Is Algernon's Cloak unbalancing?

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It seems to me that ALgernon's Cloak is one of, if not the most powerful items in the game. In addition to raising the owner's charisma 2 points, it allows him/her to cast unlimited 4th level Charm Monster spells.

Granted, the spell doesn't exist as such in the game, but it has the same effect as the spell described in the P&P game, as well as the Gold Box AD&D games.

Does anybody think this powerful item unbalances the game for such low-level characters? I would say the item belongs more in Shadows of Amm than BG1. Also, I'd like to ask what other items people think are the most powerful, besides Drizzt's equipment.

 

Not me.

The cloak of Balduran is pretty powerful, imo.

 

The charm ability is rather unbalancing, but thankfully you're not forced to use it all the time. Just take it along as something that boosts your CHA, and only use it if you're in dire trouble.

I think BG1 did a rather good job of not making anything too overpowering, something severely lacking in BG2's power environment. The only thing I can think of besides Drizzt's equipment and Algrenon's Cloak would be Bala's Axe, from Durlag's Tower in the expansion. A 25% Miscast Magic chance per hit is pretty damn powerful.

 

Well there are of course the all cheesy arrows of detonation. Web or Entangle and fry away!

Works best in solo game though.

 

I think Algernon's is cheesy but not unbalancing. The limitless Charms is well... weird (I've never heard of anything else allowing limitless castings of anything in the DnD world).

I would agree that Bala's Axe is unbalancing in some specific fights, however, most of the time I take down mages first anyway, so I don't think I've ever even noticed its effects. (slightly off-topic but is Bala's Axe unenchanted and thus could go through PfMW? If so, it would be extremely valuable in BG2).

 

No, it's +1, I believe.

 

Ah, too bad.

When BGII was first being announced and it was told we could export our character to BGII, I setup my ultimate 6-man party with BGI equipment... until I found out I couldn't export.

 

...What?
Don't you mean NWN? I can remember being told that you could export your character to NWN from BG2.

 

/me points at the forum
I believe he is talking about not being able to keep his items when exporting from BG1 to BG2. Either that, or not being able to export the entire party of a single player game.

The plan to make BG2 characters exportable to NWN was cancelled because they couldn't think of any even semi-rational reason to take away not only your items but your levels. (Not to mention the ruleset differences. )

 

It's only unbalancing if you abuse it.

 

Sorry. I have been lurking/posting sporadically on Baldur's Gate message boards since 1997 (as I'm sure many here have...). When BG2 was first annouced, we were informed that we could import our characters (which is taken for granted now) and assign kits. So I began "designing" characters I wanted to play and figured out what equipment I thought that character should have and had them all ready for import... and then I found out that we were stripped of equipment.

One of the first characters I had was a Wizard Slayer design built around Bala's Axe (which seems redundant... however, the specifics of each character was not known so I didn't know the overlap). Sorry for the confusion.

 

Actually, it is possible to bring along your equipment. Cheesily. The moment the opening setpiece ends, pause the game and unload your equipment. Unpause. The equipment falls at your feet as the game resumes. All you have to do is pick it up.

In one sense it's cheating; but in another: the early announcement was that you could bring your equipment. I took the view that it was Black Isle who was cheating.

 

You can also start a multiplayer game in bg2, and after the intro is done, just remove you character and reimport him. and you get all your equipment. Or just import another copy and let him donate hes items and then remove him again.

 

The only time I've ever used the Charm on Algernon's Cloak was to un-dire-charm my people that were DCed by the Sirines after I already killed them *shrug* I could have just ran around for 10 rounds and had the same effect.

One of the keys to making something not unbalancing is to not use it in a way that wouldn't be fun to you (that sentence makes sense, I swear, but it takes a little parsing to figure out). I prefer to fight my battles with just my own 6 (or less), plus a certain friendly ghoul...

 

The only times I use the cloak are in town and when soloing (for the first couple of levels). In town I use it on homeowners, as a time-saver. I could just wait until they're out of sight and then rip them off, but charmed characters don't mind if you take their stuff, and that saves me a bit of time and aggravation (if my last quicksave is a few houses back). In solo it is sometimes just a matter of survival when you're low-level and facing half a dozen enemies.

 

Definitely if you use it in all cases when possible. Especially at the beginning of the game. You can make an army of Wolves and other creatures in a forest area, for example.

 

Is there any way to get Algernon's cloak that does not involve pick pocketing?

I never really used it, mostly because I tend to play good aligned parties and go out pick pocketing people seems a bit... villainous.

 

The only alternative is even more villianous: kill him. Of course, if you're feeling bad about it, then just don't steal it from him! It takes no effort not to steal it (whereas if you have a low Pick Pocket value it might take a few reloads), so just leave the bugger alone and go without cheese.

(I just had a shudder when reading "go without cheese". As a Wisconsinite I have to keep reminding myself it's not that kind of cheese. )

 

It's a really damn powerful item and probably too unbalancing for veteran players, but BIO probably put it in considering the many possible "accidents" that new players could have with peaceful NPCs (failed pickpockets, accidental area effect blasts, etc.). Keep in mind that BG was the first Infinity Engine game and BIO probably wanted to play at least a few things safe.

 

I think the cloak is unbalancing. My favorite thing to do with it is to

*last fight spoiler*

charm Tazok and use him to kill Sarevok.