Want to make this playthrough a real one

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So could this be some kind of a help thread as I go along

I just started and am running errands throughout Candlekeep with my Paladin. Now what I wanted to ask, is it ok to just open up crates and stuff I find on streets and in houses/barracks/inns and take whats inside?

I installed a few fixpacks/mods and a XP cap remover among other things. Will it mess up my character when I try to take him over to BG2?

Any tips

In any case wish me luck


*edit*
Well here we go again... I can't seem to find this "Tethtoril" guy anywhere... I even checked some faqs and found his coordinates, but the place where he should stand is empty... I just hope I haven't done something stupid when installing the packs :/

[ November 28, 2006, 19:58: Message edited by: Melhisedek ]

 

Tethtoril is a red-robed guy walking around the CK library building. He doesn't stay in one place, so sometimes you have to chase him down.

Most people won't care about barrels/boxes/sacks sitting out in the streets of town. In buildings, it's another story. Make sure no one is around to see you take things - get them to go into another room or hide in the 'fog of war' where neither of you can see each other, knock them unconscious with your fists if they won't leave. Save before you take anything so you can reload if you get caught.

 

Well I finally caught up with Tethtoril So now that quest is solved as well

Right now I'm about to get to Friendly Arm Inn, I killed that mage assassin and got a few scrolls, what I wonder is should I go for it and "invest" them in Xzar or is there a non-evil mage somewhere ahead and I should save the scrolls?

Also can I dump stuff somewhere and expect to find it later like in NWN2 or do things disappear ?

 

Xzar is rubbish, as is Montaron. I'd get rid of them now to be honest mate, before they take too much XP. Dynaheir is probably the closest good aligned mage NPC. West of Nashkell in the gnoll place. She's OK, not brilliant (Edwin is the best NPC mage to be honest), but OK.

 

I see... Well I'm not explicitly after mage just thought I should make balanced party... But so far I haven't seen the use for magic yet. Bows and arrows own

So how does this exp thing work? People I recruit later on wont be my level or?

Oh and will exp remover mess things up when I import my guy to BG2?

 

Montaron is absolutely not rubbish. Xzar you can certainly skip. And Dynaheir has the worst specialty for BG1.

You don't need magic for the first half of the game. Later on you'll find it's very useful when fighting tough opponents and mages. Eventually you will want a mage. Edwin is great, but will leave if you do too many good deeds. As a paladin that might be a problem.

I would recommend taking Garrick along to get the hang of some of the spells. Bards have fewer spells than mages, but are much more useful when not casting magic. You could then switch him out for Quayle when you get to the big city.

[ November 29, 2006, 18:05: Message edited by: ister ]

 

Darn... I managed to dismiss Garrick and take Kivan instead... I also have that evil dwarf thingie with me. Like that he kinda restores himself somehow. I just know I must have Minsc with me

 

Dynaheir is actually a very good mage and a fine addition to a good party (if you're roleplaying instead of powergaming -- according to the pnp rules, Paladins will not willingly associate with evil and will only tolerate the presence of neutrals for short times if required to complete a mission). Imoen also makes a great mage. If you wait until you're fifth level Dynaheir has fireball in her spellbook.

I've never had much luck with any of the bards in BG1 -- I don't think you're missing much.

Kivan is great -- although I like to replace him with Coran and dual Imoen at the same time.

Minsc or Ajantis make for a good second fighter.

You should head over to the carnival to pick up Branwin (she's the statue that you need to help). She's an excellent cleric with a funny battlecry.

My Paladin Party:

Gladimir (paladin)
Minsc
Dynaheir
Kivan then Coran
Imoen (dualled to mage at 6th level)
Branwin then Yeslic

A lot of offensive power in that group -- everyone could use ranged weapons and two fireballs can ruin just about anything's day.

 

I would argue that neither are rubbish, although Xzar is only likely to come into his own if dualled to a cleric after reading a Tome of Wisdom.

 

Well being newb I am I don't think I'll be doing any dualing anytime soon. Right now I'm on my way to Nashkel but this obsession with clearing each map of fog is kinda getting in my way

 

She's a useful character except for the fact that she cannot cast most of the best spells in the game. Sleep is the most powerful first level spell. She cannot cast it. Grease is fast and a great way to slow enemies while you shoot arrows at them. She cannot cast it. Flame arrow is as good a damage dealer as any spell in the game. She cannot cast it. Monster summoning is key for tricky battles - she has to use a wand. Friends is a permanent 20% off sale at all shops - she cannot cast it. And confusion and emotion are the best high level spells and she cannot cast either.

Dynaheir would be a good mage, but her specialty is the worst one in the game. Xan is a more useful mage and his specialty is awful too.

 

I'd just like to but in and say to all yo people that perhaps you should let the poor guy make hes own desisions about party members ? He will have plenty of time to powergame on hes 14th and 15th time through the game.

Melhisedek: You can go through game with any NPC without any large difference or problems, just take whomever you like, you seems to have already desided on Minsc (and thus also Dynaheir). They are fun, enjoy.

My only recomendation would be to keep a spot free in the team, since you are likelly to want to try out all the new and humorous NPC's you can have join

 

Is it normal to die often? Not whole group but one-two characters? I'm getting pretty beat up by some elite-ogres IIRC. They use poison arrows, those bastards

Anyway I'm on my way to free Dynaheir before I go to Nashkel mines.

Are there any cons to resting often? I love to use entangle on harder melee enemies and than own them from a far

Oh and yeah... AC should be as low as possible (unlike NWN2)?

Any ideas on why I miss so much with my arrows/bullets?

Thanks guys!

 

Don't know if anyone answered your question about XP, but the XP's earned for your quests and kills and are shared by the party. Less members in the party, more XP's per encounter to the party members, quicker progression through the levels.

In terms of why you miss, if you're still second or third level, at that level even fighters have terrible to hit rolls. Non-fighters are worse still. That's why you need to trick out the archers in the game, Coran and Kivan. At around level 3 they hit regularly and do about 20hp's of damage before anyone gets close to you thanks to their class and dexterity bonus.

Go at your own pace and try different tactics. It's your game, play it how you want. Be prepared to be inefficient, it's part of the learning process.

My personal frustration is classes that can't use bow. You can't keep enough sling bullets in inventory when all you do is 4 hp's and hit every 3rd time. Very frustrating to dual Imoen and lose her bow only to get a sling, ugh. Can't wait for another 2k XP.

 

Well there wont be any dualing this time at least You reckon I should invest in +1 bows and longbows? Also does +1 proficiency in bows counts for all types of bows? (short, normal, long)

Now if you'll excuse me I have a lady to save

*edit*
Well I noticed some possible problems down the road... You see my guy has 42 HP @ lvl 3 while Minsc has 19 @ lvl 2... Is that normal or? I can see that most of my guys have low HPs compared to me. Will that pose a problem later on?

[ November 30, 2006, 15:14: Message edited by: Melhisedek ]

 

The bow proficiency works for all bows. A composite longbow is a good investment as it increases your chances to hit and the damage. The +1 short bow isn't really better than a composite long bow, and is much more expensive so stick with the composite long bow. If you find a magical long bow or composite long bow by all means get it. But don't buy the +1 short bow for a thief unless there isn't anything else you're savign up for. Investing in a weapon for someone who isn't a fighter/ranger/paladin shouldn't be your top priority.

It's not unusual to get killed fairly often. Don't worry about it. For elite hobgoblins your best approach is usually to run or cast spells (sleep works very well). Buy a few antidotes for character who might get poisoned.

The problems with resting often are that you may be interupted in wilderness areas, and that certain NPCs demand that you complete their quests withing some number of days. So rest often and use entangle to your hearts content - it's a good approach.

if you're off to take on the gnolls bring LOTS of arrows.

 

I think Xan is much more flawed than Dynaheir. But then I like the Invoker speciality -- it just fits with my play style. I don't use sleep, grease, or monster summoning. For low levels, the Invoker is quite good. Having fireball right off the bat is great. I don't want to put the bandits to sleep -- I want them to fry. Dynaheir can fry bandits.

 

Sleeping bandits might as well be dead bandits. Only difference is fireball is level 3 and sleep is level 1.

 

Your paladin has 18 con, so he gets 5-14 HP per level while minsc gets 2-11 because of his 15 con.
19 HP are quite good for a level2 ranger. You can beat the game with half the HP your party members have.

AC should in fact be as low as possible.

To increase the hit rate with bow distribute profiency points in them when levelling up.