope\nfor.\n\nThe Sixth Wheel\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThe sixth wheel is that extra character that sort of solidifies an area\nalready bolstered by other party members better suited to the role. For\nthe good party you can add one of two Rangers-Minsc or Valygar. Minsc is\nmy favorite choice, as... well, he doesn't need any Strength-boosting\ngear, he's hilarious, and he was in the first game. Both have some bad\npoints, namely their absurd proficiencies. Both at least have Long Bows,\nbut they both also have two ranks wasted on Two Weapon Style. Neither\nreally has the Armor Class to pull it off, although Minsc's Two Handed\nSword specialization makes him more attractive, compared to Valygar's\nSpear. My only guess is that, since Baldur's Gate 2 found itself\npressured by the release of 3rd Edition Dungeon and Dragons, the\ndevelopers decided to give both their Rangers Two Weapon Style. While\nit's a feature of the class in 3rd Edition, in Baldur's Gate 2, it's\njust a waste of points. Both can pull off stealth for scouting purposes,\nboth are decent warriors who will ideally contribute at a range, and\nwhen proficiencies allow-with reach weapons that keep them out of direct\nmelee. Valygar can backstab (albeit poorly) and has a better Dexterity.\nMisnc has better armor selection, and better Strength.\n\nThe Enhanced Edition has been very kind to the evil party. In the\noriginal game, after Edwin, Jaheira, Korgan, and Viconia, the well was\nreally running dry. This often led to us choosing to drag along ???????\nor Haer'Dalis. The latter is fair enough in Shadows of Amn, while the\nformer is a heavyweight Fighter in Throne of Bhaal... but this lack of\ncontinuity always left something to be desired. Enter Dorn and Hexxat,\ntwo new characters that serve a role the evil party have long since\nneeded. Dorn serves as a less potent Keldorn-he's a great party leader\nand front-line warrior. He doesn't have the great Inquisitor abilities\nlike Keldorn, but his Blackguard abilities at least come in handy once\nin a while. Hexxat is an evil Thief, as potent of a Thief as you can\nhope for. How to choose between the two? Well, despite Hexxat's\npotency, the qualifier in the above statement is 'Thief'. A single-class\nThief just isn't a great character, no matter how... unusual... they\nare. On the other hand, if you drag Hexxat along, you can drop the\n'Thief' from the Fighter\/Mage\/Thief and go with a more potent\nFighter\/Mage. Overall, however, I think Dorn is the more powerful\ncharacter.\n\nOnce you reach Throne of Bhaal, you can consider removing your 6th\nwheel for ???????-unless, of course, you're using Hexxat as your\nparty Thief, in which case she's mandatory. ??????? has an edge on\nDorn in attributes, but the two are pretty close in potency. He does,\nhowever, significantly out-class Minsc-Minsc's archery and stealth are\nboth becoming quite ineffective by Throne of Bhaal. Best of all,\ndepending on how you interact with ???????, his alignment can go either\nway.\n\nCharacter Builds and Weapon Loadouts\t\t\t\t{CHR028}\no======================================================================o\nThis is a section where I'll discuss some high-level tactics which will\nbecome available for us once we start accumulating loot and levels.\nIdeally, this is a section where I'll discuss various weapon load-outs\nfor various PCs. For most of the game, you'll use what you find, and\nhonestly your equipment will be more or less cobbled together \nhaphazardly in the early-going through mid-game. The gear you'll equip\nwill be determined by opportunity and starting proficiencies, and this\nis obviously not an ideal way to make it through the game. However, as\nwe play through the game, you'll be developing your characters to\nobtain the proficiencies they'll need to equip some of the best weapons\nin the game. To that end, this section will describe these weapons and\ntheir various combinations in some detail. If you don't want to know\nwhat awesome weapons we'll be finding in this game, don't read any\nmore. And as an aside, this isn't an elitist gear rant, putting the\nright gear on the right character is indeed a great deal of the\nstrategy this game requires, but building a character to suit the gear\nis more foreknowledge, and not quick-thinking or adaptive practice.\nSpell-buffing and micro-management are much more important tools for\nsurviving the few challenging encounters in this game... and of course,\nknowing what you're facing, and what will hurt what you're facing, and\nsheer luck. In large part, using good gear is a matter of common sense.\nAnybody with two brain-cells to rub together will realize that Crom\nFaeyr is an awesome off-hand weapon for the Strength-boost alone, and\nthat Celestial Fury is an over-powered weapon for how easily it can be\nobtained. These are-in all honesty-fairly obvious builds, but it doesn't\ntake a keen intellect to realize that vorpal weapons are meant to be\nused in the main-hand, followed by debilitating weapons (like Flail\nof the Ages), and defensive or boosting items (like Hindo's Doom, Crom\nFaeyr, and Angurvadal) make great off-hand weapons.\n\nBest of the Best Two-Fisted Fighter\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nFlail of the Ages + Axe of the Unyielding or\nFlail of the Ages\/Axe of the Unyielding + Hindo's Doom\/Angurvadal\nSuggested Characters: Korgan, Mazzy, Protagonist\n\nFlail of the Ages is clearly the best one-handed non-edged weapon in\nthe game. At its best it deals 10 elemental damage per hit, gives its\nuser Free Action, +5% magic resistance, and has a 33% chance to Slow\nwithout a save. On the other hand, you have Axe of the Unyielding,\nwhich has a 10% chance to kill outright with no save, +1 Armor Class,\n+1 Constitution, and a regeneration rate of three Hit Points per round.\nBoth offer considerable defensive bonuses-which can be obtained just as\nwell on the off-hand, so what we have is an offensive comparison. In\nthis case, it seems that the Flail of the Ages' 10 damage per hit and\n33% chance to Slow an enemy out-competes even the vorpal property of\nAxe of the Unyielding. For big fights, it's not like you can't just\nswitch over to the Axe of the Unyielding as a main-hand weapon after\nthe enemy has been Slowed. You can even combine the two as primary\nweapons, and just use Angurvadal as your constant off-hand weapon for\nthe Strength and negative plane protection, or Hindo's Doom for the\nmagic resistance and Death Ward.\n\nCrom Faeyr Cleric\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nCrom Faeyr\nSuggested Characters: Anomen\n<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Crom Faeyr is obviously a great weapon, for no better reason than the\nfact that it boosts your Strength to a ludicrous 25. Of course, it\nserves this role just fine as an off-hand weapon, but for lack of\noptions it'll work as a primary weapon as well. Especially if you\nwant to keep a shield and have other uses for the Flail of the Ages.\nSure, it doesn't provide any useful offensive or defensive bonuses\n(by Throne of Bhaal, Trolls, Ogres, and Ettins will be the least of your\nproblems), but the sheer damage boost gained from having a 25 Strength\nis more than most weapons give.\n\nFlail of the Ages Cleric\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nFlail of the Ages\nSuggested Characters: Anomen, Viconia\n\nA better solution for equipping your Cleric is to use Flail of the Ages\nand a shield. For Anomen, when he hits level 25 he'll get a Holy\nSymbol which will boost his Strength from 18 to 19, with all the\nawesome benefits that apply. Viconia will need some help-ideally the\nGirdle of Hill Giant Strength, and with her Holy Symbol she'll go from\n19 to 20 Strength.\n\nHoly Avenger\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nCarsomyr\nSuggested Characters: Keldorn\n\nAnother simple weapon build. You see Carsomyr? If you had anybody who\ncould wield it, why would you not equip it? 50% magic resistance?\nThat's all the spell defense anybody could ever need, and the fact that\nit casts Dispel Magic on targets means you can rip through enemy spell\ncasters. It's certainly one of the better reasons to drag Keldorn along,\nand it makes creating your own Paladin a somewhat interesting\nproposition.\n\nPerfect Swordsman\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAngurvadal + Hindo's Doom (Spectral Brand + Hindo's Doom\/Angurvadal)\nSuggested Characters: Protagonist, Valygar\n\nThis build is especially useful if you're playing with Korgan and\nViconia, with the implications that you won't have access to Crom Faeyr,\nthe Axe of the Unyielding, or Flail of the Ages. The Perfect Swordsman\nbegins with points into Katanas, Long Swords, and Two Weapon Style.\nThey'll get Celestial Fury early on, and Namarra, Dak'kon's Zerth\nBlade, and Malakar make decent early-to-mid game off-hand weapons. When\nyou reach the end of Shadows of Amn you'll add Daystar to your arsenal\n(great against Undead) and the Equalizer, although Celestial Fury\nremains the weapon to beat in Shadows of Amn. By the time you get to\nThrone of Bhaal, however, Celestial Fury is losing its edge, and\nreplacements abound. Unfortunately, nothing really steps up to takes\nits place, as there really aren't any great debilitating swords\n(no vorpal one-handed swords, and nothing that forces a save at a\nnegative penalty.) In this case, I give Angurvadal the nod over other\nweapons, like Hindo's Doom, simply because of the fire damage... Hindo's\nDoom works just as well as an off-hand weapon. If you don't mind\ndepriving Jaheira of a great weapon, grab some proficiency points in\nScimitars. You can then use Belm through much of Shadows of Amn, and\nwhen you reach Throne of Bhaal switch to the Spectral Brand as a main\nhand weapon, which more or less removes the need for Angurvadal. If\nyou're using this build for your protagonist (with the implication\nthat you imported with a 19 Strength) you might as well just use Hindo's\nDoom as your offhand weapon for the Magic Resistance. It's just an\nidea, whether Angurvadal's 1d4 +1 fire damage and 22 Strength is better\nthan Spectral Brand's 1d6 cold damage... well, the two seem close enough\nthat one or the other doesn't make a huge difference.\n\nRavager\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nRavager\nSuggested Characters: Dorn, Haer'Dalis, Minsc, ???????, Valygar\n\nThe Ravager Halberd is easily one of the best weapons in the game... in\nfact, it may be THE best two-handed weapon in the game. Of course, I\nprefer Axe of the Unyielding in straight comparison (both are vorpal,\nbut the Axe of the Unyielding also boosts Armor Class, gives \nregeneration, and increases your Constitution.) Still, for a two-handed\nweapon wielding character, you really can't get any better, unless \nyou're a Paladin, and even then it's debatable. It is preferable to \nPsion's Blade and Gram, which is why most two-handed warriors shun Two \nHanded Swords for Halberds near the end of Shadows of Amn. The Silver \nSword will see them through Shadows of Amn and a bit of Throne of Bhaal,\nbut this is the weapon to shoot for. A +6 Halberd with a 10% chance to\nkill with no save? That's a no-brainer, and it's great for dedicated\ntwo-handed weapon users like ???????, as well as weaker characters who\nshould distance themselves from the front-lines, but who shouldn't\navoid combat entirely.\n\nSpearman\/Staffman\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nIxil's Spike\/Staff of the Ram\nSuggested Characters: Cernd, Protagonist\n\nThis is more of a compromise for a Druid than anything else. They can't\nuse shields, and they just aren't strong enough or well-defended enough\nin melee combat to do well without some distance. Since they can't use\nHalberds, this is the next best option. The Staff of the Ram can stun\nand knockback, and deals 12 crushing damage and 1d4 piercing damage \nwhile Ixil's Spike can immobilize an enemy for three rounds, while doing\n1d6 +5 damage each round. The Staff of the Ram seems the superior\noffensive weapon, even though Ixil's Spike provides Free Action, and for\nmost of Shadows of Amn Spears are superior to Quarter Staffs... although\non the other hand, you can buy the Staff of Rynn +4 from the \nAdventurer's Mart at the beginning of the game...\n\nThe Bludgeoner\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nFlail of the Ages + Crom Faeyr\nSuggested Characters: Anomen, Protagonist\n\nThis is an idea I've toyed around with, but I've never actually put into\naction. In my mind, a Fighter\/Cleric or Cleric\/Ranger protagonist would\nmake a great candidate for this, but honestly, Anomen would work just as\nwell (although Viconia might not have the proficiencies to see this\nthrough, and she's certainly not nearly a good enough Fighter for it.)\nThis build combines the awesome power of Crom Faeyr with the disabling\nproperties of the Flail of the Ages, which never loses its potency\nthroughout the game, indeed, it only gets stronger. This almost begs\nfor a multi-class Fighter\/Cleric, who can take advantage of the extra\nproficiencies, use Greater Whirlwind, and scrape together some defensive\nitems to make up for their lack of a shield. On top of this, a\nCleric\/Ranger can add Iron Skins to their defenses, making them almost\ncomparable to a Fighter\/Mage defensively. Eh... at least against\nphysical attacks, anyways.\n\nUltimate Assassin\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nDagger of the Star + Angurvadal\/Hindo's Doom\nSuggested Characters: Protagonist, Hexxat, Valygar\n\nThere's only one real purpose to this build-to take advantage of the\nDagger of the Star's ability to bestow invisibility on its wielder In\nthe hands of a Thief (preferably a Fighter\/Thief protagonist) it becomes\nan awesome weapon of mass destruction, as backstabs will flow liberally.\nThe off-hand weapon in this case is merely a boosting or defensive item,\nAngurvadal will boost your Strength, while Hindo's Doom will boost your\nmagic resistance, as the situation demands. In most situations,\nAngurvadal will be the best choice, as the Strength boost will \nexponentially increase the damage done by the backstab.. although if\nyou're using this build on a protagonist, they may not NEED the \nStrength boost so much... especially if they're evil (secrets implied).\n\nVorpal Juggernaut\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAxe of the Unyielding + Crom Faeyr\nSuggested Characters: Korgan, Mazzy\n\nOne of the more obvious builds in the game, unless you're planning for\nit early, it can be difficult to get the proficiencies for this build\nto work in a timely manner. Korgan is by and far the easiest character\nto fit into this build, as he's a Fighter (and hence will get lots of\nproficiencies) and already starts out with Grand Mastery in Axes. Since\nhe already starts out Proficient in War Hammers, it almost feels like\nthe game is nudging us in the direction of this build. Gauntlets of\nDexterity will in large part cover his Armor Class woes, and Crom\nFaeyr will give him all the Strength he needs. Axe of the Unyielding\nfurther adds to his Armor Class, gives him regeneration, and best of\nall gives him a vorpal weapon to attack with. Mazzy can fit into this\nrole as well, but she requires a lot more work. Get her one point into\nWar Hammers in Shadows of Amn and try and boost her Two Weapon Style.\nWhen you get Crom Faeyr... you should probably just keep it as an off-\nhand weapon, and have her use a Short Sword in her main hand. By\nThrone of Bhaal, look to get her proficient with Axes, and then\ncontinue to build up both Axes and War Hammers (favoring the former, as\nit is, of course, her main weapon) and switch off to the upgraded Axe\nof the Unyielding as soon as possible. It'll take her longer, but she\nwill get there, and she doesn't need The Brawling Hands like Korgan\ndoes.\n\no======================================================================o\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|\t\t\t    Spell Tactics {SPT001}\t\t       |\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\no======================================================================o\nThis section was added by request, since I had provided detailed \ninformation on how to equip and build your characters, a similar section\nwas requested to discuss how to build up your spellbooks. I think that\nwhat was desired were suggestions on what (and how many) spells to\nmemorize, so with that in mind, let me mention a few things about this\nsection. First, let it be known that most (if not all) of this\ninformation can be found-sometimes in greater detail and always in\nmore pertinent form-in the Walkthrough. When you encounter enemies that\nrequire certain spell tactics to defeat, they are laid out in detail\nwhen you fight them. For example, when you deal with Illithids, you'll\nknow to have Chaotic Commands at the ready. This, in my mind, pretty\nmuch covers everything you'll need to know, when you need to know it.\nThis section, then, is to provided detailed, general information about\nthe spells themselves so that all the information scattered throughout\nthe Walkthrough can be consulted here. Note, however, that I won't\nbother suggesting how many spells to memorize, since this is really\nsubjective to the enemies at hand, and the caster in question.\nObviously Edwin will have luxuries that Imoen doesn't, and when fighting\na dragon they'll want a different spell-loadout than they will when\nfighting a Lich.\n\nHealing Spells\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{SPT002}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nI tend to have a subtractive, rather than additive view towards the\ninclusion of healing spells in my spell-books. Healing spells are good,\nnobody doubts that, but how many should you get? In my mind, it\nvaries by spell-level. Cure Serious Wounds is clearly better than\nCure Light Wounds, but the competition for 1st-level Cleric spells is\nmuch less intense than for 4th-level spells. So, how do I determine what\nto get? I get all the spells I want besides healing spells, then fill\nup left-over slots with healing. Therefore, most of my 1st-level\nClerical spells tend to be Cure Light Wounds (with a token Remove Fear\non every caster, just in case) while on the other hand, I have almost\nno Cure Serious Wounds, as I'd rather have Defensive Harmony, Protection\nfrom Evil 10' Radius, and so on. The only healing spell unworthy of this\nsecond-class status is Heal, which is the ultimate healing spell, and\nreally, one of the best things about a Cleric or a Druid. Too bad you\ncan't get that spell in this game, eh?\n\n1st Level Cleric Spells\t\t\t\t\t\t{SPT003}\no======================================================================o\n***TOP SPELLS***\nArmor of Faith: Blocks 5% of damage per five levels.\n  ---\nCure Light Wounds: Heals 8 Hit Points.\n  ---\nRemove Fear: cures and prevents fear effects for one turn.\n\n*Armor of Faith\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nA simple defensive spell that will remain in your list of memorized\nspells throughout both games... simply because good defensive Clerical\nspells are so rare. This spell absorbs 5% of all damage the caster\nwould otherwise sustain from physical and magical attacks, and protects\nagainst another 5% for every five levels of the Cleric. Which means...\nup to 10% in this game. That doesn't sound like much-and it isn't-but\nlosing one point in ten of damage isn't horrible, and it has a decent\nduration, too. By the time you hit Throne of Bhaal and your Clerics are\npushing 20th level, it'll be seriously reducing damage.\n\nBless\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nBless gives all allies within a 30-foot radius a +1 bonus to attack\nrolls and a +1 bonus to saves versus fear. I'll be honest, I rarely use\nit, but it's not that bad of a spell. Your THAC0 won't be low enough to\nignore a +1 bonus... but its six-round duration is just lame. You have\nbetter buffs to use.\n\nCommand\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nYou can attempt to make an enemy 'die' (go to sleep) for one round.\nAnything under six Hit Dice (about 48 Hit Points) gets no save against\nthe effect, but anything with six Hit Dice or more are entitled to a\nSaving Throw vs. Spells. This spell was useful in the first game, but\nby now, pretty much everything you fight will have over six Hit Dice...\nand besides, you have Greater Command, so why bother with this\nunder-powered spell?\n\n*Cure Light Wounds\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThe essential healing spell, you'll probably want to keep several\ninstances of this spell ready at all times.\n\nDetect Evil\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nIt's.. not a great spell, and I wouldn't keep one prepared, but Ajantis\ncan use it as a special ability. It's got quite a range, and nearby\nenemies will be detected as evil in your dialogue box. Want to know if\nsome Black Talons are currently lurking in Larswood, or want to know if\nthose humble-looking fishermen are up to no good? Give this spell a go.\n\nDoom\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis curse bestows a -2 penalty to saves and attack rolls upon a single\nenemy. This is actually a decent spell to cast on tougher enemies, as\nthat -2 save penalty can end up paying off in a big way if the critter\nthen falls victim to some spell or weapon effect. Of course, Greater\nMalison affects multiple creatures and bestows a -4 penalty to their\nsaves, making it a far superior cast.\n\nMagic Stone\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nYou enchant a small pebble, which flies out and hits a foe for... 1d4\ndamage. It counts a magical (+1) weapon, but otherwise gets no bonuses\nto damage. Compare this to, say, Magic Missile and marvel at how much\nthis spell sucks.\n\nProtection from Evil\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nA handy little personal buff that gives the target +2 bonus to Saves and\nArmor Class... of course, when you've got Protection from Evil 10'\nRadius, why would you ever bother with this?\n\n*Remove Fear\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nEnemy Mages love using Horror. This spell prevents such magics from\nworking, and will counter it if you're affected by fear. Always keep\none prepared on each Cleric.\n\nSanctuary\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nGives the priest temporary immunity to prosecution by foes, during\nwhich time he can heal\/buff themselves (but they cannot affect other\ncreatures without ending the spell). I don't see the point. If you're\ngetting hurt, retreat and cast a healing spell. Why waste two rounds\ndoing what can be done in one?\n\nShillelagh\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nCreates a +1 cudgel that deals 2d4 damage. You won't spend much of the\ngame with a permanent weapon worse than this, so why bother?\n\n2nd Level Cleric Spells\t\t\t\t\t\t{SPT004}\no======================================================================o\n***TOP SPELLS***\nDraw Upon Holy Might: Boosts Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution.\n  ---\nHold Person: Paralyzes one living, humanoid foe.\n  ---\nResist Fire and Cold: 50% Resistance to Fire and Cold.\n  ---\nSilence 15' Radius: Shuts up spell-casters.\n  ---\nSlow Poison: Cures poison.\n\nAid\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nBestows the effects of Bless and heals 1-8 Hit Points. Since it only\neffects one creature, I don't bother with it.\n\nBarkskin\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nGrants a target an Armor Class of six, which improves (decreases) by\none for ever four levels of the caster... This can effectively give you\nan Armor Class that's comparable to Full Plate Mail at higher levels,\nbut by then, you've certainly found better, permanent, armor.\n\nChant\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nIt affects a 30-foot radius, and gives your allies a one-point bonus to\nattack rolls, damage rolls, and saves, and imposes a one-point penalty\nto the same onto your enemies. A decent spell, even though it takes a\nfull round to cast... I'm almost never using my Clerics to buff in\ncombat, and the first-strikes are handled almost exclusively by my\nMages... and with a five-round duration, I tend to ignore the spell in\nfavor of Defensive Harmony and Protection from Evil 10' Radius.\n\n*Draw Upon Holy Might\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis is actually a decent spell for some Clerics... alright, it's\nuseful for Anomen (and possibly a protagonist with good attributes).\nAt first it won't give much of a bonus, but boosting Anomen's Strength\nup to 19 is worthwhile up until he gets his hands on a permanent\nStrength-boosting item. Once you're late in Shadows of Amn or Throne of\nBhaal, this spell will start adding serious points to Strength,\nDexterity, and Constitution (up to a +6 bonus at 18th level). This can\nbe a serious boost to a Cleric's combat prowess, and should not be\nignored.\n\nFind Traps\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nDetects traps in a very close range. This spell doesn't disarm them,\nhowever, so it's rather pointless.\n\nFlame Blade\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell allows the caster to create a flaming blade, which the caster\nis considered Proficient with. It deals 1d4 slashing damage, plus 1d2+4\nfire damage. Despite being a magical blade of flame it does NOT count\nas a magical weapon for determining what it can hit-makes sense to me.\n\n*Hold Person\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAnother spell that should be good, that I just don't use. It affects\neverybody within a 7.5-foot radius, but most often you'll be using this\non one character. It only affect man-sized humanoids, but fortunately,\nthey're common. No save penalty, and it only lasts 10 rounds... which is\nlong enough to kill them and then some, to be fair. Still, almost\nanything I would use this on, I could just nail with Chaos or Greater\nCommand, instead.\n\nKnow Alignment\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLike Detect Evil, except it detects... everything. Evil things glow red,\nneutral things glow blue, and friendly things glow green... like those\nlittle circles under your feet!\n\n*Resist Fire and Cold\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nYou won't fear the elements too often, but when dealing with fire or\ncold happy foes, this spell can cut their damage in half. I wouldn't\nkeep it ready all the time, but it'll come in handy once in a while.\n\n*Silence 15' Radius\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nEnemy Mage or Cleric getting you down? Not if they can't cast spells-\nwhich is exactly what this little beauty does. It boasts a 15-foot\nradius, a duration of two rounds per level, and forces the save to be\nmade at -5... which means it works often. It saw more use in the first\ngame, but now, uber-powerful Mages (like Liches) will probably have\nMagic Resistance to avoid it. Failing that, almost every Mage with any\nreal power will have Vocalize, which counters this spell handily. This\nmakes it decidedly inferior to other Mage-bashing tactics, like Insect\nPlague, which is nearly fool-proof... but it doesn't hurt to cast at\na group of casters. Cleric have little way to counter it, and forcing\na Mage to waste time casting Vocalize gives you another round to hit\nthem with another spell.\n\n*Slow Poison\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nSlow Poison is being humble. This spell eradicates the effects of most\npoisons in the game. Keep at least one handy on each Cleric all the\ntime.\n\nSpiritual Hammer\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nConjures a magical hammer, which may be used as an implement of\nrighteous smiting. It counts as a +1 weapon from 1st-6th level, as a\n+2 weapon from 7th-12th level, and a +3 weapon at 13th level and\nbeyond. You'll find more powerful weapons than this spell conjures. You\nshould never need to use it.\n\n3rd Level Cleric Spells\t\t\t\t\t\t{SPT005}\no======================================================================o\n***TOP SPELLS***\nCure Disease: Cures disease, blindness, and feeblemind.\n  ---\nCure Medium Wounds: Heals 14 Hit Points.\n  ---\nDispel Magic: Remove buffs\/debuffs in an area.\n  ---\nHoly Smite: Deals 1d4 damage\/level to evil creatures.\n  ---\nProtection from Fire: Grants 80% Resistance to Fire.\n  ---\nRemove Paralysis: Curse paralysis\/hold effects.\n\nAnimate Dead\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAh... Animate Dead... this was a great spell in Baldur's Gate 1, but its\nhour has passed. Skeleton Warriors are nothing special anymore, and\nthe Stinking Cloud\/Animate Dead tactic has been surpassed by superior\nspells. You'll find better minions who are stronger and can take more\nabuse, so remove this spell from your spellbooks and move on.\n\n*Cure Disease\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nDiseases suck. They function like Poison, but take much longer to deal\ntheir damage, and tend to last much, much longer. Unless you're injured,\nyou rest, or travel across the world map, your chances of dying due to\ndisease are pretty low... But having to run back to a temple to get a\ncharacter cured is no good solution, and Mummies aren't uncommon in\nthis game. It's a good idea to always have one of these prepared.\n\n*Cure Medium Wounds\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell restores 14 Hit Points.\n\n*Dispel Magic\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nBad guys cast spells too-buffing themselves, or debuffing you. Just as\na Chaos spell can win a fight for you, if it's cast on you, it can also\nresult in casualties if the enemy gets one on you... unless you're wise\nenough to keep a Dispel Magic handy. This spell is just wonderful, and\neverybody who can cast it should always have one prepared.\n\nGlyph of Warding\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nCreates a static 'trap' that explodes when an enemy comes close, dealing\n1d4 damage\/level to foes within range. This spell is party friendly, so\nit should be used-not defensively, as the description suggests, but\noffensively, like Fireball. Still, the Cleric has better 3rd-level\nspells to cast, and the Mage has far, far superior damage-dealers.\n\n*Holy Smite (Good characters Only)\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nOne of the rare alignment-specific spells in Baldur's Gate, Holy Blight\ndeals 1d4 damage per level of the caster to all evil foes in a 20-ft.\nradius. A fair number of enemies are actually neutral, which limits this\nspell's effectiveness, but there are plenty of evil foes to bring holy\ndoom down upon. This spell is party-friendly... provided you're not\ntraveling around with evil folks.\n\nInvisibility Purge\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLike the Arcane spell 'Detect Invisibility' this spell will allow you\nto detect-and therefore thwart-sneaking enemies. You're better off\nspringing for True Sight.\n\nMiscast Magic\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nYou'll see the enemy cast this spell a few times, but I never bother\nwith it. If the enemy fails at a Save vs. Spells (save at -2), they'll\nsuffer an 80% spell casting failure rate. Of course, Silence 15' Radius\ncan affect multiple foes, imposes a -5 save, and makes spell casting\n100% impossible for affected creatures... and Insect Plague is superior\nto Silence. This puts Miscast Magic pretty low on my list of anti-Mage\nspells.\n\n*Protection from Fire\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLike the Resist Fire\/Cold, but it protects you from 80% of fire\ndamage. Excellent in a few areas.\n\nRemove Curse\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nYou should NEVER need to cast this spell. It's grand purpose? Getting\nicky cursed items out of your hands. This guide tells you what items\nyou're getting, and you should never equip unidentified items in the\nfirst place.\n\n*Remove Paralysis\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nParalysis isn't a terribly uncommon affliction in Baldur's Gate 2, and\nwhile it's not the main tactic the enemy will be using on you anymore,\nit's still common enough that it's worth having one of these spells\nprepared at all times.\n\nRigid Thinking\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAnother spell you'll more often see when it's cast on you than when you\nactually waste the time to cast it-it affects one critter and inflicts\nconfusion. It lasts one turn, and can be negated by a simple Save vs.\nSpells. Compare this to the 4th-level Arcane spell Confusion, and you'll\nsee what a butt-nutter this pansy version is.\n\nStrength of One\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nGives the entire party a Strength score of 18\/75, and lasts for a turn.\nIt might seem nifty at first, but once you get the Gauntlets of Ogre\nPower, or any of the other Strength-boosting items in the game, this\nspell will actually hinder you in combat. For natural heavy-hitters like\nMinsc or Korgan, this spell is a meagre bonus from the outset.\n\nUnholy Blight\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLike Holy Blight, but with different alignment effects. This spell\ndeals 1d4 damage per level of the caster to all good foes in the area\nof effect (20-ft. radius). The spell deals half damage on a successful\nsave, but on a failed save, it also imposes a -2 penalty 'to all their\nrolls' for four rounds. This spell is massively less useful than Holy\nBlight, since most foes you'll fight are either neutral or evil...\nMeaning few enemies will be affected by this spell at all.\n\nZone of Sweet Air\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nDispels spells like Stinking Cloud or Cloudkill. Honestly, I tend to\nbe the Cloudkill\/Stinking Cloud caster, the computer rarely uses such\nspells... and if they do, I'm more than happy to cast Animate Dead and\nlet the computer trip over their own spells. I have never bothered with\nthis spell.\n\n4th Level Cleric Spells\t\t\t\t\t\t{SPT006}\no======================================================================o\n***TOP SPELLS***\nDeath Ward: Makes character immune to death magic.\n  ---\nNeutralize Poison: Cures poison, diease, blindness, deafness, and heals.\n  ---\nProtection from Evil 10' Radius: Long-lasting party buff.\n\nAnimal Summoning I\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLow-level summoning spell suck in Baldur's Gate 2, where the quality of\nthe foes you'll be facing demands higher-quality minions. Think it\ndoesn't suck? You'll summon one or two of the following creatures when\nyou cast this spell-a Dire Wolf, or a War Dog. Yeah. Pass on it.\n\nCause Serious Wounds\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nTouch a bad-guy, and deal 17 damage to them. Seriously? There are many\nbetter ways to deal 17 damage to a creature-ONE creature.\n\nCloak of Fear\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell creates as three-foot radius fear effect centered on the\ncaster. I'm always dubious about spells that require the proximity of\nthe caster... but this spell has no effective radius (if your Cleric is\nsurrounded, maybe, but good luck getting the spell off) and imposes no\nsave penalty. Even worse, it only causes fear for four rounds. How is\nthis spell in any way comparable to the 2nd-level Arcane spell, Horror?\n\nCure Serious Wounds\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nA more potent version of Cure Light Wounds, it must compete with many\ngreat 4th-level Cleric spells. At the end of the day, healing is just\nnot strong enough in this game to save you during a fight, the way the\n'Heal' spell will. 17 Hit Points is just a band-aid, not a life-saver in\nthe heat of battle.\n\n*Death Ward\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nDeath Ward is a wonderful, indispensible, must-have spell for every\nCleric in Baldur's Gate 2. You will have lots od death-spells thrown\nyour way. Liches and Beholds are especially fond of throwing effects at\nyou like Disintegrate and Finger of Death. Want to ensure that a certain\ncharacter won't get offed by a certain enemy? This is the way to counter\nsuch death-effects.\n\nDefensive Harmony\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell gives you a +2 bonus to Armor Class for ten rounds-the\nperfect last preparation before a big fight. +2 Armor Class is the same\nas 10% miss chance, and it affects the whole party. Kind of the opposite\nof Death Ward, I use it frequently in the first game, but almost never\nin Baldur's Gate 2. Armor Class can get quite low naturally in Baldur's\nGate 2, but by Throne of Bhaal, we're contending with foes who have\nTHAC0s of -10... which renders most Armor Class considerations moot.\nIt might be worth a cast once in a while in Shadows of Amn, but...\nreally, the duration just sucks so much I don't ever bother with it.\n\nFarsight\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nYou could this spell... or you could simply sneak around with a Thief,\nRanger, or invisible character. You'll see more, and it wastes-at best-\na 2nd-level Arcane spell.\n\nFree Action\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell comes in handy any time you encounter Carrion Crawlers,\nGhouls, Ghasts, Greater Ghouls, or butthole Clerics who like to cast\nHold Person. Of course, it's just as easy to strap on a Ring of Free\nAction and save yourself the 4th-level spell slot.\n\nHoly Power\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nA weak attempt at Tenser's, save it allows the caster to keep their\nspell casting powers. This spell is a mix of good and mediocrity. First,\none Hit Point per level will not a Fighter make. Second, while it grants\na massive bonus to combat prowess, it does not increase the Cleric's\nattacks per round... again, 18\/00 Strength and a good to hit does not a\nFighter make. On the other hand, it's still a welcome boost for those\nmelee-heavy fights where another competent warrior could tip the\nbalance... cast on a 7th-level Viconia, it raised her Hit Points from\n52 to 59, dropped her THAC0 from a wretched 15 to a respectable 10,\nand increased her damage range from 3-8 to 9-14. It duration means it\nwon't be worth casting all the time (like Protection from Evil 10'\nRadius will be), but for big fights, it's worth considering. Hybrid\ncharacters like a Fighter\/Cleric will arguably make better use of it-\nthey already have the THAC0, but the Strength bonus helps, especially\nwith their superior attacks per round. Ultimately, this spell is decent\nat times in the first game, but in Baldur's Gate 2, it'll be utterly\neclipsed by Draw Upon Holy Might.\n\nLesser Restoration\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell will remove energy drain on the target, but will fatigue the\ncaster outright. Energy drain is quite common in this game, but you\ndon't usually need to keep this spell prepared, and my tactic for\ndealing with energy draining foes tends to be... well, preventing any\nenergy drain in the first place. But, nothing is perfect, and you might\nwell find yourself in need of this spell. Still, it's not like disease\nor poison, where somebody will die if it's not cured quickly, so you can\nalways just prepare it after you need it, cast it, and replace it with\nsomething else when everybody is good to go.\n\nMental Domination\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLike the Arcane spell Domination... but Clericy. It allows you to take\ncontrol of a critter and command it. I never bother with these spells,\nas there's always a better debuff to cast.\n\nNegative Plane Protection\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell seems like it might be useful, save for a few sad facts.\nFirst, it only affects one person. Second, it lasts for only five\nrounds... which is absurd. If you need such protection, you're better\noff casting the 7th-Level Mage spell Limited Wish, which will do the\nsame thing for the whole party.\n\n*Neutralize Poison\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nDon't let the name fool you-this spell provides a suite of curative\neffects. It cures poison, sure, but is also cures diseases, blindness,\ndeafness, and heals 10 Hit Points. Until you get access to the Heal\nspell, it's the best panacea you've got, and it won't hurt to keep one\nhandy... as it cures a variety of afflictions.\n\nPoison\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nDeals variable damage, but the target receives a Saving Throw vs. Poison\nat no penalty to negate all effects, as follows:\n\n\t\to===============o===============o\n\t\t|Caster's Level\t| Poison Damage |\n\t\to===============o===============o\n\t\t|    7th-9th\t| 2d8 + 2\/round\t|\n\t\t|---------------|---------------|\n\t\t|   10th-12th\t| 3d8 + 3\/round\t|\n\t\t|---------------|---------------|\n\t\t|   13th-14th\t| 4d8 + 4\/round\t|\n\t\t|---------------|---------------|\n\t\t|   15th-16th\t| 6d8 + 5\/round\t|\n\t\t|---------------|---------------|\n\t\t|     17th+\t| 8d8 + 6\/round\t|\n\t\to===============o===============o\n\nAs you can see, its damage scales as you level, but it scales just slow\nenough to be too weak to bother casting at every level. Really, 68-108\ndamage sounds like a lot, but since you need to reach 17th-Level to get\nthat damage, and it takes ten rounds for this spell to deal it... well,\nit sounds less impressive, doesn't it?\n\n*Protection from Evil 10' Radius\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nOne of the best all-purpose buffs in the game, it always deserves a\n4th-level spell slot. Enemies suffer a -2 penalty to attack rolls, and\nyour saves against spells and attacks made by such creatures receive\na +2 bonus. At a turn per level, this spell will last long enough for\nany encounter... or perhaps several encounters.\n\nProtection From Lightning\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nMakes the recpient entirely immune to lightning. It's handy in a few\ninstances where a Lightning Bolt trap can be used to cause collateral\ndamage, or where a hostile Mage is likely to fling such magic at you,\nbut otherwise it's forgettable.\n\n5th Level Cleric Spells\t\t\t\t\t\t{SPT007}\no======================================================================o\n***TOP SPELLS***\nChaotic Commands: Makes target immune to mind-affecting effects.\n  ---\nFlame Strike: 1d8 damage per level to target.\n  ---\nGreater Command: Puts to sleep all creatures in a 20-foot radius.\n  ---\nTrue Sight: Dispels illusion. Party-friendly.\n\nAnimal Summoning II\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nJust like Animal Summoning I, but with slightly stronger summons.\nStill, it's competing against True Sight, Chaotic Commands, and Greater\nCommand. Far, far superior spells. You can summon either a Black Bear, a\nBrown Bear, a Cave Bear, or a Jaguar. Wee.\n\nCause Critical Wounds\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nDeal 27 damage to a creature with a successful touch attack... or there\nis Flame Strike, which deals 1d8 damage per level.\n\nChampion's Strength\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAnother Clerical spell that boost the fighting abilities of a character.\nThis time, you cna choose the recepient, and the spell actually has a\npassable duration of three rounds per level. When cast, it improves the\ntarget's THAC0 by one point per three levels (up to a maximum of +6 at\n18th level) and increases (or decreases) the target's Strength to 18\/00.\nThe downside? Your Cleric can't cast spells while this spell's in\neffect. Losing your Cleric's spell-casting abilities is NOT worth the\nbenefits this spell's bestows... not to mention the fact that, for much\nof the game your warriors will have Strength scores in excess of 18\/00.\n\n*Chaotic Commands\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nOh, Chaotic Commands, how I love you... this little spell makes the\ntarget immune to... pretty much every mental effect out their. Hold,\nCharm, Domination, Suggestion, Psionics, Confusion, all of it. Many\nenemies use these attacks and spells, and so, this spell will come in\nhandy often. Best of all, it has a duration of one turn per level.\nAlways keep one handy.\n\nCure Critical Wounds\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nHeals for 27 Hit Points.\n\n*Flame Strike\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nTarget a critter and make 'em toasty, that's what this spell does. I\nwouldn't compare it with any of the better Mage damage-dealers, but for\na Cleric... well, they just don't have much else like it. It deals 1d8\ndamage per level, allowing a save for half damage. If you've got some\nfree 5th-level spell slots, it might be worthwhile to give your Cleric\nthe extra firepower.\n\n*Greater Command\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLike Command, except it doesn't have a Hit Dice limit and affects all\ncreatures in a 20-foot radius, it's a great mind-affecting spell, but it\ndoes have one problem-it is not party friendly. Aim with caution... and\nif you can, use in conjunction with spells like Greater Malison.\n\nMagic Resistance\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nGives the caster 2% Magic Resistance per level, up to a maximum of 40%\nat 20th level. Note that it does not RAISE your current Magic Resistance\nto this amount, it SETS it to this amount, potentially even lowering it,\nif it's higher (Viconia, for instance, has a base 50% Magic Resistance).\nIt might prove useful, but I don't consider it an essential buff. There\nare, after all, better ways to shield the party from magic...\n\nMass Cure\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nHeals all allies within a 30-foot radius of the caster for 1d8+1 damage\nper caster level. Honestly... the healing just isn't enough to bother\nwith. If you have scrapes and bruises, use a Ring of Regeneration. If\nyou need serious healing... well, use Heal.\n\nRaise Dead\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nRevives a dead character... albeit, with one Hit Point. I have a better\nidea-don't die.\n\nRepulse Undead\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nKnocks undead back when they get too close... really, this is as much\nof a hassle for you in combat as it is for your foe, as it'll disrupt\nyour attack formation and force you to go chasing enemies. If you think\nit might be a way to counter energy draining foes, know now that it's\nnot. It acts in 'pulses', which often doesn't occur frequently enough to\noutright prevent attacks... and of course, it does nothing to Liches, or\nother undead that are just dandy with the idea of pelting you with\nspells or other ranged attacks.\n\nRighteous Magic\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nYet ANOTHER I-wanna-be-a-warrior spell, this one gives one Hit Point\nper level of the Cleric (up to a maximum of 20) and increases the\nCleric's Strength by one point per three levels (again, up to a maximum\nof six points). It also makes all their attacks do maximum damage. It\nhas a healthy duration of one round per level, but there are still\nissues... it doesn't address the Cleric's poor number of attacks per\nround, and honestly, how much better is it than Draw Upon Holy Might?\n\nSlay Living\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nTouch a living creature and make 'em dead. After casting, the Cleric has\nthree round (18 seconds) to touch a creature, at which time they must\nSave vs. Spell or die... taking 2d6+9 damage on a successful save.\nHonestly, I'm not a fan of the touching thing, and no save penalty\nsuck. I'd stick to Finger of Death.\n\n*True Sight\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAn essential debuff, True Sight is the bane of all illusions, which\nenemy Mages will use constantly. A party without True Sight is a party\nthat's ill-prepared to deal with many of the stronger creatures in the\ngame. Have one prepared at all times on every character able to cast\nit.\n\n6th Level Cleric Spells\t\t\t\t\t\t{SPT008}\no======================================================================o\n***TOP SPELLS***\nBolt of Glory: Deals variable damage based on target type. No save.\n  ---\nHeal: Fully heals target and cures a variety of status effects.\n\nAerial Servant\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nConjures an Aerial Servant for the caster to control. As we should\nremember from Baldur's Gate 1, Aerial Servants aren't terrible strong,\nand really not worth a 6th-Level spell.\n\nAnimal Summoning III\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThe highest-level of all the Animal Summoning spells, it still sucks.\nIt'll have to compete against Heal, which is not really a good spell to\ncompete against. You can summon a Lion, a Winter Wolf, a Cave Bear, or\na Polar Bear.\n\nBlade Barrier\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nCreates a wall of 'circling, razor-sharp blades' that 'create an\nunpenetrable barrier'... except not, for the last part. Anything\n(friend or foe) attempting to pass through the barrier (like, to make\na melee attack) suffers 8d8 points of damage. It's just not enough\ndamage, really, and the fact that your Cleric-who you might need to\nheal poeple-might hurt your own party members... it really makes me\nthink it's not worth the bother.\n\n*Bolt of Glory\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAgainst a few, select, enemies, this spell is very useful. It only\naffects one creature, but there's no save, and the damage is pretty\ngood. Against normal creatures or elementals it's not worth casting,\nbut against undead it'll deal 8d6 damage, and against demons it really\nshines, dealing 10d6 damage. No save, no missing. Before you have wide\naccess to highly enchanted weapons, this can be a life-saver, and when\nyou just need a sure way to deal some damage, this is a great option.\nStill, I wouldn't keep it prepared unless I knew for certain that I\nwould have to fight such creatures.\n\nConjure Animals\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n...essentially Animal Summoning IV. In fact, in Infinity Explorer, the\nAnimal Summoning spells are listed as 'ANISUM01', 'ANISUM02', etc.\nThis literally is 'ANISUM04', whereas Animal Summoning III is\n'ANISUM03'... so, yeah, it's Animal Summoning IV. It allows you to\nsummon a Polar Bear or two. Really, really not worth the 6th-Level\nspell slot.\n\nFalse Dawn\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nEssentially an area-of-effect spell that only harms undead. 6d6 damage,\nno save, and it confuses undead the following round. 6d6 just isn't\na whole lot of damage, even if the fact that this spell is party-\nfriendly helps. Another downside, although I rarely complain about it,\nis that its casting time is horrible for the type of spell it is. It\ndoesn't matter anyways, the real reason you should ignore this spell\nis Sunray, which is just far superior.\n\nHarm\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThe opposite of Heal, it reduces a target's Hit Points to one. It does,\nof course, require a touch attack to work, which makes me less inclined\nto bother with it. But, in case you're enthralled with the damage\npotential, I'll work some math to show you why you shouldn't bother with\nthis spell. First, and obviously, it takes a round to cast the spell.\nThen you must make an attack with it to to work-that's two rounds to\ndo what Finger of Death attempts to do in one. Second, you must actually\nhit a target unarmed for the spell to work. For most Clerics, it'll\nbe easier to overcome an enemy's Save vs. Spells with Finger of Death\nthan it will be to overcome their Armor Class with Harm.\n\n*Heal\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis is the best healing spell in the game, and it really makes all\nother healing spells obsolete. It fully cures any one creature\nregardless of how much damage they've sustained and cures all diseases,\nand a variety of other effects. Most of your 6th level Cleric\/Druid\nspell slots should be occupied by Heal spells.\n\nPhysical Mirror\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nCreates a barrier that reflects missile attacks back at the attacker...\nwhile allowing you to make ranged attacks freely. Ranged attacks aren't\nnearly as threatening in Baldur's Gate 2 as they were in the original\nBaldur's Gate, so I really can't recommend taking this extra defensive\nmeasure. Besides, it only lasts nine rounds... which is probably enough\nto see out a fight, but seriously, ranged attacks are rarely a source\nof serious danger by the time you get 6th-Level spells.\n\nSol's Searing Orb\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThe caster chucks a glowing orb of fiery not-niceness, which deals 6d6\ndamage and blinds the target for 1d6 rounds... if it hits. That's right,\nit's another damage-dealer that requires a to-hit roll. Worse still,\nthe target can save for half damage (a successful save also negates the\nblindness). That being the case, why would you ever use this stupid\nspell? Harm deals much more damage, and gives no save. Flame Strike\ndeals more damage, is a ranged attack, and doesn't require an attack\nroll. Oh, the spell deals more damage to undead and blinds them longer.\nThis spell still sucks.\n\nWondrous Recall\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAllows you to recall two spent spells of 5th-Level or lower... which,\nif used to recover important 4th-or-5th-level spells seems like it might\nbe useful, right? Sure, save one problem. It picks the spells you\nrecover randomly. So... unless you feel particularly lucky, this spell\nis of minimal tactical value.\n\n7th Level Cleric Spells\t\t\t\t\t\t{SPT009}\no======================================================================o\n***TOP SPELLS***\nAura of Flaming Death: Protects and deals fire damage to attackers.\n  ---\nElemental Blades: Throw numerous blades that deal 1d4+5, +1d10 damage.\n  ---\nFinger of Death: Enemy must save at -2 or die.\n  ---\nGreater Restoration: Cures status effects and fully heals target.\n  ---\nSummon Deva\/Summon Fallen Deva: Summons a Deva to fight at your side.\n  ---\nSunray: Undead in area take damage and must save or die.\n\n*Aura of Flaming Death\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAn improved version of Fireshield, this spell grants a four-point bonus\nto Armor Class, 90% resistance to fire damage, and deals 2d10+2 points\nof damage to attackers. You should always keep one ready for big fights.\n\nConfusion\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nWe all know about Confusion-as a 4th-Level Mage spell, it's pretty\nawesome... or it was, in the first game... or something. As a 7th-Level\nCleric spell, however, it's a bit of a waste.\n\nEarthquake\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell might sound promising, just looking it over. It releases<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
three tremors of varying potency. The first deals 6d6 damage to all\ncreatures in a wide area (not party-friendly) and if they fail to save\nat -6 they are knocked down for four rounds. The second does 3d6 damage\n(save at -2), and the final deals 2d6 (normal save). So, three saves for\na total of 11d6 damage and a chance to knock down. The real damning\nthing about this spell, save the fact that enemies get so many saves to\nreduce damage, is the fact that it's not not party-friendly. I've never\nhad it deal spectacular damage, and worse still, there's a chance that\nyou'll provoke an Earth Elemental. At the end of the day, there are just\nbetter 7th-Level spells to cast.\n\nElemental Summoning\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nSummons a pair of 16 Hit Dice elementals (of a random type) to fight\nfor you, with a 10% chance to summon an Elemental Prince. This spell is\na decent summoning spell, but it pales in comparison to Greater\nElemental Summoning. Alas for Clerics, only Druids get it.\n\n*Energy Blades\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nCreates a number of energy blades which can be thrown at foes. Yes,\nthrown. Still, this spell has the good sense to gives a +10 bonus to\nTHAC0 and each one deals 1d4+5 damage, as well as 1d10 additional\nelectrical damage. The Cleric gets one disc per level to throw, and can\nthrow nine per round. For a Cleric, this spell isn't nearly as bad as\nit is for a Mage-a 7th-level Cleric spell just isn't as valuable as a\n9th-level Mage spell. Also, Clerics have a lower base THAC0. Thinking\nof Viconia with this spell, her high Dexterity would also help her out,\nand since she's only got one melee attack per round anyways, she really\nis increasing her attacking power with this spell. Assuming no misses,\nthe potential damage of this spell per round is 9d4+5 (36-81) plus 9d10\n(9-90), or 45-171, which can't compete with Comet or Time Stop, but\ndoes compare well with other 7th-level, damage-dealing Clerical spells.\nI still consider it a tertiary consideration-after Aura of Flaming Death\nand Sunray, if I still have a few empty spell slots, it's worth\npreparing... even though it didn't perform as well in combat trials as\nits description suggested it should, it was still superior to Viconia\nwith the Flail of the Ages or the Erinne Sling.\n\n*Finger of Death\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell instantly snuffs out the victim's life force. It's a killer,\nand I love it. It imposes a -2 penalty on the victim's save, which\nmakes it a compotent killer, if not a spectacular one, but if you help\nthem along with Greater Malison, you actually stand a chance at\nsnuffing out baddies. Even if it fails, they still take 2d8+1 damage,\nwhich isn't much, but it's better than nothing. I always have one\nready. After all, if you do not play, you cannot win.\n\nFirestorm\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nDeals 2d8+1\/level damage to everything in the 20-foot radius area of\neffect, and lasts for four rounds. It... has a rare use, perhaps, but\nunless you can keep foes in the area, it's of little value. Also, the\nfact that it's not party-friendly doesn't help.\n\nGate\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nGate is a summoning spell with serious liabilities. Unless you have a\nProtection of Evil spell cast on your caster (and anybody else you don't\nwant the Pit Fiend to attack) the Pit Fiend will view them as fair game.\nOn one hand, you should be used to using Protection From Evil 10' Radius\nfrequently... but on the other hand, having a summon who will turn on\nyou if a Dispel Magic is tossed around doesn't strike me as a good\nidea. Besides, there are plenty of other, superior summoning spells out\nthere. Ones not coated in liability sauce.\n \nGlobe of Blades\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell deals 10d10 points of damage to creatures (friendly or not)\nadjacent to the caster, and lasts a turn. In combination with Aura of\nFlaming Death it can make attacking the caster very, very painful. Just\nbeware of friendly fire.\n\n*Greater Restoration\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell cures all level drain, corrects pretty much every status\neffect, and full heals any character it's cast upon. It'll tire the\ncaster, but sometimes it's worth casting to bring severely damage\nallies back from the brink.\n\nHoly Word\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nSmites all creatures of evil alignment in the spell's 30-foot radius\narea of effect, depending upon the target's level:\n\n\to===============o===============================o\n\t|Target's Level\t|\t      Effect\t\t|\n\to===============o===============================o\n\t|     > 4\t|\t      Death\t\t|\n\t|---------------|-------------------------------|\n\t|    4 - 7\t|     Stunned for one turn\t|\n\t|---------------|-------------------------------|\n\t|    8 - 11\t|  Slowed for 1 turn with 75%   |\n\t|\t\t|         spell failure\t\t|\n\t|---------------|-------------------------------|\n\t|     < 12\t| Deafness for 1 turn with 50%\t|\n\t|\t\t|         spell failure\t\t|\n\to===============o===============================o\n\nAs you can see, the spell's effects wane as the targets get stronger.\nIf your idea of a good time is to smite Goblins, then this is the\nspell for you. If you want to smite strong foes, you'll need to look\nelsewhere.\n\nImplosion\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nDeals 10d10 fire and 10d10 bludgeoning damage to a single target over\nthe course of two rounds. Save for half. It's great damage... even if\nit only affects one creatures and, with no save penalty you're probably\nonly going to deal 10d10 damage. This of course, makes me wonder how\nmuch better this spell is than Flame Strike... probably not worth a\n7th-Level spell slot.\n\nMass Raise Dead\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nRemember what I said about Raise Dead? Yeah, that plus extra. Don't suck\nand you won't need this spell.\n\nRegeneration\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nSo... it gives the recepient regeneration of three Hit Points per second\nover the course of one round per two levels. Wouldn't a Heal spell do\nmore, and more quickly? Rhetorical question. It would.\n\nResurrection\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLike Raise Dead, except it fully heals the taget thus revived. Again,\ndon't suck and you won't die.\n\nShield of the Archons\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nCreates a shield that protects the caster from a number of spells equal\nto half the caster's level... potentially blocking quite a few spells at\nhigher levels. Of course, it's not proof against area-of-effect spells,\nso it's like conjuring a low-quality, temporary Cloak of Mirroring. It\nmight prove to be a useful defensive measure for some people, but I've\nnever bothered with it.\n\nStorm of Vengeance\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nInstantly kills foes of 8th-Level or lower... which will not be worthy\nfoes by the time you get this spell. Against foes of higher quality, it\nwill deal 1d6 acid, 1d6 electrical, and 1d6 fire damage each round for\nthree rounds. A non-party-friendly spells that takes three rounds to\ndeal 9d6 damage? Yeah, it sucks. Oh, it has a chance to poison on the\nfirst round. I don't care.\n\n*Summon Deva\/Summon Fallen Deva\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nSummons a Deva-a potent angel (or fallen angel) to fight for the caster.\nStrong ally, good duration, no liabilities... yep, it's a great\nsummoning spell for the Cleric, alright. The Deva is hardy and strong,\nand has a number of useful spells it can cast. Good stuff.\n\n*Sunray\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThe ultimate anti-undead spell, it deals 1d6 points of damage per\ncaster level to undead within a 20-foot radius, and the undead must\nsave vs. spells or be destroyed. It's a great way to blast away\nLiches... or any other undead creature in general. It's party friendly,\ntoo. Once you get it, use it to cheap-shot any troublesome undead you\nencounter. It also affects non-undead, but it's not worth wasting it\non such foes.\n\nSymbol: Death\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nInscribes a magical symbol that, when approached, causes all creatures\nin the area to Save vs. Death or die. Unfortunately it doesn't work on\nany foes with 60 Hit Points or more, so... yeah. I wipe my ass with this\nspell.\n\nSymbol: Fear\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAnother Symbol spell, when something enters the area of effect it\ntriggers, attempting to cause fear (save at -4). It, like all Symbol\nspells are plagued by the fact that they're not party-friendly... but,\nthe range is decent, the save penalty good, and if you prepare with\nRemove Fear, it might not be a terrible spell to cast.\n\nSymbol: Stun\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nEverything within a 30-foot radius must save at -4 or be stunned for\ntwo rounds, +1 round\/3 levels of the caster. Keep in mind that the spell\nis not party friendly.\n\nUnholy Word\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nUnholy word acts exactly like Holy Word, but it only affects good\ncreatures. This spell is useless for the same reason that Unholy Blight\nis useless-there just aren't many good foes in the game. Oh, and the\nfact that even if there were good creatures worth smiting, this spell\nwould probably just tickle them, anyways.\n\n\to===============o===============================o\n\t|Target's Level\t|\t      Effect\t\t|\n\to===============o===============================o\n\t|     > 4\t|\t      Death\t\t|\n\t|---------------|-------------------------------|\n\t|    4 - 7\t|     Stunned for one turn\t|\n\t|---------------|-------------------------------|\n\t|    8 - 11\t|  Slowed for 1 turn with 75%   |\n\t|\t\t|         spell failure\t\t|\n\t|---------------|-------------------------------|\n\t|     < 12\t| Deafness for 1 turn with 50%\t|\n\t|\t\t|         spell failure\t\t|\n\to===============o===============================o\n\n1st Level Druid Spells\t\t\t\t\t\t{SPT010}\no======================================================================o\n***TOP SPELLS***\nArmor of Faith: Blocks 5% of damage per five levels.\n  ---\nCure Light Wounds: Heals 8 Hit Points.\n\n*Armor of Faith\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nA simple defensive spell that will remain in your list of memorized\nspells throughout both games... simply because good defensive Clerical\nspells are so rare. This spell absorbs 5% of all damage the caster\nwould otherwise sustain from physical and magical attacks, and protects\nagainst another 5% for every five levels of the Cleric. Which means...\nup to 10% in this game. That doesn't sound like much-and it isn't-but\nlosing one point in ten of damage isn't horrible, and it has a decent\nduration, too. By the time you hit Throne of Bhaal and your Clerics are\npushing 20th level, it'll be seriously reducing damage.\n\nBless\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nBless gives all allies within a 30-foot radius a +1 bonus to attack\nrolls and a +1 bonus to saves versus fear. I'll be honest, I rarely use\nit, but it's not that bad of a spell. Your THAC0 won't be low enough to\nignore a +1 bonus... but its six-round duration is just lame. You have\nbetter buffs to use.\n\n*Cure Light Wounds\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThe essential healing spell, you'll probably want to keep several\ninstances of this spell ready at all times.\n\nDetect Evil\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nIt's... not a great spell, and I wouldn't keep one prepared, but Ajantis\ncan use it as a special ability. It's got quite a range, and nearby\nenemies will be detected as evil in your dialogue box. Want to know if\nsome Black Talons are currently lurking in Larswood, or want to know if\nthose humble-looking fishermen are up to no good? Give this spell a go.\n\nDoom\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis curse bestows a -2 penalty to saves and attack rolls upon a single\nenemy. This is actually a decent spell to cast on tougher enemies, as\nthat -2 save penalty can end up paying off in a big way if the critter\nthen falls victim to some spell or weapon effect. Of course, Greater\nMalison affects multiple creatures and bestows a -4 penalty to their\nsaves, making it a far superior cast.\n\nEntangle\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLike Stinking Cloud and Web, this spell is no longer terribly useful.\nWe have better spells to debilitate our foes with.\n\nShillelagh\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nCreates a +1 cudgel that deals 2d4 damage. You won't spend much of the\ngame with a permanent weapon worse than this, so why bother?\n\n2nd Level Druid Spells\t\t\t\t\t\t{SPT011}\no======================================================================o\n***TOP SPELLS***\nResist Fire and Cold: 50% Resistance to Fire and Cold.\n  ---\nSlow Poison: Cures poison.\n\nBarkskin\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nGrants a target an Armor Class of six, which improves (decreases) by\none for ever four levels of the caster... This can effectively give you\nan Armor Class that's comparable to Full Plate Mail at higher levels,\nbut by then, you've certainly found better, permanent, armor.\n\nCharm Person or Mammal\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLike the Arcane spell, Charm Person, save it also can affect a few\nquadrapeds, as well. It's utterly negatable by a single save at no\npenalty, so I wouldn't bother with it.\n\nFind Traps\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nDetects traps in a very close range. This spell doesn't disarm them,\nhowever, so it's rather pointless.\n\nFlame Blade\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell allows the caster to create a flaming blade, which the caster\nis considered Proficient with. It deals 1d4 slashing damage, plus 1d2+4\nfire damage. Despite being a magical blade of flame it does NOT count\nas a magical weapon for determining what it can hit-makes sense to me.\n\nGood Berry\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nCreates five magical berries that each heal for one Hit Point. They\nlast forever, so it's like creating a weak healing potion to use...\njust as long as you don't expect them to be worth anything in combat.\nThey take time to use in combat, and since they can only be consumed\none at a time... yeah, one Hit Point of healing per round will not win\nyou any fights. If for some reason you cannot rest, you could\nconceivably give thirty of the weightless things to each party member...\nbut I can't think of a single instance where this is necessary. So,\nno combat uses, takes forever to actually use them all, and there's no\npoint in time where you'd need to do it. Useless spell.\n\nKnow Alignment\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLike Detect Evil, except it detects.. everything. Evil things glow red,\nneutral things glow blue, and friendly things glow green.. like those\nlittle circles under your feet!\n\n*Resist Fire and Cold\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nYou won't fear the elements too often, but when dealing with fire or\ncold happy foes, this spell can cut their damage in half. I wouldn't\nkeep it ready all the time, but it'll come in handy once in a while.\n\n*Slow Poison\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nSlow Poison is being humble. This spell eradicates the effects of most\npoisons in the game. Keep at least one handy on each Cleric all the\ntime.\n\n3rd Level Druid Spells\t\t\t\t\t\t{SPT012}\no======================================================================o\n***TOP SPELLS***\nCure Medium Wounds: Heals 14 Hit Points.\n  ---\nDispel Magic: Remove buffs\/debuffs in an area.\n  ---\nProtection from Fire: Grants 80% Resistance to Fire.\n\nCall Lightning\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell calls down lightning to randomly strike foes. Once per turn\nyou'll summon one bolt per four levels of the caster, each dealing\n2d8 damage +1d8 per level of the caster. It sounds awesome enough-an\n8th-level caster can call down two bolts a turn, each dealing 10d8\ndamage. Still, you can only target the first bolts, and what fight\nlasts longer than a turn? None, really. Ultimately, I just find this\nspell too damn random to bother with.\n\n*Cure Disease\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nDiseases suck. They function like Poison, but take much longer to deal\ntheir damage, and tend to last much, much longer. Unless you're injured,\nyou rest, or travel across the world map, your chances of dying due to\ndisease are pretty low... But having to run back to a temple to get a\ncharacter cured is no good solution, and Mummies aren't uncommon in\nthis game. It's a good idea to always have one of these prepared.\n\n*Cure Medium Wounds\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell restores 14 Hit Points.\n\n*Dispel Magic\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nBad guys cast spells too-buffing themselves, or debuffing you. Just as\na Chaos spell can win a fight for you, if it's cast on you, it can also\nresult in casualties if the enemy gets one on you... unless you're wise\nenough to keep a Dispel Magic handy. This spell is just wonderful, and\neverybody who can cast it should always have one prepared.\n\nHold Animal\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAnother hold spell-it only affects 'normal and giant-sized' animals,\npointedly exempting Wyverns and Ankhegs, for no good reason. That\nleaves... what? Cave Bears? Who cares? This spell just doesn't have\nenough potential targets to make it worthwhile, nor are the foes it\naffects worth keeping it prepared.\n\nInvisibility Purge\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLike the Arcane spell 'Detect Invisibility' this spell will allow you\nto detect-and therefore thwart-sneaking enemies. You're better off\nspringing for True Sight.\n\nMiscast Magic\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nYou'll see the enemy cast this spell a few times, but I never bother\nwith it. If the enemy fails at a Save vs. Spells (save at -2), they'll\nsuffer an 80% spell casting failure rate. Of course, Silence 15' Radius\ncan affect multiple foes, imposes a -5 save, and makes spell casting\n100% impossible for affected creatures... and Insect Plague is superior\nto Silence. This puts Miscast Magic pretty low on my list of anti-Mage\nspells.\n\n*Protection from Fire\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLike the Resist Fire\/Cold, but it protects you from 80% of fire\ndamage. Excellent in a few areas.\n\nRigid Thinking\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAnother spell you'll more often see when it's cast on you than when you\nactually waste the time to cast it-it affects one critter and inflicts\nconfusion. It lasts one turn, and can be negated by a simple Save vs.\nSpells. Compare this to the 4th-level Arcane spell Confusion, and you'll\nsee what a butt-nutter this pansy version is.\n\nStrength of One\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nGives the entire party a Strength score of 18\/75, and lasts for a turn.\nIt might seem nifty at first, but once you get the Gauntlets of Ogre\nPower, or any of the other Strength-boosting items in the game, this\nspell will actually hinder you in combat. For natural heavy-hitters like\nMinsc or Korgan, this spell is a meagre bonus from the outset.\n\nSummon Insects\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nA very, very weak version of the absolutely devastating 5th-level Druid\nspell, Insect Plague. A single target must Save vs. Breath Weapons\n(at a -2 peanlty) or take one damage per two seconds of duration... why\nsuch a weird number? I don't know-it deals three damage per round, for\nseven rounds. More importantly, the target suffers a -2 penalty to THAC0\nand Armor Class, and has a 50% spell-casting failure. Ultimately, I'd\nrather use Animate Dead and\/or Silence 15' Radius to deal with enemy\nspells, and a Slow spell retards melee combat far more effectively.\n\n4th Level Druid Spells\t\t\t\t\t\t{SPT013}\no======================================================================o\n***TOP SPELLS***\nDeath Ward: Makes character immune to death magic.\n  ---\nNeutralize Poison: Cures poison, diease, blindness, deafness, and heals.\n\nAnimal Summoning\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLow-level summoning spell suck in Baldur's Gate 2, where the quality of\nthe foes you'll be facing demands higher-quality minions. Think it\ndoesn't suck? You'll summon one or two of the following creatures when\nyou cast this spell-a Dire Wolf, or a War Dog. Yeah. Pass on it.\n\nCall Woodland Beings\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell might have been useful in the first game, but in Baldur's\nGate 2, it'll take more than the promise of a Confusion spell to make\nme waste a spell slot on it.\n\nCause Serious Wounds\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nTouch a bad-guy, and deal 17 damage to them. Seriously? There are many\nbetter ways to deal 17 damage to a creature-ONE creature.\n\nCloak of Fear\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell creates as three-foot radius fear effect centered on the\ncaster. I'm always dubious about spells that require the proximity of\nthe caster... but this spell has no effective radius (if your Druid is\nsurrounded, maybe, but good luck getting the spell off) and imposes no\nsave penalty. Even worse, it only causes fear for four rounds. How is\nthis spell in any way comparable to the 2nd-level Arcane spell, Horror?\n\nCure Serious Wounds\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nA more potent version of Cure Light Wounds, it must compete with many\ngreat 4th-level Druid spells. At the end of the day, healing is just\nnot strong enough in this game to save you during a fight, the way the\n'Heal' spell will in the sequel. 17 Hit Points is just a band-aid to a\nlate-game warrior, not a life-saver in the heat of battle.\n\n*Death Ward\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nDeath Ward is a wonderful, indispensible, must-have spell for every\nCleric in Baldur's Gate 2. You will have lots od death-spells thrown\nyour way. Liches and Beholds are especially fond of throwing effects at\nyou like Disintegrate and Finger of Death. Want to ensure that a certain\ncharacter won't get offed by a certain enemy? This is the way to counter\nsuch death-effects.\n\nDefensive Harmony\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell gives you a +2 bonus to Armor Class for ten rounds-the\nperfect last preparation before a big fight. +2 Armor Class is the same\nas 10% miss chance, and it affects the whole party. Kind of the opposite\nof Death Ward, I use it frequently in the first game, but almost never\nin Baldur's Gate 2. Armor Class can get quite low naturally in Baldur's\nGate 2, but by Throne of Bhaal, we're contending with foes who have\nTHAC0s of -10... which renders most Armor Class considerations moot.\nIt might be worth a cast once in a while in Shadows of Amn, but...\nreally, the duration just sucks so much I don't ever bother with it.\n\nFarsight\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nYou could this spell... or you could simply sneak around with a Thief,\nRanger, or invisible character. You'll see more, and it wastes-at best-\na 2nd-level Arcane spell.\n\nNegative Plane Protection\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell seems like it might be useful, save for a few sad facts.\nFirst, it only affects one person. Second, it lasts for only five\nrounds... which is absurd. If you need such protection, you're better\noff casting the 7th-Level Mage spell Limited Wish, which will do the\nsame thing for the whole party.\n\n*Neutralize Poison\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nDon't let the name fool you-this spell provides a suite of curative\neffects. It cures poison, sure, but is also cures diseases, blindness,\ndeafness, and heals 10 Hit Points. Until you get access to the Heal\nspell, it's the best panacea you've got, and it won't hurt to keep one\nhandy... as it cures a variety of afflictions.\n\nPoison\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nDeals variable damage, but the target receives a Saving Throw vs. Poison\nat no penalty to negate all effects, as follows:\n\n\t\to===============o===============o\n\t\t|Caster's Level\t| Poison Damage |\n\t\to===============o===============o\n\t\t|    7th-9th\t| 2d8 + 2\/round\t|\n\t\t|---------------|---------------|\n\t\t|   10th-12th\t| 3d8 + 3\/round\t|\n\t\t|---------------|---------------|\n\t\t|   13th-14th\t| 4d8 + 4\/round\t|\n\t\t|---------------|---------------|\n\t\t|   15th-16th\t| 6d8 + 5\/round\t|\n\t\t|---------------|---------------|\n\t\t|     17th+\t| 8d8 + 6\/round\t|\n\t\to===============o===============o\n\nThe damage it deals is... passable, but I find little merit with spells\nthat have no save penalties. Also, that juicy damage that might be\nenticing you isn't going to happen in this game. You'll have to weigh\nit's merits on 2d8 + 2\/round damage... or 22-36 damage over one turn,\nto one creature, that's negated by a single save. Doesn't sound so epic\nwhen you do the math, does it?\n\nProtection From Lightning\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nMakes the recpient entirely immune to lightning. It's handy in a few\ninstances where a Lightning Bolt trap can be used to cause collateral\ndamage, or where a hostile Mage is likely to fling such magic at you,\nbut otherwise it's forgetable.\n\n5th Level Druid Spells\t\t\t\t\t\t{SPT014}\no======================================================================o\n***TOP SPELLS***\nChaotic Commands: Makes target immune to mind-affecting effects.\n  ---\nInsect Plague: Deals damage, prevents spell casting, causes panic.\n  ---\nIron Skins: Creates a number of skins that prevent physical damage.\n  ---\nTrue Sight: Dispels illusion. Party-friendly.\n\nAnimal Summoning II\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nJust like Animal Summoning I, but with slightly stronger summons.\nStill, it's competing against True Sight, Chaotic Commands, and Greater\nCommand. Far, far superior spells. You can summon either a Black Bear, a\nBrown Bear, a Cave Bear, or a Jaguar. Wee.\n\nCause Critical Wounds\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nDeal 27 damage to a creature with a successful touch attack...\nSeriously? This spell is nowhere near competition for awesome 5th-level\nDruid spells like Chaotic Commands, Insect Plague, Iron Skins, or True\nSight.\n\n*Chaotic Commands\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nOh, Chaotic Commands, how I love you... this little spell makes the\ntarget immune to... pretty much every mental effect out their. Hold,\nCharm, Domination, Suggestion, Psionics, Confusion, all of it. Many\nenemies use these attacks and spells, and so, this spell will come in\nhandy often. Best of all, it has a duration of one turn per level.\nAlways keep one handy.\n\nCure Critical Wounds\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nHeals for 27 Hit Points.\n\nHarper's Call\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nA new spell in the Enhanced Edition... and it's just a toned-down\nversion of Raise Dead. If one of my characters die during a fight, I\njust reload and try again-there's no fight in the game so difficult\nthat it can't be won without loss. Anyways, not only is this a spell\nI don't use, it's just not as good as Raise Dead, since it deals ten\ndamage to the caster, and all the target's ability scores take a\ntemporary five point hit. If you need to revive dead characters, use a\nCleric, not a Druid, as there are plenty of better 5th-level Druid\nspells to cast.\n\n*Insect Plague\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nOne of the best reasons to include Jaheira is Insect Plague, and this\nspell really just dominates Shadows of Amn. You target a single victim,\nand after affecting them the plague will 'jump' to nearby enemies until\nsix are affected. The damage is a worthy consideration, as it deals one\npoint of damage every two seconds for the duration of the spell, but\nthe real reason to use it is that it prevents spell-casters who are\naffected from casting spells. It only lasts six rounds, but this gives\nyou plenty of time to hit enemy Mages with Breach and take them down\nwith your fighters. It also has a chance to make enemies run around in\na panic, which can further break up groups of enemies. It's not\nexaggeration to say that in Shadows of Amn, whenever a spell-caster\nrears their ugly magic at you, Insect Plague can effectively handicap\nthem. Always keep one ready.\n\n*Iron Skins\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAn indispensible defensive spell for the Druid, it's essentially the\nDruidy version of Stoneskin. Since Stoneskin is one of the best\ndefensive spells in the game... well, this is a very good spell to\nhave. If only there was a multi-classed Druid somewhere who could take\nthis defensive spell into combat... perhaps a Fighter\/Druid? That would\nbe grand...\n\nMagic Resistance\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nGives the caster 2% Magic Resistance per level, up to a maximum of 40%\nat 20th level. Note that it does not RAISE your current Magic Resistance\nto this amount, it SETS it to this amount, potentially even lowering it,\nif it's higher (Viconia, for instance, has a base 50% Magic Resistance).\nIt might prove useful, but I don't consider it an essential buff. There\nare, after all, better ways to shield the party from magic...\n\nMass Cure\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nHeals all allies within a 30-foot radius of the caster for 1d8+1 damage\nper caster level. Honestly... the healing just isn't enough to bother\nwith. If you have scrapes and bruises, use a Ring of Regeneration. If\nyou need serious healing... well, use Heal.\n\nPixie Dust\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nMakes all allies in a 30-foot radius invisible, as per the Invisibility\nspell. Invisibility sucks compared to its superior counterpart, the\naptly-named Improved Invisibility. Also... well, this is Baldur's\nGate 2. Just watch how fast enemy casters sniff you out and cast True\nSight.\n\n*True Sight\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAn essential debuff, True Sight is the bane of all illusions, which\nenemy Mages will use constantly. A party without True Sight is a party\nthat's ill-prepared to deal with many of the stronger creatures in the\ngame. Have one prepared at all times on every character able to cast\nit.\n\n6th Level Druid Spells\t\t\t\t\t\t{SPT015}\no======================================================================o\n***TOP SPELLS***\nConjure Fire Elemental: Summons a 12, 16, or 24 Hit Dice Elemental.\n  ---\nHeal: Fully heals target and cures a variety of status effects.\n\nAnimal Summoning III\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThe highest-level of all the Animal Summoning spells, it still sucks.\nIt'll have to compete against Heal, which is not really a good spell to\ncompete against. You can summon a Lion, a Winter Wolf, a Cave Bear, or\na Polar Bear.\n\nConjure Animals\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n...essentially Animal Summoning IV. In fact, in Infinity Explorer, the\nAnimal Summoning spells are listed as 'ANISUM01', 'ANISUM02', etc.\nThis literally is 'ANISUM04', whereas Animal Summoning III is\n'ANISUM03'... so, yeah, it's Animal Summoning IV. It allows you to\nsummon a Polar Bear or two. Really, really not worth the 6th-Level\nspell slot.\n\n*Conjure Fire Elemental\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nDruids gain access to this spell at 6th-Level, and it is in every way\nsuperior to the Mage version. There's simply no chance that your\nelemental is going to break from your control and run amok. Using the\n5th-Level Mage spell might be necessary simply due to the fact that you\nwill get it earlier, but once you can pull this off, use it instead.\nAs for what it does... it summons a 12, 16, or 24 Hit Dice Elemental\nto do your bidding. The big draw of an Elemental is that it's immune to\nweapons that don't have an enhancement bonus of +2 or better.\n\nDolorous Decay\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nSlows the target automatically and, if the target fails at a Save vs.\nPoison at -2, they'll suffer one point of damage per second until 50\npoints of damage have been inflicted. A Druid's 6th-level spell\nselection isn't great, but slowing one creature and taking almost a\nminute to deal a moderate amount of damage just isn't a good casting.\n\nFire Seeds\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nCreates four 'fire seeds', which will appear in the caster's inventory,\nwhich can then be thrown at targets, dealing 2d8 damage per hit, and\nallowing a save for half. Do I really need to go on ranting about why\nthis spell sucks? Yes, I do. 2d8 damage is sucky damage. No save\npenalty sucks. The fact that you have to throw and hit targets sucks,\nand you probably won't even be able to get all four out in a single\nround sucks. Jaheira using the Fire Tooth +3 Dagger will do far\nsuperior damage without wasting any spell slots.\n\nHarm\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThe opposite of Heal, it reduces a target's Hit Points to one. It does,\nof course, require a touch attack to work, which makes me less inclined\nto bother with it. But, in case you're enthralled with the damage\npotential, I'll work some math to show you why you shouldn't bother with\nthis spell. First, and obviously, it takes a round to cast the spell.\nThen you must make an attack with it to to work-that's two rounds to\ndo what Finger of Death attempts to do in one. Second, you must actually\nhit a target unarmed for the spell to work. For most Clerics, it'll\nbe easier to overcome an enemy's Save vs. Spells with Finger of Death\nthan it will be to overcome their Armor Class with Harm.\n\n*Heal\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis is the best healing spell in the game, and it really makes all\nother healing spells obsolete. It fully cures any one creature regardless\nof how much damage they've sustained and cures all diseases, and a\nvariety of other effects. Most of your 6th level Cleric\/Druid spell\nslots should be occupied by Heal spells.\n\nPhysical Mirror\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nCreates a barrier that reflects missile attacks back at the attacker...\nwhile allowing you to make ranged attacks freely. Ranged attacks aren't\nnearly as threatening in Baldur's Gate 2 as they were in the original\nBaldur's Gate, so I really can't recommend taking this extra defensive\nmeasure. Besides, it only lasts nine rounds... which is probably enough\nto see out a fight, but seriously, ranged attacks are rarely a source\nof serious danger by the time you get 6th-Level spells.\n\nWondrous Recall\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAllows you to recall two spent spells of 5th-Level or lower... which,\nif used to recover important 4th-or-5th-level spells seems like it might\nbe useful, right? Sure, save one problem. It picks the spells you\nrecover randomly. So... unless you feel particularly lucky, this spell\nis of minimal tactical value.\n\n7th Level Druid Spells\t\t\t\t\t\t{SPT016}\no======================================================================o\n***TOP SPELLS***\nAura of Flaming Death: Protects and deals fire damage to attackers.\n  ---\nGreater Elemental Summoning: Summons an Elemental Prince for one turn.\n\n*Aura of Flaming Death\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAn improved version of Fireshield, this spell grants a four-point bonus\nto Armor Class, 90% resistance to fire damage, and deals 2d10+2 points\nof damage to attackers. You should always keep one ready for big fights.\nDruids should think of this spell even more fondly than Clerics, since\nthey can combine it with Iron Skins for extra-potent defense.\n\nConfusion\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nWe all know about Confusion-as a 4th-Level Mage spell, it's pretty\nawesome... or it was, in the first game... or something. As a 7th-Level\nCleric spell, however, it's a bit of a waste.\n\nConjure Earth Elemental\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nSummons a 12, 16, or 24 Hit Dice Earth Elemental to fight for the Druid.\nSomething like this was fine last level, but there are far, far\nsuperior things for a Druid to cast at 7th-level... like, why not \nsummon an Elemental Prince, instead?\n\nCreeping Doom\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell is like Insect Plague on crack, but with two important\nweaknesses... first, the 5th-level spell is a 5th-level spell, not a\n7th-level spell. Second, it deals double the damage. Score! But it only\nlasts half the time. Since the major benefit of Insect Plague was that\nit interrupted spell-casters, wouldn't you, you know, want that effect\nto last longer?\n\nEarthquake\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell might sound promising, just looking it over. It releases\nthree tremors of varying potency. The first deals 6d6 damage to all\ncreatures in a wide area (not party-friendly) and if they fail to save\nat -6 they are knocked down for four rounds. The second does 3d6 damage\n(save at -2), and the final deals 2d6 (normal save). So, three saves for\na total of 11d6 damage and a chance to knock down. The real damning\nthing about this spell, save the fact that enemies get so many saves to\nreduce damage, is the fact that it's not not party-friendly. I've never\nhad it deal spectacular damage, and worse still, there's a chance that\nyou'll provoke an Earth Elemental. At the end of the day, there are just\nbetter 7th-Level spells to cast.\n\nElemental Summoning\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nSummons a pair of 16 Hit Dice elementals (of a random type) to fight\nfor you, with a 10% chance to summon an Elemental Prince. This spell is\na decent summoning spell, but it pales in comparison to Greater\nElemental Summoning.\n\nFire Storm\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nDeals 2d8+1\/level damage to everything in the 20-foot radius area of\neffect, and lasts for four rounds. It... has a rare use, perhaps, but\nunless you can keep foes in the area, it's of little value. Also, the\nfact that it's not party-friendly doesn't help.\n \nGlobe of Blades\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell deals 10d10 points of damage to creatures (friendly or not)\nadjacent to the caster, and lasts a turn. In combination with Aura of\nFlaming Death it can make attacking the caster very, very painful. Just\nbeware of friendly fire.\n\n*Greater Elemental Summoning\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nPossibly the best summoning spell in the game, it summons an Elemental\nPrince. A great ally, indeed. It only lasts a turn, so only use it in\nthe most pressing of fights.\n\nNature's Beauty\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nTransforms the Druid into the ideal of beauty. Onlookers must Save vs.\nSpell (at a +3 bonus) or die. If they pass the save, they are merely\nblinded. It's party friendly, but you know... I really just don't think\nblinding foes is worth a 7th-Level spell slot.\n\nRegeneration\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nSo... it gives the recepient regeneration of three Hit Points per second\nover the course of one round per two levels. Wouldn't a Heal spell do\nmore, and more quickly? Rhetorical question. It would.\n\nShield of the Archons\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nCreates a shield that protects the caster from a number of spells equal\nto half the caster's level... potentially blocking quite a few spells at\nhigher levels. Of course, it's not proof against area-of-effect spells,\nso it's like conjuring a low-quality, temporary Cloak of Mirroring. It\nmight prove to be a useful defensive measure for some people, but I've\nnever bothered with it.\n\n1st Level Arcane Spells\t\t\t\t\t\t{SPT017}\no======================================================================o\n***TOP SPELLS***\nIdentify: Identifies magical items.\n  ---\nMagic Missile: Up to five bolts that unerringly deal 2-5 damage each.\n\nArmor\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nA simple cast that drops your Armor Class to six (as if you were wearing\nScale Mail) and lasts for nine hours. Of course, when you realise you\ncan buy Bracers of Defense A.C. 3 right at the beginning of the game...\nyeah, this spell's got nothing.\n\n*Blindness\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLike most low-level debuffs, this spell has seen the end of its\nusefulness... this spell attempts to blind one enemy. If they fail to\nsave (at no penalty) they'll take a -4 penalty to attack rolls and to\ntheir Armor Class. You're far better off with Slow.\n\nBurning Hands\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nA simple offensive spell that deals 1d3+2 damage damage per caster\nlevel, up to a maximum of 1d3+20. Unfortunately, it doesn't have much\nrange and isn't party friendly, so it can't be safely cast from behind\nmore sturdy characters. It might come in handy once in a while against\nTrolls... but you can always just buy Arrows of Fire. instead.\n\nCharm Person\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell attempts to charm-or befriend-a neutral or hostile foes\n(man-sized humanoids only), but whatever usefulness it might have once\nhad has been severely reduced in Baldur's Gate 2. Simply put, any debuff\nwithout a save penalty is rarely worth casting.\n\nChill Touch\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nA horrible, horrible damage-dealer, for two reasons-first, the caster\nhas to touch the foes in order to deal the damage. Second, this requires\nthe caster to actually 'make a successful melee attack'. Two things\nMages are not built for-being where enemies can hit them, and trying to\nhit foes in melee. On top of that, the 1d8 damage and no save penalty\nside effect of a -2 THAC0 penalty is nothing special.\n\nChromatic Orb\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nChromatic Orb is a handy little spell that deals damage and afflicts\nan enemy with status effects. At fourth level the spell can blind, at\nfifth it can stun for three rounds, and at seventh level it will\nparalyze for 20 rounds. Of course, by that time you'll have better\ndisabling spells, and if you want to deal damage, the 10-25 damage\nMagic Missile causes will probably be more reliable than a chance to\nstun.\n\nColor Spray\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nWe should consider this spell like a debuff version of Burning Hands...\nyou emit a party unfriendly effect in an arc in front of you. Instead of\ndamage, however, it'll knock foes out (unless they save at no penalty,\nor they have more than four Hit Dice) for five rounds. A few obvious\nproblems... Okay, one, really big problem. Nothing worth killing has\nfewer than four Hit Dice.\n\nFind Familiar\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAh... a very odd spell, indeed. We all know what Familiars are, they're\nwizardry lore by now, so onto the spell. First, it can be cast only by\nthe Protagonist (that's the guy or gal you made at the beginning of this\nmess) and you can only have one Familiar at a time. The spell lasts...\nindefinitely, up until your Familiar dies, which is something you want\nto avoid at all costs... but we'll get to that later. In essence, it's\na permanent summoning spell that creates a critter you completely\ncontrol. The type of creature is determined by your alignment, and they\nvary widely in capabilities (and I dare say, quality.) Most have 24 Hit\nPoints, their Armor Class ranges from -2 to 6, and Magic Resistance is\nlikewise variable from 10% to 65%, having been upgraded a bit since the\nfirst Enhanced Edition game. Some have spells they can use, others have\nThief abilities, while another has special melee attacks... but they are\nall obsolete by now, if they ever were useful to begin with. So, what's\nthe point of casting this spell? The benefits are simple-you get a\n7th-wheel who does whatever you tell it to do. Also, you get 1\/2 of the\nFamiliar's Hit Points as a bonus to your Mage's Hit Points. Huzzah. Now\nfor the crippling downside. If your Familiar dies, you'll suffer damage\nequal to half the Hit Points your Mage got out of the deal... not too\nbad, right? Oh, and you also lose a point of Constitution permanently.\nNo big deal.\n\nThere is one redeeming quality to this spell, however-if you force-talk\nto your familiar, you can put the critter in your pack. It'll take up\nan inventory slot, but only weighs one pound, and is immune to harm\nwhile safely stored away. In essence, it's worth learning this spell\nwith your protagonist, summoning a familiar for the bonus Hit Points,\nthen putting it safely away for the rest of eternity.\n\nAs requested, the stats of all the familiars are as follows, taken\nright from the spell's description. I would comment on the famaliars,\nbut honestly, in Baldur's Gate 2 you should never have the things out\nof your backpack, there's just no constructive use for them outside.\nIn the first game they occassionally could serve as bait or, at the\nbeginning of the game, as a legitimate summon, but in Baldur's Gate 2\nthey're just a Constitution loss waiting to happen.\n\nLAWFUL GOOD, NEUTRAL GOOD: Pseudo Dragon\n  -->\tHit Points: 24\n  -->\tArmor Class: -2\n  -->\tMagic Resistance: 50%\n  -->\tCombat: 2 attacks per round at 13 THAC0 for 1d3 damage, save vs.\n\tDeath or be rendered unconscious for 2 turns.\n  -->\tSpecial Abilities: Can cast Blur once per day. Regenerates\n\t1 HP\/round. Immune to level drain, sleep, and petrification.\n\nLAWFUL NEUTRAL: Ferrets\n  -->\tHit Points: 24\n  -->\tArmor Class: 0\n  -->\tMagic Resistance: 50%\n  -->\tCombat: 2 attacks per round at 13 THAC0 for 1d3 damage\n  -->\tSpecial Abilities: Has 75% in Pick Pockets, 40% Hide in\n\tShadows\/Move Silently, and 20% in Detect Traps. Can cast Blur\n\tonce per day. Immune to level drain, sleep, and petrification.\n\nLAWFUL EVIL: Imp\n  -->\tHit Points: 18\n  -->\tArmor Class: 2\n  -->\tMagic Resistance: 25%\n  -->\tCombat: 1 attack per round at 15 THAC0 for 1d6 damage\n  -->\tSpecial Abilities: Has 100% resistance to fire, cold, and\n\telectricity. Can cast Polymorph Self once per day. Regenerates\n\t1 HP\/round.\n\nNEUTRAL: Rabbit\n  -->\tHit Points: 24\n  -->\tArmor Class: 1\n  -->\tMagic Resistance: 65%\n  -->\tCombat: 2 attacks per round at 13 THAC0 for 1d2 damage\n  -->\tSpecial Abilities: Has 50% in Detect Traps and 30% Hide in\n\tShadows\/Move Silently. Has 75% resistance to fire, cold and\n\telectricity.\n\nIt's resistant to elements, but with only twelve Hit Points, the Rabbit\ncan't really serve as a decoy like the Imp can. All the Rabbit can\nreally boast is 40% Find Traps, which will not be good enough for most\nof the traps in the game. Oh, and 45% Magic Resistance, which is the\nbest of all the familiars.\n\nNEUTRAL EVIL: Dust Mephit\n  -->\tHit Points: 24\n  -->\tArmor Class: 6\n  -->\tMagic Resistance: 10%\n  -->\tCombat: 2 attacks per round at 13 THAC0 for 1d2 damage\n  -->\tSpecial Abilities: Has 100% resistance to fire and 50%\n\tresistance to slashing, piercing, and missile damage. Can cast\n\tGlitterdust once per day and Glass Dust twice per day.\n\tRegenerates 1 HP\/round. Immune to level drain, sleep, and\n\tpetrification.\n\nCHAOTIC GOOD: Fairy Dragon\n  -->\tHit Points: 24\n  -->\tArmor Class: 4\n  -->\tMagic Resistance: 32%\n  -->\tCombat: 2 attacks per round at 13 THAC0 for 1d2 damage<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
  -->\tSpecial Abilities: Can cast Mirror Image and Invisibility 10'\n\tRadius once per day. Immune to level drain, sleep, and\n\tpetrification.\n\nCHAOTIC NEUTRAL: Cat\n  -->\tHit Points: 24\n  -->\tArmor Class: 0\n  -->\tMagic Resistance: 50%\n  -->\tCombat: 2 attacks per round at 13 THAC0 for 1d3 damage\n  -->\tSpecial Abilities: Has 30% in Pick Pockets and 99% in Move\n\tSilently\/Hide In Shadows. Can cast Blur once per day. Immune\n\tto level drain, sleep, and petrification.\n\nCHAOTIC EVIL: Quasit\n  -->\tHit Points: 24\n  -->\tArmor Class: 2\n  -->\tMagic Resistance: 25%\n  -->\tCombat: 3 attacks per round at 13 THAC0 for 1d6 damage\n  -->\tSpecial Abilities: Has 100% resistance to fire, cold, and\n\telectricity. Can cast Horror once per day, Regenerates\n\t1 HP\/round.\n\nFriends\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell can be useful when shopping, as it raises your Charisma by\nsix points temporarily-long enough to lower prices. Keep in mind that\nthis spell doesn't seem to have an effect if your Charisma is over 20.\n\nGrease\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nMuch like Web and Stinking Cloud-superior 2nd-level spells-this is an\narea-of-effect spell that hampers anything caught in the area... albeit,\nafter a Saving Throw to attempt to negate the effects. Those who fail\nare forced to move quite slowly for the rest of the round, and must save\nevery round to avoid the movement impediment. This spell was hardly\na consideration in the first game, but in the sequel, it's far beyond\nobsolete.\n\n*Identify\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nYou'll always some of these spells prepared, as they... identify magical\nitems. Sure, having a high Lore skill can do the same, but most strong\nmagical items require a higher Lore score than you'll probably have...\nand it's not worth playing a Bard just to identify crap. Combat use?\nNone. But it'll save you 100 gold that you would have wasted identifying\nitems at merchants. Considering how many magical items abound in the\ngame, this is a necessary money-saver.\n\nInfravision\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nCast this spell, and the creature affected gains infravision, which in\nthis game makes creatures glow orange. Of course, if you have anybody\nwith infravision naturally, you can simply turn on the 'Group\nInfravision' option and use it at will. It's not terribly useful\nanyways, either naturally or as a spell, and at 10 turns, this spell's\nduration isn't terribly enviable.\n\nLarloch's Minor Drain\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nA mediocre damage-dealing spell, this spell deals a measely four points\nof damage and heals the caster for the same amount. On the plus side,\nit's got range and doesn't allow a save, so I find it superior to\nBurning Hands or Chill Touch, at least. Heck, it's even comparable to\nMagic Missile... up until Magic Missile starts getting additional\nmissiles. Since every Mage in this game will have multiple-missile\nMagic Missiles... yeah, this spell is useless in Baldur's Gate 2.\n\n*Magic Missile\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThe essential damage-dealing spell you'll use through most of the\ngame... it deals 1d4+1 points of damage, and while that sounds paltry-\nand it is-it gains an additional missile at 3rd, 5th, 7th, and finally\n9th level. On top of that it has a casting time of one, it always hits,\nand allows no save. At 9th level, that's 10-25 damage per casting... not\nbad for a 1st-level spell. Honestly, I rarely use this spell, but it\ndoes come in handy during a few fights... chaining multiple copies of\nthis spell via sequencers, Spell Trigger, etc., can be quite potent.\n\nNahal's Reckless Dweomer\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nA Wild Mage-only spell, this spell gambles on the Mage's wild surge\nability, which this spell intentionally triggers after you select\nanother spell. The Wild Mage attempts to shape the energy into the\ndesired form... in other words, into the spell you tried to cast. The\nodds of you casting the desired spell, however, are very slim-on the\nnormal table you have a 1% chance of casting a spell normally during a\nwild surge. Of course, since you're not screwing up, you're\nintentionally channeling wild magic, you add your level to the roll on\nthe wild surge chart... which means, presumably, you've got a chance to\ncast the desired spell equal to 1% plus your level. Even near the end of\nBaldur's Gate 2, you'll be lucky to get this spell to work when you need\nit, much less to use it regularly. My suggestion? Don't bother with it.\n\nProtection from Evil\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nA low-level buff that protects the recepient...against evil! Attacks\nagainst the protected character are made at a -2 penalty, while saves\nmade by the protected character are made at a +2 bonus. You're better\noff just letting a Cleric do this for the entire party with Protection\nFrom Evil 10' Radius.\n\nProtection from Petrification\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nPetrification attacks aren't an issue in Baldur's Gate 2... in fact,\nI can't remember a single Basilisk in the entire game... you don't need\nthis spell.\n\nReflected Image\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nA poor man's Mirror Image, it give you one image that mimmics the\ncaster. Foes attacking the caster have a 50% chance to hit the image,\nand a 50% chance to hit the caster... if the image is struck, it\nvanishes. Sounds useful, but considering that Mirror Image does the\nsame thing-but with two-to-eight images, you're better off just\nwaiting.\n\nShield\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLike Armor, this spell drops your Armor Class. Unlike Shield, Armor,\nhowever, this spell drops your Armor Class to four against melee\nattacks, and two against missile attacks... that's a six or eight\npoint bonus. It also renders you immune to Magic Missiles! Score.\nUnfortunately, it-like Armor-doesn't stack with whatever mundane armor\nyou may be wearing, and you'll have better permanent armor shortly into\nthe game.\n\nShocking Grasp\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAnother crappy 1st-level damage-dealer, it deals 1d8+1 point of damage\nper level and the opponent has to be touched for the spell's damage to\nbe done. You miss, you wasted the spell. Me? I'd rather take the sure\ndamage of Magic Missile any day.\n\nSleep\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nSleep is one of the best low-level Mage spells in the game. It'll force\nall critters within a 15-foot radius to save at -3 or fall asleep for\nfive rounds per level.. an insane amount of time, and more than enough\ntime to kill any and all affected critters. Against high-level enemies\n(those with 4+3 Hit Dice or more) it's useless... which means despite\nall its merits in the first game, it's useless now.\n\nSpook\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell causes one creature to Save versus Spells are run away scared\nfor the duration of the spell. The target suffers a -1 save penalty\nagainst the effect for every two levels of the caster, up to -6 at 12th\nlevel... which is actually pretty decent. What's not decent, however, is\nthe aforementioned duration, a mere three rounds. You have far better\ndebuffs to cast.\n\n2nd Level Arcane Spells\t\t\t\t\t\t{SPT018}\no======================================================================o\n***TOP SPELLS***\nBlur: Gives caster bonus to Armor Class and Saving Throws.\n  ---\nKnock: Open locked containers\/doors.\n  ---\nMirror Image: Creates 2-8 illusory images which confound attackers.\n  ---\nResist Fear: Removes fear effects in area.\n\nAgannazar's Scorcher\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell creates a 15 foot long jet of flames that deals 3-18 damage\nto everything in its path. Technically, it's possible to hit several\nfoes in one cast, but this requires some good luck as to where the foes\nplace themselves. Frankly, there are many, many other 2nd-level spells\nworth casting long before your need to settle for a mediocre damager\nlike Agannazar's Scorcher... for instance...\n\nBlur\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n...Blur. One of the best defensive spells a Mage has to offer, this\nspell forces enemies to suffer a -3 penalty to attack rolls, and gives\nthe Mage a +1 bonus to Saving Throws. At four rounds +2 rounds per\nlevel, it should last an entire encounter once you hit higher levels.\nGranted, for most of the first game it won't really be worth casting,\nbut once your Armor Class and level improves, it'll be a spell you'll\nlean on heavily before any large encounter. It might seem over-shadowed\nby spells like Improved Invisibility, but actually the game's AI\nactually favors Blur. Why, you ask? If you're invisible, you will\nprovoke a True Sight from many enemy spell-casters... which of course,\ndispels all your illusions. This is almost guaranteed in Throne of\nBhaal, to the point where Improved Invisiblity actually compromises\nyour defenses. Spells like Blur and Mirror Image, however, will not\nprovoke such a response.\n\nChaos Shield\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell is a booster for Nahal's Reckless Dweomer, boosting your roll\non your magic surge table by 15. This turns your pathetic odds to...\nwell, still pathetic, but somewhat plausible. Still, a booster spell for\nanother spell that I don't consider worth the trouble, what do you think\nmy suggestion is?\n\nDeafness\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell affects one creature and it attempts to deafen the foe, which\ngives them a 50% chance of spell failure. Honestly, however, I'd rather\njust let my Clerics cast Silence 15' Radius, which imposes a -5 save\npenalty, is an area-of-effect spell, and outright prevents affected \ncreatures from casting... which makes Silence 15' Radius superior in\nevery category, really. Even better still is Insect Plague, so you can\nsafely ignore this spell.\n\nDetect Evil\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nIt's... not a great spell, and I wouldn't keep one prepared, it might\nprove interesting from time to time. If you follow my guide, however,\nyou will know who to attack and who to leave alone, alignment be damned.\n\nDetect Invisibility\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nWhy would you ever use this half-measure when you could cast True\nSight?\n\nGhoul Touch\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nA thoroughly bad debuff, this spell attempts to paralyze a foe... as if\nyou were a Ghoul, see? Unfortunately, you need to touch an enemy for the\nspell to work and it imposes no save penalty whatsoever.\n\nGlitterdust\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nGold! Glitterdust creates a cloud of adhesive, glowing, golden particles\nthat cover foes in the area of effect if they fail a save with a -4\npenalty. Affected creatures are blinded (-4 penalty to attack rolls,\nSaving Throws, and Armor Class) and invisible creatures are revealed.\nMore good news? It's party-friendly! Unfortunately it only lasts four\nrounds, and we need not ever consider 2nd-level spells when we've got\naccess to far superior debuffs like Slow and Chaos.\n\nHorror\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nHorror was one of the most overly-abused trump cards the computer\nemployed in the first game... now it's more of a property than a spell\nmost foes will employ (ignoring Symbol: Fear, which is a superior\nspell.) As for you, and this spell... it's day is done. You have better,\nhigher-level spells you can cast if you want to break up enemy groups.\n\nInvisibility\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAn interesting spell... it makes the caster... well, invisible, of\ncourse. It might seem somewhat useful, strategically, as your Mage\nwould be better able to get into position while invisible, no? Sure,\nbut remember that in Baldur's Gate 2 the computer has access to True\nSight, and many spell-casters will employ it to expose invisible or\nsneaking characters. That being the case, it's probably not going to\nprove interesting very often.\n\n*Knock\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAnother essential Mage spell that has absolutely no use in combat. You\nneed to unlock something? Use Knock. If you're blessed with a Thief of\nany quality, you can skip on this spell, but considering the diminished\nstatus of 2nd-level spells in Baldur's Gate 2, you really don't have\nanything better to fill your spellbook up with.\n\nKnow Alignment\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nWant to know somebody's alignment? Cast this spell. Simple as. Of\ncourse, why do you care anyways? If they're not evil, you don't need to\nworry, and if you follow my guide, you'll know what to do without having\nto pry into everybody's alignment.\n\nLuck\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell absolutely reeks with suckness. It gives a '5% bonus' to any\nand all actions... whatever the hell that means. I have to assume,\nhowever, that on a d20 system... 5% equals a +1 bonus. See? I can do\nmath. The real suck, however, is that it's a low-powered buff that only\naffects one person, and lasts all of three rounds. It's hard to imagine\na more underwhelming buff.\n\nMelf's Acid Arrow\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nIt might have been an average damage-dealer in the first game, but now,\nit just takes too long to do too little damage. Honestly, I prefer Magic\nMissile, and I'd rather save my 2nd level spells slots for defense\n(Mirror Image, Blur) or utility (Knock).\n\n*Mirror Image\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nYou conjure 2-8 images which mimic the caster and confuse enemies.\nAttacks made against the caster have a chance of hitting the caster, or\na chance of hitting one of the images... presumably proportional to the\nnumber of images you have. On it's own, it's a pretty good defensive\nspell. Combined with Blur and Stoneskin, it makes a Mage nearly\ninvulnerable to melee attacks.\n\nPower Word: Sleep\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nIntroducing the Power Word spells-they allow no save, affect one\ncreature, and deal various forms of badness. The only defense against\nthem is being above their Hit Point threshold. In this case, the\nthreshold is twenty Hit Points. Everything with fewer Hit Points than\nthis is put to sleep-period. Undead, of course, are not affected... and\nhonestly, most foes in the game will be too powerful for this. \n\nRay of Enfeeblement\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nCast this bad ray at a creature and they must make a Saving Throw vs.\nSpells (at no penalty) or have their Strength reduced to five for one\nround per level. No penalty, one target? No thanks.\n\n*Resist Fear\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nIf an enemy gets off a Symbol: Fear spell, or you succumb to a dragon's\nor demon's fear aura, it can easily end in a reload. If you have one of\nthese spells prepared, however, you have nothing to fear... or at least,\nyou need not fear fear. A great protective spell, I tend to just make my\nClerics prepare Remove Fear, as 2nd level Mage spell slots are more\nprecious, and 1st-level Cleric spells are much less so.\n\nStinking Cloud\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nStinking Cloud creates nauseating clouds in a 15-yard radius that forces\nenemies to save or be rendered helpless for 1d2 rounds. Lasting one\nturn, this spell might not keep enemies down as long as Sleep, but it\nhas no Hit Dice limit. It used to be one of the best early debuffs in\nthe first Baldur's Gate, but it's far less useful in Baldur's Gate 2\nas compared to higher-level spells.\n\nStrength\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis crappy spell sets the Strength score of the target up to 18\/50...\nor rather, sets it to 18\/50, potentially lowering their Strength if it's\nhigher. For some characters with mediocre Strength-Jaheira and Keldorn,\ncome to mind-this spell might prove to be a useful buff, but it's really\nunnecessary for most fights, and where it'll prove useful, Potions of\nGiant Strength abound, and later on, you'll find many items that\nimprove your Strength while worn.\n\nVocalize\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAllows the caster to cast spells without making use of its verbal\ncomponent... or in other words, you can cast spells silently. The\npractical implications of this spell? It allows you to cast spells\nwhile silenced. It only lasts a turn, however, and very few enemies\ncast Silence. I have never found a use for this spell.\n\nWeb\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nWeb funcitons alot like Stinking Cloud-at least in its overall effect.\nCreatures in the area-of-effect who fail their Saving Throw are\nhelpless. Good stuff. It's got a five yard per level radius (up to a\n30 foot radius), lasts two turns per level, and imposes a -2 save\npenalty. It can't, however, compare to higher level spells which we'll\nhave in abundance.\n\n3rd Level Arcane Spells\t\t\t\t\t\t{SPT019}\no======================================================================o\n***TOP SPELLS***\nDispel Magic: Removes buff\/debuffs from all creatures in area.\n  ---\nHaste: Doubles movement speed, gives an extra attack per round.\n  ---\nSlow: Slows targets, massive penalties to attack rolls and Armor Class.\n\nClairvoyance\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell removes the fog-of-war in any outdoor area, but it does not\nshow creatures, and it does not allow you to 'see' what's in the area,\nexactly. Again, it just removes the fog-of-war... you know, all that\nblack crap that's everywhere in a new area? Instead of casting this\nspell, why not just walk around? Seriously I can't think of a single\ntime where this spell is useful.\n\nDetect Illusion\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nDetect Illusion dispells illusion spells of 3rd level or lower in a\n20-foot radius... which means Invisibility, Mirror Image, Blur... the\nweakest, but also fairly common illusion spells. Of course, many foes\nalso use Shadow Door, Mislead, Improved Invisibility, etc., which this\nspell does nothing against. Just think instead of this, you could\nprepared a shiney new Dispel Magic, which works on almost all spells.\nEven better, you could go for True Sight, the REAL illusion-buster in\nBaldur's Gate 2.\n\nDire Charm\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nJust like Charm Person, but with no save bonus for targets. There are\nfar more useful 3rd-level spells to prepare.\n\n*Dispel Magic\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAny time you fight spellcasters, they'll attempt to buff themselves and\nhit you with debilitating spells. Dispel Magic should therefore be\nmemorized at least once by every spellcaster in the game, as it gives\nyou a chance to take down a protected Mage, or free your characters\nfrom the effects of another spell. Dispel Magic is your magical safety\nnet, and every caster should have one prepared at all times.\n\nFireball\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nFireball has its uses, as might be expected from an iconic Mage spell.\nThe first time I played this game, I was much less refined in my\ntactics, and was overjoyed by this brute force option. Still...\nexperience has taught me that buffs like Haste and debilitative spells\nlike Chaos are much better spells. That being the case, I rarely bother\nusing this spell.\n\nFlame Arrow\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nA single-target damage-dealer that's far easier to control, and hence,\nmore useful than Fireball in some circumstances. It deals 4d6 fire\ndamage and 1d6 piercing damage, but the target can save for half the\nfire damage. Like Magic Missile, you obtain another missile-for this\nspell, once every 5th level-so that's two bolts at 10th level, three at\n15th, four at 20th, and so on... This spell is like a beefier Magic\nMissile, and it has the same usefulness. On its own, it's fairly weak,\nbut if you chain a few of them together with Spell Trigger, it can\nbecome monstrously strong... It gets a place of honor in one fight\nlate in the game, but otherwise, it's ignorable.\n\nGhost Armor\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nYeah, you knew there'd be more of these spells, didn't you? Like the\nold 1st-level Armor spell, I consider these spells useless for\nsingle-class Mages. They should be kept out of combat anyways, but for\nmulti-or-dual-class Mages? Well, let's be honest... you can get better\npermanent armor than these spells provide. Ignore Armor, and ignore\nGhost Armor.\n\n*Haste\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nHaste is the best buff in the game, hands down. In every somewhat\ndifficult encounter, you should employ Haste. It just doubles your\noffensive power. Literally, it gives an extra attack per round and\ndoubles you movement speed. Good stuff, indeed. Keep one ready on every\ncharacter who can cast it.\n\nHold Person\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nJust like the 2nd-level Cleric spell, this spell attempts to 'hold', or\nparalyze a target, and also affects nearby targets in a 7.5-foot radius.\nIt only affect man-sized humanoids, but fortunately, they're common. No\nsave penalty, and it only lasts 10 rounds... which is long enough to\nkill them and then some, to be fair. Still, almost anything I would use\nthis on, I could just use Chaos on instead. Bigger radius, save\npenalty... Yeah, you don't need this spell.\n\nHold Undead\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nJust like Hold Person, but for undead, which are normally immune to\nthese types of spells. It affects all enemies in a 10-foot radius, which\nis a decent radius, but it imposes no save penalty. There are better\nways to deal with undead.\n\nInvisibility 10' Radius\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLike Invisibility, but for everybody in an area! It's just as likely to\nbe dispelled with True Sight, and there's only one time in the entire\ngame where I suggest its use.\n\nLightning Bolt\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis is an interesting damage-dealing alternative for enclosed spaces,\nwhere you can try and bounce it off walls to deal outrageous damage.\nMultiple hits will dispatch most enemies. It's a gimmick, however, and\nI rarely ever use it, as I'm just not good at aiming it, and generally\nfind it unreliable.\n\nMelf's Minute Meteors\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell creates one globe per level of the caster, which can then be\nthrown by said caster (with a +5 bonus to hit). Each 'meteor' that hits\ndeals 1d4+3 points of damage, plus three fire damage, and the caster can\nhurl five such 'meteors' per round. Quick, somebody explain to me how,\nexactly, this spell is superior to Magic Missile? More damage? Sure, a\nbit, but it's a 3rd-level spell-I'm not using up a 3rd-level spell slot\nfor 7-10 damage instead of 2-5 per missile. Also, you have to actually\nhit the target with all five missiles-attack rolls and all that, which\nis something a Mage can't exactly count on, can they? I'll stick to\nMagic Missile, myself.\n\nMinor Spell Deflection\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell absorbs a number of spells directed at the caster, up to four\nspell levels worth... unless it's an area-of-effect spell, or a\nstationary spell effect like Cloudkill or Web. Considering that many\nspells you'll encounter in this game are area-of-effect spells... you\nmight as well just ignore this spell...\n\nMonster Summoning I\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nIf you think summoning one or two weak monsters will help you out,\nyou're in for a rough time... just ignore this useless spell.\n\nNon-Detection\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell makes you immune to scrying attempts, spells like\nClairvoyance, Invisibility Purge, etc. You know how many foes will\nuse these spells? None. You will never need this spell.\n\nProtection From Cold\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nProtection From Cold does just that-reduces the cold damage that comes\nyour way by 50%. You'll face cold attacks very rarely, so preparing a\n3rd-level spell to do so is just a waste. Just use the 2nd-level Cleric\nspell 'Resist Fire and Cold' instead.\n\nProtection From Fire\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLike Protection From Cold-it protects you against 50% of fire damage\nthat comes at you. Fire damage is more common than cold, but still,\nI suggest the Cleric spell 'Resist Fire and Cold' instead.\n\nProtection From Normal Missiles\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nMakes a target invulnerable to normal (non-magical) missiles for five\nturns. This spell is pretty useless in this game. Any foe shooting\nmundane missiles at you probably isn't much of a threat, and any foe\nwith magical missiles will ignore it.\n\nRemove Curse\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nYou pick up a shiny new ring and stupidly put it on your finger not\nknowing what it is, and boom! Wertle-wertle-woo for you. Honestly,\nthat's really the only way to get cursed in this game, save for perhaps\nshort-term spells like Doom, and who cares about that anyways? You can\nalways go to a church to have curses removed, but this is cheaper. You\nprobably will never need to use this spell.\n\nRemove Magic\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nHailed as the 'combat version' of Dispel Magic, it functions exactly\nthe same way... save that it only removes buffs\/debuffs on foes. This\nmight sound handy, and it is-if you have the extra 3rd-level spell\nslots. On the other hand, it won't save you if you have debuffs\naffecting your party, so it's got much less utility overall than Dispel\nMagic, if you have any aim. I'll be honest, I've never found a need \nfor this spell. General party-buffs amongst your foes are rare, and\nthere are better spells for taking down more potent, individual buffs.\n\nSkull Trap\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nCreate a... skull trap that explodes when enemies get too close to it,\ndealing 1d6 points of damage per level to all critters in a 20-foot\nradius. Honestly, I prefer Fireball. I can aim it, and decide what gets\nhit, when. No need to lure foes into a trap with the hope that it'll\naffect a good number of them.\n\n*Slow\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell affects all enemies in a 30-foot radius, and any melee\ncharacter affected might as well be dead. It forces them to move and\nattack at half the normal rate, and imposes a -4 penalty to attack rolls\nand Armor Class. Enemies save against this effect at a -4 penalty.\nWhen faced with a group of sturdy melee enemies, there's little better\nto cast.\n\nSpell Thrust\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nRemoves a number of spell defenses, including Minor Spell Deflection,\nMinor Globe of Invulnerability, Spell Immunity and Minor Spell Turning.\nSpell Immunity can be particularly troublesome, since it can prevent\nmore sophisticated take-down tactics and debuffs, but it's a rare cast\nby enemies in this game, and the other spells are much less fearsome.\n\nVampiric Touch\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nDeals 1d6 damage per every two caster levels (up to 6d6 damage), and\nheals the caster for that amount. Unfortunately, it's a touch spell\n(see the word 'touch' in the name?) so its utility for a single-classed\nMage is dubious, at best. \n\n4th Level Arcane Spells\t\t\t\t\t\t{SPT020}\no======================================================================o\n***TOP SPELLS***\nConfusion: Foes in area are confused unless they save at -2.\n  ---\nGreater Malison: Reduces saves by 2, softening up foes.\n  ---\nImproved Invisibility: Recepient can't be targeted by spells.\n  ---\nMinor Sequencer: Chain two spells of 2nd-level or lower.\n  ---\nStoneskin: Negates physical attacks entirely.\n\n*Confusion\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nConfusion is a great debilitating spell, but inferior to Chaos, which\noutshines it in every way. Still, it forces all enemies in a 30-foot\nradius to save at -2 or wander around, go berserk, or simply stand\nthere. Simply put, it breaks up all effective resistance and wins\nfights.\n\nContagion\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nA fourth-level debilitator with no save penalty? How well do you think\nthis spell is going to do? Ah well, let's get it over with... this spell\nattempts to cause 'major disease and weakness' in a creature. The target\nsuffers a -2 penalty to Strength, Dexterity, and Charisma, and they\nare slowed. One target. No save penalty. Compare this spell to, say,\nSlow. Wouldn't you be better served by slowing a group of foes at a -4\nsave penalty? You would. Ignore this spell.\n\nEmotion, Hopelessness\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLike Confusion, but with no save, and enemies 'sleep' (lie down and\nremain helpless) for the duration of the spell. If it weren't for the\nlack of a save penalty, it would be a great spell.\n\nEnchanted Weapon\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nCreates a +3 weapon that can be used by anybody-either a Mace, Axe,\nLong Sword, or Short sword. Or... you could just get a permanent weapon.\n\nFarsight\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAllows you to see an unexplored section of map, much like Clairvoyance.\nSomething else that reveals unexplored sections of map? Exploring it.\nSave the spell-slot, just sneak around with a Thief or Ranger.\n\nFireshield (Blue)\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAn aggressive form of defense, this spell surrounds the caster with a\nshield of 'ice flame'. Yeah, makes sense to me. The caster gains 50%\nCold Resistance and foes that strike in melee suffer 1d8+2 points of\ndamage per hit. It's decent damage, but a single-classed Mage really\ncan't accept the damage trade-off. A Fighter\/Mage might be able to\nhandle the abuse, however, but where it really shines is combined with\nStoneskin, where you take no damage, and the enemy suffers for removing\neach skin.\n\nFireshield (Red)\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nSame thing as Fireshield (Blue), save that Fireshield (Red) is... well,\nactually a FIREshield. It grants 50% resistance to fire damage and deals\n1d8+2 fire damage each time an enemy strikes you in melee.\n\n*Greater Malison\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nHit enemies with this before casting other spells that allow saves and\nyou'll stand a greater chance of affecting your enemies. If it's used\nto soften up foes before hitting them with Chaos, Insect Plague, Finger\nor Death, or a Vorpal weapon, it becomes downright unfair.\n\nIce Storm\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nA direct-damage dealing area of effect spell that allows no save. Sound\ngood? Here we go-it only deals 2d8 damage per round (lasting four\nrounds) and is not party friendly. So... why cast something with less\ndamage potential than an 9th-level Mage's Fireball?\n\n*Improved Invisibility\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAnother great defensive spell, it imposes a -4 penalty to the attack\nrolls of enemies, and gives the caster a +4 bonus to saving throws. Best\nof all, you can't be targeted with spells until the invisibility is\ndispelled. It does, however, have one Achilles heel-the spell True\nSight, which will be employed against you if you've got an invisible\ncharacter. By Throne of Bhaal, this counter is so widespread that this\nspell is all but useless... in the mean time, however, abuse it.\n\nMinor Globe of Invulnerability\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell makes you immune to 1st-3rd level spells... alas, since most\ndangerous spells are now higher-level affairs, this is no longer the\ndefensive spell it used to be. Most foes will refrain from casting\nsuch weak spells until they're out of superior spells... and if you\ncan't kill a Mage slinging Melf's Acid Arrows at you... well, you\ndeserve to lose.\n\n*Minor Sequencer\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell can be quite useful, as it allows the caster to chain two\nspells of 2nd-level or lower together in one quick cast. Want to pelt a\nfoe with two Magic Missile spells in one round? Or instantly bring up a\nMirror Image and Blur? This is the way to do it. Best of all, you can\ncast this spell, prepare the Sequencer, remove this spell, and the\nspells you are chaining together, as well. The only limitation is that\nyou must have the spells you want to sequencer memorized at the time\nyou cast the sequencer. The only real limitation this spell has? Well,\nyou don't get it until awfully late in the game...\n\nMonster Summoning II\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLike the 3rd level spell, but it'll summon a few more Hit Dice of\nmonsters... still not enough to make it useful, however.\n\nOtilukes's Resilient Sphere\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nI'll admit, I like the idea of this spell. Taking a foe out of a fight\nlong enough to deal with its buddies makes me feel all strategyful, and\nstuff. But it's just not a good spell. Otiluke's Resilient Sphere\ncaptures a single foe in a 'globe of shimmering force', which prevents\nthe trapped critter from affecting the outside world, and vice versa.\nStill, it's a single creature, the spell has no save penalty, and it\nonly lasts a turn... granted, probably enough time to resolve any\nfight... but... Slow, Confusion, or Chaos would all be superior casts.\n\nPolymorph Other\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nTurns another foe into a Squirrel... still, it imposes no save\npenalty and only affects a single target. It's more of a humorous\nspell, than a serious tactical solution to any fight.\n\nPolymorph Self\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAllows the caster to assume the form of another creature, which you can\nselect from a short list of the following (as per the spell's in-game\ndescription):\n\nGnoll: wields a magical +1 halberd (+1 fire damage and strikes as an\n       enchanted weapon +3)\n\nMustard Jelly: capable of slowing opponents (if they fail a Saving\n               Throw when hit)\n\nOgre: capable of causing massive damage with its fists\n\nSpider: causes poison when it hits an opponent.\n\nYou can also assume the form of a Brown Bear, Black Bear, or Wolf... but\nthese shapeshifts suck. Just ask any Druid. So, let's look at these in\ndepth, shall we?\n\nFirst, you can change to any of these creatures at will-and back again-\nfor the entire duration of the spell, a passable one turn, plus three\nrounds per level, so you can change your form as events necessitate.\nYour statistics and attributes are affected by each form, which is not\nmentioned by the spell, but which I will show below. Also, you cannot\ncast spells while polymorphed-something to keep in mind, to be sure.\nYour natural Armor Class may change, as well-magical protections will\nstill be counted, but armor will not. You can equip and unequip\nclothing, jewelry, and armor at will, but not weapons.\n\nFlind\nArmor Class (Base): 2\nStrength: 17\nDexterity: 17\nConstitution 12\n\nMustard Jelly\nArmor Class (Base): 4\nStrength: 14\nDexterity: 9\nConstitution 9\nCold Resistance: 50\nElectrical Resistance: 100\nMagic Resistance: 125\nMagic Cold Resistance: 50\nSlashing Resistance: 30\nCrushing Resistance: 30\nPiercing Resistance: 100\nMissile Resistance: 85\n\nOgre\nArmor Class (Base): 5\nStrength: 18\/00\nDexterity: 9\nConstitution 18\n\nSpider\nArmor Class (Base): 1\nStrength: 16\nDexterity: 16\nConstitution 9\n\nSo... there everything is, all pink and naked. Honestly, I don't see\nthe point in turning a Mage into a melee creature, especially one that's\nlikely to be rather weak compared to your mainstay warriors...\nIf anything, however, the Mustard Jelly is interesting for its\nresistances, if nothing else. I never make use of this spell, but if\nyou feel like giving it a go... eh... it's your Mage's funeral.\n\nSecret Word\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nDispels one spell protection of 8th-level or lower, including Minor\nSpell Turning, Minor Globe of Invulnerability, Spell Immunity, Spell\nDeflection, Spell Turning, and Spell Shield. It's... an option if you\ndon't want to use Spell Thrust, but there are far too many good\n4th-level spells to bother with this.\n\nSpider Spawn\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAllows you to summon one (80%) or two (20%) spiders of types that vary\nby level. At 8th-level or lower, you summon wussy Giant Spiders, at\n9th-11th levels you'll summon Phase Spiders, and at 12th-level and\nhigher you'll summon Sword spiders. None of these creatures really have\nthe muscle you'll want in a summoned creature.\n\nSpirit Armor\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThe strongest of the armor spells, this particular version creates an\nintangible suit of armor that grants an Armor Class of one. It doesn't\nstack with other armor, but it will stack with Dexterity bonuses,\nmagical protections, and shields. When the spell ends, it'll deal 2d4\npoints of damage to the caster. It's actually potentially very nice\narmor, but honestly, it'll only drop the Armor Class of a well-equipped\nFighter\/Mage by a few points.\n\n*Stoneskin\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThe ultimate physical defensive spell, Stoneskin makes the caster\noutright immune to physical damage. It'll absorb a number of attacks\nequal to the number of 'skins' or layers it has. The caster has one\nskin per two levels, which means a high-level Mage could ignore over\na dozen melee attacks. These skins last until absorbing (and negating)\nattacks, or until its whopping 12-hour duration ends. On its own, it's\nwonderful physical defense. Mixed with a good Armor Class, and other\ndefensive spells like Blur and Mirror Image, and it'll make the Mage\nnearly invulnerable to melee damage. It's the best thing a Fighter\/Mage\ncan cast in most fights, and really, you should keep one prepared at\nall times... which essentially means it's my 4th-level spell of choice\nfor my Fighter\/Mage. It's less useful on single-classed Mages, since\ntheir Armor Class is inferior and they don't tend to be exposed to\nphysical assaults often, but it's still useful for them, as well.\n\nTeleport Field\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nRandomly teleports all foes in the area of effect to... another spot in\nthe area of effect. I really can't think of a great use for this spell,\nas the radius is actually rather small (it sure doesn't look like a\n30-foot radius on screen, to me). I suppose indoors you could get lucky\nand teleport a foe into another room, hence costing them... I don't\nknow, a round to walk back and continue attacking? Or perhaps you'll\nteleport a vulnerable spell-caster closer to your hungry warriors.\nUltimately, it's just too random for me to bother with. Yes, random in\na way that Saving Throws are not. Shut up. At least with spells like\nHorror, Slow, Confusion, or Chaos, I know that there's a good chance\nat least one foe will be affected in a way that helps my cause.\n\nWizard Eye\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nCreates an invisible sensory organ that... essentially allows him to\nspy around and explore the level. Like all other Mage-spy spells, why\nnot just explore? Why waste a 4th-level spell slot to do what a hidden\nRanger or Thief can do?\n\n5th Level Arcane Spells\t\t\t\t\t\t{SPT021}\no======================================================================o\n***TOP SPELLS***\nBreach: Dispels all combat protections on a target.\n  ---\nChaos: Foes in area are confused unless they save at -4.\n  ---\nLower Resistance: Lowers targets Magic Resistance by 10% + 1%\/level.\n  ---\nSpell Immunity: Makes caster immune to spells from one school.\n\nAnimate Dead\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nJust like the 3rd-Level Cleric spell of the same name, this spell\nallows you to summon undead to fight for you. In Baldur's Gate 2, with\nthe level range you'll be dealing with, it pretty much means you'll be\nsummoning a Skeleton Warrior. A fairly beefy foe... in Baldur's Gate 1,\nit's no longer much in the way of a threat to... much of anything,\nreally. The game has changed and victory now favors new tactics.\n\n*Breach\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nDispels all 'specific and combat protections on a target creature',\nincluding Shield, Protection Circle, Resist Fear, Protection From\nFire\/Cold, Fireshield, Protection From Acid, Protection From\nElectricity, Protection From Magic Energy, Protection from The Elements,\nProtection From Energy, Protection From Normal Missiles, Protection From\nNormal Weapons, Protection From Magic Weapons, Stoneskin, Armor, Ghost\nArmor, Spirit Armor, Absolute Immunity, Mantle, and Improved Mantle.\nNo save, no check, no magic resistance, it's just gone. That's alot of\nspells, and you new gamers out there might not know the signifigance of\nthis spell... but that's what I'm here for, right? Almost every Mage in\nBaldur's Gate 2 will, in combat, throw up a Stoneskin and\/or Protection\nfrom Magic Weapons. Since your warriors are probably the characters most\nlikely to chop down these Mages, these spells can effectively retard\ntheir ability to harm the Mage, which in turn will allow said Mage to\nmake your life miserable by casting spells. This spell should be used\nany time a Mage brings up one of those two spells, and really, it's just\nessential to Mage take-down tactics in this game. Every Mage who can\ncast it should have at least one prepared at any time, and potentially\na few more, if expecting Mage-heavy opposition. It is worth noting that\nthe only effective way to counter Breach is with Spell Immunity that\nprotects against Abjuration. Don't worry, however. You will almost\nalways be on the casting end of this spell.\n\n*Chaos\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell is one of the go-to debilitator for Baldur's Gate 2...\nForcing a save at -4 is just not fair. Otherwise it works just like\nConfusion. Get used to hearing about this spell, as I'll be comparing\n5th-level spells to it at every turn.\n\nCloudkill\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThe only effective use of this spell that I can think of is in\nconjunction with Animate Dead and Stinking Cloud. Your Skeleton Warriors\ncan simply distract enemies and cause them to take damage while they\nremain within the Cloudkill. Still, at 1d10 damage per round, it's not a\ngreat way to destroy enemies... not when you can just hit them with\nChaos, instead.\n\nCone of Cold\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nCreates a... cone of cold, dealing 1d4+1 damage per level to all\ncreatures in the area. Not party friendly, but what do you expect?\nCreatures inside the area can save for half. It's not a bad damage\ndealer, really, but it's not exceptional, either.\n\nConjure Lesser Air Elemental\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nConjures an 8 Hit Dice Air Elemental to do the caster's whim until the\nspell expires. Note that there are two problems with this spell. First,\nan 8 Hit Dice Elemental is not the strongest of summoning spells in\nthe game, and will quickly become obsolete. Second, immediately after\ncasting the spell the caster becomes locked in a 'psychic contest' with\nthe elemental for three rounds, during which he attempts to establish\ncontrol. Three rounds of inactivity from your Mage is a terrible price\nto pay for any spell, and on top of that there's a 15% chance your Mage\nwill not come out on top... that being the case, your summoned elemental\nwill... well, attack you. And isn't that kind of the opposite of what\nyou were going for? Ultimately, I really can't suggest such a spell when\nClerics and Druids get superior, less tempermental elemental summoning\nspells. It still might be worth casting a few situtation early in the\ngame, as all elementals have one unique defensive property worth\nconsidering... they are immune to mundane and +1 weapons. So... when\nthere are a bunch of foes who don't have the requisitie equipment to\nplay, these spells are essentially cheap ways to take them out. It's\na tactic that quickly stops bearing fruit, however, but since it's one\nEdwin can potentially employ from the second you recruit him...\n\nConjure Lesser Earth Elemental\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nConjures an 8 Hit Dice Earth Elemental to do the caster's whim until the\nspell expires. Note that this spell has the same liabilities as Conjure\nLesser Air Elemental.\n\nConjure Lesser Fire Elemental\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nConjures an 8 Hit Dice Fire Elemental to do the caster's whim until the\nspell expires. Note that this spell has the same liabilities as Conjure\nLesser Air Elemental.\n\nDomination\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nControl a creature's actions while affected by this spell. It's\nessentially the same as any Charm spell, but it imposes a -2 penalty to\ntheir Saving Throws. Oh, and it only lasts eight rounds. Again, I'd\nrather disable an entire group of foes with Chaos (at a -4 save!) than\ncontrol one.\n\nFeeblemind\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nCast this spell for stupid-making. It's like watching to Fox News! The\ntarget saves at a -2 penalty and lasts indefinately-unless dispelled.\nThis spell lowers the target's Intelligence to three. On most foes, it's\nnothing serious, but if you hit a Mage with it... well, they won't be\ncasting anything, will they? Still, I'd rather... you guessed it, just\nuse Chaos. A foe affected by Chaos is not going to cast anything, the\nsave penalty is -4, and it affects a group.\n\nHold Monster\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLike Hold Person, but it affects pretty much any critter. It imposes a\n-2 save penalty and affects any foes within a very small 7.5-foot area\nof the target... which is, for all intents and purposes, adjacent. Chaos\nis still superior.\n\n*Lower Resistance\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nA fair spell that should see its way into your spellbook from time to\ntime... at least until you have access to Pierce Magic, but I digress...\nLower Resistance does exactly what its name implies-it lowers the Magic\nResistance of a foe by 10% + 1% per caster level. Even a mid-level\ncasting of this spell will knock off about 25% Magic Resistance, and\nif you chain two of them and a Breach into a Spell Trigger... yeah, it's\nworth using to soften up some of the bigger foes in the game.\n\nMinor Spell Turning\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nI typically stay away from spell turning spells simply because... well,\nI just don't find them all that useful, really. If you need real defense\nagainst spells-the best defense is a good offense. Take them down\nquickly with Breach and sharp, pointy things. Failing that, the next\nbest defense is an impenetrable defense, which this spell simply is not.\nRely on Spell Immunity and the Cloak of Mirroring and laugh as your\nfoes exhaust themselves trying to harm you-to no avail. This spell\ndoesn't contribute to either strategy, so I ignore it.\n\nMonster Summoning III\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLike the lower spells, but with stronger monsters. Still, not strong\nenough to bother summoning. A single conjured elemental will certainly\nbe strong enough to finish off anything this spell summons.\n\nOracle<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nDispels all illusion\/phantasm spells of 5th-level or lower in the area,\nincluding Reflected Image, Invisibility, Mirror Image, Non-Detection,\nImproved Invisibility, and Shadow Door. Party Friendly. It also has a\nhuge radius, and considering that the only spell this really leaves out\nis Mislead... it seems like a good spell. And it is, but 5th-level\nspells are absurdly good throughout the entire game-you're always going\nto want Breach, and probably a few copies of it. 6th-level spells are\nsignificantly less impressive, and one of them is True Sight, a superior\nanti-illusion spell that has much less competition. Alas, Oracle, you\ntried well, but just didn't make the cut.\n\nPhantom Blade\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nCreates a... yeah, a phantom blade that acts a +3 weapon, which the\ncaster is automatically proficient with. It deals +10 damage to undead,\nbut is otherwise not noteworthy. A possibility for a Fighter\/Mage, but\na single-classed Mage is wasting their time... and since you can get\nyour hands on permanent +3 weapons fairly early into the game, even\na combat-focused Mage can ignore this spell.\n\nProtection From Acid\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nConfers complete invulnerability to acid. Fair enough, but you'll only\nencounter acid-using foes a few times in the game, and only once or\ntwice are they potent enough to even consider this spell.\n\nProtection From Electricity\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nConfers complete invulernability to electricity. Again, you will seldom\nencounter electric damage, and... you know, I can only think of a\nsingle enemy that uses electricity potently or exclusively enough for\nthis spell to be worth casting... and even then, it's near the end of\nThrone of Bhaal, where you will doubtlessly have superior, more\nall-encompassing elemental protection, like Protection From the\nElements.\n\nShadow Door\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell is essentially a 5th-level version of Improved Invisibility,\nsave with a longer duration. 4th-and-5th-level spells are highly\ncontested, but a Mage will certainly find it easier to spare a 4th-level\nspell slot for Improved Invisibility than they will a 5th-level spell\nslot for Shadow Door.\n\n*Spell Immunity\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis is the best spell-defense in the game. Enemies tend to use a\nhandful of tried-and-true spells to destroy your party, and it can\nbe pretty frustrating if you don't know how to protect against them.\nUnwary players might fall victim to various Symbol spells when they\ninadvertantly stumble upon their first Lich (speaking from painful\nexperience here.) But fear not, for this is the solution. When you\ncast this spell you'll be prompted to choose what school to protect\nagainst. The best ones are Abjuration (Breach, Imprisonment) Conjuration\n(Symbol spells, Power Words), Necromancy (Horrid Wilting, Wail of the\nBanshee, Finger of Death), and Transmutation (Flesh to Stone). If you\ncast multiple instance of this spell, you can make yourself immune to\nmultiple spellschools. A character wearing the Cloak of Mirroring, with\nthree or four instances of Spell Immunity-Abjuration Conjuration,\nNecromancy, and Transmutation-is virtually immune to anything an enemy\nMage can throw at them. Just sit back, wait for them to deplete their\narsenals, and then destroy them.\n\nSpell Shield\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell will protect you from one attempt to debuff your spell\nprotections, protecting against spells like Breach, Lower Resistance,\nPierce Magic, and Spell Thrust. If an enemy uses it, give them the\nold try, try again treatment. It's rare that an enemy will use Breach\nor other spell-strippers on you, however, so you probably won't need\nthis spell... and Spell Immunity (Abjuration) offers superior protection\nagainst all these spells.\n\nSunfire\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLike a Fireball centered around the caster, it deals 1d6 damage per\nlevel (up to a maximum of 15d6 damage). A protected Mage might make use\nof this spell, or perhaps a Fighter\/Mage, but honestly, I'd rather just\nuse a Fireball. Puts the Mage-and his allies-at much less risk.\n\n6th Level Arcane Spells\t\t\t\t\t\t{SPT022}\no======================================================================o\n***TOP SPELLS***\nDeath Spell: Kills weaker monsters and summons, no save.\n  ---\nPierce Magic: Dispels spell protections, lowers Magic Resistance.\n  ---\nTrue Sight: Dispels all enemy illusions in wide area for one turn.\n\nCarrion Summons\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLife just wouldn't be complete if we didn't start things out with a\ncrappy summoning spell, right? This spell summons one or two buffed-up\n(but still weak) Carrion Crawlers to fight for you. Pass.\n\nChain Lightning\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAt 1d6 points of damage per two levels, it can get up to a hefty bit of\ndamage, but note that it won't be until 20th level that it matches\nhumble Fireball, and almost all enemies struck will only take half\ndamage from being hit by an arc, instead of the main blast-and many\nwill save against that to halve the damage yet again. Still, no\nfriendly fire, which means you can use it at will. Keep in mind,\nhowever, that Horrid Wilting is vastly superior once you get access to\n8th level spells, and breaking up a group of foes with Chaos is\nprobably better than dealing a bit of damage with Chain Lightning.\nStill, until Pierce Magic becomes necessary you might as well fill up\nyour 6th level spell slots with something.\n\nConjure Air Elemental\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nDidn't we just do this spell? Blah. It's the same as the 5th-level\n'lesser' version of the spell, but you've got a 60% chance of conjuring\na 12 Hit Dice elemental, a 35% chance of conjuring a 16 Hit Dice\nelemental, and a 5% chance of conjuring a 24 Hit Dice elemental. Still,\nthree rounds wasted in a staring contest after summoning, and a 15%\nchance it'll go berserk. There's also a good chance that, by the time\nyou can cast 6th-level spells, the novelty of immunity to +1 weapons\nhas worn off.\n\nConjure Earth Elemental\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nSame as the previous spell, but with Earth Elementals. Wee...\n\nConjure Fire Elemental\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nYeah, yeah, we get it...\n\nContingency\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nI personally don't use Contingency often, as I'd rather control when\nmy buffs kick in, and honestly, the 'responses' we can pick for the\nContingency's trigger aren't very great. Enemies use it frequently,\nhowever, and it can be useful to pop on a Stoneskin, Mirror Image,\nand Blur on when the caster is threatened. It allows you to prepare up\nto 18 spell levels of spells, using no more than three spells, of up to\n6th level. All the spells must target the caster, so this is purely a\ndefensive measure.\n\nDeath Fog\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nConjures up an acidic fog, dealing eight points of acid damage per\nround. It also has the added bonus of killing any and all summoned\ncreatures in the area, regardless of power or resistances. Score. Still,\ncloud spells tend to suck, since it's never easy to get foes to hang\naround in them... and I'm not fond of delayed gratification when it\ncomes to damage.\n\n*Death Spell\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAlthough it only affects creatures with 8 Hit Dice or less (by the book\nrules, a Hit Dice for a monster is set at 1d8 Hit Points per die, or\nup to 64 Hit Points) this actually manages to be a great early-to-mid\ngame spell. It won't kill many of the more dangerous foes we'll have to\nfight, as the high quality adventurers (like the ones in the sewers\nunder Athkatla, and those in the slaver compound in the Temple District)\nare simply higher than 8th level, it doesn't affect undead, and it's\nprobably wasted on grunts, guards, and other low-quality foes. But then,\nwhat use does it have? First, it's an excellent way to dispatch\ndangerous foes like Illithids, Trolls, and Umber Hulks, which are quite\nstrong and dangerous to engage in melee. Second, it dispatches summoned\ncreatures instantly, which can be useful against summon-happy Mages. If\nyou're playing a good party, you probably won't have access to it\nterribly early, but Edwin can get it early, and often, and abusing it\nis a great idea. As you get deeper into Shadows of Amn, however, it\nbecomes less useful as foes routinely become too powerful to be affected\nby it.\n\nDisintegrate\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nYou can instantly knock off a creature with this spell, and at first\nit seems pretty great... but it's not. First, whatever gear the target\nhas can often be lost with it. Do you want to risk losing gear over this\nspell? Second, it has no save penalty, so chances are it's not going to\nbe terribly effective. Don't waste your time, or worse, gear. Just wait\nuntil you get access to 7th level's Finger of Death.\n\nFlesh to Stone\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nYeah, it might be novel to be on the afflicting end of petrification for\na change, but this isn't a great spell. First, no save penalty. Second,\ngear is petrified with it... meaning you'll have to cure the\npetrification if you want the petrified creature's gear. That being the\ncase, against many foes it's less of a death spell, and more of an\nover-glorified Otiluke's Resilient Sphere.\n\nGlobe of Invulnerability\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLike the 4th-level spell Minor Globe of Invulnerability, but less minor.\nTihs spell grants immunity to 1st-4th level spells. Honestly, many enemy\nspell-casters you encounter throughout Shadows of Amn fall into two\ncategories-mediocre casters easily slain by Breach and physical attacks,\nor overwhelmingly strong casters (like high-level Mages and Liches) who\nprobably will never bother with anything less than a 5th-level spell\nuntil the fight is mostly decided. In either case, this spell isn't\nuseful. Sorry, kids. Baldur's Gate 2 is just a higher spell league. And\nthink, really, what 4th-level and lower spells are you really afraid of?\nThe best spells in those levels tend to be buffs, which are not what you\nwant to stop.\n\nImproved Haste\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nUnlike Improved Invisibility, the 'Improved' part of this spell is\ndeceptive. As far as a personal buff goes, it actually does double the\nattacks of the affected character each round. When you're getting four\nattacks per round, doubling that can be... brutal. Unfortunately, it\ndoesn't affect the whole party like Haste does, making it a less\neffective buff. Still, if a Fighter\/Mage were to work it into a Spell\nTrigger... it could be part of a great buffing sequence. As usual, Edwin\nmakes this spell handy by sheer abundance of spell-slots. He can\nprepare enough to boost choice fighters before any significant battle...\nfor most fights, however, Haste is more than enough.\n\nInvisibile Stalker\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nYay... you get to summon another Baldur's Gate 1 critter for fight for\nyou. Too bad this is Baldur's Gate 2, and creatures from the first game\nare a little less than fodder now.\n\nMislead\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLike Shadow Door, it gives you Improved Invisibility, but unlike the\nformer, it creates a little clone of you to fool enemies. I don't see\nthe point. True Sight still fixes matters.\n\n*Pierce Magic\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nRemember when I said later enemies would have spell defenses as well as\nmagic resistance? Here is your answer to them. Pierce Magic lowers an\nenemy's magic resistance by 1% per caster level and removes one of a\nvarious group of spell defenses, like Spell Deflection, Spell Turning,\nand Spell Immunity. Use it on dragons, and critters with too many\ndefenses before starting with Breach and other spell assaults. Later on\nin the game, replace Lower Resistance with this spell.\n\nPower Word: Silence\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nI would call this spell a poop-master, or something similar... but it's\nactually a decent spell. Using it silences a character-no save, no Hit\nPoint threshold, and it lasts seven rounds... not an eternity, but still\nlonger than most fights tend to last. The downsides? It does allow Magic\nResistance, so you're probably not going to get it to work on a Lich.\nAlso, by looking at the spell lists of foes on Infinity Explorer, one\nthing becomes abundantly clear-the developers anticipated the use of\nsilence effects to shut down Mages, and hence, nearly every Mage of\nsubstance in the entire game has Vocalize prepared, ready to counter\nthis spell. The upside is the fact that they only tend to have one, so\nif you could keep applying pressure-perhaps hit them with this spell,\nthen when they countered with Vocalize, hit them with Dispel Magic and\ncast this spell again... but you're better off following other Mage\nbusting tactics. It's a good spell, and you might find it useful on\nClerics or the odd Mage who isn't protected, but most of the time you'll\nwant to use it, the computer will have a counter.\n\nProtection from Magic Energy\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell makes a Mage immune to non-elemental, magical damage, such\nas the damage dealt by Magic Missile and Horrid Wilting. Yeah, we'll be\nusing it against the latter of the two. 6th-level spells are fairly\neasy to give up, and this spell lasts a whopping turn per level, so\nnobody should be terribly unhappy using up one 6th-level spell slot on\nthis. That said, it's mostly useful in Throne of Bhaal, when we might\nencounter strong spell-casters who can cast Horrid Wilting, and either\nthe fight takes place where full party attendance is mandatory, or they\nhave strong enough allies that leading with a single character otherwise\nprotected by the Cloak of Mirroring is ill-advised. In most encounters\nwhere you might need this spell, it's the third best option for dealing\nwith such attacks, the others being, of course 1) Killing the enemy\nspell-caster before they can cast Horrid Wilting, 2) Leading with a\ncharacter wearing the Cloak of Mirroring, and hence immune to Horrid\nWilting. It's best used as a fairly complete magical-damage defense in\nconjunction with the 7th-level 'Protection from the Elements'. Edwin\ncan, of course, skip both those spells and just prepare the 8th-level\n'Protection from Energy', as he will likely have more 8th-level spell\nslots than he needs. Still, this is an infrequent cast, at the very\nbest.\n\nProtection from Magical Weapons\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nChances are you'll see the enemy use this more than you will. It makes\nyou immune to magical weapons for four rounds. A short time, but later\non almost all enemies will use magical weapons. Used by an enemy-\nparticularly an enemy who is naturally immune to weapons of low\nenchantment, it makes them all but immune to physical attacks. Breach\nstill takes care of the problem, however. All in all, I'd rather just\nuse Stoneskin.\n\nSpell Deflection\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAnother spell-defense I find wanting. Again, like Minor Spell Turning,\nI find this spell rather low-down on my ways to deal with enemy magic,\nthe two leading options being, of course to 1) overwhelm the Mage\nquickly, or 2) lead with a character well and truly protected against\nmagic... which calls for Spell Immunity, not Spell Deflection.\n\nStone to Flesh\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nA remedy for Flesh to Stone or other forms of petrification... I never\nuse Flesh to Stone offensively, and if a character is petrified, I tend\nto reload, so I have no use for this spell.\n\nSummon Nishruu\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nSummons a magical creature that feeds on magical energy, this minion is\ninteresting because of its properties... first, it is proof against\nmagic-actually healed by it, rather. On the other hand, it's not a\nwarrior, and stands no chance in melee combat. Its usage, then, is\nobvious-it's an anti-Mage summon. Brought to bear on an enemy Mage,\nit'll quite literally suck up their memorized spells. If it seems too\ngood to be true, a real Mage-slayer... well, that's because it is.\nDespite being immune to magic damage, it is NOT immune to spells, and\na simple Death Spell will see it off. It's a spell most potent enemy\nMages have. Still, there are a few instances where this spell comes in\nhandy. Just note that the Nishruu sucks up charges from magical items\nthat targets may be carrying.\n\nTenser's Transformation\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThe ultimate god-maker in Icewind Dale, it can still be a powerful\nspell in Baldur's Gate, but with one signficant difference. Spell-play\nin Icewind Dale was rather stunted, compared to the rich strategic\noptions in Baldur's Gate 2. Icewind Dale was literally a spell-buffers\nparadise, there was little in the way of counters, no sophisticated\nspell-casters that required specialized take-down tactics, and nary a\nsingle spell sequencer to keep things interesting. In that situation,\nit was fine to buff up and then go nuts with Tenser's. Tenser's, in a\nnutshell, tries to make a warrior out of a Mage. It is largely\nunsuccessful for the same reason that the plethora of Cleric spells that\nattempt the same are-it doesn't increase your attacks per round. That's\nthe reason why Viconia is never to be considered a true warrior, despite\nher absurd Armor Class and Flail of the Ages, while Anomen, lazy,\nclumsy, stupid Anomen can be.\n\n...but of course, we have a solution, don't we? A Fighter\/Mage already\nhas the attacks, the THAC0, the specialization, and 3\/4 the Hit Points\nof a true Fighter. Take what Tenser's does for a Mage-doubles the Hit\nPoints and boosts the Armor Class-and give that to a Fighter\/Mage, and\nwe're talking about a whole different level of power-play here. My\nlate-game Fighter\/Mage, when he applied Tenser's, went from 132 Hit\nPoints to 264, and from a -9 Armor Class to -13-the spell's maximum of\n-10 be damned, apparently. This, of course, made him a juggernaut that\nnot even Korgan would compare to. Of course, it disables their Mage\nspells while cast, so the Icewind Dale rules would have to apply-buff\nfirst, then Tenser's. But in Baldur's Gate 2, I find myself requiring\nmy Fighter\/Mage to keep the Mage part of his class. One Stoneskin might\nnot last him, especially since he becomes a late-game tank, and you\nnever know when you'll need a True Sight or Breach. Lastly... when it\ncomes down to it, Time Stop\/Greater Whirlwing is a better tactic than\nbuffing and Tenser's... although I wouldn't say my Fighter\/Mage\/Thief\nwouldn't find the latter tactic useful, especially since she's incapable\nof the former... It's an interesting spell, to be sure, but not so\ngrand as to be worth negating the spell arsenal of a late-game Mage.\n\n*True Sight\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell instantly removes all hostile illusions within a large\nradius of the caster. This removes Blur, Mirror Image, Shadow Door,\nMislead, and, of course, Improved Invisibility. It's absolutely\nessential for defeating Mages, who will constantly cloak themselves and\nwreck havoc upon your party-safely immune to spell reprisals until you\ntackle their invisibility. Remember, you can't target enemies with\nspells until you take down their invisibility, and even if you can see\nthem to attack them, you can't use Breach to take down their Fireshield,\nProtection from Magical Weapons, and Stoneskin. You need True Sight like\nyou need Dispel Magic-every spell caster needs at least one, all the\ntime. Better safe than sorry.\n\nWyvern Call\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nSummons a Wyvern to fight for you... Wyverns are, of course, prequel\nmonsters, and hence, not up to snuff.\n\n7th Level Arcane Spells\t\t\t\t\t\t{SPT023}\no======================================================================o\n***TOP SPELLS***\nFinger of Death: Kills foe unless they save at -2.\n  ---\nLimited Wish: Summon a Dao to grant a variety of wishes.\n  ---\nSpell Sequencer: Chain three spells of 4th level or lower.\n\nCacofiend\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nSummons a powerful demon to go on a rampage... anybody, even your own\nparty, not protected by Protection from Evil will be at risk. It's a\nlesser version of the Gate spell, and shares the same liability-if\na Dispel Magic drops your Protection from Evil, your cuddle little\nCacofiend will become... well, less cuddly and more summocidal. I'd\nrather indulge in more reliable summons, myself.\n\nControl Undead\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nEssentially charms several undead with no save allowed... if the undead\nare undead three Hit Dice. What freakin' undead in this game will have\nless than three Hit Dice, you ask? None. Otherwise, it allows a save at\nno penalty. This spell is poop.\n\nDelayed Blast Fireball\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nDelayed Blast Fireball can function as a magical trap of sorts... but\nI prefer to just use it like Fireball and drop it right on foes. In that\nrole, its 15d6 damage easily surpasses Fireball's 10d6... but Horrid\nWilting is just around the corner, guys... if you're having trouble\nfilling up 7th-level spell slots, it might be worth a go, but I'd just\nrather pack up some Fingers of Death, instead.\n\n*Finger of Death\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nSpeak of the devil! This spell instantly snuffs out the victim's life\nforce. It's a killer, and I love it. It imposes a -2 penalty on the\nvictim's save, which makes it a compotent killer, if not a spectacular\none, but if you help them along with Greater Malison, you actually stand\na chance at snuffing out baddies. Even if it fails, they still take\n2d8+1 damage, which isn't much, but it's better than nothing. I always\nhave one ready. After all, if you do not play, you cannot win.\n\nKhelben's Warding Whip\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis debuffer lasts for three rounds and dispels one spell protection\nup to 8th-level each round. The affected spells include Minor Spell\nTurning, Minor globe of Invulnerability, Spell Immunity, Globe of\nInvulnerability, Minor Spell Deflection, Spell Turning, Spell\nDeflection, Spell Shield, and Spell Invulnerability. Spell\nInvulnerability? What the shit is that? Oh right... it doesn't exist.\nOoops, Bioware. Frankly, in any situtation where I might want to cast\nthis, I find Pierce Magic more useful, instead. Who wants to wait three\nrounds? And if a foe has a specific buff that bothers me, I'll\nspecifically counter it... and lower their Magic Resistance, too.\n\n*Limited Wish\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell has many uses, but mostly I use it to protect my entire party\nfrom level drain. There are a few cases when it will be absolutely vital\nto protect yourself in this manner, but it's nothing you need to keep a\nconstant slot tied up for. Also, a number of interesting effects can be\nobtained by making 'one time only wishes', which are covered in the\nwalkthrough at [WLK043].\n\nMantle\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nProtects the caster from all weapons with an enchantment bonus of less\nthan +3... but it only lasts for four rounds. You know, Stoneskin\nprotects against all weapons, and lasts eight hours. Why not just use\nthat, instead? If it wears down, cast another. Easy.\n\nMass Invisibility\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nEssentially a very potent party-wide spell-buff, with Edwin's sheer\namount of memorization capacity, the regular use of this spell becomes\na real option. It will give the benefits of Improved Invisibility to\neverybody within a 30-foot radius, namely a four point bonus to Armor\nClass and a four point bonus to Saving Throws. Huge, huge bonuses. The\nonly problem? By Throne of Bhaal, enemies regularly expect-and can\ncounter-your Illusion spells. And since a single True Sight can waste\nthis spell-buff, it's not something I use often.\n\nMordenkainen's Sword\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nMordenkainen's Sword is a fairly useful spell that happens to find\nitself fortunately placed in our books as a 7th-level spell. I don't\nfind it to be a game-breaking spell on its own, but since you really\nonly need so many 'Finger of Death' spells, it tends to find itself\nprepared. With it, you summon a floating magical sword, which counts as\na +4 weapon and deals 5-20 damage. The enhancement bonus is pretty nice,\nbut the damage and duration (one round per level) aren't anything to get\nworked up over, but the fact that it's nearly impossible to damage is.\nIt can be 'slain' by death effects, but it's nearly impossible to hit,\nand immune to physical and elemental damage. This makes it an ideal\ndistraction, and you could certainly summon weaker things to draw the\nattention of enemies. Just don't rely on it to deal too much damage,\nit's THAC0 isn't very good.\n\nPower Word: Stun\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nStuns a creature for a variable duration depending upon their current\nHit Points, as follows:\n\n\t\to===============o===============o\n\t\t|  Hit Points   |   Duration    |\n\t\to===============o===============o\n\t\t|     > 29\t|  4d4 rounds\t|\n\t\t|---------------|---------------|\n\t\t|    30 - 59\t|  2d4 rounds\t|\n\t\t|---------------|---------------|\n\t\t|    60 - 89\t|  1d4 rounds   |\n\t\t|---------------|---------------|\n\t\t|      90+\t|  unaffected\t|\n\t\to===============o===============o\n\nNo save is otherwise allowed. The best way to use this spell is to\nblast a foe with some dependable damage-dealer (a sequencered series\nof Magic Missiles, or Horrid Wilting, for example) then follow up with\nthis spell. And that's exactly what the computer will try to do, quite\noften, actually. Ultimately, it's a spell that the computer gets more\nuse out of. Liches with contingencies and natural immunities and\nresistances can afford such tactics, while being immune to them, in\nturn. Our party will get better mileage out of other tactics.\n\nPrismatic Spray\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nCreats a long cone of prismatic light that has varying effects on all\ncaught within it, depending upon the color they were struck with. All\ncreatures with less than 8 Hit Dice (64 Hit Points) are blinded for 2-8\nrounds regardless of whatever else happens:\n\n\to=======o=======================================o\n\t| Color\t|\t\t Effects\t\t|\n\to=======o=======================================o\n\t|  Red\t|       20 damage (save for half)\t|\n\t|-------|---------------------------------------|\n\t|Orange |\t40 damage (save for half)\t|\n\t|-------|---------------------------------------|\n\t|Yellow\t|\t80 damage (save for half)\t|\n\t|-------|---------------------------------------|\n\t| Green\t| Save vs. Poison or die, 20 damage on\t|\n\t|\t|            successful save\t\t|\n\t|-------|---------------------------------------|\n\t| Blue\t|Save vs. Petrification or be turned to |\n\t|\t|                 stone\t\t\t|\n\t|-------|---------------------------------------|\n\t|Indigo\t|       Save vs. Wand or go insane\t|\n\to=======o=======================================o\n\nAs you can see, the effects are highly variable, and the spell is not\nparty friendly, but if you're careful, it might be worth a gamble\nagainst a group of foes. My experience with the spell, however, has\njust been underwhelming. It's simply too random to be of much use in\nmost fights.\n\nProject Image\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nMakes an illusory copy of the casting wizards, which can cast the same\nspells and has the same Hit Points as the casting Mage... but it makes\nthe Mage immobile during the spell, so don't think you're getting to\ndouble your fun from this spell. Also note the word 'illusory'. It's a\nword that means 'True Sight will counter it', and so it shall be.\n\nProtection from the Elements\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nA rare cast for me, but it has a very, very, important function. When\nyou have vulnerable characters with low Hit Points (like, say, Mages,\nfor example) and angry critters that cast mean spells or use breath\nweapons, this spell is the answer. It confers 75% immunity to all\nelemental attacks. 75% won't stop the hurt entirely, but it will prevent\ndevastating loss of Hit Points. The 8th-level spell 'Protection from\nEnergy' covers magical damage (like Horrid Wilting) too, but a 7th-level\nspell-slot is easier to give up than an 8th-level spell slot... unless\nyour name is Edwin. Used in combination with the 6th-level spell\n'Protection from Magic Energy' the two provide better protection than\nthe 8th-level 'Protection from Energy', and in all honesty, it's easier\nto give up a 6th-and-7th-level spell than it is to give up an 8th-level\nspell.\n\nRuby Ray of Reversal\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nDispels one spell protection of any level, favoring the highest level\none if there are numerous. This includes the following spells: Minor\nSpell Turning, Minor Globe of Invulnerability, Spell Immunity, Globe of\nInvulnerability, Minor Spell Deflection, Spell Turning, Spell Shield,\nSpell Deflection, and Spell Trap. Really? Did we need this AND Khelben's\nWarding Whip in the same level? I've got the same response to this one,\ntoo; use Pierce Magic, instead.\n\n*Spell Sequencer\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLike Minor Sequencer, but it can queue up three spells of 4th level or\nlower. This allows you to chain up three Flame Arrows to really hurt\nsomething. Another good option for our Fighter\/Mage is to chain\nImproved Invisibility, Stoneskin, and Mirror Image. You can also chain\nup a 'super slow', a Greater Malison and two Slow spells, when it just\nneeds to work. Still, we're not quite at the heavy tactical stage.\nThat, like all things good, must wait until level eight.\n\nSpell Turning\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nANOTHER one of these? Okay, to be fair, it's not a Spell Deflection-\nit's Spell TURNING... which in this case does the same thing, except\nnegated spells are turned back on their caster. Save of course, area of\neffect spells. Again, I don't find a use for it. Many of the more\ndangerous casters (Liches) are likely to be immune to their own spells,\nand it doesn't do one of the two better options for fighting Mages,\nwhich, in case you forgot, are 1) kill them quickly, or 2) render a\ncharacter lastingly immune to their spells.\n\nSphere of Chaos\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nMagical effects run rampant in a spherical area for one turn. Every\nround a foe is in the sphere they must save (at no penalty) or suffer\none of the following effects: polymorphed into a squirrel, confusion,\nburst into flames, paralysis, disintegration, healed for 20 Hit Points,\nrandomly teleported a short distance, rendered unconscious, or Hasted.\nConsidering that one of the effects can cause the loss of equipment\n(disintegration), one is useless (teleportation) and two are actually\nbeneficial to the enemy (healing and Haste), why would you ever cast\nthis?\n\nSummon Djinni\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nSummons a Djinn to fight for you. They have a selection of a few\noffensive 1st-3rd level Mage spells, but nothing to get excited about,\nand are sub-par melee combatants. All in all, you're better off\nsummoning an Efreeti instead. They're somewhat more hardy and have the\nsame spells.\n\nSummon Efreeti\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLike the previous spell, but the Efreeti has a few more Hit Points and\nthe same spell selection. Still, it's not a very powerful summon.\n\nSummon Hakeashar\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nA more potent version of Summon Nishruu, the Hakeashar has more Hit\nPoints (92 versus 72) better THAC0, and immunity to non-magical weapons.\nIf you have the option, and the need, summon a Hakeashar instead, but\nit still won't survive a Death Spell...\n\n8th Level Arcane Spells\t\t\t\t\t\t{SPT024}\no======================================================================o\n***TOP SPELLS***\nAbi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting: High-damage, party friendly, area effect.\n  ---\nSpell Trigger: Simultaneous cast up to three spells, 6th level or less.\n\n*Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis is one of the best damage-dealing spells of the game, made even\nmore useful for the fact that unlike Comet, it doesn't use up a precious\n9th level spell slot, or a high level ability. Let's discuss, shall we?\nIt deals a whopping 1d8 damage per caster level, far outpacing the next\nnearest damaging spell out there. It imposes a -2 penalty on the saves\nof an enemy trying to mitigate the damage, further improving the odds\nof it hurting extra. Lastly, it's party friendly. What more could you\nask for? Learn it, memorize it, use it, love it. It really shines\nagainst various high-level Mages in Throne of Bhaal, who usually don't\nhave the spell defenses or Hit Points to survive too many of these.\n\nBigby's Clenched Fist\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nSummons a giant fist which will hinder and harm the target for several\nrounds. First round it deals 3d6 damage with no save and holds the\ntarget. Second round the foe can save at -2 to escape, or suffers 4d6\ndamage. Third round the target gets another save at no penalty, or\nsuffers 6d6 damage. The problems with this spell are simple to see-\nfirst, it allows Magic Resistance, so if you think you're going to\nconfound any Liches, think again. Second, the saves aren't too\ndifficult, and once a save is made, the spell ends. Third, the damage\nisn't great. I don't see why anybody wouldn't just use a Finger of\nDeath, instead. Kills if they fail a save at -2, and deals 2d8+1 damage\nas a consolation prize if they survive.\n\nImproved Mantle\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nYeah... Improved means it protects against +3 weapon (but not +4 or\nhigher), not that it lasts longer. It doesn't. Four rounds is all you\nget, and I still have the same remark-Stoneskin doesn't care if it's a\n+3 or a +4 weapon, it just works. It lasts longer. Use Stoneskin,\ninstead.\n\nIncendiary Cloud\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nDeals 1d4 points of damage per level of the caster per round to all\nfoes in the area for its one-turn duration. That damage is actually not\nbad, and it can really add up if you can keep a foe in the area for a\nwhile (perhaps with a summoned Fire Elemental, or a character protected\nby Protection From Fire? This spell has merit, so I won't call it mean\nnames, but I won't get it an '*', either. It's no Horrid Wilting, and\nit should lose out to Horrid Wilting every time.\n\nMaze\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nYou'll see this spell in action, oh yes... it's a favorite of enemy\nMages. Why? Well, it offers no save, and... well, it just works. The\naffected creature is 'mazed' taken to an extra-dimensional maze for a\nvariable number of rounds depending on their Intelligence (presumably,\nthe dumber you are the more time it takes you to solve the Maze and\nescape):\n\n\t\to===============o===============o\n\t\t| Intelligence  |   Duration    |\n\t\to===============o===============o\n\t\t|     > 3\t|   2d4 turns\t|\n\t\t|---------------|---------------|\n\t\t|    3 - 5\t|   1d4 turns\t|\n\t\t|---------------|---------------|\n\t\t|    6 - 8\t|   5d4 rounds\t|\n\t\t|---------------|---------------|\n\t\t|    9 - 11\t|   4d4 rounds\t|\n\t\t|---------------|---------------|\n\t\t|   12 - 14\t|   3d4 rounds\t|\n\t\t|---------------|---------------|\n\t\t|   15 - 17\t|   2d4 rounds\t|\n\t\t|---------------|---------------|\n\t\t|     18+\t|   1d4 rounds\t|\n\t\to===============o===============o\n\nCast on a dumbass like Anomen, this spell could last quite a while-\nprobably longer than a late-game fight will take to win-or lose. So,\nit's strictly a way to pick on warriors too dumb to escape, essentially\nremoving them from the battlefield so you can deal with greater threats.\nStill, there are superior ways to do this, and at the cost of an\n8th-level spell slot... it's an awful lot to ask me to pass up on a\nSpell Trigger or Horrid Wilting. I'm convinced the spell has strategic\nmerit, even though it'll work less often for you than the computer\n(most of them have Magic Resistance, and most of your party will not,\nyou see), but I'm not convinced it ranks as one of the best 8th-level\nspells.\n\nPierce Shield\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLike Pierce Magic, but marginally better. Still, not enough better that\nI'd waste an 8th level spell slot on it. It's got a few more spells it\ncan dispel, and reduces the enemy's magic resistance by another +10%.\nOn the other hand, Pierce Magic can be used with a Spell Trigger, so\nwhy would you ever use Pierce Shield?\n\nPower Word: Blind\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nStun is 7th-level and blind is 8th? Oookay... Power Word Blind allows\nno save and affects all creatures within a 10-foot radius of the target\nfoe, inflicting blindness upon them all... unless they have Magic\nResistance (which they will). It could prove useful against some\ntougher melee foes, like Fire Giants... but I have to question how much\nbetter it is for this than Slow or Chaos. Sure, they both allow saves...\nbut at a crippling penalty. And they don't take up an 8th-level\nspell slot... Besides, a Fire Giant with a base THAC0 of 0 will be\nhardly affected by a few point penalty to their THAC0, but Slow or\nChaos? Slow will reduce their number of attacks, and Chaos might prevent\nthem from attacking altogether. All in all, I'd say this spell just\ndoesn't bring enough to the table. Especially not with a six-round\nduration.\n\nProtection from Energy\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nA rare cast for me, but it has a very, very, important function. When\nyou have vulnerable characters with low Hit Points (like, say, Mages,\nfor example) and angry critters that cast mean spells or use breath\nweapons, this spell is the answer. It confers 75% immunity to all\nenergy attacks-which in this case means elements or magic damage (like\nHorrid Wilting). 75% won't stop the hurt entirely, but it will prevent\ndevastating loss of Hit Points. In practice, Edwin can use this spell\nwhenever he's at risk, but other Mages need to be more stingy-typically\nresorting to the 7th-Level 'Protection from the Elements' to deal with\nelemental damage, or the 6th-level 'Protection from Magic Energy'. It's\nnot as complete of a defense, but the instances where we might get hit\nby both a Horrid Wilting and potent elemental attacks are rare. In\ntheory, every Mage could qualify for that sort of dual-threat, but such\nMages are rare until Throne of Bhaal, they typically start throwing out\nHorrid Wilting long before they bother to cast elemental spells (all of\nwhich are invariably lower-level attacks). Point of the matter is, if\nthey're casting elemental spells, they're doing so because they've\nexhausted their initial spell barrages-and most Mages don't tend to last\nmore than a few rounds against me. Not boasting, I make it a point to\nkill Mages first. It's a little thing we call 'strategy'.\n\nSimulacrum\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nA powerful spell that I tend to under-rate for one... or perhaps two\nreasons... First, Vhailor's Helm allows you to create a Simulacrum once\nper day, free of charge. It's a wonderful thing to be able to conjure up\na copy of an uber powerful Fighter\/Mage, complete with his own buffs,\nGreater Whirlwinds, and premium gear... but of course, if we have\nVhailor's Helm we've got no reason to waste an 8th-level spell slot,\ntoo. As for our Mages, then, who might actually end up wanting to\nprepare one... this spell has mixed results, really. As far as the\nspell's description is concerned, it's supposed to create a Simulacrum\nat 60% the caster's level. Take a level 28 Edwin, and cut him down to\n60%... you get about a 16th-level Edwin. Fair enough, but it's not the\nsame league of potency by a long-shot. Your Simulacrum will be able to\ncast a few Breaches, a Finger of Death or two, which can be pretty\nuseful, but not game-breaking. Imoen, on the other hand... well, I sense\na bug. Her Simulacrum comes packed with up to 9th-level spells, which\nmakes it very worthwhile for her to cast this spell. Why is her\nSimulacrum so much stronger than anybody else's? I suspect it might be\nbecause of her dual-classed status. Take my level 26 Imoen, who at 60%\nshould produce a Simulacrum of 15th level (rounded down)... or roughly\non par with Edwin's. This is not, in fact, what we see. But if we add\nImoen's seven dormant Thief levels into the equation, we get her\nacting as a 33rd-level Mage for the purposes of this spell, 60% of which\nis 19th-level (rounded down)-enough to cast 9th-level spells. I haven't\ndone an exhaustive trial on this idea, but it seems to fit. In any\nevent, Simulacrum's usefulness is highly variable. On a well-equipped\nphenom like my Fighter\/Mage, it's invaluable... as an item-accessed\nspell. On your Mages, it might be worthwhile if you're very, very\nhigh-leveled, and your name is Imoen.\n\n*Spell Trigger\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell is where you really get to play with your multi-spell\ntactics. It allows you to chain up to three spells of sixth level or\nless. Three Chain Lightnings is a pretty awesome combo, but my\nfavorite is my one-shot defense breaker. Typically consisting of two\nPierce Magic spells and a Breach, or a Pierce Magic, Breach, and Greater\nMalison. Start out fights with powerful, well-protected enemies with\nthis combo to leave them open to both physical and magical attacks.\nYou'll learn to love it, and during Throne of Bhaal you should strive to\nalways have one ready to go.\n\nSummon Fiend\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell is just like Gate or Cacodemon, and has the same problem-\nthe summoned demon is too unpredictable, and with a single Dispel Magic\nbecomes a liability instead of an ally.\n\nSymbol: Death\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nInscribes a magical symbol that, when approached, causes all creatures\nin the area to Save vs. Death or die. Unfortunately it doesn't work on\nany foes with 60 Hit Points or more, so... yeah. I wipe my ass with this\nspell.\n\nSymbol: Fear\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAnother Symbol spell, when something enters the area of effect it\ntriggers, attempting to cause fear (save at -4). It, like all Symbol\nspells are plagued by the fact that they're not party-friendly... but,\nthe range is decent, the save penalty good, and if you prepare with\nRemove Fear, it might not be a terrible spell to cast... it just fails\nfor taking up an 8th-level spell slot.\n\nSymbol: Stun\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nEverything within a 30-foot radius must save at -4 or be stunned for\ntwo rounds, +1 round\/3 levels of the caster. Keep in mind that the spell\nis not party friendly.\n\n9th Level Arcane Spells\t\t\t\t\t\t{SPT025}\no======================================================================o\n***TOP SPELLS***\nComet: 1d10 damage, party-friendly, chance to stun and knock down foes.\n  ---\nTime Stop: Gives caster three free rounds to act.\n\nAbsolute Immunity\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nMight as well be called 'Ultimate Mantle', it protects against even +5\nweapons... and it's a rare foe indeed who can penetrate that. Of course,\nyou know god-damn well what I'm going to say, don't you? Four round\nduration, and we've been stopping weapons of all enhancement bonuses\nsince we first got Stoneskin. Stoneskin is king, and won't eat up a\n9th-level spell slot.\n\nBigby's Crushing Hand\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nOh Bigby's how you suck, let me count the ways... first, it has a\nmaximum damage of 9d10 damage to ONE foe, spread over the course of\nthree rounds. The spell gives them three chances to save, just like\nBigby's Clenched Fist, and if they manage, it negates all future\ndamage. First save is at -4, second is at -2, third is at no penalty.\nWhy in the hell would ever cast this when you could cast Comet?\n\nBlack Blade of Disaster\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThe only thing disasterous about this spell is that it happens to be a\n9th-level spell. It counts as a +5 weapon, which you are a Grand Master\nat wielding. It deals 2d12 damage per hit and every time it hits the\ncreature must save (at a generous +4) or be disintegrated... which is,\nif anything, a liability in my eyes. Also, it has a 10% chance to drain\nfour levels from the target and heal the wielder (you!) for 20 Hit\nPoints. Sounds decent, but when you think of all the damage you could\ndo with a single Comet or all the mischief you can cause during a Time\nStop, and this spell seems pretty patry, indeed.\n\nChain Contigency\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nReleases three spells under preset conditions, all of which must be\n8th-level or lower. Seems pretty awesome, but since it triggers\nreactionarily, instead of voluntarily, the spells must all be defensive,\nand the best defensive spells are 5th-level or lower. So... you really\ndon't need the power of this spell. Also, it's a 9th-level spell. You\nneed to be packing a whole lot of badass to make it into my list of\nprepared 9th-level spells. Speaking of badass...\n\n*Comet\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n...10d10 damage marginally out-does Fireball, but this spell has three\ngreat advantages that makes it the best damage-dealer in the game.\nFirst, it offers no save against the damage. Second, it doesn't hurt\nparty members. Third, it has a chance to stun enemies for 1d4 rounds\nand knock them down. It's great for dealing a good chunk of damage to\na lot of enemies, and breaking them up a bit so your fighters can get\nsome breathing room. While Horrid Wilting is potentially more damaging,\nComet's ability to change the course of a fight in a single cast make it\na better cast on a spell-for-spell basis.\n\nDragon's Breath\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAnother 9th-level damage dealer, this spell has the allure of dealing\na possible 20d10 damage to all foes in a 30-foot radius and knocking\nthem back. Of course, there is no save penalty for this spell, and a\nsave negates the knock-back. All in all, I'd rather use Comet, as in\nall likelyhood they're going to do the same damage, and I'd prefer a\nchance to Stun and knock down for 1d4 rounds, instead ofjust knocking\na foe away from me.\n\nEnergy Blades\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nCreates a number of energy blades which can be thrown at foes. Yes,\nthrown. Still, this spell has the good sense to gives a +10 bonus to\nTHAC0 and each one deals 1d4+5 damage, as well as 1d10 additional\nelectrical damage. The Mage gets one disc per level to throw, and can\nthrow nine per round. Still, the fact that you must hit foes to do any\ndamage makes this spell of dubious worth in my eyes. Ultimately,\nassuming no misses, the potential damage of this spell per round is\n9d4+5 (36-81) plus 9d10 (9-90), or 45-171, which sounds fine and all...\nbut when you think of how much damage Comet could do if employed against\na group of enemies, plus the stun and knock-down... You know, I really\nhave to wonder if this spell is any better than a high-level Flame\nArrow. Think about it, at level 20 you'd get four arrows, each doing\n5d6 damage. Thats 20-120 damage with no attack roll. Even if the foes\nsaves, they're still going to take 12-72 damage, barring any fire\nresistance (which isn't a valid criticism, considering that much of\nEnergy Blade's damage is from equally-resistable electrical damage).\nAnd you could link three Flame Arrows with a Spell Trigger! Why waste\na 9th-level spell slot doing what a 3rd-level spell can do almost as\nwell?\n\nEnergy Drain\n<----------------------------------------------------------------------><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Take two levels from the enemy and laugh. No save allowed, and chances\nare, the computer will not have a Cleric handy. Still, two level isn't\nmuch, and a single casting of this spell won't seriously diminish any\nfoe, much less win fights like Comet or Time Stop can.\n\nFreedom\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nCounters Imprisonment or Maze. I tend to reload if a character is\nImprisoned, and Maze wears off. You never really have a reason to cast\nthis spell.\n\nGate\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nGate is a summoning spell with serious liabilities. Unless you have a\nProtection of Evil spell cast on the caster (and anybody else you don't\nwant the Pit Fiend to attack) the Pit Fiend will view them as fair game.\nOn one hand, you should be used to using Protection From Evil 10' Radius\nfrequently... but on the other hand, having a summon who will turn on\nyou if a Dispel Magic is tossed around doesn't strike me as a good\nidea. Besides, there are plenty of other, superior summoning spells out\nthere. Ones not coated in liability sauce.\n\nImprisonment\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell sucks for the same reason Flesh to Stone sucks. It removes an\nenemy from the fight, sure, but it also takes out their gear, too. If\nyou are confident that the foe has no equipment of value on them, by\nall means, Imprison away, there's no saving throw, so it will probably\nwork... I mean, except for the fact that quite a few foes have Magic\nResistance. If you want to retrieve an Imrisoned creature later, you'll\nhave to go through the trouble of casting a Freedom spell, and I just\ncan't be bothered...\n\nImproved Alacrity\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAllows a Mage to cast spells more quickly. Normally, a Mage can only\ncast one spell per round. With this spell, the Mage is presumably only\nlimited by casting time... which means you'll get variable mileage out\nof this spell depending upon your chosen spells. Of course, the effect\nonly lasts two rounds... honestly, I'd stick to Time Stop. That gives\nyou three rounds to do whatever you wish... under normal speed rules,\nof course.\n\nMeteor Swarm\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nDespite the awesome-sounding name, this spell leaves a bit to be\ndesired in a damage-dealer. Everything-friend or foes-in a 30-foot\nradius will take 4-40 damage if they are hit by one of the meteors.\nUltimately, this spell is capable of quite a bit of damage, but it's\nalso highly variable. Ultimately a factor of randomness I don't find\nfitting for a 9th-level spell... not when Comet is guaranteed to do\ntwice as much damage to all foes in an area and not harm any of your\nparty members.\n\nPower word: Kill\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nKills one creature... unless their current Hit Points are higher than\n60. Since this means pretty much every creature worth casting this on,\nyou can safely ignore it.\n\nShapechange\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLike Polymorph Self, the caster can change freely into-and out of-a\nvariety of creatures. Namely, a Mind Flayer, Iron Golem, Greater\nWolfwere, Earth Elemental, Fire Elemental, or Giant Troll. By the time\nyou can do this, however, there is no real attraction to it. All the\nShapechange options are likely to be more vulnerable than your Mage was\n(except perhaps the Iron Golem). In any event, you didn't make a Mage\nso you could pummel things, did you? No, so stick to blasting things\nwith spells, buffing, and debuffing. It's what you're good at.\n\nSpell Trap\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nI'll admit, Spell Trap is quite the hefty spell defense, absorbing up\nto 30 spell levels... it could take a while for a mage to penetrate it.\nOn the other hand, it will be all but impossible for a Mage to ever\npenetrate three or four Spell Immunities, and that's where the problem\nlies. My Fighter\/Mage will never have many 9th-level spell slots, and\nI'd rather save the few I have for Time Stop, rather than waste them\non Spell Trap when I can just use a few 5th-level spell slots.\n\nSpellstrike\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nDispels a number of spell protections including: Minor Spell Turning,\nMinor Globe of Invulnerability, Spell Immunity, Globe of\nInvulnerability, Minor Spell Deflection, Spell Turning, Spell Shield,\nSpell Deflection, Spell Invulnerability, and Spell Trap. You know,\ndoesn't Pierce Magic do almost the same thing? Yeah, it doesn't take\ndown ALL of them, but the odds of a Mage having more than one or two\nup at a time is uncommon, and this spell doesn't do anything to their\nMagic Resistance. Again, I say stick to humble old 5th-level Pierce\nMagic.\n\nSummon Planetar\/Summon Dark Planetar\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nSummon a badass celestial minion to help you. These critters come loaded\nwith spells, both Druidic (like Insect Plague), Clerical (Heal, Cure\nDisease, Globe of Blades) and Mage (Chaos, Haste). They also come\nwith a Silver Sword (not the Vorpal weapon we got from the Gith, just a\n2d10+3 weapon) and the attacks, THAC0, Armor Class, Hit Points, and \nStrength to make an impression in melee. It's the strongest thing a\nMage can summon... shame, then, that I feel it's not worth a 9th-level\nspell slot. I say leave the summoning to the Clerics and the Druids.\nLet the Mages stick to Time Stop and Comet.\n\n*Time Stop\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis is probably the best spell in the game. When cast, you get three\nrounds to do whatever you wish. If you cast spells, those spells will\nall take effect when the Time Stop ends-not during it. If you want to\nsequence spells, you'll need to be a little sneaky. If you cast one\nspell closer to an enemy than another spell, the closer spell will\nreach first, allowing you to thus chain spells that just need to work-\nlike Pierce Magic or Breach. Three favorite tactics of mine-and they\naren't complex, but they are effective-are as follows. First, just\nusing three Horrid Wiltings can obliterate enemy opposition, especially\nlow Hit Point enemy Mages, who can do little but die under the\nonslaught. Second, use a Spell Trigger to blast an enemy with a\ncombination of spells that destroys their defenses, then use a Spell\nSequencer and Minor Sequencer to hit them with various damage-dealing\nspells, like Flame Arrow, or Magic Missiles. Don't underestimate the\ndamage that five Magic Missiles can do on a single unlucky enemy... no\ncreature in the game can ignore 50-125 damage. Third, I just cast Time\nStop and have my Fighter\/Mage use up three Greater Whirlwind attacks-\n30 attacks-on a wretched victim.\n\nWail of the Banshee\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nHonestly, I can't remember ever using this spell, or having it used\nagainst me. Perhaps it's the lack of a save penalty? Maybe by the time\nI get it, in Throne of Bhaal or damn near it, I'm not worried about\nkilling off groups of weak enemies, and have better tools to do it with?\nWhy waste a 9th-level spell slot on it?\n\nWish\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nWish... ah, Wish is a very peculiar spell, indeed. See, you are\nattempting to bend cosmic forces to your whim, and apparently this\ncan't be done without some wretched Djinni (in place of the typical\nasshole Dungeon Master) trying to distort your intentions while still\nhonoring your words. Deliberate misinterpretation, in other words.\nThe effectiveness of this spell depends solely on the caster's Wisdom\nscore, which will determine what effects you are able to choose from\nafter haggling with the Djinni. Without going into too much detail,\na good number of the options the spell presents are unfavorable, either\nbecause they harm the party exclusively, or they harm both the party and\nenemies, or they help both the party and enemies. Having a high Wisdom\ngets your more favorable responses, but it doesn't remove any negative\nones. So... what you get after 'negotiating' are five options, randomly\nchosen from the list of options appropriate for your Wisdom. Some are\nquite good, like casting Breach on all foes in the area, or Improved\nHaste on all allies, or casting a double-length Time Stop and Improved\nAlacrity on the caster, Restoration on the party, or restoring the\nparty as if they had rested a full night, restored spells and all. You\nalso get the bad ones, of course, but you can chose any of the five\noptions you get. Odds are you won't get a terrible option on any\ncasting of the spell, but it's not guaranteed you'll get something good,\neither. Ultimately, it's just far too random to bother using Wish. If\nit comes through, it can really help the party, but most likely its\nresults will be mediocre. At the end of the day, I really can't justify\ngambling with Wish when a guaranteed Time Stop can be prepared instead.\n\nSpell Buff Order\t\t\t\t\t\t{SPT026}\no======================================================================o\nNow you know what spells to have, and why to have them, but apparently\nthis isn't enough for some people. Some people know who they are, but\nI tolerate them because they're usually right when it comes to these\nthings. Anyhow, in this section we'll discuss what spells to use-when,\nand in what order you should cast your buffs. What kind of lazy ass FAQ-\nwriter wouldn't put this information in the walkthrough, you know, when\nyou fight creatures that require buffing? Beats me, I made sure to put\nit in the walkthrough, but here you'll find a stable, easy-to-find\nlocation that discusses spell-buffing in more detail. I see the appeal,\nI follow FAQs myself (on games I can't bother to learn everything about\nmyself or play twice-JRPGs, for example) and it's a pain in the ass to\nhave to scroll through a walkthrough to find the author's off-hand\ncomments on how to do something that should really be mentioned in its\nown context.\n\nAlso note that many of these buff combos either require-or are vastly\nimproved by having-a multi-class Mage of some sort. In case you didn't\nget it earlier, I have pushed the Fighter\/Mage = Godly angle throughout\nthe guide. While it might not have been obvious in Baldur's Gate 1, it\nwill become quite obvious in Baldur's Gate 2. Your Fighter\/Mage is your\ncombat tactician, the versatile crux upon which most-if not all-\nsophisticated take-down strategies turn. A Fighter\/Mage\/Thief works\nnearly as well, and Thief\/Mages, Cleric\/Mages, and Fighter\/Cleric\/Mages\nare also passable. Any character who can fight and spell-buff with Mage\nspells (many of which are exclusive to the caster). Sure, there are\nother ways to win fights, but the buff combos using a Fighter\/Mage or\nFighter\/Mage\/Thief are arguably the easiest way to go through the game.\n\nBuff Combo: Spell Buff to the Max!\t\t\t\t{SPT027}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nRequires: 1) Two divine spell casters (Cleric\/Druid)\n\t  2) Two arcane spell casters (Bard\/Mage)\n\t  3) Summoning Items\n\t  4) Buffing items\n\nYou'll see this phrase used a few times throughout the guide-the phrase\ncame before the section, honest. This is the general spell-buffing you\nwill use in most major fights. It's name is rather deceptive, since all\nother specific buff combos actually include using MORE spells, not less.\nHowever, since this is the big, general buff combo, it'll bear the most\nexplanation.\n\nRound #1: Iron Skins\/Stoneskin\n       (These are the longest-lasting buffs in the game, so they should\n\tALWAYS go first.)\nRound #2: Blur\/Protection from Evil 10' Radius\n       (Again, two general buffs that last a long time. At 1 turn\/level,\n\tProtection from Evil 10' Radius is more of a level-lasting buff\n\tthan a fight-per-fight buff. Cast it when you start an area, and\n\tit should stick the whole time. Blur is more modest at \n\t4 + 2 rounds\/level, but it's a great Armor Class and Saving\n\tThrow booster.)\nRound #3: Armor of Faith\/Mirror Image\n       (Now for more personal spell-buffs. Armor of Faith and Mirror\n\tImage are both decent personal buffs with durations of\n\t3 +1 rounds\/level.)\nRound #4: Summons\n       (Use items, especially Vhailor's Helmet and whatever other\n\ttrinkets you have, like the Black Spider Figurine, the Silver\n\tHorn of Valhalla, and the Efreeti Bottle. Later on in the game,\n\tthe last three items are not worth the trouble. Summon  an\n\tElemental Prince if you have them, and have Keldorn summon a\n\tDeva, or have Viconia summon a Fallen Deva.)\nRound #5: Aura of Flaming Death\/Dual Golem Manual\/Haste\/Item Buffs\n       (Now we're on some serious time constaints-many of our summons\n\twill only last a turn, or ten rounds. My protagonist-who always\n\twields the Golem Manual and Vhailor's Helm, now uses the former,\n\tand so does the Simulacrum we summoned last round. Your\n\tdedicated Mage (Edwin or Imoen) should cast the Haste\n\timmediately after the Golems appear, and the Divine spell-\n\tcasters bring up Auras of Flaming Death. If you have the Short\n\tSword Ilbratha and\/or Rings of Air Control, now is the time to\n\tuse them.)\nRound #6: Final Buffing\/Attack!\n       (Buffing is pretty much over-it's time to start combat. If your\n\tSimulacrum is a Fighter\/Mage or Fighter\/Mage\/Thief like mine,\n\tit might be a good idea to see what spells they have and pop\n\tout a Blur or Stoneskin, although I'm not nearly as concerned\n\tabout their survival as any of my party members.)\n\nBuff Combo: Dragons and Demons\t\t\t\t\t{SPT028}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nRequires: 1) Two divine spell casters (Cleric\/Druid)\n\t  2) Two arcane spell casters (Bard\/Mage)\n\t  3) Summoning Items\n\t  4) Buffing items\n\nDragons and Demons require a little extra work. The former employ\ndevasting breath weapons that can outright kill weaker party members.\nThey absolutely need protection. Against stupid fire-breathing Dragons\nwe can buff the whole party with cheap, long-lasting elemental spells,\nbut against other Dragons, it just takes too much time-putting up a\nhalf-dozen 7th-level 'Protection from the Elements'... well, not really,\nbut I'm lazy, so I rarely tend to do it. It's just easier to cast a\nHeal spell in the middle of combat. Right before combat, cast 'Remove\nFear' on your party and their summons. Dragon fear can end fights before\nthey begin. Some Demons also use fear, as well.\n\nRound #1: Iron Skins\/Stoneskin\nRound #2: Blur\/Protection from Evil 10' Radius\nRound #3: Armor of Faith\/Mirror Image\nRound #4: Elemental Buffing\n       (Dragons tend to use breath weapons, which are not your friend.\n\tTo counter that, we need to defend ourselves from them. Against\n\tfire, you have an easy time, the 3rd-level spell 'Protection\n\tfrom Fire', or, at higher levels, 'Aura of Flaming Death'. The\n\tbest all-purpose Mage buff is the 7th-level 'Protection from the\n\tElements'. Sure, there's the 8th-level 'Protection from Energy',\n\tbut 8th-level spells are precious, and it doesn't add and real\n\tprotection against what we need it for. In higher-level fights,\n\tI tend to just have my Mages buff themselves with 'Protection\n\tfrom Energy', since they're the most vulnerable (and perhaps\n\tit's worthwhile to take an extra round out to protect Jaheira\/\n\tViconia, who are more vulnerable.)\nRound #5: Summons\nRound #6: Aura of Flaming Death\/Dual Golem Manual\/Haste\/Item Buffs\nRound #7: Final Buffing\/Attack!\n       (Again, have your Simulacrum buff themselves however they can,\n\tbut there's a special buff necessary before combating Dragons\n\tand many demons-the humble 1st-leve 'Remove Fear'. Make sure it\n\tgets all your summons, too. They're absolutely useless if they\n\tare running around in fear-same with your party members.)\n\t\n\nBuff Combo: Illithids\t\t\t\t\t\t{SPT029}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nRequires: 1) Fighter\/Mage or Fighter\/Mage\/Thief who can cast 5th-level\n\t     Mage spells (9th-level Mage).\n\t  2) Divine Spell caster (Cleric\/Druid) who can cast 5th-level\n\t     Cleric\/Druid spells (8th-level Cleric\/9th-level Druid)\n\nIllithids are an odd sort of creature that requires different, less\ngeneralized spell-buffing. First, I tend to keep most of my party back\nin reserve, safely using missile weapons. The only character who engages\nthe Illithids in melee combat is my protagonist. Why? Illithids drain\nIntelligence every time they hit, at least several points at a time.\nEven my 19+ Intelligence Fighter\/Mage can't weather a half dozen hits,\nand box-of-rocks Intelligence warriors like Keldorn, Anomen, and Korgan\nwill only survive three or so. My entire strategy therefore becomes\nabout making one character as hard to hit as possible-the only character\nthat can do this well is a Mage combo. Blur, Greater Invisibility, \nMirror Image, and Fighter-esque armor will make Illithids survivable...\nas long as you protect yourself against their psionics, and have a\nstaunch offensive effort to keep combat short.\n\nRound #1: Blur\/Chaotic Commands\n       (Chaotic Commands is absolutely essential for any character\n\twishing to engage a Mind Flayer in melee. Fortunately, every\n\tdivine spell-caster can use it, and it lasts one turn per level,\n\tso you'll probably only need to use it once. Of course, we all\n\tknow about Blur and its Armor Class bonuses, as well as its\n\tduration.)\nRound #2: Mirror Image\n       (Take a breather this round and have your protagonist buff\n\thimself (or herself) with wonderful, wonderful Mirror Image.\n\tIllusion is the name of the game with this buff combo.)\nRound #3: Greater Invisibility\/Haste\n       (Have your protagonist cast 'Greater Invisibility' on themselves,\n\tor use a Ring of Air Control. It'll lower their Armor Class, but\n\tnote that the point is NOT to avoid becoming a target. Also,\n\tcatch your entire party in Haste. A good offensive is the best\n\tdefense, and all that. Seriously though. Dead Illithids aren't\n\teating any brains.)\nRound #4: Combat\/Death Spell\/Ranged Support\n       (Scout out Illithid groups with your invisible Fighter\/Mage, and\n\tuse Death Spell to start out fights. Illithids usually come with\n\tUmber Hulks, and Death Spell will smite them unerringly. Once\n\tyour Protagonist has safely engaged (oxymoron alert!) and\n\tabsorbed the inevitable psionic assault Illithids begin fights\n\twith, having your Hasted party come up and shoot at anything\n\tattacking your baitagonist. If your protagonist is taking too\n\tmany hits, withdraw and lure the Illithids around by running.\n\tHopefully you'll be able to recover some Intelligence or shoot\n\tthe Illithids down.\n\nAlternatives: This strategy still floats if you don't have a multi-class\n\tMage, but it'll take a specific set-up. First, take a strong\n\tFighter (Keldorn or Korgan, for example) and cast Chaotic\n\tCommands on them. Make them use Ilbratha (for Mirror Image) and\n\ta Ring of Air Control (Greater Invisibility). It's the best you\n\tcan do, just be very, very attentive to their Intelligence.\n\nBuff Combo: Liches, Beholders, and other pesky Mages\t\t{SPT030}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nRequires: 1) Multi-class Mage who can cast 5th-level Mage spells,\n\t     ideally a Fighter\/Mage or Fighter\/Mage\/Thief. 10th-or-11th-\n\t     level Mage is preferable.\n\t  2) Divine Spell caster (Cleric\/Druid) who can cast 5th-level\n\t     Cleric\/Druid spells (8th-level Cleric\/9th-level Druid).\n\t     Note that a Cleric can cast all the required buffs, but\n\t     a Druid cannot.\n\t  3) The Cloak of Mirroring\n\nThe first time I played this game, nothing gave me more trouble than\nMages-especially Liches. It's a symptom of not knowing what quests to\ndo, what areas to explore, when, and what spells to use-all things that\nthis guide helps with! Of course, there are several good ways to take\ndown Mages-Insect Plague, the awesome 5th-level Druid spell, is one of\nthe easiest and simplest. Backstabbing Mages with a party Thief is also\npossible (if not terribly easy, due to the prevelence of True Sight-any\nMage worth taking down this way is also usually capable of countering\nit.) This buff combo isn't just for any Mages, though, but very, very\nstrong, well-prepared Mages we'll typically face. This buff combo is\ngreat for taking down Liches and other uber-Mages, but you know the\nsaying, the high tide raises all boats... err... perhaps the wrong\nsaying, but the point is, if you can use it to kill Liches, you can use\nit to kill anything the is dependent upon spells. This buff combo\nREQUIRES a multi-class Mage, a melee competent one is a plus, but not\nnecessary. It's also  greatly simplified if you have the Cloak of\nMirroring-not a direct requirement-if you have a higher-level Mage\nand\/or are willing to rely on some luck-but it's a definate plus.\n\nRound #1: Stoneskin\n       (Stoneskin? For Mage take-downs? Sure. First, it lasts forever,\n\tso it doesn't really complicate things. Also, many spell\n\tcasters are not squeamish about summoning things, so it pays to\n\thave some melee defense.)\nRound #2: Chaotic Commands\/Protection from Evil 10' Radius\n       (You should have two divine spell casters in your party, and\n\thence, these two buffs can go at once. Jaheira can cast Chaotic\n\tCommands, which should be pretty self-explanatory-it'll stop\n\tnasty spells like Charm, Confusion, and Maze. Anomen\/Viconia can\n\tcast Protection from Evil 10' Radius, which has a very special\n\tpurpose; Liches are prone to using Gate to summon in a Pit\n\tFiend. With Protection from Evil 10' Radius on, the Pit Fiend\n\twon't attack you. In fact, it'll often turn on its summoner!)\nRound #3: Death Ward\/Remove Fear\/Spell Immunity #1\n       (Death Ward seems like an obvious cast, too, as it'll stop evil\n\tdeath spells. It's preferable to Spell Immunity: Necromancy\n\tbecause it also stops Disintigrate (which is an Alteration, not\n\tNecromancy.) Remove Fear is another obvious cast, as you\n\twouldn't want to be immune to so many deadly spells, but fall\n\tvictim to Horror, or something stupid like that. Finally, your\n\tfirst Spell Immunity, the backbone of this strategy. Cast\n\tSpell Immunity: Conjuration, which will block all Power Word and\n\tSymbol spells. Liches use these quite often.)\nRound #4: Spell Immunity #2\n       (Now for your final buff, and arguably the most important-\n\tSpell Immunity: Abjuration. This will block spells like Breach,\n\tDispel Magic, and Spell Thrust which otherwise might conspire to\n\tstrip your spell defenses. Also, another important funciton of\n\tthis spell is to protect you from Imprisonment spells, a game-\n\tender that Liches love.)\nRound #5: Mage Bane\n       (You're as invulnerable to magic as you can hope to be, and with\n\tthe Cloak of Mirroring, your pretty much ARE immune to magic. No\n\tdirect damage-dealing spell can harm you through the Cloak of\n\tMirroring. You're also immune to death spells, dispelling,\n\tImprisonment, Symbol and Power Word spells. One of the few\n\tthings that can bother you are summons-if the enemy summons an\n\tEfreeti (which isn't uncommon), but of course, most of the\n\tEfreeti's attacks won't work on you, either. Now the strategy\n\tis simple-absorb everything the Mage has to throw at you, and\n\twhen their spell-arsenal is depleted, smite them. Or you can be\n\tmore pro-active. A competent Fighter\/Mage or Fighter\/Mage\/Thief\n\tcan use Breach and True Sight to keep the Mage vulnerable and\n\tcut them down while they waste magic on you.)\n\nBuff Combo: The Throne of Bhaal General Buff\t\t\t{SPT031}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis one is simpler than many of the other buffs-it's general buffing\nfor Throne of Bhaal, buffs you'll want to keep on for most fights. It's\nlike the spell buff to the max!, minus the max!\n\nRound #1: Stoneskin\/Iron Skins\n       (You have no reason not to have these spells on all the time.\n\tIt's the best defense against melee attacks in the entire game.\n\tIt doesn't hurt that if you pair it with a good Armor Class, it\n\tonly makes you more invulnerable.)\nRound #2: Blur\/Protection from Evil 10' Radius\n       (More long-lasting buffs that will protect you.)\nRound #3: Haste\n       (The best spell-buff in the game. Haste makes all fights easier.)\n\no======================================================================o\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|\t\t\t    General Tips {TIP000}\t\t       |\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\no======================================================================o\nSave often. There is a lot of trial and error in this game. If you walk\ninto an encounter you weren't ready for, there's a good chance you can\nlose characters. And of course, there is always just bad luck.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nTo find objects on the map that can be searched or interacted with hold\ndown the 'Tab' key. This will reveal doors, containers, your party's\nHit Points, and other useful information. Sure beats waving the mouse\ncursor around madly, hoping to find a hidden bit of loot, ala vanilla\nBaldur's Gate 1.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLead with pretty. Take your character with the highest Charisma and make\nthem party leader. That way they will use their reaction adjustment to\ninfluence people they talk to, getting you better reactions, rewards,\nand prices. Paladins make great natural party leaders, as they are both\nstrong and have a high Charisma.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLead with steel. Of course, pretty isn't the only consideration to make.\nYour front line characters will be under fire more often than any other\ncharacters. Put your most well protected allies up front, taking into\nconsideration Armor Class and Hit Points.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThe Ring of Human Influence helps the 'lead with pretty, lead with\nsteel' rules above. Wearing it increases the wearer's Charisma to 18,\nall but negating Charisma as a noteworthy attribute in any sense. Put\nthis ring (and a few other Charisma-boosting items) on a well-defended,\nhigh Hit Point party leader, and you're all set.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nSpread the wealth. Don't load up good gear all on one character, even\nthough it might be tempting to spoil your main character.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nDiversify. This makes spreading the wealth easier. If everybody is\nclamoring for long swords, you'll never have enough to go around. This\nshouldn't be too hard, as most recruitable characters come tailor-made\nto use specific weapons. You think Anomen was meant for anything other\nthan War Hammers and Maces, or that Korgan really wants to fight with\nsomething other than a Battle Axe?\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nTravel with like-minded characters, or rather, characters of the same\n(or similar) alignments. In Baldur's Gate 1 this was less of a problem,\nbut in Baldur's Gate 2 characters of different alignments could end up\nfighting. Notoriously Viconia and Keldorn will not last together in a\nparty, and Aerie and Korgan cause problems as well.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nManipulate your reputation. Good parties will want to have a high\nreputation just to keep folks happy, but evil parties will want the\ndiscounts high reputations bring. Just don't go over 17 or you'll face\ndesertion. Go to temples to raise your reputation before major shopping\nsprees. If it gets too high, go kill a peasant in a house.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nManipulate your Charisma. If it was a good enough tactic in Planescape:\nTorment, it's good enough in Baldur's Gate 2. Equip the 'Ring of Human\nInfluence' on a Mage and make them your party leader. Then have them\ncast the spell 'Friends' and equip whatever other Charisma-boosting\ngear you have (like the 'Nymph Cloak'). You'll get a nice discount while\non your shopping spree with 25 Charisma.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nStealing might be bad for your soul, but it's good for your wallet. \nSteal early and steal often, there's no 'karma' meter in this game and\nyou only lose reputation if you get caught. By stealing you can get\nyourself early access to moderately useful gear and much more useful\nsingle-use items like scrolls, potions, and ammunition. It'll make\ncompleting the early quests that much easier, allowing you to raise\nlegitimate gold you'll need to buy things from Deidre and Ribald. A\nminimum Pick Pockets skill of 140% is suggested. Use Potions of Master\nThievery to this end, they last three hours, raise your skill by 40%\neach, and are a much better alternative to spending points on the Pick\nPockets skill. It's not like those potions or that skill is useful for\nanything else anyways.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nScout ahead. If you can find danger before it finds you, you can prepare\nfor it and get the drop on it. Difficult encounters can turn into snore\nfests if you make a resounding first strike.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nFirst strikes win fights. Mark enemy locations with a character who has\nstealth, then at the edge of the fog of war-just before you can see the\nenemy-target the area with an area of effect spell; Web, Stinking Cloud,\nEntangle, Silence 15' Radius, Confusion, Horrid Wilting, whatever. It'll\nmake the encounter much easier if you start with a decisive magical\nstrike.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nHaste is probably the most powerful spell buff in the game. You act\nfaster in combat, gain an extra attack per round, and your movement \nspeed is doubled. It is, essentially, a way to vastly increase your \noffensive power for a short amount of time. Use it before every major \nfight.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nSpell-buff before big fights. Any fight that sucks will suck less if you\ncast Protection from Evil 10' Radius, Defensive Harmony, and Haste.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nInsect Plague is THE spell to use for Shadows of Amn. The least it will\ndo is deal one damage every two seconds to enemies caught inside of it\nand make spell casting impossible for them, with a save to see if they\nrun in fear as well. This destroys enemy spell casters, even whole\nparties of adventurers, and it really makes having a Druid a good thing.\nIt only affects six enemies, but most fights don't involve many more\nthan that, and it only lasts six rounds, but that's longer than most\nfights take. Use it and take down the spell casters and other \nvulnerable enemies, then you can deal with the survivors with ease. Oh,\nand being invisible doesn't protect enemies from it. Score.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nHang on to +3 weapons! It doesn't matter what KIND of weapon it is,\nonly that it's of +3 or better enhancement. Many creatures are immune\nto +2 or less weapons... well not many, but when one comes around it's\ntypically strong enough to cause problems, problems that might be more\nthan one character can handle. Any +3 weapon you can equip for, say, a\nBalor will be one more character that can hurt it, regardless of whether\nthey are proficient or not. Being unproficient with a weapon that can\ndamage an enemy is infinitely better than being specialized with a\nweapon that can't.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nConjuring Elementals is a good tactic to use early in the game, as you\nwill summon up a relatively potent ally who is immune to anything less\nthan a +2 weapon... which most foes early in Shadows of Amn are not\nequipped to handle.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nSummon Nishruu and Summon Hakeashar are also great choices for the Mage,\nespecially against other Mages, as these creatures are both immune to\nmagic. A timely summon Nishruu can make a Mage powerless as it sucks out\ntheir memorized spells one by one, so long as the Mage doesn't have any\nbuddies able to harm it physically. Just be careful not to use this\nspell against enemies that have magical gear on them, as the Nishruu\/\nHakeashar will feast on magical items once it's done absorbing enemy\nspells.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nDepending on what class you are, you'll be offered a variety of guilds\nor strongholds throughout the game. These are Mae'Vars Guildhall \n(Thieves), the de'Arnise Keep (Fighters), the Planar Sphere (Mages),\nCleric's Temple (Clerics), Five Flagons Playhouse (Bards), the Ranger\nCabin in Umar Hills (Rangers) and the Druid Grove (Druids).\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nSpell Immunity can, in conjunction with other spells, make a character\nnearly impervious to magical attack. While there are just too many\ndifferent Spell Schools out there to protect against all of them, you\ncan at least block the spells that the enemy tends to use most often.\nUsing Spell Immunity: Conjuration blocks all Symbol and Power Word \nspells, Necromancy will protect against Finger of Death, Wail of the\nBanshee, and Horrid Wilting, Alteration will negate Flesh to Stone and\nDisintegrate, and Abjuration prevents the enemy from using Imprisonment.\nCombined with Chaotic Commands, Death Ward, and similar spells, you can\nreally make it hard for enemy spell-casters to harm you. The best part \nis, although you have to cast the spell once per school, multiple\ncastings stack.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nDispel Magic is a low level spell that is vital to your survival. \nIt's not party friendly, but removing Confusion from some party members \nis more important than keeping their Haste. It can also debuff enemies,\ntaking away defensive protections and offensive aids alike. Its\neffectiveness increases or decreases depending on whether your level is\nhigher or lower than an enemies', but every spell-caster should always\nkeep one prepared. Multi-classed characters will likely have much less\nluck with Dispel Magic than singled-classed characters, and Clerics\ncan expect to be a higher level than Mages with equal experience, but\nsince there's always a chance of success, it's worth using. Many\nenemies will be around or below your experience level, but the odd Lich\nand high level Mage might not be impressed with your Dispel Magic.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nKeldorn's Inquisitor kit gives him the ability to Dispel Magic at twice\nhis actual level. Even at mid-levels, his Dispel Magic is more than a\nmatch for the buffs and debuffs of most enemies!\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nTwo common enemy defenses: Stoneskin and Protection from Magical\nWeapons, can be overcome with Breach. This is preferable to Dispel Magic\nbecause you won't remove your own spell-buffs and there's no chance of\nfailure... and as a 5th-level spell, it really only competes with Chaos.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nEnemy Mages will commonly use spells like Mislead, Shadow Door, and\nImproved Invisibility to buy themselves time and protection. Use True\nSight to instantly dispel these effects in an area. It's party-friendly,\nand it'll also remove defensive illusions like Mirror Image.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nMore powerful Mages later on in the game will put up more effective\nspell-defenses, like Spell Immunity: Abjuration and Spell Deflection,\nwhich blocks Breach, as well as using Stoneskin, Protection from \nMagical Weapons, and Mantle. Use Pierce Magic before you use Breach,\neither in tandem with another Mage, via a Spell Trigger, Time Stop, or\nthrough a Wand of Spell Striking. Or failing that, on subsequent rounds.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nEarly in the game, strong enemy Mages can be a huge problem, when you\nlack the stopping power to kill them quickly, the spell arsenals to take\ndown their defenses, the saves to resist their spells, or the Hit Points\nto weather them. An effective tactic for when you know such a fight is\napproaching is to scout the area and find the Mage in question, and then\nsummon as many creatures as possible (typically through the use of\ninfinitely rechargable summoning items) near the Mage. Keep your own\nparty out of sight and let your summons soak up the early offensive...\nAfter all, if an enemy Wizard uses his Horrid Wilting on your summons,\nthey can't use it on your party.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nIf you're not using an infinite bag of holding mod, you'll need to find\nsomewhere to stash your loot. Strongholds are an ideal location-you\ntend to earn money there, and it's hard to forget such things. Just be\nsure not to stash anything in your strongholds until AFTER you have\nobtained them. Many get 'repopulated' after the quests involving them,\nand this includes the containers within. Mae'Var's Guildhall, the\nde'Arnise Keep, and the Planar Sphere are all good choices.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nCluttered up with Mage spell scrolls? Have Throne of Bhaal installed?\nNo problem. You can erase known spells from your spell-book and rescribe\nthem. It gets useless extra copies of spells out of your inventory, and\nit earns you experience. Just don't forget that other Mages that you\nmight want to recruit later will need those spells... so get your party\nMage(s), learn them all the spells they can, and then go ahead and\nrescribe your scrolls for extra experience.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nStealth is not fool-proof. Enemy Mages will cast True Sight if they\nsuspect a sneaking foe nearby. Also, some enemies aren't fooled by\nstealth due to extremely acute senses-Fell Cats and Fire Trolls will\n'smell' you out, and Hive Mothers... well, they're a big ball of\neyeballs. Kinda hard to hide from that.\n\no======================================================================o\n|\t\t\t       Chapter 1\t\t\t       |\no======================================================================o\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|\t\t      Escape from Irenicus' Dungeon\t\t       |\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\no======================================================================o\nSequence of Events:\t\t\t\t\t\t{WLK001}\n\t\t1) You Should Survive the Process\n\t\t2) Minsc\n\t\t3) Jaheira\n\t\t4) Gearing Up\n\t\t5) The Mephit Machine\n\t\t6) Aataqah's Game \n\t\t7) Goblins\n\t\t8) Stasis Room\n\t\t9) Sewer Golem Room\n\t\t10) Relieving Rielev\n\t\t11) Tales Dead Tell\n\t\t12) The Sewage Chamber\n\t\t13) The Master's Room\n\t\t14) The Dryads Three Make a Plea\n\t\t15) The Master's Wife's Room\n\t\t16) The Library\n\t\t17) Ilyich\n\t\t18) Cambion Containment\n\t\t19) The Genie's Request\n\t\t20) Retrieving the Flask\n\t\t21) The Sword of Chaos\n\t\t22) Yoshimo\n\t\t23) Mephit Spawning Room\n\t\t24) Escaped Clone\n\t\t25) To the Wand Room\n\t\t26) The Wand Room\n\t\t27) The Vampire's Display\n\t\t28) The Smithy\n\t\t29) Freeing Frennedan\n\t\t30) Attacked by Assassins\n\t\t\nDungeon, Part 1 (AR0602)\no======================================================================o\n1) You'll be approached by some Mage who will proceed to perform\n'experiments' upon you. Not very nice ones either, judging from all the\nfire and death cries your character makes. A Golem will eventually\narrive, drawing the man's attention and leading him away to deal with\n'intruders'. Imoen will show up and spring you from your cage, joining\nyour party immediately afterwards. She'll tell you about some weapons\nto the north-west before the game auto-saves and the camera pans to the\nnorth-east to reveal two captured people.\n\nImoen doesn't start out too great in the way of spells. Have her\nmemorize some Magic Missiles and maybe a Chromatic Orb. It won't take\nmuch more than brute force to get out of here. As for 2nd level spells,\nget a Mirror Image, a Melf's Acid Arrow, and a Stinking Cloud. We won't\nfight many large groups of enemies, and even when we do we don't have an\nunlimited supply of ammunition to use on them, so Stinking Cloud isn't\ntoo important just yet. Melf's is best against trolls and spell casters,\nwhich won't be a problem for a while yet, but at least it contributes to\nthe fight. For 3rd level spells get Haste. It might be fun to Fireball\nsome baddies, but really, Haste is going to help you out more in a\nfight. As for 4th level spells, we won't be letting Imoen get hit, so\ndon't bother with Fire Shield, and if we do let her get hit, Stoneskin\nwould be better anyways. Improved Invisibility can go on anyone, so keep\nit handy to spell-buff your front line Fighter. You don't want to let\nImoen scribe any scrolls you find, as... it'll be a while before she can\nput them to good use. Save them up for your main character, Edwin, or\nfailing that, for Imoen to use at a later date.\n\nNote: If Imoen suffers mortal damage (if she's reduced to zero Hit\nPoints) she'll panic, disband, and flee the dungeon. Of course, since\nyou can't raise dead characters at this point in the game, anybody who\nsustains fatal damage is out of the game for the rest of this dungeon,\nbut it's still something to be wary of. At least if Imoen starts\nspazzing out, you'll know why.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n2) Go over to the man at (x=4000, y=2750) to find your old friend Minsc.\nThe captivity really hasn't made him any saner... or more insane, for\nthat matter. Some things are beyond torture. You will eventually provoke\nhis wrath to the point where he breaks his 'permanently welded cell'. He\nthen accuses you of provoking him to unleash his berserker might. Uh,\nyeah! Sure. Regardless of your intentions he thinks you're one clever\nfellow and offers to join you. By all means take him along, you could\ncertainly use his Hit Points and Strength to get out of here. You can\nalways ditch him later if you're so inclined. Minsc is, if anything,\neven more hilarious in the sequel. It's just another perk of bringing\nhim along.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For 'encouraging' Minsc to escape from his cell)\nEXP\t3000\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n3) Over at (x=3850, y=2650) you'll find another cage with another former\ntraveling companion, the Harper agent Jaheira. She's just as hot-headed\nand mouthy as ever, and will give you a run down of your story. The game\nassumes, of course, that you actually traveled with her in the prequel.\nIt's possible to blow her off and leave her behind, but you might just\nwant her healing power for this dungeon, even if you don't plan to keep\nher. Note that if you turn on her and leave her behind she will say some\nrather disparaging things about you 'turning'. It is all too similar to\nthe way others of her ilk will look at you later... but now I'm\nforeshadowing. To get her free go up to the room to the north-west and\nsearch the table at (x=3050, y=2800). You'll find, along with many\nweapons, a Jail Cell Key. Take the key and open the door.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=3050, y=2800) Long Sword, Short Sword, Quarter Staff, Mace, \n\t\t Battle Axe, Spear, Halberd, Jail Cell Key, \n\t\t War Hammer, Two Handed Sword, Katana\n\n***REWARD***\n(For freeing Jaheira from her cage)\nEXP \t3000\n\nHave Jaheira get plenty of Cure Light Wounds. You can get Entangle, but\nit by now has long since run its course as a useful spell. Armor of\nFaith is a decent defensive spell that will cause Jaheira to ignore\n10% of the damage she takes at her present level, and lasts long enough\nto be considered as a good defensive buff. Bless can also provide a\ntemporary buff to your entire party's attack rolls, but I'd prefer Armor\nof Faith. 2nd level is very slim pickings, as Barkskin does not stack\nwith armor. You'd be better off just wearing the Splint Mail. You \nshould, however, always carry a Slow Poison on you, just in case. For \n3rd level spells, get a Dispel Magic-every spell caster who can cast\nthis spell should have one prepared-and a Cure Medium Wounds. Finally\ncome 4th level spells, of which you have the very nice Death Ward,\nwhich has no applicable use just yet. For now either grab Defensive\nHarmony, which is a good spell buff, or Cure Serious Wounds for extra\nhealing power.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n4) Go back into the room where you found the Jail Cell Key. As\npreviously noted you can find weapons on the table at (x=3050, y=2800).\nEquip your main character with whatever they're good at. Minsc gets the\nTwo Handed Sword, Jaheira suffers with a Quarter Staff for now. I set\nJaheira up as my front-liner, as she's got the Dexterity and the ability\nto wear the heavier armor I need to succeed. Loot the chest for some\narmor. I give Jaheira the Splint Mail, and I have Minsc don the Chain\nMail. For now getting through the place is more of a priority than\ntaking advantage of his ability to Sneak. Besides, he can always take it\noff to scout ahead. Finally, the painting at (x=3130, y=2700) has stuff\nbehind it, but be sure to search for traps. This is your introduction to\ntraps in this game, and this one isn't very powerful or hard to disarm.\nIt is, however, a warning. It's the second room in the game, and there's\na trap. Oh yes, kiddies, there will be traps in this game, enough to\nruin your day if you don't bring about a Thief. The Dagger +1... eh...\nwell, it can go on Imoen, but it's really just a waste. If you stick it\non Jaheira you'll raise her THAC0 by one, but then she can use the Small\nShield to bring her Armor Class down. And of course, if you imported\nyour main character with the Golden Pantaloons in their inventory, you\nwill find those in here as well. You can talk to the Golem in this room\nbut it has little to say. The tunnel to the north leads to a door\n(x=2420, y=2180) we can't open yet. There's also an annoying Smoke\nMephit down there, which isn't particularly dangerous, but it can blind\nyou temporarily.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=3000, y=2750) Helmet, Leather Armor, Studded Leather Armor, \n\t\t Small Shield, Buckler, Splint Mail, Chain Mail,\n\t\t Buckler\n(x=3130, y=2700) Dagger +1, Potion of Healing x3, Golden Pantaloons\n\n***TRAPS***\n(x=3130, y=2700)\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n5) Head to the south-west. I'd suggest sneaking in with Minsc or Imoen,\nas there is a machine in the middle of the room that creates Lightning\nMephits which shoot... well, lightning at you. Click on the machine's\ncontrols at (x=2850, y=3050) twice to turn the machine off and stop it\nfrom spawning more Mephits.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For disabling the Lightning Mephit spawning machine)\nEXP\t2000\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n6) Continue up to the north-west to find a genie named Aataqah, who\ninitiates dialogue with you. If you blow him off he'll leave, if you\nhumor him he'll ask you to answer a hypothetical question. If you say\nyou'll push the button he'll summon an Ogre Mage for you to fight. If\nyou say you won't he'll summon four fearful Gibberlings. I prefer the\nOgre Mage path, as it at least gets you some experience... and you don't\nhave to chase down a bunch of stupid Gibberlings. He'll tell you to seek\nout Rielev after you kill his monsters.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n7) If you go north you'll find a tunnel leading to the east, with a\nGoblin guarding it. The passage ends in a locked door (x=2150, y=1900)\nwe can't open. Typical. So head west instead to find some Goblins. Most\nof them will carry Battle Axes, but a few will sit back and fire arrows\nat you, leaving behind Composite Long Bows when they die. How is a\nGoblin firing a Composite Long Bow? Who knows. It's as good an excuse as\nany to get yourself some Bows and Arrows though. I put a bow on Minsc\nso he has a ranged option. Continue heading up the passage until you\ncome to two doors, one to the north-east (x=900, y=2200) and one to the\nsouth-west (x=600, y=2400).\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n8) In the south-western room you'll find a number of containment vats,\ninside of which are various creatures both living and dead. There's\nnothing you can do with them just yet, but there are two Mephits you can\nactively make more dead. Once they're done loot the room. The Short Bow\ngoes to Imoen so she can participate effectively in combat, and the\nQuarter Staff +1 goes to Jaheira.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=670, y=2700) Arrows x5, Short Bow, 1 gold\n(x=820, y=3050) Bullets x5\n(x=1050, y=3000) Quarter Staff +1\n\n***TRAPS***\n(x=1050, y=3000)\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n9) Through the north-eastern door you'll find a Radiant Mephit which\nneeds to be put down. You'll also find a Sewage Golem (x=1070, y=2050)\nyou can't interact with yet. You can, however, loot the room. Jaheira\nwill be much better off with the Medium Shield and the Scimitar. My\nprotagonist scribes Flame Arrow immediately, but I save the Scroll of\nDispel Magic for later.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=1050, y=2100) War Hammer, Medium Shield, Scimitar, Long Sword +1\n(x=900, y=2000) Arrows x4\n(x=900, y=1950) Potion of Healing, Scroll of Flame Arrow\n(x=1200, y=2100) Scimitar, Potion of Extra Healing x3, Spear,\n\t\t Scroll of Dispel Magic\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n10) Now head up to the north-west, then follow the tunnel to the north-\neast. You'll pass a door (x=520, y=2000) with two Lesser Clay Golems<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
inside. Again, you can't bother them now, but they will become hostile\ntowards you later in the level if you let them live, so it's a good idea\nto just bump them off now... Unlike the other Clay Golems you'll fight\nlater on, these ones can be hurt by non-magical and non-blunt weapons.\nHead north-east some more. You'll come under attack by some Goblins at\nthe first intersection to the north-west. Kill them, and then continue\nnorth-east through a door (x=1020, y=1750). Inside you'll find another\nvat, inside of which is a... creature... called Rielev (x=1170, y=1500).\nTalk to him to find out a bit about Rielev and his master. He'll mention\nthe master being 'cast out' and 'one of us no longer'. He'll also\nmention something being taken. Offer to release him from his torment\nand he'll tell you to take some power crystals, with which you can talk\nto other experiments and possibly find out how to escape.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=1250, y=1600) Activation Stone\n(x=1280, y=1400) Potion of Extra Healing x2, Sling, Bullet x8, Halberd,\n\t\t War Hammer\n\n***REWARD***\n(For relieving Rielev from his torment)\nEXP\t1000\nItem\tEnergy Cells\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n11) Head back to the room with the stasis vats and talk to the various \nbeings, the 'Tortured Ones' (x=400, y=2500), (x=450, y=2900), \n(x=750, y=2700), (x=1200, y=3100), to learn that-if nothing else, your\ncaptor can inspire some pretty fanatical devotion. If you go back to the\nSewer Golem room you can activate it with that Activation Stone you\nfound and get it to open the door to the sewage chamber, which causes it\nto merrily run off and open the doors at (x=2420, y=2150), \n(x=2220, y=1700), and (x=2150, y=1900).\n\n***REWARD***\n(For activating the Sewage Golem)\nEXP\t3000\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n12) Head through any of the aforementioned doors to reach the Sewage\nChamber, the simplest way is to go through the door north of where you\nmet Aataqah. In the Sewage Chamber you'll find an Otyugh, something I\nhonestly expected to find in the sewers in Baldur's Gate 1, but was\nnonetheless thrilled to find in the sequel. It can't fit through\nthe doors, so if you have a Thief main character you can sneak, run in,\nbackstab it, and run back out for an easy time. It's not too rough in\nany event. When it dies grab the Wand of Frost Key and loot the room.\nMinsc enjoys having a Helmet of Infravision again. Go through the door\nto the north-east (x=2800, y=1700).\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=2700, y=1720) Oil of Speed, Splint Mail, Potion of Healing x2\n(x=2750, y=1800) Potion of Healing x2, Light Crossbow, Bolt x10,\n\t\t Scroll of Vocalize\n(x=2900, y=1870) Potion of Healing x3, Helmet of Infravision, \n\t\t Scroll of Clairvoyance\n\n***TRAPS***\n(x=2750, y=1800)\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n13) Head north-east through another door (x=3500, y=1250), killing some\nGoblins as you go. You'll find an oddly lavish room - a welcome, if\nominous change from the dungeons behind you. The game will even warn you\nof the traps ahead, so get to disarming and looting. The Air Elemental\nStatue will get us into another area. It's good to have our Helm of\nBalduran back, too. This time it goes on Jaheira, as my main character\nwill soon find a better helmet to see him through the game. My main\ncharacter does, however, retain the Metaspell Influence Amulet. In\nthe room to the north-west you'll find some Goblins and two lootable\ncontainers. There's also a portal (x=3000, y=550) we need to find a key\nfor.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=3550, y=900) Scroll of Chromatic Orb, Helm of Balduran\n(x=3600, y=880) Wand of Lightning Key, Scroll of Burning Hands\n(x=3780, y=900) Air Elemental Statue\n(x=3930, y=970) Metaspell Influence Amulet\n(x=320, y=820) Scroll of Fireball\n(x=3340, y=800) Bullets x20, Scroll of Armor\n\n***TRAPS***\n(x=3700, y=1000)\n(x=3550, y=900)\n(x=3930, y=970)\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n14) Venture south-east to find three Dryads, Elyme, Ulene, and Cania,\nwho will beg you to help them escape by taking their acorns to the Fairy\nQueen. They'll also give you the name of your tormentor, Irenicus. \nTheir acorns are held by a mean creature named Ilyich, the clan chief \nof the master's duergar slaves. They'll also promise to tell you how to \nescape if you free them. All in good time. First head past them to the \nsouth.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n15) You'll find a very nice circular room that is covered with traps.\nWhen you set foot in the room an alarm will sound, summoning the two\nLesser Clay Golems from before, who will-eventually-make their way to\nyou and attack for entering the 'chambers of the the master's wife'...\nunless, of course, you killed them earlier. The Portal Key opens the\nportal in the room north of the room where we found the Helm of\nBalduran. My main character enjoys the Bracers of Defense, as would any\nMage hurting for Armor Class. And be sure to grab the Pommel Jewel of\nthe Equalizer! You're going to want that weapon. Now that we're done\nhere head back to the Sewage Chamber and go north-west through the door\nat (x=2220, y=1700).\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=3100, y=2300) Portal Key\n(x=3060, y=2220) Potion of Extra Healing, Bracers of Defense A.C. 8,\n\t\t Pommel Jewel of the Equalizer\n(x=3160, y=2460) Scroll of Dire Charm\n(x=3000, y=2370) Potion of Master Thievery, Scroll of Summon Monster I\n\n***TRAPS***\n(x=3400, y=2300)\n(x=3400, y=2350)\n(x=3300, y=2250)\n(x=3140, y=2300) \n(x=3100, y=2300)\n(x=3060, y=2220)\n(x=3160, y=2460) \n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n16) You'll find a room with... more Goblins, and a Dust Mephit. There\nare also lots of bookshelves to loot, which I will note ignoring all the \nuseless books on the shelves.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=950, y=750) Agna Mani Necklace\n(x=850, y=850) Potion of Healing x5, Scroll of Larloch's Minor Drain\n(x=1100, y=800) Scroll of Know Alignment\n(x=1500, y=800) Oil of Speed\n(x=1650, y=950) Potion of Extra Healing\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n17) Go north-west and follow the passage around to get to a large room\nwith Duergar milling about. Further in you'll find Ilyich, who will not\nspare much dialogue before attacking. He's got some crossbowmen and a\nMage with him. Either use a Haste and set upon them, shooting the Mage\ndown to size, or use a Stinking Cloud. Either way, a simple spell should\nsee you through this fight with ease. Most of the duergar don't have\nanything interesting on them, but Ilyich will drop a suit of Leather\nArmor, a Medium Shield, Bullets x40, Acorns, Mail of the Dead +2, Battle\nAxe, Sling, and 87 gold. Jaheira slaps on the Mail of the Dead +2.\nDuring the looting you should find enough weapons and armor to pretty\nmuch equip everybody the way you want. Especially be sure to strap those\nHelmets on, you don't want to suffer from critical hits. You could give\nJaheira  that Club, but I want to pretend she doesn't even have any\nproficiency points in Clubs at all.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=1240, y=400) Throwing Axe x5, Potion of Extra Healing x2\n(x=1530, y=250) Chain Mail, Helmet, Medium Shield, Battle Axe, \n\t\tTwo Handed Sword, Scroll of Grease\n(x=1780, y=400) Throwing Dagger x20, Dart x30\n(x=1850, y=500) War Hammer, Leather Armor, Helmet, Small Shield,\n\t\tQuarter Staff, Flail, Sling, Bullet x40, Scimitar\n(x=1900, y=600) Bastard Sword, Long Sword, Short Sword, Arrows x6,\n\t\tShort Bow, Potion of Extra Healing x2, Club, Flail,\n\t\tMorning Star\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n18) Head down a tunnel to the south-east and go past a door at \n(x=1960, y=260). Disarm the trap in the tunnel south-east and continue\non until you find a room with an odd machine in it and a Cambion \n(x=2600, y=1040), who is inside some sort of magical barrier. If you\nactivate the machine (x=2350, y=1000) you can take down the Cambion's\nbarrier, allowing him to attack you... and allowing you to attack him.\nBefore you do so encircle the Cambion and caste some defensive spell\nbuffs and Haste. He shouldn't be too much of a problem, but why not\nstart out prepared? When it's dead loot the Cambion for a suit of Chain\nMail, a Bastard Sword +1, and 146 gold. Now go back up the hallway \nand through the door at (x=1960, y=260), which we can access thanks to\nour possession of the Air Elemental Statue.\n\n***TRAPS***\n(x=2300, y=500)\n\nThe Elemental Plane of Air (AR0601)\no======================================================================o\n19) Travel north-west and you'll meet a pack of Mephits. I always found\nthis encounter annoying... but it might be just because I find Mephits \nannoying in general. To the west are two more Mephits and a container\nfor you to loot. north-west of the entrance ramp you'll find a large\ncircular area with more Mephits. Spell buffing is suggested, Haste in\nparticular, and a pre-emptive Fireball wouldn't hurt, either. Go up\nanother ramp to the west to find the proverbial genie bottle at\n(x=300, y=550). Activate it to get Irenicus' Genie to show up. He will\noffer to give you an item that used to belong to you if you free him\nfrom his bonds, which you can do by finding the real flask the Genie \nis bound to, a twin of the one here. He'll mention one of the possible\nlocations as one of Irenicus' Dryad concubines. See where this is going?\nTime to head back to the Dryads.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=200, y=1220) Scroll of Conjure Air Elemental\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n20) Bring the Dryads their acorns and they'll tell you that you must \ntravel up to the next level of the complex using portals... perhaps the\none we found north of Irenicus' room? (That or the one east of the\nprisons, it doesn't really matter.) Talk to them again and ask for the\nGenie's flask and they'll simply give it to you. Now head back to the\ndoor leading to the genie.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For talking to the Dryads after recovering their acorns from Ilyich)\nEXP\t9500\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n21) Now return to the Genie and give him his flask for a hefty\nexperience reward and the Sword of Chaos-Sarevok's sword from Baldur's\nGate 1... or what's left of it, anyways. Even though most of it's power\ndied with Sarevok, it's still a Two Handed Sword +2, and perfect for\nMinsc. Now head back to the main level of the dungeon and go through a\nportal, either the one at (x=3000, y=550) or (x=3900, y=2400).\n\n***REWARD***\n(For freeing the Genie)\nEXP\t15000\nItem\tSword of Chaos +2\n\nDungeon, Part 2 (AR0603)\no======================================================================o\n22) When you appear you'll instantly be approached by Yoshimo, who asks\nto join your party. Regardless of your end goals as far as party\ncomposition is concerned, I suggest you take him along. It'll... open up\noptions when you get out of this dungeon, and if you don't have a Thief\nas a main character, you'll need him for a while. He'll tell you about\nsome room with portals to the east that continuously spawn enemies, and\nbeyond that is a room with mounted wands.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=320, y=2880) Scroll of Hold Person\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n23) Go through the door to the north-east at (x=880, y=2800) to find a\nroom with Mephits and Mephit Portals. Our favorite! Ignore the Mephits\nand concentrate on the portals, which will simply spew out more Mephits\nas you kill them. The Scroll of Protection from Normal Weapons is\ninteresting, as from time to time you'll fight monsters that can't harm\nyou, lacking in magical weapons and all. It's not an indispensable \nspell, and soon loses its potency, but it is a defensive option for when\nwe get 5th level spells. As you head to the east Jaheira will make a\nmost unfortunate discovery. Unfortunate for her. Now that Khalid is out\nof the picture, the Jaheira romance opens up. Of course, you must be\ncareful not to say anything disparaging about her dead husband at this\ncrucial first step. Go through the door to the north at (x=1120, y=2350)\nand continue up a tunnel to the north-west.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=900, y=2650) Gold Ring, 4 gold\n(x=800, y=2650) Tchazar Gem, Cursed Scroll of Weakness\n(x=1050, y=2530) Potion of Extra Healing, Arrow of Detonation,\n\t\t Wand of Cloudkill Key\n(x=1350, y=2580) 2 gold, 8 gold, Bolt +1 x3\n(x=1400, y=2500) Wand of Summoning Key,\n\t\t Scroll of Protection from Normal Weapons\n(x=1250, y=2350) Wand of Fire Key, Bastard Sword, Arrow x5\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n24) You'll come to another room with stasis vats, where you'll find an\nAssassin and an Escaped Clone fighting. The clone will typically win \nthis fight and, after a short dialogue, will go hostile on you too, \napparently being another one of Irenicus' concubines. She'll cast some\nspells-starting out with Mirror Image and Minr Spell Turning to protect\nherself, after which she'll start shooting out Magic Missile spells and\na Lightning Bolt before finally ending with some Monster Summoning II\nspells. She'll recast Mirror Image if you take them down (even if you\ndon't, actually) but she has no interest in attacking physically\nwhatsoever. If you simply direct all your characters to attack her,\nshe should go down without too much fuss. Loot her body for the Wand of\nMissiles Key.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=750, y=2170) Pearl Necklace, Arrows x7\n(x=180, y=2150) Scroll of Fireball, 1 Gold\n\n***ENHANCED EDITION***\nIn the original version of the game, the 'escaped clone' was merely an\nElf model character. In the Enhanced Edition, it has been replaced by\nthe unique avatar of the character the clone is meant to immitate.\nI suppose Irenicus cloned her clothes, too? He's got skills, that guy.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n25) Go back to the Mephit Spawning Room and through another door at \n(x=1300, y=2220). You'll find another Assassin fighting a losing battle\nagainst Mephits, and north-west of that another group of Goblins. Who\nare these assassins that are so incompetent they can't even kill a\nMephit, and how are they troubling Irenicus so? It is a question for\nsomebody wiser than I. Go through the door at (x=550, y=1400) and cross\na bridge, disarming the trap as you go.\n\n***TRAPS***\n(x=720, y=1300)\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n26) You'll come into a room with a colorful mosaic floor, which an \nAssassin will try to cross to get at a Duergar with a crossbow. You'll\nsee what happens, and why this is not a good idea. Strike the Duergar\ndown with missile weapons and spells. This is the wand trap room, and\nit's beyond time we used those wand keys. Don't bother trying to disarm\nthe traps in the middle of the room, as you'll just get hurt, instead\nplay with the pillars to the north to deactivate the traps across the\nfloor. You'll get a wand for each trap you disarm, as noted below, but\nthese wands only have one charge each and aren't good for much besides\nselling. Search the statue at the far eastern end of the room to get\nahold of a Ring of the Princes +1. I put this on my main character...\nit's going to be some time before they get themselves some armor. Now\ngo through a door to the north-west (x=1320, y=600).\n\t\n***ITEMS***\n(x=2000, y=350) Ring of the Princes +1\n\t\no===============o===============o===============================o\n|    Traps\t|Deactivated At:|\t     Reward\t\t|\no===============o===============o===============================o\n|(x=1200, y=920)|(x=950, y=900)\t|\tWand of Missiles\t|\n|---------------|---------------|-------------------------------|\n|(x=1300, y=820)|(x=1180, y=700)| \t Wand of Frost\t\t|\n|---------------|---------------|-------------------------------|\n|(x=1400, y=750)|(x=1290, y=650)|\t Wand of Fire\t\t|\t\n|---------------|---------------|-------------------------------|\n|(x=1500, y=650)|(x=1420, y=550)|  Wand of Monster Summoning I\t|\n|---------------|---------------|-------------------------------|\n|(x=1700, y=620)|(x=1520, y=500)|       Wand of Lightning\t|\n|---------------|---------------|-------------------------------|\n|(x=1900, y=600)|(x=1630, y=400)|\tWand of Cloudkill\t|\no===============o===============o===============================o\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n27) You'll arrive on the scene just in time to see a Vampire named \nUlvaryl go to town on some more Assassins, this time declaring \nthemselves as Shadow Thieves. She'll then turn into mist and disappear.\nGreat, Irenicus has Vampires on his side. Who wants to bet those will\nbecome a pain in the ass sooner or later? If you are very quick and a\nlittle lucky you can attack Ulvaryl while she's focusing on the Shadow\nThieves. If you kill her you'll get a nice bit of experience\n(8000 experience total), and you might as well try. She won't attack the\nparty and only leaves if she kills all the Shadow Thieves. She's also\nnot immune to non-magical weapons as she should be. Anyways, once that's\ndone with there are three tunnels in the wand room leading south to\nexplore. The western one gets you out of here in short order, but go\ndown the eastern passages for some loot, starting with the eastern-most\npassage, then the middle passage, and finally the western passage.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n28) Go down the tunnel until you come to a smithy with Goblins inside.\nTo the east you'll find some Duergar. Focus your missile fire on the\nMage and wipe the Duergar out. In this room you'll find some things\nworth looting. The Destroyer of the Hills (aka: Girdle of Bluntness) is\na nice little toy, and it'll go good on any character who needs to go\ntoe to toe with Giants, Golems, and any other enemy that deals\nbludgeoning damage. I prefer to put it on Anomen, Viconia, or Korgan, as\nthey typically wield blunt weapons which are effective against Clay\nGolems. Still, it'll go just as well on Jaheira for now. When you're\ndone, go down the middle tunnel.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=3500, y=850) Dagger, Potion of Extra Healing x2, \n\t\tScroll of Charm Person, 100 gold\n(x=3600, y=680) Mace, Potion of Healing x3, Chain Mail, \n\t\tDestroyer of the Hills\n(x=3600, y=700) Arrows x40, Bolt x20, Splint Mail\n(x=3380, y=630) Heavy Crossbow, Bolts x20, Bolts +1 x7, Short Bow,\n\t\tArrows x40\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n29) Go into a room to the south and somebody named Frennedan will ask\nyou to release him from his glass prison. If you decline him he'll turn\ninto a little boy and ask you. Something obviously isn't right with our\nfriend Frennedan. Unfortunately there's loot back there we want, so you\nshould open the door to his cell anyways. He'll follow you around for a\nwhile if you let him, but he'll turn into a Doppleganger and attack you\ngiven time. If you refuse to let him accompany you out he'll attack\nsooner rather than later. Once that's done let's head out of this\ndungeon once and for all.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=2220, y=1350) Key to Frennedan's Room, Potion of Healing x5,\n\t\t Scroll of Knock\n(x=2250, y=1400) Scroll of Protection from Electricity, \n\t\t Potion of Firebreath\n(x=2500, y=1200) Elixir of Health x4, Scroll of Invisibility\n(x=2820, y=1420) Scroll of Color Spray, 101 gold\n(x=2850, y=1450) Bolt +1 x4, Scroll of Blindness\n(x=2850, y=1500) Arrows +1 x4\n(x=2800, y=1540) Curse Scroll of Foolishness, Oil of Speed,\n\t\t Scroll of Blur\n(x=2700, y=1600) Bullets +1 x5, Potion of Extra Healing x2\n\n***TRAPS***\n(x=2220, y=1350)\n(x=2500, y=1200)\n(x=2800, y=1540) \n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n30) You'll come across a trio of Assassins, who will not listen to\nwhatever you say and attack. The one who initiates dialogue will cast\nsome spells to boost two others who are hidden when the battle starts.\nWhen they're dead continue south-east through the room and down some\nstairs into a sewer. Now would be a good time to take everything off\nImoen you want to keep. Head north-east past all the dead Shadow Thieves\nuntil you find an area transition at (x=3400, y=1300).\n\n***REWARD***\n(For escaping from Irenicus' Dungeon)\nEXP\t34500 (each character)\n\no======================================================================o\n|\t\t\t       Chapter 2\t\t\t       |\no======================================================================o\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|\t\t\t Five Finger Discounts\t\t\t       |\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\no======================================================================o\nSequence of Events:\t\t\t\t\t\t{WLK002}\n\t\t1) Imoen and Irenicus Incarcerated\n\t\t2) Gooooooooal!\n\t\t3) Lady Beth\n\t\t4) Gaelan Bayle's Offer\n\t\t5) Gaelan Bayle and An Introduction to Larceny\n\t\t6) Shorekeep Stealing\n\t\t7) Cohrvale and Bregg\n\t\t8) Robbing Galoomp the Bookkeeper\n\t\t9) Armor Courtesy of Arnolinus\n\t\t10) Robbing Lady Yuth\n\t\t11) Deidre's Selection\n\t\t12) Ripping Off Ribald's Ring of Regeneration\n\t\t13) To the Copper Coronet\n\t\t14) A Note on Random Encounters\n\n1) Now Chapter 2 has begun... You'll be treated to a cutscene announcing\nyour arrival on the scene of the battle between the Shadow Thieves and\nIrenicus. Irenicus promptly smites a group of impudent Shadow Thieves\nand a group of Mages when they appear. Eventually, however, more will\ngate in and Irenicus concedes to be taken by them... so long as they\ntake Imoen as well, who cast spells at Irenicus during the fighting.\nYou'd think that these Mages would be happy to receive any aid they\ncould against Irenicus, but they probably just wanted to subdue him,\nwhatever the cost. So it seems that although interrupted, Irenicus has\nmanaged to have Imoen taken from you. If you want her in your party,\nyou'll have to go and get her back. Jaheira insightfully points out that\nIrenicus most likely wants to be pursued, and indeed going after Imoen\nis the way to advance the main story. Chapter 2 is, however, dedicated\ntowards assembling your party, much as the beginning of Baldur's\nGate 1 was. Who you want in your party will directly determine what\nquests need to be done and how long it'll take you to get to Imoen. Of\ncourse, if you don't want Imoen in your party then there's no rush to go\nget her. Still, there are things to do before we even rush off after\nparty members... Before we even explore the Promenade we now stand in,\nin fact! In the mean time be sure not to cast any Mage spells out in the\ncity. You can cast any Priest or Druid spells you wish, and you can cast\nanything if you're indoors, but as we've seen the Cowled Wizards do not\ntake kindly to arcane magic being practiced without a license.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n2) We now have an immediate goal: to raise enough money to effect the\nrelease of Imoen... or get assistance in reaching Irenicus, the two\ngoals seem to be one and the same. First though, we need to assemble our\nparties. Most party members come with quests that need to be resolved\nbefore they'll remain in the party, and most of these quests involve\nkilling things and crawling through dungeons... you know, the kind of\nactivities that generally end in us earning money. We can kill two birds\nwith one stone! The first party members we should look for are Anomen\nand Keldorn for good parties, and Dorn, Hexxat, Korgan, Edwin, and\nViconia for evil parties. Viconia needs only to be found before she'll\njoin, but the other four all have quests that need to be done... but\nnothing so extreme that we can't handle it. Other characters like Nalia,\nValygar, Cernd, Haer'Dalis, and Mazzy require quests that are either\ndifficult or far-off, and should be recruited only after the previously\nmentioned characters are recruited... if you even want them at all.\nBefore we head off to the Copper Coronet however, let's go get some\nloot, spells and experience.\n\nWaukeen's Promenade (AR0700)\no======================================================================o\n3) Over at (x=3080, y=1080) you'll find Lady Beth, who will help you\nget your bearings if you talk to her. She'll tell you about some guild\nwar, apparently between Irenicus (or someone tied to Irenicus) and the\nShadow Thieves, name the wizards that took Imoen away as the Cowled\nWizards, and mention that you might be able to find out how to get a\nlicense to practice magic in the city if you visit the Government\nDistrict. She'll also name your location as Athkatla, the capital city\nof Amn.\n\nSlums District (AR0400)\no======================================================================o\n4) Head south-west to exit the Promenade by clicking anywhere on the\nedge of the map. Travel to the Slums District, as it's the only place\nyou have access to as of yet. As soon as you arrive you'll be met by a\nrogue named Gaelan Bayle, who will tease you with information as to\nImoen's location. He'll escort you back to his house and promise you aid\nin rescuing Imoen and finding the Mage Irenicus... for a price of 20,000\ngold. He'll then direct you to his nephew Brus, who will lead you to the\nCopper Coronet, where you should be able to find work; work which will\nallow you to raise the money you need to pay for the assistance offered\nby Gaelen's friends.\n\nNote that with the beginning of Chapter 2 you'll start getting dreams\ninvolving Imoen and Irenicus when you rest. They are part of the story\nand there's no wrong way to go about them, just try to appreciate the\nlessons Irenicus is trying to teach you. Or not.\n\nGaelan Bayle's House (AR0311)\/(AR0312)\no======================================================================o\n5) Stealing is the name of the game. Okay, not really, it's Baldur's \nGate 2, but in the sequel you can score yourself a lot of cash by simply\nstealing. In the first game you could steal... what? Some Large \nShields +1, a Ring of Free Action, and a few spell scrolls? In this game\nyou can get a lot more mileage out of stealing, but with one important\nnote: You need a VERY high Pick Pockets score to pull it off. Poor,\nstupid Yoshimo has only a 25%, which is not going to get us anything.\nHead up the stairs at (x=150, y=350). Upstairs you'll find Arledrian \n(x=530, y=360), who will sell you various things. Namely he sells\nPotions of Master Thievery. Sell off all the crap from Irenicus' \nDungeon with any value-like gems, jewels, cursed scrolls, armor, and\nbows... and those stupid one-charge wands. This gets me a total of 3500\ngold, which I immediately use to buy all the Potions of Master Thievery\nhe has (three). Now if you have your own Thief character, you might not\nneed as many (this is one of the areas where my evil Fighter\/Mage\/Thief\nprotagonist shines), but Yoshimo chugs all three (and the one we found\nin Irenicus' dungeon) to bring his Pick Pockets up to 185%. Now we're in\nbusiness. You need at least 100% to steal... anything, really, in this\ngame, and about 140% to expect to succeed once in a while. At 180%+ you\ncan steal with relative impunity, although you'll still get caught from\ntime to time, so save often. \n\nKeep in mind when stealing you won't be able to sell fenced goods to\nhonest merchants, so don't steal EVERYTHING hoping to sell it back and\nmake a profit. Besides, the fact that you always have a chance to get\ncaught makes stealing minor items more of a pain in the ass than it's\nworth. If you DO want to steal for unlimited cash flow-rejoice! Not all\nmerchants are honest! A variety of fences exist, including the fence at\nthe Shadow Thief guild, Gorch, in Mae'Var's Guildhall, and Roger the\nFence, in the Sewers under the Temple District, just to name a few off\nthe top of my head. There are a few specific items that are worth\nstealing and reselling (due to their high sell price), which we'll get\nto later. For now, steal things that you will not want to sell back...\nPotions and ammo you will use, Scrolls you will scribe, and items you\nwill equip. If you don't have the unlimited ammo stacks mod activated,\nit's still worthwhile to steal a good bit of ammo, you'll just have to\nstore them in a container of some sort until you need them. Arrows and\nBullets +2 are good for hitting magical beasties and Arrows of Acid are\ngreat against Trolls... they will save you lots of trouble if you get\nthem. I also steal the Scimitar +1 for Jaheira to use, a Composite Long\nBow +1 for Minsc, a Short Bow +1 for Yoshimo, a pair of Katanas +1 for\nmy main character, the Glasses of Identification, and the Gem Bag. The\nGlasses of Identification will make preparing Identify spells optional,\nas you can just use these to identify your loot, albeit three times per\nday.\n\nI wouldn't consider it a requirement to steal for this game... but it\nsure does make life easier in the short run. If you weren't supposed to\nsteal and this was akin to cheating I have the following questions to\nask: 1) Why would you have a Pick Pockets skill in the first place if\nyou weren't supposed to use it? 2) Why would you be able to steal from\nVendors? 3) Why would you be able to use multiple Potions of Master\nThievery to boost your Pick Pockets skill so high?\n\nIf you plan on stealing-and this guide will assume that you did-you will\nneed to steal only what you plan to equip or scribe immediately, or you\nwill need to find a place to store your excess loot (like Arrows +2,\nBolts +2, Bullets +2, extra scrolls, potions, etc). The Copper Coronet\nmakes a fine place to do so, as well as all the strongholds you can\nacquire. Just make sure you don't store loot in a future stronghold\nbefore you actually control it. Some areas (particularly thinking of\nMae'Var's Guildhall here) restock their containers once after you gain\ncontrol of them.\n\no===========o\n|Mage Spells|\no===========o\n3rd-Non-Detection\n  ---\n4th-Improved Invisibility\n\nWhen you're done stealing from Arledrian's shop you can steal from him\npersonally to receive a Potion of Invisibility, a Potion of Extra\nHealing, and 29 gold. If you've got an exceptionally high Pick Pocket \nskill (over 120 will make the process easier) you can steal from Gaelan\nBayle to receive two Potions of Invisibility, two Potions of Extra \nHealing, Bolts x20, and Bolts +1 x10. Also be sure to loot before you\nleave. When all that is done leave the building. We've important things\nto do before Yoshimo's Potions of Master Thievery wear off.\n\n***ITEMS*** \n(AR0311)\n(x=350, y=200) Chain Mail, Battle Axe\n(x=670, y=250) Silver Necklace\n\n(AR0312)\n(x=300, y=250) Wand of Magic Missiles, Pearl Necklace, Moonstone Gem,\n\t       110 gold\n(x=400, y=150) Aquamarine Gem, Throwing Dagger x10, Dart +1 x10,\n\t       History of Amn\n(x=500, y=250) Water Opal, Tchazar Gem, Horn Coral Gem\n\n***TRAPS*** (AR0312)\n(x=300, y=250)\n(x=400, y=150)\n(x=500, y=250)\n\n***ENHANCED EDITION***\nIn the first game, near the release of the BG2EE, Overhaul Games\ndecided to put in minimum Pick Pocket scores to steal certain items,\ntypically the rarer, more valuable items. Such a mechanic returns in\nBG2EE, but it doesn't seem to limit our stealing excursions any. Yoshimo\nwith three Potions of Master Theivery was still able to steal all the\nsame goodies in the Enhanced Edition that I suggested stealing in the\nold version of Baldur's Gate 2. In fact, stealing from within a shop\ninterface doesn't seem to be restricted-only when you manually steal\nfrom NPCs via the general game screen. If you attempt to steal with too\nlow a Pick Pockets score you'll see the text: \"The target has no items\nthat can be stolen by a cut-purse of your skill.\" \n\t\nSlums District (AR0400)\no======================================================================o\n6) When you exit you'll be approached by Brus, who will tell you about\na quest and offer to take you to the edge of the district, or to the\nnearest tavern (Copper Coronet). Decline and walk down to the south\nuntil you find a female storekeep (x=3500, y=1980) who will be our\nsecond target. Steal a Sling +2 and a suit of Full Plate Mail for \nJaheira and a suit of Studded Leather Armor +2 for Yoshimo. Note that\nshe will only be around at night time. Also note that along the way you\ncan loot the wall at precisely (x=3345, y=1660) to obtain some random\nloot-once I scored a Scroll of Protection from Magic Energy, another\ntime I got a Flamedance Ring.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=3345, y=1660) Scroll of Protection from Magic Energy\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n7) Continue south-west to find two ruffians named Cohrvale and Bregg.\nThey're somewhat sturdy, but not sturdy enough to cause you trouble.\nBregg leaves behind a suit of Studded Leather Armor, a Short Sword, and\n10 gold. Cohrvale will drop a suit of Chain Mail Armor, a Helmet, a\nMedium Shield, a Battle Axe, and 41 gold. Wee. At least they give good\nexperience. Head to an area transition and go back to the Promenade.\n\nWaukeen's Promenade (AR0700)\no======================================================================o\n8) When you get to the Promenade hit 'M' to bring up your map and look\nfor the marker labeled 'Spell Store'. It's time to do some more... ah...\nshopping. Yeah... You'll find Galoomp the Bookkeeper at (x=3330, y=300),\nwho will sell a variety of scrolls. Of course, I have no intention of\nactually buying any of them. Steal as many as you wish, but keep in mind\nthe more you steal the better off Imoen's and Edwin's spell arsenals\nwill be. Once you've stolen your heart's content (for me this was\neverything) there's another tactic to employ. If you have ToB installed\n(and since you're playing the Enhanced Edition, you've got it installed)\nyou can erase spells from your spell book and rescribe them... earning\nyourself a good bit of experience. The primary goal isn't to \nsignificantly level up your party-there are better ways to do that-but\nto get Jaheira to 9th level as a Druid. To better your chances of \naccomplishing this kick out any characters you can besides her and your\nmain character so the experience is only split two ways. On my game she\nneeded about 11,000 experience... after dividing that between her\nclasses and the rest of the party it meant earning about 110,000\nexperience from spells, which seems like a lot until you think about\nthe fact that you can earn 5000 from a single scroll. In any event,\nyou should consider picking up the following spells: Blur, Chaos,\nCloudkill, Confusion, Dispel Magic, Flame Arrow, Fireball, Friends,\nGreater Malison, Haste, Improved Invisibility, Knock, Magic Missile,\nMirror Image, Slow. A full list of Galoomp's spells can be found\nbelow:\n\no===========o\n|Mage Spells| Galoomp the Bookeeper\no===========o---------------------------------------------------------->\n1st-Armor\n1st-Blindness\n1st-Burning Hands\n1st-Charm Person\n1st-Chill Touch\n1st-Chromatic Orb\n1st-Color Spray\n1st-Detect Evil\n1st-Friends\n1st-Grease \n1st-Identify\n1st-Infravision\n1st-Larloch's Minor Drain\n1st-Magic Missile\n1st-Protection from Evil\n1st-Protection from Petrification\n1st-Shield\n1st-Shocking Grasp\n1st-Sleep\n  ---\n2nd-Agannazar's Scorcher\n2nd-Blur\n2nd-Detect Invisibility\n2nd-Ghoul Touch\n2nd-Horror\n2nd-Invisibility\n2nd-Knock\n2nd-Know Alignment\n2nd-Luck\n2nd-Melf's Acid Arrow\n2nd-Mirror Image\n2nd-Resist Fear\n2nd-Stinking Cloud\n2nd-Strength\n2nd-Vocalize\n2nd-Web\n  ---\n3rd-Clairvoyance\n3rd-Dire Charm\n3rd-Dispel Magic\n3rd-Fireball\n3rd-Flame Arrow\n3rd-Ghost Armor\n3rd-Haste\n3rd-Hold Person\n3rd-Lightning Bolt\n3rd-Melf's Minute Meteors\n3rd-Monster Summoning I\n3rd-Non-Detection\n3rd-Protection From Normal Missiles\n3rd-Remove Curse\n3rd-Slow\n3rd-Skull Trap\n3rd-Vampiric Touch\n  ---\n4th-Confusion\n4th-Emotion\n4th-Greater Malison\n4th-Improved Invisibility\n4th-Minor Globe of Invulnerability\n4th-Monster Summoning II\n4th-Otiluke's Resilient Sphere\n4th-Polymorph Other\n4th-Polymorph Self\n4th-Spirit Armor\n4th-Wizard Eye\n  ---\n5th-Animate Dead\n5th-Chaos\n5th-Cloudkill\n5th-Cone of Cold\n5th-Domination\n5th-Enchanted Weapon\n5th-Feeblemind\n5th-Hold Monster\n5th-Monster Summoning III\n5th-Shadow Door\n\nYou should ideally have many of these if you are a Mage yourself, but\nkeep in mind you've got allies to think about. And the experience always\nhelps. What good are spell scrolls going to do on an NPC merchant \nanyways? Hell, you might as well make the most of your Potions of\nMaster Thievery Speaking of which, another merchant named Hes \n(x=330, y=320) is just to the west, but he doesn't have must of anything\nworth stealing. You could nip some Plate Mail from him, but that's \nreally not necessary. Especially not with so many other fine merchants\naround to steal from. There's a Weaponsmith marked on your map on the \nother end of the Promenade, but all he sells of interest are Arrows +2 \nand Bullets +2.\n\nArmorer\/Fletcher (AR0706)\no======================================================================o\n9) Head over to the shop marked Armorer\/Fletcher on your map\n(x=1770, y=1200). Inside you'll find Arnolinus (x=420 y=350) the\narmorer, and Perter (x=620, y=230) the Fletcher. Perter only has \nArrows +2, but Arnolinus has two suits of Full Plate Mail, a Large \nShield +2, a Medium Shield +2, and a Small Shield +2 which will all go a\nlong way to making our party more formidable. When you've taken what you\nwant from him, head over to the Adventurer's Mart (x=2200, y=1600), \nwhich has much richer pickings.\n\nAdventurer's Mart (AR0702)\no======================================================================o\n10) Lots of interesting things to see, I know, but first head to the\nback of the store to find Lady Yuth (x=180, y=410). She sells more\nscrolls which you should certainly steal. I know this is a bit of a long\nand tedious process, but it is immeasurably helpful to get access to as\nmany spells as possible. She'll also tell you to see somebody named\nCorneil of the Cowled Wizards in the Government District if you want to\nacquire a license to use magic. She's got a few spells that Galoomp\ndidn't have, that would be well worth your while to obtain, namely\nLower Resistance and Stoneskin.\n\no===========o\n|Mage Spells| Lady Yuth\no===========o---------------------------------------------------------->\n1st-Armor\n1st-Blindness\n1st-Burning Hands\n1st-Chill Touch\n1st-Color Spray\n1st-Detect Evil\n1st-Friends\n1st-Grease \n1st-Identify\n1st-Infravision\n1st-Larloch's Minor Drain\n1st-Protection from Evil\n1st-Shocking Grasp\n  ---\n2nd-Agannazar's Scorcher\n2nd-Blur\n2nd-Deafness\n2nd-Detect Invisibility\n2nd-Ghoul Touch\n2nd-Glitterdust\n2nd-Horror\n2nd-Invisibility\n2nd-Knock\n2nd-Know Alignment\n2nd-Luck\n2nd-Melf's Acid Arrow\n2nd-Mirror Image\n2nd-Ray of Enfeeblement\n2nd-Resist Fear\n2nd-Stinking Cloud\n2nd-Strength\n2nd-Vocalize\n2nd-Web\n  ---\n3rd-Clairvoyance\n3rd-Dispel Magic\n3rd-Fireball\n3rd-Flame Arrow\n3rd-Ghost Armor\n3rd-Haste\n3rd-Hold Person\n3rd-Melf's Minute Meteors\n3rd-Monster Summoning I\n3rd-Protection From Normal Missiles\n3rd-Remove Curse\n3rd-Slow\n3rd-Skull Trap\n3rd-Vampiric Touch\n  ---\n4th-Confusion\n4th-Emotion\n4th-Farsight\n4th-Improved Invisibility\n4th-Minor Globe of Invulnerability\n4th-Stoneskin\n  ---\n5th-Lower Resistance\n5th-Protection From Normal Weapons\n5th-Sunfire\n  ---\n7th-Limited Wish\n  ---\n8th-Symbol, Death\n8th-Symbol, Stun\n\nWhen you're done perusing her spells explore the rest of the\nAdventurer's Mart. We should have all the spells we need for now... or\nat least all the spells we can get our hands on for free.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n11) At (x=500, y=460) you'll find Deidre; a bonus merchant that shipped\nwith the Collector's Edition of the game before finally being patched\ninto the later versions of the vanilla game. She, and her Icewind Dale\ncounter-part Joluv, come standard in the Enhanced Edition. She sells a\nvariety of wonderful items we can only dream of for the moment,\ndescribed below:\n\nDak'kon's Zerth Blade\n---------------------\nThis is a +2 Katana that was expressly designed to be used by a \nFighter\/Mage... after all, that's what Dak'kon was in Planescape: \nTorment. It bestows a +1 bonus to Armor Class and gives an additional\n1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th level spell. It's not as good as Dak'kons blade\neventually could get, but it's still a nice off-hand weapon for any\nFighter\/Mage, even if it does become obsolete fairly quickly. Unless\nyou've found yourself an over-abundance of money, I wouldn't bother with\nit, although it does serve as a decent off-hand weapon until you get the\nEqualizer.\n\nSensate Amulet\n--------------\nAn amulet that gives you permanent protection from evil, +5 Hit Points,\nand +2 Charisma. This really works well on Viconia, who has a pretty\ngood Charisma and thus can serve as a party leader. If anything the hit \npoints and protection from evil will do any Cleric good.\n\nVhailor's Helm\n--------------\nOne of the best items Deidre sells and possibly the best helmet in the\nentire game. It gives you a one-point Armor Class bonus and allows you\nto cast simulacrum once per day. Simulacrum creates a duplicate of the\ncharacter casting the spell, who is at about half the creator's\nlevel. Be that as it may they still have access to all of the \ncreator's items, including the Cloak of Mirroring, weapons, and armor-\neven summoning items! That's right, you can create a simulacrum via\nVhailor's Helm, then use the simulacrum itself to summon an ally. The\nEfreeti Bottle and Golem Book come readily to mind. This is a good item\nto put on any character, as duplicating a high level Fighter with\nplenty of Greater Whirlwinds and a vorpal weapon or a high level Cleric\nand their Auras of Flaming Death has obvious benefits. It really gets\nout of hand when it's on a multi-classed character, however. Duplicating\na Fighter\/Cleric capable of popping out Auras of Flaming Death and\nGreater Whirlwinds is an obvious improvement over the scenarios\nmentioned above, as is getting two Fighter\/Thieves. If each of the\nFighter\/Thieves are wielding the Dagger of the Star they can both\nunleash backstabbing destruction on your foes. It really gets fun with\nthe Fighter\/Mage, where you'll get two characters who can spell-buff\nthemselves to nigh-invulnerability and then go after enemies with\nGreater Whirlwind attacks. The tactics might be somewhat blunt and\nrepetitive, but it's also brutally effective.\n\nPlate of Balduran\n-----------------\nIt's armor with an Armor Class of -1, it gives +4 Hit Points, and +1 to\nCharisma. Need I say more? Keldorn would love this. Granted, its -1\nArmor Class doesn't make it much better than Full Plate Mail +1 (which\nwe'll find\/steal in abundance, don't you doubt), especially for the\nprice... But if you have tons of money just burning through your pockets\nlater on, it might be something to consider. Also keep in mind that this\nitem sells for quite a bundle-in fact, it's one of the highest-selling\nitems in the main game. You have to buy it, of course, to be able to\nsteal\/sell it to a fence, but once you do, you'll be able to easily\nsteal\/sell grind for unlimited cash.\n\nMercykiller Ring\n----------------\nA ring that improves your Set Snares, Hide in Shadows, and Move Silently\nabilities by 20%. Not essential, but still nice.\n\nRobe of Vecna\n-------------\nPossibly the best item sold by Deidre, it lowers casting speed by 4,\nmaking most spells cast instantaneously. It cannot be over-stated how\nmuch it helps to be able to get off a spell before the enemy can,\nparticularly a debuff or defensive spell. Oftentimes the tempo (and\noutcome) of a battle is set by who gets the first spell off. It makes\ncasting every spell that much more effective. It also has an Armor Class\nof 5 and 10% magic resistance, giving it some practical defensive \nimplications as well. For Edwin and Imoen, there is no better robe in\nthe game.\n\nShield of Balduran\n------------------\nIt imparts a penalty to Strength, but for, say, Jaheira, that's a minor\nconcern, since it won't lower her combat effectiveness any. With an\nArmor Class bonus of four it's a pretty solid shield on its own, but it\nreally shines because it reflects Beholder rays, turning one of the most\nfearsome monsters in the game into push-overs. It'll come in very handy\nfor the Unseeing Eye quest, and should probably be the first item we\nget.\n\nAs you can see these items run between 10,000 and 40,000 gold, making\nthem well out of our price-range for now. You can't even steal them,\neither! Oh well. It's something to work towards, at least.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n12) At (x=600, y=700) you'll find Ribald Barterman, owner of the\nAdventurer's Mart. It's interesting that he allows so many other\nmerchants to ply their trade in his establishment... in any case, he's\ngot some good items on him, like a reasonably priced Sling +2, a Short\nBow +2, several interesting suits of armor that could go well on any\nlight-armor wearing character, the Fortress Shield +3, the Reflection\nShield +1, Bracers of Defense A.C. 3, Potions of Master Thievery,\nScrolls of Breach, a Girdle of Hill Giant Strength, the Ring of Air\nControl, and plenty of magical ammunition. Depending on who you get in\nyour party, some or all of those items should interest you, but\nspecifically every party should plan on getting the two shields, the\nGirdle of Hill Giant Strength, and the Ring of Air Control. There are\nalso various blunt weapons that would go well on Anomen or Viconia, but\nwe have much more important things to buy by far. When you're done \ngawking at all the things you can't afford, pick pocket Ribald to obtain\na Ring of Regeneration. I don't usually invest this item into any one\ncharacter, especially not at this point in the game when there are so\nfew rings to go around. Give it to whomever is hurt to get some passive\nhealing. It'll cut down on healing spells expended and rest times \nrequired. Even though its rate of healing is so slow that it won't turn\na battle in your favor, it will make exploration that much simpler. \n\no===========o\n|Mage Spells| Ribald Barterman\no===========o---------------------------------------------------------->\n2nd-Vocalize\n  ---\n3rd-Melf's Minute Meteors\n3rd-Non-Detection\n  ---\n4th-Enchanted Weapon\n4th-Secret Word\n  ---\n5th-Breach\n\nFortress Shield +3\n------------------\nWith a +7 bonus versus missile weapons and an Armor Class bonus of four\nthis is a far superior version of the Large Shield +1, +4 vs Missiles\nfrom the first game. It's a superior shield, and we'll use it a long\ntime... at least until we reach Throne of Bhaal. A defensive item that\nyou can get this early that'll keep that long is a good investment\nindeed.\n\nReflection Shield +1\n--------------------\nWhile not as powerful as the Fortress Shield +3, it'll come in very\nhandy once in a while.\n\nGirdle of Hill Giant Strength\n-----------------------------\nAnother item that will last us a long time, through the entirety of\nShadows of Amn at least. No matter who you include in your party, there\nis always somebody who will benefit from having a higher Strength.\nKeldorn, Jaheira, and Viconia are all especially in need of this item.\n\nRing of Air Control\n-------------------\nWhile seeming somewhat lack-luster, there is no underestimating the\ndefensive implications of an item that allows you to cast Improved\nInvisibility once per day. Put it on a Thief main character to allow\nthem to get out of trouble or to get another backstab ready. Or put it\non an character with a poor Armor Class to give them a boost for big\ncombats. It'll become obsolete later in Shadows of Amn, and especially\nin Throne of Bhaal, as there will almost always be an enemy ready to\ntear down illusions with True Sight.\n\nScroll of Breach\n----------------\nJust look at all the defenses that this spell takes down. It is your\nprimary debuffing spell against... well, most anything. You can always\nuse a Dispel Magic to do much of the same, but this is a more definite\nmeans of leaving an enemy open to attack, without risking your own spell\nbuffs.\n\nBracers of Defense A.C. 3\n-------------------------\nEqual to a suit of Plate Mail, these bracers are good for every class\nthat is normally deprived armor, especially Monks and Mages. If you are\na Fighter\/Mage, however, it becomes especially vital. Mages are well \ndefended by keeping their distance, but you're going to want to get into\ncombat-and survive. These allow you to do so admirably, and will be your\narmor for most of the game.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n13) We still have one more thieving target ahead before these potions\nwear off, but before we get to him, it's time to start forming our\nparty. There are still a few other merchants around that have various\nthings to steal, but we should have obtained all we really need. Most of\nthe random merchants hanging around will sell-at best-a few +1 weapons\nand some +2 ammunition. Granted the latter can be nice, but it's not\nessential at this point. Just remain open to future stealing sprees,\nbut don't waste the Potions of Master Thievery, they're not (to my\nknowledge) easy to come by until you complete the Mage's Stronghold.\nSince non-Mages can't even obtain this quest it really means you should\ntry and get the most out of your Potions of Master Thievery. To that\nend, let's not dawdle and waste the potions we already have in effect.\nOur next goal is the Copper Coronet, in the Slums. So travel to the\nSlums District (AR0400) and enter the Copper Coronet at\n(x=2490, y=2270)... but before we get there, there's something I\nshould mention...\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n14) As veterans of Baldur's Gate 1 will remember, going from area to\narea was always a little risky, but in Athkatla there's a guild war\ngoing on between the Shadow Thieves and another upstart guild that just\nhappens to have plenty of Vampires to throw around. In the next few\nevent sequences I will make a note of various random encounters that\ncan be had-either by just setting foot outside at the wrong hour\n(usually night) or while traveling between districts. Mind you that\ndepending on your nocturnal activities it might take a long time to see<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
all these, if you ever do. They're not very important, I just feel it's\nbetter to record them than not. If you don't care to read them and just\nwant to get on with it (I can't help but think about Monty Python's\n'Holy Grail' when I read that...) skip to [WLK004]-which is where I'll\ncover the Copper Coronet and our future party-building plans. Just\ndon't whine to me later when you get snarfed by a Vampire and don't\nknow why.\n\no======================================================================o\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|\t  \t    Random Encounters in Athkatla\t\t       |\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\no======================================================================o\nSequence of Events:\t\t\t\t\t\t{WLK003}\n\t\t1) Arbane's Sword\n\t\t2) Helping Harpers\n\t\t3) Xzar's Quest\n\t\t4) Hareishan's Warning\n\t\t5) Salia and the Shadow Thieves\n\t\t6) Parisa's Persuasion\n\t\t7) Tanova's Inquiry\n\t\t8) Sansuki's Salvation\n\t\t9) Slaver Smite\n\t\t10) Delon's Plea\n\nEnroute in Athkatla I (AR0045)\no======================================================================o\n1) Every time you travel between areas in Athkatla you run the chance\nof encountering Slavers (among other things). In this particular \nencounter one is named Suna Seni and another is named Eldarin. \nImmediately focus your fire on the female wizard, and then focus on Suna\nSeni when she goes down. They can be rough on a new party, but brute \nforce and attacking the spellcasters first should be more than enough to\nwin. Loot the Slaver Mage for a Scroll of Minor Globe of \nInvulnerability, a Scroll of Vampiric Touch, a Scroll of Domination, a \nScroll of Shocking Grasp, a Scroll of Magic Missile, and a Scroll of \nFlame Arrow. Loot the Slaver Cleric for a Necklace, a Potion of Frost \nGiant Strength, a Potion of Stone Giant Strength, and a Mace +1. Suna \nSeni has a suit of Leather Armor, a Scroll of Charm Person, and Arbane's\nSword +2. The Slaver with the bow has a Silver Necklace, Arrows +1 x20,\na Composite Long Bow, and 65 gold. Finally Eldarin drops a Bloodstone \nAmulet, a suit of Plate Mail +1, Arrows +1 x40, a Composite Long Bow,\nand 623 gold.\n\nArbane's Sword is a fair little short sword that offers immunity to hold\nperson and allows a character to use haste for two rounds once per day.\nIt's not spectacular, but you might as well hold onto it, seeing as how\nhaving any +2 weapons will be a good thing for a while.\n\nEnroute in Athkatla II (AR0045)\no======================================================================o\n2) It seems like a good time to mention another random encounter you\nmight run into while traveling between districts... You know, since\nwe're on this topic. A group of three Thugs and a Mage will be found\nnear a wounded man. They decide to kill the witnesses (you) and a fight\nensues. They are woefully out-classed, and when they die the injured man\n(Renfeld) asks for your help. Agree to take him to his friends' house\nin the Docks District. Don't waste much time getting there.. just long\nenough to loot the bodies. The Mage will drop a Scroll of Strength, a\nScroll of Chill Touch, a Scroll of Power Word Sleep, a Scroll of Haste,\na Scroll of Ghost Armor, a Scroll of Ghoul Touch, and a Scroll of\nSummon Monster I. One of the Thugs will leave behind a Bluestone\nNecklace, a Potion of Genius, a Potion of Defense, and two Daggers +1.\nAnother will drop three Potions of Extra Healing and 85 gold, and the\nlast Thug will leave behind an Oil of Speed, a Potion of Insight, and\n67 gold.\n\nDocks District (AR0300)\no======================================================================o\n3) Go to the Galvery Estate in the south-western corner of the area and\ntalk to Rylock (x=1450, y=2950). Give Renfeld to Rylock for some coins\nand experience. When you head back up north you'll be approached by your\nold friend Xzar, who names the people you just dealt with as Harpers,\nand asks for your assistance in going inside and retrieving Montaron.\nAgree to do it or not, either way, it's something we'll be postponing\nfor a long, long time. If you must forge ahead with it sooner, it's\ncovered in [WLK034], Steps #18-21.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For Bringing Renfeld to Rylock)\nEXP\t14550\nGold\t125\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n4) A vampire named Hareishan will destroy a trio of Shadow Thieves.\nWait, wasn't there a Mage in the Cloakwood Mines named Hareishan? I'm\nsure it's just a coincidence. She'll tell you to bugger off, mentioning\nthat until you choose your side the Mistress doesn't want you to come to\nharm. Sure. Loot the dead Shadow Thieves for a suit of Leather Armor, a\nBlack Opal, a Water Opal, a Scroll of Contingency, a Note, a Short\nSword, and 173 gold. Another will have a suit of Leather Armor, a Sphene\nGem, a Bloodstone Amulet, a Scroll of Spell Thrust, a Dagger, a Scroll\nof Stoneskin, and a Short Sword. The last one will leave behind a suit\nof Leather Armor, a Pearl Necklace, a Dagger, a Short Sword, and 94\ngold. Not a bad bit of loot considering we didn't lift a finger.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n5) If you go out at night you might just see a vampire named Salia\ntalking to two Shadow Thieves, obviously trying to lure them into the\nnew guild. Unfortunately they notice you and attack while Salia slips\naway. When they die loot them. One has a suit of Leather Armor, a Gold\nNecklace, a Sphene Gem, a Scroll of Disintegrate, a Note, a Short Sword,\nand 68 gold. The other has a suit of Chain Mail, a Pearl, a Garnet, a\nScroll of Find Familiar, a Scroll of Minor Spell Turning, and a Bastard\nSword.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n6) You'll find a Vampire named Parisa trying to convince a Shadow Thief\nto come join the new guild. When they refuse, she uses Dire Charm to\nsettle matters, and then threatens you before running off. You can kill\nthe charmed Shadow Thief for some experience if you wish.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n7) At night you may be questioned by a vampire named Tanova. At any\nearly point in the game, you'd be well served by saying you do NOT work\nwith the Shadow Thieves, as other responses will provoke Tanova into\nattacking. Vampires are bad enough, but Tanova requires +3 weapons to\nhit, and for a low-level party, that's just too much to overcome.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n8) A Shadow Thief named Sansuki will approach and ask for help, but\nbefore anything useful can be communicated the source of his woes will\narrive. A Vampire named Del and two subordinate Vampires will show up \nand warn you to stay uninvolved. Again, it's best if you simply let the\nVampires have Sansuki, as your odds against a handful of Vampires\naren't very good. Sorry Sansuki. If you do bother to help him out, all\nhe will do is thank you, and walk away. Really not worth the hassle.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n9) In the Slums of Athkatla you might come across a Slave being\nescorted by a pair of Slaver Guards outside the Copper Coronet. The \nslave will beg for aid and if you kill his guards you'll get a little \nexperience reward. Inside the Copper Coronet, you can talk to the\nproprietor of the establishment named Lehtinan (x=400, y=1220) and ask\nhim about the obvious slave escort from his tavern. He'll play stupid,\nand Anomen suggests we smite him right away. Somebody certainly doesn't\nbelieve in a trial-by-jury. Lawful Neutral my ass. What's extra funny\nis that later on Anomen will suggest that we should leave a slave in his\ncage... so Anomen believes we should kill slave-masters, but keep unruly\nslaves enslaved. Does this guy have two brain cells to rub together? \nAnyways, we'll deal with this slavery issue much, much, much later...\nwell, not so much later if we're an evil party, but otherwise, my muches\nstand.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For freeing the slave)\nEXP\t5500\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n10) This isn't a guild-related meeting, but if you have Minsc in your\nparty after enough time has passed, you'll be approached by a little boy\nnamed Delon. He'll tell you-well, Minsc, rather-about the troubles of\nhis village Imnesvale in the Umar Hills. He'll mark the area on your map\nand tell you to go to Imnesvale and talk to Minister Lloyd. This starts\nthe Umar Hills quest, which is a very rewarding -yet far too difficult\nfor us now-quest. Needless to say, I'll be putting it off for a while.\n\no======================================================================o\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|\t                With Friends Like These....\t\t       |\n|      (Recruiting Anomen, Dorn, Korgan, Hexxat, Viconia and Jan)      |\no======================================================================o\nSequence of Events:\t\t\t\t\t\t{WLK004}\n\t\t1) Amalas' Challenge\n\t\t2) Nalia in Need\n\t\t3) Korgan's Quest\n\t\t4) Joluv's Wares\n\t\t5) Be Ye Friend, or Foe?\n\t\t6) Helping Hexxat\n\t\t7) Buying from Bernard\n\t\t8) Guild War Worries\n\t\t9) Viconia at Stake\n\t\t10) Jan Jansen's Gibberish\n\t\t11) Good ol' Garrick\n\t\t12) The Wages of Faith is Stupidity\n\t\t13) Oisig's Request\n\t\t14) Soliciting Sir Sarles\n\t\t15) Shadow Thief Sonnet\n\t\t16) Priestly Paternity\n\t\t17) Dealing with Dorn\n\nNow that we're at the Copper Coronet it feels like a good time to\ntalk about what our immediate and future goals are. We know we need to\nraise 20,000 gold to get Imoen back and to strike at Irenicus, and while\nwe're raising the money we might as well recruit the allies we'll need\nto succeed. This is where the 'good' and 'evil' parties make a serious\ndeparture, as who you recruit affects what quests you need to do to keep\nthem. For example, if you don't want Keldorn there's really no reason\nto go do the Unseeing Eye quest yet, and if you don't care to recruit\nValygar you have no reason to enter the Planar Sphere. That said, no\nmatter who you wish to recruit you should recruit them before going\nafter Imoen and Irenicus, as you'll want a full compliment before\nheading out on that lengthy rescue\/revenge mission.\n\nFor the purposes of providing you-the reader-with this information I\nwill complete most of the character-related quests before heading off\nafter Imoen. These quests are often necessary to recruit and secure\ncharacters, as many will be willing to stick around with you for any\nlength of time (and rescuing will take plenty of time, don't doubt)\nonly if you attend to their personal matters, first. This will comprise\nabout half of the quests that can be performed in and around Athkatla,\nand if you're in a rush to get Imoen back, this is not a great path to\ntake, as the more quests you do before going after Imoen, the fewer\nyou'll have left to do after you get her back.\n\nIf you want to follow in the direct footsteps of this FAQ and recruit\nall the characters in the game (whether you intend to use them or not),\nthen by all means, follow me in the order in which I plan to progress.\nA more practical way of playing the game is to just recruit the\ncharacters you wish to take with you and head off after Imoen. The\nevil party or a good party who doesn't intend to keep Imoen round,\nhowever, obviously doesn't need to refrain from completing as many\nquests as possible. This leaves two ways of going about things in the\nearly part of Baldur's Gate 2-or at least two ways I'll acknowledge,\nanyways. Obviously you're free to jump around as you see fit, but for\nthose who want their hands held more, you can either follow the guide\nchronologically completing the quests in the order I complete them,\npicking up and dropping characters as necessary to complete their\nquests, or you can do so selectively, only picking up the characters\nyou want to keep. Decide who you want in your party and make those\ncharacters a priority, whatever else you want to do, as the longer\nyou delay in making contact with your eventual core party members,\nthe higher level they'll be when you recruit them. The more levels you\ngive the computer to roll up, the lower their Hit Points will be.\nSimple as. Below is a list of the characters and their related quests\nwhich will take up the next part of the FAQ:\n\no=======o=======================================o======================o\n|WLK### |              Objectives               |   Suggested For...   |\no=======o=======================================o======================o\n|WLK004 | Recruit Anomen, Korgan, Hexxat,       | Everybody\t       |\n|\t| Viconia, Jan, and Dorn.\t\t|\t\t       |\n|-------|---------------------------------------|----------------------|\n|WLK005 | Jan's Quest.\t\t\t        | Stupid People\t       |\n|-------|---------------------------------------|----------------------|\n|WLK006 | Mae'Var's Guildhall (Recruit Edwin),\t| Evil Parties,        |\n|\t| Obtain the Thieves' Guild.\t\t| Thief Protagonists   |\n|\t|\t\t\t\t\t| People Who Want Easy |\n|\t|\t\t\t\t\t| Money\t\t       |\n|-------|---------------------------------------|----------------------|\n|WLK007 | Thieves' Guild Quests\t\t\t| Thief Protagonists   |\n|-------|---------------------------------------|----------------------|\n|WLK008 | The Book of Kaza (Secure Korgan)      | Evil Parties         |\n|       | The Nether Scroll (Secure Edwin),     |                      |\n|\t| Obtain the Pale Green Ioun Stone\t|\t\t       |\n|-------|---------------------------------------|----------------------|\n|WLK009 | The Unseeing Eye (Recruit and Secure  | Good Parties,        |\n|       | Keldorn), Obtain the Gauntlets of     | Slow People,         |\n|       | Dexterity, Kill the Bandits in the    | Cleric Protagonists, |\n|       | Sewers, Obtain the Cloak of the\t| Ambitious Parties    |\n|       | Sewers, Obtain Saving Grace +3,\t|                      |\n|\t| Obtain the Cleric's Stronghold\t|\t\t       |\n|-------|---------------------------------------|----------------------|\n|WLK010 | Keldorn and Anomen family quests.\t| Good Parties with    |\n|\t|\t\t\t\t\t| Keldorn and Anomen,  |\n|\t|\t\t\t\t\t| People who like quest|\n|\t|\t\t\t\t\t| experience.\t       |\n|-------|---------------------------------------|----------------------|\n|WLK011 | Cleric's Stronghold Quests            | Cleric Protagonists  |\n|-------|---------------------------------------|----------------------|\n|WLK012 | Astral Prison (Recruit and Secure     | Impatient People,    |\n|       | Haer'Dalis), Obtain the Boots of      | People Who Like      |\n|       | Speed, Obtain the Wave Shaft,         | Halberds, Bards      |\n|\t| Obtain the Bardic Playhouse\t\t|                      |\n|-------|---------------------------------------|----------------------|\n|WLK013 | Bardic Playhouse Quests\t\t| Bard Protagonists    |\n|-------|---------------------------------------|----------------------|\n|WLK014 | Obtain Celestial Fury\t\t\t| People Who Like      |\n|       |                                       | Katanas              |\n|-------|---------------------------------------|----------------------|\n|WLK015 | The Circus Tent (Recruit and Secure\t| Good Parties,\t       |\n|       | Aerie), Obtain the Ring of Human \t| Ugly People          |\n|\t| Influence\t\t\t\t|\t\t       |\n|-------|---------------------------------------|----------------------|\n|WLK016 | The Planar Sphere (Recruit and        | Good Parties,\t       |\n|\t| Secure Valygar), Obtain the Hands of  | Weak People, \t       |\n|\t| Takkok, Obtain the Ring of Acuity,    | Mage Protagonists    |\n|\t| Obtain the Ring of Danger Sense,\t|\t\t       |\n|\t| Obtain the Mage Stronghold\t\t|\t\t       |\n|-------|---------------------------------------|----------------------|\n|WLK017 | Mage Stronghold Quests\t\t| Mage Protagonists    |\n|-------|---------------------------------------|----------------------|\n|WLK018 | The de'Arnise Keep (Recruit and\t| Good Parties,        |\n|\t| Secure Nalia), Obtain the Flail of the| Fighter Protagonists,|\n|\t| Ages, Obtain the Ring of Earth\t| People Who Like      |\n|\t| Control, Obtain the Battle Axe +3,    | Flails, People Who   |\n|\t| Frostreaver\t\t\t\t| Like Axes\t       |\n|-------|---------------------------------------|----------------------|\n|WLK019 | Fighter Stronghold Quests, \t        | Fighter Protagonists,|\n|\t| Nalia Quests\t\t\t\t| People Who Like      |\n|\t|\t\t\t\t\t| Clones\t       |\n|-------|---------------------------------------|----------------------|\n|WLK020 | The Skinner Murders, Obtain the Boots | Completionists       |\n|\t| of Avoidance\t\t\t\t| \t\t       |\n|-------|---------------------------------------|----------------------|\n|WLK021 | The Umar Hills, Part I (Recruit and\t| Good Parties\t       |\n|\t| Secure Mazzy)\t\t\t\t|\t\t       |\n|-------|---------------------------------------|----------------------|\n|WLK022 | Trademeet (Recruit and Secure Cernd)\t| Druid Protagonists,  |\n|       | Obtain the Druid Grove, Obtain the\t| People Who Don't Mind|\n|\t| Cloak of Displacement, Obtain the Belt| Stealing\t       |\n|\t| of Inertial Barrier, Obtain \t\t|                      |\n|\t| Tansheron's Bow +3, Obtain the Dwarven|                      |\n|\t| Thrower +3, Obtain Belm +2\t\t|                      |\n|-------|---------------------------------------|----------------------|\n|WLK023 | Druid Grove Quests\t\t\t| Druid Protagonists   |\n|-------|---------------------------------------|----------------------|\n|WLK025\t| (Recruit and Secure Rasaad)\t\t| Monkeys\t       |\n|-------|---------------------------------------|----------------------|\n|WLK043 | Limited Wish Quests, obtain the\t| Enterprising Evil    |\n|\t| Boomerang Dagger +2, Obtain a second\t| Parties with an      |\n|\t| pair of Glasses of Idenfication, \t| Edwin who can Cast   |\n|\t| Obtain a suit of Full Plate Mail +2\t| 7th Level Spells     |\n|-------|---------------------------------------|----------------------|\n|WLK045 | Dorn's Quests\t\t\t\t| Evil Parties, People |\n|\t|\t\t\t\t\t| Who Like Helmets     |\n|-------|---------------------------------------|----------------------|\n|WLK046\t| Hexxat's Quests\t\t\t| Evil Parties,\t       |\n|\t|\t\t\t\t\t| Pack Rats,\t       |\n|\t|\t\t\t\t\t| Necrophiliac Lesbians|\n|-------|---------------------------------------|----------------------|\n|WLK047 | Neera's Quests\t\t\t| Good Parties\t       |\n|-------|---------------------------------------|----------------------|\n|WLK048\t| Rasaad's Quests\t\t\t| Good Parties, Monkies|\n|-------|---------------------------------------|----------------------|\n|WLK055*| Watcher's Keep (Level 1 only)\t\t| Greedy parties who   |\n|\t| Obtain Quiver of Plenty, Case of\t| want to score some   |\n|\t| Plenty, Ammo Belt, Crimson Dart +3,\t| Throne of Bhaal loot |\n|\t| Golem Manual\t\t\t\t| early.\t       |\no=======o=======================================o======================o\n\n*These two quests occur much later in the walkthrough, as they are not\ncompleted until much later in the guide. First, we're simply not strong\nenough to make it through more than the first level of Watcher's Keep\nuntil near the end of Shadows of Amn... but I postpone it until we're\nestablished in Throne of Bhaal, when it's easiest to explore in both\nterms of party experience and story progression. Also, although I\nstrongly advocate at least partial exploration of the first level of\nWatcher's Keep as our last endeavor before heading off to pursue\nIrenicus and rescue Imoen I decided not to break up Watcher's Keep into\nseperate parts in the Walkthrough for simple continuity... as opposed to\nUmar Hills, which I broke up in order to lump all our recruiting quests\ninto the pre-Chapter 4 portion of the guide. A good party should head to\nWatcher's Keep to obtain a few choice items while completing as few\nquests as possible, whereas an evil party can-and is benefited by-\nexploring the entire first level. This leads to the Limited Wish quest,\nwhich is ignored entirely by the good party on the grounds that they\nwill simply not have enough experience to cast that spell before going\nafter Imoen, and the Limited Wish quests cannot otherwise be completed\nagain until Chapter 6, hence its chronological placement in the guide\nuntil the good party can complete it.\n\nTo make life simpler, again, you can just follow the guide sequentially-\nno matter what alignment your party will be. There's no reason an evil\nparty can't just leave Keldorn behind and do the Unseeing Eye quest, and\nthere's no reason a good party can't play with Korgan\/Edwin long enough\nto get their specific quests (the Book of Kaza and the Nether Scroll,\nrespectively) out of the way. If you want to just follow the guide-it's\nokay. Imoen ends up fine. If, however, you really, really don't want to\ndo anything extraneous in this game, bewlow you'll find my suggestions\nof what each party should do at the minimum:\n\n--GOOD--\t--EVIL--\n[WLK004]\t[WLK004]\n[WLK006]\t[WLk006]\n[WLK009]\t[WLK008]\n[WLK010]\t[WLK009]\n[WLK014]\t[WLK014]\n\t\t[WLK055]\n\nGo recruit what characters you wish in whatever order you wish, after\nwhich we'll have more than enough money to pick our poison and go after\nImoen. If you recruit characters you do not wish to keep, disband them\nand send them back to the Copper Coronet when possible. I wouldn't\nsuggest doing this in two circumstances. Firstly, don't disband a\ncharacter you haven't secured. For example, don't send Korgan off before\ncompleting the Book of Kaza quest, and don't send Valygar away before\ncompleting the Planar Sphere. Also don't disband characters you want to\nromance, as this will likely kill the romance. If you want to play with\ngood characters or otherwise don't care to recruit and secure Korgan and\nEdwin skip to [WLK009]. For now, however, let's explore the Copper\nCoronet and deal with-or at least acknowledge-all the minor events\nwithin. Keep in mind that you'll need to pick and choose what characters\nyou want to take along with you here-we already have Minsc, Jaheira,\nand Yoshimo, and stand to gain as many as six more during this\nSequence of Events. Jaheira, Minsc, Yoshimo, Anomen, and Viconia all\nhave no quests attached to them-at least no immediate ones-if that helps\nin choosing.\n\nCopper Coronet (AR0406)\no======================================================================o\n1) At (x=1100, y=1880) you'll find Amalas. If you talk to him he'll try\nto provoke you into a fight. If you fight him, you'll get to go one on\none with Amalas, who shouldn't be too tough as long as you have some\nlevels of Fighter. Jaheira won't approve of your antics, however. If you\ndecline and have Minsc in your party Minsc is riled to attack Amalas.\nOverall it's more profitable to duel Amalas.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For beating Amalas in a duel)\nEXP\t9500\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n2) You'll find a woman named Nalia in the tavern... or rather she'll\nfind you. As soon as you're in sight she'll come initiate dialogue, \nhopelessly aristocratic and asking for help. Her quest takes you out of\nAthkatla and is somewhat difficult, but to keep her happy you'll have to\ndo it. If it wasn't for this and the fact that she is practically a\nclone of Imoen I'd consider taking her along. We'll deal with her and\nher quest later. Much later.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n3) Over at (x=950, y=1870) you'll find Korgan. Talk to him if you want\nthe best evil Fighter in the game on your side. Agree to help him find\nthe Book of Kaza and he'll join with you. We won't delay too long,\nhowever, as we don't want Korgan to grow impatient and leave. We'll\nget to his quest shortly, so if you're following along chronologically,\nit's best to pick him up now. Good parties can ignore him, as you wish.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n4) At (x=1350, y=1750) you'll find Joluv, another one of the 'bonus\nmerchants' from the vanilla game which have long since become staples.\nDeidre sold Planescape: Torment inspired items, and Joluv sells Icewind\nDale inspired items. Overall, Deidre's gear is probably better, as\nyou'll be using some of it for the rest of the game, whereas Joluv's\ncollection of weapons-while great for Shadows of Amn-doesn't have quite\nthe same longetivity. Still, there's some good loot to be grabbed if\nyou've got the coin.\n\nDefender of Easthaven +3\n------------------------\nThis weapon is actually a consideration because it was buffed up for\nthe Enhanced Edition. It gives a +1 bonus to Armor Class and 20%\nresistance to physical damage, making it a nifty offhand consideration\nfor the good protagonist. Sure, the Flail of Ages is free, and just\nas good, but if you've got the money and don't want to do Nalia's\nquest before chasing Imoen, this is a great Shadows of Amn weapon.\n\nJoril's Dagger +3\n-----------------\nAn opportunity to score a +3 Two-Handed Sword before going after Imoen.\nNot a terrible weapon for Dorn or Keldorn, but we'll find better, and\nit's unlikely you'll ever need more than one good Two-Handed Sword.\nYou'd have to be sitting on a ton of cash to make this weapon worth\npicking up.\n\nScarlet Ninja-To +3\n-------------------\nI originally wrote this weapon off because it's a Monk-only weapon,\nand frankly... who cares about making a Monk protagonist? Since Rasaad\nis around in the Enhanced Edition, however, it might be worth picking\nup for him. He'll benefit from the increased attack speed, and it'll\nallow him to harm enemies that require +3 or better weapons sooner than\nleveling will.\n\nSling of Everard +5\n-------------------\nThis Sling provides its own ammunition, +5 bullets at that. Even though\nit's damage is a little low, you'd be foolish to pass this weapon up\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n5) Anomen is at (x=1530, y=1660) and will ask you some really stupid\nquestions when you talk to him... kinda reminds us of Ajantis in his \nnaivete. Instead of \"Halt! Be ye friend or foe?\" We have this dork\nasking if we're brave and if we're on the side of good. For the good\nparty, he's our Cleric of choice and should be recruited, but he will\nalso play nice with evil folks... but the evil party doesn't need him,\nand there are quite a few bad guys left to recruit. If you get him to\njoin, give him some better armor and a shield (some of the goodies we\nstole from Arnolinus will work fine). It also might be a good idea to\nshift the Helm of Balduran to him, considering that his Dexterity is\nputrid.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n6) Hiding in a corner at (x=600, y=1050) you'll find Hexxat, who will\ntalk to you if you get too close. She seems... not quite all there,\nand Bernard's interjections certainly don't make her sound any more\nnormal. She wants to go tomb robbing in the Graveyard District,\nalluding to 'great treasure' in Dragomir's Tomb. Agree to go and she'll\njoin up. Every day you delay she'll complain and threaten to leave,\nbut just pick dialogue option #1 repeatedly and you'll convince her to\nstay. As far as I can tell, this quest has no real time limit, so you\ncan just drag her around for now, if you want, or come back later, as\nyou wish. You'll notice that she's inferior to Yoshimo in pretty much\nevery way-still, her quest is worth doing, and Yoshimo is just dead\nweight. Take off his bow and give it to her, they'll have almost the\nsame-limited-impact in combat. If you want to bring Hexxat along, I'd\nsuggest doing her quest immediately after scouring the rest of the\nGraveyard District trying to appease Edwin and Korgan [WLK008]. Her\nquests will be covered in [WLK046], for when you wish to do them.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n7) There are plenty of things to do in the Copper Coronet still, but all\nof these quests can wait until later. You can go buy (steal) some things\nfrom the bartender Bernard. He'll sell better things later in the game,\nbut until then we can at least nab a Sword of Flame +1, which will help\nwith Nalia's quest a good bit, and a Scroll Case, which will help with\nthe endless task of inventory management. Note that Bernard is\nridiculously hard to steal from, often requiring a Pick Pockets of 180+\nto succeed. Now that we're done in here for now let's head over to the\nGovernment District.\n\no===========o\n|Mage Spells| Bernard\no===========o---------------------------------------------------------->\n1st-Armor\n1st-Charm Person\n1st-Color Spray\n1st-Blindness\n1st-Burning Hands\n1st-Chill Touch\n1st-Chromatic Orb\n1st-Detect Evil\n1st-Grease\n1st-Larloch's Minor Drain\n  ---\n2nd-Agannazar's Scorcher\n2nd-Blur\n2nd-Ghoul Touch\n2nd-Strength\n2nd-Vocalize\n2nd-Web\n  ---\n3rd-Dire Charm\n3rd-Ghost Armor\n3rd-Ghost Touch\n3rd-Protection from Normal Missiles\n3rd-Skull Trap\n3rd-Slow\n3rd-Vampiric Touch\n\nNote: If you want to be a little ahead of the curve, you can complete\nthe Copper Coronet Quest now (see [WLK036] for complete coverage). The\nmain reason to do this is to get Bernard to sell you better loot,\nincluding the Sling of Seeking +2, and the Battle Axe +3, Stonefire,\namong other things. And yes, all of these can be stolen, so you don't\neven need money if you've got some Potions of Master Thievery. This is\nby no means necessary... but that loot Bernard has for sale\/steal will\nbenefit you a lot more now than it will later. When playing with an\nevil party, I typically tackle the Copper Coronet after securing Edwin\nand Korgan (after [WLK008]). With a good party, I feel no real hurry to\ngrab the Battle Axe +3, Stonefire, and hence I don't bother with this\nquest until its sequential location in the walkthrough.\n\nGovernment District (AR1000)\no======================================================================o\n8) If you arrive in the Government District at night you'll find some\nAmnish Soldiers in the northern central part of the district. They'll\nquestion you about your identity and mention a guild war going on in\nthe streets between the Shadow Thieves and a new guild... presumably a\ncontinuation of the fight that allowed your egress from Irenicus'\nDungeon.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n9) Head south-west to find a mob of citizens around a familiar dark \nelf. Viconia (x=1820, y=1080) has landed herself in trouble again, and \nis standing on the wrong end of an angry mob. More specifically the side\nthat's standing on a pile of logs and is about to be burned alive.. And\nthis isn't a spectator sport. Screw around too long and the mob will\nburn her alive. Click next to her to free her, Which will provoke the\nmob and force you to waste three Fanatics, who are push-overs anyways.\nOne Fanatic has a suit of Plate Mail Armor, and another has two Potions\nof Extra Healing. It might not be much, but they should leave behind\nenough to improve some of the armor you're wearing, and give Viconia\nsome rudimentary equipment.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n10) From here travel south-east to find a Gnome named Jan Jansen\n(x=2730, y=1750). He'll describe himself as a part-time adventurer\/part\ntime turnip salesman. Right. Don't blow him off and he'll try to sell\nyou a 'Flasher Master Bruiser Mate'. Shortly thereafter a man named Trax\nwill show up to apprehend Jan for the illegal sale of illegal items in \nan illegal manner. Whatever you do, do NOT goad Trax into summoning the\nguard down on you.. it's a fight we don't need to fight, especially not\nwith the reputation loss involved. If you cover for Jan you'll get some\nexperience. If you turn him in you'll get 100 gold from Trax. Of course,\nto bail out Jan later you'll need to pay 800 gold, so it's a net loss to\ndo this. Get Jan on your side and do what you will with him. If you\nkeep him in your party you'll eventually have to deal with a quest\nthat pops up. Of all the PC quests, Jan's is perhaps the most disruptive\nfor this Walkthrough, undoubtedly due to the fact that he is recruited\nso early in the game as it'll take you to many areas that I don't intend\nto cover for a long time. I  suppose I could have restructured the FAQ\nto make Jan a better fit... but overall I find it best to cover each\ncharacter's quests in-or immediately after-the section where they\nare recruited for organizations' sake. This really only negatively\neffects Jan, as most characters have the good sense to have less\ntroublesome quests, and at the end of the day... it's Jan. I can't be\nbothered to make things more convenient for a character I never play and\nwhose worth I seriously doubt. The next Sequence of Events [WLK005]\nwill cover with Jan's quest, but before we get to that, we've got more\ncharacters to recruit.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For covering for Jan and prevent him from being sent to jail by Trax)\nEXP\t8500\n\n***REWARD***\n(For recruiting Jan into the party)\nEXP\t11500\n\nNote from Lee: you can accept Jan into the party, drop pretty much\nanyone to do it, get the experience, then re-accept the dropped person\nback into the party and drop Jan for free experience without actually\nhaving to put up with Jan and his crap.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n11) This is just an aside, but over in the south-eastern corner of the\nmap you can find a lady knight named Lady Irlana (x=3000, y=3600), who \nis being wooed by Garrick-presumably our Garrick from Baldur's Gate 1. \nOf course, he seems to have lost his edge and is being fed flattering \nlines by one Cyrando. It's a debacle, of course, but an amusing one,\nnonetheless. Once you're done messing around, head off to the Temple\nDistrict, where we can recruit the party leaders for both the good and\nevil parties-Keldorn and Dorn, respectively.\n\nTemple District (AR0900)\no======================================================================o\n12) Head south-east of the Temple of Lathander to find a man named Gaal\n(x=3250, y=1820) preaching to a group of below-average intellects who\nthink invisible critters will make life better for them if they do\nunnatural and harmful things to themselves that otherwise make no sense\nand if anybody else asked them to undergo such hardships for a reward\nthat may not be forth-coming they'd tell them to go... *ahem*...\nanyways, he'll try and convince people to join his cult. Dawn Master\nKreel argues against Gaal with mixed success. One con-man doesn't like\nanother huckster cutting in on his business it seems. After the\nconversation is over Gaal lures the foolish away and High Watcher\nOisig will come to the party, saying he wishes to hire you as\nmercenaries in the service of Helm. The everseeing eye versus the\nunseeing eye? Now that's fun religion there. Eh, I'll bite. Head into\nthe temple at (x=2050, y=1000).\n\nNote: If you're evil, Stormherald Nallabir will give you the quest,\ndemanding that you serve as a vassal of Talos' wrath. If you're good\nHigh Mornmaster Arval will be the quest-giver.\n\nTemple of Helm (AR0901)\no======================================================================o\n13) Go inside the Temple of Helm to find High Watcher Oisig again\n(x=700, y=570). He'll ask you to put an end to this cult, as blindness\nis offensive to his vigilant god. He'll also tell you that they hide in\nthe sewers somewhere, and that a warrior named Keldorn is looking into\nthings as well, and you should seek his aid. He's certainly right on\nthat last statement. Sir Donalus (x=880, y=460) sells a variety of armor\nand shields, all of which are fairly nice. You can't steal them, and\nthey're nothing you shouldn't already have stolen from Arnolinus, so\ndon't bother.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=350, y=200) Helmet, Chain Mail, 2 gold\n(x=400, y=110) 1 gold \n(x=1220, y=770) 1 gold\n(x=1350, y=820) 1 gold\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n14) Over at (x=700, y=700) you will find Guardian Telwyn, who will ask \nyou to do a job. He wants you to recruit an artist by the name of Sir \nSarles to create a work of art which will bring glory to Helm. Of \ncourse, it can't be too expensive, and Sarles is refusing to work in \nanything other than pure illithium, a very valuable substance. Sir \nSarles can be found in the Government District at the Jysstev estate.\nIt's just another little quest to do when we get around to it. \n\nNote: You used to be able to steal the Helm of the Noble +1 from\nGuardian Telwyn-a future quest reward. Sadly, this is one of the few\nitems that seems to be affected by the new minimum Pick Pockets score\nrequirment-my evil protagonist couldn't snipe this item no matter how\nmany Potions of Master Thievery she chugged. For the record, she had a\nbase Pick Pockets score of 100.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n15) If it's night out, you'll find a riddling Shadow Thief at\n(x=2250, y=1220). He's clearly not all right in the head, and his\nriddles use the guild war as subject matter. Clearly, he's seen too much\nof this Vampire menace which threatens the Shadow Thieves. When his\npoetry runs out, he'll run off, cackling. He'll be fine.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n16) Head over to the sewers at (x=2550, y=2620). You'll find a prophet\nnear the sewer who will spout nonsense about his non-god. You'll also\nsee a woman named Miranda accost a priest of Talos named Talon Nirkhas\nuntil the 'daughter', Lanie, spills the beans. Oops. If you talk to her\nshe'll accuse you as well. You can pay her 100 gold if you wish, but\nthere's no real point to this encounter.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n17) You'll find Dorn skulking around outside the High Hall of the\nRadiant Heart (x=2550, y=3380). He got his revenge back in the first\ngame, and now is pretty much going around killing people at the behest\nof his master, the demon Ur-Gothoz. His target for the moment is a\npriest named Bollard Firejaw, of the Order of the Golden Lions.\nFortunately, Dorn is willing to join up with us, as his task will be\neasier with our help, and likewise ours with his... at least, if you're\nthe evil party. The good party has another, arguably better party leader\nto pick up, and need not bother with Dorn. You will lose some reputation\nfor taking Dorn along with you, just like you did with Viconia, and\ndoing his quest will only lose you more... the evil party is going to\nend up really hurting when it comes to reputation. Just remember to drop\nsome gold at a temple every once in a while to keep yourself in the\nmiddle range of things-you don't want the law coming down on you. We can\ndo this quest now... but Dorn is patient enough, and I'd rather finish\nup recruiting Edwin and securing both Edwin and Korgan. This is a good\ntask for both parties, even if the good party has no interest in keeping\nKorgan and Edwin around, as it's worth a good bit of experience and\ngold-the latter of which we'll need to get a very important item for\n[WLK009]. So, skip ahead to [WLK006] if you don't care about Jan and his\nnonsense. The evil party can pursue Dorn's quest after securing Edwin\nand Korgan [WLK008]. His quests will be discussed in [WLK045].\n\no======================================================================o\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|\t  \t            Jammin' With Jan\t\t\t       |\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\no======================================================================o\nSequence of Events:\t\t\t\t\t\t{WLK005}\n\t\t1) Jan's Lost Love\n\t\t2) The Daughter's Sickness of the Mind\n\t\t3) Uncle Gerhardt's Help\n\t\t4) Finding the Hidden\n\t\t5) The Hidden\n\t\t6) Thumb's Up\n\t\t7) Hunting the Hunters\n\t\t8) The Mother's Sickness of the Mind\n\n1) Now, if you travel with Jan for a while you'll get a visit from a\nrelative of his named Beeloo Jansen, who tells Jan that he recently\nescaped from prison and that some lady named 'Lissa' is staying at the\nJansen family home. After Beeloo leaves, Jan will elaborate-Lissa is\nhis childhood friend and former love interest that never panned out.\nShe married another Gnome named Vaelag, a far more serious and\nsuccessful criminal than Jan. Agree to help him out and follow him \nback to his house in the Slums District (AR0400) (x=3550, y=1350).\n\nThe Jansen Home (AR0401)\/(AR0402)\/(AR0403)\no======================================================================o\n2) Jan will provide a bad example for his cousin's twins and talk to\nhis mother, who fills him in a bit on the Lissa situation. She \napparently brought her daughter with her, and she has a problem, of\ncourse. Her daughter has taken ill, but instead of a physical ailment\nshe apparently has some kind of mental impairment, possibly due to her\nfather's prevailing abuse. Jan will tell us to talk to Uncle Gerhardt\nin the basement, while he leaves the party to stay by Lissa's side.\n\n***ITEMS*** \n(AR0401)\n(x=320, y=220) 1 gold\n(x=250, y=200) Elixir of Health\n(x=720, y=320) Potion of Freedom\n  ---\n(AR0402)\n(x=480, y=220) 3 gold\n(x=440, y=220) 1 gold\n(x=400, y=210) 1 gold\n(x=200, y=400) 1 gold\n  ---\n(AR0403)\n(x=700, y=390) Short Sword, History of Durpar and Var, 5 gold\n(x=270, y=250) Scroll of Identify\n(x=150, y=250) Potion of Extra Healing\n(x=200, y=370) tainted Antidote\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n3) Head downstairs and talk to Uncle Gerhardt (x=650, y=350). Wade\nthrough his circular dialogue and he'll tell you that you need to seek\nout something called 'The Hidden'. A lady named Jysstev can point you\nin the right direction, her estate can be found in the Government\nDistrict of Athkatla. Seems like we're not done with the Government\nDistrict right now after all.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For talking to Uncle Gerhardt)\nEXP\t3300\n\nJysstev Estate (AR1006)\no======================================================================o\n4) Return to the Government District and enter the Jysstev Estate \n(x=2900, y=2900). You'll find Lady Jysstev wandering around within.\nTalk to her and ask her about 'The Hidden' and she'll arrange a meeting\nwith you and tell you to go to the sewers under the Copper Coronet.\nNow, with a good-aligned protagonist, I don't bother with the Copper\nCoronet and its quests yet, and I certainly don't have a reason to\ndrag Jan along with me long enough to start this quest. On the other\nhand, as an evil party I deal with the Copper Coronet early to get\nsome better loot. For more information on dealing with the Copper\nCoronet (in part, or in its entirety) see [WLK036].\n\n***REWARD***\n(For getting Lady Jysstev to arrange a meeting with the 'Hidden One')\nEXP\t8900\n\nSewers (AR0404)\no======================================================================o\n5) Head to the Copper Coronet in the Slums District and talk to\nLehtinan to gain access to his back rooms. Once you've obtained this\naccess you can safely head to the back of the Copper Coronet. There's\na secret door at (x=2150, y=900) that leads to the sewers \n(x=2070, y=670) in question. Again, if you decided to take Jan along\nwith you-and hence this quest became obligatory and led you into\nthese sewers-refer to [WLK036] for everything you might encounter along\nthe way. You'll find Hidden at (x=1070, y=2230), who will agree to heal\nLissa's daughter if you deal with two 'creatures of evil intent' that \nare chasing him. To uncover them we'll need to go talk to the \nproprietor of the Sea's Bounty in the Docks District (AR0300).\n\nSea's Bounty (AR0313)\no======================================================================o\n6) By the time Jan's quest occurs we'll hopefully have already explored\nthe Docks District-at least crudely (as covered in the next Sequence\nof Events). So, without elaborating further head over to the Sea's\nBounty (x=2100, y=2100). Be sure to leave Jaheira outside to avoid\nstarting another time-sensitive quest, Baron Ployer's Curse. Inside\nthe Sea's Bounty you'll find The Thumb, the proprietor we're looking\nfor. Talk to him and pick dialogue option #2 to get him to tell you\nthat the folks you're looking for are in the Five Flagon's Inn in the\nBridge District, in a room on the second floor.\n\nFive Flagons Inn, Second Level (AR5011)\no======================================================================o\n7) So, head over to the Bridge District (AR0500) and into the Five\nFlagons Inn (x=3200, y=2000). Go up the stairs at (x=600, y=300) to find\ntwo Githyanki, which can be rather strong for a very low-leveled, \nunder-staffed party. Return to the Hidden and he'll tell you that the\ngirl is healed before revealing itself to be an Illithid. It'll leave\nwithout incident, and we'll be free to return to the Jansen home.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For performing the task of the Hidden)\nEXP\t17500\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n8) Once home, you'll find all is not well. Being the useless bitch that\nshe is, Lissa will thank Jan for helping her daughter before telling us\nthat Vaelag is downstairs. When Jan goes to investigate the turn of \nevents, follow. Vaelag demands Lissa's return, makes some threats, and\nLissa only bothers to thank Jan briefly before leaving with Vaelag. Jan\nwill attempt to procure from us a promise of aid in the future, if he\ndiscovers that Vaelag has continued to be abusive. Dude, let the bitch\ngo.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For saving Lissa's daughter)\nEXP\t15500\n\no======================================================================o\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|\t\t       Mae'Var's Guildhall Quests\t\t       |\n|\t\t\t   (Recruiting Edwin)\t\t\t       |\no======================================================================o\nSequence of Events:\t\t\t\t\t\t{WLK006}\n\t\t1) Independent Practice\n\t\t2) Submit to Cyric!\n\t\t3) Thieve's Guild Fence\n\t\t4) Infinite Money Exploit\n\t\t5) Meeting Mister Bloodscalp\n\t\t6) Robbing Gorth\n\t\t7) Mae'Var's First Assignment\n\t\t8) Temple Thieving\n\t\t9) Referred to the Red Wizard\n\t\t10) Thieving Tests\n\t\t11) Edwin's First Task\n\t\t12) Mephit Murdering\n\t\t13) Golem Grinding\n\t\t14) Rayic Gethras\n\t\t15) Edwin's Second Task\n\t\t16) Marcus' Documents\n\t\t17) Mae'Var's Last Task\n\t\t18) Embarl's Loyalty\n\t\t19) Edwin's Evidence\n\t\t20) Reporting to Renal\n\t\t21) Purging Mae'Var's Guildhall\n\t\t22) Making Mae'Var Meet His Maker\n\t\t23) Renal's Reward \n\t\t24) Valen's Offer\n\nDocks District (AR0300)\no======================================================================o\n1) When you arrive in the Docks District you'll get a confession from\nYoshimo (if he's still with you, anyways). He'll tell you that he got\ncaught practicing his trade in the city by the Shadow Thieves, and was\nsupposed to report to Renal Bloodscalp. He hints that there might a\nreward involved for completing the independent mission he was supposed\nto get started on. We might as well, right? Even if you don't have\nYoshimo around, you might as well go pay the Shadow Thieve's a visit.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n2) Head to the south-west and go down some stairs. You'll be approached\nby a Mad Cleric who will demand that you embrace Cyric. If you decline\nhe'll attack you. When he dies he'll drop an Onyx Ring, a Jasper Gem, a\nQuarter Staff, and 20 gold.\n\nShadow Thief Guildhall (AR0305)\/(AR0306)\no======================================================================o\n3) Over at (x=1350, y=980) you'll find a Shadow Thief, who will welcome\nyou inside being as you're a friend of Gaelan and all. Righty-o. Head\ninside the door at (x=1330, y=900). At (x=950, y=790) you'll find a \nBlack Market Thief. You can sell stolen goods to her, which is an\ninvaluable service. You can buy (steal) a variety of scrolls from her if\nyou wish, including Fireshield (Blue), which is a great defensive spell,\nespecially for a Fighter\/Mage. After all, a Mage who doesn't get\nattacked in combat isn't likely to put the shield to full effect. Head\nup the stairs at (x=200, y=350).\n\no===========o\n|Mage Spells| Black Market Thief\no===========o---------------------------------------------------------->\n1st-Blindness\n1st-Detect Invisibility\n1st-Friends\n1st-Identify\n1st-Infravision\n1st-Protection from Petrification\n  ---\n2nd-Horror\n2nd-Invisibility\n2nd-Knock\n2nd-Know Alignment\n  ---\n3rd-Clairvoyance\n3rd-Dispel Magic\n3rd-Fireball\n3rd-Flame Arrow\n3rd-Haste\n  ---\n4th-Confusion\n4th-Fireshield (Blue)\n4th-Improved Invisibility\n4th-Minor Globe of Invulnerability\n4th-Monster Summoning II\n  ---\n5th-Ice Storm\n\n***ITEMS*** \n(x=850, y=800) Potion of Healing x2, Potion of Invisibility,\n\t       Potion of Master Thievery \n(x=900, y=750) 1 gold\n(x=950, y=700) Dagger, Long Sword\n(x=1100, y=700) 3 gold\n(x=750, y=620) Tchazar Gem, 234 gold\n(x=900, y=570) Moonstone Gem, 39 gold\n(x=1150, y=630) Waterstar Gem, Zircon Gem, 26 gold, Dagger\n(x=350, y=470) Dagger, Bastard Sword\n(x=200, y=400) Iol Gem\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n4) Note that you can sell stolen goods to the Black Market Thief, and\nyou can also steal from her. Can you see the cyclic flow of money at\nwork here? Sell her anything valuable you want, steal it back, sell it\nagain, repeat until satisfied. This works best with a very expensive\nitem, as you'll always have a chance to get caught, and stealing\nmultiple cheaper items will get frustrating. On the other hand,\nsell\/stealing the Plate of Balduran will see you with enough money to\nbuy anything you want in short order. Because you can buy\/sell\/steal\nfrom her in an infinite loop, I prefer to sell her all the items I\naccumulate in the game. This is practical, in case you sell anything you\nlater want or need, as you can just steal it back. It sure beats having\nto rebuy loot from Ribald. And, of course, it also helps to favor one\nmerchant since you'll always remember who you sold your stuff to. Keep\nin mind, however, that as you sell more items to one merchant, the less\nthey'll pay for that item in the future. There's a rather generous cut-\noff point, but if you want to maximize your profits, sell in bulk. On\nthat note, this level of the Thieves' guild has plenty of containers\nwithin which you can store your accumulated loot. No wonder I pick this\nspot as my mercantile headquarters, eh? And just one more note, although\nI preach the merits of infinite money, on these walkthroughs I did not\npractice them. I could pretend the reason had something to do with\ngaming purity, but as you've noticed if you've been reading along, I'm\nquite content to use my theiving skills to rob merchants blind. No,\nthe reason is much more practical. Good loot equals stronger characters,\nand stronger characters influence what quests we can do, and when. For<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
the sheer sake of organization, not using any infinite money tricks\nallows the economy of the game to influence (to some degree) what order\nwe do quests. Do the Thieves' Guild quests first, get some money, buy\nthe Shield of Balduran, do the Unseeing Eye Quest, get some more money,\nand so forth.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n5) You'll find Renal Bloodscalp at (x=820, y=530). Yoshimo and Renal\nwill trade barbs for a bit before Renal decides that he is more\ninterested in you than Yoshimo. Long story short Renal wants you to\ninvestigate a guild leader he suspects of treachery by the name of\nMae'Var. If you're a Thief he'll also offer you to take up the guild in\nMae'Var's place if you find something and are forced to... remove\nMae'Var. Agree and leave via the exit at (x=100, y=600) to get directly\noutside. Head to Mae'Var's Guild (x=3050, y=2500). If you want to do\nsome 'shopping' along the way, you can find a Halfling merchant named\nIkert at (x=1920, y=2420)... although the best thing he sells is another\nScroll Case.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=300, y=500) 1 gold\n(x=350, y=650) Garnet Gem, Diamond\n(x=400, y=480) Potion of Extra Healing x5, Potion of Fire Resistance x2\n(x=800, y=770) Pearl x3, 350 gold\n(x=970, y=650) Jasper Gem, 39 gold\n(x=1190, y=725) Light Crossbow, Bolt x60, Bolt +1 x2\n(x=400, y=270) Dagger, Studded Leather Armor, Lynx Eye Gem,\n\t       De'Tranion's Balor Ale \n(x=470, y=250) Potion of Extra Healing x5, Potion of Agility\n(x=600, y=250) 3 gold*\n(x=750, y=330) Iol Gem, 217 gold\n\n*I also found a Scroll of Pierce Magic here. Talk about variability!\n\n***TRAPS***\n(x=970, y=650)\n(x=470, y=250)\n\nMae'Var's Guildhall (AR0321)\/(AR0322)\/(AR0323)\/(AR0324)\no======================================================================o\n6) Over at (x=430, y=580) you'll find Gorch, who will try to peddle you\nsome wares. Tell him you're here to see Mae'Var and he'll give you the\ngo-ahead to go into the guild in the back. Gorch is the latest in a long\nline of merchants we need to rob, and if you weren't messing around your\nPotions of Master Thievery should still be in effect. In particular grab\nthe Maces +2, and some Bullets +2. We'll be needing some +2 weapons\nsooner rather than later. Also grab a Sling +2 and a Short Bow +2. You\nknow, since stealing is cheaper than buying them from Ribald. Also,\nsince it's 'free', steal the Leather Armor +3 if you still need some\nlight armor for somebody. Also nab the Ring of the Princes +1, the Nymph\nCloak, the Bracers of Defense A.C. 6, Potions of Master Thievery (to\nkeep our stock up!), and the Rogue Stone. We'll out-grow this gear, but\nwe can always sell it back to the Black Market Thief in Renal's Guild.\nEven if you're not really into stealing, you should rob Gorch. As a\nfriendly warning, he's not long for this world, and anything you don't\nsteal from him will go to waste.\n\no===========o\n|Mage Spells| Gorch\no===========o---------------------------------------------------------->\n2nd-Knock\n\nYoshimo happily accepts the Short Bow +2 and I give the Sling +2 to\nViconia, who is less potent in melee combat than Jaheira. Anomen or\nViconia gain the Mace +2, while the Nymph Cloak goes to your preferred\nparty leader. I give Korgan the Ring of Protection, as his Armor Class\nis horrible right now. The Nymph Cloak goes on your party leader, either\nDorn or Keldorn. Also, the Bracers of Defense A.C. 6 are an improvement\nfor my main character. Head down the stairs at (x=400, y=400).\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=350, y=420) 190 gold\n(x=500, y=500) Tainted Oil of Speed, 8 gold\n(x=600, y=600) Scroll of Strength\n(x=600, y=200) Sunstone Gem\n(x=700, y=150) Quarter Staff, 12 gold\n(x=650, y=500) Scroll of Minor Globe of Invulnerability\n\nNote: Do not sell the Rogue Stone you just stole. It's pretty, sure,\nbut it'll give us access to an area from which we can obtain the\nmost powerful staff in the game-a real treat for your Mages. It will be\na while yet, and you'll find several other Rogue Stones while you\ntravel, but as a respectable FAQ-writer it seems important to warn you\nnow, rather than have you send me unhappy E-mails because you can't\nget an item that really should not be missed.\n\nNote from Lee:\nGorch is a dumbass - I stole\/sold\/restole\/resold the Bracers AC6, the\nRogue Stone, and as many Maces +2 as I could hold over and over and over\nand over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over\nand ended up with over 200k in gold - well more than enough to pick up\nsome extremely nice items from Dierdre. Of course having this much cash\ntriggers Valen and Brus earlier than \"normal\", but it doesn't really\naffect the storyline (provided I don't visit the graveyard at night).\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n7) You'll find Mae'Var at (x=970, y=300). If you thought Renal was \nambiguously hostile, you'll find that Mae'Var is much less ambiguous. \nHe'll give you a job to go steal a religious item from a church, either\nthe temple of Lathander or the temple of Talos depending on your \nalignment. Head off to the Temple District.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=400, y=650) Skydrop Gem\n(x=400, y=850) 5 gold\n(x=500, y=800) 16 gold\n(x=630, y=700) Turquoise Gem\n(x=630, y=680) 1 gold\n(x=1000, y=400) Dagger, Small Shield, 5 gold\n(x=740, y=240) Dagger, 4 gold\n\nTemple District (AR0900)\/(AR0902)\/(AR0904)\no======================================================================o\n8) Enter either the Temple of Lathander (AR0902) (x=2850, y=1500) or the\nTemple of Talos (AR0904) (x=1900, y=2200). Either way you'll need to\nwait until night for the temples to clear out. When you have either the\nStatuette of Lathander or the Necklace of Talos head back to Mae'Var.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(AR0902) \n(x=1250, y=1500) 99 gold\n(x=1400, y=1450) Sunstone Gem, Statuette of Lathander\n(x=1350, y=1450) Sunstone Gem\n(x=1400, y=1450) Lynx Eye Gem\n(x=1800, y=950) Potion of Extra Healing x2\n(x=750, y=600) Potion of Extra Healing x2\n(x=470, y=850) Jade Ring, 23 gold\n(x=320, y=750) Scroll of Protection from Poison\n\n(AR0904)\n(x=1500, y=360) Potion of Extra Healing x2, Antidote\n(x=1650, y=400) Potion of Extra Healing x5, Wand of the Heavens,\n\t\t210 gold\n(x=700, y=1000) Potion of Insight, Necklace of Talos\n(x=500, y=300) Scroll of Protection from Cold, \n\t       Potion of Storm Giant Strength\n(x=400, y=250) Bloodstone Gem, Potion of Insulation\n(x=250, y=250) Bloodstone Amulet, Antidote x2, 6 gold\n\nMae'Var's Guildhall (AR0321)\/(AR0322)\/(AR0323)\/(AR0324)\no======================================================================o\n9) Mae'Var will brush aside your act of skulduggery and you'll get a\nnice experience reward. He then decides he's too busy for you and refers\nyou to his right hand man, a 'bloody good spellcaster' named Edwin. Oh\nboy. Head back upstairs and take the stairs to the second level (AR0323)\nat (x=1100, y=400).\n\n***REWARD***\n(For returning to Mae'Var with your stolen artifact)\nEXP\t29500\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n10) Upstairs you'll find a room to the east that has a bunch of locked\ndoors and safes designed to test your Thief skills. If you still have\nPotions of Master Thievery active you should definitely pick these\nlocks. Altogether they give a good bit of experience (14750 experience,\nto be exact) and loot. The ones on the north wall are trapped as well,\nfurther boosting the experience you'll get. when you're done looting\nhead up the stairs at (x=1000, y=500) to reach (AR0324).\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=300, y=490) Antidote, Pearl Necklace\n(x=400, y=460) 22 gold\n(x=600, y=200) History of the Drow, 1 gold\n(x=600, y=790) Skydrop Gem, Zircon Gem\n(x=500, y=600) 10 gold\n(x=550, y=600) 20 gold\n(x=600, y=550) 30 gold\n(x=630, y=500) 40 gold\n(x=650, y=500) 50 gold\n(x=700, y=450) 60 gold\n(x=770, y=400) 70 gold\n(x=900, y=500) 2 gold\n(x=900, y=300) 80 gold\n(x=950, y=300) 90 gold\n(x=1000, y=250) Potion of Master Thievery x3, Waterstar Gem,\n\t\tZiose Gem, 300 gold\n(x=1050, y=250) Emerald, 100 gold\n(x=1050, y=300) Potion of Perception\n(x=1110, y=330) Rogue Stone\n(x=1170, y=300) Lynx Eye Gem, Fire Agate Gem\n(x=1200, y=350) Short Sword +2, Buckler +1, Studded Leather Armor +1\n\n***TRAPS***\n(x=1050, y=250)\n(x=1050, y=300)\n(x=1110, y=330)\n(x=1170, y=300)\n(x=1200, y=350)\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n11) Edwin is over at (x=850, y=350), and he's as haughty as ever. He\nwants you to kill a Cowled Wizard by the name of Rayic Gethras. Seeing\nas how we're not getting along with the Cowled Wizards, knocking off one\nof their members is a welcome job. Leave Mae'Var's Guildhall and enter\nRayic Gethras' house (AR0315) to the west (x=1500, y=2220).\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=1050, y=420) Bastard Sword +1, 35 gold\n(x=1020, y=250) Dagger, 19 gold\n(x=820, y=260) Fire Agate Gem, 63 gold\n(x=500, y=370) Bastard Sword, 13 gold \n(x=670, y=750) Potion of Healing x2\n(x=370, y=550) Gold Ring\n(x=330, y=500) Spear +1\n\nRayic Gethras' House (AR0315)\/(AR0316)\/(AR0317)\no======================================================================o\n12) Inside you'll find two Fire Mephits, two Magma Mephits, and two Ice\nMephits. These require no special tactics to bring down. Loot the room\nand make sure you're rested and prepared before you head up the stairs\nat (x=150, y=350). Haste and Protection from Evil 10' Radius is probably\na good idea, as is Defensive Harmony. Equip whatever +2 weapons you\nhave. For me this means those Maces +2 I stole, and Bullets +2 and\nArrows +2 where available. Resting in this house was where I encountered\nmy first dream, by the way.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=500, y=250) History of the Red Ravens,\n\t       Scroll of Protection from Magical Energy\n(x=440, y=150) Scroll of Clairvoyance, Cursed Scroll of Weakness\n\n***TRAPS***\n(x=440, y=150)\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n13) Upstairs you'll find much more worthy foes than Mephits. Two Stone\nGolems-which are fairly rough at this stage in the game-await you. They\naren't push-overs in melee, they have the ability to slow party members,\nand they can only be hurt by +2 weapons. With all the gear we've been\nstealing, however, they fall readily enough, especially with us being\nspell-buffed. Dorn, especially, makes an impact with the Sword of\nChaos +2. Before I loot this level I head upstairs while my spell buffs\nhold (x=400, y=700).\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=400, y=270) 115 gold\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n14) Rayic Gethras isn't much for talking, and he goes hostile after just\na bit of chatter. By now Jaheira has hit 9th level as a Druid, and has\nan Insect Plague prepared just for this fight, she casts it as soon as\nshe can. As soon as combat starts Rayic will let loose with a Spell\nTrigger, protecting himself with Protection from Magical Weapons and\nProtection from Normal Missiles. He'll also get a Globe of \nInvulnerability and a Stoneskin up. He is, safe to say, one rough \ncustomer at our level. However, if Jaheira gets her Insect Plague off\nhe will be unable to cast spells for a few precious rounds... long\nenough for my party to whittle through his Stoneskin and for his\nProtection from Magical Weapons to wear off. His first move is to cast\nSymbol, Fear, which will pretty much be game over if he doesn't get hit\nwith an Insect Plague, or even if he does, if he affects your whole\nparty. One way around this is to just head up with the main character\nand Jaheira. My main character attacks and Jaheira stays back and casts\nher spell. If he gets his Symbol, Fear off, the rest of the party can\nthen jump in when Insect Plague has rendered him helpless and beat him\ndown. Another way to get around it is to just cast Remove Fear. Either\nway, When he dies Rayic Gethras will leave behind Bracers of Defense\nA.C. 7, a Scroll of Charm Person, a Quarter Staff +2, and 40 gold. Rob\nhis house and leave.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=250, y=500) Scroll of Mislead, 1 gold\n(x=550, y=400) Wand of Fire, 220 gold\n\n***TRAPS***\n(x=250, y=500)\n(x=550, y=400)\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n15) Head back to Mae'Var's Guildhall and talk to Edwin. Next he'll ask\nyou to get some documents from a merchant named Marcus at the Sea's\nBounty. Head back outside and enter the Sea's Bounty (AR0313) \n(x=2100, y=2100). Whatever you do, do not bring Jaheira in with you. It\nstarts a quest we really have no need to complete just yet.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For reporting in to Edwin after killing Rayic Gethras)\nEXP\t20000\n\nSea's Bounty (AR0313)\/(AR0314)\no======================================================================o\n16) You'll find Marcus at (x=530, y=430), and there are many ways to\ndeal with him. If you're fast and strong enough you can simply snap his\nneck without raising a fuss. You can pay him 250 gold... or negotiate\ndown to 200 for the documents. Lastly, you can threaten him for them. Of\ncourse you can always try to pick his pockets, but with Yoshimo that\nmeans he's going to have to use some Potions of Master Thievery to\nsucceed. Report back to Edwin and he'll inform you that you have one \nlast task to complete, this time from Mae'Var.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For bringing Marcus' documents to Edwin)\nEXP\t10000\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n17) Go downstairs and pay Mae'Var a visit. He'll give you one last \nmission; head back to the Sea's Bounty and kill a traitor named Embarl,\nbringing back his dagger as proof. This time enter the door at \n(x=2250, y=2050) to reach the upper level of the Sea's Bounty.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n18) You'll find Embarl at (x=580, y=320). You again have multiple \nchoices. First you can just kill him and grab his Leather Armor, Potion\nof Invisibility, Elixir of Health, Embarl's Dagger and 36 gold. Or you\ncould just let Embarl go in exchange for his dagger. Either way take the\ndagger back to Mae'Var and you'll get rewarded, albeit dismissively.\nHe'll tell you to go see if Edwin has any use for you.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For bringing Embarl's Dagger to Mae'Var)\nEXP\t18750\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n19) Edwin guesses that you're not here as an obedient recruit for \nMae'Var and offers to help you find the hard evidence that Renal wants.\nHe will offer his magical services to you now, along with the key to the\nstrongbox in Mae'Var's suite. If you're playing an evil party you should\nhappily accept Edwin into your party. For all Edwin's potency, he does\nhave some rather glaring omissions from his spellbook. Have him scribe\nBlur, Knock, Invisibility, Stinking Cloud, Dispel Magic, Slow, Improved \nInvisibility, Stoneskin, Greater Malison, and Confusion to bring him up \nto speed. Head downstairs and open the cabinet at (x=500, y=300) to find\nMae'var's Letter and Worn Whispers (aka Boots of Stealth). Yoshimo or\nmy protagonist puts the boots on by default. With the evidence in hand\nhead off to tell Renal.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n20) Renal will be delighted to see you, even more-so when you give him\nevidence of Mae'Var's treachery. You'll get a hefty experience reward,\nand one last mission from Renal Bloodscalp; go kill Mae'Var. With\npleasure.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For bringing Renal proof of Mae'Var's treachery)\nEXP\t48250\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n21) I suggest spell-buffing before returning to Mae'Var's Guildhall, as\nall the Shadow Thieves within are now hostile. They are fond of getting\nbackstabs, and will use Potions of Invisibility and Oils of Speed to\nbuff themselves in Combat. I've had Zyntris deal 82 damage with a single\nattack before, which is well more than ridiculous. Needless to say, keep\nunprotected characters safe... perhaps even outside. It only takes one\nbad backstab to ruin your day. One tactic you can use to blunt the\noffensive of the Thieves is as follows: head inside with one protected\ncharacter. In this case I used my protagonist spell-buffed with\nStoneskin, Blur, and Mirror Image. The Thieves directed their lethal\nbackstabs at them to no avail, then I brought in the rest of my fighters\nto take them down, leaving my weaker characters (like Edwin) outside.\nHead up the levels clearing out Shadow Thieves as you go. It's possible\nto repeat the process above on the next floor, as well.\n\nNote from Lee:\nI recommend going up the exterior stairs and entering on the third floor\n(x=3425, y=2150), then working your way down. There are no attackers on\nthe third floor at all, and you enter the second floor in a\nstrategically superior position. Plus you don't have the problem of new\nattackers coming at you from both the floors above and the floors below.\nIf you have at least two characters equipped with ranged weapons, you\nwon't even need spells (or buffs) to clear the second floor. By standing\nat the foot of the stairs, if you do happen to get into trouble, you're\npoised to go back up and regroup (or ambush and take out attackers one\nat a time if they follow). Same with moving down from the second to the\nfirst floor, and again down to the lower level. I got thru this without\nspell buffing at all, although I did take some damage in the final fight\nwith Mae'Var.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n22) Once the upper levels are clear head down into the cellar to\nconfront Mae'Var. Mae'Var has some Assassins with him and a Priest of\nCyric, but for all that, this is a very easy fight. You have two options\nto win this fight hassle free. Use Edwin to conjure a Lesser Fire\nElemental, which will be immune to their weapons. Then just let the\nelemental kill them all on its own. Or you can use Jaheira's Insect\nPlague to eliminate their spell casting and send many of them fleeing.\nOr do both to ensure a complete rout. Loot Mae'Var for Shadow Armor\n(great for Yoshimo!), Arrows x40, a Scroll of Oracle, a Pearl, a Sphene\nGem, a Water Opal, a Horn Coral Gem, a Short Sword, a Composite Long\nBow, and 769 gold. In one of the cells you'll find a prisoner named\nKamuzu (x=600, y=500). Do what you will with him, but if you're nice, he\nmight just come back and lend you a hand one day... When you're done go\nreport to Renal.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n23) You'll get your reward all right. Each character will receive\n45500 experience and the party gets a huge sum of gold... so much so\nthat you should be close to what Gaelan requires (if so, see Step #22,\nnext). If you're a Thief you'll also be offered ownership of Mae'Var's\nGuildhall, if not, or if you turn down the offer, you'll get 'The\nShadow's Blade +3'. You can play with your guild if you wish, but time\nis of the essence. Before we deal with it we should secure Korgan and\nEdwin's loyalty [WLK008]. Since, however, you may or may not be\nrecruiting the individuals in question, it's my organizational method to\ninclude the guild\/stronghold quests immediately after completing the\nquest where you obtain said guild\/stronghold. Skip about as you please.\n\nNote: You can only have one stronghold at once... which only matters if\nyou are a multi-class character, since the strongholds are only offered\nto specific classes. If you decide you want a certain stronghold, turn\ndown other offers you recieve beforehand.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For reporting to Renal after killing Mae'Var)\nEXP\t45500 (each character)\nGold\t10500\nItem\tThe Shadow's Blade +3*\n\n*You'll only get this item if refuse the guildmaster position, or your\nprotagonist is not a Thief (and hence, unqualified).\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n24) The following encounter will occur now that we have so much money-\n15,000+ to be precise, and after the reward we just received, it's very\nlikely you'll have this amount. When you leave the building a woman\nnamed Valen will show up and talk to you. She's got a better offer for\nyou, or so she says, and asks you to meet her Mistress in the Graveyard\nafter sundown. Brus will show up shortly thereafter and tell you that\nGaelan wants to sweeten the deal before you meet your new contact. Looks\nlike both sides are very keen on what we're doing. You might see other\naltercations between the two guilds traveling around at night like the\nencounter you had with Hareishan, and another later encounter you might\nhave with another vampire named Salia. If you pay Gaelan a visit he'll\ntell you that the bosses have changed their minds and decided that\n15,000 gold is enough for their aid. How curious. Anyways, both sides\nwant our money-and our allegience, but I'm not yet ready to make any\nsuch decisons. There are two ways to avoid seeing Valen's mistress, who\nwaits for us in the Graveyard district-our next destination. First,\nspend some of that money we got until we're under 15000 gold, or second,\njust go to the Graveyard during the day. Simple enough. Resting up for\nour run into the Graveyard triggers my second Irenicus dream. The good\nparty can keep Korgan and Edwin around if you want the expereince for\ncompleting their quests (covered in [WLK008]). If not, drop them off and\nhead to The Adventurer's Mart and buy the Sheild of Balduran from\nDeidre-it'll come in handy during the Unseeing Eye quest [WLK009], which\nis their goal.\n\no======================================================================o\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|\t\t\t  Thieves' Guild Quests\t\t\t       |\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\no======================================================================o\nSequence of Events:\t\t\t\t\t\t{WLK007}\n\t\t1) Introduction to the Guild Hall\n\t\t2) Rattell the Fence\n\t\t3) Jariel the Taskmaster\n\t\t4) Ama's Revenge\n\t\t5) Whodunit?\n\nYour Guildhall (AR0321)\/(AR0322)\/(AR0323)\/(AR0324)\no======================================================================o\n1) If you are playing a Thief (single, multi, or dual-classed), or if\nyou have the Multiple Strongholds mod installed, you will be offered\nMae'Var's Guildhall following his timely demise. It's a good way to make\nmoney, and it offers you a few more things to do, but nothing too\nextravagant. This section of the FAQ will cover this guildhall, to be\npursued when you have the time and inclination.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n2) First things first. You'll find a man named Rattell (x=430, y=570)\nstanding where Gorch was, who is willing to fence goods for you. He\ndoesn't have the selection Gorch does, but he does have some interesting\nscrolls you can pick up. Or at least Invisibility ,10' Radius, which\nwill come in handy once in a while.\n\no===========o\n|Mage Spells| Rattell the Fence\no===========o---------------------------------------------------------->\n1st-Magic Missile\n1st-Protection From Evil\n1st-Shield\n1st-Shocking Grasp\n1st-Sleep\n  ---\n2nd-Luck\n2nd-Melf's Acid Arrow\n2nd-Mirror Image\n2nd-Resist Fear\n2nd-Stinking Cloud\n  ---\n3rd-Invisibility, 10' Radius\n3rd-Hold Person\n3rd-Lightning Bolt\n3rd-Monster Summoning I\n3rd-Non-Detection\n3rd-Protection From Normal Missiles\n  ---\n4th-Stoneskin\n  ---\n5th-Animate Dead\n5th-Cloudkill\n5th-Cone of Cold\n5th-Monster Summoning III\n5th-Shadow Door\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n3) The thing to do in the Thieves' Guild is to talk to Jariel\n(x=720, y=320), who will give you the run-down of how this works. You \nhave a stable of thieves and you can direct them to do a variety of jobs\nwith varying degrees of risk. The riskier the job the more money it \nmakes, but the more likely they'll get put in prison. If a Thief gets \nput in jail you'll have to bail them out, which costs you money. See the\ngamble involved herein? All of these success and fail rates are handled\nwith dice rolls under the hood and you'll get news of their successes\nroughly every week. Pick settings you like and if they aren't bringing\nyou a profit change them as needed. You must pay your dues to Renal,\nhowever, so keep in mind depending on the prowess of your thieves and\nRenal's humor you might actually lose money. This typically only happens\nif a few of your thieves get caught and you don't bail them out, \nreducing the operatives you have on the field and thus the potential\nincome they might bring. Going with low-risk jobs typically gets you\nmore than enough to pay Renal and keep some pocket change, as well.\nWhen you need to pay Renal a Thief named Joster (x=700, y=290) will show\nup, at which point you really need to pay him off. \n\nNote: Unlike most events in this game that seem random but aren't, this\none actually is. After you change the variables of each Thief's mission,\na simple random number is rolled and checked against the difficulty of\nthe mission. It's a simple 100-scale percentile roll, and oddly enough,\nit's checked immediately after you give your orders-not when they come\nback. Anyways, the more difficult the mission, the less likely they are\nto succeed... which typically involves you paying a bribe to get that\nThief back in action. If you play it safe and pick the lowest difficulty\noptions every time you'll make the least money... but you'll be almost\nguaranteed success. Performing low-risk missions, I typically made a\nsteady income of 1600 gold per five days. Joster will ask for between\n300 and 1000 gold every time dues are... well, due. The amount of money\nyou'll make depends not only on the risk of the missions you send your\nThieves on, but also on how diligent you are about checking up on your\nguild and ensuring your rogues are working. Renal will collect his dues\neven if your rogues are standing idle. If you fail to pay Renal's\nrepresentative in time, you'll lose your guild. If you lose your guild,\nyou can go pay Renal 4000 gold to get it back.\n\nThat's just the basics, though, for those of you who don't want to\ndelve too deeply into things. For those that do, here's the full\ndetails. Each Thief has a number of variables you can set-a 'safe'\noption and a 'risky' option. Risky options return more money, but\nincur a higher rate of potential incarceration. With no risky options,\ntheir rate of success is 90%. With one risky option, the rate of\nsuccess is 80%, with two, it's 65%, and finally with three it drops down\nto 50%. If one of your rogues is caught during their mission, they\nobviously won't generate any profit, and to have them handy later,\nyou'll actually have to pay up. Depending on their potential profits\nas the risk goes up, and the cost of bailing them out, some rogues\nwill make you much more money, over a long-term period, with riskier\ntasks. To factor their long-term profitability based on risk, I\nsimple simulated ten 'runs' with each rogue and added up the money\nthey'd make each time at a certain risk-factor (risk 0 is no risky\nchoices, risk 1 is one risky choice, and so on). From this total I\nsubtracted an amount based on how likely they were to be incarcerated-\nfor example, after ten runs at 'Risk 3' Hanz could potentially make\nyou 9000 gold... but with a 50% incarceration rate, that drops to\nabout 4500 gold for a ten-run span. With a 100 gold bribe per capture,\nthat drops us to 4000 gold total-or an average of 400 gold per run at\nthe highest risk. This value is noted in the 'Average' row on the\ntable below.\n\n\to=======o=======o=======o=======o=======o=======o\n\t| Rogue\t|Risk 0\t|Risk 1\t|Risk 2 |Risk 3 | Bribe |\n\t|\t|  10%\t|  20%\t|  35%\t|  50%\t|\t|\n\to=======o=======o=======o=======o=======o=======o\n\t|Hanz\t|  200\t|  400  |  600\t|  900\t|  100\t|\n\t|Average|  170  |  300\t|  355\t|  400\t|-------|\n\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|\n\t|Goshan\t|  200\t|  300\t|  500\t|  750\t|  200\t|\n\t|Average|  160\t|  200\t|  255\t|  275\t|-------|\n\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|\n\t|Kretor |  250\t|  500\t|  750\t| 1000\t|   50\t|\n\t|Average|  220  |  390\t|  470  |  475\t|-------|\n\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|\n\t|Morsa\t|  100\t|  250\t|  500  |  750\t|  250\t|\n\t|Average|   65\t|  175\t|  237.5|  250\t|-------|\n\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|\n\t|Varia  |  150\t|  300\t|  500  |  800\t|  300\t|\n\t|Average|  105\t|  180\t|  220\t|  250\t|-------|\n\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|\n\t|Total\t|  900\t| 1750\t| 2850\t| 4200\t|-------|\n\t|Average|  720\t| 1245\t| 1537.5| 1650\t|-------|\n\to=======o=======o=======o=======o=======o=======o\n\nAs you can see from the chart above, not all rogues are made the same.\nDifferent jobs, different crimes, different penalties. Kretor is the\nking when it comes to profit, while Varia and Morsa kinda suck. A trend\nthat is univeral, however, is that there is a huge leap in profit if\nyou pick one risky element for each rogue. In the long run, you earn\nmore money as risk increases, but I tend to neglect to do this simply\nbecause it's extra clicky work getting them all out of prison. Still,\nat risk factor one (not to be confused with warp factor one) you'll\nmake nearly twice as much as with no risk. The rate of return falls off\nsharply thereafter-with risk factor two you'll make about 20% more than\nwith risk factor one, and with maximum risk, the return is only\nmarginally better (less than 10%).\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n4) You will also find Lathan (x=600, y=270), who will tell you when\nproblems arise that require your personal attention. You'll be told that\nthere is nothing at this time that requires your attention, only to \nhave somebody named Ama show up and ask you to serve as a decoy contact\nfor a politician who is causing the guild trouble. If you freed Kamuzu\nfrom Mae'Var's Prison he'll show up and warn you about Ama, saying she\nwas... close... to Mae'Var, and she is not to be trusted. Good to know.\nLet's deal with this little problem then, shall we? When you arrive at\nWaukeen's Promenade you'll find Ama, who will implore you to wait.\nEventually a man named Sir Greshal will arrive and Ama will spring her\nambush. A number of Muggers will pop out and fight in a similar fashion\nas the Shadow Thieves. Still, one Insect Plague should win this fight\nin short order. When Sir Greshal dies he'll leave behind a suit of\nSplint Mail, a Small Shield, a Bloodstone Gem, a Mace +1, and 21 gold.\nOn Ama you'll find a suit of Studded Leather Armor, Potions of\nInvisibility x2, a Potion of Extra Healing, a Horn coral Gem, Poisoned\nThrowing Daggers x20, a Dagger, and 340 gold. \n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n5) Go back to Lathan, who will apologize for his lapse in security. If\nyou kick him out you will-as he warns-not be able to complete the rest\nof the guild quests. I grudgingly keep him aboard. You will be told that\nKretor has been paying his dues to you out of his own pocket, as one of\nthe pickpockets underneath him has been skimming the profits. Apparently\nthey know who it is, but aren't coming forward with the information as\nthey don't trust you yet. You'll have several options to deal with the\nsituation. Let Kretor deal with it himself. Kill them all. Randomly\nkill one of them. Or dock all of their pay. If you dock all their pay\nthe guilty one will turn up dead, and everything is resolved. That's it\nfor the SHadow Thief guild... you can still collect your money and\nassign missions, but the quests are over. Seems kind of underdeveloped,\ndoesn't it? Especially compared to some of the other guilds... oh well.\n\no======================================================================o\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|\t\t  The Book of Kaza and the Nether Scroll \t       |\n|\t\t\t(Securing Korgan and Edwin)\t\t       |\no======================================================================o\nSequence of Events:\t\t\t\t\t\t{WLK008}\n\t\t1) Edwin's Ambition\n\t\t2) Adoptor-Seeking Arenthis\n\t\t3) Wellyn's Rest\n\t\t4) Tomb (AR0810)\n\t\t5) Uncle Lester's Revenge\n\t\t6) Tomb (AR0812)\n\t\t7) Stein and Company\n\t\t8) Tomb (AR0813)\n\t\t9) Tomb (AR0807)\n\t\t10) Buried Alive\n\t\t11) Sethle's Confession\n\t\t12) Tomb (AR0805)\n\t\t13) Tomb (AR0806)\n\t\t14) The Lower Tombs\n\t\t15) Spider Central\n\t\t16) Pai'Na's Den\n\t\t17) Finishing the Lower Tombs\n\t\t18) I Hate Level Drain, I\n\t\t19) To the Split\n\t\t20) Sarcophagi Skeleton\n\t\t21) Nevaziah\n\t\t22) Sniped by Shagbag!\n\t\t23) Shagbag Strikes Again\n\t\t24) Korgan's Revenge\n\t\t25) Edwin's Translation\n\t\t26) Edwin's Transformation\n\t\t27) Edwin's Tracker\n\nGraveyard District (AR0800)\no======================================================================o\n1) When you arrive Edwin will mention the Nether Scroll-which Edwin is\nsure lies in the lower tombs in Athkatla. This is the first area in the\ngame we'll explore in a traditional fashion... you know, going around,\nexploring all the places, collecting quests, and otherwise doing\nadventure-y type things, in contrast to briefly running through like we\nhave been doing.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n2) Over at (x=1450, y=1920) you will find Arenthis, a priest of\nLathander and his charge Risa (x=1470, y=1970). He'll ask you to find a\ncaretaker for Risa. Fortunately, just such a thing exists right here in\nthe Graveyard District. Over at (x=920, y=820) you'll find Kamir, a\nPaladin mourning the loss of his adopted son, Stefan, who was killed by\nbandits in Kamir's absence. If only there were SOME way he could, I\ndon't know, get another orphan? After all, if at first you don't\nsucceed, try, try again. Suggest Risa to Kamir and you'll get an\nexperience reward. Wait a while for Kamir to get over to Arenthis and\nRisa and you'll get a bit more experience.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For finding a adoptive parent for Risa)\nEXP\t12250 + 3000\n\n***ENHANCED EDITION***\nArenthis and Risa have been moved for the Enhanced Edition. They used\nto be standing over at (x=2350, y=1880) and (x=920, y=820), near the\nTomb of Dragomir... which of course, didn't exist in the original game.\nOr rather, it existed, but it wasn't important.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n3) Head north-west to find some Halfling 'Mourners' at about\n(x=1620, y=1730). They are Wellyn's parents, whose ghost will be here at\nnight. There are ways to get this quest now without having to advance\nthe story (namely by being too poor to pay for the help of Valen's\nmistress), and I'll mention the quest here just to complete the\nGraveyard District. At night you'll find Wellyn wandering around his\ngrave-or rather, he'll find you and initiate dialogue. He'll tell you\nthat he was killed by a Thief, and he needs his bear, Littleman, so he\ncan rest. The Thief is one 'Llynis', who spends most his time at the\nCopper Coronet. To reach Llynis you'll have to get access to the back\nrooms, which you can achieve by talking to Lehtinan (x=400, y=1220) and\nselecting dialogue options #1, #2, #2, and #1 (among other options).\nLlynis is at (x=660, y=550), and you can talk him into giving you the\nbear... but why not just kill the bastard? Regardless of how you do it,\nget Littleman back and give it to Wellyn. If you wait until day and talk\nto Wellyn's parents you'll get some more experience for your trouble,\nbut no reputation increase... the kind of reward you think such a good\ndeed would warrant... ah well.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For giving Wellyn his bear, Littleman, so he can rest in peace)\nEXP\t15500\n\n***REWARD***\n(For talking to Wellyn's parents)\nEXP\t5000\n\nTomb (AR0810)\no======================================================================o\n4) Anyways, now that the Halflings are gone, continue into the tomb at\n(x=1450, y=1850). Inside are two Skeleton Warriors... nothing as\nterrible as the ones in Baldur's Gate 1, however. They won't hit you\nmuch, and aren't immune to non-magical weapons. They do, however, still\nhave Two Handed Swords +1, which will sell well.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=450, y=400) 29 gold\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n5) Exit the tomb and head north-west to find a scared peasant named\nNevin, who begs you to help put down his dead uncle Lester. Uncle\nLester will show up and the two will argue. Note that the voice of Uncle\nLester is the same actor who does Harold, from the Fallout series. Uncle\nLester will then attack Nevin, and you can jump in to save him, if you\nwish.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For saving Nevin from Uncle Lester)\nEXP\t6500\n\nTomb (AR0812)\no======================================================================o\n6) Ignore the tombs at (x=900, y=1650) and (x=650, y=1800) as they are\nways to get to where we're going, and it should not be explored before\nwe're done with the rest of the graveyard. Instead go into a tomb at\n(x=1350, y=1200). Korgan grabs the Battle Axe +2.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=400, y=350) Battle Axe +2\n(x=350, y=300) Bloodstone Amulet, 1 gold\n\n***TRAPS***\n(x=400, y=350)\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n7) Near the middle of the level, at night, you can find Stein \n(x=1720, y=1050) near the Crypt at (x=1670, y=1000). Talk to him, and\npick option #2 to question his activities. If you threaten to put him\ndown, he'll summon two of his buddies. They're weak, and really don't\ndrop anything of value.\n\nTomb (AR0813)\no======================================================================o\n8) Go up some stairs and into another tomb (x=1670, y=1000) to find two\nShadow Fiends and a Mummy. Everybody has magical weapons by now, so \nthis isn't a hard fight, just watch out for the Mummy's ability to\ndisease you and the Shadow Fiend's paralysis. Both of which can be \ncleared up easily enough with Clerical spells, but in the middle of a\nfight it can be annoying.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=400, y=350) Gold Ring, Skydrop Gem\n\nTomb (AR0807)\no======================================================================o\n9) At (x=2250, y=1100) you'll find another tomb, this one has two\nnobles standing outside of it by the name of Arthur (x=2240, y=1200) and\nMaggie (x=2150, y=1150) who will reminisce over their deceased butler\nJeeves. Go inside, loot, and leave.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=400, y=350) 34 gold\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n10) Go up some stairs to the north-west and you'll get the following\nmessage:\n\n\"Nearby you see an open grave. A chill runs up your spine as you hear a\nsound emit from it. You shake your head and continue walking. The sound\nis clearer now. You are not imagining it. Muffled cries for help are\ncoming from the grave.\"\n\nClick at (x=1000, y=670) to help the poor soul. The man in the grave,\nTirdir, will talk to you, thanking you for rescuing him. He'll tell you\nthat some men held him hostage and buried him alive when they received\nthe ransom money they asked for. He'll tell you one of the men wore a\nbright red shirt, and give you a piece of it to help in your search and\nhe'll tell you that the Gravekeeper spoke to this red-garbed man. Edwin\nwill complain about doing something as useless as helping a peasant\nout... Wait... Red clothes? Nah, couldn't be.. Anyways, if you want to\nfinish this quest now, you'll need to skip over to [WLK020],\nSteps 10-12.\n\n***REWARD***\n(Rescue Tirdir from his grave)\nEXP\t6500\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n11) Speaking of a Gravekeeper... Over at (x=1550, y=400) you'll find\nSethle  the gravekeeper. Talk to him and threaten him a bit and he'll\neventually capitulate and spill the beans, telling you that the man in\nred you're looking for can be found in the Bridge District.\n\nTomb (AR0805)\no======================================================================o\n12) Go in the tomb near Sethle at (x=1450, y=400). Inside you'll find\ntwo Mummies and a Skeleton Warrior. Give the Mummies priority, because\nagain, they can cause disease. Pummel them, loot, and leave.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=450, y=400) Silver Necklace, Scroll of Identify, 6 gold\n\nTomb (AR0806)\no======================================================================o\n13) Head over to the tomb at (x=750, y=850) where you'll find the Crypt\nKing. He's got a lot of Hit Points and can dish out some serious damage\nHe's immune to non-magical weapons but thankfully he's got a fairly low\nArmor Class. It wouldn't be a bad idea to Haste up and use some Clerical\nspell-buffs before taking him on, as at this point he'll likely do some\ndamage to your characters. He also likes to start things off by casting\nHorror, so counter with Remove Fear. He's not hard in the grand scheme\nof things, but when the best of my characters is boasting a -4 Armor\nClass he can do a lot of damage. When he dies he'll leave behind a\nHelmet, a Garnet, and Namarra +2. Namarra is a Long Sword +2 that can\ncast Silence 15' Radius three times per day. Not only is a +2 weapon an\nimprovement over my Fighter\/Mages' Katana +1, but it also serves a\nuseful purpose in being able to foil enemy spell casters. It's not a\ngreat weapon by itself, but its ability to cast Silence 15' Radius means\nit might be a good idea to keep it on hand long after it's melee\nusefulness has been eclipsed by more powerful weapons.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=400, y=350) 9 gold*\n(x=350, y=300) Ziose Gem*, Scroll of Summon Efreet*\n\n*In a later playthrough, these containers yielded three scrolls-a Scroll\nof Mislead, a Scroll of Flesh to Stone, and a Scroll of Abi-Dalzim's\nHorrid Wilting.\n\nLower Tombs (AR0801)\no======================================================================o\n14) Now it's time to get down to the Lower Tombs. I prefer taking the\nentrance marked on your map at (x=2600, y=850). You'll have to be \ncareful down here, as there are a fair number of traps. In the cavernous\nchamber immediately to the west are a variety spiders and Ettercaps. You\nshould view Ettercaps as much more severe threats at this point. Swords\nSpiders can't really do much more than harass you, but Ettercaps can\npoison you, which is much more annoying. Work your way around to the\nsouth and  Korgan will tell you that you're close to the tombs he's\ninterested in. These tombs can be found by taking the area exit at\n(x=2700, y=3300), but we should finish off (AR0801) before we head to\n(AR0802).\n\n***TRAPS***\n(x=3550, y=1900) \n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n15) North from the exit to (AR0802) you'll find another exit. When you\napproach a Sword Spider, Phase Spider, and Wraith Spider will show up.\nKill them and spell-buff before before you head to the ominous web-dome\nto the north (x=2400, y=1400).\n\nPai'Na's Den (AR0804)\no======================================================================o\n16) Once you arrive you'll be bothered by a Dark Elf named Pai'Na in a\nplace reminiscent of where you fought Centeol in the first game. She'll\nsummon a host of weak little spiders to help her, which a Fireball will\nkill admirably. I hit her with Namarra's Silence 15' Radius ability and\nchop her down. Insect Plague also works well, and it's just as good at\nkilling her Spiders as it is for stopping her spells. Have some Slow\nPoison spells ready, as her Spiders do some outright stupid poison\ndamage. When Pai'Na dies she'll leave behind a Black Spider Figurine and\na Quarterstaff. The spider summoned by the figurine isn't terribly \nstrong, but having anything that can distract enemies is good. Loot her\nweb for some more toys, namely the Pale Green Ioun Stone. It won't\nprotect you from critical hits and it doesn't give you an Armor Class\nbonus, but it's still a nice item to put in your helmet slot. Put it on\na character that struggles with Hit Points and THAC0, but otherwise has\na good Armor Class. Also, since it does not protect you from critical \nhits it should go on a more... secondary Fighter. Viconia stands out as\nthe best choice for this item, but Jaheira is a good choice as well. In\nthe latter instance she can pass off the Helm of Balduran to a stronger\nFighter. The Scroll of Spell Immunity is also rather useful in certain\nsituations. For example, if you know an enemy is going to try something\nsneaky like cast an Imprisonment spell you can use this spell to become\nimmune to Abjuration spells, or if you know an enemy is going to hit you\nwith death spells you can become immune to Necromancy. You can even\nprepare multiple instances of the spell to become immune to multiple \nschools of magic... In fact, this spell is the back-bone of my anti-\nLich strategy, and is perhaps the best defensive spell against magic in\nthe entire game. Paired with the Cloak of Mirroring, you can-for all\nintents and purposes-become immune to enemy spells... or at least all\nthe ones that matter.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=600, y=380) Pale Green Ioun Stone, Scroll of Spider Spawn,\n\t       Scroll of Spell Immunity\n\nNote from Lee: in my case, the Pale Green Ioun Stone goes on Edwin. My\nparty is very well protected, due to having steal\/sold over 300k worth\nof items to Gorch in Mae'Var's Guildhall and then purchasing all of the\nbest weapons and armor available at this point in the game. Since Edwin\ncannot wear a helmet, and I don't want to lose the critical hit safety\non the rest of the party, it's the best choice.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n17) Head back out to (AR0801) and continue west to find some more \nspiders, traps, and loot. You'll also find entrances to the outside, and\nto the north you'll find a door you can't open yet. As for the scroll of\nHorrid Wilting we'll find; Horrid Wilting is one of the best direct\ndamage-dealing spells in the game for several reasons. Firstly, it\nsimply out-powers spells like Fireball (10d6 versus 20d8). Secondly it's\nnot fire damage, so fewer creatures are immune to its effects. And\nlastly, and most importantly, it won't affect party members. Since you\ncan throw it into combat with impunity it'll become one of your most\neffective weapons... just as soon as you can cast 8th level spells. Save\nit for Imoen or Edwin to scribe later. You definitely don't want to have\na character learn it who you won't play with, and being a multi-classed\nMage, my main character isn't going to be able to cast it for a long,\nlong time. When you're done looting head over to (AR0802).\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=1100, y=3000) Scroll of Ray of Enfeeblement, \n\t\t Scroll of Minor Spell Deflection, Wooden Stake,\n\t\t Arrows x80, Throwing Axes x30, Bolts x80\n(x=900, y=3570) Scroll of Abi Dalzim's Horrid Wilting, Gold Ring,\n\t\tScroll of Color Spray, Scroll of Protection from Fire\n(x=420, y=3350) Bluestone Necklace\n\n***TRAPS***\n(x=1100, y=3000)\n(x=1150, y=3150)\n(x=900, y=3570)\n(x=750, y=3700)\n\nSouthern Dungeons (AR0802)\no======================================================================o\n18) This room sucks. Ahead of you is a mosaic of a person's bust, on top\nof which are several traps. If you go forward too far you'll provoke an\nattack by assorted undead, the worst of which are Wights, which can\ncause level drain. I must say that I HATE level drain, it's just a pain \nin the ass to cure, and it annoys me nearly as much as losing one of my\ncharacters. The best defense against level-draining foes at this point\nin the game is... well, Dorn. He's immune, which is a wonderful thing.\nJust let him run up and draw the fire, while you use whatever ranged\nweapons you have to assist. The good party, however, has to just rely\non ranged attacks and spells, as we do not yet have gear that grants us\nimmunity-and Negative Plane Protection just has a laughably short\nduration. Failing that, rely on spell buffs like Blur and Mirror Image,\nbut keep in mind that while Stoneskin might negate damage, it won't\nnegate the level drain. Using summons as decoys works well, too, for\nobvious reasons. There is also a Vampyre in the far corner which, while\nnot as strong as a normal Vampire can still level drain, and three\nfreaking levels a hit at that! So long as you don't go too far forward\nyou shouldn't draw it into your fight while the Wights are still alive.\nLead with Dorn or use summons as decoys while you pelt it at a range.\nYou can also use what I'll call our 'vampire Strategy': Have a Cleric\ncast Chaotic Commands (a 5th level spell) and Negative Plane Protection\n(4th level) on a Fighter. I typically choose my main character, who can\nspell buff with additional magics. Then I engage with my main character\nwhile the rest of my party lets loose with magical ammunition. Note,\nthis is also my strategy for dealing with Illithids, and once I obtain\nthe Amulet of Power I can dispense with Negative Plane Protection when\nfighting level-draining foes.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=960, y=260) Pearl Necklace, Scroll of Protection from Electricity,\n\t       Bullets +1 x40, Darts +1 x40, 100 gold\n\n***TRAPS***\n(x=820, y=490)\n(x=870, y=450) \n(x=900, y=530)\n(x=1050, y=650)\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n19) Opposite where the Vampyre came from you'll find a secret door\n(x=900, y=800). Head through it to find some Mummies. Further down the\nhallway you'll find Shadows, a Shadow Fiend, and Wraiths. Thankfully,\nno Wights. Continue on until you come to a fork, one path leading east\nand another leading south.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=530, y=1300) Silver Necklace, Fire Agate Gem, Onyx Ring, \n\t\tArrows +1 x40, 70 gold.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n20) To the east you'll find a trap in front of the sarcophagus at \n(x=820, y=1320). Disarm the trap and activate the sarcophagus to open\nit. A Skeleton Warrior will appear, which can then be lured back to the\nopen area where you fought the Wraiths and easily dispatched. Search it\nHalycon +1.\n\n***TRAPS***\n(x=820, y=1400) \n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n21) Continue further down the eastern tunnel to find a group of Mummies\nand Ghasts. Fireball and Holy Smite work well to hinder them before\nengaging, just don't catch party members in them. You'll eventually find\na Lich named Nevaziah if Edwin is in your party. Edwin demands the\nNether Scroll, Nevaziah declines, and a battle ensues. Nevaziah,\nalthough a Lich of sorts, isn't nearly as dangerous as a true Lich. Get\non top of him with your Fighters, Edwin for his part interrupts him as\noften as possible with Magic Missiles. A True Sight spell will keep most<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
of his mischief at bay, or at least prevent him from getting respite via\nShadow Door and protection with Mirror Image. When he falls Edwin will\nclaim his Nether Scroll. He's not quite done with the Nether Scroll just\nyet, but it'll take him time to read and interprate it. Now Edwin is\nsatisfied, go back to where the path split and head south.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=2070, y=1250) Dagger +1\n(x=2100, y=1200) Silver Ring, Moon bar Gem, Wand of Fear, \n\t\t Scroll of Reflected Image, Bolts +1 x40\n\n***REWARD***\n(For claiming the Nether Scroll)\nEXP\t11750\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n22) Disarm the slew of traps on your way south until you come to an\nopen room where a Mummy, declaring itself to be a student of Nevaziah,\nwill attack the party for defiling the tomb and stealing the Book of\nKaza. Unfortunately it seems Korgan's old buddies have beat us here, and\nKorgan is beside himself with rage. Search the tomb and leave. Korgan \nwants to go to Pimlico's and try to head off Shagbag and his crew.\nOnward, to the Temple District.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=1230, y=2130) Throwing Axe x10, Composite Long Bow, Arrows +1 x8\n(x=870, y=2370) Potion of Defense, 110 gold\n\n***TRAPS***\n(x=300, y=1600)\n(x=450, y=1800)\n(x=700, y=2060)\n\nPimlico's Estate (AR0905)\no======================================================================o\n23) Pimlico's Estate is north-east of the Temple of Lathander \n(x=4300, y=1000), so head on over. Unfortunately, Pimlico is indeed\ndead when you arrive, although why Korgan's crew would kill their boss\nis a mystery (although people who would travel around with Korgan can't\nbe very nice folk.) He suggests finding them at the Copper Coronet,\nwhere they are off celebrating. Loot Pimlico's Estate for some meager\ntreasure and head off to the Slums District.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=550, y=250) History of Tethyr, 2 gold\n(x=750, y=110) Oil of Speed, 20 gold\n(x=450, y=420) Tchazar Gem, 7 gold*\n(x=350, y=470) Potion of Extra Healing x2, Dart of Wounding x1\n(x=220, y=550) Greenstone Ring, 134 gold\n\n*As a random treasure here, I've also obtained a Scroll of Pierce\nMagic, instead of some pocket change.\n\n***TRAPS***\n(x=220, y=550)\n\n***REWARD***\n(For discovering Pimlico's fate)\nEXP\t8750\n\nSlums District (AR0400)\no======================================================================o\n24) Go to the Copper Coronet and head up the stairs to the roof to find\nShagbag (x=2020, y=1730) and company. Korgan and him will exchange\npleasantries, after which cheeky hostility verily doth ensue. I hit\nthem with two Silence 15' Radius (one from Namarra and one from Viconia)\nto ensure that their Cleric doesn't cause any trouble. I also summon\nKitthix next to him, which will hopefully distract a few of them.\nJaheira gets off an Insect Plague and the fight is well in hand. I loot\nShagbag for a suit of Chain Mail, a Helmet, a Medium Shield, the Book of\nKaza, a Short Sword, and 250 gold. Scrooloose has a suit of Chain Mail,\na Helmet, a Medium Shield, a Short Sword, and 200 gold. The Cleric has\na Quarter Staff and 49 gold, while the two Goons each have a suit of\nChain Mail, a Helmet, a Medium Shield, a Short Sword, and 100 gold. \nKorgan is now yours to keep for as long as you want him. He will ask the\nparty to go see to some business he is interested in with some fellow\nnamed Madeen in the Government District, but unless you flat-out deny\nhim he'll stick around... even if you let time pass. Frankly at this\npoint in the game I could care less about Madeen, or Korgan's image,\nfor that matter. Oh, and the Book of Kaza is simply something you can\nsell.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For locating Shagbag and his posse)\nEXP\t5000\n\nI now head over to a merchant and sell my accumulated wealth, bringing\nme over 30,000 gold. I can now buy most anything I want, but considering\nwhat's coming up next... it's time to get the Shield of Balduran from\nDeidre in the Adventurer's Mart. I also get the Bracers of Defense\nA.C. 3 more or less because it's the only other item I can afford. I put\nthe Shield of Balduran on Jaheira, as her Strength is a useless 15, and\nshe won't lose a thing by dropping down to 14. The Bracers go to my main\ncharacter, of course. This brings his Armor Class down to an acceptable\n-2. Next up is the Unseeing Eye quest, but we really should let the\nEdwin's business with the Nether scroll come to a conclusion, first.\nIf you're feeling frisky, however, skip on ahead to deal with other\nquests while you wait for Edwin to complete his research. The remaining\nSteps in this Sequence will cover the rest of Edwin's quest in a safe\nsetting where we can advance time at a whim-in the Copper Coronet. Of\ncourse, you can use any inn\/stronghold, as long as you can rest and\npass the time quickly.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n25) Once in the Copper Coronet, go and rest for a few days, at which\npoint Edwin will exclaim that he has translated the Nether Scroll. He\nwill get a good chunk of experience before letting you continue on. Note\nthat in  between resting be sure to check on your Thieves' Guild lest\nyou lose it. Pursuing the Thieves' Guild quests is another alternative\nto just frittering away time resting.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For Edwin translating the Nether Scroll)\nEXP\t50000 (Edwin only)\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n26) Rest another day and Edwin will discover a spell of transformation\nin the Nether Scroll, which he thinks is akin to the transformation of a\nMage into a Lich. He of course, being an ambitious Red Wizard of Thay,\nhas no qualms about becoming an undead monster if it means gaining \neternal life and the powers of a Lich. Unfortunately Edwin's spell \ndoesn't go quite to plan, and you end up with... Edwina.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n27) This next step takes some time, so sit back, rest up, and have fun\nwatching your comrades taunt Edwin. To my knowledge Yoshimo is the first\nand only character to actually refer to Edwin as 'Edwina'. Eventually a\nMage by the name of Degardan will show up and inquire about Edwin, who\nis apparently not in good standing back home. The surprises never end...\nDon't sell Edwin out or he'll turn hostile and there's no getting him\nback. Wait some more and Degardan will show up again, spotting Edwina\nfor who she is. He'll dispel Edwin's unfortunate change of state,\nafter which a fight ensues. Degardan is fairly rough, but if you have\nBreach and True Sight ready you'll be much better off. Degardan starts\nout with a Spell Trigger unleashing a Stoneskin and Protection from\nMagical Weapons. Again, you best friend is Insect Plague, along with\nTrue Sight to keep him honest. When Degardan dies he'll leave behind two\nPotions of Extra Healing, a Wand of Monster Summoning, a Scroll of Death\nSpell, a Small Shield +1, a Quarter Staff +2, and 73 gold. Now we're\ndone with Edwin and Korgan for good.\n\nAs mentioned earlier in the guide, now is the ideal time for evil\nparties to start appeasing Dorn and Hexxat with some opportune\nquestage. Dorn should get priority, as his actually has a time limit.\nDorn's quests are covered in [WLK045], while Hexxat's are covered in\n[WLK046]. After you're done with those quests, feel free to join the\ngood party in their next objective-The Unseeing Eye quest, which will\nscore us some indispensible loot for both parties.\n\no======================================================================o\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|\t\t          The Unseeing Eye Quest\t\t       |\n|\t             (Recruiting and Securing Keldorn)\t      \t       |\no======================================================================o\nSequence of Events:\t\t\t\t\t\t{WLK009}\n\t\t1) Ahh... Kobolds\n\t\t2) Cloak of the Sewers\n\t\t3) Roger the Fence\n\t\t4) Roger's Troll Problem\n\t\t5) Oozes, Slimes, and Jellies\n\t\t6) Keldorn\n\t\t7) Axing the Hatchetman\n\t\t8) The Old Tunnels\n\t\t9) The Gas Room\n\t\t10) Gaal's Request\n\t\t11) Looting the Cult\n\t\t12) Sassar's Request\n\t\t13) I Hate Level Drain, II\n\t\t14) The Lower Reaches\n\t\t15) Yuan-Ti Tunnel\n\t\t16) The Guardian's Riddles\n\t\t17) Guathicide and an Old Friend\n\t\t18) The Diseased Ones\n\t\t19) Empathetic Manifestation\n\t\t20) Tad's Secret Tunnel\n\t\t21) Ghoul Town\n\t\t22) The Brawling Hands\n\t\t23) Looting the Pit of the Faithless\n\t\t24) The Blind Priests\n\t\t25) End of the Unseeing Eye\n\t\t26) Destroying the Rift Device\n\t\t27) Collapse of the Cult\n\t\t28) Balance Restored\n\nIf you're the good party, you should have recruited Anomen, and kept\nMinsc, Jaheira, and Yoshimo on board, and you're coming here right\nfrom [WLK006], at the least. If you don't have the Shield of Balduran\n(dealing with the Shadow Thieves should have provided us with plenty\nof money) you might want to get it before continuing with this quest.\nIf you're the evil party, or you're following along chronologically, a\nrefrsher might be in course-we're investigating a mysterious new cult\nthat's causing the 'legitimate' religions above some concern. Enter the\nsewers in the Temple District, for the sake of making my life easier,\nuse the entrance at (x=2550, y=2630).\n\nSewers (AR0701)\no======================================================================o\n1) Head south-west to where the path splits and deal with a Green Slime.\nThere are tunnels leading north-west, south, and south-west. Now is a\ngood time to get back into the practice of scouting ahead, so as to not\nrun into dangerous encounters unprepared. To the north-west is a fight\nwith a group of adventurers we don't want to have just yet, so spell-\nbuff and head south-west. Be wary as you adventure around for groups of\nKobolds. Like in Baldur's Gate 1 these little reptiles seem drawn to\nsewers, and while not dangerous on their own they can whittle down\nhealth and be annoying. The exception is with Kobold Shamans. For some\nreason my party is inclined to fail their saves against Hold Person\nspells, even though by my level the odds should favor me...\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n2) Ahead you'll find a group of Kobolds, including Kobold Commandos.\nMore importantly you'll find a Raksasha standing in a depression, who \nhas fair Hit Points, a good Armor Class, spell resistance, and immunity\nto non-magical weapons. For all that, however, he's really just a tank\nwho'll cause trouble only if the spell-casting Kobolds nearby-the\nWitch Doctor and Shaman-get spells off. If you start the fight out with\na Fireball and exterminate whatever Kobolds are left this allows you to\nfocus on the Raksasha without fear of spells like Hold Person. Keep in\nmind that the enemies here have few answers to a creature who is immune \nto non-magical weapons, like say, a Fire Elemental? When the Raksasha\ndies it'll drop a Long Sword and the Cloak of the Sewers. This is one of\nthose items that gives you a bonus to Armor Class regardless of whatever\nother magical protections you have on... needless to say, it's something\nyou'll probably wear through the rest of the game. Give it to a front\nliner with a lower Armor Class, like Korgan or Anomen (or Keldorn, when\nwe get him!), or a secondary Fighter who can't wear heavy armor. One of\nthe Kobolds will also drop a Short Sword +1.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=1230, y=1450) Scroll of Conjure Earth Elemental, 3 Gold, \n\t\t Dart of Wounding x20, Arros +2 x20, Bolts +2 x20,\n\t\t Bullets +2 x20\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n3) From the center of the level (where the Raksasha was) head south to\nfind Roger the Fence (x=1690, y=2300) who will sell you stuff... and of\ncourse, he'll buy things, too, including stolen merchandise. He'll also\ntell you about a Sea Troll wandering about the sewers, and will pay you\n500 gold to get rid of it. You can also buy (steal) a variety of potions\nfrom him, including a host of Potions of Giant Strength, Potions of\nMaster Thievery, potions of Magic Shielding and Magic Blocking.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n4) Go north-west until you find a Otyugh, which isn't too tough despite\nthe fact it can disease and slow you. Nearby you'll also find Roger's\nSea Troll. Beat it up and use a spell like Burning Hands, Melf's Acid\nArrow, Aganazzar's Scorcher, Fireball, Flame Arrow, or something similar\nto  deal the last blow when it falls after reaching the 'Near Death'\nstatus. If you stole a Sword of Flame you could use that, or some of\nthose Arrows of Fire you got from the Kobold Commandos. Return to Roger\nto claim your reward.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For killing Roger's Sea Troll)\nEXP\t9500\nGold\t500\n\nNote from Lee:\nIn 6 times playing thru this game, I've only once found an Otyugh here.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n5) Head north from where you fought the Otyugh to find a chamber with \nan Ooze Mephit, Green Slimes, and an Ochre Jelly. All you really have to\nworry about here is the Stinking Cloud the Mephit will unleash at the\nbeginning of the fight.\n\nNote from Lee:\nAs above, I only found these foes here once.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n6) Continue north to find Keldorn, who promptly slays a Zombie and then\naddresses the party. Since the only reason we're here this early in the\ngame is to recruit Keldorn, you might as well bring him along. If you\nare an evil party and don't care to recruit Keldorn, then by all means\nignore him. I can't imagine why any good party wouldn't want a warrior\nof Keldorn's caliber on their side, however. He comes pretty well\nequipped with a Two Handed Sword +2 that deals 5 points of magic damage\nto an attacker every time Keldorn is hit and a special suit of Full \nPlate Armor +1 with Free Action. Note that when taking damage his sword\nemulates a Fireshield: Blue, which stupidly counts as casting a spell\nand can get you in trouble with the Cowled Wizards. Just something to\nkeep in mind when you get to the surface. Anyways, with or without \nKeldorn work your way around to the east. It's time to confront the \nenemies north-west of where we entered. Ignore the secret door at \n(x=1100, y=500), as it leads us to where Haer'Dalis is kept. If you want\nhim as part of your party, go to [WLK012]. As for me, I prefer to \ncomplete the Unseeing Eye quest and lock-in Keldorn, first.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n7) Scout ahead to find a group of adventurers consisting of the\nfollowing folks: Rengaard, Gallchobhair, Gaius, Tarnor the Hatchetman,\nDraug Fea and Zorl. They're a pretty diverse bunch, equal to any\nadventuring party you could cobble together early in the game, with\nplenty of fighting power and spells. What's worse is at this point in\nthe game they're likely higher leveled and better equipped: Rengaard is\na Fighter\/Cleric (level 12\/11), Gallcobhair is an 11th-level Fighter,\nGaius is a 14th-level Abjurer (specialist Mage), Tarnor the Hatchetman\nis a 13th-level Fighter, Draug Fea is a 12th-level Fighter, and Zorl\nis a 12-level Cleric. My evil party had about 450,000 experience per\ncharacter at this time, ranging from about 8th-11th level. Clearly,\nin a direct confrontation I'm out-matched...\n\n...So we'll just have to out-smart them. Head up to the group with one\ncharacter to trigger  Tarnor the Hatchetman to demand you pay 1000 gold\nto pass. Decline his generous offer and quickly run back to your party.\nIf a few of the enemies followed you, spell buff and try to take them\nout piecemeal. More likely they'll bunch up to spell-buff, which suits\nme just fine.\n\nCreep forward with a hidden character to map their location. Watch out\nfor Gaius, as he's easily the most dangerous character there. Not only\ncan he cast high level spells, but he'll use True Sight if he even\nsuspects an invisible or hidden character nearby. Once they are marked\nspell buff your party and cast as many Chaos spells at the edge of their\ngroup as you can (without bringing them into sight). Slow and Greater\nCommand are also worthy spells, in the absence of Chaos.\n\nAfter the first round of spells is off, I summon Kitthix with the Black\nSpider Figurine (any summon will work, however) and lead with some\nfodder. The whole point of this is to get the enemy to focus on the\nsummon-right behind it will be Jaheira and my other spell casters. Once\nJaheira spots an enemy-any enemy-she'll cast Insect Plague on her\ntarget, while my Mages hit the enemy with another round of debilitative\nspells. If Jaheira were to get hit by Tarnor or Gallchobhair's ranged\nattacks, it would disrupt her Insect Plague, and probably result in a\nreload. A little summoned bait goes a long way in this fight by making\nthat unlikely to occur.\n\nThe Insect Plague will, of course, prevent the enemy from casting spells\nand possibly cause them to  panic. With a little luck you can debilitate\nthe dwarves with Chaos and Slow, then focus on killing their spell\ncasters. First I target Gaius, and when he falls, I work my way through\nthe rest of the spell-casters (Zorl and Rengaard). All the while, Edwin\nkeeps the baddies pacified with Chaos and Slow spells, rendering them\ncompletely unable to respond in any meaningful way. When they die\nthey'll leave behind the following loot:\n\nDraug Fea: Plate Mail +1, Helmet of Charm Protection, Small Shield +2,\nWyvern's Tail +2, Scroll of Improved Mantle, Laeral's Tear Necklace and\n119 gold.\n\nGaius: Scroll of Warding Whip and 34 gold.\n\nGallchobhair: Full Plate Mail, Arrows x40, Silver Necklace x2, Jade\nRing, Composite Longbow and a Long Sword.\n\nRengaard: Plate Mail, Garnet and a War Hammer.\n\nTarnor the Hatchetman: Full Plate Mail +1, Small Shield +2, Elixir of\nHealth, Gold Necklace, Hangard's Axe +2 and 119 gold.\n\nZorl: Plate Mail, Large Shield, Skydrop Gem, Mace and 19 gold.\n\nNow that's a haul! The Full Plate Mail +1 can go on just about\nanybody... except Keldorn, who has better already. I put the Helmet of\nCharm Protection on Jaheira and if you kept Korgan, Hangard's Axe is a\ngreat ranged weapon. Most of the other items I can't find a use for, but\nthey will at least get us a good hunk of gold. Anyhow, head over to the\nexit to the Old Tunnels (x=100, y=400).\n\nNote: Bioware recycled a few names between the two Baldur's Gate games,\neither as fan-service, or simply because they're lazy. Zorl was the\nname of one of the Merchant League owners in Baldur's Gate, there was\na bandit named 'Ioin Gallchobhair' in the first game, and Tarnor was a\npetrified Dwarven hero encountered in Durlag's Tower. You tend to\nnotice these things after playing through the game a dozen times.\n\nNote from Lee:\nI split up my party into three groups for this encounter, each\nconsisting of a fighter-type and a spell caster; send one around and\napproach from the west, another around and approach from the east, and\nthe third straight up the middle from the south - this will prevent\ntheir area spells from affecting more than two characters at a time. \nIt may take a try or two before you can get them all situated as close\nas possible without starting the encounter, but once you do, spell buff\nto the max and save. I normally initiate the encounter from the middle,\nbut it really depends on where your strongest fighter is. At any rate,\nstart the encounter and cast disabling spells from the sides\n(Chaos, etc) while casting a Fireball or similar high impact spell from\nthe center. While this is going on, use your ranged weapons to start\ndealing out damage, even if it's minor. Once that round of spells is\ncomplete, repeat the process with a Breach or two to take down their\ndefenses, and have Jaheira throw out an Insect Plague. After that, swap\nout ranged for melee weapons and let them come to you; they will have to\nsplit up, and they are much easier to defeat in smaller groups than all\nat once.\n\n***VIDEO***\nHaeravon Plays: Baldur's Gate 2 Enhanced Edition - \nTemple District Sewer Fight {VID001}\n\n