BG II: What makes a good first character

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mk

Diamond Member
Apr 26, 2000
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Originally posted by: you2
How do I active items special skills ? For example I found "Arbane's sword". The description indicates it can haste once a day. If the character wield it and then I click the characters special abilities haste is not an option.
Click on the "Use Item"-button on the game interface. It'll show all the usable properties of the equipment the character is wearing or has in the quick item slots.
 

aCynic2

Senior member
Apr 28, 2007
710
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If I remember right, on the button bar is a n icon that looks like a bag. This collects the special abilities of all the special use items you are wearing or wielding.
 

you2

Diamond Member
Apr 2, 2002
5,668
913
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ok. that works. Now I just have to figure how to make yosho backstab and find a new fighter now that i'm a mage. Maybe yosho would also make a fine warrior .... hum...
 

mk

Diamond Member
Apr 26, 2000
3,241
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Backstabbing:
1. make a thief/stalker invisible (hide in shadows/potion/spell)
2. walk behind the target
3. hit with a melee weapon that a single-class can use (dual/multiclassed thieves may also use some weapons that are unsuitable for backstab)
4. profit
 

shortylickens

No Lifer
Jul 15, 2003
82,854
17,365
136
Dude, seriously. Why are you having so many problems?
Theres a freakin turorial IN THE GAME that covers all this stuff.
 

you2

Diamond Member
Apr 2, 2002
5,668
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The tutorial I played didn't say a thing about backstabing or using special on items :( Did we play the same tutorial? Oh! I didn't know that was a classic strategy. Is there a good level to dual him ?
 

shortylickens

No Lifer
Jul 15, 2003
82,854
17,365
136
Originally posted by: you2
The tutorial I played didn't say a thing about backstabing or using special on items :( Did we play the same tutorial? Oh! I didn't know that was a classic strategy. Is there a good level to dual him ?
As soon as you get him. Imoens thieving abilities will cover you for the rest of Irenicus's dungeon.
I dont wanna give the story away, but you wont keep Yoshimo through the whole game, so giving him a ton of XP's (by keeping him and adventuring with him) is sort of a waste.
You will still need a dedicated thief for the latter parts of the game. Probably Jan.

Changing Yoshimo to a fighter is a great way to get some power out of him. Just make sure you take another thief with you right away, gaining levels (and thereby gaining skill points).
 

you2

Diamond Member
Apr 2, 2002
5,668
913
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Jan Jan oh where is sweet Jan. This korgan fellow is not gonna last long. He is so rude to everyone.
 

Fenixgoon

Lifer
Jun 30, 2003
31,463
9,779
136
monk > all. they are tricky at first, but they are GODLY at the end. my party generally consisted of:

me (monk)
keldorn
minsc
anomen
edwin
korgan/viconia/valygar
 

Shadowknight

Diamond Member
May 4, 2001
3,959
3
81
Originally posted by: you2
Jan Jan oh where is sweet Jan. This korgan fellow is not gonna last long. He is so rude to everyone.
Then consider "cheating" by installing one of the happy packs. Korgan? Is a combat MONSTER. A Dwarven berserker with grandmastery in axes? Hell, yes!

And you can find Jan in the government district.
 

Ika

Lifer
Mar 22, 2006
14,267
3
81
Originally posted by: Fenixgoon
monk > all. they are tricky at first, but they are GODLY at the end. my party generally consisted of:

me (monk)
keldorn
minsc
anomen
edwin
korgan/viconia/valygar

Monk? Tricky? A monk is a melee TANK. You send him in and he beats up everyone and takes their lunch monies with his bare hands. At least, that's how I used my monk. Sweet fun :)

The only disadvantage with a monk is that you don't get to use cool weapons. That's why I make two or three PCs - for class and weapon coverage.

Crap, all this talk about BG2 has made me want to play again. Here comes an evil party!
 

you2

Diamond Member
Apr 2, 2002
5,668
913
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Yea. That's why i avoid monk. I like cool equipment :)

Pity you can only have one pc...
 

mk

Diamond Member
Apr 26, 2000
3,241
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Originally posted by: you2
Yea. That's why i avoid monk. I like cool equipment :)

Pity you can only have one pc...
You can have up to 6 PC:s (only one of them a Child of Bhaal of course).

1. Start a multi-player game
2. Create all the characters you want
3. Copy the mp-save to the single-player save directory
4. Play the normal sp game without the mp hassles

I just finished playing the entire saga with:
monk
inquisitor
mc fighter/thief
mc ranger/cleric
dc kensai/mage
+ Imoen/some other npc

:p
 

Ika

Lifer
Mar 22, 2006
14,267
3
81
Here's a debate: Korgan or a multi-class Ranger/Cleric? I'm making an evil party this time around, and the good-aligned Cleric kinda messes up my groove, but... I like the NPC interactions, especially with Edwin and Korgan. Here's my party:

Me - Skald
Me - Kensai/Mage (dualled at 9)
Me - Swashbuckler
Viconia - Cleric
Edwin - Conjurer +2 spells

Because I'm a skald, I think Korgan may be better in my party, but the extra cleric helps with battles and tanking power. Then again, I don't have any pure melee tanks... hmm.
 

Shadowknight

Diamond Member
May 4, 2001
3,959
3
81
The thing with fighters is that once they've been hit with haste and a buffing spell or two, the enemy? They am dead. Go with the Korgan.
 

Pocatello

Diamond Member
Oct 11, 1999
9,754
2
76
This thread made me install BG2 again, good times...good times. Lilarcor +3 the talking sword or Carsomyr +5, decision...decision.
 

Shadowknight

Diamond Member
May 4, 2001
3,959
3
81
Why not both? Or at least, once you get a thief (regular, multi, or dual) with high level abilities, you can take the "use any item" ability. Once someone turned me on to that, I FINALLY understood how you could use that +5 Unholy Reaver, that's only useable by Anti-Paladins.
 

aCynic2

Senior member
Apr 28, 2007
710
0
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Originally posted by: Pocatello
This thread made me install BG2 again, good times...good times. Lilarcor +3 the talking sword or Carsomyr +5, decision...decision.

I tried playing through with a paladin once, w/ Viconia as the romance option (I was shooting for an extreme in contradiction), but got bored.

My original character, that I took through BGI and onto ToB, was a ranger with ability scores I rolled in think 10 or less attempts that would put Drizz't to same.

He pretty much dual wielded Crom Faeyr in the off hand and a bastard sword as his main weapon (Foebane +5).

I recreated him and most of his equipment for NWN. Needless to say, both Crom Faeyr and Foebane are beyond epic weapons, requiring something like 50+ levels to wield.:)

And you can get Crom rather early. Think of dual wielding the Flail of Ages and CF as a ranger/cleric...godly or beyond.
 

Fenixgoon

Lifer
Jun 30, 2003
31,463
9,779
136
Originally posted by: Aflac
Originally posted by: Fenixgoon
monk > all. they are tricky at first, but they are GODLY at the end. my party generally consisted of:

me (monk)
keldorn
minsc
anomen
edwin
korgan/viconia/valygar

Monk? Tricky? A monk is a melee TANK. You send him in and he beats up everyone and takes their lunch monies with his bare hands. At least, that's how I used my monk. Sweet fun :)

The only disadvantage with a monk is that you don't get to use cool weapons. That's why I make two or three PCs - for class and weapon coverage.

Crap, all this talk about BG2 has made me want to play again. Here comes an evil party!

i said tricky at first because he doesn't have the natural AC built up yet. at the end of TOB i had a -14 AC on my monk with -22 in slayer form. god he was badass
 

you2

Diamond Member
Apr 2, 2002
5,668
913
126
How the heck do I kill this Thaxll`ssillyia. He like swamped my entire group and he was only barely injured. I even had that nasty ol dwarf Korgan with me. Poor good hearted Mazzy died first but the rest was right behind her! (I have this stone so I don't actually have to kill Thaxll`sslliyia but shouldn't I be able to - i mean he's just a giant lizard) ??
 

Pocatello

Diamond Member
Oct 11, 1999
9,754
2
76
Originally posted by: you2
How the heck do I kill this Thaxll`ssillyia. He like swamped my entire group and he was only barely injured. I even had that nasty ol dwarf Korgan with me. Poor good hearted Mazzy died first but the rest was right behind her! (I have this stone so I don't actually have to kill Thaxll`sslliyia but shouldn't I be able to - i mean he's just a giant lizard) ??

Dragons are always difficult to deal with. You have to use your wizards to remove some of their magical protections, like a couple of Breach spells. Use your priests to buff up your fighters/paladins/rangers. Even then, it's still not a fair fight.













Or you could cheese it with lots of cloudkill. Or use your thief to lay down a bunch of traps.
 

you2

Diamond Member
Apr 2, 2002
5,668
913
126
Well I left my thief behind :( I didn't want to but well i found this poor hobbit in jail and well - you see minsc kept nagging me to go to umbar hill and i didn't really wnat to go there because I was going to do cernd quests and then be done with him. Not that I don't like cernd but well he just doen'st quite fit in - but anyways - then i ran into valgary and he wants me to do this other thing so well it isn't ment to be my long term group just for a short period but now i'm stuck with
me (mage)
val (warrior sort of)
minsc (crise it is all his fault)
korgan (nasty ol dwarf)
mazzy (warrior sort of)
jal (druid)
--
and crise I had to run into a giant lizard. I get a feeling it is going to be a long time till i get past :(
You really think I can like cast cloud kill - go downstairs for a while and come up and find it dead ?
 

Fenixgoon

Lifer
Jun 30, 2003
31,463
9,779
136
Originally posted by: Pocatello
Originally posted by: you2
How the heck do I kill this Thaxll`ssillyia. He like swamped my entire group and he was only barely injured. I even had that nasty ol dwarf Korgan with me. Poor good hearted Mazzy died first but the rest was right behind her! (I have this stone so I don't actually have to kill Thaxll`sslliyia but shouldn't I be able to - i mean he's just a giant lizard) ??

Dragons are always difficult to deal with. You have to use your wizards to remove some of their magical protections, like a couple of Breach spells. Use your priests to buff up your fighters/paladins/rangers. Even then, it's still not a fair fight.













Or you could cheese it with lots of cloudkill. Or use your thief to lay down a bunch of traps.

personally, i wait until after the underdark to kill any dragons - your characters are not that powerful at the umar hills. however, when i fight dragons, this is what i do:

buff party with all possible priest spells (bless, defensive harmony, barkskin, righteous might, etc.)

buff wizards with stoneskin, fireshield, spell immunities

encircle the dragon with all my fighters, then manually, haste party (greatest buff evar) and attack (dialog be damned!)

dragons typically have haste+stoneskin on contengency, so the first thing you'll want to do is case breach (lvl5) or higher disjunction spells (pierce magic lvl 6, mord's is lvl 9) to remove stoneskin. spam magic missile (it works on damn near anything) at the dragon and heal your party as necessary.

with this strategy, and a few saves/reloads, i've beaten every dragon and boss on insane difficulty :)
 

Shadowknight

Diamond Member
May 4, 2001
3,959
3
81
Eh, I usually take out dragon by exploiting the "infinite traps bug". Put down 12 traps or so, initiate combat, let him step in the trap(s), and he's usually toast afterwards. Beyond that, using summoning spells, summoning items, or simulacreum spells are useful as well.