Hello all,
Just wanted to throw an idea out there. I find that this game allows you too easy an opportunity for unlimited gold and ridiculous uber-powerful equipment early on in the game. The way this is done is simply by stacking potions of master thieving to get your pickpocket over 200% and then essentially stealing everything that isn't tied down. Many shopkeepers allow you the option to steal. This can cause such an imbalance in the game that it ceases to be as much fun. Also, places like the Thieves' Guild, Mae'var's, and Roger the Fence(sewers) will allow you to sell stolen goods which pretty much leads to unlimited gold if you steal, sell back, repeat enough times.
With the single potion of thieving you find in Irenicus' dungeon and the ones you can purchase at Ribald's, you can get your (or Yoshimo's) pickpocket up high enough to steal the following(on Waukeem's Promenade alone):
Field Plate(x2)
+2 large and med shield
arrows of biting, and others
80 arrows of dispelling
high level scrolls (including a limited wish scroll which you can use to get a suit of +2 field plate)
all 5 wands from Irenicus's dungeon with maximum charges (sell and steal back)
Ring of Regen(pickpocketed directly off Ribald so I guess this one could be legit...ish)
Then, when you get to the slums, you can clean out the upstairs shop in Galen's house(arrows of acid, potions galore, almost any +1 magic weapon or armor, glasses of ID), Bernard's shop(xbow of speed, sword of flame, high level spells, Blade of Roses+3, Stonefire Axe +3, Sling of Seeking+2, Azuredge)
At the docks, you can acquire from Mae'Var's guildhall: Nymph Cloak, +2 weapons, Bracers of AC6, potions galore including enough thieving and perception potions to last you the whole game.
In the Sewers, Roger the fence has just about every potion you can think of.
In Trademeet, one of the vendors (not sure which) has the +3 acid club(Blackblood), Belt of Inertial Barrier, Cloak of Displacement, +3 Dwarven Thrower, Ras +2, Tansheron's Bow +3, and a Staff of Striking(I think)
In the Ust Natha, you can steal Firetooth +3, potions aplenty, Sentinel(+4 med shield), amulet of 10% magic resist, Rod of Smiting+3, Staff of Earth +2, and many scrolls.
There are probably more I have forgotten but you get the gist.
Overall, these are some of the best items in the game and getting them so easily feels wrong somehow. Now I know it is a choice and I have several times enacted what I call the "code of honor" which means: either no stealing from shopkeepers or limiting it to 1 item per vendor with no option to 3R (re-steal, resell, repeat). However, it might be nice to have the option to either eliminate the steal option from the elite shopkeepers or do not allow you to stack potions of master thievery, maybe as a mod perhaps?...and while we are on the subject, how about an option to lower the treasure from a Monty Haul to a Chincie Charlie? Even playing legit with a code of honor, I eventually hit a point where gold loses it gameplay value because I get so much of it.
Your thoughts?
Just wanted to throw an idea out there. I find that this game allows you too easy an opportunity for unlimited gold and ridiculous uber-powerful equipment early on in the game. The way this is done is simply by stacking potions of master thieving to get your pickpocket over 200% and then essentially stealing everything that isn't tied down. Many shopkeepers allow you the option to steal. This can cause such an imbalance in the game that it ceases to be as much fun. Also, places like the Thieves' Guild, Mae'var's, and Roger the Fence(sewers) will allow you to sell stolen goods which pretty much leads to unlimited gold if you steal, sell back, repeat enough times.
With the single potion of thieving you find in Irenicus' dungeon and the ones you can purchase at Ribald's, you can get your (or Yoshimo's) pickpocket up high enough to steal the following(on Waukeem's Promenade alone):
Field Plate(x2)
+2 large and med shield
arrows of biting, and others
80 arrows of dispelling
high level scrolls (including a limited wish scroll which you can use to get a suit of +2 field plate)
all 5 wands from Irenicus's dungeon with maximum charges (sell and steal back)
Ring of Regen(pickpocketed directly off Ribald so I guess this one could be legit...ish)
Then, when you get to the slums, you can clean out the upstairs shop in Galen's house(arrows of acid, potions galore, almost any +1 magic weapon or armor, glasses of ID), Bernard's shop(xbow of speed, sword of flame, high level spells, Blade of Roses+3, Stonefire Axe +3, Sling of Seeking+2, Azuredge)
At the docks, you can acquire from Mae'Var's guildhall: Nymph Cloak, +2 weapons, Bracers of AC6, potions galore including enough thieving and perception potions to last you the whole game.
In the Sewers, Roger the fence has just about every potion you can think of.
In Trademeet, one of the vendors (not sure which) has the +3 acid club(Blackblood), Belt of Inertial Barrier, Cloak of Displacement, +3 Dwarven Thrower, Ras +2, Tansheron's Bow +3, and a Staff of Striking(I think)
In the Ust Natha, you can steal Firetooth +3, potions aplenty, Sentinel(+4 med shield), amulet of 10% magic resist, Rod of Smiting+3, Staff of Earth +2, and many scrolls.
There are probably more I have forgotten but you get the gist.
Overall, these are some of the best items in the game and getting them so easily feels wrong somehow. Now I know it is a choice and I have several times enacted what I call the "code of honor" which means: either no stealing from shopkeepers or limiting it to 1 item per vendor with no option to 3R (re-steal, resell, repeat). However, it might be nice to have the option to either eliminate the steal option from the elite shopkeepers or do not allow you to stack potions of master thievery, maybe as a mod perhaps?...and while we are on the subject, how about an option to lower the treasure from a Monty Haul to a Chincie Charlie? Even playing legit with a code of honor, I eventually hit a point where gold loses it gameplay value because I get so much of it.
Your thoughts?