o======================================================================o
The alignment of your protagonist only matters so much in the first
game. In the sequel the allies you choose will react to your alignment
more, so you should try to choose party members who have an alignment
similar to yours. Where alignment really matters is between your NPCs.
Evil characters will react poorly to good characters, and vise-verse,
and in some instances violence may erupt between two allies. This is
less of a problem in the first game than in the sequel, but spare
yourself the aggravation and choose party members of like alignment.
If your protagonist is good-aligned, choose good or neutral characters.
If your protagonist is evil-aligned, choose evil or neutral characters.
If your protagonist is neutral, pick either good, or evil, but not
both.
Another reason for having some continuity of alignment within your
party is your reputation. Good characters will be happy with a high
reputation and unhappy with a low reputation, while evil characters
will be happy with a low reputation and unhappy with a high reputation.
At a neutral reputation, nobody is happy. If your reputation gets too
high (19+), your evil characters will disband. If your reputation gets
too low (2-) your good characters will disband. Since a high reputation
will earn you discounts at shops, it's always a good idea to keep your
alignment in the teens, at least. Discounts are good, and you can't
really afford to be pure 'evil' anyways, as a reputation of 1 will earn
you some pretty serious harassment by groups of Cowled Wizards and
Knights of the Heart. That's right, even evil characters will want to
keep their reputation reasonable... fairly high, even, for the purpose
of purchasing items. Speaking of reputation and alignment, your starting
reputation varies depending upon your protagonist's alignment, as
follows:
o===============o===============o
| Alignment | Starting |
| | Reputation |
o===============o===============o
| Lawful Good | 12 |
|---------------|---------------|
| Neutral Good | 11 |
|---------------|---------------|
| Chaotic Good | 11 |
|---------------|---------------|
|Lawful Neutral | 10 |
|---------------|---------------|
| True Neutral | 10 |
|---------------|---------------|
|Chaotic Neutral| 10 |
|---------------|---------------|
| Lawful Evil | 9 |
|---------------|---------------|
| Neutral Evil | 9 |
|---------------|---------------|
| Chaotic Evil | 8 |
o===============o===============o
Reputation Effects {DND069}
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
These are derived from the manual... save that the manual misprints the
required donation at reputation values of 13 and 14 as 200 gold and
500 gold. They should be 1200 gold and 1500 gold, respectively.
o======================================================================o
|Reputation|Item Cost|Donation Required| Additional Effects |
o==========o=========o=================o===============================o
| 20 | -50% | -- |+4 Reaction Adjustment |
| 19 | -40% | -- |+3 Reaction Adjustment |
| 18 | -30% | -- |+3 Reaction Adjustment |
| 17 | -20% | 5000 |+2 Reaction Adjustment |
| 16 | -10% | 2500 |+2 Reaction Adjustment |
| 15 | -10% | 2000 |+1 Reaction Adjustment |
| 14 | base | 1500 |+1 Reaction Adjustment |
| 13 | base | 1200 |N/A |
| 12 | base | 900 |N/A |
| 11 | base | 700 |N/A |
| 10 | base | 500 |N/A |
| 9 | +10% | 400 |N/A |
| 8 | +20% | 300 |N/A |
| 7 | +20% | 200 |-1 Reaction Adjustment |
| 6 | +30% | 400 |-2 Reaction Adjustment |
| 5 | +40% | 500 |-3 Reaction Adjustment |
| 4 | +50% | 1000 |-4 Reaction Adjustment |
| 3 | +100% | 1000 |-5 Reaction Adjustment* |
| 2 |will not | 1200 |-6 Reaction Adjustment* |
| 1 | sell | 1500 |-7 Reaction Adjustment* |
o======================================================================o
*Indicates that at this reputation you may get attacked by Cowled
Wizards and Knights of the Heart. This is not a good thing, and you
should try to ensure that your reputation stays above this mark.
Item Cost: The rate of increase or decrease of the cost of items in a
store. It's funny, you'd think a thieves guild or dark elves would
reward a low reputation, or simply not know about your reputation at
all. Either way, the principle is simple, the higher your reputation,
the cheaper things will be.
Donation Required: Give money to churches, and your reputation
increases. Why we assume that churches morally benefit humanity, I will
never be able to understand. It reminds me of watching the 700 Club
when I was bored, listening to these predators telling desperately
poor people that they can afford to give money to 'Jesus'... anyways,
in a world with good and evil deities (as opposed to reality, which just
has evil ones) wouldn't giving money to an evil diety like Umberlee
lower your reputation? Evidently not. Even if you give money to sexist,
jealous, petty gods who delight in killing humans, your reputation
improves. Talk about art imitating reality..
Abilities {DND070}
o======================================================================o
Your abilities define what your character is good at. I prefer to call
them attributes, so if I mess up and refer to them as attributes later,
well, I'm talking about abilities. You have six abilities, and you can
re-roll them until you get what you want... or close to it. Take
advantage of it, get comfortable, and get rolling. Before that, let me
explain them a bit, so you know what to shoot for.
Strength {DND071}
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Strength is important for many reasons-obvious reasons. The stronger
you are, the more likely you are to deal effective blows, and the more
damage you deal in combat. To hit and damage bonuses are good things,
and higher carry weight can reduce annoying trips back to town. Also,
your Strength limits what arms and armor you can equip. For that
reason any and all characters who wish to compete in melee should
strive for an 18 Strength. Period. Mages can afford to use this as a
dump-stat, but even Thieves and Bards are going to want to have enough
Strength to wear some armor, wield swords and bows, and whatnot.
Warrior types (Barbarians, Fighters, Paladins, Rangers, single, multi,
or dual-classed) will automatically get exceptional Strength if they
start out with a Strength score of 18. This is a randomly generated
percentile from 1-100, commonly known as exceptional Strength. While
it becomes moot when you get the Manual of Gainful Exercise (thus
bypassing exceptional Strength altogether an boosting your Strength by
a point-ideally from 18 to 19), for single-classed warriors starting
out with a high exceptional Strength should be something to shoot for.
I mean, a Fighter only needs three attributes at 18, which is easy
enough to do. For multi-classed Warrior, however, don't sweat the
exceptional Strength percentile. It's more important to get 18's in
your Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, and whatever other attribute
your class would be aided by (Intelligence for Fighter/Mages, Wisdom for
Fighter/Clerics, etc.).
o========o=====o======o======o=====o
| Score |THAC0|Damage|Weight|Bash%|
o========o=====o======o======o=====o
| 3 | -3 | -1 | 5 | 3 |
| 4 | -2 | -1 | 15 | 4 |
| 5 | -2 | -1 | 15 | 4 |
| 6 | -1 | 0 | 30 | 6 |
| 7 | -1 | 0 | 30 | 6 |
| 8 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 8 |
| 9 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 8 |
| 10 | 0 | 0 | 70 | 10 |
| 11 | 0 | 0 | 70 | 10 |
| 12 | 0 | 0 | 90 | 12 |
| 13 | 0 | 0 | 90 | 12 |
| 14 | 0 | 0 | 120 | 14 |
| 15 | 0 | 0 | 120 | 14 |
| 16 | 0 | +1 | 150 | 16 |
| 17 | +1 | +1 | 170 | 18 |
| 18 | +1 | +2 | 200 | 20 |
|18/01-50| +1 | +3 | 220 | 25 |
|18/51-75| +2 | +3 | 250 | 30 |
|18/76-90| +2 | +4 | 280 | 35 |
|18/91-99| +2 | +5 | 320 | 40 |
| 18/00 | +3 | +6 | 400 | 45 |
| 19 | +3 | +7 | 500 | 50 |
| 20 | +3 | +8 | 600 | 55 |
| 21 | +4 | +9 | 700 | 60 |
| 22 | +4 | +10 | 800 | 65 |
| 23 | +5 | +11 | 1000 | 70 |
| 24 | +6 | +12 | 1200 | 75 |
| 25 | +7 | +14 | 1600 | 80 |
o========o=====o======o======o=====o
Dexterity {DND072}
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This affects your Armor Class and your THAC0 adjustment for missile
weapons. EVERY character should get an 18 Dexterity for the wonderful
-4 Armor Class modifier. Period. Anybody else find it odd that the
highest bonus a PC can legitimately have (18, -4) is only two points of
Armor Class shy of the Armor Class bonus gained by the fastest critters
in 2nd Edition (25, -6)? Ah, 2nd Edition was funny...
o=======o=======o=======o
| Score |Missile| Armor |
| |Adjust.| Class |
o=======o=======o=======o
| 0 | -20 | +5 |
| 1 | -6 | +5 |
| 2 | -4 | +5 |
| 3 | -3 | +4 |
| 4 | -2 | +3 |
| 5 | -1 | +2 |
| 6 | 0 | +1 |
| 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | 0 | -1 |
| 16 | +1 | -2 |
| 17 | +2 | -3 |
| 18 | +2 | -4 |
| 19 | +3 | -4 |
| 20 | +3 | -4 |
| 21 | +4 | -5 |
| 22 | +4 | -5 |
| 23 | +4 | -5 |
| 24 | +5 | -6 |
| 25 | +5 | -6 |
o=======o=======o=======o
Note: Your Dexterity will also affect your Thief abilities... if you
have any, of course. See [DND084] for more information.
Constitution {DND073}
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This attribute gives you Hit Points. Hit points are good. At 16, you
gain a +2 bonus to Hit Points gained per level, which for non-warriors
is the highest bonus possible. The number to the right lists the bonus
for warriors (Fighters, Paladins, Rangers, and their kits), which is +4
at 18. All warriors should have an 18 Constitutuion, but non-warriors
only really need a 15. Once they get the Manual of Gainful exercise,
they'll raise to 16, and be good to go.
o=======o===============o=======o
| Score |Hit Points per |Regen. |
| | Level | Rate |
o=======o===============o=======o
| 1 | -3 | 0 |
| 2 | -2 | 0 |
| 3 | -2 | 0 |
| 4 | -1 | 0 |
| 5 | -1 | 0 |
| 6 | -1 | 0 |
| 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | +1 | 0 |
| 16 | +2 | 0 |
| 17 | +2/+3 | 0 |
| 18 | +2/+4 | 0 |
| 19 | +2/+5 | 0 |
| 20 | +2/+5 | 60 |
| 21 | +2/+6 | 50 |
| 22 | +2/+6 | 40 |
| 23 | +2/+6 | 30 |
| 24 | +2/+7 | 20 |
| 25 | +2/+7 | 10 |
o=======o===============o=======o
Note: In the Regeneration Rate column, what the hell do those numbers
mean? Well, they're a measure of the time it takes to regenerate a lost
Hit Point... but not REAL time, no, that would be too simple-it's the
number of game-time seconds it takes to regenerate a lost Hit Point.
So for a Constitution score of 20, it takes 60 seconds-one minute-of
game-time to recover one Hit Point. One minute of game-time is 2.5
seconds of real time, so our rate of time-lapse difference is
60/2.5 = 24:1. This makes sense, doesn't it? It means that one hour
spent playing in real-time is one day of game-time. So divide all those
numbers by 24, and that's how many seconds it takes to recover a lost
Hit Point.
Intelligence {DND074}
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
If you're a Mage, get an 18, if not, it's a dump stat. By 'dump stat',
I mean lower it to 10 or so to put the excess points in other attributes
you actually need. 'Max Spell Level' refers to the highest level of
spell you'll be able to cast if you're a Mage. Note that if you're a
triple class Mage, you only need a 15 Intelligence as you'll never be
able to memorize 9th level spells anyways (the tome will raise your
intelligence high enough to cast 8th level spells.) 'Max Spells per
Spell Level' is the maximum number of different spells you can have in
your spell book per level. This will never be a deciding factor as you
can simply drink a potion to temporarily allow you to scribe more spells
than your spells per level allowance. In fact, you can just use potions
in a timely manner to scribe all the spells you wish, allowing you to
have as low of an Intelligence as you please regardless of your natural
'Max Spell Levle or 'Max Spells per Spell Level'. Still, it's just more
convenient to have the natural Intelligence instead of having to rely on
potions all the time and scribing spells all at once. If you fail at
scribing a scroll, simply reload until you succeed. Lore is your ability
to identify magical items. You'll legitimately never get high enough to
identify everything, so you'll always need the Identify spell, making
lore a non-issue.
o=======o=======o=======o===============o=======o
| | Learn | Max |Max Spells per | |
| Score | Spell | Spell | Spell Level | Lore |
| |Chance | Level | | |
o=======o=======o=======o===============o=======o
| 0 | 0% | - | - | -20 |
| 1 | 0% | - | - | -20 |
| 2 | 0% | - | - | -20 |
| 3 | 0% | - | - | -20 |
| 4 | 0% | - | - | -20 |
| 5 | 0% | - | - | -20 |
| 6 | 0% | - | - | -20 |
| 7 | 0% | - | - | -10 |
| 8 | 0% | - | - | -10 |
| 9 | 0% | 4th | 6 | -10 |
| 10 | 35% | 5th | 7 | 0 |
| 11 | 40% | 5th | 7 | 0 |
| 12 | 45% | 6th | 7 | 0 |
| 13 | 50% | 6th | 9 | 0 |
| 14 | 55% | 7th | 9 | 0 |
| 15 | 60% | 7th | 11 | +3 |
| 16 | 65% | 8th | 11 | +5 |
| 17 | 75% | 8th | 14 | +7 |
| 18 | 85% | 9th | 18 | +10 |
| 19 | 95% | 9th | All | +12 |
| 20 | 96% | 9th | All | +15 |
| 21 | 97% | 9th | All | +20 |
| 22 | 98% | 9th | All | +25 |
| 23 | 99% | 9th | All | +30 |
| 24 | 100% | 9th | All | +35 |
| 25 | 100% | 9th | All | +40 |
o=======o=======o=======o===============o=======o
Wisdom {DND075}
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
If you're a Cleric or a Druid, you want an 18. If you're a Mage, you
might want at least a 14 to use the Wish spell effectively in Baldur's
Gate 2. Otherwise, it's a dump stat. For Clerics and Druids you don't
have a spell level maximum for a low Wisdom in 2nd Wdition, but higher
Wisdom nets you bonus spells. Definitely a draw for single class
characters, but if you simply cannot spread your points out enough to
get a great Wisdom, it's not that big of a deal. And keep in mind, there
are three tomes in the game that add a 1 point bonus to this stat. The
bonus spells are listed by level, at 17 you'd get 2 first level spells,
2 second level spells, and 1 third level spell.
o=======o===============o=======o
| Score | Bonus Spells | Lore |
o=======o===============o=======o
| 3 |- | -20 |
| 4 |- | -20 |
| 5 |- | -20 |
| 6 |- | -20 |
| 7 |- | -10 |
| 8 |- | -10 |
| 9 |0 | -10 |
| 10 |0 | 0 |
| 11 |0 | 0 |
| 12 |0 | 0 |
| 13 |1 | 0 |
| 14 |2 | 0 |
| 15 |2/1 | +3 |
| 16 |2/2 | +5 |
| 17 |2/2/1 | +7 |
| 18 |2/2/1/1 | +10 |
| 19 |3/2/1/2 | +12 |
| 20 |3/3/1/3 | +15 |
| 21 |3/3/2/3/1 | +20 |
| 22 |3/3/2/4/2 | +25 |
| 23 |3/3/2/4/4 | +30 |
| 24 |3/3/2/4/4/2 | +35 |
| 25 |3/3/2/4/4/3/1 | +40 |
o=======o===============o=======o
Charisma {DND076}
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Charisma affects NPC reactions to you and determines shop
prices. Rarely you'll get a better reward for having a higher Charisma.
It's a dump stat for everybody except Bards, who should get an 18 in it,
and Paladins, who don't really have much of a choice when it comes to
Charisma. To get the best discounts, make sure to have your character
with the highest Charisma as party leader when interacting with the
shopkeeper.
o========o========o
| Score |Reaction|
o========o========o
| 3 | -5 |
| 4 | -4 |
| 5 | -3 |
| 6 | -2 |
| 7 | -1 |
| 8 | 0 |
| 9 | 0 |
| 10 | 0 |
| 11 | 0 |
| 12 | 0 |
| 13 | +1 |
| 14 | +2 |
| 15 | +3 |
| 16 | +4 |
| 17 | +4 |
| 18 | +5 |
| 19 | +8 |
| 20 | +9 |
| 21 | +10 |
| 22 | +11 |
| 23 | +12 |
| 24 | +13 |
| 25 | +14 |
o========o========o
Increasing Your Abilities {DND077}
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
In Baldur's Gate 1 there were lovely little books that increased an
attribute by one when read... no such luck for Baldur's Gate 2, but
even though you won't be reading your way to superiority, there are
some ways to improve your attributes in Baldur's Gate 2, which I will
list below. Most of them are kind of questy, so if you're skittish about
***SPOILERS*** you might want to stop reading. Oh, and this list only
includes permanent attribute increases, and, in a few instances,
potentially unavoidable losses.
--> After being captured by Irenicus in Spellhold, during the
Candlekeep dream sequence immediately after losing your soul,
you'll have to talk to a Demon at the entrance to the
Candlekeep Library. This Demon will require an attribute
sacrifice. It's a quest in the main story, and there is no way
to avoid this loss, so just pick the least harmful loss you can.
Attribute LOSS: [Dexterity -1] or
[Constitution -1] or
[Intelligence -1] or
[Wisdom -1]
--> After defeating Irenicus in Suldanesselar you will arrive in
Hell, where you must complete several tests. If you pick the
evil path during the Test of Fear, you will gain Constitution.
Attribute GAIN: [Constitution +2]
--> After defeating Irenicus in Suldanesselar you will arrive in
Hell, where you must complete several tests. If you pick the
good path during the Test of Selfishness, you will lose
Dexterity.
Attribute LOSS: [Dexterity -1]
--> After defeating Irenicus in Suldanesselar you will arrive in
Hell, where you must complete several tests. If you pick the
evil path during the Test of Wrath, you will gain Strength, or,
if you pick the good path during the Test of Wrath you will gain
Wisdom and Charisma.
Attribute GAIN: [Strength +2] or
[Wisdom +1] and [Charisma +1]
--> With the Deck of Many Things, if you draw the 'Star' card, that
character will gain on attribute point, depending upon their
class.
(Note: For multi-classed combos, the Fighter class is
considered secondary to every other class. A Fighter/Thief will
gain Dexterity, a Fighter/Mage will gain Intelligence, and a
Fighter/Cleric will gain Wisdom.)
Attribute GAIN: [Strength +1] (Warriors) or
[Desterity +1] (Bard/Thief) or
[Intelligence +1] (Mage) or
[Wisdom +1] (Cleric/Druid)
--> In Watcher's Keep you will find the Machine of Lum the Mad.
If you input the following code: Circle, Blue, Long, you will
gain Intelligence.
Attribute GAIN: [Intelligence +1]
--> In Watcher's Keep you will find the Machine of Lum the Mad.
If you input the following code: Circle, Red, Long, you will
gain Constitution.
Attribute GAIN: [Constitution +1]
--> In Watcher's Keep you will find the Machine of Lum the Mad.
If you input the following code: Circle, Square, Triangle, you
will gain Wisdom.
Attribute GAIN: [Wisdom +1]
--> In Watcher's Keep you will find the Machine of Lum the Mad.
If you input the following code: Square, Blue, Short you will
gain Dexterity.
Attribute GAIN: [Dexterity +1]
--> In Watcher's Keep you will find the Machine of Lum the Mad.
If you input the following code: Square, Short, Medium, you will
gain Strength.
Attribute GAIN: [Strength +1]
Suggested Abilities by Class {DND078}
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Below are the starting abilities I would suggest rolling for each class
at a minimum, ignoring racial modifiers and class modifiers. All classes
include their kits-an Inquisitor needs the same abilities as a Paladin,
a Skald needs the same abilities as a Bard, etc. This list is not set
in stone-especially for dual-class combos. An Assassin/Fighter, for
example, need not worry about warrior-esque Constitution (17+) if they
plan to gain more than ten levels as an Assassin, early dual-classing
Mages need not worry about high Intelligence, etc. Note that it is
possible-but extremely time-consuming-to surpass even some of the
tougher suggestions here-I've rolled up a Fighter/Mage with the
suggested stats below plus four points to spare before. Three 18's is
easily attainable if you roll a bit, four 18's is difficult-but possible
if you're willing to spend... an hour or so. Anything more, and... good
luck. I know, I know, who wants to spend all day rolling up a character?
But if you plan to play both Baldur's Gate games with one character,
that's a lot of time in itself... might as well make sure you've got a
character who's up to snuff before you start, I say.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Barbarian 18(91+) 18 18 10~ 10~ 10~
Bard 10~ 18 15 13~ 10~ 18
Cleric 18 18 15 10~ 18 10~
Cleric/Mage 18 18 15 18 18 10~
Cleric/Ranger 18(xx) 18 18 10~ 18~ 10~
Cleric/Thief 18 18 15 10~ 18 10~
Druid 18 18 15 10~ 18 15~
Fighter 18(91+) 18 18 10~ 10~ 10~
Fighter/Cleric 18(xx) 18 18 10~ 18 10~
Fighter/Druid 18(xx) 18 18 10~ 18 15~
Fighter/Mage 18(xx) 18 18 18 10~ 10~
Fighter/Mage/Cleric 18(xx) 18 18 18 10~ 10~
Fighter/Mage/Thief 18(xx) 18 18 18 10~ 10~
Fighter/Thief 18(91+) 18 18 10~ 10~ 10~
Mage 10~ 18 15 18 10~ 10~
Mage/Thief 10~ 18 15 18 10~ 10~
Monk 18 18 15 10~ 10~ 10~
Paladin 18(91+) 18 18 10~ 13~ 17~
Ranger 18(91+) 18 18 10~ 14~ 10~
Sorcerer 10~ 18 15 18 10~ 10~
Thief 10~ 18 15 10~ 10~ 10~
Wild Mage 10~ 18 16 18 10~ 10~
Skills {DND079}
o======================================================================o
You have a selection of skills... or rather, weapon proficiencies to
choose from, which has been greatly expanded from the first game. By
expanded I of course mean separated, so you simply need more points now
to achieve the same thing. For example, Large Swords has been broken up
into Two Handed Sword, Long Swords, Scimitars, and Bastard Swords. I'll
list some suggestions by class for what weapons you might want to look
out for, and hence, what kinds of proficiencies you want to buy.
Weapon Proficiencies by Class/Level {DND080}
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
LEVEL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Warrior 4 - 1 - - 1 - - 1 - - 1 ...+1/3 levels
Wizard 1 - - - - 1 - - - - - 1 ...+1/6 levels
Priest 2 - - 1 - - - 1 - - - 1 ...+1/4 levels
Rogue 2 - - 1 - - - 1 - - - 1 ...+1/4 levels
--> Priest includes Druids and Monks.
--> Rogue includes Bards.
--> Warrior includes Barbarians, Paladins and Rangers.
--> Wizard includes Sorcerers.
Weapon Proficiency Perks by Rank {DND081}
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
These are the bonuses you gain by spending proficiency ranks in a weapon
type, taken straight from the screen.
o===============o=======o=======o=======o===============o==============o
| Level | Ranks |To Hit |Damage | Attacks/Round | Speed Factor |
o===============o=======o=======o=======o===============o==============o
| Proficient | 1 | +0 | +0 | 1 | +0 |
|---------------|-------|-------|-------|---------------|--------------|
| Specialized | 2 | +1 | +2 | 3/2 | +0 |
|---------------|-------|-------|-------|---------------|--------------|
| Master | 3 | +3 | +3 | 3/2 | +0 |
|---------------|-------|-------|-------|---------------|--------------|
| High Master | 4 | +3 | +4 | 3/2 | +1 |
|---------------|-------|-------|-------|---------------|--------------|
| Grand Master | 5 | +3 | +5 | 2 | +3 |
o===============o=======o=======o=======o===============o==============o
--> Bards, Clerics, Druids, Mages, and Thieves can only reach the
rank of Proficient.
--> Paladins, Rangers, and multi-classed Fighters can only reach the
rank of Specialized.
--> The bonus attacks per round only applies to melee weapons.
--> Non-warriors (Barbarians, Fighters, Paladins, Rangers, multi,
single, or dual-classed) do not gain bonus attacks per round,
according to the game text. Of course... outside of the afore-
mentioned warriors, only the Swashbuckler (Thief kit) can
become Specialized in a weapon class, so it's mostly a moot
point, anyways.
Fighting Style Perks by Rank {DND082}
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Of course, there's more to proficiencies than just the weapon classes-
there's also fighting styles! They don't give stock bonuses like
weapon class proficiencies, and they aren't weapon specific-instead,
they potentially affect bonuses derived from fighting with a variety
of weapons. Here it doesn't matter what you use, so much as how you use
it. All fighting styles have two ranks, save Two-Weapon Style, which has
three ranks. In the case of the latter, you're not gaining bonuses so
much as you're eliminating penalties-being able to fight with two
weapons simultaneously is enough of a benefit.
Two-Handed: This fighting style allows the character to use a two-handed
----------- weapon and receive special bonuses.
Proficient (1 rank): The wielder gets a +1 bonus to damage rolls, a -2
bonus to Speed Factor, and the ability to score critical hits on a
roll of 19 or 20 (instead of just 20) when using a two-handed weapon.
Specialized (2 ranks): The wielder gets a further -2 bonus to Speed
Factor.
Sword and Shield: Anyone can pick up a shield and get its basic
----------------- protection bonuses, but by spending slots on this
fighting style, an adventurer can maximize the
benefits received.
Proficient (1 rank): The wielder gets a -2 bonus to AC against missile
weapons.
Specialized (2 ranks): The wielder gets a -4 bonus to AC against
missile weapons.
Single-Weapon: This fighting style is for characters who do not wish to
-------------- use a shield but want some bonuses when using a one-
handed weapon.
Proficient (1 rank): The wielder gets a -1 bonus to AC and inflicts
critical damage on an attack roll of 19 or 20.
Specailized (2 ranks): The wielder gets a -2 bonus to AC and inflicts
critical damage on an attack roll of 19 or 20.
Two-Weapon: This fighting style allows the character to use two weapons
----------- at the same time with fewer penalties. A character wielding
two weapons without a slot in this fighter style would incur
a -4 penalty to attack rolls with the main weapon and a -8
penalty with the off-hand weapon.
Proficient (1 rank): The wielder's penalties are reduced to -2 with
the main weapon an -6 with the off-hand weapon.
Specialized (2 ranks): The wielder's penalties are reduced to 0 with
the main weapon and -4 with the off-hand weapon.
Master (3 ranks): The wielder's penalties are reduced to 0 with the
main weapon and -2 with the off-hand weapon.
Proficiency Selection by Class {DND083}
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Below you'll find listed the different weapon types in the Enhanced
Edition of Baldur's Gate, and the classes who can use them. Remember
that in the case of multi-and-dual-classed characters, weapon
proficiencies are additive-you get the best selections of all your
classes... unless you're a Cleric or a Druid, then it's restrictive.
A Fighter/Mage gets all the proficiency options of a Fighter.
A Fighter/Druid is restricted to using Druid-allowed weapons.
|Barbarian
| |Bard
| | |Cleric
| | | |Druid
| | | | |Fighter
| | | | | |Mage
| | | | | | |Monk
| | | | | | | |Paladin
| | | | | | | | |Ranger
| | | | | | | | | |Sorcerer
| | | | | | | | | | |Thief
o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o
Bastard Sword | x | x | | | x | | | x | x | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Long Sword | x | x | | | x | | x | x | x | | x |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Short Sword | x | x | | | x | | x | x | x | | x |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Axe | x | x | | | x | | | x | x | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Two-Handed Sword | x | x | | | x | | | x | x | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Katana | x | x | | | x | | x | x | x | | x |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Scimitar, etc. | x | x | | x | x | | x | x | x | | x |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dagger | x | x | | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
War Hammer | x | x | x | | x | | | x | x | | x |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Club | x | x | x | x | x | | x | x | x | | x |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Spear | x | x | | x | x | | | x | x | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Halberd | x | x | | | x | | | x | x | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Flail | x | x | x | | x | | | x | x | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mace | x | x | x | | x | | | x | x | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterstaff | x | x | x | x | x | x | | x | x | x | x |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Crossbow | x | x | | | x | | | x | x | | x |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Longbow | x | x | | | x | | | x | x | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Shortbow | x | x | | | x | | | x | x | | x |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dart | x | x | | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sling | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Two-Handed Weapon Style | x | x | x | x | x | x | | x | x | x | x |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sword and Shield Style | x | x | x | x | x | x | | x | x | x | x |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Single-Weapon Style | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Two-Weapon Style | x | x | x | x | x | x | | x | x | x | x |
o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o
--> The Blade (Bard kit) can Master (three ranks) in the Two-Weapon
fighting style.
--> The Kensai (Fighter kit) cannot allocate any ranks into missile
weapons of any kind-crossbow, longbow, shortbow, dart, or sling,
nor can they put any ranks into the Sword and Shield fighting
style.
--> The Berserker (Fighter kit) can only become Proficient
(one rank) in missile weapons-crossbow, longbow, shortbow,
dart, or sling.
--> The Dwarven Defender (Fighter Kit) can attain High Mastery
(four ranks) in Axes and War Hammers.
--> The Dwarven Defender (Fighter Kit) cannot rise above the level
of Specialized (two ranks) in any weapon class save Axes and
War Hammers.
--> The Cavalier (Paladin kit) cannot allocate any ranks into
missile weapons of any kind-crossbow, longbow, shortbow, dart,
or sling.
--> The Ranger (and Ranger kits) can Master (three ranks) in the
Two-Weapon fighting style, and automatically start out
Specialized (two ranks) in the Two-Weapon fighting style.
--> The Archer (Ranger kit) cannot rise above the level of
Proficient (one rank) in any melee weapon class.
--> The Archer (Ranger kit) can attain the rank of Grand Mastery
(five ranks) in missile weapons.
--> The Beast Master (Ranger kit) cannot allocate any ranks into
any metal weapons. They can only allocate ranks into the
following weapon classes: club, quarterstaff, crossbow, longbow,
shortbow, dart, sling, and the fighting styles.
--> The Swashbuckler (Thief kit) can Specialize in all the weapon
classes a Thief can allocate ranks into, and they can attain
Mastery (three ranks) in the Two-Weapon fighting style.
Thieving Skills {DND084}
o======================================================================o
In case you're wondering where to allocate your Thief ability points,
I'll cover that here. In general though, you'll want to shoot for Find
Traps. Once you have 100% Find Traps, you can move onto other things.
Find Traps is the only thing that Thieves can do that a spell cannot.
Below are tables detailing how a character's race and Dexterity affects
their Thief skills.
|Pick Pockets
| |Open Locks
| | |Find Traps
| | | |Move Silently
| | | | |Hide in Shadows
| | | | | |Detect Illusion
o=============o | | | | | |Set Traps
| Race | | | | | | | |
o=============o=====o=====o=====o=====o=====o=====o=====o
Human | +15 | +10 | +5 | +10 | +5 | 0 | 0 |
<-------------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
Dwarf | +15 | +20 | +20 | +10 | +5 | +5 | +10 |
<-------------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
Elf | +20 | +5 | +5 | +25 | +15 | 0 | 0 |
<-------------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
Gnome | +15 | +15 | +15 | +15 | +10 | +10 | +5 |
<-------------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
Half-Elf | +25 | +10 | +5 | +10 | +10 | 0 | 0 |
<-------------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
Halfling | +20 | +15 | +10 | +20 | +20 | 0 | 0 |
<-------------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
Half-Orc | +15 | +10 | +5 | +10 | +5 | 0 | 0 |
<-------------o=====o=====o=====o=====o=====o=====o=====o
|Pick Pockets
| |Open Locks
| | |Find Traps
| | | |Move Silently
| | | | |Hide in Shadows
| | | | | |Detect Illusion
| | | | | | |Set Traps
o=========o=====o=====o=====o=====o=====o=====o=====o
9 | -15 | -10 | -10 | -20 | -10 | - | -10 |
<---------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
10 | -10 | -5 | -10 | -15 | -5 | - | -10 |
<---------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
11 | -5 | - | -5 | -10 | - | - | -5 |
<---------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
12 | - | - | - | -5 | - | - | - |
<---------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
13-15 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
<---------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
16 | - | +5 | - | - | - | - | - |
<---------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
17 | +5 | +10 | - | +5 | +5 | - | - |
<---------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
18 | +10 | +15 | +5 | +10 | +10 | - | +5 |
<---------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
19 | +15 | +20 | +10 | +15 | +15 | - | +10 |
<---------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
20 | +20 | +25 | +15 | +18 | +18 | - | +15 |
<---------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
21 | +25 | +30 | +20 | +20 | +20 | - | +20 |
<---------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
22 | +30 | +35 | +25 | +23 | +23 | - | +25 |
<---------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
23 | +35 | +40 | +30 | +25 | +25 | - | +30 |
<---------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
24 | +40 | +45 | +35 | +40 | +30 | - | +35 |
<---------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
25 | +45 | +50 | +40 | +35 | +35 | - | +40 |
<---------o=====o=====o=====o=====o=====o=====o=====o
Pick Pockets {DND085}
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Picking pockets is a pretty big deal in Baldur's Gate 2-certainly more
important than in the first game. In particular, stealing from shops
is the best way to score a full arsenal of spell-scrolls for your Mages
to scribe. There are also a number of arms and armor you can steal
early on that'll make life much, much easier. It's not necessary, but
it helps.
Open Locks {DND086}
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
You can use Open Locks to... well... open locks. Of course, once you get
the knock spell you won't need this anymore. Sure, it's nice to have
a Thief who can pick locks without having to use up 2nd-level spell
slots, but it's not essential. You can ignore this skill unless you are
just overflowing with points to spend.
Find/Remove Traps {DND087}
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This is the essential Thief skill. Clerics can find traps with a spell,
but they can't disarm them. To safely eliminate traps, you need a Thief
with this skill, and traps can be a problem in this game. In fact, this
skill is really the reason you need a Thief in your party at all. No
matter who you have, get their Find Traps to 100% before you do anything
else.
Move Silently/Hide in Shadows {DND088}
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
These skills work together to serve the same purpose-to keep enemies
from detecting you. In the original game, these skills were lumped up
into one skill, 'Stealth'. In Baldur's Gate 2 the skills were split to
make you waste extra points, and so the Enhanced Edition follows suit.
Still, they're practically the same thing-getting one is a waste of
time, so they'll be discussed in tandem. If you enter into Stealth mode,
you can move about undetected by foes and, if you're a Thief, backstab
enemies for heavy damage. This is pretty much the one combat upside to
being a Thief, and it's deceptively good. Seriously, if you have a Thief
with a good strength score, a magic weapon, and a good backstab
multiplier, you could end up doing well over 50 damage in a hit.
Considering that the most powerful enemies in this game will be lucky
to push 200 Hit Points, that's good stuff. For a combat-focused Thief,
this should be a priority... after Find Traps. You should aspire to get
these skills both up to 100, but keep in mind that later on in the game
any sneakiness will draw a True Sight counter, making it much less
effective.
Detect Illusion {DND089}
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
You can use this ability to dispel illusions as if you were using
True Sight. To activate it, just detect traps and if your score is
high enough those bad illusions will vanish. Of course, we have many
characters who can use True Sight, and while you're busy detecting
illusions, you can't attack.
Set Traps {DND090}
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This ability allows you to.. wait for it.. set traps. Traps are static
and can't be set during combat, which vastly limits their effectiveness.
I assume this score makes you more likely to succeed at setting your
traps, but honestly, I don't care enough to play around with it. Most
traps deal 2d8+5/3d8+5 damage, which is fair enough, but for all the
trouble it takes to set a trap and lure a foe onto it, you're probably
better off just using a bow.
Hit points {DND091}
o======================================================================o
You run out of Hit Points, and you die. These are important.
Multi-classing averages your Hit Points/level across your classes.
For example, take the Fighter/Mage:
Fighter (Hit Die: d10) + Mage (Hit Die: d4) = 14
Hit Points per Level: 14/Number of Classes: 2 = 7
Therefore the Fighter/Mage would have a maximum of 7 Hit Points per
level, or 5 for each Fighter level and 2 for each Mage level... plus
any relevant Constitution bonuses.
A multi-classed character will still get bonus Hit Points for having a
Fighter class and a high Constitution, but a dual-class character can
start out 9 levels of Fighter, get all 9d10+36 Hit Points,and dual-class
into something else. This is in every way favorable, and given the
experience cap in Baldur's Gate 2, nine levels of Fighter will have
virtually no effect on your second class' progression.
THAC0 and Armor Class {DND092}
o======================================================================o
THAC0 is an acronym for 'To Hit Armor Class 0'. This is the roll on a
d20 (a 20 sided dice) that you'd need to hit somebody with an Armor
Class of 0. Statistically, each point is a 5% chance to hit Armor
Class 0, and a roll of 20 is ALWAYS a hit, and a roll of 1 is ALWAYS a
miss, regardless of your THAC0/their Armor Class. Fighters get a lower
THAC0 quicker (hence a better chance to hit) than other classes, and
Mages have the worst THAC0 progression. A lower THAC0 and lower Armor
Class are better-which seems counter intuitive, but that's 2nd Edition
for you. (Nostalgia for a moment here.) Having a negative Armor Class
essentially raises the enemies' THAC0. For instance, if my Paladin has a
base THAC0 of 5 (-2 with all her proficiencies, Strength, the bonus on
the weapon, etc), and my Ranger/Cleric has an Armor Class of -13, my
Paladin would need an 11 on a d20 to hit her (-2 +13 = 11). That's a
55% chance to miss-a 45% chance to hit. So, for a general rule, lower
THAC0 and lower Armor Class are good. Unless the enemy has them. Then
it's not so good.
THAC0 by Class/Level* {DND093}
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
*This is taken straight from the 2nd Edition Dungeons and Dragon's
Players Handbook.
LEVEL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Warrior 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Wizard 20 20 20 19 19 19 18 18 18 17 17 17 16 16 16 15 15 15 14 14
Priest 20 20 20 18 18 18 16 16 16 14 14 14 12 12 12 10 10 10 8 8
Rogue 20 20 19 19 18 18 17 17 16 16 15 15 14 14 13 13 12 12 11 11
+Priest includes Monks and Druids.
--> Warrior includes Barbarians, Paladins and Rangers.
--> Wizard includes Sorcerers.
--> Priest includes Druids and Monks.
--> Rogue includes Bards
Multi-class characters use the best THAC0 progression of either of
their classes-Fighter/Mages use the Fighter's THAC0 progression, and
the Cleric/Thief use the Thief's THAC0 progression.
Dual-class characters use the THAC0 of their active class if they
haven't regained their bonuses from the previous (inactive class). If
they have, they use whichever gives them the best THAC0.
Armor Class Modifiers by Weapon Type {DND094}
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Different armor types are strong against different attack types. It
might seem like information overload, but keep it in mind when picking
between various types of armor. A suit of Leather Armor +3 versus a
suit of Studded Leather Armor +2 might both give the same armor class,
but because of the modifiers the Studded Leather is by far the better
choice. It comes up.
o===============o===============o===============o===============o
| Armor | Slashing | Piercing | Bludgeoning |
o===============o===============o===============o===============o
| Leather Armor | 0 | +2 | 0 |
|---------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
|Studded Leather| -2 | -1 | 0 |
|---------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
| Chain Mail | -2 | 0 | +2 |
|---------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
| Splint Mail | 0 | -1 | -2 |
|---------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
| Plate Mail | -3 | 0 | 0 |
|---------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
| Full Plate | -4 | -3 | 0 |
o===============o===============o===============o===============o
Saving Throws {DND095}
o======================================================================o
There are some things that speed and armor just can't protect against.
This typically means magic, in some form or another, and really, a
Fireball doesn't care about your Plate Mail Armor. An enchantment can't
be blocked by a shield, and being fleet of foot won't stop a Lich from
using vile necromancy to rip the soul from your body. Nope, for that,
we resort to Saving Throws, needlessly sorted into five categories that
aren't always as self-explanatory as they seem to be. When your
character is forced to making a saving throw check against something,
they 'roll' a d20 and must exceed their Saving Throw. So like Armor
Class, the lower the better.
Paralysis/Poison/Death
|Rod/Staff/Wand
| |Petrification/Polymorph
| | |Breath Weapon
| | | |Spells
Warrior o=======o=======o=======o=======o=======o
Level 1-2 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 17 |
Level 3-4 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 16 |
Level 5-6 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
Level 7-8 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
Level 9-10 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 11 |
Level 11-12 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 10 |
Level 13-14 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 8 |
Level 15-16 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 7 |
Level 17+ | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 6 |
Wizard |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|
Level 1-5 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 12 |
Level 6-10 | 13 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 10 |
Level 11-15 | 11 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 8 |
Level 16-20 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 6 |
Level 21+ | 8 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 4 |
Priest |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|
Level 1-3 | 10 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 15 |
Level 4-6 | 9 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 14 |
Level 7-9 | 7 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 12 |
Level 10-12 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 11 |
Level 13-15 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 10 |
Level 16-18 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 9 |
Level 19+ | 2 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 7 |
Rogue |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|
Level 1-4 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 15 |
Level 5-8 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 13 |
Level 9-12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 11 |
Level 13-16 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 13 | 9 |
Level 17-20 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 7 |
Level 21 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 5 |
Monk |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|
Level 1-3 | 10 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 13 |
Level 4-6 | 9 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 12 |
Level 7-8 | 7 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 10 |
Level 9 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 9 |
Level 11-12 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 8 |
Level 13-15 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 7 |
Level 16-18 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 6 |
Level 19+ | 1 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 4 |
o=======o=======o=======o=======o=======o
--> Warrior includes Barbarians, Paladins, and Rangers.
--> Priest includes Druids.
--> Rogue includes Bards.
Note: Multi-classed characters take the lowest Saving Throws offered by
any of their classes. For example, a high level Fighter/Mage uses the
better Fighter Saving Throws versus Paralysis/Poison/Death, and the
better Mage Saving Throws versus Rod/Staff/Wand.
Starting Spell Selection {DND096}
o======================================================================o
If you starting over as a Bard, Mage, or Sorcerer, you'll get to choose
what spells your character has in their spellbook... essentially what
spells your character knows and can choose to prepare and, eventually,
cast. If you imported from the first game, you'll get to keep the
spells you previously learned, which is a big improvement over the
original game. For newbies, however, the number of spells you'll get by
level are as follows, in the next several sections below you'll find
suggested spell picks by level:
o===o===o===o===o
|1st|2nd|3rd|4th|
o===o===o===o===o
Bard | 6 | 5 | 4 | - |
|---|---|---|---|
Mage | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
Mage (multi-class) | 5 | 3 | 3 | - |
|---|---|---|---|
Mage (triple-class) | 5 | 3 | 2 | - |
|---|---|---|---|
Sorcerer | 5 | 3 | 2 | - |
|---|---|---|---|
Specialist Mage* | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
Wild Mage* | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
o===o===o===o===o
*Wild Mages must pick the class-specific spells Nahal's Reckless
Dweomer (1st-Level) and Chaos Shield (2nd-Level). Specialist Mages
must chose at least one spell from their chosen spell-school per spell
level.
1st Level Spells {DND097}
o----------------------------------------------------------------------o
Spell Priority Description
Blindness (5th) It'll out-last combat and
severely impair one creature in
melee, which is good at low
levels for bringing down tough
customers.
Burning Hands (3rd) You can use it to kill trolls,
if need be.
Chromatic Orb (4th) At 7th level and above (which
nearly every spell caster
starts out at or above) it deals
some damage and has a small
chance to take an enemy out.
Identify (1st) Lets you know what magical items
do.
Magic Missile (2nd) Guaranteed 10-25 damage at 9th
level, great for whittling down
enemies and disrupting spells.
Sleep (6th) Not really a great spell
anymore, as most critters who
are actually dangerous are too
strong to be affected by Sleep.
Still, a few foes in the
early-going might be hindered
by it... and you really can't
expect too much from 1st-Level
spells.
2nd Level Spells {DND098}
o----------------------------------------------------------------------o
Blur (3rd) Makes all attacks take a -3
penalty and gives you a +1 bonus
to your saves. A basic defensive
spell you'll use a lot,
especially if you're a dual or
multi class Mage.
Knock (2nd) Opens locked things and allows
thieves to focus on other
skills. Absolutely essential.
Melf's Acid Arrow (5th) It can put trolls down for good
and deals continuous damage that
can disrupt spellcasters.
Mirror Image (1st) Not as strong as in Baldur's
Gate, you can now be hit instead
of an image. but it still gives
enemies a much greater chance to
hit an image.
Stinking Cloud (4th) Capable of incapacitating groups
of enemies and setting them up
for missile attacks. It won't
win every fight like it did in
the first game, but it'll come
in handy once in a while.
3rd Level Spells {DND099}
o----------------------------------------------------------------------o
Dispel Magic (1st) Has a chance to dispel all spell
effects on a creature, useful
defensively or offensively.
Tear down an enemies' buffs or
remove debuffs from your party.
You really need this spell.
Fireball (4th) Good for crowd control, and for
blazing lots of trolls at once.
Most enemies will survive this,
so it's not the problem-solver
like it was in the first game,
but it's good for softening
baddies up until you get Chain
Lightning and Horrid Wilting.
Haste (2nd) You get double the attacks and
movement speed, essentially
doubling your offensive power.
It leaves you fatigued
afterwards, but it has enough
duration to last most major
fights. This spell is one of the
essential spell-buffs for this
game.
Slow (3rd) Enemies save at a -4 penalty or
they are reduced to half their
attacks and movement speed, and
suffer a -4 penalty on their
attacks and Armor Class. This
is a death sentence for a melee
character, and used on a group
of strong Fighters can have as
detrimental an effect as Haste
has a beneficial effect.
4th Level Spells {DND100}
o----------------------------------------------------------------------o
Greater Malison (3rd) Makes all enemies save at -4 for
2 rounds/level. This should be
used at the beginning of every
big fight, making Confusion,
Chaos, Insect Plague, Finger of
Death, and Vorpal effects all
much more likely to succeed. An
indispensable offensive debuff.
Improved Invisibility (1st) Enemies cannot target you with
spells, and they take a -4
penalty to attack rolls. You
also get a +4 bonus to your
saves. One of the best defensive
spells in the game.
Stoneskin (2nd) One of the reasons you need
Dispel Magic, this gives you
(and enemies who can cast it)
A number of 'skins' equal to
one every two levels. Each skin
essentially negates a melee or
ranged attack. Stacked with
Greater Invisibility, Blur, and
Mirror Image and you can see how
characters with defensive spells
become hard to kill.
Lore {DND101}
o======================================================================o
Lore is a minor statistic that rates your ability to identify unknown
magical items. Bards have the best lore, but the identify spell is the
great equalizer. So long as you get a high enough lore on a character
to identify minor items that you receive a lot of (such as ammunition)
you're fine. Lore is even more redundant in Baldur's Gate 2, as 1st
level Mage spells slink further back into obscurity. You even get
glasses that let you identify things a number of times per day near the
beginning of the game!
Lore by Class/Level {DND102}
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Everybody Else 1 Lore/Level
Mage 3 Lore/Level
Thief 3 Lore/Level
Bard 10 Lore/Level
--> The Blade (Bard kit) only receives half the normal Lore per
level.
Experience Points (EXP Cap) {DND103}
o======================================================================o
You kill things, you complete quests, you earn Experience Points. You
gain Experience Points, you Level up, you gain Levels, you get stronger,
you can kill more stuff. Fun. In Shadows of Amn you have a maximum
experience cap of 2,950,000, which is pretty damn high. In Throne of
Bhaal they just say screw it and let you go wild, up to 8,000,000
experience points. This gives you nearly unrestricted level achievement
in this game... even I had to grind to hit the maximum, which is a
welcome change from the first game. Below is a list of the maximum
levels that can be achieved by the various classes with the two stated
experience caps. Note that once Throne of Bhaal is installed the
experience cap is moved to 8,000,000. Like in Tales of the Sword Coast
you do not actually have to reach the expansion to benefit from the
expanded experience cap.
o==========o==========o
|Shadows of|Throne of |
| Amn | Bhaal |
o==========o==========o
Barbarian | 19 | 40 |
|----------|----------|
Bard | 23 | 40 |
|----------|----------|
Cleric | 21 | 40 |
|----------|----------|
Cleric/Mage | 14/13 | 25/20 |
|----------|----------|
Cleric/Ranger | 14/12 | 25/21 |
|----------|----------|
Cleric/Thief | 14/16 | 25/28 |
|----------|----------|
Druid | 14 | 31 |
|----------|----------|
Fighter | 19 | 40 |
|----------|----------|
Fighter/Cleric | 13/14 | 24/25 |
|----------|----------|
Fighter/Druid | 13/13 | 24/21 |
|----------|----------|
Fighter/Mage | 13/13 | 24/20 |
|----------|----------|
Fighter/Mage/Cleric | 11/12/12 | 18/17/19 |
|----------|----------|
Fighter/Mage/Thief | 11/12/14 | 18/17/22 |
|----------|----------|
Fighter/Thief | 13/16 | 24/28 |
|----------|----------|
Mage | 17 | 31 |
|----------|----------|
Mage/Thief | 13/16 | 20/28 |
|----------|----------|
Monk | 21 | 40 |
|----------|----------|
Paladin | 17 | 40 |
|----------|----------|
Ranger | 17 | 40 |
|----------|----------|
Sorcerer | 17 | 31 |
|----------|----------|
Thief | 24 | 40 |
o==========o==========o
Epic Feats by Class {DND104}
o======================================================================o
When you reach around 3,000,000 experience, whether you're single, dual,
or multi-classed, you'll start earning 'High Level Abilities'. For most
single-classed characters, this is around 20th-level, which marks a
plateau known more commonly as 'Epic level'. Since many of these
abilities emulate 3rd Edition Feats (Baldur's Gate 2 came out near the
same time as 3rd Edition Dungeons and Dragons, but a 3rd Edition video
game wouldn't come until Neverwinter Nights) I prefer to call them
Epic Feats. Different classes-groups have their own selection of Epic
Feats to choose from-Warriors (including Rangers, Paladins, Barbarians,
Monks and of course, Fighters), Wizards (Mages-Specialist, normal, and
Wild-and Sorcerers), Priests (Druids and Clerics) and Rogues (Bards and
Thieves), including all relevant kits. All the Epic Feats in the game
are actually described below in the next section, organized by class.
Warrior (Fighters, Rangers, Paladins, Barbarians, Monks)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Critical Strike (requires Power Attack)
Deathblow
Greater Deathblow (requires Deathblow)
Greater Whirlwind Attack (requires Whirlwind Attack)
Hardiness
Power Attack
Resist Magic
Smite (requires Power Attack and Critical Strike)
Summon Deva (Paladins)
Summon Fallen Deva (Blackguards)
Track [Ranger only]
War Cry
Whirlwind Attack
Wizard (Mages, Sorcerers, Specialist Mages, Wild Mages)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Comet
Dragon's Breath
Energy Blades
Extra Level 6 Spell
Extra Level 7 Spell
Extra Level 8 Spell
Improved Alacrity
Summon Dark Planetar (evil Mages)
Summon Planetar (good, neutral Mages)
Priest (Clerics, Druids)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Aura of Flaming Death
Elemental Summoning
Elemental Transformation (fire) [Druid only]
Elemental Transformation (earth) [Druid only]
Energy Blades
Globe of Blades
Greater Elemental Summoning (requires Elemental Summoning) [Druid Only]
Implosion
Mass Raise Dead
Storm of Vengeance
Summon Fallen Deva [evil and neutral Priests]
Summon Deva [good and neutral Priests]
Rogue (Bards, Theives)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Alchemy
Assassination
Avoid Death
Enhanced Bard Song [Bard only]
Evasion
Greater Evasion (requires Evasion)
Magic Flute [Bard only]
Scribe Scrolls (requires Use Any Item)
Set Spike Trap
Set Exploding Trap
Set Time Trap
Use Any Item
Warrior Feats {DND105}
o======================================================================o
Critical Strike
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Special Requirements: You must know the Power Attack. You can only
choose this ability once.
A high-level warrior's intimate knowledge of vital spots on opponents
allows him to, once per day, concentrate all of the attacks in one round
to strike a vital area every time. With this ability, every attack roll
made in the next round is a natural 20, a critical hit.
Huh. And here I thought that a warrior was ALWAYS concentrating his
attacks on vital areas? I guess most of the time they're just screwing
around trying to score flesh wounds. The best thing about it is that
it ensures you hit every time in the next round. The criticals are nice,
but sadly, many things are immune to critical hits.
Deathblow
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
The Deathblow ability allows the warrior to blow through the defenses of
any lesser creature. For the next 2 rounds, any creature of 8th level or
lower is instantly killed when struck by the warrior.
I just have one question here... By Throne of Bhaal, what, exactly, is
below 8th level? Almost nothing. And if it is you can kill it just fine
without using a feat. This is useless.
Greater Deathblow
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Special Requirements: You must know the Deathblow ability.
Like Deathblow, this ability allows the warrior to vanquish lesser foes
with a single blow. When struck with a Greater Deathblow, any creature
of 12th level or lower is instantly killed. The ability lasts for 2
rounds.
12th level is a little better than 8th, but still too low to make a
huge difference, even if it lasts twice as long.
Greater Whirlwind Attack
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Special Requirements: You must know the Whirlwind Attack ability.
A more powerful version of the Whirlwind Attack, Greater Whirlwind
Attack gives the Fighter the same bonuses without penalties. Their
number of attacks per round are set to 10 for one round.
If you hit things with melee weapons, you need this feat. You need it
many times over. Period. Ten attacks a round? It almost makes up for
them nerfing grandmastery. In fact, it makes me wonder what the big deal
was with grandmastery if they were going to throw this monster in? It's
awesome enough for a Fighter, but think of what it can do for a
Fighter/Mage who is using Time Stop? Absolutely magnificent. It's the
combo of winners.
Hardiness
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Calling upon hidden reserves of Strength during times of danger, a
warrior can use the Hardiness ability to gain 40% resistance to all
forms of physical damage The ability lasts for 1 round for every 2
levels of the warrior.
Well, if you don't have any other way to defend yourself, here you go.
It's great for single-classed Barbarians, Fighters, and Monks, none of
which can cast spells. When you hit level 40 it'll last some 20 rounds,
which is phenomenal. This means you only need to get it once, as it'll
last you pretty much an entire fight. If you're a Fighter/Mage,
Fighter/Cleric, Ranger/Cleric, Fighter/Druid, Fighter/Mage/Thief, or
otherwise have some means of putting up defenses, you really don't need
to waste a pick.
Power Attack
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
A Power Attack allows the warrior to strike blows so forceful that they
stun an opponent for 2 rounds if it fails its save vs. death at a -4
penalty. The ability lasts for 2 rounds.
I suppose if you followed it up with a Whirlwind Attack... no really,
you can't Coup'de'Grace in Baldur's Gate 2, so stunning is useless. It
can delay an enemy, but wouldn't you rather use another Greater
Whirlwind instead? Why stun when you can kill?
Resist Magic
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This ability allows the warrior to temporarily tap a great inner
Strength and fight off the effects of malevolent magic. For 4 rounds the
warrior's magic resistance is set to 50 %. This is not cumulative with
other forms of magic resistance so if the warrior already has 50 % magic
resistance or greater, the ability is useless.
The ability is useless. They got that right. Four rounds? That's
pathetic.
Smite
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Special Requirements: You must know the Power Attack and Critical Strike
Abilities.
With the Smite ability, the warrior gains the ability to strike a mighty
blow, knocking an opponent back for a considerable distance and stunning
the opponent for 1 round. All attacks made in the first round are
critical hits. The ability lasts for 2 rounds. Large creatures such as a
dragons or giants will not be knocked back or stunned.
This ability isn't terrible. At least it's always going to stun
applicable creatures, and if they're near a wall or boxed in, you can
attack in unison with other characters, potentially knocking a dangerous
foe back long enough for other Fighters to get ready to Whirlwind
Attack. I still have to balk at wasting a total of three feats to get
this, however. I'd rather just hit them with more Whirlwind Attacks.
They can't do any damage to me if they're dead.
Summon Deva/Fallen Deva (Conjuration/Summoning)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Level: Quest
Casting Time: 5
Range: 40 yards
Area of Effect: Special
Duration: 4 rounds + 1 round/level
Saving Throw: None
This spell opens a celestial gate and calls forth an angelic Deva to
fight at the caster's side until the spell expires or the Deva's
earthly avatar is slain.
This spell opens an abyssal gate and calls forth a demonic Deva to fight
at the caster's side until the spell expires or the Deva's earthly
avatar is slain.
For Paladins and Blackguards, this is a no-brainer. Instead of being
added to their list of Clerical spells as a 7th-levell spell (which
they couldn't cast anyways) they get this as a special ability, usable
a number of times per day equal to the number of times they selected
the feat. Why would you not want to give a warrior the ability to
summon such a potent ally, and thus spare your Clerics from having to
bother? It's just a great move for Dorn/Keldorn.
Tracking (Ranger only)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
With an intimate knowledge of his surroundings and the creatures that
live within them, a Ranger can use the Tracking ability to give himself
a general idea of what creatures are in an area and which direction they
are. Red arrows at the edge of the screen will point in the general
direction of the creatures in the area.
Or you could just follow my guide. :)
War Cry
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
With a War Cry, the warrior emits a powerful and frightening yell that
will leave all opponents in a 30' radius stunned with fear if they don't
make their save vs. spell.
Or... a Mage could cast Chaos, which takes enemies out of the fight and
saves at a -4. Then the Fighter can go use the Greater Whirlwind he
saved by not wasting his time with this feat. Everybody wins.
Whirlwind Attack
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This ability allows the warrior to unleash a flurry of super-fast blows.
The ability sets one's number of attacks per round to 10 but one's THAC0
and damage suffer a -4 penalty. The whirlwind attack lasts for one
round.
Get it as a pre-requisite for Greater Whirlwind, and then ignore it. If
it weren't for Greater Whirlwind, this would be the go-to feat, even
with its penalties.
Wizard Feats {DND106}
o======================================================================o
Comet (Any School)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Level: 10
Casting Time: 9
Range: 90 yards
Area of Effect: 30' radius
Duration: Instantaneous S
Saving Throw: None
A more powerful and specialized version of Meteor Swarm, a huge meteor
or comet strikes the earth damaging all enemies in its path and sending
out a powerful shockwave that knocks away all foes in the area of
effect. Those knocked down must save vs. paralyzation or be stunned for
1D4 rounds. The comet itself does 10D10 damage This spell will not
harm party members.
10d10 is a nice chunk of damage, and it has a good radius, and it
can stun and knock enemies down as well? This opens them up for further
abuse, or at least gets them off of you for a while, allowing you to
make a telling first strike followed by opportunistic warriors or
further spell abuse. Any Mage worth their spell-books should get this.
The best part is, however, it won't cause any collateral damage! It's
an upgrade over Horrid Wilting to be sure. What it might lack in damage
it makes up for in stunning and in not allowing the enemy to save for
half against what damage it does do.
Dragon's Breath (Any School)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Level: 10
Casting Time: 3
Range: Visual range of caster
Area of Effect: 30-foot radius
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Special
This spell causes a disembodied head of red dragon to appear and
breathe fire with the Strength of an adult red dragon. In addition to
the enormous 20D10 fireball, the force of the dragon's breath knocks an
opponent off their feet and away from the caster. The victim can save
vs. breath to take half damage and not be blown backwards. This spell
will not harm party members.
Well... one glaring problem is it's lack of a save penalty, meaning that
more likely than not they'll be taking half damage, or 10d10, instead of
20d10. Also, there's no chance to stun, so why not just pick Comet
instead?
Energy Blades (Any School)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Level: 10
Casting Time: 3
Range: Special
Area of Effect: Special
Duration: 4 turns
Saving Throw: None
An energy blade is a discus made of pure energy. The disc gives +10 to
THAC0, and when thrown does 1D4+5 missile damage as well as 1D10
additional electrical damage This spell creates 1 energy disc per level
of the caster and sets the caster's attacks to 9 as long as the discs
are held.
This spell allows you to do 1d4+5 plus 1d10 electrical damage per blade
to one creature, or 7-19 damage per Energy Blade. Since you can fire off
nine blades in one round... That's 63-171 damage if you hit with each
attack, which you may just do thanks to the THAC0 bonus. Of course, you
are wasting time throwing things when you COULD be casting more spells,
but during a Time Stop sequence this will allow you to do some serious
damage to one creature. Of course, using a Spell Sequencer with three
Flame Arrows deals 60d6 damage (60-360 damage) with a minimum on a save
of 36d6 damage (36-216 damage) Or even look at the humble Magic Missile
with the same spell, which would do a happy 30-75 damage. The point?
It's not worth a feat. You'll have to get it anyways, but as a Mage,
I'd never bother wasting a 9th-level spell slot on it.
Extra Level (6, 7, 8) Spell
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Choosing this ability allows the wizard to cast one additional Level 6,
7, or 8 spell.
There are three of these feats, one for 6th-level spells, one for 7th,
and one for 8th. They're no-brainers why would you not want another
Death Spell, Pierce Magic, or Horrid Wilting? 7th-level spells aren't
stellar... but since you need it to get an extra 8th-level spell. Oh,
also, most Mages won't have much choice but to get these, anyways.
Limited number of feats and all.
Improved Alacrity (Any School)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Level: 10
Casting Time: 2
Range: Unlimited
Area of Effect: Special
Duration: 2 Rounds
Saving Throw: Special
Improved Alacrity essentially erases the pause between casting spells.
When cast, the Mage can begin casting a new spell the instant his is
finished casting his current spell. The effect lasts for 2 rounds.
Or you could just cast Time Stop. Longer effect, same results, and you
don't waste a feat. Or if you used the two together...
Summon Planetar/Dark Planetar (Any School)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Level: 10
Casting Time: 5
Range: 40 yards
Area of Effect: Special
Duration: 4 rounds + 1 round/level
Saving Throw: None
This spell opens a abyssal gate and calls forth a fallen Planetar to
fight at the caster's side until the spell expires or the Planetar's
avatar is slain.
This spell opens a celestial gate and calls forth a Planetar to fight at
the caster's side until the spell expires or the Planetar's avatar is
slain.
A nice spell indeed, but frankly it doesn't equal a Time Stop, and it
can be done just as well by a Cleric or Paladin summoning a Deva.
Priest Feats {DND107}
o======================================================================o
Elemental Summoning
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Level: Quest
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: 10 yards
Area of Effect: Special
Duration: 10 rounds
Saving Throw: None
Drawing power from the environment, this spell summons 2 16HD elementals
randomly chosen from earth, air or fire. The elementals stay for 10
rounds and will obey the caster as long as they remain summoned. There
is a 10% chance that a randomly chosen Elemental Prince will be summoned
instead.
The Elemental Princes rule over other elementals in their respective
planes. The Elemental Prince of Air is Chan. The Elemental Prince of
Earth is Sunnis. The Elemental Prince of Fire is Zaaman Rul.
Ten rounds for two 16HD elementals? Not worth it. But it is a pre-
requisite for another, better spell.
Elemental Transformation (Earth), (Fire)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Level: Quest
Casting Time: 4
Range: 0
Area of Effect: Caster
Duration: 5 turns
Saving Throw: None
Harnessing the power of the earth, this powerful shapechange ability
allows the druid to become a 24HD earth elemental of immense Strength.
The elemental form has an AC of -5, a THAC0 of 2 and does 2D10 crushing
damage with its attacks. When the druid returns to human form, he is
also healed 3D10 damage
Harnessing the power of fire, this powerful shapechange ability allows
the druid to become a 24HD fire elemental of immense Strength. The
elemental form has an AC of -5, a THAC0 of 2 and does 1D10 normal and
1D10 fire damage with its attacks. When the druid returns to human form,
he is also healed 3D10 damage
A THAC0 of 2 is pretty good... unless you consider the fact that every
Fighter will surpass it with ease, especially when you include their
magical weapon bonuses, which you won't have. Also a -5 Armor Class is
not very good. If you're a single-classed Druid, you're beyond help
already, and this isn't going to change things.
Energy Blades (Any School)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Level: 10
Casting Time: 3
Range: Special
Area of Effect: Special
Duration: 4 turns
Saving Throw: None
An energy blade is a discus made of pure energy. The disc gives +10 to
THAC0, and when thrown does 1D4+5 missile damage as well as 1D10
additional electrical damage This spell creates 1 energy disc per level
of the caster and sets the caster's attacks to 9 as long as the discs
are held.
This spell allows you to do 1d4+5 plus 1d10 damage per blade to one
creature. This allows you to do a range of 7-19 damage per Energy Blade,
and fire off up to nine blades in one round... That's 63-171 damage if
you hit with each attack, which you may just do thanks to the THAC0
bonus. For a Mage, this spell is kind of a boner-it takes up a 9th-level
spell slot which could be used for Time Stop or Comet. For a Cleric,
with their better THAC0 and less potent 7th-level spells, it might be
worth casting once in a while... especially for Viconia, who isn't much
use in melee, anyways.
Globe of Blades (Evocation)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Level: Quest
Casting Time: 9
Sphere: Guardian/Creation
Area of Effect: Special
Range: 0
Saving Throw: Special
Duration: 1 turn
The priest employs this spell to set up a globe of razor-sharp blades.
These whirl and flash around the caster, creating an impenetrable
barrier. Any creature attempting to pass through the blade barrier
suffers 10D10 points of damage Creatures within the area of the
barrier when it is invoked are entitled to a saving throw vs.
spell at -2. If this is successful, the blades are avoided and no
damage is suffered. The barrier remains for ten rounds.
It's better than Blade Barrier, but it can't help but make me wish the
save was for half instead of none... Still, that gripe aside it's worth
grabbing. Just keep your companions out of the meat grinder. In
conjunction with Aura of Flaming Death it really makes it painful for
enemies to attack your Clerics. As well it should be.
Greater Elemental Summoning (Druid only)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Level: Quest
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: 10 yards
Area of Effect: Special
Duration: 10 rounds
Saving Throw: None
Druids, having a more powerful link to the elements, can cast a stronger
version of Elemental Summoning. This spell can summon the Elemental
Princes themselves, randomly chosen from earth, air or fire. The
Elemental Princes stay for 10 rounds and will obey the caster as long as
they remain summoned.
Summoning the freakin' Elemental Princes themselves? That seems a bit
much, but if you can get it... You won't find better tanks in the entire
game, even if it's just for a turn. It's worth it.
Implosion (Evocation)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Level: Quest
Casting Time: 9
Range: Visual range of caster
Area of Effect: 1 creature
Duration: 2 Rounds
Saving Throw: Special
This spell creates a rift in the earth beneath the target which implodes
and closes in upon itself, crushing and burning the target and holding
it for 1 round. The spell does 10D10 fire damage and 10D10 blunt damage
The victim can save vs. spell for half damage
That's... not quite what the Implosion spell is meant to do, but okay.
It's like the Dragon's Breath spell, but it only affects one creature.
In other words, it's full of suck.
Mass Raise Dead (Necromancy)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Level: Quest
Casting Time: 2
Sphere: Necromantic
Area of Effect: Up to 5 party members
Range: Sight of the caster Saving Throw: Special
Duration: Permanent
A more powerful version of Raise Dead, this spell brings up to 5 party
members back to life and heals 3D10+1 per level of the caster points of
damage They can regain the rest of their Hit Points by natural healing
or curative magic. This spell restores life to dwarves, gnomes,
half-elves, halflings, elves, half-orcs and humans.
What are your characters doing dead in the first place? Try harder. This
spell sucks. If only you could have been given a straight Mass Heal type
spell instead.
Storm of Vengeance
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Level: Quest
Casting Time: 8
Range: 90 Yards
Area of Effect: 30 foot radius
Duration: 3 rounds
Saving Throw: Special
Casting this spell causes the earth to shake and the heavens to boil
with blood and energy. All enemies of the caster are stuck down by
acidic rain, earthquakes and lightning.
All enemies of 6th level or lower are slain instantly. The survivors are
struck by acidic poisonous rain and lightning. The storm lasts for 3
rounds. Each round, the victims suffer 1D6 electrical damage, 1D6 fire
damage and 1D6 acid damage They are also poisoned in the first round.
3d6 damage per round for three rounds? 9d6 damage? What a waste. If you
can't think of something better to pick, you need to be smacked about
the face and neck.
Summon Deva/Fallen Deva (Conjuration/Summoning)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Level: Quest
Casting Time: 5
Range: 40 yards
Area of Effect: Special
Duration: 4 rounds + 1 round/level
Saving Throw: None
This spell opens a celestial gate and calls forth an angelic Deva to
fight at the caster's side until the spell expires or the Deva's
earthly avatar is slain.
This spell opens an abyssal gate and calls forth a demonic Deva to fight
at the caster's side until the spell expires or the Deva's earthly
avatar is slain.
There's less competition for high-end Cleric and Druid spells as
opposed to the high-level Mage spells that Summon Planetar will take up,
so I'd suggest getting a Deva instead if at all possible. After all,
wouldn't you rather give up a Sunray, Greater Restoration, or Finger
of Death rather than a Time Stop?
Rogue Feats {DND108}
o======================================================================o
Alchemy
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
With Intelligence innate to the class, an experienced rogue has seen
enough potions in his or her adventuring career to simulate the creation
of one. With the Alchemy skill, the rogue can create one of eight types
of potions, once per day.
The potions a rogue can create are randomly chosen from the following
list:
1) Potion of Master Thievery
2) Potion of Perception
3) Potion of Extra Healing
4) Potion of Superior Healing
5) Potion of Regeneration
6) Antidote
7) Oil of Speed
8) Potion of Frost Giant Strength, only useable by thieves or bards
One, it's random, although I guess you could just wait around and stock
up. Still, these are all items you can buy from stores, and many of the
potions can be replicated with spells, or aren't very useful by the time
you get unlimited access to them anyways. The only interesting one, the
potion of Frost Giant Strength, can be permanently gained with girdles
on your main Fighters, and since it's only usable by thieves and bards,
it really only is useful on multi-class thieves.
Assassination
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Using every clever trick an experienced Thief has learned in countless
battles, this ability allows every strike in the next round to act as a
backstab, using the Thief's existing backstab modifier to determine
damage
This is more like it. Every attack counts as a backstab? Obviously the
more Fighter you have backing this up, the better, and with Haste it
becomes truly devastating. This is a must-have for thieves. Bards... I'm
not sure what backstab modifier it's using, exactly. Keep in mind that
many big bad things in this game are, sadly, immune to backstabs.
Avoid Death
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
With a superhuman effort, a high-level rogue can avoid almost certain
death. The effect lasts for 5 rounds and during this time the rogue
gains a +5 bonus to save vs. death, his Hit Points are increased by 20
and the rogue becomes immune to death magic for the duration of the
ability.
Eh. I suppose. It only lasts for five rounds, so you really have to know
that those death effects are coming, and even then, why not just pop on
a Death Ward spell? It really would protect against, what? Poison?
Negative Energy? If it lasted longer, it would be useful, but its
duration makes it iffy.
Enhanced Bard Song (Bard only)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This is a powerful aid to both the bard and to his allies. The song
gives the bard himself a 10 point bonus to his AC and 10 % magic
resistance bonus due to the power of the song. The song also gives his
allies +4 to hit, +4 to damage, +4 to AC, immunity to Fear, Stun and
Confusion, +5 % magic resistance and immunity to normal weapons. This
ability replaces the current Bard Song.
A Bard in Baldur's Gate 2 is essentially a support character. And if
this isn't a superior support ability, I don't know what is. +4 to hit,
damage, and Armor Class is a VERY good thing. I can't imagine any reason
for any Bard to skip on this.
Evasion
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
A rogue's natural sense of preservation becomes heightened with the use
of the Evasion ability. Evasion gives a +4 bonus to AC and +2 to all
saving throws. The effect lasts for 3 rounds.
The best thing to say about it is that it's a requirement for Greater
Evasion. Other than that, it's about the equivalent of Improved
Invisibility, but with much worse duration and no protection against
magic.
Greater Evasion
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Special Requirements: You must know the Evasion ability.
A more powerful version of Evasion, this ability gives +6 to AC and +3
to all saving throws. In addition, Greater Evasion allows the rogue to
move so quickly that his movement rate is increased by 2 and normal
missiles have no chance of striking him. Greater Evasion lasts for 5
rounds.
A little better, I guess. Better than Improved Invisibility in power,
but weaker still in duration and magic defense. It at least makes you
faster, and makes you immune to normal missiles. It'll help a Thief out
defensively, but if you've got spells as well, you probably won't need
it.
Magic Flute (Bard only)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This ability creates a magic flute made of pure magical energy. When
played, the flute can be used to cast the following spells:
Resist Fear (Party) - 1 charge
Globe of Invulnerability - 1 charge
Delayed Blast Fireball - 3 charges
The spell-like abilities on the Flute are used in the same way that a
wand's powers are used. The Flute lasts for 1 day.
What ass. Really? Resist fear is a low-level spell, Globe of
Invulnerability isn't going to protect you from anything in Throne of
Bhaal, and... well, Delayed Blast Fireballs are kinda nice, but it's not
worth sacrificing a feat over. Getting the bonus spell slots for a Mage
is one thing... it allows you to prepare any extra spell of that level,
and is a prerequisite for the 10th level spells, but this? Pass.
Scribe Scrolls
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Special Requirements: You must know the Use Any Item ability
This ability allows a rogue to create low and mid-level spell scrolls.
The scrolls that the rogue can create are randomly chosen from the
following list:
1) Magic Missile
2) Haste
3) Fireball
4) Dispel Magic
5) Dire Charm
6) Invisibility
7) Cone of Cold
8) Monster Summoning II
9) Monster Summoning III
By Throne of Bhaal what use are half of these spells? Magic Missile,
Dire Charm, Monster Summoning II and III are parlor tricks. Maybe back
in Durlag's Tower this would have been handy, but not now. It doesn't do
anything a Cleric, Druid, or Mage can't do better and more readily.
Set Exploding Trap
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This ability allows the rogue to set a powerful trap that unleashes a
fireball which causes 10d6 damage (save vs. spells for half damage) and
will knock its victims off their feet.
I generally think traps are pretty useless. Are traps really going to
help you against Beholders, Dragons, and Liches? I doubt it. 10d6
damage? That's a fireball, a 3rd level spell. Don't waste your feat.
Set Spike Trap
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This ability allows the rogue to set a powerful spring-loaded spike trap
that does 20D6 damage to the unsuspecting creature that sets it off.
Now this is a little better. 20d6 is hefty damage, and dealing that will
actually bother a powerful creature. If you want to do hit and run
tactics, this is an option.
Set Time Trap
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This ability allows the rogue to set a magical trap that casts a weaker
version of the high level Time Stop spell. For 10 seconds, the flow of
time slows for all but the rogue. Often, a rogue will use this trap to
get behind an opponent for a free attack.
This is also an interesting ability. 10 seconds is just over one combat
round, during which time a Thief can hide in shadows, like the
description says, or if they're multi-classed they may... say... pop out
a Whirlwind Attack? Just a thought.
Use Any Item
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Rogues take pride in their ability to adapt and make clever use of
whatever is at hand. This ability is an extension of that basic skill.
Once learned, the effect is permanent. The ability allows the rogue to
use any item, even items that are typically restricted to one class.
This allows the rogue to use everything from wands and scrolls to mighty
weapons that none but a Fighter could otherwise use. This ability is a
prerequisite to the Scribe Scroll ability.
Well... you never know what is going to be class restricted, but if you
are a Fighter/Thief, you can already use those mighty weapons, and if
you're a Thief/Mage, you can already use those wands, right? Not always.
There are a few instances where this comes in handy, and Haer'Dalis
should always get it. For a Fighter/Thief or Fighter/Mage/Thief
protagonist, this is also a must-get. It'll allow you to use such gear
as Montolio's Cloak or Wondrous Gloves.
My Protagonists {DND109}
o======================================================================o
I've played this game quite a few times, and have had many protagonists
over the years... but for these guides I've focused on the strongest,
most power-gamey characters out there, characters who are individually
powerful, unique, and fit well into various party setups. I first
started built this guide around a Fighter/Mage protagonist leading a
good party, but later added information for you evil folks out there.
The evil party was, by necessity, led by a Fighter/Mage/Thief
protagonist.
The Fighter/Mage {DND110}
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Fighter/Mage
Half-Elf, Male
True Neutral
Strength: 18/74 (19)
Dexterity: 18 (19)
Constitution: 18 (19)
Intelligence: 18 (19)
Wisdom: 10 (13)
Charisma: 10 (11)
Starting Proficiencies:
Flail: ++
Katana: +
Two-Weapon Style: +++
Overview:
---------
At the end of this game, the Fighter/Mage is arguably the strongest
character there is. I don't argue it, but I'm sure somebody might. As
far as I'm concerned, it's as strong of a protagonist as you can get.
Since this is your protagonist-the only character whose creation you get
to determine-you might as well make sure they've got the best possible
attributes. The ideal is to start out maxed in Strength, Dexterity,
Constitution, and Intelligence... which I've done. This character is
further boosted by tomes obtained in the first game, and if you're
following through with me, yours will be, too. It gives us an extra
advantage that surely befits our protagonist's paternity, and starting
out with a 19 Strength really helps this character shine. The Dexterity
and Constitution give him the ability to survive better, since he will
not, for most of the game, have much in the way of armor. Intelligence
is more of a matter of simplicity, as with a 19 Intelligence our
Fighter/Mage will not be restricted by a maximum number of spell per
level, and only rarely by failure when scribing scrolls... the latter of
which can be negated just by shifting the difficulty down to normal or
by save/loading.
What does this character do, you ask? A Fighter/Mage is what it sounds
like, a hybrid of fighting power and magic. Seems cliche, and these
hybrid characters never work anymore... but go back to the turn of the
millenium, when 2nd Edition Dungeons and Dragons ruled the land... or
was so recently subverted that it was still fresh in one's mind, at
least. The Fighter/Mage really does get the best of both worlds, and
these are two domains made stupidly strong in Baldur's Gate 2. Weapons
have never been meaner, and melee attacks soundly leave missile attacks
in the dust in Baldur's Gate 2, generally having more potent effects
and requiring no specialized magical ammo to harm creatures. Also,
freed from the confines of Baldur's Gate 1's level cap, our warriors are
free to rack up multiple attacks per round and drop their THAC0s to
stupidly low numbers. Nothing kills quite so quickly or dependably as a
high-Strength melee character with a good weapon in this game.
But that's just one side of the coin. The other, of course, is magic. On
its own, a warrior would be largely incapable of bypassing the defenses
of many creatures in this game, or surviving their onslaughts. Stoneskin
has a way of nerfing a warrior's potency, and an Illithid-who kills by
draining Intelligence instead of chisling away Hit Points-is just a
threat a warrior isn't built to handle. The Fighter/Mage, however, is
equipped to handle anything. Depending on the foe, they can buff
themselves with the appropriate magics to make themselves resistant
(or out right immune) to attack in ways a warrior can only dream of-
armor be damned. Thus protected, they've got a better chance of cutting
or smashing their way through any opposition, whereas a single-classed
Mage or Fighter could not.
To say that their magic is purely defensive and in service to their
melee, however, is not accurate. Certainly spells like Stoneskin and
Blur protect and thus protected, the Fighter/Mage is able to endure and
destroy, but without spells like Dispel Magic and Breach they, like any
single-classed warrior, would be unable to harm certain foes at all.
When necessary, however, they can just outright play the Mage card.
Lobbing out a Chaos or Slow will hinder enemies more than anything any
warrior could hope to do in a single round, and while it's true that
most of the death-dealing will be done with the Fighter/Mage's weapons,
it's the magic that allows them the security (and deprives the enemy of
any) to do so.
The ultimate expression of the Fighter/Mage synthesis is realized late
in the game (as a multi-class character, no levels are redundant for the
Fighter/Mage, who is always improving in significant ways long after
single-classed warriors have stopped gaining anything but Hit Points)
with the Time Stop/Greater Whirlwind combo. A single-classed Mage with
Time Stop and Horrid Wilting is a brutal thing, as is a single-classed
warrior with Greater Whirlwind. But together, you get an attack of such
breath-taking potency that even late-game bosses have no choice but to
topple over and die in front of it. And of course, the Fighter/Mage can
always just mimic the tactics of either of their component classes, as
well, when it suits them. The Fighter/Mage is the most defensively and
offensively powerful character out there.
How to Use the Fighter/Mage Effectively:
----------------------------------------
To start out the game, he picks the spells he'll need to get him started
listed in [DND097]-[DND100]. For his proficiencies, he'll get three
ranks in Two Weapon Style to reduce two weapon penalties by as much as
possible. He'll also get two ranks into Flails... mostly because Flails
were great weapons in the first game, and one of the best weapons you
can get in Baldur's Gate 2 is a Flail-which is obtainable rather early.
Lastly, I had him become proficient in Katanas, as Celestial Fury-one
of the most potent weapons in Shadows of Amn-will be available early
on. Later on in the game he'll get another point into Katanas, and
start working on Axes. This will allow him to ditch Celestial Fury
sometime in Throne of Bhaal so he can equip the Axe of the Unyielding.
The entire Fighter/Mage potency thing I drooled over above depends on
two things-having the best weapons, and the right spells. I intend to
make sure it happens.
The Fighter/Mage/Thief {DND111}
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Fighter/Mage/Thief
Elf, Female
Neutral Evil
Strength: 18/44 (19)
Dexterity: 19 (20)
Constitution: 17 (18)
Intelligence: 18 (19)
Wisdom: 10 (13)
Charisma: 10 (11)
Starting Proficiencies:
Katana +
Long Sword: ++
Two-Weapon Style: +++
Overview:
---------
The Fighter/Mage/Thief is a compromise-but not a bad one. The evil
party needs a Thief, so my typical Fighter/Mage combination puts on a
Thief hat. Simple as. Instead, however, of making a poor copy of my
Fighter/Mage and adding in some Thief, we should look at this class as
an opportunity, rather than as a burden. True, it's the Fighter in the
name that does the killing, and the Mage that allows it to happen, just
like with the Fighter/Mage, but the Thief's offerings are capable of
boosting the former. The idea here is simple-the best offensive benefit
added by a Thief is the backstabbing, so the Fighter/Mage/Thief should,
at every opportunity, strive to backstab. It's not easy to achieve in
Baldur's Gate 2, however, a game where nearly every Mage will gleefully
expose you with True Sight and some foes are just outright immune to
backstabs. Also, since my Fighter/Mage/Thief acts as the party tank and
specialized troubleshooter, it's difficult to work in a backstab when
you're drawing the attention... something going invisible would work
against, even if you could do so without being detected.
Our backstabbing abmitions will eventually become a reality, however,
when my evil protagonist obtains the Dagger of the Star +5, which has a
15% chance to turn the user invisible every time they hit a foe. A bit
of micromanagement, or simply keeping them behind foes to start with,
and you can rely on the massive x5 backstab bonus damage to occur. A
single such hit with a high-Strength evil protagonist will likely
seriously wound or even outright kill most foes in the game.
Additional tactical flexibility is made possible with the 'Use Any
Item' ability. Again, taking the glass-half-full approach, since the
Fighter/Mage/Thief is denied access to Mage epic feats, getting Thief
and Fighter, instead. This ability allows the Fighter/Mage/Thief to wear
items they would otherwise be prohibited from using, allowing them to
gear up in ways impossible to the Fighter/Mage. I'm not going to lie
and claim this makes the Fighter/Mage/Thief equal to the Fighter/Mage.
It doesn't. Spell selection and the ungodly Time Stop/Greater Whirlwind
combo will always be points in favor of the Fighter/Mage, but the
Fighter/Mage/Thief is potent in its own right.
How to Use the Fighter/Mage/Thief Effectively:
----------------------------------------------
My Fighter/Mage/Thief will likewise pick what spells are best suited
towards a combat-active Mage's survival. There were a great number of
potent Long Swords in the first game, so she starts out Specialized
in them, mastered in Two-Weapon Style, and Proficient in Katanas. She
will, like the Fighter/Mage, aspire towards Celestial Fury and become
Specialized in Katanas as soon as she can. Unlike the Fighter/Mage,
however, she will not be using the Flail of the Ages-that belongs to
Viconia in the evil party. Korgan, instead of Viconia, will use Crom
Faeyr (she just has no business having 25 Strength with one attack
per round), first with a shield in Shadows of Amn, and in Throne of
Bhaal, after building up proficiencies, he'll dual-weild the Axe of
the Unyielding, meaning Axes are out in the long run. Instead, my evil
protagonist doubles-down on Long Swords and uses the Equalizer as her
off-hand weapon of choice throughout Shadows of Amn. Afterwards, she
focuses her energy on Daggers in anticipation of the mighty Dagger of
the Stars, which will turn her into a back-stabbing monster, and
switches out the Equalizer for Angurvadal when it becomes useful to do
so. Other weapons like The Answerer and Hindo's Doom also find their
way into my inventory, for use in certain situations. As a Thief, she
gets her Find Traps up to 100 so she can detect and disarm pretty much
any trap in the game. She also gets her Open Locks up to 100 to negate
the need for any Knock spells. Lastly, she starts to partition her
remaining points between Hide in Shadows and Move Silently until they
are both 100, in preparation for future backstabbing. In the meantime,
a lower score and Boots of Stealth will do just fine. As for Pick
Pockets... Haer'Dalis works just fine for that purpose... it's certainly
better than wasting my protagonist's pointson it.
Importing Your Character from Baldur's Gate 1 {DND112}
o======================================================================o
It's quite simple to import from Baldur's Gate 1. Just go to the
directory in which your Baldur's Gate 1/2 games are saved. Find your
Save folder in Baldur's Gate 1 and copy the desired save game (ideally
the Final Save) and move it into the Save folder of your Baldur's Gate 2
game. For me, using Windows 7, these files were found in the following
location:
Libraries/Documents/Baldur's Gate II - Enhanced Edition
You can also export your character from within Baldur's Gate 1 and
move the character file over from the Characters folder in Baldur's
Gate 1 to the Characters file in Baldur's Gate 2. When in character
creation in Baldur's Gate 2 just click the 'Import' button and pick the
selected save/character. If these folders aren't in existence in your
Baldur's Gate 2 directory, just create them manually.
Amazingly enough, you can also import characters from good old vanilla
Baldur's Gate 2 to the Enhanced Edition. Just export the character
while playing Baldur's Gate 2 and copy the character files. These files
will be found in the 'characters' folder, named whatever you called the
export. There are two files you need to get, a .CHR file, and a .BIO
file. For example, if you export a character within Baldur's Gate 2
and name the export 'BOB', the files you'll want to get are BOB.CHR and
BOB.BIO. Just move them from the vanilla Baldur's Gate 2 'characters'
file and into the BG2EE 'characters' file, then start up BG2EE and
create a new character, selecting the 'import' option.
Note: When importing your character, the game will 'reroll' your
Hit Points in some cases. It's not fun when you import a character who
had 67 Hit Points at the end of the first game, only to find that for
the sequel you're starting out with 48 Hit Points. There is, however,
an easy work-around for this. Just set the game's difficulty down to
the lowest setting before importing your character to ensure your rolls
are maximized-hence setting them at their end of Baldur's Gate 1 values.
o======================================================================o
| Characters {CHR001} |
o======================================================================o
You'll notice that there are new friends and old to be recruited in
Baldur's Gate, but most of them, with the exception of Mazzy and ???????
can be found fairly early on in the game. You'll also notice that there
are fewer characters in Baldur's Gate 2. What they lack in numbers they
make up for in personality, an immeasurably favorable exchange. As there
are less characters there are less choices, but there are also fewer
dead-weight characters in this game. Even the characters from the first
game have typically been buffed up a bit.. and why not? Your main
character certainly gained some attribute points over the course of the
first game, right?
Most characters have quests associated with recruiting and/or securing
them, but many also have some quests that need to be completed when
they are traveling with you. They are mentioned in brief in each
character's description, mostly to point them out and let you know
where to find them in the Walkthrough, since their inclusion can be
somewhat... whimsical... at times. It made sense to me when I was
writing, honest.
Character Starting Stats {CHR002}
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
The starting attributes of recruitable characters can vary wildly
depending upon when you recruit them. Like in Baldur's Gate 1, they
will gain experience to scale to your level when you reruit them... to
an extent, anyways. The computer is never as smart about Hit Point rolls
or proficiency allocation as you will be, however, so try to get to
these characters early before the computer nerfs them too much.
Aerie {CHR003}
o======================================================================o
Female, Elf, Cleric/Mage, Lawful Good
Str 10, Dex 17, Con 9, Int 16, Wis 16, Cha 14
Starting Proficiencies:
Club +
Mace +
Quarter Staff +
Sling +
Overview:
---------
Enter Aerie, both a divine and arcane spell caster as well as a possible
romantic interest for male protagonists. For reasons I've discussed
before, I don't really find her very useful. I'm tempted to say that
with some patience she could pay off, eventually, but I'm restrained
from such optimism with the following question: who would you replace
Aerie with in the good party? This depends, of course, on what role you
want her to play, either filling in for a Cleric, or a Mage. If you try
to fit her in as a Cleric (in place of Anomen), you're significantly
weakening the fighting ability of your party. Since Aerie has to play
by Mage rules (no heavy armor), she's not much for melee combat... and
I'm sure not taking defensive gear from my Fighter/Mage to accomodate
her. Her Dexterity means that, technically, she could be moderately
well-protected in combat, but her Constitution and Strength just ruin
her. She would, at best, be a much, much more vulnerable version of
Viconia (lighter armor, no Magic Resistance, lower Dexterity), but
honestly, Viconia is only in combat in the first place because of her
defensive performance, and even then, only with a Strength-boosting
item devoted to the cause. As a multi-class character Aerie will
develop too slowly to really serve as a stand-alone Cleric, much less
one that will need the THAC0 and Hit Points to handle melee combat. If
you want to her to replace Imoen, the problem is even more acute-then
you need a Thief for the party, on top of the fact that a multi-class
Mage is not sufficient for the party caster. It would be near the end
of the game before she got any 9th-level spells, and while I'll suffer
this downside for a Fighter/Mage, who can contribute mightily in melee,
I will not suffer it in what is supposed to be our dedicated party
Mage. Even Imoen is on the cusp of too slow for the position. Failing
that, we can insert her instead of Minsc, where she can contribute
mostly with buffs (since her low level will inhibit both her spell
selection and potency.) In place of Minsc's bow... eh... it's a wash,
really, but if you're at all attracted to dropping Minsc for ???????
at any point, dragging out Aerie is pointless. She certainly can't
compare with ???????'s melee prowess.
Recruiting Aerie:
-----------------
You can find Aerie in the bewitched circus tent in Waukeen's Promenade
(AR0604). You'll need to go in and free her to recruit her, and defeat
Kalah and finish the Circus Tent quest to keep her-which really isn't
too much more of a requirement. This quest is located in the walkthrough
at [WLk015].
How to Use Aerie Effectively:
-----------------------------
Aerie comes ready to go with Slings, which is fine. It' how she'll be
able to contribute to fights without casting spells. Of course, since
she's a mutli-class Cleric/Mage, if she's not casting a spell at any
given moment, she's not being used optimally. Her best use for most of
Shadows of Amn is as a buffer and healer... the equivilent in the evil
party is Haer'Dalis, save that unlike Haer'Dalis, her caster level will
be too low to bother with some spells. This does not, however, prevent
her from using True Sight, Breach, Haste, Slow, or Chaos... when she
eventually gets them. Her spell progression will be on par with the
Fighter/Mage's, and hence the easiest fit is to replace Minsc with her,
and use her as a poor man's Viconia. Give her a suitable melee weapon
(Flail of the Ages seems profoundly wasted on her), and supplement her
poor Armor Class with Stoneskin and Blur. She can always inherit the
Bracers of Defense A.C. 3 after you obtain Bladesinger Chain, which...
well, is something. Midway through Throne of Bhaal should could actually
get quite potent, once she can contribute with Horrid wilting, Sunray,
and Spell Triggers, and she will eventually get Time Stop if you were
careful to obtain all the scrolls you can find. For most of the game,
however, she is a buffer/debuffer and a healer, a secondary spell-caster
through and through.
Anomen {CHR004}
o======================================================================o
Male, Human, Fighter/Cleric, Lawful Neutral
Str 18/52, Dex 10, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 13
Starting Proficiencies:
War Hammer +
Mace ++
Sling ++
Sword and Shield Style +
Overview:
---------
Anomen has several perks which makes him the best combat Cleric in the
game. First, he's a dual-classed Fighter, and while his dumbass didn't
stay a Fighter long enough (and didn't spend her proficiency points
wisely enough) to get the most out of it, he will have multiple
attacks per round and the ability to Specialize in weaponry. He's also
got a passable Constitution and a high Strength score, meaning you can
wait quite a while before handing him any Strength-boosting items.
Of course, at 25th-level he'll automatically get a Holy Symbol which
boosts his Strength, so really, you never need to concern yourself with
Strength. His Dexterity, however, is poor for a warrior, and while he
might benefit from The Brawling Hands, Korgan or Keldorn will benefit
more-both of them are worth neglecting a shield with, and hence, Anomen
will just have to make do with heavy armor and a shield. He can
technically fit into either party, provided you take his story quests
down the right (or wrong) route, but honestly, a good party playthrough
with Anomen is all I can stand. The thought of dragging him around with
me through every playthrough is enough to make me want to poke my eyes
out and chop off my hands. Not that he's a bad Cleric, he's not, he
just has a bit of a personality disfunction, and he wears on me... not
enough, however, that I avoided dragging him around with my evil party
for a while. Although I tout Anomen's melee prowess, he is, first and
foremost, a Cleric. A good one, too. He's not any worse for the position
than Viconia, save a few inconsequential extra spells due to Wisdom and
somewhat slower progression due to his Fighter levels, but nothing that
will be an issue down the road.
How to Use Anomen Effectively:
------------------------------
Anomen is pretty simple-get him some heavy armor and put a blunt weapon
in his hands. Fortunately for us, he knew he'd be dual-classing into a
Cleric some day, and hence, he avoided putting any ranks into edged
weapons. Huzzah. He really excels with either a Flail or a War Hammer,
however. Yeah, either the Flail of the Ages or Crom Faeyr, what else
would I be talking about? Either one would work for him, but I prefer
to give him Crom Faeyr and let my protagonist abuse the best two
one-handed weapons in the game. He also could potentially dual-wield,
but since this would critically deprive him of Armor Class (and take
half of forever for him to accumulate enough proficiencies to bother
with it), I don't suggest it.
Recruiting Anomen:
------------------
Anomen can be found in the Copper Coronet (AR0406) at (x=1530, y=1660).
In Anomen you'll find all the naive charm of Ajantis. Really, who sits
around in a sleazy bar in the slums asking people if they are courageous
and good? In any event, assure him that you are both and he'll offer to
join your quest. He seeks to prove his worth so he can join the Most
Noble Order of the Radiant Heart, and with what this game has in store
for him, he'll get the chance to prove such many times over.
Anomen's Quest:
---------------
After traveling with Anomen for a while, you'll have to deal with
Anomen's family quest. It's best if you prompt Anomen to stay virtuous
and ignore his father's request for revenge. It won't help his family
life, but it will allow him to join the Most Noble Order of the
Radiant Heart. If he fails at this, his often antagonistic relationship
with Keldorn will turn downright divisive. If you want both in your
party, you have to prevent Anomen from taking justice into his own
hands, however unsatisfactory the results. You'll find this quest
described in full in [WLK010]. If Anomen stays on the right track and
joins the High Hall of the Radiant Heart his alignment will change to
Lawful Good and his Wisdom will increase from 12 to 16.
Cernd {CHR005}
o======================================================================o
Male, Human, Shapeshifter, True Neutral
Str 13, Dex 9, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 18, Cha 15
Starting Proficiencies:
Scimitar +
Dagger +
Quarter Staff +
Sling +
Overview:
---------
I'm not even going to try to be partial here. Cernd sucks. His stats
suck, and his class sucks. Sure, he can shapeshift into a Werewolf, and
eventually a Greater Werewolf. Unless you've got a fix installed,
however, it's horribly nerfed, and even if you unnerf it, I still doubt
its potency compared to, say, a well-armed Jaheira. His spells are
fairly effective, but he's not going to cut it as your party's Cleric
(no Druid really can.) As a Werewolf he's serviceable so long as you're
committed to giving him nearly every Armor Class boosting item you get.
He can't wear armor, and a -2 Armor Class just doesn't cut it. Also keep
in mind he can't cast any Druid spells once he's committed to
shapeshifting. So what I want to ask is this; why take Cernd over
Jaheira? Jaheira can wear armor, which gives her a vastly improved Armor
Class without having to give her preferential treatment. A suit of Full
Plate Mail +1 and a Large Shield +2 is great early-game defense for her,
and it requires no real special investment of unique gear. Her THAC0
will be lower (or at least comparable) to Cernd's in werewolf form, and
she doesn't have to shapeshift to get these combat stats. Best of all,
she can cast spells while being combat-able. She won't get quite as many
Druid spells as Cernd, but her ability to obtain Greater Whirlwind
Attacks makes her far and away a better combatant by the end of the
game. There's just absolutely no good reason that I can think of to pick
Cernd over Jaheira. At least he doesn't need stat-boosting items. You
might think he would, but since he's only combat-savvy as a werewolf, he
can just augment his stats by transforming. Eventually Cernd will be able
to get the Elemental Transformation ability, and really, to contribute in
a fight he'll need it. Still, with a THAC0 of 2 and -5 Armor Class,
he'll still be eclipsed by all his party members and-more importantly-
his enemies. By the time Jaheira was ready to get her first high-level
ability, she had a THAC0 of 1 and a -8 Armor Class-without transforming
into anything. Not to mention she had more Hit Points than Cernd could
have hoped to attain, and she could still cast spells while maintaining
her good combat stats. On top of that, she can grab Whirlwind Attack and
further widen the gap between herself and Cernd.
How to Use Cernd Effectively:
-----------------------------
Anything that can boost his Armor Class-Rings of Protection, the Cloak
of the Sewers, he's going to need it. He can't wear armor, and even if
he could, he can't bring it with him when he shapechanges, which is
where all his offense lies. Given his attributes, it's something he will
have to rely on pretty much all the time. In all honesty, though, he's
probably better off used as a casting Druid. His shapeshifting abilities
just aren't good enough to bother putting him in melee combat. Yeah,
his defenses get fairly good, but he'll never have the THAC0 to compete
with the game's best... or even mediocre, for that matter. As a caster,
he does alright... not that Druid spells are so good that the deserve
a dedicated caster. Melee is, and always will be, his core issue. I
refuse to waste a spot on my roster for a non-fighting Druid, and
shapechanged or not, Cernd just can't make a good show for himself in
combat. Even if you toss him a Strength-boosting item, White Dragon
Scale, and the Staff of the Ram +6, he won't be up to snuff. On the
other hand, as a Greater Werewolf, his Armor Class is decent, but his
melee prowess still leaves much to be desired. The sheer fact that he
can't hit creatures requiring a +3 weapon or better while shapeshifted
makes it a useless transformation in Throne of Bhaal, really.
Recruiting Cernd:
-----------------
Cernd finds himself in a precarious position in Trademeet (AR2000),
where a group of hostile Druids have been attacking. Cernd, trying to
defuse the situation, becomes a scapegoat. On your word (and promise to
set things straight) Cernd will be released into your custody. Cernd's
primary interest is resolving the strife between Trademeet and the
nearby Druids, which is covered in [WLK022].
Cernd's Quest:
--------------
When you return to Athkatla with Cernd in your party (after dealing with
the Druids of Trademeet) he'll have to deal with the ghosts of the life
he left behind-namely the wife and child he abandoned. The only way you
can mess this up (besides simply not doing it) is to abandon him when
he confronts the antagonist of this quest. This quest is covered in
full in the Walkthrough [WLK022].
Dorn {CHR006}
o======================================================================o
Male, Half-Orc, Blackguard, Neutral Evil
Str 19, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 15, Cha 16
Starting Proficiencies:
Crossbow ++
Two-Handed Sword ++
Two-Handed Weapon ++
Overview:
---------
Dorn returns from the first Enhanced Edition game, ready to resume his
role as the rightful leader of the evil party. He's got the most
Charisma of any evil character in the game, eeking out Viconia by a
point. What makes him stand out, however, are his physical stats. With
a natural 19 Strength he'll never need any Strength-boosting items.
His Dexterity is also passable... at the very least, he's doing better
than Keldorn, although his Constitution is just below anything useful.
On the plus side, the game is very generous with his Hit Point rolls,
so his low Constitution isn't as bad as it could be. All in all, he's a
sturdy addition to the evil party. The only threat to his position is
the evil party, at least in MY evil party, is ???????, who out-guns him
stat-wise... but that's something we need not worry about until Throne
of Bhaal.
How to Use Dorn Effectively:
----------------------------
Strap the heaviest armor you can find on him, give him some secondary
protection items, and put a Two-Handed Sword in his hands-Dorn is a
pretty simple creature. As a Blackguard he's immune to level drain,
which is a very handy trait indeed. Any time foes like Wights and
Vampires rear their heads, send in Dorn to occupy them. It really
simplifies such encounters early on, until you get the Amulet of Power.
He comes with all the proficiencies you need-in the early game he'll
make good use of the Sword of Chaos +2, and for ranged attacks he'll
be potent with the Firetooth +4 Crossbow. Two-Handed Swords aren't
his end-game future, however. He'll find superior Halberds before long,
even if he will end Shadows of Amn with the Silver Sword +3. In Throne
of Bhaal, however, Two-Handed Swords can't compete with the awesome
potency of the Ravager +6. The best Two-Handed Weapon in the game is
a Halberd, so Specialize in them as soon as you can.
Recruiting Dorn:
----------------
Dorn's dark shadow taints the Temple District (x=2550, y=3380), where
he waits, anticipating his latest murder in the name of his patron.
Offer to give him and hand and crash the wedding at the nearby High
Hall of the Radiant Heart (x=3330, y=3400) (OH500), where he aims to
kill Bollard Firejaw. Give him a hand, then promise more slaughter to
follow to keep him around. The rest of his quests are recorded in
[WLK045].
Dorn's Quests:
--------------
Dorn's questline starts out with a pair of assassination missions,
which result in mandatory reputation loss and a few big fights. You'll
be ambushed when returning to town from the second one, after which
you'll suffer a visit by Azothet and then Ur-Gothoz. The next part of
Dorn's quest involves heading to Resurrection Gorge and resolving,
through combat, whether Dorn'll break free of Ur-Gothoz only to end up
in the service of Azothet, or whether he will break free from both and
lose his Blackguard status. In Throne of Bhaal, Dorn will find himself
placed on the Scroll of Retribution for his earlier actions, and in
short order, so will you. You'll have to assault Lunia-a heavenly plane,
to remove your names from the Scroll of Retribution... and perhaps pen
a few in their places...
Edwin {CHR007}
o======================================================================o
Male, Human, Conjurer, Lawful Evil
Str 10, Dex 10, Con 16, Int 18, Wis 10, Cha 10
Starting Proficiencies:
Dagger +
Quarter Staff +
Overview:
---------
Edwin is a little stronger and wiser than in the first game, but he's
still the same glass-cannon he ever was. He is in no way a melee
character, and his Dexterity ensures he'll never do well in ranged
combat either. He is, however, the best Mage in the game, and unlike
Clerics or Druids, I don't expect, nor do I require melee competence
form my Mages. Edwin is a Conjurer, the best specialist Mage there is,
and he gets several bonus spells per level. He is, quite simply, a
better Mage than anything you, or I, or anybody could roll up.
How to Use Edwin Effectively:
-----------------------------
Have him learn to use Darts and he's all set. Really, being a Mage makes
it pretty easy when it comes to proficiencies. The only downside to
Edwin is that he can't use Divination spells. As far as applicable uses
goes, this means he can't cast Detect Invisibility or True Sight. Still,
with Viconia and/or Jaheira in tow, they can handle our True Sight
needs. Still, he comes with a well-stocked spellbook, and what little
he lacks can be bolstered by some potion-assisted stealing sprees. He
really just is the best Mage in the game, from the moment you start
exploring the Docks District until the end of the game.
Recruiting Edwin:
-----------------
You can find him in the Docks District of Athkatla, in Mae'Var's
Guildhall (AR0304) at (x=850, y=350). To recruit him you need to do a
bit of work, however. Accept Renal Bloodscalp's mission to investigate
Mae'Var and do some work for both Mae'Var and Edwin, who will both give
you two missions. After the second Mae'Var mission he'll offer to help
you take Mae'Var down, allowing you to recruit him.
Edwin's Quest:
--------------
Even after taking down Mae'Var, Edwin's not in it for the game yet,
however, as you'll need to track down the Nether Scroll before he'll
stay for good. Fortunately this is near the same area (AR8002) you need
to explore to find the Book of Kaza that Korgan wants. Once obtained...
well, Edwin will begin translating the damn thing, of course, which
leads to more trouble. Don't rat him out (but don't refrain from
teasing him), and if you help him overcome a fellow Red Wizard named
Degardan, he'll be yours for the rest of the game. This quest is fully
covered in [WLK008].
Haer'Dalis {CHR008}
o======================================================================o
Human, Tiefling, Blade, Chaotic Neutral
Str 17, Dex 17, Con 9, Int 15, Wis 13, Cha 16
Starting Proficiencies:
Short Sword ++
Dagger +
Dart +
Two Weapon Style ++
Overview:
---------
Haer'Dalis is a poor compromise of a character that might just end up in
an evil party due to a simple lack of options. He's got a high enough
Strength to start out, but to do anything meaningful in combat, he's
going to need a Strength-boosting item. His Dexterity is passable, but
his class and Constitution both conspire-by depriving him of good armor
and Hit Points-to keep him off the front lines. At the end of the day he
might as well be viewed as a poor substitute for a Fighter/Mage, with
less potential Armor Class, Hit Points, THAC0, spell selection, and epic
level feats. Which is to say that he'll fit into that role about as well
as an elephant fits into a size-0 bikini. Add to this the fact that he
has about the most useless starting proficiencies of any recruitable
character, and we've got a serious... ah... 'fixer upper'. Although he
only gets up to 6th-level spells, this is good enough to get him some
essentials-Blur, Mirror Image, Dispel Magic, Haste, Stoneskin,
Fireshield, Breach, Chaos, Pierce Magic, and True Sight. This will help
make up for the fact that my Fighter/Mage/Thief protagonist doesn't
advance very quickly, and Edwin simply can't cast True Sight. By Throne
of Bhaal, however, Viconia has enough True Sight to make up for Edwin,
and my protagonist is now a high enough level that we can safely discard
Haer'Dalis for ???????, which what I intend to do.
How to Use Haer'Dalis Effectively:
----------------------------------
My suggestion is you get him out of melee combat as soon as you get him.
He's going to have to level a bit, but once he does, give him a Crossbow
and keep him back as an archer/support Mage. Of course, while he might
not be able to contribute in combat himself, he always has his
bard-song, which at least allows him to do something. When he levels up,
have him become proficient in Two-Handed Swords first, and Halberds
later. In many fights later in the game, having an extra hand in combat
will be more useful than having a bard-song, even with the Enhanced Bard
Song feat. To this end, having a powerful weapon with reach will allow
him to deal damage without putting himself too much at risk... and did
I mention he'll make a great support Mage throughout Shadows of Amn?
His high level means he'll be a better buffer than pretty much anybody
else, so if you need a Haste or Dispel Magic, he's the one to go to.
Recruiting Haer'Dalis:
----------------------
To get Haer'Dalis you'll have to rescue him from the Mage Mekrath, who
has a lair in the sewers (AR0705). You can either kill Mekrath, or help
him get a mirror back from a wayward imp. Once Haer'Dalis is reunited
with his misfit troupe back at the Five Flagons Inn (AR5010) they'll
attempt to planeshift away from their pursuers. Wouldn't you know it,
the bad guys show up and take them hostage. This forces you to complete
the Astral Prison quest, after which Haer'Dalis is yours for good.
Hexxat ***SPOILERS*** {CHR009}
o======================================================================o
Female, Human, Thief, Neutral Evil
Str 14 (20), Dex 16 (20), Con 14, Int 12 (14), Wis 10 (12), Cha 14 (18)
Starting Proficiencies:
Dagger +
Long Sword +
Short Bow +
Short Sword +
Overview:
---------
Talking about Hexxat necessarily means spoilers. There is no way
around it-I can either preserve the integrity of the story, or I can
adequately discuss Hexxat's performance throughout the game. This
section is dedicated to the former, at expense of the latter. Spoilers
follow, so if you don't want them, don't read beyond this point.
Hexxat's stats seem... decent, I suppose. I mean... Okay, they kind of
suck. She aspires to be decent in Dexterity, but for a Thief, you really
want more. As for Strength and Constitution, her attributes are just
below anything useful. Of course, you'll also notice the more
desirably numbers in the parentheses. What gives? Well, Hexxat is a
Vampire-the 'Hexxat' you meet in the Copper Coronet is just a lure to
bring you to the real Hexxat. Her Vampirism gives her a number of
intriguing properties-immunity to poison, disease, energy drain and
mind-affecting effects. She also regenerates. Pretty sweet. Her
weaknesses are overcome by necessity with the inclusion of a few items,
which you obtain during her initial quest-a cloak that allows her to
travel around during the day, and a coffin conveniently placed in a
Bag of Holding. This makes Hexxat even more interesting, as she's much
weaker with the cloak on (she reverts to the lower stats given above
while wearing this cloak), so you should strive to act indoors or
during the night to make the best use of Hexxat. Even cooler, if you
carry her coffin around, she will return to it to recover if she should
die-just wait a bit (or rest) and she will return, good as new. This
give you a character who is capable of more... suicidal approaches. If
she falls during a fight-who cares? She'll be back. Unfortunately,
Hexxat-being a single-classed Thief with low Constitution-will never
be terribly hardy, which just makes her relative invulnerability more
welcome.
At first look, it might seem like Hexxat is the answer to many of the
evil party's problems. Baldur's Gate 2 has always been rather sparse
when it came to potent Thieves. Imoen just barely cuts it for the good
party, but for the evil party, my only option was to have a Thief
protagonist. Granted, a Fighter/Mage/Thief, because a single-class
Thief just isn't powerful enough for me to consider as a long-term
party member. And therein lies the problem-Hexxat is a Thief-just a
Thief. No kit, no multi-class, and no dual-class. Hexxat tries awfully
hard to be a powerful single-class Thief, with a slew of Vampiric
bonuses, abilities, and immunities, and she comes close-so damn close-
to making it work. Sadly, I just don't think you can overcome the
weaknesses of a single-class Thief. Even with her stats, by Throne of
Bhaal Hexxat will be no better in melee combat than Viconia, and
when you compare the roster of my chosen evil party-Dorn, Korgan,
Jaheira, Viconia, and Edwin-you'll see that not only do most of those
characters fight as good or better than Hexxat, but they tend to be
able to do other things, too.
How to Use Hexxat Effectively:
------------------------------
Hexxat will perform competently in both melee and ranged combat-get her
a Short Bow and use her as a spell-less Imoen, but keep in mind that
her fantastic Strength score should not be squandered at a range. She
just begs to be used as a first-strike back-stabber. Her most useful
asset in this regards is her disposability-if she should falter in an
assault, she'll be back. Keep her in light armor, and allow her
Dexterity to keep her somewhat safe. Her Hit Points will always suck,
however, and she will never aspire to more than one attack per round,
due to being a single-classed Thief, so don't expect her to tank much.
She starts out Proficient in Daggers so she can use the Dagger of the
Star in Throne of Bhaal, where she can really make use of her
devastating backstab attack.
Recruiting Hexxat:
------------------
You'll find a rather addled and single-minded creature named Hexxat in
the Copper Coronet (AR0406) at (x=600, y=1050). She wants to go to the
Tomb of Dragomir in the Graveyard District, and won't take 'no' for an
answer. She will, however, suffer as much delay as you care to put her
through. In Dragomir's Tomb you'll uncover the real Hexxat, at the
expense of the old one. No big loss.
Hexxat's Quest:
---------------
After the mandatory journey into Dragomir's Tomb to recruit the real
Hexxat, the rest of Hexxat's questline follows. Over the course of time
she'll be bothered by Cabrina, who bears the word of Hexxat's employer,
'L'. Cabrina will bring Hexxat missions, courtesy of 'L', which you can
begin as they come up by returning to the Graveyard District. Once you
go on such a mission, you're stuck with it until it's done. There's
really not much you can do to screw up Hexxat's questline, save by
refusing to do her missions or, well, dying, but that's pretty much the
whole game. Her Shadows of Amn quests can be found in [WLK046]. In
Throne of Bhaal her quests will start up again when you enter Zekee's
Tavern in Amkethran with Hexxat in your party. Cabrina will show up
again with a final task for Hexxat, for a reward that Hexxat negotiated
with 'L' ahead of time. Tackle another dungeon crawl similar to the
previous ones and when finished, Hexxat will get her reward. If you want
to keep her around, you'll need to talk her out of it, however.
Imoen {CHR010}
o======================================================================o
Female, Human, Mage/Thief, Neutral Good
Str 9 (10), Dex 18 (19), Con 16, Int 17, Wis 11, Cha 16
Starting Proficiencies:
Dagger +
Quarter Staff +
Short Bow +
Dart +
Overview:
---------
Imoen makes it back for Baldur's Gate 2, and like in the first game
she's the first recruitable character you'll meet. She's a bit of a
chore to hang onto, however, as she'll need to be rescued shortly after
you escape, forcing parties who want her back to have to jump deep into
the story sooner than they might otherwise wish. I sure know I like to
fool around a lot before doing any major story stuff... just look at my
guide for Baldur's Gate 1. It took me forever to get to the Nashkel
Mines! Anyhow, Imoen has apparently made the same career move that we
made in the first game, and has become a Thief/Mage dual-class. This
allows her to fill both the Thief and Mage role for a good party,
although with less potency than Edwin by far. She starts out with the
ability to use Short Bows, which is good for us, but her Find Traps is
only 95%... not quite high enough for every trap in the game. It's
passable, and certainly better than dragging a Thief along, but if your
protagonist is a Thief (single, multi, or dual-classed) you might not be
too impressed with Imoen. Although she pales in comparison to Edwin,
Imoen allows me to play a Fighter/Mage, so as far as I'm concerned, she
is absolutely indispensible for the good party.
How to Use Imoen Effectively:
-----------------------------
Imoen, unlike most Mages, can actually contribute to combat effectively
with Short Bows. Sadly, she will be absent for a large chunk of Shadows
of Amn, forcing you to drag along an understudy like Nalia or Yoshimo.
Once she's back, however, load her up with a Short Bow and she's good
to go. Once you get back to Athkatla you'll be able to assemble the
Short Bow of Gesen, which is a potent little item that will allow Imoen
to excel at a range throughout the rest of the game. As I said earlier,
her Find Traps score is only passable. Equipping a Ring of Danger Sense
on her (perhaps only when necessary) resolves that issue, however. Of
course, Imoen's not really a Thief, is she? She's a Mage. At that role,
she... well, she's better than Jan or Aerie. She pales in comparison to
Edwin, but who doesn't? Her progression will be slower (due to the fact
that she tends to miss out on half the experience in Shadows of Amn),
and she gets fewer spells per level than her red-robed counterpart. She
will never have the tactical versatility of Edwin, and it'll become
apparent when the evil party is smiting Umber Hulks with impunity thanks
to Edwin's Death Spells, and Imoen is... well, really wishing she had
more Death Spells, I imagine. You can save yourself some trouble by
storing spell scrolls you find early in the game, so that when reunited,
Imoen will be able to fill up her spellbook. This will go a long way
towards catching her up to speed. If you're very enterprising, drop
everybody else out of your party (save your romantic partner, to be
safe) and have Imoen scribe (and with Throne of Bhaal installed, erase
and rescribe multiple copies) spells, which will net a fair bit of
experience.
Recruiting Imoen:
-----------------
Imoen joins you at the beginning of the game, springing you from your
cage in Irenicus' Dungeon. After escaping from Irenicus' Dungeon,
however, she'll be... well, the subject of the main story for a few
chapters. You'll have to raise money and take a leisure cruise by boat
to get her back, and that's just the beginning...
***SPOILERS***
In Throne of Bhaal, Imoen will start developing Bhaalspawn abilities
like we did during Baldur's Gate 1. Whatever Irenicus did to her, it
apparently unlocked her innate Bhaalspawn powers. She'll develop her
powers two at a time, and inform you via banters about her changes.
First she'll develop the Cause Serious Wounds and Cure Serious Wounds
abilities. Next she'll gain the Neutralize Poison and Draw Upon Holy
Might abilities, and she'll get a one-point boost to her Strength and
Dexterity. Each time she gains new abilities, the party will gain 1000
experience.
Jaheira {CHR011}
o======================================================================o
Female, Half-elf, Fighter/Druid, True Neutral
Str 15, Dex 17, Con 17, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 15
Starting Proficiencies:
Scimitar +
Club ++
Quarter Staff +
Sling +
Sword and Shield Style +
Overview:
---------
Another ally from the first game, and certainly one of the more
interesting females in gaming... at least as far as I'm concerned. She's
been given a considerable Dexterity boost in the sequel, taking her from
almost getting a bonus, to a +3 Armor Class bonus. This is a wonderful
change, and makes her a much more defensible character... and she's
going to need it in Baldur's Gate 2. In the first game you could control
her development from start to finish, allowing Jaheira to rack up a
respectable number of Hit Points. Not so in the sequel. If you obtained
the max roll for her Hit Points in the first game she'd have ended up
with 89 Hit Points. She'll start Baldur's Gate 2 with a measely 51 Hit
Points. Granted, she's a level lower in this game than she was by the
end of the first game, but even with another max Hit Point roll, she's
at 63 Hit Points out of a possible 89. This loss of 26 Hit Points
represents about a quarter of the total Hit Points she could normally
obtain, and is her single greatest liability. It's so bad, in fact,
that a high-level Jaheira will actually have fewer Hit Points than
Viconia, a Cleric who is notorious for her unimpressive Constitution
score-and unlike Viconia, Jaheira doesn't have Magic Resistance to
boost her defenses.
Unlike a single-classed Druid she can use Plate Armor and Shields, which
makes her in a different league altogether. She's comparable to a
Cleric, but without actual access to Cleric spells and with better
combat abilities. She does, however, gain access to Druid spells,
although her progression will be painfully slow. Once she gets access to
5th-level spells she can start throwing out Insect Plagues, which is THE
winning spell for most of Shadows of Amn, it'll do for you what Stinking
Cloud did in Baldur's Gate 1. And unlike a single-classed Druid, when
she's not casting Insect Plague she can contribute to the fight. She's
not strong enough to get bonuses in combat, and this paired with her
slower Fighter progression means she's in dire need of a Strength-
boosting item. Fortunately, one can be provided rather early in the
game, after which point Jaheira really has no downsides... aside from
the mediocre Hit Point rolls, anyways. She'll not only be one of your
best warriors, but a good healer... not to mention being the only
servicable Druid in the game.
How to Use Jaheira Effectively:
-------------------------------
Get her a Strength-boosting item-like the Girdle of Hill Giant Strength-
from the Adventurer's Mart as soon as you have the scratch. It'll bump
her up from a mediocre warrior to a great one in short order. Of course,
her proficiencies also need some work. There are a few good Scimitars
in Shadows of Amn, but Daggers are really the power weapons for her, so
work on getting her Specialized in Daggers. Once you get toys such as
Boneblade +4 or Fire Tooth +3, she'll be all set, and one of the few
character adept at both ranged and melee combat, to boot. In Throne
of Bhaal you'll find an absolutely fantastic Scimitar, so as soon as
you're Specialized in Daggers, get her another rank in Scimitars.
Jaheira might require the investment of a choice item or two, but
not any moreso than Keldorn. In the evil party, however, it's not really
possible to favor Jaheira over Viconia, whose Strength concerns are
severe enough to prevent her from being armed and armored appropriately.
Jaheira will have to wait a good while to bring her Strength up to
snuff... but hey, it'll happen some day.
Recruiting Jaheira:
-------------------
Jaheira can be found in Irenicus' dungeon (AR0602), in a cell
(x=3850, y=2650) in the same room you start out in.
Jaheira's Quest:
----------------
Jaheira has two quests associated with her. First is Baron Ployer's
Curse, which is pretty simple; find and kill Baron Ployer before time
runs out and Jaheira succumbs to his curse. The second quest is
longer and more complicated. While wandering around in Athkatla you'll
get a chance to rescue a man named Renfeld. Bring him to the Harper Hold
in the Docks District and leave him in the care of Rylock, who stands
near the door leading to the Harper Hold. Later, Xzar will ask you to
find a way into the Harper Hold and rescue Montaron. To convince Rylock
to let you in you'll need to do another quest for him-kill the monsters
being bred in 'Prebek's Home'. Afterwards you can gain entrance,
recover Montaron from the Harper Hold, and bring him back to Xzar.
After Xzar gets what he deserves, Jaheira will be summoned away from
the party for a while. Rest up, and when Jaheira returns your presence
will be requested at the Harper Hold. Join her, and deal with Galvarey
and his Harper buddies. After this, Jaheira will be naturally conflicted
over what happened-banters will pass and she'll be visited by other
Harpers, who will shake Jaheira's faith in the Harper cause. She'll
disband temporarily, but can be retrieved at the Harper Hold. Some
fights are mandatory, but others can be avoided if you keep your
reputation high enough (16 or greater). A high reputation will also
result in a greater quest reward when Jaheira's quest finally runs its
course. Both of these quests are covered in greater detail in [WLK034].
Jan {CHR012}
o======================================================================o
Male, Gnome, Illusionist/Thief, Chaotic Neutral
Str 9, Dex 17, Con 15, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 10
Starting Proficiencies:
Short Sword +
Dagger +
Quarter Staff +
Cross Bow +
Overview:
---------
Jan is, at best, a sub-par Mage who will never be able to cast
Necromantic spells such as Finger of Death or Horrid Wilting, and his
Intelligence doesn't do him any favors either. He is a potential
substitute for Imoen, and for an evil party, his blend of thieving and
magic might be the only option for an otherwise Thief-less party.
Frankly, however, I prefer Imoen to him in every way. She'll become a
much better Mage (since she's a dual-classed Thief, and not
multi-classed like Jan) and she's got better Dexterity, Constitution,
and Intelligence. Heck, when playing a protagonist who has levels of
Thief I'd even prefer Aerie, who is less annoying and more versatile.
He's not a terrible character, really, but I'm rather adverse to having
a multi-class Mage as my primary party Mage. He could, in the evil
party, substitute for Haer'Dalis (with the same goal of getting
replaced by ???????), but this hardly gives us the ability to dispense
with the Fighter/Mage/Thief in the long run, and really, I have to
wonder how much difference there would be, gameplay wise. At the end of
the day, if it comes to hearing Jan talk about turnips, or hearing
Haer'Dalis call me raven, I'd rather take the fruity Bard.
How to Use Jan Effectively:
---------------------------
If you do play with Jan... well, he works much like Imoen. Get him Short
Bows and ignore his silly crossbow nonsense when he gets a proficiency
point to spend. Just keep in mind he is the weakest recruitable Mage the
game offers.
Recruiting Jan:
---------------
Jan can be found in the Government District of Athkatla (AR1000) at
(x=2730, y=1750). Trax, a representative of the Amnian Revenue and Tax
Board will show up and try to nab Jan for selling illegal merchandise.
You can either lie and cover for Jan and get some experience, or you can
sell Jan out for 100 gold. If you want him in your party you'll either
have to lie for him (not a hard thing to do, considering the experience
involved) or pay his 800 gold piece bail and suffer a net loss of 700
gold... but so annoying is Jan that the Prison Keeper will spot you 200
gold to get rid of him.
Jan's Quest:
------------
After traveling with Jan for a while we'll be bothered by one of his
numerous relatives, Beeloo, who will tell Jan that a former love of his
is now staying at the Jansen family home. Go meet with this Lissa, and
you'll discover that her abusive husband has apparently injured their
daughter severely, and we need to get help. Jan stays behind and
refers us to his Uncle Gerhardt, who tells us to look for the 'Hidden'.
To find the 'Hidden' we need to go to the Government District, talk to
Lady Jysstev, then head into the sewers under the Copper Coronet. The
Hidden will promise to help us if we kill a pair of its pursuers. So
head to the Sea's Bounty, talk to The Thumb, then travel to the Five
Flagons Inn and kill a pair of Githyanki. Return to the Hidden to learn
that the girl has been healed, then return to the Jansen home to
witness an unhappy turn of events.
Keldorn {CHR013}
o======================================================================o
Male, Human, Paladin (Inquisitor), Lawful Good
Str 17, Dex 9, Con 17, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 18
Starting Proficiencies:
Long Sword ++
Two Handed Sword ++
Cross Bow ++
Overview:
---------
Somewhat weaker, but healthier, than Anomen, Keldorn has one glaring
weakness. His Dexterity is ass, and since he's built for Two Handed
Swords he won't be using a shield. Simply put, he absolutely requires
The Brawling Hands. His Strength is decent, but not stellar like Anomen,
Korgan, or Minsc, so he'll need some Strength-boosting item, eventually.
This is, admittedly a lot of equipment for a single character, so why
bother with him? Several reasons. First, his high Charisma makes him a
natural party leader, although on the flip side, his Paladinhood makes
him unusually liable to interrupt when you're trying to be naughty. Then
again, as an Inquisitor he has the innate ability to cast Dispel Magic
and True Sight, essential debuffs that make him very capable of taking
on enemy Mages. Having these abilities will make all Mage fights for
your party much easier, as he can easily dispel the buffs Mages rely on
the defend themselves when conventional spell casters may struggle, and
he'll certainly have access to True Sight much sooner than any Cleric or
Mage you'll recruit. And of course, he gets Carsomyr +5, a Holy Avenger,
that can only be used by Paladins. Short of making your protagonist a
Paladin, there's no other way to utilize this awesome weapon. Well, I
mean, you could make your own Inquisitor, but why? The game already
gives you one! With the admittedly hefty investment of The Brawling
Hands and a Girdle of Giant Strength, you'll get a great party leader
who can debuff at a whim and see through defensive illusions, is very
magic resistant, and can support the party with Cross Bow fire when
needed. The fact that he can select Summon Deva as an Epic Feat also
makes him more versatile, as it saves you from wasting a Cleric's
7th-level spell slot on the ability. Keldorn truly is win, and if you're
shooting for a good party, you won't find a better Mage-killing party
leader.
How to Use Keldorn Effectively:
-------------------------------
Keep on rolling with the Two-Handed Swords, he has no reason to switch.
Crossbows are also golden, and really, Keldorn comes well-prepared with
good weapon proficiencies from the start. You might, however, want to
get him some ranks in Halberds, as there aren't many great Two-Handed
Swords in the early game, and you'll need a +3 weapon sooner than you
think. Once done, get him ranks in Two-Weapon Style to enhance his
primary weapon, and you're good to go. He really does need The Brawling
Hands, though, if you want him to survive in melee combat.
Recruiting Keldorn:
-------------------
When you visit the Temple District of Athkatla, you'll be witness to a
theological debate of sorts. One shifty, lying, fantasy-peddling
bullshit dealer will do a better job at convincing the sheep that his
brand of nonsense is better than another, and the losing side will ask
you to investigate this 'cult'. Not getting into the atom-thin
difference between a cult and a religion here... you'll find Keldorn in
the sewers under this district (AR0701), sent to investigate the cult
before you. He'll join willingly enough, but he'll only stick around
for good if you see this cult off.
Keldorn's Quest:
----------------
When you arrive at the Government District with Keldorn in your party
he'll express his desire to go see his family. Indulge him, and you'll
find that all is not well at home, and you'll have to go around and
try and deal with his wife's infidelity. Keldorn will struggle with his
need to avenge his honor, and his love for his wife. Direct him on the
course that will make him the most content-reconciliation with his wife.
Don't, however, be so helpful as to free him from service so he can see
to his family affairs, he'll do just as well promising that this will
be his last expedition. For more information on this quest, see
section [WLK010] of the Walkthrough.
Korgan {CHR014}
o======================================================================o
Male, Dwarf, Fighter (Berserker), Chaotic Evil
Str 18/77, Dex 15, Con 19, Int 12, Wis 9, Cha 7
Starting Proficiencies:
Axe +++++
War Hammer +
Overview:
---------
Ah Korgan... I guess instead of throwing Kagain into Baldur's Gate 2,
they decided to replace the whiny evil greed-Dwarf with a psychotic
evil murder-Dwarf. Korgan is not a nice guy, and if you provoke him in
banters he'll even turn hostile on you! Still, he's the best Fighter in
Shadows of Amn, as well a Dwarf should be, and if you can keep from
provoking him and complete his quest in the timely manner he'll be an
invaluable asset. He's strong enough, but not so strong that he couldn't
do with a good boost to his Strength, and he really needs The Brawling
Hands to bring his Armor Class up. His Strength score will allow you to
ignore him in favor of other characters, and his Hit Points are
typically high thanks to being a Dwarf with phenomenal Constitution.
How to Use Korgan Effectively:
------------------------------
He starts out with Grand Mastery in Axes. This isn't as great as Grand
Mastery is supposed to be, but it's still a very good thing to have. The
selection of Axes is slim until Throne of Bhaal, at which point one of
the best weapons in the game-the Axe of the Unyielding-is obtained.
Spend his proficiency points in War Hammers until he Grand Masters in
those as well, allowing him to use Crom Faeyr. This takes care of any
Strength issues he may have had. Then have him learn the Two Weapon
Style. When you obtain the Axe of the Unyielding have him dual-wield it
with Crom Faeyr as an off-hand weapon to have a vorpal weapon with a
Strength of 25. There is simply no stronger combo in the game. He's one
of the simpler-seeming characters, but the weapons in the game dictates
a fairly radical shift in fighting style. Anything less than a total
offensive juggernaut is a waste of Korgan's potential, however, and it
is fun to see him shift from a modest (and well-defended) axe-and-shield
character to the Axe of the Unyielding/Crom Faeyr offensive phenom.
Recruiting Korgan:
------------------
You'll find Korgan in the Copper Coronet (AR0406) at (x=950, y=1870),
making him fairly easy to reach and recruit. Agree to help him track
down the Book of Kaza and he'll join up with you. If you delay, he will
of course go find others more interested in helping him out. It's not a
terribly hard quest, and it doesn't venture out of Athkatla. Best of all
it's in the same area Edwin's quest takes you, so you can handle both
jobs in one journey.
Mazzy {CHR015}
o======================================================================o
Female, Halfling, Fighter, Lawful Good
Str 15, Dex 18, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 14
Starting Proficiencies:
Short Sword: +++
Short Bow ++++
Overview:
---------
First let me start out by saying that Mazzy is a perfectly fine
character. Her Strength sucks, but since most Fighters need 18(xx) or
more to be optimal, she's only a girdle of giant Strength away from
being potent. Her Dexterity is outstanding, and her Constitution is
very good as well. There are only three things that suck about Mazzy.
First, she's proficient in Short Swords and Short Bows. Short Bows are
what Thieves use to contribute to battles, not the weapon of a full-
fledged Fighter, and Short Swords... well, they tend to suck too. So
you're going to have to completely take her proficiencies in another
direction to make her strong. Sure, she's an investment, but who's not,
you say? The second problem is the fact that she's hidden in the Fallen
Temple of Amaunator in the Temple Ruins area (AR1401), which requires
you to trek all the way out to the Umar Hills and partially complete a
lengthy quest there. Certainly not ideal. But you have to do the same
with Valygar, you say? Sure, but Valygar's quest doesn't require you to
deal with a DRAGON. The last and most damning thing I have against Mazzy
is... well, the other good-or-neutral aligned characters you can
recruit. Mazzy might, with the investment of some levels (and new
proficiencies) and a girdle of giant Strength be a good Fighter, but is
she better than Keldorn with his Inquisitor kit, Anomen and his
dual-classed Cleric spells, or Jaheira and her... well, her Insect
Plague? No, she isn't. She might outcompete Minsc and Valygar
(especially if you're playing with a good or neutral Thief-protagonist),
but I never bring her along. I have considered using her as a 'good'
Korgan, but the amount of proficiencies it would take for her to be able
to use Axe of the Unyielding and Crom Faeyr as well as learn the Two
Weapon Style are just prohibitive, although you could start her out on
War Hammers early. By the time you actually obtain Crom Faeyr she'll
likely be at least specialized in their use, and Anomen can just use the
Flail of the Ages.
How to Use Mazzy Effectively:
-----------------------------
Good question... one I've pondered a bit, myself. You really have two
options-make a poor man's attempt at Korgan, either weapon and shield
or two-weapon style. The latter is... probably just a pipe dream, as it
would require... oh... thirteen extra proficiencies to pull off. There
just aren't enough levels in the game for it, and it seems like a bit of
a waste to strap a shield on a character with such a good Armor Class,
though. The compromise? Have her use a superior mainhand weapon (Axe of
the Unyielding or Flail of the Ages) in her mainhand, and the Short
Sword of Mask in her offhand... or perhaps take the Short Sword of
Mask as a mainhand weapon (have her use a shield throughout Shadows of
Amn) while building up War Hammers and Two-Weapon Style, then switch to
a Short Sword of Mask/Crom Faeyr combo. It's not the ideal setup, but
it works. Still... it just makes me wish I was using a different
character.
Mazzy's Quest:
--------------
Mazzy has a rather traditional and uninspired quest that'll pop up after
a few days of traveling with her. Her sister, Pala, has been poisoned,
and you need to return to Trademeet to hunt down the poisoner-and
perhaps an antidote. For more information about this quest, refer to
[WLK021].
Minsc {CHR016}
o======================================================================o
Male, Human, Ranger, Neutral Good
Str 18/93, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 8, Wis 6, Cha 9
Starting Proficiencies:
Two Handed Sword ++
Mace ++
Long Bow ++
Two Weapon Style ++
Overview:
---------
Our favorite miniature giant space hamster friend, and his Ranger
sidekick Minsc! The fact that in Mass Effect 2 you can buy a Space
Hamster that, if interacted with responds with the same uncanny
Intelligence and sophistication as Boo merely goes to show how endearing
these characters are to have transcended time and space. That aside,
Minsc has improved a bit from the first game, as he now has a better
Dexterity and Constitution, making him a much sturdier character. He has
also, for some reason, become proficient in the Two Weapon Style, which
is a complete and utter waste for him. He's not protected enough for
protracted front-line action, so the thought of giving him a weapon
without reach is just silly. He's more of a secondary warrior, striking
with reach or ranged weapons, as needed. Anything that doesn't require
+3 weapons can be shot down with bows, and anything that requires a +3
or better weapon... well, just switch to an appropriately-enchanted
melee weapon and let Minsc at 'em. Of course, you could just ignore the
Ranger stealth outright, strap Minsc in heavy armor, and treat him like
a front-liner, but the good party has a busy enough front-line already,
so I'm fine with having him contribute at a range. The fact that he
doesn't need The Brawling Hands or any Strength-enhancing gear makes him
a good fit into the good party. He can still Berserk in this game,
raising his Strength to 20 and his Dexterity to 18, just make sure you
have the Hit Points for the endeavor, as he takes 15 damage when it ends
from his 'improved' Hit Point total. This should last long enough to
make a difference in most fights, but it should be viewed as wholly
inferior to, say, gulping a Potion of Giant Strength. The only real
questions about Minsc are, do you prefer Valygar (I don't) and will
you bench him in favor of ??????? in Throne of Bhaal?
How to Use Minsc Effectively:
-----------------------------
Get him points in the Two-Handed Weapon style and let him learn how to
use Halberds so he can equip one of the best weapons in the game. He'll
find plenty of Two-Handed Swords to keep him occupied in the mean
time... usually hand-me-downs from Keldorn, but very good ones,
nonetheless. He's also a decent archer, although ranged combat
rightfully takes a backseat to melee combat in this game. Keep him from
being the focus of enemy attacks and he'll serve you well as a
not-quite-front-line Fighter.
Recruiting Minsc:
-----------------
Minsc can be found in Irenicus' dungeon (AR0602) in a cell
(x=4000, y=2750) in the same room you start out in.
Nalia {CHR017}
o======================================================================o
Female, Human, Mage/Thief, Chaotic Good
Str 14, Dex 18, Con 16, Int 17, Wis 9, Cha 13
Starting Proficiencies:
Short Sword +
Dagger +
Quarter Staff +
Short Bow +
Overview:
---------
Nalia is bafflingly identical to Imoen, making me wonder if the only
reason she's included is to tide you over until you get Imoen back. She
has only four levels of Thief, and because of it she'll never be as good
as Imoen in combat or with Thief skills, but she does at least come with
a barely passable Find Traps skill. Anything I said about Imoen applies
for Nalia, really... But since you can recruit Imoen, why would you ever
care to recruit Nalia? Imoen is infinitely more connected to the main
story than Nalia, and while you have to do quests to get both of them,
Imoen's is mandatory. If Nalia were at least a romance option, then
there might be a purpose for her, but instead she's just a clone of
Imoen. Or if she was Neutral or Evil instead of a bleeding heart noble,
she could at least fit into Evil parties, but again, no such luck.
How to Use Nalia Effectively:
-----------------------------
She'll use a Short Bow, and will serve a dual role as the party's
Thief/Mage. Just... get her a Short Bow, and eventually the Gesen
Bow... The only perk she has over Imoen is the fact that she will not
go on a main-story inspired hiatus which prevents her from gaining a
great deal of experience, and you need not save up spell scrolls for
her... just, scribe at will. Of course, her Find Traps score is hardly
sufficient, even with the Ring of Danger Sense, so she can barely even
serve in the capacity of a Thief.
Recruiting Nalia:
-----------------
Nalia, like so many other characters, hangs out in the Copper Coronet
(AR0406). You don't even need to find her-she'll find you and
desperately try to induce you into helping her liberate her captured
family castle. Agree and do so, and she'll stick around for the rest
of the game. This quest is covered in [WLK018].
Nalia's Quest:
--------------
Nalia's quest begins after you rescue the de'Arnise Keep-although it
won't begin within the de'Arnise Keep. After wandering around with her
for a bit, a messenger will show up and tell her of some problems
arising with a funeral. Accompany her there and meet some of the more
unsavory nobles which presumably caused her to disparage her fellow
aristocracy. A little later, the trouble-maker from the funeral, Isaea
Roenall will show up and have Nalia arrested. Afterwards a man named
Khellor Ahmson will show up and point you in the direction of some
evidence that may incriminate Isaea. The rest of the quest involves
following obvious leads and talking to various characters in your
quest to find dirt on Isaea. When you do, head to the Council of Six
building and present the evidence to Corgeig Axehand and Nalia will be
returned to you. The full details of this quest can be found in
[WLK019].
Neera {CHR018}
o======================================================================o
Female, Half-Elf, Wild Mage, Chaotic Neutral
Str 11, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 17, Wis 13, Cha 11
Starting Proficiencies:
Quarterstaff: +
Sling: +
Overview:
---------
Neera is a somewhat interesting addition to Baldur's Gate 2, being the
most potent good-aligned (well, neutral, but good enough) Mage you can
recruit. As a specialist Mage, her spell-power will prove superior to
Imoen's, and she suffers no prohibited spells, like Edwin. On the other
hand, as a Wild Mage she's got an innate 5% chance of spell failure,
which adds a good bit of randomness to her performance. Even in the
biggest fights in the game, however, it's unlikely that a Mage will cast
more than several spells before the matter is decided (not counting
spell-buffs), so there's a good chance her fickle magic won't affect
most fights. Her attributes aren't terribly impressive-her Dexterity
is good, and it will allow her to compete with ranged weapons handily
enough. On the other hand, you'll need to feed her Potions of Genius
to fill up her spellbook, and her Constitution is just a point away
from doing anything useful. Servicable, but Imoen's stats are superior.
Another point for Imoen-she'll provide the Thief skills you need. Neera
won't. The balancing act for me means taking Neera along with her extra
spell per day, and changing my Fighter/Mage into a Fighter/Mage/Thief
(hence losing Time Stop/Whirlwind combos), or keep Imoen, who can also
use the Gesen Bow, and has more Hit Points. With Neera's Wild Magic,
it's really difficult to sell her over Imoen.
How to Use Neera Effectively:
-----------------------------
As a Mage, there's not much you need to do-put her in the Robes of
Vecna and give her some kind of ranged weapon for fights that don't
warrant spells, or clean-up operations. The best ranged weapon for a
Mage is ultimately the Dagger Fire Tooth +3. Since it's an even better
weapon for Jaheira, though, make do with Slings at first, then the
Boomerang Dagger +2, and finally the Crimson Dart +3. As a Specialist
Mage she can handle some redundancy in her spellbook, and as a Wild
Mage, she'll need it. Carry several copies of important debuffs, such
as Dispel Magic, Breach, and True Sight, to name the ones that win
fights most frequently.
Recruiting Neera:
-----------------
Neera can be found in the Bridge District of Athkatla... but only after
talking to Lieutenant Aegisfield and getting started with the 'Skinner
Murders' questline. Essentially there are events that need to trigger
and resolve from the original game on the Bridge District so they do not
over-lap with Neera's quest, both of which occur in roughly the same
area-the northern part of the Bridge District. Anywho, once you've seen
the dead bodies as required by the Skinner Murders questline, return to
the Bridge District to witness Neera rescue a child named Mereth from
some Red Wizards, led by Lanneth. Leave the district and head anywhere
else in Athkatla and you'll be approached by Neera, who'll ask you to
help her with her red scare. Agree and she'll mark the Wild Forest on
your map. Head there (OH6000) and talk to Neera (x=1000, y=3530) to get
her to join up with you.
Neera's Quest:
--------------
Like most Enhanced Edition character quests, Neera's comes in two
more or less distinct stages. The first part of Neera's quest, after
making your way through the Wild Forest and into the Hidden Refuge,
revolves around a series of free-form quests involving Neera's misfit
Wild Mages. Whether you're herding cats or teaching Half-Orcs not to
hit, they tend to be fairly simple and highly variable in the quality
of their rewards. The more of these quests you do, however, the more
Wild Mages will survive later, which leads to more rewards. After those
quests, there are two tasks to complete-one is gather the materials for
the creation of a Talisman of the Hearthfire (the creation of which will
save yet another, yet unencountered Wild Mage). The other is to go
retrieve said Wild Mage, so obviously if you plan to save him, you'll
need to create the Talisman first.
When you do go after this rogue Wild Mage, Daxus, you'll encounter some
Red Wizard opposition. This 'rescue' operation ultimately ends up with
all the Wild Mages in captivity (with a few exceptions, depending upon
what quests you've done before). The next task is assaulting the Red
Wizard Enclave (OH6300), which involves a series of rather difficult
fights... unless you try to use subterfuge and dialogue whenever
possible. After you defeat Lanneth and save whatever Wild Mages are
still alive, the Wild Mages will disperse and Neera's quest with it.
In Throne of Bhaal a bird named Jerome will deliver a message to Neera
randomly upon entering an area. The Thayans are still hunting Wild
Mages, and if anything, their tactics have improved since we routed them
in Athkatla. Neera will suggest luring the Thayans into an ambush-she
gets more than she bargained for when Vicross-leader of the Order of the
Eight Staves-shows up. After defeating Vicross' minions, Vicross flees
back to Thay, dragging us with her. There you'll meet with Szass Tam,
who sends you to deal with Vicross in order to humiliate her master,
who is Tam's rival. All you have to do now is assault Vicross' estate,
kill her and her guards, and hope Szass Tam will keep his word after
the reason for your collaboration is gone...
Rasaad {CHR019}
o======================================================================o
Male, Human, Sun Soul Monk, Lawful Good
Str 16, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 11, Wis 14, Cha 14
Starting Proficiencies:
Katana: +
Scimitar +
Dart +
Sling +
Overview:
---------
As some might have guessed, the much higher level cap of Baldur's
Gate 2 really allows Rasaad (and all Monks, really) to come into his
own. The paltry handful of levels in the first game just wasn't enough
to make a Monk into a decent killer. Now, however, their movement and
attack speed will keep going up, as will their damage, and their Armor
Class keeps going down... along with all the other perks of leveling
up. Most importantly, their fists start couting as magical weapons at
level 9, and in short order, at level 15, as +3 weapons. All of this
helps Rasaad, of course, but he's still a poor Monk, all things
considered. He gains no Hit Points from his Constitution, and meager
bonuses from Strength and Dexterity. Fortunately for him, stat-boosting
items are fairly common in this game, and with a few choice items-a
Girdle of Giant Strenth and Bracers of Armor, for example, any Monk can
become quite dangerous. Rasaad included. Rasaad's base Hit Points are
quite good, at least... I mean, considering he has no Constitution
helping him out-he's only a few points off the maximum.
How to Use Rasaad Effectively:
------------------------------
Rasaad's stats suck, and much of his combat prowess will be determined
solely by his level. Ironically, then, this Monk's effectiveness depends
upon the gear you give him. He'll absolutely need a Girdle of Giant
Strength if you want him to make any impact in melee. If you want him
to survive, invest him with a protection item and Bracers of Defense.
This alone can possibly drop his Armor Class to levels comparable, even
superior to, your best front-line fighters. If you continue to pamper
him by giving him items like the Cloak of the Sewers or a Dusty Rose
Ioun Stone will certainly help, but considering that his, Armor Class
will only get better with time, you can probably stick to more generic
items, saving stackable gear for more vulnerable characters, like Anomen
and Keldorn. Early on in the game you'll probably want to find him a
weapon to use-the Scarlet Ninja-To +3 works well. Once he hits
15th-level he can drop all pretenses of using anything but his fists.
Recruiting Rasaad:
------------------
In Trademeet (AR2000) you'll find Rasaad near the fountain dominating
the center of town. He'll get into a scuffle with two fellow Sun Soul
Monks before walking off. Discuss Rasaad's actions with the two Monks
he smacked around, then walk off. Rasaad will come find you, shortly,
asking for your help in infiltrating a new cult threatening his own.
Take him along and he's yours.
Rasaad's Quest:
---------------
After recruiting Rasaad, you'll need to take him to the City Gates
of Athkatla (AR0020), where a 'Cloaked Figure' will point you in the
right direction. After that, head to the Abandoned Amphitheater area
and make your way to the north-east to encounter Hammerhelm and his
Monk recruits. Either by violence or diplomacy, learn the location of
the Heretic Temple, then proceed there, fighting or talking your way
through a Sun Soul Monk ambush enroute. Once at the Heretic Temple,
make your way inside, where you can either complete the cult's
challenges or start fighting. Both result in a revelation about the
true nature of the Heretic Cult and a larger fight. In Throne of Bhaal
he'll be ambushed by a group of Sharrans. On one of their bodies you'll
recover a map that points out the Deepstone Dwarven Clanhold as the new
base of operations for Alorgoth. Head over there and find your way into
the Clanhold, defeat the Sharrans and chase Alorgoth into the depths
of the Shadow Plane itself.
??????? {CHR020}
o======================================================================o
Male, Human, Fighter (Deathbringer), Chaotic Evil
Str 18/00, Dex 17, Con 18, Int 17, Wis 10, Cha 15
Starting Proficiencies:
Two Handed Sword +++++
Halberd +
Cross Bow +
Two Handed Weapon Style ++
Overview:
---------
??????? is the best Fighter in the game. Look at those stats! He
doesn't need any Strength-boosting items, The Brawling Hands, nothing
but a Two-Handed Sword and something to kill! That said, you don't get
him until Throne of Bhaal starts, which is too bad, because he would
have been great through Shadows of Amn. Note that you can change his
alignment over the course of the game by generally being trusting, kind,
and good to him, showing him a superior example, and all that good
stuff. Just keep that in mind if you're a good party, and want his
alignment to become more fitting. If you're playing an evil party...
well, just keep being the bastard you've always been, and have fun.
How to Use ??????? Effectively:
-------------------------------
??????? starts out with Grandmastery in Two-Handed Swords, so give him
something suitable to use and build up his proficiency in Halberds.
Once he gets the Ravager, switch him over and keep on killing. It's as
easy of an equipment setup as there is.
Recruiting ???????:
-------------------
After entering your Pocket Plane for the first time (a mandatory step
near the beginning of Throne of Bhaal) ??????? will appear and offer
to help you out... for part of your soul. An insubstantial part, as it
turns out, just enough to give ??????? what he wants without
inconveniencing (or threatening) you. Win-win, right? ??????? sure seems
to think so, and offers to join up. He can see the way the wind is
blowing, and is more than content to take some of the table-scraps from
your epic climb to power. Smart, smart man...
***Changing ???????'s Alignment***
Thanks to Infinity Explorer, I've been able to look into the data files
and see how all this works. That said, it's probably a good idea to
explain in more detail how to change ???????'s alignment. Over the
course of Throne of Bhaal, your new ally will chat with you, as all
companions in Baldur's Gate 2 do. If you say good things, show trust,
and express good morality, your behavior will rub off on ???????. Have
at least two positive alignment global variables while conducting the
third banter, and you can get ???????'s alignment to change to Chaotic
Good. Note that it's possible to be... less encouraging, and effect
???????'s alignment negatively, but this part of the guide is about
changing ???????'s alignment to fit into the good party, I'll ignore all
but the optimum responses. Also, I've kept the name of this character
replaced by question marks, but I've included some lines of dialogue in
full, below. The more astute of you may be able to figure out who this
character is by reading the following... so if you're an idiot, read on
with no fear. If you're smart, beware of spoilers. Or, just wait until
the beginning of Throne of Bhaal to bother with this at all.
o=========o
|Banter #1|
o=========o
??????? says: "So. I yet remain at your side. I am surprised. But from
your constant wary glances, it seems that you do not
trust my presence, yet."
If you made ??????? take an oath in the Pocket Plane before joining you,
pick any option regarding the oath. When you get a chance to make
another response, pick "No, not really. You paid for what you did".
Afterwards, either say that "No. You're not the same man, are you?" or
"Perhaps. But I already took my revenge. Now you get the benefit of the
doubt." Either will improve ???????'s alignment.
If you didn't make him take an oath, you'll get three different
dialogue options, all inconsequential. After he says "It eats away at
me, then, as to why you would agree to take me with you and not force
some form of compliance from me through an oath. I told you that oaths
had real power in our father's realm." you'll get another chance to
respond. Don't pick the response "I take you with me because you may be
of use. But I don't need an oath of servitude." Afterwards say either
"You paid for what you did. You're a new man, free to make new mistakes,
if you wish." or "You might. But everyone gets a second chance, ???????.
Even you."
o=========o
|Banter #2|
o=========o
??????? says: "It appears the seeds that our sire sowed long ago are
about to come to fruition. For good or ill, the issue
will be finally resolved very soon."
Pick whatever dialogue option you wish-if you made him take the oath
before joining you, he'll mention the oath, otherwise he'll say the
more neutral term, 'usefulness'. Afterwards he'll ask what you intend
for him after it's all over.
You can pick one of three responses-and really, it doesn't matter what
you pick, but to make life easier on myself, if you pick "So? What about
it?" You'll get one of four choices to pick later. Pick "You'll be free
to go, as you wish.", then pick "Your destiny is your own to forge,
???????. Make the same mistakes, if you must." to improve ???????'s
alignment by one. In response to this he'll ask "And do you believe
that I have another choice?" Pick either "Another choice than being
evil? Always." or "It all depends on whether or not you want to end up
in the same place, ???????." to improve ???????'s alignment again.
o=========o
|Banter #3|
o=========o
??????? says: "The end draws closer. We both know this to be true.
Listen to a proposition, then, that I have given much
thought to as of late."
Pick any option other than "I'm not interested in what you have to say."
and ??????? will comment on your alignment before rambling on, finally
getting to the point by suggesting that you take over as the new Lord
of Murder, claim your birthright... and allow ??????? to stand by your
side. He's canny enough to realize that if you can't wield godly power
yourself, you might as well bask in its favor. Pick option "I have
other plans, ???????. Forget it." and a whopping eight dialogue options
will pop up. Pick any option other than "It doesn't matter what happens
to me, ???????... you won't be involved, regardless." or "It's none of
your business, ???????." to get six more dialogue options. Don't pick
"There are better things than power, don't be a fool." or "I'm not
going to discuss this with you, as they don't go anywhere, and don't
pick "It don't know. But it doesn't have to be used for self-serving,
evil purposes."
That leaves us with "You can't take an empire with you when you die.
You should know that.", "There is much good that can be done with that
power. That is more important.", and "With that power comes great
responsibility." All three of these options will improve ???????'s
alignment by one. He'll respond by saying "After... after all you've
been through? With the taint in your soul, you still believe this?"
Respond "I do." If you have at least two positive alignment increases at
this time, ??????? will say "I believe your words may have merit,
<CHARNAME>. My own methods did not end well... and I have no desire to
return to the Abyss when I perish next." At this time, ???????'s
alignment will change to Chaotic Good and he'll say "Perhaps it is time
to rethink my views. I shall have to think on your words most
carefully."
o=========o
|Banter #4|
o=========o
If you had at least one point towards changing ???????'s alignment for
the better and followed my advice during banter #3, you should get the
following for banter #4.
??????? says: "I... have been considering your words. I have changed
my outlook, and think perhaps it may be a good thing.
I feel I must thank you."
You have three options-but they all result in the same responses from
???????... this is just a "hey, I'm a good guy now!" banter.
Valygar {CHR021}
o======================================================================o
Male, Human, Ranger (Stalker), Neutral Good
Str 17, Dex 18, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 10
Starting Proficiencies:
Katana ++
Dagger +
Spear ++
Long Bow ++
Two Weapon Style ++
Overview:
---------
Notice that his physical stats are identical to Yoshimo's... anyways,
Valgyar is a good Ranger, so you won't be using him in any legit evil
party. Also he's got the Stalker kit, which makes him good at back-
stabbing and gives him the ability to cast Haste, which is always handy.
There are few downsides with him, in fact, so few that he's a very
considerable substitute for Minsc if you're willing to invest an item
of Giant Strength in him. He comes built for two-weapon fighting, and
despite his need to stay in lighter armor, his Dexterity makes this
a real possibility. Nothing really bad to say about Valygar, really,
save his location kind of sucks... and he'll be waiting for gear for
a long time. Waiting for Katanas to open up, waiting for items of
Giant Strength... he needs a lot of gear set aside for other characters,
but he'll eventually get all he needs-and more-in Throne of Bhaal. I'm
also indisposed towards picking him over Minsc, who is, after all, an
old friend from Baldur's Gate 1.
How to Use Valygar Effectively:
-------------------------------
See that 18 Dexterity? See those proficiencies? They give you good
incentive to actually follow through on the Two-Weapon Style
dual-Katanas thing. The only problem is, of course, that I've co-opted
Katanas for my protagonist, so what to do? Well, he's already got a
rank in Daggers. Get Specialized in Daggers, and Master in Two Weapon
Style. This will allow him to use whatever Daggers Jaheira isn't using
(she certainly doesn't need BOTH Boneblade +4 and Fire Tooth +3, if
Valygar is needy.) All in all, it's a great set-up. He'll have to use
second-rate Katanas for most of the game, but he'll survive well
enough-there are plenty of +2 Katanas that my protagonist will not have
any use for, like Malakar +2, Dak'kon's Zerth Blade, or hell, even his
own Corthala Family Blade. In Throne of Bhaal, my protagonist will hand
off Celestial Fury, which is a good upgrade for Valygar, and in the
long run he can aspire to dual-wielding the Dagger of The Star +5 and
Hindo's Doom +4. Give him the White Dragon Scale and he'll have a -6
Armor Class with nothing else equipped, and once Jaheira hands down her
Girdle of Hill Giant Strength, he'll be doing pretty well. He's not as
potent with the whole backstabbing thing as our Fighter/Mage/Thief
protagonist will be, and he's probably not even as lethal in melee as
Minsc or ??????? with the Ravager +6, but that doesn't mean he's a
waste of a character. If you prefer having another front-line melee
warrior with a backstab dynamic over Minsc's more traditional range and
reach approach, Valygar does that quite well.
Recruiting Valygar:
-------------------
You can find him in the Umar Hills area (AR1100) in his house marked on
the map as 'Valygar's Cabin' (AR1101). To keep him, you're going to
need to take him back to Athkatla and deal with the Planar Sphere in
the Slums District [WLK016].
Viconia {CHR022}
o======================================================================o
Female, Elf, Cleric, Neutral Evil
Str 10, Dex 19, Con 8, Int 16, Wis 18, Cha 14
Starting Proficiencies:
War Hammer +
Mace +
Sling +
Overview:
---------
Our old Dark Elven gal-pal has become a bit wiser since the first
game... not wise enough to avoid nearly getting burnt to crisp by
bigots, but still... This will give her a few more low-leveled spells,
but otherwise not much has changed. She still has her great Dexterity
and her Magic Resistance keeping her safe, but in Baldur's Gate 2 Magic
Resistance is purely beneficial... no more will you resist healing and
spell buffs from your own party members. If anything, this makes Viconia
even more potent this time around. She does have two glaring weaknesses
however, and you should be able to spot them just by looking over her
attributes. Her Strength is abysmal for a character who'll be in melee
combat often-putting some Strength-boosting items on her is mandatory
before she can ever wear any armor worth talking about. Also her low
Hit Points offset her Dexterity and Magic Resistance quite a bit. In
the first game we could get her early enough to roll her Hit Points
ourselves-she ended the first game with 60 Hit Points for me, but she
will only start this one with 44, if you get to her as early as
possible. That's just pathetic. She even has fewer Hit Points than
Edwin! It's the most serious weakness she has, far more severe than her
Strength issue, which can be covered up with a Giant Strength band-aid.
On the plus side, you can give her the Girdle of Fortitude, or much
later on, Draw Upon Holy Might, although in the latter case she'll need
to be 24th level to make the most of that spell. As far as melee combat
goes, she will never be in the same league as Jaheira or Anomen, but
with her Magic Resistance and Armor Class she can at least compete. Get
her good armor, a good shield, and some Strength and she's a great
defensive character. She's also a romantic option this time aroud,
provided you can put up with her provocative stories, mood swings, and
general hatred of the fact that she's falling for you.
How to Use Viconia Effectively:
-------------------------------
When you have a point to spend, get her a proficiency point in Flails so
she can use the Flail of the Ages. A better weapon for her you will not
find, as Crom Faeyr is a bit of a waste on her. Her high Charisma, good
defensive qualities, and ability to equip the Sensate Amulet all combine
to make her a decent party leader.
Recruiting Viconia:
-------------------
Good old Viconia can be found in the Government District of Athkatla
(AR1000) at (x=1820, y=1080). Once again, she's gotten herself in
trouble. In the first game you had to save her from a Flaming Fist
Mercenary, but in this game she's gotten captured by an angry mob. It
makes me wonder why she left your company after the first game... In any
event to recruit Viconia you'll have to save her. If you screw around
too long she'll be burned alive and you'll have lost access to the best
evil Cleric in the game. Click on the logs next to her twice to set her
free. You'll have to fight three Fanatics-none of which are very strong-
for letting her go. Afterwards she'll ask to join up. If you take her
along you'll lose two points of reputation, just like in the first game,
but this is a minor penalty for such a good Cleric.
Yoshimo {CHR023}
o======================================================================o
Male, Human, Thief (Bounty Hunter), True Neutral
Str 17, Dex 18, Con 16, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 14
Starting Proficiencies:
Katana +
Dagger +
Short Bow +
Single Weapon Style +
Overview:
---------
Well, he's a Thief, and the lamest of the Thief Kits at that. He's got
good stats otherwise though, and his Find Traps skill starts out at 100,
which is all you'll ever really need. His Pick Pockets is only 25
however, so to do some early game stealing you'll need to invest some
Potions of Master Thievery into him. Really, he'll have to chug them by
the half dozen to do any stealing. He's also promising because you can
dual-class him into a Fighter and make him significantly more useful.
Alas, I wouldn't put too much stake in him, as he will not accompany to
the end of the game. Take him with you until you get Imoen back, but the
evil party is left bereft of a Thief still.
How to Use Yoshimo Effectively:
-------------------------------
I wonder if there's really any point to this section? Yoshimo is...
well, I better keep up appearances, eh? As a single-classed Thief,
Yoshimo sucks. Fortunately, he's got a 17 Strength, and hence, is
capable of dual-classing into a Fighter, which is a far, far superior
build than continuing as a Thief. Given Yoshimo's short-term status,
however, you might not want to bother. You'll need him as a Thief, and
you probably won't get enough experience to make the dual-class option
pay off. Equip him with Short Bows and let him shoot at foes, disarm
traps, and generally act as a marginal character until you get Imoen
back.
Recruiting Yoshimo:
-------------------
After making your way to the second level of Irenicus' Dungeon (AR0603),
you'll run across Yoshimo, who is only too eager to join up with your
party and get the hell out of there.
***SPOILERS***
You have been warned, if you don't want spoilers don't read ahead.
Yoshimo is a promising Thief, at least if you dual-class him into a
Fighter. But he suffers from one crippling, inextricable, problem. He is
going to betray you if you take him to Spellhold, as Irenicus has geased
him. Without getting into it too deeply, one of two things happens to
Yoshimo. He attacks you at Spellhold and you're forced to kill him, or
if you leave him behind, he'll die upon sight of the party once they
return from Spellhold. I have heard of one way to get around this. You
MUST leave him behind in Athkatla instead of taking him to Spellhold.
When you come back you must talk to him BEFORE he can die and have him
rejoin your party. Then when he dies (and he will) you can simply raise
him. He has no more banters, and nobody will interact with him, but you
CAN keep Yoshimo with this exploit. Since it's clearly outside what the
creators of the game intended, I write him off as a dead man after
Spellhold, but if you're an evil party who is in desperate need of a
Thief, this is a way to keep Yoshimo. If you keep him alive you'll get a
character with great fighting stats and crappy proficiencies. Whether
you have a good or evil party, I'd suggest dual-classing him into a
Fighter and getting him as many ranks into Halberds and the Two Handed
Style as possible, allowing him to use the Ravager Halberd you'll
eventually get. In a good party he'd replace Minsc, and in the evil
party he'd fill a hole that otherwise needs to be plugged with a
protagonist Thief or player-created side-kick. He's certainly more
useful than Jan. In any event, if you bring Yoshimo along with you to
Spellhold, at least you'll get a ton of experience for it-eventually.
Table of Character Attributes {CHR024}
o======================================================================o
For reference purposes, here's a list of the attributes of the
characters you may recruit in the game. It should help you compare their
strengths and weaknesses and plan for item distribution accordingly.
I also threw in some useless 'averages', just because it interested me,
and by deduction, every other sentient being in the universe.
o=======o=======o=======o=======o=======o=======o======o
| Str | Dex | Con | Int | Wis | Cha | Total|
o=======o=======o=======o=======o=======o=======o======o
Aerie | 10 | 17 | 9 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 82 |
|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|
Anomen | 18/52 | 10 | 16 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 79 |
|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|
Cernd | 13 | 9 | 13 | 12 | 18 | 15 | 80 |
|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|
Dorn | 19 | 16 | 14 | 10 | 15 | 16 | 91 |
|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|
Edwin | 10 | 10 | 16 | 18 | 10 | 10 | 74 |
|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|
Haer'Dalis | 17 | 17 | 9 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 87 |
|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|
Hexxat | 20 | 20 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 18 | 98 |
|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|
Imoen | 9 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 11 | 16 | 87 |
|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|
Jaheira | 15 | 17 | 17 | 10 | 14 | 15 | 88 |
|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|
Jan | 9 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 10 | 81 |
|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|
Keldorn | 17 | 9 | 17 | 12 | 16 | 18 | 89 |
|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|
Korgan | 18/77 | 15 | 19 | 12 | 9 | 7 | 80 |
|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|
Mazzy | 15 | 18 | 16 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 86 |
|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|
Minsc | 18/93 | 16 | 16 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 73 |
|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|
Nalia | 14 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 9 | 13 | 87 |
|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|
Neera | 11 | 17 | 14 | 17 | 13 | 11 | 83 |
|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|
Rasaad | 16 | 16 | 14 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 85 |
|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|
??????? | 18/00 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 10 | 15 | 95 |
|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|
Valygar | 17 | 18 | 16 | 10 | 14 | 10 | 85 |
|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|
Viconia | 10 | 19 | 8 | 16 | 18 | 14 | 85 |
|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|
Yoshimo | 17 | 18 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 14 | 88 |
|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|
"Average" PC | 14.81 | 15.81 | 14.71 | 13.38 | 12.71 | 13.43 | 84.86|
o======================================================o
Note: The average result of a 3d6 dice roll is 10.5 (3.5 per d6).
Bioware and Overhaul Games were using some loaded dice to come up with
a lot of those attributes. Then again, if these were 'average'
characters, they wouldn't be worthy traveling companions, right? It's
also obvious that many of these characters are blatant archetypes, but
we all love archetypes. Still, we don't get some of the randomness that
we saw in some of the Baldur's Gate 1 characters... or in real Dungeons
and Dragons. The great thing about anomalies, however, is the
possibility to dual-class, and in Baldur's Gate 2 major
character-building is largely-and rightfully-over.
It also amuses me that the stats that Bioware and Overhaul games found
the least useful-Wisdom and Charisma-are the stats that I found the
least useful in my days as Dungeon Master. (If I bothered to average
out stats for Baldur's Gate 2 characters, you can bet I have
spreadsheets of old campaigns and characters of my own). Many
characters that are fun to play aren't nice (everybody likes to
play a jackass, from time to time) and/or they aren't wise. Crazy
characters... or more politely, dangerously uninhibited characters...
are often more fun to play than characters who are responsible,
cautious, and deliberate. I think these are universal traits that
most long-time players will discover if they bother to average out
their PC and NPC attributes.
I must also point out that the characters in Baldur's Gate 2 are
decidedly superior to the Baldur's Gate 1 characters, being close in
two of the six attributes, and a point on average superior in Strength,
Constitution, Wisdom, and Charisma, and having an average total of
84.86 compared to 80.79 in the last game. The main reason for this is
the fact that there are much fewer 'junk' characters in this game-higher
stakes require stronger allies. Only three of the potential allies in
this game have a total attribute spread of less than 80 points, while
eight of the twenty-nine recruitable characters in Baldur's Gate 1 had
less than 80 points. It also doesn't hurt that many of the Baldur's
Gate 1 characters who made it into the sequel have higher attributes in
the sequel.
Out of 29 characters in the first game, four had exceptional (18+)
Strength. Two of them made it into the sequel. In the sequel six out
of the 21 characters have exceptional Strength.
Out of twenty-one characters in this game, only four do not receive a
bonus to Armor Class from their Dexterity. Of the seventeen characters
who have a bonus to their Armor Class, seven of them have a +4 or
greater bonus to Armor Class.
No character in the game has a higher-than-useful Constitution (a Mage
with 17 or 18 Constitution, for example.) No characters receive a
penalty to their Hit Points from Constitution. Seven Characters do
not receive a bonus to their Hit Points from Constitution. Seven of the
seventeen characters in the game have a Constitution score of 16. All
of the Enhanced Edition characters have a 14 Constitution.
Seven of twenty-nine characters had a Charisma score of less than ten
in the first game. Only two have a Charisma of less than ten in this
game. Thirteen characters have a Charisma score of 14 of greater.
We're a pretty bunch, all around.
Chart of Characters by Role {CHR025}
o======================================================================o
Below is a list of all the recruitable characters in the game and the
different roles they fill. This will list what roles-both in combat and
out-each character is best suited for. In addition, below this chart I
will explain the roles more in-depth, and include why some characters
meet certain qualifications whereas others do not.
Fighter
|Cleric
| |Mage
| | |Thief
| | | |Leader
| | | | |The Brawling Hands
| | | | | |Needs Giant Strength
| | | | | | |Good
| | | | | | | |Neutral
| | | | | | | | |Evil
o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o
Aerie | | X | X | | | | | X | | |
o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o
Anomen | X | X | | | | X | | | X | |
o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o
Cernd | | X | | | | | | | X | |
o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o
Dorn | X | | | | X | | | | | X |
o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o
Edwin | | | X | | | | | | | X |
o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o
Haer'Dalis | | | | | | | X | | X | |
o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o
Hexxat | | | | X | | | | | | X |
o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o
Imoen | | | X | X | | | | X | | |
o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o
Jaheira | X | X | | | X | | X | | X | |
o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o
Jan | | | X | X | | | | | X | |
o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o
Keldorn | X | | | | X | X | X | X | | |
o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o
Korgan | X | | | | | X | | | | X |
o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o
Mazzy | X | | | | X | | X | X | | |
o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o
Minsc | X | | | | | | | X | | |
o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o
Nalia | | | X | X | | | | X | | |
o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o
Neera | | | X | | | | | | X | |
o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o
Rasaad | X | | | | | | X | X | | |
o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o
??????? | X | | | | X | | | | | X |
o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o
Valygar | X | | | | | | X | X | | |
o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o
Viconia | X | X | | | X | | X | | | X |
o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o
Yoshimo | | | | X | | | | | X | |
o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o
Fighter: Characters who can meet foes in melee combat with regular
success. These characters typically have decent Hit Points, a good
THAC0, and multiple attacks per round. Heavy armor for an exceptionally
low Armor Class is also a must. A Cleric is typically better at fitting
into this category than a Ranger or Thief, since they do not work as
well with heavy armor... and the main point of a Fighter is to tank.
A character who is a multi-class Cleric may not meet the criteria to be
a Fighter (such as Aerie) because she cannot wear heavy armor and get
into combat, and her lower Hit Points and THAC0 progression make her in
every way a less appealing combatant than, say, Viconia, who might not
be ideal, but is otherwise comparably superior. Although Cernd and
Haer'Dalis are weak in armor like Minsc and Valygar, the latter two have
better options with their proficiencies (such as specialization) a lower
THAC0, and better Hit Points. Most importantly, they will both get
Greater Whirlwind, where Cernd and Haer'Dalis do not, making them much
better at fitting into a Fighter role, despite their lack of heavy
armor. Hexxat, despite her Strength, will not gain multiple melee
attacks per round, Specialization, or Whirlwind Attack, nor is she
overly well-protected by armor or Hit Points, making her a decidedly
poor Fighter, despite being a heavy-hitter.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Cleric: In order to meet this classification, a character must not only
be able to heal, but be able to cure poisons, diseases, restore drained
levels, and cast higher level Clerical spells. A Druid fits into this
category just fine in Baldur's Gate 2 thanks to the expanded variety of
healing spells. Clerics in Baldur's Gate 2 are pretty simple, if they
have the class, they work. In this regards, a Cleric is almost like a
Thief, it's almost useless on its own (and a poor choice for a main
character). You should pick what Cleric you want to use not because you
need one, but because of what other things in addition to Clerical
power the Cleric brings to the table.
Anomen has the benefits of a dual-classed Fighters THAC0 and Hit Points.
Jaheira is a multi-classed Fighter/Druid who can specialize in weapons
and learn Greater Whirlwind. Viconia has magic resistance and a great
Dexterity, making her a superior defensive character. Aerie, in
addition to her Clerical abilities can cast Mage spells, although she
suffers in weapon and armor selection.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Mage: The requirements for a Mage are much steeper in Baldur's Gate 2, a
Bard no longer cuts it... and a triple-class character might not either.
Ideally a Mage should be able to cast Finger of Death, Horrid Wilting,
Spell Trigger, Time Stop, and Comet. If they can't cast those, they
need not apply.
Edwin is the best pure Mage in the game, gaining an extra spell per
level (above what being a Conjurer gives him) with no downsides. You
really can't do better, yourself. Neera occupies the second spot, even
though I loathe Wild Mages, I can't argue that her extra spells per
day makes her superior to Imoen. Imoen/Nalia will satisfy your need for
a Thief, as well as provide the third-most potent selection of Mage
spells in the game. Aerie is multi-classed, which will slow her down,
and overall she's not as good of a Mage as either Edwin or Imoen/Nalia,
but since she's not a specialist she does place ahead of Jan, who cannot
cast Necromantic spells.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Thief: A Thief only needs to be able to find and disarm traps.
Everything else can be done another way. Thus, Bards and Rangers do not
qualify as Thieves, even though they can use some Thief skills.
A Thief is in all honesty a waste of a class. With dual-or-multi-
classing it's a valuable asset to be able to hide and backstab, but not
on its own. You'll notice that very few characters can actually fit this
role, the best of which are Hexxat and Yoshimo. Hexxat, as powerful as
she may be in some respects, is still a single-classed Thief, with all
the limitations that'll make her less appealing as the game goes on,
and Yoshimo, even though he can dual-class into a Fighter, he's not in
it for the long haul, This leaves us with with Jan, Imoen, or Nalia.
Imoen's prowess as the third best Mage in the game makes her a shoo-in
for a good party, but evil parties are left with Jan. He's serviceable,
and with a bow is a decent addition, probably better than Haer'Dalis,
in any event. The best thing an evil party can do, however, is to either
have a main character who is at least in part a Thief (Fighter/Thief,
Fighter/Mage/Thief, etc), or was dual-classed from a Thief at one point.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Leader: Technically anybody can be a leader, but to be a good leader,
you need to have a high Charisma, and you need to be durable enough to
survive in the front. This narrows our selection down a bit, but with
the Sensate Amulet and the Armor of Balduran, even a modest Charisma of,
say, 14 can get up to snuff. This role isn't a huge deal, as you can
simply switch out a character with low Charisma for one with higher
Charisma when you need to do some shopping. Of course, the Ring of
Human Influence makes this role available to anybody able to endure the
punishment of being in front-provided they've a ring slot to spare.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
The Brawling Hands: This character needs The Brawling Hands to excel.
These are typically Fighters with a low Dexterity (and hence, a poor
Armor Class). Ideally almost every character could use these, but this
category is for otherwise decent characters who become much stronger by
equipping the gauntlets. This is not a category for characters who do
not fit into a fighting role, or characters who will still perform
poorly in combat with them. It's also not for characters who really
don't need these gauntlets to excel. If it's not lowering their Armor
Class by three or four points, they probably don't need it.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Giant Strength: These characters need a boost to their Strength to be at
peak efficiency, pretty much regulating this to Fighter-role characters.
Since there are multiple such items in the game, including the Hands of
Takkok, a Girdle of Hill Giant Strength, a Girdle of Stone Giant
Strength, a Girdle of Frost Giant Strength, a Girdle of Fire Giant
Strength, Crom Faeyr, Angurvadal, and the Runehammer, to name a few,
you have lots of opportunities to address this problem. Your goal should
always be to match the best benefits with the best warriors. Obviously
a character with two attacks a round will make better use of a higher
Strength than a character with one. Practically, however, most of these
items come later in Shadows of Amn or in Throne of Bhaal, so this guide
is more to give you an idea of who to equip the Girdle of Hill Giant
Strength and the Hands of Takkok on, rather than clue you in to who will
eventually need a Strength-boosting item.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Good: Characters of Good alignment. These characters can travel with
Neutral characters, but might fight with characters of Evil alignment
(especially Keldorn).
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Neutral: Characters of Neutral alignment. Note neutrality is secondary
to Good and Evil. Chaotic and Lawful characters do not cause problems.
A Neutral character can travel with either Good or Evil characters,
although not without some friction.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Evil: Characters of Evil alignment. These characters can travel with
Neutral characters. but might provoke Good characters. This doesn't mean
all Evil characters will get along peachy, but it does mean that they
won't defect.
Suggested Parties by Role {CHR026}
o======================================================================o
These are my suggestions for characters, based on their Strengths. The
order of the character DOES indicate how well I feel they'll fit their
role (i.e.: Keldorn is a better party leader than Viconia because he's
named first.) Although keep in mind this doesn't really rate their
overall usefulness (Korgan's brute Strength over Keldorn's Dispel Magic,
True Sight, and Holy Avenger) it just rates how well they fill a role.
Overall it's nothing to get your panties in a twist over. Somebody had
to come first, and with how few characters there are and with the
variety of pros and cons they have it's mostly a matter of opinion.
Also, you'll obviously have to exclude a party member to make room for
your main character, although whom you exclude will pretty much be
resolved by what class your protagonist is.
Leader (1): Keldorn, Dorn, Viconia, Jaheira, ???????, Mazzy
Fighter (2): Korgan, Keldorn, ???????, Dorn, Jaheira, Minsc, Valygar,
Mazzy, Anomen, Viconia, Rasaad
Cleric (1): Viconia, Anomen, Aerie, Cernd
Mage (1): Edwin, Neera, Imoen, Nalia, Aerie, Jan
Thief (1): Hexxat, Jan, Imoen, Nalia
Example Evil Party
Leader: Dorn
Fighter: Korgan
Fighter: Jaheira/???????
Cleric: Viconia
Mage: Edwin
Thief: Hexxat
Dorn is as good of a party leader as you can get-he's got more
Charisma than Viconia, and he's a tried-and-true front-line warrior.
Korgan is probably the best Fighter in the game, and Jaheira, while
not seeming like much of a Fighter, has many benefits that make her
more appealing than any other character-Insect Plague, Iron Skins,
Greater Elemental Summoning... so what if it takes her three million
experience to mature in Throne of Bhaal? Better to take a while to
become great than settle for a character who isn't as good. Once you
get to Throne of Bhaal you can recruit ??????? and replace Dorn, if you
feel like it, since the two fight similarly and ??????? has superior
attributes. Viconia is just the only good Cleric option the evil party
has-just as well, as she's a damn good Cleric. She's not much of an
offensive character, but she's got great defensive characteristics,
including a high Dexterity and Magic Resistance. Edwin is by and far
the best Mage the game has to offer, leaving only the Thief... Hexxat
is as powerful as a single-class Thief as you can hope to get, but
that's still not good enough in my mind. Her slew of resistances and
high attributes just doesn't make up for the fact that she'll never
get enough attacks nor will she be physically sturdy enough to compete
with any of the warriors, nor can she cast spells like Jaheira and
Viconia can. The best option the evil party has is for a Thief-classed
protagonist, since Imoen and Nalia are both Good-aligned.
Example Good Party
Leader: Keldorn
Fighter: Jaheira
Fighter: Minsc/???????
Cleric: Anomen
Mage: Neera/Imoen/Nalia
Thief: Imoen/Nalia
Keldorn is a great party leader, as his Paladin class ensures he's got a
good Charisma. Also he's relatively well-off in the Armor Class
department, although he needs The Brawling Hands to bring him up to
snuff, especially considering he won't be carrying a shield. His ability
to Dispel Magic and use True Sight makes him phenomenal for destroying
enemy Mages, and he's an overall great character. Jaheira can specialize
in weapons, wear heavy armor, and use a shield. With her improved
attributes she also has a good amount of Hit Points and Armor Class,
making her a good Fighter. She might not be as great as Keldorn and
Anomen, but her compliment of Druidic spells puts her well above any
competition she might have. Minsc is a secondary Fighter, and can be
substituted for Valygar, who serves much the same role. There are some
issues with Valygar that make me pick Minsc over him, however. He's a
good bit off the beaten path, whereas you get Minsc right in the first
dungeon. Oh, his lower Strength makes him more of a liability, too, and
the fact that he's built to fight with two katanas means he won't be
staying out of melee like Minsc (not to mention the competition he'll
provoke for other katana-users.) ??????? makes a good replacement for
Minsc, if you don't mind doing a little roleplaying to change ???????'s
alignment, and if you won't miss the stealth too much. Anomen is pretty
much the mandatory Good Cleric... there just isn't another one in the
game besides Jaheira, and it's always best to have two characters who
can heal. That's not to say he's baggage, mind you. His high Strength
and starting proficiencies means he'll be as deadly as... well, as most
Fighters, even if he won't have access to Whirlwind Attack. Stick Crom
Faeyr on him, or his holy symbol, and you've got a pretty damn strong
'Cleric'. Lastly, we have Imoen/Nalia, who are practically identical.
Again, the lack of a dedicated Thief makes one of them mandatory, as
well the fact that there's no Good Mage in the game. They fill dual-
roles, both of which the Good party desperately needs filled. And no,
I don't consider Jan a viable replacement. If you don't need a Thief...
well, I'd suggest you still stick with Imoen/Nalia, but even Aerie is a
better choice than Jan.
Good Party versus Evil Party {CHR027}
o======================================================================o
Now, hopefully I've stated enough about your potential allies and their
relevence in a party to help you build up an idea of what to expect
from each party member-and in combining all the characters in the game,
what to then expect from your party as a whole. However, in case it
wasn't clear enough, I've made this section to cover the differences
between the parties so you'll know exactly what's going on. Note that
much of this information is found throughout the Walkthrough itself,
and in the character and party descriptions above. This is merely a
condensed and direct comparison of the strengths, weaknesses, and
resulting tactics covered above.
Party Composition
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This shouldn't be so very complex. In my mind, the game decides who
you will travel with as soon as you pick your alignment-with a few
exceptions. First, let me reiterate. You get five party members plus
your protagonist, which is well shy of the total number of characters in
the game. However, since good and evil don't mix, you can only pick so
many to take with you. If you grab Keldorn, you're not travelling with
Korgan, Edwin, or Viconia, and so on. Throw in some useless allies like
Cernd and Jan, and consider that Nalia is just a cheap copy of Imoen,
and you've thinned the ranks. Then there are the dubious characters-
Haer'Dalis, Mazzy, and Aerie, who are hard to fit into a party for
various reasons-mostly because, although they're decent, they're just
over-matched. Yoshimo is a long-term bust (don't plan a party around
him) and that leaves us with only one real choice... do we bring along
Minsc or Valygar in the good party? Much, much later on in the game,
??????? joins up, at which point you must decide... ditch whatever extra
characters you're dragging along in the evil party (likely Haer'Dalis),
or in the good party ditch Minsc/Valygar, or tell ??????? to take a
walk.
The Protagonist
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Ideally a protagonist is simply the strongest character on the screen
at any given time-a Fighter/Mage is really the way to go, in my
opinion. Being able to hold the front-line is good, but being able to
lend Mage support while you're at it is even better, and the
Time Stop/Greater Whirlwind tactic just isn't fair... In a good way!
As far as gear is concerned, a Fighter/Mage can soak up the attacks
of enemy spellcasters (read: Liches) without getting scratched once
the Cloak of Mirroring is obtained. Ilithids are another foe that is
best handled almost exclusively by a Fighter/Mage. With good combat
stats, a decent Armor Class, and protective spells like Mirror Image
and Blur, there really is no better character for weathering psionics
and surviving Intelligence drain. Last but not least, our protagonist
Fighter/Mage can handle Vampires once the Amulet of Power is obtained.
This isn't quite as exclusive as the Illithid tactic, since other
classes (Clerics) can pick up the slack. Still, a Fighter/Mage is more
lethal in combat (better weapon selection and Greater Whirlwind Attack)
and has better defensive spells-all in all, it's the best anti-vampire
character you'll be able to easily build. That's three very dangerous
foes that can be completely negated by our protagonist. Of course,
they're not capable of handling everything-sometimes a Fighter is needed
for brute work, or a Mage is needed to caster higher-level spells (or
numerous low-level spells) that the Fighter/Mage just can't access-yet.
When you slap the Helm of Vhailor on a Fighter/Mage, all those perks
are doubled.
Life isn't so simple for the evil party, however. Imoen barely cuts it
as a Thief for the good party, but the evil party doesn't have access
to her. Yoshimo isn't in it for the long run, and Hexxat-potent as she
is-is still a single-class Thief. And no, I do not consider Jan a
serious option. How then, do we obtain those awesome perks of being a
Fighter/Mage and still introduce a decent Thief into the party? Easy,
make a Fighter/Mage/Thief instead. Is it as good as a Fighter/Mage? No,
your spell progression will be even more stunted, as will your Hit
Points and THAC0 progression, and you'll never get 9th-level Mage
spells (without cheating). On the other hand, all the tactics otherwise
fit seamlessly (save Time Stop/Greater Whirlwind, obviously), and the
Fighter/Mage/Thief gains a few very important benefits. First, being
able to create your own Thief is much better than borrowing an
recruitable Thief. Imoen can't upgrade her Thief skills any-but you
can. No stupid kits (Yoshimo), no annoying turnip-Gnomes (Jan), and no
dragging a single-classed Thief along (Hexxat). Second-and best of
all-is the backstabbing. Adding x5 damage to an already potent
Bhaalspawn almost ludicriously strong. Of course, many enemies will be
immune (no cheap-shots on that dragon!) but for most enemies... it'll
make you forget that you're playing what I view as the weaker of two
alternatives.
Jaheira
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Jaheira is not an optional character in my mind. Not in Baldur's Gate,
or in Baldur's Gate 2. Since she's become even stronger in the sequel,
this is a no-brainer. Every party should have Jaheira. She can assist
the Clerics in healing and buffing, her Hit Points are some of the best
you'll find on a recruitable character, she has the THAC0 and armor to
compete in melee, and she's neutral-every party can have her (albeit,
with some friction.) Her Druid levels allow you to gain the benefits of
a Druid, without actually having to suffer the crappiness of an actual
Druid. And Insect Plague just wins... well... much of Shadows of Amn,
really. It's the go-to spell of the early-to-mid game. When Jaheira
levels up, her tactics change, but if anything she gets even stronger.
When she starts getting high level abilities, she'll be able to compete
with the best Fighters in the game with her Greater Whirlwind Attacks,
and if she learns Summon Elemental Prince she can call upon one of the
strongest summoning spells in the game. Finally, a high Armor Class and
Iron Skins makes her the closest thing to a Fighter/Mage the game offers
in terms of brute survivability.
Fighters
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
As far as I'm concerned, this is a real easy choice. Keldorn can gain
access to a very powerful exclusive weapon and whatever he lacks in
attributes, he makes up for with True Sight and super-powered Dispel
Magic. An easy choice for the good party. Korgan is the best pure
Fighter in the game. Enough said, and an easy choice for the evil
party.
Clerics
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Here you have some options-watch as I whittle them down. Cernd doesn't
count for much as a Cleric. Not that Druids can't compete... wait...
they really can't. Well, that's settled. That leaves us with Aerie,
Anomen, and Viconia, and when push comes to shove, Aerie clearly loses
the contest. Viconia and especially Anomen are decent Clerics, although
Viconia is the fastest-progessing Cleric thanks to her single-classed
status. Still, this is a matter of a marginal bit of experience, in
exchange for which Anomen has much higher Hit Points, lower THAC0, and
all the other perks of dual-classing as a Fighter. What they both can
do that Aerie cannot is participate in melee combat from the moment
you recruit them. Sure, Anomen's Dexterity sucks, and Viconia has
Hit Point and Strength issues, but a Girdle of Hill Giant Strength
fixes Viconia's problem, and Anomen can just strap on a shield. Aerie,
however, has to mind her Mage limitations, and offers no easy solution.
Aerie's slow progression kills whatever usefulness she might have had-
she's not a good candidate as either the party Mage or the party Cleric.
On the other hand, Viconia's Armor Class and magic resistance make her
a potent defensive character, and Anomen's Hit Points and Strength
make him a sturdy front-liner. Anomen for the good party, Viconia for
the evil party.
Mages
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
We have a variety of Mages to choose from, but let me expel two right
off the bat. Aerie's slow progression makes her less-than-ideal as
either the party Mage or Cleric. In particular, Edwin, Imoen, and
Nalia all out-progress her. Jan suffers from the same problem... and on
top of that, he's a specialist Mage whose class prohibits him from ever
casting any of a variety of potent Necromancy spells. No thanks. Now
that we're done with that, we have the aforementioned three. Edwin is
the evil party Mage pretty much by default. He'll cast more spells per
day than any Mage you can make, and this allows us to ignore his lack of
Identify and True Sight. On that note, since Edwin just has so much
more spell-power than the good-party candidates, the evil party will
make much more use of spell-assaults, especially in the early-going.
Having two-extra spell-slots per level and unimpeded progression as a
Mage just allows Edwin to throw out a Slow or Chaos spell just about any
time he wishes-not to mention other late-game greats like Horrid
Wilting, Comet, and debuffs like Breach and Pierce Magic. Our good-
party candidates on the other hand includes a pair of dual-classed
Thieves... practically clones, in fact. This makes me think Nalia only
exists to supply you with an Imoen while the real Imoen is out of
reach. So that being the case, why not just go with Imoen? She's a
bit stunted when compared to Edwin, and you'll really notice how many
more spells per day Edwin gets. Even with a Fighter/Mage on the good
party versus a Fighter/Mage/Thief on the evil party, Edwin tips the
spell-power balance towards the evil side. And of course, Imoen has
better Thief abilities, making her absolutely necessary for a good
party.
True Sight
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
One main tactic in the game for breaching enemy defenses and keeping
them honest is to use True Sight. You'll do this quite early in the
game, and it'll be necessary until the end credits roll. How you do it,
however, depends on who you've brought along. In this regards, the good
party has a huge advantage in Keldorn. His Inquisitor kit allows him to
use True Sight very early in the game, and quite often. He's really all
you need to bust enemy illusions. Of course, Jaheira will also be able
to pitch in, as will our Clerics, Anomen/Viconia. All that's left are
our Mages, and here Edwin shows one of his few-yet conspicuous-
shortcomings. Edwin can never learn Divination spells, and for the
most part, who cares? Sadly, one of the few spells (and certainly the
most harmful for Baldur's Gate 2) prohibited is True Sight. That means
the standard evil party will have no Keldorn, and their Mage-despite
his staggering number of spell-slots, can never memorize True Sight.
This leaves True Sight entirely up to Viconia and Jaheira. It's a
limitation, to be sure, but one that can be overcome.
Thieving
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Already touched upon in the Protagonist section is the issue of Thief
skills. The good party has Imoen, who is just good enough. The best
answer for the evil party is to have a Thief protagonist, but failing
that, Hexxat is as powerful of a single class Thief as you can hope
for.
The Sixth Wheel
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
The sixth wheel is that extra character that sort of solidifies an area
already bolstered by other party members better suited to the role. For
the good party you can add one of two Rangers-Minsc or Valygar. Minsc is
my favorite choice, as... well, he doesn't need any Strength-boosting
gear, he's hilarious, and he was in the first game. Both have some bad
points, namely their absurd proficiencies. Both at least have Long Bows,
but they both also have two ranks wasted on Two Weapon Style. Neither
really has the Armor Class to pull it off, although Minsc's Two Handed
Sword specialization makes him more attractive, compared to Valygar's
Spear. My only guess is that, since Baldur's Gate 2 found itself
pressured by the release of 3rd Edition Dungeon and Dragons, the
developers decided to give both their Rangers Two Weapon Style. While
it's a feature of the class in 3rd Edition, in Baldur's Gate 2, it's
just a waste of points. Both can pull off stealth for scouting purposes,
both are decent warriors who will ideally contribute at a range, and
when proficiencies allow-with reach weapons that keep them out of direct
melee. Valygar can backstab (albeit poorly) and has a better Dexterity.
Misnc has better armor selection, and better Strength.
The Enhanced Edition has been very kind to the evil party. In the
original game, after Edwin, Jaheira, Korgan, and Viconia, the well was
really running dry. This often led to us choosing to drag along ???????
or Haer'Dalis. The latter is fair enough in Shadows of Amn, while the
former is a heavyweight Fighter in Throne of Bhaal... but this lack of
continuity always left something to be desired. Enter Dorn and Hexxat,
two new characters that serve a role the evil party have long since
needed. Dorn serves as a less potent Keldorn-he's a great party leader
and front-line warrior. He doesn't have the great Inquisitor abilities
like Keldorn, but his Blackguard abilities at least come in handy once
in a while. Hexxat is an evil Thief, as potent of a Thief as you can
hope for. How to choose between the two? Well, despite Hexxat's
potency, the qualifier in the above statement is 'Thief'. A single-class
Thief just isn't a great character, no matter how... unusual... they
are. On the other hand, if you drag Hexxat along, you can drop the
'Thief' from the Fighter/Mage/Thief and go with a more potent
Fighter/Mage. Overall, however, I think Dorn is the more powerful
character.
Once you reach Throne of Bhaal, you can consider removing your 6th
wheel for ???????-unless, of course, you're using Hexxat as your
party Thief, in which case she's mandatory. ??????? has an edge on
Dorn in attributes, but the two are pretty close in potency. He does,
however, significantly out-class Minsc-Minsc's archery and stealth are
both becoming quite ineffective by Throne of Bhaal. Best of all,
depending on how you interact with ???????, his alignment can go either
way.
Character Builds and Weapon Loadouts {CHR028}
o======================================================================o
This is a section where I'll discuss some high-level tactics which will
become available for us once we start accumulating loot and levels.
Ideally, this is a section where I'll discuss various weapon load-outs
for various PCs. For most of the game, you'll use what you find, and
honestly your equipment will be more or less cobbled together
haphazardly in the early-going through mid-game. The gear you'll equip
will be determined by opportunity and starting proficiencies, and this
is obviously not an ideal way to make it through the game. However, as
we play through the game, you'll be developing your characters to
obtain the proficiencies they'll need to equip some of the best weapons
in the game. To that end, this section will describe these weapons and
their various combinations in some detail. If you don't want to know
what awesome weapons we'll be finding in this game, don't read any
more. And as an aside, this isn't an elitist gear rant, putting the
right gear on the right character is indeed a great deal of the
strategy this game requires, but building a character to suit the gear
is more foreknowledge, and not quick-thinking or adaptive practice.
Spell-buffing and micro-management are much more important tools for
surviving the few challenging encounters in this game... and of course,
knowing what you're facing, and what will hurt what you're facing, and
sheer luck. In large part, using good gear is a matter of common sense.
Anybody with two brain-cells to rub together will realize that Crom
Faeyr is an awesome off-hand weapon for the Strength-boost alone, and
that Celestial Fury is an over-powered weapon for how easily it can be
obtained. These are-in all honesty-fairly obvious builds, but it doesn't
take a keen intellect to realize that vorpal weapons are meant to be
used in the main-hand, followed by debilitating weapons (like Flail
of the Ages), and defensive or boosting items (like Hindo's Doom, Crom
Faeyr, and Angurvadal) make great off-hand weapons.
Best of the Best Two-Fisted Fighter
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Flail of the Ages + Axe of the Unyielding or
Flail of the Ages/Axe of the Unyielding + Hindo's Doom/Angurvadal
Suggested Characters: Korgan, Mazzy, Protagonist
Flail of the Ages is clearly the best one-handed non-edged weapon in
the game. At its best it deals 10 elemental damage per hit, gives its
user Free Action, +5% magic resistance, and has a 33% chance to Slow
without a save. On the other hand, you have Axe of the Unyielding,
which has a 10% chance to kill outright with no save, +1 Armor Class,
+1 Constitution, and a regeneration rate of three Hit Points per round.
Both offer considerable defensive bonuses-which can be obtained just as
well on the off-hand, so what we have is an offensive comparison. In
this case, it seems that the Flail of the Ages' 10 damage per hit and
33% chance to Slow an enemy out-competes even the vorpal property of
Axe of the Unyielding. For big fights, it's not like you can't just
switch over to the Axe of the Unyielding as a main-hand weapon after
the enemy has been Slowed. You can even combine the two as primary
weapons, and just use Angurvadal as your constant off-hand weapon for
the Strength and negative plane protection, or Hindo's Doom for the
magic resistance and Death Ward.
Crom Faeyr Cleric
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Crom Faeyr
Suggested Characters: Anomen
Crom Faeyr is obviously a great weapon, for no better reason than the
fact that it boosts your Strength to a ludicrous 25. Of course, it
serves this role just fine as an off-hand weapon, but for lack of
options it'll work as a primary weapon as well. Especially if you
want to keep a shield and have other uses for the Flail of the Ages.
Sure, it doesn't provide any useful offensive or defensive bonuses
(by Throne of Bhaal, Trolls, Ogres, and Ettins will be the least of your
problems), but the sheer damage boost gained from having a 25 Strength
is more than most weapons give.
Flail of the Ages Cleric
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Flail of the Ages
Suggested Characters: Anomen, Viconia
A better solution for equipping your Cleric is to use Flail of the Ages
and a shield. For Anomen, when he hits level 25 he'll get a Holy
Symbol which will boost his Strength from 18 to 19, with all the
awesome benefits that apply. Viconia will need some help-ideally the
Girdle of Hill Giant Strength, and with her Holy Symbol she'll go from
19 to 20 Strength.
Holy Avenger
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Carsomyr
Suggested Characters: Keldorn
Another simple weapon build. You see Carsomyr? If you had anybody who
could wield it, why would you not equip it? 50% magic resistance?
That's all the spell defense anybody could ever need, and the fact that
it casts Dispel Magic on targets means you can rip through enemy spell
casters. It's certainly one of the better reasons to drag Keldorn along,
and it makes creating your own Paladin a somewhat interesting
proposition.
Perfect Swordsman
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Angurvadal + Hindo's Doom (Spectral Brand + Hindo's Doom/Angurvadal)
Suggested Characters: Protagonist, Valygar
This build is especially useful if you're playing with Korgan and
Viconia, with the implications that you won't have access to Crom Faeyr,
the Axe of the Unyielding, or Flail of the Ages. The Perfect Swordsman
begins with points into Katanas, Long Swords, and Two Weapon Style.
They'll get Celestial Fury early on, and Namarra, Dak'kon's Zerth
Blade, and Malakar make decent early-to-mid game off-hand weapons. When
you reach the end of Shadows of Amn you'll add Daystar to your arsenal
(great against Undead) and the Equalizer, although Celestial Fury
remains the weapon to beat in Shadows of Amn. By the time you get to
Throne of Bhaal, however, Celestial Fury is losing its edge, and
replacements abound. Unfortunately, nothing really steps up to takes
its place, as there really aren't any great debilitating swords
(no vorpal one-handed swords, and nothing that forces a save at a
negative penalty.) In this case, I give Angurvadal the nod over other
weapons, like Hindo's Doom, simply because of the fire damage... Hindo's
Doom works just as well as an off-hand weapon. If you don't mind
depriving Jaheira of a great weapon, grab some proficiency points in
Scimitars. You can then use Belm through much of Shadows of Amn, and
when you reach Throne of Bhaal switch to the Spectral Brand as a main
hand weapon, which more or less removes the need for Angurvadal. If
you're using this build for your protagonist (with the implication
that you imported with a 19 Strength) you might as well just use Hindo's
Doom as your offhand weapon for the Magic Resistance. It's just an
idea, whether Angurvadal's 1d4 +1 fire damage and 22 Strength is better
than Spectral Brand's 1d6 cold damage... well, the two seem close enough
that one or the other doesn't make a huge difference.
Ravager
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Ravager
Suggested Characters: Dorn, Haer'Dalis, Minsc, ???????, Valygar
The Ravager Halberd is easily one of the best weapons in the game... in
fact, it may be THE best two-handed weapon in the game. Of course, I
prefer Axe of the Unyielding in straight comparison (both are vorpal,
but the Axe of the Unyielding also boosts Armor Class, gives
regeneration, and increases your Constitution.) Still, for a two-handed
weapon wielding character, you really can't get any better, unless
you're a Paladin, and even then it's debatable. It is preferable to
Psion's Blade and Gram, which is why most two-handed warriors shun Two
Handed Swords for Halberds near the end of Shadows of Amn. The Silver
Sword will see them through Shadows of Amn and a bit of Throne of Bhaal,
but this is the weapon to shoot for. A +6 Halberd with a 10% chance to
kill with no save? That's a no-brainer, and it's great for dedicated
two-handed weapon users like ???????, as well as weaker characters who
should distance themselves from the front-lines, but who shouldn't
avoid combat entirely.
Spearman/Staffman
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Ixil's Spike/Staff of the Ram
Suggested Characters: Cernd, Protagonist
This is more of a compromise for a Druid than anything else. They can't
use shields, and they just aren't strong enough or well-defended enough
in melee combat to do well without some distance. Since they can't use
Halberds, this is the next best option. The Staff of the Ram can stun
and knockback, and deals 12 crushing damage and 1d4 piercing damage
while Ixil's Spike can immobilize an enemy for three rounds, while doing
1d6 +5 damage each round. The Staff of the Ram seems the superior
offensive weapon, even though Ixil's Spike provides Free Action, and for
most of Shadows of Amn Spears are superior to Quarter Staffs... although
on the other hand, you can buy the Staff of Rynn +4 from the
Adventurer's Mart at the beginning of the game...
The Bludgeoner
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Flail of the Ages + Crom Faeyr
Suggested Characters: Anomen, Protagonist
This is an idea I've toyed around with, but I've never actually put into
action. In my mind, a Fighter/Cleric or Cleric/Ranger protagonist would
make a great candidate for this, but honestly, Anomen would work just as
well (although Viconia might not have the proficiencies to see this
through, and she's certainly not nearly a good enough Fighter for it.)
This build combines the awesome power of Crom Faeyr with the disabling
properties of the Flail of the Ages, which never loses its potency
throughout the game, indeed, it only gets stronger. This almost begs
for a multi-class Fighter/Cleric, who can take advantage of the extra
proficiencies, use Greater Whirlwind, and scrape together some defensive
items to make up for their lack of a shield. On top of this, a
Cleric/Ranger can add Iron Skins to their defenses, making them almost
comparable to a Fighter/Mage defensively. Eh... at least against
physical attacks, anyways.
Ultimate Assassin
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Dagger of the Star + Angurvadal/Hindo's Doom
Suggested Characters: Protagonist, Hexxat, Valygar
There's only one real purpose to this build-to take advantage of the
Dagger of the Star's ability to bestow invisibility on its wielder In
the hands of a Thief (preferably a Fighter/Thief protagonist) it becomes
an awesome weapon of mass destruction, as backstabs will flow liberally.
The off-hand weapon in this case is merely a boosting or defensive item,
Angurvadal will boost your Strength, while Hindo's Doom will boost your
magic resistance, as the situation demands. In most situations,
Angurvadal will be the best choice, as the Strength boost will
exponentially increase the damage done by the backstab.. although if
you're using this build on a protagonist, they may not NEED the
Strength boost so much... especially if they're evil (secrets implied).
Vorpal Juggernaut
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Axe of the Unyielding + Crom Faeyr
Suggested Characters: Korgan, Mazzy
One of the more obvious builds in the game, unless you're planning for
it early, it can be difficult to get the proficiencies for this build
to work in a timely manner. Korgan is by and far the easiest character
to fit into this build, as he's a Fighter (and hence will get lots of
proficiencies) and already starts out with Grand Mastery in Axes. Since
he already starts out Proficient in War Hammers, it almost feels like
the game is nudging us in the direction of this build. Gauntlets of
Dexterity will in large part cover his Armor Class woes, and Crom
Faeyr will give him all the Strength he needs. Axe of the Unyielding
further adds to his Armor Class, gives him regeneration, and best of
all gives him a vorpal weapon to attack with. Mazzy can fit into this
role as well, but she requires a lot more work. Get her one point into
War Hammers in Shadows of Amn and try and boost her Two Weapon Style.
When you get Crom Faeyr... you should probably just keep it as an off-
hand weapon, and have her use a Short Sword in her main hand. By
Throne of Bhaal, look to get her proficient with Axes, and then
continue to build up both Axes and War Hammers (favoring the former, as
it is, of course, her main weapon) and switch off to the upgraded Axe
of the Unyielding as soon as possible. It'll take her longer, but she
will get there, and she doesn't need The Brawling Hands like Korgan
does.
o======================================================================o
| Spell Tactics {SPT001} |
o======================================================================o
This section was added by request, since I had provided detailed
information on how to equip and build your characters, a similar section
was requested to discuss how to build up your spellbooks. I think that
what was desired were suggestions on what (and how many) spells to
memorize, so with that in mind, let me mention a few things about this
section. First, let it be known that most (if not all) of this
information can be found-sometimes in greater detail and always in
more pertinent form-in the Walkthrough. When you encounter enemies that
require certain spell tactics to defeat, they are laid out in detail
when you fight them. For example, when you deal with Illithids, you'll
know to have Chaotic Commands at the ready. This, in my mind, pretty
much covers everything you'll need to know, when you need to know it.
This section, then, is to provided detailed, general information about
the spells themselves so that all the information scattered throughout
the Walkthrough can be consulted here. Note, however, that I won't
bother suggesting how many spells to memorize, since this is really
subjective to the enemies at hand, and the caster in question.
Obviously Edwin will have luxuries that Imoen doesn't, and when fighting
a dragon they'll want a different spell-loadout than they will when
fighting a Lich.
Healing Spells {SPT002}
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
I tend to have a subtractive, rather than additive view towards the
inclusion of healing spells in my spell-books. Healing spells are good,
nobody doubts that, but how many should you get? In my mind, it
varies by spell-level. Cure Serious Wounds is clearly better than
Cure Light Wounds, but the competition for 1st-level Cleric spells is
much less intense than for 4th-level spells. So, how do I determine what
to get? I get all the spells I want besides healing spells, then fill
up left-over slots with healing. Therefore, most of my 1st-level
Clerical spells tend to be Cure Light Wounds (with a token Remove Fear
on every caster, just in case) while on the other hand, I have almost
no Cure Serious Wounds, as I'd rather have Defensive Harmony, Protection
from Evil 10' Radius, and so on. The only healing spell unworthy of this
second-class status is Heal, which is the ultimate healing spell, and
really, one of the best things about a Cleric or a Druid. Too bad you
can't get that spell in this game, eh?
1st Level Cleric Spells {SPT003}
o======================================================================o
***TOP SPELLS***
Armor of Faith: Blocks 5% of damage per five levels.
---
Cure Light Wounds: Heals 8 Hit Points.
---
Remove Fear: cures and prevents fear effects for one turn.
*Armor of Faith
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
A simple defensive spell that will remain in your list of memorized
spells throughout both games... simply because good defensive Clerical
spells are so rare. This spell absorbs 5% of all damage the caster
would otherwise sustain from physical and magical attacks, and protects
against another 5% for every five levels of the Cleric. Which means...
up to 10% in this game. That doesn't sound like much-and it isn't-but
losing one point in ten of damage isn't horrible, and it has a decent
duration, too. By the time you hit Throne of Bhaal and your Clerics are
pushing 20th level, it'll be seriously reducing damage.
Bless
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Bless gives all allies within a 30-foot radius a +1 bonus to attack
rolls and a +1 bonus to saves versus fear. I'll be honest, I rarely use
it, but it's not that bad of a spell. Your THAC0 won't be low enough to
ignore a +1 bonus... but its six-round duration is just lame. You have
better buffs to use.
Command
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
You can attempt to make an enemy 'die' (go to sleep) for one round.
Anything under six Hit Dice (about 48 Hit Points) gets no save against
the effect, but anything with six Hit Dice or more are entitled to a
Saving Throw vs. Spells. This spell was useful in the first game, but
by now, pretty much everything you fight will have over six Hit Dice...
and besides, you have Greater Command, so why bother with this
under-powered spell?
*Cure Light Wounds
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
The essential healing spell, you'll probably want to keep several
instances of this spell ready at all times.
Detect Evil
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
It's.. not a great spell, and I wouldn't keep one prepared, but Ajantis
can use it as a special ability. It's got quite a range, and nearby
enemies will be detected as evil in your dialogue box. Want to know if
some Black Talons are currently lurking in Larswood, or want to know if
those humble-looking fishermen are up to no good? Give this spell a go.
Doom
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This curse bestows a -2 penalty to saves and attack rolls upon a single
enemy. This is actually a decent spell to cast on tougher enemies, as
that -2 save penalty can end up paying off in a big way if the critter
then falls victim to some spell or weapon effect. Of course, Greater
Malison affects multiple creatures and bestows a -4 penalty to their
saves, making it a far superior cast.
Magic Stone
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
You enchant a small pebble, which flies out and hits a foe for... 1d4
damage. It counts a magical (+1) weapon, but otherwise gets no bonuses
to damage. Compare this to, say, Magic Missile and marvel at how much
this spell sucks.
Protection from Evil
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
A handy little personal buff that gives the target +2 bonus to Saves and
Armor Class... of course, when you've got Protection from Evil 10'
Radius, why would you ever bother with this?
*Remove Fear
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Enemy Mages love using Horror. This spell prevents such magics from
working, and will counter it if you're affected by fear. Always keep
one prepared on each Cleric.
Sanctuary
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Gives the priest temporary immunity to prosecution by foes, during
which time he can heal/buff themselves (but they cannot affect other
creatures without ending the spell). I don't see the point. If you're
getting hurt, retreat and cast a healing spell. Why waste two rounds
doing what can be done in one?
Shillelagh
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Creates a +1 cudgel that deals 2d4 damage. You won't spend much of the
game with a permanent weapon worse than this, so why bother?
2nd Level Cleric Spells {SPT004}
o======================================================================o
***TOP SPELLS***
Draw Upon Holy Might: Boosts Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution.
---
Hold Person: Paralyzes one living, humanoid foe.
---
Resist Fire and Cold: 50% Resistance to Fire and Cold.
---
Silence 15' Radius: Shuts up spell-casters.
---
Slow Poison: Cures poison.
Aid
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Bestows the effects of Bless and heals 1-8 Hit Points. Since it only
effects one creature, I don't bother with it.
Barkskin
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Grants a target an Armor Class of six, which improves (decreases) by
one for ever four levels of the caster... This can effectively give you
an Armor Class that's comparable to Full Plate Mail at higher levels,
but by then, you've certainly found better, permanent, armor.
Chant
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
It affects a 30-foot radius, and gives your allies a one-point bonus to
attack rolls, damage rolls, and saves, and imposes a one-point penalty
to the same onto your enemies. A decent spell, even though it takes a
full round to cast... I'm almost never using my Clerics to buff in
combat, and the first-strikes are handled almost exclusively by my
Mages... and with a five-round duration, I tend to ignore the spell in
favor of Defensive Harmony and Protection from Evil 10' Radius.
*Draw Upon Holy Might
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This is actually a decent spell for some Clerics... alright, it's
useful for Anomen (and possibly a protagonist with good attributes).
At first it won't give much of a bonus, but boosting Anomen's Strength
up to 19 is worthwhile up until he gets his hands on a permanent
Strength-boosting item. Once you're late in Shadows of Amn or Throne of
Bhaal, this spell will start adding serious points to Strength,
Dexterity, and Constitution (up to a +6 bonus at 18th level). This can
be a serious boost to a Cleric's combat prowess, and should not be
ignored.
Find Traps
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Detects traps in a very close range. This spell doesn't disarm them,
however, so it's rather pointless.
Flame Blade
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell allows the caster to create a flaming blade, which the caster
is considered Proficient with. It deals 1d4 slashing damage, plus 1d2+4
fire damage. Despite being a magical blade of flame it does NOT count
as a magical weapon for determining what it can hit-makes sense to me.
*Hold Person
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Another spell that should be good, that I just don't use. It affects
everybody within a 7.5-foot radius, but most often you'll be using this
on one character. It only affect man-sized humanoids, but fortunately,
they're common. No save penalty, and it only lasts 10 rounds... which is
long enough to kill them and then some, to be fair. Still, almost
anything I would use this on, I could just nail with Chaos or Greater
Command, instead.
Know Alignment
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Like Detect Evil, except it detects... everything. Evil things glow red,
neutral things glow blue, and friendly things glow green... like those
little circles under your feet!
*Resist Fire and Cold
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
You won't fear the elements too often, but when dealing with fire or
cold happy foes, this spell can cut their damage in half. I wouldn't
keep it ready all the time, but it'll come in handy once in a while.
*Silence 15' Radius
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Enemy Mage or Cleric getting you down? Not if they can't cast spells-
which is exactly what this little beauty does. It boasts a 15-foot
radius, a duration of two rounds per level, and forces the save to be
made at -5... which means it works often. It saw more use in the first
game, but now, uber-powerful Mages (like Liches) will probably have
Magic Resistance to avoid it. Failing that, almost every Mage with any
real power will have Vocalize, which counters this spell handily. This
makes it decidedly inferior to other Mage-bashing tactics, like Insect
Plague, which is nearly fool-proof... but it doesn't hurt to cast at
a group of casters. Cleric have little way to counter it, and forcing
a Mage to waste time casting Vocalize gives you another round to hit
them with another spell.
*Slow Poison
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Slow Poison is being humble. This spell eradicates the effects of most
poisons in the game. Keep at least one handy on each Cleric all the
time.
Spiritual Hammer
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Conjures a magical hammer, which may be used as an implement of
righteous smiting. It counts as a +1 weapon from 1st-6th level, as a
+2 weapon from 7th-12th level, and a +3 weapon at 13th level and
beyond. You'll find more powerful weapons than this spell conjures. You
should never need to use it.
3rd Level Cleric Spells {SPT005}
o======================================================================o
***TOP SPELLS***
Cure Disease: Cures disease, blindness, and feeblemind.
---
Cure Medium Wounds: Heals 14 Hit Points.
---
Dispel Magic: Remove buffs/debuffs in an area.
---
Holy Smite: Deals 1d4 damage/level to evil creatures.
---
Protection from Fire: Grants 80% Resistance to Fire.
---
Remove Paralysis: Curse paralysis/hold effects.
Animate Dead
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Ah... Animate Dead... this was a great spell in Baldur's Gate 1, but its
hour has passed. Skeleton Warriors are nothing special anymore, and
the Stinking Cloud/Animate Dead tactic has been surpassed by superior
spells. You'll find better minions who are stronger and can take more
abuse, so remove this spell from your spellbooks and move on.
*Cure Disease
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Diseases suck. They function like Poison, but take much longer to deal
their damage, and tend to last much, much longer. Unless you're injured,
you rest, or travel across the world map, your chances of dying due to
disease are pretty low... But having to run back to a temple to get a
character cured is no good solution, and Mummies aren't uncommon in
this game. It's a good idea to always have one of these prepared.
*Cure Medium Wounds
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell restores 14 Hit Points.
*Dispel Magic
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Bad guys cast spells too-buffing themselves, or debuffing you. Just as
a Chaos spell can win a fight for you, if it's cast on you, it can also
result in casualties if the enemy gets one on you... unless you're wise
enough to keep a Dispel Magic handy. This spell is just wonderful, and
everybody who can cast it should always have one prepared.
Glyph of Warding
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Creates a static 'trap' that explodes when an enemy comes close, dealing
1d4 damage/level to foes within range. This spell is party friendly, so
it should be used-not defensively, as the description suggests, but
offensively, like Fireball. Still, the Cleric has better 3rd-level
spells to cast, and the Mage has far, far superior damage-dealers.
*Holy Smite (Good characters Only)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
One of the rare alignment-specific spells in Baldur's Gate, Holy Blight
deals 1d4 damage per level of the caster to all evil foes in a 20-ft.
radius. A fair number of enemies are actually neutral, which limits this
spell's effectiveness, but there are plenty of evil foes to bring holy
doom down upon. This spell is party-friendly... provided you're not
traveling around with evil folks.
Invisibility Purge
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Like the Arcane spell 'Detect Invisibility' this spell will allow you
to detect-and therefore thwart-sneaking enemies. You're better off
springing for True Sight.
Miscast Magic
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
You'll see the enemy cast this spell a few times, but I never bother
with it. If the enemy fails at a Save vs. Spells (save at -2), they'll
suffer an 80% spell casting failure rate. Of course, Silence 15' Radius
can affect multiple foes, imposes a -5 save, and makes spell casting
100% impossible for affected creatures... and Insect Plague is superior
to Silence. This puts Miscast Magic pretty low on my list of anti-Mage
spells.
*Protection from Fire
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Like the Resist Fire/Cold, but it protects you from 80% of fire
damage. Excellent in a few areas.
Remove Curse
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
You should NEVER need to cast this spell. It's grand purpose? Getting
icky cursed items out of your hands. This guide tells you what items
you're getting, and you should never equip unidentified items in the
first place.
*Remove Paralysis
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Paralysis isn't a terribly uncommon affliction in Baldur's Gate 2, and
while it's not the main tactic the enemy will be using on you anymore,
it's still common enough that it's worth having one of these spells
prepared at all times.
Rigid Thinking
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Another spell you'll more often see when it's cast on you than when you
actually waste the time to cast it-it affects one critter and inflicts
confusion. It lasts one turn, and can be negated by a simple Save vs.
Spells. Compare this to the 4th-level Arcane spell Confusion, and you'll
see what a butt-nutter this pansy version is.
Strength of One
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Gives the entire party a Strength score of 18/75, and lasts for a turn.
It might seem nifty at first, but once you get the Gauntlets of Ogre
Power, or any of the other Strength-boosting items in the game, this
spell will actually hinder you in combat. For natural heavy-hitters like
Minsc or Korgan, this spell is a meagre bonus from the outset.
Unholy Blight
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Like Holy Blight, but with different alignment effects. This spell
deals 1d4 damage per level of the caster to all good foes in the area
of effect (20-ft. radius). The spell deals half damage on a successful
save, but on a failed save, it also imposes a -2 penalty 'to all their
rolls' for four rounds. This spell is massively less useful than Holy
Blight, since most foes you'll fight are either neutral or evil...
Meaning few enemies will be affected by this spell at all.
Zone of Sweet Air
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Dispels spells like Stinking Cloud or Cloudkill. Honestly, I tend to
be the Cloudkill/Stinking Cloud caster, the computer rarely uses such
spells... and if they do, I'm more than happy to cast Animate Dead and
let the computer trip over their own spells. I have never bothered with
this spell.
4th Level Cleric Spells {SPT006}
o======================================================================o
***TOP SPELLS***
Death Ward: Makes character immune to death magic.
---
Neutralize Poison: Cures poison, diease, blindness, deafness, and heals.
---
Protection from Evil 10' Radius: Long-lasting party buff.
Animal Summoning I
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Low-level summoning spell suck in Baldur's Gate 2, where the quality of
the foes you'll be facing demands higher-quality minions. Think it
doesn't suck? You'll summon one or two of the following creatures when
you cast this spell-a Dire Wolf, or a War Dog. Yeah. Pass on it.
Cause Serious Wounds
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Touch a bad-guy, and deal 17 damage to them. Seriously? There are many
better ways to deal 17 damage to a creature-ONE creature.
Cloak of Fear
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell creates as three-foot radius fear effect centered on the
caster. I'm always dubious about spells that require the proximity of
the caster... but this spell has no effective radius (if your Cleric is
surrounded, maybe, but good luck getting the spell off) and imposes no
save penalty. Even worse, it only causes fear for four rounds. How is
this spell in any way comparable to the 2nd-level Arcane spell, Horror?
Cure Serious Wounds
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
A more potent version of Cure Light Wounds, it must compete with many
great 4th-level Cleric spells. At the end of the day, healing is just
not strong enough in this game to save you during a fight, the way the
'Heal' spell will. 17 Hit Points is just a band-aid, not a life-saver in
the heat of battle.
*Death Ward
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Death Ward is a wonderful, indispensible, must-have spell for every
Cleric in Baldur's Gate 2. You will have lots od death-spells thrown
your way. Liches and Beholds are especially fond of throwing effects at
you like Disintegrate and Finger of Death. Want to ensure that a certain
character won't get offed by a certain enemy? This is the way to counter
such death-effects.
Defensive Harmony
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell gives you a +2 bonus to Armor Class for ten rounds-the
perfect last preparation before a big fight. +2 Armor Class is the same
as 10% miss chance, and it affects the whole party. Kind of the opposite
of Death Ward, I use it frequently in the first game, but almost never
in Baldur's Gate 2. Armor Class can get quite low naturally in Baldur's
Gate 2, but by Throne of Bhaal, we're contending with foes who have
THAC0s of -10... which renders most Armor Class considerations moot.
It might be worth a cast once in a while in Shadows of Amn, but...
really, the duration just sucks so much I don't ever bother with it.
Farsight
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
You could this spell... or you could simply sneak around with a Thief,
Ranger, or invisible character. You'll see more, and it wastes-at best-
a 2nd-level Arcane spell.
Free Action
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell comes in handy any time you encounter Carrion Crawlers,
Ghouls, Ghasts, Greater Ghouls, or butthole Clerics who like to cast
Hold Person. Of course, it's just as easy to strap on a Ring of Free
Action and save yourself the 4th-level spell slot.
Holy Power
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
A weak attempt at Tenser's, save it allows the caster to keep their
spell casting powers. This spell is a mix of good and mediocrity. First,
one Hit Point per level will not a Fighter make. Second, while it grants
a massive bonus to combat prowess, it does not increase the Cleric's
attacks per round... again, 18/00 Strength and a good to hit does not a
Fighter make. On the other hand, it's still a welcome boost for those
melee-heavy fights where another competent warrior could tip the
balance... cast on a 7th-level Viconia, it raised her Hit Points from
52 to 59, dropped her THAC0 from a wretched 15 to a respectable 10,
and increased her damage range from 3-8 to 9-14. It duration means it
won't be worth casting all the time (like Protection from Evil 10'
Radius will be), but for big fights, it's worth considering. Hybrid
characters like a Fighter/Cleric will arguably make better use of it-
they already have the THAC0, but the Strength bonus helps, especially
with their superior attacks per round. Ultimately, this spell is decent
at times in the first game, but in Baldur's Gate 2, it'll be utterly
eclipsed by Draw Upon Holy Might.
Lesser Restoration
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell will remove energy drain on the target, but will fatigue the
caster outright. Energy drain is quite common in this game, but you
don't usually need to keep this spell prepared, and my tactic for
dealing with energy draining foes tends to be... well, preventing any
energy drain in the first place. But, nothing is perfect, and you might
well find yourself in need of this spell. Still, it's not like disease
or poison, where somebody will die if it's not cured quickly, so you can
always just prepare it after you need it, cast it, and replace it with
something else when everybody is good to go.
Mental Domination
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Like the Arcane spell Domination... but Clericy. It allows you to take
control of a critter and command it. I never bother with these spells,
as there's always a better debuff to cast.
Negative Plane Protection
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell seems like it might be useful, save for a few sad facts.
First, it only affects one person. Second, it lasts for only five
rounds... which is absurd. If you need such protection, you're better
off casting the 7th-Level Mage spell Limited Wish, which will do the
same thing for the whole party.
*Neutralize Poison
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Don't let the name fool you-this spell provides a suite of curative
effects. It cures poison, sure, but is also cures diseases, blindness,
deafness, and heals 10 Hit Points. Until you get access to the Heal
spell, it's the best panacea you've got, and it won't hurt to keep one
handy... as it cures a variety of afflictions.
Poison
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Deals variable damage, but the target receives a Saving Throw vs. Poison
at no penalty to negate all effects, as follows:
o===============o===============o
|Caster's Level | Poison Damage |
o===============o===============o
| 7th-9th | 2d8 + 2/round |
|---------------|---------------|
| 10th-12th | 3d8 + 3/round |
|---------------|---------------|
| 13th-14th | 4d8 + 4/round |
|---------------|---------------|
| 15th-16th | 6d8 + 5/round |
|---------------|---------------|
| 17th+ | 8d8 + 6/round |
o===============o===============o
As you can see, its damage scales as you level, but it scales just slow
enough to be too weak to bother casting at every level. Really, 68-108
damage sounds like a lot, but since you need to reach 17th-Level to get
that damage, and it takes ten rounds for this spell to deal it... well,
it sounds less impressive, doesn't it?
*Protection from Evil 10' Radius
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
One of the best all-purpose buffs in the game, it always deserves a
4th-level spell slot. Enemies suffer a -2 penalty to attack rolls, and
your saves against spells and attacks made by such creatures receive
a +2 bonus. At a turn per level, this spell will last long enough for
any encounter... or perhaps several encounters.
Protection From Lightning
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Makes the recpient entirely immune to lightning. It's handy in a few
instances where a Lightning Bolt trap can be used to cause collateral
damage, or where a hostile Mage is likely to fling such magic at you,
but otherwise it's forgettable.
5th Level Cleric Spells {SPT007}
o======================================================================o
***TOP SPELLS***
Chaotic Commands: Makes target immune to mind-affecting effects.
---
Flame Strike: 1d8 damage per level to target.
---
Greater Command: Puts to sleep all creatures in a 20-foot radius.
---
True Sight: Dispels illusion. Party-friendly.
Animal Summoning II
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Just like Animal Summoning I, but with slightly stronger summons.
Still, it's competing against True Sight, Chaotic Commands, and Greater
Command. Far, far superior spells. You can summon either a Black Bear, a
Brown Bear, a Cave Bear, or a Jaguar. Wee.
Cause Critical Wounds
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Deal 27 damage to a creature with a successful touch attack... or there
is Flame Strike, which deals 1d8 damage per level.
Champion's Strength
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Another Clerical spell that boost the fighting abilities of a character.
This time, you cna choose the recepient, and the spell actually has a
passable duration of three rounds per level. When cast, it improves the
target's THAC0 by one point per three levels (up to a maximum of +6 at
18th level) and increases (or decreases) the target's Strength to 18/00.
The downside? Your Cleric can't cast spells while this spell's in
effect. Losing your Cleric's spell-casting abilities is NOT worth the
benefits this spell's bestows... not to mention the fact that, for much
of the game your warriors will have Strength scores in excess of 18/00.
*Chaotic Commands
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Oh, Chaotic Commands, how I love you... this little spell makes the
target immune to... pretty much every mental effect out their. Hold,
Charm, Domination, Suggestion, Psionics, Confusion, all of it. Many
enemies use these attacks and spells, and so, this spell will come in
handy often. Best of all, it has a duration of one turn per level.
Always keep one handy.
Cure Critical Wounds
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Heals for 27 Hit Points.
*Flame Strike
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Target a critter and make 'em toasty, that's what this spell does. I
wouldn't compare it with any of the better Mage damage-dealers, but for
a Cleric... well, they just don't have much else like it. It deals 1d8
damage per level, allowing a save for half damage. If you've got some
free 5th-level spell slots, it might be worthwhile to give your Cleric
the extra firepower.
*Greater Command
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Like Command, except it doesn't have a Hit Dice limit and affects all
creatures in a 20-foot radius, it's a great mind-affecting spell, but it
does have one problem-it is not party friendly. Aim with caution... and
if you can, use in conjunction with spells like Greater Malison.
Magic Resistance
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Gives the caster 2% Magic Resistance per level, up to a maximum of 40%
at 20th level. Note that it does not RAISE your current Magic Resistance
to this amount, it SETS it to this amount, potentially even lowering it,
if it's higher (Viconia, for instance, has a base 50% Magic Resistance).
It might prove useful, but I don't consider it an essential buff. There
are, after all, better ways to shield the party from magic...
Mass Cure
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Heals all allies within a 30-foot radius of the caster for 1d8+1 damage
per caster level. Honestly... the healing just isn't enough to bother
with. If you have scrapes and bruises, use a Ring of Regeneration. If
you need serious healing... well, use Heal.
Raise Dead
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Revives a dead character... albeit, with one Hit Point. I have a better
idea-don't die.
Repulse Undead
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Knocks undead back when they get too close... really, this is as much
of a hassle for you in combat as it is for your foe, as it'll disrupt
your attack formation and force you to go chasing enemies. If you think
it might be a way to counter energy draining foes, know now that it's
not. It acts in 'pulses', which often doesn't occur frequently enough to
outright prevent attacks... and of course, it does nothing to Liches, or
other undead that are just dandy with the idea of pelting you with
spells or other ranged attacks.
Righteous Magic
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Yet ANOTHER I-wanna-be-a-warrior spell, this one gives one Hit Point
per level of the Cleric (up to a maximum of 20) and increases the
Cleric's Strength by one point per three levels (again, up to a maximum
of six points). It also makes all their attacks do maximum damage. It
has a healthy duration of one round per level, but there are still
issues... it doesn't address the Cleric's poor number of attacks per
round, and honestly, how much better is it than Draw Upon Holy Might?
Slay Living
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Touch a living creature and make 'em dead. After casting, the Cleric has
three round (18 seconds) to touch a creature, at which time they must
Save vs. Spell or die... taking 2d6+9 damage on a successful save.
Honestly, I'm not a fan of the touching thing, and no save penalty
suck. I'd stick to Finger of Death.
*True Sight
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
An essential debuff, True Sight is the bane of all illusions, which
enemy Mages will use constantly. A party without True Sight is a party
that's ill-prepared to deal with many of the stronger creatures in the
game. Have one prepared at all times on every character able to cast
it.
6th Level Cleric Spells {SPT008}
o======================================================================o
***TOP SPELLS***
Bolt of Glory: Deals variable damage based on target type. No save.
---
Heal: Fully heals target and cures a variety of status effects.
Aerial Servant
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Conjures an Aerial Servant for the caster to control. As we should
remember from Baldur's Gate 1, Aerial Servants aren't terrible strong,
and really not worth a 6th-Level spell.
Animal Summoning III
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
The highest-level of all the Animal Summoning spells, it still sucks.
It'll have to compete against Heal, which is not really a good spell to
compete against. You can summon a Lion, a Winter Wolf, a Cave Bear, or
a Polar Bear.
Blade Barrier
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Creates a wall of 'circling, razor-sharp blades' that 'create an
unpenetrable barrier'... except not, for the last part. Anything
(friend or foe) attempting to pass through the barrier (like, to make
a melee attack) suffers 8d8 points of damage. It's just not enough
damage, really, and the fact that your Cleric-who you might need to
heal poeple-might hurt your own party members... it really makes me
think it's not worth the bother.
*Bolt of Glory
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Against a few, select, enemies, this spell is very useful. It only
affects one creature, but there's no save, and the damage is pretty
good. Against normal creatures or elementals it's not worth casting,
but against undead it'll deal 8d6 damage, and against demons it really
shines, dealing 10d6 damage. No save, no missing. Before you have wide
access to highly enchanted weapons, this can be a life-saver, and when
you just need a sure way to deal some damage, this is a great option.
Still, I wouldn't keep it prepared unless I knew for certain that I
would have to fight such creatures.
Conjure Animals
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
...essentially Animal Summoning IV. In fact, in Infinity Explorer, the
Animal Summoning spells are listed as 'ANISUM01', 'ANISUM02', etc.
This literally is 'ANISUM04', whereas Animal Summoning III is
'ANISUM03'... so, yeah, it's Animal Summoning IV. It allows you to
summon a Polar Bear or two. Really, really not worth the 6th-Level
spell slot.
False Dawn
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Essentially an area-of-effect spell that only harms undead. 6d6 damage,
no save, and it confuses undead the following round. 6d6 just isn't
a whole lot of damage, even if the fact that this spell is party-
friendly helps. Another downside, although I rarely complain about it,
is that its casting time is horrible for the type of spell it is. It
doesn't matter anyways, the real reason you should ignore this spell
is Sunray, which is just far superior.
Harm
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
The opposite of Heal, it reduces a target's Hit Points to one. It does,
of course, require a touch attack to work, which makes me less inclined
to bother with it. But, in case you're enthralled with the damage
potential, I'll work some math to show you why you shouldn't bother with
this spell. First, and obviously, it takes a round to cast the spell.
Then you must make an attack with it to to work-that's two rounds to
do what Finger of Death attempts to do in one. Second, you must actually
hit a target unarmed for the spell to work. For most Clerics, it'll
be easier to overcome an enemy's Save vs. Spells with Finger of Death
than it will be to overcome their Armor Class with Harm.
*Heal
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This is the best healing spell in the game, and it really makes all
other healing spells obsolete. It fully cures any one creature
regardless of how much damage they've sustained and cures all diseases,
and a variety of other effects. Most of your 6th level Cleric/Druid
spell slots should be occupied by Heal spells.
Physical Mirror
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Creates a barrier that reflects missile attacks back at the attacker...
while allowing you to make ranged attacks freely. Ranged attacks aren't
nearly as threatening in Baldur's Gate 2 as they were in the original
Baldur's Gate, so I really can't recommend taking this extra defensive
measure. Besides, it only lasts nine rounds... which is probably enough
to see out a fight, but seriously, ranged attacks are rarely a source
of serious danger by the time you get 6th-Level spells.
Sol's Searing Orb
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
The caster chucks a glowing orb of fiery not-niceness, which deals 6d6
damage and blinds the target for 1d6 rounds... if it hits. That's right,
it's another damage-dealer that requires a to-hit roll. Worse still,
the target can save for half damage (a successful save also negates the
blindness). That being the case, why would you ever use this stupid
spell? Harm deals much more damage, and gives no save. Flame Strike
deals more damage, is a ranged attack, and doesn't require an attack
roll. Oh, the spell deals more damage to undead and blinds them longer.
This spell still sucks.
Wondrous Recall
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Allows you to recall two spent spells of 5th-Level or lower... which,
if used to recover important 4th-or-5th-level spells seems like it might
be useful, right? Sure, save one problem. It picks the spells you
recover randomly. So... unless you feel particularly lucky, this spell
is of minimal tactical value.
7th Level Cleric Spells {SPT009}
o======================================================================o
***TOP SPELLS***
Aura of Flaming Death: Protects and deals fire damage to attackers.
---
Elemental Blades: Throw numerous blades that deal 1d4+5, +1d10 damage.
---
Finger of Death: Enemy must save at -2 or die.
---
Greater Restoration: Cures status effects and fully heals target.
---
Summon Deva/Summon Fallen Deva: Summons a Deva to fight at your side.
---
Sunray: Undead in area take damage and must save or die.
*Aura of Flaming Death
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
An improved version of Fireshield, this spell grants a four-point bonus
to Armor Class, 90% resistance to fire damage, and deals 2d10+2 points
of damage to attackers. You should always keep one ready for big fights.
Confusion
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
We all know about Confusion-as a 4th-Level Mage spell, it's pretty
awesome... or it was, in the first game... or something. As a 7th-Level
Cleric spell, however, it's a bit of a waste.
Earthquake
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell might sound promising, just looking it over. It releases
three tremors of varying potency. The first deals 6d6 damage to all
creatures in a wide area (not party-friendly) and if they fail to save
at -6 they are knocked down for four rounds. The second does 3d6 damage
(save at -2), and the final deals 2d6 (normal save). So, three saves for
a total of 11d6 damage and a chance to knock down. The real damning
thing about this spell, save the fact that enemies get so many saves to
reduce damage, is the fact that it's not not party-friendly. I've never
had it deal spectacular damage, and worse still, there's a chance that
you'll provoke an Earth Elemental. At the end of the day, there are just
better 7th-Level spells to cast.
Elemental Summoning
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Summons a pair of 16 Hit Dice elementals (of a random type) to fight
for you, with a 10% chance to summon an Elemental Prince. This spell is
a decent summoning spell, but it pales in comparison to Greater
Elemental Summoning. Alas for Clerics, only Druids get it.
*Energy Blades
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Creates a number of energy blades which can be thrown at foes. Yes,
thrown. Still, this spell has the good sense to gives a +10 bonus to
THAC0 and each one deals 1d4+5 damage, as well as 1d10 additional
electrical damage. The Cleric gets one disc per level to throw, and can
throw nine per round. For a Cleric, this spell isn't nearly as bad as
it is for a Mage-a 7th-level Cleric spell just isn't as valuable as a
9th-level Mage spell. Also, Clerics have a lower base THAC0. Thinking
of Viconia with this spell, her high Dexterity would also help her out,
and since she's only got one melee attack per round anyways, she really
is increasing her attacking power with this spell. Assuming no misses,
the potential damage of this spell per round is 9d4+5 (36-81) plus 9d10
(9-90), or 45-171, which can't compete with Comet or Time Stop, but
does compare well with other 7th-level, damage-dealing Clerical spells.
I still consider it a tertiary consideration-after Aura of Flaming Death
and Sunray, if I still have a few empty spell slots, it's worth
preparing... even though it didn't perform as well in combat trials as
its description suggested it should, it was still superior to Viconia
with the Flail of the Ages or the Erinne Sling.
*Finger of Death
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell instantly snuffs out the victim's life force. It's a killer,
and I love it. It imposes a -2 penalty on the victim's save, which
makes it a compotent killer, if not a spectacular one, but if you help
them along with Greater Malison, you actually stand a chance at
snuffing out baddies. Even if it fails, they still take 2d8+1 damage,
which isn't much, but it's better than nothing. I always have one
ready. After all, if you do not play, you cannot win.
Firestorm
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Deals 2d8+1/level damage to everything in the 20-foot radius area of
effect, and lasts for four rounds. It... has a rare use, perhaps, but
unless you can keep foes in the area, it's of little value. Also, the
fact that it's not party-friendly doesn't help.
Gate
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Gate is a summoning spell with serious liabilities. Unless you have a
Protection of Evil spell cast on your caster (and anybody else you don't
want the Pit Fiend to attack) the Pit Fiend will view them as fair game.
On one hand, you should be used to using Protection From Evil 10' Radius
frequently... but on the other hand, having a summon who will turn on
you if a Dispel Magic is tossed around doesn't strike me as a good
idea. Besides, there are plenty of other, superior summoning spells out
there. Ones not coated in liability sauce.
Globe of Blades
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell deals 10d10 points of damage to creatures (friendly or not)
adjacent to the caster, and lasts a turn. In combination with Aura of
Flaming Death it can make attacking the caster very, very painful. Just
beware of friendly fire.
*Greater Restoration
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell cures all level drain, corrects pretty much every status
effect, and full heals any character it's cast upon. It'll tire the
caster, but sometimes it's worth casting to bring severely damage
allies back from the brink.
Holy Word
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Smites all creatures of evil alignment in the spell's 30-foot radius
area of effect, depending upon the target's level:
o===============o===============================o
|Target's Level | Effect |
o===============o===============================o
| > 4 | Death |
|---------------|-------------------------------|
| 4 - 7 | Stunned for one turn |
|---------------|-------------------------------|
| 8 - 11 | Slowed for 1 turn with 75% |
| | spell failure |
|---------------|-------------------------------|
| < 12 | Deafness for 1 turn with 50% |
| | spell failure |
o===============o===============================o
As you can see, the spell's effects wane as the targets get stronger.
If your idea of a good time is to smite Goblins, then this is the
spell for you. If you want to smite strong foes, you'll need to look
elsewhere.
Implosion
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Deals 10d10 fire and 10d10 bludgeoning damage to a single target over
the course of two rounds. Save for half. It's great damage... even if
it only affects one creatures and, with no save penalty you're probably
only going to deal 10d10 damage. This of course, makes me wonder how
much better this spell is than Flame Strike... probably not worth a
7th-Level spell slot.
Mass Raise Dead
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Remember what I said about Raise Dead? Yeah, that plus extra. Don't suck
and you won't need this spell.
Regeneration
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
So... it gives the recepient regeneration of three Hit Points per second
over the course of one round per two levels. Wouldn't a Heal spell do
more, and more quickly? Rhetorical question. It would.
Resurrection
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Like Raise Dead, except it fully heals the taget thus revived. Again,
don't suck and you won't die.
Shield of the Archons
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Creates a shield that protects the caster from a number of spells equal
to half the caster's level... potentially blocking quite a few spells at
higher levels. Of course, it's not proof against area-of-effect spells,
so it's like conjuring a low-quality, temporary Cloak of Mirroring. It
might prove to be a useful defensive measure for some people, but I've
never bothered with it.
Storm of Vengeance
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Instantly kills foes of 8th-Level or lower... which will not be worthy
foes by the time you get this spell. Against foes of higher quality, it
will deal 1d6 acid, 1d6 electrical, and 1d6 fire damage each round for
three rounds. A non-party-friendly spells that takes three rounds to
deal 9d6 damage? Yeah, it sucks. Oh, it has a chance to poison on the
first round. I don't care.
*Summon Deva/Summon Fallen Deva
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Summons a Deva-a potent angel (or fallen angel) to fight for the caster.
Strong ally, good duration, no liabilities... yep, it's a great
summoning spell for the Cleric, alright. The Deva is hardy and strong,
and has a number of useful spells it can cast. Good stuff.
*Sunray
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
The ultimate anti-undead spell, it deals 1d6 points of damage per
caster level to undead within a 20-foot radius, and the undead must
save vs. spells or be destroyed. It's a great way to blast away
Liches... or any other undead creature in general. It's party friendly,
too. Once you get it, use it to cheap-shot any troublesome undead you
encounter. It also affects non-undead, but it's not worth wasting it
on such foes.
Symbol: Death
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Inscribes a magical symbol that, when approached, causes all creatures
in the area to Save vs. Death or die. Unfortunately it doesn't work on
any foes with 60 Hit Points or more, so... yeah. I wipe my ass with this
spell.
Symbol: Fear
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Another Symbol spell, when something enters the area of effect it
triggers, attempting to cause fear (save at -4). It, like all Symbol
spells are plagued by the fact that they're not party-friendly... but,
the range is decent, the save penalty good, and if you prepare with
Remove Fear, it might not be a terrible spell to cast.
Symbol: Stun
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Everything within a 30-foot radius must save at -4 or be stunned for
two rounds, +1 round/3 levels of the caster. Keep in mind that the spell
is not party friendly.
Unholy Word
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Unholy word acts exactly like Holy Word, but it only affects good
creatures. This spell is useless for the same reason that Unholy Blight
is useless-there just aren't many good foes in the game. Oh, and the
fact that even if there were good creatures worth smiting, this spell
would probably just tickle them, anyways.
o===============o===============================o
|Target's Level | Effect |
o===============o===============================o
| > 4 | Death |
|---------------|-------------------------------|
| 4 - 7 | Stunned for one turn |
|---------------|-------------------------------|
| 8 - 11 | Slowed for 1 turn with 75% |
| | spell failure |
|---------------|-------------------------------|
| < 12 | Deafness for 1 turn with 50% |
| | spell failure |
o===============o===============================o
1st Level Druid Spells {SPT010}
o======================================================================o
***TOP SPELLS***
Armor of Faith: Blocks 5% of damage per five levels.
---
Cure Light Wounds: Heals 8 Hit Points.
*Armor of Faith
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
A simple defensive spell that will remain in your list of memorized
spells throughout both games... simply because good defensive Clerical
spells are so rare. This spell absorbs 5% of all damage the caster
would otherwise sustain from physical and magical attacks, and protects
against another 5% for every five levels of the Cleric. Which means...
up to 10% in this game. That doesn't sound like much-and it isn't-but
losing one point in ten of damage isn't horrible, and it has a decent
duration, too. By the time you hit Throne of Bhaal and your Clerics are
pushing 20th level, it'll be seriously reducing damage.
Bless
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Bless gives all allies within a 30-foot radius a +1 bonus to attack
rolls and a +1 bonus to saves versus fear. I'll be honest, I rarely use
it, but it's not that bad of a spell. Your THAC0 won't be low enough to
ignore a +1 bonus... but its six-round duration is just lame. You have
better buffs to use.
*Cure Light Wounds
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
The essential healing spell, you'll probably want to keep several
instances of this spell ready at all times.
Detect Evil
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
It's... not a great spell, and I wouldn't keep one prepared, but Ajantis
can use it as a special ability. It's got quite a range, and nearby
enemies will be detected as evil in your dialogue box. Want to know if
some Black Talons are currently lurking in Larswood, or want to know if
those humble-looking fishermen are up to no good? Give this spell a go.
Doom
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This curse bestows a -2 penalty to saves and attack rolls upon a single
enemy. This is actually a decent spell to cast on tougher enemies, as
that -2 save penalty can end up paying off in a big way if the critter
then falls victim to some spell or weapon effect. Of course, Greater
Malison affects multiple creatures and bestows a -4 penalty to their
saves, making it a far superior cast.
Entangle
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Like Stinking Cloud and Web, this spell is no longer terribly useful.
We have better spells to debilitate our foes with.
Shillelagh
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Creates a +1 cudgel that deals 2d4 damage. You won't spend much of the
game with a permanent weapon worse than this, so why bother?
2nd Level Druid Spells {SPT011}
o======================================================================o
***TOP SPELLS***
Resist Fire and Cold: 50% Resistance to Fire and Cold.
---
Slow Poison: Cures poison.
Barkskin
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Grants a target an Armor Class of six, which improves (decreases) by
one for ever four levels of the caster... This can effectively give you
an Armor Class that's comparable to Full Plate Mail at higher levels,
but by then, you've certainly found better, permanent, armor.
Charm Person or Mammal
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Like the Arcane spell, Charm Person, save it also can affect a few
quadrapeds, as well. It's utterly negatable by a single save at no
penalty, so I wouldn't bother with it.
Find Traps
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Detects traps in a very close range. This spell doesn't disarm them,
however, so it's rather pointless.
Flame Blade
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell allows the caster to create a flaming blade, which the caster
is considered Proficient with. It deals 1d4 slashing damage, plus 1d2+4
fire damage. Despite being a magical blade of flame it does NOT count
as a magical weapon for determining what it can hit-makes sense to me.
Good Berry
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Creates five magical berries that each heal for one Hit Point. They
last forever, so it's like creating a weak healing potion to use...
just as long as you don't expect them to be worth anything in combat.
They take time to use in combat, and since they can only be consumed
one at a time... yeah, one Hit Point of healing per round will not win
you any fights. If for some reason you cannot rest, you could
conceivably give thirty of the weightless things to each party member...
but I can't think of a single instance where this is necessary. So,
no combat uses, takes forever to actually use them all, and there's no
point in time where you'd need to do it. Useless spell.
Know Alignment
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Like Detect Evil, except it detects.. everything. Evil things glow red,
neutral things glow blue, and friendly things glow green.. like those
little circles under your feet!
*Resist Fire and Cold
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
You won't fear the elements too often, but when dealing with fire or
cold happy foes, this spell can cut their damage in half. I wouldn't
keep it ready all the time, but it'll come in handy once in a while.
*Slow Poison
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Slow Poison is being humble. This spell eradicates the effects of most
poisons in the game. Keep at least one handy on each Cleric all the
time.
3rd Level Druid Spells {SPT012}
o======================================================================o
***TOP SPELLS***
Cure Medium Wounds: Heals 14 Hit Points.
---
Dispel Magic: Remove buffs/debuffs in an area.
---
Protection from Fire: Grants 80% Resistance to Fire.
Call Lightning
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell calls down lightning to randomly strike foes. Once per turn
you'll summon one bolt per four levels of the caster, each dealing
2d8 damage +1d8 per level of the caster. It sounds awesome enough-an
8th-level caster can call down two bolts a turn, each dealing 10d8
damage. Still, you can only target the first bolts, and what fight
lasts longer than a turn? None, really. Ultimately, I just find this
spell too damn random to bother with.
*Cure Disease
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Diseases suck. They function like Poison, but take much longer to deal
their damage, and tend to last much, much longer. Unless you're injured,
you rest, or travel across the world map, your chances of dying due to
disease are pretty low... But having to run back to a temple to get a
character cured is no good solution, and Mummies aren't uncommon in
this game. It's a good idea to always have one of these prepared.
*Cure Medium Wounds
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell restores 14 Hit Points.
*Dispel Magic
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Bad guys cast spells too-buffing themselves, or debuffing you. Just as
a Chaos spell can win a fight for you, if it's cast on you, it can also
result in casualties if the enemy gets one on you... unless you're wise
enough to keep a Dispel Magic handy. This spell is just wonderful, and
everybody who can cast it should always have one prepared.
Hold Animal
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Another hold spell-it only affects 'normal and giant-sized' animals,
pointedly exempting Wyverns and Ankhegs, for no good reason. That
leaves... what? Cave Bears? Who cares? This spell just doesn't have
enough potential targets to make it worthwhile, nor are the foes it
affects worth keeping it prepared.
Invisibility Purge
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Like the Arcane spell 'Detect Invisibility' this spell will allow you
to detect-and therefore thwart-sneaking enemies. You're better off
springing for True Sight.
Miscast Magic
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
You'll see the enemy cast this spell a few times, but I never bother
with it. If the enemy fails at a Save vs. Spells (save at -2), they'll
suffer an 80% spell casting failure rate. Of course, Silence 15' Radius
can affect multiple foes, imposes a -5 save, and makes spell casting
100% impossible for affected creatures... and Insect Plague is superior
to Silence. This puts Miscast Magic pretty low on my list of anti-Mage
spells.
*Protection from Fire
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Like the Resist Fire/Cold, but it protects you from 80% of fire
damage. Excellent in a few areas.
Rigid Thinking
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Another spell you'll more often see when it's cast on you than when you
actually waste the time to cast it-it affects one critter and inflicts
confusion. It lasts one turn, and can be negated by a simple Save vs.
Spells. Compare this to the 4th-level Arcane spell Confusion, and you'll
see what a butt-nutter this pansy version is.
Strength of One
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Gives the entire party a Strength score of 18/75, and lasts for a turn.
It might seem nifty at first, but once you get the Gauntlets of Ogre
Power, or any of the other Strength-boosting items in the game, this
spell will actually hinder you in combat. For natural heavy-hitters like
Minsc or Korgan, this spell is a meagre bonus from the outset.
Summon Insects
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
A very, very weak version of the absolutely devastating 5th-level Druid
spell, Insect Plague. A single target must Save vs. Breath Weapons
(at a -2 peanlty) or take one damage per two seconds of duration... why
such a weird number? I don't know-it deals three damage per round, for
seven rounds. More importantly, the target suffers a -2 penalty to THAC0
and Armor Class, and has a 50% spell-casting failure. Ultimately, I'd
rather use Animate Dead and/or Silence 15' Radius to deal with enemy
spells, and a Slow spell retards melee combat far more effectively.
4th Level Druid Spells {SPT013}
o======================================================================o
***TOP SPELLS***
Death Ward: Makes character immune to death magic.
---
Neutralize Poison: Cures poison, diease, blindness, deafness, and heals.
Animal Summoning
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Low-level summoning spell suck in Baldur's Gate 2, where the quality of
the foes you'll be facing demands higher-quality minions. Think it
doesn't suck? You'll summon one or two of the following creatures when
you cast this spell-a Dire Wolf, or a War Dog. Yeah. Pass on it.
Call Woodland Beings
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell might have been useful in the first game, but in Baldur's
Gate 2, it'll take more than the promise of a Confusion spell to make
me waste a spell slot on it.
Cause Serious Wounds
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Touch a bad-guy, and deal 17 damage to them. Seriously? There are many
better ways to deal 17 damage to a creature-ONE creature.
Cloak of Fear
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell creates as three-foot radius fear effect centered on the
caster. I'm always dubious about spells that require the proximity of
the caster... but this spell has no effective radius (if your Druid is
surrounded, maybe, but good luck getting the spell off) and imposes no
save penalty. Even worse, it only causes fear for four rounds. How is
this spell in any way comparable to the 2nd-level Arcane spell, Horror?
Cure Serious Wounds
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
A more potent version of Cure Light Wounds, it must compete with many
great 4th-level Druid spells. At the end of the day, healing is just
not strong enough in this game to save you during a fight, the way the
'Heal' spell will in the sequel. 17 Hit Points is just a band-aid to a
late-game warrior, not a life-saver in the heat of battle.
*Death Ward
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Death Ward is a wonderful, indispensible, must-have spell for every
Cleric in Baldur's Gate 2. You will have lots od death-spells thrown
your way. Liches and Beholds are especially fond of throwing effects at
you like Disintegrate and Finger of Death. Want to ensure that a certain
character won't get offed by a certain enemy? This is the way to counter
such death-effects.
Defensive Harmony
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell gives you a +2 bonus to Armor Class for ten rounds-the
perfect last preparation before a big fight. +2 Armor Class is the same
as 10% miss chance, and it affects the whole party. Kind of the opposite
of Death Ward, I use it frequently in the first game, but almost never
in Baldur's Gate 2. Armor Class can get quite low naturally in Baldur's
Gate 2, but by Throne of Bhaal, we're contending with foes who have
THAC0s of -10... which renders most Armor Class considerations moot.
It might be worth a cast once in a while in Shadows of Amn, but...
really, the duration just sucks so much I don't ever bother with it.
Farsight
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
You could this spell... or you could simply sneak around with a Thief,
Ranger, or invisible character. You'll see more, and it wastes-at best-
a 2nd-level Arcane spell.
Negative Plane Protection
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell seems like it might be useful, save for a few sad facts.
First, it only affects one person. Second, it lasts for only five
rounds... which is absurd. If you need such protection, you're better
off casting the 7th-Level Mage spell Limited Wish, which will do the
same thing for the whole party.
*Neutralize Poison
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Don't let the name fool you-this spell provides a suite of curative
effects. It cures poison, sure, but is also cures diseases, blindness,
deafness, and heals 10 Hit Points. Until you get access to the Heal
spell, it's the best panacea you've got, and it won't hurt to keep one
handy... as it cures a variety of afflictions.
Poison
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Deals variable damage, but the target receives a Saving Throw vs. Poison
at no penalty to negate all effects, as follows:
o===============o===============o
|Caster's Level | Poison Damage |
o===============o===============o
| 7th-9th | 2d8 + 2/round |
|---------------|---------------|
| 10th-12th | 3d8 + 3/round |
|---------------|---------------|
| 13th-14th | 4d8 + 4/round |
|---------------|---------------|
| 15th-16th | 6d8 + 5/round |
|---------------|---------------|
| 17th+ | 8d8 + 6/round |
o===============o===============o
The damage it deals is... passable, but I find little merit with spells
that have no save penalties. Also, that juicy damage that might be
enticing you isn't going to happen in this game. You'll have to weigh
it's merits on 2d8 + 2/round damage... or 22-36 damage over one turn,
to one creature, that's negated by a single save. Doesn't sound so epic
when you do the math, does it?
Protection From Lightning
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Makes the recpient entirely immune to lightning. It's handy in a few
instances where a Lightning Bolt trap can be used to cause collateral
damage, or where a hostile Mage is likely to fling such magic at you,
but otherwise it's forgetable.
5th Level Druid Spells {SPT014}
o======================================================================o
***TOP SPELLS***
Chaotic Commands: Makes target immune to mind-affecting effects.
---
Insect Plague: Deals damage, prevents spell casting, causes panic.
---
Iron Skins: Creates a number of skins that prevent physical damage.
---
True Sight: Dispels illusion. Party-friendly.
Animal Summoning II
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Just like Animal Summoning I, but with slightly stronger summons.
Still, it's competing against True Sight, Chaotic Commands, and Greater
Command. Far, far superior spells. You can summon either a Black Bear, a
Brown Bear, a Cave Bear, or a Jaguar. Wee.
Cause Critical Wounds
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Deal 27 damage to a creature with a successful touch attack...
Seriously? This spell is nowhere near competition for awesome 5th-level
Druid spells like Chaotic Commands, Insect Plague, Iron Skins, or True
Sight.
*Chaotic Commands
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Oh, Chaotic Commands, how I love you... this little spell makes the
target immune to... pretty much every mental effect out their. Hold,
Charm, Domination, Suggestion, Psionics, Confusion, all of it. Many
enemies use these attacks and spells, and so, this spell will come in
handy often. Best of all, it has a duration of one turn per level.
Always keep one handy.
Cure Critical Wounds
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Heals for 27 Hit Points.
Harper's Call
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
A new spell in the Enhanced Edition... and it's just a toned-down
version of Raise Dead. If one of my characters die during a fight, I
just reload and try again-there's no fight in the game so difficult
that it can't be won without loss. Anyways, not only is this a spell
I don't use, it's just not as good as Raise Dead, since it deals ten
damage to the caster, and all the target's ability scores take a
temporary five point hit. If you need to revive dead characters, use a
Cleric, not a Druid, as there are plenty of better 5th-level Druid
spells to cast.
*Insect Plague
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
One of the best reasons to include Jaheira is Insect Plague, and this
spell really just dominates Shadows of Amn. You target a single victim,
and after affecting them the plague will 'jump' to nearby enemies until
six are affected. The damage is a worthy consideration, as it deals one
point of damage every two seconds for the duration of the spell, but
the real reason to use it is that it prevents spell-casters who are
affected from casting spells. It only lasts six rounds, but this gives
you plenty of time to hit enemy Mages with Breach and take them down
with your fighters. It also has a chance to make enemies run around in
a panic, which can further break up groups of enemies. It's not
exaggeration to say that in Shadows of Amn, whenever a spell-caster
rears their ugly magic at you, Insect Plague can effectively handicap
them. Always keep one ready.
*Iron Skins
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
An indispensible defensive spell for the Druid, it's essentially the
Druidy version of Stoneskin. Since Stoneskin is one of the best
defensive spells in the game... well, this is a very good spell to
have. If only there was a multi-classed Druid somewhere who could take
this defensive spell into combat... perhaps a Fighter/Druid? That would
be grand...
Magic Resistance
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Gives the caster 2% Magic Resistance per level, up to a maximum of 40%
at 20th level. Note that it does not RAISE your current Magic Resistance
to this amount, it SETS it to this amount, potentially even lowering it,
if it's higher (Viconia, for instance, has a base 50% Magic Resistance).
It might prove useful, but I don't consider it an essential buff. There
are, after all, better ways to shield the party from magic...
Mass Cure
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Heals all allies within a 30-foot radius of the caster for 1d8+1 damage
per caster level. Honestly... the healing just isn't enough to bother
with. If you have scrapes and bruises, use a Ring of Regeneration. If
you need serious healing... well, use Heal.
Pixie Dust
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Makes all allies in a 30-foot radius invisible, as per the Invisibility
spell. Invisibility sucks compared to its superior counterpart, the
aptly-named Improved Invisibility. Also... well, this is Baldur's
Gate 2. Just watch how fast enemy casters sniff you out and cast True
Sight.
*True Sight
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
An essential debuff, True Sight is the bane of all illusions, which
enemy Mages will use constantly. A party without True Sight is a party
that's ill-prepared to deal with many of the stronger creatures in the
game. Have one prepared at all times on every character able to cast
it.
6th Level Druid Spells {SPT015}
o======================================================================o
***TOP SPELLS***
Conjure Fire Elemental: Summons a 12, 16, or 24 Hit Dice Elemental.
---
Heal: Fully heals target and cures a variety of status effects.
Animal Summoning III
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
The highest-level of all the Animal Summoning spells, it still sucks.
It'll have to compete against Heal, which is not really a good spell to
compete against. You can summon a Lion, a Winter Wolf, a Cave Bear, or
a Polar Bear.
Conjure Animals
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
...essentially Animal Summoning IV. In fact, in Infinity Explorer, the
Animal Summoning spells are listed as 'ANISUM01', 'ANISUM02', etc.
This literally is 'ANISUM04', whereas Animal Summoning III is
'ANISUM03'... so, yeah, it's Animal Summoning IV. It allows you to
summon a Polar Bear or two. Really, really not worth the 6th-Level
spell slot.
*Conjure Fire Elemental
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Druids gain access to this spell at 6th-Level, and it is in every way
superior to the Mage version. There's simply no chance that your
elemental is going to break from your control and run amok. Using the
5th-Level Mage spell might be necessary simply due to the fact that you
will get it earlier, but once you can pull this off, use it instead.
As for what it does... it summons a 12, 16, or 24 Hit Dice Elemental
to do your bidding. The big draw of an Elemental is that it's immune to
weapons that don't have an enhancement bonus of +2 or better.
Dolorous Decay
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Slows the target automatically and, if the target fails at a Save vs.
Poison at -2, they'll suffer one point of damage per second until 50
points of damage have been inflicted. A Druid's 6th-level spell
selection isn't great, but slowing one creature and taking almost a
minute to deal a moderate amount of damage just isn't a good casting.
Fire Seeds
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Creates four 'fire seeds', which will appear in the caster's inventory,
which can then be thrown at targets, dealing 2d8 damage per hit, and
allowing a save for half. Do I really need to go on ranting about why
this spell sucks? Yes, I do. 2d8 damage is sucky damage. No save
penalty sucks. The fact that you have to throw and hit targets sucks,
and you probably won't even be able to get all four out in a single
round sucks. Jaheira using the Fire Tooth +3 Dagger will do far
superior damage without wasting any spell slots.
Harm
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
The opposite of Heal, it reduces a target's Hit Points to one. It does,
of course, require a touch attack to work, which makes me less inclined
to bother with it. But, in case you're enthralled with the damage
potential, I'll work some math to show you why you shouldn't bother with
this spell. First, and obviously, it takes a round to cast the spell.
Then you must make an attack with it to to work-that's two rounds to
do what Finger of Death attempts to do in one. Second, you must actually
hit a target unarmed for the spell to work. For most Clerics, it'll
be easier to overcome an enemy's Save vs. Spells with Finger of Death
than it will be to overcome their Armor Class with Harm.
*Heal
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This is the best healing spell in the game, and it really makes all
other healing spells obsolete. It fully cures any one creature regardless
of how much damage they've sustained and cures all diseases, and a
variety of other effects. Most of your 6th level Cleric/Druid spell
slots should be occupied by Heal spells.
Physical Mirror
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Creates a barrier that reflects missile attacks back at the attacker...
while allowing you to make ranged attacks freely. Ranged attacks aren't
nearly as threatening in Baldur's Gate 2 as they were in the original
Baldur's Gate, so I really can't recommend taking this extra defensive
measure. Besides, it only lasts nine rounds... which is probably enough
to see out a fight, but seriously, ranged attacks are rarely a source
of serious danger by the time you get 6th-Level spells.
Wondrous Recall
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Allows you to recall two spent spells of 5th-Level or lower... which,
if used to recover important 4th-or-5th-level spells seems like it might
be useful, right? Sure, save one problem. It picks the spells you
recover randomly. So... unless you feel particularly lucky, this spell
is of minimal tactical value.
7th Level Druid Spells {SPT016}
o======================================================================o
***TOP SPELLS***
Aura of Flaming Death: Protects and deals fire damage to attackers.
---
Greater Elemental Summoning: Summons an Elemental Prince for one turn.
*Aura of Flaming Death
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
An improved version of Fireshield, this spell grants a four-point bonus
to Armor Class, 90% resistance to fire damage, and deals 2d10+2 points
of damage to attackers. You should always keep one ready for big fights.
Druids should think of this spell even more fondly than Clerics, since
they can combine it with Iron Skins for extra-potent defense.
Confusion
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
We all know about Confusion-as a 4th-Level Mage spell, it's pretty
awesome... or it was, in the first game... or something. As a 7th-Level
Cleric spell, however, it's a bit of a waste.
Conjure Earth Elemental
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Summons a 12, 16, or 24 Hit Dice Earth Elemental to fight for the Druid.
Something like this was fine last level, but there are far, far
superior things for a Druid to cast at 7th-level... like, why not
summon an Elemental Prince, instead?
Creeping Doom
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell is like Insect Plague on crack, but with two important
weaknesses... first, the 5th-level spell is a 5th-level spell, not a
7th-level spell. Second, it deals double the damage. Score! But it only
lasts half the time. Since the major benefit of Insect Plague was that
it interrupted spell-casters, wouldn't you, you know, want that effect
to last longer?
Earthquake
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell might sound promising, just looking it over. It releases
three tremors of varying potency. The first deals 6d6 damage to all
creatures in a wide area (not party-friendly) and if they fail to save
at -6 they are knocked down for four rounds. The second does 3d6 damage
(save at -2), and the final deals 2d6 (normal save). So, three saves for
a total of 11d6 damage and a chance to knock down. The real damning
thing about this spell, save the fact that enemies get so many saves to
reduce damage, is the fact that it's not not party-friendly. I've never
had it deal spectacular damage, and worse still, there's a chance that
you'll provoke an Earth Elemental. At the end of the day, there are just
better 7th-Level spells to cast.
Elemental Summoning
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Summons a pair of 16 Hit Dice elementals (of a random type) to fight
for you, with a 10% chance to summon an Elemental Prince. This spell is
a decent summoning spell, but it pales in comparison to Greater
Elemental Summoning.
Fire Storm
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Deals 2d8+1/level damage to everything in the 20-foot radius area of
effect, and lasts for four rounds. It... has a rare use, perhaps, but
unless you can keep foes in the area, it's of little value. Also, the
fact that it's not party-friendly doesn't help.
Globe of Blades
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell deals 10d10 points of damage to creatures (friendly or not)
adjacent to the caster, and lasts a turn. In combination with Aura of
Flaming Death it can make attacking the caster very, very painful. Just
beware of friendly fire.
*Greater Elemental Summoning
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Possibly the best summoning spell in the game, it summons an Elemental
Prince. A great ally, indeed. It only lasts a turn, so only use it in
the most pressing of fights.
Nature's Beauty
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Transforms the Druid into the ideal of beauty. Onlookers must Save vs.
Spell (at a +3 bonus) or die. If they pass the save, they are merely
blinded. It's party friendly, but you know... I really just don't think
blinding foes is worth a 7th-Level spell slot.
Regeneration
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
So... it gives the recepient regeneration of three Hit Points per second
over the course of one round per two levels. Wouldn't a Heal spell do
more, and more quickly? Rhetorical question. It would.
Shield of the Archons
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Creates a shield that protects the caster from a number of spells equal
to half the caster's level... potentially blocking quite a few spells at
higher levels. Of course, it's not proof against area-of-effect spells,
so it's like conjuring a low-quality, temporary Cloak of Mirroring. It
might prove to be a useful defensive measure for some people, but I've
never bothered with it.
1st Level Arcane Spells {SPT017}
o======================================================================o
***TOP SPELLS***
Identify: Identifies magical items.
---
Magic Missile: Up to five bolts that unerringly deal 2-5 damage each.
Armor
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
A simple cast that drops your Armor Class to six (as if you were wearing
Scale Mail) and lasts for nine hours. Of course, when you realise you
can buy Bracers of Defense A.C. 3 right at the beginning of the game...
yeah, this spell's got nothing.
*Blindness
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Like most low-level debuffs, this spell has seen the end of its
usefulness... this spell attempts to blind one enemy. If they fail to
save (at no penalty) they'll take a -4 penalty to attack rolls and to
their Armor Class. You're far better off with Slow.
Burning Hands
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
A simple offensive spell that deals 1d3+2 damage damage per caster
level, up to a maximum of 1d3+20. Unfortunately, it doesn't have much
range and isn't party friendly, so it can't be safely cast from behind
more sturdy characters. It might come in handy once in a while against
Trolls... but you can always just buy Arrows of Fire. instead.
Charm Person
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell attempts to charm-or befriend-a neutral or hostile foes
(man-sized humanoids only), but whatever usefulness it might have once
had has been severely reduced in Baldur's Gate 2. Simply put, any debuff
without a save penalty is rarely worth casting.
Chill Touch
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
A horrible, horrible damage-dealer, for two reasons-first, the caster
has to touch the foes in order to deal the damage. Second, this requires
the caster to actually 'make a successful melee attack'. Two things
Mages are not built for-being where enemies can hit them, and trying to
hit foes in melee. On top of that, the 1d8 damage and no save penalty
side effect of a -2 THAC0 penalty is nothing special.
Chromatic Orb
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Chromatic Orb is a handy little spell that deals damage and afflicts
an enemy with status effects. At fourth level the spell can blind, at
fifth it can stun for three rounds, and at seventh level it will
paralyze for 20 rounds. Of course, by that time you'll have better
disabling spells, and if you want to deal damage, the 10-25 damage
Magic Missile causes will probably be more reliable than a chance to
stun.
Color Spray
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
We should consider this spell like a debuff version of Burning Hands...
you emit a party unfriendly effect in an arc in front of you. Instead of
damage, however, it'll knock foes out (unless they save at no penalty,
or they have more than four Hit Dice) for five rounds. A few obvious
problems... Okay, one, really big problem. Nothing worth killing has
fewer than four Hit Dice.
Find Familiar
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Ah... a very odd spell, indeed. We all know what Familiars are, they're
wizardry lore by now, so onto the spell. First, it can be cast only by
the Protagonist (that's the guy or gal you made at the beginning of this
mess) and you can only have one Familiar at a time. The spell lasts...
indefinitely, up until your Familiar dies, which is something you want
to avoid at all costs... but we'll get to that later. In essence, it's
a permanent summoning spell that creates a critter you completely
control. The type of creature is determined by your alignment, and they
vary widely in capabilities (and I dare say, quality.) Most have 24 Hit
Points, their Armor Class ranges from -2 to 6, and Magic Resistance is
likewise variable from 10% to 65%, having been upgraded a bit since the
first Enhanced Edition game. Some have spells they can use, others have
Thief abilities, while another has special melee attacks... but they are
all obsolete by now, if they ever were useful to begin with. So, what's
the point of casting this spell? The benefits are simple-you get a
7th-wheel who does whatever you tell it to do. Also, you get 1/2 of the
Familiar's Hit Points as a bonus to your Mage's Hit Points. Huzzah. Now
for the crippling downside. If your Familiar dies, you'll suffer damage
equal to half the Hit Points your Mage got out of the deal... not too
bad, right? Oh, and you also lose a point of Constitution permanently.
No big deal.
There is one redeeming quality to this spell, however-if you force-talk
to your familiar, you can put the critter in your pack. It'll take up
an inventory slot, but only weighs one pound, and is immune to harm
while safely stored away. In essence, it's worth learning this spell
with your protagonist, summoning a familiar for the bonus Hit Points,
then putting it safely away for the rest of eternity.
As requested, the stats of all the familiars are as follows, taken
right from the spell's description. I would comment on the famaliars,
but honestly, in Baldur's Gate 2 you should never have the things out
of your backpack, there's just no constructive use for them outside.
In the first game they occassionally could serve as bait or, at the
beginning of the game, as a legitimate summon, but in Baldur's Gate 2
they're just a Constitution loss waiting to happen.
LAWFUL GOOD, NEUTRAL GOOD: Pseudo Dragon
--> Hit Points: 24
--> Armor Class: -2
--> Magic Resistance: 50%
--> Combat: 2 attacks per round at 13 THAC0 for 1d3 damage, save vs.
Death or be rendered unconscious for 2 turns.
--> Special Abilities: Can cast Blur once per day. Regenerates
1 HP/round. Immune to level drain, sleep, and petrification.
LAWFUL NEUTRAL: Ferrets
--> Hit Points: 24
--> Armor Class: 0
--> Magic Resistance: 50%
--> Combat: 2 attacks per round at 13 THAC0 for 1d3 damage
--> Special Abilities: Has 75% in Pick Pockets, 40% Hide in
Shadows/Move Silently, and 20% in Detect Traps. Can cast Blur
once per day. Immune to level drain, sleep, and petrification.
LAWFUL EVIL: Imp
--> Hit Points: 18
--> Armor Class: 2
--> Magic Resistance: 25%
--> Combat: 1 attack per round at 15 THAC0 for 1d6 damage
--> Special Abilities: Has 100% resistance to fire, cold, and
electricity. Can cast Polymorph Self once per day. Regenerates
1 HP/round.
NEUTRAL: Rabbit
--> Hit Points: 24
--> Armor Class: 1
--> Magic Resistance: 65%
--> Combat: 2 attacks per round at 13 THAC0 for 1d2 damage
--> Special Abilities: Has 50% in Detect Traps and 30% Hide in
Shadows/Move Silently. Has 75% resistance to fire, cold and
electricity.
It's resistant to elements, but with only twelve Hit Points, the Rabbit
can't really serve as a decoy like the Imp can. All the Rabbit can
really boast is 40% Find Traps, which will not be good enough for most
of the traps in the game. Oh, and 45% Magic Resistance, which is the
best of all the familiars.
NEUTRAL EVIL: Dust Mephit
--> Hit Points: 24
--> Armor Class: 6
--> Magic Resistance: 10%
--> Combat: 2 attacks per round at 13 THAC0 for 1d2 damage
--> Special Abilities: Has 100% resistance to fire and 50%
resistance to slashing, piercing, and missile damage. Can cast
Glitterdust once per day and Glass Dust twice per day.
Regenerates 1 HP/round. Immune to level drain, sleep, and
petrification.
CHAOTIC GOOD: Fairy Dragon
--> Hit Points: 24
--> Armor Class: 4
--> Magic Resistance: 32%
--> Combat: 2 attacks per round at 13 THAC0 for 1d2 damage
--> Special Abilities: Can cast Mirror Image and Invisibility 10'
Radius once per day. Immune to level drain, sleep, and
petrification.
CHAOTIC NEUTRAL: Cat
--> Hit Points: 24
--> Armor Class: 0
--> Magic Resistance: 50%
--> Combat: 2 attacks per round at 13 THAC0 for 1d3 damage
--> Special Abilities: Has 30% in Pick Pockets and 99% in Move
Silently/Hide In Shadows. Can cast Blur once per day. Immune
to level drain, sleep, and petrification.
CHAOTIC EVIL: Quasit
--> Hit Points: 24
--> Armor Class: 2
--> Magic Resistance: 25%
--> Combat: 3 attacks per round at 13 THAC0 for 1d6 damage
--> Special Abilities: Has 100% resistance to fire, cold, and
electricity. Can cast Horror once per day, Regenerates
1 HP/round.
Friends
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell can be useful when shopping, as it raises your Charisma by
six points temporarily-long enough to lower prices. Keep in mind that
this spell doesn't seem to have an effect if your Charisma is over 20.
Grease
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Much like Web and Stinking Cloud-superior 2nd-level spells-this is an
area-of-effect spell that hampers anything caught in the area... albeit,
after a Saving Throw to attempt to negate the effects. Those who fail
are forced to move quite slowly for the rest of the round, and must save
every round to avoid the movement impediment. This spell was hardly
a consideration in the first game, but in the sequel, it's far beyond
obsolete.
*Identify
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
You'll always some of these spells prepared, as they... identify magical
items. Sure, having a high Lore skill can do the same, but most strong
magical items require a higher Lore score than you'll probably have...
and it's not worth playing a Bard just to identify crap. Combat use?
None. But it'll save you 100 gold that you would have wasted identifying
items at merchants. Considering how many magical items abound in the
game, this is a necessary money-saver.
Infravision
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Cast this spell, and the creature affected gains infravision, which in
this game makes creatures glow orange. Of course, if you have anybody
with infravision naturally, you can simply turn on the 'Group
Infravision' option and use it at will. It's not terribly useful
anyways, either naturally or as a spell, and at 10 turns, this spell's
duration isn't terribly enviable.
Larloch's Minor Drain
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
A mediocre damage-dealing spell, this spell deals a measely four points
of damage and heals the caster for the same amount. On the plus side,
it's got range and doesn't allow a save, so I find it superior to
Burning Hands or Chill Touch, at least. Heck, it's even comparable to
Magic Missile... up until Magic Missile starts getting additional
missiles. Since every Mage in this game will have multiple-missile
Magic Missiles... yeah, this spell is useless in Baldur's Gate 2.
*Magic Missile
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
The essential damage-dealing spell you'll use through most of the
game... it deals 1d4+1 points of damage, and while that sounds paltry-
and it is-it gains an additional missile at 3rd, 5th, 7th, and finally
9th level. On top of that it has a casting time of one, it always hits,
and allows no save. At 9th level, that's 10-25 damage per casting... not
bad for a 1st-level spell. Honestly, I rarely use this spell, but it
does come in handy during a few fights... chaining multiple copies of
this spell via sequencers, Spell Trigger, etc., can be quite potent.
Nahal's Reckless Dweomer
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
A Wild Mage-only spell, this spell gambles on the Mage's wild surge
ability, which this spell intentionally triggers after you select
another spell. The Wild Mage attempts to shape the energy into the
desired form... in other words, into the spell you tried to cast. The
odds of you casting the desired spell, however, are very slim-on the
normal table you have a 1% chance of casting a spell normally during a
wild surge. Of course, since you're not screwing up, you're
intentionally channeling wild magic, you add your level to the roll on
the wild surge chart... which means, presumably, you've got a chance to
cast the desired spell equal to 1% plus your level. Even near the end of
Baldur's Gate 2, you'll be lucky to get this spell to work when you need
it, much less to use it regularly. My suggestion? Don't bother with it.
Protection from Evil
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
A low-level buff that protects the recepient...against evil! Attacks
against the protected character are made at a -2 penalty, while saves
made by the protected character are made at a +2 bonus. You're better
off just letting a Cleric do this for the entire party with Protection
From Evil 10' Radius.
Protection from Petrification
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Petrification attacks aren't an issue in Baldur's Gate 2... in fact,
I can't remember a single Basilisk in the entire game... you don't need
this spell.
Reflected Image
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
A poor man's Mirror Image, it give you one image that mimmics the
caster. Foes attacking the caster have a 50% chance to hit the image,
and a 50% chance to hit the caster... if the image is struck, it
vanishes. Sounds useful, but considering that Mirror Image does the
same thing-but with two-to-eight images, you're better off just
waiting.
Shield
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Like Armor, this spell drops your Armor Class. Unlike Shield, Armor,
however, this spell drops your Armor Class to four against melee
attacks, and two against missile attacks... that's a six or eight
point bonus. It also renders you immune to Magic Missiles! Score.
Unfortunately, it-like Armor-doesn't stack with whatever mundane armor
you may be wearing, and you'll have better permanent armor shortly into
the game.
Shocking Grasp
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Another crappy 1st-level damage-dealer, it deals 1d8+1 point of damage
per level and the opponent has to be touched for the spell's damage to
be done. You miss, you wasted the spell. Me? I'd rather take the sure
damage of Magic Missile any day.
Sleep
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Sleep is one of the best low-level Mage spells in the game. It'll force
all critters within a 15-foot radius to save at -3 or fall asleep for
five rounds per level.. an insane amount of time, and more than enough
time to kill any and all affected critters. Against high-level enemies
(those with 4+3 Hit Dice or more) it's useless... which means despite
all its merits in the first game, it's useless now.
Spook
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell causes one creature to Save versus Spells are run away scared
for the duration of the spell. The target suffers a -1 save penalty
against the effect for every two levels of the caster, up to -6 at 12th
level... which is actually pretty decent. What's not decent, however, is
the aforementioned duration, a mere three rounds. You have far better
debuffs to cast.
2nd Level Arcane Spells {SPT018}
o======================================================================o
***TOP SPELLS***
Blur: Gives caster bonus to Armor Class and Saving Throws.
---
Knock: Open locked containers/doors.
---
Mirror Image: Creates 2-8 illusory images which confound attackers.
---
Resist Fear: Removes fear effects in area.
Agannazar's Scorcher
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell creates a 15 foot long jet of flames that deals 3-18 damage
to everything in its path. Technically, it's possible to hit several
foes in one cast, but this requires some good luck as to where the foes
place themselves. Frankly, there are many, many other 2nd-level spells
worth casting long before your need to settle for a mediocre damager
like Agannazar's Scorcher... for instance...
Blur
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
...Blur. One of the best defensive spells a Mage has to offer, this
spell forces enemies to suffer a -3 penalty to attack rolls, and gives
the Mage a +1 bonus to Saving Throws. At four rounds +2 rounds per
level, it should last an entire encounter once you hit higher levels.
Granted, for most of the first game it won't really be worth casting,
but once your Armor Class and level improves, it'll be a spell you'll
lean on heavily before any large encounter. It might seem over-shadowed
by spells like Improved Invisibility, but actually the game's AI
actually favors Blur. Why, you ask? If you're invisible, you will
provoke a True Sight from many enemy spell-casters... which of course,
dispels all your illusions. This is almost guaranteed in Throne of
Bhaal, to the point where Improved Invisiblity actually compromises
your defenses. Spells like Blur and Mirror Image, however, will not
provoke such a response.
Chaos Shield
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell is a booster for Nahal's Reckless Dweomer, boosting your roll
on your magic surge table by 15. This turns your pathetic odds to...
well, still pathetic, but somewhat plausible. Still, a booster spell for
another spell that I don't consider worth the trouble, what do you think
my suggestion is?
Deafness
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell affects one creature and it attempts to deafen the foe, which
gives them a 50% chance of spell failure. Honestly, however, I'd rather
just let my Clerics cast Silence 15' Radius, which imposes a -5 save
penalty, is an area-of-effect spell, and outright prevents affected
creatures from casting... which makes Silence 15' Radius superior in
every category, really. Even better still is Insect Plague, so you can
safely ignore this spell.
Detect Evil
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
It's... not a great spell, and I wouldn't keep one prepared, it might
prove interesting from time to time. If you follow my guide, however,
you will know who to attack and who to leave alone, alignment be damned.
Detect Invisibility
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Why would you ever use this half-measure when you could cast True
Sight?
Ghoul Touch
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
A thoroughly bad debuff, this spell attempts to paralyze a foe... as if
you were a Ghoul, see? Unfortunately, you need to touch an enemy for the
spell to work and it imposes no save penalty whatsoever.
Glitterdust
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Gold! Glitterdust creates a cloud of adhesive, glowing, golden particles
that cover foes in the area of effect if they fail a save with a -4
penalty. Affected creatures are blinded (-4 penalty to attack rolls,
Saving Throws, and Armor Class) and invisible creatures are revealed.
More good news? It's party-friendly! Unfortunately it only lasts four
rounds, and we need not ever consider 2nd-level spells when we've got
access to far superior debuffs like Slow and Chaos.
Horror
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Horror was one of the most overly-abused trump cards the computer
employed in the first game... now it's more of a property than a spell
most foes will employ (ignoring Symbol: Fear, which is a superior
spell.) As for you, and this spell... it's day is done. You have better,
higher-level spells you can cast if you want to break up enemy groups.
Invisibility
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
An interesting spell... it makes the caster... well, invisible, of
course. It might seem somewhat useful, strategically, as your Mage
would be better able to get into position while invisible, no? Sure,
but remember that in Baldur's Gate 2 the computer has access to True
Sight, and many spell-casters will employ it to expose invisible or
sneaking characters. That being the case, it's probably not going to
prove interesting very often.
*Knock
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Another essential Mage spell that has absolutely no use in combat. You
need to unlock something? Use Knock. If you're blessed with a Thief of
any quality, you can skip on this spell, but considering the diminished
status of 2nd-level spells in Baldur's Gate 2, you really don't have
anything better to fill your spellbook up with.
Know Alignment
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Want to know somebody's alignment? Cast this spell. Simple as. Of
course, why do you care anyways? If they're not evil, you don't need to
worry, and if you follow my guide, you'll know what to do without having
to pry into everybody's alignment.
Luck
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell absolutely reeks with suckness. It gives a '5% bonus' to any
and all actions... whatever the hell that means. I have to assume,
however, that on a d20 system... 5% equals a +1 bonus. See? I can do
math. The real suck, however, is that it's a low-powered buff that only
affects one person, and lasts all of three rounds. It's hard to imagine
a more underwhelming buff.
Melf's Acid Arrow
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
It might have been an average damage-dealer in the first game, but now,
it just takes too long to do too little damage. Honestly, I prefer Magic
Missile, and I'd rather save my 2nd level spells slots for defense
(Mirror Image, Blur) or utility (Knock).
*Mirror Image
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
You conjure 2-8 images which mimic the caster and confuse enemies.
Attacks made against the caster have a chance of hitting the caster, or
a chance of hitting one of the images... presumably proportional to the
number of images you have. On it's own, it's a pretty good defensive
spell. Combined with Blur and Stoneskin, it makes a Mage nearly
invulnerable to melee attacks.
Power Word: Sleep
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Introducing the Power Word spells-they allow no save, affect one
creature, and deal various forms of badness. The only defense against
them is being above their Hit Point threshold. In this case, the
threshold is twenty Hit Points. Everything with fewer Hit Points than
this is put to sleep-period. Undead, of course, are not affected... and
honestly, most foes in the game will be too powerful for this.
Ray of Enfeeblement
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Cast this bad ray at a creature and they must make a Saving Throw vs.
Spells (at no penalty) or have their Strength reduced to five for one
round per level. No penalty, one target? No thanks.
*Resist Fear
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
If an enemy gets off a Symbol: Fear spell, or you succumb to a dragon's
or demon's fear aura, it can easily end in a reload. If you have one of
these spells prepared, however, you have nothing to fear... or at least,
you need not fear fear. A great protective spell, I tend to just make my
Clerics prepare Remove Fear, as 2nd level Mage spell slots are more
precious, and 1st-level Cleric spells are much less so.
Stinking Cloud
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Stinking Cloud creates nauseating clouds in a 15-yard radius that forces
enemies to save or be rendered helpless for 1d2 rounds. Lasting one
turn, this spell might not keep enemies down as long as Sleep, but it
has no Hit Dice limit. It used to be one of the best early debuffs in
the first Baldur's Gate, but it's far less useful in Baldur's Gate 2
as compared to higher-level spells.
Strength
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This crappy spell sets the Strength score of the target up to 18/50...
or rather, sets it to 18/50, potentially lowering their Strength if it's
higher. For some characters with mediocre Strength-Jaheira and Keldorn,
come to mind-this spell might prove to be a useful buff, but it's really
unnecessary for most fights, and where it'll prove useful, Potions of
Giant Strength abound, and later on, you'll find many items that
improve your Strength while worn.
Vocalize
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Allows the caster to cast spells without making use of its verbal
component... or in other words, you can cast spells silently. The
practical implications of this spell? It allows you to cast spells
while silenced. It only lasts a turn, however, and very few enemies
cast Silence. I have never found a use for this spell.
Web
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Web funcitons alot like Stinking Cloud-at least in its overall effect.
Creatures in the area-of-effect who fail their Saving Throw are
helpless. Good stuff. It's got a five yard per level radius (up to a
30 foot radius), lasts two turns per level, and imposes a -2 save
penalty. It can't, however, compare to higher level spells which we'll
have in abundance.
3rd Level Arcane Spells {SPT019}
o======================================================================o
***TOP SPELLS***
Dispel Magic: Removes buff/debuffs from all creatures in area.
---
Haste: Doubles movement speed, gives an extra attack per round.
---
Slow: Slows targets, massive penalties to attack rolls and Armor Class.
Clairvoyance
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell removes the fog-of-war in any outdoor area, but it does not
show creatures, and it does not allow you to 'see' what's in the area,
exactly. Again, it just removes the fog-of-war... you know, all that
black crap that's everywhere in a new area? Instead of casting this
spell, why not just walk around? Seriously I can't think of a single
time where this spell is useful.
Detect Illusion
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Detect Illusion dispells illusion spells of 3rd level or lower in a
20-foot radius... which means Invisibility, Mirror Image, Blur... the
weakest, but also fairly common illusion spells. Of course, many foes
also use Shadow Door, Mislead, Improved Invisibility, etc., which this
spell does nothing against. Just think instead of this, you could
prepared a shiney new Dispel Magic, which works on almost all spells.
Even better, you could go for True Sight, the REAL illusion-buster in
Baldur's Gate 2.
Dire Charm
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Just like Charm Person, but with no save bonus for targets. There are
far more useful 3rd-level spells to prepare.
*Dispel Magic
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Any time you fight spellcasters, they'll attempt to buff themselves and
hit you with debilitating spells. Dispel Magic should therefore be
memorized at least once by every spellcaster in the game, as it gives
you a chance to take down a protected Mage, or free your characters
from the effects of another spell. Dispel Magic is your magical safety
net, and every caster should have one prepared at all times.
Fireball
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Fireball has its uses, as might be expected from an iconic Mage spell.
The first time I played this game, I was much less refined in my
tactics, and was overjoyed by this brute force option. Still...
experience has taught me that buffs like Haste and debilitative spells
like Chaos are much better spells. That being the case, I rarely bother
using this spell.
Flame Arrow
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
A single-target damage-dealer that's far easier to control, and hence,
more useful than Fireball in some circumstances. It deals 4d6 fire
damage and 1d6 piercing damage, but the target can save for half the
fire damage. Like Magic Missile, you obtain another missile-for this
spell, once every 5th level-so that's two bolts at 10th level, three at
15th, four at 20th, and so on... This spell is like a beefier Magic
Missile, and it has the same usefulness. On its own, it's fairly weak,
but if you chain a few of them together with Spell Trigger, it can
become monstrously strong... It gets a place of honor in one fight
late in the game, but otherwise, it's ignorable.
Ghost Armor
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Yeah, you knew there'd be more of these spells, didn't you? Like the
old 1st-level Armor spell, I consider these spells useless for
single-class Mages. They should be kept out of combat anyways, but for
multi-or-dual-class Mages? Well, let's be honest... you can get better
permanent armor than these spells provide. Ignore Armor, and ignore
Ghost Armor.
*Haste
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Haste is the best buff in the game, hands down. In every somewhat
difficult encounter, you should employ Haste. It just doubles your
offensive power. Literally, it gives an extra attack per round and
doubles you movement speed. Good stuff, indeed. Keep one ready on every
character who can cast it.
Hold Person
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Just like the 2nd-level Cleric spell, this spell attempts to 'hold', or
paralyze a target, and also affects nearby targets in a 7.5-foot radius.
It only affect man-sized humanoids, but fortunately, they're common. No
save penalty, and it only lasts 10 rounds... which is long enough to
kill them and then some, to be fair. Still, almost anything I would use
this on, I could just use Chaos on instead. Bigger radius, save
penalty... Yeah, you don't need this spell.
Hold Undead
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Just like Hold Person, but for undead, which are normally immune to
these types of spells. It affects all enemies in a 10-foot radius, which
is a decent radius, but it imposes no save penalty. There are better
ways to deal with undead.
Invisibility 10' Radius
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Like Invisibility, but for everybody in an area! It's just as likely to
be dispelled with True Sight, and there's only one time in the entire
game where I suggest its use.
Lightning Bolt
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This is an interesting damage-dealing alternative for enclosed spaces,
where you can try and bounce it off walls to deal outrageous damage.
Multiple hits will dispatch most enemies. It's a gimmick, however, and
I rarely ever use it, as I'm just not good at aiming it, and generally
find it unreliable.
Melf's Minute Meteors
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell creates one globe per level of the caster, which can then be
thrown by said caster (with a +5 bonus to hit). Each 'meteor' that hits
deals 1d4+3 points of damage, plus three fire damage, and the caster can
hurl five such 'meteors' per round. Quick, somebody explain to me how,
exactly, this spell is superior to Magic Missile? More damage? Sure, a
bit, but it's a 3rd-level spell-I'm not using up a 3rd-level spell slot
for 7-10 damage instead of 2-5 per missile. Also, you have to actually
hit the target with all five missiles-attack rolls and all that, which
is something a Mage can't exactly count on, can they? I'll stick to
Magic Missile, myself.
Minor Spell Deflection
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell absorbs a number of spells directed at the caster, up to four
spell levels worth... unless it's an area-of-effect spell, or a
stationary spell effect like Cloudkill or Web. Considering that many
spells you'll encounter in this game are area-of-effect spells... you
might as well just ignore this spell...
Monster Summoning I
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
If you think summoning one or two weak monsters will help you out,
you're in for a rough time... just ignore this useless spell.
Non-Detection
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell makes you immune to scrying attempts, spells like
Clairvoyance, Invisibility Purge, etc. You know how many foes will
use these spells? None. You will never need this spell.
Protection From Cold
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Protection From Cold does just that-reduces the cold damage that comes
your way by 50%. You'll face cold attacks very rarely, so preparing a
3rd-level spell to do so is just a waste. Just use the 2nd-level Cleric
spell 'Resist Fire and Cold' instead.
Protection From Fire
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Like Protection From Cold-it protects you against 50% of fire damage
that comes at you. Fire damage is more common than cold, but still,
I suggest the Cleric spell 'Resist Fire and Cold' instead.
Protection From Normal Missiles
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Makes a target invulnerable to normal (non-magical) missiles for five
turns. This spell is pretty useless in this game. Any foe shooting
mundane missiles at you probably isn't much of a threat, and any foe
with magical missiles will ignore it.
Remove Curse
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
You pick up a shiny new ring and stupidly put it on your finger not
knowing what it is, and boom! Wertle-wertle-woo for you. Honestly,
that's really the only way to get cursed in this game, save for perhaps
short-term spells like Doom, and who cares about that anyways? You can
always go to a church to have curses removed, but this is cheaper. You
probably will never need to use this spell.
Remove Magic
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Hailed as the 'combat version' of Dispel Magic, it functions exactly
the same way... save that it only removes buffs/debuffs on foes. This
might sound handy, and it is-if you have the extra 3rd-level spell
slots. On the other hand, it won't save you if you have debuffs
affecting your party, so it's got much less utility overall than Dispel
Magic, if you have any aim. I'll be honest, I've never found a need
for this spell. General party-buffs amongst your foes are rare, and
there are better spells for taking down more potent, individual buffs.
Skull Trap
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Create a... skull trap that explodes when enemies get too close to it,
dealing 1d6 points of damage per level to all critters in a 20-foot
radius. Honestly, I prefer Fireball. I can aim it, and decide what gets
hit, when. No need to lure foes into a trap with the hope that it'll
affect a good number of them.
*Slow
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell affects all enemies in a 30-foot radius, and any melee
character affected might as well be dead. It forces them to move and
attack at half the normal rate, and imposes a -4 penalty to attack rolls
and Armor Class. Enemies save against this effect at a -4 penalty.
When faced with a group of sturdy melee enemies, there's little better
to cast.
Spell Thrust
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Removes a number of spell defenses, including Minor Spell Deflection,
Minor Globe of Invulnerability, Spell Immunity and Minor Spell Turning.
Spell Immunity can be particularly troublesome, since it can prevent
more sophisticated take-down tactics and debuffs, but it's a rare cast
by enemies in this game, and the other spells are much less fearsome.
Vampiric Touch
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Deals 1d6 damage per every two caster levels (up to 6d6 damage), and
heals the caster for that amount. Unfortunately, it's a touch spell
(see the word 'touch' in the name?) so its utility for a single-classed
Mage is dubious, at best.
4th Level Arcane Spells {SPT020}
o======================================================================o
***TOP SPELLS***
Confusion: Foes in area are confused unless they save at -2.
---
Greater Malison: Reduces saves by 2, softening up foes.
---
Improved Invisibility: Recepient can't be targeted by spells.
---
Minor Sequencer: Chain two spells of 2nd-level or lower.
---
Stoneskin: Negates physical attacks entirely.
*Confusion
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Confusion is a great debilitating spell, but inferior to Chaos, which
outshines it in every way. Still, it forces all enemies in a 30-foot
radius to save at -2 or wander around, go berserk, or simply stand
there. Simply put, it breaks up all effective resistance and wins
fights.
Contagion
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
A fourth-level debilitator with no save penalty? How well do you think
this spell is going to do? Ah well, let's get it over with... this spell
attempts to cause 'major disease and weakness' in a creature. The target
suffers a -2 penalty to Strength, Dexterity, and Charisma, and they
are slowed. One target. No save penalty. Compare this spell to, say,
Slow. Wouldn't you be better served by slowing a group of foes at a -4
save penalty? You would. Ignore this spell.
Emotion, Hopelessness
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Like Confusion, but with no save, and enemies 'sleep' (lie down and
remain helpless) for the duration of the spell. If it weren't for the
lack of a save penalty, it would be a great spell.
Enchanted Weapon
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Creates a +3 weapon that can be used by anybody-either a Mace, Axe,
Long Sword, or Short sword. Or... you could just get a permanent weapon.
Farsight
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Allows you to see an unexplored section of map, much like Clairvoyance.
Something else that reveals unexplored sections of map? Exploring it.
Save the spell-slot, just sneak around with a Thief or Ranger.
Fireshield (Blue)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
An aggressive form of defense, this spell surrounds the caster with a
shield of 'ice flame'. Yeah, makes sense to me. The caster gains 50%
Cold Resistance and foes that strike in melee suffer 1d8+2 points of
damage per hit. It's decent damage, but a single-classed Mage really
can't accept the damage trade-off. A Fighter/Mage might be able to
handle the abuse, however, but where it really shines is combined with
Stoneskin, where you take no damage, and the enemy suffers for removing
each skin.
Fireshield (Red)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Same thing as Fireshield (Blue), save that Fireshield (Red) is... well,
actually a FIREshield. It grants 50% resistance to fire damage and deals
1d8+2 fire damage each time an enemy strikes you in melee.
*Greater Malison
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Hit enemies with this before casting other spells that allow saves and
you'll stand a greater chance of affecting your enemies. If it's used
to soften up foes before hitting them with Chaos, Insect Plague, Finger
or Death, or a Vorpal weapon, it becomes downright unfair.
Ice Storm
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
A direct-damage dealing area of effect spell that allows no save. Sound
good? Here we go-it only deals 2d8 damage per round (lasting four
rounds) and is not party friendly. So... why cast something with less
damage potential than an 9th-level Mage's Fireball?
*Improved Invisibility
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Another great defensive spell, it imposes a -4 penalty to the attack
rolls of enemies, and gives the caster a +4 bonus to saving throws. Best
of all, you can't be targeted with spells until the invisibility is
dispelled. It does, however, have one Achilles heel-the spell True
Sight, which will be employed against you if you've got an invisible
character. By Throne of Bhaal, this counter is so widespread that this
spell is all but useless... in the mean time, however, abuse it.
Minor Globe of Invulnerability
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell makes you immune to 1st-3rd level spells... alas, since most
dangerous spells are now higher-level affairs, this is no longer the
defensive spell it used to be. Most foes will refrain from casting
such weak spells until they're out of superior spells... and if you
can't kill a Mage slinging Melf's Acid Arrows at you... well, you
deserve to lose.
*Minor Sequencer
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell can be quite useful, as it allows the caster to chain two
spells of 2nd-level or lower together in one quick cast. Want to pelt a
foe with two Magic Missile spells in one round? Or instantly bring up a
Mirror Image and Blur? This is the way to do it. Best of all, you can
cast this spell, prepare the Sequencer, remove this spell, and the
spells you are chaining together, as well. The only limitation is that
you must have the spells you want to sequencer memorized at the time
you cast the sequencer. The only real limitation this spell has? Well,
you don't get it until awfully late in the game...
Monster Summoning II
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Like the 3rd level spell, but it'll summon a few more Hit Dice of
monsters... still not enough to make it useful, however.
Otilukes's Resilient Sphere
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
I'll admit, I like the idea of this spell. Taking a foe out of a fight
long enough to deal with its buddies makes me feel all strategyful, and
stuff. But it's just not a good spell. Otiluke's Resilient Sphere
captures a single foe in a 'globe of shimmering force', which prevents
the trapped critter from affecting the outside world, and vice versa.
Still, it's a single creature, the spell has no save penalty, and it
only lasts a turn... granted, probably enough time to resolve any
fight... but... Slow, Confusion, or Chaos would all be superior casts.
Polymorph Other
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Turns another foe into a Squirrel... still, it imposes no save
penalty and only affects a single target. It's more of a humorous
spell, than a serious tactical solution to any fight.
Polymorph Self
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Allows the caster to assume the form of another creature, which you can
select from a short list of the following (as per the spell's in-game
description):
Gnoll: wields a magical +1 halberd (+1 fire damage and strikes as an
enchanted weapon +3)
Mustard Jelly: capable of slowing opponents (if they fail a Saving
Throw when hit)
Ogre: capable of causing massive damage with its fists
Spider: causes poison when it hits an opponent.
You can also assume the form of a Brown Bear, Black Bear, or Wolf... but
these shapeshifts suck. Just ask any Druid. So, let's look at these in
depth, shall we?
First, you can change to any of these creatures at will-and back again-
for the entire duration of the spell, a passable one turn, plus three
rounds per level, so you can change your form as events necessitate.
Your statistics and attributes are affected by each form, which is not
mentioned by the spell, but which I will show below. Also, you cannot
cast spells while polymorphed-something to keep in mind, to be sure.
Your natural Armor Class may change, as well-magical protections will
still be counted, but armor will not. You can equip and unequip
clothing, jewelry, and armor at will, but not weapons.
Flind
Armor Class (Base): 2
Strength: 17
Dexterity: 17
Constitution 12
Mustard Jelly
Armor Class (Base): 4
Strength: 14
Dexterity: 9
Constitution 9
Cold Resistance: 50
Electrical Resistance: 100
Magic Resistance: 125
Magic Cold Resistance: 50
Slashing Resistance: 30
Crushing Resistance: 30
Piercing Resistance: 100
Missile Resistance: 85
Ogre
Armor Class (Base): 5
Strength: 18/00
Dexterity: 9
Constitution 18
Spider
Armor Class (Base): 1
Strength: 16
Dexterity: 16
Constitution 9
So... there everything is, all pink and naked. Honestly, I don't see
the point in turning a Mage into a melee creature, especially one that's
likely to be rather weak compared to your mainstay warriors...
If anything, however, the Mustard Jelly is interesting for its
resistances, if nothing else. I never make use of this spell, but if
you feel like giving it a go... eh... it's your Mage's funeral.
Secret Word
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Dispels one spell protection of 8th-level or lower, including Minor
Spell Turning, Minor Globe of Invulnerability, Spell Immunity, Spell
Deflection, Spell Turning, and Spell Shield. It's... an option if you
don't want to use Spell Thrust, but there are far too many good
4th-level spells to bother with this.
Spider Spawn
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Allows you to summon one (80%) or two (20%) spiders of types that vary
by level. At 8th-level or lower, you summon wussy Giant Spiders, at
9th-11th levels you'll summon Phase Spiders, and at 12th-level and
higher you'll summon Sword spiders. None of these creatures really have
the muscle you'll want in a summoned creature.
Spirit Armor
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
The strongest of the armor spells, this particular version creates an
intangible suit of armor that grants an Armor Class of one. It doesn't
stack with other armor, but it will stack with Dexterity bonuses,
magical protections, and shields. When the spell ends, it'll deal 2d4
points of damage to the caster. It's actually potentially very nice
armor, but honestly, it'll only drop the Armor Class of a well-equipped
Fighter/Mage by a few points.
*Stoneskin
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
The ultimate physical defensive spell, Stoneskin makes the caster
outright immune to physical damage. It'll absorb a number of attacks
equal to the number of 'skins' or layers it has. The caster has one
skin per two levels, which means a high-level Mage could ignore over
a dozen melee attacks. These skins last until absorbing (and negating)
attacks, or until its whopping 12-hour duration ends. On its own, it's
wonderful physical defense. Mixed with a good Armor Class, and other
defensive spells like Blur and Mirror Image, and it'll make the Mage
nearly invulnerable to melee damage. It's the best thing a Fighter/Mage
can cast in most fights, and really, you should keep one prepared at
all times... which essentially means it's my 4th-level spell of choice
for my Fighter/Mage. It's less useful on single-classed Mages, since
their Armor Class is inferior and they don't tend to be exposed to
physical assaults often, but it's still useful for them, as well.
Teleport Field
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Randomly teleports all foes in the area of effect to... another spot in
the area of effect. I really can't think of a great use for this spell,
as the radius is actually rather small (it sure doesn't look like a
30-foot radius on screen, to me). I suppose indoors you could get lucky
and teleport a foe into another room, hence costing them... I don't
know, a round to walk back and continue attacking? Or perhaps you'll
teleport a vulnerable spell-caster closer to your hungry warriors.
Ultimately, it's just too random for me to bother with. Yes, random in
a way that Saving Throws are not. Shut up. At least with spells like
Horror, Slow, Confusion, or Chaos, I know that there's a good chance
at least one foe will be affected in a way that helps my cause.
Wizard Eye
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Creates an invisible sensory organ that... essentially allows him to
spy around and explore the level. Like all other Mage-spy spells, why
not just explore? Why waste a 4th-level spell slot to do what a hidden
Ranger or Thief can do?
5th Level Arcane Spells {SPT021}
o======================================================================o
***TOP SPELLS***
Breach: Dispels all combat protections on a target.
---
Chaos: Foes in area are confused unless they save at -4.
---
Lower Resistance: Lowers targets Magic Resistance by 10% + 1%/level.
---
Spell Immunity: Makes caster immune to spells from one school.
Animate Dead
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Just like the 3rd-Level Cleric spell of the same name, this spell
allows you to summon undead to fight for you. In Baldur's Gate 2, with
the level range you'll be dealing with, it pretty much means you'll be
summoning a Skeleton Warrior. A fairly beefy foe... in Baldur's Gate 1,
it's no longer much in the way of a threat to... much of anything,
really. The game has changed and victory now favors new tactics.
*Breach
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Dispels all 'specific and combat protections on a target creature',
including Shield, Protection Circle, Resist Fear, Protection From
Fire/Cold, Fireshield, Protection From Acid, Protection From
Electricity, Protection From Magic Energy, Protection from The Elements,
Protection From Energy, Protection From Normal Missiles, Protection From
Normal Weapons, Protection From Magic Weapons, Stoneskin, Armor, Ghost
Armor, Spirit Armor, Absolute Immunity, Mantle, and Improved Mantle.
No save, no check, no magic resistance, it's just gone. That's alot of
spells, and you new gamers out there might not know the signifigance of
this spell... but that's what I'm here for, right? Almost every Mage in
Baldur's Gate 2 will, in combat, throw up a Stoneskin and/or Protection
from Magic Weapons. Since your warriors are probably the characters most
likely to chop down these Mages, these spells can effectively retard
their ability to harm the Mage, which in turn will allow said Mage to
make your life miserable by casting spells. This spell should be used
any time a Mage brings up one of those two spells, and really, it's just
essential to Mage take-down tactics in this game. Every Mage who can
cast it should have at least one prepared at any time, and potentially
a few more, if expecting Mage-heavy opposition. It is worth noting that
the only effective way to counter Breach is with Spell Immunity that
protects against Abjuration. Don't worry, however. You will almost
always be on the casting end of this spell.
*Chaos
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell is one of the go-to debilitator for Baldur's Gate 2...
Forcing a save at -4 is just not fair. Otherwise it works just like
Confusion. Get used to hearing about this spell, as I'll be comparing
5th-level spells to it at every turn.
Cloudkill
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
The only effective use of this spell that I can think of is in
conjunction with Animate Dead and Stinking Cloud. Your Skeleton Warriors
can simply distract enemies and cause them to take damage while they
remain within the Cloudkill. Still, at 1d10 damage per round, it's not a
great way to destroy enemies... not when you can just hit them with
Chaos, instead.
Cone of Cold
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Creates a... cone of cold, dealing 1d4+1 damage per level to all
creatures in the area. Not party friendly, but what do you expect?
Creatures inside the area can save for half. It's not a bad damage
dealer, really, but it's not exceptional, either.
Conjure Lesser Air Elemental
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Conjures an 8 Hit Dice Air Elemental to do the caster's whim until the
spell expires. Note that there are two problems with this spell. First,
an 8 Hit Dice Elemental is not the strongest of summoning spells in
the game, and will quickly become obsolete. Second, immediately after
casting the spell the caster becomes locked in a 'psychic contest' with
the elemental for three rounds, during which he attempts to establish
control. Three rounds of inactivity from your Mage is a terrible price
to pay for any spell, and on top of that there's a 15% chance your Mage
will not come out on top... that being the case, your summoned elemental
will... well, attack you. And isn't that kind of the opposite of what
you were going for? Ultimately, I really can't suggest such a spell when
Clerics and Druids get superior, less tempermental elemental summoning
spells. It still might be worth casting a few situtation early in the
game, as all elementals have one unique defensive property worth
considering... they are immune to mundane and +1 weapons. So... when
there are a bunch of foes who don't have the requisitie equipment to
play, these spells are essentially cheap ways to take them out. It's
a tactic that quickly stops bearing fruit, however, but since it's one
Edwin can potentially employ from the second you recruit him...
Conjure Lesser Earth Elemental
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Conjures an 8 Hit Dice Earth Elemental to do the caster's whim until the
spell expires. Note that this spell has the same liabilities as Conjure
Lesser Air Elemental.
Conjure Lesser Fire Elemental
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Conjures an 8 Hit Dice Fire Elemental to do the caster's whim until the
spell expires. Note that this spell has the same liabilities as Conjure
Lesser Air Elemental.
Domination
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Control a creature's actions while affected by this spell. It's
essentially the same as any Charm spell, but it imposes a -2 penalty to
their Saving Throws. Oh, and it only lasts eight rounds. Again, I'd
rather disable an entire group of foes with Chaos (at a -4 save!) than
control one.
Feeblemind
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Cast this spell for stupid-making. It's like watching to Fox News! The
target saves at a -2 penalty and lasts indefinately-unless dispelled.
This spell lowers the target's Intelligence to three. On most foes, it's
nothing serious, but if you hit a Mage with it... well, they won't be
casting anything, will they? Still, I'd rather... you guessed it, just
use Chaos. A foe affected by Chaos is not going to cast anything, the
save penalty is -4, and it affects a group.
Hold Monster
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Like Hold Person, but it affects pretty much any critter. It imposes a
-2 save penalty and affects any foes within a very small 7.5-foot area
of the target... which is, for all intents and purposes, adjacent. Chaos
is still superior.
*Lower Resistance
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
A fair spell that should see its way into your spellbook from time to
time... at least until you have access to Pierce Magic, but I digress...
Lower Resistance does exactly what its name implies-it lowers the Magic
Resistance of a foe by 10% + 1% per caster level. Even a mid-level
casting of this spell will knock off about 25% Magic Resistance, and
if you chain two of them and a Breach into a Spell Trigger... yeah, it's
worth using to soften up some of the bigger foes in the game.
Minor Spell Turning
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
I typically stay away from spell turning spells simply because... well,
I just don't find them all that useful, really. If you need real defense
against spells-the best defense is a good offense. Take them down
quickly with Breach and sharp, pointy things. Failing that, the next
best defense is an impenetrable defense, which this spell simply is not.
Rely on Spell Immunity and the Cloak of Mirroring and laugh as your
foes exhaust themselves trying to harm you-to no avail. This spell
doesn't contribute to either strategy, so I ignore it.
Monster Summoning III
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Like the lower spells, but with stronger monsters. Still, not strong
enough to bother summoning. A single conjured elemental will certainly
be strong enough to finish off anything this spell summons.
Oracle
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Dispels all illusion/phantasm spells of 5th-level or lower in the area,
including Reflected Image, Invisibility, Mirror Image, Non-Detection,
Improved Invisibility, and Shadow Door. Party Friendly. It also has a
huge radius, and considering that the only spell this really leaves out
is Mislead... it seems like a good spell. And it is, but 5th-level
spells are absurdly good throughout the entire game-you're always going
to want Breach, and probably a few copies of it. 6th-level spells are
significantly less impressive, and one of them is True Sight, a superior
anti-illusion spell that has much less competition. Alas, Oracle, you
tried well, but just didn't make the cut.
Phantom Blade
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Creates a... yeah, a phantom blade that acts a +3 weapon, which the
caster is automatically proficient with. It deals +10 damage to undead,
but is otherwise not noteworthy. A possibility for a Fighter/Mage, but
a single-classed Mage is wasting their time... and since you can get
your hands on permanent +3 weapons fairly early into the game, even
a combat-focused Mage can ignore this spell.
Protection From Acid
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Confers complete invulnerability to acid. Fair enough, but you'll only
encounter acid-using foes a few times in the game, and only once or
twice are they potent enough to even consider this spell.
Protection From Electricity
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Confers complete invulernability to electricity. Again, you will seldom
encounter electric damage, and... you know, I can only think of a
single enemy that uses electricity potently or exclusively enough for
this spell to be worth casting... and even then, it's near the end of
Throne of Bhaal, where you will doubtlessly have superior, more
all-encompassing elemental protection, like Protection From the
Elements.
Shadow Door
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell is essentially a 5th-level version of Improved Invisibility,
save with a longer duration. 4th-and-5th-level spells are highly
contested, but a Mage will certainly find it easier to spare a 4th-level
spell slot for Improved Invisibility than they will a 5th-level spell
slot for Shadow Door.
*Spell Immunity
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This is the best spell-defense in the game. Enemies tend to use a
handful of tried-and-true spells to destroy your party, and it can
be pretty frustrating if you don't know how to protect against them.
Unwary players might fall victim to various Symbol spells when they
inadvertantly stumble upon their first Lich (speaking from painful
experience here.) But fear not, for this is the solution. When you
cast this spell you'll be prompted to choose what school to protect
against. The best ones are Abjuration (Breach, Imprisonment) Conjuration
(Symbol spells, Power Words), Necromancy (Horrid Wilting, Wail of the
Banshee, Finger of Death), and Transmutation (Flesh to Stone). If you
cast multiple instance of this spell, you can make yourself immune to
multiple spellschools. A character wearing the Cloak of Mirroring, with
three or four instances of Spell Immunity-Abjuration Conjuration,
Necromancy, and Transmutation-is virtually immune to anything an enemy
Mage can throw at them. Just sit back, wait for them to deplete their
arsenals, and then destroy them.
Spell Shield
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell will protect you from one attempt to debuff your spell
protections, protecting against spells like Breach, Lower Resistance,
Pierce Magic, and Spell Thrust. If an enemy uses it, give them the
old try, try again treatment. It's rare that an enemy will use Breach
or other spell-strippers on you, however, so you probably won't need
this spell... and Spell Immunity (Abjuration) offers superior protection
against all these spells.
Sunfire
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Like a Fireball centered around the caster, it deals 1d6 damage per
level (up to a maximum of 15d6 damage). A protected Mage might make use
of this spell, or perhaps a Fighter/Mage, but honestly, I'd rather just
use a Fireball. Puts the Mage-and his allies-at much less risk.
6th Level Arcane Spells {SPT022}
o======================================================================o
***TOP SPELLS***
Death Spell: Kills weaker monsters and summons, no save.
---
Pierce Magic: Dispels spell protections, lowers Magic Resistance.
---
True Sight: Dispels all enemy illusions in wide area for one turn.
Carrion Summons
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Life just wouldn't be complete if we didn't start things out with a
crappy summoning spell, right? This spell summons one or two buffed-up
(but still weak) Carrion Crawlers to fight for you. Pass.
Chain Lightning
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
At 1d6 points of damage per two levels, it can get up to a hefty bit of
damage, but note that it won't be until 20th level that it matches
humble Fireball, and almost all enemies struck will only take half
damage from being hit by an arc, instead of the main blast-and many
will save against that to halve the damage yet again. Still, no
friendly fire, which means you can use it at will. Keep in mind,
however, that Horrid Wilting is vastly superior once you get access to
8th level spells, and breaking up a group of foes with Chaos is
probably better than dealing a bit of damage with Chain Lightning.
Still, until Pierce Magic becomes necessary you might as well fill up
your 6th level spell slots with something.
Conjure Air Elemental
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Didn't we just do this spell? Blah. It's the same as the 5th-level
'lesser' version of the spell, but you've got a 60% chance of conjuring
a 12 Hit Dice elemental, a 35% chance of conjuring a 16 Hit Dice
elemental, and a 5% chance of conjuring a 24 Hit Dice elemental. Still,
three rounds wasted in a staring contest after summoning, and a 15%
chance it'll go berserk. There's also a good chance that, by the time
you can cast 6th-level spells, the novelty of immunity to +1 weapons
has worn off.
Conjure Earth Elemental
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Same as the previous spell, but with Earth Elementals. Wee...
Conjure Fire Elemental
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Yeah, yeah, we get it...
Contingency
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
I personally don't use Contingency often, as I'd rather control when
my buffs kick in, and honestly, the 'responses' we can pick for the
Contingency's trigger aren't very great. Enemies use it frequently,
however, and it can be useful to pop on a Stoneskin, Mirror Image,
and Blur on when the caster is threatened. It allows you to prepare up
to 18 spell levels of spells, using no more than three spells, of up to
6th level. All the spells must target the caster, so this is purely a
defensive measure.
Death Fog
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Conjures up an acidic fog, dealing eight points of acid damage per
round. It also has the added bonus of killing any and all summoned
creatures in the area, regardless of power or resistances. Score. Still,
cloud spells tend to suck, since it's never easy to get foes to hang
around in them... and I'm not fond of delayed gratification when it
comes to damage.
*Death Spell
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Although it only affects creatures with 8 Hit Dice or less (by the book
rules, a Hit Dice for a monster is set at 1d8 Hit Points per die, or
up to 64 Hit Points) this actually manages to be a great early-to-mid
game spell. It won't kill many of the more dangerous foes we'll have to
fight, as the high quality adventurers (like the ones in the sewers
under Athkatla, and those in the slaver compound in the Temple District)
are simply higher than 8th level, it doesn't affect undead, and it's
probably wasted on grunts, guards, and other low-quality foes. But then,
what use does it have? First, it's an excellent way to dispatch
dangerous foes like Illithids, Trolls, and Umber Hulks, which are quite
strong and dangerous to engage in melee. Second, it dispatches summoned
creatures instantly, which can be useful against summon-happy Mages. If
you're playing a good party, you probably won't have access to it
terribly early, but Edwin can get it early, and often, and abusing it
is a great idea. As you get deeper into Shadows of Amn, however, it
becomes less useful as foes routinely become too powerful to be affected
by it.
Disintegrate
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
You can instantly knock off a creature with this spell, and at first
it seems pretty great... but it's not. First, whatever gear the target
has can often be lost with it. Do you want to risk losing gear over this
spell? Second, it has no save penalty, so chances are it's not going to
be terribly effective. Don't waste your time, or worse, gear. Just wait
until you get access to 7th level's Finger of Death.
Flesh to Stone
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Yeah, it might be novel to be on the afflicting end of petrification for
a change, but this isn't a great spell. First, no save penalty. Second,
gear is petrified with it... meaning you'll have to cure the
petrification if you want the petrified creature's gear. That being the
case, against many foes it's less of a death spell, and more of an
over-glorified Otiluke's Resilient Sphere.
Globe of Invulnerability
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Like the 4th-level spell Minor Globe of Invulnerability, but less minor.
Tihs spell grants immunity to 1st-4th level spells. Honestly, many enemy
spell-casters you encounter throughout Shadows of Amn fall into two
categories-mediocre casters easily slain by Breach and physical attacks,
or overwhelmingly strong casters (like high-level Mages and Liches) who
probably will never bother with anything less than a 5th-level spell
until the fight is mostly decided. In either case, this spell isn't
useful. Sorry, kids. Baldur's Gate 2 is just a higher spell league. And
think, really, what 4th-level and lower spells are you really afraid of?
The best spells in those levels tend to be buffs, which are not what you
want to stop.
Improved Haste
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Unlike Improved Invisibility, the 'Improved' part of this spell is
deceptive. As far as a personal buff goes, it actually does double the
attacks of the affected character each round. When you're getting four
attacks per round, doubling that can be... brutal. Unfortunately, it
doesn't affect the whole party like Haste does, making it a less
effective buff. Still, if a Fighter/Mage were to work it into a Spell
Trigger... it could be part of a great buffing sequence. As usual, Edwin
makes this spell handy by sheer abundance of spell-slots. He can
prepare enough to boost choice fighters before any significant battle...
for most fights, however, Haste is more than enough.
Invisibile Stalker
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Yay... you get to summon another Baldur's Gate 1 critter for fight for
you. Too bad this is Baldur's Gate 2, and creatures from the first game
are a little less than fodder now.
Mislead
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Like Shadow Door, it gives you Improved Invisibility, but unlike the
former, it creates a little clone of you to fool enemies. I don't see
the point. True Sight still fixes matters.
*Pierce Magic
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Remember when I said later enemies would have spell defenses as well as
magic resistance? Here is your answer to them. Pierce Magic lowers an
enemy's magic resistance by 1% per caster level and removes one of a
various group of spell defenses, like Spell Deflection, Spell Turning,
and Spell Immunity. Use it on dragons, and critters with too many
defenses before starting with Breach and other spell assaults. Later on
in the game, replace Lower Resistance with this spell.
Power Word: Silence
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
I would call this spell a poop-master, or something similar... but it's
actually a decent spell. Using it silences a character-no save, no Hit
Point threshold, and it lasts seven rounds... not an eternity, but still
longer than most fights tend to last. The downsides? It does allow Magic
Resistance, so you're probably not going to get it to work on a Lich.
Also, by looking at the spell lists of foes on Infinity Explorer, one
thing becomes abundantly clear-the developers anticipated the use of
silence effects to shut down Mages, and hence, nearly every Mage of
substance in the entire game has Vocalize prepared, ready to counter
this spell. The upside is the fact that they only tend to have one, so
if you could keep applying pressure-perhaps hit them with this spell,
then when they countered with Vocalize, hit them with Dispel Magic and
cast this spell again... but you're better off following other Mage
busting tactics. It's a good spell, and you might find it useful on
Clerics or the odd Mage who isn't protected, but most of the time you'll
want to use it, the computer will have a counter.
Protection from Magic Energy
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell makes a Mage immune to non-elemental, magical damage, such
as the damage dealt by Magic Missile and Horrid Wilting. Yeah, we'll be
using it against the latter of the two. 6th-level spells are fairly
easy to give up, and this spell lasts a whopping turn per level, so
nobody should be terribly unhappy using up one 6th-level spell slot on
this. That said, it's mostly useful in Throne of Bhaal, when we might
encounter strong spell-casters who can cast Horrid Wilting, and either
the fight takes place where full party attendance is mandatory, or they
have strong enough allies that leading with a single character otherwise
protected by the Cloak of Mirroring is ill-advised. In most encounters
where you might need this spell, it's the third best option for dealing
with such attacks, the others being, of course 1) Killing the enemy
spell-caster before they can cast Horrid Wilting, 2) Leading with a
character wearing the Cloak of Mirroring, and hence immune to Horrid
Wilting. It's best used as a fairly complete magical-damage defense in
conjunction with the 7th-level 'Protection from the Elements'. Edwin
can, of course, skip both those spells and just prepare the 8th-level
'Protection from Energy', as he will likely have more 8th-level spell
slots than he needs. Still, this is an infrequent cast, at the very
best.
Protection from Magical Weapons
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Chances are you'll see the enemy use this more than you will. It makes
you immune to magical weapons for four rounds. A short time, but later
on almost all enemies will use magical weapons. Used by an enemy-
particularly an enemy who is naturally immune to weapons of low
enchantment, it makes them all but immune to physical attacks. Breach
still takes care of the problem, however. All in all, I'd rather just
use Stoneskin.
Spell Deflection
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Another spell-defense I find wanting. Again, like Minor Spell Turning,
I find this spell rather low-down on my ways to deal with enemy magic,
the two leading options being, of course to 1) overwhelm the Mage
quickly, or 2) lead with a character well and truly protected against
magic... which calls for Spell Immunity, not Spell Deflection.
Stone to Flesh
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
A remedy for Flesh to Stone or other forms of petrification... I never
use Flesh to Stone offensively, and if a character is petrified, I tend
to reload, so I have no use for this spell.
Summon Nishruu
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Summons a magical creature that feeds on magical energy, this minion is
interesting because of its properties... first, it is proof against
magic-actually healed by it, rather. On the other hand, it's not a
warrior, and stands no chance in melee combat. Its usage, then, is
obvious-it's an anti-Mage summon. Brought to bear on an enemy Mage,
it'll quite literally suck up their memorized spells. If it seems too
good to be true, a real Mage-slayer... well, that's because it is.
Despite being immune to magic damage, it is NOT immune to spells, and
a simple Death Spell will see it off. It's a spell most potent enemy
Mages have. Still, there are a few instances where this spell comes in
handy. Just note that the Nishruu sucks up charges from magical items
that targets may be carrying.
Tenser's Transformation
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
The ultimate god-maker in Icewind Dale, it can still be a powerful
spell in Baldur's Gate, but with one signficant difference. Spell-play
in Icewind Dale was rather stunted, compared to the rich strategic
options in Baldur's Gate 2. Icewind Dale was literally a spell-buffers
paradise, there was little in the way of counters, no sophisticated
spell-casters that required specialized take-down tactics, and nary a
single spell sequencer to keep things interesting. In that situation,
it was fine to buff up and then go nuts with Tenser's. Tenser's, in a
nutshell, tries to make a warrior out of a Mage. It is largely
unsuccessful for the same reason that the plethora of Cleric spells that
attempt the same are-it doesn't increase your attacks per round. That's
the reason why Viconia is never to be considered a true warrior, despite
her absurd Armor Class and Flail of the Ages, while Anomen, lazy,
clumsy, stupid Anomen can be.
...but of course, we have a solution, don't we? A Fighter/Mage already
has the attacks, the THAC0, the specialization, and 3/4 the Hit Points
of a true Fighter. Take what Tenser's does for a Mage-doubles the Hit
Points and boosts the Armor Class-and give that to a Fighter/Mage, and
we're talking about a whole different level of power-play here. My
late-game Fighter/Mage, when he applied Tenser's, went from 132 Hit
Points to 264, and from a -9 Armor Class to -13-the spell's maximum of
-10 be damned, apparently. This, of course, made him a juggernaut that
not even Korgan would compare to. Of course, it disables their Mage
spells while cast, so the Icewind Dale rules would have to apply-buff
first, then Tenser's. But in Baldur's Gate 2, I find myself requiring
my Fighter/Mage to keep the Mage part of his class. One Stoneskin might
not last him, especially since he becomes a late-game tank, and you
never know when you'll need a True Sight or Breach. Lastly... when it
comes down to it, Time Stop/Greater Whirlwing is a better tactic than
buffing and Tenser's... although I wouldn't say my Fighter/Mage/Thief
wouldn't find the latter tactic useful, especially since she's incapable
of the former... It's an interesting spell, to be sure, but not so
grand as to be worth negating the spell arsenal of a late-game Mage.
*True Sight
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell instantly removes all hostile illusions within a large
radius of the caster. This removes Blur, Mirror Image, Shadow Door,
Mislead, and, of course, Improved Invisibility. It's absolutely
essential for defeating Mages, who will constantly cloak themselves and
wreck havoc upon your party-safely immune to spell reprisals until you
tackle their invisibility. Remember, you can't target enemies with
spells until you take down their invisibility, and even if you can see
them to attack them, you can't use Breach to take down their Fireshield,
Protection from Magical Weapons, and Stoneskin. You need True Sight like
you need Dispel Magic-every spell caster needs at least one, all the
time. Better safe than sorry.
Wyvern Call
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Summons a Wyvern to fight for you... Wyverns are, of course, prequel
monsters, and hence, not up to snuff.
7th Level Arcane Spells {SPT023}
o======================================================================o
***TOP SPELLS***
Finger of Death: Kills foe unless they save at -2.
---
Limited Wish: Summon a Dao to grant a variety of wishes.
---
Spell Sequencer: Chain three spells of 4th level or lower.
Cacofiend
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Summons a powerful demon to go on a rampage... anybody, even your own
party, not protected by Protection from Evil will be at risk. It's a
lesser version of the Gate spell, and shares the same liability-if
a Dispel Magic drops your Protection from Evil, your cuddle little
Cacofiend will become... well, less cuddly and more summocidal. I'd
rather indulge in more reliable summons, myself.
Control Undead
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Essentially charms several undead with no save allowed... if the undead
are undead three Hit Dice. What freakin' undead in this game will have
less than three Hit Dice, you ask? None. Otherwise, it allows a save at
no penalty. This spell is poop.
Delayed Blast Fireball
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Delayed Blast Fireball can function as a magical trap of sorts... but
I prefer to just use it like Fireball and drop it right on foes. In that
role, its 15d6 damage easily surpasses Fireball's 10d6... but Horrid
Wilting is just around the corner, guys... if you're having trouble
filling up 7th-level spell slots, it might be worth a go, but I'd just
rather pack up some Fingers of Death, instead.
*Finger of Death
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Speak of the devil! This spell instantly snuffs out the victim's life
force. It's a killer, and I love it. It imposes a -2 penalty on the
victim's save, which makes it a compotent killer, if not a spectacular
one, but if you help them along with Greater Malison, you actually stand
a chance at snuffing out baddies. Even if it fails, they still take
2d8+1 damage, which isn't much, but it's better than nothing. I always
have one ready. After all, if you do not play, you cannot win.
Khelben's Warding Whip
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This debuffer lasts for three rounds and dispels one spell protection
up to 8th-level each round. The affected spells include Minor Spell
Turning, Minor globe of Invulnerability, Spell Immunity, Globe of
Invulnerability, Minor Spell Deflection, Spell Turning, Spell
Deflection, Spell Shield, and Spell Invulnerability. Spell
Invulnerability? What the shit is that? Oh right... it doesn't exist.
Ooops, Bioware. Frankly, in any situtation where I might want to cast
this, I find Pierce Magic more useful, instead. Who wants to wait three
rounds? And if a foe has a specific buff that bothers me, I'll
specifically counter it... and lower their Magic Resistance, too.
*Limited Wish
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell has many uses, but mostly I use it to protect my entire party
from level drain. There are a few cases when it will be absolutely vital
to protect yourself in this manner, but it's nothing you need to keep a
constant slot tied up for. Also, a number of interesting effects can be
obtained by making 'one time only wishes', which are covered in the
walkthrough at [WLK043].
Mantle
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Protects the caster from all weapons with an enchantment bonus of less
than +3... but it only lasts for four rounds. You know, Stoneskin
protects against all weapons, and lasts eight hours. Why not just use
that, instead? If it wears down, cast another. Easy.
Mass Invisibility
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Essentially a very potent party-wide spell-buff, with Edwin's sheer
amount of memorization capacity, the regular use of this spell becomes
a real option. It will give the benefits of Improved Invisibility to
everybody within a 30-foot radius, namely a four point bonus to Armor
Class and a four point bonus to Saving Throws. Huge, huge bonuses. The
only problem? By Throne of Bhaal, enemies regularly expect-and can
counter-your Illusion spells. And since a single True Sight can waste
this spell-buff, it's not something I use often.
Mordenkainen's Sword
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Mordenkainen's Sword is a fairly useful spell that happens to find
itself fortunately placed in our books as a 7th-level spell. I don't
find it to be a game-breaking spell on its own, but since you really
only need so many 'Finger of Death' spells, it tends to find itself
prepared. With it, you summon a floating magical sword, which counts as
a +4 weapon and deals 5-20 damage. The enhancement bonus is pretty nice,
but the damage and duration (one round per level) aren't anything to get
worked up over, but the fact that it's nearly impossible to damage is.
It can be 'slain' by death effects, but it's nearly impossible to hit,
and immune to physical and elemental damage. This makes it an ideal
distraction, and you could certainly summon weaker things to draw the
attention of enemies. Just don't rely on it to deal too much damage,
it's THAC0 isn't very good.
Power Word: Stun
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Stuns a creature for a variable duration depending upon their current
Hit Points, as follows:
o===============o===============o
| Hit Points | Duration |
o===============o===============o
| > 29 | 4d4 rounds |
|---------------|---------------|
| 30 - 59 | 2d4 rounds |
|---------------|---------------|
| 60 - 89 | 1d4 rounds |
|---------------|---------------|
| 90+ | unaffected |
o===============o===============o
No save is otherwise allowed. The best way to use this spell is to
blast a foe with some dependable damage-dealer (a sequencered series
of Magic Missiles, or Horrid Wilting, for example) then follow up with
this spell. And that's exactly what the computer will try to do, quite
often, actually. Ultimately, it's a spell that the computer gets more
use out of. Liches with contingencies and natural immunities and
resistances can afford such tactics, while being immune to them, in
turn. Our party will get better mileage out of other tactics.
Prismatic Spray
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Creats a long cone of prismatic light that has varying effects on all
caught within it, depending upon the color they were struck with. All
creatures with less than 8 Hit Dice (64 Hit Points) are blinded for 2-8
rounds regardless of whatever else happens:
o=======o=======================================o
| Color | Effects |
o=======o=======================================o
| Red | 20 damage (save for half) |
|-------|---------------------------------------|
|Orange | 40 damage (save for half) |
|-------|---------------------------------------|
|Yellow | 80 damage (save for half) |
|-------|---------------------------------------|
| Green | Save vs. Poison or die, 20 damage on |
| | successful save |
|-------|---------------------------------------|
| Blue |Save vs. Petrification or be turned to |
|-------|---------------------------------------|
|Indigo | Save vs. Wand or go insane |
o=======o=======================================o
As you can see, the effects are highly variable, and the spell is not
party friendly, but if you're careful, it might be worth a gamble
against a group of foes. My experience with the spell, however, has
just been underwhelming. It's simply too random to be of much use in
most fights.
Project Image
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Makes an illusory copy of the casting wizards, which can cast the same
spells and has the same Hit Points as the casting Mage... but it makes
the Mage immobile during the spell, so don't think you're getting to
double your fun from this spell. Also note the word 'illusory'. It's a
word that means 'True Sight will counter it', and so it shall be.
Protection from the Elements
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
A rare cast for me, but it has a very, very, important function. When
you have vulnerable characters with low Hit Points (like, say, Mages,
for example) and angry critters that cast mean spells or use breath
weapons, this spell is the answer. It confers 75% immunity to all
elemental attacks. 75% won't stop the hurt entirely, but it will prevent
devastating loss of Hit Points. The 8th-level spell 'Protection from
Energy' covers magical damage (like Horrid Wilting) too, but a 7th-level
spell-slot is easier to give up than an 8th-level spell slot... unless
your name is Edwin. Used in combination with the 6th-level spell
'Protection from Magic Energy' the two provide better protection than
the 8th-level 'Protection from Energy', and in all honesty, it's easier
to give up a 6th-and-7th-level spell than it is to give up an 8th-level
spell.
Ruby Ray of Reversal
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Dispels one spell protection of any level, favoring the highest level
one if there are numerous. This includes the following spells: Minor
Spell Turning, Minor Globe of Invulnerability, Spell Immunity, Globe of
Invulnerability, Minor Spell Deflection, Spell Turning, Spell Shield,
Spell Deflection, and Spell Trap. Really? Did we need this AND Khelben's
Warding Whip in the same level? I've got the same response to this one,
too; use Pierce Magic, instead.
*Spell Sequencer
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Like Minor Sequencer, but it can queue up three spells of 4th level or
lower. This allows you to chain up three Flame Arrows to really hurt
something. Another good option for our Fighter/Mage is to chain
Improved Invisibility, Stoneskin, and Mirror Image. You can also chain
up a 'super slow', a Greater Malison and two Slow spells, when it just
needs to work. Still, we're not quite at the heavy tactical stage.
That, like all things good, must wait until level eight.
Spell Turning
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
ANOTHER one of these? Okay, to be fair, it's not a Spell Deflection-
it's Spell TURNING... which in this case does the same thing, except
negated spells are turned back on their caster. Save of course, area of
effect spells. Again, I don't find a use for it. Many of the more
dangerous casters (Liches) are likely to be immune to their own spells,
and it doesn't do one of the two better options for fighting Mages,
which, in case you forgot, are 1) kill them quickly, or 2) render a
character lastingly immune to their spells.
Sphere of Chaos
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Magical effects run rampant in a spherical area for one turn. Every
round a foe is in the sphere they must save (at no penalty) or suffer
one of the following effects: polymorphed into a squirrel, confusion,
burst into flames, paralysis, disintegration, healed for 20 Hit Points,
randomly teleported a short distance, rendered unconscious, or Hasted.
Considering that one of the effects can cause the loss of equipment
(disintegration), one is useless (teleportation) and two are actually
beneficial to the enemy (healing and Haste), why would you ever cast
this?
Summon Djinni
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Summons a Djinn to fight for you. They have a selection of a few
offensive 1st-3rd level Mage spells, but nothing to get excited about,
and are sub-par melee combatants. All in all, you're better off
summoning an Efreeti instead. They're somewhat more hardy and have the
same spells.
Summon Efreeti
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Like the previous spell, but the Efreeti has a few more Hit Points and
the same spell selection. Still, it's not a very powerful summon.
Summon Hakeashar
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
A more potent version of Summon Nishruu, the Hakeashar has more Hit
Points (92 versus 72) better THAC0, and immunity to non-magical weapons.
If you have the option, and the need, summon a Hakeashar instead, but
it still won't survive a Death Spell...
8th Level Arcane Spells {SPT024}
o======================================================================o
***TOP SPELLS***
Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting: High-damage, party friendly, area effect.
---
Spell Trigger: Simultaneous cast up to three spells, 6th level or less.
*Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This is one of the best damage-dealing spells of the game, made even
more useful for the fact that unlike Comet, it doesn't use up a precious
9th level spell slot, or a high level ability. Let's discuss, shall we?
It deals a whopping 1d8 damage per caster level, far outpacing the next
nearest damaging spell out there. It imposes a -2 penalty on the saves
of an enemy trying to mitigate the damage, further improving the odds
of it hurting extra. Lastly, it's party friendly. What more could you
ask for? Learn it, memorize it, use it, love it. It really shines
against various high-level Mages in Throne of Bhaal, who usually don't
have the spell defenses or Hit Points to survive too many of these.
Bigby's Clenched Fist
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Summons a giant fist which will hinder and harm the target for several
rounds. First round it deals 3d6 damage with no save and holds the
target. Second round the foe can save at -2 to escape, or suffers 4d6
damage. Third round the target gets another save at no penalty, or
suffers 6d6 damage. The problems with this spell are simple to see-
first, it allows Magic Resistance, so if you think you're going to
confound any Liches, think again. Second, the saves aren't too
difficult, and once a save is made, the spell ends. Third, the damage
isn't great. I don't see why anybody wouldn't just use a Finger of
Death, instead. Kills if they fail a save at -2, and deals 2d8+1 damage
as a consolation prize if they survive.
Improved Mantle
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Yeah... Improved means it protects against +3 weapon (but not +4 or
higher), not that it lasts longer. It doesn't. Four rounds is all you
get, and I still have the same remark-Stoneskin doesn't care if it's a
+3 or a +4 weapon, it just works. It lasts longer. Use Stoneskin,
instead.
Incendiary Cloud
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Deals 1d4 points of damage per level of the caster per round to all
foes in the area for its one-turn duration. That damage is actually not
bad, and it can really add up if you can keep a foe in the area for a
while (perhaps with a summoned Fire Elemental, or a character protected
by Protection From Fire? This spell has merit, so I won't call it mean
names, but I won't get it an '*', either. It's no Horrid Wilting, and
it should lose out to Horrid Wilting every time.
Maze
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
You'll see this spell in action, oh yes... it's a favorite of enemy
Mages. Why? Well, it offers no save, and... well, it just works. The
affected creature is 'mazed' taken to an extra-dimensional maze for a
variable number of rounds depending on their Intelligence (presumably,
the dumber you are the more time it takes you to solve the Maze and
escape):
o===============o===============o
| Intelligence | Duration |
o===============o===============o
| > 3 | 2d4 turns |
|---------------|---------------|
| 3 - 5 | 1d4 turns |
|---------------|---------------|
| 6 - 8 | 5d4 rounds |
|---------------|---------------|
| 9 - 11 | 4d4 rounds |
|---------------|---------------|
| 12 - 14 | 3d4 rounds |
|---------------|---------------|
| 15 - 17 | 2d4 rounds |
|---------------|---------------|
| 18+ | 1d4 rounds |
o===============o===============o
Cast on a dumbass like Anomen, this spell could last quite a while-
probably longer than a late-game fight will take to win-or lose. So,
it's stritly a way to pick on warriors too dumb to escape, essentially
removing them from the battlefield so you can deal with greater threats.
Still, there are superior ways to do this, and at the cost of an
8th-level spell slot... it's an awful lot to ask me to pass up on a
Spell Trigger or Horrid Wilting. I'm convinced the spell has strategic
merit, even though it'll work less often for you than the computer
(most of them have Magic Resistance, and most of your party will not,
you see), but I'm not convinced it ranks as one of the best 8th-level
spells.
Pierce Shield
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Like Pierce Magic, but marginally better. Still, not enough better that
I'd waste an 8th level spell slot on it. It's got a few more spells it
can dispel, and reduces the enemy's magic resistance by another +10%.
On the other hand, Pierce Magic can be used with a Spell Trigger, so
why would you ever use Pierce Shield?
Power Word: Blind
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Stun is 7th-level and blind is 8th? Oookay... Power Word Blind allows
no save and affects all creatures within a 10-foot radius of the target
foe, inflicting blindness upon them all... unless they have Magic
Resistance (which they will). It could prove useful against some
tougher melee foes, like Fire Giants... but I have to question how much
better it is for this than Slow or Chaos. Sure, they both allow saves...
but at a crippling penalty. And they don't take up an 8th-level
spell slot... Besides, a Fire Giant with a base THAC0 of 0 will be
hardly affected by a few point penalty to their THAC0, but Slow or
Chaos? Slow will reduce their number of attacks, and Chaos might prevent
them from attacking altogether. All in all, I'd say this spell just
doesn't bring enough to the table. Especially not with a six-round
duration.
Protection from Energy
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
A rare cast for me, but it has a very, very, important function. When
you have vulnerable characters with low Hit Points (like, say, Mages,
for example) and angry critters that cast mean spells or use breath
weapons, this spell is the answer. It confers 75% immunity to all
energy attacks-which in this case means elements or magic damage (like
Horrid Wilting). 75% won't stop the hurt entirely, but it will prevent
devastating loss of Hit Points. In practice, Edwin can use this spell
whenever he's at risk, but other Mages need to be more stingy-typically
resorting to the 7th-Level 'Protection from the Elements' to deal with
elemental damage, or the 6th-level 'Protection from Magic Energy'. It's
not as complete of a defense, but the instances where we might get hit
by both a Horrid Wilting and potent elemental attacks are rare. In
theory, every Mage could qualify for that sort of dual-threat, but such
Mages are rare until Throne of Bhaal, they typically start throwing out
Horrid Wilting long before they bother to cast elemental spells (all of
which are invariably lower-level attacks). Point of the matter is, if
they're casting elemental spells, they're doing so because they've
exhausted their initial spell barrages-and most Mages don't tend to last
more than a few rounds against me. Not boasting, I make it a point to
kill Mages first. It's a little thing we call 'strategy'.
Simulacrum
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
A powerful spell that I tend to under-rate for one... or perhaps two
reasons... First, Vhailor's Helm allows you to create a Simulacrum once
per day, free of charge. It's a wonderful thing to be able to conjure up
a copy of an uber powerful Fighter/Mage, complete with his own buffs,
Greater Whirlwinds, and premium gear... but of course, if we have
Vhailor's Helm we've got no reason to waste an 8th-level spell slot,
too. As for our Mages, then, who might actually end up wanting to
prepare one... this spell has mixed results, really. As far as the
spell's description is concerned, it's supposed to create a Simulacrum
at 60% the caster's level. Take a level 28 Edwin, and cut him down to
60%... you get about a 16th-level Edwin. Fair enough, but it's not the
same league of potency by a long-shot. Your Simulacrum will be able to
cast a few Breaches, a Finger of Death or two, which can be pretty
useful, but not game-breaking. Imoen, on the other hand... well, I sense
a bug. Her Simulacrum comes packed with up to 9th-level spells, which
makes it very worthwhile for her to cast this spell. Why is her
Simulacrum so much stronger than anybody else's? I suspect it might be
because of her dual-classed status. Take my level 26 Imoen, who at 60%
should produce a Simulacrum of 15th level (rounded down)... or roughly
on par with Edwin's. This is not, in fact, what we see. But if we add
Imoen's seven dormant Thief levels into the equation, we get her
acting as a 33rd-level Mage for the purposes of this spell, 60% of which
is 19th-level (rounded down)-enough to cast 9th-level spells. I haven't
done an exhaustive trial on this idea, but it seems to fit. In any
event, Simulacrum's usefulness is highly variable. On a well-equipped
phenom like my Fighter/Mage, it's invaluable... as an item-accessed
spell. On your Mages, it might be worthwhile if you're very, very
high-leveled, and your name is Imoen.
*Spell Trigger
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell is where you really get to play with your multi-spell
tactics. It allows you to chain up to three spells, of sixth level or
less. Three Chain Lightnings is a pretty awesome combo, but my
favorite is my one-shot defense breaker. Typically consisting of two
Pierce Magic spells and a Breach, or a Pierce Magic, Breach, and Greater
Malison. Start out fights with powerful, well-protected enemies with
this combo to leave them open to both physical and magical attacks.
You'll learn to love it, and during Throne of Bhaal you should strive to
always have one ready to go.
Summon Fiend
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell is just like Gate or Cacodemon, and has the same problem-
the summoned demon is too unpredictable, and with a single Dispel Magic
becomes a liability instead of an ally.
Symbol: Death
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Inscribes a magical symbol that, when approached, causes all creatures
in the area to Save vs. Death or die. Unfortunately it doesn't work on
any foes with 60 Hit Points or more, so... yeah. I wipe my ass with this
spell.
Symbol: Fear
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Another Symbol spell, when something enters the area of effect it
triggers, attempting to cause fear (save at -4). It, like all Symbol
spells are plagued by the fact that they're not party-friendly... but,
the range is decent, the save penalty good, and if you prepare with
Remove Fear, it might not be a terrible spell to cast... it just fails
for taking up an 8th-level spell slot.
Symbol: Stun
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Everything within a 30-foot radius must save at -4 or be stunned for
two rounds, +1 round/3 levels of the caster. Keep in mind that the spell
is not party friendly.
9th Level Arcane Spells {SPT025}
o======================================================================o
***TOP SPELLS***
Comet: 1d10 damage, party-friendly, chance to stun and knock down foes.
---
Time Stop: Gives caster three free rounds to act.
Absolute Immunity
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Might as well be called 'Ultimate Mantle', it protects against even +5
weapons... and it's a rare foe indeed who can penetrate that. Of course,
you know god-damn well what I'm going to say, don't you? Four round
duration, and we've been stopping weapons of all enhancement bonuses
since we first got Stoneskin. Stoneskin is king, and won't eat up a
9th-level spell slot.
Bigby's Crushing Hand
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Oh Bigby's how you suck, let me count the ways... first, it has a
maximum damage of 9d10 damage to ONE foe, spread over the course of
three rounds. The spell gives them three chances to save, just like
Bigby's Clenched Fist, and if they manage, it negates all future
damage. First save is at -4, second is at -2, third is at no penalty.
Why in the hell would ever cast this when you could cast Comet?
Black Blade of Disaster
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
The only thing disasterous about this spell is that it happens to be a
9th-level spell. It counts as a +5 weapon, which you are a Grand Master
at wielding. It deals 2d12 damage per hit and every time it hits the
creature must save (at a generous +4) or be disintegrated... which is,
if anything, a liability in my eyes. Also, it has a 10% chance to drain
four levels from the target and heal the wielder (you!) for 20 Hit
Points. Sounds decent, but when you think of all the damage you could
do with a single Comet or all the mischief you can cause during a Time
Stop, and this spell seems pretty patry, indeed.
Chain Contigency
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Releases three spells under preset conditions, all of which must be
8th-level or lower. Seems pretty awesome, but since it triggers
reactionarily, instead of voluntarily, the spells must all be defensive,
and the best defensive spells are 5th-level or lower. So... you really
don't need the power of this spell. Also, it's a 9th-level spell. You
need to be packing a whole lot of badass to make it into my list of
prepared 9th-level spells. Speaking of badass...
*Comet
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
...10d10 damage marginally out-does Fireball, but this spell has three
great advantages that makes it the best damage-dealer in the game.
First, it offers no save against the damage. Second, it doesn't hurt
party members. Third, it has a chance to stun enemies for 1d4 rounds
and knock them down. It's great for dealing a good chunk of damage to
a lot of enemies, and breaking them up a bit so your fighters can get
some breathing room. While Horrid Wilting is potentially more damaging,
Comet's ability to change the course of a fight in a single cast make it
a better cast on a spell-for-spell basis.
Dragon's Breath
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Another 9th-level damage dealer, this spell has the allure of dealing
a possible 20d10 damage to all foes in a 30-foot radius and knocking
them back. Of course, there is no save penalty for this spell, and a
save negates the knock-back. All in all, I'd rather use Comet, as in
all likelyhood they're going to do the same damage, and I'd prefer a
chance to Stun and knock down for 1d4 rounds, instead ofjust knocking
a foe away from me.
Energy Blades
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Creates a number of energy blades which can be thrown at foes. Yes,
thrown. Still, this spell has the good sense to gives a +10 bonus to
THAC0 and each one deals 1d4+5 damage, as well as 1d10 additional
electrical damage. The Mage gets one disc per level to throw, and can
throw nine per round. Still, the fact that you must hit foes to do any
damage makes this spell of dubious worth in my eyes. Ultimately,
assuming no misses, the potential damage of this spell per round is
9d4+5 (36-81) plus 9d10 (9-90), or 45-171, which sounds fine and all...
but when you think of how much damage Comet could do if employed against
a group of enemies, plus the stun and knock-down... You know, I really
have to wonder if this spell is any better than a high-level Flame
Arrow. Think about it, at level 20 you'd get four arrows, each doing
5d6 damage. Thats 20-120 damage with no attack roll. Even if the foes
saves, they're still going to take 12-72 damage, barring any fire
resistance (which isn't a valid criticism, considering that much of
Energy Blade's damage is from equally-resistable electrical damage).
And you could link three Flame Arrows with a Spell Trigger! Why waste
a 9th-level spell slot doing what a 3rd-level spell can do almost as
well?
Energy Drain
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Take two levels from the enemy and laugh. No save allowed, and chances
are, the computer will not have a Cleric handy. Still, two level isn't
much, and a single casting of this spell won't seriously diminish any
foe, much less win fights like Comet or Time Stop can.
Freedom
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Counters Imprisonment or Maze. I tend to reload if a character is
Imprisoned, and Maze wears off. You never really have a reason to cast
this spell.
Gate
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Gate is a summoning spell with serious liabilities. Unless you have a
Protection of Evil spell cast on the caster (and anybody else you don't
want the Pit Fiend to attack) the Pit Fiend will view them as fair game.
On one hand, you should be used to using Protection From Evil 10' Radius
frequently... but on the other hand, having a summon who will turn on
you if a Dispel Magic is tossed around doesn't strike me as a good
idea. Besides, there are plenty of other, superior summoning spells out
there. Ones not coated in liability sauce.
Imprisonment
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This spell sucks for the same reason Flesh to Stone sucks. It removes an
enemy from the fight, sure, but it also takes out their gear, too. If
you are confident that the foe has no equipment of value on them, by
all means, Imprison away, there's no saving throw, so it will probably
work... I mean, except for the fact that quite a few foes have Magic
Resistance. If you want to retrieve an Imrisoned creature later, you'll
have to go through the trouble of casting a Freedom spell, and I just
can't be bothered...
Improved Alacrity
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Allows a Mage to cast spells more quickly. Normally, a Mage can only
cast one spell per round. With this spell, the Mage is presumably only
limited by casting time... which means you'll get variable mileage out
of this spell depending upon your chosen spells. Of course, the effect
only lasts two rounds... honestly, I'd stick to Time Stop. That gives
you three rounds to do whatever you wish... under normal speed rules,
of course.
Meteor Swarm
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Despite the awesome-sounding name, this spell leaves a bit to be
desired in a damage-dealer. Everything-friend or foes-in a 30-foot
radius will take 4-40 damage if they are hit by one of the meteors.
Ultimately, this spell is capable of quite a bit of damage, but it's
also highly variable. Ultimately a factor of randomness I don't find
fitting for a 9th-level spell... not when Comet is guaranteed to do
twice as much damage to all foes in an area and not harm any of your
party members.
Power word: Kill
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Kills one creature... unless their current Hit Points are higher than
60. Since this means pretty much every creature worth casting this on,
you can safely ignore it.
Shapechange
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Like Polymorph Self, the caster can change freely into-and out of-a
variety of creatures. Namely, a Mind Flayer, Iron Golem, Greater
Wolfwere, Earth Elemental, Fire Elemental, or Giant Troll. By the time
you can do this, however, there is no real attraction to it. All the
Shapechange options are likely to be more vulnerable than your Mage was
(except perhaps the Iron Golem). In any event, you didn't make a Mage
so you could pummel things, did you? No, so stick to blasting things
with spells, buffing, and debuffing. It's what you're good at.
Spell Trap
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
I'll admit, Spell Trap is quite the hefty spell defense, absorbing up
to 30 spell levels... it could take a while for a mage to penetrate it.
On the other hand, it will be all but impossible for a Mage to ever
penetrate three or four Spell Immunities, and that's where the problem
lies. My Fighter/Mage will never have many 9th-level spell slots, and
I'd rather save the few I have for Time Stop, rather than waste them
on Spell Trap when I can just use a few 5th-level spell slots.
Spellstrike
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Dispels a number of spell protections including: Minor Spell Turning,
Minor Globe of Invulnerability, Spell Immunity, Globe of
Invulnerability, Minor Spell Deflection, Spell Turning, Spell Shield,
Spell Deflection, Spell Invulnerability, and Spell Trap. You know,
doesn't Pierce Magic do almost the same thing? Yeah, it doesn't take
down ALL of them, but the odds of a Mage having more than one or two
up at a time is uncommon, and this spell doesn't do anything to their
Magic Resistance. Again, I say stick to humble old 5th-level Pierce
Magic.
Summon Planetar/Summon Dark Planetar
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Summon a badass celestial minion to help you. These critters come loaded
with spells, both Druidic (like Insect Plague), Clerical (Heal, Cure
Disease, Globe of Blades) and Mage (Chaos, Haste). They also come
with a Silver Sword (not the Vorpal weapon we got from the Gith, just a
2d10+3 weapon) and the attacks, THAC0, Armor Class, Hit Points, and
Strength to make an impression in melee. It's the strongest thing a
Mage can summon... shame, then, that I feel it's not worth a 9th-level
spell slot. I say leave the summoning to the Clerics and the Druids.
Let the Mages stick to Time Stop and Comet.
*Time Stop
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This is probably the best spell in the game. When cast, you get three
rounds to do whatever you wish. If you cast spells, those spells will
all take effect when the Time Stop ends-not during it. If you want to
sequence spells, you'll need to be a little sneaky. If you cast one
spell closer to an enemy than another spell, the closer spell will
reach first, allowing you to thus chain spells that just need to work-
like Pierce Magic or Breach. Three favorite tactics of mine-and they
aren't complex, but they are effective-are as follows. First, just
using three Horrid Wiltings can obliterate enemy opposition, especially
low Hit Point enemy Mages, who can do little but die under the
onslaught. Second, use a Spell Trigger to blast an enemy with a
combination of spells that destroys their defenses, then use a Spell
Sequencer and Minor Sequencer to hit them with various damage-dealing
spells, like Flame Arrow, or Magic Missiles. Don't underestimate the
damage that five Magic Missiles can do on a single unlucky enemy... no
creature in the game can ignore 50-125 damage. Third, I just cast Time
Stop and have my Fighter/Mage use up three Greater Whirlwind attacks-
30 attacks-on a wretched victim.
Wail of the Banshee
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Honestly, I can't remember ever using this spell, or having it used
against me. Perhaps it's the lack of a save penalty? Maybe by the time
I get it, in Throne of Bhaal or damn near it, I'm not worried about
killing off groups of weak enemies, and have better tools to do it with?
Why waste a 9th-level spell slot on it?
Wish
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Wish... ah, Wish is a very peculiar spell, indeed. See, you are
attempting to bend cosmic forces to your whim, and apparently this
can't be done without some wretched Djinni (in place of the typical
asshole Dungeon Master) trying to distort your intentions while still
honoring your words. Deliberate misinterpretation, in other words.
The effectiveness of this spell depends solely on the caster's Wisdom
score, which will determine what effects you are able to choose from
after haggling with the Djinni. Without going into too much detail,
a good number of the options the spell presents are unfavorable, either
because they harm the party exclusively, or they harm both the party and
enemies, or they help both the party and enemies. Having a high Wisdom
gets your more favorable responses, but it doesn't remove any negative
ones. So... what you get after 'negotiating' are five options, randomly
chosen from the list of options appropriate for your Wisdom. Some are
quite good, like casting Breach on all foes in the area, or Improved
Haste on all allies, or casting a double-length Time Stop and Improved
Alacrity on the caster, Restoration on the party, or restoring the
party as if they had rested a full night, restored spells and all. You
also get the bad ones, of course, but you can chose any of the five
options you get. Odds are you won't get a terrible option on any
casting of the spell, but it's not guaranteed you'll get something good,
either. Ultimately, it's just far too random to bother using Wish. If
it comes through, it can really help the party, but most likely its
results will be mediocre. At the end of the day, I really can't justify
gambling with Wish when a guaranteed Time Stop can be prepared instead.
Spell Buff Order {SPT026}
o======================================================================o
Now you know what spells to have, and why to have them, but apparently
this isn't enough for some people. Some people know who they are, but
I tolerate them because they're usually right when it comes to these
things. Anyhow, in this section we'll discuss what spells to use-when,
and in what order you should cast your buffs. What kind of lazy ass FAQ-
writer wouldn't put this information in the walkthrough, you know, when
you fight creatures that require buffing? Beats me, I made sure to put
it in the walkthrough, but here you'll find a stable, easy-to-find
location that discusses spell-buffing in more detail. I see the appeal,
I follow FAQs myself (on games I can't bother to learn everything about
myself or play twice-JRPGs, for example) and it's a pain in the ass to
have to scroll through a walkthrough to find the author's off-hand
comments on how to do something that should really be mentioned in its
own context.
Also note that many of these buff combos either require-or are vastly
improved by having-a multi-class Mage of some sort. In case you didn't
get it earlier, I have pushed the Fighter/Mage = Godly angle throughout
the guide. While it might not have been obvious in Baldur's Gate 1, it
will become quite obvious in Baldur's Gate 2. Your Fighter/Mage is your
combat tactician, the versatile crux upon which most-if not all-
sophisticated take-down strategies turn. A Fighter/Mage/Thief works
nearly as well, and Thief/Mages, Cleric/Mages, and Fighter/Cleric/Mages
are also passable. Any character who can fight and spell-buff with Mage
spells (many of which are exclusive to the caster). Sure, there are
other ways to win fights, but the buff combos using a Fighter/Mage or
Fighter/Mage/Thief are arguably the easiest way to go through the game.
Buff Combo: Spell Buff to the Max! {SPT027}
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Requires: 1) Two divine spell casters (Cleric/Druid)
2) Two arcane spell casters (Bard/Mage)
3) Summoning Items
4) Buffing items
You'll see this phrase used a few times throughout the guide-the phrase
came before the section, honest. This is the general spell-buffing you
will use in most major fights. It's name is rather deceptive, since all
other specific buff combos actually include using MORE spells, not less.
However, since this is the big, general buff combo, it'll bear the most
explanation.
Round #1: Iron Skins/Stoneskin
(These are the longest-lasting buffs in the game, so they should
ALWAYS go first.)
Round #2: Blur/Protection from Evil 10' Radius
(Again, two general buffs that last a long time. At 1 turn/level,
Protection from Evil 10' Radius is more of a level-lasting buff
than a fight-per-fight buff. Cast it when you start an area, and
it should stick the whole time. Blur is more modest at
4 + 2 rounds/level, but it's a great Armor Class and Saving
Throw booster.)
Round #3: Armor of Faith/Mirror Image
(Now for more personal spell-buffs. Armor of Faith and Mirror
Image are both decent personal buffs with durations of
3 +1 rounds/level.)
Round #4: Summons
(Use items, especially Vhailor's Helmet and whatever other
trinkets you have, like the Black Spider Figurine, the Silver
Horn of Valhalla, and the Efreeti Bottle. Later on in the game,
the last three items are not worth the trouble. Summon an
Elemental Prince if you have them, and have Keldorn summon a
Deva, or have Viconia summon a Fallen Deva.)
Round #5: Aura of Flaming Death/Dual Golem Manual/Haste/Item Buffs
(Now we're on some serious time constaints-many of our summons
will only last a turn, or ten rounds. My protagonist-who always
wields the Golem Manual and Vhailor's Helm, now uses the former,
and so does the Simulacrum we summoned last round. Your
dedicated Mage (Edwin or Imoen) should cast the Haste
immediately after the Golems appear, and the Divine spell-
casters bring up Auras of Flaming Death. If you have the Short
Sword Ilbratha and/or Rings of Air Control, now is the time to
use them.)
Round #6: Final Buffing/Attack!
(Buffing is pretty much over-it's time to start combat. If your
Simulacrum is a Fighter/Mage or Fighter/Mage/Thief like mine,
it might be a good idea to see what spells they have and pop
out a Blur or Stoneskin, although I'm not nearly as concerned
about their survival as any of my party members.)
Buff Combo: Dragons and Demons {SPT028}
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Requires: 1) Two divine spell casters (Cleric/Druid)
2) Two arcane spell casters (Bard/Mage)
3) Summoning Items
4) Buffing items
Dragons and Demons require a little extra work. The former employ
devasting breath weapons that can outright kill weaker party members.
They absolutely need protection. Against stupid fire-breathing Dragons
we can buff the whole party with cheap, long-lasting elemental spells,
but against other Dragons, it just takes too much time-putting up a
half-dozen 7th-level 'Protection from the Elements'... well, not really,
but I'm lazy, so I rarely tend to do it. It's just easier to cast a
Heal spell in the middle of combat. Right before combat, cast 'Remove
Fear' on your party and their summons. Dragon fear can end fights before
they begin. Some Demons also use fear, as well.
Round #1: Iron Skins/Stoneskin
Round #2: Blur/Protection from Evil 10' Radius
Round #3: Armor of Faith/Mirror Image
Round #4: Elemental Buffing
(Dragons tend to use breath weapons, which are not your friend.
To counter that, we need to defend ourselves from them. Against
fire, you have an easy time, the 3rd-level spell 'Protection
from Fire', or, at higher levels, 'Aura of Flaming Death'. The
best all-purpose Mage buff is the 7th-level 'Protection from the
Elements'. Sure, there's the 8th-level 'Protection from Energy',
but 8th-level spells are precious, and it doesn't add and real
protection against what we need it for. In higher-level fights,
I tend to just have my Mages buff themselves with 'Protection
from Energy', since they're the most vulnerable (and perhaps
it's worthwhile to take an extra round out to protect Jaheira/
Viconia, who are more vulnerable.)
Round #5: Summons
Round #6: Aura of Flaming Death/Dual Golem Manual/Haste/Item Buffs
Round #7: Final Buffing/Attack!
(Again, have your Simulacrum buff themselves however they can,
but there's a special buff necessary before combating Dragons
and many demons-the humble 1st-leve 'Remove Fear'. Make sure it
gets all your summons, too. They're absolutely useless if they
are running around in fear-same with your party members.)
Buff Combo: Illithids {SPT029}
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Requires: 1) Fighter/Mage or Fighter/Mage/Thief who can cast 5th-level
Mage spells (9th-level Mage).
2) Divine Spell caster (Cleric/Druid) who can cast 5th-level
Cleric/Druid spells (8th-level Cleric/9th-level Druid)
Illithids are an odd sort of creature that requires different, less
generalized spell-buffing. First, I tend to keep most of my party back
in reserve, safely using missile weapons. The only character who engages
the Illithids in melee combat is my protagonist. Why? Illithids drain
Intelligence every time they hit, at least several points at a time.
Even my 19+ Intelligence Fighter/Mage can't weather a half dozen hits,
and box-of-rocks Intelligence warriors like Keldorn, Anomen, and Korgan
will only survive three or so. My entire strategy therefore becomes
about making one character as hard to hit as possible-the only character
that can do this well is a Mage combo. Blur, Greater Invisibility,
Mirror Image, and Fighter-esque armor will make Illithids survivable...
as long as you protect yourself against their psionics, and have a
staunch offensive effort to keep combat short.
Round #1: Blur/Chaotic Commands
(Chaotic Commands is absolutely essential for any character
wishing to engage a Mind Flayer in melee. Fortunately, every
divine spell-caster can use it, and it lasts one turn per level,
so you'll probably only need to use it once. Of course, we all
know about Blur and its Armor Class bonuses, as well as its
duration.)
Round #2: Mirror Image
(Take a breather this round and have your protagonist buff
himself (or herself) with wonderful, wonderful Mirror Image.
Illusion is the name of the game with this buff combo.)
Round #3: Greater Invisibility/Haste
(Have your protagonist cast 'Greater Invisibility' on themselves,
or use a Ring of Air Control. It'll lower their Armor Class, but
note that the point is NOT to avoid becoming a target. Also,
catch your entire party in Haste. A good offensive is the best
defense, and all that. Seriously though. Dead Illithids aren't
eating any brains.)
Round #4: Combat/Death Spell/Ranged Support
(Scout out Illithid groups with your invisible Fighter/Mage, and
use Death Spell to start out fights. Illithids usually come with
Umber Hulks, and Death Spell will smite them unerringly. Once
your Protagonist has safely engaged (oxymoron alert!) and
absorbed the inevitable psionic assault Illithids begin fights
with, having your Hasted party come up and shoot at anything
attacking your baitagonist. If your protagonist is taking too
many hits, withdraw and lure the Illithids around by running.
Hopefully you'll be able to recover some Intelligence or shoot
the Illithids down.)
Alternatives: This strategy still floats if you don't have a multi-class
Mage, but it'll take a specific set-up. First, take a strong
Fighter (Keldorn or Korgan, for example) and cast Chaotic
Commands on them. Make them use Ilbratha (for Mirror Image) and
a Ring of Air Control (Greater Invisibility). It's the best you
can do, just be very, very attentive to their Intelligence.
Buff Combo: Liches, Beholders, and other pesky Mages {SPT030}
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Requires: 1) Multi-class Mage who can cast 5th-level Mage spells,
ideally a Fighter/Mage or Fighter/Mage/Thief. 10th-or-11th-
level Mage is preferable.
2) Divine Spell caster (Cleric/Druid) who can cast 5th-level
Cleric/Druid spells (8th-level Cleric/9th-level Druid).
Note that a Cleric can cast all the required buffs, but
a Druid cannot.
3) The Cloak of Mirroring
The first time I played this game, nothing gave me more trouble than
Mages-especially Liches. It's a symptom of not knowing what quests to
do, what areas to explore, when, and what spells to use-all things that
this guide helps with! Of course, there are several good ways to take
down Mages-Insect Plague, the awesome 5th-level Druid spell, is one of
the easiest and simplest. Backstabbing Mages with a party Thief is also
possible (if not terribly easy, due to the prevelence of True Sight-any
Mage worth taking down this way is also usually capable of countering
it. This buff combo isn't just for any Mages, though, but very, very
strong, well-prepared Mages we'll typically face. This buff combo is
great for taking down Liches and other uber-Mages, but you know the
saying, the high tide raises all boats... err... perhaps the wrong
saying, but the point is, if you can use it to kill Liches, you can use
it to kill anything the is dependent upon spells. This buff combo
REQUIRES a multi-class Mage, a melee competent one is a plus, but not
necessary. It's also greatly simplified if you have the Cloak of
Mirroring-not a direct requirement-if you have a higher-level Mage
and/or are willing to rely on some luck-but it's a definate plus.
Round #1: Stoneskin
(Stoneskin? For Mage take-downs? Sure. First, it lasts forever,
so it doesn't really complicate things. Also, many spell
casters are not squeamish about summoning things, so it pays to
have some melee defense.)
Round #2: Chaotic Commands/Protection from Evil 10' Radius
(You should have two divine spell casters in your party, and
hence, these two buffs can go at once. Jaheira can cast Chaotic
Commands, which should be pretty self-explanatory-it'll stop
nasty spells like Charm, Confusion, and Maze. Anomen/Viconia can
cast Protection from Evil 10' Radius, which has a very special
purpose; Liches are prone to using Gate to summon in a Pit
Fiend. With Protection from Evil 10' Radius on, the Pit Fiend
won't attack you. In fact, it'll often turn on its summoner!)
Round #3: Death Ward/Remove Fear/Spell Immunity #1
(Death Ward seems like an obvious cast, too, as it'll stop evil
death spells. It's preferable to Spell Immunity: Necromancy
because it also stops Disintigrate (which is an Alteration, not
Necromancy.) Remove Fear is another obvious cast, as you
wouldn't want to be immune to so many deadly spells, but fall
victim to Horror, or something stupid like that. Finally, your
first Spell Immunity, the backbone of this strategy. Cast
Spell Immunity: Conjuration, which will block all Power Word and
Symbol spells. Liches use these quite often.)
Round #4: Spell Immunity #2
(Now for your final buff, and arguably the most important-
Spell Immunity: Abjuration. This will block spells like Breach,
Dispel Magic, and Spell Thrust which otherwise might conspire to
strip your spell defenses. Also, another important funciton of
this spell is to protect you from Imprisonment spells, a game-
ender that Liches love.)
Round #5: Mage Bane
(You're as invulnerable to magic as you can hope to be, and with
the Cloak of Mirroring, your pretty much ARE immune to magic. No
direct damage-dealing spell can harm you through the Cloak of
Mirroring. You're also immune to death spells, dispelling,
Imprisonment, Symbol and Power Word spells. One of the few
things that can bother you are summons-if the enemy summons an
Efreeti (which isn't uncommon), but of course, most of the
Efreeti's attacks won't work on you, either. Now the strategy
is simple-absorb everything the Mage has to throw at you, and
when their spell-arsenal is depleted, smite them. Or you can be
more pro-active. A competent Fighter/Mage or Fighter/Mage/Thief
can use Breach and True Sight to keep the Mage vulnerable and
cut them down while they waste magic on you.)
Buff Combo: The Throne of Bhaal General Buff {SPT031}
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
This one is simpler than many of the other buffs-it's general buffing
for Throne of Bhaal, buffs you'll want to keep on for most fights. It's
like the spell buff to the max!, minus the max!
Round #1: Stoneskin/Iron Skins
(You have no reason not to have these spells on all the time.
It's the best defense against melee attacks in the entire game.
It doesn't hurt that if you pair it with a good Armor Class, it
only makes you more invulnerable.)
Round #2: Blur/Protection from Evil 10' Radius
(More long-lasting buffs that will protect you.)
Round #3: Haste
(The best spell-buff in the game. Haste makes all fights easier.
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