Gaining ability scores?

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Is there any other way to increase stats, strength in particular, other than the Machine of Lum the Mad and the tear of Bhaal?
I know about the items that increase strength as long as you wear them but I'm looking for permanent ways?

Also, what happened to the +1 to Con in Hell when you did the evil path to get the +2 strength bonus? It doesn't do that in the BG2 EE.

 

Well, there's obviously the option to start in BG1:EE and picking up all the tomes/manuals, +1 to all stats. (except wisdom, for which there are 3 tomes available.)
As for BG2 stat changes :
- You will lose 1 stat point in BG2 no matter what during one of the dreams.
- If you obtain the deck of many cards and draw the Star card on your second draw, it will give you a +1 to the main stat for your class. (strength for fighters, intelligence for mages, etc.)
- Like you mentioned, the machine of lum the mad can give you a +1 in all stats.

The bonuses you mentioned were for the Test of Wrath, depending on which path you choose, the rewards are either +1 to Wisdom and Charisma for the good option or +2 to your Strength for the evil one.
Due to a bug it used to be so that the evil path also added +1 in your class' main stat, but the additional +1 stat you got before was a bug and never intended, so was fixed as of BG2:EE- wouldn't make much sense anyway, if you get +2 stats for the good option and +3 for the bad one, obviously you would go with the evil option

 

But isn't that the usual trade-off between good and evil? Corrupt or sell your soul for more power (or other immediate benefits) is a staple in fantasy...

 

Sure, but you could argue that choice is still intact - Strength, the power to defeat your foes and make them cower in fear before you or be a bit more wiser and well-liked which doesn't do much for you in the short term.
Of course, depending on your class the wis/cha bonus might be more useful or vice versa, but as far as RP'ing goes you can now pick whichever option without feeling you got cheated out of a stat point

 

If you don't need a Strength or a Wisdom & Charisma bonus then you ARE getting cheated. A Wizard or Sorcerer would rather get an Intelligence bonus. Or a Thief rather getting a Dexterity bonus. etc.

 

If they didn't patch that out in the EE, you can certainly cheese your way out of losing a stat point in that dream. Or you just skip it altogether along with most of spellhold by exploiting some clipping issues.

The stat point loss in one of the hell trials used to be avoidable (even going the good path), but unfortunately they removed that option with the G3 fixpack.

 

Well, in that case the revised hell trials mod may be something for you, as the neutral path for the trial of wrath it offers gives a +3 to INT bonus.

yeah, but if you're going that far to avoid losing a stat point you might as well use the console to give yourself a tome of whatever stat you lost or edit your savegame with shadowkeeper instead..

 

The game should give you a choice if you ask me

 

I like to exploit flaws in games, so if possible within the game, why not do that.

Also, skipping part of spellhold is my favourite little short-cut in the game. Unless I want some items from the spellhold maze or the sahuagin city, I tend to just skip it.

 

I have mods to be able to buy the bag of holding in certain stores (which is a lot more convenient if you're soloing). Cloak of cheese is indeed a good reason to go along with the whole thing, but I don't want or need it every run-through.