Baldur's Gate Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear - Gameplay and Mechanics Thread (NO political crap!)

[Rivmusique]

Spoiler

In the cyric temple there's a "puzzle" with masks in the hallway just before the mindflayer area, this is solved using the note you get from the first dungeon "Sarevok's Note" (IIRC, it says something like: "the numbers 3, 1, 4 are important"). This opens a secret room, in which is a chest with the sword and some books. Also in the room is a "Shadow Aspect" or something, which spawns hostile the moment you enter. I couldn't kill this thing and had to use invis to get a guy through, loot the chest and bail. It was bizarre, it only turned visible long enough to deliver a backstab then instantly vanished midround and in between attacks. I had no one high enough to use true seeing, though I'm not sure that would even work as Invis Purge, detect illusion, remove magic weren't.

edit: waitaminute, did that fucker cast mislead and leave it in his room?

edit 2: reloaded a save around that point to check, and that's exactly what he did. How did I miss that? Please release another expansion in 18 years and when I may actually be good at these games .

 

[aVENGER]

Rivmusique

Spoiler

The wardstone that you need to access Bridgefort interior is on Akanna (the priestess of Cyric). You can either pickpocket her or kill her and loot the wardstone from her corpse. Freeing the captured crusaders will grant you access to their camp and that can be accomplished by pickpocketing or looting the key from Ziatar (the half-dragon). Having access to either the crusader camp or Bridgefort is enough to advance the plot. You only need to fight the Mind Flayer and its thralls if you want to free the priestess of Cyric from its control.

 

[aVENGER]

Final question. Why did you adopt 3.5 attribute modifiers instead of AD&D ones for magical items, ie +1 to X instead of Sets X to 18+?

Icewind Dale used similar bonuses for its items, and even BG2 had a few items that worked like that (i.e. the Obsidian, Gold and Silver Ioun Stones). Pen and Paper AD&D actually allows for items that have "improves attribute by X" bonuses to exist, though they may not be as common as the "sets attribute to X" variety.

 

[Lhynn]

Final question. Why did you adopt 3.5 attribute modifiers instead of AD&D ones for magical items, ie +1 to X instead of Sets X to 18+?

Icewind Dale used similar bonuses for its items, and even BG2 had a few items that worked like that (i.e. the Obsidian, Gold and Silver Ioun Stones). Pen and Paper AD&D actually allows for items that have "improves attribute by X" bonuses to exist, though they may not be as common as the "sets attribute to X" variety.

Yeah, Ioun stones and other items that were meant to have very small bonuses that would actually present an improvement for mid to high level players were introduced later on. I remember first seeing them in a FR magical catalogue.
They were interesting items because of their fragility. But now that i remember, the helm of glory and other items offered +1 bonuses too.

So nevermind, it was my bad.
EDIT: doesnt change the fact that its fairly uninteresting itemization. Why didnt you guys go crazier with it? You have tons of magical items to pick from that are equivalent to +3 or +4 items on value.

 

[Unbeliever]

After last patch, Wyvern quest in BG EE is bugged. I have two heads but can't get a line about reward in Temple. Anybody had same problem?

 

[Lilura]

Spoiler

you need a +3 weapon (these are very rare in SoD)

True, but the player may have +3 carry overs from TotSC (in which case, no probs).

 

[Delterius]

I've been thinking. Now that SoD exists, dual classing isn't nearly as practical. With a 500,000 experience cap, at best you can make a 9/10 Human Fighter-Mage and that's with a long ass period of weakness. You can't even redeem a Fighter/Cleric Dual now. I could see myself having to play on lower difficulty modes just to see my future Berzerker/Cleric through.

 

[Reinhardt]

long ass period of weakness.

Tell it to the monks.

 

[Shadenuat]

I've been thinking. Now that SoD exists, dual classing isn't nearly as practical. With a 500,000 experience cap, at best you can make a 9/10 Human Fighter-Mage and that's with a long ass period of weakness. You can't even redeem a Fighter/Cleric Dual now. I could see myself having to play on lower difficulty modes just to see my future Berzerker/Cleric through.

I rolled new fighter in SoD, got 64k xp (barely hit level 7), scratched my head, opened console and added extra ~100k, for dual 7 fighter/8 wizard. And killing stuff he went.

 

[agris]

long ass period of weakness.

Tell it to the monks.

Seriously. As an evil thief CHARNAME, the lack of evil tanks up to this point has me using Minsc *puke*, which also negates using Edwin, or using that new monk NPC Rashaad.

He can't tank for shit! I've read you meet the evil tank NPCs

Spoiler

Dorn and Kagain once you retake the Boyarsky bridge

but that's a ways off and will cut-off the dwarf mini-dungeon and whatever else I have waiting for me in those woods between the camp and the bridge.

Rashaad sucks! For the first time in my life I'm kiting some things. It is interesting approaching the dwarf-mine and all the undead there though. Playing on insane spawns w/o extra damage or XP, ever person who uses ranged weapons is using their best ammunition. Stuff that is magical +1/2 and does 1dX fire/electric/acid damage. I'm using it waaaay more than I ever did in the other IE games, which is nice since I was always horde the good ammo for When I Need It Later(TM). As a matter of fact, that's the best thing about playing on Insane right now; it's getting me to use many more consumables than I ever have. It's honestly more fun, if I played the other IE games like less of a munchkin, I would have been doing this earlier. But that's the strength of Insane mode.

The down side of insane, so far, is that the increase in non-humanoid/non-undead enemy spawns isn't very interesting (though if the level-draining and casting undead in the dwarf mine are added by insane, that changes your fighting tactics). What I don't know though is how fights with NPCs are being changed. If clerics, mages, archers etc are being added to set-piece fights with named NPCs, well that's amazing. I just haven't fought more than two of those yet. I've only been playing on insane so I have no other reference point.

 

[Reinhardt]

On insane you need 2 mages. Or someone to use those wands. And oil flasks. I have 6 wands with 100+ fireballs combined. And only Dynaheir can use them.

 

[ZagorTeNej]

I've been thinking. Now that SoD exists, dual classing isn't nearly as practical. With a 500,000 experience cap, at best you can make a 9/10 Human Fighter-Mage and that's with a long ass period of weakness. You can't even redeem a Fighter/Cleric Dual now. I could see myself having to play on lower difficulty modes just to see my future Berzerker/Cleric through.

Well you could still make Kensai 9/Thief right? Would be pretty badass with Staff of Striking (if selling/buying to recharge it trick still works). Does your gear carry on to SoD from BG1:EE?

 

[ArchAngel]

I've been thinking. Now that SoD exists, dual classing isn't nearly as practical. With a 500,000 experience cap, at best you can make a 9/10 Human Fighter-Mage and that's with a long ass period of weakness. You can't even redeem a Fighter/Cleric Dual now. I could see myself having to play on lower difficulty modes just to see my future Berzerker/Cleric through.

Well you could still make Kensai 9/Thief right? Would be pretty badass with Staff of Striking (if selling/buying to recharge it trick still works). Does your gear carry on to SoD from BG1:EE?

Yes, gear goes to SoD with your character if you make a new game in SoD from Bg1EE save

 

[Space Insect]

I've been thinking. Now that SoD exists, dual classing isn't nearly as practical. With a 500,000 experience cap, at best you can make a 9/10 Human Fighter-Mage and that's with a long ass period of weakness. You can't even redeem a Fighter/Cleric Dual now. I could see myself having to play on lower difficulty modes just to see my future Berzerker/Cleric through.

Well you could still make Kensai 9/Thief right? Would be pretty badass with Staff of Striking (if selling/buying to recharge it trick still works). Does your gear carry on to SoD from BG1:EE?

Yes, gear goes to SoD with your character if you make a new game in SoD from Bg1EE save

Doesn't it all get stolen by refugees or is that just your gold?

 

[Reinhardt]

Only gold.

 

[Gay-Lussac]

After last patch, Wyvern quest in BG EE is bugged. I have two heads but can't get a line about reward in Temple. Anybody had same problem?

I had completed that quest when I patched to 2.0. After patching, the quest was still on my journal as completed, but Coran left my party citing having to hunt wyverns anyway.

I pegged that down to some sort of conflict with SCS, but guess not. Pretty sure there's a console command that can flag the quest as completed, though.

 

[Metal Hurlant]

Spoiler

In the cyric temple there's a "puzzle" with masks in the hallway just before the mindflayer area, this is solved using the note you get from the first dungeon "Sarevok's Note" (IIRC, it says something like: "the numbers 3, 1, 4 are important"). This opens a secret room, in which is a chest with the sword and some books. Also in the room is a "Shadow Aspect" or something, which spawns hostile the moment you enter. I couldn't kill this thing and had to use invis to get a guy through, loot the chest and bail. It was bizarre, it only turned visible long enough to deliver a backstab then instantly vanished midround and in between attacks. I had no one high enough to use true seeing, though I'm not sure that would even work as Invis Purge, detect illusion, remove magic weren't.

edit: waitaminute, did that fucker cast mislead and leave it in his room?

edit 2: reloaded a save around that point to check, and that's exactly what he did. How did I miss that? Please release another expansion in 18 years and when I may actually be good at these games .

I must be doing something wrong. I'm at the room with the masks, I have the note, but I can't figure out how to open it.

 

[Rivmusique]

The masks sit on the wall like so:

1 2 3

4 5 6

They are each a different interactive object, just click them in the order said in the note.

 

[Metal Hurlant]

This is how I feel.

 

[ArchAngel]

Spoiler

In the cyric temple there's a "puzzle" with masks in the hallway just before the mindflayer area, this is solved using the note you get from the first dungeon "Sarevok's Note" (IIRC, it says something like: "the numbers 3, 1, 4 are important"). This opens a secret room, in which is a chest with the sword and some books. Also in the room is a "Shadow Aspect" or something, which spawns hostile the moment you enter. I couldn't kill this thing and had to use invis to get a guy through, loot the chest and bail. It was bizarre, it only turned visible long enough to deliver a backstab then instantly vanished midround and in between attacks. I had no one high enough to use true seeing, though I'm not sure that would even work as Invis Purge, detect illusion, remove magic weren't.

edit: waitaminute, did that fucker cast mislead and leave it in his room?

edit 2: reloaded a save around that point to check, and that's exactly what he did. How did I miss that? Please release another expansion in 18 years and when I may actually be good at these games .

I must be doing something wrong. I'm at the room with the masks, I have the note, but I can't figure out how to open it.

What note? I didn't find any note.. where is this note?

 

[Unbeliever]

After last patch, Wyvern quest in BG EE is bugged. I have two heads but can't get a line about reward in Temple. Anybody had same problem?

I had completed that quest when I patched to 2.0. After patching, the quest was still on my journal as completed, but Coran left my party citing having to hunt wyverns anyway.

I pegged that down to some sort of conflict with SCS, but guess not. Pretty sure there's a console command that can flag the quest as completed, though.

Thanks, then I will look out for c. command. Coran is not important, I took him just for that quest.

 

[Unbeliever]

Spoiler

In the cyric temple there's a "puzzle" with masks in the hallway just before the mindflayer area, this is solved using the note you get from the first dungeon "Sarevok's Note" (IIRC, it says something like: "the numbers 3, 1, 4 are important"). This opens a secret room, in which is a chest with the sword and some books. Also in the room is a "Shadow Aspect" or something, which spawns hostile the moment you enter. I couldn't kill this thing and had to use invis to get a guy through, loot the chest and bail. It was bizarre, it only turned visible long enough to deliver a backstab then instantly vanished midround and in between attacks. I had no one high enough to use true seeing, though I'm not sure that would even work as Invis Purge, detect illusion, remove magic weren't.

edit: waitaminute, did that fucker cast mislead and leave it in his room?

edit 2: reloaded a save around that point to check, and that's exactly what he did. How did I miss that? Please release another expansion in 18 years and when I may actually be good at these games .

I must be doing something wrong. I'm at the room with the masks, I have the note, but I can't figure out how to open it.

What note? I didn't find any note.. where is this note?

Spoiler

First dungeon in game. It's in the secret room. Torch puzzle.

 

[ArchAngel]

Spoiler

In the cyric temple there's a "puzzle" with masks in the hallway just before the mindflayer area, this is solved using the note you get from the first dungeon "Sarevok's Note" (IIRC, it says something like: "the numbers 3, 1, 4 are important"). This opens a secret room, in which is a chest with the sword and some books. Also in the room is a "Shadow Aspect" or something, which spawns hostile the moment you enter. I couldn't kill this thing and had to use invis to get a guy through, loot the chest and bail. It was bizarre, it only turned visible long enough to deliver a backstab then instantly vanished midround and in between attacks. I had no one high enough to use true seeing, though I'm not sure that would even work as Invis Purge, detect illusion, remove magic weren't.

edit: waitaminute, did that fucker cast mislead and leave it in his room?

edit 2: reloaded a save around that point to check, and that's exactly what he did. How did I miss that? Please release another expansion in 18 years and when I may actually be good at these games .

I must be doing something wrong. I'm at the room with the masks, I have the note, but I can't figure out how to open it.

What note? I didn't find any note.. where is this note?

Spoiler

First dungeon in game. It's in the secret room. Torch puzzle.

Spoiler

Ok, I found that room. But I still don't remember the note :D
I have to check if I saved that.

 

[Ausdoerrt]

the question why my mage is casting cure light wounds on other party members

(S)he is a mage but self-identifies as a cleric?

 

[Unbeliever]

Spoiler

In the cyric temple there's a "puzzle" with masks in the hallway just before the mindflayer area, this is solved using the note you get from the first dungeon "Sarevok's Note" (IIRC, it says something like: "the numbers 3, 1, 4 are important"). This opens a secret room, in which is a chest with the sword and some books. Also in the room is a "Shadow Aspect" or something, which spawns hostile the moment you enter. I couldn't kill this thing and had to use invis to get a guy through, loot the chest and bail. It was bizarre, it only turned visible long enough to deliver a backstab then instantly vanished midround and in between attacks. I had no one high enough to use true seeing, though I'm not sure that would even work as Invis Purge, detect illusion, remove magic weren't.

edit: waitaminute, did that fucker cast mislead and leave it in his room?

edit 2: reloaded a save around that point to check, and that's exactly what he did. How did I miss that? Please release another expansion in 18 years and when I may actually be good at these games .

I must be doing something wrong. I'm at the room with the masks, I have the note, but I can't figure out how to open it.

What note? I didn't find any note.. where is this note?

Spoiler

First dungeon in game. It's in the secret room. Torch puzzle.

Spoiler

Ok, I found that room. But I still don't remember the note :D
I have to check if I saved that.

Spoiler

Finding note should trigger "Sarevok's Secret" quest.