Baldur's Gate 1 questions

[J_C]

Does anyone know how could I run with an evil party, without being actually evil? Meaning to hire NPC-s with evil alignmetns (Montaron etc), but doing quest and not being an asshole? After a time I get a good reputation, and the evil characters leave me/fight me. I suppose there are some mods which turn off this, but is there something in the game, which keeps my reputation fairly low? And does low reputation has any consequence in the game?

Edit: I just found this on the BG forums:

The best part about being Evil in BG1 is that your character's dreams change dramatically if you're a thoroughly Evil dude

Is this true?

Edit2: Just in case I'd like to ask which mod makes your NPCs never leaving you on their own because of reputation?

 

[Xor]

BG2 Tweaks has a component that prevents evil characters from leaving if your reputation gets too high. Actually it just stops any character from leaving based on reputation.

And in BG1, the evil dreams are probably triggered by low reputation, but I'm only guessing. It's just that a lot of things in BG1/BG2 that trigger off you being evil test reputation and not alignment.

 

[octavius]

According to the elf race description in the BG1 and BG2 manuals, "they are very skilled in the use of the bow and long sword." I think I read somewhere that this means elves get +1 proficiency when using a long sword or a long bow, but I'm not sure if it was ever implemented. Can anybody confirm or deny this?

Edit: according to this, the elf long sword and bow and halfling slingshot bonuses were never implemented in BG2, but still left in the manual. The link also features some Taluntain posts from 13 years ago. I'm still unsure about BG1.

I'm pretty sure they get a +1 to THAC0 when wielding Long Swords and Long Bows.
Should be very easy to check if you have IWD and the BG games installed.

 

[Infinitron]

Roguey can tell you all about racial bonuses in Baldur's Gate vs Icewind Dale.

 

[titus]

Wow, bows are really overpowered in this game! I have 3 sometimes 4 archers and they nearly one-shot a lot of enemies. My tanks on the other hand can't seem to hit anything.

It's not about bows having a better to hit chance (if you have 18 DEX and 18/** STR it should be around the same all other things being equal), it's about them adding one extra attack per round (which makes a huge difference, especially in BG) which gave you that illusion.

You see, BG has "fake" attack animations for melee weapons (until you get to around 3 attacks per round IIRC, at which point animation starts corresponding with what is actually happening). For example if your char has 1 attack per round with a melee weapon, you'll still see him swing the weapon say 2-3 times per round but only one of them will represent an actual attempt (be it a hit or miss) and/or when you char has 2 attacks per round with a melee weapon every other weapon swing will represent an actual attack.

To avoid confusion, I suggest you go to gameplay->feedback and then toggle "to hit rolls" so you know when your char is actually attacking.

And disable the fake attack animations via TobEx. Annoying as hell.

 

[Roguey]

Roguey can tell you all about racial bonuses in Baldur's Gate vs Icewind Dale.

Short version: Bioware lied, and Josh Sawyer made it a personal goal to ensure all the bonuses were properly implemented in his games.

None of them implement wisdom's effect on magic defense (probably an engine issue), but Icewind Dale's manual had the sense to leave it out of the chart.

 

[Abelian]

After a time I get a good reputation, and the evil characters leave me/fight me. I suppose there are some mods which turn off this, but is there something in the game, which keeps my reputation fairly low? And does low reputation has any consequence in the game?

Edit: I just found this on the BG forums:

The best part about being Evil in BG1 is that your character's dreams change dramatically if you're a thoroughly Evil dude

Is this true?

Edit2: Just in case I'd like to ask which mod makes your NPCs never leaving you on their own because of reputation?

There is the Bardic Reputation Adjustment mod (it was included in the BG1 tweak pack) that allows you to pay three bards to lower your reputation by composing songs that make you sound dangerous, an inversion of donating to temples to increase reputation.

You can have Viconia join your party: she's a netural evil drow and you have to kill two Flaming Fist mercenaries to save her (she's innocent, though) which will lower your reputation by 2. Also, asking for payment for freeing a woman petrified by a basilisk will lower your reputation by 1.

Lower reputation means prices will be higher. If your reputation is too low (lower than 5 I think), then Flaming Fist mercenaries will spawn from time to time. That's what so stupid about the reputation system in BG1: even lawful evil characters like Edwin (intelligent) or Kagain (greedy) aren't savvy enough to realize that a high reputation is good for the purse and public relations.

The way dreams work depends purely on the reputation you currently have when you go to sleep after ending a chapter. If it's 10 or above, you will get a "good ability" like minor heal or slow poison, if it's less than 10, you will get an "evil ability" like Larloch's Minor drain.

P.S. the tweak pack has other useful features you can enable, such as:
-Larger Ammo, Gem and Jewelry, Potion and Scroll Stacks
-NPCs Do Not Fight
-Make Cloakwood Areas Available Before Completing the Bandit Camp
-Send BioWare NPCs to an Inn (requires Tales of the Sword Coast)
and finally:
-Shut Up "You must gather your party..."

 

[J_C]

After a time I get a good reputation, and the evil characters leave me/fight me. I suppose there are some mods which turn off this, but is there something in the game, which keeps my reputation fairly low? And does low reputation has any consequence in the game?

Edit: I just found this on the BG forums:

The best part about being Evil in BG1 is that your character's dreams change dramatically if you're a thoroughly Evil dude

Is this true?

Edit2: Just in case I'd like to ask which mod makes your NPCs never leaving you on their own because of reputation?

There is the Bardic Reputation Adjustment mod (it was included in the BG1 tweak pack) that allows you to pay three bards to lower your reputation by composing songs that make you sound dangerous, an inversion of donating to temples to increase reputation.

You can have Viconia join your party: she's a netural evil drow and you have to kill two Flaming Fist mercenaries to save her (she's innocent, though) which will lower your reputation by 2. Also, asking for payment for freeing a woman petrified by a basilisk will lower your reputation by 1.

Lower reputation means prices will be higher. If your reputation is too low (lower than 5 I think), then Flaming Fist mercenaries will spawn from time to time. That's what so stupid about the reputation system in BG1: even lawful evil characters like Edwin (intelligent) or Kagain (greedy) aren't savvy enough to realize that a high reputation is good for the purse and public relations.

The way dreams work depends purely on the reputation you currently have when you go to sleep after ending a chapter. If it's 10 or above, you will get a "good ability" like minor heal or slow poison, if it's less than 10, you will get an "evil ability" like Larloch's Minor drain.

P.S. the tweak pack has other useful features you can enable, such as:
-Larger Ammo, Gem and Jewelry, Potion and Scroll Stacks
-NPCs Do Not Fight
-Make Cloakwood Areas Available Before Completing the Bandit Camp
-Send BioWare NPCs to an Inn (requires Tales of the Sword Coast)
and finally:
-Shut Up "You must gather your party..."

Thanks. I think I just turn off NPC fight and leaving with a mod, I don'T want to juggle my reputation, and have higher prices.

 

[SausageInYourFace]

you replay baldurs gate 1? isn't that very boring considering the big empty maps not to mention youmust have a lot of time on your hands. how long does each replay take you?

Oh no, not that shit again.

Jacqueline is Andahaira.

How the fuck is every second member on this board always Andahaira?

-

On the topic: I never dual-classed Imoen because it was far too much effort to go through this period without access to her thief skills, trying to level her up. I know it is possible with planning, just substituting another thief for a while or whatever, but I really don't think it is all that necessary. One mage was enough for me to finish BG1. Why go through the hassle?

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

Jacqueline is Andahaira.

How the fuck is every second member on this board always Andahaira?

Andahaira tends to get banned a lot.

 

[aleph]

How the fuck is every second member on this board always Andahaira?

Andahaira or Drog, which(!) is better and why? Discuss!

 

[Abelian]

On the topic: I never dual-classed Imoen because it was far too much effort to go through this period without access to her thief skills, trying to level her up. I know it is possible with planning, just substituting another thief for a while or whatever, but I really don't think it is all that necessary. One mage was enough for me to finish BG1. Why go through the hassle?

She has really good attribute scores. By giving her the tome of intelligence she can achieve the max human intelligence of 18. She has 16 constitution, which is the best score for non-fighters. Since her original class was thief, she will continue to use the short bow (and all kinds of special arrows) instead of a sling and the short sword instead of a dagger after she catches up with her mage levels. She has 18 dexterity, so she can actually do some damage using the bow.

Also, due to the increasing XP requirements between levels, she can reach max level as a mage and still keep 5 thief levels.

It's certainly not necessary to complete the game, but it adds a little variety to party make-up. It's also useful if the player wants a non-specialist mage in the party as a supporting caster. The standard balanced party is two fighters, one cleric, one thief and one mage so there's an extra character slot for player to fill as desired: another mage, archer, bard, etc.

 

[Severian Silk]

In BG1, is there a difference between long bows and short bows when it comes to weapon specialization proficiencies? Will they be labeled differently in the character's bio?

 

[Abelian]

In BG1, is there a difference between long bows and short bows when it comes to weapon specialization proficiencies? Will they be labeled differently in the character's bio?

RTFM

Bow: This weapon class allows the character to use long bows, composite bows, and short bows. Only fighters, rangers, and paladins can use the composite long bow. Thieves can choose this category, but are restricted to short bows only.

Spoiler

If you're going to play BG Trilogy/Tutu, weapons will have individual proficiencies like in BG2.
Also, the composite long bow requires a strength of 18 (enormous by human standards), which is not mentioned in the manual.

 

[Severian Silk]

Also, what are the disadvantages to using plate armor and other super-low AC armors? I know they are heavier and some classes aren't allowed to use them at all.

 

[Sensuki]

There are none if you are a Fighter, Cleric or Paladin. If you can wear Plate Mail, wear it. Chain takes bonus damage from Crushing Weapons, so avoid wearing that if you can, but it's not a huge deal.

Rangers cannot Stealth in heavy armor, but I never stealth as a Ranger anyway, so.

 

[Severian Silk]

OK, thanks.

 

[Abelian]

Also, what are the disadvantages to using plate armor and other super-low AC armors? I know they are heavier and some classes aren't allowed to use them at all.

Only fighters, rangers, paladins and clerics can wear plate mail or full plate. In addition, plate mail requires 13 strength, while full plate requires 15 strength, so Viconia can't wear them, even though she's a cleric. The Ankheg Plate Mail is much lighter and only requires 3 strength. It is also wearable by druids.

Dual-classed or multi-classed mages can't cast spells while wearing armor.

Spoiler

I said RTFM

 

[SCO]

they can cast spells with leather armour but it increases spell failure... or maybe that's a mod? I can't remember

 

[Sensuki]

It's a mod

 

[octavius]

Doesn't Elfin Chain allow spell casting? Or was that just in the Gold Box games (been too long since I played IE games)?

 

[Sensuki]

There's no Elven Chain in Baldur's Gate 1 though, that's BG2.

 

[Abelian]

The Ankheg Plate Mail is much lighter and only requires 8 strength.

Fixed typo.

Also, there are mods (such as this) that moved all NPCs so that they can join the party in the beginning of of game, which means you can choose how they distribute their weapon proficiencies, thief skills and hit points (hurr durr). This is useful for NPC's such as Coran, Alora, and Tiax, who only become available during later chapters.

 

[SCO]

there is a (indispensable to me) mod that adjusts xp to whatever you have when they first join. There is also one that allows you to choose their class and proficiencies before the game starts. There is a reason why people recommend BGT (there is also a reason people disrecommend it, it's because the process of installing it is retarded and inflexible and takes a whole day because of lack of specialized tools like mlox and because bg moders are fools who never standardized on a simple zip format with the same filesystem structure).

 

[Xor]

Installing BGT takes less than 10 minutes if you have a decent computer. It's Sword Coast Strategems that takes (literally) about 2 hours to install.