{"id":1299,"date":"2024-11-16T12:32:16","date_gmt":"2024-11-16T15:32:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/revolutionarena.com\/english\/?p=1299"},"modified":"2024-11-16T12:32:19","modified_gmt":"2024-11-16T15:32:19","slug":"baldurs-gate-enhanced-edition-complete-walkthrough-step-by-step-strategy-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/revolutionarena.com\/english\/baldurs-gate-enhanced-edition-complete-walkthrough-step-by-step-strategy-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition\u00a0\u2013 Complete Walkthrough (Step-by-Step Strategy Guide)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Complete Walkthrough (Step-by-Step Strategy Guide) of Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
I. Introduction\t\t\t\t{INT001}\n\t1. HaeravonFAQS on Youtube\t{INT002}\n\t2. Using this FAQ\t\t{INT003}\n\t3. Continuity\t\t\t{INT004}\n\t4. Items\t\t\t{INT005}\n\t5. Rewards\t\t\t{INT006}\n\t6. Traps\t\t\t{INT007}\n\t7. Active Pause\t\t\t{INT008}\n\t8. Difficulty Settings\t\t{INT009}\n\t9. Enhanced Edition Notes\t{INT010}\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   {DND016}\n\t      in Baldur's Gate 2\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 Tomes\t\t\t{DND077}\n\t  6.8 Suggested Abilities \t{DND078}\n\t      by Class \n\t7. Proficiencies\t\t{DND079}\n\t  7.1 Weapon Proficiencies\t{DND080}\n\t      by Class\/Level\n\t  7.2 Weapon Class Perks by Rank{DND081}\n\t  7.3 Fighting Style Perks by   {DND082}\n\t      Rank\n\t  7.4 Proficiency Selection by\t{DND083}\n\t      Class\n\t8. Thieving Abilities\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 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\t{DND094}\n\t       by Weapon Type\n\t11. Saving Throws\t\t{DND095}\n\t12. Spells\t\t\t{DND096}\n\t13. Lore\t\t\t{DND097}\n\t  13.1 Lore by Class\/Level\t{DND098}\n\t14. Experience Points (EXP Cap)\t{DND099}\n\t15. My Protagonists\t\t{DND100}\n\t  15.1 The Fighter\/Mage\t\t{DND101}\n\t  15.2 The Fighter\/Mage\/Thief\t{DND102}\n\t  15.3 The Benchmark\t\t{DND103}\nIII. Characters\t\t\t\t{CHR001}\n\t1. Note about Character Quests\t{CHR002}\n\t2. Character Stats\t\t{CHR003}\n\t3. Ajantis\t\t\t{CHR004}\n\t4. Alora\t\t\t{CHR005}\n\t5. Baeloth\t\t\t{CHR006}\n\t6. Branwen\t\t\t{CHR007}\n\t7. Coran\t\t\t{CHR008}\n\t8. Dorn\t\t\t\t{CHR009}\n\t9. Dynaheir\t\t\t{CHR010}\n\t10. Edwin\t\t\t{CHR011}\n\t11. Eldoth\t\t\t{CHR012}\n\t12. Faldorn\t\t\t{CHR013}\n\t13. Garrick\t\t\t{CHR014}\n\t14. Imoen\t\t\t{CHR015}\n\t15. Jaheira\t\t\t{CHR016}\n\t16. Kagain\t\t\t{CHR017}\n\t17. Khalid\t\t\t{CHR018}\n\t18. Kivan\t\t\t{CHR019}\n\t19. Minsc\t\t\t{CHR020}\n\t20. Montaron\t\t\t{CHR021}\n\t21. Neera\t\t\t{CHR022}\n\t22. Quayle\t\t\t{CHR023}\n\t23. Rasaad\t\t\t{CHR024}\n\t24. Safana\t\t\t{CHR025}\n\t25. Shar-teel\t\t\t{CHR026}\n\t26. Skie\t\t\t{CHR027}\n\t27. Tiax\t\t\t{CHR028}\n\t28. Viconia\t\t\t{CHR029}\n\t29. Xan\t\t\t\t{CHR030}\n\t30. Xzar\t\t\t{CHR031}\n\t31. Yeslick\t\t\t{CHR032}\n\t32. Table of Character\t\t{CHR033}\n\t    Attributes\n\t33. Chart of Characters by Role {CHR034}\n\t34. Suggested Parties by Role\t{CHR035}\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. 1st Level Druid Spells\t{SPT007}\n\t7. 2nd Level Druid Spells\t{SPT008}\n\t8. 3rd Level Druid Spells\t{SPT009}\n\t9. 4th Level Druid Spells\t{SPT010}\n\t10. 5th Level Druid Spells\t{SPT011}\n\t11. 1st Level Arcane Spells\t{SPT012}\n\t12. 2nd Level Arcane Spells\t{SPT013}\n\t13. 3rd Level Arcane Spells\t{SPT014}\n\t14. 4th Level Arcane Spells\t{SPT015}\n\t15. 5th Level Arcane Spells\t{SPT016}\nV. Map\t\t\t\t\t{MAP001}\nVI. General Tips\t\t\t{TIP001}\n\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>MAIN WALKTHROUGH<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<\nVII. Prologue\n\t1. Sequence #1\t\t\t{WLK001}\n\t\tLeaving Candlekeep\n\t\t(15 Steps)\nVIII. Chapter 1\n\t1. Sequence #1\t\t\t{WLK002}\n\t\tFriendly Arm Inn\n\t\t(17 Steps)\n\t2. Sequence #2\t\t\t{WLK003}\n\t\tBeregost\n\t\t(23 Steps)\n\t3. Sequence #3\t\t\t{WLK004}\n\t\tParty-Building\n\t\t(9 Steps)\n\t4. Sequence #4\t\t\t{WLK005}\n\t\tHigh Hedge and En Route\n\t\tto Nashkel\n\t\t(10 Steps)\nIX. Chapter 2\n\t1. Sequence #1\t\t\t{WLK006}\n\t\tNashkel and the Carnival\n\t\t(21 Steps)\n\t2. Sequence #2\t\t\t{WLK007}\n\t\tThe Gnoll Stronghold\n\t\tExpedition\t\n\t\t(15 Steps)\n\t4. Sequence #3\t\t\t{WLK008}\n\t\tSouth-Western Areas\n\t\t(10 Steps)\n\t5. Sequence #4\t\t\t{WLK009}\n\t\tNorthern Areas\n\t\t(10 Steps)\n\t6. Sequence #5\t\t\t{WLK010}\n\t\tMiddle Areas\n\t\t(9 Steps)\n\t7. Sequence #6\t\t\t{WLK011}\n\t\tTemple Area and the\n\t\tNashkel Mines (exterior)\n\t\t(12 Steps)\n\t[PARTY STATS: NASHKEL MINES]\n\t8. Sequence #7\t\t\t{WLK012}\n\t\tNashkel Mines (interior)\n\t\t(21 Steps)\nX. Chapter 3\n\t1. Sequence #1\t\t\t{WLK013}\n\t\tBack to Beregost\n\t\t(13 Steps)\n\t2. Sequence #2\t\t\t{WLK014}\n\t\tWestern Areas and the \n\t\tNorthern Farmhouse\n\t\t(27 Steps)\n\t3. Sequence #3\t\t\t{WLK015}\n\t\tTranzig and the\n\t\tNorth-Eastern Areas\n\t\t(17 Steps)\n\t4. Sequence #4\t\t\t{WLK016}\n\t\tBandit Camp\n\t\t(11 Steps)\nXI. Chapter 4\n\t1. Sequence #1\t\t\t{WLK017}\n\t\tSouth-Eastern Areas\n\t\t(20 Steps)\n\t2. Sequence #2\t\t\t{WLK018}\n\t\tCloakwood Forest\n\t\t(22 Steps)\n\t3. Sequence #3\t\t\t{WLK019}\n\t\tCloakwood Mines\n\t\t(21 Steps)\n\t[PARTY STATS: CLOAKWOOD MINES]\nXII. Chapter 5\n\t1. Sequence #1\t\t\t{WLK020}\n\t\tFoiling the Throne's\n\t\tAssassination Attempt\n\t\t(33 Steps)\n\t2. Sequence #2\t\t\t{WLK021}\n\t\tBaldur's Gate: Eastern \n\t\tand South-Eastern Areas\n\t\t(20 Steps)\n\t3. Sequence #3\t\t\t{WLK022}\n\t\tBaldur's Gate: Southern,\n\t\tNorthern, and Western\n\t\tAreas\n\t\t(26 Steps)\n\t4. Sequence #4\t\t\t{WLK023}\n\t\tBaldur's Gate:\n\t\tSouth-Western\n\t\tNorth-Western Areas\n\t\t(28 Steps)\n\t5. Sequence #4\t\t\t{WLK024}\n\t\tBaldur's Gate: \n\t\tBalduran's Gear and the\n\t\tIron Throne Headquarters\n\t\t(17 Steps)\nXIII. Chapter 6\n\t1. Sequence #1\t\t\t{WLK025}\n\t\tReturn to Candlekeep\n\t\t(9 Steps)\n\t2. Sequence #2\t\t\t{WLK026}\n\t\tCandlekeep Catacombs\n\t\t(14 Steps)\n\t3. Sequence #3\t\t\t{WLK027}\n\t\tEnhanced Edition\n\t\tCharacter Quests\n\t\t(28 Steps)\n\t[PARTY STATS: TALES OF THE SWORD COAST]\nXIV. Tales of the Sword Coast\n\t1. Sequence #1\t\t\t{WLK028}\n\t\tUlgoth's Beard,\n\t\tShandolar's Request\n\t\t(13 Steps)\n\t2. Sequence #2\t\t\t{WLK029}\n\t\tTo Durlag's Tower and\n\t\tthe Upper Levels\n\t\t(14 Steps)\n\t3. Sequence #3\t\t\t{WLK030}\n\t\tDurlag's Tower,\n\t\tFirst Lower Level\n\t\t(14 Steps)\n\t4. Sequence #4\t\t\t{WLK031}\n\t\tDurlag's Tower,\n\t\tSecond Lower Level\n\t\t(10 Steps)\n\t5. Sequence #5\t\t\t{WLK032}\n\t\tDurlag's Tower,\n\t\tThird Lower Level\n\t\t(11 Steps)\n\t6. Sequence #6\t\t\t{WLK033}\n\t\tDurlag's Tower,\n\t\tFourth Lower Level\n\t\t(13 Steps)\n\t7. Sequence #7\t\t\t{WLK034}\n\t\tCult of Aec'Letec\n\t\t(6 Steps)\n\t8. Sequence #8\t\t\t{WLK035}\n\t\tBalduran's Isle\t\n\t\t(30 Steps)\nXV. Chapter 7\n\t1. Sequence #1\n\t\tThwarting Sarevok\t{WLK036}\n\t\t(18 Steps)\n\t2. Sequence #2\n\t\tThe Endgame\t\t{WLK037}\n\t\t(20 Steps)\n\t[PARTY STATS: FINAL]\n\n\tTotal Walkthrough: 624 Steps\n\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>VIDEOS<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<\nXVI. Walkthrough Videos\n\t1. Stinking Cloud Ambush\t{VID001}\n\t   (Good Party)\n\t2. Sarevok's Acolytes Fight\t{VID002}\n\t   (Good Party)\n\t3. Sarevok's Acolytes Fight\t{VID003}\n\t   (Evil Party)\n\t4. Warder Fight\t\t\t{VID004}\n\t   (Evil Party)\n\t5. Chess Fight (Evil Party)\t{VID005}\n\t6. Demon Knight Fight\t\t{VID006}\n\t   (Good Party)\n\t7. Aec'Letec Fight (Good Party)\t{VID007}\n\t8. Sarevok Fight (Good Party)\t{VID008}\n\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>MISCELLANEOUS<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<\nXVII. Items\t\t\t\t{ITM001}\n\t1. Finding Recorded Items in \t{ITM002}\n\t   the Walkthrough\n\t2. Item List\t\t\t{ITM003}\n\t3. Item Description\t\t{ITM004}\nXVIII. Experience List\t\t\t{EXP001}\nXIX. List of Mage Spells\t\t{SPL001}\n\t1. 1st-Level Mage Spells\t{SPL002}\n\t2. 2nd-Level Mage Spells\t{SPL003}\n\t3. 3rd-Level Mage Spells\t{SPL004}\n\t4. 4th-Level Mage Spells\t{SPL005}\n\t5. 5th-Level Mage Spells\t{SPL006}\nXX. Updates\/Thanks\t\t\t{UPD001}\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 refer to later parts of\nthe Walkthrough in the Walkthrough, I'll refer to those referred\nsections as [WLK###], when it should be understood to search for\n{WLK###}. This is an organizational scheme used to prevent you from\nhaving to scroll through several referential brackets in order to find\nwhat you're looking for, as I reference other parts of the FAQ much more\nfrequently in this guide than 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\nWelcome to the HaeravonFAQs guide \"Beating Baldur's Gate: Enhanced\nEdition in 627 Steps\" of varying length, complexity, and importance!\nI love the Baldur's Gate games, I won't even try to hide it. So when I\nheard there was an Enhanced Edition being made... well, I approached it\nwith a bit of skepticism. Mostly because I'm a pessimist, not because\nI'm a classics snob. A rebirth of the Fallout franchise was something\nI warmly embraced, certainly something similar for Baldur's Gate would\nhave potential, right? Sure, but this isn't a remake. It's a slight\nimprovement, better menus to take some of the age off and a bunch of\nminor tweaks (many of which have already appeared in fan-made mods).\nEssentially, this game takes the original Baldur's Gate and freshens it\nup a bit. The biggest changes? They made the Baldur's Gate 1 rules match\nthe Baldur's Gate 2 system... again, something already done. Still, I\nam giddy. I didn't start writing FAQs until a few years ago, and I\ndevoted no small amount of time to the games I loved most of all-the\nBaldur's Gate saga. The Enhanced Edition is the closest thing to being\nable to go back in time and write about this game when it's fresh. For\nthat alone, the Enhanced Edition was worth the $20 download-my first\never digital purchase. I know, I know, I'm a dinosaur. Anyways, this\nguide is built right on top of my old Baldur's Gate guide, with changes\nmade wherever necessary. Call it lazy or resourceful as you wish-my\norganizational schemes work for me and-if feedback is any indication-\nit works for most of my readers, too. Why fix what's not broken? Most of\nall, have fun and enjoy a slightly improved and expanded version of one\nof the best RPGs ever made.\n\nHaeravonFAQs on Youtube\t\t\t\t\t\t{INT002}\no======================================================================o\nIn the beginning of June, 2013, I was finally able to scrape enough\nmoney together to get a good game-capture device. Later that month, I\nbegan my much dreamed-of venture into making gameplay videos. I intend\nfor the videos on HaeravonFAQs to enhance-not replace-the text-based\nguides you all know and love. Starting 6\/29\/2013, I began shooting\nvideos based off of saves I had made when I wrote this guide, showing\nthe tactics contained in this guide. The links to the videos can be\nfound throughout the guide, and will be added as they are uploaded,\ninstead of in one massive version update-my usual way of doing things.\nYou can find the videos as you play the game and read the guide, or\nyou can search for them with the search tags [VID###]. For more videos,\nvisit (http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/HaeravonFAQs). If you want to have\naccess to all our gameplay videos, pictures, and, yes, guides, all on\none site, visit www.haeravon.com.\n\nUsing this FAQ\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{INT003}\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\nContinuity\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{INT004}\no======================================================================o\nOne of the things to keep in mind about Baldur's Gate is...\nBaldur's Gate 2. I keep this in the back of my mind every time I play\nthe game, since it seems like a waste to go through the game and NOT\ncontinue with my character onto the sequel. Since the first game was\nmade to resemble the second game more in the Enhanced Edition, we can\nassume the Enhanced Edition of the second game will be... less changed.\nAfter all, why change the first game to match the second if you're\ngoing to change the second game-hence reintroducing the original\nmis-match you were presumably trying to remove in the first place?\nWith that in mind, building our protagonist with the sequel in mind\nmakes even more sense in the Enhanced Edition than it did in the\noriginal game. If you don't plan to follow through to the Enhanced\nEdition of the second game, this might not be the right guide for you,\nas my suggestions for the protagonist's race, class, and proficiency\nallocations are made with the sequel in mind.\n\nItems \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{INT005}\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 won't give you (x=1996, y=217) when I could\ngive the coordinates (x=2000, y=200).\n\nRewards\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{INT006}\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), but I typically include the reward\nupon the quests conclusion, occasionally requiring you to go back to\nthe assigner on your own.\n\nTraps \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{INT007}\no======================================================================o\nI list the location of traps in a section similar to the items section.\nExcept it's wisely called ***TRAPS***. I didn't bother recording what\nsort of trap it was, I intended to disarm traps I come across, and\nfrankly, it's just too much of a bother determining the sort of trap.\nIf you think you can figure out how to use traps to cause collateral\ndamage, that's fine with me, I'll point as many out to you as I found.\n\nActive Pause\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{INT008}\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\nDifficulty Settings\t\t\t\t\t\t{INT009}\no======================================================================o\nThe game always had difficulty settings, so why bother mentioning it\nfor the Enhanced Edition? Well... because they might actually be worth\ntoggling every so often now. There are five difficulty settings as\nfollows:\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\no======================================================================o\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|\t\t2nd 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,\nAlong with a number of tables, charts, and rules used by the game. My \ncharacter's advancement through the game and its sequel greatly affects \nmy choices... along with a good bit of aesthetic prejudice and personal \nopinions. Either blindly follow my lead or read up on the section below\nand make your own choices. I'll give opinions and brute facts, but I\nwon't be rating anything. Feel free to make you 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. 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 only matters when it comes to romancing various potential party\nmembers... and even then, only in the sequel. It might change a few bits\nof dialogue here and there (mostly gender-based pronouns, or maybe a\nbit of abortive flirting\/womanizing, but nothing serious). Since\nromances are the big deal with gender, then, I'll include a list of\nromancable allies, and some gender\/alignment information about said\nallies, so you can plan ahead... you know, in case you want to go after\na specific paramour. Just keep in mind that most characters in the\nsequel are heterosexual (with the notable exception of Hexxat), so\npick the opposite gender if you want magic to happen. I'll freely admit\nI haven't done enough research to know everybody's racial qualms-I tend\nto play either an Elf or Half-Elf for multi-classing purposes, so I\ncan't promise that, say, Dorn will go after a Gnomish protagonist, or\nsomething strange like that. Also, alignment may or may not come into\nplay-Anomen and Viconia can both have their alignment swayed by a\ncombination of banter and quest choices, but there's no guarantee that\nDorn'll put up with a good-aligned protagonist. Again, I've been lazy\nand haven't thoroughly explored all the romantic options with all the\npossible race\/alignment combinations. I have a good party and an evil\nparty, and I avoided mixing and matching alignments as much as possible.\n\nAerie (Female) Lawful Good, Elf\nAnomen (Male)\nDorn (Male) Neutral Evil, Half-Orc\nHexxat (Female) Neutral Evil, Human (will not romance males!)\nJaheira (Female) Neutral, Half-Elf\nNeera (Female) Chaotic Neutral, Half-Elf\nRasaad (Male) Lawful Good, Human\nViconia (Female) Neutral Evil, Elf (will not romance Elves!)\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 |   |   |   |   |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nCleric\/Thief\t\t| d |   |   | x |   |   | 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 (Abjurer)\t\t| x |   |   |   |   |   |   |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nMage (Conjurer)\t\t| x |   | x |   |   |   |   |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nMage (Diviner)\t\t| x | x | x |   |   |   |   |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nMage (Enchanter)\t| x | x | x |   |   |   |   |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nMage (Illusionist)\t| x |   |   | x |   |   |   |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nMage (Invoker)\t\t| x |   |   |   |   |   |   |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nMage (Necromancer)\t| x |   |   |   |   |   |   |\n\t\t\t|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\nMage (Transmuter)\t| 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 are a staple of the fantasy genre. Without giving\nanything away, playing an Elf adds a bit of... tension... with the\nantagonist of the sequel (to which there is as of yet no Enhanced\nEdition for). At least, it does in my mind, which is what matters.\nElves have some solid multi-class options, and are decent characters\nall around. The Dexterity bonus is nice... but it's not nearly as\nhelpful as the Constitution bonus is harmful. Still, considering all\nthe stat boosts you'll find in the game, it's not a big deal.\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.\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 (at least in this game, Baldur's Gate 2 isn't nearly as nice in\nthat regards). Versatility and power are my goals in character creation,\nand that pretty 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, and with all the new defensive spells from the sequel\nfleshing out the spellbooks of the Enhanced Edition, they're stronger\nthan ever in the first game. (Stoneskin, anybody?) Magic in Baldur's\nGate is incredibly important and deep, and controlling a protagonist who\ncannot cast spells seems rather... blasphemous. And if you can destroy\nany foe in melee combat as well, all the better. Alternatively there's\nthe Fighter\/Mage\/Thief, who isn't as much of a Fighter or Mage, but you\ndon't have to rely upon a recruitable Thief to do your trapfinding.\nThere's also the Fighter\/Cleric, but the spell buffs a Mage can cast are\nmore powerful, and a Mage won't be limited to blunt weapons like a\nCleric. If you're at all interested in making a Fighter\/Cleric, try a\nRanger\/Cleric instead. Pretty much the same thing in terms of weapon\nselection, and Hit Points, but they'll also get Druidic spells, in\naddition to their Clerical spells. This means Insect Plague, Elemental\nSummoning, and Iron Skins in the sequel... it's something to get excited\nabout, trust me. I've never played as a  Fighter\/Mage\/Cleric, but... it\ncertainly sounds interesting. In the end I feel a Fighter\/Mage is a\ngreat protagonist, a great play, and certainly a good choice to write\na guide around. For the evil party play-through (Version 1.02 of the\noriginal guide) I created a Fighter\/Mage\/Thief so I could use many of\nthe strategies with which I am familiar, but also because of how\ndesperately the evil party needs a Thief in Baldur's Gate 2. My\ngirlfriend's choice was much the same, except she used a Fighter as her\nprotagonist and created a Fighter\/Mage\/Thief sidekick in the sequel to\novercome the crippling Thief-shortage. It might be cheap, but it's\nbetter than dragging around Haer'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 requisites for each of \nthe potential dual-class combos are listed below:\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 abilities, 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 proficiencies 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 distribute. 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\nhitpoints (10 + 6 = 16\/8 = 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 Cleric would.\n\nExperience is split evenly between the two classes, which can level up\nindependently. This results in a slower rate of leveling than a single-\nclassed character. Multi-classed characters typically make up for it\nwith versatility, being able to effectively combine multiple class\nabilities to maximum effect. After all, a Thief who can hide in shadows\nand backstab with a Fighter's THAC0 and higher weapon proficiencies is\nbetter than just a Thief, and a Fighter who can use Mage spells to spell\nbuff themselves with Mirror Image, Haste, and Improved Invisibility will\nbe MUCH more effective than just a Fighter. The big consideration for a\nmulti-classed character is the fact that they will not be able to\nprogress as far as a single-classed character under the experience cap.\nThis isn't a big deal in this game, where a Fighter\/Mage can hit level\n7\/7, while a normal Fighter and Mage can only hit levels 8 and 9,\nrespectively. In the sequel, however, it'll cost you major levels,\nwhich is worth the tradeoff (by the end of TOB you'll hit level 24\/20\nas a Fighter\/Mage, which really gets you the best of both classes.) The\nonly thing to worry about is that you won't have access to as many epic\nfeats in the sequel... but again, this is a minor concern, especially in\nthis game. And unless you triple-class, it won't even be that big of a\ndeal. Multi-classed characters must abide by the restrictions of BOTH \nclasses. A Fighter\/Mage could wear Fighter armor, but not cast spells \nwhile so doing. A Fighter\/Cleric could not use swords or bows. A \nThief\/Cleric could sneak, but not in heavy armor, and so on. \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)\nyou'll get to pick a feat, many of which are phenomenally 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 progression in thieving\nskills as well, but they will never get the Epic Fighter feats. A\nmulti-classed Fighter\/Thief will, however. This is something to keep in\nmind for later, if you plan on making a character that imports to the\nsequel. Consider yourself duly warned-if your 'uber' Fighter\/Thief \ndual-classer turns out to be a sissy late in the sequel because you\ncan't get Greater Whirlwind Attack(s)... it's on you.\n\nClass Kits\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND017}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nIn Baldur's Gate 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<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
patient and you get your hands on some sweet White Dragon Scale armor\nin the sequel, those Armor Class woes will become a thing of the past...\n\nBarbarian\nLevel\tEXP\t\tHP\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n1\tn\/a\t\t1d12\n2\t2,000\t\t2d12\n3\t4,000\t\t3d12\n4\t8,000\t\t4d12\n5\t16,000\t\t5d12\n6\t32,000\t\t6d12\n7\t64,000\t\t7d12\n8\t125,000\t\t8d12\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 are rogues with a flair for the dramatic. They sing, they dance,\nthey cast spells... they just aren't as good at the whole Thiefy thing.\nNot being a self-contained game anymore, Bards are no longer even worth\na glance in the first Baldur's Gate. Their fighting abilities are\nsub-par, and their spells will become limited in the sequel. Granted,\nthey'll get a good number of great spells, but when you compare them to\na Fighter\/Mage or Fighter\/Mage\/Thief, they're woefully under-powered.\nEven with their best Bard Songs in the sequel, their effects fail to\ncompare to the devastation a Fighter\/Mage can bring about. In the\nfirst game, however, their Bard Song is laughably the equivalent of a\n1st-level Cleric spell.\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%\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 abilities... but let's look at them critically.\nOffensive Spin doesn't stack with Haste, so it's really only giving you\na +2 bonus to attack and damage, which will not make a you a competitive\nfront-liner, even if the max damage is nice. Defensive Spin might not go\npast a +10 bonus, but for a Bard that's still a pretty hefty benefit.\nAs for the 'disadvantages' Pick Pockets can be raised with potions, and\nwon't be a huge issue, and Lore is pretty useless anyways. Just keep in\nmind that these benefits are largely going to be redundant by the time\nyou get deep into the sequel. Defensively, you're fine, but you'll never\nbe able to compete with a Fighter's THAC0 (single, dual, or multi-\nclassed), and lacking Greater Whirlwind... well, it's not much of an\noffensive character after long. Don't get me wrong, this class is\nwretchedly powerful in the first game-when Fighters haven't really\nbroken away from pretenders with their THAC0s yet, and when that bonus\nto Armor Class will be an absolute game-breaker, but in the sequel,\nthey'll lose most of their bite.\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 recent patches, but still\nsuffers from a number of problems. First, Bards aren't terribly hardy,\nand forcing them to be within 30 feet of foes is just asking for\ntrouble. Instead of forcing a save at +4 for their confusion effect\n(as they used to), they now do so at a +2, and as they level up they\napply additional effects to their song. Confusion and Slow are pretty\ngood effects, but even at a +2 bonus, I'd rather just use the arcane\nspell, both of which impose a penalty to saves, instead of a wussy +2\nversion. Their 20th level bonus is just absurd-knocking a foe unconcious\nentirely renders the confusion and slow useless, so why bother?\nConfusion might be a good ability to affect foes with early on,\nespecially when saves are generally high, but later in the game any Mage\nwill debilitate foes better. Heck, by that time I'd rather have the\nJester itself doing better things. The Slow by 15th level is too little,\ntoo late. If you must play a bard, you'd be better off with a Skald or\na Blade.\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? Those bonuses are absolutely awesome! I mean, you can't get the\nreally, really good bonuses in this game, but even the lower-level\nversion is pretty damn good. As for their disadvantage? Pick pockets is\nuseless anyways, so don't worry about having a low value there. You can\nalways use potions when you need to. Overall, this is probably the best\nBard kit... in the long run.\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<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThe Cleric is a spell caster who is more melee-capable, with mostly\ndefensive, healing, and status-affecting spells. They might not have\nthe sheer versatility of a Mage, but they've got a number of great\nspells, especially in the sequel. And of course, if you want to have\nhealing power at your fingertips, this is the best way to get it. On\nthe other hand, the developers give you plenty of recruitable Clerics to\nchoose from, and there's not much you'll gain by making your own single-\nclassed Cleric compared to what your allies can provide. If you make a\nmulti-classed Fighter\/Cleric, however... ugh... you know, Jaheira and\nAnomen will do a fine job with that, and Viconia is a great single-\nclassed Cleric. You don't really need to make yourself a Cleric. If you\ndo, however, just don't forget that Clerics are restricted to blunt\nweapons, so don't expect to dual-or-multi-class into a bow-wielding\nsword-swinging Fighter type with Cleric spells. Clerics can turn undead,\nwhich is useful in... well, making undead flee. But the undead this\nworks on are so weak, it's more of a chore to have to chase them down\nthan to simply kill them, and it likely won't work on more powerful\nundead, so I can't recommend using it often.\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\n8\t110,000\t\t8d8\t3\/3\/3\/2\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... but at least 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 strike foes that require highly enchanted weapons... mostly a sequel\nconcern. Its damage doesn't stand up, but it does give you three attacks\nper round, even though it takes away your ability to cast spells for its\nduration, which blows. Alright, it's really all about the True Sight,\nbut dammit, that spell is good enough that it's worth it. It's like\nhaving a Cleric with an extra 5th-level spell slot per five levels!\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, and while you won't need the protection in the first game,\nthere are plenty of level-draining foes in the sequel. Still, if push\ncomes to shove, I'd rather have the True Sight the Priest of Helm gets,\nthan immunity to level drain.\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\nThanks to some wise advice I received from my readers, my eyes were\nopened to the merits of this class. To be fair, they're not readily\napparent through much of the first game, but in the sequel, this multi-\nclass combination really becomes something special. Why, then, mention\nit here? Well, this guide is all about continuity, and really, in\nBaldur's Gate 1, none of the multi-class combos fully come into their\nown (even my beloved Fighter\/Mage). If you want a great character for\nthe first game only... well, then just play a Fighter and muscle\nthrough everything. Or a Blade. Anyways, the big draw of a Cleric\/Ranger\nover the superficially similar Fighter\/Cleric is a simple matter of\nspell selection. They'll both get Clerical spells, obviously, but the\nRanger\/Cleric will also get Druidic spells (thanks to their Ranger\nlevels). Mind you, you won't get two separate spellbooks for Cleric and\nDruid spells, instead you'll get Druidic spells mixed in with your\nCleric spells... meaning you get extra spell-selection (if not extra\nspell memorization) with absolutely no downside. Other than that...\nwell, the Fighter\/Cleric has the same weapon selection, same weapon\nproficiency limitations, same Hit Points... and no ability to sneak\nabout (for what good that does, without a backstab), so why not just\nplay a Cleric\/Ranger instead?\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 are a lot like Clerics, but instead of worshiping gods they are\ntypically animists and get their power from nature itself. How does that\nmatter? It doesn't really. Their spells are more nature-focused... why\nthis doesn't allow them to have Protection from Evil 10' Radius or Hold\nPerson is beyond me, but they still have a good selection of spells\nnone-the-less. In addition, they aren't afraid to use edged or piercing\nweapons. Unfortunately, they don't like metal, so they can't use heavy\narmor, most shields, or many of the better weapons that Clerics can.\nLet's face it, a morning star or mace is better than a dagger any day.\nIn all, they won't be as well protected as a Cleric, and frankly, the\nCleric has the edge on them in spells. Druids can't turn undead, but\nthey can shapechange in later levels. This allows them to change into a\nbrown bear, black bear, or wolf... although I can't think of a single\ninstance in when this is useful. In the sequel they become even more\npoorly matched when compared to a Cleric, as their Armor Class woes\nbecome severe. A Cleric isn't a good type of character to get into\ncombat with in the first place, but at least Clerics have armor to keep\nthemselves alive. If you MUST play a Druid, make a Fighter\/Druid. This\neliminates the armor problem. And shield problem. And melee incompetence\nproblem... But you already have Jaheira, so... why bother?\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\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 (at least\nin the sequel), which is... well... everything to this kit.\nUnfortunately in the original Baldur's Gate 2 this class was nerfed-the\nWerewolf you got was nowhere near where it should have been... even\nstill, if it wasn't nerfed, it was nowhere near as strong as it should\nhave been. Now we have the Enhanced Edition, so the big question for\nthis kit is... does it work now? I have no idea, honestly, there's\nno (legitimate) way to test the Greater Werewolf in the Enhanced\nEdition. But I can-and did-do some testing of the normal Werewolf, and\nfrom what I've seen... the answer appears to be no. The Werewolf\nshapeshift raises... no... not raises... SETS your Strength to 19,\nDexterity to 16, and Constitution to 15. The problem here, of course,\nis that you can-and should-start with higher values in at least\nDexterity and Constitution. Also, any character can easily get the Tome\nof Gainful Exercise in this game and raise their Strength by one point\npermanently. That 19 Strength looks less wonderful when you realize ANY\ncharacter starting with an 18 Strength can-and should-end up with a 19\nby the end of the game. And they don't have to Shapeshift to get it.\nOtherwise, the Shapeshift sets your Armor Class to one (-1 with the 16\nDexterity), gives you two attacks per round, and 20% magic resistance.\nAs far as I can tell, that's all you get. No immunity to non-magical\nweapons, nothing. As you can plainly see, this class will be\nout-performed by any well-rolled 2nd level Fighter wearing Plate Mail\nArmor, and as our hypothetical Shapeshifter as their superior Fighter\npal level, this potency gap will only widen. This class was a load of\ncrap in Baldur's Gate 2, and it's a load of crap in the Enhanced\nEdition. Really, Overhaul Games? The Baldur's Gate 2 Tweak Pack fixed\nthis and you couldn't\/wouldn't? Maybe the Werewolf\/Greater Werewolf\nshapeshift in Baldur's Gate 2 wasn't nerfed... maybe it was canon. It\nwas SUPPOSED to suck, sure. But a Werewolf that isn't immune to\nnon-magical weapons? No regeneration of any kind? Why is the\nShapeshifter's Werewolf\/Greater Werewolf transformation weaker than any\nactual Werewolf\/Greater Werewolf monster in the game? It makes NO sense.\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. Losing access\nto Studded Leather Armor is... well... annoying, but there's not a huge\ndifference between one sucky suit of armor and the next anyways. It's\nrather hard to critique this kit at all, given the whole feeling of\n'who cares' when talking about the Druid in general... Still, while the\n4th, 5th, and 6th level all spells are decent, Improved Invisibility\ncan be obtained other ways (at least in the sequel, where it counts),\nChaos will have to compete with Insect Plague, and Chain Lightning is a\nmediocre damage-dealer. At the end of the day, you're probably better\noff being able to wear better armor than being able to cast Improved\nInvisibility, which is easily duplicated and will be just as easily\nremoved by over-zealous foes using True Sight. Lastly, there are plenty\nof Mages to cast Chaos-but only Druids can cast Insect Plague, so why\nnot stick to what they're good at? This class is essentially a dubious\ndefensive trade-off in return for a spell you won't need to memorize and\nan okay damage-dealer. It has its good points, sure, and is clearly the\nleast-offensive Druid kit... but at the end of the day you're still\nstuck 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<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nMaking your own Fighter is the easy choice for the first game, and\nfrankly having a Fighter with 18(xx) Strength, 18 Dexterity, and 18\nConstitution will allow you to muscle through this game, especially if\nyou attain High Mastery in a weapon. If you want to go through the game\nwith a Fighter, you can... and should... consider dual-classing... after\nyou hit 9th level and get Grand Mastery, anyways. And that's really\nwhat this class is best at. On its own, it's rather one dimensional-even\nif it's really, really good at that dimension! But as a multi-or-dual-\nclass option, it's wonderful. Make a dual-or-multi-classed Fighter\/Mage\nand enjoy (most) of the awesome melee power and survivability of a\nFighter... and cast spells to enhance that power! Make a Fighter\/Thief\nto obtain a more sturdy, melee-competent Thief. It's a great class\nwhen it plays with others, and since the game gives you plenty of good,\nstale, single-classed Fighters, why over-saturate the market when you\ncan make something better? Dual-or-multi-classing a Fighter\/Mage or\nFighter\/Thief or Fighter\/Cleric will give you the best results. Just\nremember, dual-classers, the best benefits of a Fighter are their low\nTHAC0, high Hit Points, and the ability to Grand Master. Most of which\ncan be obtained by level nine, which is the ideal time to dual-class\nfrom a Fighter. For multi-classers... well, you get to keep that\nawesome THAC0 until you cap at level 20, and those great Hit Points\ndilute whatever crappy Hit Points your second (and possibly, third)\nclass gives you. Best of all, you'll get the Fighter high-level\nabilities in the sequel... which means Greater whirlwind Attack. These\nare, of course, all considerations for the sequel. In the first game,\nif you plan to dual-class you'll ideally do so next game, playing\nthe entirety of Baldur's Gate through with a single-classed Fighter.\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\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(a Berserker in the sequel) I hardly ever used the abilities it\nprovides. Again, not because it's not good, but because I was wary of\nthe Hit Point loss at the end. I never felt it absolutely necessary to\nhave those bonuses at the potential risk of having a character come down\nfrom Rage and die. Also note the penalties after you exit Rage-it's not\na free ride. Still, all things considered it adds a little extra\npotential to the Fighter with no significant downsides. I give it a\npass, especially since the list of immunities while enraged has\nincreased a good deal in the Enhanced Edition. Immunity to imprisonment,\nstun, and level drain? Yes please. I can already think of several places\nwhere that would come in very hand in the sequel... Since this class\nmakes a great single-class option, it should be no surprise that it\nwould also make a great dual-class base. A Berserker\/Thief,\nBerserker\/Mage, or Berserker\/Cleric certainly wouldn't be hurt by the\nability 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 (a great suit of armor in the sequel). There is one exception\nthough... the Big Metal Unit near the end of the sequel, which will \nbestow upon the character a phenomenal armor class, if you can make it\nto the end of Throne of Bhaal, anyways. By then you're pretty much done\nwith 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?\nAxes 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 concerned 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<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nYou'll have a better Fighter than a straight Cleric, or a weaker Fighter\nwith Clerical spells, depending on how you view it. I always thought a\nFighter\/Druid was a more interesting concept, as it fixed the problems\ninherent with the latter class. Still, a more powerful Cleric is a real\ngood thing, this is almost as good as a straight Fighter and with a \ngood selection of Cleric spells to boot. Ultimately the Fighter\/Mage is\nstronger due to its defensive spells, but this is no slouch of a multi-\nclass either. For a more battle-hardened dual-class option, consider a\nBerserker\/Cleric. It's as close as you can get to a barbarian war-\npriest, and all things considered, probably wouldn't make a terribly\nplay.\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 Hammers, 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.\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... at least,\nby the time you make it into the sequel. You can't wear armor and cast\nspells at the same time, but that's hardly an issue in this game, where\nyou have many ways to improve your Armor Class without having to wear\narmor. Bracers of Defense are one obvious way, while Robes of the\nArchmagi will give you the same protection as Chain Mail. Although this\nwon't be enough to make you terribly safe on the front lines, that's\nwhere the Mage comes in. Pop on defensive spells like Blur, Mirror\nImage, Stoneskin, and Improved Invisibility and you've got defensive\nprotection a Fighter can only dream of-shiny armor be damned. Normally\nthe poor Fighter\/Mage would have to wait until Baldur's Gate 2 to come\ninto their own, but the expanded spells of the Enhanced Edition allows\nthis class to start making a good show for themselves later in the\nfirst game. It's really all about Stoneskin, folks. On a Mage, it keeps\nthem safe, on a Mage with serious melee competency, it turns them into\njuggernauts. Normally I'd suggest using the Fighter\/Mage mostly as an\narcher in the first game... but with the Enhanced Edition, we can't\nrespec when we move to the sequel. That means we need to have our\nproficiencies good to go for Baldur's Gate 2 in Baldur's Gate 1. For me,\nthis always means investing in the Two-Weapon Style. Depending on your\ntastes, Katanas, Flails, Long Swords, and Axes all make great showings\nin the sequel. In the first game, however, I advocate Flails-not just\nbecause few other characters will compete with them, nor because we can\npurchase a +2 specimen, but because we can score an awesome Flail in the\nsequel fairly early in the game. Once again, Fighter\/Mages really come\ninto their own in the sequel. I know I've said that several times, but\nit should be stressed-delayed gratification in this game will lead to a\nsuper-tank character that can soak up magic or melee attacks with the\nright spells memorized, and retort with a devastating Time Stop\/Greater\nWhirlwind combo. Since dual-class options won't be able to get warrior\nhigh-level abilities (Greater Whirlwind), I don't suggest them. The\nKensai can keep their bonuses to attack and damage, I'd rather have the\nTime Stop\/Greater Whirlwind combo... unless you think a few points of\ndamage, a +2 bonus to Armor Class, and the Kai ability will be able to\ncompete with ten free attacks per round against a helpless foe, thanks\nto the aforementioned Greater Whirlwind\/Time Stop combo.\n\no==========================o\n|Fighter\/Mage\/Cleric\t   |\t\t\t\t\t{DND040}\no==========================o\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAh, the triple-classer. In the sequel you'll get to pretty high levels\nwith all three classes, meaning you won't start to feel the hurt of your\nchoice too much. Sure, it's going to be hell getting this class up and\nrunning (you'll be level one still when most of your buddies are hitting\nlevel three and four) but when you start casting third level Mage and\nCleric spells, everything is forgiven. Also note that because of the\nCleric you won't be much of an archer, as you'll be regulated to slings\nwhich... are not very good. This class might be an example of just too\nmany options, not enough rounds. You'll be able to spell buff pretty\nwell, but in combat you can still only take one action a round. That's\none Mage spell, one Cleric spell, or one attack. Having all that\nversatility in one character doesn't really mean much if you can't bring\nit to bear. The most crippling thing this, and all triple-classed\ncharacters will suffer is the fact that they won't get many epic feats \nin the sequel. Not legitimately, anyways.\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 in a lesser degree. Firstly, most Thief skills are \nuseful out of combat, or as telling first strikes. It's not another host\nof spells you're trying to cast in a finite window of time, meaning the\nThief 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. All in all, it's a slightly toned-down\nFighter\/Mage, with Thieving abilities thrown in-great for a suffering\nevil party! Plus, you'll have the option to jump on other spell-casters\nwith pre-emptive backstabs, whereas the Fighter\/Mage cannot. While the\nFighter\/Mage is arguably more destructive in the long run (at least in\nthe sequel) the Fighter\/Mage\/Thief will be more versatile. Even though\nit's difficult to get this class off the ground-a Fighter protagonist\nwith 18 Constitution and 4,000 experience can get up to 42 Hit Points,\nbut a Fighter\/Mage\/Thief with the same Constitution and experience will\nhave a pathetic 11 Hit Points-I still think it's the best evil character\nto take through both games.\n\no==========================o\n|Fighter\/Thief\t\t   |\t\t\t\t\t{DND042}\no==========================o\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis class easily matches a Ranger's skill with weapons while having the\nsame quirks. Some important differences remain, a Fighter\/Thief can\ndisable traps and backstab, while a Ranger cannot. This makes a\nFighter\/Thief in my eyes a good bit more powerful than a Ranger. Sure,\nthe Ranger will have higher Hit Points and some minor Druid spells, but\na Fighter\/Thief is just as good in combat, especially since they can\nbackstab. Things only get better for the Fighter\/Thief in Baldur's\nGate 2 as their backstab reaches a mighty x5 and a deeper melee system\nallows them to abuse it to its fullest advantage. If you were thinking\nof making a Thief, go with a Fighter\/Thief instead. You'll get a much\nmore potent character out of it. Hell, if you were thinking of playing a\nRanger, give the Fighter\/Thief a look. Then you don't have to bring\naround a Thief at all! In the Enhanced Edition, this class becomes even\nmore interesting as a dual-class option. You only need so many levels\nof Thief-eventually you'll be able to do all the Thiefy stuff you need,\nwhich really means Find Traps. Afterwards, the class is kind of a waste.\nBut since we can use class kits in the first game and take the same\ncharacter to the sequel, the option to make an Assassin\/Fighter dual-\nclass is now open to us. This far superior to making a Fighter\/Thief\ndual. The Assassin gets a nice attack and damage bonus and-if you\nlevel up high enough-an absurd x7 backstab multiplier! Once you get that\nmultiplier, dual-class to a Fighter and you'll get better armor options,\nproficiency options, and best of all-warrior high level abilities. Just\nthink of a character with Greater Whirlwind, a x7 backstab multiplier,\nand Grand Mastery. The only downsides? You'd have to play through all\nof Baldur's Gate 1 as a single-class Assassin, and your Hit Points\nwould be fairly sucky for a character meant for combat.\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\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAh, the Mage... a versatile spell caster, your proverbial glass cannon.\nThey can't wear armor, and they have access to a poor selection of\nweapons. On the other hand, they don't really need them. As long as you\ncan keep them from getting hurt, they can lay waste to your enemies\nwith their spells. Anything from damaging spells like Fireballs, to \nsupport spells like Haste, or simple fight-winners, like Confusion and\nChaos, it's the Mage's domain. A single-classed Mage is somewhat\nvulnerable, but a combination Fighter\/Mage is strong in melee and in\nmagic! Also, the fact that Edwin pretty much dominates the Mage field\nmeans you just don't need a single-classed Mage. Dual-or-multi-class for\nextra durability and versatility. If you specialize in a spell school,\nyou will gain an extra spell per spell level. The down side? You have\na prohibited school which opposes your chosen school, and you can't cast\nspell from the prohibited school. This can be almost painless\n(Conjurer), painful but survivable (Enchanter), or downright decimating\n(Invoker). Below is a list of the Mage schools and their prohibited\nschool(s). Needless to say, if you have a choice in the matter Conjurer\nis the way to go. The Wild Mage will be mentioned in their own class\nsection, later [DND065], since they... well, they're different enough to\ndeserve their own section.\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\n\no==========================o\n|Mage\/Cleric\t\t   |\t\t\t\t\t{DND044}\no==========================o\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis class suffers from the same 'too many options, not enough time to\nmake full use of them' problem the Fighter\/Mage\/Cleric suffers from,\nbut frankly the Fighter seemed like more of a problem than a boon\nanyways. It'll slow down progression in exchange for heavy armor (which\nthe Cleric already provides) a few Hit Points, a small increase to \nTHAC0, and weapon specialization. Sure, a Mage\/Cleric won't be much of a\nwarrior... but what the do you have two spell classes for if you want to\nbe a warrior?! If you must cast both types of spells with one character,\nthis is probably the best way to do so.\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 fights 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 plenty of ranks into Find Traps while sacrificing no\npotential Mage levels. Frankly, if you're even going to bother making a \nMage as your main character, I'd suggest doing this. At least then you \ncan dispense with having a Thief altogether... And you'd have extra Hit \nPoints and THAC0 to boot. You lose nothing and gain a 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<\/pre>\n\n\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. They simply go around pummeling everything with their\nfists, and at this they excel. The one problem is the fact that they can\nnever control the upgrades to their unarmed attacks. They gain damage,\nArmor Class, speed, magical enhancement bonuses, and other benefits as\nthey level, but this will typically place them well behind every warrior\nin the party. For example, your unarmed attacks won't count as magical\nweapons of any kind until level nine, whereas most of our warriors will\nhave a magical weapon by level three or four. It doesn't really get any\nbetter in the sequel, either, as you can't even hit anything that\nrequires a +4 or better weapon until level 25. That's a HUGE handicap,\nand although you can learn to use Thief weapons, a Monk won't be much\nbetter at fighting with them than a single-classed Thief, and that's\nnot what you played a Monk for, is it? As for armor, the Monk can't wear\na bit of it-not even a helmet, and not being protected from critical\nhits is something that you'll rue early and often. Again, they improve\nover time, but even with a high Dexterity, they'll compare poorly with\na warrior boasting Plate Mail Armor and a shield. It's another class\nthat doesn't shine until late in the sequel. If you can hang on,\nhowever, you'll get a pretty potent-if mindless-character. At 20th level\nthey'll have a base Armor Class of -1. With a good Dexterity score and\nsome protection items, this could potentially take their Armor Class\nvery low. Add that to the fact that they get +1 to all saves, +2 to\nsaves versus spells, and up to 78% magic resistance and you have a very\ngood defensive character (mediocre Hit Points not withstanding). On top\nof this they gain extra bonuses against missiles, up to a presumed +6\nto Armor Class at level 18. They can't be hasted, however, but with\ntheir speed and high number of attacks they'll be hitting more often\nthan most anybody else anyways. Oh, yeah, and a Monk gains access to\nwarrior feats, meaning they get Whirlwind Attack. This is a good thing.\nLast and not least, Monks can sneak. Sure, they can Find Traps, but they\ncan't do anything about them, which makes me wonder... why bother\nspending points in it? They're a poor choice of character in the first\ngame, but if you can persist... By about level 12 they're nearly as\npowerful as a decently equipped warrior of the same level, but not\nbefore.\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\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 in the sequel) but you can't\npoo-poo Blur and Mirror Image. Once those become obsolete in the\nsequel (dispelled at every turn by True Sight and easily replicated by\nitems)... well, you're giving up Stunning Blow and Lay on Hands for\ntwo points of cold damage per attack for one round per level. Trying to\ndecide what's better, when paired with Greater Whirlwind... stunning,\nor extra cold damage... Eh. It'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 Quivering Palm nor\nStunning Blow have Save penalties. The staple ability is, in my eyes,\nFlaming Fists, which adds 2d6 fire damage to the Monk's attacks, and\nonce leveled, lasts for several rounds. Far more reliable than Stunning\nBlow. Granted, this doesn't come into play until the sequel (since it\nonly lasts a round in the first game) but... well, that's what this\nguide is all about, really-not what works best in this game, but what'll\nwork best throughout the whole saga. 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.\nPaladins also make great party leaders due to their high minimum\nCharisma (17). In the first game, you'll get Ajantis to fill the\nPaladin-shaped hole in your good party, and in the second game you'll\nget Keldorn, who is kind enough to come with the best Paladin-kit in the\ngame... which begs the question why would you ever really need to make\nyour own Paladin?\n\nPaladin\nLevel\tEXP\t\tHP\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\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 perks, and\ngetting a +3 bonus to hit versus Demons and Dragons is great too. Sure,\ndemons and dragons are very rare in the first game, but in the second...\nwell, the former are fairly common and both are dangerous enough to make\nyou cherish any bonuses you might have against them. Having Remove Fear\nonce per day per level essentially means that at any time this character\ncan get your party back in line, which is almost as good as having a\nparty that's immune to fear as well! It certainly means that your\nClerics and Mages don't have to focus so much on keeping fear effects\nsubdued. 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 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 three aren't bad (somebody loved the\nPaladin!) Being able to cast Dispel Magic at TWICE your Paladin level\nmeans Inquisitors will rip through spell defenses, and will be able to\ndo it often. True Sight is a fairly high level debuff, and a very good\none. No more can creatures get away with Improved Invisibility, Shadow\nDoor, Mirror Image, or anything of the sort, although they will try.\nThis frees up spell casters to prepare other spells. The disadvantages\nmight seem bad, but you can get plenty of healing elsewhere without Lay\non Hands, and the Turn Undead and Paladin priest spells are both weak\nanyways. Would you trade a handful of low level Priest spells for two\nvery powerful, very useful, mid-level spells? I would. This is Keldorn's\nclass-a party member in the sequel-and it's one of the reasons he's so\ngood. Since you're going to get such an awesome Inquisitor in the second\ngame, why bother making one of your own?\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.\nNeither of these creatures are really too much of a concern in the\nfirst game, however. It's all about the sequel, folks! In case that\nsomehow hasn't sunk in yet...\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 Undead Hunter's nice immunity level drain and adding the\nCavalier's immunity to fear. They also have the ability to steal health\nfrom foes-similar to the Lay on Hands ability... but evil! Yeah, it's\npretty uninspiring, especially since it allows a Save vs. Spell at no\nsave to negate it. Poison weapon really just deals an extra twelve\ndamage-again, making it a lack-luster bonus. On the other hand, the Aura\nof Despair ability can get pretty damn good-essentially acting like the\nSkald's Bard Song... but in reverse. All in all, it's an interesting\npossibility for the evil party, with a good pair of immunities and a\nwonderful debuff. Does this class compare to an Inquisitor? No, it\ndoesn't, but that's not really 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 it's somewhat nice to be\nable to cast Cure Light Wounds or Entangle, although the level cap in\nBaldur's Gate doesn't really allow this feature to pan out.\n\nNote: My fear-mongering in the earlier versions of the guide was\nfortunately unfounded. You are able to change your favored enemy in\nthe second game, which has a different and much expanded selection of\nracial enemies than the first game. So, don't worry about the long-term\ntoo much when picking a favored enemy-pick what works for this game.\nOgres, Giant Spiders, and Skeletons are all somewhat common-and\ndangerous-enough to warrant a pick.\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%\n\nArcher\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{WLK055}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nNow this is a kit. Take something and do it VERY well. The bonuses to\nhit and damage with arrows get pretty damn good-It's essentially the\nranged version of a Kensai-but without being quite as hampered by a lack\nof armor. 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 your bow. Also, +3 Arrows aren't unlimited.\nThe best unlimited ammo you get are +2 Arrows. This isn't much of a\nproblem in the first game, as +2 Arrows are fine and you can get plenty\nof them... or at least enough to use on the fights that matter. In\nthe sequel, however, many foes won't be bothered by +2 weapons. In big\nfights against powerful enemies, your Archer isn't going to be able to\ncontribute, at least not against the main event. Balors, Greater\nWolfweres, Greater Mummies, Pit Fiends, and some Vampires will all be\nout of your league. There are a few exceptions, however-there are two\nShort Bows in the sequel that generate their own ammo-Tansheron's\nBow +3 and the Gesen Bow +4. Obviously the latter is superior, providing\nunlimited ammo that counts as +4 for determining what it can hit. Also,\nsince this class improves all missile weapons, you could always use a\nSling or throwing weapon instead. In the latter case, there are plenty\nof good throwing Axes throughout both games, even a +4 specimen in\nThrone of Bhaal. The only problem? You will only be able to become\nproficient with throwing weapons, and you will not attack particularly\nfast with them... at least, not compared to bows. Still, as an anodyne\nfor our suffering Overhaul Games decided to fix the Called Shot\nability-it's now cumulative, meaning the higher you level the more your\narrows do. Previously the Called Shot ability only did whatever your\nlevel plateau indicated, instead of keeping the bonuses you had at lower\nlevels. It's a big improvement. If you're planning on making an Archer,\nI'd suggest obtaining High Mastery in Shortbows and sticking with that\nas your main weapon. Longbows are slightly stronger in the first game,\nand you can get superior versions sooner, but the difference between\nthe best Shortbow in the game (Protector of the Dryads +2) and the best\nLongbows (Composite Longbow +1\/The Dead Shot +2) is merely one point of\ndamage or THAC0, respectively. In the sequel, however, it's hardly even\na contest-there are two Shortbows that generate their own ammunition,\nand hence, can damage creatures no Longbow can. The best Shortbow\nspecimen-the Gesen Bow, out-damages everything else, in any event.\nSince you're a very focused warrior class, you could just strive to\nGrandmaster in both of them (not like you need more than one or two\nmelee weapons, which you'll rarely use anyways), but Shortbow is king.\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\nthis-Bioware's attempt to introduce a 3rd Edition class into a 2nd\nEdition game. Sorcerers function like Mages, except they can only know\na handful of spells, from which they can cast any of their known spells\nwithout having to memorize them, although they are still limited to a\nmaximum number of spells per day. Ultimately a Sorcerer can know only\nseveral spells of each spell level, and for many spell levels that's\nfine. Chances are you won't find too many more 9th level spells, at\nleast not 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\n\nDragon Disciple\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND059}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nOh my... where to even begin? Well, let's 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... at least in the sequel. Their\nbiggest perk is the ability to be able to cast any of their known spells\nat will, up until their number of spells castable per level per day. So,\nany class kit that proposes to reduce the number of spells the Sorcerer\ncan know absolutely must provide outstanding benefits to compensate...\npreferably ones that amplify in other ways the magical prowess of the\nclass. Is that the case, then, with the Dragon Disciple? Of course not.\nWhat do you get in return for shearing off one spell known per day?\nIn the first game you'll get up to 50% Fire Resistance, a once-per-day\n5d8 breath weapon, and a +1 bonus to Armor Class and Constitution. By\nBaldur's Gate 2 this can increase to 100% Fire Resistance, +4 Armor\nClass, +2 Constitution, and an 8d8 breath weapon. First, you can get\nFire Resistance from all sorts of sources, but since we're talking about\nSorcerers, let's assume they could get them from spells-spells they\nwould have the flexibility to learn if you had just picked a normal\nSorcerer, or better yet, a REAL Mage. Armor Class shouldn't be very\nimportant for a Mage, who belongs out of melee combat... but it can also\nbe improved by spells... again, more spells known, more defensive spells\navailable. Third, why the hell do you need the Constitution bonus? Start\nout with a sixteen, the Sorcerer can't get more than +2 Hit Points per\nlevel anyways. Lastly... a once per day 8d8 damage breath weapon?\nFireball will deal comparable damage, why not use that? Not saying it's\nnot beneficial, but is it really worth the loss of spells? Heck, in the\nsequel you'll get a book that will allow you to cast a Fireball once\nper day (amongst other spells), 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\nAdvantages:\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 Fighter, and they don't have\nspells like the Cleric or the Mage. What's the draw then? Their thieving\nabilities. These allow them to pick pockets, find and disarm traps, open\nlocked objects, hide from enemies, set snares, and detect illusions. Of\nthese skills, one is essential, so some character or another with\nthieving abilities is required in any party. As for combat, they can\nonly wear the lightest armors, but they do have access to a variety of\nweapons. Most importantly, as they gain levels they get the ability to\nbackstab for varying degrees of bonus damage. If they are hidden and\nattack an enemy they multiply the damage they deal by their back stab\nmodifier. They are a waste of a class on their own, but it is a great\ndual-or-multi-class option, as it gives any class the ability to be\nmore lethal by backstabbing... and if you make your own, you don't have\nto drag around a useless character to do the thieving for you. A\nFighter\/Thief is a potent combination, and so is a Fighter\/Mage\/Thief.\nTables that show how Dexterity and Race affects Thieving abilities can\nbe found at [DND082].\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\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. Spending the entirety of the first game as a Thief isn't\nreally my idea of a good time... but getting an Assassin\/Fighter\ndual-class in the sequel certainly does. This Thief kit is by far the\nbest of the bunch.\n\nAdvantages:\n  --> \t+1 bonus to hit and damage rolls.\n\n  --> \tBackstab ability reaches x7 multiplier instead of capping at x5.\n     \t(Note: This cap is not reached until higher level, which can be\n     \tattained in Baldur's Gate II.)\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 you should\nnote that you'll only get the first one in this game. 3d8+5 damage\nand Slow isn't terrible, but it's nothing to go crazy over, either.\nAfter that, though, the traps just get worse. I'd rather have the slow\nat a -4 Save than Hold at -1-a slowed enemy is so crippled they might\nas well be defenseless. By level 16, this class is a joke. Otiluke's\nResilient Sphere just removes a foe from combat for a short while,\nand Maze? Pretty much the same thing, for a period of time that varies\nbased on Intelligence. Is this kit supposed to compare in any way to\nthe Assassin, Swashbuckler, or Shadowdancer? Because it fails. I can't\nsee how any of these would be terribly useful against most foes in\nBaldur's Gate 2, and getting sixteen levels in a class just so you\ncan use a less reliable version of Otiluke's Reslient Sphere-a 4th\nlevel Mage spell-just seems incredibly stupid. Hell, I'd rather have\nthe normal Thief's 21st level trap than the Bounty Hunter's; 3d8+25\ndamage with Save vs. Death or die is much better than freakin' Maze.\nPoint is, this kit is full of suck. Someone, somewhere, is laughing at\nif you if you pick this 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, attack and\ndamage are both pretty good, and almost overcome the Thief's lackluster\nTHAC0 and armor selection. The ability to Specialize in weapons is also\na very welcome bonus, especially in the Two Weapon Style. The only down\nsides are the fact that the Thief loses the backstab ability, and for\nall its trying, a Fighter it is not. Namely they're still losing sorely\nin the Hit Point department. This makes me wonder one thing. Why not\nmake a Fighter\/Thief instead of a Swashbuckler? You'll have the better\nTHAC0 of a Fighter, better Hit Points than a Thief, the ability to\nSpecialize in weapons, including all the Fighter weapons, and you get\nto keep your backstab. It's a nice offer, but frankly dual-and-multi-\nclassing 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 the\nsequel, 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 time (about one\nround) on the Stealth skill after using Backstab. Worse still, they\nnerfed the Shadowdancer's short-term Backstab multiplier in favor of\nlong-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-damn near the end of the game.\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 character. You won't be wearing any heavy armor if you want to keep\nyour Thief skills, but you can certainly wear light armor with no\nproblem. Of course, you're stuck with the Cleric's selection of weapons,\nbut you'll be able to use all the Thief skills, including backstab. \nHonestly the Mage spells seem a better fit for a Thief, which is more of\na 'stay back out of the way' kind of class, as opposed to the Cleric,\nwhich is often a decently armored character who can stand up in combat.\nThis might be an interesting dual-class, provided you don't care that\nyour Cleric won't be as tough as if you had dual-classed with a Fighter.\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 randomness 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 [DND067].\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\n\nWild Surge Table\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND067}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis table was taken straight from the Throne of Bhaal manual. I have\nno idea whether it still holds true, or whether Overhaul Games... well,\noverhauled this list. Even if they did, this'll at least give you some\nidea of what can happen when you get a Wild Surge.\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 color 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 target\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       |<\/pre>\n\n\n\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 | 20% party gold destroyed\t\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 | Cow falls from sky on the target\t\t\t       \t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 88 | Target dizzy\t\t\t\t       \t\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 89 | Spell has 60 foot radius at target (change projectile)\t       |\n|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 90 | Stinking Cloud centered on target\t   \t \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 20% 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 allies.\nEvil characters will react poorly to good characters, and vise-verse,\nand in some instances violence may erupt between two party members.\nThis is less of a problem in the first game than in the sequel, but\nspare yourself the aggravation and choose party members of like\nalignment. If your protagonist is good-aligned, choose good or neutral\nallies. If your protagonist is evil-aligned, choose evil or neutral\nallies. If your protagonist is neutral, pick either good, or evil\nallies, but not both.\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. If you kick characters\nout of your party while they're unhappy with your reputation (they have\nnot yet disbanded voluntarily, but you are within a few points of that\nmark, an 18 reputation for an evil character, for example) they will\nexpress their disgust with your behavior and will leave forever. Since\na high reputation will earn you discounts at shops, it's always a good\nidea to keep your alignment in the teens, at least. Discounts are good,\nand you can't really afford to be pure 'evil' anyways, as a reputation\nof 1 will earn you some pretty serious harassment by groups of Flaming\nFist Enforcers. That's right, even evil characters will want to keep\ntheir reputation reasonable... fairly high, even, for the purpose of\npurchasing 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<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nDespite the fact that the manual that come with the Enhanced Edition\nhas the Baldur's Gate 2 reputation table in it, the game actually\nfollows the values for the original game, below. Which is good, because\nit's a whole lot cheaper in the first game.\n\t\t\t\no==========o=========o=================o===============================o\n|Reputation|Item Cost|Donation Required|        Additional Effects     |\n|----------|---------|-----------------|-------------------------------o\n|    20    |  -50%   |      ---        |    +4 Reaction Adjustment     |\n|    19    |  -40%   |      ---        |    +3 Reaction Adjustment     |\n|    18    |  -30%   |      ---        |    +3 Reaction Adjustment     |\n|    17    |  -20%   |      500        |    +2 Reaction Adjustment     |\n|    16    |  -10%   |      400        |    +2 Reaction Adjustment     |\n|    15    |  -10%   |      300        |    +1 Reaction Adjustment     |\n|    14    |  base   |      300        |    +1 Reaction Adjustment     |\n|    13    |  base   |      200        |              N\/A\t       |\n|    12    |  base   |      200        |\t      N\/A\t       |\n|    11    |  base   |      100        |\t      N\/A\t       |\n|    10    |  base   |      100        |\t      N\/A\t       |\n|     9    |  +10%   |      100        |\t      N\/A\t       |\n|     8    |  +20%   |      100        |\t      N\/A\t       |\n|     7    |  +20%   |      100        |   -1 Reaction Adjustment      |\n|     6    |  +30%   |      200        |   -2 Reaction Adjustment      |\n|     5    |  +40%   |      200        |   -3 Reaction Adjustment*     |\n|     4    |  +50%   |      200        |   -4 Reaction Adjustment*     |\n|     3    | +100%   |      300        |   -5 Reaction Adjustment*     |\n|     2    |will not |      400        |   -6 Reaction Adjustment*     |\n|     1    |  sell   |      500        |   -7 Reaction Adjustment*     |\no==========o=========o=================o===============================o\n\n*Indicates that at this reputation you may get attacked by a group of\nFlaming Fist mercenaries when entering a new area.\n\nItem Cost: The rate of increase or decrease of the cost of items in a\nstore. It's funny, you'd think morally dubious merchants would reward\na low reputation... In any event, the principle is simple-the higher\nyour reputation the 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\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 [DND083] 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 Constitution, 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 real-time seconds it takes to recover\na lost Hit 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 Edition, 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\nTomes\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND077}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nNow that you should know more or less what you're shooting for, keep in\nmind that there are tomes that add 1 to an attribute throughout the\ngame. There is one for each attribute except Wisdom... there are about\nthree of those tomes in the game. Give every tome you find to your\nprotagonist, since they're the only ones who will get to take the\nbonuses with them into the sequel.\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\nOn the plus side, the Enhanced Edition added the ability to see the\ntotal of your rolls, which makes creating a strong character much less\nannoying. I mean, before you'd have to scan the scores and do a mental\ncount... now you can just look at the total. Most rolls will hit the\nhigh 70s to low 80s range. With patience, you can hit the low 90s...\nwhich is enough for most builds.\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\nProficiencies\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND079}\no======================================================================o\nYou have a selection of weapon proficiencies to choose from, which has\nbeen greatly expanded from the original game. By expanded I of course\nmean separated, so you simply need more points now to achieve the same\nthing. For example, Large Swords has been broken up into Two Handed\nSword, Long Swords, Scimitars, and Bastard Swords. In addition there's\nalso a variety of fighting styles, which give bonuses to you depending\non how you fight. It's one thing to know how to use a long sword,\nand another thing to wield it alone, paired with a shield, or with an\noff-hand weapon. You earn proficiencies as you level up, at varying\nrates depending upon your class. Also, different classes can allocate\nthese proficiencies into different weapon classes and fighting styles\n(and in different amounts) depending on their class.\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\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  -->\tWarrior includes Barbarians, Paladins and Rangers.\n\n  -->\tWizard includes Sorcerers.\n\n  -->\tPriest includes Druids and Monks.\n\n  -->\tRogue includes Bards\n\nWeapon Class Perks by Rank\t\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, Monks and Thieves can only reach\n\tthe rank of Proficient.\n\n  -->\tSingle-or-dual-classed Fighters can reach the rank of Grand\n\tMaster.\n\n  -->\tMulti-classed Fighters and Rangers, and single-classed\n\tBarbarians, Paladins, and Rangers can reach the rank of\n\tSpecialized.\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 |\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 Abilities\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<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThere aren't too many items you'll want to pick pocket in this game, and\nof course, you can always pop potions for when you really need to steal\nsomething. Also, Find Traps is essential and Hide in Shadows\/Move\nSilently helps with combat, so Pick Pockets should take a back seat to\nthose three. Plus, you can always just pick up an ally with good Pick\nPockets (Garrick, Eldoth, Alora) and have them go around doing your\ndirty work for you. It's worth noting that in the patched version of\nthe Enhanced Edition items have a steal difficulty based, presumably,\non their value. If the difficulty of the item is too far above your\nPick Pockets skill you'll get the text: \"The target has no items that\ncan be stolen by a cut purse of your skill.\" In the original game (and\nin earlier versions of the Enhanced Edition) you could typically just\nreload until you were successful, making tedium the only reason for you\nto ever throw points into this skill. Still, there's precious little\nthat needs to be stolen. The target number that allows you to steal\npretty much any item in the game (albeit, if you're patient enough to\nreload) is 50. Anything lower than this will limit your thieving\noptions.\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\nHere's some information from contributor Jeff about the Open Locks\nskill, as it pertains to your Open Locks skill score and the difficulty\nof each lock: \"...the lockpick skill can be no more than 5 points lower\nthan the threshold to be successful. If after 5 attempts at failing to\nopen the lock, it never will at that skill level.\"\n\nFind Traps\t\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<----------------------------------------------------------------------><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
These 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 40 damage in a hit.\nConsidering that the most powerful enemies in this game will be lucky\nto push 100 Hit Points, that's good stuff. For a combat-focused Thief,\nthis should be a priority.. after Find Traps. Sneaking does help, and\nyou'll find a number of items that improve this skill throughout the\ngame, so you probably only need 70 points or so in these skills.\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 don't accept\ncrappy Hit Point rolls upon leveling up, especially not on your main\ncharacter (these stats will carry over into the sequel, you know!) You\nshould get max Hit Points each level... and good news! You no longer\nhave to waste forever save\/loading to get your awesome Hit Points! Just\nset the difficulty slider to 'NORMAL' temporarily to ensure you gain max\nHit Points when leveling up. Face it, we're going to save\/load until we\nget it anyways, why waste time?\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 Class\n0, and a roll of 20 is ALWAYS a hit, and a roll of 1 is ALWAYS a miss,\nregardless of your THAC0\/their Armor Class. Fighters get a lower THAC0\nquicker (hence a better chance to hit) than other classes, and Mages\nhave the worst THAC0 progression. A lower THAC0 and lower Armor Class\nare better-which seems counter intuitive, but that's 2nd Edition for\nyou. (Nostalgia for a moment here.) Having a negative Armor Class\nessentially raises the enemies' THAC0. For instance, 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\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\nCleric\/Thieves use the Thieves' 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  -->\tPriest includes Druids.\n\n  -->\tRogue includes Bards.\n\n  -->\tWarrior includes Barbarians, Paladins, and Rangers.\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\nSpells\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND096}\no======================================================================o\nIf you're a Mage or Bard, you'll get to choose two 1st level spells you\nknow. I tend to pick sleep and identify. You never know when this game\nis going to be picky and not drop identify scrolls in a timely manner,\nand sleep is a great spell for clearing out masses of annoying weak\nenemies. Next you get to choose one spell to have memorized at the get\ngo. I choose sleep.\n\nLore\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND097}\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.\n\nLore by Class\/Level\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND098}\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{DND099}\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 Baldur's Gate you could get up to\n89,000 experience points. With Tales of the Sword Coast you can get up \nto 161,000 Experience Points, a total cap that is split between all your\nclasses, single, dual, or multi. The Enhanced Edition has kept the\noriginal Tales of the Sword Coast experience cap. If you're single-or-\nmulti classed, this just limits your total level. For dual-classed\ncharacters, you must  choose the opportune time to switch in order to\ngain enough experience  to become a higher level in your second class\nthan in your first, thus  unlocking all your previous classes abilities.\nThis means, in practice, playing a single-classed character throughout\nthe first game in order to make a potent dual-class in the second game.\nKeep in mind that when  you are multi-classing, you will progress in\nlevels very slowly. If you get, say, 240 experience for smacking an Ogre\naround, only half of that will go to each of your classes. So if you\nwere a Fighter\/Mage, you'd get 120 in Fighter, and 120 in Mage. If you\nwere a Fighter\/Mage\/Thief, only a third of that would go into each\nclass, or 80 experience points. Now if you have a six person party, you\nhave to divide that amongst each member. For that ogre, a Fighter\/Mage\nwould get 20 experience points in each class... that's one hundred Ogres\nto increase from Level 1 to Level 2. It may seem tedious... but I find\nBaldur's Gate to be a very well-balanced game. So what if it takes hours\nto level up? You'll be too busy exploring, gathering loot, and making\ngold to worry. Besides... you'll only reach level 7\/7 as a Fighter\/Mage\nanyways... Don't rush it, enjoy the ride. Below is a table listing the\nexperience caps for the Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition and Baldur's \nGate 2: Throne of Bhaal (also the presumed experience cap for Baldur's\nGate 2: Enhanced Edition) just so you know what to look out for in the\nimmediate and far-distant future.\n\n                       \to===================o===================o\n\t\t\t|   Baldur's Gate   |  Baldur's Gate 2  |\n\t\t\t| Enhanced Edition  | Enhanced Edition  |\n\t\t\to===================o===================o\nBarbarian\t\t|\t  8\t    |\t     40\t\t|\n\t\t\t|-------------------|-------------------|\nBard\t\t\t|\t 10         |        40    \t|\n\t\t\t|-------------------|-------------------|\nCleric\t\t\t|         8         |        40  \t|\n\t\t\t|-------------------|-------------------|\nCleric\/Mage\t\t|   \t 7\/7        |       25\/20       |\n\t\t\t|-------------------|-------------------|\nCleric\/Ranger\t\t|        7\/7        |       25\/21       |\n\t\t\t|-------------------|-------------------|\nCleric\/Thief\t\t|        7\/8   \t    |       25\/28  \t|\n\t\t\t|-------------------|-------------------|\nDruid\t\t\t|     \t 10    \t    |        31    \t|\n\t\t\t|-------------------|-------------------|\nFighter\t\t\t|    \t  8         |        40    \t|\n\t\t\t|-------------------|-------------------|\nFighter\/Cleric\t\t|   \t 7\/7   \t    |  \t    24\/25   \t|\n\t\t\t|-------------------|-------------------|\nFighter\/Druid\t\t|    \t 7\/8   \t    |       24\/21  \t|\n\t\t\t|-------------------|-------------------|\nFighter\/Mage\t\t|   \t 7\/7   \t    |  \t    24\/20   \t|\n\t\t\t|-------------------|-------------------|\nFighter\/Mage\/Cleric\t|   \t6\/6\/6  \t    |      18\/17\/19     |\n\t\t\t|-------------------|-------------------|\nFighter\/Mage\/Thief\t|       6\/6\/7  \t    | \t   18\/17\/22 \t|\n\t\t\t|-------------------|-------------------|\nFighter\/Thief\t\t|        7\/8        |       24\/28       |\n\t\t\t|-------------------|-------------------|\nMage\t\t\t|         9         |        31   \t|\n\t\t\t|-------------------|-------------------|\nMage\/Thief\t\t|        7\/8        |       20\/28       |\n\t\t\t|-------------------|-------------------|\nMonk\t\t\t|         8\t    |        40\t        |\n\t\t\t|-------------------|-------------------|\nPaladin\t\t\t|         8         |        40    \t|\n\t\t\t|-------------------|-------------------|\nRanger\t\t\t|         8         |        40    \t|\n\t\t\t|-------------------|-------------------|\nSorcerer\t\t|         9\t    |        31\t\t|\n\t\t\t|-------------------|-------------------|\nThief\t\t\t|        10         |        40    \t|\n\t\t\t|-------------------|-------------------|\nWild Mage\t\t|         9\t    |        31\t \t|\n\t\t\to===================o===================o\n\nMy Protagonists\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND100}\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\nbuilt this guide around a Fighter\/Mage protagonist leading a good party,\nbut later added information for you evil folks out there. The evil party\nwas, by necessity, led by a Fighter\/Mage\/Thief protagonist. For the\nEnhanced Edition, I've recreated the previous two characters.\n\nThe Fighter\/Mage\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND101}\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++\nTwo-Weapon Style:\t++\n\nOverview:\n---------\nAt the end of the second game, the Fighter\/Mage is arguably the\nstrongest character there is. I don't argue it, but I'm sure somebody\nmight. As far as I'm concerned, it's as strong of a protagonist as you\ncan get. Unfortunately, this class doesn't become quite so strong in\nthe first game, but it's a sacrifice worth making. Their Armor Class\nwon't get very low in the first game, but their spell-buffs will, to\na degree, make up for it. Since this is your protagonist-the only\ncharacter whose creation you get to determine-you might as well make\nsure they've got the best possible attributes. An 18 Strength now\n(regardless of the exceptional Strength percentile) will pay off\ngreatly when you get the Manual of Gainful Exercise, while the high\nConstitution and Dexterity are both rather mandatory for a warrior who\ncan't rely on armor for protection. A high Intelligence will save you\ntrouble, although you can make up for it with Potions of Genius. I find\nit simpler to just start out with an 18.\n\nHow to Use the Fighter\/Mage Effectively:\n----------------------------------------\nThe original Baldur's Gate was a bit different than Baldur's Gate 2,\nbut since the Enhanced Edition came along, the two games have had a \nmeeting of the minds... or rather, of the proficiencies. In the\noriginal Baldur's Gate my Fighter\/Mage specialized in Bows and Large\nSwords, and was pretty much an archer throughout the entire first game.\nIn the second game, I was able to respec, and he invested in the Two-\nWeapon Style. Since the Enhanced Edition put Baldur's Gate 2 rules into \nBaldur's Gate 1 we (presumably) won't have the option to respec, so\nwe'll need to start out with our Baldur's Gate 2 style builds in the\nfirst game. Two of the most powerful one-handed weapons in the second\ngame are a Flail and an Axe, and in a show of shameless favoritism I\nplan to give both to my protagonist. Therefore for the first game, he\nstarts out Specialized in Flails and in the Two-Weapon Style. As he\ngains levels, he'll Master (three ranks) in the Two-Weapon Style, then\nbecome Proficient (one rank) in Katanas, in preparation for Baldur's\nGate 2. Yes, I said Katanas. One of the best weapons in the early part\nof the second game is a Katana. It isn't until Throne of Bhaal that\nwe'll get rid of our Katana and finally dual-wield our ultimate\nAxe\/Flail combo. His Hit Points will be passable, compared to most\nBaldur's Gate 1 warriors, and really, with his Strength and the lack\nof Grand Mastery in the first game, his THAC0 shouldn't be too far\nbehind either. Where he suffers is the Armor Class, which will be...\nmediocre, at best. He'll need to be protected with spells such as Blur,\nMirror Image, and Improved Invisibility before he goes off into melee\ncombat, which will mostly make up the difference. Spell-buff and treat\nhim as a normal Fighter and he should do fine in the first game, even\nif he does have to wait until the second game to become an outright\nphenom. I start my Fighter\/Mage out as a True Neutral character...\nsimply so they can wear Robes of the Neutral Archmagi.\n\nThe Fighter\/Mage\/Thief\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND102}\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:\nLong Sword:\t\t++\nTwo-Weapon Style:\t++\n\nOverview:\n---------\nDespite being less potent than the Fighter\/Mage, my evil protagonist\ntakes on another class... mostly by brute necessity. The Thieves you\ncan recruit in the sequel are just... not up to snuff... so inferior,\nin fact, that I feel the strongest party is to give up the Fighter\/Mage\nin favor of a Fighter\/Mage\/Thief. Other than that... her attributes do\nnot need to vary from my Fighter\/Mage's. An 18 Strength is mandatory,\nbecause you'll be able to raise it to 19 with a tome (a monstrous\nupgrade in terms of to hit and damage rolls), and her Dexterity and\nConstitution need to be high to counter her slow growth and inability\nto wear heavy armor.\n\nHow to Use the Fighter\/Mage\/Thief Effectively:\n----------------------------------------------\nFocus on Find Traps until you get 100, then switch to Move Silently and\nHide in Shadows. As for proficiencies... she's very similar to my\nFighter\/Mage, save she'll use Long Swords in favor of Axes or Flails.\nStart her out Specialized in Long Swords and the Two-Weapon Style, then\nattain Mastery (three ranks) in Two-Weapon Style. She'll finish off by\nbecoming Proficient in Katanas, in anticipation of the sequel. You\ncould also Specialize in Daggers instead of Long Swords, if such a thing\ncatches your fancy-there are plenty of great Daggers in Baldur's Gate,\nand the Dagger of the Stars +5 in Baldur's Gate 2 is nothing short of\nthe ultimate backstabbing weapon, and there are several good Daggers\nin Shadows of Amn to tide you over in the meantime. I personally prefer\nthe higher damage range of Long Swords over Daggers. She, too, requires\nspell-buffing before heading into combat, and due to her slow growth she\nshould probably be considered more of a secondary warrior than a true\nfront-liner. Avoid having her go one-on-one with strong enemies...\nunless she can start out with a backstab, at which she will excel\n(a 19 Strength backstab is a thing of beauty).\n\nThe Benchmark\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{DND103}\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAnyways, if you think the stats on my protagonists are a little high,\ntake a cue from the Bioware staff. Their ship-in protagonist in the\n'Mission Pack' save that came with the Tales of the Sword Coast\nexpansion (for those of you who are too lazy to want to play through the\nmain game...) had the following stats:\n\nStrength:\t18\/90\nDexterity:\t19\nConstitution:\t19\nIntelligence:\t7\nWisdom:\t\t6\nCharisma:\t18\n\nObviously they're taking into consideration the fact that you won't\nbe able to get many of the stat-raising tomes, but they're still\nassuming some pretty high base stats! (Also note that every party\nmember in the mission pack save is a sequel character..) Now that that's\nall out of the way, let's get gaming!... Or read up on the recruitable\ncharacters in the game, but you can do that a little later... you know,\nafter the Prologue.\n\no======================================================================o\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|\t\t\t     Characters {CHR001}\t\t       |\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\no======================================================================o\nAllies come in all shapes and sizes, and fill a variety of roles. Many\nof them can't be found until later in the game, which effectively makes\nthem all but useless. Still, you've got more characters to choose from\nthan you can fit into a party. Who should you pick, and which is the\nbest? These are hard questions to answer. Frankly, your main character's\nclass will help determine who you should travel with, and who you should\nleave behind. If you make a Paladin, you certainly won't need Ajantis,\nand if you make a character who has Thief levels, you won't need to even\nconsider Imoen, Montaron, or Safana. Also, life will be easier if all\nthe characters you choose are of the same alignment.. or are at least\nrelatively close. Always remember that you need at least one Thief, one\nCleric, and one Mage. The rest should be warriors of some sort, at least\ndual-or-multi-classed.\n\nIn the recruitable section, 'Early' indicates characters that can be\nrecruited before the Nashkel Mines. 'Mid' indicates characters that can\nbe recruited sometime after the Nashkel Mines, but before Baldur's Gate.\n'Late' indicates characters that can be recruited after Baldur's Gate.\nAs a point of practice, a character that can't be recruited until the\nmiddle of the game has little chance of being useful by the time you\nreach them (at least, not without editing their Hit Points with a mod of\nsome sort), and one that cannot be recruited until late is basically a\nmoot character. You'll notice that all the sequel characters are ones\nyou can recruit BEFORE the Nashkel Mines. This probably isn't a\ncoincidence. Why does when you can recruit them matter? Because the\ncomputer is stupid when it comes to allocating proficiencies, skill\npoints, and accepting Hit Points rolls. The longer you wait to recruit\na character, the higher their level will be. The higher their level is,\nthe more likely they are to have accepted stupid levels. Most characters\nhave several 'versions' they can be-they don't scale to match your\nexperience exactly, and there's not a level for every possible ally.\nI have included every instance of each character that it is possible to\nrecruit-according to Infinity Explorer, but my description will be\nbased on the assumption that you get them at the lowest possible level-\nwith bias towards the difficulty of actually doing this, as is\nappropriate.\n\nNote about Character Quests\t\t\t\t\t{CHR002}\no======================================================================o\nMany of the characters you can recruit have quests they want you to see\nto before you've 'secured' them. If you mess around too long, they'll\nleave to go find somebody more willing to see to their quests, but after\nyou've completed their quests, they're generally yours for the rest of\nthe game. Many of these are very simple-go to a certain area, talk to\nsomebody, and so forth. Kagain, Edwin and Minsc are some (but not all)\nexamples. These quests should be resolved immediately after recruiting\nthem, and whatever you do, do not disband them from the party before\ncompleting their quest-it tends to make them pester you ceaselessly\nuntil you add them again, and just causes all kinds of glitches, in\ngeneral. I had a note about this behavior under Yeslick's character\nentry, but an e-mail from Lee revealed that he had the same issue with\nKagain-and I doubt it's just a Dwarf thing. So, I'm posting an official\nwarning here under its own heading to let you know not to disband\ncharacters without completing their specific quests. The new characters\nin the Enhanced Edition-Dorn, Neera, Rasaad-all have more complicated\nquests to deal with, but they seem much more willing to work around your\nschedule than the original Baldur's Gate characters are.\n\nCharacter Stats\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR003}\no======================================================================o\nIn version 1.04 I dutifully mined Infinity Explorer for the various\ncharacter stats at each level they can be recruited, thanks to some\nprompting from Misty Mouse which suggested that I was selling a few\ncharacters short-namely Coran and Yeslick. Imagine my delight after just\nposting v1.04 to find out the Enhanced Edition was out, all the\ncharacters have new stats, and Infinity Explorer isn't an option. Yeah,\nit's a pain, but good news! They seem to have kept most of the\ncharacters exactly as they were-Edwin still gets one extra spell per\nlevel (probably due to his amulet), Kagain still has an absurd 20\nConstitution, and Coran still has an equally silly 20 Dexterity and\nMastery (three ranks) in Longbows. Good on Overhaul Games, for keeping\nour beloved Baldur's Gate characters the way we loved them. This\nsection was originally added to show just how character degenerated\ndue to crappy Hit Point rolls, proficiency selections, and skill point\nallocations if you waited to recruit them (and hence allowed the\ncomputer to level them up). Most of these numbers still stand-the\ncharacters still level up the same way-same Hit Points, same versions\nof all the characters. Of course, one little rub-the proficiencies\nand Thief Abilities have changed in the Enhanced Edition. I have\nre-recruited (in various plays) all the characters in the game at the\nlowest possible level, and again at the highest in order to try and\nre-record the Enhanced Edition stats of these characters. Still, there\nwas some guess-work and conjecture done for some characters, so if\nanybody out there notices something I got wrong (a proficiency out of\nplace in a level four variant, for example) let me know.\n\nAjantis\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR004}\no======================================================================o\nRecruitable: Early\nMax Hit points per Level: 12\nMale, Human, Paladin, Lawful Good\nStr 17, Dex 13, Con 16, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 17\n\nPaladin 2\nExperience: \t\t2263\nHit Points: \t\t20\nBastard Sword\t\t++\nTwo-Handed Sword\t+\nLongbow\t\t\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nPaladin 4\nExperience: \t\t9026\nHit Points: \t\t32\nBastard Sword\t\t++\nTwo-Handed Sword\t++\nLongbow\t\t\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nPaladin 6\nExperience: \t\t37129\nHit Points: \t\t45\nBastard Sword\t\t++\nTwo-Handed Sword\t++\nLongbow\t\t\t+\nTwo-Handed Weapon Style\t+\n\nOverview:\n---------\nHe's got a decent Strength and Constitution, and a Dexterity that just\nbegs for The Brawling Hands. Unfortunately, there are a lot of\npotential Fighters that need those gauntlets, so competition is rather\nstiff. To his credit however, Ajantis does have a high Charisma, which\nmakes him recommendable as a party leader (especially if you throw on\nAlgernon's Cloak). He also has access to several Paladin abilities,\nnamely Lay on Hands, which allows him to heal once on rest shifts.\nUnfortunately, he starts to turn sour very quickly if you leave him to\nhis own devices. If you somehow can't manage to get the level two\nversion-you might as well just leave him behind to become Ankheg food.\nHis level two Hit Points (20 out of a possible 24) are... manageable,\nbut by level four he's got 32 out of 48 possible Hit Points, which is\njust unacceptable. By level six, he's thoroughly ruined as a front-line\nwarrior.\n\nHow to Use Ajantis Effectively:\n-------------------------------\nAjantis is another self-explanatory character. He starts out Specialized\nin Bastard Swords, which... are okay. He also naturally inclines towards\nTwo-Handed Swords if you don't recruit him early, and it's actually not\na bad idea. Either specialize in Two-Handed Weapon Style and keep a\nLongbow equipped as a ranged option, or Specialize (two ranks) in\nLongswords (which are superior to Bastard Swords) and switch between\nthe two one-handed weapon types as the situation demands. In the latter\nscenario, the defensive bonuses of having a shield compensate for the\nlower stopping power of one-handed swords and the lack of a ranged\noption.\n\nRecruiting Ajantis:\n-------------------\nAjantis (x=1570, y=3130) is in the farm area north of the Friendly Arm\nInn (AR1400). Don't provoke him and ask him to join your party and\nyou're good to go. Also, avoid the Ankhegs in this area if you're lower\nlevel-they can be harsh.\n\nAlora\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR005}\no======================================================================o\nRecruitable: Late\nMax Hit points per Level: 6\nFemale, Halfling, Thief, Chaotic Good\nStr 8, Dex 19, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 7, Cha 10\n\nThief 4\nExperience: \t\t5012\nHit Points: \t\t14\nDagger\t\t\t+\nShortbow\t\t+\nTwo-Weapon Style\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nThief 6\nExperience: \t\t20115\nHit Points: \t\t19\nDagger\t\t\t+\nShortbow\t\t+\nTwo-Weapon Style\t+\n\nOverview:\n---------\nAlora has one great attribute-her Dexterity, and for a Thief, isn't that\nwhat it's really all about? Sure, since Dexterity is a slow-progressing\nattribute, she's not much better off than all those other Thieves with\nan 18, but she's got enough Dexterity that she'll get a good Armor Class\nbonus and she'll be able to contribute with Short Bows. Unfortunately,\nby the time you have access to Alora, your need for a Thief has long\nsince required you to recruit another. She's also a perfect example of\nwhy late-game allies just don't work. When recruited in my playthrough\nshe was already level six, and the computer had wisely accepted 19\nHit Points (out of a possible 36) and had allocated most of her Thief\nskill points into Pick Pockets and Open Locks. What good is a level six\nThief with 19 Hit Points and a Find Traps score of 50? How strong are\nImoen, Safana, Montaron, or Coran by now in comparison? Characters you\ncan reach in the Cloakwood Forest are passable-if you hurry and\nmaintain as low of a level as possible through the Bandit Camp and the\nNashkel Mines, but you'd be incredibly hard-pressed to fight your way\nthrough those two locations AND the Cloakwood Forest AND the Cloakwood\nMines and remain less than level three or four. And by that time the\ndamage has largely been done. I'd also like to point out that the\naverage Hit Points on die for a level six Thief (granting max Hit Point\nrolls at level one, which the game does) is 23, meaning that Alora is,\nat level six, somewhat behind average, and certainly behind the decent\nrolls we're looking for. \n\nOf course, I might be missing her point entirely-at least according to\nMisty Mouse: \"Alora has 100% pick pocketing when you recruit her later\nin the game. [Edit: 110% in the Enhanced Edition] I always end up\nrecruiting her temporarily and taking a journey around the world to pick\npocket everyone worth pick pocketing before sending her home again. No\nneed to waste my thief's valuable thief skills on pick pocketing. Plus,\nAlora isn't really suited to fighting.\" On the latter part, I couldn't\nagree more, and when you put it like that... sure, why not recruit Alora\nlate-game and take her around stealing all the crap you couldn't steal\nearlier? Simpler than just using Knock on every obstinate chest, right?\nI'll concede, she isn't useless... at least, if you never consider her a\npotential long-term party candidate.\n\nHow to Use Alora Effectively:\n-----------------------------\nKeep her out of combat. In fact, keep her out of any party that might\none day see combat. She's really not meant for it. Like Misty Mouse\nsuggested, she's here for one reason-to steal crap we might not have\nbeen able to steal earlier. If you insist on taking her into battle...\nwell, use her as an archer and hope nothing retaliates. When she hits\nlevel eight and gains the one proficiency point you can control... it\ndoesn't matter, why not try Short Swords, for kicks?\n\nRecruiting Alora:\n-----------------\nAlora is in the High House (AR0130), which is located in the eastern\ndistrict of Baldur's Gate (AR0600). She'll only be there are night, and\nthe ideal time to meet\/recruit her is during the quest to steal the\ntelescope interred therein for Brevlik. Join her heist and when the deed\nis done, she'll want to join up permanent-like.\n\nBaeloth\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR006}\no======================================================================o\nRecruitable: Mid\nMax Hit Points per Level: 6\nMale, Elf, Sorcerer, Chaotic Evil\nStr 12, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 19, Wis 12, Cha 16\n\nSorcerer 6\nExperience:\t\t40000\nHit Points:\t\t36\nQuarterstaff\t\t+\nDart\t\t\t+\n\nOverview\n--------\nAh, Baeloth... he is for Mages what Dorn is for warriors in the\nEnhanced Edition. Somebody really liked the evil party, no? Anyways,\nif you played with the Black Pits part of the Enhanced Edition, you'll\nknow who Baeloth is. If not... then all you need to know is that he's\nthe closest thing to competition Edwin has in the Mage department, which\nis praise indeed. Fist, look at his attributes. His Dexterity is just\none point shy of giving him any bonuses, but he gets the max potential\nHit Point benefit from his Constitution, and his Intelligence is a\nwhopping 19... which is utterly useless, considering he's a Sorcerer.\nIf you don't know what a Sorcerer is, look at the class descriptions.\nIn brief, they only know a few spells per level, but don't have to\nmemorize any. Of their daily allotment of spells they can cast any\nnumber of their known spells... but they cannot scribe new spells from\nscrolls. So, you have to sacrifice potential tactical flexibility of\none sort (being able to cast many, many more spells) as a Mage for\ntactical flexibility of another sort (not having to memorize specific\nspells in specific quantities) as a Sorcerer. Honestly, there are only\nso many great spells per level that a Sorcerer isn't a terrible class...\nbut it all really depends on what spells one knows, right? That being\nthe case, let's look at Baeloth, shall we?\n\n1st-Level: Burning Hands, Chromatic Orb, Identify,\nLarloch's Minor Drain, Magic Missile, Shield, Spook\n\n2nd-Level: Detect Invisibility, Melf's Acid arrow, Mirror Image,\nRay of Enfeeblement, Web\n\n3rd-Level: Dire Charm, Dispel Magic, Fireball, Haste\n\nHe's got a good spellbook there, with only a few exceptions. He doesn't\nhave Sleep, Blur, Knock, or Stinking Cloud, which I'm not happy to lose,\nbut on the other hand... by the time you can get Baeloth, you probably\nwon't need Sleep... ever again. As for Blur, Knock and Stinking Cloud...\nwell, I always play a Mage multi-class protagonist, so they can provide\nKnock and Stinking Cloud as necessary. On that note, Stinking Cloud is\nbecoming less useful by the time you get Baeloth, and my evil\nprotagonist-a Fighter\/Mage\/Thief-can just pick locks. So, long story\nshort, he has some holes in his spellbook, but they're not critical\nspells, for the most part, and can be managed.\n\nNow for a few... mostly minor... gripes. His spell progression is\nrather stunted, being a Sorcerer and all. He will never get 5th-level\nspells in Baldur's Gate due to the level cap, which means no Chaos. No\nbig deal, Confusion is nearly as good. Other than that, he is Proficient\nin Darts instead of Slings. Again, a minor gripe, you can always load up\non Darts as easily as Bullets, but a Sling +1 can fire any bullets \n(enchanted or not) and gain THAC0 and damage bonuses, whereas if you\nwant something comparable with Darts, you'll just have to spring for\nDarts +1. Finally for a massive positive-as a Dark Elf, Baeloth has a\nflat 50% Magic Resistance, same as Viconia. This is a massive boost to\nhis defenses, something Edwin just has no counter for. So... honestly,\nI find Edwin and Baeloth to be evenly matched, for the most part. Edwin\nwill have a more versatile spellbook and a stupendous number of spells\nhe can memorize per day, while Baeloth will... have a more limited\nspell selection, but he needs not prepare ahead of time, and he will\nhave a stunted progression. Slings versus Darts is almost a non-issue,\nand Baeloth's 50% Magic Resistance is truly great.\n\nHow to Use Baeloth Effectively:\n-------------------------------\nHe's good to go from the moment you get him, really. His proficiencies\nare already set, and they're passable. He comes with a Quarterstaff +1\nwhich you will probably never use, just buy him some Darts and he's\nready to go. He also starts out with a Robe of the Evil Archmagi, which\nis fantastic. When he levels up, he'll get some extra 3rd-Level spells.\nConsider getting Slow, which will be an invaluable addition to his\narsenal. As for 4th-Level spells, you can't go wrong with Stoneskin and\nConfusion.\n\nRecruiting Baeloth:\n-------------------\nBaeloth is an odd duck, as far as recruiting goes. He appears in\nLarswood (AR2900), near the Gibberling tower in the south-center part of\nthe map. He will, however, only appear under certain circumstances,\nwhich I will admit I haven't fully figured out yet. There seems to be an\nexperience requirement for getting him to join-which only makes sense,\nhe always seems to show up as a 6th-level Sorcerer. I was able to\nrecruit him with a party that had about 30,000 experience per character,\nand another with around 50,000 experience. Alignment doesn't seem to\nmatter (I had a full evil party, and a party that was mostly good, with\nevil and neutral protagonists respectively). Reputation doesn't seem to\nmatter, either, as I had a reputation of four in the former, and an 18\nin the latter. One was in chapter 2, the other was in chapter 3. On\nthe other hand, the good party which I wrote this guide around wasn't\nable to get him to appear at all-not at a low level, not with an average\nof 36,000 experience, and not even when max level. At none of the safety\nsaves was my good party able to induce him to appear. Never. Anyways,\nwhen he did appear, he did so under the circumstances mentioned above.\nI suggest not bothering until you have a 6th-level character of some\nclass or another. When he arrives, allow him to tag along and... well,\ndon't attack him. He's more than happy to team up with you. Also, just\nbecause I saw some people were having some trouble finding him again\nafter kicking him out of the party, when you disband him he'll head to\nthe Friendly Arm Inn area (AR2300). He won't head inside, however,\nrather, he waits around outside of the walls, on the eastern side of\nthe level, at (x=4720, y=3050).\n\nBranwen\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR007}\no======================================================================o\nRecruitable: Early\nMax Hit points per Level: 9\nFemale, Human, Cleric, True Neutral\nStr 13, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 9, Wis 16, Cha 13\n\nCleric 2\nExperience: \t\t1545\nHit Points: \t\t17\nWar Hammer\t\t+\nSling\t\t\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nCleric 5\nExperience: \t\t14045\nHit Points: \t\t38\nWar Hammer\t\t+\nFlail\t\t\t+\nSling\t\t\t+\n\nOverview:\n---------\nBranwen, a war-priest from the Norheim isles. She's neutral, so she can\nfit into any party, and I've played through with her, she's really not\nbad. Of course, she doesn't edge out either Jaheira or Viconia. In fact,\nI feel she's patently inferior to Viconia, seeing as how Viconia has\nboth a better Dexterity and Magic Resistance, which means she's better\nthan Branwen defensively. With a Cleric, we want defense, defense is\ngood. If you can't keep your Cleric alive, you can't use your Cleric to\nkeep your other characters alive, no? The extra Hit Point a level is\nnice, as are the extra spells, but if push came to shove, I'd still take\nViconia. Also bear in mind that Branwen's Strength score is just low\nenough to cause problems-not being able to strap on a Large Shield is\nkinda sucky, really. Branwen comes in two flavors-good, and still good.\nWhen you first recruit her at level two, she'll be a mere one Hit Point\noff her maximum. If you wait until she's level five, she'll be a\nwhopping... two Hit Points off maximum. No big deal.\n\nHow to Use Branwen Effectively:\n-------------------------------\nFirst, the proficiencies-she comes Proficient in War Hammers and Slings.\nAshideena +2 and a ranged option-she's good to go as soon as you get\nher. With her level four and eight proficiencies... get one rank into\nMaces if you anticipate using The Stupefier +1, and then get her\nProficient in the Sword and Shield Style to increase her Armor Class\nbonuses versus Missile Weapons. Now, for how sub-par Strength... as a\nsingle-classed Cleric she's just not worth the Hands of Takkok, so what\nto do? Well... you'll just have to make do. Have her wear Medium Shields\nand don some Ankheg Plate Mail and she'll be decent in the Armor Class\ndepartment.\n\nRecruiting Branwen:\n-------------------\nBranwen is in the Nashkel Carnival area (AR4900) and has been turned to\nstone (x=3250, y=2890) by a wizard named Tranzig. An opportunistic evil\nHalfling is selling a scroll to turn her back for 500 gold, but I prefer\nto steal it. Cheaters never prosper.. unless they are me, of course.\nWhen you turn her back to flesh, she'll offer to join your party.\n\nCoran\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR008}\no======================================================================o\nRecruitable: Mid\nMax Hit points per Level: 8\nMale, Elf, Fighter\/Thief, Chaotic Good\nStr 14, Dex 20, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 9, Cha 16\n\nFighter 3\/Thief 3\nExperience: \t\t4063\/4063\nHit Points: \t\t27\nLong Sword\t\t++\nLongbow\t\t\t+++\n\n  ---or---\n\nFighter 5\/Thief 5\nExperience: \t\t16762\/16762\nHit Points: \t\t39\nLong Sword\t\t++\nLongbow\t\t\t+++\n\nOverview:\n---------\nCoran is a pretty good character for his role. He's a Thief, which\nfulfills a need you might have, and he's also a Fighter. Frankly though,\nwith his Strength (which is just low enough to avoid any bonuses) and\nhis need to remain in light armor he's best used as an archer-which is\nwhat he claims to be. In that, he excels. Notice the 20 Dexterity? He\nstarts out with Mastery in Longbows (which technically isn't possible\nfor a multi-class character), and a respectable two ranks in Long\nSwords. There are only three gripes I have about him: 1) He's not a\nsequel character, which I'm sure matters to somebody other than me.\n2) His starting skills aren't great-not a single point spent in Find\nTraps. 3) You can't recruit him until you gain access to the Cloakwood\nForest, making him a mid-game character. Now to refute all my points:\n1) Who cares? 2) If you get him at level three, you will be able to get\nhis Find Traps up to snuff, and also-he replaces Minsc in the Good\nparty, not Imoen. Let Imoen continue to be your trap-finder, and enjoy\nCoran's archery. 3) Even at level five, his Hit Points are only a single\npoint off maximum, so it never really matters WHEN you recruit him... \nbut at level three, his Hit Points are maximum, and we all would love to\nget that extra Hit Point, wouldn't we? He's probably the best archer in\nthe game, although for my money Kivan makes a superior all-round support\nFighter.\n\nHow to Use Coran Effectively:\n-----------------------------\nRecruit him and put a Longbow in his hands. Seriously, there's nothing\nto this guy. As long as he's shooting at things, he's doing alright.\nOnce he hits level six... it doesn't really matter where you put that\nproficiency. He doesn't belong in melee, he'll already be a candidate\nfor a few good Long Swords and every good Longbow, and he's not going\nto transfer to the sequel. It's really a moot proficiency. Perhaps get\na rank into Single-Weapon Style?\n\nRecruiting Coran:\n-----------------\nYou can find Coran in the first part of the Cloakwood Forest (AR2200)\non a bridge in the north-western corner of the map (x=1520, y=700). He\nwants help ridding the Cloakwood Forest of a wyvern nest, which is fine,\nsince we intend to kill as many wyverns as we can find. All you need to\ndo to satisfy (and secure) Coran is kill any old Wyvern and bring its\nhead to Kelddath Ormlyr, who resides at the Song of the Morning Temple\nin the Temple area east of Beregost (AR3400).\n\nDorn\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR009}\no======================================================================o\nRecruitable: Early\nMax Hit Points per Level: 10\nMale, Half-Orc, Blackguard, Neutral Evil\nStr 19, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 15, Cha 16\n\nBlackguard 1\nExperience:\t\t0\nHit Points:\t\t10\nTwo-Handed Sword\t++\nTwo-Handed Weapon Style\t++\n\n  ---or---\n\nBlackguard 2\nExperience:\t\t2250\nHit Points:\t\t17\nTwo-Handed Sword\t++\nTwo-Handed Weapon Style\t++\n\nOverview:\n---------\nWhat's there to really say about Dorn? Look at his stats, he's freakin'\nawesome. Yeah, they're milking that Half-Orc thing with the 19 Strength,\nand I say let 'em. His Strength is absolutely phenomenal-it's hard to\nstress the difference between 18(xx) Strength and pure, honest, not\nretarded exceptional numbers 19 Strength. Actually, no it's not...\nShar-Teel's 18(53) Strength gives her a +2 bonus to hit and a +3 bonus\nto damage. Dorn's 19 Strength gives a +3 bonus to hit, and a +7 bonus\nto damage. And he doesn't have to resort to sharing Long Swords or\nusing pussy Daggers, either. The fact that he'll get a +2 bonus to\nArmor Class from his Dexterity is just icing on the awesome cake, and\nhis useless Constitution is forgivable. Last but not least, his 16\nCharisma means the evil party finally has an obvious leader-a strong,\nwell-armored, alpha-warrior that's also pretty. Sit down, Viconia,\nDorn'll be leading the way from now on. As far as his class goes... the\nBlackguard isn't a terrible kit. Dorn is an excellent addition to any\nevil party. He does have one weakness, however-his Hit Points are less\nthan desirable for a front-line warrior, much less a party leader. He\ngets no bonuses from Constitution. With perfect rolls, he'll max out at\n80 Hit Points, compared to Jaheira's 89, Ajantis' 92, and Kagain's \nwhopping 120... putting him dead last in Hit Points among the Enhanced\nEdition front-liners I use. At level one, you'll really need to go out\nof your way to keep him protected, as absurd as it seems, because one\nbad hit from a Gnoll's halberd will do him in outright. Still, in spite\nof this weakness, his offensive powers make him a more than worthy\nreplacement for Shar-Teel, who's not exactly stellar in the Hit Point\ndepartment herself. If Edwin's a glass cannon, Dorn's a paper tiger...\nand that's just fine. We've got Kagain for defense, and Jaheira and\nViconia to patch people up.\n\nHow to Use Dorn Effectively:\n----------------------------\nHe's as simple as pie-he starts out Specialized in Two-Handed Swords\nand in the Two-Handed Weapon Style. He also comes with an enchanted,\nsoul-stealing Two-Handed Sword. Can you figure out what to do? If not,\nsmack yourself twenty times and try again. Still, he's got a lot of\nleveling to do, and we'll need to put those proficiencies somewhere...\nat levels three and six get him Proficient and Specialized\n(respectively) in Crossbows-this will let him contribute in ranged\ncombat. I know, bows are better... but PRETEND he'll get exported into\nthe sequel, where he'll definitely want to know his way around a\nCrossbow. Other than that-strap some heavy armor on him and let him\ndestroy everything in his way. He needs neither the Hands of Takkok nor\nThe Brawling Hands.\n\nRecruiting Dorn:\n----------------\nYou'll find Dorn in the Friendly Arm Inn (x=1120, y=720), doubtlessly\nup to no good. When you talk to him, he'll 'mistake' you for a waiter,\nthen dismiss you, and will respond to further conversation attempts with\nthreats. When you try to go to the Nashkel Mines, however, you'll run<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
into some bandits, led by Senjak and Dorotea. Dorn shows up and a fight\nensues. Afterwards, ask Dorn to join up and he will.\n\nDynaheir\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR010}\no======================================================================o\nRecruitable: Early\nMax Hit points per Level: 6\nFemale, Human, Invoker, Lawful Good\nStr 11, Dex 13, Con 16, Int 17, Wis 15, Cha 12\n\nInvoker 1\nExperience: \t\t452\nHit Points: \t\t6\nSling\t\t\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nInvoker 2\nExperience: \t\t2638\nHit Points: \t\t11\nSling\t\t\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nInvoker 4\nExperience: \t\t11003\nHit Points: \t\t21\nSling\t\t\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nInvoker 6\nExperience: \t\t40653\nHit Points: \t\t31\nQuarterstaff\t\t+\nMissile Weapons\t\t+\n\nOverview:\n---------\nDynaheir has... a decent Intelligence, and a good Constitution, but as\na specialist Mage, she does have an inevitable downside-she has an\nopposition school from which she can cast no spells. The severity of\nthis impediment, then, depends upon what spells she loses as a\nconsequence. The bad news is that she loses access to Enchantment\/Charm\nspells, many of which are very good. The good news is she no longer\nalso loses access to Conjuration\/Summoning, as Invokers did in the\noriginal game. Losing access to Sleep renders her all but useless until\n3rd level, and not being able to cast Hold Person, Hold Monster, and\nGreater Malison are unfortunate, while lacking Confusion and Chaos\nreally sucks. Still, without the additional prohibition of\nConjuration\/Summoning spells, I hate to say it, Dynaheir is no longer\nso useless as to avoid being considered a potential party member.\nI still prefer Imoen for her versatility, but she's not going to be\nas powerful as a Mage as Dynaheir, since she can no longer dual-class\nherself into a Conjurer, but Dynaheir is, at least, superior to Neera.\nDynaheir doesn't go quite as astray statistically as some other\ncharacters do. At level two she's only down one Hit Point, by level four\nshe's down three, and by level six she's missing five-but she's an early\ncharacter, so you should have no trouble recruiting her before level two\nor four, by the latest.\n\nHow to Use Dynaheir Effectively:\n--------------------------------\nShe already starts out Proficient in Slings, which is good, because with\nher limited spell-book, she'll be using her Sling a bit in the\nearly-going. Get her a rank into Quarterstaves later and you're good to\ngo.\n\nRecruiting Dynaheir:\n--------------------\nYou can find Dynaheir in the Gnoll Stronghold (AR5100), in one of the\nholding pits at (x=2530, y=1450). The Gnoll Stronghold is in the south-\nwestern corner of the world map, so she requires a bit of exploring to\nreach. Recruiting both Edwin and Minsc require finding her, so she's\nsomewhat important... but not in the good way.\n\nEdwin (Sequel character)\t\t\t\t\t{CHR011}\no======================================================================o\nRecruitable: Early\nMax Hit points per Level: 6\nMale, Human, Conjurer, Lawful Evil\nStr 9, Dex 10, Con 16, Int 18, Wis 9, Cha 10\n\nConjurer 1\nExperience: \t\t342\nHit Points: \t\t6\nQuarterstaff\t\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nConjurer 2\nExperience:\t \t2819\nHit Points:\t \t10\nQuarterstaff\t\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nConjurer 4\nExperience: \t\t10984\nHit Points: \t\t17\nQuarterstaff\t\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nConjurer 6\nExperience:\t \t41752\nHit Points: \t\t27\nQuarterstaff\t\t+\nSling\t\t\t+\n\nOverview:\n---------\nHe's not strong, fast, wise or pretty. He's a glass cannon. That's\nright, with an 18 Intelligence and the maximum useful Constitution,\nEdwin seems to be in a good place to let loose magic. His Armor Class \nisn't all that important, since your job is to keep him AWAY from\ncombat. Any time he's getting attacked in melee or at range is a time\nyou failed to use him right. Spells are another story, and more Hit\nPoints will help weather the odd enemy reprisal. Did I mention he gets\ntwo additional spells per level and is the most useful specialist\nclass, the Conjurer? The only useful spells he can't cast are Identify\nand (in the sequel) True Sight. All those factors make him the most\npowerful spell caster in the game, bar none. Even if you made your own\nConjurer protagonist, it would be your end-of-chapter abilities versus\nhis extra spell per spell level. Not a good trade. You must take him\nto the Gnoll Stronghold fairly expediently after finding him, and his\nquest directly opposes Minsc's. Do Edwin's job for him, and he's yours\nfor the rest of the game. Oh, and be sure to recruit him early-he starts\nto suck in the Hit Point department if you leave him to his own devices.\n\nHow to Use Edwin Effectively:\n-----------------------------\nYou'll want to get him ranks in Slings so he can make ranged attacks\nshould he ever run out of spells. This will... take him a while, but\nonce it's done you can just have him chuck Bullets at less threatening\nfoes, and rely on his enormous spell arsenal for anything that might\nbe somewhat threatening. He's just the best Mage in the game, hands\ndown.\n\nRecruiting Edwin:\n-----------------\nEdwin is in Nashkel (AR4800), standing on the bridge that runs over the\nriver separating the map in half (x=2870, y=2950). You'll have to agree\nto hunt down and kill the witch Dynaheir to get him to join you, and\nactually go through with it to keep him. Obviously this won't make him\nfriends with Minsc, so you need to choose one or the other... or just\ngo kill Dynaheir with Edwin, after which Minsc is distraught, but he\ndoesn't seem to know that YOU were the ones who killed her.\n\nEldoth\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR012}\no======================================================================o\nRecruitable: Mid\nMax Hit points per Level: 7\nMale, Human, Bard, Neutral Evil\nStr 16, Dex 12, Con 15, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 16\n\nBard 3\nExperience: \t\t2526\nHit Points: \t\t15\nScimitar\t\t+\nLongbow\t\t\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nBard 5\nExperience: \t\t10126\nHit Points: \t\t24\nScimitar\t\t+\nSpear\t\t\t+\nLongbow\t\t\t+\n\nOverview:\n---------\nEldoth isn't one of my recommended characters, although you could\ntechnically reach him somewhat quickly. This is a case, however, where \nit's really not worth it. He will get a bonus to his Hit Points, and\nwill do well in combat due to his Strength... except for the fact that\nseven Hit Points a level does not a killer make, and a Bard doesn't have\na great THAC0 progression. Garrick will make a better archer\/support\ncharacter, which is really what a Bard should be, and you can get him\nmuch earlier. If you just have to have a Bard, take Garrick. Eldoth\nstarts out somewhat shy of Hit Points (having 15 out of a possible 21\nat third level) and by level five he's down to 24 out of a possible 35.\nNeither of which are really acceptable losses for a character whose\nmaximum Hit Points are 65 before starting out sans six Hit Points.\nPerhaps the only interesting thing about Eldoth is that you'll need him\nto recruit Skie... who sucks in her own right. Ah well...\n\nHow to Use Eldoth Effectively:\n------------------------------\nUse him as... a rather poor archer with his proficiency in Longbows, but\naim to pick up proficiency in Two-Handed Swords so he can participate\nin melee... Using a Two-Handed Sword... So he can attack from behind\nother, better warriors. Oh, he'll also be able to cast support spells,\nprovide you nanny him when he tries to scribe, as his Intelligence is\nlaughable.\n\nRecruiting Eldoth:\n------------------\nYou can find Eldoth in the third area of the Cloakwood Forest (AR1600)\nat (x=3180, y=3500). He wants your help to 'abduct' his lover Skie from\nher house in Baldur's Gate, then ransom her father, Entar Silvershield.\nHe will, however, wait around for you to finish your quests before \ntackling his. If he only knew what he was getting himself into, eh?\n\nFaldorn\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR013}\no======================================================================o\nRecruitable: Mid\nMax Hit points per Level: 8\nFemale, Human, Druid, True Neutral\nStr 12, Dex 15, Con 11, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 15\n\nDruid 3\nExperience: \t\t4097\nHit Points: \t\t16\nClub\t\t\t+\nDart\t\t\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nDruid 5\nExperience: \t\t13197\nHit Points: \t\t22\nClub\t\t\t+\nSpear\t\t\t+\nDart\t\t\t+\n\nOverview:\n---------\nOokay... well, let's get it out there, Faldorn sucks. She doesn't have\nthe Hit Points or the Strength of Jaheira, paltry as it is, and her tiny\nbonus to Armor Class is a poor compensation. Jaheira can wear much\nbetter armor and will survive in melee combat much longer as a result.\nNot only that, she'll get more points to spend in her proficiencies and\nshe'll have a better THAC0. What does Faldorn have over Jaheira besides\nthe one point of Armor Class that is rendered negligible because of \nJaheira's better armor? Well, she can cast a few more spells. She has\none-and only one-redeeming quality-as a single-classed Druid she'll get\naccess to 5th-level spells, which multi-classed Jaheira will not (in\nthis game). This means Faldorn can cast Insect Plague-the almighty\nslayer of nearly everything in Shadows of Amn. But this isn't Shadows\nof Amn. Simply put, there just aren't any fights so challenging as to\nrequire Insect Plague. Not when Sleep and Stinking Cloud are capable of\ndoing the job just as well. And the few fights where Insect Plague might\ncome in handy where other spells won't suffice? Well... those foes tend\nto be singularly powerful with quite hefty Magic Resistances. Besides,\neven with Insect Plague Faldorn is a one-trick pony, since she's useless\nin combat. If you want a Druid, take Jaheira-you'll also get a competent\nFighter. The earliest you can recruit her is when she's level three-by\nthen, she's already lost a third of her possible Hit Points at that\nlevel. By 5th level, she's boasting a mere 22 out of 40 potential Hit\nPoints. They took perhaps one of the worst classes in the game, and gave\nyou a version that is always doomed to having crappy Hit Points.\nWonderful. She's a big bag of suck and liabilities. My mother told me\n\"If you can't say something nice about someone, don't say anything at\nall.\" She also told me that I was Catholic, and she sure got that wrong.\nSo let me reiterate: Faldorn sucks. Sucks. Sucks. Sucks. Blows. Sucks.\n\nHow to Use Faldorn Effectively:\n-------------------------------\nYou really can't, she just sucks... but we'll humor (humour, for my\nBritish friends-or as I like to call them, Englishly-challenged)\nourselves by pretending she's not as horrible as she is. She'll come\nProficient in... Clubs and Darts. Oh yeah, things are looking up. Get\nher Proficient in Slings, as she has no business being in melee\ncombat, then... well, make a bad compromise. Either have her become\nProficient in Daggers and make a poor-man's imitation of Jaheira, or\nget Spears so she has some reach.\n\nRecruiting Faldorn:\n-------------------\nYou can find Faldorn in the third Cloakwood Forest area (AR1600) by some\nstone henges and an obelisk (x=650, y=2280). She wants to cleanse the\nforest of its Iron Throne infestation, which naturally aligns her with\nyour current goals.\n\nGarrick\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR014}\no======================================================================o\nRecruitable: Early\nMax Hit points per Level: 6\nMale, Human, Bard, Chaotic Neutral\nStr 14, Dex 16, Con 9, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 15\n\nBard 1\nExperience: \t\t76\nHit Points: \t\t6\nShort Sword\t\t+\nCrossbow\t\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nBard 2\nExperience:\t\t1270\nHit Points:\t\t10\nShort Sword\t\t+\nCrossbow\t\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nBard 4\nExperience:\t\t5089\nHit Points: \t\t15\nShort Sword\t\t+\nCrossbow\t\t+\nShortbow\t\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nBard 6\nExperience: \t\t21121\nHit Points: \t\t20\nShort Sword\t\t+\nCrossbow\t\t+\nShortbow\t\t+\n\nOverview:\n---------\nGarrick is... well, a support character. His Dexterity is good enough\nthat he can be a decent archer. He won't be sturdy, he won't satisfy\nyour thieving needs, but he can shoot at bad guys from a distance and\ncast support spells. So... if you have an extra party slot and want\nanother support character-and solely a support character-you can take\nGarrick along to take up space. You must be sure to get him early,\nhowever, as his Hit Points become unacceptable by the time he hits level\nfour (15 out of 24), and by level six he's thoroughly ruined (20 out of\n36). It shouldn't be too hard to get to Beregost in a timely fashion,\nhowever.\n\nHow to Use Garrick Effectively:\n-------------------------------\nHe starts out proficient with Crossbows, which... are inferior to bows.\nStill, they're usable until he hits level four and you can become\nProficient in Longbows. Afterwards, consider getting a rank into\nTwo-Handed Swords or Halberds so he can contribute in melee, as well.\nHe can also cast support spells, but like Eldoth, his Intelligence is\nwretched. You'll want to consider setting the difficulty down to\n'NORMAL' when you want to scribe spells, as what this game calls a\n55% chance to learn spells is really code for 100% chance to get\nfrustrated.\n\nRecruiting Garrick:\n-------------------\nYou can find Garrick in Beregost (AR3300), hanging out in front of the\nBurning Wizard. If you kill Silke, he'll offer to join you afterwards.\n\nImoen (Sequel character)\t\t\t\t\t{CHR015}\no======================================================================o\nRecruitable: Early\nMax Hit points per Level: 8\nFemale, Human, Thief, Neutral Good\nStr 9, Dex 18, Con 16, Int 17, Wis 11, Cha 16\n\nThief 1\nExperience: \t\t76\nHit Points: \t\t8\nShort Sword\t\t+\nShortbow\t\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nThief 2\nExperience: \t\t1304\nHit Points: \t\t14\nShort Sword\t\t+\nShortbow\t\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nThief 4\nExperience: \t\t5124\nHit Points: \t\t29\nShort Sword\t\t+\nQuarterstaff\t\t+\nShortbow\t\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nThief 6\nExperience: \t\t20636\nHit Points: \t\t43\nShort Sword\t\t+\nQuarterstaff\t\t+\nShortbow\t\t+\n\nOverview:\n---------\nImoen has pretty damn good Thief attributes, with a high Dexterity and\nthe highest useful Constitution score. Her Strength means she should be\nrestricted to archery, but that's not much of a loss. Her Thief\nabilities also progress handily, too. If you somehow get her late in\nthe game (the only way this could happen is on a subsequent playthrough)\nshe'll automatically get a Find Traps score of 100. Best of all, she\nonly loses five Hit Points over the same number of levels. Sadly,\neverything isn't all sunshine and rainbows for Imoen-due to the\nmechanics of Baldur's Gate 2 rules which allow you to dual-class from-\nbut not into-any class, she can no longer become a Thief\/Conjurer. She\nwill instead have to settle for being a Thief\/Mage. She was destined to\nbecome on in the sequel anyways, but it's a little sad to see her nerfed\nin the first game, too. Still, since I'd rather have a Fighter\/Mage\nprotagonist rather than some Thief dual-or-multi-class, I keep Imoen\nin the good party as my Mage of choice. Her inevitable inclusion into\nmy Baldur's Gate 2 good party gives her some leverage as well.\n\nHow to Use Imoen Effectively:\n-----------------------------\nThe most common strategy with Imoen (and there's a reason it's so\nprevalent) is to turn her into a dual-class Mage after she gains enough\npoints into Find Traps. Her 17 Intelligence has to be there for a\nreason, right? Even the tutorial for the Enhanced Edition has Imoen\ndual-classed into a Thief\/Mage! It's just the way Imoen was meant to be.\nFor a good-aligned party, she'll provide the bare bones thieving you\nneed, and can become a good wizard to boot. Convert her to a Mage when\nshe hits level 6 as a Thief and she'll finish the game as a level \n6 Thief\/level 9 Mage without wasting a single level. Dump all her points\ninto Find Traps until it's 100%, then put the rest into... well, either\nMove Silently\/Hide in Shadows or Open Locks. She won't ever be a great\nsneaker, but it could help getting the drop on bad guys from time to\ntime. When she needs to pick pockets, you'll have potions to help with\nthat. She comes Proficient in Shortbows and Short Swords, but you may\nwant to add another good weapon before she dual-classes... Long Swords\nor Scimitars, for example. Not like it matters, she'll probably never\nbe used to backstab after she dual-class. As for after she dual-classes,\nwell... her proficiencies really don't matter much. The whole goal is to\nget back her Thief levels so she can return to shooting things with her\nbow. In the meantime, start out with Slings so she can have some ranged\npresence in those awkward first Mage levels. Now, you might be\nwondering... why are there four different level versions of Imoen?\nDoesn't she join you right after Candlekeep, at the beginning of the\ngame? Sure she does, but if you replay the game with an old character\n(that 'export' button isn't just for decoration, you know!) you could\npotentially start with a high level character.. and hence, get a\nhigh-level Imoen. I won't even bother to discuss it here-if you want\nto replay the game multiple times with the same character, that's on\nyou. This guide is for a single playthrough with a fresh protagonist.\n\nRecruiting Imoen:\n-----------------\nImoen will join your party automatically after leaving Candlekeep, at\nthe start of Chapter 1.\n\nJaheira (Sequel character)\t\t\t\t\t{CHR016}\no======================================================================o\nRecruitable: Early\nMax Hit points per Level: 12\nFemale, Half-elf, Fighter\/Druid, True Neutral\nStr 15, Dex 14, Con 17, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 15\n\nFighter 1\/Druid 1\nExperience: \t\t1786\/1786\nHit Points: \t\t12\nClub\t\t\t++\nQuarterstaff\t\t+\nSling\t\t\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nFighter 2\/Druid 2\nExperience:\t\t2258\/2258\nHit Points:\t\t16\nClub\t\t\t++\nQuarterstaff\t\t+\nSling\t\t\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nFighter 4\/Druid 4\nExperience: \t\t8082\/8082\nHit Points: \t\t30\nScimitar, etc.\t\t+\nClub\t\t\t++\nQuarterstaff\t\t+\nSling\t\t\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nFighter 5\/Druid 6\nExperience:\t\t20825\/20825\nHit Points:\t\t40\nScimitar, etc\t\t+\nClub\t\t\t++\nQuarterstaff\t\t+\nSling\t\t\t+\n\nOverview:\n---------\nJaheira... ahh.. Well, let's start off with the obvious, her abilities\njust aren't good. Her Strength is just shy of giving her any bonuses,\nand so is her Dexterity. Her Constitution is good, but that's about it.\nHer Strength is at least good enough for her to wear the heavier suits\nof armor in the game, however. She does get better in the sequel, but\neven in this game, I still keep her with nearly every party I have. Why?\nBecause if you don't compare her to a Fighter\/Cleric, or a Fighter in\ngeneral, and compare her to a Cleric instead, you'll find that she does\nfine in this game. She'll end up with more Hit Points and a better\nTHAC0, which justifies her cruddy Dexterity. She'll also get 4th level\nspells just like any of the single-classed Clerics, so you're not really\nmissing out on anything with Jaheira. She can also become Specialized\n(two ranks) with weapons, which beats a Cleric's Proficiency (one rank)\nany day. All in all she pans out as a slightly more melee competent\nCleric. In the sequel, when you have access to powerful Scimitars and\nGirdles of Giant Strength, and she gains access to a whopping amount of\nspell power, all is forgiven. Let's not neglect continuity here, folks.\nAlso notice her neutral alignment. She can fit into any party. She's\nanother character you really have to get to early, as her Hit Points\nwill go wrong real fast. If you get her level one version, she'll come\nwith maximum Hit Points, but if you wait until she's level two, she'll\naccept... you know, I don't even know HOW she ends up with only four\nHit Points out of a level. In any event, 16 Hit Points out of a possible\n24 is awful for a character who, 1000 experience ago, showed some\npotential.\n\nHow to Use Jaheira Effectively:\n-------------------------------\nGet two ranks in Daggers so she can use the Dagger of Venom +2. She\ncould use Rashad's Talon +2 (which can now be obtained in the Cloakwood\nForest, instead of in Durlag's Tower) but the Dagger of Venom +2 will\nstill come sooner, and all in all, it's probably better than Rashad's\nTalon +2. In the meantime, she'll just have to use Quarterstaves. \n\nRecruiting Jaheira:\n-------------------\nJaheira waits in the Friendly Arm Inn (AR2301), and will offer to join\nyour party when you talk to her. She's at about (x=300, y=710), and is\nstanding near Khalid. Unfortunately Khalid insists on accompanying his\nwife, so they're a package deal.. unless something.. unfortunate.. were\nto befall Khalid.\n\nKagain\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR017}\no======================================================================o\nRecruitable: Early\nMax Hit points per Level: 15\nMale, Dwarf, Fighter, Lawful Evil\nStr 16, Dex 12, Con 20, Int 15, Wis 11, Cha 8\n\nFighter 1\nExperience:\t\t116\nHit Points:\t\t15\nAxe\t\t\t++\nFlail\t\t\t+\nCrossbow\t\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nFighter 2\nExperience:\t\t2019\nHit Points:\t\t25\nAxe\t\t\t++\nFlail\t\t\t+\nCrossbow\t\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nFighter 4\nExperience:\t\t8232\nHit Points:\t\t43\nAxe\t\t\t+++\nFlail\t\t\t+\nCrossbow\t\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nFighter 6\nExperience:\t\t33839\nHit Points:\t\t60\nAxe\t\t\t++++\nFlail\t\t\t+\nCrossbow\t\t+\n\nOverview:\n---------\nHis Strength is pretty crummy for a Fighter, and if you get him, he\npretty much requires The Brawling Hands (and later, the Big-Fisted\nBelt). Still, his Strength isn't low enough to be problematic (it's just\nunderwhelming) and Strength-boosting gear is an acceptable sacrifice for\nsuch a Fighter. What you get in return is a front-liner that will have\nexcellent Armor Class, the ability to attain High Mastery (four ranks)\nin Axes, and he REGENERATES. Yessir, that's a 20 Constitution, and while\nhe won't heal fast enough to win a fight, you'll almost never need to\nheal him during rest. Hell, just traveling to a different map area can\nheal him fully. This is quite possibly the best Fighter in the game, all\nthings considered.\n\nHow to Use Kagain Effectively:\n------------------------------\nSpend Kagain's proficiency ranks in Axes. Axes, axes, and more axes!\nAttain High Mastery in axes and he'll be a true phenom... he'll even\nfind a throwing axe with which to smite enemies at range.. with axes!\nAxes!! Kagain is another character that goes to shit if you don't\nrecruit him ASAP. His phenomenal Constitution ensures his Hit Points\nwill always be decent, but at level four he's got a mere 43 out of a\npotential 60 Hit Points, and by level six he's lost a full third of his\nHit Points by that level-starting with a measly 60 out of 90 Hit\nPoints. If you get him early, he'll easily be a three-digit Hit-Pointer.\n\nRecruiting Kagain:\n------------------\nKagain is in his store (AR2301) in Beregost (AR2300), and he will join\nyour party if you accept to go on his mission. Go to the wilderness\narea directly north of Beregost (AR1400) and walk up north until you\nfind some sacked caravans. He'll complain about the work and give up,\nand decide to join you permanently.\n\nKhalid\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR018}\no======================================================================o\nRecruitable: Early\nMax Hit points per Level: 13\nMale, Half-elf, Fighter, Neutral Good\nStr 15, Dex 16, Con 17, Int 15, Wis 10, Cha 9\n\nFighter 1\nExperience:\t\t42\nHit Points:\t\t13\nLong Sword\t\t++\nAxe\t\t\t+\nLongbow\t\t\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nFighter 2\nExperience:\t\t3138\nHit Points:\t\t24\nLong Sword\t\t++\nAxe\t\t\t+\nLongbow\t\t\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nFighter 4\nExperience:\t\t8037\nHit Points:\t\t46\nLong Sword\t\t+++\nAxe\t\t\t+\nLongbow\t\t\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nFighter 6\nExperience:\t\t33871\nHit Points:\t\t64\nLong Sword\t\t+++\nAxe\t\t\t+\nLongbow\t\t\t++\n\nOverview:\n---------\nOne of the first Fighters you get in the game, he's also one of the\nbetter ones. He might not have the Strength of Ajantis or Minsc, but\nwhat little Strength he does have is good enough for arms and armor.\nHe's also got a passable Dexterity, a good Constitution, and the ability\nto attain High Mastery (four ranks) in a weapon proficiency. Like most\ncharacters, if you get him early you'll keep him from losing Hit Points.\nHe's not quite as bad as his wife-by level two he's only lost two Hit\nPoints, which is manageable, but by level six he'll be at 64 out of a\npossible 78 hit Points.\n\nHow to Use Khalid Effectively:\n------------------------------\nHe's a pretty obvious character when it comes to proficiencies-get him\nHigh Mastery in Long Swords and let him go on killing. If you put the\nHands of Takkok on him later in the game, he becomes rather powerful, as\nwell as durable. He's in direct competition with Ajantis for a party\nslot, but Ajantis' high Charisma makes him a good choice for a party\nleader, even if Khalid may be a better Fighter by the end of the game.\nKhalid also has an annoying habit of failing morale checks when his Hit\nPoints get low, which can be dangerous. \"Better part of valor!\" My ass.\n\nRecruiting Khalid:\n------------------\nKhalid is in the Friendly Arm Inn (AR2301), right next to Jaheira. He\nwill join your party if you talk to him. If you take Khalid, Jaheira is\nobliged to join up as well, and it's not too much of a problem, since\nthey're both decent characters in their own right. Unfortunately, if\nyou just want  one or the other, you'll have to either get one of them\nkilled off, or send that character alone into a house or other structure\nseparate from the main map and disband them, then just never return to\nthat house so they won't initiate dialogue with you and take their\nspouse with them.\n\nKivan\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR019}\no======================================================================o\nRecruitable: Early\nMax Hit points per Level: 10\nMale, Elf, Ranger, Chaotic Good\nStr 18\/12, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 8\n\nRanger 2\nExperience:\t\t2262\nHit Points:\t\t16\nHalberd\t\t\t++\nLongbow\t\t\t++\nTwo-Weapon Style\t++\n\n  ---or---\n\nRanger 4\nExperience:\t\t9012\nHit Points:\t\t27\nLong Sword\t\t+\nHalberd\t\t\t++\nLongbow\t\t\t++\nTwo-Weapon Style\t++\n\n  ---or---\n\nRanger 6\nExperience:\t\t36120\nHit Points:\t\t36\nLong Sword\t\t++\nHalberd\t\t\t++\nLongbow\t\t\t++\nTwo-Weapon Style\t++\n\nOverview:\n---------\nLook at his stats! This guy is the good-guy's equivalent of Shar-Teel,\nbut better, since his proficiencies are less retarded. Of course, he\nfits into the same niche that Minsc occupies, but with a better Armor\nClass, and an arguably more useful favored enemy (Ogres). Kivan also has\ngreat dialogue with Viconia. Sure, his Hit Points can be low, but it's\nnot too much of a problem, considering his perks. He makes a great scout\nand archer, and I included him in my party on my very first play-through\nof this game, back when everybody was an idiot and thought the world was\ngoing to end at the turn of the millenium, unlike the cultured times of\nthe Enhanced Edition, the wiser and less crazy year of 2012. Minsc does\nhave something going for him, however-he's a sequel character, and I'd\nrather have a Ranger pal through both games, rather than choose a\ncharacter who will only be in one. Besides, they both play the same way,\nexcept I tend to have Kivan use his bow more than Minsc. If you want\nKivan, anything I say for Minsc pretty much covers him... except Kivan\ndoesn't need The Brawling Hands... or any support items, for that\nmatter. Kivan is pro. Sadly, he has two downsides, which kind of feed\neach other. His quest requires you to destroy the Bandit Camp, which\ncan take quite a while to do (especially with how I play the game). You\ncan always wait to recruit him until the Bandit Camp is closer, but if\nyou let the computer roll his Hit Points, things get bad quickly. As\nsoon as you can recruit him, he's already lost four Hit Points, which\nisn't too bad, but by level four he's lost a whopping 13, and that rises\nto 24 by level six. Simply put, life will be difficult if you try to\nrush to the Bandit Camp. If you wait and level up, Kivan will be pretty\nuseless. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.\n\nHow to Use Kivan Effectively:\n-----------------------------\nHe starts out Specialized in Longbows and Halberds, which is nice, but\naim to get him ranks in Two-Handed Swords later, as there are a few good\nTwo-Handed Swords in the game. Kivan is good enough that he can be a\ngreat melee character as well as an archer... but he'll do slightly\nbetter at a range. Still, it's nice to have the versatility. His light\narmor means that he should always be attacking from behind another\ncharacter, however... hence the reach weapons.\n\nRecruiting Kivan:\n-----------------\nYou'll find Kivan milling about the eastern side of High Hedge (AR3200),\nat (x=3650, y=1470). High Hedge is just west of Beregost. Kivan will\njoin your party if you tell him you're fighting evil, and you allow him\nto join.\n\nMinsc (Sequel Character)\t\t\t\t\t{CHR020}\no======================================================================o\nRecruitable: Early\nMax Hit points per Level: 11\nMale, Human, Ranger, Neutral Good\nStr 18\/93, Dex 15, Con 15, Int 8, Wis 6, Cha 9\n\nRanger 1\nExperience:\t\t258\nHit Points:\t\t11\nTwo-Handed Sword\t++\nMace\t\t\t+\nLongbow\t\t\t+\nTwo-Weapon Style\t++\n\n  ---or---\n\nRanger 2\nExperience:\t\t2276\nHit Points:\t\t19\nTwo-Handed Sword\t++\nMace\t\t\t+\nLongbow\t\t\t+\nTwo-Weapon Style\t++\n\n  ---or---\n\nRanger 4\nExperience:\t\t9142\nHit Points:\t\t33\nTwo-Handed Sword\t++\nMace\t\t\t+\nLongbow\t\t\t++\nTwo-Weapon Style\t++\n\n  ---or---\n\nRanger 6\nExperience:\t\t32293\nHit Points:\t\t52\nTwo-Handed Sword\t++\nMace\t\t\t++\nLongbow\t\t\t++\nTwo-Weapon Style\t++\n\nOverview:\n---------\nNow here's a true nut-job. A character who is off his rocker and with a\nWisdom of 6 to boot. Minsc has a fantastic Strength score, but his\nDexterity and Constitution only give him very minor bonuses. This is\ncompounded by the fact that he can't wear heavy armor and keep his\nstealth abilities (paltry as they are). Still, The Brawling Hands will\nset him up fairly well, and if you give him a weapon with reach\n(a Two-Handed Sword being the best option) he won't need to put himself\nin as much danger. The other reasons to include him? He's a sequel\ncharacter, and he's entertaining to have around... again, especially in\nthe sequel. If you're power-gamey, none of this matters to you. His\nfavored enemies are Gnolls, which will be fairly common, if never much\nof a threat, and he can berserk, which isn't all that great. Oh, and\nabout waiting to recruit Minsc-don't. His Hit Points take a beating if\nhe gets to level four before you recruit him.\n\nHow to Use Minsc Effectively:\n-----------------------------\nRemember when you started up Baldur's Gate 2 and right in the first\ndungeon was your buddy, Minsc? Remember when, after he used his\n'Berserker strength!' to free himself, looking at his character sheet\nand wondering why the hell he put points into Maces during the\ntransition between Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate 2? Now you get to\nfeel that sense of wonder we had without having to wait until Baldur's\nGate 2! His light armor means he should always be attacking at a range,\nor with a reach weapon... like a Two-Handed Sword. Ignore that silly\nMace proficiency and Specialize in Longbows, then drop some points into\nthe Two-Handed Weapon Style so he can wreak havoc on foes in melee with\nsuch a weapon... and do so safely if he's behind another, better\nprotected melee warrior. \n\nRecruiting Minsc:\n-----------------\nMinsc is in Nashkel (AR4800), standing by the garrison at\n(x=3390, y=1950). Talk to him and accept to help him rescue Dynaheir to\nget him to join your party. Mind you, you'll need to actually go through\nwith this in a timely manner, or he'll turn on you. Check in the\nwalkthrough [WLK007] about reaching Dynaheir.\n\nMontaron\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR021}\no======================================================================o\nRecruitable: Early\nMax Hit Points per Level: 9\nMale, Halfling, Fighter\/Thief, Neutral Evil\nStr 16, Dex 17, Con 15, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 9\n\nFighter 1\/Thief 1\nExperience: \t\t24\/24\nHit Points: \t\t9\nShort Sword\t\t++\nSling\t\t\t++\n\n  ---or---\n\nFighter 1\/Thief 2\nExperience: \t\t1415\/1415\nHit Points: \t\t16\nShort Sword\t\t++\nSling\t\t\t++\n\n  ---or---\n\nFighter 3\/Thief 4\nExperience: \t\t7163\/7163\nHit Points: \t\t33\nShort Sword\t\t++\nAxe\t\t\t+\nSling\t\t\t++\n  ---or---\n\nFighter 5\/Thief 6\nExperience: \t\t21109\/21109\nHit Points: \t\t48\nShort Sword\t\t++\nAxe\t\t\t+\nSling\t\t\t++\n\nOverview:\n---------\nHe's got fairly decent stats at a glance, enough so that you can \nactually consider using him. However, none of his stats are really\nhigh enough to fully make him recommendable. He'll receive a bonus to\ndamage from his Strength, but he's still too weak to make a superb\nfront-liner, especially since he'd need to go lightly armored to\nmaintain his Thieving abilities. Also, Montaron and Xzar are package\ndeals, even though you can get around that several ways. Since he's not\nmuch of a Fighter, he's not bringing much more to the party than a\nsingle-class Thief, even if he could use Longbows rather than Shortbows.\nIf you don't want to use Garrick, use Montaron, ditching or killing Xzar\noff to get rid of the excess baggage. If you don't recruit Montaron\nquickly (easier done than said)... well, he puts his Thief skills into\nstupid things. A Thief who can't Find Traps isn't worth much.\nFortunately, his Hit Points stay pretty good throughout.\n\nHow to Use Montaron Effectively:\n--------------------------------\nMontaron's Dexterity makes him a natural archer... as well as his\nability to use Longbows. Unfortunately, he starts out Specialized in\nboth Short Swords and Slings. The former isn't terrible, but the\nlatter... just sucks. Considering that you'd need to get him several\nlevels to get him using bows... eh, you'll find the superior Coran in\nthat time. Build up his skill in Find Traps and get him ranks in the\nLongbow proficiency.\n\nRecruiting Montaron:\n--------------------\nIn the wilderness area just east of Candlekeep (AR2700), near the\neastern edge of the map (x=4500, y=2700) you'll find Montaron and Xzar\nloitering, just waiting for you to talk to them. Talk to Xzar, and agree\nto journey to Nashkel with him and he'll join your party. Montaron comes\nalong for the ride.\n\nNeera\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR022}\no======================================================================o\nRecruitable: Early\nMax Hit Points per Level: 4\nFemale, Half-Elf, Wild Mage, Chaotic Neutral\nSTR 11, Dex 17, Con 14, In 17, Wis 13, Cha 11\n\nWild Mage 1\nExperience:\t\t36\nHit Points:\t\t4\nQuarterstaff:\t\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nWild Mage 6\nExperience:\t\t40165\nHit Points:\t\t19\nQuarterstaff\t\t+\nSling\t\t\t+\n\nOverview:\n---------\nWell... she's a Mage, and for that, her stats are pretty good. Nobody\ncan poo-poo a 17 Intelligence, and her Dexterity ensures that she'll\nhave a decent Armor Class. Her only problem? She's a freakin' Wild Mage.\nThis might not be an issue for some people, but for me, having a 5%\nchance that a spell will go wild on me is not a bit of randomness that\nI find helpful. Still, she gets an extra spell per level, is easy to\nrecruit, and can fit into either party. She's just not good enough to\nreplace either Imoen (who is just as Intelligent, has a higher\nDexterity, and can be recruited even earlier), nor Edwin, who still\noutclasses everybody in the magic department. Also, if you don't get\nher early, her Hit Points will... well, they aren't horrible, but for\na Mage with no Constitution bonus, you'll want every Hit Point you\ncan get. At 6th level she's down to 19 out of 24 Hit Points, which\nkind of sucks.\n\nHow to Use Neera Effectively:\n-----------------------------\nDon't. Hah, I kill myself... anyways, get her a rank in Slings and have\nher contribute at range-at least bullets won't blow up in your face.\nErr... Sling bullets, anyways. You know what I meant.\n\nRecruiting Neera:\n-----------------\nProbably the first new character most people will encounter in the\nEnhanced Edition, Neera can be found in Beregost, standing around at\n(x=3150, y=1220). She'll initiate dialogue and attempt to coerce you\ninto helping her shake some 'bandits'. Help her out and afterwards\nshe'll join your party, for mutual protection.\n\nQuayle\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR023}\no======================================================================o\nRecruitable: Late\nMax Hit points per Level: 6\nMale, Gnome, Cleric\/Illusionist, Chaotic Neutral\nStr 8, Dex 15, Con 11, Int 17, Wis 10, Cha 6\n\nCleric 2\/Illusionist 2\nExperience:\t\t2000\/2000\nHit Points:\t\t11\nClub\t\t\t+\nSling\t\t\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nCleric 4\/Illusionist 3\nExperience:\t\t7163\/7163\nHit Points:\t\t18\nClub\t\t\t+\nSling\t\t\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nCleric 6\/Illusionist 5\nExperience:\t\t27589\/27589\nHit Points:\t\t24\nClub\t\t\t+\nSling\t\t\t+\nSword and Shield Style\t+\n\nOverview:\n---------\nQuayle is a spell machine that continuously goes on about his vast\nintellect and huge brain. This is probably due to the fact that he\nreally doesn't have any other stats to be proud of. He does have a \npaltry Dexterity that gives him a point to his Armor Class, but his need\nto stay unarmored, his piss-poor Strength, cruddy Hit Points, and the\nfact that he still can't use bows means he's not good for much beyond\nspell casting. Still, by the time he's used up his spell arsenal, \nchances are the battle is over. Unfortunately any of the suggested\ncharacters that fulfill the Cleric or Mage roles in an early party are\nbetter at their spell-craft and usually more hardy and versatile to\nboot. And of course there's the fact that you can't get Quayle until\nBaldur's Gate, which just makes me indisposed to replacing one of the\ncharacters I've grown accustomed to, especially for such a mixed bag.\n\nHow to Use Quayle Effectively:\n------------------------------\nHe starts out proficient with Slings... which is good, because he'll be\nusing them a lot. Other than that... hell, it doesn't really matter. He\nhas no business being in melee combat. On the plus side, if you are\ndead-set on getting him, it's apparently possible to recruit him at\nlevel two... how, practically, this works, I don't know, but if you\nmanage it, he's only lost one Hit Point. Later on, he's somewhat worse\noff. Don't ask me how a Cleric\/Illusionist with 2000\/2000 Experience\nPoints ends up being level 2\/2, that's what the file says, and I just\ndon't care enough about Quayle to bother running to Baldur's Gate with\na low-level party to see what, exactly, I'll find. \n\nRecruiting Quayle:\n------------------\nYou can find Quayle north of the bridge leading to Baldur's Gate \n(AR0900), at (x=480, y=800). You cannot reach him until chapter 5.\n\nRasaad\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR024}\no======================================================================o\nRecruitable: Early\nMax Hit Points per Level: 8\nMale, Human, Sun Soul Monk, Lawful Good\nStr 16, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 11, Wis 14, Cha 14\n\nMonk 1\nExperience: \t\t51\nHit Points: \t\t8\nKatana \t\t\t+\nScimitar, etc.\t\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nMonk 6\nExperience: \t\t27551\nHit Points: \t\t40\nKatana \t\t\t+\nScimitar, etc.\t\t+\nSling\t\t\t+\n\nOverview:\n---------\nRejoice! For the Enhanced Edition you've been furnished with a Monk, so\nyou need not create your own! Despair! He sucks! His Strength and\nDexterity aren't... terrible, but Monks don't really get to rely on\ngear, so the only way to rate them is by their attributes. He gets a\nmeager bonus to damage due to his Strength, and a +2 bonus to Armor\nClass from his Dexterity. That's it. If you want a Monk, make your\nown. You can do much better. As it stands, you could get rid of Minsc\nin favor of Rasaad, if you wished. Both serve... close enough to the\nsame purpose. Both can scout and both are secondary Fighters. I wouldn't\ncall Rasaad an improvement, however. As for Hit Point progression goes,\nhe'll end up with a respectable 40 out of a possible 48 Hit Points by\nlevel six. It's not great, but it could be worse.\n\nHow to Use Rasaad Effectively:\n------------------------------\nWell, getting him Proficient in Slings is nice, so he has the option to\ncontribute at range, but he's really going to need a melee weapon.\nWhat's the point in using a melee weapon on a Monk, you ask? Well,\nsince the game caps Monks one level BEFORE their unarmed attacks would\ncount as magical weapons, you'll just need a way to hurt foes who are\nimmune to non-magical weapons. They're not common, but they're not\nexactly once-in-a-gametime foes, either. Short Swords would serve fine,\nsince there are a few good ones in the game (even a +3 specimen near\nthe end), and no other melee character should require one. Other than\nthat... pamper him with Armor Class boosting gear and hope for the best.\n\nRecruiting Rasaad:\n------------------\nYou'll find Rasaad in Nashkel (x=1090, y=780), being pestered by some\npeasants just across the bridge near the north of the map. Just ask\nhim to join (and endure his boring attempts to get you to hear his\nstory) and he'll join up.\n\nSafana\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR025}\no======================================================================o\nRecruitable: Early\nMax Hit Points per Level: 6\nFemale, Human, Thief, Chaotic Neutral\nStr 13, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 16, Wis 9, Cha 17\n\nThief 2\nExperience: \t\t1281\nHit Points: \t\t9\nScimitar, etc.\t\t+\nDart\t\t\t+\nSingle-Weapon Style\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nThief 4\nExperience: \t\t5036\nHit Points: \t\t19\nScimitar, etc.\t\t+\nDart\t\t\t+\nSingle-Weapon Style\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nThief 6\nExperience: \t\t20119\nHit Points: \t\t25\nScimitar, etc.\t\t+\nDart\t\t\t+\nSingle-Weapon Style\t+\n\nOverview:\n---------\nIf you don't want Imoen, Safana is probably the next best choice for a\nThief. Frankly, however, Imoen has better Thief stats, with a higher\nDexterity and a good Constitution. The Strength difference is\nnegligible, as Safana still doesn't gain any to hit or damage bonuses,\nand Thieves really aren't much for armor. Also, Safana can't dual-class\ninto a Mage, which makes her much less versatile than Imoen. Of course,\nif you gave her the Tome of Clear Thought... but you get your hands on\nit so late in the game, and it means your main character can't carry\nthose stats over to Baldur's Gate 2. All in all, Safana is a good Thief,\nbut Imoen is better.\n\nHow to Use Safana Efficiently:\n------------------------------\nShe unwisely doesn't have any ranks in Shortbow-remedy that if you plan\nto use her, then play her like Imoen as much as possible. Like most\ncharacters, she's much more hardy if you recruit her early-if you fail\nto get to her by level four, she'll have lost five potential Hit Points,\nand if you delay until level six, she'll have lost 11.\n\nRecruiting Safana:\n------------------\nYou'll find Safana at (x=3750, y=2390) in (AR3600), which is south-west\nof High Hedge (the area with the tower.) She'll ask if you want to team\nup to hunt for the treasure of Black Alaric, which is located in a\nSirine-and-Flesh Golem-guarded cavern in the north-western area of the \nmap (x=400, y=900). Get the treasure and Safana will offer to join your\ngroup permanently. Note that she will not offer to join your party if\nyou do not have any 'fighting ready men' with you, so be sure to bring\na Y chromosome along.\n\nShar-Teel\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR026}\no======================================================================o\nRecruitable: Early\nMax Hit points per Level: 10\nFemale, Human, Fighter, Chaotic Evil\nStr 18\/58, Dex 17, Con 9, Int 14, Wis 7, Cha 11\n\nFighter 2\nExperience:\t\t2150\nHit Points:\t\t17\nLong Sword\t\t+\nDagger\t\t\t+\nTwo-Weapon Style\t++\n\n  ---or---\n\nFighter 4\nExperience:\t\t8213\nHit Points:\t\t32\nLong Sword\t\t++\nDagger\t\t\t+\nTwo-Weapon Style\t++\n\n  ---or---\n\nFighter 6\nExperience:\t\t32590\nHit Points:\t\t46\nLong Sword\t\t++\nDagger\t\t\t+\nCrossbow\t\t+\nTwo-Weapon Style\t++\n\nOverview:\n---------\nHer Strength is good, her Dexterity is good, but her Constitution? Blah.\nIn any event, Shar-Teel has a few problems. First, her location sucks.\nYou have to go pretty far afield to reach her. Second... well, she's\nkind of been eclipsed by the inclusion of Dorn in the Enhanced Edition.\nKagain is an obvious choice for any sane evil party, but for that\ncoveted second-warrior slot... It's hard to recommend Shar-Teel over\nDorn, especially considering how her proficiencies were reshuffled.\nThat said, she'll still a very competent Fighter for the evil party. Her\ngood Armor Class should mitigate her low Hit Points, and her Strength\nmixed with Mastery makes her a potent character without having to use up\nany items. In my original Baldur's Gate evil party, this left me free to\ngive Kagain The Brawler's Gloves and Jaheira the Hands of Takkok,\nessentially giving me three awesome front-line powerhouses. If you can\nreach her (and beat her) she's worth a look. Also, she has history with\nAngelo, which might help you later on in the game... Like with most\ncharacters, try to get her early, for a number of reasons. First, she'll\nspend her proficiencies unwisely, second, her Hit Points will never be\nstellar, but losing fourteen Hit Points by level six is not going to\nhelp.\n\nHow to Use Shar-Teel Effectively:\n---------------------------------\nPerhaps no character has been altered as radically by the Enhanced\nEdition as Shar-Teel. She went from a pretty straight-forward Large\nSword user to a Two-Weapon Style warrior. Her starting proficiency\nallocation prevents her from attaining High Mastery, which is a bit of\na bummer... but only if you play Shar-Teel as a straight Fighter. Since\nshe's been changed quite a bit, it only makes sense that we change how\nwe use her-and with Dorn added into the mix, it doesn't really make\nsense to bother with another front-liner... especially considering the\nfact that Shar-Teel compares poorly to Dorn and Kagain. What to do with\nShar-Teel, then? Notice that 17 Dexterity-her selling point as a\nFighter is also the key to her Enhanced Edition transformation. With a\n17 Dexterity, she can be dual-classed into a Thief, satiating a need\nthe evil party might need. With this approach you can get her to\n6th-level as a Fighter, then dual-class to a Thief and reach\n9th-level. Two characters in one-a competent melee fighter with all\nthe Thief skills you really need. All in all, it's probably a superior\noption to bringing Safana or Montaron around. I'd suggest focusing on\nDaggers for Shar-Teel-get her up to Mastery with your two Fighter\nproficiencies (3rd and 6th level) and High Mastery with Thief (8th\nlevel). There are plenty of +2 Daggers in the game... not so many\nLong Swords.\n\nRecruiting Shar-Teel:\n---------------------\nShar-Teel is in (AR3500), otherwise known affectionately as 'the \nBasilisk Area' by me. She's in the north-western part of the map, at \naround (x=280, y=300). She'll challenge your strongest male to a fight,\nand if you win, she'll join your group. Since you can out-gear her,\nand just use Kagain, this shouldn't be too hard of a fight. Of course,\nat lower levels (ideally when you want to recruit her) the fight can be\ndecided with one bad hit or two-so save before you pick a fight.\n\nSkie\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR027}\no======================================================================o\nRecruitable: Late\nMax Hit points per Level: 7\nFemale, Human, Thief, True Neutral\nStr 11, Dex 18, Con 15, Int 15, Wis 8, Cha 13\n\nThief 4\nExperience: \t\t5098\nHit Points: \t\t22\nShort Sword\t\t+\nShortbow\t\t+\nDart\t\t\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nThief 6\nExperience: \t\t20056\nHit Points: \t\t28\nShort Sword\t\t+\nShortbow\t\t+\nDart\t\t\t+\n\nOverview:\n---------\nSkie is another case of too little, too late. Although with Skie, she\ncould have legitimately made a decent Thief with the following notes:\n1) She's Eldoth's girl, which means you'd need to drag Eldoth along, or\ndispose of him. 2) She's got great Dexterity, which will make her a\ncapable archer, but Safana is nearly as good, and obtainable much \nearlier. Montaron and Coran are both more versatile and more powerful\nFighter\/Thief combinations, and Imoen can dual-class into a Mage. That\nleaves Skie fairly far down on the list of thieves. Also hindering her\nchances of ever making it into a party is the fact that Skie has\napparently taken the shotgun approach to thieving-she has points into\neverything, but is good at nothing. Last but not least-since she starts\nout at level four, she'll at least be suffering as far as Hit Points\nare concerned (22 out of a possible 28 Hit Points), and by level six\nher situation is laughable (28 out of 42 Hit Points).\n\nHow to Use Her Effectively:\n---------------------------\nFirst and foremost, you must get to her as early as possible, to save\nas many Thief Ability points as possible. Afterwards... well, she's\nProficient with Shortbows, and she's not good for anything but archery,\nso... she really just needs to be recruited.\n\nRecruiting Skie:\n----------------\nYou can find Skie in the north-western section of Baldur's Gate (AR0100)\nloitering around in her room in the upper level of Entar Silvershield's\nhouse (AR0102). You must have Eldoth in your party when you talk to her,\nor she'll call some guards and disappear.\n\nTiax\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR028}\no======================================================================o\nRecruitable: Late\nMax Hit points per Level: 9\nMale, Gnome, Cleric\/Thief, Chaotic Evil\nStr 9, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 9\n\nCleric 2\/Thief 2\nExperience:\t\t1545\/1545\nHit Points:\t\t21\nQuarterstaff\t\t+\nSling\t\t\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nCleric 4\/Thief 4\nExperience:\t\t6154\/6154\nHit Points:\t\t34\nQuarterstaff\t\t+\nSling\t\t\t+\nTwo-Handed Weapon Style\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nCleric 5\/Thief 6\nExperience:\t\t20361\/20361\nHit Points:\t\t47\nQuarterstaff\t\t+\nSling\t\t\t+\nTwo-Handed Weapon Style\t+\n\nOverview:\n---------\nQuite possibly the last recruitable ally in the game you'll encounter,\nTiax scores points for being amusing, if nothing else. He's a \nCleric\/Thief, which makes him somewhat more useful than a straight\nCleric... although there are some side-effects to be aware of. Firstly,\nhe's still stuck with blunt weapons because of his Cleric background,\nwhich isn't a big deal. Also, he can't use bows, which does kind of \nsuck. His Strength is crap, but he doesn't suffer a penalty because of\nit, and overall, he's not any worse in combat than Viconia. What he\nlacks in Armor Class he makes up for with an extra Hit Point per level.\nThat is, of course, until you consider that he can't wear heavy armor\nand keep his Thief skills. You could put him in  Shadow Armor, but he\nwould never have the same Armor Class of, say Viconia, or the fighting\nability of Jaheira. His biggest problem is how late in the game you get\nhim, and although he can potentially be recruited at level two-I just\ndon't see how it's feasible to make it to Baldur's Gate that soon...\nalthough if you DO manage it, he apparently has a few more Hit Points\nthan is strictly possible (21 out of what should be his maximum of 18).\nAll in all, his Hit Points remain pretty good, and his proficiencies?\nWell, they suck no matter what he does-Slings are about the best he can\nhope for. The only thing that really suffers by the delay are his Thief\nskills. Like Skie, he seems to have taken the Jack-of-all-Trades<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
approach, which just means he sucks at everything. So... letting the\ncomputer level him doesn't hurt him as much as it hurts other\ncharacters, but he still sucks, regardless.\n\nHow to Use Tiax Effectively:\n----------------------------\nHe starts out Proficient in Quarterstaves and Slings. The latter is\ngood for obvious reasons, but the former... well, it has reach and\nwill keep him out of melee combat, so it's not a terrible choice,\neither. He really shouldn't bother in melee combat at all, reach or\nnot, and you should view him as... more of a Cleric with a few\nThief skills. Save for the fact that by the time you get him, he'll\nprobably have wasted his skills. Oh, and I prefer my Clerics to fight-\nMages can have the luxury of hanging back and casting spells. Clerics\ncannot. Still, that's the only real way to play Tiax-use Slings and\ncast the odd Clerical spell. Blech.\n\nRecruiting Tiax:\n----------------\nTiax is in the south-eastern section of Baldur's Gate (AR1100), at \n(x=1450, y=1620), right in front of the Flaming Fist compound.\n\nViconia (Sequel character)\t\t\t\t\t{CHR029}\no======================================================================o\nRecruitable: Early\nMax Hit points per Level: 8\nFemale, Elf, Cleric, Neutral Evil\nStr 10, Dex 19, Con 8, Int 16, Wis 15, Cha 14\n\nCleric 2\nExperience: \t\t1603\nHit Points: \t\t12\nMace\t\t\t+\nSling\t\t\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nCleric 4\nExperience: \t\t6134\nHit Points: \t\t18\nWar Hammer\t\t+\nMace\t\t\t+\nSling\t\t\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nCleric 6\nExperience: \t\t27628\nHit Points: \t\t27\nWar Hammer\t\t+\nMace\t\t\t+\nSling\t\t\t+\n\nOverview:\n---------\nAnother character with a high Dexterity and a low Constitution. You\ncan't have your cake and eat it too, right? Fortunately, her Armor Class\nwill keep her safe from most damage... and as for spells, to which her\nArmor Class does not apply? She's 50% magic resistant by nature, making\nher rather hard  to injure, and best of all, her Magic Resistance isn't\nthe bogus absolute version that it was in the original Baldur's Gate-\ninstead it's the more intelligent Baldur's Gate 2 type of Magic\nResistance. In other words, her Magic Resistance now only prevents\nhostile magic. Her Strength is pathetic, and it will prevent her from\nwearing some types of armor, but there are low-Strength alternatives.\nStill, a lower THAC0, worse Hit Points, and lower proficiencies will\nrestrict her to secondary Fighter status. Which is fine. She's a Cleric.\nA damn good one at that. And did I mention she's a sequel character?\nWhat more do you need? She's another Hit Point sensitive character\nthat you must recruit early. As soon as you can get her (level two)\nshe'll already be down four Hit Points, and as a Cleric with a poor\nConstitution, she doesn't have the Hit Points to spare. By level four\nshe'll have a mere 18 out of the possible 32 Hit Points a Cleric her\nlevel should have, and by level six she's suffering with only 27 out of\n48 Hit Points. Ouch.\n\nHow to Use Viconia Effectively:\n-------------------------------\nHer proficiencies-as a Cleric-are pretty self-explanatory. She can only\nbecome Proficient in a few types of weapons and she'll only get two\npoints to spend in the game. Ashideena +2 is an obvious weapon\nselection for her, as it can be obtained early and remains a good weapon\nthroughout the game, so become Proficient in War Hammers, which will\nsupplement her fine starting Proficiencies in Maces and Slings. Other\nthan that... Get her a Sling, strap on whatever Small Shield you can\nfind and a suit of Ankheg Plate Mail and she'll be good to go.\n\nRecruiting Viconia:\n-------------------\nViconia is in Peldvale (AR2400), east of the Friendly Arm Inn. She's\nbeing accosted by a Flaming Fist Mercenary. To get her in your party\nyou have to defend her from the mercenary, then accept her into your\nparty. Your reputation takes a two point hit for letting her join... but\nit is a good way to get some plate mail early on. Also, if you kick her\nout of your party later, you'll regain the lost reputation, so it's not\na permanent loss.\n\nXan\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR030}\no======================================================================o\nRecruitable: Mid\nMax Hit points per Level: 4\nMale, Elf, Enchanter, Lawful Neutral\nStr 13, Dex 16, Con 7, Int 17, Wis 14, Cha 16\n\nEnchanter 2\nExperience: \t\t2561\nHit Points: \t\t7\nDagger\t\t\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nEnchanter 4\nExperience: \t\t10042\nHit Points: \t\t12\nDagger\t\t\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nEnchanter 6\nExperience: \t\t41549\nHit Points: \t\t17\nDagger\t\t\t+\nSling\t\t\t+\n\nOverview:\n---------\nXan is technically on the list of early-recruitable characters, although\nit involves trekking to the Nashkel Mines fairly early. Don't worry.\nThere's no need. Xan sucks. His Intelligence is passable, and his\nDexterity actually gives him a bonus to Armor Class, but he's an\nEnchanter. This means he cannot cast any evocation spells, like Magic\nMissile, Web, Stinking Cloud, Fireball and Fireshield. This severely\nlimits his offensive powers, and once you consider the competition,\nthere's no need to bother with Xan. Edwin is a better evil Mage, and\nDynaheir is a better good Mage. What Imoen lacks in spells, she makes up\nfor in versatility... hell, I'd even pick Neera over Xan. There's just\nno need for him, regardless of your alignment. He DOES get a Moonblade,\nhowever, which is a +3 sword (that really counts as a dagger) that also\ngrants a +1 bonus to Armor Class and 50% Fire Resistance. Still, his\nclass and low Strength score makes this a fairly useless weapon in his\nhands. Oh, and to sweeten the deal he's a whiney pessimist. Skip on Xan,\nhe's more trouble than he's worth. However, if you take him along long\nenough to feed him to a Sword Spider, you'll get bonus points from the\nauthor of this FAQ. Why? Go look at my Icewind Dale FAQ to find out why\nthis is a suitable way to dispose of Xan. Hehe. Oh, right, and his\nleveling... well, if you see a level six character with 17 Hit Points,\nyou know something is wrong. To be fair his Constitution is just high\nenough to prevent him from losing Hit Points, but the computer is not\nso generous. At the earliest point you can recruit him, he's already\nlevel two and has lost a Hit Point. Not enough to end the world, but\nat level four, he's lost four (and the sad thing is, this is a quarter\nof his possible Hit Points he's lost here), and by level six he's down\nseven out of twenty-four.\n\nHow to Use Xan Effectively:\n---------------------------\nAs Sword Spider bait. He comes proficient in Daggers-and hence, with\nhis Moonblade +3, but he is not to be exposed to melee combat. Get him\na rank in Slings at level five, and use him to tickle foes at range\nwith bullets.\n\nRecruiting Xan:\n---------------\nTo get Xan you have to make your way through the Nashkel Mines. He's on\nthe fourth level (AR5404), in the cavern that Mulahey is in, in a room\nto the north (x=800, y=590).\n\nXzar\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR031}\no======================================================================o\nRecruitable: Early\nMax Hit points per Level: 4\nMale, Human, Necromancer, Chaotic Evil\nStr 14, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 17, Wis 16, Cha 10\n\nNecromancer 1\nExperience:\t\t58\nHit Points:\t\t4\nDagger\t\t\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nNecromancer 2\nExperience: \t\t2539\nHit Points: \t\t6\nDagger\t\t\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nNecromancy 4\nExperience: \t\t10042\nHit Points: \t\t8\nDagger\t\t\t+\n\n  ---or---\n\nNecromancer 6\nExperience: \t\t41302\nHit Points:\t \t12\nDagger\t\t\t+\nDart\t\t\t+\n\nOverview:\n---------\nI'm not sure how a psychopath has a good Wisdom score.. better than\npretty much every Cleric in the game at that.. but anyways. Xzar isn't\na terrible character. He'll get a minor bonus to Armor Class from his\nDexterity and his Intelligence is decent. Also, a Necromancer isn't a\nhorrible specialist Mage. If you want him, be sure to get him early,\nas the computer is absolutely retarded when it comes to his Hit Point\nrolls. At level six he's got a mere 12 out of a possible 24 Hit Points.\nSeriously, a level six Mage with 12 Hit Points? If anything looks at\nhim, he'll die.\n\nHow to Use Xzar Effectively:\n----------------------------\nXzar has only one problem. Edwin has him pretty much outgunned in every\nfield. That's really Xzar's only major problem. Edwin. Play Xzar just\nlike Edwin. Get him ranks in Slings so he can contribute in combat\nwithout getting destroyed. Even at his best, 24 Hit Points is not very\nimpressive.\n\nRecruiting Xzar:\n----------------\nIn the wilderness area just east of Candlekeep (AR2700), near the\neastern edge of the map (x=4500, y=2700) you'll find him and Montaron\nloitering, just waiting for you. Talk to him, and agree to journey to\nNashkel with him and he'll join your party, along with Montaron.\n\nYeslick\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{CHR032}\no======================================================================o\nRecruitable: Mid\nMax Hit points per Level: 12\nMale, Dwarf, Fighter\/Cleric, Lawful Good\nStr 15, Dex 12, Con 17, Int 7, Wis 16, Cha 10\n\nFighter 2\/Cleric 3\nExperience:\t\t3616\/3616\nHit Points:\t\t32\nWar Hammer\t\t++\nSling\t\t\t++\n\n  ---or---\n\nFighter 4\/Cleric 5\nExperience:\t\t13690\/13690\nHit Points:\t\t56\nWar Hammer\t\t++\nMace\t\t\t+\nSling\t\t\t++\n\nOverview:\n---------\nYeslick is a great choice for a Cleric, being a Fighter\/Cleric he'll get\nbetter THAC0 and Hit Points than a Cleric, as well as the ability to put\ntwo ranks in a weapon proficiency. This will make him more competent in\nmelee, while still retaining the useful healing and buffing powers of a\nCleric. His Strength isn't fantastic, but compared to the other Clerics\nin the game, it's as good as you can expect... and at least it's high\nenough to wear the heavier types of armor and wield Large Shields. His\npoor Dexterity could be offset by The Brawling Hands, but he has plenty\nof Hit Points to keep him going. His only problem? You can't get him\nuntil you're nearly done with the Cloakwood Mines. All things\nconsidered, I'd still rather take Jaheira, who essentially fills the\nsame role. Even if Yeslick was obtainable earlier, I'd still pick\nJaheira, being a sequel character wins over Yeslick's slightly better\nspell arsenal. He is certainly an interesting replacement for Branwen,\nbut honestly, in most games I break my own Good\/Evil party rules and\njust bring Viconia along in the Good party anyways, and I'd rate both\nJaheira and Viconia over Yeslick any day. Yeslick is one of those\nrare, wonderful characters whose Hit Points stay dependable no matter\nwhat level you get him at.\n\nHow to Use Yeslick Effectively:\n-------------------------------\nHe comes Specialized in both War Hammers and Slings... the ideal Cleric\nset-up. As for what to get him as he levels... well, Maces are an\nobvious choice, as he can then use The Stupefier +1 and Ashideen +2, as\nthe situation demands, or if you're fine with just sticking with\nAshideena +2 you can always get him Specialized in Sword and Shield\nStyle-the bonus Armor Class versus missile weapons won't hurt him a bit.\n\nRecruiting Yeslick:\n-------------------\nYou can find Yeslick in the second level of the Cloakwood Mines (AR1804)\nat (x=860, y=1720). He wants revenge on the Iron Throne pretty badly,\nand will jump at any offer to take them out. All you really have to do\nis extend that offer. Bear in mind, he won't be happy until the mines\nare flooded, so don't recruit him and head off to do other things. \n\nTable of Character Attributes\t\t\t\t\t{CHR033}\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 the\nStrengths and weaknesses of the various characters, and plan for item\ndistribution accordingly. I also threw in some useless 'averages', just\nbecause it interested me, and by deduction, every other sentient being\nin 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\nAjantis\t\t|  17   |  13   |  16   |  12   |  13   |  17   |  88  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nAlora\t\t|   8   |  19   |  12   |  14   |   7   |  10   |  70  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nBaeloth\t\t|  12   |  14   |  16   |  19   |  12   |  16   |  89  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nBranwen\t\t|  13   |  16   |  15   |   9   |  16   |  13   |  82  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nCoran\t\t|  14   |  20   |  12   |  14   |   9   |  16   |  85  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nDorn\t\t|  19\t|  16\t|  14\t|  10\t|  15\t|  16\t|  90  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nDynaheir\t|  11   |  13   |  16   |  17   |  15   |  12   |  84  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nEdwin\t\t|   9   |  10   |  16   |  18   |   9   |  10   |  72  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nEldoth\t\t|  16   |  12   |  15   |  13   |  10   |  16   |  82  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nFaldorn\t\t|  12   |  15   |  11   |  10   |  16   |  15   |  79  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nGarrick\t\t|  14   |  16   |   9   |  13   |  14   |  15   |  81  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nImoen\t\t|   9   |  18   |  16   |  17   |  11   |  16   |  87  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nJaheira\t\t|  15   |  14   |  17   |  10   |  14   |  15   |  85  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nKagain\t\t|  16   |  12   |  20   |  15   |  11   |   8   |  82  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nKhalid\t\t|  15   |  16   |  17   |  15   |  10   |   9   |  82  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nKivan\t\t| 18\/12 |  17   |  14   |  10   |  14   |   8   |  81  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nMinsc\t\t| 18\/93 |  15   |  15   |   8   |   6   |   9   |  71  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nMontaron\t|  16   |  17   |  15   |  12   |  13   |   9   |  82  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nNeera\t\t|  11\t|  17\t|  14\t|  17\t|  13\t|  11\t|  83  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nQuayle\t\t|   8   |  15   |  11   |  17   |  10   |   6   |  67  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nRasaad\t\t|  16\t|  16\t|  14\t|  11\t|  14\t|  14\t|  85  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nSafana\t\t|  13   |  17   |  10   |  16   |   9   |  17   |  82  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nShar-Teel\t| 18\/58 |  17   |   9   |  14   |   7   |  11   |  76  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nSkie\t\t|  11   |  18   |  15   |  15   |   8   |  13   |  80  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nTiax\t\t|   9   |  16   |  16   |  10   |  13   |   9   |  73  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nViconia\t\t|  10   |  19   |   8   |  16   |  15   |  14   |  82  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nXan\t\t|  13   |  16   |   7   |  17   |  14   |  16   |  83  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nXzar\t\t|  14   |  16   |  10   |  17   |  16   |  10   |  83  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nYeslick\t\t|  15   |  12   |  17   |   7   |  16   |  10   |  77  |\n\t\t|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|\nAverage \t| 13.45 | 15.59 | 13.69 | 13.55 | 12.07 | 12.45 |80.79 |\n\t\to=======o=======o=======o=======o=======o=======o======o\n\nNote: The average result of a 3d6 dice roll is 10.5 (3.5 per d6).\nBioware is using some loaded dice to come up with a lot of those\nattributes (and Overhaul Games even more so!) Then again, if these were\n'average' characters, they  wouldn't be worthy traveling companions,\nright?\n\nIt also amuses me that the stats that Bioware found the least\nuseful-Wisdom and Charisma-are the stats that I found the least useful\nin my days as Dungeon Master. (If I bothered to average out stats for\nBaldur's Gate characters, you can bet I have spreadsheets of old\ncampaigns and characters of my own). Many characters that are fun to\nplay aren't nice (everybody likes to play a jackass, from time to time)\nand\/or they aren't wise. Crazy characters.. or more politely,\ndangerously uninhibited characters... are often more fun to play than\ncharacters who are responsible, cautious, and deliberate. I think these\nare universal traits that most long-time players will discover if they\nbother to average out their PC attributes.\n\nQuayle has a total attribute score of 67. This is only four points\nhigher than the dice average of 63 (10.5 x6). Dorn has an total\nattribute score of 90 (an average of 15 per attribute), 27 points higher\nthan the dice average of 63. That's nearly as high as the attributes I\nprovide for my protagonists... although I suppose it's easier to post\nhigh numbers when your Charisma is set at either 17 or 18 before racial\nadjustments.\n\nThe Enhanced Edition characters have an average total attribute score\nof 86.75, compared to the original Baldur's Gate character attribute\nscore average of 79.84. Keep in mind, however, these are designed to be\nsequel characters, too. The average total attribute score in the sequel\nis 83, so... well, it's just fun to crunch the numbers, it really has\nno correlation to whether a character is good or not. Edwin is a 72\noverall, and he's awesome, whereas Xan is an 83 overall and he sucks.\nJust goes to show that attributes don't make a character great-you need\nthe right scores in the right attributes, and the right class to make\nthe best use of said attributes. Having an amulet that gives a bonus\nspell per level doesn't hurt, either.\n\nChart of Characters by Role\t\t\t\t\t{CHR034}\no======================================================================o\nBelow is a list of all the recruitable characters in the game and the\ndifferent roles they fill. This will list whether a character is a good\nFighter, good at multiple things, appears in the sequel. essentially the\ninformation above condensed into a chart. Maybe it'll be helpful, maybe\nnot, but at least you can't say it's not here! \n\n\t\tFighter\n\t\t    |Cleric\n\t\t    |\t|Mage\n\t\t    |\t|   |Thief\n\t\t    |\t|   |\t|Archer\n\t\t    |\t|   |\t|   |Leader\n\t\t    |\t|   |\t|   |   |The Brawling Hands\n\t\t    |\t|   |\t|   |\t|   |Hands of Takkok\n\t\t    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |Sequel\n                    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |Easily Recruitable\n\t\t    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |Good\n\t            |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |Neutral\n\t            |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |Evil\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nAjantis\t\t| X |   |   |   |   | X | X |   |   | X | X |   |   |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nAlora\t\t|   |   |   | X | o |   |   |   |   |   | X |   |   |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nBaeloth\t\t|   |   | X |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | X |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nBranwen\t\t| o | X |   |   |   | o |   |   |   | X |   | X |   |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nCoran\t\t|   |   |   | X | X | o |   |   |   |   | X |   |   |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nDorn\t\t| X | \t|   |   |   | X |   |   |   | X |   |   | X |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nDynaheir\t|   |   | X |   |   |   |   |   |   | X | X |   |   |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nEdwin\t\t|   |   | X |   |   |   |   |   | X | X |   |   | X |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nEldoth\t\t|   |   | o |   | o | o | X |   |   |   |   |   | X |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nFaldorn\t\t|   | o |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | X |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nGarrick\t\t|   |   | o |   | o | o |   |   |   | X |   | X |   |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nImoen\t\t|   |   | X | X | o |   |   |   | X | X | X |   |   |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nJaheira\t\t| X | o |   |   |   | X | X | X | X | X |   | X |   |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nKagain\t\t| X |   |   |   |   |   | X | X |   | X |   |   | X |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nKhalid\t\t| X |   |   |   |   |   |   | X |   | X | X |   |   |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nKivan\t\t| o |   |   |   | X |   |   |   |   | X | X |   |   |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nMinsc\t\t| o |   |   |   | X |   | X |   | X | X | X |   |   |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nMontaron\t| o |   |   | X | X |   |   |   |   | X |   |   | X |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nNeera\t\t|   |   | X |   |   |   |   |   |   | X |   | X |   |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nQuayle\t\t|   | X | o |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | X |   |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nRasaad\t\t| o |   |   |   |   | o | X | X |   | X | X |   |   |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nSafana\t\t|   |   |   | X | o | o |   |   |   | X |   | X |   |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nShar-Teel\t| X |   |   | x | o |   |   |   |   | X |   |   | X |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nSkie\t\t|   |   |   | X |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | X |   |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nTiax\t\t|   | X |   | X |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | X |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nViconia\t\t| o | X |   |   |   | X |   |   | X | X |   |   | X |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nXan\t\t|   |   | o |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | X |   |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nXzar\t\t|   |   | X |   |   |   |   |   |   | X |   |   | X |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\nYeslick\t\t| X | X |   |   |   |   | X | X |   |   | X |   |   |\n\t\to===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o\n\nX = Strong Candidate\no = Weak candidate\n\nFighter: Characters who can meet foes in melee combat with regular\nsuccess. These characters typically have decent Hit Points (typically\nending near or over 100), a good THAC0, and multiple attacks per round.\nHeavy armor for an exceptionally low Armor Class is also a must. A \nCleric is typically better at fitting into this category than a Ranger\nor Fighter\/Thief, since they do not work as well with heavy armor.. and\nthe main point of a Fighter is to tank.\n\nCleric: In order to meet this classification, a character must not only\nbe able to heal, but be able to cure poisons, and cast higher level\nCleric spells within the experience cap of Baldur's Gate. A true Cleric\ncan cast Dispel Magic, Protection from Evil 10' Radius, Defensive \nHarmony, and so forth. A Druid may or may not meet your healing needs\nalone, but they certainly help.\n\nMage: In order to meet this classification, a character should be able\nto cast several of the following: Magic Missile, Identify, Knock,\nStinking Cloud, Web, Mirror Image, Dispel Magic, Haste, Slow, Fireball, \nConfusion, Greater Malison, and Chaos. A Bard may satisfy your\nrequirements for a Mage, but any character who is not capable of casting\nat LEAST Knock, Stinking Cloud, Dispel Magic and Haste should make you\nthink twice about using them as a Mage. Ironically, this might make some\nBards qualify, whereas some specialist Mages might not be versatile\nenough.\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\nArcher: An archer has access to Bows. Slings, crossbows, darts, and\nother missile weapons just don't have the same rate of fire and damage\npotential as a bow, although this is not to underestimate a melee \nFighter with the Throwing Axe +2. Archers may or may not be capable in \nmelee combat, but they do not use shields. If they participate in melee \ncombat, they typically do so with a reach weapon, such as a Spear, \nhalberd, or two-handed sword so they are not open to reprisals. This \ndoes not qualify them to be Fighters, as part of the Fighter role is \ntanking.\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 \nAlgernon's Cloak and the Helm of Glory, even a modest Charisma of, say,\n14 can get up to snuff.\n\nThe Brawling Hands: This character needs the The Brawling Hands to\nexcel. These are typically Fighters with a low Dexterity (and hence, \na poor Armor Class). Ideally almost every character could use these,\nbut this category is for otherwise decent characters who become much\nstronger by equipping the gauntlets. This is not a category for \ncharacters who do not fit into an archery or fighting role, or \ncharacters who will still suck with them. It's also not for characters\nwho really don't need these gauntlets to excel. If it's not lowering\ntheir Armor Class by three or four points, they probably don't need it.\n\nHands of Takkok: This character needs the Hands of Takkok to excel.\nThese are typically Fighters (as Fighters have more attacks than\nClerics, they are better candidates for the gauntlets) who have a low\nstrength. 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 suck with\nthem. It's also not for characters who really don't need these gauntlets\nto excel. If their Strength is naturally a sixteen or higher, you can\nprobably find somebody better to give them to.\n\nNote: Characters who need the Hands of Takkok could also use the\nBig-Fisted Belt, with one exception-any arcane spell-casters should\navoid the latter in favor of the former, as it also stunts their\nIntelligence. Aside from possibly your protagonists, the only character\nwho needs Strength and Intelligence is Eldoth, and he's garbage anyways.\n\nSequel: This character is playable in the sequel, a serious \nconsideration for me, and for anybody who actually cares about the\nstory enough to play through both games with one character. It's not\nvital, like say, in Mass Effect, where characters respond to your\nprevious actions, but it does give you that fuzzy warm nostalgia that\nmakes the entire game more worth-while.\n\nEasily Recruitable: This character is recruitable without much fuss. By\nthis, I mean a character you can go ahead and recruit any time before\nthe Cloakwood Forest simply by going out and finding them. If you're too\nlazy to head far enough afield to get them, that's another story.\n\nGood: Characters of Good alignment.\n\nNeutral: Characters of Neutral alignment. Note neutrality is secondary\nto Good and Evil. Chaotic and Lawful characters do not cause problems.\n\nEvil: Characters of Evil alignment.\n\nSuggested Parties by Role\t\t\t\t\t{CHR035}\no======================================================================o\nThese are my suggestions for characters, based on their strengths, the\nease in which they can be obtained, and the roles they fill. All of this\nwill, of course, have to work around whatever protagonist you choose to\nplay. Obviously a good protagonist should be hanging out with goodly\nfolk, and if you make a protagonist of a certain class, you obviously\nwon't need to recruit another character to fill the same role, will\nyou? I strongly suggest playing some sort of Thief for the evil party,\nwhich allows you to obtain a decent character that fulfills your\nthieving needs. The Thief options for the evil party aren't great in\nBaldur's Gate, and they're even worse in Baldur's Gate 2. My ideal\nparty is one where I can recruit characters to fit my every need,\nallowing me to develop my protagonist for power, instead of necessity.\nAs we have seen, however, this is not really possible with the evil\nparty, but making a Fighter\/Mage\/Thief to substitute for the lack of a\ngood Thief ally in Baldur's Gate 2 doesn't slow the character down\ntoo much. As I've said before, I want my protagonists to be special,\nsomething that I can't get anywhere else-a unique combination. For me,\nthere's no better class than the Fighter\/Mage, which is the template I\nbuild both my parties around. It may be discouraging at low levels\nwhen every Wolf is a potential threat to your survival, but when you\nreach the end of the game and you send out your spell-buffed protagonist\nto go toe-to-toe with the toughest foes in the game to protect the rest\nof your party... you'll know you've done something right.\n\nMy Good Party:\n--------------\nAjantis\nJaheira\nBranwen (Yeslick, Viconia)\nMinsc (Kivan, Coran)\nImoen\n\nAjantis is just the best good party leader candidate out there. His\nStrength and Constitution are both passable, and with The Brawling\nHands he'll have the Armor Class a true front-line leader needs. Being\na party leader means a combination of prowess, resilience, and Charisma,\nand Ajantis excels in all fields.\n\nI put Jaheira down as my secondary Fighter... but she's hardly a\nfull-fledged Fighter. Again, I've said to compare her to a Cleric, and\nin that capacity her melee prowess shines. Still, her stats are good\nenough (especially with the investment of the Hands of Takkok) that she\ncan manage as a front-liner, and cast Druid spells, to boot. All things\nconsidered, I find her versatility more than a match for Khalid or\nRasaad.\n\nAh, now the Cleric has always been a bit of trouble for me... Branwen is\ndecent, and I've beaten the game with her, but the good party isn't\nover-flowing with awesome warriors (they need to wait until Baldur's\nGate 2 for that). Yeslick has many of Jaheira's perks-a good Fighter who\ncan cast spells, and since he's never ruined by crappy computer\nleveling, it's worthwhile to play with Branwen until the Cloakwood\nMines, then switch her out with Yeslick. Or... just use Viconia. I know,\nshe's evil, and this is a good party, but none of that really starts to\nmatter until Baldur's Gate 2 anyways.\n\nMinsc is a decent Archer, but Coran and Kivan are better. Why Minsc\nthen? Well, he's a sequel character, and I dig that. Other than that,\nhis Strength and proficiencies allow him to participate in melee, too,\nwhen needed. Albeit while standing behind a stronger, more\nheavily-armed character.\n\nImoen does double duty as the party Mage AND Thief, thanks to the magic\nof dual-classing. She'll be able to disarm traps, pick some locks, and\ncast the full range of Mage spells. What more could you ask for? One\nadditional spell per level, you say? Shut up. Play the evil party.\n\nMy Evil Party:\n--------------\nDorn\nKagain\nJaheira\nViconia\nEdwin (Baeloth)\n\nThe leader for the evil party is now easier than ever to pick-Dorn wins,\nhands down. He's just a brute-but he's OUR brute, so it's okay.\n\nKagain might be second on the list, but that doesn't mean he's second\nin prowess... necessarily. He's still got a great Constitution score,\nand with The Brawling Hands he's just the tops. Oh, plus High Mastery\nin Axes, can't forget that little nugget.\n\nJaheira sneaks into the evil party, too, because she's just awesome\nlike that. First, she'll put the Hands of Takkok to good use, unlike\nDorn (who doesn't need them), Kagain (who needs The Brawling Hands,\ninstead), Shar-Teel (who already has a high Strength score) and Viconia\n(who only gets one attack per round anyways). Second, she's a superior\nwarrior to nearly everybody else that's a possible candidate, save\nShar-Teel... and I'd take Jaheira's spells over Shar-Teel's melee\nprowess any day... at least, considering that Jaheira at her best isn't\ntoo far behind.\n\nViconia is the Cleric for the evil party (and often times, for the good\nparty, too!) High Dexterity and Magic Resistance for the win. Her\nStrength and Constitution suck, but they can't keep her down.\n\nAnother obvious choice-Edwin is just the best Mage in the game, better\nthan anything you or I could make, so bring him along and put that\ngoodness to work for evil. Baeloth is an interesting alternative, if\nyou're looking to try something new, but I do view the Sorcerer class\nas a little bit of a liability... it's certainly not superior to\nEdwin's Conjurer class, plus his bonus spells. Edwin's Amulet > Slave\nRing.\n\no======================================================================o\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|\t\t          Spell Tactics {SPT001}\t\t       |\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\no======================================================================o\nThis section was added into the Baldur's Gate 1 FAQ because it seemed\nlike a worthy addition to the Baldur's Gate 2 FAQ... and really, who\nwants to skim through the walkthrough for information on the best spells\nin the game when a kind FAQ-writer could just condense the information\nand put it in its own conspicuous section? Nobody, that's who. So,\nhere I'll discuss the spells, which are good, which are bad, and why.\nTo help you out and minimize how much you need to read, however, I'll\nput an * next to the spells I find the most useful. Who wants to read\nall that crap anyways? Just assume I know what I'm talking about and\nread the marked spells and you'll be fine. If that's too much work for\nyou, however, I've also listed the top spells by level under the\n***TOP SPELLS*** heading, with very, very brief descriptions of why the\nspells are good.\n\nNote: The expanded Spell Tactics section you'll see in this guide was\noriginally expanded in the v1.03 update of my Icewind Dale FAQ, which\nI started on several months before picking up the Baldur's Gate Enhanced\nEdition. Of course, Icewind Dale is mediocre, and Baldur's Gate is\ngreat, so I dropped the in-progress v1.03 update to get out an Enhanced\nEdition version of my Baldur's Gate FAQ. We all got priorities, and I\njust wanted all of the zero people who care out there to know that this\nsection was not new to this guide... the fact that my Baldur's Gate\nEnhanced Edition guide is coming out before the v1.03 update of my\nIcewind Dale guide is just a product of my ever-shifting focus.\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  ---\nBless: Minor, short-lasting party buff.\n  ---\nCommand: Causes one foe to sleep for one round, with no save.\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.\n\n*Bless\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.\n\n*Command\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. Use it earlier to abuse melee-potent enemies,\nlike Ogres. If it works, you essentially have a free round to abuse\nthem. You'll outgrow it fairly quickly, however.\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 the Dagger of Venom +2's poison, or another\ndebuff like Chaos or Slow.\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. There's a superior buff down the line for the whole party,\nwhich makes this woefully obsolete.\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. It might seem like a decent\nalternative for a low-level Jaheira, but it really doesn't last long\nenough for repeated use.\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 every four levels of the caster.. Armor Class 5 at 4th level,\nArmor Class 4 at 8th, and... we'll, that's it for Baldur's Gate. It's\ndecent defense... until you're ready to head to the Nashkel Mines. If\nyou can't find anything better to wear by then... well, you suck. I\nwould pretend that this might be a decent defensive spell and in some\ncircumstances... blah, blah, blah. It's really not. If this spell ever\nreally seems like a good defensive measure, you've done something\nwrong. Oh, it also gives a +1 bonus to saves... except versus magic.\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 Branwen and Yeslick (and possibly a protagonist with good\nattributes). Since the level cap is so low on Baldur's Gate, however,\nthe best it'll do is give a +2 bonus to Strength, Dexterity, and\nConstitution. Since it only lasts a turn, you'll need to cast it right\nbefore heavy combat where your Cleric must act decidedly unpacifistic.\nI wouldn't keep it prepared all the time, however.\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 scout out and kill with\nStinking Cloud and missiles.\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. I would use it more, if not\nfor that damn Stinking Cloud tactic. Still, if a Mage gets the drop on\nyou, or if it's just not in a spot where you want to cast a Stinking\nCloud, this spell is a great way to squelch them. And if you happen to\ncatch your fighters in the spell, it doesn't matter. They don't need to\nmake noise, anyways.\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. It might come in handy early on... but not too long after we\nget this spell we should all have magical weapons. As for the +2 weapon\nat 7th level... we'll have REAL +2 weapons long before we're level\nseven.\n\n3rd Level Cleric Spells\t\t\t\t\t\t{SPT005}\no======================================================================o\n***TOP SPELLS***\nAnimate Dead: Summons a Skeleton Warrior of variable strength.\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\n*Animate Dead\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAh... Animate Dead... this was one of the better summoning spells in\nthe original game... which of course was before it was converted to\nBaldur's Gate 2 rules. How does it stand up in the Enhanced Edition?\nWell, you no longer summon a small horde of Skeletons-instead you'll\nsummon a single Skeleton Warrior of variable strength based on the\nCleric's level, as follows:\n\n\to===============o===============o=======================o\n\t|Caster's Level |   Hit Dice\t|      Equipment\t|\n\to===============o===============o=======================o\n\t|    1st-6th\t|       3\t|      Long Sword\t|\n\t|---------------|---------------|-----------------------|\n\t|   7th-10th    |\t5\t|     Long Sword +1\t|\n\t|---------------|---------------|-----------------------|\n\t|   11th-14th\t|       7\t|   Bastard Sword +1\t|\n\t|---------------|---------------|-----------------------|\n\t|     15th+\t|\t9\t|  Two-Handed Sword +1\t|\n\to===============o===============o=======================o\n\nThe Skeleton Warrior is a moderately potent ally, but definately one\nthat is more powerful (in relation to the caster) at lower levels.\nA 15th+ level caster certainly has better things to do than summon a\nwussy 9 HD Skeleton Warrior... but that's a concern for another game.\nAlthough you can't expect Skeleton Warriors to win difficult fights on\ntheir own, they do have one redeeming quality which makes them the best\nsummoning spell you can cast-they're undead, and that's all that\nmatters. This makes them immune to poison and mind-affecting effects,\nwhich means summoning up a Skeleton Warrior or two and sending them to\nattack enemy spell-casters is a great idea. At worst they'll waste a few\nspells on it before the Skeleton Warrior dies, and while they're focused\non the Skeleton Warrior, you can drop a Silence 15' Radius on them. Even\nbetter, if you mix this spell with Stinking Cloud, you can knock out\nentire groups of baddies while you send your immune Skeleton Warrior\ninto their midst to melee your helpless foes. It was a great spell in\nthe original game, and even though it's changed in the Enhanced Edition,\nit's still a great spell. Just don't expect Skeleton Warriors to stand\nup long in melee against some of the tougher foes in the game. They're\nbest used as a stall for time, during which you can hit the foes with\ndebuffs to make the rest of the fight easier, or as Mage-killers, at\nwhich they excel.\n\nCure 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... Still, diseases are rather rare and weak in\nBaldur's Gate, so I don't suggest keeping one ready at all times until\nthe sequel.\n\n*Cure Medium Wounds\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nHuzzah! Expanded Baldur's Gate 2 healing spells in the first game! This\nspell 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 Fireball, so I never bother with this\none.\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.<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
radius. 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. Very rarely a useful\nspell.\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. Once you hit 6th level, it also\nlasts longer (2 round per level for Silence 15' Radius versus one turn\nfor Miscast Magic)... so why would you ever want to cast Miscast Magic\nwhen you could cast Silence 15' Radius?\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<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nGhouls and Ghasts can be killers, and keeping one of these spells ready\nis a good idea in Ghoul-populated areas. Of course, it's just as good\nto not allow the undead to gang up on one party member. It also will\nfree you from the effects of Hold Person spells, too, which are the bane\nof Baldur's Gate battles. If push came to shove, I'd rather have Dispel\nMagic prepared, but if you get yourself an extra 3rd-level spell slot,\nthis is always a good spell to have ready.\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 Hands of Takkok,\nread the Manual of Gainful Exercise, or if you're named Dorn, this spell\nwill actually hinder you in combat. For natural heavy-hitters like\nMinsc, Shar-Teel, or Kivan, this spell is a meager bonus from the\noutset.\n\nUnholy Blight (Evil Characters Only)\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***\nDefensive Harmony: -2 Armor Class bonus for the entire party.\n  ---\nNeutralize Poison: Cures poison, disease, blindness, deafness and heals.\n  ---\nProtection from Evil 10' Radius: Long-lasting party buff.\n\nAnimal Summoning I\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell has a few problems with it-first, it's been nerfed by the\nEnhanced Edition. Summoning up two War Dogs will not impress anybody.\nSecond, the amount of awesome 4th-level Cleric spells have vastly\nincreased. Compared to Animate Dead, this spell leaves absolutely\nnothing to recommend 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 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\nDeath Ward\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nDeath Ward is a wonderful, indispensable, must-have spell for every\nCleric... in Baldur's Gate 2. In the first game, there aren't many death\nspells coming your way, so don't worry about it. Just be sure to look it\nover, nod with approval, and be ready for it in the sequel.\n\n*Defensive 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 the sequel. 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.\nIn Shadows of Amn, you don't need it, and in Throne of Bhaal, it doesn't\nreally help much. In this game, however, a two-point bonus to Armor\nClass is huge... even if it's only for six rounds.\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 Yeslick will arguably make better use of it-they already\nhave the THAC0, but the Strength bonus helps, especially with their\nsuperior attacks per round. Ultimately, this spell is decent at times\nin the first game, but in Baldur's Gate 2, it'll be utterly eclipsed\nby 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 almost non-existent in the first game,\nand if you lose a level, you can always prepare this spell afterwards to\ndeal with it. You need not keep it prepared all the time.\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<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAnother spell that will be more useful in the second game, this spell\nprevents energy drain. Energy drain is almost non-existent in the first\ngame, so you need not bother with this spell.\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\n*Protection from Evil 10' Radius\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThe best defensive party spell in the game, it always deserves a 4th-\nlevel spell slot. Enemies suffer a -2 penalty to attack rolls, and your\nsaves against spells and attacks made by such creatures recieve a +2\nbonus. At a turn per level, this spell will last long enough for any\nencounter... or perhaps several encounters. Oh, and ignore the radius\nin the title-as far as the in-game spell description is concerned, this\nspell has an effective 30' radius.\n\nProtection From Lightning\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nMakes the recipient 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\n1st Level Druid Spells\t\t\t\t\t\t{SPT007}\no======================================================================o\n***TOP SPELLS***\nArmor of Faith: Blocks 5% of damage per five levels.\n  ---\nBless: Minor, short-lasting party buff.\n  ---\nCure Light Wounds: Heals 8 Hit Points.\n  ---\nEntangle: Stops foes from moving, but not attacking.\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.\n\n*Bless\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.\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 the Dagger of Venom +2's poison, or another\ndebuff like Chaos or Slow.\n\n*Entangle\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAn early-game alternative for Stinking Cloud or Web, it does much the\nsame thing... save that foes who are entangled can still attack, and\nenemies save with a +3 modifier, so you shouldn't expect it to work\nall the time. It does, however, have no Hit Dice maximum, meaning that\nit'll come in handy against Ogres and Bears early on.\n\nShillelagh\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nCreates a +1 cudgel that deals 2d4 damage. It might seem like a decent\nalternative for a low-level Jaheira, but it really doesn't last long\nenough for repeated use.\n\n2nd Level Druid Spells\t\t\t\t\t\t{SPT008}\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 every four levels of the caster... Armor Class 5 at 4th level,\nArmor Class 4 at 8th, and... we'll, that's it for Baldur's Gate. It's\ndecent defense... until you're ready to head to the Nashkel Mines. If\nyou can't find anything better to wear by then... well, you suck. I\nwould pretend that this might be a decent defensive spell and in some\ncircumstances... blah, blah, blah. It's really not. If this spell ever\nreally seems like a good defensive measure, you've done something\nwrong. Oh, it also gives a +1 bonus to saves... except versus magic.\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 normally wouldn't bother with it... save that 2nd-level\nDruid spells are full of suck. Compared to most other spells out there,\nit might be worth preparing one... you know, in case you get bored.\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{SPT009}\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\nCure 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... Still, diseases are rather rare and weak in\nBaldur's Gate, so I don't suggest keeping one ready at all times until\nthe sequel.\n\n*Cure Medium Wounds\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nHuzzah! Expanded Baldur's Gate 2 healing spells in the first game! This\nspell 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. Very rarely a useful\nspell.\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. Once you hit 6th level, it also\nlasts longer (2 round per level for Silence 15' Radius versus one turn\nfor Miscast Magic)... so why would you ever want to cast Miscast Magic\nwhen you could cast Silence 15' Radius?\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 Hands of Takkok,\nread the Manual of Gainful Exercise, or if you're named Dorn, this spell\nwill actually hinder you in combat. For natural heavy-hitters like\nMinsc, Shar-Teel, or Kivan, this spell is a meager bonus from the\noutset.\n\nSummon Insects\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nA very, very weak version of the absolutely devastating 5th-level Druid\nspell, Insect Plague, it still has its uses. A single target must Save\nvs. Breath Weapons (at a -2 penalty) or take one damage per two seconds\nof duration... why such a weird number? I don't know-it deals three\ndamage per round, for seven rounds. More importantly, the target suffers\na -2 penalty to THAC0 and Armor Class, and has a 50% spell-casting\nfailure. Ultimately, I'd rather use Animate Dead and\/or Silence 15'\nRadius to deal with enemy spells, and a Slow spell retards melee combat\nfar more effectively.\n\n4th Level Druid Spells\t\t\t\t\t\t{SPT010}\no======================================================================o\n***TOP SPELLS***\nCall Woodland Beings: Summons a Nymph with great debuffing spells.\n  ---\nDefensive Harmony: -2 Armor Class bonus for the entire party.\n  ---\nNeutralize Poison: Cures poison, disease, blindness, deafness and heals.\n\nAnimal Summoning\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell has a few problems with it-first, it's been nerfed by the\nEnhanced Edition. Summoning up two War Dogs will not impress anybody.\nSecond, the Druid gets a much better summoning spell at this level...\n\n*Call Woodland Beings\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nI would call this spell poop... but honestly, summoning a Nymph that you\nhave full control over isn't bad. Her selling point isn't melee offense,\nof course, but your Nymph comes fully equipped with many handy spells,\nand the three turn duration of the spell gives you ample time to cast\nas many as you please. It's really like conjuring up another full caster\nto throw out debuffs while your Druid does other things. Of course, the\nusefulness of this spell depends entirely on what spells your Nymph\ncomes with, so let's take a look, shall we, and see if what she's got is\nworth a 4th-level spell slot:\n\nBarkskin\nHold Person x2\nCall Lightning\nMiscast Magic\nCause Serious Wounds\nMental Domination\nMass Cure\nConfusion\nHold Monster\n\nUmm... Yeah. She's got the power to win fights on her own. Since most of\nher spells are mind-affecting effects, obviously the Nymph is best\nsummoned to help with living foes. Summon her up, have her cast\nConfusion, Hold Person(s), Hold Monster, and before she's gone, drop a\nparting shot of Mass Cure and you'll have made a great use of a spell.\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\nDeath Ward\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nDeath Ward is a wonderful, indispensable, must-have spell for every\nDruid... in Baldur's Gate 2. In the first game, there aren't many death\nspells coming your way, so don't worry about it. Just be sure to look it\nover, nod with approval, and be ready for it in the sequel.\n\n*Defensive 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 the sequel. 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.\nIn Shadows of Amn, you don't need it, and in Throne of Bhaal, it doesn't\nreally help much. In this game, however, a two-point bonus to Armor\nClass is huge... even if it's only for six rounds.\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<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAnother spell that will be more useful in the second game, this spell\nprevents energy drain. Energy drain is almost non-existent in the first\ngame, so you need not bother with this spell.\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 recipient 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 Druid Spells\t\t\t\t\t\t{SPT011}\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  ---\nPixie Dust: Makes all allies with 30-feet invisible.\n  ---\nTrue Sight: Dispels illusion. Party-friendly.\n\nAnimal Summoning II\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThe 4th-level version of this spell was insulting enough, but to get\na slightly superior 5th-level version... well, it's worse than the\ndouchebags your sister dated in high school. Yes, you could use this\nspell to conjure up some Brown Bears, Cave Bears, or Panthers... or,\nyou could use spells like Chaotic Commands, Insect Plague, Iron Skins,\nor True Sight. You know, spells that can win fights by themselves.\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. This\nspell is decent towards the end of Baldur's Gate 1, but it's absolutely\nessential in Baldur's Gate 2. Still, whenever a foe might toss out a\nHold Person, Rigid Thinking, Dire Charm, or Confusion, this is a worthy\ncounter.\n\nCure Critical Wounds\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nHeals for 27 Hit Points.\n\n*Insect Plague\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nInsect Plague is one of the best Druid spell in the game... it's just a\nshame the level cap prevent Jaheira from learning it. Honestly, most\nspell-casters in this game can be handled other ways-it's not until\nBaldur's Gate 2 where this spell becomes mandatory. You target a single\nvictim, and after affecting them the plague will 'jump' to nearby\nenemies until six are affected. The damage is a worthy consideration, as\nit deals one point of damage every two seconds for the duration of the\nspell, but the real reason to use it is that it prevents spell-casters\nwho are affected from casting spells. It only lasts six rounds, but this\ngives you plenty of time to take out pretty much any enemy spellcaster\nin the game. It also has a chance to make enemies run around in a panic,\nwhich can further break up groups of enemies. It's not an exaggeration\nto say that this spell can-in a single casting-win most fights, and if\nthere was any reason to drag Faldorn along, it's for this spell.\n\n*Iron Skins\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAn indispensable 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. Again, shame that Jaheira isn't able to get 5th-level spells in\nBaldur's Gate...\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).\nConsidering that you'll only reach 9th-level in this game, it's really\nnot worth casting. 18% Magic Resistance is paltry defense when a single\nInsect Plague could make the entire matter moot.\n\nMass Cure\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nHeals all allies within a 30-foot radius of the caster for 1d8+1 damage\nper caster level... or, a maximum of 1d8+9. It's really just not enough\nhealing to bother with, in my opinion. Use spells like Insect Plague to\nwin fights outright, then worry about healing.\n\n*Pixie Dust\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nMakes all allies in a 30-foot radius invisible, as per the Invisibility\nspell. It's... actually an okay buff in this game, at least worthy of\nsome tactical considerations. I can imagine a few areas where having an\nentirely invisible party would be beneficial. Just note, however, that\nthe second you do anything aggressive, the invisibility is gone.\n\n*True Sight\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nYou won't have too many foes going invisible on you in this game, but\nTrue Sight also dispels less troublesome defenses, like Mirror Image\nand Blur, which you will see from time to time. Of course, since Insect\nPlague is a much more effective way of dealing with sneaky Mages, you're\nprobably better off using that. It's not until the sequel-when Liches\nstart rearing their rotting heads-that you need worry too much about\nthis spell.\n\n1st Level Arcane Spells\t\t\t\t\t\t{SPT012}\no======================================================================o\n***TOP SPELLS***\nBlindness: Blind targets suffers -4 penalty to attack and Armor Class.\n  ---\nIdentify: Identifies magical items.\n  ---\nMagic Missile: Up to five bolts that unerringly deal 2-5 damage each.\n  ---\nProtection From Petrification: Prevents petrification.\n  ---\nSleep: Puts creatures with less than 4+3 Hit Dice to sleep.\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. Seems like a pretty good\ndefensive spell, right? Eh, for a Fighter\/Mage it might have its uses,\nbut you'll find Bracers of Defense so early into the game (with which\nthis spell doesn't stack) that you'll never really need this. By the\ntime you can afford Robes of the Archmagi, this spell is quite useless,\nbut it's dubious enough long beforehand. As far as I'm concerned, Sleep\nmakes for better defense than Armor.\n\n*Blindness\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nOnce in a while you might find this spell useful... early on, against\nOgres, for example. It'll last longer than any fight will at 10 turns,\nand -4 penalties to hit and Armor Class are significant impediments.\nHonestly, however, Entangle works just as well.\n\nBurning Hands\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nA simple offensive spell that deals 1d3+2 damage per caster level, up to\na maximum of 1d3+20. Unfortunately, it doesn't have much range and isn't\nparty friendly, so it can't be safely cast from behind more sturdy\ncharacters. Sleep works better for low-level foes, and Magic Missile is\na more dependable damage-dealer.\n\nCharm Person\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell is potentially useful once in a while-against human-sized\nbipeds, at least. Anything else is outright unaffected, but, as the\nspell exults, a 10th-level Fighter could potentially be affected... even\nif Ogre Berserkers cannot. It doesn't impose a save penalty, however,\nand since foes turn hostile when the spell wears out, you should refrain\nfrom the obvious move of casting it on neutral NPCs to make them more\npliable. Ultimately... I never use it. I admit it could have its uses,\nas will become abundantly clear when foes cast it at you, but for me,\nby the time I tangle with foes worth charming, I've got better take-down\noptions. More reliable, less finger-crossing type take-down options.\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 4 Hit Dice) for five rounds. A few obvious\nproblems... Okay, one, really big problem. Sleep. It imposes a -3\npenalty, has a much larger radius, is party friendly, affects creatures\nwith up to (but not including) 4+3 Hit Dice (34 Hit Points), and lasts\nfor five rounds per level. Really, it's many times more useful than\nColor Spray.\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 12\nHit Points, but the Dust Mephit (Neutral Evil) version has merely 9.\nArmor Class ranges from 0 to 8, and Magic Resistance is likewise\nvariable from 10% to 45%. If this sounds like a sturdy little critter,\nyou're suffering from a severe case of the newbies. Some have spells\nthey can use, others have Thief abilities, while another has special\nmelee attacks... but they are all short-term benefits and long-term\nliabilities. The benefits are simple-you get a 7th-wheel who does\nwhatever you tell it to do. Also, you get 1\/2 of the Familiar's Hit\nPoints as a bonus to your Mage's Hit Points. For example, when my True\nNeutral Fighter\/Mage tested this spell out for this guide, he went from\n72 to 78 Hit Points. Huzzah. Now for the crippling downside. If your\nFamiliar dies, you'll suffer damage equal to half the Hit Points your\nMage got out of the deal... not too bad, right? That's three damage, if\nyou're math-tarded, in my example. Oh, and you also lose a point of\nConstitution permanently. No 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... with a bit of commentary added\nto make it worth doing.\n\nLAWFUL GOOD, NEUTRAL GOOD: Pseudo Dragon\n  -->\tHit Points: 12\n  -->\tArmor Class: 0\n  -->\tMagic Resistance: 35%\n  -->\tCombat: 2 attacks per round at 15 THAC0 for 1d3 damage\n  -->\tSpecial Abilities: Can cast Blur once per day. Regenerates\n\t1 HP\/round. Immune to level drain, sleep, and petrification.\n\nPossibly the best familiar in the game, it mixes a good Armor Class,\ndecent Magic Resistance, and some immunities, allowing it to provide a\nbit of cover for a low-level Mage. Yay good guys! It also has\npetrification immunity... like a lot of familiars... but its relative\ndurability makes it ideal bait for Basilisks, if you can't be bothered\nto just use Protection from Petrification.\n\nLAWFUL NEUTRAL: Ferrets\n  -->\tHit Points: 12\n  -->\tArmor Class: 2\n  -->\tMagic Resistance: 35%\n  -->\tCombat: 2 attacks per round at 15 THAC0 for 1d3 damage\n  -->\tSpecial Abilities: Has 50% in Pick Pockets, 25% 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\nFerrets are well-known for being lawful creatives, although morally\nundecided. It's slightly less sturdy than the Psuedo Dragon (Armor\nClass 2), and it has thief abilities-albeit so low that none of them,\nsave Pick Pockets, have any practical use.\n\nLAWFUL EVIL: Imp\n  -->\tHit Points: 9\n  -->\tArmor Class: 4\n  -->\tMagic Resistance: 15%\n  -->\tCombat: 1 attack per round at 17 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\nThe Imp has two interesting features-first, outright immunity to fire,\ncold, and electricity allows it to be used as a decoy. Lure in foes,\nand blast them with Fireball. Good fun. Second, you might get some\ncheap fun out of the Polymorph Self spell, which will make it more\nversatile-although its low Hit Points will prevent it from becoming a\nviable combatant.\n\nNEUTRAL: Rabbit\n  -->\tHit Points: 12\n  -->\tArmor Class: 3\n  -->\tMagic Resistance: 45%\n  -->\tCombat: 2 attacks per round at 15 THAC0 for 1d2 damage\n  -->\tSpecial Abilities: Has 20% in Move Silently\/Hide in Shadows and\n\t40% in Find Traps. 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: 12\n  -->\tArmor Class: 8\n  -->\tMagic Resistance: 10%\n  -->\tCombat: 2 attacks per round at 15 THAC0 for 1d2 damage\n  -->\tSpecial Abilities: Has 100% resistance to fire and 35%\n\tresistance to slashing, piercing, and missile damage. Can cast\n\tGlass Dust twice per day. Regenerates 1 HP\/round. Immune to\n\tlevel drain, sleep, and petrification.\n\nThe Dust Mephit has a horrible Armor Class, partially mitigated by a\n35% resistance to physical damage. I'd still suggest keeping it out of\ncombat, as it'll be getting hit at all times. On the plus side, its\nimmunity to fire means it can serve as a Fireball decoy.\n\nCHAOTIC GOOD: Fairy Dragon\n  -->\tHit Points: 12\n  -->\tArmor Class: 6\n  -->\tMagic Resistance: 25%\n  -->\tCombat: 2 attacks per round at 15 THAC0 for 1d2 damage\n  -->\tSpecial Abilities: Can cast Mirror Image once per day. Immune\n\tto level drain, sleep, and petrification.\n\nLike the Psuedo Dragon, but suckier in almost every way. Its Armor\nClass sucks, and its only real defensive ability is Mirror Image. All\nin all, the rebel with a heart of gold suffers in the familiar\ndepartment.\n\nCHAOTIC NEUTRAL: Cat\n  -->\tHit Points: 12\n  -->\tArmor Class: 2\n  -->\tMagic Resistance: 35%\n  -->\tCombat: 2 attacks per round at 15 THAC0 for 1d3 damage\n  -->\tSpecial Abilities: Has 15% in Pick Pockets and 65% in Move\n\tSilently\/Hide In Shadows. Can cast Blur once per day. Immune\n\tto level drain, sleep, and petrification.\n\nIf any animal's alignment made sense with this spell, it would have to\nbe the Cat's. And the Imp's. But we're talking about the Cat. It's\npretty defensible, as far as familiar's go, with Blur, a low Armor\nClass, a decent Magic Resistance. It also comes with Thief abilities,\nbut the only even slightly passable one is Move Silently\/Hide in\nShadows.\n\nCHAOTIC EVIL: Quasit\n  -->\tHit Points: 12\n  -->\tArmor Class: 4\n  -->\tMagic Resistance: 15%\n  -->\tCombat: 2 attacks per round at 15 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\nMuch like the Imp, the Quasit makes a good bait familiar for spell\nblasting. The Quasit, however, boasts more Hit Points and has the\ndecent low-level debilitator Horror. All in all, it's a pretty good\nfamiliar.\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. Ultimately, I'd rather\njust wait for Web and\/or Stinking Cloud, as both are superior in their\nown ways. If you're looking for a 1st-level debuff, try Sleep, instead.\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 measly 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.\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. Considering that there are a pair of\n'Evermemory' rings in the game which double 1st-level spells, Magic\nMissile promises to make up a not insignificant part of any Mage's<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
offensive arsenal... At least in the first Baldur's Gate game.\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. Not good odds in\nBaldur's Gate 1, and even near the end of Baldur's Gate 2, you'll be\nlucky to get this spell to work when you need it, much less to use it\nregularly. My suggestion? Don't bother with it.\n\nProtection from Evil\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nA low-level buff that protects the recipient...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.\n\n*Protection from Petrification\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis handy spell protects from petrification attacks. While rare in this\ngame, they do happen, and there's just really no better way to protect\nyourself against foes using such attacks than by this spell. You won't\nneed it handy all the time, but it'll save your life in a few choice\nareas.\n\nReflected Image\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nA poor man's Mirror Image, it give you one image that mimics 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 at a five-turn duration, it'll last enough to\nlast a fight... so, it's a slightly sup'd up version of Armor with a\nmuch shorter duration.\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 Larloch's Minor Drain or Magic Missile any day.\n\n*Sleep\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, but that still means\nyou can affect Wolves, Gibberlings, Kobolds, Kobold Commandos, Bandits,\nand Black Talon Elites-among others. Once you reach Baldur's Gate, you\nshould phase it out, but that still leaves about half the game where\nthis spell stays useful. And by useful, I mean the go-to debuff that\nyou'll lean on.\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. Again, I invoke the\nalmighty specter of the Sleep spell, which is a far superior debuff, and\nby the time that spell stops being effective you've got better things to\ncast.\n\n2nd Level Arcane Spells\t\t\t\t\t\t{SPT013}\no======================================================================o\n***TOP SPELLS***\nBlur: Gives caster bonus to Armor Class and Saving Throws.\n  ---\nHorror: Causes fear in an area.\n  ---\nKnock: Open locked containers\/doors.\n  ---\nInvisibility: Makes caster invisible.\n  ---\nMelf's Acid Arrow: Unerringly deals acid damage, lasts several rounds.\n  ---\nMirror Image: Creates 2-8 illusory images which confound attackers.\n  ---\nResist Fear: Removes fear effects in area.\n  ---\nStinking Cloud: Nauseates creatures in an area, leaves them helpless.\n  ---\nWeb: Immobilizes creatures in an area, leaves them helpless.\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.\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, not in this game.\nA booster spell for another spell that I don't consider worth the\ntrouble, what do you think my 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.\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\nDetect Invisibility\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nUnlike in the sequel, you'll only fight invisible enemies rarely... a\ncertain spot in Durlag's Tower, however, can be made much easier with\nwith this spell. Otherwise... meh.\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! It's actually an okay debuff, even\nthough it's duration (four rounds) is rather sucky. On the other hand,\nspells like Web and especially Stinking Cloud can be fight-winners, and\nby the time you get access to 3rd-level spells like Slow, you'll forget\nall about the almost-realized promises of Glitterdust.\n\n*Horror\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nHorror is a spell you'll become very, very familiar with... because your\nenemies will absolutely love to throw this spell at you. And why not?\nIt's got a decent duration and a large area-of-effect... even though it\ndoesn't have a save penalty, it might just end up in your spell book...\nat least, if you're tactically challenged and can't properly set up a\nStinking Cloud\/Animate Dead combo. Still, a pair of well-cast Horror\nspells can win fights against rival adventurers. Just keep in mind that\nsome critters-like undead-are immune to this spell, being a\nmind-affecting effect.\n\n*Invisibility\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nMost Mages don't have the option to sneak, so this spell will have to\nsubstitute. If necessary, it'll allow you to sneak up on foes and get in\na devastating first strike. And of course, if you're a\nFighter\/Mage\/Thief you might not be able to fund a super-high Stealth\nscore. This is a fail-proof way to hide when you really need to. It\nwon't come in handy often, and you can always substitute the Sandthief's\nRing or Potions of Invisibility.\n\n*Knock\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAnother essential Mage spell that has absolutely no use in combat. You\nneed to unlock something? Use Knock. In the case of a Fighter\/Mage\/Thief\nit's really a case of pick your poison. You can get Stealth, but you'll\nthen need Knock for every lock. Or you can get Open Locks, but you'll\nneed another way to reliably sneak. If you're unlucky, you might have to\nwait until the Cloakwood Mines to get this spell... leaving a lot of\nlocks unmolested.\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\n*Melf's Acid Arrow\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAnother good damage-dealer. It's not as fast as Magic Missile, and 2nd\nlevel Mage spells provide some serious competition, but if you need\ndamage-dealing, it's an option. At 9th level it can deal up to 8d4\npoints of damage (8-32) over four rounds. Honestly, I prefer Magic\nMissile, and I'd rather save my 2nd level spells slots for defense\n(Mirror Image, Blur), utility (Knock), un-debuffing (Resist Fear), or\ndebilitating (Stinking Cloud\/Web).\n\n*Mirror Image\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nOnce upon a time, Mirror Image was the king buff of Baldur's Gate...\nyou know, before Stoneskin came around and killed everything. It's still\na great buff, considering you won't get 4th-level spells until the end\nof the game, but it's not as great as it used to be. In the original\ngame it actually worked like Stoneskin, however many images you\nconjured would have to be removed before the caster could be harmed,\nwhich protected you from the next two-to-eight attacks. It's been fixed\nfor the Enhanced Edition, and now works as it should-you conjure 2-8\nimages which mimic the caster and confuse enemies. Attacks made against\nthe caster have a chance of hitting the caster, or a chance of hitting\none of the images... presumably proportional to the number of images\nyou have. On its own, it's a pretty good defensive spell. Combined with\nBlur and Stoneskin, it makes a Mage nearly invulnerable to melee\nattacks.\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. On the\nother hand, some Mages might just be weak enough... ultimately, however,\nthere are better ways of dealing with foes than with Power Word: Sleep,\nor any Power Word spell, really.\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. Honestly, this spell is a killer for any melee-heavy\nfoe affected-the most damaging part being the 15 pound weight limit.\nOf course, competition is stiff for 2nd-level spell slots, and Slow is\neasily a superior buff if you're willing to just use a 3rd-level spell\nslot. Ultimately, I just can't bring myself to justify a single-target\ndebuff with no save penalty.\n\n*Resist Fear\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nIf an enemy gets off a Horror spell, it can easily end in a reload. If\nyou have one of these spells prepared, however, you have nothing to\nfear... or at least, you need not fear fear. A great protective spell,\nI tend to just make my Clerics prepare Remove Fear, as 2nd level Mage\nspell slots are precious, and 1st-level Cleric spells are much less so.\n\n*Stinking 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. Let me say that this spell is my early-game\nanswer to pretty much everything too strong for Sleep. When multiple\ninstances are prepared and an enemy is spied in the distance, cast\nStinking Cloud at the enemy just outside of their sight radius by\nscouting their position with a Ranger, Thief, invisible character, or\nthe like. With two or three Stinking Clouds affecting an area, there's\nlittle chance anything will save enough to respond. While your foes are\nafflicted, cast Animate Dead to summon up some Skeleton Warriors-who are\nimmune to the effects of the Stinking cloud-and send them in to destroy\nyour helpless foes. Picking off afflicted enemies with ranged attacks\nalso helps speed things up.\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, Ajantis,\nKagain come to mind-this spell might prove to be a useful buff, but\nit's really unnecessary for most fights, and where it'll prove useful,\nPotions of Giant Strength abound.\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\n*Web\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nWeb functions a lot 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. The only problem? Well, Stinking Cloud has a superior save\npenalty and you can use Animate Dead to take advantage of afflicted\nfoes. Still, web has its uses. Foes like Undead, which are immune to\nStinking Cloud, are affected by Web. It's still a good debuff on its\nown, but I prefer Stinking Cloud in most situations.\n\n3rd Level Arcane Spells\t\t\t\t\t\t{SPT014}\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 dispels illusion spells of 3rd level or lower in a\n20-foot radius... which means Invisibility, Mirror Image, Blur... the\nweakest, but also most common illusion spells. It's party-friendly, but\nhonestly, I'd just rather use Dispel Magic, which is just as effective\nat removing illusions, buffs, and debuffs besides.\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 like Hold Person and Horror. Dispel\nMagic should therefore be memorized at least once by every spellcaster\nin the game, as it gives you a chance to take down a protected Mage,\nor free your characters from the effects of another spell. Dispel Magic\nis your magical safety net, and it's good to get into the habit this\ngame, as it's imperative in the sequel.\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, fodder like Summon\nAnimate Dead, and debilitative spells like Chaos are much better\nspells. That being the case, this spell will only come in handy once in\na while... and most foes-mobs of enemies-can be dispatched just as\neasily with Sleep. Edwin has the luxury of keeping one handy, but most\nMages should just ignore it.\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... but that's of no concern for the first\ngame, where we must judge it based on what it can actually achieve...\nwhich is 5d6 damage, 2d6 of which can be negated. Obviously it's not\nany better for a high level Baldur's Gate Mage than Magic Missile, so\nyou should gleefully ignore it. In the sequel, however, when your level\ncan climb into the 20s and you can string several of these spells\ntogether with a Spell Sequencer... the damage that can be done with a\nFlame Arrow combination can grow fairly phenomenal. Still, it's a rare\ncast, at best, and in the first game, it should never grace your\nmemorized spell list.\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... if you don't have\nsome form of armor-Bracers of Armor or Robes of the Archmagi-by the\ntime you can cast 3rd-level Mage spells, you're slacking... or perhaps\nyou're grinding too much? Either way, I always have some armor or\nanother before I get access to this spell. That said, it does give you\nprotection equal to field plate (Armor Class 2-field plate is a type of\narmor in paper and pencil Dungeons and Dragons that is not in this\ngame, by the way.) While this is certainly better than whatever armor\nyou're wearing, it's probably not worth a 3rd-level spell slot. At least\nit lasts five turns-which means it can last a few fights, if you cast it\nwhen you enter a dungeon.\n\n*Haste\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nHaste is the best buff in the game-and it will remain great in the\nsequel. In fact, in every late game encounter in this game, and most\nencounters in the second game will require Haste. Always have at least\none ready with each Mage... it just doubles your offensive power.\nLiterally, it gives an extra attack per round and doubles you movement\nspeed. Good stuff, indeed.\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 scout out and kill with Stinking Cloud and\nmissiles. Also... there are far better 3rd-level Mage spells to cast.\nLeave it to Clerics, if you must use it at all.\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. It lasts two rounds\nper level, which is more than enough to crush whatever does fail its\nSaving Throw. Undead aren't exactly rare, but they are either singularly\npowerful, or they come in groups of easily-dispatched weaklings...\neither way, I never bother with this spell-steel will do in undead just\nfine without it.\n\nInvisibility 10' Radius\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLike the 2nd-level Invisibility spell, but it'll cloak all allies within\na 20-foot radius. You read that right. The actual area-of-effect defies\nthe name of the spell itself... but hey, no biggie, it's not like\nProtection from Evil 10' Radius actually has that small of a radius\neither. Anyways, there's not much need for this spell, unless you might,\nfor whatever reason, want to move your entire party past some foe.\nOne interesting thing to point out about this spell is the fact that,\nas far as I know, it isn't sold in any store. You'll need to get lucky\nand have a monster drop it. Since it's a 3rd-level spell, there aren't\nmany foes who can drop it-certainly not any common ones. Doppelgangers\nare your best bet.\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 wait until you've got Minor Globe of Invulnerability.\n\nMonster Summoning I\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nSad news, friends... Summon Monster spells have been nerfed in this\ngame. In the original, you could summon up a small army of weak\ncritters-Gnolls, Hobgoblins, Wolves, War Dogs, etc. Now, you'll\nsummon... one or two weak foes. How much do you think you'll be helped\nby having a pair of Xvarts at your side? Not at all? You are correct,\nsir! So, you'll need to look elsewhere if you want to conjure up a\nmeat-shield.\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-Winter Wolves are\nthe most common source, but also from Arrows of Ice. In any event,\nkilling the source of this damage isn't too hard, and 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. Kobold Commandos are fond of Arrows of Fire, and\nseveral traps deal fire damage... but again, it's not worth a 3rd-level\nspell.\n\nProtection From Normal Missiles\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nMakes a target invulnerable to normal (non-magical) missiles for five\nturns. This spell is... alright, sometimes, as many foes will actually\nbother to use mundane arrows in this game. Of course, good luck trying\nto get them to shoot at the protected character... and by the time you\ncan cast this spell, many foes will be packing magical arrows... but if\nyou feel you need added protection from Bandits and Hobgoblins.. well,\nyou suck.\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. Besides, foes in this game will only buff\nthemselves so much, and those who do are usually Mages-just use Dispel\nMagic on your foes before buffing yourself, and you'll be fine.\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.\nSince three out of four of these spells are new to the game, you\nshouldn't expect many enemy Mages to bother casting them, and really,\nDispel Magic tends to work just as well. Another spell I don't mess\nwith-ever, really...\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\nWraithform\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAn... interesting spell that might have been useful, if you were able\nto obtain-or cast-it earlier in the game. It makes the caster immune to\nmundane weapons and gives them 25% Magic Resistance. Unfortunately, you\ncan't cast spells once this is in effect, meaning its usefulness is\nstrictly limited to dual-or-multi-class Mages... which suits me just\nfine, but other downsides exist. First, by the time a dual-or-multi-\nclass Mage can actually cast this spell, we've bypassed a large\nmajority of the game where creatures will be thwarted by it-later on,\nmost critters have a way to hurt you, immune to mundane weapons or not.\nAlso, you don't even find a copy of this spell until quite late in the\ngame. By the time you get it, it's largely past its window of potential\nusefulness.\n\n4th Level Arcane Spells\t\t\t\t\t\t{SPT015}\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: Recipient can't be targeted by spells.\n  ---\nMinor Globe of Invulnerability: Ignore spells of 3rd-level or lower.\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, second in the game only to\nChaos... which outshines it in every way. Still, it forces all enemies\nin a 30-foot radius to save at -2 or wander around, go berserk, or\nsimply stand there. Simply put, it breaks up all effective resistance\nand wins fights.\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\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... something a Fighter\/Mage won't have enough spell-slots for,\nand a form of passive-aggressive damage-dealing that's probably a waste\nof a single-classed Mage's time. Ultimately, this spell is better off\nin the sequel, where more spell-slots and stronger Stoneskin makes it\na real defensive measure.\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. It suffers\nfrom the same first-game limitations as Fireshield (Blue).\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. It's not so\nmuch of an issue in this game, as enemies won't have the saves that they\nwill in the sequel. You won't have the one-hit kills like vorpal weapons\nand Finger of Death to make this spell shine, and against groups of\nenemies, it's often more effective to just cast another debilitator\nthan to waste time softening up enemies.\n\n*Improved Invisibility\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAnother great defensive spell that won't really shine until the sequel,\nthis spell imposes a -4 penalty to the attack rolls of enemies, and\ngives the caster a +4 bonus to saving throws. Best of all, you can't\nbe targeted with spells until the invisibility is dispelled. You'll need\nspell-defenses less in the first game than in the second, where Mages\nare much more dangerous, so Stoneskin should be your defensive 4th-level\nspell of choice. Obviously the ultimate goal is to mix Stoneskin and\nImproved Invisibility and enjoy the benefits of both... one day, one\nday...\n\n*Minor Globe of Invulnerability\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell makes you immune to 1st-3rd level spells.. which means half\nof the spells in the game. Along with Improved Invisibility and Mirror\nImage, it makes you nearly untouchable to magic. Still, I can't think of\na single instance where I used it. Probably a tactical oversight on my\npart, but I've always preferred to send Skeleton Warriors out against\nenemy Mages, although a Fighter\/Mage buffed with this spell could easily\nfill the same role.\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 compare with Animate Dead, nor with\nthe Enhanced Edition's exceptional 4th-level arcane spell selection.\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 fight.\nStill, Slow, Confusion, or Chaos would all be superior casts.\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 mediocre compared to your mainstay warriors... or\nSkeleton Warriors you can conjure via Animate Dead, for that matter.\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\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\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. Of these, you'll probably\nonly ever see Minor Globe of Invulnerability, and it's not a dire\nthreat. You'll be fine never paying any attention to this spell.\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, and you'll never reach\n12th-level in this game, so ignore the whole Sword Spider thing. Yeah,\nI'm going to do it again, but this spell doesn't compare to Animate\nDead, which should be your go-to summoning spell.\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-comparable to what Improved Invisibility\nwill do. I'd rather just stick with Stoneskin, myself.\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, making a maximum of... an admittedly measly four\nskins in Baldur's Gate. 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 \n5th Level Arcane Spells\t\t\t\t\t\t{SPT016}\no======================================================================o\n***TOP SPELLS***\nChaos: Foes in area are confused unless they save at -4.\n  ---\nShadow Door: Same as Improved Invisibility.\n\n*Chaos\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell is the go-to debilitator for Baldur's Gate... and much of\nthe sequel as well. Forcing a save at -4 is just not fair. Otherwise it\nworks just like Confusion. Get used to hearing about this spell, as\nI'll be comparing 5th-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\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 Fox News! The\ntarget saves at a -2 penalty and lasts indefinitely-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\nMonster Summoning III\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLike the lower spells, but with stronger monsters. Still, not strong\nenough to bother summoning.\n\n*Shadow Door\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThis spell is essentially a 5th-level version of Improved Invisibility,\nsave with a longer duration. High-capacity Mages like Edwin might just\nhave enough 5th-level spell slots to make use of this, but most Mages\nwill not.\n\nSunfire\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nLike a Fireball centered around the caster, it deals 1d6 damage per\nlevel (up to a maximum of 15d6 damage at levels unobtainable in this\ngame). A protected Mage might make use of this spell, or perhaps a\nFighter\/Mage, but honestly, I'd rather just use a Fireball. Puts the\nMage-and his allies-at much less risk.\n\no======================================================================o\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|\t\t\t       Map {MAP001} \t\t\t       |\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\no======================================================================o\nBelow is a friendly-although admittedly crappy-text map for you, so\nyou'll know where various areas are as I talk about them. I'll list them\nby their Area Number (AR####), and by their name if they have one. I'll\nTRY to get the area exits right, but if I'm wrong about some, you'll\nlive. Besides, this is just for general reference so you know roughly\nwhere to go to get to places. For example, when I tell you to gather\nyour party, if you want to snag Shar-Teel, you'll have to know where\nAR3500 is. Note the area exits (the lines) between areas show what edge\nof the map you have to exit in order to discover the other areas. Once\ndiscovered, you can travel to any area from any other area. For example,\nif you exit (AR3700) on the western side, you should discover both\n(AR3600) and (AR4100). If you're following this guide, being thorough,\nand exploring all the exits anyways, this shouldn't matter so much, as\nyou'll find everything on your own. Also note you don't have to actually\ntravel to an area to discover it, or leave the area you're in, you\nmerely have to click on the area transition (where the icon turns into\na wheel at the edge of the map). Also note that this map made more\nsense BEFORE the Enhanced Edition, where they screwed with all the\nmap locations. Again, it's for crude reference, so don't get too picky\nabout the exact locations.\n                                           \n  AR0100--------AR0200---AR0300  AR0400----------AR1000\n     |             |        |\t   |\t     ULGOTH's BEARD\n     |             |        |      |\n     |             |        |      |\n  AR0600--------AR0700---AR0800    |\n     |             |        | \\    |\n     |\t\t   |\t    |  \\   |\n     |\t\t   |\t    |\t\\  |\n  AR1100--------AR1200---AR1300  AR0900\n\t\t\t    \t   |\n  |_______BALDUR's GATE________|   |\n\t\t       \t  \t   |\n  AR1600--------AR1700---AR1800  AR1400\t\t AR1900\nCLOAKWOOD3    CLOAKWOOD4 MINES  \/  |\t      BANDIT CAMP \n     |         \t       \t       \/   |\t\t   |\n     |\t              \t      \/\t   |\t\t   |\n  AR2100--------AR2200-----------AR2300----------AR2400------\nCLOAKWOOD2    CLOAKWOOD1        FRIENDLY        PELDVALE     \\\n\t\t  \t\tARM  INN\t   |   \t      \\\n\t\t   \t\t   |\t\t   |\t       \\<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
  AR2600--------AR2700----------AR2800----------AR2900----------AR3000\nCANDLEKEEP\t   |\t\t   |\t       LARSWOOD\t\t   |\n\t\t   |\t           |\t\t   |\t\t   |\n\t\t   |               |\t\t   |               |\n  AR3100--------AR3200----------AR3300----------AR3400----------AR3500\n     |\t      HIGH HEDGE       BEREGOST\t\tTEMPLE\t\t   |\n     |\t\t   |\t\t   |\t           |   ---------AR4000\n     |\t\t   |\t\t   |\t\t   |  \/        GULLYKIN\n  AR3600--------AR3700----------AR3800----------AR3900             |\n     |\t  \/\t   |\t\t   |\t       ULCASTER---------AR4500\n     |\t \/\t   |\t           |\t\t  |            FIREWINE\n     |\t\/\t   |\t \t   |\t\t  |\t\tBRIDGE\n  AR4100--------AR4200----------AR4300----------AR4400             |\n     |\t\\\t   |\t\t   |  \\        \/      \\         OH2000\n     |\t \\\t   |\t\t   |   \\      \/        \\        ADOY'S\n     |\t  \\\t   |\t\t   |    \\    \/\t\t\\      ENCLAVE\n  AR4600--------AR4700----------AR4800---AR4900-------AR0500       |\n     |\t\t   |\t\tNASHKEL\tCARNIVAL     DURLAG'S---AR5000\n     | \t \t   |\t\t   |   \\    |\t      TOWER\t   |\n     |\t\t   |\t\t   |    \\   |\t\t\t   |\n  AR5100--------AR5200----------AR5300---AR5400-----------------AR5500\n   GNOLL \t\t\t      NASHKEL MINES\nSTRONGHOLD\t\t\t\t    \\\n\t\t\t\t\t     \\\n\t\t\t\t\t      ----------OH3000\n\t\t\t\t\t\t     CLOUD PEAKS\n\no======================================================================o\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|\t\t\t   General Tips {TIP001}\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<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nPress the 'X' button to see the coordinates of your cursor (this will\nshow you the x-y coordinates of where your cursor is located). \n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nRecruit your party early. The more characters you have the better your\nchances of survival. Also, the sooner you get them, the better they'll\nbe in the long run.\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 your better reactions, rewards,\nand prices. Paladins make great natural party leaders, as they are both\nstrong and have a high charisma. Evil parties will have to improvise.\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 characters up front, taking\ninto consideration Armor Class and Hit Points\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nSpread the wealth. Don't load up good gear all on one character, even\nthough it might be tempting to spoil you main character. If you get\nmultiple items that give bonuses against missile weapons, spread them\namongst your front line Fighters. There's no need for one character to\nhave a Large Shield +1, +4 versus Missiles, Boots of Avoidance, AND\na Cloak of Displacement. The one exception? Tomes that increase your\nhealth permanently. Only give these to your main character.. they are\nthe only ones who will appreciate it in the expansion as well.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nDiversify your weapons-there are only so many +2 (or even rarer, +3)\nweapons in the game. If you have, say, Khalid, Shar-Teel, Ajantis, and\na protagonist who all wish to use Long Swords, you're going to find\nyourself stretched pretty thin to equip them all.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nTravel with like-minded characters, or rather, characters of the same\n(or similar) alignments. Evil and good characters will bicker, so it's\nnot always wise to have both in one party... that said, this is Baldur's\nGate 1, not Baldur's Gate 2, so take whomever you wish. Neutral \ncharacters will fit into either party. The worst case scenario, Ajantis\nmight take a swing at Viconia, but you can break it up, unlike in the\nsequel...\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 18 (if you're evil)\nor you'll face desertion. Go to temples to raise your reputation before\nmajor shopping sprees. If it gets too high, go kill a peasant in a\nhouse.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nSome NPCs will react to you differently depending on your reaction\nmodifier-which is determined by your base alignment, your Charisma, and\nyour reputation. It's not usually a big issue, but it can affect some\nquest rewards.\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 can\nsneak, 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,\nHorror, Entangle, and Silence 15' Radius are all great first-strike\nspells. Later on Slow, Confusion, Chaos, and Greater Malison all become\nindispensable ways to decimate enemies before they even know you're\nthere.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nSave your finite-use items for when you need them! Sure, it can be fun \nto smite Gibberlings with Wands of Fire, and Arrows +1 do take down \nBandits faster than normal arrows, but there are better things to use \nthem on. Having enough Arrows +2 to shoot at Aec'Letec and the \nDemon Knight will save you a lot of trouble, and hitting that Mage with \nan Arrow of Biting as the fight begins is better in the long run than \nfiring them back at Sirines while shouting \"How do YOU like it?!\" You'll\nmiss your Potions of Giant Strength if you waste them. It's a simple \nlesson in conservation and restraint.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nSummon monsters to distract your foes. If you can put three summoning\nspells in between yourself and tough enemies, you can reduce or even\ndestroy them with missile fire before they even get close. This comes in\nhandy in later encounters where you desperately need to divide the \noffensive power of your enemies amongst more bodies.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nHaste is probably the most powerful spell buff in the game. You act\nfaster in combat, you get twice as many attacks, and twice the movement\nspeed. It is, essentially, a way to double your offensive power for a\nshort amount of time. Use it before every major fight.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nMagic Missile is an awesome spell, especially in 2nd Edition, where\nHit Points remain within relatively sane boundaries. First, there are\nfew better spells out there for disrupting enemy spell casters and\ntearing down their Mirror Images... unless they have a Minor Globe of \nInvulnerability up, that is. Some monsters are immune to or very \nresistant to missile fire, like Battle Horrors, Doom Guards, and \nSkeleton Warriors. Skeletal undead and magic resistant creatures are\nboth vulnerable to Magic Missiles however, as Baldur's Gate checks each\nmissile for magic resistance. This means that even buggers like the\nDemon Knight should take some damage from them, even if they aren't hit\nby every missile. Go pop Viconia with a couple, and see how well her\nmagic resistance holds up. This spell truly becomes indispensable at\n9th level, when casters like Edwin and Imoen will pop off five missiles\nper spell, doing 1d4+1 damage per missile.. that's 10-25 damage with no\nsave, and by this time Edwin will have, oh, a dozen 1st level spells?\nIf you also get Minor Spell Sequencer and double them up... well, 20-50\ndamage faster than you can sneeze is a good bit of damage.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nDo not neglect your defensive spells, especially if you-like me-play\ndual-or-multi-class Mages. The typical Fighter\/Mage is unimpressive on\npaper, but if he's buffed with Blur, Mirror Image, Stoneskin, Improved\nInvisibility, and Haste, he becomes the most dangerous character in your\nparty. There's a reason I play this class, you see.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nIf you bounce a Lightning Bolt down a hallway you can hit an enemy with\nit multiple times. Frankly, I'm horrible at judging the direction these\nthings will go, and they've always been more of a danger to myself than\nothers, but if you can figure out how to do it right, you can really\nmake a mess of enemies in enclosed spaces.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nGet the drop on enemies with Web or Stinking Cloud, then shoot them to\ndeath with missile weapons. Like shooting fish in a barrel. Just don't\nget caught in your own spells.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAnimate Dead is a cheap, but very effective way to obliterate foes. \nSummon some undead with it and get the drop on your enemies with a\npair of Stinking Clouds (or even Cloudkill!) Your enemies will be\naffected, but your undead chums won't be. There's nothing better than\nslaughtering a group of snotty adventurers, assassins, bounty hunters,\nor mercenaries with couple of undead while they lay around nauseated\nfrom Stinking Clouds. This tactic has been nerfed somewhat by the\nEnhanced Edition-you'll now summon fewer undead when you cast Animate\nDead, but still, if you can get a couple of undead to savage enemy Mages\nwhile they're helpless, you'll have done yourself a huge favor.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThere is a summoning cap of five minions, although this doesn't become\nreadily apparent until you try to conjure up your sixth ally. That\nbeing the case-pick quality... because you really can't pick quantity.\nI know, I know, quantity has a quality all its own... but it's not an\noption. Did I mention Animate Dead? It's the tops.\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<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nMind the experience cap. Don't dual-class a character at a level in\ntheir first class that they cannot exceed with their second. You'll just\nend up with a gimped character that has half the abilities they should,\ninstead of a double-powerful extra-versatile character.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nIf you get caught stealing, make sure to run away before the guards\nshow up and talk to you. If they do, you risk turning nearby neutral\ncharacters hostile, and you'll suffer a reputation loss, regardless.\nLeaving the area will allow you to escape the guard. If you rest a few\nhours, the guards should go away.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nHostile enemies will now chase you when you leave areas! Good thing I\ndidn't rely on such hit-and-run tactics in the original guide, but be\nwary. You can no longer flee from hostile guards by moving to another\narea.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nOn the other hand, the fact that they'll chase you means you can lure\nthem to better fighting grounds. Some fights were terribly challenging\nsimply because you were forced to fight in a crappy location-either\nbecause the game spawned your characters in poor positions when you\nentered an area (Mages near strong melee foes, for example) or because\nobstacles prevented you from maneuvering. Luring a foe out of a cramped\ncavern and into the open fields can make your life much easier.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nStackable items are now even more stackable-arrows and other ammunition\nnow stack up to 80, a four-fold increase over the original game!\nCarrying around a significant supply of potions and magical ammo is now\nmuch easier-hence, expect to use them more often.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nHolding down the 'Tab' key now highlights containers. No more waving\nyour mouse around like an idiot trying to find hidden goodies, they're\neasy to spot now!\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nCharacter's now have colored marker ovals-matching their primary color.\nNo longer will all your characters simply have green markers. Not sure\nwho's moving where? Well, know your colors.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nIf all of your characters are charmed, it counts as a game over. Isn't\nthat screwy? One would think we could just... you know... wait a few\nrounds for it to wear off? Anyways, don't let it happen.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nThere are three types of encounters in the game: 1) static encounters\n(the enemy is always in a specific location-I tend to give the (AR####)\nto help you find them), 2) random counters (random fights on set-piece\nterrain as you travel between areas), and 3) spawns (static spots on a\nmap where a random group of enemies may-or may not-spawn at any given\ntime). Spawns will vary by area, but the exact spawn locations are\nstatic on a given map. The roster of foes you'll face at spawn points\nare also similar to the monsters that will randomly attack you in an\narea if you try to rest.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nMonster spawns are now less based on party size and more based on party\nlevel. The Gnoll Stronghold has never been easier!\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nRandom encounters when traveling between map areas are now more common.\nBe wary when moving from area to area.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nYou now gain experience when disarming traps, picking locks, and\nscribing scrolls-just like in Baldur's Gate 2. Unfortunately, the\nrewards are an order of magnitude smaller than they were in Baldur's\nGate 2-expect to only gain 10 Experience Points per spell level when\nscribing scrolls-as compared to Baldur's Gate 2's 1000 Experience\nPoints per spell level.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nBe wary when it's raining. Turns out that walking around in metal armor\nduring a thunderstorm isn't a good idea. Makes you like a... walking\nlightning rod. You always ran the risk of getting struck by lightning,\nbut in the Enhanced Edition, it actually deals damage to you. So, might\nbe better to find shelter during the storm, if possible.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nAt low levels archers will get many more attacks per round than\ncomparatively leveled melee warriors. Make archers your primary focus\nin battles-try to close with a melee character and force them to draw\na melee weapon, where they'll be much less dangerous. This is a \nlife-saving tactic when fighting Hobgoblin Elites, Kobold Commandos,\nBandits, Black Talon Elites, and named NPC archers.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n\no======================================================================o\n|\t\t\t        Prologue\t\t\t       |\no======================================================================o\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|\t\t\t    Leaving Candlekeep\t\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) History in the Haystack\n\t\t2) Shanking Shank\n\t\t3) Poor Old Nessa...\n\t\t4) Combat Training for Two\n\t\t5) Ratocide\n\t\t6) Helping Hull\n\t\t7) Group Combat Training\n\t\t8) The Hospital\n\t\t9) Killing Carbos\n\t\t10) The Barracks\n\t\t11) Cashing in Candlekeep Quests\n\t\t12) Ol' Puffguts\n\t\t13) Firebead Elvenhair\n\t\t14) Larcenous Intent\n\t\t15) Robbing the Guest Rooms\n\t\t16) Bolts and Blessings\n\t\t17) Into the Darkness\n\nCandlekeep (AR2600)\no======================================================================o\n1) Before we head off into the Candlekeep Inn to buy anything, let's do\nsome quests, meet some folks, and gather some loot. Besides, it would be\nsilly to, say, buy a weaker armor because you can't afford better when\nif you just waited you could have bought the better suit. It would also\nbe silly to go there now if you had a quest that required you to go\nthere later... in case such an unlikely scenario occurs, we'll head\nnorth-east and work our way around clockwise until we end up back at\nthe Candlekeep Inn. Head north-east and talk to Phlydia (x=3600, y=310).\nAlong the way you can talk to tutors to learn about the game. I'll just\nassume you trust in my FAQ enough to ignore them. Anyways, Phlydia will\nask you to find her book, 'History of Halruaa'. All in good time.\n\nPriest's Quarters (AR2627)\no======================================================================o\n2) Keep moving clockwise until you find the Priest's Quarters at\n(x=2950, y=400). Once you enter the building a man named Shank will\nattack you. As the first battle of the game, it shouldn't be too tough,\neven with a quarter staff. Once he's dead, loot him and the building\naround you. Pick locks if you can-in the Enhanced Edition, picking locks\nand disarming traps nets you some experience (like in Baldur's Gate 2)\nso it's worth trying if you have a Thief... which in this case, your\nonly option is to have a Thief protagonist. Anyways, loot and leave.\n\n**ITEMS***\n(x=130, y=320) Dagger\n(x=100, y=200) 8 gold\n(x=480, y=220) War Hammer\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n3)  Leave the Priest's Quarter and continue east until you find Dreppin\n(x=3270, y=420) who will tell you Phlydia left her book in the hay\n(x=3250, y=290). Pick i11t up and talk to him again. This time he'll\nask you to get an antidote potion from Hull for his poor cow, Nessa.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=3250, y=290) History of Halruaa\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n4) Keep following the trail south. Outside of the Storehouse you'll find\nJondalar (x=4100, y=1330), who will give you some combat training if\nyou talk to him. If you haven't played before, you might as well. Just\nattack Erik when he shows up and starts shooting at you. Outside of the\nStorehouse is a dwarf named Reevor (x=4330, y=1450). Talk to him and\nhe'll tell you to clear the rats out of the storehouse. Head inside the\nStorehouse (x=4350, y=1400) to do just that.\n\nStorehouse (AR2606)\no======================================================================o\n5) Inside the Storehouse you'll be accosted by several rats, who walk up\nto you and wait to be smote. Oblige them, loot, and head outside. Talk\nto Reevor again for your reward.\n\n**ITEMS***\n(x=100, y=200) Silver Ring\n\n***REWARD***\n(For killing Reevor's rats)\nEXP\t50\nGold\t5\n\nNote from Peter: Just in case you hate cats: why not kill them as well?\n1 exp isn't much, even at the beginning of the game. But it's better\nthan nothing. Two cats means two more exp.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n6) Keep heading south until you find a soldier named Hull\n(x=3650, y=2430). Talk to Hull, who will ask you to retrieve his sword\nfor him. Also, he'll tell you that the potion Dreppin wants is where his\nsword is. Convenient.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n7) Go south some more until you run into the Gatewarden, who will offer\nto train you in group tactics. If you decide to go, follow him to the\nbuilding he mentions (x=3050, y=3000). You'll get a party and fight a\nnumber of illusory foes. Training or no, afterwards head inside the\nbuilding at (x=3550, y=2960).\n\nNote from Peter: Even if the fights are really just for party training\npurposes, you'll definitely get some exp for picking the locks. There\nare two chests in this room, one at (x=700, y=670) and another one at\n(x=1600, y=500). You get 10 exp for each. Just make sure that you put\neveryone out of the party. If you can't pick the locks, then keep the \nThief Deder, who is able to pick them.\n\nHospital (AR2605)\no======================================================================o\n8) Talk to the Priest of Oghma that wanders around and he'll offer to\ngive you a healing potion. Why refuse? There's another potion you can\nfilch from the desk at (x=660, y=410) but the guards will be called on\nyou. This is our first 'theft' of the game, so I should probably go\nover some stealing basics. If you steal something while an NPC is\nwatching, chances are they'll call the guards on you. The guards will\nspawn near the entrance to the building and if they see you, they'll\ninitiate dialogue, usually ending in a fight and\/or a reputation drop.\nIf the guards cannot find you, however, you will not suffer any\nconsequences. Your options are simple-exit the area before the guards\ncan talk to you, either by bolting for the exit as soon as you are\nspotted (after taking the loot, of course), perhaps aided by stealth\nor invisibility. As long as you avoid contact with the guards, you will\nget away with your thieving consequence-free, and the guards will vanish\nif you wait a few days (game time). That's the model of stealing for\nthe Enhanced Edition. Steal, sneak, flee. Get used to it, we'll be\ndoing it a lot.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=660, y=410) Potion of Healing\n\nBunkhouse (AR2607)\no======================================================================o\n9) Head west until you come across the Bunkhouse. Loot the chest\noutside, then head into the Bunkhouse (x=2070, y=2670). Inside you'll\nbe accosted by Carbos, whom you'll be forced to dispatch like Shank.\nLoot and head outside, where you'll be approached by Karan, who like\nParda has nothing useful to say. Head west and loot the barrel outside\nof the Barracks before entering.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(AR2600)\n(x=2150, y=2750) 15 gold\n  ---\n***ITEMS***\n(AR2607)\n(x=1410, y=2680) 8 gold\n\nBarracks (AR2618)\no======================================================================o\n10) Inside the Barracks you'll find Fuller (x=490, y=410), and Hull's\nchest is at (x=650, y=260). I wouldn't suggest stealing from the\nBarracks, as the two Watchers inside will not simply 'disappear' over\ntime if you get caught... and in any event, these chests are fairly hard\nto get into. Talk to Fuller and ask if he has any errands to run. He'll\nask you to get him a quarrel of bolts from the Candlekeep Inn.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=650, y=260) Hull's Long Sword, Antidote\n\nNote from Peter: One should think that you would tell the guard about\nCarbos and Shank who tried to kill you, but somehow the protagonist\nisn't smart enough for this dialog choice... or just brave.\n\nNote from Peter: Just in case you want to loot this place, I'll provide\nthe items. But I recommend to loot this place after you gave the bolts\nto Fuller and took Hull's Long Sword as well as the Antidote. When you\nget caught, run outside and close the door. It should keep the guards \ninside.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=200, y=170) Dagger, Long Sword\n(x=180, y=250) Warhammer , Dagger\n(x=170, y=320) Battleaxe\n(x=140, y=400) Longsword, Mace\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n11) When you're done head outside and start turning in those quest items\nyou've found. After you've satisfied Phlydia, Dreppin, and Hull, head up\nto the Candlekeep Inn (x=1050, y=550). The easiest way to do this is\nsimply go in reverse order (around the keep counter-clockwise).\n\n***REWARD***\n(For giving Hull his sword)\nEXP\t50\nGold\t10 or 20*\n\n*If Hull likes you, he'll give you more money.\n\nNote from Peter:\nWith an Charisma score of 18, I had no problems getting 20 gold.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For giving Dreppin an antidote)\nEXP\t50\n\n***REWARD***\n(For returning Phlydia's book)\nEXP\t50\nItem\tLynx Eye Gem\n\nCandlekeep Inn, Downstairs (AR2616)\no======================================================================o\n12) Talk to Winthrop at (x=670, y=410). From him you can buy all the\ngoodies you'll need to get started... he sells just about every weapon\nout there. For my protagonists, I buy two Morning Stars (for my good\nprotagonist) and two Long Swords (for my evil protagonist). I also buy\na Helmet, but otherwise no armor. They won't be wearing much anyways,\nand if they need some, they'll find armor soon enough without having to\nspend money on it. Lastly, don't forget to pick up a quarrel of bolts\nfor Fuller while you're here.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n13 At (x=200, y=400) you'll find Firebead Elvenhair. Talk to him and\nhe'll ask you to retrieve a Scroll of Identify from Tethtoril. We'll\nget on this shortly. Speaking of spell scrolls, grab the Scroll of Armor\nand the Scroll of Infravision from the dresser at (x=800, y=250) and\nscribe them. Just... pick them up, go into your inventory, right-click\non the scroll and select 'write magic'. I don't know why people have\ntrouble with this, but I've received E-mails, so...\n\nNote: There's a stupidly obscure easter-egg regarding Firebead\nElvenhair... it's a fairly profitable one, too. If you talk to him\nEXACTLY 30 times and wait a few seconds, you'll be given 300 gold.\nExtra coin at this point in the game can't hurt, right?\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=800, y=250) 18 gold, Scroll of Armor, Scroll of Infravision\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n14) Only one more thing to do here now, and since it *might* require us\nto run upstairs to see it come to fruition, it's a good transitional\nStep. In a room to the north-east you'll find a pair of nobles standing\naround. Talk to the male (x=550, y=200) and when you get a chance to\nreply pick dialogue option #3 to lavish an unseemly amount of attention\non their status symbols. Most characters will be reprimanded with\nthreats of incarceration, but if you manage to get a good reaction\ncheck from the noble (reaction is a combination of Charisma and\nreputation-and since we can't influence our reputation right now, save\nby our starting alignment, it seems to be a Charisma score of 18 or\nbust) his wife will mistake your larcenous intent and decide to put\nher jewelry back in their room, to avoid offending the monks with any\nfurther ostentatious displays. Anyways, when you're done with this level\nhead upstairs (x=350, y=250).\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=650, y=100) Dagger\n\nCandlekeep Inn, Upstairs (AR2617)\no======================================================================o\n15) Go around looting, there's not really much else to do besides\nantagonize nobles. If you have a great amount of Strength (and by 'a\ngreat amount' I mean more than is legitimately possible to get with a\nnew character), or a terribly high lock pick score (60 or more), or\na Knock spell memorized, you can get at the Star Sapphire in the dresser\nat (x=420, y=170). However, to get this you need one of three things,\neither a character from a previous play through, a non-legit character,\nor a Thief with the appropriate skills. For the rest of us, the gem is\njust there to mock us. Even if you have a Thief, investing in the Open\nLocks skill is, in the long-term, a waste of points, so I suggest just\nignoring it. When you're done up here, you're done with the Candlekeep\nInn. You still have the center to explore, and bolts to deliver.\n\nNote: If you managed to convince the nobles downstairs into putting\ntheir jewelry away, the Star Sapphire in the dresser at (x=420, y=170)\nwill be joined by a Pearl Necklace and a Fire Opal Ring. The Star\nSapphire alone sells for 1000 gold, while the Fire Opal Ring is worth\n250, and the Pearl Necklace will burden your purse with 500 gold. It's\nnot a bad bit of starting money. It's also worth noting that the nobles\nwill still plant their goodies in the dresser if you rob the Star\nSapphire from it before talking to them and convincing them to stash the\nrest of their loot. Not very smart, eh?\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=100, y=270) 4 gold\n(x=170, y=350) Silver Necklace\n(x=380, y=400) Potion of Clarity, 36 gold\n(x=420, y=170) Star Sapphire, (Pearl Necklace, Fire Opal Ring)\n(x=570, y=300) Flamedance Ring, 86 gold\n\nNote from Peter: Just to make that sure. You'll usually get caught by\nthe noble at (x=520, y=350) when stealing from the chest at (x=570, \ny=300). To avoid this, you can hit him with your bare hands until he \ngets unconscious. You don't lose reputation because you didn't kill him\nand nobody sees you stealing.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n16) Now that you're done in the Candlekeep Inn turn in the bolts to\nFuller and find Tethtoril, who is lurking somewhere in the central area\nby the keep. He'll initiate dialogue and give you the scroll you're\nafter, which you'll need to... return to Firebead Elvenhair at the\nCandlekeep Inn. He'll give you a meager reward and cast 'Protection From\nEvil' on you. Oh boy.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For giving Fuller a score of bolts)\nEXP\t50\nGold\t10\n     or\nItem\tDagger +1*\n\n*You'll get this item if your reaction is good. This is one of the first\nand few examples of your Charisma coming into play. Fuller will only\ngive you the dagger if your Charisma is high enough, you're an alignment\nhe likes (lawful good being the optimum) and if you haven't tanked your\nreputation by killing Watchers. Overall it's not an earth shattering\nitem, but it's still nice.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For giving Firebead Elvenhair his scroll)\nEXP\t50\nItem\tPotion of Healing\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n17) Towards the south you'll find Imoen. If you're a good party, you\nmight as well get used to her... There's a good chance she's going to be\nyour Thief through the game. Towards the south-western side of the keep\na number of chanters, who since Alaundo's prophecies. Neat. Especially\nthat bit about Bhaal:\n\n\"The Lord of Murder shall perish, but in his doom he shall spawn a score\nof mortal progeny. Chaos will be sewn from their passage. So sayeth the\nwise Alaundo.\"\n\nOnce everything is done in Candlekeep, talk to Gorion (x=2700, y=1760).\nIf you're ready to go, tell Gorion, and we're off to Chapter 1.\n\n***ENHANCED EDITION***\nIn the original game, it was Gorion himself who healed you before you\nset off from Candlekeep. Now a 'Priest of Oghma' is standing by to do\nthe honors. This makes more sense-Gorion is Mage, not a Cleric, and\nbeing human, he's certainly not a Mage\/Cleric. Although he could have\nbeen a dual-class Cleric\/Mage... hmmm... oh well.\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\t   Friendly Arm Inn\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) The Morning After...\n\t\t2) First Steps\n\t\t3) Xzar and Montaron\n\t\t4) Quickly, Through the Wilderness\n\t\t5) The Friendly Arm Inn\n\t\t6) Joia's House\n\t\t7) Attacked by Tarnesh\n\t\t8) Dorn's Dismissal\n\t\t9) Khalid and Jaheira\n\t\t10) Merchant Memo\n\t\t11) Unshey's Ogre Problem\n\t\t12) Gnome Homes\n\t\t13) Golden Pantaloons\n\t\t14) Joia's Ring\n\t\t15) Belt Fetish\n\nWilderness (AR2700)\no======================================================================o\n1) After the cutscene and the intro you'll be pestered by Imoen, who\njoins your party. You might as well take her along for now, even if you\ndon't plan to keep her, especially since she comes to you with three\nPotions of Healing, an Oil of Speed, and a Wand of Magic Missiles with\nten charges. The advice in the prologue is sound, heading to the\nFriendly Arm Inn should be a priority. To go to new areas, you simply\nhave to reach the edge of the map and click when the icon turns into a\nwheel... assuming you're at an edge that actually goes somewhere.\nNaturally that means in every area you're in, you'll want to explore at\nleast to the four edges and click to leave from each applicable edge, as\nthis is how you 'discover' new areas, which appear on your map after\nattempting to leave from a side in an adjacent territory. If you exit\nvia the eastern edge of the map you'll find another wilderness area\n(AR2800) if you exit via the southern edge of the map you'll discover\nHigh Hedge (AR3200). We'll head to High Hedge soon enough, but not just\nyet.\n\n****ENHANCED EDITION***\nThe encounter with the 'Armored Figure' is a bit different now. In the\nEnhanced Edition, the Armored Figure, Tamoko, and the two Ogres are now\njoined by two Thugs. In the original version it was Tamoko who injured\nthe protagonist (by casting Flame Arrow) before you ran off. Flame Arrow\nonly dealt paltry damage, when it should have been enough to kill you\noutright... but that's not the point, the idea was you were in danger\nand needed to get the hell out of there. Again, this makes better sense,\nsince a minimum 5d6 damage Flame Arrow now no longer inexplicably does\none damage for the sake of the story. On the other hand, having an\nanonymous 'Thug' damage you might start an even nerdier 'who shot first'\nwith the Baldur's Gate franchise. There is some incentive for us not to\nhold a grudge against Tamoko later, and by having her NOT attack the\nprotagonist at the beginning of the game, it might serve to make her\nless offensive, story-wise. Still, in the original it WAS Tamoko who\nattacked the protagonist, now it isn't. Also... note some of the new\nspells Gorion casts! Stoneskin, Protection from Magic Weapons... things\nwe originally wouldn't see until the sequel. It's enough to make a gamer\nplaying a multi-class Fighter\/Mage squeal with delight (or maybe it's\njust me?) In any event, Gorion puts up a much better show for himself\nthis time around. Previously he was bound to the limited selection of\n1st-3rd level spells common in the original game. He was supposed to be\na pretty damn powerful Mage, but his most effective attacks against the\nArmored Figure was a string of Magic Missiles. Finally... note how the\nArmored Figure takes out Gorion in the Enhanced Edition-with the\n'Deathbringer Assault' ability. This is a nod to all the gamers out\nthere who knows what awaits us in Throne of Bhaal...\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n2) In any event, there's not all that much to do in this area. You'll\nget bothered by an inexperienced hermit named Kolssed as you head east\nalong the road. Xzar and Montaron are further along the road, and you\nmight as well loot your foster father's body, and the bodies of his\nassailants (x=3150, y=1370). They sure aren't going to be needing their\nstuff anymore. On Gorion you'll find a note warning Gorion of\nunspecified dangers, signed by one old 'E' (who could THAT be? duhr...).\nHe'll also drop the Belt of Antipode, a... mixed bag that makes you take\ndouble fire damage, but in return grants you 100% cold resistance. There\nare areas where cold damage will appear, but fire is a much, much more\ncommon element. As you wander around the map you may run afoul of Wolves\nand Gibberlings. Gibberlings are cheese, but Wolves can be surprisingly\nbrutal to an unprepared character. If you're in trouble, just use Sleep\nto settle things.  \n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n3) To the east Xzar and Montaron await at (x=4500, y=2700), and they'll\nbe friendly enough, even handing over a Potion of Healing if you accept\ntheir aid. They'll then try to get you to head to Nashkel with them,\nwhich is a destination you'll be heading to eventually anyways.\nRegardless of your alignment pick them up for now. Make sure to relieve\nMontaron of his potions, and Xzar of his scrolls. You'll put them to\nbetter use. You can go around and explore the area if you want, but\nthere's not much point. You'll find a whiny noble in the west, and some\nBlack Bears who will probably make your life miserable if you get too\nclose. You should, however, grab the Diamond hidden in a tree at\n(x=4420, y=1960), not far from where you met Xzar and Montaron. I'll\nadmit, I've played this game through countless times, and I've never\nfound this before. Thanks to Mr. Rozzo for this (and other) obscure\ntreasures. When you're done exit along the eastern side of the map to\nunlock another wilderness area. Keep in mind that when you travel\nbetween areas there is always a chance you'll run afoul of a random\nencounter. At low levels, these can be, well, devastating. If it happens\njust reload your autosave, which the game makes every time you leave an\narea. How thoughtful, eh? After your trip to the Friendly Arm Inn, your\nfirst priority will be to assemble your party, which I will discuss at\nthe appropriate time.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=4420, y=1960) Diamond\n\nWilderness (AR2800)\no======================================================================o\n4) Upon entering this area you'll be bothered by an 'Old Man'. Answer\nhim as you please, and head north-east, where you can find a rock which\nhas a hollow containing a Ring of the Princes +1 (x=1005, y=1115).\nAnother treasure brought to my attention thanks to Mr. Rozzo... it's a\ndecent little Armor Class booster that'll become obsolete once we start\ngetting enchanted armor. In the meantime, however, wear it, love it.\nOnce you're done, head east until you find a road, then follow it north.\nIf you come across Aoln, just answer him however you please (he's\nentirely inconsequential) and continue north. There's more to do here,\nbut first we really need to gather up our party. Exit to the north and\nyou'll discover the Friendly Arm Inn.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=1005, y=1115) Ring of Princes +1\n\n***ENHANCED EDITION***\nThe Ring of Princes +1 was originally called... well, just a Ring of\nProtection +1. For the Enhanced Edition, however, Overhaul Games\ndecided to rename many magical items. Items in the original game\ntypically had a common, sensible name, and in the item description they\nhad a more detailed name... you know, for flavor. I find this\nincredibly annoying for two reasons. First, it makes me have to rename\nnearly every damn item in the game arbitrarily. Second, it's just\nstupid. Call a Ring of Wizardy a Ring of Wizardy. Call Gauntlets of\nDexterity Gauntlets of Dexterity. \n\nFriendly Arm Inn, Exterior (AR2300)\no======================================================================o\n4) Watch the movie. Yay. Now head east. Before you enter the Inn,\nthere's a little trinket worth grabbing. At precisely (x=2553, y=3761)\nthere's a Ring of Wizardry hidden in the terrain. This baby doubles\nfirst level Mage spells, and is good for your main Mage. For me this\neither goes to Edwin (when we get him-if I'm evil)-or to my protagonist\nuntil Imoen can use it. It's particularly devastating on Edwin, who will\nhave eight first-level spell slots at level two, allowing me to memorize\nenough Sleep spells to pacify a small army. Now head across the\ndrawbridge. Just after you enter the exterior of the inn, there's a\nhouse to enter at (x=1520, y=2500).\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=2553, y=3761) Evermemory\n\nJoia's House (AR2306)\/House (AR2305)\no======================================================================o\n5) Talk to Joia at (x=250, y=260). Pick dialogue option #1 and she'll\ngive you a quest to go fetch a ring for her from some Hobgoblin thieves\nnorth of the inn. Accept her offer. You'll get to this in a bit. Don't\nforget to loot her house while you're here. When you're done, there's\nanother house to the north for you to search. Loot it, leave the house\nand head to the east.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(AR2306)\n(x=300, y=200) Andar Gem, 7 gold\n  ---\n(AR2305)\n(x=300, y=200) Agni Magni Necklace, Silver Ring\n(x=200, y=200) Long Sword\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n6) When you get near the stairs leading to the inn, you'll be approached\nby a Mage named Tarnesh, who will end up attacking you. Just one of many\nbounty hunters after your head that you'll meet in the game, Tarnesh can\nbe a real pain, which is why we brought along Xzar and Montaron. He\nlikes to cast Horror, and follow up with damaging spells. At level one,\nyou can't really weather too much, so keep your party together and make\nsure to get on him fast. If you can interrupt his first spell (having\nXzar quickly cast Larloch's Minor Drain is a great interrupter) he'll\nfall with no problem. If he gets his spell off, you're in for a fight.\nLoot his body for a Scroll (bounty hunter notice), a Scroll of Shield, a\nScroll of Magic Missile, a Scroll of Burning Hands, and 58 gold. Thanks,\nTarnesh, I needed that Magic Missile. This should go without saying, but\nhold onto copies of spell scrolls you find. Imoen will need them when\nshe dual-classes, and Edwin will need them when you find him. A Mage is\nonly as good as their spell arsenal. Now head up the stairs into the\ninn (x=3500, y=1900).\n\nNote from Lee:\nI have Xzar cast Larloch's Minor Drain while the other three kick the\nliving shit out of Tarnesh in melee. Took no damage, although I did\nhave two characters running around in a panic after his Horror spell;\nhe just barely got it off before he died (that's what she said....)\n\nNot from Peter:\nActually you get warned of one of the commoners outside the inn. There\nis a chance you get a dialog with a commoner who tells you that a lot\nof people are asking about you for some time. Some of them don't seem\nto be nice guys. And a big man has asked some days ago about you...\nOh and against Tarnesh, the Potion of Clarity we have found in the \nCandlekeep Inn works wonders against his Horror spell. The guards may\nhelp you as well, but make sure to kill Tarnesh yourself to get the \nexperience points.\n\nFriendly Arm Inn, 1st Floor (AR2301)\no======================================================================o\n7) A commoner named Jopi will initiate dialogue with you, complaining\nabout the two central points of the early game: the iron shortage, and\nthe bandit raids. You'll be hearing about these a lot. Sounds kinda\nquesty, no? Also near the entrance you'll find Dorn (x=1120, y=720),\nwho'll mistake you for a servant, and dismiss you just as quickly. Be\nsure to talk to him, so we can get his quest-line rolling.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=1280, y=740) 20 gold\n(x=920, y=230) Potion of Healing\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n8) Head to the north-west of the inn to find Jaheira and Khalid\n(x=300, y=710) and (x=330, y=660). Jaheira is a pivotal Baldur's Gate\ncharacter, but she really comes into her own in the sequel. I include\nher in just about every party I play... not so much because she's\nterribly powerful in the first game (in the sequel though...) but\nbecause... I have a bit of a game-crush on her. I don't know why, maybe\nit's her deep chick voice, or her general surliness? In any event,\nI take the both of them along with me, but Khalid's days are numbered\nin my party (die!). In any event, these two are heading towards Nashkel\ntoo. Kind of a theme... Jaheira has a Potion of Invisibility she doesn't\nneed, and Khalid comes with a Potion of Healing and a suit of Splint\nMail that can be reassigned to his lovely wife.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n9) Finally for this level, you can buy some things from Bently\nMirrorshade (x=420, y=490), if you need arrows or something.\nBefore we go on, I'll pass on a few notes about stores. Their prices\nare dictated by how much the shopkeeper likes you. This is largely a\nfunction of a 'reaction' roll made when you talk to NPCs, and it is\ndependent upon your Charisma score and your Reputation. The higher the\ntwo of those are, the lower prices will be. Also, Baldur's Gate puts\ninto effect market saturation. The more stuff you sell to a merchant,\nthe less that item will be worth. If you sell a Two-Handed Sword to a\nmerchant one time for 25 gold, the next time it might not be worth that\nmuch. The way to maximize your profits is to sell a number of similar\nitems at the same time-and hence at the same price. So if you happen to\nhave a dozen Short Bows in your inventory, give them all to the same\ncharacter and sell them all at once. Sometimes the price disparity\nbetween reputation scores makes it worth donating to a temple to raise\nyour reputation; this is especially true when buying very expensive\nitems. For example, buying a suit of Full Plate Mail might cost over\n7000 gold for a neutral party, but a party with a higher reputation may\nonly have to pay 5000. For big-ticket purchases, it can be worth it to\ndonate a couple hundred gold to raise your reputation and lower prices.\nYou'll know when a donation raised your reputation, as the dialogue with\nthe temple's donation screen will tell you. Donation amounts are NOT\ncumulative. If you donate 100 gold and it doesn't raise your reputation,\nyou just wasted 100 gold. Therefore it's a good idea to save\/load\nbetween donations, which are effective in increments of 100 gold. If\ndonating 100 gold doesn't work, donate 200, if that doesn't work, 300,\nand so on. Of course, it's cheaper to raise your reputation through\nquests, but that's not always convenient. If you're travelling with evil\nfolks, be sure you don't raise your reputation too high-keep it below\n19 or your evil allies will start to disband.\n\nThe best thing Bently sells is Buckley's Buckler. It's probably too\nmuch for you to afford right now, and it's not a great item, anyways.\nIf you must get it, this buckler only gives you the standard +1 bonus to\nArmor Class (with no protection against missile\/piercing attacks. It\ndoes, however, give a +1 bonus to Constitution, so strap it on a\ncharacter who will actually gain Hit Points from it. Personally, I save\nmy money-we'll be able to get better shields soon enough.\n\nNote from Peter: Well, I admit it's not a good idea, but maybe it's\nworth mentioning. Bentley Mirrorshade is 2000 experience worth, wears\na Traveler's Robe and a Dagger +1 as well as 80 gold. On the other hand,\nif he's dead, he can't sell or buy stuff and you lose reputation. I \nsaid, it's not a good idea.\n\nFriendly Arm Inn, 2nd Floor (AR2302)\no======================================================================o\n10) Go talk to a Gnome named Unshey (x=1190, y=750) who will tell you\nabout a 'rogue Ogre with a belt fetish to the south'. You'll deal with\nthis later. Head upstairs when you're done looting.\n\nNote: It's very possible that you won't be able to open some of these\ncontainers, whose difficulties range from 40 to 70. Even if you can,\nyou might not want to bother running from the guards right now. Without\nan absurdly high Strength score or a very high Open Locks skill, you\nhave no real way of getting some of this loot. Your options 1) return\nwhen you have the 2nd-level Mage spell, Knock, or 2) ignore them,\nbecause most of the gear here isn't worth much anyways.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=900, y=1000) Gold Ring, Potion of Healing, 23 gold\n(x=850, y=900) Chain Mail Armor\n(x=1050, y=820) 23 gold\n(x=1250, y=700) Dagger\n(x=1220, y=570) Throwing Dagger x5\n(x=1340, y=510) War Hammer\n(x=1060, y=320) Dagger\n(x=720, y=350) Studded Leather Armor, Studded Necklace with Zios Gems\n(x=600, y=490) Rainbow Obsidian Necklace\n(x=350, y=630) Bastard Sword\n(x=230, y=600) Zircon Gem\n\nFriendly Arm Inn, 3rd Floor (AR2303)\no======================================================================o\n11) In the middle of the main room on this floor is a Gnome named\nLandrin. She'll ask you to clear out the spider infestation in her house\nin Beregost and return some possessions to her. If she likes you, she'll\neven hand over some Antidotes, which will come in handy during the\nretrieval of said possessions. If she doesn't hand over the potions,\nyou can always just steal them.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=350, y=630) Andar Gem\n(x=230, y=600) 12 gold\n(x=420, y=450) 43 gold\n(x=750, y=350) Bloodstone Gem\n(x=900, y=205) Arrow x4\n(x=1330, y=510) Battle Axe\n(x=1490, y=620) Club \n(x=1050, y=830) Onyx Ring\n(x=850, y=900) Leather Armor, Quarter Staff\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n12) In a room to the north is a nobleman who will demand you launder\nhis Golden Pantaloons. Pick dialogue option #2 to snipe his knickers.\nIf you have a high reputation and\/or Charisma, he'll stop you and throw\nin some extra money for some... cosmetic changes to the Golden\nPantaloons. Hold onto the Golden Pantaloons-if you have them in your\ncharacter's inventory when you export to Baldur's Gate 2 you will find\nthem in the sequel, allowing you to fabricate the Big Metal Unit in\nBaldur's Gate 2: Throne of Bhaal. Something to keep in mind. If you talk\nto the Nobleman with the Golden Pantaloons in your inventory, you'll\nget a small reward at the cost of 'your' Golden Pantaloons. The only\nway to get them back after turning them in is to kill the Nobleman...\nthe reward in this case just isn't worth the reputation hit.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For returning the Golden Pantaloons)\nEXP\t100\n\nNote from Peter: The extra gold for the extra large front of the golden\npantaloons consists of two meager gold coins. Better than nothing.\nAnd as a extra note: the Big Metal Unit isn't really helpful at the \ntime you gain it in Baldur's Gate 2: Throne of Baal. You don't get a<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
experience reward for it, you don't need to sell it and you've probably\nfound better armor. So it's worth considering to take the 100 experience\npoints now.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n12) Leave the Inn, cross the drawbridge to the south, circle around the\nInn to the west, then head up around to the north. Your mission? Kill\nHobgoblins and loot them until you find Joia's Flamedance Ring. Return\nit to her when you find it for your reward. When that's done, exit the\nmap from any direction and head to the wilderness area south of the\nFriendly Arm Inn.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For recovering Joia's ring)\nEXP\t400\nReputation +1\n\nNote from Peter:\nAlthough Joia won't give you any monetary reward for this quest, she\nstill holds 163 gold on her. Unfortunatly, you'll just able to get them\nby killing her, which isn't rewarding at all.\n\nWilderness (AR2800)\no======================================================================o\n13) We've skirted around this area, but now that we have a full party,\nlet's finish it off. Unshey's 'rogue Ogre with a belt fetish' is at\nabout (x=4650, y=1650). An Ogre can be... painful... at this point in\nthe game, so use Jaheira to Entangle it and take it down with missile\nfire and spells. You really don't want to melee at Ogre at levels 1-2 if\nyou can help it. When it dies it'll drop a Morning Star, two belts, and\n38 gold. It would be best if you identified these belts before putting\nthem on. The larger one is a Girdle of Masculinity\/Femininity, and it\nwill change its wearer into the opposite gender. Unless you like the\nchange, you'll need a Remove Curse cast to get it off. It'll be a while\nbefore you can cast it, and it'll cost money to get it done at a temple.\nThe other belt, however, is a Girdle of Piercing: Elves Bane, which\nconfers a +3 Armor Class bonus against piercing weapons. This is the\ngirdle Unshey wants back, and you can certainly return it... but why\nwould you give it back? Strap this on a front-line character, especially\none who might be sent out in front of the party to draw the fire of\narchers. This will make their survival all the more likely. Still, if\nyou decide to give the belt back, the reward is below. If you change\nyour mind later, the only way to get the belt back is to kill Unshey,\nwhich will cause your reputation to plummet and turn the entire level\nof the Friendly Arm Inn Unshey is on to turn hostile.. likely lowering\nyour reputation further. For me, this belt always goes on Jaheira-she'll\nhave the worst Armor Class of any front-liner, and could use the missile\ndefense.\n\nNote: The Ogre's position my vary a bit, as I've found him in slightly\ndifferent positions before. He should, however, be in this general\narea.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For giving Unshey her belt back)\nEXP\t800\nGold\t95\nItem\tHistory of Tethyr\n\nOther than that, there's not much in this area besides random encounters\nand some ruined caravans. Head south to Beregost when you're done\nexploring.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=2420, y=3400) 7 gold\n\nNote from Peter: As far as I know, you couldn't kill children in the\nvanilla game. I tried to pick-pocket Chase and failed. He turned hostile\nand I killed him. It's not worth the experience points (7 exp) because\nof the reputation loss and he just got 1 gold. But I was surprised. At \nleast, now Neb's story is believable.\n\no======================================================================o\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|\t\t\t\tBeregost\t\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) Arriving in Beregost\n\t\t2) Neera's Red Scare\n\t\t3) Party Management\n\t\t4) Thunder Hammer Smithy\n\t\t5) Kagain's Shop\n\t\t6) The Burning Wizard\n\t\t7) Silke's Scheme\n\t\t8) The Red Sheaf\n\t\t9) Mirianne's House\n\t\t10) The Jovial Juggler\n\t\t11) Landrin's House\n\t\t12) Firebead Elvenhair's House\n\t\t13) Mr. Colquetle's Worries\n\t\t14) Aggression Against Adventurers\n\t\t15) Shopping at Feldpost's\n\t\t16) Algernon's Cloak\n\t\t17) A Note on Looting Beregost\n\t\t18) The North-Western Buildings\n\t\t19) The South-Western Buildings\n\t\t20) The Central Buildings\n\t\t21) The Eastern Buildings\n\t\t22) The Southern Buildings\n\t\t23) Gerard Travenhurst's Manor\n\nBeregost (AR3300)\no======================================================================o\n1) Now you're in Beregost. A helpful peasant named Golin Vend will talk\nto you, basically to tell you about various places in town. Beregost is\nthe second most substantial settlement in this game, and it's not until\nyou reach Baldur's Gate that you'll find a larger bastion of\ncivilization. We'll pick up some quests, put down assassins, recruit\nsome new party members, and oogle over items we can't afford yet... you\nknow, typical RPG stuff.\n\n***ENHANCED EDITION***\nThere used to be a cinematic here, right? Not so in the Enhanced\nEdition. Thanks to Peter Maasz for pointing this out.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n2) From where you arrived head south-east until you find a manor... or\nat least its fence. Follow this fence south until you find a Mage\nnamed Neera (x=3150, y=2120), just standing around waiting to make a\nnuisance of herself. She'll initiate dialogue with you and ask you to\nhelp her deal with some bandits that are after her. Agree to help and\n'lo and behold, the bandit show up in a timely manner. Her 'bandit'\npursuers are none other than Red Wizards of Thay-despite the fact that\nwe're quite far from their homeland, we'll encounter a few of them.\nAnyhow, their leader-Ekandor-tries to get you to do the wise thing and\nmind your own business. Side with Neera and violence ensues. Neera\nuses some of that wild magic of hers (which will be nowhere near as\nhelpful in the rest of the game as it is here) and Ekandor finds himself\nunexpectedly teleported. Once gone, his understudy-a Thayan (I thought\nit was supposed to be Thayvian?) Mage takes up the attack, joined by\ntwo Thayan Bodyguards. The latter two are distractions-focus on the\nMage lest he complicate your life with his spells-especially Color\nSpray, which can allow the Bodyguards to cause trouble. Once everybody\nis dead, Neera will ask to join your party-for mutual protection, you\nsee. Might as well take her along, at least long enough to snatch that\nGem Pouch in her inventory, which you should take for your own. It's a\nnice inventory management item that the original Baldur's Gate was sadly\nlacking.\n\nNote: The new characters in the Enhanced Edition (Dorn, Neera, Rasaad)\nall have Baldur's Gate 2-style banters. After traveling with them for\na while they'll talk to you-providing backstory, usually, but also\nadvancing character-specific quests, wherein which you'll find a good\nbit of the new content in the Enhanced Edition. If you want to gain\naccess to some of this content, you should travel around with the new\ncharacters as you find them. I will assume you've done this, and\nmention the new content when we come across it. You can find out more\ninformation about their quests in their respective entries in the\n'Characters' section, above.\n\nNote from Peter: It is in my opinion worth mentioning that these wizards\nreact on Edwin. It seems like Ekandor and Edwin don't like each other.\nThis is not the last time the Thayan Wizards react on Edwin though.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n3) Now that we've encountered more than a full party's worth of\ncharacters, we should discuss party management. If you disband any\ncharacters, they will wait where you left them, unless your reputation\nis too high or low for their alignment (usually within a few points of\ntheir 'break' score). Be cautious when you disband characters that are\nunhappy, as they might just walk away forever-neutral reputation makes\neverybody happy, in this case. Also keep in mind that many characters\n(Kivan, Safana, Coran, Kagain, Edwin, Minsc are all examples) have\ntime-based quests, which, if the go unfulfilled, will cause the\nunsatisifed character to defect. This timer starts as soon as you\nrecruit said character, but it doesn't end when you disband them. Yeah,\nthat's right, you could end up disbanding a perfectly happy character,\nonly to have them immediately (and permanently) defect after you\nrecruit them again because their personal business went unresolved.\nSome characters come in pairs, when you disband one, the other disbands\nautomatically, these include Khalid\/Jaheira, Montaron\/Xzar, Eldoth\/Skie,\nMinsc\/Dynaheir. Of course, as you can see, a few great characters are\ntied to dead-weight because of this, but never fear-there's a number of\nsolutions. First-kill the suck character (or just allow them to die)\nand disband the remains. Second, disband the suck character in a house\nyou never plan to enter again, and walk out before they talk to you.\nThe characters who are new to the Enhanced Edition-Neera, Dorn, Baeloth,\nand Rasaad, will return to specific areas after they're disbanded. The\nfirst three head back to the Friendly Arm Inn, while Rasaad returns to\nNashkel. Because I have the memory of a gnat, I tend to 'store' all my\ncharacters in Kagain's Shop (we'll cover this in Step #5), because\nthere's plenty of storage for excees loot, no NPCs, and because... well,\nforce of habit, really. Anywho, that's all you need to know about\nparty management.\n\nThunderhammer Smithy\no======================================================================o\n4) From here continue east, then south between two rows of buildings.\nWhen you run out of south, head east again to find the Thunderhammer\nSmithy (x=4600, y=2850). This is the main shop to hit in Beregost as it\nsells all kinds of good loot we can't afford yet. There's no reason to\ngo there yet, but for the sake of continuity, we'll discuss it now...\nand more importantly, what goodies it sells. Or at least the most \ninteresting ones.\n\nDagger of Venom +2\n------------------\nThe best-and most expensive-weapon sold in this game, it's one of the\nfew weapons that will allow Jaheira to become an effective melee\nfighter. She just doesn't have the Dexterity to make do without a\nshield, even if you can get a pretty good Quarter Staff later in the\ngame. The only other option-a Scimitar +2-isn't located until we gain\naccess to the Cloakwood Forest. Even at its price, it'll be the first\n+2 weapon Jaheira can get her hands on, and in all honesty, the last\nshe'll care to. Sure, 1d4+2 damage sucks, but the chance to deal an\nextra 15 damage via poison makes up for it.\n\nFull Plate Mail\n---------------\nThis is just some of the best armor in the game. The fact that you can\nfind some much, much later in the game doesn't mean you shouldn't\npurchase this suit sooner or later. No matter what party I assemble,\nI tend to have at least three characters in need of some heavy armor,\nand being able to get them all in superb armor before the Nashkel Mines\nis worth a few thousand gold to me. It's not impossible to just make do\nwith normal Plate Mail until you find Full Plate Mail later on... if\nyou don't mind having a two-point higher Armor Class for a large part\nof the game.\n\nThe Army Scythe +1\n------------------\nA fast, potent Light Crossbow that I never have found any use for.\nAnybody who can use a crossbow can also use a bow, which will give as\nmany attacks per round (two) as this crossbow will (or two-and-a-half\nattacks per round if the user is specialized with bows). And at 10000+\ngold, it's just an expensive way to engage in ranged combat less\neffectively. Compare this to the Composite Long Bow +1 sold at\nFeldpost's and the Short Bow +1 sold here-a quarter of the price for\nranged weapons that are just as good (if not better).\n\nShadow Armor\n------------\nWhile this armor might be tempting, it's only really useful if you\nfor some reason have a Thief in your party who is not also a Mage.\nMy evil protagonist is a Fighter\/Mage\/Thief, and Imoen in the good\nparty is also a Mage (or will be, after she dual-classes). I just can't\nfind a use for this armor. If, however, you are playing a Fighter\/Thief,\nthere's only one better suit of armor in the game... and you need to\ntake down a very dangerous character to get it.\n\nShort Bow +1\n------------\nAlthough this weapon doesn't seem exceptional (and it's not), it's\nworth mentioning for one reason. We won't find a superior Short Bow\nuntil Baldur's Gate. If you're fine waiting over half the game for\na decent ranged weapon for a Thief (I have Imoen in mind here, of\ncourse), then don't worry about it. On the other hand, with a decent\nreputation you can get it for less than 2000 gold, so I find it worth\nthe purchase.\n\nSling +1\n--------\nAgain, not a great weapon, but it's dirt cheap, and with every Cleric\nin my party needing a ranged weapon, it's worth a buy.\n\nKeep the Thunderhammer Smithy in mind for later, when we have some money\nto spend. Also note that if you return at night, the pesky blacksmiths\nwill be gone and you'll be free to loot the place. That Bastard Sword +1\nis a nice catch at this point in the game, either to throw on Ajantis\nor sell. It also wouldn't hurt to stock up on some mundane weapons, so\nlong as you like spears and swords. Once you're done in here, leave the\nsmithy, head west and enter the building at (x=1500, y=2000).\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=370, y=170) Spear\n(x=770, y=440) Bastard Sword x2, Long Sword x3, Two-Handed Sword x2,\n\t       Short Sword\n(x=840, y=340) Bastard Sword +1, Spear x6\n\nKagain's Shop (AR3353)\no======================================================================o\n5) Behind the counter is Kagain, the premier Fighter for evil parties.\nI typically use his shop to store excess baggage, be it weapons,\nscrolls, potions, wands... anything I don't want to get rid of, but that\nI don't want to carry around. I also disband party members here, so I\ncan remember where I left them. Just remember to take whatever useful\nloot they have before disbanding them. You'll need it more out in the\nwilderness than they will in Beregost. Anyways, good, evil, or\notherwise, talk to Kagain. Accept his job to look for the caravan his\nmercenaries were responsible for. It's time to bid Xzar and Montaron\nfarewell. If you don't keep Kagain, at least keep his cool golden\nhelmet. Loot the place and get going. Note that if it's daytime you\nshould find a man clad in black (the town crier) standing somewhere in\nthe clearing where the Beregost obelisk is. Talk to him to find out some\npertinent information about the going-ons of the world. He should\nmention a quest to slay the Cleric Bassilus, and the hefty reward of\n5000 gold attached to it - keep this in mind for later.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=250, y=300) Fire Agate Gem x2, 58 gold\n(x=580, y=150) 76 gold\n(x=510, y=150) Fire Agate Gem x3, 73 gold\n\n***ENHANCED EDITION***\nWoe is us, aesthetics-lovers, Kagain's distinctive, shiny golden helm\nis no more. I don't know why it was removed, but removed it was... oh\nwell, it was just a normal helmet anyways... but gold!\n\nThe Burning Wizard (AR3308)\/(AR3307)\no======================================================================o\n6) Head east until you find the Burning Wizard. Go inside and talk to\na halfling named Zhurlong. He'll tell you about some Boots of Stealth\nhe lost to some hobgoblins, and offer you 100 gold for their return.\nHe will also lighten your coin purse a bit. There's some looting you\ncan do upstairs to rectify the situation a bit-including a new Mace\nadded in the Enhanced Edition-The Stupefier +1. Despite its mediocre\nenhancement bonus, it has a 25% chance to stun foes each hit-no save\nallowed, making this weapon far more dangerous than it might otherwise\nseem. In fact, it might just be one of the best blunt weapons you can\nswing in this game. It's hard to over-estimate the potency of its\nability to stun foes... I mean, if you've used the Command spell by now,\nyou know that a stunned foe is probably a dead foe.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(AR3307)\n(x=550, y=190) Iol Gem\n(x=160, y=260) Sunstone Gem\n(x=250, y=100) Dagger\n(x=400, y=150) The Stupefier +1\n\n***ENHANCED EDITION***\nThe Stupefier +1 was not in the original game.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n7) Once you're back outside, talk to Garrick (x=2500, y=2270). He'll\noffer you 300 gold to protect his mistress Silke from some of Feldpost's\nthugs. Accept and you'll automatically follow him around to the side\nof the Red Sheaf. Talk to Silke to hear her story. When she's done,\na group of three men will come to deliver Silke her gems. You can either\nchoose to kill them, or to turn on Silke. If you kill the men Silke will\npay you, you'll lose reputation, and you'll get to loot them, gaining\nthree Potions of Defense. If you turn on Silke you'll discover that,\nlike Tarnesh, she's a troublesome Mage. Surround her before you talk to\nher and make sure to disrupt her spells and she'll go down quickly...\nIf she gets a Lightning Bolt off, however, you're going to regret it.\nOnce she's dead, consider stealing from the three 'thugs' you just\nspared. Each of them carries a Potion of Defense, and their leader,\nFaltis, also has a number of gems-a Lnyx Eye Gem, Turquiose Gem,\nSunstone Gem, and Fire Agate Gem-presumably the gems Silke wanted to\nkill them for. A rather small sum to murder three people over, eh?\nWhether you steal or not, talk to Faltis after putting Silke down and\nhe'll give you one of the Potions of Defense for a reward (yes, you can\nsomehow get four of them if you stole three, previously). Better yet,\nyou get to loot Silke and take her 400 gold, Quarter Staff +1, and\nPotion of Invulnerability. That Quarterstaff +1 will serve Jaheira well,\nuntil we find her something magical and one-handed. Talk to Garrick and\nallow him to come with you. I plan to dump him off back at Kagain's,\nbut he might just fit into your party (see his description in the\nCharacters section.) Now head into the Red Sheaf.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For killing 'Feldpost's Thugs' for Silke)\nGold\t300 or 400\nReputation -2\n\nThe Red Sheaf (AR3357)\/(AR3303)\no======================================================================o\n8) When you enter you'll be accosted by a dwarf named Karlat, another\none of your friendly neighborhood assassins. This can be a fairly tough\nfight at this level, but if you surround him with melee characters, or\nhit him with a Sleep spell you should be able to deal with him handily.\nOf course... with the Enhanced Edition we have another option. It's a\nbit of a tight fit in here, if you haven't noticed-not an ideal place\nto surround Karlat. If you enter with just one character, provoke him,\nand leave the building you can lure him onto more open ground. Some\ntimes it was beneficial to be able to perform hit-and-run attacks on\nfoes, but it's also useful to be able to lure critters out to more\nfavorable battlefields. Anyways, when he's dead loot him for a suit of\nChainmail, a Medium Shield, a Battle Axe, 38 gold, and a Scroll\n(another bounty notice). Find a halfling named Perdue, who will ask you\nto retrieve his short sword. Agree to do it and he'll offer to pay you\n50 gold if you 'wipe 'is arse with it.' Sounds good. If you want to\nloot, do it upstairs as the guard will be called on you for looting\ndownstairs.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(AR3357)\n(x=560, y=650) 9 gold\n  ---\n(AR3303)\n(x=190, y=520) 21 gold\n(x=440, y=600) Leather Armor\n(x=300, y=400) Dagger, 8 gold\n(x=630, y=330) Club, 36 gold\n(x=400, y=100) Bloodstone Gem, 12 gold\n(x=700, y=200) Jasper Gem\n\nMirianne's House (AR3313)\no======================================================================o\n9) Leave The Red Sheaf and enter a secluded house north of the Thunder\nHammer Smithy (x=4770, y=2100). Inside is a woman named Mirianne. Talk\nto her and she'll tell you about her husband, and ask you to keep your\neyes open for any word from him. You don't really need to come here\nbefore you travel on, but when you complete the quest later, you'll know\nwhere to head back to... or you could just pick-pocket poor Mirianne for\nyour reward of a-Ring of the Princes-if you're not a fan of delayed\ngratification.\n\nThe Jovial Juggler (AR3304)\no======================================================================o\n10) Now head south until you reach the Jovial Juggler, the south-eastern\nmost building in town. Head in and talk to the armored figure named\nBjornin, who will tell you about some half-ogres in the south-west who\nwhupped up on him. Good to know. Again, if you want to get the reward\nwithout doing the quest you can just steal his Medium Shield +1. Head to\nthe back of the bar and a dwarf named Gurke will yell at you, mentioning\nthat he lost his cloak in the Cloakwood forest. It'll be a bit before\nyou get to that.\n\nNote from Peter: Gurke is the German word for cucumber. It's a bit weird\nto meet someone named 'Gurke'...\n\nLandrin's House (AR3315)\no======================================================================o\n11) Leave the Jovial Juggler, head west, and enter the house at\n(x=3070, y=3400) (you can score some meager gold in a barrel outside of\nthis house at (x=2970, y=3380). Inside there are four Huge Spiders.\nTheir poison can be fatal at lower levels, especially if you weren't\ncharismatic enough to get Landrin to hand over any Antidotes. I hit them\nwith a shot of Sleep, and destroy them. Note that this is another\ninstance where it might be helpful to lure your foes outside, instead of\nhaving to split up and fight them. When they're dead grab the body of\nthe largest spider, as well as the boots and wine Landrin is looking\nfor. Return these to Landrin at your leisure... perhaps en route to\nrecruiting Ajantis or Viconia?\n\n***ITEMS***\n(AR3300)\n(x=2970, y=3380) 6 gold\n  ---\n(AR3315)\n(x=300, y=200) Andar Gem, Worn out Boots, Bottle of wine, 7 gold\n\n***REWARD***\n(For recovering Landrin's boots)\nEXP\t300\nGold\t120\n\n***REWARD***\n(For recovering the body of the largest spider)\nEXP\t200\nGold\t100\n\n***REWARD***\n(For recovering Landrin's wine)\nEXP\t300\nGold\t75\n\nFirebead Elvenhair's House (AR3333)\/(AR3334)\no======================================================================o\n12) Now head west some more and enter the house at (x=2050, y=2950).\nAn old friend from Candlekeep will approach you and ask you to get him\na copy of 'The History of the Fateful Coin,' which you can obtain quite\neasily. Either go across the street and buy a copy from the Bartender\nat Feldpost's Inn, or head to the house just south of here\n(x=2000, y=3200) (AR3335) and loot the bookshelf at (x=700, y=250).\nBefore you go, however, note that you can freely loot Firebead's House.\n\nNote: To start-and finish-this quest, you'll need to talk to Firebead\nwith your protagonist. Also, remember that easter egg involving\nFirebead in Candlekeep? You can repeat it again here to score another\n300 gold. Just talk to him 30 times and wait.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(AR3333)\n(x=400, y=150) 39 gold\n  ---\n(AR3334)\n(x=200, y=290) Jade Ring\n(x=100, y=300) 38 gold\n\n***REWARD***\n(For finding Firebead a copy of 'The History of the Fateful Coin')\nEXP\t300\nItem\tHistory of the Dead Three\nItem\tScroll Case\nReputation +1\n\n***ENHANCED EDITION***\nThe Scroll Case, of course, was not in the original game... hell, it\nwasn't even in the original Enhanced Edition! Yeah, it was added later.\nApparently Overhaul Games was timid about adding this item early and had\nto take some time before finally working up the courage to put it in.\nSeriously guys, you didn't even make a whole game-you barely did more\nthan BGTutu! Just put the freakin' items in the game, or leave them\nout.\n\nColquetle's House (AR3331)\no======================================================================o\n13) Leave Firebead's House and head north into another house at \n(x=2200, y=2650). This estate belongs to one 'Mr. Colquetle', who is\nsimply too busy worrying about his son and his son's family to bother\nwith anything else. Although this might seem like an inconsequential\nencounter to the untrained eye, it starts up a quest we'll resolve in\na bit.\n\nFeldpost's Inn, Downstairs (AR3351)\no======================================================================o\n14) Go across the street to Feldpost's Inn. You'll immediately be\nconfronted by a drunkard named Marl and his goon Dunkin. It's very\neasy to end up picking a fight with him, but the best course is to talk\nhim down. Pick the following dialogue options: #1, #1, #3, #3, #1 and\nhe'll back down. You'll also gain 900 experience for your trouble. See?\nWe don't always have to kill people.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For talking Marl out of a fight)\nEXP\t900\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n15) Now talk to the bartender and buy a copy of the 'History of the\nFateful Coin' for Firebead. The Bartender at Feldpost's (x=750, y=520)\nis your friend. Not only will he purchase gems, jewels, and other\nclutter, but he sells a few trinkets worth considering. One is the\nBattle Axe +1. It'll be a bit before we get a magical Axe, so if you\nhave Kagain in your party, you might want to invest in this Axe to tide\nhim over. Feldpost also sells a Composite Long Bow +1, which is a nice\nitem for the dedicated archer in your group, and is also worth a\npurchase. For my good party, the latter is a solid choice, since both\nMinsc and my protagonist will need a good bow. For my evil party,\nhowever, I'm content to just wait to find a bow, but the axe is a\nmust-get item. Either way, expect to pay somewhere in the area of\n2000-3000 gold to get what you want. Which means we won't be buying\nanything for a while.\n\no===========o\n|Mage Spells|\no===========o\n1st-Reflected Image\n  ---\n2nd-Deafness\n2nd-Glitterdust\n\nFeldpost's Inn, Upstairs (AR3352)\no======================================================================o\n16) Now take a Thief and head upstairs. Find the portly merchant\nAlgernon and steal Algernon's Cloak. Put this on your party leader...\nideally the character with the highest Charisma, as it will improve\nyour reaction with NPCs.\n\nNote: Unless you've put points into Pick Pockets, your score might not\nbe high enough to steal from Algernon, in which case you'll get the\nfollowing text \"The target has no items that can be stolen by a\ncut-purse of your skill.\" A reader of this guide, Dirkin, pointed out\nthat the Pick Pockets score required to steal this object seemed to be\n50 (after more testing, it seems like this number is the minimum score\nrequired to steal many items throughout the game). Certainly raising\nyour Pick Pockets skill is one way to get around this newly-imposed\nimpediment to our stealing (where previously the only real difficulty\nin keeping your Pick Pocket score low was the tedium of reloading when\nyou got caught). Since this is the first must-have item we can steal,\nhowever, I'd rather discuss other options. First, you can always just\nkill Algernon and suffer the reputation penalty. In all likelihood,\nit'll send you back a few hundred gold in temple donations you'll need\nto raise your reputation again. Second, you can chug Potions of Master\nThievery, which gives a massive boost to your Thief skills-you'll have\nto find them, or buy them. Again, this'll set you back several hundred\ngold, in the latter case. Third, you can recruit a secondary Thief\n(Safana, Alora, or any Bard works) and dump points into Pick Pockets,\nand just use them for your thieving. Anyways, there are you options.\nI'll still mention stealing opportunities as they come around, you have\nyour solutions. For the record, I solved most of these issues with a bit\nof murder. It might seem heavy-handed and lazy, but... well, it works\nwith a minimal amount of fuss. If you get your reputation score to 12,\nkilling an innocent will drop you down to seven-which costs a mere 500\ngold's worth of temple donations to raise back up to twelve.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n17) Now to loot around Beregost. I didn't bother including these Steps\nprior to version 1.03, as the loot to be found in Beregost is... well,\nworth a few coins, but nothing that can't be missed. Now, however, I\nfeel that it's not really an issue of whether I consider it important\nor not, it's just a better guide with this information in it. Keep in\nmind that we really only have three ways to get some of this loot:\npicking locks, bashing them, or casting Knock. At this point in the\ngame, it's unlikely that we have the Knock spell, much less the\nexperience to cast it. I've also suggested that you should be putting\nyour Thief skill points in Find Traps, so you shouldn't have enough\nOpen Locks to do it.. granted, most the locks here only have a\ndifficulty of 30 to 50, I don't find my Thieves sufficient to the task\nright now. Finally, 18(00) Strength isn't enough for every lock here,\nso unless you're cheating, you're not bashing your way to money. It's\njust another reason I didn't bother with looting Beregost before-it's\nnot really something a low-level party can do, and it's beneath the\ndignity of a high-level party. Still, for reference, it'll be included\nhere with the expectation that you can, if you wish, return to this\nsection when you get the Knock spell later in the game. Finally, a note\non looting: watch out for the guards. It's a certainty you'll be caught\nat some point while looting, so save frequently. Just keep in mind that\nguards leave after a while, and will not follow you outdoors. So unlock\nobjects with your Mage, then head inside with a character who can sneak,\nsteal, hide, and leave. Simple enough, right? The looting will be split\ninto several steps, where adjacent buildings will be grouped together\nfor convenience, as there's just too much looting for one Step.\nBuildings that have already been explored will not, of course, be\nmentioned again here.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n18) The first group of buildings to loot includes the five buildings\nin the north-western corner of Beregost.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(AR3347) (x=990, y=1100)\n(x=400, y=150) 86 gold\n  ---\n(AR3348)\n(x=100, y=300) Leather Armor, 5 gold\n  ---\n(AR3346)\n(x=300, y=350) 3 gold\n(x=200, y=250) Small Shield, Short Sword, 11 gold\n  ---\n(AR3343) (x=1700, y=1400)\n(x=300, y=200) Dagger, Halberd, Quarter Staff, 31 gold\n  ---\nOutside (AR3300), between (AR3343) and (AR3341):\n(x=1820, y=1420) 6 gold\n  ---\n(AR3341) (x=2050, y=1050)\n(x=400, y=250) Silver Ring, 39 gold\n  ---\n(AR3342)\n(x=150, y=350) Dagger, Potion of Healing, 31 gold\n  ---\n(AR3339) (x=2100, y=850)\n(x=350, y=100) Spear, Fire Agate Gem, 13 gold\n(x=550, y=200) Potion of Insight, 10 gold\n  ---\n(AR3340)\n(x=350, y=100) History of Estagund, 13 gold\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n19) The second group of buildings to loot includes the four buildings in\nthe south-western corner of Beregost, as well as Feldpost's Inn and\nKagain's Shop.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(AR3349) (x=800, y=1700)\n(x=130, y=250) 4 gold\n  ---\n(AR3350)\n(x=200, y=250) 11 gold\n  ---\n(AR3344) (x=1200, y=1750)\n(x=200, y=200) 7 gold\n  ---\n(AR3355) (x=990, y=2950)\n(x=400, y=150) Dagger, Moonstone Gem, 11 gold\n  ---\n(AR3356)\n(x=200, y=300) 35 gold\n(x=100, y=300) Short Sword\n  ---\n(AR3354) (x=770, y=3250)\n(x=300, y=200) Lynx Eye Gem, Fire Agate Gem, Turquoise Gem,\n\t       Sunstone Gem\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n20) The third group of buildings to loot includes the three buildings\nin the center of the map, as well as the Burning Wizard and Red Sheaf.\nThe building at (x=2700, y=1300 (AR3325)\/(AR3326) is empty. Note that\nthe diamond in the house north of the Red Sheaf (AR3323)\/(AR3324) is one\nof the few items worth looting in Beregost.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(AR3329) (x=2150, y=2050)\n(x=400, y=150) Dagger, 14 gold\n  ---\n(AR3330)\n(x=300, y=400) Silver Ring, 19 gold\n  ---\n(AR3337) (x=2400, y=1600)\n(x=400, y=250) 9 gold\n  ---\n(AR3338)\n(x=150, y=350) Short Sword, Dagger, 5 gold\n  ---\n(AR3323)\n(x=3520, y=1850)\n(x=400, y=150) Diamond\n  ---\n(AR3324)\n(x=100, y=300) Light Crossbow, Bolts x3\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n21) The fourth group of buildings to loot includes the four buildings\nalong the eastern edge of the Beregost, as well as Mirianne's House and\nthe Thunder Hammer Smithy. In the house at (x=4000, y=2050) (AR3317)\nyou'll meet a commoner who will allow you to rest here for free...\nprovided your reputation is high enough.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(AR3319) (x=4150, y=1900)\n(x=120, y=220) Potion of Agility\n(x=220, y=150) Long Sword\n(x=400, y=120) Dagger\n  ---\n(AR3317) (x=4000, y=2050)\n(x=120, y=220) Battle Axe\n(x=220, y=150) Silver Necklace\n  ---\n(AR3316) (x=3950, y=2400)\n(x=650, y=320) Splint Mail, Short Sword, Dagger\n  ---\nOutside (AR3300), between (AR3316) and (AR3302):\n(x=3880, y=2570) 3 gold\n  ---\n(AR3302) (x=4100, y=2600)\n(x=200, y=200) Long Sword\n(x=300, y=200) Agni Mani Necklace, Silver Ring\n  ---\nIn a barrel found in the triangle between the houses:\n(x=4500, y=2050) Dagger, 5 gold\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n22) The fifth group of buildings to loot includes the five buildings\nalong the southern edge of Beregost, as well as Firebead Elvenhair's\nHouse, Landrin's House, and the Jovial Juggler.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(AR3327) (x=3400, y=2800)\n(x=400, y=250) Heavy Crossbow\n  ---\n(AR3328)\n(x=150, y=350) Mace, Potion of Heroism, Jasper Gem\n  ---\n(AR3309) (x=3000, y=2700)\n(x=400, y=150) Turquoise Gem\n  ---\n(AR3310)\n(x=100, y=300) Short Sword\n  ---\n(AR3311) (x=2600, y=2600)\n(x=400, y=150) Dagger, Chainmail Armor, 9 gold\n  ---\n(AR3312) Sunstone Gem, 38 gold\n(x=100, y=300)\n  ---\n(AR3331) (x=2200, y=2700)\n(x=140, y=250) 13 gold\n  ---\n(AR3332)\n(x=250, y=300) 4 gold\n(x=200, y=250) 8 gold\n  ---\n(AR3335) (x=2000, y=3200)\n(x=400, y=250) Jasper Gem, 11 gold\n  ---\n(AR3336)\n(x=200, y=330) Andar Gem, 11 gold\n\n***TRAPS***\n(AR3336)\n(x=150, y=350)\n\nIn a crate south of (AR3335):\n(x=2100, y=3420) Leather Armor\n\nGerard Travenhurst's Manor (AR3320)\/(AR3321)\no======================================================================o\n23) Finally, the last area to loot is the large mansion along the\nnorthern edge of Beregost we bypassed en route to encountering Neera.\nFirst, loot around outside of it to score a few goodies, then head\ninside (x=3650, y=900). On the first floor you'll find two hired goons,\nas well as the manor's owner, Gerard Travenhurst. He really doesn't have\nanything interesting to say, nor is there anything worth stealing on the\nfirst level. Upstairs, (x=150, y=400) however, you'll find some goodies\nthat are downright decent... or at least, the Wand of Lightning is\npretty nifty, and the potions and gold won't hurt, either.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(AR3300)\n(x=4150, y=600) Arrows x5\n(x=4330, y=670) 25 gold\n  ---\n(AR3321)\n(x=150, y=350) Dagger\n(x=500, y=300) Iol Gem, Horn Coral Gem\n(x=420, y=340) Gold Necklace, Wand of Lightning\n(x=350, y=400) Potion of Healing, Potion of Invisibility, 86 gold\n\no======================================================================o\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|\t\t\t     Party-Building\t\t\t       |\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\no======================================================================o\nSequence of Events:\t\t\t\t\t\t{WLK004}\n\t\t1) Party-Building 101\n\t\t2) The Undesirables\n\t\t3) Future Recruits\n\t\t4) Acquiring Ajantis\n\t\t5) Scheming with Safana\n\t\t6) Taming Shar-Teel\n\t\t7) Defending Viconia\n\t\t8) Dealing with Dorn\n\t\t9) To High Hedge\n\n1) Now for the most important part of the first chapter... the assembly\nof your party. Remember, you're going to want a Mage, a Cleric, and a\nThief. This is the minimum, and you won't suffer by having, say,\nViconia and Jaheira in the same party, but if you fail to have one of\nthe classes, you're in for a tough time... and of course, with them,\nyou'll need some Fighters to keep them safe. Standard RPG stuff, I know,\nbut you'd be surprised... You need to recruit your choice characters as\nquickly as possible, as the higher the level you reach, the higher\nlevel they will be before you reach them. What's the problem with that,\nasks my metaphorical reader? Well... Let's just say the computer isn't\nvery discriminating when it comes to accepting Hit Point rolls upon\nleveling up. You, on the other hand, can save\/reload until you get\ndecent Hit Points. The longer you wait to grab a character, the weaker\nthey will be. Of course, characters that can't be found until later\nchapters get excluded from party consideration because of this, save for\na few notable exceptions-namely Coran and Yeslick. They're both great\nmulti-class characters who-while not being obtainable particularly\nearly-also don't suffer terribly for it. Still, since they're currently\nout of reach, they won't be discussed here-keep them in mind for later.\nThis leaves us with the following list of eligible characters that can\nbe recruited:\n\n***CLERICS***\nBranwen\t\t(NEUTRAL)\nJaheira\t\t(NEUTRAL)\nViconia\t\t(EVIL)\n\n***WARRIORS***\nAjantis\t\t(GOOD)\nDorn\t\t(EVIL)\nKagain\t\t(EVIL)\nKhalid\t\t(GOOD)\nKivan\t\t(GOOD)\nMinsc\t\t(GOOD)\nRasaad\t\t(GOOD)\nShar-Teel\t(EVIL)\n\n***MAGES***\nEdwin\t\t(EVIL)\nDynaheir\t(GOOD)\nNeera\t\t(NEUTRAL)\nXan\t\t(NEUTRAL)\nXzar\t\t(EVIL)\n\n***THIEVES***\nImoen\t\t(GOOD)\nMontaron\t(EVIL)\nSafana\t\t(EVIL)\n\n***MISCELLANEOUS***\nGarrick\t\t(NEUTRAL)\n\nBetween me and my girlfriend, we've played through this game with just\nabout every one of those characters... except Xan, he sucks... but for\nmy good playthrough, I'll end up with Ajantis, Minsc, Jaheira, Viconia,\nand Imoen... all of which are sequel characters, except Ajantis. For my\nevil party I'll recruit Kagain, Dorn, Jaheira, Viconia, and Edwin. We\nshould already have met (and recruited) Imoen, Jaheira, and Kagain, and\nin the next few steps I'll discuss how to recruit Ajantis, Safana, \nShar-Teel, Viconia and Dorn as painlessly as possible. Note, however,\nthat for these characters I do NOT intend to explore the areas in which\nthey are found, as they are rather... difficult, for low-level\ncharacters.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n2) Now, to discuss some of the undesirables. Xzar and Neera are just\ninferior to Edwin. Neera could also fit into a good party, but then\nyou'd have to replace Imoen with another Thief (Coran would make a good\nchoice), but I remain unconvinced that Neera's any better than Imoen.\nMontaron... he could work in an evil party, if you dispatch (kill or\nabandon) Xzar, but he's just a bandaid for your thieving woes-he won't\nbe around next game, so you might as well just make your evil\nprotagonist a Thief (better yet, a multi-classed or dual-classed Thief)\nand spare yourself the headache in the sequel. Xan and Dynaheir are both\nspecialist Mages-and undesirable ones, at that. They don't have the\nspell selection that Edwin will have, and lets just leave it at that. If\nyou want Minsc, however, you'll need to rescue Dynaheir... and then I\nsuggest promptly having her walk into combat to get rid of her. It's no\nworse than what the developers have in store for her in the sequel\nanyways. Garrick, while being acceptably mediocre, just doesn't add\nanything compelling to the evil party over what the rest of my choices\ngive me. I'd rather have a strong warrior like Shar-Teel or a great\nparty leader (and even stronger warrior) like Dorn than a support spell\ncaster. Maybe if I wasn't playing a Fighter\/Mage\/Thief, I'd bother with\nhim, but since I am, he's unwanted. Safana is, in her own right, a\npretty good Thief... which is to say, her Dexterity is good. I'd rather\nhave Imoen, however, as she can dual-class into a Mage and keep the\nThief skills I need her to have, while not being a complete waste of a\ncharacter, which a single-class Thief certainly is. But Safana might\njust be appealing if you're an evil party without a Thief (although\nhonestly, Montaron is a stronger, better character.) Finally, we have\nRasaad. As a Monk, he's almost entirely dependent upon his attributes\nand his level to determine how good he is... and his attributes suck.\nIf you want a mediocre melee combatant with unsatisfactory Hit Points\nand a pathetic Armor Class... well, consider Rasaad.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n3) Kivan can be found while we're exploring High Hedge shortly [WLK005],\nand Branwen can be recruited in [WLK006]. Edwin, Minsc, and Dynaheir\nrequire a bit more work, and since both Edwin and Minsc end up in one\nparty or another, it's a bit of work worth doing... they are recruited\nin [WLK006], but the quest we must undertake to keep them in our party\nis covered in [WLK007]. Xan can be found in the bowels of the Nashkel\nMines [WLK012]. The other characters who can be recruited before\nChapter 3 (besides the ones mentioned above, and those we've already\nrecruited, of course) will have a Step dedicated to recruiting them,\nbelow. These characters are Ajantis, Safana, Shar-Teel, and Viconia.\nIf you don't want to recruit them, don't. They'll still be discussed\nwhen we officially explore the area they are in during the rest of the\nwalkthrough.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n4) First up is Ajantis, and he's pretty easy to recruit. Exit The\nFriendly Arm Inn area (AR2300) via the northern edge of the map to\nfind some farms to the north (AR1400). In this area Ajantis awaits\n(x=1500, y=3130). Talk to him, insist you're not bandits, and tell him\nyou're trying to clean up the Sword Coast. He'll gladly join you in\nyour mission to put an end to the banditry plaguing the area.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n5) Safana lurks in the coastal area depicted on your map as a tower\n(AR3600). There are numerous ways to reach this area, but the safest\nis by exiting the southern edge of High Hedge (AR3200) and traveling\nsouth to (AR3700). Stay along the northern edge of the area and head\nwest, eventually exiting by the western edge of the map. Safana is\nstanding at (x=3750, y=2400), and will agree to join you if you help\nher score some treasure. This is a time-sensitive quest, and while it's\nnot as bothersome to complete as Kivan's quest, it does require you to\neither sneak past or kill a half-dozen Sirines and a trio of Flesh\nGolems, which is quite a task for a low-level party.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n6) Shar-Teel could prove to be very troublesome to recruit... if you're\nnot careful. Fortunately, you have this guide, so you don't need to\nbe careful-you just need to follow my advice. Head to the Temple area\neast of Beregost (AR3300), and hug the northern edge of the map. You'll\nprobably get bothered by some drunkard pretending to be a Lich, but he's\nharmless. Exit via the eastern edge of the map to find (AR3500) to the\neast. When you enter, you'll be on the western edge of the area. Don't\nexplore south, or east. Instead head north until you find Shar-Teel\n(x=270, y=300). Talk to her, and she'll challenge your best fighter to a\nduel-which probably means Kagain. Save and, if you win, she'll offer to\njoin you. If you lose, reload. \n\nNote: If you're having trouble with Shar-Teel, you can head over to\n(x=440, y=1460), and recruit Korax the Ghoul into your party. He's a\ntemporary ally, best used to score some cheap kills on the Basilisks\nnearby, but he can also be used to shift the odds in your favor by\nhaving him jump in on the duel.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n7) Now we're up to Viconia. To reach the area she's in, Peldvale\n(AR2400), simply exit the Friendly Arm Inn area (AR2300) via the\neastern edge of the map. You'll appear along the western edge of\nPeldvale. Head north to find Viconia (x=450, y=740) who will try to\ntalk to you when she sees you. Apparently, due to her race, she's being\nhunted. Sure enough, a member of the Flaming Fist will show up and\ncondemn her. Defend her, and kill the Flaming Fist soldier (who has\nCleric levels, and will use Hold Person if you let him). When he's\ndead she'll offer to join your party. Accept, and your reputation takes\na two-point hit.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n8) Last and certainly not least is Dorn, who you can first meet in the\nFriendly Arm Inn, at (x=1120, y=720). He's not too hospitable here, but\nget the conversation out of the way. You'll encounter him again when you\ntravel to the Nashkel Mines... or rather, you'll be accosted by some\nbandits, led by Senjak and Dorotea. It doesn't matter how you interact\nwith them, they're demanding your stuff, and that's not going to happen.\nBefore fighting can break out, Dorn will show up and take out several\nof the bandits before airing some dirty laundry. Dorotea and Senjak will\nattack along with their bandits, leaving you and Dorn united fighting a\ncommon foe. After the fight, ask Dorn to join up and he's yours. You'll\ntake a two-point reputation hit for recruiting Dorn-just like Viconia.\n\nNote: If your protagonist is evil, say, Neutral Evil, like mine, you'd\nstart the game with a reputation score of 9. If you then invited both\nViconia and Dorn, you'd be sitting at a dangerous reputation of 5. Why\ndangerous? Well, when entering 'civilized' areas, there's a chance that\na group of Flaming Fist Enforcers will show up to deal with people who\nhave been really naughty-that's a reputation of five or lower. It might\nbe a good idea to toss some gold into the donation bin at a church to\nrectify things before you find yourself tangling with powers greater\nthan yourself.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n9) Recruit who you want to recruit, then, with your more complete\nparty, head on back to Beregost, exit via the western edge of the\narea, and travel to High Hedge.\n\no======================================================================o\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|\t            High Hedge and En Route to Nashkel\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) Recruiting Kivan\n\t\t2) Perdue's Short Sword\n\t\t3) Trading with Thalantyr\n\t\t4) Abandoned House\n\t\t5) Roe's Note\n\t\t6) Wilderness Cave\n\t\t7) Boots of Stealth\n\t\t8) Nobody Calls me a Bandit and Gets Away With it!\n\t\t9) Mr. Colquetle's Resolution\n\t\t10) Onward, to Nashkel\n\nHigh Hedge (AR3200)\no======================================================================o\n1) The only real problem in this area are Skeletons, who spawn\nconstantly and love to throw daggers at your party... which they are\nfairly lethal with, especially at these low levels. You also may\nencounter Wild Dogs, Gnolls, and in one specific area, Giant Spiders.\nAt (x=3650, y=1470) you will find the Elven Ranger Kivan, who will join\nyou if you say you're out to beat up bad guys. Recruit him or not, and\nhead south.\n\nNote: Kivan's quest is to smash the Bandit Camp, which is quite a ways\naway. In effect, he's an early game character with a mid game quest\nrequirement, which makes him less attractive as a party member. If\nyou recruit him now, and follow the guide sequentially, there's little\nchance you'll make it to the Bandit Camp in time to satisfy Kivan.\n\n***ENHANCED EDITION***\nIn the Enhanced Edition the number of foes you'll encounter randomly\nseems to be quite reduced... at least, it seems to be more dependent\nupon a combination of level and party size, whereas party size played\na larger factor in the original game. Needless to say running into one\ndart-happy Skeleton with a full party isn't terribly threatening, but\nin the original game, running into a half-dozen of the meatless bastards\ncould be an ordeal.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n2) You should now come across a large octagonal building with eight\ntowers. Along the southern end you will run into some Gnolls, one of\nwhich will have Perdue's Short Sword. Take it back to him at the Red\nSheaf Inn for the reward at your leisure. Continue around to the front\nof the house.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For returning Perdue's Short Sword)\nEXP\t500\nGold\t50\n\nThalantyr's House (AR3202)\no======================================================================o\n3) This is the abode of the wizard Thalantyr (x=2900, y=2600), and you\nmay have heard of it from the Thief Permidion Stark who lurks to the\nnorth-west. As he mentions, Thalantyr has a pair of Flesh Golems that\ndefend his shop, so when you go speak to him (x=240, y=270), make your\nway to the middle of the shop and talk to Thalantyr directly, before\nyou do ANYTHING else. The Flesh Golems are hostile until you talk to\nThalantyr (although in the Enhanced Edition the Flesh Golems don't seem\nto wander about), so don't dally. Once you get Thalantyr talking to you,\n(enter dialogue with him twice) the golems will not trouble you anymore.\n\nThalantyr sells some nifty stuff-namely Mage gear, and until you reach\nBaldur's Gate he'll be your best source of Scrolls. Thalantyr also sells\nRobes of the Good and Neutral Archmagi, powerful defensive items that\nimprove a Mage's Armor Class as if they were wearing Chain Mail. It's\ngood stuff, but VERY expensive. You'll find some Robes of the Evil\nArchmagi later on in the game, but the Good and Neutral versions must\nbe purchased here, so if you have a good or neutral Mage main character,\nor you dual-class Imoen, you're going to eventually want these.\nRemember, these robes are alignment conditional, so select your\ncharacter in the shop dialogue before you buy them to see if they can\nuse it first. He also sells an item that functions as a ring called\n'The Claw of Kazgaroth', which gives a +1 bonus to Armor Class, +4 bonus\nto Armor Class versus Missiles, a +3 bonus to Saves versus Wands,\nPolymorph, Breath, and Spells, however it also imposes a -4 penalty to\nSaves versus Death and a -2 penalty to Constitution. This ring can be\nuseful if you put it on a character with a 'neutral' Constitution,\n(a Constitution that will not cause the character to lose Hit Points).\nThis is a range from 9 to 14. You still have to be wary of the Save\nversus Death penalty, but the perks might just outweigh the negatives\nif it doesn't cause you to lose Hit Points. Finally, he sells a Potion<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Case... it's like the Gem Bag, but for potions! Great for inventory\nmanagement, if you want to carry around an apothecary full of potions\nat no weight, this item is for you.\n\nPerhaps one of the best things about Thalantyr's shop is the fact that\nhe'll purchase almost anything, so he can end up becoming your one-stop\nshop for whatever you're selling. Keep him in mind, and use him as the\nresource that he is, it's for this reason we venture here so early.\n\no===========o\n|Mage Spells|\no===========o\n1st-Armor\n1st-Armor\n1st-Blindness\n1st-Blindness\n1st-Burning Hands\n1st-Burning Hands\n1st-Charm Person\n1st-Charm Person\n1st-Chill Touch\n1st-Chill Touch\n1st-Chromatic Orb\n1st-Chromatic Orb\n1st-Color Spray\n1st-Color Spray\n1st-Friends\n1st-Friends\n1st-Grease\n1st-Grease\n1st-Identify\n1st-Identify\n1st-Infravision\n1st-Infravision\n1st-Larloch's Minor Drain\n1st-Larloch's Minor Drain\n1st-Magic Missile\n1st-Magic Missile\n1st-Protection from Evil\n1st-Protection from Evil\n1st-Protection from Petrification\n1st-Protection from Petrification\n1st-Shield\n1st-Shield\n1st-Shocking Grasp\n1st-Shocking Grasp\n1st-Sleep\n1st-Sleep\n1st-Spook\n  ---\n2nd-Deafness\n2nd-Detect Invisibility\n2nd-Detect Invisibility\n2nd-Detect Invisibility\n2nd-Horror\n2nd-Horror\n2nd-Horror\n2nd-Invisibility\n2nd-Invisibility\n2nd-Invisibility\n2nd-Luck\n2nd-Luck\n2nd-Luck\n2nd-Mirror Image\n2nd-Mirror Image\n2nd-Mirror Image\n2nd-Power Word, Sleep\n2nd-Ray of Enfeeblement\n2nd-Resist Fear\n2nd-Resist Fear\n2nd-Resist Fear\n2nd-Strength\n2nd-Strength\n2nd-Strength\n  ---\n3rd-Flame Arrow\n3rd-Flame Arrow\n3rd-Flame Arrow\n3rd-Hold Person\n3rd-Hold Person\n3rd-Hold Person\n3rd-Hold Undead\n3rd-Minor Spell Deflection\n3rd-Protection from Cold\n3rd-Protection from Fire\n3rd-Skull Trap\n3rd-Skull Trap\n3rd-Skull Trap\n3rd-Vampiric Touch\n3rd-Vampiric Touch\n3rd-Vampiric Touch\n\nNote from Peter: Thalantyr also sells Darts +1 of Acid, of Fire and of\nIce, as well as Bullets +1 of Electricity, Fire or Ice. I've never seen\nthem before in his shop, so I think they have been added in the newest\npatch of the Enhanced Edition.\n\nNote from Peter: You can steal a Potion of Fire Resistance and a Potion \nof Mind Focusing from Thalantyr.\n\nAbandoned Cabin (AR3201)\no======================================================================o\n4) North-west of High Hedge you'll find an abandoned cabin\n(x=1750, y=1550), around which Huge Spiders tend to congregate. Inside\nis a locked chest, which will probably force you to have either a Knock\nspell handy, or a very high open locks score on a Thief. Anyways, with\nthat this area is done. Head to the area immediately south of Beregost.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=500, y=180) Aquamarine Gem\n\nWilderness (AR3800)\no======================================================================o\n5) This area is pretty tame, populated by Gibberlings and Hobgoblins\nmostly. You do have to be wary, however, as the odd Hobgoblin Elite will\nshow up. They are tougher Hobgoblins, that are fond of shooting you\nwith poisoned arrows. You can also find the odd Ghoul or Ghast milling\naround. Ghouls and Ghasts can paralyze you, and if one manages to,\nchances are it'll make quick work of that character before you can put\nthe undead beastie down (at least, at these tender, low levels). Ghasts\nare a bit tougher than Ghouls, but if you can take one down, the\nexperience reward is pretty heft for this point in the game. Along the\nroad you will find two Ogrillons at approximately (x=3900, y=1500).\nThey've got decent Hit Points, but nothing for Armor Class. Still, they\ncan hit pretty hard... I don't know why, they have typically loved\npulping up one of my characters. They are, however, susceptible to\nSleep. One of them will have a Scroll on it, destined for Mirianne. You\ncan turn it in to her at your leisure... and since town is still\nnearby... ah, it's up to you.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For delivering the note to Mirianne)\nEXP\t300\nItem\tRing of the Princes +1\n\nCave (AR3802)\no======================================================================o\n6) In the south-western area of the map you'll find a cave\n(x=1800, y=2200). Inside you'll find a bunch of harmless rats and a\ncrate which contains some loot.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=300, y=150) Potion of Healing x5, 29 gold\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n7) Just south of the cave you will find a group of Hobgoblins, one of\nwhich has the boots 'Worn Whispers' (aka: Boots of Stealth). Kindly\nrelieve him of his boots and carry on. If you want, you can turn these\ninto Zhurlong for his reward. Frankly however, it's not worth the loss\nof those boots. The best option? Give him the boots, then kill him and\ntake them back. No reputation lost, and the added satisfaction of\nkilling the bugger.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For returning Zhurlong's boots)\nEXP\t300\nGold\t100 (Plus whatever he previously stole from you)\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n8) Towards the southern end of the map along the road you'll be\napproached by a trio of Flaming Fist Mercenaries, one of which will\naccuse you of banditry. You can talk your way out of a fight by\nselecting dialogue options #1 and #3, but see those shiny suits of Plate\nMail they have? Wouldn't that look just spiffy on some of your party\nmembers? It would. Pick a fight by choosing dialogue options #2 or #3.\nThese Flaming Fist Mercenaries fairly tough, but if you've got a Cleric,\na simple Command spell should be enough to drop one long enough to\nkill one. Repeat, loot their armor, then exit this area on the southern\nedge of the map to continue south towards Nashkel.\n\n***ENHANCED EDITION***\nIn the original game, killing this Flaming Fist Mercenary resulted in\na free suit of Plate Mail Armor. In earlier versions of the Enhanced\nEdition, killing him caused you to suffer a reputation loss, so we\navoided it. Then Overhaul games removed the reputation penalty, making\nthis fight a source of free Plate Mail once again. In the most recent\npatch Overhaul Games suffered a fit of cleverness by deciding to give\nthe Flaming Fist Mercenary a pair of friends... perhaps to deter\narmor-hungry players from misdeeds? They failed. This encounter is now\na way to score three suits of Plate Mail early in the game.\n\nWilderness (AR4300)\no======================================================================o\n9) There's not much to recommend in this area. It's mostly populated by\nHobgoblins, but you might run into the odd Bandit, Kobold, or Hobgoblin\nElite here, including a camp of Hobgoblins at around (x=3300, y=700).\nWest of this Hobgoblin camp you'll find the body of a man, a woman, and\na child-be sure to grab the 'Colquetle's Family Amulet' at\n(X=2680, y=870). This item will inform Mr. Colquetle of his family's\nfate, unfortunate as it is. I'll let you return there at your leisure,\nbut will record the quest reward here. If you pick dialogue option #2\nwhen talking to Mr. Colquetle (referring to some 'fools' who dared the\nroad to Nashkel, and gloating about profiting from their deaths) he'll\nthrow a fit, and you'll lose a point of reputation. Pick dialogue\noptions #1 or #3 and you'll get another three choices to choose from.\nOptions #2 and #3 (asking for money or refusing to give the amulet\noutright) likewise results in a reputation hit. On the other hand,\noption #1 will earn you a reputation boost and a small experience\nreward. The amulet itself sells for about 150 gold, if it matters at\nall.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For giving Mr. Colquetle his son's amulet)\nEXP\t250\nReputation +1\n\n  ---or---\n\n***REWARD***\n(For being greedy)\nReputation -1\n\nNote from Peter: I've encountered a Vampiric Wolf once in this area. \nUnfortunately I couldn't kill him at this point in the game.\n\nNote from Peter: By the way, Lord Foreshadow doesn't just refere to\nNeverwinter Nights, he also refers to Baldur's Gate II. He mentions that\nAtkathla may become very famous in the future.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n10) As far as noteworthy events and NPCs in (AR4300) go, you can find\nLord Foreshadow mentioning the then-upcoming Neverwinter Nights (what a\ndisappointing game that turn out to be...), and Portalbendarwinden\n(x=4040, y=2790), who has some interesting prophetic dialogue, but\nnothing essential. If you do run into any Bandits, keep their scalps.\nThey might not be worth much now (although Thalantyr will buy them) but\nafter Chapter 2 you can cash them in for 50 gold a scalp, which can\nreally add up. Exit along the southern edge of the map and continue on\nto the Carnival outside of Nashkel, where we will end the first chapter.\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        Nashkel and the Carnival \t               |\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\no======================================================================o\nSequence of Events:\t\t\t\t\t\t{WLK006}\n\t\t1) Carnival Fun!\n\t\t2) The Stone Maiden\n\t\t3) Zordral's Revenge\n\t\t4) Stupid Thief...\n\t\t5) The Amazing Oopah!\n\t\t6) You Get What you Pay For\n\t\t7) Nashkel and Ankheg Armor\n\t\t8) Roundhousin' Rasaad\n\t\t9) Another Assassin in Nashkel Inn\n\t\t10) Pelts and Shields\n\t\t11) Meeting the Mayor\n\t\t12) He's Not Quite Dead Yet...\n\t\t13) Temple of Helm\n\t\t14) Garrison Looting\n\t\t15) Mistaken Identity\n\t\t16) Mad Minsc\n\t\t17) Encountering Edwin\n\t\t18) The Belching Dragon Tavern\n\t\t19) Joseph's Wife\n\t\t20) Looting the Manor House\n\t\t21) Annoying Noober\n\nShortly after beginning this chapter you'll get a dream upon resting.\nBesides being disturbing, you'll find yourself endowed with a special\nability when you wake up. If your reputation is bad (9-), you'll get\nan offensive spell; if you're reputation is good (10+), you'll get a\nhealing or defensive spell. I've listed the spells you gain below, even\nthough they are listed earlier in the FAQ. You don't need to get all the\ngood or evil spells, you can, for instance, have a good reputation the\nfirst two chapters and get the Cure Light Wounds, and in the next\nchapter drop your reputation and receive Ghoul Touch... although why\nyou'd want to do that is beyond me. In general, the good abilities are\nmuch better than the evil abilities, although it is fun to use the\nregenerating Kagain as a Hit Point cow, sapping some of his life away\nwith Larloch's to heal your protagonist... it's still not nearly as\nefficient as just having Cure Light Wounds.\n\nChapter 2\nCure Light Wounds\t(GOOD)\nLarloch's Minor Drain\t(EVIL)\n\nChapter 3\nCure Light Wounds\t(GOOD)\nLarloch's Minor Drain\t(EVIL)\n\nChapter 4\nSlow Poison\t\t(GOOD)\nGhoul Touch\t\t(EVIL)\n\nChapter 5\nSlow Poison\t\t(GOOD)\nGhoul Touch\t\t(EVIL)\n\nChapter 6\nDraw Upon Holy Might\t(GOOD)\nVampiric Touch\t\t(EVIL)\n\nChapter 7\nDraw Upon Holy Might\t(GOOD)\nVampiric Touch\t\t(EVIL)\n\nNashkel Carnival (AR4900)\no======================================================================o\n1) After all that marching, what better way to relieve your stress than\nby visiting the local carnival? This area is pretty tame, as well it\nshould be, but you do have to be wary of the odd group of Kobolds\nlurking around. In some of the tents are merchants, which sell mostly\nmundane gear. In the tent at (x=2520, y=2800) you'll find a merchant who\nwill sell some magical trinkets, but it was never anything I found\nnecessary. If you steal from an occupied tent, chances are you're going\nto bring trouble in the form of the watch. Still, if you make a quick\nenough exit...\n\n***ITEMS***\n(AR4900)\n(x=3580, y=2100) Long Sword, Short Sword\n(x=3640, y=2100) 56 gold\n(x=3500, y=2400) 26 gold\n(x=2700, y=2880) Spear x2\n(x=2470, y=2850) 21 gold\n  ---\n(AR4901)\n(x=550, y=350) Battle Axe, Battle Axe, Battle Axe, Splint Mail\n(x=650, y=400) Long Sword, Long Sword\n  ---\n(AR4907)\n(x=300, y=150) Dagger\n  ---\n(AR4908)\n(x=150, y=170) 9 gold\n  ---\n(AR4909)\n(x=300, y=150) Quarterstaff\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n2) At (x=3050, y=3100) you'll find a Halfling named Zeke trying to\npeddle a Stone to Flesh scroll off for 500 gold, with the idea that\nwhomever has the scroll can use it to turn the 'stone warrior maiden'\n(x=3250, y=2890) back into flesh... a 'stone warrior maiden' who would\nthen be very 'grateful'. Despite the fact that this is rather sadistic,\nit's also outrageously overpriced for a scroll you can buy at any\ntemple for less. If you want the 'stone warrior maiden', it's cheaper\nand more satisfying to steal the scroll from Zeke. Once done, equip the\nscroll in a quick slot and use it on the statue. Zeke might be an evil\nbastard (go ahead, use detect evil), but his scroll works fine.\n\nAnd behold Branwen, warrior-priest from the Norheim isles, entrapped in\nstone by one Tranzig (who wants to bet we'll see that name again?)\nShe'll join you if you let her, and she wants revenge on her captor.\nFair enough. Take her along... or not, it's up to you. She's a decent\nCleric, and I've played through the game with her before.\n\n***ENHANCED EDITION***\nIf you snatch the scroll from Zeke, he'll now leave, complaining\n\"There's nothing I can do. Nothing...\" Previously, he didn't seem to\nnotice his one object of interest was no longer in his possession, and\nwould continue to try to sell it right up until Branwen started\nwalking around.\n\nBentha's Tent (AR4906)\no======================================================================o\n3) Inside a tent at (x=2270, y=3050) you'll find a Mage named Zordral,\nwho is having a bit of a 'disagreement' with another Mage, Bentha.\nZordral will threaten to slay her by finishing his incantation. If you\ninsult his ability and intelligence, he'll turn on you. If you reason\nwith him or play on his morality, he'll just kill her, so pick dialogue\noptions #1 and #1 to provoke him. He's pretty rough for a weak party,\nlike Tarnesh, so get on top of him early, and stay on top of him. If\nhe gets off a Mirror Image and a Horror on a low level party, you're\nprobably going to have to reload. When he dies he'll drop a Knave's\nRobe, a Scroll of Armor, a Scroll of Color Spray, a Quarter Staff, and\n79  gold. This robe will go well on my main character... or another Mage,\nif you have one. Talk to Bentha. If you ask for information, she'll tell\nyou about Volo; what a waste... If you ask for trinkets, she'll give you\nan Antidote. If you take the high road and say that a good deed is\nenough, she'll give you a Potion of Heroism. It pays to be good! On the\nother hand, if Zordral kills Bentha she'll drop both potions, plus an\nAngel Skin Ring, a Quarter Staff, 24 gold, and a Mage Robe of\nElectrical Resistance... which is easily more lucrative than saving\nher. Just sayin'.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=150, y=200) 15 gold\n(x=300, y=150) Quarterstaff\n(x=400, y=250) History of Shadowdale, Throwing Dagger x1, 20 gold\n\n***REWARD***\n(For saving Bentha from Zordral)\nInformation (lame)\n\n  ---or---\n\nItem\tAntidote\n\n  ---or---\n\nItem\tPotion of Heroism\n\nGambling Tent (AR4903)\no======================================================================o\n4) There's another tent at (x=1550, y=2950) you should enter. Upon\nentering a Thief named Vitiare will try and rob you. Attack him before\nhe reaches you and loot his corpse. You'll gain a Potion of Healing, a\nPotion of Master Thievery, a Potion of Agility, a Dagger, and 73 gold.\nI hate that guy.\n\n***ENHANCED EDITION***\nVitiare will now turn hostile and fight back if you attack him. This is\na good thing, because he's a wussmaster. Previously he'd just walk up\nand snipe some gold from you before vanishing, ignoring your attacks as\nhe approached. Only by killing him before he reached you could you avoid\ntheft and gain his goodies.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n5) At (x=1290, y=3200) you'll find 'The Great Gazib', a Mage who manages\n'The Amazing Oopah', the world's only exploding ogre! First rob Gazib\nfor a Scroll of Blindness and a Scroll of Agannazar's Scorcher, if you\ncare to. Once done, talk to Gazib several times to watch Oopah explode!\nEventually Oopah will get sick of it and go on a rampage. Put Oopah\ndown. This is really more amusing than rewarding. Note that 'The Great\nGazib' is only around during the day. If you want to see Ogres explode,\nyou need to do so during normal business hours. Also, be sure to pick up\nwhatever typical Ogre loot Oopah drops.\n\nMerchant's Tent (AR4905)\no======================================================================o\n6) In a tent at (x=1870, y=3500) you'll find a merchant peddling some\npotions. Both sell for 50 gold a piece, and the violet will give you a\n'titan's strength', while the red will make 'your insights rival\nElminster, your clarity of thought indefinitely enhanced.' Both of these\npotions do as he says, but they also come with pretty significant\ndrawbacks. For instance, the violet potion gives you a Strength of 25,\nbut sets your Dexterity and Constitution to 3, which completely\nnullifies its usefulness in combat (although if you want to smash open\ncrates and chests...) The red potion gives you 25 Intelligence, but sets\nyour Wisdom and Strength to 3, also giving you 50% resistance to all\nmagical damage. Both potions last 24 hours. Of course, you could always\nsteal the potions. He also has some chests to loot, which actually\ncontain some nice items. He'll call the guards on you for looting the\nbig chest (x=200, y=200) but not the small chest (x=320, y=200).\nFigures. Steal and flee. Now it's time to head to Nashkel (AR4800).\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=200, y=200) Potion of Fire Resistance, Potion of Invulnerability,\n\t       Potion of Invisibility, Potion of Healing, 208 gold\n(x=320, y=200) Potion of Fire Giant Strength, Potion of Heroism,\n\t       230 gold\n\nNashkel (AR4800)\no======================================================================o\n7) Head south across the bridge, where an Amnish soldier will initiate\ndialogue with you. They're pretty tense in Nashkel, and for good\nreason: their miners are disappearing and what little ore they get out\nof it is tainted. This is kind of bad for a mining town. Also, the\ncommander of the guard-Brage-has apparently murdered his family and gone\nmissing. Sounds like Nashkel needs a hero, eh? But a hero needs better\narms and armor, and thanks to Mr. Rozzo (yet again) we're about to\nget some of the latter. Ignore the bridge and head to the west, then\ngo south along the western edge of the map until you find a plowed\nfield. Near a small coniferous tree at (x=185, y=2745) you'll find\na buried Pearl and a suit of Ankheg Plate Mail. Normally we'd get our\nhands on this armor a bit later in the game, but to get this armor so\nearly, and for free... It's as good of a find as the Evermemory ring we\nfound outside the Friendly Arm Inn. Seriously, this is some of the best\narmor in the entire game, with its Armor Class of 1 and weight of 25,\nyou could easily end up wearing this until the closing credits. It's\neven better in the Enhanced Edition for two reasons-first, it has a low\nStrength requirement of eight. Even Viconia can (and should) strap this\non. Second-you can now wear protection items with it... you know,\nRings of Protection... err... I mean, 'Ring of the Princes +1'. So\nstupid... anyways, in the original game it counted as magical armor,\nwhich prevented it from being paired with other magical protections.\nNow, apparently, it's just super-spiffy mundane armor made from superior\nmaterials. Score. Again, thanks to Mr. Rozzo for this find, I don't know\nhow, but in numerous playthroughs I've never found this... I guess I'm\njust not so observant? Of course, it's easier to find this crap in the\nEnhanced Edition since you can highlight interactable objects by\npressing the 'tab' key. I put this armor on Viconia, since she's got\nsuch a low Strength score she really doesn't have many other options.\nDon't worry, we'll be getting another one soon enough.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=185, y=2745) Pearl, Ankheg Plate Mail\n\nNote from Peter: It seems you can steal some minor trinkets from all the \nAmnish Soldiers in Nashkell. I stole a Sphene Gem, 47 gold, a gold ring, \na silver necklace and a scroll of 'Invisibility'.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n8) Backtrack to the north, then cross the bridge to the south. Over at\n(x=1090, y=780) you'll find a Monk named Rasaad impressing the local\nhicks with super round-house kick entertainment. If you're foolish\nenough to talk to him, he'll babble on about his... Monkdom, and will\neven enjoy some playful banter with Viconia. Ah... religion, fostering\nhostility between people to appease imaginary friends... Anyways, if\nyou ask Rasaad to join, he will. Fun. Enter the Nashkel Inn at\n(x=1370, y=600).\n\nNashkel Inn (AR4801)\no======================================================================o\n9) Once inside a woman named Neira will approach your party. Behold,\nanother head-hunter! She's a Cleric, and if she gets off a Hold Person\nspell, she could cause trouble. The tactics? Same as the Mages. Hit her\nearly, hit her often, and disrupt her spell casting. Of course she has\na better Armor Class, but the principle still works. Taking her down is\neasier if you lure her outside and surround her, and throwing a Command\nspell at her won't hurt either. She'll drop The Eyes of Truth\n(aka: Helm of Infravision), a suit of Splint Mail, a Medium Shield, a\nClub, and another bounty notice. I put the Helmet on Ajantis, but really\nit'll work on any Human who can wear a helmet.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=300, y=200) 7 gold\n(x=580, y=220) 9 gold\n(x=680, y=380) 5 gold\n(x=700, y=150) 4 gold\n(x=800, y=300) 8 gold\n\nNashkel Store (AR4803)\no======================================================================o\n10) Now head out of the building and down the road to the next building,\nthe Nashkel Store (x=1680, y=800). You don't really need to BUY\nanything in here except ammunition, which you will need quite a bit of\nfor the next walkthrough sequence, so be sure to stock up. The owner\nwill tell you about a fabulous money-making opportunity... he'll pay\n500 gold for every Winter Wolf pelt you bring him. Nice. But more\nimmediately rewarding... He's got Large Shields +1 for sale... or rather,\nLarge Shields +1 that can be stolen. It might take some time, since my\npick-pockets score is abysmal no matter what party\/protagonist I'm\nplaying, but just save the game if you manage to steal one, and reload\nif he catches you. You won't find better shields until Baldur's Gate,\nso it's worth the effort.\n\n***ENHANCED EDITION***\nThe Storekeep has a better way to deal with pick-pockets in the\nEnhanced Edition-instead of going hostile and getting himself killed,\nhe'll now summon a half-dozen or so Amnish Soldiers... which results in\neither you bribing them off for 200 gold or fighting.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n11) Exit the building and head down the road. Outside the Temple of Helm\nyou'll be approached by Berrun Ghastkill, the mayor of Nashkel. He will\nask you to investigate the mines, which is the task both Jaheira\/Khalid\nand Montaron\/Xzar are interested in... and talking to Berrun about it\nwill at least shut them up for a while. There's still plenty to do\nbefore we head into the mines, however. Agree to explore the mines and\ncontinue on.\n\nNote from Peter: I pick-pocketed a Potion of Healing from Berrun\nGhastkill. \n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n12) Now for a fun (and perhaps fatal) little easter-egg. Bothering one\nof the tombstones (x=2920, y=1280) outside the Temple of Helm will cause\na Mage named Daer'Ragh to appear and threaten you. Click on it again and\nhe will summon a host of Phoenix Guards for you to play with. When you\nkill one, it'll explode... and at this level, well, it's really just a\nway for you to commit suicide...\n\n...or is it? Jeff has some ideas for how we can exploit the Phoenix\nGuards, should you wish to give it a try: \"After turning in the\nemeralds from Prism to Oublek, you can summon the Phoenix Guards and\nexplode them near him. Thus you can then loot his corpse back for the\ntwo emeralds. You can now also lure them into the Barracks and kill\nthem there to take out the guards, thus you can loot the barracks\nwithout consequences. They can also be used to kill the wandering\nAmmish soldiers so you can loot their armor and weapons. In all a good\ntime. Just make sure you don't kill Berrun Ghastkill by accident before\ncompleting the Nashkel mines.\" I do like sneaky ruthlessness in these\ngames, but playing tag with exploding foes to score a few hundred gold\nworth of loot just doesn't seem worth it, to me. Your call, though.\n\nTemple of Helm (AR4802)\no======================================================================o\n13) Now for the temple itself (x=2800, y=880)... like in reality the\nhuge, opulent temple that dominates this small, poverty-ridden country\ntown is also one of the least interesting places in Nashkel. Inside\nyou'll find Nalin (x=570, y=320) who will prostitute his priestly\nservices... you know, heal you for a price, identify for a price, sell\nsome potions and Scrolls of Stone to Flesh, and charitably accept\ndonations. Damn churches... for something that claims to be so concerned\nwith the spiritual realm, they sure like material wealth.\n\nGarrison (AR4810)\no======================================================================o\n14) Over at (x=3350, y=1700) you'll find the Nashkel garrison, wherein\nyou can find plenty of Amnish Soldiers, including one salty fellow who\nyells at you when you enter. Respond with threats of your own and he'll\nback down, leaving you to loot, since there's really not much else to\ndo in here. Just keep in mind that this place is crawling with soldiers-\nso don't expect to get away with stealing anything. They'll even call\nthe guard... err... themselves... if you open an empty chest! So if you\nwant something, grab it quickly and run.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=180, y=420) Dagger, 4 gold\n(x=230, y=450) Potion of Agility, 3 gold\n(x=360, y=550) Short Sword +1, 3 gold\n(x=520, y=480) 10 gold\n(x=300, y=330) Throwing Dagger x3, 3 gold\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n15) Further down the road is a character named Oublek, who will offer\nyou a reward of 200 gold for a job done by someone named Greywolf. If\nyou don't take the money, you'll be thanked for your honesty, and gain a\nreputation increase. Or you could take the money, but Oublek will be\nsore with you from here on out. He will refuse to pay you one bounty\nentirely, and will only give you half the reward on another, so it's not\nreally cost-effective in the long run to cheat him. You can also ask him\nabout unclaimed bounties to hear about the artist Prism, and Commander\nBrage. We'll do both of these quests later.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For telling Oublek the truth)\nReputation +1\n\n  ---or---\n\n***REWARD***\n(For claiming Greywolf's reward)\nGold\t200\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n16) When you're done with Oublek continue south, where you'll run into a\nwarrior named Minsc (x=3380, y=1950). Ah Minsc... Talk to him, and he'll\nask you on a grand quest to save his 'charge', Dynaheir. If you want\nMinsc in your party, you have to do this quest for him, and in a fairly\ntimely manner. Since Minsc (for the good party) and Edwin (for the evil\nparty) are both characters I tend to include in my party, I end up doing\nthis quest early... as you will see.\n\n***ENHANCED EDITION***\nNot really a massive change here, but something I wanted to point out.\nIn the original game-and the earlier versions of the Enhance Edition,\nMisnc had white hair. Clearly the man is bald in his portrait, but alas,\nwith the pathetically limited selection of hair colors on these\nsprites, there simply was apparently no better solution. I mean, white\nand bald are close... right? Anyways, now Minsc has a bald hair color...\nwhich is just flesh-tone hair. Makes their heads look a little mutant,\nbut hey. Oh, Rasaad also benefits from this cosmetic change, but it's\nhard to give a crap about him.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n17) Head south-west until you come to a bridge. Standing on the bridge\nis a red-robed wizard named Edwin-by far the strongest recruitable Mage\nin both Baldur's Gate games. If you talk to him, he'll ask you to kill\nthe witch Dynaheir... obviously Edwin and Minsc aren't going to be\nfriends. No matter which one you take, you have to head off to the Gnoll\nStronghold in the far south-western corner of the world map fairly\nquickly, lest they grow antsy and disband. So... that's what we'll do\nnext. Once we're done in Nashkel, anyways. Even if you've decided you\nwant to try to get Baeloth instead of Edwin, it's worthwhile to take\nEdwin now, anyways. You'll need a Mage for the evil party until you can\nactually recruit Baeloth, after all.\n\nNote: It is possible to satisfy both Edwin and Minsc, so if you want\nboth, take both.\n\nBelching Dragon Tavern (AR4809)\no======================================================================o\n18) Just north of the bridge is the Belching Dragon Tavern\n(x=2750, y=2350), inside of which you'll find Volo (x=400, y=350),\nanother Forgotten Realms staple who is nothing more than a stale\ncharacter created to provide some personality to some campaign modules.\nStill, random titters of his litter the game manual, and if Elminster\nmade it into the game, why not Volo? At least he's not another character\nripped from an R.A. Salvatore novel. Anyways, he'll tell you-at length-\nabout the trouble at the mines (and with the iron trade in the region\nin general) and about the old captain of the guard in Nashkel. You can\nalso lift an Aquamarine Gem off of him. Yep... that's uh, that's it for\nthis place. Really.\n\nJoseph's House (AR4806)\no======================================================================o\n19) Continue south until you reach the house at (x=4200, y=2900). Talk\nto the commoner walking around. You can hold her up, decreasing your\nreputation, but there's really no point. You can ask her about the mines\ntoo, and she will tell you about her husband Joseph, and ask you to\nlook for his Greenstone Ring. Might as well, since you're inevitably\ngoing through there.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(AR4800)\n(x=4250, y=2970) 6 gold\n  ---\n(AR4806)\n(x=200, y=250) 1 gold\n(x=650, y=320) Battle Axe, 2 gold\n\nManor House (AR4804)\/(AR4805)\no======================================================================o\n20) Now head to the north-eastern corner of the map to find the 'Manor\nHouse' at (x=4730, y=500). Do some looting for some interesting treats.\nIf you flirt with Samantha too much, or declare yourselves to be\nassassins, she'll call upon her secret lover 'Jamie', who was\napparently hiding in the closet. He'll foolishly pick a fight with you-\nbefore realizing that he's naked. Samantha will make a shameless\nsexual pun and the two will run off.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(AR4804)\n(x=350, y=450) 35 gold\n(x=750, y=470) Scroll of Magic Missile, Scroll of Chill Touch,\n  \t       Scroll of Shield\n  ---\n(AR4805)\n(x=150, y=350) History of Shadowdale, 9 gold\n(x=510, y=300) Potion of Invisibility, 20 gold\n(x=350, y=400) tainted Potion of Healing, 33 gold\n\n***ENHANCED EDITION***\nIn the original game, Jamie actually would fight you-and Samantha\nwould turn hostile, too. This would almost certainly end in reputation\nloss, so it was best not to even bother talking with her.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n21) Head across the bridge towards the western edge of Nashkel. A goober\nnamed Noober will annoy you. If you are patient and withstand his\nbarrage of inane questions you'll get some experience... so just wait\nhim out. When he's done, there are two farm houses (AR4807)\n(x=1620, y=3020) and (AR4808) (x=620, y=2220) with some very minor loot\nwithin and around them. Once done, exit the map via the western edge of\nthe area and travel to the area that appears on the world map, near the\nriver.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(AR4807)\n(x=300, y=200) Silver Ring, 4 gold\n  ---\n(AR4800)\n(x=770, y=2370) Dagger, 3 gold\n  ---\n(AR4808)\n(x=120, y=220) Throwing Axe, 23 gold\n(x=220, y=140) Chain Mail, Battle Axe\n(x=400, y=120) Silver Necklace\n\nNote: Final warning, we're going to be gone a while, so be sure to have\nlots of ammo with you, and perhaps some spare melee weapons, in case any\nbreak during the trip. Nothing will suck more than making it to the\nGnoll Stronghold, only to have no arrows, and Fighters with broken\nweapons. Well... perhaps something could suck more, but I dare not think\nof it. And by 'lots of ammo', I don't mean full quivers, I mean full\nquivers plus... oh... a few stacks in the inventory of each archer...\njust in case.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For enduring Noober)\nEXP\t400\n\nNote from Peter: It's easier and quicker when you keep talking to Noober\ninstead of waiting for him to talk to you.\n\no======================================================================o\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|\t\t     The Gnoll Stronghold Expedition\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) Xvart Genocide\n\t\t2) Ursa the Cave Bear\n\t\t3) Cave Raid\n\t\t4) Beating Borda\n\t\t5) Neville's Ambush\n\t\t6) The North Bridge\n\t\t7) Fat Happy Ogre\n\t\t8) Laurel's Crusade\n\t\t9) Jared's Bear\n\t\t10) Ogre Bridge\n\t\t11) Storming the Gnoll Stronghold\n\t\t12) Killing the Gnoll Chief (and Friends)\n\t\t13) Dynaheir\n\t\t14) The Southern Caves\n\t\t15) What Next?\n\nWilderness (AR4700)\no======================================================================o\n1) You can utterly skip this area if you're on your way to the Gnoll\nStronghold by hugging the southern edge of the map and exiting out the\nwestern edge of the area. For continuity, however, I will cover the area\nin its entirity here, and there's certainly nothing here a low-level\nparty can't handle... at least, not without a little luck and some\nstrategy. Head south-west until you find a path leading north. Up this\npath is a Xvart village just waiting to be massacred. Kill everything\nyou see, heading west when you've clear the way.\n\nNote from Lee:\nBottleneck the pass at (x=3550, y=2100) and let the stupid Xvarts come\nto you. Set your ranged characters behind and your melee fighters\nblocking the pass, and the Xvarts will just keep coming until there are\nno more left. If they stop coming, simply walk a fighter forward a few\nsteps and the next batch will show up. I took almost no damage this way.\nOh, and remember to grab the coins, etc, from the bodies - individually\nthey don't carry much, but when you have this many of them it adds up.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n2) When you head deeper into the Xvart village, a Xvart named 'Nexlit\nthe Xvart' will approach you and sick the Xvart's pet bear 'Ursa' on\nyou. Unfortunately for the Xvarts, Ursa is far more interested in\nattacking little blue dorks than our party. Take down Ursa while she's\nfocusing on Nexlit, then sweep up.\n\nCave (AR4701)\no======================================================================o\n3) Go north-east of the Xvart village and enter the cave at\n(x=4300, y=900). Inside is another Cave Bear, and for some reason the\ngame likes to put your weak party members near the bear. Enter with just\none character and lure the stupid bear out to face you on better\nstrategic terms. Command works well, if it's giving you any trouble.\nWhen it's dead, loot the cave and leave. The Flail +1 goes to my good\nprotagonist, and the Bracers of Defense A.C. 8 go to either protagonist.\nFavoritism? Not really. More like common sense, in this case. My good\nprotagonist is one of the few characters who actually uses the Flail\nProficiency, and none of the other characters who can cast Mage spells\n(and hence, can't wear armor) have any business being in melee combat.\n\nNote from Lee:\nEnter with only your strongest fighters and move them up into position;\nthen go out and bring your weaker\/ranged characters in. This overcomes\nthe problem of having your weaker characters immediately exposed upon\nentering. You need to do this quickly, as the bear will attack your\nfighters while you're out getting the rest of the party, but if you do\nit right you'll be able to take down the bear without severely\njeopardizing your weaker characters. I suppose it's possible to take\ndown the bear with just the strong melee fighters; I didn't try that.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=300, y=150) Flail +1, Potion of Fire Resistance,\n\t       Bracers of Defense A.C. 8\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n4) In the western area of the map you'll find a con-man named Borda,\n(x=690, y=1620) who will try and sell you what amounts to magical junk\nfor a total of 150 gold. A better option? Kill him and take all his\nstuff. He's not a nice person anyhow. He's a rather brutal opponent at\nthis stage in the game, and if he gets off spells, you're in trouble.\nHit him with missile fire and hope for the best. His first goal is to\nget up Mirror Image, followed by Horror and several rounds of Magic\nMissile, which will kill any low-level character. Casting Remove Fear\nbefore you talk to him will make this fight much easier. Don't bother\nusing offensive spells, however, as his Magic Resistance is an absurd\n100%. There's no real justification that I can think of for why his\nMagic Resistance is so high-the gear he has certainly doesn't provide\nany. If he's proving too much for you to handle, there's really no\nshame in avoiding him for now and coming back when you're stronger. If\nyou can get him to focus his Magic Missiles on Viconia (preferably one\nwho has leveled up to level three or four) there's a good chance she'll\nresist enough of the damage to survive, and if you heal after she takes\ndamage, it's possible to force him to waste all of his offensive spells\non her. When he falls he'll leave behind a Scroll of Web, a Scroll of\nColor Spray, a Cursed Scroll of Petrification, a Cursed Scroll of\nWeakness, a tainted Potion of Healing, a Short Sword +1, and 74 gold.\nThe Short Sword +1 will set Imoen up temporarily, the scrolls will go\nnicely on any Mage, and overall, it's a nice haul. By the way, the\ncrappy stuff is what he was planning on selling you... We're much better\noff killing him, no?\n\nWilderness (AR4600)\no======================================================================o\n5) This area is a bit trickier to skip if you're trying to get right to\nthe Gnoll Stronghold... head south along the eastern side of the map and\nexit out the bottom. You'll probably have to deal with Jared and his\nbear problem (Step #9, below), but it's nothing you can't handle. If you\nwant to explore the entire area, read on. In the north-eastern area of\nthis map you'll find a bandit named Neville (x=3800, y=850). If you're\nnice to him (dialogue options #1 or #2), he'll attack, along with his\nHobgoblin buddies. If you threaten to rob him and kill his buddies\n(dialogue option #3), he'll find it amusing, skim some money from you,\nand you'll get 100 experience. It's more rewarding to just kill him and\nhis buddies, however, and you get to keep your money (not to mention\nyour dignity!). So pick a fight and drop a Sleep spell on his Hobgoblin\nbuddies and get to killing. Neville himself can be a bit of a problem,\nand he should be considered more than a match for any of your Fighters\nat this point in the game; still, it's nothing a Command spell won't\nfix. His Hobgoblin buddies have typical Hobgoblin gear. Neville has\na suit of Chainmail, a Scroll of Dispel Magic (nice!), a Long Sword +1,\nhis scalp, and 65 gold. The Long Sword should go... well, to whomever\ncan use it. Khalid, Shar-Teel, or my evil protagonist are all good\nchoices. Once they are dead and looted, head to the northern bridge.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For amusing Neville the bandit)\nEXP\t100\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n6) This bridge is crawling with Hobgoblin Elites (poisoned arrows,\nremember?) and Ogre Berserkers... you don't want to melee the Ogres\nin a fair fight without a negative Armor Class and 30ish Hit Points.\nFortunately, we need not resort to a fair fight-use spells like Sleep\n(again, the win-all spell for low-level combat), Command, or Entangle.\nYou can also try and bring the foes into sight one at a time and attempt\nto lure the Ogres away from the less sturdy Hobgoblins, or even try to\ncast a Sleep spell just outside of their sight radius and rush them when\nthey're incapacitated. Remember the prime tactic when dealing with pesky\narchers: send a high Armor Class, shielded party member up front and try\nto engage them in melee. If you didn't remember that tactic from\nearlier, it's because I just said it for the first time here. Anyways,\nwhen you're done murdering, cross the bridge to the west.\n\nNote: We've dispatched enough weak foes by now to establish their random\ndrops-weaklings like Gibberlings, Hobgoblins, Xvarts can drop gold, low-\nlevel gems and jewelry, poor-quality potions, and 1st-level Mage spell\nscrolls. Ogre Berserkers are one type of critter that belongs in a\nhigher echelon of foe-and hence are capable of dropping superior loot.\nThe best of such superior loot includes higher-quality gems and jewelry\nand up to 2nd-level Mage scrolls (even the coveted Knock spell, if\nyou're very, very lucky.) All creatures that drop random loot and give\n650+ experience can drop such goodies, and examples include Ankhegs,\nGhasts, and especially Ogre Mages. When fighting such critters, be on\nthe look-out for loot an keep your fingers crossed. You'll probably\nscore a few moderate-quality gems and jewelry and some less-useful\n2nd-level spell scrolls, but if you can score, say, a Laeral's Tear\nNecklace or a Scroll of Knock, then good on you.\n \nNote from Lee:\nI was able to lure the enemies out one at a time, and didn't have to use\nany spells; I only got into melee once. Set your ranged characters in a\nline from (x=3330, y=1150) to (x=3420, y=1100); set two strong fighters\nin blocking positions in front of them; and send your other fighter-type\nup slowly until you spot a single foe. Then, once it starts moving\ntoward  you, run back into formation with the other fighters and mow\ndown the baddie with missile fire. The fighters are there only to block\nanything getting thru, and shouldn't have to fight at all. Repeat until\nthe bridge and surrounding area is clear. HAVE ANTIDOTES READY - YOU\nWILL TAKE A HIT OR TWO FROM POISONED ARROWS!!\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n7) In the north-western part of the map is an Ogre (x=400, y=920) who is\neating and hence, too busy to fight. Talk to him again when he is\n'fat-happy' and he'll indulge your violent inclinations.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n8) At (x=1280, y=1100) you'll find Laurel, a female Paladin who wants\nyour help exterminating a Gibberling horde. Accept her offer when she\ninvites you to help, and her 'horde' will arrive shortly. One Sleep\nspell is good enough to disable most of them. Once the Gibberlings are\nvanquished, talk to Laurel again for some experience. If your reputation\nis low when you talk to her, she'll identify you as rogues, and declare\nthat it's her duty to exterminate you. Killing her isn't as rewarding\nas you think, as she coughs up laughable experience and will drop your\nreputation. You will, however, score some Plate Mail armor. Now head to\nthe south-eastern corner of the map.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For helping Laurel fight the Gibberling horde)\nEXP\t250\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n9) A nobleman named Jared will approach you, asking you to kill a\nhostile bear across the bridge, promising to give you anything should\nyou succeed. At this stage in the game, you might want to use Entangle,\nand shoot it down with missile weapons. Return to the nobleman for your\nreward. If you have high Charisma and\/or a good reputation, he'll give\nyou his boots-The Frost's Embrace (aka: Boots of the North). If not,\nhe'll be less rewarding and just fork over 50 gold... If he doesn't\ncough up the boots, I suggest you steal them from him, or kill him and\ntake them. These boots... aren't really all that useful. Cold attacks\nare rare, but they do happen from time to time as projectiles, such as\nwhen fighting Winter Wolves. Put them on a front line Fighter,\nparticularly one who is not well protected against missiles. Now it's\ntime to head on to the Gnoll Stronghold; exit the screen via the\nsouthern edge of the map.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For killing the bear for Jared)\nEXP\t150\n\nGnoll Stronghold (AR5100)\no======================================================================o\n10) Once you reach the Gnoll Stronghold, you'll be on a small ledge in\nfront of a bridge. As fitting, Gnolls spawn here constantly, so be\ncareful when resting or back tracking. Make sure you're ready to go now,\nrather than allowing yourself to be at half strength later. This area is\npopulated by a variety of Gnolls and Xvarts, neither of which are\nterribly dangerous in small numbers. Head across the bridge, where two\nhalf-ogres-Gnarl and Hairtooth-will be waiting. Gnarl will attempt to\ninitiate dialogue with you, and if he succeeds, he'll demand you pay\n200 gold to get across the bridge. You can talk him down to 100 gold,\nand pay him... which will get you some experience (I presume for talking\nhim down?) Still, losing 100 gold isn't my idea of fun, and they leave\nwhen you pay, which is even worse! Besides, Hairtooth has a truly\nindispensable defensive item that you simply cannot let walk away. So,\npick a fight with them by refusing to pay, or by continuing to drop the\nprice. You can lure Gnarl away by simply walking back across the bridge\nwhen he tries to talk to you. Let Gnarl 'catch' you when he's out of\nsight of his buddy, and whomp him, then return and dispatch Hairtooth.\nThe half-ogre Gnarl possesses a Potion of Hill Giant Strength, a Potion\nof Cold Resistance, an Iol Gem, a Bastard Sword, and 20 gold. Hairtooth\nhas The Brawling Hands and 67 gold. The Gauntlets of Dexterity: The\nBrawling Hands raise one character's Dexterity to 18, and in the case\nof some characters (Ajantis, Kagain, Minsc) to name a few, can\ndrastically raise their Dexterity, and thus, their Armor Class. Such a\npowerful tool, gained so early... It's good stuff. Give them to an Armor\nClass deficient front-line Fighter.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n11) Continue to the north-west, slaying Gnolls as you go. Keep going up\nthe stairs to the west until you come across a small staircase going\nnorth. Go up the stairs and smash the Gnolls that are doubtlessly\nwaiting up top. Watch out for crappy path finding. Narrow stair-cases\nplus enemies on top means jams, and jams mean your party members will\ntry to find alternate paths. Party members walking around aimlessly will\nspawn more Gnolls, and cause problems.\n\nNote from Lee:\nAt the narrow staircase north, I line up my archers across from the\nbottom and my stronger melee fighters at the foot of the stairs, then\nsend one fighter up and draw the Gnolls down one or two at a time. When\ndone like this, they are cheese - the archers take them all down and\nthe fighters have to do extremely little. One drawback - if you're light\non arrows, you could end up screwed for the rest of this area.\n\n***ENHANCED EDITION***\nLike the Skeletons in High Hedge, the number of Gnolls you'll encounter\nhere seems to be greatly reduced in the Enhanced Edition. This makes\nthis run much less trouble than it used to be.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n12) Now continue east, where a tough group of Gnolls awaits, including\na Gnoll Cheiftain. Use the narrow path to bottle-neck them. Really, one\ngood Sleep spell can pretty much end this fight. Keep heading east until\nall the Gnolls in the area are dead. The Gnoll Chieftain has a Fire Opal\nRing, an Angel Skin Ring, a Halberd, and 29 gold.\n\nNote from Lee:\nSame strategy here, sort of... Align archers in back and fighters as\nblockers, then send one fighter forward and draw in the Gnolls one or\ntwo at a time into the bottleneck. The idiots will just keep coming\nthat way, and you can mow them down with missile fire and never take a\nhit.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n13) Dynaheir is at the bottom of one of the pits at (x=2530, y=1450). If\nEdwin is in your party, he'll demand that you kill Dynaheir, and will\nleave if you don't. If you make them both settle their differences,\nthey'll fight until only one side remains. If you attack Dynaheir,\nMinsc will turn on you, if he happens to be present. Of course, if you\ndisband Edwin, THEN recruit Dynaheir, and reinvite Edwin, you can have\nall three in your party. I prefer to kill her (if I'm recruiting Edwin)\nor allow her to join, then send her in front of the rest of the party to\nscout the rest of the Gnolls in the area (if I'm recruiting Minsc).\nUnfortunately, this tends to get her killed... shame that... Anyways, if\nyou 'find' her for Edwin, you'll gain some quest experience. Edwin,\nhowever, is light on the reward, and so he decides that he'll serve you\nfor a year to compensate... which is a worthy reward anyways. And don't\nworry about the 'year' thing, he's yours for the game, no matter how\nlazy you are.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For hunting down Dynaheir for Edwin)\nEXP\t800\n\n  ---or---\n\n***REWARD***\n(For rescuing Dynaheir)\nEXP     800\n\n***ENHANCED EDITION***\nIn the original game, if you killed Dynaheir for Edwin, Minsc would turn\nhostile on you no matter where he was-even if you left him all the way\nback in Nashkel. Now, it doesn't seem to matter. If you remove Dynaheir\nfor Edwin, then talk to Minsc, he'll whine about Dynaheir being dead,\nbut doesn't seem to know the cause. Long story short, he's got to get\nhis honor back, and aims to do so by travelling around, smiting evil,<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
and generally doing the kind of adventury stuff we're doing. It's Minsc\nwithout the dead weight of Dynaheir.\n\nCliffside Caverns (AR5101)\/(AR5102)\/(AR5103)\no======================================================================o\n14) Now head to the cliffs south of the fortress. To get here, you'll\nneed to leave the fortress entirely, and go south and west from the\nbridge where you obtained The Brawling Hands, earlier. You'll have\nto smite some Xvarts along the way, but it shouldn't be much of a\nproblem by now. There are three caverns for your exploration pleasure:\nThe cave at (x=570, y=2100) contains some Xvarts in the large main room,\nand a Carrion Crawler in a smaller room to the east. These critters\ndon't do much damage, but they attack very quickly, and can paralyze\nyou. A paralyzed character is in serious trouble next to a Carrion\nCrawler, so be careful when you fight them. The cave at  (x=820, y=2400)\nhouses more Xvarts-but thankfully no Carrion Crawlers. Kill the Xvarts\nand loot the crate. Of course, the important item is the Tome of\nLeadership and Influence, which permanently raises your Charisma by one\npoint. No matter what attribute it effects, ALWAYS use Tomes on your\nmain character. You'll get to keep those attribute increases into the\nsequel, provided you export your character to Baldur's Gate 2. Finally,\nthe last cave at (x=130, y=3300) just shelters some petty Xvarts. Kill\nthem, and rejoice. You are now officially done with the Gnoll Stronghold\narea.\n\n(AR5102)\n***ITEMS***\n(x=300, y=150) Potion of Healing x3, Scroll of Magic Missile,\n               Scroll of Larloch's Minor Drain,\n\t       Tome of Leadership and Influence, 95 gold\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n15) Alright, we've explored the Gnoll Stronghold, and therefore have\nMinsc and Edwin for the rest of the game... in fact, we should have all\nof our permanent party members by now. That being the case, what's our\nnext step? Well, we could go tackle the Nashkel Mines... However, I\nprefer to gather a few trinkets before I go. Namely, magical weapons.\nIf you haven't noticed yet, your weapons sometimes break during combat,\nwhich is not fun. It's even less fun in the middle of a dungeon, or\ncave, or mine, where you can't run back and buy a new one. Oh, and it's\nannoying to have to run back and buy more weapons in any case. Magical\nweapons-aside from being more powerful-do not break. So we should find\na magical melee weapon for every character in your party. Besides, it'll\ngive you more experience and gold. I don't typically complete the\nNashkel Mines until I'm level four or five anyways. Here's a list of the\nitems I intend to grab BEFORE I head to the Nashkel Mines:\n\nClub +1\n-------\nFound in (AR5200).\n\nHalberd +1\n----------\nFound in a cave (AR5202) in (AR5200).\n\nGirdle of Bluntness\n-------------------\nFound in (AR5200).\n\nThe Chesley Crusher\n-------------------\nFound in (AR5200).\n\nStudded Leather Armor +2\n------------------------\nFound in (AR5300).\n\nLong Sword +1\n-------------\nFound in (AR5300).\n\nBracers of Archery\n------------------\nFound in (AR5300).\n\nDagger +1\n---------\nFound in the Ankheg's Nest (AR1401) in (AR1400).\n\nWand of Fire\n------------\nFound in the Ankheg's Nest (AR1401) in (AR1400).\n\nChainmail +1\n------------\nFound in the Ankheg's Nest (AR1401) in (AR1400).\n\nFlail +1\n--------\nFound in (AR1400).\n\nAnkheg Plate Mail\n-----------------\nMade from Ankheg Shells, cost 4000 or 6000 gold, depending on patience.\n\nTwo-Handed Sword +1\n-------------------\nFound in (AR4400).\n\nAshideena +2\n------------\nFound in (AR3700)\n\nThe Whistling Sword +2\n----------------------\nFound in (AR3700).\n\nFull Plate Mail\n---------------\nPurchased from the Thunder Hammer Smithy, costs 4500+ gold.\n\nDagger of Venom +2\n------------------\nPurchased from the Thunder Hammer Smithy, costs 7500+ gold.\n\nShort Bow +1 (for single-or-dual-classed Thief or a Bard)\n------------\nPurchased from the Thunder Hammer Smithy, costs 1125+ gold.\n\nSling +1\n--------\nPurchased from the Thunder Hammer Smithy, costs 75+ gold.\n\nComposite Long Bow +1 (if you have two archers)\n---------------------\nPurchased from Feldpost's, costs 1875+ gold.\n\nBattle Axe +1 (for Kagain)\n-------------\nPurchased from Feldpost's, costs 1125+ gold.\n\nLong Sword +2: 'Varscona'\n-------------------------\nFound in (AR5400).\n\nWakizashi +1\n------------\nFound en route to the Nashkel Mines.\n\nSome of it we will find, some of it we will buy. Seems like a lot of\nstuff, right? It is. It'll cost you at least 16200 gold to buy all\nthe stuff on that list (although you won't need the Battle Axe +1 if\nyou don't have Kagain, or the Short Bow +1 if you don't have a Thief\nor Bard). And mind you, those prices are with Ajantis wearing the\nAlgernon's Cloak leading a party with a reputation of 20... and the\nprice doesn't include the 4000 gold needed to forge the Ankheg Plate\nMail. \n\nThe evil party would be well served by throwing away a few hundred\ngold at a temple to improve their reputation up to... say... 14?\nBoosting your reputation saves you money in the long run, and the\nhigher you boost it, the more it costs to raise. Therefore, spend a\nbit of gold now, and let your questing raise it further, when it's\nmore expensive. Your goal should be to get to a reputation of 18,\nanything higher encourages defections among those of evil alignment.\nSince my evil party includes both Dorn and Viconia, my reputation was\na dangerously low 5 at this point in the game. To follow my own advice,\nit would cost me 1300 gold to boost my alignment from 5 to 14... money\nI did not yet have. But once done, it's a simple matter to complete\nfour reputation-boosting quests to get up to 18. Take the same cost\nfor the loot I mentioned above, and the 30% price cut that alignment\ngives saves me over 4000 gold-a worthwhile investment, I'd say.\n\nWell, at least we have our work cut out for us, right? First stop, the\narea due east of the Gnoll Stronghold.\n\no======================================================================o\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|\t\t\t   South-Western Areas\t\t\t       |\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\no======================================================================o\nSequence of Events:\t\t\t\t\t\t{WLK008}\n\t\t1) Ousted Ingot\n\t\t2) Pixie's Plunge\n\t\t3) Defending the Dryad\n\t\t4) Gnoll Toll\n\t\t5) Cave\n\t\t6) That Boy's Just Not Right...\n\t\t7) Hidden Scrolls\n\t\t8) Slaying Sendai\n\t\t9) Larry, Darryl, and Darryl!\n\t\t10) The Fastest Dart-Thrower on the Sword Coast!\n\nWilderness (AR5200)\no======================================================================o\n1) In the north-western section of the map you'll be approached by a\nGnoll named Ingot (x=570, y=1200), who is having tribal problems with\nhis buddies over in the Gnoll Stronghold. See, he wanted to eat Dynaheir\n(I stand corrected, she is good for something!) but the others kept her\nprisoner. Shame. You can be nice and let him go, but it's more fun to\nkill him. Note that if you've already been to the Gnoll Stronghold and\nrescued Dynaheir, he won't talk to you, he'll simply be hostile. When he\ndies he'll drop a Bloodstone Ring, two Angel Skin Rings, a Jade Ring and\nThe Chesley Crusher. The Chesley Crusher is an obscenely heavy Halberd\nthat weighs 30 pounds and sets the wielder's attacks per round to one...\nwhich sucks, unless you've only got one attack per round anyways, in\nwhich case, it's somewhat interesting. It gives a +2 bonus to THAC0 and\ndeals a whopping 1d10+6 damage.\n\n***ENHANCED EDITION***\nThe Chelsey Crusher is new to the Enhanced Edition. Also, Ingot's loot\nused to be much more random-typically he'd drop a mixture of rings and\ngold-now he seems to regularly drop the same combination of four rings.\nLast and not least, if you already rescued Dynaheir from the Gnoll\nStronghold, Ingot will be hostile to you from the outset and you won't\nsee any dialogue.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n2) South of the center of the map is a waterfall, which can be searched\nat (x=1700, y=3300.) Inside is a dead cat... Hrmm... Walk up the ledge\nbehind the waterfall to find Drienne at (x=2080, y=2970). She'll cry\nabout her dead cat, Pixie, which apparently didn't have nine lives. Give\nher the dead cat for a reward that varies depending on her reaction to\nyou (an NPC's reaction is determined by your Charisma, Alignment, and\nreputation... remember the rewards from Hull and Fuller in Candlekeep?\nIt's like that).\n\n***REWARD***\n(For giving Drienne her cat, Pixie, with a bad reaction)\nEXP\t200\nGold\t23\n\n***REWARD***\n(For giving Drienne her cat, Pixie, with a good reaction)\nEXP\t200\nItem\tScroll of Protection from Undead\nReputation +1\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n3) Just east of the middle of the map you'll find a Dryad of the\nCloudpeaks who is getting harassed by a pair of missing links by the\nnames of Caldo and Krumm. Agree to help her and talk to Caldo. If you\nagree to help them, they'll decide the Dryad isn't worth tangling with,\nleaving you to deal with her. This is an evil action, and will lower\nyour reputation if you kill her. It's more profitable to kill Caldo and\nKrumm however, so pick a fight with them and trounce them. Krumm will\ndrop Studded Leather Armor, the Destroyer of the Hills (aka: Girdle of\nBluntness), a Potion of Healing, a Club +1, and 24 gold. Caldo carries\nStudded Leather Armor, a Medium Shield, a Flail, and 39 gold. After they\nare dead, talk to the Dryad for your well-deserved reward. The Destroyer\nof the Hills is the real treat, however. Put it on your toughest\nfront-line Fighter, the one you tend to use to hold down, say, Ogres,\nand whatnot. Kagain and Ajantis make great choices. As for the Club +1,\nit makes a great initial weapon for Jaheira... at least until we can\nfind her better, anyways. I should note that this is one of only three\nmagical Clubs in the entire game, so you might want to keep your hands\non it.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For helping the Dryad of the Cloudpeaks)\nEXP\t500\nItem\tAntidote\nReputation +1\n\nNote from Peter:\nYou can steal the Antidote, as well as a Potion of Healing from the \nDryad.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n4) North of the center of the map you'll find a group of Gnolls milling\nabout. One will approach the party and try to get you to pay 50 gold\ntribute. If you say you have no money, the leader will challenge you to\na fight. If you beat the Gnoll they will leave without a fight, and\nyou'll get some quest experience. If you pick a fight by calling them\nnames, you'll get to kill all the Gnolls. I tend to fight the Gnoll\nleader (he won't go hostile on you, so you'll have manually attack him)\nbeat him in a fight, then kill him as he walks away, and take his money\nas well. He commonly carries 100 gold or more on him. This is less\nrewarding than just butchering the whole pack of Gnolls, but after\ngetting done with the Gnoll Stronghold, killing more Gnolls isn't novel\nanymore.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For defeating the Gnoll)\nEXP\t500\n\nNote from Peter:\nBy the way, the Gnoll leader's name is Ludrug and 13 damage are enough\nto win this fight. I deal with them as mentioned above, but during the \nduel I either surround the other gnolls with my other party members or \nequip everyone with ranged weapons and try to kill them as quickly as \npossible after my fighter won the duel. The latter works quite well, and \nI was able to kill the whole gnoll bunch. \n\nWilderness Cave (AR5202)\no======================================================================o\n5) Just east of the waterfall you'll find a cave (x=3100, y=2600). Go\ninside and loot the crate. The Halberd +1 will go well on a character\nwho is proficient with Spears, and who wants some distance in melee. For\nme, this goes great on my Fighter\/Mage. Leave the cave and exit the map\non the eastern edge, and travel to the area south of Nashkel.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=300, y=150) Halberd +1, Tiger Cowrie shell Necklace, 238 gold\n\nWilderness (AR5300)\no======================================================================o\n6) In the north-western part of the map by some trees you'll find a boy\nnamed Albert (x=1350, y=970), who asks you to look for his dog Rufie. He\ngives you a somewhat... questionable... chew toy to let Rufie know\nyou're a friend. Keep it on you, you want Rufie to be your friend (mind\nyou, Rufie only knows two kinds of people, friends and food). After\ngetting Albert's quest I head east around the top of the map. If you\nfind Rufie during your exploration, lead him back to Albert for your\nreward. Your... disturbing reward. Or, if you smell a rat (or you just\nhate children... and dogs...) you can kill Rufie. Albert won't be\npleased, but considering what Albert was, it's probably a good thing\nhe's not happy.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For reuniting Rufie and Albert)\nEXP\t1000\nITEM\tBlack Opal\n\n  ---or---\n\n***REWARD***\n(For killing Rufie)\nEXP\t1200\n\n***ENHANCED EDITION***\nIn the Enhanced Edition, Albert transforms from a little boy into the\nBaldur's Gate stock demon model (used by one critter in this game, and\nby Glabrezu, Nabassu, and Balors in the second game). In the original\ngame Albert just turned into an Ogre Mage-despite claiming to come from\nthe Nine Hells. Apparently that's the closest thing Bioware had to a\ndemon prior to Tales of the Sword Coast. The Enhanced Edition, made with\nthe superior resources of both games (plus their expansions) was able to\ndo better. Also, in the original version of the game the descriptive\ntext said Albert gave you an item-but alas, he never did. This was fixed\nin the Enhanced Edition... unfortunately the only thing he gives you is\na Black Opal.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n7) Now for some more obscure, hidden loot. Along the north-central edge\nof the map you can find a lootable patch of terrain (x=1790, y=415)\nwhich contains a Scroll of Chromatic Orb, and a Scroll of Cloudkill.\nIt'll be a while before we can cast a fifth-level Mage spell, but we\ncan scribe it at our leisure. I doubt Cloudkill is ever worth casting,\nalthough in tandem with our Stinking Cloud assault it can be\ndevastating to groups of enemies-we just need to be mindful of the\nfact that it won't hurt critters immune to poison and it's not party\n(or NPC) friendly... and of course, we won't have access to it until\nwe have a 9th-level Mage.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x= 1790, y=415) Scroll of Chromatic Orb, Scroll of Cloudkill\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n8) North of the center of the map you'll find a trio of warriors, led\nby a woman named Sendai (x=3100, y=900). You can avoid fighting them,\nbut it's much more profitable to pick a fight... and frankly, they're\nlooking for a bit of sport, the most dangerous game style. These guys\ncan be tough at this point in the game, and it would be silly to simply\ncharge them (Delgod and Alexander would make a pincushion out of a\nlow-level character). If you take a single character into view of\nSendai you can make life easier by luring Sendai away when she talks to\nyou without bringing her archers into the fight. After she's dead, you\ncan have a character (like Imoen or Minsc) use stealth to occupy one of\nthe archers in melee while rushing the other with your party. If you're\nlucky you'll engage them both before your sneaky character can be\nkilled, and they're not half as deadly in melee combat. My evil party\nhad the benefit of Edwin, who had obtained the Web spell from Borda\nearlier, and by now had the experience to use it. After luring Sendai\naway, I scouted the two archers and had Edwin hit them both with\nseveral Webs from the side, targeting the area adjacent to them without\nactually bringing them into view. After which Viconia and Jaheira were\nable to Sling them to death. \n\nDelgod: Splint Mail, 35~ Arrows +1, Longbow, Warhammer and 43 gold.\n\nAlexander: Splint Mail, Helmet, 35~ Arrows +1, Potion of Healing,\nLongbow, Spear and 37 gold.\n\nSendai: Telbar's Studded Leather Armor +2, Helmet, Small Shield, \nLong Sword +1 and 172 gold.\n\nObviously, Sendai is the big catch, and that armor will go fine on any\nlight-armored character (for me, that's Minsc, or alternatively, Imoen\ncould wear it until she becomes a Mage, and Minsc could just stomp\naround in heavy armor, for the time being, until he's more survivable\nand his stealth is actually decent.) A dual-classed Fighter\/Thief\nShar-Teel will also make good use of this armor. In any event, my evil\nprotagonist takes her Long Sword +1, and in a very timely manner she's\ndual-wielding two magical weapons. I keep going east until I hit the\neastern edge of the map, then I go south.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n9) You'll eventually come across Larry, Darryl, and Darryl at\napproximately (x=4200, y=3400), a Xvart, Kobold, and Tasloi. I'll admit,\nI don't get it. If you talk to them and ask for their autograph, you'll\nbe rewarded with it. This is a pointless... if amusing encounter. Head\nwest.\n\nI have been informed by Jesse on HaeravonFAQs the following bit of...\nuh... information:\n\n\"Regarding Larry, Darryl and Darryl in BG1 AR5300... it's a reference to\nan old sitcom, Newhart I think it was called, starring Bob Newhart. The\ntrio were recurring characters, hillbilly brothers. \"Hi, I'm Larry, this\nis my brother Darryl, this is my other brother Darryl\" was their\ntrademark catchphrase.\"\n\nOne of the many reasons I love writing these guides-if you don't know\nsomething about the game, chances are somebody else, somewhere, has some\ninsight that you lack.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n10) You'll be approached by a warrior named Vax (x=1170, y=2640), who\nthreatens you with the violent specialty provided by his companion, Zal\n(x=1270, y=2620)-the fastest dart thrower that ever walked the Sword\nCoast! Unless, of course, you give up all your money. Granted, Zal is\nsomewhat deadly, especially at this level. So, when Vax tries to talk to\nyou, move your party away from him, luring him away from Zal. When he\ndoes talk to you, and you pick a fight, you'll get to take them out one\nat a time. Vax has a suit of Splint Mail, two Potions of Healing, a\nHalberd, and 107 gold. Zal has a suit of Splint Mail, The Dale's\nProtector (aka: Bracers of Archery), a Helmet, 60 Darts, a Spear, and\n49 gold. The bracers should go to a dedicated ranged character,\nparticularly one with lots of attacks a round, and a poor THAC0 that\ncould use a boost. Minsc and Imoen are both good candidates for the good\nparty, whereas the evil party... well, they rely on archery much less.\nI tend to favor Imoen (even though she has fewer attacks per round),\nsince she relies on archery much more, whereas Minsc will eventually\nbe able to wear some gauntlets that increase his effectiveness with\nboth melee and missile attacks.\n\nNow that you've cleared out the south-western areas of the world, it's\ntime to head back up north. We've got to find a way to make some good\nmoney so we can buy some gear from Nashkel. We also have a powerful war\nhammer, a magical two-handed sword, a good long sword, and some light\nweight full plate mail on the list. Head to the area where you can find\nAjantis (north of the Friendly Arm Inn.)\n\no======================================================================o\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|\t\t\t    Northern Areas\t\t\t       |\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\no======================================================================o\nSequence of Events:\t\t\t\t\t\t{WLK009}\n\t\t1) Taerom's Masterpiece\n\t\t2) Ankheg Hunting\n\t\t3) Ajantis\n\t\t4) Sonner's Scourge\n\t\t5) Brun's Son\n\t\t6) The Ankheg Nest\n\t\t7) Talk to Tenya\n\t\t8) Nester's Dagger\n\t\t9) Five (Minus Two) Fisherman Fillet\n\t\t10) No Evil Deed Goes Unrewarded\n\nWilderness (AR1400)\no======================================================================o\n1) This area can be rough, as it will spawn bandits and Ankhegs. Bandits\naren't too bad, but Ankhegs can deal some serious damage. They wait\nunderground until you get close, but their antennae give them away. Lead\nwith your most heavily-armored character and close in melee. They drop\nminor treasure and their shells. Each shell weighs 100 pounds, but try\nand load up as many as you can. Your goal here is to grab a number of\nthem and haul them back to Beregost. Taerom Fuiruim will pay you 500\ngold pieces for each shell. It doesn't take a genius to realize that\nthis is a great way to earn some cash. When you've sold him... lets\nsay... at least eight, give him another and refuse to sell it. He'll\noffer to make you a suit of armor out of it for the sum of 4,000 gold.\nAgree and he'll say it'll take three days. You can speed up the process\nby coughing up 6,000 gold instead, in which case he'll be done with\nyour new armor in a day. I'd rather keep the 2,000 gold, but that's\njust me, so do whatever you wish. Return after the appropriate amount of\ntime and you'll score yourself another suit of wonderful green \ngoodness-Ankheg Plate Mail. \n\n***ENHANCED EDITION***\nThere have been numerous changes to this event in the Enhanced Edition.\nFirst, there was no quick buy-out option in the original game-you had to\nwait for the armor to be made, a full ten days, now reduced to three,\nfor this impatient generation we live in. Also, Bioware was a bunch of\nhard-asses with the Ankheg-grinding. Originally Taerom would take all\nthe Ankheg shells you had on you for 500 gold (easily cheated by just\ndropping all the shells save one before talking to him, repeating until\nthey were all sold.) Once you declined to sell him a shell and he\noffered to make the armor for you, a global variable would start. It\nwas essentially a ten-day count-down, at the end of which all Ankheg\nshells in the game would 'rot' and could no longer be sold nor made into\narmor. You had to score all the Ankheg shells you wanted, sell them one\nat a time, and when you had all the gold you cared to get, make the\narmor, after which you could no longer harvest Ankheg shells for money.\nApparently Overhaul Games decided Bioware was being a bunch of stingy\npoo-poo heads and got rid of all this nonsense.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n2) After obtaining the second suit of Ankheg armor, we've a bit more\nAnkheg-related business to discuss. Somewhere in this area you'll find a\nwoman named Gerde wandering around, who will babble a bit about Ankheg\nmating habits before telling you that hunters are limited to four\nAnkhegs per party. Once you reach this quota she'll give you some gold\nand trust that you'll not exceed the limit. Right... My evil party,\nbeing evil, of course, has no problem with poaching, and considering\nthat Dorn's weight limit is a whopping 500 pounds, he can carry four\nshells while fully equipped. Since this is much easier to do with my\nevil party (thank you, Dorn) and since they tend to need more money due\nto their low reputation (stupid Dorn!) I harvest quite a few Ankhegs\nhere... say, at least twenty. That extra 10,000 gold will help out.\n\nNote: Ankhegs are some of the monsters capable of dropping 2nd-level\nMage spell scrolls as random loot. If you kill enough of them, you might\njust be lucky enough to score a Knock scroll now. This is a good thing.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For killing your quota of Ankhegs)\nGold\t75\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n2) Just north from the southern edge of this area is an armored man\nnamed Ajantis (x=1570, y=3130). Talk to him, and he'll ask if you're\nfriend or foe. Play nice, and he'll offer to join your party. Pick a\nfight, and you'll get one. Now head to the north-west.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n3) At (x=700, y=2650) you'll find Sonner and his fisherman buddies who\ncomplain about a priestess of Umberlee harassing them. Accept to help\nthem. You can steal a Flail +1 and a Bowl of Water Elemental Control\nfrom Sonner. Kind of seems a bit heavy for a farmer, no? While we're in\nthe habit of stealing from fishermen, why not check out their houses,\ntoo? No, they don't have anything exceptional in them, but I needed an\nexcuse to invite you to go rob them, if you wish. There are two houses\nfor you to loot, (AR1402) (x=380, y=2430), and (AR1403) (x=950, y=2330).\n\n***ITEMS***\n(AR1402)\n(x=200, y=200) Silver Necklace\n(x=300, y=200) 32 gold\n\n(AR1403)\n(x=200, y=250) Sling, Bullets x10\n(x=650, y=320) 27 gold\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n4) You'll find a farmer named Brun at (x=3500, y=2330.) He'll ask you\nto go searching for his son Nathan. Sure. Maybe the giant hole in the\nground at (x=2100,y=2400) would be a good place to start? When you find\nhis son he'll reward you (see the next Step).\n\n***REWARD***\n(For telling Brun about his son)\nEXP\t500\n\nIf you offer to give him some money to help him on his way, he'll be\nvery thankful. Also, you'll get a reward for being such a nice person.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For giving Brun some money)\nEXP\t1000\nReputation +1\n\nAnkheg's Nest (AR1401)\no======================================================================o\n5) You're going to want to head east, carefully leading with your most\ndefended character and dropping Ankhegs one after another. Your goal\nis a treasure trove at (x=2450, y=150), which contains a good deal of\nloot... as well as the body of Brun's son, Nathan. I give the dagger to\nJaheira (if you didn't get a magical dagger from Fuller in Candlekeep.)\nI put the magical Chain Mail Armor should be obsolete by now,\nconsidering that you should have two suits of Ankheg Plate Mail (or be\nworking towards your second). Return the body for a reward (see above)\nand head off to the 'bridge' area north of this one, adjacent to\nBaldur's Gate so we can finish the fishermen's quest.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=2450, y=150) Wand of Fire, Chainmail +1, Dagger +1,\n\t\tDart of Wounding x5, Dart of Stunning x5,\n\t\tScroll of Dire Charm, Scroll of Ghost Armor,\n\t\tPotion of Cloud Giant Strength,\n\t\tPotion of Magic Protection, tainted Antidote, 560 gold,\n\t\tBrun's Dead Son\n\nBridge to Baldur's Gate (AR0900)\no======================================================================o\n6) Head north until you find a house, outside of which is a priestess\nnamed Tenya (x=4000, y=700). If you say the fishermen sent you, she'll\nattack. She's not terribly strong, (she's twelve years old, what do you\nexpect?) and when you deal enough damage she'll give up and start\ntalking (if you accidentally kill her you may wish to reload.) She'll\ntell you that Sonner and his ilk have displeased Umberlee by killing\nher mother and taking a 'elemental summoning bowl', which they have\nbeen abusing. We have a choice here-either kill her for Sonner and\ncompany, or leave her alive and go grill Sonner about his own alleged\nmisdeeds. Either way, it's time to head back and pay them a visit...\neh... shortly. First, let's rob Tenya's House (AR0901) (x=4140, y=630)\nfor some meager loot. Certainly we need it more than an recently\norphaned pre-teen.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(AR0901)\n(x=200, y=200) Dagger, Dart x10, 26 gold\n(x=300, y=200) Jade Ring, Skydrop Gem, 18 gold\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n7) North of Tenya's house is an Ankheg lurking about. Kill it and loot\nit, it has Nester's Dagger (as well as typical Ankheg loot), an\notherwise mundane dagger. Who is Nester, and why is a giant bug dropping\nhis Dagger? It's part of a small quest in Baldur's Gate, so stash the\ndagger, hold onto it, whatever, it'll be useful in... oh... a few days.\nPlay time, not game time. Now return to (AR1400) to clear up this\nbusiness with the fishermen. If you want to side with Tenya, see\nStep #8, below. On the other hand, if you want to side with Sonner and\ncompany (you have killed, or will kill Tenya) see Step #9.\n\nNote from Peter:\n28 damage are enough to bring Tenya to surrender.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n8) Go confront Sonner. You can force him to give up the bowl (dialogue\noptions #1, #2, and #1) with threats. They aren't Fighters, and they\nknow it. If you want to punish them further-or you just want a little\nmore profit out of this quest-you can kill the three without incurring\nany reputation penalty. Once they're all dead (they'll try to run into\ntheir houses, which is annoying) loot Sonner for a Flail +1 and 170,\nJebadoh will drop a Spear and 5 gold, and Telman yields a measly 3 gold.\nMy good protagonist smoothly equips this second magical Flail as his\noff-hand weapon. Return it to Tenya and give her the bowl for an\nexperience reward. It seems like a meager reward-and it is-but\nconsidering we also get the money and the Flail +1 that Sonner dropped,\nit's not a bad deal. Also, Tenya will show up to help us out later in\nBaldur's Gate, but that's a good way off yet. If you didn't kill the\nthree fishermen, they'll have departed once your exchange with Tenya\nis done.\n\n***ENHANCED EDITION***\nIn the original game, the three Fishermen would turn hostile once you\ntook the bowl from them. This seems to be an error that was fixed in\nthe Enhanced Edition.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For returning the bowl to Tenya)\nEXP\t2500\n\nNote from Peter:\nIf you've already stolen the Bowl from Sonner before, they won't be here\nanymore when you returned it to Tenya. And make sure not to pick option\n#1 when you bring back the bowl. If you ask if her vengeance is satis-\nfied, you'll only get 1000 experience, not 2500 experience.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n9) On the other hand, if you actually killed Tenya Sonner will give you\nyour reward (you could haggle the price with him twice, once before\nconfronting Tenya for 20 gold, another time after talking to her for\n50 gold.) Of course, by killing Tenya you also get her gear, which\nincludes Bracers of Defense A.C. 7 and a Flail, but she won't be around\nlater to lend a hand in Baldur's Gate.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For killing Tenya for Sonner)\nEXP\t1000\nGold\t50, 70, or 120\nItem\tFlail +1\n\nAnyhow, now that you're done with these areas, let's go get us some more\nmagical weapons, and hopefully waste some time while we're at it. Head\nto the wilderness area north of the Carnival.\n\no======================================================================o\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|\t\t\t      Middle Areas\t\t\t       |\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\no======================================================================o\nSequence of Events: \t\t\t\t\t\t{WLK010}\n\t\t1) Ambush Arghain\n\t\t2) Ettercap Cave\n\t\t3) Trio of Trouble\n\t\t4) Pick on Ogres\n\t\t5) Cow Champion\n\t\t6) Bassilus\n\t\t7) The Whistling Sword\n\t\t8) Why Did the Chicken Cross the Adventurers?\n\t\t9) Antichickenator!\n\nWilderness (AR4400)\no======================================================================o\n1) At (x=1170, y=1200) you'll find Arghain, a half-ogre with an ambition\nto rob your party of its iron. Since he starts out hostile, there's\nreally no room for diplomacy here. When he spots (and attacks) you,\nthree more Half-Ogres will spawn. They are, of course, susceptible to\nEntangle, Sleep, and ranged take-downs. When he falls, Arghain will drop\na Helmet, a Scroll of Charm Person, a Scroll of Larloch's Minor Drain, a\nMoonstone Gem, two Silver Rings, a Bandit Scalp, a Two Handed Sword +1,\nand 24 gold. Minsc and Boo will be pleased with their new sword.\n\nEttercap Cave (AR4401)\no======================================================================o\n2) Just east of where Arghain was you'll find a cave (x=1550, y=1300).\nEnter with ONLY a Thief, because immediately inside is a Web trap\n(x=400, y=400) and an Ettercap, and you don't need to have paralyzed\nparty members facing an Ettercap and its poison. Without the trap, the\nEttercap is child's play, although this is another encounter where-\nthanks to the Enhanced Edition-we can lure the Ettercap outside and\navoid the confines of the cave altogether. When the beastie is dead,\nloot the cave. Just outside of the cave is a rock with a Water Opal\nunder it, a little bit of loot that I didn't discover until v1.03 of\nthe original Baldur's Gate guide. It just goes to show that no matter\nhow much you play some games, there's always something you missed.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(AR4401)\n(x=300, y=150) Bloodstone Amulet, tainted Oil of Speed,\n\t       Potion of Fire Resistance\n  ---\n(AR4400)\n(x=1570, y=1490) Water Opal\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n3) East of the cave you'll find a trio of bandits led by one Ioin\nGallchobhair (x=3200, y=1750). His group is comprised of two archers\n(Billy and Dribben) and a swordsman (Ioin himself). Again, this is a\nsituation where rushing in is not a good idea, as Ioin's archer pals can\nmake life hell for you. I creep up on them with a stealthed Minsc, who\nengages one of the archers in combat while Ajantis rushes in. With any\nluck the rest of the party will show up before they can destroy Minsc.\nIf you are fortunate enough to have a Mage who can cast 2nd level\nspells, now would be a good time to hit them with a Web or Stinking\nCloud spell (if you have them) and pick them off while they are\nincapacitated. Dribben will cough up a suit of Splint Mail, 5 Arrows +1,\n40 Arrows, a Bandit Scalp, a Longbow, a Bastard Sword, and 49 gold.\nBilly has a suit of Chain Mail, 5 Arrows +1, 40 Arrows, an Aquamarine\nGem, a Bandit Scalp, a Longbow, a Short Sword, and 49 gold. Last and...\nwell, still sucky... is Ioin, who will drop a suit of Splint Mail, a\nStar Diopside Gem, a Waterstar Gem, a Bandit Scalp, a Long Sword, and\n74 gold. All in all? Not really worth the hassle, but at least they're\ngone.\n\nNote: In Nashkel, at (x=2950, y=1250) you'll find a tombstone with the\nname \"Ioin O Gallchobhair\" on it, with the line \"Mea Gloria Fides\" on\nit. Weird.\n\nNote from Lee: \nIn case you're wondering, \"Mea Gloria Fides\" translates to \"My Glory \nFaith\" (Latin). Woopee...\n\nThankfully, as usual, somebody smarter and more wordly than I came\nalong with some divine wisdom to clear things up. This is from\nshandrakor:\n\n\"You seemed curious about the enemy and gravestone for Ioin O\nGallchobhair.\n\nIoin is a (very uncommon) Celt variation on John. O Gallchobhair is the\noldest spelling of the clann now spelled Gallagher. John Gallagher was\nthe lead concept artist for Baldur's Gate.\n\nOh, and Mea Gloria Fides, The Faith is My Glory, is the family motto of\nthe Gallagher clann.\"\n\nThere you have it. I said it before, one of the reasons I love writing\nFAQs is because of how much you learn about the game while doing it.\nGreat stuff.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n4) East of the two bandit encounters you'll find a Dwarf named Sarhedra\n(x=4750, y=1750). She will tell you to pick on the Ogres to the south.\nIndeed, there are several Ogres to the south for you to pick on. Use\nEntangle and take them out at a distance. Loot them and the corpse by\nthe tree before heading back to Sarhedra. She'll be rather flustered\nyou completed her 'quest' so quickly.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=4390, y=2760) Potion of Healing, tainted Oil of Speed,\n\t\t Bloodstone Amulet\n\n***REWARD***\n(For killing the Ogres)\nEXP\t300\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n5) Just south of the center of the map you'll find a bunch of Xvarts\nattacking a poor cow (x=2950, y=2970). Slay all the Xvarts and the cow's\nowner, Hulrik, will be very grateful. If you fail to save the cow...\nwell, no reward for you. A Sleep spell here should all but ensure\nsuccess, with no bovine casualties. Now exit the map and head to the\narea south of High Hedge. It's time to make some money.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For saving Hurlrik's cow)\nEXP\t350\nReputation +1\n\nWilderness (AR3700)\no======================================================================o\n6) At (x=4280, y=2850) you'll find Bassilus, surrounded by his undead\n'family'. This includes a number of Skeletons with Heavy Crossbows, and\nZombies. The Skeletons are the real problem, as they can dish out some\nserious damage. Bassilus will, for his part, conspire to make things\nworse by casting Hold Person, while the Zombies more or less just get\nin the way. There is a way to handle this, however, even at low levels.\nIf you go forward with one character to initiate dialogue with Bassilus,\nyou can cause him to lose control over a bit of his horde by picking\nthe following dialogue options: #1, #3, #1, and #2. This will cause a\nnumber of his minions to bite the dust. At which point retreat and\nregroup, then attack en mass, focusing directly on Bassilus (if he gets\noff a Hold Person, it's dangerous, regardless of how few undead he has\nleft). Attempt to counter him with Command, Silence 15' Radius, or even\na Hold Person of your own. When he falls he'll drop a Bloodstone Amulet,\na suit of Chain Mail, a Medium Shield, Elander's Gloves of Misplacement\n(aka: Gauntlets of Fumbling), Ashideena +2, and Bassilus' Holy Symbol.\nAshideena +2 is one of the best blunt weapons in the entire game,\nespecially considering how early you can get it. Of course, for most\nfights The Stupefier +1 is a better choice-if you score a hit with\nAshideena you'll do 5-9 damage base, but if you strike with The\nStupefier +1, you'll deal 3-8 damage and have a 25% chance to stun the\nenemy-which is a death sentence. Still, there are some beasties who\nare either immune to stun or require +2 weapons to hit, so Ashideena +2\nisn't without serious merit. Put in on a Cleric, and they'll have their\nweapon needs satisfied for the rest of the game. The rest of his gear\nis garbage, especially the gauntlets, which are cursed and should not be\nequipped. Keep his holy symbol in your inventory; when we head over to\nthe temple area east of Beregost, we can turn it in as proof of\nBassilus' death and score a huge cash reward. I also take the Heavy\nCross Bows and Two Handed Swords so I can sell them... it's a nice way\nto net a couple hundred gold.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n7) At (x=2900, y=2450) you'll find a Hobgoblin named Zargal and two of\nhis hobbuddies, who-in typical bandit fashion-demand you pay them all\nyour coin or suffer the consequences. You certainly could, but we\nwouldn't get very far in this game by constantly doing that, would we?\nThey're fairly dangerous at this point in the game-as Zargal's pals\nshoot poisonous arrows (the same thing the Hobgoblin Elites shoot), and\nin general archers are just over-powered at this point in the game with\ntheir superior number of attacks per round. Zargal himself is no slouch\nin melee combat, either. For all their threat and bluster, however, a\nsimple Sleep spell is often capable of humbling them. When they die,\nMalkax will drop Leather Armor, a Helmet, 20 Arrows, an Iol Gem, a\nComposite Longbow, a Bastard Sword, and 13 gold. Geltik will drop a suit\nof Leather Armor, a Helmet, 20 Arrows, a Silver Ring, a Composite\nLongbow, a Bastard Sword, and 11 gold. Their leader Zargal will yield a\nsuit of Studded Leather Armor, a Helmet, a Scroll of Burning Hands, The\nWhistling Sword +2, and 127 gold. That sword will serve Imoen for the\nmajority of the game.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n8) At about (x=4620, y=470) you'll find the chicken Melicamp, who is\nbeing pursued by a wolf. Ah... the food chain. Melicamp will beg you to\nhelp him, after which he'll try to get you to restore him to his\noriginal condition. Even if you have a Dispel Magic spell at this point,\nit won\u2019t work, so offer to help him and he'll ask you to take him to\nThalantyr, in High Hedge. Remember Thalantyr? I'm sure he'll just be\nenthused.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n9) Take the talking chicken to Thalantyr in High Hedge. You'll discover\nthat the 'chicken' was once an apprentice of Thalantyr's who foolishly\nstole artifacts he didn't understand and managed to accidentally turn\nhimself into a chicken. Make sure you TELL Thalantyr that Melicamp said\nhe was his apprentice. If you get into a fight with Thalantyr or don't\nagree to help with the quest, you won't get anything out of it. Agree to\nhelp Thalantyr (dialogue options #4, #1, #2, #1) and he'll send you out\nto fetch the skull of a skeleton. Simple enough. Go outside, walk\naround, rest, whatever it takes to trigger Skeletons to attack and come\nback with the skull. SAVE before you give the skull to Thalantyr, as\nthere's a chance his fix won't work and if that happens you'll get no\nreward. Thalantyr will cast his 'Antichickenator' spell until it works,\nreloading as necessary. When Thalantyr finally does turn Melicamp back\ninto his normal, bipedal self, you'll get a reward. Note that Melicamp\nstill makes chicken sounds when you go to talk to him. Epic. Now let us\nhead to the Temple area to the east of Beregost to turn in Bassilus's\nHoly Symbol, and to clear that area out. Doing that should give me all\nthe money and experience I need to buy some things before finally\ntackling the Nashkel mines.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For saving Melicamp from his fowl fate)\nEXP\t2000\nReputation +1\n\no======================================================================o\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|\t     Temple Area and the Nashkel Mines (exterior)              |\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\no======================================================================o\nSequence of Events:\t\t\t\t\t\t{WLK011}\n\t\t1) The Temple Grounds\n\t\t2) Bassilus' Bounty\n\t\t3) Butchering Blane and Bram\n\t\t4) Attack Cattack\n\t\t5) Unholy Hounds\n\t\t6) Shopping Spree\n\t\t7) Bandits and the Blackguard\n\t\t8) Free Wands, any wand?\n\t\t9) Storehouse Stealin'\n\t\t10) Duh! Kobolds\n\t\t11) Prism's Epiphany\n\t\t12) Into the Mines\n\nTemple Area (AR3400)\no======================================================================o\n1) This area... eh... is not really safe. Packs of dogs ranging from\nWild Dogs to War Dogs to Dread Wolves spawn here, along with Hobgoblins.\nBe careful of the eastern edge of the map, lest you tussle with a pack\nof Wolves you can't beat. The entrance to the 'Song of the Morning\nTemple' is at (x=1220, y=1050), which marks our first stop in this\narea. Don't worry, we'll brave the exterior shortly.\n\nSong of the Morning Temple (AR3402)\no======================================================================o\n2) Enter the 'Song of the Morning Temple' to find Kelddath Ormlyr at\n(x=500, y=600). If you talk to him with Bassilus' Holy Symbol in your\ninventory, he'll take it and give you one hell of a reward for a fight\nthat, in the grand scheme of things, wasn't all that hard. 5000 gold and\none of the best blunt weapons in the game... if only all fights were as\nrewarding, eh? If that's still not enough, however, you can attempt to\nrob the four Sirines, each of which carries a Pearl. Once you're done\nincreasing your wealth, leave.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For slaying Bassilus)\nEXP\t1000\nGold\t5000\n\nVestibule (AR3401)\no======================================================================o\n3) This is a bit extraneous, but worth mentioning for those savage\nexperience-and-gold-hungry folks out there. North-west of the temple\nyou can find the Vestibule (x=480, y=850), wherein you'll find two Dawn\nPriests, Blane (x=380, y=520) and Bram (x=320, y=220). They have nothing of\ninterest to say, unless you're overly interested in shiny floors. They\ncan, however, be massacred without any reputation loss. They're worth\n300 experience points each, and will both leave behind 64 gold, so...\nfree money and experience. Thanks to Mr. Maasz for pointing this out to\nme.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n4) For a Temple so close to town, this place is awfully dangerous.\nSouth-east of the temple, for example, is a pack of Hobgoblins. When you\nget near their leader, Cattack, will initiate dialogue with you. You\nknow the drill-they want all your crap, you say no, they attack, you\nbust their faces off. A humble Sleep spell is enough to devastate this\npack of malcontents. When Cattack falls he'll leave behind a suit of\nStudded Leather Armor, a Helmet, a Lynx Eye Gem, a Two-Handed Sword and\n34 gold.\n\n***ENHANCED EDITION***\nIn the original game, Cattack would approach your party before talking,\nallowing you to lure him as far away as you wished before ultimately\npicking a fight. This, of course, allowed you to deal with Cattack\nindividually, but it also prevented his Hob-buddies from turning\nhostile at all. It's not a big change, but one has to wonder why they\nleft the other lure-able encounters in the game if they were going to\nremove this one? Also, I wanted to get the 'gentle cooing of Hobgoblins'\nline back into this guide, since it no longer made sense given that it's\nproper context was removed. So... yeah, this entire paragraph is pretty\nmuch a complete waste of everybody's time, but I find that line\nhilarious, and since I write these guides to amuse myself... err...\nanyways...\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n5) Skim along the northern edge of the map until you get to the north\neastern corner. Below you, along the upper eastern edge of the map are\na variety of Wolves, ranging from the lowly Worg to the Vampiric Wolf.\nVampiric Wolves outside of a temple to the sun god? Irony. Anyhow, like\nall doggies in Baldur's Gate, they are strangely strong. These ones,\nhowever, have an excuse. They're undead, so don't bother with mind-\naffecting spells. They're also immune to non-magical weapons, they\nregenerate Hit Points, and if they hit they can cause paralysis. Yeah,\nthey suck. I typically do this quest earlier, to make off with some of\nthe experience here, but doing it now in the guide is less risky. Again,\nVampiric Wolves cannot be harmed by normal (non-magical) weapons, and\nif you get paralyzed in a pack of Wolves, you're pretty much a goner. So\nuse a character with stealth to spy on them and mark their locations.\nOnce done, we have a few options. We can cast Web or Entangle spell(s)\nand try to shoot down the Vampiric Wolves with some of those spiffy\nArrows +1 you have been finding, and shoot them down. A little bit of\ncaution, however, also goes a long way. If you're careful you can lure\na few doggies up at a time and deal with them appropriately. Just be\nsure you're focusing your magic weapons (and spells like Magic Missile)\non the Vampiric Wolves, to whom you should pay especial attention.\nKilling these doggies will give you some nice experience, and clear\nout the temple area. There are a few more encounters with random NPCs,\nincluding a run-in with a drunkard who claims to be a lich, but you can\nexplore and find these humorous-if unimportant-encounters on your own.\n\nNote from Peter:\nAt around (x=3000, y=1280) you'll find Galileus. He has not that much\nimportant to say and I think this is the reason, you didn't mention him\nin your walkthrough, but you can kill him for 120 experience and no\nreputation loss. This makes him worth a note in my book. Unfortunately,\nhe just carries a quaterstaff.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n6) Now you should be pretty well off, money-wise. My party has around\n20,000 gold (and that's without selling anything besides Winter Wolf\nPelts and Ankheg Shells), which makes it high time to purchase some\ngear. Before you do so, however, you should make sure you reputation is\ndecent. It's a cost-effective investment to raise your reputation before\nmaking some major purchases. I purchase the following goodies, the top\nthree from the Thunderhammer Smithy and the bottom two from Feldpost's:\n\nFull Plate Mail (Ajantis\/Dorn)\nDagger of Venom +2 (Jaheira)\nShort Bow +1 (Imoen)\nComposite Long Bow +1 (Minsc)\nBattle Axe +1 (Kagain)\n\nWhen you've purchased all you can (or want), get ready to go to the\nNashkel Mines. Get rid of all the extra junk in your inventory so you\nhave as much looting room as possible, and make sure your reputation\nis where you want it to be. Chapter 2 ends after the mines, and that\nmeans a dream, and that means a new reputation-based spell. If you want\nthe good ability, make sure you have a good reputation beforehand, and\nif you want the evil ability... well, kill somebody in a house or\nsomething. When you're done, go to the Nashkel Mines. In this FAQ I'll\ncover it all in one shot, but if you wish to leave and resupply, that's\nfine. (Wuss.) With the expanded stacking in the Enhanced Edition,\nhowever, it shouldn't be necessary.\n\nNashkel Mines, Ambush Site (OH1000)\no======================================================================o\n7) En route to the Nashkel Mines you'll be interrupted by a group of\nne'er-do-wells, led by Senjak and Dorotea... at least, you will provided\nyou talked to Dorn back in the Friendly Arms Inn. It's a typical\nrobbery-they want you to empty your pockets, and as Senjak is making\nhis demands a trio of archers in the back will get cut down. Enter\nDorn, and a small expository conversation with Dorn, Dorotea, and\nSenjak. It all ends in a grand melee, with your party and Dorn versus\nSenjak, Dorotea, and two Bandits, who are easy to waste even for a\n1st-level party. Once the fighting is over, Dorn will seem not entirely\ndisappointed in how you handled yourselves. Ask him to join you, and\nhe'll agree. He's looking for vengeance against some former 'friends'\nof his-two down, two to go. Like with Viconia, you'll lose two points\nof reputation if you allow him into your party, and if you're traveling\nwith Ajantis... well, Ajantis will throw a fit if it seems like Dorn is\ncoming along for the ride (no, you can't have the Blackguard in the\nparty with the Paladin. Big surprise). He's easily the best new\ncharacter added to the Enhanced Edition, and a great substitute for\nShar-Teel in the evil party. Anyways, loot Senjak for a suit of Studded\nLeather Armor, a Wakizashi, and a Wakizashi +1. Dorotea will leave\nbehind a suit of Plate Mail, a Flail, a Small Shield +1, and 20 gold.\n\nNashkel Mines, Exterior (AR5400)\no======================================================================o\n8) Now that we're here, we might as well explore this area before we<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
commit to the mines. Somewhere along the way a soldier named Dandal will\ntell you about the 'dog-headed' monsters causing trouble. There's also\nloot to be had. In the north-west corner of the map, at (x=165, y=180)\nis a dead tree, in the hollow of which you'll find a Wand of Frost.\nNice.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=165, y=180) Wand of Frost\n\nWarehouse (AR5406)\no======================================================================o\n9) There's a wareehouse at (x=2850, y=400) that begs you to explore it.\nIt's guarded by a trio of War Dogs, but they're not a serious threat to\nus by now.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=280, y=430) Potion of Healing\n(x=100, y=200) 33 gold\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n10) South of the mines you'll run into a gnome named Galtok, who is\nbeing pursued by some kobolds. After you're done talking to him, several\nKobolds will spawn for your killing pleasure. If the Nashkel movie and\nthe comments of various NPCs-including Dandal earlier-hasn't clued you\nonto the problem, this is yet another hint.\n\nNote from Peter:\nActually, the Nashkell Movie has changed in the Enhanced Edition and\nthere's no clue about the kobold plague anymore. Oh, and I'm sure you\nthink that I'm especially fond of killing the innocent but if you're\nquick enough (I usually use the Wand of Paralyzation I obtained from\nthe treasure cave at the beginning of chapter 1), you can kill Galtok\nwithout a reputation loss. He's worth 150 experience and carries a Robe\nof Fire Resistance, a Dagger and 54 gold. \n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n11) At (x=650, y=2710) you'll find the artist Prism, working on his\nlatest masterpiece. If you talked to Oublek you'd have heard of Prism,\nwho is wanted for the theft of some emeralds. Talk to him, and he will\nconfuse you with Greywolf's lackeys. Popular guy, this Greywolf. You can\ntry and take him in, which will turn him hostile and force you to kill\nhim. You'll complete the quest, but it's much more rewarding to let him\nfinish his masterpiece. As you wait, Greywolf will show up to claim the\nbounty. Obviously you gain nothing by letting Greywolf do his job, so\nstand up for Prism and pick a fight. If you're still lower-leveled you\ncan take Greywolf out the same way you take out Ogres. Entangle him and\nshoot him to death, or cast Command Word: Die and maim him. Once he's\ndead he'll drop a suit of Studded Leather Armor, the Longsword +2:\nVarscona, and 102 gold. This sword is fantastic, and will serve Ajantis\nor Shar-Teel for a long time to come. Talk to Prism again, and he will\nthank you, walk off, and die. He'll call out to 'Ellesime' before he\ndies. It's a name you will hear again... but not until the sequel. Take\nhis emeralds and turn them into Oublek when you're done with the mines...\nor keep them and sell them, whichever.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For allowing Prism to finish his masterpiece)\nEXP\t1000\nReputation +1\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n12) Talk to Emerson at (x=980, y=1130). He'll be nicer if your\nreputation is better, but he'll allow you in the mines regardless.\nAfterwards, talk to the Amnish Soldier at (x=1200, y=700) to enter the\nmine. Take a deep breath, and head into the darkness. Suspenseful! Here\nare my stats heading into the mines, to let you know what I'm working\nwith, and give you an idea where you should hopefully be. The mines\naren't too tough, as they were designed more to challenge level 1 and 2\ncharacters. By level 4 and 5, this place is cake.\n\nNote from Peter:\nHave you ever tried to kill the rats and\/or cats around the mine en-\ntrance? I did. You get 1 experience for killing them, like for every\nother peaceful animal else too (squirrels, cows, horses, cats, rats,\nbats) but this is the first time I saw that Amnish Soldiers helped me\nfighting rats. Of course they steal you're rightful experience reward\nwhen they kill them first. Not that it matters but it was kinda funny.\nBy the way, in Candlekeep everyone became hostile when I killed the cows\nthere.\n\n\t\t    GOOD PARTY STATS: NASHKEL MINES\no======================================================================o\nAjantis\nPaladin 5\nExperience: 18001\nMax Hit Points: 56\nArmor Class: -5\n\nParalyze\/Poison\/Death:\t9\nRod\/Staff\/Wand:\t\t11\nPetrify\/Polymorph:\t10\nBreath Weapon:\t\t11\nSpells:\t\t\t12\n\nWeapon Proficiencies\nBastard Sword\t\t++\nLong Sword\t\t+\nTwo-Handed Sword\t+\nLongbow\t\t\t+\n\nArmor:\tFull Plate Mail\nGloves:\tThe Brawling Hands\nHelmet:\tHelmet\nAmulet:\t...\nWeapon:\tVarscona +2 (THAC0: 13)\nShield:\tLarge Shield +1\nRing 1:\t...\nRing 2:\t...\nCloak:\tAlgernon's Cloak\nBoots:\t...\nBelt:\tDestroyer of the Hills\nMisc 1:\t...\nMisc 2:\t...\nMisc 3:\t...\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nJaheira\nFighter 4\/Druid 4\nExperience: 9777\/9777\nMax Hit Points: 48\nArmor Class: -2\n\nParalyze\/Poison\/Death:\t8 (-1)\nRod\/Staff\/Wand:\t\t12 (-1)\nPetrify\/Polymorph:\t11 (-1)\nBreath Weapon:\t\t14 (-1)\nSpells:\t\t\t13 (-1)\n\nWeapon Proficiencies\nDagger\t\t\t+\nClub\t\t\t++\nQuarterstaff\t\t+\nSling\t\t\t+\n\nArmor:\tAnkheg Plate Mail\nGloves:\t...\nHelmet:\tHelmet\nAmulet:\t...\nWeapon:\tDagger of Venom +2 (THAC0: 15)\nShield:\tLarge Shield +1\nRing 1:\tRing of the Princes +1\nRing 2:\t...\nCloak:\t...\nBoots:\tThe Frost's Embrace\nBelt:\tElves' Bane\nMisc 1:\t...\nMisc 2:\t...\nMisc 3:\t...\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nViconia\nCleric 5\nExperience: 16763\nMax Hit Points: 36\nArmor Class: -5\n\nParalyze\/Poison\/Death:\t9\nRod\/Staff\/Wand:\t\t13\nPetrify\/Polymorph:\t12\nBreath Weapon:\t\t15\nSpells:\t\t\t14\n\nWeapon Proficiencies\nWar Hammer\t\t+\nMace\t\t\t+\nSling\t\t\t+\n\nArmor:\tAnkheg Plate Mail\nGloves:\t...\nHelmet:\tHelmet\nAmulet:\t...\nWeapon:\tAshideena +2 (THAC0: 16)\n\tThe Stupefier +1 (THAC0: 17)\nShield:\tSmall Shield +1\nRing 1:\t...\nRing 2:\t...\nCloak:\t...\nBoots:\t...\nBelt:\t...\nMisc 1:\t...\nMisc 2:\t...\nMisc 3:\t...\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nProtagonist\nFighter 4\/Mage 3\nExperience: 8145\/8145\nMax Hit Points: 40\nArmor Class: 3\n\nParalyze\/Poison\/Death:\t11 (-2)\nRod\/Staff\/Wand:\t\t10 (-1)\nPetrify\/Polymorph:\t12 (-1)\nBreath Weapon:\t\t14 (-1)\nSpells:\t\t\t11 (-1)\n\nWeapon Proficiencies\nFlail\t\t\t++\nTwo-Weapon Style\t+++\n\nArmor:\tKnave's Robe\nGloves:\tBracers of Defense A.C. 8\nHelmet:\tHelmet\nAmulet:\t...\nWeapon:\tFlail +1 (THAC0: 13)\nShield:\tFlail +1 (THAC0: 15)\nRing 1:\tEvermemory\nRing 2:\tRing of the Princes +1\nCloak:\t...\nBoots:\t...\nBelt:\t...\nMisc 1:\t...\nMisc 2:\t...\nMisc 3:\t...\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nMinsc\nRanger 4\nExperience: 15175\nMax Hit Points: 44\nArmor Class: 4\n\nParalyze\/Poison\/Death:\t13\nRod\/Staff\/Wand:\t\t15\nPetrify\/Polymorph:\t14\nBreath Weapon:\t\t16\nSpells:\t\t\t16\n\nWeapon Proficiencies\nTwo-Handed Sword\t++\nMace\t\t\t+\nLongbow\t\t\t++\nTwo-Weapon Style\t++\n\nArmor:\tTelbar's Studded Leather Armor +2\nGloves:\t...\nHelmet: The Eyes of Truth\nAmulet:\t...\nWeapon:\tTwo-handed Sword +1 (THAC0: 13)\n\tComposite Longbow +1 (THAC0: 14)\nShield:\t...\nRing 1:\t...\nRing 2:\t...\nCloak:\t...\nBoots:\tWorn Whispers\nBelt:\t...\nMisc 1:\tBoo\nMisc 2:\t...\nMisc 3:\t...\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nImoen\nThief 5\nExperience: 15162\nMax Hit Points: 40\nArmor Class: 3\n\nParalyze\/Poison\/Death:\t12\nRod\/Staff\/Wand:\t\t12\nPetrify\/Polymorph:\t11\nBreath Weapon:\t\t15\nSpells:\t\t\t13\n\nWeapon Proficiencies\nShort Sword\t\t+\nScimitar, etc.\t\t+\nShortbow\t\t+\n\nArmor:\tStudded Leather Armor\nGloves:\tThe Dale's Protector\nHelmet:\t...\nAmulet:\t...\nWeapon:\tShortbow +1 (THAC0: 13)\n\tThe Whistling Sword +2 (THAC0: 16)\nShield:\t...\nRing 1:\t...\nRing 2:\t...\nCloak:\t...\nBoots:\t...\nBelt:\t...\nMisc 1:\t...\nMisc 2:\t...\nMisc 3:\t...\n\nAll in all, I ended up with pretty much the same experience in the\nEnhanced Edition play-through as I had in the original guide-you do all\nthe same stuff and get the same results, who would have thought?\nAnyways, not much has changed with the good party, which if anything is\nprobably a negative criticism of the Enhanced Edition... the one thing\nthat did surprise me, however, was the fact that my protagonist by this\npoint in the game had managed to score 37% of the total party experience\nand 31% of the total kills. Not bad for a slow-leveling multi-class\nFighter\/Mage with a poor Armor Class. This character had always done\nwell-but I figured he'd put on a worse show now that he lacked a bow\n(easily the most over-powered weapon in the first game). Also note how\nAjantis just barely squeaked up to level five here... heh, that really\nwasn't planned at all. These character builds here are, of course,\nlargely incomplete. For the Nashkel Mines, however, we don't need to be\nSpecialized in our primary weapons to succeed-something Ajantis and\nJaheira will both correct when they hit 6th-level in their fighting\nclass. For now, we should just be content that all our characters have\nmagical weapons, and all our front-line primary combatants have negative\nArmor Classes.\n\n\t\t    EVIL PARTY STATS: NASHKEL MINES\no======================================================================o\nDorn\nBlackguard 5\nExperience: 22201\nMax Hit Points: 48\nArmor Class: -2\n\nParalyze\/Poison\/Death:\t8 (-1)\nRod\/Staff\/Wand:\t\t10 (-1)\nPetrify\/Polymorph:\t9 (-1)\nBreath Weapon:\t\t10 (-1)\nSpells:\t\t\t11 (-1)\n\nWeapon Proficiencies\nTwo-Handed Sword\t++\nCrossbow\t\t+\nTwo-Handed Weapon Style\t++\n\nArmor:\tFull Plate Mail\nGloves:\t...\nHelmet:\tThe Eyes of Truth\nAmulet:\t...\nWeapon:\tRancor +1 (THAC0: 11)\n\tThe Army Scythe +1 (THAC0: 14)\nShield:\t...\nRing 1:\tRing of the Princes +1\nRing 2:\t...\nCloak:\tAlgernon's Cloak\nBoots:\t...\nBelt:\tDestroyer of the Hills\nMisc 1:\t...\nMisc 2:\t...\nMisc 3:\t...\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nKagain\nFighter 5\nExperience: 22573\nMax Hit Points: 75\nArmor Class: -3\n\nParalyze\/Poison\/Death:\t6\nRod\/Staff\/Wand:\t\t8\nPetrify\/Polymorph:\t12\nBreath Weapon:\t\t13\nSpells:\t\t\t9\n\nWeapon Proficiencies\nAxe\t\t\t+++\nFlail\/Morning Star\t+\nCrossbow\t\t+\n\nArmor:\tPlate Mail\nGloves:\tThe Brawling Hands\nHelmet:\tHelmet\nAmulet:\t...\nWeapon:\tBattle Axe +1 (THAC0: 12)\nShield:\tLarge Shield +1\nRing 1:\t...\nRing 2:\t...\nCloak:\t...\nBoots:\t...\nBelt:\t...\nMisc 1:\t...\nMisc 2:\t...\nMisc 3:\t...\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nJaheira\nFighter 4\/Druid 4\nExperience: 11639\/11639\nMax Hit Points: 48\nArmor Class: -1\n\nParalyze\/Poison\/Death:\t9\nRod\/Staff\/Wand:\t\t13\nPetrify\/Polymorph:\t12\nBreath Weapon:\t\t15\nSpells:\t\t\t14\n\nWeapon Proficiencies\nScimitar, etc.\t\t+\nClub\t\t\t++\nQuarterstaff\t\t+\nSling\t\t\t+\n\nArmor:\tAnkheg Plate Mail\nGloves:\t...\nHelmet: Helmet\nAmulet:\t...\nWeapon:\tClub +1 (THAC0: 15)\n\tSling (THAC0: 17)\nShield:\tLarge Shield +1\nRing 1:\t...\nRing 2:\t...\nCloak:\t...\nBoots:\tThe Frost's Embrace\nBelt:\tElves' Bane\nMisc 1: ...\nMisc 2:\t...\nMisc 3:\t...\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nViconia\nCleric 5\nExperience: 23825\nMax Hit Points: 36\nArmor Class: -5\n\nParalyze\/Poison\/Death:\t9\nRod\/Staff\/Wand:\t\t13\nPetrify\/Polymorph:\t12\nBreath Weapon:\t\t15\nSpells:\t\t\t14\n\nWeapon Proficiencies\nWar Hammer\t\t+\nMace\t\t\t+\nSling\t\t\t+\n\nArmor:\tAnkheg Plate Mail\nGloves:\t...\nHelmet:\tHelmet\nAmulet:\t...\nWeapon:\tAshideena +2 (THAC0: 16)\n\tThe Stupefier +1 (THAC0: 17)\nShield:\tSmall Shield +1\nRing 1:\t...\nRing 2:\t...\nCloak:\t...\nBoots:\t...\nBelt:\t...\nMisc 1:\t...\nMisc 2:\t...\nMisc 3:\t...\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nProtagonist\nFighter 3\/Mage 3\/Thief 4\nExperience: 7556\/7556\/7556\nMax Hit Points: 30\nArmor Class: 3\n\nParalyze\/Poison\/Death:\t11 (-2)\nRod\/Staff\/Wand:\t\t10 (-1)\nPetrify\/Polymorph:\t12 (-1)\nBreath Weapon:\t\t14 (-1)\nSpells:\t\t\t11 (-1)\n\nWeapon Proficiencies\nLong Sword\t\t++\nTwo-Weapon Style\t+++\n\nArmor:\tKnave's Robe\nGloves:\tBracers of Defense A.C. 8\nHelmet:\tHelmet\nAmulet:\t...\nWeapon:\tVarscona +2 (THAC0: 14)\nShield:\tLong Sword +1 (THAC0: 17)\nRing 1:\tEvermemory\nRing 2:\tRing of the Princes +1\nCloak:\t...\nBoots:\tWorn Whispers\nBelt:\t...\nMisc 1:\t...\nMisc 2:\t...\nMisc 3:\t...\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\nEdwin\nConjurer 5\nExperience: 22122\nMax Hit Points: 30\nArmor Class: 10\n\nParalyze\/Poison\/Death:\t14\nRod\/Staff\/Wand:\t\t11\nPetrify\/Polymorph:\t13\nBreath Weapon:\t\t14 (-1)\nSpells:\t\t\t12\n\nWeapon Proficiencies\nQuarterstaff\t\t+\n\nArmor:\tTraveler's Robe\nGloves:\t...\nHelmet:\t...\nAmulet: Edwin's Amulet\nWeapon:\tQuarterstaff +1 (THAC0: 18)\n\tSling +1 (THAC0: 23)\nShield:\t...\nRing 1:\t...\nRing 2:\t...\nCloak:\t...\nBoots:\t...\nBelt:\t...\nMisc 1:\t...\nMisc 2:\t...\nMisc 3:\t...\n\nMy evil party always ends up with more experience than my good party...\nit just always seems the evil party needs more work before they're ready\nto go. Probably the fact that a triple-class protagonist needs more\nexperience than my good party protagonist. Oh, and the fact that with a\nlower reputation limit I needed more money to get all my gear-hence,\nmore Ankheg kills. It doesn't matter, they're not in an entire different\nexperience point league or anything, just an observation. Also note that\nDorn is not the same kind of party leader as Ajantis. He's got eight\nfewer Hit Points and a three point worse Armor Class than Ajantis. In\nall honesty, even though he's the party leader, Kagain tends to lead the\nway when I know there's going to be trouble, as he's just far more\nhardy than Dorn. Still, all my front-liners have negative Armor Classes,\nalthough for Dorn and Jaheira, their gains are almost over. Lastly, note\nfor my evil party that I decided to have Jaheira focus on Scimitars for\nthis run. The difference between Daggers and Scimitars in Baldur's Gate\nis... pretty negligible, really, so I'm really doing it just for flavor.\n\no======================================================================o\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|\t\t\t  Nashkel Mines (interior)\t\t       |\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\no======================================================================o\nSequence of Events:\t\t\t\t\t\t{WLK012}\n\t\t1) Ruffie's Demons\n\t\t2) Marvin's Ghosts\n\t\t3) Bob's Dragon\n\t\t4) Dink the Dagger-giver\n\t\t5) Gay-Name Tunnel\n\t\t6) To Level 2\n\t\t7) Beldin's Bad Day\n\t\t8) Returning Kylee's Dagger\n\t\t9) Catching the Kobold Culprits!\n\t\t10) Joseph's Greenstone Ring\n\t\t11) Eastern Exploration\n\t\t12) Western Wandering\n\t\t13) Trapped Gap and Beyond\n\t\t14) More Traps and Kobolds\n\t\t15) Arachnicide\n\t\t16) Ghoul Near the Pool\n\t\t17) To Level 4\n\t\t18) Another Bridge to Cross\n\t\t19) Mulahey's Conspiracy\n\t\t20) Useless Xan\n\t\t21) Leaving the Mines\n\nMine Level 1 (AR5401)\no======================================================================o\n1) Head into the mine and a miner named 'Miner Gord' will talk to you.\nHe'll tell you to seek out another miner named Ruffie. Ruffie is just\nsouth, at (x=1200, y=820). He will helpfully tell you that demons are\nthe cause of the disturbance. Right. To the south again, you'll find one\nMiner Dink (x=1570, y=1300), who is rather pessimistic about your\nchances of success. Oh, and in case you were wondering-no, there is no\npoint in picking up any of the contaminated ore.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=1600, y=770) War Hammer, Long Sword\n(x=1150, y=1000) Contaminated Ore\n(x=1850, y=1350) Contaminated Ore\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n2) Now, there's no real need to explore this level of the mine\nthoroughly, but for the sake of completionism, lets. To the east you'll\nfind Miner Marvin wandering around. Did you know that my parents almost\nnamed me Marvin? Yep. I would have been Marvin Michael Garvin. My life\nwould have sucked-but my named would have been awesome. Anyways, he'll\nblame the troubles in the mine on ghosts... but it seems like the mine\nmight have more of a problem with laziness.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n3) If you head south from where you met wandering Marvin, you'll pass\ntwo Amnish Soldiers and come to a fork in the tunnel. To the south-east\nyou'll find Miner Bob (x=2710, y=1260), who thinks the mine monster is\nnothing short of a Dragon. Demons, Dragons, and Ghosts? My bet now is\na sinkhole and a very low local IQ average.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=2350, y=1050) Contaminated Ore\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n4) Back-track to the fork and take the unexplored tunnel south, then\nfollow it as it turns west. Along the way you'll run into a Kobold, of\nall things. Step on it, and continue west until you run into Miner Dink,\nwho will, who will ask you to return a dagger to one Miner Kylee.\nMight as well, unless you have a problem with quest experience, that is.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=1420, y=1800) Contaminated Ore\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n5) Continue to the north-west to find another fork. The path to the\nnorth leads back to where we met Miner Ruffie. If you explore to the\nsouth-west you'll encounter another Kobold at a dead-end. To the\nnorth-east is another Amnish Soldier and beyond him yet another fork.\nDown to the south-east you'll find two more moronic miner-Miner Lesley\n(x=500, y=1470) and Miner Cory. Must be the gay-name tunnel. Lesley has\na fit of claustrophobia and wanders off when you talk to him, and\nCory... well, he's just testy, but he's smart enough to think the\nmissing miners are getting lost in the dark.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n6) With that, we're done with this level. Continuing north just leads to\nanother empty dead-end tunnel, or back to the entrance. Return to where\nyou found Miner Dink and head down to the south. The exit to the next\nlevel is at (x=2100, y=1850).\n\nMine Level 2 (AR5402)\no======================================================================o\n7) This mine level is darker and more menacing than the last one, and\nto set the mood, a terrified Miner Beldin will run up to you when you\nhead north a bit. He'll tell you that demons are everywhere, and to\nprove his point, he promptly gets shot down by some Kobolds. This will\nset the tone for the rest of this level. There are kobolds-many with\nbows-fairly regularly throughout this level. Remember the advice that\nI gave in the 'Hints and Tips' section of the guide (that you all\nprobably ignored), and lead with steel-somebody with a good Armor Class.\n\nNote: If you retreat back to the entrance of the area after triggering\nMiner Beldin to show up, you can lure him safely down the tunnel as he\ntries to talk to you. This triggers the Kobolds-but Beldin is out of\ntheir sight, and hence, lives to mine another day. He's probably better\noff dead... anyways, it doesn't matter. He vanishes from the game upon\nexiting this level, but it's fun to thwart the game, nonetheless.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n8) From the entrance head north, and when the path branches (where\nMiner Beldin was) head north-west. When you reach another fork, follow\nthe mine cart rails to the north. Finally, on the next split follow a\nconnecting set of rail tracks to the south-west to find a large room.\nAt (x=850, y=2100) you'll find Kylee, whose dagger you possess. Give it\nback to him for a small reward and some information. There are also some\nweapon racks in this room, probably for those who came down here with\nbreakable weapons. But sswe're too cool for that, what with our magical\ngear and all, right?\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=1920, y=1820) Contaminated Ore\n(x=880, y=1820) Contaminated Ore\n(x=900, y=1800) Contaminated Ore\n(x=920, y=1980) Contaminated Ore\n(x=880, y=1980) Contaminated Ore\n(x=550, y=1780) War Hammer, Battle Axe\n(x=700, y=1770) Battle Axe, Long Sword, Short Sword\n\n***REWARD***\n(For giving Miner Kylee his dagger)\nEXP\t200\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n9) Explore the rest of the level as you wish, but the way down to the\nnext level is to the east. The western and northern parts of the level\nconsist of carts carrying contaminated ore, nameless miners with stock\nconversations, Amnish Soldiers with just as little to say, and Kobolds.\nBacktrack to the north-east and strive to explore in that direction\nuntil you find a large body of water in the middle of the level with a\nnatural bridge running across it. Head across this bridge to the\nsouth-east, smiting Kobolds as you go. On the far (eastern) side of the\nwater-room, head north-east until you find some more rail cart tracks,\nand follow them south. Before you reach the exit to the next level\nyou'll find a pair of Kobolds. Kill and loot them to find two Vials of\nMysterious Liquid. Wonder what THAT could be, eh? Enter the next level\n(x=3500, y=2600).\n\n***ENHANCED EDITION***\nThe 'Vials of Mysterious Liquid' no longer look like generic Antidote\npotions. Just thought I'd point out that... vital bit of information...\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=1970, y=1170) Contaminated Ore\n(x=2000, y=1120) Contaminated Ore\n(x=1950, y=1020) Contaminated Ore\n(x=2050, y=1000) Contaminated Ore\n(x=2100, y=950) Contaminated Ore\n(x=1570, y=730) Contaminated Ore\n(x=1150, y=880) Contaminated Ore\n(x=980, y=850) Contaminated Ore\n(x=1450, y=600) Contaminated Ore\n(x=1400, y=280) Contaminated Ore\n(x=3350, y=350) Halberd, Spear, Quarterstaff\n(x=3400, y=1200) Quarterstaff, Quarterstaff, Halberd\n(x=2900, y=2200) Halberd, Spear, Quarterstaff\n\nMine Level 3 (AR5403)\no======================================================================o\n10) Right in front of you at (x=1590, y=260) you'll find Joseph's\nGreenstone Ring. His wife will be... well, mixed feelings, I imagine.\nKeep it for now. There's a trap to the east, which might just be our\nfirst trap of the game. Exciting! Disarm it and continue east.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=1590, y=260) Joseph's Greenstone Ring\n(x=1700, y=550) Contaminated Ore, Potion of Healing\n(x=1670, y=500) Contaminated Ore\n(x=1660, y=450) Contaminated Ore\n\n***TRAPS***\n(x=1800, y=350)\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n11) There are two tunnels that run east-following the northern-most one\nand you'll come across some Kobolds and a dead-end. Follow the\nsouthern-most one and you'll reach a north-south running tunnel with a\nsmall pool of water in it, along with crates and Kobolds... it's also\na dead-end.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=3700, y=780) Fire Agate Gem\n(x=3690, y=700) 26 gold\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n12) Now backtrack to where you entered the level and explore to the west.\nIf you thought the eastern exploration was boring... well, the west\nsucks even worse. There are two groups of Kobolds to exterminate at the\nfar western end of the tunnels, one group to the north, and the other to\nthe south. Fun. Now backtrack to where you entered again, and this time\nhead south-east until you find a land-bridge connecting the northern and\nsouthern halves of the level.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n13) However harmless a natural bit of dirt suspended over a lava-filled\npit might look, this land-bridge is actually covered with traps, and\nguarded by a trio of Kobolds equipped with shortbows. Their goal? To\nprovoke you into rushing across the traps. I shoot them down with Minsc,\nwho is more than capable of out-shooting a few rat-lizards. Afterwards,\nImoen calmly walks up and disarms the traps.\n\n***TRAPS***\n(x=2300, y=1310)\n(x=2300, y=1380)\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n14) Once you reach the southern edge of the level you'll find that\nthis half of the level is also split into eastern and western tunnels...\nand again, there are two paths to the east. Both are crawling with\nKobolds, but the southern-most one has the benefit of traps, behind\nwhich the Kobolds lurk. Either send Minsc to shoot the guarding\nKobolds down, or just go east along the northern path, whence you can\ncircle down south and attack the Kobolds from the east, where their\ntraps will do them no good.\n\n***TRAPS***\n(x=2050, y=2150)\n(x=2100, y=2200)\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n15) Once you're done exploring the meaningless dead-end to the east,\nback-track to the bridge spanning the center of the level. From here\nhead to the south-west to find a chamber on the southern-most edge of\nthe level housing a pair of Huge Spiders, which shouldn't provide a\nmid-level party the slightest concern.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n16) From here we have two routes to explore-there a tunnel to the east,\njust north of the room where we vanquished the Huge Spiders, or...\nthere's the entire south-western part of the area. Let's explore to the\nwest, first, to get it out the way. North-west from the spider room\nyou'll find a Ghoul contemplating the meaning of life near a pool of\nwater. Alas for our amateur undead friend, the meaning of life is\ndeath-show him some. Once done, kill some Kobolds to the north-west,\nthen backtrack until you're just north of the Huge Spider room.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n17) From here head east and kill a small group of Kobolds. Further east\nyou'll find a tiny land-bridge leading over some lava, beyond which\nawait a trio of Kobolds armed with Shortbows, and a Kobold Commando.\nWhat's a Kobold Commando? A slightly tougher Kobold that shoot flaming\narrows. Let me go on record by saying I HATE these things. They are\nuncannily good at shooting you, and deal plenty of damage when they do\nhit. Fortunately there aren't many here, and it's not like we'll\nencounter them again, in greater, quickly-respawing numbers. Right?\nMeh... Anyways, keeping going east and disarm the traps in front of the\nexit to the next, and lowest, level of the mine (x=3450, y=2350).\n\n***TRAPS***\n(x=3200, y=2570)\n(x=3200, y=2520)\n(x=3200, y=2480)\n\nNote from Peter:\nAt this point in the walkthrough this fight isn't tough anymore but when\nyou're at level 2 it may be a bit difficult. The best thing here is to\nsneak in with a character (e.g. Minsc) and cast a sleep spell in the \nmiddle of the Kobold group. When most of the Kobolds fall asleep, this\nfight is easy. Kill the Kobold Commando with the sneaking character \nfirst and this fight should just be over in a few seconds.\n\nNote from Peter:\nThe three traps may as well be difficult for an unprepared group with an\nunprepared thief but they are easy to avoid by going around them. Go \nnorth around the stalagmite. This shouldn't trigger the first trap, then\ncontinue east between the first two traps and keep going as near to the\nwall as possible over the other two traps. Usually it works with a bit\nmicromanagement. Of course you have to walk every character on its own\nthrough this parcours.\n\nMine Level 4 (AR5404)\no======================================================================o\n18) Head north-east and kill a lone Kobold in the tunnel, then continue\nnorth-east until you reach a large chamber. To the east looms a\nstructure of some sort-a cavern within a cavern, encircled by water\nand bridged by a narrow rock walkway. As you've come to expect, a group\nof Kobolds (including another Kobold Commando) guard the eastern side\nof the bridge. Destroy them and note the entrance to this curious\nstructure at (x=1450, y=1150), wherein we'll find the cause of this\nmine's woes. First, however, follow the walkway outside of the structure\ncounter-clockwise until you encounter a Ghoul at (x=2400, y=1480), which\ncan be smote for some extra experience. Wee... when you're done, enter\nthe chamber-within-a-chamber.\n\nMulahey's Base (AR5405)\no======================================================================o\n19) To the north is an empty little alcove with a pool. The action is to\nthe east, which consists of two chambers-the northern one contains a\nfew Kobolds guarding Xan (x=800, y=590), who is of no interest to us\nright now. In the southern chamber you'll find a Half-Orc named Mulahey\n(x=690, y=890). If you're tricky, you can shoot down\/lure away the\nKobolds guarding Xan without drawing Mulahey's attention. If he sees\nyou, he'll move to initiate dialogue with you, which experience has\ntaught us we can use to lure him to our party. His conversation ends\nin a fight, with him summoning a scattering of Skeletons and Kobolds\nthat appear near the entrance, in the chamber with the pool to the\nnorth, and near Xan. For that reason I place my two strongest warriors\n(Ajantis\/Jaheira for the good party, or Dorn\/Kagain for the evil party)\njust west of the opening to the eastern chambers, while the rest of my\nparty heads east to talk to Mulahey. He's a Cleric, and like we've seen,\nif he gets off a Hold Person his minions can take advantage... at least\nthey could if the two characters engaging them were anywhere near the\nrest of the party, who are likely to be the targets of any spells\nMulahey casts. Still, I don't intend to allow him to cast anything-keep\non top of him and when he's low on health he'll surrender. Don't fall\nfor it, as he's just using this as an opportunity to summon more\nminions. Hitting Mulahey with a Silence 15' Radius couldn't hurt, and\nusing sleep on his minions can take out some Kobolds and keep the heat\noff of your fighters, otherwise, brute force should work just fine here.\n\nWhen Mulahey dies he'll leave behind a suit of Chain Mail Armor, Talos's\nGift (aka: Boots of Grounding), an Honorary Ring of Sune (aka: Ring of\nHoliness), a Large Shield, Mulahey's Holy Symbol, a Morning Star, two\nLetters, and 29 gold. I give the boots to my main character (or a Mage)\nas they will be the ones most likely to be subjected to Lightning Bolts.\nThe Honorary Ring of Sune goes to Viconia (or another Cleric), as I find\na Cleric's 1st-4th-level spells more useful than Jaheira's (or any other\nDriud's). Loot Mulahey's chest at (x=650, y=860). Read the Letters, as\none will point you in the right direction: to find a Mage by the name of\nTranzig, who is staying in Feldpost's Inn. The Letters are signed by one\nTazok, the Ogre Kivan is trying to slay, and Tranzig is, of course, the\nMage who imprisoned Branwen. Crazy how everybody's problems revolve\naround this iron crisis, no? Keep the Letters and Mulahey's Holy Symbol,\nas they serve as evidence for Berrun Ghastkill. Now who does this\nMoonblade belong to...?\n\nNote: Chapter 2 ends when you pick up the Letters, but since this is a\nlousy spot to end a Sequence of Events, let's pretend Chapter 3 doesn't\nreally start until we make our way out of the Nashkel Mines, hmmm?\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=650, y=860) Potion of Absorption, Potion of Healing x2,\n\t       Short Sword +1, Scroll of Armor, Scroll of Infravision,\n\t       Scroll of Charm Person, Scroll of Sleep,\n\t       Scroll of Identify, Scroll of Web, Moonblade +3, 790 gold\n\n***ENHANCED EDITION***\nIn the original version of the game, the Letters you obtain from Tazok\nand Tranzig were in Mulahey's chest-not on his person. I imagine this\nwas changed because it was technically possible to steal the Letters\nfrom his chest without ever having to talk to, fight, or kill him. This\nwould make an upcoming dream sequence look rather silly.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n20) At (x=800, y=590) you'll find Xan, to whom the Moonblade you found\nin Mulahey's chest belongs. You can accept him into your party, but\nbecause Xan sucks I leave him behind. If only he was a Fighter\/Mage who\ncould put that Moonblade to use... but no, he just sucks. His 13\nStrength would make him useless as a Fighter anyways. That Moonblade is\nthere merely to taunt you.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n21) Leave the central cavern and walk around the outside ledge of the\nmoat, working your way clockwise. There will be two Gray Oozes in your\npath. Smite them and exit the mines at (x=3000, y=900). Keep in mind\nthat once you leave, the only way back to the lowest level of the\nNashkel Mines is to wander through the rest of the mines again... you\nwon't be returning via your escape route.\n\nNote: Now that you've smashed up the Nashkel Mine operation, be wary\nof an assassin that awaits you in Nashkel. If you follow the guide by\nthe letter, you'll be fine, but if you feel the need to return to town\nearly you might want to skip ahead to read Step #10 of the next\nSequence of Events.\n\no======================================================================o\n|\t\t\t       Chapter 3\t\t\t       |\no======================================================================o\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|\t\t\t    Back to Beregost\t\t\t       |\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\no======================================================================o\nSequence of Events:\t\t\t\t\t\t{WLK013}\n\t\t1) Fresh Air\n\t\t2) Tomb Robbing\n\t\t3) Hentold's Haunting\n\t\t4) The Revenant\n\t\t5) Narcillicus Harwilliger Neen\n\t\t6) More Tomb Robbing\n\t\t7) Iron Throne Assassins\n\t\t8) Joseph's Widow\n\t\t9) Berrun's Reward\n\t\t10) Prism's Bounty\n\t\t11) Nimbul\n\t\t12) Officer Jessa Vai\n\t\t13) Dual-Classing Imoen\n\nWilderness (AR5000)\no======================================================================o\n1) You've exited the mines and now find yourself in an area to the east.\nAlthough your packs may be bursting with loot, this area is worth\nexploring before we run back to Nashkel. Also, Imoen finally hits level\nsix, which allows her to dual class into a Mage. She starts all over at\nlevel one, but she keeps her old Hit Points. Before I continue on with\nthe story, I will do as much exploring as I can to get experience, as\nshe really needs to gain a few levels in her new class.... Maybe not\nenough experience to reactivate her Thief class, but enough to cast some\nnice spells. For her new weapon proficiency, I choose Slings, as it will\nallow her to use slings with some skill. Also, when you rest you'll gain\nanother spell for your main character. This area is populated by various\nDogs, Gnolls, and Ankhegs, in addition to the non-random encounters\nbelow.\n\nTombs (AR5001)\no======================================================================o\n2) From where we exited the Nashkel Mine (x=1770, y=770) head south-west\nuntil you find the entrance to a tomb (x=900, y=1750) which contains a\nGhoul and a coffin. Splatter the Ghoul, loot the coffin, and then make\nlike a tree and leave.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n3) South of the tomb you'll run into a rogue named Hentold\n(x=1230, y=2900), who is spooked about something. Accept to help him and\n'take it back.' He'll give you the Heart of the Golem +2 and tell you\nhe got it from a tomb in the east. Who wants to bet that we have no\nintention of giving this dagger back? (I do!)\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n4) Head east, and at (x=1900, y=2850) you'll find the entrance to\nanother tomb, inside of which you'll find a Revenant. It'll ask you for\nthe dagger Hentold gave you. If you give it back you'll get a minor\nreward. Of course, if you don't, it will attack you, while occasionally\nasking for the dagger back. It's a fairly tough monster, but you should\nbe able to simply chop it down. The Revenant is immune to non-magical\nweapons, but that shouldn't be a problem now, should it? If you kill it,\nyou get much more experience AND you keep the dagger. Nice. This weapon\nis nice for Shar-Teel, if you're taking her down the Two-Weapon Style\npath and aim to have to use Daggers... or it's a decent weapon for\nJaheira, if you were too cheap to spring for the Dagger of Venom +2.\nLeave the tomb and continue to the east.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(central tomb)\n(x=400, y=350) Potion of Invisibility, 35 gold\n(x=500, y=400) Potion of Freedom, 107 gold\n\n***ITEMS***\n(northern tomb)\n(x=200, y=150) 81 gold\n\n***REWARD***\n(For giving the Revenant its dagger)\nEXP\t900\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n5) At about (x=3780, y=2780) you'll find a Mage named Narcillicus\nHarwilliger Neen, who has just discovered a way to control all slimes,\njellies, and oozes! If you show disdain for his discovery, he'll leave\nwithout anything happening (dialogue option #1). If you call him mad,\nhe'll realize he indeed botched the casting (dialogue option #2, #1) and\nfour Green Slimes will appear and Neen will flee. If you are excited by\nhis discovery (dialogue option #2, #2) he'll become protective of his\ndiscovery and attack, along with two Mustard Jellies. Mustard Jellies\nare outright immune to piercing damage and mundane weapons, and they\nare 30% resistant to slashing and crushing, so it can take a bit to\nput them down. Offensively, they have a weak poison and can inflict Slow\nupon characters they hit. These guys can be rough early on, and if at\nall possible you should try and lure them away from Neen, as the threat\nof a wizard is only multiplied by having these creatures around.\nFortunately, this isn't too difficult, since Neen's first strategy is\nto use Improved Invisibility. Once the jellies are dead, move in and\ndeal with Neen. When he dies he'll leave behind a Knave's Robe, a\nScroll of Burning Hands, a Scroll of Web, a Scroll of Lightning Bolt, a\nDagger, and 38 gold. Aren't you glad you didn't let those scrolls walk\naway with Neen?\n\nNote from Peter:\nA 'Silence 15' radius' works quite well here. Narcillius is a good mage\nbut without the ability to cast spells he is helpless, so you can focus \non the Mustard Jellies.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n6) The third and last tomb is just a short way to the east, at\n(x=4530, y=2800) and is populated by three Ghasts. Kill them and loot\nthe three sarcophagi behind them. This is where the real loot is at.\nNow leave and give grave-robbing a rest... for now.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(southern tomb)\n(x=750, y=450) Chain Mail Armor +1, Potion of Frost Giant Strength,\n\t       Arrows +2 x5\n(x=800, y=500) Greenstone Ring\n(x=900, y=530) Wand of Monster Summoning, Pearl Necklace\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n7) Just north of the exit from the mines you'll find another group of\nassassins. That's right, a group of them this time. There's four of\nthem, all females, led by one Lamalha (x=2090, y=200). They've got\narchers, they've got spell casters. Rushing in head on is probably the\nleast effective way to deal with them, but now that my main character\nhas full use of 2nd level spells, I'll introduce a new tactic (a tactic\nthat is probably not 'new' to the evil party, as Edwin has had 2nd-level\nMage spells for a while now... but I digress...). I creep ahead with\nMinsc who is using stealth to spy them out. When they are spotted, I\ncast Web twice just in front of the closest enemy (while keeping my\nspell-caster out of their sight range, i.e. behind Minsc). This way my\nspell can affect them, but I do not draw their attention. Web functions\nlike Entangle, save that creatures who are webbed cannot attack with\nspells or missile fire. The only downside is that it will affect my own\ncharacters too. After they are webbed, I slink up with Minsc and Imoen,\nand promptly shoot them to death one at a time. When I get it, I'll\nswitch out Web with Stinking Cloud, as Stinking Cloud will affect\ncreatures for 1d4+1 rounds AFTER they fail a save. Web forces them to\nsave at a -2, but Stinking Cloud keeps them down much longer. Also,\nif your Cleric casts Animate Dead to summon up some Skeleton warriors,\nyou can send your undead minions-who are immune to the effects of\nStinking Cloud-into the fray to punish foes who fail their Saving\nThrows.\n\nAnother, simpler, more Enhanced Edition-friendly tactic (my protagonists\nare no longer archers, so tactics that rely on archery require some\nattention) is to simply cast Animate Dead-after you've scoped out their\nlocation and provoked Lamalha by talking to her and quickly ran away\nbefore the fighting began. Take your summoned minions and... well, have\nthem attack the enemies. Their job is simply to soak up debuffs that\nare cast at them-Rigid Thinking, Hold Person... any of those obnoxious\nmind-affecting spells that tend to cause us to have to reload the game.\nWhile the enemy is preoccupied with that, have a Cleric walk up and cast\nSilence 15' Radius near them. If any of them are silenced, it's an\nadditional bonus on top of whatever spells of theirs you've wasted.\nOnce a few of their spells have been spent and a Silence has been\napplied (albeit with varying effectiveness-such is the randomness of\nSaving Throws), rush them with your party. On my latest playthrough,\nthis simple tactic of fodder-and-silence allowed me to take these gals\ndown with minimal damage Jaheira suffered four points of damage, and\nAjantis (who led the charge) took ten. Barely even noticeable on the\nportraits.\n\nAnyways, now for my favorite part-the looting:\n\nManeira: Protector of the Second +2, Potion of Magic Blocking, Oil of\nFiery Burning, 20 Darts of Wounding, Short Sword and 78 gold.\n\nZeela: Splint Mail, Medium Shield, a Potion of Hill Giant Strength, \nFlail, Harrower +1 and 67 gold.\n\nLamalha: Plate Mail, Helmet, Medium Shield, Potion of Power, Potion of\nStone Form, Mace and 94 gold.\n\nTelka: Studded Leather Armor +1, 20 Flaming Arrows, Long Bow, Short\nSword and 78 gold.\n\nThe Harrower goes on Ajantis (in the good party) or on my protagonist\n(in the evil party). If you bothered to talk to Lamalha, (something you\ncan avoid\/miss if you don't bring her into view first) chances are you\nheard her threaten you on behalf of the Iron Throne. Oh yeah, it'll come\nup again. You'll notice there were no bounty notes on them, meaning\nthese ladies were hired by a different source than the previous\nassassins. Nobody said solving an iron crisis would be simple... or\nsafe. Now there IS an area south of this one that just begs to be\nexplored, but it requires you to head back to the Friendly Arm Inn, so\nwe'll skip it for now and head back to Nashkel.\n\n***ENHANCED EDITION***\nThe Harrower +1, of course, is new to the Enhanced Edition. It's the\nkind of weapon one would expect to see introduced into an old game-\ninteresting, but not powerful enough to really change anything. Undead\naren't uncommon, but it's certainly not a superior general-use weapon\nthan Varscona +2. Still, it'll come in handy a few times, I suppose.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n8) First things first, let's return Joseph's Ring to his wife. Her house\nis at (x=4200, y=2900), in case you forgot. You can tell her about the\nring, then decide to keep it as payment for telling her, which will make\nher understandably angry. Or you could give the widow her late husband's\nring, since it's not worth much anyways. You only get the reward if you\ngive her the ring... so you can be evil, or pragmatic.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For returning Joseph's Greenstone Ring to his wife)\nEXP\t800\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n9) Go report to Berrun Ghastkill, who will reward you as long as you\nhave either both the notes or Mulahey's Holy Symbol. If you only have\nthe notes, he'll give you a smaller reward, if you have Mulahey's Holy\nSymbol, you'll get a better reward.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For turning in Mulahey's Notes)\nEXP\t1000\nGold\t900\n\n  ---or---\n\n***REWARD***\n(For turning in Mulahey's Holy Symbol)\nEXP\t1000\nGold\t900\nReputation +1\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n10) If you want to turn in the Emeralds you got from Prism, you might as\nwell do it now. Frankly though, you'll get more money selling the\nEmeralds than you'll get for turning them in. Or... why not do both?\nYou can sell them to the proprietor of the Naskhel Store for a cool\n1500 gold, steal them back, and give them to Oublek for the quest\nreward. I'm usually pretty mercenary when I play this game, so I'm\nsomewhat at a loss as to how I've missed this obvious way to score\nextra gold... anyways, thanks to P. Maasz for pointing this out.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For collecting the bounty on Prism)\nEXP\t200\nGold\t300\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n11) Now that the mines are effectively over, it's time to sell\/store our\nloot and make ready for some more adventuring! First things first, head\nup the road until you run into an assassin named Nimbul (x=1250, y=680)\nwho is voiced by the spectacular Michael Bell. He also does the voice\nof Raziel in the Legacy of Kain series and more recently, of Sed in\nLost Odyssey. Look him up in IMDB, chances are, you've heard him on\nsomething in the past 20 years. Even more pertinent, he does the voice\nof a recruitable character in Baldur's Gate 2, the Bard Haer'Dalis.\nAnywho, I suggest luring him to the party, and attacking him with as\nmany melee characters as possible. He's got Mage spells and he isn't\nafraid to use them, and usually this calls for missile fire, but he\nis... well... exceptionally well-protected against them. Keep on him\nand he should fall fairly quickly. Loot his body for Senses of the Cat,\na Topsider's Crutch, a Letter, a Short Sword +1, a Scroll of Find\nFamiliar, 20 Throwing Axes, and 58 gold. The boots go on Viconia, since\nshe's too weak to use Large Shields, she'll need the extra protection\nagainst missile attacks, and the ring... well, put it on some Human or\nanother. The former explain why Nimbul was so hard to hit with missiles,\nand it's just a great defensive item to keep missiles at bay. You'll\nalso notice that the letter Nimbul had was from Tazok, the same\ncharacter who was in charge of Mulahey (and the same Tazok who killed\nKivan's lover, if you read character biographies), and it also mentions\nTranzig (the same Tranzig who petrified Branwen. Again, character\nbiographies). Head on into Beregost when you're done in Nashkel and sell\nor store whatever excess loot you might have. I also decide to buy a\nSling +1 from the Thunderhammer Smithy for Imoen, as it will allow her\nto participate in combat until she gets her bow back and can contribute\nmore competently.\n\n***ENHANCED EDITION***\nNimbul now drops a Scroll of Find Familiar-this spell wasn't in the\noriginal game, so they had to sneak it in here somewhere, right?\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n12) In Beregost you'll be approached by a child named Chloe, who will\nbe asking around for you. She'll tell you that a member of the Flaming\nFist named Officer Vai is looking for you, and that she's waiting in the\nJovial Juggler. All in good time. I head to Kagain's shop where I stash\nall my loot and take out all my Bandit Scalps (I have 71 of them at this\npoint-busy boy that I am), I also have Imoen scribe the scrolls I've\nstored here so far. With the scalps in hand I head over to the Jovial\nJuggler to meet with Officer Vai. She'll approach, and tell you that\nbecause of the bandit activity, she and her men have been cut off from\nBaldur's Gate, and she's not happy about it. She'll pay you 50 gold for\neach Bandit Scalp you bring her. You may also be bothered by Elminster\nagain sometime in Beregost, but this is an inconsequential encounter.\nHe will tell you that the Bandits are in the north-east, but this\ndoesn't do much to further our cause.\n\nNote: If your reputation is low enough, Officer Vai will attack you.\nYou know, being a wanted criminal and all, and she being an officer of\nthe Flaming Fist... it's kind of her job.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n13) Now it's time to stash my loot and get ready for another spree of\nexploration. Sure we could have done all this earlier, but why do all\nour optional exploration at once? Gaming is better if you mix some story\nin once in a while, and it's better for the FAQ, too. There is, however,\na serious change taking place in my good party-if not already, then\ncertainly before I finish this chapter, Imoen will hit that 20,000\nexperience mark, meaning it'll be time to dual-class her. We all know\nhow it works-turn her into a Mage and allow her to become Proficient in\nSlings, but this is a large transition and deserves some explanation.\nImoen will no longer be able to use anything a Mage can't use (at least,\nuntil she hits 7th-level as a Mage and gets her Thief abilities back).\nThis means no The Dale's Protector (Minsc uses them in the meantime),\nno armor, no Short Bow +1. We'll find other stuff to get her shortly,\nbut for now, just make sure she has a Sling (preferably the Sling +1\nsold at the Thunderhammer Smithy-she'll get more use out of it than\nViconia or Jaheira will) and plenty of sling Bullets. Also have her\nscribe any scrolls you SHOULD have been saving. Anyways, it's time to\nhead to the area west of High Hedge, with the ambition of clearing out\nall the western areas I have access to.\n\no======================================================================o\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|\t\tWestern Areas and the Northern Farmhouse\t       |\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\no======================================================================o\nSequence of Events:\t\t\t\t\t\t{WLK014}\n\t\t1) Shoal the Nereid\n\t\t2) Ogre Clan\n\t\t3) The Surgeon\n\t\t4) Mad Arcand, Wertle woo\n\t\t5) Seductive Safana\n\t\t6) A Note on Sirines\n\t\t7) Sil's Squad\n\t\t8) Seaside Cavern\n\t\t9) Diviner Drama\n\t\t10) Fifteen Birds...\n\t\t11) Gnoll Tribe\n\t\t12) Charleston Nib's Excavation\n\t\t13) Best Left Buried\n\t\t14) Wrath of Kozah\n\t\t15) Get Off My Land!\n\t\t16) A Cousin's Plea\n\t\t17) Captain Crazy\n\t\t18) Bjornin's Bullies\n\t\t19) Teyngan's Trio\n\t\t20) Chill Hobgoblin\n\t\t21) Drizzt's Cameo\n\t\t22) Hafiz's Horrors\n\t\t23) Hunting for Samuel\n\t\t24) Hidden Treasure\n\t\t25) Lena's Plea\n\t\t26) Zombieland\n\t\t27) Rich Farmhouse!\n\nWilderness (AR3100)\no======================================================================o\n1) At (x=2900, y=530) you'll find Shoal the Nereid. If you talk to her,\nshe'll trick\/force whomever talked to her into a kiss and kill them off.\nThat being the case, whatever you do, do NOT talk to her with your main\ncharacter, because her kiss is fatal, and she doesn't take no for an\nanswer. You CAN just kill her, and if you do you'll receive a whopping<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
5000 experience for her. Still... it's more profitable to talk to her\nand let her kill off a character. Do the honors with a disposable\ncharacter... in this case I choose Imoen, since at her level she's the\nleast useful. Once she is kissed, Imoen dies and Shoal turns hostile.\nRough her up a bit and she'll yield, blaming her actions on one Ogre\nDroth. Force her to restore your comrade and offer to fight on her\nbehalf. She will do so, but your fallen comrade will have only a single\nHit Point and their loot will have dropped wherever they died, so\nquickly heal them and equip them again. Droth will show up eventually\nand question Shoal. Stand up for her, and a fight will ensue. His\ntactics are simple, but very effective against a low-level party. He'll\nattempt to go Invisible, after which he'll cast a Sleep spell, then\nrepeat and try a Dire Charm. He's got multiple instances of each spell,\nand he's not a slouch in melee combat, either. My tactics for this\nfight are simple-if uninspiring. If you're 5th level or higher, his\nspell onslaught is largely ineffective. If you're 4th level or lower,\nhe's going to be a huge pain in the ass. If you find that he's just\ndecimating you with his spells, try hitting him with a Silence 15'\nRadius as he approaches (before he talks to you and turns hostile).\nThat'll at least make it a straight melee encounter. If that fails...\nwell... avoid Shoal for now and come back when you're stronger. Simple\nas. Once he's dead talk to Shoal for some experience... or simply\nattack her-she's worth more dead, anyways (a whopping 5000 experience\nat that!). Droth will drop a the Gift of Peace (aka: Helmet of Defense),\na Horn Coral Gem, a Bastard Sword, and 129 gold. The Gift of Peace gives\na bonus to all saves and +20% resistance to electrical, cold, and fire\ndamage. I put it on Viconia, as improving her saves will make her less\nlikely to fall victim to status effects. If your Cleric is\nincapacitated, they won\u2019t be able to use their magic to help others.\nSimple logic, no?\n\n***REWARD***\n(For rescuing Shoal the Nereid)\nEXP\t750\n\nNote from Peter:\nJust in case you want to let her live. Pick-pocket her for a Pearl. \nTypical Sirine loot. The best way to handle Shoal is in my opinion to\nsave her and before you talk to her again, sorround her with your whole\nparty. After she thanked and rewarded you (with 750 experience), imme-\ndiatly attack her with all your party members. Usually, it isn't a big\ndeal to kill her and get the 5000 experience as well. Imoen will be\nthankful at this point in the walkthrough.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n2) In the center of the map you'll find a clan of Ogres, consisting of\neverything from Ogrillons, Half Ogres, Ogres, and Ogre Berserkers.\nSimply put, they're not to be trifled with. If you take it slow,\nhowever, lure a few away at a time, and use a Sleep spell or two, you'll\nbe fine. Ogres just aren't as dangerous to us now that we have negative\nArmor Classes and scores of Hit Points.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n3) At (x=2890, y=2090) you'll find the Surgeon, who will offer to heal\nyour party. After fighting those Ogres nearby, you might just want to\ntake him up on his offer. If you ask who he is, he'll tell you about\nhis brother, Davaeorn. Again, who wants to bet that name will come up\nagain? He'll cast about seven Cure Light Wounds on you and leave. That's\nrefreshing, eh? You can also steal a variety of potions from him,\nincluding a Potion of Magic Protection, an Antidote, a Potion of\nHealing, and an Elixir of Health.\n\nNote from Peter:\nYou can also kill the Surgeon for 975 experience and without a reputa-\ntion penalty. Better do this after he was so kind to heal your party. He\nleaves behind a dagger (when you've stolen all his potions before).\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n4) At (x=2000, y=1280) you'll find a Gnome named Mad Arcand, who will\nask you to retrieve an item from a pirate ship (x=900, y=1590). Go\nsearch the ship, which is guarded by Carrion Crawlers, and retrieve a\nring from it. The ring is cursed, so there's no reason to keep it.\nReturn it to Mad Arcand for a reward. Now that you're done here, head\ndown to the area south of this one... the area with the light house. To\nget there, you might have to backtrack to the area where we killed\nBassilus (AR3700), and exit via the western edge of the map.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=900, y=1590) Discipliner\n\n***REWARD***\n(For returning the Discipliner to Mad Arcand)\nEXP\t300\nItems\tOil of Fiery Burning\n\nNote from Peter:\nMad Arcand is worth 2000 experience but not without a reputation loss.\nAnyway I find killing him is a good way to reduce your reputation for \nthe evil party (if need be). He leaves behind a Quarterstaff and 32 \ngold.\n\nNote from Peter:\nThe area in the south-west is a very good place to get some experience.\nUsually, there are three Sirines here and on the way to them, I usually \nencounter some Ghouls and Kobolds.\n\nWilderness (AR3600)\no======================================================================o\n5) At (x=3750, y=2390) you'll find the Thief Safana. She wants to go\nhunting for the treasure of one 'Black Alaric'. If you need a Thief,\nSafana is a great choice, if you've got Imoen and plan to keep her, tell\nSafana to walk. Accept to hunt for the treasure (which we'll do shortly)\nif you want her in your party.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n6) There is a path to the east of the map that leads south. It is\npositively swarming with Hobgoblins, and they respawn fairly regularly.\nFind and kill a group of Hobgoblins near the shore, in the middle of\nthe map, then continue along the shore to the west. You'll probably run\ninto a few Sirens along the way, and they can cause havoc. They tend to\nstart out by casting Invisibility, after which they'll cast Dire Charm,\nand repeat. Needless to say, they can cause problems. Charmed characters\nwill attack their allies, and should be avoided or, if you're a high\nenough level, dispelled. After that they'll fire away with Arrows of\nBiting, which can do some serious damage. Furthermore, in the Enhanced\nEdition they can... essentially cause Feeblemind on foes when they\nattack in melee. Yeah, the status screen says 'confused' on affected\ncharacters, but it drains their Wisdom to three and leaves them standing\nthere helpless-which is closer to... you know what? It doesn't matter.\nEssentially, Sirines can now render character helpless. They can be\npretty rough, but they're not terribly sturdy. So long as you have some\nDispel Magic spells ready you should be in good shape. Another strategy?\nLean on our old crutch, Animate Dead. They're immune to charm and the\npoison from the Arrows of Biting, and a single Skeleton Warrior can\nwaste the spells of an entire host of Sirines, which is a good thing.\nFittingly Sirines give a hefty sum of experience, and they drop Arrows\nof Biting and Pearls, both of which are fairly nice. Keep your Arrows of\nBiting when you get them-you'll use them shortly, and it would be such a\nwaste to use them up on Sirines and Hobgoblins.\n\nNote from Peter:\nAt around (x=3500, y=1600) you'll find Pallonia. She is another seer it\nseems. Unfortunatly (for us), she doesn't have to say anything crucial.\nUnfortunatly (for her), she's worth 120 experience without reputation\npenalty. She leaves behind a Quarterstaff which is as important as her\ndialog options.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n7) Keep going west along the shore until you can't go west any more...\nif you find a lighthouse, you're too far south, and need to explore the\nnorthern shore running west. From the western edge of the map head\nnorth until you find Sil (x=350, y=1150) and two of her Sirine buddies.\nSummoning a Skeleton Warrior and sending it up alone successfully wastes\nall their charm spells, after which you can just run up and smite them.\n\nPirate's Cave (AR3601)\no======================================================================o\n8) There's a cave that Sil and her gals were in front of at\n(x=400, y=900). Inside you'll find Flesh Golems, and traps... neither of\nwhich are terribly fun. Flesh Golems are tough and immune to non-magical\nweapons, but by now you should be able to slay them without suffering\ntoo much. How tough are they? They can hit a -5 Armor Class on a roll of\n17, which makes them fairly rough in my book. Fortunately, you kept\nthose Arrows of Biting that Sirines have been donating to us, right?\nThese arrows are exceptionally effective again Flesh Golems, as one or\ntwo arrows can kill them if you let the poison do its work. Equip them\non a sneaky archer (Minsc, for example), shoot a Flesh Golem, run away,\nand hide. This cave is all but designed for hit-and-run fun... just\nbe sure to disarm traps as you go, first. If the Flesh Golem fails its\nSaving Throw and takes poison damage, wait and let the poison do its\nwork. If not, sneak up and shoot them again. There are a total of three\nFlesh Golems in the cave, and they are fairly far apart. Anyways,\nthere's a... rock... you can loot at (x=700, y=350). Among its other\ntreasures is a Manual of Bodily Health. As always, use this on your main\ncharacter. Mmm... Constitution. Exit the cavern and continue exploring\nthe wilderness area. If you have Safana in your party, she'll offer to\nstay with the group after clearing out this cavern.\n\n***ITEMS**\n(x=700, y=350) Dart of Wounding x10, Antidote, Potion of Infravision,\n\t       Elixir of Health, Potion of Absorption,\n               Wand of Paralyzation, Relair's Mistake,\n\t       Manual of Bodily Health, 312 gold\n\n***TRAPS***\n(x=450, y=850)\n(x=920, y=750)\n(x=300, y=550)\n(x=1000, y=350)\n\n***ENHANCED EDITION***\nIn the original game, there were no traps in this area. Also, resting\nhere could spawn Flesh Golems, making this cave a great place to grind.\nIn the Enhanced Edition, resting will only yield Carrion Crawlers...\nwhich is not so fun.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n9) At (x=3500, y=2950) you'll find a Mage by the name of Arkushule, who\nwill offer to read your fortune. Allow her to, and she'll tell you what\nshe sees. She'll become uneasy when learns about you 'back before this\nGorion.' Continue to pester her for what she saw and she'll freak out\nand attack. Kill her and take her stuff. You'll gain a Mage Robe of\nCold Resistance, a Scroll of Burning Hands, and 38 gold.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n10) At (x=1420, y=3680) you'll find a commoner named Ardrouine, whose\nson was playing in an abandoned lighthouse before some Worgs came and\nsurrounded the place. Head up to the north-west to find the light house\nand slay all the worgs around it. There are only about three of them,\nwhich makes this a piece of cake. When they're dead go back to the\nmother for your reward. Now head to the area south of this one.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For saving the boy from the Worgs)\nEXP\t500\nGold\t60\nReputation +1\n\nWilderness (AR4100)\no======================================================================o\n11) Along the northern edge of the map you'll find a variety of Gnolls,\nincluding Gnoll Elites, Slashers, Veterans, a Chieftain and Flinds. Kill\nthem and loot them for a nice little pay-day. They shouldn't be even\nremotely challenging anymore, but if they're giving you any trouble,\nhit them with a Sleep spell to effectively end the fight.\n\nExcavation Site (AR4101)\no======================================================================o\n12) Towards the middle of the map you'll find a dig site, and the dig\nleader Charleston Nib (x=2860, y=1510) (but you'll have to wait until\nthe sequel to meet DigDag... there's a limit to how much dig you get in\none game.) Talk to Charleston Nib and pick any dialogue option the first\ntime you get a chance to respond, then when you can reply again, avoid\ncalling them tomb-robbers, don't try and rob them, and don't pick any of\nthe dialogue options with \"goodbye\" in them... essentially, inquire into\nwhat they're doing, and agree to help watch over their camp. When the\nconversation is over another man, Gallor, will come and talk to you.\nHe's under the impression that there is some great treasure to be found\nin this excavation and asks you to remove Nib. Accept or don't, but if\nGallor walks off you won\u2019t get a reward from him. If you threatened to\nrob Nib, or were otherwise rude, Nib won't let you into the excavated\ntomb, and you'll have no choice but to either leave them be, or side\nwith Gallor and butcher Nib and company. For the good party, I have them\nplay nice with Nib and turn Gallor down and for the evil party... well,\nI do the same, since siding with Nib is ultimately less dangerous and\nmore profitable.\n\nExcavated Tomb (AR4101)\no======================================================================o\n13) Either side with Gallor or turn him down (de facto siding with Nib),\nthen talk to Nib to enter the tomb (if you didn't piss Nib off earlier).\nA cutscene ensues where the game gives a brilliant show of how much its\npathfinding sucks. The diggers will go mad and you'll have to put them\ndown. After the slaughter, talk to Nib one more time for a reward (if\nyou didn't side with Gallor). Now if you want to be evil, you have to\nkill Nib and take the treasure from a sarcophagus (x=1150, y=550), or\nyou can warn Nib of Gallor's plans for some experience. Nib has a\nSunstone Gem and 100 gold on him. If you sided with Charleston Nib and\nleft the Idol alone, this quest is over, if not... well, either way,\nyou need to head back to the surface.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=1150, y=550) Idol\n\n***REWARD***\n(For siding with Charleston Nib)\nEXP\t1000\nGold\t50\nReputation +1\n\n***REWARD***\n(For warning Charleston Nib of Gallor's plans after siding with Gallor)\nEXP\t1000\n\nNote from Peter:\nWhen you side with Nib and refuse Gallor's offer, you can easily kill\nGallor when he's walking away. He's worth 120 experience and carries a\nStudded Leather Armor, a Morning Star and 28 gold.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n14) If you take the Idol you got from the sarcophagus out of the tomb\n(regardless of whether you've sided with Gallor or Charleston), a\nDoomsayer will be waiting for you when you reach the surface at\n(x=2650, y=1570). It'll babble at you-but the meaning is clear-it\nwants the Idol you stole, and if you refuse to hand it over, it'll\nattack. The Doomsayer is a rough opponent-as an undead creature, it's\nimmune to mind-affecting attacks, so don't bother trying to debilitate\nit with spells. It's also got a very low Armor Class, high Hit Points,\na potent melee attack (with fast attack speed and a low THAC0 making up\nfor what it might lack in pure damage) and it can be harmed only by\nmagical weapons. In a straight fight, a 5th-6th level party will\nprobably be able to chop it down if you withdraw injured characters,\nuse healing spells, get it to attack more protected party members, and\nwhittle it down with damage-dealing spells (Magic Missile works wonders\nhere.) There is, however, a way to make this fight much easier-the\nhumble Dispel Magic spell will remove a few buffs that can significantly\nweaken the Doomsayer. These two effects (which, as far as I can tell\nare permanently granted to it via equipped, non-droppable items-this is\nhow Bioware grants many monster traits, abilities, resistances, and\nimmunities) are Blur and Flame Blade. Taking away Blur will make it\nquite a bit easier to hit, and removing Flame Blade will effectively\ncut its damage in half. This is a good thing. So, if you're keen to\nfight it in order to keep the Idol, for the Doomsayer's 4000 EXP kill\nvalue, or just because you can, hit it with Dispel Magic, pump it full\nof Magic Missiles, and smack it around with magical weapon.\n\nAs far as Gallor is concerned, one of two things are going to happen\nhere. If you warned Charleston Nib about Gallor's scheme, but took the\nstatue anyways, he'll go nuts when the Doomseeker approaches and attack.\nIf you killed Nib, you can actually talk to Gallor and complete the\ntransaction, earning an experience reward... unfortunatley, Gallor goes\nnuts afterwards, and aids the Doomsayer in its attack.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For giving Gallor the Idol)\nEXP\t900\nReputation -2\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n15) Over at (x=940, y=1200) you'll find Ba'ruk, who like any good\nred-neck will yell at you to get off his land before he attacks. The\nHobgoblin isn't so much of a threat, but the four Kobold Commandos that\nspawn north-west of him can be. Hit them all with a Sleep spell, then\ngo to work slaying. The Kobold Commandos will drop their usual fare-\nArrows of Fire +2 and garbage. Ba'ruk will drop a suit of Leather Armor,\n20 Arrows, a Greenstone Ring, a Waterstar Gem, a Bastard Sword, a\nComposite Longbow and 39 gold.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n16) At (x=3650, y=2050) you'll find Laryssa, who will talk to you and\nask you to not kill her cousin Brage. (Remember, the murderous commander\nfrom Nashkel?) If you say you're going to kill him, she'll attack you.\nShe possesses a suit of Studded Leather Armor, a Small Shield +1, and a\nFlail.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n17) Brage is just north of Laryssa, at (x=3700, y=1930) and he'll ask\nyou a riddle, the answer to which is Death. If you get it wrong, he'll\nattack you, if you answer correctly he'll snap out of his madness. If\nyou kill Brage you'll be able to loot him for a suit of Chain Mail\nArmor, a Potion of Stone Giant Strength, a Two Handed Sword, Cursed\nBerserking +3, Brage's Body, and 83 gold. Turning in Brage's body will\nallow you to claim Oublek's reward for the bounty. If you take him back\nto the Temple of Helm in Nashkel, you'll get a reward from the temple,\nas well as Oublek's reward, which is by far the best path to take. Plus,\nyou'll still get his sword and potion by sparing him. You'll\nautomatically take Brage back to Nashkel when you do this, so make sure\neverything in this area is done. Now you have only one more western area\nleft to do, which is north-west of Nashkel. Head there when you're ready.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For killing Brage)\nEXP\t500\nGold\t250\n\n  ---or---\n\n***REWARD***\n(For saving Brage)\nGold\t1000\n\nWilderness (AR4200)\no======================================================================o\n18) You'll run into a number of Half-Ogres near the northern edge of\nthis map. These are the ogres that beat up Bjornin. Kill them and talk\nto Bjornin at your leisure. Keep in mind that if you stole the Medium\nShield +1 from him earlier, you're not getting it as a reward.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For beating up Bjornin's bullies)\nEXP\t400\nItem\tMedium Shield +1\nReputation +1\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n19) At (x=3850, y=1330) you'll find Teyngan and his merry band of\nbandits... well, merry duo. You know the deal. They'll ask for your\nmoney, you decline and kill them, that old bird. By this point in the\ngame we can simply walk up to them and pummel them, but using any of\nour party-busting attacks (Animate Dead and Stinking Cloud, anybody?)\nworks just as well.\n\nTeyngan: Splint Mail, Helmet, Potion of Healing, Bandit Scalp, Mace and\n93 gold.\n\nZekar: Leather Armor, Helmet, 20 Arrows, 5 Arrows +2, Bandit Scalp,\nComposite Long Bow, Bastard Sword and 14 gold. \n\nJemby: Mage Robe of Fire Resistance, Scroll of Resist Fear, Scroll of\nLarloch's Minor Drain, Scroll of Chromatic Orb, Bandit Scalp, \nQuarterstaff and 23 gold.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n20) After massacring Teyngan and his pals, head south-east to find a\nHobgoblin (x=4140, y=2160), who rudely demands 'some money and some\nhealing'. If you hand over 25 gold, he'll pretty much call you a chump\nand leave it at that. Pick option #1 or #3 and he'll reveal that he's a\nmember of Chill, a Hobgoblin mercenary band that's operating in the\narea. The idea being, of course, that we're supposed to be scared and\ndo as he wishes, or his buddies are going to hurt us. From here, pick\noption #1 and he'll pocket your money and hurt your feelings. Pick\noption #2 and he'll threaten you vaguely with violence at an unspecified\ntime in the future. Finally, pick option #3, then #1 and he'll reveal\nmore about the Chill, and the fact that he's a rather sucky bandit.\nSince this path nets you experience, it's the way to go. If you're\nincredibly quick you can also shoot him down when he tries to walk off.\nHe'll drop typical Hobgoblin junk, along with 134 gold (thanks to Jeff\nfor the tip here.)\n\n***REWARD***\n(For bullying the Chill Hobgoblin)\nEXP\t200\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n21) In the middle of the map you'll find the one, the only, the most\nfamous and well-loved Dark Elf, Drizzt Do'Urden (x=2620, y=2150)! He's\nbeing harassed by Gnolls and will ask for your help. What's he doing\nthis far south? Has he ever even been this far south? Maybe during the\n'Halfling's Gem', but he would have been on a boat at the time...\nanyways, if you're goodly folks, agree to help him out and kill the\nGnolls... although Drizzt admittedly does most of the work. If you're\nevil, you may just want to kill him for his goodies, but be prepared,\nDrizzt is no push-over, and he will decimate your party if he gets close\nenough. The best way to handle him? Be level 5-6 at the minimum, be able\nto cast Haste, and summon as many minions (Monster Summoning I and II,\nAnimate Dead) as possible and use them to occupy Drizzt, as well as deal\nincidental damage. The rest of the party should fire on him with the\nbest missile weapons they can get their hands on.\n\nFor those of you who are less confrontational-I've also been told (by a\nvariety of sources) that simply using a Thief to Pick Pocket some of\nDrizzt's items is a viable alternative. On my own testing, with the\nEnhanced Edition, however, I wasn't quite able to replicate their\nresults-my Thief with an admittedly pathethic Pick Pocket score of 40%\nwas unable to steal from him in over fifty tries... although with a\nscore of 60% I was successful once in a while. By the time you boost\nyour Pick Pocket score to 100%, you should be able to steal from him at\nwill... although note that you can only obtain his Scimitars this way,\nif you want his armor, you'll have to kill him-which will be much easier\nif you nab his Scimitars, first! No, seriously though, he'll still mess\nyou up even without his weapons. Anyways, long story short, bring a\ncompetent Thief or a few Potions of Master Thievery if you want to steal\nfrom him.\n\nAnother-admittedly cheap-way to deal with Drizzt is to surround him with\nparty members, one on each side, hence boxing him in and preventing him\nfrom moving. Once done, disband those party members (putting your\nprotagonist next to each one as you disband them, to ensure they don't\nwander away and destroy the integrity of your Drizzt-box). Drizzt is\nnow surrounded on each size by a neutral box of characters. Take one of\nyour remaining characters and attack Drizzt with a ranged weapon or a\nmelee weapon with reach (a Spear, Two-Handed Sword, Halberd, etc.) You\nprobably won't hit him without rolling a 20, but since he's incapable\nof fighting back, you don't need to... just be sure to have plenty of\nammunition. After a long, long while, Drizzt will be dead, you will\nhave lost nothing but time and some ammunition, and you can safely loot\nDrizzt and reform your party.\n\nNow, for the whole point of killing Drizzt-his over-powered gear. He\ndrops a suit of Mithral Chain Mail +4, which has an Armor Class of\n1-same as Full Plate Mail, except you can use your Thief skills while \nwearing it. You cannot, however, cast spells in it, it's still awesome\narmor, especially for a dual-class Fighter\/Thief Shar-Teel, Coran,\nMinsc, Kivan, etc. He also drops his two iconic Scimitars-Icingdeath +3\nand Twinkle +3. If you were playing Baldur's Gate 1, and only Baldur's\nGate 1, with no mind towards the sequel, these weapons would be worth\nbuilding a character around. This guide is not so short-sighted,\nhowever, so we will take them in context. Twinkle +3 is the best weapon\nin the game-with a +3 enhancement bonus and a +2 bonus to Armor Class,\nI just can't think of anything else that can compare. Unfortunately, it\ncan only be used by good characters, so the party most likely to kill\nDrizzt is also the party less likely to be able to benefit from it.\nIncingdeath +3 is more humble-it's +50% resistance to fire is nice, and\nso is it's +3 enhancement. For Baldur's Gate, and Baldur's Gate only,\ndual-wielding these Scimitars is probably the best set-up you can get\nfor a single character. Alas, there's continuity. First, my good party\njust doesn't want to kill Drizzt. As for my evil party, my protagonist\ncan't use Twinkle +3, and all things considered, Long Swords are\nsuperior for much of the sequel, so even with the promise of these two\nexcellent weapons in the first game, I do not bother spending any ranks\nin them. On the other hand, Jaheira could use Icingdeath +3, if you had\na mind to focus her in Scimitars instead of Daggers, and for my evil\nparty, that's exactly what I do. My evil protagonist might just want to\nwear the Mythral Chain Mail +4 for a while, considering its Armor Class\nis far superior to any other Thief armor we've found thus far. I won't\nbe able to cast spells, but considering my level, that's not much of a\nsacrifice. For most fights, I won't need spells, and with Edwin in my\nparty... it's a worthwhile thought until you hit 5th-level as a Mage,\nwhen spells become too tempting to ignore, and better armor options\nopen up. Of course, if you're lucky in Larswood, you might find yourself\nwearing a fancy new Robe of the Evil Archmagi very soon... All in all,\nunless you're a good-aligned Fighter\/Thief who dual-wields Scimitars,\nthere's very little reason to kill Drizzt. \n\nYou should be warned that killing Drizzt here WILL come back to you in\nthe sequel. Actually, it's not killing Drizzt that matters, it's\nimporting into the with any Drizzt's gear in your inventory that will\ncome back to haunt you-at the least losing you some combat support in a\nlarge fight, or at worst provoking a very difficult battle. So don't get\nsmug if you steal any of Drizzt's gear-the game doesn't care how,\nexactly, you ended up with Drizzt's stuff.\n\nNow that we're done here, let's work on the eastern side of the map.\nWe'll have to ignore some areas, like Ulcaster, Firewine, Gullykin, and\nDurlag's. I simply don't have a Thief to tackle the traps in those areas\nyet. Go to the area east of the Nashkel mines that we haven't explored.\n\nNote from Peter:\nThere are a lot of different ideas of how to kill Drizzt but the easiest\nway doesn't seem to be considered yet. At least, I never read about it\nanywere on the world wide web. So I share my wisdom at this point. ;)\nI've mentioned earlier how important the wand of paralyzation is but in\nthe fight with Drizzt it's devastating. You need luck because of \nDrizzt's high magic resistance and even if it fails him, he still has a\nsaving throw against wands. But I managed to paralyze him after a few\nreloads. It's easier, when you sorround him first, so that he can't run\naway. If he gets paralyzed, he's as good as dead at this point in the\ngame. I just tried it out because I didn't know how much experience he's\nworth. He's worth 12000 experience. You wrote about his equipment above,\nso there's no need to mention it here. Once I was able to steal Icing-\ndeath +3 from him but in my last walkthrough I couldn't even with a \npick-pocket score of 93. I lost 10 reputation points with my good party\nbecause I killed him, so he's not really worth it for a good party in my \nopinion.\n\nNote from Justin:\nBeing such a stealth-focused character, I incidentally stumbled onto an\nextremely easy way to kill Drizzt without actually killing him myself\nand got to collect his sweet gear with no hit to my reputation. When you\nrun into Drizzt tell him that you're not interested in helping him and\nwhen he calls you out tell him you think the gnolls have the right idea.\nDrizzt will turn hostile to you and will completely ignore the gnolls\ntrying to kill him in favor of going after you. After that, all you have\nto do is hide in plain sight or - for the layman's party - cast\ninvisibility\/use a potion\/run around the corner and hide and watch as\nthe gnolls do you dirty work for you. They only hit on a twenty, but\nthere's something like a dozen of them, so they'll get the job done\naround the time you've gone to make yourself a sandwich. And since it\nwas the gnolls who did the deed, no reputation loss.  What's more, when\nyou tell Drizzt to screw off, the gnolls don't care about you at all. \nThey'll hang around his corpse politely waiting for you to loot his body\nand leave. Clearly, a mutual dislike of poncy drow rangers is a big step\nforward in gnoll relations with the other races of the Sword Coast.\n(And, of course, you only want to send a single party member ahead to\ninitiate the dialogue and watch the fight. Why take our chances Drizzt\nmight lock-on to somebody else?)\n\nNote from hlamas:\nIn step {WLK014}, after encountering Drizzt, I tried to use your\nstrategy of Drizzt-boxing him and using archery to take him\ndown. However, I accidentally left the \"Two Handed Sword, Cursed\nBerserking +3\" equipped on Minsc, who was standing next to Drizzt.\nWhen the party was reformed, Drizzt was being blocked by 4 people and\nwas unable to reach my archer. However, blue-circled Minsc noticed that\na battle was joined, and decided to participate. Despite my efforts to\ntake the drow down with ranged weapons it was NPC Minsc who took the\nkill. As a result I did not have the experience bonus and reputation\nloss for Drizzt, but I got to loot his gear after reestablishing the\nparty. For good parties this may be useful, since Drizzt's gear vastly\noutshines the exp you get for his death, and there is no reputation\nhit. In other words: your hands are clean. Version 1.2.0 BG:EE.\nI wonder if this works for other encounters where an NPC is worth\nkilling for loot but gives troublesome reputation penalties \/\nconsequences ?\n\nWilderness (AR5500)\no======================================================================o\n22) At (x=850, y=850) you'll find a dwarf named Hafiz who will approach\nthe party when he sees you. You can blow him off, or pick a fight. If\nyou kill Hafiz you'll get a Scroll of Protection from Magic, a Scroll of\nColor Spray, a Short Sword, and 67 gold. If you pick dialogue options\n#1, #1, and #3, he'll decide to help you by giving you his Scroll of\nProtection from Magic. Do whatever you wish.\n\nNote from Peter:\nI prefer to kill him, he's worth 650 experience and thus I get all his\nitems. Or I play the nice guy and kill him when he's leaving, which is\neven easier.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n23) Along the western edge of the map is a Flaming Fist Mercenary who\npaces around in the general area of (x=500, y=2800). He's looking for a\ndeserter named Samuel. He'll approach you if he sees you, asking you to\nidentify yourselves. 'We're a rampaging horde of Tarrasques. Krie!\nKrie!\" Hah, epic. Why would a Tarrasque go krie? Who knows. It's still\nepic. Say you're adventurers and he'll tell you about Samuel. Pick a\nfight with him and he'll attack. Of course, you'll take a large\nreputation hit if you kill him, so it's really not worth it.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n24) I've always thought this area was suspicious... I mean, it's\nterribly boring compared to most other areas, isn't it? Sure, you'll\nfind a group of gory Gibberlings and the remains of their victims in\nthe north-eastern corner of the map, but there's nothing interesting\nthere. Stock bad guys, only a handful of NPCs, nary a cavern to\nexplore... I was right to be suspicious. You see, for three versions of\nthis FAQ and about a dozen playthroughs of this game, there had been\na sneaky item hidden here which I had never found... In the cliff face\nat (x=1957, y=2375) you'll find a lootable niche which contains an Iol\nGem, Batalista's Passport (aka: Ring of Fire Resistance), and a Star\nSapphire. The Ring is a nice defensive item that increases your Fire\nResistance by 40%-worth putting on a front-liner who may get targeted by\nthe odd Fireball or Arrow of Fire +2 (Ajantis\/Dorn). The Star Sapphire\nis.. well, it's just worth a good chunk of gold. Sneaky game!\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=1957, y=2375) Iol Gem, Batalista's Passport, Star Sapphire\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n25) You'll find Lena at (x=3140, y=2270), who will ask you to take her\nfriend Samuel to the Friendly Arm Inn. You can extort a Jade Ring from\nher by asking for payment, you can even renege after taking her ring.\nStill, if you offer to help Samuel he'll be added to your inventory.\nYou can now take him back to the Friendly Arm Inn, or turn him into the\nFlaming Fist Mercenary you met earlier. The reward for taking him to\nthe Friendly Arm Inn is better though. You'll need to leave immediately\nand go straight to the Friendly Arm Inn, as Samuel won't survive long in\nyour care. Take him to the Temple of Wisdom next to the Inn at\n(x=3900, y=2400) and talk to Gellana Mirrorshade, who wanders about\ninside. If he died along the way, you won\u2019t get any reward. While you're\nhere, buy a Scroll of Stone to Flesh. Before we head over to the east,\nlet's collect an item from the wilderness area north of the bridge\nleading to Baldur's Gate.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For turning Samuel into the Flaming Fist)\nGold\t50\n\n  ---or---\n\n***REWARD***\n(For taking Samuel to Gellana Mirrorshade)\nEXP\t500\nItem\tElixer of Health\nItem\tPotion of Heroism\nReputation +1\n\nWilderness (AR0400)\no======================================================================o\n26) This area is pretty easy, as it's populated with Zombies. We could\nhave done it earlier, but I have continuity to think about here. You'll\nfind a farmer named Wenric at (x=620, y=550), who will ask you to\nexterminate the twenty zombies lurking about the map, in return for\nwhich he'll pay you 150 gold. Fair enough. Return to him after you're\ndone exploring the area and slaying petty undead.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For exterminating Zombies)\nEXP\t800\nGold\t150\n\nFarm House (AR0401)\no======================================================================o\n27) Enter the house behind Wenric at (x=600, y=350). There's some\nlooting to be done in here, even if the locks are somewhat stubborn (one\nof the reasons I don't come here early is because these chests typically\nrequire me to have the Knock spell, since these locks have a difficulty\nof 50 to 70.) Put the Cloak of Protection +1 on any character still\nlacking magical protection, or where it's convenient to use a cloak\ninstead of a ring... Like Jaheira, who will derive her magical\nprotection from cloaks.\n\n***ITEMS***\n(x=130, y=200) Long Sword, 24 gold\n(x=240, y=140) Pearl Necklace, 11 gold\n(x=400, y=120) Cloak of Protection +1\n\nHead back to Beregost, stock up, rest, and get ready to head east. First\nthings first, let's continue with the main story just a bit and open up\nsome new map areas. After you're done preparing, head to Feldpost's Inn.\n\no======================================================================o\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\n|\t\t    Tranzig and the North-Eastern Areas\t\t       |\n|\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t       |\no======================================================================o\nSequence of Events:\t\t\t\t\t\t{WLK015}\n\t\t1) Tranzig\n\t\t2) Deke\n\t\t3) A Note on Basilisks\n\t\t4) Korax the Ghoul\n\t\t5) Shar-Teel\n\t\t6) Transmuted Tamah\n\t\t7) Mutamin's Challenge (The Baldur's Gate Version!)\n\t\t8) Waterhavian, Born and Bred\n\t\t9) Fahrington's Folly\n\t\t10) Red Wizard Ruins\n\t\t11) Spider Nest\n\t\t12) A Note on Black Talon Elites\n\t\t13) Viconia\n\t\t14) Robbing Raiken\n\t\t15) Defiled Druid Grove\n\t\t16) Baeloth and the Gibberling Tower\n\t\t17) Teven and the Bandit Camp\n\nFeldpost's Inn (AR3351)\/(AR3352)\no======================================================================o\n1) Head upstairs to find Tranzig at (x=200, y=570), who is apparently\neager to get out of town. One would have to assume that this is the same\nTranzig that petrified Branwen, but how this weakling who can barely\ncast 2nd level Mage spells managed such a feat is beyond me. Surround\nhim and pick a fight, he shouldn't be too much trouble at this stage in\nthe game. Loot him for a Ring of the Princes +1, a Wand of Magic\nMissile, a Letter, a Scroll of Glitterdust, a Quarterstaff, and 91 gold.\nThe ring goes to whomever can actually wear it, if you still have\nanybody (and since Ankheg Plate Mail no longer counts as magical, there\nis a good chance you do). The Letter tells you to look in Peldvale or\nLarswood to find the bandit camp. First things first, however. There's\na very minor encounter we can resolve in the area just north of\nBeregost [AR2800].\n\n***ENHANCED EDITION***\nLike with the Scroll of Find Familiar we found on Nimbul, the Scroll of\nGlitterdust is an Enhanced Edition addition.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n2) Now that we're in Chapter 3, we can find the bandit Deke\n(x=4360, y=2460) and his buddies near the north-south running caravan\nin the south-eastern quadrant of the area. When you come into into\nDeke's sight, him and his buddies will attack. Kill Deke's friends,\nbut spare Deke. When he's the last man standing, he'll decide to parlay.\nPick option #1 and if you get a high enough reaction from him, he'll\ntell you the location of the Bandit Camp. Option #2 will attempt to\nintimidate him with your Strength score-a ten or higher is enough to\nget Deke to squeal. Option #3 is just too flowery, and will just cycle\nthe conversation. If you don't have enough Strength or reaction,\nyou'll spark Deke's defiant streak. This is just one of a few ways to\nfind the Bandit Camp, but we won't let such an easy route deprive us of\nan excuse to continue exploring the north-eastern areas, will we? Next\nstop, head to the area east of the temple (AR3500).\n\n***REWARD***\n(For convincing Deke to reveal the location of the Bandit Camp)\nEXP\t300\n\nWilderness (AR3500)\no======================================================================o\n3) This area can be rough, as it contains Basilisks. On their own,\nthey're not too bad-except for the fact that they can turn you to stone\nwith their gaze. This is not a good thing, and should be avoided at all\ncosts. That's where the 1st-level Mage spell 'Protection from\nPetrification' comes in-as it renders you immune to this threat, and\nthus turns deadly Basilisks into mere experience cows. I used to do this\narea early (at level 3) to milk it for experience, but it really can\nwait. Just make sure you scout the area out with a stealthed character\nand cast Protection from Petrification on a Fighter to tackle the\nBasilisks, or you're in for a rough time. There are a number of them\namongst the debris south of the center of the map, and more in the\nforest to the north, but we'll cover that separately. I tend to cast\nProtection from Petrification on my best archer and go on a Basilisk\nhunting spree. Why archers? Well, despite being almost completely\nneutered by Protection from Petrification, Basilisks can poison you.\nGranted, it's a very weak poison, but it can still add up. You can also\nuse Animate Dead to kill Basilisks-or at least distract them, as undead\nare immune to petrification, and poison, for that matter. All in all\nthere are eight Lesser Basilisks and two Greater Basilisks lurking\naround the map as 'static' encounters-that's a grand total of 19200 EXP\nif you kill them all. For a single character, that's more than 10% of\nthe entire experience cap-and a single Fighter\/Mage or\nFighter\/Mage\/Thief can easily kill these critters. For a party of six,\nit's still 3200 EXP per character. Not a bad bit of experience by\nBaldur's Gate 1 standards.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n4) At (x=440, y=1460) you'll find a Ghoul named Korax. He was featured\nprominently in the book-yes, I read it-but he's a VERY minor character.\nThe only good thing about that book is Xan's demise... fittingly, he gets\nkilled by spiders, just like his relative in Icewind Dale. Anywho, talk\nto Korax and he'll travel with you for a while. Since he's Dire Charmed,\nhe'll go hostile when it wears off... but in the meantime, you'll get\na pet Ghoul to control. Pretty cool. Send him to the north-east to\nattack some Basilisks, since he's immune to their gaze. He actually does\npretty well, I got him to kill two Lesser Basilisks before he died once.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n5) You'll find a warrior-woman by the name of Shar-Teel at\n(x=270, y=300). She'll challenge your best warrior to a duel... your\nbest MALE warrior. If she wins she gets 20 gold, if you win, you get her\nto join you. Sounds like she doesn't value herself very highly... and\nshe has a chip on her shoulder. If you want her in your party, duel her.\nShe's actually a pretty good Fighter, if you can be bothered to go this\nfar out of the way to get her.\n\nFor my evil party, I did exactly that... I traveled down to Beregost,\nrecruited Kagain, and sated his desire to look for the caravans (or\nrather, his laziness to avoid doing a thorough search) before heading\nto the Temple and skirting the northern edge of the map to avoid any\nconfrontations. Exit to the east and travel to this area and head north\nto meet Shar-Teel. At this point the best Fighter in my party was\nobviously Kagain, but a duel between two level-two Fighters is more a\ntoss-up than anything else. I spared myself some trouble by giving\nKagain Khalid's Splint Mail, and saved the game before talking to\nShar-Teel. Kagain has more Hit Points than Shar-Teel, but Shar-Teel has\nmuch better Strength and Dexterity. The plus side is, if Kagain gets one\ngood hit on her, she'll concede victory to us. I just reload until\nKagain wins and Shar-Teel is mine for the rest of the game. If you still\nhave him around, you can sic Korax the Ghoul on Shar-Teel. Since he\ncounts as a neutral creature (albeit one you control) she won't respond\nto his interference. It helps to make this fight less of a toss-up.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n6) A warrior named Tamah has been turned to stone (x=1430, y=820). Use\nthat Scroll of Stone to Flesh you bought at the Friendly Arm Inn to turn\nher back to normal. If you are evil, you can force her to give you her\nhouse, which is just south of Beregost next to a lake. Of course, the\nhouse is half submerged in water and useless (which gives us an\nindication of how long she's been here) but if you want SOMETHING...\neven if it's nothing... well, there you go. If you don't try and get\nanything out of her, you'll get an experience reward for being such a\nnice guy.\n\n***REWARD***\n(For freeing Tamah, then forcing her to give you a reward)\nReputation -1\n\n  ---or---\n\n***REWARD***\n(For freeing Tamah, no strings attached)\nEXP\t300\nReputation +1\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n7) At (x=2150, y=860) you'll find a gnome named Mutamin. If the name\nsounds vaguely familiar, you'll recall that in Neverwinter Nights there\nwas an Innkeeper named Mutamin. Mutamin's Challenge? Anyhow, the fact\nthat this little critter is surrounded in Basilisks and their victims\nshould suggest that something is wrong with him. When he sees you he'll\ntry and talk to you. You can no longer lure him away, since he'll no\nlonger try to follow you-but that's not a big deal. I again turn to\nAnimate Dead-a single Skeleton Warrior is enough to confound Mutamin and\nhis  pets-just direct the Skeleton Warrior (repeatedly, since it has the\nattention span of... oooh... shiney...) at Mutamin and he'll burn\nthrough his spells trying to take it down, possibly with some effect,\nbut he'll be much less dangerous if he's out of spells, even if he is\nable to bring your Skeleton Warrior down with Melf's Acid Arrows. With a\nsingle Skeleton Warrior and a character under the effects of Protection\nfrom Petrification, you should have no trouble taking out Mutamin. He'll\nleave behind an Adventurer's Robe, two Potions of Healing, a Scroll of\nHorror, a Scroll of Stinking Cloud, a Quarterstaff, and 120 gold. That\nStinking Cloud scroll has been a long time in coming, but now that we\nhave it, Imoen gladly scribes it. I sell the Adventurer's Robe, as I\nprefer the Armor Class bonus versus slashing weapons and the +1 save\nversus death on the Knave's Robe over the Armor Class bonus against\nbludgeoning and the +1 save versus petrification\/polymorph on the\nAdventurer's Robe.\n<---------------------------------------------------------------------->\n8) North of the middle debris and south of the forests you'll come\nacross another group of adventurers, led by one Kirian (x=3050, y=1940).\nThey'll try to pick a fight by taunting you, and by all means, fight\nthem. They're rough, but we've got mad tactics. The Animate Dead-fodder\nand Silence 15' Radius does a good job of neutralizing them a bit, but\nwhy not play with that Stinking Cloud spell we just got from Mutamin?\nThe same tactic applies-cast Animate Dead, then shoot a few Stinking\nClouds just outside of their sight radius. March on in with your\nSkeleton Warrior(s) and attack folks. In the mean time, your Cleric can\nhave all the fun they want casting Silence 15' Radius to ensure the\nspell-casters-if they save against the Stinking Cloud-won't be able to\ncause much trouble. It's the fodder-silence tactic boosted with Stinking\nCloud! Or rather, the fodder-silence-stink tactic, which I mentioned\nearlier, but now we have the resources to put it into effect. Of course,\neven since my protagonists aren't archers anymore, that doesn't mean\nthat any other character with ranged weapons can't take pot-shots at\nfoes in the Stinking Cloud.\n\nBaerin: Splint Mail, 40 Arrows +1, Long Bow, Spear and 49 gold.\n\nLindin: Plate Mail, Medium Shield, Potion of Absorption, Potion of\nInvisibility, Long Sword +1 and 75 gold.\n\nPeter: Chain Mail, Helmet, Medium Shield, a Potion of Explosions,\nOil of Fiery Burning, a Morning Star +1 and 97 gold.\n\nKirian: Golden Girdle or Urnst, Bracers of Defense A.C. 7, Scroll of\nCharm Person, a Scroll of Infravision, a Scroll of Protection from Evil,\nLong Sword +1 and 163 gold.\n\nNow THAT is a haul! They can be beaten earlier... in fact, this entire\narea can be cleared at level 3, but there are easier magical weapons to\nobtain, so I put the Waterhavians on the back burner until now. The\nGolden Girdle of Urnst gives a +3 bonus to Armor Class against slashing\nweapons, and I put it on Viconia pretty much by default, since my other\ntwo front line Fighters are wearing other girdles. I put the Bracers of\nDefense A.C. 7 on my protagonist, replacing their old Bracers of Defense\nA.C. 8. My good protagonist also replaces one of his Flails +1 with the\nMorning Star +1, since it has slightly better damage output (3-9 instead\nof 3-8) with no downsides. This area is done, so let's head to the area\nnorth of this one.\n\n[VIDEO] Haeravon Plays: Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition - Stinking\n\tCloud Ambush (Good Party) {VID001}\n\n