BG II: What makes a good first character

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natep

Senior member
Sep 27, 2005
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I remember using the cloudkill tactic when I first played. You can cloudkill off the edge of your vision, and it will reach the dragon. Kind of lame, but it works.

I started playing again after reading this thread. Started up as a paladin (I played an evil mage my first game).
 

you2

Diamond Member
Apr 2, 2002
5,668
913
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Wow. That nasty ol lizard is dead. Two rounds into the battle JaI cast harm and one round later kaput .... Hum. I didn't know dragons were vulnerable to harm ....
 

Ika

Lifer
Mar 22, 2006
14,267
3
81
My favorite method of dragon removal is using many, many Doom spells (lv1 cleric), as many greater malisons as I can (usually about 2-4), and then Chromatic-Orbing it to death. Above level 12 (I think), the Orb has a save vs. death or insta-kill effect... and when you drop their saving throws by 10 or 20... you can kill anything. Just make sure it doesn't have any spell protection crap on.
 

Fenixgoon

Lifer
Jun 30, 2003
31,463
9,779
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oh yeah - major killer for anyone who bothers with kangaxx - get the mace of disruption +1 (+2 is better but costs you illithium ore) and start hacking away at kangaxx. he's immune to +3 weapons and lower, but he's not immune from the mace of disruption's undead save vs. death. i had viconia kill kangaxx with the mace of disruption. i couldn't believe it, lol.
 

shortylickens

No Lifer
Jul 15, 2003
82,854
17,365
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Originally posted by: Fenixgoon
oh yeah - major killer for anyone who bothers with kangaxx - get the mace of disruption +1 (+2 is better but costs you illithium ore) and start hacking away at kangaxx. he's immune to +3 weapons and lower, but he's not immune from the mace of disruption's undead save vs. death. i had viconia kill kangaxx with the mace of disruption. i couldn't believe it, lol.
Two days late and a dollar short: We already covered that a while back.

I know its annoying but I have to repeat it.
The easy way to deal with most tough monsters is Edwin with Vecna's Robe and the Cloak of Non-Detection and have him use an Improved Invisibility Spell. Use a Wizard Eye to scout an area and have Edwin slip in just close enough to let fly with Cloudkill, Death Fog and (at higher levels) Incendiary Cloud. Multiples of such spells will finish the enemy off quicker, and Edwin gets lots of bonus spells, especially if you bump his INT with the strange device in the 4th floor of Watchers Keep and equip the Ioun Stone that grants +1 INT.

(For those who dont know why he gets extra spells its because he's a Red Wizard, but the game mechanics didnt allow bonus spells for him as a regular character class. He actually gets them from his Amulet, which can never be removed.)

Anyway the above technique is good for Mind Flayers, Liches and Dragons. Also some bosses who dont move like the human form of Irenicus and potential enemies who initially appear friendly like the Aesgarth fellow in the end of the maze at Watchers Keep.
I usually have the most trouble with the Mind Flayers. That Psionic Blast will cut through many special defenses, and some of them have an instant death touch. The handful of special potions sold by the guy in the sewers will help a little bit.

OOOOOHHH! I forgot about some of the big Evil Adventurer Fights!
Upstairs in one of the Inns at Waukeens Promenade and another one in the south side of the Bridge District, you can fight two groups of adventurers similar to yourself. They have a good mix of backstabbing thieves and fighters and mages. You can friendly force-attack them with Cloudkill and you wont lose a reputation point. Have Edwin use the above strategy with Invisibility and Cloak of Non-detection, then cast away. When you wipe 'em out you'll have a lot more XP and some nice toys.
Also in the south side of the Bridge district is a planar warp door that requires a Rogue Stone to access. Same type of fight but much tougher because the group consists of a regular mage, lich, vampire, and beholder. The cloudkill thing is tougher because the room is much smaller and the bad guys can chase you around.
 

aCynic2

Senior member
Apr 28, 2007
710
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Originally posted by: shortylickens
Anyway the above technique is good for Mind Flayers, Liches and Dragons. Also some bosses who dont move like the human form of Irenicus and potential enemies who initially appear friendly like the Aesgarth fellow in the end of the maze at Watchers Keep.
I usually have the most trouble with the Mind Flayers. That Psionic Blast will cut through many special defenses, and some of them have an instant death touch. The handful of special potions sold by the guy in the sewers will help a little bit.

There is a druid/cleric spell, chaotic commands, that shields the mind from all psionics (or at least the psionic mind blast).


 

you2

Diamond Member
Apr 2, 2002
5,668
913
126
Is there a spell thta protect you from hold? Also where does one find Lavok after they put the heart into the machine? I can't find lavok - i left him on the floor where i battled him and told him i would take him outside but after i place the heart in the machine i went back and he's gone !
 

aCynic2

Senior member
Apr 28, 2007
710
0
0
Originally posted by: you2
Is there a spell thta protect you from hold? Also where does one find Lavok after they put the heart into the machine? I can't find lavok - i left him on the floor where i battled him and told him i would take him outside but after i place the heart in the machine i went back and he's gone !

"Free action" I believe. It's a 4th lvl cleric spell (only clerics have it).

I hope you saved before you did all this. I normally take the demon heart straight to the machine, THEN go talk to Lavok.
 

Ika

Lifer
Mar 22, 2006
14,267
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Originally posted by: you2
Is there a spell thta protect you from hold? Also where does one find Lavok after they put the heart into the machine? I can't find lavok - i left him on the floor where i battled him and told him i would take him outside but after i place the heart in the machine i went back and he's gone !

There are a number of spells that protect you from Hold, the most notable being Free Action. Arbane's Sword (short sword +2) also confers immunity to hold and charm person.

I'm not sure about the Lavok thing, but after you place the heart in the machine, go outside (save first in case I'm wrong or something...). I don't remember the quest too clearly, either...

if you really need help for a quest, check a walkthrough or something from Gamefaqs. Obviously, it spoils most of the good bits, so don't use it very often. I only use it when I'm stuck or want a certain outcome to happen (like say, a romance with Viconia... jeez, she's a fickle critter).
 

you2

Diamond Member
Apr 2, 2002
5,668
913
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I found lavok = instead of being a giant glowing sphere he moved and turned into a tiny little nothing. One problem I really do have with this game is that the graphics are poor enough to hinder. I often can't find doors and see paths (I know about tab). I do wish the texture was a little better (i'm playing 1024x768 on a 21 inch lcd).
 

Ika

Lifer
Mar 22, 2006
14,267
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Originally posted by: you2
I found lavok = instead of being a giant glowing sphere he moved and turned into a tiny little nothing. One problem I really do have with this game is that the graphics are poor enough to hinder. I often can't find doors and see paths (I know about tab). I do wish the texture was a little better (i'm playing 1024x768 on a 21 inch lcd).

Turn up all your graphics settings and play in a window. If you need help seeing NPCs, turn up your Feedback in Game Options. Tab shows doors, containers, and items, and pause (space bar) shows NPCs with the blue cyan circle.

I've played BG on four different monitors and I've never had many problems seeing things. Tab makes it especially easy.
 

you2

Diamond Member
Apr 2, 2002
5,668
913
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What is a good strategy for killing liches? I'm around level 12 now (11-13) and fumbled into this lich on the docks - he has a coffen. and the only way I seem able to kill it is if i attack it before it gets spells up. Once it has spells up i can't hit it and breach doesn't seem to do much as well as most other spells. Then he begins to gate and other mean things and eventually everyone dies and i run out an mourn their death.
 

Shadowknight

Diamond Member
May 4, 2001
3,959
3
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Use cleric buffing spells on your fighters. Make sure you use spells to shut down his combat protections. Sunray is a pretty good spells to use, and there's a sword lying around that you can equip that allows you to cast that spell once a day. If you can buy the Vhailor helm in the Adventurer's Mart, put it on a fighter with the sword. As the fight starts, use the helm to duplicate your character, then have both the doppelganger and your original character use the sunray ability of the sword. Also make sure your magic weapons are good enough to hit the lich.
 

you2

Diamond Member
Apr 2, 2002
5,668
913
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Where should I go hunting for this sunray sword (I'm still in chapter 2 - got tons of stuff to do - gonna take weeks. Next on my list is sewers cult (in case it has a pretty sword) ? Everytime I go somewhere i get more quests than i finish (also need to get yoshi back and go see renal).
 

Shadowknight

Diamond Member
May 4, 2001
3,959
3
81
At the city gate, there's an inn. Go in and wait a minute/use find traps. A hidden door will show up. Open it. Inside is a lich. While the rest of your party engages, have a thief open the chest, which has the Daystar (the sword). Give it to a fighter and go from there.
 

you2

Diamond Member
Apr 2, 2002
5,668
913
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Ack - how did you ever find that - even acker i gotta kill a lich to get a lich killer :(. Hum. This is gonna take years to complete - but bg2 is a *lot* more fun than bg1. To be honest bg1 (for me) became very slow and dull - this is non stop action :) Could almost use a few more puzzles.
 

mk

Diamond Member
Apr 26, 2000
3,241
0
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Kangaxx is a very difficult opponent if you aren't properly prepared. Maybe it's a bit lazy but I always have someone (with Protection from magic cast on them) hack him/it with Carsomyr with the rest of the party providing moral support from a safe distance.
 

Shadowknight

Diamond Member
May 4, 2001
3,959
3
81
Originally posted by: you2
Ack - how did you ever find that - even acker i gotta kill a lich to get a lich killer :(. Hum. This is gonna take years to complete - but bg2 is a *lot* more fun than bg1. To be honest bg1 (for me) became very slow and dull - this is non stop action :) Could almost use a few more puzzles.

You don't HAVE to kill that lich, just run in, grab the sword, and run out. He's not going to follow you.
 

you2

Diamond Member
Apr 2, 2002
5,668
913
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I'm a long ways from fighting Kangaxx - In fact I didn't even know i would have to fight him - did stumble into that house and did get the quest but i haven't found any of his body parts yet :)
 

Ika

Lifer
Mar 22, 2006
14,267
3
81
Originally posted by: Shadowknight
Originally posted by: you2
Ack - how did you ever find that - even acker i gotta kill a lich to get a lich killer :(. Hum. This is gonna take years to complete - but bg2 is a *lot* more fun than bg1. To be honest bg1 (for me) became very slow and dull - this is non stop action :) Could almost use a few more puzzles.

You don't HAVE to kill that lich, just run in, grab the sword, and run out. He's not going to follow you.

Actually, there's a chance that the City Gates lich will follow you out... I've had it happen before. Wasn't too fun for the peasants and such.
 

you2

Diamond Member
Apr 2, 2002
5,668
913
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Oh! that lich - I actaully stumbled into him on saturday - but he was too power for me so i ran away - didn't know there was a lich killing sword in there....
 

BladeVenom

Lifer
Jun 2, 2005
13,540
16
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Originally posted by: Aflac
Originally posted by: you2
I found lavok = instead of being a giant glowing sphere he moved and turned into a tiny little nothing. One problem I really do have with this game is that the graphics are poor enough to hinder. I often can't find doors and see paths (I know about tab). I do wish the texture was a little better (i'm playing 1024x768 on a 21 inch lcd).

Turn up all your graphics settings and play in a window. If you need help seeing NPCs, turn up your Feedback in Game Options. Tab shows doors, containers, and items, and pause (space bar) shows NPCs with the blue cyan circle.

I've played BG on four different monitors and I've never had many problems seeing things. Tab makes it especially easy.

Maybe adjusting the gamma settings would help.
 

you2

Diamond Member
Apr 2, 2002
5,668
913
126
i'll try the gamma thing. Sort of wish there was a bg2 modules for nwn 2 :)
 

you2

Diamond Member
Apr 2, 2002
5,668
913
126
If I leave stuff in the keep will it last across game session or will it go poof when i exit ?