New to BG2 - Overwhelmed - Various Questions

Remove all ads!

Okay, just a little background on my gaming first. While I'm new to BG2, I'm not really new to D&D, I've played the first BG ( long time ago though ) and have played all the Neverwinter games. So I finally decided I really should own and play BG2 - It's just the 2nd ed rules make little to no sense ( Backwards AC, having half an attack etc.... ) so until I get used to them again I'm going to be pretty noobish, so please bear with me!

I'll usually ask questions in point form, helps me keep track of what I've asked and reduces the old "wall-o-text" for those of you who are willing to read on

So I guess I'll start with some basics:

1) I have BG2 and ToB, both patched ( don't even know if it needed doing. ) but still vanilla so to speak. - What "must have" updates are there, that are not official? I'm looking for things like graphic/character improvements, game fixes and the like. I've looked around for downloads but it usually ends up as a list of things I have no idea about ( TuTu this, BGT that - Means nothing to me. ) So I have zero idea about what I need, what will work for me etc. Any lists/links would be appreciated, though I don't want to change the original game too much until I've played it through once, so nothing too major please.

2) I've looked into character builds, but they're generally contradicting, bare-bones and not too helpful. e.g. Some say Blade characters are no good, other people swear by them...Is there really nowhere to find a comprehensive list of builds that work? e.g. I'm going to play a Kensai/Mage ( booo, hiss, yeah I know, powergamer. ) but nowhere seems to agree on what levels to take. ( Cap isn't an issue, but a little more on that next question. ) Is a Kensai 13/Mage rest going to work? ( apparently level 13 gains you an extra "half-attack" )

3) I downloaded a cap remover from this site: "BG2 & ToB Level 50 Patch & XP Cap Remover by TeamBG" which is fine, unzip it, overwrite files I assume? ( It comes with zero instructions heh. ) But then I get confused when it has an extra folder in there saying: Raise Dead Fix: Overwrite with this. Why do I need this fix? Do I need this fix? Why are there no instructions for this download? ( K, think this one is sorted, just unzipped everything to my override folder. )

4) NPCs: Can I just let them level as whatever class they comes as, or are there some which really benefit from multi/dual class? ( e.g. Imoen I'll continue as a mage/thief for sure. )

5) Expect more questions

6) Thanks for any replies

 

By patching both, how do you mean? Did you install both then install the SoA patch, then the ToB patch?

Generally you only need to install SoA, then ToB, then the ToB patch only.

I reccomend you play the game as it is - THEN look into what you'd like to change, otherwise you don't really have a baseline to think about and with so many different playstyles you will get an overwhelming response of "I can't live without using X in my game"

As for power builds, I am no good with that, I tend to just play for fun, which usually means a Bhaalspawn running away screaming in terror as I just keep getting eaten

TeamBG went away a long time ago, a lot of there stuff has been superceded by newer things, but if it works for you, great.

I just let NPCs level themselves, I just go for what the character is and improve on what they already have. Have a play and see what you like I guess.

Enjoy the game

 

I'd say that the most important consideration is that character builds need to match your "normal" mode of play.

For example, a fighter/mage can fairly easily solo most of the toughest fights in the non-modded game. But it assumes you know how to use the spells to your advantage, ie. concentrating on (self)buffs instead of, say, trying to toss a Fireball while being beaten by a horde of monsters. Non-buffed fighter/mage doesn't really compare favorably to either a fighter OR a mage.

Likewise, while backstabbing thieves are undeniably powerful, the hide/backstab/run/rehide routine can get repetitive and the amount of dead bodies at your feet per minute isn't really all that high either. Not to mention the amount of micromanagement that backstabbing in general requires.

 

1. As 8people said, install SoA, install ToB, do the ToB patch. The only thing you may want to add is one of the fixpacks (and I stress may here, the game as it is works just fine). I've only used the Balderdash fixpack and know it works well. BGT/Tutu is only used for playing BG1 on the BG2 game engine -- you don't need that.

2. The game can be beaten with any class -- play what you think will be fun to play. There are romance options in the game so you may want to keep with human or half-elf to be able to have any romance. The romance characters are divine casters, so one of your bases is covered for a balanced party. The game was clearly written for a goody-two-shoes hero (there are evil options, though) and a paladin, especially the undead hunter, is a very easy character to play -- the most powerful weapon in the game is paladin only (although there is a paladin npc you can pick up).

With ToB a 13/rest kensai/mage will work just fine. The extra half attack means one extra attack every other round. It's not really necessary and shifting at level 9 is another good option. The extra half attack is great for a warrior, but not as important for a mage (unless you really think you have to kill everything up close and personal -- your spells will be much more deadly).

Mage is one of the more difficult classes to play if you are not familiar with the spells. There's a lot to learn with mages (which you would have to learn for a party anyway).

3. If you are playing with a party you don't need the experience cap remover.

4. There is no opportunity to change classes with your npcs. Those that can dual class, already have.

 

When you take the 3 female romance options with you, the divine spellcasting section is covered. No need to use those for your character. As a second choice after paladin I would suggest Fighter mage multiclass. If you want the most out of it in the first run, play a human or half-elf male like said before.

Reroll the dice when making your character and to avoid a bad roll.

Avoid the mods in the first run. The game is so huge that you will not miss anything that spoils it.

 

Thanks for the replies guys I decided to go with a Human Kensai/Mage, probably a 13/rest split ( If I feel lazy I like to be able to just go in swinging haha ) and the only mods I've added are one of the fixpacks and a text pack to improve the dialogue. Added in some choice portraits and a new voiceset now I'm just starting my first run through I don't know if it's sad or not, but I'm excited to play a BG2 caster, since I always felt some of the spells ( Mainly contingency and sequencers ) we're missing from later games. ( i.e. NWN 1+2 )

 

Do not overlook wisdom -- it's rather important for a mage by ToB.

 

Yeah I always make sure I read into games like BG2 before I play incase something unexpected like that comes up. Wish Resting came up a few times so I'm aware of that now I just think I read too much from too many different places haha, since a fair bit of what I read was contradicting I decided to clarify what I wanted to know

 

You'll always get some conflicting advice on what to play, simply because the game can be beaten with many different builds. Therefore the advice really depends on each person's particular play style. The Blade class would be a good example of this. It can be powerful, but requires both knowledge of which spells to use and lots of micromanagement. People who like this tend to recommend the kit, while those who don't have the patience for it don't. Personally, I don't like having to micro that much when I've a full party and I wouldn't recommend it for someone's first time through.

 

I disagree. It's a total waste of valuable stat points. Even for the unimportant wish spell it isn't needed since any party member with high wisdom can talk to the genie. Lower wis to 3 unless you get an extremely good roll. 3 instead of 18 wis won't hurt as much as 17 instead of 18 in another stat.

If you play a kensai13/mage be aware you'll be a fighter who has to keep 2 equipment slots empty for about 35 percent of the game, a mage who can't wear bracers for the next 35 percent of the game, you'll have the dualclass benefits only for a short time. Once dualclassing is complete the 1,250,000 XP spent for kensai will still slow the mage progression by 3-4 levels which will affect when you reach new spell levels, how many spells you can cast per day and HLAs.

 

There are TONS of mods for BG2, and a lot of them are truly great, but I would suggest playing through the "vanilla" game unmodded at least once. Some basics to consider if you REALLY want mods are the various "fixpacks", convenience mods, and the unofficial patches that restored some of the later boss fights to full difficulty (released by David Gaider & co after the game was released). These won't change characters, plot, or story at all, but may alter the game experience a bit (fewer worries here, more there, etc.) while not overpowering anything (which most item additions tend to do).

Another option is to get Tutu or BGT, which will allow you to play BG1 with the BG2 engine and then continue on to BG2 (with your BG1 party, I think). Again, this won't change BG2 gameplay much at all, but it may alter your overall experience.

One of the greatest things about BG2, one of the reasons it is so popular and so frequently re-played, is that you can use just about any class or class-combo and totally PWN if you play it right. Like the pure vanilla fighter? You can go berserk between the HLAs and the awesome equipment. Always wanted to play a bard, but hated them in BG? One of my favorite PCs of all time was a half-elf bard using halberds, and he ROCKED! Wanna go with one of those ultra-power-gamey combos like the Kensai/Mage or the Fighter-Thief? Be prepared for mass overkill. Basically, make the character you want to play and then start reading about that build to see what's good and what's bad. Also realize you have a party, and you can have a great party, for a reason.

I would recommend getting any mods you can in Weidu form. It's a WONDERFULLY simple program someone wrote to install mods into BG2 for you. It will even do a decent job of coordinating multiple mods together (though it won't tell you anything about conflicts and the like).

After you've played it a couple of times, I'd recommend getting a program called ShadowKeeper, which is a saved game editor. With it, you can completely re-write all the NPC classes and make them anything you want. Ever wanna try Aerie as a Monk, or Nalia as a sorcerer? Go ahead. Re-write their stats, their classes, their races, change their portraits, etc. It won't do squat to dialogue or plot, but it can radically change gameplay.

We love questions.

You're welcome!

 

Nevermind