I played with it in BG1 for a short time, but it kind of frustrated me...Smarter mages was so ridiculous with no breach...Anyways i got to the last battle in BG1 and couldn't beat it, i posted for some tips, got some really good ones which knowing now im sure i could beat it, but still i kinda gave up on it and never beat that last battle :D
Regardless, in my mind i thought "Smarter mages would not be a big deal at ALL with breach" considering thats what you need anyways...
So how much harder is it really?
To get a base for my skill level
I beat BG1 normal twice, Core Rules twice, once core rules solo (Archer)
I beat BG2 + TOB Three times, once normal, twice core rules
My last playthrough of BG2 was kind of a breeze. Don't get me wrong, it certainly has its challenges that i feel will never go away unless i cheese battles, but it was certainly done with much more ease than i had before...I actually got through the Melissian fight without a single reload for once, and without abusing wish...lol
Anyways, my question is, could i handle SCS? How much harder is it really? And will it be frustrating?
Am i correct in believing that BG1 SCS without breach is a nightmare? P.S. I figure if CHARNAME was an inquistor with true sight, it would be much easier :D.
Anyways let me know...Thanks
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How Much Harder Is SCS?
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Useless spells (are they really useless?
Hi, this is my first post, if played bg1 and 2 many times and i wanted to try something a bit different.
There are tons of spells that i NEVER use, and almost never hear about. Im hoping some experts here can give interesting ideas on how to use any of the spells on this list:
Level 1: Blindness, Chill touch, Colour spray , infravision , reflected image , shocking grasp, spook
Level 2: Deafness, detect invisibility , ghoul touch , glitterdust , luck , power word sleep ,
Level 3: Detect ilussion , minor spell deflection , slow , spell thrust
Level 4: Contagion, Enchanted weapon , Icestorm , Otilukes, Polymorth other, polymorth self , Teleport Field
Level 5: Conjure lesser elemental , Hold monster , Oracle , Shadow door ,
Level 6: Carrion summons , Desintegrate , Flesh to stone , Wyvern Call , Conjure elemental , Invisible stalker
Level 7 : Cacofiend, Control Undead , Limited wish (repeatable) , Mantle , Prismatic spray , Sphere of caos , Summon djinni , Summon efreeti
Level 8: Bigbys Clenched fist , Power word: blind , Summon fiend , Symbol: death , Symbol : Fear, Symbol : Stun
Level 9: Bigbys Crushing Hand , Energy drain , Gate, Meteor Swarm
Some of these spells have some use, but there are other spells on their level with better results.
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Unpopular opinions
An idea has come to me to make a thread where we can share unpopular opinions about things in BG and other IE games.
1. Cernd is far from being useless NPC.
In fact, he has tons of high-level druid spells and if CHARNAME is not a druid, than by not having a second class Cernd offers a lot of variety in lvl 6-7 spells if compared to Jaheira. If use the high-level druid spells right, almost any fight in SoA becomes a lot easier.
2. Darts can be a good choice as a ranged weapon for a fighter.
Thalantyr's shop in BG1 has tons of useful darts, Sorcerous Sundries make it even better. There's an unlimited +3 dart on the first level of the Watcher's Keep, available not long after escaping from the Irenicus dungeon. Darts provide 3 APR and with addition APR from specialization and fighter class your darts stay a wonderful weapon from the Candlekeep and to the Hell.
3. 2 thieves in a party is not too much.
I prefer to focus on setting traps and dispelling illusions with one of them and to hide in shadows for backstabs with another. Also, there're Open Locks and Disarm Traps skills. There're always multi-class options available. For example, your character can be a multiclass fighter/thief with amazing backstabs while Tiax or Jan Jansen is focused on setting traps to the place you lure your enemies to. Or maybe a half-orc assassin for backstabs and poison weapon and Hexxat for other thieving skills.
4. Mazzy's relatively low starting STR is not a problem.
She has innate Strength spell, there're lots of STR-enhancing items in BG2, so that leaves you with a shorty fighter (and thus all saving throws bonuses) who has a chance to become GM in any weapon you like (or choose a standard short bow proficiency providing 5 APR with the Tuigan bow).
5. Keep trying using every and each consumables in any fight if you have any.
You won't believe how easier it will become if your fighters nearly always have 22-23 STR for fights and get their saving throws improved drastically. Wands will often be enough to defeat even bosses.
Carry on! Share the things that are relatively not popular among BG fans.
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Druid Grove: Can I do it without a Druid?
I'm currently doing my New Party Challenge (see board for details, I'm not going to bore with the long verison) and I got to the Druid Grove with a full party of
1. My Dwarven Barbarian/Mage
2. Auren
3. Anomen
4. Nalia
5. Mazzy
6. Cernd
Well Cernd got chunked so now I don't have a Druid. I can go and temporariy recruit Jaheria but I don't really want to have to waste my time if I can resolve this without challenging the Druid Grove.
P.S. I know I can poison the grove, but I don't want to go for the evil way out of this.
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Top 10 BG Background Characters
Well, this is the countdown that won out so here we go:
Just so we're clear, my criteria for "background character" is any character that plays little to no important role in the story. I am also excluding important characters from the major quests such as secondary villains like Firkragg but minor characters from those same sidequests are fair game.
Now that I've gotten that out of the way, let us begin
#10: Mad Cleric (BG2)
This guy is just a gem and probably my second favorite follower of Cyric behind our great Lord Tiax (praise be to him). So you're party is wondering around the Docks District and making their way to the Shadow Thief Guildhall for one of one of the quests there when all of the sudden you are meant by a crazed man demanding that you join him in worshipping Cyric. There are a few ways that you can resolve this, most of which end in violence but my personally favorite is tricking the man into believing you already follow Cyric. Just the man's reaction alone is enough to put him on this list, it's so...well I just want you to experience it for yourself.
#9: Oogie Wisham (BG)
It's just...paladins you know? The way they look at you it's like they just...know. This nutcase of a medieval conspiracy theorist can be found on the 2nd floor of one of the Jovial Juggler in Beregost and like most of the NPCs on this list, he is great to waste a minute or two on. Go fuel the flames of his paranoia, you won't be dissapointed
#8: Maple Willow Aspen (BG)
Another gem hidden away in one of Baldur's Gate many taverns, Maple Willow Aspen doesn't provide much in the way of conversation, but just her name alone is noteworthy enough to be on this list. If you DO decide to talk to her however, she does have a few things to say about her parent's odd choice in name.
#7: Reginald "Longtooth" Worthington III (BG)
Ah yes, NPCs. Whether they be companions or persons of no real consequence, one will always find something of noteworthy value in those who chose to divulge another personage in conversation whether it be enlightening or trivial or perhaps somewhere in between one can only discover the truth of the matter by engaging in words with another mutual interested individual for what would one's journey be without the intricacies of a mutually beneficial intercourse of remarks. Wouldn't you agree, dear fellow?
#6: Portalbendarwinden (BG)
This tired old hermit is a hillarious encounter for all players if you bother to find him, but the real reason Portalbendarwinden is on this list is because of what YOU can say to HIM...you guys know what I'm talking about and again I won't spoil for those who haven't had the privileged of talking to this old man themselves. (...AND HIS HAT!)
#5: Viekang (BG2/TOB)
Perhaps the most classic example of a random encounter that Baldur's Gate 2 has to offer (other than a certain unsuccessful assassin who ISN'T on this list) Viekang is....odd to say the least. You first meet him in Trademeet where he teleports away in a bolt of lightning at the first sight of you, giving you very little exposition as to why. After a long enough time that CHARNAME likely forgot about the man, you run into Viekang again when the party reaches Saradush in Throne of Bhaal. Now equipped with knowledge on Viekang's strange abilities and Mellisan's ill fated attempt to "help him" the party can choose to assist him in escaping Saradush. What becomes of him afterwards is a mystery for he does not make a third appearance, though one can assume that he eventually faced a fate that he could not escape from.
It is beginning to get rather dark where I am and I wrote down my list on paper, so I will finish the other half of this list tomorrow. In the meantime feel free to give your thoughts on my list so far.
I look forward to this and more countdowns in the future.
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Enemies surround you when you are hidden
Recently I have been playing as a Fighter/Thief and have discovered the delights of hiding in the shadows and backstabbing my enemies. However, the behaviour of hostile creatures does seem odd when you are hidden. Basically, even if you move away they make a bee-line for you and stand right next to you. When you are only fighting one or two enemies this is actually quite convenient because it saves you the effort of sneaking up on them; they form a nice orderly queue and wait to get backstabbed. However, it can also lead to situations where you end up being totally surrounded by enemies and unable to move.
This happened to me recently in a fight in Degrodel's house in Baldur's Gate. I provoked Degrodel to make him turn hostile and then instantly used the Sandthief's ring to turn invisible. However, I found myself completely surrounded by the creatures he summoned so despite the fact that I was invisible and wearing a cloak of non-detection everyone in the room knew exactly where I was.
Anyway, I was wondering if anyone else thinks this is a problem. Would it be better if hostile creatures stopped moving towards hidden characters?
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How do you choose your partymembers?
How do you choose your partymembers?
Prompted by my current playthrough, in which I can't really decide who to take along. :D Still, genuinely curious.
Shameless plug/cry for help: :D [spoiler]https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/71164/themed-playthrough-noble-paladin[/spoiler]
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The Villains: What still separates BG1 from other RPGs after all these years
I recently bought DA:Origins when it was on sale at GOG and have been playing it for the very first time. I've apparently completed 26% of the game (or so it tells me), and I've really enjoyed a number of things about it, including the story, characters, and dialogues. However, one serious drawback to the game that I've encountered (and which may ultimately discourage me from continuing to play it) is the combat, which feels more akin to action-oriented games like IWD or Diablo than a story-driven game like BG1 - in other words, the game just keeps throwing waves of the same nameless thugs, mages, and/or demons at you, instead of presenting you with individually unique and memorable enemies and encounters. I find that when games do this (like Pillars), the combat comes to feel very repetitive, even tedious, as though it were an impediment or distraction to experiencing the story rather than an integral part of the story itself. Practically every time that I step into a new room now, I think to myself, " *sigh* Oh goodie, yet ANOTHER room full of nameless thugs/mages/demons, etc. ..." This isn't to say that the battles aren't still challenging, but the game's "method" of challenging you is to simply increase the volume of nameless thugs that are thrown at you. On top of that, this kind of repetitive/tedious combat will usually seriously diminish the replay value of a game for me.
By contrast, like many things about BG1, the combat emphasized quality over quantity - instead of endless waves of nameless goons, you encounter individually memorable enemies like Silke, Nimbul, Bassilus, Brage, Davaeorn, etc., who have their own unique abilities, personas, and in some cases, even backstories. For me, many of these characters are almost iconic. Even after all these years, I still get apprehensive about guys like Tarnesh, Nimbul, and Davaeorn, since battles against them are often very unpredictable - they can just as easily kill you as you can kill them. IMO, it's one of the standout qualities of BG1 that still separates it from other RPGs that have come along since then.
Anyone else here feel the same way?
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Neverwinter Nights 2 Enhanced Edition
What's your opinion on giving us a EE of this great game.
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Which Spellcasters Spell Will Hit First?
So this is something I've noticed, or maybe I haven't and it's just confirmation bias. So help me out if you can.
It's not about spells having different cast lengths, that is understandable.
But say you have two mage, you pause the game, you cast the same spell from both, you play and usually it seems to me, one caster lands the spell faster than the other.
OK, so this is where my confirmation bias maybe kicking in, because it always seems as if Edwin is quicker.
I play very lazily, (sorry), use a lot of web and ranged. And this is where it's most noticeable, Edwin always seems to release the spell first and can retreat safely just that tiny bit quicker.
It's probably imagination, but has anyone else noticed the same?
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Super-Sorcerer Spell Selection
If you could choose from ANY (Wiz, Cleric, Druid) spell list as a sorcerer, which ones would you choose?
You get 5 spells to choose for each level, except 8 and 9 in which you get 4.
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Which Character Should I Play Next?
First of all, thanks to @JuliusBorisov for letting me recreate this poll after making a mistake earlier.
Now to business: So I recently finished my New Party Challenge run and I wanted to do another one. But this time I'm going to let you guys choose my next character from a list of ideas I've had floating in my head for a while. I will update in journal form alongside my screenshots so you can follow my story and hopefully get invested yourself. Now let the choosing begin!
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Alignment conundrum
Greetings fellow gamers!
I am about to embark on another full Baldur's Gate saga adventure with a charname unlike any I've ever played before. I am fully decided on how to play the character but I can't for the life of me decide which evil alignment would fit him best. So out of curiousity I wanted to ask your opinion about what you think the character's alignment should be based on his personality.
Male human warrior or non-kitted cleric
Personal philosophy and way of operating:
- He wants to increase his own personal power, so that he can serve, and ideally lead, the Sword Coast. He is smart about it, making sure that every single move strengthens either him or the region. Always looking at the big picture. Weakening the region a bit to strengthen himself a lot is an acceptable move, the reverse is not.
- Prefers to wield as much power as possible himself because he believes that he can use it better than others
- He won't indulge in pointless violence unless there's something to be gained or for fun when nothing can be lost
- He will break contracts and lie, cheat and betray people whenever it strengthens him or the region
- He will be merciless when it comes to disposing, converting or manipulating the enemies of the state
- He will look for like-minded allies
- He is very sociable and loves having friends and making alliances with people and parties he finds trustworthy
The way I see it his personal goal is clearly Lawful Evil. He wants to empower himself (getting stronger personally and finding dependable allies, while maintaining and strengthening the economy and military of the area) and the region in order to serve and one day rule over it.
The way he goes about doing certain things is definitely Chaotic Evil. He loves fighting and will pick any fight that seems profitable. He has no real honor, he will betray people left and right when appropriate.
Any thoughts? :)
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BG 3 Speculation
So rps has a speuclation about a kick starter campaign starting up. So what would people want.
I know i would almost want to see water deep as main setting and use of 5th edition rules would be interesing.
As well as geaphics engine. I love the pillars of eternity look.
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What, in your opinion, would be the worst party composition in a fully pregenerated party?
Simple, if you pregenerated a full party( without class or kit duplication) what do you think would be the worst party composition?
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Assassin kit and Poison Weapon
Due to the nerf are darts still the best weapon for an assassin to use? Starting a new game of SoD with a custom party and trying to decide if my poor elven assassin should stick with darts or go with shortbows. Or maybe I should just drop the assassin entirely and go with a stalker or something to fill the scout role. Thoughts?
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Gnome barbarian
Tonight I discovered that it is possible to play the game as a gnome barbarian and it got me to wondering whether anyone has ever done this?
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What tablet to play EE games?
Hi all! After a long break, I'd like to get back to playing the Extended Editions and finally get into Siege of Dragonspear - on tablet. So far I've played on my trusty second-hand Lenovo IdeaPad, but the meager 16 Gb storage is nearly full and the battery doesn't really last more than a few hours anymore. Also, it gets really hot after a few hours (what? you're not supposed to play for several hours?).
I'm considering upgrading in case I cannot get an extra SD card in there, just so I could even think of installing SoD and PST:EE. I'd like to stay on Android and I'm considering the two tablets in the poll. Would love to hear if anyone has been playing Beamdog games on either of those, if the games run smoothly, if there are know playability issues with either, and if you'd recommend one over the other. Thanks!
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Is there a mod that removes questionable changes beamdog added into EE?
as title says
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First time playing- solo/duo/trio
So I’m new to BG, never even playing D&D before. However I am pretty well versed in RPGs, and decided to go with a human sourcerer (N-Evil). I quickly got a full party but not a huge fan of carrying around 6 people, would it be a stupid idea to use less people? And if so would I get more XP due to the smaller party?
-any BG advice is welcome as well since I am new.
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