Baldur's Gate The Baldur's Gate Series Thread

[Delterius]

But I actually didn't even know there were charisma checks in dialogs. Blends pretty well with the other dialogs, I guess.

Its almost always some NPC choosing to give you something extra due to your high reaction modifier. Some are in Candlekeep. At least one other is the bearophobe, who gives you nothing if you're ugly.

 

[Lacrymas]

Here are some early CHA checks that I managed to hunt down from the abyss that is the internet -

Bolt quest (Candlekeep) : You'll get a dagger +1 if you have high enough charisma/reputation.
Hull's longsword (Candlekeep) : You'll get more money for handing it in and a different dialogue.
Lady with spider problem (Friendly Arm Inn) : She'll hand over 6 (?) antidotes if you have high charisma.
Silke (Beregost) : She'll give you 400 gold instead of 300.
Polar bear guy (Wilderness map) : He'll give you the 50% Cold resistance boots if you have high charisma.

 

[ga♥]

If you have ultra-high Charisma you can also make the nobless at the Inn at Candlekeep (at the start) undress her jewels and you can rob them on the upper floor.

 

[sullynathan]

I'm also finding far less nonviolent ways to convince people than I expected. Nearly every solution to talking with someone almost always ends up in a fight.

BG has a weird design. You won't find charisma checks or things alike. However you will stumble upon 15 different generic gentlemen who all have their unique way to tell the peasant pc to fuck off.
Now, I suggest that you keep paying attention to dialogs though, there are a lot of them with specific outcomes. The thing is, it doesn't revolves around checks or obvious choices as with your typical game, but prefers the whacky way. For those dialogs, the best way to know the correct answer is to randomly select it.
So, yeah, weird design. Imagine that you're playing a standard DnD adventure with a rather goofy DM, basically.

My tutorial character had more points in strength and constitution but I rolled my current character and started with high charisma and intelligence. I'm 12 hours in now and I've not used it for anything.

I will say however that the game is pretty good and much much larger than expected. I went to Nashkel because my companions were bothering me about it and found that chapter 2 immediately starts and all my chapter 1 quests get removed. I loaded my save back and I'm currently exploring as much as possible and that world is huge. The only hard stop I'll say is Durlag's tower.

Another thing, I'm playing the enhanced edition. I've had 4 crashes so far which sucks ass.

 

[octavius]

I will say however that the game is pretty good and much much larger than expected. I went to Nashkel because my companions were bothering me about it and found that chapter 2 immediately starts and all my chapter 1 quests get removed. I loaded my save back

The quests are not removed. But your journal is divided into chapters.

Another thing, I'm playing the enhanced edition. I've had 4 crashes so far which sucks ass.

I played a heavily modded BGT and had on average much fewer crashes than that.
Beamdog sucks ass. But sadly sucking ass is profitable.

 

[IncendiaryDevice]

Something a bit bigger than a nitpick for BG2 (which I am currently loving btw):

You get a game-over screen whenever your character dies.

But... what about resurrection spells?

Whenever your character gets mazed.

Maze wears off.

Whenever your character gets turned to stone.

Which can be countered.

It seems the game has to crash whenever it can't identify the player character as being active and provides a game over screen as a cover up.

 

[sullynathan]

20 hours in still in chapter 1 about level 4 for my party. I have to say that my party is pretty strong now, a but disappointed with how powerful mages are because my fighters end up feeling like shit since they don't always hit their target.

I got Neera and the dark elf because she suckered me into killing a guard and getting plate armor which I woulda bought. I think Neera has fallen in love with my character already, oh romance

I'm not really a big fan of some of the respawning enemies.

There are 5 quests I currently have in Durlag's tower which I've been putting off because those flame sword knights are hard.

There's also this orc wizard at the bridge that's tough as hell.

In the city in the top right of the map, there's a wizard that teleport me to an icy island to fight another tough wizard battle.

 

[Sizzle]

Something a bit bigger than a nitpick for BG2 (which I am currently loving btw):

You get a game-over screen whenever your character dies.

That part actually makes sense in-game - due to the purpose for which Bhaalspawns were made.

 

[IncendiaryDevice]

20 hours in still in chapter 1 about level 4 for my party. I have to say that my party is pretty strong now, a but disappointed with how powerful mages are because my fighters end up feeling like shit since they don't always hit their target.

I got Neera and the dark elf because she suckered me into killing a guard and getting plate armor which I woulda bought. I think Neera has fallen in love with my character already, oh romance

I'm not really a big fan of some of the respawning enemies.

There are 5 quests I currently have in Durlag's tower which I've been putting off because those flame sword knights are hard.

There's also this orc wizard at the bridge that's tough as hell.

In the city in the top right of the map, there's a wizard that teleport me to an icy island to fight another tough wizard battle.

One drawback of not doing the main quest at all will be that you wont be getting main quest XP which vastly outshadows random XP, and also any items in drops and chests from main quest missions. What I did was a bit of main quest, then a bit of free-roaming, a bit of main quest, a bit of free roaming, etc. Going full-free roam at chapter one seems a bit extreme tbh. Also, some NPCs don't appear if you don't complete bits of the main quest, such as the woman who gives you huge gold for bandit scalps.

Something a bit bigger than a nitpick for BG2 (which I am currently loving btw):

You get a game-over screen whenever your character dies.

That part actually makes sense in-game - due to the purpose for which Bhaalspawns were made.

Sure, that's why none of it matters regarding imoen.

 

[Sizzle]

You get a game-over screen whenever your character dies.

That part actually makes sense in-game - due to the purpose for which Bhaalspawns were made.

Sure, that's why none of it matters regarding imoen.

Imoen was tacked on at the last minute, she was originally supposed to die at Spellhold.

They probably couldn't work out/code in her not being able to be raised from the dead like the PC in time.

 

[IncendiaryDevice]

You get a game-over screen whenever your character dies.

That part actually makes sense in-game - due to the purpose for which Bhaalspawns were made.

Sure, that's why none of it matters regarding imoen.

Imoen was tacked on at the last minute, she was originally supposed to die at Spellhold.

They probably couldn't work out/code in her not being able to be raised from the dead like the PC in time.

I guess its obvious now that you have some obscure answer you can completely pull out ur ass for any angle regarding this topic, so lets move forward:

Are there any other team-based (but only single character at the same time) RPGs where the game ends if your character dies/gets incapacitated during combat? I'm sure there must be, but I can't think of one off the top of my head. Its usually total-party-wipe or play-on, no?

 

[CptMace]

It's already difficult to come up with party based rpgs who feature a "main character", frankly. Besides Bioware I guess.

 

[Anomander Rake]

For imoen, some accepts the "explanation" that the bhaal essence is dormant in her, and due to this she can get resurrected - call it a feature for her being a bhaalspawn.

Every bhaalspawn gets a special 'gift', Sarevok his ability and great stats, your main character the fact that you can save the game (otherwise your character is total shit compared to the other bhaalspawns), etc etc

 

[sullynathan]

Going full-free roam at chapter one seems a bit extreme tbh

I'm 21 hours in full free roam in chapter 1, I must be way overboard then

 

[Lacrymas]

The free-roaming is almost completely disconnected from the chapters. I think you can complete 80% of the maps without stepping foot in Nashkel, only Baldur's Gate (the city) and Cloakwood are closed off to you, so knock yourself out.

 

[sullynathan]

The free-roaming is almost completely disconnected from the chapters. I think you can complete 80% of the maps without stepping foot in Nashkel, only Baldur's Gate (the city) and Cloakwood are closed off to you, so knock yourself out.

yea I went to Baldurs gate and a guard is blocking the city. I've also been trying to do the cloak quest then found out it's in cloakwood which is locked away for me.

Since that point I'm only level 5 or 6 depending on companion now which isn't that good. I also can't keep track of where my previous companions are which is dumb.

 

[Melcar]

Story-wise, if you don't take the Zhents or the Harpers in your team, then there is no problem with just exploring from the start. Of course, once you do start with the story you may get bored fast.

 

[Lonely Vazdru]

I'm only level 5 or 6 depending on companion now which isn't that good.

Man, that's BG you're playing, you won't get much higher than level 9/10. 5/6 is pretty high already.

 

[Lacrymas]

Only single-class Bards, Thieves and Druids can get to level 10 in BG1 and only Mages can get to level 9. Everyone else is limited to 8. And that's only with the expansion, but I'm sure very few people play BG1 without TotSC.

 

[CptMace]

You're gonna meet a lot of companions way too late to consider reforming the party though. Which is quite a shame, I always found companions from Cloakwood and BG to be super fun. Especially the pair of insane gnomes.

 

[sullynathan]

You're gonna meet a lot of companions way too late to consider reforming the party though. Which is quite a shame, I always found companions from Cloakwood and BG to be super fun. Especially the pair of insane gnomes.

I've met a good 10 - 12. I just keep joining and removing. it's a bit annoying ghat certain companions come in a pack.

 

[Lacrymas]

BG1 has 25 (!) companions. Evil party is the coolest and it doesn't feel like you are in a happy-go-lucky adventure with your buddies. Some companions do come extremely late, though, especially Quayle, Tiax, Skie and Alora. Unless you purposefully want to use them, who will ever pick them up? You'll also have to hold off on leveling and rush to Baldur's Gate.

 

[Storyfag]

BG1 has 25 (!) companions. Evil party is the coolest and it doesn't feel like you are in a happy-go-lucky adventure with your buddies.

Xzar, Monty, Vicky, Kagain and Edwin = Flavour with Tiax as needed.

 

[Krivol]

Bro, no love for Shar-Tel?

 

[Lacrymas]

Xzar, Monty, Vicky, Kagain and Edwin = Flavour with Tiax as needed.

I've always found Xzar a bit ...redundant, tbh, regardless of the way you build him. Edwin is a better Mage than he is and, this is my preference, I usually play with only 1 Mage in the party, I find that it becomes too easy with more. If you give him the tome of WIS and dual him to Cleric, I think Viconia is a better Cleric than he can be by virtue of the magic resistance, 19 DEX and potential to wear heavy armor. My ideal party would be MC (which is always something other than a Mage), Edwin, Viconia (substitute her with Faldorn/Eldoth if MC is a Cleric), Shar-Teel, Coran with Helm of Opposite Alignment and Kagain, but since the HoOA comes way too late, I substitute Coran with Monty.