First run through.

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Greetings to all of the people who may read these ramblings/postings/acts of muppetry (delete as appropriate)
As the Subject says, this is my first run through Baldurs Gate 2 (Full, inc TOB). I have previously played Baldurs Gate (with TOTSC) and Icewind Dale (and HOW).
A couple of items if you want to post.

NO SPOILERS

I don't care what I may have missed out on, what the storyline might have done, anything. DO NOT, under any circumstances, drop hints, etc. If you do, this posting will be abandoned. End of story.

NO SPOILERS

Just in case you are really, really stupid, and didn't see that the first time.

First post to follow in 24 hrs or so,
Wish me luck, I'm going in ......

 

What is your character?

SPOILER ALERT

This has an impact on what happens in the game.

END SPOILER

 

Have fun, and goodluck.

 

He was actually dead the entire movie!

Rosebud was a SLED!


Muahahahahahaha !!!!!!!!!!!


Sorry - could not resist

 

Making friends already, I see.

So what is this thread about, exactly? Is this intended to be another Newbie Thought topic like Harbourboy's? Because if so, I should warn you - we're all trying really hard not to spoil HB's game. I don't know if we can survive another.

YOU MUST ESCAPE THE DUNGEON!

Damn! I blew it right off the bat!

 

It would be tough for anyone else to see a thread like this through to the end. I'm really struggling at the moment because I'd really like to start a new character (the ideas keep coming). But I'm still determined to see this one through.

 

Right then, I decided that my first run through was going to be a paladin, and then I saw the Undead Hunter kit. I've always liked paladins, (don't ask why, I don't know), and I managed to roll a very good one.
I've picked up Imoen, Minsc and Jaheira. Nice to see the old crew back again. Even if Dynaheir is dead. (According to Jaheira, Khalid should be around, so I'll have to make sure I don't miss him.)
BTW, I like the fact that we get XP for Imoen picking locks, and disarming traps.
Once we were armed and ready to go, we fairly blitzed through the first few fights. It was nice for Doraln and Minsc to be carrying bows after the first goblins though. Met up with the Sewer golem, and left him be for now. I would prefer to deal with the rest of this area before he opens up more places for fun. We've been through the library, the Duergar, and the demon that was trapped, and the next thing to do is to get some rest, and some fresh spells. BTW, I also really like the fact that we get XP for all the spells Imoen scribes. In fact, she is earning most of our XP, with traps, locks, and spells. I need to find a statue of some sort to get through a locked door, I hope I haven't missed it. I've also picked up some acorns from the duergar. I'm sure I'll find out what they are for, as well.
Will be posting again tonight.
If anyone feel that this is too much (or too little) detail, please feel free to say so.

 

Ah, those were the days. Going through the first dungeon for the first time. It does seem a long time ago, even though it was only a few months ago.

 

Robert the unwise, what's your tactics through the dungeon ? You say you've got two of your party carrying bows, so do you fight from the distance, rather than hack and slash ?

BTW, what are your stats ?

 

With an Undead Hunter, Minsc and Jaheira in your party; didn't you wish to just hack 'n' slash your way out of the dungeon and get to Irenicus

@HB And you being in just your first run-thru.

 

Huray another newbie thread! And I really don't mind reading all the details, can't get enough of those really. Hope you can keep them as detailed as your first post though. It IS a big game afterall, and you'll get many many many impressions while playing it for the first few times! Good lcuk and thanx for the extra entertainment!

 

A couple of quick replies.
Kulyok, Doraln the paladin is 18/94,18,18,6,14,17. I always like to roleplay my characters, which can lead to some awkward decisions being made. (My real reference book would have to be The Book of Exalted Deeds - its D & D 3.5 rules.) This means that I have to play as close to Lawful Good as possible. I'm sure that it will lead to tough choices, but thats what the fun is about.
Shrikant and Kulyok, unless I've got some kick-ass armour, I like to stop my opponents before they get to melee. If they are using ranged weapons, then I can knock them down by concentrating fire on one target at a time. If they are closing, then Doraln, as normally the best armoured in the party, will step up with a melee weapon. These tactics change for spellcasters, of course, but thats the basics.

One other thing, what have I let myself in for. HB is described as on his first run through, but he's been at it for months.
This could get interesting.

After resting,(see NPC note at end) we got the sewer golem going, and met our captors pet Otyuch (or Otyugh, I cant remember). Got whupped first time, so second time came at it from 2 sides, and let Imoen do her thing. MMs and a Lightning Bolt follow, and we win. Also got a little wand/key off it. Found lots of traps in the next room (more nice XP), and then met the dryads (now I know to keep the acorns). Went down to the lower room, and picked up the portal key. Then we got mugged by a couple of rather wimpish golems.In fact, they got mugged by us. After we met up with and freed the djinn, getting a nice sword for Minsc in the process, it was time to head for the portal, and see what was on the other side.
Hello Yoshimo. Now we are 5. Although, to be honest, he doesn't do much that Imoen can't. But an extra bow is always handy, and I can always drop him off when we get out of here.
I am now really sick of the sight of mephits (of all sorts) We ended up using a monster summoning spell, and using ranged weapons right through.
We found Khalid's body. After Jaheira's speech bit, I used the 'shouldn't we try' line, only to be rebuffed. Decided not to pursue the matter. Ten seconds later, I was glad of that, because Imoen nearly got her head bitten off.
We then encountered the clone woman thing, who we had to kill, and a 'shadow thief ' or two, along with another mephit and some goblins. We now seem to be in a large hall, with some tasteful floor decorations, getting blown to bits at every opportunity. These keys are obviously needed here, but I need to look around a bit more closely.
BTW, if anyone is wondering, I am making a few short notes (rather than whole essays) as I play this game. From 10 or 15 words, I can reconstruct most of what happened.

Thoughts on NPCs.
Its strange to see NPCs react to each other, and to Doraln as well. The way everyone, even Yoshimo, who has been with the party for 10 minutes, wanted to express their sympathies to Jaheira. Imoen, after the first rest period, saying how she would have run screaming (or something similar) if Doraln wasn't there.
This is going to be VERY interesting.

My apologies, but no updates over the weekend, as I'm off to Warwick to see my kid brother.
OK, maybe on Sunday evening - depends what time I get back.
Oh good grief, I just previewed this posting. Its HUGE. My apologies. If you read to the end in one go, you may need help.

 

Like I said: I really like these long detailed posts about runs through the game! All the missile fire, all the details! Just like playing thorugh BG1 again

 

@Robert the unwise
I like what you're doing and hope you can continue keeping a good balance between too many details and just skimming through the encounters your party had.

Why is it that this is your first time playing BG2? How long ago was it that you played the original Baldur's Gate?

 

Yay, as one newbie finishes the game another one's starting it. This is fun

@HB: So, you now know how we all felt reading through the account of your first time through

 

Great another ´newbie´ thread, i really liked HB´s one is this seems to be even more detailed! Keep up the good work Robert the unwise, and make your posts as long as you want, we don´t care (at least i don't)

 

Right then, I'm back a day early (youth of today, can't keep up with 30-odd year olds!)
Many thanks for the comments. Hopefully the detail level will remain about right.
@ Earl Grey. I first found BG 1 (with ToTSC) in a 'bargain bin' last year.
Right, back to business.
I eventually figured out (DUH!) how to disarm the traps, so we now have a nice set of wands, although not yet identified (when we get to safety, I'll use Imoen's spell slots to ID them.)
Next, we went into the northern room, where there were shad thieves and (I presume) a vampire. We let them fight, and killed the vampire with missile weapons, and then the thieves. She level drained them. If more of those are around, then I'm glad Doraln is immune.
If I'm right, the shad thieves are trying to free us (why), and the vampire is on Irenicus' side.
After we cleared out the other rooms on this level (minor fights, so no point in details), we managed to find what turned out to be the exit.

Imoen is gone, taken by some kind of law-enforcing mages. That made my note about IDing the wands irrelevant. We found the Mithrest Inn on the map, and rested to recover spells (mainly Jaheira's, but also Minsc.) This market area is enormous, probably as big as the whole city of BG, but there are no hints as to where to go next.
After resting, we meandered round the Promenade, and have found a quest at the circus tent. As a paladin, it is an obligation to help those in distress, and the boy Giran is in need of help. Time to take the plunge.

 

Great stuff! Keep up the good work

Adventure, fame and riches beyond your wildest dreams await you!!!

 

In the circus tent.
It was a dark and stormy night as our intrepid heroes carefully entered the circus tent.
OK I'll start properly.
To be totally honest, this was pretty easy. After answering the djinn's question (right first time - pure luck), we spoke to the ogre. This is where having detect evil as a paladin comes in useful. After we approached the commoners, and they had attacked us, it was only common sense to give the ogre the sword - after all, she had told the truth so far. (Although I did leave the rest of the party 'hanging back' with missile weapons ready.) As a result, we now have a party of 5 again, for how long this time, I wonder.
From there, the fights were pretty basic up to and including Kalah. I assumed that if we could concentrate all our fire and spells on him, then we could finish the fight quickly, and I was right.
Once Kalah had croaked his last, we spoke to Hannah, and she left. Back outside after Quayle's speech, we went down to the adventurer's mart. The owner seemed to know Jaheira, and was also useful for answering some questions. If we want to use magic in the city, we need a licence, from someone in the govt. sector. It only costs money, so we can work for that. He also reckons that we can meet with shadow thieves, and find out what is going on with Irenicus. I'd rather meet with them than the vampires, after all, thieves can be turned to a path of lawfulness and good, vampires are irredemably evil. (roleplaying Paladin philosophy)
From there, we decided to see the rest of the city (did I miss a conversation, because we got no guidance on where to go?), only to find that the only place we could go was the slums.
Gaelan Bayle could easily annoy me, with his "Coo" talking style. But, he seems to know things, and people. That is, hovever, a lot of gold.
When we went into the Copper Coronet (from now on, the CC), we met Anomen, who appears to have read too much Eddings or Tolkien. I liked him though, so now we are a full party of 6.
Next up, Nalia approached us. The words chip and shoulder come to mind. We took the job, though. Hopefully, it will pay well.
Gaelan had metioned a Jierdan Fiirkraag, but we never got to speak to him before taking Nalia's job on. He can wait, though - I hope.
Why are there slaver quards around here? This needs further investigation at some time.
Next step is to get out of the city, and to Nalia's home. See what is really happening.

 

There is a small part of me that wonders if this is indeed your first time through.

Some ways of speaking and some hints to future events are evident in your words.

But of course, I'm an idiot.