Improved Critical & Keen Scimitars?

Remove all ads!

Hi, I recently downloaded this game and haven't been able to find the answer to these questions with a simple google search so I'm posting them here:

1. Does the improved critical feat stack with keen weapons? I found information on this regarding the 3E rules but not IWD2 specifically and was hoping someone could give me a definitive answer.

2. Do keen scimitars exist in IWD2? I can't locate them in any of the GameFAQ lists/guides so I am guessing not.

3. This last question is unrelated but does anyone know if vendors ever restock their wares, and are there any items I should purchase in Targos before leaving that I can't get easily enough elsewhere in the game?

 

#1. Not sure.
#2. I just looked with DaleKeeper2. There are keen arrows, lots of keen axes, a dagger, some "keen flaming burst darts", a halberd or two, and a couple of bastard swords. Just search for "keen" in the description, but beware, most halberds have this description

even though it is not a keen weapon.

* * *
#3. Targos has several semi-decent low-level items you won't find elsewhere. Which ones to get depends on your party makeup.
The two most important things are the container items and the spell scrolls that generally are not available elsewhere. Get all the low-level spells you are going to wand during the entire game here and now. If you are planning to mix in some wizard levels later, buy the scrolls you'll need NOW along with all the available scroll cases, potion cases, and ammo belts (if the mod has added them).
Buy them there, and in the Shangarn area.
The weapon shop has a container, but the +1 weapons are not worth buying (exception: Heart of Charname is awesome in HoF mode, but not in normal mode). Pickpocket the Lucky Knucky from the weapon shop employee. That is a good item.

The priests in the tent and the Lord's elven enchantress wife whose name starts with E that I can't spell have some decent magic items, decide which are most important.
IIRC, Ozwald's inventory gets restocked after the crash, but you're better off pickpocking his inventory with a potion of master thievery since you're unlikely to sell back potions, so having stolen potions isn't a big deal, and they don't take up weight if you put them in a potion bag.
Check the inventory of the guy in the Salty Dog tavern who challenges you to a drinking contest and buy the container he sells. I can't recall off-hand who sells a gem bag, who sells a potion belt, who sells a scroll case (other than the aforementioned elven enchantress at Ulbrec's house) and who sells ammo belts (might be mod only item, but really, really, really useful as you'll get lots of magical ammo in chapter 3 & 4 and want to save it for special battles). Always buy those items as they make inventory management so much easier.

Again, a few other items can be found sold by the Enchantress and the two priests in the tent that are useful depending on your party makeup. You won't find another source for those items for a long time, but you will gradually pick up some replacements along the way, but it is semi-random and you can't count on it.

Remember, they are relatively low level items, but useful. You WILL find stuff to buy shortly after the airship crashes, so keep some money in reserve, particularly if you manage to get the werewolf priest to open up his shop for you.

 

I'm pretty sure Improved Critical and keen enchantments stacked in 3.0 (which was later "fixed" in 3.5), so my guess is yes, they should stack.

 

@SlickRCBD
It sucks that there seems to be no keen scimitars in the game, but oh well. I just got to the horde fortress and so far I don't think I've found any scrolls as far as random monster drops go so I guess I will just go ahead and buy them up before leaving.

@Keneth
Oops, 3.5 was what I meant to put though I wasn't sure if that was what IWD2 went by or not. Anyways, I don't see what the problem would be with making a high crit melee character when spellcasters have mass domination, instant kill spells, hordes of powerful summons, etc.

Thanks for the replies

 

IWD is 3.0, so yeah.

High crit range builds are pretty terrifying. Tripling the crit range of scimitar (or better weapons in PnP) can fairly quickly make things rather ridiculous (every other attack should not be a critical hit). But either way, high-level D&D is just rocket tag. The one who gets in the first blow usually wins.

Of course, 3E spellcasters are still leagues away from any mundanes. It doesn't matter if you can do hundreds of points of damage in a single blow if the other guy can fly and disable your character on a whim. Giving mundanes more raw power isn't the solution to the balance problem though, it just throws things further out of whack, which is why it was nerfed in 3.5.

 

Scrolls are not found as random loot in almost any AD&D game I've played except Neverwinter Nights I. I've seen them as loot in fixed places including loot you get after a battle in the Gold Box games or Dark Sun, and the Baldur's Gate & Icewind Dale games will occasionally give out scrolls in various places, but rarely as random loot.

The Icewind Dale games, both of them, tend to be stingy with scrolls, and most spells are only found in stores. Often the store where you see a scroll will be the only place you can buy it from, and sometimes you don't get to go back to that store after the current chapter has ended.
Get the scrolls while the getting is good.
Ignore any spells you are sure you'll never use, but make sure that you pick up extra low-level spells if you plan to mix in wizard levels later in the game as you won't be able to get those spells from Targos or the druids at the Shangarn river once you leave on the airship.