A few things that have come up

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1. I raised a level but I wasn't able to do anything. I got a slot for level 4 spells but it did not let me choose any level 4 spells, I assume this is how its supposed to be. When will I be able to choose a new spell?

2. I have 3 points in 2 weapon style, 2 in Long Swords and 1 in Flail. Where should my next point go? I am thinking Flair for FoA?

3. What happens if a party mate dies in battle?


4. Whenever I use spells such as web or fireball it hurts my party more then the foe. At first I found it funny but not so much anymore. How are you supposed to cast spells like Web? Once you cast it the whole team is stuck or at LEAST the caster.


5. Just to double check a Fighter/Druid or any Druid does not need to worry about what armor they wear right?


Bonus Question: Best or Favorite squad mates?

 

Thanks for answering all my questions. I appreciate the help. Still, a little confused though I don't have any 4th level spells but I will be able to choose new spells as I level up right? Character Creation can't be the only time you learn spells right?


I don't think I could enjoy the game if thats it and I don't get to actually advance in anything but equipment.




Wait, so do you never gain new spells and only learn from scrolls? I thought those were like one use items. Thats how it works though isn't it? And if you fail to learn a spell you can just reload.

 

Learning how to actually aim spells like Fireball and Web is part of the fun. Web is very useful if you cast it in a room full of humanoids or near corridors/doorways. If you plan on casting it near your party you can protect yourself from Web and similar movement-affecting spells by using the cleric or druid spell Freedom of Movement. The spiders from the level 4 mage spell Spider Spawn are also immune to Web.

That's how mages do it, yes (learning spells from scrolls).

BG2 is more of a tactics game rather than a character builds game. For the most part the story, the choices you make, the dialogue, the characters and the battles/gameplay are what defines it. In BG2 developing your character comes more in the form of scouring the different areas of the game for cash (which you can use to buy better gear or spell scrolls), meeting different NPCs, finishing "classic" quests or figuring out amusing ones for rewards, breaking in to someone's home and stealing powerful items, etc.
Though you should always be looking forward to your next level up, just remember that it's not the main focus of BG2. I think this one of the reasons why so many actions in the game (a lot of them relatively simple, like disarming traps) give you XP - so you can attention to (and enjoy) other aspects of the game.

 

For casting spells in combat effectively you need the space key (or autopause options enabled).
Press space to pause the game, select your spell and aim it the target location (you can also give commands to other party members). When you press space again to unpause the game the commands are executed and the spell will be cast.

It's important to learn the area of effect so can aim your spells properly.
There are also spells which only harm enemies like slow and emotion (extremely useful) you can use without moving your party members out of the target area (the description is often unclear so you have to try) and casting buffs or summoning spells before combat works without aiming.

 

Concerning Magic-Users... Mages, Bards and Sorcerers can cast Arcane Magic. Sorcerers get to choose some new spells upon level-up, they are unique in this aspect. Bards and Mages need to find/buy scrolls and add them to their spellbooks. This is all in the manual....

As for casting spells that can injure/impede your party as well as the enemy.. scout first. Use Stealth mode with a Ranger or Thief and/or cast Invisibility and scout ahead. Once you figure out where an enemy is, back off until they are just out of sight and cast whatever area of effect spell you desire where they are located. This tactic is why I utilize 6 party meembers instead of 4. Several mages casting mass AoE spells does some serious damage. My parties usually consist of 3 Mage types and a Cleric. 1 Smite Evil and 3 Fireballs in the early game are pretty devasting to just about everything you encounter. Especially enemy mages that do no have protections up.

 

To be absolutely clear about this, clerics/druids get new spells on level up automatically, sorcerers get to choose a limited number of new spells on level up from a list, but mages have to either buy new spell scrolls from a merchant or find them/loot them as they adventure.

You learn the spell by r-click on the scroll from inventory which gives "learn spell" option and if successful the spell will appear in your spell book. There is % chance to learn the spell based on INT stat. You can cheat by turning down the game difficulty temporarily to learn spells so this chance is always 100%. Alternatively you can buy potions like mind focusing that boost your INT to increase chances of learning a spell. Expensive but not as expensive as failure to learn a spell that cost you 5000GP to buy. Note there are a limited number of some spells available at merchants.

Later in games like DAO Bioware used in-game graphics to indicate line-of-sight, max range and area of effect of spells but BG does not have that. Spells vary widely in both casting range and area of effect, but both of these are specified on the info panel for the spell. You have to learn them and also learn to judge distances in-game and work out effective tactics for their use.

Both web and fireball have a long casting range so you can cast them from sufficient distance to avoid getting caught by them yourself but this is a learned playing skill. There are many tactics you can use. E.G. if you have Yoshimo, he can hide in shadows to spot the enemy at the edge of their detection range while your mages line up behind him out of sight and plonk a couple of webs down on the enemy after which everyone can line up on the edge of the web area of effect and mow the enemy down with ranged attacks or you can add Stinking Cloud or later Cloudkill to the mix for extra fun. You can also add Jaheira's Entangle on top of web for extra stickiness on awkward monsters. Same idea works with fireballs (but I think fireballs burn up webs).

Don't forget to experiment with Minor Spell Sequencer when you get it. Sequencers are a hassle to use initially but they add real punch to your arsenal because they are in addition to not instead of your normal spell loadout (you add sequencer to spell book, rest, create sequencer, replace with normal spells and rest again). You can load a minor sequencer with two Webs for example and both will be fired almost instantaneously (note you have to aim a sequencer at a specific target, you can't aim it on the ground) so you can nip in, fire two webs off and run away quickly enough to pin down a large enemy group. Or try launching two fireballs, then immediately two webs via Minor Sequencer, then add a couple of Cloud Kills on top of that. Nice.

Sleep, Horror, Confusion and Chaos are particularly useful because they do not affect your party. The spell descriptions specify whether a spell affects friendly characters or not. Once you start meeting enemy spell casters you will need spells to break their magic defenses or they will be invulnerable and wipe out your party. Breach is the first one you get (level 5) and you must get this ASAP, but there are many more.

Most enemy casters will use Mislead and similar misdirection/invisibility combos so it is absolutely essential in this game to have True Sight available at all times, preferably from more than one party member in case one of them gets stunned/panicked etc, otherwise again you will get wiped.

With your vulnerable mages you can play it two ways:

1. Use misdirection (Mislead, Invisibility, Improved Invisibility, project Image etc) and employ hit and run tactics.

2. Use defensive screens (Stoneskin, Globes of Invulnerability, Mantles, Protection from Normal/Magic Weapons. all sorts of other Protection From.... spells with the idea of walking into the thick of it and dispensing justice up close and personal.

One advantage of the first tactic is you spend less time casting protection spells on yourself and therefore can take offensive initiative quicker - on the other hand if you get caught you're likely dead meat.

 

Wow, thanks for taking the time to write that in depth info Greg. This site has helped me so much. Never seen a better community. I have been trying to do alot of reading but with no manuel and no real prior D&D play time I can get a little overwhelmed. So, much deeper then DOA or ME.



So, I will be getting new spells then.... awesome I was worried about that. I though that scolls were one use items kinda like in Dungeon Siege or something. But, now I see thats how you learn new spells. Can only my MC learn then or any mage party mate? Unless there is something I am missing you should ALWAYS learn a spell because if it fails you can just reload right?


Few other things that came up late last night.


How can you help make sure your mages spells don't fail? It seems if they are being attacked it almost always fails.


How can you protect against magic like Color Spray or other magick that basically disables the entire party? Dispel Magic?

 

Thanks as always DMC. One thing you said really interested me. The spells level is determined by your level when you learn the spell? So, for example if I want to learn Fireball: if I wait to learn it until I am a higher level the spell will actually be a higher level? So, it makes sense to wait to learn all spells? Is this right?

 

Any mage can learn new spells from scrolls, although specialists (illusionists, invokers, conjurers, etc) cannot learn spells from their forbidden school.

For the most part, by having your other teammates defend him. BG2 comes from a time when mages actually needed years and years of study to cast even the simplest spells, and so mages have very little combat training. They also need every bit of concentration they have to cast spells, unlike nowadays where mages are still somehow able to concentrate even when they're being attacked by a 6-foot warrior wielding a battleaxe.
There are other ways to protect yourself though, like improving your AC and using defensive magic like the 2nd level spell Mirror Image and 4th level spell Stoneskin.

There are several ways. One way is to not get hit (spread out), another is to assassinate the enemy caster before he casts the spell or disable him yourself. You can also summon fodder so your enemies waste some of their spells on those. Finally, you can use defensive magic, items or abilities. Dispel Magic can work, but only for removing spell effects - it doesn't actually protect your party, or your mage. The most dependable anti-enchantments protection spell is Chaotic Commands, which is a 5th level cleric/druid spell.

Nope, it was a run on sentence. He meant that if you cast a spell which you memorized in your spellbook, then the power of the spell is based on your mage level. Casting a spell straight from a scroll is different though, and spell power is preset (usually, it's weaker).