Just started playing IWD...

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I wonder if it will take me a year to finish this game like it did BG1?

OK my line-up:
3 husband/wife teams
Good and Neutral characters

2 Dwarf Fighters
One useing axes and the other Pole axes/swords

2 Elves
1 Ranger and 1 Thief/Mage multi-class both with swords

2 Humans starting as Fighters
At level 9 one is dualing to a Mage and the other a Cleric

Does that sound like a balanced party?
5 fighters in the begining though...

Q's:

1) With HOW installed is the XP cap off for the first part?
2) Does reputation or good/evil party members play a role like in BG?
3) There are no NPCs to join your party?
4) How can I know for sure if Trial of the Luremaster is installed? I think it's suppose to be. Do you play that part "inside" HOW like TotSC in BG1, or after you complete HOW?

Item Q:
What is the best weapon for my Cleric?
Hammer Mace Flail Club
I'll only have one party member using these types of weapons as the primary weapon and I want to be able to use the best one towards game's end.
In other word's: Is there a Crom Faeyr?

That's enough for now...
Thanks for any imput.
Don't be afraid to point out any gameplay pitfalls for the early part of the game by any means, but try not to spoil the story.

 

Looks okay if you can do without a healer for a long part of the game. Also the cleric is always useful for the undead as you face them a LOT throughout the game. So you may want to rethink level 9 fighter before going for your cleric. Maybe level 3?

There is no Crom Faeyr but generally the selection for hammers and maces/morning stars are more readily accessible from the treasures that you get. Great flails are not easily obtained until later. Great clubs are even harder to obtain until HoW.

To answer your Qs:
1) yes the xp cap will be for level 30 with HoW installed and this is effective no matter what area you are in.
2) There is reputation but you don't see it. Generally if you have a good aligned character as your first character created, you start out with better reputation and consequently better store prices. However, alignment means nothing in the game other than usability of items/availability of certain cleric spells.
3) No NPCs. But this was always meant to be a straightforward hack n slash dungeon crawl.
4) No TOTL is not automatically installed unless you downloaded and installed it thru interplay's links (i think it is hosted at fileplanet). On the other hand, you don't need to download any additional patches as TOTL includes all patches necessary and no new patches have been released since then. Yes you play it inside HoW but you can't go back to the HoW area until you finish ToTL so make sure you archive a save before going. It can be tough at times.

 

1. There's no "XP" cap with HoW installed. It's a level capp. You can get whatever XP it takes to get you to level 30, on ALL of your class. So you can be a level30 mage/level30 thief.

2. Reputation isn't used anywhere in the game.

3. There's no joinable NPC's.

4. Press "V". If it reports back to you "version 1.42", then you have TotL installed. If it reports back "version 1.41", then you only have HoW installed.

5. There's no "all-n-one" like Crom Faeyr, no. There's a sword that *only* a paladin can use, and it's pretty much the most powerful sword you can get. There is another sword you can "make", that has very good stats. There's a metric tonne of +2 stuff. And there's +4 stuff scattered all over, in shops and on people (whom need killin'). Loot is a problem for chapter1 and part of chapter2; after that, you'll be needin' ta sell stuff.


[edit: Just a note. You'll have to have ALL of your characters at something like level 9 or 10, and at least one character at level 11, to enter Heart of Winter. TotL takes a fairly tough party to survive.]

 

I think there is actually a XP cap of 8,000,000, (this could get levels of 24/25) although I could be wrong.

 

There are some actions that cause loss of reputation that causes paladins and rangers to fall. So they should lose their special abilities and wind up as warriors that can only specialize and take more xp to level. It is not shown in character sheet but has been confirmed as occurring.

Things that can cause loss of reputation. Killing innocent NPCs. Emmerich in Lonelywood. That paladin in that one tower in ToTL. Taking advantage of the mother of the girl by the well in Lonelywood.

 

@ejsmith

It says I got Version 1.4021002



Did you mean 1.402 or 1.42?

 

I think that sounds like a non-US version of HoW. So I'd guess you don't have TotL installed. It's a 70meg download. Just a simple Installshield loader.

Oh, and that's the only place that reputation comes into play. Not into NPC dialogues or anything. It's strictly party oriented. That is, paladins and rangers.

 

I just bought it new from Comp USA Friday.
The Ultimate Collection

Included IWD 2 and a bunch of bonus disks, soundtracks and such.

Ok then...
It will be awhile until I get to HOW, but when I do how do I get into TotLM? I'll try to find it right away when the time comes to see if I got it.

 

After cleaning out that Vale of Shadows...

More Qs!

1) Will I ever come accross any tomes that raise your stats like in BG1 or some machine/quest reward that will?

2) What do I do with the two broken armors I found there? Do I keep them with or drop them off in a chest in Kuldahar for safe keeping because it will be a long time before I need them? I assume I'll find someone who can fix these...

3) I don't need any of these keys or runes after I clean out the place that I found them in right? No sewer key like in BG2?


Maybe waiting until level 9 to duel is too long.
But I'll hold out until level 7 to get that extra half attack.

Fun game by the way. Definitly different than BG1. I'd only wish I'd find a +1 Axe soon. My strongest Dwarf Fighter with the heavest armor and best AC can't hit those wrights or mummies. He just has to absorb damage while standing around watching the others do the work.

 

(1) Only charisma. Plus one of the random items is a potion that gives magic resistance of 5 percent.
(2) Broken armors are for selling (like the yeti pelts).
(3) No, generally one of the storekeepers in Kuldahar (guy with the bard harp) will buy unneeded quest items (not all but most) like keys etc.

 

Yes there are, but ALL are random and require some kind of tradeoff.


Potion of Action Transference
[RANDOM item in the Vale of shadows]

Potions are typically found in ceramic, crystal, glass, or metal flasks or
vials. Flasks or other containers generally contain enough fluid to provide
one person with one complete dose to achieve the effects of the potion.

STATISTICS:

Permanent +1 Charisma
Permanent -1 Dexterity

-----
Potion of Strength Transference
[RANDOM item in the Hand]

Potions are typically found in ceramic, crystal, glass, or metal flasks or
vials. Flasks or other containers generally contain enough fluid to provide
one person with one complete dose to achieve the effects of the potion.

STATISTICS:

Permanent +1 Dexterity
Permanent -1 Strength

-----
Potion of Life Transference
[RANDOM item in the ice aquarium]

Potions are typically found in ceramic, crystal, glass, or metal flasks or
vials. Flasks or other containers generally contain enough fluid to provide
one person with one complete dose to achieve the effects of the potion.

STATISTICS:

Permanent +1 Strength
Permanent -1 Constitution

-----
Potion of Holy Transference
[RANDOM item @Mavalon]

Potions are typically found in ceramic, crystal, glass, or metal flasks or
vials. Flasks or other containers generally contain enough fluid to provide
one person with one complete dose to achieve the effects of the potion.

STATISTICS:

Permanent +2 Wisdom
Permanent -1 Dexterity

 

None of those sound like a very good trade off.

Is it for sure none of the damaged armors can be fixed?

The Ancient Armor sounds like something interesting...

 

Yeah, there's a tonne of potions that swap stats around. I just sell them, and reap the cash reward.

You can drop all the keys and runes you found in the Vale. The runes that don't give a bonus when worn as a necklace, that is. There's no items that you need to hold onto, but there are some items that you will find, that will be useful in a chapter area you've already completed. Be sure to take notes if someone asks you to "keep your eyes open for xxxxx, xxxxxxx, and xxxxxxxx."

There's no fixin' the ancient/damaged armour. It's just there for atmosphere. However, there is one piece of equipment that you'll find, that can be "repaired". If you have it in your inventory, you'll get a dialogue option for it when the time comes and you're talking to the repairmeister. There's one other item that will repair itself, but you've passed it, and it's part of a quest; not worth restarting a game for.

 

I know about the sword the blue elf lady gives you to give to that guy Jhonen.

I looked at my guide for the item list and found the potions that give the stat swiches, but interestingly enough I also found listed there the six tomes that give +1 to each stat. Are they in the game at all?


I'm fighting these darn ice trolls in Dragon's Eye now and still have not found a +1 axe. I made my main melee tank a Dwarf who now has 4 points in axes and he has to use a extra +1 mace I found to get a hit on half these darn creatures!


Are all these weapons purely random and it's just bad luck on my part or what!?

 

Aces, the tomes may work if you cheat them in, but they are nowhere to be found in the game. In unpatched IWD there is a random Potion of Constitution in the giant snake statue in the Eye's first level, but no more with HoW installed.

For the axe: There is a (though random) Massive Warhammer 1d4+3 which requires 18 strength to be gained at Kresselack's tomb level 2. If you want that really badly, you may cheat youself the axe and pretend you found it there (item code U2HAM2A).

Second possibility: Got money? Buy sth. off the smith in Kuldahar!

 

I found defender (+2 axe) on level 2 of Dragon's Eye.

How does the cheat mode work for Icewind Dale?
The exact same as BG?
"Debug mode = 1" etc, etc..

 

Ah, I gave you a hammer, sorry about that, but you've found yourself an axe eventually (shame on me).

Cheat mode: Use a text editor to edit the "icewind.ini" file in the game directory. Add the line "Cheats=1" under the "[Game Options]" section. Start the game and press [Ctrl] + [Tab] to display the console window.

Then type CHEATERSDOPROSPER:CreateItem("xxxxxx") or - with HoW installed - GETYOURCHEATON:CreateItem("xxxxxx"). Hope I could help at least in the end.

Me thinks there is alist of all the random items in the game here at Sorcerer's, I use to cheat myself the most appropriate items for my solo char, but in my party game I stick with the ones I get. I really sucks NOT to get the Elven chain BOTH times in the Hand

 

I got the cheats working but the item list I found here for IWD doesn't have the codes to warp them in.

Is there another place here with a list with the item codes as well?

IWD items page missing something?

 

Yep, there is.

[Please don't link to other sites for what can be found on SP.] -Tal

[ February 08, 2004, 15:17: Message edited by: Taluntain ]