Highhedge

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My very first time playing BG1 I avoided high hedge after I walked in and got spontaneously attacked and butchered. It wasn't until much later when I learned about the shop that I went back in and wasn't attacked.

This had puzzled me for a while, and last night I discovered what the difference was.

The theif outside who's planning to break in, depending on what you say to him, you'll get a different reaction inside highhedge.

So my first question would be: why?
Second: is it actually possible to win and how does one do it?
third: is it more worthwhile to keep it as a magic shop, or to raid it for magical stuff?

 

1. You don't get a different reaction. The ogres wont attack you as long as you talk to the wizard before you meet them. It's all in time and luck, m'friend.

2. Yes, but IIRC, you hafta be at least level 5 or the likes to take him and his chroonies out.

3. I usually buy some things that I want and then I smack his ass up on the wall real good.

 

BTW, the creatures aren't ogres, they're Flesh Golems...

 

I knew that!!

 

The hardest thing about the flesh golems is that they are one of few creatures in BG1 that can only be hit by magical weapons. So early in the game, when you don't have many magical weapons, they're not the easiest things to beat. Once you get up to level 4-5 (and let's face it, with the prices of that stuff in there, you're going to need to be a pretty high level to afford it anyway) the golems aren't too bad. Now, I've never actually attacked the mage, although how tough could he really be? He can't be worse than level 11, as there are no 6th level spell codings in the game, and a well developed party of level 7 or 8 should certainly be able to take him down...

 

He's actually quite easy to kill. Just surround him with your party, Haste everyone then whack him. If you're lucky, he'll be dead before he's even got his first spell off.

 

Since he isn´t hostile from the beginning it´s pretty simple.
You´ll probably have him killed before he get´s off any spells if you coordinate your attacks.
He has 37 HP in GK, and is indeed Lv 11
His spell selection:
Larloch´s Minor Drain - Not dangerous.
Horror - Can be irritating.
Melf´s Acid Arrow - No threat.
Lightning Bolt - Can be lethal if cast on weak character.
Monster Summoning 1 - LoL
Confusion - Whatever.
Shadow Door - Ouch

So, the Flesh Golems are actually thougher than him.

 

Don't kill him!
He's the best shop keeper in the game!

 

A couple of items--if you can't beat the flesh golems, running in and talking to the Thalantyr (the shopkeeper) will make them go neutral so you don't have to fight them. As an added bonus, you can attack them later for XP farming--they'll go hostile, but Thalantyr will remain neutral and will sell to you whether they're alive or dead.

Don't kill him! As Aces already mentioned, he's got some great items plus he's the only mage that knows the Antichickenator spell--this will be useful, I promise.

 

I generally keep Thalantyr alive until I've got access to Sorcerous Sundries in Baldur's Gate. After that I whack him for the XP.

 

How many XP's is he worth?

 

I can't remember offhand. 2,000 I think. It's worth killing him just for how easy he is.

 

XP for kill: 3000

 

You're right. I just killed him to see. 3000 for Thalantyr (not such a mighty mage as a couple of hits from the PC and Ajantis killed him) and 2000 for each of his flesh golems. 7000 XP total. Not bad for a minute of mindless and totally unnecessary violence.