I have accumulated many many potions when do I use them?

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OK I'm on my first go through Easy TUTU. I have just completed a couple of small quests in BG, and I am start to be irked by the number of potions I am carrying.

my charname LOOKS COULD KILL is a level 7 fighter will all specs in bow I've spent good money on top of the line arrows and gear for him and all the rest of the crew Minsc Branwen Dynaheir Imoen and Brad the bard (the youngish freshfaced polite NPC whose name escapes me while I'm writing.)

It has ended up (inevitably with me ex-IWD and IWD2) a reach out and touch party with Minsc of course anxious to get into close quaters but the three women with slings and Brad with xbow of speed (and 3 of them being MM hurlers)LOOKS COULD KILL skewering all and sundry with respectable damages and attacks, I'm starting to wonder what's with all the cloud giant strengths, potions of heroism etc etc etc,

I'm not saying I've had a free and easy run to date, but with judicious run away when necessary and the occassional metagame come back with knowledge from what's just killed ya, it seems that use of the buffer potions, and there are a lot of them, would almost be a waste.

I consider them when danger looms, but always seem to go the hoard route and see how I go without them.

Same with the mage specifics etc seems I just do not get much cause for potion this and potion that.

I'm running default game difficulty and have a reasonable group strategy for when the blue is on, perhaps I should bump the level of difficulty up? Will I get more paranoid and start gulping all over the place?

So fellow earthlings, a fairly broad canvas, what are your thoughts?

 

Just because you have been having such an easy time of late, doesn't mean much really, I guess. Things will get harder later in the game, you'll see

Umm well I wouldn't say you’d have to bump up the difficulty, just set it at the value you're comfortable with, that's usually the best way. If you set it too hard or too easy then what's the point? Unless you're looking for an EXTREMELY hard challenge, then you could set it to the max difficulty.

Either way, just use the potions when you need them! They're not just there for looks you know, unlike your pc Many people get stingy when it comes to potions but don't worry because you can always buy more. IF you are one of those stingy people you could just save them for important battles or the like.

- If you’re in the middle of a difficult fight and your healers are too far away and the death is calling, then you’d better start getting out those healing potions.

- If your opponent is becoming a nuisance and you want to get rid of him quickly, although you’re the only one close enough to inflict damage, throw a giant strength potion down the hatch to inflict some serious damage in a short amount of time.

Just little things like the two above points are all you really need to know. To be honest I sell the majority of my potions. The only ones I keep are, healing, resistance vs magic, giant strength and invisibility potions, all others I find useless (or I’ll only need them once in the entire game) so I just don’t bother with them. Use them whenever you feel comfortable, as it is, your game after all.

Always remember, if you cannot defeat a particular enemy, try a different tactic. This could be a simple change of spells, character position or even a sip of that giant strength potion

 

I always used tons of healing potions and sold almost all the rest. Early in the game some of those potions can give you a significant amount of gold.

 

Yeah Silvershield, pretty much how it seems to me. After initial pinching every penny and hoarding every drop in the early tight stages of the adventure, I've accumulated multiples of many of the big hitters, these I'm happy enough to keep to apply when the tough get going etc, but the multiple potions of clarity etc etc etc I perhaps will unburden myself of.

And ChickenIsGood I agree completely
1st it is very good to run away going buckbuckbuck buck they're scary when necessary.
2nd Chicken is mmmmmmmgood
3rd big-gold early in the game can make your early setup a true winner.

 

I tend to use my potions sparingly, so when someone's injured I use spells first. I wait until they're almost half-dead before I start using potions hahaha. I sell all the other potions for money as well. I never use them anyway.

 

Funny you should write that shadow lurker, my thief/mage Imoen literally just died reaching for a desperate health giving "gulp!"
Killed most unexpectedly by some coot in his pyjamas who thought she was a cat first of all, and then when he fully woke up, prooved to her that she was a bit of an ill prepared cat. She was panicking, running and spelling and copping blade every so often. The coot withstood enough, so that when she took the soft option and reached for the sweet blue health he got the death blow in.

On the reload I didn't buff up, but hit him with a chromatic orb first up and finally got a "stun". He'd withstood 2 on the trot last showdown, and seeing "stun", the dear girl got directly behind him and weilded the dagger of venom with venom.
'nuff said, only in reply to your post, it can be a fine line choosing when to stop hitting, to slurp a lifesaving potion down. I'm still not playing the thief well enough role playing wise. not enough of the stuff you're obviously known for mate. I'll practise skulking and lurking a bit more after that last shock tragedy.

 

I use potions a lot. potion of speed, perception mind focusing and of course health. Not to forget antidotes.
I like igis mod wich ads potions and arrows to the game. Especially prt. from timestop and charisma potion

 

I didn't use potions, neither in BG1 nor in BG2. The game is playable without.

 

kmonster
I agree with you (so far at least on this my first thru BG/BG2), but having the strength 23 etc just to hand for when it all gets outa control is a mighty moral support don't you think? I recognise a schizo mindset in me regarding potions. I find it hard to sell them, I hoard them, stingy, and then rarely if ever use them ...schizo eh?

Shaitan
so do you gulp them as you find them, or do you end up carrying them all around until it seems a suitable time/place/need to use them?

 

Just use 'em when you need 'em. There are a bunch that you just don't need.

 

I used a lot during the Sarevok fight. I always have that mage jumping in.

Other than that, I saved healing, antidotes, strength/giant strength, clarity and thieving potions. There are plenty of barrels and sacks lying around to stuff the extras in.

 

This pretty much cover this, Durlags Tower requires potions of perception, Cloackood antidotes and so on. I use the SCS mod, so I get some tougher enemies thus a lot of healing is needed.

 

Just sell all of them to make things a bit more difficult .

 

I'm gonna go with kuemper and just stash the majority (surplus) of them, there are indeed plenty of barrels and sacks around.

Although I did read somewhere, someone's post complaining about coming back to an outdoor barrel and the items were no longer there. Anyone care to explain this?

I remember in IWD stashing letters (that I wasn't sure if I should keep) in a bookcase and they stayed there for the duration, (and of course I never needed them)

and Aegor OK ...good, great idea I'll just do it as soon as I stop hitting myself with this hammer.

 

Healing and antidotes I lug around for when they're needed, and the rest go into a chest in the FAI / house in Beregost / Arkion's house. Then I load up for the final battle to make it a breeze, since I hate high level play and just want to get it over with by that point.

 

@ kin hell: What? Well the game really isn't that hard, you can get by without any potions. Of course, healing and antidotes are handy to have but I really don't think I've used any other potion in BG1 ever (BG2 on the other hand is a different story). Besides, all those chemicals and drugs are bound to cause some liver damage so you should try to keep your PC healthy

 

But Aegor, ain't that what the elixir of health is meant to look after ?

Mind you in BG I'm not that needy of the potions for mind distort and chemical hit, one of the small taverns finally refused to serve LOOKS COULD KILL after only!! ??17!!or so pints!! last night. That's gotta be responsible serving of alcohol. I wonder if the quantity you are allowed to quaff, before you are considered too drunk and get refused, is based on your Constitution points? Perhaps that's a topic for another post.

Anyhow Aegor I'm with you, realistically, so far,I've not used anything but healings antidotes and rare smaller strength boosts like when I sent Minsc in solo against greater basilisks and wanted it over quickly. I haven't played BG/BG2 before, but it is remarkably similar to IWD/IWD2 in this potions regard. Please understand, I am not complaining, just commenting, and yes, before you all cane me regarding BG to IWD evolution and heredity, I am aware of the full genetic inheritance. I guess I am just pleasantly surprised at how at home I've felt right from the start of this wonderful game.

like really very very relaxed and warm, especially after the 17 or so pints

And Felinoid I was intrigued by your

Have you always felt this, or is it a part of the number of times (I imagine) you have played through? What is it about high level play that you don't like? (I ask as I am totally interested in the immersive nature of these games/adventures and it is truly amazing at the sheer number of different approaches/styles/rewards sought that are apparent when you read any of the post throughout).
It dawns on me these questions too may require a different post, I'm not sure of protocol.
I continue to watch with interest

 

intoxication is based on your con.

 

I have SCS mod too, it is great, the battles are so tough now that I need every potion which the game offers. Almost any worthy enemy has random potions in their inventories now, and they use them, so why shouldn't I? ie:A scary, named bandit boss in the bandit camps gulps potion of x giant potions and potions of invulnerability, magic shielding etc and all of a sudden they are a serious threat! Mages tend to love potions of defense to raise their AC, and they go invisible with a potion of invisibility when their protection spells are gone, they heal and re-cast their buffs before attacking and being visible again. Talking about really smart AI here!

A potion of invulnerability is extremely handy against all kinds of enemies. A potion of x giant STR really boosts up your THAC0 and damage! Makes harder fights a lot easier!

Anyway, once I have too many potions I CLUAConsole a potion bag. So what, this is Easy TuTu afterall, I use potion bags in BG2, so why not in BG1? It is a great relief, you know? Same goes for scroll cases and gem bags. I do not console bags of holding in though, don't worry! (ofcourse I am not paying for this bags, so you may consider this a cheat but those bags are not that expensive to make a big difference anyway!)

 

You can CLUA a potion bag into BG1? That never crossed my mind . And there I was, always having a NPC working as a potion carrier for the little buggers . Thanks for the tip Silverstar.