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Questions about Alignment in the World of D& D

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I always liked one thing about dungeons and dragons and that was alignment system. I cant find another gaming world that has done a more good job with alignment than D&Dragons.

The only thing is what differentiates between the evils and the goods.

What is lawful evil and neutral evils difference?

I overheard from a friend that lawful evil is the worst because if the law says this is good, then they do exact opposite thing.

And also what would be a good example of alignments in actual people-

Charles Manson-evil?

James Bond-good?

Indiana Jones-good?

George Washington-good?

Teddy Roosevelt-Good?

That's another thing is how does neutral follow with.

I really wish there were more alignment systems like dungeons dragons.

Avatar creation

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How do I create a Avatar of my own creation?

What Forgotten realms books did you read?

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I'm browsing some books in my bookstore and they are alot of them but also quite cheap.
Which books stand out as really good fantasy action mystery novels? I have read first two books of Drizzt.
What authors are good writers?

BGII Mods help/suggestions?

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Hi, I just bought and installed BGII and I wished to install some mods. I'm looking at BGII:EE Compatible Mod List but I'm confused regarding which mods I should be installing.

I know I wish to carry on playing SCS mod, and since my main CHAR is a F/T I guess I should be installing Rogue Rebalancing Mod as well? I'm also thinking of installing Weimer's Item Upgrade Mod. What else should I be installing?

Any recommendations on useful tweaks such as Items Stacking (for eg. Wand case, arrows x1000, etc.), Portrait and Sound mods?

Thank you!

Totem druid vs shapeshifter

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So right now I can't choose between the two, I know a lot of the the strengths and weaknesses about the shapeshifter, Bahamut knows there is enough topics talking about how it doesn't even come close to the werewolves we fight in advantages. What I don't know is how does it compete with the totem druid in comparison really. No, I'm not multiclassing so I don't care how it compares there.
.I mostly plan to run it through the black pits and then play the character in BG2.

Classes and alignments for presidential candidates

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To keep this thread from being locked right away, PLEASE be civil regardless of your viewpoints -- *especially* to those candidates you despise.


It is easy to be tempted to go ahead and label them all to be "Illusionist/Thief" and "Neutral Evil" -- but let us get creative here.

As a house rule for civility: any reference to "race" should strictly be regarding D&D races, not actual ethnicity of the candidate.

NO HOSTILITY is welcome here. Let us keep it good clean fun.


I'll get started with an easy one:

Ben Carson - Priest of Ilsensine - CN
[Ilsensine is the patron deity of brain surgeons... I mean, Mind flayers.]




What about your most/least favorite candidates?






So which Dragon?

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Ok, so I actually have @brus to thank for this question. Which Dragon in FR lorewise could be considered the equivalent of Nicol Bolas from magic the gathering?

Favored Enemy - What's Your Choice?

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I considered making this a poll, but I think there's probably too many choices to include, especially taking the whole series into account. Anyways...

When you play a Ranger, what's your preference when it comes to the Favored Enemy feature? Speaking for myself, I tend to go with giant spiders in the first game, because Phase Spiders and especially Sword Spiders are especially dangerous enemies, and since they're also quite common, the more damage you can inflict on them, the better. For the sequel, there's obviously a whole new selection available. For SOA, I tend to go with golems, since my Rangers tend to be either Archers or Stalkers. Since golems are immune to backstab and clay golems are immune to piercing damage, they still cause some serious problems, so that's where I want the extra damage. On the rare occasion I start in TOB, I'd probably go with demons, since there isn't much left that can threaten you, and it'd make level three of Watcher's Keep a fair bit easier.

So, what are your choices, guys?

Drow portraits

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Although I am very impressed by much of the art that I have seen on the forums, especially by artastrophe and the like, I am afraid that most drow art/portraits, even that found via google or on deviantart, just doesn't capture how I envision in my mind the dark elves of the forgotten realms.

Most dark elf art is either too cartoony, way too world of warcraft (total blegh!), or too sexualized. There is so much excellent art and portraits out there for high elves and other white elves, but when it comes to the evil drow of the realms, I am just underwhelmed.

As a side note, I have found more male drow art that appeals to my tastes than female drow art, which is sad because female drow are so much more awesomazerful.

See the following URLS for an idea of my tastes.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/02/9d/13/029d13742a539a2eac692590a2490a8b.jpg
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/32/4e/96/324e9608a7d69dc34e315bc36dfc2b07.jpg

Anyone with similar tastes?

If the BG NPCs existed in the modern world, what would they be doing?

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Sup fools!

Been thinking about this one for awhile. If the characters were alive today in the modern world, what would they do as a profession?

I can see Minsc working at a zoo or coaching youth soccer

Nalia would work for Greenpeace

Oddly enough I can see Korgan as a cop, lol

Any suggestions?

Android vs ios which one to buy ?

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Flip flopping between the iPad mini 4 and the samsung galaxy tab s2 8.0, has any one played any of these games on both platforms and which works more smoothly ?

Do I come back to Athkalta after...

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Hell?
I have some unfinished (LIch) business I want to take care of before I finish the game...

Wisdom

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Is there any gear that adds to Wisdom over the course of the game other than Tomes? A helmet for example?

The most annoying npc

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Have you ever had a particularly annoying npc in your game? If so. Please feel free to vent your frustration here! :)

Best spell combos for the mage and priest

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What sequence of spells do you find usefull in different and the most challenging situations?
For example, combo like Breach/Malision/Lower resistance/magic missile works wonders.

Lower resistance lowers magic resistance. Does this include fire, frost and lightning?


Maximizing Stats

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So a thought occurred to me...which races can abuse equipment to get the highest possible stats? Some thoughts...

Elf Swashbuckler (Dex 19) with Hawksight (scimitar that gives +1 dex), Shuruppak's Plate (+1 dex), Malla's Soul Stone (+1 dex), Tome, Lum and Deck of Many Things = 25 dexterity.


Half Orc (Str19 Con19)
Tomes (+1 Str and +1 Con)
Hell (+2 Str and +2 Con)
Lum (+1 Str and +1 Con)
Deck of Many Things (+1 Str)
Axe of the Unyielding (+1 Con)
Malla's Soul Stone (+1 Con)

Strength: 24
Constitution: 25

Alternatively, replace Axe of the Unyielding with the Harmonium Halberd for +1 strength. Giving 25 strength and 24 constitution. Note, that if he also has Shuruppak's Plate and has Hawksight in the offhand, and starts with 18dex, he will have Dexterity 22 as well.

I can't find any way to get both strength and constitution up to 25.

Any race (Wis18)
Tomes (+3)
Hell (+1)
Lum (+1)
Deck of Many Things (+1)
Axe of Hrothgar if cleric/thief (+1) / Silver Ion Stone (+1)

Wisdom: 25

Any race with at lest 16 Charisma or just with the ring of human influence
Tome (+1)
Hell (+1)
Lum (+1)
Helm of Glory (+1)
Blade of Roses (+2)
Nymph Cloak (+2)
Axe of Hrothgar (+1)

Charisma: 25 (Yes, even for a dwarf)



Anyone know any way to get that half-orc up to 25 strength? Also, how high can you Int?

Multiclassed Shorty Thief Guide

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A note on progress: The part about BG:EE is almost done, and BG2:EE is on its way. Inputs are most welcome :)

This is ment to be a guide on how to make great shorty multiclassed thieves. Halflings, Gnomes and Dwarfs can all choose Fighter/Thief, the Gnome can also choose the caster classes Illusionist/Thief and Cleric/Thief. This guide will focus on how to make the most of your thief-part, by using the abilities from the multiclassed option.

Generel Thief Tactics
[spoiler]
A thief is in generel a poor frontline fighter. Their strength is rather a tactical/ supportive, favoring a hit'n'run strategy. Thieves can hide in shadows (this should be taking literally, your chance of hiding increase by standing in a shadow), a useful skill in order to scout an area. They can find and remove traps, open locks, pick pockets and detect illusions. They can be deadly in combat as well, if you use the right tactics:

Traps
Traps or snares are just great. You lay them out of enemy sight, then attack and kite the enemy into the trapped area. Or lay them before an enemy who has not yet turned hostile. When the enemy enters the trapped area, the traps explodes, harming all hostile creatures in range. Traps ignore AC and saving throws. You gain 1×snare/day every 5 lvl, starting at lvl 1. An area can contain a maximum of 7 snares. If you rest in the wild, set up a snare before sleeping. It is effective against enemies, who dare to disturb your sleep.

Level 1-10: 2D8+5 Missile DMG
Level 11-15: 2D8+5 Missile DMG + 2D6 Poison DMG/round for the next 3 rounds
Level 16-20: 3D8+5 Missile DMG + 4D8+2 Fire DMG
Level 21+: 3D8+5 Missile DMG + 20 Poison, and instantly slays the victim if they fail to Save vs. Death with a -4 bonus

Backstab
Backstab is a one-hit-you-die tactic. After a succesful backstab, the thief will typically run away, either to kite enemies into traps, hide again and repeat, or to participate in the rest of a battle as a ranged fighter.

Ranged
Whenever your thief has finished doing what he do best, assume the role of an archer. Or stand back and use wand to turn the battle.

Notable tactical items
- Boots of the Cheetah (increase your speed, helps hit'n'run tactics)
- Cloak of non-detection (stay hidden!)
- Ring of Invisibility
- Potion of Invisibility (makes you disappear, giving you a chance to escape or do a second backstab)

Wands
- Wand of Sleep: Very useful in BG:EE, especially against multiple enemies.
*Missing*
[/spoiler]
Thieving Skills
[spoiler]
Halfling is the king af raw Thieving Skills. Race bonus + 19 dex gives you a totalt of 170 points. Gnomes are second best, with racials bonus + 18 dex you get a total of 140 points, while Dwarves with racial bonus + 17 dex have a 110 points. Upon creation you get to distribute another 40 points. You get +25 points/lvl, which means a lvl 3 Dwarf is a slightly lesser Thief than a lvl 2 Gnome, which is in turn a slightly lesser Thief than a lvl 1 Halfling.

Halfling
Open Locks: 35, Find Traps: 20, Pick Pocket: 35, Move Silently: 35, HiS: 35, Detect Illusion: 0 Set Traps: 10

Gnome
Open Locks: 30, Find Traps: 20, Pick Pocket: 25, Move Silently: 25, HiS: 20, Detect Illusion: 10 Set Traps: 10

Dwarf
Open Locks: 30, Find Traps: 20, Pick Pocket: 20, Move Silently: 15, HiS: 10, Detect Illusion: 5 Set Traps: 10

My way of distributing points: Pump the first points into Open Locks, upon lvl up put the points into Find Traps. When you have around 70 in those two, put the next points in either HiS or Set Traps, depending on your preferred strategy. Then go back, pump Open Locks and Find Traps to 90 each (enough for BG:EE). Distribute the rest into either Set Traps or HiS/Move Silently.

Pick Pockets: I usually neglect it. There are some nice stuff in some pockets, but it is not essencial.
Detect Illusion: Is a REALLY good skill in BG2:EE, as it dispels all enemy illusion, and can be used as often as you like. In BG:EE it is really not nessesary and you can always drink a potion. Some items ARE worth pickpocketing:
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/8915/notable-pickpockets-spoilers

Some neglect Open Locks, because many locks can be either forced open, and all can be opened by the lvl2 mage spell Knock. But Open Locks can be used as often you like, without having to rest in between, so I really prefer to have it.

Items to increase thieving skills
Worn Wispers (boots): +35 HiS
Shadow Armor (Studded Leather Armor +3) +15 HiS
Potion of Master Thievery (3 hours): +40 in Open Locks & Pick Pockets
Potion of Perception (6 hours): +20 in Find Traps, Open Locks, PP & HiS
[/spoiler]
Backstab
[spoiler]
Choosing target
Mages make most excellent targets: They have low HP and high AC, and they most often die after one hit. A mage that has the chance to cast spells before you kill him, will be a much more fearsome opponent. Mages don't wear helmets, so you have a chance of dealing critical hits.
Archers standing in a group togheter are another good target. You take one down, and force the rest into melee. They tend to be dealing much less damage in melee.
Basically any opponen that will be death or near death after backstab. This also mean powerfull foes in late battle, that just need a last strike.

Immune Targets
Some targets (mainly in BG2:EE) are immune to backstab. Among them, some bosses, and most demons/devils, golems, oozes, dragons and beholders.

To Hit
Any attack made from shadows or invisible adds a +4 to your normal chance to hit. This means the Gnome and Dwarf has an advantage ovet the halfling: A flat 17 or 18 STR gives +1 to hit, while 19 STR gives +3 to hit. But even the Thac0 of a Halfling Fighter/Thief becomes better than a pure thief with 19 STR.

Damage
In order to backstab you have to be behind the target. Backstab multiply the DMG accordig to your thief level:
Level 1-4:X2
Level 5-8:X3
Level 9-12:X4
Level 13+:X5

Backstab damage is calculated this way:
((Base damage + Proficiency bonus + item bonus, bard song etc) x backstabbing multiplier + strength bonus ) x critical hit + additional weapon damage.
This means the STR bonus isn't multiplied, making the difference between 18 and 19 STR less significant. One could say that the backstabbing Halfling fighter/thief is good, but the Dwarf and Gnome amazing! But even with the Halfling, there is enough ways to compensate for your STR.

Notable Melee/Backstab Weapons
Daggers:
- Silver Dagger - Werebane
DMG 2-5, THACO +1, THACO +4 Dam +4 vs Lycanthropes
- Dagger of Venom
DMG 3-6, THACO +2, 6 poison dam. per round
- Dagger +2, Longtooth
DMG 3-8, THACO +2

Clubs: (useable by Cleric/Thief)
- Club +1, +3 vs Unnatural Creatures
DMG 2-7, THACO +1, THACO +3 Dam +3 vs Unnatural Creatures
- Night Club +1 club with Thac0 +1, +2 at night

Staffs: (useable by Cleric/Thief)
- Quarter Staff +3
DMG 4-9, THACO: +3
- Staff Mace (one handed)
DMG 4-10, THACO: +2
- Staff Spear +2,
DMG 4-11, THACO: +2
- Staff of Striking
DMG 10-15, THACO +3, each attack uses a charge

Longswords:
- Long Sword +1, Flame Tongue
DMG 2-9, THACO +1, +2 vs Regenerating, +3 vs Cold-Using, +4 vs Undead
- Long Sword +2, Vascona
DMG 3-10, THACO +2, +1 Cold DMG
- Harrower (+1 longsword which is +3 vs undead)

Short Swords:
- Short Sword +2
3-8, THACO +2
- Short Sword of Backstabbing
DMG 4-9, THACO +3

Scimitars:
-Scimitar +2:
DMG 3-10, THACO +2
-Scimitar +3, Frostbrand:
DMG 4-11, THACO +3
-Scimitar +5, Defender
DMG 4-11, THACO +3, +2 AC
[/spoiler]
Ranged attacks
[spoiler]
If not backstabbing, setting or removing traps, you fighter/thief is good at dealing ranged damage. Which race is better depends on your weapon of choice. The calculations beneath is based Halfling having STR 18 and DEX 20, while Gnome and Dwarf are having STR 19 and DEX 19/18.

Bows, Crossbows, Darts: Halfling get +1 THAC0 compared to the other races.

Sling: Halfling get a +2 THAC0 over the other races, due to DEX bonus and Halfling bonus with sling. Gnomes and Dwarfs on the other hand get DMG bonus from their STR, which is +5 DMG compared to halfling.

Throwing Daggers and Axes: Gnomes and Dwarfs are king, since to hit is determined both by DEX and STR, which means they gets +1 more than Halflings. On top they get the +5 DMG. Auch!

Notable Ranged Weapons
Longbows: (only Fighter/Thief)
- Composite Long Bow+1 (+2 THAC0, +3 DMG)
- Long Bow of Marksmanship (+3 THAC0, +2 DMG)
Shortbow:
- Eagle Bow (+2 THAC0, +2 DMG)

Bows have the greatest variety of magically enhanced arrows, making bows a real solid choice.

Heavy Crossbow: (only Fighter/Thief)
- Heavy Crossbow of Accuracy (+5 THAC0, +2 DMG)
Light Crossbow:
- Light Crossbow of Speed (+1 THAC0, +1 DMG, +1 attack/round)

Crossbows shoots bolts. They come in less variety than arrows, but are still good, and in plenty surply. You can get bolt of biting or lightning DMG.

Sling: (useable by Cleric/Thief)
- Sling + 3 (+3 THAC0, +3 DMG)
- Sling of Unerring Accuracy (+2 THAC0)
Slings throw bullets, bullets come with electricity/fire/ice DMG.

Axe: (only Fighter/Thief)
- Throwing Axe +2 (+2 THAC0, return to user)
Note that non-returning axes are heavy to carry and not really recommendable.

Darts: No returning darts, but Darts of Wounding and Darts of Stunning are great. Dart come with acid/fire/ice DMG. Darts are fast, 3 APR. This also means they can be a pain to manage, and you run out quickly.

Daggers: Daggers do a lot of damage/round. Sadly there is no returning daggers, and no magical ones. Daggers are heavy to carry, and can be a pain to manage. Still not a bad choice as a secondary ranged weapon.
[/spoiler]
Items to increase stats
[spoiler]
Buckley's Buckler (Buckler +1 AC),+1 CON.
The Brawling Hands (Gauntlets) sets DEX to 18
Girdle of Hill Giant Strength, sets STR to 19, and INT to 6
Gauntlets of Ogre Power, sets STR to 18/00
Kiel's Buckler +1 DEX
Algernon's Cloak +2 CHA
Nymph Cloak +2 CHA

Tomes add permanent stat increase: +1STR, +1DEX, +1CON, +1INT, +3WIS, +1CHA.
Potions increasing STR are quite common. The same goes for potions increasing AC.
[/spoiler]
Other useful items
[spoiler]
- The Claw of Kazgaroth (cursed): +1 to AC, +4 Missile AC. +3 save vs. Wands, Breath, Spells and Polymorph. -2 CON and -4 save vs. Death. Note: The CON penalty seems hard, but the shorty saves appear to be calculated from the base CON, so the Claw will not affect them.
- Elven Chain Mail: AC 5. Allow using thieving skills and cast spells while wearing. Lockpicking and Find Traps - 5%, HiS -10% and PP -20% .
[/spoiler]
Level Caps
[spoiler]
BG:EE
The xp cap of BG:EE is 161.000, equivalent to thief lvl 10, fighter lvl 8, cleric lvl 8, illusionist lvl 9.
Multiclasses will naturally have to split xp in two, equivalent to fighter(7)/thief(8), cleric(7)/thief(8) and illusionist(7)/thief(8).

Siege of Dragonspear
*coming up*

BG2:EE
The xp cap is 8 mill., equivalent to thief lvl 40, fighter lvl 40, cleric lvl 40, illusionist lvl 31.
Multiclasses will naturally have to split xp in two, equivalent to fighter(24)/thief(28), cleric(25)/thief(28) and illusionist(20)/thief(28).
[/spoiler]

BG2:EE
Thief tactics in BG2:EE are much the same. Your traps get stronger, more enemies are immune to backstab, and ranged attacks does rule the day a little less. Eventually you get High Level Abilities, noteable the ability Use Any Item, that allows your thief to cast spells from scrolls, use any equipment etc.
BG2:EE SoA items
*missing*
BG2:EE ToB items
*missing*
Thief HLAs
*missing*

Fighter/Theif
The Fighter/Thief is better than a pure thief. You loose a few levels of thieving skills, but this is no big deal. The fighter part adds Thac0, APR, improved saving throws (stacks with your shorty saves) and HP. You can specialize in all weapons (but only backstab with weapons allowed by a pure thief), and you get more profficiency points. You can even wear heavy armor, and act like a fighter if needed. Acces to shields and helmets are another plus.

Additional Fighter/Thief tactics
[spoiler]
A fighter/thief is just like a thief with better combat abilities, and with better equipment. You cannot use thief abilities while wearing armor heavier than studded leather. In early BG:EE you will have a much easier time just acting like a fighter until you gain more thief lvls.

Notable items specific for a Fighter/Thief
-Helmets
-Heavy armor
-Shields
-Potion only useable by fighters
-Weapons
[/spoiler]
Race and Stats
[spoiler]
All 3 races are good, with 18 CON they all get save vs. wand and spell +5 (~25% less likely to loose a saving throw), and Dwarves and Halfling also got save vs death +5. They are all superior in some aspects, so the better race depends on your style. Halflings are more the sneaky thief/archer type, Dwarfs are more combat oriented, while Gnomes have neither of the downsides, but looses save vs death.

STR: Dwarves & Gnomes: 18/51. Halflings 17.
DEX: Dwarf: 17, Gnome 18, Halfling 19.*
CON: Gnome and Halfings: 18. Dwarf: 19.
INT: 9**
WIS: ? ***
CHA: ? ***

* This means an initial Dwarf -3 AC adjustment, and Gnomes & Halflings -4 AC adjustment. Ranged THAC0 Dwarfs + 1, and Halfling & Gnome +2. You'll get a tome to give a permanent +1 DEX, Then all get -4 AC adjustment, and Ranged THAC0 Dwarfs & Gnomes get +2, and Halfling +3.
** 9 is needed in order to use wands
*** WIS needs to be 9 if you plan on using cleric scrolls and wands in late BG2:EE. If not ignore WIS. Whatever is left gets into CHA.
[/spoiler]
Proficiency points
[spoiler]
Since you are part fighter, you can equip any weapon, and specialize (**) in any weapon. But you can only backstab with weapons allowed by the thief class. I find that bows, long swords and staffs are a solid choice all way through BG:EE, good early and good later. You got 4 points to begin with, and another two during lvl up in BG:EE.

I'll go through the best available weapons for backstabbing and ranged attacks, but I'll not telling you only this or only that. You got 4 **** point to distribute in the beginning. There different good good ways to do it:

A:
** Ranged weapon of choice
** Melee weapon of choice

B:
** Ranged or Melee weapon of choice
* Secondary weapon
* Secondary weapon or fighting style

C: (More fighter oriented)
** Melee weapon of choice (Scimitars are excellent, if you go kill Drizzt)
** Dual-wield

The least recommendable weapons for primary use
- Magical Clubs are very scarce, and even the best are not very good.
- Thrown Daggers can be a pain to manage, there is no returning daggers, and they are heavy to carry.
- Thrown Axes are also a pain early on, until you get a returning one (so don't use the first 4 points on this one.).
- There is only a single +1 Katana.
- Daggers (melee) are not at all great damage dealers, but the Dagger of Venom can be interesting anyway.
[/spoiler]


Cleric/Thief
Both cleric and thief are important support classes, but neither are really needed in a pure class version. By combining the two, you free up space in your party to bring whom you like. From the cleric the thief get more HP, slightly better TACH0, much better saving throws and the ability to use heavy armor, helmets, shields and cast spells (while wearing armor). You don't have the same fighting abilities as a fighter/thief, but you got buffs to make up for it. The biggest downside is being unable to use non-cleric weapon, leaving only staffs and clubs for backstab, and slings for ranged.

I'll not run through every single spell (at least for now), but just the ones that can be combined with the thief tactics to increase effectiveness. For a complete BG:EE spell guide, I think this is useful:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=205238783

Additional Cleric/Thief tactics (divine spells)
[spoiler]
Just like fighter, you can wear heavy armor early on, in order to increase your survivability.
You can boost your party before running into backstab, and afterwards you will be able to use spells to debuff enemies or do some crowd control. As a multiclass cleric, you still get acces to lvl 4 spells. Some spells are directly increasing your abilities as a thief:

Sanctuary lvl 1
Great spell for Cleric/Thieves, it allows thieving and removing traps without breaking the invisibility. You can't backstab from Sanctuary.

Draw Upon Holy Might lvl 2
Increase STR, DEX and CON. Useful to increase combat abilities, and the DEX bonus boosts your thieving abilities.

Holy Power lvl 4
Raises STR to 18/100 and gives the Thac0 of a fighter. Cast this before you cast DUHM.

Notable items specific for a Cleric/thief
- Honorary Ring of Sune: Grants one ekstra spell lvl 1-4.
- Wand of the Heavens: Flamestrike 8-48 to target
- Helmets, armor, shields etc.
[/spoiler]
Stats and proficiencies
[spoiler]
STR: 18
DEX: 18
CON: 17 (or 18)*
INT: 9**
WIS: 17***
CHA: ? ****

*You can start by 17 and then get the tome of +1 CON to reach 18.
** You need 9 in order to use wands
*** 17 is max for Gnomes, but don't worry about it, you get +3 from tomes.
****If you meet the above values, put whatevers is left into CHA.

You start by two proficiency points, but since you most likely want both backstab and ranged attacks, I recommend staff and sling.
[/spoiler]
Interface
[spoiler]
One detail that kept me from enjoying the Cleric/Thief class, was the fact that all the thief abilities was hidden on the quick bar. Now, only the Thieving ability is hidden in your special abilities. Pressing F5 will activate this ability in any other Thief class, and you can Open Locks, Remove Traps or Pick Pockets. It can be a bit annoying having to double click every time. Here is have to deal with it:

Go to Options -> Gameplay -> Assign Keys -> Actions -> Thieving: Then assign a key. Easy :)
[/spoiler]

Illusionist/Thief
The Illusionist/Thief differs from the other two, by actually being weaker than a pure thief in term of less HP and slower Thac0 progression. It is a less straight forward class to choose, but in exchance you get acces to a variety of very useful arcane spells, and will eventually become really powerfull. Being a specialist mage, you gain en ekstra spell/level, but are unable to use necromancy spells.

Again, I'll not run through every single spell, but just the ones that can be combined with the thief tactics to increase effectiveness. For a complete BG:EE spell guide, I think this is useful:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=205238783

Additional Illusionist/Thief tactics (arcane spells)
[spoiler]
Honestly you are pretty weak early on. Stand back and act like an archer, maybe wear a studded leather armor and forget you are part mage until you gain a few more levels. You got both defensive and offensive spells, I recommend to mix a bit of both. As a multiclass illusionist, you get acces to lvl 4 spells, but not lvl 5 spells. Some spells directly increase your thief part:

Armor and Shield lvl 1
Use as armor, in order to be able to cast spells. Armor last 8 hours, but Shield provides better protection.

Blur and Mirror Image lvl 2
Use as protection

Invisibility lvl 2
Use this untill your stealth is reliable. Use to disapear while in enemy line of sight.

Strenght lvl 2
Provides 18/50 STR. Useful selfboost, especially if you chose not to max STR.

Luck
Offers a 5% bonus to everything you do, including +5 to every thieving skill. It may be a minor bonus, but it stacks with potions

Ghost Armor lvl 3
Provides AC equivalent to plate mail

Haste lvl 3
Increase movement speed and adds ekstra attack/turn. Useful for hit'n'run tactics

Invisibility 10' Radius lvl 3
Useful just like Invisibility, but hides your entire party. Prepare for the ultimate surprise attack

Melf's Minute Meteors lvl 3
Creates meteors dealing 1d4+3 +3 fire DMG. One meteor/caster lvl. They act like a +5 weapon, with 5 APR. These are pretty handy, since you may want to attack from ranged anyway, and your thief Thac0 is better than that of a pure mage.

*more missing*

Notable items specific for an Illusionist/Thief
- Ring of Wizardry: Doubles lvl 1 spells
- Robe of good/neutral/evil Archmagi: Base AC 5, +1 saving throws, 5% magic resistance
[/spoiler]
Stats and proficiencies
[spoiler]
You'll have various of good ways to distribute the stat-points. I would aim for a 89 roll, and distribute like this:
STR: 18*
DEX: 18
CON: 17**
INT: 18***
WIS: 15****
CHA: 3 *****

* 18 STR is an absolute luxury you don't need. You can just boost yourself with the lvl 2 spell Strength. Still I like high STR, to increase carrying capacity and to save the spellslot. If not 18, have between 10 and 12.
** You can start by 17 and then get the tome of +1 CON to reach 18.
*** You don't benifit from going above 19 (maximum amaounts of spells known), use the tome + 1 INT to get there.
**** If you do not continue to BG2:EE, ignore it. If you do, you can still ignore it, OR: 15 + 3 WIS tomes = 18. 18 is needed to succesfully use the spells Limited Wish and Wish on regular basis. WIS needs to be 9 if you plan on using cleric scrolls and wands in late BG2:EE.
***** CHA : whatever is left

You got 2 proficiency points in the beginning, I'll recommend choosing one ranged and one backstab weapon.
[/spoiler]

Misc

Links
[spoiler]
Gernerel info, progression charts etc:
http://playithardcore.com/pihwiki/index.php/Baldur's_Gate

Walkthroughs, equipment etc: (Not updated to the EE version)
http://mikesrpgcenter.com/bgate/
http://mikesrpgcenter.com/bgate2/index.html
http://www.forgottenwars.com/index.html

Thief guide: (Not updated to the EE version)
http://www.gamefaqs.com/pc/258273-baldurs-gate-ii-shadows-of-amn/faqs/27550

[/spoiler]
A note on multiclassing with theif kits
[spoiler]
It is possible to add a thief kit with EE Keeper. However they do not always act according to the describtion: The game engine acts as if you created a normal x/thief; Any class get 25 thieving points/lvl, any class has acces to backstab, traps etc. In terms of HLA's, you get the normal theif pool. A Swashbuckler will be able to backstab and gain the Assasination HLA, a Shadowdancer will get full thieving skill points and may lay traps etc.
A Mage/*thief kit* is especially powerful, as the game will give acces to the +1 spell/lvl as if a specialist mage, but without any school restrictions.
[/spoiler]

BG2 Solo SCS Spell Guide

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Download link (Word): http://www.filedropper.com/bg2soloscsspellguide

BG2 Solo SCS Spell Guide

Introduction

Spell guides: there are dozens already out there and while everybody's opinions differ, we all know that Magic Missile, Mirror Image, Skull Trap, Stoneskin, Breach, Protection From Magical Weapons, Project Image, Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting and Time Stop are all you need, right?

Trouble is that nearly all the spell guides already written are for the vanilla game, where indeed a handful of powerful spells are all you need to conquer everything. See a mage? Breach him. Melee opponents getting to you? Stoneskin. Want to kill a bunch of enemies? Horrid Wilting. And so on.

When I first started playing with SCS I was amazed at the additional complexity of the AI. In particular the improved mages were remarkable. In the vanilla game I had never blinked at seeing a Yuan-ti mage. Now with SCS they were an utter nightmare, they hung around for ages, dispelled all my protections, and peppered me with Magic Missiles. The game had changed and the old tricks no longer worked.

At first I had no idea how to get through layers of magical defences. Then I read through the spell descriptions and gradually began to work it out. So I need a Secret Word to get rid of that. But first a Spell Thrust to remove this. And only then can I Breach. Do I have a Secret Word and Spell Thrust? Of course not. Who in the vanilla game even looked at those spells, let alone memorise them?

For the last few years I have exclusively played solo no reload. Party games no longer appeal to me, I know the companions, I love the roleplaying, the story is great. But I've already been there and now the challenge I'm interested in is the strategic combat aspect: to fight the full array of BG2 opponents at their utmost power, with their AI enhanced by SCS. And to do it without any kind of cheesy tactics or crutches, and most importantly, with just the one life. To survive everything they can throw at me and to find a way around it and ultimately to have the Bhaalspawn prevail.

I have lost count of the number of no-reload SCS games I have played. Most fail quickly (damn you Dire Charm!); some last longer (how the %*$! am I supposed to deal with the Shade Lord's aura?!). Some get very far and then succumb to restart-itis (Okay I'm in Suldanessellar but how cool would a Berserker-Assassin with Swashbuckler AC bonus but no armour and no traps be?).

One thing I've realised from my experience is that while all kinds of classes and combinations can do well if utilised intelligently, mage types have a far better chance of survival than any other class. Moreover, the sheer complexity of arcane magic adds a huge amount to the strategic element of the game. If you're ever going to beat a no-reload SCS, you need to understand the magic system.

I decided to write this spell guide from a specific perspective. This is not a vanilla BG2 spell guide, nor is it a guide for party play. This guide is for a solo character with SCS. My explanations and ratings for each arcane spell below are based on my experience playing the game under no-reload conditions. Naturally if you play with reloads, you might not weight so heavily towards some defensive spells that I rate highly. I should also add that I play with Item Randomiser, which I think is a wonderful mod which makes every game different. As such, I have not assumed that you will have specific equipment that would otherwise be easily or quickly obtainable and which would make certain spells obsolete.

Finally I should point out that this guide is written for BG2, ie SoA and ToB. If you're playing from BG1 then bear in mind that while the majority of the guidance and explanation is still relevant, some of the nuances are different. For example spells like Sleep are very useful in BG1 and totally useless in BG2, so the rating below would not be applicable for the BG1 portion of the game.

Two Types of Casters

In the descriptions below I make reference to two types of casters: pure spellcasters and fighter-types.

Pure spellcasters are those classes that rely almost exclusively on magic. These include single class mages, sorcerers, cleric/mages and most types of thief/mages. Pure spellcasters have to use spells to cover all functions: summoning, damage, defence, debuffing, crowd control etc. They therefore require a wide ranging spellbook and do not get too much mileage from spells that enhance combat prowess.

Fighter-types are those classes for whom magic complements their weapon skills. These include the various types of fighter/mages and swashbuckler/mages. Fighter-types have slightly different requirements from their spellbook: they do not need magic for their damage output, they can use their weapons and thereby get by with fewer damaging and summoning spells. Fighter types can instead concentrate on defensive spells as well as debuffing and crowd control. They are especially interested in spells that enhance combat capability.

While the value and utility of most spells are similar for spellcasters and fighter-types, certain spells have nuances that favour one type more than the other. I have noted these where applicable. Likewise some spells get a higher rating for one type over the other.

Explanation of Ratings

I have rated each spell out of 5, with 1 the lowest rating and 5 the highest. Below is an explanation of what each rating means.

1: These spells are either useless or of such limited utility that you will hardly ever need them. You will pretty much never need to memorise these spells.

2: These spells are of limited utility. They have some value and may be helpful in certain situations or for a specialised strategy. But on the whole they are not spells you will use regularly. You will rarely need to memorise these spells.

3: These are solid spells that will serve you well. You will likely use these spells regularly and they will be an important part of your spellbook. You will memorise these spells frequently.

4: These are strong spells and will form a key part of your regular strategy. You will be using these spells in any tough encounter and will memorise them on an everyday basis.

5: These spells are essential for your character to thrive and survive. These are the spells around which you will form entire strategies. You will need to prioritise these spells and ensure you never leave base without them.

Depicting your bhaalspawn

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So we all know of using in game portriats or of using custom portraits, but how many people actually tried writing or drawing out a visual depictions of their DnD or just BG character?

This includes modeling, sculpting, or using prop photography as well.

Misheard quotes!

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This discussion was created from comments split from: Small things amuse small minds.

Because I thought it deserved its own thread! Post what you used to think the characters in BG were saying.
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